We meet Mr Messy—a man whose entire day-to-day existence is the undiluted expression of his individuality. His very untidiness is a metaphor for his blissful and unselfconscious disregard for the Social Order. Yes, there are times when he himself is a victim of this individuality—as when he trips over a brush he has left on his garden path—but he goes through life with a smile on his face.
This series of reviews from 2010 is, in a word, brilliant.
Dear Calvert22,
We notice that you have recently advertised an unpaid gallery volunteer placement for your forthcoming exhibition “…how is it towards the east?”
Whilst we acknowledge that you are aiming to take the time and effort to train young people who want to work in the…
i dont want my words to be taken out of context
i dont want to be infantilized because i refuse to be sexualized
i dont want to be molested at shows or on the street by people who perceive me as an object that exists for their personal satisfaction
i dont want to live in a world where…
Y
This post has been featured on a 1000notes.com blog.
The Bitcoin Bubble’s Bursting
Earlier this month people began noticing that Bitcoin, the digital currency, was exploding in value. This isn’t the first time. As the Wall Street Journal explained back in 2011, Bitcoin at that time the world’s fastest-gaining currency. They also provided a good explainer about how Bitcoin actually works:
If returns like those seem otherworldly, perhaps its because Bitcoin is a world unto itself. To recap, it’s is a purely online currency with no intrinsic value; its worth is based solely on the willingness of holders and merchants to accept it in trade. In that respect, it’s not so different from fiat currencies like the dollar or Euro, but whereas governments back such money, Bitcoins lack central control.
In another way, the appeal of the Bitcoin echoes the appeal of gold. Istead of a central bank, a computer algorithm dictates their supply. Today there are six million Bitcoins, a number that will grow at a steadily slowing rate until it approaches 21 million, but no more. As with gold, some see such limited supply as built-in protection against inflation that could result from runaway government budget deficits. Gold, of course, has been a store of value for thousands of years and has at least some industrial use, whereas Bitcoins are brand new and exist only on the Internet.
Back when the WSJ wrote this article, a bitcoin was worth $30. Yesterday, it hit $250.
Today, people are cashing in their chips and it’s tumbled (as of early this afternoon) back down to $190.
But let’s get to some good Bitcoin reading. Here are items that have have crossed my feed over the last few days:
- MIT Technology Review: Cryptocurrency — The bitcoin, a virtual medium of exchange, could be a real alternative to government-issued money—but only if it survives hoarding by speculators. James Surowiecki dips into the currency’s background and history. See also Joshua Davis’ New Yorker article, The Crypto-Currency, about the mystery behind Bitcoin’s creator Satoshi Nakamoto… if there really is, or was, a Satoshi Nakamoto.
- Slate: Will Bitcoins Make Me Rich? — A dispatch from inside the digital currency bubble. Farhad Manjoo withdraws $1,027.51 to buy himself a couple of coins.
- Felix Salmon, The Bitcoin Bubble and the Future of Currency. Written just last week, Salmon notes that although the value of all bitcoins surged past $1 billion for the first time, it is/was a classic bubble, but still had “fascinating implications for anybody who cares about payments, or currencies, or trust.”
- Business Insider: There’s Someone Called ‘The Bitcoin Billionaire’ Who’s Randomly Giving Out Thousands Of Dollars On Reddit.
- Quartz: Why Bitcoin “millionaires” could accidentally become tax felons. Hint: capital gains.
Image: Screenshot, Real Time Bitcoin Market Data, by Clark Moody.
This is what social housing looks like in the New Town of Marne-la-Vallee, near Paris. Gothic and second empire inspired modernism?
(via rchtctrstdntblg)
“An Estonian man has returned a library book sixty-nine years late, partly blaming a World War II aerial bombing that damaged the library for the late return.” They bought this excuse; no fine was levied.
Recipes
How to cook Octopus:
Octopus is a vile fish of little worth: cook it however you wish
Flying pie:
[Note that this remarkable pie is for amusement only]
Make a mould for a large pie, and in the bottom make a hole large enough that your fist can pass through, or even bigger if you wish, and the sides around it should be slightly higher than the common usage; fill it with flour and cook in an oven. Once it is cooked, open the hole on the bottom and remove the four, beforehand, prepare another small pie filled with good stuff that has been well cooked and seasoned and that has been made as big as that hole in the large mold: place this pie through the hole into the mold; and in the empty space that remains around the small pie, put some live birds, as many as it will hold; and the birds should be placed in it just before it is to be served: and then when it is served before those seated at the banquet, you remove the corner above, and the birds will fly away.
This is done to entertain and amuse your company. And in order that they do not remain disappointed by this, cut the small pie up and serve. I say one pie, but you can make more - as many as you wish. You can make tortes in a similar fashion, mixing ingredients and adapting them so the will go together well.
Helpful tips
Skirrets of fish must be dregged in flour
You bear eggs well together
Most egg dishes require orange juice
The Lord’s Prayer is a measurement of time
Eggs Coddled in Their Shells
Place fresh eggs in cold water and boil for the time it takes you to say the Lord’s Prayer, or a little bit longer, and remove.
Belgian police fired water cannons to disperse striking ArcelorMittal workers in Namur yesterday.
The world’s largest steelmaker factory slashed more than 1,300 jobs by shutting down a cola plant & six finishing lines. Thousands of people have flooded the streets protesting job cuts & austerity measures throughout the country. Protesters have been met with riot police firing water cannons & pepper spray since Friday.
(via anarcho-queer)
