MANLY NOTES: MORE SPORTS

Sucks Eugenie Bouchard lost her final match.

Can't imagine being traded in the middle of a doubleheader.

Haven't been following the CFL because it is just not football weather. 

Jeffrey's Soapbox - Monday, July 28, 2025 at 5:29 PM

When Good Intentions Meet Poor Design at the movie theatre: Why Nothing About Us Without Us Still Matters

My family loves going to the movies. For years, we relied on audio description systems that worked beautifully. They were intuitive, reliable, and most importantly, designed with actual input from people like me who are blind.

Last year, our family encountered for the 1st time, the Dolby Accessibility Solution during what should have been an enjoyable evening at the movies. What we experienced was a frustrating ordeal that left us feeling like second-class patrons.

According to Dolby’s own documentation, their Accessibility Solution is described as “a complete and versatile cinema accessibility solution that is easy for exhibitors to install and maintain, and simple for customers to use” . The reality for users who are blind tells a very different story.

The problems started immediately. Unlike the previous equipment, the Dolby tablet device had no tactile buttons to distinguish controls from the frame itself, making it impossible to operate without sight . The system instead relies on a touchscreen with no screen reader. The screen, button presses, and basic functions provided no audio feedback whatsoever, despite being built on open-source software that already has and could easily include screen reader technology .

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the Dolby Accessibility Solution is how it stripped away the independence that previous systems provided. With older systems, I could program my device at the box office, test it there, and troubleshoot any issues before entering the theater. I was in control of my own experience.

The Dolby system requires theater staff to accompany patrons to their seats to connect the Dolby Accessibility Solution Receiver directly to the auditorium at the auditorium. According to Dolby’s own Theatre Staff Reference Guide, staff must physically go to each auditorium to set up the device for patrons .

Picture this common scenario: My family arrives for a 7 PM showing. At the concession stand, I explain that I need the audio description device. The staff member accompanies you to the theatre and programs the device. You wait until the movie has started as the ads and previews never have audio description. So the only way to check that things are working is to wait until the movie starts.

The movie starts and you realise there is no audio description because the unit has either been misconfigured or lost connection. Troubleshooting ensues in our seats, with whispered conversations and the glow of the device screen affecting nearby moviegoers. By the time we get audio description working, we have missed the first fifteen minutes of the actual movie, and several patrons around us are visibly annoyed by the disruptions.

Or alternately, halfway through the movie you have accidently touched the touchscreen and disconnected the unit. You now have to get someone to help you. More troubleshooting ensues in our seats, with whispered conversations and the glow of the device screen affecting nearby moviegoers. By the time we get audio description working, we have missed another fifteen minutes of the actual movie, and several patrons around us are visibly annoyed by the disruptions.

Oh, and wait, god forbid you need to go to the washroom, as you will lose signal and have to get the device re-programmed before you will hear audio description again.

These scenarios played out repeatedly during our visits over the last year, turning what should have been an enjoyable family experience into an embarrassing ordeal that affected not just us, but everyone around us.

The contrast with previous systems could not be starker. Earlier accessibility devices could be programmed, tested, and troubleshot at the box office or customer service counter. If there were issues, they could be resolved without entering the theater, without disrupting other moviegoers, and without the need for staff to accompany me to my seat like I was incapable of finding it myself.

This design choice by Dolby fundamentally changed the movie-going experience from one of independence to one of dependence. Instead of being an equal patron who could manage my own accessibility needs discretely, I became someone who required staff assistance, caused disruptions, and drew unwanted attention from other moviegoers.

The Dolby Accessibility Solution highlights how technical compliance can coexist with practical failure. The system may meet basic requirements for providing audio description, but it completely fails when it comes to preserving user dignity and independence.

The requirement for staff to accompany patrons to their seats and troubleshoot devices in the theater itself represents a fundamental misunderstanding of what accessibility should accomplish. Good accessibility design should enhance independence, not create new forms of dependence. People who use accessibility features are the true experts on what works in real-world situations. We understand the importance of discretion, independence, and minimizing disruption to others.

While Dolby markets their Accessibility Solution as simple for customers to use, the reality is far different . The system creates barriers to independence and forces users into situations that are embarrassing and disruptive to others.

Real inclusive design means involving people with disabilities from the earliest stages of product development. It means understanding that accessibility is not just about providing a technical feature, but about preserving dignity and independence in the process.

Companies like Dolby can continue to approach accessibility as a compliance checkbox, creating solutions that technically work but practically fail. Or they can embrace truly inclusive design that recognizes people with vision, hearing and dexterity requirements and other disabilities as equal participants who deserve independent access to entertainment.

Nothing about us, without us remains as relevant today as it ever was. When companies design accessibility solutions without meaningful input from users, they often create new barriers while solving old ones.

The Dolby Accessibility Solution demonstrates how well-intentioned efforts can go wrong when user experience and dignity are not prioritized alongside technical functionality. True accessibility preserves independence and minimizes disruption, rather than creating new forms of dependence that affect everyone involved.

Dolby has the resources and expertise to create better solutions. The question is whether they will choose to involve the people who actually use their products in designing them.

https://blog.blackspheretech.com/?p=478 

MEDIA-RELATED STUFF: BROADCAST DIALOGUE 07/31

Actually, Jack Miller has not served as sports director for Quinte Broadcasting his entire 51-year career. From 1974-1979, he was the afternoon drive anncr.

Congratulations to Cabin Radio on getting its license.

Shocked to hear of the death of Matt O'Neill, who used to host "The Canadian Top 20", carried locally on 95.5.

George Stroumboloupoulos is embarking on a cross-country boosterism campaign.

THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO BECAME A COP

National Review

 

The Illegal Immigrant Who Became a Cop

By Jim Geraghty

July 29, 2025 9:58 AM

 

On the menu today: It sounds unbelievable, but a small town in Maine hired a cop who was an illegal immigrant. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, however, that’s exactly what happened; the local police force blames the E-Verify system, which is run by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, you may be surprised how many DACA recipients are ending up getting jobs in America’s local police forces.

 

An E-Verify Failure?

 

Next time a police officer asks for proof of citizenship, you may feel tempted to respond, “You first.”

 

Fox News’ Bill Melugin broke the shocking story of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest of Jamaican citizen Jon Luke Evans, who is in the U.S. illegally as a visa overstay and was hired as a cop by the Old Orchard Beach Police Department in Maine.

 

ICE, working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives arrested Jon Luke Evans July 25 in Biddeford, Maine. According to ICE, Evans lawfully entered the U.S. on September 24, 2023, at Miami International Airport. Evans was scheduled to depart the U.S. October 1, 2023, but never boarded the flight, “violating the terms of his lawful admission when he overstayed his visa.”

 

Jamaican citizens need a visa to enter the U.S., whether the purpose of the trip is tourism or work.

 

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston Acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde issued a blistering statement:

 

block quote

Jon Luke Evans not only broke U.S. immigration law, but he also illegally attempted to purchase a firearm. Shockingly, Evans was employed as a local law enforcement officer. The fact that a police department would hire an illegal alien and unlawfully issue him a firearm while on duty would be comical if it weren’t so tragic. We have a police department that was knowingly breaking the very law they are charged with enforcing, in order to employ an illegal alien. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien threats from our New England communities.

block quote end

 

Here’s where the story gets curious. The local police chief insists all of Evan’s paperwork, including verification of his immigration status and legal authority to work, checked out with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. From the Boston Globe:

 

block quote

Old Orchard Beach’s police chief, Elise Chard, issued a statement that said when the department hired Evans, the US Department of Homeland Security, on May 12, verified and approved Evans’s authorization to work in the US.

 

“Evans would not have been permitted to begin work as a reserve officer until and unless Homeland Security verified his status‚” Chard’s statement said.

 

“The Police Department was notified that Evans was legally permitted to work in the U.S., and his I-766 Employment Authorization Document was not set to expire until March 2030,” Chard said.

 

The department was not officially notified of Evans’ detention and only learned about it when ICE issued a news release, Chard’s statement said. . . .

 

“As part of the hiring process, the Town reviewed multiple forms of identification, including photo identification, and submitted Evans’ I-9 form to the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify Program,” Chard’s statement said. “The Department of Homeland Security then verified that Evans was authorized to work in the U.S.”

block quote end

 

Does E-Verify work? Apparently, not so well. As the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month:

 

block quote

The program, called E-Verify, has vulnerabilities that enable migrants in the U.S. to illegally obtain jobs at American companies.

 

On its website, the government tells employers E-Verify offers “peace of mind that your employees are legally authorized to work.” Participating companies gain a safe harbor from legal penalties. But it can also provide a false sense of security, as some employers have discovered.

 

E-Verify, which matches names to Social Security numbers, has limited access to many other official databases with personal information. It doesn’t use biometric evidence or, in many cases, a photo to verify a new hire’s identity. It can thus be circumvented with a stolen Social Security number and fake driver’s license, according to current and former officials, congressional staffers and cybersecurity experts.

 

Meat producer Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha, Neb., had been using E-Verify for more than a decade, said owner Gary Rohwer. On June 11, dozens of masked federal agents descended on Rohwer’s plant and, using Tasers and dogs, detained 76 workers.

block quote end

 

As it’s been described, E-Verify checks the job applicant’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number against government databases. What it doesn’t do is verify that the name, date of birth, and Social Security number provided by the applicant actually belongs to the applicant.

 

E-Verify insists it has a terrific performance — that more than 98 percent of workers who it checks are confirmed as “work authorized” within 24 hours, requiring no further employer or employee action. Of the remaining 1.7 percent or so, about two-tenths of 1 percent are later confirmed as work authorized, and 1.5 percent are found to be not authorized to work in the U.S.

 

Now, it’s one thing for a meatpacking plant to get fooled by stolen Social Security numbers and fake driver’s licenses. But it’s considerably worse, and more embarrassing, when a local police department gets fooled. Do the officers of the Old Orchard Beach Police Department have to check IDs in the course of their duties? Say, pulling over a speeding driver, or checking the ID of a seemingly underage drinker in a bar?

 

(Yes, under federal law, it is illegal to hire an illegal immigrant, “knowing the alien is an unauthorized alien,” and it is also illegal to continue to employ an illegal immigrant “knowing the alien is or has become an unauthorized alien with respect to such employment.”)

 

You might think that to become a police officer, you must be a U.S. citizen, but Colorado, Vermont, and West Virginia do not require that an officer be a U.S. citizen. (This means a green-card holder or legal permanent resident can become a police officer.) In 2023, California eliminated the state’s previous requirement of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency for police and now mandates that peace officers must merely be “legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law.”

 

In January 2024, CalMatters reported that about a dozen California law officers got jobs through the law, and profiled “a 26-year-old Mexican-born man” who “became the first officer hired by the UC Davis Police Department under a 1-year-old California law that repealed the U.S. citizenship requirement to become a peace officer in the state.”

 

(The officer’s name is Ernesto Moron, and you are going to think I am making fun of him, but I am not. That linked article features sentences like “Moron says,” and “UC Davis Police Chief Joe Farrow swore Moron in as a law enforcement officer,” and “Farrow saw in Moron a hope for a future,” and it’s just a particularly unfortunate surname.)

 

Several states allow those covered under DACA — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — to become police officers. About 530,000 individuals had active DACA status as of September 30, 2024. Currently, DACA recipients can renew their status but U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is not issuing new DACA statuses.

 

DACA is a strange limbo status, in that the individual is no longer under threat to be deported to their country of birth; as CIS describes, “An individual is not considered to be unlawfully present during the period when deferred action is in effect.” However, “Deferred action does not confer lawful immigration status upon an individual, nor does it excuse any previous or subsequent periods of unlawful presence they may have.”

 

An interesting complication is that DACA recipients are generally barred from purchasing or owning a firearm under federal law, because while they may be protected from deportation, they are not considered lawfully present in the United States. With that in mind, some states like Colorado have enacted their own gun laws allowing DACA recipients to possess firearms in certain circumstances.

 

In addition to California, Illinois changed its law in 2023. In 2024, Chief Geoffery Farr of Blue Island, Ill., described his recent hires:

 

block quote

We currently have three DACA officers, all of whom are part-time. Officer Mitchell Soto Rodriguez became state-certified after graduating from the academy in January 2024. She is expected to be sworn-in as a full-time officer on April 9. Officer Soto Rodriguez will soon become the first full-time female DACA officer in the State of Illinois. The other two officers are slated to attend the police academy this month.

block quote end

 

Washington State changed its law in 2024:

 

block quote

Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, a retired trooper of 30 years who sponsored the bill in the Washington Legislature to start a similar program here.

 

Lovick explained that this new program offers multiple benefits for Washington law enforcement agencies.

 

“And I’m not just talking about diversity, I also want to talk about culture,” Lovick said. “We believe that our DACA recipients will change the culture of policing in our state.”

block quote end

 

New Mexico changed its law earlier this year, and Tim Keller, the mayor of Albuquerque, boasted, “It literally turns dreamers into defenders, and this is something that could not have been done without a state law change.”

 

Earlier this year, Fox News profiled Edgar Vasquez Silva, a DACA recipient who is a deputy for Stone County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas. “Though restricted from patrol duties that require carrying a firearm due to his non-citizen status and state law, Silva found other ways to contribute, especially as a bilingual officer serving Hispanic communities that can sometimes be fearful of police.”

 

ADDENDA: In case you missed it, crime has actually gone down in New York City for much of this year . . . not that it’s doing incumbent Mayor Eric Adams any good in his bid for reelection. (I love the commenter who insisted that the post was “disinformation” because the city “just makes up stats.” There’s a valid argument somewhere in there about unreported crime, but at some point, a violent crime gets nearly impossible to cover up, as well as a violent crime wave. Are the morgues hiding the murder victims? Are the hospitals hiding the gunshot and stabbing victims?

 

Elsewhere, it is true that President Trump’s more hawkish actions indicate that “non-interventionists” like Tulsi Gabbard and JD Vance have less influence than they expected. But it doesn’t quite mean “personnel isn’t policy,” as some claim, because Trump also has Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz and John Ratcliffe around him, who were all on the more hawkish side of the foreign-policy spectrum. When a president’s cabinet is a team of rivals, some faction is always going to end up on the losing side.

 

Over at that other Washington publication I write for, an observation that poll after poll shows the Democratic Party at or near all-time lows in favorability among the electorate. But if you’re going to be unpopular, an off year after a presidential election is a pretty good time to do it, with so few elections in 2025 — and the few that are going on this year look pretty good for Democrats. The party has 461 days to get its act together for the 2026 midterms, which is plenty of time. What must be driving the DNC batty is that polling now shows Americans disapproving of President Trump and his policies . . . and then turning around and saying they trust Republicans to handle the same issues more than the Democrats.

MEDIA-RELATED STUFF: MOSTLY STUFF FROM WEDNESDAY

Cool Greg Moulton started "The All Request Lunch" with songs with hot or some variation thereof in the title.

Picked up 98PXY Rochester in the noon hour with nonlocal midday show.

From a radio standpoint, I think it's cool Radio Maria has been around thirty years. 

RADIO-RELATED STUFF: THINGS OF WHICH I WAS PREVIOUSLY UNAWARE

Just briefly tuned into Montreal Greek Radio, apparently Canada's first internet radio station.

I never knew there used to be a station in Quinte West, CIQW-FM, which had to go off the air when County FM came along.

I was also hitherto ignorant that Pauly Shore ever hosted "Rick Dees' Weekly Top Forty." 

CBC RADIO MONTREAL FRESH AIR DECEMBER 26, 1987

This unique aircheck is from Boxing Day of 1987 and features part of a special national edition of the normally local to central Canada "Fresh Air" hosted by the legendary CBC broadcaster Bill McNeil along with Alan Miller.

I found this recording such a pleasure to listen to both for the two veterans bantering with each other and mentioning CBC history as well as for all the great Canadian music played. You won't find Neil Young, Rush or Gordon Lightfoot here, but you will find, and potentially be exposed for the first time, to lots of great jazz, folk and a bit of classical music from the great white north. There's even some comedy thrown in for good measure.

I didn't know "Fresh Air" used to also run in Quebec, since it's now only broadcast in Ontario.

Some interesting sounding books are teed up.

At one time, Jay Ingram from the Discovery Channel's "Daily Planet" hosted "Quirks and Quarks."

There is no bottom of the hour local newsbreak, probably because all staff concerned were away for the holidays, though that would be unusual for CBC, even today. 

The top of the hour newscast doesn't have any Canadian stories, also quite odd for the Mothercorp.

MAN ARRESTED AFTER CLAIMING HE HAS A BOMB, THREATENING TRUMP AND SHOUTING DEATH TO AMERICA

PEOPLE

 

Man Arrested After He Claims He Has a Bomb on Flight, Threatens President Donald Trump and Screams 'Death to America'

By Charlotte Phillipp  Updated on July 29, 2025 12:49PM EDT

 

A man was arrested after he claimed he had a bomb — and made other eye-raising remarks — on a plane.

 

The 41-year-old man was on an easyJet flight headed from London's Luton Airport to Glasgow, Scotland, on Sunday, July 27, when he first called out, "Stop the plane," according to social media footage of the incident obtained by the Daily Mail and the BBC.

 

The man — whose identity has not yet been shared publicly — then said, "Find the bomb on the plane," before he yelled: "Death to America. Death to Trump."

 

He then screamed "Allahu Akbar," which translates to "God is great" in Arabic, several times, before another passenger appeared to tackle him and held him to the ground.

 

As another passenger joined in, sitting on the man and telling him, "Sit down. Don't move," the flight crew could then be heard announcing that the plane would be "landing very shortly," before other passengers began to question the man.

 

"Do you have a bomb?" one person inquired, as others asked the man about whether he had been drinking or taking drugs.

 

Police Scotland told PEOPLE authorities boarded the aircraft once it arrived and arrested the man. The 41-year-old "remains in custody," police said.

 

In a statement to PEOPLE, a easyJet spokesperson confirmed that the incident took place and that the passenger was removed "due to their behavior onboard."

 

The representative continued, "easyJet's crew are trained to assess all situations and act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers is not compromised at any time."

 

"The safety and well-being of our customers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority," the spokesperson for British airline added.

 

Police Scotland told PEOPLE the investigation into the incident continues. "We are aware of videos circulating online, and these are being assessed by counter terrorism officers," authorities said.

 

“At this time we believe the incident was contained and that nobody else was involved," police added.

 

It is not currently clear what charges the man faces or if he has legal representation to comment on his behalf.

MOM'S NIGHTTIME ROUTINE FOR HER KIDS HAS PEOPLE DIVIDED

New York Post

 

Mom’s shocking nighttime routine for her kids has people divided: ‘I can’t imagine growing up in this chaos’

By Fabiana Buontempo

Published July 27, 2025, 2:10 p.m. ET

 

They’re a bunch of night owls.

 

How someone chooses to parent their child is a personal choice — and one mom’s approach has many people scratching their heads.

 

It’s typical for most young kids to have an early bath and bedtime schedule, but Emily Boazman chooses to do the complete opposite. Dinner time in the Boazman household is as late as 9:30 p.m. and bedtime stories take place close to midnight.

 

Staying up late is something many kids can only dream of — but for Boazman’s three homeschooled kids, who are 9, 7 and 3 — this is their norm.

 

The stay-at-home mom is married to a district attorney who usually gets home from work on the late side.

 

Once he’s home — usually after 8 p.m. — is when the family will begin their wind-down routine for the night, which often includes an evening walk, followed by cooking dinner, cleaning up, Boazman’s daughters getting their hair prepped for the next day, bathtime and then finally bedtime, which is usually a little after midnight, according to a viral video the mom posted with time stamps.

 

“They wake up just fine” — usually around 10:30 a.m.,” Boazman told Newsweek in an interview. “I have to tell them to get up a few times but once they’re out of bed, they’re perfect for the rest of the day.”

 

Boazman’s untypical regimen for her family caught many by surprise in the comment section of her video.

 

“Omg, I would die if we were making food at 9pm. I’m thinking about bed at that time.”

 

“This is chaotic. I can’t imagine growing up in this chaos.”

 

“This is my worst nightmare.”

 

Yet, many others agreed with — and even related to — her logic.

 

“Thank God there is other families that don’t make their kids go to bed at 7 and have a day routine I’m winging this thing called motherhood & life.”

 

“We do something similar! in bed by midnight. it’s amazing because early mornings at the woooorst.”

 

“Why I homeschool…we get to decide our schedule and our lifestyle. We are night owls too.”

 

Boazman isn’t the only mom whose parenting style has raised some eyebrows.

 

Jeri-Leah is a mom of four who doesn’t believe in rules.

 

She also posted a controversial video on social media where she explained that she never expects her kids to do chores or have any responsibilities.

 

“You don’t have to tidy, I will do that. I don’t mind.

 

“I’ll put your clothes away, I’ll wash your clothes. That’s my job, I’m your mom; I’m gonna mother you; let me smother you.”

18 YEAR OLD GIRL SCALPED AFTER HAIR GETS CAUGHT IN FAIR RIDE

PEOPLE

 

18-Year-Old Girl’s Scalp Is ‘Ripped Off’ in Freak Accident After Her Hair Got Caught in Fair Ride

By Brenton Blanchet  Published on July 27, 2025 11:46AM EDT

 

A teenage girl is in the hospital after her hair allegedly "got caught" while on a fair ride.

 

At around 10:53 p.m. local time on Saturday, July 26, an 18-year-old woman was injured on a ride at the Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show in the village of Netley Marsh, England, according to the BBC and the local news outlet Southern Daily Echo.

 

Emma Perry — a 51-year-old heart failure nurse who was experiencing the attraction with her 17-year-old daughter at the time — alleged that the teen slipped "on the oscillating floor" of the attraction, fell backward and her hair "caught in the rollers on the floor."

 

“Her friend came off the ride and said she was bleeding, so I offered my services as a first aider," Perry said of the injured teen, per the Southern Daily Echo.

 

“When I got up there, I saw that three-quarters of the girl’s scalp had been ripped off in what we call a degloving incident," she continued. "First responders were already on the scene, so I cradled the girl’s head and kept talking to her."

 

Perry added that a portion of the ride had to be cut for first responders to rescue the teen, who was "screaming" and "clearly very distressed." The teen suffered potentially life-changing injuries, per the Southern Daily Echo.

 

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary stated that police are liaising with the Health and Safety Executive in response to the incident, the BBC reported.

 

The Netley Marsh Steam & Craft Show and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for further information on Sunday, July 27.

 

Charles Cole, owner of the fun fair operating at the Netley Marsh Steam & Craft Show, alleged that the walk-on ride had been subject to daily checks and paperwork prior to the incident. He added that "50 people had been on the ride before the 18-year-old woman and there "were no issues," the Southern Daily Echo reported.

 

"The ride is 20 years old but it had been tested that day. This was a freak accident," Cole said, per the outlet, while confirming that the girl's "hair got caught" and "she could not grab on to the handrails."

 

“Nobody wants to hurt anyone, and we are a family business," Cole said. "Last night was very upsetting, especially for the man who owns the ride.

 

“Safety is our priority, and we sympathize with the girl and her parents. It is under investigation and the ride is closed," he added, per the Southern Daily Echo.

 

In a statement shared on the Netley Marsh Steam & Craft Show's Facebook page on Sunday morning, organizers confirmed the event would be reopening that day.

 

"Despite what you may have read or seen online, we are open and look forward to seeing you all," the statement read.