Otovation has created Pocket Hearo LE that turns a Pocket PC into an audiometer. Should make it easy for audiologists to conduct testing out in the field.
Student Heads to Yale
Always great o read a success story like this Deaf student who proved doctors wrong; she’s headed to Yale. She also won a scholarship from the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. I won the same scholarship twice. I have always wondered if I could have gotten accepted at harder to get in schools. I went to TCU for one year and then finished my college education at American University in Washington, DC. I also applied and got accepted at Drake University and Texas A&M, but decided Drake wasn’t right and A&M was too big.
Deaf Dog
This is a heartwarming story about a deaf dog who was seen as aggressive, but wasn’t. Two-year-old Lauren is a cattle dog mix who was born deaf and learned hand signals. Her owner plans to teach her more sign language so she can be a therapy dog for deaf children.
I had a pet Beagle named B. Dodger (B stands for Brooklyn). He died last year. He was a wonderful companion. We got him a few of years after we were married and he kept me company since Paul traveled a lot then.
B. Dodger lost his hearing practically overnight in early 2003 at age 12 and it changed his personality. He became a scared old dog. We had to send him to my in-laws’ because he was attacking (not dangerous attack, but nibbling) my older son who didn’t provoke him (only once). With the baby on the way, we couldn’t risk it. He lived his last year peacefully out in the country. Couldn’t ask for anything more.
Deaf Rock Band
Bet you thought it would never happen, eh? All-deaf rock band has released a CD. How cool is that? Love the name of the band and its CD: Beethoven’s Nightmare presents its first CD, Turn It up Louder. Appropos, eh? Rox’n!
Pull over!
Nick pointed me to an interesting post from Michael Buffington. He thought, “I assume deaf people are allowed to drive without restriction – so why do ‘in ear’ headphone manufacturers make sure you know that they shouldn’t be used while driving because they impair your hearing – what specific issues might you run into that would make not hearing a serious or life threatening disadvantage while driving?”
When I listen to music, to songs I know by heart, I sometimes lose focus on my work as I have to concentrate to follow along with the words. Maybe this is effortless for those born with hearing. So I can imagine listening to a conversation through the headphone might have a similar effect because it’s a two way conversation unlike music.
In the two times I got pulled over, I had no trouble quickly noticing the cop. It’s a mixture of hearing the sirens and noticing the lights. Sometimes I see one and not hear the other, sometimes vice versa, and others both.
For a brief time, I had a device that blinked whenever sirens were near. It didn’t last long because lots of things made the danged thing blink and scared the bejeebus out of me. No thanks. I’ll stick with my trusty eyes. However, Michael came up with an innovative idea that might work because the notification would come from the cop instead of whatever environment sounds pop in.
Hearing Aid Embarrassment
Reading about the stigma of wearing a hearing aid made me think. Though I liked wearing my hair in a ponytail especially when playing sports, I didn’t do it because it “exposed” my hearing aids. Hearing aids just weren’t cool or accepted like eyeglasses. They embarrassed me.
I wore glasses and contact lenses for a while and never minded except for the annoyance of having another device on my head. Plus, glasses gave me more headaches than contacts because of my sensitivity to light. But I got rid of both when I had LASIK in 1999.
Another Lost Cochlear Implant
Not again. Last week, I reported a feller’s cochlear implant was stolen. This time, a woman lost hers while roller skating. It’s scary because these things do fall off easily. If I pull my hair back or up, it makes it harder to connect the magnet as I have thick hair. With hearing aids, you have the awful ear molds to add security. But ear molds hurt and require new ones made every six months or so. Good and a bad to everything, eh?
It’s tempting to consider having a second implant put in so I would get another device and back up. But I don’t know that I would want to go through that again.
Free jewelry, no catch—pay for shipping
Telephone Bills Might Increase
Unless you’re from Missouri, don’t panic. Currently, the state imposes a 10-cent monthly surcharge for covering Relay Missouri. That charge could go up five cents for a total surcharge of 15 cents per month. Small potatoes, right?
I’m sure there will be an outcry from phone customers who don’t use the relay service. But to them, I say, we have to pay taxes for many things we never use. If the surcharge doesn’t change, then “the funds for Relay Missouri could be gone by April 2006.”
Deaf Man Learns to Fly
I never dreamed of learning how to fly, but Paul was in the Air Force. He originally wanted to be a pilot, but the kind of plane he wanted to fly—he was too tall for it. So he went into IT instead. It’s awesome that an Airman teaches deaf man to fly.
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iPods Can Make You Deaf
How’s that for a headline? ThisisLondon reports London commuters riding the tube (subway) and trains are at risk for tinnitus and severe damage to the inner ear because they turn up the volume to dangerous levels due to the background noise on public transportation.
What’s so unusual about this? We’ve had Walkmans for years. It’s thanks to the the popularity of the iPods, which have the ability to carry up to 30 hours of music on a single battery charge. The Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) has a Web site to spread the word about the problem.
The solution is to turn down the volume. Convincing users to do it won’t be easy. Young folks believe nothing bad will happen to them.
Which is worse? Enjoying music for many years at acceptable volume levels or enjoying music for a few years at dangerously loud levels. Doesn’t seem like a tough choice to me.