cardiac arrest

cardiac arrest

June 25, 2009 -- Pop star Michael Jackson has died at age 50 after suffering a cardiac arrest, according to media reports.

Los Angeles TV station KTLA reports that Los Angeles fire officials said they responded to a 911 call at Jackson's home and that Jackson wasn't breathing when they arrived; paramedics performed CPR and rushed him to UCLA Medical Center, although the hospital, due to privacy rules, could not confirm that.

In a cardiac arrest, the heart stops working properly. A cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack, but it can happen because of a heart attack, notes Douglas Zipes, MD, MACC, distinguished professor at Indiana University School of Medicine and past president of the American College of Cardiology.

Zipes explains that "cardiac arrest is a heart rhythm disturbance when the bottom chamber of the heart, the ventricles, beat an at extremely rapid rate -- 4 to 600 times a minute."

Zipes says that heart rhythm "prevents that bottom chamber from effective contraction and pumping blood to the brain and to the rest of the body, and death results if it's not reversed within four or five minutes, generally."

According to Zipes, when that heart rhythm disturbance, which is called ventricular fibrillation, happens, the bottom chambers of the heart are "like a bag of squiggly worms without an effective squeeze, and no blood gets pumped to the rest of the body, and without the necessary oxygen in the blood vessels going to the brain, and so on, the brain then begins to die."

CPR can help keep blood flowing, but it would take an electrical shock to the heart -- either from electrical paddles called defibrillators or from an internal heart device -- to shock the heart back to a normal rhythm.

"Some sort of blood flow has to be initiated, whether it's with CPR or with the shock that terminates the fibrillation and restores an effective contraction," says Zipes.

Zipes notes that in 30% to 50% of cardiac arrests, "that event is the first manifestation of underlying heart disease. So you may not have chest pain, you may not have shortness of breath, you may not have anything" as a warning sign.

Just over a year ago, NBC journalist Tim Russert died after a cardiac arrest. Russert was being treated for his heart disease risk factors; Jackson's previous heart health hasn't been made public.

nebraska wrestler scandal

nebraska wrestler scandal

ESPN revealed the upcoming week's programming.
OTL will examine the dismissal of two Nebraska wrestlers who accepted money to pose on a pornographic Web site frequented by gay men.
According to ESPN, their OTL report found a pattern of disciplinary leniency in the wrestling program. When wrestlers Paul Donahoe and Kenny Jordan accepted money to promote their images on the porn site, they violated NCAA regulations.
Coach Mark Manning tells OTL the two wrestlers were released for a multitude of reasons, including a previous NCAA violation and academic and behavioral issues.
Jordan and Donahoe contend the coach's inability to cover up the Internet appearances was the main reason for the dismissals.
David Amber reports. "I threatened them, and said 'I'll be on the 6 o'clock (news). Turn the TV on. I'll talk about the illegal (expletive) you guys do.'" -- Paul Donahoe, former Nebraska wrestler, on what he told his coach after being dismissed from the team “We didn’t kill anybody. We didn’t put anybody in the hospital. We’re not selling drugs. We’re not bad kids. We did some porn, get over it.” – Kenny Jordan, former Nebraska wrestler, now attending Purdue “Oh, there’s people that walked out with eight, nine-hundred, a grand, easy.” – Jordan, on alleged gambling among Nebraska wrestlers and coaches
ESPN.com’s Paula Lavigne writes: “If the scenarios presented by Donahoe's coaches, teammates and others are true, his isn't necessarily a story of a student-athlete denied a second chance. It's a story about a chronic troublemaker given multiple chances to change his ways."





SportsCenter will air “Were Are They Now?” Danny Almonte on Sunday, 10 a.m., 11 p.m. ESPN.
SportsCenter (Sunday, 11 p.m., ESPN Deportes)
In 2001 Danny Almonte amazed all by throwing a perfect game in the Little League World Series. The wonder kid then found himself in the middle of a scandal when it was revealed that he was 2 years older than the League age limit. Now 22, Almonte plays for the Alaska Baseball League and still dreams of a career in the pros.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1482994.php/ESPN_programming_reveals_Nebraska_wrestling_scandal_and_Danny_Almonte#ixzz0IQ1n4fVp

johnny benson

johnny benson

MARNE, Mich. (WZZM)- NASCAR driver and West Michigan

native Johnny Benson Jr. crashed his ISMA super modified car during a race at Berlin Raceway Saturday night.

A spokesperson for Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids confirms that Benson is in serious but stable condition. She also says she wouldn't be surprised if his condition was upgraded sometime Sunday morning.

On the first lap of the featured race, Benson and another driver touched entering turn four sending Benson around where he crashed drivers' side into the outside wall. Benson's car came to rest in the middle of the track where it was engulfed in flames before safety crews arrived.

He was unable to leave under his own power and was transported to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital.

Benson is the defending NASCAR Truck series champion but lost his ride earlier this week when Red Horse Racing

annette funicello

annette funicello

PITTSBURG : The 25 members of Phi Kappa Chapter, Phi Tau Omega sorority, will host a rummage sale Friday and Saturday at the home of Julie Story, 1011 Cedar Lane. No sales will be made before 8 a.m.
All proceeds from the sale will go toward the sorority’s philanthropic activities.

‘Friday Flick’
Pittsburg Public Library will present the first of four “Friday Flicks” at 1 p.m. This week’s movie will feature Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello in a 1965 beach party romp that also includes Linda Evans.
Popcorn and beverages ill be available at the movie, which will be open free to all adults aged 18 and older.
“Friday Flicks” is being held in conjunction with the adult reading program “Rock ‘n Read.” The program is made possible with support from the Friends of the Library.

Senior Citizens Club
Pittsburg Senior Citizens Club will meet at 1:30 p.m. in Lincoln Center for the annual talent show. Members will also play bingo. Snacks will be served.
Fee to attend will be 50 cents. Anyone needing additional information may call the Pittsburg Parks and Recreation Department at 231-8310.

xtu

xtu

XTU Show - June 13, 2009.
Yep, it's finally arrived, the unofficial kickoff to the summer concert season. In preparation, I am [*tear] skipping my line dance outing this evening. It will be worth it because I'll get some dancing in tomorrow at the show. Tonight, I will be hitting up the giant supermarket/everything-under-the-sun store to load up the truck.

My XTU SHOW TAILGATING CHECKLIST

• Booze, liquor stores aren't open at 7:30 AM [found that out the hard way]
• Tin foil, tongs, spatula
• Paper plates, napkins
• Toilet Paper, hand sanitizer
• Camping chairs
• ICE, Lotsa ice
• Grill, lighter fluid, charcoal
• Food, Veggie burgers (they don't make you sick if they're not cooked the whole way through)
• Crappy line dance boots (cement isn't ideal for your leather soles)
• Flip flops
• Sunscreen
• Blanket (for the lawn)
• cowboy hat (drinks + impulse cowboy hat purchase = no good)
• Jeans & sweatshirt (it gets cool when the sun goes down with sunburn & the suncreen you forgot to put on)
• Tickets!
• Ladderball, Washers, Magnetic dart board, any other game you "borrow" from your kids
• Cooler
• Bike lock (to lock up your chairs/cooler during the show)
• Charged camera
  
• Designated driver

yellow man

yellow man

It’s just too nice and I am too busy to comment yet on Obama’s speech today, which I haven’t seen or heard but only briefly read about. And apparently Cheney gave one too. Why? Isn’t he done? Well, I’ve been pondering a post here in which I complain about what President Obama has NOT done yet, but it is still too early for that, I think. But as Greenwald says in that link, “closing Guantanamo, banning torture tactics, (and) limiting the state secrets privilege” are all at the top of the list. The war in Iraq needs to end, and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” needs to end. Obama needs to come out more forcefully (and he may have today, I don’t know) against the way it was under Cheney.

It would be nice if he supported gay marriage with some cool Obama enthusiasm. Snap his fingers and jazz up a little number.

But I am underinformed at the moment, and distracted by pleasant realities to argue about it, and the sun is shining on me and my baby. So it goes when summer comes to Chicago.

UPDATE:

Put it on his tombstone:

Cheney declared, without any equivocation or nuance, that “in the fight against terrorism, there is no middle ground.” It was less an argument than a declaration. It was a vivid reminder of where he stands, and how he thinks. If nothing else, it is a perfect epitaph for a philosophy, and an era of American history that has, at least for the moment, been thoroughly rejected by the sitting President of the United States.

beer bike

beer bike

Do you know about beer bar?? if not then just watch the video and read the whole article...its really a nice thing..

AMSTERDAM (Reuters Life!) - Although famous for a love of bicycles as the city's preferred transport, Amsterdam officials are starting to draw the line at a popular "beer bike."

The bike, which can seat at least 10 people around a central "bar" as they pedal through the city center, is a frequent sight in the Dutch capital and is said to be popular with stag and hen (bachelor and bachelorette) parties. A non-drinker steers the bike.

But two accidents involving the bikes since the start of April has prompted the city councilor responsible for transport, Hans Gerson, to investigate how many bikes there are and whether they pose a problem.

"This beer bike is completely legal, but he (Gerson) is not very enthusiastic about this idea of people drinking while being amongst traffic," a spokeswoman said.

But she downplayed the possibility of a ban, stressing the alderman is looking into various options.

Ard Karsten, owner of beerbike.co.uk which rents bikes to tourists, said he was open to talks with the council, adding his company only rents a beer bike out with a driver and has never been involved in an accident.

A compromise could involve the council obligating all firms to supply a driver with the bike, he said.

"We're not out on the street en masse and it's simply controllable. It is about fun and teambuilding," Karsten said. "We have a very beautiful route and people simply enjoy it, but some people ruin it for others."

A spokesman for the Amsterdam city center district, Ton Boon, said the bike was already banned in the red light district and welcomed Gerson's inquiry. "It causes a lot of nuisance."

Amsterdam newspaper Het Parool had reported earlier this week an accident last weekend resulted in various injures, while three women were injured two weeks ago.

"It is an uncontrolled projectile," motorcyclist Karin Wolfs, who was involved in an accident was quoted as saying.

statue cruises

statue cruises

In another smoke and

mirrors effort to divert our attention from important issues, our government, through Statue Cruises, is againallowing "we the people" into the crown of the Statue of Liberty. We own the Statue of Liberty, and it is supposed to represent our liberty . Yet, a bunch of white guys in Washington (some are women or people of color just acting like all the white guys who have gone before them) have restricted us from touring the crown.

Now, people are lining up to purchase coveted tickets to the top of Miss Liberty. I wonder what kind of search they will have to pass through to actually get in? Perhaps this picture is not far from the next government restrictions reality.

In order to get the most publicity from this new government stunt and help us to forget we are a warmongering country waging two wars abroad and not able to feed, house, educate or provide health care for our own people, the Statue of Liberty's crown opens to the public on July 4. So, step right up and get in line to worship at the head of the hottest babe in New York harbor.

May we all experience true liberty and freedom, free from government restrictions, and may that genuine liberty pervade our entire Spaceship Earth soon.

norman brinker

norman brinker

Norman Brinker, the man who changed America’s definition of casual dining out, died on vacation Tuesday. The chairman emeritus of Brinker International Inc. and its retired chief executive was 78.

Brinker was with his wife, Toni, in Colorado Springs celebrating his birthday last Wednesday when he aspirated food. He succumbed to aspirated pneumonia early Tuesday morning.

“Through his teachings and guidance, and leadership, Norman changed the whole restaurant industry,” said retired Dean Foods Inc. vice chairman Pete Schenkel, one of Brinker’s closest friends. “He was a real entrepreneur, a very caring person and someone you were always glad to see because he had a smile on his face.”

At one time or another, virtually every major food chain in the country has been led by a former employee of Brinker, said Doug Brooks, chief executive of Brinker International. Just two examples: Outback Steakhouse and Houston’s were founded by Brinker protégés.

Brinker, who started out as a busboy in Southern California, moved to Dallas in the early 1960s with his first wife, tennis great Maureen Connolly Brinker, who died in 1969.

david carradine death photo thairath

david carradine death photo thairath

Thairath David Carradine Death Photo - Bankok Thai Tabloid Forensic Photo

A Bankok Thai tabloid “ThaiRath“ has released a photo of David Carradine’s dead body. Apparently, this incident outraged Carradine’s relatives. I’ve read somewhere the the members of David Carradine’s family have threatened legal action to the Thai newspaper (Thai Rath) , and a certain website that showed David Carradine’s Forensic Photo.

Thai police said that it was a picture of Carradine’s dead body taken by the thai forensic team.

I guess the question is who is that person in the Thai forensic team who gave the media a copy of those photos?

Like you, I’ve search the web for those David Carradine death photos. A lot of website owners and bloggers are not willing to show any of the photos because it may not be the right thing to do. Besides, the family of David Carradine is already outraged by this and some bloggers might be in deep trouble if they post a copy of the Thai Rath forensic photo of David Carradine.

Let’s respect the request of David’s relatives. If you can, pls have a moment of silence and pray for the soul of David Carradine. I guess that would be a good thing to do for the moment.

jon voight

jon voight

(ChattahBox)–There wasn’t a Democrat to be found at the Washington Convention Center last night, as Republican leaders and conservative pundits, such as Sean Hannity and Newt Gingrich attended the major fundraising dinner for the Republican House and Senate campaign committees. Master of ceremonies, actor and rabid conservative Jon Voight, provided plenty of red-meat right wing rhetoric, to the delight of the 2,000 attendees, some of which was outright bizarre.

Jon Voight repeated a speech he had given earlier that day before the congressional committee, setting the paranoid tone for the evening. Voight provided a dire doomsday message throughout his speech, calling for fellow Republicans to “free this nation from this Obama oppression,”

He blamed Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, the Republican’s bogeyman, George Soros and Chris Dodd and “their ilk,” for what he called the “downfall of our country. Conveniently forgetting the disastrous policies of the Bush administration of the past eight years.

He laced his speech with negative references to President Obama’s huge popularity and high approval ratings, demonizing Obama by such depictions, as “…Obama’s false Halo-istic presence,” and his anointing as the “One” by Oprah Winfrey.

Voight went on to call Obama’s policies “wildly radical.” “Obama thinks he is a soft spoken Julius Caesar,” said Voight who plans to conquer the world with his “…sweet talk.”

Voight ended his exercise in demagoguery by shouting out to his right wing FOX heroes, including Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Glen Beck and Michelle Malkin, praising them for keeping up the fight to defeat the “…false prophet Obama.”

Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as the keynote speaker, continued Voight’s bashing of President Obama claiming Obama’s policies to fix the economy have “already failed.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell referred to President Obama’s policies as a “radical agenda.”

McConnell, Senator Orrin Hatch and Senator John Cornyn praised Voight’s speech as “refreshing.”

When Voight was introduced, he was praised for his inspiring movie roles, such as his portrayal of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the film Pearl Harbor.

However, last night he more resembled his villainous character on the FOX show 24, Jonas Hodges, a deranged right-wing industrialist, turned domestic terrorist, who seeks to overtake the U.S. government.

nevaeh buchanan body found

nevaeh buchanan body found

The body found in River Raisin in southeast Michigan is likely that of Neveah Buchanan, a 5-year-old who went missing almost 2 weeks ago.

A news conference will be held this morning at 10:30 AM in Monroe (This article will be updated with the details of that broadcast).
A fisherman is said to have found the body and called the police in the small town just 35 miles outside of Detroit.

Naveah Buchanan’s grandmother who had legal custody of her confirmed that the girl’s clothing matched what Neveah was wearing when she disappeared.

Investigators are still waiting for DNA results from the lab to confirm whether or not the body is Neveah.

The cause of death is not set in stone, but authorities suspect it may have been a murder: George Kennedy and Roy Smith are both being held in relation to the death – Kennedy is a convicted sex offender.

david carradine murdered

david carradine murdered

Questions about David Carradine's death have led many to assume that he was murdered.

What initally looked like a suicide, the death of David Carradine is now believed to have been accidental. When asked, a representative told the media that David Carradine was hung accidentally by his neck and other body parts- the natural assumption from this statement is that he was engaged in some sort of auto-erotic asphyxiation.

There is evidence that David was not alone in the hotel room at the time of his death, but the other party has either not come forward or has not been named. Speculation that David Carradine was murdered is just that - speculation.

Auto-erotic asphyxiation is a sexual act that involves choking or otherwise cutting off the blood flow to one's head during sexual contact; it is considered very dangerous as these kinds of accidents are all too common.

In any case, I think we should be celebrating this man's life, not making light of his death; it has to be very embarassing for his family.

national donut day 2009

national donut day 2009

Need a sugar rush heading into the weekend? You're in luck -- today, June 5, is National Donut Day, and a few shops around the city are celebrating with some sweet donut deals:

Dunkin' Donuts: get a free donut with the purchase of a beverage all day. Click here for locations.

The Donut Pub: buy a dozen donuts, get one free (including munchkins). 203 W. 14th St., 212-929-0126

Krispy Kreme: get one free donut per customer - no strings attached! Try the Penn Station location in midtown: 2 Penn Plz., 212-947-7175

bishop george lucas

bishop george lucas

VATICAN CITY - The pope has named Springfield, Ill., Bishop George Lucas to be the new archbishop of Omaha, Neb. The Vatican on Wednesday said Lucas will replace 76-year-old Archbishop Elden Curtiss, who is retiring. Lucas turns 60 next week and has been Springfield bishop since 1999. He's a St. Louis native who studied philosophy at Cardinal Glennon College and theology at Kenrick Seminary before receiving his master's degree in history at St. Louis University.
Lucas was ordained as a priest in 1975.

tiananmen square

tiananmen square

BEIJING (AP) — Foreign journalists were barred from Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Wednesday as an Internet clampdown that blocked Twitter expanded to include more blogs on the eve of the 20th anniversary of a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
In a further sign of the government's unwavering hard-line stance toward the protests, the second most-wanted student leader from 1989 said he had been denied entry to the southern Chinese territory of Macau.
In exile since fleeing China after the crackdown, Wu'er Kaixi traveled to Macau on Wednesday to turn himself in to authorities in a bid to return home. Immigration officers at Macau's airport pulled him aside and demanded he fly back to Taiwan.
Authorities have also shut photo-sharing site Flickr and confined dissidents to their homes or forced them to leave Beijing, as they ramped up efforts to prevent online discussions about or commemorations of those who died in the military assault on demonstrators on the night of June 3-4, 1989.

m audio recording studio equipment

m audio recording studio equipment
A native of Houston Texas, guitarist Mike Moreno has been making waves. After graduating from the famed Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Moreno received a scholarship to study jazz at the New School in New York.
Moreno first paid his dues playing gigs around New York, and has since been able to perform with some of the biggest names in jazz, including the Joshua Redman Elastic Band, Lizz Wright, Nicholas Payton, Greg Osby and Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Though he spends a lot of his time playing and touring as a sideman, Moreno leads his own band and has recorded two albums under his own name, Between the Lines (World Culture Music, 2007) and Third Wish (Criss Cross, 2008), which have received strong praise from fans and critics alike. Fresh from a series of gigs in Europe, Moreno is hitting his stride as he prepares to head into the studio later this year to record his third album.
All About Jazz: On your debut album Between the Lines, the material consists of all original pieces, while for your latest recording Third Wish you have decided to include several jazz standards. What was behind your decision to include these particular pieces as opposed to recording a second album of original material?

gm plant closings

gm plant closings

DETROIT (AP) - General Motors Corp. says it will permanently close nine more plants and idle three others to trim production and labor costs under bankruptcy protection.Assembly plants in Pontiac, Mich., and Wilmington, Del., will close this year, while plants in Spring Hill, Tenn., and Orion, Mich., will shut down production but remain on standby.Powertrain plants in Livonia, Flint and Ypsilanti Township, Mich. will close next year, along with plants in Parma, Ohio, and Fredericksburg, Va.Stamping plants in Indianapolis and Mansfield, Ohio, also will close. A stamping plant in Pontiac, Mich., will be idled but remain in a standby capacity.GM says it will also close service and parts warehouses in Boston, Jacksonville, Fla., and Columbus, Ohio, by the end of this year.

black america web

black america web
How Green Is My Produce? Locally grown produce bought at the farmer's market may be delicious, nutritious, and good for the local economy, but it's probably not helping reduce the use of fossil fuels. Or so argues Brian Dunning over at Skeptic Blog "Locally grown produce is rarely efficient," he says. "Apply a little mathematics to the problem, and you’ll find that the ugly alternative of giant suburban distribution centers accomplishes the same thing - fresh produce into stores on the same day it’s picked - but with much less fuel burned." (Skeptic Blog)
Nadia's Big Adventure Mother of 14 Nadia Sulyman has signed a television deal to create a "quasi-reality" show about her life. The controversial mom, who gave birth to octuplets (a word spell check doesn't even recognize) after what one might describe as "overzealous" in-vitro fertilization treatments, has made a move to trademark the name "Octomom." She also thinks "Jon and Kate Plus 8" is boring. We now return to reporting real news. (People)

tabitha soren

tabitha soren

Somewhere along the line, the American male sat at the negotiating table with the American female and got fleeced, according to author Michael Lewis. The modern American father has new responsibilities that his dad never had to manage.
"I got sort of frustrated at my ineptitude right after I had my first child and I was just amazed at how tougher a deal I had than my father," Lewis, father of three, tells NPR's Steve Inskeep.
His wife, former MTV news reporter, Tabitha Soren, "somehow got a deal my mother would have killed for and I couldn't understand what happened," he says.
Lewis jokes that his father would see him changing diapers and he ask, "'What are you doing?' You're not supposed to do that. I didn't talk to you until you were 21.'"