I learned to sign "thank you" from a chimp and "you're welcome" from the actress that played a research scientist in a Pepsi commercial.

I even used "you're welcome" myself one day at Wal-Mart. Thank you, Pepsi.

If you are going to teach your child how to sign, do NOT teach them the sign for "cookie". Because if you do, that's all you're going to get out of them.

Mentat: doyner: DarwiOdrade: Mentat: If sign language was good enough for Anne Frank, it should be good enough for the President.

Anne Frank co-wrote the Dodd-Frank Act. You mean Helen Reddy.

Are you sure it wasn't James Carville's wife?

Was she that deaf lady on Law and Order?

I think she was Blair's cousin on The Facts of Life.

FloydA: MrBallou: My first thought when I saw it was "We have the coolest president, ever".

My second thought was, "Oh shiat, the derpers are going to claim it was staged."



Rush will probably claim it's staged, but I'm betting Fox and Friends will go with "flashing gang signs."

It wasn't "thank you," he said "Allahu Ackbar."

Quasar: Liberal as I am, I can't help but feel a cynical curiosity that it was planned somehow.

Read the kid's response (new window) -- doesn't sound planned to me.

I SAID, HE JUST GOT ALL THE DEAF VOTE!

They have teleprompters for sign language?

Are the Republicans calling for mandatory sonic ear probes yet?

Earpj: There's also video of Michelle signing. I'm sure they both know know, at least, rudimentary sign.
Pretty cool.

Eh, if you don't know "thanks" in ASL then you're probably borderline illiterate. Most people get at least a few lessons in elementary school, and that's the one that most often sticks, and is the best all-purpose response in social situations.

Though, that said, I wouldn't be terribly surprised to learn that Obama has at least basic working knowledge of ASL, he did teach for some years and spent a good deal of time as a community organizer. You need some working Spanish and ASL for both.

I don't doubt for a second that Obama just flashed "thank you" to the kid just as he said "thanks" and "nice to meet you" to every single person in the lineup without really paying attention to them. I seriously doubt he understood the guy's ASL, but it was a good off the cuff response and moment of inclusion. No doubt, Obama thanking him in ASL made that guy's day.

I'm Republicans will claim obamacare made him deaf, or relate it back to obamacare = bad somehow.

Anyone care to take that bet?

/gang signs was funnier though

That's pretty damn classy.

Jim_Callahan: Earpj: There's also video of Michelle signing. I'm sure they both know know, at least, rudimentary sign.
Pretty cool.

Eh, if you don't know "thanks" in ASL then you're probably borderline illiterate. Most people get at least a few lessons in elementary school, and that's the one that most often sticks, and is the best all-purpose response in social situations.

Though, that said, I wouldn't be terribly surprised to learn that Obama has at least basic working knowledge of ASL, he did teach for some years and spent a good deal of time as a community organizer. You need some working Spanish and ASL for both.

I think you're seriously overestimating how often hearing people encounter and need to use ASL.

Poopspasm: I'm Republicans will claim obamacare made him deaf, or relate it back to obamacare = bad somehow.

Anyone care to take that bet?

/gang signs was funnier though

Now where did I put that "sure?"

/looks under couch cushions

Dr.Zom: They have teleprompters for sign language?

In all 57 states.

Now, quick, do a joke about fancy mustard.

bobbette: I think you're seriously overestimating how often hearing people encounter and need to use ASL.

Eh, one would hope they'd at least know "I don't know sign language", being able to tell people you can't communicate with them in many languages is a life skill.

It's not always about needing to talk to deaf people, either. I mostly learned my mangled half-assed version of ASL to talk to a labmate with perfectly good hearing, we were just in a lab that required double ear protection and it was unreasonable to duck into the hall every time I needed to ask for a certain size sealing gasket. I still can't do the talk-and-sign-simultaneously thing that you're supposed to do when your signing sucks, since he couldn't lip-read and that would have served no purpose.

stoli n coke: Dr.Zom: They have teleprompters for sign language?

In all 57 states.

Now, quick, do a joke about fancy mustard.

So you can poupon it?

Nadie_AZ: Meh. Bush spoke dirty spanish. Nobody cared. Or should have.

It'd be nice if our presidents and leaders spoke more than english.

Awwww, Obama gonna bring da kine pidgin, my haole bruddah!

Earpj: I had no idea about sign until I met my friend Cathy. Most of her family is deaf. I learned from them.

Neither I, nor any of my kids have had any kind of sign in school. I'm not sure where you get the idea that elementary schools teach any sign.

Mine did, and if I'd been any further into the low-income rural areas of Texas I'd have been in Oklahoma. So I tend to assume that my elementary schooling was about as bad as humanly possible.

I guess maybe not, though. I know that other states don't have Spanish in elementary, but I always attributed that to most of the immigrants from Mexico settling down in the southwestern US. Always kind of figured there were deaf people everywhere.

I learned some rudimentary signs while trying to court a deaf girl I worked with about 10 years ago. Though, 10 years is a long time and much has faded, it's like my Spanish... I couldn't have a casual conversation, but I could pick the gist up about what you're saying and sign an elementary response in context.

frito123: Weave, my corporate proxy's blocking that site (malware). Got another link? I'd like to see the response.

Malware?! Sigh... His video account of it: (new window)

Translation:

Hello, I would love to share my experience; something that I will not forget for rest of my life. Today was a special day for me, and I was preparing for it. It was announced yesterday, March 14, for everyone to receive tickets to see none other than the President of the United States, Barack Obama!

When I got ready to get up the morning at 7 am, I did not rush and took my time since the admission started at 8:30 am. I ate some breakfast and got onto the train to get to Prince George's Community College. When I got there, there was such a long line and I got so worried that I wouldn't get a good seat to be able to see my interpreter! How was it possible for me to understand what Obama had to say?!

I decided to let go of my nerves and went with the flow. I waited in line to go through security. Security was almost like security at the airport. It was the first time for me to experience that kind of security outside an airport. Of course, I have been to airports numerous times, but it was my first time to have that kind of experience on my college campus. I was not used to it. I saw the actual Secret Service, and you could feel how serious and strict they were, much different than dealing with county and even state police! You could tell they were not playing around.

When I got in, I took many videos. What amazed me is that it took two hours to make it just right before Obama started. I did not realize how great of seats there were for us deaf people. Right front of Obama. I sat in VIP with the Governor Martin O'Malley and many other important people. So, it started at about 11. Obama was right front of me. I was ready to jump up and walk toward him and shake his hand. Could you imagine how the Secret Service would've responded? When I watched Obama give his speech on the stage I thought to myself, "No way, Obama is not standing right in front of me! Wow!"

If you want to know more about what Obama's speech was about, you can find out online. I was close enough to touch Martin O'Malley on his shoulder but I didn't want to bother him. I regret I could have done better holding my camera while talking to Obama. The moment I will never forget was when he looked at me. He gave me a chance to talk to him. It was like he was waiting for me to say something. I took the moment and signed "I am proud of you," and his response was "Thank u" in sign language back! Oh my gosh! I was like wow! He understood me after I said I was proud of him. It was so amazing...I was just speechless. Right after he thanked me, he smiled at another deaf lady who signed "I love you." When I shook his hand it did not feel like he was superior to me. He was just a humble man. I am just impressed by him and know that he will have my vote and he will win second term without a doubt. Yeah, I feel safe to have him for another term.

Marcus Aurelius: It's heartening to know that not every dumb person thinks Obama is a Kenyan Muslim usurper.

I see what you did there.

Terrorist chin-flip.

Somacandra: vygramul: The obvious and likely explanation is that he knows one sign: "thank-you", and flashes it in response to any ASL he sees. Test: sign, "do not say thank-you.". See what he does.

[i.imgur.com image 211x298]

Do you know how I know neither you nor anyone else here is a parent?

/It be a damn rite of passage.

Came here to say that. Having your baby learn sign language makes life about a million times easier. When my wife proposed it, I thought she was farking nuts.

Jim_Callahan: Eh, one would hope they'd at least know "I don't know sign language", being able to tell people you can't communicate with them in many languages is a life skill.

Yeah, I don't think you need to know how to sign to do this:

If thats a viral video, the Obama campaign is doing it right.

shinji3i: If thats a viral planned video, the Obama campaign is doing it right.

My bizzle.

Sabyen91: Jim_Callahan: Eh, one would hope they'd at least know "I don't know sign language", being able to tell people you can't communicate with them in many languages is a life skill.

Yeah, I don't think you need to know how to sign to do this:

[2.bp.blogspot.com image 380x380]

Close, but not quite:

Link (new window)

Knowing is half the battle.

Jim_Callahan: Sabyen91: Jim_Callahan: Eh, one would hope they'd at least know "I don't know sign language", being able to tell people you can't communicate with them in many languages is a life skill.

Yeah, I don't think you need to know how to sign to do this:

[2.bp.blogspot.com image 380x380]

Close, but not quite:

Link (new window)

Knowing is half the battle.

Except they will know you don't understand either way.

God I'd love it if they went the "sending signals to terrorists" route. Nothing like pissing off another segment of voters. If they do this, can whoever is in charge of the list of things conspiring against GOP and blah blah please add "ASL users," "deaf people," and "mute people" to the list?

Wyalt Derp: So what? Mitt Romney is fluent in over six million forms of communication.

Well, I don't know if you can give him credit for the implant his people's scientists installed in him.

off-topic, but the (non-deaf) kids who took ASL in High School were some of the smarmiest pricks I've ever met.