Oh Baby! Life Begins At Costco

by Kevin Burton    Is there more to Costco than meets the eye?    From UPI March 30, came a story about a Michigan couple who didn’t quite make it to the hospital when their baby was due.    “Emergency responders in Michigan said an impatient baby refused to wait for the hospital and ended …

A New Take On Taxis And Guide Dogs

   If you are blind and use a guide dog for travel, this story is all too familiar to you.   This comes from Calgary, Alberta, courtesy CBC News.        “A Calgary cab company has fined and temporarily suspended one of its drivers for refusing to give a ride this week to a blind woman …

A Little Good News Goes A Long Way

by Kevin Burton    Have you had enough of the shouters and the doubters, the doom and the gloom?  How about a little good news?    The Apostle Paul encouraged people to focus on things that are true, honest, just and pure. “If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on …

Welcome (Not Welcome!) To Kevin’s Ark

by Kevin Burton    Our home Bible study has left Genesis for now and gone to Esther. But before we get too far from Noah and the ark, a few more stray thoughts.    Or should I say “astray thoughts?” Thoughts that show I have gone astray, at least in the moment.    I wrote …

Buddy Holly’s Visual And Musical Acuity

by Kevin Burton    I have never seen a picture of Buddy Holly without his thick glasses, but I never have pondered whether he was legally blind until now.    He probably was not, by the way, though he had poor vision. More about that in a bit.    This comes up today on the …

Raised On Radio: Gaga For That Sound

by Kevin Burton    Can’t remember how we got on the topic, but a co-worker was telling me last week how radio was the life blood of his youth.    Radio was the conveyor belt on which everybody travelled in my day, as in his (he is roughly ten years older than I am, if …

More Discrimination Against The Blind

by Kevin Burton    Today, two stories about blind people standing up for their rights, one of a pending lawsuit, one of a successful suit in Ohio.    I’m happy to see blind people demanding their rights, but sad that we should have to go to such lengths to get the right to lead basic, …

A Language That Goes Beyond Words

by Kevin Burton    Surely you’ve heard this old joke:    What do you call a person who speaks three languages? Trilingual. What do you call a person who speaks two languages? Bilingual. What do you call a person who speaks only one language?    American.     A wicked, sweeping generalization that. Not entirely fair. But …

Don’t Be Hateful, Be Grateful, I Know

by Kevin Burton    When my mother came to visit me in Iowa she flew in, meaning she didn’t have a car for the visit and we got around by using the little ride service I used.    If I remember correctly, we had to call twice and do a little polite coaxing to get …

Walking And Gawking At The Omaha Zoo

by Kevin Burton    Let history record that it was my idea to go to the Omaha Zoo.    My wife will be both surprised and not surprised to read that. Surprised because technically it was her idea; I am not hostile to zoos but certainly indifferent to them.    She will not be surprised …