The Great Hearing Aid Search

Right now, I am looking around for a new digital hearing aid My old digital hearing aid is about 9 or 10 years old. With the technology today I suspect digital hearing aids are much more superior than the ones 10 years ago when it first came out. Sure, a digital hearing aid is expensive but it’s about investing in a hearing aid that will assuredly give back many times more. My old one cost about $2300 about 10 years ago. That’s $230 a year (and dropping as I continue to use it) or about $20 a month. This doesn’t include the two or three earmolds that were made over the 10 years, batteries bought or the one time repair a few years back costing me about $260.00. My hearing aid is a still bargain since it has allowed me to interact with hearing people whether in person or over the phone without much problems in terms of doing business and arranging things. The idea is the same if you think about buying a UbiDuo communication device will it, over time, pay you back in terms of time, resources and better job performances in your line of work if you deal with hearing people on a constant basis. The spells out greater opportunities for advancement and improved career performances.

"Sticker shock" is a problem for a lot of people when all they see is the price tag of a hearing aid, a car, the cost of college education or even the cost of the UbiDuo communication device. What people need to factor in is the potential return of their investment, so to speak. They need to learn to look past the cost and consider over time how such a device, a transportation system or an education can help your recoup your cost over time.

Getting my graduate degree which set me back about $35,000 through two loans just for a two year’s worth of education and housing for a family of three and then four. The loans were paid off within 5 years after getting my graduate degree. But my graduate education took me three years with an additional 2 more years of my education as part of the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) where I continued with school as a fulltime student in order to be eligible in the program. Thereby earning enough credits for two degrees! So, what's the point here? Well, I saw graduate education as an investment opportunity. For who you may ask? Well, myself. I invested in myself. Who better to invest than yourself? Think about that.

Still, we see the narrow thinking from those who balk or even complain about the price tag for attending Gallaudet University. Many see it being as “too expensive” rather than an “investment opportunity” instead. The cost of attending Gallaudet University is approximately $12,000 a year (or about $15,000 if you include summer semester) for a total of about $50,000 to get a bachelor degree in four years. Although a good majority of the students take 5 to 6 years to complete a 4 years college program at Gallaudet University, increasing their educational cost already. People who balk or complain about the price tag usually do not see it as an investment opportunity for themselves and rather than a stepping stone that could potentially lead to a better paying job/career afterwards or higher learning on getting their masters or doctorate degrees that could spell even better job opportunities.

Now, let’s go back to my hearing aid search. I have heard about digital hearing aids that have built in “artificial intelligence” software allowing it the ability to help discriminate certain sounds and screen out unwanted ones. This type of feature would be extremely important for me whenever I attend meetings with several people or in large crowds dealing with loud background noises. The ability to understand speech in virtually any situation is my top priority for me as a working professional in the field of science. Currently I am looking at Oticon “Syncro” hearing aid for hearing loss in the moderate to severe range. I’m especially interested in one where I can control the volume. My old one controls the volume automatically by detecting surrounding loudness that goes up and down. Not really that good in meeting situations if loudness of speech goes up and down, especially when people make jokes do they laugh loud and then start talking normally, I’d have to wait until my hearing aid’s volume go up again so I can hear them talking in a normal voice. Also, not really that great listening to music whenever a music piece gets loud does my hearing aid turns down the volume. It is also maddening when that happens if I play the piano, too.

Looks like I’ll have to do some more shopping around and ask my audiologist about which hearing aids would best fit me using today’s artificial intelligence software. It’s time to invest in another digital hearing aid.

When the Deaf Community Eats One of Their Own

Ok. My blog title is a bit misleading but it comes pretty close on what we have been witnessing over the last few days ever since a well known Deaf blogger made the faux-pas blog post of the year that angered so many deaf and hearing readers. A move that prompted blog readers to contact companies in protest to get their banner ads removed from this particular Deaf person's blogsite. And why? It turns out that it was a blog post that essentially insulted, according to many who have complained in disgust, or made light of the Virginia Tech massacre. And as a result, numerous banner ads were removed en masse.

This is an unprecedented reaction when you get so many deaf/Deaf/hh/hearing readers contacting companies to get them to remove their banner ads from a popular blogsite. Although this reaction would not be entirely unprecedented in its own right for a Deaf community to basically go after a Deaf person. Or "eating one of their own" as you could say. That honor of such an unprecedented reaction of "eating one of their own" belongs to the recent protest at Gallaudet University. A feast that lasted for months. But that's another story for another time.

This isn't about "pushing buttons" which this Deaf person is famously known for but about the complete failure to present the proper frame of mind by being a bit more sensitive and cordial when it comes to such a horrible event like the Virginia Tech massacre. Failure to be that much more "cordial" in light of certain events would eventually lead to the continued painting of a negative picture of what a Deaf community would look like to outsiders. Thinking it would be about a bunch of whiny, selfish and entirely insensitive group of Deaf people. A stereotype that would be hard to get rid of. But ironically it was the Deaf community who put this particular Deaf person on a pedestal and paid homage to this guy with accolades, praises and wonderment. Right now it seems that many blog readers are facing a realization. Either expose the hypocrisy and remove the mask of that person or hope that the person will start that long list of apologies on the road to recovery. Shouldn't this be a time of healing and recovery?

All in all, there are consequences to one's own actions. Especially so when it comes to writing in a public setting over the internet about people or events. Even I am keenly aware of this and I know better whenever I blog my own posts.

Bottom line? It pays to be cordial and forthright.

Cash Prizes Announced for First Ever NADS Games!

Cash Prizes Announced for First Ever North America Deaf Strongman Games in 2008!

Sometime in 2008 there will be the first ever North America Deaf Strongman games (NADS). Cash prizes are now available on the NADS Games official website. This is planned to be an open event for men (maybe women later on) with 1st place for $500.00, 2nd place for $350.00, and 3rd place for $150.00. Check it out! You have about a year or so to prepare yourselves for this unique and only deaf strongman sporting event in the United States! So, start early if you haven't been exercising lately. And if you are already exercising, do you think you can win this competition?

All cash prizes will be presented by the official host, sComm, Inc, a wholly deaf-owned company and maker of the widely popular and successful UbiDuo communication device.

Do you have enough balls to do this? Are you strong enough? Check out the website to see what objects you may end up pulling, pushing and lifting to win that cash prize! If have questions, contact the NADS team for more information on how to compete.

Go NADS Games!

Only those with enough balls can compete!

RIT Student Arrested for Possession of Rifles on Campus

This is a bit surreal here. A student was arrested for possession of assault rifles on the campus of RIT which is also home of NTID for deaf and hard of hearing students. What's more, police found more than 300 ammunition rounds for the rifles.

A student at a Rochester college faces charges after police found two assault rifles inside his room at one of the school's suburban residence buildings. Authorities say they also found more than 300 rounds of ammunition in Jonathan Hackenburg's car.

The 22-year-old from Hackettstown, New Jersey was arrested yesterday after an employee at the Rochester Institute of Technology's Inn and Conference Center told police he heard a sound like someone racking a gun.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Department says deputies found a Stag-15 rifle and a Romanian made A-R-15 rifle.

Supposed the employee was deaf? And this turned out deadly? Suppose a similar event happened at Gallaudet or NTID where a gunman would be shooting at people on campus and students unable to hear the bang and richochet of bullets to run and take cover? But instead see the confusion of people dropping like flies not knowing, at first, what is going on until too late? Indeed, this is heavy food to chew on. Let's hope nothing like this ever occurs.

The Virginia Tech Massacre is nothing about “Reap what you sow”

The senseless killings at Virginia Tech a few days ago shook the entire nation when a lone, foreign student with a student visa shot and murdered, some in execution style, 32 people on campus. My thoughts and prayers are to the victims, their families and friends who are now hurting and suffering right now.

This isn’t a tragedy. A tragedy is when a tornado or hurricane wipes out a town killing people. This killing was an act of pure evil. An evil person who carried a Glock pistol, guns and a vest full of ammos for the express purpose to kill and injure as many innocent people as possible on the campus of Virginia Tech. This was a total disregard for human decency and respect.

Now, some people, believe it or not, would find this whole thing “amusing.” I certainly don’t. This was an unwanted but horrible and vicious crime that took place. I won’t mention who found this whole thing “amusing” just because Virginia Tech has a few known rivalries with other universities and doesn't have any soft spots for them Hokies.

The "amused" comment was blogged by somebody within the Deaf community. The same person who believes also that this is all about “reaping what you sow” which is a totally ludicrous comment. Purely on the sick side of things. Virginia Tech students who were lined up against the wall of their classroom and shot execution style had nothing to do with “you reap what you sow.” None of the students did anything to that deranged killer to deserve this but were in fact innocent victims caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. Just like the Beslan massacre in Russia where hundreds of children and adults were murdered by Islamic terrorists wielding guns and explosives.

An armed group took over 1000 children and teachers hostage on 1 September 2004. On 3 September, following explosions and gunfire and an assault by state security forces, more than 330 people were dead, including at least 176 children. Many hundreds of people were injured.

Amusing, huh? Absolutely not. Hokies or not, these victimes deserve our utmost respect in times of mourning.

Anybody who says in the context of “reap what you sow” about killings at Virginia Tech or elsewhere is clearly not thinking because none of the victims did anything bad to deserve any of this. For the Virginia Tech students they were sowing a good education for a good life. I'm sure the people at other universities who are rivals against Virginia Tech will surely stand shoulder to shoulder with the families and friends of the victims at Virginia Tech in full solidarity and respect. There is nothing to be "amused" by all this in any context.

This isn’t about deaf people who occassionally may write down the wrong words when trying to express a thought or feeling. I understand that and that’s entirely forgivable. However, the “reap what you sow” comment was made after the “amused” comment in one deaf person’s blog is indicative of not writing it in error context wise but did so with a conscious effort. Just like the conscious effort on wishing the death of a deaf father’s son in the hope he’d trip over his son so he'd feel guilty for the rest of his life. Or wishing that one deaf person would die in flames just so that the Deaf community would be "better off" without him. Or wishing another deaf person brain damage. Or laugh at a dead U.S. soldier (who was the cousin of a hard of hearing person) who was murdered prior to the start of the Iraq war in Kuwait in the well publicized grenade tent attack.

I am generally appalled at how some members of the Deaf community continue to turn a blind eye toward certain Deaf people who have the audacity to be heartless, thoughtless and above all violate just about every rules of internet courtesy when it comes to blogging or making comments. And at the same time put that same person on a pedestal. This makes no sense at all. And when people continue to hold certain deaf people on a pedestal who do these things then they are no better off themselves and are equally guilty.

I am just hoping and praying that this person will have enough sense to acknowledge what was written did indeed show certain insensitivity towards the families and friends of victims murdered at Virginia Tech. And acknowledge that it was done in error. A public apology to the victims out there in the blogosphere would be nice as well.


UPDATE: The Virginia Cavalier Athletic Director expresses condolences to their rival team, Virginia Tech Hokies.

Statement from Athletics Director Craig Littlepage on Monday's Tragic Events at Virginia Tech

Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone at Virginia Tech.

April 17, 2007

The following is a statement by Virginia Athletics Director Craig Littlepage concerning the events at Virginia Tech on Monday.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone touched by the devastating events at Virginia Tech. We join our colleagues around the Commonwealth and nationally in expressing our sorrow to the students, faculty, staff and alumni of Virginia Tech. Many of us know individuals who work or study at Virginia Tech or have family members and friends who do, and our hearts are with all of them. This is a time when we all must be available to provide support, assistance and understanding to those affected by what has happened in Blacksburg."

Even though they are fierce team rivals they, too, recognize the importance of expressing condelences and prayers for the victims and families. I suppose the VA Cavalier also does not find this whole thing "amusing" just because they are rivals to begin with? None of that "soft spot for Hokies" stuff, I tell ya.

Thank you, Craig. You're the smart and honest person here.


UPDATE II: The deaf person in question has since removed the blog post. I can imagine why this was done. However, doing so would probably make things a bit worse because an apology hasn't been issued to the victims of families and friends for making that remark, no acknowledgement mentioned of the faux pas blog of the year, and the fact that Google still has the cache version of that blogpost that is now forever archived.

Michael Bisping Howls about Matt Hamill

Either Michael Bisping is feeling a bit insecure or he’s sure of himself about Matt Hamill (and in MySpace) who had some dem fightin words for Matt.

THE MATT FINISH
You may have heard that a certain TUF 3 dropout was calling me out last week.

To be honest, I really didn’t want to respond because that plays right into his hands by whipping up interest in a fight that I believe is a big step backwards for me.

However, at the same time I don’t want anyone thinking I was afraid of this guy, either.

The fighter in question - I forget his name - is a good wrestler but has no BJJ and couldn’t strike a match. He’s the one who produced the most embarrassingly amateurish performance of the entire season, where even though he won he couldn’t continue in the competition as he was so bashed up.

Do you know who I’m on about? I can picture his face but still can’t remember his name but I remember personally sending this novice to the hospital with a busted arm and my mate Kendall Grove - a middleweight - knocked him silly with a high kick in sparring.

I also recall that he went to the hospital three times during TUF 3 and each time came back to the TUF house with his tail between his legs. He spent more time in bandages than King Tut.

But, now, he’s shouting my name in an obvious attempt to leap frog from his preliminary bout status to genuine PPV level.

Sorry, pal, I won the TUF 3 three-year contract, thank you very much, so I don’t need a part time job running your PR office on the side.

I’ve got a long way to go and a lot to prove in the UFC but - in terms of what I did during my TUF 3 run - I don’t think I’m being big-headed when I say my run to the TUF 3 title was pretty damn conclusive.

I scored three consecutive knockouts without a scratch on me while this guy calling me out had one fight that looked like two drunks scrapping outside a kebab shop on a Friday night.

For him to claim I’ve yet to prove I’m the real TUF 3 winner is pathetic.

Until next week - the Count.

While Michael Bisping trying to accentuate the negative Matt Hamill are doing positive things in his life.

In fact, he hopes to use his newly found popularity to train as many potential fighters as possible.

That's why he has been helping out with Whitesboro High School's wrestling team. It's also why he's opening his own school, and plans to have a fighting cage, a wrestling mat, and some weights in it. He says it will be a school of mixed martial arts. He's in the process of remodeling a building across from the Uptown Theatre on Genesee St. into the Matt Hamill Training Center, but says the vision is clear.

"I'm tired of driving to Syracuse and flying to California," Hamill said. "We need something here."

Hamill said he's happy with the treatment he gets when walks around and estimates that 100 people have stopped by his house in New York Mills seeking autographs and pictures.

"They go crazy," Hamill said of his fans. "I like it, it's not bad. I'm new to it, I still have to get used to it."

When kids who are interested in wrestling or martial arts see Hamill, they ask when he's holding a camp or clinic. Now, he hopes to work with those people full time, in between traveling the country to pummel his competitors.

Maybe it’s time for Michael Bisping to address his insecurity and demand a UFC fight against Matt Hamill? There is a difference between having heart and being a complete noob. And, in case you're wondering, Matt's the one with heart.


Hat Tip: MaxUFC

See all of Kokonut Pundits blogs on Matt Hamill.

Will Certain Deafness Be Cured in Our Lifetime?

More progress is being made in the hope that hearing loss will be restored someday soon. Except this news isn't about stem cells but about using actual inner ear cells and coax them into regrowing mature hearing nerve fibers.

Australian researchers say they have developed an alternative to stem cell technology for growing human inner ear cells.

The Ear Science Institute Australia said it has successfully grown inner ear cells taken from an adult patient at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Western Australia.

Researcher Marcus Atlas said the cells have the potential to restore hearing and balance in those who are born deaf or have degenerative hearing diseases, though human trials are still a long way off.

Atlas said growing adult organ cells in a laboratory has presented problems for researchers in the past. "It is extremely difficult for us to grow these cells .... We have to give them the right environment, we need the right nutrients, the right blood supply, the right environment for these [inner ear] hair cells to grow in."

"I think one of our biggest challenges will be in fact getting these hair cells to actually attach to the existing nerve fibres and create a functional hearing system. That is a significant move for us and that is where we're going to now," he said.

The researchers are asking for millions in government funding to advance trials of the procedure.

This area of research will simply heat up over time as more and more researchers get into the game to come up with the first patented process of growing ear hair cells in the laboratory for each deaf/hh patient using their own ear hair cells. Successful application will spell out a very lucrative market in the medicine field. Just as curing Type 1 diabetes using stem cells will it soon become a lucrative field to be in.

I'm all for research on finding cures for various conditions and ailments, including hearing loss. At least people can have a choice to keep with their hearing loss or not.

Incestuous Relationships in the Deaf community?

And so I sat and observed, mostly, what people have said about the recent article "Deaf Identity Gone Wild" in various blogs and noted with amusement and some amount of wincing involved on how people continually misunderstood the word "incestuous" and "oxymoronic" in Charlotte Allen's article.

The role of bloodlines and pedigree in defining Deafness, along with the relatively small number of deaf people in the United States to begin with, helps explain the unusually active and even incestuous part that Gallaudet alumni, deaf parents, and even supposedly neutral organizations such as the National Association of the Deaf played in the battle against Fernandes.

Now, the word "incestuous" isn't used in the same context as "incest" like many people have complained rather wrongly recently about Allen's article. Even some well known blogs got this context horribly wrong. What Charlotte Allen wrote had nothing to do with incest. Rather she wrote it in the context of "improperly interconnected" like nepotism, cronyism (ie, Favoritism shown to old friends without regard for their qualifications) or a group that is more "clannish" than not. Only a few people were able to address this correctly in the context that Allen was presenting.

Even if people do complain, perhaps correctly so in some aspects, by saying that the Deaf community is not at all like that but have, ironically, instead slammed Gallaudet University (e.g. BoTs. et al) as being the "politically incestuous" university as it is/was/still ongoing.

By an accident of history, the Board is allowed to choose their own members (for now) and thus they have morphed over time into this mutant, politically incestuous, illegitimate entity.
Posted 10/1/2006 6:00 AM by brianriley1987gallygrad

So, it was ok for all to agree about the "politically incestuous" slander comment heaped at the BoTs but not so for Charlotte Allen's observation about the Deaf community which may or may not be true in parts or whole? Who is being intellectually honest here?

One deaf blogger in Belfast, Ireland sees cronyism in the Deaf community as a problem in Ireland. If it's a problem over there, then is it also a problem here in the United States and Canada, too?

Perhaps Charlotte Allen wasn't far off when she said that incestuous relationship is a work seen in many places in the Deaf community? In other words, the "good ole' boys" network type of thing?

So we ask this question.

How much is true about the Deaf community? Are they indeed clannish or, hence, overly protective? Are there nepotism involved? And that cronyism is also a part of their standard fare when it comes to hiring friends over qualifications instead in the Deaf community? How prevalent are these things anyways? And will we see some intellectually honest debates in all this after I'm done with this blog article?

Greg Gunderson's Racing Plan for 2007 and 2008

From Greg Gunderson to all those racing fans out there, be sure to check out the newly revamped Gunderson Racing website.

The Gunderson Racing Team is seeking more sponsors for the 2007 racing season. Greg Gunderson, a veteran Sprint car driver from Sioux Falls, S.D., has an ambitious plan to become the first ever deaf NASCAR driver. The 2007 racing schedule includes races in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and specific tracks in other states as requested by sponsors.

“Not only do I want to publicize the exciting sport of racing; I also want to emphasize the fact that Deaf people can do anything except hear,” said Greg as he makes plans to achieve his ultimate goal of becoming the first ever deaf NASCAR driver. The 2007 racing season in Sprint circuit is the first step toward the goal. In 2008 Greg plans to race on asphalt tracks in the ASA Late Model Series or ARCA Series before attempting to become a NASCAR driver in 2009.

Short- and long-term sponsorships will be integral part of Greg’s future NASCAR plan and will receive the following marketing benefits:

· Greg has a strong fan base with a wide diversity: 31 million Americans with hearing loss, millions more Americans with other disabilities, racing fans, friends, co-workers, deafness-related professionals and many more;

· Greg has been an inspiration to deaf and hard of hearing children and adults;

· Media enjoys doing stories on Greg because readers and listeners love a great human interest stories;

·For more information, visit the recently redesigned Gunderson Racing Team website at http://www.gundersonracing.com or email media@gundersonracing.com.
Greg has 15 years of racing experience and has consistently been in the winner circle;

· Greg finished 3rd place in popular voting for a new reality TV show, Racin’ for a Livin’, and is waiting to get on the TV show in the near future.

Spread the word and help Greg Gunderson get the needed sponsors.

Identity Politics Gone Wild

The Weekly Standard is out. Just like I said it would a few weeks ago. It has the title "Identity Politics Gone Wild." The author of the article made a reference to my past blog regarding an email response about my blogging Deaf Republicans website.

Like black underclass youngsters who diss their more studious classmates as "acting white," some deaf activists denigrate deaf people who use eloquent English as unacceptably "hearing." Mike McConnell, a 1991 Gallaudet graduate and active in the nearly oxymoronic (given the bent of Deaf culture) Deaf Republicans, posted this email he received from a deaf activist on his blog Kokonut Pundits: "Deaf Republicans website is not written by deaf people. its language is too hearing and it is written by Republican party."

I warned the author to expect back lashes from the Deaf community (and here in DeafDC) and needless to say when her editors read her article they were more or less "horrified" at what went on out there and how people or protesters, per the article, who constantly portrayed themselves as being the "victims." Or are they? Who are the real victim here?

Good or bad? A matter of difference in perspsective here? A little bit of harsh truth here or there? Incorrect factoids? Or too much of a myth, labeling or painting it with a broad brush here? Was the article a good one? Or a bad one? A bit of both? Depends on who you ask I would guess.

The Strong Silent Type

Ya'll must be wondering. Where's my Kokonut Pundits fix? If you must know I am putting in more of my time working out in preparation for my strongman competitions this year. I plan to attend a couple of those events and plan to video tape them as well.

I began working out about 7 weeks ago and I'm into my 8th week right now after a 7 month layoff. You can see all the details of my progress over at my Deaf Strongman blog including a subtitled video of my 620lb tire flip I did in my backyard yesterday.

There are so many things I can do and I can't do all them at the same time. If I'm going to devote more time like getting myself prepared for my strongman competitions, it means cutting back on a few things like my Kokonut Pundits blogging. But this doesn't mean there won't be any Kokonut Pundits blogs. There will be. Just less of it for now. I just need less distraction right from all of the silliness (yes, they're getting a bit silly out there now. You know what I mean) so I can concentrate on my working out and practicing with my strongman implements which I am currently ramping up with greater intensity and weight. This includes putting on additional bodyweight to get to 205lbs and eventually to 230lbs perhaps by next year. If I ever going to flip an 1000+ lb tire, I need to get my bodyweight up to 205lbs which I am only 17 lbs away.

And, if you're deaf or hard of hearing and like to lift weights? Do you think you have the "nads" to compete in the first ever North America Deaf Strongman (NADS) Games? Check it out and see the updated website on plans for 2008 with DeafNation.

Also, I have to do my annual pack test to get ready for next week for re-certification of my red card for forest fire fighting where I have been on 4 differents fires so far. But I may have to forego the actual fire fighting this year and next because it takes so much out of you and that puts a damper in my strongman preparation like it did last year when after I returned from fire fighting in August for 3 weeks worth and was totally worn afterwards.

But a few weeks ago I went with a crew for a 3-day prescribed fire down on the Guadulupe mountains in southern New Mexico amongst all the cactuses, prickly pears, and all plant things that have those pokey and painful barbs. And I did get injured by those thorns, too. My right poked-in knee is nearly healed after two weeks. It was my first prescribed fire and I was able to go since my red card for fire fighting was still good until my next pack test.




Arriving at the site to hike out to do some presciption burns.




Watching the line with other crew fire fighters to make sure the fire doesn't escape the fire line.




Can you find a live rabbit in this picture? The rabbit is just sitting there in the cool black burn. Here's a link to a bigger picture. Note the prickly pear cactuses.



Here I am making sure the fire doesn't cross the fire line which would be the road seen here along with other fire fighters. This was where smoke would get so thick you'd have to cover up your face to breathe a bit better. My eyes would water, too. Lots of standing around here and we bump up the line every 50 or 60 feet to monitor the fire's progress. We would watch and listen for the call "Bump Up!" and we move up another 50 feet. Sometimes the smoke would be so thick you'd have to listen for the call. I'd monitor my field radio and listen in to the chatter of the fire's progress.



An occasional torching of fire would happen during a prescription burn and would not last very long. Not a big deal. Everything was a success over the 3 days of prescibed burn.


Now, you may be asking yourself what is a presecription burn? Go here and learn.

Until the next time. Stay strong.

Article on Gallaudet, the Protest and Protesters

An article will come out soon either next week or the week after that that will discuss Gallaudet, the protest and the protesters in the The Weekly Standard magazine. The magazine is a very popular conservative political magazine whose magazine has a weekly circulation of 83,000 per week where the magazine is published 48 times a year. The article on Gallaudet, the protest and protesters may be available online but for sure will be available in the printed format at your nearest store that carries the magazine.

Several deaf and hard of hearing people who are familiar with the protest were interviewed. Some were interviewed to understand better what Deaf culture was like. Why the protest happened. And what other people on the outside are seeing/reading about the protest. All this boils down to is a matter of perspective. Either you can gripe about it and complain, or do something about it by helping educate people instead and create a better understanding. Despite that, it doesn't necessarily mean that our post-protest, positive pro-active response will erase the pictures or the feelings of what people on the outside saw about the protest that day when the campus was forcibly and illegally shut down. There is such a thing as "first impression". And you cannot blame them for that.

The Great Global Warming Swindle - Part 1 of 8. CAPTIONED!

This global warming video isn't captioned or subtitled so I decided to do this myself using BubblePLY as part of my own captioning work. And why not? There are some 15 million people here in the United States who are severely to profoundly deaf and having a video with no captioning would prove fruitless and of no use to them. A message would be lost by those who cannot even access the video and learn more about the big global warming swindle by scientists, politicians and activists. Even in the United Kingdom there are a few million people who are deaf as well. Not to mention many more millions around the world who do understand the English language and benefit from captioned videos.

If the producers had the common sense, intelligence and foresight they would've added the subtitle to the video which would have enabled them to reach more people who otherwise cannot hear or are unable to understand the spoken words in the video. It doesn't take much brains to figure out that there are millions of deaf and hard of hearing people out there who prefer to have captioned/subtitled videos.

I spent several hours listening to this video, typing in the spoken words in my digital Notepad and adding them into BubblyPLY as captions for Part 1 of 8 of a video clip found on YouTube called "The Great Global Warming Swindle." It's a 75-minute video that came out recently a few weeks ago in the United Kingdom. My subtitling work took several hours for just 9 minutes worth of captioning. The captioned work produced by me is probably 98 to 99 percent accurate. So, if you spot an error or see that a word need to be added or removed, please let me know and I'll correct it if it matches the audio portion. I plan to add captioning for the rest of the 7 other parts as I go along. Not a guarantee here since it does taxes my time doing this. So, enjoy this Part 1 of 8.

If you want to donate money as show of appreciation for my work go here.


THE GREAT GLOBAL WARMING SWINDLE - PART 1 of 8.

Poll: Death Penalty be allowed for Deaf Person?

Here's a poll question. Should the death penalty be allowed for a Deaf person such as Daphne Wright? This is not about a retarded person but simply a Deaf person who is accused of committing an atrocious murder and dismemberment. If proved guilty, should she be treated like any other hearing person who gets the guilty verdict for murder and face the same death penalty punishment? Why or why not?

Death Penalty be allowed for Deaf Person - Daphne Wright?
	Yes.
	No.
	I don't know.
pollcode.com free polls

Watch Matt Hamill Fight on YouTube

Grab this 8 minute long video of Matt Hamill's 4-minute fight against Rex Holman before it disappears. At the end of the fight Matt was interviewed by Mr. Rogan where Matt described the techniques he used and how he was pleased with his performance and at the end of the video he says,

Matt "The Hammer" Hamill will be here for a long, long time!

Indeed. Let's hope so.

Watch Matt Hamill Fight on UFC Demand for $1.99

If you missed the UFC PPV fight a few niights ago or those who paid their $40 bucks hoping to see the Hamill vs Holman fight on PPV (it didn't show) you can now watch the rest of the fighters that didn't show up on PPV for $1.99 on UFC Demand via through your computer. Click here or on the picture above to link to the UFC On Demand video.

CFlannagan, who is deaf, said about the fight as he watched the 4 minute long video clip.

Watched the match.. hardly "worst striking ever" at all based on many MMA matches I've seen so that Sherdog guy is an idiot. Hamill dominated the fight. Funny to watch Hamill do some new moves.. spinning back kick for one! Well worth $1.99, IMHO.

So, instead of spending $40 bucks for a PPV cable fight, you can now pick and choose which of the fighters to watch on UFC Demand for only $1.99.

Go ahead and watch it and give me your opinion of Matt's fight. Has he improved?

Hat tip: CFlannagan!

UPDATE: See pictures of the fight.

Matt Hamill doing the "Superman" thing.

Rex Holman in pain.

Matt Hamill punching away.

Matt Hamill slugging at Holman's face.

Matt Hamill's patented "ground and pound" before the fight is called off.

Matt Hamill wins!

See all of my blogs on Matt Hamill and interviews.

Matt Hamill Follow-up Winning Fight Report

Matt Hamill won his 3rd UFC fight card last night in the first round with 1 mintue left in a 5-minute fight per round. It was supposed to be a 3-round fight but with Matt's wrestling ability he was able to take Rex Holman down and did his patented ground and pound for a win.

This event wasn't televised for those who paid for the PPV event hoping to see Matt though I didn't pay for it this time. Though from reports elsewhere it was reported that it was Matt Hamill who drew the biggest applause from the sold-out UFC crowd of 18,000 fans that night after his win.

The non-televised portion of the card was filled with three submission victories. Jamie Varner, Matt Hamill and Jon Fitch all won via rear-naked choke, with Hamill, the UFC's only deaf fighter, drawing the biggest applause from the sold-out crowd.

Interesting.

Matt's win was probably clinched early on with his "Superman" flying punch to Rex Holman's nose. Enough to slow Rex down and make him realize that he was fighting a serious fighter.

His opponent was former Ohio State Division I national wrestling champion and Columbus native Rex Holman. But it was Hamill who enjoyed the overwhelming support of the 18,000 fans in attendance at Nationwide Arena.

Hamill ignited the action early by landing a flying "Superman" punch that left a cut on the bridge of Holman's nose. Holman countered with kicks to Hamill's thighs as Hamill advanced.

The two former wrestlers clinched only twice, with neither fighter overpowering the other. Hamill pressed his boxing advantage with snapping jabs and straights to Holman's nose, while Holman came up short with awkward upper cuts to counter.

As the first round neared three minutes, Holman, 38, appeared winded. Hamill connected with a straight that dropped his opponent, who clutched onto Hamill from the mat. But Holman couldn't pull the better-conditioned fighter down and Hamill unloaded strikes to the side of Holman's head.

The fight was stopped by the referee at four minutes of the first round with Holman lying prone, Hamill straddling his back, punching Holman's head.

Would love to see the video clip of Matt doing the "Superman" punch thing.

Although in one report it says that Matt is still planning for the 2008 U.S. Olympic (not Deaflympics) hoping to get a spot on the wrestling team.

Hamill also plans to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic wrestling team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

This is something I'll have to confirm and verify if this is the case because I believe the discussion between Matt and I earlier last year had to do with contract with the UFC which may prevent him from doing the U.S. Olympic with a stipulation that he cannot do other sports which may cause him to injure himself which may prevent him from competiting in an UFC fight. Also, the tryout for the 2008 wrestling team takes place in Las Vegas this year.

The 2007 U.S. World Team Trials will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, June 9-10. This event will determine the 2007 U.S. World Team that will compete at the 2007 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in all three Olympic wrestling styles: men�s freestyle, men�s Greco-Roman and women�s freestyle.

But I hope I'm wrong or that things have changed where Matt can do both. Represent the U.S. and continue with his UFC fights. We'll see. In fact, an added factor of being well known in the UFC fighting arena may give Matt that extra intimidation factor when he (and if) wrestles.


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Matt Hamill Wins UFC Fight in Round 1

Matt Hamill wins his 3rd UFC fight (2-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC). From Sherdog:

First three minutes displays some of the worst striking from both fighters you will ever see in the cage. Hamill is cut under his eye but it doesn't seem serious. Hollman looks completely gassed. Holman shoots but Hamill stuffs the takedown. Hamil takes down the fatigued fighter and not long after gets his back. Hamill unloads with a series of punches that forces the referee to halt the action at 4:00 of the first round.

Matt wins it in the first round with 1 minute left to spare. It may have been an ugly one but when it comes to ground and pound, Matt takes it to the ground with punishing results. Though I wasn't able to see the PPV fight but Sherdog pulls it through and give us a play by play update for all fighters. Be sure to scroll down to the see the ongoing results of other fighters.

Congrats to Matt on his continued UFC wins and the first Deaf UFC fighter moving his way quickly to the top.

UPDATE: Read the recent follow-up report in today's blog after this one.


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Show Me the Captions!

Guest blogger, Curious Eyes (Patty Albee), tells a story that there are some people who will bend over backward for a deaf customer when asked about a television CC quality. Read on.


The other day, I went shopping for a 20” flat screen color TV, the analog kind. After doing my research on ShopLocal.com and Froogle, I decided to head for my friendly neighborhood Target store for a TruTouch TV on sale for $88.

You can tell what’s coming next, can’t you?

It can be such a hassle buying a TV when you’re deaf and only watch it with closed captions. First of all, I have never, ever seen any kind of audio-visual store where the captions were already on display. You have to ask for them. I estimate that at least 8 times out of 10, the salespeople have no idea what I’m talking about, and on the rare occasions they did, they haven’t the foggiest notion how to turn them on. These days, the fancier digital TVs have a remote control that requires a 200-page manual and an engineering degree to operate.

On to my saga. I went to the demo model in Target and turned it on. Nice picture, natural colors. I turned around and said to the salesperson, “May I please have the remote control so I can turn on the closed captions?”

She said, “I don’t have a remote control.”

I said, “I need to look at the closed captions before I purchase this TV, to make sure it works and looks nice. How about if I open the box and use the remote control on the demo model?”

She said OK, and proceeded to open the box with her box cutter. Luckily, the remote control was in a Styrofoam compartment right on top of the box, and she helpfully put in a couple of batteries from her stash under the counter. After pressing a few buttons on the remote trying to find the captions function, she handed it to me and asked if I could get them started.

Right around then, the floor manager came around and asked if he could help. He was a polite, youngish man with his long hair in a braid, a pierced eyebrow dumbbell stud, and the requisite computer-nerd horn-rimmed glasses and Dockers. I’d gotten stalled at the first menu list which did not list captions, so he quickly found the second menu page and turned the caption setting to “C1.”

The three of us waited for the captions to start playing on the demo TV. Nothing happened. No captions. Why? Because all the demo TVs were playing a tape from a central computer. The tape was all advertising, which of course was not closed-captioned.

I asked the manager, “Can you bring a DVD player, hook it up, and play a DVD?” He sent the salesperson to fetch it.

Attach DVD player to the demo TV, seek and find the remote for that too, and press play. Nothing happened. No captions.

Fortunately, the floor manager, Britt it says on his name tag, is a smart guy and good at problem-solving. He detached the DVD player and re-attached the cables to a Magnavox TV/DVD combo set on the shelf above. The salesperson scurried to find a remote for that one too.

Press “play.” Nothing happened. No captions.

I suggested to the manager, “I think you need to set the language options on the DVD itself. Can you go back to the menu of the DVD and select language options?”

Luckily, Britt is a smart guy who can accept direction and not question my every move (subtext: “just because I’m deaf.”). He went back to the main menu of the DVD, clicked language options, and selected English subtitles.

Press “play.”

Finally! Houston, we have captions. Very nice captions too, big and clear, on the movie “Lord of the Rings.” You’ve got a sale, Target. I happily jogged the half-mile to the checkout counters with my 50-pound prize stuffed in the red plastic shopping cart.

I wasn’t keeping my eye on the clock during this rigamarole, but think probably a good half hour was spent on this the transaction. I would call it successful because, due to some patient and creative problem-solving, I actually got to see the captions before I took my new TV home.

As I drove to work in the brilliant February sunshine, I reflected on what went right today. The one thing that probably made the biggest difference was that I went to Target during my lunch hour. I’m lucky that there is one within a 10 minute drive of my workplace. Between 11 and noon on a Friday, the store was practically empty. Less than a handful of customers were wandering around the audio-visual department at that time of day. The salesperson and manager were not busy, and able to give me their undivided attention. I had enough experience with TVs, DVDs, and remote controls that I knew what to ask for and when. I was assertive enough to express my needs. The salesperson and manager were savvy enough to accommodate me. I was polite and gracious. All in all, a win-win situation for me and Target.

Oh, and the TruTouch TV? It’s all right. Remember, you get what you pay for. The best thing that can be said for it is that the picture is nice and clear. It has one annoying idiosyncrasy, though. If you want to get a channel that has two digits, like 24, you have to push a button that labeled “-/--/---“. You have to push that button until “--“ shows, and then push 24. You have to do this every time! What a pain in the rear, because my favorite channels are 12, 24, 41, 42, 45, 50, and 67. Oh well. Good thing I’m not a channel surfer.

Matt Hamill is to fight on PPV tonight.

Don't forget folks. Matt Hamill, the first Deaf UFC fighter, is to fight Rex Holman tonight at 10 PM Eastern Time on Pay Per View. However, the first 10 main fighters will be the first to fight on PPV guaranteed. The other 8 relatively unknown fighters will fight on PPV only if the previous 10 fighters finished their fight early giving enough time for Matt Hamill and Rex Holman to fight next. There are a total of 18 fighters in this "The Uprising" UFC 68 fight and Matt is in the 6th lineup.




For a larger picture click HERE.

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