Zombie apocalypse theme park planned for Detroit
A zombie theme park in Detroit could help revitalize the city's growth by attracting tourists and thrill-seekers from all over. "Z World" would be an expansive 200-acre experience recreating a zombie apocalypse.
The zombie theme park of Detroit is the brainchild of entrepreneur Mark Siwak, who believes that "radical thinking" and "creativity" could help bring much-needed jobs and tourists to the population-starved city. The Motor City's residents shrunk to 714,000, down significantly from over a million just 20 years prior.
"The city of Detroit is considering literally abandoning sections of the city. While the economic and social benefits of this action can be debated. We think the situation demands more creativity," wrote Siwak on the project's IndieGogo.com fundraising page. "The Z World Detroit initiative is a radical rethinking of urban development and Detroit's well-documented blight and de-population."
Siwak's plan is to make the theme park a survival experience, with those admitted staying overnight in hopes to avoid the ever-growing horde of zombies, who would be played by professional actors. Players would have to find food and supplies, and make a plan to establish a base of operations.
If players are caught, though, the game wouldn't end there: they would be turned into zombies, and then get to chase their friends. Siwak's vision is more than just a game, too- the $140,000 he seeks to fundraise is for a comprehensive study of the area, to develop sit designs, and to refine the game.
There are detractors, however.
"Yea, there are way to many risk factors involved with this to ever make it something that would be approved by Detroit's local government," wrote Kyle Thompson on Buzzfeed's blog.
"I don't see this ever coming to fruition. 200 acres? Getting the land and getting this venture built and insured will take far longer than the lifespan of the current cultural infatuation with zombies. Good luck, Mr. Siwak," agreed Glen Edwin.
Still, the Z World Detroit movement is already gaining traction among supporters. Currently $4,121 has been raised. - christianpost
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Woman trying to sell her soul... on eBay
An Albuquerque, New Mexico woman has something for sale on eBay that most of wouldn't even consider selling at any price.
It's her soul.
Bids start at $2,000 for the soul of Lori N., and so far nobody has made one.
Still, there have been a lot of hits and that's encouraging to Lori.
She was a passenger in a car struck by a drunk driver in 2007.
Lori was in a coma for three weeks, and woke up suffering from a stroke, a broken hip, broken pelvis, leg, collarbone, sternum, ribs, a collapsed lung.
On top of all that she lost a breast.
Lori was a freelance writer who cannot write much any more.
She gets by on part-time inventory work and makes jewelry.
Lori figured since her body is pretty much shot, why not market her soul?
"What I'm gonna deliver is the opportunity for someone to save my soul," Lori said. "They can save it through prayer, they can save it through conversion. They're also gonna get a certificate detailing the white and black marks on my soul."
Sort of a spiritual Carfax - the good along with the bad. Lori admitted that her eBay ad is a cry for help.
"I guess you could say that. I'm at the point now, I'm tired. I don't feel good. I'm near the end of my rope. I really am."
Lori said she realizes her ad may offend some people's religious beliefs, but she said she is really hoping just to make contact - maybe with somebody else's soul. - nbc-2
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Lifeguard fired after participating in beach rescue
As lifeguards are paid and trained to do, Tomas Lopez rushed down the beach to rescue a drowning man — and then got fired for it.
The problem: Lopez stepped out of the beach zone his company is paid to patrol, a supervisor said Tuesday.
"I ran out to do the job I was trained to do," said Lopez, 21, of Davie. "I didn't think about it at all."
At least two other lifeguards have quit in protest.
"What was he supposed to do? Watch a man drown?" asked one, Szilard Janko.
Lifeguards in Hallandale Beach work for Orlando-based company Jeff Ellis and Associates, which has been providing lifeguard services for the city's beaches and pools since 2003.
Company officials on Tuesday said Lopez broke a rule that could've put beachgoers in his designated area in jeopardy. The firm could ultimately have been sued, officials said.
"We have liability issues and can't go out of the protected area," said supervisor Susan Ellis. "What he did was his own decision. He knew the company rules and did what he thought he needed to do."
Lopez said he was sitting at his post at about 1:45 p.m. Monday when someone rushed to his stand asking for help. Lopez said he noticed a man struggling in the water south of his post. The man was previously swimming in an "unprotected" stretch of the beach, city officials confirmed Tuesday.
"It was a long run, but someone needed my help. I wasn't going to say no," he said.
Company officials said the rescue took place about 1,500 feet south of the company's protective boundaries. The unprotected area has signs alerting beachgoers to swim at their own risk.
By the time Lopez arrived, several witnesses had pulled the unidentified man out of the water. Lopez said the man appeared semi-conscious and had water in his lungs.
Lopez said he and a off-duty nurse attended to the man until the city's paramedics arrived.
The man, whose identity was not released because of medical privacy laws, was taken to Aventura Hospital, where he remained in the intensive care unit Tuesday, said city spokesman Peter Dobens.
After the incident, Lopez said his boss asked him to fill out an incident report. His boss then fired him for leaving his assigned area.
"They didn't tell me in a bad way. It was more like they were sorry, but rules are rules," Lopez said. "I couldn't believe what was happening."
Lopez became a lifeguard four months ago after passing the company's requirements, which include swimming and physical exams. The job pays $8.25 an hour, the lifeguards said.
Company officials said other lifeguards watched over Lopez's area during the rescue and were on the phone with 911 operators.
"The beach remained protected at all times," Ellis said.
She added that the firing and the resignations will not affect manpower during the Fourth of July holiday.
City administrators declined to comment Tuesday, indicating that the firing was a personnel decision made by a private company.
City Mayor Joy Cooper was out of town and could not be reached for comment. Commissioners Keith London and Alexander Lewy each said Tuesday they had not heard of the incident.
Hallandale Beach began outsourcing its lifeguards in 2003 as a money-saving measure. The city pays the company about $334,000 annually to provide four lifeguards and one supervisor at the beach year-round, said Dobens. The company also provides lifeguard services at the city's pools as part of the contract.
The company's contract expires this year.
Tuesday, Lopez acknowledged breaking a rule, but said he would do it again if the situation called for it.
"It was the moral thing to do," Lopez said. "I would never pick a job over my morals." - sun-sentinel
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Dr. Drew...just another hustler
In June 1999, popular radio personality Dr. Drew Pinsky used the airwaves to extol the virtues of GlaxoSmithKline PLC's antidepressant Wellbutrin, telling listeners he prescribes it and other medications to depressed patients because it "may enhance or at least not suppress sexual arousal" as much as other antidepressants do.
But one thing listeners didn't know was that, two months before the program aired, Dr. Pinsky—who gained fame as "Dr. Drew" during years co-hosting a popular radio sex-advice show "Loveline"—received the second of two payments from Glaxo totaling $275,000 for "services for Wellbutrin." Continue reading at 'Dr. Drew' Was Paid by Glaxo
The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It
Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients
Big Pharma's Sexy Little Secret
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'King Pig' honored with full funeral
King Pig was worshipped as a god in his native China as one of the country's most famous animals.
After passing away this week, the King was honoured with a full funeral service conducted by Buddhist priests at the Fenglian Temple in Ruixing, Zhejiang province.
Wrapped in burial robes and surrounded by flowers, the famous pig was given a send-off fit for a king.
The worshipped beast had lived a charmed life having avoided slaughter as a youngster by seeking refuge with a group of Buddhist priests who adopted him.
'Instead he was adopted by the priests and no-one would touch him then,' explained his grief-stricken keeper Cai Weijia.
'He was a lovely beast who had a very gentle manner. People would consult him about their problems or worries and always went away happy.'
Villagers now want to keep the animal's body as permanent shrine to the King Pig.
'He should be stuffed and mounted to people can pay their respects forever,' his keeper added. - metro