America’s Other Drug Problem: How the Drug Industry Distorts Medicine and Politics.

By Arnold S. Relman and Marcia Angela

They both are finding answers for similar questions and seeking ways, mentioning and wondering what kind of ethical standard each doctor should have. They are also concerned about the “Drug Cost” we all know the high price that everybody have to pay in order to get the real attention in Hospitals, even in an emergency room, or Some drugs prescribed in the hospital are intended to treat the acute illnesses for which the patients were admitted; others are to prevent problems such as nausea and blood clots. Still others are meant to control side effects of the original medications.

Many Americans have been struggling just because of the high cost of medications in the market. Unfortunately there’s a point that strongly grabbed my attention: There’s not and cannot be anything like a free market in prescription drugs, this is awful. A lot of countries like our neighbor Canada, they really have an incredible and successful medical system where almost everybody have free health insurance, but paying high taxes so that, the government can afford those costs of prescription.

First of all, a drug must be registered with the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) which by law must match and have the required documentation and approval so they can be spread to the patients.

The technology in the pharmaceutical industry has changed dramatically. We all see everyday how the new procedures and equipments are influencing on us in a positive and negative way.

The article “Big Benefits from big Pharma: Longevity and Real Welfare Growth”

There’s an important sentence that i would like to talk about, and it’s: “Without a well structured system of patent protection, neither the research pharmaceutical industry nor the generic industry would be able to grow and prosper, as the rate of new product introductions and patent expirations would decline significantly.” Which means that if we don’t protect the rights and author’s rights or if we don’t care about the research pharmaceutical industry, we would be able to rise and grow, which is like a careless statement. Definitely, both articles argue in a completely different way. One of them, cares about patients, and medical future, the other one it doesn’t seems like they do care about it.

Ideas: I would create one image completely WHITE as a symbol of prosperity, and positivism, i like to produce a reflection with my pills or prescriptions using the well known technic.

The other idea would be: with a black background, and pills with different colors evoking the diversity and the importance of every single medication in the pharmaceutical industry. Using a solid background preferably white, because i want the whole attention to my “prescription” as the main point in this project.

Something that is not strange to me is the burden of loneliness that many elderly people live on a daily basis. For years, (I started as a volunteer and now I do it professionally), I have been teaching senior citizens the use of computers, and recently how to use cell phones and tablets.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau 11 million, or 28% of people aged 65 and older, lived alone at the time of the census. As people get older, their likelihood of living alone only increases. Additionally, more and older adults do not have children, reports the AARP, and that means fewer family members to provide company and care as those adults become seniors.

My involvement teaching seniors the odd of computers has been overwhelming due to the experiences they shared with me, and the friendships we have created.

One of the main reasons why they enroll in courses to learn how to use computers is the illusion of being able to communicate more with their loved ones. Solitude is something that they don’t enjoy.

Recently I found myself dealing with a friend that was diagnosed with a deep case of depression. She is not a senior, indeed she is young and healthy, but I noticed the similarity of her symptoms to those who feel lonely.

I start wondering how many of the seniors are lonely and how many of them are depress. How these two extreme conditions match or stay apart.

I found an article in the online Blog of HUFFPOST writing By GlamourGals Foundation, Inc. called “Elder Loneliness: Is There a Solution to the Solitude?” that I would like to use as part of the backbone for my project.

The article mentions that loneliness is a severe emotion and the population that is more prompted to suffer from solitude is seniors. The article also states that 70% of the senior population is women, and 46% without children. As the article mentions, most of the senior population have difficulties to keep the relationship with their adult children.

The other part of the spinal cord of my project will be based on an Archana Singh and Nishi Misra research paper about depression and loneliness. They state: “Depression or the occurrence of depressive symptomatology is a prominent condition amongst older people, with a significant impact on the well-being and quality of life.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/glamourgals-foundation-inc/elder-care_b_1607401.html

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3016701/

An extra source about depression:

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/aging-depression.aspx

About my Audience: I think this is a topic for everybody, but the reality is different and the audience that could be interested in this work are people between 50 and 70 years old. But if the campaign is successful it could reach a younger audience.

About People: I would like to include people as well as to use props. I am talking with some of my old friends, trying to convince them to help me. As soon as I get the first yes I will start the logistics for the day of the shooting. If I can’t find people for the shooting I have a plan B. I will use different objects portrait the solitude and depression as big problem that doesn’t have enough attention.

Literal or Metaphoric: I think it will be a combination of both. It is not a poem and it is based on an article, but also the depression factor could make the difference since depression is something that no many people have clear what exactly is or how could affect to someone.

Models: I work with senior citizens and many of them are my friends. I already asked some of them to help me and they are thinking about it. I hope they could help me.

Objects: If I don’t have the Models, I will shoot props that are related to the topic. A cane, a frame with a faded old picture, a bible, a broken cup of tea, different jewelry. knitting needles, I would love to shoot a Rocket Chair but…

Light: The light will be dramatic since the theme is not a cheerful one. 3 points light with different lighting ratio. Short light, split light, broad. I will use strobes, not continues light. I will try to bring with me a couple of prime lenses.

Photographic Technique: I will shoot in color but I will try B&W. I will use three lights triangle with strobes. I want to try White and Black backgrounds. I will try, with the props, to get a DOF.

Gabriel Flores

The article Big Benefits from big Pharma: Longevity and Real Welfare Growth” starts with two statements against the pharmacy industry: one claims that the pharmaceutical corporations care more about the money than the benefits that they can bring to humankind, other argues that intellectual property shouldn’t be apply to the pharmaceutical industry to lowered the cost of medication.

Justin Hicks, based on a study conducted by The National Bureau Of Economic Research, know as NBER, brings a new vision to the table. In the article he mentions the “statistically significant” of the research and also comments about the positive economic effects. He mentions a research by Murphy and Topei who find that if United States reduces 1% cancer mortality “it would be worth over $500 billion.”

Hicks argues that pharmaceutical patents protection should be increase to incentivize research and development (R&D), in that way the pharmaceutical industry could grow and prosper, which will bring positive economics and individual health.

On the other hand…

Arnolds Relman and Marcia Angell opposed Hinks vision. Both authors argue, in their article “How the drug industry distorts medicine and politics.
America’s Other Drug Problem” that average R&D costs per drug is not nearly as high as corporations claimed.

The Authors analyze facts to support the theory. These reasons are based essentially on researches, lack of data provided for the pharmaceutical companies, real cost of developing new drugs, and the interests of the health care industry.

The fact that companies invest more money in advertising than in R&D is also a red flag in pharmaceutical’s claim that the high cost of their products is due to the investment they make in R&D. The theory is further supported by other data that include:

– An increasing number of drugs are simply licensed from academic medical centers or biotechnology companies, and are not entirely developed in the drug companies.
– R&D expenses are deductible from a firm’s tax base; calculation of the cost of R&D should be reduced by the amount of corporate tax avoided.
– Drug companies are impelled primarily by the financial aspirations of their investors and executives.
– Full disclosure of the data, including the identity of the drugs selected for study the pharmaceutical industry based their cost claims, and the costs for each of the studies.
– Most approved drugs entering the market are not really new, or they are licensed from other sources, or both.
– The private health care industry is primarily interested in selling services that are profitable, but patients are interested only in services that they need.
– Far from being a “research-based industry,” as it likes to call itself, the pharmaceutical industry now devotes most of its resources to functioning as a vast marketing and advertising.
Both authors point of view are valid, both are based on research, but I considered that Arnolds Relman and Marcia Angell article approaches more to the reality of the health care system and how they analyzes corporations’ used of different method to support a multibillion-industry and their investors.

I have some suggestion to approach the next shooting session:

Arms Wrestling:

For Arnolds Relman and Marcia Angell article I would like to use a contrasting light, where one side use a soft bright light while the other side reminds in the shadow; a ratio of 8 to 1. The image will be two-men/women arm wrestling. The idea is not to identify any of wrestling arms either with the corporations or the government/consumer, in that way spectators will decide who is who based on their own experience and the use of the contrasting light and the text. In both side we will see the same prescription that could have a white label or not.

Birthday Cellebration:

For Justin Hicks article I would like to shoot a birthday cake with the number 97 on it. The cake will be decorated with pills of different colors.

Another approach could be the number 97 covered in pills surrounded by birthday props.

The two poems are about cars but are metaphors on different things. she Being a brand by e.e. cummings is about sex and the other poem, Coming Home, Detroit, 1968 by Phillip Levine is about his city Detroit.

e.e. cummings talks about his car and personafies it by sayings things like “her” and saying things in relation to car parts and body parts of the woman.

Phillip driving through his town and the poem represents the destruction of his town because of the riots.

I will light a car for e.e. cummings poem representing love or a relationship by giving cars personality. I used heart cut outs as props for love and bright colors like red and blue to suggest that the cars are a guy and a gal.

Phillip Levine’s poem has a more dark tone to it so I built broken homes for props and shot through the window of his car because he looks through the the window of his car out to his town.

In the article “See the glass half empty of half full? Why Optimists are Happier, Healthier and Wealthier.” by Margie Warrell, Warrell discuss the outcomes of having these very different traits saying “optimism creates opportunity and pessimism kills it.” The author gives a list of things that a person should do in order to live a happier life, the list is:

Set your intentions-“Being intentional acts like a compass and helps you better focus your time and energy.”

Do something outside your comfort zone-“There is no better way to build self-confidence than by doing something that stretches you as it teaches you that you are capable of more than you thought you were.”

Reframe a problem into an opportunity-“Where pessimists see problems, optimists find opportunities.”

Avoid energy drainers-“Choose your company wisely and limit the time you spend with people who don’t fill your cup of optimism and “can do” self-confidence.”

Carry yourself like an optimist-“If you change how you hold yourself physically, it will change how you feel emotionally.”

Lighten up-“Why is it that comedians tend to live very long lives? It’s because they have become so masterful at finding the humor in even the most unfunny situations.”

Exercise-“Not only is it great for you physically,  it’s a very potent drug for making you feel better psychologically.”

The list was a great way for me to realize all that I need to start doing in order to live a happier life. I can admit I am a pessimist and sadly I did not realize it until my significant other really pointed it out. I am trying to become more and more optimistic. the tone for this article was somewhat happy and informational letting people know the benefits of being optimistic versus pessimistic.

In the other article “A Healthy Outlook” by Camille Chatterjee, Chatterjee warns us by letting us know that being pessimistic can lead to serious health issues in the future. The author explains that pessimistic people have a higher chance of having high blood pressure which can also lead to heart disease. After reading this article it really makes pessimism seem scary. I never thought about my attitude effecting my overall health. It was definitely an eye opener. The tone for this article was deep and almost dramatic letting people know the bad sides of being pessimistic.

I believe both articles were meant to be read by a pessimistic audience. I say this because even thought they have different tones it is all about informing pessimists on what to do and what not to do and what the outcome of being pessimistic may lead to.

Why optimists are happier, healthier and wealthier.

According to the article “See The Glass Half Full Or Empty? Why Optimists Are Happier, Healthier & Wealthier!” by Margie Warrell, optimism creates opportunity and pessimism kills it. She gave us tips on how to become a better human being in a positive, and optimistic way. The purpose of this article is to show the audience to be more hopeful and be patient for what they are waiting for, such as; a good job, a great car, etc. Also, a research has found that seeing the glass half full not only makes you  happier, it makes you healthier and wealthier.

Sometimes, (especially young adults) and including teenagers think that nothing is worth it. In fact, the audience of this article is directed to the American youth. Considering the purpose of the article the tone is in a motivating way, where it shows us that if we take a positive position in the face of any adversity, being optimistic will bring us better things, along with confidence and self-confidence. The author gives us tactics on how to turn a problem into an opportunity, taking advantage of it in a positive way. This idiom is used to explain how people perceive events and objects. Perception is unique to every individual and is simply one’s interpretation of reality. The phrase “Is the glass half empty or half full” can be understood also as a philosophical question.

A Healthy Look by Camille Chatterjee

This article brings medical facts to us, saying that both Universities and research have shown that people who are pessimistic are more likely to get or develop heart disease, such as high blood pressure, anxiety and stress.

Ideas:

For the first article, I would like to turn black water as a method or form of pessimism and darkness, that glass would be next to a BRIGHT and CLEAN water (which is the optimistic glass) adding a very high contrast to it.

I would also try to get my background black (for the pessimism photo, and white and bright for me optimism photo.

For the second article i would like to use something with facts, or warning people from a medical side, (a doctor tool) or an (stethoscope) that being pessimistic would cause people develop heart diseases.

The author explains the positive effects of optimism over the negative influence of pessimism using the metaphor of “A glass half empty or half full.”
To be pessimistic one have to keep an optimistic state of mind. To aspire to be the best at all one does, thinking positive, feel esteemed, show respect, be determine and courageous, and take risk while avoiding all negative influences. On the contrary, pessimism increases doubt and makes one insecure through lack of confidence, assuming that things are not possible. It also makes it difficult to apply one’s self when being a pessimist, success is almost never achieved.
In the article Margie Warrell uses a seven step positive approach to start of the day which help keeping focus on the objectives that give growth to pessimism, and maintaining that outlook on a daily basis.
The second article was not found, but from the article, “A healthy outlook” by Margie Warrell, she points out the differences between optimism and pessimism and how they changes one life base on the way one perceives their outlook of life.

From the article “ See the glass half empty or half full? Why Optimists are Happier, Healthier and Wealthier.” Margie Warrell targets to those people who stress on life. Everyone sees things in different ways might depends on how to do their attitudes. Using an example of a glass half full to present on people react on life. For example, For some people who are easy to meet the conditions would happier and healthier. The author also writes 7 strategies to train you to be optimism. Do not give up know what you need to do, meet new things, take a challenge to a hard time, and do not close someone who is pessimists, treat yourself and do exercise also means not lazy.

On “A Healthy outlook” by Camille Chatterjee, this article advance to those people who are pessimists. For pessimists will see a glass water as half empty like always missing something in their life. On the other way, they always deal the difficulties with pressure. The research did by Karen Matthews to inform everyone knows pessimists will easy to have higher blood pressure and then lead to heart disease.

Margie Warrell article main point, as she states in it, is: “Optimism creates opportunity and pessimism kills it.”

She based her avowal in researches, but in particular on one study made by Susan Segerstrong with a group of law student. group. Segerstrong found that law students who were optimism get better jobs and are more prompt to succeed. She remarks that these law students are in a group that see the glass-half-full, contrary to the other law students who look at a glass-half-empty.

Her main point is that she believes that positive attitude toward life makes you more successful and happier.

She mentioned 7 strategies “for filling up your cup of optimism.” She claims that: small changes in attitude, built self-confidence, see things from a new angle, hang out with optimist people, think in you as an optimism person and reflect it in your body language, laugh more, and exercise makes a huge difference in how you will enjoy and live your life.

For this shoot I want a reflected image of a glass with water that splash outside. The main reason is that the water is not still in the half of the glass is because, as Warell mention, you must be proactive and provocateur. Splashing water outside the glass a great way to show that optimism state.

I would like to use two strobe lights in the background of the subject. I will also need a diffuser, like silk white piece of fabric that will be in front of the two strobe lights.

The two strobes will be in different 45 angles. One in the top of another with the proper distance. Look at the diagram.

I will also need a white, black, or color piece of Plexiglas to create the reflection effect.

I would like to try this setting, if it does not work I will use the two-glass technique to create the illusion of the reflection.

One thing that must be considered is not to light the glass directly to avoid reflections.

A Healthy Outlook

Camille Chatterjee couldn’t be more accurate at the time she sustains that a good attitude is paramount for a better life. She specific refers to how blood pressure if affected by attitudes: “pessimists have a higher blood pressure that their more optimistic counterparts.”

She points to three main situations or states: Be optimistic, avoid stress, teamwork. Every of these advices has their own benefits and helps in controlling the blood pressure.

For this shoot I am thinking in bringing two glasses that I will put together in a peculiar way. Both will be half-full but the way in which I will set the layout will portrait, visually, what Ms. Chatterjee comments about the benefices that being optimistic, stress free, and the benefits of teamwork, bring to your life.

I would like to shoot this with a black background. Also with the reflection on the Plexiglas. I would like to use a tripod and long exposure, not strobe lights, to get the best image possible. But I am open to any suggestion that help me to achieve my ideas.

Water effects for these shoots will differ from the previous shoot in this series. I am thinking in using the fake ice cube the professor will bring to class.

Gabriel Flores

The first article by Margie Warrell is saying: there are many things in life that could stress out people, but if you are an optimism type of person you could solve more problem and live happier than those who are pessimism. she also gives 6 tips on how to be more optimistic in life. some of them are exercise, break your comfort zone, avoid hanging out with pessimistic people, see the problem as an opportunity, etc. I think the main audience for this articles are mostly everybody.

The second article by Camille Chatterjee is saying people who have pessimistic personally are more likely to have a higher blood pressure because the way they handle the problem and their anxiety, they are more likely to be stressed out and break down. Also, people live with higher blood would increase the chance of having a heart disease, stroke. therefore pessimistic is bad for health and it’s risk. this article is good for people who have pessimistic personality, this is kind of a warning to them.