25: What’s Wrong With You?

When I was a child, I observed my father reading the newspapers every morning. At VSDB, I often walked into Student Life Office to pick up the local papers to bring it in the Bass Hall Cafeteria for breakfast. Why?

Because knowledge is power. To keep abreast of current events are important to each of us. Empowerment. Sensitivity. Knowledge. On Fridays in American History class under Mr. Richard Koch, he would resort to the bulletin board which he filled up the photographs of the weekly’s current events to discuss and explain to the students at VSDB about what is happening in Moscow, Belgrade, Wellington or even Anchorage — sports, politics, tragedies, wars — each is important just to keep you aware of your surroundings.

Even at Gallaudet, I always manage to scoop the current events from The Washington Post (No, I don’t believe in The Washington Times’ crap!) in managing with the Gallaudet’s own affairs as well.

Even when I lived in New York City, I read NY POST and NY Daily News on the daily commute from Park Slope to East Village.  Oh my god.  These tabloids has nothing to do with Deaf people, why should I read these garbage?  Because I want to know what is going on in East 56th Street or something in Tribeca!  Anything to empower myself to keep myself safe and … going.

So when I blog, I try to include the current events as much as I can — I try to humanize my entries by making the fact that even I’m Deaf, I’m part of this world.  My life is not about deaf, deaf, deaf and deaf. It is good to be Deaf, yes, but unlike yours, my life is much more than just being Deaf.

I am truly amazing at the numbers of deaf vloggers/bloggers wasting their time and efforts focusing on deaf-related issues incessantly to a point where I stopped checking them out except for *Boston.  Nearly 95% of them talks about Deaf, deaf, deaf, deaf, deaf, deaf and deaf — stop it, already! Hello, get out! Immerse yourself in the world by reading newspapers, internet and so on. Why do you think I stopped reading DeafRead?  You guys embarrass me.  You guys limit yourself by talking about something you only can talk nor discuss.

Tell us what you think of this Austrian father who imprisoned his daughter in the cellar for 24 years and fucked her and had 7 children who never saw the sunlight nor moonlight? Oh, you did not know nor hear about this?

Of course, I am not surprised that you (few of you probably heard or read superficially) did not know about this. How pathetic. Why do you think I often do not watch nor read your stuff? Because you’re incredibly boring when you dwell on the same subject.

Cheers,

R-

Interlude: About Entry #27

I had to take #27 off in order to make sure that the verifications come in.  And I got enough information to justify that it comes back.

It is back.  Check the infamous entry if you want to.

Cheers,

R-

26: Coincidence Or What?

15 years ago, a tornado touched down in Colonial Heights, Virginia — destroyed Wal-Mart.  Few were killed and the scores were injured.

That destroyed building eventually was converted into Sam’s Club as Wal-Mart moved about few hundreds yards south into a new building.  Between Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club emerged another shopping center contained Target and Best Buy.

However, in 1993, I was pissed off at the local television stations for failing to provide captions during the breaking news of a possible tornado in the vicinity — Richmond Times-Dispatch interviewed me and published an entry which embarrassed three local stations — WWBT, WTVR and WRIC.

Fast forward to today, a tornado just visited Target and Best Buy where 18 people were injured.  That is surreal because it is less than few hundred feet away from Sam’s Club where it was destroyed in 1993!

Meanwhile, only two of three TV stations provided the live captions the whole time — WRIC and WWBT.

Shame on WTVR.

On other hand, see what happened if you protest and do something about it instead of begging them to provide something critical, eh?   Think about it!

Cheers,

R-

28: Do YOU Observe The National Day Of Silence?

Do the Deaf Schools across the nation and Canada gets to observe the National Day of Silence last Friday on April 25, 2008? So far, I had not heard nor seen any information. I can bet one of my testicles that no deaf school in this country is part of this observation at all.

Typical.

In fact, 6,800 schools and colleges across the country took part in observing the National Day of Silence sponsored by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) last Friday on April 25, 2008 in promoting the awareness and to end the harrassment on individuals of their sexual orientation by taking a vow of silence entirely the day. The 25th of April, 2008’s National Day of Silence was also in the memory of Lawrence ‘Larry’ King who was shot dead by Brandon McInerney in Oxnard, California.

It was said that Lawrence King was 15 years old 8th grader who had been bullied by Brandon McInerney, one of the popular guys in E.O. Glass Junior High School because Lawrence was effeminate and gay. Recently, he came out of the closet and started wearing girl boots and make-ups in complimenting with the school’s mandated uniform policy. Bullied by Brandon and others for months, the school did not make efforts to prevent the torment. Then one day, Lawrence King have had enough of that crap. So he struck back by teasing and flirting Brandon in front of others. Even Lawrence asked him to be his Valentine in front of the students, hence humiliated Brandon.

The next day, Brandon murdered Lawrence in the computer lab at the school.

Where were the teachers, counselors, parents and say, church leaders in doing an effort to stop the homophobia in schools? Church leaders won’t touch this subject because they hid behind the so-called claims that God does not condone homosexuality and that they reserve the right to express their beliefs, sowing their hatred upon gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders by doing nothing about it in the first place. Many teachers, administrators, counselors and parents do go to churches, I’m sure and yet, they do nothing.

That’s why Lawrence King is dead.

Similar to the incident that happened at my alma mater, VSDB in Staunton, Virginia. One lesbian student whom jumped off the 4th floor of Bass Hall, the girls’ dormitory in killing herself — marked the first suicide ever happened at VSDB in 169 years. She killed herself after getting dumped by her girlfriend. Actually, common sense dictates that after getting dumped by her girlfriend, she felt lack of support from anyone else in particular — teachers, staff, students and her family — so what else is better to do other than to kill herself? Off the 4th floor she went and got what she wanted.

I once accused VSDB and Mary Murray for carrying the years of silence on the mistreatments of GLBT students in VSDB. She was college-educated, for god’s sake, and did not bother to stem the past transgressions in curling these behaviors that ultimately led to this student’s suicide.

Am I absurd? No. You see, Staunton is a religious town. In fact, if you drove to Staunton on Route 250 or Route 11, you’ll see scores of church spires all over the place — perhaps, by every block! That town is truly the paradise for Xians, literally! Of course, it influenced the administrators, teachers and staff members to silence and allow the societal problem escalate which claimed this Deaf female student at VSDB. I know because I was there at VSDB. The teachers, administrators and staff members made it clear that being gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender is disgusting and if you are one, you better keep it to your own or face the consequence while they turn their backs upon you!

I’m sure this kind of mentality is very common at many deaf schools across the nation where many administrators, teachers and staff members chose not to do something but to perpetuate things of that nature.

However, last Friday, I was invited by Virginia Commonwealth University’’s QueerAction to give a presentation about my experiences as the infamous Ridor of Deaf and Gay Blogger and the relationship with Deaf poeple across the country, Canada and the world. This presentation was in part of GLSEN’s National Day of Silence activity at VCU.

I had a blast time. I truly enjoyed it very much. Thanks, Amanda Zoe Reidinger!

Now this question begs: Out of 6,800 schools and colleges, did a deaf school participate? I hope there is one. But the cold reality is that there won’t be one. If there is one, I’ll sell my testicle, though.

Shame on y’all!

Cheers,

R-

29: Bomb This Damn Thing For A Change!

ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover is one of these popular TV shows that seemed to inspire the families each week on Sunday evenings.  Ty Pennington and his cronies riding on a bus selecting an unfortunate family to bulldoze their shabby homes only to build a brand-new houses for them.  And as is their trademark on the show, big bus would park by a brand-new house before the family arrives in a limousine and Ty would have the family and the crowd hollering, “MOVE THE BUS!”

The bus rolled over to reveal the brand-new houses for the families which often prompted the families to weep, stunned, fainted, or peed in their pants.  That scene always made me squirm or squeal for some reasons.  I always thought it was the funniest thing to see their reactions.

Then week after week after week after week, it gets dry so fast.  You see the different families doing the same thing …

What I would give to see is the family hollering the bus to move and when it moves, the house then explodes in front of a certain family –

NOW that is something I’d love to see!

Cheers,

R-

30: Food For Your Own Thoughts

Many years ago, this particular scene from a certain issue made a profound impact on my perspective of the world in general and which I acknowledge and embrace this approach towards everyone else in particular. My views of the society has been forever altered after this particular scene. In fact, I can remember word by word of this particular scene.

Imagine this. This woman stood on the floating remains of a former planet, now destroyed — only its debris, rocks scattered in a cold, open space. The faint glow of purple shimmered off from these debris, served as a reminder of a glorious world, now dead.

The woman closed her eyes and bowed her head and thought, “When will it ever stop? When will we ever have peace?”

The familiar but ancient voice came out of nowhere delivered the profound message with this:

“Maybe never. Maybe Love can never conquer Hatred. The struggle between the two may be integral to what we are. But there are small victories. The conquering of our own hatreds. The discovery that our means are superior, at least for us. And in this existence, perhaps these are the only victories to be had.”

* * *

Observant of things in life, I agreed with this message. Now try to apply this to the image which I am enclosing of an incident that happened in Baghdad.

As you can see, so much violence, so much conflicts … in order to conquer Hatred, you gotta conquer your own hatreds first.

Cheers,

R-

31: My Review on Sweet Nothing In My Ear

How come I hadn’t updated anything in days? Because I am bored with y’all. Because I can. Because I have better things to do, really.

Otherwise, today, I had to blog. About this film: Sweet Nothing In My Ear which was featured on CBS-TV tonight.

What do I think of the plot? Much Ado About Nothing. Same, same, same, same. It reeks of Deafread.com’s drama with CI stuff which I have no interest in. Any discussion about the CIs can euthanasize me so faster than any lethal injection would do so!

However, I must grade each actor … you know me, I’m brutal and picky about these in terms of how they acted, portrayed, signed and yes, fingerspelled.

Jeff Daniels? Did you see his signs? Too choppy. Fingerspelling? Unreadable. Believable enough to believe that he’s the father of a deaf son and the husband of a deaf wife? No. Grade: F.

Phyllis Frelich? This woman roused me the day I first saw her on ‘Love Is Never Silent’ — Her facial expressions, her signs — everything about her? Who cannot dislike her? Grade: A.

Ed Waterstreet? Perhaps the most important ingredient in any deaf-related film is to fingerspell clearly — I mean, in clear and concise way where you can understand even the hands are about 4 inches in size on the television — Ed can do that. Grade: A.

Marlee Matlin? Top-notch actress in her own right. She did her best in dealing with a husband whom could not sign nor fingerspell well throughout the film. Grade: A.

Noah Valencia: Initially I thought Noah has the looks for films. I was wrong. There is something about his looks that does not seem to fit in. Maybe it is his growth spurt that does that. I feel there is something missing about Noah that could have done much better. Grade: C.

Shoshannah Stern: This woman is getting better as time passes by. This time, she speaks and shows her CI is simply funny. How she manages to do that is beyond me. Grade: B.

Deanna Bray: Nice actress — bit boring at times. But I hate the line where she uttered, “Actually, I’m hard of hearing.” Just shut up already! Deaf is deaf is deaf. Hard of hearing is just another term to exonerate themselves that they are not deaf. Please. Grade: C.

Plot? Grade: D. You know, the father, Dan Miller, whined that he has a deaf son, he wanted a child that reflects him — the one that can hear like him. My first thought was: Ahh, you don’t need to borgize Adam, just fuck Laura several times — get her pregnant several times — I can vouch that the likelihood of having hearing children are much higher should they get more children!

See?  There! Problem solved finish! That was so easy. I could have written it much better than ‘em … I see that DeafRead.com continues to be plagued with CI drama these days.  And you wonder why I read PerezHilton everyday?  I read DeafRead.com once or twice a month.  That says a lot.

Ack!  Hallmark.com is going to sell the DVD of ‘Love Is Never Silent’ in June, 2008!  That IS the one I had been waiting for years.

Cheers,

R-