Censored Captions on 'Breaking Bad' Make No Sense

AMC's Breaking Bad is an interesting and exciting television show that comes on around 10:00 at night on Sundays. It includes violence, partial nudity, drug use, and plenty of curse words. According to the FCC website, television shows with what would normally be deemed as inappropriate language and activity can be shown as long as it comes on at 10:00 p.m. or later, until 6:00 a.m.

From FCC website:

Regarding the safe harbor period, Congress and the courts have instructed the Commission only to enforce the indecency standard between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., local time. - when children are more likely to be in the audience. As a consequence, the Commission does not take action on indecent material aired between 10 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. In this way, constitutionally-protected free speech rights of adults are balanced with the need to protect children from harmful content.

The purpose of censorship is to protect children from viewing indecent content on television. I think this is reasonable. I would not feel comfortable with my students watching this show. What is not reasonable is that AMC provides shows, like Breaking Bad, full of harmful and offensive material that would not be good for children to see and hear, yet the captions are censored. What is the point of censoring the captions? It would make no sense to say that it is to protect the children from the offensive language being used if they can hear it (unless they are deaf). So, if the child happens to be in the room while the show is playing, he or she may overhear a conversation about rape, see a girl walking around in a g-string, and look at a guy getting kicked several times in the stomach. But the child won't be able to read the curse words in the captions (if the child can read) even though what is censored in the captions is not censored when spoken. Does this make any sense? Why censor captions if many viewers can see the highly inappropriate material and hear the profanity being used?

"Because children may be in the room" would be a lame reason for censoring captions.

And don't tell me that the captions are censored because you would not want to offend deaf and hard of hearing people.

What's offensive is how we are being excluded and treated like children!

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Filed a Complaint With FCC

I went to the FCC website and filed a formal complaint with them here: http://www.fcc.gov/complaints.

I would like to file a complaint about the closed captioning for the AMC network program 'Breaking Bad'. The closed-captions are heavily censored, even though they are not censored when spoken. Example: Caption read "h---", while the character clearly said "hell" out loud.

It is not fair to only censor captioned words that can be clearly heard by others who can hear. I have a problem with this, because it intentionally excludes deaf and hard of hearing people.

I am hard of hearing and I rely on captioning when watching television shows and movies. I like to know what is being said and have full access to the language being used on these shows, like everyone else.

Thank you,

Elizabeth

Related Post:

Quit Censoring Only the Captions!

Cute Video: Little Girl's FM and Hearing Aid Book

Samantha and her Fun FM and Hearing Aid Book!

Closed captions available.

(via desb65)

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Quit Censoring Only the Captions!

Whether they intend to or not, I am tired of certain shows censoring the closed-captions, while you can hear the supposedly censored words. For example, I clearly could hear someone somewhat cursing on a television show, while it was censored in the captions. Either the word is substituted with another word that is not as offensive or the word is just not mentioned at all. This is a problem because when the captioning is censored while the spoken version is not, it intentionally leaves the deaf or hard of hearing person out. It tells me that I am not important enough to know exactly what was said, even if it was something offensive. I have the right to be included like everyone else.

If this is a mistake, they should fix it. Perhaps the captioning was done a long time ago before some words became acceptable on some shows. But, what about the new shows? What are their reasons? If they are intentionally censoring the captions, I would like to know why. Is it the captionist that refuses to type bad words? Are they really afraid of offending deaf and hard of hearing people or others who rely on captioning? If this is the case, it is insulting that they would view deaf and hard of hearing people as pitiful and innocent victims needing protection from "bad" language.

I am not against censoring when both spoken and captioned are censored. But, it is not fair if they are going to only censor captioned words that can be clearly heard by others.

I received an email from Scott about this issue. He sent a letter to AMC networks asking them to quit censoring only the closed-captions. He would like me to share his letter here. Perhaps this will inspire others to do the same.

Letter:

Chairman of the Board

AMC Networks Inc.
℅ Corporate Secretary

11 Penn Plaza

New York, NY 10001

July 24, 2011

Dear AMC Chairperson,

I write to you today as I, and many other Deaf/Hearing Impaired [D/HI] individuals, have never received a reply to our complaints to AMC via e-mail or U.S.-mail. The few individuals that have, received a, in my opinion, foolish response. My name is Scott Johnston, I live alone, and have multiple disabilities due to Neurofibromatosis Type Two. The main reason I write you is in regards to my 100% deafness and the way you edit closed captioning.

I have enjoyed many of your original series such as Rubicon, The Killing, and The Walking Dead, just to name a few. One very large exception being the censoring on the Closed Captioning. I hated the seemingly extreme nature of the censoring on the captioning and how some words with dual meanings are doubly censored. An example of that double censoring would be, "hand me a golf b----." I found out, by posting a comment regarding my frustration on TVGuide.com, that the sound was not censored for the hearing public. Upon searching via Google, I found others with the same complaint. There is even a Facebook group created and dedicated, to this issue, http://www.facebook.com/groups/amctvhatesdeaf.

Upon learning this discrimination I immediately stopped watching The Killing and will wait for the DVD which, if similar to The Walking Dead, will be uncensored in its Closed Captioning. I will be doing the same for the upcoming The Walking Dead second season. I will rent and not buy these as I will not, directly or indirectly, support a network that holds the D/HI in such a low regard. Basically AMC is saying to the D/HI, "D/HI people have to be protected. It's obvious they don't have the maturity and intelligence to see the big-person words. Please tell them to go away and leave the adults and hearing children alone."

Which leads me to the ridiculous reasons other have been given, "Children might be watching". By that logic, the sound would also be censored to "protect" the hearing children. I have 10-15 hearing friends & relatives that boycott Burger King and Taco Bell as national chains that do not caption their commercials. I am in the process of notifying people of this issue as well. If you multiply that possibility by multiple millions of D/HI across the country and world alone, that is a huge dent on your ratings potential.

In closing I ask this be corrected soon. I'm 40, I may not drink, smoke or do drugs, but that is my choice. I don't care if others do or not. If a word is spoken, it needs to be transcribed. I have multiple disabilities and I despise being perceived as being somehow an inferior person. Watch Breaking Bad or some other show with the sound turned off, and I am sure you will see what I mean.

Sincerely,

Scott E. Johnston

Related Post:

When Captions Censor Inappropriate Language

Switched At Birth's Pandora's Box

Woah, things are heating up in the latest episode of Switched at Birth! Oh, the drama, the insanity, the tears, the lies, the guilt, the shame; gotta love it!

The secret is out. I think most of us suspected that Regina knew about the switch the entire time. The way Daphne found out, by looking at what Regina hid in the guitar case, was awful. Poor Daphne. I felt really bad for her.

I totally understand why Regina kept this a secret for so long. What else could she have done? She was put in a terrible position and I think she did the best she could. She explained to Bay, "You were Bay Kennish by then, and I would have been ripping you from the only family you ever knew." However, she should have known that the secret was going to come out as soon as she met the Kennishes. I think she should have come clean when everyone else found out about the switch. But, easier said than done.

It seems as if Daphne thought that her father left solely because she became deaf when she contracted meningitis. I think it is common for children to blame themselves when parents separate or divorce. Jamie Berke talked a little bit about this in her blog post, Blaming Deafness For Parents Leaving? I guess you can say he left because of Daphne, indirectly. But, I don't think he left because she became deaf. It seems obvious to me that he left because he suspected that Regina cheated on him once he found out that he was not related to Daphne. He and Regina were obviously not doing well together anyway, with their drinking and his accusations of infidelity. I believed Regina when she said that he was going to leave anyway.

This part of the show was interesting and got me thinking about hearing parents with deaf and hard of hearing children. It can't be easy to suddenly find out that your child is deaf or hard of hearing. It can be stressful as you are bombarded with information coming from different sources about how you should raise your child. Then come the doctor visits, figuring out what hearing aids to use, whether or not to implant, how you should communicate with your child, what schools he or she should attend, and etc. Having a child in general can be stressful (from what I have heard). Some people can handle it and some can't. But, I think it would be rare for a parent to want to leave solely because their child is deaf or hard of hearing. I am sure it has happened before, but I don't think it is the norm. What do you think?

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What? Excuse Me? Just Another One of Those Days

Goodness gracious. I just about drove myself crazy the other day. I was having one of those days where it seemed impossible to understand everything that was being said. I fiddled with my hearing aid, checking to see if it was working. It seemed to be working fine, as always. I felt the speakers' pain as they repeated themselves over and over again until I finally understood or gave up and pretended to hear what was said. It seemed as if everyone was speaking gibberish.

I don't know what was wrong with me. Was I tired? Was my brain fried?

I was exhausted by the end of the day and was never so happy to finally be home. As I crashed onto my bed ready to tune out with some television nonsense, my boyfriend came over and started to talk to me, "So, what was gfhdjdksuytg like frtgyd?"

What?

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Finally, Listening Device at the Movies That Worked

I saw a movie with my parents a few nights ago. The movie was not captioned or subtitled, unfortunately (surprise, surprise). However, the movie theater did offer assistive listening devices for the hard of hearing, or those with enough hearing to be able to use them. I decided to try it out, even though these types of listening devices never worked for me in the past at other movie theaters. The only good thing about them failing to work for me was getting my money back. I am also wary about wearing used head phones which I doubt are cleaned on a regular basis. It kind of grosses me out. To help me feel better, I wiped them down with anti-bacterial wipes.

The listening device they offered, was a small box like object with a pair of head phones attached. All I had to do was put on the headphones and adjust the volume if necessary. 

To my surprise, I was very pleased with how they worked. I heard the actors' voices clearly. It was not too loud and I could adjust the volume to my liking. I could not believe how much more I could understand what was being said, using the device. I was able to follow the dialogue pretty well! I experimented with watching the movie with and without the device. I find that I hear better with it (at least in my right ear, being that my left ear is profoundly deaf). It was neat how I can turn a dial, different from the volume setting, and hear other movies being played in the theater. 

The only bad thing that happened was that the device suddenly stopped working towards the end of the movie. This was distracting, as I fiddled with it trying to get it to work. I missed out on an important argument that was taking place in the movie when it went out. I put it away and decided to focus and put my listening skills to use (reading lips, looking for visual cues, etc.). 

I told the people who loaned the device about this problem and they were not sure why this would happen. 

Has this happened to you or anyone you know who used a similar listening device in the movie theater? 

While it was not a perfect experience, I am still glad I decided to use the listening device. It made my movie going experience more tolerable because I did not have to use so much energy trying to focus on what was being said and trying to guess what was going on based on what I see and the few phrases and words I catch here and there. 

If you are hard of hearing and can possibly benefit from using these types of listening devices, I suggest that you try them out (that is if the movie theater offers them). Of course if they don't work for you or if they did not help you enjoy the movie, don't forget to ask for your money back. 

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Related Posts:

Rearview Captioning at the Movies, Part One

No Captions and Super Loud = Horrible Movie Experience 

How To Work With an Itinerant Teacher

This is from my personal experiences working as an itinerant teacher going into my third year.

How to work with an itinerant teacher (for classroom teachers and staff members workng with a student who requires services from an itinerant teacher):

• Make sure to get the itinerant teacher's contact information and be sure that they have your contact information.
• Talk with your principal about letting you have access to your phone or email during class hours in case the itinerant teacher needs to get in touch with you or if you need to get in touch with the itinerant teacher. If this is not possible, arrange for your paraprofessional or aide (if you have any) to be able to contact the itinerant teacher and receive information from the itinerant teacher. You can always have the itinerant teacher talk with the principal about this, if it is necessary.
• It helps, if you can or have the time, to let the itinerant teacher know (through email, text, or phone call) when their student is absent or will be late.
• Have a copy of the student's class and school schedule handy and give one to the itinerant teacher
• Provide copies of the student's work samples and agendas. Let the itinerant teacher know about the student's progress in class and what areas you think they could work on.
• Don't be vague about the student's progress. Instead of, "Oh, he's doing just fine," it would be better to elaborate, "He is doing well academically, A's and B's, however, I notice that he struggles with writing complete sentences and he does not seem to have a good understanding of idioms.
• Please be aware that the itinerant teacher's schedule can change at the drop of the hat. They should let you know when this happens just as you will try to let them know when their student is absent.
• Itinerant teachers’ schedules can change several times throughout the school year. They may have to increase or decrease services with another student at another school or they may lose a student (student moves, no longer require services, changes school, etc.). The itinerant teachers should inform you of any changes made to their schedules.
• Try to meet with the itinerant teacher at least once a month when class or school is not in session.
• Be honest. If the student is having problems or if you do not understand the itinerant teacher's role please ask and let him or her know.
• If you are having any problems with the itinerant teacher, please let the itinerant teacher know. It is better to address the situation in person with the itinerant teacher than to go straight to the principal or their supervisor about the problem. If you want their supervisor or your principal involved, set up a meeting and invite the itinerant teacher. Sometimes the issue is due to a simple misunderstanding or misinterpretation that can be solved quickly by going to the itinerant teacher first.
• Do not gossip or spend a long time talking to the itinerant teacher about your personal life. If the itinerant teacher starts gossiping or talking to you about his or her personal life please try to discourage it (unless it is not during instruction or planning time). Use you best judgment.
• Please allow or encourage the itinerant teacher to visit the student's classroom to do a short presentation and Q & A so that the student's classmates can learn more about the itinerant teacher's job and the student the itinerant teacher works with. I find that students love this and it is a great learning experience. It helps dispel some myths and it gives them the chance to ask questions they may have been afraid to ask the student. It also makes the student somewhat of a celebrity for the day.
• Let the itinerant teacher know about any special events or celebrations that the student and his or class will participate in. If you let the itinerant teacher know ahead of time, it may be possible for him or her to change their schedules or make arrangements to attend.

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Just For Fun :)

Let's forget about many of the things we will never agree on (in DeafRead world) for a moment. Enjoy this scene from a fun music video, Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO. It is one of the best dance scenes I have seen in a while!


(via TheGlennyProductions)

You can find the full video here.

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Do Signers Get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome From Years of Signing?

I often hear about sign language interpreters getting carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome can occur after years of repetitive motion of the hands and wrists. Symptoms include numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness in the hand and wrist areas (Pub Med Health, 2010).

So if carpal tunnel syndrome has been known to be the result of repetitive use of hands and wrists, do deaf signers, particularly those who use sign language as their primary mode of communication, suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome? I have not found any information on this, and I wondered if this applies to deaf signers, CODAS, or people who have been signing all of their lives when they communicate with others (not when they interpret).

Perhaps it is unlikely for people who use sign language as their primary means of communication, since it is a natural way for them to communicate. I figure that signing with native signers is done with less stress than sign language interpreters signing for their jobs.

Is it common for deaf signers or people who sign as their primary means of communication to suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome? Is there anyone who got carpal tunnel syndrome from signing (other than interpreters) not from typing or other repetitive tasks using their hands?

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5 Important Things Teachers Forget to Do With Deaf & Hard of Hearing Students

Part of my job as an itinerant teacher of mainstreamed deaf and hard of hearing students is to work with various teachers who have these students in their classrooms (ranging from prek-12th grade). I try my best to explain to them their students' situations and things they can do to help them.

It is different for every teacher. Some have worked with deaf or hard of hearing students before and some have very little experience or none. Even for the ones who have worked with a student with a hearing loss in the past, usually the student they worked with was very different from the deaf or hard of hearing student they currently have in their class. Every single one of my students are different in a lot of ways in terms of degrees of deafness, personalities, learning styles, families and background, additional special needs (if any), etc. The one thing that they all have in common is that they share certain accommodations in the classroom that can help them be involved and have access to information like everyone else.

Some of these accommodations are often forgotten or ignored by some teachers. I can't say that I blame them due to their enormous responsibilities of teaching and caring for 20 or more different students in addition to grading, filling out paperwork, attending meetings, attending to administrators, parent conferences, dealing with me, etc.

Here are 5 things I have noticed some teachers often forget to do for their deaf or hard of hearing students in their classroom:

•  Turn on the FM system's transmitter or microphone. 

• Not turn their backs to their students as they lecture or give directions. 

• Minimize background noises when having classroom discussions or when lecturing.  

• Write directions on the board or provide visuals and handouts.  

• Avoid asking the deaf or hard of hearing student "yes" or "no" questions. Example: "Do you understand?" as opposed to "Did you agree with the story? Why or why not?"

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Daphne Starts a Fire in Class, Thanks to Her Poor Advocacy Skills & Terrible Teacher

The scene from "The Persistence of Memory" where Daphne almost burns down the cooking class made me cringe.

I can understand why Daphne did not request to have an interpreter for this advanced cooking class suggested by Kathryn. It was at Bay's school (typical private school for hearing students), a new environment which Daphne would like to fit in and not have too much attention paid to her. Daphne complained that having an interpreter was like having her own personal "stalker". But, I would think that her situational awareness would be better. She should have been aware that a timer would be used that she could have looked at helping her be more mindful of the time. I would hope that she is not so out of it and clueless when she is at home cooking. Maybe she was nervous and was focused on trying to do a good job that she forgot about the fries. But, I am surprised that she did not even smell the smoke that was pouring out. She did not know what was happening until a classmate ran up to her and told her. I was really surprised by her lack of awareness in this scene.

While watching this scene, I sighed and asked out loud, "Daphne, where are your self advocacy skills? Why aren't you telling the teacher anything about what type of accommodations you could use?"

I thought that based on Daphne's personality, she would have been a better advocate for herself. I thought that she would totally handle not having an interpreter in class, because she will let the teacher know about her hearing loss and talk to her about how to accommodate her. Unfortunately, the teacher was crappy and unhelpful, but it was a shame that Daphne stood there and did nothing to help herself. Perhaps Daphne is not always so confident and assertive as she presents herself to be. I suppose it depends on the situations she is in.

But, taking this class was a very brave thing for Daphne to do. It would be a scary situation for most people. I commend her for trying and jumping in. She has a great attitude, but she could work on her advocacy skills (which is no easy feat, even I struggle with advocating for myself sometimes in certain situations). But, I think I would have enough sense to ask someone to let me know when the timer goes off.

* I changed the title. I can't place all the blame on Daphne.

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My Thoughts on ABC's 'Switched At Birth'

I have been watching ABC's 'Switched At Birth'. At first, I was not captivated by the show because I am not really into watching made for TV teenage drama. I was turned off by Bay's family, the Kennishes, they were so annoying in the first two episodes.

I found it hard to believe that Regina raised Daphne as if she was her biological daughter. Not because Daphne looks nothing like Regina (I know several people who look nothing like their parents, but they are not adopted or haven't been switched at birth), but because not once has Daphne been shown speaking or understanding Spanish, which I think she would be somewhat fluent in by now. But, maybe not. Maybe Regina chose to only to speak English with Daphne at all times. Maybe Daphne did not want to learn or speak Spanish. Maybe it was hard for her to learn Spanish in addition to English. Maybe the writers and makers of the show thought it was not necessary to elaborate on this. Maybe later in the show Daphne will prove me wrong. Maybe I don't know what I am talking about and I should shut up. But, I find it strange that I have not heard Daphne use some Spanish with her mother, for someone who grew up in a community of predominately Spanish speakers and participated in Latin American events such as the Quinceanera. But, I know it's a TV show, it can't be 100% realistic.

All in all, Regina did a fabulous job raising Daphne who seems to be a well adjusted, outgoing, smart, and happy young woman. I wonder what kind of person Daphne would have been had she been raised by the Kennishes. I am always fascinated by the nature vs. nurture debate. 

Anyway. . .

Now I really am enjoying the show and I don't know if it is because I am interested in how they portray deaf and hard of hearing people and their issues or if I actually have a thing for teenage drama. Maybe it is both. After watching the latest episode, "The Persistence of Memory", I am officially hooked. What is Regina hiding in the guitar case? What does the hospital know that they can use against the John and Kathryn? Will Emmett and Bay get together? Will the Kennishes become serious about learning sign language?

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Using a New Bluetooth Device With My Hearing Aid

For the first time I have been using a bluetooth device that goes around my neck (neck loop) and works with my hearing aid's t-switch or t-coil. When I was at the HLAA Convention in DC a few weeks ago, I tried out some neat devices at the Harris Communications booth in the exhibit hall. You can read more about my experience on the 2011 HLAA Convention blog.

One of them was the ClearSounds Quattro Bluetooth Neck Loop, which I really liked. This device provides hands free two-way communication and listening through the phone, mp3 player, computer, and television (for the television you have to purchase another device to hook up to the monitor)
and other standard bluetooth enabled devices.

I have enjoyed it so far. I like not having to hold the phone in an awkward position up by the microphone on my hearing aid. I can hear the speaker more clearly than ever. I find myself not asking others to repeat themselves as much. It is great to be able to listen to music and videos on my computer without using headphones.

It takes some getting used to. I am still trying to get used to the surrounding noises being blocked out as I listen to music or communicate with someone through my cell phone. It is a little disorienting when I switch my hearing aid from t-coil to normal mode, after using the device. It makes me nervous when I am talking on the cell phone using the device, because I wonder what if something happens and makes a noise and I won't know about it since it would be blocked out (my left unaided ear being pretty much profoundly deaf doesn't help). Sometimes I hear funny humming sounds. I think it depends on what kinds of electrical devices are nearby. But, it does not happen often.

Overall, I think it is great. It will come in handy for work which requires me to be on the road frequently when I usually receive the most phone calls.

Why didn't I do this sooner?

Although, I have always been happy with Harris Communications and appreciate their business, I would have bought the device from Amazon, which they are selling for way cheaper at the moment. 

Anyone else use ClearSounds Quattro Neckloop? How do you like it?

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10 Things I Personally Need as an Itinerant Teacher

In addition to the basics (paper, pens, pencils, books, folders, schedules, calendar, etc.) these are items I personally need that are very helpful while I run around as an itinerant teacher.

1. Map of the area, GPS

2. Snacks

3. Plenty of gas in the tank

4. Comfortable shoes

5. Hand sanitizer

6. Travel mug/cup (for water or coffee)

7. Breath mints

8. Cell phone

9. Tablet computer

10. Soft scarf or cardigan


What items do you carry around with you while at work?

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Recycle Your Hearing Aid and CI Batteries

From fantasiaamazing

If you use hearing aids or cochlear implants, you deal with constantly changing their batteries. I usually change my hearing aid battery every two to three weeks (I use only one hearing aid). Other people may change their batteries as frequently as once a week. 

Whenever you need to replace dead batteries with new ones, I would hope that you don’t simply toss the old batteries into the trash! These batteries contain toxic materials such as zinc and mercury, bad stuff for the Earth. 

At a time, I just tossed my old hearing aid batteries into the trash without thinking about it. I was lazy and did not care to stop and think about how I can responsibly discard the old batteries. Because they are tiny, it is easy to overlook their impact. Small things add up. Consider how many Americans use hearing aids and cochlear implants (several millions!). Then, add in the rest of the world. It all comes to an overwhelming amount of batteries wasting away in the landfills, leaching their toxic materials into the Earth and its waters. 

It would be best to put the old hearing aid batteries into a container (away from heat, direct sunlight, fire, and flammable materials). When you have collected a bunch of them, you can simply drop them off at a place that will recycle the batteries. The recycling process involves extracting the toxic materials in the batteries making the battery harmless enough to throw into the landfill (Bright Hub – How to Recycle Hearing Aid Batteries, 2010).

Here are some places that will accept old hearing aid and cochlear implant batteries and recycle them: 

• Hearing aid retailers and dispensers

• RadioShack

• Battery Solutions

• Batteries Plus

Or you can go to Earth911.com to find centers near you that accept used hearing aid batteries for recycling.

I try to make it fun by putting my old batteries in interesting containers, such as this cactus shaped one:

(e's hearing aid batteries collection container.

This container motivates me to collect my batteries for recycling. When I am away from my handy cactus container and need to replace a dead battery, I make sure I put the dead battery in a plastic baggie or small container I carry in my purse or bag. 

Recycling hearing aid batteries is super easy and requires little effort. Next time you change your hearing aid or cochlear implant battery, please resist the urge to throw it away and consider recycling.

 

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*Other sites about hearing aid recycling: 

Jamie Berke’s Recycling Hearing Aid Batteries from About.com 

Bright Hub’s How to Recycle Hearing Aid Batteries

eHow’s How to Recycle Hearing Aid Batteries

*For more useful tips on how you can be more 'green' visit this great website,  The Green Life Pages!

Blue Ear Mold Toxic?

Someone left a comment warning me about colorful hearing aid ear molds, how they are apparently toxic:

Blue mold is poison to inner ear. blue color is dye. I will report to FDA about hearing aid sellers' abuse using colors in molds. Clever to use color molds to attract deaf kids. That is bad.

I have a blue and white ear mold, and so far no problems. This is the first time I have heard about this.

Does anyone agree with this comment?

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Eh? What? Huh? What's That? Come Again? Wait--What?

Done with listening today.

Eh? 

What?

Huh?

What's that? 

Come again?

Wait-what? 

Did not catch that, tell me again. 

Um, can you please repeat that?  

Geez, do you happen to know any signs? How about finger spelling?

And finally:

Oh, yeah, uh huh. (smile, nod)

I hate to admit it, but sometimes I will give up and resort to bluffing (pretend to hear what is being said). I know, I know. I am not supposed to do this. I tell my students not to bluff. It irritates me when I see others bluff. I preach to others about how wrong it is to bluff.

However. . . some situations call for it. If I am in a crowded noisy area with some friendly stranger blabbering on about stuff I don't care about, at some point I am going to stop putting in the effort to listen. I will smile and nod and look as if I am interested. Yes, I may come off as an airhead or insensitive, but how many more times do I have to ask others to repeat themselves? How much more can I handle straining to listen? Sure, plenty of people with typical hearing do this too, except they can't blame it on their hearing loss if caught. They may get accused of not paying attention, while we can probably get away with it because we did not hear it---when most likely we gave up trying to hear what is being said. Too bad we cannot get away with it with people who know about our bluffing ways, no matter how much we may protest, "No, really, I did not hear!" And it is INFURIATING when really it was because I did not hear, I honestly thought something else was said!  I was NOT bluffing!

Or was I?

It's exhausting, dude. 

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Related post: What? Excuse Me? Just Another One of Those Days