Didn't have this happening in the U.S. Open, but I'm here for it

Though the discovery is not conclusive, it sheds light on the truth behind the legend

'Less power concentrated in Washington, D.C.'

‘So I'm rejoining my old team – but here's what I want you to know,’ Stelter wrote

She sort of said sorry but did she?

'Free speech is on the ballot'

CNN did not report this, a spokesperson for the outlet confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact.

A viral video shared on X claims to show 2024 Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris saying she can ruin lives with “the swipe of a pen.” Power hungry Kamala Harris describing how she can ruin lives with the ‘swipe of a pen’: “I learned that with the swipe of my pen, I could charge someone […]

The post Referrals & Second Opinions For Your Cat: Everything to Know by Dr. Lauren Demos DVM (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Hi, I’m Dr. Lauren! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my two adventurous cats, Pancake and Tiller. Have you ever gone to your own doctor, and they’ve said quite simply “I don’t know what is wrong with you.” Well, it happens with vets, too. Obviously, no one wants this to happen, but it can for a variety of reasons: the issue is outside a person’s area of expertise, the disease can mimic a variety of complicated issues and be difficult if not downright impossible to workup without specific advanced testing modalities, or sometimes, simply, the answers and right tests have not yet been invented. In these situations in human medicine, you might elect to seek a second opinion from another doctor, or you might even be referred to a specialist. Did you know that this is also possible in veterinary medicine? What Is a Referral? In cats, as a vet, I’ve seen referrals and second opinions throughout my career. I’ve also sent patients of mine for a referral, or second opinions. So what are they? Does your cat need one? And how do you make the visit as successful as possible? Read on. A primary veterinarian or general practitioner sees routine appointments, as well as appointments for ill cats. They give vaccines, prescribe medications, and do various surgeries. However, for patients who have multiple illnesses, or severe illnesses, or lots of clinical signs and no diagnosis, then they might get referred to another vet. If that vet is a specialist, then this is generally called a referral. This specialist can then proceed to do necessary diagnostics to try and identify the underlying issue and how to best treat it. Referrals must come through your own vet. What is a Second Opinion? Second opinions, however, can be seen by any vet—specialist or not. And they can be self-referred, meaning your vet does not need to direct the booking and appointment process. Second opinions in some countries mean that the new vet seeing your cat cannot do diagnostics or provide treatment- they simply review the case, and then give you feedback that you can take to your own vet. Tips For Getting Referrals and Second Opinions If you are thinking of getting a referral, or a second opinion, here’s how you can best go about booking this process: Ensure that your cat’s complete medical records, including imaging, lab results, and the medical history, have been sent in toto to the new vet. And, ensure this is done well in advance because often there is little or no time set aside on the day of the appointment to review what can sometimes be a very complicated history! In an ideal world, a week prior would be perfect, in my humble opinion! I’ll tell you a secret: honestly, we don’t mind if you want a referral or a second opinion! Many people I have worked with are afraid of retaliation from their vet, some to the point that they won’t even ask for their cat’s medical records to be sent beforehand. This only undermines the entire process, as it’s very difficult for me to give accurate information with only partial facts. And, I promise, we want the best for your cat, just like you do. If that means going to another clinic or vet, by all means, do so! Call the referral clinic a day or two ahead of your appointment. This confirms the appointment time and also acts as a reminder to them to obtain any further information from you or your vet that they might need beforehand. Arrive early for the referral or second opinion appointment. Often there is extra paperwork to fill out, or possible questions. And, the vet might even be able to see you early, if their schedule allows. Too, traveling to a new place can often mean new traffic hazards and other things that may slow down your travel. Better to arrive early, rather than late, and cut into your appointment time. So next time you take your cat to your vet, and if the answer ever comes back with “I don’t know what is going on here” then know that you have options. Those can be scary words, but there is also light at the end of a second tunnel- it just might take a bit of extra time to get there! This article is a part of Dr. Lauren, Pancake, and Tiller's series. Read her previous article: Tiller’s Cup of Tea: It’s Not Everyone’s (Just Mine) The post Referrals & Second Opinions For Your Cat: Everything to Know by Dr. Lauren Demos DVM (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Books body switching Five Sci-Fi Stories About Body Hopping Sort of like Freaky Friday, but potentially much freakier, and with less hugging–here are five science fiction stories about hopping from body to body. By Lorna Wallace | Published on September 4, 2024 Photo by Myfanwy Owen [via Unsplash] Comment 0 Share New Share Photo by Myfanwy Owen [via Unsplash] Body swap stories never seem to go out of style—particularly in films and on TV—and they crop up in basically every genre. The concept is the basis of family-friendly comedy franchise Freaky Friday, Pixar’s animated Soul (2020), and horror flick Freaky (2020), and also pops up in various TV shows, from The X-Files’ “Lazarus” and “Dreamland” to Community’s “Basic Human Anatomy.” But the books and short stories on this list aren’t just about body swapping, they’re about body hopping—à la Futurama’s “The Prisoner of Benda” and the live-action movie version of Scooby-Doo (2002). Instead of focusing on just two characters switching bodies, these narratives feature people, aliens, and an artificial intelligence which are capable of hopping from body to body—sometimes in full control of the host and sometimes more as a passenger. Just like their onscreen counterparts, these stories also slot into various different genres, from horror to a whodunit… The Lives of Tao (2013) by Wesley Chu Roen Tan isn’t particularly satisfied with his life when he suddenly starts hearing a strange voice in his head. It turns out that an alien called Tao has hitched a ride in his body and now Roen has been drafted into an alien war that he had no idea was even being fought. Roen wouldn’t have been Tao’s first choice of host, but ethereal aliens in need of a body can’t be choosers. Millions of years earlier, the Quasing crash-landed on Earth, but their nebulous forms couldn’t withstand the atmosphere, so they took up residence in the bodies of animals. Their mission is to get back to their home planet and humans—with their ability to create technology—offer them the best chance of achieving their goal. But the Quasing have split opinions on how to treat humanity and the two factions have been fighting for centuries. The Lives of Tao is a lighthearted zero-to-hero story filled with martial arts and thrilling shootouts. Although there are definitely advantages to having a personal Mr. Miyagi/Yoda/insert-your-favorite-training-mentor-here in your head, I’m certainly glad it wasn’t my life that Tao hijacked. Mal Goes to War (2024) by Edward Ashton Mal Goes to War is set in a future where technological advancement has plunged humanity into war. On one side are the Federals, who are happy to modify themselves with tech, and on the other are the Humanists, who reject augmentation. Detached from all of this is Mal, a sentient A.I. who lacks a body but can inhabit basically anything that’s computerized—be that an augmented human or a smart fridge. Mal is jumping from host to host while scouting for salvage after a battle when he’s cut off from infospace (essentially the cloud) and becomes trapped in the recently deceased body of a cyborg. Not only can Mal not get out of his current host, but he’s also stuck alongside their ward, a heavily modified girl called Kayleigh. Mal and Kayleigh may not want to join forces—or the fight—but they both need to get out of the war zone and so they set off together on a fast-paced adventure that is told with all of the dark humor expected of an Edward Ashton book.   The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (2018) by Stuart Turton The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle isn’t just a body hopping story, it’s also a time loop murder mystery. Aiden Bishop is trapped at Blackheath, a grand manor house where a huge party is being held. His freedom depends upon solving the imminent murder of Evelyn Hardcastle, who will be killed during the party. Bishop is given eight days, over which he will find himself in the bodies of eight guests, to solve her murder and if he fails, he’ll be right back to square one with a wiped memory. Classic murder mysteries aren’t really my thing, but add a sci-fi element to a whodunit and I’m right there. Along with trying to figure out who murdered Evelyn by navigating the advantages and disadvantages that come with each of the hosts—Bishop isn’t entirely in control thanks to the lingering personalities of the people he’s inhabiting—there’s also the mystery of what/who exactly is facilitating this whole setup. Did I always know exactly what was going on with all of the characters and story threads? Absolutely not, but that might not be an issue for a seasoned murder mystery reader. Plus, the ending was definitely worth it. “The Safe-Deposit Box” (1990) by Greg Egan The unnamed protagonist of Greg Egan’s “The Safe-Deposit Box”—which you can find in his short story collection Axiomatic (1995)—leads a very stressful life. Each morning, he wakes up in a new body, but with absolutely none of the person’s memories, leaving him to blunder through the day as best he can, before starting the whole process over again. A few things about his body hopping do remain consistent: he’s always male, always the right age, and always within the same geographic area. These parameters stop the protagonist’s sense of self from disintegrating entirely, but his existence isn’t exactly easy. It’s a fascinating concept and Egan executes it with philosophical flair. Also, for any Your Name (2016) fans out there, writer and director Makoto Shinkai has said that Egan’s short story was one of the inspirations behind his body swapping film. “The Things” (2010) Peter Watts (Collected in Beyond the Rift) You know how Stephenie Meyer wrote a version of Twilight (2005) from Edward’s perspective? Well, “The Things” is a little like that, but instead of being a romance story from the POV of the vampiric love interest, it’s a horror story from the POV of the terrifying shapeshifting alien from John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). In body hopping stories, the hopping entity often doesn’t damage the host’s body, but in The Thing—which is based on John W. Campbell’s novella Who Goes There? (1938)—the alien that is doing the hopping fully deconstructs the host. Peter Watts’s short story follows the otherworldly creature as it learns about humans—and of course, in its eyes we’re the weird ones, hence the title—after crash landing in Antarctica. “The Things” and The Thing offer different types of horror, with the latter focusing on visual body horror and the former tapping into existential dread. Sure, the shapes that the invading alien twists people into may be unnerving to look at, but “The Things” takes the psychological horror of the film and expands it, giving the reader a disturbing insight into the mind of an alien that doesn’t understand individuality and ruthlessly plans to bend humanity to its will. Be they about one-time swaps or multiple hops, I hope you’ll recommend your own favorite books, novellas, and short stories that utilize this sci-fi concept in the comments below…[end-mark] The post Five Sci-Fi Stories About Body Hopping appeared first on Reactor.