Taking the "S" out of STEM

These days, I've spent a LOT of time on various blogs, reading story after story of US trained PhD's discouraged over the current job situation. And it's a VERY sad especially when you know a few of these folks from your interactions with them on the net. Take for example "Tom" (not his real name) who has a resume to die for but hasn't been able to find a permanent gig for about 18 months. Now the guy is having regular meals at the soup kitchen because he can no longer afford to feed himself. Or Shiva (not her real name), and brilliant Indian chick who's a divorcee' and single Mom and is also struggling to find full-time work. It's not hard our here for Scientists, it's a ROYAL bee-yotch for many!!!

Well until the job situation improves I can not in my right mind, encourage ANYONE to consider a career as a Scientist hence, removing the "S" from my support of STEM fields. Technology, Engineering, and Medicine (my "M") ALL look promising but Science careers, hells naw! And this is unfortunate because by the time the US realizes how much the lack of people pursuing these fields is going to cost them, they will have LONG since lost ground in being a leader in ground breaking research.In fact, I'm predicting India and possible China will be the next sites for the next major scientific and medical research discoveries for reasons too numerous to name.

And that brings me to my next point about the financial behemoth called big pharma. Let's face some facts here, this industry has NOTHING to gain from a healthy America, absolutely NOTHING! Combine that with their lobby (and Gov't officials according to some) and you have the perfect recipe for why most major diseases will NEVER be cured. There's just too much money being made in sickness and dying/death. So as an unrelated example, I've made a personal choice to ONLY buy high end items from consignments shops, eBay, thrift stores, ect. to keep from making already rich people rich. And I've decided the same thing when it comes to my health. I'm going to go overboard maintaining a healthy life style so I decrease my contribution to the what I feel is the worst industry on the planet, Big Pharma.