Rss

Been & Going

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Fails

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Posted by :Jersey Joe On : August 28, 2014
0

Category: Archive, Been, Columns, Going, Kickin' Back with Jersey Joe, Topics, Travel

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Have you been called out yet to take the ALS ice bucket challenge?  It’s the new in-thing sweeping across social media.  Everyone from athletes to celebrities are recording videos of themselves dumping an ice cold bucket of water over their heads to raise funds to fight Lou Gehrig’s Disease.  While the whole thing is based on good intentions, but some of these videos don’t go so well.

 

YouTube has been flooded with videos of people taking the challenge.  Many have tried to one up another by having fire trucks or even helicopters dump the water on them.  As you can imagine, not all of these stunts go as planned.  Even the basic dumping of water from a bucket has had a few hilarious consequences.  Let’s take a look at some of the ALS ice bucket challenge fails…

 

http://youtu.be/wCisNA4Wbw0

 

Lou Gehrig’s Disease, known as ALS or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a motor neuron disease, which caused the person affected to lose basic motor control.  It causes muscle weakness, trouble speaking, trouble swallowing, and trouble breathing.  Most people affected usually die from the disease in about 39 months.  More than 5,600 are diagnosed in the United States every year and it affects 2 out of every 100,000 people.

 

The ice bucket challenge is designed to raise funds for research against the disease.  The challenge has so far raised $41.8 million in donations from July 28 – August 21.  They raised $10 million on August 21st alone!  The fundraiser is smashing all kinds of records.  (ALS earned $63 million in donations for all of 2013) and continues to grow.

 

THE 411

 

Name: ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

 

What: viral video campaign to raise funds for Lou Gehrig’s Disease research

 

Suggested cost: $10 if you dump the bucket of ice, $100 if not

 

Time: participants challenged are to complete their challenge within 24 hours

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS

 

The ice bucket challenge is a great idea, but I just hope that it doesn’t take away from other charitable organizations that are trying to raise funds.  Whether you choose to participate or not, charitable donation is up to the individual giver.  It’s up to you – where you decide your money goes.

[Kicking Back with Jersey Joe] When Whales Explode…

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...
Posted by :Jersey Joe On : March 6, 2014
0

Category: Columns, Going, Kickin' Back with Jersey Joe, Topics, Travel

Tags:, , , , , , , , , ,

Over the years, I’ve featured all kinds of “caught on tape” blogs.  Well, this week is only for those who have a strong stomach!  When a whale dies at sea, it usually washes ashore on a beach somewhere and causes quite a stink.  It’s the job of local authorities to remove these giant animals before things really get bad.  Well, take a look at these videos (WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE) and think of this the next time you have a bad day at work!

 

Whales are some of the largest creatures to inhabit our planet’s oceans.  Ranging in size from 11 feet to 200 tons, the average life span is 77 years, but they can live well past the century mark.  While known as a gentile giant, these creatures were nearly hunted into extinction, with 2 million being killed during the 20th century.  Now, only a few countries are still on the hunt, while most have given up in hopes of growing the population.  Whalers hunted them for oil, meat, and to make perfume out of their intestines.  The issue of whale hunting was the subject for the time travel film, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

 

Sadly, after the long lives come to and end, many wash up on shore.  If not taken care of, they begin to decompose in only two days.  Who would want to be next to that giant stinky mess?  After they pass, their stomach and intestines fill with gas.  (Think of how you feel after eating a bloating meal!)

 

The following video was recorded last November in the Faroe Islands.  The Faroe Islands are about 200 miles northwest of Scotland with a population of about 50,000.  While under Danish rule, the island is self governed and prohibit whale hunting.  Therefore, the whale in the video was not hunted and died of natural causes.

 

I feel bad for this guy who had to go in and dissect the carcass for removal.  He gets quite a surprise!

 

WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE.  This did air on Faroe national TV across the island.

 

http://youtu.be/dCsMNurn3bQ

 

Since being posted, the video has scored over 4 million hits.

 

This is not the first time a whale explosion has been caught on camera.  Back in November 1980, KATU News in Portland, Oregon was there as another whale washed ashore.  This time, town officials decided to blow it up with dynamite in a huge public spectacle… which quickly goes wrong.  WARNING: MORE GRAPHIC FOOTAGE taken from the original newscast.

 

 

Another video that has scored over 3 million hits.

 

THE 411

 

What: exploding whales caught on tape

 

Why: pressure builds up in whale stomach and intestines after death

 

JERSEY JOE RECOMMENDS:

 

These videos are kind of crazy!  I think we’ve all learned not to cut into a dead whale.  It’s amazing (and a little educational) how the build up of gas inside can cause such an explosion.  The pressure was enough to destroy a car in the parking lot!  How do you explain that to your insurance company?

 

Judging by the millions who have viewed these videos, just about anything can become a trending topic on the web.