Real surprised about having problems with TaylerInfoMedia's "Fomdi.com" for the search of locating captioned first-run films at selected theatres.
When came to South Florida last March 2009. I was in somewhat a mood for first-run film viewing. I typed "Fort Lauderdale, FL". Guess what?
No captioned films in Fort Lauderdale area. I decide to check out captioned films in Miami area. Guess what? The list of captioned film availability found for Fort Lauderdale area. Whoa!
If not for my deterative thinking, I would never find out about such theatre in Fort Lauderdale screening the captioned first-run films in the first place.
I went to New York City (NY) for a major event last week. I checked out the Fomdi.com to see if there were any captioned films shown in NYC. Guess what? Nope!
I recalled from my personal experience dealing with the Fomdi.com back to last March 2009. I figured out instantly and typed "Newark, NJ". Good enough that there were several captioned films being shown in NYC like J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" film being shown at the Regal Lincoln Square 12 theatre on Friday morning at 10:05am. Just one film screening for "Star Trek" at that same theatre and no following showtime later that weekend.
I ended up viewed "Wolverine: Origin of X-Men" film with RWC (rear windows captioning), not my original choice for "Star Trek" film. I managed to watch the full Star Trek film without captions. Of course, I wouldn't pay for the non-captioned film at all. Just sneaked in as usual.
Why not? Who (the deaf) want to pay for any film without captions? That is my own personal protest against the movie theatres for not showing other films without captions or pigeonhole us into watching particular film without much customer choices for other film viewings.
I hopefully will view "Star Trek" film with open captions at the Regal Cypress theatre this weekend. I wonder about other deaf people being not resourceful as I am. They would eventually find out that there are no captioned films being shown in their area or travel destination.
I always am very grateful to Tayler for the creation of FOMDI.com and thank him all the hard works for serving the deaf community at large. My heart go to Tayler and the DeafRead. :)
Please share your personal experience dealing with the Fomdi.com and help Tayler to improve and finesse the search engine for captioned films being shown somewhere. Thanks.
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
Thursday, May 14, 2009
HOORAY FOR AFA! OPEN LETTER TO REP. CULLEN
OPEN LETTER TO REP. DAVID CULLEN -
Dear Rep. David Cullen,
I am writing you a letter of concern and expression about your public quote to the media publications on the issue of cochlear implant and societal functions of deaf people at large within the behalf of the Audism Free America.
Being a profoundly deaf person, I do find your quote - "This bill will help deaf children to function very well in the society at large, get the job and be part of the society at large" to be reprehensible and irresponsible and untruthful.
Since you are an elected statewide official. You have a responsibility of giving the balanced and accurate fact about the majority of deaf individuals as a productive members of the society, hold the job with paid salaries, pay taxes and participate in the public activities.
The recent passage of your legislation is much a reminder of the eugenics movement during the Progressive Era to cleanse and purify the so-called undesirables. Your legislation will leave very costly incentives saddled with long-term financial disaster for the state of Wisconsin and compromise the health insurance industry from delivering the real necessity of health needs.
For your information, every of us, human beings have our physical flaws. That makes our humanity real unique and vibrant for the real diversity of human race, instead of being the cookie cutter to correct the human imperfection.
If not for deaf people in existence, we would not have the finessed electric light bulb, movie camera, space travel, the Fifth Symphony, the birth of Internet, the creation of telephone/ telegram and other more amazing inventions all done by deaf people.
Thomas Alva Edison, the legendary American inventor, deaf himself. Edison often said that he was real proud to be deaf and blessed to be deaf. So Edison could focus on his countless inventions. He did cup his left ear for the portrait photography with big grin. Edison's works were much part of "conductive deafness" which led to the creation of the world's first phonograph machine.
Could you imagine that we would not have any cinematic experience on the silver screen or on our home entertainment player?
Dear Rep. David Cullen,
I am writing you a letter of concern and expression about your public quote to the media publications on the issue of cochlear implant and societal functions of deaf people at large within the behalf of the Audism Free America.
Being a profoundly deaf person, I do find your quote - "This bill will help deaf children to function very well in the society at large, get the job and be part of the society at large" to be reprehensible and irresponsible and untruthful.
Since you are an elected statewide official. You have a responsibility of giving the balanced and accurate fact about the majority of deaf individuals as a productive members of the society, hold the job with paid salaries, pay taxes and participate in the public activities.
The recent passage of your legislation is much a reminder of the eugenics movement during the Progressive Era to cleanse and purify the so-called undesirables. Your legislation will leave very costly incentives saddled with long-term financial disaster for the state of Wisconsin and compromise the health insurance industry from delivering the real necessity of health needs.
For your information, every of us, human beings have our physical flaws. That makes our humanity real unique and vibrant for the real diversity of human race, instead of being the cookie cutter to correct the human imperfection.
If not for deaf people in existence, we would not have the finessed electric light bulb, movie camera, space travel, the Fifth Symphony, the birth of Internet, the creation of telephone/ telegram and other more amazing inventions all done by deaf people.
Thomas Alva Edison, the legendary American inventor, deaf himself. Edison often said that he was real proud to be deaf and blessed to be deaf. So Edison could focus on his countless inventions. He did cup his left ear for the portrait photography with big grin. Edison's works were much part of "conductive deafness" which led to the creation of the world's first phonograph machine.
Could you imagine that we would not have any cinematic experience on the silver screen or on our home entertainment player?
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the "Father of Theoretical Astronautics", deaf and self-taught himself. His theoretical works on physics matter and mathematics contributed to the possibility of space travel for the future generation. The Russian/USSR people had the monument to pay the endless respect for Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and thanked him for his great contribution to the humankind.
Could you imagine that the deaf individual paved the way for the possibility of space travel decades earlier?
Ludwig Beethoven, the composer of the "Fifth Symphony", latened deaf himself and composed most beautiful and soothing music. Beethoven doesn't let his physical flaw stopped him from doing his love of life and contributed to the cultural significance of our own humanity.
If not for Alexander Graham Bell and Samuel Morse' own deaf wives, we would not have the telephone or telegraph for greater modern communication devices. Both wives made great difference in their husbands' desires to bring humanity closer to the possibilities of communication over lands and seas.
The birth and creation of the Internet would be not possible without deaf individuals being involved in the infancy stage of the most revolutionized communication network ever. Vincent Cerf played the pivotal role in the creation of the Internet. The Gallaudet College students had been dispatched to the Department of Defense's research units in the late 1950s and 1960s which lend to the patchworks of communication development unit known later as the Internet in the late 1960s.
There are millions of deaf individuals' thankless contribution to the society at large. If not for the existence of sign language, the scuba divers would not have the underwater communication techniques with hands communication.
I could go further on more contributions made by deaf people to the humankind. We are more than being burdensome to the society at large and lift our human possibilities to the enrichment of daily human lives.
Please issue the public apology to the Deaf America for misrepresenting the facts about deaf people in general as soon as possible before June 1, 2009.
Thanks for your time and consideration reading this open letter to you and the state legislature of Wisconsin.
Respectfully yours,
Robert L. Mason
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