November 9 Is Ominous

I was born on November 9. Growing up, I know this particular date is problematic at times. Especially with the fact that my parents never had a birthday party when I was stuck at VSDB for many years. Naturally, I learned to embrace the negative and turn it into something interesting.

I noticed that many things happened on November 9 throughout the rest of history. Some events that happened on that particular date either changed the world or sent the ripple effect across the planet.

Not only that, I noticed that November 9 seems to be the one that made an impact on the Jewish communities in general.

I am content to say that November 9 is Ominous in comparison with any dates. Unless one gets to prove it, I'm sticking with November 9.

Here are some important tidbits associated with November 9.

1526: Jews are expelled from Pressburg Hungary by Maria of Hapsburg
1720: Rabbi Yehuda Hasid synagogue set afire
1799: Napoleon becomes dictator (1st consul) of France
1802: Elijah P Lovejoy, American newspaper publisher/Abolitionist, born
1862: Union General Grant issues orders to bar Jews from serving under him
1865: Confederate General Lee surrendered to Union Gen Grant at Appomattox, VA
1872: Fire destroys nearly 1,000 buildings in Boston
1874: Israel Bak, created 1st hebrew printing press, died
1903: Gregory Pincus, Inventor (birth control pill) , born
1904: 1st airplane flight to last more than 5 minutes
1915: Italian liner Ancona sinks by German torpedoes, killing 272
1918: Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates after German defeat in WW I
1923: Beer Hall Putsch-NAZIs fail to overthrow government in Germany
1924: Miriam (Ma) Ferguson becomes 1st elected woman governor (of Texas)
1927: Giant Panda discovered in China
1930: 1st nonstop airplane flight from NY to Panama
1934: Carl Sagan, Astronomer/author/professor (Cosmos, Broca's Brain), born
1938: "Kristallnacht" (Crystal Night) - Nazi stormtroopers attacked Jews
1938: Al Capp, cartoonist of Lil' Abner creates Sadie Hawkins Day
1951: Lou Ferrigno, deaf body builder/actor (Incredible Hulk), born
1952: Chaim Weizmann, 1st President of Israel, died at 57
1953: Abdul-Aziz ibn Sa'ud, founder of Saudi Arabia, died
1962: My parents wed.
1965: At 5:16 PM, massive power failure in New England & Ontario, darkened NYC
1970: Charles DeGaulle, French President, died at 79
1973: Ridor was born in Richmond, Virginia
1989: The Fall of Soviet Union begins after the dismantling of Berlin Wall
1990: Carl DuPree, Gallaudet student died when the security officers crushed and choked him
2005: Riots in French Continues for 13th night.

Care to add more?

Found this in Mom's photo album, taken in 1999.



I think I rest my case!

Cheers,

Dark Lord R-

EIC Tropp Strikes Back

Donald Tropp nailed on this subject. He shattered Provost Jane K. Fernandes' bullshit rhetoric with valid issues that continues to plague the University. Unfortunately, Provost Fernie will continue to dodge this for months to come by claiming that by "working together, we will achieve something." Barf.

Well done, Donald Tropp!

Cheers,

R-

* * *

Dear Provost Fernandez,

Thank you for responding to my letter, although your message wasn’t exactly what I was hoping to hear. Even though you agreed that the University failed to meet our communication needs during the goalpost incident, you still didn’t accept responsibility. You insist that you will work to improve communication access, but we’ve all heard this time and time again.

I never blamed the goalpost incident on anyone but the students involved. I only said the administration must be held accountable for the following events that occurred. DPS handled the situation horrendously, reflecting upon the poor leadership of Paul Kelly, Vice President of Administration and Finance. I wonder why we haven’t heard from him yet.

I agree that the team could have worked with the administration to plan “an enjoyable, safe and appropriate celebration,” but you said that the fans, including the administration, didn’t have “time to think about how to mark the team’s outstanding season.” The team had won eight straight games, giving the fans every reason to believe the chances of an undefeated season were very real. Even if they lost their final game, their season still would have justified a celebration. During their winning streak, the administration never once publicity applauded them. Did you ask the football players how they felt about that?

The CREs, as you said, may have been the “first logical responders.” However, when DPS and MPD showed up, I could see the CREs were as lost as the students. They only said to stay inside our dorms and could not answer any of our questions because they simply did not know. There was no interpreter provided to assist them in this crisis, so how could they communicate effectively with the students if they didn’t have access to communication themselves?

You brought the Homecoming incident into your letter when you asked, “Are we to blame that on the hotel staff’s lack of ability to sign or the guest’s inability to do so?” It is not logical to tie the two acts together especially when they were committed by different groups of students on separate occasions.

Gallaudet University is not the Grand Hyatt Washington, but a place where we supposedly have the right to full communication access. The University’s inability to accommodate our communication needs is not surprising. DOSS accidentally killed Carl Dupree on November 9, 1990 because of a communication breakdown. Fast-forward fifteen years later, and it seems the only change we see from DPS is their name.

You wrote, “I believe that real listening to one another will help us to work together to achieve some positive results from these very serious and troubling incidents.” If real listening means giving us an opportunity to be heard, then there’s a problem.

No one’s listening.

Sincerely,
Donald Tropp
Editor-In-Chief
The Buff and Blue

Read Jane K Fernandes' Letter

Gallaudet Provost Jane K. Fernandes wrote the letter to Donald Tropp, the Editor-in-Chief of Buff and Blue newspaper after he apparently wrote the article criticizing the University Administration for not doing something effectively with the fiasco related to Gallaudet Homecoming Ball and Goalpost Incident.

I'll post my own comments right after you read Fernie's letter.

* * *

November 11, 2005

Mr. Donald Tropp, Editor-in-Chief
Buff and Blue
Ely Center

Dear Mr. Tropp:

Thank you for your thoughtful expression of concerns in your recent letter to me. I believe that continuing communication about the recent incidents and their impact on the campus community is very important, that real listening to one another will help us to work together to achieve some positive results from these very serious and troubling incidents.

I understand completely that students were frustrated by DPS officers’ lack of Sign Language and the lack of interpreters during the goalpost incident, and I agree that the University must continue to work on addressing audism, racism, and other forms of oppression both on campus and off campus. These issues are very real and definitely underline our need to continue our efforst to address them, but they are not “the real issues” of this incident as you assert. Instead, the core issue is that frustration and confusion do not justify breaking the law by destroying property and pulling false fire alarms. You agree that there was no excuse for the students’ behavior, but later in your letter, you seem to excuse it base on the lack of communication among DPS staff members and the University’s overall response to the incident. It cannot be both ways. The students were engaging in unlawful and inexcusable behavior. Problems with the response occurred after this fact of breaking the law.

The very same night of the goalpost incident, I interviewed football players who led the students in tearing them down. Each player that I spoke with indicated the motivation was a desire to celebrate the football’s team record. Not one of them at any time hinted that audism was a cause for their actions. At the heart of the football players’ behavior was a desire to applaud themselves then and there, rather than allow a sense of accomplishment to develop among their fans. IF the players had given the fans [who include members of the faculty, staff administration, parents and alumni, by the way] time to think about how to mark the team’s outstanding season, you can be sure that an enjoyable, safe and appropriate celebration would have taken place-not the regrettable one that transpired.

You noted that CREs, DPS, and MPD were not the right groups to respond effectively to Sunday’s events. It seems to me that CREs were the logical first responders to an incident on campus, involving students, and occurring late at night. They are no equivalent to a David Duke since CREs can communicate effectively and-in the best interest of all students, including those directly involved-they tried to bring the situation under control. Only when students did not listen to and respect them, and began to destroy property, did DPS take the next logical action of calling in law enforcement to restore order. I am sure this is not the course of action DPS wanted to take, but given the escalating circumstances despite effective communications from CREs, they felt they had no other choice.

Perhaps, as you say, the University should have been prepared for the possibility of another attempt to tear down the goalpost after Saturday’s failed attempt. On the other hand, shouldn’t students be trusted and given the benefit of doubt that, with some distance from Saturday night’s revelry, they would think better of committing acts of violence on their own campus? IN regard to the Homecoming incident, are we to blame that on the hotel staff’s lack of ability to sign or the guest inability to do so?

I do agree that the University can improve on how we respond to disorderly incidents and attempted crimes. As leader of the Crisis Management Team, I will work with this group to create more effective policies and procedures for responding to such unfortunate incidents. Most important, I, along with other administrators, am committed to creating and implementing specific action plans to address issues of audism, racism, improving communication access for all people on campus, and promoting the goals, behaviors and attitudes of an inclusive deaf university.

I hope you and other students will join this effort as collaborators working with us towards goals I believe we all want: access, respect, inclusion, and a strong Gallaudet University.

Sincerely,
Jane K. Fernandes
Provost

Talk is cheap, Fernie! DPS has not implemented anything to speed up the use of sign language on its campus, the world's only Liberal Arts University for the Deaf. It is always hilarious to watch Fernie trying to act like she is so busy doing something but know what? She never did a thing. She changed the names of dormitories where the students were killed, changed the security's name tags from Department of Safety and Security (DOSS) to Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Basically, the Administration did not do a thing at all except to repair its image. Each time, they fucked up a situation, they released their PR dogs to cover, bury or clean it up.

Up next is Donald Tropp's letter to Provost!

Cheers,

R-

11.17.05 Tidbits

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Lee Trevathan In MetroWeekly's Top Ten Finalists!

My dear friend, David "Lee" Trevathan, originally from Biloxi, Mississippi -- now a student at Gallaudet and living in the District, was chosen to be the local gay magazine, MetroWeekly's Top Ten Finalists for the 2005 Coverboy of the Year. David is affectionately known as Lee by many friends. I think I am one of his friends.

Congratulations, Lee!

But the voting continues. Let's show some solidarity for a Deaf fellow by voting for David "Lee" Trevathan.

If he wins it all, he will be the first deaf person to win the MW's Coverboy of the Year -- the voting will end on Tuesday, Nov. 29th. You have two weeks to do that.

Click for David Trevathan!

Love you, Lee!

Cheers,

R-

11.16.05 Tidbits

About SURFACE: In order to embarrass NBC, it is necessary to mention this to someone else. Especially by getting in touch with CNN. I agreed with Paul that we can do something about this -- how? Click on this link to tell them about this. We need to bombard them to let them know that we were offended by their repeated actions in hiring hearing ones to imitate us -- that it is newsworthy since we hadn't received a call or an email from Khalil Olmstead.

Of course, I intend to make another call tomorrow afternoon once again.

Oral Sex Causes What? Mouth Cancer, that is. But that is if you have HPV.

Tender Subjects, Is It?: My shoulders and arms are pretty sore and very stiff. I actually cannot sign above my shoulders -- that's how bad it is. Will keep up doing it. I was startled to learn that I lost 16 lbs in the last two weeks. Getting out of Gus & Jason's apartment in Norristown tremendously helped me, obviously.

In fact, if you kept on noticing that there were two pseudo-names in some comment boxes named "J.F." and "M.B." who kept on attacking me with derogatory words on my blogsite in the last few days -- they probably are none other than Joshua M. of Limerick, PA and Marb(t)y Bonales of Louisville, Kentucky or wherever he is as long as he gets to force his ex to give him the flight tickets. Some of you may remember Marb(t)y when I wrote an entry blasting him of his animalistic behavior last Memorial Day Weekend when I was in the District.

I'm so glad to get out of their hair. Staying with Gus is pretty much negative. I mean, he totally controls everything else to a pulp. Gus is pretty much a sore loser -- if you crushed his arguments, he will run to Joshua or someone else for help. It was amusing to observe how animalistic Joshua went on me after Gus ran to him for help after I trashed Gus for cheating on his partner repeatedly.

AS you can see, I lost 16 lbs in two weeks, I feel clean. I feel good. I feel free. So they resort to wage a campaign of namecallings via the comment boxes on my blogsite, how pathetic is that?! Suffice to say, I got them blocked as well.

I am entertaining no supplicants today, fools!

Update On Julie "Jules" Dalbom": Julie is now in Spadling Rehabilitation in Denver, Colorado -- I got her connected with the lawyers to sue the shit out of George Washington University Hospital for mistreating her when she was hospitalized. And she also informed me that the Metropolitan Police Department has located the person who drove the car on her and is in the process of prosecuting this person for hit and run incident. As of now, Jules appreciated the emails and cards from the blogreaders. Thanks, readers!

Rummaging Through Boxes: In the closet upstairs at my parents' house, I found a centennial book of Gallaudet's football program. I decided to scan the picture and post it for the world to see. This picture is so homoerotic. Nothing is hot than seeing a guy's hand on someone's leg!
The guy furthest right, bottom row is very hot!

Oh, this picture contains the first Gallaudet football team in 1883 -- 122 years ago, that is. Great picture, is it?

Cheers,

R-

Write, Tell, Call or Kill "SURFACE"!

Don't you ever hate this stuff? Growing up, you learned by rumors that a deaf character would make an appearance on television, film and/or plays. You were excited, intrigued and curious -- only to be slapped in the face that these deaf characters were portrayed by whom?

Hearing actors/actresses.

To cast a hearing person as deaf character is akin to cast a white woman as African American male! It is akin to cast a dog for the role of a cat! The producers assumed that it is easy to pretend portray deaf characters. You do not do that with African Americans or any races. But it is OK to do that with deaf persons.

There are many Deaf actresses/actors who aspired to break in -- but there are producers do not give them an opportunity. For instance, there was a show called SURFACE on NBC-TV on Monday nights. They had a deaf character portrayed by whom? A hearing actress who cannot sign. In fact, I got 10 emails complaining that this bitch cannot sign worth a shit. In fact, one wrote: "She was unreadable and unrealistic!"

I checked some idiotic commentators on a message board run by IMDb.com by others who attempted to justify this, you may read and laugh if you want to. In fact, IMDb.com deleted all comments produced by Deaf people who protested -- the total of 7 comments were deleted, perhaps when they responded back in defense.

Laura Malloy commented, "I think you need to calm down. The actress did not appear after the show and claim to be legally deaf. It's called ACTING. People do it every day, they play characters that are sometimes the opposite of who they are."

Laura is obviously ignorant. She probably needs to buy a book by John Schuchman's Hollywood Speaks to see the ramifications that the Hollywood has done many injustices to the deaf people in general. Laura, you're an idiot.

Another commentator, Chauliodus-1 said: "Gee when did having a disability become a "talent"? One's ethnicity, the others an impairment. The moment you see a white person or a black person you know who they are, you don't with deaf people nor do I care if this women isn't deaf.

Again, this guy obviously missed the point. This is a classic example of audism. Why do you think I loathed people like him/her?

Here is the best one, Trevor whined: "You know, I have a lot of compassion for people with disabilities. My own son has Down Syndrome, by the way. And all through college, I had a close friend who was blind, and I read his textbooks to him and walked him around campus ... Not so with hearing-normal actors playing hearing-impaired roles. So the actress's sign language was terrible. So what?"

I love when hearing persons claimed that they are supportive of disabilities then turn the table on to argue that we had no right to object that we do not like hearing people portraying us in the films and televisions. Trevor, that comment you made is bullshit. Good try but no cigar, blindness is not deafness, deafness is not down syndrome -- there is no way in Heavens or Hell that you can say that you have a compassion for this shit. Do us a favor, shut the fuck up, Trevor!

When I got these emails today, I made a phone call to Kahlil Olmstead, the so-called NBC Media twice today. I got ahold of someone who refused to identify herself/himself, instead transferred me 4 or 5 times to Kahlil's voice mailbox. What else is new? I wanted to find out more information about this subject. I also left the meesage for them to return the call or email me back to defend their turf. So far, nothing at all.

SURFACE is produced by NBC Universal Television Studio, the Executive Producers are Josh and Jonas Pate, they are ignorant twins from North Carolina. Believe it or not, the place of production is in Wilmington, North Carolina -- they could have get in touch with Gallaudet University, merely 384 miles away and do the auditions like some productions did in the past.

If you wanted to express your opinions to these folks who hired a hearing actress to portray deaf character and cannot sign worth a shit -- get in touch with Kahlil Olmstead at 818.840.3727 and/or Kahlil.olmstead@nbcuni.com.

I feel that it is necessary to email or call them in a relentless manner to make them see that what they did was very inappropriate to start with. And it is time to stop using these phony actresses to falsely portray deaf characters in films and televisions! Enough is enough.

Here is a copy of Michael Krajnak's email to Kahlil regarding the situation. Do your part as well:

From: Mikey Krajnak <xxxx@xxxx.com>
To: <kahlil.olmstead@nbcuni.com>
Cc: <nadinfo@nad.org>
Date: Tue Nov 15, 2005 09:59:33 AM EST
Subject: Surface episode on 11/14/05

Hello,

As a Deaf person who enjoys Surface, I watch it faithfully every week. The other shows "Threshold" and "Invasion" I found them to be bit too farfetched and bit too sci fi. "Surface" is compellingly believable, authentic and mind expanding, all in all, well done kudos.

However, I was totally offended by the "deaf" female character in last night's show. Her signing was abominable and difficult to understand. The interaction between Lee and his "deaf" girlfriend was unrealistic regarding the lipreading. As an American Sign Language specialist with a degree from Gallaudet University I was saddened by the tainting of not only my world but "Surface".

I'm curious to know why this situation was portrayed in this way and why you did not choose to use a Deaf actress.

I'm looking forward to your response.

Thank you,

Michael

For once, let's kick their butts.

Cheers,

R-