Kokonut Pundits

A one time opportunity….don’t blow it.
Mike McConnell "I pledge the allegiance to Citizen DeafRead." Now, sign on the dotted line. And I'll need a urine sample from you.I’m writing this blog piece as probably a one time opportunity in support of Rachel only because I feel very strongly about this whole situation regarding Rachel’s blogsite. I have concluded, unamiously so, that the editors of Deafread have overstepped th...
Culture Tech Thu, Jun 05 2008

M-I-C-K-E-Y....M-O-U-S-E......time to say goodbye
Mike McConnell Right now I've finally decided it's time to close down the house, put the cover sheets over the furniture, turn off the gas line, and close the drapes over the windows. It's time to turn off the lights and leave my Kokonut Pundit blog, probably for good, so that I can focus on other things right now and into the future that will require more of my attention over time....
Education Culture Mon, Mar 10 2008

Separating Facts From Fantasy
Mike McConnell Why is the author of Deaf Anthology writing up fictional stories about CI and kids with CIs who are somehow terminally depressed enough to kill their own parents, friends or whatever like this fictional story emblazoned at the top of one Deaf blog page "SHOCKING NEWS: CI DEAF CHILDREN KILLED THEIR PARENTS IN LOS ANGELES, DEAF ANTHOLOGY EXCLUSIVE! " ? Despite the clear...
Tech Culture Sat, Mar 08 2008

The Economics of Deafness and Cochlear Implants
Mike McConnell This is not my survey but a d/Deaf person who is majoring in Economics at University of Colorado.Welcome to our survey site. Our purpose is to receive your responses as to the economic issues concerned with cochlear implant recipients.The cochlear implant can be an expensive endeavor. Does the implant decrease or improve your quality of life? Do you like it? Do you no...
Thu, Mar 06 2008

The Value of Cued Speech
Mike McConnell When cued speech works.I specifically choose these videos because they came with subtitles so that everybody can have the opportunity to understand what is being said in those videos. Subtitles are in short supply in many videos whether geared toward hearing, deaf, hard of hearing or Deaf viewers. Enjoy these videos and learn more about cueing. No attacking, please.
Culture Wed, Mar 05 2008

More cochlear implant bloggers needed in DeafRead?
Mike McConnell Is there a need for more of these CI bloggers in Deafread? Something like Rachel's blog? For so many years there have been a chasm between those who support CI and see that it does really work very well and those who support ASL and believe CI doesn't work that well or worse. But what I have been seeing lately are more discourses and discussions on the issue of cochle...
Culture Wed, Mar 05 2008

Cochlear Implant and Swimming..doing the impossible
Mike McConnell Here's a cool video of how a deaf kid can wear a cochlear implant and swim in a swimming pool without it getting wet. This means diving into the water, jumping in, swimming, splashing and all that stuff. How? Take a gander at this video for this BTE cochlear implant. Thanks to the ingenuity of this kid's Dad, he can now swim and hear what people are saying. Even hear ...
Tech Wed, Feb 27 2008

A Keyboard-less Computer Era at Gallaudet University?
Mike McConnell In about 5 years perhaps that just might happen according to Bill Gates as a start when computer keyboards start to phase out in favor of speech interfacing:“In five years, Microsoft expects more Internet searches to be done through speech than through typing on a keyboard” Gates also stated that Microsoft is following up its support of UC but will use both speech and...
Tech Culture Sun, Feb 24 2008

When Technology Produces a Shift in Communication Model...
Mike McConnell How interesting it is to watch people react to a certain technology being used and how it changes people’s perception for the better when it comes to communication access issues.For example, some Deaf people are sometimes vexed on trying to be completely loyal by adhering to an “ASL-only world” in all situations versus wanting total independence when it comes to commu...
Language Tech Culture Sun, Feb 24 2008

When an Idiot Suggests Prank Calls Using IP Relay
Mike McConnell Of course, only a moron or mindless idiot would do this prank. This imbecile with a mental acuity of a 2 year old who thinks that doing a prank pizza call using an IP Relay service is loads of fun! Kind of like a 2 year old who gets his jollies poking his fingers into his own doody pile. It just really stinks. Never mind the guy is 21 years old. This guy really "Digg...
Media Tech Legal Sat, Feb 23 2008

Adversity and...the audacity of hope?
Mike McConnell Here's another deaf guy named Stephen Hopson of Adversity University who prefers to use his voice in his (first ever) video blog, too. He's also a motivator and a professional speaker who travels alot doing speaking engangements. Check out his first video blog post of him speaking and him thanking me in his blog on helping him get started with the subtitling idea. Tha...
Media Language Art and Storytelling Education Tech Culture Fri, Feb 22 2008

Dissing those who Choose
Mike McConnell Jamie Berke has undertaken a major decision in her life and is now chronicling her story in the blog section of About.com:Deafness beginning with her first blog “Starting a New Phase of Life” that began one week ago. Of course, I believe many deaf and hard of hearing people are in support of her decision to have her cochlear implant done since she is, after all, an ad...
Language Tech Culture Wed, Feb 20 2008

The Oppression Game
Mike McConnell Speaking in a vlog along with embedded subtitles does not oppress deaf people any more than movies, news or tv shows that carry captions or subtitles oppress deaf people. They don't. Some are claiming on what I do in my vlogs by speaking and adding subtitles oppress Deaf people which goes against the grain of common logic here. But to use that logic then their cries o...
Language Tech Sat, Feb 16 2008

Building Bridges....?
Mike McConnell Cochlear implants and hearing aids really do act as "bridges" between two worlds from one end to the next. Meaning that such devices help connect people with hearing loss with that of the hearing world. And not that they are per se "bridge builders" sounding much like some goodwill peace building effort. They are not. And they are certainly not "quick fixes" in the im...
Language Tech Culture Thu, Feb 14 2008

Japanese Sign Language
Mike McConnell I remember during the summer of 1989 during Deaf Way at Gallaudet University when I was staying in a dormitory I met a young Japanese man whose name I have long forgotten. Like all other foreigners who came to Deaf Way communicated mostly by means of gesturing. Between me and the young Japanese guy we gestured some, showed each other pictures and then he gave me his b...
Media Higher Education Language Tech Wed, Feb 13 2008

Access or no access, that is the question.
Mike McConnell In terms of better access, would you like to see ASL vlogs be subtitled?Yes!No!I am not sure pollcode.com free pollsSee "No Subtitles for Patty" and "The Advantages of Subtitles on Vlogs."Subtitled vlogs can be done in any written language format such as English, Spanish, French and so on. Depending on where you are and the audience you are targeting, the idea is abou...
Media Language Tech Tue, Feb 12 2008

No Subtitles for Patty
Mike McConnell References made in my video blog:Patty - The DeafBlind's MusingSeek Geo - a Deaf vlogger who signs and use subtitles for his videos.
Tech Culture Mon, Feb 11 2008

"The Forest" by Jason Stewart
Mike McConnell Here's a subtitled video of a "Lifelike Expressive Avatars" in a proof-of-concept experiment using computer animation.Vcom3D and the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center of Gallaudet University are researching and developing a proof-of-concept system for creating and delivering animated stories using the full range of facial expression and body language of Ame...
Language Art and Storytelling Education Tech Mon, Feb 11 2008

The Advantages of Subtitles on Vlogs
Mike McConnell About my vloggings and subtitles (see here and here), my message was not about forcing anyone to add subtitles. I cannot force ASL vloggers to add subtitle any more than I can force Mitt Romney to get back into the race. What I have clearly suggested in my vlogs is that adding subtitles is an opportunity to reach more people. It is simple as that. Yes, it does take t...
Tech Sun, Feb 10 2008

May The Schwartz Be With You!
Mike McConnell I sometimes get a bit surprised or have an eyebrow raised whenever someone tries to use his or her professional stature to try and evoke an appeal using emotions by twisting certain things here and there. And at the same time take advantage of the human mind to try and invoke negative feelings subconsciously so. But isn’t that what lawyers do anyway? Ok, I’ll refrain ...
Media Language Audism Art and Storytelling Culture Fri, Feb 08 2008

My Decision on Signing
Mike McConnell Here's my video blog about my decision on signing plus a few other things on my mind in regard to technology and subtitling your video blogs. If you like to talk and use your voice be sure to tune in and watch my video blog if you are thinking about producing your own video blog someday soon. Excuse the video since I am still fighting my cold for more than 12 days. Si...
Culture Thu, Feb 07 2008

Boycott the World!
Mike McConnell Now people are thinking about boycotting HOVRS and i711 (GoAmerica) solely because of the connection they have with AG Bell whether it’s through sponsors or by merely attending AG Bell’s conference. They might as well boycott Sprint since Sprint Relay Wireless uses a technology by GoAmerica. And if you use the California Relay Service (CRS) you might want to boycott t...
Wed, Feb 06 2008

GoAmerica and AGBell....my musings.
Mike McConnell Several “interesting” names came up on AG Bell's list of donors in 2005. Of course you have Gallaudet University and RIT/NTID who donated money to AGBell. But one thing that may be surprising to you (well, not to me since I knew about this for sometime) is that GoAmerica Communications also donated money to AGBell. Now, does that company ring a bell to you? How about ...
Language Tech Culture Tue, Feb 05 2008

"Bob's House" Ranked Second in Latest Survey
Mike McConnell With over 50,000 website hits at the Vote Superbowl Bowl Ad Ranking website to get their pollng results "Bob's House" was ranked at 2nd in the "Entertainment Score Rankings" category, and 4th in the Vanity Score Rankings. Although a few of my Kokonut Pundit fans found my latest video spoof, "Uncle Bob's House", was much more entertaining than the Pepsi commercial, "Bo...
Media Culture Mon, Feb 04 2008

Pepsi Made Clear When Bob's House Will Come On
Mike McConnell Now, people are yacking saying that Bob's House didn't come on during the Superbowl game. Of cource, that's because Pepsi made it clear in their release press seen just below the video listing. Didn't anybody bothered to click on Pepsi's press release in the first place? It was quite clear that the ad was to be shown BEFORE the game and not during. I was aware of thi...
Mon, Feb 04 2008

Uncle Bob's House - a video by Kokonut Pundit
Mike McConnell Here it is ya'll. A video I produced especially made for this Superbowl XLII game with the Patriots against the Giants where I give my opinion about the Pepsi commercial called "Bob's House", a 60-second silent commercial with Deaf signing actors in it, where I give my opinion of it at the end. Enjoy!
Mon, Feb 04 2008 · Moved from DeafRead Extra

Hearing Actors Play the Role of Deaf Characters
Mike McConnell When it comes to artistic expression should hearing actors be given the opportunity to explore the use of sign language in plays portraying as deaf or hard of hearing characters? And why not? After all, shouldn't sign language be one of the forms of self expression in plays run by hearing actors?Here's a play in Miami called "Fill Our Mouths."It is a play about two wo...
Media Language Art and Storytelling Sat, Feb 02 2008

Mike's First Video Blog
Mike McConnell Here's my first official video blog that's fully captioned. I'm still experimenting with my videos seeing which venue is best (i.e. YouTube, Google video, etc). This video is not as clear as I wanted but because I choose a lower quality video output in the first place. Just give me time to do this when I get around doing this video thing. The topic is about DeafRead...
Fri, Feb 01 2008

What are DeafRead Plans for the Next Conference?
Mike McConnell Now I'm wondering. Since there is slow (very!) rise on the number deaf/hh bloggers appearing on DeafRead's aggregator list who are either CI users, non-signers, cued speech users and/or oral-aural who prefer to speak and listen. Like I said, a slow rise but it could very well be gaining traction at this time. However, that may remain to be seen when Jared made a respo...
Culture Thu, Jan 31 2008

"VAX WARS"
Mike McConnell Here's a start on a trip through memory lane. One was the "VAX WARS" at Gallaudet University which was posted in the bit.listserv.deaf-l section (it goes back to 1992) where many students participated in the VAX discussions to battle each other out with wits, stupidity, intelligence, ego, fear and vanity.Here's a start as part of my analysis of the past newsgroup disc...
Higher Education Language Tech Thu, Jan 31 2008

Deaf Pianist Wins Presitigious Young Soloist Award
Mike McConnell Cool! A deaf pianist, Yew Choong Cheong, won the 2007 International Young Soloist Award. He performed this amazing classical piano at the Kennedy Center last year about two months ago. I have never heard of him. Not much info about him but I will certainly keep an eye out for this guy.Watch the video and listen to his amazing piano repertoire. You'll have to listen ve...
Tue, Jan 29 2008

Deaf Golfer Placed 1st at Hooters Golf Tour
Mike McConnell The sweet smell of victory. I'm surprised this story hasn't made rounds where Kevin Hall, who lost his hearing at age 2, who is deaf won his first pro golf tournament.Kevin Hall (Cincinnati, OH) carded a six-under par 66 in the final round of The Hooters Tour’s Bridgestone Winter Series over the 7113 yard, par 72 Forest Lake golf club to garner his first victory of th...
Culture Tue, Jan 29 2008

Marlee Matlin Loves Her iPod
Mike McConnell Here is a great interview with Marlee Matlin in a tell all story that she is a gadget hound like the many of us. She "yowls" into her cell phone's speaker phone to communicate with her friends and loved ones. She listens to her songs on her trusty iPod to the words of Billy Joel's "My Life" and "Movin' Out" constantly. And she's dying to get her hands on a Bose noise ...
Language Tech Culture Mon, Jan 28 2008

Would Beethoven Have Wanted a Cochlear Implant?
Mike McConnell What do you think? Since Beethoven became deaf later in his adult life (late deafened) do you think he would’ve gone for a cochlear implant? Hmm…an interesting thought for today. But Ludwig van Beethoven is not what I am going to discuss today. I brought that up only because I came across a blog internet address with the words “Baby Beethoven.” As it turns out it is a...
Language Education Tech Culture Sat, Jan 26 2008

Who is This Weird Deaf Guy?
Mike McConnell "Don't judge me! I'm just doing my thing!"Can anyone name this outrageous character? He's is always like a greased up pig. Runs around almost nekkid and flails his arms around whenever he gets caught and say the strangest things. He even denies the obvious (like getting caught) and if I didn't know any better I'd say that people are trying to portray him as a total re...
Media Language Thu, Jan 24 2008

Poll: Are Deaf Clubs Dwindling? Are you a member of one?
Mike McConnell Here's a poll for you guys about Deaf club memberships. Are you a member of a Deaf club?Evidently some people are saying that Deaf clubs are dwindling across the United States for various reasons. Some say cost is an issue and it's expensive to hold a Deaf club in a rented or leased building. Some say that technology is the reason where you have the internet, video ph...
Culture Wed, Jan 23 2008

Rejecting DeafRead for Selfish Reasons?
Mike McConnell After sitting back to take some time and read what others have said about CI and deaf children in blogs did I notice the continued deep mistrust, fear, hate or even suspicion by some people against some of the deaf, hard of hearing, culturally deaf and even hearing bloggers when they do not necessarily "toe the line" to the opinions of culturally deaf people/bloggers....
Language Tech Culture Mon, Jan 21 2008

When Deaf People Attack - a daily grind?
Mike McConnell Here is another story about how some Deaf people will do and say anything to put down a parent of a deaf child with a cochlear implant. Only this time this is about a deaf child who is an adopted child from China. It’s a story about two adopted Chinese children, Jasmine (“Jazzie”) and Tahlia, with Jazzie being the older sibling who is deaf and wears a cochlear implant...
Tech Culture Mon, Jan 14 2008

Texting Kills....are you guilty?
Mike McConnell In Virginia lawsmakers are considering a ban on texting while driving has shown to have serious consequences in auto accident deaths. And it's just not cars, either.They are tackling the problem of drivers who send, read and write messages on cellphones, PDAs and BlackBerrys. It's a thoroughly modern distraction dubbed Driving While Texting or DWT.The General Assembly...
Tech Culture Sun, Jan 13 2008

Deaf Bunny on Fox News' Red Eye Show?
Mike McConnell Deaf Bunny is certainly generating a lot of buzz lately in Wired and now on Fox News' late night Red Eye show that was captured on YouTube (discovered via Google blog search using "deaf") and I was able to add subtitles to it via BubblePLY.There were a lot of jokes, laughter and innuendos about deaf people and the making of p8rn. The host of the show even facetiously ...
Media Culture Sat, Jan 12 2008

Poll: Should DeafRead Allow Alternative Blogs (non-Deaf)?
Mike McConnell Should DeafRead allow more "pro-cued speech," "pro-CI," and "pro-oral/aural" blogs as long as those bloggers meet DeafRead's submission criteria to be on DeafRead blog post list? I'm asking this question because I noticed that a few pro-cued speech blogs and pro-CI blogs are starting to hit the DeafRead list of acceptable blog links. So now I have this big question fo...
Language Tech Culture Wed, Jan 09 2008

A Female Dog Named Karma
Mike McConnell You know how it goes. About karma and blogging? Especially about how bad karma manages to come around and bite back 20 folds when you least expect it? Or maybe it’s one of those slow, bad karma kind of thing where it just drags you down slowly while you beg, scratch and scream to your readers for mercy and help followed by countless more whines? But this doesn’t happe...
Wed, Jan 09 2008 · Moved from DeafRead Extra

Wanna Earn an Easy $150?
Mike McConnell Got the post-holiday bills haunting you? Need a little extra cash? I was asked to put this piece out by a market research company after they came across my blog and contacted me about the upcoming online study and need deaf people to answer some questions on deaf communication needs. This is where you can help provide valuable information that is a win-win situation. ...
Language Tech Wed, Jan 09 2008

Hamill vs Bonnar, April 2nd.
Mike McConnell Matt made the confirmation to me (via my daughter who is a big fan of him who told her of the upcoming event) that he is scheduled to fight against Stephen Bonnar (11-4) on April 2, 2008. This puts to rest the rumor about his upcoming fight against Bonnar. Seems like Matt is an odds on favorite to win this one provided that his knee has healed and strengthened giving...
Wed, Jan 09 2008 · Moved from DeafRead Extra

Hearing Woman Chooses Cued Speech over Sign Language
Mike McConnell Here's an interesting blog I came across that was made about two weeks ago. It's about a hearing woman who wanted to be a sign language interpreter but she was inspired by her Deaf friend who only used cued speech to communicate visually with her Deaf friends and parents, or so it seems, wanted to become a cued speech transliterator instead.When I was young I wanted t...
Language Mon, Jan 07 2008

Do VRS's Discriminate Against SEE Users?
Mike McConnell I'm curious about this one. I've heard bits and pieces about this that Video Relay Services may not have SEE interpreters readily available or the fact if they do have any SEE interpreters versus plenty of ASL interpreters. So, do VRS's discriminate against those who prefer to sign in SEE and/or that they lack the skill to read finger-spelling that well. One commenter...
Language Tech Mon, Jan 07 2008

Go Away Deaf People this blog is for hearing people only.
Mike McConnell Go Away Deaf People this blog is for hearing people only!!Communication access is very important to all people especially when it comes to using phones at any time, any place to anybody at a moments notice. Technology is helping change that dynamic use of a telephone and provide even greater access for more people. But to read one organization recent press release di...
Language Tech Fri, Jan 04 2008

Thinking Outloud
Mike McConnell Suppose a new student (American) arrives at Gallaudet University for the first time to begin his/her 4 to 6 years of college experience without knowing any sign language. Takes Gallaudet's New Student Orientation signing program in the hope it'll be sufficient enough to help prepare that student for life on the campus of Gallaudet University. Suppose this particular d...
Higher Education Wed, Jan 02 2008

Deaf Over Anything (D.O.A.)?
Mike McConnell Heres to the New Year, 2008, where I look forward rather than to look back and see where this year will bring us. Of course, lesson learned doesnt mean we should forget what we learned but chalk it up as a life lesson thatll never stop until you stop breathing one day, dead on arrival, and then the maggots start to feed on your putrid, decaying lifeless flesh.Ok. Lets...
Culture Wed, Jan 02 2008

Best and Worst Responses for 2007
Mike McConnell Here's my latest review taken from some 597 pages of my Haloscan comment where I choose some of the best and worst responses (and some in-between) in 2007. Figure out who said what by clicking on the link to get to the Haloscan comment. Maybe it could be your response! Some of the names youll recognize while many others came from anonymous people who didnt have the ba...
Wed, Jan 02 2008