Fred's Head from APH

Leaders and Legends: Helen Adams Keller

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:20:37 PST

Helen Adams Keller
Inducted 2002
Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field

Helen Keller was born in Alabama in 1880. At the age of 18 months she experienced a fever that left her deaf, blind and unable to speak. An extremely intelligent and sensitive child, by the age of seven she had invented over 60 different signs by which she could talk to her family. Because of this restricted communication her frustration and anger grew and were not relieved until Annie Sullivan, a 20 year old graduate of the Perkins School for the Blind, came to be her teacher. With her help Helen learned the manual alphabet, braille, the Tadoma method of reading lips and later learned to speak. With Annie as her interpreter, in 1888 she attended Perkins Institute for the Blind and in 1894 the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf in New York. She received a B.A. cum laude in 1904 from Radcliffe College. She thus became the first deaf-blind person to graduate from college. In 1936 she moved to Connecticut where she lived until her death in 1968 at the age of 87.

While at Radcliffe, Helen Keller began a writing career which was to continue for 50 years. In addition to The Story of My Life, she wrote 11 other books and numerous articles on blindness, deafness, social issues and women's rights. Many books and plays were written about her life.

Despite the broad range of her interests, Helen Keller never lost sight of the needs of others who were blind and deaf-blind. Soon after the American Foundation for the Blind was established in 1921 she became a member of the Foundation staff, where she worked until her death in 1968 as counselor on national relations. In 1932 she also became a vice-president of the Royal National Institute for the Blind in the United Kingdom. In 1946 she was appointed counselor on international relations for the American Foundation for Overseas Blind (renamed Helen Keller International), visiting 35 countries during seven trips between 1946 and 1957.

Helen Keller received honorary doctoral degrees from Temple University, Harvard, Universities of Glasgow, Berlin, Delhi and Johannesburg. An entire room at AFB is devoted to a collection of her personal papers and memorabilia, including Brazil's Order of the Southern Cross, Japan's Sacred Treasure, the Lions Humanitarian Award for lifetime service and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964. In 1965 she was one of the 20 elected to the Women's Hall of Fame at the New York World's Fair.

More rewarding to Helen Keller than the many honors she received, were the acquaintances and friendships she made with most of the leading personalities of her time. There were few world figures, from Grover Cleveland to Charlie Chaplin, to Nehru to John F. Kennedy, that she did not meet. She was truly a remarkable world ambassador and a distinguished leader advocating for better services for blind and deaf-blind wherever she went.

Plaque sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind and Perkins School for the Blind

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan (1930 Newsreel Footage)

About the Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is dedicated to preserving, honoring, and promoting the tradition of excellence manifested by the specific individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame and through the history of outstanding services provided to people who are blind or visually impaired.

These significant professional colleagues of the recent and distant past are a fascinating cross-section of heroes and pioneers who not only shaped our rich history, philosophy, knowledge and skills, but also give us insights into current and future challenges. These giants shared their personal lives and showed us strategies to ensure that services for blind persons remain unique and specialized. Enjoy their lives and contributions and reflect upon your own list of heroes.

Hall of Fame: Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is a project of the entire field of blindness. It is curated by the American Printing House for the Blind, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.

Visit the virtual Hall of Fame for the inspiring stories of many more heroes of the field of blindness.

Giggling Elmo Hot Tomato Game

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:29:57 PST

It's the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street. In this game, Elmo appears as a plush tomato that begins giggling when the child pushes its nose. Children from 3 years and up will also giggle as they pass the tomato back and forth as quickly as possible so they are not the one holding Elmo when he stops giggling. To add to the fun, 20 cards are included with letters, colors or categories on them to guide the players to calling out an item associated with the card and then passing Elmo on quickly so as not to be caught with him when he stops giggling. Elmo measures about 5 x 5" x 3.5" and uses 2 "AA" batteries that are included.

Click this link to purchase the Giggling Elmo Hot Tomato Game from independent living aids.

APH News: November 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:09:01 PST

APH News

Your monthly link to the latest information on the products, services, and training opportunities from the American Printing House for the Blind.

November 2009

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

Read on to learn about these new products - now available!

APH Fall Harvest Sale
Wilson Reading System Large Print Kit
History in the Making: The Story of the American Printing House for the Blind: 1858-2008, Braille Edition
HANDS ON Kit and Black Large Work-Play Tray Again Available
APH Braille Book Corner

APH's 141st Annual Meeting, "Keys to Success," Shares Values!

At the Annual Meeting this year, we witnessed the "Keys to Success" in action. The six core values that guide Muhammad Ali's life touch us all.

Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, Spirituality

The Ali Center was the perfect venue to begin our days together. Tuck Tinsley set the perfect tone for the meeting and then introduced Carl Augusto who inspired the "standing room only" crowd with his powerful personal and professional journey. Samir Azer touched us with his remarks upon receiving the Zickel Award for Product Development and Phil Hatlen challenged and encouraged us as he accepted APH's highest honor, the Wings of Freedom.

It was a rich few days, filled with product demonstrators, Trustee facilitators, Advisory Committee Recommenders, Hall of Famers, University Researchers, interactive participators, related meeting attenders, and even a student YouTube product tutor; all of whom were warmly received as they reminded us of those core values. It was a very powerful and affirming Annual Meeting indeed!

Here are additional memories of our very special celebration. (Click on additional memories for an Annual Meeting photo album.)

Attendees, if you completed an evaluation form while in Louisville we thank you very much for your input. If you did not, you still have an opportunity to help us by taking a couple of minutes to complete and submit the electronic version.

We thank you for your good counsel.

National Prison Braille Network Gathers at 9th Annual Prison Braille Forum

On October 13th, APH Public Affairs staff hosted the first day-long Prison Braille Forum since this annual gathering began in 2000 as a half-day meeting. Held in conjunction with the APH Annual Meeting, this Forum welcomed 40 vision and corrections professionals from 15 states. The two oldest programs (Michigan Braille Transcribing Fund and Volunteers of Vacaville, California) were represented--each having over 45 years of experience producing braille. The "most recently established" program hasn't actually been launched yet--vision and corrections professionals from North Carolina who are preparing to open a braille production facility came to the Forum to learn from the "pros" as they select a prison and design a program.

Jane Thompson, Director of the APH Accessible Textbooks Department, reported that during the last fiscal year APH in-house and contract transcribers produced 120 textbooks in braille--30 of which were produced in prison braille programs. She indicated that the percentage of braille textbooks produced in prisons grows each year, and will probably hit the 50% mark in the near future.

During the Forum, two critical issues that most prison braille programs continue to face were discussed: a lack of professional training opportunities for transcribers in prisons to learn and advance transcription skills, and the inability of qualified transcribers leaving prison to continue transcribing braille as a career on the outside--primarily because they lack financial resources.

In response to these needs, APH reported the initiation of a new program called Building Bridges with Braille. Through this program, which APH will implement in partnership with the National Braille Association (NBA), professional transcribers on the outside will be hired to provide training in prisons across the country, and individuals in prisons who are highly qualified braille transcribers will be mentored and assisted with the purchase of equipment and supplies as they transition back into society and build careers as transcribers. Building Bridges with Braille will be implemented as soon as funds for the initiative have been secured.

There are currently 35 prison braille programs operating across the U.S., with over 800 men and women producing braille. Current data for each program was gathered and published recently by APH in the 2009 edition of the Directory of Prison Braille Programs.

Another publication, Guidelines for Starting and Operating Prison Braille Programs, was completed recently in response to continual requests for advice on establishing and managing braille production facilities in correctional settings. Both of these publications are available at APH, free of charge. To order copies, contact Rebecca Snider at rsnider@aph.org. The National Prison Braille Network will launch a new website in early 2010. These documents and many more will be available for download via this webpage.

The National Prison Braille Network is coordinated by Nancy Lacewell, APH Director of Government and Community Affairs. For more information on prison braille programs, the annual Forum, or the National Prison Braille Network, contact Nancy by email at nlacewell@aph.org or at telephone extension 339.

Migel Library Transition

As our regular readers know, the American Foundation for the Blind transferred its Migel Memorial Library to APH in August. We are going through the more than 40,000 volumes now, and enjoying every discovery. Although the collection will not be available to the public until next summer, we'll be sharing a few highlights as we work our way towards the opening. This month, we are looking at the oldest item we have found so far, a 16 page pamphlet from 1834. Although the New England Institution for the Education of the Blind was founded in 1829, it did not start classes until 1832, or publish its first report until 1834. By this time, the brilliant Samuel Gridley Howe had assumed leadership of the nation's first school for blind children. It would not operate under its more familiar name, the Perkins Institution, until the 1840s. Check out the APH newsletter each month for more revelations about the Migel Library. You can contact Julia Myers (jmyers@aph.org) and Mike Hudson (mhudson@aph.org) for more information.

We welcome Constance Ard as the new librarian for the APH AFB Migel Library. Constance is Chair of the Kentucky Virtual Library Advisory Council (KYVLAC). Her background includes research, information management consultancy, and digitization project management. Constance will be working to make the Migel Library accessible to those visiting APH and will be developing a plan to make web-based access to the collection easier.

Tactile Stickers Galore! Do You Want More?

In recent months, APH has received teacher requests for additional tactile stickers similar to those available in the existing Feel n' Peel Sticker packages. Current packages include braille alphabet stickers, literary braille number stickers, point symbol stickers, reward statement stickers, smiley face stickers, tactile stars, and color name stickers. Assorted packages are available. If you would like to see additional types of stickers produced by APH, please send Karen Poppe an email describing the types of stickers that you feel are still needed. Send all ideas to kpoppe@aph.org Thank you.

Look for APH at the 9th Biennial Getting in Touch with Literacy Conference in California

Are you heading west for the November 12-15 literacy conference? I understand registration is still open and reasonable rooms are still available! For more information, visit: http://www.gettingintouchwithliteracy.com/

APH is a proud sponsor of this event, co-founded by our own Janie Blome, along with Cay Holbrook. While at the conference, we hope you'll stop by our booth and say hello. We'll be showing many of our products, including the FVLMA, Word Playhouse, Braille+, Querty Docking Station, Refreshabraille 18, the All-In-One Board, and many others!

Hope to see you there!

Reaching For the Stars In South Carolina

A lucky group of service coordinators, family members and others were on hand to "Reach for the Stars" in Columbia, South Carolina October 23-24, when APH hosted a National Instructional Partnerships (NIP) event in partnership with EOT Elizabeth McKown, Director of Outreach Vision Services for the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind. Diane Haines, author of the APH product Reach for the Stars, was on hand to provide training in the use of maps to gather information about children that can be useful in the development of IFSPs and IEPs for children. Friday's sessions with the professionals provided an opportunity for attendees to learn how to guide families through the mapping process and Saturday's session for families provided hands-on opportunities for families to use the materials and to share with each other. Thanks again to the 11 wonderful families who gave up their Saturday to be with us and to provide such amazing support for each other!

National Instructional Partnerships (NIP) events are designed to highlight the use of APH products across the areas of the core curriculum and the expanded core curriculum. If you are interested in hosting such an event in your area, please contact Janie Blome, jblome@aph.org, or call 800-223-1839, ext. 367.

Guidelines Needed: Appropriate Assessment of English Language Learners

Some years ago, Dr. Carol Allman, a consultant for Accessible Tests, drafted a document for APH titled Making Tests Accessible for Students with Visual Impairments: A Guide for Test Publishers, Test Developers, and State Assessment Personnel. This document has been and continues to be extremely valuable as a training tool. Since the original document was released, it has been revised and updated to include information and guidelines regarding alternate assessments, uses of color for signage, graphics, text, tests and Power Point presentations, position papers on use of extended time and accommodations, and more. During this fiscal year, Accessible Tests staff has a goal of adding information and guidelines regarding appropriate assessment of English language learners who are also blind or visually impaired. If you would be interested in drafting some guidelines for inclusion in the fifth edition of Making Tests Accessible, please contact Debbie Willis at dwillis@aph.org or call 502/899-2311 or 800/223-1839, ext. 311.

Louis! More than a quarter million accessible books and still growing!

The Louis Database now contains information on approximately 250,324 titles in accessible formats, including braille, large print, sound recording and electronic files. Louis is still growing!

More changes are in store for Louis, so check Louis frequently for additional new books and for exciting new changes at http://Louis.aph.org

NIMAC Exceeds 19,000 Files!

The National Instructional Materials Access Center now holds more than 19,125 NIMAS files available for conversion into accessible instructional materials! Most important, nearly 3,000 of these NIMAS files have been downloaded to be transformed into accessible textbooks!

For more information on NIMAC go to http://www.nimac.us

Hall of Fame for Blindness Field Defines Its Space

New exhibits in the Hall of Fame provide the definition needed to explain the mission of the venue as well as those honored there.

A great new entry foyer display includes a huge logo and panels explaining the Hall, the mission, and how to nominate. In the Hall, in addition to kiosks with bas relief plaques of all inductees and an artifacts case, you will now see an Inductee Wall with pictures and information on each honoree. Across the Hall is the Wall of Tribute, now with a bold header, which holds 150 stones in its wooden columns, along with a panel that explains how you can honor someone special in your life with a beautifully etched stone. If you choose to come by elevator, a welcoming sign will greet you as you disembark. Come to APH and celebrate your Hall of Fame and those you have honored there!

2009 Hall of Fame Induction

Bas Relief Plaques of the 2009 Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field Inductees, Euclid Herie and Dean Tuttle, are now installed in the Hall of Fame.

Soon the 2009 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, beautifully hosted by Jane Erin, will appear on the website as well.

Biographies of these legends can be found on the Hall of Fame website. Dr. Erin's induction remarks are also posted on the biography sites.

APHers Walk for a Good Cause in Georgia

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month and two APH employees decided to take steps (a lot of steps) to help that cause. Malcolm and Monica Turner participated in their second Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk in Atlanta, GA on October 23-25, walking 60 miles in 3 days. Together they raised over $4700 to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Over 2200 people participated in the walk, raising a total of over $5.6 million dollars.

APH InSights 2009 Award winners

We are pleased to announce the names of the winners in this year's competition. From the 323 entries, the three judges selected eighty-three works for display in the exhibit at the annual meeting. From these "show pieces," first, second, and third awards were selected in each of the nine categories and another few works were singled out for honorable mention. Many of the entrants entered through their schools or agencies; several of the adult artists have their own studios and work independently. We know there are lots of other aspiring artists out there who want to enter next year. The deadlines are April 1 for students, and April 15 for adults. Rules and entry forms will be posted on the website by late February, Contact Roberta Williams rwilliams@aph.org

Thanks to everyone who entered for making this a great competition. Congratulations to those whose work was selected for the display and to these award winners: for more information.

Alvin Toledo from St. Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, First Place in the category for Preschool/Kindergarten
Daniella Fraioli from Parsons Elementary School, Harrison, New York, Second Place in the category for Preschool/Kindergarten
Bianca McEvoy from Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School, Oyster Bay, New York, Third Place in the category for Preschool/Kindergarten
Edward Majeski from Saint Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, First Place in the category for First, Second, Third Grades
Brooke Lehrer from Electa Quinney Elementary, Kaukauna, Wisconsin, Second Place in the category for First, Second, Third Grades
Brittney Crespo from Saint Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Third Place in the category for First, Second, Third Grades
Isabel Perry from St. Mary Magdalene School, Apex, North Carolina, First Place in the category for Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Grades
Elizabeth Romero from Stellar Elementary School, Thornton, Colorado, Second Place in the category for Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Grades
Erick Rosso from New York Institute for Special Education, Bronx, New York, Third Place in the category for Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Grades
John Evans from Ardsley Middle School, Ardsley, New York, First Place in the category for Seventh, Eighth, Ninth Grades
Anthony Ferraro from HW Mountz School, Spring Lake, New Jersey, Spring Lake, New Jersey, won Second Place in the category for Seventh, Eighth, Ninth Grades
Taylor Flood from Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Montpelier, Vermont, Third Place in the category for Seventh, Eighth, Ninth Grades
Heather Morrison from Saint Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Honorable Mention in the category for Seventh, Eighth, Ninth Grades
Dustin Rish from Cedar Springs Middle School, Cedar Springs Michigan, Honorable Mention in the category for Seventh, Eighth, Ninth Grades
Kyle Street from Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Indianapolis, Indiana, Honorable Mention in the category for Seventh, Eighth, Ninth Grades
Nick Vanderwall from Mason County Central High, Scottville, Michigan, First Place in the category for Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth Grades
Hannah Wedel from Halstead High School, Halstead, Kansas, Second Place in the category for Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth Grades
John Anderson from Overbrook School for the Blind, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Third Place in the category for Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth Grades
Remington Howell from Governor Morehead School for the Blind, Raleigh, North Carolina, Honorable Mention in the category for Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth Grades
Brittany Montgomery from Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Indianapolis, Indiana, Honorable Mention in the category for Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth Grades
Zane Rimpler from Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Indianapolis, Indiana, Honorable Mention in the category for Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth Grades
Jacob Lynch from Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Indianapolis, Indiana, First Place in the category for Ungraded
A group of six students from Lavelle School for the Blind, Bronx, New York, Second Place in the category for Ungraded
Catherine Campbell from Sullivan County BOCES, Liberty, New York, Third Place in the category for Ungraded
Joelle Philippo from Lavelle School for the Blind, Bronx, New York Honorable Mention in the category for Ungraded
Lawrence Lancaster, an independent artist from Los Angeles, California, First Place in the category for Craft
Nancy Blizzard from Clovernook Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, Second Place in the category for Craft
Shirley Blackmore from Clovernook Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, Third Place in the category for Craft
Chapelle Letman an independent artist from Cleveland, Ohio, First Place in the category for Sculpture
Mari Newman, an independent artist from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Second Place in the category for Sculpture
Terry Strader from Clovernook Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, Third Place in the category for Sculpture
Russell Schermer an independent artist from Chico, California, Honorable Mention in the category for Sculpture
Margie Stocker from Clovernook Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, Honorable Mention in the category for Sculpture
David Kontra an independent artist from Norwood, Missouri, First Place in the category for Two-Dimensional Art
Frank Valliere an independent artist from Gorham, Maine, Second Place in the category for Two-Dimensional Art
Michael Williams an independent artist from Memphis, Tennessee, won Third Place in the category for Two-Dimensional Art
Keith Field from an independent artist from Seattle, Washington, Honorable Mention in the category for Two-Dimensional Art
Tim O'Brien from an independent artist from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Honorable Mention in the category for Two-Dimensional Art

APH Welcomes New Ex Officio Trustees

Karen Ross, the Carroll Center for the Blind, replacing Rachel Rosenbaum.

Brent Pitt, the Texas Education Agency, replacing Dottie Goodman.

APH Travel Calendar

November

November 4-5, 2009
NIP Event--FVLMA with LaRhea Sanford;
UT

November 5, 2009
NFB of Colorado Resource Fair;
Denver, CO

November 6, 2009
AER Ohio--Pulling Together 2009 Statewide Business Meeting;
Worthington, OH

November 6-7, 2009
Kentucky Council for the Blind Event 2009;
KSB in Louisville, KY

November 12-14, 2009
MACRT-ASERT;
Milwaukee, WI

November 12-15, 2009
Getting In Touch With Literacy Conference 2009;
Costa Mesa, CA

November 18-20, 2009
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) 2009;
Nashville, TN

November 22-24, 2009
Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children/Exceptional Children's Conference;
Louisville, KY

December

December 3, 2009
North Carolina Assistive Technology Expo;
North Raleigh, NC

December 4-5, 2009
NIP Event--Administering/Scoring the WJ III for Braille Readers;
Phoenix, AZ

January

January 27-30, 2010
ATIA 2010;
Orlando, FL

February

February 24-26, 2009
Celebrating Connections;
Charleston, WV

February 24-27, 2009
89th Annual EDA Convention (Eastern District Association of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance or AAHPERD);
Rye, NY

Help Wanted!

Want to live in beautiful Louisville, Kentucky and work with the best people in the world? Check out the following links to a couple of exciting APH job opportunities.

Research Department
Model & Pattern Maker II

Communications Department
Website Associate

Fall Harvest Sale

Load up a world of savings on selected APH products with APH's Fall Harvest Sale 2009, October 1 - December 31. As always, first come, first served. www.aph.org/products/harvest.html

NEW! Wilson Reading System Large Print Kit

Student Reader One and Workbooks 1A and 1B: 8-79501-SK1 -- $30.00
Student Reader Two and Workbooks 2A and 2B: 8-79501-SK2 -- $30.00
Student Reader Three and Workbooks 3A and 3B: 8-79501-SK3 -- $30.00

Replacement Items

Student Reader One: 8-79502-00 -- $10.00
- Student Workbook 1A: 8-79502-WA -- $7.25
- Student Workbook 1B: 8-79502-WB -- $6.50
Student Reader Two: 8-79503-00 -- $10.00
- Student Workbook 2A: 8-79503-WA -- $7.25
- Student Workbook 2B: 8-79503-WB -- $6.50
Student Reader Three: 8-79504-00 -- $10.00
- Student Workbook 3A: 8-79504-WA -- $7.25
- Student Workbook 3B: 8-79504-WB -- $6.50

History in the Making: The Story of the American Printing House for the Blind: 1858-2008

New! Braille Edition: W-HIST-APH-BRL -- $39.95
Regular Print Edition: W-HISTORY-APH -- $39.95

Not available with Quota funds.

This beautiful history book by former APH Museum director Carol Tobe was commissioned to celebrate the company's 150th anniversary in 2008. This keepsake book is offered in regular print and in braille:

Regular Print Edition: Packed with rare details about the origins of APH, this book features rich photography, reproductions of tactile pages embossed from vintage printing plates, and an accessible audio book version on CD read by APH narrator Jack Fox. This 180-page hardbound book was designed by nationally known graphic artist Julius Friedman and features color photography by Geoffrey Carr.
Braille Edition: Two hardbound braille volumes with color covers contain the text of the regular print edition, including the pages embossed from vintage APH printing plates. Pages are bound with metal rings and a cloth page marking strip is bound into each volume. The CD containing the audio book version, narrated by Jack Fox, is included.

Additional Shipping Charge

All shipments will incur actual UPS shipping rates based on the destination.

HANDS ON Kit and Black Large Work-Play Tray Again Available

Two more APH products have, like the phoenix, risen from the ashes of our vendor fire! These products are again available for order:

HANDS ON Kit: Functional Activities for Visually Impaired Preschoolers

1-03260-00 -- $235.00

Helps children develop skills such as concentration, hand and visual coordination, ability to complete a cycle of activity, and socialization skills. Also helps develop a sense of order and a positive self-image.

Includes a guidebook and six specially designed plastic work trays. The guidebook details numerous activities using the trays and commonly available materials. The work progresses from jobs such as pouring beans to more complicated tasks such as preparing snacks.

Recommended Ages: 3 to 6

Work-Play Tray: Large Black

1-03761-00 -- $21.00

Durable trays hold objects that might roll out of reach. Trays provide enclosed work space for sorting, matching, classifying, counting. The Large Work-Play Tray measures 21.25 x 13.25 inches. Small Work-Play Trays are also available. The large yellow tray will be available in the future.

APH offers a number of recreational books in braille (Quota funds can be used). Each of these titles was originally transcribed and produced by APH for the National Library Service which has graciously granted permission for this offering. As usual, these titles have been added to the APH Louis Database where you can find thousands of titles produced in accessible formats.

Note: all books are produced upon receipt of orders, therefore, please allow approximately 8 weeks for delivery.

Leonardo's Horse
by Jean Fritz: T-N1754-70 -- $9.00
Explains American Charles Dent's efforts to complete the unrealized dream of Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) to cast a twenty-four-foot statue of a horse in bronze. Discusses the difficulties Leonardo faced five hundred years ago and Dent's use of modern casting and reinforcing techniques. Nonfiction, Grades 3-6. *(AR Quiz #54098, BL 4.6, Pts. 0.5)

Digging to America
by Anne Tyler: T-N1658-30 -- $75.50
A chance encounter between two families, the Donaldsons and the Iranian-born Yasdans, at the Baltimore airport prompts an examination about what it means to be an American. The American Donaldsons and the Iranian American Yazdans--meet at the airport when their adopted daughters arrive from Korea. Yazdan matriarch Maryam, who emigrated from Iran, feels increasingly alienated as she observes the younger generations' interactions during their annual arrival-day anniversaries. Fiction, Upper Grades. *(AR Quiz #107849, BL 5.8, Pts. 13.0)

Make It Now, Bake It Later!
by Ann and Scott Goodfellow: T-N1662-50 -- $71.00
Updated version of a 1958 cookbook - offers old favorites and new dishes adapted for modern tastes. Recipes list ingredients needed at the outset and those needed to finish the dish later, ways to store the unfinished dish, and final steps before serving. Includes appetizers, main dishes, and desserts.

Tigers in Red Weather: A Quest for the Last Wild Tigers
by Ruth Padel: T-N1714-30 -- $182.00
British poet describes the plight of tigers as she travels to their habitats in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia, Korea, China, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia. Padel discusses tiger lore and history, the work of scientists and conservators in the field, and the reasons for the near extinction of tigers.

The Book of the Dead: A Pendergast Mystery
by Douglas J. Preston: T-N1665-20 -- $134.50
FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast, from Dance of Death, languishes in prison for murders committed by his psychotic brother, Diogenes. Meanwhile, New York's natural history museum unseals an Egyptian tomb, precipitating more killings. Aloysius escapes to confront his brother in a deadly showdown. Strong language and some violence. Adult Readers.

*Accelerated Reader quiz number, book level, and point value. For more information on the Accelerated Reader program, see the January 2006 APH News or www.renlearn.com/ar/

APH News Credits

President:
Dr. Tuck Tinsley
ttinsley@aph.org

Designer:
Malcolm Turner, APH Website Coordinator
webmaster@aph.org

Thanks to the following APH staff:

Cindy Amback, Support Specialist, Field Services
Scott Blome, Director, Communications
Mike Hudson, Director, APH Museum
Nancy Lacewell, Director, Government and Community Services
Stephanie Lancaster, Graphic Designer, Communications
Julia Myers, Director, Resource Services and NIMAC
Karen Poppe, Tactile Graphics Project Leader, Research
Becky Snider, Coordinator, Public Affairs
Gwynn Stewart, Support Specialist, Communications
Jane Thompson, Director, Accessible Textbooks
Monica Turner, Field Services Representative
Debbie Willis, Director, Accessible Tests

Editor:
Bob Brasher, Vice President, Advisory Services and Research
bbrasher@aph.org

For additional recent APH News, click the following:
October Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2009adv10.html
September Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2009adv09.html
August Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2009adv08.html

Archive of all previous issues - www.aph.org/advisory/advarch.html

The APH News is a monthly publication from the American Printing House for the Blind:
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206
800/223-1839

Please share this web link or any items that appear in this publication with anyone who might benefit.

Thank you.

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Use Email to Tweet and Interact with Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:21:38 PST

How many of your friends are on Twitter? Fred's Head certainly has a lot of people who choose to follow us and we're really excited about that!

There are so many ways to use the Twitter service and quite a few are accessible to those who are blind or visually impaired. Let me share this one that uses email to send and receive tweets from your followers.

Send email messages to tweetymail and it will interact with Twitter on your behalf. For example, send an email to tweet@tweetymail.com to post a tweet, or send an email to latest@tweetymail.com to get the latest tweets from your friends. You can even reply to direct messages or start following somebody by forwarding the email notifications sent by Twitter. tweetymail simply needs to know what email addresses to associate with your Twitter account. When it receives an email from one of your email addresses, it can act on your behalf.

Sometimes it's easier to send an email than to navigate to the Twitter website or launch a Twitter client. tweetymail was created for one such scenario: so that a person could easily tweet links from an iPhone.

Signing up for the service is easy, it connects to your Twitter account and all you need to provide is an email address. It can be used with any email program, Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Live Mail or any internet-based program.

Click this link to start tweeting with http://tweetymail.com.

Check the Properties with the Keyboard

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:36:19 PST

I love keyboard shortcuts. One can't ever have enough of them. You always look cool when you can tell someone how to do something without using the mouse!

For example, instead of right-clicking and going to “properties” to get the details on a file or folder, try this:

Hit Alt + Enter on a highlighted object to see its Properties, like file size, date created or last modified, and what program is associated with the file. If you must use the mouse, you can hold the Alt key down and double-click the item to see its properties.

Quick Tech Support for Windows 7 on Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:09:13 PDT

Microsoft is leaving no stone unturned in the promotion of Windows 7 and @MicrosoftHelps could be considered a part of that process. While Microsoft has already embraced Twitter like the other big firms and has many Twitter handles, @MicrosoftHelps was launched to provide real time support to Windows 7 users. Microsoft describes it as “the official Twitter account for Microsoft Customer Service.”

Initially it is meant for Windows 7 users and later on it will be expanded to Microsoft’s other business units. It’s certainly a nice initiative by Microsoft to let its customers have another medium, which might become the fastest way to get their Windows 7 issues resolved.

Click this link to start following Microsoft Helps on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MicrosoftHelps.

Listen to Live Concert Recordings Online

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:48:26 PDT

Wolfgang is an amazing rock website that sells numerous rock music related items (vintage rock posters, tickets, and backstage memorabilia as well as concert t-shirts in vintage and newly printed retro designs), publishes Crawdaddy, a magazine dedicated to rock music, offers a comprehensive schedule of artists now on tour, and lets users listen to rock concerts from the past for free!

Our focus obviously will be this last function of Wolfgang. By registering for a free account, you can enter the Concert Vault and browse over 3000 concert recordings! These recordings are of the greatest artists that music has seen. Over the years, these recordings have been recorded and re-mastered by the people. And now the Concert Vault has them for the public.

The Downloads page lists all recordings and lets the user download them either for free or by paying money (some recordings are free, others aren’t). There’s also a radio section where users can listen to the radio online and listen to amazing songs, Browsing for concerts can be done directly via the homepage of the Concert Vault.

As for searching for a particular artist: the top of Wolfgang’s page has a text entering field. Enter the name of the artist/band whose concert you want to listen to. Before clicking on ‘Search’ do make sure you’ve chosen the Concert Vault option instead of WolfGang.

Downloadable or not, you can always listen to a recording for free by clicking on the ‘Play’ button in the very beginning of each concert listing. Right after a short summary of the concert, the track listing is provided. Good descriptive summaries add to the excitement and help you put yourself in the concert. To listen to a song, simply click on it. A small online media player opens up which has a playlist made of all the songs of the concert you’ve chosen. When it starts, the song you clicked on starts playing. You can now listen to all the songs of that particular concert from within this online player.

If you’re wondering whether this website is offering these recordings for free by cheating the artists out of the money they deserve for their performances, then listen to what Wolfgang has to say: “The Concert Vault is fully licensed by BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC, and we pay these performance rights organizations every time you listen to a concert. The license fees make their way back to the performers that made the music. Download revenues are also shared with performers and publishers as appropriate. One of our top priorities will always be to make sure that the artists are compensated for their performances.”

Click this link to listen to live concert recordings: http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/concerts.

An Information Society and a Knowledge Based Economy

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:08:45 PDT

by Donna J. Jodhan

Yes! This is what is facing all of us today. Every man, woman, and child; we are living in an information society and a knowledge based economy. No shocker and no shaker. What exactly am I referring to? We are living in a society that is depending more and more on information in order to make ourselves more marketable to our economy. In short, we are depending more and more on the Internet to help us become more knowledgeable.

So what does all of this mean for a disabled person? How does this affect our lives as persons with disabilities? As I see it, it means that we as persons with disabilities have to work much harder to keep up. We need to become more vocal when it comes to what we need in order to live as normal a life as possible. We need to lobby harder and become better agents and conduits of change. How can we do this? By creating more awareness for ourselves; we need to make society aware of who we are, what we need, and why and we need to do it in a constructive and sustained way. We need to put more pressure on governments to make their websites accessible to all. We need to work with companies to ensure that their websites can easily be accessed by everyone including us. We need to go out there and educate others on why websites need to be made accessible to all. We need to tell everyone that it is not a nice to have when it comes to accessible websites. Rather, it is our right to have.

So often, governments tend to ignore our needs when it comes to making their websites accessible. For some odd reason they fail to consider us as persons who need to gain access to information just like the mainstream person. So we need to pressure them to fix this problem. Many companies often ignore our needs and in like manner we need to do the same. The need for information is only going to increase with time and the need for knowledge in order to function in our economy is only going to become more acute as well. These two situations are probably not going to go away so we might as well get used to it.

We already face very heavy challenges in our lives as disabled persons and an information society and a knowledge based economy are two things that are poised to make our lives even more difficult. A part of the solution is for us to recognize this and once we accept the inevitable, then we can start to work from there.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, an accessibility and special needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day. If you'd like to learn more about me, then you can visit some of my blog spots at:
Donna Jodhan! Advocating accessibility for all: http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Weekly Saturday postings on issues of accessibility: http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
blogs on various issues and answers to consumers concerns: http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htmYes! This is what is facing all of us today. Every man, woman, and child; we are living in an information society and a knowledge based economy. No shocker and no shaker. What exactly am I referring to? We are living in a society that is depending more and more on information in order to make ourselves more marketable to our economy. In short, we are depending more and more on the Internet to help us become more knowledgeable. So what does all of this mean for a disabled person? How does this affect our lives as persons with disabilities? As I see it, it means that we as persons with disabilities have to work much harder to keep up. We need to become more vocal when it comes to what we need in order to live as normal a life as possible. We need to lobby harder and become better agents and conduits of change. How can we do this? By creating more awareness for ourselves; we need to make society aware of who we are, what we need, and why and we need to do it in a constructive and sustained way. We need to put more pressure on governments to make their websites accessible to all. We need to work with companies to ensure that their websites can easily be accessed by everyone including us. We need to go out there and educate others on why websites need to be made accessible to all. We need to tell everyone that it is not a nice to have when it comes to accessible websites. Rather, it is our right to have. So often, governments tend to ignore our needs when it comes to making their websites accessible. For some odd reason they fail to consider us as persons who need to gain access to information just like the mainstream person. So we need to pressure them to fix this problem. Many companies often ignore our needs and in like manner we need to do the same. The need for information is only going to increase with time and the need for knowledge in order to function in our economy is only going to become more acute as well. These two situations are probably not going to go away so we might as well get used to it. We already face very heavy challenges in our lives as disabled persons and an information society and a knowledge based economy are two things that are poised to make our lives even more difficult. A part of the solution is for us to recognize this and once we accept the inevitable, then we can start to work from there.

Site Where the Music Matches Your Mood

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:46:42 PDT

When we feel down and out, there's nothing like a sad song to help us drown in our tears. Some people give uplifting numbers a try in order to escape a bad moment they feel they couldn't get out of otherwise. Whatever your situation, I have a site for every mood, even the romantic one.

Stereomood.com is a sort of web-based emotional radio that will let you set your emotions to music. It's as simple as it sounds. All you do is choose a mood and away you go. If you feel broken-hearted, you can simply blast “One” by U2, if you feel unstoppable, you can play The Proclaimers “I’m On My Way”, all lovey-dovey, try “Unchained Melody”.

Music is such a part of our lives, there's no escaping its effect. This site gives us the chance to discover some new favorites based on what we're feeling at the time we visit.

Click this link and let your emotions guide you to new music at http://www.Stereomood.com.

Make Halloween Outdoor Decorations: "Ring of Ghosts" and "Flagpole Spooks"

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:36:41 PDT

By Patricia Jensen

Here's a favorite tradition of our family in outdoor Halloween decor:

Ring of Ghosts

Materials:

3 Twin-sized Sheets
3 Four foot lengths of flexible 1/2 inch PVC Piping, Wooden Stakes or Dowels
3 Small White Plastic Garbage Bags
Masking Tape
Newspaper
String or Twist Ties
Black Marker (optional)

Instructions:

First, determine a good location for your ghost gathering. Find a wide open area, or you may decide to group them around a tree or light pole.
To make the ghosts' heads, crumple up newspaper and stuff the three small plastic trash bags to the desired size.
Stick one of the PVC pipes into one of the bags and wrap the neck with masking tape to secure. Repeat for the other ghosts.
Cover each ghost head with a sheet, gathering with string or a twist tie under each head. The head should be in the middle of the sheet, so the outer edges can be attached to the neighboring ghosts. You can make taller or shorter ghosts, but you must adjust the size of the sheet you use to accommodate. Our ghosts will be just under 4 feet tall.
Push the PVC piping into the ground in a circular formation about 1-2 feet apart. The sheets should touch the ground and cover up the support. You can also use wooden stakes or dowels, but your ghosts won't have as much movement as they will with the PVC piping.
Finally, knot the ends of the sheets together to give the impression the ghosts are holding hands. Because the PVC is flexible, your ghosts will now bob and sway in the wind!
If desired, make Casper-like faces on the sheets with black marker.

We have 3 children, so we always make 3 ghosts, but you can connect as many ghosts as you wish! They'll look like they're playing a spooky game of "ring-around-the-rosy"!

Flagpole Spooks

These spooky decorations are easy if you have an angled flagpole attached to the front of your house.

Scary Flagpole Ghost: Hang a "Scream" style mask off the end of the flagpole. Tie a white sheet or a generous length of white tulle around and behind the mask. This scary creature will appear to be flying as his white garment flutters in the wind.

Flagpole Frankenstein: Hang a Frankenstein mask off the end of the flagpole. Tie a dark colored trash bag tied behind it. Shredding the trash bag around the edges will add to the spooky effect.

Flagpole Witch: Hang a witch mask off the end of the flagpole. Attach a witch hat to the mask, then tie a dark colored trash bag tied behind it. Shred the trash bag to make the witch's robe flap in the wind.

Kids-Party-Paradise.com is a great resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.

Check out the Kids Party Paradise Blog at http://www.kids-party-paradise-blog.blogspot.com For all the latest party news and great party ideas.

Click this link to subscribe to the Kids Party Paradise Newsletter and get timely updates on popular new party ideas and themes.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_Jensen

Spooky Halloween Party Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:35:33 PDT

Games and Activities

Finding good Halloween party games and activities for blind and visually impaired children shouldn't be hard. Why not have a Pumpkin Roll at your party? This makes a great outdoor activity. You'll need to stockpile a few uncarved pumpkins that are fairly rounded. Then have kids volunteer to join the race. Assign each racer a pumpkin and tell them that at the start of the race they will roll their pumpkin to the end of the course (which you design in length and number of obstacles) and back to their original starting positions. Those racers who come in first, second and third place get to keep the pumpkin they raced with.

Another great activity is the round robin spooky story. Have the kids sit in a circle after its dark out and give them a flashlight. Start off the round robin with an opening passage of a spooky story then hand off the flashlight to the person to the left and have them continue the story where you left off. When they feel they've reached a stopping point they pass the flashlight again. When the story reaches an end a new story can be started up by the next child. The great thing about this activity is that it can go on indefinitely.

"Handy" Punch for Halloween

If you want to liven up your punch a bit at your next Halloween party, go to your local medical supply store and pick up a box of latex (or non-latex) disposable gloves.

Take out a few of the gloves and rinse them inside and out well with warm water to remove any powder.

Fill the gloves with water or colored juice (different color than your punch) and tightly seal the end using a chip clip or other method.

Place the glove onto a cookie sheet and place into the freezer. Freeze at least 3 hours until frozen solid.(preferably make up the night before)

When you have your punch made and guests arriving, remove the "hands" from the freezer and rinse under warm water to loosen up the glove. Remove the glove from the ice hand and place in your punch bowl.

Halloween Ice Ring

Making a creepy ice ring is a snap and will liven up any punch. Find a Ring jello mold or use any cake pan that you might have that will fit inside your punch bowl comfortably.

Arrange 1 - 2 cups of gummy worms, candy corn or candy pumpkins into the bottom of the cake pan/ring.
Add 1 quart of colored punch of choice. Best choices to really stand out are to use a contrasting color of your punch. If you have green punch, use lemonade or pineapple juice, if you have red punch use orange kool aid or other like drink.
Place the cake pan/ring into the freezer and freeze until solid, at least over night.

Fingers of Fright

This recipe is easy and the outcome is cute for your Halloween display of spooky goodies.

Things You'll need

10 red jelly beans (or other "finger nail" colors)
20 orange circus peanut decorative candies

Cut the jellybeans in half lengthwise. Press a jellybean half into the end of the circus peanut to resemble a finger.

Punch In A Hurry

The next time you are having a get together and you can't find your trusty punch recipe just combine a large container of fruit juice with a 2 liter bottle of ginger ale.

Cold Halloween Treats

Going to be a cold and blustery Halloween? Stock up on some instant soup mix or hot chocolate. Now when the little goblins stop by your house they will be surprised with an unexpected treat.

When they get home from trick or treating mom or dad can heat up some water and they can have a warm treat while sorting through their candy.

Pumpkin Seeds for Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:34:46 PDT

OK, the pumpkin is gutted and carved, now you are trying to figure out what to do with the seeds. Toasting the seeds will make a healthy and tasty snack.

From your seeds remove as many of the membranes as possible and throw away.
Place a large pan on the stove and fill with water. Add salt to the water using about 1 teaspoon for every cup. Bring the water to a boil and add your pumpkin seeds.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for about 2 hours. Remove from the heat and drain off all the water.
Place the seeds onto paper towels that have been placed on to wire racks and let sit in a cool dry place for at least 4 hours until dry.

Place the seeds into a large bowl and add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil and mix until all of the seeds are coated with oil. Place the seeds onto a clean dry baking sheet and place into an oven preheated to 350º.

Bake the seeds for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and sprinkle lightly with salt and let cool.<

You can serve immediately or you can store in a tightly sealed jar or container for up to 1 year.

Ten Great Uses for Wire Hangers

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:34:08 PDT

Wire coat hangers have been around at least a hundred years, effectively hanging up our clothes in closets, but also just as effectively getting tangled and bent out of shape. As long as I can remember, wire hangers have been used to replace missing radio and TV antennas. They are a source of frustration, great to use in a pinch and also help hold our clothes up in the closet, but what else can they be used for? Well, before you turn into Joan Crawford from "Mommy Dearest" and scream "no more wire hangers!" try these great uses for the simple, yet useful, invention: The Wire Hanger.

Dowsing Rods: The first suggestion is the most interesting. Dowsing rods have been used for centuries to divine for water, treasure, graves and spirits. Simple rods that are bent in a print letter "L" shape, dowsing rods are said to pick up on the vibrations of whatever the seeker is searching for. You will need two wire hangers, cut the hangers at the bend of the long side (bottom) and halfway up the short piece on the other end. Now bend the short piece out so that it is straight. The two pieces should be at a right angle from each other. Use as you would a regular dowsing rod.
Antennas: I couldn't forget antennas in this article. For a radio or television that is not working, a wire hanger works great as a set of antennas. Simply straighten the hook and stick it into the broken end of an antenna. Twist and shape it until a decent reception signal comes through.
Costumes: In a pinch, wire hangers are great for using in costumes for Halloween or any dress-up party. Shape them into wings and stretch a sheer material over them, gluing or sewing the material into place as your talents allow. Shape into a circle and glue on some garland (like Christmas tree decorations) for a halo. They also make great antenna for an alien costume, or for insect antennae. Be creative, wire hangers are a great and cheap way to aid in creating your own costumes.
Staking Plants: Plants that grow tall often need a stake to help them grow straight and strong rather than lay limply on the ground, sunflowers are one example. A stick from the yard or a dowel rod works great as the stake, and a wire hanger can help keep the plant connected to the stake. Cut pieces about 4-6 inches in length and after placing the stake in the dirt next to the plant, help secure it to the stake by twisting a bit of wire around both the stake and the plant. Be careful not to twist too tight so that the wire cuts into the plant.
Clothespin Holder: With an old tank top or t-shirt, sew a straight stitch along the bottom. Place the hanger through the armholes as usual. The neck of the shirt is now the opening of your "bag" and you can toss clothespins in to take to the clothes line. Hang the hook of the hanger over the clothesline and you can move it along as you hang clothes. This can also be hung on a hook on the wall and used to hold toys, diapers, craft supplies or other miscellaneous items.
Crafts and Hobbies: Wire is a common material in crafts and hobby work. In a pinch, when out of wire, a wire hanger can be cut and used to hold things together, to strengthen flowers in an arrangement, and many other uses. One great use for crafters and hobbyists that paint is to hang the hanger from the ceiling, upside down and using the hook, hang and item either to dry or as a way to spray paint and cover the whole area at once. They can also be used as frame work in crafts such as in making paper mache or mobiles.
Household Help: A straightened wire hanger is great for shoving down a drain to help clear the clog, to twist around something to help hold it together, to clean out wax from candle holders, to clean out smoking pipes, or any other number of uses in which a sturdy but flexible object can be used. Try using a wire hanger next time you have to reach something on a tall shelf, the hanger works great to either "hook" it and pick it up or at least to pull it closer to you so you can reach it.
Car Doors: Who hasn't locked their keys in their car at some point? Wire hangers have probably been used to get doors unlocked since cars were first invented. Straighten the wire hanger and stick it down into the door or window to jimmy the lock loose, you'll obviously need some vision for this trick.
Cooking: Yes, wire hangers can be used as a cooking utensil. When cooking over an open fire, a wire hanger straightened out works great to hold hot dogs or marshmallows. The metal does get hot and the heat could travel through the hanger so be wary of that.
Bubble Wands: What kid (or adult who is young at heart) doesn't love a nice warm day of playing with bubbles? A wire hanger can be shaped into anything and used to make large bubbles (which will always come out round). By using liquid detergent, mixed with water, and a wire hanger, a day of bubble fun can be had without spending a dime.

So, there you have it. Ten great uses for wire hangers. Next time you get frustrated and want to twist them out of shape in anger and toss them to the curb, think about these alternatives.

The History of Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:33:11 PDT

Welcome to the History of Halloween. Every year, tons of kids around the USA dress up in costumes and go trick or treating, but what's the real history behind this holiday?

Well, if you're interested, you've come to the right place. You'll find navigation on the side menu. The sections are Holiday Origins, Creepy Videos Clips, The Great Pumpkin, Ghost Stories, Around the World, Historic Haunts, Halloween Treats, Jack-O-Lantern Cut Outs, Fast Facts and Boo-ography.

Holiday Origins: Here you can learn all about the origins of Halloween, from ancient times to modern day. Also, read about the evolution of Halloween as a holiday.

Creepy Video Clips: Check out these video clips about ghost stories and folklore. Choose a video from the left hand menu and it will play in the center video pane. Learn about the ghost Lavender and Barnsley Gardens if you dare! You can even find out about some of the ghosts haunting the Wild, Wild West.

The Great Pumpkin: Here you can learn all about pumpkins and how the Jack-O-Lantern came to be!

Ghost Stories: Here you will find three ghost stories that may be based in fact, but are most certainly interesting to read.

Around the World: Here you can see how Halloween is celebrated around the world and learn about the two related holidays: Guy Fawkes Day and El Dia de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead).

Historic Haunts: This section centers on the haunting of presidents and of the White House itself.

Halloween Treats: Here you can find some recipes for Halloween treats. There are cupcakes, cookies and even icing.

Jack-O-Lantern Cut Outs: Here you can find two Jack-O-Lantern Templates that you can use on your pumpkins for easier carving. If you click them, they enlarge and you can print them out too.

Fast Facts: Here you can find a lot of fast facts about Halloween. They're just like little blurbs really, but there were some interesting ones, like how many pounds of pumpkins were produced per state.

Boo-ography: And last, but not least, this is really its own site. It will pop open in a new window. Here you can find spooky biographies, celebrities who were born or died on Halloween, Halloween origins and even another section called Halloween Around the World. This was by far my favorite part of this visit!

Are you ready to get your spook on?! Click this link to learn the History of Halloween.

American Folklore

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:32:29 PDT

Hey there folks! Welcome to American Folklore. This folklore site contains retellings of American folktales, Native American myths and legends, tall tales, weather folklore and ghost stories from each and every one of the 50 United States. You can read about all sorts of famous characters like Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, Daniel Boone, and many more. So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a comfy chair, and stay awhile.

There are also lesson plans, and a "countdown to Halloween."

Click this link to visit the American Folklore website: http://www.americanfolklore.net.

The Most Popular Myths in Science from Live Science

This page offers the facts behind common theories like how long it takes to digest gum, whether chicken soup cures the common cold, and cats' ability to always land on their feet. Don't forget to click on the Live Science home page for articles, headlines, and blogs about the sciences.

Click this link to learn The Most Popular Myths in Science.

Nursery Rhymes lyrics, origins and history

Learn all about the British history - the Bubonic Plague, the Peasant's Revolt, the Wars of the Roses, etc. - that is hidden inside the nursery rhymes many of us grew up with.

Click this link to learn the history behind Nursery Rhymes.

How to Carve a Pumpkin

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:31:43 PDT

What would Halloween be without a carved pumpkin sitting on your porch or at the window looking out at all the trick or treaters? Make this Halloween special by carving your own. Take delight in the smiling faces as the trick or treaters enjoy or get spooked by your own creation. You don't need to see to create a great pumpkin for Halloween!

Pick out the nicest and healthiest looking pumpkin. Make sure you don't buy it too long before Halloween or it will rot before the big night.
Take a braille stylus and score a line about 5 inches from the top of the pumpkin right around the circumference. You can make it a jagged line if you like.
Use a large carving knife and carefully slice the top half of the pumpkin off using the scored line for guidance.
Carefully remove the top and set it aside.
Use a large spoon or a scoop and remove all of the filling and seeds. Place them into a bowl to be used later.
Use the braille stylus to "draw" a face on the front of your pumpkin for reference. Make it as spooky or creative as you like, but remember not to cut out too much, the more pumpkin you remove from the face, the more likely your jack-o-lantern will cave in. The eyes and nose are often shaped like triangles. Alternatively, you can download a pumpkin carving template from the internet to use as a reference pattern.
Cut the shapes out using a sharp knife, carving tools, or a dremel.
Replace the lid that you had set aside.
Fill the insides with LED lights and watch it glow.

Alternative Method

Turn your pumpkin upside down. Look closely or feel the bottom, see the circle where the pumpkin has been resting on the ground? Using a Sharpie marker or braille stylus, trace the pattern, or simply take a sharp knife and cut around the edge of that circle. (This method is an improvement on cutting off the top for several reasons: a) it saves time and energy by cutting out the largest amount of stringy pulp and seeds, b) if you use a candle, it allows you to set it on a small candle plate, upon a flat surface, giving you better stability, and c) it allows you to avoid the fire-hazard of candles all together. A safer alternative is cutting an additional notch from your circle in the back of the pumpkin allowing you to plug in a small strand of Christmas lights, a nightlight, or other small, low-heat electric light. Be creative, even a small LED booklight will suffice.)

Carved pumpkins can go bad after two weeks. Carve your pumpkin only a few days before Halloween or it may start to shrivel up and cave in. Although, you can prolong the life by rubbing some petroleum jelly on the exposed parts right after you cut the pumpkin - this will help to reduce the shriveling.

Pumpkin seeds are good to eat (like sunflower seeds) if you place them on a baking sheet, sprinkle them with a little salt, and toast them in the oven. See the Fred's Head Companion article Pumpkin Seeds for Halloween for more details. You can also plant the seeds to grow your own pumpkins (but keep in mind that this pumpkin is probably a cross between several types, and what you get when you plant will probably not look anything like this one).

If you carve the "lid" of the pumpkin out in a smooth line, it can be difficult to replace the lid in the same position you cut it off in. It can be helpful to carve a notch somewhere, in the back if you like, so that you can fit the lid back on easily.

A drywall jab-saw makes a great replacement for the old kitchen knife, especially for cutting off the top and any other large cuts. For intricate designs, a RotoZip type saw makes short and easy work of carving pumpkins. This is the saw commonly used for drywall, that looks like a small router and the blade looks like a drill but, but is designed to cut in any direction.

Do not allow small children near the knives. If children have picked out a "special" pumpkin and want to carve it themselves, invest in a "kiddie cutter" so they don't get hurt. An easier alternative for small children would be markers to draw a face, or Mr. Potato Head accessories to dress up their pumpkin.

Why Do We Carve Pumpkins?

Supposedly, it started with a man called Stingy Jack, who tricked the devil and in turn after his death wasn't allowed into hell. Instead, he was forced to wander the earth with only a coal to light his way. Stingy Jack put the coal in a carved out turnip, causing people to start referring to him as "Jack with the Lantern".

Soon, people began placing similar lanterns in their windows with carvings to scare Stingy Jack away. And so, the Jack 'o Lantern was born. The history channel has an excellent article on the full story here: http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/halloween/pumpkin.html.

If you're looking to start this age old tradition with your children, or are interested in kicking your carvings up a notch, we've picked some great websites to help you get started.

For the novice pumpkin carver, head on over to PumpkinCarving101.com where you will find everything you ever wanted to know about carving your jack 'o lantern and then some. Learn about different tools that can be used, traditional pumpkin carving, carving with stencils, the lifespan of a carved pumpkin and how to grow your own pumpkins. Don't miss the articles on the proper burial of your pumpkin, how to juggle pumpkins, and how to take photographs of your pumpkins.

This site might seem a little obsessive to some, but it's full of great information that's sure to help any pumpkin carver achieve their goals. http://www.pumpkincarving101.com

If you've been carving pumpkins for awhile, and are ready to do something new, try these great free pumpkin templates. You'll find many patriotic images (American Flag, the President, Statue of Liberty) as well as a mix-and-match section. If you don't see what you like, for a small fee you can subscribe to their even larger collection of templates. http://www.spookmaster.com/pumpkin-carving-patterns-freebies.htm

Another great site for both simple and complicated templates is Jack-O-Lantern.com. For the true computer geek they offer an assortment of emoticons, as well as a set of templates to create a "haunted forest". All templates are free, forever. http://www.jack-o-lantern.com

If you're looking for more fun and childish templates, be sure to stop by aHowlingGoodTime.com. This pumpkin farm has a very nice assortment of pumpkin faces. Choose from happy, sad, scary, howling, and more. http://www.ahowlinggoodtime.com/carving/patterns.shtml

Tips, tips, and more tips. That's what you'll find at Walt's Pumpkin Carving Pages. Learn how to get those templates from your computer (or book) onto the pumpkin, which carving tools do what, how to make your own patterns, as well as how to select the right pumpkin to carve. http://wls.wwco.com/garden/pumpkin.htm

Amy Fleeman is a Halloween loving Mama with two great kids, a Beagle, and a husband. She lives amongst the cornfields in a tiny town in Iowa. To get tons of Free Halloween Coloring Pages and other spooky goodies, please visit http://www.raisingourkids.com/hol/halloween/freehalloweencoloringpages.shtml.

Looking for Baby-Freebies? Visit her other site, http://www.baby-freebies.com.

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How to Play Ghost

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:31:08 PDT

Here's a fun word game I came across that would be great to play around Halloween or anytime you need something to do. You can play this with at least three people, no more than ten. This game is best for older children because you need to know how to spell.

Ghost is a word game where players try to add letters to create a new word.

To begin have the players sit in a circle. Or if you are traveling in the car, decide on how the game will rotate, maybe from youngest to oldest or front to back. The first player thinks of a word. Then he says the first letter of that word. For example he thinks "trip" and says "t."

The next player thinks of a word with the same first letter that the first player said. Then the second player adds the second letter to the word. The second player thinks, "teach" and says "t-e."

Each consecutive player tries to add another letter without forming a complete word. If the letters were "t-e-s-t" and the next player could only think of the word "testy" and added a "y," they would have made a complete word that cannot be added too. So that player would become a "half-ghost." After a complete word is made the next player starts with a new word.

If a half-ghost ends another word then they become a full ghost and can no longer participate in forming words. But they do still have a role to play in the game, because anyone who speaks to a "ghost" also becomes a "ghost". So anyone who is a "ghost" tries to get the other players to talk to him or her.

While playing the game, a player cannot just add random letters to a previous letter. They must always have more than a two-letter word in mind. At any time another player can challenge and ask for the word that the player is thinking of. If the player who is challenged cannot say the word they are thinking of then they become a half or full ghost. If the player does say a word then the person who challenged them becomes a half or full ghost.

Storing Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:03:27 PDT

Who doesn't like cheese? The biggest challenge can be finding a way to keep it from molding in the fridge. Cleanliness is the start.

Before handling cheese, be sure to wash your hands. If you buy cheese that is wrapped in cheese paper, keep the paper and wrap the leftover pieces in it until you are ready to use it. If you don't have cheese paper you can wrap softer cheeses, like mozzerella or cream cheese in wax paper. Harder cheeses like cheddar or parmesian, you can wrap in aluminum foil.

Clear a small space in your crisper drawer and place the cheese there. Cheese likes it when it is cold and humid. If it is too dry, the cheese will dry out and crack. Now, I'm off to grab a grilled cheese sandwich!

Fingernail Polish Keeps Your Keys Easily Identifiable

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:09:13 PDT

It seems the older we get, the more keys our life seems to require. If your key ring is starting to resemble that of a janitor, try this quick tip to keep them organized and easy to find with fingernail polish.

Instead of using plastic covers to color code your keys, which are costly, can slip around and add bulk to your key ring, why not use fingernail polish instead. A few coats later, you'll have lovely, lacquered keys that are quickly identifiable on the go.

This isn't a completely unheard of use for fingernail polish (a dab of fingernail polish on just about anything can help set similar-looking things apart), but it's a nice way to quickly tell similar looking keys apart without labeling them "front door" and making the lives of thieves easier.

Classic Cinema Online

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:38:32 PDT

Whether you're in the mood for some classic animation or some old-school spooky films to get you into the spirit of things, Classic Cinema Online has hundreds of films in dozens of categories. The movies are not audio described but are certainly worth a listen for their archaic dialogue and small budgets.

Classic Cinema Online has gathered together hundreds of films in categories ranging from Action to Westerns and even old cinema shorts and news reels. They routinely feature selections of movies based on the time of year, holidays, and other notable events. Even if you can't sit down and watch a film from yesteryear, browsing the awesome movie posters is worth the price, free admission.

Click this link to visit http://www.ClassicCinemaOnline.com.

The Mercury Theatre on the Air

Now, if you want more classics, check out The Mercury Theatre.

The finest radio drama of the 1930’s was The Mercury Theatre on the Air, a show featuring the acclaimed New York drama company founded by Orson Welles and John Houseman. In its brief run, it featured an impressive array of talents, including Agnes Moorehead, Bernard Herrmann, and George Coulouris. The show is famous for its notorious War of the Worlds broadcast, but the other shows in the series are relatively unknown. This site has many of the surviving shows, and will eventually have all of them.

The show first broadcast on CBS and CBC in July 1938. It ran without a sponsor until December of that year, when it was picked up by Campbell’s Soup and renamed The Campbell Playhouse. All of the surviving Mercury Theatre shows are available from this page in RealAudio format (some are also in MP3 format). There are several Campbell Playhouse episodes available here as well, in both RealAudio and MP3 formats; the rest are being added gradually.

Click this link to visit The Mercury Theatre on the Air: http://www.mercurytheatre.info.

Shop Goodwill Online

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:45:54 PDT

Shop Goodwill is an online marketplace that auctions off Goodwill-donated items eBay-style. I've always enjoyed shopping at flea markets and thrift stores but find it difficult to get help and reading tags, especially on clothes. You can find lots of bargains if you have the time and are willing to rummage through tons of stuff to find them. It looks like Goodwill has some of their prized goods online and I've got to check this site out more often.

Goodwill Industries has listed items for sale from all across the nation in an online auction format at ShopGoodwill.com. Just like the brick-and-mortar counterparts, all proceeds from each item purchased go towards established community involvement programs such as education, training, and job placement.

If you feel like you've seen a lack of "cool" items in your local Goodwill recently, this might help explain it. The site lists everything from electronics to clothing, and lighting to collectibles, most of which is less vintage than you think. Sure you won't have the thrill of wading through aisles of polyester pants, or experiencing that dusty basement smell, but online bidding does save you time and money when it comes to finding what you want.

Click this link to start shopping at http://www.shopgoodwill.com.

Still Tasty: Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:03:21 PDT

For thousands of your favorite foods, this site answers the question, "Keep it or toss it?" Search for specific items or browse by category to find its shelf life, how to store it, and what warning signs suggest it should not be consumed. The Shelf Talk section includes useful guides to expiration dates, safe defrosting, and keeping fruits luscious.

Click this link to visit http://www.stilltasty.com.

Math A Tube

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:15:14 PDT

This site offers a ton of links to math videos with supplementary support problems. There are many topics, and most include subtopics: everything from rounding to exponents to decimals to pre-algebra! It is a very cool place to find homework help or an alternative teaching approach for various math concepts from things as simple as adding whole numbers to more advanced topics such as geometry. The site is divided by clickable math topics. The site does have some advertisements, but they are fairly easy to overlook. *Be sure to test out this site ahead of time and make sure your school will allow access to the specific videos you wish to use. The videos themselves may be “hosted” on YouTube or other “blocked” sites.

Click this link to visit http://www.mathatube.com.

Freeze Up Talking Category Game

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:05:15 PDT

If you're familiar with the word game Scattergories, the premise is similar. The game will give you a category and a letter and you must come up with an answer that fits. The game is timed and is intended for two to eight players. It talks and is completely usable by the blind.

Let's play Freeze Up. - the keep-your-cool countdown category game. Quick. Name an animal that starts with C. How about a fruit that starts with B or a flower that starts with T? Sounds easy, right? No clue? Losing time? Press the button to change the category or the letter. Think fast, but think smart, other players may challenge your answer. With the clock ticking, players must keep their cool and answer before their time's up and they're frozen out. The last player left in this fast-paced electronic category game is the Freeze Up champion. Features two challenging ways to play - nail-biting AUTO mode and self-paced MANUAL mode - 170+ think-quick categories, built-in timer and scorekeeper, crystal-clear speech, and fun sound effects. Fun for the entire family. Requires 3 AA batteries (not included).

Click this link to purchase the Freeze Up electronic game from Amazon.com.

Cassette to MP3

noreply@blogger.com (Michael McCarty) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:34:12 PDT

I don't know about you, but I have hundreds of old cassette tapes. I used to love those things! They were so portible and sounded so good! I recorded tons of songs, family events and just plain goofy stuff to cassette. Now I want to keep those memories alive and convert my old tapes to MP3 files.

The Ion Tape Express is a simple and straight-forward device that will do all the work for me. Put the cassette in, connect the device to your PC via the USB interface, and press "play". Voilà. The tunes are instantly converted to MP3 and can be taken into your iTunes library, your iPod or MP3 Player, burned onto CD, and virtually any other digital platform. Now, if you like to relive those days of old, just listen to the music off the device which, by the way, also functions as an ordinary walkman. You can power the device through USB, or with standard AA batteries. The Ion Tape Express is good to go with Mac, Windows XP, Vista and 7 operating systems.

Click this link to purchase the Ion Tape Express from the I Want One Of Those website.