Interpreter Scam with a Twist

Another interpreter scam has come up, but this one has a bit of a twist. In Ocean City, Maryland, an interpreter basically created a need for interpreters by sending false messages from fake email accounts from deaf people. She pretended to be deaf, sending interpreter request emails, in order to create work for herself.

Here's the article;

OC Police Probe Reveals Sign Language Scheme

Related blog post: Forget the DC Tax Scam. We Got An Interpreter Scam

Men in Black and a Wedding

Back in 1997, before my sister's wedding, I was considering a Men In Black style lighting of the candles. My brother and I, after we lit the candles, considered putting on dark sunglasses and flip the brass candle lighters upside down, like the way Jones' character used that flashing rod device. Then we'd walk back down the aisles, sunglasses still on. I was going to use a small flash device in my hand.

Unfortunately, mom heard about the plan and forbade it to be done. The idea went over well in the post-wedding chats...

Had it been done, we would have had an annoyed sister, an upset mother, and one house that came down.


Update: I just found this is my 100th post!

"Growing Up Deaf" Post Update 2 - Part 2

After doing some more research on this Utley book, Google had a page that contained a passage that says exactly how it is with those who were in oral schools and were forbidden to even learn or use sign, and then learned sign later;

Effective education for learners with exceptionalities By Festus E. Obiakor, Cheryl Anita Rose Utley, and Anthony F. Rotatori. ISBN 076230975X, 9780762309757.

This will put you on page 240. Read the last paragraph up to where it mentions cued speech.

At least some of those who read that will see themselves in it. Powerful stuff right there!

This doesn't mean the oralists were completely wrong in their methods. It means that total communications, meaning speech/lipreading AND signing, should have been included and used.

"Growing Up Deaf" Post Update 2 - Part 1

Update from Growing Up Deaf - Part 10.

I managed to find a classmate from third grade on a social networking site and she remembered me. Then I broke out the report cards and checked some notations made way long ago. One thing that I missed all these years was something written in my first grade report card.

"REGULAR grade 2. No need for special class. Definitely *no* 'deaf' class."

Perhaps something more surprising was buried in one of the grading categories, under Music, was "Auditory Training." Also listed in there was "Utley book." Has anyone had experience with this? Google gives me mention of auditory/visual speech recognition. Then under "Speech and Phonics" is "Child shows desire to communicate orally." These were "primary deaf-oral classes" according to the supplement stapled to the report card.

Interesting what one finds when one breaks out the old report cards and looks through them.

Next - Part 2

My Knee's Progress - Part 1

I'll post here and there about how my left knee has been doing post-surgery. Lately, it's been getting easier to walk longer distances and a recent event gave me some encouragement.

Here's what's happened in the last couple weeks;
- I had to meet up with a counselor at my local college. I walked from the parking deck to the building and then to the office. That wasn't painful at all.
- I walked with Jamie from home to a building next door, walking along the entire front sidewalk and back home, resting a couple times. She commented a couple times it looked like I wasn't using the cane. I was, as it was keeping me from limping too much. This was further than the above, and;
- I walked to someone's house for dinner, which was about the above two walks put together, and this was a few hours after physical therapy. I wasn't quite up for going further, as a little more distance away was the local grocery store. MILESTONE!

So far, no pain, just some fatigue when I overuse it, but the right knee will hurt some. I can stand longer as well.

Will Metered Internet Hurt Deaf?

I was passed this article about metered Internet in the Rochester area by Time Warner Cable. It's a pretty hot issue and very unpopular.

Deaf community reacts to Time Warner metered pricing

In short, Time Warner Cable will be implementing metered pricing. When that happens, those who use videophones could be priced out of using them. Watching online videos like Hulu and YouTube adds up as well. Some downloadable videos are in the megabytes, while downloaded DVD movies can be about 4-8 gigabytes.

My question at the moment is how much data is being passed through the lines in a 30 minute session? Many VPs send data at 256Kbps and receive at 384Kbps.

It's a possibility this may be implemented in other broadband markets.


Update April 19:

Check the Victory of Internet Freedom blog post by Sharyn. She reports that Time Warner Cable has backed down from their metering proposal.

Post-surgery meals

Booktoots's Weblog has two posts on how it helps greatly to pre-make your meals and eating right which can help in the recovery process.

In Healthy Eating Speeds the TKR Recuperation Process, this is absolutely correct. You can't just eat junk food as it will slow down the healing. Multivitamins with calcium and a few other things will help. Doing your exercises will also.

Here's a reason to eat healthy... Some time ago, I weighed 250, ready to go higher since I was eating fast foods almost daily. Then I quit and managed to lose 50 pounds in nearly two years. I started eating better, and the results showed. I felt better also. I still need to lose more, though.

Last year before my evening college class, I'd get a salad from the local grocery store's salad bar. I'd finish it in the classroom before class time, using olive oil with garlic as dressing. I was told later on you could smell it through the classroom, but no one complained! I'm now at 200, and will try to lose some more before the next surgery.

She also says in Meal Preparation After A TKR that it helps to prepare foods ahead of time. About a month before surgery, Jamie and I started making freezer dinners. When I came home 4 weeks after surgery, there were still some left.

Seeing the Knee Doctor - Part 3

My last two appointments were pretty much the same with a few questions here and there. For the most part, I've improved here and there. My flexion and extension have improved a few degrees. I'm able to walk further with the cane and stand longer.

Last week, I was able to get down the steps to the lower level of the house, a split-level. This set of steps doesn't have any railings, just a couple corners for me to hold onto while I go down there backwards.

My hamstring shortened due the knee not being able to move a lot before surgery, known as a contracture. I'm going to be using a heating pad to help out in getting that and the quadriceps to stretch out a bit more. I most likely have that on the right knee as well.

The doctor and physical therapist have both said I'm progressing well. The doctor agreed with me when I said I'll be going for having the other knee done in early fall.