Menstrual Man | From Rags to Riches

There are many men who squirm at the mention of a woman’s period. Then there’s Muruganantham, a school dropout who went so far as to analyze strangers’ used menstrual pads in his quest to produce low-cost sanitary napkins for his wife.

It wasn’t long before his community in India shunned him. Even his wife, the source of his inspiration, decided that he was a pervert and left him. But that was then.

Today, Muruganantham is hailed as a visionary around the world. Not only are his machines providing poor Indian women with access to basic feminine hygiene, but his insistence that they produce and sell their own pads is giving them a livelihood.

“Menstrual Man” tells the inspiring story of an unlikely hero, a man who rose from below the poverty line to stand up for the ignored and forgotten. It underscores the role of social entrepreneurship in combating poverty, and the importance of economic empowerment of women to enable a better world.

Now that's what I call really filling a niche. Here's the trailer -


Source: Menstrual Man | A Documentary

They Used To Call Me The Breeze

Growing up in a family that moved from place to place about every year or two, I became used to not living in one spot for very long, and also became used to not establishing any long-term relationships nor any long-term commitments. Looking back upon it, I realize that growing up being exposed this type of parental lifestyle formed the foundation for my own adult life.

After becoming an adult myself, it was in 1976 when I left my family to begin my own itinerant life in this world. Except for the past decade or so, I've been on the move ever since.

I like change, I like new experiences, I like exploration, I like diversity, and - I don't carry me no load. Being on the move my entire life has had both it's advantages and disadvantages. But, such is life.

If you've been reading The Cynical Pharmacist for any length of time, then you'll understand that rock music has also played an important role in my life. I enjoy a lot of various music, but as most of the music videos that I've posted point out, I'm partial to the music of the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. It's the style of music that I grew up with and which played a formative role in my youth.

Having spent my teen life growing up in the South, I'm also partial to southern rock music, bands like ZZ Top, the Allman Brothers, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, and of course Lynyrd Skynyrd.

One of my favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd tunes is "Call Me The Breeze", not just because of it's fast-paced, kick-ass guitar jams, but because it describes my attitude about the continuous journeys in my life. It's the one song I play whenever it's time to move-on to a new adventure.

As such, I thought I would post this video in memoriam of the artist who wrote the song for Lynyrd Syknyrd - J.J. Cale, and who passed away on Friday. RIP J.J. Your great songs will live on forever.

The Cynical Pharmacist Stats

I've been writing The Cynical Pharmacist for over two years now and it seems as though I've picked up a few loyal readers along the way. Mind you, I'm not out to keep track of who's visiting this blog, and truthfully, I really don't care. I author this blog for my own personal satisfaction. The way I see it, if you want to read what I have to say, that's great. If you don't, that's cool too.

But, the fascinating part to me of authoring this blog over the past two years is that what I think are the best posts and what my readers think are the best posts are vastly different. So, I thought I would share the top-ten most read posts according to the highest page views as of today. Drum roll please.

1. KeySource Medical Wholesale License Suspended. #1 by a wide margin. Who would've thunk?

2. The Real Drug Nazi. I thought this post would be #1.

3. How To Handle A Difficult Customer. Okay, kinda funny, but #3?

4. Which Car Do Pharmacists Drive To Work? Really? I never would have figured.

5. The Lonely Life Of A Cynical Pharmacist. WTF? Revealing, but who's interested?

6. Young Pharmacists Rule. Okay, kinda cool and entertaining, but #6?.

7. Carisoprodol Changes To Schedule IV. Really? Nothing you couldn't have learned elsewhere.

8. All Superheroes Must Die. Funny, but kinda important.

9. Who's Really Exploiting The System. Serious and factual, but #9?

10. So You Want To be A Floater, Huh? Okay, somewhat truthful in a humorous AZ way.

I Beat Mike Tyson

Alright! I was hoping that one of my favorite documentary film makers would release this to the public.


I BEAT MIKE TYSON - (FULL FILM) from Joshua Z Weinstein on Vimeo. Also - Kevin McBride

Fitness Over Fifty

I worked out at the downtown YMCA (across the street from ASU) the other day, and while it's never my intention to compete with anyone else but myself, there's always that one dumbass in his early twenties that gets upset that I can lift more than him, and hatefully views me as "the competition".

Foolish jealousy is a loser's game my young friends. If you only knew that it's exactly the opposite of what you're thinking. I want you to embrace weightlifting, and be like me once you reach my age. If you can outperform me in any weightlifting category, I'm happy for you and your accomplishment.

Don't be jealous of us older guys. Reaching fifty-years of age doesn't mean a death sentence, or that I should be expected to "give up" and act (what you consider) my age. As long as anyone stays off the "juice", a little persistence in the weight room can go a long way in leading a healthy life, living longer, and looking more youthful in middle-age. If I outperform you, don't blame me, it's your fault.


Fitness Over Fifty with Steve of Club Fitness New York from Mighty Productive on Vimeo.

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.

Feeling Stronger Every Day

Through all of the torn ligaments, tendinitis, pulled muscles, minor aches and pains, and hemorrhoids popping out at inopportune times, I've finally accomplished my goal of getting back into shape.

After years of just working as much as I could, and neglecting my health, I knew that it would take a long time to get back in shape. But, I swallowed my pride at how much strength I'd lost and took "baby steps" along the way, knowing that persistence would eventually pay off. And now it has.

It's been about 18 months now since I began my goal, and I knew the most-difficult part would be making myself work-out when it was the last thing I wanted to do with my free time. But I kept going and it got easier, and more enjoyable, with time. Both my strength and my stamina have returned to near personal peaks, and from this point on I see myself progressing further even faster.

My body is as hard as a rock, and I'm feeling stronger every day. Now I can't wait to get to the gym. But most-importantly, my blood pressure is ideal, my resting heart rate decreased, I've gained ten pounds in muscle-mass, I lift things easier, don't get winded as easily, sleep better, wake up with morning wood, and altogether just feel much better.

And some of the ladies have even been checking out my nice butt (and probably a few men too).

Much thanks to personal trainer, Denise, and friends for some tips and pointers on my techniques which helped prevent further injuries on the track. Your advice was greatly appreciated, but now it's time to go out on my own.

There's Always Room For Cello

There's no one I admire more than creative people, artists, and inventors. They are the geniuses who really contribute the most towards a progressive society. I guess David Friedman feels the same way.


Inventor Portrait: Ernest Nussbaum from David Friedman on Vimeo.

Pharmacy And Technology

I was just reading an article entitled: CDC Launches New System for Tracking Antibiotics in Hospitals in the February edition of Pharmacy Practice News and thought I would post the following excerpt from that article -

For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be electronically tracking hospitals’ use of antimicrobial medications, using a new national system known as the AU (antimicrobial use) Initiative, part of the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network.

The new system requires very little additional effort on the part of hospital pharmacists: Data on antimicrobial use can be automatically captured and reported from the medication administration record via clinical document architecture.

Be sure to read the whole article. Does it seem like some of your "colleagues" are holding you in contempt and trying to remove you from the picture? You decide.

I also recently came across the following video, and an accompanying link to an article written by Eliezer S. Yudkowsky about an experiment which had to do with Artificial Intelligence. I thought it might provide some good food for thought about how technology is impacting the profession.

According to BLR -

In a near future, man will have given birth to machines that are able to rewrite their codes, to improve themselves, and, why not, to dispense with them. This idea sounded a little bit distant to some critic voices, so an experiment was to be done: keep the AI sealed in a box from which it could not get out except by one mean: convincing a human guardian to let it out.

What if, as Yudkowsky states, ‘Humans are not secure’? Could we chess match our best creation to grant our own survival? Would man be humble enough to accept he was superseded, to look for primitive ways to find himself back, to cure himself from a disease that’s on his own genes? How to capture a force we voluntarily set free? What if mankind worst enemy were humans?

In a near future, we will cease to be the dominant race.

In a near future, we will learn to fear what is to come.


Keloid Trailer - A Short Film by BLR from BLR_VFX on Vimeo.

Have You Heard From Johannesburg

The film, Have You Heard From Johannesburg is a five-part chronicle, airing over three weeks on the PBS television program Independent Lens. It's a brief history of the global anti-apartheid movement that took on South Africa’s entrenched apartheid regime and its international supporters who considered South Africa an ally in the Cold War.

I cannot tell you how gripping and educational this film is. It's one the the best documentaries I've ever seen, and one that shows just how a group of average people banding together as one can impact change, not only on a small scale, but nationwide and worldwide. Make the time to tune into PBS: Independent Lens and learn something truly worthwhile.

Here's a clip from Episode Four: The Bottom Line, where international grassroots campaigns against Polaroid, Shell, Barclay’s, General Motors, and others doing business in South Africa economically isolate the apartheid regime and become the first successful efforts to use economic pressure to help bring down a government.

Watch The Bottom Line - A Preview on PBS. See more from Independent Lens.

A Real Life Superhero

This is Roger. With the support of his mom, Roger dresses in a spandex suit and cape and patrols the streets at night, handing out food packages to the homeless when they can afford it.


Read about his story: Knight Warrior

Happy Veterans Day

To celebrate Veterans Day I'd like to post this interview of Frank W. Buckles, the longest surviving American veteran of World War I, whom after being blessed with excellent genetics and considerable luck for surviving the entire 20th century, passed away earlier this year at 110 years of age.


Buckles from Sean Dunne on Vimeo.

A Fit Ending To National Hispanic Heritage Month

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th to October 15th by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

As part of the celebration, the achievements of a handful of Hispanic men and women are chosen each year to represent the positive aspects Hispanics have contributed as a whole to our American culture. As this year's National Hispanic Heritage Month celebration wraps up, I thought it fitting that we should celebrate certain "average Joe" Hispanics that would probably never be recognized for their contributions to a greater America way of life.

As you watch this video, I want you to remember that this musical group reached Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966, and was the first Latino rock group to have a mainstream record hit in the United States. Some would even argue that Mick Jagger styled himself after this band's frontman.

So, who are these mysterious musicians? I'll leave you with that question mark, and you decide for yourself if these talented Hispanics should be celebrated for their contributions to pop culture.