An interesting article that examines the idea of money, and various other means of currency.
Interesting, because money is the biggest lie any civilization has ever bought into, bigger even than religion - certainly a lot more universal.
Link: https://www.noemamag.com/what-if-money-expired/
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Now I'd heard this, that you should safely presume your phone is always listening to you.
And I'd had some evidence, as for example a few weeks ago I was humming/singing "Pretty Women..." from Sweeny Todd, and then - to my surprise, it turned up on my YouTube recommendations.
To be sure, I checked my history, no evidence that I'd listened to it for a very long time. And you could say "Coincidence" but I am skeptical, more that just as the internet absorbs local cues and surfing habits to tailor your content, but spies upon you by listening as well...
I wonder what keywords I'd need to be speaking out loud to bring the FBI to my door?
Which is kind of funny, because I went to use the microphone on my phone a week or so ago and to do so I had to enable all sorts of permissions that by default are turned off.
I think we're long past the point where this is paranoia, this is simply reality. 1984.
And, on a more humorous note, all that time looking at inane Facebook videos has resulted in me getting ads promising to treat my adult ADHD...
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Add this to the list of things to go imminently wrong: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Event.
If climate change doesn't precipitate the end of Civilization this just might well. We've built it all - satellites, telecommunications, internet - all in very slender window of opportunity where nothing has gone wrong. But knowing that it can - and most likely will - we've taken no steps to prepare for what should be regarded as an inevitable - but preventable - calamity.
And it's just a matter of time. Sunspots peak every 11 years, and we're only 4 or 5 away from the next maximum, and who is preparing?
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And this has just occurred to me, with the rise in preposterous tipping standards - by which I mean any machine which starts above 10% or goes higher than 20%, or those machines that prey upon people that don't read carefully the prompts and organize the tipping in reverse, 20% (or greater) at the top and 10% (or greater) on the bottom, ...
Well, you get the idea. The whole culture's gone mad with unrealistic expectations and it seems I'm the only one to notice or publicly observe it.
Debit - POS machines - should make corresponding noises and have appropriate displays for both good and lousy tippers.
For example, when a customer selects the 20%, 25%, 30% option there could be a little "Woo-hoo" noise like you get on a winning lottery ticket, followed by a congratulatory "You're a Champ" or "What a Rockstar" or "Good Job!!!", and an appropriate fireworks display on the screen that turns from monochrome to full color and maybe a "Ching-Ching-Ching" noise like you get when a slot machine pays out. These noises should be broadcast loudly on the restaurant's intercom system so that all the customers can hear. And color code the Tipping options - red for 10%, yellow for 15%, and green for 20% or above.
Positive reinforcement I'd call it.
And for those tightwads that don't tip, or tip the bare minimum - perhaps a "Really?" or an under-the-breath muttered "Tightwad" or "Cheap Fuck" and the sound of a rasberry. Maybe even a "Try Again".
Now, how to pitch this idea to Moneris and the debit companies...a new "Industry Standard" debit machine that encourages and reinforces irresponsible tippers and big spenders...
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