[nickcarraway]

Ping

[MikelTackNailer]

Very noble there in Singapore. I'm getting back into the job market after cancer got my voice and finding that an obstacle despite regaining most of my abilities through hard rehab. It's amazing to learn what used to be natural now out of reach yet still must be met.

I have a Servox throat amplifier I despise as it has that buzzing monotone robot sound with no vocal inflection. As my neck is wrapped with a band holding a breathing tube I have to use the thing with a straw that looks ridiculous while I involuntarily drool using it. And even then many of my words aren't understood no matter how hard I practice.

So I primarily use an electronic writing device called a Boogie Board to communicate most of the time. I print almost as rapidly as type and almost no misunderstanding this way. I'm trying to get an arm-strapped keyboard with a Bluetooth speaker amplification thing, but the VA's dragging on me a bit (can't complain, they've saved my life so far).

I'd really like a whole larynx transplant but am told there's so many nerve connections involved between systems it's never attempted on geezers. I say with so many pop star vocalists killing themselves over one overpriveleged angst over another refrigerate the next one, install it and I'll finish out their last album contracts and then some. Let's rock!

[robowombat]

What or who are Swenson’s?

[Gaffer]

It took a while for me to notice here in my little town. A Walmart, a Kroger and an Ingles. Over the past few months I began taking note of the number of handicapped employees at Ingles. Blind (with a walker cane), deformed, severely obese and unable to move serving as cashiers on checkouts, and other physical disabilities like missing or malformed limbs......

Ingles here doesn’t openly advertise it that I can see and their prices are the highest of the three, but I do make it a point to alternate them through the cycle of shopping at the three stores here in my town.

[cyclotic]

There’s a coffee shop in Bethlehem, PA that’s staffed heavily with Downs Syndrome employees.

The only time I was in there was during the mask mandates so I could not tell because they were so anonymous from the face diapers. I wondered why all the employees were so friendly and precise, and working just a hair slower.

When I realized it, I was excited to see these fine folks being so productive and enjoying their careers.