1 Ask the expert
2 Business commentary
3 From the soap box
4 The president’s feature
5 News and views
6 Helpful tips
7 Accessibility news
8 Letters to the editor
9 Editorial
10 Notes
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the following contributors to this month’s STAE issue.
The Sterling Creations accessibility team, the Sterling Creations research team, Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison who are our resident business consultants, Scott Savoy our managing editor, Christian Robicheau our assistant editor, and Donna J Jodhan our president.
Meet Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison
Our resident experts with over 45 years of business consulting experience between them. These two are the authors of several books, articles, and newsletters. They are highly paid consultants to the US, British, and Canadian governments and they continue to “Walk the talk” on a daily basis.
They and their team of consultants work tirelessly to produce daily blogs that are jammed packed with up to the minute news wires and headlines from around the world, business news and trends, and current strategies. Marquis and Harrison are also motivational speakers and are booked solid till the end of 2008. They and their team also help countless businesses and individuals to research and write complaints and editorials so that the voices of their clients can be heard.
Their books include:
Secrets to Financial Success, Untapped Wealth, and Untapped Wealth Discovered first and second editions. They are presently at work on other books.
You can purchase a copy of any of their best sellers from www.amazon.com, or from any other large bookstore. You can check out their daily blogs on the business desk page at www.untappedwealth.com as well as at: www.untappedwealthdiscovered.com, www.utranslate4me.com, and www.sterlingcreations.com. Marquis and Harrison have also made many of their newsletters and articles available to all four of these websites.
Dear readers
The Sterling Creations team would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your feedback and loyalty. Throughout the year we’ve received hundreds of emails with your comments and suggestions and it’s because of you that we’ve been able to make improvements. Sterling Creations continues to grow from strength to strength and this has been a very successful year for us. As of January, and thanks to your feedback, we will be introducing a new feature called “the reader’s contribution” and we encourage you to submit or share articles with us. If your article is chosen, we will acknowledge you.
We look forward to continuing our work with you next year and for many years to come. On behalf of Sterling Creations, we wish you a very merry Christmas, joyeux Noèl, and feliz Navidad!
Ask the expert
Imagine
December 2007
By the Sterling Creations accessibility team
Hello there! It’s December and we’d like to wish you a very happy holiday season and to thank our readers for their feedback. We hope to bring you more interesting articles for 2008. This month we’ve chosen a very insightful article that was making the rounds on the Internet a few months ago. So many sighted persons are truly unable to put themselves in the shoes of those who are afflicted with sight challenges let alone understand the difficulties that they face in the workplace. Hopefully, our choice of article will help to bridge the gap.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you. See you in January.
imagine: You've just entered your office on what may well be the most
hectic, stressful day of your life. Suddenly you realize all of your
reference books, piles of paper-work and notes are covered with little
bumps. In fact, you discover there is not one single printed word to be
found. Every scrap of information necessary to do your job, is now in
Braille.
Imagine: you rush back out of your office, wildly looking about, peering
into offices, staring over the shoulders of clerks. Everybody is calmly
doing their job, using Braille. Mysteriously they have learned the
language overnight. Only you, it seems, were overlooked. For some
unknown reason, you are permanently and totally Braille challenged.
Imagine: you dash for the door hoping the rest of the world has not gone
mad. It has. In the elevator, you're not sure which button to press for
the lobby. Someone has to help you. They stare at you as if you are
stupid. Pausing at the news stand, you are unable to tell one magazine
from another. You can't stand it, you need to go home and collect your
thoughts. But at the bus stop, there's no way of telling which coach is
yours. You back away, not wanting anyone to know, and you decide you'll
call a cab. Of course, you only brought bus fare and lunch money, not
nearly enough for the taxi. Remembering your bank card, you pull it out
as you run back into the lobby. There, at the access machine, you stop
short. The card has turned to Braille, and so have all of the
instructions on the machine. You'll have to call home and ask for help.
Funny, you never paid much attention to the telephone dial and now, in
your growing state of confusion, you don't recall which number goes
where. You are so alone, so frightened, you actually begin to weep.
Imagine: you have always seen yourself as a leader, a visionary, a
problem-solver. You will not run from this challenge. You shall succeed.
You have a large mortgage. Once you have recovered from the great shock,
you begin looking for ways to survive.
Imagine: you have finally made arrangements, through your employer, to
hire a Braille reader, a process so complex and painful you plan to
patent it and use it to torture Terrorists. Now you sit in your chair
going quietly mad listening to the drone of your reader's voice, taking
hours of time to cover what you once scanned in minutes, while others
whip about you efficiently communicating among themselves via
Braille-FAX and E-B-mail. You begin to feel the "ice" in isolation.
Imagine: you learn you are not alone. You are a member of a very small
minority of Braille-Challenged people. There is, in fact, a Brailleless
Culture; a history far too long and complex to discuss here. So, you
become a member of the, Brailleless Association of America. (BAA) At the
BAA meetings you find out about a number of small companies
manufacturing adaptive equipment which enables Brailleless persons to
access all of the Braille computers, FAX machines, Braille scanners and
Braillers.
The expense is far more than you can afford, so you seek assistance from
your employer. Your request is turned down. There are no requirements
that your employer accommodate your disability.
Imagine: BAA, along with many other disability groups, battle in
Congress for the passage of a Bill, guaranteeing you equal treatment
under the Law. The bill passes and, despite subtle messages from your
fiscal officer, money is, "found" for your accommodation. After
considerable time and effort, the technician from the Department of
Services for the Brailleless, has you on-line. Now you are able to scan
Braille text and convert the little dots into letters, and through a
very complex process, the Braille display on your computer is
transformed into print. Finally, you are again up to speed, being your
old efficient self, feeling good about your work.
Imagine: you are humming and smiling and cranking along in high gear.
Suddenly, a message flashes on your screen and drives terror through
your heart. New breakthroughs in technology have produced equipment so
superior to the ancient junk--at least four years old-- presently in
use, that your organization is upgrading the entire communications
system.
The BAA, technicians have already informed you that your adaptive
equipment is not compatible with it. You go to the, "Powers-That-Be" in
your organization, and request a meeting to discuss this concern. You
are told that your fears are groundless. You will not be forgotten.
Following this meeting A rumor goes around hinting that you are trying
to sabotage the new system, and your associates begin to whisper behind
your back. They want the new system. It's far superior, more compact,
ten times faster, and it's cool looking. They are sick of your "whining
and constant complaining". You feel the "ice" settling in again.
Imagine: you have been forgotten. The new system is in place. Everybody
loves it. You've been told not to worry, someone will be around to do
what is necessary to put you back on-line. The "someone" they had in
mind is the same technician who told you the system would not work.
Despite your concerns, no one bothered to investigate before the
equipment was installed. Once again you sit, going quietly mad while
your reader plows line by line through the piles of Braille.
Imagine: you know you are close to losing your mind or your
job--probably both. You must find other employment, but you do not want
your associates to know you are finally beaten. You try to figure out a
way to do a quiet job search when all information is only accessible in
Braille.
One day you hear that your State has developed a central information
center, called a, "kiosk". These information centers are being set up in
easily accessible locations. The plan is for these kiosks to make
government information and services available quickly and conveniently,
to the public. Sort of a "one stop shopping center". You learn that
lists of job openings are among the many services offered. This is
perfect. This is exactly what you need. you discover your town recently
placed a kiosk in the Mall. You go there on Saturday afternoon. There it
stands, costing the tax payers hundreds of thousands of dollars to
create, but well worth it. In its ultimate form, the kiosks will bring
virtually all State services right into your local neighborhood. You are
thrilled as you step up to the controls. An automated voice welcomes you
and brags about the wonders of this system. Breathlessly, you wait for
your instructions... Then, the Braille display appears.
Imagine: they are dragging you away, shrieking at the top of your voice.
Onlookers are amazed. They do not know how you managed to rip the iron
bench from the floor of the Mall. None of them dared to try to stop you
as you swung it over your head, again and again, smashing the kiosk into
pieces of broken plastic, glass and twisted metal. None of them
understand why you kept screaming the same words over and over.
"I pay taxes, too! I pay taxes, too! I pay taxes, too!......."
Business commentary
A call center with a difference
December 2007
By Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison
Happy December to you all! It’s the end of the year and we would like to personally thank all of our readers for their support throughout the year. We wish each and everyone of you the very best for 2008 and we look forward to seeing you again in January.
This month we’ve chosen an article that highlights a call center with a difference and maybe, just maybe, call centers in North America could learn from this special type of call center.
See you in January.
A call centre with a difference
By Monica Chadha
BBC News, South Asia, May 28, 2007
Nikita Patil, 23, works in a call centre, just like thousands of other
Indian youngsters who have found jobs thanks to a booming outsourcing
industry.
Everyday, she calls at least 100 people and tries to sell them various
products and services offered by a domestic telephone company. She makes
roughly $220 (#112) a month.
What customers will not guess while talking to her is that she is blind.
The call centre she works for is meant for "visually challenged only" and
she is enjoying the experience.
"It gets a bit difficult because every time it is a different customer while
we are the same. We have to handle different types of customers - some are
rude and I often don't know how to talk to them, but some are friendly," she
told the BBC news website.
"Sometimes we get bored but we are really enjoying it."
An experiment
The outsourcing industry has played a major role in boosting India's
economy.
Many of the country's youth have more options in their hands and more money
in their pockets than ever before.
The blind do not want to be left behind and have now opened a call centre
just for themselves in India's financial capital, Mumbai (Bombay).
The centre, Drishti (Hindi for Vision), is an initiative of the National
Association for the Blind (NAB).
The association first tried out the experiment in the southern city of
Bangalore. After a successful run there, it opened the small centre in
Mumbai.
At present 10 blind people - six men and four women in their 20s - have been
hired by the centre run by a telephone company.
They are paid three rupees (about seven US cents) per call, on a par with
market rates, and each one makes at least 100 calls a day.
'Marketable'
The director of the employment department at the NAB, Pallavi Kadam, says
the outsourcing boom has opened up numerous options for the blind.
"I would say visually impaired candidates have very good memory, they have
good listening and speaking skills, so that is marketable. The blind are
already doing jobs such as medical transcription, and legal and business
transcription," she says.
Ms Kadam says the association trains the staff in communication skills to
equip them for these jobs.
"Normally when the candidates come to us we have volunteers who give them a
lot of counselling and training.
"Most of these candidates have been educated in the vernacular medium so we
have to help them with personality development and speaking good English
that is required in the market."
The Drishti call centre is in a large room in the NAB offices. A
normally-sighted person would communicate with the customer by reading out
information about a service or facility from a computer screen.
However, the Drishti staff rely on software developed by a Bangalore-based
company which converts text data into voice format.
Staff access information on customers from a common server that holds the
data in voice.
Each person has two phones, one that is connected to the server and the
other is used to contact customers.
'Right roles'
All information received during the conversation is updated by punching
numeric codes on the phone connected to the server.
The software developers say the software could be used in a regular call
centre.
Walavalkar says the visually challenged may be able to fit into other call
centres
However, the big challenge for the blind would be to fit into the demanding
atmosphere of a regular call centre where there is a lot more pressure on
the staff to make as many calls as possible and they are monitored very
closely - or for regular call centres to be prepared to adapt their working
practices to accommodate blind staff.
Vrinda Walavalkar, a spokeswoman for First Source Solutions, a global
business process outsourcing company, says it may be possible for the blind
to make this transition.
"I think the answer would be to look at the disability they have and
therefore fit them into the right roles. So maybe they would not do
computer-based customer service or management or transformation.
"What they would do maybe is more of the things that go into say data
verification or outbound calling or product selling. There's no reason why
one cannot fit people to the capabilities that they have."
India's economy is growing fast, and many companies are facing a severe
talent shortage.
This could be good news for the blind if it means that employers are
prepared to be more imaginative in their recruitment policies.
Call for legislation allowing equal opportunity
December 2007
By Scott Savoy
When the word “Caribbean” is mentioned many of us immediately think of sandy beaches, warm sunshine, blue waters, and tall glasses of cool drinks. That’s just fine as far as the tourist industries of the various Caribbean countries are concerned. However, I’d like to shine the torch on something very exciting going on in the Caribbean as well and it all has to do with taking firm steps towards leveling the playing field for blind and visually impaired persons. Bravo to Jamaica for their initiatives.
I’d like to wish everyone the best of everything for the holiday season. Thanks much for all of your feedback and see you back here in January.
Call for legislation allowing equal opportunity to the blind
Jamaica Observer
PRESIDENT of the Caribbean Council for the Blind Lola Marson says
legislation governing equal opportunity employment would reduce the problem
of unemployment and underemployment among the blind.
"The absence of equal opportunity legislation [is a concern]," Marson said,
"and even if we get it, we have to be able to enforce it," Marson said in an
interview with the Observer.
Marson cited societal attitude as another major problem for the blind and
visually impaired, of which she said there are about 25,000 in Jamaica.
"People still don't see blind persons as being able to function," Marson
said. She added that the government is at present the largest employer of
persons with disabilities, and that work needed to be done to encourage the
private sector to employ blind persons as well.
"Employment is a big thing, because if you're not employed, it offers you up
to a whole host of things," she said.
In the meantime, Marson said the Caribbean Council for the Blind - an
umbrella organisation which comprises agencies of and for the blind - has
been working on improving access to care services to the blind and visually
impaired.
The council, she said, recently established a programme in St Lucia for
persons to affordably access test glasses as part of its push for cheaper
and greater access to such services.
"It is our hope that we can establish something similar here (Jamaica)
because the need is greater - we have a larger population," Marson added.
Visually impaired students seek civil service careers
December 2007
Sponsored by Donna J Jodhan
Hi everyone! I’m getting ready for Christmas and I’d like to wish all of our readers and well-wishers a really great holiday season, and everything good for 2008. In keeping with my interest in seeing others push the envelope, I’ve chosen an article that focuses on just that. I say “Go get em” to those envelope pushers in Morocco.
Visually impaired graduates seek civil service careers
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat Magharebia, Morocco, April 29, 2007
A group of university educated people with visual handicaps have been
demanding public sector jobs. Although the Moroccan government has offered
them employment in call centres, many have refused to work in private
enterprise.
For seven years, hundreds of unemployed visually impaired graduates have
been petitioning for jobs in the civil service. Armed with university
degrees, they demand to be allowed to work in the public sector where they
will be guaranteed a stable income.
Samira Ouardani, one of the visually impaired graduates, believes that the
state has a duty to find handicapped people employment where their full
rights can be guaranteed. "How can we trust private enterprise when even
normal people don't feel secure in their private sector jobs?" she wonders.
Abdelmalek Moutaki also has little confidence in the private sector. He
feels that for the handicapped, the private sector constitutes too much of a
risk because employers could sack them at any moment. For him and other
visually impaired graduates, only the public sector could guarantee him any
ongoing stability, he believes.
For these reasons, the visually impaired have held multiple sit-ins in front
of Parliament and the State Secretariat for the Family, Children and
Handicapped Persons. In a recent move, the government has attempted to
defuse the situation by offering the demonstrators employment in private
call centres in Rabat and Casablanca.
This solution was reportedly proposed following a meeting of public and
private leaders including call centre representatives, the Employment
Minister, and the Secretary of State responsible for professional training.
At the meeting's conclusion, it was decided that the State will bear the
cost of purchasing the equipment necessary to allow blind people to work in
call centres, and that the Office of Professional Training and Workforce
Development will provide training in Braille and job-specific skills in
order to prepare the new employees for the job.
However, many of the visually impaired job-seekers object to this proposal.
They argue that because the jobs offered are in the private sector, the
proposal does not address the issues they raise. Of the 450 people who
presented a petition for employment at the State Secretariat, only 40 people
have agreed to work at call centres.
Youssfi Adil, Chair of the Moroccan Association for Handicapped Rights, told
Magharebia that the visually impaired will hold to their demands. "Our
members will not accept this proposal, knowing as they do that numerous
sufferers of the same handicap have already found employment in public
service," he said, explaining that 45 visually impaired people have been
recruited into the civil service.
Yasmina Baddou, Secretary of State for the Family, Children and Handicapped
Persons, however, believes that the government's approach is a good
solution. No other action is currently being planned, Baddou explained,
because it would be impossible to give public sector jobs to every visually
impaired person. The private sector is the future for the young, whether
handicapped or not, and the state's current emphasis is on job-related
training for the young and establishing partnerships with private
enterprise, she said.
Seeing is believing
December 2007
By Christian Robicheau
Merry Christmas and happy New-Year to all! I’d like to thank all of our readers for their very valuable feedback and comments and I’m glad that you have continued to enjoy our articles. I’d like to end the year on a positive note and hence the reason for my choice of article this month. It’s an upbeat item and I hope you enjoy it.
See you in January.
Seeing is believing in micro implants.
Column by Gerard Voland
Microelectromechanical systems are becoming part of the technical landscape. They include video projectors, automobile acceleromaters, blood pressure sensors and inkjet printers - as well as artificial retinas for the blind and live insects used for surveillance purposes.
These devices vary in size from a micrometer (one-millionth of a meter) to a millimeter.
One research endeavor heavily dependent upon MEMS technology is the Artificial Retina Project, which seeks to provide limited vision to those who have been blinded by retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. These diseases attack the photoreceptors, or light-sensing cells, in the retina, disabling the eye's ability to detect images. Normally, observed light is converted by these photoreceptors into electric impulses that are transmitted to the optic nerve and then to the brain.
The primary objective of this project is to provide those suffering from retinal diseases with the ability to read, recognize faces and walk without canes or guide dogs. In clinical trials during the past several years, artificial retinas have been successfully implanted in patients, allowing them to discriminate between shades of light and to discern objects.
Many microelectrodes, only micrometers in length and comparable in size to nerve endings, are implanted and attached to the natural retina. The patient then uses eyeglasses with a miniature video camera and microprocessor, together with a receiver that is implanted behind the ear and connected by cable to the microelectrodes attached to the retina. Images of light seen by the camera are converted by the microprocessor into electrical signals and sent to the receiver. Signals then are transmitted by the receiver to the microelectrodes, which send impulses to the optic nerve, acting in place of the patient's natural but damaged retina.
A smaller, second-generation artificial retina is under review by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, while a third prototype which is expected to produce higher resolution images is being designed and fabricated. The more advanced versions of the device will include many more microelectrodes for enhanced resolution of images.
Significant funding for the project is being provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. The project is led by the Doheny Eye Institute at the University of Southern California.
Another eye-opening example of MEMS technology in action is the ongoing effort to create cyborg spy moths. Last month, Rod Brooks, the director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT, noted that remote-controlled moths were being developed as part of the robotics programs of the U.S. Department of Defense.
A tiny computer chip is implanted in the insect's cocoon while it is still in the pupa stage, allowing people to control the moth after it hatches and develops. The hope is that the moth can be used as a surveillance tool, directed to travel to specific locations and then transmitting video images and other data.
Gerard Voland is the dean of the School of Engineering, Technology and Computer Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. Send questions and comments to him at volandg@ipfw.edu or 481-6839.
December 2007
By the Sterling Creations research team
Hey there! It’s the holiday season and our favorite time of year. Hopefully you’ll find our tips this month helpful during this busy time. From all of us researchers, a very merry Christmas to you and don’t forget to come back in January!
Helpful tips for December:
Are you looking for some help re analyzing colors?
What colors mean
Taken from the Toronto Star
Black the colour of authority and power. It is also the colour of evil.
Villains such as Dracula often wear black.
White implies innocence and purity. White shows dirt and is difficult to
keep clean.
Red is emotionally intense. It stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing.
Red cars are popular targets for thieves.
Blue is tranquil and causes the body to produce calming chemicals. But blue
can also be cold and depressing. It also symbolizes loyalty. Wardrobe
consultants recommend wearing blue to a job interview.
Green symbolizes nature. It is calming and refreshing. Green is the easiest
color on the eye. People waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to
relax. Dark green is masculine, conservative and implies wealth.
Brown is solid and reliable. Men are more apt to say brown is their
favourite color.
From Color Psychology at infoplease.com.
What's a good home remedy for strep throat?
Gargle regularly with salt water.
A glass of hot water with a teaspoon of salt does the trick.
What's this about mushrooms?
Don't wash them before cooking.
Rather, take a damp paper towel and wipe them.
A bit confused as to how to scramble eggs?
Too much water makes them mushy.
Less water makes them fluffier.
Water or milk, both are good when scrambling eggs.
Confused about how much luggage you can travel with?
Here's the scoop from our travel agent!
Business class travelers can take up to three pieces of luggage.
In total, these three pieces cannot exceed 150 pounds.
One individual piece cannot exceed 70 pounds.
For other travelers:
They can travel with up to two pieces.
In total, these two pieces cannot exceed 100 pounds.
One individual piece cannot exceed 70 pounds.
All passengers are allowed one carry on piece in addition to their personal luggage such as purses or briefcases.
Clear as mud? We hope so.
Happy traveling!
Ever take the time to wonder about those labels on your food cans, bottles, and boxes?
We have a scoop for you and this applies to our Canadian readers.
We've discovered that if the label says product of Canada it does not necessarily mean that it is indeed a product of Canada.
If the cost of processing and packaging is greater than the cost of the content of the package then the package would be labeled as made in Canada.
Deceiving you say? We'll leave that up to your judgment.
Looking for an easier way to do those painful pushups?
Lie flat on the floor.
Put your arms at the side of your body.
Stick your legs under a chair.
Presto! Now try it!
What's this about Splenda sugar?
It's sweeter than the regular sugar.
Does not contain any carbs or calories.
Comes in baking and brown forms.
Recommended for those conscious of their weight.
What's this about ear infections?
When it comes to our kids, here are some very important facts.
Kids can usually pick up ear infections through colds, through exposure to persons who smoke, and if they are allowed to drink their bottles while lying down.
Accessibility news
Canada Post issues Braille stamp
December 2007
By the Sterling Creations research team
Hey again! We’re back for the final time for this year. Hope you enjoy this contribution.
Canada Post Issues Braille Stamp in 2008, a North American First
CCNMatthews, May 24, 2007
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - May 24, 2007) - North American's first stamp
incorporating Braille will highlight Canada Post's 2008 Stamp Program, along
with two stamps celebrating the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne
of Green Gables and the last installment of the Lunar New Year Series.
For the first time in North America, Canada Post will issue a stamp
featuring Braille in celebration of Guide Dogs in Canada. This significant
and innovative product will be issued along with a Commemorative Envelope
marking the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Association for the Blind.
June 2008 will see Canada Post issue two stamps celebrating the 100th
anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables. Canadians can
complete their Lunar New Year series with the 12th issue, the last in this
series, in honour of the Year of the Rat.
The 2008 Art Canada series will feature three works by accomplished Canadian
portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh, while spring will be in full bloom with
two stamps featuring Peonies. The ever- popular stamp that encourages
Canadians to mark special days through the mail will continue for a third
consecutive year with a new Celebration stamp.
In recognition of major international events, Canada Post will issue stamps
to highlight Canada's role as host of the 2008 World Hockey Championships.
The fifth and final stamp in a series to honour the founding of New France,
culminates with a joint stamp issue with France celebrating the 400th
anniversary of the Founding of Quebec City. Canada Post will also issue a
stamp to mark the 12th Francophone Summit, taking place in Quebec City.
Six Canadian milestones will be highlighted in 2008 beginning with four
centennial anniversaries; the Royal Canadian Mint, the Canadian Nurses
Association, Anne of Green Gables and the Lifesaving Society. The remaining
milestones are marked by stamps depicting British Columbia's 150th
anniversary and the Fraser River Gold Rush, the 50th anniversary of the
completion of the TransCanada Pipeline and Canada's First Commercial Oil
Well, located in Oil Springs, Ontario. A stamp honouring Sam McLaughlin;
founder of McLaughlin Carriage Company, which eventually became General
Motors of Canada, will also be issued.
Just in time for October's Stamp Collecting month, the 2008 Endangered
Species series will end with the third issue focusing on creatures of the
air and sky: the Prothonotary Warbler, Taylor's Checkerspot, Roseate Tern
and the Burrowing Owl.
On the educational front, the University of Alberta and the University of
British Columbia will be recognized on their 100th anniversaries.
The arrival of winter will be marked with Snow Activities stamps. The
domestic, U.S., and international rate stamps for the 2008 Christmas season
will feature Snow Angels, Skating and Skiing. Another single domestic rate
stamp will depict a spiritual theme. A Commemorative Envelope will also be
issued to mark the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Seals.
Updated images adorning the domestic rate PermanentTM stamp will continue to
honour The Queen, Orchids and five stamps featuring the Canadian flags over
lighthouses. Orchids will be featured on a new U.S., international and
domestic oversized rate stamp.
"Canadian stamps evoke a sense of pride recognizing historical milestones,
accomplishments, traditions and people" said Bob Waite, Chairman of the
Stamp Advisory Committee. "Stamps depict the vast country in which we live.
Whether you're a novice or veteran stamp collector, stamps are exciting
collections." Canada Post receives and reviews hundreds of stamp suggestions
every year. The Stamp Advisory Committee, a group of Canadians with
expertise in Canadian culture, history and philately, examine all
suggestions and make recommendations to Canada Post and the program is then
approved by Canada Post's Board of Directors.
Further details of the 2008 Stamp Program, along with any changes or
additions to the program, will be available in separate announcements for
each issue. A chronological calendar listing of the 2008 Stamp Program is
listed below. Additional information about Canadian stamps can be found in
the Newsroom section of Canada Post's website (www.canadapost.ca).
Hello there and a merry Christmas to all of our readers. We’d like to thank our readers for their
Many submissions and we look forward to a continuing stream of emails from you in 2008. Here now are this month’s submissions.
From Fritz Berger of Frankfort Germany:
I want to wish the Sterling Creations staff a very merry Christmas. I really enjoy this magazine and I hope that next year is a good year for them.
From Lief Zvelt of Oslo Norway:
Thank you STAE magazine for keeping me informed of news around the world. It's very nice to see that a company is doing this.
Happy holidays.
From Gary Nicol of New York:
I think that Sterling Creations can do more to promote the plight of the blind. Heck, it's time that someone does and this magazine is really not doing half as much as it should or can.
From Sophie Savard of Montreal Canada:
So folks, are you prepared to challenge the CNIB on its policies? Have you made up your mind as to if you're ready to really play in the big leagues? Nice that you publish all these articles but I'm still waiting to see some firm opinions about how things really are for blind Canadians. Don't be cowards now! Step up to the plate and say your piece once and for all.
From Ryan Stone of New Hampshire:
Donna, good editorials. Please continue to write and keep them coming. I'm also delighted to see that you're writing at other websites. Is your book out as yet?
From Laurie Henderson of Boston:
Donna, I'm wondering if you would be able to help promote my company? I just started my own little business here in Boston and I'm really looking for some promotion. I'm blind and just started a small catering business. Can you help me?
From Vladimir Markov of Moscow:
Hey you over there! I'm Vladimir Markov here in Moscow and I am glad to find this magazine on the Internet. It's good that you write so well and let us see those articles.
From Lisa Walsh of Atlanta:
Dear Sterling Creations,
I'd like to thank you for bringing all this free info each month. In addition, I recently bought Untapped Wealth Discovered second edition and am so excited about the various strategies that the authors discussed. Riches in niches? Absolutely.
From Ben Haig of Vienna Austria:
Happy holidays STAE team. I like your magazine and I hope to continue reading more next year. Keep up the good work.
From Robin Lockhart of Montana:
Well, the year is almost over and what do we have here. Blind persons are still struggling, airlines and companies such as Target are still discriminating against blind people, and all I can do is hope for a miracle next year.
Merry Christmas.
From the editorial staff at Sterling Creations, merry Christmas, happy New Year, and see you in January. Please send your comments and feedback to info@sterlingcreations.ca.
Editorial
More compassion needed in our society
December 2007
By Donna J Jodhan
More compassion needed in our society
As 2007 draws to a close, many of us at this time are busy shopping for gifts for our loved ones. Others are busy doing other types of holiday activities and on and on. As for me: I'm just content to sit back and enjoy it all. However, there's one wish that I'm going to put on my Christmas list and I've been doing this for many years now. I don't think that it hurts to make this wish despite the fact that often times it is not fulfilled.
I know! You're probably wondering now what am I going to wish for that can't be fulfilled? Nothing too small but nothing too big either! So, here goes. My wish for 2008 and far beyond is that we start being more compassionate to each other. More compassionate toward those who are less fortunate. More compassionate to the elderly, to those who are ill, to the disabled, and to the poor. Too many times we talk the talk but fail miserably at walking the walk.
As a blind business professional, I've had the chance and experience to see so much lack of compassion in our society. So many persons who are just too busy to lend a helping hand. So many persons who only care about their well being, what they want, and the hell with what others don't have or want. So many persons who just don't take the time to smile at their less fortunate neighbors. Who don't even know that the person beside them needs a bit of help let alone take the time to say good morning, how are you doing?
Is it too much for us to show a bit of compassion to our neighbor? To stop and lend a hand to the stranger who seems to be in difficulty? Just to be nice on the whole to each other? The holiday season is with us and Christmas is here. Let's make a conscious effort to be nice to at least one person who we don't know. Let's make the effort to give the gift of compassion to someone else.
I'd like to close by sharing an email with you that was sent to me by a very dear friend. Thank you Sharlyn for sending me this email.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a bright and prosperous new year to you all!
To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: GOD
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE
This is God. Today I will be handling All of your problems for you.
I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day. I love you.
P.S. And, remember...
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle,
do Not attempt to resolve it yourself! Kindly put it in the SFGTD
(something for God to do) box. I will get to it in MY TIME. All
situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by
worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that
are present in your life now.
If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair. There are
people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.
Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out
of work for years.
Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; think of the person
who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.
Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; think of the woman
in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed
her children.
Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance;
think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that
walk.
Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer
patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.
Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all
about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who
didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.
Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness,
ignorance, smallness or insecurities; remember, things could be worse.
You could be one of them!
Should you decide to send this to a friend; Thank you, you may have
touched their life in ways you will never know!
Now, you have a nice day,
God.
Notes
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