welcome to my world of written word.
by c.h.ha
iphone 3gs is ingenius
January 26th, 2010 by Christine
I had been on the market for a cell phone for several months. The Division for Blind Services was willing to pay for this mobile software used on Windows smart phones that will allow sight-impaired people to use cell phones to their full functioning capacity, i.e. text, email, etc. The software from Code Factory is called Mobile Speaks, and it reads aloud everything on the screen, allowing blind people to navigate their phone more easily.
Since I knew I’d be using this phone until it goes to the grave, I wanted to make sure I chose the perfect phone. Code Factory recently released Orator, the same software but for the Blackberry. I went to many cell phone stores to test out different phones and found that my main problem with the Windows phones and Blackberries is the keyboard was too tiny for simple navigation. I’d constantly press the wrong key, and it was frustrating to say the least. A text message would inevitably take me 10 minutes!
Then JS came upon a tutorial online for the iPhone 3GS, which comes with built-in accessibility features like VoiceOver, the same application that got me to switch to Macbooks a few years ago. Basically, VoiceOver reads aloud whatever your finger touches on the screen. The virtual keyboard works by reading aloud whatever key your finger floats over. And to choose a particular key, you simply tap the screen with a different finger. The phone will then repeat the typed letter so you can ensure you picked the right key.
At first, it took me a while to navigate the phone, but like most things, muscle memory kicks in, and now I can type at a decent pace on the phone. I’ve even downloaded word games like Word Warp where you make as many words out of 6 given letters as you can. Of course, I had to up my allotted time from 2 minutes to 4, but I bet I could still beat some sighted people.
All in all, thank you, Apple, for making my life just a tad bit better! Now I can join the world in texting and twittering.
the 30s is all downhill
December 29th, 2009 by Christine
When you’re in your 20s, you’re invincible. You live on fried chicken specials, 50-cent house drinks,3 hours of sleep, and you get by just fine. Then you graduate to the next decade, and it’s all downhill from here.
I turned 30 this year, and it’s funny how my freshly 30-year-old friends agree with the ailing and ebbing of our once fabulous bodies. Once I hit 30, I find myself turning more and more into my mother. Dry skin has plagued me, manifesting in the form of patches on parts of my body that never before needed moisturizing and the notorious tight Botox-like face. Dry skin, as many women know, leads to premature aging and wrinkling, and it wasn’t until recently, that I had to start worrying about turning into a prune. Now I occasionally slip into the obsession of American media and society and spend hours reading about which night cream is the best at fighting aging.
I’ve also noticed I can no longer withstand cold weather. This winter has been colder than usual in Houston, and I find myself miserable, constantly complaining about my hypothermic toes. I think about how all the old people migrate to the South during winter, and now I know why. I could never live up north. I’d much rather sweat my ass off 8 months of the year. Besides, humidity combats aging.
Along with the cold, I’ve developed some sinus problems. I cannot breathe normally at night, and I wake up often with sinus pressure and pain. The funny thing is I can recall as a child my mother doing all sorts of crazy things to relieve sinus problems, dry skin, and wrinkles. It’s really true (and somewhat scary) that we really do turn into our parents as we get older. Despite all this and the general consensus that aging sucks, I don’t mind it too much. I’m much happier where I am now than when I was a pimply, brace-faced adolescent.
falling in love all over again
October 15th, 2009 by Christine
At first, I wasn’t psyched about the U2 360 tour because: 1) I’ve been so busy that the thought of any leisure activity stresses me out because I feel like I should be doing something productive, i.e. writing or wedding planning; 2) their latest album was far inferior to their previous; 3) tickets were so expensive this time; and 4) their last Vertigo tour was so awesome that i did not think anything could top it. Of course, being the crazy U2 fan that I am, I knew I would regret not going, so I dished out the money and went. I admit I was not the least bit excited until we were trying to find parking at the Reliant Stadium last night. And guess what?
U2 managed to blow my mind yet again. They never cease to amaze me. Their music is extraordinary, their visuals (which I could not even see so I could only imagine but still felt the thrill of it) are amazing, and U2 just knows how to throw a bad-ass performance all around. They know how to rile the audience up, energize the crowd, and then soothe them with slower, more lulling songs at just the right moment–when you’re just so tired from the overexertion. Bono really knows how to cater to the concert-goer’s emotions, luring out the feel-good desired in all of us.
It was a freaking awesome experience, and I’m glad more of my friends could experience the wonder. I know I sound like a crazy fan, but I am still on the high from yesterday. If every day was a U2 concert, there would be no need for drugs or alcohol. Seriously.
Of course, when they performed one of my 2 favorite U2 songs, “One,” I was ecstatic. When the band first recorded this song back in the early 90s, the Edge had this to say about it: “At the instant we were recording it, I got a very strong sense of its power. We were all playing together in the big recording room, a huge eerie ballroom [of the former SS in Berlin] full of the ghosts of the war, and everything fell into place. It was a reassuring moment when everyone went, ‘Oh great, this album has started.’ It’s the reason you’re in a band–when the Spirit descends upon you, and you create something truly affecting. ‘One’ is an incredibly moving piece; it hits straight into the heart.”
It is so cute how the band has been together for over 30 years and continues to make music that the old and young enjoy alike. I love U2! I am so thankful that God gives us such pleasure in life.
argh!!!
October 6th, 2009 by Christine
Under a lot of stress with wedding stuff, school stuff, and especially house stuff. I know I have little to complain about–not everyone gets to plan a wedding, go to grad school, or purchase a home–but I can’t help it. My sleeping problem is slowly turning chronic, and JS and TL have both brought up professional sleep therapy–it’s that bad. Now all this? I’m going to blow a fuse.
What I am thankful for, however, are friends and blogging (sounds silly, I know) for providing me a vacuum venue for my venting. Go to our “amazing adventures” blog at johnandchristine.com to see what’s bugging me now.
adventures on kansas st.
September 30th, 2009 by Christine
So TL has been generous enough to let me squat at her place while on a temporary home-hiatus (read: homeless). I have been here for almost a month, and the adventures never cease.
The first one happened about a week after I moved in. Since I was still getting used to her place, I did not know how to propertly arm and disarm the house alarm. Twice I thought I could disarm, and twice the alarm sounded, and I had to run out of the house and wave JS down to run inside and punch in the code. (He had been in the car waiting for me to open the garage door for him to park.) On this particular day, however, I opened the door before disarming the system to let the dogs outside in the morning. I thought I had disarmed it but obviously I was wrong because the house started blaring. TL had to jump out of bed from her sweet sleep and turn it off. The alarm company called her to ask if everything was okay. She said yes, but the problem was she couldnt’ remember her password. She verified all other information but for the life of her, could not remember the password. They hung up and called her on her mobile. Again, she verified all the conformation correctly but could not recall the password. She made sure they would not send the police despite this little problem. They said okay and hung up.
The next thing we knew, the doorbell rang. JS answered it, and it was a cop asking if we were okay. How embarrassing.
Fast-forward 2 weeks later. TL gets a bill in the mail for a false alarm. EVEN after the stupid alarm company said they would dismiss it. Guess for how much? $270!!! WTH?! If she ignores the bill, they can issue a warrant. Imagine having a warrant because your alarm company called the police on a false notice.
I called today to try the pity card: “I just moved in…I’m sight-impaired…I couldn’t see the keypad.” But the only way to dispute the charge is to have a hearing. So now TL and I have to go to court and plead ignorance. Bringing my walking stick and everything.