Around the Sphere world...

G'evening Everyone!

Well, I was websurfing tonight and found various topics to show you all.

First up: DUCK! GET UNDERGROUND A DEAF SPACE OBJECT IS GOING TO HIT THE EARTH! Read: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1707541,00.html?cnn=yes

The reason why I said that it was a deaf space object is because ground controllers have no way to send a message to it because it has failed to listen to commands. Which means, here are some good chances where it'll fall (remember, this is a pun thought):

Will it the space object hit:

NTID/RIT ? 1-100,000 chances.. kind of doubt. pretty far out of the orbital paths.

Gallaudet University? Humm.. 1-10,000 chances.

Hitting Ridor's place? 1-1,000. Ah.. space junk isn't too good for him. Prolly will ignore him.

Hitting the White House and the President? One good chance by the Guidence of God. (priceless)

I don't know where this spacecraft will fall on. But after the last time that Skylab fell, we all hoped that it would hit some place. It just didn't. Fell else where down under!

So keep tracking folks! Stay alert and update your insurance coverage.

Just when you thought it was safe enough to go to closed captioned movies after the Summer AG Bell Protests...

Go look... but I didn't warn you! http://garybdir.wordpress.com/2008/02/01/the-agbell-strikes-back/ (wonder who's playing Darth Vader this time?).

"May the Vax force be with you" : http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.com/2008/01/vax-wars.html. Mike McConnell has pulled up and made a discussion about using the vax systems at Gallaudet University long ago. I also remember those very vax systems at RIT. If you think today's flamewars on the blogsphere are fun to watch these days, they were a lot more interesting in the vax days. Ah Vax Wars. If there's still a vax system somewhere out there, then May the Vax Force be with you! (sorry, light sabers not included in your vax codes)

Did you just sign "gun"? Quick HIDE IT! or sign that yer shooting yourself in the foot! Read: http://berkeoutspoken.blogspot.com/2008/01/dont-use-sign-for-gun-under-any.html

Finally:

I wanted to let you know I have a friend who has a quarter horse for sale.

If you, or anyone you know may be interested, please let me know.

<== is a picture of the beauty. Take care

Besides.. NOT a REAL HORSE.. Doesn't exist!

meant to a joke to me sent by a friend of mine. What a fast chicken horse.. or was that a CHICKEN PONY?

Humm, I think I ate one too many Nuclear Chicken wings..

Well, till next time.. SEMPER FI!

The last day of January!

G'day Everyone!

It's the last day of the first month of 2008! Amazingly, it's been a rough one. We're all dealing with snow and cold in various places. Ugh. Makes me wish that my home just had a fireplace and I wish I would be sitting by one RIGHT NOW! (but that may well change in a year!). Where you all live, becareful out there! I mean it! No sense in getting killed if you don't have to be somewhere! (Florida, like you don't have any political delegates at all, yer exempted from this mess).

This weekend is the ULTIMATE HYPE WEEKEND! It starts today, Thursday. Many people are out shopping today (including me) to pick up stuff to stock up before this storm runs through my hometown. Of course, we're all prepared for the storm. I can't wait to try out my new snow blower! I already tweaked the engine for extra snow throwing power. *evil laugh* That boy across my street has no idea what I'll do to his car. I'll bury his car in SNOW!! *LAUGHING* So I'm prepared for a snow war!

Anyhow, a lot of us drivers..ooops, I should say a lot of us "party people" ought to be aware of police departments in many states are running *MORE DUI* check points this weekend, in some places it will start tonite (it does in my area) and continues until Monday. But I want to encourage drivers that if you plan to drink, drink no more than one glass. Other wise, be smart. Get a hotel room for the night. A DUI conviction is NOT worth the risk to have on your driving record. FYI: make sure you got your driver's license and Insurance cards with you in that car in case you get stopped!
Over all, People, who plan to party for Mardi Gras and Super Bowl Sunday, I urge them to please drink in a responsible way. Me, I'll be sticking to non-alcoholic drinks!

Friday is our first Friday of the LOVE month of February! It'll be an interesting day because it kicks off the two day Mardi Gras weekend. Saturday, (depending on how bad it snows in my area) will be the ultimate party weekend. I'll be touring around downtown Williamsport that evening, all covered up in my coat. It's suppose to get REAL COLD here.

Sunday, I plan to head to my favorite bar that I haven't been to in ages. Yes, only because they got a BIG SCREEN TV. I'm going to be rooting for the NY Giants and hope that they BEAT the New England Pats for sure. But a lot of the predictions says NE will be the Giants and boast of how Ultimately good they are. But stay glued to the TV folks. The ultimate game of the year will tell who wins and who loses. Only one problem: If the NE Pats do an overkill of scoring early in the game, like they have in the past before half-time, the bar just might empty out.
My good friend, Pat, who runs this bar, said that he's making back up plans in case things go in a bad way. Pat and I got a bet going on. Not gonna tell what it is. But should I win, I'll be happy!

Meanwhile, I wanted to say a few things before anything else happens.
DPN 20 post. I really didn't want to make any comment on it because it's going to be a long month before it arrives. 20 years after the REAL protest at Gallaudet does make a difference in our deaf education!

I'm not going to say much of what's been posted over in the Macgyver bond site. But to simply say that it's a closed chapter of a long running battle between a user and I. So, please don't ask me about it.

Lately, I'm impressed of two users, who have visited my site here, have become some great friends of mine. One has kept in touch via Email and another has become a wonderful friend on my VP! Who they are? I'm not saying. Just saying a "SALUTE" to you both! How did they get in touch with me? Figure it out!

Lastly, I'd like ask all of you to please continue to pray for a friend of mine, who's in critical condition in a DC hospital. The news isn't good. God's in control. So please pray for him. Many thanks.

So, till next time.. SEMPER FI to the weekend!

DPN 20 is coming!

20th Anniversary DPN Banquet
March 8th, 2008, 5 pm - 10 pm
Kellogg Center on Gallaudet Campus
www.dpn20.com

In 1988 we had a dream, a dream for a Deaf president. Working together we made our dream come true. Twenty years later our dream lives on. Come join Greg Hlibok, Tim Rarus, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl and many others as we celebrate our heritage and what we can accomplish when we all work together. Let us make new dreams and work toward making these dreams come true. DPN20 promises to be an exciting event.

In conjunction with the DPN20 celebration, a forum will be held Saturday morning, March 8, 2008, from 8 am to 3 pm, "Making Gallaudet Strong: Recommendations from the Community." This is a great opportunity for us to be proactive and give Gallaudet suggestions on what WE can do to increase student enrollment and enhance Gallaudet's image. We hope you will join us for this forum.

Tickets for the 20th Anniversary DPN Banquet can be purchased on-line at www.dpn20.com and are just $70. After February 28th, tickets are $90 and can only be purchased at the door (if available). There are only 250 tickets available, so get your tickets soon.

A major corporate sponsor for the 20th Anniversary DPN Banquet isCSDVRS. Additional sponsors are R&R Publishers, publishers of Triumph of the Spirit: The DPN Chronicle, The Angel RamosFoundation, Deaf Life Magazine and Deaf Nation. Deaf Nation willtelecast the program throughout the nation via the internet.

LINK TO DOWNLOAD FLYER:
http://saveourdeafschools.org/dpn20.pdf

RIT/NTID professor Arrested!

G'day everyone!

Breaking news is sweeping across the NTID Alumni community at a fast run as word reaches around the globe that an RIT professor has been arrested.

http://www.rnews.com/mediaplayer/players/wmplayerlite.aspx?sid=57808

This is a news clip from RNEWS.com and it's showing about the arrest of RIT Professor Michael Krembel. Sadly to say, it's not closed captioned. Comes along with a minor article to read.

The full story:
http://www.rnews.com/Story_2004.cfm?ID=57808&rnews_story_type=18&category=2

I am pretty much shocked about this guy. However, I'm kind of reeling about this person. It adds to my personal confusion long ago of another friend of mine, also by the name of Michael Krembel, who lived in Fairport, NY. This friend, who I called him "cookie" for short, was arrested on Child porn charges and served time in prison. Now I'm wondering if this man, this RIT professor, had taken on my friend's life for some time now? It's a real confusion for me.
But, just the same as everyone, I used to see this professor. I never had a clue that he had the same name as my friend. But right now, this poor guy is in serious trouble. I wonder the day if he's put in to prison.. will he (the RIT Michael Krembel) meet up with the old Fairport Michael Krembel? That will be VERY interesting to see. But I think not. Odds are too high.

Let us hope that Justice will be fair for the professor and many victims. Pray that God will comfort all of them!!

P.S. Pray for his wife. She will have to deal with this in a rough way.
Semper FI.

Announcement

G'day Everyone!

This is a special post today. I am directing traffic over to Mac Bond's web page : http://macgyverbond.blogspot.com/ for a special reason today.
It's also a notice for "The Truth" to go there because Mac and I want to share this announcement with you.
It has to do with a e-mail that came FROM THE FCC.Gov to Sherlock.
So, please go there.
Our regular posting on various topics will resume tomorrow.
Comments options have been disabled for today.

Thank you and SEMPER FI to the FCC.GOV!

Memories again.

G'day Everyone!

Today, I was reading my morning paper when my favorite article came up in Annie's Mailbox. (that was renamed after Ann Landers died long ago.).
Here's the link to the January 28th column: http://www.creators.com/lifestylefeatures/annies-mailbox.html

When I read the article about a 15 year old boy, Alex, who has a friend, who "might be gay", brought back memories of my early teen years. Just as it is now, as was in the 1970s, there are parents who try to impress their children to stay sexually pure. Parents want their kids to stay innocent enough so that by the time they're "mature adults", they'll be ready for all the "fun filled adult stuff" to understand of. Hearing this happening today brought back one of my worst days back in Junior High School. Back in the 1970s it was still taboo to for young kid to be gay.

It was at a time I was just discovering myself (sexually). I had just started the mainstream program in my Junior High school area as a Deaf Freshman. It wasn't long that I found a girl that I was interested in and started kissing her in the library. (just like Alex's friend had been interested with another boy and kissed him).

Just like Alex's friend, I was caught and hauled off to my counselor. I was given a lecture that I was in a mainstream program and that he didn't any funny stuff going on around his school. Then he called my parents and sent home.

I remember that day of being lectured on sex over and over and over again. It was fear that was put into me while I was grounded as well. Just as much as my dad didn't want me to be gay (His worst dream would come true later), my dad wanted to see kids come from me, but he didn't want me to mess up my life so early. He said "if you fuck a girl without a condom, you'll have kids you are not ready for if you don't have a job!". He said that in a ROUGH way.

You know, that kind of talk made me decide to be Bi-sexual for a while, but I made a decision to try to please my father. I wanted to be married. I had every hope and dream of being married to a girl and having kids.

As I said before, the certain people in my former deaf ministry made every effort to prevent me from being married, as they were directed by my deaf pastor's wife. Is it no wonder that I made that same effort to end his job to take his wife out of power and influence? But, it also ended that deaf ministry as well.

All my dreams of being married ended in the 1990s. My father and I talked before he died and he said: " If I hadn't yelled and screamed at you as your counselor suggested, you might have ended up being happier with a girl. Just the same as I didn't want to see my own fears projected on you.". My dad wanted me to bring that boy that I had in my bed to his funeral. I told him I couldn't because he and mom had argued about it. He looked at me and hugged me. He said "Whatever you aspire to do personally for yourself, do what makes you happy".

Today, there are kids who are discovering their own sexual interests. Parents are going through their own fears and insecurities. Sex education in the schools is NOT ENOUGH. Religious pastors are too strict on their own members of their congregation as they judge roughly about sexual purity in the family.

It's for that reason that http://www.pflag.org/ is needed to help all families deal with the problems of their kids growing up gay and lesbian. It's not a perfect world out there. But their are kids are exploring themselves to understand their sexual desires. To punish them for their sexual curiosity will result in complex problems later on (just as I had). They need instruction and guidance now because if they want to be gay or lesbian for life, then need to know what to do to be happy.

Parents, please.. talk to your kids in a non-threatening way. Have an open and frank discussion. Let the kids ask the questions about sex when they are ready . They're the ones trying to find their way in life. With proper guidance from parents in the right way, they'll grow up better.

Lastly, I hope Alex in the Annie's Mailbox gets outside help for his family. He really needs that.

Semper FI.

E-mail miricles? maybe.. if you are this fellow!

When you followed all the e-mail instructions and you expect a miracle at your computer instantly, don't stay and wait like this poor fellow did. *sigh* Miracles happen when you look around! So, don't sit there.. Get up and do something. Your computer will always be there.

Another Personal Post Day.

G'day Everyone!

I was doing a big *sigh* and having a "chat" with myself when I decided that I needed to make a personal post about some topics. So, let me dive right into them.

Heath Ledger: While I feel sad that he's been taken from the world by God for whatever reason, I find myself angry enough at a baptist church that wants to picket at his funeral (they didn't say WHERE Heath would be buried and that's a good thing) and thanking God for putting a gay man in hell. Unfortunately, I do not respect that Baptist church for doing this kind of protest. Even for our people that are coming home from the wars in bodybags. Just not a good idea.

A few days ago, some of my straight friends found some gay porn on the 'net. (That's rare for them to do that). But when they gave me the link, I was shocked that it was a gay porn movie that was made right down to the Last Supper and "jesus" on the cross (total naked to boot)!! It was meant to be a SPOOF about the Bible yet, having sex on the film. My straight friends were having a "joke" with me because I'm gay. But I'm not laughing. I seriously believe in respecting the Bible and the Word of God. I respect every religion in the world (but not the very ones that threaten to kill you if you don't convert to their "faith"). I was very shocked that a gay porn producer would make this kind of movie! It's like thumbing the nose at God and saying "We can do whatever we want!". I say God have mercy on the Gay community for sure! I would thoroughly understand if the Christian and Baptist Groups would be upset to know about this film. I'm still upset over it myself.

Lately, someone told me that another family is taking their deaf 5 month old baby and have him fitted with a CI and have him grow up without any reference to deafness and Sign Language. I was totally shocked. A 5 month old baby fitted with a CI? My God! This kid has barely started to live in the world and understand being deaf. To put a CI on this kid now, it's like parents hope that you can teach a kid to grow up hearing and pray that he never finds out he's really been born deaf.
It's precisely what my parents did to me at a time when CI wasn't invented yet, but stick a hearing aid in me and try to force me to accept I'm hard of hearing more than being deaf. They felt by putting me in mainstream school, force me to have hearing friends and deny me deaf friends, and a deaf education, It was no wonder I did the ultimate total rebellion at 20 years old.

It was in that day I took that look at myself and realize I was born pure deaf. I wanted to SMASH my hearing aid to bits in front of them and say to my parents "I'm born deaf and PROUD TO BE DEAF!!".
That's when they realized their mistakes about my deafness. It took them time to accept that I'm deaf. Some time ago, my mom said "You have the best of BOTH WORLDS". I gave her a look that would kill Charles Atlas in a heartbeat.

Parents, who think they are doing the right thing and right favor for their kid to grow up "hearing", will some day realize that the child is an individual. When this kid grows up and makes choices of their own to be DEAF and PROUD, look out parents! Those 20 years can be out the door in a moment of that very self realization!

The number of deaf individuals with CI is growing at a strong rate. Heck, even one of my friends is getting a CI as well. How do I feel about my friend? I'm sorry I can't answer that.

My doctor told me some time ago that I'm a candidate for CI. Right there and then, I knew someone was trying to convince me to go CI. I said to my doctor "NO way! I'll take a hearing aid any day. But living with a borg technology? I'll wait till we can install GUNS in our arms and flame throwers in our butt!"

I have nothing against those who want a CI. But it gives me a personal pain to watch a young kid, even a few months old baby, to be fitted with CI. Bionic ears, as some say. But it's just not a good idea. We all have argued about CIs in a pro and con session before. I'm not going through that again.

But Gallaudet and NTID/RIT have to face the changing type of students that are coming to their school. My bigger question is.. will they do better than their peers who are pure deaf and those that wear hearing aids? Will they accept sign language as a 2nd language? I think that's a topic we're still facing these days.

And one last thing, I modified my blog site last night. I figured it was time for a change and seveal people have told me that it's vastly an improvement! I wish I could improve on the other templates, but this will have to do for now.

Well, I'll let ya go. Till next time.. Semper FI.

Vote in the 2007 Blog Awards!/ State of the Union address/Deaf mom POWER!

G'day Everyone!

I used to like Ridor, but now I am forever glad to DeafRead that they made some WISE choices this year in selecting the nominations for this year's awards. And of course, Jamie Berke (got that one right, Jamie!) is among one of the nominations!

So, being in late fashion as usual, I wanted to encourage our fellow bloggers and Vloggers to get out to: http://www.deafread.com/blogawards/2008/ and VOTE!! The voting deadline is 8:00PM PST on Sunday, January 27, 2008. That's tomorrow night at 11pm EST. So, GO VOTE! If you don't..Don't blog/vlog complain it. Don't forget to check your email! You have to click on the link to send the vote completely!

I may not agree how DeafRead sets up this blog awards, but at least it's something better to watch. Who'll win? I dunno, but I hope it's worth it!

Meanwhile, as our President Bush gets ready for his last "State of The Union" address (or should I say "State of the DIS-Union"?) to Congress on Monday night, it will be the high point of his year long Lame Duckness state. To be honest to say, whatever what President Bush will say will fall short of the people's ears. It's going to provide incentives to all the Presidential candidates to make new "promises" to help this nation. One person said "Anything that Bush says he can do to help our nation now is 7 years too little and a LOT TOO DAMN LATE!".

Just take a good look at our stock market lately. It's been on a wild roller coaster. That's pretty scary to watch your investments. I say start heading to GOLD and invest in that along with precious metals too. I don't want to know what's coming but better to be prepared for whatever may happen economically.

One thing that I have been watching lately: The Deaf Mom Shake N Steak saga. Here's her two web pages : http://www.deafmomworld.com/ and http://www.disaboom.com/Blogs/deafmom/archive/2008/01/26/oh-so-i-planned-this-steak-n-shake-thing.aspx.
I wanted to say one thing important: if you want to be like Ridor and posting nasty stuff in your own blog, that's fine. But leaving a ultra-nasty comment on someone else's webpage and accusing them of plotting the whole thing while hiding behind the word " Anonymous " name, I will tell you this: You just earned a greater chance of being disgraced and unworthy to call yourself a blogger.

I support Deaf Mom. She's doing what she has to do. I've seen restaurants that won't serve the deaf out there. I've encountered a few and have written to corporate services, but yet..having not gotten a response. But now restaurants are getting more aware of the power of the blog world. It could make or break their relations with their customers. If you think the ADA law doesn't have teeth, think again! I believe it does.

So, please people. If you don't like some who wrote about something out there in the weblog world, don't resort to a ridorism type of comment. Surf away. Because once you leave a very nasty comment, (especially if MORE than one person does it), you will make it harder for everyone else to enjoy it because that weblog owner might have to impose harder restrictions on his/her webpage. That means, asking for the RIGHT to view his/her webpage! (I saw one website like that, I asked for permission to view that page and got turned away. I accepted that.).

So I'm saying a MAJOR SEMPER FI SALUTE to DEAF MOM POWER! She's standing up for her RIGHTS! GO, DEAFMOM, GO! I pray Shake N Steak proposes a good resolution to this mess!

my mistake! Never help out a Nemesis

G'day Everyone!

You know, there's typical Ridorism out there. I was doing him a nice favor of a typical "welcome back" to him by showing his site and bringing a little traffic his way. Well, sorry to say this folks, it was a mistake! MY mistake. NOT one of my better days.

When he insults me, I take it pretty personal. Would I want to do anything with Ridor? Even kissing his butt? I don't think so! Bleah. He's a sour and bitter lemon man that he's ever been since he's been trying to "shock jock" everyone.

Ridor ought to realize, that in the world of professional theater and the movie industry, people like Heath Ledger have to take a questionable role in a movie or theater show that might compromise their faith and upset the Christian Community. They have to do it because it keeps their name and face in front of OTHER directors to notice them while they earn money!

But I feel a sense of sorrow when Ridor mentions of a dream that Heath was a beau for him. Know what, Ridor? Nope. Never will happen! Heath Ledger was straight as an arrow and he was a very doting daddy!! So keep dreaming, Ridor! Heath is now out of every gay man's reach! (Rest in peace, Heath)

I want to say something positive about Heath Ledger. He was a very versatile actor! He's good at what he can do. Look at all his movie accomplishments:
2001: "A knight's tale" (excellent work as I've seen it).
2005: "Brokeback Mountain" (I haven't seen it, but I'm sure it's one of the best movies that shows him he could have a gay life IF HE WANTED TO! But then again, remember, he's done that part because he needed the money.).
"Lords of Dogtown (wuff, haven't seen it but ought to be good to watch).
"The Brothers Grimm" (ah, my favorite movie. WAY EXCELLENT MOVIE!)

Now coming in 2008 (if they ever decide to honor Heath Ledger in this movie he just worked in) " The Dark Knight"! The sequel to "Batman Begins" movie. This next movie, he plays as Batman's Nemesis: The Joker! I took one look at that face of his on the CNN web site and OMG.. Heath has just outdone Jack Nicholson who was the previous joker in another batman movie.

Fame is one thing to have for many performers, but it's not always that good. Some performers tend to go down right bad when fame goes to their head.

I will say this: If producers and directors are looking for a deaf character for their show or movie, they ought to look the deaf community! But it's no justice for a hearing director for making the deaf community look bad if they mis-interpet the deaf community itself in their show or movie. Outrage by us, in the deaf community? Where is it? Or are we ,a closed deaf society that says we don't work with our hearing counterparts. like we say we are willing to?

How about a pure example of the deaf community working with a hearing company?
I give high marks to the NAD for helping The PepsiCo to produce a Superbowl commercial! I saw a clip of it and I say OOOHH YEAH!! OUR TIME HAS COME!! But there's nothing wrong for a company using deaf people or disabled people in a commercial or a show, just as long as it's been done in a respectable way! That makes me questions the motivations of the producers and directors of every movie studio and theater of how they want to show the deaf in some type of light. Stephen King's movie: "The Stand" was very questionable.

Anyhow, the next time I think of directing some kindness and some traffic to Ridor, I'll bang my head on the wall for a long damn while. Stupidity? No. Just one of my days I try to be a kind friend to person like Ridor. May God judge him. That's all I can say about him. I'll continue to be kind to others, but never again for Ridor. He's just lost it.

So I'll just say my "Semper Fi " for the NAD today. Great job!

The DO NOT CALL registry

G'day Everyone!

Today's a special post to all my CELL PHONE yappers out there! I have a important announcement to make.

Let me show you of what's been coming around in my e-mail:
***********************************************************************************
Reminder- 12 days from today (as of Thursday, January 24), all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS.

To prevent this from happening, call the following number from your cell phone:

888-382-1222.

It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time.
It blocks your number for 5 years. You must call from the cell phone number
you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

Help others by passing this on to all your friends. It takes about 20 seconds.

***********************************************************************************

What's suppose to happen is that your cell phone number is suppose to "match" with the cell number on the list. If it does, your number gets registered. If they tell you that your number doesn't match with their list, then all is NOT lost. They advise you to go to:

https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

So, I'm asking you, my friends to kindly register your cell phones and land line phones today at the http://www.donotcall.gov/ and get your number on the list. It would be 5 years worth of "peace" without those damn telemarketers from calling you at the WRONG time. (the last one? I'm betting his ear is still ringing from my yelling at him in a long lecture).

I'm not sure if it would be worth to register your blackberry and sidekick phone number, but I think better safe to register it on the DO NOT CALL list than to be sorry.

Semper FI salute to my sister L!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update: Another semper FI goes to a good friend to tell me that it's NOT really happen for cell phones.
proof: read this web page: http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/cell411.asp

enjoy.

Semper FI salute to D!

The nemesis is coming back!/ Deaf Clubs

G'day everyone!

Wow! Gotta love DeafRead! Otherwise, I would have never found out that RIDOR IS COMING BACK! Quick, dig the fox holes! Man the BLOG GUNS! Build the cyber sandbags! Prep for new blog wars! Actually, I'm kidding. Just prep the pop corn machines.

Ridor's actually a pretty interesting read. Though he may be a shock jock, but he just doesn't owe people of his reasons why his blog has been off-line. My hope is that he has made it a worthwhile time of preparations and redesigning his site and coming back up. It will be interesting to see it happen. Should I hype it? Nah. I'm prepping for the popcorn dramas. :-)

Here's info of what's going on: http://countdown2resurrection.wordpress.com/2008/01/21/
Just one hitch, when does he come back on line? My bet is, January 31, 2008. The blogsphere won't be the same again for a while.

There's an article that I saw about Deaf Clubs in Kokonut pundit's blog : http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.com/2008/01/poll-are-deaf-clubs-dwindling-are-you.html

That brought back memories for me. My hometown used to have a wonderful deaf club. We used to be a mainstay fixture at the Montoursville fall festival. We were famous for selling fudge every year. We always sold out before the 3 day festival was over.
But our deaf club did not survive long. After more than so many years, the numbers of membership fell because the same people kept getting elected every year. It took a brave member of the deaf club in one meeting to finally say that mounting bills and financial problems were the main reasons to propose for the deaf club's closure. But some say that the lack of the leadership out of the same people every year was the real reason.
When ever I pass my old deaf club building, it amazes me to watch it being turned into a family home. It's a hard thing to see.

Some deaf people still gather once a month in a community somewhere and have an ASL night at Boarders bookstore. It's kind of a way to reconnect with everyone while it's not a deaf club but free social networking.

To those deaf clubs still in existence: Do all that you can to stay there and be alive and a beacon to the rest of the deaf community, no matter what happens!

So, have a great semper FI week!

Hard to believe.

G'day everyone!

It's hard to believe that two good friends of mine are in the hospital this year. It's an on-going crisis that I thought last year, only one friend would be dying. But since the disclosure recently of the other friend in this hospital, in ICU, has had a profound effect on me. My other friend's situation could go either way and it's now a very huge possibility that there will be two funerals this year. NOT a good way to start a year in the first month! OUCH!

Super Bowl hype is starting and Sherlock's supporting the New York Giants! Destroy New England! That's all everyone cares about. (at the most).

I was shocked to hear that Heath Ledger, a movie star in the Brokeback Mountain movie (gay movie, no less), was found dead Tuesday in his NYC apartment!!! It was so shocking that this cute guy is gone. But be aware, he's a straight guy as I heard from most sources. My condolences go to his relatives.

Also, my condonlence to the Sorenson family on the death of James Sorenson. Hard to believe that he's gone when he made an important contribution to the deaf community. Quite an impact.

Well, what can I say? Life goes on for all of us. But, one of the things that I will do now is pray for them all. They're all in God's hands. That's important.

Just becareful out there and have a SEMPER FI day.

Yesterday's games.

G'day Everyone!

Some days I'd love to be a Monday morning armchair QBing. But not today. What pisses me off that the NFL should have a mandatory policy to drug test every player on a football team that is suspectiously going to the BIG GAME in a UNDEFEATED stance. 18-0 wins? It's a joke, right? NO? Oh man! For the NFL, I think their games are in deep trouble already. The New England Pats are already so PROUD of themselves, I'd like to see them to submit to a THROUGH and COMPREHENSIVE examination to make sure all those players on that New England Patriots team are NOT USING any performance boosting drugs.
If they (THE NFL) found out that they really are using drugs, it would wipe out the entire NFL season completely. *sigh*. I hope the Patriots are in for a fight because it will get more than ugly out there.

Meanwhile: Hail to Green Bay vs. NY Giants! Now that was a REAL game. The refs were calling all the right penalties!! Green Bay Packers fought an honest and tough game despite the sub zero temperatures. Even in OT, they fought all the harder. In the very end, the NY Giants had a kicker who redeemed himself from one botched kick to kick a game right into the Super Bowl.

In two weeks, We will see a HUGE SUPER BOWL game. NY Giants vs New England Patriots. My money is definitely going on the NY Giants. I'm in hopes they'll beat the NE Pats and prevent the NE Pats from being a 4 time Super Bowl Champion. Otherwise, next season's NFL games will not be worth the money to spend on or watch on TV.

With Hockey and Basketball season in full swing, Baseball may well take full swing in to start a full season under cloud of the Barry Bonds and that Mitchell report. Will MLB get out of that cloud and play an honest game? We'd have to see.

So, bundle up everyone. It's gonna freeze for awhile. Stay warm and have a Semper FI day!

around the Blog world lately...

G'day Everyone!

Good old Micah Brown (http://www.xanga.com/MicahBrwn) aka Micah's Brain, has a very good major political article going on in his blog. Though, I do want to express serious concerns that President Bush is doing very little for our country despite reacting to how the stock market is going on. We could slide past the 12000 point mark and downward. Should we fear for economics and having a weak dollar? Yes. But one thing I don' t want to see.. That the USA attacks IRAN. That's a major worry point that could place Bush in power for a long while. So I say to you, folks, keep praying and be handy with the votes. Vote the incumbents out and put new FRESH people in Congress!

Hey! You!! Yes you, Deaf High School Student!! Undecided where to go to College this fall 2008-2009? Well, previously you had a choice of a variety of mainstream colleges and NTID/RIT and Gallaudet. BUT, don't look now!
NEW at Michigan State University! http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080118/SCHOOLS/801180311/1026. That article is all about Michigan State University that is planning a, get this, SIGN LANGUAGE dorm! How many other colleges have Sign Language dorms on their campus? I feel good about this. If every major college in the nation would say that they have sign language dorms on their campus, it make NTID and Gallaudet have a serious drop in enrollment! A good idea? Maybe!

Uh oh.. here we go: Deaf Porn again! A few days ago, there was something on FOX News that picked a "story" about Deaf Porn. I think it was a major embarrassment for Fox News to do that. ugh. But it gets worse: http://www.deaf-culture-online.com/deaf-porn-star.html. Try this: "I-Dated-a-deaf-porn-star " story. oh Gawash.. how much more can we take of this? Humm.. who want to do a HEARING GONE WILD porn story? (ahh.. too late.. they've done that already).

Well, I'll end my post today of what I just found on that Deaf-Culture-Online.com site today. We could all use a good laugh. Fact is.. I had a situation that just happens to be true because it happened else where. (where? I'm not going to name it but I was embarrassed and laughing at the same time! ahh.. PORN SHOWS! Never know when the pop up when you least expect it! LOL). Here it is: http://www.deaf-culture-online.com/deaf-embarrassing-moments.html . Just remember, you'll be having a good laugh today.

Semper FI for the weekend!

John McCain, for President?

G'day everyone!

First off, I had an e-mail that said that we should NOT vote for John McCain because of his past involvement on I. King Jordan's Board of Trustees of Gallaudet University.
To be honest to say this: I wish John McCain would explain his own actions about WHY he supported every decision that was approved and guided by I. King Jordan "for" the Gallaudet University campus. It would have been a very helpful thing if John McCain had broken away from the BOTS and explained away every action that the GU BOTS and Jordan had done. That would have gotten him the very support he would get from the Deaf and Hard of hearing community. But unfortunately, his own actions of what he's done, including withdrawing AFTER the fall-out leads that he's not a Presidential candidate that cares for the very minority community: the disabled community.
John McCain may be one of the political candidates, but I would NOT even consider throwing support for him. If he had been honest with all of us, then we'd be happy.

Meanwhile,in my hometown of my beloved Williamsport, PA, I have good news for ANYONE that's driving up from Gallaudet to RIT/NTID area on Route 15. The NEW market street bridge is finally completed! Though it's been open for a few months, the construction company was ahead of schedule. So they're just in the wrap up process right now. Also, anyone driving up on Route 15 north (near the NY border area) is advised to take caution as there will be several construction projects going on as well. Penn DOT is trying to bring certain parts of the Route 15 area from a former two lane country road and rebuild it into INTERSTATE standards route.
also, be advised (again) that parts of route 15 will soon be renamed into the future route I-99 road. Don't forget, do not speed in a construction zone in PA! The fines are HIGHER than you think and the points on your driver's license is more than you can handle! OK?

Have a semper FI day!

Attention GAY MEN!

G'day Everyone!

I was doing my daily web surfing and news was boring. Suddenly, a blogger tossed me a MAJOR News article. The link to that article was ASTOUNDING! I was totally astonished. I even went back through the news site to check if it was really a major news link. And it is!

So, here it is! Loud and Clear! I'm telling every GAY MEN (and Ridor ought to know and hear this news) of something very important! It's ANOTHER TYPE of MRSA (that is: Staph Infection) bacteria that is already infecting the gay community rapidly!

Please read:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/health/15infe.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin

http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/0000605-200802190-00204v1 ( this is the link to the study that had indentified this!!)

In other words, if this happens to be really true, then the days of the Gay bathhouses and playing with different men may just be out the door already. It would also force Gay men to be wise and choose FAITHFUL partners to have sex with.

If this MAJOR HEALTH news doesn't scare you, then please don't take chances with your health. Thanks!

A MAJOR SEMPER FI SALUTE to Jamie B. for her tip!

Deaf Scams

G'day Everyone!

One thing really worries me in the deaf community and that's especially on AIM. I know just about ANYONE has a Videophone (www.deafVP.com ) these days. That's how most con artists are finding their suckers out there faster than our hearing counterparts! Robert Goodwin explains it in his post : http://rsgeo007.blogspot.com/2008/01/deaf-scams-via-aim.html.

I had to post a warning on my deafVP listing that if people try to IM me instead of contacting me via e-mail, I have to report them as SPAM. But one sad thing that I know. I am aware of one such deaf friend of mine had literally been taken over and run roughshod by the schemers. It's amazing that she hasn't learned anything.. YET!

Meanwhile: I was checking out DEAFREAD and found a blog of yet, another opinion on the Gallaudet protest issue. Go read: http://eyekom.blogspot.com/2008/01/integration-is-answer.html . Be aware, it's a person in Sweden! Now that gets INTERESTING!!

So it's a short post day. Semper FI.

Blogs, blogs.. and more BLOGS!!

G'day Everyone!

I did not make this year's Deaf Read blog awards. Sad about why one person has kept attacking me so much! What have I ever done to that person or PERSONS? Even so, I realize my site needs MORE improvement in this coming year. Lot's of work to be done on my blogspot. so be prepared folks! Changes are going to look better. (I hope). Plus, I just want to thank that certain "person" as there for the "help" of my previous blog and this current one.

Meanwhile: For those who are interested to know about the 2007 DeafRead nominees for the 2007 DeafRead Blog awards:

http://www.deafread.com/blog/?p=198

Which reminds me, I was kind of astounded that Ridor wasn't even one of the mentionable this year. Maybe his ego FINALLY popped? WOW!!

Also.. back on the redux of http://thedeafsherlock.blogspot.com/2007/11/caught-driving-while-txting.html,

here's another info that I just found on DEAFREAD!!

here's the first part: http://kokonutpundits.blogspot.com/2008/01/texting-killsare-you-guilty.html

and the related article that Kokonut Pundit was talking about:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/11/AR2008011103419_pf.html

IN OTHER WORDS: PAY ATTENTION EVERYONE! (YES, THAT INCLUDES YOU IN THE HEARING AUDIENCE!! ) Read the Washington Post very carefully. I mean EXTREMELY careful. If this new law does come to pass.. then you better put your "toys" away and focus on driving!!

Attention to my fellow NTID/RIT ALUMNI: NTID 40th REUNION Anniversary is coming up!!

For all the details: http://www.ntid.rit.edu/alumni/reunion/index.php. Follow up on that once a week! So we're calling all of the alumni 1967 to the present time to COME to this event! Hope to see everyone there! :-)

and so.. that is for the wrap.

Hey.. don't forget to vote for your favorite 2007 DeafRead award winner, Go vote at DEAFREAD.COM!

Semper FI!

Update: By the way everyone, once in a while, go by this site: www.jibjab.com. Heck even Micah Brown ought to go there! I loved 3 movies: 2-0-5, Nuthing Futs!, and In 2007. Look for them you'll go laughing. Ah Bushie, you were always an entertainer!

Gallaudet's Other Tent City (the next part)

G'day Everyone!

I put my VP into a HOLD and I knew I had to fire up my blogspot again. This time, I'm a little perturbed at Jamie Burke.
Read her Saturday's post (January 12): http://berkeoutspoken.blogspot.com/2008/01/homeless-camp-near-gallaudet-does.html

There's one thing I really want to make clear. Though I do agree some homeless people are mentally ill people, you really have to approach them with extreme caution. NOT EVERY ONE OF THEM IS A TAME HOMELESS PERSON!!

Let me a tell you a few DANGEROUS incidents about homeless people from what I heard:

Ten years ago, I knew a wonderful hearing friend of mine, in his late teen years, was a bi-sexual person. He didn't mind helping all kinds of people. But, one very incident changed his life completely.
He was helping a homeless man one late fall warm day. He was providing him some cigarettes. But then the next thing he knew, the homeless man had grabbed him and dragged my friend to a seldom used part of the garage. The next 4 hours, as my friend told me, were his "hell" hours as this homeless man gay raped him. When the homeless man got finished, my friend had passed out and woke up 2 hours later. Police came and took my friend to the hospital. Though he gave a police report, police had no luck trying to find this guy. To this day, I'm angry for what this homeless guy had done had done to my friend.

When I meet my friend, he was a totally changed STRAIGHT man. Though he got married and has kids, he still has nightmares. I still want to find this homeless guy and put him behind bars myself. He doesn't deserve to walk any street, knowing that he's committed some violent crime against a trusting person.

Another incident that I happened to be involved in was when one late night out with some friends at Union Station. I hated to walk back to Gallaudet and would have opted to take cab, like I suggested. There was this drunken homeless guy who kept pushing me to give him money. I got way angry with him. Finally, I yelled at him and said " IF you bother me again, the Wrath of God shall fall upon you!!".
Needless to say, here he came again at me!! So I switched my voice to throwing it (I love theater stuff and the walls outside Union Station make a good echo). I played into the role of "God" and told the homeless man as I threw my voice to the walls: " YOU THERE!". Homeless man looks around shocked, but I had ducked right around the corner just in time to get away from him but kept watch. "Do you know you got warned not to purse that person?" Homeless man: "who are you???". I went: "I am the Lord GOD and I am ANGRY and FULL OF WRATH! I know what you were about to do to that person you chased!". By this time, this guy is shaking like a leaf.
On I go: "Now thy bottle of wine is CURSED! If you drink it again, you shall fall dead from poisons of snakes and spiders venom in it!!".
Needless to say, the homeless guy takes one look at his brown wine bottle bag in his hand and drops it!
"Good! NOW GO away. LEAVE.. LEAST I STRIKE YOU DOWN WHERE YOU STAND!!", I said. By this moment, the homeless guy got spooked and ran away from Union Station all the way up Mass. Avenue. My friend looked at me like I just played Charles Heston from the 10 commandments movie. We had a shocked moment and then laughed.. then thanked God to get out of that dangerous situation.

A few years ago, in my town of Williamsport, PA. We had a homeless man that would "preached" every day that former historical hotel was a place for sinful sexual and drug activity going on around there. Most of knew that he a mentally ill person and thought he was harmless. I was part of a group that had planned to take some interior pictures of the historical building before it was torn down to make room for a new complex.
Needless to say, the night before our planned survey of the building, this homeless man had gone in and spread gasoline through out the entire building as much as he could. He torched the place which set off a 4 alarm fire blaze. While he held the fire and police department at bay, preventing them from putting the fire out, he was tackled and eventually hand cuffed. He shouted with glee that he gave the fire enough time to burn and that the building was coming down.
He got convicted in court and was ordered to a psych ward in the prison for the rest of his life. Some say it was cruel, but others say that it was justice that needed to be done to protect the people. We were not able to save much of the historical aspect of the building. It was all razed and became a parking lot.

So, in some ways, I agree with Jamie about the homeless living so close to a elementary school and Gallaudet University. I urge people in this very area to have extreme caution around homeless.

To be honest, our nation is not very much forgiving on homeless people. Granted we ought to a lot more for them. Especially our veterans of wars as well.

Thanks.

Semper FI.

Slowing down and pitting to a stop for a bit.

G'day Everyone!

Well, it's been a wild weekend for me. Especially with my new VP. Yeah, I got phoned so much, it was amazing! I had to escape it and went to bingo games. (One friend of mine says I'm dating the old biddies which I'm NOT!!). Had a great evening.

I loved Saturday. I reconnected with a friend I had not seen in ages and it was a long conversation! I went: WOW! THIS IS FUN! But there are limits to the human psyche.

So, for Sunday's post, here's today's joke that I found from my e-mail bag:

You have to be old enough to remember Abbott and Costello,

and too old to REALLY understand computers,

to fully appreciate this.

For those of us who sometimes get flustered by our computers, please read on...

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today,

their infamous sketch,

"Who's on First?" might have turned out something like this:

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

---------------------------------------------------------------------
ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer.. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business..what do you have?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal.what do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which Word in Office for Windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue "W".

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue "W" if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

A few days later....

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on "START.....

Semper FI to Chris Trout for it.

Webbing the pages together

G'day Everyone!

Well, I'm happy! :-) Everyone can see that ever shiny baldspot looking like a damn lighthouse and hope that some damn ship will strike me down some day. ahh, I'm being sarcastic when I'm really enjoying my new Sorenson Videophone. that's SVP for short. It's been a wonderful first day yesterday of reconnecting with old friends (and a few awkward moments). Even my mom's happy to know I got friends calling me on my VP and they won't be hitting on my other phone (house phone) and bugging my mom (she hates tty calls). But then again, life is perfect now. For a time being.

Yesterday, I had a person leave a comment to me about Ridor. But his comment line went like:
Back?

Maybe not.

Then he left a web page link for me to follow. And yep, I followed it. I didn't understand it first and choose to read later. Saved the link and then later, I went back and study the entire conversations printed. Ahh, gotta love that person who had the balls print the entire convo! Whoo boy!

But then, what shall I say if I say I FOUND Ridor's OLD site? www.ridor.blogspot.com
Let me warn you. The material isn't exactly kosher there. But it's rather a wonder assortment of archived posts and information that he's posted in the early years. So ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, I had a person who had totally threatened me in my comments section. It was "The Truth" again. This person terrorized me on my former Xanga site. Now I like Xanga as having hosted my first blog site. But, there was one ability that I forgot to do and that was to kill comments sections. oh well, live and learn. The attacks that the person (or persons who used "The Truth" name) left me feeling so uneasy, that's why I researched out and asked friends about what site's good. Enter Blogspot!
Here, Blog spot has great security. I'm able to read the comments before they are posted! That gives me time to head off the potential firestorms. (I had one too many on Xanga site).

Now, "The Truth" recently demanded in the comments (you won't see them. It is personal and deleted) that I be more open minded and let EVERY ONE post on my Site or else, she'll file an FCC complaint on me. Well, lo and be hold.. my good friends educated me.
So "The Truth" was trying to play a game of THREATS and trying to make me shut down again.
Thanks for the song, dance, and show. I'm not going anywhere!!

Guess what? I'm telling "The Truth" to go read and weep two web sites: http://macgyverbond.blogspot.com/2008/01/why-is-thetruth-hounding-sherlock-again.html

and
http://www.xanga.com/jbyrne7480

That's where I get my supporters. So I send a message to "The Truth": I throw down my kid gloves. I'm through of you trying to bully me. If you wanna go into a court battle with me, fine.
Just know this: There will be NO winners. Just lawyers laughing all the way to the bank with our money. So, if you wanna go that route, fine. Follow the old saying: When setting out for revenge, dig two graves. That's one for me and one for yourself. Nobody wins. Get it? Thank you.

Finally today, I want to say a farewell to Drew Gutches who died a few days ago. I have heard a lot of the pros and cons about him from nearly everyone. But I rather let God be the final judgement on his eternal fate.

For now.. Semper FI.

Security becomes OVERKILL again.

G'day Everyone!

I was doing my normal morning surf of the news when this article appeared in TIME.

Please read:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1702559,00.html?cnn=yes

I am in hopes that Micah Brown will comment on it as well. But seriously, this form of NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION has serious implications. Even for the Deaf Community as well.

Comments? What do you think? Did you know that the ACLU is against it for fear that it's too much "Big Brother-ism" again from the government coming out of one of the many post 9/11 issues?

I'd like to hear what you think.

Thanks.

WOW!! Gallaudet's Other Tent City!

G'day everyone!

I thought I would make a special post today because it grabbed my interest.
Everyone remembers how the Deaf Tent Cities popped up around the country in support of the Protest at Gallaudet University in 2006.

But lo and behold. Here's an article: http://admissions.gallaudet.edu/gblog/index.php/2008/01/08/gallaudets-other-tent-city/

Read that article please!

Going on, I was kind of surprised to hear that. A homeless camp right near Gallaudet University! It was such an information to hear coming out of Gallaudet University.

But that's NOT the only in DC. I have seen many OTHER TENT CITY sites spread all over the DC area. Most of them are right under the bridges of the interstates of DC! When I used to go on I-395 towards 8th street south east, I'd always see this group of homeless people camping in the tents right along side of the road underneath the over pass. Isn't dangerous to camp underneath of a overpass bridge next to a busy highway? Yes. But when you are a homeless person.. you don't have much choice!

Many thoughts came to me about the homeless people. For one, I wish there was more jobs in America and a better welfare system. But hearing about homeless people living in a camping tent 24/7, it's no joke. It's a rough life.

Yes, I had a deaf friend or a two that lived homeless and in a tent long ago. It wasn't until he got murdered for his tent. I pray to God that we'll have a roof over our heads and food to eat. But if you ever hear of a deaf friend being homeless, why not extend a little help to them?

I wish we could revive the Gallaudet Tent City and raise money to help homeless people. Good idea, no? *sigh*.

Well, as this little paradise exists for these homeless people behind Gallaudet conference center, let's hope they behave there. I hate to think of one crime happening there and then they're gone the next moment.

I'll say a bit of a prayer for the homeless today. They need it more than all of us who read this today.

Semper fi.

administrative Post/ Strictest mom on the planet.

G'day everyone!

Administrative note from Sherlock:

A threat appeared in my comments section while I was approving them. As a result, I had to enable STRICT controls for a while. What I mean to say is, you can no longer leave comments with out leaving your name. IE: Anonymous names. So therefore, you must have an account somewhere in order to leave a comment.

I'm sorry that it's one bad apple, who used an Anonymous name ,who fails personally suggest that we talk behind the blog instead of public attacks and yet, makes it tough for everyone else to leave a comment. This same person has decided to THREATEN me. I take threats personally and will take action. (Law enforcement is working with me on this threat).

How long will the strict controls last? I am unable to say. The threat is real and I'm NOT going to lose my blog to this threat. No, never again. I'm sorry to say nobody can leave Anonymous comments again. So, I want to warn people out there. Don't bother threatening people on the 'net. Because if you do, you will have bit off more than you intended. Your "footprint" on the 'net already tracks right back to your computer. Simple as that.

Thanks.
end of administrative post by Sherlock
_____________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile: from the surfing today I found this article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/01/09/mean.mom.ap/index.html

Read that first.

Done? Here's what I think. That meanest mom is going to have to expect that her relationship with her Son will be gone. Especially when he's about to graduate and go to college. When that happens, I expect this kid will shut out his mom for a long time. Strict parent, yes. But when her son moves out and away, she'll have no more control and she'll pay the price.
Many people might approve of her methods of embarrassment of her son. But happens if he decides to lawyer up and throw a lawsuit back at his mom? In this lawsuit world happy society, it just may happen. I hope she wakes up fast and suggests that she pays for all of his college education, up to the doctor's degree. But, sadly.. she's already lost.

Parents, don't do this. You'll break your family faster than you can say "Jack Robinson". Think, Parents. There are better ways to deal with the situation than what this "mean mom" has done.
It's too late for her to save her family. But not too late for you if you are in this situation as well.
Hope you find a different way to deal with it.

Thanks.

Are TTYs fading and being replaced by VPs?

G'day Everyone!

I thought I would touch on a topic today that I think will be on the minds of everyone in the Deaf Community. The Teletypewriter. OR TTY for short. Why is it gathering dust in most homes for the deaf now?

The answer is very obvious. We've progressed from the age of the big TTYs to the small and portable TTYs, to now we have arrived in the present state. Computer technology has given the rise to: AOL, Yahoo, MSN Instant Messengers. We communicate by sidekicks and blackberries. We even communicate on older cell phones of Short Message Texts (SMTs). Suddenly, a few years ago, the arrival of Sorenson and other Videophone companies have started the Golden age of Deaf Video Phones or DVP for short. Most of them are good for making quick calls to relay services.

It seems in this age now, we're getting faster and easier to communicate with each other and the hearing people.

But, I want to say one thing, Don't junk that TTY yet. Hang on to it. Some day, we may need it again. For what? I dunno.

Will Deaf VPs and IMs be the reached sky in the deaf community? No. We may improve one day again. Who knows to what level?

For now, enjoy the IMs and VPs. What a world for all of us to be so close tight community.

Semper FI VP and IM.

Penn State gets it's Chrstmas wish!

G'day Everyone!

For all of us PSU fans, Yes, that's us of Penn State fans, have watched history being made.. again!
Our main and bitter rival, Ohio State University (OSU-buckeyes) was defeated tonight by Louisiana State University (LSU-Tigers). The final score 38-24!! For many of the PSU fans, we thank LSU for stopping OSU from gaining the National Champions Title, again! (this is the 2nd year OSU has tried for National Championship. At the same time.. Ohio State gets knocked off it's #1 rank and LSU takes it in pride of being number 1 now.

Ever since OSU came through PSU's playground, we, the fans, have bitched the day of the way OSU played PSU. We have bitched and complained. We have hated OSU ever since as well. Finally, all of our prayers have been rewarded. LSU stopped the run of OSU. Outfoxed the defense of OSU.

So LSU, enjoy being national champions. We thank you to humble the mighty OSU that once said "National Champions will BE OURS! NONE SHALL STAND IN OUR WAY!!". Well, they hadn't counted on a #2 road block. DENIED!

And LSU.. get ready.. PSU is going to rock THIS FALL! Syracuse ORANGEMEN are coming back for another season! Break out the Paterno ties! PSU vs SU soon! Hooray! Will there be a PSU National Champion? Some day. :-)

Again, good job LSU TIGERS!!

Ranting along with Micah Brown!

G'day Everyone!



Once more, I have enjoyed the wonder works of Micah Brown's blog: Micah's Brain ( http://www.xanga.com/MicahBrwn ). The man does write a good political point.

But I want to make a few things clear.

For starters: the political race is already under way. The contest is very important to almost everyone. But not everyone supports all of the candidates out there. Lots of ugly faces. None of them have not caught a favorable interest in me. BUT, one point I want to say clearly : I DO NOT WANT HILLARY CLINTON TO WIN! This is extremely important. I don't want History to read the following American Presidents : After Reagan , Bush I , followed by Clinton I , Then Bush II , and lastly Clinton II. Does that look good to you? I don't think so. It looks like a damn rerun story of nearly everything! We don't need that.

I'm not saying that I don't want Hillary Clinton to be President because she's a woman. But, lots of questions remains of how her husband Bill Clinton acted as President while in office. Many more people have a bigger concern that she could name her husband to a Federal Judgeship while in office, even to the high court! That's scary and worrisome.

You know what? There were some good possible laws that were debated that would have helped the Gay and Lesbian community. It was the Matthew Sheppard Act Hate Crimes bill. I was astounded that Bush, who had ridden twice on the coattails of the Gay Community to Presidential win, has betrayed the Gay Community many times over. Will the Gay and Lesbian community support another presidential candidate? Seriously, NO. No matter how many promises a candidate says, trust is already gone. Bush has already proved that.

But also in the same political stance, there were some also possible good laws that would have helped the deaf and disabled community to gain better employment as well.

Lastly, I want to end my rant with a clear picture for the Supreme Court. Since the death penalty is being reviewed, many of the criminal cases that involve the convictions ending in death penalty need to be carefully examined and looked at fully. These are cases in the years of 1970s to 1990s. There's progress being made of checking people who were convicted of crimes, but DNA wasn't checked. Now they are and people are being freed from prison based on that. We need clear convictions. But not convictions where prosecutors and cops rush for convictions by illegal means. That's not the honor of law. Every judge would be pissed if they learn they have to overturn such convictions. Judges are honor bound by the law. Even so, I wish every prosecutors and cops start to learn to treat the law with fairness and criminals with rights.
Justice and Judgement are weighed in FAIR BALANCE. But Evil Justice and BAD Judgement is ethically and morally wrong.

Let's hope 2008 is a FAIR and JUST political year.

Missing a High School Reunion!

G'day Everyone!

First of all, I want to apologize to some people who thought I might be promoting "Deaf Porn", but I'm not. It was rather to inform you of what's happening out there. I don't care who makes porn, especially with deaf people in it. But it raises a lot ethical questions. So again, I'm not promoting "Deaf Porn". Thank you.

Meanwhile, I am regretting a lot of former high school friends of mine. I just found out they had that 25th High School Reunion and I wasn't aware of it until it was too late. Just because they posted it on http://www.classmates.com/ doesn't really mean that everyone's going to see it. I wish my hearing friends made every attempt to find me. Just as much I have tried to find them over the years. It's a real sadness that they didn't and I miss out on a wonderful event. What's more, I intend to share some of things that happened with them during my early mainstream days as I'm writing a personal book. But won't post it like Robert Goodwin has in his own blog : http://rsgeo007.blogspot.com/ (check out his deaf mainstream story series. Some of them are OUTRAGEOUS. They are great to read!!)

Hey.. as 2008 Starts..I'm wondering where's Ricky Taylor, aka Ridor? Anyone know where he is? Thanks!

Anyhow, it's another day in the blogsphere out there. so what else is new? *laughing*
Enjoy the weekend. For tomorrow, we head back to the salt mines of MONDAY! :-)

Semper Fi!

Wegmans gives up on tobacco products!

G'day Everyone!

There was a stunning announcement that is being printed out in the Rochester, NY papers as well as in the states where Wegmans Food Stores are located.
The announcement?

It's a Wegmans corporate decision do discontinue selling tobacco products! That is smoking products.

Consumers, who like to smoke tobacco, are NOT pleased. It was at the market place food court area where one local long time smoker took some time to talk to me and he LOUDLY complained:" It's not fair that Wegmans should discontinue selling cigarretts and other tobacco products. Their prices are CHEAP here!". Another person barked back at the smoker and said "Look, there are tobacco stores literally all over Williamsport and other towns! So why should you bitch that Wegmans wants to stop selling tobacco when you can buy it anywhere else? Even on the Internet!". The discussion was still going on when I had to leave.

We're coming into the age when tobacco laws (being set tougher by the state and local places) are getting strict and smoking bans are going up in various places. How will the tobacco industry respond to this? I would believe that they would get their lawyers and sue the states to say that they were 'Not consulted before they set up tobacco banning laws'. Would they win in court? I doubt that.

But the states are trying to make every effort to curb teen smoking. This is a very important thing to happen.
People are dying from lung cancer, both from direct smoking and passive 2nd hand smoke. Even people who get lung cancer long after they've stopped smoking! Smoking tobacco products must stop!

So where else do smokers go to buy their tobacco products and smoke? Simple. Go buy at a tobacco stores and smoke at home. Where else? But that may be the last place you can enjoy a smoke because now some states are making it forbidden to smoke in apartments/homes where children present.

Should it come to pass after 2010 that smoking becomes outlawed, the tobacco industry may finally see it's end. What happens to all that massive and profitable fortune? Let's hope they push all that money over to the medical industry to help all the cancer patients that are dying due to tobacco products.

What about Wegmans? How much money do you think they made in selling tobacco products every year? I looked at my newspaper article. Wegmans declined to say how much they made in a profit. And by saying that, let's hope they improve their store to be a healthier image!

So a big semper fi hail to Wegmans!

Deaf Porn! and hey.. privacy please?

G'day Everyone!

I never thought I'd see the day that this is actually happening!! I got alerted last nite when someone told me that there was an actual making of DEAF PORN going on. I wondered if the ADA law was screwed on someone's mind too tight?

I refused to run with the information until Jamie Berke posted on her Deafness.about.com site today. Here is the link: http://deafness.about.com/ (actually that's the home page of it.).

But for the real site of what we're talking about today:
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/sexdrive/2008/01/sexdrive_0104

Believe it or not..deaf porn? Would it finally be clear that someone is really making movies that involve deaf people having actual sex? Why am I not surprised?

To tell you the truth, the adult entertainment industry is pretty much a real actual business these days. Except there's a lot of problems of putting an adult store in a specific place. Lots of towns fight it when they can. States try to regulate where it's suppose to go (mostly in the infamous Red light district areas). Worth to make a quick profit? Only if you are without ethics and morals for it.

Most consenting adult consumers have turned to the web these days to find the porns that they want to get via mail. Deaf Porn? Would it be a hit with the deaf community? I doubt that. But it depends on Deaf people who want Deaf Porn films. Straight, Gay, and Lesbian movie are NOT closed captioned, but there's little talking and lots of action happening in these adult films.

Yet, I am concern how every deaf community will react to deaf porn. You have to make an opinion and consider your own morals.

And by the way, I also wanted to comment that there's a conversation going on in the deafness.about.com forms. It's filed under General Discussions --> Deafness and promiscuity. For those that want to see what I'm talking about : http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?msg=4060.1&nav=messages&webtag=ab-deafness

So..Semper Fi to PAT M. for his tip to me!

The forgotten years of old apartment.

G'day everyone!

I was taking down my family's Christmas tree yesterday. A must need to be done when the holiday season is over. The Christmas tree has been put away, but the holiday spirit should never be put away either.

But, my memories came up on me. It reminded me when I was holding an old ornament. A glass Christmas mouse. The last precious family heirloom that never went with me to my old apartment nearly 20 years ago. I sat down and thought back to 1987 to 1993.

Those were the years that I had some fantastic roommates and happy times. Except in the last two years were filled with violence caused by people who we had in the apartment that were placed there, temporary, by our former deaf pastor. We didn't know them well. Yet, they caused injury and destruction upon us.

The worst that came in our apartment was my beloved Christmas tree. My roommates loved how I tricked out the lights and made the lights do things that no other company could do. But they also loved all my family's heirloom ornaments.

In 1993, that was the beginning of the end for nearly everything of my apartment with my roommates. We had an evil visitor that was placed in our home. Forced in is more like it, by our former deaf pastor. The most evil thing that this evil visitor had done was bringing illegal cats into my home. I told him to get rid of them. He wouldn't. We tried to keep them contained in his room. The most ugliest day came just after the decorated Christmas tree was found destroyed. My roommates had to hold me back while this evil guy just laughed and said.."well, cats will be cats!".

At the end of Spring 1994, I had no choice. I told my remaining roommates to flee while I tore up the apartment contract. The evil guy took on one of our former roommates and further screwed up his life. Of what happened to that friend of mine, I can't tell you but feel bad for him.

After he left, the house was in shambles. As I cleaned what I could, I looked at the Christmas tree. I was filled with extreme sadness. Having been through a very violent 5 months of 1994, I threw out my entire Christmas stuff, including my tricked out light set. I vowed and said "when I get a new home and a decent roommate, I'll rebuild.".

As for the very cats that roamed about my house? A friend of mine helped me to get them into a box and shipped to animal control services. We had to get treated at the hospital for some severe scratches and a few shots. No pity for my evil roommate. Animal services told me that they were rabid and wild already. I told him "no kidding, Fred", because my evil roommate let his cats come and go as he pleased.

I broke out of my daydream with a few tears. That Christmas mouse has become my prized Christmas collection now. It represents that that the spirit of Christmas survives in me still.

In this year of 2008, it is most likely that I will finally have a trusted roommate again. And If I do get a nice decent place, I'll be a strict person if someone wants to visit. Most of all, I've been looking around at various Christmas trees. Done a little tinkering with Christmas lights. Some where in my mind will be a better tricked out Christmas tree.
I have time. 11 months to go before the next day after Thanksgiving. :-)

Until next time..I give a bit of Semper Fi Christmas spirit (but none to my evil former roommate!).

An interview with God.

G'day Everyone!

Yesterday was quite a day in parts of the country. Most people are suffering the snow storm that has hit most of the country quite hard. Here in my hometown, not a speck of snow. Yet, I'm anxious to use my bad boy machine! (Tim Allen, be proud of me!).

Anyhow, that's not the point of my post today. Here is today's story for you to read:

http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/

I hope you go to the site and turn on your speakers because the music is worth to listen to.

(Semper Fi shout for Al in Alabama for sending me this link).

Have a great day!