Malignment Attitudes within the Deaf Community

After all these years reading other people's blogs and watching their vlogs some of their incompetence were realized early on up to the present in terms of their attitudes of malignment. In short, using the internet as way to spread gossip, hate and revilement against certain individuals on a regular basis.  It's one thing to argue respectfully and make a point of contention without getting emotionally involved but another to specifically target individuals as their personal punching bag using ad hominem and continuing with their online bullying ways. I'm sorry. I don't respect people doing that in the latter. The rule of thumb is that once people use ad hominem they have lost their argument.

Facebook Peer Pressure on "Unfriending"

This isn't new in the deaf community but I do have an opinion on this subject when it comes to "unfriending" any mutual friends in Facebook. First and foremost, it is none of my business to try and force people in my mutual friends list to "unfriend" certain people just because I don't like them. Threatening to expose my mutual friends or friends publicly by shaming them for friending certain people that I find unsavory, undesirable or not likeable for whatever reason in order to get them to "unfriend" is really not my business to do so.  Doing so is a petty and immature thing to do. The people on my mutual friends or friends list are capable of making their own determination in their own time on whether to unfriend a person or not that I happen to not like. I have my own reason to unfriend certain people but that doesn't mean I hate them. Just that I have my reasons.

I consider it as a mob mentality when people in Facebook try and force others (peer pressure) on their mutual friends or friends list to "unfriend" certain people they do not like once they discover who they've friended with. And in the process threaten to unfriend them if they don't do as they say while they attempt to shame them in the process. First and foremost, if people do that to me then that means they do not respect me as a friend and in turn I would find them to be not credible friends in the first place for behaving like that.  I don't what to be a part of a petty group who work on using peer pressure just because they have some insecurity issues they can't handle. Save that for pimply faced teenagers. But the incredible thing is that these are adults who have behaved in that manner.

Now, I have several mutual friends who are friends with undesirable people in Facebook that I don't like but I don't make it my mission to shame them into "unfriending" the people I don't like and threaten them that I'd unfriend them if they don't. Nor do I run to other people and create a buzz buzz about so and so who is friend with this really undesirable person in order for the group to create a peer pressure to try and get the person to "unfriend" this undesirable person. Really, it's none of my business to do that and it shouldn't be yours, either. In time in Facebook you will eventually get to see who your real friends are but once they cross the threshold of being petty to try and use peer pressure on you then you know what to do. For many in the deaf community peer pressure is what they do best and they use that to bludgeon  people in order to get them to follow their petty agendas.

Not good.

This whole mob mentality thing is just like mad gossiping run amok. We just don't know who is telling the truth or the whole story.  People who are friends with certain people in Facebook that you don't like may not know the whole story. Maybe they don't care because it amounts to gossiping and they have no need for it. Maybe they don't want to get involved. Or maybe they just don't know the person they've friended with to make any certain determination to "unfriend" him or her for the time being. There are two sides to every story and people have the capability to make their own determination in their own time without the need of petty peer pressure telling them that they better "unfriend" the person or I will "unfriend" you! Or something to that effect.

Sad, really.

Respect is a two way street. Being a part of a mob mentality and using peer pressure to "force" others to change their friends status is not about showing respect. Respect is about recognizing a person's capability of making their own determination on when to "unfriend" a person in Facebook without the need of using peer pressure, shaming, or threats of "unfriending" him or her. It becomes a sad state of affairs when I see those things happen in the deaf community. It makes it a more uglier world out there.

If you are a victim of peer pressure or fear losing a friend because of your friending certain people in Facebook that he or she doesn't like then that "friend" of yours is no friend at all if she or he behaves like that. That's probably a signal for you to step back and see who your real friends are in the Facebook world.

The mocking of dea(th)f...

One of the worst thing one can do is to air online in a vlog or blog the apparent glee or dispassionate display of somebody else's death who is related to a deaf person known in the deaf and hard of hearing community.  Either show a modicum of respect in your blog or vlog or don't talk about it at all.  By showing disrespect online makes that person a boorish and dispassionate soul. If it's indifference then keep it to yourself privately and away from the public view. By making it public ranks (almost) right up there on wishing the death of a deaf parent's child just because one doesn't like the deaf parent reeks of insanity.

Just the facts, Ma'am.

I'm not sure what the deal is here with DP on going after me, Candy and Ann_C other than it's nothing more than another witch hunt over a difference of opinions under the guise of "facts" and which people have more "credibility" (note the underline bold throughout): 

On one hand, we have Amy Cohen Efron, a deaf ASL user who has a Master’s degree and works solely in the Deaf Community. We have MishkaZena, a formerly oral deaf person who now uses ASL fluently. She holds two Master’s degrees and has worked extensively in the Deaf Community. And you have me – a native ASL deaf user, who has a bachelor of science degree and has worked/volunteered extensively in the Deaf Community. All of us three have done some form of scholarly research on the Deaf Community. We’ve read books, professional journal articles, attended classes and professional workshops focusing on various issues in the Deaf Community. We participate and subscribe to an email list serv for deaf academics. And it is very easy to find out MishkaZena and my real names – our real identities are not a secret.

On the other hand, we have Mike M, Ann_C and Candy. Nearly nothing is known about Ann_C. We do not know her real name, nor whether if she holds a college degree. The only thing we know is that she is an oral deaf/severely hard of hearing person who, by her own admission, infrequently uses American Sign Language. She has not mentioned working or volunteering within the Deaf Community, or even having friends who use ASL. I have not seen her discuss reading scholarly books, journal articles or the like, about the Deaf Community. From what I’ve gathered so far from her, the only information Ann_C gets about the Deaf Community, is from the v/blogs.

Mike M is hard of hearing and holds a baccalaureate degree. To my knowledge, he does not work or volunteer in the Deaf Community and primarily uses his voice to communicate. McConnell even wrote once on his blog, which post has apparently been deleted or buried under the reams and reams of posts, that he thought there was something such as too much education. As far as I’ve seen, he has not discussed whether after graduating from Gallaudet, if he has read any scholarly books, journals or the like on the Deaf Community.

And we have Candy. Very little is known about this woman. She appears to be a hard of hearing woman who claims to sign. She has not mentioned whether she works or volunteers in the Deaf Community. Word has it that Candy only has a high school diploma, since she is a college dropout, but we don’t know that for sure, since she has refused to disclose her credentials or her real name. Candy has mentioned that she refuses to read Harlan Lane’s Mask of Benevolence, because she heard it was too biased. Aside from the proclamation of refusal, Candy has not discussed reading any scholarly books, journal articles or the like, on the Deaf Community. And lastly, her claim to expertise regarding the Deaf Community, is supposedly due to her being from a Deaf family and her sister being a high school teacher.

The questions now for all of you to consider are – who do you hold as being more credible on the Deaf Community issues? Whose ideas will you primarily draw from, so you can then help obtain what’s in the best interests for the Deaf Community? Which ideas will you hold as being credible?

What I see here appears to be an attempt to try and out individuals like Ann_C and others under the guise of "just the facts, ma'am" under a topic of who is "more credible." Incredible! All this reminds me like the time when Candy was exposed last year when her real name was revealed which resulted in people who didn't like her contacted her employer in the effort to try and get her into trouble because of a difference of opinions over her blogs fearing the boogeyman was out to destroy their ideology on Deaf culture. Ironically, in Candy's blog she wrote last year "A bully responds to Anti-Bullying Effort!" you can read what DP wrote in the comment section (note the bold):

People need to start filing reports with the police for harassment about these trying to get them fired for no good reason.

It’s one thing to complain about public servants behaving badly, but trying to out private citizens who blog anonymously, then trying to get them fired from their jobs, is just wrong.

Yet in DP's blog she goes after Ann_C, who is a private citizen, and attempted to identify her as much as possible and said,

Nearly nothing is known about Ann_C. We do not know her real name, nor whether if she holds a college degree. The only thing we know is that she is an oral deaf/severely hard of hearing person who, by her own admission, infrequently uses American Sign Language. She has not mentioned working or volunteering within the Deaf Community, or even having friends who use ASL. I have not seen her discuss reading scholarly books, journal articles or the like, about the Deaf Community. From what I’ve gathered so far from her, the only information Ann_C gets about the Deaf Community, is from the v/blogs.

All this has a writing of a dressing down in the effort to compartmentalize each of us into bite size pieces in the attempt to identify who we are and what we have done or not done and whether we fit into their ideological mold. Despite Ann_C's unknown status of who she is (which is not at all important nor necessary to know except by insecure people) as a blogger what DP just did reminded me of time when Ann_C and White Ghost (a frequent commenter) who were once threatened to be outed someday by a commenter in Ann_C's own blog. All this undermining efforts just because of a difference in opinions.

Last year Ann_C wrote "A Moral Compass" where she astutely observed:

V/bloggers, commenters, and readers alike all have seen this monster rear its ugly head online. And it’s an ugly head, no matter what shape it takes on: online personal attacks, cyber-harassment, hijacking of a thread, email threats, organizational bullying, online outting of a v/blogger’s real name, letters written to one’s employer, frivolous lawsuits, real-life threats/stalking, physical confrontations, ad nauseam.

Is it because of the target’s opinion/ view? No, it’s because the attacker dropped his moral compass in the angry desire to hit back at the person he disagreed with.

Pretty ironic considering what has just transpired today. And then you have DP who run by that familiar line again on Candy as someone who is "very little known."

And we have Candy. Very little is known about this woman. She appears to be a hard of hearing woman who claims to sign. She has not mentioned whether she works or volunteers in the Deaf Community. Word has it that Candy only has a high school diploma, since she is a college dropout, but we don’t know that for sure, since she has refused to disclose her credentials or her real name. Candy has mentioned that she refuses to read Harlan Lane’s Mask of Benevolence, because she heard it was too biased. Aside from the proclamation of refusal, Candy has not discussed reading any scholarly books, journal articles or the like, on the Deaf Community. And lastly, her claim to expertise regarding the Deaf Community, is supposedly due to her being from a Deaf family and her sister being a high school teacher.

Excuse me, her name was revealed last year thanks to zealous overbearing morons. But remember, it's "just the fact's, ma'am" when DP said:

All I did was to present facts here, then let the readers draw their own conclusions. If you interpret that as arrogant… well. So be it.

Facts? Or is this really an attempt to undermine and out individuals just because you disagree with their opinions like on what Ann_C opined in Amy Cohen's blog? It's one thing to disagree and state your arguments but it's entirely another thing to try and do this whole dressing down business that has an air of trying to out people of their full identities, and in a tone that would encourage other readers to try do more of the dirty work to do more of the outing business.

And then you have me that DP went after and it was a bit bizarre read, too.

Mike M. is hard of hearing and holds a baccalaureate degree. To my knowledge, he does not work or volunteer in the Deaf Community and primarily uses his voice to communicate. McConnell even wrote once on his blog, which post has apparently been deleted or buried under the reams and reams of posts, that he thought there was something such as too much education. As far as I’ve seen, he has not discussed whether after graduating from Gallaudet, if he has read any scholarly books, journals or the like on the Deaf Community.

For the record, as I have said before in my blogs, I have a B.A. degree in Math from Gallaudet University and a M.S. degree in Geology from University of Idaho. I even got accepted for a PhD study at University of Maryland, too, along with a $5000 NASA  grant with the help of Gallaudet University. Yet I chose a better route than to get a PhD and that was time to start having a career. What's really bizarre is when DP wrote about having too much education claiming I said something like that.

"......even wrote once on his blog that he thought there was something such as too much education." 

Too much education of what? What the heck is that supposed to mean?  What a bunch of rambling nonsense here that doesn't make an ounce of sense. I've always held the philosophy that in life one never stop learning.  And what does it matter on whether I've read any scholarly books or journals about the Deaf community has to do with any of this? Maybe you missed this one?

DP has an opinion about credibility. Her views are her own and not representative of every single person in the Deaf community. People do have valid opinions regarding the Deaf community and such. Heck, I am a representative Gallaudet University. I represent Gallaudet University since I graduated from Gallaudet University. Nothing can take that away from me. If I opine that's not popular or agreeable by other people then that's not really my problem. But it does become a problem when people who disagree with people they don't like and get into this outing business. It simply gets way too personal. And from the looks of things, DP decided to hit back at three people whom she disagreed with in her blog using "just the facts, ma'am" bunk defense in the attempt to out people.

Not cool.

Addendum:  For those who say she doesn't "out" people, well, I beg to differ.

Allegedly?  It's been over a year since she was outed.

Addendum II on what Ann_C said:

I would have been glad to offer my view had DP's post not gone into a witch-hunt but instead asked me directly what I meant. She did get to it finally in a comment after a barbed exchange, but by that time, she'd already written me off. *shrug*

I was expressing the opinion that the video was pandering to deaf issues, and I still stand by that. With the approaching holidays and ten ppl coming to my house, I didn't have time to write a lengthy explanation under ACE's blog.

Btw, pls do read Anony the Great's analysis of that PPT in Candy's Who Let Out the Signage Out blog. It reflected a great deal of what my response was to that PPT.

Have a good holiday.

Ann_C

Happy holidays, ya'll. Btw, PPT = powerpoint.

Addendum III: Ann_C wrote a rebuttal to DP in the comment section below where I am copying and pasting it here:

Since Deaf Pundit closed her comment section under her "A Matter of Credibility" blog and didn't publish my last three comments, I believe my unpublished comments should go on the record:

"Lol, in all the time I've been blogging/commenting online, I've never claimed to be an expert nor have I ever claimed to represent the whole deaf community.

OTOH, a person who claims to be a Deaf E-X-P-E-R-T does have the problem of credibility, because she professes to speak for all of the deaf community.

Deaf E-X-P-E-R-T-ise as "standard operating procedure"?

Ooooooh I'm SCARED-- *trembling hands in the air*
Run for them thar' hills, folks, the Deaf Inquisition is coming!!!!

*********snort*"

The asterisks ran off the first comment page without the word "snort". That's why I sent two more comments, trying to put in the word "snort", which finally showed up on the third comment, ok?

That's it.

Ann_C

And you know what DP said?

Ann_C… I read your last 3 (unpublished) comments and the only thing I have to say to you is that I truly do feel sorry for you.

That means technically Ann_C wrote only one comment while the other two were exactly the same except for the number of asterisks that were too long and she had to re-write it again. What DP said sure made it sound like Ann_C wrote three separate and different scathing comments or something like that.  *smh*

Double Dog Dare You!

It is just fascinating to hear comments every now and then through the grapevines that gets filtered down to me in my emails about the few Deaf people who continually dismiss me as someone who is supposedly angry at the Deaf community for "not accepting me." Or that I'm "lonely" which is funny because whenever I opine strongly or present facts on certain deaf-related issues in my blogs (or vlogs) do they resort to this sort of low ball approach of attacking instead of making cogent arguments. Whenever a loss for words they go for the guns and call me an "extremist" something ..something.. whatever. It's like them playing the race card over and over and over because that is  their only response they have left in the cards thinking it's a cogent argument.

Deaf community does not accept me?

How droll and laughable that argument has become lately.

Why? Well, looking back it's funny because the term "Deaf community" has always meant the culturally deaf community. That has always been the defined framework for years in the attempt to instill that message so far ingrained it can only mean "culturally deaf people" (Padden, Carol; Tom Humphries (1988). Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture) and nothing else.

Nowadays you have some Deaf people trying to move the goal post in their desperate bid to concoct a new meaning of the term "D"eaf as to also include people with all kinds of hearing loss whether they are hearing aid users, cochlear implant users, oral deaf, SEE users, cued speech users, late deafened (and not "latened" deaf, folks!), implantable hearing aid users, and anybody with mild to profound hearing loss. In other words, their newly made up term "D"eaf people would apply to the 36 million people with hearing loss in the United States. Using the argument that I am "angry" because the "Deaf community" hasn't accepted me becomes even sillier worthy of a joke or two. It simply becomes a losing argument! Wait til I show this to my Deaf, deaf, hh and hearing Facebook friends and fans of my blog and ask them why they have not "accepted me" for who I am.

Note the sarcasm.

Let's suppose they keep the original intended meaning of the term "D"eaf that Deaf people have
worked so hard to define over the last 25 years (see Padden, Carol; Tom Humphries (1988). Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture) to mean "culturally deaf people" and apply that term in "Deaf community" with all of its intended meaning.

We use the lowercase deaf when referring to the audiological condition of not hearing, and the uppercase Deaf when referring to a particular group of deaf people who share a language – American Sign Language (ASL) – and a culture.  The members of this group have inherited their sign language, use it as a primary means of communication among themselves, and hold a set of beliefs about themselves and their connection to the larger society.  We distinguish them from, for example, those who find themselves losing their hearing because of illness, trauma or age; although these people share the condition of not hearing, they do not have access to the knowledge, beliefs, and practices that make up the culture of Deaf people.

 Fine. Except that using the same argument that I am "angry at the Deaf community" for not
"accepting me" fails miserably as well because it would indicate a "members only" mentality based on sign language and culture. I have many Deaf friends (old and new ones, even the ones from NTID) that I keep track of in my Facebook and Deaf people I don't know well enough who simply accept and support me for who I am. They are part of the Deaf community. In other words, I see no evidence of their rejection of me.  In all actuality, the whole rejection notion comes from the very few Deaf people who simply have a beef with me and don't like me. Pretty straight forward and obvious. Heck, even Tayler Mayer doesn't reject me and that's a whole lotta Deaf community behind him with his DeafRead and DVTV communities which continues to grow and thrive despite the failed walkout.

Bottom line, we simply accept each other for who we are. I feel no rejection from the "Deaf community" as a whole, folks. Sorry to disappoint the few "unfans."

If that's not the "Deaf community" context in mind then perhaps it's using the "Gallaudet University as the Deaf community" argument since I did go there from 1988 to 1991 in only 3 1/2 short years graduating with a bachelor degree in mathematics. Even using that argument fails on so many levels because a good portion of my Deaf friends were the ones I met while at Gallaudet University. Heck, I even got kudos from Deaf people sitting in the audience (and on the panel) after I did my verbal speech presentation at the first ever blog/vlog (see video of my presentation at 1:25 to 1:42 with an ASL interpreter) conference at Gallaudet University, including comments in my blog offering praise and kudos from the very people in the Deaf community.  It was an honor that Jill Bradbury at Gallaudet University selected me along with several other bloggers/vloggers to attend the conference. She left an astute comment in my blog about diversity.

Mike - I thought it took a lot of confidence to stand up and speak during your panel. By doing so, you helped the conference make a strong statement about embracing diversity in the deaf community. Waving hands! At dinner someone said to me that you are supporting the deaf community in a really valuable way through your interest in technology. Thanks for keeping us informed! Jill.Bradbury | 02.04.07 - 1:28 pm |

It's all about embracing diversity. I accept people with hearing loss regardless of their background, regardless of whether they know sign language or not. The same goes on their acceptance of me for who I am regardless of my communication preferences or background. I just go about a different way of interacting with people of various backgrounds and communication preferences. Something that few seem to not understand.

It's one thing to disagree with a person's opinion but an entirely another realm of fantasy to use a piss poor claim of my being "angry" because the Deaf community "rejected" me as a substitute argument.  Having several Deaf people who don't like me or reject me do not make a "Deaf community."

Gawrsh! *kicks a pebble*

This whole blog piece was precipitated when I looked back on some old comments that were a few years old on somebody else's blog. A few Deaf people actually  "double dog" or "triple dog" dared me to sign in my own video believing I couldn't sign and I was simply a helpless ol "orally." And, of course, the rest was history once I did that. But then they complained even more because of my opinionated signed vlogs both in the signed and spoken format (along with my own subtitles).  Got to laugh at the irony when it comes to diversity and accessibility. How about if I do a "double dog" dare to those same people and ask them to add subtitles in their own signed vlogs? No, make that a triple dog dare! I bet dollars to donuts they won't.

Lou Ferrigno "The Hulk" pre-UFC 121 fight video interview - captioned

Here's a captioned video interview with Lou Ferrigno "The Hulk" on his thoughts oo the upcoming UPC 121 fight and about Matt Hamill. Don't miss this interview! Captions added courtesy of MMA Heat "Karyn Bryant." Be sure to send your kudos to her for having captioning available for those who need it in her interview with Lou Ferrigno. Also, word has it that Karyn Bryant will make sure that Matt Hamill get to meet Lou Ferrigno.

A mostly blank book = Deaf community?

For a person or company to sell books containing mostly blank pages purposely aimed at the Deaf community on the heel of a massive investment fraud that came to a screeching halt where some 6,000 deaf people lost their money is nothing but bad timing. Not only was it bad timing but utter stupidity fits the picture as well when the self-promotion and marketing were designed to mislead and decieve the public into thinking it was a legitimate bookful of writings. But it wasn't. Simply put it was an effort to make a fast and dishonest buck. We can already see that.

Yes, it was dishonest.

Yes, it was stupid.

Yes, it was very misleading on how that book was marketed. But the problem with that book is that it could now be used against the Deaf community. Let's consider a possible scenario.

If hearing parents with deaf/hh children have questions about the Deaf community wanting to know what it is like all one has to do is to show them a particular book containing mostly empty pages.  A book that could aptly describe the Deaf community as one person could say to the hearing parent, "A book with very little to show for with lots blank pages."  Upon that explained realization parents would recoil in utter disbelief and amazement at the effort of that dishonesty to fool people into buying that book. And conclude it'd be far safer to keep their deaf/hh child away from that Deaf community.

What a nice way to keep shooting themselves in the foot again and again and again and again. Credibility continues to crater.

Anybody want to buy London Bridge for a buck?

Don't Feed the Trolls.....

Ever hear of the expression, "Don't feed the trolls"? What is a "troll" then?

...a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog/vlog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into a desired emotional response....

I included "vlog" in the above since vlogging is an important medium in the Deaf/deaf/hh community just as blogging is.

In this day and age of cyberbullying/harassment/stalking via the internet in the deaf and hard of hearing communities, especially the Deaf community, we see blogs and vlogs being produced everyday by people with hearing loss. And from time to time we get our own brand of "deaf trolls" who also run their own blog or vlog with the express purpose to personally attack people that he or she doesn't like. They do so with the intent to hopefully provoke victims into responding should they fall into that trap by responding to a "deaf troll." Such a response would justify a "deaf troll" to ramp up even more inflammatory and extraneous responses to a previous response that he or she started. That's the sole design and purpose for a troll. It becomes a vicious cycle. A cycle where a troll would thrive just to gain that extra attention and, for some warped reason according to trolls, more "fame" or recognition for those acts of continuing stupidity. What's really stupid is to respond to a troll in the first place. We all have been there at one time or another in responding to trolls bent on harassing as many people as possible.

So, we have this expression, "Do not feed the trolls," which means don't pay those trolls any attention. Do not give those trolls any morsel of a reason for them to try and respond to your response. Best thing to do? Of course, ignore those trolls once you realize the negative behavioral patterns and the vicious cycles they thrive on. They simply seek attention in the most desperate and negative way that can hurt, in this case, the Deaf community's own image and perhaps even self-esteem.

There is a difference between having a dialogue and debate but to craft a blog or vlog or a comment just for the sole purpose to personally attack people on a regular basis will ultimately create greater negativity and resentments throughout a community by those who were attacked by trolls. But for people to align themselves with these trolls knowing he or she does those things do not make them any better than those trolls of negativity. Cheering on those trolls or supporting them will only help amplify the negativity and bitterness in a community if people (or victims of cyberbullyings) feel the need to respond to such attacks by deaf trolls.

So, my advice? Don't feed the deaf trolls. Let them live under the bridge, undisturbed, with an empty belly in silence. Don't even look at the trolls just to read or watch what they say because you might find yourself feeding those trolls again. 

A "closed society" can also be a "hidden society"

When you have a society where the greater majority of the general population do not even know its existence or even understand its way life like, for example, a society of people with hearing loss. It becomes a "hidden society" no matter what that society is like. It wouldn't matter if that "hidden society" is a Deaf community, deaf and hard of hearing community, a cued speech community or a community of late deafened people. But a "hidden society" can also have a "closed society."  That's when it becomes a double whammy because a "closed society" removes itself even further from the general population and sometimes even from the sub-population.

Certainly I am a part of that "hidden society" of people with hearing loss. So are the people in the Deaf community. So are the people at Gallaudet University. So are the people who are late deafened.  So are the people at AGBell. So are the people with hearing aids. So are the people with cochlear implants. So are the people who sign in ASL, SEE, or use cued speech. So are the people who are oralists. Those are examples of people that live in a "hidden society" because hearing loss is an unseen condition not always readily recognized, seen or necessarily understood by the larger general population.

But out of that "hidden society" is a society that can have an "open society" or "closed society" type. I am for a more "open society" type when it comes to dealing with people with hearing loss rather than for a society that's controlling and restrictive. Diversity of hearing loss and preferred mode of communication are wide ranging among people with hearing loss and does not fit the "closed society' model.  An "open society" is not a culture with a rigid structure and little freedom but rather a society of people that is open, understands the differences and uniqueness of each person with a hearing loss along with greater freedom to do what we do with our choices. Our common bond in our "hidden society" deals with issues on communication access to language, the ability to communicate and to strive for better equality, not about Deaf culture or ASL.

Fried brains and yummy desserts

I'm sure you've heard of the expression when someone get their "brain fried" or how "he must've fried his brain." It's when one takes too much of something, like drugs or too much academia in this case, that have rendered a person's brain to a much lower functioning level without the person ever knowing it. Sometimes "analysis paralysis" has this effect, too, which can become a case of "terminological inexactitude." The expression "terminological inexactitude" was coined by Winston Churchill which is basically a play on words by calling to the misapplication of labels and the danger or damage that can be done by doing so.  Kind of like a deaf person calling another deaf person an "avdist" when it's entirely ridiculous to even say that thinking the guy must've fried his brain for saying that. The "avdist" term would be totally bogus and misapplied. Here's another example of a "fried brain" syndrome.  One other example would be for a person to go through the whole armchair analysis over a certain group of deaf/hh bloggers and vloggers and ultimately conclude the reason they do their blogs or vlogs the way they do was because they feel that the Deaf community and culture have "rejected" them.  This sort of conclusion would be plumbing the depth of extreme silliness. I suppose, figuratively speaking, somebody must've "fried his brain" for even to conclude that (insert laugh track).

Ready for some yummy desserts?

The ridiculousness goes beyond the pale whenever Deaf people try to determine whether the feeling of "rejection" by the Deaf community and culture have occurred for other people. Here's why it's silly to try and do that armchair analysis. There's an expression "different strokes for different folks" which means there are different people who like to do things differently or live in different ways within their own community. In this case deaf/hh people do things differently in different communities and how they participate and interract in the Deaf, deaf/hh and hearing communities. We all should recognize that.

This should be about how people value and respect other people opinions, even when they bring up tough questions or discuss certain "taboo" subjects. The "frying of one's own brain" would be to try and justify one's own conclusion thinking how people write is a sign of feeling of rejection by the Deaf community at large. Which would be patently funny in the attempt at academia here. Rather there are certain number of people or group of people within a certain segment of the Deaf community that rejects those Deaf, deaf and hh bloggers and vloggers because of what they write.  Despite that many Deaf people have on the other hand welcomed and embraced those bloggers and vloggers.

Hmmm... a conundrum pie here. Done with your fried brains? Here's my slice.

For all intent and purposes Barry (The Holism) and Errigo are seen as "Deaf people" (bear with me so I can make a point here). Two very different backgrounds and upbringings who are fluent in ASL. Yet they have many Deaf, deaf, hh and hearing friends and supporters within the Deaf, deaf/hh, and hearing communities. Do you think they feel "rejected" by the Deaf community? No. It'd be funny to even say that. Rather it is quite correct to say that there are certain segments within the Deaf community who do reject Barry and Errigo outright simply because of their opinions in their blogs and vlogs. Opinions, viewpoints, and perspectives that do go against the grain of many Deaf people. This goes the same for me.

I don't feel rejected by the Deaf community as a whole based on the comments and the conversations I've had with Deaf people over the years. Heck, I walk on the campus of Gallaudet University and I certainly do not feel "rejected" by the Deaf community whenever I talk and interact with Deaf professors, students and other people who know or recognize me. I certainly do not feel "rejected" by the Deaf community whenever my Deaf wife and I go and visit Deaf events like Deaf Nation or other similar events. Or when we meet up with our Deaf friends and so on. I certainly do not feel rejected when I read DVTV responses to my videos and how I interact with them. I certainly did not feel "rejected" by the Deaf community when I used my voice in my speech in front of a live internet (Deaf) audience and the people who sat before me at Gallaudet University's first ever vlog/blog panel discussion a few years back. Does it really matter on this whole Deaf community rejection thing? In a word, no. Not one bit. But the reality is that there are some Deaf people who have categorically rejected me and other Deaf people for various reasons. And that's fine. That's life. Easy as apple pie I'd say. The Deaf community as anybody should know is a mixed bag out there. It's an impossible task to please everybody because everybody has an opinion on things.

I think this whole "analysis" attempt to try and determine whether the feeling of "rejection" by the Deaf community as a whole probably boils down to perhaps some people are simply peeved about missing out on a Monopoly game I had earlier thinking it was a real thing? Or perhaps it's about their own insecurity and inadequacy regarding their own academia background do they try and do the whole arm chair psychology bit to appear more, um, "authentic"? I don't know. But certainly this "fried brain syndrome" is getting out of hand here.

So, how was your dessert? I hope you liked it.

When a "Deaf community" sucks.........

For some reason people like Dianrez, Patti Durr, DonG, and several more managed to arrive at a conclusion that my goal is to somehow “tar” the Deaf community based on a several of my blog pieces for its “negativity.” Believing that I somehow have a “disdain” for the Deaf community. Is this selective thinking at play here? Rather odd to see this. All of sudden I have a “disdain” for the Deaf community just because I asked some hard questions or posted some strong opinions about a Deaf organization or person in my blogs? Based on my so-called “history” of blogging and the topics that I wrote? How about trying “not impressed” with the Deaf community instead?
It’s one thing to not like someone for its blogging and people are entitled to their opinions but it’s another to think that a blogger is out to “destroy” or “tar” or “hurt” the Deaf community (cue in Deaf Dr. Evil laughter). That sort of thinking, again, hinges in the realm of conspiracy thinking and paranoia. Suspicions can sometime cloud people’s own rationality and judgment. Yet they are free to make their own opinions and judgment just as I am free to do so myself. But all that recent complaining has certainly gotten surreal.

In one of the comments submitted in my blog Shel makes the claim.
In most posts? Shel must’ve been away for too long or don’t even bother to read any of my blogs. I think this here has to do with her having a personal angst with me than about my postings per se. Just guessing here. Not a mind reader. I could be wrong. Perhaps her mind was already made up about me even before she read some of my blogs? Who knows? I've certainly have not made any decisions about Shel's own writings other than she has an opinion and I don't even know her well enough to judge.

“YOU chose to focus on the negative events in this post. In most posts (at least the ones I've read anyway) you often point to the negative. I have not seen you discuss the Deaf community or incidents in a positive light... Must have been offline those times.”

As you can already see I have my own blogging style and I get to choose an issue or topic that interest me. And when I have questions on deaf-related issues I pen them down in my blog and see what readers say. If they want to believe in some conspiratorial plot that I and others are doing, then I certainly cannot help them with their own insanity to even suggest that. Their minds are already made up. Only they can change it, not me.

Now, what do I think about the “Deaf community”? At times I think it’s over-rated and full of it. While in other instances I think the “Deaf community” has its own positive merits for what they are and how the “Deaf community” can be seen as a service to the community at large when it comes to educating the public. But that‘s two-edged sword deal there. There are a lot of camaraderie and friendships but then again there’s a lot of bullshit, too. This is one of them.

At times I see it as one big mess but that’s mostly attributed to their own politicizations and certain narrow-mindedness in their own thinking at times. And sometimes its about being overly-protective, too. But when I give praises or give a positive nod then take that as a rare compliment to take home though not about the “Deaf community.” I have to be impressed first in order to offer positive compliments, enough so that I would write a positive blog piece. I am not thoroughly impressed with the “Deaf community” although there are some positive things that I do see from within but still I‘m not impressed. I am more impressed with individuals and how they set themselves apart from other people which I why I‘ve done lots of interviews of Deaf people (Matt Hamill, Steve Sandy on Dummy Hoy, Greg Gunderson, etc…) or discussed the personal details of Deaf, deaf, and hard of hearing individuals in the positive things they do and their outlook on life. I look for uniqueness in an individual regardless of their hearing loss status or which community they are a part of. I look for unique people that I come across who have taken a challenge in life whether a person is Deaf, deaf, or hard of hearing. I am more impressed on what people think, their philosophies on life, their outlook on life, the challenge they do and so on. I also like humor, intellectual humor that attracts me to other people‘s blogging style or how they express themselves in that manner. I’m a complex person. It takes a lot to impress me but with the right combination of things it might be enough to get me interested. If you’re hurt at this point then you need ask yourself why and re-examine your own thinking.

All this mewling about me “tarring” the Deaf community is erroneous hinged with paranoia. I believe this is reflective of their own inner insecurity over something. If they have strong faith in their own "Deaf community" then there is no need for them to be overly defensive and start accusing people of "tarring" the "Deaf community." But when they do get overly defensive I wonder about their confidence in all this.  I’m not sure exactly what but it’s just a feeling.

They try so hard to get me to seek “approval” about the “Deaf community.” And when they cannot then they can only conclude that I’m against it and I have a disdain for it. Not so. Perhaps they have never considered the fact that I’m simply not impressed with the “Deaf community” in the first place? And since I am person who is hard of hearing that moves between the Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing and hearing fences with ease where I have gained various perspectives and experiences, perhaps this is what making some people angry? I don’t know but it is sure is a complex one.

I don’t bite. I do have an opinion. I am a complex person myself. I am not impressed easily. And I don’t go around “tarring” the Deaf community, either. Although that does not prevent me from having an opinion about certain groups or organizations. I have my own interest and even quirky humor that makes me that unique person. Take that to heart with you.

Below is a short sample list of my 300 entries from January 31, 2008 to September 16, 2010 even though I began blogging in 2004 of which a total of 1568 entries were entered so far. In this year’s entry I’ve penned 160 entries in 242 days. From reading my blog titles you can get the general idea what my topics were. And if an entry topic looks interesting use my Kokonut Pundit search bar located on the left side of my blog and enter the full blog title to get the link and read the contents. Whether it’s “positive” or “negative” is purely an opinion of yours based on your perception from where you sit. I just write what I feel and the topics that interest me. And I don’t need to explain this again, either. The fact is that there are people who don't like my blogs and there are people who do like my blogs. End of story. You can do all the conspiratorial thinking you want if that makes you happy. Just keep the whining to yourself. What now? You're going to complain about my blog title, too?

NOTE: I removed one name, Barb Digi, since it wasn't the correct name I put down as I was thinking of another one I couldn't remember at the time. That's a faux pas on my end. Sorry.
Kokonut Pundit's recent 300 blog pieces:
What is a deaf hero? - September 16, 2010
The Paotie Complex Response
Gears of paranoia
The missing ASLrocks.net video pages...how to find them
An intellectual exercise on "Deaf statistics"
The Deaf Dr. Evil Plot......
My Plan is Working Flawlessly! *rubs hands*
A psychological conundrum
Image of the Deaf community - tainted?
Karma's a bitch?
As a deaf/hh person, where were you when 9/11 happened
Kathy Buckley - a deaf comedianne.
The role of audiologists ab2072
Questioning DBC's hit counter... an illusion?
The hating of Russell Errigo....
Did Fookem & Bug get punk'd?
Oral Deaf Man Criticicizes Other Oral Deaf Man for using his voice ...
Tim Riker, chapter president of CAD, respond to Kokonut Pundit
Use of voice is way, way better than ASL!
Deaf Gally Board of Trustee Used Voice at Gally Graduation!
Why did CAD chapter president use his voice at AB2072 hearing?
Kokonut Pundit - the longest continuously running deaf/hh blog around?
The audiologist's role
Deaf and blind hiker on Appalachian Trail
Northwest Deaf and HH Hikers Get Together
Incredible Hulk Character equals Oppression to Deaf?
White deaf man calls black person an "Uncle Tom"
California Academy of Audiology responds to blog readers‘ comments on AB2072 bill controversy
California Academy of Audiology Official Letter to Mendoza on Opposing AB2072
AB2072 votes officially confirmed
AB2072 Passed!
A Deaf Freeze Flash Mob Proposal.....the 12:12 Flash Mob
AB2072 bill update - ASL support increases
The reality of hearing loss in the U.S. and the AB2072 bill
Round Peg in a Square Hole - "Wrong Street"
More potential ASL support than thought
AB2072 bill - less power to audiologists
Round Peg in a Square Hole Deaf
AB2072 passed. No longer in APPR suspense file.
AB2072 on APPR. Suspense File does not mean "suspended.”
What are the "risks" for ASL option in the AB2072 bill?
AB2072 - risks and benefits for ASL option
Hike to Gotchen Creek Meadows on Mt Adams
Beautiful Mt. Adams
Did a hearing mother exaggerates about her deaf son‘s ability?
Persona non grata
Video: How to promote a positive picture of ASL without attacking
Matt Hamill to fight Tito Ortiz!
Deaf Bilingual Coalition's Unprofessionalism
Enemies of Choices
A family outing at Sunset Falls for day of swimming in river
When technology allows 100% communication access to language anytime
Round Peg in a Square Hole
When deaf people live out in the country
A puzzling irony…..
Giving thanks on what hearing I have left
New technology on captioning and audio at theaters
The limp handshake
How the iPhone 4 and iZ could cost more money for Deaf users
4G and the upcoming era of tiered pricing for data usage and how it could impact Deaf people
Why some deaf people don't like using the video phone
UbiVia press release on first ever Live Mobile Text for Blackberry phones
A politically incestuous relationship?
The Candy exposure.....the meltdown.
UbiVia - Your next live mobile text for deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing Blackberry users
The "everything technology" on communication for everybody
ASL thrives: ISL dies (and gets pushed out of the way)
The Eugenics of Deaf Indian Sign Language and culture through ASL
The Wikipedia Entry
"Deafhood," AFA, and CAD linked as "Extremist Groups“ in Wikipedia?
Commenting Rules in Kokonut Pundit
AB 2072 - passed
AG Bell on AB2072
When anti-AB2072 group uses Nazi labels
The Mysterious Disappearance of "Deaf Dynamic Duo!
A poll: Do you approve AB2072 bill?
Vinton Cerf accepted award from AGBell !
Sock! Pow! It's the Deaf Dynamic Duo!!
A Critical Analysis
Jumping the "deaf hate crime" bandwagon
When a deaf person is mocked for his voice...by another deaf person
Famous deaf talk show radio personality gets married
Tenth anniversary for “Association of Adult Musicians“ with hearing loss
Money donated to "Deafhood? No thanks"
Adversity - a perspective from a deaf/hh person.
Facebook "Deafhood? No thanks" membership soars!
Part II Mike's ASL Vlog to the Deaf Community
Kokonut Pundit's ASL video message to Deaf community
Deaf Weekly Explodes!
Very Special People Hate Crime
A response to DeafASLVlogs
A response to The Deaf Sherlock
Communication Technology - the ultimate aphrodisiac
The new army of "Deafhood? No Thanks"
Google Posts Deafhood Warning on Search Site
Deaf Hate Crime - abusing the word.
Deafhood? No Thanks.
Are you a UbiDuo user? Want a chance to win $1000?
Hypocrisy in Six Flags' Deaf Awareness Day?
F*ck you, Deaf Community!
The timeline predictions on the cure for hearing loss
Avdism
Our old house in New Mexico
"Not 'terp' enough" - when interpreters discriminate and demean lower ranking learners
Newly revamped UbiDuo Website
Matt Hamill to fight Keith Jardine
Deaf man found as a direct descendant of the father of Pocahontas
How to describe piano ragtime to a deaf person
The value of work encounters for deaf and hard of hearing people
Deaf pianist to attend Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival
Thumbs of Fury.... the fastest deaf Blackberry text user?
Do I support the Closed Captioning bill HR 3101?
Texting and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome...a danger to deaf people?
Closed Captioning support for Blackberry Phones
Do deaf and hard of hearing people prefer Blackberry smartphones over others?
Blackberry Smartphones and Closed Captioning
When a piano dies...horribly.
A deaf Ragtime pianist plays "Weeping Willow"
What would deaf people like to see in a cell phone? ...
How valuable is communication?
Breaking: Deaf Hate Speech Found
Video: Dr. I. King Jordan on diversity and inclusion.
"I Hope Deafhood Fails"
Baby born deaf, Deaf members celebrate; Baby born without eyes Deaf people show pity
The Gallaudet University Global Warming Scare Video Library
When global warming hoax kills...and fools millions
What to say to a deaf person whose child passed away?
The dangers of using Wikipedia to look up the word “audism“
Why the word "audism" ought to be banned
Special Ed teacher at Birney school shot and killed
Deaf on deaf hate crime?
Al Gore to be investigated for misleading/lying in Congress on Global Warming claim?
What to look for in a successful deaf-owned
Why do you like to read Kokonut Pundit blog? A thanks to readers
Make cure for hearing loss mandatory by law for deaf babies if stem cell prove successful?
Kobayashi Maru and
A Poll: Has your hearing aid helped improve your love or social life?
"Deaf group attacks stem cell researcher for his work on the cure deafness“
Promising research continues for cure on hearing loss
Researchers identify protein needed to develop auditory neurons
Growing an Ear Where No Ear Has Grown Before
Noise-Damaged Hair Cells Can Regrow Stereocilia in Mammals if Rescued in Time.
Creighton professor strives to reverse hearing loss
Is Mike McConnell anti-deaf?
Deaf prisoner on death row finally dies
Idiot deaf driver steals car and dies in fireball after chase.
DBC's credibility gap?
The NFL Cochlear Implant Story Continues...
Dying or Dead Deaf/HH Blogs and beyond Resurrection
Conducive environment on the campus of Gallaudet University? ...
Kokonut Pundit on Cox and Forkum Blog
Super tall buildings of the future
EMPOWERMENT IN THE DEAF COMMUNITY:ANALYZING THE POSTS OF INTERNET WEBLOGS
Mayor Bloomberg's hearing aid help increase awareness
Deaf girl cochlear implant wins NFL Contest uses her voice…Deaf man whines
The day DeafDC died.......happy hour, too.
Proteins found to help develop auditory neurons
Are deaf people more prone to believe in global warming claims?
Mowl and Tropp Plead Guilty to Fraud...will others follow?
Adult stem cells from adipose tissue accidentally improves hearing in one patient
Stem cells on hearing loss for returning soldiers
UbiDuo helps those who are unable to write
Could your own stem cells in your hair follicles help you hear someday?
How the UbiDuo could enhance your career
UFC Matt Hamill vs. Jon Jones at Las Vegas December 5
Dr. Rivolta on stem cells cure for hearing loss and making hearing aids and cochlear implants obsolete someday
David Armand in "Where I Lay my Hat"
Stem Cell Transplantation into the Damaged Mammalian inner ear
Stem Cells for hearing loss live chat tomorrow night, November 19, 2009!
Checkmate?
Will Deaf Culture Die Out Someday? - Part II
Stem cell history on search for cure for hearing loss
Stem cells strategy for hearing loss cure...a captioned video
Blinded by my own hearing
Video Interview (caption) with first American to have her hearing loss restored ...
First Successful Case Example of a Hearing Loss Cure in a Human Patient?
RIT Library Guide References Kokonut Pundit's blog piece
Kokonut Pundit is now on Twitter
Deaf man hears sound of piano for the first time
For the First Time Plays Piano for Deaf Mother
Deaf and Blind Kid Plays Jazz Piano
The Errigo and Aguilar Mess
Closed Captioned Video: Rush Limbaugh says Sarah Palin is ready to be President
When the word "Audism" needs to disappear
First case of stem cell treatment on hearing loss on humans?
Is "Deafhood" a new tool for oppression to those who disagree?
Forging Ahead
Ghanans in Africa talk about "too soon" win of Obama‘s Nobel Peace prize win
Cherishing one's own hearing
My Personal Stalker
Scary Obama Halloween Masks and More!
Hearing aid powered by body heat. No more batteries
Captioned Videos of Underprivledged People Receiving their Starkey Hearing Aids
Marlee Matlin Supports "So the World May Hear"
So the world may hear...
Path to cure for sensorineural hearing loss explained
Miracle and Gift of Sound - Deaf Girl with Cochlear Implant Plays the Piano
To criticize Obama is not racist
When a president plays dumb
I don't like Curious George
Tiptoe around the president
Crybabies or overly sensitive people?
Will Deaf Culture Die Out Someday?
Chris Wallace: "Biggest bunch of crybabies in
$415,000,000 Considered for Research Work on Deafness…including a cure
Rush Limbaugh Donates Half Million Dollars to HEI to help Speed up Cure for Hearing
Matt Hamill forced to withdraw from UFC 102 due to knee
Texting while driving = drunk driving
Audism as a crutch excuse?
Alldeaf - the prejudice
Lou Ferrigno - finally, the first non-Deaf star to be on “Dancing with the Stars.”
Alldeaf - the censorship factor?
Famous deaf person loses 82 lbs with successful portion control program
"All wee weed-up"....an accident or not? National legalization of marijuana coming?
"Mulo" - ironic word of the day/week/month/year for current administration
My Plan Continues to Work Flawlessly!
Louisiana Commisson for the Deaf to benefit from noise pollution fines
The Rusting of Deaf Minds
AllDeaf - the mulatto factor.
Deafless in Seattle
KK Ragtime Piano Piece by Kokonut
Deaf man asks if he will get shut out under Obamacare
My first language? English. Thank God!
Deaf/HH Ragtime Pianist Plays a Piece
Matt Hamill in UFC 102 on August 29, Portland, Oregon
Voluntyranny at Gallaudet University?
Gallaudet's Community Service Requirement - a forced, mandatory volunteer program?
All Deaf Are Not Created Equal
Do You Miss Deaf Republicans 2008 blog?
Empty Suit, Empty Promises, Lotta Strings
Obama Day?
Just when you thought you won the lottery...
Obama's New Youth Corp Requirement?
Gallaudet Declining
Atlanta Braves Baseball Donates Money to AVT
Cure for Hearing Loss One Step Closer....
Governor Palin signs "Thank You" at end of RNC
Its....Governor Palin for Veep!
Imagine...no deaf babies.
Deafness Cure One Step Closer.....
News! First Deaf Baby Naturally Cured of Hearing Loss
When a Picture Says a Thousand Words
Matt Hamill vs Rich Franklin
400,000 Hits! A New Milestone
In Praise of the CODA Brothers
Professional Motocross Deaf Gal Shreds Dirt
A Video Interview with Greg Gunderson
Woman Victim Uses UbiDuo
Informed Decision....would you accept and support a parent’s decision?
Paranoia, Emotional Baggage, Zealotry, Cult Followers….in no particular order.
Fire and Smoke
A Champion of Oralists?
Deaf Nirvana
Deafhoodism Voodoo
DBC in Violation of IRS Charitable Contribution Law?
Interview with President of AGBell
sComm's Fresh New Website!
Ball and Chain
C.I.s and Hearing Aids Illegal in Denver 2009 Deaf Golf Tournament
Forcing the hand or not?
A Message from the Late Deafened and Deaf/HH Community
NAD Does Not Care for Deaf People?
Free Translation and Captioning Service for ASL Vloggers?
Hypocrisy? Double Standards? You be the judge
My response to Mishka Zena
Adversity or Using Your Deafness as a Crutch?
Deaf Children Can Learn to Talk
Equal Access – When a Village
The Achilles Heel - Saying What They Mean
Deaf America Syndrome
Rabid Squirrel Killed by A-Team
A one time opportunity….don’t blow it
M-I-C-K-E-Y....M-O-U-S-E......time to say goodbye
Separating Facts From Fantasy
The Economics of Deafness and Cochlear Implants
The Value of Cued Speech
More cochlear implant bloggers needed in DeafRead?
Cochlear Implant and Swimming..doing the
A Keyboard-less Computer Era at Gallaudet University?
When Technology Produces a Shift in Communication Model Thinking
When an Idiot Suggests Prank Calls Using IP
Adversity and...the audacity of hope?
Dissing those who choose
The Oppression Game
Building Bridges....?
Japanese Sign Language
Access or no access, that is the question.
No Subtitles for Patty
"The Forest" by Jason Stewart
The Advantages of Subtitles on
May The Schwartz Be With You!
My Decision on Signing
Boycott the World!
GoAmerica and AGBell….my musings.
“Bob’s House” Ranked Second in Latest Survey
Pepsi Made Clear When Bob’s House Will Come On
Uncle Bob’s House - a video by Kokonut Pundit.
Hearing Actors Play the Role of Deaf Characters
Mike’s First Video Blog
What are Deafread Plans for the next conference? - January 31, 2008

The Deaf Dr. Evil Plot......exposed!

Interesting to see the responses in Dianrez's recent blog. One thing I'll have to correct her is her assumption that my recent video was about saving face. Hardly. If she had bothered to pay close attention it was about the ridiculousness of assuming that my quote "Heh heh...my plan is working flawlessly" is meant that I'm somehow planning to "hurt" or "destroy" the Deaf community like some people actually believed here, here, here and most recently today seen here, for example just to name a few. In fact, some people were already proposing these wild conspiracy theories at the very beginning that there were these "super-secret" meetings between me, Barry, Paotie, and whoever else. Before I even started doing the whole Dr. Evil routine quote.

That conspiratorial thinking probably started about more than two years ago when Barry first came on the blogging scene in 2008. So, if people were willing to believe some conspiratorial nonsense about us conspiring together for the ultimate destruction of the Deaf community, I decided to have some fun beginning in Paotie's blog in June 2008 doing the whole Dr. Evil act. And again here. I repeated that again probably 3 or 4 times in my blog as well. If people desperately wanted to believe in their own conspiracy theories about me and other Deaf, deaf, hh people getting together to conspire to "hurt" or "destroy" the Deaf community, I decided to play along since they desperately wanted to believe in it anyway.

Get it? I hope you do, Dianrez.

Hence with all the recent conspiratorial nonsense thrown about at me as seen in my blog comments lately were probably manifested as a result of my Dr. Evil comment started over two years ago and have since floated throughout the minds of many Deaf readers up to today. Which is why I keep saying, "Remove those insipid thoughts of any lingering conspiracy theory about me. You'll sleep better at night." In other words, you'd be playing yourself for a fool to even suggest such that there is such a plot on taking down the Deaf community. It's just plain common sense.

And, Paotie, I know you're laughing already.

So, the big secret is out! Only that I didn't need to explain all this to you, Dianrez, since the very notion that I'm out to "hurt" or "destroy" the Deaf community would have been absurd to you in the first place. Right? Yet, somehow I have the feeling you didn't quite understand all that simply because of the fact of you calling me out as "saving face" in my latest video vlog which was totally incorrect. Perhaps you haven't been paying attention to this whole "Dr. Evil" scenario I played with the pinky finger in the lips thing on several occassions over the last few years but it's certainly not about saving face. It's about the ridiculousness of how some people actually believe in this whole conspiracy nonsense from the very beginning. Even some "leaders" fell for that nonsense, too. Sure. We expected that people would because they wanted to desperately believe in that.

About Barry and to help calm the nervous minds out there.

The first time I heard of Barry was back in early 2008 when he did his first blog. I enjoyed and liked his philosophy on many things, and so naturally I saw the things he said and agreed with many things on what he said. I think it was the fact that I publicly agreed with him in his blog comments did people began to speculate about us. And since people were already into this conspiratorial thinking mode that somehow we were in collusion on the planning for the ultimate destruction of the Deaf community, the DBC, AFA, Deafhood, and whatever-Deaf-organization-you-can-think-of! Sorry to disappoint you folks but that's pure bunk. Stop being so paranoid as I have said. We do have strong opinions about some of these Deaf organizations, the Deaf "leaders," their way of doing things, and differences in our philosophies, and so on. That pretty much sums it up. But just because we disagree strongly with other notable Deaf people doesn't mean we're out to destroy the Deaf community. That's pretty much common sense right there and I shouldn't even have to explain all this, either, incredibly so.

I decided to sign since I have discussed this before elsewhere on the ridiculousness of that assumption. I see paranoia and suspicion as an ongoing problem in some segments of the Deaf community. Just a tiny fraction, mind you, of those who are actively connected to the internet. This sort of paranoia could be seen in several articles on the AB2072 issue by invoking Godwin's Law along with eugenics and the Nazism labels in articles written by Deaf supporters of AB2072! I blogged about that saying it doesn't make any sense to use Nazi analogies and people shouldn't be using Nazi labels in such a way within the Deaf community. It reflects poorly on them in my opinion. And by pointing that out it's not attacking the Deaf community as some people are wont to believe but about how those articles reeked a sense of desperation.

I'm curious now. Exactly what was Dianrez's view of using Nazi analogies in those articles at the height of the AB2072 brouhaha? Did she at all speak up on that? She was strangely quiet about that over the past several months. Dianrez, was it appropriate to use those Nazi-labels, connotations and or implications in those AB2072 articles written up by Deaf people, even by the chapter president (Sacramento) of CAD in order to advance their cause?

Have a good night, folks. Sweet conspiratorial dreams.

My Plan is Working Flawlessly! *rubs hands*

Here's a little video message to some people in the Deaf community and how their paranoia shows everytime they use my "famous quote" thinking its real. Some of you gotten to the point of surreal daftyness thinking my goal is to "destroy" or "hurt" the Deaf community. *laughs* And I'm signing in ASL, too. My advice? Leave your paranoia and conspiracy theories at home. You'll sleep better that way.

Image of the Deaf community - tainted?

Boy, a lot has happened over the last several months beginning late last year. I can think of four major controversies or events that have happened. The arrest of 26 people in the latest VRS scam with notable Deaf names like John Yeh (owner and CEO of Viable), Joseph Yeh, Anthony Mowl, and Donald Tropp; the arrest, jailing and sentencing of Micah Brown who was at one time an adjunct professor of Gallaudet University and at one time a well known Deaf Democrat blogger who is now a registered sex offender; the AB2072 bill brouhaha in California that were rife with conspiracy theories about "evil" audiologists and California Legislature members; and the arrest of he-who-shall-not-be-named for charges that remain unclear at this point who is also probably the best known Deaf blogger and vlogger around whose trademark is to trash Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing people and call them names. Everyone of them, high profiled events with well known names associated with them. All within a span of 11 months.

So, which ones are the more damaging to the image of the Deaf community? That depends on who you ask. But the damage has already been done. And one of the effects of getting arrested is if you have a blog or vlog and it is not set on moderation people will take advantage of that like in the recent he-who-shall-not-be-named YouTube site. The latest news of his arrest will continue to reverberate in the Deaf community for some time, especially it being the growing number one controversy discussion in YouTube by various vloggers.

All in all, when combined with these past events did they help tarnish the image of the Deaf community in various ways and perception? What are the lasting effects? No one knows for sure. Paper bag anyone?

F*ck you, Deaf Community!

Here's an interesting thread that has the title "**** you, Deaf 'Community' " from a hearing father about her four year old deaf daughter. This is an opportunity to read the viewpoints of mostly hearing people on their perceptions and understanding about the Deaf community and its culture, Gallaudet University, schoolings, ASL, sign language, oral/aural approaches, cochlear implant, and education when it comes to deaf and hard of hearing children and their parents. Granted, the views presented in that thread may not be representative of the hearing group as a whole but it certainly does give us some additional insights on their views of the whole Deafness thing in a more or less honest fashion.

Having said that, this is something to think about when it comes to communication choices in light of the upcoming California AB 2072 bill. Candy has a good bead on this as well. The AB 20727 bill states that:

Parents of all newborns and infants diagnosed with a hearing loss shall also be provided written or electronic information on American Sign Language (ASL), Total Communication, Cued Speech, and Listening and Spoken Language communication options for children with hearing loss, including, but not limited to, information about deaf and hard-of-hearing organizations, agencies and early intervention centers, and educational programs.

No conspiracy theory.

No mystery to this bill.

Just a straight up requirement that parents be given information for a wide selection of communication and educational choices be made available to them after the discovery of their newborn or infant with a hearing loss.

The irony is this. There are certain groups of Deaf people who seem to be undergoing an effort to derail this bill. And instead promote that ASL must be the first option for any parents of a deaf or hard of hearing child. Thusly leaving out any real choices for parents to decide. Nevermind the fact that this bill would make a requirement that these parents be given the necessary information so they could make a proper and informed decision on communication and educational options. An option that could involve one communication method or more.

Back to the "F*ck you" thread. This father explained in her first post on what he and his wife had to do based on information available at the time to help her deaf daughter.

We gave our daughter cochlear implants when she was an infant. We made this long and difficult decision based on the research that was available to us, based on the educational resources available in our area, based on the nature of her deafness, and, yes, based on our own biases and desires. She had her surgeries before she was old enough to make the choice for herself, because to wait so long means to give her hearing long after her developing brain can make the best use of it. It is a well-known and long-researched phenomenon that pre-lingual implantation leads to vastly improved speech and hearing skills. But you call it child abuse. You call it cosmetic surgery on an infant, and more than once you called me a monster for it. It is not child abuse, to make complicated decisions about your kids without their input - it's called parenting. Nor is it cosmetic to give my kid a developmental boost. So: f*ck you for heaping accusations of pre-lingual cosmetic surgery child abuse on me.

Our family is learning ASL, and have been since we learned our daughter was profoundly deaf. We will use sign as a second language, indefinitely. My wife is in school to become an interpreter. Nor do we believe in a purely oralist tradition; we acknowledge the importance of communication between deaf people without assistance. We get it, ok? We're committed. But because we gave our daughter cochlear implants, you automatically believe that we're out to destroy ASL, to destroy Deaf culture. You never listen to our reasoning, because what do we know? We're motivated by a desire to mingle in both worlds, and yet we're constantly scoffed at by the Deafies on principle. So: f*** you for your pernicious false dichotomies.

This AB 2072 bill will help alleviate the uncertainty for parents of a deaf/hh child in making an informed decision for the first time. But for groups to purposely derail this bill for the sake of demanding that ASL be given first priority and requirement for parents to follow are certainly not about parental choice but about control. Doing that could very well certainly earn the Deaf community many more "f**** you's" from hearing parents of deaf and hard of hearing children.

Give the parents the opportunity to make an informed decision for their deaf/hh child. Give them the respect and understanding they deserve. And understand that whatever informed decision they make, they still deserve our respect and support. It doesn't matter if you don't like their informed decision, they deserve our respect. Walking all over them and taking away their choices aren't the answer.