In case you were wondering why Bitcoin experienced a crazy spike recently: China's economy is a hyperinflated bubble, poised to burst and the Chinese central bank is depreciating the Renminbi — so China's wealthy are getting their cash out of the country as fast as they can, using any means necessary: suing themselves, spending huge whacks of cash while on vacation, and converting it to Bitcoin (this is especially urgent now that the Canadian real-estate money laundry is shutting down) — this is just the latest salvo in the Chinese capital flight story.
98% of Bitcoin trading volume over the past six months was in Chinese Renminbi
Analyzing the classism of sci-fi protagonists
In a recent issue of the British sci-fi magazine Vector, writer Marie Vibbert — author of the recent Galactic Hellcats, as well as my Clarion classmate under one Cory Doctorow — took a look at the representation of class in a variety of popular sci-fi stories. As a person from a very working class background,… READ THE REST
Read ProPublica's excellent work on the IRS's targeting of poor taxpayers
The GOP has long made it their mission to absolutely disable the IRS, thus protecting the wealthiest of the wealthy from any sort of scrutiny. And it's been working: as ProPublica reported in 2019, millionaires in 2018 were about 80% less likely to be audited than they were in 2011; coincidentally (or not), the IRS's… READ THE REST
Play: Dungeons and Deadlines, "an epic game of work-life balance"
Smarter people than me have pointed out that "work-life balance" says the quiet part out loud, implicitly confirming that you stop living when you're at work. Miles Matrix's Dungeons and Deadlines makes all this much realer with acerbic wit and rockin' chiptunes. My spouse left me after five turns. (via Four Short Links) READ THE REST
Invest in your kids' education and those in need with these great e-learning programs
As summer comes to an end, getting your kids excited about their education can be as hard as convincing them to eat some broccoli along with their pizza. But with helpful — and dare we say fun — e-learning programs, your kids can fully immerse themselves in their creativity, critical thinking skills, and more, and they can… READ THE REST
Step out in style with these waterproof hemp sneakers
Being comfortable when you travel is one of the simplest and most important ways to make any trip easier. And by any trip, that means a trip around the world or even a trip to the grocery store. The most effective way to get more comfortable is with a durable, supportive, and ideally stylish shoe. This hemp sneaker has… READ THE REST
Stop losing items to the mattress monster with these bed sheets, on sale during this charity event
We're always looking for ways to make sleep more comfortable and efficient. And when it comes to upping your snooze game, there are a number of ways to do it. Our preferred way to kick your ZZZs up a notch is to ensure your bedding is of superior quality. That's pretty easy and affordable thanks to our Back to Education… READ THE REST
