British Deaf Sport can be seen around Hampshire. Today they are in Morrisons Supermarket in Farnborough.

They raised £30,000 last year for deaf adults to play sports. It's a drop in the ocean where most charities are concerned but they are building on it to enable deaf and hard-of-hearing children to play too. Their website is down until March. We can't get our own website changed so if there is a volunteer webdeveloper out there, please contact them.

Their snail mail is

Mike Webster, Honorary Secretary

BDSC,

Suffolk House, 2 Wharfedale Road

Ipswich IP1 4JB

A list of their other venues will be up when we receive them.   If you know someone who could benefit, please give.

There is already a huge volunteer force.  The hearing guy at Hearing Market bends hearing-aid tubing in his spare time so that he can help old ladies with their hearing-aids.  It takes two hours to bend 100 tubes.  They have to be bent in order for the aid  to sit comfortably on the head.  You might have noticed that the NHS used to have straight tubing which was cut short to make sure the aid stayed on.  The trouble was your head is not made of steel.  It needs to move.

 With the newer aids it is no longer necessary as the tubing is very fine and flexible.  Times change but he's been doing it for ten years!   With no thanks, because the Manager who started it, left long ago.  

 He's not a volunteer for the charity but his time doing it is voluntary.  Staff give their time to fundraising days so spare a thought when it's freezing outside and you pass a line of blue faces. 

Sign singing is a bit like learning a country dance or barn dance with a caller.  Even though you have had practice beforehand, you are still watching the person leading it! 

Such fun, the movements are like a dance in themselves and it's all done together like a big happy family. 

Sign2Sing

Fun to watch, it's hard to do without practice!

There doesn't seem to be any understanding of charities in the present government.  Up until 2012 there was the public sector (government), the private sector (businesses) and the charity or voluntary sector. 

The charity sector is funded by the public sector.  When the government discovered its deficit, it looked around to cut costs.  It looks like it has cut out the voluntary sector.  Presumably the idea was to replace it with volunteers.  If you want to promote the 'Big Society' you first have to talk to your volunteers because they need to be treated with respect and kindness.

Originally posted by Marla Hayes and Lois Wiskstrom,Screenwriters, on Facebook:

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/228583-Scientists-cure-cancer-but-no-one-takes-notice

A cure for cancer using a generic drug has not been publicised because it does not make money for the pharmaceutical companies.  The drug is dichloroacetate according to the website above.

The task then is to find a way those companies can make money from it so that it will be distributed worldwide.  Making money means they survive in the business environment so it makes sense to make sure the buyer and the manufacturer both win.

IMHO we need to think.  How many cancer specialists do you know?  Ask them to think.  How many cancer sufferers do you know?  They probably have the best ideas as they have the body imbalance.  More thinking needed. 

* The link might need to be cut and pasted.

It's that taxing time of year again and an existing customer had a problem with an amount she had spent and could claim back as part of her own business.  

*** News - If you are a small business owner you can claim tax relief on products you use, e.g., Conversor Pro, amplified phones etc. *** 

As usual it is hearsay and you will have to check with your own Tax Office.

Here's her reply and a plug for her website :

Hi Debbie

A beautiful song for a Monday morning sent by Itzvan Szabo.  Check him out on Facebook.  Rephrasing that ;)  check out his fantastic storytelling world and his new ebook (part of a series) about a girl angel and be inspired.

Here's the link.  We listened on Geemarc headphones available here ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0azMOJ-h_o

Enjoy it!

Have you heard of this approach to Meniers? 

Have you heard of it working?  We're seeking information and won't quote you.

From a US medical practictioner's website about ear sinus issues:

http://www.earsinus.com/About/OurSpecialtiesandServices/Microwick/tabid/94/Default.aspx

All comments appreciated.

Thanks.

 Yikes!  We're removing this blog immediately as have just read about one possible side effect of 'gentamicin' as being permanent hearing-loss.

http://www.medicinenet.com/gentamicin-injection/article.htm

Difficult to know what to believe.

Guest Blog from Sion Hamer of Hamer Technology, Stafford.

Thank you for your inclusive on your blog, please see a few additional details regarding DSA, there are other similar funding avenues available very similar to DSA provided by Student Finance, which are operated by the NHS, Open University (OU) and Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).

Happy New Year!

Do you grit your teeth when someone says gently:

"All mobiles have volume controls."

They are missing the point.  You can have enough volume to deafen you (don't do this to yourself) but you still won't hear speech.

Hearing-aids and amplified mobiles, desk phones and hearing loops are specialised equipment with tone control.

It is tone that helps you understand speech.  It is people talking who make a conversation.  That's where our logo comes from:

'Join That Conversation' - the one you've been meaning to join in but can't quite understand it.

Get yourself help with hearing.  Join us at Hearing Tips for ways of having a great hearing life.

Off rant.  Happy New Year Week!