Friday, June 8, 2007

Today's Headlines

Quite a bit of buzz in the news today.

As I'm sure you've all been informed by now, as I was when a "Breaking News" story interrupted my T.V. movie, Honeymoon in Las Vegas, that Paris Hilton is now back in jail. Previously released to house arrest due to medical conditions by the sheriff, a crying Hilton was taken back into custody today and hauled to court, crying the whole way there. Upon being sentenced by the judge to her original sentence, Paris bellowed, "Mom!....It's not right!" and was escorted from the court room in hysterics.

And in other news, Isaiah Washington has officially been fired from ABC's hit show, Grey's Anatomy, for being rude to gay men.

These are the headlines of our day. And as interesting and enticing as they are, we surely can't overlook the story below. When something like this occurrs and is hardly noticed....what is the world coming to?

Michigan Man in Wheelchair Takes Wild Ride

By JAMES PRICHARD, Associated Press Writer

"A 21-year-old man got the ride of a lifetime when his electric wheelchair became lodged in the grille of a semitrailer and was pushed down a highway for several miles at about 50 mph.

Ben Carpenter was unharmed but was taken to a hospital as a precaution. He had been secured to his wheelchair by a seat belt. Carpenter, who has muscular dystrophy, told a television station that he thought he might not make it through the ride.

"I was probably thinking that this is going to keep going and not stop anywhere, 50 or 60 miles somewhere," he told WOOD-TV of Grand Rapids.

Ben Carpenter's father, Donald, told The Associated Press that his son had started to cross at an intersection Wednesday afternoon in Paw Paw, about 140 miles west of Detroit. The light changed to green while his son was in front of a semi, which started moving.

The wheelchair's handles became lodged in the grille, the father said, and the wild ride started.

Motorists called 911 on their cell phones, and a pair of undercover police officers who happened to be nearby saw what was happening. They pulled the truck over and told the disbelieving driver, Donald Carpenter said.

The chair was undamaged except for losing most of the rubber on its wheels, he said.

"It's a very bad story that ended very well," he said. "We're just thrilled that he's still around." "
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It's hardly believable and while I shouldn't laugh and have so far refrained from doing so, can't help but gape in wonder at the circumstance.

12 comments:

Seth Ward said...

That story is off the charts. It is so bizarre that you almost want to chuckle but can't because the poor kid has MS.

But dang was that both the luckiest and unluckiest story all rolled into one or what?!!!

It is like something out of a National Lampoon movie or something. Something ole Griswald would accidentally do. (the truck driver.)

truevyne said...

1. Paris- I am ever so glad noone follows me around with cameras when I cry so hard my face swells.
I don't know why not eating or sleeping in prison is considered a medical condition. I suppose she just might not like the food, and isn't quite hip on the sleeping arrangements made for her. Do they serve sushi in prison, and just what is the threadcount of prison sheets?

2. Grey's Anatomy- I cannot believe the man couldn't keep it in the road long while working with gay men. Isn't kindness a better path than, say, losing your job?

3. Wheelchair- That would have been the most frightening experience ever. I'd have died of a heart attack, I think.

Chaotic Hammer said...

I read the news today, oh boy...

Shelley said...

One time, someone forgot to put the breaks on my grandmother's wheelchair, and she ended up rolling down this huge hill in our back yard. We all stood in amazement as we watched, not knowing what to do because we couldn’t catch up - all we could do was hope for the best. We saw her fly down the hill, arms waving until the wheelchair eventually came to a stop at the end of the hill. After she had stopped for a few moments, the wheelchair just kinda tipped over for no apparent reason with her in it. We all laugh about it now because she wasn't hurt at all, and it sure was a funny sight to see! Poor grandma, bless her heart.

FancyPants said...

Aghhh! I'm so glad you laugh about it because I'm having a hard time not laughingl. I mean, that belongs in an Adam Sandler movie or something! I'm glad she's Ok. Poor Grandma.

C-Ham: .....And though the news was rather sad....well I just had to laugh....

Truevyne: Just confirmed...sushi not served in prison.... I know I can think of quite a few medical conditions arising from the inability to consume raw fish.... the most likely being a disease called the "Spoiled Rotten Virus" diagnosed from ghastly symptoms such as...temper tantrums and Mommy calls.

FancyPants said...

Seth,

National Lampoon. YES.

SandinaJ said...

If you click on the link that you supplied, there is a picture of Ben Carpenter with his "I'm a Pepper" shirt on. Evidently, drinking Dr. Pepper makes you invincible.

Oh, and I think it's okay to laugh since he survived. If he died, laughing would be strictly prohibited.

kddub said...

that is kind of funny, and maybe, sort of okay to laugh, a little, because he was okay?? I am glad he's okay, and there is no way i'd laugh if I was watching it happen..... but now it's a little funny.....

FancyPants said...

Well, ok, I laughed at the poor man in the wheel chair. I know I said I refrained from laughing, but...maybe I just tried to refrain from laughing.

I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Rob said...

Michael Valentine, the man from Mars in Robert A. Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land," finally understands humor by concluding that all humor comes from pain. Humor is the way humans have devised to deal with it.

Think about it...can you come up with a really funny joke that does not involve pain (not necessarily physical) in some way?

Susanne said...

The poor wheelchair guy! I would've been a goner if that had happened to me.

Paris in jail? What a joke. I can't believe the special treatment celebrities get. Can you imagine if any of the rest of us had gotten that sentence? Before she went in the first time I was watching the news when they showed the type cell she'd be in, and I remember thinking, "There's no way she'll make it a day in there." But what really bothers me is that this story makes the news at all!!! It belongs on the cover on the Enquirer, but not on national or even local news. The world is getting crazier by the minute. One day the Rapture will happen, but no one will know because the news is too fixated on what Paris and Britney are up to.

Rob said...

A correction to my comment (it didn't look right at the time). The character in "Stranger in a Strange Land" is Valentine Michael Smith, and he discovers that most humor is based on laughing at distress or indignities suffered by others. Pretty close to "pain" I guess.

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