Still looking for clarification. . .

I can't help it. I'm still confused. Why? Here's how I see it.


A DeafRead blogger was kicked off DeafRead because she violated a guideline.
Which part of the guideline did she violate?

A highlighted link takes us here: http://blog.sponsoredreviews.com/?p=40 to a site that is NOT EVEN CONNECTED TO DEAFREAD OR POSTED IN THE DEAFREAD GUIDELINES

"6. Disclose professional relationships: if you work for a company or institution disclose it on the “About” page. Explicitly declare that the views expressed on the blog are yours and not the ones from your employer (unless you are blogging for that employer, obviously)."


The blogger was kicked off DeafRead because she supposedly violated this non-existent "guideline" that isn't printed anywhere in DeafRead.

AND in fact-- she didn't actually violate the non-existent guideline at all. Because?? She is not employed. She is a student. She blogs voluntarily for a cause, not for a particular company, and not for money.

Why should she have divulged "professional" connections that didn't exist?? But wait. . . She WAS upfront about the purpose of her blog all along. No one can say she didn't divulge her "connections." Anyone who read her blog knew what they were.

Anyway she didn't have to formally say anything about it, since the above blurb wasn't printed anywhere in the DeafRead guidelines. Right? Wrong!

Nevermind-- not important. Moving on.

Let's look at what it really says in the guidelines.

"6) Commerical Sites
We do not link to commerical sites for the purpose of generating profit, other than our own (we have expenses to cover!). "

Hmmmm. . . So that means commercial sites that exist for the purpose of generating profit are not allowed.

Oh, but wait. Her blog site doesn't generate any profit. It's not a commercial site. It's a personal blog that doesn't have any ads or sell anything, except a book in which all proceeds go to a non-profit organization. All expenses come right out of the blogger's own pocket. Commercial??

Here's a commercial blog that hasn't been kicked off DeafRead--
http://www.i711.com/my711.php?tab=2&article=245

Here's another--
http://www.joeybaer.com/

And another--
http://www.ascdeaf.com/blog/


I'm sure there are at least a dozen more. Why haven't THESE sites been taken down??

Oh well, we've been told, it's OK to blog commercially for profit. In fact it's OK to put ads all over your blog. A person has to make a living, right? The only time it's not OK is if you volunteer to blog as part of a support network for the deaf, then fail to disclose that you're blogging professionally when you actually aren't, since you don't make any money. That's NOT OK!!! Never, ever do that. Never!! Or you will be kicked off!!

And also-- DeafRead can kick off any blogger at any time for failing to adhere to rules that don't exist in DeafRead. deaf people are expected to read ALL rules everywhere ALL over the blogosphere and adhere to every single one. If not, you get the boot. This is called kicking off slimy, shameless, deaf pigs.

And by the way, it's TOTALLY OK to call deaf people names.

Guideline number 8 doesn't apply to Deaf people when calling deaf people names. It ONLY applies when deaf people call Deaf people names. Here it is in full. Familiarize yourself.

"8) Name Calling and Discrimination
DeafRead is enjoyed by all kinds of people worldwide ranging from children to senior citizens. It is also safe to assume that people from all races enjoy DeafRead. We will not post anything that is an attack on a specific race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orienation, age or religion. This offense is serious and the offending blog will be promptly considered for removal from DeafRead's subscription."

So there you have it! Name-calling is a serious infraction only if you're deaf.

You see, it is a great privilege to belong to DeafRead if you are only deaf, not Deaf. Deaf people RULE. They have been more than fair in "allowing" deaf people to post their blogs in DeafRead. deaf people have no business complaining if they get kicked off or aren't accommodated. It is extremely hard to accommodate deaf people since many of them talk, and might have once been hearing people. Hearing people are slime. Long, long ago some of them made Deaf people try to act like seals. That was very bad and all of them are shameless pigs in disguise.

I hear you loud and clear DeafRead editors.

Exclusion Confusion

Many late-deafened people feel isolated when their hearing loss is first diagnosed. I mentioned before that I never knew one single person who wore hearing aids when I first got mine in my early twenties. Most of my friends at the time were finishing up grad school, getting married or having babies. Usually I was the only one they had ever encountered with a hearing loss, other than possibly an elderly grandparent. Conversations revolved around the usual subjects young people that age discuss--pop culture, school, boyfriends, babies, breastfeeding, husbands, sex and childbirth. When I turned the discussion to my hearing aids, I'd be met with blank stares as they tried to process what I was going through. I learned quickly enough most people my age couldn't handle it.

The isolation was overwhelming at times. When you develop a disability at a young age, it changes you. My eyes were opened to a truth few were willing to accept-- that life is unpredictable and unfair. Disability can settle on anyone at any time for no particular reason, and there's often no cure. Depressing? It can be, but you learn to adapt and take pride in your ability to adapt, because adapting becomes your life.

I can't imagine growing up deaf or being the only six-year-old who wears hearing aids in a mainstreamed classroom of giggly first-graders, though those I've met have who grew up HH are remarkably well adjusted. Sometimes I think part of the problem for adults who lose their hearing is an identity crisis. At one time I was a different person, then my world turned upside down. My life seemed to be on hold, because not only had I developed a hearing loss, but my hearing was unstable. I've continued to lose more and more hearing all these years.

With the knowledge that my hearing could take a nosedive at any moment, it's been hard to carve out a path. I've learned to live in the present. This is where I am today. I don't know where I'll be tomorrow. I crave the stability of structure and a backup plan more than most. The unknown is scary. I'm dependant once again on something (someone) I can't count on, only this time that someone is ME. Luckily I married the Rock of Gibraltar whose unwavering devotion, routines and support is as predictable and solid as they come. He doesn't drink.

This is a great blog about camps for young HH, deaf children set up so they won't feel so isolated. http://aslci.blogspot.com/2008/06/calling-solitaires-for-research.html In a few weeks I'm going to "adult camp"-- two of them back-to-back. I couldn't be more excited. You see, late-deafened adults need to connect with each other too-- just like kids. Adult camp usually takes place in big cities. There will be interpreted workshops with CART, trips to restaurants in large groups of people who can't hear, tours for the deaf, and lots of hanging out in bars.

Conventions with HH, deaf people are the highlight of my summer. Normally, I'm paralyzed by group socializing with hearing people because of all the lips needing to be read, but not with this crowd. We write, sign and repeat as often as needed until **everyone** gets it. No judging. We all know deafness does not equal stupidity.

This year I'm going to the International Federation of Hard-of-Hearing people up in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Then I'm going to Philadephia for the Say What Club convention. There, I'm going to meet with a few DeafRead bloggers, and old friends I don't get to see all the time, and we're going to have a blast!! ALDA and HLAA also have adult "camp" (conventions) for people with hearing loss. I believe the HLAA con is coming up soon, but I couldn't swing it in addition to the two others. IFHOH was a priority since Vancouver is so close, and it rarely gets held on this continent. Also I get free room and board with an HH Canadian friend.

Because of my experience of growing up hearing, then becoming deaf, I value inclusion above all else. I've felt EXcluded too many times among the hearing that I find the exclusionary practices of DeafRead offensive. I haven't blogged about this before, but when DeafRead failed to provide CART for their convention in SF after I requested it last spring, I realized I don't really belong here, though I've stayed to learn more about Deaf culture. Also, I had hoped with the influx of CI blogs, they would become more inclusive over time.

There was really no GOOD excuse not to accommodate me. I requested the accommodations more than two months in advance of the convention. The thing is, the Say What Club is equally as small as DeafRead, and they're committed to providing interpreters as well as CART for their conventions, so ALL attending will be able to understand. I realize interpreters are expensive. We ALL know that. The point is if we want to be included, then we should all be models of inclusion.

Now DeafRead has booted off Cochlear Implant On-line under a trumped up charge that she's in cahoots with Cochlear. This is so ridiculous I'm speechless. A person can not be an "employed volunteer." She makes no money off Cochlear. While I realize many of you don't like Rachel's blog, wasn't it enough to exclude her from your "custom" feeds?

Further, I've since found out DeafRead has disallowed a cueing blog from joining.

DeafRead has become an uncomfortable and unwelcoming deaf community for those of us who use our voices.

Can You Sign. . . Parsley?

Seriously I'm stumped. I have this ASL project where I'm translating Peter Rabbit. He gets sick and needs to eat some parsley to settle his tummy. We're not supposed to fingerspell, if at all possible. Is there a sign? I've got maybe seven ASL dictionaries around here. None of them have the word parsley.

What I Learned From A Butterfly

"Hoping to catch your eye Circling around you, oh my Butterfly, butterfly, come into the light Oh, what a beautiful sight Flying so gracefully Into the sky, the butterfly Trying to catch a butterfly Fly, fly, fly, butterfly. . ." - Sharon Adamson

A few years ago I was inspired by a visit to our zoo where they had just opened their new butterfly garden. I wish I had a camera at the time. My son, then only 10, was wearing a bright red cap and a pretty little yellow butterfly landed right on his head, maybe thinking the red cap was a big red flower. It rested there for a few seconds then flittered away. The butterfly house was packed with colorful butterflies flying every which way.

Later I began to think about the metamorphosis process butterflies go through, and I couldn't help feeling it was similar to the transformation I had traveled toward deafness. For awhile I went through a self-imposed isolation while adjusting to the changes taking place within me. Then one day I realized I wanted to make the most of life as a late-deafened person. I was tired of the cocoon. I tentatively reached out, and as I opened up more and more, I discovered I was a changed person.

I had gone through a metamorphosis, just like the butterflies around me. I began to think of them as a symbol of my transformation.

I started my own butterfly garden. Little by little I began planting flowers to attract them. I stopped spraying my plants with poison that might kill their young, and I put out little tiny cups for water for them to drink from when it became too dry in the summer.

A butterfly garden isn't always pretty. It isn't filled with beautiful or rare hybrids that need a lot of attention. Butterflies prefer wildflowers and "weeds" that grow naturally in their regions. To attract butterflies one must be willing to overlook caterpillars eating leaves and to allow weeds where a mother butterfly might lay her larvae. I've learned to see weeds and caterpillars in a new light.

Because I often talk about my butterfly garden, people sometimes ask to see. They expect a show of colorful, fragrant flowers. My yard is not beautiful. It's natural. I can see the disappointment on their faces when they realize my entire weedy yard is butterfly compatible. They look at my jumble of blackberry vines, oregon grape and salal, then grimace. The "garden" is not in just one tiny section. After all, butterflies fly away. I want them to be safe everywhere.

There have been a few surprises along the way. For example, an increase in wildlife to my yard. You see, the wildflowers attract squirrels, deer and especially hummingbirds, as well as other birds--woodpeckers, stellers jays, chicadees, which attract raccoons because of the eggs laid, which attract coyote because of the abundance of small prey. . . We now have an entire family of raccoons living somewhere in our side yard. I've watched them collecting crows eggs high up in a tree, while the crows took turns dive-bombing them. It's entertaining to sit in my yard and watch the wild animal show--coyotes running across the driveway in pursuit of something, deer resting in the grass with their young. Yeah-- the grass would look better mowed, but deer prefer tall grass and also the blackberry brambles in my lower yard.

These past few years, as I've thrown myself into gardening for butterflies, I've developed a new passion for gardens and wildlife I never had before. This, in itself, has propelled me towards further acceptance of my deafness. Gardening replaced the piano I miss. Even in winter months I plan what I'm going to do to my yard come spring to attract more butterflies.

Then-- I learned something new. Butterflies in all their splendid color are deaf!! I now see them as God's special little angels. They're here to remind us there's beauty in deafness and in the NATURAL world around us.

If you've been wondering where I've been lately, you'll find me in the garden.

Oralism vs Spoken English

I couldn't help but respond to Barb Digi's vlog after seeing her video with the little boy. In this video we watch as a hard-of-hearing or Deaf child tries to process a math problem. He seems to be concentrating hard. He uses his hands to make a plus sign. Then he makes a five with his right hand while saying the word "five" There was no sound on the video but it's easy to lipread. Next, we see his hand get pushed down by the oral facilitator, not in an abusive way, but firmly. It's clearly a reprimand-- almost a light slap-- though he doesn't seem hurt.

My grandmother was born in 1885. When I was a little girl she used to tell me about her school days. She was a "leftie." The school master used to hit her hand with a stick whenever he caught her writing with her left hand. She learned to write with her right hand, but inside she was always a "leftie." Though a good student, she dropped out of school at the age of 14 because writing with her right hand all the time was so uncomfortable. Her right-hand writing was never beautiful and she felt repressed. Seventy years later, I would sit on her bed listening to this story, wondering why her school master was so mean. My own father is a "leftie" and I myself took a long time to decide on a dominant hand. I still perform many tasks left-handed. Today, left-handedness is respected. We realize it's more important to teach a child information than to worry about what hand he or she uses.

Back in the early 1980's when I took early childhood development classes, I learned the more senses stimulated during a lesson, the more students will retain. For this reason most preschools develop a highly sensory environment organized around one weekly or monthly theme. Even adults prefer to process information through different senses. Because all people process differently, teachers need to be sure to consider the many learning styles of their students. Research has identified seven ways people absorb new information. (Some say there are only three, however the seven ways are basically the first three broken into more detail.) Most people have one dominant and a secondary preference. It should come as no surprise that hard-of-hearing/deaf/Deaf children and adults may not process information auditorily. We tend to be more visual and kinesthetic.

Further, it's estimated only ten percent of the hearing population processes auditorally. Most people, whether hearing or deaf, prefer looking at visuals, touching, manipulating, dancing, playing games, singing about and smelling objects while learning.

Our schools overwhelmingly rely on outdated aural teaching methods, in which a teacher lectures and a student listens. However, in the past few decades many elementary school teachers have begun to incorporate art, games, visuals and manipulatives to help their students learn. Hearing children now often learn the ASL alphabet because teachers have found ASL enhances spelling lessons. Secondary school teachers also try to include other learning styles into their lessons by assigning group projects. The idea is that hopefully students will organize themselves according to their learning strengths. Even college professors utilize group projects to a large degree-- because they recognize the importance of learning styles.

What bothered me most about that video was the little boy's natural kinesthetic learning style was being discouraged. Forced to sit still with his hands folded on a table, he was only allowed to listen and respond orally when questioned. That teaching method is SO outdated I wanted to scream. Worse-- a hearing child in the same one-on-one situation would NOT have had his hand pushed down. His kinesthetic need should have been respected.

It reminded me of the stories my grandma used to tell about being a "leftie."

My ASL Assignment

'Now run along, and don't get into mischief. I am going out.'

Last night we were given an assignment to translate a children's story book. We were allowed to pick one book out of a pile my teacher had dumped on a table. I have always loved Beatrix Potter, so I chose The Tale of Peter Rabbit. I was thinking there would be lots of fun action and so on.



Now I'm in the process of translating English to ASL. I'm finding this a most difficult task mainly because there are times words will not adequately convey an action. For example, the act of placing a "sieve" over Peter becomes an exercise in establishing a classifier to indicate the sieve, then placing the imaginary sieve over a rabbit. There are simply no words for this, and I'm at a loss. So-- I've written on paper how I would handle it in ASL, and I hope that satisfies her.



She's Deaf, by the way.



My husband said the other day that he read somewhere (yeah I know, don't quote me on this) that the English language has about four times the number of words, compared to all other languages. He was surprised by this fact, and so was I. The British also have a tendency to be wordy compared to Americans. I've heard British complain about the inadequacies of American vocabularies, as some studies have indicated that even British children have a much expanded vocabulary over American adults. As a culture Brits seem to LOVE words and tend to use new adjectives and word plays much more in their everyday communications-- which we Americans see as the endearing British wit.



I had never thought about it before, but I'm now finding this story written by Beatrix Potter , a Brit, overly wordy for children, maybe because I have to translate it into ASL. This is HARD.



Sentences such as, "Peter was most desperately frightened," have turned into "Peter scared!" But again that isn't sufficient, since there are ways of signing levels of fear that don't translate. We learned the word for "very" last night, since it was in the book, but my ASL teacher said to disregard it. Not needed. Deaf people don't use it since they show the concept of "very" in their Deaf expressions. Interesting. I had been wondering about this for awhile.



The second half of the assignment will be to tell our stories to the class. We all suck at fingerspelling, so we are to present the story as if we're telling it to children who don't yet read. No fingerspelling. All the characters are to be given name signs and words we haven't learned can't be used. This gives you an example of where we're at in ASL. We're like children. I openly admit all your fingers look like a blur to me when you fingerspell.



Personally I think this is a wonderfully challenging assignment. Not only am I learning ASL syntax, but it also sends home the point of how difficult translation can be between English and ASL. I have a new found appreciation for those of you who vlog and transcribe or caption. It isn't easy!

Global Language Monitor http://www.languagemonitor.com/wst_page7.html

Slate http://www.slate.com/id/2139611/

Ask Oxford http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutenglish/mostwords?view=uk

Learning the Deaf Way of Life

Not long ago in a recent post (The Blame Game) I mentioned the need for Deaf support to help the late-deafened transition into deafness. My article focused mainly on the difficulties of learning ASL in a hearing environment, but there are a number of ways a Deaf person could support late-deafened people through the transition of learning to live with deafness.


Wendy beautifully described some new situations she's dealing with now that she can no longer hear at all. How do you use a TTY? Where is the best place to put a flashing fire alarm? How can it be hooked up to notify you all over the house?

It might sound odd to some of you, but growing up hearing I was never exposed to any of this Deaf stuff. I didn't know phones with text and blinking lamps, and shaking bed alarms existed. My entire family is hearing and all my friends used to be hearing. I was the first hard-of-hearing-going-deaf person I ever knew. When my hearing loss first began there was no internet, and there was no SHHH or ALDA in my area. My audiologist didn't think to tell me how to negotiate every day living, such as what to do if you can't hear your own fire alarm.


You would think an audiologist would offer some daily living support to a newly late-deafened person besides just hearing aids and/or cochlear implants, but in this regard audiologists are clueless. For example, at my last audiology appointment my audie pointed to my Sidekick and asked, "What's that?" She had never seen one before. When I explained what I could do with it, she was amazed. I too was amazed-- at her ignorance in this matter. Surely I wasn't the only patient she's ever had who couldn't use a cell phone? Audiology clinics focus on helping people hear, NOT on all the accommodations deaf people can use when they CAN'T hear. It's a void that needs to be filled, for sure, but who should fill it?

Everyone-- both hearing and deaf-- seem to think it's the OTHER group's responsibility to help us adjust. So by and large there's no support for the late-deafened, except other late-deafened people, who are mostly learning as they go.

Gosh-- it would be so great if a Deaf veteran took my hand and said-- "This is how to do it!" I'm still trying to figure out the Video Phone I got from Sprint months ago. The problem is it was linked to a computer that died and everything's been wonky since. I'm not sure what to do, so I haven't used it in months. I'd love to use it to practice ASL with a few people I know. To be perfectly honest I'm still totally confused about all the different phone options for deaf people and how they work. It's mind-boggling.

It wasn't until I found SHHH (now HLAA) I learned a few things-- about Harris Catalog, FM systems, my deaf rights and pocket talkers. I found them on my own twenty years after I started losing my hearing. Turned out there's a wonderful support center for the Deaf/deaf/Hard-of-hearing in Seattle, but I hadn't heard about them either. Through HLAA I found another group, the SWC, which is on-line. I can't tell you how important their support has been to me. But my point is, I merely stumbled onto both these organizations twenty years AFTER losing my hearing. No one was there to help me cope for twenty years.


Whose responsibility is it to support deaf/Deaf/HH people?? Other deaf/Deaf/HH people. We would be much more powerful and effective as a community working together. Maybe it's time to recognize none of us has the right answer for everyone. Maybe it would be better if we just reached out to those confused hearing parents of Deaf children and newly late-deafened people and said, "This is what works for ME, but there are other ways too."

We're all in this together.

Advocacy

Last night during ASL class, my teacher came up to me with a copy of last Fall's ALDA (Association of Late-Deafened Adults) newsletter. My picture was on the front. I'd forgotten I had written that article for ALDA. She had found a copy of the newsletter at her audiologist's office during an appointment last week. And she was surprised to find one of her students on the front. Though she knew I was late-deafened, we've never talked about my involvement in ALDA or HLAA or advocacy.



In truth, I'm not much involved in ALDA at all. But I know the president. She had been looking for articles on advocating for yourself, in which a deaf/HH person was successfully accommodated in a pubic situation. So I wrote about my success with getting CART for my son's graduation ceremony last spring. Because of CART I was able to read what the speakers said, and I understood the lyrics of songs the choir sang. Without it, I would have understood N-O-T-H-I-N-G. It would have been a night of sitting in a crowded auditorium wishing I could hear while others laughed at jokes and cute comments the new grads made. I had to fight a little to get CART in place, but because I did, I enjoyed my son's graduation night like everyone else around me.



Was it too much to ask? Almost every parent thinks of graduation day while their kids are growing up. I was there to send my son off to school his first day of kindergarten. I went to all the parent-teacher conferences. For years, I helped set up for PTA events, sold tickets, collected Campbell soup labels for a kick-back in school supplies to our district, and I cleaned up after school programs. I scooped ice cream for fundraisers, baked cupcakes for school parties, drove carpools of kids on field trips, made cookies for principals, had my car washed when it didn't need it for the school band or cheer leading squad. I attended meetings with school counselors and teachers to advocate for my son over the years. (He ALSO has a disability.) In return I helped in their classrooms. Of course I wanted to be a part of the graduation ceremony too. I am proud of him. He graduated with a decent GPA, and was accepted to a good university. His accommodations helped him to thrive in school. If I couldn't HEAR my son's name being called to receive his diploma, at the very least I wanted to READ it-- on CART!


When the organizer of the graduation ceremonies balked at providing CART, I told him point-blank, "Deaf people have children and pay school taxes too."


So my article went into the ALDA newsletter and I forgot about it until yesterday when my teacher brought it up to me.


The thing is I wasn't born deaf. When I was a kid I never dreamed I'd be in this position of having to fight and educate people about deafness wherever I went. I am shy. I wasn't prepared. I didn't CHOOSE this life. For years, I wondered, "WHY ME?," which is so typical for late-deafened people. Why me? It wasn't until I met other strong late-deafened advocates who educated me about ADA rights that I began to think differently.


Why NOT me?? Slowly I began to see my deafness in new ways. I have a mission to educate non-deaf people and newly deaf alike. I can help others just like me adjust to their deafness, like those who helped me when I was mired in self-doubt. When I learned my youngest son had a disability I realized my deafness had prepared me to fight for HIS rights as well.


At my last job interview, I was asked what I'm most proud of in terms of life accomplishments. My answer? Because of hearing loss I face challenges every day most people can't imagine. I am proud I've overcome, learned to adapt and that I've lived a relatively comfortable life despite those challenges. I could see they were taken aback by my honest answer. Yet, I wanted to be clear that I was "disabled" AND capable. Afterwards I thought maybe I blew it. But they hired me.

I don't want pity. I want and deserve equal access.


Advocacy at its best is working, living, playing with hearing people while proving you ARE capable!

I Learned Something New

As many of you know I've been taking ASL for awhile. Tonight we were learning deaf conjunctions-- the OTHER meaning for signs signs we've already practiced. My ASL teacher gave us many examples of the proper expressions-- such as, "I walk, WRONG rain!" Most of you would get this immediately but bear with me as I explain to people who only speak English. What that sentence meant was "As I was walking, it suddenly started to rain. OK? Okay.

So one of her examples was she met a Deaf Japanese man in Washington D.C about ten years ago.


While they were talking she made the OK sign. WRONG! He took off. Why? Bad meaning - Japan (JSL). Evidently that means F--K. True story!

I had a fantastic time at the ASL interpreted play the other night. It was the first play I've been to in years and I understood a lot of the interpreting, which was especially exciting for me because I wouldn't have understood much of the play at all without it. I'm definitely NOT 100% at this point. Without any hints I'm only getting the basic gist of a discussion. But with being able to lip read along with the play when I didn't understand the signing and being able to look at the interpreters when I didn't get what was said, WOW! This is opening a new world for me.

A Dead Culture

All cultures continue to change and grow. Many Deaf have drawn comparisons between the death of Native American culture and Deaf culture of today. I do not deny the parallels.


Jim's article reminded me of the great whale hunt Native Americans had in Washington state back in 1999. http://jimspoliticalthoughts.blogspot.com/2008/04/accepting-changing-of-deaf-culture-like.html


From the beginning it's been written into the Makah Treaty Rights they could hunt whales off the coast near Neah Bay, Washington. However gray whales fell under protection in the 1920s after they had been hunted to near extinction. The Makah were disallowed their whale hunting rights. In 1999, the Makah fought hard to win back their hunting rights.






As you can see the Makah didn't hunt their whale like they used to in canoes made from carved tree trunks or with bone spears. They used fiberglass canoes with back-up motor boats. They wore Helly Hanson rain gear, and they killed with high-powered metal harpoons. Large round floats kept the whale from diving under or sinking after the first hit. Cell phones helped the Makah to locate and track the whale. The coast guard was dispatched to hover nearby ensuring safety in case someone fell out of a boat.


The Makah left most of their whale carcass rotting on the beach.
You see--- the Makah don't live in huts made with whale bone and skin anymore. They live in heated homes. The Makah don't eat whale blubber. They're used to a steady diet of pepperoni pizza, hamburgers and coke like most Americans, and they buy most their food at supermarkets. When the Makah party, they don't wear stinky paint made with whale blubber. The women wear Revlon eye-shadow from RiteAid or Clinique foundation from Nordstroms. The Makah all wash with deodorized Irish Spring instead of soap made from whale blubber. The Makah don't make spears with whale bone, or carve bowls or cups with it. They don't have time because they're busy working, so they buy their tableware from Macys or Sears or wherever.

That's why the carcass rotted.




Later its bones were donated to their Makah museum.





NOW the Makah want to hunt whale again because it's their "cultural right." After the last whale hunt, many people were appalled. Even some Makah were appalled. Several admitted they hated the taste of whale blubber when they tried it in 1999. Activists protested Makah whale hunting on the basis that it's senseless to kill such a magnificent creature over "cultural rights" especially considering the (still) low population count of whales, and that very little of the whale was used by the Makah in 1999. So far, the Makah haven't been granted the right to hunt another whale since. They do not need another set of bones for the museum. In September of 2007, some Makahs hunted a whale illegally. It's their ancient Treaty RIGHT!!!

You can see the Makah motor boats in the background, the harpoon sticking out of whale with floats attached.

Is this modernization of Makah culture the "white man's" fault?

Yes, in a way it is. Long ago in the 1920s, Makah children were torn from their parents, shipped off to boarding schools and forced to learn English and a trade. Later, White people invented technology for them to use while hunting. White people established grocery stores and restaurants near Makah reservations. White people visited Makah businesses and casinos which gave them extra money to spend on all the same things White people enjoyed. White people gave them help with education, so they could become lawyers, doctors, businessmen, museum curators, school teachers and librarians.

The Makah culture is essentially gone because of White people. Still. . .putting it in perspective White culture has changed since the early 1900s too.

Or has it?

When should cultural rights supersede national values and laws? These are very tough questions that could face Deaf culture soon.

(The very top picture is a Makah whale hunter taken in 1909.)

Are the Deaf blind?

I was looking at different career options the other day when I came across this interesting career-- braille transcriber. Being naturally interested in books, I love the idea of transcribing books for blind people. This is also something you can do out of your home on the side as contract work, so it could bring in a little extra cash. Cool! The site went on to explain the pros and cons of this career. Then I noticed this:


"The other factor that weighs against this career is the fact that only about 10% of the blind people in the United States use braille on a consistent basis. The other 90% use other formats - large print and audio. And many youths are not learning to use braille effectively, . . ."

Gosh! That sounds familiar doesn't it? Technology is changing Blind culture, just as its changing Deaf culture. I have known for quite awhile that Blind people don't discriminate between being Blind or blind. If you're late-blinded you're STILL Blind. All blind people are simply Blind whether they can read large-print or use braille.

This got me thinking about how powerful the blind organizations are in Washington, DC compared to the Deaf/deaf/HH. The Blind are accommodated everywhere.

For example, I've always found it a bit odd that movie theaters provided braille on their restroom signs and such, while they aren't required to provide captioning. I have never seen a blind person with a white cane in a movie theater, so I've wondered about this from time to time. If a person is THAT blind, do they actually go to movies? I guess they do! They can still hear the dialogue.

But Blind presence at movie theaters is surely rare compared to the number of deaf/Deaf/HH people who benefit from captioned movies. The blind who attend movies who read braille must be really, really small if only 10% of the Blind use braille. So I have to wonder WHY are the Blind accommodated with braille everywhere--especially at movie theaters, while accommodations for the Deaf go ignored? Answer-- Because braille accommodations are required! Despite the fact that very few Blind people use braille.

I'm sure one reason the Blind have so much more clout in Washington, DC when requesting accommodations is because they aren't so fractured in their definitions of who is"blind" or whether blindness is actually a disability. They don't differentiate between blind and Blind or the merely sight-impaired. The Blind see that there's power in unity, while many Deaf act as if deafness is an "elitist" club--only for those who have the "right" attitude-- which varies according to the person and their interpretation the Deafhood Bible.

I'm sorry if this offends. I'm trying to understand why the labels are so important to some Deaf people when our rights are being trampled all over. There are so many more HUGE issues we all face as a community. We MUST resolve these schisms in the deaf community in order to move forward.

And just so y'all know, I've lifted my moderations settings. Anyone can post.

Kim
http://www.brailleplus.net/careerbrailletranscription.htm

TAG!

Tag, You're It!
This is a fun way to get to know other bloggers better. Abbie, Chronicles of A Bionic Woman, tagged me and now it's my turn to tag others. So here are the RULES.

1) Each player must post the rules at the top.
2) Answer the questions in bold
3) Tag five people you would like to know better, go to their blogs, let them know they've been tagged and ask them to read your blog.

This just for fun, so don't feel like you MUST play. I won't be hurt if you're too busy. Here are my answers to the questions. . .

What I was doing ten years ago.
Let's see. . .
I was working in a library-- different from the branch I'm at now, volunteering with a PTA program called Classic Books in order to promote and motivate children to read classic children's literature, and leading a Girl Scout Troop of 16 girls.


Five Snacks I enjoy:
1) Peanut butter with M&M's stick in it on a spoon (yeah, yeah I know);
2) My husbands air-popped popcorn slathered in butter and salt, aptly named "Eric corn" by friends;
3) Doughnuts--all varieties except Maple Bars. I especially love custard filled, bear claws or cake type-- MUST, MUST, MUST be accompanied with coffee;
4) White store bought cake with white frosting and jelly middle --usually I buy at Safeway;
5) Lime and chili tortilla chips with homemade guacamole

Healthier Snacks: (I'm not sure if I had to answer this, but Abbie posted healthy options and I normally avoid the above because they're so deadly.
1) Smoked almonds;
2) Non-fat cream cheese mixed with kalamata olives served on low-fat triscuits or rye krisp;
3) Vegetables with low-fat spinach dip;
4) Non-fat or low-fat cottage cheese with canned peaches in unsweetened syrup
5) Apple slices with brie

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1) Quit my job;
2) Join the Peace Corps; (YES! You CAN at fifty or older!)
3) Travel extensively;
4) Finance back-to-college scholarships for the late-deafened;
5) Hire a personal trainer

Jobs I have had:
1) Fotomat Girl (If you are young you may not remember those little drive-thru photo processing booths they had in every store parking lot back in the 70s before digital cameras)
2) Expanded Dental Assistant
3) Dental Office Mgr.
4) Technical Services Analyst in a Dental insurance company
4) Plant waterer (Yeah--I was paid. I worked for a landscaping company. All I did was water planer boxes in business parks-- a pleasant summer job, but miserable in the winter.)


Three habits;
1) Jigsaw puzzles
2) Plants
3) Coffee

Five places I have lived:
Not including where I live now. . .
1) A small town in Washington east of Seattle
2) The same small town, different living arrangements
3) A small town north of Seattle
4) A hotel in Seattle
5) A suburb near Detroit, MI

Five people I would like to get to know better:
1) Waving With My Deaf Hands- Deb Ann
2) Speak Up Librarian -- Sarah
3) The Ambling Rambler- Robyn
4) Indiana Deaf Mother's Babblings- Karen
5) Deaf Mom - Karen

Thrillers With Deaf Characters

I read A Maiden's Grave by Jeffrey Deaver, years ago, and I couldn't put it down. This is the book that turned me into a Jeffrey Deaver fan long before he became popular. Though it's one of his earliest novels I believe maybe it is his best. This is about a bus full of Deaf school girls who end up getting kidnapped and held hostage in a deserted warehouse along with their Deaf teacher. The Deaf characters are portrayed as brave and smart as they find ways to foil their captors. Meanwhile a detective works around the clock to find them. It's a cat and mouse game of wits until the very end.

Another great thriller is Talk Talk by T.C. Boyle. This is about a Deaf woman who has her identity stolen. Falsely accused of a crime and her bank account frozen, she and her hearing boyfriend embark on a dangerous cross-country search for the sleazeball using her ID. The Deaf woman, Dana Halter, is brilliant, headstrong and courageous.

I loved the way both of these authors dispel stereotypes of Deaf people with their positive characterizations of the Deaf as strong and intelligent.

The Blame Game

Hello everyone, I have a couple comments on the “blame game” and I don’t mean to get down on anyone personally, but I do want to address those who posted to my comment in Rachel's blog. This was my comment:

Hi Rachel,The one comment you put in bold from the woman who couldn’t find a level three ASL class could have been written by me. I could add so much more. Bottom line– It is practically impossible to learn ASL adequately without Deaf support. If the Deaf want to promote ASL to the public, the late-deafened, and Hearing parents of Deaf children, then THEY need to support us in our efforts to learn — which they aren’t right now.Comment by kim — April 2, 2008 @ 12:46 pm

Then someone wrote back. . .

kim, are you shifting the blame for your lack of ASL skills? Please don’t accuse the “deaf community” for this fact and rather, ask where you can find more current information. . .

First of all, I didn’t ‘accuse’ anyone. I simply stated a need for Deaf support. I’m not “shifting the blame. " I am currently enrolled in college level ASL courses. That said, I do see a need that isn’t being met. Fact is, the majority of Hearing people--college administrators and students alike-- couldn’t care less about ASL/Deaf education. The Cochlear Implant is being pushed on us from all angles. Hearing people don’t care about us or our ASL needs. That's a fact.

Comment #2
Kim,
I sympathize with you - it can be hard to find ASL classes, but its not really the “deaf community”’s fault - there just not that many qualified teachers to go around and not all universities offer ASL. I don’t see how the university’s choice to not offer a lot of ASL classes are the “deaf community’s” fault
like others have mentioned, there are different ways. If you have the money, you could hire someone to come teach you. . . .


Again, I am not assigning “blame” just stating a need for Deaf support.

I agree with post number two to a certain extent. Paying someone to help others learn individually is a great idea! I had already thought of this. My dream is to have a Deaf person work with me and my family one-on-one. I have checked into the possibility in my community and was shocked to learn this type of support wasn’t professionally available to families in crisis.

What I wish for is an organization run by Deaf people specifically for the purpose of helping the late-deafened and parents of Deaf children to learn ASL in a one-on-one environment, rather than through a university setting or having to rely on tapes—which I feel is a woefully inadequate way to learn ASL. The one-on-one instructors would be certified and paid, so there would be no awkward feelings or confusion about a Deaf person feeling “used” by hearing people. Also hearing people in crisis would not have to intrude on Deaf social times to use that time to practice. Please see my blog--Disappointing Deaf Chat, and note the negative comments made by Deaf people about ASL students showing up and wanting to practice with them. I understand how they feel, yet ASL students DO need the practice. This is why I think there should be a more professional way of teaching people in crisis.

Families could then have their needs met personally by being able to ask specific questions that might seem inappropriate in a classroom setting. For example, love-making. Many late-deafened women miss the aural aspect of making love when they become deaf-- the way a husband used to whisper in her ear or the flirty innuendos in the kitchen. Sexual signs are not covered in most textbooks. That is just ONE example, but let me tell you that families who are living with hearing loss have a greater need than what is provided at the university level. We have more immediate concerns and questions that just don’t come up in college courses.

Again, this isn’t about assigning blame. It’s about fulfilling a need that Hearing people will never address because Deaf culture isn't a priority to them. Fixing d/Deafness and helping d/Deaf people assimilate to Hearing culture is their priority. This is why Deaf people need to support us in our quest to learn ASL.

Later in the week, I will discuss several other reasons WHY universities aren’t the best places for families of Deaf children and the late-deafened to learn ASL.

Friends With Hearing Loss

There's nothing like getting together with others who understand your hearing issues. I'm so excited! I just made my reservation for the Say What Club convention in Philadelphia this summer, and I'm going to be rooming with Robyn, The Ambling Rambler from New Zealand!!

If you haven't had a chance to check out the Say What Club blog, go there http://www.ahearingloss.com/. I've been a member for nearly eight years and I also write for the blog every couple of weeks. The actual club functions in a Listserve format, but since they have annual conventions many of us have met in person. Robyn lives so far away, I've never met her so I'm thrilled she's going to Philly this year!! And I get to room with her!!

I'd love to meet up with any of you too. Let me know. Really! If you live in the Philadephia area, please consider dropping by. Better yet, join the Say What Club. It's a great resource of information and a fun way to connect with others who have hearing loss.


The picture above was taken at our convention in Las Vegas last May. Here are a few more--

I sure hope to meet some of you!

Dear Rachel

I loved your letter and the way you advocate for yourself.

For those who haven't seen it, go here--http://cochlearimplantonline.com/blog/?p=90

Dear Dr. ——————,
I’m looking forward to being in your 20th Century Art History course this quarter on Mondays and Wednesdays at 8AM - 10:30 AM. I was born profoundly deaf, but I hear with an extraordinary technology, cochlear implants, and I hear like an almost normal hearing person. Because my hearing is still not perfect, I will have a few accommodations which include an assistive listening device. I will have a speaker near my desk and you will wear a microphone so that I can hear you well. I would like to meet you at least 15 minutes before class starts this Monday so that I can give you my accommodation memo and show you how to use the assistive listening device. Please let me know if this will work; otherwise we can certainly arrange a different time.
Thank you in advance,
Rachel Chaikof

By and large, I've found the majority of people really do want to accommodate us, however they often feel confused because they don't know what to do. I'm sure telling them about your equipment and what you'll need from them ahead of time goes a long way toward relieving their stress over having a deaf student in class.

I myself do this at work when we have subs or new coworkers. I know when they first learn I'm deaf, they're frightened of many things, but mainly they're afraid they will do something wrong to offend me by not accommodating me properly. Once I go over my needs, and how my equipment works I can see the relief on their faces. I also crack a few jokes, so they understand I'm not at all sensitive about my deafness.

It seems strange that we have to go to such efforts to relieve OTHER PEOPLES' anxiety, but I have learned this from the experts-- disabled people in wheelchairs. You see, since I work with the public I also sometimes feel nervous dealing with people who have special needs. If they seem comfortable with themselves and tell me what they want/need, I feel so much more confident with them.

We can't expect hearing people to bend over backwards for us without first explaining our needs. We must realize sometimes we are the very first deaf people they've ever encountered. They've seen all the stereotypical deaf people on TV and they find the situation frightening. They are wondering weird things. What will if happen if she starts signing? What if I need her attention and she can't hear me? What if I can't understand her speech? Why does she frown at me when I speak? Her hearing aid is making a loud noise, should I say something? (I have a tendency to frown at people who are difficult to lip read. It's a frown of concentration, not anger.) So I answer all these questions up front. I often show them a sign or two for fun. Everyone at my branch knows the sign for bathroom, for example. I tell them ahead that I frown when I don't understand their lips, and to pat me on the shoulder when they ask a question that I haven't responded to. This goes a long way towards helping them accept me.

You are on the right track with your letter.

It's interesting reading about your photography. My daughter also loves photography and originally thought she might major in art, or English. She couldn't decide. Then she took a psychology class and was hooked. She's in her fourth year of psych. It's going to be a long haul.

Deb Ann asked--

"By the way, why did the doctors say such things like that? Did they really graduate from college?"

I'm going to write about about my medical history in greater detail later, but I did want to give a short answer to this. From my experience few doctors know much about hearing loss. I think they must gloss over it in med school, because most doctors I've encountered seem only slightly better informed than lay people. General Practitioners and specialists other than ENT's might occasionally screen for hearing and make a diagnosis, but after that they send you to a specialist because hearing loss is over their heads.

Sometimes even ENT's know very little about hearing loss. For example the one I currently see for my sinuses specializes in sinus problems only, and has admitted he sends his patients with hearing loss elsewhere.

The only doctors I've met who seem to really understand hearing loss are otolaryngologists, which are ENT's who only see patients with hearing problems. Over the past 30 some years, I have seen four different otolaryngologists and three different ENTs in the Seattle area. The otolaryngologists all agree with my "idiopathic" diagnosis-- though they have thrown out several theories. After testing everything, they always attach a great deal of importance to my measles experience as a young child. All of them have said it was "probably caused by the measles." So just to simplify things, I tell most people the hearing loss was caused by the measles. As I said before, most lay people freak out and start telling me about specialists and giving me advice when they learn my hearing loss is "idiopathic" meaning cause unknown. After seeing seven specialists, I am satisfied with the explanation that sometimes "we just don't know."

Still, I see an otolaryngologist every few years, just in case any new tests have been developed that might give us a clue about why my cochleas don't work. The reason I have moved around between doctors was to see if any of them could come up with an explanation. It's good to get a second or third opinion. The first otolaryngologist I saw retired. He was old when I was initially diagnosed. The second one I saw has an international reputation, but a strange bedside manner. My husband still sees him for his Menieres, but he's definitely an "odd duck" and we laugh about his weird behavior sometimes. The third one I saw used to be in the same office as the "odd duck" then she moved somewhere else. The fourth was for a CI consultation. The reason for the different ENT's was because we moved and I didn't like the first one. It was clear he didn't have a handle on it. The second one retired, and the third one is in the same office as the second retired ENT, but he specialized in sinuses. Still, I like sinus guy's bedside manner very much and he's local, so I have all my hearing records sent to him. He is happy to refer to the otolaryngolgoists, and he is also connected to the audiologists I see, so it's a convenient relationship.

All of the audiologists in my office have their doctorate degrees in audiology too, but supposedly they can't diagnose biological hearing problems. They can only make a recommendation to see a doctor. Yet because they see hundreds of patients with hearing loss on a regular basis I find them very well informed and trust their opinions and recommendations much more than my GP.

The doctor I saw last week was a neurologist, and he's got an excellent reputation. He is the second neurologist I've seen about my migraine headaches. The first one had me on too many drugs and didn't seem to be listening to me when I said I didn't like these drugs. So I decided to see this other guy who my husband has seen about his Menieres when they were first diagnosing it. Neurologist number two has already changed my prescriptions to two drugs I tolerate better. This is the reason I haven't been blogging as much. I'm just feeling better and I'm busier.

I have mentioned I wanted to get my headaches under control before even considering the hybrid CI. So that's where we're at with the doctor situation.

Like you DebAnn I think it's weird that specialists could know so little about hearing loss, but the ears are a complicated organ. Few doctors run into idiopathic hearing loss in the general population. The only ones who see it often are otolaryngologists who deal with deaf/hh people all the time.

DING! DONG! The Witch is Deaf!

Last week I blogged a little about my frustrations with bus drivers failing to notify me visually when we were about to approach my bus stop. If you missed that, I'll recap a little. I always tell bus drivers I'm "deaf "or "very, very hard-of-hearing" when I board. They always assure me they will let me know when my stop is approaching, then they don't. I had been dreading this bus ride to the neurologist ever since I made the appointment last month. Thought I would update you.

Several of you suggested writing a note, and I thought that was a great idea. I'm not really all that bus savvy because I don't ride the bus on a regular basis. Except for the opera and other special events, I avoid Seattle whenever possible, and usually someone else drives. BUT-- I had to write down all the stops, route numbers, streets, transfers, and alternative schedules on a piece of paper anyway. So I flashed this at the bus driver when boarding, while announcing I was deaf, or "practically deaf" at the same time.

Using the modifier 'practically' in front of the word 'deaf' helps hearing people to understand why I can speak even though I'm deaf. It's like saying, "I'm not really Deaf, I'm just merely deaf." A song from the Wizard of Oz, "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" plays in the back of my mind whenever I utter these words -- the line the coroner sings when he pronounces the wicked witch deceased,

"As Coroner I must aver, I thoroughly examined her. And she is not just merely deaf, she's really most sincerely deaf!"

Then the Munchkins chime in with their chorus-- "Ding dong the witch is dead! Lalalalala- lalala- lalala lalalalala-la-LA!LA!" This is really true! That's how my mind works.

So I rode on the bus to the Emerald City with Oz songs playing in my head. Did y'all know that's Seattle's nickname? Emerald City!

I knew where I was getting off the first time. The second driver was great. He simply said it would be the second stop after we got downtown, so I didn't need anything further from him. The third bus driver said he would tell me when it was my stop, but it turned out to be a long drive and I began to get nervous after a time. I asked a woman next to me to let me know when my stop was coming up, then she had to get off. As more and more people got up to leave, I was able to move forward. Finally I found a seat close enough to the bus driver to see his lips. When he got to my stop, I saw him announce it. I was just getting my stuff together when he turned, pointed, and nodded at me. I was surprised he didn't forget. The ride back went about the same with me telling the drivers, pointing to my list of routes and streets, and trying to sit in a spot where I could read the drivers' lips. One time a passenger over heard me tell the driver I was practically deaf. When we got into the right part of town, he told me my stop was coming up before the driver announced it. So all went well.

NOW-- the OTHER thing I wanted to mention. . . I don't know if this happens to many of you, but whenever I see a new doctor he or she always wants to know about my idiopathic hearing loss of course. It seems whatever is wrong with me, they feel it might somehow be related to my loss of hearing. There have been times I've been visiting the gynecologist and had to explain the hearing loss in great detail, as if that might have something to do with my vagina. It doesn't!! My hearing loss also has nothing to do with my teeth, eyes or moles that need to be removed. But it doesn't matter. Every doctor always wants to know all the fascinating details, and then I can see the gears turning. . . Next they wonder if my hearing loss has something to do with the other aches and pains in my body. When I explain I have had a progressive hearing loss since childhood, they want to know WHY. The appointment ends up being about my hearing loss and not the thing I went there for.

No one knows for sure WHY. This is not all that uncommon with hearing loss. That's why there's a name for it -- "idiopathic" -- which means the cause is unknown. I have been to several specialists over the years who have come up theories-- the most common being that it was caused by the measles when I was young. "Measles" is only a theory, not fact, because the hearing loss could have been caused by some other auto-immune disease, or maybe even drugs given to me when I was sick. No one knows. While I realize most lay people might find the concept of "unknown cause" unsettling, I should think a doctor would understand. Yet, time after time I find myself explaining to doctors how it is that I have a hearing loss of unknown causes.

And even STILL-- after all that -- the doctor wants to know who is currently "treating" my hearing loss NOW-- as if there's something to treat. How can an otolaryngologist "treat" a hearing loss if there's no known cause? Also, last I heard there was no treatment for permanent hearing loss. Most doctors must know that, right? So what is there to treat????

This whole line of questioning leaves me baffled, and it's another reason I hate to see new doctors. Last week's visit to the neurologist was no different. Because, as usual, I explained all that, then he looked at me askance repeating skeptically, "So! You have a hearing loss, but no one knows why?"

Me-- "That's right." (Oz tunes beginning again. . .Lalalalala- lalala- lalala lalalalala-la-LA!LA!)

I mentioned names of otolaryngologists I've seen in the past, and that seemed to satisfy for the time being, but honestly I haven't seen a doctor specifically about my hearing loss in quite awhile--except for the one who tested me for the cochlear hybrid last November and that was no more than an audiology exam and consult. He isn't "treating me."

Here are the lyrics to the song playing through my head on the bus ride--


Munchkins: Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!

Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.

Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.

Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead.

She's gone where the goblins go, Below - below - below.

Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.

Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low. Let them know The Wicked Witch is dead!

Mayor: As Mayor of the Munchkin City, In the County of the Land of Oz, I welcome you most regally.

Barrister: But we've got to verify it legally, to see

Mayor: To see?

Barrister: If she

Mayor: If she?

Barrister: Is morally, ethic'lly

Father No.1: Spiritually, physically

Father No. 2: Positively, absolutely

Munchkins: Undeniably and reliably Dead

Coroner: As Coroner I must aver, I thoroughly examined her. And she's not only merely dead, she's really most sincerely dead.

Mayor: Then this is a day of Independence For all the Munchkins and their descendants

Barrister: If any.

Mayor: Yes, let the joyous news be spread The wicked Old Witch at last id dead!

Coolin It In The Southwest

There's nothing that says Southwest quite like men with cowboy hats and hot sauce. I just had to take a picture.

Below are some real old time cowboys reenacting the gun fight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, AZ. The one on the right played Wyatt Earp. I thought he was HOT. The real Wyatt Earp was quite handsome just like this guy.

I had a hard time finding vegetarian food in the Southwest other than spicy beans. I'm not a big fan of beans. The two times I ordered "veggie burgers" they served patties made of out black beans and hot peppers. I prefer soy burgers without peppers. People in the Southwest like to cut the heads off bulls and other animals, then hang them up for decoration in their restaurants and other places of business. This reminds them never to eat beans combined with hot peppers. Black beans and hot peppers cause gas, diarrhea and indigestion. That is why people in the Southwest always eat meat.



We went for a short hike in the White Tanks to see wildflowers in bloom.

The tall cactus here is a saguaro, and the smaller pinkish one on the left is a barrel cactus, I think. The saguaro is smallish and may not be that old cuz it only has one nicely developed arm. Arizona had a lot of rain this past winter, so the desert started blooming earlier and was more spectacular than usual. I think the yellow flowers below might be Mexican poppies, and the blues could be some kind of blue sage. But I'm not an expert on wildflowers of the Southwest, so if you know the names, I would appreciate the correction. I loved the different colors against the pinkish rocks.

Waiting Forever At the Blinkin Doctor's Office

Today I had a follow-up appointment for last month's surgeries. The doctor wanted to know how I was doing, and to make sure all my incisions had healed. I had never been to his office before since both surgeries were emergencies.

After filling out all the paperwork I told the receptionist, "I am deaf. I will not hear the nurse when she calls my name. Please tell her to tap me when it's time to see the doctor."

"OK--I'll mark that here in your folder," the receptionist said.

I waited forty-five minutes, then went back up to the desk.

"You didn't come when we called," she said.

ARRGGGHH!

This has happened in other offices so many times I could scream. I have another doctor appointment on Thursday. Do you think anyone would notice if I wrote DEAF in big black letters on my forehead with a Sharpie? Not that I plan to mark up my face, but does anyone have an answer for this?

I have a pair of fun Halloween Jack-O-Lantern blinkers that I put on my head for our Trick-or-Treaters each year. I've been thinking maybe a pair of Deaf blinkers would help remind medical staff they have a deaf patient in the waiting room. The Deaf blinkers could also work on the bus to remind a bus driver he needs to wave at me when it's time to get off the bus. (See previous blog.)

I have never seen Deaf blinkers, but I'm thinkin two great big yellow ears on floppy springs with the words Deaf! written on top. Or maybe since Hearing people like the ILY sign so much, two floppy, blinking ILY signs with DEAF written across each hand. OR blinking red LIPs would be another great symbol of deafness, since many of us read lips. . .OR maybe instead of blinking things on the head, how about a beautiful blinking pendant?

Deaf people need something that's internationally recognized as a proud symbol of deafness, similar to what the blind have with their white canes.

It's just a thought.