u/WishboneHot8050

Ben McKenzie is the author of the book "Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud" from 2023. His companion documentary movie, "Everyone Is Lying To You For Money", is now currently available on Amazon Prime for rental or purchase in the US and possibly elsewhere. I paid $6 to watch it from my couch today.

The documentary film mostly covers Ben in the field doing the research for his book. It features his interviews with SBF and Mashinsky. It also shows his travels to El Salvador and to the various cryptocurrency conferences he discusses in the book. Then later his congressional testimony to the Senate Subcommittee on Banking. Also interviews with various scam victims who are still holding on to their belief in crypto despite losing their shirt. Some funny interaction with his wife, Morena Baccarin, and family members as well.

An interesting moment comes early in the film when Ben travels to El Salvador to see what the "Bitcoin City" is all about. He meets one American who's already declared themselves as "the first resident" of the new city and describes all the economic fortune yet to come. The fact that this person lives in absolute squalor doesn't go unnoticed.

It's an easy watch and it's enjoyable. But I'll be honest, it wasn't as detailed as the book. His book adequately explains the economics that lends proof that crypto is a ponzi and why BTC fails as a currency. The documentary usually just comes out and says these conclusions. Although it did explain wash trading as a means to pump up prices adequately well. Another important point he does make in the film is that failures of the current financial system is what props up Bitcoin, even if the latter is a terrible alternative that doesn't solve any of the problems of the former.

You won't walk away with any new economic insight he didn't include in his book or regularly discussed on this sub. But if you got a friend or relative who's dinking in crypto and needs a hint, you could probably show them this film to influence them in the right direction.

It's hard to tell if this is just a bad scammer or a Sov Cit.

TLDR: If you are in the roundabout circle, definitely DO NOT stop in the middle of the circle to let cars in one of the outside entry lanes in. Keep moving. Otherwise, you're making traffic worse and creating a major safety hazard.

Today might have been the last straw. I think I'm just going to start using the 70th street on-ramps for getting on to 405 during peak traffic hours.

Today, I'm coming driving west on 85th and down the hill. I'm in the left lane getting prepared to go onto 405-S after the first roundabout.

First roundabout. Not one, but two cars already in the outer roundabout lane decide to stop so as to let me and the right lane driver in. I motion. I honk. It got the first car moving. But the driver of the second car thinks it all about taking turns. As the driver in the entry lane, accepting this gesture means I'm trying to get into the inner lane - but the car that's already stopped in the outer lane obscures my view. I could have wrecked if the inner circle lane had someone coming through. This is not how it's supposed to work.

For the 99.9% of you that do this correctly, please use your horns loudly if you see the car in front you try to yield while in the roundabout. They need to get the message. And for those in the entry lane, especially for the inner lane, don't take the good gesture bait.

Drive safe out there everyone. WSDOT link on roundabouts below.

https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/traffic-safety-methods/roundabouts

Curious what the t-shirt offerings look like. I didn't pick up a shirt on the previous tour. Might splurge this time.

This conceptual idea of a d2048 dice that could not only make cryptocurrencies safer, but could also elevate the D&D gaming experience. Just roll the die thing 12 times to generate a seed phrase. Then just put it back into the box. Or start your next campaign where warriors and wizards raid tombs full of dragons and bitcoin. Comes with a cleaning tissue and certificate of authenticity.

I'm thinking of charging $49... maybe even $99 in dirty filthy fiat. Sounds expensive, but luxury, security, and an edge in high stakes RPG tournaments often are.

Patent pending.

https://preview.redd.it/hpeqsy56chhh1.png?width=1254&format=png&auto=webp&s=899c35319c7d84b45fd4eb0814e51217f1a4d5d2

https://preview.redd.it/2f96hej1ahhh1.png?width=1254&format=png&auto=webp&s=74adb6f480bfb335e34dcc28c8e43421a0b31592

When I was a kid in the 80's, I just assumed if a band had a video on Headbangers Ball and a gold record, then they must be set for life and never really have to work again. That's laughable now - as I've learned over the years how the record industry worked.

While the guys in Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Kiss, and Van Halen likely never had to worry about where their next paycheck came from, I suspect the guys in Winger, Warrant, or Tesla probably did work in the trades or in an office in between reunion tours. VH1 used to cover "where are they now" on one of their shows in the early 2000's. It would occasionally reveal some surprises - like one of the guys in Warrant that became a computer programmer. Usually it would just reveal where they were living and end it there.

I've never seen an interview with a musician where they ask what their other career is or what jobs they took after the heyday was over. It's almost as if it's an unwritten rule to ask. So I may be broaching a taboo here - as I suspect the careers of most of these guys were very unglamorous.

So I'll ask, what were some interesting careers of our favorite 80's artists that no one ever talks about?

Shoreline house. I need my furnace inspected and some repair done on it.

Those franchise places with the fleet of decorated trucks and vans that charge a lot are the ones I'm looking to avoid. Otherwise, any small shop or independent guy with experience will work.

Any recommendations?

https://preview.redd.it/mfozghpyh2ah1.png?width=1997&format=png&auto=webp&s=61da689b067ca55ff3d252d507d8280a2f2332d8

I don't mean to usurp the thunder from the other guy who's been doing these "vs" surveys, but I thought this one would be fun. Two Runaways discussed side by side.

Joan (and the Blackhearts) are presumably the bigger act. But Lita had her string of songs on the radio and MTV as well. And I think this sub will have some interesting opinions.

Update: I'm calling it. Joan Jett took the early runaway lead, but hungry Lita fans almost closed the gap towards the end of the voting period. In the end, Joan Jett wins out.

Joan Jett: 20

Lita Ford: 14

Equal: 6

Say it's first and goal from the 10. QB throws to the receiver in the back of the endzone and the ball is caught for the TD. And let's say the receiver just got his feet planted inches from the bounds line.

Is that a 19 yard pass? Or a 10 yard pass? How do they spot the yards for anything in between?