Mishandled Medical Waste

image by S. Strandgaard

Oh, no. Could your Uncle Elmer’s amputated leg have ended up in the trash? Or that lipo you had suctioned? Tossed aside like a half-eaten cheeseburger? The Virginia-Pilot was on it, filing Freedom of Information requests and learning of ongoing problems between Southeastern Public Service Authority, the regional waste folks, and local hospitals over medical waste disposed of as just plain trash. This article is actually a decent investigative piece, complete with timeline and follow-up. Don’t worry, your excised tumor won’t get thrown in with the trash. Everything’s fixed. You never had to know about it.

By the way, this is the same Southeastern Public Service Authority that’s been trying to find out why the Suffolk dump stinks. Not to worry. They just announced that it doesn’t stink so much anymore. The announcement would have been more convincing if they weren’t wearing clothespins on their noses.

Virginia Beach Gets High Ranking in National Beach Report

(image | naama)

Virginia Beach got four stars out of five by whoever it is that gives stars to beaches. The stars are based on weekly water quality samples. There wasn’t as much competition this year, since beaches along the gulf coast had a zillion parts-per-million of methane, which barely left them a star to wish on. Anyhow, Virginia Beach should be very proud of all their stars and find a nice place to put them.

Congress Rethinks Its Ban on Internet Gambling

The New York Times reports that the cash-starved federal government is moving to reverse a ban on Internet gambling. The House Financial Services Committee approved a bill to allow online poker and other non-sports betting. Isn’t this just like the government to license vices rather than run them themselves? The Feds could clean up running a string of poker websites. In the good old days when you were broke you could have a war to boost the economy, but that doesn’t seem to work anymore, so let’s change with the times and put our government where the money is.

Tell Me It Isn’t True!

WWJ(Edgar)D? (Library of Congress photo)

FBI agents cheated on surveillance tests, director says.

What kind of FBI agent would get caught cheating on a test of how to conduct domestic surveillance? James Bond wouldn’t get caught for crap like that. Are these FBI agents so lame that they can’t even cheat on a test without getting caught? How are they going to spy? Drones were made to replace government servants like these. Of course, all the illegal domestic surveillance these guys conducted because they didn’t know the rules will have to be destroyed. Wink. Wink.

Food Critics Back on Track

Last week, I lambasted HamptonRoads.com for their bland review of bland Italianesque restaurant franchise Olive Garden. Maybe they’re paying attention. Yesterday, correspondent Phyllis Johnson reviewed Bangkok Garden’s new Portsmouth location, while today Jerry Cronin reviewed Pelon’s Baja Grill in Ghent.

Bangkok Garden is a treat; a great variety of tasty food, great service, locally-owned, and reasonable priced. As well, they will prepare vegan versions of most dishes when asked.

Bangkok Garden now has 2 restaurants in Virginia Beach, and one each in Norfolk and Portsmouth, with plans to add another in Williamsburg. I haven’t been to Pelon’s yet, but Cronin’s review makes it fairly likely I’ll try it.

Locally-owned community restaurants help build community. I would go miles out of my way to go to a restaurant like Bangkok Gardens or Pelon’s, but I doubt that I’d change lanes to go to an Olive Garden.

State of the Climate: Hottest Decade on Record

The New York Times reported on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report that this has been the hottest decade ever, so suck it, global warming deniers. The rest of us are going to get some SPF 2000 and head for the beach.

Local strongman is U.S. troops’ most reliable friend in Kandahar province

The Washington Post reported the United States’ best friend in Kandahar province in Afghanistan is “an illiterate, hashish-growing former warlord who directs a semiofficial police force and is known to show his anger through beatings.” Sounds like my roommate in college. Is it any wonder this war is dragging on and bleeding the economy dry?

Shelter dogs from New Orleans coming to Hampton Roads

photo by Alex-s

Sadly, one of New Orleans biggest exports since Katrina has been has been eco-refugees, people displaced by environmental changes. But not just people. As usual, when things get tough, the heartless abandon their pets. The Virginia Beach SPCA and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are cooperating to transport and rehome 40 oil-spill and economy abandoned dogs from The Big Easy. The dogs should be arriving early next week, so if you’re looking for a lifetime friend, check out these guys at the VB-SPCA. Call the SPCA at (757) 427-0070 for more info.

CPR studies find no benefit to mouth-to-mouth over chest compressions alone

The Washington Post reports today that mouth-to-mouth breathing is not beneficial while performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. CPR doubles the chances of survival of those who suffer cardiac arrest. This is good news for anyone who has ever performed CPR, or might have to, since performing mouth-to-mouth on a car crash victim with facial injuries or a possibly HIV+ victim is not a pleasant experience. I’ve done it and been totally sick afterwards. Chest compressions alone seem to work just as well. Cities like LA and Seattle have been stressing widespread CPR training and it’s working to save lives. Contact your local Red Cross to find out about classes to learn this lifesaving skill.

Officials optimistic amid preparations to seal Gulf oil well

CNN reports today that BP officials are optimistic about finally sealing the Deepwater Horizon oil leak. These same BP officials have been optimistic for more than 100 days while oil flowed freely into the gulf causing the largest ecological disaster in history. I’m beginning to think that their optimism is based more on profits than success.

NASA plans Wallops airstrip for unmanned planes

Wallops Island, which houses NASA’s isolated flight facility, will soon be hosting larger and larger drone aircraft. Drones, such as the ones used in the war in Iraq and Afganistan, will be tested at the base. I, for one, am a little nervous about drone aircraft flying mindlessly over civilian areas like Hampton Roads. I think that there are enough mindless people already driving and flying around without adding mindless drones. They’re drones. Why can’t they build a nest or a burrow or something for them. I don’t think anything good can come from this and I foresee headlines of drone disasters.

Arizona willing to go bankrupt to protect its economy

The New York Times informs us that bigoted and moronic Arizona governor Jan Brewer responded to a federal injunction stalling enforcement of the state’s illegal immigration law by claiming the state will study the decision and appeal. Let’s hope Arizona goes broke while their seasonal crops rot on the vine as they defend their prejudices as an example to other states which intend to enact similar laws. While the governor pursues her weird anti-immigration crusade, deaths of border-crossing Mexicans have become so frequent that local morgues are running out of space for corpses. It’s worth following the New York Times link just to see the photo of the morgue’s refrigerator with bodies stacked like cord wood. It is shameful for a country founded by immigrants to kill other potential immigrants. It’s too bad that illegal immigrants won’t file wrongful death lawsuits, or even criminal charges, against Arizona.