How to live like a shameless SOB, cheat karma and live happily ever after

1. Grow a thick hide as far as maintaining relationships are possible. You will lose friends faster than a deciduous tree in fall. Just find a way to fill your day with random people and paid admirers. Money makes one beautiful and attractive, no question.

2. Accumulate lots of money, primarily with real estate. Lasting deals going gangrenous are a problem so consider flipping assets quickly. This step is essential to funding people referred to in step #1.

3. When someone accuses you of lies, misconduct, thievery, skulduggery or bad behaviour, aggressively blame them for their shortcomings. This softens the blow and will scare them away.

4. To prevent bystanders, onlookers, spectators from forming bad opinions of you, do not dwell on any one issue too long. Keep presenting new nonsense, cover up old bullshit constantly with new fresh turds of information. People will eventually get anxiety and data overload, will move on to other innocuous issues.

5. Do not ever read. Write instead. Reading makes one introspective and gives the conscience an opportunity to speak louder. Writing is a weapon of the mind, poison is very easily dispensed and does not require hazardous storage within, for extended periods of time.

6. Take graciously without giving, never say sorry, never think of equalizing the rich and poor. The most successful SOB is one who is perpetually entitled, whose very existence was a sign from the heavens to all around that you are just fortunate to see, touch or be in the shadow of such a great soul.

Amen

American Healthcare and Pharmacology marketing

This year, my thoughts are toward the medical world, as an observer of the direction this system moves.

Being Canadian, one cannot ignore the ubiquitous truth that US healthcare is better than ours albeit out of reach of many. (That is only one of the many flaws of American Health system).
Hospital Care and doctors visits should be universally accessible in any country. No one should have to hesitate consulting a physician, with cost being the deterrent. I remember a restaurant owner friend in Texas who tried to get a pharmacy tech to examine a lump on his neck. She took one look at it, eyes wide and asked him to get hospitalized ... system broken.
Healthcare should not be completely free either. There should be a nominal co-pay (subsidized for seniors or the poor) for every doctor visit or pharmacy refill. This token payment is so system is not abused, discouraging people getting a social visit at the doc.

I wonder why so many drug companies are allowed to advertise on television for their new panacea drug - only to sneak in the disclaimer "talk to your doctor if you have dangerously low blood pressure, suicidal thoughts etc" ... but other than that the drug helps you improve your tennis game, play with your dog better and wave happily to your neighbour while walking, as never before.
Its odd - only the USA and New Zealand allow these ads ... I bet the kiwi ads are not as annoying as "tomorrow, tomorrow .. I'll love you tomorrow".
Eventually the telly ad gets pulled off, to be quickly replaced by a law firm advising you to contact them if you ever took that drug, so you may sue the pharma company for long term detriment.

A society where lawyers win and everyone else loses is definitely one widening disparity between the powerful rich and the have-nots.
Talk to folks who have chronic pain who have graduated to opiods, other narcotics and eventually got addicted.
Now there are even other prescription medications to treat those conditions - naloxone, naltrexone..
Dont get me wrong, I am deeply appreciative of the wonder medicines the new world pharmacy has to offer... but do not give me, an unqualified consumer, the choice or tell me how great your pill is.
Let that come from my doctor. Do the song and dance to the MD via a representative (like the rest of the world). I might just end up getting a generic anyway, since I don't have insurance.
You're not really excited to educate me, but more to justify pushing the price of your new meds up.