So here we are in the middle of the Mojave Desert where it’s a sizzling 110 degrees with Mr. Sunshine shining down gloriously on the ~1,500 of us who have convened for the 48th biennial National Association of the Deaf (NAD) conference.

The gathering this year is really different. There are many, many new fresh young faces and it seems that the conference has attracted many deaf professionals from all over who seem genuinely interested in what NAD has to offer. (more…)

I think that is is SO, SO, SO awesome. Governor Robert Ehrlich (R) is running for his second term–if he wins, he would be the first Republican to be re-elected as governor in more than 50 years. Yes, I’m a Democrat, so I’m just pointing out that interesting factoid.

But the really awesome thing is that he has picked Kristen Cox, a blind woman who is his Secretary of Disabilities, to be his running partner. I think that’s just a huge, huge step for the disabilities movement. (more…)

In today’s society where we are increasingly reliant on technology to remain connected with the hearing world, we as deaf individuals find ourselves more aware (or even less aware, as I see with my high school students) of things that happen around us. We need to identify the true meaning behind being part of the deaf community. Here, I just used the word “deaf” to identify people of hearing loss — not people of the Deaf community. When exactly is the right time to use “deaf” or “Deaf,” and what kind of deaf individuals are allowed into the Deaf community? (more…)

For those readers who’ve been following my Metro travels, you know I coin a new term for each odd Metro-goer that I run across. But there are some that simply defy description. I will call those randomius strangeus. They are the strange and random people that suddenly pop in your life, do something EXTREMELY STRANGE and then pop out.

This happened to me the other day. I was sitting, of course, on the Orange/Blue Line towards New Carollton/Largo. In front of me, right smack dab in the center of the pole area (where there are no seats) stood a portly older man. If I had to pick an animal to describe him, it would be a mother hen.

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Okay, maybe going out on the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers right now isn’t such a great idea. It’s expected to crest tomorrow well below flood stage. You’re thinking you’ve been soaked enough for the rest of the season, but by this time next week you’ll definitely be missin’ that good ol’ riverwater again.

DC Strokes Rowing Club and DeafDC.com have partnered to bring to you a great, wet outdoor activity! (more…)

So I happened along this fascinating Washington Post article discussing how the median age of viewers of TV shows based in Washington, D.C., are, well, the highest of any show on the network.

I’m not sure if my explanation above made any sense, so read the article. The median age of ABC’s “Commander in Chief” was 55 years. The highest of any scripted series on ABC. Poof, Geena Davis is showed the way to the door. (more…)

Oh. My. God. Are several of you still trying to make it to the office this morning? I knew I really shouldn’t have slept in a little this morning, but at the same time, I’m kind of glad I did.

You probably know by now that the Archives-Navy Memorial and Federal Triangle stations were closed due to high water from the overnight storm. Why don’t they tell us these things BEFORE we get on the metro? (edit: they do…just sign up for Metrorail e-Alerts). This closure knocked out four out of the five lines in the Metrorail system. Both stations also serve as pretty crucial links among the hub stations of Gallery Place, Metro Center, and L’Enfant Plaza.

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This morning’s “Is Superman Gay?” headline on CNN.com was accompanied by a picture of a nice looking man in tights (see below). And, well, being the curious sort I am, I clicked on the headline hoping to get an answer to the posed question.

So guess what the answer is? Yes? No? Maybe? Bisexual?

Wish I could tell you. (more…)

It was a sweltering 90+ outside. I was in the car with the AC on full blast. The sun was beating down on me. I was stuck in traffic on the Garden State Parkway in Jersey. It was backed up for atleast a good mile if not more and the bumper to bumper traffic was painful. Looked at the clock and then the street, the clock, the street, the clock, the street and finally realized that I cannot will the time to pass. So I sat there, chewing on my gum making sure no one inched ahead of me. It started moving. A few inches, then complete stop. The same thing went on for about 30-40 minutes. I knew I had no where to go. I was truly trapped! (more…)

How many times have we bought a captioned or subtitled DVD only to find that the bonus material or footage was never captioned?

Well, fret no more. The Los Angeles County Superior Court has preliminarily approved settlement of a case that will clearly send the motion picture companies a clear message:

CAPTION THE FRIGGIN’ BONUS FOOTAGE!

And if you’re deaf and can prove that you’ve purchased DVD’s that had uncaptioned bonus material, you may be entitled to piece of the cash settlement!

More information can be obtained by pointing your browser here.