Category: Uncategorized

  • Hello, World

    KM

    I write, sometimes for the fun of it and sometimes to get paid. This summer has given me an opportunity to do both. This is my outlet for the fun stuff. So why bikes, books, broads and beer? Well, they’re all fun…. A few months ago a friend’s daughter expressed an interest in writing a… Read more

  • The World’s Largest Private Deaf Employer

    KM

    Employment Matters column, i711.com Do you know who is the largest private employer of deaf staff anywhere? Yes, anywhere. There are other places – deaf schools, mostly – with many deaf staff, but they’re publicly funded. We’re talking about a private business here, with well over 100 deaf staff. We’re talking about full time workers… Read more

  • To Sue or Not to Sue?

    KM

    Employment Matters column, i711.com One day during the early 90s at a large Washington, DC courthouse, I was suddenly seized without warning by three burly policemen. My first reaction was astonishment, and the second was fury. I had been minding my own business, doing nothing wrong – who were these people to grab me? –… Read more

  • You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

    KM

    Employment Matters column, i711.com There was a time when deaf employment thundered. Literally – it vibrated and shook, rattled the walls and drove away the timid. And the deaf employees? They were a mob of ink-stained wretches, in the fond phrase of the era. They ran the printing presses, some of which were a big… Read more

  • Working With a Dog

    KM

    Employment Matters column, i711.com Most deaf and hard of hearing people don’t have a hearing ear dog. Never had one myself, never felt I needed one. Then I got accustomed to living with my fiancee’s dog. Her dog was never formally trained as a hearing ear dog, but he just sort of took on the… Read more

  • Summer & the Single Working Parent

    KM

    Employment Matters column, i711.com “Summer’s here… Well, I’m for that Got my rubber sandals Got my straw hat Got my cold beer Man, I’m glad that it’s here It’s my favorite time of the year And I’m glad that it’s here…Yeah!” – James Taylor, Summer’s Here The lazy days of summer are the favorite of… Read more

  • A Smart Way to Learn

    KM

    Employment Matters column, i711.com I always have trouble remembering three things: faces, names, and – I can’t remember what the third thing is. – Fred Allen Memory is a mysterious thing. You’ve probably had the experience where you can easily remember something that’s not important, like the score of a ballgame you saw 5 years… Read more

  • Going Over to the Dark Side?

    KM

    Employment Matters column, i711.com Anyone with a fair amount of work experience knows that workplaces can sometimes be a battleground. It doesn’t have to be that way, of course. Ideally, everyone works together as a team and stays focused on getting the job done. But in the real world, it doesn’t always happen. Tensions arise… Read more

  • A Generation of Pioneers

    KM

    Employment Matters column, i711.com There’s an interesting pattern among minority groups. Whether the minority is a cultural, racial, sexual, or other group, they all share a constant tension with the majority culture. Living in the minority and dealing with majority culture is never easy, and that pressure often prompts minority groups to be more creative.… Read more

  • The Autonomy Store

    KM

    Fiction “Good morning! I’m here to buy some freedom.” The shopkeeper smiled pleasantly and nodded. “Very good, sir. We have an unrivaled selection of freedoms to choose from. What do you have in mind?” “Well, my Freedom of Speech subscription expires next week, so it’s due for renewal.” “No problem. Our comprehensive Spirit of ’76… Read more