Update: 6/20/2013

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By BitcoDavid

Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights

And this was just for forgetting to replace the toner!
Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights

Here at DeafInPrison.com, we’re not above admitting to a mistake. After all, we make so few of them. But alas, to err is Human. Yesterday, we posted the story of a 12 year-old girl who was denied the right to use ASL on a New Jersey school bus. Well, it turns out that story occurred in 2001 – and was settled. We got the story through FaceBook, from abcnews.go.com, an online aggregator of ABC News Corporation. They date the page as April 18, but neglect to include the year. Sources tell me, this is a common practice of theirs, and they do it to draw views to their site.

I am truly sorry this happened. I’m whetting up the cane-whip, and the army of fact checkers, here at the massive DeafInPrison.com Plaza, have each been sentenced to a dozen lashes.

All kidding aside, you have my apology.

On the 17th of June, we posted a humorous piece on Darwinian Criminals. The title of that piece was in homage to one of my personal heroes – Bugs Bunny – who commonly would refer to those of lesser intelligence then himself, as maroons. We’ve all seen him chewing his carrot and saying, “Whatamaroon!” Well, much to my chagrin, it turns out there are actually people who identify, ethnically, as Maroons. It appears, the Maroon people were escaped slaves from the West Indies and the Americas, who formed independent settlements and intermarried with indigenous populations. I always thought it was a play on the words moronย and the color maroon.

Of course, it was never my intention to hurt or insult anyone – other than the actual Darwinian Criminals – and for that too, you have my apology.

I don't know why they call it the humerus, there's really nothing funny about it. Medical Art Library

I don’t know why they call it the humerus, there’s really nothing funny about it. Medical Art Library

And lastly – albeit with a broken wing, reconstructed with pipes, screws, and countless other medical marvels – and in great pain, Marsha Graham managed to attend last night’s ASL meetup. It was an opportunity for us to talk regarding the numerous projects we’ve got in the can, together. Of course we did most of that talking in English, which kind of defeats the point of the ASL group – and seriously cut into my sorely needed lesson, but it was good to see her, and actually necessary, to get some of these details hammered out. I did however, learn the 4 seasons though, as well as the sign for best friend, and the difference between hard (as in difficult) and problem – two very similar signs. So now I can count, spell, do the days of the week, family members and a few other very basic signs.

I find that the most difficult part is that I’m a talker. I can talk the leaves off the trees. It is unusual for me to be the one guy in a room, who can’t express himself as freely or as well as anybody else. On the other hand, that’s a blessing in disguise, because it forces me to shut up and observe. That way I can learn more.

BitcoDavid is a blogger and a blog site consultant. In former lives, he was an audio engineer, a videographer, a teacher โ€“ even a cab driver. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and a Pro/Am boxer. He has spent years working with diet and exercise to combat obesity and obesity related illness.

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Comments (6)

  1. Well, David, I learned something new today about the Maroon issue. That being said, if you go to the Urban Dictionary it says “Maroon” was a mispronunciation of the word “Moron.” Here is a link for all sorts of things a “Maroon” might be. http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-25808.html

    I find that my “broken wing” makes it very difficult, sometimes impossible, to sign. I’m supposed to be signing in the area around my face, not down around my waist and it is difficult to get my hand up to where it needs to be without severe pain. Plus, now I’m rusty as ASL, like any language, requires constant attention to it or it is gone.

    I’m looking forward to video ASL meetings since yesterday was way too long a day for me – up at 6 a.m., all my running around doing things that needed to be done and then getting home around 10 p.m. That is undoubtedly why I was having so much pain and also why I spent most of the day in bed today. I guess it takes a lot of energy to grown new bone.

    Plus, I actually don’t have all the words we needed for our discussion like “admit” or “confess” or other such terms regarding website hosting, etc.

    You are doing very well, David. It takes us all time to learn a new language. ๐Ÿ™‚

    What I want you to teach me is LC mac and cheese. ๐Ÿ™‚

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