One More Thing About Crypto
One thing I forgot to mention: all these crypto exchanges seem to be so heavily dependent on one guy. There never seems to be an active, functioning board of governance or a dedicated risk hedging department or anything. Every asset is 100% in the hands of some dude in sandals and a Ferrari who's worth eight billion dollars until he's worth eight dollars.
Crypto
This is not something I would normally write about, but I noticed two interesting things lately.
The short version: everyone in crypto seems to have no idea of basic financial principles and becomes over-leveraged in quite embarrassing and incredibly risky ways, leading to collapse as soon as there's a market reversal. It's not quite that simple, but it's close.
A normal consolidation consists of a company buying other companies in their sector. This consolidation seems to consist of firm after firm going bankrupt, leaving fewer players.
Now, an enormous amount of leverage is in the hands of Binance. Centralization, though, means that if (when) Binance collapses, the floodgates will open.
I think there's a narrow use case for crypto in companies that have insecure banking systems. The problem is that it's not really being used for that right now. Honestly, I can't even tell you what it's being used for right now, because there's so much grift and con involved that's hard to separate out of the mix.
The second interesting thing: remember when El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, made a grand proclamation that the country was going to buy Bitcoin? Since September of last year, they've bought 107M in Bitcoin.
A Story
Eli 21.3 has been teaching a class this fall.
It's unusual, but not unprecedented. Each year, a few seniors are selected to design a curriculum and submit it for consideration.
Eli's class is on peacebuilding, of course, and he spent a huge amount of time designing material he thought would be engaging.
The classes taught by seniors don't last as long (eight weeks instead of twelve, I think, though I'm not totally sure), so his last class was taught this week.
One of his students emailed him and asked if they could keep going.
He took a survey and over 90% of the class wants to continue to meet each week until the end of fall term in December.
Feeling like you're providing something of value to people on a subject you care deeply about is a way to be happy in life.
Election Day (Oops)
I didn't expect to see Eli 21.3 on Election Day.
About 5 p.m., the phone rings. "Hi, buddy," I answered cheerfully.
"Dad, I'm going to need a best parent moment here," he said.
"What?"
"I forgot to fill out my absentee ballot, so I need you to meet me in Lansing so you can take it back to the drop box by 8 p.m. tonight," he said.
I started laughing. "Wait, you're telling me a political science major forgot to complete his absentee ballot? You're going to take some abuse over this for a while."
He laughed. "I'd expect nothing less."
We met at magic exit 101--exactly an hour for both of us--and I got to see his happy, smiling face and talk for a few minutes.
Even without the ballot, it was worth the drive.
He texted me later:
Saving our democracy one
trip to Lansing at a time.
U.S. Election, November 8
Another election day tomorrow.
I've said this before, and I'll keep saying it: please don't vote for a party that is actively trying to reduce--in a democracy--the ability of people to vote.
There is no clearer statement of how they see democracy, and they are wrong.
Highly Unlikely, Yet True
Has anyone else noticed that Daft Punk sounds like KC and the Sunshine Band?
To clarify:
1. I'm not drunk.
2. I'm also not on drugs.
3. Yes, I've heard both bands.
Go listen to "Get Lucky." That is 100% a KC and the Sunshine Band tribute song.
The Graveyard (part two)
I was thinking about my visit to the graveyard (more properly, it's a "cemetery," actually).
Our relationship with death has changed over time, and certainly since the last century. Back in the day, death was much closer to us on a daily basis. People died younger. Medicine was far less advanced. Infant mortality was higher. The notion now that someone would have seven children and more than half wouldn't make it past the first few years is inconceivable now, but even in the early part of the twentieth century, it wasn't uncommon.
Maybe life seemed less permanent then, and I wonder if it made people more reckless, so they could experience as much as they could while they had the chance. Live for the day and all that.
COVID, though, made everything feel much more fragile again. We think of the 1918 Flu Pandemic as being overwhelming, but 675,00 people in the United States people died from the flu. Far more people (in the U.S., at least) have died from COVID.
Suddenly, death is more personal again. We're vulnerable in a way we didn't think was possible five years ago. Seeing so many headstones with dates in the last three years really brought this home for me. Life seems so solid, but the ice underneath us can suddenly be very, very thin.
The Graveyard
I realized when I drove into the parking lot of my therapist's office that I'd gotten there an hour early.
I do that.
I decided to walk, so I just took off at an angle and ran straight into a graveyard. A large one.
Having never spent any time in graveyards, it was an interesting experience. For one, the class divisions are very, very plain, even in death. Graves with lots of space around them. Graves jammed together like an overcrowded bus. Even a mausoleum, if your family has enough cash and wants to pay.
Also, nothing in a cemetery moves, and I mean on the surface, not below. Everything is incredibly still. I supposed it makes sense, in a way, but it was odd compared to the rest of the world.
I took a few pictures.
This was the only vase (that usually holds plastic flowers, based on what I saw) knocked over in the entire cemetery. It felt like a story.
This was a lovely, impassioned message, its slight clumsiness making it all the more poignant:
Cemeteries have a lot of damn rules:
This pinwheel (which was spinning quite rapidly) was the only thing moving in the entire place, and it stood out:
I think I understand now why some people can spend endless amounts of time walking through cemeteries. There are so many stories only partially told.
Dwarf Fortress Steam Release
Okay, one more thing.
The graphic overhaul of Dwarf Fortress has a release date: December 6.
Well
I unfortunately have a to-do list that spiraled rapidly out of control, so I'm not posting much today, except this, which is a joyous and wonderful video (thanks, C. Lee):
Best of Favorite Dance Moves.
I've always wished I could dance. My insides do, but my outsides don't.
Costume Count 2022!
Of course we're doing it, and it won't take a year to compile the results this time.
We've done this for so long (maybe 15 years now?) that no one really needs instructions. Just send in your spreadsheet.
The weather here is generally miserable here every year on Halloween, but if it doesn't rain, Michigan is going to have some vintage weather (65 here).
That's Right: Costume Count2021
Sure, it's been 364 days.
I'm bloodied but unbowed, though, and I compiled all the data. Please note that Costume Count 2022 will be compiled approximately 350 days sooner.
712 total costumes as trick or treating returned to semi-normal after COVID.
Places reporting:
UNITED STATES
East Grand Rapids, Michigan
Fate, Texas
Seattle, Washington
Canton, Michigan
Waterford, Massachusetts
St. Paul, Minnesota
Huntsville, Alabama
Woodlands, Texas
CANADA
International:
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Toronto, Ontario
Halifax, Nova Scotia
AUSTRALIA:
Sydney
The Top Ten:
Princess (41)
Witch (38)
Skeleton (22)
Spiderman (22)
Cat (20)
Zombie (15)
Clown (10)
Fairy (10)
Mario (9)
Pirate (9)
The top ten is interesting, because along with eight generally classic costumes, Spiderman and Mario snuck in there (and there were Luigi's (4), Princess Peach (1), and Bowser (1) in the Mario universe as well). And it's somehow fitting that almost as many girls want to be witches as princesses (although there were a disappointing number of Wonder Women this year (4).
Missed opportunity: Winnie the Pooh (3), Piglet (2), and Tigger (1) made an appearance, but where was Eeyore?
Mysteries: "evil rabbit samurai," "fat Thor," "Swedish rocker," "vaguely scary inline skater teen." Also, there was "Jasmine from live action Aladdin," and you have to respect the distinction.
All, in all a fine year, even with the additional year before results were available. Blame Pennsylvania.
Jury Duty
When you're growing up, the best day in your life is the last day of school each year.
When you're an adult, the best day is getting excused from jury duty. Which I was today, after only five minutes (because I'd moved, I was no longer eligible to serve).
I did spot one interesting fellow in the room before I left. Most people just brought in their phones. This guy brought in a newspaper, two drinks, a large bag, and a giant lunch container with a strap. Dude was geared up for Jurygeddon.
I left the courthouse, free as a bird, because I felt like a king. I went and got a scone at my favorite bakery, and there was no line, because I was king. I stopped to get a haircut without an appointment--and got one--because I was king.
It's good to be the king.
At Least a Tiny Bit of Encouragement
Kanye West certainly isn't the first celebrity to show his overt anti-Semitism, and unfortunately, he won't be the last, either.
At least this time, though, there's been a response, and the response is significant. That seems hopeful.
And those people who are saying, "Sure, he said anti-Semitic things, but you know what's really hateful? Jewish people trying to take away his livelihood. That's the real crime!" Yeah, the people saying that are assholes, and they're anti-Semitic, and you know what? They're probably racist and sexist, too, because those Venn diagrams overlap almost completely.
It seems inevitable that Kanye will make some announcement within a week that either
1) he's having a mental health crisis (note: that doesn't make you a racist), or
2) he's stepping away for a while to learn to become a better person.
I'm sure he'll also be sorry for all the people he's offended.
In a strange way, this feels like progress. Be an asshole. Get slapped hard. That seems like the correct, natural order of things.
