Panacea? We don’t need panacea. We have VITAMINS!

Medicine has always existed, and along with it untreatable diseases have also been present. At some point it was bacterial infection, now it is cancer and AIDS. Humanity has been dreaming of panacea forever. Some people claimed to find all-purpose medicine. However, in every case savior was labeled charlatan. Mankind has not given hope though, and is still searching for a perfect drug to cure every disease. Individuals tend to take advantage of those dreams and make fortune by making dreams come true.

According to the Dr. Rath Health Foundation website, Matthias Rath is “the physician and scientist who led the breakthrough discoveries in the natural control of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other chronic health conditions.” Rath claims that AIDS, simply put, does not exist, and HIV is a myth that pharmaceutical companies use to make money. Dr. Rath states that vitamin deficit is a cause of all those diseases and only vitamin treatment with vitamins might be effective. Chemotherapy, antiretrovirals – everything is a scam to trick people into spending money. Rath is well known for his war against pharmaceutical industry which he accused of genocide on the world in its lust for profits. This seems reasonable due to the fact that untreatable diseases create the need of pharmaceutical companies, which then pray on the desperate society. Rath is just a loyal servant of society, fighting a millennia old conspiracy.

Matthias Rath, in fact, spends huge amount of capital on advertising in many countries all over the world, instead of simply helping people. Because of his campaign South African government refused to use conventional medicine to treat AIDS and prevent HIV, which caused 171,000 new HIV infections and 343,000 deaths over the period of 8 years from 1999 to 2007. Dominik Fled, nine-year-old boy, died after being taken off chemotherapy and put on Rath’s vitamin program. Boy’s mother blames scientific medicine and the pharmaceutical industry for her son’s death.

It is quite hard to fight Dr. Rath because he is one of “them”, is a part of conspiracy. How do we deal with one, who is supposed to act ethically, but cannot be forced to? As a doctor he took an oath and is meant to act ethically, however he does not.

http://skepdic.com/rath.html
http://listverse.com/2011/09/13/top-10-unethical-business-actions/

IKEA food follies

IKEA has recalled food products a number of times throughout its history that I wish to look into more, but was recently affected by the horsemeat scandal in Europe. In February, IKEA recalled its signature Swedish meatballs in all European countries, except Norway and Russia, when Czech Republic authorities detected horsemeat in frozen meatballs labeled beef and pork. Two weeks prior, IKEA performed its own tests that did not detect horse DNA. Horsemeat is significantly cheaper than beef and easily substituted by suppliers to reduce costs. Horsemeat was also discovered in hot dogs sold in Russia during expansive meat testing performed by IKEA.

Just over one week after the meatball recall, IKEA withdrew its chocolate and butterscotch almond cakes from stores in 23 countries after Chinese authorities detected Faecal coliforms, bacteria normally found in human and animal waste, in them. A single Swedish supplier produced the affected batches of cakes. IKEA attributed the recall to the product not complying with its strict food quality standards, not as a health risk to consumers.

IKEA addressed the food recalls claiming, “IKEA is committed to serving and selling high quality food that is safe, healthy and produced with care for the environment and the people who produce it. We do not tolerate any other ingredients than the ones stipulated in our recipes or specifications, secured through set standards, certifications and product analysis by accredited laboratories.” The issue I wish to look at is IKEA’s ethical decisions regarding supply chain management and quality control of the products it sells at low prices, in addition to whether or not a furniture company selling food is ethically responsible.

NCAA Tournament: Life of a Student-Athlete

Hey guys!  I’m sitting in my hotel room in Lexington, KY right now anxiously awaiting our game tomorrow vs. Butler.  The game is at 12:40 on TruTV if you want to check it out!

Anyway, I’ve found it very difficult to focus on schoolwork the past couple days due to the practice, travel, and just overall hoopla surrounding the NCAA Tournament.  I’ve been reading all of your blogs, thinking of cases, and researching guys like Bernie Madoff and Pete Rose.  This blog and class is a great example of why I love Bucknell so much – I’ve learned and experienced so many valuable things in my 4 years here.  I love the fact that student-athletes are expected to get ‘it’ 🙂 done in the classroom just as much as in their respective sport.  A lot of people in the media criticize the NCAA or specific universities for using the term ‘student-athletes’ too loosely (read this story about about Steven Kaspar on our team: http://www.cbssports.com/general/blog/gregg-doyel/21918004/bucknell-problems-are-nerd-stuff), but at Bucknell, the term shines bright in my opinion.  And I love that!

Where am I trying to with this… Well, after not being able to find a topic/case for my paper after thinking about it the past couple days, I think I am going to write about the issue surrounding NCAA athletes and how they cannot be paid by their universities.  Today I was asked by a reporter if the academic rigor at Bucknell helps us as players on the court.  It was an interesting question and one that not too many people have asked me in the past.  It made me think, and I ultimately said that yes, it does help us on the court, but our experiences on the court help us as students, too!  I’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs throughout my four years here at Bucknell — in the classroom, on the court, and MANY places in-between.

I get frustrated when people write off athletics as non-stimulating and not a ‘learning experience.’  I get equally as frustrated when I read of players at universities not going to class or not valuing their education.  I get even MORE frustrated when I hear of people who just do their homework all day or just play their sport all day.  There are many, many things to enjoy in life and while being dedicated in driven is important, so is balance! 

So in regards to my paper, I’m going to argue that student-athletes should be paid.  Not because they are ‘special’ or ‘privileged’.  Rather, because their job is just as important, and just as much as meaningful as a summer internship or working as a tutor.  If you don’t agree with me, that’s fine, that’s your opinion.  But I’ve learned so much from being an athlete and I think my career has helped me mature and develop to be the person I am today.

Alright, I’m off to bed.  ‘Ray Bucknell!!!

Wal-Mart: Save Money. Live Worse.

Everyone has heard of Wal-Mart. Some may have heard of its impressive supply chain management, while to most others, Wal-Mart is known for its everyday low prices and huge assortment of inventory, providing its customers with practically everything they could possibly need. For Bucknell students, Wal-Mart is a necessity. It’s the perfect one-stop shop that suits the schedule of the rushed college student. I’ve never been to the Wal-Mart in town without seeing at least a few Bucknellians stocking up on food or party supplies. Most customers leave the superstore satisfied with their shopping experience as long as they did not become too overwhelmed by the vastness of the store. The main problem to consider here is how many Wal-Mart employees leave the store after their shift satisfied with their job?

I’ve recently discovered some pretty disturbing news about Wal-Mart and the way that employees are treated there in general. The company is essentially blocking out the ways that employees are able to speak out. Unions are strongly discouraged by the company and oftentimes, the typical Wal-Mart employee does not have the extra money available to pay for union dues. Even the new employee orientation has a section dedicated to preaching the evils of unions. Wal-Mart labor protests have arisen in the last year and were aimed at pressing Wal-Mart to increase wages, stop cutting workers’ hours, and to treat employees with respect. And these protesters did not all come from the same Wal-Mart store or even the same state, they came from over 28 stores and 12 different states.

Wal-Mart Labor Protests

Wal-Mart’s corporate culture is built around the idea of cutting costs to provide its customers with the low prices that they expect. The employees are also becoming victim to this low-cost strategy. Minimum wage is hardly enough to support one person, let alone a family. It seems as if the corporate structure of Wal-Mart is doing everything it can to keep its employees below the poverty line. Therefore it can remain in its position of power to keep its employees voiceless. This practice hardly seems to be the least bit ethical. The employees of Wal-Mart deserve to be able to voice their problems and speak out against the wrongs that may be occurring in the workplace. Wal-Mart’s hindering of this basic right is flat-out unethical.

Tylenol Causes Headaches

I can almost guarantee everyone who reads this has taken Tylenol in their life for one reason or another.  Most likely as a hangover remedy or for some obscure injury obtained while drunk, but the fact of the matter is everyone has used it before.  It is such a commonly used product that it has become the genericized trademark for any medicine that is like acetaminophen.  What do doctors say? “Take 2 Tylenol and call me in the morning.”  People have relied on this magic medicine for decades and have become loyal buyers of the brand.  What would happen if this left the shelves and people couldn’t get it anymore?

Well that’s what has been happening over the past few years with several Tylenol recalls.  It has been recalled for several reasons including leached pesticides, particles of wood and metal, infectious bacteria, overdosed medicines, underdosed medicines, and even a musty smell:

Tylenol was essentially coerced to recall their products by the FDA, but not “forced.”  They had to decide; do they keep the musty product on the shelves, or do they recall their product and risk losing customers and shelf space?  Well in my opinion, they chose the right thing and recalled their products.  Although a lot of customers were upset with their decision because there was basically a shortage at pharmacies and other markets, but in the end it was the better decision because they knew it was best for all parties involved in the long run, even though there would be negative sentiment initially.  In my paper I hope to dive into the decision J&J had to make when recalling all of their products and how it affected their business.  I will try to determine whether or not business is or will be better as a result, and if customers actually cared about their “correct” decision to recall the products.  Some seemed upset at the time, but they may have been more upset if they had some adverse effects from the products.

The Ultimate Recipe for Success

Who wouldn’t love a grocery store that makes desserts like these?

Anyone who knows me AT ALL knows that I love junk food and baked goods.  You can imagine my reaction the first time I ever walked into a Wegmans.  It was glorious.  Chocolate, icing, and sugar galore.