Reflections: Sifting Realities

Friends & Boy Scouts

2008-12-07T16:11:00.002-05:00

A question is posed in regards to whether GLBTs should cease from supporting fundraisers by children who are members of an organization, such as Boy Scouts, who are clearly against GLBTs or if we should just shut our mouths and support for the sake of the children.

I know! It's been AGES! HONEST

2008-12-04T16:04:00.003-05:00

So said the girl in Poltergeist II, "[he's] baaaaaaaaaack!". Well, we'll see if I can do this on a regular basis!

Thought I'd post a video below. Lemme know what you think...

ta ta...

Birthday Weekend

2007-08-13T20:29:00.001-05:00

I had a good birthday last weekend. Turned 33. I keep telling myself that it's just a number. So far, seems to be working.

Basically had an easy day relaxing while KT and Cliff busied themselves. Saturday night, they had invited Kekua, Manny and Merritt over for a wine and pasta dinner. Lovely!

Then, we were going to enjoy the rest of the evening by watching movies. We saw Dead Silence. It was about dummies coming to life to avenge their murdered ventriloquist. O.....k. Then, we were going to watch Hills Have Eyes 2 but it just could not keep my attention. Instead, most of us moved to the dining room and played Settlers of Catan.

A couple of friends of ours had introduced KT and I to the German game. We would play the game every now and then. At our recent trip to Rehoboth Beach, we saw this game at a games store and bought it without hesitation. Now, it is the game to play. The cards are already starting to be dog-eared.

Settlers of Catan is a trading game, using brick, wood, wool, ore and wheat. Your goal is to get 10 points by building roads, settlements and cities. This is only possible through trading. It's a fairly simple and wonderful game. However, you have to keep your eyes peeled with whom you're trading with. You never know that you'll be helping your opponent win.

Facebook

2007-08-01T12:37:00.000-05:00

Addictively Facebook'ing at the moment...

D-oh

2007-07-23T08:27:00.001-05:00

In my previous post, I bitched about how Amazon.com had messed up my order for the HP7 book.

Well, I checked my other email address and discovered that I had actually pre-ordered a copy through BN.com. (That is, Barnes & Noble.)

But still, I get to bitch about not having my book on time. I was supposed to get it on Saturday, like Carrie was supposed to get hers. So, I decided to track the shipment. It's somewhere in some place or in some UPS truck in Landover.

Ugh! It's supposed to be in my hands last Saturday. I better get it today!

Good thing I saw this email because I was planning to stand in line at Barnes & Noble during my lunch hour. I found out yesterday that BN is expecting another shipment of HP7 today.

So, now, I have to wait all day to find out if I get my book in the mail or not.

No Harry Potter

2007-07-21T18:54:00.000-05:00

That fuckin' sucks!

Carrie commented in my previous post that she got an email from Amazon.com that her Harry Potter 7 book was being prepared for shipping.

I was like "whaaaaa?" Cuz I didn't get that email.

However, the next day, I got an email telling me that the same book was being prepared for a friend that I had pre-ordered as his birthday gift.

I was like "whaaaaa?" Where's mine? I had pre-ordered mine first before ordering for a friend.

Apparently, Amazon.com misunderstood my order and made my copy as a gift for my friend.

Dumbfuck, Amazon!

So, now I don't have a copy! *wah*

So, I gotta go out and find a bookstore that even has any copies left.

*wah*

HP5 & Transformers

2007-07-16T09:33:00.000-05:00

Well, last Friday, I was all excited because I was gonna go see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Initially, I wasn't planning to see it. I had checked, the night before, on Fomdi for any captioned showtimes of the movie and found nothing. However, a friend told me that there was one in Potomac Mills.

So, I thought, yes! So, KT & I had set up a plan to go see it.

We get there and met our friend there. Got to our seats and settled in. However, I started to get a sinking feeling that something was wrong like the movie wasn't captioned. I didn't see any other Deafies there. (You know by spotting anyone signing.) But then, I thought just how many people would be willing to drive out to Potomac Mills.

The movie starts and there was no captions. Arrrrgggghhhh! So, I walked out to get a manager. He explained that they do offer captions but it is RWC (Rear Window Captioning). Don't get me wrong, I don't mind RWC. However, with RWC, you have to come really early to get the best seating for the best view of the captions. The room was pretty much full when we seated ourselves down. In addition, I had already set myself up for captions on the screen, not on the goose-necked display panel.

So, we all walked out and got our money back and a couple of free passes.

KT mentioned that he noticed that Regal Cinemas are just about the only ones that offer open captions (such as the one in Chinatown). The others (such as AMC Theatres) do RWC. So, that's something to keep in mind.

Optimus Prime & Bonecrusher speed-skating and battling each other on a highway.

We were informed by a friend about a captioned movie of Transformers in Chinatown on Sunday. Now, I grew up with the Transformers cartoons and toys. (By the way, as a kid, my favorite was Bumblebee. What was yours?) But, somehow, I wasn't thrilled about seeing the movie. I guess it was the trend of flops of those that were originally cartoons to "live" (such as Garfield).

Boy, I was IMPRESSED with Transformers! This was one of the best movies that I've seen this year. This is what you would call "action-packed". Plus, I don't think any one of us had expected it to be funny as well. If you haven't seen it, you gotta go.

I have to warn you that it is a long movie. When the movie was over, I left with a full bladder that threatened to burst. When a movie is really good, I don't leave the auditorium. So, get a kid-sized drink if you wanna the whole movie.

Also, it's been a LONG time since I've ever said about a movie that I wouldn't mind seeing again. With Transformers, I'd see it again.

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting to see the Harry Potter movie. Plus, the last book of the series comes out this week!!!!!!!! *shrieks*

Addendum

2007-07-10T08:36:00.000-05:00

As much as KT & I would love to move to Austin next year, we know that anything can happen from now until then. We could end up staying and actually move in DC, rather than stay in Maryland. Or we could move elsewhere. So, while we're keeping our fingers crossed, we're keeping our minds open to other options.

Austin Vacation

2007-07-09T08:56:00.000-05:00

KT & I had a great vacation in Austin. It was mellow, which is exactly what we needed. Almost right after KT finished his first year of teaching at MSSD, we took off for Austin.

We landed in Austin in the late morning. Got ourselves a rental car, a Dodge Caliber. Nice car that's somewhat a smaller version of a Toyota Matrix. However, it is a gas guzzler.

Of course, the first person I had to see was one of my closest friends, Barbie. We met up for lunch along with her husband. It was so so so good to see her.

That night, we met up with some Deafies at Taco Cabana: Rosey, Brandy, Jillian (visiting from PA), LaDonna, Julie and her son, Ronlee. It was so good to see them.

Well, what do you know? It rained in Austin. In fact, it flooded in some areas outside of Austin. So, that meant that we couldn't go to Barton Creek Springs or Lake Travis because of the high levels of bacteria. So, we just went swimming at the community pool in Barbie's subdivision.

However, it was really nice to just relax with a couple of books. Catch up on stuff with Barbie. Eat out at cool places. Check out some places.

Over the weekend, KT & I drove down to San Antonio to see family and friends. Dad seems to doing ok with his wife in the Valley. My other relatives seems to be doing alright in their own ways.

I took KT to the zoo, which is totally different than I remembered as a kid. Isn't it fascinating how things seemed "cool" when you were a kid. But as you get older and return, you're like...what is all this crap?!?!

That night, we went out to the Riverwalk. It's such a great place to go people watching.

Our visit to San Antonio was short and sweet. I only went there just to see my grandmother who was put in a nursing home during Thanksgiving week. (I will blog about that another day.) Plus, I wanted to see my mom's grave.

Well, what can I say? The last time, KT & I went to Austin, we fell in love with it. This time, it only confirmed that we're still in love with Austin. So, guess what? We're thinking of relocating there next year in the summer. That is...if we can find a job. However, we do feel that it will happen. So, all goes well, it's gonna be a fun summer next year!

Weekend

2007-06-25T12:36:00.000-05:00

Dayum, I'm definitely addicted to other social sites because I've not been blogging lately. Ah well.

Saturday, KT & I went to see Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I thought it was a good movie. It could use a bit more action. I'm not crazy about Johnny Storm, aka Torch, because he comes off obnoxious and says some cheezy lines. Other than that, good movie.

Sunday, we helped a couple of friends of ours by moving their stuff into storage. They're moving to Miami for their year-long internship. Whoo, what a good workout. Now, I'm sore in my arms and legs.

But we were rewarded with pizzas, books and social with friends.

Afterwards, KT and I just hung out in Laurel and did a few errands. KT had lost his pager last week or so. So, yesterday, we went inside a T-Mobile store. Earlier, we had seen someone else who came and help moved with a similar pager to the Sidekick 2/3. Instead, it's the Sidekick ID. Basically, it's the same thing but no camera (and no phone I believe). So, it's the perfect pager...and cheaper too!

Gosh, I wish that Sidekick had quality cameras in their pagers. The photos are too grainy! Ugh!

We cannot wait for our vacation tomorrow! We'll be heading out to Austin and San Antonio for a week. So, it'll be nice to get out of DC for a while.

Twilight Children

2007-06-14T09:42:00.000-05:00

I just love Torey Hayden. Torey Hayden is a teacher and a specialist in elective mutism. In all her other books, Torey chronicled her encounters with memorable children/students in her past classes. Most of them come from abusive homes. With Torey, they're able to open up and share their most shocking secrets. With Torey's help, they'll address the issue and hopefully move on.

In this particular book, Torey has left the teaching environment. She is now working for a hospital. While she may be a specialist, the teacher in her emerges from time to time.

This particular book centers around 3 people:

- Cassandra is a bright 9 year-old girl. 2 years before, she was abducted by her divorced father. When found and returned to her mother, she was not the same. She was abused and neglected by her father, who was already addicted to drugs.

Cassandra isn't like any other children that Torey had. While she may be abused, Cassandra is a smart little girl. However, she can never fully comprehend why things are happening to her or why she keeps getting in trouble. Torey is forced to think if something else is happening here.

- Drake is a cute little 4 year-old boy with charming smiles. The problem with Drake is that he doesn't talk, except to his mother. This is a unique case for Torey because she has never encounter something like this with elective mutism. However, Torey has something else to deal with. The grandfather expects miracles since he has money and comes from a "pedigree" family lineage.

- Gerda is something else. Gerda is an 82 year-old woman who has just suffered a stroke. As a favor from a nurse, she is asked to assess Gerda and get her to talk once again. With no experience with geriatrics, she decides to give it a try. The thing is, Gerda can talk but she kinda goes into a trance and talks about her childhood past. Torey tries to have a conversational interaction with her but Gerda just rants about her past. Is there something in her past that Gerda is trying to tell Torey?

I just love Torey because you learn when she explains theories, diagnoses, disorders, illnesses in laymen's terms. She gives examples and analogies that help you understand better.

In this book, she talks about multiple personalities. Of course, that was the vogue diagnosis of the 70's. However, it soon became overused and overrated. These days, it's called a dissociative disorder.

However, what really jumped at me was that she explained that this is tricky. The reason being is that everyone dissociate...everyday. In fact, it is normal to dissociate. Children dissociates when they role-play, like when playing "house", "doctor" or whatever. When called on by their parents or whomever, they drop the role-playing and return/respond as children. Adults dissociate as well. Most of us do so when we're driving. We're driving but not really paying attention. We're deep in thoughts. It's usually a sudden stop or a car honking that quickly brings us back to "reality" and take appropriate actions.

So, it is normal to dissociate. It's when dissociation becomes maladaptive or destructive that causes concerns.

Anyways, great book! Torey is one of those authors whose books I just cannot put down. I have to read through the book in one sitting.

**********

Pride, last week, was alright. It's the same thing from last year with freebies. Of course, who doesn't love freebies.

**********

Saggy Pants Ban

Mayor Carol Broussard, of Decambre, Louisiana, said that she'll sign the ordinance banning saggy pants. The ordinance will penalize anyone, with saggy pants, up to 6 months in jail and a $500 dollar fine.

Broussard said she has nothing against saggy pants but that discretion is needed when worn. "Undergarments or certain parts of the body" should not be shown.

What do you think of this?

The Next American ...

2007-06-07T10:12:00.000-05:00

What's up with these shows that you could be the Next American [insert word]?

Granted, American Idol is not the first of its kind. We already had Star Search and other shows. But American Idol really sparked all kinds of other shows where viewers phone in or text on their favorite contestant(s), hoping they'll make it to the finals.

Here are other shows that have been created since the debut of American Idol:

American Juniors

America's Got Talent

So You Think You Can Dance

America's Next Top Model

Project Runway

Top Chef

Top Designer

Shear Genius

Then, last week, I discovered On the Lot. This is about contestants competing to be the top movie filmmaker.

Then, last night, I discovered American Inventor. Contestants compete to be the top American inventor. It was just very interesting to see what people presented as their inventions. Some of them were...hmm, interesting. Others were like...what the heck?!?!

What's next?

Solomons Island

2007-06-05T11:56:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, KT took me out on a little surprise weekend getaway to Solomons Island. Solomons Island reminded me of a miniature Rehoboth Beach with sprinkles of Key West. It's just really cute, small with its own boardwalk.

We get there and dropped off our stuff at the nearby Holiday Inn Select. The hotel itself was ok. At first, it looked like...wow! But, once you get settled in, you start to notice its flaws. But I can say that they acutally have an Olympic-sized pool.

We walked down the boardwalk and explored little shops. We made mental notes of which ones to come back later that night or the next day.

When we were done, we walked back to the hotel. KT is my hero!!! About halfway walking back, KT spotted a fire growing from the mulch around a tree on the side of the road. Apparently, someone walked by or drove by and flicked off a cigarette. The cigarette cherry lit up on some flakes of mulch. KT tried to stomp out the fire but it only spread out the fire. So, he just put dirt on the fire, which doused it out and isolated the cigarette onto the asphalt.

It was just a good thing that KT saw the fire. If not, there would have been a big fire with a burnt tree.

After that, we headed back and swam in the pool. Ah, it was so nice to go swimming!!

We were supposed to go fishing the next morning but we backed out because of the weather. But, it was no biggie because we plan to go to North Carolina in July for a long weekend. We'll definitely go fishing then.

I wish I had pictures to post but KT forgot to pack the camera when he planned this trip. I only have pictures from my Sidekick. I took pictures of restaurants and bars that I posted for Yelp.com.

Anyways, it was interesting to see how many beaches there are in Maryland that are an hour or less from home. I'm sure we'll go back and explore other beaches.

Solomons Island is nice if you like small places. I'm not sure if we'll go back again. We practically touched every places there.

Pride Week

2007-06-04T12:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Pride!

This week is Pride Week in DC! Check out the link below for event information for the week. See you at the parade and at the Sunday festival!

www.capitalpride.org

Pan's Labyrinth

2007-05-30T07:38:00.000-05:00

As posted in Amazon.com (with some edits):

I truly enjoyed *Pan's Labyrinth* as a dark fairytale. But, dagnabit, it left me wanting more. Ofelia, the girl in this story, journeys only to the border of this "other land". I thought that this movie would delve deeper into this strange land and its inhabitants.

Ofelia and her widowed pregnant mother move to an abandoned mill to be with the new stepfather/husband. The stepfather is a military captain who is fighting against guerilla army that seems to be invisible. However, the captain is a cruel man. He is just harsh to everyone.

Upon arrival at the mill, Ofelia discovers a shape-shifting fairy. The fairy leads her to a world underground. From there, she meets an ancient faun. The faun tells her that she of a royal lineage. But, before she can return to the royal lineage, she must do 3 tasks that comes with explicit instructions.

I just love the everything about this movie. However, it just left me wishing for more of this other world. It was such a big tease to get a "taste" of this world. My favorite was this episode where Ofelia was given a magic chalk to retrieve an object. In this room was a creature who use its hand to see. (see below) I thought that was such an original idea.

I love how this fairy tale wasn't always so gleefully bright. I love how suspense were used. I loved how it left you uncertain if the faun was "good guy" or a "bad guy" with its own agenda. *Pan's Labyrinth* was a refreshing break from these predictable films.

I certainly hope that del Toro (the director) will direct something like thing very soon.

Elite Yelper

2007-05-25T16:33:00.000-05:00

I'm excited!

I've been offered to join the Elite Team of Yelp.com.

Yelp is a site where real people give real and honest reviews of restaurants, salons, doctors, retail stores and so many other places. People like to read/hear about reviews and whether you recommend them or not.

I started Yelp'ing earlier this month and...I guess...I just became fascinated with it. I just simply submitted reviews of places that I've been to.

So, c'mon over and check out my reviews. Perhaps, you'll Yelp as well.

Inhumane Bear

2007-05-23T09:32:00.001-05:00

When you wake up from sleep, are quick to get up and already doing 100 things within 10 minutes? Or does it take you a few minutes to a few hours to actually wake up? Neither one of them is wrong. Just different personality styles.

This morning, KT was playing with me by throwing a stuffed teddy bear at me. Of course, I'm still trying to wake up, even after a shower. So, I told him to stop. Then, all of a sudden he was laughing. He said:

There's nothing inhumane about throwing a bear at a bear.

Of course, I was trying my hardest not to laugh. Of course, it didn't work. What a smartass! But he's my smartass!

Don't you just love it when your loved one knows how to make you laugh.

New MSSD Principal

2007-05-23T08:23:00.000-05:00

I'd like to extend a hearty congratulation to Daniel Dukes! Daniel Dukes has been selected as the new MSSD principal.

I'm sure that Daniel is excited about his new position and is eager to begin as principal. I believe he'll begin when Myra Yanke steps down at the end of the school semester.

His wife, Beth, was a classmate of mine while we were graduate students in Deaf Studies at Gallaudet. Of course, through her, I met her husband. Daniel is a wonderful sweet guy.

I'm sure Beth is just as thrilled! :)

Once again, I extend my congratulation to Daniel! *hands waving in air*

CDI

2007-05-22T13:07:00.001-05:00

I really cannot believe that this weekend is Memorial Weekend. I've been so busy with the semester closing and doing grades for my students. So, I thought I had another 2 weeks before Memmy Day. Not! It's this weekend! Man, it's gonna be June soon. Just...wow!

Well, last weekend, I went to the CDI (Certified Deaf Interpreter) workshops by Steve Walker and Jason Trzebny at Gallaudet University. I'm so thankful for my teaching job in Virginia, which paid for my enrollment. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to afford the workshops.

Anyways, Steve and Jason gave good workshops, which will prepare us for the written portion of the CDI test. It was nice to see colleagues, old friends and familiar faces.

So, now I gotta read a few more books before I take the CDI test. We'll see how that turns out.

Meanwhile, Steve Walker will be giving a workshop on International Signs next month in West Virginia. I wouldn't mind going there. Only if work will pay for this. *crossing fingers*

Joseph Grigely

2007-05-16T10:59:00.000-05:00

I got an email from Contemporary Museum that they are featuring the Joseph Grigely: St. Cecilia exhibition. Grigely is a deaf artist. Below is the information provided by the Contemporary Museum:

Calendar Listing

Joseph Grigely: St. Cecilia

May 6, 2007 – August 19, 2007

Contemporary Museum
100 West Centre Street
Baltimore, Maryland

Premiering at the Contemporary Museum, Joseph Grigely: St. Cecilia is a national touring exhibition of recent works by the Chicago-based artist. Grigely, who is deaf, focused the exhibition on his childhood memories of sound as well as how sound “looks.”

The feature work in the exhibition, St. Cecilia, is a video installation commissioned by the Contemporary Museum and the Orange County Museum of Art that explores the nuances between seeing and hearing. It is a multi-faceted video presentation of a performance by the Baltimore Choral Arts Society Chamber Choir where the lyrics of familiar Christmas carols have been replaced with lyrics composed by Grigely, demonstrating the misunderstandings and confusions of lip reading.

Other installations in Joseph Grigely: St. Cecilia explore the failures and idiocyncrasies of language and communication. In an untitled work, Grigely displays hundreds of scraps of paper and handwritten notes that he has produced when communicating with the written world. Other works depict the artist’s memories of sound as a child.

The Contemporary Museum is located at 100 West Centre Street, in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon Cultural District. The Contemporary is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 pm; Thursdays from noon to 7 pm. For more information, please call (410) 783-5720, or visit www.contemporary.org.

Spider-Man 3

2007-05-14T11:07:00.000-05:00

Gosh, the last time that I went to the movie theatre was when I saw Superman Returns. That was when? July? Wow!

Interesting that I return to see another superhero movie.

I enjoyed watching Spider-Man 3. I thought it was the best than the first two movies.

In here, Spider-Man battles Venom, Sandman and the Goblin. Meanwhile, Peter Parker is trying to win back Mary Jane Watson's heart. Plus, he's competing with Eddie Brock for a staff position at the Daily Bugle.

All I can say is that it was a good movie. You should go check it out.

The previews made me all excited for the summer. I cannot wait to see Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Both of them looked GOOD!

Vegan Baby Dies

2007-05-10T07:48:00.000-05:00

As a meat-eater, I could care less if you want to be a vegetarian or a vegan. Just don't preach it to me. I'll eat the meat and you can eat the vegetables.

I have friends who are vegetarians. They're vegetarians for a variety of reasons. Some are vegetarians for philosophical or religious reasons (usually Wiccanism). Some are for health reasons. Some are for whatever reasons.

I remember having a serious discussion with a vegetarian friend of mine when we were undergraduates at Gallaudet. I asked her if she'd raise her children as vegetarians. She confidentally replied that she would. And, I don't know, at that time, it bothered me. I don't know why.

Nowadays, how you raise your children is your own business. Of course, we all have our own personal opinions that we may or may not share with others.

This this morning, I read an article in the newspapers about a vegan couple being sentenced to life in prison because their 6-weeks-old baby died. The baby died, weighing only 3 1/2 pounds. The baby was on a vegan diet, drinking only soy milk and apple juice.

This article states that the vegan lifestyle is ok for children. However, this particular baby, Crown, died because he wasn't fed enough. Plus, the couple failed to take Crown to the hospital, fearing that it was infested with germs.

Apparently, one can raise a child as a vegetarian or vegan starting at birth. However, the baby must be fed regularly...with breast milk. (Like, duh!)

Whadda think?

Zanzibar on the Waterfront

2007-05-07T12:56:00.000-05:00

As posted in Yelp.com:

Last Friday night, I headed over to Zanzibar on the Waterfront for the monthly DPHH (Deaf Professional Happy Hour). I had a good time there.

I think that Zanzibar is like the most expensive bar that I've been to. By expensive, I was referring to the cover charge. Only because I had an invitation, my cover charge was $10. Now, I've paid that cover charge before at other place. It was just that I saw that the regular cover charge was $30 bucks. $30 bucks!?!?!?! Dayum! I could treat 20 people to Dairy Queen for 30 bucks!

Anyways, keep in mind that I only went to the SkyClub at Zanzibar. I didn't check out their restaurant. I just went straight to the bar! (By the way, friends of mine did eat there and said they were not impressed.)

SkyClub was nice. First, you gotta take the elevator up to the third floor. So, I went up there. It's actually kinda dark. (Not quite Deaf-friendly.) There's one place that well lit but it's hidden. There's a couple of window walls where you can view the people dancing on the second floor.

Anyways, the SkyClub is nice...kinda roomy. Beautiful decors around. There are a couple of flat-screen TV's, with sports playing. You can walk out to the patio outside for some fresh air. You can see the Potomac River, dotted with boats.

You better bring the bank with you if you wanna drink there. I got a Long Island Tea for $12 bucks. Normally, I wouldn't have complained. But, my drink was in one of those mini tall glasses, made for mojitos. You can barely fit in 2 fingers in the glass. I was like, oh no no no, girl, you better spike my drink real good! But, damn, it was worth it! After 2 LIT's, I had a good buzz going on.

While it was a nice place, I'm not sure that I'd go back. I prefer someplace low-key with some drinks that doesn't cost me a week's worth of groceries, ya know.

**********

By the way, there's another DPHH tomorrow night. I kid you not.

Case Solved?

2007-05-04T08:21:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago, Patricia Cornwell wrote a book believing she discovered the identity of Jack the Ripper.

Now, a South African historian believes that Jack the Ripper was Joseph Silver.

There's been countless of people who believe to have solved this whole Jack the Ripper mystery. Will we ever, one day, solve this mystery?

**********

Speaking of Patricia Cornwell (one of my favorite authors), her book, Cause of Death has been made into a movie. Check out the trailer. Yay!

New Addiction

2007-05-03T07:47:00.000-05:00

Lately, these days, I've been introduced to new sites by my friends. Some sites are ok and others are interesting.

I like Pogo. It's kinda like Yahoo! Games except that you play with tokens. You're given a small amount to start off. You try to build up your tokens. You can use these tokens to enter drawings for real cash. Some games have jackpots, winning realy money.

I do like GoodReads.com. It's like Amazon.com, except you don't buy anything or make a wishlist. Instead, you just make reviews of books that you've read. It's really interesting to see how people love and hate certain books.

I was addicted to GoodReads. Not anymore. You know why? I'm addicted to something else.

For a day or two, I was addicted to 43things.com. Now, I'm addicted to Yelp.com.

Yelp is a wonderful site where you can post reviews of places that you've been to. You can post reviews of restaurants, gyms, retail stores, hair salons, theatres and so many other places.

Check it out!

...and get addicted!

ta ta...

Constantly Learning

2007-04-27T10:12:00.000-05:00

They say that you learn a thing or two every day. It's true. Here's what I learned recently:

1. You know that dusty build-up all over car. And it's yellowish. That's pollen. Beware! (If you're allergic to them.)

2. There's some stupid zoning law/restriction in regards to H Street in DC. Apparently, between 4th to 12 Streets, NE...sit-down restaurants are not allowed. I thought, yeah right! So, I drove down the street for restaurants. Sure enough, there are no sit-down restaurants. There's a McDonald's but it's just for order out. Then, I saw a Popeye's but then I realized it is located past 12th Street. Interesting, eh?
I tried to find some information. However, this link was the best that I could. There are other newspapers that have commented about this zoning restrictions.

Warm Weekend

2007-04-23T12:56:00.000-05:00

Boy, what a wonderful warm weekend! I think I felt like a bear, coming out of hibernation.

Friday night, KT and I went out to Thaiphoon to celebrate Kekua's birthday. It was good to see that old bitch. One more year and he joins the 30's club. Now, I'm just waiting for Brad and Cliff to join the club. Of course, by the time they do, I'll be joining the 40's club. Dammit!

Thaiphoon was ok. I was surprised because I had went there before and enjoyed the dining experience there. This time, it was alright. However, I had a grand time bitching with KT, Kekua, Brad, Merritt and Shannon.

Afterwards, we went over to Starbucks for the monthly Deaf GLBT coffee social off of P and 21 Streets. The weather was so nice that some of us opted to hang out outside. The rest huddled inside.

Saturday night, KT and I met up with some friends in Chevy Chase. We dined at Meiwah. The place looked really nice. However, the food was average. I had General Tso's chicken. There was nothing impressive nor spicy with my dish. I've had better Chinese food at Yum's.

Anyways, conversations with these friends are always hilarious, intellectual and thought-provoking. I could post entries on subjects we've touched that'll last me a month. Hmmm....we'll see about that.

Sunday was sort of a lazy day for me. Rested up. Went to JCPenny and shopped. Went to Marlo and ordered a sofa. We're getting a new sofa!!! Yay!

Came home and watched some episodes of How It's Made. Interesting stuff to learn about how things have been made. It's amazing to see how things are mass produced and custom-made. So, now every time I go shopping, I'll be wondering just how these things were made. You just hafta check it out!

Then, a student from NTID IM'd me for her Deaf Literature class project. We had a good conversation about my background and her interest in interpreting. It was just a nice surprise.

A couple of more weeks and I'm done with teaching most classes. I'll have my online class until June. Then, it's summer time for me!!!

**********

Below, Liz took a picture of us at the recent DPHH at Clyde's in Chevy Chase. (I hate surprise pictures!!! Ah well.)

I looked better here, taken by Rob Rice.

ta ta for now...

B-day & GWTW

2007-04-19T07:32:00.000-05:00

Gotta say "Happy Birthday!" to Kekua! Have a blast! *mwah*

**********

Last night, I finally finished watching Gone With the Wind. I know, I know...what kind of fag am I for not watching it earlier. Well, shut up, y'all! Better late then never, right?

Anyways, I loved it! I love Scarlett and her sassy remarks. She keeps on going and going with her bitchy attitude until Rhett tells to just stop it.

Boy, talk about a long movie! However, it was the kind that I didn't mind watching. I just loved the sceneries and the dialogues. Of course, KT and I were commenting to each other about some of the acting. Nonetheless, I understood why it was a classic. It was just done beautifully!

So, appreciate what you have now, not what you wish for.

********

If you love watermelon, you can say you've been eating your veggies. Oklahoma wants to declare the watermelon as the state vegetable. The reason is that watermelon is a member of the cucumber family.

So, instead of green beans or broccoli on the side, serve watermelons!

ta ta...

A Good Sleep

2007-04-16T09:58:00.000-05:00

For many of us busy professionals, sometimes we don't get our ideal amount of regular sleep. Some of us are lucky if we even get 6 hours of sleep. Some can get by with 5 or 4 hours of sleep. And few get by with 3 hours or less. Crazy!

I believe that most of us would just love to have 8 hours of sleep. However, I think what we'd really like is to wake up without having stress attack us. You could get 8 hours of sleep but then you wake up stressed already.

Anyways, last week has been a crazy week. Had so many things to do that I was looking forward to the weekend. However, I realized that I had to go out of town for workshops for the weekend. Don't get me wrong, the workshops were interesting. Just that I was already looking forward to coming back home.

So, yesterday, I got home and said very little to KT. Ate a bowl of chicken dumpling. (Thanks, KT!) Then, straight to bed I went.

I can't remember the last time I had a 10-hour sleep. That sure felt good to wake up well rested.

This week should be a good week.

If only we'd have the real Spring weather...

Tidbits - 4/11/07

2007-04-11T10:15:00.000-05:00

After my class at Gallaudet, I walked to the Gallaudet Metro to get to my other job at the law firm. I bumped into Toby at the metro. It was good to see him. I hadn't seen him in quite a while. He looked pretty good, especially with his new salt-and-pepper hair.

He was telling me about Twitter.com after I was saying that I haven't blogged much these days. These days I've just been busy with 3 jobs, 3 organizations with different roles and a handful of committees. Of course, I know that this isn't "exciting" news for my readers. So, it's hard to come up with something else when I've been doing nothing but work. So, Toby told me about Twitter.com. It's sort of a mini-blog. Each entry allows up to 140 characters. You can post as many as you want. So, it's ideal for one or two liners. Just a "twitter" of info for your friends. So, I'm gonna try that out but still keep my blogs. I'll let you know how it goes for me. At the same time, check it out!

Here's a sample of my Twitter:

follow graystorm at http://twitter.com

What's cool is that you can go to the site and submit a small post. Or you can submit via IM. Or you can submit via text message. You can read twitters and comment the same way as well. How cool is that?

After I got off the Metro, I saw something that was just ridiculous. I'm sure many of you have taken advantage of samples given out by people. You usually see those people giving out samples in grocery stores. The purpose of samples is to give you a taste so that if you like it, you'll buy the product.

In general, I guess one or two samples are appropriate. However, some people treat samples like a free meal. People will go back to the same person and collect 5 or more for themselves. It's like...embarrassing!

Well, this morning, there was a cart left out by the sidewalk by Honey Oats Cheerios or something like that. This guy had a plastic bag and was it up to the max with those small cafeteria-sized boxes of the cereal. People were walking by and just staring at the guy.

I get it that we all like free stuff. But seriously, if you like the sample you've tasted then buy the product. Ah well, I guess each to his/her own.

ta ta for now...

Constantly Learning

2007-04-10T15:57:00.000-05:00

It is said that everyday we learn something new. So, a new thing I learned today is a "midquel". We have a sequel and a prequel. Now, a midquel. A midquel is an addition that happens during the original story.

So, how did that come about? KT and I watched Bambi II, which was a direct-to-video.
Bambi II is a midquel which takes place right after Bambi's mother is shot while protecting Bambi. His father, the Great Prince, takes over the role as the single parent raising Bambi to be the next prince.

I have to say that Bambi II was not bad at all. I actually thought I was going to be disappointed as it might be cheesy but that was not the case. So, check it out...

April is Here

2007-04-02T11:54:00.000-05:00

Whaaa? I only posted one blog entry for the entire month of March. Ok, that has to be a record.

These days I just want to come home and plop my fat flat ass on the couch. No really, I just want to sleep! I usually come home and turn on the TV and watch a shwo that I've saved on TiVO. Not lately. I have like 200 shows waiting to be watched. No, really, just a few shows. I have like 4 episode of Heroes to catch up. I've finally caught up on Rome. Damn, is that show over for good or what? I hope not. I love Atia (played by Polly Walker)! She's currently my favorite bitchy character.

Battlestar Galactica is over...at least, until 2008. Arrrggggghhhh! I cannot wait that long! Dammit!

Ghost Whisperer has lost its appeal. It's cheesy now. Blah!

Ah well!

Last week was spent on working on a story for Raymond Luczak's Eyes of Desire 2. Speaking of Raymond, he's going to appear, along with other Deafies, in Law & Order: Criminal Intent this Tuesday ("Silencer")!

Well, I hope to post more entries this month because April is gonna keep me busy. Ta ta for now...

Rehi

2007-03-21T14:57:00.000-05:00

Ooooo, la, la...

I know that I haven't blogged in a long while. I've just been busy with things and reading blogs and watching vlogs. Sometimes it is just nice to just take a break from b/vlogging and commenting and just watch others.

Lately, I've just been posting reviews over at Amazon.com. I do enjoy that. You do get a little feedback on whether your reviews were helpful or not. So, what I've seen since the last time I've posted:

(out of 5 stars)

- An Inconvenient Truth - 4 stars
Al Gore's presentation on global warming.

- Koma - 4 stars
A Chinese thriller based on a popular urban legend where one wakes up in a bathtub full of ice with a missing kidney.

- The Final Cut - 3 stars
Almost a great movie about people with a zoe implant, which records all that a person sees and hears throughout life.

- Millions - 4 stars
An interesting British movie on how people react and spend when they come across a large amount of money.

- Saw III - 4 stars
Gore galore! Jigsaw is back once again.

- Jesus Camp - 4 stars
Interesting documentary of evangelical Christianity being indoctrinated into children.

- Prince of Egypt - 5 stars
Animated film of Moses getting the Hebrews out of Egypt.

- Babel - 4 stars
Interesting film about how a bullet connects people from around the world.

- A Day Without Mexicans - 3 stars
A cheesy satire of what California would be if there were no Latinos around.

- Jarhead - 4 stars
One of the best war movies I've seen. A personal account of a soldier in Iraq before the Desert Storm war.

ta ta...

1st Vlog

2007-02-28T23:23:00.000-05:00

*originally posted in The Information Booth*

Pah! I've posted my first vlog! I know there are a few things wrong with this vlog. (Hey! It's my first! Gimme a break!) I know there are (wasted) space between the top frame and my head. I'll do better next time. My partner stated that I was not myself. I guess I was concerned with my webcam. I didn't know if it would be blurry or not. So far, it looks ok. Anyways, I'm excited to have finally posted a vlog.

In this vlog, I address the issue some Deaf people making homophobic remarks and insensitive comments against other minorities, particularly against the Latinos. I just thought I'd say something and raise an awareness about our comments.

ta ta...

Hunger of Memory

2007-02-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

I've just finished reading "Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez". I found it to be an ok autobiographical read. I was somewhat disappointed in it because Rodriguez seemed to dwell too much on language (Spanish & English). However, there were other parts about the book that I liked. I liked his personal accounts of assimilating American values and his minority status in higher education.

Anyways, what I liked best was his portrayal of his mother. His portrayal reminded me so much of my mother.

- Family...a private matter. A lot of Hispanic families, especially mothers, believe that family matters are private. My mother used to tell me, all the time, that we don't "air dirty laundry". What happens in the family stays in the family. My mother would chew me out and pinch me if she ever found out that I shared some personal information. She hated it when I shared such information with my cousins. Of course, there were some things that were private and then there were some things that were not a big deal. I guess life as an open book is a foreign concept.

- Facial expressions. Hispanic mothers are experts with relaying the mood of the situation with their faces, especially their eyes. You knew right away if the situation was serious or if you were in trouble. Not a word had to be said. For me, it was worse looking at my mother stern eyes and hearing her hiss 'come here' That only made me wanna run in the opposite direction. But I knew that if I even took a step backward, it would involve my father and that was the last thing I would want. So, with "a tail between my legs", I'd go and face my mother's wrath.

Now, I just look back and laugh. I'd look at my cousins and I'd say, "you are so like your mother". Of course, that'll earn me a couple of cuss words from them.

For me, I'm not as limited as to what can be shared or not in regards to family matters. There are a few stuff that I'll tell KT, "don't you dare". Then, I'll re-evaluate and laugh as to why I considered a particular stuff as dirty laundry. I guess we all want a good life.

As for the evil eye, I guess I'll wait til I have kids of my own to use it.

The Computer

2007-02-26T11:08:00.000-05:00

Ok.

I have to admit something. The computer and I aren't friends. I have bad luck with the computer. I don't know what it is but the computer hates me!

The computer, somehow, knows when to misbehave especially when I'm in a hurry to get something done or have something important to do. It'll freeze. It'll send a pop-up message that something has went wrong internally. It'll give me some friggin' code that I'm supposed to decipher. It'll do anything to make me mad!

I have like 2 million programs installed to battle viruses, spams and whatnots. And, I'll still get them! I'm like, am I just blowing money away?

Its best friend, the printer, is also not a friend of mine. It loves to jam itself up just to piss me off!

I used to think it was weird when people would say that they are not friends with the computer. Well, now, I'm joining them.

Meanwhile, KT laughs his head off. He never has problems with the computer. Ok, that's not quite true. He'll have 1 computer problem per year. It just that he doesn't really have any problems with it.

I'm over here screaming Why!?!? Why?!?! Why?!?!? Why?!?! Of course, I'll be cussing out the computer. Isn't that such a silly thing? Cussing out an inanimate object.

The computer. Can't stand it! Can't stand to be without it! Sigh...

Gesundheit

2007-02-24T18:17:00.000-05:00

House of D

2007-02-21T13:33:00.000-05:00

I TiVo'd *House of D* thinking that I just might not like it. However, I was actually surprised how much I loved it, along with a few tears.

The movie is a flashback of Tom Warshaw (David Duchovny), an American artist living in Paris. As Tom's son is soon turning 13, Tom goes back to a time when he was nearing 13.

Tommy takes care of his chain-smoking mother (Tea Leoni), who has a difficult time coping with the recent death of her husband. Although she is supposed to console Tommy, it is Tommy who actually has to look after his mother. Tommy also takes care or rather, defends his best friend. His best friend is a 41-year-old slightly retarded janitor and deliveryman, Pappass (Robin Williams). Meanwhile, Tommy is getting advice from female inmate, Lady (Erykah Badu) at the local women's house of detention about intimate issues (dancing, girls, etc.). Tommy cannot see her except her hands. They carry a conversation by shouting across as Lady is jailed on the second (or third?) floor.

With the exception of his clingy mother and his father's death, life seems to be good for Tommy. However, things take a turn for the worse when the mother overdoses on pills and becomes brain-dead and Pappass steals a bike. Ultimately, Tommy blames Lady for everything. Lady, realizing the severity of situations, riles him into further anger to make him run. Although Tommy didn't see her point, Lady was actually setting him free...to be a man.

The whole point was about a boy's journey/transition becoming a man. Despite the death of Tommy's father, Tommy had it pretty good as a boy. But, there came a point where Tommy had to lose a few things or rather, people before he could became a man. He loses his mother as well as the girl he likes. He loses trust of a "friend" whose advice he once sought. The hardest of all, he deserts his best friend. The irony here was that while Pappass was an older man, he would never actually be (or was) a man. However, in this moment, Pappass realizes that Tommny needed to go and find himself and gives his blessing.

Overall, *House of D* was a wonderful movie. David Duchovny did a superb job as a director. I'd definitely check out future movies directed by him. Go check it out, along with a few laughs and tears.

Richmond

2007-02-20T12:38:00.000-05:00

Spent the weekend in Richmond for a weekend workshop. Arrived the night before to check out the town. Before, just usually drove through Richmond on the way to Durham. So, this was my chance to check out the town.

The only thing that I knew about Richmond was that it is the site of the nation's best forensic science/pathology/training. Plus, one of my favorite authors, Patricia Cornwell, resides there.

So, my colleague and I get there and checked into a hotel. However, having skipped lunch, we were starving. So, we headed over to Barcode, which was supposed to be the hottest gay bar (& restaurant) in Richmond. The food was alright but the service was great. We stayed there til about midnight, drinking and catching up with news and whatnots. We met a couple of guys who knew some signs. Of course, they knew signs only because their ex-boyfriends were Deaf. Of course!

We thought that maybe Barcode had put up a "misleading" advertisement that they were the best in town to attract people. So, we asked the patrons in Barcode if there was a better bar/club to check out. They all said that Barcode was indeed the best.

When we left the place to go back and rest up for the workshop, I had to wonder about something. When we arrived, there was a security guard standing outside. Initially, I thought "wow, how nice" that one had been provided so that gay patrons would feel secured. But, when I left, I asked myself why was there a security guard in the first place. Had there been harrassment or violence against gay patrons? So, I wonder...how would you feel if you came into a place where there was a security guard stationed outside? Would you feel safe or would you feel wary?

Anyways, the workshop was great. It was nice to meet other professionals in ASL & interpreting programs in some parts of Virginia. The workshop was beneficial but overwhelming at the same time. But, that's a good thing! You know that the workshop was good when you leave for the day and debate with your colleagues about certain issues.

So, it was a goooooood thing to be off Monday for President's Day. Ok, so I wasn't entirely off. I had to come in and teach a class. But that was it. Came back home and rested all day. Sooooo needed that!

A question: when is winter going away?!?!?!?!?

ta ta for now...

Acacia

2007-02-19T14:16:00.000-05:00

I thought that *Acacia* was an interesting movie except for one thing. *Acacia* moves very slow.

A childless couple decides to adopt a child. They go to the orphanage to adopt. The wife sees a painting on the wall. The painting is very similar to Edvard Munch's "The Scream". In this dark painting, the screaming man is surrounded by trees. The wife inquires about its artist and insists on meeting this child.

The adoption goes smooth. The family is trying to bond with one another. The boy takes an immediate fascination with the couple's leaf-less acacia tree in the backyard. From this point on, we start to see that the boy is eccentric in his talks and in his behaviorism. He truly believes that his real folks are inside the tree or rather, they are the tree.

Despite his odd ways, the mother defends him. However, the mother's mother clearly doesn't like the adopted boy. She takes advantage of any opportunity to point out his flaws. Meanwhile, the father's father tells him interesting tidbits about nature and tries to get him involves in little projects. The girl, next door, seems to be the only one who truly accept him as she is a little odd herself.

Things change when the mother finds out that she's pregnant. The adopted boy becomes detached from everyone, even from the girl. Then, one rainy night, he disappears. The parents do not call the police because they assumed that he would return.

So, where did he go? Did he merge with the tree in the backyard? Is he haunting them?

There were some interesting scenes in this film. Overall, I thought it was one of the best Asian horror movies that I've seen. The only bad part about it was that it moves painfully slow.

Year 7

2007-02-15T10:59:00.000-05:00

I is the happy, happy, happy!

I have reserved my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Hurry up, July!

Happy V-Day

2007-02-14T11:32:00.000-05:00

10%

KT...Happy Valentine's!! Hurry up and come home from work! Can't wait to spend a quiet, romantic evening with you. *mwah*

**********

Well, Gallaudet had a 2-hour delay. So, I didn't have to teach this morning. So, instead, I headed straight to my other job at the law firm. I got there only to discover that it was closed as well. So, I'm back home, enjoying the day off. Whooo! It's a good thing because I'll be in Richmond this weekend for a workshop.

**********

Isn't it wonderful when you're thought of by another, other than your significant other and family? I got a page from a friend that I haven't seen nor heard from in ages. She sent me a page with a Valentine's greeting and a short message. That just made my day better.

**********

Well, y'all have a nice Valentine's. Pamper yourselves or your loved ones. Meanwhile, I'm waiting and waiting and waiting for KT to come home!!! ;)

ta ta...

Dahmer

2007-02-13T10:35:00.000-05:00

I was actually disappointed in *Dahmer*. I guess I was expecting the life and crimes of Dahmer. I remembered, as a teenager, how it was such a big deal when Dahmer was arrested. So, I was looking forward to a gruesome account of how he had came to be. He was charged on 17 counts of murder. However, he was actually convicted on 15 of them, totally some 937 years in prison.

Instead, like one reviewer (in Amazon.com) put it, this was like "pre-Dahmer" and it certainly felt that way. Plus, not everything in this film was accurate as there was a disclaimer saying so. So, if you're not familiar on Dahmer and his crimes, then you won't know which is true and which isn't.

*Dahmer* paints this serial killer as a lonesome gay chocolate factory worker in Milwaukee. However, Dahmer likes his men to be totally submissive. In order for them to be submissive, he'll have them drugged and then killed.

The problem is that we don't really see how or where he murders them, except 2 of them. We see, in flashbacks, how he seduced his (first?) victim. Then, we see how he seduced Khamtay. (In real life, his name was Konerak.) Khamtay was the only person who gave suspense in this entire film. You see, Khamtay escaped from Dahmer's apartment and begged for help. However, when the police arrived so did Dahmer, from work. After some smooth talking, the police gave Khamtay back to Dahmer to his death. Last, we see the drama between Dahmer and Rodney. In real life, Rodney is supposed to be Tracy, who was the second and last victim to escape from Dahmer.

However, we do not see that here. Instead, we see that Rodney is interested in Dahmer. Dahmer is interested but conflicted. Every time that Dahmer wanted to kill Rodney, he stopped. This was interesting because, in real life, Rodney was supposedly not gay.

So, we do not really see the real portrayal of Dahmer in this film. Instead, we see flashbacks of his teen years and young adulthood where Dahmer struggled against the authority of his religious father. I guess that is supposed to explain why Dahmer came to be as this serial killer. We see his run-in's with the police but gets away with it every time. We see how he drugged men at the local gay bar and in his apartment. And that's just about it. You could just imagine how many lives would have been spared if the police had actually done a thorough investigation.

Honestly, it was a waste of time. You're better off watching *The Texas Chainsaw Massacre* just to get an idea of what Dahmer might've been like.

2 stars out of 5.

For more information on Dahmer, click here and here.

The Zookeeper

2007-02-06T14:03:00.000-05:00

I love learning new words, phrases, concepts and the like. I was reading The Zookeeper and came across "openly closeted". I thought it was an interesting play with 2 words that sounded oxymoronic.

The question is what is an openly closeted person. This term seems to be applied to celebrities or well-known public figures. According to postmodernbarney.com, they "are gay, live their lives as gay men or lesbians, but steadfastly refuse to actually go that one step beyond and publicly acknowledge that, yes, they're gay". North Dallas Thirty says that an openly closeted person is one that refuses to answer "that question".

So, who are the openly closeted people? According to Citizen Crain, they are Anderson Cooper, Sean Hayes, Ricky Martin, Clay Aiken and former NYC mayor Ed Koch. According to the Washington Blade, David Dreier, a member of the GOP House leadership, is openly closeted.

Interesting, eh?

Anyways, below is my review for The Zookeeper as appeared in Amazon.com:

*The Zookeeper* was a good read, being light on plots.

Sam Metcalfe is a zookeeper at the National Zoo in DC. He is mainly responsible for black howler monkeys. Sam has some great ideas for projects and renovations for the Zoo. However, his proposals are constantly being shelved or rejected. He's also a "keeper" of other people's lives:

Jack - He's an older guy at the Zoo, who trained Sam when he first came on. He's responsible for the big cats. His wife has been dealing with cancer. Jack deals with it by drinking. At times, he comes to work ineberated.

Laurel - She is Sam's childhood best friend. She's the chef and owner of Terra, a trendy restaurant in Dupont Circle. She has been pressured by her sisters to take care of their mother in Pennsylvania. Their mother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Jamie - He is Sam's nephew. Sam is a father figure for Jamie. Jamie pretty much has a good relationship with his mother. However, problems arise every now and then. Jamie has expressed going to a particular high school but his mother is set on another school.

After a blind date, Sam has struck gold with Dean. Dean is a closeted meteorologist for the local news channel. Dean is like the perfect gay man...having a wonderful job, toned body, fantastic place and an impressive circle of friends.

Sam is in love with Dean. Dean seems to reciprocate the feeling. However, things start to change especially when Dean aims for an anchorman position in New York City.

From this moment, Sam realizes that he's losing control as a "keeper". The worst is his own life. He starts to question decisions that he has made. But before he can straighten out his life, he feels that he needs to make sure the the people in his lives are alright.

Overall, it was a good read with simple plots. This is something that you could read over the weekend. It's simply boy-meets-boy-and-boy-wonders-if-this-is-the-happy-life-and-if-he-is-content-with-it.

This Past Weekend

2007-02-05T12:16:00.000-05:00

There were so many things that I wanted to do but I really had to learn to stay home and relax.

Friday night, I wanted to see the ASP pledge pick-up. Then, I wanted to go to DPHH. However, I really needed to stay home and give my body additional recovery time from the flu I had earlier the week.

Saturday, I went over to Gallaudet for a meeting with CBASLTA. Afterwards, I headed over for the Blogging/Vlogging Conference, hosted by the Coalition for Critical Inquiry.

I was only able to make it to the very last session. It was a panel session which focused on the impact and future of blogs and vlogs. It was moderated by Allison Kaftan and the panel consisted of Joey Baer, Tayler Mayer, Jared Evans and Shane Feldman.

It was a very interesting session about blogs and vlogs. I was particularly interested in Joey's presentation about vlogs. Several times, I've considered doing a vlog. However, I was telling Chris Kaftan that I'm overly critical of my signs. By the time I review myself before posting, I find myself deleting the entire vlog post. Maybe I should just ignore and just go ahead and post.

Another interesting thing to consider was the credibility of blogs and vlogs. I forgot who (Shane?) mentioned it but I thought was an interesting point. Mainstreamed (read: hearing) blogs and vlogs are often commentaries of news that have been reported in newspapers and in television. News in newspapers and television are supposed to be verified facts.

Ok, now, with Deaf blogs and vlogs, readers often assume or rely postings to be facts. The problem is that we don't have Deaf newspapers or television shows reporting on Deaf events. We also don't have the mainstreamed media reporting on Deaf events. So, where and how can we present verified facts in our postings?

Next, we need to raise accountability in bloggers and vloggers. Bloggers & vloggers need to explicitly clarify when something is factual and when something is of their own opinions. I believe this is going to raise everyone's (bloggers, vloggers, readers, commenters) awareness of accountability and credibility. Deaf blogs and vlogs have been in the infant stage these few years. However, with the exponential growth of Deaf bloggers and vloggers, we're moving up to the next stage. The next stage comes with maturity and scrutiny, which is needed.

Like I said, it was an interesting panel session. Also, I learned the new signs for blog and vlog. Hopefully, someone will do a vlog to show the new signs.

After that, I took the opportunity to meet bloggers in person. It was so nice to actually get to know each other. The people I met for the first time were: Jared Evans, Mike McConnell, David Evans and Joey Baer. I thought it was my first time meeting Tayler Mayer but he said that we met while we were graduate students at Gallaudet. Anyways, it was nice to meet him again. It was nice to see Katie Roberts again, after so many years. (I'm not sure if she has an active blog. I do know that she's an active commenter in many blogs.) There were a few people that I recognized but did not have a chance to formally introduce myself: Amy Cohen Efron, David Fulmer and Carl Schroeder.

Hopefully, there'll be another conference next year. If so, I do hope more Deaf bloggers and vloggers will attend.

By the way, congratulations to all the Deaf bloggers and vloggers who won the DeafRead 2006 Deaf Blogs awards! *hands waving*

Moving on...
Boy, did SuperBowl suck! The commercials were lame!

PRDS Refunds Money

2007-02-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

*originally posted in Info Booth...*

Peachtree Rainbow Deaf Society (PRDS) has decided to refund money after stepping down as the hosting chapter for the upcoming RAD conference. RAD had initially proposed that PRDS transfer the funds to them. However, PRDS has decided not to do so. Instead, they will encourage attendants to re-register if they are still interested.

Below is the memo from PRDS:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 2/1/2007 – Atlanta, Georgia

Peachtree Rainbow Deaf Society, Inc. (PRDS) has received a proposal from the Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf (RAD) to transfer all money collected from combo ticket sales to RAD for the 2007 RAD Conference. At the January 28th membership meeting, PRDS has decided not to transfer the funds to RAD. Based on legal advice we received, it is in the best interest of the combo ticket holders and our organization that the money will be refunded to back to the individual ticket holders. The ticket holders should receive a letter including a check of the refund within 15 business days, starting February 1, 2007.

The RAD Board is taking over the 2007 RAD Conference that will be held in Atlanta. If you still wish to attend the conference, we ask that once you receive your refund, to please make a new check in the same amount payable to RAD/RAD 2007 Host Conference and mail it to Larry Pike, RAD Business Manager, 1191 Grape Street, Denver, CO 80220. It must be postmarked on or before Thursday, March 1, 2007. RAD Board will honor the same cost for the combo ticket that you paid to PRDS.

If you need more information about the upcoming 2007 RAD conference, please contact Bob Donaldson, RAD President. His e-mail is president@rad.org.

Thank you,

Members of PRDS

Bouncing Back...

2007-01-31T15:32:00.000-05:00

Ugh! I cannot recall the last time I was sick with the flu. Damn that flu shot, I got a month or 2 ago, for not working!

I'm not quite out of the woods yet but getting better. Well, at least, I hope so.

My students have been hoping, along with prayers and promises of firstborn sacrifices, that I'd cancel classes. Nope! Not happening!

I don't like the flu. Of course, I don't think anyone else does. My nasal passages would be blocked. But every now and then, one passage would be opened. However, breathing was not enjoyable. I'd breathe in air and I could feel it travel from my nose, over to the top of my skull and to the back. It was so sensitive that it hurt.

Blowing my nose was the worst! I'd get headaches everytime I had to blow my nose.

(Cliff, shut up! I ain't taking Theraflu! Tastes like piss!)

Anyways, I'm better than before. Right now, I feel kinda woozy.

***

What is it with us people? When we're sick, we're miserable. But, when there's a gathering of friends, we will ourselves to be well enough to go and hang out. If it means that everyone will be sick afterwards, then so be it!

Last year, during SuperBowl, there was a virus going around that made people throw up. A couple of people got this virus. So, when SuperBowl came around, everyone got together. Well, the next thing you know, over a course of several days, people got afflicted with this virus, one by one.

I lucked out. I was so happy because I hate hate hate hate hate to throw up. Some people look forward to throw up because they know that they'll get better afterwards. Not me, I'd do anything to prevent myself from throwing up. Pepto-Bismol, my best friend!!!!!

The other week, a small group of us got together for a "whine & cheese" gathering. (No, whine isn't a typo.) Before you know it, I found out that half of us got sick. We got together again a week later for a birthday celebration. Instead of staying home to recover, we just had to get together.

Friends! Somehow, we can't say no to friends. Friends! We're willing to get sick to be with friends. Friends! We're willing to trade illnesses. Friends! What the world would be without them?

Now, I just wanna know WHO gave me this flu?!?!?!?

Do They?

2007-01-22T10:46:00.000-05:00

Do weird people know that they're weird or are they just totally oblivious to their own weirdness?

Granted, we all have our weird quirks. Sometimes, we act weird because were (over)tired, moody, stressed or whatever reasons. But some people are just genuinely weird. They're just weird 24/7. But do they know that they're truly weird?

KT's Birthday

2007-01-16T09:07:00.000-05:00

10%

Wishing my honeybear a wonderful day on his birthday!

Happy Birthday, Kevin!

*mwah*

Winged Migration

2007-01-05T10:28:00.000-05:00

Gawd! It's been a long time since I've done a review for a book or movie. Below is my review posted in Amazon.com for Winged Migration:

*Winged Migration* was a beautiful scenic film of birds migrating from the North to the South and back. Admittedly, it wasn't as majestic as *March of the Penguins* but it was still breathtaking to see all that was captured.

This film featured ducks, geese, cranes, storks, gulls, gannets, penguins and several other species of migratory birds. It is just amazing to see the miles they fly over long periods of time. It's amazing to see that they don't tire mid-flight and just skydive to the ground. They persevere.

The film opens with the migratory birds migrating to the Artic where it is warm. Upon arrival, they break away from the group and begin to mate. It's beautiful to see different mating rituals, including some of the most fascinating and graceful dances. Of course, we see the chicks. These little fluffballs are just adorable!

However, soon it's "sink or swim" for the youngs as the birds need to migrate back to north. Summers in the Artic are short-lived.

Not everything is pretty in this film. You'll see a small bird with a broken wing, devoured by a group of crabs. You'll see ducks and geese being shot down mid-flight by hunters. You'll see a duck stuck in a mud of oil. You'll see a goose entwined with a piece of netting around one of her feet. You'll see larger birds preying on the other birds. But that is part of the cycle of life.

The sceneries are just beautiful. The ocean. The desert. The mountains. The Artic. It just makes you wonder just how these filmmakers were able to capture all of these, including the birds in flight. Just simply enthralling!

It was no surprise to see that this movie, made from 4 years of filming, was an Academy Award nominee. I certainly look forward to more films by Jacques Perrin.

Support Beth

2007-01-04T13:37:00.000-05:00

I blogged about Beth and her upcoming marathon and I thought I'd doing it again.

Beth will be running in the Rock and Roll Marathon in Phoneix, Arizona on January 14th. She is the only Deaf person running in this marathon (as far as we know). She even has her own interpreter who is also running in the marathon. How cool is that!?!

Anyways, Beth is running for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. This Society has done numerous research with the hope of finding a cure for those afflicted. Beth has been consistent with the training. She's extremely proud that she can run 20 miles and survive. So, I'm asking you all to support her in reaching her goal. You can contribute at her donation page.

Beth is a wonderful friend of mine. Like me, she is a transplant from Texas, living in DC. I first met her at Gallaudet when we were both graduate students of ASL & Deaf Studies. We do pick on each other endlessly, yet band together when people pick on Texas. LOL She's a great person that I'm glad to have formed a friendship with.

2007

2007-01-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

Out with 2006! In with 2007!

Good-bye doggie! Hello pig!

Hope your New Year's celebration was fabulous!

KT & I celebrated New Year's at Manny's place, along with a few other friends. Manny hosted a black/wig/potluck party.

So, KT & I got one of those cheap plastic wigs found at the Party City. Dressed up in black. Brought over a casserole of ground turkey, rice and cream of mushroom and a big bottle of champagne.

Gawd, there was so much food there! With train outside, we just all stayed inside and gobbled up as much food as we can, along with some wonderful drinks.

Ooooooooo, I'm gonna get Merritt back. He fooled me thinking that he was sipping some drink that contained chicken hearts. Of course, I went all "ewww!" They were actually lychees. B-itch!

Nonetheless, we all had a good time celebrating New Year's. We watched the Waterford crystal ball go down for 2007 in NYC, via TV. It will be the last time that any of us will see that crystal ball. The ball has been retired.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to another wonderful year of opportunities and cherished memories.

Ta ta...

Caption Unavailabilty

2006-12-29T11:24:00.000-05:00

Ugh! Some time ago, I ordered a Spanish movie with subtitles from Amazon.com. I didn't get a chance to see it until last night. However, there were no subtitles.

Bummer.

However, it doesn't stop there.

KT has gotten me some movies for Christmas and some for "just because". Even though he relied on my WishList, he ordered the DVD's from another site. Now, I put these movies on my WishList because I relied on Amazon.com to provide accurate information on caption availability.

Anyways, we put in Hellbent, a horror movie of 5 gay men being stalked in West Hollywood. Er, no captions!

Then, we put in Strip Jack Naked, a British view on gay life. Guess what? Yep, no captions.

Ugh! Now, I know that I cannot wholly rely on Amazon.com for accurate caption availability. I'll have to do multi-site comparison to see if such a movie does indeed have captions/subtitles.

Sigh...

Christmas in Minnesota

2006-12-28T09:07:00.000-05:00

On Christmas Eve, KT & I flew out to Minnesota, joined by his mother & stepfather, to spend Christmas with his sister and 3 nieces.

I packed my suitcase like I was gonna spend Christmas in the Artic. This Texan doesn't do well in the cold and snow. So, I packed in thermal & flannel clothing. I thought I was gonna be dealing with 20 below zero.

Anyways, we get there and it wasn't so bad.

Christmas was quiet and relaxing. Something that KT & I needed. Of course, we had already opened our gifts Saturday night. We saved a couple for Christmas Day.

I spent the day reading The Autobiography of Santa Claus that I got for Christmas. I thought it was a good book which gave some creative explanations of how Santa came to be as well as some Christmas traditions. I thought it was an interesting twist on "immortality" and how some people are involved, such as.

I'm not sure if everyone would like this book. However, I would have loved this book if only the author had included the "origin" of Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer. Ah well.

The day after Christmas, we all went out to Famous Dave's Barbeque for a late lunch/early dinner. Damn! This was some delicious finger-licking barbeque! The prices are moderate but you get A LOT of food! You're bound to leave this place stuffed!

Then, the next day, we flew back. It was a simple relaxing Christmas for us, which is what we needed.

Now that we're back, we're just simply busy preparing our lesson plans for the Spring semester. Well...at least, we get another long weekend coming up!

ta ta...

Blog Reading

2006-12-22T08:44:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted anything these days because I've just been reading blogs. Blog entries have been really interesting lately. I'm just reading them and the comments, especially over at DeafDC.com.

Oh, the title has been released for the final Harry Potter installment. It is "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". Soooooo cannot wait for that book to be released!

Then, Kekua sent me this email below about the last Harry Potter book:

Confirmed Information

On this page you can find several points of information we know about Book 7. Each of these points have been confirmed by an official JK Rowling source.

Character Information
-We will find out something "incredibly important" about Lily Potter
-We will find out who R.A.B. is
-We will discover more about Dumbledore's past
-We will discover where Snape's loyalties lie.
-Something will be revealed about Petunia Dursley, although it will not be that she is a Squib
-Viktor Krum will return (World Book Day, 2004 interview)
-We will see a reappearance of Dolores Umbridge - "It's too much fun to torture her not to have another little bit more before I finish." (MuggleNet/Leaky Interview)
-JKR has said, "There is a character who does manage, in desperate circumstances, to do magic quite late in life, but that is very rare..."

Plot Information
-Harry will face Voldemort for the final time
-Harry will be attempting to find and destroy Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes
-Harry will return to the Dursleys' during the school vacation, but the magical protection Dumbledore arranged will expire on his 17th birthday when he comes of age
-Harry will visit Godric's Hollow
-There will be a reappearance of the two-way mirror
-We will see the wedding of Fleur and Bill Weasley
-The fact that Harry "has his mother's eyes" will prove to be an important plot point
-At least one character will die

Other
-The last word is expected to be "scar," but may change
-We will finally learn the full reason why some people become ghosts when they die and others don't
-The final chapter, which has already been written, will detail what happens to the characters that survive
-There will be no more Quidditch matches

Oooo, I definitely canna wait for the book!

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Silent Night

2006-12-15T08:26:00.000-05:00

I wasn't able to watch CSI:NY on Wednesday night because I was teaching a class. So, I had it TiVO'd. Last night, came home, warmed up some tamales and watched the 'Silent Night' episode.

Overall, it was a pretty good show.

Of course, yesterday, I had read blogs where there were many criticism on the episode. And of course, as a Deaf person, I was analyzing everything and making comments to my partner, who was watching as well.

I was more critical on Marlee Matlin than any of the other Deaf actors. I dunno. I just seemed that Marlee just could not act in that episode. I've seen better acting of hers in other shows, such as Reasonable Doubts, Picket Fences and Law & Order:SVU. I do have to agree with some bloggers that her lines were cheesy, especially at the end. "I wish I could help you." "I speak with my hands. You speak with your eyes." *gag*

I found it interesting that many Deaf bloggers and commenters have complained about her using her voice in the CSI episode. I was like, "hello! Isn't that like her trademark?" Correct me if I'm wrong when I say the next sentence. I do not think there is a movie or a television episode where she has not used her voice.

I thought Russell Harvard did a great job. Of course, I might be biased because he's my fraternity brother. Nonetheless, he did a great job. Of course, I wished he had a bit more exposure on the show. I had to laugh because I thought "Russell, a bad guy? Toting a shotgun?"

Like I said, I thought it was a good episode. Could it have been done better? Sure. However, I am cautious and observant about how critical we, Deafies, are of the episode. Bloggers and commenters have shown concerns, disappointment and other reactions. Many were concerned about the Deaf actors voicing on the show. Many were concerned about the cop (Jerry Ferris) have a dual role as an interpreter. Many were concerned about the portrayal of a Deaf person's ability to read lips. Some were concerned about the vibrations identifying the exact murder weapon. Some were concerned about the portrayal of the Deaf family involved in a crime or their stance in assistive devices/real world.

First of all, Hollywood glamorizes everything. Do all Deafies use their voice? No. Are there cops that can interpret? I'm sure there very few. Should an interpreter from an agency be called in? Definitely. Can Deaf people read lips? Only some with varying skills. (Remember that lip reading isn't an exact science.) Can Deaf people read lips expertly at a distance, especially at night? That's like 99.9% impossible. Can Deaf people help the police and forensic crime specialists/investigators identify weapons merely by vibrations? Oh please.

But you know what? That's Hollywood. Let's look at the real life of CSI. CSI's aren't all gorgeous and model-like. CSI's don't work in offices and labs encased in glass. These lab testings and results do not occur within seconds or minutes. They take days and weeks before results are produced.

I remember reading an article about real-life CSI's. When CSI (the one based in Las Vegas) started to be come popular, many people enrolled at local colleges and universities to be a CSI. The instructors said that the work of a CSI is actually very boring and tedious. Hollywood was just glamorizing everything.

So, while we wished that 'Silent Night' could have been done differently, let's be thankful for the exposure and the use of our Deaf actors. Of course, I'm not saying let's just sit back and do nothing. Continue to write letters to Hollywood but at the same time, let's be thankful for the exposure.

**********

Tonight is the monthly Deaf GLBT coffee social.

Starbucks in Capitol Hill
237 Pennsylvania Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20003

Upstairs (go all the way to the back for the stairs)
7pm to 10pm

Closest Metro:
Capitol South
Eastern Market

See you there!

***********

Every year I'll get a flu shot. Of course, every year, when other people get their shots, they always complain that their arms are sore. Never happens to me.

Well, except this year. Damn, my arm hurt...all day long! Heck, even when I was sleeping. What the heck did they put in those flu shots?

ta ta...

Heaven Come Down

2006-12-13T10:14:00.000-05:00

Last night, after watching the March of the Penguins, which was entertaining, KT came across documentary that captured my attention. After watching it for a few minutes, I asked him what was the name of it. It was Heaven Come Down.

Heaven Come Down is a documentary on a branch of the Pentacostal denomination that not only do these fire-and-brimstone preaching, speak in tongues and spirit-filled dancing/movements but they also handle serpents, drink strychnine and dance with fire. The focus is limited to Pentacostal churches in the Appalachian area, such West Virginia and Tennessee.

Of course, the main focus of the film were these Christians' handling of serpents during church services. Heck, even in their own homes. And these aren't snakes like garter snakes. These are venomous snakes like rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and diamondbacks. Many of these Christians have been bit...repeatedly. A few have died.

When they get bit, their hands or other parts of their bodies are swollen. They break out in sweats. They vomit. They pray. Other people surround them and pray with them. But as soon as the tingling starts to fade, they jump right back into snake handling.

These people do this because they believe it is Biblical. According to Matthew 16:16-18:

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

However, one preacher of a similar denomination did show concerns over these Christians. If you do it so often, then that line of rationalization or responsibility fades. The handling of serpents is dangerous, where a few of them have died. The drinking of strychnine is also dangerous. One of the serpent handling preacher somewhat agreed. He stated that one should not handle snakes if not isn't ready to meet the Maker. He said, if you get bit, you better know where you're going, witout a doubt. He was referring to the Heaven or Hell destiny.

The thing that bugged me about the whole snake thing was that these Christians knew it was against the law. In some states, such as West Virginia, it is illegal to own a snake. So, during a case which involved the police, these Christians hid the snakes. It was sorta hiliarious because it looked like they were smuggling drugs.

The documentary not only show the spritiual side of these Christians but also showed that some Christians fall out of faith and even get in trouble with the law. One preacher had a suit filed against him by his ex-fiance (ex-wife) for molestation of the 4 children. He was eventually charged with sodomy. His wife was like, I love him and he needs more than ever. O....k!

For the first 8 years of my life, I was raised in the United Pentacostal Church (UPC). (Some use PCI or UPCI.) This branch also does fire-and-brimstone preaching, speak in tongues and dancing. No snake handling or strychnine drinking. As a Deaf kid, everything was vividly stimulating and peculiar. The one thing that used to scare me were these "slain in the Spirit" moments. Being slain in the Spirit is when a preacher lay his hand on people and they would fall back on the floor, still praying.

Oh man, I could write a week's worth of postings on my UPC upbringing. Anyways, after my dad quit the military, we returned to the States from Germany. From there, my parents tried to find another Pentacostal church. However, I think that my mother was tired of the strict guidelines that the UPC had on Christian living. My mother liked make-up and hated having her hair up in a bun. So, we started attending a non-denominational Bible-believing church. It was still a Pentacostal church but not one under the UPC branch.

Anyways, as I was watching the documentary, I could understand their rationale for doing some things. Yet, at the same time, I was conflicted about some of their practices. Their Christian talks brought back some memories. Anyways, I truly think that if I wasn't raised UPC, this whole thing would've gone right over my head.

Anyways, I would suggest you check out this documentary if you have the Sundance channel.

Cliffie

2006-12-12T09:08:00.000-05:00

Cliffie, wishing you a great day for your birthday! Do something crazy after you get off work. :-)

(Check your email soon!)

Mwah!

Holiday Baking

2006-12-11T09:16:00.000-05:00

Whooo, I had fun over the weekend.

Saturday, I finished my Christmas shopping for KT! Yay! Now, I just gotta wrap them all up. Then, I gotta do a little shopping to stuff KT's stocking.

While I was shopping, I was going to other stores to pick up bits and pieces necessary to do my holiday baking.

Of course, I get home only to have to go back out for a couple more things...twice. Don't you just hate that?!?

Saturday night, I made an Oreo cheesecake. Wished I had rememberd to take a picture of it. I also made a couple of Jell-o Magic Mousse.

Then, I boiled a couple of whole chickens in preparation for tamales the next day.

Got up early Sunday to make sugarplum thumbprint cookies.

Click to Enlarge

I believe this is the first time I ever made cookies from scratch. Purty good!

Then, with Oreo cheesecake, some cookies and the 2 Jell-o mousse desserts, we went over to Jon's place for a BBQ. Them people are from Minnesota. So, they were like, hey, today is a good day to BBQ! We, Texans, wouldn't even think of BBQ'ing in December.

Ok, I so did not expect the cheesecake to be devoured within the hour. KT brought up a piece. I had a bite of it and it was oh so heavenly! (Let me remind you that it was my first time making the Oreo cheesecake.) No wonder it was all gone!

I'll definitely make it again.

Then, I had to come home early so I could start making chicken tamales. You know, it's a lot of work for one person. But you know what? I really enjoy the alone time to clear my mind and just relax.

Of course, the cats were acting like I was the BEST human in the world. They were just brownnosing for some chicken shreds. Of course, I couldn't resist them.

KT came home hungry but he was willing to wait 2 hours for the tamales. That's how good they are!

Click to Enlarge

Mmmmmm! They look delicious, no? (I hate the camera in the Sidekick pager! Came out alright for the cookies but bad for the tamales. Grrr!)

The tamales were a big improvement from last year, which was the first time I made them. They were still delicious. I wanted to continue the tradition from my maternal grandmother.

This year, they were just delicious. Next time, I'll just make them a little thicker. Basically, I'm just happy that I got it right.

Well, that pretty much sums up my weekend.

ta ta...

In Memory

2006-12-09T11:06:00.000-05:00

Today would've been my mother's 51st birthday.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Love & miss you much!

Christmas Shopping

2006-12-08T12:50:00.000-05:00

Ooooo, tomorrow is gonna be crazy! I'm gonna finish up my Christmas shopping tomorrow! Well...I'm gonna try.

Then, Sunday, I'll prolly do some holiday baking.

Somewhere in between, KT & I are supposed to get a tree and decorate it.

Ooooo, fun!

Grandma

2006-12-07T15:28:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I was pretty upset after discovering news about my grandmother.

Since my mother passed aways almost 3 years ago, I've kept regular touch with my cousin Susan via email. However, since September, we've not had regular contact. She had to have surgery on her hands, due to carpel tunnel syndrome. She had one hand operated and recuperated for 3 weeks before she had surgery on the other hand. Now, she has to rest her hands for 3 months.

However, she just had to let me know about my grandma (her aunt). Before I start, the last thing I had heard about Grandma was that Dad and his older brother, flying in from Pittsburgh, would visit her on Thanksgiving. This was a couple of days before Turkey Day. Dad and I keep in touch like once every blue moon.

My grandmother has her own house. I'm not sure if she lives alone. Everytime, I'd go there, she always had some family staying with her in one of the bedrooms. However, from the stories I've gotten from relatives, it seems that she was living by herself this time.

According to Susan, Grandma has been slowing losing her mind. They're not sure if it's Alzheimer's or if it's stress-induced senility. My great-grandmother became partially senile during her last years. She pretty much recognized everyone. The only thing was that she always thought Grandma was her mother.

Grandma is another story. She has lost a few marbles. It got to the point where my Aunt Lucy moved her in with her so she could watch over her. Now, my aunt isn't exactly good health to be taking care of someone else. However, my aunt thought it was doable. Wrong! Grandma would try to strip off her clothes. She would try to escape from the house and wander off. These actions kept my aunt up 4 days straight.

My cousin drove down from Austin to help out my aunt. My aunt basically collapsed from exhaustion. Susan took care of Grandma. She said Grandma would curse her but then turn around and bless her repeatedly. She kept calling my cousin by another name. She would just babble on and on.

Afterwards, my aunt called a social worker about Grandma. After review, they decided it was best to put Grandma in a nursing home.

Susan said, my dad didn't show up to see her until after she was put in a nursing home.

Oh, I was livid! I heard nothing from Dad nor from Aunt Mary (Mom's baby sister).

So, I called up my aunt via Relay. I somewhat chewed her out for not keeping me updated. Her excuse was that she was too busy, due to the holidays. I'm sure she wasn't too busy to keep in touch with my other aunt in Chicago.

Anyways, she tells a different story. She said, according to Dad, that it was him and my uncle who found her at her home, naked, starving and talking to herself. She said it was them who put her in a nursing home. Apparently, my aunt doesn't know about my other aunt taking care of Grandma.

So, I'm getting 2 different stories. I was just really upset. After Kevin picked me up from work, I vented to him.

However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that we can't blame each other. After all, Grandma was left alone. I'm sure everyone felt guilty, just like I did.

I could say that Mom would have never allowed this. Mom was always checking up on Grandma. She used to tell me that Grandma was getting older and that we'd have to prepare for the time when we'd have to have Grandma move in with us.

You see, Mom used to make me promise that if she got old, to never put her in a nursing home. My aunt, my grandma and Mom felt so bad when they had to put GrannyMa (my great-grandmother) in a nursing home. So, Mom always said that Grandma wouldn't be put in one. Well, Mom's gone. She was the glue that held us all together. After she died, we all kinda went our separate ways. However, I know that's not a good excuse. Mom's gone and we have to work together to keep the family together.

Yet, realistically, Grandma is better off at a nursing home. My aunt cannot take care of her. Her health isn't good. Dad has moved out of town and is dealing with his own issues. I'm way out here in the DC area.

Grandma is always kind. She may be weird but you know...she's my Grandma. Mom thought she was just absolutely hilarious. I love her. I may not always show it but I do. She was the one who used to sneak me out on rides with her. She'd teach me signs. She was a special ed teacher. I vividly remember my first sentences in signs: "I WANT HOTDOG. I WANT HAMBURGER."

Anyways, I told my aunt to get all the necessary information to I can keep in touch with Grandma. I'm gonna make an effort to keep regular contacts with her. She's my only living grandparent that I have now. So, I wanna make sure that she knows that I do love her and that she's in my heart and in my mind.

So, be sure you let your grandparents know that you love them and think of them.

UPDATE:

Ugh! After I posted this, I called my aunt to get Grandma's new contact information. Just found out that Dad is moving her to another nursing home. Ugh! Wish he would communicate with me!

Middlesex

2006-12-04T10:49:00.000-05:00

I really did try to finish reading Middlesex. But I just couldn't! I guess it just didn't appeal to me.

I've heard so many people praise this book. It was on my WishList for a long time. So, I decided to get it and read it.

For a while, I thought that maybe I was just in a reading funk. Time after time, I'd get back to reading Middlesex.

So, yesterday, I thought I'd try reading another book. Boy, I was just so excited to read with pleasure once again. So, I tried reading Middlesex again, blah!

I dunno what it is. I think might have to do with so much focus on the grandparents than on Calliope/Cal. I was like "c'mon! hurry it up!".

Ah well...

Cobwebs

2006-11-30T12:53:00.000-05:00

Whooo, lawdy! I've been so lazy with my blog. Seriously, I need to get back to blogging.

It's just that these days I just feel like I don't have enough time to write up a post. Yet, I'll read a blog here and there.

Be back soon!

Nice Weekend

2006-11-20T08:56:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was really nice.

Friday night was the monthly Deaf GLBT coffee social in Capitol Hill. We had about 30 people show up. Give or take. I had expected a small number since we're in the holiday season.

As always, it was good catching up on news with friends and acquaintances.

Oh oh, before the coffee social, I went to Gallaudet to see an old friend of mine, Natasha. Natasha and I remained close friends since we both enrolled Gallaudet at the same time in '98. She left after 2 years. Nonetheless, we've kept in touch. Anyways, she was in town with her boyfriend. So, it was good catching up with her.

Saturday was a good day. KT and I went to Gallaudet to watch a play, Tennessee Williams' Streetcar Named Desire.

While everyone raved about it, I had mixed feelings about it. First of all, it was interesting. However, it was long...3 hours. I enjoyed the first half than the second half. It could be that I was already thinking "hurry it up" by the time intermission was over.

Now, I've never seen Streetcar Named Desire before. I've heard so much about the "Stella!" part. Even Seinfeld did a parody of that particular part, which was hilarious. Anyways, the play was interesting because it was mixed with other characters which I believe were not part of Williams' play. These additional characters were related to Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

I've already spent like 30 minutes trying to think what else to say about the play. It has to be 2 things. Either that I know if I comment about the play, it'll be a LONG post or it could be that I'm at work and I got lots to do. It only seems that I got a lot to do because I'm only working one day this week. I'm off the rest of the week. Yay!

Moving on...

After the play, I treated Kevin out to Chinese in Chinatown at Tai Shan. Still love that place!

Afterwards, we headed over to Manny's place for Manny & Roy's art show. Their displays were just beautiful. I bought a piece from Manny.

This piece is titled "Vogue". If you're familiar with Manny's works, you'll know that he has created and sold Mava dolls, which KT & I have 2 of them. In "Vogue", you'll see a cut-out and images of Mava's. Can you see the cut-out Mava doing the Vogue dance? Cute, isn't it?

I had asked myself where I would display the works of Deaf artists. I decided that I would display them at work...to raise awareness. I have a poster print of Sander Blondeel's stained glass work. The actual stained glass currently hangs in the Kellogg Conference Center at Gallaudet. It's really beautiful.

Now, I have Manny's "Vogue". I'm waiting to get my copy of Muck's colorful photograph. Of course, I must get one of Roy's painting. I'm just waiting to see one that'll connect to me. There is one painting that I REALLY want and that is "Family Dog" by Susan Dupor.

Sunday, I met with Natasha again since we were satisfied with the limited amount of time that we spent on Friday. So, we had a good chat.

Afterwards, I had a meeting with CBASLTA.

Came home and vegged out.

Today, I'm just working and then teaching tonight. Then, I'm off for the week!!!

Well, ta ta for now.

Gays & PDA

2006-11-14T13:49:00.000-05:00

I love my Advocate magazines. I look forward to getting a new issue in my mailbox.

I just got a new issue but I wasn't finished the previous one. I was reading about this story where this gay couple were reprimanded for public display of affection while on the plane (American Airlines). I was like, where was I when this was happening?

Here's the link for the summary. I do encourage you to read the article.

Basically, this gay couple, in a new relationship, boarded an AA plane for NYC from Paris. They were holding hands and giving each other quick kisses. When the plane took off, Stephan Varnier, a writer, laid his head on the shoulder of George Tsikhiseli, a TV journalist.

A flight attendant came up to them and told them the purser wanted them to stop that.

The couple hailed the purser. The purser replied that she had said no such thing and that they were not out of order. The couple then proceeded to ask the purser if the flight attendant would've harrassed them if they had been a straight couple. The purser's demeanor immediately changed and left. She came back a few moments later and said that passengers had indeed been complaining about their behavior.

The couple then inquired the purser to indicate which passengers complained which she refused to provide. They asked for the flight attendant's name. Also refused. Then they asked for an AA representative to meet with them when they boarded, which was also refused.

The purser then told them if they did not behave, she would have the plane diverted back. 30 minutes later, the captain reaffirmed that if they didn't behave then they would divert back.

When the story came out, American Airlines defended their employees. Of course, why am I not surprised. Their defense was: “Our passengers need to recognize that they are in an environment with all ages, backgrounds, creeds, and races. We have an obligation to make as many of them feel as comfortable as possible.”

Ok, I've flown on planes many many times. I've seen straight couples making out and doing other forms of PDA. Does that give me the right to notify a flight attendant to complain that I'm not as comfortable as possible? I've seen and heard babies crying their heads off, just about the entire flight. Does that give me the right to push that button that'll summon the flight attendant and allow me to complain? Hey, I'm not as comfortable as possible and I expect to be. Do you see where I'm going with this? Do you see how silly that is? So, why is it ok for others to do it but certainly not ok for gays to do so?

Rehi

2006-11-10T09:03:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I last blogged. When you're working 3 jobs and spend your free time going to meetings, you're bound not to see or read anything interesting.

So, what have I been doing since? Basically, other than working, just reading blogs. Since the Gallaudet/UFG protests, the number of Deaf bloggers have grown significantly. I've pretty much been going back and forth with DeafRead.com and DeafDC.com.

Right now, there's just a lot of negativity. I was right when I commented that I had a sinking feeling that there will be a lot of blaming, arguments, jeering and the like before we even think of moving on. Right now, there are a lot of "woulda, coulda, shoulda" redundant comments.

At this point, I'm like, we could all talk our heads/hands off about the Gallaudet administration, education and ASL proficiency issues until the day we die. And from the comments I've been reading, it seems that we may just be doing that. We can all talk about it. However, I believe we'll be more productive by doing something about it.

I guess at this stage, nothing is being done UNTIL we get the presidency filled in. Well, at least until we get an interim president. It just seems like we will all be blogging, commenting and talking about it until Gallaudet gets a president, a provost and a complete board of the Trustees before anyone does some serious action. Maybe it's a bad analogy but I feel like we're at this track field. We're all getting ready to run a race. We've positioned ourselves at "ready!" "set!". However, we've yet to hear the "go!". We're still at the "set" position...just waiting to go.

However, when we do get that go ahead, which aspects of Gallaudet will be addressed with urgency? Will we be fighting each other that this particular issue should be made priority? Can we all afford to "wait in line"?

Moving on...

**********

Wanted to wish a belated Happy Birthday to Rosey! Of course, I didn't forget her birthday yesterday. Just wanted to blog it here though.

So, Happy Birthday, Roe!

Then, I wanna wish one to Barbie, a beloved friend of mine. She's still one crazy girl. Today is her birthday but her son is having surgery on his torn knee. So, she's spending her day at the hospital. Motherhood, eh? Nonetheless...

Happy Birthday, Barbie!

**********

So, other than working, what else have I been doing? Really...nothing! Well, watching TV and movies.

Brothers & Sisters

OMG! I love that show! Sally Field cracks me up as the matriarch of the family. Brothers and sisters are all of various personalities. One is a political pundit in a television show. One is a gay lawyer. One is a president of the family's business, which is in trouble because their deceased father did something illegal. One is trying to get pregnant with his wife but realized that he is sterile. One just came back from the war and is dealing with it. Throw them all together along with the deceased father's mistress and you have drama!

Dexter

I had read a book of the Dexter series before I heard about Showtime wanting to make a show out of it. Indeed, a show was formed with Michael C. Hall playing the lead character. So far, the show has been pretty good.

Dexter Morgan is a crime scene investigator, for the Miami police, with blood being his specialty. However, Dexter is a serial killer. Yet, he just doesn't kill anyone. He kills the bad people...like the pedophiles, pimps, wife beaters, etc. So...interesting.

Heroes

I really like Heroes. I don't love it yet because there are some people with powers that are like whatever. Anyways, people across the world are discovering that they have mutant powers. Right now, the story is building up to save this cheerleader from something.

Cheerleader - seems to have an X-factor healing power (think Wolverine) as long as nothing is puntured in her at the moment. Her adoptive father is suspicious.

2 brothers - both can fly. One is a politician and is in denial of his power. The other brother seems not only can fly but maybe see the future through painting.

Painter - seems to be able to see the future by painting. However, he feels that he can only do so after injecting himself with heroin.

Japanese guy - is able to freeze time as well as time traveling.

Blonde mother - is a confusing character. At first, she seems to be such a naive single mother who is hiding from her criminal husband. However, whenever she looks in the mirror, she sees a different version of herself who has superstrength. (think She-Hulk or Rogue). Her husband can make himself intangible.

Cop - telepath. Seems like he might become FBI.

**********

I've heard so many people talk about Ugly Betty. I haven't had the chance to watch it.

**********

Last night, I think I saw a dead body.

I was driving home from Gallaudet from a meeting, with KT and BH in tow. My usual drive to home was blocked off by police. I believe there was an accident. So, we turned around to an alternative path. However, it was also blocked off. We had to take a detour. Well, when I made a turn, I could see a man lying still on the street. I could see a small puddle of blood by the body. I thought, I've just seen a dead body from afar.

All I could think was grief that the family would go through when informed by the police that their loved one was dead.

What was shocking to me was that people, in the neighborhood, were walking by and around like nothing happened. I mean, was that something usual and a reality in the neighborhood?

All I know was that it was freaky. I sure couldn't wait to drive home for safety.

*********

Well, y'all have a great weekend! Ta ta...

JK's Brief Statement

2006-10-29T17:53:00.000-05:00

Signature: Gallaudet University - Public Relations/Visitors Center

Statement by Jane K. Fernandes

“It is with deep regret that I heard the Board’s decision to
terminate my contract.

“I love Gallaudet University and I believe I could have made a
significant contribution to its future. I hope that the Gallaudet
community can heal the wounds that have been created. I trust that we
all want a stronger, better, more inclusive Gallaudet where ASL and Deaf
culture have been and always will be at the core of academic and
community life.”

IKJ's Statement

2006-10-29T17:47:00.001-05:00

Signature: Gallaudet University - Public Relations/Visitors Center

Statement by I. King Jordan

“The struggle during the past several months has been very painful for
all of us. I am deeply troubled by the divisions among us and by the
anger that overtook reason, respect, and civility.

“Now we must all come together for the sake of Gallaudet, particularly
for the sake of Gallaudet's students--those who are our students now and
those who will be students in the future.

“I want to thank Jane Fernandes for her dedication and courage and her
standing up for what's right. I am personally saddened--for Gallaudet
and for Dr. Jane K. Fernandes--that she will not have the opportunity to
show Gallaudet and the world what a great president she could have been.
Her vision and her plans to make that vision come to life would have
guided the university we all love into a bright future. The Board of
Trustees saw that promise when they selected Dr. Fernandes as president.
In order to resolve the current stalemate the Board has deemed it
necessary to steer a different course, and I accept their decision. Now
we must all put down our weapons of words and seek to restore a sense of
community.

“In my Town Hall speech last November I said there is more that
unites us than divides us. I think we lost sight of that for a time and
we must work together to refocus on the core values that unite us. We
should not look for a resolution to the struggle of recent months in
terms of winners and losers. If we do, Gallaudet and our students will
be the losers.”

JK REMOVED!

2006-10-29T17:40:00.001-05:00

Signature: Gallaudet University - Public Relations/Visitors Center

TO: Campus Community

FROM: Board of Trustees

DATE: October 29, 2006

RE: Board of Trustees Meeting

Today, we announce with much regret and pain that after serious
deliberation in a special, all-day Executive Session of the Board of
Trustees, we have voted to terminate Dr. Fernandes' appointment
asPresident-Designate (currently effective) and President
(effectivebeginning January 1, 2007) at Gallaudet University.

We understand the impact of this decision and the important issues that
inherently arise when a Board re-examines decisions in the face of an
on-going protest. The Board believes that it is in the best interests of
the University to terminate Dr. Fernandes from the incoming President's
position. Although undoubtedly there will be some members of the
community who have differing views on the meaning of this decision, we
believe that it is a necessity at this point. The Board is continuing to
meet to discuss transitional issues.

It has certainly been a difficult and trying time for our Gallaudet
community. Now is the time for healing. The hope of the Board of
Trustees is for our beloved community to come together to work for a
stronger and better Gallaudet.

Before You Trade

2006-10-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

I've met many Deafies who have traded their Sidekick pagers for a new one because of the amount of spam emails they have been receiving. It is bothersome to delete a number of them everyday.

However, I learned something new.

So, before you trade that damn pager...

Go to www.t-mobile.com

Sign in with your phone number and password. Once you've successfully signed in, you must select the phone/pager that you currently have.

Once you've done that, click on Communication Tools.

On the right side, you'll see a Resource section. In there, click on Create Spam & Keyword Filters. From there, you can enter the email address that you no longer wish to receive. You might have to go to your email, which you can access online, and click on the particular spam email.

Then, you're done.

Ah, isn't life easy?

Friday Night

2006-10-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

The coffee social last Friday was successful.

Despite the relocation to a Starbucks closer to Gallaudet, you know...the protest thing, I had expected a small number.

Initially, there was a small number. However, about 2 hours later, we had a total of 46. Not bad! It was good to see some old friends who came to Gallaudet for the Homecoming.

At the urging of one attendant, I conducted a small survey to see which location they liked better: the one in Duci or the one in Capitol Hill. To my surprise, many liked Capitol Hill. Of course it came with a "but...".

Many liked the Starbucks in Capitol Hill because it was roomier, which allowed people to move around. I had to agree. Not only were there those traditional wooden chairs but there were some soft plushy lounge chairs as well. There was also a fireplace. There was a small room set off on the side for computers. It was just really nice. Perfect gathering for the coming cold months.

A few of the people had a "but...". Few of them wanted nearby bars to go afterwards. Of course, Dupont Circle is the place to go bar-hopping. Capitol Hill/Eastern Market only has Remington's for the guys and Phase One for the gals.

For those who live outside of DC said that they only had to ride the Red Line to Duci. Now, they had to transfer. However, they were willing to come to the new location. Gally students were thrilled about the new location because they could either walk or take one bus ride with a short walk.

Almost everyone commented about the fireplace. It was like the fireplace sealed the deal!

So, what I think I'm gonna do is have the coffee social in Capitol Hill during the cold winter. The one in Dupont Circle will be for the rest of the year.

Coffee Social

2006-10-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

Tonight is the monthly Deaf GLBT coffee social. However, in light of the current Gallaudet protests, I have relocated the gathering to another Starbucks closer to Gallaudet. So, bring your fellow Deaf GLBT friends and visiting alumni!

Starbucks @ Capitol Hill
237 Pennsylvania Ave, SE

7pm to 10pm
upstairs

Closest Metro is Eastern Market and Capitol South.

I plan to be there. However, if anything should develop at Gallaudet, you can bet that I'd be at Gallaudet.

ta ta...

Another Blog

2006-10-19T11:26:00.000-05:00

I created a new blog that will address the Gallaudet Protests and other Deaf-related news and issues.

The Information Booth

Ta ta...

Tent City in San Antonio

2006-10-19T08:25:00.000-05:00

I'm excited because Jay & Terri Levine have spearheaded a Tent City Rally scheduled for this coming Sunday in San Antonio, my beloved hometown.

I truly wish that I could fly to San Antonio and be with the Deafies there. Nonetheless, I am proud that they will be showing support for FSSA.

Be sure to check out their blog, San Antonio for FSSA.

**********

Other News on Gallaudet Protests:

- GWU's Student Association President Lamar Thorpe's use of funds for Gallaudet protests caused concerns.

- Washington Post provides a brief dossier on Jane Fernandes.

Other Deaf News:

- WPSD opens a new $3.6 million Children's Center

- Court still upholds ruling that UPS cannot discriminate against the Deaf as delivery truck drivers.

- Italian Father Filippo Smaldone, a.k.a. Apostle of the Deaf-Mutes, has been canonized.

- Students of Donaldson's School for the Deaf will star in an upcoming documentary.

- A Jacksboro, Tennessee man has been charged for making an obscene call, via Relay, to a 10 year-old girl.

- Idaho Board of Education remains uncertain if ISDB will be closed or not.

**********

Ta ta for now...

Postponed

2006-10-17T14:39:00.000-05:00

I. King Jordan has postponed Homecoming.

Catching Up

2006-10-17T11:26:00.000-05:00

Whoo! What a weekend!

Friday was an interesting yet appalling day that I. King Jordan approved of the arrests of the protesters.

I came by Gallaudet on Saturday to show my support. It was good to congregate with the alumni.

I've just been busy catching up on the constant emails, blogs, vlogs, news/press releases, articles, newspapers on the Gallaudet protests.

Below are the links that provide continuous updates and perspectives of the protests:

www.gufssa.org
www.elisawrites.com
www.ridorlive.com
mishkazena.wordpress.com
www.deafread.com
www.deafdc.com/blog

See the Tent City World Map. Total Tent Cities to date = 45

UNITY FOR GALLAUDET!

Third Day

2006-10-13T08:33:00.000-05:00

Gallaudet is closed for the 3rd day. If I understand correctly, 6th Street entrance is open.

*********

I managed to stop by Gallaudet before heading home. It was interesting to witness the mass protests at my beloved alma mater. I took some pictures. The Sidekick camera doesn't do them justice.

While I was there, 4 students were meeting with IKJ and the assistant police chief to discuss about the arrests and the entrances to Gallaudet.

Chris Corrigan, the Mayor of Tent City, was giving pep talks to the protesters.

*********

After I left, I was forwarded 2 emails. Someone tried to impersonate SBG President, Noah Beckman, with a message that the protest was over.

NOT!

**********

You have to see this awareness collage made by Tate Tullier. Simply awesome!

**********

Well, ta ta for now. Stay warm!

2nd Day

2006-10-12T09:24:00.000-05:00

Gallaudet University is closed for the 2nd day.

Last night, Dr. I. King Jordan issued a statement and tried to used scare tactics by threatening students that they will be arrested.

According to one blog, IKJ has ordered the cafeteria closed. Hmmm, an act of desperation?

**********

I must mention about Allison Kaftan. She has written one of the best postings I've read in DeafDC.com, especially in regards to the Gallaudet protest. Do yourself a favor and check it out!

Worlds Apart: Divergences in Perspectives on the Protest

*********

Yesterday, the Federal Appeals Court ruled that the UPS was in violation of anti-discrimination laws when they banned the Deaf to be delivery truck drivers. This class action suit is a victory for the 1,000 Deaf who could have been drivers.

UPS plans to appeal.

**********

ta ta for now...

Gallaudet Closed

2006-10-11T11:12:00.000-05:00

There was an email sent out at 4:55am stating that the students have blocked all the entrances to Gallaudet.

So, Gallaudet is closed, including MSSD and Kendall.

I'm keeping my eyes peeled on updates.

**********

Other than that:

Happy National Coming Out Day!

That would be interesting day and memory for Deaf GLBT's coming out today and participating in the Gallaudet protest.

Anyways, a couple of tips when coming out:

1. Don't let anyone pressure you to come out when you're not ready to do so. However, do keep in mind that coming out is a process. If and when you're ready to come out, "try" out with 1 or 2 people. Over time, you will discover that people will have various reactions to your coming out. Over time, you'll know how to address these reactions.

2. Before coming out, pack an overnight bag and ask a friend if his or her place can be used as Plan B. You never know that your coming out might produce a negative (hopefully not violent) reaction or surrounding. If you feel unsafe, after coming out, get out and go straight to Plan B.

There are more tips but I feel that these 2 are the most important. If you're unsure how to come out, ask those who have already come out to share their stories with you.

With that said, Happy Coming Out!

Dr. Angel Ramos' Open Letter

2006-10-10T09:27:00.000-05:00

An Open Letter to Dr. Jordan:

Thank you for your recent email asking for my support and explaining what is happening on campus. First, let me say that I cannot support you. Let me share with you three of the many reasons why I cannot support you:

1. You claim that “We have continuously met in good faith with the dissenters, only to have the students’ demands change.” First, it is not only the students’ demands. It is the demands of the Gallaudet faculty, staff, alumni, Graduate Student Association, Student Body Government, Black Deaf Students Union, Latino Students Union, Asian Pacific Association, International Student Club, Students-at-Large, Students with Disabilities, the National Association of the Deaf, the World Federation of the Deaf, and many,many other hearing and Deaf partners in the community including the two former Chairs of the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees - Phil Bravin and Dr. Glen Anderson. The demands have never changed, they have remained the same since they were first made: a) re-open the search process and b) no reprisals for anyone involved with the protest. It’s that simple.

2. You claim that “we are committed to free speech.” You certainly have a strange way of showing it. I guess this commitment to free speech includes pouring horse manure at the site of the Tent City, which the students set up, and had a permit for, to civilly protest the selection of Dr. Fernandes. I can’t tell you how many parents are upset that you also put students’ health at risk by such a despicable action. I guess this commitment to free speech includes threatening staff and faculty who dare voice their opposition to the selection of Dr. Fernandes. I guess this commitment to free speech explains why you refuse to provide the Gallaudet University Alumni Association with the email addresses of Gallaudet alumni. Oh, that’s right. It is “confidential information.” Hmmm,,,, sharing “confidential information” was never a problem until the GUAA opposed the selection of Dr. Fernandes. There are plenty other ways you have shown your commitment to free speech - your actions speak for themselves.

3. You claim that “their [students] actions hurt us all, not only on Gallaudet’s campus, but around the world.” Hmmm…I don’t recall the students shutting down Gallaudet University for 7 days in 1988 during the DPN protest as hurting Gallaudet or Deaf people around the world.
It actually made Gallaudet stronger, Deaf people more empowered throughout the world, and ended up in the selection of the first deaf president of Gallaudet, YOU.

Now, let me tell you what I do agree with. I do agree that “We all have an important role to play.” I do agree that “many of you are as saddened as I am by the current discord on our campus.” I do agree that “we all need to be part of the resolution.” That being said, if you truly believe your own words you will truly LISTEN to what the community is saying. The selection process was FLAWED. The selection of Dr. Fernandes as a result of a flawed process IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

Back in 1988, the Reverend Jesse Jackson said, “The problem is not that the students are deaf, the problem is that the hearing world does not listen.” This was true back in 1988 and it is true today. I guess this means you must be part of the hearing world because you obviously are not hearing what your own Deaf community is saying - staff, faculty, alumni, people of color - and not just Deaf people, but hearing people as well, all standing together against you with one voice screaming “Re-open the search process!” Can’t you “hear” what everyone is saying?

Let me give you some advice on how to end this protest. Back in 1988 you took a stand against the students, staff, faculty and the community who wanted a Deaf president at Gallaudet. You decided to support the selection of Dr. Zinser because you believed that the next time there was a presidential vacancy you would be a top candidate. A few days later you came to your senses and stated that the students, staff, faculty and the community were right, it was time for Gallaudet to have a Deaf president. Lo and behold, you became the first Deaf president of Gallaudet. Now, 18 years later, once again you take a stand against the students, staff, faculty and the community who want to re-open the search committee. You decide to support the selection of Dr. Fernandes because she is your hand-picked successor. Will you please come to your senses again and once again state that the students, staff, faculty and the community are right - it is time to re-open the selection process!

The future of Gallaudet is in YOUR hands. Will you continue to divide and destroy what you have spent the last 18 years creating or will you once again bring joy to the students, staff, faculty and the community and bring us all together again? You know as well as I do that just as in 1988 the demand for a Deaf president was not negotiable, the demand to re-open the search process is not negotiable. In 1988, Dr. Zinser told the Gallaudet students, staff, faculty and the community they were right, it was time for Gallaudet to have a Deaf president. Will you do the same thing today and tell the Gallaudet students, staff, faculty and the community they are right, it is time to re-open the search process?

Dr. Angel M. Ramos, Class of 1997
Author, Triumph of the Spirit: The DPN Chronicle

Updated Contract

2006-10-10T09:01:00.000-05:00

The contract below is currently in the hands of IKJ.

Via Elisa:

This contract is to serve as a set of agreed upon items in order to cease lock-down of HMB by the protestors.

This contract replaces prior versions, which are null and void.

The two original SBG demands still remain:

1) Re-open the Presidential search Process (which includes Jane K. Fernandes’ resignation as President-Select), and

2) No reprisals for faculty, staff, students, and alumni involved with the protest.

Items for implementation in order to release the HMB Building:

1. Public statement by the University President apologizing for issuance of misleading statements and misrepresenting the actions of SBG protestors (e.g., disputing student accounts of DPS inflicted injuries; blaming harassment of adminstrative and Board officials by outside individuals on students)

2. Direct SBG line of communication to University Board of Trustees via SBG-appointed Liaison.

3. Unrestricted SBG access to Campus Activities email system; clarification regarding activity location and/or date shall be made within the same day.

4. Protest safe zones, including 24/7 tents and overnight sleeping, shall be established on the Mall area of campus. In addition, the HMB Atrium and the SBG office shall be Protest safe zones for peaceful assembly, meetings and related activities (including 24/7 tents and overnight sleeping). HMB as a classroom facility will be rededicated to normal usage. Further, scheduled usage of Andrew Foster Auditorium by SBG for peaceful assembly and/or meetings shall be allowed.

5. Unrestricted external media contacts with designated representatives on the campus Mall, Andrew Foster Auditorium (during scheduled activities), and SBG office.

6. Regular forums at HMB atrium with Jane K. Fernandes alone, with agenda and ground rules determined by both the SBG and the administration. The initial forum needs to occur within twenty-four hours from the time that the HMB lock-down ends.

7. Independent investigation of DPS actions, including tracing sources of the alleged calls regarding bomb threats, to be completed within two months’ time.

8. SBG shall have advisory representation on the CMT, through regularly scheduled meetings. Faculty and staff should have the same privilege.

9. Campus interpreters shall have no restrictions on interpreting at any time.

10. A multicultural mission statement, action plan must be developed, implemented, and evaluated (measurable outcomes) an on-going basis.

11. Enrichment Day activities shall be supplemented by concurrently scheduled Alternate Enrichment Day activities.

12. Director of Human Resources shall meet with staff members as requested on matters of individual concern, without SAC presence.

13. Press conferences hosted by the Adminstration shall include representation by SBG, with full access to media inquiries.

14. ASL courses shall be required. The SBG and the Committee for Undergraduate Education (CUE) will work together. The President and Provost shall issue a written statement that they support this.

15. The GUAA President, through the Office of Alumni Relations, shall have the unrestricted ability to correspond with all GUAA members (e.g., mail, electronic mail).

16. All statements and e-mails issued by the Office of Public Relations regarding SBG and protest activities shall be reviewed by the Provost for accuracy’s sake.

17. Move the Audism mandates out of the Diversity Action Plan for separate and independent implementation.

18. Withdraw the new names of the SAC, LCC, and the Art Gallery at the Washburn Art Center. Reconsider building or room naming procedures at the next Board of Trustees meeting.

19. Conduct an outside and impartial investigation of the Presidential search and selection process.

outside impartial review of search process assuring complete confidentiality to all interviewed: PSC members, board members, all 6 finalists, past board presidents, board emeritus members, GUAA officers, student reps, fac officers. This person/persons must be diverse, understand EEO issues, and have members who understand deaf community issues. Perferably civil rights figures included: Jesse Jackson, etc

20. Ensure that there shall be no reprisals (academic and otherwise) against students, faculty, and staff - similar to what was ensured for 1988 DPN protestors. Any exceptions shall be brought to the negotiating table.

21. Rescind the Freedom of Expression guidelines. Establish committee with SBG, faculty, and staff representation for development of new guidelines.

22. Student athletes shall be free to take part in peaceful assembly activities, outside of their athletic expectations.

23. Merged into item number 20, above

SBG is committed to all student organizations of color, cross-cultural and multicultural organizations, international student organizations, and organizations comprised of students with additional disabilities. “Commitment” as demonstrated by the practice of social justice principles and multiculturalism. Key ideals of social justice include equity for all individuals in sharing rights, privileges, power, and resources. Entitlement to those rights and privileges must be without distinctions or conditions that would exclude anyone because of race and/or ethnicity, religious diversity, socioeconomic status, age, ability/disability, gender, and sexual orientation. Social justice requires sincere respect and support for every individual’s potential for development.

This contract is effective and binding between the SBG and the Office of the President upon signatures of named parties unless otherwise specified.

______________________________________
Noah Beckman, SBG President DATE

______________________________________
I. King Jordan, President DATE

To clarify, this has not yet been signed. It has been handed to the president’s office, and they said that they would give the protestors an answer by 10 PM.* The protestors haven’t gotten an answer, so the lock-down of HMB continues.

* 10PM Monday night

Alum's Reply to Concerned Students

2006-10-10T08:44:00.000-05:00

Once again, thanks to Elisa, who has provided consistent updates on the protests, the FSSA, IKJ, JK, replies and everything else.

Below is an alumnae's reply to the letter sent out by The Concerned Students:

A group of “concerned students” have sent out a letter stating that they want to see classes continue and that they are against the protestors’ take-over of HMB. This letter is an alumna’s response to their letter and complaints.

Dear Concerned Students:

Your letter touched me and it also saddened me a great deal. First off, I had been wondering “where are all the other students?” when the protest started off with roughly a 100 or so students. Yes, I knew that there were a group of students who supported the JKF selection as Gallaudet’s next president, and that is fine as I respect their stance; however I do know they are NOT the majority. So who is this group of students who are “on the fence”, standing in between the protesters and the group who supports JKF? The ones who are more concerned about getting to their classes, keeping up their grades, getting a degree, and henceforth, chasing their ambitions? No one is disputing that right… we agree with you that we ALL have a right to that. So let’s for a moment put that on the side and address the REAL issue.

I do feel for you! Maybe you feel that you are not fully understanding of the issues on both sides, and feel it best to take a neutral stance? Maybe you are curious about the issues behind the protest, but were slighted at some time in the past by the very students involved in the protest? Maybe you are new to the Deaf World, just having embarked on beginning the journey in understanding or recognizing your identity as a deaf human being so that you can’t be bothered with trying to understand all the issues behind the protest? Is that it, or is there more that I am missing? Please tell me! We are ALL in this together, and it helps if we can understand where the other is coming from.

But, please do not tell me that you’re just simply concerned about making it to your classes and that you have a right to get your education. To me, that is just a “band-aid” excuse and if we really looked deeper, there’s more to it than that. And, whoa, if I could only convince you, the “education” you seek is right there!! In front of your own precious eyes! What’s happening right now at Gallaudet and how it is affecting all of us across the USA, and quite possibly around the world, is absolutely phenomenal! What you learn within the protest is going to impact you and possibly enrich your education for the rest of your life. It will shape your ambitions, even! I urge you to get involved!!

It saddens me to see that your letter does not acknowledge the issues behind the protest. It does not acknowledge the severity of the situation where it impacting the spirit and reputation of Gallaudet. Your letter does not acknowledge how what’s happening today is going to affect your “tomorrow” because many alumni are angry and will not send monetary support to Gallaudet. Your letter does not acknowledge that what’s happening today is going to affect your education, because there are staff and faculty involved with the protest may not be there if JKF stays on as President as many expect to lose their jobs, be demoted, or be reassigned. This includes many who did not use their “names” but may be “found out”. So, can you see?? What’s happening right now is going to affect your education no matter what, so I urge you to get involved!!

If you are not sure how to get involved, go and do your research. Talk with your teachers about putting your studies on hold, or apply it towards the situation somehow. The internet is brimming at the seams with lots of information about the current protest so go read up on the various issues. If you don’t feel that you fully understand why others are saying that there’s discrimination, racism, and audism, then go and speak with the protesters or FSSA representatives whether it’s a student, staff or faculty to ask questions. Maybe set up a group meeting and engage in respectful dialogue. You may agree with some of the issues, and disagree with others, and that’s okay. Important thing is that you engage with others.

As I close, I wish you best of luck to you as you figure out where you fit in. But the important thing is, get involved! And, if I may, I would like to share a couple of my favorite quotes as a reminder that our humanity, rights to freedom of speech, and freedom from discrimination counts first and foremost. And, the only way to protect those rights is…… by getting involved!

First they came for the Jews

and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

-Pastor Martin Niemöller

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

With regards,

Chriz Dally

Alumni ‘04

The Concerned Students

2006-10-09T09:45:00.000-05:00

There arises a new group, calling themselves The Concerned Students. Their first letter to the Gallaudet community was in regards to the lockdown of HMB.

Dr. Carol Erting provided a prompt response.

The Concerned Students' letter:

We, The Concerned Students of Gallaudet University, would like to alert the entire student body that we strongly oppose the barricade of the Hall Memorial Building (HMB). We are concerned that students who want to continue their education are being denied their fundamental rights to an education at Gallaudet University. The barricade of the building which primarily provide offices for the faculty members and classrooms, directly affect that academic activities of the University and therefore we consider the action as a gross violation of our rights.

We would like to emphasis that protesting is a choice and therefore our choice to attend our classes should equally be respected. The most relevant question we need to ask ourselves is: "Why are we at Gallaudet University in the first place?" Ponder on this for a moment.

We are at Gallaudet to earn a quality education. Many of us come from near and far, many of us are single parents, many of us are work-study students and pay our college education from our own pockets, some of us are international students whose stay in college depends largely on our grades, many of us have struggled so hard with VR, and if our grades fall, the risk of losing VR support becomes serious. We strive so hard to earn an education, an opportunity that might not be present to us everywhere. Gallaudet is one of a kind and will remain unique to us.

This dream and inspiration in us that guided our decision to come to Gallaudet for an education is about to be scattered and dashed. Our future ambitions and career goals are at stake and being held at ransom by protesters who did not send us to Gallaudet. It has been said that your destiny is in your hands. Only you can decide what you want to become tomorrow by your actions of today. By coming to Gallaudet University you have shown that you want a better tomorrow, a better education and better future. This protest is obviously interfering with our ambitions and we are voicing out our rights to earn an education.

We implore the faculty and staff who are part of the protest to put the ultimate priority of their obligations to the students in consideration.

The Concerned Students are still holding consultative meeting and we would like you to send your comments and concerns to us at gallystudents@yahoo.com.

Keep your eyes open for our announcements of Meeting dates, time and venue

Dr. Carol Erting's response:

Dear Bobby and other concerned students,

Thank you for your message to the community. I want to let you know that several of us faculty have been working very hard to assist in the resolution of this very serious situation on campus. We have been at HMB with the protesting students since the incident occurred with DPS and frightened students asked faculty to be present to ensure their safety. Please understand that this is a STUDENT action, not an action by the Faculty, Student, Staff, Alumni Coalition (FSSA). The coalition announced during the protest in May that it would not interfere with the ongoing educational activities of the university. That is still the position of the coalition. A coalition as you know is made up of independent groups who share similar goals but may take actions on their own to achieve them. That is what has happened in this case. Some of the written statements have added to the confusion so it is not surprising if contradictory messages are "out there." I am pasting a copy of a message I sent to the University Faculty officers yesterday. Please know that we are working diligently toward a peaceful resolution of the current situation so that classes may resume unimpeded, so that intimidation in all forms and toward all parties may cease on campus, and so that civility and respect toward all may prevail.

Here is a copy of the message I sent to faculty officers and their advisory group:

Colleagues,

Several faculty members have been trying very hard to convince the students they should leave HMB. Three of us met briefly with Mike Moore last night and conveyed that message to him. We told him faculty who were inside HMB were there because we are concerned about the students' well-being. After the problems that occurred when DPS entered the building, students sent FSSA faculty a message pleading that they come to HMB because they were afraid. We have communicated repeatedly that we want them to leave the building. We made it clear to MIke that while the FSSA faculty support the students' two demands, this is a STUDENT action not an FSSA action and that we are trying to convince the students they need to leave the building.

Thursday afternoon there was an impromptu meeting at Fowler Hall. Several faculty were discussing the lack of response by the BOT to the faculty report when two student leaders walked into the building and asked to meet with us. As we met, more faculty joined the meeting as did a number of students and a few staff. The faculty in attendance made it very clear to the student leaders who were present that we did NOT support a lockdown of the campus. We tried to explain why and convince them they had other, better options. As we learned the next morning, they made their decision to lock down HMB. That decision was made by the students, not by FSSA and not with the support of any faculty member I know.

Each and every one of us needs to do our best to help them understand and come to a resolution of this situation today. FSSA faculty are meeting this morning at 11:00 am prior to the noon meeting the students are having with Mike Moore, Carl Pramuk, and Debbie DeStefano.

Please consider coming to campus today to meet with the students and help try and convince them to leave the building. I think it would convey a very important message especially if faculty officers were to meet with them, listen to their thoughts and feelings, and help them understand why they should leave the building today, by their own decision. They expressed deep appreciation to Mike, Carl and Debbie for coming to HMB yesterday and for their willingness to have open, direct discussions with them.

Please come to campus and try tell the students that. Help them understand it is the right thing to do and why.

Carol

Please feel free to come and discuss your concerns and perspectives with me and with other faculty. We are here for all Gallaudet students. A university is a place that should encourage open and free discussion. No one should feel intimidated or fearful to take a stand and discuss that stand with passion, civility, and respect. This kind of dialogue is essential to a free and democratic society and we should all be very concerned about protecting that right and taking that responsibility as community members. Once again, thank you for your message.

Carol

Carol J. Erting, Ph.D.

Chair and Professor

Department of Education

Gallaudet University

Washingtion, DC 20002

carol.erting@gallaudet.edu

Bottom line is that the lockdown of the HMB was not sanctioned by the FSSA.

Gallaudet Blockage

2006-10-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

*edit below*

Uh, hell no!

This morning, I drove KT to Gallaudet to drop him off to work at MSSD. After dropping him off, I planned to drop off the car at a shop, near home, to get some things fixed and then Metro to work. However, when I got to the front entrance on 8th and Florida, it was blocked. So, I went over to the one on 6th Street, it was blocked as well. Then, I drove up to the MSSD entrance, it was blocked as well.

Oh, no no no!

So, I drove back to the front entrance, where there were other cars and service vehichles, such as Odwalla, waiting to get out. No one was moving. So, I put the car in Park, got out and walked to the DPS security.

I explained to her that I just entered campus to drop off my partner and that I needed to leave campus to go to work. "Sorry. No one is allowed to leave or enter," she said. "Why?," I inquired. "Sorry but I'm not allowed to tell you why," she replied.

No ma'am. No one is ever allowed to prevent anyone from leaving a place. No one is allowed to prevent someone from leaving a church, a hospital, a home, a mall, a theatre and most certainly a university campus.

So, I drove my big fat flat ass over to DPS. If they were gonna remain adamant, I was gonna have them call the DC Police. So, I got to the DPS front desk (by the way, it's been renovated) and explain that I dropped off my partner and that I needed to leave to get to work.

The lady, at the front desk, left to talk to someone. On my right, there was a huddle of DPS officers, talking (not signing).

A Deaf teacher from Kendall came in to ask when will the teachers, parents and students be allowed to come in on campus. Even the DPS officers weren't quite sure. One replied, "maybe 30 or 45 minutes but not sure."

The lady at the front desk came back to make sure she understood me right. Apparently, they were surprised that I made it in on campus in the first place. Dammit, I need to get off campus to get to work! The lady left again to speak with her supervisor. She came back quickly and said I could leave.

Thank you!

So, I drove back to the front and I still see 2 other cars waiting to get out. So, I got out again to speak to the same officer. You could tell she was overwhelmed. Students and staff were upset that they were not allowed to come in. Everyone was congregated at the front in the rain.

I was watching one student explaining to the officer that he lives in the dorms. The officer kept repeating "please cooperate with me. no one is allowed to come in." She was saying that to everyone. Only the DC Police were allowed to drive in.

I went up to her and explained that I went to DPS, who told me that I was allowed to leave. She warned that if I left, I would not be allowed back in. I was like "that's fine. I just need to leave for work." I got back in the car and waited at the stop light before I could leave.

A Deaf guy warned me about leaving campus and not coming back in. I assured him that I knew that and that I needed to go to work.

I saw several students and staff commenting how the blockage had to be related to prevent students from interrupting the BOT meetings.

The light turned green. I took off knowing that it was gonna be a long and interesting day at Gallaudet.

*EDIT*

It turned out that the one of the reasons (the other reason that I've heard was that a bomb threat was called in) for the blockage was that there was an episode earlier that morning involving the DPS and the students at HMB.

Elisa has provided consistent coverages on this morning's events, including a video clip, recorded by BisonTv, on a DPS security clashing with students. (QuickTime is needed to view.) The Administration proclaimed that no one was hurt. Allegedly, the video clip has been released to the media.

Hard: A Novel

2006-10-05T11:17:00.000-05:00

Hard basically revolves around Moe, who is not skinny but not on the heavy side. Just a husky bear. Plus, he's also the world's best (at least, in NYC) cocksucker, who doesn't expect reciprocation.

Anyways, Moe is one of those guys who feels that it is his right to have sex anywhere and anytime he feels like it. (Think of Brian from Queer As Folks.) However, his rights are being trampled by Frank DeSoto, a gay reporter who has survived the 80's nightmare, where many of his friends and his lover have died from AIDS. Frank berates the gay community for being lax on HIV/AIDS activism.

Meanwhile, Moe's ex, Gene, moves to NYC from Washington for a travel agency. Gene is HIV-positive. He meets a younger guy, Dustin, who is insanely jealous of Gene & Moe's close friendship. However, when Gene finds out that his viral load is undetectable, he goes sexually wild on Dustin, who seems to be pliant.

Moe's best friend and fellow gradute classmate, Aaron, is also dating. His new love is a young Asian photographer, Kevin. However, Aaron soon discovers that Kevin is a hustler. Will this relationship work out?

Despite Moe's frequent adventures, he meets Max, whom he falls head over toe. However, Moe is disappointed that Max, a survivor of the 80's nightmare, is working with Frank DeSoto. Max and Frank are both working on a play that deals with the younger generation of gays being ignorant and careless in the age of HIV/AIDS.

If you're familiar with Larry Kramer's works, then you'll probably get flashbacks from "Faggots" while reading Hard.

Like the saying, all good things must come to an end. Just who or what comes to an end?

Great book that had me laughing out loud in some parts.

4 out of 5 stars

Hard

2006-10-03T11:06:00.000-05:00

I'm currently reading Hard: A Novel by Wayne Hoffman. It's a gay novel that somewhat reminds me of Larry Kramer's Faggots. Gay life in NYC.

Anyways, I thought I'd share an excerpt that I thought was hilarious.

He'd gone to his first--and last--piss party at The Backdoor the previous summer. Wearing only a jock strap--Moe's insecurity about his body proved less potent than his embarrassment at bringing urine-soaked clothes to the laundromat--he had found several men at the club whom he deemed appealing. One of them, a bearish man in his fifties, smelled new meat and came over to play with Moe. Everything seemed to be progressing at an appropriate pace, when the man asked if Moe wanted to get pissed on. "Yeah, I do. That's why I'm here," Moe said. "Then get down on the floor," the piss daddy commanded. "On this floor? But it's filthy!" Moe replied.

"I'm gonna piss all over your face, and you're worried about the floor being dirty?"

"I'm sorry, man," Moe told him. "I've got limits."

The Roo

2006-09-29T07:52:00.000-05:00

Cruel, isn't it?

PostScript to Lost River

2006-09-26T08:18:00.000-05:00

I forgot to mention one thing about the Guest House at Lost River. There are no keys for the room. You just open the door and walk in. To lock, like for the night, you push in the doorknob and give it a slight twist.

When the guy first told me that there is no key for the room, I thought how odd. After he left, I told KT that I could not believe that there was no key. Who has ever heard of a hotel, a motel or an inn with no keys to the rooms?

KT was like...hell-o! We're in West Virginia.

Oh.

I keep forgetting that.

Everytime we go to North Carolina to see KT's mom, I lock everything. Then, I'm always commenting to KT like, I notice your mom didn't lock the door. He's like, yeah, we're in North Carolina, not in DC.

People in the South, or rather in the country, don't freak out over stuff like this. They just don't lock doors to their cars or houses. In the city, leaving doors unlocked is like an invitation, more like begging, to be robbed.

I guess for me, once you've been robbed, you're gonna lock everything regardless where you are. Once is enough for a lifetime.

Anyways, it was odd not having a key to access a room. At first, it was like, what the hell were they thinking? Yet, a day later, I realized that I was relaxed about it. People come here to escape from the city life, not to come looking for things to steal.

Yet, it doesn't hurt to be on the safe side, right? Hmmm, that's just me, the city guy, thinking. I guess I can't make up my mind if I like the idea of not having to worry about stuff like locking doors or if I like the satisfaction that I know that I've locked everything before leaving the area.

Ah well.

Lost River

2006-09-25T08:36:00.000-05:00

For our 6th anniversary, I took KT on a surprise trip to Lost River, West Virginia. More specifically, I took him to the Guest House at Lost River.

I first heard about this place last month. I was in Dupont Circle, waiting for KT to meet me there. So, I grabbed the newest issue of Metro Weekly and sat in WrapWorks. I came across an advertisement about the Guest House. I thought...hmmm, a gay place in West Virginia. Way out from the city. In the middle of nature. To me, that sounded like something we needed.

So, I called and made the reservations. I found out that the Guest House is actually gay-friendly, rather than gay-owned. So, I was kinda iffy on deciding to go through with it or not. Lots of hotels and other places claim to be gay-friendly when their atmospheres aren't quite receptive, encouraging or even diversed. And to top it off, it's in West Virginia. You never hear that West Virginia is so OPEN to gays. So, what the hell was I thinking?

Thursday night, I did all the laundry.

Friday afternoon, I came home from work, packed like a maniac. The cats were wondering what the hell was wrong with me, going up and down the stairs and cussing.

2 hours later, I picked up KT and we zoomed off for the weekend.

Man, traffic in Virginia was a bitch! I, seriously, do not understand how people can stand to commute, from VA to DC and back, and deal with traffic on a daily basis. I would've ended up in the loony bin!

We had to pull off in Manassas and chill out. We had dinner at Golden Corral. Now, that's a good place to go people-watching!

After about an hour, we resumed driving on 66. Traffic wasn't too bad but there was still traffic! Then, we finally hit 81 which led us to West Virginia.

By the time we got there, it was dark. The roads were steep downhills and high elevated hills with sharp turns. In the middle of the forest. There was this big-assed truck behind me with its lights blinding me. All I kept thinking was that movie, Wrong Turn.

Anyways, we finally made it to the Guest House. Ooooooooo! I have to say that it was beautiful from the outside. We got in to check in. One of the guys gave us a tour of the inn. Omigawd! Bee-yooooo-ti-ful!

First of all, this definitely fit "gay-friendly". We were first led to their own restaurant. You could see gay and straight couples at their own tables, having a romantic evening. Then, to the bar, where people were mingling.

We were led to the public rooms, which were something you would see from a home magazine. The pool room, the TV room, the hot spa, the steam room, the gym were all just aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It was like modern country (or is it country modern?) with woods, everywhere. Wooden floor, wooden ceiling, wooden doors, etc. Rocking chairs were conveniently placed throughout the area. It wasn't country like the rooms were laden with those craft stuff you'd see in small town stores or flea markets. Too much of those could be...well, too much. These people knew how to decorate the place.

We were led to our room. Cute little place with beds that were covered with quilts and there was no TV. That was why they had a TV room (yes, with captions). You're in the country to escape...hello!

Well, I forgot to bring books. Yeah, I know! This guy who loves to read...forgot to bring books?!?! Ok, remember, I said I was packing like a maniac. Obviously, I wasn't thinking about everything. Luckily, KT had some books for me for our anniversary. So, he gave them to me early, so we could both read. It was only for a little while til we both fell asleep.

We got up in time for the "community" country breakfast. No, not one of those continental breakfasts. This was like a real breakfast. It was served at 9. You either had to be up it or miss it. Breakfast was in a country room with about 6 long tables. Gays and straights were just sitting together, chatting and eating breakfast together. I don't think I've ever been more relaxed before in this type of setting. So, we had a delicious breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns, biscuits, fruit salad and other stuff.

Night and day makes a HUGE difference. Traveling to the Guest House, we couldn't see a thing. In the morning, we were in the midst of beautiful trees, mountain view and sunrise. In the front of the Guest House were 2 horses.

Since this was a surprise for KT, I gave him a list of activities that was provided by the Guest House online. I had printed out these stuff prior our trip. Where we were...no signals. The Guest House had an area where one could bring a laptop with wi-fi capability. You could go swimming, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, fishing, etc. We decided to go to these small town stores and check out a cavern.

Ok, I know a few days ago, I blogged about the smelly metro. I know that I said I wouldn't ever complain about cows and manure in the country. Ok, I didn't complain. But the chicken factory/coop, I had to complain. It STUNK! Even KT was like...whoo, that smell was just a little overpowering.

Anyways, we drove through these little towns and eventually making our way to Smoke Hole Caverns in Seneca Rocks. Smoke Hole Caverns boasts to have the world's longest ribbon stalactites. Lemme tell you, it was boring. It's a guided tour with this girl that just loved to talk. It wasn't a long tour. Really, you could walk in and out in like 15 minutes. You were lead in for a short distance, with numerous stops by the guide and then lead back on a slightly different path.

After that, we drove back to Moorefield to check out their Heritage Weekend. Ummmmm, maybe for a small-townie, that's a big deal but for us, hailing from big cities, it was like...is that all?!?!

Anyways, we had a good time. It was just nice for the 2 of us be together and just catch up on stuff as well as looking at some of the cute things.

We headed back to the Guest House to relax. Sometimes, that all you need to do. Just relax and do nothing! So, that's what we did. We hung out at the bar, watching some college football games, while I nursed a 7&7. We soaked ourselves in the hot spa. We played games of pool.

Sunday morning, we headed back home.

We definitely wanna come back...but stay longer. We definitely recommend this place to our friends. It's just beautiful and a nice place to escape. Just don't forget to bring books.

I will post pictures later. I had forgotten to bring the digital camera. (Remember, I was packing like a maniac.) So, I got a disposable one. So, I gotta get them developed.

ta ta...

Sixth Year

2006-09-22T09:50:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, KT & I will be celebrating our 6th year anniversary.

September 23, 2000 was our first date, which lasted 11 hours. (No, nothing dirty, you perverts!) We've been together ever since.

We first met at a mutual friend's house on Halloween of 1999. We had heard about each other, through friends on campus but never had the chance to meet. I had just dragged for the first time (and so far, the last) the week before. So, I wasn't in the mood to dress up for Halloween. I was outside in the patio, chatting with friends, when I first laid eyes on Kevin. From there, we chatted all night until one of us had to leave.

I was surprised that he was a friend of Manny's since I had been hanging out at Manny's place quite frequently. From there, KT and I became good friends.

Well, about a year later, friends & I were in a chatroom online. People gradaully left to do other things. Finally, there was 3 of us left...me, KT and a friend. However, before this friend left, he asked why KT and I hadn't gone out on a date and logged off quickly before either of us could reply. After a short moment of awkward silence, KT asked me out.

So, we decided to meet for lunch at Cafe Luna. I was embarrassed to say that I had lived in DC for 2 years and going to Dupont Circle but that I had never heard nor ate at Cafe Luna.

Well, it was a date that almost never happened. Well, at least in my perspective. I arrived at the agreed time and waited...and waited...and waited. I thought I had been stood up. Turned out that KT was late and was riding the bus.

So, we had lunch. And like Deafies do, we stayed in the restaurant for quite some time, even after our plates were picked up. We went to Ben & Jerry's for ice cream. Then, we caught a movie. Then, we had dinner. After that, we strolled around DuCi. Then, I saw KT off to the Metro, while I bused to Gallaudet. That was the longest and the best date I've ever had.

And then from there, we just kept on dating.

Now, 6 years later, here we are...still in love!

It doesn't feel like 6 years. Time goes by too fast. Yet, at the same time, we've gone through a lot in 6 years.

Kevin was really patient with me as I completed my senior year at Gallaudet as he had started his job at the law firm.

We moved in together, which took some adjustments. Hey, moving in together is a big deal!

There was a lot of firsts that were fun and memorable and others were challenging. Our first major purchases. Our first vacation together. Our first holidays with families. Stuff like that.

For a short while, we relied on the bus and the Metro. Then, KT got wheels! It was a blue Pontiac Grand AM. It sure made a difference, having a car.

My mother got stomach cancer. KT was there for me, without hesitation. I flew back and forth to see my mother. At first, she survived the cancer. But then, a year later, the cancer had suddenly reappeared and invaded throughout her body. Mom decided her time was up. So, I flew back and forth during her last days. In her final month, I stayed with her. Being apart from KT, for a long period of time, was hard. Yet, KT never failed to keep in touch with me and gave me words of encouragement and understanding. When Mom died, KT was there during and afterwards. Some days, I have my greiving moments and he's always there. I truly dunno what I'd done if KT hadn't been in my life.

Our first house. We just truly love our home. No more landlords and no more roommates. Thank God! It's just us and the cats.

Unfortunately, we had our first break-in. Nonetheless, we bounced back and moved on.

Then, we got another car...a brand new one! Lovely!

Then, KT and I went back to school for our Master's. Now, that was an interesting experience. We were working nearly full-time and going to school full-time. Since we both had the same major, we saved money on books. However, we had to schedule our times to read so that the other could read as well. The same for our laptop.

And now, we're starting on our dream careers. It's fun to see each other getting excited about our new jobs.

We've experienced a lot of stuff together. Some were fun and memorable. Some were challenging. Some were better left forgotten. Some were hilarious. We've grown alot, both together and individually. We're so comfortable with each other. We often tell each other that we can't imagine life without the other. Yeah, we know that life is precious.

You should see us when we're silly with each other. We come up with some of the silliest comments or actions that are totally alien to others. But to each other, we'd either be trying to hide our smiles or burst out laughing.

We look forward to more wonderful years and memories together.

So, for our anniversary, I'm taking him on a surprise weekend trip. Somewhere. I'll tell you about it when we get back. KT does read my blog. :P

Nonetheless, I totally love this Kevin guy. He's my man and I'm so happy that he's a big part of my life.

I love you, Kevin!

Smelly Metro

2006-09-21T08:12:00.000-05:00

Ugh!

I don't know if any of you get off at Metro Center for work or whatever. However, recently, Metro Center stinks! Occasionally, you'll encounter a smell of coal. Or a smell of burnt electricity. I don't know how to describe burnt electricity. It's like when I was a kid and I used to dab a 9-volt battery to the tip of my tongue. It's that particular odor from the battery. Whatever it is, it smelled like it was burnt. It was probably still from the coal.

Anyways, I notice the smell becoming more frequent. Yesterday, when I got off the subway car into the station. There was a brief offensive odor like one of the custodians forgot to empty one of the trash receptacles. And because of the oversight, the discarded contents fumigated their odors. That was what it smelled like.

This morning, whoo! It was enough to make someone pass out. Never again will I complain about the cows and their manures when I go driving through the country. That smells heavenly compared to what it smelled like this morning at the Metro Center. Seriously!

This time, I was walking from the subway car to the Metro Sales Office and the odor lingered. It smelled like you were at a landfill. It smelled like the custodians forgot to empty all the trash bins. It reeked like rotting flesh. Now, I've never smelled nor seen rotting flesh but it smelled somthing like that!

Most of the time, when you smell something funky, you can just simply hold your breath for a few seconds. By the time you breathe, the smell is gone. Well, not today, I had to hold my nose. Simply offensive!

I'm already dreading going back when I get off work. I dunno what it is but Metro needs to take care of the odor problem, like yesterday!

Hispanic or Latino?

2006-09-20T08:12:00.000-05:00

After the welcoming speech was given, the first presentation, at the TLCDHH conference, was focused on racial terminology. (Some information are from the presentation and other information are from what I already knew, read or researched.)

- Hispanic?

- Hispano?

- Latino?

- Chicano?

Which one is appropriate?

Hispanic/Hispano indicates that one's heritage or culture is from Spain. However, its meaning has been blurred over time in which people in America have adopted this terminology to identify themselves. Hispanic is also a political term used by the American government for their own records, censuses and research.

However, there are people who refuse to identify themselves as Hispanic because they are not from Spain.

Latino indicates that one is from Latin America and it can be applied to those from Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking countries. Again, the meaning has also been blurred and some people refused to call themselves Latino because they aren't from a Latin American country.

Chicano is a relatively new term, which has been adopted by some in California, Arizona and a few in New York and Florida.

There are other terms:

- Spanish-American

- Mexican-American

- Tejano (a person of Mexican descent and is from Texas)

- Nuyorican (a person of Puerto Rican descent and is from New York City)

- country identification (Puerto Rican, Columbian, Mexican, etc.)

Spanish- and Mexican-American is still being used. However, I've noticed that these days these terms are used less frequently. Notice how -American is often added to minorities that are non-White. You never see Swedish-American, Dutch-American, European-American, British-American, Irish-American, etc.

However, there is no one correct term to apply to these people, who are from Mexico, Latin and South America, Spain, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, etc. Just like some blacks prefer to be called Blacks and others prefer to be called African-Americans. The same applies to Hispanics/Latinos. Some prefer to be called Hispanics, Latinos, Chicanos, Tejanos, Mexicans, etc. Just ask them what they prefer to be called and respect them. The identity preference they chose for themselves is not wrong.

I take comfort that it wasn't just the Deaf Latinos dealing with this racial terminology. The mainstreamed Latinos are also facing this issue. You'll see magazines, newspapers, television shows, debates, classes and other mediums are facing this issue as well.

Should we even bother trying to find a uniform term that applies to us people? Shouldn't we just accept the fact that we're all from different places, embrace diversity and respect identity preferences? I believe that's the way to go, respecting everyone's preferences, since we're all from lands of rich cultures and interesting histories.

ta ta...

TLCDHH

2006-09-19T08:05:00.000-05:00

The Texas Latino Council of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing held a conference in Austin, last weekend. It was the first ever to be done in Texas in regards to Deaf Latinos. New Mexico had theirs the previous year or two. I had caught some people comparing the two and saying that while NM was good, the conference in Texas was far more successful.

Next year, there will be national conference on Deaf Latinos in DC. I believe it'll be somewhere in October.

There was over 100 people there. There were people from Texas, Mexico, New Mexico, Illinois, Wisconsin, Maryland, DC, Virginia and New York. I don't recall anyone from Arizona and there wasn't anyone from California.

Well, Thursday morning, I got up about 4:30 in the morning. I had to catch the MARC to BWI. Cheap tickets = early flights I got to Austin about 1 in the afternoon. Went out and had lunch at Magnolia Cafe South with my good good good friend, Barbie, and her 2 friends, Mae and Rose. Magnolia had one of the best nachoes I've ever had.

Afterwards, Barbie and I went shopping in those little hippie stores downtown, near TSD. She was looking for birthday gifts for her eldest son. Then, we went to her workplace to chill out before I had to meet my family and she had to go to a meeting. While we were relaxing, I saw an old friend of mine, Dan, whom I've met when I was going to SAC. Barbie and Dan were interpreting students when I was going to SAC. It's just amazing to see how time have passed. They're now professional interpreters and have progressed to higher levels of state certification.

Later that night, I went to meet Dad and a cousin of mine, Susan, who had just relocated to Austin from San Antonio, at Matt's El Rancho. Now, this place had some good Mexican food. The only thing I wasn't impressed were their tortillas. I like my tortillas "powdery" from the flour.

Anyways, it was good to see Dad and Susan as well as an old friend of hers, Raven. We had a good time catching up on news and talking about the paranormal and the supernatural stuff. How we got to those topics...I dunno.

After that, I went back to Barbie's place and hung out. I was surprised to see another old friend, Amber, back in my SAC days. Amber drove up from Houston with her Deaf girlfriend, Thea (from Maryland). While I flew in for the conference, Barbie and Amber were preparing to interpret for the Austin City Limits music festival, along with other interpreters.

Anyways, it was good to catch up with Barbie, Amber and Thea. It was just wonderful being there.

Friday was the first day of the conference. I attended workshops by Letty Arellano, Carla Garcia, Alyson EU Sanchez, Maribel Garate, Debbie White, Terri Mittelsteadt, Francisca Rangel and Linda Lugo Hill. Mark Morales gave a wonderful show, reenacting his childhood story about a pinata. The day ended with a round table discussion, held by Melly Serrano.

Overall, it was a pretty good day, filled with interesting and new information about Deaf Latinos and services and needs.

I saw some old friends from Texas as well as from Gallaudet. Ovi, Shay, Lori (and her hubby, Jaime, who is a fellow frat bro), Safeera, Debbie and a few others. Saw plenty of familiar faces from Gallaudet. Met new people and made new friends.

Sammy Ruiz and Manny Hernandez gave a show at TSD. I was too worn out for more mass gatherings. Instead, I went out and had dinner with a good brother of mine, David. It was good catching up on news with him.

Afterwards, I went back to Barbie's place. The interpreters weren't finished with the ACL thing until 10 that night and plus they had to deal with traffic. However, when they came back to the house, the brought along someone else, Bonnie. Bonnie is also the other person I met at SAC. She was an interpreting student. However, she shifted her goals and is now one of those head honchos of the Career Center at UTSA. She is a strong Deaf ally and advocate at UTSA. In fact, she's also a good friend of Marc Rubin. Some of you may remember that I blogged about him, not too long ago. He's the guy that made the news for being the first Deaf person to work for the military overseas.

Anyways, we were just having a great time in the backyard, catching up on news and laughing so hard. We were up til 3 in the morning. We would've kept on going but one of the neighbors came out and complained we were being too loud with our laughters. Opps! So, we were like...I guess we ought to go to bed.

Saturday was also another day of workshops. I attended those by Dr. Jean Andrews, Ovi Valasquez, Dr. Angel Ramos and some other presenters from the previous day.

Again, it was interesting as well as an eye-opener for me and others. I went out to lunch with Julie, Paloma and Jesse Jones, who was in town, recruiting.

For dinner, I didn't go to the banquet. Instead, I hung out with my cousin, Susan. We, somehow, ended up out of town, past Round Rock. When we got on 35, we decided to go to Barnes & Nobles to hang out and drink coffee. However, it turned out that there were no bookstores, in sight by the highway, in north Austin. I was like, do people in the northern area not read? It was confirmed by another person that bookstores are numerous in central and southern Austin. Hmmmm, interesting.

Anyways, we had a good time catching up on family and other stuff. One of the topics was about her being an interpreter. I think she would do a fantastic job since she is a visual person. She surprised me by giving some signs that she had learned from middle school. This is like 20 years ago. And her signs were accurate. She seemed to be interested...so see see.

Afterwards, came back to Barbie's and hung out. I told myself that I wasn't gonna go to sleep. I had an early flight at 6:55am. I was afraid that if I went to bed at 3am, I wouldn't get up in an hour to get ready. So, I stayed up. Everyone went to bed as they had to interpret for the last day of the music festival in a few hours. So, Bonnie and I were up, catching up on our families.

Of course, by the time I was ready to pack and fly out, I was so sleepy. I dropped of the rental car, checked in for the flight, had an early breakfast and plopped my ass down for the plane boarding. As soon as I boarded the plane, I was OUT! I woke up an hour later in Dallas to change planes. Again, once I boarded, I was OUT til I arrived in BWI. I don't think I've ever slept through an entire flight before. Usually, I'll nap for an hour and then I'm up for the rest of the flight, reading a book.

Overall, I enjoyed myself in Austin. The conference was good! I'll definitely return in 2 years. I'll blog more about the specific workshops later.

**********

I heard that the Deaf GLBT Coffee Social, last week Friday, was also another success. Awesome! Hope y'all will come out for October's. Last year October was our biggest, since we had people coming to DC for Gallaudet's Homecoming and CMRA's Eye Party. See y'all there!!!

**********

News of the Day:

- The Deaf community has once again been scammed by another college professor. Lawdy! Doesn't anyone know not to give in to these emails that promise to return your financial investment plus more money?!?

- Finally, there is a study (documented research) that 1 out of every 10 "straight" men have gay sex or on the downlow. 70% of these men are married. The bad news is that these men are less likely to practice safe sex or get tested for HIV as compared to gay men.

**********

Well, have a good day! ta ta...

Flying Out

2006-09-13T07:53:00.000-05:00

This will be my last post for the week. I'm flying out early tomorrow to Austin for a Deaf Latino conference. I'm excited about that as well as staying with a really good friend of mine.

I shall share with you about the conference when I get back.

**********

A reminder:

This Friday is the monthly Deaf GLBT coffee social.

Starbucks, Dupont Circle
P & 21st Streets, NW
upstairs
7pm to 10pm

Bring along a fellow or two!

*********

News of the Day:

- Linda Schrneko begins her 8-year sentence in prison. Schrneko bilked more than $600,000, intended for Deaf and honor students, for her political campaign and personal use.

- Heather McGlip, a Scotswoman, becomes the first Deaf director of a professional association of sign language interpreters in the world.

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

Well, y'all take care now. ta ta...

Beth's Marathon

2006-09-12T10:21:00.000-05:00

I have to tell you about my good friend, Beth.

I first met Beth, a fellow Texan, in my graduate studies at Gallaudet. We were both Deaf Studies majors but with a different concentration. We hit it off very quickly. She would always cracked me up about different things and I would always try to gross her out or do something silly. Of course, she had to deal with me...and KT. Poor her! :)

However, we'd band together whenever people make fun of our Texas signs. Thick skin we have, right, Beth? ;)

Anyways, we've remained friends and kept in regular touch with each other. She's practically my neighbor, living about a mile or less from me.

Anyways, what I wanted to say was that Beth is training for her first marathon! I'm gonna be calling her the Bionic Woman as she'll be able to run for miles and miles, while the rest of us will be gasping for air or throwing up.

The marathon is a fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training® is the world's largest endurance sports training program. The program provides training to run or walk a whole or half marathon or participate in a triathlon or century (100-mile) bike ride. Since 1988, more than 295,000 volunteer participants have helped raise more than $660 million. I think this is a wonderful cause.

Beth's marathon will take place in Phoenix in January. So, let's support her with words and funds. Click here to donate for her marathon!

Books & Movies

2006-09-12T08:33:00.000-05:00

Ah, my two favorite things...books and movies.

Homo Art (Icons) is a little book which contains a collection of Greek, Asian and some modern arts of homosexual nature.

The first 2 or 3 pages provided a short history of gay arts and how they were scandalous or not, depending in some cultures and times. The book also admitted that gay arts are less shocking in today's time because of society's gradual acceptance of homosexuality. The introduction was brief and it was repeated in other Romance languages.

Most of the arts shown in the book were already familiar with me. There were some others that I had not seen nor heard before. There were 2 or 3 that were vague and I would've never guess them to be of a gay nature. I do wish that there was a brief biography for each entry.

Interesting book. Would I recommend it for your library? Nah. Just glance through it in a bookstore and then put it back.

The Velocity of Gary was ok-ok. The title is misleading because you would think that the movie centers around Gary when it actually centers around Valentino. Vincent D'Onofrio plays Valentino, who is a bisexual has-been porn star with AIDS. Salma Hayek (as Mary Carmen) and Thomas Jane (as Gary) play as his bickering lovers and taking care of Valentino.

The movie starts off with a Deaf drag queen, imitating Patsy Cline, getting off a bus and getting harrassed by a gang of Latinos. Gary is nearby and doesn't do anything. He waits until the Latinos take off before picking up the Deaf guy off the street. The Deaf guy, Kid Joey, befriends Valentino, Mary Carmen and Gary, whom he later develops a crush on.

One night, Valentino stars in a children's play. After they play, they gather around Valentino to congratulate him. Valentino steps outside for a breather and passes out. From there, Mary Carmen and Gary go back in time recalling the time they first met Valentino and the other lover.

The movie is kinda slow-paced. It was interesting to see Vincent D'Onofrio in a heavy kissing session with Thomas Jane. He doesn't hold back. At the same time, it was bothersome to see Vincent with long hair. It just doesn't agree with him.

Like I said...it's an ok movie. If you see it, good. If not, you're not really missing anything.

I had ordered Mythos, thinking it was a graphic novel. When I got it in the mail, it was actually just a novel. Bummer!

So, I started reading it and I liked it, even though it wasn't the best thing I've read.

Wonder Woman was dispatched from the JLA (Justice League of America) to investigate the disappearance of a diver in the Bermuda Triangle. Wonder Woman was specifically sent because it was also the area of her hidden homeland, Themyscira.

Wonder Woman returns home to her Amazon sisters and her mother, Queen Hippolyta. She discovers that the diver did not turn up on Themyscira. However, from her mother and an oracle, she discovers that there is another island just like Themyscira but its occupants are men instead.

Through an underwater portal, Wonder Woman discovers the other island and the missing diver. However, the diver is in a trance and retrieves a throbbing orb. The orb and attacks their minds with a mission. They capture Wonder Woman with her own golden lasso which has rendered her powerless. The men plan to use Wonder Woman to lead them to Themyscira to kill the Amazons and then capture the rest of the world.

Back in the JLA headquarters, Oracle (formerly Batgirl), Batman, Superman, the Flash and Green Lantern notice frequent seismic activities in the vicinity where Wonder Woman was sent for an investigation. Their investigation eventually lead them to Wonder Woman. Together, they band to battle the orb and the mastermind to save Themyscira and mankind.

Mambo Italiano was a cute gay movie.

Gino and Nino were best friends all their lives in some "little Italy" neighborhood in America. That was until they reached high school. Gino was some sort of a nerd, in his own way. Nino, bowing to peer pressure, dropped him like a hot potato.

Some years later, Gino bumps into Nino, who is now a cop. They fall in love and move in together as "roommates". Eventually, Gino wants to come out but Nino doesn't, due to his job as a cop and as an Italian.

They were accidently discovered, in the middle of their lovemaking, by Gino's sister. Gino eventually comes out to his family. He makes his family swear not to tell anyone. However, Gino's mother accidently tells Nino's mother. From that point on, the 2 families have been on eggshells with each other.

Meanwhile, Nino is pressured by Gino and his mother. He eventually bows to his mother's pressure and dates a woman, behind Gino's back. When all the truths come out, Gino gives Nino an ultimatum that it's either him or the woman. Nino chooses the woman.

Gino is going through the motions, dealing with the breakup while Nino and his fiance are planning a wedding. The parents are dealing with their stances with their son's omosessualità.

You would think that at the wedding, Nino would realize who his true love and go back to Gino. However, it doesn't happen that way. That left me disappointed but then I realized that Gino is better off with another man than with Nino who bows to societal pressures.

Cute movie...funny too.

I was flipping through the channels and came across Mona Lisa Smile. I settled down to watch it, only because Julia Roberts was in it. I thought I'd find myself relaxing with this movie with a feel-good feeling. Instead, I found myself crying with this movie.

Awh, good movie. Julia Roberts was Katherine Watson, who is an art teacher as Wellesley College, a school for women, in the 1950's. Watson was an ardent feminist who veered from the traditional lesson plans and encouraged her class to rethink women's roles in history.

However, Watson did not have it easy. Most of the women in her class (such seen in her class were Kirsten Dunst, Ginnifer Goodwin, Maggie Gyllenhaal) believed that it was their destiny to get married and have children. The most interesting part was Kirsten Dunst who went ahead and got married and challenged Watson. Watson couldn't accept the fact that there were indeed liberal women who chose to simply be married and have children.

Meanwhile, the administration disapproved Watson's methods and conspired to make her confirm to their structures. She was given a choice that she had to follow in order to teach the following year. Instead, Watson left Wellesley.

You could not help but think about Dead Poets Society, which is another movie that made me cried as well. There was just too many similarities. Nonetheless, Mona Lisa Smile was definitely a good movie.

5 Years Later

2006-09-11T07:39:00.000-05:00

Today is 9/11. Anytime we see "9/11", we immediately think of the horrible incidents in 2001, with planes crashing into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

I noticed something common about this particular anniversary. The question, "where were you on 9/11?" has been posted everywhere.

I remembered that day vividly.

First of all, I had just graduated from Gallaudet with my Bachelor's that recent May. I was working for Yes! Organic Foods store in Eastern Market as a cashier. I was looking for a better job, which I eventually found as an SRA at Gallaudet a couple of weeks later.

I was living at the Deaf apartment, across from Gallaudet. However, I was hardly ever there was I was staying over at KT's place instead.

KT and I were nearing our 1 year anniversary of being together.

KT had just started his first day at the law firm the previous day.

So, KT was at work, his second day. I was visiting Gallaudet, grabbing up chances to meet with friends and networking.

I remember leaving HMB and walking home to the Deaf apartment. I remember walking near the revolving door of the library when someone approached me. I think his name was John. Little guy with glasses and thick mustache. I think he used to hang out with Jerome and Billy (from Canada). Anyone else remember him?

Anyways, he came up to me and said that a plane crashed into the WTC. I remember being pissed off with him. I told him, "don't you ever joke about anything like that!" I thought that was just a cruel thing to say. I walked off. I guess I didn't give him a chance to explain. I remember his confused look, now that I look back. We were always friendly with each other. I think it was the first time he ever saw me being in another mood other than friendly.

By the time I got to the Ely area, I started to see everyone talking about the plane crash and everyone walking towards HMB. Curiosity got the best of me and I joined the collective trip to HMB. We congregated in the atrium to watch the TV, posted next to the Laruent Clerc thumbprint portrait.

Along with Ridor and Kekua, we were just floored by what we were seeing before our very eyes. We stood there for a long while. I remember trying to fathom that anything like this could ever happen on American soil.

I remember that we couldn't send nor receive pages and being frustrated.

Somehow, a few hours later, I ended up back to KT's place. KT was already home. Work had closed early due to the chaotic news and the Metro threatening to shut down for security purposes.

Never before had I ever felt so secured in KT's arms. It was just nice to be with someone and realize that we cannot take life for granted. Of course, I had to call my folks, as they would have had a heart attack if they had not heard from me.

After giving my folks the assurance that I was ok and was with KT, we spent the day and night, glued to the tube, replaying horrible images of 9/11.

Noah's Arc

2006-09-08T08:19:00.000-05:00

Ever since KT & I just got Logo about a month ago, we've been watching and enjoying Noah's Arc. Noah's Arc is like Queer As Folks meets Sex and the City, except all the characters are Blacks.

Like QAF and SATC, Noah's Arc centers around 4 people, Noah and his 3 best friends in Los Angeles. Noah (second from left) is a struggling writer and a hopeless romantic. His fashion style is wild and unique like KT's best friend, Manny. Noah was dating Wade but have since been off. Although, the spark is still there whenever they're together. Noah's friends are wary of Wade because he's new to the gay world.

Alex (far right) is one of those guys who will tell it to you in your face like it is. He loves to give advice. Alex currently runs his own HIV prevention center for Blacks and Latinos. He's in a long-term relationship with Trey, who is a light-skinned hulk of a man. Right now, he's suspicious of Trey's friend, Guy, who seems to be taking up all of Trey's time.

Ricky (second from right), like QAF's Brian and SATC's Samantha, is the slut and a Blatino (a Black and Latino fusion). He's undependable when friends need him because he's too busy getting his freak on with guys, especially at his clothing store. However, he seemed to be a changed man when he has fallen for Junito, an HIV+ doctor.

Chance (far left) reminds me of SATC's Miranda and Charlotte. Chance is a college professor who is very proper, yet he does give in to his free-spirited ways...once in a while. Chance is "Vulcan-ish". Whenever Alex gives advice, Chance offers logical explanations. Chance has recently married Eddie, who has a daughter, Kenya, from a previous marriage.

It is really interesting to watch this show because they deal with issues that you would have never seen in an all-white cast. They dealt with effeminacy, thug attraction, the downlow, bisexuality and other issues. Additionally, you will see terminology used by the Gay Blacks that you would have not seen in other shows.

Noah's Arc is in its second season. I'm not sure if they're in the middle or towards the end of the season. Logo had been running reruns of the first season as well as playing the second season.

Anyways, KT and I enjoy the show because it's a breather from the traditional all-white cast. Even though you can tell that Noah's Arc isn't high budget like QAF and SATC, yet the show is still presentable and worth your time.

**********

News of the Day:

- Christian stations will host "ex-Gay" TV show, hosted by David Kyle Foster and Alan Chamber, the current president of Exodus International. Gays voiced their concerns about reparative therapy and the ex-gay movement.

9/7 News

2006-09-07T09:33:00.000-05:00

Deaf:

- New Leader at School for the Deaf. Reginald Redding becomes the new director for Eastern North School for the Deaf in North Carolina.

- HIV/AIDS comic books for the Deaf. HIV/AIDS comic books have been distributed for the Deaf communities in South Africa, which have been warmly accepted.

- Deaf Footballers Stage Protest at Government House. Deaf footballers, in Nigeria, have sparked a protest to release the N2.3 million dollars to facilitate the football championship.

Gay:

- Gay Marriage to be Added in Virginia Ballot. The result of election in November will determine if the ban on gay marriage will be added in the state constitution. Meanwhile, Colorado will add a ballot in regards to gay marriage and domestic partnership.

- Karl Rove's Stepfather was Gay. Authors, Wayne Slater and James Moore, release book, "The Architect: Karl Rove and the Master Plan for Absolute Power", revealed that Karl Rove had a close relationship with gay stepfather. One blogger says "so what!" and asks why gays are obsessed with it.

- Andre Boisclair aims to be Canada's first openly gay premier.

- Daniel Craig, who recently replaced Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, gives a gay kiss in "Infamous".

- Bears Gaining Acknowledgement. Woof! Woof!

Wanna go home now! I is the tired!

Reflections: Sifting Realities

Friends & Boy Scouts

I know! It's been AGES! *HONEST*

Birthday Weekend

Facebook

D-oh

No Harry Potter

HP5 & Transformers

Addendum

Austin Vacation

Weekend

Twilight Children

The Next American ...

Solomons Island

Pride Week

Pan's Labyrinth

Elite Yelper

Inhumane Bear

New MSSD Principal

CDI

Joseph Grigely

Spider-Man 3

Vegan Baby Dies

Zanzibar on the Waterfront

Case Solved?

New Addiction

Constantly Learning

Warm Weekend

B-day & GWTW

A Good Sleep

Tidbits - 4/11/07

Constantly Learning

April is Here

Rehi

1st Vlog

Hunger of Memory

The Computer

Gesundheit

House of D

Richmond

Acacia

Year 7

Happy V-Day

Dahmer

The Zookeeper

This Past Weekend

PRDS Refunds Money

Bouncing Back...

Do They?

KT's Birthday

Winged Migration

Support Beth

2007

Caption Unavailabilty

Christmas in Minnesota

Blog Reading

Silent Night

Heaven Come Down

Cliffie

Holiday Baking

In Memory

Christmas Shopping

Grandma

Middlesex

Cobwebs

Nice Weekend

Gays & PDA

Rehi

JK's Brief Statement

IKJ's Statement

JK REMOVED!

Before You Trade

Friday Night

Coffee Social

Another Blog

Tent City in San Antonio

Postponed

Catching Up

Third Day

2nd Day

I know! It's been AGES! HONEST