Many of you already knew about the real tragic incident within the DC Metrorail (subway)accident last two days ago, but want to bring out "deaf stories" about the Metrorail ride.
Hundreds of deaf Metro riders often ride on this very same Red Line on the DC's Metrorail system between Gallaudet University (NY Avenue/Gallaudet University Metrorail station) and National Association of the Deaf and other numerous deaf organizations like the National Association of the Deaf-Blind (Silver Spring Metrorail station).
Many Gallaudet students usually commute from Montgomery County like Silver Spring or Wheaton for cheaper rental housings during the academic year. More and more Gallaudet students opted to settle within Northeast Washington DC region lately for easy walking commute to the Kendall Green campus (Gallaudet University/MSSD/Kendall). The Trindad area within Gallaudet University proximity getting much improved for past five years.
WUSA9 Slideshow
That seems no known deaf individuals getting injured or struck or slammed during yesterday's Metrorail accident. Here is the Washington Post article detailed the names of nine dead people -
ARTICLE What about any deaf Metrorail riders being present during the deadliest Metrorail accident in 32 years that late afternoon?
Another interesting feature about the Washington Metropolitian Transit Authority known as "WMATA" - http://www.wmata.com/ The D2, D4 and D6 Metrobuses generally known as "Deaf Bus" which serve from the 8th and K Street Northeast to Union Station and Northwest Washington DC area for many years like 50 years!
One Gallaudet alumni like Dr. Barbara Kannapell once quipped "Oh Gosh, things never change with the D2-6 bus definitely known as "Deaf Bus". Kannapell herself did not use the WMATA system at all. Kannapell was on her way to Dr. Betty Miller's house for the DC Association of the Deaf (DCAD) board meeting on 10th Street (?). Dr. Betty Miller and her lifetime partner no longer resided at this area and moved to Philadelphia, PA which they sold the house before the housing market crash. How lucky Dr. Betty Miller and her partner were!
Jon Kovacas, former Gallaudet student and Gallaudet alumni now, shared his unbelievable story with me about what happened on the corner of 8th Street and K Street while he and other Gallaudet students waited for the incoming the "Deaf Bus" some evening. Several Gallaudet students managed to taunt the African American hearing driver waited for the traffic turn. The driver ended up took out his automatic gun. The students ran like hell to avoid getting shoot at. Those students neither got hurt or shoot at . Yes, the enraged driver did shoot randomly at the given scene. Amen to that!
The recall of my Gallaudet male friend shared such a story with me about one Gallaudet female student REFUSED TO PAY DISABLED FARE because she do not consider herself "disabled' at all. That female student insisted of paying the full fare like everyone else. What a character!
This very same female student was somewhat a weirdo and outcast, but admirably making the real sense of identifying herself as non-disabled before "Do not call me disabled because I'm deaf" trend became fashionable ten years later.
I somewhat agreed with this female student in many ways that is kinda hypocritical of us having the societal expectation to get the discount fares because we are deaf within ourselves.
On another thing, the sizable majority of deaf people are still in the low salaries and low-income category.
What about deaf people having well-paid salaries and still get discount fares? I personally believe that those deaf people ought to pay non-discount fares. Not other low-income hearing
people able to obtain discount fares. Same thing with the homeless people having hard time to
pay regular fares.
Many unbelievable occurrences on the Metrorail cars (subway) like some commuters having sex on the Metrorail car during very late weekend hours. Several Gallaudet students and I witnessed the public sex in front of us. Holy Mackerel!
Some deaf Metrorail riders' wireless pagers got stolen during the Metrorail ride. One deaf guy's pager got snatched while he composed message near the Metrorail door.
Usually watched other unsuspecting deaf Metrorail riders' ASL conversation from time to time and greeted them with my pretension to be a hearing person trying awkward with ASL signings to get their reactions. Some deaf visitors from other places managed to identify me right away as a deaf person, not a hearing person! Other deaf people being so gullible!
That is my own kind of harmless pranks pulled on some deaf people whose not know me personally.
I also saved one deaf person's life when the Metrorail booth operator ran to me and begged for my help with that 40s deaf guy trying to take his own life by jumping in front of the Metrorail car pretty long time ago. I was a young Gallaudet student at that time and dealt with the unexpected situation involved deaf drunkard whose her wife worked at Gallaudet College. I missed out on special event that late evening. I had to deal with this deaf guy for about one hour until the parademic unit arrived. He got real upset about being served with the divorce paper that evening.
I ended up became a good friend with this deaf guy years later. What the small world we are living in! I always enjoyed his intelligence and human warmth. We ever became tenants within the deaf rooming house facing the Kendall Green (Gallaudet) campus.
One chilly winter night, my Gallaudet housemates and I went out for drinks and foods in Georgetown (DC) area. Some African American drivers could be real racists themselves like not
stopping the bus whenever any white deaf bus bystanders waved their hands for the bus coming to the curbside next to the bus stop sign. I noticed that the D4 bus driver was not going to stop the bus at all. I had to stand in front of the bus before it went ahead without stopping at the bus stop. The bus driver was kinda stunned to see some guys like me being gutsy to stand in the front of the bus and not let it go until we got aboard. No questions about us being frozen to death within the 20's low temperature that late winter evening.
I never am afraid of anything! I would do anything to do something right or for justice!
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
L' Chaim, Reply to Your Latest Vlog on Background Check
L' Chaim vlogsite make impossible for leaving the text comments which discriminate against non-vloggers and deaf people without any videocams. L ' Chaim, deaf vlogger, ought to include both video and text replies to her vlog postings.
In response to L'Chaim's "Facebook/My Space" and present background checks among prospective employers for hiring new employee in general.
Unforunately, many employers do the cheaper background checks of any job applicants like
checking their finanical history, ex. unpaid debts to see if this applicant is a responsible person or not.
Deaf blogger, Rob Underhill - "Under the Hill" did report on the state of Ohio legislature consider the legislative bill to forbade any employers from disqualifying any job applicants based on their finanical history or credit ratings last month ago. Underhill's deaf blog could be found on the Deaf Village.
More and more employers check out any potential employees' Facebook and My Space to find out what kind of social networkings this job applicant have.
Or the prospective employers rather not hire any job applicants whose are more likely to spend hir time on Twitters, My Space and Facebook during the employment hours.
Or employers fear of any job applicant whose resort to the use of blog or some kind of online communication to smear the place of employment or compromise the security system of their workplace.
That's why many deaf job applicants ought not to enclose their membership with deaf organizations which clearly identify them being deaf on their employment resumes.
I also had a difficult time for prospective employers to hire me based on the merits of my expertise and capability to do the given job definition. I had a bad blotter on my credit history
which I disputed on past student loans. I already paid off the student loan in lump sum, but the lender seen differently.
Many deaf people think that I am some kind of lazy bones for not having the decent employment. Those people do not fully know what happened with "behind the scene" of employers' unfair background checks. That is part of nowaday trend for employers to do
the cheaper background checks without hiring the real investigator or company.
I was occassionally hired by several hearing individuals thru networkings. That was only the
way to obtain the gainful employment.
How sad of the present system unfairly deny anyone for obtaining the employment based on their credit history or social networkings without knowing the real "you" or "me".
The "Buckeye State" (Ohio) legislature is currently attempting to right the wrongful and deceptive practice of employers in general, resort to inferior kind of background checks like credit history or online profiles, ex. Facebook and MySpace. That is kind of modern "blacklisting" in similar to the parnonia scare of Communist membership in the 1920s and 1950s
without knowing what is really going on with this particular individual.
Ever the New York City government used to check out any teachers being associated with the Communist membership and dismissed them instantly back in the 1950s and 1960s and 1970s.
Dr. Yerker Anderson, former sociology professor at Gallaudet College/University. Anderson was unfairly turned down for the government job because he just visited the USSR (Soviet) embassy in Washington, DC out of his usual curiousity to visit various embassies around the world. Dr. Anderson couldn't understand why he was not hired at all. Anderson somewhat found out that he was seen visiting the old USSR embassy in Washington, DC. Jesus Christ!
Many good and hardworking people often lose the true employment opporunity to such unlogical and pointless method of background checks. That explains why many deaf people end up on the welfare.
I recalled that some deaf people strongly objected to the idea of Ricky Taylor aka Ridor being employed within the VRS industry. Ridor mentioned in his blog that he will work for particular VRS company. The Ridor haters did check out whether Ridor was really employed with the VRS company. That deaf Ridor hater found out that Ridor was not employed with that company.
I asked this deaf Ridor hater why he had to do overboard with the background check on Ridor. That deaf individual replied that he had to protect the confidentiality of VRS clients via calls. I was totally shocked about some deaf people would do anything to sabotage other deaf people's chances to be employed.
I also suspected that some deaf people purposefully discredited me within the federal agency concerned my past student loan. I found out that particular deaf individual worked in the same department of that federal agency.
No questions about paying real heavy price for being a deaf blogger and vlogger!
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
In response to L'Chaim's "Facebook/My Space" and present background checks among prospective employers for hiring new employee in general.
Unforunately, many employers do the cheaper background checks of any job applicants like
checking their finanical history, ex. unpaid debts to see if this applicant is a responsible person or not.
Deaf blogger, Rob Underhill - "Under the Hill" did report on the state of Ohio legislature consider the legislative bill to forbade any employers from disqualifying any job applicants based on their finanical history or credit ratings last month ago. Underhill's deaf blog could be found on the Deaf Village.
More and more employers check out any potential employees' Facebook and My Space to find out what kind of social networkings this job applicant have.
Or the prospective employers rather not hire any job applicants whose are more likely to spend hir time on Twitters, My Space and Facebook during the employment hours.
Or employers fear of any job applicant whose resort to the use of blog or some kind of online communication to smear the place of employment or compromise the security system of their workplace.
That's why many deaf job applicants ought not to enclose their membership with deaf organizations which clearly identify them being deaf on their employment resumes.
I also had a difficult time for prospective employers to hire me based on the merits of my expertise and capability to do the given job definition. I had a bad blotter on my credit history
which I disputed on past student loans. I already paid off the student loan in lump sum, but the lender seen differently.
Many deaf people think that I am some kind of lazy bones for not having the decent employment. Those people do not fully know what happened with "behind the scene" of employers' unfair background checks. That is part of nowaday trend for employers to do
the cheaper background checks without hiring the real investigator or company.
I was occassionally hired by several hearing individuals thru networkings. That was only the
way to obtain the gainful employment.
How sad of the present system unfairly deny anyone for obtaining the employment based on their credit history or social networkings without knowing the real "you" or "me".
The "Buckeye State" (Ohio) legislature is currently attempting to right the wrongful and deceptive practice of employers in general, resort to inferior kind of background checks like credit history or online profiles, ex. Facebook and MySpace. That is kind of modern "blacklisting" in similar to the parnonia scare of Communist membership in the 1920s and 1950s
without knowing what is really going on with this particular individual.
Ever the New York City government used to check out any teachers being associated with the Communist membership and dismissed them instantly back in the 1950s and 1960s and 1970s.
Dr. Yerker Anderson, former sociology professor at Gallaudet College/University. Anderson was unfairly turned down for the government job because he just visited the USSR (Soviet) embassy in Washington, DC out of his usual curiousity to visit various embassies around the world. Dr. Anderson couldn't understand why he was not hired at all. Anderson somewhat found out that he was seen visiting the old USSR embassy in Washington, DC. Jesus Christ!
Many good and hardworking people often lose the true employment opporunity to such unlogical and pointless method of background checks. That explains why many deaf people end up on the welfare.
I recalled that some deaf people strongly objected to the idea of Ricky Taylor aka Ridor being employed within the VRS industry. Ridor mentioned in his blog that he will work for particular VRS company. The Ridor haters did check out whether Ridor was really employed with the VRS company. That deaf Ridor hater found out that Ridor was not employed with that company.
I asked this deaf Ridor hater why he had to do overboard with the background check on Ridor. That deaf individual replied that he had to protect the confidentiality of VRS clients via calls. I was totally shocked about some deaf people would do anything to sabotage other deaf people's chances to be employed.
I also suspected that some deaf people purposefully discredited me within the federal agency concerned my past student loan. I found out that particular deaf individual worked in the same department of that federal agency.
No questions about paying real heavy price for being a deaf blogger and vlogger!
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Captured Iranian Intelligence Agent Pretended to Be Deaf
Here is the 20007 CNN story on the captured Iranian intelligence agent whose pretended to be deaf and mute himself -
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
Deaf Iran
What is the latest status of Deaf Iran within the ongoing Iranian People Revolution backlashed against the current Iranian government and powerful Alloyahahs on the question of fair presidential election without getting tainted or corrupted.
Here is the video link of "Pledge of Allegiance to the Iran Flag in Persian Sign Language -
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9196255349882647470
Here is the link to Deaf Iranian, who happened to be deaf himself as an educator of the deaf after returned from the West. Many Iranian educators of the deaf supported the use of natural language. Yes, there are other educational methods like the Persian Cued Speech in Iran.
http://www.geocities.com/ali_vazirsafavi/IranLing.htm
http://www.deafiran.com/
http://www.geocities.com/abehmanesh/IranDeaf.htm
http://deafness.about.com/cs/internationalsign/a/iran.htm
Awaiting for the latest news report from Deaf Iran within their citizenry reaction to the surprising riot
Deaf America and the rest of Deaf World ought to stand solidatary with the Iranian People Revolution. We must send the strong message to the Iranian government especially the powerful Alloyahs that the Iranian people deserve their desired choices of elected leaders, not tainted election ballots.
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/443634/iran_s_twitter_revolution?rel=emailNation
Deaf America proved itself to the entire world within the peaceful protest activities of "Unity for Gallaudet" (2006) and "Deaf President Now" (1988) by its demands for fair-minded process on the selection of new university president without any kind of corruption or bias.
Deaf Iran is in much uncertainity where the Deaf Iranians stand in the melee of the growing Iranian people backlash against the Iranian president, Adamanejeahiah.
ASlize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
Here is the video link of "Pledge of Allegiance to the Iran Flag in Persian Sign Language -
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9196255349882647470
Here is the link to Deaf Iranian, who happened to be deaf himself as an educator of the deaf after returned from the West. Many Iranian educators of the deaf supported the use of natural language. Yes, there are other educational methods like the Persian Cued Speech in Iran.
http://www.geocities.com/ali_vazirsafavi/IranLing.htm
http://www.deafiran.com/
http://www.geocities.com/abehmanesh/IranDeaf.htm
http://deafness.about.com/cs/internationalsign/a/iran.htm
Awaiting for the latest news report from Deaf Iran within their citizenry reaction to the surprising riot
Deaf America and the rest of Deaf World ought to stand solidatary with the Iranian People Revolution. We must send the strong message to the Iranian government especially the powerful Alloyahs that the Iranian people deserve their desired choices of elected leaders, not tainted election ballots.
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/443634/iran_s_twitter_revolution?rel=emailNation
Deaf America proved itself to the entire world within the peaceful protest activities of "Unity for Gallaudet" (2006) and "Deaf President Now" (1988) by its demands for fair-minded process on the selection of new university president without any kind of corruption or bias.
Deaf Iran is in much uncertainity where the Deaf Iranians stand in the melee of the growing Iranian people backlash against the Iranian president, Adamanejeahiah.
ASlize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
Open-Captioned Films Seem Problematic With Caption Visibility
Two recent summertime flicks with open captions like "UP" and "Land of the Lost" seems very hard to read very thin white captions on brighter film background. Don't you have a similar problem with open-captioned films lately?
What about parents of deaf children's hard-earned spendings on movie tixs undermined by poor quality of open captions?
Film viewing at the multiplex theatre ought to be non-stressful and non-frustrating experience for deaf youth moviegoers.
Why can't the distributors and caption typists simply do the usual yellow subtitles for many foreign films? So we could easily read the open captions on multiplex screens without any kind of eye strains and body tiltings. Don't you agree?
What could we do is to contact the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and film distributors and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to address problematic issue of "difficult to read" open captions on brighter film background.
Here are the e-contacts/mailing address -
National Association of Theatre Owners - nato@natod.com
750 First Street NE
Suite #1130
Washington, DC
Regal Entertainment Complex (Regal Theatres) - www.regmovies.com/corporate/contact.aspx
Also check out http://regmovies.com/comment/aspx for leaving your comments
Real Images Media Technology, DTS Cinema Subtitling - http://www.realimage.com/contact-us This cinema subtitling company is based in India
Datasat Digtial Entertainment - dtsaccess@datasatdigtial.com
or call toll-free within the U.S. and Canada
#1-888-428-2268 or much faster connection - 1-818-531-003
(You will not pay for this LD phone bill anyway thru the use of VRS
and relay calls)
If any of you used to watch the original "Land of the Lost" Saturday morning tv programming on NBC. You ought to know that actor Wesley Eure recently admitted that he is totally gay himself and used to date actor Richard Chamberlian, another closeted gay actor until recent years ago.
Here is the attached link to Wesley Eure being gay and latest photos of this actor -
http://boyculture.typepad.com/boy_culture/wesley-eure/
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
What about parents of deaf children's hard-earned spendings on movie tixs undermined by poor quality of open captions?
Film viewing at the multiplex theatre ought to be non-stressful and non-frustrating experience for deaf youth moviegoers.
Why can't the distributors and caption typists simply do the usual yellow subtitles for many foreign films? So we could easily read the open captions on multiplex screens without any kind of eye strains and body tiltings. Don't you agree?
What could we do is to contact the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and film distributors and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to address problematic issue of "difficult to read" open captions on brighter film background.
Here are the e-contacts/mailing address -
National Association of Theatre Owners - nato@natod.com
750 First Street NE
Suite #1130
Washington, DC
Regal Entertainment Complex (Regal Theatres) - www.regmovies.com/corporate/contact.aspx
Also check out http://regmovies.com/comment/aspx for leaving your comments
Real Images Media Technology, DTS Cinema Subtitling - http://www.realimage.com/contact-us This cinema subtitling company is based in India
Datasat Digtial Entertainment - dtsaccess@datasatdigtial.com
or call toll-free within the U.S. and Canada
#1-888-428-2268 or much faster connection - 1-818-531-003
(You will not pay for this LD phone bill anyway thru the use of VRS
and relay calls)
If any of you used to watch the original "Land of the Lost" Saturday morning tv programming on NBC. You ought to know that actor Wesley Eure recently admitted that he is totally gay himself and used to date actor Richard Chamberlian, another closeted gay actor until recent years ago.
Here is the attached link to Wesley Eure being gay and latest photos of this actor -
http://boyculture.typepad.com/boy_culture/wesley-eure/
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
Miami Herald Reporter OUTED Luke, Deaf Contestant ....
Miami Herald newspaper reporter, Jose Atervois informally outed the signing deaf contestant of 'The Amazing Race", Luke Adams -
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/aftereltoncom-interview-with-margie-and-luke-from-the-amazing-race.html
Or this reporter just made a speculation of Luke 's sexual preference? Is that really necessary to make such an assumption about someone deaf's sexuality or what?
That would be a non-issue to the Deaf America and other deaf people around the world.
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
Blogger's note - If you have any difficulty to open the attached link. Just type "South Florida and deaf and gay and Miami Herald" or "South Florida Rainbow Association of the Deaf" on any ISP (search engine) and look for the Miami Herald reporter's blogsite. Okay?
Seek Geo vlogger/blogger done the reporting on Luke Adams and his hearing mom last February 2009 - www.seekgeo.com/p?=2962
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/05/aftereltoncom-interview-with-margie-and-luke-from-the-amazing-race.html
Or this reporter just made a speculation of Luke 's sexual preference? Is that really necessary to make such an assumption about someone deaf's sexuality or what?
That would be a non-issue to the Deaf America and other deaf people around the world.
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
Blogger's note - If you have any difficulty to open the attached link. Just type "South Florida and deaf and gay and Miami Herald" or "South Florida Rainbow Association of the Deaf" on any ISP (search engine) and look for the Miami Herald reporter's blogsite. Okay?
Seek Geo vlogger/blogger done the reporting on Luke Adams and his hearing mom last February 2009 - www.seekgeo.com/p?=2962
Monday, June 8, 2009
RLM's Deaf Insight of the Day - 6/8/09
Here is my first RLM's Deaf Insight of the Deaf on the deaf interests. President Obama and his family will visit the impressive Norte Dame Catherdal in Paris (France) today. We do have the name of American town - Paris, Texas!
The site of Norte Dame Catherdal inspired Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Norte Dame", a classic French novel which involved the deaf deformed bell ringer known as "Quaismodo". For more story on the "Hunchback of the Norte Dame" just check out Hugo's work at the public library or Internet or bookstore.
Lon Chaney Sr., CODA (Children of Deaf Adults) himself, done the unforgettable portrayal of Quaisomodo in the 1900s silent film, was one of the best Hunchback film. No actors equaled to Lon Chaney Sr.' "Quaismodo" portrayal over the century. Chaney was known as the "Man of Thousand Faces" for film fans within his superbu transformation of different roles.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
http://www.cinemaweb.com/silent/film/chaney/
Early adaptation of the novel by Victor Hugo starring Lon Chaney. You can find out more about this movie on its IMDB page.
Early adaptation of the novel by Victor Hugo starring Lon Chaney. You can find out more about this movie on its IMDB page.
The Walt Disney's 1990s film, "The Hunchback of Norte Dame" did not mention any of Quaismodo's deafness. What a sad omission!
ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason
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