The Idea Place Posts

Accessible credit reports is a topic I’ve written about previously. U.S. Law has mandated that consumers get free access to a copy from each credit bureau annually but the process has been fraught with accessibility problems since inception. It is nice to see progress being made to the point that the details are now in place to obtain accessible copies of your credit report.   I opted to try the process for requesting a Braille…

Retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City use a service known as ShopLocal to produce their online ads. The disappointing thing for me is that when you visit one of these weekly ad sites, there’s a link pointing you to accessibility instructions on how to make the site work if you are visually impaired. The link takes you to http://bestbuy.shoplocal.com/bestbuy/controls/default/Accessibility.html.   Great but for the fact that the info appears very dated and doesn’t even…

Today the W3C announced release of the 2.0 version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). As most know, these guidelines set the standard for what’s considered an accessible web page. If you’ve not familiarized yourself with the 2.0 version, now is a good time to do so. Testimonials in support of WCAG 2.0 are also worth a read. The guidelines appear to have widespread industry support. Let’s hope that support is followed with implementation…

Hey, my blog’s supposed to be about randomness, so here are a few random musings from the last few days.   The Unreal Water Fountain   What’s up with airports adding fake sound effects to various items? On Sunday when getting a drink from a bubbler (water fountain to folks outside Wisconsin) at Seattle’s airport, I noticed this very robust water gurgling sound. It in no way matched the dribble of water the fountain was…

Namaste All! Yesterday after I sent the email, I walked around the area, and noted a crowd had gathered around this car that had its windows smashed out. About a dozen cops with batons and shields were in the area. Would have been a great photo, but didn’t think it would be wise. On the way back to the hotel, I saw a truck with cops in riot gear. According to our guide, the protests…

Namaste All! I arrived in Kathmandu yesterday afternoon to a beautiful day–partly cloudy, high 77, low humidity! While waiting for the plane, it was interesting to note the high level of excitement in the terminal. Thank goodness I didn’t have to sit next to the Witch of the Skies, a woman who gave filthy looks to her seatmates for having the audacity to get up to use the bathroom, and snapped at the young Nepali…

Happy Halloween! Yesterday was a mixed bag. First I went to the backpacker ghetto, Khao San Road, to check it out. Had a great Spinach and cheese omelet at a place recommended by Nancy Chandler’s guide (I strongly recommend the guide if you go to Bangkok), though the service was lackadaisical. Sidewalks were crammed with cheap T-shirts and other hippie garb, and this was the first place tuk tuk drivers offered ridiculously low prices to…