The Blind At Work: Two Stories, Two Traumas

by Kevin Burton    Just a sampling today, as you carry on with life, of what blind people face every day when they dare go into the workforce.    Our first look is in New Jersey, the second, across the Atlantic in Wales.    I could string all the news like this into a blog …

Giving Women Credit Where Credit Is Due

by Dictionary Scoop    Did you know that women made many scientific contributions, but their names were hidden and their discoveries attributed to men?     This phenomenon is so common that it even has a name: the Matilda Effect. American historian of science Margaret W. Rossiter coined the term in 1993 in honor of Matilda Joslyn Gage, …

Jesus Can Heal Your Hurt, Even Church Hurt

by Kevin Burton    I have a friend, more of a Facebook friend really, who I wish would read these words. Chances are, you know someone is her position.    The person I am thinking of could not be any more dynamic, energetic, positive, intelligent. Some people just have that charisma that makes them stand …

Remembering The Man, Jimmy Carter

by Kevin Burton    Classes let out on the day of Jimmy Carter’s inauguration as the 39th President of the United States. So I watched part of it in the library at the Ohio State School for the Blind in Columbus.    Carter and his wife Rosalynn famously got out of their limousine and walked …

Cruise Ship Tourism Threatens Alaska’s Capital

by Christian Karim Chrobog The Guardian    “The noise never stops,” says Karla Hart, her voice competing with the hum of approaching helicopters. “I can feel them before I see them.” She looks at her phone to check a website that monitors air traffic and identifies operators. Hart wants to know whether the pilots are adhering …

Here’s The Nice Side Of A Rich Vocabulary

by Kevin Burton    Newsniks in general and I in particular have been accused of highlighting the negative side of life, seeking it out and advertising it.    That’s not entirely fair, but neither is it a ridiculous assertion.  It’s a discussion.    But now via Merriam-Webster and as has been sung by Bing Crosby …

Love To You Who Are Grieving On Christmas

by Kevin Burton    It’s deeply upsetting to me that my mother was in a hospital, alone on Christmas Eve, in what could easily be her last Christmas season.    There isn’t a phone in her room and I don’t believe she grabbed her cell phone for an emergency trip to ER Monday night. So …

What Does Falling In Love Do To Your Body?

by Nicole Villeneuve interestingffacts.com   “The heart wants what it wants,” Emily Dickinson wrote. But as it turns out, falling in love actually has little to do with the heart.    Instead, the soaring feelings we experience have more to do with brain chemistry and our body’s response to the chemicals. While researchers are still working …

Countries That Will Pay You To Move There

by Meghan Shouse housebeautiful.com    Moving out of the United States may sound appealing for cultural, political or personal reasons, but the process can be challenging. Securing the right visa for you and your family is often a difficult task, especially without easy entry options like schooling or family ties.    Still, if your desire …

Blind Businessman Changing Minds

by Katie Oborn Plymouth Herald (UK)    A young Plymouth man who has been blind since birth has been making the world a better place for visually-impaired people.    After feeling judged and at times discriminated against, Brandon Hulcoop came up with an idea that has made a huge difference to so many lives.    …