It's The Time Of The Season

With all of the craziness that's be going on for the past couple of months, I'd like to remind everyone not to get caught up in all of the hate. Don't become a holiday zombie. Christmas is the time of the season for love. Ignore the hate and acknowledge the people in your life who really care about you.

Paraphernalia | A Short Film

IMED infusion pumps have come a long way since I first started working in hospital pharmacy many years ago. Now-a-days, IMEDs are especially useful in pediatrics and can do just about anything.

But, don't just take my word for it. See for yourself.


Paraphernalia from John Williams on Vimeo.

We Will Forget

Fueled by his religious beliefs, Robert Fitzpatrick spent over one hundred thousand dollars of his life savings on subway ads warning that the world would end on May 21st, 2011. A lesson in humanity, the short film We Will Forget, follows Robert in the weeks leading up to the 21st, and ultimately to NY Times Square where he awaits the rapture with fellow believers, onlookers, and naysayers.


We Will Forget from Garret Harkawik on Vimeo.

No Pharmacy Respect

I don't think the public understands what hospital pharmacists go through every day. So, I thought I'd post this older video that might give them a better understanding of the lack of pharmacy respect.

Hombres Armados | Men With Guns

Dr. Fuentes is a medical doctor and professor nearing his retirement, and is concerned about leaving a legacy. He taught a group of seven - something he views as one of his greatest accomplishments - that trains young people to provide health care to impoverished citizens in the outlying hill country, where small agricultural communities struggle to survive.

Dr. Fuentes has recently heard rumors that his former students are lost, and possibly dead, so he musters up the courage and travels into the outlands to investigate, and meets Men with Guns.

According to Roger Ebert, it's not until he begins his journey that he discovers a world much different than the one he had imagined. The doctor's journey is enlarged by John Sayles into an allegory about all countries where men with guns control the daily lives of everyday people.

Some of the men are with the government, some are guerrillas, some are thieves, some are armed to protect themselves, and to the ordinary people it hardly matters: The man with the gun does what he wants, and his reasons are irrelevant--unknown perhaps even to himself.

[Original video link remove by source]

The Best Gifts Come From Within

Give the gift of life this holiday season. Take the initiative and learn how to say "NO".


Source: Secret video is released of ‘drunk’ man asking strangers to help him into his car

Did You Get Your Flu Shot Yet?

Doomsday is almost here, what are you waiting for? Didn't you listen to me the first time? It's already past that time of the year again, and you're running late!

Visit your local pharmacy ASAP and get this year's flu shot before it's too late. You'll not only help protect yourself and prevent the spread of influenza, but you'll also encourage good mental health.


Source: NatGeoTV.com

The Future Of Technology

While pharmacist positions may slowly become like hens' teeth, the sky's the limit in the job market for well-trained workers using cutting-edge technologies. The prospects for work are out of this world!

But don't just take my word for it. Here's just one advertisement for a company preparing the world for the future, when only two classes of people remain on this planet, the super rich - and the rest of us.


Source: Armadyne Corporation and Elysium

A Bionic Future | Exoskeletons

Technological innovation can sometimes raise uncomfortable prospects.

Take, for instance, innovations in robots that allow them to do many jobs that humans have long been doing in fields such as manufacturing and distribution.

But, not all aspects of robotic innovation are created to replace or to harm human beings. In many cases, robotics has improved the human condition. A Bionic Future looks at incredible advances in bionic technology that have enabled paraplegics to walk.


A Bionic Future | Maris Curran from Focus Forward Films on Vimeo.

The Difficulty Of Early Retirement

The longer you're out of pharmacy, the faster you lose your skills, and the sooner you're a has-been.

I've been out of pharmacy long enough now that I no longer receive the daily emails and phone calls from the temporary services and headhunters trying to exploit me in order to line their own pockets.

Either they've figured out that I'm not going to work for them, or they think I'm too old to keep up with all of the increasing demands placed upon pharmacists. Regardless, there is a point in time in which older pharmacists must accept the fact that they can't perform as well as their younger colleagues.

Although it's nice to be wanted, or to be in demand, I think my time has come to fully retire.


I'm Retired from Peter Atencio on Vimeo.

Free Beer: The Truth About Dishonesty

Bestselling author and professor of psychology and behavioral economics at the Center for Advanced Hindsight at Duke University, Dan Ariely discusses how the principles of behavioral economics can help us understand some of our irrational tendencies, specifically the mechanisms at work behind dishonest behavior and cheating.

One of the most interesting lessons at work is understanding our capacity to think of ourselves as honest - even when we act dishonestly. The implications of Dan's research are far reaching and include a better understanding of the most recent financial crisis and some of the many challenges facing healthcare.


Source: The RSA

Hitler's Children

Their family names alone evoke horror: Himmler, Goering, Göeth, Hoess. What's it like for Nazi Party members offspring to have grown up with a surname that immediately raises images of mass murder and genocide? How do they live with the weight of their ancestors' crimes? How do they cope with the fact that they are the children of one of the greatest abominations in history?

Hitler’s Children is a unique documentary film that reveals, for the first time, the ways in which family members of high rank senior Nazi officers from Hitler’s inner circle struggle with the burden of carrying a terror-inducing surname.

During detailed interviews, descendants of Frank, Goering, and Himmler, amongst many others, share the feelings of guilt and responsibility that accompany them in their daily lives. What happens when the children of the perpetrators of this genocide eventually meet with the children of the victims?

Already broadcast on BBC, Hitler’s Children distribution rights in North America have been purchased and it's expected to screen in theaters in the U.S. in 2013. Here's the trailer -



Related posts: The Real Drug Nazi

60 Minutes | Hospitals: The Cost Of Admission

One of the driving forces for my early retirement from the profession was that I'd become disillusioned with the loss of our professional freedom and control of our own destiny. According to the CBS News television program, 60 Minutes, it seems like many other healthcare professionals feel the same way.

For more than a year, 60 Minutes has been looking into the admission and billing practices of Health Management Associates. It's the fourth largest for-profit hospital chain in the country with revenues of $5.8 billion last year, nearly half of that coming from Medicare and Medicaid programs.

60 Minutes talked to more than 100 current and former employees and heard a similar story over and over: that Health Management Associates relentlessly pressured its doctors to admit more and more patients -- regardless of medical need -- in order to increase revenues. Here's their report -


Source: 60 Minutes | Hospitals: The cost of admission

Skhizein | A Short Film

Good mental health care requires periodic patient measurements in quality of life. Small adjustments in medication management can make a big difference. If utilized appropriately, pharmacists provide a great resource for those wanting to keep their patients appropriately centered.

Young Pharmacists Rule

I've been around for a while, so I can understand what young chain-pharmacists go through on a daily basis - constantly getting knocked down by everyone - their customers, their co-workers, and even their supervisors. They get it from all ends. It's tough work, and it's a chore to deal with every day.

So, it's understandable that the only way they can deal with the daily stress is to get together with their colleagues after work, have some fun, throw back a few drinks, focus on the positive aspects of their job, piss the night away, and try to get motivated for the next day.

I don't know how long they'll last doing it, but you've got to admire their consistent youthful tenacity.

Friday Eye Candy | NSFW

Check 'em out boys.. that is, if you have the balls to do it. But wait until you get home, after work.


Source: MCAC

Transformers Are Fake, Right?

Transformers makes for a great movie to watch, but nothing like that is really possible, right?


Source: Those Crazy Japanese

The Middle-Aged Pharmacist Conundrum

I read a comment in a forgotten pharmacy forum a while back in which a frightened young commenter said that she couldn't think of anything worse than to be a middle-aged pharmacist out there trying to find a job. She said that she would put up with anything in her present position in order to not lose her job and become one of "those" pharmacists.

That comment stuck with me. Not only because of the fear behind it, but because that middle-aged pharmacist, and that same scenario, could easily apply to me.

Now, I'd be lying if I said that there wasn't a little fear behind my decision to quit working in pharmacy, especially since I've been doing it so long and didn't have something else lined up beforehand. There's always that fear of the unknown.

But as time has passed, I've realized that my fear is really unfounded. There's no actual basis for it, it's only in my mind. There's nothing to be afraid of, I've planned and prepared for this time in my life. No matter what happens, I will survive. I've come to learn that fear is no justification for my actions.

So then, why would such a young commenter be so afraid of something 25-years into her future?

Working as a pharmacist, she would be generating a very comfortable income. If she lived below her means, avoided accumulating debt, saved a significant portion of her income and invested it wisely, upon reaching middle-aged she would be in such a safe financial position that fear shouldn't factor into her decision-making. Not being able to find a job at that age would be the least of her worries.

But on the other hand, I've worked with some older pharmacists who lived high on the hog their entire career, thinking that the gravy train would never come to an end. They hadn't prepared themselves for the worst case scenario, and now they're stuck working, not because they want to, but because they think that they have no other choice. Fear guides their actions.

If you haven't noticed, most of the pharmacist crimes that I've reported in my blog or on Twitter, were perpetrated by middle-aged pharmacists, people old enough to know better, but probably willing to do just about anything because they were desperate for money.

It seems to me that those pharmacists' fear of losing the lifestyle they grew accustomed to became greater than the fear of the consequences of crossing over that ethical line.

Perhaps it's one "those" middle-aged pharmacists that the young commenter is afraid of becoming?

But, on the other hand, perhaps "putting up with anything" out of fear could lead a young pharmacist into becoming one of those pharmacists upon reaching middle-age? Something to think about.

But, don't just take my word for it. Watch this hidden video of a middle-aged pharmacist interviewing for a position with a less-than-reputable independent pharmacy owner, and choosing to compromise his ethics during the fifth decade of his life in order to become employed.

Getting Screwed

You know, I've been getting screwed my entire life. So, what's so wrong about getting screwed after I'm dead? It's not like I'm not used to it. IMO, this guy is brilliant. How could you NOT admire him? His idea makes perfect sense, especially after having had a few drinks.


Source: David Friedman Photography

The First Digital Camera

If it weren't for the creative people in this world, we'd never have achieved the technological advances that we take for granted. These geniuses are always ahead of their time. For example, if I was to ask you when the first digital camera was invented, what year would you guess? How about 1975?


Inventor Portrait: Steven Sasson from David Friedman on Vimeo.

INSiDE | A Short Story

Are you still sure that you want to work at the Arizona State Hospital?

You never really know what someone else is thinking. The most innocent looking person can harbor the most diabolical intentions. But, don't just take my word for it. See for yourself.


INSiDE from INSiDE Short on Vimeo.

Finding Benjaman

In 2004, Benjaman Kyle woke up with no identification, no clothes, and no memories. And eight years later, no one, including the United States Government has any idea who he is. So, this Thanksgiving, I'm giving thanks for my memories, as bad as some of them might be.


Source: Finding Benjaman

Happy Thanksgiving

Although I live in Arizona, I'm still thankful for the vast cultural diversity found throughout the State.

We've Passed 437 River Street

I've read a lot of other anonymous pharmacy blogs and I keep running into the same naive belief that our profession is in someway "a brotherhood", a profession in which all pharmacists are altruistically looking out for each other, and the profession as a whole. These bloggers seem to have this fairy-tale optimistic belief that the corporations who control the purse strings think that we're indispensable.

It took some continued reading and investigating over time, but I've come to believe that the people operating these blogs aren't really pharmacists. They might be techs, headhunters, corporate or registry shills trying to manipulate pharmacists to their advantage. But, they're not pharmacists. No pharmacist could be so dumb as to not see what's happening right before their eyes.

Or at least I'd prefer to think so.

If pharmacists were really intent on promoting the profession, covering each others back, and making sure we had a voice in the future of healthcare, our leaders could have put aside their enormous petty egos, refuse to accept third-party money, and gained more power by consolidating the many separate pharmacy organizations into one single representative organization. But, we just couldn't do it.

We didn't understand how pharmacists could've become serious contenders, and now it's too late.

And why is that? According to my experiences, many of our overly-ambitious pharmacy leaders have sadly sold out the young pharmacists for the short-end money, and a one-way ticket to Palookaville.

Nothing To Smile About

Like I discussed a while back, it's going to be an extremely difficult task trying to stop the scourge of synthetic drug abuse. Now there's a new one in the news.. smiles.

[original video link removed by source]

Rise Of The Robots

Should humans brace themselves for a coming ‘robotics revolution’? I think so.

I recently watched The Terminator again on TV last week. More and more, the technology in that film is coming into existence. Think about it. Just a few years ago, most of us never imagined the use of military drones as they're being used today. As rules of engagement continue to change, militaries adapt their tactics to include the increasing use of unmanned weaponry.

However, behind the hot button issue of drones lies a military robotics industry that is developing machinery which is not only finding its way onto the battlefield, but into civilian life, as well.

Robots today have the capability to drive automobiles, perform surgeries, and do household chores, among other tasks. As integration escalates, what legal and ethical issues arise?


Source: Aljazeera, The Stream: Rise of the robots

Dispense Or Not Dispense | What Would You Do?

There were many times in my career while I was working in retail pharmacy when a physician or a dentist presented me with controlled-substance prescription written for himself/herself or a family member, wanting me to fill it for them, and I refused.

In some of those cases, something bad later happened, and subsequent investigations revealed that those physicians or dentists (or their family members) had substance abuse problems and were getting their prescriptions filled at multiple pharmacies in order to hide their problem.

Of course, I learned early that if you're going to refuse to fill a self-prescribed prescription then you're going to get grief from not only the prescriber, but sometimes from your co-workers or supervisors who don't understand (or care about) the potential problems or conflict of interest.

In a couple of instances, I was even reported to the BOP for refusing to fill their prescriptions. States vary in their rules about pharmacists' rights to refuse to fill prescriptions, so I once had to endure a cross-examination to justify my refusal. It was a hassle, but the BOP sided with my actions.

In essence, I refuse to enable another healthcare provider's potential substance abuse problem, or to become indirectly responsible when something bad happens after I filled their prescription. I'm not going to be sucked into any schemes, become part of the problem, and possibly hurt someone.

And the reason that I refuse to fill controlled-substance prescriptions for providers who self-diagnose and self-treat is specifically highlighted in the following video.


Source: 'Doctor of the Year' Arrested on DUI Charges After Crash

What would you do? Would you want to be the pharmacist who filled the prescriber's self-prescribed controlled-substance Rx when something like this happens, and especially if someone is killed?

One Family's Tragic Fungal Meningitis Story

It's one thing to look at the numbers of patients affected by fungal meningitis from the contaminated corticosteroids compounded by NECC. The numbers are staggering.

But, it's truly heartbreaking when you listen to the families of those who died after being injected with those contaminated medications. Then one can come to fully understand why this tragedy needs to be prevented from ever happening again, regardless of any regulatory hardships some compounding pharmacies may have to endure.

Here's a PBS Newshour presentation of one of those patients, Diana Reed, a beautiful 56-year-old Tennessee woman who was caretaker for her ALS-affected husband Wayne, and who died suddenly of fungal meningitis after receiving tainted steroids for neck pain.

Get Smart About Antibiotics Week

According to this CDC video released for this year's Get Smart About Antibiotics Week - When your child is sick, antibiotics may not be the answer. Work with your child’s doctor or nurse to learn how you can help your child feel better.

Did you notice how pharmacists, the family's most readily and freely accessible healthcare provider, professionals who could quickly and competently triage a child's signs and symptoms, and prevent unnecessary doctor visits, were snubbed as being a potential source for educating the public?

You need the Flash plugin to view this video.

A New Sensation

It was only a few years ago when I bought a collar for my new puppy. I just received his dog license in the mail and thought that he's at that age when it was time for him to start wearing a collar, like most responsible dog owners would expect.

Little did I know just how difficult the task would be to get him to wear it.

As soon as I tried to put it on, he started jerking around like a wet fish and seemed to think that I was trying to kill him. It took a little more effort than I thought it would, but I finally got it on him. But, that didn't stop him from flopping around like a fish, whining about it, and constantly trying to pull it off.

I swear, it took a good five days before he accepted the collar and quit scratching at it. Even though it took some effort, he finally resolved himself that wearing the collar was in his own best interests, and that fighting against wearing it was a losing battle. With time, he didn't even know it was there.

So, it's because of this difficult experience of trying to get my puppy to wear a collar that I think that I understand why porn stars are so upset about being required to wear condoms.

They've been working so long without using condoms that it's a new and undesirable sensation.

Of course they're going to fight against it. But just like my puppy, in the long run they'll get used to it, and cum to love the protection condoms offer from those nasty and untreatable STDs caught on set.

But, don't just take my word for it. Listen to the porn industry healthcare representatives selling it.

Can Science Stop Crime?

Are criminals born, or are criminals made? What's the secret to stopping crime? David Pogue, from Nova Science Now, gives the third degree to scientists pushing the limits of technology, not only to solve horrific murders but also to try to prevent crimes before they even happen. Here's the trailer -

The Suicide Plan | PBS Frontline

PBS FRONTLINE explores the underground world of assisted suicide.

In this groundbreaking 90-minute film FRONTLINE explores the underground world of assisted suicide and takes viewers inside one of the most polarizing social issues of our time – told not only by the people choosing to die, but also by their “assisters,” individuals and right-to-die organizations that put themselves in legal jeopardy by helping others to die.

Watch it on-air or online beginning Tuesday, November 13th.

Looking Back

I was just remembering my first year in pharmacy school, when I wanted to be a part of that society.

Looking back, I can only imagine what it must have been like for those pharmacy students who came from an entire family of pharmacists, and weren't sure that they wanted to become one too.

See You At ASHP Midyear 2012

A little encouragement goes a long way. So, make sure to stop by and say "Hi" to me at this year's ASHP Midyear 2012 convention. I'll be the lonely superhero working the crowd.

And remember - what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.


Source: Wong Fu Productions

I Am Bigger And Better

You can work as hard as this newer breed of Canadian pharmacy students to remain relevant in your profession. But at some point, your hard work and dedication won't be enough to succeed.

So, how will you react when bigger and better (and cheaper) robots eventually replace you?


I am Bigger And Better from VFX on Vimeo.

Profession-Al

Metal-fabricator Neil Youngberg never planned on taking over his grandfather's business and is now faced with passing on his legacy.

Although Profession-al is far removed from the topic of healthcare, I found the most interesting part of this story is that - almost every single thing this guy says, or has experienced in his life, also applies to the profession of pharmacy, especially the practice of independent pharmacy.


PROFESSIONal from VITA BREVIS FILMS on Vimeo.

A Few Bad Apples

How many times have you heard someone use the phrase "It's always the few bad apples that spoil the whole bunch", or a phrase similar to that? I know that I've heard it numerous times. Heck, I'm sure that I've even said it a few times myself.

But, it wasn't until just yesterday, after discussing the topic of "regulation" when I started to give it more thought and realized that this phrase isn't accurate. If anything, the exact opposite is true - there are only a few good apples in the bunch, trying to prevent the whole bunch from being spoiled.

Let me explain -

Take a look at a population of apples that have fallen not too far from the tree (pun intended).

If you look closely enough, you'll find a few apples that are rotten to the core, a few apples that are perfectly good, and many apples with bumps, bruises and with varying degrees of imperfections.

This large group of imperfect apples could quickly turn bad without someone intervening to prevent their deterioration. And if you look even further, you'll also find that this apple analogy also describes the human population, and how human beings behave.

Just like the population of apples, there will always be a small percentage of straight-out, wholly-selfish, psychopathic, rotten-to-the-core criminals who are unable to control their emotions and will do anything to get what they want, including behaving in inhumane ways.

Oppositely, there will also always be a small percentage of unselfish, compassionate, altruistic, and perfectly unblemished human beings who have absolute control over their emotions and will always behave in ways that best serve the entire population as a whole.

And then there's the rest of us -

We're the largest percentage of the population - imperfect, battered, and bruised people who may not always understand or care how our behaviors might affect others, have varying degrees of control over our emotions, and sometimes behave inappropriately.

Most of us vacillate between the light side and the dark side of our behaviors. It's only after the scales tip to the dark side for the majority of us, when the whole population becomes rotten.

So as you can see, a few bad apples won't spoil the bunch. They're easy to spot. It's when most of the bruised apples go bad that the entire bunch is ruined. Identifying them requires a closer look.

------

If history has proven anything, it's that human beings cannot control their emotions, and will behave in ways that satisfy those uncontrolled emotions. When viewed as a whole, more than a few people will tend to act selfishly and cannot be freely entrusted to do what's best, or safe, for the whole.

And THAT'S why we need regulation. If an enterprise has the capability of harming a large percentage of the population, then someone else needs to be looking over their shoulder to ensure they don't.

Don't believe the growing percentage of criminals who "call themselves" Republicans or Libertarians when they say that Government needs to stay out of their business. They're trying to manipulate your bruised and battered mind into enabling their crimes, and to turn you into a bad apple.

America is a Republic. We're a society founded upon, and governed by, laws, rules, and regulations created precisely to protect it's members from the rotten apples intent on harming us. As such, we Americans should expect regulation and welcome it when it's needed.

But, trying to get the politically-appointed regulators to enforce the rules fairly? That's another rant.

Technology Is A Good Thing, Right?

Source: Cartoons by Schwadron

Young And Restless Supervision

One of my personal shortcomings is that I refuse to unnecessarily justify myself to anyone else, especially having to explain myself without cause to my supervisors. The way I see it, if you're foolish enough to listen to false gossip without speaking to me directly beforehand, I'm going to consider you to be one of the numerous morons running the show, and I'll never support your efforts.

My attitude may seem self-destructive, but I think it's pretty simple. Ask me anything you want and I'll tell you the truth. But, you're going to have to ask me first. I'm not going to explain myself based upon someone else's lies, especially if you don't dig deeper for the truth and automatically believe rumors.

It sounds like such a simple task to expect that my leaders investigate both sides of a story before making a decision. But, you wouldn't believe how often they fail to do so in the workplace. It's almost like they want to believe in the dirt in order to serve their own personal agenda.. like a bad soap opera.

But, don't just take my word for it. Watch my young and restless ex-wife and my former supervisor caught on hidden home video, and you can see for yourself. People will almost always do what they think is in their own best interests, including bosses, and especially when it come to sex.

Adelaide

As pharmacists attempt to gain more and more "hands on" clinical skills in the continuing battle to justify themselves to the corporations controlling the purse strings, they're going to need to partner with allies seeking similar goals.

But, where can a pharmacists find such allies? Oh, wait a minute.. of course!


ADELAIDE by Liliana Greenfield-Sanders from Liliana Greenfield-Sanders on Vimeo.

Toeing The Line | Redux

I guess it's the nature of the business - everyone has to learn through their own experiences.

I recently received this video email from a newer PIC pharmacist and his staff who are just beginning to realize the futility of their chosen profession, are having difficulty dealing with their female district pharmacy supervisor, and are now voicing their discontent about being abused.



I understand why they're upset. But why call me, email me, or think that I should be shocked?

Just like their male counterparts, it seems to me that a lot of female pharmacists have figured out that the only way that they're going to survive in a retail pharmacy environment is if they escape the front lines and move into management themselves.

In my own experiences, I've found females to be more cut-throat than their male counterparts, and will enjoyably laugh behind your back as they screw you. They've realized that in order to survive in this business, either you become abused, or you become the abuser. It's dog-eat-dog world and some have chosen to place their own individual needs above those of their colleagues or the profession.

So, why should I be surprised that these pharmacists have chosen to embrace the dark side of pharmacy and to toe the corporate line no matter how serious the consequences to anyone else?

You can be upset all you want about how you're being treated, and look for another job. But if you want my opinion, there is no better job somewhere else. The grass isn't greener anywhere else.

If you really want my advice - don't fall victim to the lure of self-importance and keeping up with the Joneses. Live below your means, pay off all or your debt as quickly as you can, save as much of your paycheck as you can, invest it wisely, and place yourself in a position to be able to choose what you want to do with your life instead of having to submit to the dark side.

The House I Live In

Drug addiction - it's a terrible problem in America.

I don't profess to have all of the answers as to why people abuse drugs, nor do I have a solution to the problem. There is no simple solution to such a complex problem. But, I do think that many of us agree that how we've been addressing this problem for the past forty-years isn't working very well.

Perhaps it's time we tried approaching the problem from a different point of view?

In theaters this beginning this month the documentary, The House I Live In, examines the economic, as well as the moral and practical, failures of the so-called "war on drugs," and calls on the United States to approach drug abuse not as a "war," but as a matter of public health.

We need "a very changed dialogue in this country that understands drugs as a public health concern and not a criminal justice concern," says the film's director, Eugene Jarecki.

Jarecki also says, "The 'tough on crime' strategy failed. We created a war on drugs, which is a trillion dollars spent over 40 years, 45 million arrests, leading to nothing. Drugs are cheaper, purer, more available than ever before, and used by younger and younger people. Who can stand by that?"

I think a lot of people might agree with him. The House I Live In is showing in Phoenix next month. I'll make sure to see it and report my review in the comments section of this post.


Source: The House I Live In

Wake Up! Get Your Flu Shot

Consider this your flu-fighting wake-up call. That’s right, it’s time to hit that flu with everything you’ve got. Get a flu shot, because it’s your best protection. Keep your hands squeaky clean, and don’t forget to cover those sneezes, people!


Source: Flu Wake Up

Oxyana | A Documentary

A portrait of Oceana, WV, an old coal mining town that has become the epicenter of the Appalachian Oxycontin epidemic, earning the nickname Oxyana.

Set in the middle of unbelievable natural beauty, life persists in Oceana, but it’s a living that few Americans could explain or even believe; closer in kind to the world of a medieval plague. Men and women die epidemically. The addicts— who are the vast majority, and all nice enough people— sell, scramble, and steal in an economy of nigh-endtimes desperation.

Worn down and out by the pills, the mines, or the indignity of both, everyone is easily twice their own age, and unable to imagine an existence outside of coal, subsidies, and prescription narcotics. Things could hardly get darker— or more fucked and implausible— than in this place called Oceana.


Oxyana Teaser from Sean Dunne on Vimeo and Kickstarter

Ricki Lake Thinks I'm Fly

Except for my man, Jerry Fahrni, I don't get much feedback or linkage from other pharmacists, or bloggers who "call" themselves pharmacists. It seems as though they think I'm anti-pharmacy and refuse to acknowledge my existence in hopes that I'll disappear from the blogosphere.

Personally, I think they refuse to acknowledge me and my blog because I speak the truth about the profession, they're afraid I'm right about my views and opinions, and what I have to say scares them.

It seems to me that they prefer pharmacy bloggers who sit around the campfire in a circle-jerk while singing Kumbaya and telling each other how great they are, and how much their patients suck, while their profession is slowly being stolen away from them. But, that's just my opinion.

So, I wasn't fully caught off guard when I received a video email this Octoberfest from the anonymous blogger who calls himself "The Redheaded" pharmacist, telling me what he/she thinks of my efforts.

Luckily for me, both Ricki Lake and the Plan-B girls (Camila, Cryselle, Errin, Jolivette, Kariva, Levora, Seasonique, Trinessa, and Yasmin) still think I'm fly.

Back To The Gym

Being a pharmacist has carried over into my personal life at the gym. I always feel like I'm under the gun to do things faster and faster to accomplish more and more. Unfortunately, I pushed myself too hard, started twice-a-day workouts, and then hurt myself.

But, after taking almost one full month off to heal, I'm back to the gym.

Although I'm not fully healed, I've learned to take it a little easier this time, accept the slower results, and to be satisfied with just showing off my Bat-package to the Jokers in my Zumba class.


Batman aerobics from SuperHeroineLinks.com on Vimeo.

CPR For Zombies | The Undeading

Do you know how to perform CPR in a life-saving situation? If not, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada is here to help - if it doesn't scare you to death first.


Source: Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation

Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator & Package - Monitors & (Google Affiliate Ad)

Me And You And A Dog Named Boo

Embrace your black dog. World Mental Health Day raises public awareness about mental health issues. The day promotes open discussion of mental disorders, and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services. This year's theme for the day is “Depression: A Global Crisis”.


Source: WHO: World Mental Health Day

Retired Pharmacists Get No Respect

Did you ever notice that no one ever speaks on behalf of the retired pharmacists?

Just like old soldiers, old pharmacists don't die - they just fade away. Decades of helping people live healthier lives, and no one remembers their efforts. It's almost like they never existed.

But these pharmacists aren't dead. Although they're retired, and may view younger pharmacists as their kryptonite, they still have what it takes to contribute back to their community.

So, at this year's national AARPh convention, a group of young and confident pharmacists decided to recognize those older pharmacists' contributions, and show a little appreciation to their mentors.

Mesa, Arizona Police Use Cutting-edge Technology

Although I often think that the increasing use of technology empowers corporations and Big Brother to abuse their powers, here's one instance that it may accomplish just the opposite.

Fifty Mesa police officers are piloting a year-long program that has them wearing camera headsets made by Scottsdale-based company Taser International. Cronkite News reporter John Genovese shows how the cameras document the officers' every move and keep their supervisors in the loop.


Mesa Police Cameras from Cronkite News on Vimeo.

Eliminating Human Beings From The Hiring Process

There's a reason why corporations have worked so hard to put themselves in the driver's seat over the past decade. With a tough economy and nearly everyone on the internet, one job opening promoted online can receive thousands of applications. Now they can make people jump through all kinds of unnecessary hoops in order to find a job.

So with competition fierce and many firms now using software rather than human beings to hire, Paul Solman explores whether it is worth it to apply online or if there are better strategies to get employed.


Source: PBS Newshour: Making Sen$e

The Sound Healer

Whatever happened to those wacky hippies that we knew from the 1960s? Nothing much. They just grew older, and became a little bit more peculiar particular.


The City Exposed: The Sound Healer from San Francisco Chronicle on Vimeo.

The Dark Side Of Hating Robotics

If you think people are having difficulty dealing with increasing crime due to high unemployment levels with humans, just imagine how they'll react when the robots hit hard times?

But, I'm sure someone will probably devise a technological advancement to fix that problem too.


No Robots from YungHan Chang on Vimeo.

Secondhand Smoke Courtesy

I always wondered why my father never went outside when he decided to light one up. Perhaps I should have asked him. Now I think I have a better understanding of his behavior.


Coalition for Non-Smoking "Go Together" from AnneKatherine (Kat) Friis on Vimeo.

Don't Let Your Job Defeat You

In pharmacy, it's only as you become older and more experienced when you realize that it's a serious chore dealing with the daily hatred and contempt you encounter in your job.

What makes it difficult to deal with is that this hate and contempt comes from multiple sources - customers, patients, supervisors, peers, and even your own colleagues. You get it from both ends, and it's constant, and it's inescapable. All that hate is destructive, and even worse.. it's contagious.

I cannot tell you how many angry and hateful pharmacists I've worked with throughout the years who continue to work even though they hate their job. And believe me, I've seen this unnecessary hate take it's toll on many older pharmacists approaching retirement age.

If you're a young pharmacist, ask yourself how many pharmacists have you met who were on psyche meds, BP meds, or cardiac meds while only in their forties? I've even worked with one pharmacist who dropped dead from a heart attack at work, on the exact day he was due to retire. So sad.

It seems to me that the quest for more money is the leading cause for all of these problems. Many pharmacists don't realize that they're caught up in the competition to impress each other and other people who really don't care about them. They have to have a bigger house, in a more desirable neighborhood, a more expensive car, better clothing, and a bigger bank account than their peers and colleagues. The more "stuff" they have, the more important they feel.

Believe me, the quest for more "stuff" isn't the answer.

Don't let anybody take your love away from you. Live below your means, pay off any debt as quickly as you can, save as much money as you can, invest it wisely, and become empowered to make your own decisions, and to live life on your own terms.

But, just don't take my word for it. Listen to the voice of experience.

The Conservative's Guide To Safe Sex

Do you suffer from Sexually Liberated Uterine Tendencies? Now there's a treatment that can help.

How The Cartel Brews Coffee

A Chemex coffee brewing guide for the discerning pharmacist coffee drinkers.


A CHEMEX BREW GUIDE from Cartel Coffee Lab on Vimeo | Hat tip: Phoenix Taco.

Just Watching The Wheels

It seems as though other pharmacists just can't understand how I could quit the profession and enjoy sitting at home watching the wheels go 'round and 'round. Truthfully, I'm happy not working, not being rushed all of the time, not getting it from both ends, and being able to view things independently.

Who Is An Honest Man?

David Byrne of course, the modern day Diogenes. Only an honest man would drive a Matador.

The Dark Side Of Robotics

Computers, technology and robotics has transformed the healthcare business radically over the past ten to twenty years, and is growing exponentially. While it's been my premise that corporations are quick to institute robotics in the workplace in order to replace us pesky humans, I wonder if perhaps it's not just being done to reduce overhead, improve productivity, or for safety reasons?


ROBOT & FRANK - Stealing from SamuelGoldwynFilms on Vimeo.

Nobody Gets Me

Nobody gets me, or my weird blog. Except, perhaps the Redheaded Pharmacist.

Genocide: Worse Than War

I've discussed the horrors of genocide, and the human behavior surrounding it, a few times before on The Cynical Pharmacist. I'm always intrigued by human behavior and about what causes intelligent people to embrace the dark side of life.

Although originally produced a couple of years ago, it's just now that I discovered the documentary entitled "Worse Than War" on my local PBS station. It's a must-watch for the younger generations.

It's a film that documents the multiple genocides of our century, discussing the reasons behind them, why they continue to occur, and what can be done to prevent them. Although I disagree with Mr. Goldhagen's solution to prevent future genocide, I found his film informative and thought-provoking.

You can watch the entire film on your local PBS station, or the linked website. Here's a clip from the film of interviews with imprisoned murderers who participated in the Rwanda genocide -



There's a reason why I posted this one clip from the documentary. It highlights the mentality of those criminals who perpetrate these types of crimes against humanity. To me, most crimes are perpetrated because of two things - ignorance and selfishness.

If you notice in this clip, the one criminal discusses his crimes only as they relate to himself. He doesn't believe ignorance played a role, and doesn't see how he was manipulated by psychopathic leaders to commit his crimes. He expresses no remorse, nor empathy. It's all about him.

Like I've said in my previous posts about crimes against humanity, the small groups of selfish sociopaths and psychopaths who create these hateful situations almost never personally commit their crimes themselves, yet are still able to achieve their goals, and are seldom held accountable.

They're successful because of their abilities to manipulate ignorant and selfish people (video) into supporting their efforts and committing the crimes on their behalf. They find enablers.

And this is where I disagree with the filmmaker's solution for preventing future genocide.

To me, the only solution in preventing the further atrocities of genocide comes from within each of us. It's not something that requires "other" people to address and prevent, especially selfish, apathetic, or corrupt politicians from other countries.

Genocide would never occur again if most of us were a little more skeptical and less trusting, looked beyond our own selfish motivations, controlled our emotions, and didn't enable these psychopaths to suck us into their sinister schemes. It's often as simple as being aware, and just saying "NO".

The Ends Always Justify The Means

I guess it’s all about the corporate dream. It always seems as though the ends justify the means with corporations. What we need is an honest, uncorrupted, independent candidate who'll speak the truth about what's happening behind the scenes in our political system.

I think I'm going to listen to my idealistic offspring and vote for Dexter Holland.

Putting The Past Behind Me

I'm tired of bitching about my career choice and I've reached a new decision point in my life. I think that I've said all that I have to say about pharmacy and will begin traveling down a different path.

So, I've decided to quit working as a pharmacist and am putting my past behind me. I'm not too sure what's on the horizon for me, but I can safely say that it won't be something in the healthcare field.

If you're wondering why I've come to this career decision, I'm pretty sure that my previous blog posts and Tweets explain it. Otherwise, this video pretty much sums up my journey as a pharmacist on the run, always in search of greener pastures that don't exist.

[Original video link removed by source]

Don't Sign That Contract

Because I was one myself, I understand the excitement that many newer pharmacists experience when first entering the world of pharmacy and healthcare.

You've worked hard to achieve your goals and sacrificed financially for many years. Now that you've accomplished your goals, you're extremely motivated to pursue your dreams and take advantage of the many opportunities that are presented to you. You can't wait to get started.

But be aware. For every motivated and altruistic new pharmacist that enters the profession, there are just as many unscrupulous individuals, greedy "colleagues", or corporate minions counting on your motivation in order to exploit you.

These unscrupulous individuals understand that high intelligence is no protection from stupid behavior, and will stop at nothing to use your naivety against you. As much as they may smile, congratulate you, slap you on the back and blow smoke up your ass, they are NOT your friends. To them, you're just fresh meat on the street.

Don't be fooled by promises or dollar signs, and sign something that you may regret later on. There's a reason why they want you to sign a secrecy-agreement, an employment contract, or some other document relinquishing your rights as a condition of employment. And it's not to protect you.

However, don't just take my word for it. See what Dr. Victor DeNoble has experienced.


Source: Addiction Incorporated

There Will Be Blood

Looks like the Gay rights activists "kiss day" rally held to protest the Chick-fil-A controversy over the company president's stance against same-sex marriages might have worked. One of those activists sent me this alleged video of the company president being pressured into a change of heart.

A Divided Nation

The dichotomy in this country is becoming strikingly polar. There's a lot of ignorance and hate out there, and too many people seem to be allowing others to do their thinking for them. Personally, I don't believe most of us understand the seriousness of the problem and where it could lead.

Pharmacists | What We Do

It's that time of the year again - this month begins a new school year.

Good luck to all you first-year pharmacy students. You've gotten what you asked for - acceptance into a school of pharmacy. Just remember though, for as long as it lasts, a career in pharmacy can be a terrible grind if you're only doing it for the money, or if you're doing it just to please someone else.

But, don't just take my word for it. Listen to what some more-experienced, and possibly burned-out, university professors may have to say about what we do. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones.

ZDoggMD | Beware The Clostridiapocalypse!

Increasing bacterial drug resistance isn't the only important reason why your doctor won't prescribe you an antibiotic every time you have a case of the sniffles. ZDoggMD can explain it to you -

Face The Nation | Penn State Panel

Guess which panelists are on the sports payroll and seem to be "toeing the corporate line"?


Related Link: Face The Nation | Penn State President Rodney Erickson

Coming To A Pharmacy Near You

If any of you happen to be Jeopardy! fans, then you'll know that computers are capable of answering questions posed in natural language, and come up with answers faster and more accurately than any mere human could do it.

And I've noticed that the people who invest in this type of technology always seem to dispel concern that advances in technology would replace any existing workers, saying it simply would "support" existing staff in order to perform their duties more efficiently.

Yet, the people who market these technologies always seem to highlight the advantages of replacing "less efficient" and "more costly" human workers as a selling point.

So, who do you believe? Are you drinking their Kool-Aid, or are you able to think for yourself?

Given time, I can't see any reason why these two technologies couldn't be incorporated to provide the advisory services traditionally provided by a pharmacist, and replace us. And considering the costs of pharmacists' salaries and benefits, this type of technology would pay for itself very quickly.


Source: AVA the Virtual Assistant

Error Prevention In The Lab

How many times have you been thrown to the wolves at work, without adequate training, and found yourself having to learn the hard way or having to suffer the consequences?

I've had plenty of jobs where I was given the bare minimum of training or orientation, left to fend on my own, and then was criticized, punished, or held personally liable if I did something wrong, even though I wasn't properly-trained, informed, or made aware of certain policies or procedures beforehand. I often refer to it as "being set up for failure".

Unfortunately, sometimes the consequences of this apathy towards error prevention can be tragic.


Source: Landmark worker death case continues against UCLA chemistry professor

How Can Nothing Be Something?

Watch this great little yarn, and learn about perseverance in the face of overwhelming adversity.

The Super List | A Short Film

The forces of evil are very powerful influences that continue to draw many to the dark side inherent within each of us. Regardless of the reasons, almost all who embrace the dark side do so because they've been faced with challenges and difficulties they felt the light side was incapable of fixing.

But, falling victim to the dark side can often be avoided by taking the time and effort to create a list of our own personal strengths, weaknesses, and even super powers beforehand.

Make a list. It will keep you aware of your abilities and allow you to be prepared to face adversity, and keep you from acting inappropriately when confronted by "other" forces emanating from the dark side.

Does anyone else see the inherent qualities and abilities this young man already possesses without having to resort to using his super powers? They're easy to miss if you're not looking.

One of them really stands out above the rest, making him a good candidate for a career in pharmacy.


THE SUPER LIST - a Super Villain Short Film from Will Gallego on Vimeo.

What Is Truth?

Every Body Walk Now!

Before you start looking for a pill that'll cure your ill, why not try a brisk walk first? Walking is the cheapest and easiest way to get relief from depression, and without all those possible side effects. And if you have a little more energy.. try this.


Depression: A Walking Prescription from Every Body Walk! on Vimeo.

The Waiting Room

A new documentary chronicles what life is like for patients and doctors at Highland Hospital, a busy, safety net hospital located in Oakland, California.

Documenting the daily life of a large, under-resourced, urban public hospital, The Waiting Room offers no experts and no statistics, just a rare fly-on-the-wall look inside an overwhelmed system and its impact on patients and staff. Film director Peter Nicks set out to profile a community but ended up with a larger story about health care in the U.S.

The film has been screening at film festivals around the country and has already won several awards. It will get a national theater release in the fall, and will air on PBS' "Independent Lens" next year.


The Waiting Room Trailer from The Waiting Room on Vimeo.

Related links:

The Waiting Room - Kickstarter Page
PBS Newshour: Jeffrey Brown | Peter Nicks, Director Interview -

A Glimpse Into The Future

A glimpse into the future of pharmacy? Work on your squats my friends.

Big Dreams | A Short Film

You've worked hard your entire career, but you never were able to envision the big picture about where you're were headed. It's only after years of experience that you're finally able to see the writing on the wall. And like many professionals who thought the good times would last forever, it's starting to cause you more than a little anxiety.

Tony is one of those professionals. He foolishly bought into the bullshit he was handed by some of the leaders in his profession, and now he has nightmares about his current circumstances.

Unfortunately, a man who doesn't plan ahead and isn't prepared to address his problems, often goes to extreme measures to stop them. For many like Tony, there's no pill that will cure this type of ill.

[Original full video link removed by source]


Big Dreams (2012) - Teaser [ By F.C.Rabbath ] from F.C.Rabbath Creations on Vimeo.

In The Shadow | Dans L'Ombre

Are you still a "Wearer", or have you become "Wearerless"? Only your shadow knows for sure.


Dans l'ombre | In The Shadow - Short Film from Fabrice Mathieu on Vimeo.

Flying On One Engine

Wheelchair bound because of partial-paralysis, without a larynx, and diagnosed with a life-threatening aortic aneurysm, Indian-born Sharadkumar Dicksheet, M.D., still spent six-months of every year from 1968 until 2011, traveling to India to perform operations in marathon-like surgery sessions where many poor children received free treatment for cleft lips and other facial deformities.

Few men have sacrificed so much, and used their own hands, to help so many people.

During his lifetime he and his colleagues performed over 200,000 free reconstructive operations for the children of India. Although Dr. Dicksheet barely survived living only off of social security income while in his Brooklyn, NY apartment the other six-months of the year, his life was drastically different while in India, where the eight-time Nobel Prize nominee was treated like a living god.

At 80-years of age, Dr. Sharadkumar Dicksheet passed away on November 14, 2011.

But his altruistic efforts haven't gone unrecognized. The documentary, Flying On One Engine, shows how this quirky, funny, empathetic, and sometimes difficult character overcomes his own ailments by curing others. Here's the trailer -


Flying On One Engine - Trailer from Joshua Z Weinstein on Vimeo.

To memorialize Dr. Dicksheet and to continue to raise awareness about prenatal birth defects and the inequities in India's health care system, Joshua has freely posted his full documentary online.

Happy Independence Day!

I wonder if our founding fathers would have envisioned this? Congratulations to our new Americans!

A Silent Epidemic

Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity (including the choice of inaction) will lead to a loss (an undesirable outcome). The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists (or existed). Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks". Almost every human endeavor carries some risk, but some are much more risky than others.

And that's why I'll continue to say: STAY OUT OF THE HOSPITAL!

Of course, they'll be circumstances when being admitted to a hospital is beyond your control, but in many instances, by living a healthy lifestyle and being aware of, and avoiding unnecessary risks, a visit to the hospital can often be prevented.

Being admitted to a hospital carries a significant amount of risk.

Medical advances have brought lifesaving care to patients in need, yet many of those advances come with a risk of HAI. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that patients acquire during the course of receiving healthcare treatment for other conditions. These infections related to medical care can be devastating and even deadly.

A Silent Epidemic is about the many lives that have been impacted by hospital-acquired infections, as well as sepsis, and what can be done to bring an end to this silent epidemic. It is also not in any way an attack on the medical field; it is rather a calling to all people that there are a number of things that can be done to prevent HAIs if we work together.


Healthcare-Associated Infections: A Silent Epidemic from Emily Croke on Vimeo.

The Forest | A Short Film

Antonia is a 12 year old girl. She often has daydreams in which she wonders off into a magical forest far away, where she escapes from the problems of the real world. One day, however, her father takes drastic measures and she has to face a tough decision.


Source: The Forest Website

Blood Brother | A Documentary

Blood Brother is the story of a group of children infected with HIV, and Rocky Braat, a disenchanted young American that met them while drifting through India.

Rocky wanted to save all the children, but in reality he couldn’t cure even one of them. He had to stay. It’s a hard life. He faces opposition in many forms. He lives in a concrete hut. Sometimes, he is close to despair. The truth is, he needs them as much as they need him. They teach him, daily, that love is the only thing that makes life worth living.

The full documentary is coming Fall 2012. Here's the trailer -


Blood Brother Trailer from Blood Brother on Vimeo and Blood Brother Film

PBS Frontline | Endgame: AIDS in Black America

A PBS FRONTLINE special presentation, ENDGAME: AIDS in Black America, is a groundbreaking two-hour exploration of one of the country's most urgent, preventable health crises.

Airing July 10th, the film traces the history of the epidemic through the experiences of extraordinary individuals who tell their stories: people like Nel, a 63-year-old grandmother who married a deacon in her church and later found an HIV diagnosis tucked into his Bible; Tom and Keith, survivors who were children born with the virus in the early 1990s; and Jovanté, a high school football player who didn't realize what HIV meant until it was too late.

From Magic Johnson to civil rights pioneer Julian Bond, from pastors to health workers, people on the front lines tell moving stories of the battle to contain the spread of the virus, and the opportunity to finally turn the tide of the epidemic. Here's the trailer -

PBS POV | Granito: How to Nail a Dictator

In a stunning milestone for justice in Central America, a Guatemalan court recently charged former dictator Efraín Rios Montt with genocide for his brutal war against the country's Mayan people in the 1980s — and Pamela Yates' 1983 documentary, "When the Mountains Tremble", provided key evidence for bringing the indictment.

Granito: How to Nail a Dictator, a documentary by Pamela Yates, Paco de Onís, and Peter Kinoy, tells the extraordinary story of how a film, aiding a new generation of human rights activists, became a granito — a tiny grain of sand — that helped tip the scales of justice. Here's the trailer -


Related Link: Guatemala: The Secret Files

The Gate | A Short Film

In today’s global environment, it doesn’t matter where you live in the world, everyone is at risk from soulless bastards selling unsafe pharmaceuticals. Counterfeit drugs defraud consumers and deny patients therapies that can alleviate suffering and save lives.

Unfortunately, in some cases, these drugs have caused great harm and fatalities.


THE GATE from Joyrider Films on Vimeo. | Hat tip: Short of the Week

Don't become a victim when buying drugs online! Using just one of the thousands of Internet sites that are anything but legitimate pharmacies can become a prescription for disaster.

Do your homework first. Visit the Partnership For Safe Medicines and learn how to find the safest online pharmacies and recognize the warning signs of a rogue online pharmacy with their tipsheet.

The Cynical Clicker

Although some people may have a cynical attitude about it, finding that one special person for you isn't too difficult. If one looks hard enough, a matching lid can be found for every cracked pot.


The Cynical Clicker from PAOLO PALAZZO on Vimeo.

Love At Any Price

What happens when love becomes each time more materialistic and, let's admit it, expensive?

Daily we become subjects to advertising describing love as something which can easily be bought, consumed and disposed. We learn that happiness is around the corner, but that is has its price.

Sound too cynical for you? This film just might be the antidote!

[Sorry, talented author made his video private] But, it can be watched at this link on Vimeo.


Love At Any Price (Kärlek Till Varje Pris) from Waway Film on Vimeo.

Brown Bag Reviews | What's In Your Bag?

I stopped by Jerry Fahrni's place today and read one his posts encouraging pharmacists to embrace their changing roles from medication dispensers to medication baby-sitters.

I think Jerry knows that, whether pharmacists like it or not, they have no control over where the future of pharmacy is headed. He knows that if they want to continue to be pharmacists, they'd better learn how to roll with the changes or perish.

I like Jerry. He's a good human being, the kind of pharmacist who thinks about others instead of just caring about himself. He knows that while changes in the practice of pharmacy probably won't affect him personally because he's (like me) on the downward side of the bell-shaped career curve, he still cares enough to provide advice to newer pharmacists so they can make better career choices.

But Jerry's supportive advice doesn't always fall on deaf ears.

There are some younger super hero pharmacists, like Andre J., one of the Green Lantern's pharmacy apprentices, who've taken it upon themselves to justify their professional worth to the non-pharmacist decision-makers and embrace MTM services with such a passion that they walk the streets providing free brown bag reviews, and educating the public on safe sex practices.


WhatsInYourBag?! - Superhero Dre from The Frei Group on Vimeo.

Interviewing Super Gono

In this much sought-after interview, our archenemy, Super Gono, discusses and describes the simple, but successful strategies that have led to his recent popularity all across Europe, and have given him the sinister super powers that he's been dreaming about for years.


INPES "Gono" from H.K. McCANN on Vimeo.

Welcome To Life

Welcome to the future of corporate-sponsored healthcare in afterlife. Please select a plan.


Source: Tom Scott | Hat tip: eBaum's World

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, even for those dysfunctional old-school dads who probably mean well.


The Terms from Jason LaMotte on Vimeo.

The Selfish Gene

Have you ever wondered why pharmacists have allowed themselves to become so fragmented or why the profession hasn't united to form just one specific organization that represents all pharmacists as a whole, and one in which all pharmacists belonged? It seems to be an impossible task.

What makes us behave so foolishly? I wonder if perhaps it's because we haven't embraced the "gene-centred view of professional evolution"? Watch this Richard Dawkins documentary which discusses selfishness and cooperativeness to see what I mean.

Dawkins coined the term "selfish gene" as a way of expressing the gene-centred view of evolution as opposed to the views focused on the organism and the group. From the gene-centred view follows that the more two individuals are genetically related, the more sense (at the level of the genes) it makes for them to behave selflessly with each other.

Therefore the "selfish gene" concept is especially good at explaining many forms of social altruism, regardless of a common misuse of the term along the lines of a selfishness gene.

Corporatocracy And Pharmacy

Before you read any further, I know what you're thinking. You think that I must be crazy or some type of conspiracy theorist. I'm just too cynical. You know that corporations don't own the politicians or control our society. The American people are in charge of our country and the politicians work for us.

You know that there's no such thing as "corporatocracy". It's just a figment of my imagination.

But nonetheless, the State of Arizona has farmed out their prison pharmacist positions earlier this year to a private company (pdf) from the State of Pennsylvania, and at a higher cost than last year.

As such, there aren't any more "cushy" state jobs, with great benefits, left for pharmacists. Those type of positions have become obsolete. Pharmacists working for the prison system are now "at will" employees whose employment is subject to the whim of those private corporate contractors.

So, wondering how privatization was working out for prison pharmacists who've been on the job for years, I decided to ask a former Arizona State DOC pharmacist about how the changes affected him personally. He didn't seem too happy about it.

Luckily though, he agreed to share a portion of his recorded exit-interview with us for posterity.

Pharmacist Job Market

It's reportedly a much tougher job market for recent pharmacy graduates. But they're stand-up people, persistent, and with good senses of humor. I'm sure that they'll all be able to use their newly gained powers to eventually find employment in the profession.


Monster.com - Superhero from Townhall on Vimeo.