Vietnamese police have reported the arrest of a driver transporting some very unusual cargo.

No, he wasn’t carrying drugs or weapons. He was carrying 53 king cobras in large sacks.

When pulled over in Hanoi, the driver said he was paid less than $50 to chauffeur the snakes. King cobra meat is considered a delicacy in Vietnam, but it is illegal to hunt or trade the snakes.

However, this story ends on a good note for the cobras — they were taken to a wildlife rescue center for medical attention and are set to be released back into the wild.

And with that, we at USDemocracy wish you a Happy Earth Day!

While thousands passed the peace pipe at the Denver Civic Center on 4/20 — the annual celebration of cannabis — the hazy atmosphere cleared when shots rang out, striking three people and a dog.

Colorado recently legalized the recreational use of marijuana this past election. The new law brought an even larger crowd out for the event in the state’s capital, reaffirming the “high” in “Mile High City.” One marijuana attorney, Rob Corry, declared:

This is what freedom smells like. You are standing on some of the freest ground in the world.

However, the crowd immediately dispersed when a gunman began firing. Though some witnesses were interviewed, their comments were similar to their mental state — a bit foggy. Examples include:

This guy came up and started shooting at people.

and:

I thought I was going through an anxiety thing because so many people were coming after me.

and:

It was peaceful; everybody was having fun. And then you heard the shots. Pow, pow, pow, pow.

One or two suspects were identified while “coming aggressively through the crowd.”  Unfortunately, the two African-American men were also automatically connected to a gang. Post-racial society, anyone?

Denver police reported they have potential video footage of one of the suspects — a man running through a six-second film clip with a checked shirt as described. Check out a snapshot here.

Even the most mellow of activities — smoking marijuana — has generated outbursts of violence.

And for all those animal lovers out there, we hope the dog is okay, too.

To say that it has been an especially trying week for our nation would be a gross understatement. 

The recent tragedies in Boston and Waco, TX, have to some extent made us feel a little less secure, a little more aware of how precious a commodity life truly is.

In these moments of unexpected human suffering, it can be hard for us to be mindful of the human suffering that occurs elsewhere, far from our pain and beyond our own borders. Yet mindful of it we ought to be.

It is important to know that Iran is still just beginning to recover from a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that has claimed the lives of nearly 40, injured approximately 850, and left thousands homeless and with nothing left.

Survivor of April 20 earthquake in Sichuan province, China. Courtesy of Associated Press.

We ought to extend our sincere thoughts and concerns to the people of Sichuan province in China, who have just experienced an earthquake of their own, with an even more devastating aftermath: nearly 160 dead, 5,500 injured, and thousands more missing or unaccounted for.

For us in America, our hearts pour out to the citizens of Boston, MA, and Waco, TX, and rightfully so. But let us not forget that we should be equally informed and concerned of the immense loss of life and suffering in places like southwest Iran and Sichuan province.

For those under unimaginable duress and tribulation there, let our hearts pour out to them as well.

You may be Facebook friends with your brother, your parents, your college buddies and co-workers. But are you friends with your doctors too?

Earlier this week, the American College of Physicians and the Federation of State Medical boards put out a statement that that addressed conduct issues for physicians in the world of social media.

Surprisingly, many doctors now believe they should be taking advantage of digital communication more than they currently are. According to Dr. Ted Eytan of Kaiser Permanente:

“Social media is a way to build trust by delivering useful information and creating good will between patients and physicians.”

Eytan believes instant communication is key in a doctor-patient relationship. And that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re texting and tweeting—it’s more about the patients just knowing they have easy access to quick, reliable information if they need it. 

Regardless, doctors still face ethical issues when allowing patients to enter their digital social circles. How much communication is too much? How does one navigate questions that aren’t necessarily in their area of expertise?

This gray area is exactly why moving forward, doctors need to have guidelines on where to draw the line. But for now. Eytan says a good rule of thumb is to realize that whatever you say could end up elsewhere online:

“A really simple test I use is, ‘Am I comfortable with the tweet I just wrote being on the front page of The Washington Post? What would 9.2 million [people] think of it?”

Have you ever communicated with a doctor online? Do you think it’s okay to add them on Facebook? Let us know in the comments below.