What Gives You Joy?

Can you remember back when you were a kid? For the first ten years of my life, I grew up really poor. But, I truly never thought of myself as being part of a poor family. I has no idea what that even meant. It wasn't even something that I thought about. Life was what it was and I found joy in the simple things that most of us often take for granted.

Without even thinking about it, I knew that I didn't need "stuff" to make me happy.

And I swear, just like this film, it wasn't toys that gave me and my siblings the most joy, it was those stupid boxes that the toys came in that created the most happiness for us. As long as we knew we were loved, expensive toys weren't that important. Simple boxes gave us all of the joy we needed.


The Adventures of a Cardboard Box from Studiocanoe on Vimeo.

Diogenes Of Manhattan

For the Cynics, life in accord with reason is lived in accord with nature, and therefore life in accord with reason is greater than the bounds of convention and the polis. Furthermore, the Cynics claim that such a life is the life worth living.

As a homeless and penniless exile, Diogenes experienced the greatest misfortunes of which the tragedians write, and yet he insisted that he lived the good life: “He claimed that to fortune he could oppose courage, to convention nature, to passion reason”


Man In Van from Sean Dunne on Vimeo.

A Woman Of Means

With my nose to the pavement and my lantern lighting my search for a few honest men, I discovered something else - a honest woman. Regardless of what the good Dr. Dicksheet may have thought, there are just as many honest women as there are honest men to be found. However, this is the first woman that I've spotlighted on The Cynical Pharmacist.

And that honest woman is Dr. Roseanna Means, a practicing Internist in the Boston area.

Dr. Means observed that homeless women were underrepresented at the clinics she worked at and learned that using traditional health care access venues, even when staffed by doctors trained in caring for the homeless, is overwhelming for women impaired by exhaustion, mental illness and fear.

Consequently, in 1999, Dr. Means founded Women of Means, a group sending volunteer physicians into shelters to provide care where the women feel safest.

Since that time, Women of Means has grown from a single physician enterprise to an established presence in the medical landscape of Boston area shelters. Today, a team of volunteer doctors and paid nurses, representing all of the major Boston teaching hospitals, selflessly provide free medical care throughout the Greater Boston area.

Dr. Means, and the Women of Means, mission is to improve the lives of women and families who are homeless or marginally housed through quality health care, education, and advocacy.

Guided by a determination to address and improve health disparities by those who suffer severe and complex socio-economic conditions, Women of Means meets its mission by giving vulnerable women and families the "means" toward self sufficiency through improved health and health literacy.

The world is a much better place with people like Dr. Means and her team in it sharing their humanity. But, don't just take my word for it. Watch this CBS Evening News presentation about her -


Source: Boston doctor's kindness helps save homeless

Generational Diogenes

After studying the cynic philosophy for a few years, I've come to the realization that every generation throughout time has had it's own local version of Diogenes, a controversial character who travels in dog-like fashion throughout the countryside in search of an honest man.

And what I've recently discovered is that the Arizona baby-boomer generation had Mr. Peabody.

George Carlin | On Cynicism

Sixto Rodriguez | Sugar Man

If you haven't seen the documentary, Searching for Sugar Man, then you are missing, what I think, is not only the best documentary of 2012, but the best film of the year.

Searching for Sugar Man is a 2012 Swedish/British documentary detailing the efforts of two Cape Town, South Africa fans, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman and Craig Bartholomew Strydom, to find out if the rumored death of American musician Rodriguez was true, and, if not, to discover what had become of him. Little did they know how difficult their search would become.

Rodriguez's music, which never took off in the United States, had become wildly popular in South Africa, but because of Apartheid, very little was known about him there. Rodriguez was considered "Bigger than the Beatles" in South Africa, but in America, no one ever heard of him or his music.

If you love a movie with a great story line, especially an almost unbelievable one, and an inspiring and uplifting one, then you'll love this true story. Sixto truly deserves what happens to him in this film.

But what I really love and admire about this documentary is the man himself, Sixto Rodriguez. He's the epitome of what I call "an honest man", someone who's fully embraced the cynic lifestyle for the freedom it allows. He could even be considered the Diogenes of Detroit.

And he's a great father. I especially love the fantastic job he's done in raising his beautiful daughters to become successful citizens, irrespective of not having any money. The film shows how much they love and admire him.

The director of the documentary, Malik Bendjelloul, whom I also tremendously admire, does a much better job of describing Sixto, his personality, his motivations, and his idiosyncrasies. Here's a recent interview with him on the Tavis Smiley show. [best description begins at minute 20]


Source: PBS: Tavis Smiley

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 2013 is now upon us, and it's been another year in my search to find those elusive honest men (and women). It's not as easy as it sounds. If you've read through my 2012 Tweets and blog posts, then you've probably come to realize that truly honest people are few and far between.

Luckily, it just so happened that I discovered a few of them this past year.

There was that one New York Talking Head that I knew from my youth, the one poor homeless man many Arizonans read about living in Tempe, the cave-dwelling cynic I discovered living in Utah, and last but not least - the honorable Dr. Dicksheet.

So, a few honest men can be found. They're just becoming harder to find.

If only more people were honest with themselves, cared about others as much as they care about themselves, and were less selfish and greedy, then maybe my search would be much more fruitful.

No matter, I'll keep searching anyway. Perhaps this year I'll find an honest man in Montana. And as I continue my search, I hope that you find what you're looking for this year and discover happiness and find fulfillment in the simple (and meaningful) things in life.

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.

Who Is An Honest Man?

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

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.

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

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.

Struck Blind

Sometimes, it's easier to see with your ears. From the medical files of the Twilight Zone.

The Modern Day Cynic

In Greek history, Diogenes of Sinope is considered one of the founders of the cynic philosophy. He was born in Sinope (modern-day Sinop, Turkey), an Ionian colony on the Black Sea, in 412 or 404 BCE and died at Corinth in 323 BCE.

Diogenes maintained that all the artificial growths of society were incompatible with happiness and that morality implies a return to the simplicity of nature. This meant rejecting all conventional desires for wealth, power, health, and fame, and by living a simple life free from all possessions.

Of course, embracing a cynical lifestyle and living a cynical lifestyle are two very different things, especially if one has the responsibilities of a family. But, I try to embrace this philosophy.

While I've personally rejected the ambitious societal desires for excessive wealth and fame and live very simply, I do maintain possessions, seek income, and worry about my health. I still bitch about the unethical, immoral, corrupt, and criminal behaviors that those societal desires create, but don't totally reject all conventional desires. You can't expect me to live in a cave or to eat chipmunk.

So, I guess you could call me a "Jack Cynic".

But did you know that there are actually some modern day cynics in your midst? I guess the Great Recession has made some people think about what's most important to them, money or freedom?

Meet Daniel Suelo. Suelo gave up on money in 2000.

One day he walked into a phone booth, pulled out thirty-dollars and left it. Twelve years later, Suelo still does not have a personal I.D., bank accounts, a modern home, an automobile, does not take government money, or live off of federal welfare. Suelo lives in caves in the canyon lands outside of Moab, UT., harvests wild foods, eats roadkill, and dumpster dives.

Suelo is not an isolationist though. He's still very active in the Moab community, SE Utah politics, and he is also an active blogger.


The American Who Quit Money To Live In A Cave from David Eckenrode on Vimeo.

Examination Day

Congratulations to all the new pharmacy graduates. Good luck to you all. Just remember, smiling faces can be deceiving. There can be consequences for being too smart or for being too obedient.

Beyond Cynicism

A great conversation between Robert Reich and John Stewart on The Daily Show.

Toeing The Party Line

I often wonder why I encounter young pharmacists either so eager to toe the party line or too afraid to speak their minds. Seems to me that they've either bought into the propaganda, or they've become fearful slaves to their debts. Either choice promotes conformity and loss of individual control.

Imagine only realizing right after you graduate pharmacy school that you owe one-hundred thousand dollars or more in non-extinguishable student loan debt, and that you've entered a profession with very little control over your professional destiny, and an undefined role in the healthcare system. How do you think it would affect your decision-making abilities or your behaviors?

I recently caught some new pharmacy graduates on their way to work in their chain pharmacy, PBM, insurance-industry or other corporate-controlled positions; and some young wanna-be pharmacists competing for those pharmacy school positions which just became available.



Interesting and scary stuff to think about. Greed and fear are two very powerful forces. They will make even the most-intelligent individuals behave and conform in ways they would never have imagined. To a cynic, it might seem like the current system was designed around these emotions - intentionally.

Walgreens | Express Scripts Debacle

Remember years ago when these same type of "third-party" reimbursement issues were in the news, except that it was the independent pharmacists mainly complaining about it?

At that time, the chains didn't make such a fuss about lower reimbursement rates because they had economies of scale and saw those lower reimbursements as a way to reduce competition from independent pharmacies. They knew that it was only a matter of time before independents couldn't afford to remain in business with someone else dictating their pricing, so they opened their doors to these third-parties.

Now it seems that strategy has paid-off for the chains, and independent pharmacists are becoming extinct. But, the PBMs and other third-parties are still dictating reimbursement rates, and guess who's next on their list. That's right, the chains. Now that chain pharmacists have opened those doors and helped remove their independent colleagues from the picture, the chains are left competing amongst themselves to see who will get paid the least.

I wonder how will all of this affect individual chain pharmacists?

Let's take a look into my crystal ball and see what's possibly in store for us in the future - Just like their independent predecessors, the chains will be forced to accept lower reimbursement rates, consolidate even more, or eventually go out of business.

As recent history has shown, more and more responsibilities will be shifted onto lower-paid pharmacy technicians. As history has also shown, BOPs and legislators will submit to their corporate masters and change the rules to allow technicians to do what were previously "pharmacist-only" duties. Technicians will come to rule the roost.

Chain pharmacists positions and hours will be cut, and they will be expected to do much more work, and for increasingly lower pay. Because there will be less reimbursable responsibilities left for pharmacists now that technicians are doing their job, pharmacists will be moved out of the pharmacy and be expected to accept roles previously attributed to nurses and doctors. Of course, this will require more education and skills on behalf of the pharmacist, who will be expected to spend the extra time and money for school in order to become certified to provide those services.

But, now that the chains have expanded into "hands-on" healthcare services by creating their own clinics, those pharmacists will be competing with those clinic nurse-practitioners for providing services which cannot be reimbursed. Who do you think is going to win that competition?

Luckily, we pharmacists stick together and belong to one powerful single association that speaks on behalf of all pharmacists, and protects us from those greedy third-party corporate executives, right? Oh yeah, wait a minute. Damn, talk about a lack of foresight and karma, huh?

So, I wonder how will those PBM/third-party middlemen might be affected by all of this?

For some reason, the phrase "laughing all the way to the bank" keeps popping into my head. It looks as though they are in the driver's seat. They can blame the chains for any increased costs, and then shift those costs onto their clients without recourse. With chain pharmacy competition out of the way, they can create and expand their own pharmacies, and fully dictate to their patients when and where they will get their prescriptions filled, and for how much. Pretty cool for them, huh?

I'm betting that some pharmacists long ago wished they never answered that doorbell.

Source: Phoenix ABC News Channel-15

Your Drugs Are My Love

Have you ever wondered why some women wouldn't give you the time of day before you became a pharmacist, but now you catch them flirting with you all of the time? What do you think happened in just a few years to make you so irresistible? Do you think that "all of a sudden" you're now attractive because of the content of your character, or is it because you've got something else they want?

U.S. Congressman, Peter King--whose district includes Seaford and Massapequa--told PIX 11 that Nassau police have noticed an upsurge in burglaries among upper-middle class teen girls, trying to get money to feed their pill addictions.

If you let your little head do the thinking for you, you're risking a lifetime of achievement for just a few minutes of pleasure. Believe me, I've personally witnessed such poor judgment on more than a few occasions, and seen pharmacists pay dearly for it. But, don't just take my word for it -

The Illusion of Politics Redux

You'll notice that, except for pointing out crime, corruption, and hypocrisy, I usually don't discuss politics, either on my blog or on my Twitter account. It's because I've truly come to believe that the political system in America is all just an illusion.

But, I wasn't always that cynical about politics.

In 2008, I had full faith in, and fully supported the election of Barack Obama because I truly thought he would do what is best for America as a whole. It was only shortly after he was elected, during a speech he gave in Mesa, AZ, when he came right out and said "Look, I'm not going after the banks" (or something to that effect), when I fully lost my faith.

It was right at that moment when I realized just how big a fool I was in not seeing that the guy I voted for was just another instrument of Wall Street and the robber barons, and that the whole political system is just a sham, a game played to make it seem like the average American has a say in how our Government operates.

So, when I listen to others adamantly spouting their rhetoric that one party is better than another, I see them as the fools I once was for still believing in a corrupt and failed system. They haven't yet come to realize that it's all an illusion designed by the ruling class to keep us fighting amongst ourselves in order to distract us from their continuing crimes.



This video best describes my beliefs in the system and how I address politics now.