musings on medicines from the Earth
Abel Pharmboy is the nom de plume of an academic researcher and educator who holds a PhD in Pharmacology. He writes on natural product drugs and dietary supplements, academic career development, medical journalism and, occasionally, making and listening to music and, with the help of his colleague, Erleichda, wine appreciation.
Terra Sigillata is the name of the first authenticated, trademarked drug.
"Why Terra Sigillata?" will tell you more about the origin of the blog name.
You can learn quickly the distinction between the fields of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy, Pharmacy, the Pharmaceutical Sciences by clicking on the hyperlinks.
Learn more about the author and the origin of "Abel Pharmboy" here.
Please feel free to contact me off-blog by e-mail to abelpharmboy (at) gmail (dot) com.
Please read the DISCLAIMER for details on the blog's intended audience, advertising and comment policy, and how not to use the information presented herein.
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October 31, 2008
Category: The Friday Fermentable
An affordable Viognier and a half-decent 6-string guitar enables one to approximate a very complicated 40-year mystery.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 9:34 PM • 5 Comments •
Category: Alternative medicine
"The personality of the pseudoexpert merits detailed psychological analysis. It helps, I think, not to be too intelligent. This makes it easier for the pseudoexpert to fall victim to his or her own powers of persuasion."
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:16 AM • 25 Comments •
October 29, 2008
Category: Politics
Fresh off the presses from the mothership....
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 3:08 PM • 0 Comments •
October 28, 2008
Category: Blogging community
I want to be Tom Levenson. That is all.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:45 PM • 1 Comments •
October 27, 2008
Category: Memes
The blogger who I thought among all held the greatest disdain for any of these silly little narcissistic blogger games, Comrade PhysioProf, has tagged me with a meme. 1. Link to the person who tagged you. 2. Post the rules...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 1:02 PM • 10 Comments •
October 25, 2008
Category: Politics
Have you gotten this yet?
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 4:37 PM • 9 Comments •
October 24, 2008
Category: The Friday Fermentable
Hey! Stop blogging or commenting for a moment and tell us what you are drinking right now.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 10:02 PM • 5 Comments •
Category: Bioethics
"Prescribing 'placebo treatments': results of national survey of US internists and rheumatologists," is the title of a newly-published article in the 23 October issue of BMJ (British Medical Journal). The full text article and PDF are available for free at...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 2:55 PM • 0 Comments •
Category: Civil rights
Yes, we have come far, but not yet far enough.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 1:29 PM • 0 Comments •
October 22, 2008
Category: The Pseudonymity Laboratory
The salicious suspense of pseudonymity.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 3:30 PM • 8 Comments •
October 20, 2008
Category: The Pseudonymity Laboratory
Are there any useful formal or semi-formal metrics for attesting to the authority or objectivity of a pseudonymous blogger? And what the heck is that HONcode certification in our sidebar anyway?
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 6:14 PM • 6 Comments •
October 19, 2008
Category: DonorsChoose.org
You get far more than you give.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 6:02 PM • 0 Comments •
Category: Race in Science and Society
. . .wheeling a brand-new, factory-packaged office refrigerator down the street of a predominantly African American neighborhood past a parked police cruiser at daybreak on a cold Sunday and having the officer roll down the window and shake your hand while wishing you a good morning.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 11:29 AM • 3 Comments •
October 18, 2008
Category: Science Comes Alive
Some visual coverage of the GFP story that I had missed.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 4:46 AM • 0 Comments •
October 17, 2008
Category: The Friday Fermentable
If you're in Australia or North America, chances are your first experience with Shiraz was in the form widely-available from Rosemount Estates. Shiraz is derived from the same stock as Syrah that is grown in France's Rhone Valley. The Australian...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 5:03 PM • 4 Comments •
Category: The Pseudonymity Laboratory
Our dear comrade cuts to the chase. Our work here is done.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:30 AM • 3 Comments •
October 16, 2008
Category: The Pseudonymity Laboratory
Turns out that pseudonymity is perceived as less significant than actual content in attributing authority. . .so far.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:49 PM • 4 Comments •
Category: Research
A deluge of search engine hits as the Prasher story spreads.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 7:17 AM • 0 Comments •
October 14, 2008
Category: The Pseudonymity Laboratory
Dissecting the dead horse.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 6:30 PM • 27 Comments •
October 13, 2008
Category: Academia
Chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill joins the ranks of bloggers in a substantive way.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:02 AM • 1 Comments •
October 12, 2008
Category: Drugs of Abuse
Marijuana plots in West Coast national parks raise environmental concerns.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 6:55 PM • 10 Comments •
October 11, 2008
Category: Medicine
Friends of Pharmboy fare fabulously.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 6:05 PM • 0 Comments •
Category: Personal
. . .is not the name of my new punk rock band.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 12:19 PM • 7 Comments •
October 10, 2008
Category: The Friday Fermentable
So, er, why don't I travel with Erleichda and Sweetpea???
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 9:13 PM • 1 Comments •
October 9, 2008
Category: Academia
You probably thought this was going to be about Dr Robert Gallo. Driving in to lab this morning I heard Dan Charles' story on NPR's Morning Edition about the unheralded scientist, Dr Douglas Prasher, who first cloned the green fluorescent...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 6:59 AM • 26 Comments •
October 8, 2008
Category: Academia
I am about to lead a discussion of science and medical blogs with a group of journalism students in a course entitled, Medical Journalism. While many of the students are specifically majoring in medical and science journalism in a master's...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 8:02 AM • 2 Comments •
Category: Chemistry
Nature's gift of green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish, Aequorea victoria, has always been important to me, personally and professionally. In fact, PharmGirl, MD, and I would have never met if not for this wonder macromolecule nor then would...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 6:01 AM • 1 Comments •
October 6, 2008
Category: Physiology
Whoa! Where's Gallo? And how will this be spun by the HIV-denialists?
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 5:49 AM • 3 Comments •
October 5, 2008
Category: Civil rights
The author, human rights activist, folklorist, and environmentalist, Stetson Kennedy, is celebrating his 92nd birthday today in the company of friends and family near St. Augustine, Florida. His website, StetsonKennedy.com, used to have a guestbook but the webmaster, his grandson...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 6:46 PM • 6 Comments •
Category: Politics
We here at Terra Sig are peripheral to Teh Atheist Cabal at ScienceBlogs so I had to do a consortium-wide search to be sure no one like PZ, revere, or Laden wrote about this lawsuit filed by the Freedom From...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 10:17 AM • 0 Comments •
October 4, 2008
Category: Academia
Sometimes, you just never know.
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 10:08 AM • 5 Comments •
October 3, 2008
Category: DonorsChoose.org
As I alluded to in the previous post, many science bloggers like us are currently running challenges to readers to donate to projects at DonorsChoose.org. This great organization has been a sponsoring clearinghouse for all kinds of educational projects proposed...
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 12:18 AM • 1 Comments •
October 2, 2008
Category: DonorsChoose.org
I am completely crushed, hammered, and otherwise incapacitated at work right now - apologies to readers who are looking for some natural products and pharmacology wisdom. It is in my brain but just not making it into pixels right now....
Posted by Abel Pharmboy at 2:42 PM • 0 Comments •
YES! Send me a free issue of Seed.
If I like what I see, I'll receive 5 more issues (6 in all) for just $14.95. That's 50% off the cover price! If I'm not completely satisfied, I'll simply write "cancel" on the invoice and owe nothing. The free issue is mine to keep.
(Non-U.S. subscribers, click here.)
