#i had a burger this morning when i went to walmart i went to jack in the box on the way i was so sad and so hungry

[travelingtheusa]

CANADA - YUKON

2023 July 1 (Sat) – We gave everyone a totally free day to do what they wanted.  We ran some errands – got fuel and did some shopping.  We drove to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve.  The tour bus was getting ready to leave when we arrived so we quickly paid and joined the group for a tour of the preserve.  They had 4 moose (we saw one), elk, thin horn sheep, mountain goats, 2 lynx, and wood bison.

2023 June 30 (Fri) – We took a bus tour of Whitehorse this morning.  I expected one 56-passenger bus but 3 12-passenger vans arrived instead.  We split into groups and rode around the area for 2-1/2 hour.  Whitehorse is not very spread out and we hit all the high spots.

      After we got back to the campground, Paul and I hopped in the truck and went into town to do some grocery shopping.  The Canadian Store wanted a dollar to take a shopping cart.  We had none so we moved on to Walmart.  It was a very small store with a poor selection of items.  We couldn’t find several items.  So, we went to the Save-on-Foods.  There we picked up the rest of what we needed.  We will be having a potluck barbecue tomorrow after the Canada Day festivities in town, and on July 4th in Skagway after the Independence Day festivities.  In both instances, the caravan is providing the meat and the group is providing the sides.

      At 6 p.m. we climbed into Johnny & Linda’s truck and rode with them to downtown Whitehorse.  First stop was at the Visitor Center where they got their 3-day parking pass.  Then we walked 3 blocks to the Dirty Northern Bastard, a pub.  Paul and Johnny had truffle burgers, Linda had a salmon burger, and I tried an Atlantic Char.  It turned out to be a meaty white fish.  Very tasty.  It came with fried capers.  Unusual but good.

2023 June 29 (Thu) – We packed up and left Swift River at 8:00 a.m.  It was 185 miles and 3 of the 5 groups wanted to stop off to see the George Johnston Museum. We saw it last time we were here so we were in the “bah, humbug” group.  We pulled into the Pioneer RV Park in Whitehorse around noon.  The owner was not in and had not left a voucher for how much our bill was so the clerk told me to come back tomorrow.  Everybody up here is so laid back about money.  Don’t worry.  Pay me later when it is convenient for you.  What a difference from the states where everyone wants to be paid upfront before anything.

      We got the campground map, determined where to put everyone, and then parked each group as they came in.  It was a little tricky because we had to determine whether they came in on the left or right side.  The sides are Jack and Jill so one rig faces one direction and the one next to it faces another direction.  They share the same stanchion. 

      We grilled some chicken-on-a-stick, made boiled potatoes, Linda provided carrots, and we enjoyed a meal with Johnny and Linda.  Before dinner, a few of us gathered around the Padberg/Pepperell RV for social hour.  I was pooped and went to bed at 9.

2023 June 28 (Wed) – We packed up and left Watson Lake at 9 a.m.  It was only 85 miles to Swift River.  It was a boring drive for half the way – mostly long, lonely roadway through forest.  Then we spotted a porcupine, then a rabbit, a ptarmigan, and a chipmunk.  There wasn’t the array of wildlife as there has been up to now.

      Continental Divide Alpine Resort & RV Park (cough, cough) is a spot along the highway.  They have about 25 sites – 15 pull thru and the rest back in.  There is only 30 amp and water service.  The area is dirt and gravel with a good smattering of trees.  The owner, Rick Aley, couldn’t have been nicer and as helpful as could be.  He kept riding by on his ATV with his dog to check on us.  We got everyone in OK.  We were warned to watch for a grizzly bear in the area.  Many went for a hike to Rancheria Falls.

       At 5 p.m., 22 folks went in to the café to eat.  At 6 p.m. the second seating took place (it was a small café).  After dinner, we held a travel meeting in the café.

2023 June 27 (Tue) – We went to the Northern Lights Centre for a show about the northern lights.  It was kind of dry and I kept nodding off.  After the show, we all went exploring around the area.  We held a travel meeting next to the office on picnic tables they had there.  The sun was blazing down so we made the meeting quick then gathered around our RV for happy hour.

2023 Jun 26 (Mon) – We drove 200 miles from Toad River, BC to Watson Lake in the Yukon.  It was exciting with view of wood bison, caribou, and bears.  Downtown RV Park was essentially a big open dirt lot with 3 rows of campsites – one on either fence and a pull thru section down the middle of the lot.  The owner, Archie Tannock, had a Scottish burr and something of an attitude.  We worked well together, though, and things went off with few problems.  When we first pulled into the campground, Fantasy RV was also arriving with their caravan and there were motorhomes everywhere.  We managed to get everything straightened out and everyone got parked fine.

       Once everyone was in, we all went to the Signpost Forest.  In 1942, a soldier was given the responsibility to put up a directional sign indicating how far Washington DC and other towns were from Watson Lake.  Being homesick, he also stuck up a sign for his hometown.  From there on, people have come from all over the world and added signs to the area.  There are over 85,000 signs in the place.  We put our sign up and hunted for signs from other caravans.  It is a dizzying collection of signage.

[trendfag]

told myself and my dad i was getting my cars emission test done today but i just wanna go home

[lovemesomesurveys]

Over 1,000 questions survey part 5 by 3llen your lasts: who was the last boy you saw? My brother. you talked to? My brother. you hugged? My mom. you kissed? Joseph. you missed? My mom.

you texted? My dad.

you hung out with? My brother.

you thought about?

My mom.

you saw a movie with?

My parents and brother.

you took pictures with? My mom and aunt.

you were annoyed with? Myself.

you wanted to punch?

No one.

who was the last girl you saw?

My doctor and nurse yesterday.

you talked to?

My brother.

you hugged?

My mom. You asked this.

you had a discussion with?

My brother.

you fought with?

Had a disagreement with my mom.

you laughed with?

My brother.

you cried with?

Myself.

you traveled with?

My mom and aunt.

you made plans with?

My brother.

you went shopping with?

My mom.

you went to lunch with?

My mom.

you had a sleepover with?

A friend several years ago.

you got a gift from?

My family.

you gave a gift to?

My mom.

you dated?

Joseph.

you broke up with?

Joseph.

you danced with?

No one.

you sang with?

*shrug* I tend to sing by myself.

when was the last time you showered?

Yesterday.

you brushed your teeth? This morning.

you cried your heart out?

Recently.

you laughed your heart out?

I haven’t had a laugh like that in years.

you smiled til your cheeks hurt?

I don’t remember.

you yelled til your throat hurt?

Never.

you ate pancakes?

A few months ago.

you ate a burger?

A couple months ago.

you ate fruit?

I had a banana in my milkshake last night.

you ate veggies?

A few days ago.

you ate seafood?

Ew, I don’t eat seafood.

you ate oreos?

I’ve had a few Oreo milkshakes recently.

you ate cheetos?

I don’t recall.

you ate at mcdonalds?

About a week ago. I didn’t eat there, though.

you ate at red robin?

A few years ago.

you ate at subway?

It’s been years.

you ate at olive garden?

It’s been years as well.

you went to the bathroom?

About an hour ago.

you left the room?

When I used the restroom.

you left your house?

Yesterday.

you left your town?

A couple weeks ago.

you left your state?

Several years ago.

you left your country?

Well over a decade ago.

you drank water?

This morning.

you drank alcohol?

Almost a decade ago.

you drank cold syrup?

I haven’t taken cold medicine in years.

you saw snow?

It’s been several years.

you saw rain?

Several months ago.

you saw your mom?

Monday morning before she left for her trip.

you saw your dad?

Last night.

you saw your best friend?

My mom is my best friend.

you hugged your mom?

Monday morning.

you hugged your dad?

Like a few months ago.

you hugged your best friend?

I already answered this.

you went on a date?

Like 5 years ago.

you went to the movies?

A few weeks ago.

you went to a concert?

Back in 2009.

you went to your grandparents' house?

It’s been years.

you went to the grocery store?

About a week ago.

you went to walmart?

We did our grocery shopping at Walmart.

you went to target?

A few months ago.

you pet a dog?

Earlier.

you pet a cat?

I don’t recall.

you held a rodent?

Never.

you held a reptile?

Neverrrr.

you took a nap?

Earlier.

you got a text?

Like an hour ago.

you sent a text?

About an hour ago when I responded to the text I got.

you saw your ex?

About 5 years ago.

you talked to your ex?

That same time.

you avoided your ex?

I don’t ever run into him or have any interaction anymore.

you were on stage?

My graduation back in 2015.

you were asked out?

Years ago.

you were dumped?

Several years ago.

you felt miserable?

All the time.

you felt truly happy?

Childhood?

where was the last place you were kissed?

I think it was in his car.

you put your favorite shoes?

Yesterday.

you put your dirty clothes?

I put them in a hamper.

you put your ipod?

It’s been stored away in a drawer since like 2012.

you put your hands?

Uhh, they’re currently being used to type this.

you bought clothes from?

Boxlunch.

you bought food from?

Jack in the Box.

you saw your grandparents?

It’s been like 3 years since I’ve seen them. :(

you saw your best friend?

I saw her Monday morning before she left for her trip.

you needed to get away from?

I could use some time away on a vacay.

you needed to go?

I had to go to a doctor appointment yesterday.

you tripped?

I don’t recall.

you read a book?

I’m currently reading one.

you played a board game?

Months ago.

you played a card game? I don’t recall.

you played a video game? Last month.

you ran to? Uhhh. you slept? I sleep in my bed every night. I spend most of my time in bed, actually. you ate? I ate a few hours ago. you showered? Yesterday. you bathed? I only take showers. you swam? Yearsss ago. you jumped rope? Never. you took a plane to? Last year coming back from my Disneyland trip. you took a car to? Home from my doctor appointment and getting food yesterday. what was the last thing you sang to? I don’t remember at the moment. you danced to? *shrug* you played with? Uhh. you smiled at? My brother. you laughed at? My doggo. you couldn't wait for? I’m looking forward to seeing Halloween Kills and checking out the Halloween store tomorrow. you missed doing? I miss being a kid. you thought about? Well, about being a kid. you read about? An article about different casseroles to try lol. your perfect girl or guy: girl or guy? :) Guy. hair color? I don’t care. hair length? Short. hair texture? I don’t care. eye color? Whatever, but admittedly I do really like blue or green colored eyes. skin color? I don’t care. freckles? Sure. dimples? Sure. scars? I don’t care? I have numerous scars. make-up? No. any tattoos? I don’t mind a few. any piercings? Not too big on piercings, but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker. Preferably not a lot. ideal height? Tall. ideal weight? I don’t care. taller or shorter than you? Taller. Just about everyone is taller than me, though. stronger or weaker than you? Stronger. I’m weak enough,  I need someone strong who can help me with stuff and be able to lift/carry me. any other physical characteristics? shy or outgoing? Outgoing. I’m the shy one. complex or simple? A little of both. funny or serious? Know the time and place for both. romantic or not? I mean, yeah. respectful or not? Of course, wtf. obsessed or not? Uhh with what and how so? Like, a healthy, fun obsession with a TV show or hobby or something, but not serious where it takes over their life or they become crazy about it. peverted or not? Uh, not... wtf kind of question is that. intellectual or not? Yes. artist or athlete? Artist. musician or athlete? Musician. musician or artist? Musician. surprise hugs? Sure. surprise kisses? Sure. surprise presents? I certainly wouldn’t be opposed.

have you already found this person? No.

[pinelife3]

Ask about me. I wish you would.

Disclaimer: I don’t know shit about shit - but I’m trying.

Feel like my blogging this year (I know we’re not very far in) has been really sub-optimal. Typically I feel like my blogs are best when I get fired up about/really interested in something - they come easier and (hopefully) are funnier and more interesting. I have been interested in lots of stuff, but I feel a lot of what I’ve read has already been well positioned and there hasn’t really been much room for me to butt my nose in and comment. Anyway, I wanna try to steel man Martin Shkreli. Feeling pretty amped about this actually.

I remember late 2015 sitting in a fish and chip shop (Colin’s Catch <3 - I never got fish and chips there, always burgers) reading some shitty article on Jezebel about Shkreli and even though it was probably not a good example of reporting I found it convincing. In 2015 he (or actually, his company, Turing Pharmaceuticals) increased the price of Daraprim 5500% from $13.50 (US, I presume because they only own the US version of the drug) to $750 per pill. Once upon a time it retailed for just $1 a pill. The way people talk about him he might as well be the devil.

From The Daily Beast:

From Consequence of Sound:

From Dazed:

Hahah - from Wonkette (whatever that is):

The New Yorker:

The New Yorker article opens like this:

On Thursday morning, the most reviled person in America arrived on Capitol Hill for a short but memorable engagement with the most reviled institution in America. The institution was the U.S. Congress, which Americans say they hate—though not quite enough, apparently, to stop reëlecting its members. And the person was Martin Shkreli, a pharmaceutical executive who loves to play the villain, and who can’t decide whether to be amused or outraged when he is treated accordingly. Donald Trump can rightly be called polarizing, but Shkreli cannot: he seems to have precious few fans to balance out his innumerable detractors.

Okay, so I have cherry picked some of the more venomous headlines but I think it’s fair to say he’s unpopular. The mainstream media actively root against him. In December last year everyone was smugly pleased when some high school students made the active ingredient in Daraprim: like because some teenagers can bootleg one component of the drug in a high school chem lab that’s somehow valuable? They didn’t recreate the whole drug, just a key component. And in any case - the whole basis of the outrage was that this was a cheap drug that underwent an unjustified price hike. Has Shkreli ever tried to pretend there was some change of circumstances where they key component of the drug suddenly became expensive to produce? Their position has always been: we jacked up the price because we could. 

Quoth Shkreli:

To me the drug was woefully underpriced. It is not a question of ‘Is this fair?’ or ‘What did you pay for it?’ or ‘When was it invented?’ It should be more expensive in many ways.

And again:

If there was a company that was selling an Aston Martin at the price of a bicycle, and we buy that company and ask to charge Toyota prices, I don’t think that should be a crime.

It cost those high school goons $20 (assuming this is just in ingredients - not equipment, facilities, time, fancy lab coats, etc.) to create 3.7 grams of the active ingredient in Daraprim (which apparently works out to about $2 per pill… again, based purely on their ingredients). 

^^ Cute

Shkreli has always said that profits made from the price jacking allow/ed his then-company Turing Pharmaceuticals (he resigned as CEO in 2015 after being arrested for securities fraud - is there anything this guy can’t do?) to work on research and development for cool new drugs to save lives (or make more money depending on your outlook).

Shkreli has consistently defended the move to raise the price of the drug - in late 2015 there were some vague intimations that he would lower the price, but they later backtracked on this and it was later reported that Turing would instead follow some standard procedures to make it easier for patients to access the drug. According to the NY Times:

Daraprim, which has been on the market since 1953, is the preferred treatment for toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that can cause severe brain damage in babies, people with AIDS and others with compromised immune systems.

According to PolitiFact:

There are only about 2,000 U.S. patients who use the drug every year. 

And if you don’t have insurance you can get it for free here. 

Turing have held this position from way back in 2015: 

“A drug’s list price is not the primary factor in determining patient affordability and access,” Nancy Retzlaff, Turing’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement. “A reduction in Daraprim’s list price would not translate into a benefit to patients.”

The company pledged that no patient needing Daraprim would ever be denied access.

How is this dude still so hated? According to the NYT, the programs Turing is undertaking are standard for high priced drugs (because it’s not like Daraprim is unique in being expensive - 12 months’ worth of cancer treatments can cost upwards of $100,000 - Daraprim is a bargain at the low, low price of just $75,000 for 100 doses):

Such patient assistance programs are standard for companies selling extremely high-priced drugs. They enable the patients to get the drug while pushing most of the costs onto insurance companies and taxpayers. 

I feel like only villains say stuff like “it’s just business” - but, I mean, it really is? If you can make money, why shouldn’t you? One of the all time top posts on /r/depthhub is about how Bill Gates is a bad dude because he’s a ruthless businessman who tried hard to beat his competitors. That’s business, man. Why would you work with or help you competitors? All that’s gonna do is take money out of your pocket:

He viewed any successful non-Microsoft software as a threat, even if that software was for Windows. And if that software was cross-platform he viewed it as an existential threat, since it lessened people’s dependence on Microsoft.

They literally are threats? They’re competing products… how thick do you need to be not to see that? Even if something is made for Windows, if it wasn’t made by Microsoft then Microsoft sees none of the profits. Why would they be interested in that arrangement? And some of the complaints against Microsoft are violently stupid:

Apple had contracted out to a 3rd party company to do the Windows port of QuickTime, so what did MS do? They went to the same company and gave them a ton of money to develop Video For Windows, but an insanely short schedule, knowing full well that the company would essentially have to re-use a lot of the QuickTime For Windows source code to get the project done on time.

When Apple found out (their contract with the other company stated that Apple owned all the QuickTime For Windows source code), they went ballistic and sued Microsoft. Microsoft had been caught red-handed and knew that Apple had them by the balls. So MS settled. Remember when Microsoft “bailed out” Apple in the 90s by buying $150 million in Apple stock? Despite what the tech press reported, that’s not what actually happened. The $150 million in non-voting Apple stock that Microsoft bought was part of their settlement (Apple was no longer on the verge of bankruptcy by that point, and didn’t need to be bailed out). The settlement also had Microsoft agreeing to port MS Office and Internet Explorer to Macintosh.

Really sounds like the third party’s fault to me? The third party company shouldn’t have agreed to an unrealistic timeline and they certainly shouldn’t have resold Apple’s IP. It sounds like all Microsoft did was go to a third party company who had proven success in developing a video player for PC (which is sensible) and asked them to make something for them as well. Anyway: so Bill Gates is cutthroat? So Bill Gates wins? So his throne is built on the bone dust of his foes? It’s just business - why should you make concessions for businesses which can’t cut it or are trying to cut into your share? It’s not charity. And Gates knows charity - he’s donated over $28 billion dollars to improve healthcare and fight poverty, he aims to wipe out Malaria in the next generation.

It’s not even a case of ends justifying the means (like, a mafia boss who funnels the spoils of his crimes into an orphanage or something) - Gates behaved in a way which was industry standard for any big corporation and does so much good - if he let other companies survive and make money (essentially taking away from his own bottom line) is there any guarantee that those $28 billion would have made their way into charity?

Tangentally related to this - Shkreli’s capitalist declaration:

Yeah, I’m a capitalist, I’d love to make an even bigger fortune than I’ve got now. But I’m not gonna do it at the expense of a human life. We sell our drugs for a dollar to the government, but we sell our drugs for $750 a pill to Walmart, to Exxon Mobil, to all these big companies, they pay full price because fuck them, why shouldn’t they? If I take their money to do research for dying kids, I think I’m a hero, let alone evil.

Anyway (I got distracted). In an AMA Shkreli did in late 2015, the top comment is:

Hey! Doctor here and I work in India.

Now medically speaking I haven��t yet heard of why your drug’s worth $749 more than my pyrimethamine. Does it improve on the nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea? Does it have a folate sparing effect? Can it be used in pregnant women and in epileptics?

No one’s been able to tell me what your upgrade is or how it works or even if it is a cost saving upgrade.

Now here is my second problem. If your upgrade reduces the side effects of the drug, why is it much more expensive than prescribing say…. Ondansetron and a Folate infusion to counteract the more common effects. I mean even if I used multiple drugs to achieve this and say bundled pyrimethamine with ondansetron and loperamide and an antacid say pantoprazole and suggested folate level monitoring it would be cheaper.

So what makes Daraprim better than pyrimethamine and what changes and upgrades have you made to the drug to warrant the increase in price?

I find this really frustrating because at no point has Shkreli ever said that he introduced a cool new feature to justify the price increase - this dude (the Indian doctor) is just being smug and facetious but you can’t out-smug Shkreli so what’s even the point? He’s just pandering to a bunch of outraged idiots on Reddit. This dude (the Indian doctor) knows the answer to the question (Q: why? A: because he could) and is just being deliberately obtuse so he can pretend to be some kind of altruistic hero: “Oh you mean you increased the price of the drug just to make money? Unfathomable.” 

Even before Shkreli jacked the prices up, it was still much more expensive than similar products elsewhere. Before he increased the price to $750 a pill, it was sold for $13.50 a pill - in India they sell a generic version for $0.05 a pill (and I guess the Indian doctor above uses a $1 pill). So it was already (I am bad at maths but I think) 27000% more expensive than similar products available in India (does that sound right?).

When similar shit goes down the headline is “A drug company hiked the price of a lifesaving opioid overdose antidote by 500 percent” - when Martin Shkreli does anything they invoke his name in the headline (as though he as an individual were carrying out these actions from his home office) and leave Turing (or whichever other company he’s working with/for) buried in the main body somewhere. In the article linked above, the writer doesn’t actually mention the company’s name (Hospira) until the third paragraph and she doesn’t make any calls to lynch the CEO. She opens with this:

At a time when America needs these drugs most, drug companies are hiking the prices.

It’s called supply and demand, bitch. Jesus. (This person is actually seeking drama and pointless backlash, the sub-heading is: “Where’s the outrage?”) She’s an idiot:

Drug overdoses kill more people than car crashes and gun violence in America, and these overdose antidotes have never been more important. But they’re also quickly becoming more unreachable for the people whose deaths they could avert.

Yeah because junkies would totally be carrying around anti-overdose medicine in their purses were it not for the $142.49 price tag. Fuck I’m also angry because no one writing about this stuff seems to understand what a free market is. She says:

America has long taken a free market approach to pharmaceuticals. Drug companies haggle separately over drug prices with a variety of private insurers across the country. Meanwhile, Medicare, the government health program for those over 65, which is also the nation’s largest buyer of drugs, is actually barred from negotiating drug prices.

In no way does this describe a free market. Sure, it’s more lax than England’s system but it’s still heavily regulated and therefore != free market. This is from a post about Shkreli but still applies:

They’re saying that the price hike is such a good example of how the “free market” is pure evil and “just doesn’t work”… well as per usual, those people just don’t see the big picture and have deeply misunderstood the parts they do see.

First of all, the pharmaceutical industry is not a free market by any stretch of the imagination. A free market would be almost a perfectly contestable market. A perfectly contestable market (aka a “free market”) has three main traits… no barriers to entry, no sunk costs, and universal access to the same technology for new firms as well as existing firms. The pharmaceutical industry is actually a perfect example of the EXACT OPPOSITE of a contestable market.

And all of those barriers to entry, sunk costs, and disparities in the level of technology among firms exist because of the actions of government regulators.

The idiot writer of the Vox article on opiate overdose antidotes concludes:

Unlike EpiPen, though, the naloxone price increases haven’t garnered much attention or outrage, maybe because of the stigma that comes with opioid addiction.

In the face of an out-of-control opioid epidemic, the outrage better come soon.

I am so not buying her point about this not being a scandal because no one cares about opioid addiction. People care. Throughout most of the press on Daraprim/Shkreli people have highlighted the fact that it is used by AIDS sufferers to try to signpost how much of a dick Shkreli is. Is AIDS not at all stigmatised? It was until recently. A couple of decades ago it was headline news when Princess Diana shook the hand of an AIDS patient without gloves.

Really, the hysterical, shitty and reactive reporting on this has probably caused much more drama and stress for patients taking Daraprim than the price hike itself. 

Every other pharma boss in the world has made themselves inaccessible and opaque to the public - Shkreli is surely kind of unique in participating in unfiltered interactions with the public. People are more likely to recognise his name than name of his company/ies or the drug itself. That’s kind of an achievement, right? His email (which he shares openly) is martin@thotpatrol.com. He live streams all the time:

In the video above he’s talking about a website he made called Pharma Skeletons dot com (which is what got me interested in him in the first place) where he basically tears apart the lobbying group PhRMA after they tried to scapegoat Shkreli/distance themselves from him as though he were an aberration in the pharma industry. According to Business Insider:

On Monday, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, (PhRMA) kicked off a multi-year ad campaign to try and shift the criticism the industry’s been getting on drug pricing onto a more positive topic. In a press briefing, PhRMA president Steve Ubl described the campaign as “Less hoodie, more lab coats,” an apparent jab at Martin Shkreli, who wore a hoodie while he was arrested for securities fraud in December 2015 and on stage at a conference earlier that same month. 

Shkreli was obviously savvy to PhRMA’s dig and didn’t care for it so he put together Pharma Skeletons to outline how member companies of PhRMA have acted similarly to Turing/Shkreli:

Don’t you dare point your finger at me for the pharmaceutical industry’s troubles. It turns out we’ve all made some unpopular moves.  

I’m so into it. This website is really simple - hardly any CSS, no images or videos. Just a list detailing these pharma companies’ indiscretions with links to sources. The tone is really fun as well:

Mallinckrodt / Questcor

Really? Acthar’s 65,000% price increase represents your values but Turing doesn’t?

Gosh, I’m so upset my portfolio companies aren’t a part of your trade group.

I sued & whistleblew this company after they bought the only competitor to their only drug in order to stop my competition from their high price.

Tax avoider? Check. Ireland.

Marathon

Bro. These guys invented price increases. I literally learned it from them.

Ovation. I can sell & start a new company, too.

I feel pretty convinced that what he did was industry standard. But I really don’t want my argument to just be ‘Shkreli’s no worse than the other guys in big pharma so it’s not fair to criticise him’ because I want to believe that he’s better/special/different somehow. He seems weird and funny and interesting. Everyone wants to hit him in the face. He’s the smartest guy in most rooms he’s in. 

Dumb justifications I’m thinking of:

Maybe he’s a bad dude, but at least you’ve heard of him. For a layperson (hi) he must be the most famous person in pharmaceuticals. Not saying notoriety is cool or in any way mitigates shitty behaviour, but I feel like he’s at least copping to it and is cognizant of what he’s doing and how he’s perceived - probably the CEO of every pharma company is as villainous as Shkreli, but they act like they’re not which gives Shkreli some kind of high ground

He doesn’t seem interested in or at all concerned with PR/PC bullshit

Did Shkreli perhaps inadvertently draw mainstream attention to serious issues within the US pharmaceutical/FDA/insurance/whatever else system? Everyone knows about these problems now. I certainly wouldn’t have cared were the articles not accompanied by pictures of a dude with such a punchable face. Possible downside: Shkreli as an individual is reviled, companies still seem to get away with it

All the pharmaceutical big dogs hate him - not because he jacked up the price of an old, cheap drug (they all do that) but because he drew attention to them and made their shitty behaviour more visible

(Do you think Shkreli gets laid more or less since all this went down?)

The faux hysteria over his ‘harassment’ of a Teen Vogue writer (who wrote this anti-Trump article in December which became really popular because who doesn’t go to Teen Vogue for quality journalism?) really pissed me off. He was mocking her by pretending to be obsessed with her because hot girls are lame and assume everyone is in love with them when really everyone hates them. I thought it was pretty funny

^^ Shkreli decorated his Twitter with pics of the journalist and Photoshopped himself into a picture of her and her husband 

Sidebar about that Teen Vogue Trump article (”Trump is Gaslighting America”) in which she argues that umm Trump is gaslighting Americans… which I find annoying because she’s basically taking away half the country’s agency - like, they know not what they do:

Trump took advantage of the things that divide this country, pitting us against one another, while lying his way to the Oval Office. Yes, everything is painfully clear in hindsight, but let’s make sure Trump’s win was the Lasik eye surgery we all so desperately needed.

The article is basically a plea for the truth. She suggests:

Inform yourself what outlets are trustworthy and which aren’t.

Hmmm. Teen Vogue. I want to cyber bully her too. I mean. Hmmm. 

I feel like in my eagerness to be contrary I get myself into these positions where I’m trying to defend the indefensible. I think Shkreli’s more nuanced, interesting and well meaning than the press give him credit for. Professionally, he’s obviously made some reckless choices and remains self-righteous and smug (hard to tell if he’s always smirking or if that’s just his face). The things he’s done which seem greedy and unreasonable are normal in his industry so if he’s no worse than his peers he’s just a normal dude (I don’t really feel convinced by that). Still, I think he seems cool. He’s entertaining anyway.

[lovemesomesurveys]

Have you ever sold anything online either on Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, etc.? If not, what is your website of choice like any of the above for buying things? No, I’ve never sold anything. I like shopping on Amazon, Etsy, and Ebay as far as those kinds of websites go. If the opportunity arose, would you ever go to a nude beach? Do you think you’d be comfortable enough, being naked among others like that? Absolutely not. I’m not comfortable naked, and I most definitely wouldn’t be naked in public. I’m waaaaaay too self-conscious. I don’t even wear bikinis or any kind of swimsuit. I also have no interest in seeing other people naked. You do you, boo, but it’s not my thing.  What was the last book you read? What about the book drew you to want to read it (plot, title, cover…)? Did you end up liking it? I recently finished a trilogy (The Jack Ryder Mystery Series). Well, what I thought was a trilogy but I discovered there’s actually 3 more. I’m about to start the 4th. I read a few other books by the author and enjoyed them and the description of the first book caught my interest. I was hooked after the first one and had to keep going to see what happened. Have you ever considered keeping a dream journal? If you have one, have you ever looked back on it at all of the odd/interesting dreams you used to have? I thought about it before, but I’ve never done it. I very rarely remember my dreams. I generally forget them soon after I wake up or just remember random bits of it. Do you think regifting is cheap, or is it okay? Have you ever regifted before? I mean, I’ve been given gifts that weren’t really my thing, but I knew someone else would really enjoy them so I gave it to them. I’ll tell them, though. I’ll be like, “Hey, so I got this but I already have it/it’s not really my thing, personally, but I know you like them so I thought you might be interested” or something like that.

How often do you wash your hair? What do you think when you hear of some people not washing their hair for weeks at a time? Is it healthier, as they claim? I wash my hair 3-4 times a week. Weeks would be too long, but I think a few times a week is fine. I also dye my hair, so it’s best not to wash it too often.  Do you think President Obama should stay in office, or is it time for a new president? It’s time for our current president to be out of office. In general, do you like/get along with your mother’s or your father’s side of the family more? I get along well with both sides. Have you ever seen an animal give birth? Have you ever had a pet give birth before? Not in person, no. What do your plans usually consist of on Christmas morning? Are they the same this year? We get up early and sit in the living room while my brother passes out the presents and then when they’ve all been passed out we start opening them. We like showing each other what we got as we go. When we’re done, we mess around with some of the stuff for awhile. Christmastime this year is going to be weird given how this year has been. :( Do you like iPads/tablets or laptops more? E-readers or books? Laptops. I do a lot of my reading on the Kindle app on my phone, honestly. I have access to tons of books and it’s just really convenient. If you don’t get much snow where you live, do you wish you did get more snow? If you do get snow where you live, do you get a lot? Do you like snow? It doesn’t snow here at all, but I wish it did. If men could get pregnant too, would abortion still be as big an issue as it is? Yes. It’s still abortion and people have strong opinions about it.  What is something you want to try to accomplish within the next year? I don’t know. Have you ever had to “come out” to your parents about anything (sexual orientation, change in religion, etc.)? How did it go? No. Do you ever get drunk by yourself? No. I don’t drink. Has there ever been a time where you’ve forgotten something extremely important? Yeah. What’s the most unusual kind of pizza you’ve ever tried? Nothing unusual. If you were given the chance to decorate an entire house the way you wanted, with no limit to cost, how would you decorate it? I don’t have the creativity for that. Like, I’d have some ideas and certain things I’d definitely want to have, but I wouldn’t know how to go about decorating an entire house.  If you could have any kind of lava lamp, what kind would you have? Nah. What movie do you know by heart? There’s several. Has there ever been a time where you thought you were going to be great friends with someone, but it just never happened? Yes. What’s one of your favorite things to touch/feel? Something soft or furry, like my faux fur throw blanket. How often do you wear tights? I haven’t worn tights in years. I wear leggings everyday, though. If you had to choose, what’s the most important thing in your life at the moment? My faith, family, and health. Do you have Netflix? Yep. Has there ever been anything you’ve become interested in much later than other people? Yeah. Like with TV shows or movies, for example. Why is your favorite TV show your favorite? I have a lot of favorite TV shows. Describe your favorite picture of yourself, or post it. My baby photos. Is there a genre of music that some people would be surprised that you enjoy? I don’t think so. Assuming you have a Facebook, if one of your friends posted things that annoyed you, would you be more likely to delete them as a friend, hide their statuses, or just put up with it? I’d just hide their posts. I think you can like “mute” people or something like that on Facebook. Have you ever had a veggie burger? I had one once several years ago. Do you like candles? I wish I were into them cause they’re aesthetically pleasing and relaxing, but I’m not. What’s your favorite video game? Mario Bros everythijng. What was something you liked about today? It’s only 4:43 in the morning. Ask me later. When was the last time you passed out? Never. Do you think “friends with benefits” relationships could ever possibly work without anyone getting hurt? Not from my experience and many stories I’ve heard from other people. Someone catches feelings or you’re not on the same page and someone/both get hurt. It’s just too messy. Do you wear more sweatshirts or jackets? Sweatshirts. What was the last thing you had to drink? Starbucks Doubleshot energy drink. When was the last time you wore a sports bra? Never. When was the last time you went to a waterpark? I don’t do waterparks.  Does your best friend live close to you? My best friend is my mom, who I live with. Have you ever rode a train? Nope. Where did you get the shirt you’re currently wearing? The UC I went to. When was the last time you played Rock Band? With whom? I’ve never played Rock Band, but I loved playing Guitar Hero back in the day. I want to play! What was the last thing that you ate? Ramen. Who last messaged you on Facebook? My aunt. What were you doing Saturday at 1:30 pm? Sleeping. The last time you were intoxicated, what were you drinking? I think it was Jack and Coke. It was 7 yeas ago, so *shrug* Who last walked you home? When I was 19-early 20s I had a friend who lived like 10-15 minutes away walking distance and she and I walked around a lot to nearby coffeeshops and restaurants before she got her license. And to each other’s houses. Anyway, there were times she walked me home. What do you do to help your face from breaking out? I don’t do anything, honestly. Thankfully, acne just stopped being an issue for me when I got older. Apart from a couple pimples every now and then. Did you make any new friends lately? If so, what are their names and how did you meet them? Nope. Would you rather see your favourite band/artist in concert with 2 other people or have a free $20,000 shopping spree to Walmart? I’d take the concert for sure. I haven’t been to one in over 10 years, I miss concerts! Who knows when we’ll have any concerts again now. :( When was the last time you went out to eat? Back in early February. On a scale of 1-10, how anxious are you currently? At this current moment, like a 4. What kind of music do you listen to? I like variety. Various genres and artists across decades. What does your perfect day consist of? A day at the beach. Do you have any online friends? We have an awesome little survey community on here. I read your survey answers and I root for you. I want the best for you guys.  Would you dye your hair red? I do. I’ve been dyeing my hair red for 5 years. If your ex wanted to take you back, would you say yes? Nope. How is the weather? Right now it’s 57 F.

[lovemesomesurveys]

What grocery store do you shop at the most? We do our grocery shopping at Walmart.  Which stovetop burner do you use the most? The front one on the left side. Do you use a dishwasher or wash dishes by hand? We do both. We rinse off our dishes and they go in the dishwasher. What color is your favorite laundry basket? My hamper is red. What color was your first car? I don’t drive.

What was your first job? I’ve never had one. What is the best job you’ve had? What is the best pharmacy near you? CVS. Do you use public transportion? I did sometimes while in college, but that was it. Which bank do you use? I’m not sharing that. Do you have a credit card? Yeah a few. What is your favorite fast food restaurant? Taco Bell, Burger King, Chick-Fil-A, McDonalds, Jack in the Box. I haven’t wanted fast food in months, but I’m starting to kind of crave it again. What do you want to name your kids? No kids for me. How many tattoos do you have? Zero. What year did you graduate high school? 2008. What chore do you hate the most? I don’t enjoy any chore. What is your favorite shampoo to use? I use a salon on for red dyed hair. How do you remove stains from clothes? Washing them usually does the trick, otherwise we have stain remover stuff. Do you carry pepper spray? No. What highway do you drive on the most? Do you like driving? I don’t drive. What is your favorite radio station? I don’t listen to the radio. What do you use for an alarm clock (phone, stereo, actual clock, etc.)? My phone.  Which department store do you shop at the most? Walmart and Target. Which dollar store is your favorite? I don’t have a favorite. I don’t shop there much, and if I do I just go to the one closest to me. Do you shop at the dollar store often? Nope. What is your favorite gas station? I don’t have one.  Do you burn candles often? I never do even though I have a few. I’m a scardy cat with fire.  How do you relax? I really only can relax when I’m at the beach. I try and do it at home, I wouldn’t really call it relaxing even when doing stuff I like such as these survey or the fact that I spend all day in bed. I don’t know. I just don’t feel relaxed. What’s your favorite app on your phone? I use YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Spotify, Instagram, and Snapchat the most. What do you cook the most? Ramen is all I cook. When was the last time you relaxed in a hot bath? Not since I was a kid. Do you take showers or baths normally? Showers. What is your favorite candle scent? Autumnal ones are great. How much does it cost for you to laundry (if you use a slot machine)? We do our laundry at home. Do you make your bed every day? It’s always made because I don’t sleep under the comforter. If I need a blanket, I just use my throw blanket I have.  How often do you wash your sheets? Like twice a month usually. Do you have any pets? Yep, I have a doggo. Do you have kids? Nooo. Are you married? Nooo. Do you save receipts? I always just throw them in my bag and they build up until I throw them away. Do you use re-usable bags at the grocery store? Yeah. Do you recycle? We recycle plastic and cans. What color is your carpet? Brown. Have you ever burnt yourself with the glue gun? No. Do you write checks? Nope. Ever had a garage sale? No. What have been some of your best garage sale finds? I don’t go to garage sales. What time do you wake up in the morning? Lately it’s been 10 or 11. Are you a morning person? * Im kind of groggy / cranky until I get some tea in me, but I would say Im a decent morning person <<< Same, but I need coffee. I’m a zombie until I’ve had coffee and it’s best no one talks to me until then haha. Are you more of a morning person now than you used to be? I guess. Do you like to read? Yes. What was the first election you voted in? 2008 primaries. Who is on speed dial in your phone? I don’t have speed dial. Do you play games on your phone? Yeah. What phone do you have? An iPhone XR. What was your first phone? Some Cingular flip phone. What kind of computer do you have? MacBook Air. Wall calendar or desk calendar? I just use the one on my phone. If you a read a daily devotional, which one are you using currently? Crosswalk.com, Proverbs31.org, and I also have this app called “first 5″ What is your favorite book? I have many.  What is the strangest food you’ve had? I’m so picky. I don’t think I’ve had anything “strange.” Nothing I’d consider “strange” anyway.  What do you do when the power goes out? Complain about how hot it is mostly, ha. It gets hot fast in my house. Or rather, I get hot fast. Of course, our power tends to go out during summer. I don’t recall the last time it went out during the cold months. Maybe I’d be fine then. Thankfully, we only had 1 power outage this summer, and that was at the start. Does your home have a basement? No. How often do you clean? I personally don’t clean often. I try to keep my room clean, but that’s not much of an issue so it doesn’t require a whole lot. I used to help out more, but I just don’t have the energy or motivation. :/ How often do you go grocery shopping? We do our big grocery shopping trips every 2 weeks, but we make quick trips to the store for a few things as we need them here and there between then.  Ever bought a lottery ticket? Yeah, I’ve bought a couple. Didn’t win a thing. Do you gamble? I’ve gambled a total of 5 times. Not my thing. Not fun losing money, ha. I didn’t strike it big. What does your purse look like? I have a few different ones. Lately; though, I’ve been using my Adidas fannypack. Do you ever sleep on the floor? No. That would be extremely uncomfortable for me. Which room do you stay in the most? Mine. What is your bedtime? I tend to go to bed around 2 or 3, usually. Ever worked two jobs or more at once? I’ve worked zero jobs. Do you live in an apartment, condo, house, or dorm? A house. What does your dream house look like? I mean, my ultimate dream house is a beach house, but that’s big time, never gonna happen dreamin’. So, I’d love to have a 3 or 4 bedroom house, spacious enough for 4 adults and a doggo, wooden floors, and a big backyard for my doggo to play and around in. Describe your dream wedding. I don’t plan on getting married. How often do you go on vacation? We try and go at least once a year, more if we can. What is your favorite type of weather? Fall weather. What do you do when you have a sore throat? Suffer, ha. How often do you go see a doctor? One I see every 3 weeks, another I see once a month. Do you have acid reflux? Yes. Do you snore? No. Are you on birth control? Nope. What kind of toothpaste do you use? Sensodyne.  Do you wear glasses or contacts? Glasses. How often do you wear make-up? Very rarely. Do you put on make-up in the bathroom or the bedroom? My room. Do you have a swimming pool? Nope. What is the first site you go to when you turn on your computer? Crosswalk.com Which email service do you use? Yahoo is my main email, but I do have a gmail account, too. How often do you check your email? Everyday. Keeping the notifications on for my email helps me keep up with it. How old were you when you got your first phone? 16. What was your favorite boy band back in the 90’s? * Backstreet Boys and NSYNC<<< Yep yep. Did you own a Britney Spears album? Yes.