Category Archives: Wacky and Weird

Florida woman mistakes 37-week pregnancy for bad Chinese food

Posted on by
1

Jake Newby of USA Today reports Crystal Gail Amerson, 29, of Pensacola Florida, said she woke up around 4 a.m. Sunday with stomach pains that had her running back and forth between the bathroom and bedroom for more than an hour. 

“I had Chinese food the night before and I kind of figured maybe I had food poisoning or something like that,” Amerson said. 

But it turned out there was nothing wrong with the General Tso’s chicken Amerson ate the previous night. Unbeknownst to her, she was actually 37 weeks pregnant and was on the verge of giving birth to her second son. 

Amerson called off work at 5 a.m., and an hour later, as the pain worsened, she woke her fiancé up because they needed to call an ambulance. 

“The stomach pains were just excruciating and I could hardly move,” Amerson said. “I think it was about 6:30 (a.m.) when (the ambulance) got there. … It escalated so quickly that I was having contractions and we figured out kind of what was going on because at first we really didn’t know what was going on.” 

So how was it possible that Amerson didn’t realize she was pregnant?

Amerson had already been through one pregnancy but said she was never the type to feel a lot of the symptoms typically aligned with pregnancy, such as morning sickness. She also said she didn’t notice much weight gain. 

“I gained a little bit of weight, but I think with my first baby I didn’t notice either,” Amerson said. “I never gained that pregnancy shape, really. And then I wear scrubs to work because I work at a retirement home for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. So I guess the way they fit me as well, it was hard to notice anything or tell anything.”

10 Million pounds of poop stranded in Alabama railway sparks outrage in nearby town

Posted on by
Reply

It’s the poop train that wouldn’t leave.

Charleston Lim of Inquisitr reports that in the small rural town of Parrish, Alabama, several train cars carrying tons of human waste have been stranded for months. Residents literally cannot step out of their houses without getting a whiff of the foul stench emanating from the stranded train cars. According to a report from CNN, the train cars were on their way to a private landfill operated by Big Sky Environmental from waste management facilities in New Jersey and New York. However, the cars were left there when the town of West Jefferson filed a case against Big Sky Environmental for temporarily storing the waste in a yard near the town.

As reported by WVTM 13, West Jefferson’s case was a success, which meant that the company would have to find another place to temporarily store their train cars. Due to the lack of any zoning laws in Parrish prohibiting the company from storing their train cars, Big Sky Environmental had decided to move their cargo to the small town. The train cars carrying the foul cargo were parked just across the town’s baseball field. Parrish currently has around 982 residents in an area of just around 2 square miles, which means that everything is practically within smelling distance.

Big Sky initially informed officials that the cars would eventually be moved after a few days, but that turned out to be false as the cars have been sitting on the tracks for more than two months now. The town’s mayor, Heather Hall, has been getting complaints from residents who are starting to get concerned about how the stench could be affecting their health. The qualities of life for Parrish residents have apparently been greatly affected as well as they can no longer stay outside their houses or have their kids play outdoors. There is also the concern of flies getting in their houses and potentially contaminating their food.

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the Environmental Protection Agency have informed residents that the cargo isn’t dangerous as it is categorized as “Grade A biowaste.” Hall has already approached Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey regarding their situation and lawmakers are reportedly now trying to find a solution to the problem.

The thing that wouldn’t leave from topo morto on Vimeo.

I don’t see gender: ‘Sitting on the fence: Biology, feminism and gender-bending environments’

Posted on by
Reply

Somehow, I was quoted in a Jan. 2000 publication of the Women s Studies International Forum, and received notification today.

“The story of endocrine disrupters is no different. Yet science has long been a slippery ally for environmental campaigners: on the one hand, it is the products of science and technology that seem to present problems through pollution, while on the other, campaigners must turn to science in order to demonstrate the problems (Powell and Leiss, 1997; Yearley, 1991).”

I didn’t write that, Leiss did, although I probably edited the sentence to make it coherent.

And some folks wonder why I didn’t want anything to do with a second edition.

At the time, this is what I sent Bill (without the pretty pic, upper right).

 

Salmonella sample swap: Welsh biologist used patient’s poo to get time off work

Posted on by
Reply

Philip Dewey and Jessica Walford of Wales Online report a scientist who didn’t want to work day shifts swapped his own feces with a patient who had salmonella to prove to his bosses he had food poisoning.

Bernard Watkins worked as a biomedical scientist in the microbiology department at Cwm Taf University Health Board.

After he was handed day shifts, instead of his preferred night shifts, he went into a freezer at work and took a patient sample which had tested positive for salmonella before using a computer at work to check a patient’s confidential details and make sure they had the disease.

But days later he confessed all to one of his bosses – admitting he had “spiked” his sample.

Mr Watkins was due to appear before a conduct and competence panel of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for allegations of dishonesty, misconduct and whether his fitness to practise has been impaired, but the hearing was held in his absence.

The panel heard on Thursday how on October 10, 2016, Mr Watkins, who had 20 years service at the time, told his bosses he was unable to come into work as he feeling unwell and suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting.

He left a fecal sample in the office on the same date.

Two days later, on October 12, he called his employers to say he wouldn’t be working for the rest of the week as he remained unwell.

The same day the fecal sample tested positive for salmonella.

One of his bosses, Kelly Ward, the manager for Microbiology, phoned Mr Watkins and asked him to submit another fecal sample signed by his GP.

On October 13 Mr Watkins explained to Mrs Ward he had been to his GP and provided the sample. But the sample tested negative for salmonella.

On October 17 Mr Watkins returned to work and Mrs Ward completed a return to work form. She discussed concerns with him going off work when he was required to work day shifts instead of his preferred night shifts.

But just two days later, as Mr Watkins was finishing a night shift which ended at 8am, he called Mrs Ward and asked to meet her when she got into work.

He told her he “deliberately contaminated” a sample of a patient who had salmonella with his own feces by adding in his own fecal matter, saying his employer would have “found out anyway”.

I didn’t even know the kid was in Ohio: Local man reports finding tooth in Captain D’s meal

Posted on by
Reply

A Newark, Ohio man’s complaint on social media of a tooth found in a Captain D’s chicken tenders meal has triggered investigations by the Licking County Health Department, the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture.

It has also resulted in the restaurant chain making a donation to Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio, at the request of Nick Bryner, the customer who discovered the tooth.

Bryner said he ordered the meal at the drive-through window at the Captain D’s restaurant, 1215 N. 21st St., in Newark, on Saturday and made the discovery while eating at work. He returned to the restaurant and showed them the tooth.

“I got a refund, and corporate is taking care of it,” Bryner told Kent Mallett of the Newark Advocate. “They said it’s probably the weirdest thing that’s ever happened. I’m satisfied with what they’re doing. They’re making a donation to Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio, in my name. They really helped me when our twins were born.

“I said I could take you guys to the cleaners if I wanted to, but I’m not that kind of guy.”

The Licking County Health Department inspected the Captain D’s restaurant, in Newark, on Monday, after learning of the complaint on social media.

The chicken tenders served at the local Captain D’s are made and frozen at another location, then shipped to the Newark restaurant, where they are deep-fried before serving, the health department reported.

Captain D’s corporate office released the following statement: “Our quality control procedures and food safety standards are our highest priority. We have been in contact with the guest and reassured them that this incident is atypical for Captain D’s and in particular for this Newark location that consistently exceeds our company’s food safety standards.

“As standard procedure with any consumer complaint, the health department has followed up with a visit to this restaurant and the store continues to remain within Captain D’s high safety standards.  We remain committed to providing our guests with the highest quality products and require all suppliers to undergo strict food safety certification. “

The health department contacted the Ohio Department of Agriculture to investigate the complaint at the wholesale level, or refer it to the Food and Drug Administration.

Ashley McDonald, spokeswoman for the ODA, said, “It is a supplier from out of state, so we will be forwarding it to the USDA.”

McDonald said the supplier is McLane, from Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The distributor shipped the food from 721 Taylor Road, in Frankfort, Kentucky.

(left, Sorenne, Friday after school)

Toilets’ water tanks confirmed to have caused norovirus in Pyeongchang

Posted on by
1

South Korea’s public health authorities have confirmed that the “water tanks of portable toilets” were the reason behind an outbreak of norovirus at the host city of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics that affected around 300 security personnel for the event last month. 

The authorities announced Sunday that the water tanks of mobile toilets were what caused the norovirus infection as a result of its epidemiological investigation of Horeb Youth Camp Center and other related facilities. According to the investigation, the genotype of the virus detected in water tanks was matched with those of patients. There had been around 570 portable lavatories set up during the Olympic period and ironically, water used to wash hands or brush teeth before leaving a toilet for the sake of hygiene was the culprit of infection.

In Indonesia, an elementary school teacher in Cempedak Lobang village, North Sumatra, appears to have escaped severe punishment, despite forcing one of her students to engage in a revolting punishment that could have easily endangered his health.

Last week, the parents of a student, identified by his initials MB, complained about their kid’s teacher, a woman with the initials RM, who subjected their son to needlessly vile corporal punishment simply because he didn’t bring his homework to school.

“My son was told to lick the toilet 12 times. But after four licks, he vomited,” said SH, MB’s mother, as quoted by Kompas yesterday.

(Considering the state of the toilet as shown in the picture below, it’s surprising that MB managed to get in any licks before throwing up…)

Hockey, facebook and years past

Posted on by
Reply

For all its flaws, facebook works.

I’ve apologized to my university sweet heart, I’ve unfriended a stalker, and I’ve caught up with childhood friends I never thought I would talk to again.

Yes, this is a Stand By Me moment.

When I was a pee wee AAA goalie in Brantford (that would have been about 12-years-old, in Ontario, Canada) this other kid appeared.

His name was Mike.

Mike Souliere.

(He’s bottom left, at the Leafs game in Buffalo, with what looks like his son, but how happy is the Sabres fan behind him?)

Mike was a better goalie than I was.

He’s also one of the few who still call me Boog.

I was so traumatized by reduced ice time that I calculated saves per minute for my father, who thought I had lost it.

Of course I had, I was 12.

I am reminded of such silliness when I coach.

Mike has gone on to have what seems to be a successful policing career, although I’m the one with the record.

I write this for nothing other than practice early in the morning – 6 a.m. ice times do that – and to say that facebook can be a useful tool to reach out to those in the weird and confusing times of adolescence.

Oh, and, damn you, Souliere. Damn you.

 

Oregon food bank recalls chia seeds due to mouse poop

Posted on by
Reply

Almost one in seven American households were food insecure in 2012, experiencing difficulty in providing enough food for all their members due to a lack of resources. Food pantries assist a food-insecure population through emergency food provision, but there is a paucity of information on the food safety–related operating procedures that pantries use.

That’s what my friend and former student Ashley Chaifetz wrote in 2015.

The same words are true now.

A few years ago an outbreak linked to a Denver homeless shelter made it into the barfblog new and notable category. Forty folks who depended on the emergency food were affected by violent foodborne illness symptoms after eating donated turkey. Fourteen ambulances showed up and took those most affected to area hospitals.

Last year, while speaking at the Rocky Mountain Food Safety Conference I met one of the EHS folks who conducted the investigation and temperature abuse of the turkey after cooking was identified as the likely contributing factor.

The very folks who need food the most were betrayed by the system they trust.

I can’t imagine how hard it is to be homeless or not have enough money to feed my family. Focusing on safe, nutritious food is moot if the money isn’t available to buy groceries. Or if there’s no home to take them too.

It really sucks when food bank food is recalled.

According to KGW8 News, The Oregon Food Bank of Portland is recalling more than 22,000 pounds of chia seeds over fears that they may contain rodent droppings.

The chia seeds were donated to the food bank and distributed in Oregon and Clark County, Washington between November 1, 2017 and March 9, 2018. They were distributed in one-pound plastic bags with twist-type closure or a re-sealable pouch.

Rowdy Irish mums accused of scamming Brisbane restaurants

Posted on by
Reply

Police suspect there are likely to be many more victims of a group of marauding mums that have reportedly gone on a scamming spree fraudulently receiving free meals, drinks and even cigarettes from restaurant and bar owners desperate to get rid of them.

The “boisterous” posse, with kids in tow, reportedly “trash” restaurants and cafes as part of the ploy to get staff, at the end of their tethers, to let them off the bill.

Benedict Brook of The Courier Mail reports in one case, they have also been accused of placing glass in a meal and then demanding a refund.

It’s thought at least six businesses in Brisbane’s CBD and nearby suburbs of Spring Hill and Fortitude Valley have been targeted by the gang, most of who are said to have an Irish accent, over the last week.

The apparent scam is just one of many that plague hospitality businesses that have to balance the needs of genuine customers against scammers wanting something for nothing.

While in Brisbane the ploy involved glass, in Adelaide hairs are often placed in food by dodgy punters. In Melbourne food allergies are part of cafe con jobs.

In an angry Facebook post on Monday, Marie Yokoyama from the Birds Nest Japanese restaurant in Fortitude Valley explained how the women had set about to get a free feed.

“They are a group of about seven — four children and three ladies — and they are unbelievably rude. They came in and totally destroyed the restaurant.

“Halfway through the meal one lady started screaming that there was glass in her meal and that her mouth was bleeding. I believed her and then asked to see the glass.

“Upon inspection I knew that this had not come from our restaurant but they were relentless.”

The restaurateur said they didn’t have any thick glass of the type produced but this didn’t placate the customers.

“I was so scared and terrified of them that I made their meals and drinks free — around $180 (in) value.”

The post said the group demanded further drinks, for free, and left their excitable children unattended while they smoked outside.

news.com.au reports today that the group of mums accused of scamming up-market restaurants and stealing from supermarkets may have also trashed four brand-new apartments in Brisbane.