Creepy Gay Congressman After 16-yr old Boy

It's all over the news. Congressman Mark Foley (Republican - Florida) tried to entice a 16 year old teenaged boy into some sex-text. You can see all of the text seen here. Be forewarned, it's a bit creepy to read. The whole thing defines what a perv is like.

To avoid all the controversy, Foley resigned as Congressman. Smart move. Although his name has to stay on the Florida ballot.

Here's a little list on Congressional Sex Scandals in History, including both Democrats and Rebublicans covering 21 of these scandals with 12 of them being Democrats. .

A Female Deaf Pianist

I figured somewhere, someplace there must be another deaf or hard of hearing pianist. And I did find one. Her name is Valerie Zamora out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Gee, I used to live in Asheville, North Carolina a few years back.

Valerie plays classical pieces. But she is deaf rather than hard of hearing which would make it a rarity among pianists. Rarer than having hard of hearing pianists. This isn't an easy thing to do and it's a gift for some to possess the skill to play a piano supremely well and deaf at the same time.

Go a visit her website. She has two music samples and they sound really well. Guess that means I need to produce an audio (probably video) copy of my Ragtime playing on my crappy piano. Like Zamora, I began playing the piano since I was 7 years old. I am still playing it though not as much as I like because the piano I play on is really not that good.

Maybe I'll meet Valerie someday. It's not everyday that a deaf/hh pianist meets another deaf/hh pianist and compare notes.

Ooh..I made a funny.

BTW, can anyone spare me a baby grand piano out there. Seriously.

Teaching Islam in Public (and Private) Schools in America

Remember a few years back where California instituted a mandate for all district schools to teach 7th graders (even in the 6th grade, too) about Islam, Mohammed, the Qu'ran, Mecca and all that sort?

seventh-graders learn the tenets of Islam, study the important figures of the faith, wear a robe, adopt a Muslim name and stage their own jihad. Adding to this apparent hypocrisy, reports ANS, students must memorize many verses in the Koran, are taught to pray "in the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful" and are instructed to chant, "Praise to Allah, Lord of Creation."

And these are the very same public schools that would not dare go over the history of Christ and Christianity to such a degree as Mohammed and Islam without raising the ire of the ACLU and Liberals? Thanks to the separation of Church and State public schools are getting their federal fundings to teach and basically indoctrinate 7th graders in the name of Allah good education.

But perhaps it's better to look at the actual lesson course outline from the "Across the Centuries" book in order for you to understand exactly what these 7th grade social studies teachers are teaching to your kids. What are these kids learning?

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies "Across the Centuries" 7th grade social studies:

Lesson at a Glance Outline

Chapter 3, Lesson 2: Muhammad and Islam (pp. 58-64)

I. The Life of the Prophet
A. In A.D. 610, Muhammad had a vision of the angel Gabriel, in which he received messages from God. He and his followers came to believe that he was the last messenger in a long line of prophets sent by God.
B. When Muhammad began to preach in Mecca, he taught monotheism, the belief in only one God.
C. Muhammad named the new faith Islam, which means "submission" to Allah
(God). Believers in Islam are called Muslims.

D. Some people in Mecca resented Muhammad, forcing him and his followers to migrate to Medina. Eight years later, Muhammad and his Muslim army marched to Mecca and the city surrendered.
II. The Teachings of Islam
A. Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the word of Allah, completing the earlier revelations of Old Testament prophets and Jesus.
B. Islam has close ties to Judaism and Christianity, sharing many prophets and holy people described in the Bible.
C. Muslims accept five basic duties, called the Five Pillars of Islam. These include belief in one God, praying five times a day, giving alms to the poor, fasting during Ramadan, and the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.
III. Islam as a Way of Life
A. The Sunna, or guiding rules for Islam, includes not only the Five Pillars of Islam, but many additional moral standards that a Muslim must live by in everyday life.
B. The Islamic term, jihad, means "to struggle." The Qur'an and Sunna only allow jihad as a means to defend against aggression and persecution.
C. The Sunna also sets guidelines for the treatment of women.

Sure, the book use the name "Jesus" but only named Him as a prophet and not The Savior. Wouldn't want to upset Muslims or Liberals if you mention Jesus as the Savior next to Mohammed on the same page in the same paragraph in the same sentence. You know exactly what THEY would do.

The social studies book not only have one full chapter dedicated to Islam, Mohammed, Jihad and Mecca but 2 full chapters which can be seen in Chapter 3 and 4.

In Chapter 3 it goes over heavily on the name “ Mohammed” (no pbuh's?....I'm shocked!) ,”Mecca” , “Islam”, “Qur’an”, “Allah”, “Ramadan”, “Hajj”, “Jihad”, “sets guidelines for the treatment of women” and “Islam as a way of life”.

Very inspirational, indeed. And 7th graders learn the value Islam which means "submission." I'm sure 7th grader girls will go absolutely crazy squealing with delight hoping to wear a burka someday.

In parts of Chapter 4 it talks about “dhimmitude” (sort of) by explaining that Muslims in medieval times were “tolerant” of Jews and Christians. But read the real story on "dhimmitude".

Now, not only do California schools have to teach this course to 7th graders.

DESERT SANDS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT -
California
Grade 7:Across the Centuries

Santa Cruz County Office of Eduation

Rossier Park Elementary

Contra Costa County Office of Education

But you will see the same 7th grade social studies textbook being used in Colorado, Ohio, Minnesota (and here) and even in Washington's Whittier County Christian Schools of all places.

“Our Purpose is to partner with families to educate studnts academically, socially, and spiritually in a Christ-centered atmosphere”

It absolutely boondoggles the mind that they teach 7th grade social studies using the “Across the Centuries” social study book. Are they nuts or what? Perhaps they simply skip Chapter 3 and 4? But they have that book!! Flush it down the drain I'd say.

But if "Across the Centuries" social studies book is good enough for those public and private schools across America for 7th graders then I suppose it's smashingly good for an Islamic private school called New Horizon School located in California who will no doubt not object.

New Horizon School is an independent Islamic school founded by the Islamic Center of Southern California in 1984. New Horizon School is committed to providing students with an excellent academic education and firm grounding in moral and ethical values. New Horizon School fosters a dedication to God through virtuous living in a progressive Islamic environment.

Projects/activities include: visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Islamic Art and Japanese Art exhibits; Islamic calligraphy, bookmaking, Chinese writing, Japanese garden-making; and asimulation of the Roman senate and a debate.
Text: Across the Centuries (Houghton Mifflin)

It's on Page 36.

Now. How many public schools (even private ones) out there in good ol' America that are teaching 7th graders about the "value" of Islam which means "submission" in their social studies classes?

This should curdle your blood, folks.

Gallaudet Students - Rude?

I came across this blogsite that had an anonymous commenter regarding Galladuet University students (I suppose the commenter is talking about Gally students) who live off campus in one of those semi-ruined historical Washington D.C. buildings unless they happened to be one of those fixer-uppers seen in Georgetown, which I seriously doubt. Anyway, this hearing person who live in one of those houses who is next door to a bunch of loud mouthed, loud music playing, and rude group of deaf people who rent this place out to live in.

My concern is about Gallaudet students who live in the neighborhood, make noise and create an increasing public annoyance to me and my neighbors. To be more specific, 3 - 4 college students occupy the house house next door to me. They throw parties, play loud music, make noise and entertain guests who create a nuisance in the street late at night.

That's the sad part about deafness. These deaf tenants can irk the hell out of their hearing neighbors by being among the loud and obnoxious deaf group of people without even knowing it. Common sense dictates that these deaf/Deaf/hh tenants do know they have hearing neighbors. And, yes, these deaf students living off campus and can get really loud, if not obnoxious in their behavior. Perhaps it's better to wait and blow steam at the next Rock Festival hoping to see the next equivalent Mutaytor rock band with large eardrum busting speakers that would make every deaf people be able to hear. Nearly literally so. Even the rock group thanked the "deaf kids" for giving them a chance to help them hear again, so to speak.

Post-Show...Thank You Gallaudet for the inspiration and magical weekend. We made deaf kids hear, and we will never forget this amazing experience.

Hear again? Isn't that what some culturally deaf people secretly wish for anyway?

So, perhaps these deaf renters need to learn the value of respecting the neighbors' wish for peace and quiet. Having loud parties and music with a bunch of deaf people screaming and hooting is the equivalent of hearing neighbors putting up high intensity strobe lights flashing madly through the windows of their deaf neighbors while they try to relax or sleep.

And what's more, these hearing neighbors have to deal with this all year long, every year with new incoming freshman wanting to the experience that same "life of the party" feeling. I don't blame them, however. There are better venues for these things. And when you've experienced all that partying, you move on after you graduate but the neighbors have to stay and wait for the next batch of deaf kids who want to taste the party atmosphere on and off the campus of Gallaudet University.

Liberal Gates of Hell - Airports and their CNNs

CNN's Eye of Sauron.

John writes in Powerline about his experience going through one airport and noticed all of the TVs turned on to CNN with it's volume cranked up blaring away incessantly for 24 hours. So many of them? In all airports I daresay? Take a look CNN's airport network website:

CNN Airport Network is available in 42 of the busiest U.S. airports and is seen in more than 1,880+ gates and other viewing areas.

Ye gods! 1880+ gates of hell!

Now, all that hasn't escaped my observation either whenever I go on business trips do I notice TVs on with CNN's one-sided coverage up and down the airport aisles. But as a person who is hard of hearing, I have the option of turning off my hearing aid and smile while I sit and wait until my plane is ready at the gate. Of course, then I be tempted to look up once in a while at the tv in my moment of boredom and see a flurry of moving mouths...mostly shouting, I suppose. I guess with some 30 million people with hearing loss in the United States they have at least that option and not to suffer such fate compared to hearing people.

But John said the airports have their TVs set on really loud so everybody can hear. Really? I suppose that's true since another guy from PBS talked about the very same thing - rude and loud TVs at the airport.

In one airport gate, I was basically held hostage to the TV, blaring news summaries at high volume, repeated over and over and over. Imagine being stuck for three hours and seeing the same thing repeated endlessly.

Check out that PBS link. Pretty interesting about the history of how CNN got started in airports and the author's phone conversation with one of the architect who got CNN into airports.

I can imagine the successes of having CNN blaring all across the United States in those airport terminals holding travelers hostages to one-sided news. Especially when planes get delayed for several hours due to bad weather. Now, isn't there a compensation package for frequent flyers for high-frequency hearing loss who are forced to listen to overly loud CNN's television shows? Ok, so, I'm trying to be funny here.

But then I noticed recently in my business travels that airports are turning on their closed captioning more and more often, even when you request it.

Dag gurn it! Although I can always look away, and watch people bump into each other or see them pick their noses.

Perhaps we can petition Foxnews for them to try and get in at the remaining other airports? If any is left.

By the way, avoid Detroit's Northwest hub.

Huge, perhaps 40-foot diagonal TV screens with closed captioning keep CNN in your view at all times - a blessing and a curse

A curse? Indeed. Especially with 40-foot TV screens all over the place. The CNN's Eye of Suaron is everywhere you go as you walk the crowded airport terminals. Whether you're hearing or deaf, you ain't safe no more from the Liberal chokeholds of one sided news where ever you travel the (un)friendly skies.

My Say about DHH-CommUNITY

My first thought about DHH-community when it made its website debut a few months back was "What a great idea!" Now, did it bother me that the website was the brainstorm of several deaf and hard of hearing women from diverse backgrounds living in different parts of the country? Or the fact that many of them are career women or that they are also raising their kids, too? No. Why should I? All I had to do was look at their mission statement covering 4 different areas.

1. Facilitate a public discourse on key issues and policy solutions impacting our community.

So far, so good. This has been the case as we all ask the deeper (and sometimes troublesome) questions without resorting to mudslinging and ad homenim attacks which is against their policy. Bravo.

2. Respect diversity among us and take a stand against oppression from within and outside our community.

So far, the diversity is there, and it is growing. I am seeing more hard of hearing, deaf, and Deaf people come to DHH and contribute positive dialogue, even if we disagree. And that's important. None of the bullying tactic or ad hominem attacks since those kinds of talks do not contribute to dialogue and discovery. Many of us are showing respect despite what we believe. Keeping to this kind of attitude provides a better opportunity and chance to address fully the many deafness or deaf/hh-related issues on the table.

3. Exercise our first amendment rights without fear of undue reprisal and character assassination.

This was one of the biggest reason why DHH-commUNITY was formed. They decided that somebody had to take a stand against ad hominem attacks, bullying tactics or cyberbully, Sometimes it has to take the eyes of hard of hearing and deaf people to offer a different and fresh perspective from the eyes of Deaf people, even tho many hard of hearing do consider themselves as a Deaf person. And the reverse can be true, too. It's not about the have and have nots when it comes to on the ability to hear and derive useful benefits as a result. No. This is about one thing...hearing loss issues for all groups of people with all kinds of hearing loss from mild to profound. It's just not about the Deaf community. It's about all communities with people who have a hearing loss from mild to profound.

4. Empower the community to advocate for social change.

Nothing wrong with that. Everybody wants social change. Positive social change empowers us, the deaf and hard of hearing community, and Deaf community on many levels and breadth.


Now, the issue about DHH-commUNITY shouldn't be whether this was formed by a group of women, much less career women. Or group of women who are stay at home Moms raising their kids. Or career women who have kids. This isn't about womenhood. Or manhood. Or misogyny. This website forum isn't about feminism or the use of it to try and manipulate others. If any, I haven't seen such things. What I see is an open discourse in a forum where we can agree to disagree without resorting to personal attacks or cyberbullying. If anything, people should be applauded in trying to help make positive social changes without resorting to derisive attacks, implications, guess works, conspiracy theories, accusations, and innuendos. People who do that are not helping the situtation but make matters worse. And instead rely on facts and well reasoned opinions.

David King produced a good Part 3 article "Voice of Reason" on DHH-commUNITY. His analysis and factual reporting with his own opinions provided many readers and contributors to think about "what about the other side of the story?". The thing is that Gallaudet protesters shouldn't think that they are immune to the inquisitioning of their activities and actions. Or even their agenda is untouchable just because they are the larger group. What David has provided is crucial information necessary for many of us to make an informed decision on how this protest is proceeding and whether this is the correct way to go. In short, people are questioning their tactics and whether they are doing things as honestly as we had hoped for.

I agree with David. We should use this opportunity to create more positive dialogue and better opportunitistic negotiations for more constructive social changes while the front door is still open to deal with the Gallaudet administration now, in 2007 and beyond. Shooting ourselves into our foot over and over isn't productive. Nor smart.

Let's look at Aikido that I've practiced since 1997 which is a Japanese martial art on the use of non-resistance methods for self defense that uses circular movements and not linear as a self defense martial art with no punching, blocking, or kicking involved. This may sound like a passive self-defense martial art but it is much more involved and extremely complex than anyone can imagine. The techniques of Aikido is counter-intuitive when it comes to self-defense. The techniques of Aikido use relaxed but not weak movements. If somebody comes to you and grabs you by the shoulder, arm or wrist, your reaction may be to pull away from that source of danger. This is a natural reaction. You tense up. There is an instant feedback on the tension felt. Everybody feels it even if you have two or three on you. You feel it yourself, too. The person would want to move and pull away because their personal safety zone has been violated. The reciprocal reaction may be to incur a blow to the attacker(s) or allow yourself to go under complete submission. It is this classic “fight or flight” syndrome many of us are familiar with. Instead of tensing up, you relax in your movements. The best way to explain Aikido is that it's like water. You can't feel the tension of water. There is no feedback if you try and grab water. When you attack water, it becomes subtle and unassuming and you get sucked in before you even realized what had happened.

The concept of Aikido is a way to help resolve conflict on whether to use a fight or flight tactic by using conflict as a source of power for self defense. Or in this case a source of empowerment. Recognizing conflicts can help empower a person because people in general have their own set ways or perspectives that do not allow room for change. So, the butting of heads continues to prevail in a conflict situation. Even I am still learning this valuable concept of Aikido, even after 9 years. It's not an easy thing to learn. Or unlearn in this case. You simply learn to center yourself on a daily basis and that's not an easy thing to do.

Now, if someone attacks you physically but knowing Aikido you have the power to use that attack against the attacker in such a way that you can protect you and the attacker at the same time. You have the ability to blend in with the attacker’s deadly movements with greatest of ease while totally relaxed. You end up protecting yourself and even the attacker, too, without trying to put him into a hospital. That's the highest ethical defense one can do. It's easy to hurt somebody in self defense but it's much more harder to try and protect the attacker while protecting yourself. Or at least you try. Nobody's perfect. That's the key.

Once you learn what Aikido is about you begin to have a fresh new perspective on self defense. You begin to learn that conflict is an opportunistic time to learn the art of blending and conflict resolution. When conflict is seen as an opportunity only then will you realize that your priorities have changed for the better.

Wayne Perryman - A New Conservative Voice

Folks, we need to help Wayne Perryman to help him spread the message to help attract more conservatives from the African American and Hispanic communities. In fact, Wayne Perryman is asking our help.

As the flight from the conservative camp continues, so does the need to attract more conservatives, which means the future of the Republican Party rest with its ability to attract more conservatives, or their ability attract two groups that are known to be culturally conservative; the African American and Hispanic communities.

As I travel across the country speaking to number of conservative groups including inner-city pastors, they are very concern that there are so few strong conservative (African American) voices (with credibility) that can challenge the strong liberal voices of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Ted Kennedy.

Many have asked that I be that voice. Why me? Perhaps it is because they have read my books, reviewed my research, purchased copies of my CD, seen my editorials, heard my speeches and sermons, listened to me on talk radio, and watched me on C-Span, but more so because that I am one of the only inner-city African American ministers who has a track record in the inner-city and travels nationwide to speak on these issues. I am now ready to take on the challenge, but to do so I need the support of conservatives.

Wayne Perryman wrote a book called "Unfounded Loyalty". It's a great read on the history of how Republicans have helped blacks rather than the Democrats. He corrects the myths about Republicans and Democrats and which ones did the work to help black folks help themselves. One reader makes this note,

This dishonest attempt to portray Republicans as racists has been perpetrated by the Democratic Party for the past thirty years. Anyone who watched the performance of Democratic Senators like Teddy Kennedy in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Judge Sam Alito appointment to the Supreme Court this week has witnessed the absurd and dishonest lengths to which they are willing to go to perpetuate that myth.

What the Rev. Perryman points out in this book is that for over a hundred years from 1854 to 1964 the Republican Party was the sole champion of emancipation, of equal rights for blacks, of putting an end to racial segregation, and of anti lynching laws; while the Democrats recipitated and fought a civil war to preserve slavery, enacted and enforced the Jim Crow laws that created the segregated South, and invented and repeatedly used the Senate filibuster to block the enactment of anti lynching bills introduced by Republicans.

It is true that by the 1960s the effort to end segregation and discrimination had become a bi-partisan effort. Democratic President Harry Truman took a courageous stand against segregation in 1948, splitting his party; and Lyndon Johnson introduced the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But neither of these laws could have been enacted without Republican support. Republican Senators and Congressmen overwhelmingly voted in favor of these bills, while one third of the Democrats in both houses of Congress voted against them, and mounted a filibuster in the Senate to prevent their enactment -- a filibuster that was broken only with Republican votes.

We know that the Democratic base is keenly aware and afraid of this surging movements on increasing African American and Hispanic conservatives into the Republican fold. No wonder they are afraid of this happening when you get one of the Democratic operatives who illegally hijacked Michael Steele's credit history. The Democrats simply hate Michael Steele. And then we have the Oreo cookies incident against Michael Steele.

Five days after the debate, Steele said that one or more Oreo cookies had rolled to his feet during the debate suggesting a racist statement against him. "Maybe it was just someone having their snack, but it was there," Steele said. "If it happened, shame on them if they are that immature and that threatened by me."

With an Oreo cookie's black cookie on the outside with white filling on the inside suggest to Michael Steele's black on the outside but act like a white person on the inside. Petty. Texas Rainmaker gives an example on which political party pays more respect to African Americans.

At any rate, Wayne Perryman did his research for his book "Unfounded Loyalty" and discovered that it wasthe Republicans who did the most in helping blacks to help themselves than Democrats.

The Democrats

Our nation's top historians reveal that the Democratic Party gave us the Ku Klux Klan, Black Codes, Jim Crow Laws and other repressive legislation which resulted in the multitude of murders, lynchings, mutilations, and intimidations (of thousands of black and white Republicans). On the issue of slavery: historians say the Democrats gave their lives to expand it, the Republicans gave their lives to ban it.


The Republicans

Regarding the Republican Party, historians report that while Democrats were busy passing laws to hurt blacks, Republicans devoted their time to passing laws to help blacks. Republicans were primarily responsible for the following Civil Rights legislation:

1. The Emancipation Proclamation
2. The 13th Amendment
3. The 14th Amendment
4. The 15th Amendment
5. The Reconstruction Act of 1867
6. The Civil Rights of 1866
7. The Enforcement Act of 1870
8. The Forced Act of 1871
9. The Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871
10. The Civil Rights Act of 1875
11. The Freeman Bureau
12. The Civil Rights Act of 1957
13. The Civil Rights Act of 1960
14. The United State Civil Rights Commission

And gave strong bi-partisan support and sponsorship for the following legislation

15. The Civil Rights Act of 1964
17. The Voting Rights Act of 1965
18. The 1968 Civil Rights Acts
19. The Equal Opportunity Act of 1972
20. Goals and Timetables for Affirmative Action Programs
21. Comprehensive Employment Training Act of 1973
22. Voting Rights Act of Amendment of 1982
23. Civil Rights Act of 1983
24. Federal Contract Compliance and Workforce Development Act of 1988

Don't believe? Take the time to read and then give your support to Wayne Perryman so he can help inform the African American and Hispanic communities on which of the real party that have helped them and continues to do so. Democrats think it's funny.

UPDATE: Check out Gateway Pundits on the Democrats' meltdown over the National Black Republican Asssociation's radio ad over the claim the Democratic party created the Ku Klux Klan.

Wayne Perryman had this to say back in 2003 as to why he wrote the book "Unfounded Loyalty" in the Texas Federation of Black Republicans website.

Like many African Americans, Perryman said he voted Democrat most of his life and assumed that Democrats represented the black community. But the two-year investigative process led Perryman down roads that he never knew existed because of what he described as a biased education system.

``In the process of doing this investigative research to write the book, I was shocked, I was angry, I was frustrated to find out information that has been kept from the general public,'' he said. ``The only thing I could conclude was that it was deliberately excluded from books.''

Indeed. Sometimes people don't want to let you know about these things. Wayne Perryman further elaborates about the Democratic party,

"Today, the facts of our history are hidden from the average African American, the average Republican and I'm not too sure it's hidden from the average Democrat,'' he said. ``I don't think they want the past brought up.''

As part of that past, Perryman likened the white-supremacist Ku Klux Klan as the ``terrorist arm of the Democratic Party'' and compared the KKK to the militant Muslim groups al Qaida and the Taliban in terms of using violence to accomplish its goals in intimidating, beating and killing blacks at the voting polls.

``So when they talk about Trent Lott and the chads (in the 2000 presidential election in Florida), there's absolutely no comparison to what the Democrats did,'' he said. ``Yes, Trent Lott made a very stupid, ill-advised statement. But he has never been responsible for the number of murders the Democrats and their terrorist supporters have caused and brought about on the African American community.''

Does that sound familiar today with the Democrats' (and RINOs) help on giving terrorists all the help they can get on defeating America's war against terrorism?

Also, check out the Republicans for Black Empowerment website, too.

What Culturally Deaf People Say about Hearing Loss Cure

Does the self-labeling “Culturally Deaf” means that a Deaf person does not want to have his or her hearing loss cured or restored someday should it become possible in the future? Should even we accept that premise as completely true? You would think so or at least I did but now I’m looking at this at a different light after seeing my own poll.

I did a poll not to long ago covering a stem cells story and how it could one day be the answer to help restore ear hair cells thereby restoring hearing loss. I asked the question in my poll “If you have a hearing loss, would you like to cure your deafness?” I set up my poll so that a culturally deaf person may answer “yes”, “no” or “don’t know.” I did the same thing for those who do not describe themselves as culturally deaf but either as a deaf or hard of hearing person. Now, this poll is not scientific one and I have no way of ensuring complete veracity of the results. I would hope readers of Kokonut Pundits who participated were honest in their voting. But what I have seen so far with 78 votes total is that those who describe themselves as “culturally deaf” had the most vote on “yes” (21 votes – although one person correct me on the error on picking the wrong poll selection so it should be 20) versus “no” (13 votes) to have their hearing loss restored or cured someday through biotechnology. I expected more “no” than “yes” votes from the culturally deaf group on whether they would want to have their hearing loss restored.

Shocked and surprised you might say.

The next most votes came from people who describe themselves as simply “deaf” had 20 “yes” votes compared to hard of hearing with 8 “yes” votes.

Now, if they are saying “I’m a culturally deaf person” does it mean “Deaf pride” always and that the ability to hear is not important and shouldn’t be in the picture? Are they “traitors” if they voted "yes" to have their hearing loss restored someday? A hearing wanna be? As for the culturally deaf group that voted “yes” more than “no” the results beg several questions.

1. Poll results could be an error and people are playing around by voting “yes” in the “culturally deaf” category. If that’s the case, shame on you.

2. Those who voted “yes” as a culturally deaf person is wishing or believing that he or she is a culturally deaf person. The person just want to be accepted by that group.

3. Those who voted “yes” as a culturally deaf person is really a culturally deaf person but is a closeted person who does have this desire on wanting to hear someday. Perhaps this person is more hard of hearing than deaf and does derive some benefits from his/her hearing aid or cochlear implant. He or she may even talk well and have good hearing enough to use the cell phone.

Whatever the reason or case the polling results certainly create more questions than answers on the real definition on what constitute a "D"eaf person in this day an age when complete restoration of hearing loss approaches closer every day.

Go ahead and check out the rest of the voting results. If you haven’t voted, go ahead and vote.

Kathy Buckley and "Deafhood"

Ok, Paddy Ladd says this:

Deafhood theory suggests that whatever answers Deaf people offer up when they ask themselves the question - ‘What is “Deaf” ?’ represents their own idea of Deafhood. These answers vary widely. In the USA for example, Deafhood is asserted by sign language skills - Deaf leaders are often those whose ASL rhetorical styles are aesthetically powerful. Storytelling, jokes, puns, language creativity are all positively valorised, and those who sign poorly in conversation are left in no doubt about any failure to achieve the expected standards. By contrast, political action, and support for all members of the community are much further down on their Deafhood self-definitions.”(Ladd, 2003)

Ok, how about this? A little twist in the thinking here. “Deafhood” can also be asserted by a deaf or hard of hearing person with such skills on the ability to crack jokes, use idioms, storytelling, jokes, puns, language creativity and such all using his/her own voice?

No?

Perhaps Kathy Buckley, a well known female comedian with a hearing loss, has already found her "deafhood" then?

"I have no patience for stupidity or labeling. I believe if you need to put someone down, you have an insecurity," she says

Indeed.

Go to her own personal website and see what's she's all about.

Matt Hamill vs Seth Petruzelli

It has been confirmed. Matt Hamill will fight Seth Petruzelli (see his website) this October 10, 2006 at Hollywood, Florida. Yes, Florida. It will be broadcast live on SpikeTV this time from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel. Be sure to watch and root for your favorite up and coming first ever deaf UFC fighter.

Also, Matt Hamill's training coach and partner, Tito Ortiz, will be there to fight once more against, Ken "The World's Most Dangerous Man" (ha ha, ooh, excuse me) Shamrock. Here's the detail:

UFC FIGHT NIGHT LIVE - THE FINAL CHAPTER: TITO ORTIZ VS KEN SHAMROCK III
Telecasts LIVE Tuesday, October 10 (8:00 - 10:00 PM, ET, tape delay for West Coast). Encores Saturday October, 14 (4:00 - 6:00 PM, ET/PT)and Monday, August 16 (Midnight - 2:00 AM, ET/PT).

Spike TV presents the third and final installment in the UFC's most storied rivalry between bitter rivals UFC Hall-of-Famer Ken "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Shamrock and Tito "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Ortiz. This special UFC event headlines a fight card that will air LIVE from Hollywood, Florida at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel. Leading up to the fight, catch two days of UFC programming on Spike TV, including the UFC LIVE AND INSIDE (working title) on Monday, October 9 (8:00 - 8:30 PM, ET/PT); encores Tuesday, October 10 (11:30 AM - Noon, ET/PT).

Check out the latest discussion in MMA forums about Matt Hamill and his upcoming fight against Seth who is 6'0" and 245lbs. Look for a heavier and stronger Matt Hamill against Seth.

Check out all of my up to date Matt Hamill bloggings.

Citgo = Chavez

Why connect the two?

The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A, the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. That's where Chavez is. And why boycott Citgo? Well, Chavez wants to bring down the U.S. government. And that the Citgo company helped pay for a pep rally in Harlem for Chavez.

The event, according to Foxnews, is one of a series designed to boost the Venezuelan leader's popularity in the U.S., was organized by Citgo, a Houston-based energy company that is owned and controlled by the Venezuelan government. Ain't that grand? Citgo used this event about their winter heating oil program where Citgo is in partnership with Citizens Energy, a program run by former U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy II, sells and distributes discounted home heating oil to low-income families. It wasn't too long ago that Chavez was talking about oil and poor people.

The plea came in a letter from a group of U.S. senators to nine big oil companies: With huge increases in winter heating bills expected, the letter read, we want you to donate some of your record profits to help low-income people cover those costs.

But the lawmakers received only one response. It came from Citgo Petroleum Corp., a company controlled by the Venezuelan government of President Hugo Chavez, a nettlesome adversary of the United States who has accused the Bush administration of plotting to assassinate him and invade his oil-rich country.

So, does this mean that if people boycott Citgo successfully and we have a bad winter and Citgo has to forego the heating oil program will boycotters end up racked with guilt?

Nah.

Michelle Malkin makes a note of the growing backlash to boycott Citgo,

Tons of readers are asking me for information about boycoting CITGO to protest sulfur-sniffing Hugo Chavez. Movement growing here and here. More here and here.

There are Citgo gas stations throughout the United States. Use Citgo's gas station locator, find the nearest Citgo station(s) and avoid it like the plague. Everytime you pump gas at a Citgo gas station, you are paying Chavez's dictatorship in Venezuela. Best to go to another gas station since you don't want to fund a kooky Socialist wanna-be-Islamofascist out of Venezuela.

Do you?

Although Snopes says it won't work...this boycott thing. Ah, right, Carnac the Magnificent.

Remember the pictures of Citgo and Chavez and how Citgo lines Chavez's pockets to try and take the U.S. government down.

Associated Press vs Michelle Malkin

Looks like the Associated Press (AP) will finally get their hands full by entangling themselves, stupidly so, against Michelle Malkin. But what was surprising is that the AP agrees that even journalists interview terrorists rather than use the word "insurgents" instead, popular among the MSM.

Journalists interview and photograph murderers, child molesters, kidnappers, and, yes, even terrorists...

Is the AP admitting that their own AP "journalists" do in fact interview bad and evil guys? The Islamofascists kind? Is the AP admitting that Bilal Hussein is somehow, perhaps, a terrorist sympathizer which have allowed him to get up close and personal with real terrorists and their victims? Just so the AP can win the terrrorists' hearts and help their terror agenda? Was this a classic Freudian slip by the AP?

Why is the Associated Press going after Michelle Malkin right now when they have ignored, like Malkin said, Little Green Footballs and Powerlineblog? Is it because the conservative website Michelle Malkin has a lot of readership and that AP feels threatened by her blogging ability and news gathering based on common sense? Is it because the AP is like a deer caught in the headlight with them associating themselves as sympathizers of Islamic terrorists?

Lets look at the reach number between Michelle Malkin and AP and compare that with Little Green Footballs and Powerlineblog. Not suprised to see Michelle Malkin right up there not too far from the AP in terms of reach and page hits. Sounds like Michelle Malkin is definitely making an impact on the AP who believe that the ethics of journalism means they can be biased, sympathetic and one-sided.

Michelle doesn't think so. And so she reports on what they don't want readers to see or know.

Give 'em hell, Michelle.

Cyberbullying by Deaf Proxy

The Chronicle came out 5 days ago with an article written by Brock Read about how bloggers use the blogosphere for their harassment and electronic intimidation tactics against university presidents or administrators by getting them to step down or resign from their positions that bloggers find unsatisfactory. The Chronicle calls them "spitfire bloggers" but in actuality many of these types of bloggers usually act as cyberbullies or cyberstalkers who will use whatever disposals, including making defamatory and libelous comments, to help generate sympathies from readers against a perceived enemy, real or not, even at the cost of soiling or damaging an institution that may take many years to recover. Here's one story about Ms. Gupta who was president of the State University of New York College of Technology.

Ms. Gupta is now at Brockport, where she leads an effort to recruit women and minorities to SUNY's science and mathematics programs. She says campus administrators need to come up with new strategies for dealing with disgruntled bloggers and Web posters — who can be feistier, and harder to reach, than faculty senates.

"Virulent blogs aren't just one person's problem; they're a problem for the whole institution," she says. "Key stakeholders — whether it's the board of trustees, the president and cabinet, or the senior leadership team — must find a way to address disenfranchised members who are ready and willing to damage the institutions."

Presidents have every right to take legal action against blogs that advance libelous claims, she says. But she declines to discuss whether she tried taking legal steps to shut down the Alfred State blog. Brewster Pennybaker, while he was still writing, claimed that administrators at the college made several attempts to cut the blog off using technology, rather than the law, but Ms. Gupta denies that.

Of course, you will now have paranoid bloggers who will think that university administrators are going after them. Maybe so, if the libelous comments keeps up some bloggers should worry because there will always be a legal precedence someday in seeing the first legal move against bloggers who purposely defame and libel. Bloggers can have their freedom of speech and expression while blogging on the internet, that's a given. But that doesn't mean they won't or can't get sued for making libelous and defamatory remarks.

Right now at Gallaudet University university administrators or officials are getting smart about monitoring blogsites by deaf, hard of hearing and even hearing (e.g. CODA's, etc) bloggers who may have axes to grind for whatever reasons against university officials or members.

This spring at Gallaudet University, an institution for deaf students, bloggers led the charge against Ms. Fernandes, who was chosen by the college's trustees to succeed the institution's first deaf president, I. King Jordan. Ms. Fernandes is still the president-designate, but the debate spawned by bloggers was fierce and divisive.

Some bloggers attacked Ms. Fernandes's management style; others argued that the college did not give adequate consideration to minority candidates. And some criticized the college for choosing a president who did not learn sign language until she was 23.

By the time they knew the extent of the less-than-flattering Web commentary, Gallaudet officials say, it was too late for them to stem the tide. Locating influential bloggers on the sprawling, untamed Web is "sort of like nailing Jell-O to the wall," says Mercy Coogan, the college's director of public relations, but it is a task worth taking on.

After bloggers raked Ms. Fernandes over the coals, Ms. Coogan made a point of compiling a list of popular blogs and making sure that someone from her staff perused new posts every day. Campus officials try to "stay above the fray" by not responding to petty sniping or criticism of the university, Ms. Coogan says. But they do occasionally correct factual errors that pop up on blogs: After word spread online that Gallaudet was shutting down a popular mentoring program, a dean at the institution sent a campuswide e-mail message dispelling the rumor.

Ms. Coogan's comments echo those of Ms. Hoffman, formerly at Colorado, who has said she regrets not requiring an assistant to monitor blogs every morning.

Let the mass paranoia begin because cyberbullies and cyberstalkers' blogsites are indeed being watched, read, recorded and addressed if need be by administrators and such. I'm sure a few deaf/hh bloggers will hurl a few comments toward Coogan's way by accusing her of practicing "Big Brother" which is essentially impossible because the blogosphere is a public medium which is completely open to the whole world where anybody and everybody can read a blogged article over the internet.

However, we do need to ask this one important question. Why do bloggers, posters and commenters act this way by being so virulently, uh, stupid at times? Well, for one, the internet does provide a sense of anonymity as well as a false sense of security separated by long distances between readers and bloggers.

Ms. Gupta says it is hard to respond productively to something that amounts to little more than a broadside.

She says the blog wasn't a "blow for liberty," as one of its fans crowed in an e-mail message to the site; it was an echo chamber in which rumor and innuendo were used to tar her presidency. "This blog was not about issues," she says. It was "about personal vendettas, name-calling, slander, and libel."

The blog offered its contributors a veil of anonymity: Over the three months that it ran, only a few of the people who commented on the site ever revealed their names. That anonymity may have been appealing to the bloggers who thought they would otherwise have been silenced, but Ms. Gupta says it only emboldened disgruntled employees to make specious claims

That's the thing. How can anyone trust or take the words seriously at face value from anonymous (or even well known) bloggers and commenters in discussion forums who act like vicious little, petulent brats rather than have a constructive discovery discourse instead? Perhaps these bloggers value emotion over rationality and proper discourse by using inflamatory words, innuendos, dire implications and hyperboles instead? Such actions hardly contribute any real value for readers who want to make an informed decision about what is going on.

Just the facts ma'am.

If blogs start to sound like conspiracy theories with bloggers getting overly worked up in a frenzy against an institution, faculty, staff or adminstration officials then they probably are just that. Conspiracy theory hookums that appeal only to raw emotions that are easily manipulated rather than appeal to rationality. Such a case would be the classic example of readers and commenters egging on and giving approval to bloggers who resort to such tactices.

"In the hands of those who put their personal interests before the welfare of the institution," Ms. Gupta says of the blog medium, "at its best it is a bullying tool, and at its worst it is electronic terrorism."

But James Grillo, the president of Alfred State's Faculty Senate, takes a different view. "The blog was instrumental in her leaving the campus, along with the SUNY investigation," says Mr. Grillo, whose demotion from an administrative position was seen by many professors as a catalyst for the blog's formation.

There is always a fine line on how these things work nowadays especially when we have deaf and hard of hearing readers who will give their approvals to their favorite deaf or hard of hearing bloggers to act virulently and libelously.

This is what I call "Cyberbullying by Deaf Proxy."




Attention: Take a poll about my blogsite.

Korans for Bad Seeds

According to today's Corruption Chronicles it shed a serious light on the burgeoning prison population with prisoners who are slowly being indoctrinated and "radicalized" by helping them become Islamofascists through the offering of translated Koran books at prison libraries.

The IANA is one well known Islamic organization in the United States that has an inmate program where some

530 packages of Islamic books were donated to prison libraries. Each package consisted of seven different Islamic books, twelve tapes, one copy of the translation of the Holy Qur’an, and video tape on Wudu & Salat.

If you don't remember the IANA organization it came into recognizance a few years back when at University of Idaho on February 26, 2003 law-enforcement agents raided the graduate-student housing and arrested Sami Omar Al-Hussayen, a Ph.D. computer science student from Saudi Arabia, while also interrogating 20 international students for more than four hours. Government prosecutors charged Al-Hussayen for lying on his visa application (because studying was supposedly not his “sole” reason for coming to America) and ordered him deported for illegal earning money (because he was paid $200 for working on a website). Sami Omar al-Hussayen was eventually acquitted and sent back home to Saudi Arabia.

Al-Hussayen, a former president of the Muslim Students Association at the University of Idaho is also accused of helping to raise money ($300,000 over five years) and providing computer services for the Islamic Assembly of North America, including some sites that advocate jihad and suicide bombings. And yet with the IANA organization they are helping recruit and convert prisoners into radicalized Muslims and essentially brainwashing them into becoming hate-filled and overly sensitive"girly man" Islamofascists who will no doubt go into a mouth frothing frenzy grand mal seizures should anyone make fun of Islam.

None of this news to U.S. officials or lawmakers. After all, more than a year ago FBI Director Robert Mueller testified before Congress that “prisons continue to be fertile ground for extremists who exploit both a prisoner's conversion to Islam while still in prison, as well as their socioeconomic status and placement in the community upon their release."

Indeed. Something to be concerned about.

The United States has the world's largest prison population, with more than 2 million inmates. It also has the world's highest incarceration rate - 701 of every 100,000 people are in prison or jail. Islam is the fastest-growing religion behind bars, which makes the system a desirable target for terrorist organizations to recruit new members, experts say. But people familiar with the prison system say the vast majority of Muslim inmates are African-Americans and Hispanics who turned to Islam for spiritual development or protection and camaraderie.

Indeed, there's little interaction between the Muslim community on the inside with the one on the outside. For instance, in New York State there are an estimated 200 Muslim prison volunteers, compared with more than 4,000 Christian volunteers. "The stage hasn't been set for the type of collaborations that folks are trying to suggest, and given the fact that most [Muslim inmates] are Americans, terrorism is the last thing they'd want to be involved in," says Mika'il DeVeaux of the Muslim Re-entry Initiative, a nonprofit group in New York dedicated to helping released inmates reintegrate.

Remember Jose Padilla, the "dirty bomber"? He converted to Islam while serving time in a South Florida prison.

Then we have radical Whhabi Islam that converted prisoners at northern California’s Folsom State Prison where many of them plotted shooting rampages against

....three National Guard facilities, several synagogues and the Israeli consulate; an FBI informant who converted to Islam while serving time in a California juvenile detention center and later trained with the terrorist who kidnapped and beheaded an American newspaper reporter.

Yet with prisoners converting over to radicalized Islam may turn out to be the ones with recognized American names rather than Arabic ones.

"You will see. Americans will hardly find out any Muslim names, after the next attack. Most of our brothers are living in Western countries, with Jewish and Christian names, with passports of Western countries. This time, someone with the name of Mohamed Atta will not attack inside America, it would be some David, Richard or Peter."

Interesting.

However, we do have bad American seeds like Adam "baby face" Gadahn. He submitted. I wonder how his parents feel now?

Remember, don't submit to idiocy. You'll just simply pervert yourself.

Greg Gunderson to race again.

Greg Gunderson, a Deaf professional race car driver, is planning to race in tomorrow's night Sprint car race. This will help continue to prepare himself for the upcoming racing reality show coming this October. From his newsletter.

Tomorrow night (Saturday, September 16) I will return to I-90 Speedway and drive Justin Saathoff’s #85 car. The race is a make-up for the rained-out race from two weeks ago.

I-90 Speedway is in Hartford, SD – 15 minutes west of Sioux Falls on State Highway 38. The race starts at 8:00 pm.

Weather Forecast – More Rain?

Weather forecast is scattered thunderstorms with a 40% precipitation chance for tomorrow. If it rains too much, the race will be cancelled. If you plan to come, I suggest you call the track after 4 pm at 605.528.6380 to listen for a prerecorded message on whether the race is on or cancelled.

After the race, you can come into the pit to visit me. See you at the race!

Cheers.

If you want to subscribe to Greg's newsletter please sign-up at the Gunderson Racing website.


Check out all Kokonut Pundits blogs on Greg Gunderson.

AllahPundit and Bethany

I know AllahPundit is working hard over at Hot Air but as of late with all that work he's been doing in some small, dark cubicle down below in Michelle Malkin's Hot Air dungeon he's resorting (more likely succumbing) to fantasizing about Bethany at RealVerse during his working hours. Is he getting paid to do this? Readers saw it coming where it all got started here. And then it progressed to here. Is AllahPundit making a fool of himself in this weird, sort of mating dance? We can see where this is going. Infatuation is a deadly and cruel game that plays tricks on the mind...mostly it's the male's mind...in trying to do this high stake, techie mating game of sort. Or is he? With infatuation there comes fantasies and fear of rejection. Probably the worst fear of rejection is humiliation of this kind.

Now, let's take a peak inside AllahPundit's mind on what it may be like to meet Bethany in person given AllahPundit's current state of mind. Remember that fear of rejection? It's a cruel world out there, AllahPundit.

When Democrat Jim Moran becomes a moron during his 9/11 speech

9/11. What does it mean? It means it is a time for solemn rememberance and resolve for those 2996 who were murdered today 5 years ago in New York city. And then we get US Rep. Jim Moran (D-8th) who decided to become a moron that day.

U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, D-8th, lauded the “perfect professionalism” of Arlington's public-safety personnel, who responded to the Pentagon after the crash and won worldwide accolades for containing the damage with no additional loss of life.

He also praised the community-wide outreach effort that occurred after the attacks.

“Arlington has woven together the fabric of a community that can't be torn apart,” he said.

But Moran then maneuvered into more sensitive ground, suggesting that the country was not safer and intimating that the Bush administration's foreign policy was headed in the wrong directions.

“More people hate us,” Moran said, a comment that drew an outburst from the crowd.

“My brother died on 9/11 - don't make this political,” a woman in audience cried out.

Moran continued, calling on the nation to address the root causes of terrorism by the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center.

Root causes? How about because we don't submit to idiocy? Jealousy? Petulancy? Terror? Islamofascism? And that we support freedom for every man, woman and child here in America?

Remember what Jim Moran said today. And take the 9/11 pledge that "I will not submit!" Stop by and see him or write to him and tell him that he has given up on America.


The above phrase in Arabic is "lan astaslem."
It means "I will not surrender/I will not submit."


Freedom. Embrace freedom. And remember those who died as murdered victims that touched everybody from sea to shining sea.

Rumsfeld said it well.

"..the highest tribute we can pay to them is to commit ourselves to doing everything possible to fight the extremists wherever they are, to making every effort to stay united as a country and to give our truly outstanding men and women in uniform all that they need to succeed.”

Freedom is never free. You have to fight for it. Paid in blood and tears.

Did Oil Drillings Cause an Earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico?

When I heard about the earthquake ( 25°N, 85°W) that took place in the Gulf of Mexico, which may seems an odd place but earthquakes do occur all over the world, the first thing I thought was whether this was an induced shallow earthquake caused by the removal of oil since oil drilling and removal of oil is heavily done throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Technology has now given the oil industry the capability to drill over deeper waters and deeper into the earth's crust.

Since I do know about geology, hydrogeology, geophysics and earthquakes (MS Geology, Univ of Idaho). And I do know about the phenomenom of induced shallow earthquakes that have occured over on dry land deep below the surface. They are well documented. Even in Texas, a "non-earthquake" country, known for it's many oil rigs that dot the landscape. Much of the induced but unintentional earthquakes were caused either by the removal of liquid (e.g. oil, gas, or water) or the injection of fluids into the drilled hole. Even large reservoir lakes were known to induce earthquakes though very small.

The definition of a shallow earthquake is that the source of the earthquake or hypocenter takes place in the shallow crust of the earth. Usually anything under 70 km (43 miles) deep as the source of an earthquake took place is called a "shallow earthquake". Earthquakes originating deeper than 70 km to as far as 700 km (434 miles) are called "deep earthquakes". The mechanics are different between these to zones due to the temperature and pressure differences in the geologic formation of the crust to the Earth's upper mantle.

Let's take a look at the earthquake's location or epicenter that took place a few days ago out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Check out this map of the earthquake's location.

Now, lets take a look well all those oil rigs and platforms are out in the Gulf of Mexico. Look for "Deepwater Millenium". It's the oil rig platform (ie ship) closest to Florida but actually it's about in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Deepwater Millenium ship has the capacity to drill 30,000 feet into the earth or 5.6 miles (9.1 km) deep. That's in the realm of the upper crust area of the Earth. But Deepwater Millenium is not in that location anymore but the area is being drilled for oil, exploration or production. No doubt.

It could be a longshot, probably most unlikely, but this could turn out to be one of those rare induced earthquake caused by years of oil removal in the area. According to the USGS, the earthquake's hypocenter took place at 10 km deep. Well within the realm of deep water oil drilling where oil rig platforms have the capacity (now) to drill as deep as 9.1 km into the crust. Could there be some unknowns we are dealing with when it comes to deep water geology? Could the release of oil at such depths from the earth crusts could cause some crustal movements therby inducing an appreciable earthquake? Does an overlying layer of crushing water of 10,000 feet has to do with it?

Just as there are fault lines all over the United States. There are also fault lines that criss cross at the bottom of the ocean that are lesser known than on dry land. It's a matter of accessing fine geologic details 10,000 feet down into the waters of Gulf of Mexico. However, Foxnews reported the quake occurence as "unusual",

"This kind of occurrence is unusual in that spot, especially for an earthquake of this size," Blakeman said of Sunday's quake.

The temblor was unusual because it was not centered on a known fault line. The "midplate" earthquake, deep under the gulf, was probably the result of stresses generated by the interaction of tectonic plates in the earth's crust, the agency said.

Next, I'm sure environmental wackos will discover my blog on geology, oil and earthquake and make a run for it screaming chicken little to the oil industry.

It could just be a coincidence here folks. Calm down will you?

UPDATE: There was an earlier earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico in February of this year. But it was about a 100 miles further west from the recent quake we had. However, it does seem to fall on a line of one guy's theory or "Jack's Reed Theory" of a hidden tectonic plate beneath the Gulf of Mexico.

...there has to be a hidden tectonic plate segment in this spot and it is not only geologically active but is responsible for triggering the New Madrid Quakes.

Look at the map picture.




Hmm. Seems plausible. A hidden plate tectonic showing itself. The recent earthquake a few days ago would be exactly on that drawn yellow line 100 miles to the East Northeast.

UPDATE II: I am familiar with the New Madrid fault and it's history but for those who are not should take the opportunity to learn the history.

In the winter of 1811-12, the central Mississippi Valley was struck by three of the most powerful earthquakes in U.S. history. Even today, this region has more earthquakes than any other part of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Government agencies, universities, and private organizations are working to increase awareness of the earthquake threat and to reduce loss of life and property in future shocks.

The 400 terrified residents in the town of New Madrid (Missouri) were abruptly awakened by violent shaking and a tremendous roar. It was December 16, 1811, and a powerful earthquake had just struck. This was the first of three magnitude-8 earthquakes and thousands of aftershocks to rock the region that winter.

Survivors reported that the earthquakes caused cracks to open in the earth's surface, the ground to roll in visible waves, and large areas of land to sink or rise. The crew of the New Orleans (the first steamboat on the Mississippi, which was on her maiden voyage) reported mooring to an island only to awake in the morning and find that the island had disappeared below the waters of the Mississippi River. Damage was reported as far away as Charleston, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C.

So strong the quake, it actually changed the course of the Mississippi river. Something to think about.

An opinion poll: What do you think of Kokonut Pundits blogsite?

Ok. Here's your chance to make your opinion known anonymously about my blogsite. Have at it and see what other people say about my blogsite (or me for that matter).

Poll Opinion: What do you think of Kokonut Pundits blogsite? I love it! Keep it coming. It's pretty good. Some good stuff to read. It's fine. It could use some improvements. It's not really that good. It's horrible! You're always attacking Deaf people! Your blog should be banned and censored! Give me time to think about it. Free polls from Pollhost.com

UPDATE: Guess who voted "Your blog should be banned and censored"? Take some guesses, folks.

I just happened to look when 13 votes were on the board and came back 5 minutes later and saw 14 votes. so I checked my Sitemeter to see who was on recently and lo and behold. Some angst ridden person still holds a grudge against me. How lucky to see that this person believes in censorship and banning a blogsite such as mine and at time when liberals are going after censoring the Path 9/11 movie with the threat of pulling the FCC license and/or a lawsuit by Clinton's cronies. And so I collected my screen shots detailing the whole sordid history as proof. I figured this guy would vote "Your blog should be banned and censored!" Ever wondered why I would put that poll option in? Now you know. Guess it worked only because of my timing that I happen to do a quick check before dinner.

If you're curious as to who, email me. I'll send you the screenshots.

Marla Holt (ASL advocate) Replies in Response to Baltimore Sun's Cued Speech article

In my recent blog I wrote a piece yesterday about Cued Speech regarding the Baltimore Sun's coverage on Cued Speech. The newspaper also covered Marla Holt, coordinator of deaf services at the University of Baltimore, said that she was overly reluctant on not providing Cued Speech transliterator should a deaf student of Baltimore University. This seems to be an exaggeration presented on the newspaper's part according to Queen Alpo's blog "My thounge ith fath" (ie My tongue is fat) about the email response she got from Marla Holt after writing to her about her supposed lack of deaf services support for those requesting Cued Speech transliterators.

First of all, I am quite angry with that article. That reporter came to interview me; I have no idea how he knew of me and UB's service. In addition, a friend of mine was here as well. The reporter spoke with us for over an hour, mostly with Nancy Billingslea who is a Deaf woman and an adjunct professor, the Manager of Deaf Services with Humanim, the first Deaf to come to UB to receive her first master's degree, and has begun her second Master's. Not one quote was mentioned from her, and the one from me was quite out of context and poorly and wrongly stated. Nancy ’s comments were quite open-minded and fairly stated.

It is true that I have never been asked to provide cued speech transliteration. If ever I am, it will be provided. The University of Baltimore Disability Support Services office is well-known as one of the most accommodating and accessible universities for students requiring its services. I believe that one reason for that reputation is that each staff person in DSS has a disability; therefore, our attitude is to accommodate each student to be at the level of all students and to achieve his/her best. I fully understand needing whatever it takes to succeed.
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You are a strong advocate of cued speech, and I am not attacking that position at all! However, I know of very few Deafs who agree with you, and nearly every Deaf person I know is knowledgeable about cued speech. Perhaps both of us are making assumptions of each other’s point of view.

Read the rest of the email. Something to think about whether to trust newspaper reporters who may have a habit of taking quotes out of context.

Although Queen Alpo responded in her blog about the email she receieved with a few nagging thoughts.

I was quite relieved to receive her e-mail. Although my gut feeling is that she and I still don't se completely eye-to-eye (for example, she says she knows of lots of people who don't like cueing even though they know what it's for), she comes off quite differently than the hearing self-appointed "omniscient" I thought it sounded like she was.

She does make an extremely salient point - the oft-used argument by cueing advocates that while cuers interviewed for articles like this read at post-secondary levels while the average deaf person reads at fourth-grade level is really arrogant when you consider that the hearing average is, I believe, only at the sixth-grade level. (Huge difference - not.) Plus, use it with the deaf non-cuer, and it's a huge turnoff. I wish the NCSA and other organizations and advocates who use that argument in marketing cueing would keep that in mind, especially considering the undeniable fact that cueing has yet to make inroads in the deaf community.

Read the rest of Queen Alpo's response regarding Marla Holt's email to her. Quite interesting and fascinating to a degree.

Hat tip: Queen Alpo in my comment box.

ASL versus CUED Speech = Social versus Academic?

The tide is beginning to turn for CUED speech advocates and users. CUED speech or more appropriately CUED English is now believed to be the best source of visual language support for the spoken English language and it’s ability to identify idiomatic expressions and nuances. The main purpose of Cued Speech is not for speech purposes but for literacy. The growing acceptance of CUED speech is a sign that a paradigm shift is now starting to occur.

The inventor of CUED speech was Dr. Cornett who was the Direct of Speech programs at Gallaudet University back in the 1960s. Dr. Cornett remained vice president of Long Range Planning at Gallaudet University until 1975 when he became Research Professor and Director of Cued Speech Programs, a position he held until 1984. In addition, from 1981 to 1983, he was also Chairman of the Center for Studies in Language and Communication at Gallaudet.

His goal was that he wanted deaf kids to have the same opportunity that all kids have when it comes to the access of the English language.

The purpose of CUED speech is to add just enough information to what is seen on the lips to make every sound look different from every other sound. Simply put, CUED speech is certainly a visual communication method that use only 8 handshapes placed in 4 different areas near the mouth enabling deaf kids to discerning the differences of what was said through lip reading and listening. In short, it’s a visual way of “hearing” every consonant and every vowel being spoken. A communication method rather than a language like ASL.

Jeff Majors and Allison Kaftan, both well known deaf bloggers, were interviewed by the Baltimore Sun for an article called “A Different Cue for the Deaf :'Cued speech' has produced strong academic results -- and a dispute.”

Here are some of the research findings about Cued Speech

Cueing does help children who use it continue to develop literacy at a rate comparable to their hearing peer according to Elissa Speech, MD. The average deaf student prior to high school graduation reads at a 3rd to 4th grade level (Conrad, 1979, Traxler, 2000).

In comparison, there is no statistical difference between hearing students and deaf cuers on literacy, sound awareness, rhyming, internal speech, and spelling tests (Wandel, 1989, Laeybaert et al, 1996; 2003).

Cued speech supports students with auditory processing needs, including: Articulation, 2nd language learners, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and Down syndrome (Beck, 2002).

Essentially, 100% spoken language is accessible with the addition of Cued Speech (Nichols and Ling, 1982).

Children with cochlear implants, educated with Cued Speech, have better speech clarity with correct syntax than children habilitated with oral or gestural means only (C. Coleon, 1997).

American Sign Language (ASL) has a different grammatical structure than English. Signing systems used in school programs do not effectively convey English because they are not sound-based(Drasgow & Paul, 1995). In contrast, Cued Speech conveys English visually (Nichols and Ling, 1982).

What’s amazing about Cued Speech is that many Deaf people are threatened by it because they think it’ll replace ASL It cannot. It’s not about choosing between signing and Cued Speech. One can go either way with it. However, cueing provides access to the spoken English language straight away.

Cued Speech has been expanding slowly but it will soon take off with greater publicity like the 40th Anniversary of Cued Speech conference that was held a few months ago in July. Now, 2nd generation of Cued Speech users are now adults and are now the next group of Cued Speech advocates like Jeff Majors and Allison Kaftan to spread the good news and correct many myths and suspicions about the benefits of Cued Speech.

According to Education News on the gaining popularity and benefits of Cued Speech that many hearing parents are turning to:

Cued Speech is already heavily entrenched in schools systems from California to Maine . With states demanding higher levels of educational achievement and President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act , the idea that deaf children can achieve the same literacy levels as hearing children is attractive. In states like New York , where a diploma requires students to pass Regents exams in history, math, science, English and a foreign language, educators are taking a second look at Cued Speech. Research coming out of Gallaudet University shows that deaf cueing children are capable of basic pre-reading skills, such as rhyming, which are excellent predictors for future reading abilities (LaSasso, Crain, Leybeart, 2003; Leblanc, 2005).

Results of Cued Speech use:

• Language Skills/Literacy - Receivers of Cued Speech are able to understand spoken language conveyed with cues at extremely high levels of accuracy.1 Consistent exposure to spoken language through cues results in language skills and literacy levels comparable to those of hearing peers.2 Many students who use Cued Speech are enrolled in regular classes, preschool through college.

• Speech reading - Due to their knowledge of spoken language, individuals who have had consistent exposure to Cued Speech often have excellent speech reading skills and are able to communicate with people who do not cue.

• Audition - Cued Speech is a tool used to convey the phonological aspects of language. Therefore, it is totally compatible with the use of hearing and can help to develop auditory awareness, discrimination, and comprehension. The foundation provided by cues integrates well with cochlear implant use.

• Foreign Language - Cued Speech is not only used for English. Deaf students in the U.S. use Cued Speech to learn foreign spoken languages, such as Spanish, French, and Latin.

Currently, there are about 40,000 deaf and hard of hearing children in elementary and secondary schools across the United States, some 200 of them are active CUED speech users. Cued Speech is used today in about 15 countries and is available in 56 languages and major dialects.

Washington Post covered Cued Speech in July, 2006 who interviewed Dr. Cornett’s son as well.

The idea for the new way to teach English came when Cornett, who died in 2002, found few students were reading on campus, said Cornett's son, Robert, an astronomer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He wanted to provide the same elements of spoken and written English for deaf people.

But use of the communication system has faded at Gallaudet, and the clinics that taught Crumrine's parents and others about cuing are no longer regularly offered on campus.

"His feelings were very hurt by that," Cornett's son said. "This was the thing that he contributed most."

Cornett's Cued Speech Program was finally out of the picture at Gallaudet by the mid-1980s.

In 2003 Dr. Jane K. Fernades showed a different feeling for both ASL and Cued Speech in a 2003 article called “In Search of Keys to English Print”

“It is exciting because several authors seem to suggest that Cued Speech can and should be employed as part of a bilingual approach to learning.”

And Katherine A. Jankowski, Ph.D., Dean Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center Gallaudet University introduced in 2003 on the Clerc Center website about Phonics, Signs, Cued Speech, Fingerspelling and Other Learning Strategies called “Cracking the Code Reading & Writing— And the Challenge of “How." The title is, ironically so, nearly the same as the Baltimore Sun newspaper website that hosted a video produced by the National Cued Speech Association with a video called “Breaking the Code”(see right hand column and click on name of video) about Cued Speech.

Just a simple observation here.

However, current prejudicial thinking by ASL advocates and users is still rampant regarding CUED Speech when they show extreme bias and reluctances in acknowledging the benefits of Cued Speech for deaf and hard of hearing children.

Lisa Houck, director of curriculum and instruction at the Maryland School for the Deaf, said cued speech is not used there and is not under consideration.

It's also not in use at McDaniel College, which has one of the largest graduate programs in deaf education in the country.

"Our philosophy is, we feel American Sign Language should be the language of instruction," said Rust. "And by developing a strong foundation in ASL, you can lead students to develop English literacy skills."

College students who cue might encounter resistance from campus disability offices.

"I am so much against [cued speech], and so are the deaf," said Marla Holt, coordinator of deaf services at the University of Baltimore. "Their natural language is American Sign Language."

Holt, who is also a sign language interpreter, said that in her 15 years at the university, no deaf student has asked for a cued speech transliterator. She would provide one if asked, she said, but only reluctantly: "I would not be real thrilled about it, but that is their right. Luckily, I have never been asked that."

Luckily? Somebody need to write a letter to her. Pretty shocking to see that Marla Holt would be that biased and showed reluctance to even help a deaf student who prefer a CUED speech transliterator instead of a sign language interpreter. You see, she is the Coordinator of Deaf Services and not coordinator of ASL services or coordinator of Deaf culture.

Marla Holt, be sure to know your required duties at University of Baltimore. You're to provide assistances and support services to all deaf and hard of hearing university students attending there.

Next, I think it’s high time that Gallaudet University re-institute the Cued Speech program and help provide options and choices for attending students who want to go Gallaudet University (or CSUN or NTID). Perhaps contact your local Congress person when the next round of Federal spending on Gallaudet University comes around by letting him or her know about the benefits of Cued Speech and why it should be included at Gallaudet University?

Another question. How will Cued Speech fit into all this “Deafhood” thing? What can we make of this Deafhoodism action if Deaf people only think in terms of ASL only as being the sole savior and answer to everything for all deaf and hard of hearing people from mild to profound hearing loss?

Please.

How can scores in Deaf residential schools be measured up to those who use Cued Speech and their excellent literacy test results?

Indeed. Pretty compelling stuff if I say so myself. By the way, I am hard of hearing and I do not use nor have I ever used Cued Speech since my hearing aid does a pretty good job for me with hearing loss in the 65 - 70 dB range or moderately-severe hearing loss. I speak fine, thank you.


Here’s a poll for all you deaf and hard of hearing people out there: Should a CUED Speech program be allowed back on campus of Gallaudet University?

Should a CUED Speech program be allowed back on campus of Gallaudet University? Yes! No! I am not sure... Free polls from Pollhost.com

UPDATE: See my recent blog concerning Marla Holt's comments in the Baltimore Sun about Cued Speech. Somebody did write to Marla Holt complaining about what she said on her reluctance to provide Cued Speech transliterator at University of Baltimore.