Cabbage Therapy: Cheap and Effective Mental Healthcare

Chinese teenagers take cabbages for walks as an effective treatment for depression and loneliness. 

"The youngsters are able to meet other people who also walk the green foods.

One student says, "If I see someone else its easy to start up a conversation with them about their cabbage, and they are better than dogs as they don’t bark, or start fights with other cabbages, it doesn’t even need feeding, or leave a mess on the pavement."

Chinese psychiatrist Wen Chao said: 'The idea is simple – you feel as lonely and as simple as a cabbage, so you begin to act like one and befriend one.'" 

Of course this is happening in China. Because there’s no affordable healthcare in the U.S.

Appendectomy, Step 1: Remove Appendix

A man is suing his hospital for not removing his appendix during his appendectomy in 2013. This should have been the first sign:

“We have an operative report from Lawrence Hospital saying that the appendix was removed. Most importantly, we have the pathology report from Lawrence Hospital after the first operation which says what was presented to the pathology department was not the appendix.”

The man has since had another appendectomy, this time removing his appendix.

Talk about unnecessary medical interventions...

Doctors with too much time on their hands diagnose and surgically repair Rodin’s sculptures of human hands.

There is so much wrong with our health-care system.

California’s Affordable Care Act Health Exchange web site listed a phone number to call to sign up for health insurance…but it was a phone sex line.

Only in Vegas...

The Second Global Symposium on Cosmetic Vaginal Surgery will be held September 23-25, 2010, in Las Vegas.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports, "Part of the driving commercial force behind the frankengina is Dr. David Matlock of Dr. 90210 fame who also helped organize the conference.  Matlock's Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute's Web site informs us that vaginal rejuvenation maybe necessary for the 'thirty million American women (who) suffer from symptoms of vaginal relaxation … that may occur as a result of childbirth, aging, or a combination of both.'" The surgery costs between $2,000 and $15,000.

World's best countries

Check out this great interactive graphic that shows the world's 100 best countries, based on education, health, quality of life, economic dynamism, and political environment. Americans (rank: 11) could greatly improve their lot in life by crossing the border to Canada (rank: 7) or moving to Austrailia (rank: 4). Of course, the overall best country is Finland (rank: 1), which has the best education system in the world.
Japan is the healthiest country, Norway offers the best quality of life, Singapore offers the most economic dynamism, and Sweden offers the best political environment. Whatever you do, don't move to the African nation of Burkina Faso, which has the worst quality of life and worst education system of the 100 countries listed.

Bank Robbery is Back in Style

Bank robbery is once again a popular pursuit. Check out these three recent robbery (attempts).

• Dennis Hawkins thought fake breasts and a blonde wig would be a good disguise...no one would guess he's really a man, except maybe he should have shaved off his beard first.
• Peter Lawrence, a 71-year-old in a wheelchair, actually wanted to get caught after robbing a San Diego bank. He told police he wanted to go to prison because the healthcare was good. (Healthcare reform can't come soon enough!)
• Edward Pemberton was quite a success, robbing two New York banks without even a gun. His weapon of choice: a bouquet of flowers. Police were able to arrest him after canvassing the Flower District.

Isn't it strange that while most people pay handsomely for healthcare, others have to be bribed to take their medicine?

Check out this article about paying people to take their medicine, stop smoking and lose weight. The idea is that it will save on healthcare costs in the long term.

I can understand the monetary incentives to help people stop smoking and lose weight. Those things take a great deal of will power, so extra motivation is appropriate. But do we have to pay people to take their medicine? I pay big bucks to fill my prescriptions. Maybe I should just threaten not to take my medicine and then they'll pay me to take it. This could be a new source of income...