- Saving inanimate objects is not enough of a priority on
the to-do lists of most fire departments and their emergency medical personnel.
Hoboken, N.J. is one place where the EMTs don’t need to be told about their
duty to assist one and all, even if that number includes plastic baby dolls. Give
credit to a select crew of medics in Hoboken who smashed a sport-utility vehicle’s window in
an attempt to save a baby locked inside the sweltering vehicle, only to
find that the 911 callers who alerted a dispatcher to the perilous plight of
what turned out to be a doll. Multiple concerned citizens called 911 to report
a baby trapped inside the Honda CRV on Jackson Street and somehow, the
medics who responded to the scene were unable to determine that the endangered
infant in the vehicle was merely a toy. Luz Kitty Mieles returned to her
car to find shattered glass and apologetic medics who assured her that the
city will pay for the necessary repairs to her ride. The doll at the center of
the drama was left in the car, tucked into a child safety seat, by Mieles’ 2-year-old
granddaughter. “I said, ‘Oh no, my car,'” Mieles said. “When I got there,
everything was broken.” Despite having a shattered window and a major
inconvenience, Mieles accepted the medics’ apology and the Hoboken Volunteer
Ambulance Corps defended the EMTs’ actions. “The guys that were on
the ambulance are taking a beating by their coworkers, but it’s all in good
fun,” said Thomas Molta, president of the ambulance service. “But again, I’d
rather err on the side of caution. You can replace a window. You can’t replace
a life.” Maybe that can be the cornerstone of an exciting new advertising
campaign to promote the ambulance service………
- There’s enjoying the lifestyle of a professional
athlete…..and then there’s enjoying the lifestyle of a professional athlete. Dustin
Johnson seems to understand the distinction and as a result, he has reportedly
been suspended for six months by the PGA Tour after he tested positive for
cocaine. It’s the third time Johnson has ended up on the wrong side of a drug
test result - two for cocaine (in 2014 and '12) and one for marijuana (2009).
That’s far from the only allegation of Johnson walking on the wild side. As the
legend goes, he also had as many as two trysts with the wives of fellow tour
players, with one indiscretion reportedly leading to the end of the associated
marriage. The PGA Tour has remained silent on all of this because its
guidelines prevent it from announcing any disciplinary actions against players
who test positive for recreational drugs. Johnson tried to spin the situation
in a more positive light, announcing that he was taking a leave of absence from
competition, effective immediately, for "personal challenges." The
tour then added a statement wishing Johnson well, which seems fairly hollow
given the circumstances. When asked about the claims, PGA Tour executive vice
president Ty Votaw refuted the report, reiterating that the leave is voluntary
and saying Johnson has not been suspended. Whatever the details behind
coke-addled top golfer not being on tour for six months, Johnson will miss next
week's PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as the FedEx Cup
playoffs and the Ryder Cup. His suspension/leave of absence could also impact
sponsors such as TaylorMade-Adidas, but so far none have officially responded
to the story……..
- Uh-oh. Uruguay was on its way to being the world’s first
really cool stoner country, but that journey may be coming off the rails. The
South American nation has a plan to create the world's first national,
government-regulated marketplace for legal pot, but delays in implementing the
plan are putting it at risk. Worse still, totally square opponents are making
gains in pre-election polls, which also show most Uruguayans oppose a legal pot
marketplace. Put all of the elements together and you have a country that could
be in for an awesome era of burning ganja and not having to worry about The Man
harshing their buzz, but is instead veering dangerously toward acting like
every other country in the world. It has only been three months since a law
went into effect allowing for the growing of pot by licensed individuals, the
formation of growers and users clubs and the sale by pharmacies of 40 grams of
pot a month to registered users. President Jose Mujica and his Broad Front
movement have led the charge on the pro-pot plan, billing it as a viable option
for combating rising crime rates. Sadly, even though it is now totally legal,
no government-approved marijuana has been planted and officials still have not
held a competition to select growers. The delays could be nothing more than
typical bureaucratic red tape and delays, but the signs ominously lurking overhead
as this matter develops suggest there are legitimate worries for anyone who
dreams of smoking a legal blunt or firing up a legitimate bong in Uruguay……..
- Who knew “The Jungle Book” was still so popular? There are
apparently two separate projects underway to retell Rudyard Kipling's oft-told story, with director
Jon Favreau's (“Chef”) Disney
film the most prominent. Favreau has already enlisted the help of some
legitimate A-listers for the animated effort. Getting folks such as Idris Elba,
Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyongo'o, Ben Kingsley and Christopher Walken on
board becomes easier when they don’t have to actually appear on camera and can
instead roll into the studio in their sweats, sans makeup, and read lines into
a microphone all day. The latest addition to the all-star cast is Bill Murray,
who will provide the voice for the character Baloo. Voicing an animated ape is
a fitting next step in the career of an actor who launched his career on
“Saturday Night Live” and has since played weird scientists in “Ghostbusters,”
an eccentric weatherman in “Groundhog Day” and a quirky groundskeeper in
“Caddyshack.” “The Jungle Book” is due in theaters Oct. 9, 2015, but it isn't
the only film in the works based on the book of the same name. Motion capture
acting star Andy Serkis is also preparing his own cinematic rendition of famous
tale. "Puppeteering a digital avatar is something we’re trying to do at
The Imaginarium, which is our performance capture studio in Ealing where I'm
also working on ‘Animal Farm,’ ‘The Jungle Book’ and the next ‘Avengers’ movie,” Serkis said. While
Favreau’s take on the story will have a decidedly Disney slant, Serkis said his
version will embrace the book's dark side………
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