Axxlog

After nearly three years of postings on two different servers, Axxlog, the Media Access Weblog with the Vaguely Risible Name, closes up shop.

But, my opponents and detractors, wait! The news isn’t all good.

I’m simply switching everything over to my personal Weblog. I had originally separated the two Weblogs because I wanted to maintain the illusion of some professional/personal distinction. Really, that boiled down to “On my personal Weblog, I can be as gay as I want and I can swear as much as I want.”

After one contretemps too many with genteel homophobes in the broadcasting industry, I simply give up. And as for swearing, I’ve managed to do it onstage twice in the last year and it hasn’t hurt me any, so really, [expletive] ’em if they can’t take a Joe. Whether you’re reading me or hiring me, you’re getting the whole package. And no, I won’t make a pass at somebody in your office or run through George Carlin’s list of cusswords while I’m there. Give me some credit.

In addition, the name Axxlog has simply become too risible.

Follow along at home

But the news just keeps getting better!

If you have an RSS reader – and really, who doesn’t? – you can subscribe to posts from the personal Weblog on accessibility-related topics and never see anything else. As far as you’ll be concerned, I’m a happily-married Mormon who thinks Mickey Mouse is a racy and unhealthful influence for his many blond children.

1. Accessibility (in general) & feed
2. Captioning & feed
3. Audio description & feed
4. Subtitling & feed
5. Dubbing & feed
6. Web accessibility & feed
7. Cinema accessibility & feed

Not all topics have actual postings yet.

Thanks, Matt!

I express my gratitude to Matt Müllenweg for hosting Axxlog in its hour of need. Since cool URLs don’t change, all the links you have come to know and love over the last three years will continue to work indefinitely.

The state of New Jersey is carrying out a human-rights investigation against Regal Entertainment Group. Previously, Regal was served with a complaint, as were many other theatrical exhibitors in New Jersey, because Regal allegedly discriminated against deaf moviegoers by refusing to provide captioning. Every other movie chain caved immediately and agreed to install Rear Window® captioning, while Regal argues that Rear Window is unpopular and expensive compared to open-captioned films, which some of its theatres already show.

Interestingly, I made myself aware to all parties in that proceeding and explained that I have expertise that could be useful. Nobody took me up on my offer. Perhaps at least the state of New Jersey should have, since a recent press release contains many errors that could have been avoided by somebody with half a clue. (Interestingly, some of those errors have been copied by the Associated Press, which responded to my complaint with a defense that they were simply working from the press release.)

It seems that New Jersey has finally realized that deaf people are not the only disabled group that has trouble enjoying movies. (Lots of deaf people would tell you that only they’re the only important ones, but they would of course be wrong.) Now New Jersey is extending its complaint against Regal to include audio description. Let’s fisk the press release, shall we?

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