EMT takes kid to the hospital, gets fired for his trouble

Think the government is here to help you? Think again:

In the next 15 minutes, three more calls for ambulances came up empty and, [EMT Stephen] Sawyer says, he couldn't wait any longer. Despite squad rules requiring someone to be 21 to drive the ambulance, Sawyer got in the ambulance, drove some 4-5 miles, picked up the child, his mother, and the paramedic and got them to Ellenville Regional Hospital without an issue.

So, he saved a kid's life. So, you would think the bosses of this service would look the other way, right? Wrong.

In a 4-3 decision, the board said it would suspend him for 60 days, revoke his title on the communications committee and his title as advisor from the Youth Squad that he restarted as a 15-year-old squad member.

This happened in Ellenville, NY, but don't worry. We know from experience that the people in charge of delivery of EMT and ambulance services can be just as stupid and rule-bound here in central Illinois.

Blogger Bash at 6 p.m. Dec. 30 ... on a MONDAY (also, a belated Festivus Party)

Blogger Bash, the semi-regular get-together of Peoria area Bloggers, blog readers and social media users, will be held at 6 p.m. MONDAY, Dec. 30, at Donnelly's Pub, 4501 N. Rockwood Drive (just north of the Westlake Shopping Center). It will be held on MONDAY because Tuesday is New Year's Eve. It will also be a belated Festivus Celebration, which is normally held on Dec. 23. So, there will be a section of the event devoted to bloggers explaining how other bloggers have disappointed then during the year. In other words, like every other Blogger Bash.



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'New' PJStar Website is not only lame, but it's also SLOOOOW too

You know what I like about the redesigned PJStar.com? That fact that it's front page links to old, old. old stories from other Websites. Like THIS one from August. I mean, I read the link, and for a moment, I thought Mila Kunis was dead.

Mila Kunis -- not dead.

LaBamba at Campustown is closed up

I walked by the LaBamba restaurant in Campustown this morning at 11:30 a.m. All the lights were off. The door was locked several days of mail was collecting at the front door. No one was inside and the inside floor was a mess. No sign at the door though.

UPDATE: Two days later, the same thing. I think we can kiss them good bye.

AlterNet headlines: Get a brain! Morans

AlterNet's Top 10 Right Wing Jaw-Droppers of the Year AlterNet The right-wing's hit parade of madness and the politics of resentment.READ MORE» In America, Innocent Until Proven Guilty? Not For Most People Who Are Stuck in Jail April M. Short, AlterNet The most common reason people are in jail is because they can't afford the fee. READ MORE» The P.U.-Litzers: Here's the Stinkiest Media Moments of 2013 FAIR Hold your nose and take a read. READ MORE»

Seems like the Pope Has Conservative Paul Ryan Rattled By Joan Walsh, Salon The Catholic conservative who insists he cares about the poor says Pope Francis doesn’t understand capitalism. READ MORE» Editorial: Will You Help Fix the Retirement Crisis? It Will Affect All of You, Eventually By Don Hazen, AlterNet Covering the retirement crisis is our top priority in 2014. READ MORE» 5 Feminist Parodies That Blur the Lines Between Laughter and Politics By Nur Lalji, YES! Magazine When it comes to the portrayal of women in the media, the whole world is watching. And laughing too. READ MORE» What I Learned About Freedom from Hitchhiking Around America By Amien Essif, The Guardian In America, generosity is our personal secret, repressed by a lifetime of learning to distrust people. READ MORE» Why Does the Myth of Marijuana and Schizophrenia Persist Despite Numerous Debunkings? By Jeremy Daw, The Leaf Online Mainstream misunderstandings of marijuana are severely outdated.READ MORE» Should We Tax Meat to Reduce Methane Emissions? By Katie Valentine, Climate Progress It’s consumer-driven change, scientists say: if meat consumption goes down, the number of cows and other ruminants that expel methane will also decrease. READ MORE» U.S. Rushes Weapons to Iraq as Bloody Conflict Spirals Out of Control By Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now! The Obama administration has delivered a new shipment of Hellfire missiles to help the Iraqi government fight militants. READ MORE»

AlterNet Media: Tread carefully when the world's richest man owns your newspaper

When the World’s Richest Billionaire Owns Your Paper Zaid Jilani, FAIR The New York Times covers Carlos Slim—carefully. READ MORE» MUST WATCH VIDEO: Glenn Greenwald Schools MSNBC Host in What Journalism Actually Is Janet Allon, AlterNet 'I do defend Snowden just as MSNBC defends Obama 24 hours a day.'READ MORE» Justine Sacco's Offensive Tweet and the Cost of Twitter Outrage Roxane Gay, Salon Social media's outrage may be a double-edged sword. READ MORE»

Homeland Isn't Just Bad TV, It Peddles The Worst Lies About US Foreign Policy By Michael Cohen, The Guardian Suspension of disbelief is standard in Hollywood. But Homeland Season 3 makes unrealistic international relations an art form. READ MORE» WSJ Op-Ed Bemoans the End of White Rule in America By Adam Peck, ThinkProgress Joseph Epstein argues that we need more rich white men in power, preferably WASPs. READ MORE» 5 More of the Most Awful Media People of 2013 By Alex Pareene, Salon Beltway media personalities dominate the list. READ MORE»

AlterNet Drugs: Marijuana effects are hardly a mystery, and the media should stop pretending they are

The Media Should Stop Pretending Marijuana's Risks Are a Mystery -- The Science Is Clear Paul Armentano, AlterNet We now know as much about cannabis as we know about alcohol, tobacco and many prescription drugs. READ MORE» AlterNet's 10 Most Popular Drug Stories of 2013 AlterNet From magic phrases to use on cops to the geniuses who used drugs, here are the stories that readers shared in huge numbers. READ MORE» 8 Gifts Perfect for the Cannabis Enthusiasts in Your Life—For the Holidays and Beyond Susan Squibb, AlterNet Here’s a collection of pot culture essentials for the stoners and midnighttokers you know and love. READ MORE»

Marijuana and Schizophrenia—The Long-Enduring Myth By Jeremy Daw, The Leaf Online Mainstream misunderstandings of marijuana are severely outdated, but the idea has persisted despite numerous debunkings. READ MORE» It's Disturbing That Health Advocates Are Against E-Cigs That Save Lives By Tony Newman, AlterNet I have finally succeeded in quitting smoking thanks to e-cigarettes.READ MORE» "Obamacare" Heroin Hits the Market By Phillip Smith, Drug War Chronicle It's unclear exactly what message heroine dealers are trying to send by stamping their drugs with this name... READ MORE» Uruguay President Signed the Law to Legalize Marijuana on Christmas Eve By Phillip Smith, Drug War Chronicle And Uruguay's neighbors are already beginning to take note. READ MORE» The New York Times Is Dead Wrong About Drug Addiction By Sarah Beller, Salon.com The paper of record's insensitive approach only reinforces destructive stigmas. READ MORE»

Local media picks up on the fact that Aldi's closing will destroy the South Side

Here's a brief article on CIProud.com (AKA Channel 31). Steve Tartar's article from the Journal Star reads like a Goddamn press release from Aldi's in Germany.

AlterNet: Over-50? Good luck finding a job

50 Is the New 65: Older Americans Are Getting Booted from Their Jobs -- and Denied New Opportunities Lynn Stuart Parramore, AlterNet Age discrimination could be headed for you, sooner than you think.READ MORE» Noam Chomsky: The Nutty Antics of Right-Wingers Distract Us from the Agenda of the 1% Sean Nevins, Voice of Russia The power of the Tea Party doesn’t come from their numbers -- it's their financial backers, Chomsky argues. READ MORE» 5 Surprising Things We Feed Cows Alex Park, Mother Jones Candy and sawdust? READ MORE»

Convicted Domestic Abuser Amassing an Arsenal? Let's Wait Until Something Happens Say Police By Martha Rosenberg, AlterNet What if you had a boyfriend who was arrested and convicted for domestic violence against you? READ MORE» Imagine If America's Incarcerated Population Were Its Own Country -- Revealing the Disturbing Statistics By Rosa Brooks, Popular Resistance A closer look at America's incarceration nation. READ MORE» What Americans Don't Understand about Weight Loss By Marie Mutsuki Mockett, Salon.com Once, after one of these trips, I said to my dad on the phone, "You know that feeling when you are full, but not stuffed? It actually feels good."READ MORE» AlterNet's 10 Most Popular Drug Stories of 2013 AlterNet From magic phrases to use on cops to the geniuses who used drugs, here are the stories that readers shared in huge numbers. READ MORE» Exposing the Phony 'Peace Process' in Israel-Palestine: Negotiators Have Been Warning 'Time Is Running Out' for 30 Years By Max Blumenthal, Mondoweiss The popular refrain now holds little meaning, except maintenance of the status quo. READ MORE» Why the Internet Giants Oppose Federal Surveillance By Zoë Carpenter, The Nation IT companies won't address the privacy implications of selling Americans' personal information to online advertisers. READ MORE» Scientists Say There Are Messages Wafting in the Smells of Your B.O. By Michael White, Pacific Standard And not just how many times a day you shower. READ MORE»

Now playing at Landmark Cinemas

Landmark Cinemas
Schedule for Friday, December 27, 2013 until Thursday, January 02, 2014
47 Ronin (PG-13)  Keanu Reeves • Hiroyuki Sanada - 127 minutes	Fri - Mon: 9:50 AM, 12:15, 2:40, 7:35, 10:00 Tue: 9:50 AM, 12:15, 2:40 Wed & Thu: 9:50 AM, 12:15, 2:40, 7:35, 10:00
Grudge Match (PG-13)  Sylvester Stallone • Robert De Niro - 113 minutes	Fri - Mon: 11:00 AM, 1:15, 3:30, 5:10, 8:10,10:00 Tue: 11:00 AM, 1:15, 3:30, 5:10 Wed & Thu: 11:00 AM, 1:15, 3:30, 5:10, 8:10,10:00
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (PG)  Kristen Wiig • Ben Stiller - 125 minutes	Fri - Tue: 10:00 AM, 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20,9:40 Wed: 10:00 AM, 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20 Thu: 10:00 AM, 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40
The Wolf of Wall Street (R)  Leonardo DiCaprio • Matthew McConaughey - 179 minutes	Fri - Thu: 12:30, 4:00, 7:20
Walking With Dinosaurs (PG)  Justin Long • John Leguizamo - 80 minutes	Fri - Thu: 1:30 PM, 7:10 PM
Walking With Dinosaurs 3D (PG)  Justin Long • John Leguizamo - 80 minutes	Fri - Mon: 9:30 AM, 3:20, 9:00 Tue: 9:30 AM, 3:20 PM Wed & Thu: 9:30 AM, 3:20, 9:00
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (PG-13)  Will Ferrell • Steve Carell - 119 minutes	Fri & Sat: 9:35 AM, 12:00, 2:25, 4:50, 7:15,9:40 Sun: 12:00, 2:25, 4:50, 7:15, 9:40 Mon: 9:35 AM, 12:00, 2:25, 4:50, 7:15 Tue: 9:35 AM, 12:00, 2:25, 4:50 Wed & Thu: 9:35 AM, 12:00, 2:25, 4:50, 7:15,9:40
American Hustle (R)  Christian Bale • Bradley Cooper - 129 minutes	Fri & Sat: 9:30 AM, 4:55, 7:25, 10:00 Sun: 4:55, 7:25, 10:00 Mon: 9:30 AM, 4:55, 7:25, 10:00 Tue: 9:30 AM, 4:55 PM Wed & Thu: 9:30 AM, 4:55, 7:25, 10:00
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 3D (PG-13)  Martin Freeman • Orlando Bloom - 161 minutes	Fri - Mon: 9:35 AM Wed & Thu: 9:35 AM
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (PG-13)  Martin Freeman • Orlando Bloom - 161 minutes	Fri & Sat: 9:45 AM, 12:45, 2:00, 4:00, 7:00 Sun: 12:45, 2:00, 4:00, 7:00 Mon: 9:45 AM, 12:45, 2:00, 4:00, 7:00 Tue: 9:45 AM, 12:45, 2:00, 4:00 Wed: 9:45 AM, 12:45, 4:00, 7:00 Thu: 9:45 AM, 12:45, 2:00, 4:00, 7:00
Saving Mr. Banks (PG-13)  Emma Thompson • Tom Hanks - 120 minutes	Fri - Thu: 9:30 AM, 12:00, 2:25, 4:50, 7:15
Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas (PG-13)  Tyler Perry • Chad Michael Murray - 105 minutes	Fri - Mon: 12:20, 2:35, 4:50, 7:10, 9:25 Tue: 12:20, 2:35, 4:50, 7:10 Wed & Thu: 12:20, 2:35, 4:50, 7:10, 9:25
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (PG-13)  Idris Elba • Naomie Harris - 139 minutes	Fri - Mon: 10:45 AM, 1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 9:40 Tue: 10:45 AM, 1:30, 4:15, 7:00 Wed & Thu: 10:45 AM, 1:30, 4:15, 7:00, 9:40
Frozen (PG)  Kristen Bell • Idina Menzel - 108 minutes	Fri - Thu: 10:00 AM, 11:20 AM, 12:00, 5:05, 6:00
Philomena (PG-13)  Judi Dench • Steve Coogan - 94 minutes	Fri - Mon: 12:10, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00 Tue: 12:10, 5:00, 7:00 Wed & Thu: 12:10, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00
All Is Lost (PG-13)  Robert Redford - 100 minutes	Fri - Thu: 2:15 PM