Modern life is so entangled with money that imagining an existence without it feels radical, even impossible. We measure success in dollars earned, hours billed, and possessions acquired. Yet, beneath this financial scaffolding, a quieter, deeper economy persists—one of time, relationships, skill, and purpose. Stepping outside the monetary system, even…
Category: Finance and Economy
Exploring everything financial and alternative finance
The Devouring God: Capitalism and the Cult of Growth
There is an ancient god who walks among us, though few dare to name him. He has no temples, no hymns, no solemn rites. Yet his presence is everywhere—woven into the fabric of our lives, shaping our desires, devouring our futures. His name is Moloch, and in the age of…
“The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power,” by Shoshana Zuboff – a review
Shoshana Zuboff’s seminal work, “The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power,” explores the emergence of a new economic order where human experience is commodified for data extraction and profit. Zuboff, a professor emerita at Harvard Business School, meticulously examines how…
The Tyranny of Too Much
No one would argue that having enough is a bad thing. It’s good to know where your next meal is coming from, to have a roof over your head, to live without constant worry over basic survival. In fact, for most of human history, people dreamed of abundance. More food,…
Gamifying Minimalism – The More You Lose, The More You Win
What if we made a game where the goal is not to accumulate, but to shed. Not to own, but to free oneself. Not to conquer, but to master the art of enough. In our lives driven by consumption, such a game might seem radical, even subversive. But, it is…
The Fine Art of Fairness and the Alchemy of Reciprocity
Somewhere between the first handshake and the last farewell, human beings have been bartering favors, swapping kindnesses, and engaging in an age-old ritual known as not being a jerk. This delicate repartée—this unwritten contract of fairness and reciprocity—has built civilizations, sustained friendships, and, on occasion, prevented certain relatives from being…
A Future That Feels Uncomfortably Present
When a novelization of a film is done well, it should feel like more than just a scene-by-scene transcription—it should deepen the themes, stretch the atmosphere, and give us something new to chew on. Elisabeth Hand’s 12 Monkeys, based on Terry Gilliam’s 1995 film, manages just that. It doesn’t just…
The Curse of a Good Idea
It is a peculiar habit of mankind to reject its benefactors, to stone its prophets, and to drive mad its visionaries. One might suppose that a good idea, like a well-planted seed, would take root wherever it falls. But the world is a field of salted earth, and the better…
The Floating Plank
Men have a peculiar way of fastening themselves to their own misery, of constructing their prisons and then bolting the doors from within. They will toil from sunup to sundown, breaking their backs over ledgers and lathes, pushing papers and pulling levers, all in the service of what they have…
The Tokenization of Time – Good or Bad
Time is an odd thing. We never have enough of it, and yet we waste it like fools. We sell it, we trade it, we give it away for free. Some people hoard it in boardrooms and vacation homes, while others bleed it out in factories and fields. The trouble…