Which Action Hero Would You Be?

Frecklesfly got me to do this on-line quiz and guess I got a feminine action hero inside me. But no worries because she got a male action hero inside her so we are still attracted to the opposite sex! :)

You scored as Lara Croft. A thrill-seeking, slightly unscrupulous, tough-as-nails archaeologist, Lara Croft travels the world in search of ancient relics perhaps better left hidden. She packs two Colt .45s and has no fear of jumping off buildings, exploring creepy tombs, or taking on evil meglomaniacs bent on world domination. Lara Croft 83% William Wallace 58% Indiana Jones 58% James Bond, Agent 007 54% The Terminator 54% Maximus 50% Captain Jack Sparrow 38% El Zorro 38% The Amazing Spider-Man 33% Neo, the "One" 29% Batman, the Dark Knight 8% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

London Lifestyle Home Show:

On Saturday Frecklesfly and I went to London and checked out the Lifestyle Home Show and saw plenty of interesting products and materials on display for home owners.  There was a guy selling spicy venison salami that we tried and bought, and later realized it was deer meat mixed with beef and pork - oh well.  The man selling the meat was a nice old man from West Lorne and he had a sign up advertising a website ( http://www.farmersfeedcities.com/) that supports Ontario farmers.  I checked the website out recently and it says Canadians have the lowest grocery bill in the world!  I find that hard to believe - if it is true then I think we can afford to pay a bit more because the farmers are facing financial hardship.

 We saw the Smart Scooter - the display had several scooters on show and said it was legal to drive them with no drivers license and insurance was not required!  Maybe I ought think about getting one and suspend my car insurance during the summer while I get around with the Smart Scooter!  A guy had a booth displaying the Last Glue. He showed us some items that he cut up and used this glue to put them back together.  It was amazing at how fast the glue dried up and we were given the opportunity to examine the items and try to pull the glued parts apart.

To cap the day, we got together with Sinead, Jamie, Maggie and Kyle for dinner at the new Hooters (was not impressed with the menu - pretty much the same as in Rochester, and even more there were not very many vegetarian choices) in London then went to Kyle's place for some drinks before calling it a night.

What a Difference!

A friend sent this to me, thought it would be fun to share... See what 50 years will do. Scenario: Jack pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack. 1956 - Vice Principal comes over, takes a look at Jack's rifle, goes to his car and gets his to show Jack. 2006 - School goes into lockdown, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers. ++++++++++++++++++++++ Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school. 1956 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends. Nobody goes to jail, nobody arrested, nobody expelled. 2006 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students. 1956 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal. Sits still in class. 2006 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his father's car and his Dad gives him a whipping. 1956 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman. 2006 - Billy's Dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. Billy's sister is told by state psychologist that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some headache medicine to school. 1956 - Mark shares headache medicine with Principal out on the smoking dock. 2006 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons. +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Scenario: Pedro fails high school English. 1956 : Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college. 2006 : Pedro's cause is taken up by state democratic party. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he can't speak English. +++++++++++++++++++++ Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed . 1956 - Ants die. 2006 - BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again. +++++++++++++++++++++ Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary, hugs him to comfort him. 1956 - In a short time Johnny feels better and goes on playing. 2006 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison.

London Centre for the Deaf:

Since London Centre for the Deaf's (LCD) website, www.lcd.on.ca has been shut down. There are people who believe LCD no longer exists. I believe there should be attempts to re-establish a Deaf-based organization in London for the Deaf people who reside in London and surrounding area.

I have tried to contact LCD's last president, Dana McCarthy in December to see if I could help out with their website (I would love to be on the board, but I have no idea where my permanent job will be located). I believe that maintaining a website will keep the deaf community informed about what is going on. He has not responded to my offer to help with the website.

I am left to wonder if LCD still exists.

If I end up with a full time job that is located in or near London, I am willing to try and get some Deaf people together and re-establish LCD.

To make LCD successful, I believe LCD should be structured with segments that focuses on different age groups. Maybe three segments based on:

1. members who are in high school
2. members who are in college or employed
3. members who are retired

This way there are more leaders working within LCD and these leaders in each segment focus on the interests and expectations of their "age" group.

For example, since the audist government of Ontario has shut down the High School program at Robarts School, the Deaf student population has been divided by displacing Deaf students in hearing schools. The opportunity to become involved with LCD will give these Deaf students a chance to meet other Deaf students who live in London and encourage them to develop self-awareness of who they are and valuable leadership skills.

The college and employed segment can focus on their special interests and do things that include their families.

The retired segment can focus on their special interests that might be different from the younger segments and also continue working on the original plan of developing a senior home (that is if the old LCD has not given away all the money they have fundraised for the senior home project).

Just a thought I had on my shoulders and wanted to get out... if LCD has not ceased to function, at least get the website back up!

Beer for Dogs:

Was watching CNN news while doing my daily walk/jog on my parents treadmill. Saw this segment talking about beer for dogs. Since I know several friends have dogs, thought this would interest them!

It sucks they did not caption their clip for Deaf dog owners.

"The Strategy"

I mentioned to my mother that I was interested in researching real estate so I could be prepared to make a purchase once I have a steady income.  One day I found a book lying on my bed titled "The Strategy".  It was written by an author that wrote a book during the housing boom in the 1980s and he says his points about real estate in the 1980s no longer applied.

From what I have read so far, he brings up a lot of points that make logical sense and the centre of his strategy is focused on the baby boomers.  According to his statistics, 9.8 million Canadian baby boomers are set to retire during the year of 2011, that is almost 30% of the Canadian population right now.  Around that period, we should expect real estate values to decrease as these baby boomers try to sell their multi-floor and multi-bedroom homes and replace them with single floor and single bedroom homes.

If you are planning on buying a short-term home, if the author's theory is correct, now is the best time to buy a single floor and single bedroom home and wait and hope to sell it at a higher profit just when the baby boomers are replacing their homes to fit their aging bodies.

They will also want to invest their remaining capital in mutual funds and stocks.  With this extra capital being invested, corporate profits will increase and their shares will rise so theorically if you invest now, you will see your shares rise in prices over the next five or ten years due to baby boomers flooding the stock market with their money (due to a high percent of them not having saved enough money for retirement).

Just thought I would share what I have read in case you are interested in some outlook about the future.  The same can be applied in the United States since there are a lot of baby boomers in the United States too.

Deaf Truck Drivers in the United States:

A friend of mine who is a fully licensed truck driver in Canada was offered a task hauling agriculture grains to a location near Chicago. He wanted to accept the task, but he told his employer that he saw stories that Deaf people were not allowed to drive trucks in the United States. His employer decided to call to find out if Deaf people could drive trucks in the United States.

His employer got back to him and said that Deaf people are not allowed to drive commercial trucks in the United States. I have seen that story before, but have never been able to verify if that is true because I find it hard to believe. I decided to contact NYS Department of Motor Vehicles to see if I can get confirmation.

If it indeed is true, I will be surprised because I always thought Deaf people had more privileges and opportunities in the United States than in Canada.

I will get back to this post once DMV responds to my inquiry.

A New Year Resolution for Bell Relay Service: Update Nº 1

Got an respond to my email about upgrading Bell Relay Services from Bell Relay Services' representative, Nicole. Was disappointed in her attempt to assist me with my comments and concerns because her respond lacked any reference to my original concerns and comments.

That is not all, she said I had to leave my name, home and alternative phone number, comment and concerns in my email so a representative could call me to respond to my comment and concerns. So much for using "accessible" as their email address!

I responded to Nicole explaining that TTYs are becoming obsolete and I am one of the Deaf people who prefer to use my web cam and laptop to make phone calls so there is no way they can respond to my comment and concerns.

Hello Nicole,

Thank you for assisting me with my comments and concerns. I have another concern about your assistance. Your respond never referred to anything I mentioned in my December 30, 2006 email to Bell Relay Services.

You asked me to leave my name, home and alternative telephone number and question or concern in my email. Did you actually read my email? I mentioned that TTYs are quickly becoming obsolete, in this case I do not have any TTYs and am unable to make phone calls as easily as I can using my web cam and laptop. As Bell Relay's email address begins with "accessible", I believe Bell Relay should make every effort to make their representatives accessible, not limited only to phones when they offer an email address.

You also never made any references to my suggestions about Bell Relay improving the quality of relay services by implementing IP Relay or Video Relay services so Deaf people can communicate using their native language, ASL on the phone with hearing people.

So next time you or other Bell Relay representatives make any attempt to assist customers with their comments and concerns, read their comments and concerns first before responding so customers can get answers the first time.

Respectfully yours,



oneninefive

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Accessible <accessible@bell.ca >
Date: Jan 11, 2007 8:44 AM
Subject: Re: Bell Relay Services Comment & Suggestion: (KMM7678154I63L0KM)
To: "oneninefive" <mplaing@gmail.com>

Hello Michael

Thank you for visiting Bell's web site. My name is Nicole and I am
pleased to assist you with your comments and concerns.

I apologize for the delay in responding. We strive for a 100% response
rate within 48 hours, however, due to an overwhelming amount of
inquiries, we have experienced some temporary delays. Your patience has
been greatly appreciated.

If you have a hearing, visual or physical disability, you can contact
our Special Needs centre for information on special equipment that will
make telephoning easier. The staff in the centre is specially trained
to give advice and recommendations on the type of equipment best suited
to your needs.

Customers with special needs are entitled to discounts on certain
equipment. For example, TTY/teletypewriter users are entitled to a 50%
reduction for long distance calls made within Canada to other Canadian
points and billed to their Bell Canada phone number.

The Bell Special Needs department can be reached by TTY at
1-800-268-9242 or by telephone at 1-800-268-9243. Their hours of
operation are Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) 8:30 a.m. to 5:00
p.m.

You may also send an e-mail to:

accessible@bell.ca

Please include the following details in your e-mail as a representative
can only contact you via TTY or telephone:

- Name:
- Home telephone number:
- Alternative contact number:
- Your question or concern:

Upon reviewing your e-mail, a representative will gladly call you to
assist you further.

For more information regarding Special Needs and Bell Canada Relay
Service (BCRS), please visit our web site at these locations:

http://www.bell.ca/specialneeds

If you have additional questions or concerns, please send an e-mail to
my attention. Thank you for the opportunity to assist you. Your
business is appreciated.

Have a great day!

Regards

Nicole
Bell Internet Centre



Original Message Follows:
------------------------

Kana Case ID 3068107 Date Received In Kana 1/9/07 Kana Case ID 3065094
Date Received In Kana 1/8/07 Kana Case ID 3059436 Date Received In Kana
1/5/07 Kana Case ID 3056220 Date Received In Kana 1/4/07 Kana Case ID
3053083 Date Received In Kana 1/3/07 Kana Case ID 3045922 Date Received
In Kana 12/30/06
Office of the Manager
P.O. Box 920, Station A
Toronto, Ontario
M5W 1G5



December 30, 2006


Dear Sir/Madam;

Hello, I am a Deaf person living in Ontario and I moved to the United
States almost ten years ago and moved back to Ontario a few months ago.
I wanted to comment on Bell's commitment to provide Relay Services for
the Deaf in Canada. I studied Business Administration Management and
one of the courses I took focused on Quality Assurance and when I
compare the Relay Services Bell provided ten years ago and today, the
quality remains the same.

I would like to find out what kind of actions Bell has taken to increase
the quality of Bell Relay Services? It was difficult for me to find
contact information to share my concerns. Does Bell Relay Services
benchmark its' own relay services against other relay service providers,
including relay services provided in other countries? I believe there
are opportunities to provide relay services at lower costs using other
technology that is readily available in the Deaf community. The
Teletype devices that Bell Relay Services was developed more than
fifteen year ago are rapidly becoming obsolete (I never used the TTY
during my entire time living in the United States, but was able to make
phone calls to Deaf impaired (hearing) people),
The technology I am talking about takes advantage of the internet. Has
Bell investigated the opportunity of implementing the internet for relay
services? Have you ever experimented with something called IP Relay?
There are plenty of companies in the United States that provide IP Relay
Services, to list a few for example: www.ip-relay.com, www.sprintip.com ,
http://www.siprelay.com, and so on. There are other advanced relay
service technology out there that take advantage of our natural
language, American Sign Language. Those relay services are called Video
Relay Services (VRS) and they use either web cams or video phones (see
what video phones are like at http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=8&sec=0).
If you want to learn more about those services, these are websites of
the companies that provide Video Relay Services: www.ip-vrs.com,
www.sorensonvrs.com , www.sprintvrs.com, www.hovrs.com and so on.

I look forward to talking with someone from Bell Relay Services about
modernizing Canada's relay services quality. Bringing Bell Relay
Service out of the "stone age" era should be one of Bell's New Year
Resolution for 2007.

Sincerely yours,




Michael P. Laing

IRISH TWINS UNDERGO ‘MIRACLE OPERATION’

Deaf Weekly had this article about this miracle operation.  Thought it was about saving the twins' life, but after reading the story, it was about cocklear implants being crammed into their skulls.  That article makes it look like Deaf people are out of control and can be controlled only if they have cocklear implants.  I think if their mother learned how to sign, that would be more of a miracle!

BBC News reported recently on Curtis and Reece Flanagan, 3-year-old deaf twins in Northern Ireland who "underwent a miracle operation" and had cochlear implants fitted. Prior to the operations, the boys "were trapped in a world they could not hear – or understand," said the report. Three months ago, "the twins really got their best present ever when their implants were switched on." Their mother, Orla, said the boys were often difficult to control. "Anything they wanted, they couldn't tell me," she said. "The whole house was in chaos." Now, she said, "they are able to say Santa for the first time."