Lifeguards in NYC caught wearing headphones on the job

August 3, 2009
By Kristen Tripodi

If your swimming in the ocean at a beach in NYC, your cry for help might go unnoticed by the lifeguards. The New York Post published a photo of a lifeguard at Rockaway Beach wearing music headphones while on duty. But Rockaway residents say they have seen worse. Lifeguards chatting with people, on their cell phones or text-ing while on duty.
The New York City Parks Department employs 1200 lifeguards, with a minimum age of 16.
In my opinion, that's where the problem starts.
I'm not sure I would trust a 16-year-old to save my life. Most 16-year-olds are preoccupied with their circle of friends and the latest gossip. I know I was when I was 16.
The minimum age should be raised to 18.That is only a 2-year difference, but in those 2 years most teenagers experience a lot of growth in maturity. Raising the minimum age does not mean there will be less on the job text-ing and I-pod usage-but it might help.
We don't allow 16-year-olds to vote, so why are we trusting them to be responsible enough to save someone who's drowning?
There are many distractions on the job, text-ing and I-pods are only two examples. It's common sense to not use either of these devices while on the job. A lifeguard is paid to watch people in the ocean and answer any cries of help. They are not able to do their job if they are distracted.
Both, text-ing and I-pod usage are against New York City Parks Department's rules for lifeguards, but people still try and get away with it.
If a lifeguard is listening to an I-pod or text-ing, they are distracted and may be unable to hear cries for help.
There needs to be penalties for using a cell phone or listening to an I-pod during jobs in general, especially jobs where your undivided attention is required. For lifeguards that text or listen to music on the job, they should be suspended and fired after a second offense. Saving lives is not a job that should be taken lightly and distractions of any kind should not be tolerated.

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Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods

August 3, 2009

Tiger Woods missed the cut for only the second time at a major at the British Open, and got off to a brutal start at the Buick Open.

He shot a 71 in the first round and said it was probably the worst putting performance of his career, and critics would have to agree. In my opinion, the greater the challenge - the better Tiger plays. This win solidifies Tiger as the greatest closer in the history of the game.

In the second round, Tiger fought back shooting the best five-hole start of his career. He made the largest jump of his career beginning at 6 under and making his way to 9 under 63. He hit the ball poorly in the third round, but went into Sunday with a one- shot lead. He had a three- stroke lead for most of Sunday, and spent time throwing balls to fans in the gallery.

Tiger's advantages of the tournament were the easy course and weak field. The other players had a combined four titles- whereas Tiger won the Buick for his 69th. Tiger is currently trailing Jack Nicklaus with 73 and Sam Snead with 82 career wins. It won't be long till the comeback kid surpasses the legends. Tiger has more tour wins than any other player on the tour this year. Even though Tiger has not won a major, he has Firestone coming up- where he is a 6 time winner. With one more major coming up after Firestone, if he could win that it could be considered one of his best seasons.

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Florida Marlins: De'Ja Vu

By John Garcia Jr.

August 3, 2009

The Florida Marlins are right in the middle of the playoff race after a six and two home stand.
The last game of that homestand was won in walk-off fashion against the Cubs.

Cody Ross crushed a homer in the bottom of the 9th off of the Marlins closer from last year, Kevin Gregg.

Most of the game was a pitching duel between Ricky Nolasco and yet another former Marlin Ryan Dempster. In fact, watching a Marlins game is almost a guarantee of seeing a superstar who used to wear black and teal.

Besides Gregg and Dempster in this past series with the Cubs, the fish have also witnessed Derek Lee hit a late game home run on Saturday.

Why do these players leave Miami? Money of course, the root of all evil and seemingly not so good baseball future.

Take AJ Burnett, now pitching for the New York Yankees. He pitched a no-hitter in 2001 and won a world series ring in 03', and then excelled winning 12 games twice in a season. Then Toronto offers him 55 million dollars and he wins 10 games in each of his first two seasons and a surprising 18 in year three.

Still yet to win a Cy-Young or 20 games in a year, Burnett takes even more money to play in New York, over 80 million. He has 10 wins and an ERA higher than his 10 win campaigns with the Blue Jays.

Well Burnett can't be put to blame because the Marlins seem to do it to themselves.

Sure they have a microscopic payroll, but they also have two world championships. But when they win the rings, they clear the benches, literally.

In 1997, Al Leiter, Kevin Brown, Rob Nen, Jeff Conine, Moises Alou and Gary Sheffield headlined a scrappy team who went from the wildcard to the top.

All of them were either traded or sought out bigger deals on their way out and only one of them won a world series after leaving. That guy was Conine who actually came back to the marlins to win it all again in 2003.

It was like a remake of a classic film, wildcard team, world series champs...everyone leaves.
This time the names might have been bigger!

Josh Beckett, Brad Penny, Carl Pavano, Pudge Rodriguez, Mike Lowell, Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera, Juan Pierre, and Luis Castillo.

Some left for cash, others were traded. Only Beckett and Lowell won a world series again!

But the marlins can't be mad at that one because they traded the two of them to the Boston RedSox for a young Dominican prospect named Hanley Ramirez.

Ramirez leads the NL in batting this year and the marlins actually gave him a long term deal, and he accepted! Maybe the Fish have learned their lesson, but probably not.

Hear this script:

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Why the New England Patriots Should Sign Michael Vick

Jacob Donnelly (NCC News)

August 3, 2009

Listen to the Podcast here:

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Script from Podcast

Hello everybody, this is Jacob Donnelly here to discuss why the New England Patriots should sign Michael Vick. The Pats worked out veteran journeyman quarterback Cleo Lemon on Saturday and look like they're going to sign him, but this could be a big mistake. Owner Robert Kraft spoke on the "Movin' the Chains" Sirius Radio show about his reluctance to sign Vick, he's quoted as saying...

"for us, that's an academic problem. Because we've got the number one player in the world at that position, as far as I'm concerned. Why would we want to do anything that would take (quarterback Tom Brady) off the field for one play."

Kraft offers an intelligent argument, but Coach Belichek LOVES versatility and old-school play. He's the unconventional disciplinarian, it's a perfect fit; Afterall, this is the man who let Doug Flutie attempt (a successful, I might add) dropkick. Tom Brady wouldn't feel pressure from a Michael Vick signing, I mean, they're signing Cleo Lemon, who is nothing, but a poor man's Michael Vick. If Vick shows that he's still got it, then they can sign him to a one-year deal and ship him off just like Matt Cassel last year.

Coach Belichek must be salivating over the chance to sign Vick. Belichek is a historian of football and holds a soft spot in his heart for the Single-Wing Offense, whose most recent incarnation is the Wildcat Offense that tore up the Patriots last season when it was first revealed by the Dolphins.

If you think Belichek has forgotten the 38-13 drumming at the hands of the Dolphins last year then you haven't watched patriots football this past decade. Belichek rarely forgets a loss, and this one hurt bad. I was at that game, it was one of the first times I can recall since Belichek was at the helm that Patriots fans were booing. The game was a disaster, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams did anything and everything they wanted to.... Don't you think Belichek, the football genius, wants to show the football world that he can do the Wildcat, and he can do it better than anyone else?

This is his thing, if he can't be the first, he wants to be the best. For all the people saying Vick will be a distraction and that one team can't hold him, just look at Randy Moss... Since Moss showed up at Patriots mini-camp two years ago he has been nothing, but an ideal teammate. The Patriots have shown time and time again with guys like Moss and Rodney Harrison that volatile players not only fit in, but thrive in the Patriots system. The Patriots win, and if theres one thing that brings teams together and ensures a good locker room atmosphere, its winning.

Is Obama going to tax middle-class Americans?

Aug. 3, 2009
During his campaign, President Obama always said that families making less than $250,000 per year would not see their taxes increase. Now, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Director Larry Summers are evading questions tackling that issue. All Geithner says is that its important to lower the federal deficit and all Summers says is that the funding for Obama's health care plan has to come from somewhere. Neither one of them will rule out a tax increase.

The economy is still slow, the unemployment rate is high, and the deficit is horrible. I think everyone agrees that the president came into power when the country was practically falling apart. But aren't there other ways for us to fix these problems that don't involve hurting the little guy? And didn't the president realize that fixing so many problems was going to be expensive in the first place? Shouldn't he have taken everything into consideration before making promises he couldn't keep?

I think President Obama's strong point before the election was looking calm and rational throughout his whole campaign. I think it made him seem... trustworthy. But if he goes back on one of his biggest promises, he loses all of that. The public will no longer trust him and he can just wave goodbye to a second term.

Financially, a lot of people probably wouldn't notice a slight tax increase, but conceptually, it makes a big difference. If the White House increases taxes on families making less than $250K per year, it loses all credibility with the American people.

I know that things are difficult for everyone, including the government. But I don't think that withdrawing promises is the solution for the president. Especially when those promises were key to getting him elected in the first place.

Maybe during his re-election campaign he can make plans to raise taxes on middle class people, but in the meantime, I think he will have to figure out a different way to manage. .

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King: Canada is not a Hell-Hole

By Tyler King

The so-called Americans for Prosperity Foundation, not to be confused with the many Americans who oppose prosperity, is warning this country of an immense danger. That danger -- being more like Canada. The lobby group recently created a new agency with a well-sounding name; Patients United Now, not to be confused with those who intend to divide patients later.

They've run television ads in 11 states and the District of Columbia warning of the horrible consequences of a public healthcare system like that of America's neighbors to the north. A popular ad tells the story of Shona Holmes, a woman from Waterdown, Ontario, who was supposedly diagnosed with a brain tumor yet placed on a 6-month waiting list to see a specialist. Instead of waiting, she spent $100,000 of her own money to get treatment at the Mayo Clinic - had she not done that, the ad says, she would surely have died. But oh, how the truth so stubbornly gets in the way of political manipulation. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation recently revealed that Holmes did not have a brain tumor, but a lesser condition known as a Rathke's cleft cyst. It's a condition nobody has ever died from in Canada.

But that doesn't fit the horror story that this propaganda foundation would have unsuspecting television viewers believe. Instead, the buzz phrases are "deadly delays," "less liberty" and "more taxes." Patients United Now also says bureaucrats will supposedly make all the decisions, just like they do in Canada. Another reality check; under every provincial healthcare system in Canada, doctors decide on treatment; bureaucrats make sure it's paid for. The television ads also have you believe that vital treatments and procedures are denied in Canada, because, quote - "government says patients aren't worth it." What they don't explain is why a recent Harvard Medical School study shows Canadians outliving Americans by an average of two years. It also shows Canada accomplishing this while spending almost $3,000 per person less on healthcare than the United States does, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

There's no question that public healthcare is far from perfect; but maybe if this healthcare debate was centered on reality and fact instead of manipulation and lies, we'd all think a bit more of the politicians who are currently debating it.

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Is Tiger the Greatest?

Is Tiger Woods the greatest of all time? After another victory at the Buick Open this weekend, the paradoxical question of greatness that haunts sports fanatics is, again, brought into light. What has not been questioned is his place in the golf ranks. As he nears shattering nearly every significant golf record, including the most career majors victories, the debate has become solely, is he the greatest athlete of any sport? Now, the very idea that a golfer would rank as one of the best athletes of all time might make true naturalists cringe. But the statistics speak for themselves. In 11 years he has amassed 14 career majors wins, an amazing 69 tour wins, and has been named P-G-A player of the year on nine separate occasions. Jack Nicklaus won a major 18 different times, still the record today, but it took him 25 years to do so. Tiger Woods is only 33 years old and is still winning events after reconstructive surgery on his knee last year, which most believe will only make him stronger as his knee heals. What about Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, or Jim Thorpe? All incredible athletes that have won on a consistent basis and have left their mark on their respective sports. For someone like Michael Jordan, no one questions that he was the reason the Bulls won six championships in the 90's. But could he have done it without Scottie Pippen or his coach Phil Jackson? No, it's a team sport and therefore it is hard to justify that it was Jordan that won 6 world championships. Thorpe was an amazing athlete who was dominant in multiple sports and his abilities have rarely been seen since. But when Jim Thorpe was playing, where were the Ray Lewis' of the world, or the 250 pound defensive lineman he had to get through. He was superior at a time of mediocrity, he was ahead of his time against weaker opponents. And Federer, possibly the closest to compare to Woods' astonishing career. He holds the record for most majors in his career and has held the number one rank for most of his tenure. But Federer's reign as the best is already seemingly coming to a close while Woods continues beating everyone. No one has put fear into his opponents like Woods does every single tournament. Other golfers are said to be terrified to face Woods on a Sunday with a small lead. We may not know for another 50 years if Woods is truly the greatest, but when it comes to dominating a sport, nobody does it better.

Woods Podcast:

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