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October 25, 2009

Moment a baby fell in front of a train...and lived

By RICHARD SHEARS

Passengers watched in horror as a pushchair carrying a baby rolled off the edge of a platform in front of a train.

The pram and the six-month-old infant were dragged along under the engine as the driver desperately fought to slow his 250-ton train.

No one on the platform believed the child could possibly have survived.

See the shocking footage here

But when ambulance officers arrived a few minutes later they were astounded to find that, not only had he escaped with just a minor bump on his head - but he was safely back in his mother’s arms.

Rescue workers found the child amid the wreckage of the smashed pushchair under one of the carriages. There was a gap between the bottom of the carriage and the lines of just a few inches, but it was those inches that made the difference between life and death.

The drama, at a suburban railway station in Melbourne, was captured on video footage obtained by the city’s Herald Sun newspaper.

The mother, pictured, momentarily distracted as she hitches up her jeans several feet from the edge of the platform, suddenly realizes the pushchair is rolling away from her.

Enlarge     g Enlarge     g

The carriage rolls to the edge of the platform - and, as the mother realises what is happening and darts toward it, topples onto the tracks - directly into the path of the oncoming train

Enlarge     The mother, at the edge of the track, frantically reaches as the train roars into the station - but she cannot reach her baby in time

Despair: The mother, at the edge of the track, frantically reaches as the train roars into the station - but she cannot reach her baby in time

Enlarge     Still believing the baby is dead, workmen struggle to get him out from underneath the train

Still believing the baby is dead, workmen struggle to get him out from underneath the train

She instinctively lunges towards it, but she is still two or three feet away as it tumbles over the edge.

In a split second, the train comes into the station at 30mph and ploughs into the pram.

The mother’s frantic body language, with her hands to her head, leaves no doubt that she believes her baby has been killed before her eyes.

Miracle: The mother clutches her son, wrapped in a white blanket, to her after the astonishing escape Last night police and railway officials were describing the baby’s survival as ‘a miracle’.

They believe that the pushchair acted as a protective shield.

Another factor was the swift reaction of the train’s driver who slammed on the brakes when he saw the pram rolling across the platform.

He could not stop the train immediately but slowed it enough to lessen the impact.

Jon Wright, an intensive care paramedic, said: ‘All the baby needed afterward, apparently, was a feed and a nap.’

October 25, 2009

Barbeque is still king at Suwanee eatery

Dillard’s Barbeque was an excellent choice in an area that looks like is going through a construction revival. While the nearby businesses and government buildings are all wrapping up construction, Dillard’s BBQ seems like a place stuck somewhere in the 1950s.

If you are looking for service, go to McDonalds. This place marches to its own drummer. The waitstaff was lax about the refills, order taking, clean up and all the essentials of good restaurant service.

The food ($9.95 - $12.95), on the other hand, is the main star. The food is worth every cent. Their barbeque ribs, beef and their veggies — friend okra, collard greens, baked beans, mac-n-cheese — delicious.

We later hit up Gourmandises, an all right french bistro whose taste borders on mediocre.

The atmosphere, which is a strip mall off of a busy Suwanee street, does not transport you to France.The food was bland and the Croque monsieur ($6.95) tasted like it had been microwaved.

The special of the day, jumbo scallops ($15) took a while to come out and were not really worth the price for three scallops, especially since scallops don’t cost that much. The sauce they were drenched in was different, a little lemon and butter is usually fine, but the chef really seemed to have overdone.

The drinks were served in styrophone cups, which if anyone cares about the environment, they would think twice about these foam cups that take about 20,000 years to degrade. Also, all utensils were plastic. Plates were china, but they might as well have been paper to add to the backyard barbeque of eating bistro food with plastic forks.

The inside decor also does not tranport you anywhere special, because it’s not special. The walls do have a nice colletion of beautiful cat art prints by artist Frederic Payet, but half the tables are elevated, not a relaxed feel when you have to climb to sit.

We opted for an outdoor seating, overlooking the boulevard and parking lot. On the other side, a view of desolate trees.

The pastry case is tempting, with beautifully stocked with deserts of all sorts, which tasted pretty good. The crepes were also not bad. I also tried the crepe bretonne or Brittany style ($9.95), and devoured the tomato mozzarella ($7.95). For a side, I had the gazpacho soup. I’m not a big fan of cold soups, but it tasted good. Not good enough to clean my cup, though. I should have tried their french fries.

One plus is that you can bring your own bottle of wine to enjoy with your meal. This might make the place slightly more berable. We didn’t, but the table next to us was having a blast, cracking a red and a white to enjoy with their cheese and french fries appetizers.

The cheese plate was a good choice ($12.95), but the bread tasted a day old. For a place with a large neon sign on the entrance boasting fresh bread, it’s a little misleading.

Another eye sore was the chef’s wardrobe. I know you are in the kitchen making food and sauce will splatter on your shirt, but don’t come out of the kitchen without an apron, it looks unkempt, messy and unprofessional.

Final verdict: I will not return for their french food, but if I’m ever in a mood for crepes or a fancy desert ($4.95 and up). This is the place.

October 22, 2009
Best Halloween costume, yet.

Best Halloween costume, yet.

 
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October 20, 2009
when artists work without a middleman.

when artists work without a middleman.

 
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October 10, 2009
I have something interesting in this photo.

I have something interesting in this photo.

 
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October 6, 2009

Relish in the fresh food, drinks, atmosphere of a Sunday Brunch

Relish has gotten a bad reputation from two of my friends, mostly because of a bitchy hostess, but today my wife and I convinced them to give it a second chance.

Relish did not disappoint.

The restaurant is set in what used to be Roswell Funeral Home on Mimosa Boulevard. For an area that is a hotbed for ghostly activity (J Christopher’s nearby is said to be haunted and a pretty old cemetery not far), I can see how some pretty awful things could happen to my heart munching away on all you can eat brunch ($15).

My friends enjoyed some mimosas with their brunch. On the menu: shrimp cocktail, fresh fruit, garden greens, breakfast muffins, biscuit Benedict, Belgian waffles, French toast, biscuits & Tasso gravy, salmon with red pepper cream sauce, shrimp & grits, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, sweet potato hash, cheesy grits, mac&cheese, omelet station and a prime rib carving station.

Needless to say we ate ourselves silly. Left in a food coma and got home and knocked out. I know its not good to eat this way, but treating myself to some decadence sure feels good.

Here are some useful links if you want to know more about the restaurant.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Review

Gayot Review

Northside Food Review

Urban Spoon General Info, reviews

October 4, 2009
“The number of people in jail or prison increased from 503,586 in 1980 to 2,293,157 in 2007.”
September 29, 2009

Shopping at WalMart may lower your credit limit.