Earthquake in Richmond, VA - August 23, 2011

"Did you feel that?"

That was the text I got from my wife just a few minutes ago.

I was on the phone upstairs in our house in Midlothian, Va, just west of Richmond, when the whole house started to shake. At first I thought that the noise was simply the garage door going up, but then the house started to rock back and forth and pictures on the wall started to vibrate.

I was on the phone with my Dad who lives 20 min further west, and he was experiencing it at the same time.

Foxnews just announced that a 5.8 quake has been recorded off the east coast.

Virginia Reckless Driving Tickets are No Joke

Did you know that driving 81 mph in Virginia is an automatic "reckless driving" offense?

Did you know that a reckless driving conviction is a CRIMINAL offense? Think about what that means when applying for a job or a loan and being asked "if you've ever been convicted of a crime".

I know that some people bulk at getting a lawyer just to go to traffic court. They think that traffic court isn't going to hand out any serious punishment. But reckless driving in virginia can result in a YEAR in jail, $2500 fine, and a suspended driving license! It's no joke.

What's impressive are the statistics that show the impact that getting an attorney has on the conviction rate. For example, one law firm that strictly handles reckless driving in virginia reported over a 94% success rate of having the charges reduced.

I'm not a lawyer, and should probably put some kind of disclaimer, but it seems to me that if facing a criminal charge with a potential year jail sentence, paying a couple hundred bucks for a lawyer ought to be a given.

Lasik Eye Surgery in Virginia in trouble?

Lasik Eye Surgery has been available in Virginia for years. We are fortunate enough to have centers all around the Commonwealth. There are a variety of Lasik centers here, including TLC, which is the organization Tiger Woods used to have his Lasik.

But Lasik Eye Surgery clinics in Virginia could be in trouble. Recently the FDA has begun investigating complaints regarding the side effects of the surgery. No action has been taken to date, however the negative attention could impact the future of Lasik centers.

Personally, I know about half a dozen people who have had Lasik Eye Surgery in Virginia, including my wife, and my brother-in-law. My wife couldn't see the big digital clock 2 feet from her face in the middle of the night without her glasses before. Now she has better than 20/20 vision. Once fully recovered, the only issue anyone has ever talked about is a mild 'halo' effect around headlights when driving at night.

All surgery is risky. Any time someone cuts you, you've opened yourself up for a chance of infection. And the fact that something going wrong could impact your vision is scary for most people. But the risks are finite. I encourage you to read up on the literature and disclaimers provided by the clinic of your choice. You can also research the specific surgeon to find out if they've had any complaints.

In spite of the involvement of the FDA, I believe that Lasik Eye Surgery in Virginia will be just fine, since the actual complications are so few and the benefits are so tremendous.