(something's wrong with the video part of my blog...not sure if its blogger or yourtube but if video doesn't work, here's the url...http://youtube.com/watch?v=Frgc-PDWu9A
Joey and DE's vlogs on "Bigger Picture" is about systematic audism; while they both have my support, their vlogs left me wondering about a few things...>
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
OSD/OSB: What Cultural Conflicts?
Sharing my experience as a student of a residential school of the deaf and blind. The opposition at OSD cites cultural conflicts.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Golden Thumb Rule
Golden rule for any v/bloggers on giving credit due to others when borrowing parts of their work.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Clarification On "Deaf Canadians' Predicament."
A vlog to clarify several things that I observed responses from commentors that came across as misunderstanding or misperception. A commentor suggested that I could have used better words and I agreed with him. I take accountability in what I presented in the first vlog. My intentions in the first vlog were simple and I did not expect these reactions from some commentors.
socialism
n 1: a political theory advocating state ownership of industry
2: an economic system based on state ownership of capital [syn:
socialist economy] [ant: capitalism]
http://www.freedictionary.org/index.php
In Canada’s model of healthcare, it is government/province owned through taxes from sales, lottery, income and so forth. Taxes are paid to the government of Canada and Canada is in ownership of these tax dollars in which they in turn use to insure all Canadians. This is what socialism means. This is how Canadian health care plan works.
Keep in mind Canada’s MAIN government remains DEMOCRACTIC and many of their parts of economics remain capitalistic, just the same as it is here in the U.S. It is only the healthcare that is on the socialism model. Canada is quite unique in being the only country with two different operating governing systems; their healthcare is a huge federal program that insure every Canadian so it has impacts upon many parts of Canadian’s democratic side of the government.
Socialism is not a dirty word. It is in fact the solution to the negative effects of two governments; capitalism (what we have here in U.S.) and communism. Socialism is the middle ground - borrowing the best of both capitalism and communism. Canada has the best of two governments. Lucky countrymen, the Canadians.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
My Canadian Blogger Pal's Intake on Deaf Canadians' Predicament
Hi Cy,
I hadn't followed this controversy surrounding the language mode of the cochlear implant surgery recipients. Interestingly, I have a friend who is a CI recipient. She was not forced to drop visual language and that was not what she used anyway. She was raised an oralist.
Yes, our health care system is on the socialist principle. Indeed it complicates the process when you try to intertwine that with the democratic process. How do you combine medical decisions that our health care system are constitutionally authorized to make with the federal law? I think perhaps this is a first.
Upon reading the excerpts you sent me, my take on this is that our government is interested in protecting our tax dollars. I believe they view that by allowing CI recipients continue to use visual language is a misuse of tax money. My understanding is that CI surgery importunes the recipients to be able to hear that they cannot with a hearing aid. This device enables them to acquire speaking skills. This is where I see how our government assess that by allowing the CI recipients to use sign language they are misusing tax money upon which the health care system operates. I can see how they feel that by passing a law for CI recipients to follow an aural/oral regimen justifies spending tax dollars on providing CI surgery to Deaf Canadians.
It is true our health care system makes health and medical decisions for us. We pay taxes to them and they budget our tax dollars to operate the health and medical processes. Our health care system is not privately operated - it is governmental operated. We must fill out forms to request surgical procedures and we must wait weeks, sometimes months, to hear a decision. Our doctors indeed can make in-office decisions for certain routine procedures, but when it comes to expensive procedures such as in-office procedures, expensive medication, hospitalizations, and so forth, we must get authorization. Because our health care is a "Goliath," it can be difficult and complicated. They take so much time to make those kinds of decisions.
For instance, when I had my gall bladder, it took 4 months before I heard back from them. In the meanwhile, I was in a lot of pain and heavily medicated with painkillers. I got the green light, and had to request a surgical appointment. That was another 3 weeks. They found a hospital for me and set it up. After nearly 5 months in pain, I finally had my gallbladder removed. I understand this goes much quicker in the U.S.
As a principle, our socialism-based health care is a wonderful thing. All of us have coverage. However, the levels of coverage vary based on how much tax you pay. As a city employee, I get the full coverage. They automatically deduct specific amount of health care tax from any city and federal employee following a formula.
My mother, on the other hand, is a homemaker. She pays health care tax on a form annually, following a formula upon her income tax. If the formula shows she doesn't work and does not pay taxes, she gets the minimal coverage. Her selection of providers is severely limited. I believe this is similar to America's Medicaid system. Nonetheless, every Canadian, job or no job, has coverage.
Back to your CI controversy, this is perhaps a first (as far as I personally know of) that our health care system attempts to intertwine with the federal government process to make it federal law for the CI recipients follow the aural/oral regimens and depart the visual language route. This would certainly set a precedent for future health and medical cases.
Indeed, I agree with you it is not all that surprising that our health care system would attempt to dictate a social decision in the interest of protecting a capitalistic operation in form of tax dollars. The question here is who initiated this - the health care system or the federal government? I would be curious to know. My bet is on the federal government as it is capitally motivated.
Tracy, a proud Canadian.
Folks, Tracy is a blog pal of mine on another blog. She is not deaf. Knowing she is a Canadian, I sought to get her insight into this controversy and debate on the Canadian health care. I wanted a clarification and a confirmation that what I understood about their health care is accurate.
I received some responses that I am mistaken about their governmental system. I am not referring to the federated democractic part of their government system which IS indeed the same as ours. Their health care is the exception and in that, the reason why their health care can dictate the post-surgical care for their CI receipents.
As I've said time and again, I sincerely hope Americans' and Canadians' voices came loud and clear to them that they will change their position on forcing this law on their Deaf Canadians. Like Oscar and I discussed - what do they know about the Deaf?? Zip. All they understand is the money.
I hadn't followed this controversy surrounding the language mode of the cochlear implant surgery recipients. Interestingly, I have a friend who is a CI recipient. She was not forced to drop visual language and that was not what she used anyway. She was raised an oralist.
Yes, our health care system is on the socialist principle. Indeed it complicates the process when you try to intertwine that with the democratic process. How do you combine medical decisions that our health care system are constitutionally authorized to make with the federal law? I think perhaps this is a first.
Upon reading the excerpts you sent me, my take on this is that our government is interested in protecting our tax dollars. I believe they view that by allowing CI recipients continue to use visual language is a misuse of tax money. My understanding is that CI surgery importunes the recipients to be able to hear that they cannot with a hearing aid. This device enables them to acquire speaking skills. This is where I see how our government assess that by allowing the CI recipients to use sign language they are misusing tax money upon which the health care system operates. I can see how they feel that by passing a law for CI recipients to follow an aural/oral regimen justifies spending tax dollars on providing CI surgery to Deaf Canadians.
It is true our health care system makes health and medical decisions for us. We pay taxes to them and they budget our tax dollars to operate the health and medical processes. Our health care system is not privately operated - it is governmental operated. We must fill out forms to request surgical procedures and we must wait weeks, sometimes months, to hear a decision. Our doctors indeed can make in-office decisions for certain routine procedures, but when it comes to expensive procedures such as in-office procedures, expensive medication, hospitalizations, and so forth, we must get authorization. Because our health care is a "Goliath," it can be difficult and complicated. They take so much time to make those kinds of decisions.
For instance, when I had my gall bladder, it took 4 months before I heard back from them. In the meanwhile, I was in a lot of pain and heavily medicated with painkillers. I got the green light, and had to request a surgical appointment. That was another 3 weeks. They found a hospital for me and set it up. After nearly 5 months in pain, I finally had my gallbladder removed. I understand this goes much quicker in the U.S.
As a principle, our socialism-based health care is a wonderful thing. All of us have coverage. However, the levels of coverage vary based on how much tax you pay. As a city employee, I get the full coverage. They automatically deduct specific amount of health care tax from any city and federal employee following a formula.
My mother, on the other hand, is a homemaker. She pays health care tax on a form annually, following a formula upon her income tax. If the formula shows she doesn't work and does not pay taxes, she gets the minimal coverage. Her selection of providers is severely limited. I believe this is similar to America's Medicaid system. Nonetheless, every Canadian, job or no job, has coverage.
Back to your CI controversy, this is perhaps a first (as far as I personally know of) that our health care system attempts to intertwine with the federal government process to make it federal law for the CI recipients follow the aural/oral regimens and depart the visual language route. This would certainly set a precedent for future health and medical cases.
Indeed, I agree with you it is not all that surprising that our health care system would attempt to dictate a social decision in the interest of protecting a capitalistic operation in form of tax dollars. The question here is who initiated this - the health care system or the federal government? I would be curious to know. My bet is on the federal government as it is capitally motivated.
Tracy, a proud Canadian.
Folks, Tracy is a blog pal of mine on another blog. She is not deaf. Knowing she is a Canadian, I sought to get her insight into this controversy and debate on the Canadian health care. I wanted a clarification and a confirmation that what I understood about their health care is accurate.
I received some responses that I am mistaken about their governmental system. I am not referring to the federated democractic part of their government system which IS indeed the same as ours. Their health care is the exception and in that, the reason why their health care can dictate the post-surgical care for their CI receipents.
As I've said time and again, I sincerely hope Americans' and Canadians' voices came loud and clear to them that they will change their position on forcing this law on their Deaf Canadians. Like Oscar and I discussed - what do they know about the Deaf?? Zip. All they understand is the money.
Deaf Canadians' Predicament
Deaf Canadians are caught in a crossfire thanks to their governmental system that differs from that in the U.S.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Vloggers: Amateurs Versus Professionals
The rating system: Is it fair to the amateur vloggers to be slighted over the professional vloggers who have experience, background, and access to equipment?
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Deaf History: The Evolution Of Dorm Life
As part of our Deaf History; a discussion of how dorm life has evolved from my time to present due to liability issues involving residential students at the schools of the deaf.
My 10th birthday. Observe the 14 cups. 14 girls in the dorm with just one houseparent.
Middle school dorm; The same group of girls from my stories with the exception that the houseparent was my mother - top row at the left end. 12 girls. It seems 2 were absent that day. I am the one in white shirt with yellow trims at the top row...Casey is the on the ground kneeling in buttoned down green shirt and brown pants - the only redhead. 4 stayed in the elementary dorm due to their grades and ages when we 12 moved into the middle school dorm. Mom's 24 girls from the previous year all moved to high school that year.
Nowadays, 1:16-24 houseparent:girls ratio per dorm is unheard of. That is a bygone era.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Life In The Dorm: The Sequel
A sequel to "Flashback! Life In The Dorm;" a story of a residential school for the deaf dorm life.
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