Reading in the dark
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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "Kestrell" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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11:31 am
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The psychology of MMOs
Jim Fructerman, founder of Bookshare.org, posted
a brief commentary on the book _Total Engagement_
http://benetech.blogspot.com/2010/02/total-engagement.html ,
contextualizing the psychology of MMOs within the corporate sphere.
block quote start
The thesis is simple. Millions of people pay each month to participate in massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). I've tried them, and I have friends (and kids) that have been totally sucked into them. They punch a bunch of psychological tickets for humans: the game designers know what they're doing. The book discusses how this is done:
* an epic story line(we're saving the galaxy from the Crumlons)clear paths to advancement, with transparency about your skills and performance
* intensely meritocratic societies called guilds that work together in groups to accomplish major tasks
* strong social interactions with other people
* the ability to try, fail and try again rapidly, learning quickly
* the option to try on leadership roles
For many people, these games are where they come alive and truly experience their potential to solve problems, meet challenges and lead a team.
And then they go into the modern workplace, which is frequently as stultifying as these virtual worlds are thrilling. Fail!
Read and Reeves are convinced that at least some smart workplaces of the future are going to adapt some of the ways of the games to more fully engage their employees and become more effective as economic organizations. They don't have a magic formula for how to do this, but do invest a great deal of time ana! lyzing what makes people inside these games tick and how those! concept s transfer to the workplace.
block quote end
Tags: books wishlist, games, media studies
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11:12 am
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Free electronic versions of first editions in British Library to be offered on Kindle
Kes: though of course, these are inaccessible to screen reader users--I'm pretty peeved aboutt the first edition penny dreadfuls
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/7181012/British-Library-to-offer-19th-Century-
first-editions-for-free-download-on-Amazon-Kindle.html
Tags: free ebooks, horror
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06:06 pm
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Is anyone out there adept at troubleshooting mp3s?
I have an mp3 of Alexx reading a chapter of _Understanding Comics_ by Scott McCloud and, while all the previous mp3 recordings are okay, this one is not playing on Windows Media Player, but is playing fine on my BookSense, the device I used to make the recording. The error message I get just says that the media player can't olay the file.
Would anyone be willing to take a look at it and try to figure outw hat's keeping it from playing on WMP?
Also, if there are any faqs for troubleshooting BookSense recordings, I would be interested in finding them.
Tags: booksense, ebooks, mp3s
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02:24 pm
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Blind female characters in SF written by female writers
Can anyone think of any?
I can think of a number of blind female characters written by male SF writers, and I can think of blind male characters written by male SF writers, but I am coming up with nothing for the subject line.
Tags: blindness in media
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12:03 pm
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Free white noise Web sites
From MakeUseOf.com
6 Free White Noise Sites To Relax Or Set Yourself To Sleep
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-free-white-noise-sites-to-relax-or-set-yourself-to-sleep/
By Tina on Feb. 4th, 2010
Sleep hygiene
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_hygiene
i.e. controlling behavioral and environmental practices that affect sleep, may provide relief. Sometimes relaxing is the key.
One thing that naturally aids falling asleep is calming white noise. It soothes the mind and helps to fade out nagging thoughts or surrounding noise. Whether you are looking for a way to fall asleep quickly or to calm down for a power nap, free white noise can help.
Here is a collection of six pages that provide different types of free white noise and music for better sleep and relaxation.
1. RainyMood
http://www.rainymood.com/
features a 15-minute high-quality loop of various types of free white noise including gentle rain sound, accompanied by thunder and chirping birds.
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Tags: white noise
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11:56 am
[Link] | Post-op update +Preliminary Stoker ballot +Twisted Ladder review
I had my post-op checkup on Monday and everything is healing fine, although there is still a bit of achiness and some slight bleeding. I made an appt. to get my new pair of prosthetic eyes made in mid-March, after LJ user alexx_kay gets back from GDC. A. did a bunch of online research so he is armed with all srts of pictures and descriptions of the Delirium eyes that I want, so we will find out if my ocularist is going to stop being such a mundane about this.
Mostly I have just been reading and sleeping--Elizabeth Kostova's _The Historian_ (2005) was my favorite book to nap to, hundreds of pages in which nothing happens, and considering it is about Dracula and evil books, that is quite an accomplishment.
Ellen Datlow has posted
the 2009 PRELIMINARY STOKER BALLOT
http://ellen-datlow.livejournal.com/245990.html
but I have only read two of the books on it: _The Writer's Workshop of Horror_, which I highly recommend, and _Twisted Ladder_, by Rhodi Hawk, about which I feel really conflicted. I'm including my review below the cut, and if anyone is interested in having my print copy, I can bring it along to Boskone. I'm also culling the fantasy section of my print library and, if I remember correctly, will bring the results to Boskone and add them to the free books table. I'll post a list of what I am bringing next week, in case anyone wants dibs.
Kestrell's review of Twisted Ladder by Rhodi Hawk (2009) [scanned myself]
It's rare that I feel this conflicted about a book but, while there is plenty to recommend this novel, it also has some serious shortcomings, which probably would not stand out so much if the overall quality of the writing wasn't so well done.
What I liked:
Rhodi Hawk does an outstanding job at portraying the richness and diversity of New Orleans and Creole culture, and includes an impressive amount of detail on everything from the food to the various and varied forms of architecture.
The novel has a great premise:
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Tags: books 2009, horror, reviews
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10:37 am
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MIT students sponsor fundraiser event for Haiti on Friday
From an MIT e-mail announcement:
In light of the devastation in Haiti following the recent earthquake, several MIT students felt compelled to act in order to offer their support. The group felt that it was not enough to donate individually and set out to raise money for the relief effort on a larger scale and as a community. The result is the Haiti Relief Benefit Showcase where the MIT community can gather to support the relief efforts while also enjoying performances from local students and alumni. Read more about MIT Haiti Relief Efforts in The Tech.
http://tech.mit.edu/V129/N63/haiti.html
Please consider showing your support for this student led effort. The Showcase, entitled, "L'Union Fait La Force," or "Strength Through Unity" will feature musical, dance and spoken word acts from all over Boston, with a goal of raising $10,000 through donations collected at the door. All proceeds will go to
Partners In Health
http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti
a Boston based organization that has been working on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years, bringing modern medical care to underdeveloped communities.
Showtime is 7:00 PM, January 29 at the Kresge Auditorium (bldg W16 on the MIT Campus Map).
Even if you can't make it to the Showcase, donations can be made directly to the MIT
Haiti Relief Fund (search for fund #4014346)
https://giving.mit.edu/givenow/GiftStart.dyn
which has been established to "support the work of MIT students, faculty, and staff in Haiti following the earthquake of January 2010."
Tags: haiti, mit
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10:28 am
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My health update, Kage Baker, a Lovecraftian tea party
My surgery yesterday went well so I'm back home, but mostly just fit for lots of sleeping and reading.
From The Green Man Review
http://www.greenmanreview.com/
comes sad news regarding Kage Baker.
Bleak midwinter indeed.
Green Man Review also includes a piece I wrote about the Lovecraftian tea party I hosted back in October, although some of the details and identities have been changed or even lavishly embroidered.
It couldn't have been any more atmospheric, for on that deep winter afternoon a dirty leaden light filtered feebly through the high narrow windows of the
Robert Graves Memorial Reading Room. Outside one could hear the 'Winter wind as it broke loose and raged about like a recently-escaped jinn woken from a centuries-long dream of vengeance, tearing down curtains of cold rain while all the leafless trees bent low as if they were nothing more than trembling supplicants before a mad and merciless lord.
continued at
http://www.greenmanreview.com/
Tags: health, writing
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11:56 am
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Is this another case of accessibility fail?
There is this BBC post about an exhibit of blind photographers
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8466714.stm
with what seems to be a video of someone explaining about techniques, but I can't find a way to click on the video so I can hear it.
Am I missing something?
Tags: accessibility fail, accessible art, blind artists
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08:54 am
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Wheelchairs for Haiti
Posted to the LezAbility mailing list
Survivors of the Haiti earthquake need rugged
wheelchairs capable of traveling on devastated streets.
With an estimated 200,000 killed in the catastrophe,
many thousands more have injuries with which will
make walking impossible.
Emergency relief workers say Whirlwind's RoughRider
wheelchair is "ideal" for Haiti after the earthquake.
We need your help today.
DONATE HERE: http://www.wheelchairsforhaiti.org/
Tags: wheelchairs4haiti
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05:55 pm
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Hey, I got a certificate!
Sorry for all the posts today, but it hsould balance out when I am offline next week post-surgery. I am psyched because I just received a certificate from Bookshare.org for donating 50+ books to their collection
( and they have a cool naming scheme )
Tags: accessible books, volunteering
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05:43 pm
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Weaving class in Boston area welcomes PWD
Sent by: VSA Arts of Massachusetts
2010 Winter FREESTYLE WEAVING Workshops in Boston
by Saori Worcester
Do you enjoy weaving?
Did you always want to learn how to weave?
Then this is one opportunity you do not want to miss!
Weave a Project and Take It Home!
Weaving classes runs on Sundays from 1-3pm.
Choose one or more sessions!
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Tags: accessible art
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02:21 pm
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WGBH to offer free webinar for describing science content
The following was posted to a mailing list by a representative of WGBH's National Center for Accessible Media:
The WGBH National Center for Accessible Media is offering additional dates for our web-based training on "Effective Practices for Description of Science Content Within Digital Talking Books." We are offering free online training on the dates listed below. In addition, we are pleased to announce that we will be offering training in person at the CSUN Conference on March
26th for those attending the conference.
The guidelines cover description of a variety of information types, including bar charts, line graphs, Venn diagrams, tables, pie charts, flow
charts and complex diagrams and illustrations. A resource section is also included, providing links to many organizations, tools and standards which all contribute to generating more accessible STEM materials. The guidelines are available online at:
http://ncam.wgbh.org/experience_learn/educational_media/stemdx
Our CSUN presentation is session BLV-2015, Friday, March 26, 2010 - 9:20 -10:20 AM PST in Room Emma AB. You can save a seat at the session once you are registered for the conference.
The free webinars last an hour and a half, and offer the same training at each session. (It is not a multi-part course.) You can register for the time most convenient for you by sending an email to stemdescription@wgbh.org
Training times are:
* Wednesday, February 10th, 1 pm to 2:30 pm, US Eastern time
* Thursday, March 11th, 12 noon to 1:30 pm, US Eastern time
* Wednesday, April 7th, 2 pm to 3:30 pm, US Eastern time
Additional dates will be offered later in 2010. These sessions are available at no cost thanks to funding from the National Science Foundation (grant #0833608).
Tags: accessible science, description
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10:35 am
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PDF purgatory
So I am trying to figure out how to use ABBY Fine Reader 10, a scanning/ocr program which other blind people use but which is confusing the hell out of me, and today I finally decided to read the manual. The problem is that it is in PDF, which, for screenr reader users, means it has to be opened up and reformatted before the screen reader can access it.
So I opened it up in Adobe and sat around drinking coffee and staring into space and when it wqas finally all reformmated (say 10 minutes later), I went to save it as a text file, but no, I didn't have that privilege.
In a huff, I closed it and went to do something else, and then realized that ABBY 10 has a PDF converter.
I'm still waiting for that file to be converted.
So if sighted people ever wonder why blind computer users get cranky about PDF docs, it's because we have spent hours of our lives waiting for PDF docs to be formatted to something that we can more easily/quickly read/navigate.
One of the positive feedback comments I received for Arisia's access services was converting the PDF docs to .doc and letting people download them from a USB at the Info Desk (though really, the kudos go to LJ user SelkieChick, who had that brilliant idea and did all the work).
Tags: pdf
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11:55 am
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Free Haitian-Creole language lessons from Audible.com
From today's LearnOutLoud.com
Haitian - Creole (Compact)
http://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Compact/17755?utm_source=FROTD&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Free%2BResource%20of%20the%20Day
Audible.com and Simon & Schuster Audio are currently offering ten free language learning lessons of the Pimsleur Haitian Creole Compact Course. Haitian Creole is spoken by about eight million people in Haiti, which is nearly the entire population. If you or anyone you know is considering going to Haiti to help with the relief effort there, then download & listen to or share these free language learning lessons. These introductory lessons teach beginning language strategies for essential communication and traveling needs. These ten lessons can be downloaded in two parts from Audible.com as Lessons 1-5 and Lessons 6-10. Click the two Audible.com links on our page to access them (if the links don't take you to the right place just search "Haitian Creole" on Audible.com).
Tags: audiobooks, haiti, language
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11:43 am
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Amazon to release Kindle software development kit
Kes: Hopefully some programmers can create an accessible interface for the Kindle for the PC
http://www.teleread.org/2010/01/21/big-news-for-kindle-owners-amazon-to-release-a-kindle-sdk/
Tags: kindle
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05:39 pm
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No, I mean a *really* evil eye
Panel 1: Harmless-looking blind woman with dark sunglasses standing in line alongside a person in a wheelchair waiting for an elevator.
Panel 2: Random rude person shoves in front of blind woman and wheelchair user and grabs the last space in crowded elevator.
Panel 3: Blind woman pushes sunglasses down her nose to reveal that her left eye is a miniature revolving Death Star as a laser beam is emitted, Zzzzt! reducing rude person to pile of sand.
Panel 4: Kestrell: the Access Avenger--
So, how do you feel about access now, dust-boy?
Tags: access, evil
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09:28 am
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EASI podcast on accessible social media
Kes: Note also that EASI has a four-part webinar series on social media, with a presentation on each of these individual subjects: Second Life, Twitter, Facebook, and social media in general.
Just as an aside, do other screen reader users ever find themselves searching for the "increase rate" setting so they can speed up the talking humans?
http://easi.cc/podcasts/itnews/jennison01.mp3
Tags: accessible social media
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05:36 pm
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Independent Game Festival winner: The Devil's Tuning Fork
Kes: Although this is a game which features visualizing sound, it's not really accessible to blind gamers, although the soundtrack is pretty creepy
http://www.devilstuningfork.com/about.php
Tags: games, sound fx
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11:42 am
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EASI presentation on accessible android apps
Webinar: Accessible Android Smartphones: Jan. 20 at 2 PM Eastern
Presenter: Steve Jacobs, CEO, Apps4Android and President, IDEAL Group, Inc.
Apps4Android http://apps4android.org is an IDEAL Group subsidiary
corporation dedicated to developing free/low-cost, high-quality, Android
applications that enhance the quality-of-life, independence, educatability
and employability of individuals with disabilities.
This Webinar is open to the public and is free, but you need to register in
advance so we can send you login instructions. Register at the EASI
Webinar page.
http://easi.cc/clinic.htm
In November, Apps4Android became the world's largest user of Google's
Text-to-Speech Library. Google developer's use Apps4Android's Speaking Pad
application to test their new voices before releasing them to market. Since
its inception on January 17, 2009, Apps4Android has built a customer-base
of over 400,000 users in 30+ countries.
Apps4Android's Assistive Technology Applications include:
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Current Location: aerye
Current Music: wwoz.com
Tags: accessible cell phones, android
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