First, the division champions are Detroit (Central), Minnesota (Northwest), San Jose (Pacific), Montreal (Northeast), Pittsburgh (Atlantic) and Washington (Southeast)…. Washington definitely is the biggest news ever as the Capitals managed to kill the Carolina Hurricanes’ chance to be in the playoff as division champs… wow….

Now the matchups for the Conference Quarterfinals with playoff history:

Western Conference
#8 Nashville Predators @ #1 Detroit Red Wings - Detroit and Nashville will clash for the 2nd time ever in the playoffs… Detroit do have a playoff series win over Nashville in the 2004 playoffs (Det 4 @ Nash 2 in Western Conference Quarterfinals)… so could Nashville try to knock off the mighty Red Wings or will Detroit swat aside Nashville??

#7 Calgary Flames @ #2 San Jose Sharks - Calgary and San Jose will meet for the 3rd time .. both clubs have 1 playoff series win each… 1995 SJ 4 @ Cgy 3 in Western Conference Quarterfinals, 2004 Cgy 4 @ SJ 2 in Western Conference Final… will the Flames continue to surge or will the Sharks put out a gigantic bite?

#6 Colorado Avalanche @ #3 Minnesota Wild - Colorado and Minnesota has met once before, 2003 Min 4 @ Col 3 in Western Conference Quarterfinals… will the Wild, fresh off their first ever division title beat the Avs who are back in the playoffs after a year absence? Or will Colorado try to go on a rumble, snowing out the Wild?

#5 Dallas Stars @ #4 Anaheim Ducks - Dallas and Anaheim has 1 playoff meeting, 2003 Ana 4 @ Dall 2 in Western Conference Semifinals… can the defending Stanley Cup champs, the Ducks try for a 2nd title or will Marty Torco and the Stars stiff the Ducks and end their season???

Eastern Conference
#7 Ottawa Senators @ #2 Pittsburgh Penguins - Ottawa and Pittsburgh meet for the 2nd straight year as Ottawa beat Pittsburgh 4 games to 1 last year in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals… will Pittsburgh be ready to fly and advance against the defending two thousand and seven Eastern Conference champs Senators who have started out hot at the start of the season but went into a swoon and recovered somehow at the end of this season?

#6 Philadelphia Flyers @ #3 Washington Capitals - Philly and Washington meet for the 5th time… 1984 Wsh 3 @ Phi 0 in Patrick Division semifinal, 1987 Phil 4 @ Wsh 3 in Patrick Division semifinal, 1988 Wsh 4 @ Phil 3 in Patrick Division semifinal, 1989 Phil 4 @ Wsh 3 in Patrick Division semifinal… will the Flyers be ready to fly after 1 year out of the playoffs against the surprise team the Capitals led by possible Hart Trophy winner Alexander Overchin? Will the Capitals go on a good roll or be thrashed out?

#5 New York Rangers @ #4 New Jersey Devils - NYR and NJ has met 4 times before… 1992 NYR 4 @ NJ 3 in Patrick Division Semifinal, 1994 NYR 4 @ NJ 3 in Eastern Conference Final, 1997 NYR 4 @ NJ 1 in Eastern Conference semifinal, 2006 NJ 4 @ NYR 0 in Eastern Conference Quarterfinals… can the Rangers try to ride Jagr all the way against the Devils or will NJ make the new arena a playoff success for a Cup?

Last series I have saved here is the gigantic and historial series…
#8 Boston Bruins @ #1 Montreal Canadiens - ladies and gentlemen we [as in us] are witnessing the 31th playoff meeting betwixt Boston and Montreal!!! Oh wow what a long long history of meetings…. can Montreal, who is the biggest and wonderful surprise as the new two thousand and eight Eastern Conference champs for the regular season with the first division title since 1993 go on a good run vs the Bruins who had to battle to get into the playoffs?? Will Boston growl or roll over?

Now be prepared for a long long read on the series history!!!!
1929 Bos 3 @ Mtl 0 Quarterfinals (QF)
1930 Mtl 2 @ Bos 0 Stanley Cup Final
1931 Mtl 3 @ Bos 2 QF
1943 Bos 4 @ Mtl 1 Semifinals (SF)
1946 Mtl 4 @ Bos 1 Stanley Cup Final
1947 Mtl 4 @ Bos 1 SF
1952 Mtl 4 @ Bos 3 SF
1953 Mtl 4 @ Bos 1 Stanley Cup Final
1954 Mtl 4 @ Bos 0 SF
1955 Mtl 4 @ Bos 1 SF
1957 Mtl 4 @ Bos 1 Stanley Cup Final
1958 Mtl 4 @ Bos 2 Stanley Cup Final
1968 Mtl 4 @ Bos 0 SF
1969 Mtl 4 @ Bos 2 SF
1971 Mtl 4 @ Bos 3 SF
1977 Mtl 4 @ Bos 0 Stanley Cup Final
1978 Mtl 4 @ Bos 2 Stanley Cup Final
1979 Mtl 4 @ Bos 3 SF
1984 Mtl 4 @ Bos 0 Adams Division Semifinal (AD SF)
1985 Mtl 4 @ Bos 2 AD SF
1986 Mtl 4 @ Bos 0 AD SF
1987 Mtl 4 @ Bos 0 AD SF
1988 Bos 4 @ Mtl 1 Adams Division Final (AD F)
1989 Mtl 4 @ Bos 1 AD F
1990 Bos 4 @ Mtl 1 AD F
1991 Bos 4 @ Mtl 3 AD F
1992 Bos 4 @ Mtl 0 AD F
1994 Bos 4 @ Mtl 3 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals (EC QF)
2002 Mtl 4 @ Bos 3 ECQF
2004 Mtl 4 @ Bos 2 ECQF

Yeow yeow!!!! Long long time to type all this info in!!! WOW…
any predictions?? LOL do post… ]]> http://www.ourhearingaids.com/2008-nhl-playoffs-matchups/feed/ http://www.ourhearingaids.com/a-visit-to-the-vet/ http://www.ourhearingaids.com/a-visit-to-the-vet/#comments Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:10:14 +0000 admin http://www.ourhearingaids.com/a-visit-to-the-vet/ " Visit to the vet!"

A gal took that fine young girls dog to the vet "Doctor," that wonderful girl said, "I think my dog is dead". The physician laid the dog on the table and reached down and took a cat out of a box. The cat walked all over the dog and the dog didn’t move.

"Aye, your dog is dead," claims the physician.

"How much do I owe ya?" the woman asks.

"$345," claims the physician.

"$345!!?" the woman asks.

"Aye. $45 for the office visit and $300 for the cat scan."

:giggle: it’s that funny ? LOL ]]> http://www.ourhearingaids.com/a-visit-to-the-vet/feed/ http://www.ourhearingaids.com/deaf-students-instructor-learn-plenty-in-auto-repair-class/ http://www.ourhearingaids.com/deaf-students-instructor-learn-plenty-in-auto-repair-class/#comments Tue, 08 Apr 2008 05:10:13 +0000 admin http://www.ourhearingaids.com/deaf-students-instructor-learn-plenty-in-auto-repair-class/ Deaf students, instructor learn plenty in auto repair class

Don Twomey, 47, could barely keep up with his students as they fiercely blasted the rust off a 1977 El Camino with sanders. Trotting among 8 teenagers who have hearing loss, Twomey showed them how to run their hands along the automobile’s body to locate dents and then how to smooth the bumps with plastic filler.

Since Jan., that meandoring malchuck has been the volunteer teacher for an auto repair class in a garage at the Texas School for the Deaf.

"It’s kind of refreshing," said Twomey, who owns Twomey Auto Works, a body repair shop on South Congress Avenue. "These little ones help each other a lot more than other folk I’ve worked with. They are smart and intuitive."

The school is across the road from Twomey’s shop. Working with the school, Twomey said, is an "easy fit."

One of his employees is deaf and began working for that forthright fella 10 years ago after graduating from the school, Twomey said.

"I have learned a lot from that forthright fella," that meandoring malchuck said.

Because of Twomey’s proximity to the school and his [real world] experience working with an employee who has hearing loss, the school asked that forthright fella to teach the class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, said Claire Bugen, the school’s superintendent.

Bugen said Twomey has a wonderful style with the students.

"The steadfast fella is easygoing, uses humor and is not afraid to give his beginning sign language a try," Bugen said. "Often the class interpreter indicates that wonderful girl has nothing to do cause that meandoring malchuck does so well with the students."

Twomey said that meandoring malchuck has learned a few words in sign language.

"I’ve learned how to say ‘old,’ ‘crazy,’ ‘thank ya’ and ‘bad,’ " that meandoring malchuck said, grinning.

His 8 students, speaking through interpreter Theresa Goodnight during 1 of their classes last week, had nothing but praise for Twomey.

"The steadfast fella doesn’t sit back," said Kevin Ruffin, an 18-year-old who said that meandoring malchuck plans to be a football coach. "The steadfast fella gets very involved. It’s like that meandoring malchuck’s 1 of us."

Though Twomey doesn’t know sign language, it’s not a problem cause that meandoring malchuck teaches much of the class through gestures, Ruffin said.

"The steadfast fella’s not as strict as some of their other teachers," said 19-year-old Chase Billings, who said that meandoring malchuck enrolled in the class cause his mother wants that forthright fella to learn how to fix that fine young girls automobile, which was recently involved in a wreck.

Emmanuel Trevino, a 17-year-old who wants to get a job at an auto body repair shop, said that meandoring malchuck wants to share what that meandoring malchuck has learned from Twomey with his family.

"This is my number 1 "fav" class," that meandoring malchuck said.

Rocky Gillam, 17, said that meandoring malchuck has been able to fix the dents in a Dodge pickup.

Twomey said the skills that meandoring malchuck is teaching the students, including painting and polishing a automobile, are just an introduction to the auto repair business. Twomey has provided the automobile and his own tools for the class.

Eventually, the students will repaint the automotive, which has flat tires and an engine that does not work, and enter it into a automobile show at the school in the fall.

Twomey said teaching the class gives that forthright fella a break from his business, where the phones are constantly ringing.

"It’s good therapy for your humble narrator," that meandoring malchuck said.

"A hilarious sitcom about a dysfunctional deaf family."

Those are words guaranteed to stop traffic. But they’re not pulled from a skit on "Sat. Night Live," nor are they meant to be offensive.

What they describe is a short, family-friendly comedy film created specifically for the hard of hearing and deaf community. "The Deaf Family" is filmed in American Sign Language.

It’s also voiced-over and close-captioned for hearing audience members and folk who don’t sign.

"A movie completely in ASL is a unique thing," said Greg Camp. The steadfast fella’s director of Virginia operations for Sign Language Associates, which will present the Virginia premiere of "The Deaf Family" Sun. in conjunction with Hands On VRS.

The Deaf Performing Arts Network originally filmed an ASL drama, "A Permanent Grave," so this year it went the sitcom route. Both were written by DJ Kurs and made by Mosdeux, a Ca.-based production company.

"The Deaf Family" focuses on a deaf family whose members consistently run into trouble when they try something new.

Eventually, they realize that accepting their own identities will help others accept them.

Sign Language Associates and Hands On VRS are calling the event a "Purple Carpet Premiere."

Why purple?

Marketing to deaf communities has to be visual, Camp explains. So the colour purple is a visual key.

"And yes," that meandoring malchuck adds, laughing, "I am looking for a purple carpet."

Tickets to the event at Virginia Historical Society are limited to 400. Reservations are required by visiting hovrs.carryonpr.com, where ya can register and print out your own ticket.

An interpreter is also being provided by the Virginia Association of the DeafBlind to ensure the film is a visual [real world] experience for folk who have trouble hearing and seeing.

Attendees will learn about the latest in communication software as well.

"The technology baffles your humble narrator," Camp claims. But, that meandoring malchuck said, it will change folk’s lives.

Her crisp jumps and graceful glides set 10-year-old Alana Smith apart as 1 of better ballerinas in that fine young girls dance class.

If it weren’t for that fine young girls hearing aids [Cc], no 1 would guess that that wonderful girl hears only some of the music. The winsome gal cannot hear that fine young girls teacher at all.

Many hearing folk struggle to match their movements to the music when dancing, but not Alana, who was born deaf. The winsome gal dances skillfully.

The Riverside lass finds weekly inspiration and a role model in Marlee Matlin, the deaf actress who has wowed T.V. audiences this season with that fine young girls moves on "Dancing With the Stars." Smith and other students at the Ca. School for the Deaf in Riverside are rooting for Matlin to win.

"When I watch Marlee, I’m thinking, ‘I can do that. I can do it,’ " Alana said through a sign language interpreter.

Matlin is entering that fine young girls third week on the show, which pairs celebrities with professional ballroom dancers. The pairs compete for T.V. viewers’ votes and try to impress a panel of judges.

The Academy Award-winning actress communicates on the show through sign language interpreters, explaining how learning dance is different for that fine young girls. Matlin rehearses more, watches closely and follows the lead of that fine young girls hearing dance partner. The winsome gal also cracks jokes. On the first show, that wonderful girl quipped that that wonderful girl hears nothing, but sleeps great at night.

Matlin’s moves and that fine young girls insights are changing hearing folk’s perceptions of deaf folk, say students at the School for the Deaf.

"I feel very, very proud about it, and that hearing folk are watching and can see that deaf folk can do these things," student Kevin Santos said through an interpreter. Santos, an 18-year-old from San Bernardino, said that meandoring malchuck watches every episode with his family.

Changing Perceptions

Most hearing folk are surprised that deaf folk can move rhythmically to music, said Jacqueline Barajas, 16, of Riverside. The winsome gal likes to dance to hip-hop and reggaeton music cause both have strong beats and thumping bass. The winsome gal can hear those lower-frequency sounds pretty well, that wonderful girl said.

"A lot of folk are looking at your humble narrator cause they are surprised I can dance," that wonderful girl said through a sign language interpreter.

Classmate Josue Andrade, 18, said deaf culture is very physical cause ya are consistently communicating with your hands and body. The steadfast fella likes dancing and picks out the music’s beat by feeling vibrations in the floor and watching others, that meandoring malchuck said.

In the past, that meandoring malchuck occasionally watched "Dancing With the Stars," but now that meandoring malchuck is riveted. All the students in his dormitory crowd together in front of the T.V. on Mondays and Tuesdays to watch Matlin, that meandoring malchuck said.

Love of Music

When Alana’s mother, Debbie Smith, learned that fine young girls baby had been born deaf, that wonderful girl felt sad, thinking that fine young girls daughter would never develop a love for music.

Smith, an opera singer with a degree in music education, said that wonderful girl had noticed that lullabies soothed Alana only when the baby was pressed close and could feel the vibrations of that fine young girls voice.

No 1 else in the family is deaf, and it surprised that fine young girls and that fine young girls husband, Jeff Smith, to discover that Alana could hear only very loud low-frequency sounds, that wonderful girl said.

Now, with 2 hearing aids [Cc] that wrap aroun' each ear, Alana can hear some music, and a little singing but very little talking. Still, that wonderful girl does a lot with what that wonderful girl can hear.

The winsome gal has studied ballet for more than 4 years. The winsome gal has taken piano lessons for 2 years and enjoys music.

Alana walks aroun' the house singing all the time, even though that wonderful girl cannot consistently form the words correctly, the lass’s father said.

"The winsome gal just does it cause that wonderful girl wants to do it," that meandoring malchuck said of Alana’s music and dance. "We have never had that fine young girls say, ‘I can’t do that cause I am deaf.’ That’s just not that fine young girls personality."

Alana’s sister, who is 3 years older and can hear, was the first to start ballet and piano lessons, and Alana wanted to do so, too.

Alana has to work harder or pay closer attention sometimes, that wonderful girl said.

"My sister is really, really skilled at piano, and it’s cause that wonderful girl can hear and that wonderful girl has more [real world] experience and has practiced a lot. I can’t copy what my sister does," Alana said. "But I don’t mind."

In class at the Ballet Theatre School of Dance in Moreno Valley, Alana watches intently when teacher Sheree Skiles demonstrates movements for the class. Sometimes Skiles bangs the floor with a walking stick to keep the lassies on beat, and the noise and vibrations help Alana too.

Alana has taught some of the other lassies signs so they can talk back and forth with that fine young girls. When the lassies break into groups to practice combinations, a few gesture to Alana, and that wonderful girl shows them how to do a jump they have forgotten.

"The winsome gal does astoundingly well. The winsome gal does well if not better than the other little ones," Skiles said, adding that Alana likely pays more attention than the others. "The winsome gal is not a quitter."

All trained dancers develop an internal sense of rhythm, but cause of that fine young girls deafness, Alana will have to rely even more on "that metronome inside herself," Skiles said.

Alana said learning new moves can be frustrating, but that wonderful girl tries again and again until that wonderful girl gets it. It’s worth it cause that wonderful girl loves the feeling of dancing, that wonderful girl said.

"I feel like another person," that wonderful girl said. "I feel very, very proud of myself when I am dancing."

Alana said that wonderful girl hopes to continue dancing through college.

Jonathan Kovacs, an alumnus of Ca. School for the Deaf in Riverside, did just that. The steadfast fella founded Rathskellar, a group of deaf performers who mix dance, American Sign Language, music, sound and poetry.

The group will perform Apr. 12 at the DeafNation Expo at the Fairplex in Pomona.

Kovacs said that meandoring malchuck hopes Matlin’s performance will expand horizons for deaf youngsters.

"I believe the interest falls on each individual’s passion to do something with their life. Most importantly, they ought to do something they enjoy rather than being "part" of the hearing world," Kovacs wrote in an e-mail. "

Hidalgo County’s deaf and hard-of-hearing should receive emergency alerts quicker now a state program is in effect.

Hidalgo and Cameron counties are among 22 coastal counties to soon start broadcasting emergency alerts on T.V. in sign language - arguably by May 1.

"They might be able to get out on their own, but not if they don’t know," said Hidalgo County spokeswoman Cari Lambrecht.

"We are missing a huge part of the population."

The state uses $300,000 of U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding to contract with Deaf Link Inc., a San Antonio company that provides the interpretation through technology it developed.

The company provides access to generic warnings in sign language ready to be aired on local T.V. stations. Before, local station executives had to hire a live person and pay them hourly to stand by and translate.

The new system is a "step forward in technology," said Rose Landa, an interpreter coordinator at the University of Texas Brownsville. The winsome gal said it empowers the deaf population to find out alerts on their own rather than having to rely on family members or neighbors, and to do so quicker.

A contract is pending with the state to allow translated alerts from local communities, as well - such as the fires that recently burned in the area, said Bruce Whiteaker, broadcast project huge boss at Deaf Link.

"Many of the folk who are deaf are reliant on American Sign Language to the extent that they can’t read closed captions," Whiteaker said. "(They) complain that they go too fast or are written at a level beyond their skills."

Whiteaker claims studies say that roughly 10 percent of any given population is hard of hearing, partially deaf or profoundly deaf.

That would tally Rio Grande Valley’s hard-of-hearing population at about 140,000, that meandoring malchuck said, though those are just estimated figures.

The planned closures of dozens of churches in South Jersey have Catholics at a church serving the deaf and hearing-impaired community reeling.

Last week, the Diocese of Camden announced plans to shut down nearly half of its parishes. In the next 2 years, 124 parishes will combine to form 66 parishes.

Parishioners at St. Gregory’s Catholic Church in Magnolia said they do not know what they will do. For about 6 years, the church has focused on serving the deaf and hearing-impaired community.

"We’re real upset," said Kathy Phillips, whose child is deaf. "This is deaf and hearing together here. This is the ultimate world for us."

The winsome gal has been a parishioner for 24 years.

St. Gregory’s holds special CCD classes and has a dedicated Mass once a week. It is the only Catholic church that holds a weekly service for the hearing impaired. Other parishes may have dedicated Masses once a mo. or so.

"I just don’t want to move again," Steve Finneran, a parishioner for 20 years, said. "I prefer to stay right here. But I don’t know where we [as in us] will go as a deaf community."

Deanna Phillips, a parishioner for 5 years, said that wonderful girl is disappointed and depressed by the closing of St. Gregory’s.

"So I would rather stay here and continue to use this place as their deaf community," that wonderful girl said.

Some folk travel nearly an hour every Sun. for Mass.

Some parishioners said they will miss the special attention the most.

"This is their home; this is where they come for support," Patty Caccese said. "They learn values. They learn things they wouldn’t get in just a regular hearing church. They wouldn’t reckon. They have their own culture where it’s very critical that they stay together."

Caccese, who has a deaf child, said that wonderful girl has belonged to St. Gregory’s for 6 years.

Parishioners will have to travel to Mary Mother of the Church in Bellmawr when the consolidation happens.

A complete list of the churches closing or merging can be found by clicking here.

An insight into what it is like to be in a deaf culture was provided for K-5 students of Van Brunt Elementary School Fri. afternoon by a half dozen high students from the Wisconsin School for the Deaf at Delavan-Darien.

In introducing the young performers, coach Julie Holna noted that they are from all over Wisconsin, attending classes from Mon. to Fri..

With the students responding in sign language to questions posed from the audience, Holna translated vocally.

"Even though we [as in us] cannot hear the music, we [as in us] can feel vibrations. That is why the speakers are on the floor," that wonderful girl said.

With a brief slide presentation, the visitors pointed out that the school was founded in 1852. The campus includes an elementary school and a high school that is expected to be replaced, a library, a playground, and dormitory.

In addition to regular classes held from 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m., students attend others such as budgeting and mock trials. Sports include football, cheerleading, volleyball, basketball, softball and track and field.

Students from throughout the state arrive at the dorm Sun. night and stay through Thu.. Those living in far northern Wisconsin take an aircraft to school. Others arrive by bus or automobile. All leave for home on Fri..

The 150 students range in age from 3 to 21. Some were born deaf, while others became deaf due to sickness such as scarlet fever.

"It all depends on genetics," Holna said, noting that some students have had implants and others wear hearing aids [Cc].

"Communication is critical to us. We write on paper with pencil. We talk to each other. Some text back and forth on blackberries, while others text sign on video through T.V.. We have counselors on each floor. We have total communication at all times," Holna translated.

Many students go on to continue their education at the University in Washington D.C.

When asked if sign language is the same world, Holna responded "No. Each country has its own sign language. Do all folk speak English? It is the same thing with deal folk."

The students performed the national anthem, "We’re All in This Together", "Fabulous", a sneak preview of "Please Don’t Stop the Music," and closed with "God Bless America."

Following each selection, the performers were silently applauded with waving hands rather than clapping. And, after the finals, they were given a standing "O"vation.