URGENT- Don Souden Has Had A Stroke

[Cogidubnus]

Hi Bunny

Don has told me he wants to see a professional Cricket match & have the rules explained to him. (Don claims Neil Bell is the foremost expert, so feel free to fistfight over that one.)

Neil is probably far more expert upon the finer points than myself...I only ever played the game at an amateur (Grammar School), one-day (limited over) level...but I watched the professionals at far more...

The real format of the game is a five day (two innings each team) issue -
however it has to be said that there really is far more to it than the obvious gameplay...much outside the bald rules...more subtlety than you'd think...

All the best

Dave

[Archaic]

I can clue him in on Gum Boot tossing

Hmmm... out here in the Wild West we toss the gum and keep the boot.

You guys toss the lot??

Bunny

[Sam Flynn]

Neil is probably far more expert upon the finer points [of cricket] than myself

So that explains the "Monty" nickname!

[GUT]

I can clue him in on Gum Boot tossing

I don't know if that one exists outside Australia

And there's always cow pat tossing if he wants to live dangerous.

[Archaic]

Cow Tipping

And there's always cow pat tossing if he wants to live dangerous.

We have the legendary sport of 'Cow Tipping' in the US.

Supposedly if you sneak up on a sleeping cow you can tip it over, though I remain dubious myself since cows lay down to sleep, unlike horses. And good luck tipping a horse over!

On the other hand, 'Fainting Goats' are real. My friend had an adorable Miniature Fainting Goat as a pet, and her little brother would sneak up and clap his hands to watch it stiffen & keel over.

There was an awfully funny scene in National Geographic's wonderful show 'Two Kenyan Guys'. Cool to see how bizarre and exotic the U.S. can be to people from other cultures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEmRfxxGGcE

[Ally]

Laptop tethers:

http://laptop-lock-review.toptenreviews.com/

[Errata]

Hi GUT, that would be awesome! It would mean even more to Don if it comes from all of us.

If anybody wants to chip in I have a Paypal account. I'll get looking at used pcs and see what our best options are.

*Technical suggestions are welcome, seeing as I'm archaic.

Thanks,
Archaic

I actually have an old and slow 12 inch laptop hanging around collecting dust. My only concern is that the keyboard may be too small for him to use well if his vision is impaired. On the other hand, typing muscle memory is pretty good, so it may not be as much of an issue, I don't know. Up to the forum. But I'm more than happy to send it your way. At the moment it just sits here being mocked by it's superiors.

If laptop locks don't seem like a solution, they also make laptop alarms which emit high pitched shrieks. They have both proximity alarms and motion detector alarms.

[Archaic]

Laptop Tethers

Laptop tethers:

http://laptop-lock-review.toptenreviews.com/

Hi Ally, thanks for the info.

I looked them up on Ebay and found ones with alarms like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/P3-Internati...item417c5fa847

Others have no alarms. I'll ask Don's sister which kind is best.

I'm thinking that Don is liable to set a laptop tether alarm off himself sometimes, but after both his brand new iPad and brand new phone battery were stolen, I think Fairview should be able to put with occasional false alarms.

I was also wondering if one of Don's friends could make an official-looking sticker that says something like "WARNING: GPS and ALARM ENABLED" to encourage prospective thieves to think twice.

Thanks very much,
Bunny

[Archaic]

High-Resolution Keyboards for Vision Impaired

I actually have an old and slow 12 inch laptop hanging around collecting dust. My only concern is that the keyboard may be too small for him to use well if his vision is impaired. On the other hand, typing muscle memory is pretty good, so it may not be as much of an issue, I don't know. Up to the forum. But I'm more than happy to send it your way. At the moment it just sits here being mocked by it's superiors.

If laptop locks don't seem like a solution, they also make laptop alarms which emit high pitched shrieks. They have both proximity alarms and motion detector alarms.

Hi Errata.

Thanks so much for the offer. Another member said they might have one as well. If anybody else thinks they have an old laptop they could donate, could you please email or pm the specs (brand, OS, size, weight) and we can figure out what would work best for Don.

A 12" laptop would have what size keyboard, maybe 8"? (not counting calculator side.) That's bigger than an Ipad keyboard.

It's also possible to have the small-key keyboard switched out and replaced with a large-key high-contrast keyboard designed for people with impaired vision. Maybe there are ones with no calculator, as Don won't need it.

RE-PC in Seattle is a huge warehouse where you can buy used pcs or any possible components thereof for very cheap prices. Everything is tested beforehand. They also assemble custom pcs, so if we have a basic laptop maybe they can put in higher-res keyboard.

I'll call them on Monday and ask for advice.

Thanks everybody for your help. If we all pull together we can get Don back online!

Bunny

[Robert]

I'm game. We can get him a computer with a picture of me on it. No idiot will want to steal that.

[curious]

Hi Ally, thanks for the info.

I looked them up on Ebay and found ones with alarms like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/P3-Internati...item417c5fa847

Others have no alarms. I'll ask Don's sister which kind is best.

I'm thinking that Don is liable to set a laptop tether alarm off himself sometimes, but after both his brand new iPad and brand new phone battery were stolen, I think Fairview should be able to put with occasional false alarms.

I was also wondering if one of Don's friends could make an official-looking sticker that says something like "WARNING: GPS and ALARM ENABLED" to encourage prospective thieves to think twice.

Thanks very much,
Bunny

Hi, Bunny,
There is free software called Prey that you can download onto a computer that will track it to its exact location. I keep the information to activate Prey in a yahoo.com account so that if my computer is ever stolen, I can access the account and see where the computer is. The computer does have to be turned on for Prey to locate it.

So, before sending Don's computer to him, that might be a thought.

Velma

[GUT]

G'day Bunny

For work I use a 7" netbook but an external keyboard that just plugs into the USB port, the one I use even folds up, and has backlighting if I need it, similar might be good for Don.

[mariab]

If we all pull together we can get Don back online!

Hi Bunny,
if you have a paypal account, I'd like to contribute to this.
Can I PM you after you talk to Don next week? Please give Don my warmest greetings, if there's time.

I'll update the Don thread on JTRForums, I'm sure others will want to contribute too.

[mariab]

There's a really good PC recycling shop in Seattle with cool staff called RE-PC, and a friendly "mom & pop" pc repair shop near me. I think if I explain the special situation they will be able to hook me up with a secondhand lightweight laptop that's functional but too old and slow to have any real street value. I'll ask for tips on reducing its street value.

Bunny,
better to get him a laptop not too slow. Hospital wifis are notorious for being slow. My boss was in the hospital in Chicago after an accident for a couple weeks and he was having great trouble with their slow wifi, esp. in his weakened state.

A disable password protection and maybe a large-key high-contrast keyboard is a great idea.

[Archaic]

re: chipping in for a pc for Don

Hi Bunny,
if you have a paypal account, I'd like to contribute to this.
Can I PM you after you talk to Don next week? Please give Don my warmest greetings, if there's time.

I'll update the Don thread on JTRForums, I'm sure others will want to contribute too.

Hi Maria. Thanks for the offer of help.

Right now therea are a couple of issues that need to be taken care of before we get Don a pc.

The first issue is Don's gallbladder & whether or not they intend to do surgery. His sister is going crazy trying to get answers.

The second is that he needs new glasses because the stroke damaged his vision, which in turn means he needs an eye exam. Until he has new glasses his vision problems will keep him from being able to use any kind of pc.

As regards a slow laptop, I will ask his sister about the internet speed in the facility. I'm afraid it has to be a slower, older, eyesore of a computer in order to lessen the chance of it being stolen.

Don will only be using it for very basic things like reading emails from friends. It would be wonderful if he'd be able to get on the message boards or watch a good History documentary, but again, a slow clunky computer is much less likely to be stolen.

GUT's idea for an external keyboard is a good one too. I'm not sure what kind of state Don's old pc is in, but if it still works and he had a table on wheels that could be rolled up to his bed that would be great. (I'm picturing the kind that reach across the bed to let you eat meals.)

For now, sending Don postcards or cards is the best way to reach him. Even if you think you live in a "boring" place that isn't a top tourist destination, I assure that Don would love a postcard! [/B]
Beautiful views, wildlife, sports, historical sites...they all help keep him memory & mind working. Believe me, after being in a nursing facility for so long the little things we all take for granted and regard as mundane will spark great interest in Don.

They help to jog his memory and keep him interested in life... and of course the most healing medicine of all is knowing that his friends haven't forgotten him.

If you have ever enjoyed an article or magazine that Don published over the years, please tell him that. Don has contributed so much to the field of Ripperology & LVP History, and it makes him so happy to know that people appreciate it

Here's the address for postcards & cards again:

Fairview of Fairfield
ATTN: DON SOUDEN
930 Mill Hill Terrace
Southport, CT
06890
USA

* Please remember, if you want to send Don something other than a card, his family has advised me that it's safest to send it to his brother, who will deliver it personally. I don't want to post his address in public, but you can pm me and I'll help you.

Thanks everyone,
Archaic