Crazy Deaf Joe Blog

10 Digit Local Phone Numbers

As you know FCC passed the law last year on Dec 31, 2008 that they require VRS providers to give out real 10 local phone numbers to every deaf customer that uses videophones. Sine then, there are many local numbers has been gaven away. Does it work for you? I have no problems with it and it is very nice feature and finally, we have our own real number so we do not have to use IP address because they tend to change more often so it is hard for us to keep it up. With the real local 10 number makes our life easier. As you know, Sorenson also offers DirectVP using a 866 toll free number is a nice feature too. They have no plans to discontiune it. The only they will no longer is use the fake vp number that will expire in June.

Now there are several videophones such as VP200, D-Link, OJO, MVP, VPAD+ and soon The Z. These are the equipment that will enable us to use the real 10 phone numbers allows to call to any videophone regardless. As of right now, the NAPP Database is not 100% completed so for now I suggest you to use IP address for now until the system is 100% fuctionally. If you are calling from VPAD to VPAD with 10 ph number, it will go through with no problems. If you are calling from VP200 to VPAD with the 10 local number, it may not work but it depends. You may be lucky but who knows. But in near future, every 10 local phone number WILL be fuctionally 100% to every videophones.

This doesn’t mean every VRS providers sucks but they are working so hard and try to provide the best service as possible because they know FCC wants us to have available access to communications for us. All you need is a patience becuase it’s important. The wait will be worth it because once everything is there, you will have the amazing features that hearing world always have. Let’s have a big patience.

You should be pleased that VRS is getting better because 15 years ago, we don’t have that kind of technology like what we have today so think hard about that FCC is working so hard with VRS providers trying to meet our needs for our 21st century. We always want to have everything but it doesn’t happen overnight so give them a big pat on the back for their hard work. I appericate of their hard work and I am proud of them. All of VRS providers are not perfect and we all do have agree/disagree with their services but time will come and it’ll get better for all of us.

If you have any ideas, comments, suggestions or make a compliant about one of your VRS providers, please contact their customer care and let them know and they really want to hear your voices and it’s very important to them because the more voices they hear from you and the more they can improve and make it available for all of us.

Remember, patience is viature!

Earth Hour 2009

Do you want to show you care about energy conservation? Simply switch off your lights on March 28 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., local time.

This is Earth Hour, and Saturday is the third annual worldwide event. Earth Hour is both a symbolic act and the start of a practical habit.

Millions of homes and businesses and hundreds of major landmarks will go dark for one hour to show that energy conservation is imporant and to send this message to political leaders attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2009.

At the same time, Earth Hour reminds each of us how easy it is to conserve — just turn off non-essential lights and electronics to reduce our own power consumption.

Lighting accounts for about 11 percent of a typical American home’s energy bills, while computers and electronics add another 9 percent. So by shutting off these things when we’re not using them, we can lower our load significantly.

Get into the habit this weekend with one hour in the dark. Make it fun by having dinner by candlelight, taking a stroll under the stars, or playing card games by a fire. The Daily Green has a few entertaining ideas for consenting adults too.

Earth Hour started in Australia and is sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund. Anyone can participate — check out the website for details. At last count, 2,400 cities across 82 countries have officially signed up. 195 of these cities are in the United States.

Some famous buildings will be going dark on Saturday including: The Empire State Building in New York City, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the St. Louis Gateway Arch, the Sydney Opera House, the Sears Tower in Chicago, Seattle’s Space Needle, the Great Pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Broadway theater marquees in New York City.

Even the flashy Las Vegas Strip will turn dark for an hour. Of course, the slot machines inside casinos will stay on, but almost all of the buildings and marquees on the Strip itself will be dark during Earth Hour.

For the very first time, the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign will go off. Spokespeople say that Vegas lights have dimmed for a minute when a local celebrity dies, but the Strip and the sign have never gone dark for a full hour.

Other businesses are flicking the switch too. The golden arches at McDonald’s in New Zealand and Canada will go dark, saving more than 10,000 kilowatt-hours for our neighbor to the north. The Canadian chain says it has also saved 3.1 million kilowatt-hours of energy through improved lighting, heating, and ventilation.

Both Nashville and Los Angeles are U.S. sponsor cities, so the Nashville Predators and the L.A. Kings hockey teams agreed to reschedule their game in Nashville to 5 p.m. The game should end around 7:30 p.m. with plenty of time for the arena to turn off the lights.

Blackberry addicts can log on before Earth Hour to a special website from Research in Motion. The company is encouraging fans of the mobile device to log-off for an hour and enjoy the silence.

You can even download a free iPhone game to remind you — in advance — to turn off the lights on Saturday. Anything to get the idea across, right?

Auto insurance company Esurance will offset your car’s CO2 emissions at no extra cost if you buy an auto policy before Earth Hour. Of course, the kindest thing you can do for the planet is to drive less often.

Check out these tips at http://green.yahoo.com/living-green/saving-energy-at-home.html for saving energy all year.

Neat Cute Smal Poem

Feed Your Soul First
Avoid Negative People
Hang Around Positive People
Laugh It Off
Get Excited For JESUS!

Social Security Give One Time $250 Payment to SSI/SSA/Seniors in May 2009

Vice President Joe Biden and Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, announced today that the federal government will send out $250 economic recovery payments to people who receive Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits beginning in early May 2009 and continuing throughout the month. Payments will inject more than $13 Billion into Economy.

“The Social Security Administration and Commissioner Astrue have been working closely with other federal agencies to get these payments out the door in record time and into the hands of folks who need it most,” said Vice President Biden. “These are checks that will make a big difference in the lives of older Americans and people with disabilities – many of whom have been hit especially hard by the economic crisis that has swept across the country.”

“We have been working diligently to issue the $250 one-time recovery payments as soon as possible,” Commissioner Astrue said. “The legislation requires extensive coordination with other federal agencies and I’m pleased we are on track to issue these recovery payments earlier than the statute requires. Soon more than $13 billion will be in the hands of more than 50 million Americans.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides for a one-time payment of $250 to adult Social Security beneficiaries, and to SSI recipients, except those receiving Medicaid in care facilities. To receive the payment the individual must be eligible for Social Security or SSI during the months of November 2008, December 2008 or January 2009.

The legislation also provides for a one-time payment to Veterans Affairs (VA) and Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) beneficiaries. The VA and RRB will be responsible for paying individuals under their respective programs. However, if someone receives Social Security and SSI, VA or RRB benefits, he or she will receive only one $250 payment. People getting Social Security or SSI should not contact the agency unless a payment is not received by June 4, 2009.

For more detailed information about the $250 one-time economic recovery payments, go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/payment.

Move Green – Save The Earth

The United States is rapidly moving to reduce its environmental footprint on the planet and make our nation more sustainable. Transportation generates about 1/3 of the greenhouse gases emitted in the country. Read on to learn about how Amtrak® and train travel offers an alternate for reduced impact on the environment.

What does it mean to travel by rail service?
Amtrak rail service is about more than providing energy-efficient transportation. It’s an approach that embraces a wide range of responsibilities aimed at protecting our natural environment from degradation, in ways big and small, and furthers sustainability.

From programs aimed at allowing individual passengers to offset their travel carbon footprints to recycling, from environmental spill prevention to industrial housekeeping, from energy-efficient facilities to wildlife protection, Amtrak is committed to being part of the “generation that could,” in terms of making the necessary changes to protect our planet.

Energy Conservation
Rail travel is typically more energy efficient than car or air travel over the same distances. Intercity rail travel uses about 20 percent less energy measured in BTU’s (British Thermal Units) of energy per passenger mile than car or air travel.

Amtrak is also taking measures to reduce the use of petroleum products, improving efficiency and reducing air emissions. By reducing the amount of “idling” time on diesel locomotives; using dynamic and regenerative braking systems to return energy to the grid on electric locomotives; employing bio-lubricants in hydraulic systems; and using lighter and more aerodynamic vehicle carriers on the Auto Train®, Amtrak is moving toward a more sustainable transportation system for today and the future.

Carbon Footprint
Amtrak is a charter member of the Chicago Climate Exchange. This organization uses a market based system to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. We’ve committed to reduce emissions from diesel locomotives by 6% from 2003 through 2010, the largest voluntary commitment in the United States. To date, Amtrak has exceeded all of the interim required reduction targets.

Amtrak’s partnership with Carbonfund.org gives customers the opportunity to purchase carbon “offsets” for their travel on Amtrak, making it easy and affordable to reduce the carbon impact of their personal Amtrak trip to zero. The offsets provided through this partnership have three areas of investment focus: renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation. By choosing rail travel and offsetting emissions at Carbonfund.org, Amtrak customers can travel carbon-neutral.

Environmental Management
Amtrak’s Environmental Policy expresses our commitment to improve environmental performance through operating procedures, facilities management, pollution prevention, communication and training. Examples of these efforts include:

Recycling pilot programs for bottles, cans and newspapers on selected trains, in stations and in Amtrak facilities systemwide. Cleanup of historic railroad contamination. Some Amtrak sites have contamination that dates back to Amtrak’s predecessor railroads.

Employee environmental awareness and regulatory training.
An applied research program to mitigate train / bald eagle collisions and protect this species along the Hudson River in New York. Amtrak does make the difference, come and ride Amtrak and support the community. For more information about Moving Green and/or Amtrak services, visit their website at http://www.amtrak.com