Reflections: Sifting Realities

DC will be reintroducing Batwoman...as a lesbian.
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News:
"World Losing HIV Fight"

"India Has the Highest HIV+ Population"

Pride Days:
DC - June 2 - 11

Baltimore - June 17 & 18
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I noticed that I've not been blogging on a regular basis as before. It could be that I'm stressing out with KT in regards to job searches and the near future. We're just gonna do the best we can and enjoy the summer.

We had a great Memorial Day Weekend, having 5 days off from work. That's practically a vacation for us. We're back to our usual selves, being anal about things, like the house being cleaned and tidy. We're going out more often, like window shopping. Of course, window shopping is a bad thing for me cuz I see so many things and then I wanna buy them all.

Thursday, we spent nearly all day shopping at various stores, getting stuff ready for the BBQ we planned for Sunday. Shopping's fun but exhausting too.

Friday, we had lunch with Kekua at Sette in Dupont Circle. It's a nice cozy restaurant with glass windows so you can view people walking by. I had rigatoni with meat sauce. Delicious! KT and Kekua both had cheese pizzas, which KT thought his was too greasy.

Saturday morning, we drove to Bowie and biked on trails. Whoo! I'm just fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat! Not that it wasn't obvious. Just biking for half an hour left me gasping for air and feeling the need to vomit. It was a good workout, despite my legs complaining like hell. Yeah, I definitely need to stop smoking cloves. Now, how many times have I said that?

That afternoon, we met up with some friends to watch The Da Vinci Code. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. The movie pretty much followed the book. And because it followed the book, it ran a bit too long. Tom Hanks did pretty good as Robert Langdon.

As always, the books beat the movie adaptations.

Dan Brown is working on his next novel, "The Solomon Key", involving Robert Langdon, on freemasonry. One of the settings in his novel will be Washington, DC.

Oh yeah...Brown's Angels & Demons will be made into a movie.

Anyways. I think I got carried away a bit with this Dan Brown thing. Moving on...

Sunday, we had a BBQ in the backyard with the Olsons, the Officers, the Kaftans, the Pezzarossis, the Dukes and the Haualands. Talk about food galore!

Thank goodness for the sunny weather. We had a great time, hanging out in the backyard and chitchatting. Of course, when you have this many people for about 7 or 8 hours, you bound to come across a plethora of topics. Some of them were hilarious!

We had bought these multi-colored citronella torches. They basically looked like giant candles. They kinda look like this, except the color lines were vertical. Cute but not so great with kids around. So, I'm definitely gonna save up to buy those tall metal citronella torches.

After the BBQ was done, we headed over to the Officers' and played games til 3 in the morning. So, we slept in late on Monday.

So, that was our weekend. This week is just awesome. We're just working today and tomorrow and then off the rest of the week! Gawd, I just love my work schedule!

Well, I better get back to work and ADD (or is it OCD?) on job searches and applications.

ta ta for now...
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Atlanta - Jurors are split on the verdicts of 2 men who helped a former state schools superintendent steal $600,000 in public education funds. Some of the funds were geared towards 2 state schools for the Deaf.

Half the money were spent on the former superintendent's failed GOP campaign and almost $10,000 were spent on a facelift.

My, my...the guts these people have to dip their greedy hands in the proverbial cookie jar. I could never even think of taking some money. Monies are usually accounted for and verified by several people.

*****

In 2005, the American military discharged, on average, 2 people per day for being openly gay.
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UK - The Gay Men's Health Charity (GMFA) has been awarded funds by the National Lottery, specifically for interpreters for Deaf gay men. Deaf gay men will now have access to courses offered by GMFA.
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Not too long ago, I blogged about a relay scam that tried to get our information from a credit card company. (Just scroll down for that blog entry, 5/8/06.)

Then, I come across an article, "Canine Con", in Keloland.com. Someone did a scam through Relay in regards to breeding/selling Newfoundland dogs.

Since the Relay scams are becoming more frequent, the FCC will now investigate for a reduction in scams.

I mentioned before that these scams are hurting the Deaf community. Victims of the Relay scams/pranks will only hang up on future Relay calls that are legit. We all know how frustrating it is getting hung up while the Relay operator is trying to explain Relay. They might know what Relay is but they're not going to be receptive because they'll be uncertain whether this particular call is legit or not.

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Radical Moves in Sexuality

Schools in Scotland will teach Gay Sex Ed. The current sex education curriculum has been labeled "heterosexist", therefore it was revised to include same-sex relationships and counseling.

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A teacher has been placed on unpaid leave for distributing a "heterosexual" questionnaire to students.

A teacher passed out a 10 question survery to about half of the high school's students during the National Day of Silence, co-sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. It seems she was doing a "flip" side of sexuality.

A couple of the questions were:

"What do you think caused your heterosexuality?"

"When did you decide you were heterosexual?"

However, parents complained because they weren't given advanced notice to determine if their children can participate or not. The teacher was placed on a 2 day leave, unpaid.

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Bee Season was an odd movie to watch. KT and I thought it was a movie on spelling bee's. Well, it is but we had no idea that it would involve Jewish mysticism or Kabbalism.

The movie opens with Saul Naumann (Richard Gere), a professor of religion and Jewish mysticism, devoting time with his eldest son, Aaron, with music lessons. Saul is clueless that his younger daughter, Eliza, has been winning spelling bee contests. When the son informs the father of Eliza's accomplishments, Saul shifts his attention to Eliza. Saul believes that Eliza can reach the ears of God, especially when she's searching for the letters of the word to spell during the contests.

Aaron sees the shift of his Dad's attention from him to Eliza. He escapes into Hinduism. Meanwhile, the wife has been having her own private klemptomaniac episodes until she's caught. Everything is dumped on Saul as he's pretty much clueless about his family because he's too busy with Kabbalah or rather, reaching the ears of God through his daughter.

Like I said, odd movie. You're not missing anything if you don't watch this movie.
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Goodness! This was one long movie that could've been shortened by half. The first hour was just unstimulating, enough to make you wanna stop the movie and give up. However, KT and I kept on watching it til the end.

The only good parts were the fight scenes between King Kong and the T-Rexes, the shooting scenes between the giant insects and the humans and the capture of King Kong. Everything else were fillers.



Had to stop this movie a little past the halfway point. Jim Carrey just isn't funny anymore.

Dick and Jane have a good life. Dick gets a promotion, where the pay is so good that Jane doesn't have to work anymore. However, the company gets in trouble (think Enron) and Dick doesn't have a job. Dick and Jane are forced to sell their possessions until they have to steal in order to survive.



I was disappointed with the first half of Hostel because it was just slow to get to the good part of the movie. 3 guys are traveling Europe, when they hear about a hostel in a Slovakian city, filled with girls. The guys head over and face their gruesome nightmares.

I have to tell you that this movie is gory, as in LOTS of blood. However, it's balanced with suspense that'll make you root for the victims at the edge of your seat.



Of all the movies listed here, this one is the best. It's actually a pretty good movie to be enjoyed by all viewers. If you liked Seabiscuit, you'll definitely love this movie.

Sonador, a filly, breaks her leg during a major race. Horses with this type of fracture are usually put to sleep. However, a trainer and his daughter saves the horse and rehabilitate it back to health. Despite doubts from everyone, Sonador re-enters the race and wins.

Dakota Fanning is an awesome young child actress. She's gonna grow up and be one fabulous actress.



I was actually surprised with Robots. I had put off seeing this movie because I assumed that it would suck and waste my time. Actually, it was pretty good and funny too.

In a robot world, Rodney takes off to the big city to "sell" his invention to a company that he's had dreams working for. However, the company went throught some sinister changes, including the CEO. Rodney is determined to save the company, the city and its people.



Saw Mission: Impossible 3 last week. This movie received mixed reactions from the people I went to see the movie with. I guess you gotta like those James Bond type of movies in order to enjoy M:I movies. Well, I liked it and thought it was pretty good.

Ethan Hunt and his team must get their hands on Rabbit's Foot, a dangerous weapon, from a notorious arms dealer. However, the mission is filled with twists and betrayals that has to be dealt with in order to complete the mission.



Europa Europa was an interesting movie. During the Holocaust in Germany, a Jewish boy joins the Hitler Youth to conceal his identity and survives the Holocaust. I cannot imagine what it was like to be a part of your enemy's army and to see the army murder your people.

I believe it's worth a watch but be forewarned that this movie might be slow for some viewers.



Pom Poko is made by the same people who did Nausicaa and Spirited Away, among others. However, this movie was a bit long to make you restless.

Pom Poko is about a band of shape-shifting raccoons who are determined to save their lands from being urbanized. The shape-shifting raccoons can basically morph into any objects, animals or humans. However, they usually morph into 2 other animals that kind of resemble small bears (think Care Bears or Jerry Garcia's bears).

One interesting part of this movie is that you can tell which raccoons, when they morph into other animals, are males. You see their balls hanging. In fact, some of the masters can morph their testicles into objects. It's hilarious!

Book:



KT and I got "Why Do Men Have Nipples?" as one of the graduation gifts. It's one of those books filled with questions, usually medical or science related, and answered by a doctor.

The book was ok. It was just that some of the questions were stupid, such as "Do you get hairy palms from masturbating?" Like, whatever! Most of the questions/answers were pretty much common knowledge. There were only few that were new information to me.

I wouldn't recommend you to buy the book. I'd rather you go to your local library and skim through it.
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ta ta for now...
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You gotta watch this! It's a montage of Diana Prince (Lynda Carter) spinning into Wonder Woman!

*spinning*
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by Maureen Kluza www.moeart.com

Whoo! It's been a little over a week since the last post. KT and I had been busy with the hooding ceremony, graduation, families as well as keeping track with the protests of JK and the search process.

I'm sure you all are caught up with Celia Baldwin resigning as Interim Chair of the Board and Brenda Brueggermann as the replacement. I'm sure you're also aware of JK resigning as Provost and will be searching for the next Provost.

There have been scores of letters, emails, public addresses, newspaper articles, photos, blogs that have kept diligent tabs throughout. If you're behind, you can check the following blogs, which also have links to additional sources:

Ridor

Elisa

FSSA

DeafDC

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I know! I know! I got IM's from some of you asking me to blog about graduation and the families visiting. So, here goes:

Dad arrived in Richmond on Tuesday night. It was unexpected because we had agreed to meet Wednesday evening. However, he was driving from Orlando and decided to stop in Richmond and rest up for the night.

Wednesday, Dad arrived noonish. This was the first time that I met his wife, Juana. She seemed like a nice lady, although she was nervous and shy. We didn't really talk since she doesn't speak English. She was too nervous to actually pay attention to the gestures that KT and I were trying convey. She would just look at my dad for interpretation.

Dad and I seemed to really get along. He brought over his laptop and wanted me to help him with the computer stuff to get his home business off the ground. Meanwhile, KT and Juana were playing dominoes.

Afterwards, we headed over to California Pizza Kitchen in Dupont Circle. Juana, being from Mexico, was nervous about everything. She felt queasy riding up and down the escalator.

I wasn't really nervous about meeting Juana. However, there were just a lot of awkward silent moments, since we both could not communicate. Just a lot of smiles being passed back and forth.

After dinner, we went our own separate ways. I was supposed to pick up my aunt, Mary, at BWI at 11:30pm. However, the plane was delayed and didn't pick her up until an hour later. Nonetheless, it was good to see her once again. We were up til like almost 3am, catching up.


Some of the ASL/Deaf Studies graduates:
back (left to right): KT, Liz Parks, me
front (left to right): Beth Dukes, Bridget Klein, Meredith Filiatreault

Thursday was the Hooding Ceremony. Just before the ceremony, we saw KT's folks. It was good to see them once again. However, this event was just too long that made everyone restless. Traditionally, the hooding ceremony had both the graduate awards and the ceremony. This year, they were going to do the awards part a week prior so the hooding ceremony could be shorten. However, things happened (I'm assuming the protest thing or whatever) and the awards was postponed to join the ceremony.

Lawdy, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone got hemorroids! Like I said, the ceremony was just too long. We were restless!

Oh yeah, JK did leave in the middle of it, which made some people speculate. I was told that she left for a BOT meeting. I was also told of other reasons why she left.

After the ceremony, the families got together at Fuddrucker's in Chinatown. This wa the first time that our families had met each other. It was also the first time that KT's mom and dad saw each other since their divorce. Overall, it was amicable. Mary was just really sociable with everyone. Dad and Juana were kinda left out because Dad just busy interpreting or having his own conversations with Juana. It was just an interesting observation.

After dinner, we went our separate ways, with my aunt staying with us. KT and I had a good time with Mary, catching up on news. Mary and I were drinking shots of tequila. Stayed up til about 1am.

Friday was graduation. As we were on the road to Gallaudet for graduation, KT's dad paged us and told us about the bomb threat on campus. I was like, what?!? Were they going to cancel graduation? Were our families coming here for nothing? So, we get there and sure enough, no one's allowed on campus because of the bomb threats in 3 buildings. However, it wasn't long before they let us back on campus.


Left to Right: Juana, Dad, me, Mary

We dropped off our families at Field House where graduation will commence. We headed off to HMB to line up for graduation. We got one of those awareness ribbon for "Unity for Gallaudet" and pinned them to our gowns.


KT's mom and stepfather

We checked in and were given our designated lines. However, when we were seated in Field House, we realized the line ups were fucked up. The K's were seated with the D's. The G's and H's were behind the K's. The whole graduate seating was messed up. However, that was fixed when we were led to the lobby before going to the front of the stage to get our degree from IKJ.


KT's dad and stepmother

A lot of the graduate graduates left before the undergraduates had the chance to get their turn on the stage. Even though we were instructed not to leave early, I could not blame the graduates. We sat forever the night before. Even some of our families were complaining about Thursday night and having to sit forever again.

After graduation, our families met up with our friends for celebration at Guapo's in Tenleytown. Overall, had a great time along with delicious food! Again, Dad and Juana didn't really participate with the families. Meanwhile, Mary was having a wonderful time with KT's folks. I vee vee how my dad was vee vee'ing me with the Deafies.

Afterwards, we all went our separate ways. It was the last time I saw Dad and Juana as they were going to head to Pittsburgh to see his older brother. It was also the last time to see KT's dad and stepmother as they will return to North Carolina for a high school reunion.

Saturday morning was spent with KT's mom and stepfather for breakfast. Afterwards, we drove Mary around DC to see some sights before dropping her off at BWI in the afternoon. It was hard seeing her go because I know that Mary is like the very few people that truly care, in her own way, about me and KT.

After that, we were pooped! It was like, we could finally breathe with relief. No more school. No more families.

We're free!!!!!


Well, that was until we resumed job searches and applications. Ugh, the stress that comes with it! Ah, such is life!

Yeah, we both wanna pursue a doctorate's degree. Just not now...
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Since the announcement of Jane K. Fernandes as the 9th president of Gallaudet, there's been some interesting developments, newspaper articles, letters, flyers, emails, photos, videos, rallies, perspectives and blog postings.

Unlike DPN, we're getting information much faster than before, thanks to pagers, blogs and videophones. There's been countless of instant messages with friends and acquaintances about this whole thing. Don'cha just love technology? Oh yeah, let's not forget the media as well.

There have been several blogs, chronicling the protests, rallies and meetings at Gallaudet. Such blogs are:

Elisa

Ridor

DeafDC (Adam Stone, Bobby Cox, Julie Feldman, Chris & Allison (Polk-[?]) Kaftan)

There are so many more bloggers writing about it, whether they're on campus or not.

Yesterday, Chris and Allison posted an entry, The Gallaudet Community Shoots Self in Foot. I thought it was a bold posting. Whether you agree with it, either wholly or parts, or not, it does call for introspection.

Like I said, the posting was bold because they attempted to show both sides of the protest, although one could get the sense that the protesters were being scolded. One thing that I immediately agreed was that no one should be staking out anyone's residence. The Kaftans said that some students had gone to JK's residence, thus forcing JK to stay on campus for the sake of safety. Some commenters stated that was not true. Regardless, I believe that no one should intimidate others at all, whether it's been happening or not.

The rest of the the post, I had to think about it. After work, I took KT out to dinner at Lauriol Plaza. It was our first time there. Let me tell you, I thought it was a fabulous Mexican restaurant. The tortilla chips were fresh. The salsa was fresh and spicy. KT had chunky chicken fajitas. I had a burrito gordo, along with a frozen lime margarita. Mmm, it was a delicious dinner!

Anyways, while dining at Lauriol Plaza, we got into some interesting discussions about the whole thing. Even when we got home, we were still talking about it.

So, I'd like to address some things from the post:

I definitely agree that everyone needs to be tolerant of one another. However, to be tolerant doesn't mean to be neutral. It just means to respect one another, whether they want to participate in the protest or not or whether they agree or disagree with your views.

People are allowed to change their minds or stances. They should be allowed to change or modify without any pressure or intimidation from anyone. Changing one's mind or stance doesn't just occur during protests, it occurs in daily life with jobs, education, relationships, decisions, choices and the like. Even during the election year, people change their minds or their political affiliations.

Now, about students allegedly going to JK's house, I have to re-evaluate that. Again, no one should intimidate others. However, I will have to agree with some of the commenters in regards to JK not reporting this incident. I mean, if I was being harassed, I'm gonna be like Ridor by boldizing their names and tell them to get the fuck off my property and stay the fuck away from me, from KT and the kitties. Of course, I'd get the cops involved.

If it did happen, why didn't she report it? We'll never know her intentions until she tells us. Perhaps, she was trying to be diplomatic. Who knows?

As for Dr. Jane Norman... Like I said, we shouldn't intimidate others just because they support JK and vice versa. Now, about her letter, it's interesting. Like Elisa said in her blog, what paper? The only "paper" that I'm aware is that e-petition in regards to the 2 demands.

We have too many people saying that someone did this and someone did that. It can get confusing. Do we trust that person or that blogger? Do we discount them altogether? Do we only believe only what we have seen with our own two eyes? I believe we should take everything with a grain of salt. Let's not be quick to jump in and gasp in shock. Investigate. Confirm.

As for the protest itself, I do believe there are too many messages as being the basis. Is it the search process itself? Is it JK? Is it diversity? Is it IKJ? Is it the BOT? Is it social injustice? Is it the system? However, I believe it is natural for all of these and other questions to be asked and discussed. This will all consolidate and is in the process.

I have to applaud Chris and Allison for being able to show the other side, in this case, Gallaudet for All (GFA). The GFA has been getting support from the university, such as monies and laptops. Allison questioned their potential to show support for JK without influences from the university. That is something to consider.

As for the Tent City, I think it's unique. There's been some concerns about campers doing leisurely activities instead of protesting. Well, first of all, do you expect them to protest 24/7? These people are there at the daily 4pm rally in front of Chapel Hall. These people are there at JK's daily sessions. These people go to various meetings and whatnots. Meanwhile, in between, they are allowed to relax, bond and do other things.

As for resources, I'm not quite sure where I stand. Last week, I would say, "yes, they can use the university's resources". Some of these protesters are students of Gallaudet University. They're using the Internet, electricity and other resources in their dorms. It's just that they're in a different location, Tent City. This week, school is officially out for the summer. Does that mean their resources should be cut off as well?

Like I said, I'm not sure where I stand. The reason is because the campus location is a different story. You see, a university is never really closed to the public, especially to its own students and alumni. However, does that give us a pass to their resources? Anyways, I do take comfort that Tent City doesn't wholly rely on the university's resources. When I was there last week, I was told that Tent City was gonna rent out those public bathrooms, among other stuff.

I do wish that students and collegiate organizations had done something like the Faculty Senate did with the no-confidence votes before the semester had concluded. I believe that staff will be voting today. Correct me if I'm mistaken.

I believe the protesters should be asking themselves another question, which may lead to another strategy. If JK says, which she has repeatedly, that she will not resign and the BOT says they will not rescind their decision, what will the FSSA do next? Will the protesters remain on campus throughout the summer? Will the FSSA initiate another strategy or another demand? Or are they going with the flow?

That reminds me, I gotta get the "Unity for Gallaudet" t-shirts.

Speaking of unity, we need to really practice that. It doesn't help with people pointing fingers and belittling each other. All for one, one for all, right?

I do hope something positive will result from this protest. Who knows what just might happen, eh?
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The Hate Crimes Bill, which would have included crimes against GLBT's, has been dropped in the Senate.

A heartfelt thanks to Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass) who has been trying very hard to get this bill passed since 1999. Kennedy is adamant that he will re-introduce it in the next session.
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KT and I basically had a wonderful relaxing weekend, even with the late Spring cleaning.

Really, with school done, I found myself being back to my old self. I'm relaxed, not taking everything so serious. I'm laughing. I'm flirting with KT, more and more. Lawdy, I was crazy to overload myself with school, work and internship but it had to be done.

Hmm, I know I definitely want a (long?) break from school before returning for my Ph.D.

Of course, Friday, I was at Tent City for the protest and the Q&A session with Celia Baldwin and Tom Humphries.

That night, made myself strawberry daquiri. Whooo, worked up a nice buzz!

Saturday, we headed over to CK and Allison's place for a housewarming/barbeque gathering, along with a few other people. Leah's cute! Initially, she was shy but eventually warmed up to me and KT. Previously, I would just see her in passing but never really talked to her. Aw, she's adorable!

Simply put, we had a wonderful time there!

Sunday was spent on finishing up the Spring cleaning. Watched Desperate Housewives before going to bed. Whoo! Things have been getting interesting and will continue til the season finale!

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Belated reviews:



Son of a Witch was so-so. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. Liir is on a search for Nor and and seeks confirmation whether or not he is Elphaba's son. The search just keeps on dragging from the beginning to the end.

In Wicked, Dorothy, Toto and her 3 friends were barely mentioned. In the sequel, they were mentioned in the beginning with Scarecrow mentioned more because he was the Wizard's replacement. However, the gang were painted as neurotic. It totally distorted the images I had of them from the movie.

Anyways, the book was so-so, which made me take my sweet time finishing it. Eh!

***



Assault on Precinct 13 was pretty good. Usually, I'm not fond of movies that center primarily on one scene but this was not bad.

A cop killer has been caught and sentenced to prison. En route to a prison on a secured bus, snow is falling hard on the highway. The driver has been instructed to stop at Precinct 13 for the night.

Once everyone is settled in, with prisoners in jail cells, the precinct is attacked. However, it's the dirty cops and "powers that be" that are attacking. You see, this cop killer had been making deals with these dirty cops. Now, he's caught and they're afraid he'll spill the beans on them.

Like I said, pretty good.

***



Secrets & Lies was an interesting British movie. When Hortense's, a black woman, mother dies, she discovers that she was adopted. Hortense goes to an adoption agency and an obtains a file. (In the film [I'm not sure if it's true in real life], adoptees have the right to their files under a 1974 [75?] act, unlike America.)

Hortense discovers her biological mother's name and address. She calls the mother and ask for a meet. The only problem is that Hortense is black and her biological mother is white. The mother truly believes there's been a mistake.

This movie is *vee vee* with their dialogues and familial drama. It is worth watching.

***



I loved it! Made me cry but I loved it! Kinda reminds me of that movie with Rosie O'Donnell, Demi Moore and 2 other actresses. Anyone remember the name of that movie?

**********

ta ta...
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A friend of mine emailed me some pictures, from his Sidekick, of the protest and Tent City:















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Once again, WaPo publishes another article on the protest:

Gallaudet Univ. President-Elect Draws Fire

(CNN.com - Gallaudet president-elect draws controversy)

The protest also appeared in WaPo Express (page 9):

Gallaudet Protesters Ask for Aid

An article in USAToday.com - Faculty mulls no-confidence vote against Gallaudet's president-elect

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Here's the FSSA's (Faculty, Students, Staff and Alumni) site: http://www.gallyfssa.org

This site is updated regularly, of events and emails and other happenings on campus. However, it is not frequently updated like Elisa and Ridor.

People are still leaving comments in DeafDC's blogs. They're worth reading.

**********

Well, ta ta for now...
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What the hell?!?!

Last weekend, KT tried to charge some purchases at Target with a credit card. It was denied. He was confused because we weren't anywhere near the credit limit and we were on time with payments.

So, this morning, he called and found out that someone/a relay operator was impersonating us and tried to get secured information. Luckily, the credit card company was suspicious and locked the account. The credit card company was able to get the phone number but could not trace the caller.

216/416-0033

KT Googled the number and found a site where several other people, mostly hearing, were also victims of this Relay prank. I found out in Bozzy's World, that this prank has been on-going since July 2005. Ok, that's really fucked up!

This is frustrating because that means these victims will only hang up future Relay calls, when Deaf people are actually making legit calls. We already have a difficult time trying to conduct businesses or whatnots with people who aren't familiar with Relay calls.

You know, that leads me back to that post I wrote about Kingstowne Theatre hanging up on me. I wouldn't be surprised if they had a prank Relay call, which would explain the repetitive hang-ups.

So, something rotten is going on and just wanted to give the heads up to Deafies.

Fucked up, eh?
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Yesterday, KT and I were finally able to participate in the protest at Gallaudet. First, we had to take care of some errands at Gallaudet, such as paying the library fines and whatnots.

There were some motivational speeches at the 4pm rally. Below are some pictures that I took from my Sidekick (picture quality is poor):


The rally in front of Chapel Hall.


Ridor and Terese among the crowd.

After the rally, we all waited an hour before going to Elstad Auditorium to hear what the Interim Chair Celia M. Baldwin had to say about this whole thing. She brought along a fellow member of the BOT, Tom Humphries. (Yeah, he's the guy that came up with "audism".)

Below are some pictures of the crowd waiting for the doors to open at the auditorium:


I *heart* this dog. Everyone was petting him as he was moving through the crowd. He had on a t-shirt that said "Pet Me to Re-Open Search Process" and the other side said "Unity for Gallaudet".


The crowd waiting...


Dr. Jane Norman speaking to a media camera. The woman slightly leaning forward on Dr. Norman's right is Dr. Margaret Vitullo, Chair of Sociology. On the camera's right is Jeff Hardison, interpreting for Dr. Norman. (For the link on Dr. Norman, scroll down to see her biography.)

By the way, yesterday, I posted an alleged letted of Dr. Jane Norman. It turned out to be authentic as copies of the letter was passed around campus and posted.

Counterprotesters, supporters of JK, were passing around the flyer below:






However, protesters immediately tossed them into the trash bins.


On the left is Adam Stone. Opposite of Adam is Julie Feldman.


This one is hard to see. The man standing with a blue coat and also appearing on the screen is Carl Pramuk, introducing the 2 BOT members. On the left, leaning on a podium is Celia Baldwin. The one sitting behind Carl is Tom Humphries.

It was basically a question and answer session. The attendants were under the impression that Baldwin and Humphries were going to make a speech and then allow questions. However, they just went straight to answering questions. Some students expressed suspicions because Humphries did the majority of the talking, while Baldwin gave short answers and hung back.

For the most part, their answers were recycled as they claimed that other information were confidential. There were some interesting questions that brought out cheers from the audience. However, the best part was Dr. Lynn Jacobowitz at the end. The question and answer session had been closed. However, someone asked Carl Pramuk if a faculty could have one more question. Baldwin and Humphries consented.

Dr. Lynn Jacobowitz, professor of ASL & Deaf Studies Dept., came up to the stage and said that she was not there to ask questions but to present certain facts. She listed several things, such as IKJ's slip of "Pres--, I mean, Provost...", IKJ's other statements, etc. The audience was up on their feet cheering. However, everyone was cheering loudly when she closed with "you want us to trust you? Well, I do not trust you two. I do not trust the Board. I do not trust IKJ..." We were all roaring in cheers. When Humphries was replying to Lynn's remarks, one student in the front told the audience to walk out because he was giving the same answers. The audience got up and walked out.

Overall, Baldwin and Humphries did not provide any satisfactory answers. They kept giving reassurances that they did listen to our feedback. They kept telling us to trust the Board and to give JK a chance.

Baldwin and Humphries left for a meeting with the faculty in Fowler Hall.

KT and I wanted the Unity for Gallaudet t-shirts but they were sold out! Arrrgh!

Well, it was late and we came back home.

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Another WaPo article about the protests:

Signs of Discord, Seen & Heard

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Meanwhile, the protest continues...
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I was checking blogs here and there and thought "Tent City" was a cool name. Tent City is named after the area of the 8th/Florida Streets entrance, where all the tents are pitched.

Elisa continues to provide constant and consistent updates of the protests and rallies. My, my...she must have an I.V. hooked up into her arm with coffee freely flowing. ;-)

More bloggers continue to post their perspectives on the protests:

Chris & Allison via DeafDC.com - thought-provoking

Jesse Thomas

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The latest article in WaPo:

Gallaudet's Next President Won't Bow Out

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Through a listserv, I was lead to a site that had Dr. Jane Norman's view on the protest. However, I'm hesitant to believe if these were hers. The reason is because this letter was posted in a MySpace homepage that allegedly belongs to Jane Fernandes.

However, it is worth a look.

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I'll be on campus to take care of some last minute's errands. I'll try to take some pictures from my Sidekick and post them here.

ta ta...
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The protests/rallies are still going on at Gallaudet University. Elisa and Ridor are giving constant updates, making you feel like you're actually there. DeafDC and a host of other bloggers have been keep tabs of the protests as well as giving their opinions/perspecttives.

WaPo, once again, has published another article about the Gallauet Protests.

The Gallaudet Protests was also featured in the Express. An excerpt of the live chat with Jane Fernandes as well as an excerpt of Adam's blog were also featured in the Express.

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One step at a time, Maryland gays are gaining rights. Governor Bob Erhlich has signed a legislation, allowing same-sex couples making medical decisions for each other.

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Colorado Senate Approves Gay Partner Measure

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Wendy's, a fast food chain, adds sexual orientation and gender identity to its employment nondiscrimination policy.

ta ta for now...
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During the live chat on WashingtonPost.com, someone submitted a question, asking if JK would resign, for the sake of unification at Gallaudet.

Her response...

No, I will not resign from my position as the ninth president of Gallaudet University. This is not a popularity contest or the election of a mayor for the deaf world. It is the selection of the president of an important institution of higher education in America.

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WashingtonPost.com will have an online chat with Jane K. Fernandes at 2pm. Go here if you want to submit a question to JK.

Articles on the selection of JK as the next president:

Ideas Exchanged as Protest Continues at Gallaudet

New Gallaudet President Met With Protest
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Well, first of all, I'm done!!!! Yaaaahooo! Now, I can just sit back and wait for the Hooding Ceremony next week Thursday and Graduation the next day!

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. *clap, clap*

I was on campus for a time yesterday. First, all the entrances was blocked. I had to park in the overflow parking in the flea market. I went to various places as I had to take care of some stuff so I could finish up my papers. Meanwhile, I did some people-watching. I'm sure we all love to vee-vee people.

Below are some snippets from people's conversations that I spied on:

"...stupid, stupid, stupid..."

"...Noah [Beckman] is awful, Noah is awful..."

"...Ridor is making a fool of himself..."

"Accept it!"

"...you're missing the point..."

"...Ryan [Commerson] is PNG..."

"...we're embarrassing ourselves, especially to hearing people..."

"...JK will fail Gallaudet..."

"...the problem with this protest is that there's no outside support like DPN had..."

"...Ryan didn't do anything..."

"...Noah's brother was busted for pulling the fire alarm and breaking the handle..."

"...get your facts right..."

"...pissed me off!"

"...at least JK had the best resume of the three..."

"...I'm curious about [Ron] Stern and [Stephen] Weiner's reaction about this..."

"Have you read his blog?"

"...I have to applaud IKJ because he met with students at the rally, despite some of us are upset with him. Where was JK? She was in the back, behind some people."

"What's Ridor's blog address?"

"...I *grr* my teacher. Cancelled our appointment because [s/he] wanted to go to the rally..."

"...Ryan isn't PNG, he's suspended for 72 hours..."

"...if JK doesn't resign very soon, then I will have more respect for [Elizabeth] Zinser because she recognized the students' demands..."

"...I noticed IKJ tends to defend JK..."

"...as soon as J was fingerspelled, I was disgusted, got up and walked out..."

"Are you going to the rally?"

"...I noticed Adam [Stone] doesn't reply to comments on his blog..."

"Drama!"

"...do you mind if we talk about something else? I had a fight with my sister last night about JK..."

"Why next week Thursday? That's fishy."

"...thank God for pagers and blogs so I can get information and pictures..."

"...the BOT ignored us..."

There were many more but these were the ones that I could remember. There are other bloggers who have kept diligent updates about the selection of JK and the protests/rallies. Check below for updated entries:

Ridor

Elisa

DeafDC.com

There are many more bloggers who have posted their opinions/feelings in regards to the selection of JK as President:

Not Without Us

Trimmin' the Fern

Mr. Sandman

Mike McConnell

Scandia

Grant Laird, Jr.

The Deaf Edge

Deaf in the City

The Nike Formula

Lux

Basically, everyone, in the Deaf community, is talking about it. Even the Deaf Academics listserv, containing international Deaf members, have been discussing JK. Jamie Berke has been trying to keep on top of things.

It's gonna be very interesting to see what takes place within the next few days.

Here are some pictures a friend emailed me from her Sidekick. This was taken right after the announcement of JK as President-elect:











The Gallaudet Protest has appeared in the Washington Post Express. It just so happens that the Express has released a new site, which is more user-friendly. So, check it out here.

Before I close, there's a petition online for Gallaudet alumni and members of the Deaf community to show support of the 2 demands presented to the Board of Trustees and the President.

ta ta...
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Jane K. Fernandes has been selected as the next president of Gallaudet University.
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