Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Chad Johnson: I still love Evelyn
Chad Johnson says he still loves Evelyn Lozada - even though the reality star has filed to end their 41-day-old marriage.
Lozada filed for divorce Tuesday after Johnson was arrested for allegedly head-butting her during an argument Saturday. The football star was dropped by the
Miami Dolphins the next day.
In a statement on his website - OCNN - Johnson apologized for his action and said he loves her to death. He also said he planned to stay positive and hopes
to get signed by another NFL team.
"I would like to apologize to everyone for the recent events that have occurred," Johnson's statement read. "I would like to wish Evelyn well and will never
say anything bad about her because I truly love her to death. I will continue to be positive and train hard for another opportunity in the NFL. To all the
fans and supporters I have disappointed, you have my sincerest apologies. I will stay positive and get through this tough period in my life."
The couple's July 4th wedding was taped for their VH1 reality show ''Ev & Ocho'' -but the network has decided it will no longer air.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Paul Ryan and Ryan Gosling spark vice-presidential humour online
When Mitt Romney officially named Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate on Sunday he likely had no clue what the internet had in store for him.
Early Saturday, as news began to leak, online pranksters sprung into action and revived a meme that first appeared earlier this year: Paul Ryan Gosling. It
builds on that uber-popular "Hey Girl" meme featuring actor Ryan Gosling by combining pictures or Tweets of Paul Ryan with a romantic and/or conservative
caption.
One of the first blogs to spring into action was Hey Girl, It's Paul Ryan. According to Time Magazine, the Tumblr blog was started back in April but lasted
only about a week. Since Ryan was picked to be Romney's running mate, however, it was revived.
It features such pithy comments as "Hey girl, I like big cuts and I cannot lie" and "Hey girl, I may be vying for #2. But you'll always be my #1."
Here's another one:
But Hey Girl, It's Paul Ryan is not to be confused with another Tumblr called simply Paul Ryan Gosling that sprung up on Saturday.
The creator(s) behind the Paul Ryan Gosling Tumblr don't want to be confused with yet another addition to the meme craze. They wrote:
"If you follow @PaulRyanGosling on Twitter, be advised that that is not the real Paul Ryan Gosling, the adorable middle-class-destroying scamp that you know
and love from this page right here.
Facebook.com/PaulRyanGosling. Real talk."
The @paulryangosling Twitter account also sprang into action Saturday with a Tweet about Medicare.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Removing the barriers to consent for organ donation
Within 24 hours of these words appearing in print, Team GB is likely to have won at least three more medals, and during the same time frame at least three
more British people will probably die waiting for an organ transplant.
Each year about 1000 patients lose their fight for life, a life that could have been saved by an altruistic gift from someone they probably had never met.
This has led to widespread calls for the replacement of the current opt-in system for organ donation by what is known as a soft opt-out system, where a
person's consent is assumed unless they have objected in their lifetime. Wales is consulting on such a scheme, which has improved the level of donated organs
in Belgium and Spain. Recently our sister paper, the Evening Times, has done much to raise the profile of the opt-out campaign through a well-supported
petition and by sharing stories of the suffering of those waiting for transplants and the joy of those who have had one.
How far would an opt-out mechanism go towards eliminating the growing transplant organ shortage? Much depends on the attitude adopted towards the views of
the bereaved family and relatives.
As The Herald reports today, such a move may make less difference than anticipated if relatives continue to have a veto. Currently, around a quarter of
suitable organs are never transplanted because of the refusal of the bereaved. Even when the dead patient is on the donor register, one in 10 families
withholds consent. They may assert that the patient "has suffered enough" or worry that staff will not strive to save a person's life if there are plans in
place for transplanting their organs. Often the issue has never come up in conversation.
The gap between demand and supply of organs could be diminished if relatives were not allowed to over-rule the wishes of the deceased, argues Dr David Shaw
of Aberdeen University. He describes respecting the veto as "unethical, unprofessional and against the spirit of the law".
This is an ethically complex area. It touches on the relationship between the citizen and the state and that between patient and doctor. It pitches the
rights of suffering patients against those of grieving relatives. The Herald has argued that any change to the system must take the public with it, or risk
making the organ shortage worse instead of better, as happened in Brazil.
Under the proposed Welsh scheme, clinical teams will have a duty of care towards the bereaved and must take into account strong objections, especially when
the views of the dead person are unknown. The scheme proposed by the BMA and supported by Kidney Research UK leaves the final decision with loved ones.
Surely the answer lies not in surgeons removing organs in the face of objections from the grieving spouse and offspring, but all of us openly discussing our
wishes with our nearest and dearest. The biggest barrier to improving the level of consent for organ donation is not the obstruction of irrational relatives
but ignorance.
more British people will probably die waiting for an organ transplant.
Each year about 1000 patients lose their fight for life, a life that could have been saved by an altruistic gift from someone they probably had never met.
This has led to widespread calls for the replacement of the current opt-in system for organ donation by what is known as a soft opt-out system, where a
person's consent is assumed unless they have objected in their lifetime. Wales is consulting on such a scheme, which has improved the level of donated organs
in Belgium and Spain. Recently our sister paper, the Evening Times, has done much to raise the profile of the opt-out campaign through a well-supported
petition and by sharing stories of the suffering of those waiting for transplants and the joy of those who have had one.
How far would an opt-out mechanism go towards eliminating the growing transplant organ shortage? Much depends on the attitude adopted towards the views of
the bereaved family and relatives.
As The Herald reports today, such a move may make less difference than anticipated if relatives continue to have a veto. Currently, around a quarter of
suitable organs are never transplanted because of the refusal of the bereaved. Even when the dead patient is on the donor register, one in 10 families
withholds consent. They may assert that the patient "has suffered enough" or worry that staff will not strive to save a person's life if there are plans in
place for transplanting their organs. Often the issue has never come up in conversation.
The gap between demand and supply of organs could be diminished if relatives were not allowed to over-rule the wishes of the deceased, argues Dr David Shaw
of Aberdeen University. He describes respecting the veto as "unethical, unprofessional and against the spirit of the law".
This is an ethically complex area. It touches on the relationship between the citizen and the state and that between patient and doctor. It pitches the
rights of suffering patients against those of grieving relatives. The Herald has argued that any change to the system must take the public with it, or risk
making the organ shortage worse instead of better, as happened in Brazil.
Under the proposed Welsh scheme, clinical teams will have a duty of care towards the bereaved and must take into account strong objections, especially when
the views of the dead person are unknown. The scheme proposed by the BMA and supported by Kidney Research UK leaves the final decision with loved ones.
Surely the answer lies not in surgeons removing organs in the face of objections from the grieving spouse and offspring, but all of us openly discussing our
wishes with our nearest and dearest. The biggest barrier to improving the level of consent for organ donation is not the obstruction of irrational relatives
but ignorance.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Sasuke Singapore has celebs huffing and puffing
You could say Fly Entertainment artist Bobby Tonelli received "special treatment" during the filming of Sasuke Singapore's celebrity episode back in June.
After all, the Singapore-based American actor-DJ's girlfriend, local actress Joanne Peh, is the host of the show.
Sasuke Singapore is Channel 5's new crazy, action-packed game show that pushes contestants to their physical limits through an arduous five-part obstacle
course.
A local adaptation of the Japanese series Sasuke (known as Ninja Warrior internationally), it premieres on Aug 9 at 8.10pm, after the telecast of the
National Day Parade.
The 36-year-old Tonelli and Peh, 29, did not bother to hide their affection for each other on the approximately 160m by 25m set at Sentosa.
The couple, who have been dating since 2009, openly addressed each other as "honey" and "dear". While Tonelli was navigating a series of slanted platforms
called the Sextuple Step and jumped from a trampoline onto a cargo net, Peh took out her smartphone to take photographs and videos.
She also energetically cheered her hunky beau on and could not keep her eyes off him.
When asked whether she gave Tonelli any insider tips on how to ace the course, Peh responded with a chuckle.
After all, she was a contestant on the Channel 8 variety series Battle@Water Margin, which saw MediaCorp artists overcoming their phobias of heights and
water as they duked it out on the wacky, wet and wild obstacle courses.
She told The New Paper: "There's nothing I can do to help him because he's the one on the course. "There's no formula for success."
She added: "I didn't want to say I was worried because I might have projected that nervousness." Incidentally, Tonelli had also auditioned to host Sasuke
Singapore, but lost the role to Peh.
Nevertheless, he did his homework for his part as acontestant.
"I studied some of the obstacles on YouTube, worked out a lot and trained myself mentally for this challenge," he said. "I think you just have to focus on
what is going on ahead of you and give it your all."
So are they still at the stage in their relationship where Tonelli has to impress Peh?
Quipped the American: "I think taking part in Sasuke is impressive enough because not everyone can do this."
Yes, even someone as well-built and physically fit as Tonelli was seen having a difficult time on the course.
While climbing up the rope ladder, his foot got tangled and he looked visibly troubled.
Also, he failed to conquer the Jump Hang obstacle and fell into the water below.
When he emerged, looking disappointed with himself, Peh hugged and comforted him, saying: "It's okay baby, I still love you."
She told TNP later: "I think he did great, although he has been very nervous for the past few days.
"I have to say, I was more nervous for the other contestants than him."
Tonelli was joined by other local celebrities such as Nat Ho, 27, Paul Foster, 31, Jimmy T, 48, Sylvia Ratonel, 24, and Koh Yah Hwee, 25.
And none of them had it easy on the course.
The sun was merciless during the shoot and they all left nursing rope burns on their hands.
Actor-singer Ho said: "My only thought was to get on the other side at all cost (for the Tarzan Swing and Rope Ladder). Only when I pressed the buzzer did I
realise both my palms had blisters and were bleeding.
"My next thought was that I cannot play Diablo 3 for a while.
"I didn't really prepare (for Sasuke Singapore). I just watched some YouTube videos and followed my normal exercise routine because I didn't have much of an
idea of what to prepare for."
Singapore Idol 3 runner-up Ratonel suffered even more severe rope burns and was seen being attended to by medical personnel at the scene.
The singer was heard gasping in pain and kept telling the medics not to "press" on her wounds.
Koh also didn't expect the obstacles to be so tough. While she was on the platform to prepare for the Tarzan Swing and Rope Ladder, the actress kept
shouting: "It is different up here!"
She added: "I exercised and did some yoga. I honestly thought it was going to be easy, but it is no joke at all."
After all, the Singapore-based American actor-DJ's girlfriend, local actress Joanne Peh, is the host of the show.
Sasuke Singapore is Channel 5's new crazy, action-packed game show that pushes contestants to their physical limits through an arduous five-part obstacle
course.
A local adaptation of the Japanese series Sasuke (known as Ninja Warrior internationally), it premieres on Aug 9 at 8.10pm, after the telecast of the
National Day Parade.
The 36-year-old Tonelli and Peh, 29, did not bother to hide their affection for each other on the approximately 160m by 25m set at Sentosa.
The couple, who have been dating since 2009, openly addressed each other as "honey" and "dear". While Tonelli was navigating a series of slanted platforms
called the Sextuple Step and jumped from a trampoline onto a cargo net, Peh took out her smartphone to take photographs and videos.
She also energetically cheered her hunky beau on and could not keep her eyes off him.
When asked whether she gave Tonelli any insider tips on how to ace the course, Peh responded with a chuckle.
After all, she was a contestant on the Channel 8 variety series Battle@Water Margin, which saw MediaCorp artists overcoming their phobias of heights and
water as they duked it out on the wacky, wet and wild obstacle courses.
She told The New Paper: "There's nothing I can do to help him because he's the one on the course. "There's no formula for success."
She added: "I didn't want to say I was worried because I might have projected that nervousness." Incidentally, Tonelli had also auditioned to host Sasuke
Singapore, but lost the role to Peh.
Nevertheless, he did his homework for his part as acontestant.
"I studied some of the obstacles on YouTube, worked out a lot and trained myself mentally for this challenge," he said. "I think you just have to focus on
what is going on ahead of you and give it your all."
So are they still at the stage in their relationship where Tonelli has to impress Peh?
Quipped the American: "I think taking part in Sasuke is impressive enough because not everyone can do this."
Yes, even someone as well-built and physically fit as Tonelli was seen having a difficult time on the course.
While climbing up the rope ladder, his foot got tangled and he looked visibly troubled.
Also, he failed to conquer the Jump Hang obstacle and fell into the water below.
When he emerged, looking disappointed with himself, Peh hugged and comforted him, saying: "It's okay baby, I still love you."
She told TNP later: "I think he did great, although he has been very nervous for the past few days.
"I have to say, I was more nervous for the other contestants than him."
Tonelli was joined by other local celebrities such as Nat Ho, 27, Paul Foster, 31, Jimmy T, 48, Sylvia Ratonel, 24, and Koh Yah Hwee, 25.
And none of them had it easy on the course.
The sun was merciless during the shoot and they all left nursing rope burns on their hands.
Actor-singer Ho said: "My only thought was to get on the other side at all cost (for the Tarzan Swing and Rope Ladder). Only when I pressed the buzzer did I
realise both my palms had blisters and were bleeding.
"My next thought was that I cannot play Diablo 3 for a while.
"I didn't really prepare (for Sasuke Singapore). I just watched some YouTube videos and followed my normal exercise routine because I didn't have much of an
idea of what to prepare for."
Singapore Idol 3 runner-up Ratonel suffered even more severe rope burns and was seen being attended to by medical personnel at the scene.
The singer was heard gasping in pain and kept telling the medics not to "press" on her wounds.
Koh also didn't expect the obstacles to be so tough. While she was on the platform to prepare for the Tarzan Swing and Rope Ladder, the actress kept
shouting: "It is different up here!"
She added: "I exercised and did some yoga. I honestly thought it was going to be easy, but it is no joke at all."
Monday, August 6, 2012
U.S. probes HCA heart procedures, hospital billing
U.S. authorities are probing whether heart procedures performed at HCA Holdings Inc hospitals were medically necessary and are investigating the company's
billing practices, the company said on Monday.
The company's shares were down as much as 10 percent.
HCA, in an unusual move, also issued a detailed rebuttal defending itself against a not-yet-published report by The New York Times. The company said it
believes the newspaper will question physician decisions at its hospitals regarding certain heart procedures.
The U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing whether charges to the federal government related to use of implantable cardio-defibrillators (ICDs) met with
billing criteria set by the Medicare health program for the elderly, HCA said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The review will include ICD billing and medical records at 95 of the company's 163 hospitals from October 2003 to the present.
ICDs are devices implanted in a patient's chest to help regulate heart rhythm and protect against potentially dangerous racing heart beats. Major
manufacturers of the devices include: Medtronic Inc, Boston Scientific Corp and St Jude Medical Inc.
A representatives for St Jude was not immediately available. A Boston Scientific spokesman did not have an immediate comment. A Medtronic spokesman declined
to comment on an investigation involving another company.
HCA also said that in July the federal prosecutor's office in Miami requested information on reviews assessing the medical necessity of certain
interventional heart procedures. HCA said it believes such reviews have taken place at about 10 of its hospitals, primarily in Florida.
The reviews were conducted by third-party organizations retained by the company, an HCA spokesman said.
The company said its own review of how many of its hospitals may be affected was not yet complete.
Interventional heart procedures include angioplasty and stenting used to clear and prop open blocked coronary arteries.
Jefferies analyst Arthur Henderson said such inquiries were not uncommon.
"Every time they come out, people get pretty nervous about it and the stocks trade down," Henderson said. "There is not enough information to say this is
going to end up bad. As long as the company continues to execute the way they have this quarter, I think there is some upside to the stock."
Shares in HCA fell as much as 10 percent after the disclosures on Monday, but regained some ground to close 3.95 percent lower at $25.55. Rival hospital
operators also fell on news of the probes before recovering. Community Health shares closed down 0.6 percent at $23.83, while shares of Tenet Healthcare Corp
were off 0.03 percent at $4.66.
EARNINGS BEAT EXPECTATIONS
HCA on Monday also reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings as more patients were treated at its facilities. The company stood by its 2012 earnings
forecast.
Net income for the second quarter rose to $391 million, or 85 cents per share, from $229 million, or 43 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding one-time gains, earnings were 85 cents per share, topping analysts' average forecast of 78 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Revenue rose 12 percent to $8.11 billion. Admissions to facilities owned for at least one year, combined with outpatient volumes, increased 3.9 percent.
billing practices, the company said on Monday.
The company's shares were down as much as 10 percent.
HCA, in an unusual move, also issued a detailed rebuttal defending itself against a not-yet-published report by The New York Times. The company said it
believes the newspaper will question physician decisions at its hospitals regarding certain heart procedures.
The U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing whether charges to the federal government related to use of implantable cardio-defibrillators (ICDs) met with
billing criteria set by the Medicare health program for the elderly, HCA said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The review will include ICD billing and medical records at 95 of the company's 163 hospitals from October 2003 to the present.
ICDs are devices implanted in a patient's chest to help regulate heart rhythm and protect against potentially dangerous racing heart beats. Major
manufacturers of the devices include: Medtronic Inc, Boston Scientific Corp and St Jude Medical Inc.
A representatives for St Jude was not immediately available. A Boston Scientific spokesman did not have an immediate comment. A Medtronic spokesman declined
to comment on an investigation involving another company.
HCA also said that in July the federal prosecutor's office in Miami requested information on reviews assessing the medical necessity of certain
interventional heart procedures. HCA said it believes such reviews have taken place at about 10 of its hospitals, primarily in Florida.
The reviews were conducted by third-party organizations retained by the company, an HCA spokesman said.
The company said its own review of how many of its hospitals may be affected was not yet complete.
Interventional heart procedures include angioplasty and stenting used to clear and prop open blocked coronary arteries.
Jefferies analyst Arthur Henderson said such inquiries were not uncommon.
"Every time they come out, people get pretty nervous about it and the stocks trade down," Henderson said. "There is not enough information to say this is
going to end up bad. As long as the company continues to execute the way they have this quarter, I think there is some upside to the stock."
Shares in HCA fell as much as 10 percent after the disclosures on Monday, but regained some ground to close 3.95 percent lower at $25.55. Rival hospital
operators also fell on news of the probes before recovering. Community Health shares closed down 0.6 percent at $23.83, while shares of Tenet Healthcare Corp
were off 0.03 percent at $4.66.
EARNINGS BEAT EXPECTATIONS
HCA on Monday also reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings as more patients were treated at its facilities. The company stood by its 2012 earnings
forecast.
Net income for the second quarter rose to $391 million, or 85 cents per share, from $229 million, or 43 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding one-time gains, earnings were 85 cents per share, topping analysts' average forecast of 78 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Revenue rose 12 percent to $8.11 billion. Admissions to facilities owned for at least one year, combined with outpatient volumes, increased 3.9 percent.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Chile marks second anniversary of mine collapse
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A cross in the middle of the world's driest desert now marks the spot where a mine collapse trapped 33 men a half-mile under the
earth for 69 days.
Chile on Sunday marked the second anniversary of the cave-in at the San Jose mine in the Atacama desert, honoring the miners who survived in entrapment
longer than anyone else before.
President Sebastian Pinera traveled to the northern city of Copiapo to join the men at the mouth of the mine that nearly became their rocky grave. They
unveiled a five-meter (16 1/2-foot) cross as part of a monument known as the "The 33 miners of Atacama: The miracle of life."
"In such extreme, difficult circumstances you were able to bring out the best in yourselves," Pinera told the miners at a ceremony. "You fought for your own
lives with such strength, faith, hope and comradeship that it touched the fibers of men and women around the world."
The miners said it felt like an earthquake when the shaft caved in above them on Aug. 5, 2010, filing the lower ridges of the copper and gold mine with
suffocating dust. Hours passed before they could even begin to see a few steps in front of them. Above them tons of rock shifted constantly, threatening to
bury them forever.
People on the surface didn't know for more than two weeks that the men had survived the collapse, and the 33 stretched a meager 48-hour store of emergency
food for 17 days, eating tiny capsules of tuna and sips of expired milk. A narrow shaft finally reached their haven and the world learned they were alive.
That shaft allowed food and water to reach the men while rescuers drilled a bigger escape hole. Finally, in a flawless operation that ended in the early
hours of Oct. 13, the miners were hauled up one-by-one in a cage through 2,000 feet of rock.
Back on the surface they were received as heroes for surviving so long in the sweltering, dark depths of the overexploited century-old mine. Their globally
televised rescue mesmerized millions worldwide. They got paid trips to the Greek Islands, visited the Real Madrid stadium in Spain and paraded at Magic
Kingdom in Disney World.
But the fantasy began to crumble on their return home.
Many ran out of money and had to scratch out a living in the dusty, barren working-class neighborhoods and shantytowns of the desert city of Copiapo. Some
began suffering from health and psychological problems. Others took to alcohol and drugs. Most are still kept up at night by memories of their ordeal.
"I still suffer from the nightmares," said Alex Vega, 33, who vowed never walk into a mine again.
"I'm on psychiatric treatment because I haven't been able to overcome all of it," said Vega, who has traveled to Central America and the United States giving
inspirational talks and works operating construction machinery. He receives a pension of $200 a month to compensate for his psychological problems.
But doctors say the aftermath could have been worse.
"I still see them as great people who were able to go through something terrible," said Alberto Iturra Benavides, the head psychologist who worked with the
miners.
"What surprises me most is the strength of their commitment to life. They could have had deep personality alterations, but it hasn't happened. People can't
even begin to understand how terrible it was for them down there," he added.
Chile announced last year that 14 of the miners who are older than 50 or suffer from health problems that keep them from working would receive a lifetime
pension of $540 a month. The miners have been secretive about the details of what happened during their entrapment, especially the days before they were
found, hoping to strike gold in a film deal.
Now they're banking all their financial hopes on a Hollywood movie deal signed with "Black Swan" producer Mike Medavoy. The production will draw on a book
being written about them by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hector Tobar.
"The 33," as they are known, will appear as extras in the film, said Remberto Valdes, a lawyer who represents the men. He said they have already received
about $9,000 each for the film and $2,500 for the book and will get royalties from ticket sales.
Their survival story sent the president's popularity ratings soaring. The billionaire businessman supervised the 22-hour rescue and bear-hugged the miners on
their way out. Pinera also traveled the world showing the handwritten note by one of the miners that first alerted rescuers: "We are all well in the shelter,
the 33 of us."
Since then, widespread protests demanding improvements in education and a wider distribution of wealth have eroded Pinera's support and he has become Chile's
most unpopular leader since the country returned to democracy in 1990.
The San Jose collapse brought the mine's safety record into focus and put mining, Chile's top industry, under close scrutiny. A congressional commission last
year found its owners responsible for the cave-in at the 125-year-old mine.
Mining-related deaths fell 36 percent last year to 27, compared to 41 in 2010, the year of the cave-in, according to a report by the Mining Ministry. The
report says accidents at Chile's 8,500 mines last year also fell by 40 percent, their lowest level in 21 years thanks to increased oversight by inspectors.
"The accident left us lessons," Mining Minister Hernan de Solminihac said in a story published Sunday by the newspaper El Mercurio. "We took those seriously
to avoid a tragedy."
At the San Jose mine, Pinera urged lawmakers to fast-track the passing of a mining law that is stuck in Congress. If passed, it would create a new system of
information safety, increase the number of inspections at mine sites and put harsher penalties on those who break the law.
"We all know this law is necessary," he said. "It sanctions anyone who doesn't abide by their duty to protect the security and dignity of miners."
earth for 69 days.
Chile on Sunday marked the second anniversary of the cave-in at the San Jose mine in the Atacama desert, honoring the miners who survived in entrapment
longer than anyone else before.
President Sebastian Pinera traveled to the northern city of Copiapo to join the men at the mouth of the mine that nearly became their rocky grave. They
unveiled a five-meter (16 1/2-foot) cross as part of a monument known as the "The 33 miners of Atacama: The miracle of life."
"In such extreme, difficult circumstances you were able to bring out the best in yourselves," Pinera told the miners at a ceremony. "You fought for your own
lives with such strength, faith, hope and comradeship that it touched the fibers of men and women around the world."
The miners said it felt like an earthquake when the shaft caved in above them on Aug. 5, 2010, filing the lower ridges of the copper and gold mine with
suffocating dust. Hours passed before they could even begin to see a few steps in front of them. Above them tons of rock shifted constantly, threatening to
bury them forever.
People on the surface didn't know for more than two weeks that the men had survived the collapse, and the 33 stretched a meager 48-hour store of emergency
food for 17 days, eating tiny capsules of tuna and sips of expired milk. A narrow shaft finally reached their haven and the world learned they were alive.
That shaft allowed food and water to reach the men while rescuers drilled a bigger escape hole. Finally, in a flawless operation that ended in the early
hours of Oct. 13, the miners were hauled up one-by-one in a cage through 2,000 feet of rock.
Back on the surface they were received as heroes for surviving so long in the sweltering, dark depths of the overexploited century-old mine. Their globally
televised rescue mesmerized millions worldwide. They got paid trips to the Greek Islands, visited the Real Madrid stadium in Spain and paraded at Magic
Kingdom in Disney World.
But the fantasy began to crumble on their return home.
Many ran out of money and had to scratch out a living in the dusty, barren working-class neighborhoods and shantytowns of the desert city of Copiapo. Some
began suffering from health and psychological problems. Others took to alcohol and drugs. Most are still kept up at night by memories of their ordeal.
"I still suffer from the nightmares," said Alex Vega, 33, who vowed never walk into a mine again.
"I'm on psychiatric treatment because I haven't been able to overcome all of it," said Vega, who has traveled to Central America and the United States giving
inspirational talks and works operating construction machinery. He receives a pension of $200 a month to compensate for his psychological problems.
But doctors say the aftermath could have been worse.
"I still see them as great people who were able to go through something terrible," said Alberto Iturra Benavides, the head psychologist who worked with the
miners.
"What surprises me most is the strength of their commitment to life. They could have had deep personality alterations, but it hasn't happened. People can't
even begin to understand how terrible it was for them down there," he added.
Chile announced last year that 14 of the miners who are older than 50 or suffer from health problems that keep them from working would receive a lifetime
pension of $540 a month. The miners have been secretive about the details of what happened during their entrapment, especially the days before they were
found, hoping to strike gold in a film deal.
Now they're banking all their financial hopes on a Hollywood movie deal signed with "Black Swan" producer Mike Medavoy. The production will draw on a book
being written about them by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hector Tobar.
"The 33," as they are known, will appear as extras in the film, said Remberto Valdes, a lawyer who represents the men. He said they have already received
about $9,000 each for the film and $2,500 for the book and will get royalties from ticket sales.
Their survival story sent the president's popularity ratings soaring. The billionaire businessman supervised the 22-hour rescue and bear-hugged the miners on
their way out. Pinera also traveled the world showing the handwritten note by one of the miners that first alerted rescuers: "We are all well in the shelter,
the 33 of us."
Since then, widespread protests demanding improvements in education and a wider distribution of wealth have eroded Pinera's support and he has become Chile's
most unpopular leader since the country returned to democracy in 1990.
The San Jose collapse brought the mine's safety record into focus and put mining, Chile's top industry, under close scrutiny. A congressional commission last
year found its owners responsible for the cave-in at the 125-year-old mine.
Mining-related deaths fell 36 percent last year to 27, compared to 41 in 2010, the year of the cave-in, according to a report by the Mining Ministry. The
report says accidents at Chile's 8,500 mines last year also fell by 40 percent, their lowest level in 21 years thanks to increased oversight by inspectors.
"The accident left us lessons," Mining Minister Hernan de Solminihac said in a story published Sunday by the newspaper El Mercurio. "We took those seriously
to avoid a tragedy."
At the San Jose mine, Pinera urged lawmakers to fast-track the passing of a mining law that is stuck in Congress. If passed, it would create a new system of
information safety, increase the number of inspections at mine sites and put harsher penalties on those who break the law.
"We all know this law is necessary," he said. "It sanctions anyone who doesn't abide by their duty to protect the security and dignity of miners."
Thursday, August 2, 2012
'Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry' tracks artist
Documentary directed by Alison Klayman. In English and Chinese with English subtitles. (R, 91 mins.)
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei spent a productive decade in New York, noticed by almost no one, before returning to his native Beijing in 1993. Since then, as
recounted in Alison Klayman's brisk, clear-eyed documentary "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry," he has risen steadily to international prominence, through intensifying
antiauthoritarian and social-media activism as well as through his art.
"Mostly I make decisions," Ai tells Klayman, explaining why he lets assistants fabricate his sculpture.
Using her own footage, excerpts from Ai's documentaries and broadcast interviews, Klayman acquaints us with the man behind the decisions, an extraordinarily
down-to-earth yet cosmopolitan figure, full of mischief, courage and defiance.
"Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" ends with Ai singing a little song - minus subtitles - in Mandarin. Those few moments - and a final Twitter message: "Never retreat,
retweet" - offset an otherwise bleak ending. The film shows Ai intimidated into virtual silence immediately after his release from nearly three months'
imprisonment.
Klayman has already shown us Ai challenging the authorities on various fronts, most grippingly in a confrontation with the Chengdu police officer who had
given him a potentially fatal head injury.
But "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" leaves us seeing him as an optimist, as he defines one: someone "exhilarated by life, still curious, who still thinks there is
possibility."
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei spent a productive decade in New York, noticed by almost no one, before returning to his native Beijing in 1993. Since then, as
recounted in Alison Klayman's brisk, clear-eyed documentary "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry," he has risen steadily to international prominence, through intensifying
antiauthoritarian and social-media activism as well as through his art.
"Mostly I make decisions," Ai tells Klayman, explaining why he lets assistants fabricate his sculpture.
Using her own footage, excerpts from Ai's documentaries and broadcast interviews, Klayman acquaints us with the man behind the decisions, an extraordinarily
down-to-earth yet cosmopolitan figure, full of mischief, courage and defiance.
"Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" ends with Ai singing a little song - minus subtitles - in Mandarin. Those few moments - and a final Twitter message: "Never retreat,
retweet" - offset an otherwise bleak ending. The film shows Ai intimidated into virtual silence immediately after his release from nearly three months'
imprisonment.
Klayman has already shown us Ai challenging the authorities on various fronts, most grippingly in a confrontation with the Chengdu police officer who had
given him a potentially fatal head injury.
But "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" leaves us seeing him as an optimist, as he defines one: someone "exhilarated by life, still curious, who still thinks there is
possibility."
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