Bed bugs plague Bloomington elementary again

Keeping in the theme of yesterday's school bed bug news, here's another school-related story that was reported yesterday. Again, one student caused the panic, fear... and loathing. Can you imagine the panic when the zombie invasion begins?

Bedbug Infestation at Prestigious High School

   An example of how one single person can create fear, panic, and loathing. It's getting ridiculous already but hey, welcome to the Republic.

Paris bitten by New York-style bed bug scare

   According to a Reuters article today, the Parisians are also contending with bed bugs just like New Yorkers were doing this past summer. Looks like the contagion is spreading outwards in a concentric circular-shaped wave.

From the article:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLNE6AG00U20101117

Bed bugs, known in French as "punaises de lit", or "bed drawing pins", were a rarity in France just three years ago, far less prevalent in homes than mice or cockroaches and well under the radar of public health officials. No longer. An employee at the public health section of Paris' City Hall who asked not to be named said more than 600 places in the city have needed treating for bed bug infection so far this year -- a marked increase from 2009.

While the city is playing down the extent of the problem, rejecting the term "invasion", exterminators said bed bugs were spreading quickly throughout the French capital and had already appeared in other parts of the country. "Let's say it started in 2007," said Reynald Boudet, owner of the Aurouze extermination shop in Paris. "Back then we had ten requests per year. Now it's more like a hundred ... We are getting more and more orders for (extermination) products from all over the country."

Bed Bug Summit in Buffalo, NY

Remember that big summit a couple of months ago? A smaller summit was held in Buffalo, New York to address the bed bug contagion.

Bed Bug Demolition

The following video is titled, "UGLY OLD BED BUG INFESTED BUILDING COMES DOWN !!! IMPLOSION !! BEDBUGS !" which is (probably) untrue but I like the video anyway. The idea of demolishing an ugly-ass building because of bed bugs sounds appealing to me. Of course, the blast would send the bed bugs *everywhere* but hey, Americans like big explosions, right?

Friday Night Apathy

   I have a date in about an hour. I don't want to go but she's special and I don't want to disappoint her again. She works in a law firm and they're burning the midnight oil. I'm supposed to pick her up at 10:45PM but I'm tired, grumpy, and killing time listening to jumpy Italo music. The music's high energy is not working to invigorate my spirits. The weather in New York's been nice ever since I got back from Vegas with temperatures in the mid to high 50s. That's one good thing but I'm tired. I want to go to bed but I have a date. I don't want to disappoint her again. Hah. I'm repeating myself now. Going outside for a walk. Until my next entry, look at this bed bug video. ZzzzZzzzZzzz.

The Waldorf-Astoria and Bed Bugs

   I wasn't in New York when the Waldorf-Bedbug story came out and I'm catching up on the news so bear with me. I have to give my point of view on the story.

   The hospitality industry is scared to death of bed bugs but not for the simple reasons that you might think. Sure, bed bugs can be disastrous for a hotel's reputation but think about another scenario for a minute. If an unscrupulous guest doesn't feel like paying his or her bill for the hotel stay, what's the best way to squirrel out of it?

   Scream that you've been bitten by bed bugs, that's how, and make sure you've got a vial of the little critters to boot just in case. Take it a step further. What if the unscrupulous guest wants to be paid for "damages" and wants compensation for pain and suffering? You go to the press and make a big stink about it because bed bugs are on the news every day and a story involving a renowned hotel makes a great headline. Once the brouhaha is brewing, the unscrupulous guest hopes that the hotel will make a settlement to shut the story down.

   Of course, I'm not claiming that this particular case that arose last week is part of a scam. It just smells like one but who knows. Maybe the Waldorf is hosting a teeming colony of bed bugs that are out for blood. In a story from the Daily News last week, here are two salient snippets:

Parent company Hilton Worldwide said outside specialists found no trace of bedbugs in either room the Drabickis' used and had received no previous complaints about those rooms.

Drabicki's lawyer, Alan Schnurman, said the Waldorf has a serious infestation and an obligation to keep bedbugs out of rooms.

   "Serious infestation?" Where are the other guests who have suffered from this "serious infestation" that has apparently taken over the Waldorf? If there is a bed bug plague at the hotel, there should be a lot more claims, suits, and news than this one story that has appeared thus far. You wouldn't happen to be an ambulance chaser would you, Alan Schnurman?

An old lady talks about bed bugs

J-Sonoma's back in New York but he's not back at work yet. We think he'll be back tomorrow. In the following video, an old lady sits near a bright window and talks about bed bugs. Enjoy.