Drolz UncensoredAll right, this is it. Drolz Uncensored is the place where caution gets thrown to the wind. As a former columnist for three national Deaf newspapers, I had a lot of fun... but I also had to behave myself. Not anymore. There's no limit to what might be said in Drolz Uncensored. Initially there'll be some blasts from the past, favorite articles that were well-received and thus re-posted here. You'll also find my own twisted perception of current events going on in the deaf community and the world in general. Does "uncensored" mean keep the kids away, there'll be language that would make a longshoreman blush? Absolutely... NOT. Instead, you'll find articles and commentary that are thrown in as written, on the spot, without any editing or concern about whether or not it's politically correct. It'll be more risky, and therefore more fun. Enjoy!
Was That So Hard?This morning I treated my kids to some goodies from Dunkin' Donuts. As the clerk rang up my order, he mumbled something I couldn't understand. "Eh? Whazzat?" I said, pointing to my ears to emphasize I'm deaf. The young man smiled and started signing. "Oh, sorry. That'll be $3.40." I know this was just Dunkin' Donuts and it was just a transaction for four donuts. But this guy freaking made my day. Without missing a beat he nonchalantly switched gears from voice to ASL. How beautiful was that? I'm on Cloud 9. Two thoughts immediately come to mind: One, it's things like this that prove without a doubt that ASL classes are a valuable resource in high school and college classes all over the country. They should start offering it on a regular basis in elementary schools, too. Might as well teach it all across the board if it's so popular with hearing babies and college students. Two, it just feels right. I mean, how many deaf kids are busting their butts by spending hours upon hours in speech therapy, CI training, and all of the audiological testing that comes with the territory? It's a lot to ask of deaf kids. So it's all the more inspiring when we meet hearing people who take the time to meet us halfway. The guy at the Dunkin' Donuts sure did, and in my eyes he's their Employee of the Year. No CI: A Hearing PerspectiveAnswering "why not use both ASL and a cochlear implant?" in a way that can be understood from the hearing perspective. Permalink -- click for full blog post "No CI: A Hearing Perspective" Beer & Butt Kiss: Rick Reilly in Rare FormESPN Magazine columnist Rick Reilly spends a weekend observing what it's like to be a deaf sports fan. Hilarity ensues. Check the link below for some of the craziest closed captioning foul-ups, bleeps, and blunders. VRS Fraud vs SSI FraudIn light of the VRS fraud scandal, should we also be keeping an eye out for fraudulent SSI cases? Permalink -- click for full blog post "VRS Fraud vs SSI Fraud" DrolzFitDrolz's favorite (and sometimes unorthodox) fitness tips for people who have no time to hit the gym. Permalink -- click for full blog post "DrolzFit" Mainstreaming vs. Deaf School (Part II)A deaf kid who attended an all-hearing camp in 2008 attends three deaf camps in 2009. The difference speaks volumes. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Mainstreaming vs. Deaf School (Part II)" The More Things Change, The More They Stay The SameIn a caffeine-induced stupor, Drolz explains why a deaf advocate's job is never finished. Permalink -- click for full blog post "The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same" Guest Writers Page at Deaf Culture OnlineGuest writers offer their articles and insights at Mark Drolsbaugh's Deaf Culture Online website Permalink -- click for full blog post "Guest Writers Page at Deaf Culture Online" Mainstreaming vs Deaf School (Baseball Version)One kid, two different experiences, and a picture that says a thousand words. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Mainstreaming vs Deaf School (Baseball Version)" National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: Offensive?National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: Am I the only one who's offended? A name change might be in order... We're All NutsWe're all nuts. On the deaf or hearing blogosphere, it makes no difference. Nuts galore, period. Permalink -- click for full blog post "We're All Nuts" Academic FreedomAcademic Freedom: How deaf children (or any children, for that matter) ought to be taught in the classroom. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Academic Freedom" The Deaf Bilingual Coalition: More Advocacy Needed, and Here's WhyA real life example of why we need the Deaf Bilingual Coalition to advocate on behalf of American Sign Language A Challenge for DBC and AGBA challenge for the Deaf Bilingual Coalition and Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf to find common ground Permalink -- click for full blog post "A Challenge for DBC and AGB" George Carlin 1937-2008George Carlin checked out too soon - amidst an eerie coincidence - and will be sorely missed. But he's leaving his mark on deaf literature. Permalink -- click for full blog post "George Carlin 1937-2008" Just DeafAn interesting parallel between Deaf culture and Indian culture, political correctness be damned. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Just Deaf" Olympic-sized DifferencesWelcome to the Olympics: A Clash between Cultures, Values and Greed Permalink -- click for full blog post "Olympic-sized Differences" Evolution of a Deaf AttitudeEvolution of a Deaf Attitude: Being Deaf is a Choice, Too. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Evolution of a Deaf Attitude" Evolution of a Cochlear Implant AttitudeA deaf parent is told that his deaf child may be an ideal candidate for a cochlear implant. He then decides to... Permalink -- click for full blog post "Evolution of a Cochlear Implant Attitude" NCSD: Opening a Pandora's BoxThere's more to the squelched NCSD protest than we could ever imagine. A lot more. Permalink -- click for full blog post "NCSD: Opening a Pandora's Box" Deaf Militant in TrainingThe future president of Gallaudet University -- a deaf militant in training -- makes sure she's deaf enough for the job. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Deaf Militant in Training" Deaf Again Autoresponder Course - Totally Revamped!A quick update regarding the Deaf Again autoresponder course: It's been totally overhauled (format-wise, not content-wise). Instead of getting seven lengthy emails, subscribers will now be redirected to password-protected web pages that are a lot easier on the eyes. This material is from the actual Deaf Again presentation that's drawn rave reviews for the past ten years. Why am I making this private material available for those who want to access it? Because it's damn good, and I don't really have the time to go on the lecture circuit anymore. I'd rather have this material available online for the time being instead of gathering dust in my office. For the ASL teachers out there who are incorporating Deaf Again into your respective curriculums, you might want to direct your students to this autoresponder course for an up-close look at the issues in the book. There's a lot of great behind-the-scenes topics for discussion. Click the link below and have fun! Best regards, Drolz Permalink -- click for full blog post "Deaf Again Autoresponder Course - Totally Revamped!" A People to Call HomeA People to Call Home reveals the intangibles that hold the Deaf community together Permalink -- click for full blog post "A People to Call Home" I Dated a Deaf Porn StarA fledgling deaf porn business brings forth some controversial privacy issues Permalink -- click for full blog post "I Dated a Deaf Porn Star" Deaf Again Autoresponder CourseA 7-part autoresponder course based on Mark Drolsbaugh's popular Deaf Again book and presentation Permalink -- click for full blog post "Deaf Again Autoresponder Course" Deficit-thinking Gets Smashed to SmithereensA brief interaction obliterates deficit-thinking from the mind of an 8-year-old deaf child Permalink -- click for full blog post "Deficit-thinking Gets Smashed to Smithereens" Back by Popular Demand: Deaf ThanksgivingYes, it's THAT time of the year. Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season. It also marks the beginning of a period where deaf people everywhere often gather with friends and relatives who don't know ASL. It can be a maddening, thumb-twiddling experience. Fortunately, there's a solution to this annual mess. By popular demand, I'm re-posting last year's Deaf Thanksgiving article. Click on the link below and have a GREAT holiday season! Best regards, Drolz Permalink -- click for full blog post "Back by Popular Demand: Deaf Thanksgiving" The Greatest Irony: Greater Than I ThoughtAt the recent National ASLTA conference in Tampa, FL (Oct 25-28), I had the honor of attending both the keynote address and the closing address by Ella Mae Lentz. Sure, I'd seen her vlogs (one of my favorites is "Elephant in the Room") but... to see her in person, WOW! There's no way I can repeat everything she said in my humble little blog. Let me just say I haven't picked my jaw off the floor yet. She was absolutely mesmerizing and thought-provoking. I will, however, give you one little tidbit. Perhaps you've read some of my earlier blog entries related to the Deaf Bilingual Coalition. Or, most likely, you've probably seen DBC blogs and announcements here and there. And, no doubt, most of you have seen Amy Cohen Efron's famous "Greatest Irony" vlog. But during Ella's closing address, she mentioned a statistic that made me realize "The Greatest Irony" is greater than I ever thought. We all know it's ironic how hearing parents are now teaching their hearing babies ASL due to research-proven benefits such as early language acquisition and cognitive development (the irony being that many deaf babies -- who need ASL the most -- are often denied such an opportunity). But it's not only babies. From 1998 to 2002, Ella pointed out, enrollment in higher-education ASL classes increased 482%! Now we've got hearing babies and hearing college students signing everywhere. Awesome, I love it. But let's keep making sure our deaf babies and deaf students don't slip through the cracks. ASL is a beautiful language. For everyone, deaf and hearing alike. The Worst Parents EverThe Worst Parents Ever: Overindulgence Gone Bad Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Worst Parents Ever" Deaf Again II: Going Deaf and Getting Kicked Out of a Hotel8 Year Old Darren Drolsbaugh shares his thoughts about going deaf and getting kicked out of the 2007 AG Bell conference Permalink -- click for full blog post "Deaf Again II: Going Deaf and Getting Kicked Out of a Hotel" Deaf Culture Online News and UpdatesDeaf Culture Online's Latest News, Updates, and Announcements Permalink -- click for full blog post "Deaf Culture Online News and Updates" Madness at the MarriottMiscommunications galore with an insensitive hotel security guard Permalink -- click for full blog post "Madness at the Marriott" Should We Have a Funeral for the 'D-word'?Is it really appropriate to have famous deaf athletes named "Dummy?" Permalink -- click for full blog post "Should We Have a Funeral for the 'D-word'?" Book Reviews at Deaf Culture OnlineHighly recommended books from the creators of Deaf Culture Online Permalink -- click for full blog post "Book Reviews at Deaf Culture Online" Sign Language in Schools (or lack thereof)An argument in favor of incorporating sign language classes in schools everywhere Permalink -- click for full blog post "Sign Language in Schools (or lack thereof)" Parents of Deaf ChildrenA resource page for parents of deaf children on Mark Drolsbaugh's Deaf Culture Online website Permalink -- click for full blog post "Parents of Deaf Children" A Hearing Loss and a Deafening LossTales from a deaf kid in a hearing school and a hearing kid in a deaf school. Permalink -- click for full blog post "A Hearing Loss and a Deafening Loss" Baby Sign LanguageA unique perspective of baby sign language from Mark Drolsbaugh, a deaf parent of hearing children Permalink -- click for full blog post "Baby Sign Language" Signing With Your Deaf BabyAn article on the importance of signing with your deaf baby Permalink -- click for full blog post "Signing With Your Deaf Baby" Stress ManagementA comprehensive page on stress management with a deaf and hard of hearing twist Permalink -- click for full blog post "Stress Management"
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