Mike Moore is the liberal Thomas Paine. A masterful propagandist. And I mean that in the best way possible.

So I got to see this documentary early because I'm awesome like that. I was very pleasantly surprised. Fahrenheit 9/11 was about the most retarded thing I have ever seen...and I can't fathom how this came from the same human being. There is no confrontation, no divisive BS...just the stories of those that have been screwed by the US health system with little editorializing from Moore until the end. As a pharmacist, one specific scene inside of a British pharmacy was particularly satisfying:
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(Paraphrased from memory)
Scene - Moore walks into pharmacy. Interviews the pharmacist about copays...everyone pays 6.65 pounds copay for everything..no matter what. Then Moore starts to look around to find the differences between the British and US pharmacy.

Moore: Where is the detergent and bread..and stuff..?
Pharmacist: What...?
Moore: Well, back home we can get those things in pharmacies.
Pharmacist: Uh.....no, I have studied far too in school long to worry about your laundry, sorry.
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I about fell out of my chair on that one. Classic.

If we can get that shit in the US, call me fuckin' Karl Marx. I'll take it. Actually, the British family medicine physician still pulled in $200,000/year..cruisin' around in an Audi and living in a sweet $1 million loft in London. I was expecting them to be paid shit....honest. Moore is known to skew..stuff...so maybe it isn't the norm...but if it is...I might just move to England. I know Canadian pharmacist still get paid upper 5s, lower 6s like in the states and they operate in a socialist system.

I was expecting the movie to focus on the uninsured, but Moore rather focused on the insured who were fucked over by the insurance giants. Interesting - and brilliant - move. That alone will allow his critics no use of the "if they weren't lazy, unemployed people, they'd be fine" defense that conservatives like. Like Thomas fuckin' Paine.

The story of a fella who needed a bone marrow transplant but was rejected by his insurers is absolutely gut wrenching.

Moore's directing is really good too. From the aesthetic sense, anyway. His selection of music was effective. Lots of string classics like Pachelbel's Canon and Barber's Adagio.

Liberals will love it because they are programmed to.....conservatives will hate it because they are programmed to....moderates will likely be very intrigued.

~Apathetic.

Rotation VI: The Faculty Don't Take Yo Shit, Young Man!!!

Rotation six was my first rotation with an actual pharmacy faculty member. It's like a completely different universe. While they actually pay attention to what you are doing and don't lock you in a room for hours at a time...on the other hand, you are given a huge-uh-ma-gantic amount of work to do. I was only there for 20 hours a week and it seemed like I never stopped working. I'm glad to be done with it. I need a break.

The actual rotation wasn't too bad. I was at Health Right, a free clinic, and at the WVU Hospital pulmonary clinic. The rotation didn't really have a theme, per say. I just kind of followed the professor around wherever she happened to go.

Apparently I suck at writing. Every single thing I turned in, I had to rewrite. It was usually stupid tickytacky stuff like forgetting to write in complete sentences and rambling on in tangential rants too much. I never do that. Oddly, my previous preceptor told me I did the best written work he had ever read. Eh. Whatever. I blame Pope Pius IX and Steve Buscemi. It's their fault. The bastards....

Moving on, I've noticed that people seem to like me. I can tell them anything and they just smile at me. It's probably because I'm 24 and I look like I'm about 18. (See below) I get carded every time I go to Dave & Busters. The last time I went the cashier told me I'd be hot when I'm 30. WTF does that mean? Anyway, a cute little kid telling you that you suck at glycemic control seems to go over better than a regular white-coated Joe trying it out. Who knew.


"Hi. I swear to God, I can get into R rated movies..."

I feel like posting some random pictures from the repository. Enjoy.




Right now I'm at a place where I do something involving clinical studies. Honestly, I've only been there one day and I'm not really sure what they actually do there.

Comments Page!!!

Positive:
Michael's pharmacy knowledge is good. (That's it.)

Negative (Paraphrased for your sake):
Michael:
Doesn't appear to care.
Sucks at writing.
Mumbles too much.
Is inattentive.
Probably kills puppies. (not really...)

Yeah, I really sucked at this rotation. Oh well. I passed and I did well on the others. Batting 5 for 6 ain't too bad.

'Till next time.

~~~Apathetic.