tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-312803822011-07-28T22:28:02.065-07:00Musings by a feisty, opinionated Deaf gal who wants nothing but the best for her community and her peoplemoihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.comBlogger881100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-39666722223590021742010-07-11T10:43:00.000-07:002010-07-11T11:22:19.588-07:00

Wow. NAD has chosen its CEO designate, and that person is Howard Rosenblum! Aidan Mack has eloquently expressed why I feel so hopeful about NAD with his selection. Warmest congratulations to Mr. Rosenblum! I, for one, happily look forward to when you take the reins next spring.This is a positive step in the right direction, the latest in a string of good choices that NAD has made lately. Thank

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-87763810274045822372010-07-09T21:05:00.001-07:002010-07-11T11:58:18.964-07:00

It's an exciting time in the Deaf community. The National Association for the Deaf is poised to announce the replacement for outgoing Executive Director Nancy Bloch any day now. Naturally the finalists for the position are a subject of interest and lively discussion in the community. NAD has held a special place in our hearts since 1880, when it was founded to fight for Deaf people's civil

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-26377449442342240722010-07-09T20:47:00.000-07:002010-07-09T20:52:17.408-07:00

This may seem like a small thing, but recently someone shared with me what happened during the NAD conference now taking place in Philadelphia, and it bothers me. Two Deaf people who have a Deaf child have made the choice to put the child in a very small educational program where s/he doesn't see many other Deaf people... even though they live pretty close to one of the top schools for the Deaf

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-20489752554273421502010-06-19T18:48:00.000-07:002010-06-20T11:10:18.812-07:00

I'm watching the first season of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, a TV series from HBO, on DVD this week. It is a heartwarming, sweet series and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It has a neat premise and I'm enjoying the glimpse of life in Botswana it affords me. But as I watch, it becomes more and more obvious to me that I'm seeing a country (and TV series) soaked in colonialism, even though

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-10033883498239313022010-06-19T12:53:00.000-07:002010-06-19T13:46:06.608-07:00

This is a follow-up to two separate posts, the one I posted last night and the one about Eben Kostbar playing Matt Hamill in a movie. First, two years makes a difference. The movie, Hamill, is now in post-production and it stars a Deaf actor, Russell Harvard. I do not know what happened in the intervening period to make Hamill and Kostbar truly hear the community. But we were heard. Kostbar gave

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-21394475228102276082010-06-19T00:37:00.000-07:002010-06-19T01:14:39.378-07:00

My mind is just jumping around here and there, with several thoughts percolating, each vying for domination... yet remaining half-formed. It's frustrating because I want to develop each of them and do a post worthy of each thought. Some are very positive and affirming, while others may seem more like I'm sitting here with my arms folded and chin jutting out (even though that's *far* from the case

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-41546941299083032372010-06-06T09:23:00.000-07:002010-06-09T00:29:41.808-07:00

This is something I've been thinking about for a long time. I had the good fortune to see Ben Bahan speak on the topic before Open Your Eyes came out. This is at the crux of why we Deaf people are fine and why so many hearing people seem terrified at the prospect of not hearing. Western civilization, ever since Aristotle proclaimed that speech equals language (and probably before that!), has

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-79441838108569132642010-06-02T22:18:00.000-07:002010-06-06T23:59:12.326-07:00

I have had an epiphany.The auditory-industrial complex WANTS us to be broken hearing people. The last thing they want to happen is to have us be whole, complete, organic, and natural Deaf people. They thrive on breaking us and keeping us broken.Overreacting, you say? Really? Then how do you explain the current push to codify audiologists as the first point of contact in the entire state of

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-62545553970372954902009-03-23T17:30:00.000-07:002009-03-23T18:19:09.052-07:00

Wow, it's been *ages* since I last blogged! Hi again... that is, if any of you are still around. *smile*Awhile ago, I went to my local drugstore and the clerk said something to me when I wasn't looking. When I realized what was happening, I signed, "I'm Deaf. What did you say?" with a smile on my face. This usually results in their repeating themselves or scrambling for a pen and paper. Not this

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-35418337060599127202008-10-07T07:55:00.000-07:002008-10-07T07:59:04.239-07:00

I’ve resisted the term CODA from the beginning, which is unlike me. I’m big on allowing members of a group to define their own identity and not to define them when I am not a member of the group. But the term that Americans have gleefully adopted to define those who are hearing with Deaf parents has always been jarring and wrong on some fundamental level for me. The first thing that I was able to

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-30384309247603802752008-08-07T13:35:00.000-07:002008-08-07T13:38:45.961-07:00

My family was at the pool this morning, when someone nudged me, chuckling, and asked me to look at the guy in the next lane. The guy had two tufts of hair near his temples and they were standing up on end, with a slight curve to each, resembling devil's horns. She said, "Doesn't he look like the devil?" He DID! He had a very dark complexion, dark hair, and a very intense look on his face.A bit

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-14383948379815699482008-08-05T22:50:00.000-07:002008-08-06T22:13:09.528-07:00

Raise your hand if you prefer being awakened by a light rather than being jarred awake by some shaky vibraty thingamajig. Me too, me too. I seem to be very hard on alarm clocks for some reason, and I suspect it's because I use the snooze button quite liberally. I am *not* a morning person, no matter how hard I try. This leads to replacement of alarm clocks every couple of/few years, unfortunately

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-10298424541115400832008-07-31T23:53:00.000-07:002008-08-01T03:58:45.235-07:00

I happened to notice this comment in Teri Sentelle's latest entry. The commenter's point was not contained in the portion I'm about to quote and it was more of a toss-away additional thought, but it felt like a slap in the face:I was shocked to see him on video signing beautifully. I thought he was not a fluent signer because he writes like Harvard scholars.The implication of this statement is

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-23739638348537612262008-07-27T14:40:00.000-07:002008-07-27T14:52:02.536-07:00

Last Sunday I was wandering around, exploring open houses in my neighborhood - it's a fun way to spend an afternoon. One house I went in was still cluttered, and it was very clear that the owner had recently passed away. There was a note on the doors admonishing everyone not to let Duncan, the cat, in. Duncan had been adopted by the neighbors but still sneaks in whenever possible. There were a

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-91919974984261132692008-07-17T10:28:00.000-07:002008-07-18T15:52:08.119-07:00

Irresponsible commentsHmm. In my most recent post, I've received generally polite comments, even from those who didn't agree, and I thank my commenters for that. However, I received one comment that just could not be allowed through because he called individuals or groups names. In the past, I simply didn't let this type of comment through without saying a word about it. But because of the

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-65381795717884345552008-07-17T00:13:00.000-07:002008-07-17T00:25:53.485-07:00

This is a comment I left on Joey Baer's blogsite in his follow-up post to leaving DeafRead.Joey,I have to concur with the premise that DeafRead is unsafe. I've all but stopped blogging publicly because the atmosphere is just too toxic.So yes, in a way, I'm one of those bloggers who left DeafRead too, even though I haven't asked for my feed to be removed from their roster.I've read Tayler's

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-41135486621086884262008-06-09T19:53:00.000-07:002008-06-09T21:59:43.993-07:00

The saga du jour is the DeafRead-Cochlear Implant Online mêlée. Everybody and his brother has been blogging about this since the news broke midweek, with criticisms flying left and right.I’m saddened by the whole thing. There are hurt feelings everywhere and a lot of righteous indignation… some justified, some not. I can’t help but think that Tayler has been one of the staunchest defenders of

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-48865232958096050322008-05-12T19:12:00.000-07:002008-05-12T20:57:33.619-07:00

Many, many people have weighed in with their opinion on the controversy surrounding Matt Hamill's decision to have Eben Kostbar play him in Kostbar's movie, Hamill. However, there is one element that has yet to be blogged about that I'd like to touch upon.Hamill is a member of the Deaf community and does not deserve to be vilified for this decision. It is for this reason, and this reason alone,

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-9512926951543705252008-04-27T11:28:00.000-07:002008-04-27T21:59:01.833-07:00

The message at the DeafRead conference last winter, according to people who were there, was loud and clear - DeafRead was our home and now we don't have a safe harbor. Since then, DeafRead Custom has arrived. I see pros and cons to this approach, but I confess to having implemented it happily. And now we get DeafSide? Woo-hoo!!DeafRead Custom is an interesting creature. It's very difficult to

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-37709678115107895212008-04-05T18:43:00.000-07:002008-04-06T01:22:34.355-07:00

I've had a really, really rough 6 weeks, and there have been times when I've been ready to completely throw in the towel and just do nothing but my job, my family and friends, and my personal interests. No more community involvement. No more caring. I've had to deal with people who do not value the Deaf community, who are willing to tear down leaders to further their own selfish agendas, and with

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-82498145061520539462008-04-01T07:14:00.001-07:002008-04-04T20:26:58.055-07:00

I realize Amy Cohen Efron already submitted this link, but it doesn'twork. Here it is again:http://www.michaelchorost.com/blog/2008/03/26/we-all-sleep-in-silence/I'm heartened to read about how peaceful the DBC California rally wasand about how people are working to build bridges. This is the answer.It doesn't mean giving up our principles nor our Deaf center, butreaching out and showing the

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-91343861231123490092008-02-26T22:36:00.000-08:002008-02-27T11:01:57.809-08:00

What does it mean to live by your principles? Heartache and grief, I’ll tell ya. Seriously.Thanks to my principles, I’m in a fetal position more often than I care to be in.Thanks to my principles, I’m upset more often than I care to be feeling.Thanks to my principles, I’m aging myself more than I care to be due to stress.Thanks to my principles, I’m more stressed than I care to be feeling.Thanks

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-10391806757538298442008-02-10T01:04:00.000-08:002008-02-10T01:32:13.373-08:00

What do we do about DeafRead? A simple blog aggregator has become the topic of so much controversy, people cannot even agree on whether or not DeafRead is broken. Those who agree that it’s broken can say what’s wrong, but they can’t agree on how to fix it. At the crux of the issue is: what exactly is DeafRead supposed to be?I’m a mere sporadic blogger, but I’ve been part of DeafRead, both as a

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-36598850242854083542008-01-31T22:17:00.000-08:002008-01-31T22:22:05.111-08:00

I’m a WHOLE person!The message out in DeafBlogLand the past several weeks has changed significantly. It is trying more and more to tell me that I am not a whole person. I am lacking in family relationships, in opportunities, and many other things simply because I sign, prefer to be with other Deaf people most of the time, and have all but stopped using my voice in many situations.I can anticipate

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-48821769134519343062008-01-20T14:47:00.001-08:002008-01-20T14:47:41.365-08:00

I cannot remain silent any longer. I want to scream, "SHUT UP! STOP!!!," then in the shocked silence that follows, say my piece. I want to cry. I really do. It's painful for me to go to DeafRead now for so many reasons. As I write this, I am extremely mindful of the fact that current/future hearing parents of Deaf children may find this post and of the fact that my own people may find this post.

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-74854131181917995782007-10-08T18:58:00.001-07:002007-10-08T21:12:32.123-07:00

Rant alert: Today we were treated (sarcasm intended) to a technology training workshop en masse. As if that weren't irritating enough, knowing that no one's needs were being met that way, the presenters, while well-meaning, were not prepared at all, screwing things up and not having what they needed prepared. That'd fry me all by itself, but something happened that had me absolutely, positively

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-46701623790476983382007-07-24T21:44:00.000-07:002007-07-24T22:29:58.737-07:00

Wow. I am blown away by the response to both of my recent posts discussing thoughts for all hearing parents. Both Amys continue to weigh in and other people continue to add their thoughts.It's clear that we are far from being on the same page here and we need to continue this dialogue in order to consider and understand varying perspectives. That said, here's *mine*: the most important thing, to

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-44625526749745925052007-07-22T11:59:00.000-07:002007-07-22T19:34:38.405-07:00

I've been so torn up about Amy insisting that her children are fine the way they are. I've been thinking a lot about this whole thing, because it *is* much bigger than one mom and two deaf children.Before I go on, I do appreciate Amy's willingness to continue to talk with us. She clearly wants us to understand her choices. While we may strongly disagree and continue to worry about her children,

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-58242769893115292382007-07-20T00:21:00.000-07:002007-07-20T04:20:43.053-07:00

This is a message directly addressed to Amy and other parents of deaf children who do not support sign language. Amy, I've read your comments on Barb DiGi's entry that responds to your comments on John Egbert's site. I know you love your sons dearly and would do anything for them. I believe that you weighed everything very carefully before making your decision and that you truly believe you did

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-42725635383886890072007-07-13T20:14:00.000-07:002007-07-20T01:52:24.741-07:00

I just got in and am about to go out again, but I just had to take a bit of time to bang out some thoughts on the ongoing two-part saga at DeafDC.com. As of this writing, both entries have 100-plus comments and I've been following them avidly with great interest.One thing that absolutely *fries* me is that every time someone pro-ASL or pro-bilingualism speaks up, invectives such as "ASL extremist

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-8255778485034971992007-07-09T10:43:00.001-07:002007-07-27T01:53:01.669-07:00

I'm sitting in a doctor's office right now waiting for an anaesthetic to kick in, but I'm seething because a mediocre signer was nearly foisted upon me as my interpreter.**doctoruption**OK, now I'm home, ready to continue my tale. I was in to see a doctor I'd never seen before due to this odd lump in my throat (apparently an infected lymph node, a byproduct of a cold. And they say colds are mild

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-14092452103195100582007-06-23T17:07:00.000-07:002007-06-23T17:17:21.507-07:00

I know I've been AWOL for a long time and I apologize to any of my readers who have been wondering where I went. Nowhere. I'm still here.I've been mulling something over for the past week - should deaf women keep their maiden names or not in order to show family affiliation? I met two women this week, one of which kept her maiden name. Soon after we met, I was able to ask if she was any relation

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-5570603535164126362007-05-14T17:11:00.001-07:002007-05-14T17:11:37.677-07:00

I'll confess something that may get a lot of double-takes from people who know me well. I have native or native-like proficiency in English and in ASL. I love both languages and I always prefer the original language to a translation. I'd rather watch TV with CC than watch an interpreter signing the episode, and I'd rather watch signing in a vlog than read the subtitles (if any). By the same token

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-90847579697105422362007-05-13T10:04:00.000-07:002007-05-13T10:24:17.901-07:00

On Mother’s Day, how can I not reflect on the kind of mother I have and what she has done for me, especially as a hearing mother of a deaf child? This is a woman who was born into a literate, well-educated family that has never forgotten its blue collar roots only a few generations back. This is a family with an intense love of history, travel, politics, discussions, and much more. When I was

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-45710416779904746992007-03-01T17:49:00.000-08:002007-03-01T18:01:43.767-08:00

Today proved that I really am all too human. I’ve always held myself to a high standard when blogging here, trying to make sure it comes across when I’m simply giving my opinion and by making sure of my sources when I report on things. Guess when I slip up, it’s a doozy. *sigh*This entry is going to do two things - set the record straight about CMP with information directly from the guy in charge

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-61599071686841567182007-03-01T12:51:00.000-08:002007-03-01T18:06:32.187-08:00

Hey everyone,Thank you so much for your comments and thoughts! This is very, very brief, but to make a long story short, a mistake was made by the person sending the e-mail. I queried the person a few times to make absolutely SURE, and yes, that was what the person understood - CMP was indeed closing. I'm not going to name names nor job positions to spare the person embarrassment, but suffice it

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-7014082113583666702007-02-28T22:45:00.001-08:002007-03-01T18:04:55.670-08:00

Hoo boy. Today was a day of blows for me. First, I got some news at work today, which I will not delineate at this time. It was an honor, yet it was a blow because I truly had different goals. As I was reeling from this dramatic change in direction and focus this news brings me, I got an incredibly upsetting e-mail. The Captioned Media Program is closing its doors forever as of March 30th. I've

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1171644388655246982007-02-16T08:46:00.000-08:002007-02-19T18:21:01.740-08:00

This is something that seems to be increasing exponentially, and the first instance I recall appeared in January! So we're talking a month, a month and a half ago. I'm growing concerned. For the record, I have no issue with profanity at all. I enjoy using it at appropriate times and marvel at how creative we can be in any language (the French are mighty creative and colorful in their vulgarity!).

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1170220571198446162007-01-30T20:31:00.000-08:002007-01-31T08:03:41.530-08:00

It struck me today how fantastically well we deafies are able to adapt to situations that limit our communication access. I went to a water aerobics class, and this time was harder than usual thanks to an instructor who shot out instructions like a New Yorker on speed. I've done water aerobics off and on for years, thanks to a family that swims almost constantly and a water aerobics class I took

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1169774532953527162007-01-25T17:22:00.000-08:002007-01-27T11:32:55.563-08:00

Jamie Berke has written twice now in the past few days to urge captioning of all video blogs, joining the small but growing chorus of calls for accessibility. Berke makes a number of good points, many of which I agree with. One I especially agree with is the need to be accessible to every segment of our community, which is crucial for our unification. After all, unity cannot happen without an

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1168355012851261552007-01-09T07:03:00.000-08:002007-01-09T13:03:04.466-08:00

As I sleepily and groggily read Chris Leon's latest entry, I read this amazing comment about why not-so-positive comments written under the guise of anonymity destroys unity. We all know why, but it was spelled out so clearly that I just had to highlight it here. This response contained salient issues and points that need to be considered, touching upon so many issues, including our children,

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1167898450948880132007-01-05T00:10:00.000-08:002007-01-08T10:37:49.813-08:00

Sarah's story really hit home for me. I wept. Her three entries thus far are a very moving account of a deaf woman who grew up alone, never meeting another deaf person, and has experienced a series of epiphanies after reading Gina Oliva's book, Alone in the Mainstream. Her second entry describes her very real pain in heart-rending words. Her third entry is positively upbeat and describes how

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1167910756947174572007-01-04T15:38:00.000-08:002007-01-04T16:09:29.186-08:00

I've been following all the comments and posts about the Bay Area gala event with great interest. The person who can be credited (or blamed, depending on your perspective) is Chris Leon with a roar posted the day of the gala, several hours before it began. While I, naturally, am stunned at the viciousness of some of the attacks and have thoughts (largely echoed by Saunière) about the need to

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1167764913842296672007-01-02T10:56:00.000-08:002007-02-04T10:30:54.826-08:00

I just had the most interesting experience. When I only had a private blog with a teeny, tiny readership consisting of close friends and family, I wrote a review of a collection of deaf cinema that was shown all at once one night. The first film was Jennifer Visco dancing and signing an apparently original song, talking about how we are all deaf "same-you-me," no matter where we're from, our

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1166004681588172692006-12-13T01:18:00.000-08:002006-12-18T23:47:18.903-08:00

My mind's just jumping all over the place right now... from the micro level (the moi-universe) to the macro level (the entire deaf community) and many points in between. Even though my thoughts are a real jumble right now, three themes are emerging:1. We are all amazing and we all have something to contribute.2. I'm being expected to do too damn much, and I need to take care of myself first.3. We

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1163996404465479942006-11-19T20:08:00.000-08:002007-01-02T15:31:01.713-08:00

Carl Schroeder posits the idea that we have no concrete evidence that ASL is descended from la langue des signes française (LSF), and cites one source that is rife with grammatical and spelling errors. It is an interesting supposition and one that may have some credence. I, however, beg to differ.Schroeder is right in that we have no record of what ASL looked like in the early- to mid- 1800s,

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1162878120159842122006-11-06T21:39:00.000-08:002006-11-07T07:33:59.116-08:00

There is an interesting discussion going on at DeafDC.com. Christopher Brown wrote this thoughtful article designed to spark discussion about how to fix Gallaudet, but the discussion has strayed to other items. I actually feel sorry for the dude, 'cause his article was thought-provoking and deserves to be discussed. I was very surprised by one discussion thread. Apparently there is a small but

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1162671324249719852006-11-03T23:09:00.000-08:002006-12-14T15:04:29.400-08:00

One of my favorite TV shows of all time is Sliders, a sci-fi show about an unlikely quartet that is stuck wandering the multiverse, landing on parallel/alternate earths in a perhaps vain attempt to return to their home Earth (known as Earth Prime.) They travel the Einstein-Rosen-Podolosky wormhole between Earths over five seasons. During their five seasons together, they encounter a wide array of

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1162187128574471032006-10-29T21:23:00.000-08:002006-10-30T06:28:11.106-08:00

WOW!!! This has been an incredible day. I didn't expect Pandora, my pager, to survive the barrage of e-mails trading information, reactions, and the like from all over the nation, but she managed. She's now taking a breather.I had decided to declare a moratorium on protest-related news and messages for most of the weekend. I spent yesterday curled up in bed with my laptop, watching Netflix'd DVDs

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1162085481158704472006-10-28T18:19:00.000-07:002006-10-29T08:52:08.336-08:00

This is the first time I’ve signed into my Blogger account since early this month. There is so much I want to talk about, because so much has happened in the last two months. But those posts will have to remain simply nuggets and partially-written snippets in a word processing file for the time being. On to the topic.As we all know, the Deaf community is in the midst of an uproar because of what

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1160115204320210212006-10-05T23:07:00.000-07:002006-11-07T07:41:58.330-08:00

For months now, Dr. Brenda Brueggemann's choice to voice instead of signing her speech at Gallaudet's commencement last May has been a source of controversy, and the renewal of the protest has also brought renewed debate regarding her choice. There are those who yowl in outrage, saying her choice was audistic and oppressive, while there are those who defend her choice saying she had every right

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1157316768345485582006-09-08T17:50:00.000-07:002006-10-30T06:18:26.440-08:00

This issue has been bothering me for a while. In fact, I blogged about it on my private blog last week and just now decided to bring the topic over here. I work in a school for the Deaf, in a position that has frequent, direct student contact. The mission and values of the school purportedly provide a safe, fully accessible place for all of our students and all of our staff. But that isn’t

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1157320318579215182006-09-06T20:52:00.000-07:002006-09-09T18:05:01.723-07:00

One situation at work has really rankled for a few years and it was recently resolved. Without going into specifics, we as a team were discussing whether or not we wanted to change one policy, and if so, how we would change it. Most of us wanted to change it in a certain way to reflect Deaf cultural norms and the change would be linguistically appropriate in ASL. One woman insisted that it had to

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1157601385322498662006-09-06T20:51:00.000-07:002006-09-07T20:24:08.966-07:00

Mr. Sandman and MishkaZena commented on my previous entry about museum access, rightly pointing out that their saying that there was only one copy was unacceptable. I agree, and I had already mentally composed a letter saying very much what they said. Thank you, Mr. Sandman and MishkaZena, for your eloquently crafted arguments showing that the museum bears most of the burden, by far, for ensuring

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1157525653532530432006-09-05T21:19:00.000-07:002006-09-06T14:40:13.116-07:00

The Golden Rule is always a good way to live our lives, but it is especially true when it comes to access issues. If we all did to others what we wanted others to do to us, the world would be a kinder place.My point in spouting off about kindness and the Golden Rule, you ask? Well, I went to an once-in-a-lifetime exhibit today. The exhibit focused on one artist with a particular theme and had

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1157323823665286362006-09-03T15:43:00.000-07:002006-09-05T23:06:33.070-07:00

Erin Himmelmann over at DeafDC.com wrote about a very frustrating experience where she went to a concert and the interpreters were placed too far away to watch them and the show at the same time. She has some type of vision limitation, which made that even more frustrating. Adam Duritz, the lead singer of the Counting Crows, refused to let the interpreters move closer because they “bother him.”

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1157246849043779122006-09-02T18:25:00.000-07:002006-09-12T20:07:12.876-07:00

Anonymous, that is. DeafBlogLand is populated with writers/signers as well as readers/viewers who sometimes comment. Some of us citizens of DeafBlogLand have elected to publicly reveal our identities, while others of us have elected to pen our thoughts, reactions, and comments under pseudonyms. There has recently been some talk about whether or not pseudonyms are good for DeafBlogLand.I have

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1157186912107023772006-09-02T00:42:00.000-07:002006-09-04T06:36:25.403-07:00

Tonight found me in a lovely courtyard hangin' and chillin' with a remarkable group of diverse, fun, and fascinating women. After a while, our discussion turned to Deaf community issues, and we had a wonderful discussion on several topics.We all agreed we've noticed the recent backlash against Deaf of Deaf, and some new insights on this phenomenon were uncovered for me tonight. Half of the women

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1156577960535929252006-08-25T23:06:00.000-07:002006-08-26T00:53:47.413-07:00

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I've become addicted to reading blogs. Truth is, a lot of blogs out there are pretty boring, talking about one's personal life. You know what? I don't care... unless I'm friends with the person and I care about the person. THEN I want to know how the person is and what the person is up to! *smile* Otherwise, I'd rather read sites that stimulate my thinking,

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1155367782957294182006-08-11T23:36:00.000-07:002006-09-18T02:51:56.246-07:00

Tonight at the gathering, we discussed a lot of stuff. But one thing we discussed was mainstreaming. I have grown to hate mainstreaming more and more as I become older. This is not intended to be a "bashing mainstreaming" post. As I said in an earlier post, we did not choose our educational experiences - our parents chose that for us. This is simply intended to posit the idea that mainstreaming

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1155364289706311362006-08-11T23:19:00.000-07:002006-08-11T23:31:29.716-07:00

Wow. Tonight I went to a Deaf gathering, and someone else brought up DeafRead.com's decision to allow hearing blog posts to be syndicated as well as Deaf blog posts. Most of the people were not aware of what DeafRead.com is, so it was briefly explained. Once they understood, they all loved the idea of all these blogs being gathered in one place, screened, and summarized, all easily clickable.

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1155089364849780492006-08-08T18:27:00.000-07:002006-09-12T00:03:06.990-07:00

DeafRead.com recently announced that hearing people could submit their blogs for publication. This got me thinking (probably for the millionth time) that we need to have a dialogue about what role hearing people play in our lives. They clearly play a huge one because so many of us have hearing people for parents, and also because we have yet to achieve self-determination. Hearing politicians,

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154740915734877322006-08-04T18:14:00.000-07:002006-08-05T16:42:00.096-07:00

Disclaimer: this may sound like a paid advertisement for DeafRead.com, but I assure you that this is not the case! *chuckle*Before I address my topic, I'd like to say something to my audience, the Teeming Millions. This blogsite went public only a few days ago. The response has been amazing and I am humbled. Thank you to those of you who have let me know of your thoughts and feelings!On to the

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154671151406663452006-08-03T22:41:00.000-07:002006-08-03T23:06:01.886-07:00

I got an intriguing e-mail recently, one that made me stop, sit, and reflect. My friend's son, who is taking his upper division classes in education, e-mailed me a survey focusing on leisure in order to complete an assignment. For me, leisure is a limited and precious commodity, and I had to stop and mull over each one of his questions. Here are the assigned questions and my responses. What about

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154384563478112112006-07-31T15:13:00.000-07:002006-08-01T13:53:22.346-07:00

A trend is becoming alarmingly evident as one scans the Deaf blogosphere and listservs such as GallyNet-L. This trend is the full-scale assault on deaf people who happen to have deaf parents. This is quite disturbing.To understand why this bashing is occurring, it is necessary to examine the roots of the situation. To really delve into this would require doctorate-style research, but some of the

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154068605431079562006-07-13T01:38:00.000-07:002006-07-30T23:41:43.773-07:00

I went to a divorce party tonight to celebrate the end of a marriage. It was a novel experience for me, and it got me to thinking. Y’see, I was the only guest who had grown up with signs. Every one of the other nine women present did not know sign until adulthood. One of them still does not sign. This was not an issue for me at all, because that kind of thing does not hinder my acceptance and

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1153639950579191432006-07-06T21:51:00.000-07:002006-07-23T00:32:30.583-07:00

Just watched The Family Stone and all the bonus features. What a treat to have everything captioned! (Note to self: write the company, thanking them.) This may be the first silver screen production since Mr. Holland’s Opus that had a deaf character with more than a cameo appearance yet the character’s state of being deaf was simply incidental to the plotline. This is important because for many

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154069281706541612006-07-03T22:26:00.000-07:002006-07-28T12:06:01.583-07:00

“So how was NAD?”I’ve been asked this many, many times since my return from Palm Desert. Short answer? It was amazing. It was good. A longer answer isn’t easy, because there were so many things that happened, so many impressions and feelings, and so many snippets that I could share. This was my first time at NAD, so everything was new and fascinating to me.Let the snippets begin! *grin*A friend

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154069832151330872006-06-29T23:02:00.000-07:002006-07-27T23:57:12.156-07:00

Wow, I’m actually here in Palm Desert at the NAD conference!!! After a drive down without air conditioning, I was so hot I was ready to die. I was so utterly miserable I paged a couple of people asking if I could shower in their hotel room. M responded first, and I glommed onto the opportunity faster than you can fingerspell “shower.” I am ever grateful to M for giving me the chance to just

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154070061008946712006-06-28T19:50:00.000-07:002006-07-28T00:01:01.010-07:00

Two days ago someone said, “Oh, I did not realize there would be so many sign-dependent people here.” Hm. Cute attempt at political correctness, and I give him credit for that. Let’s start using the phrase “voice-dependent people” in our everyday parlance, shall we?

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-46884223001864614382006-06-25T20:59:00.000-07:002007-03-01T18:05:35.253-08:00

We were all at the opening ceremonies for the evaluation and undergoing the obligatory introductions and speeches. Amidst the gaiety of what felt like a reunion, a thunderbolt struck. The Captioned Media Program has: 1. had its budget slashed into half, and 2. been ordered to provide video description services for the blind. The CMP has had a 5-year contract with the U.S. Department of Education,

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1153690711587975662006-06-06T17:06:00.000-07:002006-07-31T08:50:25.693-07:00

Just finished voting and a few errands. My county has been voting using Diebold machines for a few years now, and most of the time I considered opting to vote absentee, just to have a paper record of my vote. This time, though, thanks to a new state law requiring a paper trail, they tossed the Diebolds and brought in optical scanners. They hope that new computers that will print out each voter's

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154070863154970172006-05-13T23:12:00.000-07:002006-07-30T23:22:08.553-07:00

I was so exhausted yesterday that when I got home in mid-afternoon, I fell asleep pretty quickly. I had one very intense dream where I was on the subway with a male interpreter (quite gorgeous, and as it turned out, straight). The topic was, natch, the current stalemate between the Gallaudet Board of Trustees and the community. Most of the dream centered on our discussion, and the details were

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154071257794756212006-04-30T21:30:00.000-07:002006-07-28T00:20:57.796-07:00

As I was taking Camilla, my ancient Bug, on her weekly trip around town today, I decided to drive past the local cheap gas station, because she could've used a gallon. (I try to keep Milly as full as possible to prevent moisture getting in the gas tank.)The price? $3.13 9/10 per gallon of regular unleadedThat's right, ladles and gentlemints. *blink* Other gas stations were showing $3.27 9/10 or

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154112650379412202006-04-29T20:18:00.000-07:002006-07-28T11:50:50.380-07:00

As I sat in one of my unnecessary classes, trying to stave off boredom by conjugating the verb "to bore," this poem came to me.Boredom...Stultifying...All-encompassing...Tiring...Engulfing...I sit here completely and utterly bored.I sit here futilelyAttempting to focus...Cursing arbitrary mandates...Wishing I were elsewhere...Railing against unnecessary coursework...I sit here attempting not to

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154111553011044402006-04-23T17:05:00.000-07:002006-09-10T06:07:20.983-07:00

This morning at a local museum, in the middle of a tour led by a Deaf docent, I spied what is sure to be a hot trend. (said tongue-in-cheek) And what is this accessory, you ask?*drumroll*A silver bejeweled cochlear implant glittering on a woman's head above her "hearing aid."What will they think of next?

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154112336932123262006-04-21T09:44:00.000-07:002006-09-10T06:08:52.793-07:00

All over the United States for the past few weeks, pagers have been vibrating and humming. Blogs have been abuzz with people furiously typing entries and with others commenting on those entries. AIM, videophone, and face-to-face conversations have been consumed with one topic. What topic has the Deaf community in such a tizzy? Why, the impending selection of Gallaudet University’s next president,

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154112072288043902006-04-09T00:57:00.000-07:002007-02-04T10:26:13.326-08:00

Last Friday I was treated to a trilingual, bicultural feast in the form of three films. The first two were brief productions from LightKitchen, René Visco's company, and the third was a feature-length Italian Deaf film produced by Daniele Le Rose of DeafMedia. All three films had English subtitles, hence the third language.The first film was You Me Deaf, which, frankly, is... I can't say much

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154111849246398642006-04-05T21:33:00.000-07:002006-07-28T11:37:29.246-07:00

I signed up to take a required technology class online. It began Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning I received the following e-mail:This is to advise that we are having some technical problems with your online course Integ Tech/Educ K-12 Levl 1 DL, Section: 055158. However, our developers are working on the problem and will have the situation resolved at the next system refresh which will be at

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154111776627288402006-04-01T23:21:00.000-08:002006-09-10T06:10:40.066-07:00

Picture this. Anytown, USA, 2006. There is a dimly-lit, smoke-filled basement populated with yawning people occupying folding chairs, all facing the front of the room. Sounds of people popping No-Doz fill the air. A podium is in front and a harried middle-aged woman raps the podium, calling for attention. The weekly meeting has begun. A woman walks to the front of the room.“My name is Sandy Shore

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154112524746631032006-03-24T21:10:00.000-08:002006-07-28T11:48:44.746-07:00

I was shopping tonight, and as I was browsing, I had the weirdest experience. This overly effusive woman with a rather scary smile half-shoved me across the store to the dressing area. She nodded in a freakish way and pointed at the wheelchair access sign on a particular door and shoved me inside. I didn't even get a chance to let her know I hadn't finished browsing and my legs were working fine,

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154111373185403232006-03-11T18:59:00.000-08:002006-07-28T11:29:33.186-07:00

I know I have felt powerless against the overwhelming tide of propaganda about how cochlear implants are going to cure deafness, stem cell technology is going to stop births of deaf children, how powerful the oralist movement is becoming, and on and on.But we as individuals can go a long way towards making changes. We need to frame the debate, and I seized that opportunity recently.I'm taking a

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154111237276075692006-02-25T19:26:00.000-08:002006-09-11T20:26:10.253-07:00

Today I've been mulling over my attitudes toward Deaf people who are victims of dysconscious audism. I went through so much last month with the movement at work, and other situations have cropped up too involving cultural norms and being dismissed when I try to clarify what the Deaf cultural norm is. It's just been totally irritating and infuriating, not to mention frustrating. Somehow, last

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154111088468449612006-02-24T23:59:00.000-08:002010-07-16T22:43:45.569-07:00

My new favorite phrase - dysconscious audism. Dysconscious audism is basically defined as audism (a belief and attitude that to be deaf is to be inferior to hearing people) perpetrated by members of the Deaf community because they have internalized attitudes that the hearing way is superior due to the systemic and pervasive oppression all around us.Last night Dr. Genie Gertz of CSUN gave a talk,

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154110322206019732006-02-15T21:50:00.000-08:002006-07-28T11:12:02.206-07:00

((written while I was stewing through a grad school lecture about how inclusion is the best thing since sliced bread))Alexander Graham Bell...Widely acclaimed for the phone...Admired for having a deaf spouse...If people only knew...The phone was accidental.The purpose was to eliminate deafness.He believed that:Deaf people were a scourge on humanity.His raison d'être was:To remove me and my kind

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154110123413291422006-01-30T19:11:00.000-08:002006-11-04T18:22:06.213-08:00

I'm not sure what sent me off onto this tangent, but for the past half hour, I've been mulling the question of how the heck ANY deaf person learns how to speak spoken English. It's not like it's the first time I've ever wondered this, but I still don't get it.Take the word paradigm. Who'd know from looking at it that the g is silent? The Thames River - who'd know that the Brits don't say the th

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-1154110197038748142006-01-27T19:26:00.000-08:002006-10-30T22:40:36.106-08:00

Two and a half weeks ago, on January 7th, I had the first audiogram I've had since my college days. I had to have it in order to prove my eligibility for interpreting services for my credential classes this spring. When my hearing was last laid bare on paper for all to survey, my numbers read as follows:Left ear: 85 dB HLRight ear: 90 dB HLWell, on the 7th, I sat in a booth that was

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31280382.post-45824948095800250202005-06-19T13:51:00.000-07:002010-06-19T13:51:34.933-07:00

Par moi (All writings and drawings, as well as photographs taken with my camera contained herein are mine unless otherwise specified. All writings and drawings, as well as photographs taken with my camera contained herein are copyrighted and may not be duplicated without permission and/or excessive amounts of cash, in an envelope, with my name on it, stamped and addressed to me. Thanks to

moihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10817584645055759394noreply@blogger.com