Yep, we just upgraded our website! I know it has been a longggg overdue but I hope its worth the wait.  Kudos to Damon Timm for his hard work, developing this site. There are few new additions such as enabling video comments, new video previews and overall usability.

Since my last post, I did quite a few shows. One was held at Deaf Bilingual Coalition conference in Wisconsin, the other at Kentucky Deaf Arts Festival, and the most recent, Deaf Arts Festival in Michigan. Below are the pictures we took during our time there. I had a lot of fun getting to know my fellow performing artists as well as making new friends.

Chatting with Bernard Bragg

Camille Lorello

Peter Cook

Rosa Lee being interviewed by Frank Dattolo at “Inside the Deaf Actors’ Studio”

Rosa Lee being interviewed by Frank Dattolo at “Inside the Deaf Actors’ Studio”

Rosa Lee enjoying Chuck Baird’s humor

Rosa Lee and Peter Cook

Rosa Lee and Frank Dattolo

Bernard Bragg

Mindy Moore, Rosa Lee and Theron Parker

Bernard Bragg and Chuck Baird

Bernard Bragg and Rosa Lee

Click on the “T” to toggle text captions

“All I Want” was filmed and edited by Bryan Horch.

The words/signs were created by Rosa Lee and the music by Damon Timm.

You can download the mp3 and read the lyrics at Damon’s website.

This video, along with many others, is available on The Rosa Lee Show (2004-2008) DVD.

Click on the “T” to toggle text captions

This a short demo of the story “Kondima”, one of the most popular tales from the live show.

The full length version of this story, along with many others, is available on The Rosa Lee Show (2004-2008) DVD.

To learn more about the bar and location, go to dphh.com/worcester for more information.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Rosa Lee
DPHH - Worcester

My brother and I just completed our 2nd issue of Kiss-Fist Magazine. We are truly grateful for all of your support, especially your contribution into making this magazine “fun, energetic, artistic, and informative.”

We hope to release our 3rd issue in December so feel free to send us an email at submissions (at) kiss-fist.com if you wish to contribute your work. Be sure to review our submissions guidelines made available at www.kiss-fist.com. We’d love to see them.

Until the next time, enjoy!

Kiss-Fist Team

To view the magzine, click on the cover.

For more information, go to www.kiss-fist.com

Enjoy!

You may have seen the news recently that Netflix was releasing a $99 set-top box that allows subscribers, at no extra charge, to view on-demand movies on their televisions. However, if you are a Netflix user and interested in watching streaming video on your computer or television you may be dismayed to find that there is no captioning or subtitles available for this service.

As the industry turns towards a more digital-streaming-media approach, we need to speak up and let the industry know that closed captioning and subtitles are important to us, our friends, and family.

Tell Netflix How You Feel

If captions are important to you, make your opinion known. Place a quick call to Roku (the manufacturer of the new set-top box) and Netflix and let them know how you feel.

Call: 888-600-7658 (Roku)
Call: 888-638-3549 (Netflix)

In both cases, you will probably want to have your customer number (found at the bottom of the page) ready. If you are not a customer, you could call and say you WOULD be one if only they offered captions on streaming video.

Netflix Isn’t Alone

Netflix is the not the only company or product ignoring this important feature. Look at your your XBox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone, and AppleTV to see if captions are supported for all the video offered. You’ll most likely find it isn’t widely supported.

In addition to streaming video over the internet, basic HD Video is posing another barrier to accessing closed captions: HDMI & Component Video connections won’t transmit closed caption data, so your television can’t convert the signal (it has to be done by the Blu-Ray Player or HD Cable Box — many of which do not have this feature).

It’s amazing that purchasing the newest technology — that new HD TV or PlayStation 3 — takes us back to the dark ages of captioning. It’s really sad: this is the digital age.

Call and e-mail to make our opinions be heard! Let’s speak up and make a difference.

Damon Timm
Rosa Lee

More information about the set-top box is at:
http://www.roku.com/netflixplayer/
http://www.netflix.com

Information about the lack of CC on HD connections:
http://www.alldeaf.com/captioning-sign-language-interpreter/39116-hdmi-component-hdtv-not-support-captioning.html
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=699933

Info about the PS3’s lack of CC support:
http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=ps3&thread.id=1929162

Contact the FCC with a complain at: fccinfo@fcc.gov or fax: 866-418-0232

My friend just sent me a dvd full of pictures that one of her co-workers took during my performance at William Woods University last month. Here they are for your viewing pleasure.