Sunday Morning – Plan Your Guest List Carefully

The marrying season is upon us with a high percentage of nuptual contracts scheduled for June.  If you are in the midst of helping someone prepare for such an occasion, Firegeezer wants to remind you that you have to be careful with who you choose to invite to the wedding reception after the services.  Two weeks ago a North Olmstead, Ohio (Cleveland area), woman jumped into the early lead for this year's Worst Wedding Guest of the Year award.

During the reception, where apparently they had plenty of free booze for the guests, the bride's sister-in-law, Brooke Burke started slow-dancing with the groom in an "unappropriate" manner (ok…too sexy, then) and the bride attempted to cut in and separate the snugglers.  Brooke didn't take too kindly to having her fantasy interruputed, bride or no, and started screaming and swinging her fists at the joyous bride.  A bit of a melee ensued including Brooke shoving a pregnant guest down with plenty more screaming involved. 

Miss Burke, Famous Guest

Within moments, the dance band was drowned out by sirens and the party was interrupted once again, this time by a second wave of policemen who rolled in and subdued the angry woman.  This time they provided the transportation, but instead of taking her home they gave her a tour of the police station.  Back at the reception hall the guests forsook watching the bride open her presents, instead using their time to fill out witness statements.

So for all you wedding planners out there, be forewarned.  One big clue that Firegeezer picked up on is, if you live in an area where you feel the need to hire a security guard for your wedding reception as a matter of course, then you've got problems already.

Let's avoid our own problems by getting this equipment checked out now.  I'm going to see how the Sunday breakfast is coming along and make sure there's plenty of coffee ready when we get back to the day room.

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Thursday Morning – Dark Skies Everywhere

By now you have been flooded with information, interviews, etc., relating to the passing of Dick Clark yesterday (HERE).  He was one of those people who everybody knows of and all those thoughts are good ones.  The man naturally fit right into the pop music scene and literally became a part of everyone's life in some form or another.  Even the older people were exposed to his showmanship via the New Year's Eve television broadcasts from Times Square that also became a must-see fixture of our pop culture.

When he had a severe stroke in 2004, the entire nation groaned and began praying for the best.  After a year of intense therapy he was able to make some tv appearances for a while, but only with the aid of others as he was visibly handicapped from his illness.  But we overlooked that and applauded his partial recovery and spunky return to our living rooms.  There are very few people who achieve that level of popularity and recognition.  Thank you, Dick Clark.

Coincidentally, over the past week or ten days some of our readers have emailed to alert me to some other pop stars that are unfortunately in the closing days of their lives due to terminal illnesses.  One of them is Robin Gibb of the famed rock group The Bee-Gees.  He has been battling cancer for two years as it continues to spread through his body and is now into his liver.  This past Friday he slipped into a coma and the doctors are thinking that he probably has just a few days to live.  Sigh….

That's enough glumness for one day, so let's get to our equipment and start our daily check.  The coffee pot needs refreshing, so I'll take care of that.  See you back in the day room in a little while.

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Dick Clark – The Cultural Icon of the 20th Century

DICK CLARK, THE AGELESS DISC JOCKEY and tv personality who spent more than 65 years in show business, died this morning (Wednesday) following what his agent referred to as "a massive heart attack" in Malibu, California.

Clark was born November 30, 1929, in Mount Vernon, New York.  While still a teenager he began working at a radio station owned by his father and uncle, soon filling is as a disc jockey and he never looked back.  In 1952 he landed a job at WFIL in Philadelphia hosting a pop music show, "Dick Clark's Caravan of Music."  Shortly thereafter his duties expanded to a new afternoon television show for teenagers called "American Bandstand."  The program that featured teens dancing to current pop hits went national when ABC picked up the program and Clark became a national favorite with the program running for 30 years.

ABC has posted an early obituary with a summary of Dick Clark's long and productive career HERE.

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Tuesday Morning – Seeing Stars

As you probably know, the folly of teenagers will drive parents absolutely, wall-banging crazy.  When they hit around 15 or 16 yrs. they get this mind-set that they have suddenly become infused with the wisdom of the ages and a firm grip on what is good for their health and happiness.  Their determination to set out on projects and activities will test the parents to the limits of their sanity, if not beyond.  Mom and Dad almost have to take turns like a tag-team match to keep the young sprouts out of trouble.  But the ability to succeed in that is almost impossible and the errant juniors will come home one day with a heart attack-inducing announcement followed by the parents wailing "Where did we go wrong?"

That must have been the reaction in the household in Belgium three years ago when cute little Kimberly Vlaeminck came home after an unapproved visit to a tattoo parlor in Coutrai (Belgium).

Cute Little Kimberly  (EuroPics)

Cute little Kimberly was a little embarrassed at how it turned out and she lied to her parents (No!!) and told them she only ordered up three stars, but fell asleep on the Needler's chair and he just kept on a'tattoin' until he had the 56-star constellation that she lit up the household with.  The London Daily Mail in an article this week about cute little Kimberly's plight tells us,

Miss Vlaeminck said she avoided going out in public because the tattoos made her feel like a 'freak'.

But a week later she confessed to a Dutch TV station that she had been awake throughout and had indeed asked for the full 56 marks. She said she lied because she was afraid of how her father would react.

The tattooist, Rouslan Toumanisntz didn't need to defend his actions because her claim was so preposterous.  In fact, he said that he didn't regret doing the job at all because it gave him good publicity.  A visit to Rouslan's shop, however, will quickly clue you in that he just might not have everything all lined up himself.

Would you buy a used car from this tattoo artist?

That was three years ago and since that time cute little Kimberly has been trying to save up the $13,000 it will take to pay for the laser surgery to change the dark blue stars into a collection of white, blotchy scars.  But so far, no success with that other than to get the attention of the Daily Mail reporter Lyle Brennan who wrote the detailed STORY HERE. 

So when your teenager wakes you up at 3 am to tell you that he's just totalled the family SUV because he had too much beer, just give a sigh of relief knowing that it could have been worse…. much worse.

Before things get any worse around here, though, we'd better get this equipment checked out.  I'm heading for the Bunn-O-Matic to get more java going for us.  See you back in the day room.

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 Just stumbled across a review of this book.

The First Responders of Television

from the publisher:

From the first live telecast of an actual fire in 1938, to such weekly television series as Rescue 8, Emergency!, Saved and Rescue Me in the US and International favorites of England's London's Burning, Germany's Medicopter 117, and Japan's Burning Flame trilogy, this book offers detailed coverage of the many First Responders of Television.

They include Firefighters, Police Officers, Paramedics, EMT's, Lifeguards, Aeromedical, Forest Rangers, and the Coast Guard. Over 150 dramatic and comedic programs from around the world are discussed including the apparatus they rode on, helicopters, aircraft, and boats utilized as well as the hospitals they filmed out of.

Also included are reality programming, (Rescue 911, The Paramedics, and others), made for television movies (Firefighter, Pine Canyon is Burning), unsold pilots, and individual fire or rescue episodes from programs such as Perry Mason, Hunter, The A-Team, Law and Order, and others are covered.

about the author:

Richard Yokley was a member of the Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Protection District (San Diego, California) from 1972 to 1999. He received Firehouse Magazine's Heroism and Community Service Award in 1987. He has written several newspaper and trade journal articles, this is his third book. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to The Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society.

Lee Goldberg's Review:

"First Responders" is a massive and ambitious undertaking, covering every U.S. TV series, unsold pilot, reality show, dcumentary and TV movie about first responders (mostly firefighters, but also lifeguards, medics, forest rangers,highway patrolmen, etc), produced from the 1950s to early 2011. If that wasn't enough, the book also covers major and minor TV series about first responders produced all over the world and has appendices on such things as firehouses on television, rescue vehicles on TV, and on technical advisors.

Yokley is particularly interested in how authentic the shows were, particularly the vehicles, equipment, and locations they used, and other details relating to how the rescues and fires were depicted. It's fascinating stuff, but for me, I would have appreciated knowing a lot more about the shows creatively, how they were developed and written, and how they ultimately went right or wrong. So, for me, the book was a little unsatisfying…but even so, I loved it. It's truly a great TV book. The depth of Yokley's research, his personal knowledge of the rescue field, and his apprecation of first responders (fire fighters in particular) comes through on every page. This is a major work of television scholarship, something Bear Manor Media specializes in publishing, and is a must-have for any television reference library.

Go to A Writer's Life to read more of Goldberg's review.  (HERE)

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Firegeezer notes:  As you know, we have loyal readers all around the world including our cousins in public safety, police officers.  One of those is Police Prefect Captain Choong Li-Kari in Whung Lo Province of China.  He sent us this friendly email and I am more than happy to pass it along for your enlightenment.

The Whung Lo police recently moved from an old and cramped building into a new station and their moving day was documented on a video that Captain Li-Kari has shared with us.  Since we also have the occasional relocation activity, this video may prove helpful in your plans if the need ever arises.  So learn and enjoy.

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Most Honorable Firegeezerman,

I wish you this information of our recent day of moving. Our station of police is very old building and needs new one.

I am happy to explain to you that our new lovely police station is ready for us and yesterday was memorable moving day.

Our esteemed chief of police sent order at 08.00 to take everything from desks and prepare be to move everything to new station at 09.00.

Proud we are to say that all was ready at 08.49 and at precisely 09.00 we move with official video camera taking picture. I like to share this great job with you.  It begin with motorcycle escort and champion S.W.A.T. team buses.

Most sincerely and affectionately,
Prefect Captain Choong Li-Kari

Congratulations to you, Captain.
Thanks to Mark D. for the video prep.

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Cause of Fire Determined and Loss Estimate Revised

SLOVAK NATIONAL MUSEUM authorities and the local police have issued statement since Firegeezer posted the story Sunday HERE on the tragic fire at the Krasna Horka Castle.

Reuters is reporting:

Slovak children were suspected of burning down a large gothic castle in eastern Slovakia when their experimentation with smoking went wrong, police said on Sunday.

Police were investigating two boys on suspicion that they set grass at the foot of the Krasna Horka castle on fire on Saturday when they tried to light up cigarettes, said Jana Mesarova, police spokeswoman for the eastern Slovak region of Kosice.

"A unit sent to the site found that two local boys aged 11 and 12 were trying to light up a cigarette and because of careless use of safety matches, they set grass at the castle hill on fire," Mesarova said.

On the "good news" side comes an announcement from the museum administration that while the castle itself was heavily damaged, the loss of artifacts inside the museum was not as great as originally feared.  On the Castle's Facebook page they have posted today:

On 10 March, 2012, the castle caught fire, allegedly due to burning of dry grass by children. The roof of the castle, the exposition in the Gothic palace and bell tower were completely destroyed. The heat melted down three bells from the bell tower. The building sustained extensive damage; initially, it was thought that many of its historic artefacts were destroyed. However, according to the Interior Minister of Slovakia Daniel Lipšic, "…the vast majority of exhibits remained undamaged". Daniel Krajcer, Minister of Culture, commented that only the upper part of the castle (including collections) was destroyed. The Slovak National Museum stated that 90% of the collections were undamaged.

Read the entire Reuters article HERE.
Read the Firegeezer photo/video report on the fire HERE.

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The end of human performers?

Thousands showed up at Tokyo Dome City Hall to watch teen diva Hatusme Miku put on her "last" concert.

Miku had sold out concerts in 2011:

Tiffany Hsu (2011 November 10) Japanese pop star Hatsune Miku takes the stage — as a 3-D hologram Los Angeles Times

Chris Meyers, writing for Reuters, gets right to the unique points:  She sings, she dances, she's … not real

Hatsune Miku is computer generated, based on a voice-synthesizing programme developed by the company Crypton Future Media that allows users to create their own music.

Her image was produced by the company, but her music is a creation of her fans,

Her best songs — the ones headlined at her concerts — have emerged from more than 20 different people.

The fans know what the fans like. All 10,000 tickets for the digital diva's four shows in Tokyo — two on Thursday and two on Friday — sold out in hours despite the 6,300 yen ($76) ticket price.

Hatsune Miku was projected onto the stage at the shows while thousands of other fans packed into 24 cinemas to watch live.

Social media + digital simulation + interactive participation = engaged fans.

Emergency Service Implications

In 2003 I reviewed an adoption of the Duke Nukem video game where the gun was replaced with a Geiger counter. A well-developed way to learn how to handle radioactive incidents, with the physics of radiation (time-distance-shielding) factored into a first person response to a variety of incidents.

While Miku is a little weird and creepy, the technology to make this teen digital diva has implications for emergency services training.

But we may first see it in a new Statter911 versus FireCritic reality episode. More realistic than the Xtranormal videos from 2010.

Here are the Miku players:

• Crypton Future Media

• Hatsune Miku is one of the ready made Vocal of a software program called "Vocaloid 2" it's a program that originally created by YAMAHA Corp. The program allows you to create vocal song just by typing the lyrics and setting the melody

• KARENT (music label)
• Sega Project Diva
• mikubook (fan page)

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Dumb Druggie Did It

A FLORIDA WOMAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED and charged with setting the fire that destroyed one of the world's oldest cypress trees last month.

Florida State Archives 1920 photo

Firegeezer posted the video report HERE on January 16 about the tragic destruction of the 3,500-yr.-old tree that had its own state park.  (Review that posting for the backgound on this story.)  The next day an anonymous tip was left on the police CrimeLine phone that led them to eventually arrest Sara Barnes, 25, of Winter Park.

WOFL-TV Ch. 35 Orlando is reporting:

Sara Barnes, 25, of Winter Park, was taken into custody on Tuesday after investigators said they followed a tip received through Crimeline which came in on the day after the fire. Investigators said they conducted interviews and obtained a warrant which allowed them to search her computer and cell phone records. Barnes told investigators she set the fire while trying to use illegal drugs. She faces a felony charge of burning in public land.

During Tuesday's search, authorities also reported finding methamphetamine, scales and drug paraphernalia. As a result, Barnes and a second person, 41-year-old Jodi Hill, each face charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Other reports are saying that she had photos of the burning tree on her cell phone.

WOFL-TV posted this video report:

Arrest made in 'Senator Tree' fire: MyFoxORLANDO.com

Barnes is being held on $6,000 bond and will make her first court appearance today (Wednesday).

The Orlando Sentinal has the latest DETAILS HERE.

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Collapses While Eating a "Triple Bypass Burger"

THE LAS VEGAS EATERY "HEART ATTACK GRILL" is noted for its high-calorie menu items and it plays them up with a sense of humor.  Their choices include such calorie-busters as the famed Bypass Burgers and Flatliner Fries.  Keeping with the theme, they let anybody who weighs over 350 lbs. eat for free.  The owner of the restaurant that opened just this past October is called "Doctor" and the waitresses all carry the title "Nurse" while the customers are referred to as "Patients."

Saturday night one of the Patients complained to Nurse Bridget that he was experiencing some chest pains while he was attacking a Triple Bypass Burger.  Nurse Bridget went to Doctor Jon and told him the Patient "was having the sweats and shaking"  He then called 9-1-1. The Las Vegas paramedics were on the scene quickly and stabilized the man, then transported.   He survived and is recuperating comfortably.

Doctor Jon was understandably upset.  He told the press that there have been a variety of incidents at the diner, but this was his first full coronary.  He was disappointed that so many of the tourists walking by the Fremont Street eatery thought it was a publicity stunt.  One passerby across the street taped the paramedics carrying the man out to the ambulance and posted it on YouTube:

There are four variations of the Bypass Burger, single, double, triple and quadruple.  The Triple Bypass holds three half-pound burger patties, six slices of cheese and 15 slices of bacon.  It serves up about 6,000 calories.  You won't find any diet sodas sold there, and only non-filter cigarettes are available.

CBS News offered this video report not long after the restaurant opened (complete with uniformed "nurses"):

Fox News has the medical STORY.

Heart Attack Grill WEBPAGE and Menu.

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From Amazon:

Big Discounts on Automotive and Motorcycle Items

CLICK HERE to check out the sales and order yours.

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