Thursday, December 6, 2007

Mensa, Schmensa: How Smart Are You?

Here's a challenge inspired by the Washington Post's Mensa Invitational.

Take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are some examples:

  • Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
  • Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
  • Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease.
  • Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
What I am looking for are more pharma-related terms such as:
  • Adhorence: the deep hatred of advertising (compare to the pharma-related term "Adherence")
You can find more examples here.

I am trying to think up one appropriate to the Montel Williams story, but am coming up empty at the moment. Got any ideas?

P.S. I sent an email to the Association of Black Cardiologists, which is currently spotlighted as a Partner Organization on the PPA Web site, and asked "Will you pressure PhRMA to fire Montel?" I asked for a return receipt. Here's what I got back:

Your message

To: abcardio
Cc:
Subject: Will you pressure PhRMA to fire Montel?
Sent: Tue, 4 Dec 2007 10:36:01 -0500

was deleted without being read on Thu, 6 Dec 2007 16:24:50 -0500

The name of the person who did not read my email is Icilma Bertie (email address: Ibertie@abcardio.org).

Maybe if you emailed Icilma you'll have better luck!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi John:

Here's a few - I may not have quite stuck to the "rules" in some cases, but as you recently wrote, "I don't need no stinkin' rules"....

Harmaceutical: A drug kept on the market for reasons of financial gain rather than patient benefit...

Oblivioxx: What CEOs of pharmaceutical companies claim to be when the above situation makes the news...

Mercketing: Selling a harmaceutical and then stalling court cases until plaintiffs die or go bankrupt...

Perdufery: Trying the same tactic but going down $600 million and getting your top execs fined $30m as well...

Bravando: Bullying tactics used to defend keeping a harmaceutical on the market...

Bluster Pack: Presentation of a harmaceutical to the media by a harmaceutical company...

Cinical Trials: What harmaceutical companies run, usually in Third World countries, to justify bringing a harmaceutical to market...

Corporate Executive Orifices: The assholes in charge who are oblivioxx to harmaceuticals...

Evergreeding: Off-label marketing for drugs nearing or just past their patent protection period...

Electile Dysfunction: Voting Republican. Rudy Giuliani could be the cure...

Pharmaceutical manufracturing: Breaking up a company and shipping bits out to the Far East for short-term financial gains...

Murgerer: Someone who makes a killing from the above...

Adiabetic: A new diabetes treatment that fails to raise a temperature in the marketplace...

Insultin: The hormone that leads marketeers to accuse the patient population of stupidity when they don't warm to an adiabetic...

Rozaceous: The pink colour Takeda execs turn when reminded how much they have spent on marketing their sleeping pill...

Alliiteration: Being told over and over again how good GSK's OTC diet pill is and how honest their advertising campaign is...

Metoorology: The study of the climate in which pharmaceutical companies undertake R&D these days...

Pharmisan Cheese: Standard fare of the Drug Wonks blog...

Snide effects: Unpleasant consequences of believing anything you read from Drug Wonks...

Mackismo: The PharmaBlogosphere...

Rostafarian: Anyone who still bothers to look at Question Authority...

Sickophant: Anyone who still promotes Michael Moore's film...

Sarchasm: The gap between how funny someone thinks they are and how funny they actually are...

Exuberanti: Pharma Giles...