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Polly want another hit?
Once again, the animals are getting high.
Parrots in India are giving opium farmers a huge and expensive headache. The birds have become addicted to the poppy crop and are taking a huge bite out of the seasonal yields. According to an opium specialist, the birds get a jolt of instant energy from the poppy flower, similar to drinking a cup of coffee. No wonder the birds keep coming back for more.
This roving (flying?) gang of parrot menaces are feeding 30-40 times a day on the plants. Farmers have tried in vain to use firecrackers to scare off the birds, but nothing will stop Polly from getting her next fix. Opium dens might be long gone, but opium nests might be the next big thing.
Sing your little mouse heart out
In addition to being a big star on American Idol: Rodent Edition, the Alston’s singing mouse could also be a key player in understanding how mammalian brains control conversations.
These musical mice, native to Central America, do something unique: They take turns singing, rather than all belting it out at once. Researchers at New York University are using these mouse powerhouses as a model to study how conversation is regulated.
Unsurprisingly, this superstar is reportedly the mouse version of Mariah Carey, requiring a very specific environment: a palatial terrarium, a highly specialized diet, a microphone-shaped swimming pool, no brown M&Ms … you get the picture.
Researchers believe the demands are worth it, however. They’ve discovered that the mice time their songs very precisely to avoid any overlap with a singing neighbor. This could lead to insight on how humans delay conversation in order to not talk over one another (except for that one annoying coworker – you know who you are).
Reason No. 48,512 to hate cats
It really is true that no good deed goes unpunished. Jeannette Parker was nice to a cat, and she ended up with a hospital bill of $48,512.
We will elaborate. Ms. Parker, a wildlife biologist in Florida, offered a stray kitten some tuna and got bitten in the process. (Reason No. 48,513: Cats will bite the hand that feeds them.) There had been rabies warnings recently and the bite did break the skin, so she decided to go to the emergency department at Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, Fla., according to Kaiser Health News. She was there 2 hours and never spoke with a physician, but she did get the first in a series of rabies shots and 12 mL of rabies immune globulin.
The next thing she received from the hospital was a bill for – you guessed it – $48,512, of which $46,422 was for the immune globulin. “My funeral would have been cheaper,” she told Kaiser.
Her husband’s insurance covered most of the bill, but Ms. Parker ended up paying the rest of her deductible and 10% of the charges accepted by her insurer, almost $4,200.
All because she tried to help a cat. Way to go, cat.
And the best doctor award goes to ...
Normally, it requires a lot of time and money to become a respected physician. Medical school, residencies – it’s tough just becoming a doctor, let alone reaching the top of your field.
However, if you’re a reporter at ProPublica who specializes in health care, you can receive the prestigious Top Doctor award for just $289 – or only $99 if you act right now. For your money, you get a customized plaque made of either cherry wood with gold trim or black with chrome trim. That’s an offer too good to pass up.
A reasonable question to ask at this point would probably be, Why is a reporter receiving an award presumably meant for an actual doctor? Well, according to the company selling the award, the reporter’s peers had nominated him and his patients had given him stellar reviews. He was without a doubt one of America’s Top Doctors. His lack of medical degree was absolutely not a problem.
Okay, the award is probably a scam. But we’re also health care reporters here at Livin’ on the MDedge, so if the Top Doctor people are reading, we’ll have the cherry wood with gold trim.
Polly want another hit?
Once again, the animals are getting high.
Parrots in India are giving opium farmers a huge and expensive headache. The birds have become addicted to the poppy crop and are taking a huge bite out of the seasonal yields. According to an opium specialist, the birds get a jolt of instant energy from the poppy flower, similar to drinking a cup of coffee. No wonder the birds keep coming back for more.
This roving (flying?) gang of parrot menaces are feeding 30-40 times a day on the plants. Farmers have tried in vain to use firecrackers to scare off the birds, but nothing will stop Polly from getting her next fix. Opium dens might be long gone, but opium nests might be the next big thing.
Sing your little mouse heart out
In addition to being a big star on American Idol: Rodent Edition, the Alston’s singing mouse could also be a key player in understanding how mammalian brains control conversations.
These musical mice, native to Central America, do something unique: They take turns singing, rather than all belting it out at once. Researchers at New York University are using these mouse powerhouses as a model to study how conversation is regulated.
Unsurprisingly, this superstar is reportedly the mouse version of Mariah Carey, requiring a very specific environment: a palatial terrarium, a highly specialized diet, a microphone-shaped swimming pool, no brown M&Ms … you get the picture.
Researchers believe the demands are worth it, however. They’ve discovered that the mice time their songs very precisely to avoid any overlap with a singing neighbor. This could lead to insight on how humans delay conversation in order to not talk over one another (except for that one annoying coworker – you know who you are).
Reason No. 48,512 to hate cats
It really is true that no good deed goes unpunished. Jeannette Parker was nice to a cat, and she ended up with a hospital bill of $48,512.
We will elaborate. Ms. Parker, a wildlife biologist in Florida, offered a stray kitten some tuna and got bitten in the process. (Reason No. 48,513: Cats will bite the hand that feeds them.) There had been rabies warnings recently and the bite did break the skin, so she decided to go to the emergency department at Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, Fla., according to Kaiser Health News. She was there 2 hours and never spoke with a physician, but she did get the first in a series of rabies shots and 12 mL of rabies immune globulin.
The next thing she received from the hospital was a bill for – you guessed it – $48,512, of which $46,422 was for the immune globulin. “My funeral would have been cheaper,” she told Kaiser.
Her husband’s insurance covered most of the bill, but Ms. Parker ended up paying the rest of her deductible and 10% of the charges accepted by her insurer, almost $4,200.
All because she tried to help a cat. Way to go, cat.
And the best doctor award goes to ...
Normally, it requires a lot of time and money to become a respected physician. Medical school, residencies – it’s tough just becoming a doctor, let alone reaching the top of your field.
However, if you’re a reporter at ProPublica who specializes in health care, you can receive the prestigious Top Doctor award for just $289 – or only $99 if you act right now. For your money, you get a customized plaque made of either cherry wood with gold trim or black with chrome trim. That’s an offer too good to pass up.
A reasonable question to ask at this point would probably be, Why is a reporter receiving an award presumably meant for an actual doctor? Well, according to the company selling the award, the reporter’s peers had nominated him and his patients had given him stellar reviews. He was without a doubt one of America’s Top Doctors. His lack of medical degree was absolutely not a problem.
Okay, the award is probably a scam. But we’re also health care reporters here at Livin’ on the MDedge, so if the Top Doctor people are reading, we’ll have the cherry wood with gold trim.
Polly want another hit?
Once again, the animals are getting high.
Parrots in India are giving opium farmers a huge and expensive headache. The birds have become addicted to the poppy crop and are taking a huge bite out of the seasonal yields. According to an opium specialist, the birds get a jolt of instant energy from the poppy flower, similar to drinking a cup of coffee. No wonder the birds keep coming back for more.
This roving (flying?) gang of parrot menaces are feeding 30-40 times a day on the plants. Farmers have tried in vain to use firecrackers to scare off the birds, but nothing will stop Polly from getting her next fix. Opium dens might be long gone, but opium nests might be the next big thing.
Sing your little mouse heart out
In addition to being a big star on American Idol: Rodent Edition, the Alston’s singing mouse could also be a key player in understanding how mammalian brains control conversations.
These musical mice, native to Central America, do something unique: They take turns singing, rather than all belting it out at once. Researchers at New York University are using these mouse powerhouses as a model to study how conversation is regulated.
Unsurprisingly, this superstar is reportedly the mouse version of Mariah Carey, requiring a very specific environment: a palatial terrarium, a highly specialized diet, a microphone-shaped swimming pool, no brown M&Ms … you get the picture.
Researchers believe the demands are worth it, however. They’ve discovered that the mice time their songs very precisely to avoid any overlap with a singing neighbor. This could lead to insight on how humans delay conversation in order to not talk over one another (except for that one annoying coworker – you know who you are).
Reason No. 48,512 to hate cats
It really is true that no good deed goes unpunished. Jeannette Parker was nice to a cat, and she ended up with a hospital bill of $48,512.
We will elaborate. Ms. Parker, a wildlife biologist in Florida, offered a stray kitten some tuna and got bitten in the process. (Reason No. 48,513: Cats will bite the hand that feeds them.) There had been rabies warnings recently and the bite did break the skin, so she decided to go to the emergency department at Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, Fla., according to Kaiser Health News. She was there 2 hours and never spoke with a physician, but she did get the first in a series of rabies shots and 12 mL of rabies immune globulin.
The next thing she received from the hospital was a bill for – you guessed it – $48,512, of which $46,422 was for the immune globulin. “My funeral would have been cheaper,” she told Kaiser.
Her husband’s insurance covered most of the bill, but Ms. Parker ended up paying the rest of her deductible and 10% of the charges accepted by her insurer, almost $4,200.
All because she tried to help a cat. Way to go, cat.
And the best doctor award goes to ...
Normally, it requires a lot of time and money to become a respected physician. Medical school, residencies – it’s tough just becoming a doctor, let alone reaching the top of your field.
However, if you’re a reporter at ProPublica who specializes in health care, you can receive the prestigious Top Doctor award for just $289 – or only $99 if you act right now. For your money, you get a customized plaque made of either cherry wood with gold trim or black with chrome trim. That’s an offer too good to pass up.
A reasonable question to ask at this point would probably be, Why is a reporter receiving an award presumably meant for an actual doctor? Well, according to the company selling the award, the reporter’s peers had nominated him and his patients had given him stellar reviews. He was without a doubt one of America’s Top Doctors. His lack of medical degree was absolutely not a problem.
Okay, the award is probably a scam. But we’re also health care reporters here at Livin’ on the MDedge, so if the Top Doctor people are reading, we’ll have the cherry wood with gold trim.