Anti-CI Deafies, This is NOT really a DEFEAT at all!

This is NOT really a DEFEAT at all for us, anti-CI supporters when Governor Doyle recently sign the legislation to require the health insurance companies to cover the expenses of cochlear implant surgery on deaf babies and youngsters. 

The beginning of REAL VICTORIES for the anti-CI deaf supporters on behalf of deaf babies and youngsters which clueless and emotionally vulnerable and idiotic parents do to their offspring without deaf babies and youngsters' own consents. 

That is clearly a HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION of deaf babies and youngsters' right to their own existence without being inflicted to the lifetime pain and sufferings from the questionable cochlear implant surgery. 

Let's look up to the fine example of the so-called medical miracles of the mid-20th century - lobotomy on mentally compromised individuals. The latest formal definition of lobotomy is to be found most real cruel and inhumane method to correct the given human flaws. 

  PBS-TV's "American Experience" have the excellent television documentary on America's real past shame of lobotomy treatments - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/lobotomist/program/ 

  Governor Doyle and Rep. Cullen's political careers and lifetime futures will be in real smoke before the re-election of 2010. Keep watch out for the upcoming scandals within the Doyle administration and the office of Re. Cullen! 

 NAD is clearly responsible for NOT giving any resources or legal assistance to the deaf activists of Wisconsin! What good NAD is all about??  Should we not renew our NAD membership?? Let it be!

ASLize yours,

Robert L. Mason (RLM)

RLMDEAF blog

What You Really Think of This Panetene Video?

Is that form of audism urging deaf people to embrace the use of musical instruments or show the beauty of defiance and persistence among deaf people?

Just view the Patenene hair care products television commerical for the Thai (Thailand) marketplace.

Here is the video enclosure - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um9KsrH377A&feature=related

Thanks to Doug Godfrey for sending me this enclosure from his ASL interpreter. I truly appreciate it very much.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

What To Do With Wisconsin Legislation on CI??

Here is an open letter to Jack Barr and Darrell Roby what both of you and other concerned deaf individuals in regard to the questionable government intervention having the health insurance industry to be mandatory required of providing the insurance coverage on cochlear implant surgery on deaf babies and youngsters upon parental or guardian request.

Both of you really have several options like asking the state attorney general to instruct Governor Doyle to veto the Senate bill # 27 and Assembly bill # 16 due to the backdoor legislation without any input/feedback from ordinary citizens which is actually violation of Wisconsin's state "Sunshine Law" and transparency laws. That is the first step of contacting the state
attorney general of Wisconsin to suspend Governor Doyle from approving and signing the
Senate bill # 27 and House bill # 16.

Second step is to find the transparency advocacy group to assist both of you to file the lawsuit against the Wisconsin's Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission for its failure for not providing any citizen involvements and inputs and reviews for any legislation affecting the deaf community. Citizens for Responsible Government is one of the perfect example advocacy group watchdog over the State of Wisconsin - http://wwwcrgnetwork.com/

You, Jack Barr and Darrell Roby really could find some way to get the "backdoor legislation" of Senate bill # and House bill # to be expunged and probed due to questionable and so-called biased data's being used for this legislation, especially the Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission being under the State Department of Health Services.

What about the educational experts on Deaf Education? What about the consequences of long-term financial costs to the state of Wisconsin and the health insurance providers for the coverage of cochlear implant surgery on deaf babies and youngsters?

What about the exact criteria for any deaf babies and youngsters to be fitted with cochlear implant surgery?

Any formal state board to be created to screen out the requests for lifetime alteration surgery, ex. cochlear implant surgery on deaf babies and youngsters without being pressured from the "for profit" industry from doctors to surgeons to the cochlear implant manufacturers?

The recent legislation passage of Senate bill # 27 and House bill # 16 have to be reconsidered due to many unanswered questions regarding "conflict of interests" among the medical industry and other proponents of cochlear implant surgery and audistic individuals seeking to remake the society at large in name of human superiority and ignorance.

Is there any formal channels to be developed for parental counselings without any appearance of human bias and hidden financial interests? Have the parental counselings being included from the deaf advocacy groups on behalf of deaf babies and youngsters for language and self-esteem development?

You, Jack Barr and Darrell Roby please immediately contact the State Attorney General to suspend the legislation due to legal matter on state transparency laws on open meetings and open records.

Wisconsin's Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission did FAIL to consult the given community for their citizenry inputs and participation to address the legislative proposal.

Wisconsin Association of the Deaf (WAD) surely FAILED its given advocacy duties due to passive advocacy among the WAD officers being employed with the state government.

Please feel free to contact me for more advice and strategy how to halt the legislation in its track from being the official law. Here is my email address - rlmdeaf@hotmail.com

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

NAD's Missed "Golden" Opporunities on Grassroot Deaf Activism

After viewing Jack Barr's vlog posting with Darrell Roby (Jack's Eyes) which left me greatly resentful with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) for lack of golden opportunities for paving the formal trainings of grassroot deaf activism how to empower, organize and lobby more efficiently for real victories on legal fronts and political maneuverings.

Where the hell the NAD have been for setting up the cost-efficient trainings, lectures and workshops how to empower, organize and lobby on the behalf of concerned deaf community?

We really need some monetary grants for regional grassroot deaf activism training how to persuade, lobby and maneuver the legislators, given community and targeted individuals.

The perfect start is with Carl Schroeder's Western Oregon University and other places for interested deaf individuals to be truly effective grassroot deaf activists and organizers.

It is TIME for many grassroot deaf activists to be paid reasonably and generously for their time and efforts and related expenses!

NAD seems more lofty being in the Inner Beltway mentality and cozy up to the AGBell and other CI proponents without laying out realistic approach and how to battle the increasingly audistic ways of the society at large.

I will be more than happy to be the trainer for grassroot deaf activism from my personal experience for being in the "behind the legislative scenes" and numerous non-deaf organizational participation.

Not everyone have an opportunity to go to the NAD's Youth Leadership Program camps. Moi never go at all.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Vivienne Schroeder, Deaf Tibdit, 5/19/09

Just let the DeafRead readers and viewers know that our own Carl Schroeder's deaf daughter, Vivienne Schroeder recently graduated from Gallaudet University last Friday, May 15th.

Vivienne Schroeder will seek the master degree after this Gallaudet graduation.

Let us wish Vivienne Schroeder all the best and success within her graduate studies!

All of you could see what Vivienne Schroeder really look like in her videocast for the VL2
Center. Here is an enclosure - http://vl2.gallaudet.edu/student.php?id=33 or type
"Vivienne Schroder" on the search log of http://www.gallaudet.edu/

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

NYC's Deaf Population Dwindling

Handful of Deaf New York City residents admitted to me that there are increasingly dwindling numbers of deaf people living in the Big Apple's 2009 than ever.

The unknown factors like the changing economy, the cost of living and job opporunity probably play the pivotal role in rapidly shrinking number of deaf NYC residents.

There used to be frequent social gatherings for deaf NYCers every week, not at this time.

Many deaf New York City residents felt that they were unfairly rejected for decent job postitons. More and more deaf NYCers end up working for the retail industry.

All related informations are based on secondary source, not the primary information.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)

PROBLEMS WITH FOMDI.COM

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