Deaf man to run for city council position in Minnesota

Sonny Wasilowski. If you haven't heard of him you will now. He's a deaf family man out of Minnesota who is running for the Faribault City council position. He's a familiar name in sComm, a deaf owned business, where he was interviewed on using a real time face to face communication product back in 2007 called the UbiDuo. So strong is his faith in this communication technology that put deaf people on equal footing with hearing people he is using it to his political advantage on reaching out to hearing people as seen in his Facebook photo in his quest to win the Faribault City council seat. A sign of a strong and independently but open-minded person. He has the means and political experience to take the task at hand. If you live in Faribault, Minnesota (map), take the time to vote for Sonny Wasilowski on November 6, 2012.

His background:

Name: Sonny Wasilowski 

Age: 31 

Family: Lisa, married for nearly ten years. Jane, 16 years old host-daughter from Malaysia. RJ, four years old son. Maggie, 14 months old daughter. 

Occupation: Human Resources Assistant with the United States Department of Agriculture. 

Education: Bachelors in Business Administration at Gallaudet University, Washington, DC and Graduate Certificate in Public Management at Minnesota State University, Mankato. 

Political/community involvement: Governor Dayton appointed Board Member of Minnesota State Academies, President of Christ Through Hands Ministry, past Director of Faribault Deaf Club 

Why are you running? My family and I love Faribault. Yet, Faribault could do better. I want to do Faribault right by being fiscally smart, making the right decisions for our future and most importantly, I want to give our residents top-notch services through our park and recreation, library, public works and so on. 

What's the most important issue facing Faribault? The Council has an obligation to be fiscally smart, short and long term. I also want to be equally concerned with constituents concerns and requests along with the delivery of city services. 

The big boat

I've maintained the same outlook and philosophy on not needing a label to describe people with hearing loss from mild to profound and their own personal journey well before I began blogging. I made that clear in July 2006 and it is still true today:

- Basically it boils down to common sense knowing that we all go through, including hearing people, our own self-awareness discovery process as part of our journey. Self-discovery about one's own deafness or hearing loss doesn't mean the person will be led into a Deaf culture life......

- I’ve always accepted deaf and hard of hearing people for who they are and not worry about their background, signing abilities, the ability to speak or hear, or what have you. It didn’t matter to me. But to others, in many instances, did matter a lot.

- I just simply accept people for who they are since we're all basically in the same boat when it comes to equal access issues, legal rights and the narrowing of our communication gaps with hearing people and vice versa.

With that philosophy in mind the overloaded dinghy in tow is in danger of capsizing while one heavy person continues to feed himself ego, hatefulness, jealousy, fear, politics and political correctness. The eating continues to slowly weigh down the little dinghy ever more so. Sailing on the larger and studier ship are people with their own private and personal journey who don't care for the same food of politics but recognize each other for who they are. There's no denying their journeys. There's no denial in my journey or my deafness or who I am. My journey involves many things which is deeply personal to begin with. No labels. None of the politically correct terminologies but simply a journey of self discovery covering many things.

Economic Power

Economic power is what gives you that freedom to do what you want to do. But with economic powers come with greater responsibilities not to yourself but to other people as well who helped. Not too long ago Ryan Commerson produced a video that was published on August 4, 2011 on asking salient questions on the lack of deaf-owned businesses, why economic power continues to be beyond their grasp, how some companies in the telecommunication industry continue to cater to and take advantage of the deaf and hard of people their money with little or no real representation or support on their behalf and noting the fact that there is only one deaf-owned VRS company out of many VRS companies (but certainly there are some deaf-run companies). At one minute and 40 seconds into the video Former executive director of TDI, Alfred Sonnenstrahl, was at a loss for words when asked a question by Ryan Commerson if there are any deaf-owned VRS companies.



Perhaps Mr. Sonnenstrahl wasn't thinking about ConvoRelay which is a deaf-owned and operated VRS company that was founded in March 2009. On the FCC website it lists telecommunication companies that offer VRS (although ConvoRelay isn't on the list).

The FCC over the last few years had to address the high cost of re-reimbursing VRS companies due to in many parts fraud and abuse by recommending a new per-minute rate compensation plan and reform the VRS industry in a July 28, 2011 notice to the public on the potential ruling. Some in the deaf community feared that such a newly proposed compensation rate plan will further diminish the VRS competition field (although Claude Stout, Executive Director of TDI doubt it would cause that as seen in the video). After Ryan Commerson asked Alfred Sonnenstrahl (formerly of TDI), Claude Stout (Executive Director of TDI), Shane Feldman (CEO of NAD), and Gregory Hlibok (Chief, Disability Rights Office) in his video on what they are going to do about the proposed FCC compensation rate and new rules did they all of sudden help write a letter on August 9, 2011 to the FCC which was electronically filed on August 11, 2011:

On August 9, 2011, Claude Stout, Executive Director, Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. ("TDI"); Shane Feldman, Chief Operating Officer, National Association of the Deaf ("NAD"); Andrew S. Phillips, Policy Attorney, NAD; Sheri A. Farinha, Vice Chair, California Coalition of Agencies Serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. ("CCASDHH"); and the undersigned met with Karen Peltz Strauss, Deputy Bureau Chief, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau; Gregory Hlibok, Chief, Disability Rights Office; and Diane Mason, Disability Rights Office to discuss a likely
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ("NPRM") about the per-minute rate of compensation mechanism for Video Relay Service ("VRS") and potential alternative compensation mechanisms.


TDI, NAD, and CCASDHH urged the Commission to undertake a Notice of Inquiry ("NO!"), rather than a NPRM, if the Commission wishes to consider possible alternatives to the per-minute compensation mechanism, including a per-user compensation mechanism. They also discussed the Commission's intent to reform VRS services.

TDI, NAD, and CCASDHH emphasized the importance of a compensation mechanism that fulfills the original Congressional intent of functional equivalency as more fully described in the Consumer Groups' TRS Policy Statement - Functional Equivalency of Telecommunications Relay Services: Meeting the Mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act dated April 12,2011 (the "Policy Statement").' They expressed concerns that any reform should first take into consideration feedback from consumer representatives as well as providers to develop solutions to improve VRS. They also
expressed strong concerns regarding the idea of changing compensation from a per minute rate to a per-user rate. A per-user system would create incentives for providers to cut costs and avoid high volume customers and diminish the quality of VRS services and training, thus decreasing consumers' functionally equivalent use of the telephone system.

Further, providers may tweak the system to reduce number/length of calls from customers (i.e., longer answer times). The consumer representatives explained that the business model for the provision of services does not need to be identical to hearing consumers. In VRS, interpreter costs are generally paid by the hour and not a flat fee, whereas hearing consumers generally pay a flat fee for telephone services. The consumer representatives also raised questions about the per-user compensation approach, including what data would be used to calculate a per-user rate. They recommend that new ideas not be introduced in a NPRM, but rather urge the Commission to explore ideas with
consumers and providers through a NOI and workshops.

I can't help but wonder their action to pen a letter to the FCC was on their part and effort to save face after being confronted by Ryan Commerson and after releasing the video to the public last week for non-action.

It is great to voice concerns on how best to explore ideas with consumers and providers but the bottom line is that VRS companies are mostly hearing owned. Despite that I'm sure there are still room for competition to see more deaf-owned and operated VRS companies which will help shift more of the economic power and opportunity over to the deaf and hard of hearing communities. In fact, there are plenty of room to see more deaf-owned businesses that can cater to deaf, hard of hearing and hearing customers and clients. It all comes down to global microbranding your product and services. It's all about the hard work, the long hours, pounding the pavement and slowly build a network of clients and customers. Nobody said it'd be an easy thing.

Global microbrand.

Think about it. What does it mean to have a deaf-owned and operated business? What can a global microbranded product do for potential deaf, hard of hearing and hearing customers or clients? For a business it's not merely about having a product to sell but about believing in a product and what it can do for that potential customer. Believing in the power of transformation and what a product can do for people who can use it are powerful motivations that draw them to that product or service once they see the bigger picture of what success means. It's about making the customers and clients think that they are brilliant in choosing your product and services that keeps them coming back and recommending your product and company to other people, hence the whole global microbranding business.

But is it better to cater to a deaf-owned and operated business that know who their customers and clients really are or would it better to cater to a hearing company that pay lip service? That depends on which companies you feel the most comfortable with and the type of quality and services you get from that company. Just because it is deaf-owned doesn't mean it is the best one to go to.

Back in February 2007 at Gallaudet University's first ever blog/vlog conference I made the point to the internet audience and the people sitting in front of me that for deaf and hard of hearing people to move ahead and achieve success they would require to essentially bootstrap themselves and believe in their work and philosophy by relying more on themselves to get the job done rather than rely on hearing people for their particular products and services. Economic power is the key.

There's certainly a difference on the responsibilities of having that economic power when it comes to helping people attain greater freedom and independence versus wielding an economic power to push an ideology that reeks of office politics.  And grey areas do exist. Running a company for the sake of ideological AND political purposes will only limit your market and the customers you deal with. Keeping your nose clean of politics in a business can become a crucial business strategy in surviving and expanding your business.  The difference can be between having your company look like a feeding ground for militant zealots or not.

Economic power. Your choice, your motivation, your responsibility.

My Grand Experiment

I've given this some thought for several weeks now and decided to try this out on a self-imposed experiment of mine. I don't know if it'll work or if I have the will power to see it through but it'll be like a time capsule I'm putting myself through. Something different to try my hands on for a whole year. What is it you say? Well, it's an all news blackout for me....for a year. Practically on any news.

Starting on July 25, 2011 on a Monday I will NOT allow myself access to any news information whether it's from my truck radio, television, newspapers, magazines, internet, and even through my blog comments. Any news (sans the weather on the internet) whether its politics, world news, local news, and so on. This may include accessing any deaf-related news as well only because I may inadvertently pick up some outside news along the way, however. It's the day to day news I'm attempting to avoid rather than deaf news. This experiment of mine might prove harder to discipline myself since I will miss my daily political news and editorials on my truck radio whenever I drive to work each morning and back home. Instead I'll pop in some of my music tapes. No FM stations for music because news can filter in that way. If I'm in a store and I come across a magazine rack or newspaper dispenser I'll force to avert my eyes and avoid reading anything where news might filter back to me.  Having said that I'll will also disable comments on my blog for a whole year because some people might try and sneak in some tidbit of news hoping to bait me. I will limit myself from accessing Facebook and YouTube as well because, well, again, news can filter in that way as well. I'll limit myself to certain websites that do not carry any news. Good bye Drudge Report and all that.

Now, I bet there are some Deaf people cheering at this blog news of mine thinking that I won't blog much on anything related to deafness. Be forewarned, I do have a lot to say and will contribute to my blog on a variety of topics, deaf or not. Who knows. This goal of mine may last only a day if I catch myself watching, reading, or listening to any news but I'll try and remind myself not to do that. Bad boy! Bad boy! This experiment may last only a week. A month. Or if I'm lucky a whole year. But I reserve the right to come out of "retirement" which would be a bonafide "threat" to some Deaf people. Ha ha...seriously. They're just that cranky and whine so much you could actually hear them! Ok. Rather a facetious if not hyperbolic response.  

If you look to the left of my blog near the top you can see my countdown clock. On Monday it'll be 365 days til July 25, 2012 when I come out of my self-imposed news ban. The clock says "Seattle" because it was set at Pacific Coast Time and Seattle was the city I selected that I'm not very far away from. This experiment of mine is kind of like this one guy who went below into a cave for a whole year as part of a science experiment and after awhile lost all track of time and any news on the outside world. Only this time for me I want to try and lose track of any sense of news on whats happening "out there."  And when I "re-emerge" back into the world of nuttiness I'll see what I missed and the things I've learned while I was "away."

Starting tomorrow I'll turn off the comments. If you have anything to say, say it now and say your peace. And I'll see you guys in about a year from now. I'll continue to write and blog, and still meet my friends in person. But I'm sure some Deaf people will get angry on what I will say but so what. They can never be happy. We already know that. But the beauty is that they can't respond in my blog and I wont read or watch their responses elsewhere. Tough guano on their part.

See ya in about a year?

When deaf people blame Palin and others for massacre shooting

I'm hesitant to discuss politics in this blog but this latest round on the lack of common sense by a few deaf people is enough for me to shake my head at those who continue to blame the recent and horrible massacre in Tucson, Arizona on Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, Reagan, the full moon or anything else remotely related to her brand of politics and beliefs.  This was a horrible and sad event where the murderer managed to kill several people and injured scores of people.  Even now we are not even sure exactly what his motives were for the shooting and yet lately there were a few deaf people in FB, YouTube, and in blogs who audaciously (and foolishly) went around blaming anything remotely related to Sarah Palin in terms of politics and ideals. Not a good time to go totally unhinged with blind rage. In fact, it's never a good time to go unhinged at all. Makes you look even nuttier doing that.

Common sense needs to prevail here rather than succumbing to knee jerk emotional responses that do not make any one iota sense. Watching unhinged people isn't a pretty thing to witness.

Here we have a psychotic and mentally unstable shooter who is a registered independent. Not a Democrat. Not even a Republican. The guy appeared not to have any interest in classes while in college and had many outbursts whose demeanor and actions scared the crap out of one professor. There's no evidence that Loughner was influenced by Palin in any way. Rather it seems to boil down that he was simply mentally unstable according to a New York forensic psychologist by pointing out that his actions were possibly a sign of schizophrenia.

"My prediction is that as more information comes out, we're going to find out this young man truly has serious mental issues going on," said Michael Nuccitelli, a New York forensic psychologist who has conducted about 100 mental-health evaluations in criminal and civil cases. "He's got his own agenda, his own rationale, his own perceptions for why he did what he did."

This is a monster who smiled when his mugshot was taken.

He has several favorite books like Mein Kampf, Communist Manifesto, and a hodgepodge list of other books.

Yet with all of the OMG! hand-wringing, self-flailing utter nonsense over Palin’s “targeted districts” map is simply quite silly since such a target symbol used on that map is a concept that has been used in political fundraising for decades. Even Markos Moulitsas, founder of Daily Kos, even puts a bullseye on Giffords, too. But even that bulls-eye page "mysteriously" disappeared. Kind of like Palin, too? How about going after Moulitas, too? The massive criticism of Sarah Palin is misguided and completely baseless.

Time to calm down, folks. Looking for something that isn't there like the tooth fairy. Even Barbara Walters knows that.

And if you look at the history of past assassinations and assassination attempts on political or public figures in the U.S. the killer's reason usually don't match up well with the main issues that a public figure has stood. Something to think about.

Now, imagine if Sarah Palin said a few years ago even though she is pro-gun:

“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun...”

There would've been howls of protest saying she attempted to incite or suggest violence. But, fortunately, she never said that. Nor would she approve of saying that.

But that remark? It came from Obama.

Would it be fair to attribute the killing (God forbid) of a Republican public figure by a lone, mentally undisturbed, deranged shooter to Obama's gun quote as causing the shooter to act?  It'd be pretty stupid, would it not? Kind of like that map, right?

At least Sarah Palin hates violence and war, and would rather see love and friendship all around. So, that's good to hear. And I'm sure you love to eat halibut, too. Sarah loves it, too, by killing it to make dinner out of it later on. How cool is that? Watch when they gut the fish and pulls out a still beating heart. Biology 101!

So, please, don't go unhinged by babbling nonsense. Step back, take a breath, and wait, and let cooler heads prevail. Let's wait and see exactly what the motives were for the shooting.

But now is the time for continual prayers and thoughts for the families of the victims.

And now back to my regularly scheduled programming.

Round Peg in a Square Hole

Here are some cartoon drawings based on different geometric shapes I was doing a few years back. Thought I put my drawings here for ya'll and see what you say.



Click here to enlarge.



Click here to enlarge.

Kokonut Pundit is now on Twitter

Going to try and see how this works out but go ahead and sign on if you want to follow me through this Twitter thing. A little social experiment to try out just as my blog was a "little social experiment." heh....

I have my Twitter icon up on the upper left hand column of my blog and all you have to do is click on it to get to my Twitter page.

Hillary Clinton Skeedaddle, Avoids Belafonte's Presence But Still Get Pictured

Hillary Clinton has dangerously set herself near a political cliff by being in the same room as Belafonte at a Children's Defense Fund gathering. Belafonte, days earlier, called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world." And because of that Hillary wouldn't come near 15 feet of Belafonte or even acknowledged his presence during lunch. And as soon as Belafonte went up to the mike, she bolted out of the room as an additional measure so that photographers won't get a chance to have both Hillary and Belafonte in the same picture. Apparently it worked. But not so here with Hillary and Belafonte side by side. Well, almost.

But here are the real photos of Hillary and Belafonte in the same picture while they pose chummily together for a picture with other well known black people that was taken at the Congressional Black Caucus 35th Annual Legislative Conference Town Hall meeting on September 22, 2005 at the Washington Convention Center.

Hillary and Belafonte 1
Hillary and Belafonte 2