Friday, January 31, 2014

Walgreens, One Of The Nation's Leading Peddlers Of Tobacco, With A Slogan Of "Be Well." And Evidently A Bit Touchy About The Subject

Got a request to post this for the world to see, and I'm happy to oblige. From the good folks at Twitter:

drea, Jan 31 02:54 PM:
Hello,

We have received a complaint that your account, @WalgreenTobacco, may be in violation of Twitter's policies on impersonation and/or trademark. Twitter firmly believes in the freedom of expression; however, impersonating another or misusing another’s trademark on our platform is against the Twitter Rules (https://support.twitter.com/articles/18311).

If you had intended to create a parody, commentary or fan account, your account must comply with our policy for such accounts (http://help.twitter.com/entries/106373). Follow the instructions below to make sure you are in compliance.

*Instructions*: Please edit each of the following parts of your profile within 48 hours of receiving this notice:

Account name
Bio
Background/Avatar

Please understand that your account may be subject to permanent suspension if you fail to comply with these instructions or if your account is found to further violate the Rules. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

Thanks,

drea
Twitter Trust & Safety

Poor Walgreens. Raking in millions by providing the product responsible for 1 in 3 cancer deaths while simultaneously trying to pass themselves off as a health and wellness destination. HOW DARE someone poke a little fun at the rank hypocrisy.

To be fair though, they're not the only ones. CVS and Rite Aid ride the hypocritical horse as well. Which is why I have it on good authority a rechristened Twitter critter might be popping up to annoy all of them.

Stay tuned.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

I Just Now Decided This Song Pisses Me Off.

Remember that piña colada song? (And I know you do if you're of a certain age) How dumb do they think we are? They both went into a bar ready to cheat on their spouse and then just said "Ha ha....silly us"

Really?

I call bullshit. They immediately got into a screaming match, and at the very least ended up in couples therapy, if not far worse. I wouldn't be at all surprised if one of them ended up dead.

Stupid song.

I probably need more to do tonight.







OK wait.....one more thing. What's with the horrible lip syncing? We were expected to believe this? Seriously? Were people just dumber back then or what?

Jusus, I think I need to go to bed.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

I Knew The Day To Re-Run This Post Would Come. Sigh.

Original Blogpost Airdate, January 20th, 2010

If your musical taste has never gone beyond the modern music machine that gives us American Idol and Lady Gaga, you're probably not a fan of folk music, and you may never have heard of Pete Seeger, which would be a shame for you. Pete is  was simultaneously the greatest  voice and last echo of the working man's folk music of the Great Depression, a last reminder of the time when This Land Is Your Land had all its verses.

"What are you talking about Drugmonkey? This Land Is Your Land? I've heard that song a million times"

But you probably haven't heard all of it. You've heard the sanitized version. The homogenized remnant that has been processed into mindless rah rah pap to be played on Disneyland's Main Street USA as Mickey Mouse™ walks by. The original was in your face political. A song of the working man who wasn't going to take being exploited by this country's self appointed economic elete much longer:

As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.


Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.


In the squares of the city, In the shadow of a steeple;
By the relief office, I'd seen my people.
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking,
Is this land made for you and me?



That's how Woody Guthrie wrote it, and that's how Pete Seeger sings it to this day. sang it. An unapologetic leftist, he was blacklisted at the height of his group's popularity and dragged in front of Congress to testify before the House Un-American Activities committee, where he was asked about his past ties to Communists and pressured to name names of fellow travelers. Here's what Pete said:

"I am not going to answer any questions as to my association, my philosophical or religious beliefs or my political beliefs, or how I voted in any election, or any of these private affairs. I think these are very improper questions for any American to be asked, especially under such compulsion as this."

With those words Pete Seeger's music career had the knees knocked out from under it, and he was indicted for contempt of Congress. I'll leave it to you to decide which side was Un-American that day.

Pete spent the better part of the next decade in the wilderness, his ability to earn a living crippled while fighting a legal battle that at one point resulted in a sentence, later overturned, of 10 years in a federal prison.

It took The Smothers Brothers to reintroduce Pete to a mass audience.

Yes. Those Smothers Brothers. They had a variety show during the 60's and fought a tooth and nail battle with CBS to have Pete on. While the existence of testicles on The Smothers Brothers may come as a surprise to those who see them today, there is no doubt Pete has an iron pair. At a time when it had not yet become fashionable to protest the Vietnam War, Pete got on national television after an exile imposed by the United States Congress and sang this to Mr. and Mrs. America.



"We were lucky to escape from the Big Muddy/When the big fool said to push on..." Kick-ass. Not to mention depressingly familiar.

Oh, and along the way, Pete Seeger formed Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, an organization that convinced people the Hudson River was crazy polluted and should be cleaned up.

I saw Pete Seeger not long ago. When I heard he was coming close I knew I would have crawled through mud and ice and snow and rain on my knees for miles for the chance to see him. Fortunately all I had to do was buy a ticket. He's 90 years old now, and he held that arena in the absolute palm of his hand. I wanted to wrap myself around him and make him stay forever, as I fear they just don't make his kind anymore. The fact I couldn't made me want to cry a little, along with the continued power of the songs I heard that day.

Pete won't be with us much longer. is no longer with us. If he comes  came to your town I recommend crawling on your hands and knees to see him if you have to. and you were lucky enough to see him, I know you won't forget it.

And don't ever forget the lost verses. We won't see his kind again.



Sunday, January 12, 2014

Pharmacy Jesus Smites An Enemy.

Couple of interesting things showed up in the mailbag this week my friends. Proof positive they were of my cunning investigative skills (not to be confused with my cunning lingus)  and of the raw power of my sexuality (wait, maybe those two things do go together)

We'll get into the power of the passions I release next time. Today we'll be concentrating on my smiting.

Those of you who are fans already know the story of Rite Aid and their multi-year, knockdown, dragout legal fight to have the people who have prescriptions filled at their stores defined as "customers," and NOT as "patients."  I am not kidding you. The number three drug chain in this country is paying an arm and a leg to maintain a court battle so it can claim the people it serves are NOT the term pretty much everyone else in the profession has been using for a generation.

At one point a judge agreed with them, saying the contribution we make to a person's health care is roughly the equivalent to that of a yoga instructor.

I am not making this up. The name of the case is David Landay v. Rite Aid. You can look it up for yourself.

By the way, at this point I'd like to give a shout out to the person at Rite Aid corporate headquarters whose job it is to monitor all things online for anything said about the company. How you doing today? Are you proud of your work? Would you want what you do carved on your tombstone? Ponder that over for a little bit after you file your report on this post.

Where was I? Oh....the thing is, Rite Aid had a habit, while claiming in a court of law that the people who get their pills there are in no way to be considered "patients," of using that exact same word to describe them in things like press releases. I pointed this out almost two years ago when I wrote about how an appeals court judge bitchslapped the company and reversed the lower court's ruling. I got a good laugh out of what I thought was the end of this sorry tale.

I was wrong. The sorry tale has not ended. Which brings me to what showed up in my mailbox the other day:


I enjoyed your blog post on April 24, 2012 regarding the class action lawsuit I filed against Rite Aid for charging $50 a page for one page of a patients pharmacy records. However Rite Aid appealed the decision of the Superior Court and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court took the appeal. Today I filed my brief asking the Supreme Court to uphold the decision of the Superior Court finding the people who use a pharmacist are “patients” and the pharmacists are health care providers. Attached is a copy of the brief. As you will see I included a reference to the Rite Aid press release you alerted me to in your blog. Thank you. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Paul Lagnese
Berger & Lagnese
310 Grant Street, Suite 720
Pittsburgh PA 15219


In case you missed it, I'll repeat the most important part of that letter:


"As you will see I included a reference to the Rite Aid press release you alerted me to in your blog."




(insert a few seconds of silence here........)




BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!


HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! hahahahaha......oh god....can't breathe.....must stop laughing to inhale....

ha ha......ha......ok.....whew.

So....for you business majors and other slow types who haven't quite caught on to what's going on here. Rite Aid's rank hypocrisy will now be laid out in black and white in front of the next judge to hear this case.

BBBBBBBWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAA.....no no no....can't keep this up.....my diaphragm is getting sore.

So there's a lesson to be learned here for the corporate hack in a cubicle scanning the Internets for word of what's being said about the corporation. This whole digging up things you put online and using it against you? It works both ways. For Pharmacy Jesus, he ends up with his own store happy in a town he loves, while it's looking like your masters... are gonna pay out a few million dollars after losing a class action suit.

Beautiful. Just Beautiful. And you can put that on my tombstone.

Read it and weep assholes. Copy and pasted straight from the press release section of your website:

_______________________________________________________________________



Rite Aid Asks Patients To Help Honor Rite Aid Pharmacists By Voting For Their Favorite During American Pharmacists Month in October

All Voting Customers and Nominated Pharmacists Entered For a Chance to Win $2,500 in Rite Aid Gift Cards

CAMP HILL, PA (September 28, 2010) – To celebrate American Pharmacists Month, this October Rite Aid is asking patients to vote for their Favorite Pharmacist by sharing stories of extraordinary service and telling what makes their pharmacist special. The program, now in its seventh year, was designed to honor Rite Aid pharmacists for their commitment to patient care and service.

Now through October 31, patients can cast a vote for their favorite pharmacist online at www.riteaid.com or at any Rite Aid store. Patients who vote will be entered into a random drawing where one lucky patient will win $2,500 in Rite Aid gift cards. One lucky pharmacist also will win $2,500 in Rite Aid gift cards through a random drawing. For complete details and official rules, go to any Rite Aid store or visit www.riteaid.com.

“American Pharmacists Month is the perfect time to honor Rite Aid pharmacists for all they do to keep their patients and communities healthy,” said Robert Thompson, Rite Aid Executive Vice President of Pharmacy. “Our pharmacists provide outstanding patient care every day, whether they’re counseling patients on medications, administering immunizations or helping them manage a new or difficult disease. Our Favorite Pharmacist program is a great way for our company and patients to thank them for their hard work and dedication throughout the year.”

All “favorite” Rite Aid pharmacists will be notified by Rite Aid and receive a Favorite Pharmacist pin and a letter of commendation from Rite Aid’s President and CEO John Standley in honor of their superior customer service.

“Earlier this year in Lowell, MI, Pharmacy Manager Kara Mull heard a crash inside her Rite Aid store. She immediately rushed to the noise and found an elderly gentleman collapsed on the floor. Kara acted fast and immediately began performing CPR,” said Thompson. “Kara and another customer continued caring for the man until more help arrived. Kara’s training and quick-thinking helped save this man’s life. This is just one example of how our pharmacists make a difference in the lives of their patients.”

Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation’s leading drugstore chains with more than 4,700 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia and fiscal 2010 annual revenues of $25.7 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company’s website at http://www.riteaid.com.

###

Contact:

Media: Ashley Flower 717-975-5718

I Strike Potential Business Gold With A Paradigm Shifting Plan

Ok, maybe it won't really shift any paradigms, but I needed a bit of business jargon, and it's the best i could come up with in my current drunken state.

That's right, drunk for the first time in a long while I am, but not for all the bad old reasons. This is a happy, "I  work in a job where I never have to use the word paradigm ever again" kinda drunk. A "I need to get rid of the last of the old disgusting gin I bought when I was unemployed and upgrade my liquor cabinet now that I have disposable income and health insurance again" kinda drink.

I'm in a good mood, that's what I'm trying to say, and I think this idea of mine just might add to the festivities.

It came to me the other day when I thought about how good it felt, on my last day with the pharmacy chain that keeps it personal, to finally tell my District Manager what an incredible buffoon I thought she was. How the fact she came in the store reeking of tobacco smoke said about all that needed to be said about my now ex-employer's commitment to health care. I gotta tell ya, telling off a District Manager does wonders for your mental health.

But, for those of you interested in remaining employed, it's not really an option. Until now. That's where Pharmacy Jesus comes in.

Here's how it works. I, who has nothing left to lose after being crucified and reborn, will offer to act as a conduit between you and your corporate superiors. Through me, you will finally have the ability to speak truth to power. Simply leave me the name of the corporate wanker, the message you would like them to have, (example: "Dear fuckwad, the flu shot quota you just set in your last memo is mathematically impossible to meet. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of arithmetic knows this. Therefore I am ignoring said memo and you can go to hell") and an email address. Your communication will be sent directly to them compliments of the Drugmonkey. Imagine how good it will feel to finally tell the people cutting your technician hours that this in fact makes it harder...not easier....to meet your metrics. And that they are not fooling anyone with their rah rah bullshit memos or with their pathetic comb overs.

You will never tell me your name, so your communication will remain totally untraceable.

Simply drop me a line, and their name. And I'll make sure they get the message. Guaranteed.

Tomorrow, the story of how Pharmacy Jesus smited a corporate enemy. But for now, it's back to the last of the unemployment gin.

Life is good.......:)