Sunday, March 23, 2008

Blog Award Nominees

Before I introduce the nominees, I want to wish everyone a very happy easter!



A little deaf humor for the holiday :)

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I was awarded the “Treasured Blog Award” by KW over at Living the Questions and the “E for Excellent Blogger Award” by Jim over at Jim’s Deep Thoughts. I want to thank both of them again for giving me these awards, I am still in awe of the list that I was included in. I am very humbled and honored! The pair of them are awesome bloggers and they amaze me every time I read their respective blogs because they make you realize just how similar our lives are no matter where you are in this world.

Now the way these blogs awards work, when they are given to you − you pass them on to other blogs. After a long deliberation, I have rounded out my list and I am proud to announce the finalists! It wasn’t easy but here it goes in no particular order!.

*drum roll*

Treasured Blog award nominees are:

David over at the Life in a Cone Of Silence blog is a relatively new to the bloghouse and I’m totally hooked on it. Six months ago, this forty-something year old man lost his hearing due to a boatload of medical problems all at once. Just to name a few: bacterial meningitis, pneumonia, strep, respiratory failure and a stroke − and that is just a few. He was a normal hearing person up until the medical maladies happened − then he became profoundly deaf. Most people that I know, including myself, who suddenly lose their hearing do not have the best outlook on life but there is something different about him. He talks about his wife who beat cancer, his 13-year-old son and his adorable snow cone of a dog, Speeder. He elaborates about high quality butchers, lack of political scandals in Canada and Walmarts that are 36 square miles big. I’ve climbed aboard for his journey back to sound, he slotted to receive a cochlear implant soon but for someone who just lost his hearing, his attitude on life is amazing. I truly treasure your wit!

Valerie over at Tales of a CI Gal is someone I am proud to call a friend of mine. Valerie has been deaf for the past 36 years and she is one of 1,300 people in the USA that have bilateral cochlear implants. I am positive that she is part of an even smaller number of people because she also opted to have both ears done at once! (Oy Vei! I can’t even imagine!) Valerie is a wonderful human being, a loving mother and long standing special education teacher. I highly respect her because she has worked so hard to be where she is at today, at the front lines of the American education system. I treasure her friendship and her blog.

Geo over at Seek Geo is my absolute favorite deaf vlogger! He is so different from anyone else out there. Geo uses sign language and he truly ‘entertains’ his loyal readers AND he captions every single video that he does. He believes in providing equal communication access to everyone that coincides with what I believe in as well. We are both supporters of online captioning and promoting deaf unity. I happened to come across one of Geo’s videos over at Youtube.com. This one particular video talked about how he almost got a cochlear implant but his mother (god bless her) told him that she accepts him just the way he is and didn’t want him to change because of it. I thought it was an extremely profound video because it emphasizes a goal that people will accept you for who you are in the end. He covers a wide variety of subjects from doing hysterical recaps of the television show, “Hell’s Kitchen” to proving to a popular cable television provider, Charter, that the Fox channel does not have any close captioning. I truly treasure his blog for being nothing but his entertaining self.

*stretches fingers for a break*

Now for the E for Excellence award

Paotie over at Paotie's Green Couch is such an amazing writer, a kick ass snowboarder and to top it off, not afraid to wear pink! I wish I could just get inside his noggin and crawl around for a couple hours. He comes up with some crazy ideas but they all make complete sense. His religious use of deaf satire, witty humor and seductive pictures are feverishly appreciated by this bionic woman.

Raychelle over at Rays of Rachelle who is an ASL v/blogger and single-handedly shook some sense into the deaf community about cochlear implants. Let me explain, some of the cochlear implantees and deaf people online have unsuccessfully succeeded in debunking the myths of cochlear implants to the deaf community because I suspect they do not bother to read us for whatever reason. I know the reasons but I’m just not going to delve into it at the moment. While Raychelle does not have a CI herself, she has managed to grasp the fundamental understanding of cochlear implants and relay that information in such a way that anyone could understand. She did an excellent job in explaining why children should be implanted if they are not responding to hearing aids before they are five years old. The first five years of a child life is crucial for learning speech and one needs to be able to hear to be able in order to speak. In order to speak, you need to be able to hear and if you can’t with hearing aids, a cochlear implant is the next option. Raychelle, excellent job, you get the bionic hat tip from me and I am backing you up 100%.

Check them all out and again have a happy Easter!

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

HI Abbie!!

Aw.. I'm blushing!!

I would like to say that I'm so glad to get a chance to know you more and more, I really value our friendship and I look forward to the day when we meet in person!

I also really enjoy to spend my time with my loyal readers and learn so much from them and vice versa. That's one of my goals is for everyone to get along with and accept anyone regardless of who they are or what they are.

You are truly one of great bloggers out there, no question about it! Great choices on these bloggers as well!!

Hugs!
-SG

Alex said...

Absolutrly agree with everything Geo said.

Not much needs to be added.

You definetly deserved the award and again the blogs you promote helps us all, and I definetly appreciate people like whom understand what we go through. We all have difference sbut we all learn as Geo said.

I too cannot wait until we all get together to have a rocking time!!

Will check those blogs out as well!

Alex

Candy said...

Out of all your nominations, David's is the one I've never been to, so, will check him out!

Excellent choices of nominations!

David said...

Not only it is a honour to be recognized, but coming from a blogger who in my mind has one of the most creative writing minds and always a treat to read your posts, Abbie, over and over.
I so agree with SG comments that you are without question one of the great bloggers out there.
I count you as my friend for sure.
I am humbled and blushing like geo! Speeder is demanding an extra treat today as a result of his recognition.

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing the awards. I am looking forward to see these bloggers you have mentioned. We do have a wonderful community regardless of how or who we are. We have one thing in common, we all share the same problem.

Happy Easter to you too.

Jim

Valerie said...

Thank you Abbie. As you know I treasure our friendship. You are the one who just "gets it."

You picked some fantastic blogs. I love them all. I never knew there were so many special people with so much to say. I learn from each one. It brings everyone closer. We laugh together, learn together, cry together and just experience life's journey.

Happy Easter and enjoy the day.
Valerie

Anonymous said...

Aww shucks!

Thank you for the honor, Abbie!

You are a fantabulous writer yourself.

The other blogs you mentioned are also awesome! I checked up on David's blog, and his story is interesting to read! Jim has terrific postings, too! Alex is great, too! Valerie also has great articles!

And Seek Geo - what a yellow-shirted stud!

HaHa!

Happy Easter!

:o)

Paotie

Kim said...

Excellent choices Abbie! I haven't been to David's blog either, but discovered Val and Jim through you. I'll be sure to check out David's blog now. I'm totally hooked on blog reading and vlog "watching." I only wish more vloggers would caption (difficult I know), so I won't say more, but I SO appreciate those who make teh effort, and also those who take the time to transcribe.

Hugs N Smiles, Kim

Also-- Happy Easter. It's raining and wet here.

David said...

I printed out my award abbie and am wearing it on a chocolate chain of easter eggs all day!
Thanks again, you inspire me sister!

Abbie said...

SG,

Awwh! How cute! :) You are an absolute doll! I enjoy getting to know you more and more everyday! Your an amazing person and inspiration to all of us!

*HUGGIES*

Abbie said...

Alex,

did you have your Vitameatavegamin today? :) I love what you are doing with the captioning of the I love lucy television shows! Hopefully major networks will pick up all of this online captioning that everyone does and start captioning their shows online! Every little bit helps!!

Abbie said...

David,

You totally deserve this award! I am in awe of how well you express yourself and even more amazed at your stamina to deal with your newfound loss. You have me laughing no matter what you write! It is truly a joy getting to know you and I am even more honored to see how this will all turn out for you!

HUGS!!

By the way, my little dog Bella, saw Speeders picture and just stared in love and adoration at him :) I say he gets another treat for being such a handsome little stud! :)

Do me a favor, have one of those eggs for me :)

Abbie said...

Val!

My jersey girl! You are one special person with the world to offer and that is why I chose you! Each one of these bloggers are amazing and yet different in their own way! Just for the fact that you are a teacher and you never let your hearing get in the way of what you wanted to do. To me, thats dedication and I wish there was more teachers just like you out there.

Its never ceases to surprise me just how much I have learned from each one of them.

MUAH Girlie!!

Valerie said...

Abbie,

I send you jello and cool whip, forget the chocolate.

Valerie

Debbie/Steve said...

Hi Abbie:

Happy Easter and hoping your day was wonderful.

Debbie