Is "Deafhood" a new tool for oppression to those who disagree?

When new labels are introduced such as "audism," "Deafhood," "deficit thinker," "Deaf," "colonialism" and so on they are oftentimes used as a tool to oppress or even discriminate others who do not share their exact ideals or thinkings. This blog is a response to another round of "Deafhood" being discussed in the deaf/hh blogosphere. In my mind the word "Deafhood" pertains to a mostly, if not exclusively, Deaf culture ideal involving ASL rather than about the various deaf/hh experiences and preferred mode of communication. For one, there has been a mixed use of the word "deafhood" and "Deafhood" to define and even discriminate. Others try and downplay the use of the "D" and say instead "deafhood" while others insist it be called "Deafhood" as it relates entirely about their Deaf culture.

Jamie Burke in About.com Deafness used the lower case 'd' in "deafhood" rather than "Deafhood" to define her various experience as a person with hearing loss.

But the word "Deafhood" used by the likes of Paddy Ladd and others who insure that any experiences are about striving toward a Deaf culture mentality than not. Suddenly it has become NOT about the various life experiences and perspectives among the 33 million people who deal with their hearing loss in the United States, where most have gotten along quite well without the need for ASL, but about the presevation of Deaf culture. It's kind of like "It's my way or the highway" kind of thinking when it's about "Deafhood" rather than "deafhood" based on total acceptance and understanding. "Deafhood" has become, as it would seem, a required path to this other-worldly state of nirvana through self-submission. It has become the new found feel-good religion for Deaf people or deaf/hh people who want to seek that path for whatever reasons. Though the irony of this is that it's being used as a political tool instead.

The attempt at activism using the Alinsky's model on radicalism to push "Deafhood" simply leaves a bad taste in a lot of mouths among the many Deaf, deaf, and hard of hearing people alike. Granted, we all have various experiences growing up with hearing loss or by those who acquired deafness later in life that shapes us. Some good, some bad ones. There are people and businesses who do discriminate against those with hearing loss and the need for communication access. It's a fact of life but that doesn't mean we should ignore those problems. but address them. We all should strive for choices and accessibility whether it's better Closed Captioning, introduce the concept of signing to parents of deaf/hh babies, oral/aural methods, cued speech, SEE, the introduction of cochlear implant, advances in hearing aid technology, advances in communication technology, advances in the biotechnology such as stem cells and gene therapy and so on. There is no one shoe size fits all.

Each of us function accordingly with our preferred mode of communication and who we prefer to associate with. Most function just fine and are quiet happy without ever knowing sign language or even Deaf culture. Others are happy that ASL is their primary mode of communication and thrive in a Deaf culture atmosphere. Some fall between the two and that's fine. However, with new labels introduced over time we have seen an increasing use of those new words to discriminate against those who follow a different path or ideal. With "Deafhood" being squandered shamelessly we see less room in the boat for others to get in. Why would anybody jump onto a boat that is on the brink of capsizing? It's time to get rid of that S.S. Deafhood boat and the person in it. I'm content for who I am and not about what I am. No need to assign labels here. I just so happens to be a person with a hearing loss who enjoys life in a variety of ways.

Forging Ahead

All I can do is shake my head whenever I see these internal squabblings continue to occur within the Deaf community. Of course, this has been going on for years. Yet, at the same time, I'm certainly glad that I do not share their particular brand of narrow-mindedness. I like to think independently on these things. So, squabbles like over DVTV (of which I don't even follow or even really care), Deafread, the advantageous misuse and abuse of the word "audism," the continued personal labeling and slandering, character assassinations, and so on are just a part of every day annoyance worthy of a thousand eyerolls. I guess my flawless plan continues to work!

Yet I'm not certainly going stand by while some groups continue to call babies born with hearing loss (to mostly hearing parents 90% of the time) as "Deaf babies." Not only is this wrong but doing so implies that certain Deaf groups have a stake or "own" these babies over parents. They don't. They have no right to call them as "Deaf babies" unless they are the parents of that baby with a hearing loss to make that call. Despite all that I continue to forge ahead in my life to make the best of what it has to offer. And even laugh along the way, too.

Ghanans in Africa talk about "too soon" win of Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Win

This is demonstrably laughable and funny, too. The people of Ghana are laughing and even questioning the logic of awarding Obama the Nobel Peace Prize won by Obama so soon. Even they knew better and the mockery of all this by watching their faces and responses.

Watch the video and listen. It is subtitled as well so enjoy.





Video transcript

Talking about the Obama Nobel win in Ghana.

Interviewer: Actually, do you know what I want to know?

Man from Ghana: No.

Interviewer: What do you think about the President Obama's Nobel Prize win?

Man from Ghana: (smiles, and laughs a little). Actually, I've not heard the news for some time. Has he got it?

Interviewer: Yes, Obama's been given the Nobel Prize.

Flossy from Ghana: (looks suprised/puzzled) Really? So soon?

Interviewer: Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize?


Flossy: Peace Prize?

Interviwer: Yes.

Flossy: In Norway?

Man from Ghana: What did he do? To deserve the Peace Prize?

Interviewer: You think it's too soon?

Man from Ghana: (he smiles) Yeah. It's too soon. He hasn't done much. Even though has been erm, erm...he hasn't done much.

(video pans back to Flossy still with a puzzled look on her face.


Flossy: He hasn't done much. It's too early, I....

Man from Ghana: It should be able to be given. But now, now.. (laughs). But that's nice. It's a good news. I'm happy for him.

Flossy: As for Obama, his character and his personality, people like it, so maybe (laughs heh hehh heh)...they are giving it to him on a personal basis. (smiles laughingly). They could have waited for a while.

Interviewer to "Kibnesh" from Ethiopia: What do you think about Obama's Nobel Peace Prize win?

Kibnesh: I'm surprised.

Interviwer: Surprised?

Kibnesh: Yeah. I'm surpised - I'm speechless, actually. He's a great man, and everything, but we just have to wait and see what he's going to do for the world. I don't know at this moment. (smiles).

Video ends. "Recorded at the National Museum. Accra, Ghana. October 9, 2009."

www.caribbeanfreeradio.com

Cherishing one's own hearing

That is, the remaining hearing you have left. This is true among the millions of people with hearing loss who use their hearing aids or cochlear implants to help them hear. Whether a person was born with a hearing loss or acquired it later in life, it doesn't take long to realize the importance and value of being able to hear. Some hear more than others based on the range of frequency available to them and amount of decibels loss, the feeling is generally the same and that many of us, like me, do in fact cherish what hearing we have left. It's the joy of hearing sound whether it's the sweet environmental sounds of the outdoors, to kids laughing at a play park to having conversations with friends and families over the phone. It's the amazing technology of hearing aids and cochlear implants that can easily open doors to these wonderful experiences. Which is why I support organizations such as Starkey Hearing Foundation and people who help donate and provide free hearing aids to people who are unable to afford or even have access to them. At least they are actively reaching out and provide the needs and services to those who can benefit the amazing world of sound.

I had a forum discussion covering this very topic. A few did answer my question that, yes, they do cherish their hearing while most of them either didn't answer or said 'no' which could mean that they do not derive any real benefits from their hearing aids or that simply do not want to elevate the status on the quality of hearing. The problem is that if they do wear hearing aids and say they do not cherish their hearing then why wear one? Some would respond that they see their hearing or even their hearing aid as simply a "tool." Not sure what that means but probably to mean to use it to just get by.

Next, we have those who actually believe that kids to late deafened adults with hearing loss in poor countries should not receive their free hearing aids donated by organizations that travel and give out free hearing aids. Some think the only answer is to set up deaf schools, which is nice but there are even caveats to this approach. The problems are really about the prejudices and discrimination experienced in third world countries that go against people with hearing loss in the area of education, communication access, and jobs. For example, Peru where deaf/hh people are faced with huge barriers when it comes to communication access. Even the World Federation of the Deaf acknowledges these problems exist in third world countries. So, for a start, providing free hearing aids to those who can benefit from such a technology is a big head start jump for many of these people. Rather than be critical of such missions embrace them like Marlee Matlin has been doing who sees the value of hearing.

My Personal Stalker

Just now realized I have a female stalker in AD who is hearing. Whenever I post she follows it up with snarky and derisive remarks, tons of eyeroll and LMAO emoticons. And I do mean just about everything. But here's the irony. The person is hearing and has a background in psychology. Makes me wonder. I don't get it. A woman studying in the field of psychology? That is, she's getting an advanced degree, and yet I pretty much get stalked each time whenever I post something that has nothing to do with her? Now, it's fine to debate and discuss issues but to follow my every posts with maligning and snarky comments? Even that's creepy. And it's not even Halloween yet.

Scary Obama Halloween Masks and More!

It always happen, a new president, a new Halloween president mask. Or rather several designs of it. Now, we have several scary Obama mask and some realistic ones while others look too dark and others too white.

Here's a scary zombie "Zobama" mask enough to frighten kiddies away...even adults.

And here's a new first, an Obama joker Halloween mask which appears to be only one mask available for sale.


Big teeth!! This one's a toothpaste maker marketing dream.


Didn't know Obama looked like Arsenio Hall.





And just to be fair, here's a Sarah Palin mask.

And McCain's, even a zombie one.

And who would want to miss out a first lady Michelle Obama mask looking more mulatto than black.

No Biden mask but you do have a John Edwards mask.

Oops. Wrong Edwards.

And the most popular requested item of all time? Tricky Dick's mask.

And what about a President G. W. Bush mask? Not really scary like Nixon's.

And then you have, of course, Lurch.

Hearing aid powered by body heat. No more batteries.

It's coming.

Publication Date: 29-30 May 2009
On page(s): 1-4
Location: Cetraro,
ISBN: 978-1-4244-3598-2
INSPEC Accession Number: 10790979
Digital Object Identifier: 10.1109/MEMEA.2009.5167942
Current Version Published: 2009-07-21

Energy harvesting from human body has been undergoing an interesting and quick development thanks to the technological availability of new electronic components and the growing of different applications, in particular, for biomedical and social impacts on human beings' daily life. The main scope of this paper is to modeling and to design a thermoelectric generator that extracts energy from human tissue warmth in order to supply a biomedical hearing prosthesis for deaf persons. An array of sensors based on thermocouple effect has been used. A conditioning and accumulator circuitry has been designed and tested.

This would be ideal for any hearing aids whether it's behind the ear, in the ear, or even for future implantable hearing aids.

Oh, yeah.

Captioned Videos of Underprivledged People Receiving their Starkey Hearing Aids

Here's a captioned video of Starkey Hearing Foundation's trip to the Dominican Republican in 2009 where 2,200 hearing aids were distributed under the "So the World Can Hear" mission. In this video there are a few kids who signed "thank you" as well as adults who gave out tearful hugs of thanks after receiving their free Starkey hearing aids. Music and song in background, captioning begins about a quarter of a way into the video.

You can find more videos of these Starkey Hearing Foundation's "So the World Can Hear" missions to Tampa (2009). Phoenix 2009 (16 MB),Peru (2009), Nepal (2008), Mozambique (2008), Malawi (2008), Egypt (2008), Puerto Rico (2008) and the NBA All Star Week (2008). The captioned video of Peru is nice with a crowd of Starkey heairng aid recipents all signing "We...love...you!" And you'll see a few signs of "Thank you" and such. In Lima, Peru, over 3000 hearing aids were distributed.

Here's a captioned video on YouTube of a recent trip to Toluca, Mexico earlier this month. you can see the thanks in their eyes, their words and gestures.

Marlee Matlin Supports "So the World May Hear"

Marlee Matlin, the famously well known Deaf actress in Hollywood, supports the Starkey Hearing Foundation's philanthropy and mission "So the World May Hear." In her June 8, 2008 MySpace blog she exclaimed:

Then Fabian and I will jet up to Minneapolis for the annual "So the World May Hear" benefit that raises much needed funds and sponsors missions (like one you saw on DWTS) to remote parts of the world and help give poor children the gift of hearing. This year they're honoring Billy Jean King and I've heard there's a very special surprise musical guest performing, though I know who it is. It's going to knock the audience's socks off!

Marlee Matlin appears in the October 2008 "So the World May Hear" newsletter. On page 5 of the newsletter Marlee Matlin can be seen with in a group picture (see below) with St. Louis Cardinals’ Mascot, Bill Austin, Boys & Girls Clubs of America President Roxanne Spillett, MLB Legends Fred Lynn, Gaylord Perry, George Brett, Rollie Fingers, Robin Roberts and MLB President and COO Bob DuPuy standing in the back while kneeling in the foreground are Marlee Matlin, Debbie Wright, Reebok Representative Joe Van Buskirk, Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation Director Cindy Picerni and Pittsburgh Pirates’ Mascot.




Below is another picture from Audiology Online of Marlee Matlin and her interpreter in a dance pose along with Bill and Tani Austin at the 2008 gala "So the World May Hear."






During Marlee Matlin's debut on "Dancing with the Stars" last year she wore her Starkey hearing aids.

First, many persons with profound hearing loss can still benefit from the use of quality hearing aids. Marlee wears hearing aids manufactured by Starkeys Labs which contain their proprietary BluWave’ signal processing technology.

In addition, Marlee felt the concussive pulsing beat from the lowest frequencies. The bass guitar and bass drum deliver waves through the floor, the walls and allowed Marlee to feel the rhythm of the music. Hey, your entire body is one big tuning fork!

Finally, Marlee relied on her dance partner, Fabian Sanchez, to keep the moves on track and in synch. Hes my music, Marlee proclaimed. The couple modified some of the moves so Marlee could maintain physical or eye contact with Fabian more frequently, though she had no trouble cha-cha-chaing her way across the stage, engaged in complex dance steps that were eye-popping.

Lou Ferrigno, Marlee Matlin and many other well known celebrities also attended again for the 2009 gala "So the World May Hear" held in July. They can be seen here in a collage of pictures of stars posing with Bill Austin, the guy who made it all possible the philanthropy and mission to provide hearing aids to rural areas, to underprivledged people, and those in 3rd world or poor countries. Marlee Matlin has attended previous "So the World May Hear" galas in the past for several years.

This philanthropy and mission continue to grow in terms of monies donated and the growing support to make this work a smashing success. After all, hearing is a gift and can be seen in the faces of thousands through pictures and videos of those who received their hearing aids. In 2007, for example, they were able to raise $4.5 million dollars. That's alot of hearing aids to distribute and support.

With the help of dozens of well-known and highly respected celebrities, including Jim Belushi, Lou Ferrigno, Glenn Frey, Goldie Hawn, Jay Leno, Kenny Loggins, Marlee Matlin, Leslie Nielsen, Mickey Rooney, Kevin Sorbo, Robert Wagner, and many others, the Starkey Hearing Foundation raised a record $4.5 million at its annual "So the World May Hear" Awards Gala, which was held on Saturday, June 23 in St. Paul, Minn.

"For the seventh year in a row we had tremendous support from our friends all over the world who helped us raise an amazing $4.5 million to further our mission of promoting hearing health awareness and helping the world to hear," said William F. Austin, founder of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. "I offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who was a part of this year's Gala and who, through their generosity of time and money, helped make the world a better place for so many children."

The Starkey Hearing Foundation is known for donating hearing aids to underprivileged children both here in the United States and in countries all over the globe. Thanks to funds raised during this annual event, the Foundation has been able to donate an estimated 200,000 hearing aids in the past seven years alone in an effort to give the gift of hearing to those in need.

In the 2008 gala they raised $5 million dollars and this year's gala they raised just as much. And so far they have distributed over 440,000 hearing aids around the world and many more into the future. It won't be long til the Starkey Foundation reaches the millionth hearing aid mark.

The gift of hearing? Priceless.

So the world may hear...

Here are two organizations that provide hearing aids to the needy and poor around the world including children.

One is called "So the World May Hear" organization by the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Well known celebrities like Heather Whitestone and Lou Ferrigno support this mission. Plus many, many more well known celebrities that have attended the annual "So the World May Hear" award gala with the recent gala on July 12, 2009.

Elton John, Billy Crystal, Tony Bennett and Gladys Knight Headline at Ninth Annual So the World May Hear Awards Gala.

What an incredible line-up of stars, and what a magnificent evening of entertainment, celebration and generosity. The kind of generosity that is simply unprecedented. The kind of generosity that is born of passion and commitment. “The kind of generosity that will allow us to open the world as we know it—a world of music, laughter, language, and love—to kids all over the world by giving them the gift of hearing,” said William F. Austin, founder of Starkey Hearing Foundation. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made our 2009 Gala a success.”

The evening featured the comedy of Billy Crystal as well as performances by Gladys Knight, Tony Bennett and Ethan Bortnick. After saluting Bill and Tani Austin as two of the most important people in his life, Elton John capped off the evening with a touching and memorable one-hour performance that included such hits as “Rocket Man,” “Your Song,” “Daniel,” and “Circle of Life.” The inspirational evening would not have been complete without the recognition of four individuals and one corporation for their significant contributions to humanity. This year’s award recipients included comedian Norm Crosby, the 1961 New York Yankees, Minnesota philanthropists and business leaders Marilyn and Dr. Glen Nelson, and Rayovac, a long-time supporter of Starkey Hearing Foundation.

Additional celebrity guests who attended this year’s Gala included performers JC Chasez and Sam Moore; actors Lou Ferrigno, Verne Troyer and Robert Culp; TV personalities Alan Kalter and Paige Hemmis; astronaut Buzz Aldrin; golf legend Arnold Palmer; 1961 Yankees teammates Moose Skowron, Whitey Ford, Ralph Terry, and Bob Turley as well as Mickey Mantle’s son David Mantle; Southern Methodist University head football coach June Jones; songwriter Paul Williams; comedian Norm Crosby; and many others. In addition, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress, Minnesota Vikings trainer Eric Sugarman, University of Minnesota head basketball coach Tubby Smith, Marilyn and Dr. Glen Nelson, and several Minnesota Vikings players.

The other organization that benefits directly the children around the world is called "Hearing Angel." So far to date they have outfitted over 340,000 hearing aids to children around the world and saw miles of smiles as a result. One girl even expressed her gratitude to be able to hear sound again to the people who gave and outfitted her new hearing aid.

Please visit these two sites and learn what you can do for those who can use the joy of sound in their lives. The man, William Austin, who started the Starkey Hearing Foundation, read his story on how it all started.

Path to cure for sensorineural hearing loss explained

Here's WongTanLim3 blog that does a very good job breaking down the discussion on the path to cure sensorineural hearing loss and does a quick summary along with important links. Reading this blog you will realize that this particular biomedical field is now soon becoming into a race for the cure for hearing loss in the area of nerve deafness. This blog piece is a MUST READ! And a must have blog to add to your favorite link.

Like me, if you're following stem cell or gene therapy research for the treatment or cure for sensorineural hearing loss or nerve deafness which is one of the most promising field of medical research and development into the coming next decade, then this is a must read blog to read. And keep abreast of important news and thoughts like this recent blog post by WongTanLim3.

Be sure send a thank you to WongTanLim3 for keeping a sharp eye on this growing field soon to be a burgeoning biomedical development which will have the potential to affect several hundreds million people around the world with nerve deafness. Of course, this alone would have the greatest impact to those in the Deaf community when compared to the issues and consternations involving cochlear implants.

Miracle and Gift of Sound - Deaf Girl with Cochlear Implant Plays the Piano

Here's Holly with her mother. Holly contracted meningitis at age 1 that took the world of sound away from her. By age 1 1/2 years old she was fitted with a cochlear implant. Before the menigitis Holly was exposed to a world of music in her mother's household since she is a musician. Because of the early exposure to music and sound, the quick intervention to get the implant and the continued interaction with sound, music and voice has helped shape Holly into a musically talented pianist.

In February 2001, just before her second birthday, her right ear was fitted with a cochlear implant – a surgically inserted electronic device that provides a sense of sound for people who are profoundly deaf. Seven years later, another was fitted in her left ear. The doctors played us a simulation of what music would sound like to Holly – I was horrified because it was just white noise. "Holly is going to hear music," I kept saying to myself.

I continued teaching the piano because we were short of money, but it was difficult spending time with hearing children. I was determined to try to put right what had gone wrong, to get Holly back to where she would have been had she not been ill. She had a lot of speech and music therapy as part of her rehabilitation after the meningitis and we constantly repeated words and sounds to her.

It was when Holly started entering piano competitions last year that I realised she had a very special talent. She'd been having lessons since she was seven and, although she's only just turned 10, she's already at grade five – most children get to that level only when they're much older.

She's improving all the time. I'm always surprised and shocked by just how much she can do. It's an amazing feeling to see her playing – a mixture of elation and sheer relief. Some children don't seem to have the right energy in their hands and arms to play, but she does.

The scientists who work on cochlear implants are confounded by what she has achieved musically. They are baffled by her progress and have no idea how she has done it. When she entered a national piano competition in May, the adjudicator praised the fact that she appeared to listen to the sounds she was making – her whole body, he thought, was involved in the process of making music. He didn't know that Holly was profoundly deaf – when her piano teacher told him at the end of the afternoon he was shocked.

I'm convinced that the simulation we originally heard of how music sounds with a cochlear implant is not how Holly hears it. The brain is complex and adapts to many situations; somehow, Holly has made sense of it all. She loves music and improvises at the piano, sings and composes all the time. She also plays the cello in the local string orchestra and sings in a choir.

Words of her special talent is getting around as you can see. Holly, please don't ever stop playing the piano and use your God-given talent and the gift of sound to the best of your ability. Enjoy and have fun by making the best of what you have. Since I started playing the piano at seven, I know what it was like and how fun it was to do it. Here's a picture of me at age 8 playing the piano at a piano recital. I still play the piano as you can see in my Ragtime Piano blogsite.





Holly also used her musical talent at a piano concert to help raise money for children with cochlear implants and at the same time raise awareness on the world of possibilities of what one can do with a cochlear implant, even to become a talented musican.

To criticize Obama is not racist....

Cartoon courtesy of NBRA by Brett Noel.

Whenever there is a commentary in a blog criticizing Obama by taking him to task over certain short-sightedness or policy approach that has nothing to do with his skin color or ethnicity. Nor is it a racist, of course. What it boils down to is the right to freely express an opinion about the President of the United States but Liberals have decided to play the race card to the hilt but it has proven to be disastorous so far, of course. We see people who are being subjected at every turn called a "racist" by liberals' knee-jerking response who the overly protective and zealous Obama adulators. This, I'm sure, has happened many times when Obama first came on the scene back in 2007 onward for the 2008 presidential race and to today which has gone completely overboard with Obama contributing to the race card meme by calling Officer Crowley for "acting stupidly."

This whole racist charge isn't a just hearing people phenomenom thing, either. You have deaf people accuse others for being racist for making critical comments against the president. The first one that I remembered to have lobbed that charge, in so many words, came earlier this year. It was an unfortunate but a laughable charge. Mishka Zena (an Obama adulator?) had the, ahem, audacity to charge (J'accuse!) Rob Underhill in the blog comment over his blog article about Obama's trash after the inauguration stating what he wrote was racist. Mishka Zena made the charge with the presumption that by treating Obama differently is a racist act. Racist? You gotta be joking! Would it be any different had the President been a white Democrat with a green agenda and still saw messy result at the Mall on inauguration day? Ironically, it is the Democrats who are treating Obama differently by holding him up as the "messiah."

Nothing worse than to jump gun and use the color excuse and make a serious but unsubstantiated charges of racism. No matter what you say about Obama when criticizing him you will more than likely hear charges of racism from the mouths of Obama adulators.

There's no getting away from it.

Laugh at a political cartoon showing two cops who had just shot a crazed monkey?

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacist!

Compare Obama's ipost inauguration trash in DC to a post 9/12 million plus Tea Party protesters in DC with near clean results?

Raaaaaaaaaaaaacist!!

Obama's political experience is less than Governor Palin.

Raaaaaaaaaaacist!!

Obama picked a tax cheat for Secretary of Treasury.

Raaaaaaaaaaaacist!!

Obama's bailout package with one measure containing $4.2 billion dollars where ACORN (widely know for their fraudulent activities supporting Obama only and not a neutral organization) will be eligible for it...without question.

Raaaaaaaaaaaaacist!!

Obama's ears look funny.

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaacist!!

Obama's a mulatto.

Raaaaaaaaaaaaacist!!!

Obama's black and white.

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaacist!!!

Obama's is no Martin Luther King.

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacist!!!

Barack Hussein Obama Elected As Our Nation’s First Black President and Our Nation’s First Marxist President.

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacist!!

Well, the bit about MLK, first Marxist President and the cartoon at the top came from the National Black Republican Association website. So, you can't accuse me of being racist which would be mighty stupid of you to try and do so.

So, please. Stop with the constant knee-jerking whenever one criticizes Obama that has nothing to do with the color of his skin or ethnicity but rather by the content of Obama's character and not his skin.

In short.... Mishka Zena, the people in Alldeaf and all others need to get past this myopic view of using race as your calling card which is a feeble crutch of a defense in the attempt to protect Obama at every turn by making baseless and unsubstantiated charges. Doing so shows desperation on your part. Remember, this is 2009. Not 1865. It's the Democrats who ought to owe blacks an apology for legitimizing racist attitudes of the past and even today.

When a president plays dumb...

This is absolutely an eye-opener, especially when he gives a non-answer to a bill calling for complete de-funding of any federal monies to ACORN when it was passed by both the House and Senate.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But have your — have some of your allies made it easier for — handed your opponents some ammunition, like ACORN, for example…

OBAMA: Well, look, the — you know, I think that — are there folks in the Democratic camp or on the left who haven’t — haven’t always operated in ways that I’d appreciate? Absolutely.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Congress said they should cut off all funding for ACORN.

OBAMA: Is — is — is…

STEPHANOPOULOS: … all funding for ACORN. Are you for that?

OBAMA: Is that true on the other side, as well? Of course that’s true.

STEPHANOPOULOS: How about the funding for ACORN?

OBAMA: You know, it’s — frankly, it’s not really something I’ve followed closely. I didn’t even know that ACORN was getting a whole lot of federal money.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Both the Senate and the House have voted to cut it off.

OBAMA: You know, what I know is, is that what I saw on that video was certainly inappropriate and deserves to be investigated.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So you’re not committing to — to cut off the federal funding?

OBAMA: George, this is not the biggest issue facing the country. It’s not something I’m paying a lot of attention to.

The last two comments is quite damning which clearly shows that Obama does NOT want to de-fund all monies for ACORN. He is beholden to ACORN for helping him win by being a partisan organization, which is against the law. Remember, ACORN is synomous with Obama, and vice versa. Obama is ACORN! Remember Anita MonCrief, former employee of ACORN who blew the whistle on ACORN's activity and got fired for it? And her revelation earlier this year in February warning Democrats that ACORN has become a liability for them? Now, that Democrats have thrown ACORN under several NOLA yellow buses, you think it'd be a wee bit late for Democrats to have responded in kind?

Look for the 2010 Congress election to be a disastorous year for Democrats. Obama has become a liability for them already. It is the Democrats who are walking on eggshells right now....very delicate eggshells that is.

I don't like Curious George...

The "I don't like Curious George" comment didn't come from me but a two year old boy who said that from a blog piece back in July of 2006. A mother of that boy tells a very funny but quite poignant story about the wisdom seen in her own two year old son.

Sean has always loved books more than anything, and it is hard to find a book that we don’t have. His bookcase runneth over. He stood facing his bookcase wearing baseball pajamas, studying the contents looking for something new and interesting to jump out at him in much the same posture I assume when standing in front of the refrigerator with the same hopes.

He spent quite some time pulling out books and then shoving them back in, unable to make a decision. “How about Curious George?” I finally asked, pulling out several volumes of the familiar yellow books.

“Not Curious George,” he said in a combination of disinterest and digust, waving me off without bothering to turn around. What? Is Curious George now so yesterday and no one told me?

“No? What’s wrong with Curious George?” I asked wondering who doesn’t like Curious George.

“I don’t like him. He bug me.”

“He bugs you? Why does Curious George bug you?”

“He not beedient,” he said matter-of-factly and without hesitation.

“He’s disobedient?”

“Yeah…”

“Really?”

"He not do what he pse to. Bad stuff happens."

I worry about the things that he worries about.

As I left his room after tucking him into bed, I took the Curious George books with me. I sat down and reread them with a fresh set of eyes. And he’s right. Even though things turn out okay in the end, Curious George is disobedient and doesn’t do what he’s supposed to. The man with the yellow hat condones curiosity as an acceptable reason for disobedience. And there are no consequences. Or apologies.

It took a two-year-old to point this out to me and now it bugs me too.

I liked what what one commenter said about the Curious George piece.

Good for Sean for being a critical thinker! :) I hate Curious George for the same reason. Not only is he not “beedient” — but he always gets *rewarded* for his bad behavior! And I agree with the previous comment about George being taken from the jungle. And the Man with the Yellow Hat didn’t just “find” George — he tricked him into a trap and brought him, presumably, against his will. I’m pretty sure the book says George was scared.

Get rewarded for bad behaviors? Where have I heard that before? Or the fact that a primate is just a primate and nothing more and people are making a big deal out of nothing and just want to make waves?

But one parent made a comment in Amazon about Curious George where at the end doesn't make any sense when apathy is the result.

First of all, I hate that the explorer kidnaps the monkey out of his natural habitat and puts him in a zoo ("what a nice place to live" . . . yeah, right). Second, I hate having to explain to my 2-year-old son what jail is and why Curious George was put there.

Third, I hate that Curious George always gets rewarded in some way for breaking the rules. This is a recurring "theme" in all the books, and as a parent, I disapprove. In my opinion, it's not okay to feed the ostrich after you've been told not to, and just because you subsequently rescue a baby bear does not make it okay that you broke the rule.

On the other hand, my son adores the whole series!

Well, if it's that bad just don't buy or read that book for a two year boy or girl. Don't let apathy stand in the way!

I figured that since America grew up with the Curious George book series the moral of those stories (or a serious case of lacking any moral) somehow made it into the all the little boys and girls' noggins that somehow molded them into apathetic, hypocrite liberals as we know it today.

Nah.

All this was just funny if you read it from today's perspective. Let's hope those who are reading this blog piece won't get into an apoplectic fit and think twice before responding here. I just find certain parallels funny about Curious George today when it comes to rewarding those with bad behaviors or those who broke the law.

Tiptoe around the president??

An interesting comment from the dregs of Alldeaf:

If people feel that they have to tiptoe around him because he is black, then they must be racist themselves. Otherwise, why the need to walk on eggshells?

I wonder why is that? Is it because any criticisms lobbed in the president's direction would instantly be called a "Raaaaaaaaaaacist!!" every single time? I think it's the Democrats who are doing the tiptoe-ing which means they are racist, to0?

Here's a prime example of calling one a racist that had nothing to do with the president but for having an opinion. And this was in reference to a cartoon of a monkey that was shot which was in reference to an earlier news story of an actual chimp that went mad and killed a person forcing cops to kill the animal. Here's an example dialogue.

DM: Exactly. Other presidents have been portrayed as a certain animal in other assorted political cartoons, but Obama gets a pass because hes black? F**k that.

J: Spoken like a true, narrow minded racist.

DM: I dont understand how I could be racist when I wanted Obama to win the presidency. I just dont believe in special treatment to people because he's a certain skin color. So cry foul all you want.

J: That's the whole point. You don't understand. Covert racism is rarely recognized by those most guilty of it.

No matter what you do or say, anything remotely critical of the president (even if it's not even directed at him) means that racism lies covertly in your heart. Because you see, "you don't understand," according to Newsweek all whiteys are born racist. How convenient and intellectually vapid, and not to mention utterly boring as well.

Crybabies or overly sensitive people??

A Foxnews video about the biggest crybabies at the White House is what spurred me to think about Alldeaf, DeafTV, audism, racism and including what Barry said over at his Holism blogsite.

Recently I decided to play the devil's advocate in Alldeaf where I essentially asked the question whether saying "I'm proud to white" would be any different than saying "I'm proud to be black" or any other ethnic background one could be proud of. Since Alldeaf is overwhelmingly a liberal forum with at least one liberal moderator who actually thought that a photo of a cat dressed up as an al Qaeda suicide bomber pictured in the jokes section of Alldeaf was considered as an "offensive" photo. No, I'm serious. Laugh if you will but that's how lame it was. But back to the devil's advocate position I took. I went out there and said "I'm proud to be white." Now, to a liberal they'd find it horrifying since it would bring all kinds of connotations though what I said had nothing to do with white pride like the KKK, skinheads and such. Yet at the same time avoided the question on why it's ok for others to say "I'm proud to be black"? It was a honest question. Hard hitting but honest. I was questioning the double standards. I also asked them whether if they are proud to be white as well? As expected, they evaded the question saying it didn't matter. Or one would say he is proud of one's heritage or ethnicity but at the same time blurt out that it doesn't mean that he is ashamed for being white, either.

Okayyy. They won't say it. Pretty obvious at that.

Say anything else for fear of getting labeled as a "racist," which is ridiculous in it's own right. Even though there's a good chance that for a white or black person to have other ethnic blood (Indian, European, African American, Asian, etc) in him though diluted with each passing generation. AD members began to joke and say, "I'm proud to be a mutt" but the irony is that Alldeaf banned me for a day for using the word "mulatto" to describe Obama as the "first mulatto president," a president of mixed black and white heritage. Entirely acceptable when there is even a mulatto.org group that pride themselves as mulutto people and see Obama as an example of that.

Trust me, it gets surreal in there. Like having a hearing mother make a claim that her profoundly deaf son with a hearing aid can talk and listen over the phone with anybody with ease in an attempt to save face and credibility.

And so by asking the hard question about "I'm proud to be white," I get banned again for "Trolling; Provoking; Enticing; Racism." Bottom line, Alldeaf is essentially calling me a racist for asking the tough questions. They used a coward approach by implying that I am a racist as one of the reason for being banned. Remember what Barry said over at Holism about DeafTV, audism and racism? Or perhaps Krauthammer said it best about using the "racist" charge:

"The accusation of racism is a sign of desperation by people who know they are losing the national debate and they want to hurl the ultimate charge in American politics."

It gets old. You can actually see desperation unfolds when people do that.

Now, are they crybabies? Limp-wristed, overly sensitive people? What do you think? If they ban words like "Deafreedom" in your Personal Message or find a picture of a dressed up cat as a suicide bomber as being "offensive" in the jokes section, no less, then certainly we're dealing with a few loose screws. Kind of like hearing through the filter the den of screams of anguish with the gnashing of the teeth over DeafTV by people who are basically accusing the Deaf owner of DeafTV of "audism" for not defending against "audism" which is equally amusing though I have no interest in the whole affairs anway.

Though it does get old. It becomes an indefensibly and intellectually dishonest approach.

Sensitive people need to suck it up. And argue on the merit itself rather than the route of feigned or mock outrage, and continued ad hominem attacks which a 7 year kid can do that.

It does get old.

I'll be back to ask the hard questions once again as I descend into the voids of liberal thinking tomorrow. A little challenge doesn't hurt anybody, except for the really sensitive ones.

Will Deaf Culture Die Out Someday?

There is always a possibility that Deaf culture could die out and this is dependent on a variety of factors with some of them going against the spread of Deaf culture and its language, ASL. But at this point it's probably more of a matter of "if" and not "when." Then again that's subject to change.

One of the biggest factor that could affect the outcome on the survivability of Deaf culture would be the fertility rate among married Deaf couples whose deafness genes would be passed onto their deaf offsprings, thus enabling the continuation of their Deaf culture through ASL. According to this latest genetic study it has shown that through "mixing" that Deaf culture is able to survive and grow in this manner but it also comes with a caveat.

In the United States, 80%–90% of individuals with profound deafness currently marry a deaf partner;39 however, the introduction of cochlear-implant technology is profoundly altering the mating structure of the deaf population. By facilitating oral communication and educational mainstreaming, substantially all of the deaf children of hearing parents will be redirected into the hearing mating pool. Even if all of the deaf children of deaf parents eschewed implants, continued to learn sign language, and mated assortatively, the size of the pool would decrease dramatically...

In other words even if they shun cochlear implants completely and continue with ASL the size of the Deaf pool would decrease over time simply because of the introduction of cochlear implants has drastically altered how mating is done. And increasingly many would prefer the hearing group because CI users are able to interact much more readily with the hearing society through talking and listening versus a Deaf community.

The study goes on with even further with another caveat.

On the other hand, if deaf couples begin to embrace cochlear-implant technology for their children, the pool size will continue to decrease, eventually resulting in the substantial disappearance of the deaf culture.

It seems that technology (i.e. cochlear implants and hearing aids) exerts a great deal of influence on mating preferences which brings me to this. The inexorable march for the cure and restoration of hearing loss.

This march for a cure through stem cells and other biotechnological advances may in fact provide the final blow on whether Deaf culture and its society can survive. Technology is already recognized as one of the limiting factor on the spread of Deaf culture, the community and ASL. Imagine the further downward spiral of Deaf culture and its society once people with hearing loss gets treated with a biomedical cure which will alter drastically the mating structure in a population faced with less and less people with hearing loss.

Chris Wallace: "Biggest bunch of crybabies in Washington"

Here's a bit of palate cleanser from a well known news anchor who worked at one time for NBC now works for Foxnews describes how he has to deal with a bunch of crybabies at the White House.




Transcript (below) and captioning via Overstream courtesy of Kokonut Pundit.

Wallace:
When I covered Ronald Reagan for NBC in the 80s, you know some days you do a good piece, passive piece, and then you do a tough piece. And then you come in the next day and they always treated you professionally, I think it came from the top down from the old man, Reagan who felt, you know, I'm gonna get a good review today or a bad review tomorrow, nothing personally. These guys everything is personal. I gotta tell you, everything. They are the biggest bunch of crybabies I have dealt with in my 30 years in Washington.

*O'Reilly interjects..unclear.

They're constantly on the phone, emailing me complaining. Well, you have this desk. Or, you did this, this thing. I mean, they are working the, um, I think it works with the others but it doesn't work with me.

Hmmm, crybabies? Sounds about right.

UPDATE: Hmm, the "famous" Mike Malloy has a blog piece with a link that connects to my piece here. Let me say "thank you" but I can't let this one go on what's he's said which is loaded with conspiracy theories worthy of 9/11 Truthers' nod.

Gee Chris, I wonder why Obama refuses to join the “fair and balanced” fantasy with you freaks? You questioned the legitimacy of his Presidency and now call him a crybaby? You dangerous idiots set the tone, organizing anti-Obama rallies and tea-bag parties all over the place; you urged parents to keep their children home from school lest they be mesmerized into zombies by Obama’s scary mind-control speech about working hard and studying in school; you encouraged your brain-damaged Fox “News” viewers to arm up and go to battle to fight the Big Evil in the White House. And, those are just the obvious assaults on rationality.

Assault on rationality? Oh, really? Why is it rational that the current running deficit of approximately $2 trillion dollars which is nearly quintuple (that means 5 times) the amount of Bush's own deficit at the end of 2008? But Obama did all this in an amazing, toilet flushing 6 months time, instead.

Why is it rational to add more govt programs and contribute more to the convuluting mess already? And the fact we don't have the money?

Why is it rational to include the extra 12 million (or however many millions we have) of illegal aliens under the auspice of a national health care program by making them "legal aliens" in one fell swoop? Where's the money? Where will the doctors come from? The question comes into play for the 40 million Americans as well.

Why is it rational to not call it a tax but a "fine" on Americans who do not want health care yet when tax is clearly defined as a charge imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Under this mandate, the government is forcing people to spend money, fining you if you don’t. How is that not a tax?

***

OBAMA: No, but — but, George, you — you can’t just make up that language and decide that that’s called a tax increase…

***

STEPHANOPOULOS: I — I don’t think I’m making it up. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary: Tax — “a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes.”

OBAMA: George, the fact that you looked up Merriam’s Dictionary, the definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you’re stretching a little bit right now. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gone to the dictionary to check on the definition.

Who would rather bet on? Webster or Obama?

Zombies?? Ah, you must mean these guys. Had it been anywhere near that nutty with the current protesters who are for limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, fiscal responsibility and a strong national defense you'd see the MSM having a field day reporting these protesters on getting arrested and hauled off by Secret Service to investigate their threatening signs against a president.

Looks like Chris Wallace is right about the crybaby bit. Don't you know already that ACORN supports pimps, drug-addicts, prostitutes, and commie terrorists?

A "sample of sanity" you say? Seriously, I gotta wonder.

$415,000,000 Considered for Research Work on Deafness - including a cure

This bill under H.R.3293 is recommending that approximately $415,000,000 in funding be available for the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, which includes hair cell regeneration and stem cells with the goal of finding a cure for hearing loss.

Hair Cell Regeneration and Stem Cells- The NIDCD should continue building on new approaches for regenerating lost hair cells, including developing technology for gene transfer and gene vector generation, and testing the viability of regenerated cells in animal models at the levels of nucleic acids and proteins. Comparative research on responses to hair cell damage in regenerating and nonregenerating species is also urged. The Committee encourages the NIDCD to expand and support stem cell research in the auditory system, with areas of focus to include the use of stem cells to replace lost hair cells and peripheral neurons via transplantation; integration of stem cells into sensory epithelium; and innervation/re-innervation of the partially deaf or deaf cochlea. The Committee continues to encourage further studies to correlate hair cell replenishment with improved hearing.

Currently as of 8/4/2009 the bill is placed on "Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 149."

Which means this bill is coming along. And based on the description on the need to expand research on hearing loss with the ultimate goal of finding a cure for hearing loss is encouraging.

Rush Limbaugh Donates Half Million Dollars to HEI to help Speed up Cure for Hearing Loss

Rush Limbaugh, the famous deaf radio personality and well known political commentator, recently donated $500,000 to the House Ear Institute (HEI). You can also see HEI's September 16, 2009 news release on Rush Limbaugh's donaton as well.

The HEI is known for their research role for the cure and restoration of hearing loss. Approximately 50% of HEI's annual budget comes from generous contributions. Rush' latest half of a million dollar contribution to HEI will certainly help speed up the process in finding a cure for hearing loss.

Matt Hamill forced to withdraw from UFC 102 due to knee injury

Well, gee. I couldn't go and that's a good thing since Matt Hamill was forced to withdraw his fight a few days ago when he suffered a meniscus tear to his knee during his training. That'll take a while to heal. Not sure how serious but if it's that bad he'll need surgery to help fix that knee.

Get well, Matt.

Texting while driving = drunk driving

I know there are a lot of deaf people on the road who depend on their cell phones to communicate through texting but that is not an excuse to text while driving. There is no excuse to text while driving. None! More and more people are using their cell phones to text, including while driving. That continues to go up every year and each year more people are killed or seriously injured on the road because a driver was distracted for a few seconds at a time that led to an accident.

Texting poses serious, sometimes fatal distractions to all drivers, but particularly teenagers. According to the Centers for Disease Control, auto accidents are the leading cause of death for people between 16 and 20, killing more than 5000 annually. Increasingly, drivers are texting on their phones and this is placing others at risk. Recent studies show that text messaging is a growing cause of auto accidents in the United States. Motorists who text message have been found to be more distracted and more likely to be involved in an accident.

A new study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that when drivers engaged in texting while driving, their risk of an accident was 23 times greater than when not texting. This study showed that texting is much more dangerous than other driving distractions. The study also demonstrated that drivers spent almost five seconds looking at their cell phones while texting and driving.

Traveling at 60 mph and for a 4 second distraction texting on your cell phone you'd have travelled the length of a football field. As in this case in the United Kingdom one driver was momentarily distracted while texting and ended up killing a motorcyclist.

Anybody, even Deaf people, who text while driving is in the same league as drunk drivers. And to do so means that they are irresponsible drivers who do not care for the safety of other people who may be harmed or killed over a stupid texting moment.

I hope stricter laws will be enacted that includes jail time and/or the confiscation of cell phone depending on the nature of the driving (e.g. 10 mph versus 75 mph on a highway).

Hey, I got a message to all you drivers who insist on driving while texting, especially Deaf people who don't listen.

Text driving = drunk driving = immature drivers.

Don't text and drive. You may save a life, including your own.
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Avdism as a crutch excuse?

This "a-wordism" has lately become vulgarized through the repeated abuse of the word, marketing, and just plain ol' fashioned use of the internet to help spread the word. In the main heading of my blog I stated, "Don't use deafness as your crutch. We all face adversity in our life and don't let it become an obstacle but a challenge!" Yet it is true and a sad fact that people are discriminated for what they are and it shouldn't be like that. But that isn't justification to abuse this a-wordism by over-playing this particular discrimination card. Just like when people use the race card for every single supposed racist act when it never happened or existed a la Gates-Crowley Incident. People on both end purposely practice discrimination. Yes, even Deaf people against hearing people, even discriminate against those who prefer to talk despite their deafness. The horrors!

Maybe the answer to this a-wordism will either be that technology becomes so great and prevalent and accessible to all will ensure that this a-wordism wouldn't be an issue since techology would become that great 'equalizer.'

Or perhaps more likely that biotechnology would come early and a cure for hearing loss is made real where all babies born deaf will become hearing through the help of stem cells, thus the decline of Deaf culture and community would occur through attrition in the next 100 years. Some say this cure for babies born deaf won't happen in our lifetime or that it won't happen so "soon" in 10, 20 or 30 years. Or some simply believe it'll never happen and it'll be impossible for the biomedical technology to come up with a cure for hearing loss. Oh, wait, I think the cure for babies born deaf or acquired hearing loss very early on is already beginning in clinical studies this year.

The CBR Center for Regenerative Medicine is collaborating with two leading medical institutions to initiate a research study that would evaluate using a child's own cord blood stem cells to help restore or improve hearing that's been damaged from injury or sickness.

Specifically, we are looking for children under the age of 18 months whose own cord blood is stored at CBR and who have sustained hearing damage...

Regardless, this a-wordism may eventually go away either wholly or to some extent. Just a matter of time. But for the time being, do not use it as crutch and an excuse for your deafness. Certainly we have really dumb hearing people who don't know better but ignorance is not the same thing as accusing them with the a-wordism. Educate them instead.

Alldeaf - the prejudice factor

This is my third and final installment of the "factor series" (see previous ones here and here) where prejudicial feelings are used as a justification to go after people whose political views or opinions that do not line up with their supposedly prevailing attitudes. In short, acting out of sheer deaf madness in moments of temporary insanity. But read on further and I'm sure you'll get a big laugh out of this one!

Here it goes.

Not too long ago I got a ban notice saying that my ban would last 4 days but it ended up lasting only one day (they owe me 1 day of no access!) after a moderator (who doesn't like me for my political beliefs and opinions, a fact) realized the folly of banning me over something that was really funny in the first place. Right then and there I knew it was all about the person's own political feelings getting hurt and nothing about keeping things "neutral" (if there is such a thing in AD) while as a moderator.

Here's my cropped banned letter with the original reason why I was banned just to save space.



This was the result of me putting a picture of a cat dressed up as an al-Qaeda suicide bomber in the jokes section. Yuk yuk. Only this person didn't have any sense of humor, obviously. The ban only lasted less than 24 hours which I'm sure others higher up had to convince this person just how stupid it was and and how transparent the actions were by going after me so quickly, and without thinking, too.

Here's the "offensive" picture that I posted along with some notes.

Finished laughing?

Then came *TWO* reasons explaining why I was banned for putting an "offensive" picture of a suicide bomber cat in the Jokes and Funny Stories section. But in less than 24 hours the 4-day ban was rescinded and I got this PM letter. This person asked why I put the picture up. I responded,

"Because it was funny. Live a little."

Still laughing?

I'm not done.

Two weeks earlier (I didn't even know the same suicide cat bomber picture was posted there, too!) the same suicide cat bomber picture was found in the pets section of AD. Go to this link here and you'll see it before your very own eyes. Don't worry. I made a screen capture and an html copy of it just in case. See what the commenter said below about the 72-virgins post -picture joke? Shouldn't that comment be "offensive," too? And what about the suicide bomber cat picture? Is it that offensive? How come that poster never got banned? Do you see anybody in that thread howling with outrage?

But really, the first time I saw that picture it was in Deafreedom. I thought it was hilarious and so I copied and pasted it in AD in the jokes section. As I found out, laughingly so, somebody certainly didn't find the picture amusing. But this whole "banning thing" was a complete joke in of itself worthy to have it's own jokes section.

This wank, S*blesc**t, (in a forum that claim to be politically neutral, hah!) seriously needs to address his own personal issues against me and leave the proper and professional moderating duties to those who know how to do them correctly.

Lou Ferrigno - finally, the first non-Deaf star to be on "Dancing with the Stars" show

(See update below).

Thank goodness that the people of Dancing with the Stars were smart enough to finally "pick" a "non-Deaf" star, Lou Ferrigno (who is famous for playing the big, green hulking mutant in a 1970s The Incredible Hulk tv series), for a shot at the dance shootout. And, if officially picked, we'll see whether his feet matches his muscles, or perhaps his brain, in terms of dexterity, grace, and, without stumbling flat on his face, too. The last deaf person on Dancing with the Stars was in fact a Deaf person named Marlee Matlin who signed her way throughout the show but ultimately eliminated from the competition.



Now, the table has turned. We will have Lou Ferrigno who represents the majority of deaf people who do not know or use sign language to communicate but rather use oral/aural methods to communicate with the help of their hearing aids or cochlear implants in their everyday lives. Lou is a role model and an inspiration to the hundreds of thousands if not millions of deaf and hard of hearing kids who will get a chance to watch this "Deafless" guy dance (or stumble) his way across the screen. So the question is this. How light is Lou's feet? Well, check out Lou's 2007 audition clip where he didn't make the cut the first time around and probably enough to make you wince watching it, I did (sorry Lou). Just don't bad mouth since Lou is also a reserve Deputy Sheriff who was sworn in back in 2006.



Lots of hip swiveling with his white t-shirt and jeans along with fading in and out screen shots. Hmmm, 50s type dancing? Not really impressed. Probably the same feelings as the producers of the show who saw Lou's clip. But who knows how he'll fare this time around (I'm assuming his recent audition clip was much better than the one in 2007?) once he gets a professional dancer to teach him how to really dance. We might be in for a surprise. At least hopefully he'll go a lot longer than Marlee before getting eliminated.

Ok, folks. Calm down now. You can stop hyperventilating.

Geez.

UPDATE: Apparently last week on Good Morning America a list of names was read on those who were officially selected by DWTS Tom Bergeron. And the name Lou Ferrigno wasn't on that list. Lou's mad, or maybe was more surprised than mad but certainly his wife, Carla, is mad after whipping Lou into shape and have him lose 25lbs in bodyweight.

From E! Online:

Here's the full list of "stars" you'll see during the three-day premiere of Dancing With the Stars, kicking off Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. on ABC...

Kathy Ireland, 46, model
Macy Gray, 41, singer
Melissa Joan Hart, 33, actress
Mya, 29, singer
Ashley Hamilton, 34, actor-comedian
Michael Irvin, 43, football player
Mark Dacascos, 45, actor and martial artist
Donny Osmond, 51, entertainer
Kelly Osbourne, 24, singer
Debi Mazar, 45, actress
Chuck Liddell, 39, UFC fighter
Natalie Coughlin, 26, swimmer
Joanna Krupa, 30, model
Louie Vito, 21, snowboarder
Aaron Carter, 21, singer
Tom DeLay, 62, former House majority leader

I suppose they went for Chuck Liddel, a widely popular and well known UFC fighter, instead of the bigger (now slimmer) Lou Ferrigno? Who knows what the DWTS officials were thinking, especially picking a politician, Tom Delay, who is not even considered a "star" but more of like a very well known public servant whose only fame was getting kicked out of the House majority leader position.

Will Lou try again? No, not according to Carla and the fact that DWTS never had the class to inform him or his manager beforehand.

His manager and wife Carla told RadarOnline.com:

"They never even had the class to give Lou a call and tell him that he was not going to be chosen - this is the second time they haven't selected him but it will be the last."

"We couldn't believe some of the people they picked, and Lou was more surprised than upset that he wasn't chosen because we know he would have been great. "I mean, Tom Delay, a corrupt politician, a skateboarder [Louie Vito] who nobody has ever heard of, and what exactly has Ashley Hamilton ever done?"

Indeed. A strange list of "stars." But don't worry folks, Lou is still a role model for millions of deaf and hard of hearing kids to look up to.

Alldeaf - the censorship factor?

I've heard about it but didn't think much of it until I sent a Private Message (PM) to another Alldeaf member. And then I saw it. The returned PM message back to me I noticed the one word I used. I was replaced with a long ugly line of asterisks instead. My original message out got censored! How could this be? And then I tried at first a short list of words (see screen capture) to see what would happen. All done in the name of research only involving our privacy.

After that quick experiment I tried a long list of words based on discussions with a few people. Several of words in the list ended up as "flagged" words and were replaced with asterisks. Incredible!


CLICK HERE FOR LARGER VERSION.


Now, see how petty for Alldeaf to censor Deafreedom, Deafsummit, Deafmadness (currently inactive but you can see the archived part), and Deafparent (no longer active but you can see the archived part).

There is no justification to do this sort of invasion of privacy on a regular basis. Even under a "spamming rule" it doesn't apply to PMs having a friendly conversation mentioning another deaf run forum site. If the receiver of PM messages feels that he or she has a spammed PM then simply forward the offending PM to one of the moderator and ask for help there. Censoring other people's Private Message is good way to ruin their trust. How many other unknown flagged words are there in AD's list of "offending" and "offensive" words are there? No one knows except the moderators.

Here's an interesting question. How come only four forums were censored but not the other three such as Deafchat ("temporarily closed" like...for long time but you can see the archived section), Deafonline2 (or Deafonline), and Deafnotes? Well? Oh, fer crying out loud, don't give me the spamming justification when one can forward the offending PM to the proper moderator who can easily address that rather than resort to flagging "questionable" words in the first place. Typing in the word n***er and seeing it get censored on the receiving end in a PRIVATE message (PM) isn't about spamming, is it? No. But an outright invasion of AD members' privacy, no matter how vulgar the PM might be between two consenting adults.

As I continue to learn about other deaf run forums and what moderators have done in the past I found out that at least one member was banned when one of the moderators actually used that member's PM (flagged words or otherwise) and subsequently banned him/her based on what was said in his/her PMs. A fact or a bit of truth stretched some? How much power do these moderators have anyways regarding PMs? I know that PMs cannot be read by a 2nd party unless they know the password but what do I know? How people got banned because of their PMs with the flagged words were justification in banning that member? I don't know but I suspect that was back during the earlier days when many forums were up and running and competition was fierce to retain members. But regardless of what happened in the past there shouldn't be any excuse to remotely censor words for fear of spamming. Time to grow up and be more responsible and conscious on the privacy issue. As Dale said, who is the owner and moderator of Deafreedom, about PM,

Anyway, PM's and Emails are sacred around here, I wouldn't read 'em.

And, no, I'm not trying to advertise Dale's Deafreedom site but to show a voice of reason, common sense and sanity knowing what's right and wrong when it comes to privacy issues and moderating. Invading members' PMs is good way to lose their trusts.

Remember, this is a Private Email. "P" means private. Not censorship. Or looky loos into emails. Things like that. It's either a private message or not. Otherwise it'd be an Orwellian or Big Brother thing going under your radar without knowing exactly what are moderators are doing in those forums behind that screen of theirs. Have they peeked in the past? I wonder. As they say, sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Stay tuned, I have more including wacky excuses for person to be banned or why messages were censored. Politically motivated or just a bad moderator?