UbiDuo Gets Closer to Reality

The UbiDuo ("Ubi" is pronounced "YOO-BEE") communication device is getting closer to reality for businesses to get their hands on. The UbiDuo is seen as an important communication device for the Olathe police department and several city departments are currently testing the device.

"The idea behind it is that a deaf person can communicate any time, anywhere with these," said Lori Colwell, language program coordinator for Olathe. "It's a lot more convenient than paper and pen; it's a lot faster than paper and pen."

It also could be a partial remedy for a town that's short on sign language interpreters.

So far, some users have reported mostly positive results with the devices.
For Hyten, it was a welcome departure from the old message-scribbling routine.
"It did seem to significantly increase the ease of communication," Hyten said. "And it seemed to alleviate the frustration of communication on both sides."

The Olathe Police Department has been using the computers on a trial basis as well. Police Chief Janet Thiessen said that while it probably wouldn't be the best use in situations like longer interviews and interrogations, it has a practical side in more common traffic stops and other short-term situations in which an officer will have limited interaction with a deaf person.

Like any other city department, contacts with the deaf community aren't rare for police officers.

"For us, the contacts are very frequent, and it could go anywhere from a call to someone's home to traffic stops," Thiessen said. In other places in the city, it's being used where deaf employees work so they can interact better with co-workers.

The city will test it until Dec. 20, after which the city will decide whether to purchase dozens of the computers on a permanent basis.

"People that have tested with it have absolutely loved it," Colwell said. "When they get one of these UbiDuos, suddenly they're not as isolated as they were before because the communication barrier...is not as large as it was before."

With a growing but large deaf/Deaf population in the Olathe area near Kansas City, Missouri, the UbiDuo is a proven marketing concept where it helps provide greater communication access to those who need it.

The UbiDuo will be tested in the Olathe Public Library's main branch as well as the following City departments: Office of Human Relations, the City Clerk's Office, the Olathe Police Department and departments that deaf employees work in for the City.

Once the test period ends, the City will decide whether or not to continue the service based on information received from participating departments and the deaf or hard of hearing community.

"We have sign language interpreters on staff at the City of Olathe, but it is impossible for them to be all places at all times. The UbiDuo gives us another option to ensure that our deaf and hearing populations will be able to freely, effectively, and efficiently communicate with each other, said Language Program Coordinator Lori Colwell.

The City's sign language interpreters are available to work at City-operated events, at no charge, when requested by the public. However it is becoming increasingly harder to fill interpreter requests with growing demand for these services from the public and City staff.

Imagine what a communication device can do in cities, towns and businesses all across the United States.

It's coming.


Read the rest of the Kokonut Pundits blog stories on the UbiDuo communication device and the company, sComm, Inc.

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X-Men Illustrator Dies in Superman Jammies

Holy Batman! A Superman Lover dies in his super jammies. I don't know what to think about this passing but read on.

Wearing Superman pajamas and covered with his Batman blanket, comic book illustrator Dave Cockrum died Sunday.

The 63-year-old overhauled the X-Men comic and helped popularize the relatively obscure Marvel Comics in the 1970s. He helped turn the title into a publishing sensation and major film franchise.

Cockrum died in his favorite chair at his home in Belton, South Carolina, after a long battle with diabetes and related complications, his wife Paty Cockrum said Tuesday.

...At Marvel Comics, Cockrum and writer Len Wein were handed the X-Men. The comic had been created in 1963 as a group of young outcasts enrolled in an academy for mutants. The premise had failed to capture fans.

Cockrum and Wein added their own heroes to the comic and published "Giant-Size X-Men No. 1" in 1975. Many signature characters Cockrum designed and co-created -- such as Storm, Mystique, Nightcrawler and Colossus -- went on to become part of the "X-Men" films starring Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry.

Cockrum received no movie royalties, said family friend Clifford Meth, who organized efforts to help Cockrum and his family during his protracted medical care.

"Dave saw the movie and he cried -- not because he was bitter," Meth said. "He cried because his characters were on screen and they were living."

"He had a genuine love for comics and for science fiction and for fantasy, and he lived in it," Meth said. "He loved his work."

Obviously. Perhaps a little too much?

The Jihad of Hate and Disrespect

Today, Democrat Fred Phelps and his ilk showed up at the Huntsville, Alabama funeral for the express purpose to spread hate, terror and disrespect against families and friends of the 4 bus riders that were killed in a horrific bus crash earlier this week.

Yesterday, the father of one of the bus rider killed, Nicole Ford, asked Patriot Guard Riders for help. The non-profit group responded quickly this morning with a press release saying they’ll have volunteers show up at the funeral today at noon.

IN A PRESS RELEASE WEDNESDAY MEMBERS OF THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH OF TOPEKA, KANSAS ANNOUNCED PLANS TO PICKET THE FUNERALS OF THE FOUR TEENS KILLED IN MONDAY’S ACCIDENT. IN THE RELEASE THE GROUP, LED BY FRED PHELPS, CLAIMS GOD HATES ALABAMA AND AMERICA. THE GROUP, BELIEVES HOMOSEXUALITY IS THE SOURCE OF THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS, HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS AN OFFICIAL HATE GROUP BY THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

WEDNESDAY THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH WAS GRANTED A PERMIT TO DEMONSTRATE 2 BLOCK SOUTH OF FRIDAY’S FUNERAL FOR NICOLE FORD AT HUNTSVILLE’S TRUE LIGHT CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST. HUNTSVILLE CITY OFFICIALS SAID WEDNESDAY THEY HOPED THE TWO BLOCKS WOULD SERVE AS A BUFFER BETWEEN MOURNERS AND PROTESTORS. . . .

PATRIOT GUARD REGIONAL CAPTAIN, JIM LORENZO, SAYS HIS VOLUNTEERS WILL USE AROUND FIFTY LARGE AMERICAN FLAGS TO BLOCK ANY PROTESTORS FROM VIEW AND, IF NECESSARY, WILL SING “GOD BLESS AMERICA” TO DROWN OUT VULGARITIES COMMONLY SHOUTED AT MOURNERS BY THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH.

PATRIOT GUARD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BILL LINES SAYS HIS GROUP HAS SUCCESSFULLY BLOCKED A NUMBER OF PROTESTS BY THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH AND IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THEIR TACTICS. LINES, WHO PLANS TO BE IN HUNTSVILLE FOR THE FUNERALS, SAYS THE BEST THING TO DO WHEN CONFRONTED BY THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH IS TO SIMPLY “TURN YOUR BACK ON THEM, THEY HATE THAT.”

That’s a good counter-demonstration. Just simply turn your backs on them and ignore their presence along with displays of our American flags.

Fred Phelps and his minions’ main tactic is to show up at slain U.S. soldiers’ funerals with the purpose to disrupt and compound the grieving process of families and friends. This time it’s different. Fred Phelps and his lowlife did their protest at a funeral whose victims are not even soldiers! One Kansas University student made a documentary about Fred Phelps and you can a see a short clip of Fred in action here.

Now, a good person I know who is deaf and is the forum owner of Deafreedom.com informed readers that he was going to go and help with the protest against the Phelps KKKlan by bringing a sign that says:

"God Loves Everyone: even morons like Fred Phelps"

He hopes to meet Fred and have a few choice words with him.

Protesters who show up at funerals just to harrass and make life more difficult for grieving families and friends ought to be made illegal. But that's changing. More states nowadays are enacting or considering laws against funeral protesters who sole aim is to disrupt funerals out of disrespect.

At least 14 states are considering laws aimed at the funeral protesters, who at a recent memorial service at Fort Campbell wrapped themselves in upside-down American flags. They danced and sang impromptu songs peppered with vulgarities that condemned homosexuals and soldiers.

People who show disrespect toward slain U.S. soldiers and their families whether it’s interrupting funerals or make jokes or poke fun at dead U.S. soldiers ought to have their heads examined. These people deserve to be locked up in jail cells since they all belong under the same Jihadist class as Fred Phelps as “Disrespectful Haters”.

You probably know one already and not realize it. They could be the ones worse than Fred Phelps!



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Happy Thanksgiving and Indian Sign Language

Happy Thanksgiving readers!

And while I'm on the topic of Thanksgiving that involved pilgrims and Indians, I came across a neat website on Indian Sign Language. ISL is the first and *TRUE* sign language on America's soils. These Indians used ISL not because they are deaf but hearing to communicate over vast distances visible of each other.

Here's the Manataka Indian website for their signs.

Here's a link on the Southeastern Indian sign languages.

Here's a story on the Plains Indian sign language from 1930 during an Indian conference explaining why ISL was used.

The ancient use of gestures as a medium of expression most likely arose out of the need for communication over vast distances such as that afforded by the expansive environment of the Great Plains region.

Go here on ISL drawings. You'll need a PDF reader.

Enjoy!

While you are here, please go to my poll and check whether you are a hearing, deaf or hard of hearing Kokonut Pundits reader.

Thank you.

A Poll for Kokonut Pundits Readers

Kokonut Pundits readers, please take a moment to do a poll. This poll ought to be a good indicator on seeing exactly what my readership base is like whether they're hearing, deaf or hard of hearing readers. The results may turn out to be quite interesting. We'll see.

Thank you for taking your time in do this poll.

Readers of Kokonut Pundits, what is your hearing status? I am hearing. I am deaf. I am hard of hearing. Free polls from Pollhost.com

Bloggers and Their 3-Piece Pajamas

It has come to full circle now. It wasn't more than 2 years ago when Mr. Klein, executive vice president of CBS, made the audacious claim that bloggers who broke the CBS memo story were nothing but a bunch of guys in jammies with no checks and balances on them.

A watershed media moment occurred Friday on Fox News Channel, when Jonathan Klein, a former executive vice president of CBS News who oversaw "60 Minutes," debated Stephen Hayes, a writer for The Weekly Standard, on the documents CBS used to raise questions about George W. Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard service.

Mr. Klein dismissed the bloggers who are raising questions about the authenticity of the memos: "You couldn't have a starker contrast between the multiple layers of check and balances [at '60 Minutes'] and a guy sitting in his living room in his pajamas writing."

Yet, failed to note that bloggers are exactly the needed "check and balances" against monopolizing MSM news dinosaurs.

He will regret that snide disparagement of the bloggers, many of whom are skilled lawyers or have backgrounds in military intelligence or typeface design. A growing number of design and document experts say they are certain or almost certain the memos on which CBS relied are forgeries.

But looking back two years earlier in 2002 Reuters did a story about how bloggers are likely to resort to "barroom brawl" bloggings and that they must somehow be held accountable to their writings.

Perhaps most importantly, blogs require accountability of opinions, with each pundit putting his or her name behind every comment.

Hello? Accountability, Reuters? Remember this one? It was only a few months ago. I guess Reuters do need those "check and balances" out there.

But in a ironic turn of event the Reuters news agency is now recruiting bloggers via through Blogburst.

It is not surprising to see that more bloggers are getting paid to write nowadays seeing them as valuable sources of news and opinions, even if they're in their jammies at home typing away on their laptop. And good timing, too, since bloggers won't be held liable for defamation in California for linking to a story that does the actual defaming but then again the judge's ruling, in a way, says that bloggers aren't journalists.

Perhaps, things are turning around for well-to-do bloggers, even if one is deaf or hard of hearing, who like nothing better than to be a part of a bigger story because they, too, have valuable insight and perspective to offer. A least some of them are now getting paid to do their own blogging.


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One of Bush Girls Gets Robbed...Liberals in Utter Delight

Yes. Unreal. In more ways than one.

Just so happens that one of the Bush girls got robbed today in Argentina. Barbara Bush is fine and it was just her purse and cell phone that were stolen. But do read all the comments in the blog article by those going a bit wee unhinged in a celebratory moment. Sort of like the "You had it coming" retorts that make no sense all just because they're related to their father who is the president of the United States.

Unreal.

Sad, too.

Akbar Sentenced To Death

An Army sargent affirmed the sentencing of Sgt. Akbar to be executed. He would be the first one to be executed since 1996

The commander of Fort Bragg on Friday affirmed the sentence of an Army sergeant condemned to die for killing two officers and wounding 14 others during a 2003 grenade and rifle attack in Kuwait.

Sgt. Hasan Akbar was convicted April 21, 2005, of killing Army Capt. Chris Seifert and Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone and wounding 14 others during a March 23, 2003, attack on officers’ tents at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait.

Seifert, 27, and Stone, 40, were part of the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, which was preparing to move into Iraq to join the war. Akbar was sentenced to die April 28, 2005.

With the sentencing comes with the automatic appeal as explained in the Army Times. Though Akbar's lawyer say he was insane at the time.

Oh, really? Now, I am betting that Keith Ellison, the first Muslim in U.S. Congress, will somehow get involved in this. But Beck may have put a damper over Keith Ellison when he asked him in a television interview "Prove to me that you are not working with our enemies".

ELLISON: Let me tell you, the people in the Fifth Congressional District know that I have a deep love and affection for my country. There's no one who's more patriotic than I am, and so you know, I don't need to -- need to prove my patriotic stripes.

BECK: OK. Your view of Muslim extremists.

ELLISON: They're criminals. But I think that people who commit criminal acts should be treated like criminals, regardless of their faith.

We'll see. He still has connection to CAIR. He is against capital punishment.

The death penalty is reserved for certain people, and that is why it is hard to tinker with this instrumentality of death. Unless we have the perfect racial and economic capital punishment system, there are always going to be vulnerable people. Thus, we should not be killing people.

Reserved for certain people? And what would that be? Infidels?

Major Gregory Stone was my cousin.


UPDATE: Welcome Michelle Malkin readers. Thank you for stopping by. Check out all my previous blogs on Major Gregory Stone.



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The Rape of Gallaudet University

Interesting to see (and I welcome this) that a blog story came up called "Rape at Gallaudet" seen in Bibliomarket. But there is also an irony to this when I noticed the differences of how people reacted to my 3-part blog series on rape at Gallaudet in April 2006 before the May protest and after.

About Deafness covered my blogs with links to my 3-part series. The irony now comes to light when one reads the comments in About Deafness claiming that I was out to attack Gallaudet University because of my 3-part blog series on rape which included Gallaudet University. How does addressing rape problems on campus be seen as attacking Gallaudet as a whole? That has never been the case only because I showed concern about the rape problems that have gone on for many years. It's about focusing on why problems existed (or continues to exist).

The reason I decided to the 3-part blog series on the rape problem is because I know people who have been raped at Gallaudet University. In the past there were many institutionalized problems that existed within Gallaudet University and not just at the Administrative level. This included the SRA, CRE, and even some PAs when cracks showed that allowed the problem to persist. Is this still true today? That would warrant further investigation since there are less students on campus nowadays and yet we see the number of officially reported rapes in 2003-2004, for example, at it’s highest on record to be 7 times higher than reported in 1991-1992. Even in 2005 the number of rapes has even worsened from 2003-2004 reported figures where crimes committed must be reported which is required by Federal Law.

My whole theme has always been about how rapes have continued to worsen in some years and not improve in others? Apparently the 2005 year seems to be the worse year yet on reported rapes. Why is that? Is it because more students are becoming braver in stepping forward to report the rapes which is sometimes seen as a silent crime? Or is it because students are becoming more brash in committing these rapes?

How ironic of the charges that were leveled against me back in April prior to the protest in May and then seeing afterwards of how people have attacked relentlessly against Gallaudet University's administration, the people and such during the protest. How ironic on seeing people be overly-protective of Gallaudet prior to the protest and afterwards see them trash Gallaudet like it belonged to a landfill.

Read my 3-part blog series that I wrote back in April 2006. This is worth revisiting once again.

Deaf Residential Schools and Other Dirty Little Secrets - Part I of III.

Deaf Residential Schools and Other Dirty Little Secrets - Part II of III.

Deaf Residential Schools and Other Dirty Little Secrets - Part III of III.

Stickman vs AIMy

Watch this cool animation of a Stickman virus gone crazy. Be sure to turn up the volume to hear the great sound effects. Or at least be able to feel it. And watch a few cool "Matrix-style" moves. Hilarious!

How Much Is Your Deaf/HH Blog $$Worth$$?

Came across this blogsite about a guy who put together a little program based off of Tristan Louis's research to help determine the monetary "value" of blogs, and I used his little program to see what each deaf or hh blog is "worth."

Many in the blogosphere say that traffic is not a good measure of what blogs are but that conversation, as represented by links and indexes like Technorati, represent a more accurate view of the value of a blog.

Just like I did a few weeks ago on how readable are deaf/hh blogs, this time I produced a list of deaf and hard of hearing blogs based on value by submitting the URL address (ie internet address) at this link location to determine a blog's "value."

How much is your Deaf/HH blog or website worth? Value is listed from the highest to the lowest.


Kokonut Pundits - $160,329.36 (anybody want to buy mine?).

Jason's Ruminations - $41,211.42.

DeafDC - $36,695.10.

Bionic Ear Blog - $24,275.22.

Deaf in the City - $20,887.98.

Ridor Live - $14,113.50.

Kalalau's Korner - $10,726.26.

A Deaf Mom Shares Her World - $10,161.72.

Quiescent Voices - $9,597.18.

Bibliomarket - $7,339.02.

Mr. Sandman's Sandbox - $6764.48

ASL Community Journal Blog - $6,209.94.

Grant Laird Jr - $4,516.32.

It's My Life..Don't You Forget - $3,951.78.

Gnarleydorkete - $2,258.16.

DeafBiz - $1,693.62.

Deaf Firefighter's Blog - $1,693.62.

DHH - CommUNITY - $1,693.62.

sComm Blog - $1,693.62.

Semi-Cathartic Skribblings - $564.54.

Drolz Uncensored - $0.00.

Deafscribe - $0.00.

Sonny James - $0.00.

Tactile Junkie - $0.00

Berke Outspoken - $0.00.

Buck Naked Bison - $0.00

Deaf Attorneys - $0.00 (ha ha...too funny!)

Testing the Truth - $0.00.



Try it.


UPDATE: Corrected DeafDC.com "value" from $0.00 to $36,695.10. Glad to see it was an error on my part. It was bound to happen when you have so many blogs to check on.

My blog is worth $160,329.36.
How much is your blog worth?

FSSA Removes LaToya/Delia Memo Without Explaination

I was informed recently the that FSSA removed the LaToya/Delia memo from their website and the link no longer works.

And if the FSSA think that by removing the website memo a la’ administration-style deletion is going to work without offering an explanation, they need to think again. It is certainly NOT gone and the evidence still exist of that missing memo.

I think the FSSA owe the community an explanation because putting that LaToya/Delia memo letter constituted as an implied but official endorsement and support for the authors and the content of that memo by the FSSA organization as a whole.

So, by removing that memo, does that mean the FSSA "officially" supports and recognizes the CoSC? And agrees with the BoT's selection of CoSC? Does it mean also that the FSSA does not acknowledge nor support LaToya and Delia's claim about the CoSC? The FSSA has not yet answered any of my questions. The same goes with many others who asking questions about the memo. And with the memo yanked without giving any reasons why will raise even more questions.

At least it took the FSSA only 2 days this time to remove the memo as a "response" to many people questionings the memo. Again, the FSSA has not made the effort to provide any explanations, where they stand on certain issues at Gallaudet University, which body of organizations or groups they acknowledge and recognize, and so on.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Neisha Washington who is now recognized by the Board of Trustees to be the official representative for the Coalition of Students of Color. The Board of Trustees made the official announcement today on recognizing the people and organizations who will serve on the IPSAC committee.

Time to move forward.

Questions About The LaToya/Delia MEMO

I’ve several questions about the recent “open letter” memo by LaToya and Delia because I keep seeing this “we” stuff peppered throughout the memo as if it’s coming directly from the FSSA itself. Or is it?

Here are my questions.

Is the FSSA endorsing this memo letter written by LaToya and Delia? If not, where is the FSSA disclaimer on their website? If the FSSA does indeed support this memo, where is the affirmation on their website? Is it fair to keep people in the dark on who support who here? Who is the gatekeeper at the GUFSSA's website? Or did this memo get on the GUFSSA's website without people's knowledge?

If LaToya and Delia are acting as representatives of FSSA, does that mean the FSSA is an official organization? Or are they representing an “unofficial establishment” (LaToya/Delia's word) instead?

Who are the official leaders in the FSSA? The website does not make it clear on that either. Or does it really matter since it is an “unofficial establishment”?

Are LaToya and Delia acting as official representatives of the FSSA? Are they the mouthpiece of the FSSA? Or are they doing it for themselves as independents to gain the spotlight and attention? Their memo makes it unclear on who they are representing. The memo is after all on the GUFSSA’s website. Even the FSSA had the CoSC's memo up on their website in early May. Does that mean the FSSA officially recognized the CoSC as an organization?

Will we have to wait 3 days until we hear a response from the FSSA regarding the LaToya/Delia memo for further clarification on their stance on BoT’s official recognizance of CoSC? Or has the FSSA in fact chose LaToya and Delia to be their representative leaders? Or are they instead official leaders of this “unofficial establishment” who are now running the show? Who is what here within the FSSA's "unofficial establishment"?

Are the FSSA against the formation of CoSC? If so, why? Or is that answered by the FSSA's leaders, LaToya and Delia in their open letter memo? Or is that answered by the FSSA's when they allowed the CoSC memo on their website?

Again, we will have to wait 3 days until we hear an "official" response from the FSSA body like they did regarding the SBG crashing the HMB much to the FSSA’s disapproval? Who wrote that letter? Leaders or representatives?

How does the SBG feel about the CoSC? How does the SBG feel about the LaToya/Delia memo? Didn't Noah Beckman showed contriteness about ignoring students of color in the beginning of the protest as he explained it so well in the Newsweek article? Is Noah Beckman, president of the SBG, actually supportive of the COSC being formed?

Who is really creating divisiness here? And who is really supporting who or what here? And what exactly are LaToya and Delia trying to accomplish here? What is the FSSA trying to accomplish here? What are we as a whole trying to accomplish here? Are we here to draw lines in the sand or are we here to agree to disagree, and move forward?

UPDATE: Shane has questions, too, about the memo. He just blogged it a few minutes ago with the title "FSSA Oppresses Students of Color?"


====================
The "Memo" below:


MEMORANDUM

TO: GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
SUBJECT: OPEN LETTER OF CONCERN ON THE RECOGNITION OF COALITION OF STUDENTS OF COLOR
DATE: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2006


To the Honorable Members of the Board of Trustees;

On Saturday, November 11, the Faculty, students, staff, alumni, and parents met with some members of the Board in regards to the Interim Presidential Search. These meetings were the first step towards recognizing the importance of community input. This ensures that representatives from different groups of the community are included in the Interim President Search Advisory Committee and breeds optimism that shared governance will soon be a model used within the Gallaudet community.

There is, however, an issue of concern we must present before this coming deadline in submitting names for the IPSAC. These past six months, we, the people of color, have fought to get our voices heard. The unofficial establishment of Faculty, Students, Staff and Alumni has brought forth a place of recognition and respect of and for others outside of minority groups. This unofficial organization has provided a safe haven where, through mistakes, we have learned that teamwork is the essential ingredient for the successful implementation of the principles of social justice at Gallaudet. Working together with the same group of people who initially ignored us and finding that people do learn from their mistakes has instilled in our hearts, the hope of a better Gallaudet.

Gallaudet University will improve from this point on through continued open dialogue and giving ourselves permission to confront each other on issues that must be resolved. Most importantly, and perhaps our biggest challenge: we must push ourselves to engage in such dialogue and confrontation with various groups outside of our own communities and strive to work together as one community. Given that, we are worried that the establishment of the Coalition of Students of Color will only create division within the community of people of color.

As students, working with other groups of faculty, staff, alumni, and community agencies, we have been and continue to fight for social justice. We envision a place where each of our “voices” carry equal power. And as students, we recognize the Student Body Government as our representative organization. However, rather than working with the Student Body Government, certain individuals want to create a separate governing body. This is the same group of people that fail to recognize that a coalition means the inclusion of all minority organizations. This is also a group of people who are pushing for the formation of a coalition without first resolving inter-group conflicts. They are the same group of people who, in part because they harbor anger at those who ignored us students of color at the very beginning of the presidential search process, are not willing to work with the Student Body Government or the Faculty, Student, Staff, and Alumni coalition.

We want you to be aware that—as can be expected in times of crisis, certain issues are still unresolved. One such instance is the formation of the Coalition of the Students of Color. We have not reached a collective understanding, and we ask that out of respect, the trustees halt on the recognition of the Coalition of Students of Color until we have the opportunity to resolve some of the issues that are preventing us from working together in a way that would do social justice proud.

Respectfully yours,


La Toya Plummer
Delia Lozano-Martinez

COSC in, FSSA out.

Received this in my email box. The Coalition of Students of Color has been technically recognized by the Board of Trustees on selecting the ad hoc group to be a part of the Interim President Selection Advisory Committee (IPSAC). One student from the COSC shall be a part of this selection advisory committee. But no one from the ad hoc FSSA group (by name) was selected or the fact that Board of Trustees mentioned the group by name. Will the FSSA protest over this? Although it is to note that the FSSA has never "officially" recognized the COSC. At first FSSA did just to bring in the COSC but then later David King and Arlyn resigned from the ad hoc FSSA group:

Representative of APA Aryln P. resigned from FSSA for the same reason Representative of BDSU David King resigned — they saw the FSSA in its true light. The light wasn’t pretty.

Indeed. Will the FSSA -->protest<-- for their lack of representation (by name) on the IPSAC? Or will they accuse the Board of Trustees of something else like "being out touch" again? Though 2 alumni, 4 students (SBG, GSA, COSC, ISA) and 4 staff and 2 faculty were choosen, why should one or two representatives be chosen from the ad hoc FSSA group by name (Faculty, Student, Staff, and Alumni)? Will FSSA finally and "officially" recognize the CoSC? Is it CoSC in, FSSA out?

UPDATE: To lessen the confusion on what I'm getting at, there has been talk asking that the FSSA be officially recognized as an organization which was brought up at the Gallaudet University's Open Forum #1 on November 9th with one issue discussed "Suggestion made that FSSA become an official group under campus activities". This suggestion was also brought up earlier on October 30 suggesting that the FSSA should, as an ad hoc organization, be officially recognized at Gallaudet University. Which is fine. I've no problem with that whether they need it or not.

Now, the question is this. Since the BoT officially recognized CoSC as a group with one representative to be on the IPSAC board, does this mean that the FSSA also recognizes the CoSC as a distinct and official student governmental organization ? Or does the CoSC, or anybody else for that matter, need recognizance from the FSSA in order to be officially "recognized" by a wider body? And what does "to be officially recognized" mean anyway? What does it take to become "officially recognize"?

No one group can represent everybody because there are different ideals and experiences that make a group "unique". That alone should be "official" enough for everybody to recognize each other. I hope that everybody does indeed work together and learn to agree to disagree when necessary.


Now, the letter from the Board of Trustees on the completion of IPSAC.

================

November 13, 2006

MEMORANDUM

TO: The Gallaudet Community

FR: Pamela Holmes, Chair, Gallaudet University Board of Trustees

RE: Selecting an Interim President

The Gallaudet University Board of Trustees has begun the process of identifying an interim president to begin service on January 1, 2007. Following a full day of meetings with key constituency groups, including students, faculty, alumni, and staff, the Board met in executive session to establish the process set forth in this memorandum.

The Board expects to appoint an interim president with the following characteristics:

Possession of a terminal degree
Higher education knowledge, experience and credentials
Shared vision: An inclusive, academically excellent university
Proven leadership ability
Knowledge of fundraising and congressional relations
Ability to lead efforts to enhance respect for diversity
Ability to bridge different constituencies
Budget/fiscal management experience
Fluency in American Sign Language and knowledge of deaf culture
Highest standards of integrity and ethics
Support for K-12 education and LCC national mission efforts

Simultaneously with issuance of this memorandum, the Board has issued a call for nominations and indications of Interest. The call is posted on the Gallaudet University website and individuals, who wish to make nominations, including self-nominations, may do so by sending an email to pam.holmes@captelmail.com.

The Board expects the interim president will serve on an interim basis only, for a period of eighteen months. The Board and the interim president, by mutual agreement, may extend this period for an additional six months if needed.

The Board hereby creates an Interim President Selection Advisory Committee (IPSAC) and asks that it provide assistance by considering a diverse range of candidates to serve as interim president and make recommendations consistent with the below.

IPSAC will recommend three to five candidates to the Board of Trustees, which will then fulfill its responsibility as the governing body for the University by selecting one of those individuals as interim president. The Board reserves the right to request additional candidates from IPSAC. IPSAC will have the responsibility of preparing a brief written report about each of the recommended candidates, discussing strengths and weaknesses; it shall not provide any ranking of the recommended candidates.

IPSAC shall consist of the following members:

1 student, SBG

1 student, GSA

1 student, International Students Association

1 student, Coalition of Students of Color

2 faculty

2 University staff

1 Clerc Center teacher

1 Clerc Center staff

2 alumni

2 administrators

1 member of the Board of Trustees

The members of IPSAC will be selected by the constituency groups they represent. The respective constituency groups are expected to confirm that their representatives are available to serve. The Chair of the Board of Trustees, Ms. Pamela Holmes, will select the Chair of IPSAC, in consultation with the Executive Committee of the Board. She or her designee also will serve on the IPSAC in an ex officio capacity. A quorum of eight shall be required for IPSAC decisions. An individual will be hired to provide full-time staff support to IPSAC.

In its work, IPSAC may develop additional procedures consistent with this memorandum. It should confirm that each recommended candidate is available to begin service on January 1, 2007. It may but need not conduct video or in person interviews of the individuals it considers.

The schedule for the selection of the interim president, which is very aggressive and will be adhered to rigorously, is as follows:

November 13: issuance of this memorandum

November 15, 5 p.m.: constituency groups to submit names, titles, and contact information of their selected IPSAC members
November 16, 5 p.m.: Board Chair Ms. Holmes to select Chair of IPSAC
November 17: expected first meeting of IPSAC
December 1: IPSAC to notify individuals on its recommended list of their selection
December 6, 5 p.m.: IPSAC to send brief written reports to Board Chair Ms. Holmes
December 9: Board meeting to interview recommended candidates
December 11: Board decision to be announced
January 1, 2007: interim president to begin service

IPSAC shall conduct its work in accordance with a confidentiality agreement that will be distributed at the first meeting.

The Board expects to announce a separate search process for the permanent president, after an interim president has been selected.

Thank you.

===============

The Great Nutroots "Mission Accomplished" Video Hoax of the Year

Read Hot Air and Michelle Malkin regarding one truly unhinged liberal going about a conspiracy theory of how a video was supposedly doctored leaving out the "Mission Accomplished" banner on an aircraft carrier where President Bush gave his speech on May 1, 2003.

Not so. Nothing was removed as you can see it here, a video portion, when compared to photos explained in Hot Air. You can see it exactly halfway through it as the camera pans away and up from President Bush and then zooms in on the "Mission Accomplished" banner. Though nothing mysterious about the black bar at the bottom of the video and the camera position is nearly identical to that of the Internet Archive (Iraq War) video. Nothing removed. Just a low angle camera shot that took place.

There are more collection seen here with bigger video files. Download 'em to your heart content.

Of course, we know that Mike McIntee is lying. After exposing this pre-election hoax-of-the-year, I'm sure he'll be contrite about his lying since, hey, Democrats have control of Congress anyway. But then again, it ends up that McIntee is now a bonafide liar.

Webb-ed

From NRO on the story of Democratic Jim Webb's win for the congressional seat gave a victory speech to a crowd after narrowly defeating George Allen (R)

He started off by mentioning that "tomorrow is an extremely important day for America," and the crowd went wild, thinking he was talking about taking power. But of course, he launched into his praise of the Marine Corps, and the crowd cheered a little less loudly. Then he thanked all the brave veterans and brave men still fighting, and the crowd cheered a little less loudly again.

Then he mentioned that he received a call from Sen. Allen, and the crowd went nuts again. Then he mentioned how pleasant and dignified Allen was, and the crowd grew quiet. Then he said he was having lunch next week with Allen — and the crowd was dead silent. Finally he told the audience that they should all thank Sen./Gov. Allen for his many years of dedicated service to the people of Virginia — and you could almost hear the people gathered looking at each other asking, "What the $#@! did we just do?" It was priceless.

Pretty funny stuff if you ask me. I know that many of the Democrats who won Congressional seats are more conservative and align a litle more closely to Republican conservatives. So, what did the people of Virginia pick? Probably a monster in the own mind right now after hearing Webb's victory speech.

Gas Prices on the Rise - Heebie Jeebies Conspiracy Theorists?

Dang that Karl Rove. He must've put in a secret line to the U.S. oil industry after the General Election result to start increasing the prices at the gas pumps as a punishment to all of us. Looks like I'm the 2nd deaf or hh blogger to talk about this one. The first deaf blogger commented on this not to long ago with a "WTF?".

One week ago the national average was $2.20. Yesterday, a few days after the election, was at $2.22. And today it was at $2.23 according to Gas Buddy. Still considerably cheaper than it was back in July of 2006 when the national average peaked close to $3.00.

I can see it now. More conspiracy theories are being fuel by the rising gas prices. How can it be a coincidence when prices began to rise the day after the election? By what? Three cents? On average? Oh sure, in some places the rise in prices went a little higher and wondered with a WTF question like this one deaf blogger here. However, the Kos kiddies are now starting to get onto the conspiracy bandwagon on rising gas prices as if they have nothing else better to do. And looks like it's a yawn over there. Gotta be careful about doing the conspiracy barn dance thing since Democrats are in the majority in Congress.

Now, if gas prices were to somehow stabilize I'm sure you'll see a lot of blackslapping by Democrats on how they "saved the day" by "forcing" the oil industry to stop playing games. But before you believe your eyes, or ears in this case, look to OPEC first on why prices are behaving like that.

"Oil industry analysts say the price increase was expected some time in November because of OPEC's decision to cut back production of crude oil. That has kept crude prices hovering around the $60 mark, making it difficult for prices at the pump to come down further."

Yes. It's all OPEC doing. Well, a good portion of it that is. It's about OPEC's control of delivered oil into the market that can have an effect on gas prices. Also, with winter coming up, heating oil gas prices usually go up if people are anticipating a colder than average winter which is usually the case if you look closely at the 3 year graph.

So, in closing, keep calm about the rising gas prices. It is probably nothing. And also, don't buy gas from CITGO. Although CITGO says the oil/gas boycott didn't affect them. And that was announced today in the news, 3 days after the election.

Hmmmm.....

More Fodder News for the Media - Dr. Brueggemann Resigns

First it was the forceful termination of Dr. Jane K. Fernandes' on preventing her from becoming the 9th president of Gallaudet University after 6 months of protesting culminating up to the ever so famous Stubbed Toe Gate.

Then 8 days later, Senator McCain resigns (click on link to see why he resigned) from his position as a voting member of the Board of Trustees for unknown reasons but we could probably guess why.

And then 12 hours later Dr. Brueggemann sent in her resignation letter effictively immediately due to the fact that protesters have interferred in her life and work:

Since I became Acting Chair in May 2006, my personal life, and my professional work as a scholar, teacher, and administrator at my own university, have suffered considerably. I can no longer justify these personal and professional costs.

Indeed. Is this the cost of unity? Again, unity for whom?

And then we must not forget the resignation of Celia May Baldwin who was the interim Chair for the Board of Trustees at the very beginning of the protest that resulted in the placemet of Dr. Brueggemann in the first place.

After many sleepless nights and much reflection these past several days, I regret to tell you that on Sunday night I came to the decision to resign from the Gallaudet Board of Trustees. The presidential search and the controversy that has ensued have put enormous strain and stress on me. I simply could not ignore the numerous aggressive threats I have received over the past weeks.

This surely isn't a lesson on civic duty but the lack of lesson on human civility. This thing seems to be breaking down and nobody knows what will happen next. But I have told people that every action has its own consequences. Serious actions could beget serious conseuences. Maybe not right away but further down the road. And yet we don't even know whether the other two Congressional board members Ray LaHood of Illinois and Lynn Woolsey of California will in fact resign and follow suit Sen. McCain's resignation. And yet both Woolsey and Lahood were re-elected for their seats tonight. Consider yourselves lucky on that part.

If y'all wanted Congress attention I'm sure that with these resignations and forced termination of Dr. Jane K. Fernandes' contract for Gallaudet presidency will certainly get Congress radars a zinging.

What's next now? Will anybody step up to the plate and acknowledge a bit of "mea culpa" for their actions? Will the FSSA be the body to go forth in front of Congress to explain their actions? Will that ever happen?

I don't know what will happen next but I don't like what I've been seeing lately with all the DoD to DoD backstabbing, character assassinations, defamation, libel and whatnot along with the continued resignations. And more stories of how the FSSA and SBG still seem to marginalize students of color in their meetings. Or did Noah Beckman not understand? That story will come next.

Meanwhile, this isn't unity, folks. This is an example of chaos theory in action. Somebody better do some serious "mea culpas" around here as a start and write a lot of apology letters to Sen. McCain and Dr. Brueggemann. Am I the only person saying this? Or are we going to see more pervasive hypocritical attitudes? Helloooo, FSSA? SBG? Bloggers?

We'll see.......

UPDATE: According to Washington Post Lahood and Woolsey will not resign....for now.

Hat tip: "Gallaudet Employee"

Senator McCain Resigns from BoT. Confirmed!

Well. It's confirmed and I was the first one to break the story, too. Senator McCain resigned his board member position from the Board of Trustees at Gallaudet University. Like one commenter said,

McCain can take a LOT of flak- Gee, Deafies ran off the guy who stood up to the North VN Communists! ACK!

Indeed. McCain was a POW in North Vietnam. He's now an ex-board member of Gallaudet's Board of Trustees.

Next question is who will fill that vacancy spot? Will it be Senator Harkin or Senator Sessions of Alabama? The Senator before McCain was Senator Inouye of Hawaii in 1995.

How will the world read this resignation. Already, I have sources saying that a well known news media is following up on this. Imagine having a U.S. Senator run off (in disgust?) because of the protest?

Only time will tell....


UPDATE: One official Administrator via email to me confirms that it is true. No official word but nonetheless true.

UPDATE II: Now, I am asking the question, why did Sen. McCain leave. Perhaps one of the reason is the tons of email he recieved during the protest period? Especially near the end. Rob Voreck, aka "Private Investigator", did in fact encourage protesters to send their emails to Senator McCain. I could probably imagine McCain's staffer or Sen. McCain himself express surprise at all the letters about a deaf woman that was selected to be Gallaudet University next president. Maybe he thought he was reading a bunch of mewling kids complaining about a deaf woman? I'm sure a lot of well thought emails were sent out. Or were they?

I wonder what the news media will say about this one about Sen. McCain who is now an ex-board member of the Board of Trustees at Gallaudet University?

NOTE: Corrected "honorary" to "board". An oversight on my part.

UPDATE III: From a "Gallaudet Employee" - Where does it specifically say that the appointee must be from the majority party? All I can find in the bylaws is the following. So, it is Cheney's responsibility, but where is the majority bit?

Section 2.2.1 Voting Trustees -- Public Members. Three Voting Trustees shall be public members ("Public Members"), one of whom shall be a United States Senator appointed by the President of the Senate, and two shall be Members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House. The Public Members shall be appointed for a term of two years commencing at the beginning of each Congress, shall be eligible for reappointment, and shall serve until their successors are appointed.

Hat tip: "Gallaudet Employee"

UPDATE IV: Reason for Senator McCain's resignation:

In a letter to President Jordan, McCain, who was not able to attend the board’s October 29 meeting, said, “I cannot in good conscience continue to serve on the board following its decision to terminate [Dr. Fernandes’] appointment, which I believe was unfair and not in the best interests of the University.”

Upon learning of the Senator’s decision, Board Chair Brenda Jo Brueggemann expressed her gratitude for his years of service: “We are thankful to Senator McCain for his willingness to serve on Gallaudet’s Board of Trustees. He has been a champion for Gallaudet in the U.S. Senate and we look forward to continuing to work with him.”

I guess I was right after all. It all had to do with the protest for McCain's resignation.

Hat tip: "Gallaudet Employee".

Senator Resigns From Gally BoT!

Got the word via email saying about Shirley Shultz-Myers(?) saying that one very, very important person on the Board of Trustees resigned recently probably because of the protest making him look very bad. Shirley Shultz-Myers(?) was just recently informed of this since I got the email. Who is this guy? A clue, he has been a strong advocate not only of Gallaudet University but of telecommunications legislation benefitting deaf and hard of hearing people. He serves on several key committees, including the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. And who would that be? Senator McCain.

Will await further confirmation if this is the case.

UPDATE (2:01 EST): Still awaiting. Got a few leads that may seem to confirm this story. Remember. Senator McCain is a board member on the Board of Trustees. If he did in fact resigned as a board member it'll look bad on Gallaudet.

UPDATE II (2:15 EST): Got an outside news source checking into this as well. I called one of McCain's staffer in Washington D.C. She said as far as she knows McCain didn't resign (as "honoary" member but the title is incorrect) but according to my emails, just breaking, she may not even know this one. Still awaiting a solid confirmation.....

UPDATE III (2:47 PM EST): Go to http://bot.gallaudet.edu/ and you'll see McCain's name is no longer there!! It says "US Senator - VACANCY" !!

This is a confirmation folks! Solid. Vacancy for a new US Senator.

Question is, who will want to take it?

Senator Harkin?


UPDATE IV (3:28 PM EST): One official Administrator via email to me confirms that it is true. No official word but nonetheless true.

Saddam Hussein Found Guilty. Hanging is Next.

UPDATE! - Go here for video of Saddam's hanging!

It finally came. The verdict was handed down by the Iraqi Court finding Saddam Hussein guilty for crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging. Although he said he preferred to be executed in front of a firing squad. Gateway Pundits has more details.

This will be a victory for the Bush Administration who helped capture Saddam Hussein. I'm sure the liberals will question the "timing" with 2 days left before the 2007 General Election.

You can read a 2002 report by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in order to understand exactly what Saddam Hussein did to deserve the hanging:
SADDAM HUSSEIN: crimes and human rights abuses. A report on the human cost of Saddam’s policies. Reading that report you'll notice no references on hangings.

Go here for some videos of survivors and relatives of those innocent people executed explaining just how horrific Saddam Hussein's regime was.

Executions: Saddam Hussein's regime has carried out frequent summary executions, including: o 4,000 prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in 1984 o 3,000 prisoners at the Mahjar prison from 1993-1998 o 2,500 prisoners were executed between 1997-1999 in a "prison cleansing campaign" o 122 political prisoners were executed at Abu Ghraib prison in February/March 2000 o 23 political prisoners were executed at Abu Ghraib prison in October 2001 o At least 130 Iraqi women were beheaded between June 2000 and April 2001.

Here are some more from the US Department of State on the grisly numbers and how many were tortured and/or executed. Compared to a hanging Saddam Hussein is getting off easy.

Here's Richard Clark's paper (not that Richard Clark) on "The process of judicial hanging" where he describes the various types of hangings. Including post mortem autopsy results. It includes grisly descriptions resulting from a hanging. Website includes links to hanging pictures. Richard also makes a note that hanging was used extensively in Iraq under Saddam and it continues to be the lawful method there under the new government.

And, oh, did you know that the U.N. and the E.U. are against execution back in 2004 shortly after Saddam was captured saying executions are humane?

The prospect that Hussein could be tried by a new Iraqi government has raised concerns among some human-rights organizations over whether he would receive a fair trial. They have also warned that the Iraqi legal system's provision for capital punishment brings it into conflict with the values of EU countries like Britain and Spain that backed the war to topple his regime. The EU states and the United Nations consider execution inhumane.

Speaking shortly after Hussein's capture, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan offered the world's body assistance to assure Hussein gets fair treatment and said any trial must adhere to international standards: "Whatever court is set up has to meet basic international norms and standards, and if -- in doing that -- one needs to get help from our side, I think it should be considered. But the emphasis should be in respecting the basic norms and standards, including international humanitarian law."

Whatever.

Be sure to read Iraq the Model. There'll be inside scoop on the reaction of the Iraqi people in and around Bagdad.

Also, a question. Will CNN do a live tape of the hanging or will they say it's against their policy to do snuff film?

Deaf Survivors and Witnesses to 9/11

Check this movie preview of an upcoming film by Jade Film. They produced a motion picture called 9/11 Fear in Silence: The Forgotten Underdogs. It's about the stories of deaf and hard of hearing survivors and witnesses of 9/11 who tell their stories through their eyes and hands. Was silence that almost killed them or was it neglect by other people who didn't know any better?

For the Gally Protesters

Here's a product for Gallaudet protesters with a message that comes with a twist. Check out the the rest of the product by clicking on the store logo above.

Deaf/HH Hodgepodge and Absurdities

Watch a time lapse video of this guy setting the world record for the most shirts worn at one time. If you want to put on 100lbs in four hours, this is how you do it. Kind of funny. Either he's getting big or his head is getting smaller.


Researchers at New York University School of Medicine Investigate the Use of Nasal Stem Cells to Replace Damaged Hair Cells in the Cochlea

Nasal stem cells, called olfactory neural stem cells (ONSCs), help give rise to new olfactory cells in the nose. These sensors let us detect the distinct aroma of a rose or the odors emitted by different foods, die off and are regenerated regularly. The olfactory neural stem cells
in mammals are totipotent—they can give rise to any kind of cell found in the body. The fact that stem cells can differeniate into any cell type in the body, from skin to muscle cells, has made them a very appealing target of research studies assessing their therapeutic potential. Everything from regenerating nerve tissue in spinal injuries to replacing cells that produce insulin in diabetics is being investigated. Because ONSCs can be harvested from living adults, and not embryos, they are free of the ethical dilemmas involved using embryonic stem cells. Importantly, the use of one’s own cells for a therapeutic procedure would preclude the debilitating effects of graft rejection by the recipient’s immune system.


American Hearing Impaired Hockey Association Year-end Report for AHRF 2006

(Exceprt - click on link for more on page 4) .
The XVI Deaflympics will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 1-12, 2007. The American Hearing Impaired Hockey Association hosted tryouts for the USA team during the 33rd Annual Stan Mikita Hockey School for the Hearing Impaired. Open tryouts began on Thursday, June 15 and concluded on Sunday, June 18. Participants surviving the first cut were invited to a training camp in August 2006 for further evaluation. Final selection will be made in Chicago in January 2007.


Cure for hearing loss is getting closer. There is a new non-profit organization called The National Organization for Hearing Research Foundation.

The National Organization for Hearing Research Foundation was established to fund and support research into the causes, preventions, treatments and cures of hearing loss and deafness. The foundation operates according to three basic principles:
*Hearing research is our priority, as 35 million Americans are afflicted at tremendous societal and human cost, and effective treatments remain elusive.
*The necessary breakthroughs can only result from intensive, interdisciplinary, and innovative biomedical research.
*As many other organizations address matters of public education, social awareness, and amelioration of suffering and disadvantage, NOHR Foundation will devote its resources to biomedical research, with rare exceptions.


Korean Sign Language recognition. The technology on ASL recognition is also gaining traction and would be a matter of time until it can be used successfully.

GOLLYURDEAF2?

Get your GOLLYURDEAF2? products at my newest store.

Yes, folks. My very own Kokonut Pundits store. It's not much right now. Just look near the top of my blogsite and you'll see my kokonut tree logo with, well, kokonuts. Click on the logo to enter my store and see what's available. My first product is to be built around the "GOLLYURDEAF2?" statement. Of course, it's a loose adaptation after Gallaudet. So far you can choose to get a t-shirt, hooded sweater, coffee mug, baseball hat, button or a rectangle magnet for your refridgerator with the "GOLLYURDEAF2?" remark. If you like to be a conversation starter, get your "GOLLYURDEAF2?" items. This can make a great gag or serious gift just to drive home a point. Order yours, today!



If you have suggestions or comments, let me know. Everybody else? Breathe in... breathe out... breathe in....

Rush Limbaugh and His Cochlear Implant

Today from the Rush Limbaugh radio show a partial transcript can be seen here with him talking about his cochlear implant experience. The transcript below is him responding to a blind caller on his radio show.

Well, you've gotta great attitude about it, and I'm glad you called. I want to say one thing. You talked about the advantages that you have in being blind, and people think that's kind of odd. I can tell you some advantages being deaf. Now, these advantages are predicated on the fact that I lost my hearing -- you want to know why I believe in God? There are countless reasons, ladies and gentlemen, countless reasons and I've mentioned many of them during the course of discussions of the environment and so forth, but you look at the timeline of humanity on this planet, whatever it is. I don't know, 10,000 years, a hundred million years.

Whatever it is, my little speck on that timeline happens to coincide -- and look at my career now, what I do for a living. My little speck of that timeline coincides with when science has invented the cochlear implant which allows 100% deaf people to hear, and particularly in speech. You get in loud, noisy areas, restaurants, and it becomes very, very difficult because the thing just amplifies all the noise it hears, and if you're in a restaurant with a couple other people, the other people's voices are much louder than the two you're trying to hear, so it really becomes a challenge. But in a situation like this, one-on-one speech, it's not normal as it was, but it's miraculous.

But there are times at restaurants I just lose my mind. So can I turn the volume down, or I can take it off -- and there is blessed silence. How many of you people can't sleep through the night because some noise wakes you up? I never hear the noise. You who can hear do not know what pure silence is, because you can never. You can plug your ears up. You can put muffs and headphones on but you're always getting the white noise of a room, but when you're totally deaf? I can tune anything out. I can. If I'm talking to somebody and I'm tired, I just take it off. It sends the message I'm through. I don't have to listen to the racket on the TV. I can read closed-captioning.

You can do that too by hitting the mute button, but the ability to just totally turn off noise and to not have the normal distractions, when you're trying to sleep or when you're really trying to concentrate and noise distracts you. I can turn all that off. (interruption) I can feel my heartbeat. Of course I can. Snerdley is asking me, "You can't hear the heartbeat but can you feel it?" If I slam a door without touching the door, I feel the door slam. I don't hear it.

I mean, I don't slam it. I'm just giving you an example, but there are a number of things like if I slam the car door. I don't hear it, but when I see it happening, I feel it. There's a particular sensation, those kinds of sensations. Toilet flushing? I don't hear it, but there's an awareness of it, and I think that's the brain, because I used to be able to hear it. It's like the way I hear music. I can't hear... Well, I can hear it. I can't listen to music and understand it unless I've heard it before. I've got eight electrodes in my brain covering for what used to be 40,000 active hair cells so there's not much frequency response for me.

Every note of every new piece of music that I've never heard before sounds the same note. Movie sound tracks or what have you. But I listen to music that I knew before and my memory is what supplies the melody so I know that there's sounds taking place. I'm still very much concerned if the noise in a room is too loud so I'm constantly keeping it lower, even I can't hear it. But just out of habit. The brain is a powerful thing, and the amount of control we think we have over our brain; it would be surprising to you when you realize you don't. At any rate, I gotta take a break here. Charlie, thanks for the call.

Guess he's seeing some benefits on being deaf.

Strong as Steele

Let me get out of this rut covering all this deaf protest and “healing” and get into the politics of things which I’ve not blogged lately. You say politics? Yeah, you know, the upcoming November 7 General Election. I hope deaf and hard of hearing people aren't forgeting this important date this upcoming Tuesday next week and go out and vote! By the way, check out and become a part of the Deaf Republicans grassroots organization. After all, 2008 is two years away.

A side thought here. How many deaf and hard of hearing people living in Maryland are going to vote? How many Gallaudet University students, staff and faculty members are going to go out and vote? It should be YOUR civic duty and responsibility to vote. After all, this is America. The land of the free….to castigate.

You know, I’ve been admiring Lt. Governor Michael Steele ( R ) for sometime now who is running for US Senate as a Republican. Yes, a Republican. Not a Democrat which you see in the picture above where CNN “accidentally” inserted a “D” for Democrat next to Michael Steele’s name. Or maybe it was a racist move by somebody in CNN to put that “D” for Democrat because the color of Steele’s skin? Who knows what subconcious efforts CNN has done in the past that were labeled as "mistakes" like this one here? Just being glib here so calm down please.

Now, for those who don't know. Michael Steele became Maryland’s first ever statewide elected African-American. He was one of the first in his family to go to college graduating from Johns Hopkins University and then got his law degree from Georgetown University

Anyway, something about him resonates well me about his can-do attitude and even headed. Help people on empowering themselves and be “boot-strappers” instead of focusing on entitlements. He’s looking ahead and forward into the future. And just because his skin has a different color people still attack him for that. Which is sad. And stupid at the same time. But you know what is really racist to hear from Liberals? It’s hearing them refer Senator Steele as an “Oreo cookie incident not too long ago.

"At the candidates' only televised debate in late September, there were reports that Townsend supporters passed out Oreo cookies to represent Steele, joking he was black on the outside but white in the middle.

"[Md. Democratic spokesman] Paulson denied the incident happened and said the only documented accusation came from Ehrlich spokesman Paul Schurick.

"Steele, however, said an Oreo cookie rolled to his feet during the debate.

"'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.'"

Other racist attacks have people call him an “Uncle Tom” or even a “token” for the Republican GOP party. Or comments saying that being an African-American or black how can one be a Republican? What is it that people cannot understand that there is free will and choice in choosing a party? Like here and Audacity of Hope” by becoming a Republican Senator for Maryland. Why is that? Well, aren’t Liberals completely befuddled on how an African-American can be affiliated as a Republican? I’m sure Liberals will need to take the time to read Wayne Perryman’s book called “Unfounded Loyalty.” An excellent read.

It’s a book written by an African-American on why Republicans throughout history has backed and helped blacks or, if you prefer, African-Americans to empower themselves. All one has to do is go back starting in the 1850s with Fredrick Douglas and see how the Republican party got all started with Abe Lincoln’s help.

Lt. Governor Michael Steele. Strong as Steele. And I’m sure somebody will be idiotic enough to put in a title cleverly disguised, “Michael Steele’s Votes” (ie Michael steals votes), as the next subconscious message of hate and racist attitudes should Michael Steele win this upcoming election on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. In fact, I'm predicting that Michael Steele will win considering the support has been getting over the last several months.

UPDATE: Read the rest of the October 31, 2006 Washington Times article on Michael Steele and how many African-American Democrats are supporting Steele. Why? Read below for a start:

Former Prince George's County Executive Wayne K. Curry and five fellow black Democrats on the county council excoriated their party yesterday and endorsed Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, a Republican, for U.S. Senate.

"The [Democratic] Party acts as though when they want our opinion, they'll give it to us. It's not going to be like that anymore," said Mr. Curry, who in 1994 became the county's first black executive and remains influential in the mostly black and heavily Democratic county.

Mr. Curry and the lawmakers said Democratic leaders repeatedly have snubbed the black community and their county, noting the lack of party support for the Senate campaign of former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chief Kweisi Mfume, who lost the Democratic primary to Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin.

The Democratic ticket lacks black candidates, they said, and candidates from Prince George's County, which is home to more than 320,000 registered Democrats -- the most of any jurisdiction in Maryland.

"We're not puppets. We're not gullible," Mr. Curry said during a press conference at the Infusion Tea Cafe in Largo. "This ain't the first time we've charged up a hill."

He was joined by fellow black Democrats David Harrington of Bladensburg, Samuel H. Dean of Bowie, Camille A. Exum of Capitol Heights, Tony Knotts of Temple Hills and Marilyn Bland of Clinton -- all officials on the nine-member county council.

Other black Democratic leaders endorsing Mr. Steele yesterday included Major Riddick, former chief of staff for former Gov. Parris N. Glendening; Ron Lipscomb, a major fundraiser and trustee of the state party; and businessmen Clayton Duhaney and M.A. "Mike" Little.

"There's a revolution going on here," said Jerry McLaurin, a county developer and Steele supporter who attended the announcement. "This is going to radiate throughout the county like an explosion."

Mr. Steele, who lives in the county and is the first black to be elected to statewide office in Maryland, said he was "humbled."

Everything you always wanted to now about Deaf Republicans grassroots organization that was blogged on Kokonut Pundits. Deaf Republicans came to existence in October 2004. Email me for more information or how to contact other representatives.