by Patrick Rhone, Master Generalist
How Starbucks borrows money from its customers at a negative 10% interest rate / Boing Boing
This is not just Starbucks but could be any large brand with gift cards and apps that operate in a similar way but it’s an interesting way to think about how these things work and why.
Something I’ve believed for decades: America is still in beta. There are plenty of bugs. Many features not yet implemented. The whole thing is likely to crash at anytime and a reboot may not fix it.
Always have a backup.
Today’s lesson: A tiny problem, unseen and undetected until too late, can cause major damage.
Example: A pinhole leak in the water supply (now repaired) is causing us to have to replace 1/4 of our kitchen ceiling.
Effective Political Giving (Idle Words)
“If you want to support Biden or the Senate campaigns, find underfunded Congressional, state and local candidates running in districts those big campaigns need to win.”
This is important.
Nicholas Bate has some ideas on how to live a better life instantly.
The year is not yet over and I’ve yet to reveal what my reading plan was for this year (it might be obvious if you look through the list) but I’ve already come up with my plan for 2021 and I’m both challenged by and excited for it.
Often times, it’s not the big projects that provide the most consistent regular satisfaction. It’s the small ones. The big ones fade into being commonplace. The small ones, the ones you touch every day, are like little doses of “ah”.
Installing cabinet magnets, for instance.
David Coggins: All Hail The Road Trip – Huckberry
“I don’t want to tell you how to live your life, but I do want to tell you that empty Leinenkugel’s cases make an excellent storage system in the back of any car you’re partial to… You no doubt have your own beloved local beer, if they have good cardboard cases then I recommend those too.”
Listen to the sounds of various forests all over the world. What a peaceful and beautiful idea.
