It's Official! Big Brother Has Infiltrated the VA

The Department of Veterans Affairs has admitted to reporters at the Tampa Bay Times that it installed a surveillance camera in a patient's room.

Joseph Carnegie, an Air Force vet, checked into James A. Haley VA Medical Center last August to recover from an infection. Later on that month he suffered cardiac arrest and brain damage when staffers failed to notice fluid in his feeding tube had cut off his air supply. It was shortly after Carnegie's family notified the Haley VA Center of their intent to sue that the camera was installed.Although it was disguised to look like a smoke detector-and is even marketed by its manufacturer under the name "Vonnic C401W Smoke Detector Covert Camera"-VA officials denied the camera was hidden. They claimed instead that the smoke detector cam was necessary to monitor the patient's condition (because, you know, a pin hole camera stuck on the ceiling is much more effective than a standard heart monitor, or simply asking people to do their jobs). The family's request to have the camera removed was refused.

*This article has been edited for an error stating that Joseph Carnegie is comatose. In fact, he is brain damaged and unable to communicate. I apologize for the error.

Did Weed Cause Rudy Eugene's Face Munchies?

The toxicology reports are in on Rudy Eugene, aka the guy behind the Miami face-eating zombie attack. According to the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner, marijuana was the only drug found during autopsy, putting a huge, mouth-shaped hole in speculation that bath salts were responsible for the violent assault. A second lab confirmed the results. Ronald Poppo, the victim, is still recovering from his wounds.

http://news.yahoo.com/tests-only-marijuana-face-chewers-system-205604519.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/27/2871098/mes-report-eugene-had-no-drugs.html
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/06/27/medical-examiner-causeway-cannibal-not-high-on-bath-salts/

Politicians Behaving Badly

I decided to do a quick roundup of politicians who have recently been caught behaving badly. As you read this list, please ask yourself if these are the people who should be deciding the fate of our country...

• In a recent speech, Florida Representative (R) Allen West told President Obama and others to "get the hell out of the United States of America." (With such well-thought-out arguments, who needs Thomas Payne?)

• Tennessee State Representative Curry Todd (R) was pulled over in October on suspicion of driving under the influence. The former policeman not only refused a breath test after failing a roadside sobriety test, he had a fully-loaded .38 in his possession at the time. Tennessee state law requires drivers who refuse breath tests to surrender their drivers licenses for one year, but this lawmaker seems to think he's above the law: more than four months after the traffic stop, he still has yet to surrender his license. The case is currently in the hands of a grand jury.

• Michigan State Representative Bob Genetski (R) was arrested for impaired driving on January 20th. When he failed a field sobriety test, he too refused a breath test.

• Georgia State Rep Kip Smith (R), author of a bill that would require welfare and unemployment benefit recipients to submit to drug testing, was also charged with DUI after running a red light in January. During his arrest, Smith changed his story several times, failed a field sobriety test, and objected to taking a breathalyzer until being told that to do so would result in an automatic arrest. (Apparently January was a rough month for politicians.)

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