Don't Count Preschool Out Just Yet

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So, the author of this article, "The Early Education Racket" makes some pretty sweeping claims that I find a bit dubious. Moyer makes the claim that those kids who belong to families that can afford preschool probably don't need it. I'm also skeptical because it doesn't seem very well thought out. For example, there are several ways to define need that Moyer never seems to consider.

My kid's preschool was as expensive as the university that I was attending. However, if I had it to do all over again, I'd do the exact same thing. She still remembers it as a really wonderful and nurturing experience. It wasn't until I talked to her preschool instructors that I learned that she had a real talent for art. Since she was my only child, I had nothing to compare it to, so I was simply unaware of her knack for it.

Preschool can help parents to identify their child's strengths, weaknesses, and gifts at a really young age and that can give them a clue as to what sort of activities, supplies, and experiences that child would most enjoy. At preschool, she was able to work with instructors who had art experience. I had none. Even if I was really, really diligent, I still wouldn't have been able to teach her the skills that she learned there. If your child is really into something that you know how to do, then I can imagine that preschool might not make much of a difference. However, if your kid is into something that leaves you scratching your head to understand, really talented preschool instructors can be a lifesaver.

Here's a few examples of her work. If you're wondering about that weirdness in the bottom right corner of her last picture, I can explain. She's still a minor. That means we don't allow her to use her real name online. We had to blot it out of the last picture so that I could share it here.

"Deep Sea Mermaid" done in Micron Pen

"Veggies" done in PrismaColor

"Star Fucker" done in Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 6
"The Black Vault Encyclopedia Project proposes a Close Encounter of the Seventh Kind as mating between a human being and extraterrestrial that produces a human-alien hybridisation, usually called a Star Child. This concept is similar to ideas promoted by ancient astronauts theorists like Erich von Däniken, Zecharia Sitchin and Robert K. G. Temple, in that extraterrestrials interacted with, perhaps interbred with and influenced ancient human beings in the past."

Sometimes, There's More to Consider Than Just Gender

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Grace Annam, recently wrote a post ("It's not something I would do, but...") about her observations about interactions with others now that she has started the public transition process as a woman who is transgender. There were some aspects of her analyses that I'm not so sure about.

I can think of a lot of situations where it might be really bad idea to presume that the “I certainly support you in making this choice for yourself. It’s not something I would do, but...” response was a way of expressing the idea that transitioning is bizarre or incomprehensible. If I heard a friend who is transgender respond to someone with “Well, of course not. You’re cisgender” I’d be really, really disappointed for several reasons.

First of all, the comment assumes that the person is cisgender. After all, just as the person didn't know that my loved one is transgender, my loved one who is transgender may not be aware of the fact that the person they’re speaking to isn't cisgender. I can imagine that being mis-gendered by anyone can be incredibly hurtful, especially for those who are gender nonconformant. I’m cisgender, so I don’t know whether it feels the same. However, the idea of being mis-gendered by someone who is transgender makes me think about how awful and sickening it is to me when other mixed-race/mixed-ethnicity folks make assertions about what race they've decided that I belong to or when others within the queer community make assumptive assertions about my orientation.

Secondly, I’d be really upset about the “Well, of course not. You’re cisgender.” response because I feel like it betrays a certain lack of understanding about intersectionality. There are lots of other privilege issues involved in why a person could decide that transitioning certainly isn't anything they’d do.

I had a best friend in middle school. She came out to everyone. I totally supported her choice to do that, but it certainly wasn't something that I’d do and it had everything to do with privilege. As a person of color living in a white-dominated society, I already had my racial identity working against me. It’s damned hard to get a job when you’re competing against white people and most of the folks doing the hiring are white. My friend didn't have to worry about that. When you’re a black woman of color your femininity and womanhood is automatically denied. We are already seen as hypersexual or asexual and, as such, completely acceptable targets for sexualized violence. Now, couple that with being an “out” lesbian, with all of the stereotypes that go along with it, and see how long it takes before you are sexually assaulted. My friend didn't have to deal with that combination and never would.

I've known folks who will likely never transition to living as the gender that they are. I wish they lived in a world where they could, but they don’t. They can support those who do transition while recognizing that they wouldn't/won’t do it. It doesn't mean they’re cisgender or otherwise privileged relative to those who do transition. We don’t all pay the same cost for bucking the system. Some people just can’t afford to do it.

There’s also some real ablism in this post, but I think that might be best explained in a different comment.

Woman escorted from Vermont Medical Center at author Robert Whitaker's speaking event

To contact us Click HERE
This blogger, who describes herself on her blog:

"My name is Jeanne and I'm a writer and artist living in VT. I worked as a peer supporter from 1995 til 2010. I survived psychiatric iatrogenic injuries and went on to sue for damages. I'm not a medical professional, if you want to taper from psych chemicals consult a professional. My dream is to have a small solar farm and to continue to be a pain in the neck to the arrogant everywhere."

Was Escorted out of the building when attempting to show support for ["support his work"] Robert Whitaker, author of 'Anatomy of an Epidemic' who was speaking at the Vermont Medical Center, in June 2012.

"She said it was private corporate property and I was trespassing. She said I was causing a disturbance. Then a Nancy T. showed up and got in my face about the situation. I had asked Ms. White for her last name and she was kind enough to tell me, but Ms. T. refused to tell me her name. I got out my handy iphone and asked if I could tape what they were saying to me. They said no. I was rolling up my posters when Ms. White yelled, “Call Security!”"


Take a look at her posters on her blog. Outrageous, that she was removed from the building.

Whistleblowers and GSK's record $ 3 Billion dollar settlement: Paxil, Wellbutrin, Avandia

To contact us Click HERE
via PR News Wire:

PRESS RELEASE
July 2, 2012, 10:42 a.m. EDT
Whistleblowers played major role in Glaxo case, leading to Glaxo's record settlement

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Two whistleblowers represented by Phillips & Cohen LLP provided the government with overwhelming evidence that was at the heart of the government's case against GlaxoSmithKline GSK +1.34% and the record-setting settlement announced today.

The whistleblowers - Thomas Gerahty, a former senior marketing development manager for Glaxo, and Matthew Burke, a former regional vice president -- provided invaluable insider information that Glaxo was engaging in corrupt nationwide schemes to push sales of Advair, Wellbutrin, Imitrex and other popular prescription drugs for "off-label" (unapproved) uses, that it used improper financial inducements to market its drugs, and that it misrepresented the safety and efficacy of those drugs. Glaxo's illegal practices caused Medicare, Tricare - the healthcare program for the military -- and Medicaid to incur huge losses.

The civil settlement of Gerahty and Burke's whistleblower case and a separate whistleblower lawsuit filed in Colorado total $1.017 billion out of total settlement. It is the largest civil, False Claims Act (whistleblower) settlement on record. (Two other whistleblower lawsuits that alleged another improper practice concerning Advair marketing settled for $25 million, for a total of $1.042 billion paid under the settlement agreement for the four whistleblower cases.)

Gerahty, Burke and Phillips & Cohen worked closely with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston and the Justice Department since they filed their "qui tam" (whistleblower) case in early 2003 in Boston's federal district court.

Gerahty and Burke gave the government new and detailed information about Glaxo's nationwide improper marketing practices, including the use of financial inducements to doctors to prescribe Glaxo's drugs and the promotion of Advair, Wellbutrin, Imitrex, Lamictal, Zofran and Valtrex for off-label, unapproved uses. Unapproved use of prescription drugs can create significant risks to patients, and drug manufacturers are prohibited by federal law from promoting their drugs for unapproved treatments.

As the government investigation progressed, the whistleblowers and their attorneys made a significant difference in particular in the government's case against Glaxo for its off-label marketing of Advair for mild asthma. Gerahty, Burke and Phillips & Cohen devoted substantial effort and time preparing the legal case that helped demonstrate Glaxo improperly marketed Advair as a first-line asthma treatment and for asthma patients previously treated with only a short-acting inhaler.

As a result, Glaxo paid $686 million out of the total settlement to resolve claims involving the off-label marketing of Advair to treat mild asthma - by far the largest amount Glaxo paid to settle any of the civil charges. (See the settlement agreement at www.glaxowhistleblowers.com .)

Kelton and Phillips & Cohen also represented the whistleblower whose qui tam lawsuit against Pfizer alleging the off-label marketing of the prescription painkiller, Bextra, helped the government recover $1.8 billion as part of a record-setting $2.3 billion settlement in 2009.

"The gravity of Glaxo's conduct cannot be overstated," Kelton said. "The company's improper marketing practices extended across a wide range of its prescription drug portfolio. Given what we saw with Glaxo, Pfizer and other pharma companies, it's fair to conclude there has been almost no limit to what pharma companies have done to sell their products."

Read the rest here

More on the massive GSK fine

Here GlaxoSmithKline to pay $3 billion for health fraud.

Here (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc has agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor criminal charges and pay $3 billion to settle the largest case of healthcare fraud in U.S. history.

The settlement includes $1 billion in criminal fines and $2 billion in civil fines in connection with the sale of the drug company's Paxil, Wellbutrin and Avandia products, according to filings in federal court on Monday.

Deputy U.S. Attorney General James Cole said at a news conference in Washington that the settlement "is unprecedented in both size and scope."

Also at Pharmagossip MONDAY, JULY 02, 2012--

GlaxoSmithKline to Plead Guilty and Pay $3 Billion to Resolve Fraud Allegations and Failure to Report Safety Data--
Largest Health Care Fraud Settlement in U.S. History
Global health care giant GlaxoSmithKline LLC (GSK) agreed to plead guilty and to pay $3 billion to resolve its criminal and civil liability arising from the company’s unlawful promotion of certain prescription drugs, its failure to report certain safety data, and its civil liability for alleged false price reporting practices, the Justice Department announced today. The resolution is the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history and the largest payment ever by a drug company.

And Pharmalot Biggest Deal Ever: Glaxo Pays $3B For Bad Behavior.



And Seroxat Sufferers Stand Up and Be Counted.

~~
GSK Press Release: CEO Andrew Witty nearly apologizes, but doesn't--uses word "regret" and read to part that says it is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing regarding the sales of certain drugs listed in the lawsuit settlement:

GlaxoSmithKline concludes previously announced agreement in principle to resolve multiple investigations with US Government and numerous states

"Commenting on the agreement, GlaxoSmithKline CEO Sir Andrew Witty said: “Today brings to resolution difficult, long-standing matters for GSK. Whilst these originate in a different era for the company, they cannot and will not be ignored. On behalf of GSK, I want to express our regret and reiterate that we have learnt from the mistakes that were made.
“We are deeply committed to doing everything we can to live up to and exceed the expectations of those we work with and serve. Since I became CEO, we have had a clear priority to ingrain a culture of putting patients first, acting transparently, respecting people inside and outside the organisation and displaying integrity in everything we do.
“In the US, we have taken action at all levels in the company. We have fundamentally changed our procedures for compliance, marketing and selling. When necessary, we have removed employees who have engaged in misconduct. In the last two years, we have reformed the basis on which we pay our sales representatives and we have enhanced our ability to ‘claw back’ remuneration of our senior management.
“We have a vital role to play in bringing innovative medicines to patients and we understand how important it is that our medicines are appropriately promoted to healthcare professionals and that we adhere to the standards rightly expected by the US Government.”
Under the terms of the settlement, GSK will plead guilty to misdemeanor violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act related to certain aspects of the marketing of Paxil for paediatric use and of Wellbutrin for certain uses, and for failure to include information about the initiation or status of certain Avandia studies in Periodic and Annual Reports submitted to FDA.
The civil settlement reached with the Government does not constitute an admission of any liability or wrongdoing in the selling and marketing of Lamictal, Zofran, Imitrex, Lotronex, Flovent, Valtrex, Avandia or Advair products, nor in its nominal pricing practices. "

How does this work? part 2 Grassley's question number 6

To contact us Click HERE

from page 13 of this document, that Dr Steve Balt placed on Twitter, in attempt to expose a colleague

Question 6

Have any of the prescribers identified to this Committee been referred to your state medical board?


Read the list of questions and ask yourself if Senator Grassley would be interested in the 2009 top 10 prescriber of Seroquel Dr Steve Balt, and his medical license being suspended (on probation) during the 2009 writing of over 1000 rx for Seroquel. Seroquel is known to be used off-label, and one must question the medical office setting where Balt worked at the time as being a player in the Medicaid, Medi-Cal fraud investigation. Were those patients rx'd Seroquel (antipsychotic) for indication use approved in 2009? or was it off-label? were the bulk of the recipients of the prescriptions Medicaid patients?

Woman escorted from Vermont Medical Center at author Robert Whitaker's speaking event

To contact us Click HERE
This blogger, who describes herself on her blog:

"My name is Jeanne and I'm a writer and artist living in VT. I worked as a peer supporter from 1995 til 2010. I survived psychiatric iatrogenic injuries and went on to sue for damages. I'm not a medical professional, if you want to taper from psych chemicals consult a professional. My dream is to have a small solar farm and to continue to be a pain in the neck to the arrogant everywhere."

Was Escorted out of the building when attempting to show support for ["support his work"] Robert Whitaker, author of 'Anatomy of an Epidemic' who was speaking at the Vermont Medical Center, in June 2012.

"She said it was private corporate property and I was trespassing. She said I was causing a disturbance. Then a Nancy T. showed up and got in my face about the situation. I had asked Ms. White for her last name and she was kind enough to tell me, but Ms. T. refused to tell me her name. I got out my handy iphone and asked if I could tape what they were saying to me. They said no. I was rolling up my posters when Ms. White yelled, “Call Security!”"


Take a look at her posters on her blog. Outrageous, that she was removed from the building.

Whistleblowers and GSK's record $ 3 Billion dollar settlement: Paxil, Wellbutrin, Avandia

To contact us Click HERE
via PR News Wire:

PRESS RELEASE
July 2, 2012, 10:42 a.m. EDT
Whistleblowers played major role in Glaxo case, leading to Glaxo's record settlement

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Two whistleblowers represented by Phillips & Cohen LLP provided the government with overwhelming evidence that was at the heart of the government's case against GlaxoSmithKline GSK +1.34% and the record-setting settlement announced today.

The whistleblowers - Thomas Gerahty, a former senior marketing development manager for Glaxo, and Matthew Burke, a former regional vice president -- provided invaluable insider information that Glaxo was engaging in corrupt nationwide schemes to push sales of Advair, Wellbutrin, Imitrex and other popular prescription drugs for "off-label" (unapproved) uses, that it used improper financial inducements to market its drugs, and that it misrepresented the safety and efficacy of those drugs. Glaxo's illegal practices caused Medicare, Tricare - the healthcare program for the military -- and Medicaid to incur huge losses.

The civil settlement of Gerahty and Burke's whistleblower case and a separate whistleblower lawsuit filed in Colorado total $1.017 billion out of total settlement. It is the largest civil, False Claims Act (whistleblower) settlement on record. (Two other whistleblower lawsuits that alleged another improper practice concerning Advair marketing settled for $25 million, for a total of $1.042 billion paid under the settlement agreement for the four whistleblower cases.)

Gerahty, Burke and Phillips & Cohen worked closely with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston and the Justice Department since they filed their "qui tam" (whistleblower) case in early 2003 in Boston's federal district court.

Gerahty and Burke gave the government new and detailed information about Glaxo's nationwide improper marketing practices, including the use of financial inducements to doctors to prescribe Glaxo's drugs and the promotion of Advair, Wellbutrin, Imitrex, Lamictal, Zofran and Valtrex for off-label, unapproved uses. Unapproved use of prescription drugs can create significant risks to patients, and drug manufacturers are prohibited by federal law from promoting their drugs for unapproved treatments.

As the government investigation progressed, the whistleblowers and their attorneys made a significant difference in particular in the government's case against Glaxo for its off-label marketing of Advair for mild asthma. Gerahty, Burke and Phillips & Cohen devoted substantial effort and time preparing the legal case that helped demonstrate Glaxo improperly marketed Advair as a first-line asthma treatment and for asthma patients previously treated with only a short-acting inhaler.

As a result, Glaxo paid $686 million out of the total settlement to resolve claims involving the off-label marketing of Advair to treat mild asthma - by far the largest amount Glaxo paid to settle any of the civil charges. (See the settlement agreement at www.glaxowhistleblowers.com .)

Kelton and Phillips & Cohen also represented the whistleblower whose qui tam lawsuit against Pfizer alleging the off-label marketing of the prescription painkiller, Bextra, helped the government recover $1.8 billion as part of a record-setting $2.3 billion settlement in 2009.

"The gravity of Glaxo's conduct cannot be overstated," Kelton said. "The company's improper marketing practices extended across a wide range of its prescription drug portfolio. Given what we saw with Glaxo, Pfizer and other pharma companies, it's fair to conclude there has been almost no limit to what pharma companies have done to sell their products."

Read the rest here

More on the massive GSK fine

Here GlaxoSmithKline to pay $3 billion for health fraud.

Here (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc has agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor criminal charges and pay $3 billion to settle the largest case of healthcare fraud in U.S. history.

The settlement includes $1 billion in criminal fines and $2 billion in civil fines in connection with the sale of the drug company's Paxil, Wellbutrin and Avandia products, according to filings in federal court on Monday.

Deputy U.S. Attorney General James Cole said at a news conference in Washington that the settlement "is unprecedented in both size and scope."

Also at Pharmagossip MONDAY, JULY 02, 2012--

GlaxoSmithKline to Plead Guilty and Pay $3 Billion to Resolve Fraud Allegations and Failure to Report Safety Data--
Largest Health Care Fraud Settlement in U.S. History
Global health care giant GlaxoSmithKline LLC (GSK) agreed to plead guilty and to pay $3 billion to resolve its criminal and civil liability arising from the company’s unlawful promotion of certain prescription drugs, its failure to report certain safety data, and its civil liability for alleged false price reporting practices, the Justice Department announced today. The resolution is the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history and the largest payment ever by a drug company.

And Pharmalot Biggest Deal Ever: Glaxo Pays $3B For Bad Behavior.



And Seroxat Sufferers Stand Up and Be Counted.

~~
GSK Press Release: CEO Andrew Witty nearly apologizes, but doesn't--uses word "regret" and read to part that says it is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing regarding the sales of certain drugs listed in the lawsuit settlement:

GlaxoSmithKline concludes previously announced agreement in principle to resolve multiple investigations with US Government and numerous states

"Commenting on the agreement, GlaxoSmithKline CEO Sir Andrew Witty said: “Today brings to resolution difficult, long-standing matters for GSK. Whilst these originate in a different era for the company, they cannot and will not be ignored. On behalf of GSK, I want to express our regret and reiterate that we have learnt from the mistakes that were made.
“We are deeply committed to doing everything we can to live up to and exceed the expectations of those we work with and serve. Since I became CEO, we have had a clear priority to ingrain a culture of putting patients first, acting transparently, respecting people inside and outside the organisation and displaying integrity in everything we do.
“In the US, we have taken action at all levels in the company. We have fundamentally changed our procedures for compliance, marketing and selling. When necessary, we have removed employees who have engaged in misconduct. In the last two years, we have reformed the basis on which we pay our sales representatives and we have enhanced our ability to ‘claw back’ remuneration of our senior management.
“We have a vital role to play in bringing innovative medicines to patients and we understand how important it is that our medicines are appropriately promoted to healthcare professionals and that we adhere to the standards rightly expected by the US Government.”
Under the terms of the settlement, GSK will plead guilty to misdemeanor violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act related to certain aspects of the marketing of Paxil for paediatric use and of Wellbutrin for certain uses, and for failure to include information about the initiation or status of certain Avandia studies in Periodic and Annual Reports submitted to FDA.
The civil settlement reached with the Government does not constitute an admission of any liability or wrongdoing in the selling and marketing of Lamictal, Zofran, Imitrex, Lotronex, Flovent, Valtrex, Avandia or Advair products, nor in its nominal pricing practices. "