A Female Dog Named Karma

You know how it goes. About karma and blogging? Especially about how bad karma manages to come around and bite back 20 folds when you least expect it? Or maybe it’s one of those slow, bad karma kind of thing where it just drags you down slowly while you beg, scratch and scream to your readers for mercy and help followed by countless more whines? But this doesn’t happen to you but to somebody else. You’re the spectactor watching all this from the sideline. Something like witnessing a cop who just pulled over a speedy and reckless driver. The same car earlier whose driver cut you off and sped off like a maniac while he flicked his middle finger at you while laughing in your face thinking he’s so clever and brave? Why do we have those morons who act like that? You can’t do any thing other than to shake your head whenever that happens.

And then you have the passive-aggressive drivers like little old ladies who go about purposely driving slower than the speed limit just to irritate a driver or two behind her just for spite (which can be just as dangerous as speedy drivers) while in the passing lane impedding the progress of traffic flow. It is also against the law since such actions do endanger other drivers who want to drive at a regular posted speed limit.

But you sit there knowing that logic and common sense will prevail along with a cool head. The reward comes when you see that same driver who just got pulled over by a cop. You slowly drive by and make eye contact with that driver. You crack a wide grin seeing the absurdity of it all seeing that bad karma made its mark.

Right now, I think we are witnessing a bit of bad karma occurring within the Deaf blogosphere because all of a sudden some bloggers are starting to point fingers and accuse others for causing this so-called “division” of their dear Deaf community (rather than simply the deaf community which begs another question by the way). But this is all without merit because it just simply borders on absurdity is what I see. But why do it? Why the “J’accuse!” witch hunt? Just so some people can feel good about themselves? I'd say it's a bit ridiculous to accuse people when the accuser(s) need to look into his/her own mirror for a change. Why not just chalk it up believing it’s a simple case of ignorance instead and move on? We need to remember Occam's razor here.

If a Harry Potter jellybean you tasted was atrociously distasteful, you don’t blame the jellybean but yourself for tasting it in the first place. I said my “mea culpa” a long while back during 2006 and so I’m not about blame a single jellybean or two for its odd flavor and accuse it for causing the division or ruination of our precious jellybean culture! But the funny thing is that one time buttered popcorn held the coveted titled as the most popular jellybean for many years! Go figure.

And so it comes down to this. What is exactly will the predicted “life expectancy” be for many of these deaf and hh blog/vlog sites, I wonder? How long will these people be willing to blog? We all know that blogging/vlogging will not go on forever. Deaf, deaf, and hh bloggers come and go in life. Some just need to take a break and get away from it all but come back later to blog some more. While others will simply exit the highway ramp because they have other preferred destinations to go to. Or if people are really stupid then perhaps bad karma will simply get the best of them slapping them with humiliation while the rest of us just grins at the irony of what has just happened.

Though I wonder at this point in my blog post, are there jellybean researchers who have the job of tasting the real thing before comparing with the same flavored jelly bean before giving the stamp of approval? Or in this case a stamp of sickening distaste? I’m sure there’s one sick dude somewhere right now doing his job. Must be karma.

Rocky Mountain Oyster jellybeans anyone? Moooo!

Hamill vs Bonnar, April 2nd.

Matt made the confirmation to me (via my daughter who is a big fan of him who told her of the upcoming event) that he is scheduled to fight against Stephen Bonnar (11-4) on April 2, 2008. This puts to rest the rumor about his upcoming fight against Bonnar. Seems like Matt is an odds on favorite to win this one provided that his knee has healed and strengthened giving him the upper hands on his wrestling skill. And, of course, his own specialty...the ground and pound meat maker.

Good luck, Matt. As usual, we're rooting for you.

Hearing Woman Chooses Cued Speech over Sign Language

Here's an interesting blog I came across that was made about two weeks ago. It's about a hearing woman who wanted to be a sign language interpreter but she was inspired by her Deaf friend who only used cued speech to communicate visually with her Deaf friends and parents, or so it seems, wanted to become a cued speech transliterator instead.

When I was young I wanted to be a Sign Language Interpreter. Well that has changed and now I know that I can become fluent in about three months if I use it daily. How exciting. I am hoping to become fluent and then surprise my friend and her family. It will be great!

How inspirational it must have been for this young hearing woman who wanted to learn cued speech so badly she dropped the idea to learn sign language! Whoever this Deaf person is she is a shining example that cued speech can be successfully used on its own merits to educate others about value of using cued speech. And show that she can communicate with her other Deaf friends who are also cuers, and inspire so many others to take up the cause for cued speech. She sounds like a Deaf person who is proud of her rich Deaf cued speech history and was willing to share her experiences with her hearing friend.

Also, we have "Aaron" who is Deaf and uses cued speech mostly when communicating or talking with his Deaf or hearing friends. He knows very little about ASL. In his blog he decided to raise his future baby by teaching and communicating him exclusively with cued speech and not ASL. He has made an informed decision to go that route.

Looks like a person can be a Deaf person without the need to learn ASL and still be successful with the English language . I guess the criteria to be a Deaf person isn't all about ASL or the culture around it. It's about communication choice. Go figure. It has never been the case about culture. Or is it?

(note : do you know where I'm going with this one here folks?)

What Should I Do With My Free Round Trip Ticket?

I have a free round trip ticket good for one year. May 12th is the final month to use that ticket anywhere in the 48 states. I need your help on getting some ideas on what I should do with my rain ticket and would like to use it with great benefit other than to visit a relative or parents (my mother is coming up next month to visit me in New Mexico, so...). Where can I go in terms of getting additional exposure/experience on an intellectual scale involving deafness issues such as going to a convention, a workshop, etc. Something that would reap valuable information as well as being able to share my own ideas, concepts, experiences and opinions in person.

Just to let you know before hand my trip will not be about going to a protest or some advocacy thing involving groups of people who like nothing more than to complain and whine. Not my style. Neither will I use my round trip ticket to go to an award just to pat myself on my back or others, again, not my style and I have better use of my time than to do that (now if you're going to whine about the award thing in here in my Haloscan comment better think twice before you actually do it in here) because I have my reasons.

I can reserve for my round-trip plane ticket no less than two weeks out. So, it must be more than two weeks down the road where I want to go. That means I must use my ticket well before the May 12th flight where I may stay a few days before returning. I must return back home no later than May 12th!

Ok. I'll wait and read your suggestions . Please, some intelligent responses and not the lame ones. Just because you put forth some possible ideas where I may want to go doesn't mean that I will go there. I just might fly into Miami for a day or two and sip some Mai Tai and then come back with a nice tan.

*shrugs*

Then again that depends on what your suggestions are like and I might just fancy yours and take up on that idea.

UPDATE: It doesn't have to be to a "deafness-related" event. Other ideas/suggestions are welcomed if they're something that I hadn't thought of before. Tapping into your brain banks. Think "intellectual" events something that I may find educationally rewarding or stimulating.

Do VRS's Discriminate Against SEE Users?

I'm curious about this one. I've heard bits and pieces about this that Video Relay Services may not have SEE interpreters readily available or the fact if they do have any SEE interpreters versus plenty of ASL interpreters. So, do VRS's discriminate against those who prefer to sign in SEE and/or that they lack the skill to read finger-spelling that well. One commenter in my blog says he has experienced that on occassions.

I have asked.. sometimes I get snide remarks, sometimes "he/she is too busy with another call," and others say flat out they do not have SEE interpreters.

After using Sprint, HOVRS, and i711, nope, I have never gotten a SEE interpreter. Another problem is that I fingerspell a lot - they don't seem to be good at catching that either!

He raised an important question here that I've wondered for some time. Are these VRS companies not advertising truthfully what they have on staff enough SEE interpreters on hand to handle SEE callers? I've noted on a few well known VRS websites say that they do have SEE interpreters or that they have "English based sign language" on hand. But do they really?

Maybe it's the famous "Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!" we're seeing? Let's see what people say. This could all be a huge "misunderstanding."

Go Away Deaf People – this blog is for hearing people only.

Go Away Deaf People – this blog is for hearing people only!!

Communication access is very important to all people especially when it comes to using phones at any time, any place to anybody at a moments notice. Technology is helping change that dynamic use of a telephone and provide even greater access for more people. But to read one organization recent press release did they provide some misleading information about CSD’s announcement of their teaming up with Chicago airport over a phone deal?

CSD, the nation’s leader in providing communication access services for deaf and hard of hearing consumers, has teamed up with The Chicago Airport System (O’Hare and Midway International Airports), to furnish public access videophones (PAV) capable of providing video relay service (VRS) and point to point calls.

VRS is the functionally equivalent way for deaf and hard of hearing people to make phone calls. With VRS, a caller using sign language can communicate with a hearing person via a video interpreter and by using a video connection. By providing PAVs for their deaf and heard of hearing consumers, The Chicago Airport System is recognized as the first airports in the nation to offer this level of communication access.

The charge of misleading information came from one blogger who runs “Lightkeepers Journal.”

In a July 25 press release touting a new video relay service contract with Chicago airport system, they make this statement: “VRS is the functionally equivalent way for deaf and hard of hearing people to make phone calls.” This is stretching it. On the contrary, VRS is the relay service that the Deaf who use sign language use to communicate. But for hard of hearing people? No, it does not provide them with a functionally equivalent way to make a phone call. Most hard of hearing people want to use their residual hearing, supplemented by relay services such as captioned telephone or VCO IP relay. They prefer to speak for themselves and listen as much as possible. They do not typically use sign language as people do who prefer VRS.

Our own Brenda Battat, Associate Director of the Hearing Loss Association, and national advocate for functionally equivalent telecommunications wrote this recently: “This misinformation settles in the minds of policy makers, telecommunications innovators, ADA covered facilities, and the general public and makes it so much harder for us to advocate for the most appropriate access for people who prefer to use spoken language and do not use sign language. Yes a few, very few people who are hard of hearing use VRS. They know sign language and therefore can benefit from this wonderful relay service. But let’s not forget that less than 5% of people who are hard of hearing use sign language as their preferred way of communicating and therefore VCO [Voice Carry Over] and captioned telephone today are their most functionally equivalent relay services for them, assuming they cannot rely on HAC/volume [Hearing Aid Compatibility] control phones. Typically speech reading is too hard to use VRS successfully and so until VRS includes captioning it will not be the relay of choice for this population.”

Was this recent CSD press release a misleading one?

Looking around I came across the author's later blog piece under a different topic that got me thinking as well about the use of state and federal fundings via statistics in order to get fundings but intended to serve only a select group instead. The author was responding to Shane’s blog piece in DeafDC not too long ago about this one.

The main issue is that there are organizations and groups in the country who are confusing state and federal policy makers by stating or implying that if you provide sign language interpreting, then all 31 million people who have a hearing loss have access. I think this point was missed in the DeafDC Blog.

It is unethical to increase program and service funding using statistics made up primarily of a group of people you never intend to help at all, or provide token assistance. I am sure it makes the funding case stronger, but it is oppressive to the service and program needs of people who wish to maximize their residual hearing using technology and other strategies, and continue to verbally communicate.

Are there Deaf/deaf/hh organizations out there who purposely misuse statistics and/or twist certain data or information for the sake of getting funds from state and/or federal governments with the intention to only serve a select group of people?

An interesting thought there.

Oh, about my blog title? Yeah, it was misleading, no? Actually, my blog is for everybody, deaf and hearing. Just thought I let you know.

Drop Dead Fred?

Well, with Politico throwing out constant hit pieces as well as doling out piecemeal rumors has not really dampened Fred Thompson’s continuing momentum, albeit slow and steady perhaps. Just perhaps. But really it's a bit humorous seeing the MSM salivating over “earthquake” voting results between Obama and Huckabee even though Iowa makes up only 1% of the total U.S. population. Of course, we have winners and losers and the losers are the two Democratic victims who succumbed in the presidential race where their resignations were characterized as a “whimper” by bowing out. Though Gov. Richardson, in low single digit voting result, still “rah-rahing” his supporters. He should go out the door soon enough, too.

So, onward to New Hampshire, a secular state, where it should prove interesting. How will that turn out despite “unexpected trends” among Iowa voters last night? Nobody knows until the the winners cross the finish line.

Thinking Outloud

Suppose a new student (American) arrives at Gallaudet University for the first time to begin his/her 4 to 6 years of college experience without knowing any sign language. Takes Gallaudet's New Student Orientation signing program in the hope it'll be sufficient enough to help prepare that student for life on the campus of Gallaudet University. Suppose this particular deaf/hh student is not enthusiastic enough (or perhaps have a really, really hard time learning it and cannot get anywhere with it) on learning ASL request CART services (or something similar) instead to help get through each classes at Gallaudet for the next 4 to 6 years until graduation time. The question I have is would learning ASL be a prequisite in order to graduate (i.e. non-deafness related degree)? If so, why? What would the differences be between a person who don't really want to use sign language to be the main mode of communication and instead favor captioning services (or other similar helpful services) over those who may be "spatially-challenged" on learning a new language and would require other alternative form of communications?

If Gallaudet University gets about 70% of their monies from the Federal governtment every year shouldn't communication access ought to become a choice for students attending Gallaudet University even though ASL is the only and main mode of communication on campus? Even though Gallaudet University has exceptional services when it comes to communication, no?

Would it be possible someday that a future Gallaudet University student just might do that and go through 4 years using captioning services, for example, using little or no ASL and come out graduating with a degree? What would the legalities and option be should this student be denied such an endeavor?

Before you go on a bend and start accusing me of some things this is merely an exercise in thinking. I pose these questions because I have questions of my own to answer to and I'm curious about your thoughts. This is a fictional scenario folks. No real person is implied or stipulated here.

Deaf Over Anything (D.O.A.)?

Here’s to the New Year, 2008, where I look forward rather than to look back and see where this year will bring us. Of course, lesson learned doesn’t mean we should forget what we learned but chalk it up as a life lesson that’ll never stop until you stop breathing one day, dead on arrival, and then the maggots start to feed on your putrid, decaying lifeless flesh.

Ok. Let’s save that one for Halloween.

By now ya’ll probably have me figured out on why I write what I write. Some of you might be astute enough to go past the words and see the message I’m trying to convey. Bravo for you! While others seriously believe I’m out to get the Deaf community or the people. Hardly. But sometimes it’s like watching a bunch of kids at a play ground run around mindlessly as they jump, slide, swing and scuttle their way around with the occasional shoving and subsequent crying by a few kids who felt they were bullied and run back to their Mommies in protest while Daddies roll their eyes and sighs. Of course, don’t take that literally just figuratively speaking. Just because I dare to question and ask these things don’t mean that I’m out to “get them.” If it weren’t for me to raise some of these “taboo” questions, they might have not been raised at all.

But I do see some people succumb to this “group think” attitude that being “Deaf” is everything and over anything. And damn the rationality, too. Of course, many others do show their independent and critical thinking side when it comes to various deaf-related issues, whatever they may be, and still be proud of their Deaf culture or community. But to discuss deafness or cultural issues that may seem to border on blasphemy will simply earn a scorn, a “Harrumph!,” howls of calls that you must join the Deaf culture or get out, or try and use guilt about you not trying to be a part of the Deaf community when you have no interest. Or so goes their line of reasoning/thinking.

Here’s the secret, folks if you haven’t figured it out. I’m already a part of the community in one way or another whether it’s the Deaf or deaf community. Secondly, there is no “joining” in. It’s just is. Unless, of course, people are trying to tell me that there is this secret book with blacklisted names of those who are forbidden to be a part of that community just because they don’t see themselves as a “Deaf person.” Something like earning a scarlet letter “A” in this case but really it’s all about hypocrisy. Al least it seems so. Yet, I made my list of clarifications last year quite clear where I basically said, in a nutshell, that I prefer English and use my ability to hear (i.e. hoh) over the use of ASL and being Deaf. Some people just find that hard to believe and some just basically condemn me for saying that. Yet, I'm comfortable and happy with who I am despite people who try and use guilt on me (or others like me) in some reverse-psychology attempt on conversion. I'm not alone on this and many do share my thoughts and feelings about this whole thing. Though that doesn’t mean I won’t associate with those who describe themselves as a Deaf person by communicating with them using ASL. The same goes with those who use SEE will I communicate with them. Or those who prefer to talk whether they’re hearing, hard of hearing or deaf. I just see the use of the capital letter “D” as problematic that is consistent with a cultural bunker house mentality. It’s an “either/or” type of thing, and never a "we" thing.

There'll always be divisions as long as they keep holding up the "D"eaf label on a pedestal while ignoring the rest of the deaf population knowing full well they'll never be a part of or even want to “join” into one. The problem began when the first definition of the word "Deaf” was proposed a few decades ago or so by a prominent Deaf scholar to signify a Deaf culture that use ASL. But the irony we’re seeing nowadays is that people are trying to use the "D" to mean all deaf/hh people. But for those looking in from the outside it looks more like a club for them to *try* and join. Yet some people just don't want to admit that it’s more like a club than anything else since there are certain hoops (i.e. beliefs, requirements, etc) one must jump through in order to “join.” No wonder this “unity” thing won’t work and that divisions will continue. In my mind to me, "Deaf over anything" simply means D.O.A. Maggots will simply feast on that dead flesh instead when its usefulness is gone.

Best and Worst Responses for 2007

Here's my latest review taken from some 597 pages of my Haloscan comment where I choose some of the best and worst responses (and some in-between) in 2007. Figure out who said what by clicking on the link to get to the Haloscan comment. Maybe it could be your response! Some of the names you’ll recognize while many others came from anonymous people who didn’t have the balls to show their faces in their derisions and name calling rants. Something like a “hit and run” driver would do. Basically cowards. But there were many names who were quite courteous and well behaved. A mish mash of comments to read. Enjoy!


January 2007

Technological Inclusiveness at Gallaudet University
- “However, since about 2004, improvements have been dramatically below the curve. (Example in point, a current processor is about 5.5 times faster than a 1 GHz processor in 2000.) If we take the 1.34 formula, the seven years from 2000 to now should have yielded 1.34 to the 7th = an increase of 7.75. Moreover, I estimate that since 2004 processor speeds have less than doubled, which is really *way* below expectations.”

Gallaudet's First B/Vlogging Conference - My Input
- “I can see you pulled a 'Brenda Brueggeman' at the conference today. Really a slick move there, man.”


February 2007

A Poll vote: Play the Piano or Not?
- “Please DO PLAY! I'd love to crank up my MAC for this one.”

No Students at Vlog/Blog Conference?
- “The conference was never about the students. why would they go? Seriously, man.”

Richard's Gone Mad!
- “Mike, publicity's not my cup of tea. I'm going to get you for this.”


March 2007

Identity Politics Gone Wild
- “I challenge you to show how and when the protesters claimed to be victims because of their deafness. Nonsense. Stop the trash talk.”

Article on Gallaudet, the Protest and Protesters
- “You cannot and shall never be accepted as a neo-con. Find out why you cannot. But, like Cheney, you can be an ally to the cabre of the neo-cons, including Wolfowitz, Abrams, Perle, Podestwitz, and others. Sorry to sound harsh here, but you must learn not to be gullible.”

SLCC - much ado about nothing?
- “Your statement, ‘Technology, it's coming and it'll just get better. And it'll greatly add to ASL making it more widespread than ever before’ is very patronizing.”


April 2007

Do Deaf Stalkers Exist?
- “Kokonut, you were practically stalking Gallaudet with your anti-science rant in your old entry. I hope you'd practice what you preach. Otherwise, the latest entry you made is nothing but ignorance and stupidity.”

- " ‘Fancy words’? Surely you jest. I've never heard of that category!!!”

- “And you're complaining over my blogpost on people who complained about my use of the so-called ‘fancy words’!! Unreal.”

A Fancy, Schmancy Blogpost
- “This reeks of Audism. Nothing more to be said.”

- “No my friends this is not Audism, this is setting a level of standards which has been lacking for too long in the deaf community.”

An Inconvenient Truth – Gallaudet University
- “It is amazing that Al Gore is able to gulliblized many ‘intelligent’ people.”

When the Deaf Community Eats One of Their Own
- “The higher the pedestal, the harder he'll fall. That's all I have to say about that subject.”

- “Another eye opener is the claim that 40 percent of my blogs were about him. Now, I've done 1068 blogs in over two years. If I did 40 percent, that would be 427 blogs!! LoL! The guy is really bad at math.”

RIT Student Arrested for Possession of Rifles on Campus
- "Guess the guy chickened out."

The Virginia Tech Massacre is nothing about “Reap what you sow”
- "But I bleed buff and blue as well as orange and blue. So I really can’t have a soft spot for Hokies. My laws does not permit me to."

Incestuous Relationships in the Deaf community?
- "Just as I figured - cat got their tongues. wow silence speaks volumes! - anonymous for a good reason!"

- "It's pretty much a law of human nature: smaller a community, more incestuous (both figuratively and literally) it is."


May 2007

QubeTV - a Conservative Choice
- "Man. Aren't you a little trigger-happy on that big red ban button?!"

- "You won't be able to see it the way I do. You never have been able to, and I don't know why I even bother trying anymore. The sad thing is that I actually wanted to respect you, and I was hoping the same in return. But I know that will not happen like this."

A Discourse on Who Said “What?”
- "I totally understand why you are writing this due to their foolish reactions, however; I really like your writing style very much. Keep expressing yourself through writing. I look forward to reading your blogs."


June 2007

HOH Advantage Over Deaf?
- “I'm puzzled, and I hope I didn't understand you correctly.”

- “The politics of envy.”

Deaf Prisoners More Violent and Less Educated than Hearing Prisoners?
- “….to use that as an excuse by blaming the public or past history for their acts of violence is nothing but a crutch.”

- “That's so typical of you to dwell on the negatives of being Deaf, or towards Deaf people in general.”


A Fancy, Schmancy Blogpost.....Part Deux
- “Your poll isn't scientific. Moreover, I feel that there may have been voters who voted as they did because they wanted to ridicule the poll.”

- “….if people were actually dishonest in this polling then what does that tell about them? We can't trust them or what? Or are you saying that there is absolutely no possibility that there might be a few Deaf nutballs out there who will certainly want to censor a deaf blogsite over opposing opinions on deaf-related issues?”

A Survey Poll: If You Had the Power to Remove Blogsites Would You Do It?
- “If there are real problems with a blogger violating ethical standards, let the community deal with it by distancing itself clearly from the blogger. If there are violations of the law, let the civil or criminal justice system deal with it.”

"Deaf and Dumb" Hoy - A Baseball Legend
- “Why insult the memory of Mr. Hoy??”

A Deaf Caste System?
- “Deaf elites continue to push the tired myth originally perpetuated by IKJ, "Deaf people can do anything, but hear." If there was any truth to that, they would be working in the private sector.”


July 2007

An AGB Protest or AGB Dialogue?
- “You are a traitor to Deaf people. Either join the Deaf community & be 100% loyal, or get out!”
- "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

- “If you want people to know that you're a representative of Gallaudet University, then stop bickering about the protest and start being on our side!”

- “Get something straight: in the 21st Century, you answer to US, and not the other way around. Sorry to rain on your parade.”

- “All the more power to them if they think it’s for a good cause.”

New Improved Cochlear Implant Device!
- “Actually it is called hearing implant rather than cochlear implant.”

- “you're excited about an invasive procedure ?!”

Not so David Eberwein - hearing babies vs deaf babies on signing
- “Bravo! You hit the nail on the head! As a culturally Deaf person of several Deaf generations on both sides and a graduate of a residential school, I am bummed. With my background which gives a label to my identity, I am automatically categorized as the ‘David Eberweins’.”

- “Do you know what ignorant mean? If you don't, then that's what you are.”

- “I have been Deaf all my life. I mention all this, not to be big-headed, but to indicate that I have some credibility. It seems you have yet to completely understand all nuances and power of this natural language amazingly developed BY Deaf people and passed on generation to generation DESPITE over 90% of Deaf people having hearing parents, DESPITE purists like AGBell and yes, DESPITE Deaf people like yourself who seem to be insistent about belittling other Deaf people and our language.”

- “If you feel you could benefit from and enjoy being "hearing" and writing/speaking English, good for you! If you choose to prefer English/being hearing over ASL/being Deaf, it's your right, although honestly I find that hard to believe.”

- “I am just as qualified to present my views, opinions and experience regarding these deafness issues. Perhaps you're surprised because you have a profound hearing loss and you have no experience (i am assuming here) on what exactly sounds are and the benefits of listening/hearing?”

- “Mikey or Mickey, where you get off advocating Cued Speech?”

- “I never once said or produced a logic saying/implying that you need to be able to hear in order to function in society today. I am an advocate on closing the communication gap.”

Deaf Whiners Are Killing Us!
- “BRAVO!!!!!”

- “You exaggerate as usual.”

- “Very well said, Mike….Instead of whining, today's deaf people should count their blessings and learn to be humble. If we must "raise our voices", put some class into the act, show the world that we have risen above being ‘deaf and dumb’!”

- “Blocking the line? *Stifling my laughter here* Ya'll should be so lucky when it comes to captioning at this time of our lives compared to other countries.”

Deaf Judges
- “I agree with you all that it wasn't right for a commenter to "crush" a child's dream of wanting to be a judge in the future…”

1 Year Old Hearing Baby Signing (McConnell’s daughter)
- “She's so adorable!”

- “*clapping* So cool!!!!!”

Deaf Beggars - A Part of Deaf Culture?
- “I do remember arguing with a deaf "businessman" (a.k.a. beggar) and he had the gall to accuse me of being jealous he's running a ‘successful, legitimate business!’”

Deaf Beggars - a Part of Deaf Culture? Part II
- “I don't think you really understand capitalism.”

- “Any Deaf person that claims that these "ASL peddlers" are selling anything of value is engaging in intellectual and moral dishonesty.”

- “Mike, a very persuasive argument. You did your homework.”

- "Selling" Deaf cards isn't about capitalism. It's about using pity, sympathy and guilt in the hope to get money from people.

- “I'm not a regular subscriber to your delusions any way.”

Born Deaf, Live HoH, Die Hearing
- “If we keep on fighting this, we won't get anywhere, so I really hope that if the Deaf community accepts and embraces a bonafide "deaf cure," the hearing society at large, vis-a-vis, will accept and come to embrace sign language and basically, the existence of our unique global culture.”


August 2007

A Deaf P0rn Company?
- “With unemployment being unbelievably high among deaf people, maybe some would appreciate having a job as an actress?”

- “I find it interesting that Deaf Bunny doesn't know its legal stuff.”

- “I am not entirely convinced that factually stating the real name of someone in the porn business constitute as defamation.”

- “We have so many porn stars in American. Why not deaf people, too? I don't care what you people say bad things about deafbunny. It's their business.”

- “Oh my gosh! Are you saying deafbunny can't be success because they are small "Can't Can't Can't Can't Can't because they are DEAF!!" That isn't right!”

Cure Found to Help Deaf Babies Regain Complete Hearing
- “I'd send the kid to be cured. So far we've seen ASL making living in the deaf world very brutal.”

- “I voted yes because the inability to hear presents obstacles that the deaf child and his/her parents have to overcome. Not that they cannot overcome them, just that the barrier is there. The barrier is the ignorance of society generally about deafness, ability, and communication modes other than spoken language.”

- “Do you want every human being to be born identical in all traits and characteristics? I wouldn't want to live in such a world.”

- “This here is still about choice for parents to decide.”

- “I'm not going to go over to somebody's blogsite and whine about their polling because of some uncertainty that wasn't discussed or added into the poll. Picky little guy are you?”

- “Learn to quit while you're ahead..”

- “I re-read your question and I see that I missed the word "biological" that you included, so that actually does give it a context. I apologize for missing that.”

- “Mike McConnell posted this on purpose so all commenters can have their words twisted.”

Deaf Parents Allow Deaf Kids Read Deaf Blogs?
- “I find it little odd that you question Deaf parents, not hearing parents. Why not questioning hearing parents too?”

- “I wonder, what do your children read?”

- “Difficult to comprehend that Koko is finally running out of material to write about. (Wink, wink).”

- “It's not about censuring but informing/warning parents the nature or subject of those blogs.”

- “I was first exposed to ‘The Word’ when I was six or seven and I turned out just fine.”

- “I'm lost. What the heck did he say?”


September 2007

A Poll: Deaf Owned P0rn Company be Allowed at Deaf Expo?
- "We are constantly trying to recruit more and more youth to be a part of our community (rather than to be pulled away by hearing parents). We need to make sure that our environment and community is open and welcome to those individuals."

- "Mike, I thought you had a good head on your shoulder."

- "I smell a bull crap. Just "Deaf" on YouTube? Sorry, am not buying it. Just admit it that you tried "porn" on it. Admit it, and be one of us."

- "And you never knew that YouTube has a "date added" tab enabling viewers to list the most recent videos?"

- "I believe that Deaf Bunny will be a vendor to promote safe sex other than displaying sexual material."

- "Safe sex isn't guaranteed. It's a misnomer. Reduced risk, yes. 100% safe? No."

Hey! I'm Talking to You! Grow Up!
- "Good post. I agree, we all have the right to choose our preferred method of communication."

- "Don't be sore cuz the people have "spoken!" Sweet and I didn't even vote. This guy needs to sign. Represent."

- "Hmmmm, is there a double standard going on here? Grow up? Perhaps you need to follow your own advice? You did the poll, we didn't, and I assume that everyone was honest with their responses. So WHAT is the problem?"

- "guess my comment was deleted."

- "*70* percent's cool with him speaking. Quit lifting the rug looking for the dust mites. Quit cherry-picking for the worst in a minority. Maybe you need some growing up yourself."

- "Leave Him Alone!!!!!!!"

- "Closed-minded Deaf militants!"

Bisping Highly Controversal Win over Hamill
- "I was a Bisping fan but that meant I wanted to see him win, not lose then be given a phony victory. Now I'm not even a UFC fan anymore."

Why Throw "Audism" as a Reason for Matt Hamill's Fight Loss?
- "The best thing of all this is the fact that we can see the ugliness that is rampant in the deaf community by many Deaf people who are actual perpetuators of audism themselves."

- "Go ahead and have your last word as usual."

- "This world is not free of bigotry yet so I am not going to rule out an audism. You don't have a proof that it is not."

- "i don't know if u're somebody who can be reasoned with- this is a leap of faith."

- "I don't see it as oppressed but more in line with ignorant attitudes which is sometimes no fault of their own. We are free to move about. We are free to sue. We are free to file for grievances. We are free to look elsewhere for jobs. Just because one person "oppresses" another isn't reflective of the whole society."

Are You a Gym Rat?
- "Do not generalize just (LIKE) deaf homosexual Gary Brooks does about deaf homosexual males in comparison to deaf homosexual females."

- "What's with the "gary brooks" comment?"

- "Regarding Gary Books, I was making an analogy. You know it."

- " 'I know it'?? I don't even know who the heck Gary Brooks is. I still don't know what the hell you're talking about. Doesn't even make one ounce of sense. My topic is about people who like to work out often at the gym. What the heck are you talking about?"

Idiocy in the Blogosphere
- "I think anyone with half a brain will stop visiting a blog if they don't want to read it."

- "Who is Paotie?? Does he have a real name?"

- "Of course, deaf people have one very bad habit....they take what is said (hearsay) as the truth. This is what is killing our community."

- "Paotie -- You coward! Com'on, Is Paotie the real you (Mike McConnell)?"

- "No. Paotie is not me. LoL. That's the funniest thing I've heard all day. The year in fact."


No Gays in Iran? What about Deaf Gays?
- "You seem to be more concerned with kid's freedom drawing guns than killing gays."

- "Yours is a red herring example. Let's not go there, shall we?"

- "Shame on you to even suggest it won't happen when it did."

- "Here is an interesting question....is homosexuality hurting the deaf culture in general?"

- "Excellent, excellent points Mike. There is steam coming out of my ears from the garbage some have posted in this comment section."

- "Be surprised that world is no longer flat!"

Deaf Blog Rage!
- "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." — Voltaire

Exclusive Post Fight Interview with Matt Hamill
- "A deaf person on the radio!?!?!"


October 2007

The Gally 6 or 7?
- "I'm not comfortable with you calling that group of students the 'Gally 7.'"

- "But, what do you know about journalism anyways? Since your tone tends to profess authority I'm holding you so accountable."

- "I find you very irresponsible and ask that you remove your blog "Gally 7"
IMMEDIATELY!"

- "No, I won't remove 'Gally 7.' Sorry."

- "Deafspookie, bloggers are opinionated journalists who are not accountable to anyone but their owns and generally do not follow nor observe "editorial" rules like most mainstreamed media journalists out there, kissing up for money. Bloggers do it for the hell for it or for the love of writing about it without any editorial or third party refrains."

A City For Thee And Not For Me
- "Maybe I'm not 'suburbia enough'?"

Acceptance for PhD Work at Univ. of MD
- "You actually posted your acceptance letter to University of Maryland at the end of your mini-autobiography? Sorry but it seems like you are trying too hard to impress."

- "You have guts. Not many people would turn down a PhD program given the chance. You not only knew what you wanted to do, you also had the GUTS to do it. Not many people can do that."

- "Yeah, you don't like me and yet you still wished I get Tetanus which means certain suffering and even death. Yeah, yeah...you were...uh..."joking" at the time. Who knows what you were really thinking."

Misguided......
- "Deaf education is *not* inherently political in nature."

- "Go tell John that."

- "...worth only a paragraph or 2 not a full blown blog."

- "Walk in my shoes...."

- "We disagree on approaches."

- "You mean you want to be one of those cowards who won't even apologize for making a comment by wishing somebody else's baby get killed?"

- "You see that you delete my comment. Mike McConnel must be blind."

- " I haven't deleted any comments today, anonymous."


November 2007

My Twenty Clarifications
- "You sound like a man of common sense who knows what he is doing, not beating about the bushes."

- "Nice to get to know ya! You have a good head on your shoulders, and I have no doubt you are a good role model for your children."

- "Your posts ooze with bigotry, even when you think the don't. Just look at the beginning of this post, making the association between Deaf culture and idiocy. You've got to stop that. You are a menace and a bigot. The evidence proves it, no matter what you claim. When you say "once an extremist, always an extremist" you are obviously talking about yourself. You are an anti-Deaf culture, hearing supremacist."

- "DE, not so, else I'd be calling for a ban on ASL for all deaf children. Not so. ASL is beneficial to a lot of children and adults. As I have repeatedly said, there is NO one size shoe fits all. And I warned people not to read too much into what I write. I said it's the gossiping is the idiocy I don't care to participate. You're projecting, DE. Since this is what you want to believe as far as I can tell."

- "It's a free country and each of us is free to define ourselves and what we stand for as individuals. You say you aren't Deaf, fine. The ability to communicate with one another is more important than what group one feels one is a member of."

- "Have you ever met any intelligent deaf people?"

- "I don't see you making any comments on any deaf vloggers like Joey Baer, Ella May Lentz and others. I wonder why? For some deaf people, they can sign ASL but have difficulty in understanding ASL."

- "I have discussed and interviewed people who are deaf, hh and Deaf people in my blogs. Christian Vogler (technology - ASL computer recognition), Greg Gunderson (Deaf professional driver), Jason Curry (technology - UbiDuo), Kristi Merriweather (social, black issues), Steve Sandy and his research into Dummy Hoy (sports), Matt Hamill (sports - first Deaf UFC fighter), and numerous others over the last 3 years. If you cannot see the positives I have done covering subjects such as those people, for example, then there is nothing I can do for you."

- "I don't feel that any of us owe ANYONE an explanation of 'Who we are'."

- "Ditto. Bilingually yours, John."

- "John, isn't that a bit of a hypocritical response of yours considering the fact that you "demanded" Paotie to explain himself on who he is?"

Deaf Rumor Mill and Cyber Gossip
- "Once again you are totally trashing the deaf community, while pretending that you are fair and respectful of it."

- "I like you... you are not afraid to bring up certain subjects."

- "Why don't you go to a gym and do some weight lifting until you have a hernia so you can stop typing foolish rants."

- "Don't change your style of blogging, Mike... unless you are not satisfied with your blogging style."

Pinkberry
- "Tee, hee, I can just see myself walking into Wendy's with my Spider Man text messenger! I can imagine the looks people would give one another at this white haired lady using a kids' toy to order a hamburger. Hilarious!"

Cochlear WAR!
- "You say that you can hear spoken conversations with your hearing aids. How come you failed to interpret what two children say. Do you expect Deaf people to be able to lipread children's small lips effortlessly? You really insult our intelligence! How would you feel if your hearing aids are broken whilst watching an UNcaptioned movie in a theatre?"

- "I cannot simply put subtitles on. That wasn't the idea here. Putting subtitles on would not show how their voices sounded. It wouldn't prove anything. Voices from these kids were understandable and even sounded like their own peer group with some variations in pitch with the more younger kids, of course. Like Michelle, Kim and Karen Kay Mayes, they asked a hearing person to listen and verify. They did the right thing. What's wrong? Can't you even ask a hearing person's opinion on this one? How can I put subtitles on to describe the understandability of their voices and words when the topic of my blog pertains to understanding their words and how they sounded? Hmmm...?"

ASL is Destroying Indian Sign Language
- "mcconnell, did english kill indian spoken languages?"

- "it nearly did.

The Case for Free Expression
- "Good point... you said what I had been feeling lately. Very rational, well-written blog..."

- "This is wildly hypothetical and confuses the issues. What on earth are you talking about 'absolute authority and power'?"

- "What you are doing is equivocating on the meaning of the term 'power.'"

- " 'Equivocating'... *laughs*"


December 2007

A Gratitudeless Campaign?
- "Wow! Thats all I can say about the deaf community and there offense at this. Actually let me back track, those who are angry about this do not represent the real deaf community."

A Deficit Thinker?
- "I saw that post and I was floored."

- "If you are not willing to try and join a culture, or group of people with same beliefs you dont belong on deafread or any event hosted for/by the deaf community. (or even try understanding the basis of deaf culture)"

- "Somebody pass me the popcorn!"

- "If you feel that you are not part of the Deaf community, then why are you trying trying trying to be part of that? Go with hearing people, or are they rejecting you as well?"

- "Nice welcome mat."

- "Its like preachers who preach from the bible then go get drunk and molest little girls and then back to the pulpit and points his holy fingers at OTHER Sinners but never himself."

- " 'Deafhood' is highly over-rated."

- "Taunts on a public blogsite, a Deaf person dares to scold him, then scuttles behind his personal blogsite, looking all innocent."

Poll. Allow Pro-Oral Blogs on DeafRead?
- "mike, this is prove that you are oral militant."

- "But a solution is to category these so all within the Deafhood unity have a broader common ground. Militants will always be among us but we can unite on certain necessary issues."

- "I don't see anything wrong with oralism as long as it's a workable option for the person."

Back Issues of Deaf Life?
- "Have you ever read a single issue of Deaf Life?"

- "Many individuals and entities covered in past issues of Deaf Life are not part of the so-called Deaf Establishment that you passionately loathe."

- "There are very easy ways to manipulate PDFs to point of duplicating ebooks without payments. Deaf people are not that dumb. Hint. Hint. Hint."

- "In other words, Deaf people are willing to steal and be dishonest? Kinda makes you wonder about that quoted statement."

My New Year’s Resolution…..which one?

1) Make sure everybody understands that the word “deaf” is a better word to use than “Deaf” to describe people with hearing loss.

2) Go after every anti-deficit thinkers and hopefully they’ll buy my special coffee cup collection.

3) Make sure parents of deaf babies seriously think about cochlear implants and cued speech.

4) Do more vlogging using my voice instead of blogging because it’s easier and the right thing to do.

5) Do less deaf-related blog topics and more on non-deaf related blog topics because doing non-deaf topics are much more cerebral, enlightening and fun to do.

6) Put a deaf cat on a 400 watts stereo speaker and crank up the bass just to see what happens. How about a deaf hamster?

7) Force closeted militant deaf people out into the open for their radical ideas (note the lower “d”).

8) Book more rooms at the Marriott hotel for my business trips in 2008.

9) Fudge my Sitemeter on the number of hits until I reach 2 million like this guy?

10) Make sure everybody gets a free UbiDuo communication device and help get rid of expensive ASL interpreters everywhere.

11) Make a 2007 “Best and Worst comments” blog piece like I did earlier this year.

12) Open up my Haloscan comment and allow all kinds of foul language, idiotic comments, personal attacks and so on without any moderation control whatsoever.

13) Donate some of my money to AGBell for a worthy cause.

14) Reach a word discrimination goal of 98% because my current 95% isn’t so hot.

15) Buy a new cell phone with more bells and whistles.

16) Help end the cruelty of seeing deaf dogs and cats by getting them implanted.

17) Help re-establish a Cued Speech Center on the campus of Gallaudet University.

18) Help put together the first ever oral club at Gallaudet University.

19) Buy a digital hearing aid that comes with artificial intelligence software enabling me to hear people thoughts.

20) Form a “Paotie and Kokonut” coalition for critical thinkers only to join.


Now, overall I haven’t thought of what I really wanted to do in 2008. Usually I just wing it and see how it goes as each day goes by, week by week, and month by month based on inspirations and ideas that come to me. Although, I do have a few goals in mind but I ain’t gonna say what those are. Yet I welcome each New Year looking forward to learn and do more things as I have always done in the past. And I hope people don’t take things too seriously in 2008 like they did in 2007 that hinges on conspiratorial reactions and paranoia. It was simply an ugly thing to watch is all I can say. Unity it wasn’t.

Here’s to 2008. Happy New Year!

Open Letter to Dr. Robert Davila and Gallaudet Community

December 27, 2007


To Dr. Robert Davila and those who may share my concerns.

I couldn't help but notice in a recent Alumni eNewsletter "Green Gallaudet invites alumni to make the world a greener place" (see http://tinyurl.com/335nl6 )
and a very recent newsletter announcement in Inside Gallaudet “Gallaudet to join Focus the Nation’s fight against climate change” (http://news.gallaudet.edu/?ID=12431 ) that have caused me some concerns lately. Though I'm glad to see that there are initiatives being undertaken on how we can go "green" using responsible, common sense practices and goals. We all want clean air and water. We all want to see healthy and productive lands. No one is denying that. People want to see environmental conservation efforts at the local and regional scale because results are relatively quick. However, I am quite concerned that bias or one-sided teaching is possibly being introduced to undergraduate students over the supposed man-made "global warming" issue. For one, this is because "global warming" was mentioned along with a link to "Focus the Nation" seen in the recent Alumni eNewletter.

"Focus the Nation is exploding because, across the country, educators and students at every high school, college and university understand that we have just a few short years to act decisively to hold global warming to the low end of 3-4 degrees F."
http://focusthenation.org/

The key words, "...a few short years." This smells of preying on the uninformed by introducing hysteria with hyperboles, not to mention a way to make a buck by jumping the bandwagon scare of this supposed "anthropogenic global warming."

Climate change is a climate system that we have no real control over. For Gallaudet University to align, politically and environmentally, with an organization that uses hysteria and dire warnings should not be in the best interest of Gallaudet University when it comes to unbiased and neutral teachings. Nor should this be in the best interests for undergraduate students when crucial critical thinking skills are important rather than to be swayed by emotional hysteria.

In fact, in Gallaudet University's Monitoring Report to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (September 14, 2007) specifically emphasized "Critical Thinking" in a new curriculum that "draws on best practices in higher education, articulates specific, assessable learning outcomes, offers unprecedented opportunities for collegial interfaculty collaboration, and integrates learning across disciplines." One of the five expected outcomes is "Critical Thinking" where it states "Students will summarize, synthesize, and critically analyze ideas from multiple sources in order to draw well-supported conclusions and solve problems."
http://ims.gallaudet.edu/pdf/20070914-0003.pdf

Still, in a very recent Inside Gallaudet newsletter it also describes one student’s fear about the supposed anthropogenic global warming will have in the future.

“Student Earl Terry, chair of Green Gallaudet’s FTN planning committee, feels that addressing this issue is incumbent upon his generation. 'It’s very important for us to do something about [global warming] because if we don’t, our children will suffer,' said Terry.”
http://news.gallaudet.edu/?ID=12431

And in the same article it boasts of a special guest trained to give presentations based on that of vice president Al Gore in the film “An Inconvenient Truth” who completed an intensive three-day “Climate Project” training session to become certified to give the presentations. Yet, this is ironic considering that Christopher Monckton of Brenchley produced a detailed report that listed a total of 35 errors in Al Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient Truth”
(http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/monckton/goreerrors.html ).

Our understanding on the complexities of our climate system, the Earth itself and even the sun are still quite limited. Scaring people into submission is not the answer to get people to change their environmental ways. Scaring students at Gallaudet University isn't the answer either when they cannot develop their own critical thinking skills on their own.

I fear that Gallaudet University has not taken the steps to ensure students are on the path of self-sufficiency to learning when it comes to critical thinking skills on issues such as climate change. Or in this case, the claims of global warming caused by anthropogenic means that would lead to worldwide catastrophic environmental events or so say the proponents for Al Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient Truth.” For Gallaudet University to associate with such an organization such as "Focus the Nation" whose main thrust is to induce or produce a “climate of fear” by blaming the human race as the cause of our global warming. There is no real basis for this. There is a growing body of scientific literatures outlining that this not to be the case. People simply need to be careful about using the "scientific consensus" meme by saying that there were very "little dissent among scientists worldwide." Not so when you have one analysis of a peer-reviewed literature that was done very recently showed just the opposite of what some people have been saying.

“A new analysis of peer-reviewed literature reveals that more than 500 scientists have published evidence refuting at least one element of current man-made global warming scares. More than 300 of the scientists found evidence that 1) a natural moderate 1,500-year climate cycle has produced more than a dozen global warmings similar to ours since the last Ice Age and/or that 2) our Modern Warming is linked strongly to variations in the sun's irradiance. ‘This data and the list of scientists make a mockery of recent claims that a scientific consensus blames humans as the primary cause of global temperature increases since 1850,’ said Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Dennis Avery.

Other researchers found evidence that 3) sea levels are failing to rise importantly; 4) that our storms and droughts are becoming fewer and milder with this warming as they did during previous global warmings; 5) that human deaths will be reduced with warming because cold kills twice as many people as heat; and 6) that corals, trees, birds, mammals, and butterflies are adapting well to the routine reality of changing climate.”
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,176495.shtml

Just as well, in December 2007, a team of over 100 prominent international scientists, who warned the UN, that attempting to control the Earth's climate was "ultimately futile."
http://tinyurl.com/2m27n5

Then we have a peer-reviewed International Journal of Climatology that was published in a December 2007 issue said that climate scientists at the University of Rochester, the University of Alabama, and the University of Virginia report that “ observed patterns of temperature changes (‘fingerprints’) over the last thirty years are not in accord with what greenhouse models predict and can better be explained by natural factors, such as solar variability. Therefore, climate change is ‘unstoppable’ and cannot be affected or modified by controlling the emission of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, as is proposed in current legislation. And that the results are in conflict with the conclusions of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and also with some recent research publications based on essentially the same data.“
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/908

And again in December 2007 over 400 prominent scientists from more than two dozen countries recently voiced significant objections to major aspects of the so-called "consensus" on man-made global warming and that climate skeptics appear to be expanding rather than shrinking.
http://tinyurl.com/2hmrer

Other than that, there are many examples of other studies on time lags between rise/fall of temperature prior to the rise/fall of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. A few examples of research results include:

* Indermühle et al. (GRL, vol. 27, p. 735, 2000), who find that CO2 lags behind the temperature by 1200±700 years, using Antarctic ice-cores between 60 and 20 kyr before present.

* Fischer et al. (Science, vol 283, p. 1712, 1999) reported a time lag 600±400 yr during early de-glacial changes in the last 3 glacial–interglacial transitions.

* Siegenthaler et al. (Science, vol. 310, p. 1313, 2005) find a best lag of 1900 years in the Antarctic data.

* Monnin et al. (Science vol 291, 112, 2001) find that the start of the CO2 increase in the beginning of the last interglacial lagged the start of the temperature increase by 800 years.

Now, if Earth was suffering under an accelerated greenhouse effect caused by human produced addition of CO2, the troposphere should heat up faster than the surface of the planet, but data collected from satellites and weather balloons do not support this fundamental presumption even though we are seeing higher CO2. We ought to see near lockstep temperature increments along with higher CO2 concentration over time, especially over the last several years. But we're not.

In keeping up with Gallaudet University new efforts on transparency, I sincerely hope you will find the time to ensure that Gallaudet University’s best interest is to teach and provide materials to students in a neutral manner and allow students a chance to form their own conclusions through critical thinking. Neutrality is very important when it comes to teaching science by separating facts from fiction. For Gallaudet University to tie itself to an organization that prides itself on inducing a “climate of fear” when it comes to “global warming” without any real regards or acknowledgement that earth or climate science is complex and still in its infancy. We still do not fully understand the involvement of water vapor, a major greenhouse gas, which play a much bigger role than that of CO2
(see http://icecap.us/images/uploads/Evans-CO2DoesNotCauseGW.pdf ).

Dr. Davila, you said, “Our goal then and now is to create a stronger, more united community with a more rigorous academic curriculum to better prepare our students to thrive in the new, global economy,” in an Inside Gallaudet announcement about the Middle States Commission on Higher Education who unanimously voted to remove Gallaudet from probation (see http://news.gallaudet.edu/?ID=12229 ). That is what many people would like to see students do at Gallaudet University and that is to do rigorous, independent academic work.

I have posted this email letter as an open letter in my blog for all to see (http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.com/ ). And I hope Gallaudet University will approach students from a teaching neutral point of view so they can develop their own critical thinking skills. I have written a few emails to Gallaudet University about their April 2007 Earth Day global warming presentation at Gallaudet University that was set up with the help of students and faculty members (see http://news.gallaudet.edu/?id=11005 ). I expressed concerns that there were no efforts to present facts (see examples in this email) and realities about our limited knowledge of our own climate system when it comes to causal relationships with that of our Earth and sun that help directly and indirectly induce climate change (i.e. warming and cooling). But with the recent collaboration and support to continue with global warming teaching using Al Gore’s movie and it’s talking points can only mean that future efforts to present an open view without politics involved will not happen. This is what concerns me the most.

If you need more information or would like to discuss more, please do not hesitate to contact me.


Sincerely,

Mike McConnell



BIOGRAPHY: 11 years of professional work in earth science involving groundwater, geology, atmospheric pollution, wildfire effects on watersheds, post-wildfire mitigation planning, hydrology, and groundwater and surface water modeling. He holds a bachelor degree in mathematics (Gallaudet University, 1991). He also holds a M.S. degree in Geology (Univ. of Idaho, 1999) with emphasis in geophysics, hydrogeology and groundwater contaminant modeling while as a fulltime graduate student for 5 years.
Emails sent to.

Contact:
Dr. Robert Davila, president of Gallaudet University – Robert.Davila@gallaudet.edu

CC:
Sen. Wayne Allard – http://allard.senate.gov/ (emailed via official website)
Sen. Thomas Harkin – http://harkin.senate.gov/ (emailed via official website)
Sen James M. Inhofe - http://inhofe.senate.gov/ (emailed via official website)
Dr. Caroline Solomon (biology) - caroline.solomon@gallaudet.edu
Dr. Michael Moore (Chemistry) - michael.moore@gallaudet.edu
Dr. Henry Snyder (Physics) - henry.snyder@gallaudet.edu
Middle States Commission on Higher Education - info@msche.org

A Captioner's Worst Nightmare

Just when you thought a real time captioner couldn't miss the all important and very relevant word, "evacuating," for those deaf people watching the news on this year's recent California's wildfire.




Just makes you wanna say...."Ewwwww!" But I'm sure they were just trying to help suffocate the fires? No?


Hat tip: Somebody in Kalifornia.

Zillow Homes

Here's a real-estate website called Zillow which is a free, instant valuation of over 65,000,000 homes in the United States. It provides info on the house, estimated valuation, satellite photo, map, birdseye view for an extra up close shot of a house, and property tax information. A neat website to check up on the value of your house. Or even your favorite celebrity or politician's house just by doing a simple little Google research on celebrity homes' addresses.

“Stop Eugenics!” = Anti-abortion?

Over and over do I see in DeafRead the blog “Stop Eugenics!” so many times, even as much as 6 times in a single day on the main page of DeafRead. I’ve already read a bit about the Clause 14 (4) (9) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill and the slippery-slope it may entail for us humanity in the future. But this bill is essentially an abortion requirement bill because it does involve in the decision to remove an embryo, which has all the genetic information as a born baby, based on known genetic defects. If an embryo contains these genetic information that are essentially “defects” they are, of course, aborted or rejected on that basis. Mishka Zena covered it quite well addressing this slippery slope problem.

Let’s suppose a Deaf couple wanted to ensure on having a deaf baby via IVF should taxpayers foot the bill for their decision to have a deaf child’s expensive education (e.g. school for the deaf) and interpreters? Should the financial responsibility be 100% upon Deaf parents versus over those who, by chance and not by IVF, give birth to a deaf child? Let’s try this from a different viewpoint. Suppose a mildly retarded married couple (fully independent) wanted to increase the potential on conceiving a baby who would also be born mildly retarded. Would this be acceptable? The same for dwarfism and so on.

Indeed a heavy question. If a couple purposely set out via IVF to have a baby with a certain desirable but shortcoming traits should they ought to pay for all expenses related to education, special needs and medical attention for that child should the state and insurance ought to pay for a planned and desired “disability” knowing the inherent cost is likely to be much, much higher? Who is ultimately responsible for future costs for these “specially designed” children? Whose financial responsibility would this belong to? The parents or government?

Now, let’s turn this around. Suppose a Deaf couple use IVF to screen out any genetic deafness and instead look for an embryo that doesn’t have genetic deafness in order to have a hearing baby? How would that be wrong? If Deaf parents already decided to have their Deaf child implanted with a cochlear implant like in Sound and Fury then there is no reason to think that Deaf parents will not want to ensure on having a hearing baby via IVF. Dr. Jamie Grifo thinks so,

One of the nation's leading experts in reproductive medicine, Dr. Jamie Grifo of New York University, believes parents should be able to decide whether or not to have the procedure.

"Parents should certainly have a say in how they should be able to make decisions about how to conduct their reproductive lives, rather than leaving it up to some regulator or legislator," he said.

Certainly, in theory, parents ought to conduct their own reproductive decisions and not that of the government or regulator. But I guess the core question comes down to would be whether parents who plan on having a “disabled” child via IVF ought to bear all future expenses related to the child’s disability. It's a choice between reproductive rights versus financial support.

So, the "Stop Eugenics!" is asking the government of UK to stop this Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill because they (i.e. "Stop Eugenics!") believe also in the concept of pro-life as a whole? I'm curious if that's the case.

But let's suppose instead the UK parliamentary comes up with a bill outlining that anyone who uses IVF procedures to purposely plan and deliberately conceive a baby with a disability much like the parents' will not receive any financial support for medical, education and other services (e.g. BSL interpreting), over those who child born by chance to have a disability? What then?

Slippery slope indeed.

Back Issues of Deaf Life?

Pretty unreal to see the asking price for 10 years of back issues of Deaf Life magazine from 1988 to 1998. I saw this under at "Jobs, Careers and Callings Deaf and Hard of Hearing People at Work" blogsite where it refers you to the Deaf Life back issues page with an asking price of $1750.00 for the complete magazine set from 1988 to 1998. A total of 120 magazines over a 10 year period (1988 - 1998) = $14.58 for each magazine compared to Deaf Life's current annual subscription price of $2.50 each ($30/year). Which means a markup of over 500% using today's cost. In 1988, subscription price may have been like $20 per year back then...dunno. But right now it's $30/year for 12 issues. Though renewal subscription costs $27/year or an equivalent of $2.25 per issue.

While at the same time it is interesting to see it say "11 sets are left" in the current website. This dire "11 sets are left" wordings for those potential Deaf Life collectors haven't changed since at least 2001. This means that no one is interested in buying a complete set or that the asking price is simply too high. I think it's the later. The price is simply way too high. Maybe Matthew will come around and try and "correct" it by "updating" it to say that there are "3 sets are left" or something like that after I post my blogpiece. Or perhaps, if he's smart, he'll lower the price. You know, Matthew Moore, you can put your "complete set" into a PDF full color digital format and sell it "cheaply" using secured online downloads.

But really, compare that to National Geographic's back issues prices where a single issue cost $6 per magazine for those after 1986. For Deaflife, after 1988, it's $14.58 each if you plan on buying the whole package set for $1750.00. It's a steal, I guess. Depending on who you ask.

Though I prefer National Geographic magazine since I'm a subscriber. It's much more educational and enjoyable to read. So, who is getting screwed here?

Woman Leaves $6 Million to Gallaudet

Interesting. Did a deaf oral woman influence Virginia May Binns, who left behind more than $6 million dollars of her estate to Gallaudet University, to donate most of her estate to Gallaudet because of her ability to read lips and speak with Virginia May Binns who is hearing?

To Amy McGlone, Binns was something more.

McGlone lived a few houses down from the former bacteriologist and daughter of prominent city residents Frances Stoner and Charles D. Binns. In her youth, McGlone visited Binns in her Charles Street home nearly every day to play with the dogs.

Born partially deaf, McGlone communicated with Binns by reading her lips. She said Binns was surprised at first that she could speak.

"She was a remarkable woman," McGlone, 31, said.

Binns was 89 when she died in February 2006. She spent the last years of her life at Hughes Home on Caroline Street.

"I think it's great," McGlone said of the donation.

As a young girl, McGlone spent summers at Gallaudet workshops to learn different communication techniques.

Did an oral deaf woman, while growing up, impressed Virginia May Binns of her ability to speak and read lips enough so that over years decided to leave a good portion of her estate to Gallaudet Univesity thinking the money will help more deaf people to learn to speak and read lips? The money will help fund the James Lee Sorenson Language and Communication Center?

Binns' gift will be used to support Gallaudet's newest building, the James Lee Sorenson Language and Communication Center.

Was Binns somehow mislead about what she thought her money could do for at Gallaudet University? I couldn't help but wonder what the stipulations were for Gallaudet University on exactly how the money will be used to support the James Lee Sorenson Language and Communication Center (main website is down, link is to an archive site)?

Now, didn't some students protest over this planned building because it appears to represent "audism"? While others did not see it as a problem to have that building? Even Davila said that "the SLCC is very much a deaf and ASL-centered building." You can go here and see the what the building looks like and see who else has donated (start on page 31 to see donations so far though not up to date). Check out the floor plans, too.

Will Gallaudet University maintain its "ASL-only" campus when it comes to communicating or will there be someday a cued speech center on the campus of Gallaudet University ? Gallaudet University already has a Cochlear Implant Education Center. Would it be fair to surmise the direction Gallaudet is heading when it comes to cochlear implant, speech center, ASL, cued speech, the expanding technology to help with communication access and so on? What will the campus' communication be like in 2028, 20 years from now? More use of speech and less signing, or the opposite? Will Virginia May Binns' money help Gallaudet University or not?

Deficit Thinkers = Coffee Drinkers?

You know what a "Deficit Thinker" is? It's somebody who hasn't had his/her coffee in the morning. So, for this upcoming holiday season here's a coffee mug you can purchase for that special "Deficit Thinker" in your life. A great gag gift for coffee drinker addicts who are the usual grouchy, non-morning type of person that tend to complain and grumble. Kind of like the complaints we see from Deaf people about these so-called "Deficit Thinkers."


If you want to purchase your very own (or for that "special" person in your life) "Warning: Deficit Thinker" coffee mug gag gift then stop by at my special Cafe Press Kokonut's Store and buy one today for only $13.99! Also, in my store there are several other items for sale as well. Look around and see if you like to buy one of my products.

So, are you a coffee addict and not a morning person? Then perhaps you are indeed one of those "Deficit Thinkers."

As for me, I don't drink coffee and I'm a morning person, too. So I cannot possibly be a "Deficit Thinker."

Poll. Allow Pro-Oral Blogs on DeafRead?

Ya'll will probably see the right answer to this question. My question is should pro-oral blogs be allowed on DeafRead via through their daily filtered feed aggregator on selecting what's permissable and what is not? Should blogs that discuss "pro-oral" deaf-related subjects be allowed on DeafRead?

Should DeafRead Allow Pro-Oral Blogs?
	Yes!
	No!
pollcode.com free polls

UPDATE: Choose carefully ya'll. And honestly, too. It may just reflect poorly (or not) on your decisions between outright censorship (and control over contents and power) versus the free exchange of ideas for all to see and share that makes America great. I'm watching this with great interest, folks.

UPDATE II: JJ (human editor of DeafRead) said this in my comment box:

"Pro-Oral posts WILL ALWAYS BE ALLOWED on deafread."

I am assuming that the above comment is really JJ's.

A Deficit Thinker? Part Deux.

Like any good scientists we like to examine things analytically but there is a time when things go a bit overboard tossing around little understood words like “deficit thinking,” “deficit thinker,” “colonialism” or, heaven forbid, “dysconscious” in the hope to examine on what is “missing” when it comes to discussing deaf-related issues. It’s even worse when people use those words as a lance or spear against people or a group thinking they are in the wrong or perhaps use them simply because they are looking for a weapon to use against them for whatever reasons. Oftentimes people use such words within a context in such an accusatory tone is enough to question their motives. Sometimes it’s enough to make them look like imbeciles. It’s bad enough to resort to psycho-babble talks using those words thinking enlightenment will ensue but somehow it seems to work in the opposite direction at times. I’m talking in general terms and aiming at no one person here.

Words like “deficit” and the prefix “dys” are tinged with negative connotations. The prefix “dys” comes from "dus" (bad) spoken by people of Greece starting about 1000 B.C where "bad" modifies the word. And, of course, deficit means “inadequate” or “insufficient.”

It’s easy to toss those words around when you have lived only from one perspective while growing up. No one perspective is the same with each person. People have different viewpoints, perspectives, and life experiences whose own reasoning may be just as valid as the next person’s. Just to be fair, I believe everybody has a bit of a “deficit thinking” in themselves, including Deaf people, depending on the subject, of course. You see, it’s easy to call somebody a “deficit thinker” but then again that person may be exhibiting that very same “deficit thinking” as well. It may be even worse! Sort of like when a person accuses somebody by pointing a finger at him and in response you get 20 fingers pointing back at the accuser. I’d just be careful to use those words the next time. Better yet, don’t use them at all. To me, those words are meaningless psychobabble and are worthy enough to have them drop kicked over a football field goal when it comes to deaf-related discussions. It simply doesn’t help the situation. I have no need to use those words at all. It's full of generalities and solves nothing. And so it stops here for me.

Each blogger or vlogger has a way of expressing their opinion based on their personality, life experiences, educational background, and such that lead them to their own preferred communication style. It is what suits the blogger rather than to try and suit the audience. Though it's amazing and amusing that people continue to whine or complain over something they have no control over the contents of other people blogs. Sometimes they complain because they don't understand what was written. Or complain because they misconstrue or misinterpret. Though people are not forced to read other people blogs. And if so happens you don’t like what’s being said or how it’s being said then don’t go to that blogsite again. A simple solution for a simple mind.

Now, I have no qualms if people choose not to read my blogs. It is their right. It doesn’t affect me or how I write my blogs or the topic I choose to write. My blog is geared towards both deaf and hearing audience. What I write is enough to encourage people to come over and read my blogs. My audience (hearing, hard of hearing and deaf) continues to grow regardless if one decides not to read my blogs anymore since I cover a lot of topics (deaf and non-deaf) when it comes to blogging. I write because I enjoy writing. I write because it forces me to learn new things by doing tons of research, mostly in the science and technology arena. What I write also helps inform and educate many others. The internet is my library when it comes to academic learning. It's a great and handy tool to have because it's a big world out there. Life isn't so simple nowadays.