May 13, 2015--Mother of Invention

"You haven't taken your nose out of that book all day."

"It's not a great book," I said, "But as you know, I'm fascinated by the Wright Brothers, and the new David McCullough biography is still fascinating. I mean, to me."

"Fascinating in what way?" Rona asked.

"You remember how about ten years ago we visited Kitty Hawk and were so impressed by what had happened there between 1901 and 1903, when the brothers were the first flew? The book is quite good on the Wrights' time there so that part is fascinating. The rest, only so-so."

"I do remember that. And though I hate flying in small planes I agreed to go up in a two-seater with you so we could fly over the same landscape where they had lived and worked. From Kitty Hawk to Kill Devil Hills."

"And then a few years later how, when in their hometown, Dayton, Ohio, we visited their workshop--a bicycle factory--and found the field not far from there--Huffman Prairie--where over the next few years in hundreds of flights they perfected their flying machine and learned more and more about controlled flight."

"So what do you think?" Rona asked, "Is their invention of the airplane the most important, world-changing invention of the 20th century?"

"One of them. To that I'd add electricity, the light bulb, radio, wireless broadcasting . . ."

"What about TV and, to me the most important invention of all, the computer?"

"Probably the computer. Not just the computer itself but the incredible software and peripherals that make the Internet, which we access with computers, so powerful."

"And," Rona said, "make social media like Facebook and Twitter possible. More than a billion people use them."

"Then there are the invented ways to access the Internet and all that derives from that--from clunky computers to all those so-called mobile devices."

"As with many others--all of these are powerful for both good and ill."

"Planes qualify as well," I said, "Only 12 years after the first flight, during the First World War, combatants of all stripes used planes for reconnaissance."

"And aerial bombing."

"All true," I said. "But back to inventions. We could have fun making a list of the most important ones of the past hundred years."

"But that would exclude the airplane since it first flew 102 years ago." She smiled at remembering that.

"Good point. Or we could see what we come up with if we tried to make a list of the most important inventions of all time."

"You mean like the wheel?"

"Yes, that's on many people's list as the single most important invention."

"How about the invention of democracy?" Rona asked, "Would that quality?"

"Sure. But maybe let's confine ourselves to material things like the plane and Internet. That feels like more fun."

"Well, we've already made a good beginning with the radio, TV, the light bulb and of course electricity itself."

"Though I'm not sure electricity is an invention. Doesn't it just exist and then people like Alexander Graham Bell and Edison figured out how to use it?"

"I'll have to look that up," Rona said, "And speaking about electricity, some would include the electric chair."

I looked at her skeptically. "Some saw it as more humane than hanging or the firing squad."

"I'll give you that one. But how about atomic energy?"

"Also it's maybe not an invention. But coming up with various uses for it certainly qualifies. Again for good or ill."

"If we want to talk about weapons, there have been hundreds of major inventions, including some--like say, guided missiles--that were world-changing."

"How about the printing press?"

"If you add movable type I think you've identified a paradigm-shifting one. With the ability to print books, periodicals, and newspapers maybe in its time it was as significant as the Internet."

"Then there's a very different category of inventions--musical instruments."

"Excellent point. Life would not be the same without the piano and violin and hundreds of others."

"What about in the medical field?"

"Probably as many inventions as for weapons. From anesthesia to . . ."

"Huge."

"To penicillin and then antibiotics. Also, vaccinations, pain killers, and tranquilizers."

"And testing techniques like all those for analyzing blood and MRIs. All inventions."

"For surgery alone there are hundreds. And don't forget the Pill. That changed the way we live as much as anything."

"How about in astronomy? Telescopes, satellites, and such? They also allow for accurate weather forecasting, which in itself is another invention."

"Related to that, there are all the navigation tools like the compass, which I'm sure some would say also changed the world. And of a very different sorry, how about air conditioning? One of my favorites," I said.

"Maybe I'd agree to refrigeration being on the list of top 25 or so, but not the AC, though I know you say you can't live without it."

"True. And to me personally at about the same level of importance, I'd add ATM machines--I hate standing on line at the bank."

"That's silly."

"Admittedly, but I'd also add another of my personal favorites."

"What's that?"

"The E-ZPass. I also hate waiting on line at toll booths."

"Time for you to stick your nose back in the book," Rona said. "The Wright Brothers are beckoning."

"Wait, one more, how about you--you couldn't live without your blowdryer."

March 6, 2014--Chantix

When you watch a lot of cable news (guilty!), considering the demographics of viewers, it is no surprise that you are bombarded with drug commercials. They may even be targeting me because half of them are for Cialis and Viagra.

Last Sunday morning, checking out Up on MSNBC so I could continue to follow the endlessly unfolding Chris Christie saga, there was an ad for Chantix, medication that purports to help many break the smoking habit. I don't smoke, thankfully never did, but for some reason I paid close attention to it, including my usual favorite part where they list the most frequent side effects.

In Chantix's case, most commonly (5% of the time), these include nausea, constipation, flatulence, and vomiting. Less common possible side effects include depression, hostility, panic, mania, and suicidal thoughts.

Then, of course, there is the familiar warning that when taking Chantix one should avoid using heavy equipment. I thought, don't all the guys who use heavy equipment smoke? Oh well.

Most interesting in the fine print where the side effects are listed were the results of tests done to determine Chantix's effectiveness. Forty-four percent, they said, after nine weeks were helped to stop smoking. Sounds good. But, fascinating, 18% stopped in double-blind tests when given sugar-pill placebos.

Why then, I thought, would a physician initially give anyone Chantix rather than starting patients off on the sugar pills since they are nearly half as effective as the prescription drugs that, in a few cases, lead to thoughts of suicide.

Prescribe the placebos, tell patients to come back in nine weeks and then, if they haven't stopped smoking, switch to Chantix. Why put nearly a fifth of patients on pills they could do without and get the same results? And all the while they'd be able to drive backhoes.

As a general rule, in non-emergency situations, wouldn't it make sense to start people off with sugar pills if the data show that in at least 10% of the cases they'd get the same results.

But at hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month for the prescription drugs, it's pretty easy to figure out why this isn't routine practice.

July 5, 2013--Canadian Pharmacy

I have an Apple laptop. I bought it in part because it is supposed to have an excellent spam filter built right into it. I suppose it is effective as I get just a half dozen spam e-mails a day.

Almost all of them from the clearly tenacious Canadian Pharmacy.

I never open any of these much less order anything from them. I'm sure if I did, I'd subsequently be inundated by hundreds of e-mails from them.

At first I thought they were targeting me for their spam ads since they assumed, because of my age and thus potential need for drugs, knowing as we all do that prescription medications from Canada are much cheaper than in the U.S., that I would thus want to buy my Prilosec, Zocor, and Lisinopril from them.

They were wrong about that. Though I am getting on in years, I fortunately do not yet have to take any medications. Half an aspirin a day is about it for me. And they are inexpensive enough at my neighborhood CVS that I do not have to import them from Canada.

But the other day I got a flurry of a dozen spam messages from the Pharmacy, and in the spirit of investigative journalism, decided to open one so that I could report my findings. Yes, I know this means I will soon be drowning in unwanted messages, but I take being part of the Fourth Estate very seriously.

So, as carefully as I could, in order to avoid releasing viruses, I opened one of the e-mails and was immediately confronted by a blazing headline--

180 Pills (Viagra, Cialis) only 174$

Though I wondered about the placement of the dollar sign, thinking perhaps this is the way they indicate it's 174 Canadian Dollars, still, this felt pretty inexpensive to me. I haven't bought any Viagra in years, but recall when I did I needed a doctor's prescription and each pill cost about $10.

Since the Canadian Pharmacy claimed, 350,000 Satisfied Customers, continuing in the spirit of enquiry, I called the telephone number listed on the Website (one is required to place orders on the phone) to see what I could learn.

Yes, I was told, I did need a doctor's prescription but could get one from them. I was put on hold for a moment and then a "Dr. Mackenzie" got on the line.

I asked if he was related to Alexander Mackenzie, the legendary Canadian explorer, who in 1793 crossed Canada from east to west, fully ten years before Lewis and Clark set out.

Though the telephone "Dr. Mckenzie" had a decidedly South Asian accent, I decided to set aside my suspicions and press on.

"How old are you?" he asked.

I lied and said, "62."

"Do you have any heart problems?"

"Thankfully, no."

"Any difficulty breathing?"

"No."

"High blood pressure?"

"No."

"Chest pains?"

"None."

"Have you ever taken Viagra previously?"

"No," again I lied.

"How many pills do you want?" I didn't respond.

He asked, "180?"

"I thought maybe four or five."

"Hundred?"

"No, four or five pills. To try them."

Sounding annoyed, he said, "We only sell in multiples of 180. So, do you want 180 or 360? If you want 360, you have to call back and place a second order."

"Do I have to be 'examined' by another 'doctor'?"

"No by me."

"Will you still be 'Dr. Mackenzie,'" I knew I was heading in an unfriendly direction, "or when I call to place the second order will you then be 'Dr.Trudeau?'"

"I'm not sure I'm following you."

"Well, you sound to me like you're in Mumbai, not Toronto; and to tell the truth, I'm skeptical about this 'Canadian Pharmacy' business. How do I know you're legitimate and the pills you send me--by the way, how much is shipping and handling?"

"$19.95 for the 180."

"U.S. or Canadian?"

"American dollars. Credit card only."

 "And how do I know I won't be getting counterfeit pills that are made from blue-dyed sawdust?"

Ignoring me, he said, "I don't have all day, sir. There are a dozen patients on hold waiting for me to examine them. Do you want the pills or not?"

"I don't. And please do not send me any more spam."

Before I could finish the sentence he had hung up.