Irma made her northward turn, and now over the Florida keys, making landfall at Key West as a category 4 hurricane. The eye is reorganizing, and the path appears to be slightly west of the originally forecast path. Nevertheless, southwest Florida will take a pounding.
https://twitter.com/BigJoeBastardi/status/906853643105849344
Irma is very similar to 1960’s Hurricane Donna, making US landfall on the same date, September 10. Donna made landfall near Marathon, Florida with winds of 130 mph (215 km/h), hours before another landfall south of Naples at the same intensity.
I have been watching the local NBC2 live video feed since last night. They are on the ground, have their own radar, and are broadcasting hurricane news 24-7.
Stella's Place 
If you’re not following @NWSMiami it is giving lots of updates.
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Thanks for posting! I know Miami has had tornados in the area, lots of rain and street flooding.
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Wind update…
About 8 minutes old…
Wind: 74 knots
Wind direction: SE (139o)
Temperature: 86°F
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well….good thing Joe’s Stone Crab is closed until October 13 I guess…..I do not like eating my seafood in 175 mpg wind!
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My brother’ house is south of Miami Heights, on the Cutler Ridge. On Thurs. He said he was planning on evacuating on Sat. Hasn’t’ called, but after that Irma was projected to go to the west coast instead of straight over him so he may have stayed home. He has a strong house to stay in, & we grew up in Miami, hunkering down behind boarded up windows in a concrete house through hurricanes Cleo, Betsy & Donna. Daddy would buy peanut brittle, Hershey bars, Vienna Sausage & sardines, & food you could eat out of a can (’50’s houses were “all electric” which meant you could count on not heating food if the power went out). We played board games, made jigsaw puzzles, read books & took naps. When the storm passed, we walked around in amazement at the tree damage.
BTW, during the early part of Andrew, 2 palm trees fell across the balcony above my mother’s apartment, shielding her patio doors from damage. Trees can come in handy.
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My turn to be “not so nice” I wish every little assh*le who is mocking and making fun of the sign language interpreter at the presser would take 3 minutes to educate themselves. This man has saved lives with his exaggerated facial expressions, hands can not fully express intonation while signing. The seriousness, happiness, sorrowfulness is expressed in the face, hands alone are almost like a text, they are words, emotions can be deemed from context but as emotions are expressed with the intonation while talking, they are expressed with the face while signing.
Really tired of seeing people mock this poor guy.
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Just socialists being socialists.
Must remember: socialism is a mental disorder. 😉
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In defense of those who think he’s funny. He DOES look funny to many people – including me. I don’t mock him, but I do chuckle to myself.
Someone pointed out that the signer is primarily for the benefit of those who are physically present at the press conference. Deaf persons watching the press conference on television can use closed captioning, unless they are illiterate.
Then there was the fake signer who was at the Obama speech during the Mandela funeral. Remember that?
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Yes, I admire them a lot and have a lot of respect for them. But, sometimes they do things that are funny. There was a woman yesterday who stuck her tongue out and made a funny face. I tried to figure out where that fit in the speech.
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I do remember the fake signer.
I understand that his animated exaggerated expressions and movements make him look comical, I just don’t like the people mocking him, saying he must be drunk or on drugs, he is saving lives.
The closed captioning is again like texting so there is no emotion attached to the words. Deaf people are reading and watching the interpreter or just watching the interpreter as he is conveying more than than the words scrolling across the screen are conveying to a deaf person.
I have some experience (very little) in the deaf world and this is how they communicate. My friends parents were both born deaf, they raised 3 children, because neither one of them talked often and then only with a very guttural voice they would leave the TV on so when the children were very young they were constantly exposed to normal voice ranges. All 3 kids have slightly guttural voices something you would notice but not put a finger on unless you knew their history.
I know I have an emotional response to this, but for me it is like laughing at a deaf persons guttural voice.
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I don’t know about the argument against closed captioning. I personally prefer to read an article rather than watch a video when it is important to get the details. I don’t think inflection has much to do with that.
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I’m not really arguing against the closed captioning, but you are seeing it from a hearing persons point of view, if I want to watch a closed caption movie (because it is in another language) I simply have to watch it twice, I can’t read and take in the whole screen. A deaf person can. A deaf person can read the captioning and watch the interpreter and make sense of it. I could not even if I could sign more than the alphabet and a few basic words.
I would rather read an article also if something is important because I can jot down the important things or go back and read what I think is important.
Interpreters go through a very stringent process. This man’s responsibility was to convey Governor Scott’s words and the seriousness of the situation and he did so in a way that would express the dire impending circumstances that people could find themselves in if they didn’t heed the warnings. I am not lumping you in with the idiots saying he must be drunk, majored in drama, high, or whatever, he is saving lives.
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I won’t argue with you, as you obviously have a strong point of view about this. I think the man does a job. Whether or not he has saved lives is debatable.
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The savongof life is not the interpreter’s job, his job’s to convey the info so the recipients can make their own decisions. I don’t think that the deaf are any more unable to deal with sheltering in place than the hearing, most of them realtime text now and emergency management also texts, tweets, whatevers.
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I agree.
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My point is not that the man is by himself is literally saving lives like a rescue team any more than Gov. Scott is saving lives. Making people aware of the seriousness of the storm so that they can take appropriate action to save their own lives is what I am talking about. Making it easier for deaf people to be aware of the seriousness of the storm is the interpreters job to do and he is doing a fine job of it.
Again my main problem is not with people finding his animated interpretation mesmerizing or entertaining it is its people mocking him and making fun of him who bother me. I appreciate the humor in the visual of his interpretation.
Comments like this;
‘Ok for the sign language guy,’ ‘I can’t help but watch how he interprets this & with so much sauce.’
don’t bother me.
People begging SNL to parody him can go to hell.
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🤛👍👌☺️
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Closed caption is going more towards Dragon-type voice recognition, fun to see how it manages accents, homonyms, synonyms and people eating while they’re talking. We leave the captions on as our hearing’s a bit screwed and, in my case, helps minimize the problems from tinnitus. The screwups sre also fun.
The interpreters keep Czarina up on her signing, something from her work. It looks like I’ll have to pick up some signing as it looks as if I’ll have a deaf granddaughter. As an aside, Czarina can usually pick up interpreters who’ve grown up in deaf families vice those who learned the language independently. I will pick up some but I plan largely on using realtime texting…yes, I know where some of you are going on that.
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Blessings and prayers for your deaf granddaughter, with your family to guide her she will be a dynamo!
I’ve watched Kes several times, once with closed captioning because their accents are so thick, it was too funny at some points how the closed captioning missed what was being totally goofed up. For one part I finally asked my English friend, he said the kid was saying a polite version of the f bomb but it was a Northern term and likely not in a computer system 😜.
That is so cool that Czarina signs, I could not pick it up even with my friend teaching me. We did it as part of our home schooling so I joined in. I think you need to be immersed in it for a while to get it.
I remember asking her about signs that were exactly the same but meant different things, context dummy was the answer 🙄. The facial expressions also indicate grammar I learned that when I asked her how a person would know that a sentence was over and a new sentence was starting.
Fascinating language.
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Her job required it, language is language. She won’t mention it but she found a blind/deaf child in the state’s school for the severely retarded. She picked up enough of the Hellen Keller Tadoma method to communicate with the child and eventually managed to get the child correctly diagnosed and transferred to an appropriate school out of state.
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Amazing. Good for Czarina, an angel in that child’s life.
My friend’s mom went blind when my friend was about 27 and they used the hand finger spelling in her palm. It was by far easier for them because they all knew it was coming and they could practice while she still had her sight. I was and I am in awe of the family.
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Being partially deaf, I can “go there” and say every time I see a signer I think of Oblismo’s interpreter and laugh. (My phone automatically spells Obama this way. 😜)
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Thanks for your point of view, and welcome!
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Lovely, pls do not take this as criticism of any kind, but I find signers with incorporated facial expressions to be admirably mesmerizing. The skill involved in using both facial as well as hand-signing is a rare gift, imo. One of my students received his first cochlear implant about halfway through the quarter. He stopped after class to tell me what a nice voice I had. Not a normal compliment from a student, but our shared joy at his finally hearing any voice made that compliment priceless. As for those who make fun of the signers…well, I’ve a pic of Revenge Cat, should you need a visual of “The Look”…
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Mesmerizing, saucy, entertaining all of that is good. They are communicating. I had just read some idiots posting making fun of him, saying he must be drunk or high and some moron on Twitter saying that she hoped that SNL would parody him.
I’d also just read some posts by people who were trolling Eric Bolling telling him his son was dead because of him.
Then I saw a picture of the Twin Towers so I was just in a pissy mood.
Did I mention I have to deal with a little self satisfied jerk tomorrow?
Don’t know who revenge cat is but it sounds good to me:) .
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Hurricane🌪🌀 folks
DOWNLOAD THE WALKIE TALKIE APP ZELLOW!! THOUSANDS USED IT IN HARVEY TO SURVIVE!
INSTANT COMMUNICATION, CLEARER THAN PHONE CALL THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY
*****
I have no idea how you go about doing this but maybe someone here could guide people who could use it through the process.
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Hmmmmmmm.
Unfortunately, if you lose internet in an emergency, Zello won’t be of much use.
If you need a truly off-the-grid app, goTenna may be a better alternative, since it enables text and GPS while offline. goTenna requires external attachments to work, but on the upside, it’s lightweight and weatherproof.
Back to the topic:
What Is Zello and How Do You Use It?
by Cortney Moore Sep 9, 2017, 5:00 AM
How to get started with Zello
1.Install the Zello app. Open up the App Store or Google Play and install Zello. This shouldn’t take long if you have a reliable connection.
2.Sign up for an account. If you don’t have an existing Zello account, you’ll need to make one from scratch. The process is quick, only asking for a username, an e-mail address, a password and an optional phone number. You won’t be able to change your username after creating an account, so make sure your spelling is correct.
3.Add contacts. By entering your phone number and e-mail address, Zello can access your address book to connect you to your contacts. If you prefer to add contacts manually, the app has a search function allows you to find users by username, email or phone number. There’s even an integrated QR scanner that allows you add emergency rescue stations as a contact. And, of course, there are unfriending and blocking options if you ever need them.
How to reach your contacts
1.Tap and hold. To get in touch with your family and friends, all you need to do is select the Contacts field in the main menu. When you’re on the contact page, tap the name of the person you want to reach, and hold microphone button to send a voice message. Pressing this button activates Zello’s walkie talkie, so the person to whom you’re reaching out will receive the message once you release your hold. If your contact isn’t logged in or connected to internet when you send the message, they’ll hear it once they can access the app.
2.Send photos. At the top-left hand corner there’s a small camera icon where you can send live photos. In Zello’s camera mode, you can control the level of flash, take a selfie or add text to captured images. If that’s too much trouble, you can access your device’s photo library and send your saved images instead.Forward location and alerts. A triangle shaped toggle at the center of the screen gives you the option of adding participants to the conversation or sending your exact location. Next to the toggle lies a chat bubble icon with a lightning bolt in the center. Selecting this button initiates an alert, which will beep on your contact’s phone until he or she acknowledges it. Track interactions. An icon of an eye at the top right hand corner lets you access an overview of your exchanged messages, allowing replays or exact addresses of your last sent location. You can also monitor your calls through the Recents tab on the main menu.
How to join or create a channel
1.Connect to your desired channel. When you’ve selected your channel, tap the circular power icon to join or leave the chat. Intermittent beeps signal when a person from the channel is speaking. The program displays usernames while users speak, so there’s no guesswork over who said what. Users can share photos within the channel, and the eye tool provides tracking and playback options. Unlike conversations with regular contacts, you can share voice messages from the channel to your social media accounts.
2.Make your own space. If you wish to create your own channel, all you have to do is hit the Add Channel button and select “Create a channel.” From there, you assign your channel a name, category, display photo, description and an assortment of settings that range from age restrictions to password requirements.
3.Moderate your channel. After you’ve created a channel, you’re responsible for ensuring that participants adhere to Zello’s community guidelines, which means no bullying or illegal discussions. If your channel grows to a point where you can’t manage on your own, you can assign moderators to help you keep everything in order. You can transfer ownership of your channel at any time, but once you give it away, it’s gone for good.
How to manage your Zello settings
1.Test your audio. When you check your contact list, there will be a Zello account named Echo present. Selecting this contact lets you test your audio levels to ensure voice capturing. An arrow facing the bottom right hand corner measures your connection quality, and your network’s delay in milliseconds.
2.Adjust the interface. If the app’s white background is too plain for your tastes, you can switch it for a downloadable theme, such as Camouflage Talk Screen or Classic Talk Screen Dark from the Options tab. You can also adjust Zello’s Push To Talk Button to function with individual taps, rather than holding it down the entire time. The button can also be connected to wireless accessories, such as headsets and radios.
3.Set notifications. From the Options tab, you can control how Zello alerts your device. Regulate the volume, vibration and individual alerts so you know when someone is trying to reach you.
4.Contact support. In the Zello Options tab, users can seek help, report a problem, connect to an FAQ, seek third party information and manage advanced network settings.
What’s ZelloWork and how is it different?
Zello is free for consumers, but there’s also paid version for organizations that’s called ZelloWork. Monthly subscriptions are available for $5 or $6, depending on the number of registered users. Perks that ZelloWork offers include private networks, dedicated servers, management interfaces for users and channels, higher security, cloud history and tech support.
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/apps,news-25805.html
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Thanks Impeach I am admittedly ignorant about how this would work.
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You did a good thing. 😉
There must still be some way of communicating in FLL.
https://www.earthcam.com/usa/florida/lauderdalebythesea/?cam=windjammer
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That brown stuff is usual to see.
Marks the high tide waterline. 😉
Note: Not supposed to be at the door.
Usually, quite a distance away. Check
after the storm to see its normal location.
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Shallow, small people they are – the detractors. I always found the expressions fascinating; not being a signer, it’s interesting to compare the interpreter’s expression with what is being said that I can hear. Bless these people for their contributions!
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The expressions are a vital part of the communications, as Czarina pointed out to me that generally shows they grew up in a hearing-impaired family, it’s how they convey emotions. It may be distracting for the hearing but if it is they should close their eyes and practice being blind.
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This morning, they officially announced the first ever Tropical Storm Warning for Atlanta! We are battening down the hatches about 100 miles NE of Atlanta. I’m just worried mostly about the trees coming down. We live on the edge of The Chattahoochee National Forest.
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I’m not too far from you, and my concern is always a tree coming down on the cabin.
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Remember a few years back when Atlanta was showing pix of their almost dry reservoir and praying for rain? If it ain’t one thing it’s another.
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Yep. And their politicians were actively claiming that Georgia actually owned part of the Tennessee River, after Tennessee sensibly refused to sell them water from the river, which would have destroyed the ecosystem.
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TAMPA…USF area
RAIN
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Czarina’s alma mater. I know because she’s up around the age where their alumni fundraisers keep calling wanting to know if she’s remembered them in her will. My old alma maters just send me letters inquiring about my relative state of health.
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My Son for his Degree in Finance at USF
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Tell him to put the USF fundraisers on his medical records access list, save them the trouble of calling and asking ‘Are you dead yet?’. Then again it’s nice to know your alma is thinking of you…
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Got an email last week, announcing an event coming up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the USF communication sciences dept. I was among the first graduating classes. Grad school cost $450 per year. Figure event is mostly to get those of us who have accumulated wealth to give them some in exchange for stale cake & false good wishes. .
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Crap, all mine offered me was green jello and Postum!
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For some reason, the word “vultures” comes to mind. 🙄
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Yeah, even vultures gotta pay the bills.
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They weren’t vegans when I went yo school, we’re talking nearly 50 years ago and the college was asking us to buy life insurance polices made out to them then. Sort of like that old joke about two buzzards sitting in a tree, one turns to the other and says: “Patience hell, let’s just go kill something!”.
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LOL
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Fort Lauderdale Wind:
(about 24 minutes, ago)
Wind: 71 knots
Wind direction: SE (131o)
Temperature: 86°F
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Watching a local broadcast from an area In West Palm where I went to school as a kid, about a mile from our old house. So far the press’s disaster feeding frenzy can only find a old tree blown down. All dressed up for a disaster and all they can find is a tree leaning on a house.
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Sense of desperation in local Palm Beach County weather talking heads…they’ve managed to find a tree with broken limbs are taking turns being videoed with it. Where are those biblical disasters when you’re really in need of one?
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To bad they were not further south.
They could hug a mast. 😉
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Oops. That was FLL.
Here’s his tweet, regarding sailboat in Miami…
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😯
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Miami…
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/906941680800202752
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https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/906947963100033026
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https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/906945495045681153
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https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/906940857986809856
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https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/906930777836879872
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https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/906971154853847040
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😯
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Seem to have spent time at the beach = good tans. 😉
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/906937736136970242
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And, these same people will be complaining if they get in trouble with the storm and help doesn’t come instantly.
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Don’t cha worry!
Flamingos headed to their safe place. 😉
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/906928413306433536
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Tampa Bay
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/906902741292863494
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4 hours ago
Marathon
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/906893728484339713
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Sarasota
https://www.earthcam.com/usa/florida/sarasota/?cam=siestabeach
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St Petersburg
https://www.earthcam.com/usa/florida/stpetersburg/?cam=stpeteair
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Sitting on the back porch in southeastern Mississippi, gusts of wind coming out of the east, little bit of very light rain, clouding over in bands. Czar is driving to Gulfport & said the gusts are so bad the truckers are slowing down to 60 mph & little cars are swerving in the wind; traffic lights swinging around. Weather radar seems to show this is coming off Irma. Hope the track stays east of us even if we get a little wind & rain.
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And the world is minus another 2 “almost astronauts”.
SMH.
Breaking into peoples homes after the people evacuated.
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