NEW YORK CITY (ABC News) - Here's the videos with closed captions of Hurricane Sandy aftermath. Inside the eerily still metropolis the day after Frankenstorm.
It blasted the ocean itself over dunes, seawalls and berms and into downtowns, tunnels and subways. It killed dozens of people, destroyed famed landmarks and amusement parks, pushed houses off their foundations and toppled trees. It virtually shut down New York City, the nation's largest city, with major airports, highways, and bridges and tunnels in and out of Manhattan shut down, just as they were after 9/11.
For millions of people in New York City and elsewhere, the lights remain out, communications remain down and floodwaters, downed trees and power lines still make roads impassable.
Superstorm Sandy: Death Toll Up to 50, but Some Steps Toward Recovery.
However, some of the hardest-hit areas on the East Coast were beginning to take the first steps towards recovery. For instance, some New York bridges, tunnels, highways and airports reopened or were slated to be reopened by Wednesday morning.
Meet Lydia Callis, the mayor's sign language interpretor who became the city's newest hearthrob. Stealing the show with her passionate facial expressions and signs.
Clearly there is nothing funny about mass casualties and a region under water. But Lydia Callis has at least given people something to smile about in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
The sign language interpreter for Mayor Michael Bloomberg has gone viral. Mayor Bloomberg addresses the public while his signer feels the beat of the hurricane mane! as seen on YouTube.
The stories of devastation and destruction on the local news lately have not provided much in the way of relief unless, that is, you happened to catch sight of a sign language interpreter named Lydia Callis.
She has inspired a tribute Tumblr page: Lydia Callis’s Facial Expressions, which has compiled images of her expressions as she signs. In one photo, Mr. Bloomberg looks on from behind, seemingly fixated on her hands.
Video with Captions - Want a Deaf and ASL friendly national calendar of events?
Elise Whitworth shares a few reasons why Eventida is worth your support.
Eventida is an emerging web application with the goal of making it easier to promote events and related services. There is no fee to use the basic features of the application. As more features are released, subscription plans will be set up. We are also available for hire to customize event pages and help clients with overall promotional efforts. View video of how Eventida works & pledge today: http://www.fundable.com/eventida
For instructions on how to nominate a Deaf woman to be considered as a Pearl, please watch the video below. Closed Captions are available for the non-signers.
The Pearls Awards is to recognize Deaf women across America who have excelled in their chosen field. A business owner, advocate, artist, writer, educator, and lawyer are classic examples.
For the first time ever, the team behind The Pearls Awards is letting the public submit nominations. Please submit your nomination(s) via http://thepearlsawards.com/nominate/ . Anyone can vote - men and women! Please watch this video to understand the nomination process and on how to nominate. Thank you for participating.
WASHINGTON - Hurricane Sandy Preparedness Press Conference - US President Barack Obama: 'This is a Serious and Big Storm'.
Much of the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States is braced for the onslaught of wind, rain, high tides and even snow Hurricane Sandy is forecast to deliver on Monday and Tuesday.
The massive storm 'Frankenstorm' effects already were being felt Sunday night along the Atlantic beaches in North Carolina and Virginia, and rain bands extended far inland. As I write this, it is raining in the nation’s capital and the winds have picked up.
Here is a White House transcript of their remarks:
THE PRESIDENT: Well, good afternoon, everybody. Obviously, all of us across the country are concerned about the potential impact of Hurricane Sandy. This is a serious and big storm. And my first message is to all the people across the Eastern seaboard, Mid-Atlantic, going north, that you need to take this very seriously and follow the instructions of your state and local officials, because they are going to be providing you with the best advice in terms of how to deal with this storm over the coming days.
We just had an excellent meeting with the FEMA team here, the various agencies that are in charge, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and others that are going to need to respond very quickly.
Under Craig Fugate’s leadership here at FEMA we’ve had a chance to talk to the regional officials as well. And I just had a phone call with the governors of the potentially impacted states, as well as some of the major cities in the region.
At this stage, everybody is confident that the staging process, the prepositioning of resources, commodities, equipment that are going to be needed to respond to this storm are in place. But as Craig has emphasized, this hasn’t hit landfall yet, so we don’t yet know where it’s going to hit, where we’re going to see the biggest impacts. And that’s exactly why it’s so important for us to respond big and respond fast as local information starts coming in.
I want to thank all the members of the team for the outstanding work that they’re doing. But the other thing that makes this storm unique is we anticipate that it is going to be slow moving. That means that it may take a long time not only to clear, but also to get, for example, the power companies back in to clear trees and to put things back in place so that folks can start moving back home.
So my main message to everybody involved is that we have to take this seriously. The federal government is working effectively with the state and local governments. It’s going to be very important that populations in all the impacted states take this seriously, listen to your state and local elected officials.
My message to the governors, as well as to the mayors, is anything they need, we will be there. And we’re going to cut through red tape. We’re not going to get bogged down with a lot of rules. We want to make sure that we are anticipating and leaning forward into making sure that we’ve got the best possible response to what is going to be a big and messy system.
So again, thank you, everybody. Craig, would you like add to something?
MR. FUGATE: Again, as the President says, it’s going to really come down to the public heeding those evacuation orders, taking protective measures. If they haven’t gotten ready, they can go to Ready.gov. Get information on how to protect them and their families, but also check on your neighbors. This is going to be a big storm. We need to be there for each other.
THE PRESIDENT: Okay. Let me emphasize that again Ready.gov for the general public. If you need to know how to respond, that’s where you can get centralized information.
But I think Craig’s point is exactly right. In times like this, one of the things that Americans do is we pull together and we help out one another. And so, there may be elderly populations in your area. Check on your neighbor, check on your friend. Make sure that they are prepared. If we do, then we’re going to get through this storm just fine. But we’re going to have to make sure that we are vigilant, and vigilant for a couple of days. Don’t anticipate that just because the immediate storm has passed that we’re not going to have some potential problems in a lot of these communities going forward through the week.
Complete information on Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, including all advisories, watches and warnings. Recent hurricanes and tropical storms: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Video with subtitles - American Sign Language Interpretation of Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away translated by Rosa Lee Timm. - ***Disclaimer: This video is for entertainment purpose only. This song was requested by a friend of mine. Such a fun and challenging song to do! Enjoy!
Music video by Carrie Underwood performing Blown Away. (P) 2012 19 Recordings Limited, under exclusive license to Sony Music Nashville, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. The Original Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJgoHgpsb9I&hd=1
NEW YORK CITY - Hurricane 'Frankenstorm' Sandy - The mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg ordered the mandatory evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents as Hurricane Sandy roars towards the east coast of the United States and parts of Canada, bringing punishing winds, heavy rainfall and storm surges.
At a press conference Sunday, Michael Bloomberg said some 375,000 people in a number of coastal areas including Coney Island, Lower Manhattan and parts of the Queens neighbourhood would need to leave their homes. He said those affected would have to stay with family and friends outside of the evacuation area or at one of the 72 shelters the city has set up.
Officials in New York have also ordered the closure of its public transportation system, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, causing problems for those trying to leave the affected area on buses and subways... Read more http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/10/28/hurricane-sandy.html
New York City announced the closings of it mass transit and school systems, both the nation's largest, and ordered residents to leave some low-lying areas Sunday ahead of the massive storm approaching the eastern third of the U.S. Video by AssociatedPress
Hurricane Sandy: 'Don't Be Stupid, Get Out And Go To Higher, Safer Ground,' Officials Said.
ABC NEWS - Tens of thousands of people in coastal areas have been ordered to evacuate their homes before Hurricane Sandy pounds the eastern third of the United States with life-threatening storm surges, forceful winds and rainfall that could cripple transportation and leave millions without power.
"Don't be stupid. Get out and go to higher, safer ground," New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said today. "Let's get to work on this. We know how to do this. We've been through this before."
States of emergency were declared from North Carolina to Connecticut. Coastal communities in Delaware were ordered to evacuate by 8 p.m. tonight.
As of 5 p.m. EST today, Sandy was moving toward the northeast at nearly 15mph, slightly faster than it was measured earlier today. It is expected to take a turn to the north and then northwest, bringing the center of the nearly 900-mile storm to be near the mid-Atlantic coast Monday night.
Complete information on Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, including all advisories, watches and warnings. Recent hurricanes and tropical storms: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Video with Captions - Hurricane Sandy Preparedness Press Conference - Interpreted by Deaf Interpreter - 10/26/2012.
BOSTON - Friday, October 26, 2012 Governor Deval Patrick today met with Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray and his cabinet secretaries to discuss preparations for the potential impact of Hurricane Sandy on Massachusetts and announced several steps the state has already taken in anticipation of the storm. Video by MassGovernor
Complete information on Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, including all advisories, watches and warnings. Recent hurricanes and tropical storms: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Chanting, “You don’t need permission to sign a petition,” members of the faith community held signs and marched near the Gallaudet main gate.
The university placed McCaskill on administrative leave after it found that she signed a petition to put the Question 6 referendum on Maryland’s November ballot. If successful, Question 6 would allow gay and lesbian couples equal rights under Maryland’s civil marriage laws. But the protesters say that the underlying premise of Question 6 equality and fairness is the reason why Dr. McCaskill should be reinstated... Read more http://www.examiner.com/article/protesters-demand-gallaudet-reinstates-dr-angela-mccaskill?cid=rss
According to the Washington Post, Sandy has already claimed the lives of nearly two dozen people in the Caribbean. Nine people were killed in Haiti, 11 in Cuba and 1 in Jamaica. Extensive damage due to flash flooding and mudslides was also reported. Although Sandy is currently listed as category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 MPH, meteorologists are warning that she may hit the northeastern coast of the United States with powerful winds and rains. CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano stated...Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/335573#ixzz2AR9uTs4B
Perfect storm 2012, which the Hurricane Sandy turns into 'Frankenstorm' deadly to hit the northeast. Here is the exclusive weather report to warn everyone! Brace yourselves for the spooky Halloween storm!
Hurricane 'Frankenstorm' Sandy to Hit the East Next Week.
An unusual nasty mix of a hurricane and a winter storm that forecasters are now calling 'Frankenstorm' is likely to blast most of the East Coast next week, focusing the worst of its weather mayhem around New York City and New Jersey.
Government forecasters on Thursday upped the odds of a major weather mess, now saying there's a 90 percent chance that the East will get steady gale-force winds, heavy rain, flooding and maybe snow starting Sunday and stretching past Halloween on Wednesday.
Hurricane Sandy seen from Space Frankenstorm forming Snor'eastercane.
Meteorologists say it is likely to cause $1 billion in damage.
The storm is a combination of Hurricane Sandy, now in the Caribbean, an early winter storm in the West, and a blast of arctic air from the North. They're predicted to collide and park over the country's most populous coastal corridor and reach as far inland as Ohio.
The hurricane part of the storm is likely to come ashore somewhere in New Jersey on Tuesday morning, said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecaster Jim Cisco. But this is a storm that will affect a far wider area, so people all along the East have to be wary, Cisco said.
Coastal areas from Florida to Maine will feel some effects, mostly from the hurricane part, he said, and the other parts of the storm will reach inland from North_Carolina northward.
Once the hurricane part of the storm hits, "it will get broader. It won't be as intense, but its effects will be spread over a very large area," the National Hurricane Center's chief hurricane specialist, James Franklin, said Thursday.
One of the more messy aspects of the expected storm is that it just won't leave. The worst of it should peak early Tuesday, but it will stretch into midweek, forecasters say. Weather may start clearing in the mid-Atlantic the day after Halloween and Nov. 2 in the Northeast, Cisco said.
"It's almost a weeklong, five-day, six-day event," Cisco said Thursday from NOAA's northern storm forecast center in College Park, Md. "It's going to be a widespread serious storm." With every hour, meteorologists are getting more confident that this storm is going to be bad and they're able to focus their forecasts more.
Complete information on Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, including all advisories, watches and warnings. Recent hurricanes and tropical storms: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Video with captions - Celebration For The CSD Student Development Center at RIT/NTID. What the CSD Student Development Center Means to NTID.
ROCHESTER, NY. - NTID students, faculty and staff talk about what the The CSD Student Development Center means to them. This was shown during an anniversary event for the building put on by Communication Service for the Deaf, the major donor for the building.
"Accolades for the CSD Student Development Center"
The CSD Student Development Center, described as “the heart and center of student life at RIT/NTID,” was celebrated Friday by Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD), the major donor of the building constructed in 2006.
Students, faculty, staff and alumni attended the celebration under mild and sun-filled skies in the D. Robert Frisina Quad.
“This building is an important part of our college life,” said Corey Burton, NTID’s Student Congress president. “Thank you to CSD for making our dream a reality. I cannot imagine where we might be if this building never existed. It truly means a lot to us.”
Anti-gay campaigners using Deaf woman’s story against her will.
A suspended diversity officer at a Maryland university for the Deaf has asked anti-same-sex marriage campaigners in the state to stop using her story but they have refused.
A Deaf woman who was suspended from being a university diversity officer after signing a petition against same-sex marriage has asked opponents in her home state of Maryland to stop using her story in campaign ads, saying they misrepresent what she believes.
Gallaudet University Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Angela McCaskill was suspended from her role at the university, which specializes in educating Deaf students, after a co-worker noticed she had signed the petition.
‘I have placed Dr. Angela McCaskill on paid administrative leave effective immediately,’ Gallaudet University President T. Alan Hurwitz said in a statement earlier this month.
‘Dr. McCaskill has participated in a legislative initiative that some feel is inappropriate for an individual serving as [the university's] Chief Diversity Officer.’
However McCaskill held a press conference on Friday asking for the group to stop using her image and story in the commercials - which she says misrepresents what she believes in.
‘No one has the right to decide what my signature meant,’ McCaskill told a press conference via sign language.
Gallaudet University has called for the group to stop using its copyrighted material in the campaign but the Maryland Marriage Alliance told CBS Baltimore it has no plans to change the commercial.
Video with captions - To Educate Hearing Parents of Deaf Child: Part I & II.
For hearing parents who are overwhelmed with Deaf child for the first time. My purpose is to educate Hearing parents of Deaf child about deafness, to understand the term "Deaf" better. I am here to prove Deaf child can do anything to overcome obstacles by using my experience. Plus, I am here to help how to be a good parent for your Deaf child. Inspiring hearing parents & Deaf children that Deaf people would like to share with them. Deaf children can achieve anything they want. Thank you for watching! Please share this video with anyone. Subscribe Stephanie Nogueras
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - Deaf Korean Starbucks barista, it’s all in the signs. Although a Starbucks branch in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, was bustling with coffee lovers at around noon on Monday, employees worked in silence.
Most baristas at Starbucks franchises receive orders from the cashiers verbally, with shouts of machiatto, mochachino and latte echoing throughout the store.
But Hwang Jin, a 33-year-old Deaf barista, receives her orders via hand gestures. Employees give a thumbs-up to signal an Americano and make a “G” sign to confirm it’s a grande.
“When making foam with milk, those who are hearing-impaired rely on the sensation in their hand when frothing the milk instead of the sound,” barista instructor Sung Jeong-min said. “They are more sensitive to the vibrations of the milk steamer and produce a smoother taste in the coffee.”
CHATTANOOGA, TN. - A locally produced BMW of Chattanooga commercial, which features a Deaf employee and highlights the dealer's dedication to customer service is receiving national recognition.
In the advertisement, which is the fourth in a series produced by Moss Media Labs local BMW employee Scott Carpenter, who oversees the detail department at the dealership, uses sign language to express the importance of getting a BMW serviced by a BMW-certified technician.
Carpenter has been Deaf since he was 9 years old, and he conveys the message with only a smile and shoulder shrug.
“Scott exemplifies everything great about BMW of Chattanooga," Daniel Bellemare, BMW of Chattanooga’s general manager, said in a prepared statement. "He is a long-term employee who is always willing to lead the way into change. He is always a problem solver instead of a problem creator. We love Scott and are so happy he is part of our team.”
OAXACA, MX. – Deaf police officers fight crime in Oaxaca. The officers, known as ‘Angels of Silence,’ contribute to keeping the city safe with their heightened vision and ability to read lips.
The 230 surveillance cameras that monitor the streets of the historic downtown area of Oaxaca – a southeastern city that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 – are watched by Deaf police officers who maintain a close eye.
The Oaxaca Police’s Command and Communication Control Center (C4) was reopened in May after chronic maintenance problems had kept it closed for six years. But since the surveillance cameras do not have microphones, the authorities had been unable to determine what was being said by suspected criminals.
So officials turned to State Association for the Deaf to provide personnel with a keen sense of sight and ability to read lips, said Ignacio Villalobos Carranza, deputy secretary for Information and Institutional Development at the Public Safety Secretariat of Oaxaca.
The move has enabled the C4’s Deaf police officers to help prevent crime and assist officers on the streets to apprehend suspects, making the downtown area – a major tourism attraction – safer.
Angela McCaskill sat down exclusively with ABC7’s Mike Conneen at her home in Upper Marlboro to respond to criticism for inking the petition.
“Signing that petition is a right that I have as a citizen of the state of Maryland. It simply means that I want to see this very sensitive issue put on the ballot as a referendum in the state of Maryland,” McCaskill said.
Video clips of Dr. Angela McCaskill - Press Conference.
ANNAPOLIS, MD. - Dr. Angela McCaskill speaks out on bullying by Gallaudet University president. So far, the best argument for protecting marriage may be sitting in the President's office of Gallaudet University. There, voters got a unique view of the real-life persecution that awaits anyone who opposes Maryland's same-sex marriage. Last week, when Gallaudet's Dr. Angela McCaskill was outed for signing a Petition in favor of a public vote on marriage, she was exiled from the University she called home for 23 years. Now, instead of sitting in her office helping students, she's meeting with attorneys, trying to come to grips with President T. Alan Hurwitz's decision to banish her from campus. Calling McCaskill's actions "inappropriate," Hurwitz is putting a face on the intolerance that FRC and other marriage advocates have warned about for years.
By all reports, his ruthlessness is already taking its toll. According to her pastor, Rev. Dr. Lee Washington, Dr. McCaskill and her family have been the targets of threats and intimidation ever since the story broke. "As her church family, we stand firmly by her side and welcome all persons of good faith regardless of their ideological views to denounce these actions of cowardice and bullying." Even the The Washington Post warns that Gallaudet's overreaction could seriously "undermine" the effort to redefine marriage. "The surest way to repel voters--and to vitiate the marriage movement's broader goals and values--would be to say, or even seem to say, 'Agree with us or else.'"
Unfortunately, that's always been the underlying, totalitarian message of the homosexual movement. The only difference here is that Maryland voters have been warned: public dissent will not be tolerated. Not surprisingly, liberals are racing to cover up Gallaudet's mess, insisting that they believe in free speech as much as the next guy. Tell that to the wedding cake bakers, the T-shirt makers, the bed and breakfast owners, the military chaplains, the high school teachers, the restaurant owners, the photographers, the churches, the Massachusetts parents, and others who were fired, sued, harassed, fined, and suspended. Like Angela, their biggest crime was having an opinion contrary to the radical Left--something one former FRCer knows a lot about.
When Teresa Wagner left Family Research Council, she had plenty of offers to join university faculties and teach law. A graduate of the University of Iowa, Wagner joined the staff as a part-time associate director of its legal writing program. She also applied to be a full-time teacher at the law school, but her application was mysterious denied. It wasn't for lack of experience, since Teresa was the most qualified candidate. Nor was it for lack of legal expertise, since the person offered the position "had never practiced law, had no legal publications, and had no prior successful teaching experience." It was because of her work in the pro-family movement. As seen on article Lawsuit Pits Political Activism Against Campus Diversity.
Teresa will try to prove as much in federal court, where her appeal kicks off today. Although people have sued for discrimination in hiring decisions, experts say Teresa's case is the first of its kind. Unlike other plaintiffs, she has evidence. Like Angela McCaskill, Teresa Wagner belongs at the University. Until then, both women are giving students a serious education in political bias. For more on Dr. Angela McCaskill's case, If you haven't signed FRC's petition, join the more than 50,000 who have called for her reinstatement. go to http://bit.ly/PAyirq
ANNAPOLIS, MD. - Gallaudet Official's Lawyer Speaks About Petition. An attorney for Gallaudet University's chief diversity officer who has been placed on leave for signing a petition to put Maryland's same-sex marriage law on the ballot says she only signed it so the issue could be decided by the democratic process.
The Washington Post - Dr. Angela McCaskill addresses a news conference about being put on leave from her job after signing a petition to put Maryland's same-sex marriage law on the ballot for voters to decide. She is asking to be reinstated to her position.
Gallaudet University’s embattled chief diversity officer said she wasn’t taking an anti-gay stance when she signed a Petition advocating for Maryland's same-sex marriage law to be put to a vote. Instead, Angela McCaskill says she was joining 200,000 others in standing up for the rights of voters to make decisions at the ballot box.
It blasted the ocean itself over dunes, seawalls and berms and into downtowns, tunnels and subways. It killed dozens of people, destroyed famed landmarks and amusement parks, pushed houses off their foundations and toppled trees. It virtually shut down New York City, the nation's largest city, with major airports, highways, and bridges and tunnels in and out of Manhattan shut down, just as they were after 9/11.
