ppp 03-12-07

Quote of the day: When I was younger, I could remember anything,

whether it had happened or not. Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

My mother would frequently pile herself and 5 children into her old Ford station wagon and drive to "Lilly Beach" for an afternoon of swimming. Once, after swimming, she turned the car away from home when we reached the highway intersection. Those of us old enough to pay attention to her route knew "something was afoot." We only traveled about a mile before turning into the Dairy Queen. Back then 5 cents was enough to buy a small cone so two-bits was enough to treat all of us. From that time we would always ask to go to Dairy Queen after swimming. Sometimes she had the 25 cents and sometimes she didn't (that was also the price of 2 gallons of gasoline). Rather than saying yes or no she would answer "we will see which way the car goes" (aka WWSWWTCG). As kids it was a better, more palatable, answer than "no". We would all cheer if the car turned the right way or produce a collective groan if the temperamental beast headed straight for home. By anthropomorphizing the station wagon she could deflect the blame.

On Saturday mornings I would pile my kids into the car because "we have places to go and people to see!" They would have liked to go the Chuck E Cheese, McDonalds, Toys R Us, or other kid friendly places every time but most often it meant a trip to Menards (at least as a first stop) for some project at home. When faced with a specifically requested destination I would respond with "WWSWWTCG" but varied destinations enough to pique their interest and keep them engaged, Although my children are "pretty much" grown, they still remember, and sometimes hear the phrase "we'll see which way the car goes" from me when they make requests even if it has nothing to do with travel. They know that I have heard their request and will decide on the merits of the request and the timing of any fulfillment. I am a benevolent dictator and remain benevolent as long as there is cooperation.

Wouldn't it be interesting to see how this type of strategy would work if employed by politicians or pharmaceutical executives. What if the Fed Chairman answered "we'll see which way the car goes" when asked about interest rates? (Come to think of it, this is about what they all say at every encounter with legislators… until they ACTUALLY change rates) If a pharmaceutical executive could get by with WWSWWTCG when asked about Phase IV safety studies of new drugs would they? (Come to think of it, many have said that they would perform but have not initiated as many studies as promised). WSWWTCG would have been a more satisfying answer because our hopes would be raised and they would be the heroes if they made good but would have had "the car" to blame if the studies weren't done. As it is, they said they would, but haven't, so expect the FDA to throw a righteous temper tantrum soon. The FDA will remain benevolent only so long! http://www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/7477fnl.htm

pps. Occasionally, some of the links require FREE registration.... I'm sure you can handle THAT slight inconvenience.

Each employee had a physician visit and education; when and how to use the drug. As the world's supplier of the only drug shown to have some chance of working against "H5N1 (bird flu)" they want to make sure they have staff to make and sell it. (doesn't hurt as a marketing tool either.) I wonder if they were also offered "regular" influenza vaccinations as part if this exercise. As far as a potential pandemic goes, most "experts" have changed they "ifs" into "whens".

AARP says that this is reason enough for the Fed to negotiate drug prices. This month the contracted price to hospital pharmacies of a certain proton pump inhibitor jumped by TEN TIMES. Why? Because the government was going to enforce their own rule that requires drug companies to sell to them at the "best price" (i.e. lowest) offered to anyone else under contract. If lawmakers think that the drug companies are so hungry that they will sell drugs at a loss just for the business then "they have another think coming".

Activists have been pushed for free public access to federally funded research study results. The good people at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute are paying the publisher so that the public has free access to work they fund 6 months after publication (Hey… the publishers have to make a subscription buck too!) Expect legislation that will require the same for NIH funded research to come out of this Congress.

Influenza vaccination rates in asthmatic kids is very poor. Every one should be protected due to the devastating effects of "flu" on the respiratory function. If your physician does not offer it and you (or your loved ones) are asthmatic then DEMAND it.

Brits tell Pfizer to knock off advertisements for Zyvox that make comparative claims against Vancomycin. I would expect the FDA to also be looking into this here on this side of the pond.

FDA approves Tekturna (aliskiren) against high blood pressure. It works against high concentrations of the naturally occurring renin in the body. Works even better when combined with the inexpensive diuretic, hydrochlorothiazide. As long as it is not priced "out of the park" then it should reach BLOCKBUSTER status due to the prevalence of hypertension and the present difficulty in management. BEWARE: VERY toxic to the unborn children of pregnant women.

Crazy but true. People who were exposed to the smell of roses as they slept (in an MRI machine) remembered more that those whose noses were not florally stimulated. Moral of the story: if you want to be remembered: give roses. Maybe college students will buy rose essence as a post-cramming study aid. (There are worse things that they could put up their noses).

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