The Derby Viewpoint

Blazing Onion Burger Co.: A Great Burger Place Comes to The Alderwood Mall

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Tue, 31 May 2011 05:29:00 +0000

Saturday night, I had the opportunity to go to a VIP event at the Blazing Onion Burger Company's newest location at the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Washington. it's located where the old Ruby's Diner was until recently. Invites were applied for via an email address posted to the company's Twitter and Facebook profiles, and I was one of the lucky few to receive one.

Myself, Heather, and Alexis arrived at approximately 6:00 PM, and honestly, I expected chaos. I'd eaten at the restaurant's Mill Creek location once before, about two and a half years ago, and definitely loved the food and the beer selection. Being a pre-opening/employee training event, I expected a fair number of hiccups, and am pleased to report that I was blown away.

As I say, we arrived around 6:00, which was the time on Heather's ticket. Mine was set for 7:30. However, when we contacted the company about this, their CEO, Dave Jones, wrote back and told us to simply come at whichever time was convenient for us. This was great as we were seeing a movie, and when you have a 6-year-old with you, earliest is often best.

After arriving, we looked over the menu. No braille, so Heather did have to read it to me, but as they're not a national chain, I somewhat expected this. We went to the counter and placed our order. When you do this, you're given a choice of paying then or keeping your tab open. We elected to keep it open as I figured we might want dessert, and new I'd be sampling the draft beer list. Quite a few local and international micros to choose from. This makes for a very happy customer.

After ordering, we were given a device which, if I understood right, would light up and let us know when a table was ready. We were guided to our table, and my beer arrived within a few minutes. Heather and Lex had soft drinks, which are self-serve.

The soft drink fountain is awesome...However, for a blind person such as myself, totally inoperable. But for the sighted, and especially for the kids, it's probably the coolest pop machine in the world. It's all touchscreen-operated. When you press on, say, Coke, Heather explained that about 8 varieties of Coke then pop up in the submenu, and you select the one with which you'd like to fill your cup. Her only complaint was that the restaurant doesn't serve regular, unsweetened ice tea...Pretty much her drink of choice everywhere we go.

I'd ordered an appetizer of jalapeno poppers...One of my favorites. This is where my first, and really only, complaint of the night comes in. The poppers arrived, and each was cold in the middle. I discovered this after eating the first one. So, I asked for a box, and decided I'd bring them home. They offered to heat them further, but in my experience, that would be the second the meal would come out, so I don't mind a snack with the ballgame at home.

This leads me to one of their other innovations. On each table, there are a couple electronic items. Not entirely sure how to describe them, but essentially, there's a machine on the table with a couple buttons on it...You press one when you want service. Say, another beer or to order dessert. In the top of this machine is a slot. They insert what amounts to a small sign into it. When your order is ready to come to your table and is on its way, from what was described to me, it lights up so a server knows where to bring it. Back to the service button, however...I rarely had to use it. Other than actual bars, I've never seen a waitstaff so attentive. The second my beer was about to be empty, someone was right there to clear the glass and ask if I'd like a refill. I think the only times I had to press the button were to order dessert and to ask for the bill.

The food was superb. I had their Anaheim Chilli Burger, and got the regular and sweet potato fries mixture as my side. Lex had a grilled cheese sandwich with fruit, and was in heaven. Heather had a bacon cheeseburger, but instead of beef, elected to have it with a Wild Boar patty. They give you choices...For each burger, you can have the regular ground beef, or chicken, Turkey, or veggie. Those are at no charge. Then, they offer angus, buffalo, and wild boar. I may be missing a couple, but if I am, you'll simply be in for a nice surprise when you get there.

Dessert was a peanutbutter pie for me, a giant cookie for Lex, and I honestly can't remember what Heather had. All I know is, we left very full, and intend to come back...Possibly Tuesday, opening night. Hey, the sign says burgers are buy one/get one if you say you want the Angus beef. I'm not passing that up.

The staff was excellent. Attentive, friendly, and very helpful. The only things that I can say that would make this place even better would be the option of a beer larger than a pint, and possibly more things for the kids...Say, a kids' menu or coloring books, and crayons automatically supplied when you see a family has a small child with them. Don't get me wrong; as soon as my daughter asked for crayons, they were brought. So this isn't too big a deal, but would be nice.

As far as price and quality, I'd put the prices at similar to or slightly less than Red Robin. I'd put the quality several steps ahead of Red Robin, at least on their burgers. They have several entrees, and I've not yet tried those.

Lynnwood, you're blessed to have this new burger place in town. Take advantage of it. I know I will.

For more information, visit the company's website, www.blazingonion.com.

There's Helpful, And Then there's Harassment!

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:42:00 +0000

Before I get into this, I want all my sighted friends and family to
know that this isn't a post to bash the sighted world, or a
"pro-blind" post, or any of that...This is venting frustrations at the
idiots who don't get the fact that we CAN board a bus without
assistance generally, and to explain to a small segment of the
population as to what they should or shouldn't do when they meet a
blind person. Much of this is common sense, but as a friend of mine
has so often put it, common sense isn't all that common these days.

This post has been a long time coming, but today's incident made me
realize that now is the time.

So, I arrived at the South Everett Freeway Station, as I do just about
every morning. Heather guided me to the bench, and I sat down, and I
heard a voice on the bench next to me, talking on her cell phone.
Something in my mind said "That voice is familiar", but it didn't
register until the bus arrived, and she grabbed me by my jacket sleeve
and told me "I'm pushing you to the front of the line." My response
was "You REALLY want to play this game again? Thanks, but I've told
you before that I don't need your assistance."

I hadn't seen her in five or six months, so I'd hoped she'd maybe lost
her job, or was taking a different bus...But nope; she's back...At
least for today.

As we get up to the step, I had the rail, I began to step on, and she
grabs my jacket again, momentarily surprising me, and almost causing
me to lose my footing...Just what I need, another broken leg...Right?

So, we got on; she sat down in her area of the bus, I sat in mine. For
those who follow me on Twitter, you saw my rant...Essentially, I told
what happened. But after having conversations on Twitter with several
people, I realized maybe it's time for a little education of the
sighted community at large. Again, my friends and family are mostly
excellent at assisting me when I need it. Hell, even Alexis, my
6-year-old daughter, has mastered the art of guiding me from place to
place when needed. Not bad at all.

First, it's very simple. Unless you see that we're in danger, don't
grab a blind person by the arm, the shoulders, the backpack, or any
other appendage or article of clothing. You wouldn't want it done to
you; don't do it to us.

Second, don't assume we automatically need assistance...Most of us are
capable of asking for help. At the same time, it's always acceptable,
okay, and encouraged for you to ask us. However, if we say we've got
it, don't assume you know best and just grab and drag anyway. That's
been my biggest issue with this woman. She's told me on a couple of
occasions that she knows what's best for me, and for the line as a
whole, and that she's going to do it her way. I keep trying to get her
name, but she won't give it. Several friends have recommended that I
get a description, and if she gets in my face again, call the cops and
nail her for harassment and possibly assault...I'm not sure that it's
worth all that, but I WOULD like her to take her fake do-gooder
attitude and shove it someplace.

Again...Don't assume we're all helpless and lost. Ask if we need help
or wait for us to ask you, and don't simply grab and assume you know
where we're going.

In this case, from the bench, it's a straight shot to the bus...I can
navigate this by sound. Once I'm on the bus, let me know where a free
seat is...And that's usually about all the assistance I need when
boarding a bus...I don't need to be yanked or pushed because you think
you know better than me where I'm going. I swear, I'm going to risk an
assault charge and punch the next person who does this...For the
record, I've had at least 30 encounters with this lady.

This practice is also dangerous. I've heard from many blind friends
who've had people "help" them by guiding them to the wrong place just
because they've assumed they knew where the person was going.

As cheesy as the film is, it makes me think everyone should be
required at some point to view a film my O&M instructor/good friend
Jay Taska used to show all my schools/classes, "What to Do when You
Meet a Blind Person". The film's old...And by film, I mean he
literally showed it on an old projector...But the message is still
relevant.

We're just like the rest of you, except our eyes don't work. Our
brains and ears, for the most part, work fine.

Feel free to leave comments or ask any questions. This could make for
some good discussion.

Mormons: Good Hearts, But Where's Your Head?

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 23:39:00 +0000

Let me start by saying I have a lot of Mormon friends. This is in no way aimed at any of you guys...But, an incident yesterday reminded me of some of my past dealings with the religion, and why I'll never convert/join that particular sect. The presumptuousness just astounded me.

Okay...Here's the story. I took my bus a bit further north than usual. With Heather's new school schedule, I have to go to the Everett train station up north on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I got off the bus, and was approached by a gentleman whose name I'll leave out, because I'm not necessarily picking on him specifically. He approached and asked if I had a minute. Unfortunately, I did. He said he'd noticed me on the bus because, as he put it, a blind person isn't very conspicuous. He then tells me he's LDS, and has taken the liberty of ordering me a braille Book of Mormon. He was a tad upset because he thought the book wouldn't weigh any more than a normal printed book...But he received it, and it weighed 35 pounds. I couldn't help but laugh.

I explained that I'd been given the book in college by a girl I was close friends with, and had already listened to it and was absolutely not interested. I also explained that, living in an apartment, I don't have the room to store that much braille. He asked what he could do with the book...I gave him my library's address, and suggested he send it to us and we may be able to find it a home. Rick's gonna be thrilled when that comes in. He said thanks, and headed on his way.

Here's where I take issue with this. First, I appreciate that the guy has his beliefs...However, I ask this of you the reader. Would you order a book, especially in a specialized format, for someone you may NEVER get the opportunity to talk to? Second, a lot of blind people don't even read braille. So, it's a bit presumptuous to assume the braille book will work for everyone.

Oddly, though I've dealt with every religious group trying to witness to me, convert me, or whatever, it seems the Mormons are the most relentless. I've had them give me unsolicited audio, braille, and of course approach me in public...They don't take no for an answer. I'm sure there's a lot of it in every religion or denomination, but having grown up in Arizona, I guessI've just SEEN it more from the mormon community than I have from, say, the Baptists.

So...My advice? Your hearts are in the right place...But before you go ordering braille or audio literature for a complete stranger with whom you've never had a conversation, maybe talk to the person first...Make sure it's something they're open to, and make sure it's something they have the room for.

Again, this was in no way meant to be Mormon-bashing...I guess it's just funny that I've had more of them give me unsolicited literature, just assuming they're doing me a favor because they got it in an accessible format. At least my JW friends have asked first.

Anyhow, just an observation triggered by last night's incident. Feel free to comment.

HB2033: Dangerous for Washington State Library and Blind/Disabled Populations

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 06:34:00 +0000

In the interest of full disclosure, let me start by saying that I
am an employee of the Office of the Secretary of State, Washington
State Library Division, Washington Talking Book & Braille Library.
This is written on my own time, at home, on my personal computer and
internet connection...The views are my own and do not necessarily
reflect those of OSOS.

In addition to working for the library, I'm also blind, and have
been since birth. Therefore, I benefit greatly from the services
provided by my own library, and have benefited from said services
while living in Arizona and Oregon, so I know the value of the service
we provide...Probably moreso than most of the state House members in
Olympia.

Today, we were informed about House Bill HB2033, which creates a
new Department of Heritage, Arts, and Culture. In an effor to
consolidate, the House wants to combine several divisions which it
apparently sees as similar, and i turn, from what was explained to
several of us, slash the various agencies' budgets by 20%. The
following is an email sent to us by Interim State Librarian Rand
Simmons. For the record, I have not spoken with Dr. Simmons in order
to request permission to re-post this email, but as it was sent via
state email, and contains strictly informational items, I hope this
will serve the purpose for which I intend it.

There is a bill now in the House (HB 2033) that would take the
State Library and the Legacy Project (oral history) out of the
Secretary of State’s office and place it in a combined Department of
Heritage, Arts and Culture (HAC), along with the two Historical
Societies, the Arts Commission, the Department of Archaeology and
Historic Preservation, the Tourism Board, and the Film Board. This
would also reduce the Library’s budget by 20%.

The bill also would switch the Heritage Center Fund to the
proposed Department of HAC along with the fund-raising capacity of the
State Library and the Legacy Project.

The Office of the Secretary of State is opposed to the bill. The
State Library has found a champion in the Secretary of State and we
see no compelling reason to move these programs to another agency.

There is concern that some parts of the State Library’s mission may
not be a good fit under the Heritage, Arts and Culture umbrella:

· The State Library has an important role in the
preservation of the record of state government through the state
publications depository function, which requires close cooperation
with the Digital Archives for the preservation of state publications
in digital formats.
· The State Library serves as the only regional federal
depository library, ensuring that Washington residents have access to
the records and research of the federal government.
· The Library serves visually-impaired,
physically-handicapped and learning disabled persons across the state
through the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library through digital
audiobooks, Braille, large-print books and a radio reading service.
· There are State Library branches in the state
psychiatric hospitals and the larger correctional centers, offering
educational and recreational materials to support re-entry
initiatives and treatment plans for residents;
· The State Library works with public, school and academic
libraries across the state, using federal funds to strengthen their
services to their communities. This includes projects as diverse as
collaborating on a broadband grant with NoaNet, organizing group
purchases for libraries, and facilitating the E-rate application for
libraries.
· The State Library is actively involved in the statewide
Early Learning movement and is a member of the Early Learning Public
Library Partnership.

The bill, in its entirety, may be found Here

Rand states the crux of the concerns for the library division quite
well. There is also concern that the bill may include language to try
to move all of the services to Tumwater...This won't work for the
Washington Talking Book & Braille Library, as was determined a few
years ago when administration of the agency was movved from the City
of Seattle into the Office of the Secretary of State. We have far too
many volunteer programs, which account for a great deal of the work
that is done by the library...Most of those volunteers are in Seattle.
Also, many of our staff have specialized, hard-to-replace talents.
Moving to Tumwater would make continuing to work for the library
prohibitive for those who can't make a move with the library.

Second, there is some concern that this will have a negative effect
on prison libraries. I know some of you are saying "They're in
prison...They don't deserve libraries." Personally, I'd rather have
them spending their time reading than getting into more trouble.

In the end, for those of you here in Washington, particularly those
who utilize the services of the Washington Talking Book & Braille
Library, use another part of the state library, or no someone who
does, I ask that you look this bill over. Contact your legislators,
and either request the bill not be passed, or that the Washington
State Library be removed from the contents of this ill-conceived plan.

For anyone who knows me, you know I'm for smaller government, and
less government spending. However, I don't see how this particular
bill achieves that without worsening the unemployment problem in our
state, and obstructing services to the elderly, disabled, and other
vulnerable populations. HB2033 is, as a colleague of mine with whom I
rarely agree on anything put it, simply a shuffling of the deck chairs
on the Titanic...Things are getting moved, but they don't seem to
notice the ship's stil sinking. Tell the folks in Olympia to wake up,
and come up with some real solutions.

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 03:04:00 +0000

Check this out...Quick, free way to earn a few bucks. It's in pre-launch mode now, so get in early. http://ping.fm/xBy0r

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:22:00 +0000

@FB @MY @BL Went and saw Halestorm, Adelitas Way, Since October, and New Medicine. Check out a combined review of Spokane (by me) and Boise (by Rustyn) with some pics by him and some by Heather. It's been converted to a slideshow, so check it out! http://ping.fm/o4ipM

Blind Children Need Better Social Education: Is The Problem Parents, Or Society?

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 05:48:00 +0000

Today at lunch, I had an experience that took me back to high school days. Now, I'm 32, so before anyone gets snarky, high school wasn't THAT long ago...But, it let me know that sadly, when it comes to my fellow blind people, things really haven't changed. As a warning, this post will probably anger a few people, but remember...My blog, my opinions. You don't like them? Leave a comment, start your own blog, or try to convince me I'm wrong.

Where I work, we get students from an independent living-type program every summer. Having gone through one of these programs, here's the drill for sighted readers, and other blind readers who maybe didn't have such a program. Basically, they take you and have you live away from home. Where I grew up, it was a month, but you went home on weekends. They try to teach you some basic living skills...Doing your own laundry, making meals, washing dishes, in some cases some personal grooming, and things like this. Also, as part of this program, they get you a job for the month, usually minimum wage, and usually the first work experience most of us get. For me, thanks to great parents, I knew most of the basic life skills they showed us, but went for the interaction and for the job as when I was growing up, it was still difficult for a blind student to get an after-school job. In the programs in which I participated, I made some good friends...But we also had some students that made us all cringe. You know the type; someone who brings to mind every stereotype about the blind, and then a few that, sadly, I think we're the only ones who really notice...And the sighted world either doesn't see these, or they stupidly ignore them, thinking "He's got a disability...he probably doesn't know any better". And here's where we pick up today's story.

I was having lunch, and happened to sit with this year's crop of kids. Of the four, I'll say right now that I have great hope for two of them...The other two...No comment. and for the record, I'm not saying where I work, though those who know me know what I do for a living. Also, for the record, this is being written in my personal time, in my own blog, and is in no way connected to my employer. I don't know what their opinion of this post would be, but this is not associated/affiliated with them in the least.

During the course of lunch, I conversed with the students, made small talk, and we generally had a good time. To set the scene, it was me and three of the students; two males, and one female. During the course of the conversation, one of the males, who, unfortunately, is the typical sheltered blind kid in many ways, blurts out to the female "You're hot...I mean, REALLY hot". She tells him to knock it off, and expresses the fact that she's uncomfortable with it. He then turns to me and says "Man, she won't go out with me. Why not? What's wrong with me?" I explain that it's really not tactful to talk to a woman that way in the work place, and really inappropriate to ask a colleague, in this case me, why she won't go out with him right in front of her. So instead of realizing he should change his track, he says "I used to have a girlfriend. She was dumb, but hot...And she had the biggest boobs in the world."

For the readers who are employed, you know that if you or I said that, we'd be looking at a sexual harassment complaint, a write-up, and possibly a loss of job. I explained this to this young man. Luckily, he seemed to kind of understand that he was wrong, but then went on to ask really personal questions about something that happened to this young lady's family. I admit I intervened and asked her if she was okay. She said she was, but she, along with me, explained to this kid that the question was REALLY inappropriate and, in her words, "could get your ass beat" if you asked the wrong person that question.

In the end, I let our director know, and she in turn intends to let his supervisor know what's happened.

My issues with this incident are many.

First off, I realize these people are young. Usually between 16 and 19 or so. But shouldn't parents, teachers, somebody be tteaching them that certain things are simply inappropriate, especially in a work or other public setting? This kid swore he had no clue he was doing anything wrong.

Next, I saw this in the independent living programs I participated in as a youth. It was usually either the kid who was blind with other disabilities, or simply blind, but had sheltering, and in many cases, overbaring, parents...Unfortunately, usually sons, with mothers who were a bit too over-protective while also being equally demanding and pushy. I did not, however, see this behavior from sighted, non-disabled peers. So it makes me wonder, are we as a society teaching ourselves and our children that it's okay for the disabled to be inappropriate as human beings? And if that's the case, isn't that doing them a disservice? The real world isn't going to, and shouldn't, except this behavior.

Finally, doesn't human nature sort of kick in at some point and tell you "Whoa! What I'm saying is way out of line and wrong."? Don't get me wrong; I had great parents who showed me how to act as a person, as a man, and as a functioning member of society. However, I don't remember mom and dad having to tell me "Now, sexually harassing a person is wrong...And we don't talk about boob sizes in the lunchroom at work." I just sort of always figured that was a conversation, if it happens at all, best saved for the local bar with your buddies, at home, or something of that nature.

I don't know...Maybe I'm making too much of this, or maybe I'm expecting too much from the parents of blind and disabled kids. All I know is I had great parents...and still do, for that matter...who would've NEVER let me get away with something like that. yet, as I said, I see it all the time in the blind and disabled community, especially among my fellow males...many of them seem to never be tought right from wrong when it comes to social situations. Why is this?

At the same time, it's not just the parents who are at fault. Sadly, I notice it's also rampant with the kids who've gone to "specialized" schools all their lives. Those of us who went to a public school as opposed to a school for the blind generally seem to be a bit better adjusted to the world. I know there are many benefits to a school for the blind for some, but it definitely makes me question how much good they're doing...Or, maybe they just need to spend a bit more time on social skills for acting like a human being instead of an animal or an infant. And for the record, though I didn't attend school there, the state in which I currently reside is fortunate to have the best school for the blind in the country. They tend to do a great job.

Again, these are just my opinions. If you have a different opinion, I welcome your comments.

Update on the Leg: For those who are Interested

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:33:00 +0000

I'm posting this here instead of directly to my Facebook notes so that it will upddate both via FB and via TwitterFeed to my Twitter followers. To the general public, this will likely not be of much interest. :-)

Quick Background: For new followers and friends...On June 6, I broke my Tibia, just above the ankle. On June 9, I injured it further when coming out of the shower. On June 17, I had an operation to put a titanium plate and some screws in the area. I was in splints off and on, and had a full cast put on on June 24. Since the break, unfortunately, I've been away from work, but have been fortunate enough to be allowed to work from home since June 22.

Okay, history lesson over. We have new stuff today.

When I took my shower last night, some water seeped in to the cast through the cast cover, turning the front edge of the cotton liner into a nasty mush and keeping my skin gooey and wet. (Doesn't that sound appetizing?) I called the doctor's office, and they said I should come in and we'd just take the cast off a week early. So, the good news is, I'm out of the cast and in a walking boot.

I'm still not supposed to put any weight on the injurred leg until about the first part of August, however, but after that, can begin trying to walk. The doctor says to put limited weight on it at first, and maybe use a walker. Then, I'll go back to see him in mid-August, and we'll also start up physical therapy at that time.

Since the telecommuting is working out so far, he's decided he doesn't want me to return too the office on a physical basis until right after Labor Day...So here's hoping we can keep enough projects going for me to keep working from home. That, for me, is the one downside...The delays in getting back out in to society. If it weren't for doctor's appointments and the occasional other outing, I would've forgotten what the sun feels like.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank family and friends for their help and support in this time of chaos.

So, that's where we are. Boot now, walking somewhat by the start of August...Physical therapy in mid-august. Out of the boot and back to work, if all goes as planned, by Labor Day.

Talk to you all soon.

Why President Obama SHOULD Apologize: And It's not Why You Might Think

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 05:21:00 +0000

By now, we've all heard about President Obama's "Special Olympics" joke with regards to his bowling average last night on "The Tonight Show". Anyone who knows me knows I'm not an Obama supporter, or a liberal, in the least. However, as a blind person, and someone who has had many friends in Special Olympics, I did not find the comment offensivve in the least. In fact, I think it showed the US President has a "regular guy" side to him.

However, I do think he does need to apologize, and I think Special Olympics folks have the right to be calling for his resignation. Listeningg to comments from Anthony from the Opie & Anthony show opened my eyes.

Flash back a couple years to April of 2007. Don Imus was fired for simply referring to a women's college basketball team as "nappy headed hos". I guaranttee you 99% of those girls had never heard of Imus. Maybe their grandpas knew who he was, but the girls had no idea. Fast-forward a few months. Opie & Anthony themselves were suspended for comments made by a homeless gentleman on their show with reference to Condi Rice, the Queen of England, and other notable figures. They didn't make or condone "Homeless Charlie's" comments, but as the hosts of a supposedly uncensored satellite radio show, they received a suspension for something that likely offended no one in their actual audience.

These are just two cases of incidents wherre comments made in the context of a comedic setting caused the maker of the comments or the host of the show to lose his job on either a temporary or permanent basis. In the case of Mr. Imus, the charge to have him fired was, naturallly, led by Al Sharpton, a "leader" in the black community. Mr. Imus's comments offended the Rutgers women's basketball team; he was fired. Comments made by a homeless guest of the Opie & Anthony show offended the former Secretary of State, Queen of England, and former First Lady; Opie & Anthony were suspended for a month from their XM Satellite Radio show, which is supposed to be uncensored. In both cases, the people who were offended were less likely to have been listening than a Special Olympics athlete was to have been watchingg our president on last night's "Tonight Show".

As I've said, I am not personally bothered by his comments. However, if leaders in his race are going to demand the firing of Don Imus for supposedly rracist comments made in the context of comedy, and if Opie & Anthony, amongst others, are going to be suspended from their radio jobs for comments made about political figures in a comedic context, why should our president not be held to the same, if not a higher, standard when making a joke that invokes the disabled? I guarantee that if a white, male comic or radio/TV host had slipped in the Special Olympics remark as Mr. Obama did, he would be looking for a job, or at least be on unpaid suspension, and be forced to apologize.

I'm not asking that the president actually step down over this. God knows we don't want to hear the words "President Biden". That might be enough to spark revolution, or revulsion...Not sure which. But I do believe that if people who actually are funny for a living can be forced to apologize, our president should be held to no less of a standard...And if he can find the time in his schedule, maybe he should have a group of SO athletes to the White House for a bowling tournament in the near future. That's all I'm saying.

Wes Derby On the Evergreen Radio Reading Service This Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:48:00 +0000

For those who are interested, I will be one of the guestts on the Evergreen Radio Reading Service's talk show this Wednesday, March 4, at 6:00 PM. As part of their monthly "Meet the Staff" hour, myself and Alan Bentson, the readers' advisors for the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library will be the guests for the hour.

We'll be taking listener calls, and anyone from around the world can tune in to the web stream. No password required. So, if you're not busy at 6:00 PM Pacific time and wonder what I sound like, check us out. Just Click here and select your preferred media player.

Hope to see you there.

David Paterson: Disgrace to the Blind Community #TCOT

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:16:00 +0000

Recently, a friend via Twitter directed followwers to This post by Ben Smith regarding New York Governor David Paterson. I want everyone to read it, and then come back and finish reading what I have to say. I rrealize my title may sound a bit harsh, but I do intend to defend my stance.

If you read Mr. Smith's post, you ssee that Governor Paterson doesn't read Braille, doesn't apparently use any assistive technology products such as JAWS, WindowEyes, or other products that would make his life easier, and doesn't, from what I can ttell, use even a cassette player or digital media player to lissten to memos, notes, and other important materials. Instead, he relies on staff to spend time reading things to him that any other independent blind person, myself included, can easily find ways to read him/herself. I think the reason I find this so disturbing is that I know that, if I were doing my job the way Governor Paterson does his, I likely would no longer have a job.

Face it, folks. Mr. Paterson is a blind person who can't read braille. To myself and many other blind people I know, this is the same as a sighted person who can't read print...Or a partially sighted person who has never learned to read large print. This isn't a guy who lost his sight a few years ago and hasn't had a chance to learn; he's had opportunities, and from what we can tell, hasn't taken advantage of them. If you found out that your governor couldn't read and was relying on staff to read to him, would you re-elect him? No. In my opinion, Paterson should be treatted no differently. At the same time, even if he can't/won't rread braille, there are technology productts outt there that would allow him to do his own rreading. There are scanning programs, scrreenreaders, and many other devices out there, and if Paterson or his aides would do a little research, they would find a world of technology to help him do the job on his own. As an example, in my job, I use a computer with JAWS for Windows for speech, a braille display, and all of the standard Windows programs. I do have a person who takes a look at my mail and emails me necessary information so I can look at it at my convenience. Were that volunteer not available, I could use an off-the-shelf scanner and an OCR program to scan information into MS Word.

Instead of being offended by Saturday Night Live's depiction of Governor Paterson, maybe his office and my fellows in the blind community should be offended by his lack of competence in basic life skills. Maybe New York should be looking for its next Governor, and praying they have someone better to elect when the next election comes around. I'm not sure how this guy got as far as he did with his limited skill set. I'm a very advanced computer user, braille reader, and know my technology pretty well, and am pretty lucky to have a job. Unfortunately, most blind people I know have a lot of difficulty finding work. It's even harder if they can't rread braille or use available technologies. I think that may be why Governor Paterson is such a disgrace in my book.

I know someone will probably come along and say "Can't you just be happy for the guy"? Sorry, but no. He's managed to hoodwink the people of New York. He is, in my belief, a bad representation of the tblind community. I doo fear he will set us back in many ways. What's going to happen if a ccompetent person, who just happens to be blind, decides to run for high office, such as governor, senator, and so on? Is he/she going to have a fair shot, or are people going to say "Remember what happened with that Paterson guy? He couldn't even perform the basic functions of his job without help."

For the record, I'm thrilled for anyone who makes a success of themselves, blind or sighted, when they do it the right way. I was as excited as everyone else when Paterson became Governor and I learned of his blindness. But the more incapable I learned he was, the more saddened I became. He's not helping himself, and he's certainly not helpingg the blind community as a whole.

In closing, these comments are strictly my opinions and do not in any way claim to represent the opinions of any groups with which I may be afffiliatted.

The 2008 First Time Home Buyer Credit: A Bit Misleading, To Say the Least

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:24:00 +0000

Ever been given a gift and later found out you'd have to give it back down the line? Or has a relative or friend ever given you money that you thought didn't have any strings attached, and then you later found out it was a loan, albeit with no interest, that you were going to be expected to pay back at a later date? Well, that seems to be what our friends in Congress had in mind with the 2008 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit of $7,500. Admittedly, most of America may have already known about this, but my wife and I didn't learn of it until we were doing our taxes last night.

My wife was using Turbo Tax to work on our 2008 return. This past fall, we were fortunatte enough to finally be able to buy our first home. When she got to the part about the First Time Home Buyer Credit, she mentioned that it said something about us having to pay it back starting in 2010. I told her to go ahead and finish the taxes, figuring there was nothing we could do about it, and figuring maybe she was mis-reading something, but I admit I was intrigued. I mean, I'm a news and politics junkie...I watch Fox News constantly, follow politics constantly, and have followed what's been going on with the economy for quite some time. One of my favorite uncles started teaching me to stay informed back when I was in high school, right around the time Clinton was elected. I'm glad he did, or I might have ended up a liberal, or worse. But I diggress.

So, I did some digging, and found this article on the IRS website, describing the ins and outs of the tax crredit for 2008. Among other bits of information, it says:

Recapture of credit
If a first-time homebuyer credit is allowed to a taxpayer, the taxpayer's income tax is increased by 6 2/3% of the amount of such credit for each taxable year in the 15-year "recapture period." The recapture period begins with the second taxable year following the year of purchase for which the credit is taken.

For example, if a taxpayer is allowed a $7,500 first-time homebuyer credit in 2008, the taxpayer must recapture the credit amount by adding $500 (which is 6 2/3% of $7,500) to his income tax liability each year for 15 years, beginning in 2010.

Acceleration of recapture
If a taxpayer disposes of the principal residence for which a first-time homebuyers credit was allowed (or ceases using it as a principal residence) before the end of the 15-year recapture period, the remaining credit repayment amount is added to the income tax liability of the taxpayer for the year of sale or cessation of use.

Exceptions to recapture
In the case of a sale of the principal residence to an unrelated person, the increase in tax due to accelerated recapture is limited to the amount of gain (if any) on such sale. For purposes of calculating gain, the adjusted basis of such residence shall be reduced by the amount of the first-time homebuyer credit allowed, to the extent not previously recaptured. In the case of an involuntary conversion, recapture is not accelerated if a new principal residence is acquired within a 2-year period. No amount is recaptured after the death of the taxpayer.

In short, this tells me that they're going to take $500 per year for the next fifteen yearrs starting in 2010, unless I sell the house...Then they want it all right away. But if I die or sell the house for a loss, I'm okay.

My purpose in writing this is two-fold. First, if anyone reading this, or any of your friends have purchased a new house and qualify for this credit, let them know what's coming so they're not as surprised as we were. I can't imagine I'm the only American homebuyer who didn't see this one coming. My mortgage broker called me the other day to see how things were going and said nothing about this part of it, and he's a pretty smart guy, so I'm willing to bet that he probably didn't know about this "rrecapture" business either.

Second, in my personal opinion, this seems wrong. Obviously, the feds, especially when the Democrats are in control of the House and Senate, have shown that they can do what they want to the American people. But this one just seems a bit stinky. I've never seen any other tax credit that is then ttaken away from you in the form of a "recapture" starting a couple years later. I'm not trying to complain or whine, but this rreally doesn't seem ethical to me. I work hard for my money, I finally had the opportunity to buy a house. I feel I give the IRS enough of my money each yearr, so I'm certainly happy to get the tax crredit for buying my first house...But don't give it to me, and then like a mafia loan shark, minus the interest charge, keep coming back for the next fifteen yearrs and taking it back bit by bit. It begs the questions: Why did you give it to us in the first place? Do you really think it's going to do that mucch to stimulatte the economy? And finally, what kind of fools do you take the American people for?

In closing, it wouldn't have made it right, but I would've rather seen a bit more transparency on this one. Give us the info up-front on the news. The Congress, or [then] President Bush, should have come out and said "We're giving you this tax crredit. We hope you'll use it to help stimulate the economy. However, in 2010, we're going to start taking it back, piece by piece, until we've recovered all that we've given you."

Maybe it's too late on this one, but if you ffeel so inclined, go to house.gov or senate.gov and find out who your representatives and senators are and write them and let them know how you feel about the government giving a tax credit, and then slowly taking the money back. Maybe we can get this portion of it reversed. Or maybe, the next time they reward someone for buying their first home, that person will get to keep all of his/her tax crredit and not have to worry about it being yanked out from under them a couple yearrs later.

Post-Merger: The State of Satellite Radio From a Subscriber's Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:06:00 +0000

Now that Sirius has merged with XM and we're two and a half months in to the merging of the music channels, and almost four months in to the "best of" packages, let's take a look at where we stand. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm coming at this from the perspective of an XM subscriber who has been signed up since May of 2004. I have three radios, and all are equipped with what is now known as "XM Everything" plus the Best of Sirius. I'll explain those packages in a minute.

First, for those who don't know me or who have never read my writings before, pre-merger, I was very much pro-XM and very anti-Sirius. Don't get me wrong; I felt both were definitely far superior to terrestrial, or AM/FM, radio. But, after a few months of extensive research into the programming of both comapnies, I went with XM in May of 2004 based mainly on the music offerings. At the time, both offered pretty similar news, talk, and sports line-ups, though Sirius had the NFL, which almost swayed me...But their shallower playlists, and in my opinion, inferior DJs and sound quality, made me go with XM. That, and the fact that XM's classic metal channel was adding Eddie Trunk's show that weekend helped seal the deal. A few months later, XM announced the addition of my favorite talkers Opie & Anthony, as well as PAC-10 college sports and Major League Baseball. This solidified my decision, knowing I'd be able to here O&A again after they'd been let go from terrestrial radio as well as my favorite sports teams from Arizona, even though I now reside in Seattle. XM then added the NHL, and the music channels, which were the original reason I signed up, continued to stay strong.

Let's fast-forward to the present. Again, I'm coming at this from the perspective of a loyal XM subscriber, though I am trying to be objective...If you want to see the history of Sirius's moves, and read more about what XM has also done in that time, please check out the only blog I read religiously, Orbitcast. In all seriousness, this is one, if you're interested in Satellite Radio, to save to your RSS reader and check several times a day.

Okay, if you've followed the news the last couple years, you know Sirius and XM decided to merge. That merger came to fruition last summer. We subscribers saw the fruits of that merger beginning in October of 2008 with the Best Of packages being offered from each company. Now, other than NFL radio, having listened to Sirius's programming, I couldn't have imagined anything I would've wanted from them, put I figured I'd pay the $4 per radio and give it a shot. As an XM subscriber, I get NFL Radio plus all NFL games, both Howard Stern Channels, Martha Stewart Radio, Playboy Radio, NASCAR Radio, and I think some other sports play-by-play.

The Pros:

All the NFL Games
Great NFL talk on NFL Radio. They have some really good hosts, most of whom are former coaches and players who know the game inside and out; certainly more interesting than ESPN's coverage
After not listening to Howard for a number of years, it's actually kind of cool to occasionally flip Stern back on and hear him and Artie Lange.
Thanks to Howard 101, I can hear Scott Ferrall, the guy whose show originally got me into sports talk when I lived in Phoenix and picked him up on a San Francisco AM station when I was in High School.
Sometimes, Playboy Radio is good for a laugh.
In all seriousness, NFL radio and the game feeds make the $4 a month worth it.

Cons to the Best Of:

Martha Stewart Channel. Include this on the regular package. I don't mean to sound sexist, but most of what's been put in the best of Sirius package on XM is geared toward the male demographic, and I don't know of too many women who'd pay $4 for Martha.
This is nit-picky, but NFL Radio's XM feed needs to update its liners. They're still playing promos for XM channels that, since the music channels merged on November 12, no longer exist...Mostly Ethel and XMX. They only tend to play as the first spot in a commercial break; it's odd.
Unlike a Sirius subscriber, XM subs only get one feed for NFL games. The exceptions are playoff games, Sunday Night, Monday night, and Thursday night games. Sirius subs get both the home and away feed. XM subs should get the same thing.

For the Sirius subscribers, they get a Best of XM package for the same price which includes college sports, NHL, The Virus (Opie and Anthony Ron and Fez), and a few other channels. For more details on best-of packages, go to the companies' websites, www.xmradio.com and www.sirius.com.

On November 12, the two companies took the next step, merging their music channels. This was controversial for many reasons. I'll get into details shortly, but in short, many subscribers to this day still feel like they got screwed, for lack of a better word. XM subscribers feel like we lost the programmers who made our channels great in many cases, along with their names and playlists. Many Sirius subs feel the playlists on their favorite channels are now too deep in an effort to satisfy the tastes of the XM subscribers. I'm not sure how many subscribers really did cancel, but many threatened to do so on both sides, but mostly from the XM camp. Many blunders, in my opinion, were committed by Sirius XM at this point in time, and many have yet to be corrected, and probably never will.

The first place the companies went wrong was in how they informed, or didn't inform, subscribers of the pending channel change. Now, before any of you terrestrial fanboys start saying "well your favorite FM station doesn't tell you when they're going off the air", I know this. There's a difference. I'm not paying for AM or FM. I do pay for satellite radio. I also pay for cable, and generally, they let you know, at least my cable company does, when a channel may be going away. The only reason I found out what was happening was through This post on Orbitcast. Had it not been for Ryan, I would have been in the dark, so to speak, that any channel changes were coming up. Go to Orbitcast and check out his November archive, and look at the week of November 10. Look at not only the posts he made, but also the comments section, and see the passion with which the subscribers comment. Sure, there are a few idiots in there, but most are intelligent, well-reasoned comments.

The second thing the company did was kill off some pretty popular channels, and in some cases entire genres. They took away both companies' classic hip-hop and classic dance/disco channels. I'm not a fan, but both genres have pretty passionate fanbases. Both returned to the satellites, thanks to fan commentary, on January 14. Unfortunately, they also took away XM's Cross Country, or X-Country as it was known. Outlaw Country has made a valiant effort to shift into its place, especially now that we have enough classic country stations so that they don't need to fill that void for the Sirius listeners, but there's still quite a bit missing. Personally, I've found their program director to be very responsive and to be a great guy.Still a long way to go.

Many of us longtime XM subscribers have noticed that, especially in the rock category, the playlists are much shallower than what we're used to. The Sirius subscribers, at least those who comment on Orbitcast and other sites, don't seem to mind, but myself and many XM subs would like to see them deepen the rock playlists across the board on all of the rock channels. A perfect example of this is my recent post on The return of The Boneyard.

In closing, Sirius XM does have some work to do to fix/improve things. However, it's still much better than anything that's on terrestrial radio. It's nationwide. The reception is great. With my various XM receivers, I've rarely had service drop, and I've taken them all over the western part of the country, and have picked up my favorite XM stations in places where an AM or FM station can't get through. If I had to recommend a satellite package to a newcomer, I'd recommend going with XM Everything plus the Best of Sirius. It's the best value for the money...And if someone asks "Why pay for radio?", I have two answers.

The music is commercial-free, and both the talk and music are uncensored.
Unlike in terrestrial radio, the program directors actually seem to be interested in what listeners have to say as opposed to what an advertiser says.

So in the end, even with its problems, satellite radio is worth the money. I'd honestly give up my cable before I'd give up my XM.

Sirius-XM Brings Back the Boneyard; Now Let's Fix It!

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:10:00 +0000

As part of their post-merger activities, Sirius XM Satellite Radio merged many of their music channels, both to the happiness and annoyance of their subscribers. Channels were gained and lost on both sides. Two months later, the shake-up is still being felt by subscribers.

As part of the combining of channels, one of my favorites as a long-time XM subscriber, The Boneyard, was temporarily lost, replaced by AC/DC Radio. Finally, it was brought back on January 15 on XM channel 53 and Sirius channel 19. In bringing back the Boneyard on XM 53, Sirius listeners lost Buzz Saw, which was a similar channel, and The Boneyard's old home on XM, channel 41, was replaced by Sirius's Hair Nation. This channel, too, is somewhat similar to The Boneyard.

Okay, enough of the background...Now, on to the complaints and how I suggest fixing it after almost five years of having been a happy XM listener, and in particular, huge Boneyard fan.

First, to put it simply, just give me back my old, pre-November 12 Boneyard. Get rid of Hair Nation, and restore the Boneyard to what it had been...A mix of classic hard rock/metal and hair metal, along with new rock from those artists, and new artists still carrying on that sound. Doing this might also allow Sirius XM to bring back another channel lost in the merger, such as the all-punk channel to keep that particular niche satisfied.

I'm serious about combining Hair Nation and Boneyard. In addition to the other channels I listen to (several country channels, Octane, The Virus, NFL Radio), I'm often flipping between the Boneyard and Hair Nation. Boneyard plays a lot of stuff they don't play on Hair Nation, but they both play a lot of the same songs from Dokken, Guns N' Roses, Kiss, The Scorpions, Great White, Whitesnake, Aerosmith and so on. The main difference is that the Boneyard goes further back into these bands' catalogs than Hair Nation.

Even if we can't eliminate Hair Nation and simply combine the playlist with that of the current Boneyard, or give me back my old Boneyard, let's at least expand the artist roster of the Boneyard. I was home sick a good portion of the weekend, and spent a lot of time listening to the channel, and heard an inordinate amount of the same bands over and over again...Though they may be core artists, there is more to hard rock and classic metal than Rush, AC/DC, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Van Halen, and Iron Maiden. I listened for several hours and heard at least one track from each of these bands every hour and a half to two hours. After having had AC/DC radio on the platform for four months, too much AC/DC in particular is being played.

Who would I like to hear more of, or hear at all? That's easy.

More UFO. I've heard the same couple songs from this band multiple times. They have several albums out. Get anything with Michael Schenker or Paul Chapman, and play those.
Thin Lizzy: Maybe I've missed it, but I've heard no Thin Lizzy at all. The Boneyard of the past used to play tons of great tracks from these guys, and not just "The Boys are Back In Town" or "Jailbreak". There's plenty of material to choose from.
More Rainbow. Again, other than Eddie Trunk's show, we don't hear enough of these guys.
More Michael Schenker/MSG.
Riot: Particularly material off the Restless Breed, although any of that early stuff is fine.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Also, make it easier for your listeners to get in touch with you. When the channel was strictly on XM, the phone number, email, and MySpace address were constantly given out. Interaction is a huge part of satellite radio. We pay at least $12.95 a month for this service, and that's if we haven't added a "best of" package, or don't have more than one radio. Keep the listeners happy; make it easy for us to get in touch at leave requests.

Next, bring back the deeper cuts. Right now, both stations sound pretty much like Z-Rock did back in 1990. Z-Rock was cool back in 1990, but The Boneyard was cooler from the day I signed up for XM in May of 2004 until November 11 of 2008, mixing the radio hits with the deeper album cuts we hadn't heard in a while. Many times, I'd hear a song on The Boneyard and either dig out a CD I hadn't played in years or jump online and order a copy after hearing some forgotten gem from junior high or high school.

Next, let's mix up the DJ line-up a bit. Lou, Matt, and Kane are fine, but seven days a week? It's obvious they're voice-tracked, which is fine...But let's have a bit a variety, and let's add some more day parts. Maybe some different guys or gals on weekends. Let's also bring back some more specialty shows such as Breaking Bone, which is listed at 30 minutes. Bring back Bone Phones, the all-request show. Bring back the shredder show (can't remember what it was called). Maybe add a replay for Eddie Trunk's show.

Again, these are just some thoughts from a die-hard fan. I'm sure the casual listener thinks the station sounds just fine and doesn't need any work, but to those of us who remember what it was even a couple months ago, it's fallen considerably.

In closing, as I type this, I'm listening to The Boneyard on my XM receiver, and they're playing the same Iron Maiden song they were playing at about this time Sunday night, "Two Minutes to Midnight". Just goes to show how much the playlist has narrowed. I love the song, but come on...Let's broaden it a bit.

Internet Security and PC Optimization: New Update to an Old Friend

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:01:00 +0000

Many months ago, I introduced you to AvanQuest's System Suite 8 Professional, a great suite of internet security and PC optimization tools to keep your computer safe and running at peak performance. Now, the folks at AvanQuest have released version 9 of this great program, and with it comes some great new tools and a great new price. I just want to invite you all to check out an article a friend and I have written on Squidoo about the new product. Follow the links in the article, and you can save $15 off the standard purchase price of System Suite 9 Professional.

In these times of viruses, spyware, and internet scams, you owe it to yourself to keep your computer safe...And with three licenses included with your purchase, you can protect more than one computer in your home or office for one low price. So, check it out.

Colorado-Based Group Suggests Getting High before Flying High

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:14:00 +0000

I was watching the news tonight on our local Fox affiliate, in Seattle, and heard a story that gave me mixed feelings.

A group in the Denver area is proposing that airline passengers be able to smoke a joint before boarding flights. Tired of recent incidents of air rage that have caused some planes to divert to Denver's airport lately, this group seems to believe that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol, and that if passengers light up before flying, they'll be more calm. This same group, according to the news report I saw, has also succeeded in getting an initiative on the ballot for this fall to make marijuana the lowest-priority item for law enforcement.

Passengers interviewed by a Fox reporter had mixed reactions. One former law enforcement officer stated that he's seen plenty of non-calm people stoned on pot when he's arrested them, and has said it's no safer than alcohol. Other passengers took the common sense approach of saying that drunk passengers need to be cut off at a certain point instead of encouraging them to use a different drug. One man, however, stated that marijuana should be decriminalized and taxed, and implied that keeping marijuana illegal was only helping to fund organized crime. Interesting viewpoint...

After seeing this story, and hearing the gentleman who spoke on behalf of the organization, I'm not so sure getting stoned before a flight is a good idea. Personally, I am a bit of a drinker, but am not a pot smoker. Like many people, I tried it in college and found it just gave me a headache and wasn't any fun. My belief is that things like alcohol or pot simply bring your personality more to the forefront. If you're in a good mood, chances are you'll be a bit happier after a couple drinks, and maybe the same is true after a joint; I don't know. If you're relaxed, a couple drinks, in my case, just causes you to become more relaxed. If you're agitated or angry, again, the liquor only causes that feeling to be magnified, causing you to act inappropriately. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of flying, but I find a beer or two once we're up in the air just settles me down and helps me relax through the flight...It's never made me go ballistic and want to cause bodily harm to my fellow passengers or the flight crews; the unnecessary fees for checked baggage are enough to cause those feelings.

In all seriousness, I don't think smoking a joint before a flight is the answer. I figure the people who are going to exhibit signs of air rage will do so whether they're drunk, stoned, and in many cases, even sober...That's just the kind of people they are. Most of us can hold our liquor on a plane and don't feel a need to break out of our handcuffs and punch flight attendants...Most of us don't get to the point where we END UP in cuffs to begin with.

God bless this Denver group for trying, but somehow, I don't think pot on the plane, or before boarding the plane, is going to fly...Though, Bongs Before Boarding does sound like a catchy campaign slogan.

Send Congress A Message About High Gas Prices

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:55:00 +0000

I know we're all tired about hearing about the economy and high gas prices. It's gotten so bad here in the Seattle area that it's actually now cheaper for my wife and I to take the bus. I hate doing it because I sacrifice the comfort of our car, the ability to listen to Opie and Anthony on XM on the way to and from work, and we're now tied to someone else's (the bus company's) schedule for our travel. On the other hand, it costs us $108 a month for bus fare instead of $300 a month for gas.

Even as a blind person who doesn't drive, I still have to help pay for gas in our family's car, so I know the pain of the pumps. What I've done, and would recommend for everyone reading this to do as well, is to sign the Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less petition. This petition is hosted by American Solutions, and has been signed by well over half a million Americans, both Republicans and Democrats.

I first heard about the petition during a Hannity and Colmes interview with former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, and signed it immediately. It's one of many ways we can let Congress and the oil companies know how we feel.

Do I think drilling is the long-term answer? No. I think we need to be working on alternative ways to power our vehicles...However, while we work on those, we need to increase the supply of oil to keep up with demand. In the process, hopefully we can lower the price of a gallon of gas as well, and in turn bring the prices back down on many other everyday products. I don't know about you, but my pay isn't going up as fast as my gas and grocery bill has lately.

So Send Congress a Message!

R.I.P.: George Carlin

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:42:00 +0000

Yesterday morning, I got up for work like I would on any other Monday morning. The weekend had been good, but of course, not long enough. I turned on the news as I always do during breakfast, mainly to catch the traffic, weather, and to see what slant our newscasters will put on the stories of the day.

Of course, there was the usual political news, news about how bad the Mariners are playing, the Sonics/Key Arena court case, and gas prices. All of this was expected, and pretty much went by without much reaction on my part.

Then, the story of George Carlin's death Sunday night came on. I couldn't believe the news; it didn't seem possible. I'd heard him in an interview with Bob Costas a few months ago, and he seemed well, alive, and his usual self...Talking about the issues of the day, and about life, as only George Carlin could.

As all of you know by now, Carlin died of heart trouble at age 71. He'd heart problems for several years, and it all finally came to a head Sunday, June 22.

I'll never forget hearing George Carlin's stand-up for the first time as a sixth-grader, thanks to a good friend who played me several bits, including the infamous "7 words you can't say on TV". From that point, I was hooked, and have listened to every CD or HBO special I could get my hands on. His ideas from one special on what to do with prisoners were hilarious. Granted, if we acted on some of them, I suppose the government could be accused of inflicting "cruel and unusual" punishment, but fencing off certain states and turning them into prisons for specific types of offenders could be fun to watch.

My one regret is that I never had the chance to see Carlin perform live. The CDs and HBO specials are great, but I always wished I'd had the opportunity to attend one of his shows. Last time he was in my area, I think I was out of town, and I told myself "I'll go next time". Well, next time's not going to come.

Not only was Carlin a great comedian, but he inspired many of the stand-ups working today. Though there will never be another George Carlin, there's still plenty of great stand-up out there, and a lot of that, in my opinion, is thanks to the chances he took and the doors he opened. If you enjoy Carlin, you owe it to yourself to check out some of today's comedians...Everyone from Lewis Black, to Rodney Carrington, or Jim Norton, Doug Stanhope, and the list goes on. After hearing Carlin, I began to spin off into other comics at the time, such as the late Bill Hicks, a man who was almost as funny and as poignant as Carlin.

The point of these ramblings is to say that George Carlin will be greatly missed by the fans. He was a great comedian, and I feel, thanks to him, many other great comedians were spawned.

DRM-Free Audio Books: This Could Really Work

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:51:00 +0000

Recently, I received a post from an email list I'm on citing the coming availability of downloadable audio books without Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection. The post cited a March 3 New York Times article, in which top publishers, including Random House, announced plans to make their audio books available without the dreaded DRM.

Personally, I like this idea for many reasons.

I realize some people will be worried about piracy if the books become available in a DRM-free MP3 format. Personally, I think we'll see a decrease in piracy as more music and now books become available for consumers to purchase and do as they wish. DRM made legally buying audio cumbersome. You had to check the retailer's list of approved players. If you owned an iPod, you couldn't buy from stores other than iTunes if the store you wanted to buy from used the Windows Media format and DRM. If you were a blind person, many of the services didn't have accessible interfaces, and it was sometimes difficult to activate the license for your file once you had it downloaded...It was just easier to use a P2P client. Sadly, the P2P software is generally more accessible than iTunes or Napster or Yahoo Music.

Now, with MP3s, the downloads are more straightforward, and once downloaded, you access the file as you would any other MP3 that you'd ripped from your CD collection.

In the end, I think publishers will see a growth in audio book sales, and a decline in piracy. I think that once consumers know they can have their audio books on their terms, they'll be happy to purchase them as downloads.

Feel free to leave your comments on this subject. I'm interested to know what all of you think.

Internet Security/PC Maintenance Software at Its Finest: SystemSuite 8

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 03:59:00 +0000

Recently, I was looking for good software to handle my internet security and PC maintenance. For years, I'd been a satisfied user of Norton SystemWorks and Norton Internet Security. Unfortunately, that all changed when I upgraded to Norton 2007 last February. As a blind computer user, I need software that is useable with a screenreader, such as JAWS for Windows, and that is also keyboard-friendly. Up until last year, Norton had always come through for me.

Now, this article isn't intended to be a slam against the Norton line of products. My intent is to introduce you to a wonderful alternative I've found from the fine folks at AvanQuest Software, SystemSuite 8.

I found the product while doing a search on a national electronics chain's website. I looked at the product description, and SystemSuite 8 appeared to have everything I need. Since I had a gift card from Christmas, I figured it couldn't hurt to take a chance on a program with which I wasn't familiar...And in the end, I'm glad I took that chance.

As I mentioned, I needed something that would work with my screenreading software, JAWS for Windows. However, because my wife is sighted, I needed something that would work for her in a visual sense as well. System Suite 8 fulfills both requirements. The layout is simple to navigate, and all buttons are accessible via the keyboard and their titles are spoken clearly. The buttons are organized in an easy to understand format.

When I first launch the program, I press the down-arrow key, and I'm on a line of one-click wizards. Once on this line, I can tab from button to button and activate the wizard I need. Generally, I just press tab once and activate the button that says "Wizard 0". This is the comprehensive wizard which checks for viruses, cleans up the PC, optimizes the PC, and performs several other tasks. Users of Norton will be familiar with this concept, as it's very similar to Norton's "One Button Checkup".

If I want to move to a different set of utilities in the suite, I simply press my down-arrow again. Other lines include Cleanup, Optimization, Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Firewall, Registry, Fix, and Maintain. Once I've arrowed to the line I want, I simply tab to the buttons and activate the one I want. From there, I just follow the instructions, which JAWS is able to easily read, or my wife can do this by easily viewing said instructions.

The program is also very fast. I have a 144GB hard drive built into the computer, and a 300GB external hard drive connected. Tasks such as scanning for viruses and spyware, disk clean-up, and system maintenance and repair only take a few minutes. With my past utilities, these tasks would often take several hours apiece. The program has also significantly sped up the time it takes my computer to boot up. With Norton, it generally took several minutes from the time the computer was turned on to the time the login screen came up, and then several more from the time I logged in to the time I could use my computer. With SystemSuite 8, my boot-up time is about a minute and a half from turn on to log-in, and I can begin using my various applications within about thirty seconds of loggin on.

SystemSuite 8 does as good a job as any other utility suite I've used at catching viruses and finding and fixing problems with the computer. Like many programs, System Suite 8 allows me to view a log of what has been done after each utility runs. If I choose, I can print or save the logs as well, in case I need to refer to them later.

The suite also comes with NetDefense Firewall. It gives warnings when programs try to access the internet and allows me to allow always, allow once, block always, or block once. It also shows me, if I choose to view it, an extensive list of all of the attempted intrusions that have been stopped. The log is easy to read and easy to understand. The tracking feature is pretty interesting as well. I can click the button when I have a particular event/intrusion selected and see to what ISP the IP number might belong.

The Easy Update feature makes sure I always have the latest virus definitions, program updates, and anti-spyware updates. It's easy to run, and updates install with virtually no assistance required from me.

Installation was a breeze. As a blind person, the only thing I needed visual assistance for was to have my wife read the serial number off the box so I could enter it to activate the program. Otherwise, all parts of the installation were completely accessible.

I realize I've generally geared this review toward blind computer users. I don't want my sighted friends to feel left out. Something we can all enjoy, blind or sighted, is how unintrusive the program is. SystemSuite 8 and NetDefense Firewall run in your task tray and don't interfere with what you're doing on the computer. If an alert pops up, it's always for a good reason. It's usually a message from the firewall which may require an action on your part, and it's the anti-virus system letting you know a virus has been detected and stopped in your incoming email. Unlike other utility and internet security packages I've tried, SystemSuite 8 does not slow down the use of your system. With my old anti-virus software, the downloading of email was very slow, even though I'm using a broadband connection. With System Suite 8, I barely notice any slow-down at all compared to when I deactivated my old anti-virus software.

Also, SystemSuite is great for people with all levels of computer knowledge. A novice can run the standard utilities to keep his or her computer problem-free. An advanced user can edit the registry and make other changes not recommended for beginners, but allowable for those who know more about how to manipulate the registry and such. In short, you can't get into trouble with this program unless you really try.

Finally, the program is a bargain. For all these utilities with other software packages, I've paid, as I'm sure you have, up to $99.99. I purchased SystemSuite 8 and got everything mentioned above for $49.99.

In the end, I'd recommend SystemSuite 8 to anyone looking for good, high-powered, easy to use, reasonably priced internet security and PC maintenance utilities all in one package. I haven't seen another set of PC utilities that works this well and includes everything you need at such a great price.

I admit, I'm such a fan of this product after using it for a month that I've become an affiliate for the company, specifically so I can market this particular program to anyone in need. AvanQuest has a huge line of software, everything from bookkeeping to ring ton creation. I haven't tried their other programs, but if they're as good as SystemSuite 8, I'd be willing to give them a shot.

If you're interested, you can buy SystemSuite 8 Professional. Use the promotional code AFFSS8 to save twenty-five percent (25%) on SystemSuite 8 Professional through March 31. Personally, I think it's one of the best software investments I've ever made, and I plan to stick with them as long as the program remains accessible to screenreaders.

You owe it to yourself to try SystemSuite 8 Professional on your own PC.

Welcome to The Derby Viewpoint

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:53:00 +0000

I suppose I should've made this my first post, but live and learn, I suppose.

Welcome to The Derby Viewpoint, my blog. Here, you'll find my opinions about a wide range of topics from politics to music, and current events to pop culture. From time to time, I'll also post reviews of software or other products I find to be worthwhile (and in some cases, not so worthwhile). I'll also ahre videos, links, and other things that I think might be of interest to you, the reader. Check back often, as I hope to regularly update this site. Also, feel free to visit my homepage (currently under construction). Click here to visit.

I hope you enjoy what I have to say...And if you don't like what I say, that's okay too. Feel free to leave comments, good or bad, on anything I've written.

Clint Black Cover of "Long Cool Woman" Possibly the Worst I've Heard

noreply@blogger.com (Wes Derby) — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 03:16:00 +0000

Yesterday, on XM Satellite Radio's "Nashville" channel, I heard country star Clint Black's cover of the classic Hollies' track "Long Cool Woman". Being a Clint Black fan, I thought it would be cool to hear him re-do such a great classic rock staple, but after hearing it, I realize I was wrong.

In all honesty, Clint Black hasn't put out too many sub-par songs, and even his cover of the Eagles' hit "Desperado" wasn't bad at all. For whatever reason, on this song, his voice sounded awful and the music sounded very cheesy, and more rock than country. The only redeeming thing I can say about this song is that I was able to more clearly understand the lyrics.

I know Clint doesn't need any advice from me, just some random fan, but stick to country, and stick to your own songs. And if you're a Clint Black fan, the choice is yours, but I'd advise steering clear of this song.