Why I Miss "Connections"

 Back when computer games were a hoot, James Burke put out a two disc set based on his television program, "Connections."  I spent a weekend playing through the whole thing, felt completely fine that it also expanded my appreciation for just about everything scientific.

Of course, that was in the days of Windows 95, and the "improved" Windows 10 is utterly incapable of understanding how to run the game, so I am left with just the small-resolution video bits that peppered the experience.  This is one, particularly of interest to those with pharmacology occasionally cluttering their minds:

Pharmacognosy - B/W Sketches 1984-86

Digital Images for Textbook

(c) 2013 The Animating Apothecary

(c) 2013 The Animating Apothecary

Two more down, about another 300 to go...

Ferris State College and Big Rapids, ca 1976

From a crumbling 1/2 reel to reel tape, of a transfer from a 16mm original, glitches, drop outs and all...for the hard core historian of Ferris and Big Rapids in the 1970s.  There may be more than one.  Soundtrack is a randomly generated piece from Sony's Vegas software during the final render.  It runs almost 90 seconds.

The title reads 'college' since Ferris still hadn't evolved to university status in the mid-1970s (I think they were still trying to use up letterhead that read 'Ferris Institute' at that point).

The model pharmacy shown is virtually unchanged since this was filmed.  Which, of course, means it has been virtually unused for almost 40 years.  Egad.  I do not appear in this clip, but I had a pair of bell bottom pants like the ones worn by the 'patient' in the film.  And those are probably in a box somewhere, as well...like this video was.

This was originally filmed to be part of a pharmacy promotion video to run during student orientation at Ferris State College.  It hasn't aired since 1977, probably to the relief of the administration of the pharmacy school.  Only one of the pharmacies shown - Martz and Shapley's - is still in business, but in a different location.   Growing up in Big Rapids, that pharmacy was the primary 'walk through' to the main business district, and it always smelled of witch hazel and guiafenesin.  ... and they had the nastiest tasting trading stamps, too.   The things one remembers.

Working late at the office.

Working on a camera setup...and...

 

...then the lights went out...

I think it was a bad circuit breaker...

Mug Design #1 - Mr Caffeine for President

Everyone else is getting ready for 2016, so why not Mr. Caffeine?



(c) 1988, 2013 The Animating Apothecary



Coming soon from cafepress....maybe too soon...
In the meantime...
See the first volume of sketches at http://www.lulu.com/shop/jim-middleton/uncle-stans-profusely-illustrated-world-no-1/paperback/product-20701680.html

First Compilation - Uncle Stan's Profusely Illustrated World #1

 OK, it's lulu press, but it's finally done.  Another three expected in the series before the scanner fries....

(c) 2013 The Animating Apothecary

36 pages, black and white illustrations at Lulu Press
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/UncleStan

Here's the cover for the second set of sketches, assembly complete at at LULU:

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/UncleStan

Bad Pun Department

More fooling around with Photoshop:



(c) 2006 The Animating Apothecary

lulu press link:  http://ar.gy/3UB9

In spite of popular demand - the 2013 Late Edition Calendar!

Cover of the out of print 2013 edition, in full expensive Technicolor (TM).  OK, not really.  Just in color. 

(c) 2013, The Animating Apothecary

Coming Soon to a Checkout Counter Near YOU!

From the 1994 Calendar:


(c) 1993 The Animating Apothecary



lulu press link:  http://ar.gy/3UB9

Happy Holidays from the Animating Apothecary!



(c) 1997 The Animating Apothecary

 See the whole first volume! http://www.lulu.com/shop/jim-middleton/uncle-stans-profusely-illustrated-world-no-1/paperback/product-20701680.html

Herbal Pharmacy



(c) 1993 The Animating Apothecary



Coming Soon to a T-Shirt Near You

(c) 1987 The Animating Apothecary

...or a coffee mug...
...needs some Photoshop TLC...

Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend - A Belated McCay Tribute

Winsor McCay's 145th birthday was yesterday, the 26th of September.  Here is a belated tribute to his "Dreams of a Rarebit Fiend" strip, ca 1988 or so...

(c) 1988 The Animating Apothecary

See the whole first volume! http://www.lulu.com/shop/jim-middleton/uncle-stans-profusely-illustrated-world-no-1/paperback/product-20701680.html

A History of Pharmacy - Until 1997, at least...

See the whole first volume! http://www.lulu.com/shop/jim-middleton/uncle-stans-profusely-illustrated-world-no-1/paperback/product-20701680.html

Fallout from the Calendar archives...

That's about how I recall January of 2009....

Illustration compilation at lulu press.  Here's the link:  http://ar.gy/3UB9

Intelligent Design Pharmacy



(c) 2006 The Animating Apothecary

Illustration compilation at lulu press.  Here's the link:  http://ar.gy/3UB9



Another Red Letter Day in Drug Enforcement - Nixon and Elvis

A Bit of Pharmacy History - 1919

A couple of drug pages from the E. R. Squibb and Son's "Materia Medica" book of fine, pure products from 1919.  At this point, the FDA had been in place 13 years....

...I am pretty certain that by 1919, these products required a prescription...
The text on cannabis reads:

"Cannabis has been employed as a Sedative, Anodyne and Hypnotic, in cases where opium does not agree with the patient. Unlike the latter, it causes neither nausea nor constipation. It produces at first a mental stimulation, which is later followed by a calmer mood and finally by sleep. It is used in acute and chronic mental derangements, in neuralgia, migraine, gout and rheumatism. In combination with the bromides (see Tab­lets Triple Bromides and Cannabis Compound) it is employed in hysteria, delirium tremens and mild cases of mania. All patients do not respond to it alike; and while no doubt idiosyn­crasy plays a great part, yet the quality of the drug has much to do with its constitutional effect. In all our preparations of this drug the best quality of hemp is used. "

1993 - Pre HIPAA and Mandated PharmD Degrees....

Here's a pilot that never got airborne, from 1993.  After about 5 months of meetings, a complete pharmacist recast, and three days of shooting video at pharmacies and laudromats that are no longer in business, I assembled this linear editing exercise with a pair of S-VHS players and lots of tachyarrhythmia.  And coffee...did I need to mention coffee?

Needless to say, the 10-episode series never went beyond these 6 minutes, and nobody gets to come around the pharmacy counter anymore without a supoena.  The "even longer for a clinical degree" - the PharmD - is now the only bona-fide entry card to "Behind the Counter" these days.

Snagged this to digital just before the original from 1993 began crumbling.  Lots of color shifts and sound drops..... egad....