--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F3E00002Date: 03/05/98 From: "RENEE M. ZELICKSON KF4CHY HTTP://H Time: 08:33pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Reply: Avon Web site? From: "Renee M. Zelickson KF4CHY http://home.hiwaay.net/~reneez" Subject: Reply: Avon Web site? The address for the AVON and other shopping can be found on my web page in the Gourmetmall. Go to the following address: http://home.hiwaay.net/~reneez/gourmetmall.html you will see the avon there and just click on it. Ren Rene M. Zelickson reneez@hiwaay.net http://home.hiwaay.net/~reneez ICQ# 7265031 --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F3E00003Date: 03/05/98 From: JIM RUBY Time: 09:51pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Blink Link Offer From: Jim Ruby Subject: Blink Link Offer Blink Link Tele-Communications Corporation FREE E-MAIL FORWARDING Now you can have an address that relates to the blind comunity! This great e-mail address forwarding is provided free of charge to blind and visually impaired persons. If you would like to have an address of "user@blinklink.net," Please send e-mail to email@blinklink.com and include the following information so we can get your new e-mail address started. Alternatively, you may provide this information through our Web site at http://www.blinklink.com. Simply choose the "Free E-mail Forwarding" link, and fill in the form. First Name: Middle Initial: Last name: Address number and street: City: State or Provence: Zip mail code: Country: Phone with area and country code: Birth Date, month, day and year: Internet Provider: E-mail address: What name would you like to use at _____@BlinkLink.Net? Your email address will be in the form (user@blinklink.net. Please allow up to three business days for your request to be verified and processed on our network server. Meanwhile, let all your friends, family and business associates know about this easy and fast e-mail forwarding service with a domain address all blind and visually impaired persons can relate to. Once your request has been processed, you will receive a short e-mail confirming your new address is now forwarding. If you have any difficulties, please submit them to email@BlinkLink.com. Note, in the use of your new e-mail forwarding address, we have made it easy as the letters are not case sensative and, therefore, can be upper and or lower case letters, even mixed. Also, should you ever move or change your current local internet provider, you can keep your Blink Link address simply by sending a change of that information along with your identification information as above directly to EMail@BlinkLink.com and we will update your free e-mail address forwarding to your new local services. We will honor your privacy, which we are certain you will appreciate. We do not release your information to any outside entities, And keep it only for use by us; You will not be put on any other list or sold off. Watch for the grand opening, coming soon, of our exciting new long distance phone service designed especially for blind and visually impaired persons. As we complete our research and development, these are but a few of the great new products and services to be offered, all in a useable form of braille, large print, cassette tape, voice pick up in bound information access, pre-paid calling cards, dial one, internet, talking pagers, links servers, as well as many other high quality services customized for blind and visually impaired users. Add your name to our watchlist by sending your contact information to Resources@BlinkLink.Com and you will receive free updates without any obligation. Thanks for letting us serve you. Blink Link Tele-Communication Corporation phone 1- 800- 4 4 1-5 4 6 5 Post Office Box 100 Townville, SC 2 9 6 8 9 through us you will find service is as fast as in the "blink of an eye!" You will have the best link for tele-communications services. Blink Link Telecommunications Corp. P. O. Box 100 Townville SC, 29689 Toll Free: 1-800-441-5465 http://www.blinklink.com --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F3E00004Date: 03/06/98 From: THE PINK WONDER Time: 01:24am \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Avon Website Request Reply From: The Pink Wonder Subject: Avon Website Request Reply Hi Judie and others on the list, you can also find Avon's home page by going to http://www.avon.com. Kelly --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F3E00005Date: 03/07/98 From: EMPOWER@SMART.NET Time: 12:06pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Explanation of the name and purpose of t12:06:5603/07/98 From: empower@smart.net Subject: Explanation of the name and purpose of the Blink Link company ----- Forwarded Message Follows ----- From: STAN PHILLIPS Subject: interesting observation! To: blindlaw@NFBnet.org (Multiple recipients of NFBnet BlindLaw Mailing List) Mr. Steve Hurd, Secretary Bonnie, on behalf of Mr. Phillips; Who is out of Town with an exploited child case he is working on. I have read your messages as exchanged by and between yourself and Bill Reif; For which Mr. Phillips, has instructed me to transmitt the following: Gentlemen, I find these messages regarding the name "Blink Link Tele-Communication Corporation," to in all honesty have used the time and energy of two who appear to be rather wise Gentlemen defending an issue that I believe need not have so much of your valueable time. I would as The Founder of Blink Link Tele-Communications Corporation, give the facts of how this business named actually came about. By way of background, I being a totally blind person and not liking the treatment being given me at my public high school, did in 1971, walk out for good. I proceeded to enroll in adult continuing education at a community college, graduated on time, thereafter finished my four year degree at California State, then three more years in law school. Because I had dropped out of high school, I got no aid from any government or charity entities whatsoever. I bit the dust more times than I care to remember. Thereafter I have by the grace of GOD enjoyed much success in the business banking profession. Here today I am able to retire from my law practice and give this worthy enterprise all my best; Not only abilities, but substantial financial resources. OK now that I have told you where I am coming from, I would like to tell you where I am going and why: I was just a couple of months ago granted one of a few telecommunications licenses being offered by The F. C. C. I gave a great deal of thought to simply taking one of the rather desirable offers made to me by a couple of the major phone companies and walk with my profits. However I spent allot of time just thinking about how this might better help some people enjoy the blessing of GOD as I have. As I thought back on my life I said to myself, remember those blind students you left behind in that "special education class?" That made me decide I was going to search out a few visually impaired people who have enough going for themselves without being mad at the World to give an opportunity for success. I had zero contact with other blind persons in some twenty five plus years. Actually I had no idea how I was going to find these blind people to help me enjoy this blessing from GOD. So while I was running that through my mind, I contacted an advertising agency in Chicago, and a survey company in New York. I told them I wanted to start a new telecommunications company, and to find me a name for the business. Neither of them knew me, nor had they ever met me. Furthermore I did not even tell them I was blind. I simply paid them twenty thousand dollars to telephone survey one thousand people and interview some professionals in the long distance phone company business. Frankly, I myself had never known the term "blink" was associated with visually impaired people; And I am certain blind people were the furthest thing from the minds of any of the several people working in both Companies. After a great deal of research in the public market place they came up with the idea of "making a connection in a blink of any eye, link up and save money with your long distance." In need of making a business name short and that could be associated with that marketing fraze we all mutually agreed upon "Blink Link Tele-Communications Corporation." I proceeded to file my identity documents with The Federal Government, as well as articles of incorporation with The State Department of Commerce. Once I was ready to go, I then started to search out some visually impaired people. I knew there could never be any financial contribution by them, so I together with a couple of my Clients who own an off shore Bank, invested the joint venture capital needed. I just by a stroke of luck while buying my first ever screen reading software and over the phone met my first blind friend in many years. As he proceeded initially to put the word out for me in to "The Blind Community," he in about our third conversation made a rather shocking statement: "OK Stan, I got your private name and number going out to a bunch of blinks." I said, "What the hell is blinks." He then proceeded to inform me of the fact that this identity tag some blind persons used it. When I told him that was the name already licensed to the new phone company, he did not believe me. I had to send him a photo copy of the license and he had somebody sighted verify it for himself. So when I hear my honorable Associates trying to defend the name, it makes me sad and also reminds me of the blind persons I left behind so long ago. If the word "blink" appearing in a business name is offensive, then I refer you to a copy of The A. T. and T. yellow pages for toll free business listing. According to my Secretary just this evening, there are nineteen pages of business in the alpha section which start with the word blink, and GOD only knows how many others have the word blink in their names otherwise. To relate a verb such as "blink" to an offensive nick name like "nigar" I find obserd. Also to have a sighted person make such a statement calling a blind person a "blink" I find rather remarkable. I am myself blind and in twenty eight of my years of being blind, I never knew that untill just two months ago. Further, when in a telephone survey by a very respected survey company calling one thousand people did they not have it come up? Frankly the fact of the matter is, most of the real World associates the word "blink" as a rapid eye movement or opening and closing of a lens. My choice of the words "Blink Link" was in no way connected to blind persons. I did not just give all that money away to the advertising agency and survey company; I took their advise and put it to use. If anybody thinks for a minute that Blink Link Tele-Communications Corporation, will be successful serving only visually impaired persons, think again. I have a bit more business experience than that. The fact is, I intend to enter the long distance telephone market for all users and honestly believe I have a name that the sighted World will relate to just as I want them to; A fast hook up to quality long distance service at a competative rate. Now I believe if those few people who were objecting to my use of "Blink" were to look at my business from a reasonable and fair view, I believe you will agree that I made a good business choice. If you sincerely believe visually impaired people have been denied opportunities, then why now when the once in a nearly life time the chance comes along for them without having a penny to invest get to become owners of a license that already is worth millions, why not enjoy the blessing from GOD? In closing Gentlemen, I want to thank you for helping me remember how those blind students were I was a part of so many years ago. I am grateful to GOD that HE let me escape having nothing to do but find things to complain about or bad mouth HIS blessings to another person. I would like to offer as food for your thoughts: Leave behind the negative and live the posative. I actually learned braille with Stevey Wonder, and we lived only a couple of blocks from each other in Detroit as children. I wonder if his success had anything to do with not searching for reasons to associate his blindness with anything else, such as failures and negative issues. He once said to me many years later at a dinner in Los Vegus, "Stan I caint get off on that blind trip. They spend to much time talking about their vision when they should be playing drums." Gentlement, I could not have agreed with him more; As that is just what I honestly believe brought me to the level of success I enjoy; I left all that behind and live in the posative world. Ask yourself this: What possible difference does it make if I or any of the other thousands of business use blink in their name? Actually if I had said something like, "Phones For Blinks," or "Blinks Serving You," then I might understand somebody saying we are picking on blind people. However since that is not true, I rest my case. End of dictation of Mr. Phillips; With Bonnie, on behalf of: Respectfully With Best Regards, Stan Phillips phone 1-8 8 8-7 7 6-7 8 2 6 e-mail STANPHILLIPS@WRITEME.COM May God bless all of us always. --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F3E00006Date: 03/06/98 From: KEITH BUCHER Time: 12:16am \/To: KELLY PIERCE (Read 0 times) Subj: Braille Printers Hello Kelly, I enjoyed your article in Sound Computing about braille printers. I'd like to get an ASCII copy of it. Let me know if it's on nfb-net, your web page, or if you can e-mail it to me my address is kbucher@access.mountain.net. Thank you for a good article. Keith Bucher ___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 --- Maximus/2 2.02 * Origin: NFB NET St. Paul, MN (612) 696-1975 (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F3E00007Date: 03/09/98 From: STAN PHILLIPS Time: 05:06pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: Explanation of the name and purpose 17:06:4603/09/98 From: STAN PHILLIPS Subject: Re: Explanation of the name and purpose of the Blink Link company --=====================_889502807==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Laura here on behalf of; Attorney Stan Phillips: Per his telephone instructions, I wish to please advise you: That Blink Link Tele-Communications Corporation, is currently in the process of terriff authorization from The Federal Communications Commision pursuant to International #214 pact. Estimated time line is by May first, 1998. At that time we may look in to originating some products and/or services from areas out side of North America. Currently we can originate from The United States to 273 Countries of the 286 on the International Telephone And Telegraph S. M. S. network. Only on a research basis are we interested at this time in developing any products or services to originate outside of North America. If you have a development project or idea, please submit them directly to myself; And I will direct them to the proper Associate or engineerring team here. Thanks for your inquiry. Are you useing our free International E-Mail address forwarding service? You might consider doing so as those Customers useing that free service receive monthly updates as well as free long distance and other services in exchange for research information. Laura on the job for: At 11:06 AM 3/7/98 -0700, you wrote: >Forwarded mail received from: >RNIB2:Peterborough:PB.SMTP:"NFB-Talk@NFBnet.org" >Stan, > >Just to indicate how I got to know of your email address, >forwarded note attached. > >Could you tell me if you have any plans to extend your service >overseas? I am writing from the UK and would be very interested >in such a service, or helping set one up. > >Just wondered. > >STeve Tyler Date: 03/07/1998 06:06 pm (Saturday) > From: > To: Multiple recipients of NFBnet NFB-Talk Mailing Lis > CC: PB.SMTP("VICUG-L@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU") > Subject: Explanation of the name and purpose of the Blink Link > company > > > > > >----- Forwarded Message Follows ----- > >From: STAN PHILLIPS >Subject: interesting observation! >To: blindlaw@NFBnet.org (Multiple recipients of NFBnet BlindLaw Mailing ist) > >Mr. Steve Hurd, >Secretary Bonnie, on behalf of Mr. Phillips; Who is out of Town with an >exploited child case he is working on. >I have read your messages as exchanged by and between yourself and Bill >Reif; For which Mr. Phillips, has instructed me to transmitt the following: >Gentlemen, I find these messages regarding the name "Blink Link >Tele-Communication Corporation," to in all honesty have used the time and >energy of two who appear to be rather wise Gentlemen defending an issue >that I believe need not have so much of your valueable time. >I would as The Founder of Blink Link Tele-Communications Corporation, give >the facts of how this business named actually came about. >By way of background, I being a totally blind person and not liking the >treatment being given me at my public high school, did in 1971, walk out >for good. I proceeded to enroll in adult continuing education at a >community college, graduated on time, thereafter finished my four year >degree at California State, then three more years in law school. Because I >had dropped out of high school, I got no aid from any government or charity >entities whatsoever. I bit the dust more times than I care to remember. >Thereafter I have by the grace of GOD enjoyed much success in the business >banking profession. Here today I am able to retire from my law practice >and give this worthy enterprise all my best; Not only abilities, but >substantial financial resources. >OK now that I have told you where I am coming from, I would like to tell >you where I am going and why: >I was just a couple of months ago granted one of a few telecommunications >licenses being offered by The F. C. C. I gave a great deal of thought to >simply taking one of the rather desirable offers made to me by a couple of >the major phone companies and walk with my profits. However I spent allot >of time just thinking about how this might better help some people enjoy >the blessing of GOD as I have. As I thought back on my life I said to >myself, remember those blind students you left behind in that "special >education class?" That made me decide I was going to search out a few >visually impaired people who have enough going for themselves without being >mad at the World to give an opportunity for success. I had zero contact >with other blind persons in some twenty five plus years. Actually I had no >idea how I was going to find these blind people to help me enjoy this >blessing from GOD. So while I was running that through my mind, I >contacted an advertising agency in Chicago, and a survey company in New >York. I told them I wanted to start a new telecommunications company, and >to find me a name for the business. Neither of them knew me, nor had they >ever met me. Furthermore I did not even tell them I was blind. I simply >paid them twenty thousand dollars to telephone survey one thousand people >and interview some professionals in the long distance phone company >business. Frankly, I myself had never known the term "blink" was >associated with visually impaired people; And I am certain blind people >were the furthest thing from the minds of any of the several people working >in both Companies. After a great deal of research in the public market >place they came up with the idea of "making a connection in a blink of any >eye, link up and save money with your long distance." In need of making a >business name short and that could be associated with that marketing fraze >we all mutually agreed upon "Blink Link Tele-Communications Corporation." >I proceeded to file my identity documents with The Federal Government, as >well as articles of incorporation with The State Department of Commerce. >Once I was ready to go, I then started to search out some visually impaired >people. I knew there could never be any financial contribution by them, so >I together with a couple of my Clients who own an off shore Bank, invested >the joint venture capital needed. I just by a stroke of luck while buying >my first ever screen reading software and over the phone met my first blind >friend in many years. >As he proceeded initially to put the word out for me in to "The Blind >Community," he in about our third conversation made a rather shocking >statement: "OK Stan, I got your private name and number going out to a >bunch of blinks." I said, "What the hell is blinks." He then proceeded to >inform me of the fact that this identity tag some blind persons used it. >When I told him that was the name already licensed to the new phone >company, he did not believe me. I had to send him a photo copy of the >license and he had somebody sighted verify it for himself. >So when I hear my honorable Associates trying to defend the name, it makes >me sad and also reminds me of the blind persons I left behind so long ago. >If the word "blink" appearing in a business name is offensive, then I refer >you to a copy of The A. T. and T. yellow pages for toll free business >listing. According to my Secretary just this evening, there are nineteen >pages of business in the alpha section which start with the word blink, and >GOD only knows how many others have the word blink in their names otherwise. >To relate a verb such as "blink" to an offensive nick name like "nigar" I >find obserd. Also to have a sighted person make such a statement calling a >blind person a "blink" I find rather remarkable. I am myself blind and in >twenty eight of my years of being blind, I never knew that untill just two >months ago. Further, when in a telephone survey by a very respected survey >company calling one thousand people did they not have it come up? Frankly >the fact of the matter is, most of the real World associates the word >"blink" as a rapid eye movement or opening and closing of a lens. >My choice of the words "Blink Link" was in no way connected to blind >persons. I did not just give all that money away to the advertising agency >and survey company; I took their advise and put it to use. >If anybody thinks for a minute that Blink Link Tele-Communications >Corporation, will be successful serving only visually impaired persons, >think again. I have a bit more business experience than that. The fact >is, I intend to enter the long distance telephone market for all users and >honestly believe I have a name that the sighted World will relate to just >as I want them to; A fast hook up to quality long distance service at a >competative rate. >Now I believe if those few people who were objecting to my use of "Blink" >were to look at my business from a reasonable and fair view, I believe you >will agree that I made a good business choice. If you sincerely believe >visually impaired people have been denied opportunities, then why now when >the once in a nearly life time the chance comes along for them without >having a penny to invest get to become owners of a license that already is >worth millions, why not enjoy the blessing from GOD? >In closing Gentlemen, I want to thank you for helping me remember how those >blind students were I was a part of so many years ago. I am grateful to >GOD that HE let me escape having nothing to do but find things to complain >about or bad mouth HIS blessings to another person. I would like to offer >as food for your thoughts: Leave behind the negative and live the >posative. I actually learned braille with Stevey Wonder, and we lived only >a couple of blocks from each other in Detroit as children. I wonder if his >success had anything to do with not searching for reasons to associate his >blindness with anything else, such as failures and negative issues. He >once said to me many years later at a dinner in Los Vegus, "Stan I caint >get off on that blind trip. They spend to much time talking about their >vision when they should be playing drums." Gentlement, I could not have >agreed with him more; As that is just what I honestly believe brought me >to the level of success I enjoy; I left all that behind and live in the >posative world. >Ask yourself this: >What possible difference does it make if I or any of the other thousands of >business use blink in their name? >Actually if I had said something like, "Phones For Blinks," or "Blinks >Serving You," then I might understand somebody saying we are picking on >blind people. >However since that is not true, I rest my case. >End of dictation of Mr. Phillips; >With Bonnie, on behalf of: >Respectfully With Best Regards, >Stan Phillips >phone 1-8 8 8-7 7 6-7 8 2 6 >e-mail STANPHILLIPS@WRITEME.COM >May God bless all of us always. > > > --=====================_889502807==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="ProMo4Email.txt" Blink Link Tele-Communications Corporation Phone 1-800- 4 4 1-5 4 6 5 Toll-Free FREE E-MAIL FORWARDING Now you can have an address that relates to the blind comunity! This great e-mail address forwarding is provided free of charge to blind and visually impaired persons. If you would like to have an address of "user@blinklink.net?" Please send e-mail to email@blinklink.com and include the following information so we can get your new e-mail address started. First Name: Middle Initial: Last name: Address number and street: City: State or Province: Zip mail code: Country: Phone with area and country code: Birth Date, month, day and year: Internet Provider: E-mail address: What name would you like to use at _____@BlinkLink.Net? Your email address will be in the form (user@blinklink.net Please allow up to three business days for your request to be verified and processed on our network server. Meanwhile let all your friends, family and business associates know about this easy and fast e-mail forwarding service with a domain address all blind and visually impaired persons can relate to. Once your request has been processed you will receive a short e-mail confirming your new address is now forwarding. If you have any difficulties submit them to email@BlinkLink.com Note in the use of your new e-mail forwarding address we have made it easy as the letters are not case sensative and therefore can be upper and or lower case letters, even mixed. Also should you ever move or change your current local internet provider, you can keep your Blink Link address simply by sending a change of that information along with your identification information as above directly to EMail@BlinkLink.com and we will update your free e-mail address forwarding to your new local services. We will honor your privacy; Which we are certain you will appreciate. We do not release your information to any outside entities; And keep it only for use by us You will not be put on any other list or sold off. Wwatch for the grand opening coming soon of our exciting new long distance phone service designed especially for blind and visually impaired persons. As we complete our research and development, these are but a few of the great new products and services to be offered, all in a useable form of braille, large print, cassette tape, voice pick up in bound information access, pre-paid calling cards, dial one, internet, talking pagers, links serverers, as well as many other high quality services customized for blind and visually impaired users. Add your name to our watchlist by sending your contact information to Resources@BlinkLink.Com and you will receive free updates without any obligation. Thanks for letting us serve you. Blink Link Tele-Communication Corporation phone 1- 800- 4 4 1-5 4 6 5 Post Office Box 100 Townville, SC 2 9 6 8 9 through us you will find service is as fast as in the "blink of an eye!" You will have the best link for tele-communications services. --=====================_889502807==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Respectfully With Best Regards, Stan Phillips phone 1-8 8 8-7 7 6-7 8 2 6 e-mail STANPHILLIPS@WRITEME.COM May God bless all of us always. --=====================_889502807==_-- --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F3E00008Date: 03/09/98 From: STAN PHILLIPS Time: 05:08pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: Explanation of the name and purpose 17:08:0003/09/98 From: STAN PHILLIPS Subject: Re: Explanation of the name and purpose of the Blink Link company --=====================_889502881==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 11:06 AM 3/7/98 -0700, you wrote: >Forwarded mail received from: >RNIB2:Peterborough:PB.SMTP:"NFB-Talk@NFBnet.org" >Stan, > >Just to indicate how I got to know of your email address, >forwarded note attached. > >Could you tell me if you have any plans to extend your service >overseas? I am writing from the UK and would be very interested >in such a service, or helping set one up. > >Just wondered. > >STeve Tyler Date: 03/07/1998 06:06 pm (Saturday) > From: > To: Multiple recipients of NFBnet NFB-Talk Mailing Lis > CC: PB.SMTP("VICUG-L@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU") > Subject: Explanation of the name and purpose of the Blink Link > company > > > > > >----- Forwarded Message Follows ----- > >From: STAN PHILLIPS >Subject: interesting observation! >To: blindlaw@NFBnet.org (Multiple recipients of NFBnet BlindLaw Mailing ist) > >Mr. Steve Hurd, >Secretary Bonnie, on behalf of Mr. Phillips; Who is out of Town with an >exploited child case he is working on. >I have read your messages as exchanged by and between yourself and Bill >Reif; For which Mr. Phillips, has instructed me to transmitt the following: >Gentlemen, I find these messages regarding the name "Blink Link >Tele-Communication Corporation," to in all honesty have used the time and >energy of two who appear to be rather wise Gentlemen defending an issue >that I believe need not have so much of your valueable time. >I would as The Founder of Blink Link Tele-Communications Corporation, give >the facts of how this business named actually came about. >By way of background, I being a totally blind person and not liking the >treatment being given me at my public high school, did in 1971, walk out >for good. I proceeded to enroll in adult continuing education at a >community college, graduated on time, thereafter finished my four year >degree at California State, then three more years in law school. Because I >had dropped out of high school, I got no aid from any government or charity >entities whatsoever. I bit the dust more times than I care to remember. >Thereafter I have by the grace of GOD enjoyed much success in the business >banking profession. Here today I am able to retire from my law practice >and give this worthy enterprise all my best; Not only abilities, but >substantial financial resources. >OK now that I have told you where I am coming from, I would like to tell >you where I am going and why: >I was just a couple of months ago granted one of a few telecommunications >licenses being offered by The F. C. C. I gave a great deal of thought to >simply taking one of the rather desirable offers made to me by a couple of >the major phone companies and walk with my profits. However I spent allot >of time just thinking about how this might better help some people enjoy >the blessing of GOD as I have. As I thought back on my life I said to >myself, remember those blind students you left behind in that "special >education class?" That made me decide I was going to search out a few >visually impaired people who have enough going for themselves without being >mad at the World to give an opportunity for success. I had zero contact >with other blind persons in some twenty five plus years. Actually I had no >idea how I was going to find these blind people to help me enjoy this >blessing from GOD. So while I was running that through my mind, I >contacted an advertising agency in Chicago, and a survey company in New >York. I told them I wanted to start a new telecommunications company, and >to find me a name for the business. Neither of them knew me, nor had they >ever met me. Furthermore I did not even tell them I was blind. I simply >paid them twenty thousand dollars to telephone survey one thousand people >and interview some professionals in the long distance phone company >business. Frankly, I myself had never known the term "blink" was >associated with visually impaired people; And I am certain blind people >were the furthest thing from the minds of any of the several people working >in both Companies. After a great deal of research in the public market >place they came up with the idea of "making a connection in a blink of any >eye, link up and save money with your long distance." In need of making a >business name short and that could be associated with that marketing fraze >we all mutually agreed upon "Blink Link Tele-Communications Corporation." >I proceeded to file my identity documents with The Federal Government, as >well as articles of incorporation with The State Department of Commerce. >Once I was ready to go, I then started to search out some visually impaired >people. I knew there could never be any financial contribution by them, so >I together with a couple of my Clients who own an off shore Bank, invested >the joint venture capital needed. I just by a stroke of luck while buying >my first ever screen reading software and over the phone met my first blind >friend in many years. >As he proceeded initially to put the word out for me in to "The Blind >Community," he in about our third conversation made a rather shocking >statement: "OK Stan, I got your private name and number going out to a >bunch of blinks." I said, "What the hell is blinks." He then proceeded to >inform me of the fact that this identity tag some blind persons used it. >When I told him that was the name already licensed to the new phone >company, he did not believe me. I had to send him a photo copy of the >license and he had somebody sighted verify it for himself. >So when I hear my honorable Associates trying to defend the name, it makes >me sad and also reminds me of the blind persons I left behind so long ago. >If the word "blink" appearing in a business name is offensive, then I refer >you to a copy of The A. T. and T. yellow pages for toll free business >listing. According to my Secretary just this evening, there are nineteen >pages of business in the alpha section which start with the word blink, and >GOD only knows how many others have the word blink in their names otherwise. >To relate a verb such as "blink" to an offensive nick name like "nigar" I >find obserd. Also to have a sighted person make such a statement calling a >blind person a "blink" I find rather remarkable. I am myself blind and in >twenty eight of my years of being blind, I never knew that untill just two >months ago. Further, when in a telephone survey by a very respected survey >company calling one thousand people did they not have it come up? Frankly >the fact of the matter is, most of the real World associates the word >"blink" as a rapid eye movement or opening and closing of a lens. >My choice of the words "Blink Link" was in no way connected to blind >persons. I did not just give all that money away to the advertising agency >and survey company; I took their advise and put it to use. >If anybody thinks for a minute that Blink Link Tele-Communications >Corporation, will be successful serving only visually impaired persons, >think again. I have a bit more business experience than that. The fact >is, I intend to enter the long distance telephone market for all users and >honestly believe I have a name that the sighted World will relate to just >as I want them to; A fast hook up to quality long distance service at a >competative rate. >Now I believe if those few people who were objecting to my use of "Blink" >were to look at my business from a reasonable and fair view, I believe you >will agree that I made a good business choice. If you sincerely believe >visually impaired people have been denied opportunities, then why now when >the once in a nearly life time the chance comes along for them without >having a penny to invest get to become owners of a license that already is >worth millions, why not enjoy the blessing from GOD? >In closing Gentlemen, I want to thank you for helping me remember how those >blind students were I was a part of so many years ago. I am grateful to >GOD that HE let me escape having nothing to do but find things to complain >about or bad mouth HIS blessings to another person. I would like to offer >as food for your thoughts: Leave behind the negative and live the >posative. I actually learned braille with Stevey Wonder, and we lived only >a couple of blocks from each other in Detroit as children. I wonder if his >success had anything to do with not searching for reasons to associate his >blindness with anything else, such as failures and negative issues. He >once said to me many years later at a dinner in Los Vegus, "Stan I caint >get off on that blind trip. They spend to much time talking about their >vision when they should be playing drums." Gentlement, I could not have >agreed with him more; As that is just what I honestly believe brought me >to the level of success I enjoy; I left all that behind and live in the >posative world. >Ask yourself this: >What possible difference does it make if I or any of the other thousands of >business use blink in their name? >Actually if I had said something like, "Phones For Blinks," or "Blinks >Serving You," then I might understand somebody saying we are picking on >blind people. >However since that is not true, I rest my case. >End of dictation of Mr. Phillips; >With Bonnie, on behalf of: >Respectfully With Best Regards, >Stan Phillips >phone 1-8 8 8-7 7 6-7 8 2 6 >e-mail STANPHILLIPS@WRITEME.COM >May God bless all of us always. > > > --=====================_889502881==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="BlinkLinkCorp.txt" Greetings From The Associates of: BLINK LINK TELE-COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION phone 1- 800- 4 4 1- 5 4 6 5 visit http://WWW.BLINKLINK.COM our mailing address Post Office Box 100 Townville, SC 2 9 6 8 9 Your interest in this exciting new business is treuly welcomed. We trust= the within presentation even though it is brief will provide you with= quality fact sufficient to have you become an important part of this= success story. Before getting in to the specifics of what our business is, we want to= excite you with a bit of news. We intend to continue conducting research= necessary to develop products and services which are designed for blind and= vissually impaired users. Just a few of those currently being created are= talking pagers, voice activated enter re-active computers for customer= inquiries by phone, data links, internet, pre-paid calling cards, dial one,= local phone services with those features, e-mail, voice mail, and much= more. Too we will offer braille, large print, and other possible= accessability mediums for our customers. As a courtesy to you an over view of long distance telephone calling should= help. There are many products in the form of services offered by the= tele-communications industry; Including calling cards, internet access,= confrencing, data transfers, faxcimilies, paging, as well as long distance= phone calls and much more. Specifically the use of long distance as a term= means just that; A telephone call between two points outside your local= telephone service area. Companies offerring one or more of those services= are known as "tele-communications product providers." The Federal Communications Commission, a branch of The United States Federal= Government, as well as States' Public Utility Commissions, regulate the= tele-communications industry. This to the extent of granting licenses to= operate, terriffing of rates, and granting access to the public network of= systems' communications contacts of the enfrastructure. Having such a= license in of i'self is an honor. Then too have products which provide= desirable services to consumers is the makings of a good and profitable= enterprise. Being a provider of long distance tele-communications products is much more= than just having a switch and selling access. Especially when you are a= new company without any previous presence in the industry. Developing a= presence in the system, network platform for access, main fram operational= hardware, business office, accounting, customer service, marketing,= advertising, security, administration, and many other elements are required= just to open the door. Once all that is in place the first customer then= can be saught. Now that you know a little about what a tele-communications company is, we= would like to bring you closer to Blink Link. This venture was a dream of= our Founder Stan Phillips, initially on June 15th, 1995; When the unique= idea was actually conceved. Thereafter it took over two years to acquire a= terriffed license from The Federal Communications Commission. Once that= license became a reality, the value of it became a birth for Blink Link. = The idea of having a tele-communications company to serve specialty markets= became an obvious avenue for major success. The blind and visually= impaired community has long enough had to adapt to products and services; = Not this time, the products and services are adapted to the blind and= visually impaired. Once this part of the market is well served Blink Link, will move in to= other specialty groups, perhaps next the death, then legal profession, and= so on. As with braille and large print for blind and visually impaired= users, so can other custom products be developed to serve those unique= industry needs of paying customers. Armed with all the foregoing creating a business was next in order. While= our Founder could have simply employed a few hundred people and moved in to= the tele-communications business faster, it was immediately decided this= Company will not only serve the blind and visually impaired community, but= will be organized, owned and operated by them. Which brings us to the= current state of affairs here in February of 1998. Persons are being saught to become Associates of Blink Link= tele-Communications Corporation. There is absolutely no money to invest= whatsoever. In fact if you are ask to do so, make certain you do NOT do= that and immediately notify our offices of the attempt. Those who do= decide to become a part of Blink Link, will be ask to contribute time and= experties to the orgnaization of this Company. Those who do so will be= titled "Associates," or "helpers." Who in exchange for their services of= time rendered in the creation, organization, administration, research, and= development of Blink Link, will receive without payment a given number of= the shares of stock for the ownership of This Corporation. Then once the= Business is open and ready to operate, all Associates will be given first= --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F3E00009Date: 03/09/98 From: STAN PHILLIPS Time: 05:08pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: 02:Re: Explanation of the name and purpo17:08:0003/09/98 From: STAN PHILLIPS Subject: Re: Explanation of the name and purpose of the Blink Link company opportunity for employment. Those not taking a job will remain as= consultents paid as such and work from their homes; While remaining an= owner (stockholder). Having a business office and network presence (switch) is the first and= foremost need. We have chosen Atlanta, Georgia, for both initially. With= the goal to open at least two more in the future; Some where in middle= America, and near the West Coast. Currently two of our Associates are= looking for an office building in the Atlanta, area. We intend to= establish and open this first office in April of 1998. Too we are going to= hold a summitt confrence that first weekend of April, to mark the grand= opening. While many other adminstrative functions are going on Blink Link, too must= have Associates to develop departments; Such as accounting, customer= services, braille production, large print production, security, data= managment, sales,product development, and many others. In addition to= those many inside staff positions and consultents, we also need a= Representative in each of the fifty States to be trained on Utility= Commission filings, public relations, and being an official spokes person= on behalf of Blink Link, in that area. Our intent is to find as many= blind and visually impaired persons as possible to fill these needs. Your= experties in any of these areas would be greatly appreciated. Take some time to search your own abilities and resources; Then decide how= you can provide those to the success of Blink Link. Then understand when= you become an Associate, you are going to receive shares of stock ownership= in this great new Company. Then as we move forward, you will be offerred= employment opportunities. Too you will make the choice of a job or to= thereafter become a paid consultent. It is often said when opportunity= knocks we should hear dollars ringing in our heads. Blink Link, has a= goal to become a highly profitable unique tele-communications provider; = And pay a return to those investors of time who are the stockholder owners.= So if your ears are ringing, then we here at Blink Link, ask; Why are you= not already ringing our telephone? Being sincerely interested in your= having a good understanidng of this enterprise is our best good will= intentions. Any of our Associates will be pleased to talk with you about= any topics you are interested in. At this time we have some of our key= Associates already on board. However, others are greatly needed. Please= review these general needs: Foremost it must be made absolutely clear that at this point in our business= enterprise, we have no need of bringing on board employees nor those we= have to teach how to do what we are wanting them to teach us to do. You= must be secure in your own abilities sufficiently to take on a mission and= on your own develop that department suitable to open our doors for= business. While any Associate or helper is willing to confer with another,= it will be your responcibility to create your assignment, develop that= department based on your own research. Understand clearly you will be= given substantial authority in this enterprise; Because all of the rest of= your Associates and helpers will depend upon your success in putting the= peices of the enterprise together with all the rest. So if you fit, then= try any of these on: Even if we have to use extra special means we must locate our Corporate= Executives and Officers. We are looking for a President, vise President,= Treasurer, Secretary, and persons to be seated on our Board of Directors. = So if you have a clear background, business management experience, no= credit problems, and are capable of holding high pressure jobs then we are= interested in negotiating terms. This obviously requires of Officers that= they relocate to Atlanta, Georgia. Insofar as Board Members, they need= not. Our Incorporaters are about to appoint The Board of Directors, who= will employ our Officers; So if you are interested, yesterday is late. Security is a major issue in tele-communications. We need two persons who= have above average computer skills, are willing to spend a few weeks away= in special schools, must be able to relocate, and can take complete control= of serious situations sufficiently to end troubles. This opening is= immediate and you should not wait as it is one of our spots where we are= going to employ these security persons soon. A Corporate Secretary which we surely need is a official status. In as much= as this person though an Associate too is a Corporate Officer. This= requires taking part in the administrative approvales of major corporate= actions. Also this person as a part of our organizing will act on keeping= logs of other Associates, records of meetings, safe keeping of official= documents, arranging confrences, and much more. You might say this is like= being our "Girl Friday." That is not to say a man could not do just as= well. This tasking would work better for us if you have a home computer,= letter quality print printer, excellent business skills, good typing, and= able to pull us together and keep us highly organized. Next is a treasurer, who as a Corporate Officer will have substantial= duties. We very much need an accounting deparmtent put together from the= ground up. This means developing a data system for creating billings,= bookkeeping, payroll, taxing, and all the rest. If you have a strong= accounting ability, good a mathmatics )numbers for brain cells like being a= bean counter), and can take on this major responciblility, your rewards= will be equally as substantial. Blink Link has an advertising Agency currently working on creating our= identity. However we need an advertising Associate, who can develop a= program to expose Blink Link, fully to the blind and visually impaired= community. Having radio, television, newspaper, and other such commercial= skills will be helpful. If you were unlucky enough to have listen to our= old initial introduction cassette then you will understand our need for a= disjocki ttype person or somebody who can produce high quality promotional= materials for Blink Link. Though a couple of people have ask about our marketing, the right person to= be this sales marketing Associate has not as yet stepped forward. This= Associate will develop our entire marketing and sales programs. Having= good presentation abilities and a strong sales background is important. = Even duirng our test markeitng we need to have this Associate working on= customers who want to exchange free long distance service for testing feed= back. So if you want to take on a tough department and can meet the= challenge with success, step up soon. We have chosen the I.B.M. a/s#400 as our main frame computer. Too we will= use I.B.M. 300XL for in office termianls as well as for our Assoicates to= use from home. Blink Link must have two expert computer person to attend= some specialty schools and learn our network and long distance platform= immediately. These two Associates must agree they will relocate to= Atlanta. So if you are a computer nurd, or just know you are good, then= plug in to our need like yesterday. In addition to the foregoing computer engineer type persons, we also need a= couple of good computer operators to become our own inside tech support. = This means conducting all of the testing of equipment and software; Then= making certain you are able to train the rest of us and provide ongoing= tech support. While it would be preferred these persons relocate to= Atlanta, it is not required at this time. So if you got the urge to be a= tech support know it all then it is your turn now. Customer Service is a tough nut to crack; But obviously is a manditory= need. This Associate will completely organize this department. Having the= ability to resolve problems and satisfy customers is necessary. So if you= have reasonable computer skills and abilities to deal with these kinds of= situations then make it happen for us. Public Relations is a wide reaching position in that these persons will= remain in each of their respective States to perform his or her duties. = These will include updating terriff filings, answering complaints filed= with The Utility Commission, conducting media exposures, and maintaining= our good public relations in their area. We will provide specific training= on the legal issues, and conduct work shops to develop good public= relations abilities. You should have a home computer, print printer of= high quality, professional clothing, and resources for some occassional= transportation. These persons once trained completely will then move from= being an Associate to a full time paid consultent. --=====================_889502881==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Respectfully With Best Regards, Stan Phillips phone 1-8 8 8-7 7 6-7 8 2 6 e-mail STANPHILLIPS@WRITEME.COM May God bless all of us always. --=====================_889502881==_-- --- * Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F3E00010Date: 03/09/98 From: EMPOWER@SMART.NET Time: 09:46pm \/To: ALL (Read 0 times) Subj: NCD testimony at hearing on revisions to21:46:0803/09/98 From: empower@smart.net Subject: NCD testimony at hearing on revisions to FDR memorial Thought this may be of interest, Jamal ---------- National Council on Disability 1331 F Street, NW Suite 1050 Washington, DC 20004 March 9, 1998 Mr. John Parsons Associate Superintendent, Stewardship and Partnerships, National Park Service - National Capital Region 1100 Ohio Drive, SW, Room 220 Washington, DC 20242 Dear Mr. Parsons: My name is Jamal Mazrui. I work as a policy analyst at the National Council on Disability (NCD), and am pleased to present this testimony on its behalf. NCD is an independent federal agency with a board of fifteen members from the disability community around the country, who were appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Our mandate is to advise the Administration and Congress on public policy affecting our nation's 54 million people with disabilities from all ages and backgrounds. The Council expresses its appreciation to Senator Inouye and Congressman Hinchey for sponsoring the legislation enacted last July to add a permanent depiction of FDR as a person with a disability to the national memorial built in his honor. We also appreciated the significant disability references that the President and Vice President made in their remarks at the opening ceremony last May. We applaud Secretary Babbitt and the Department of the Interior for the work done so far to implement this law, including substantive participation by people with disabilities in the process. Finally, we commend this public hearing as an important community check before specific design decisions are made. On a personal level, I was inspired by FDR in the process of adapting to a rare, genetic disease of the optic nerve, which left me functionally blind at the age of 16. I did not know of his disability until learning of it in a speech by a blind leader that drew an analogy between blindness and the physical condition of FDR. A provocative and moving point in the speech asked the rhetorical question: Does anyone lament what FDR might have done as President if only he walked? Unfortunately, for too many of us, emphasis is still placed on what we might do if we were cured some day, rather than on what we can do with the assets we have now. The National Council on Disability is convinced that showing FDR in a wheelchair is important because the primary barriers facing people with disabilities today are attitudinal and environmental, rather than physical and innate. Over the last two decades, America has made much progress in securing legal protections for citizens with disabilities in various spheres of life, continuing the spirit of equality and integration led by the civil rights movements of racial minorities and women. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990--which the Council originally proposed--has been the ultimate statement of our equality under the law, and has been suitably called the emancipation proclamation for people with disabilities. As African-Americans and others have learned, however, the gap between laws on the books and realities in society can be large and long to bridge. Laws are an important component of a democracy, but so too are the unwritten rules of cultural values enacted day by day in all walks of life. Changing the law can help us change the culture, but this does not happen automatically. It requires a deliberate, ongoing process of education and experience to forge a new social consciousness that makes old ways of treating people with certain physical or mental characteristics no longer acceptable. The Council believes that depicting Franklin Delano Roosevelt--regarded as one of our greatest presidents--as a person with a disability is a tangible step toward an American culture that treats citizens as equals, regardless of the nature or severity of their disability; a culture that empowers all people with opportunities to develop and realize their potential; a culture that expects social, economic, and political contributions from everyone. It is noteworthy that such a depiction of FDR has been endorsed by former Presidents Bush, Carter, and Ford. It is also consistent with the spirit of the "One America" initiative of President Clinton, which seeks to end unhealthy division by race. For the depiction to be meaningful, it should be a prominent, free-standing statue that visitors to the memorial will not miss. During its development, a prototype design should be available for public review and comment so the disability community can ensure it will convey what the law intends. This lesson is learned from the experience of braille signage in the memorial, which was not appropriately reviewed by blind people before the memorial opened. We also ask, therefore, that the current braille signage, although artistically interesting, be revised in order to be readable by blind visitors to the memorial. Thank you for the opportunity to testify at this hearing of the National Park Service. We look forward with excitement to the day when the many thousands who visit the FDR memorial each year will be reminded that disability is a natural part of the human experience, which may shape, but does not compromise, what each of us can give to our country and the world. Sincerely yours, Jamal Mazrui --- # Origin: NFBnet <--> Internet Email Gateway (1:282/1045) * Origin: The Playhouse TC's Gaming BBS/www.phouse.com/698.3748 (1:282/4059) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 233 NFB BLIND NEWS Ref: F3F00000Date: 03/10/98 From: HOWIE COOMBE Time: 02:40pm \/To: WALT CONE (Read 0 times) Subj: ? hi walt, i was just wondering if you or anyone else had heard anything about any plan,s happening in australia, leading up to the next federal election to keep the blind community, and the general disabled community, as relivent political issue,s? > Hello Howie! > > Wednesday December 17 1997 18:46, Howie Coombe wrote to All: > >HC> what is this echo about? > > Well I'm not the moderator but this echo is for the discussion > of issues pertaining to the organized blind movement (the National > Federation Of the Blind. > > > Walt --- TMail v1.31.5 * Origin: Common Ground +61-8-8223-2131 - Telnet dircsa.org.au (3:800/816)