The Greater Depression

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\ <<set _log = "Log" + $logNumber>> \ <> <<if $playerName === "A Name-Withheld Player" || $playerName === "">><h1>Journal of Author Unknown</h1> <<else>> <<if $prehistoricName !== "none">><h1><<linkappend "$playerName">> AKA "$prehistoricName"<</linkappend>></h1><</if>> <<if $mesopotamianName !== "none">><h1><<linkappend "$playerName">> AKA "$mesopotamianName"<</linkappend>></h1><</if>> <<if $medievalName !== "none">><h1><<linkappend "$playerName">> AKA "$medievalName"<</linkappend>></h1><</if>> \ <</if>> \ <> !!!Log Entry No. $logNumber \ <<include _log>> \<<if $logNumber > 1>><<message "Read Previous Entries">><<include "Previous Logs">><</message>><</if>> <<return "« Return to book">>

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!What is Economic Value? <<set $chapter to "Ch. 1: Spectrum of Worth">> \ <<set $branchCount to 0>> \ \ <<wordcount>> It is time to talk about the golden chalice of economics, the sacred, the revereed, the much-debated: value. It is supposedly this magical word that holds the secret to our capitalist fantasies. But sadly, these days, value is about as contested as the 100m sprint at a retirement home. It has gone from being the belle of the ball to being as exciting as day-old bread. It is almost as if the word value caught a bad case of the "meh" flu, went on an extended vacation, and now it is so lazy that it does not even bother to make an appearance unless it is on a clearance sale sign. But to truly understand this lazy evolution, we have to fire up the DeLorean and rev the engines back to our economic past. Picture it: <<linkappend "feudalism">> (A common social and political hierarchy seen in medieval Europe wherein a King gave land to his vassals or knights and nobles who in turn give their land to peasants or serfs. In the end, everyone is under the control of several people and must pay them money and homage.)<</linkappend>>, 800-1400 AD, was when the hottest trend was not avocado toast or cryptocurrency but... land. Land was the Louis Vuitton bag of the middle ages. If you had it, you were practically Kardashian-level famous. Lords were big-shot celebrities, lording over massive estates while the <<linkappend "serfs">> (Slaves that worked on the land in the feudal system)<</linkappend>>, well, they got to do all the manual labor. Value is the sacred grail of economics. It is the elusive concept that supposedly holds the key to our capitalist fantasies. And unfortunately, the word value is no longer as hotly contested as it once was. We have become complacent with its meaning and that has allowed this term, "value" to become <<linkappend "weak">>... and lazy<</linkappend>>. We can see this first-hand if we rewind through economic history. Let us go back in time to when (circa 800-1400 AD) was the king of the hill. Or should I say, lord of the hill. Picture a bunch of lords lording over vast swaths of land with doing all the work. In those days, the world ran on a simple principle - if you had land, you were "The Man." Serfs worked the land, lords owned it. The world was in the agricultural revolution. mercantilism was the king of the hill. Now, mercantilist ideas were the dominant economic ideology of all of Europe in the early modern period (think 1500-1800 AD). Mercantilists were all about hoarding wealth, but the Physiocrats saw this and said, "Guys, you are missing the point!" According to them, real wealth was not about stockpiling shiny things, but about creating tangible goods. Next up, fedualism (think 800-1500 AD). was a bit of a hoarder, obsessing over piling up gold and silver like they were going out of style. It loved exports like I love my morning coffee, and treated imports like I treat my alarm clock on Monday mornings. You get the picture. Now, let us zip back even further to the feudalism era. In those days, the world ran on a simple principle - if you had land, you were "The Man." Serfs worked the land, lords owned it. Fast forward to our friends, the Physiocrats. They burst onto the scene, pointing out the economic equivalent of the Emperor's New Clothes - that mercantilism and feudalism were not exactly making the economy runway-ready. to around 300 years ago, amidst the agricultural revolution. Economists of the time were called physiocrats. First up, we stumble upon the archaic musings of the classical economists and their delightfully twisted notions of value. These revered sages believed that the value of a product hinged on a display of blood, sweat, and tears poured into its creation. Yes, you read it right – nothing screams “exquisite luxury” quite like the salty tears of oppressed child laborers. In their absurd labor theory of value, these charlatans suggest that consumers are drawn to goods based on the sheer volume of exploited labor. So, children, bid farewell to innocence and education, for the assembly lines beckon – we need our damn iProducts! <</wordcount>> \ [[Apple's Relationship with Children->CH1B1 (APPLE)]] [[Next Page->CH1: 002]]

\ <<set $logNumber to 2>> \ <<journal>>New journal entry!<</journal>> In a time long before the concept of money or the notion of value, circa $year $yearSuffix. There existed a mysterious and enigmatic man known as $antagonist. $antagonist roamed the $period. He navigated through vast expanses of untamed wilderness $location. The local tribes lived in harmony with nature. All while he lurked in the shadows, his presence whispering temptation into the hearts of early humans. He used his influence to plant the seeds of desire, and sow the first inklings of possession and acquisition. The emergence of $antagonist marked a turning point in human history. His presence brought about a shfit in consciousness, introducing the blossoms of materialism and the insatiable hunger for more. While money and value were still distant concepts, $antagonist set in motion the inexorable march toward a world where possessions and wealth would define human interactions and societal structures. His influence, like an ancient curse, continues to shape the world, reminding us the eternal struggle between our noblest aspirations and the relentless pursuit of material gain. <</wordcount>> <<wordcount>> In a time long before the concept of money or the notion of value, circa $year $yearSuffix. There existed a mysterious and enigmatic man known as $antagonist. $antagonist roamed the $period. He navigated through vast expanses of untamed wilderness $location. The local tribes lived in harmony with nature. All while he lurked in the shadows, his presence whispering temptation into the hearts of early humans. He used his influence to plant the seeds of desire, and sow the first inklings of possession and acquisition. The emergence of $antagonist marked a turning point in human history. His presence brought about a shfit in consciousness, introducing the blossoms of materialism and the insatiable hunger for more. While money and value were still distant concepts, $antagonist set in motion the inexorable march toward a world where possessions and wealth would define human interactions and societal structures. His influence, like an ancient curse, continues to shape the world, reminding us the eternal struggle between our noblest aspirations and the relentless pursuit of material gain. <</wordcount>>

!How To Play \ <<set $chapter to "Tutorial">> Step into the bleak abyss of economic chaos - where you are the sadistic puppeteer of financial ruin, the harbinger of bankruptcy, and the victim of your own blind greed. Welcome to the labyrinth of money, where everything has a price, especially your dignity. Think this is just another book? Think again, and while you are at it, cast an eye on the <<linkappend "scattered links strewn about.">> Just clicked that link, did you? A sucker for detail, I see. These grim tidbits peppered throughout the text offer you explanations, images, or - should you dare - alternate branching pathways that will drag you down rabbit holes you never knew existed. The book itself is a beast, thrice-sectioned: header, content, and footer. * Header: From left to right: a pitifully optimistic "Share" icon, the book title and current chapter, and a menu icon to change options. * Content: What you are reading right now is content. Do not overthink it. * Footer: Again from left to right: a navigation icon to allow you to revist chapters, a seemingly innocent book icon which will document your inevitable downfall (or lore, if you are feeling poetic), and a magnifying glass to expose the very terms that will become your undoing. Now that you understand the layout, are you ready to stumble into the unknown? [[I want a lesson on branching pathways ->TUT: BRANCH]] [[Dive into the void->WPM: Explained]] <</linkappend>> \

!Legalese \ <<script>> var wordInterval; setTimeout(function() { const words = ["poppycock.", "balderdash.", "shenanigans.", "bunkum.", "blarney.", "tomfoolery.", "flimflam.", "gobbledygook.", "baloney.", "fiddle-faddle.", "drivel.", "hokum.", "codswallop."]; const wordElement = document.querySelector("#word"); let wordIndex = 0; function replaceWord() { if (wordElement) { wordElement.style.opacity = 0; // Fade out the current word setTimeout(function() { // Wait for the fade out to finish wordElement.textContent = words[wordIndex]; // Change the word wordIndex = (wordIndex + 1) % words.length; setTimeout(function() { // Wait a bit before starting the fade in wordElement.style.opacity = 1; // Fade in the new word }, 250); }, 500); } } wordInterval = setInterval(replaceWord, 2400); }); prehistory["stopWordInterval"] = function() { if (typeof wordInterval !== 'undefined' && wordInterval) { clearInterval(wordInterval); wordInterval = null; // Reset the interval variable } }; <</script>> One last thing, my attorney has advised me that I need to make something crystal clear: I am not a licensed financial advisor. But they did say I could mention that I have opinions. Boy, oh boy, do I have opinions. Like a disgruntled stand-up comic at an open mic night, I am full of them. But my market predications are about as reliable as a Magic 8-Ball after a few shots of tequila. "Should I invest in Bitcoin?" you ask. Give it a good shake and... "Reply hazy, try again." That is about the level of my insight. So, if you manage to find any nugget of wisdom in my economic ramblings, then I also have got some beachfront property in Kansas I would like to sell you. In all seriousness, thank you for supporting my nonsense. <<linkreplace "Read more">>I think the information I am presenting is accurate. But we all make mistakes, myself included. Chances are I made some unintentional omissions, glaring errors, or other blunders while writing this book. But I take no responsibility if this book crushes your hopes and dreams, ruins a relationship with a supposed soulmate, or even causes your appendix to explode. My goal is to entertain you, but not at the cost of your sanity, love life, or health. I promise to be humorous, but not because I said something that will land me in a courthouse.<</linkreplace>> <<link "End Tutorial" "Loading Page">><</link>>

!The Price of Choice \ <<set $readingStartTime = playTime('ms')>> \ <<wordcount>> Allow me to transport you back to a time when I was a child, standing on the sidelines of the soccer field, gazing at the basketball court. The world was full of possibilities, yet a daunting question hung over me: Was it worth the cost? Registration, equipment, and even extra gas costs - I found myself evaluating, calculating, and ultimately deciding that neither sport was worth pursuing. Perhaps in a different world, I would have discovered a hidden talent, a passion. But in mine, the cost weighed too heavily. I chose neither, and a part of my childhood innocence was lost that day. You see, this story is not just mine, it is a reflection of our collective experience, a tale of dreams deferred and opportunities missed. Imagine a young college student, starry-eyed and hopeful, standing at the crossroads of two schools. One, a prestigious institution, is just out of reach financially. The other, affordable but not quite right. The student chooses the latter, motivated by the terrifying burden of tuition costs. Little does this hopeful youth know that at the other school, a chance meeting with a soulmate awaited. But that destiny will never unfold, all because of a cost calculation. Or picture a family, eyes wide with anticipation, searching for their dream home. They find it but decide to settle for a lesser house in a more affordable area. Unbeknownst to them, in that dream home, neighbors who would have become lifelong friends, a community that would have embraced them like family, was waiting. But they never met; the cost seemed too great. We can even look back to the 1980s, to find corporate giants who missed the mark. Choosing layoffs over loyalty, sacrificing human dignity for quarterly profits. Oh, the irony! In their pursuit of short-term gains, they lost the very soul of their organizations. <</wordcount>> \ [[End test->WPM: Results]]

!Timing Instructions To customize timings for notifications, autoscroll, and various other functions, measuring your individual reading speed is necessary. A brief test passage is prepared for you. Read the passage naturally without intentionally speeding up or slowing down. Feel ready to commence the test? Click the "Begin test" link. Finished the test? An "End test" link awaits at the end of the passage. [[Begin test->TUT: 002]]

!Results \ <<set $readingEndTime = playTime('ms')>> \ <<set _elapsedTime to $readingEndTime - $readingStartTime>> \ <<set _elapsedTimeSeconds to Math.round(_elapsedTime / 1000)>> \ <<set $msPerWord = _elapsedTime / $wordCount>> \ <<set _wpm to Math.round($wordCount / (_elapsedTime / 60000))>> The test reading passage was $wordCount words long. You read it in roughly _elapsedTimeSeconds seconds. The book will be adjusted to your specific reading speed of _wpm words per minute. <<if _wpm > 238>>You are an above average reader! Based on an exploration of 190 studies encompassing more than 18,000 participants (<<linkreplace "citation">>Brysbaert, Marc (2019), “Data for: How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate”, Mendeley Data, V1, doi: 10.17632/rgt5c4xvc2.1<</linkreplace>>), it has been found that the average adult's reading rate is roughly 238 wpm. And you beat that, congratulations!<</if>> [[Redo test->WPM: Explained]] [[Next page->TUT: 003]]

!The Many Theories of Value \ <<wordcount>> Through the ages we have created many, many theories that attempt to <<linkappend "elucidate">>: (to make something clear or explain in detail)<</linkappend>> that elusive thing known as value. These many value theories have become a buffet of ideas, and everyone is scrambling to put their plate together. But instead of delicious food, it is like we are dishing out theories like "here is a theory that says value is based on the alignment of the stars" or "how about a theory that claims value is determined by the number of sneezes in a day?" <</wordcount>> \ [[What are some popular value theories?->VT1: SUBJECTIVE]]

!Apple's Relationship with Children <<set $branchCount to $branchCount + 1>> \ \<<wordcount>> Years ago, back in 2013, Apple discovered that Suyin Electronics (making parts for MacBooks, no less) was employing children. Quite young ones, mind you, like barely-out-of-middle-school young. Apple's response was a stern warning, but despite this, three months later, our tech giant found even more underage workers during an audit. In a bold move, though, Apple chose not to abandon Suyin but rather kept the company on its "reliable" suppliers' list for over three years. Despite their claims of maintaining the highest ethical standards, ten former members of Apple's supplier responsibility team spilled the beans that Suyin was not a unique case. According to them, Apple's cold feet about dropping suppliers that habitually violate labor laws or are unable to improve workplace safety is all too common, especially when their profits might suffer a hiccup. Because heaven forbid that Apple's bottom line suffers while they are a multitrillion dollar enterprise! In a similarly bewildering move, Apple held onto Biel Crystal, one of their glass iPhone screen suppliers, despite a safety record so poor it could compete for the 'worst workplace' award. Funnily enough, even Biel execs admitted improving safety was bad for business. And why would Apple let go of such a treasure? Leaving Biel would have left Apple with less leverage over its remaining supplier, Lens Technology. And we all know how much Apple loves to hold the upper hand. Speaking of Lens Technology, The Washington Post recently divulged that they employ forced labor from thousands of <</wordcount>><<linkreplace "Uyghur">><<wordcount>>Uyghur (Turkic-speaking Muslims from the Central Asian region)<</wordcount>><</linkreplace>><<wordcount>> workers displaced by the Chinese government. But do not worry, Apple, always the knight in shining armor, was quick to try and weaken a bill aimed at curbing the use of such labor. They did not lobby against it, though - no, no. They just had "constructive discussions" with the lawmakers. Semantics, right? This scandal is just a fresh note in Apple's long symphony of supply chain controversies, with labor issues in China, India, and even an incident with their second-largest iPhone manufacturer, Pegatron. But hey, who is counting? Well, maybe those who still believe in ethical consumerism. But then again, a new iPhone is just too shiny to resist! <</wordcount>> \ [[Back to value theories->CH1: 002]]

!Subjective Theory of Value \<<wordcount>> Cozying up in the basics, the subjective theory of value unfurls itself like the cozy flannel blanket of an oft-quoted saying - "beauty lies in the eye of the beholder." Take, for instance, an ornately adorned rubber duck - an object of indifference for many but a treasure trove for an eccentric collector of rubber fowl, willing to exchange a hefty sum for it. In this light, value becomes less of a static label and more of a dynamic auction house where the consumer dons the auctioneer's hat. Your inclination towards the item, personal preferences, and the financial muscle you are willing to flex act as the pulsating determinants of the bid you place. <<linkreplace "Additional examples">>!!Additional Examples <<set $branchCount to $branchCount + 1>> Imagine you are at a shopping mall. One store is filled with the latest designer clothes and another is filled with rare, collectible stamps. Now, if you are someone who loves fashion and has little interest in stamp collecting, you would likely place a high value on the designer clothes and very little value on the rare stamps. Conversely, if you are a dedicated stamp collector and have no interest in designer clothes, you might see those rare stamps as priceless and the designer clothes as irrelevant. Or let us consider food preferences. You might treasure a meal at a high-end sushi restaurant and be willing to pay top dollar for it. But for someone who does not like raw fish, they might place a very low value on that same meal. They might instead prefer to pay for a meal at a BBQ joint. Consider also digital products, like a subscription to a streaming service. For a movie enthusiast who loves to watch a variety of shows and films, a Netflix subscription may hold a high value. But for someone who spends their free time hiking and rarely watches TV, the value of that same Netflix subscription may be low. In each of these examples, the value of the item or service - designer clothes, rare stamps, sushi, BBQ, a Netflix subscription - is not inherently fixed. Instead, it is subjective, based on the preferences, desires, and circumstances of each individual person. This is the essence of the subjective theory of value. This theory is why your worn, <<linkappend "stinky socks">> (sites such as eBay or snifffr allow people, mainly women, to sell their used garments to men, for uh, reasons)<</linkappend>> gathering dust in the corner might suddenly morph into a valuable collector's item, given that someone out there places value on them. <</linkreplace>><</wordcount>> \ [[Next theory->VT2: MARGINAL]]

!Jumpin' Jehoshaphat! \<<wordcount>> I think part of the problem is that we humans have this innate need to explain and understand everything. We are like curious little buggers, poking our noses into every nook and cranny, trying to make sense of the world. So, naturally, we are going to come up with a gazillion theories to try and explain and document value. It is like we are throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks. And hey, maybe some of these theories have a <<linkappend "nugget of truth">> (I frequently fall victim to this marketing tactic and purchase more expensive products simply because they look "cooler")<</linkappend>> in them. Maybe they offer some insights into human behavior and decision-making. But we must not kid ourselves - value is as elusive as a unicorn on a unicycle. Nowadays we have economists and all sorts of brainiacs in the mix, each with their own perspective and agenda. They come up with these elaborate theories, scribble fancy equations on blackboards, and throw around big words like <<linkappend "\"utility\"">>: (used to determine the worth or value of a good or service)<</linkappend>> and <<linkappend "\"instrinsic worth\"">>: (to make something clear or explain in detail)<</linkappend>>. But at the end of the day, it is all just a bunch of intellectual jibber-jabber. So do not let these high-and-mighty economists fool you with their fancy jargon. Value is simply one of those abstract concepts they cling to, in an attempt to validate their overblown self-importance. There is no open-and-shut answer to what value is. Because remember, people value their shiny toys, others their fleeting experiences, and like a leaden weight dragging the spirit deeper into the darkness, there are those sad souls who have given up on valuing anything at all. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH1: 004]]

!This Passage is a Branch \ <<notify "fa-solid fa-code-branch">>This passage is a branch!<</notify>> A branching pathway book, also known as interactive storytelling, is a type of narrative where the storyline divides into various paths at numerous points, offering you different directions to take the story. For instance, this entire page is apart of a branch. On the previous page, if you had selected the other link, you would not be able to read any of this text. In this case, your decision has added additional content to the story. In a branching narrative, choices made by you can impact the unfolding of the story, leading to different outcomes or conclusions based on the decisions made. This form of storytelling aims to provide a unique, immersive experience, enabling a high degree of personal engagement. <<linkreplace "Can you show me some real-world examples?">> !!Real-World Examples: <ol><li> Choose Your Own Adventure Books: These are one of the earliest examples of branching narratives in literature. These books were popular during the 1980s and 1990s, and each book consists of a series of choices that lead to different endings. "The Cave of Time" by Edward Packard was the first in the series and remains a classic example of the branching narrative format.</li> <li> Video Games - Mass Effect Series: The Mass Effect series by BioWare is a popular video game example of branching narratives. Throughout the game, players make decisions that impact the relationships between characters and the overall storyline. Decisions made in one game could even carry over to the sequels, creating a deep, personalized narrative spanning across the entire series.</li> <li> Interactive Movies - "Bandersnatch": This interactive film from the creators of "Black Mirror" is another example of a branching narrative. The viewer makes decisions for the main character at various points in the story, leading to different scenes and endings. "Bandersnatch" received attention for its innovative use of interactive technology in the medium of television.</li></ol><</linkreplace>> [[Next page->WPM: Explained]]

<h1 id="book-title">The Greater Depression</h1> <h2 id="chapter-title">$chapter</h2>

!Marginal Utility Theory of Value \ <<wordcount>> The Marginal Utility Theory presents itself as a captivating player in the grand theatre of economics. It can be likened to the experience of tasting a novel delicacy for the first time. The initial bite explodes with flavors, delighting the taste buds in unimaginable ways. However, with each subsequent bite, the novelty diminishes, and the gusto of the taste fades. Now, here is where it gets interesting. As you consume more of a product, the marginal utility derived from each additional unit gradually diminishes. Think of it as binge-watching a series in one sitting. The excitement of the first few episodes gradually wanes, and by the end, you continue watching more out of a sense of completion rather than exhilaration. When referring to "utility" in this context, I am not discussing tools in a toolbox, but rather the measure of satisfaction or happiness that a consumer derives from a product. This phenomenon can be attributed to the supposed finite nature of satisfaction. Therefore, that eagerly anticipated family-size bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos will inevitably lose its seductive charm. While you still enjoy the bag-opening experience, each additional bite will offer slightly less fiery flavor and satisfaction. So it is important to relish those initial moments of flavor-packed bliss while they last. So, how does this theory explain consumer behavior? Imagine yourself in a store with a wallet full of cash. You wouldn't simply buy everything in sight. Instead, you evaluate the satisfaction gained from each product against its price. Your goal is to maximize your total utility by purchasing goods that offer the highest marginal utility per dollar spent. The exciting part is that this delicate dance between utility and price contributes to determining the price in a market. Ideally, the price of a good should align with its marginal utility - the satisfaction derived from the last unit purchased. However, it is crucial to acknowledge the intricate challenge of measuring marginal utility. How can we possibly unravel the web of desires swirling within the human psyche? It is a puzzle as perplexing as the enigma of existence itself. Yet, that is not the sole predicament. Humans, with our irrational souls, often defy sound judgment when assessing the value of goods and services. Logic takes a backseat as our preferences sway to the rhythm of various influences, leaving rationality behind. We succumb to social pressure, influenced by trends and the desire to fit in. <<linkreplace "Additional examples">>!!Additional Examples <<set $branchCount to $branchCount + 1>> Imagine this: It is a blistering hot summer day and you are craving some ice cream. You swing by your local ice cream shop and order your favorite flavor – <<linkappend "butterbeer">> (just like Harry Potter would)<</linkappend>>. You are really excited about it because your sweet tooth has been acting up all day. That first scoop of ice cream is like magic – it is exactly what you needed, and it is delightful. This is some high level of satisfaction or utility! Now, you are feeling a bit adventurous (and extra hungry), so you decide to go for a second scoop. It is still good - I mean, who does not love butterbeer ice cream, right? But it is not as thrilling as the first scoop was. That is because you are not as hungry anymore, and the novelty has faded a bit. This means that the second scoop of ice cream has a lower marginal utility. Imagine going even further and ordering a third scoop. By this point, you are pretty full, and you are not really enjoying the ice cream as much. This third scoop has an even lower marginal utility than the second scoop. So, in a nutshell, marginal utility is about the benefit or happiness you get from each additional unit of something you consume. As you consume more and more, you tend to get less and less satisfaction from each additional unit. This is often called diminishing marginal utility. The principle of diminishing marginal utility is why the <<linkappend "61st episode of a HBO binge">> (I am still upset over the rushed ending to Game of Thrones)<</linkappend>> is not quite as exciting as the first. Or why the <<linkappend "6th slice of pizza">> (not every pizza is a personal pizza)<</linkappend>> just does not taste as good as the first one did. Or why you are not as excited to catch the 100th Pidgey Pokémon as you were to catch your very first one. And that is marginal utility, in the tastiest and most magical way possible! <</linkreplace>><</wordcount>> \ [[Next theory->VT3: SOCIAL]]

!Social Constructionist Theory of Value \ <<wordcount>> This theory, like a storyteller spinning a captivating tale, proclaims that value is not a hard fact written in stone, but rather a narrative woven from our collective imagination. It confronts the concept of objective truth and invites us into a realm where imagination runs wild, rendering the idea of value flexible, if not elusive. Picture an object - say, a work of art - being perceived across different societies. A simple portrait in one society might hold no significant value, while in another, it could be a priceless artifact due to unique cultural appreciation or norms. The Social Constructionist Theory attributes these fascinating discrepancies to societal and cultural perspectives. Now, let us talk about change - societal change, to be precise. You see, as society evolves, so do its norms, customs, and perceptions. This can lead to a fascinating ripple effect, altering the value we attribute to an item, making it a precious commodity in one era and perhaps, a forgotten relic in another. This theory becomes even more compelling when considering abstract concepts like happiness or success. These are not commodities you can price tag. Instead, their perceived value takes shape within the societal norms, cultural context, and shared beliefs that define what success or happiness ought to look like. Consider a masterpiece painting, renowned more for its cultural significance and the prestige tied to its ownership than the materials used in its creation. It is here that the Social Constructionist Theory truly finds its stride. Yet, we must tread lightly in this realm, for the very fluidity that makes this theory fascinating also presents its biggest pitfall. With the value being malleable and subject to manipulation, society could potentially turn into a battleground for power and deceit. While it is a beguiling concept that value is a social construct, it is crucial not to overlook the inherent usefulness or desirability of certain items. In this enthralling dance of subjectivity and objectivity, it is unlikely that a heap of barren dirt could ever hold the allure of a glittering mound of gold. <<linkreplace "Additional examples">>!!Additional examples <<set $branchCount to $branchCount + 1>> The social constructionist theory of value is the idea that what we value in life - stuff, experiences, whatever - is mostly shaped by the social constructs and cultural norms around us. So, it is like saying that if we live in a society that values, say, getting 10,000 steps a day, we might all start valuing fitness trackers because society says so. But one major pitfall of this theory is that it kind of treats us like we are all sheep, blindly following societal norms. You know, like in that episode of "Black Mirror" where everyone is obsessed with social media ratings and all they care about is getting five stars from everyone they meet. It is as if we don’t have minds of our own and just go with the societal flow. But come on, we are not just drones in an episode of "Westworld" – we have personal preferences too, right? And speaking of personal preferences, what about all those folks who love to go against the grain? Like that friend who refuses to watch "Game of Thrones" because it is too mainstream, or people who still listen to cassette tapes in the age of Spotify. The social constructionist theory of value struggles to explain these outliers who choose to shun societal norms. Plus, this theory assumes that societal values are uniform, like every single person in Westeros wanting the Iron Throne. But just like in "Game of Thrones," real societies are diverse, with different groups and subcultures that value different things. The North remembers, right? So, the idea that there is one overarching set of social constructs shaping what we all value is about as reliable as a weather forecast in Winterfell. In short, while the social constructionist theory of value might sound like a perfect protagonist in the grand drama of value theories, it has its own villainous traits. Like any good character in a pop culture saga, it has its strengths, but it is far from perfect. <</linkreplace>><</wordcount>> \ [[Next theory->VT4: PROSPECT]]

!Prospect Theory of Value \ <<wordcount>> The Prospect Theory of Value is like a theater scene where the spotlight is on perceived losses and gains rather than on the intrinsic value of goods. Imagine being in a theater, where the drama is not in the storyline itself but in the audience's anticipation and reaction to each twist and turn. The value of a good becomes as transient as a fleeting performance, constantly fluctuating based on the dynamics of the drama unfolding before us. In this tantalizing spectacle, we have our "reference points," the anchors to which our mental scales are tethered. They serve as our starting markers, our original positions from which we perceive and evaluate potential losses or gains. Think of it as your favourite seat in the theatre from where you watch the play unfold. Now, here comes the interesting part - "loss aversion." It is as if we have been handed a pair of dramatic opera glasses that magnify the impact of potential losses far more than any gains. A single downturn in fortune often stings much more than an equivalent uptick would please. Under the spell of the Prospect Theory, we transform into interesting characters. When potential gains twinkle in our eyes, we become cautious, opting to avoid risk. However, when facing potential losses, we bravely embrace risk in hopes of turning the tide. The puppet masters of this enthralling theatre? None other than the brilliant minds of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, the key contributors to the development of this theory. Now, let us explore the dazzling world of marketing and packaging, the artistry that beautifully adorns this theory. Here, a simple pair of socks could be elevated to a luxury item, not by its inherent worth but by its packaging. It is as if we are delighting in the anticipation of unwrapping a lavishly adorned gift, the intrigue of the packaging becoming the main event. Prospect Theory tosses traditional value concepts to the wind, pulling us into a fascinating play of perception, desire, and emotional reactions. It acknowledges and provides insights into our innate human biases and tendencies. So, the next time we find ourselves entranced by an exquisite package, or pondering over perceived losses and gains, we can tip our hats to this theory for shedding light on our all-too-human behaviors. <<linkreplace "Additional examples">>!!Additional examples <<set $branchCount to $branchCount + 1>> You know when you are sitting on your couch, aimlessly flipping through Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, <<linkappend "Apple TV+">> (does anyone even have this?)<</linkappend>>, and that ever-growing list of streaming services you should not be paying for? And you spend, what, forty-five minutes just looking for something to watch instead of actually watching something? That is the embodiment of loss aversion. Loss aversion is a key component of the prospect theory, which basically says people feel the sting of a loss more deeply than the pleasure of a gain. You would rather waste forty-five minutes of your time scrolling, driven by the fear of choosing a terrible movie and losing those precious forty-five minutes of your life, rather than taking a risk and possibly stumbling upon a hidden gem. Now, remember when your favorite superhero movie pulled the biggest twist in cinematic history? No, not when Spider-Man had that whole multiverse shindig; I am talking about the ending of Avengers: Infinity War. You walked into that theater full of hope and walked out feeling like you had been sucker punched by Thanos himself. You see, going into the movie, you had a "reference point" (another nifty term from the prospect theory) of superheroes always saving the day. But Marvel, being the cunning fiends they are, shifted your reference point by letting the bad guy win. This abrupt shift messed with your emotions more than any number of Spider-Men appearing on screen could. And guess what? This too, boils down to the prospect theory – showing us how people's decisions are greatly affected by how their current situation compares to a reference point. Finally, let us talk about the regret of buying a fancy new iPhone (because Apple's marketing made it look like it was carved by Greek gods or something). You pull it out of the box, and it looks the same, feels the same, and has the same features as your old iPhone. Except now you are out a grand and cannot return it because you already smudged the screen with your greasy Cheeto fingers. The prospect theory helps explain why you made that purchase. The idea of gaining something new and shiny, something that might elevate your <<linkappend "social status">> (it will not)<</linkappend>>, is incredibly powerful. And Apple, with its glossy ads and meticulously designed products, exploits this fact to keep you coming back for more, despite the hole burning in your wallet. So, the next time you are mindlessly scrolling through Netflix or impulsively buying that new iPhone, think of our pals Kahneman and Tversky... They knew you would fall for it. <</linkreplace>><</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH1: 003]]

!Value Theory Quiz \ <<set _questions to [ { "question": "What is the central concept of the Subjective Theory of Value?", "answers": [ "Value is based on the individual's personal perspective and subjective judgment of its worth.", "Value is based on the cost of its production.", "Value is based on the amount of labor needed to produce it.", "Value is determined by its scarcity and demand.", "Value is an intrinsic attribute, unrelated to individual perception." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "According to the Subjective Theory of Value, how does the value of a good change?", "answers": [ "Value changes with variations in individual preferences and circumstances.", "Value is constant and unchanging.", "Value changes with fluctuations in market demand and supply.", "Value changes based on the cost of its production.", "Value changes based on government policies." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "How does the Subjective Theory of Value explain the trade between two parties?", "answers": [ "Trade happens when each party subjectively values what they receive more than what they give up.", "Trade is dictated by governmental regulations.", "The party with the more valuable good benefits more from the trade.", "Both parties perceive the same value in the goods being exchanged.", "Trade happens when the labor inputs of the goods being exchanged are equal." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "How does the Subjective Theory of Value explain the trade between two parties?", "answers": [ "Price is determined by market demand and supply.", "Price is determined by its intrinsic value.", "Price is determined by the cost of its production.", "Price is determined by government regulations.", "Price is determined by the amount of labor needed to produce it." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "How does the Subjective Theory of Value relate to the concept of marginal utility?", "answers": [ "It incorporates the concept of marginal utility, acknowledging that the value of a good to an individual decreases with additional consumption.", "There is no relationship between the two.", "It argues against the concept of marginal utility.", "It is the exact opposite of the concept of marginal utility.", "It equates the value of a good with its marginal utility." ], "correct": 0 } ]>> \ <<set _currentQuestion to _questions.random()>> \ <<set _correctAnswer to _currentQuestion.answers[_currentQuestion.correct]>> \ <<set _currentQuestion.answers to _currentQuestion.answers.shuffle()>> \ <<set _currentQuestion.correct to _currentQuestion.answers.indexOf(_correctAnswer)>> \ !!Question 1 of 5 <<print _currentQuestion.question>> <> <<for _i to 0; _i lt 5; _i++>> <<print(_i +1) + ". ">>  <<if _i is _currentQuestion.correct>> <<link _currentQuestion.answers[_i]>> <<set $score to $score + 1>> <<goto "CH1: QUIZ 002">> <</link>> <<else>> <<link _currentQuestion.answers[_i]>> <<goto "CH1: QUIZ 002">> <</link>> <</if>>  <</for>> <>

!Quiz, Quiz! \ <<wordcount>> Oh, joy. A quiz. It is exactly what you always wanted in your books, right? Just when we thought we were safe from the tyranny of the dreaded school pop quiz, here it is, slithering its way into your downtime. Who needs dragons and princesses when you can have multiple choice questions? But alas, this is not some cruel, heartless joke. Apparently, there is science behind it. You see, the infamous Dr. Henry Roediger, a real hoot at parties, I have heard, and his psychology posse did this little study on memory. They discovered that taking quizzes actually boosts our long-term memory retention. And here we were thinking quizzes were just instruments of torture devised by sadistic teachers. Turns out, we might have been a tad dramatic. The process is known as the "testing effect," or "retrieval practice." In plain English, it means when you try to recall information, as you do during a quiz, you are more likely to remember it later. Crazy, right? It is like your brain is some twisted, annoying personal trainer that only lets you build muscles by lifting the heaviest weights. No pain, no gain, and all that jazz. But you know, these brainiacs might be onto something. But I digress... Back on track, today we are diving into the thrilling world of "value." Not mind-boggling questions like "Is God real?" or "Do we have free will?" Oh no, we are tackling something way more straightforward - value. I have something special planned for all you geniuses who manage to score well. So, to give your grades a little boost and potentially unlock that mysterious treasure, let me help you out with a rapid-fire recap of the five theories you were forced to absorb: <hr> <<message "Labor Theory">> \ \ <<wordcount>> Suggests that the value of a good or service is determined by the amount of labor required to produce it.<</wordcount>> \ <</message>> <<message "Subjective Theory">> \ \ <<wordcount>> Suggest that the value of a good or service is determined by the individual's subjective preferences and perceptions.<</wordcount>> \ <</message>> <<message "Marginal Utility Theory">> \ \ <<wordcount>> Suggests that the value of a good or service is determined by the additional satisfaction or utility gained from consuming one additional unit of it.<</wordcount>> \ <</message>> <<message "Social Constructionist Theory">> \ \ <<wordcount>> Suggests that the value of a good or service is socially constructed and influenced by cultural, historical, and societal factors.<</wordcount>> \ <</message>> <<message "Prospect Theory">> \ \ <<wordcount>> Suggests that the value of a good or service is perceived relative to a reference point, and people's decisions are influenced by the potential gains or losses they anticipate from that reference point.<</wordcount>> \ <</message>> <hr> Oh, one final thing. Remember, do not Google the answers. Keep some dignity here, folks. It is not like this quiz actually means anything... unless, for some reason, you place value in the results. <</wordcount>> \ [[Begin quiz->CH1: QUIZ 001]]

!Value Theory Quiz \ <<set _questions to [ { "question": "What is the primary principle of the Marginal Utility Theory?", "answers": [ "Value is determined by the extra satisfaction a consumer gains from consuming one additional unit of it.", "Value is a static measure, unaffected by consumption patterns.", "Value is determined by the total satisfaction it provides to consumers.", "Value is determined by societal norms and cultural factors.", "Value is determined by its scarcity and the cost of its production." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "What does the \"law of diminishing marginal utility\" state?", "answers": [ "As consumption increases, there is a decrease in the marginal utility.", "As consumption increases, there is an increase in the marginal utility.", "As consumption increases, the total utility remains the same.", "As consumption increases, the marginal utility becomes negative.", "As a person increases consumption of a product, the product's value increases." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "In the context of Marginal Utility Theory, what does \"utility\" refer to?", "answers": [ "The usefulness or satisfaction a consumer derives from a good.", "The production cost of a good.", "The market demand for a good.", "The inherent worth of a good.", "The monetary value of a good." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "How does Marginal Utility Theory explain consumer behavior?", "answers": [ "Consumers purchase goods to maximize their total utility, taking into consideration the marginal utility and price of the goods.", "Consumers purchase goods based on their cost of production.", "Consumers purchase goods based on societal norms and cultural factors.", "Consumers purchase goods based on their inherent worth.", "Consumers purchase goods based on their scarcity." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "How does Marginal Utility Theory contribute to price determination?", "answers": [ "It incorporates the concept of marginal utility, acknowledging that the value of a good to an individual decreases with additional consumption.", "It suggests that the price of a good should be equivalent to its marginal utility.", "It suggests that the price of a good should be equivalent to its cost of production.", "It suggests that the price of a good should be equivalent to its inherent worth.", "It suggests that the price of a good should be equivalent to its societal and cultural significance." ], "correct": 0 } ]>> \ <<set _currentQuestion to _questions.random()>> \ <<set _correctAnswer to _currentQuestion.answers[_currentQuestion.correct]>> \ <<set _currentQuestion.answers to _currentQuestion.answers.shuffle()>> \ <<set _currentQuestion.correct to _currentQuestion.answers.indexOf(_correctAnswer)>> \ !!Question 2 of 5 <<print _currentQuestion.question>> <> <<for _i to 0; _i lt 5; _i++>> <<print(_i +1) + ". ">>  <<if _i is _currentQuestion.correct>> <<link _currentQuestion.answers[_i]>> <<set $score to $score + 1>> <<goto "CH1: QUIZ 003">> <</link>> <<else>> <<link _currentQuestion.answers[_i]>> <<goto "CH1: QUIZ 003">> <</link>> <</if>>  <</for>> <>

!Value Theory Quiz \ <<set _questions to [ { "question": "What is the fundamental premise of the Social Constructionist Theory of Value?", "answers": [ "Value is a construct influenced by societal norms, institutions, and cultural factors.", "Value is determined by the utility of a commodity.", "Value is derived from the scarcity of a commodity.", "Value is calculated based on the cost of production.", "Value is the intrinsic worth of a commodity, unaffected by social perspectives." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "How does the Social Constructionist Theory of Value explain variations in the value of the same item in different societies?", "answers": [ "It attributes the variations to differences in societal norms and cultural perspectives.", "It attributes the variations to differences in production costs.", "It attributes the variations to differences in supply and demand.", "It attributes the variations to inherent characteristics of the item.", "It attributes the variations to fluctuations in global market trends." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "According to the Social Constructionist Theory of Value, how do societal changes affect the value of an item?", "answers": [ "Societal changes can alter the perceived value of an item by changing social norms and perceptions.", "Societal changes influence the value of an item by altering its utility.", "Societal changes impact the value of an item by influencing its production cost.", "Societal changes do not have any impact on the value of an item.", "Societal changes affect the value of an item through global economic shifts." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "In the Social Constructionist Theory of Value, how are the values of abstract concepts, such as happiness or success, determined?", "answers": [ "They are influenced by societal norms, cultural context, and shared beliefs.", "They are fixed and the same for everyone.", "They are determined by each individual's personal preferences.", "They are determined by the collective judgment of economists.", "They are calculated based on their potential for generating financial gain." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "Which of the following best exemplifies the Social Constructionist Theory of Value?", "answers": [ "A famous painting's value increases due to its cultural significance and the status associated with owning it.", "The value of gold is determined by its scarcity and demand in the market.", "The value of a car is calculated based on the cost of its parts and labor involved in its production.", "A bottle of water becomes more valuable in a desert due to its increased utility.", "The value of a stock is determined by its potential future earnings." ], "correct": 0 } ]>> \ <<set _currentQuestion to _questions.random()>> \ <<set _correctAnswer to _currentQuestion.answers[_currentQuestion.correct]>> \ <<set _currentQuestion.answers to _currentQuestion.answers.shuffle()>> \ <<set _currentQuestion.correct to _currentQuestion.answers.indexOf(_correctAnswer)>> \ !!Question 3 of 5 <<print _currentQuestion.question>> <> <<for _i to 0; _i lt 5; _i++>> <<print(_i +1) + ". ">>  <<if _i is _currentQuestion.correct>> <<link _currentQuestion.answers[_i]>> <<set $score to $score + 1>> <<goto "CH1: QUIZ 004">> <</link>> <<else>> <<link _currentQuestion.answers[_i]>> <<goto "CH1: QUIZ 004">> <</link>> <</if>>  <</for>> <>

!Value Theory Quiz \ <<set _questions to [ { "question": "What is the central argument of Prospect Theory?", "answers": [ "People make decisions based on the potential value of losses and gains.", "People make decisions based on the prospect of earning maximum profit.", "People's decisions are solely driven by their personal instincts.", "People's decision-making process is always objective and emotionless.", "People always make rational decisions." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "What are \"reference points\" in Prospect Theory?", "answers": [ "They are the starting points from which losses and gains are evaluated.", "They are the average outcomes of a decision.", "They are the maximum possible gains that can be achieved.", "They are the final goals one wants to achieve.", "They are the minimal acceptable results." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "What does \"loss aversion\" refer to in Prospect Theory?", "answers": [ "The principle that losses generally outweigh gains.", "The notion that losses are ignored in decision making.", "The idea that losses are always preferable to gains.", "The concept that losing something has no impact on decision-making.", "The thought that people always make decisions that result in losses." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "How is \"risk\" perceived in Prospect Theory?", "answers": [ "People are risk-averse when considering potential gains and risk-seeking when facing potential losses.", "Risk is always undesirable and should be avoided.", "People always seek risk irrespective of losses or gains.", "Risk is not factored into decision making.", "Risk is only considered in financial decisions." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "Who are the key contributors to the development of Prospect Theory?", "answers": [ "Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky", "B. F. Skinner and Carl Jung", "John Nash and John von Neumann", "Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein", "Adam Smith and David Ricardo" ], "correct": 0 } ]>> \ <<set _currentQuestion to _questions.random()>> \ <<set _correctAnswer to _currentQuestion.answers[_currentQuestion.correct]>> \ <<set _currentQuestion.answers to _currentQuestion.answers.shuffle()>> \ <<set _currentQuestion.correct to _currentQuestion.answers.indexOf(_correctAnswer)>> \ !!Question 4 of 5 <<print _currentQuestion.question>> <> <<for _i to 0; _i lt 5; _i++>> <<print(_i +1) + ". ">>  <<if _i is _currentQuestion.correct>> <<link _currentQuestion.answers[_i]>> <<set $score to $score + 1>> <<goto "CH1: QUIZ 005">> <</link>> <<else>> <<link _currentQuestion.answers[_i]>> <<goto "CH1: QUIZ 005">> <</link>> <</if>>  <</for>> <>

!Submit Quiz <<set $readResults to false>> \ \ <<script>> // Trigger the fade-in animation $(document).one('fadeincomplete', function () { // Show the continue button after the fade-in animation completes setTimeout(function() { $('.link-internal').show(); //Scroll to the botom of the page window.scrollTo(0, document.body.scrollHeight); }, 2000); }); <</script>> \ \ <style> .link-internal { display: none; } </style> \ <<fadein>> Your heart pounds in your chest as your fingers hover over the mouse, a shiver of trepidation coiling up your spine. The last question has been answered. There are no do-overs and the finality of it all sets in. You take a deep breath, your nostrils flaring as the scent of warmed plastic, cold metal, and stale coffee from a discarded cup in the corner of the room assault your senses. For a moment, you close your eyes, the cool glow from the screen burning blue-tinged shapes into your eyelids. With a deep breath, you press the "Submit"' button. The click is sharp, a gunshot in the silence that echoes in your ears long after your hand has recoiled. The screen flickers, casting your face in a pale glow, a stark contrast against the room's dim fluorescent lighting. The soft hum of the server's machinations crescendo into an almost imperceptible whirr. The screen refreshes. The grading wheel spins, its smooth rotations a mocking carousel of uncertainty. Finally, the email notification pings, a sweet yet nerve-wracking melody that shatters the tense silence. The quiz score has been sent. Your performance, codified in cold, impersonal digits, awaits you in the comfort, or discomfort, of your inbox. The question now lies with you. Do you click the mail icon, letting the verdict unfurl in stark monochrome letters? Or do you let the anticipation simmer, savouring the uncertainty a moment longer? The choice is yours. What will it be? <</fadein>> \ \ <> [[Open the email->CH1B1: 1 (READ)]] [[Ignore the email->CH1B1: 2 (IGNORE)]] <>

!You Read the Email <<set $readResults to true>> \ \ <<set _percentage to Math.round(($score / 4) * 100, 2)>> \ <<script>> // Trigger the fade-in animation $(document).one('fadeincomplete', function () { // Show the continue button after the fade-in animation completes setTimeout(function() { $("a[role='link']").show(); //Scroll to the botom of the page window.scrollTo(0, document.body.scrollHeight); }, 2000); }); <</script>> \ \ <style> a[role="link"] { display: none; } </style> \ <<fadein>> You sit motionless at the desk, your heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and nerves. The email notification blinked on your screen just moments ago, teasing you with the promise of your quiz results. Everything else fades away as you fixate on that one message, beckoning you to unveil its secrets With trembling fingers, you move your cursor over the email, your hand suspended in mid-air, unsure of what awaited you. After what feels like minutes, you muster the courage and double-click, the sound resonates through the silent room like a door opening to a world of possibilities. <</fadein>> \ \ <> <<linkreplace "Read the score">> Score: _percentage% [[Next page->CH1: 006]] <</linkreplace>> <>

!You Ignore the Email \ <<script>> // Trigger the fade-in animation $(document).one('fadeincomplete', function () { // Show the continue button after the fade-in animation completes setTimeout(function() { $('.link-internal').show(); //Scroll to the botom of the page window.scrollTo(0, document.body.scrollHeight); }, 2000); }); <</script>> \ \ <style> .link-internal { display: none; } </style> \ <<fadein>> As the email notification appeared on the screen, you sigh, feeling a wave of apathy wash over yourself. Despite the anticipation surrounding their quiz results, you could no longer muster the motivation to open the email and face your score. The reasons behind your indifference are unclear, but deep down, you are disengaged and uninterested in the outcome. ...Little did you know, however, that the score you were about to dismiss so casually held a surprising revelation. <</fadein>> \ \ <> [[Next page->CH1: 006]] <>

\ <<if $score == 5>> \ <<notify "fa-solid fa-award">>Quiz master!<</notify>> \ <</if>> !Beyond the Quiz \ <<if $readResults && $score >=4>> \ <<wordcount>> As you eagerly check your quiz results, a sense of satisfaction washed over you. The numbers displayed on the screen, shining like badges of achievement, revealed a commendable performance. The quiz had seemingly validated your grasp of the intricate value theories you had explored. But what did these results truly signify? Were they a testament to the prowess of the human intellect or merely an illusion of understanding? In the realm of value theories, the idea of a universally valid framework teeters on the <<linkappend "precipice">> (a hazardous situation)<</linkappend>> of human ambition. Humanity, driven by its insatiable thirst for knowledge, often succumbs to the allure of grandiosity. We envision a world where a single theory can encapsulate the multifaceted nature of human values across cultures, eras, and individual experiences. Yet, in this quest for universality, do we not unwittingly embrace our own <</wordcount>><<linkappend "hubris">> <<wordcount>>(think excessive pride, arrogance)<</wordcount>><</linkappend>>?<<wordcount>> For within the vast tapestry of human existence, there exists an immeasurable complexity that eludes our attempts at categorization. Values, like whispers in the wind, manifest themselves in intricate patterns shaped by subjective perspectives, cultural influences, and ever-shifting contexts. The notion that we can distill these complexities into a singular theory belies a certain arrogance—an audacity that assumes we hold the key to deciphering the enigmatic essence of values. As you bask in the glow of your high quiz scores, do not forget the fragility of your understanding. You must question the very foundations of your certainties and recognize the limitations of your intellectual endeavors. For even the most astute theories and comprehensive frameworks remain mere guesses, fleeting shadows cast by the brilliance of an ever-elusive truth. In this realization lies an opportunity for humility - a chance to acknowledge the vastness of human diversity and the boundless permutations of value. The belief that we can capture the essence of every individual's experience and attribute it to a singular theory is a testament to our own overreach. It is a reminder that our journey toward understanding is not a conquest, but an ongoing exploration of the mysteries that lie within and beyond us. <</wordcount>> \ <<elseif $readResults && $score < 4>> \ <<wordcount>> As you anxiously check your quiz results, a sense of disappointment washed over your face. The scores displayed on the screen, like ink blots on a <</wordcount>><<linkappend "Rorschach test">><<wordcount>> (a psychological test that uses inkblot images to learn about a person's thoughts, emotions, and personality)<</wordcount>><</linkappend>>, <<wordcount>>revealed a less-than-impressive performance. But what meaning could be derived from these numbers? Were they truly indicative of the depth and complexity of your understanding of value theories? Or were they mere fragments of a larger, more intricate tapestry? In this realm of exploration, the notion of a universally valid value theory appears to stand as a lofty aspiration, a distant star in the vast expanse of the night sky. Humanity, with its ceaseless desire to unravel the mysteries of existence, often succumbs to the temptation of grandeur. We dare to imagine that through our intellect and relentless pursuit, we could create a framework that encompasses the entire spectrum of human values. Yet, how pompous is this notion? For in the vastness of human experiences, there lies an infinite array of perspectives, cultural nuances, and contextual intricacies. The very notion of value becomes a chameleon, assuming different shades and hues depending on the unique amalgamation of factors that shape each individual's understanding. It dances in the interplay between subjectivity and objectivity, eluding our attempts to confine it within the rigid boundaries of a theory. And so, we find ourselves at the precipice of a humbling realization- a realization that no single theory, no matter how meticulously crafted, can capture the essence of all values across time and space. Our understanding, like grains of sand slipping through our fingers, is in constant flux. It is shaped by the ever-evolving nature of our existence, the complexities of our interactions, and the kaleidoscope of human perspectives that defy categorization. <</wordcount>> \ <<else>> \ <<wordcount>> As you refrained from glancing at your quiz results, an air of uncertainty hung over your decision. The numerical scores, mere digits on a screen, held no significance without their scrutiny. It was as if the answers you had painstakingly chosen had been cast into the void, their importance fading into the oblivion of indifference. But perhaps, in the grand scheme of things, the insignificance of this particular quiz was merely a microcosm of a greater truth. Humanity, with all its intellectual prowess and relentless pursuit of understanding, often finds itself wandering in the vast labyrinth of its own complexities. As we venture into the realm of value theories, we dare to contemplate the very essence of what drives us, what shapes our decisions and actions. Yet, do we truly possess the audacity to believe that we can capture the entirety of human values within a neat and universally valid framework? In our relentless pursuit of knowledge, we often become ensnared by our own pomposity. We weave intricate webs of theories and philosophies, attempting to encapsulate the multifaceted nature of human existence. But in doing so, we risk underestimating the sheer diversity and complexity of individual experiences, cultural contexts, and historical narratives that shape our perceptions of value. What might appear as a resolute answer today may be rendered obsolete tomorrow, as the sands of time shift and reshape our understanding. The very nature of values is intrinsically subjective, a mosaic of personal preferences, societal norms, and contextual circumstances that defy universal categorization. It is an ever-changing tapestry, woven by the threads of individual perspectives, constantly adapting to the ebb and flow of our collective consciousness. And so, as your quiz results remain hidden, let us remember that our pursuit of understanding is a perpetual journey, one that requires an openness to ambiguity, a reverence for diversity, and a healthy dose of humility. For it is within these virtues that we may glimpse the true essence of our humanity, transcending the limitations of our own creations and embracing the beautifully complex tapestry of our collective existence. <</wordcount>> \ <</if>> \ [[Next page->CH1: 007]]

!Modern Society \ <<set $chapter to "Ch 2: Crowning the Chaos">> \ <<set _poopOptions = ["dropping a dookie", "chopping a log", "floating a trout", "laying cable", "hitting paydirt", "cuttin' rope", "building a log cabin", "unloading some timber", "taking the Browns to the Superbowl", "baking a loaf", "parking some bark", "punishing the porcelain", "recycling fiber", "making room for lunch"]>> \ <<wordcount>> Modern society is a place where flawed and dysfunctional human beings come together to mess up as much as possible. Society is like a game where we are all trying to win the title of biggest disaster. And, honestly, we are all winners in this game. We reward politicians for their lies, corporations for their greed, and individuals for their digital personas rather than their real-life connections. It is ironic that we have become so dependent on technology that we are unable to go to the bathroom without scrolling through our phones. Yet, we complain about the state of the world and how disconnected we are from each other. Did you know that people spend more time on their phones in a day than talking to their loved ones? Apparently, our screens are more important to us than our mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and even those we handpick to call friends. Our constant consumption has spread into all areas of our life, it has created a culture where we think buying more stuff will make us happy, but it only leaves us feeling emptier and more dissatisfied. We are drowning in a sea of our own crap, and yet we keep buying more and more crap in an attempt to fill the void. We are taught from a young age that success is a formula equal to one’s job title plus its salary. In the pursuit of nirvana, we just keep chasing the next promotion, a slightly bigger paycheck, a more luxurious car, all while hoping that someday, we will finally feel fulfilled. Or, more likely, we will end up with a bunch of crap we do not need, a soul-sucking job, and a growing sense of existential dread. But hey, we can post about our dread at the same time as <<cycle "$poopEuphemism" autoselect>><<optionsfrom _poopOptions>><</cycle>>. #winning But the true king of this world, Money, is like a siren’s call that beckons us to sail towards the rocks of financial success. Money is the reason we wake up feeling like we have a five-hundred-pound weight on our backs. Money is why we put in too many hours, miss key milestones, and sacrifice our time, energy, relationships, and sanity. Money is not some “seductress,” it is an overlord. We have become mindless drones, blindly following the almighty dollar to the abyss of greed and excess. Slowly but surely, we have replaced compassion, empathy, and genuine human connection with our sick obsession for material wealth. But at what cost? <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 101]]

!No Value, No Mo' \ <<wordcount>> Seriously, none of these theories can fully explain value. There is no right answer to what value is, only wrong answers. I think that perhaps we humans thrive on concocting these labyrinthine, pretentious explanations for the things that baffle us. One man dares to advocate for the labor theory of value, naively believing that the sweat and toil invested in production are deterministic in worth. Meanwhile, another fervently argues for the subjective theory, arrogantly claiming that our whims and desires hold omnipotent sway over the realm of value. And lo and behold, a self-proclaimed philosopher emerges spouting a nonsensical babble about the social constructionist theory, as if the fickle whims of society could shape the very essence of value itself. And for the grand finale arrives the audacious prospect theory, boldly proclaiming that our feeble minds are nothing but pawns in the hands of manipulative marketers, bewitched by glossy packaging. We scratch our empty skulls, and engage in endless bouts of pointless bickering, all in a valueless attempt to wrangle this whimsical notion. But alas, value remains a mischievious little creature. It taunts us while swimming deeper into the depths of uncertainty, leaving us floating at the surface. And now we are stuck in a state of perpetual bewilderment, forever yearning for the unattainable. Amid this quietude, a gentle tremor coursed through the earth, imperceptible at first. It started as a mere whisper, a subtle vibration that brushed against the soles of one's feet, evoking a sense of curiosity. The tremor, barely noticeable, tickled the senses, as if it were a delicate ripple on the surface of a calm lake. It teased the ear with its distant presence, like a murmuring secret carried by the wind. As moments passed, the tremor grew bolder, gaining strength and resonance. It was as though the very earth had taken a deep breath, preparing itself for an extraordinary revelation. The rhythmic beat of a drumroll emerged from teh distance, carried by the invisible hands of the approaching sound. Each beat reverberated through the land, intertwining with the heartbeat of every soul within earshot. The rumbling swelled, growing in intensity and proximity. What was once a faint murmur now thundered through the air, becoming an undeniable force, impossible to ignore. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH1: 008]]

!It is a bird... It is a Plane... It is a... \ <<script>> // Trigger the fade-in animation $(document).one('fadeincomplete', function () { // Show the continue button after the fade-in animation completes setTimeout(function() { $('.link-internal').show(); //Scroll to the botom of the page window.scrollTo(0, document.body.scrollHeight); }, 2000); }); <</script>> \ \ <style> .link-internal { display: none; } </style> \ <<audio "drumroll" play>> \ <<fadein>> Ah, life, with all its twists and turns, has led me to stumble upon a theory, the one true theory of value, that I humbly call "The Filtered Truth Theory of Value." You see, my unique set of life experiences has gifted me with a cynical lens through which I view the world, allowing me to witness the devolution of society into a horde of lifeless husks, desperately clamoring after the validation of online likes and tweets. In this modern age, where authenticity has become as rare as a genuine smile in a crowded subway, the pursuit of validation has taken on an alarming prominence. We have traded genuine connection for a digital currency called "likes," where our worth is measured by the number of thumbs tapping that little heart icon. It is a peculiar world we live in when our self-worth is reduced into pixelated affirmations. <</fadein>> \ [[Imagine a world where...->CH1: 009]]

!The Filtered Truth Theory of Value \ <<script>> // Trigger the fade-in animation $(document).one('fadeincomplete', function () { // Show the continue button after the fade-in animation completes setTimeout(function() { $('.link-internal').show(); //Scroll to the botom of the page window.scrollTo(0, document.body.scrollHeight); }, 2000); }); <</script>> \ \ <style> .link-internal { display: none; } </style> \ <<fadein>> Imagine a world where... you enter a marketplace, where the almighty "Like" has become the sacred medium of exchange. Want a loaf of bread? Forget about dollars; instead, fork over twenty likes. Fancy a luxurious sports car? Well, you better start hoarding those empty digital affirmations. Even paying your bills becomes a perverse dance of transferring soulless likes to your service provider. Prepare for a merciless battle of egos as people strive to outdo each other in a desperate race for hollow validation. Your life, once rich with genuine experiences, becomes a hollow charade of meticulously curated moments. Crafting phony posts, staging artificial scenarios, and performing ludicrous acts become the norm, all in the name of chasing those fleeting likes. Our worth, our very value, is determined by the number of likes we hoard. Through the fog, a privileged class of vapid influencers emerges, crowned as the digital aristocracy. These self-anointed tastemakers and trendsetters lord over this twisted economy, amassing unfathomable quantities of likes and solidifying their narcissistic reign. Their hollow endorsements mean more than any real, substantial achievement. <</fadein>> \ [[Next page->CH1: 010]]

!Miles Logan: "Hey, this is the police" \ <<wordcount>> Okay, after some reflection,, I recognize that my rant was a bit too harsh. Who am I to judge how people spend their time? Just because I do not understand the appeal, does not mean those things are not valuable too. I got caught up in my own self-righteousness for a moment. I will spare you my <<linkappend "crocodile tears">> (refers to a disingenuous display of remorse or sympathy. It is derived from the belief that crocodiles shed tears while devouring their prey, creating an illusion of compassion).<</linkappend>> But I do offer this apology to those offended by my rant: I am a sorry asshole. And you have your entire life to be an asshole. <<linkappend "So how about you take today off?">> Please?<</linkappend>> <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH1: 011]]

!Humanities Fruitless Quest \ <<wordcount>> Our quest for the mother of all value theories might just be the mother of all absurd pursuits in the history of absurd pursuits. We argue, we bicker, we throw around fancy words and complex equations, all while tiptoeing around the simple truth that we might not all have the same values. Imagine a bleak dystopian world, and believe me, this is a hypothetical. But in this world, survival trumps everything else. Forget about diamonds, gold, or any other flashy trinkets. In a world where scarcity pervades the lands, water takes the throme as the chief currency. Aesthetic value? Pfft, that is for the naïve dreamers who still cling to the notions of beauty. When water is scarce, shimmering jewels are nothing but glittery fantasies. Seriously, water would become an unstoppable <<linkappend "juggernaut">> (a massive force, campaign, movement, or object that crushes whatever is in its path)<</linkappend>> of value. Do you see how the value of something can just change? For millennia value has defied our shaky attempts to capture it within the confines of a neat, tidy theory. However, there are two distinct, but interconnected, fields of study that can help us understand value: philosophy and psychology. Philosophy uses logic and reasoning, and psychology uses scientific methods of measurement. <</wordcount>> \ [[Philosophically speaking...->CH1B3: 1 (PHIL)]] [[Psychologically speaking...->CH1B2: 2 (PSYC)]]

!Value in Philosophy <<wordcount>> Philosophically speaking, value is a devious weapon in the hands of the masters, hell-bent on convincing you to part ways with your money with a gentle smile and a cunning wink. Forget about significance or necessity; those cherished dollars, euros, or shiny bitcoins lining their insatiable pockets are all that matters. The worth of a thing? Well, that is determined by the scarcity dance, where fanatical maple syrup enthusiast hoard their precious liquid gold. Or where others bask in the fleeting spell of a vacuous fashion trends, where cultural relevance hangs by a thread as thin as a supermodel’s waistline. !!Ethical Value: Philosophy explores the nature of ethical value and the moral principles that guide human behavior. Philosophical theories such as <</wordcount>><<linkappend "consequentialism">><<wordcount>> (Consequentialism is all about thinking about the outcomes of our actions. It says that the right thing to do is whatever leads to the best overall result. So, instead of just following rules or going with our gut feeling, we should consider the consequences and choose the action that brings the most happiness or positive stuff for everyone involved.)<</wordcount>><</linkappend>>, <<linkappend "deontology">><<wordcount>> (Deontology is all about following rules, no matter what the outcome. It says we should stick to certain principles we believe are right, even if it is tough or the results are not what we expected.)<</wordcount>><</linkappend>>, <<wordcount>>and virtue ethics delve into questions of what is considered morally valuable or good, how to prioritize conflicting values, and how to make ethical decisions. Philosophers examine the foundations of moral value and seek to understand the nature of right and wrong, good and evil, and the values that underpin human actions and societal norms. !!Aesthetic Value: Philosophy also contemplates aesthetic value, examining the nature of beauty and artistic appreciation. Aesthetics explores questions about what makes something aesthetically valuable or pleasing, how artistic value is determined, and the role of perception and interpretation in the experience of art. Philosophers delve into topics such as the nature of art, the standards of aesthetic judgment, and the relationship between beauty, meaning, and artistic expression. !!Existential Value: Philosophy explores existential questions of meaning, purpose, and value in human life. Existentialist philosophers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus ponder the meaning of existence and the value we attribute to our lives. They delve into themes such as freedom, authenticity, and the search for purpose in a seemingly indifferent universe. Philosophy helps us grapple with questions of existential value and reflect on the significance we find in our individual lives and the collective human experience. <</wordcount>> \ \ <<if hasVisited("CH2: PSYC")>> [[Next page->CH1: 012]] \ <<else>> [[Psychologically speaking...->CH1B2: 2 (PSYC)]] \ <</if>>

!Value in Psychology <<wordcount>> Psychologically speaking, value is our pitiful endeavor to inject some semblance of meaning into our otherwise dreadfully futile existence. Picture a desolate realm devoid of anything to hold dear: no family, no friends, no grand ideas, no trusty gadgets, or any other damn thing we could possibly treasure. It would be a bleak, gloomy abyss indeed. And so, we desperately cling to the objects of our affections, whether it is our beloved friends or a glistening, envy-inducing sports car. For without these trivial diversions, why the hell would we bother trudging through this meaningless charade? Value is the comforting illusion that paints our lives with hues of purpose. It makes our dreary existence feel less like a void of despair. !!Personal Values Psychology explores the formation and influence of personal values, which are deeply-held beliefs and principles that guide individuals' attitudes and behaviors. Researchers in psychology study how personal values are developed, how they shape our decision-making processes, and how they contribute to our sense of identity and well-being. Understanding personal values helps psychologists gain insights into individuals' motivations, priorities, and the factors that drive their actions. !!Consumer Behavior Psychology plays a significant role in understanding consumer behavior and how individuals assign value to products, services, and experiences. Researchers investigate how psychological factors such as perception, emotion, cognition, and social influence impact consumers' evaluations and decision-making processes. By studying consumer values, psychologists can uncover the underlying motivations and preferences that drive purchasing behaviors, helping businesses better understand and cater to their target audience. !!Well-being and Happiness Psychology examines the concept of value in relation to well-being and happiness. Positive psychology, in particular, focuses on understanding the factors that contribute to subjective well-being and life satisfaction. Researchers investigate how individuals' subjective evaluations of their own lives, including their sense of purpose, positive emotions, and fulfillment of personal values, impact their overall well-being. By studying the relationship between values and well-being, psychologists can provide insights into strategies for enhancing individuals' happiness and life satisfaction. <</wordcount>> \ \ <<if hasVisited("CH2: PHIL")>> [[Next page->CH1: 012]] \ <<else>> [[Philosophically speaking...->CH1B3: 1 (PHIL)]] \ <</if>>

!Key Takeaways \ <<wordcount>> Here is the thing: value is about as relative as your drunk Uncle Mike at Thanksgiving dinner. What you consider valuable might be trash to your neighbor, and what what they find valuable might make you roll your eyes. Endless "experts" have spent their lives <<linkappend "pontificating">> (when someone talks a lot, often in a pompous or self-important manner, without much substance)<</linkappend>> on the matter, armed with their contemporary, Marxist, neoclassical, and God-knows-what-else theories. But these theorists and their fans all have one thing in common, they have become complacent. And as a result, value is no longer so hotly debated. Value creation is laden with meaning. The second you hear it, you might start seeing dollar signs, you might think about that next big game-changer, the spark of creative genius. But who are value creators? And in turn, are there <<linkappend "value destroyers">> (Just imagine a value vampire draining the value out of a value creator)<</linkappend>>? And what separates creators from destroyers? Let me put this in perspective. I am talking 2009, right on the heels of one of the nastiest financial storms in memory, runner-up only to the horror show of 1929. Yet, the big honcho at Goldman Sachs is out there claiming his people are the world champions of productivity. But how can you square that with the fact that this claim comes hot on the tail of a crisis with Goldman Sachs, among many other banks, at ground zero? I am talking about a mess sparked by some seriously <<linkappend "dodgy financial products">> (I will fully explain the nauseating dog shit wrapped in cat shit collateralized debt obligations [CDOs] later)<</linkappend>>, that left people in the cold without a roof over their heads. Fast forward to 2010, in a single month, September, 120,000 people were out on the street thanks to foreclosure. Between 2007 and 2010, 8.8 million jobs vanished into thin air. One of the same banks that helped cause that chaos had to hold out a begging bowl to Uncle Sam, walking away with a cool 10 billion of taxpayers' hard-earned cash. Funnily enough, I did not hear any taxpayers crowing about being value creators. But given that we bailed out one of the "top-tier value creators," maybe we should have. Now ask yourself, how did we let a statement like that fly under the radar? Because this was not some wisecrack over a round of drinks. This was stated with a straight face, with serious intent. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 013]]

!$chapter Results \<<set _price to 4>> \<<if playTime("minutes") < 1>> \<<set _playTimeString to "virtually no time at all">> \<<elseif playTime("minutes") === 1>> \<<set _playTimeString to "1 minute">> \<<elseif playTime("minutes") > 1>> \<<set _playTimeString to playTime("minutes") + " minutes">> \<</if>> \<<if $branchCount < 1>> \<<set _branchString to "You skipped all branches and followed the main story to a tee.">> \<<elseif $branchCount === 1>> \<<set _branchString to "You followed one branch, unbeknownst to you, you are learning the branching system!>> \<<elseif $branchCount > 1>> \<<set _branchString to "In your quest for knowledge and understanding, you read $branchCount different branches.">> \<</if>> Unfortunately, a lot of people believe they understand economic value, but much like believing in your one true God, there will be others who disagree with you. So while awaiting my own personal enlightenment, I would like to congratulate you. So, uh, congratulations! You have completed your journey through the first chapter. With that said, I am sure you are happy that this chapter has come to a gut-wrenching close. Now, as you take a moment to catch your breath, let me celebrate your remarkable acccomplishment and reflect on the milestones you have conquered: <ol> <li>_branchString</li> <li>In total you have read $totalWordCount words.</li> <li>In total you have played for _playTimeString.</li> </ol> \<> <<if $readResults && $score >= 3>> By choosing to read your quiz results and discovering that you have scored highly, it speaks volumes about you as a player. It reflects your strong amibition and drive for achievement. Your dedication, effort, and mastery of value theories has paid off, and you should be proud of your achievement. Your decision to review the quiz results showcases your confidence and self-assurance. You believe in your abilities and are eager to validate your performance. It is evident that you value feedback and seek validation for your efforts, which is a great trait to have. <<elseif $readResults && $score < 3>> I understand that discovering you scored poorly on the quiz can be disappointing, but it is important to remember that quiz scores, or most metrics, do not define your worth or intelligence. Your choice to read your quiz results tells me that you have several priceless traits: <ol> <li>Growth Mindset: By choosing to confront the results, rather than avoiding or ignoring the outcome, you are open to learning from it and using it as an opportunity for improvement.</li> <li>Accountability: Facing the reality of a low score reflects your willingness to take responsibility for your performance.</li> <li>Perseverance: It takes resiliance to face disappointment and setbacks head-on. Your decision to read the results demonstrates your determination to continue pushing forward and not let setbacks define your progress.</li> </ol> <</if>> \ <> \ The branches in this chapter were obvious and apparent, however in later chapters the branches will not be as blatant. Keep reading, keep thinking, but most importantly, have a good time. Oh! And one last thing, before I end this chapter, I know you have one burning question left: what is the value of value? Delightedly, I do have the answer! I gladly present to you my latest best-selling book, “Deluded Value: How to Spend Your Way to Enlightenment.” All for the low, low price of $_price<<repeat 2s>><<set _price += .5>><<replace "#price">><<print _price.toFixed(0)>><</replace>><</repeat>>.99. <<link "Start chapter 2" "CH2: 001">><</link>>

The day has finally arrived, the dawn of an electrifying odyssey that sends a thrilling pulse coursing through my veins. Yet, before I launch myself into the embrace of the enigmatic abyss, it is critical to ensure a firm grasp of the fundamentals. Lo and behold, an ingeniously crafted tutorial awaits, promising to guide me through the labyrinth of this interactive book universe. Like an ancient scroll of arcane knowledge, it will unravel the secrets of mechanics and controls. Prudence bids me to delve into this invaluable guide posthaste, lest I stumble around the virtual realm like a clueless apprentice. This journal, my steadfast ally in this grand spectacle of chaos and discovery, will bear witness to my trials and triumphs. It will chronicle the myriad of peculiar wonders that cross my path, each revelation penned down with the fervor of an explorer charting uncharted territories. The milestones I conquer, each a testament to my evolving prowess, will find a proud place on its pages. Thus, armed with the tutorial's wisdom and the silent companionship of this journal, I stand on the precipice of adventure, poised to leap. Let the saga unfold!

!The Cost of Valuing Money \ <<set _obnoxiousNames = ["Karen", "Braelynn", "Neveah", "Brayden", "Zayne", "Chad"]>> \ <<wordcount>> Well, our babies are just one stark cost. Did you know that the great USA is not even in the top fifty countries for infant survivorship? More of our babies die than in countries like Cuba, Belarus, and Serbia. This grim stat is from the CIA’s World Factbook. And equally appalling is the maternal mortality rate <</wordcount>><<linkappend "(MMR)">><<wordcount>> is the annual number of female deaths per 100,000 live births from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management (excluding accidental or incidental causes)<</wordcount>><</linkappend>>. As of 2023, there are more than sixty countries that have a lower rate, and in this case, the lower the score the better.<<wordcount>> So, what do we value more, the lives of our at-risk babies or social media? Well, in 2021, Twitter boasted over 192 million daily active users worldwide, with the USA leading the pack by a considerable margin. We put more value into online validation than into the lives of our babies. Vane pursuits are more important to us than our own babies, our most vulnerable citizens. If by some miracle our babies survive, we continue to fail them all the way to adulthood. Our educational system is pitiful. <<if $readResults && $score < 3>>No offense, but reflect on your own quiz score. People have not, and continue to do not value education like I believe they should. <</if>> In fact, there has been no improvement in math or science test scores for nearly two decades. We are unable to educate our children to be competitors for high-paying jobs in industries like technology and engineering. And yes, we are getting our dumb asses kicked by foreign countries. Oh, but we fail more than our babies and children. We fail our own veterans, too. These brave souls fought for our freedom and the best we can do is let them die by suicide at a rate of more than fifteen per day. That is more than six thousand suicides every year! In 2001, there were six thousand and one veteran suicides per year. By 2020, this number increased slightly to six thousand one hundred and forty six. However, even though the total number of suicides did not change significantly, there is an important factor to consider. During the same period from 2001 to 2020, the population of veterans decreased by 24.6%, from 25.7 million to 19.4 million. This means there are fewer veterans overall. Despite the decrease in the veteran population, the number of suicides among veterans has still increased, which is concerning. But do we care? Not enough, because we are too busy posting selfies on Instagram and chasing after likes like the zombies we have become. We are so self-absorbed that we can only post about their importance, not actually do anything for them. Frankly, <<cycle "$names" autoselect>><<optionsfrom _obnoxiousNames>><</cycle>>, your ignorant Memorial Day Facebook post is both senseless and worthless. We have become a society of cowards, too scared to confront the harsh reality of the world we live in. We would rather live in our safe, soft language bubble, while ignoring the blatant suffering of those around us. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 102]]

!I Am Politically Incorrect \ <<set _democrats = ["Democraps", "Commiecrats"]>> \ <<set _conservatives = ["Republicants", "Retardicans"]>> \ <<wordcount>> We do not focus on real issues, instead we allow armchair critics to dominate the conversation with their baseless opinions. Thanks internet, now every Tom, Dick, and Harry thinks they are some kind of genius, but in reality, they are nuttier than squirrel shit and unable to see past their own arrogance. Internet opinions are like assholes – everyone has one... and most of them stink. These critics are so overconfident in their “expertise” that they believe they know better than professionals who have dedicated years of their lives to rigorous academia. We have foreign policy pros, healthcare reform masters, and those Hun groups that have “proven” vaccines cause autism. These fools should be awarded a black belt in <</wordcount>><<linkappend "Dunning-Kruger.">><<wordcount>> Dunning-Kruger is a fancy way of describing a situation where some people think they are really good at something, when they are not. It happens because they do not know enough to realize their own mistakes or lack of knowledge. It is like when you start playing a new game and win the first level, so you feel really confident. But then, as you keep playing, you realize there is a lot more to learn, and you are not as good as you thought. Well, Dunning-Kruger is when people do not have that realization and keep thinking they are awesome even when they are not.<</wordcount>><</linkappend>> \<<wordcount>> Our brains are like a chaotic kitchen, full of half-baked ideas and emotions singed to a crisp, all simmering in a toxic broth of anxiety and insecurity. Gordon Ramsay is yelling at us to clean up our act. But honestly, even if we did clean up the mess, our thoughts would still be rancid and undercooked. It is a wonder how any of us function in this psychological kitchen nightmare. In this insipid, nightmarish world, facts and reason are merely pesky nuisances. And in a feeble effort to help us cope, we created the fantastical realm of the “woke.” This magical place allows people to wear victimhood as a badge of honor, because offense lurks around every corner. So, tread carefully, lest you offend the perpetually offended, and become branded a bigot, a fascist, or worse yet <<linkreplace "...trigger warning!">> a leftist!<</linkreplace>> This petty left vs right war between the <<cycle "$dems" autoselect>><<optionsfrom _democrats>><</cycle>> and <<cycle "$cons" autoselect>><<optionsfrom _conservatives>><</cycle>> is no more than a clever charade to keep us, the working class, fighting ourselves. The masters, our masters, want us to believe that the enemy is the person across the political aisle, rather than the system that allows them to exploit our labor. The true war, the class war, is being waged behind the scenes, but we are all too busy arguing over the latest trending social issue on our beloved platforms to even notice. We have become apathetic. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 103]]

!Odds Are, You Work For a Living \ <<wordcount>> You must understand, there are two types of people in the modern world: the working class and the capital class. The working class consists of those who sell their precious labor to survive. They are the backbone of society, the ones who actually make things happen. And they are trapped in this never-ending cycle of needing a job or facing homelessness. On the other hand, we have the almighty capital class, those who feast on the fruits of ownership. These parasites do not even need to work, they can simply sit back and watch the money roll in. In this parasitic relationship, the workers unwittingly fund the capitalists lavish lifestyles. Oh, the land of the free, where the delusions run rampant, and the chains of deceit are tightly bound. No man is so enslaved as he who falsely believes he is free. Behold a nation where liberty is a façade, carefully crafted to conceal the circus ringleaders orchestrating the show. In this circus of deception, we are held captive by a system designed to keep us in sitting still. We are told we are individuals, and we pride ourselves on that, yet consumerism and conformity run wild. We are told we have choices, but those choices are carefully curated by corporate colossi. We have become enslaved by the pursuit of material wealth and societal validation. Most of us are shackled by the intangible desire to fit into a predefined mold. But for others their shackles are tangible. The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world. So yes, while we bask in the illusion of freedom, millions languish behind bars, their lives stifled by a system that profits from their incarceration. But that is not all. In this land of opportunity, where dreams are said to come true, we witness a staggering wealth disparity that would make even the most callous oligarch blush. The top one percent of the population hoards more wealth than the bottom ninety percent combined. The system heavily rewards eight people. And guess what? You are not one of 'em! And let us not forget the grand illusion of democracy. We are told that our voices matter, that our votes can shape the course of our nation. Yet, behind closed doors, corporate interests lobby to dictate the policies that govern our lives. Our elected officials, mere circus clowns, perform to the tune of those who line their pockets. The masters of the world. Meanwhile our voice, the voice of the people, the working class, is drowned under the waves from their sea of corruption. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 104]]

!United States of Disception \ <<wordcount>> And do not forget the grand illusion of democracy. We are told that our voices matter, that our votes can shape the course of our nation. Yet, behind closed doors, corporate interests lobby to dictate the policies that govern our lives. Our elected officials, mere circus clowns, perform to the tune of those who line their pockets. The masters of the world. Meanwhile, our voice, the voice of the people, the working class, is drowned under the waves from their sea of corruption. Fact: throughout the pre- and post-pandemic timeline, the two hundred most politically active companies in the US spent nearly six billion influencing our government with lobbying and campaign contributions. In return, those same companies received more than four trillion in taxpayer support. FOUR TRILLION. To calculate their return on investment (ROI), let me crunch some numbers: ROI = (NET RETURN ON INVESTMENT / COST OF INVESTMENT) * 100% ROI = (4,000,000,000,000 / 6,000,000,000) * 100% ROI = ~66,666.67% Six-six-six-six-six point sixty-seven percent. That is the kind of return that would make even the devil himself do a double-take. In this ferocious cycle of legalized corruption, the masters brandish their influence like a weapon, bludgeoning us with their agendas, while we bleed our dreams into oblivion. <</wordcount>> [[Next page->CH2: 105]]

!TODO \ <<wordcount>> And let us not forget the grand illusion of democracy. We are told that our voices matter, that our votes can shape the course of our nation. Yet, behind closed doors, corporate interests lobby to dictate the policies that govern our lives. Our elected officials, mere <</wordcount>><<linkappend "circus clowns">><<wordcount>> (no offense to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus [or any other legitimate circus organization])<</wordcount>><</linkappend>><<wordcount>>, perform to the tune of those who line their pockets. The masters of the world. Meanwhile our voice, the voice of the people, the working class, is drowned under the waves from their sea of corruption. <</wordcount>> [[Next page->CH2: 104]]

!Elon Musk's Wealth in 3 Minutes <div id="visualization"> $0 </div> <<script>> // Declare variables var _currentAmount = 0; var _targetAmount = 241000000000; var _previousTime = null; var _milestones = [ { amount: 1000000000, text: "Every 747ms he will make roughly $1 billion dollars" }, // Add more milestones with their respective amounts and factoids ]; var _isPaused = false; // Function to update the dollar count function updateDollarCount(timestamp) { // Set the initial previous time if (!_previousTime) { _previousTime = timestamp; } // Calculate the time difference var deltaTime = timestamp - _previousTime; // Increment the current amount based on time difference _currentAmount += (_targetAmount / 180) * (deltaTime / 1000); // Check if a milestone has been reached var milestoneReached = false; for (var i = 0; i < _milestones.length; i++) { if (_currentAmount >= _milestones[i].amount) { // Set the milestone reached flag milestoneReached = true; // Display the milestone factoid and pause the timer showFactoid(_milestones[i].text, timestamp); // Exit the loop break; } } // Update the dollar count in the passage $("#dollars").text("$" + formatAmount(_currentAmount)); // Check if the target amount has been reached if (_currentAmount >= _targetAmount) { // Display the final message $("#visualization").append("Target amount reached!"); } // Resume the timer if no milestone reached and not paused if (!milestoneReached && !_isPaused) { requestAnimationFrame(updateDollarCount); } // Update the previous time _previousTime = timestamp; } // Function to format the amount with commas and no decimals function formatAmount(amount) { return amount.toLocaleString(undefined, { maximumFractionDigits: 0 }); } // Function to display the factoid and pause the timer function showFactoid(factoid, timestamp) { // Pause the timer _isPaused = true; // Display the milestone factoid with timestamp and resume link var factoidMarkup = "" + new Date(timestamp) + " " + factoid + " <a href='javascript:void(0);' onclick='resumeTimer()'>Resume</a>"; $("#visualization").append(factoidMarkup); } // Function to resume the timer function resumeTimer() { // Remove the factoid from the passage $("#visualization p").remove(); // Resume the timer _isPaused = false; _previousTime = null; requestAnimationFrame(updateDollarCount); } // Start the timer requestAnimationFrame(updateDollarCount); <</script>>

!TODO \ <<wordcount>> <</wordcount>> [[Next page->]]

!The Cost of Money \ <<wordcount>> There have been many, many great people before me who have touched this topic, and many after me. <</wordcount>>

!It Was Not Always This Way \ <<set $chapter to "Ch 3: Tinkering with Trust">> \ <<wordcount>> The <<link "Tinkerbell">><<audio "fairy" play>><</link>> Effect is where fantasy meets finance. Forget about tangible worth or actual substance, because in the realm of economics, it is about the power of belief. Just like how Tinkerbell’s existence hinges on our unwavering belief in her, money, that delightful piece of abstract nonsense, only has value because we allow it too. We believe in its value. From its meek beginnings to its current convoluted form, money is a perfect showcase of the <<link "Tinkerbell">><<audio "fairy" play>><</link>> Effect in action. In this day and age, we dedicate much of our time and energy to obtaining as much money as possible. Despite the fact that it is only a bunch of pulped up trees with numbers and scribbles printed on top. Undeterred by this, we continue to participate in the game, day in and day out, chasing after more and more pieces of paper with the hope that they will bring us security and happiness. A strange but fascinating marvel. It definitely speaks to the untenable power of human imagination and cooperation. But thousands of years ago, if someone had a need, but no one nearby created, herded, gathered, or grew it, then their only options were to travel somewhere that did, or go without. Modern civilization heavily differs from its ancestral roots, and it now features a major part of society that only exists by and for value. Modern people place value in pretty much everything. From where they work and live, to the type of home they live in, and above all else, in the things that they own. But what were the origins of money? And that is where our story begins, thousands of years ago, inside a teeny, tiny community, where everyone spent their days laboring under the scorching sun. They all worked hard to ensure mutual survival, not because they would receive payments or rewards. No, in this community, there was no concept of value. There was no property or ownership. No one owned land, homes, food, animals, or even tools. Instead, everyone and everything coexisted. People freely gifted their goods and their services to one another. It was a simple time, and no thing or action was regarded more vital than another because, one more time, value did not exist... <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH3: 002]]

!A Day of Giftin' <<set _goodItems = ["Obsidian blades", "Mammoth ivory jewelry", "Ochre pigments for cave art", "Intricately carved bone tools", "Polished stone axes", "Ornamental seashells", "Animal skin clothing with fur trim", "Exotic feathers for adornment", "Precious fire-starting materials (e.g., flint and pyrite)", "Decorative teeth or claws of large predators", "Personalized handcrafted spears", "Natural plant-based dyes", "Well-crafted hunting traps", "Expertly made fishing nets", "Elaborate cave shelters adorned with artwork"]>> <<set _badItems = ["Flint tools", "Animal bone tools", "Handwoven textiles", "Clay pots", "Wooden tools", "Natural fibers for weaving", "Herbal remedies", "Hand-carved wooden figurines", "Traditional musical instruments", "Basketry crafts", "Natural dyes", "Hand-painted pottery", "Bone and shell jewelry", "Handcrafted hunting tools", "Animal skin clothing"]>> <<set _amounts = Array.from({length: 15}, () => Math.floor(Math.random() * 10) + 1)>> <<for _i = 0; _i < _amounts.length; _i++>> <<set _itemType = Math.random() < 0.5 ? _goodItems : _badItems>> <<set _itemIndex = Math.floor(Math.random() * _itemType.length)>> <<set _item = _itemType[_itemIndex]>> <<print (_i + 1) + ": " + _amounts[_i] + " " + _item>> <</for>> \ <<wordcount>> <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH3: 003]]

In this realm of digital shadows, where chilling secrets lie dormant, awaits a game not designed for the timid or easily unsettled. A canvas of obsidian mysteries, it shimmers with audacious language and slivers of controversy that scoff at political correctness. Its narrative threads weave together a macabre tapestry, one that illustrates tales both dark and convoluted. In an encounter with the puppet master behind this sable spectacle — the author, they presented me with a cautious forecast. Those who harbor delicate triggers, they warned, might find the game's terrain treacherous and overwhelming. An echoing caution for those whose hearts tremble at the sight of the uncanny or who recoil from explicit content. But therein lies my purpose, my very allure to this challenge. Ready am I, to delve into the abyss, armed with nothing but curiosity and a pinch of reckless abandon. The murky labyrinth of fear and dread is not my enemy, but my arena. My quest beckons me to confront the phantasmal beasts lurking in every pixelated shadow, in every unseen corner. The language may be raw, the themes laced with hints of forbidden intoxicants and elixirs, but my resolve stands unfazed. I embark on this journey knowing the dangers that lie ahead. Yet, I am driven by a hunger for the strange, the uncensored, and the wonderfully chaotic. As the digital gates creak open, I steel myself for a dive into the untamed world of this game. Let the adventure commence!

\ <<if $logNumber > 1>> \ <<for _i to 1; _i lt $logNumber; _i++>> \ <<set _log to "Log" + _i>> \ <<set _text to "Log Entry No. " + _i >> \ <<message _text>><<include _log>><</message>> \ <</for>> \ <</if>>

!Title \ <<wordcount>> Well, well, well, isn't it just charming how we believe in the utopian concept of democracy, blissfully ignorant of the fact that we might as well be sailing in a boat with holes poked all over its hull? Sure, it floats and takes us places, but for how long? Ah, democracy, the celestial idol we've all been worshipping ever since we learned to spell D-E-M-O-C-R-A-C-Y. The magical potion to cure all societal ailments. Or is it? We've been fed this idealistic casserole of political jargon ever since we could process thoughts more complex than what to have for lunch. We hear a constant refrain of democracy's greatness. So, it's the best system, right? Full stop? Maybe not. As with any system, it is riddled with flaws, it can be manipulated, bent, stretched, and poked until it resembles an unrecognizable Play-Doh model of its former self. And oh boy, are there some Picasso-esque artists in our midst, ready to squish it into anything they fancy! It's as if democracy were a software, and they've found the ultimate cheat code. This hack, audaciously called 'The Manufacture of Consent', has been around the block since the tumultuous days of World War I. Not to rain on your democratic parade, but it's an uncannily effective strategy, the equivalent of a political Jedi mind trick. Let's set the stage: you are, unsuspectingly, not only an audience member but an actor in this grand farce, blissfully playing your role while the puppet masters pull the strings. Got your attention now, don't I? Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of this political masquerade, let's clear the fog around how democracy is meant to operate. Simplicity is at the heart of its design. You vote, you decide. Yes, no, maybe so. Our decisions are built on the information we have, or rather, the information we're given. The same way you can't whip up a batch of cookies without knowing the ingredients, you can't make informed decisions without access to relevant data. But oh, what if that information were, say, manipulated? What if the puppet masters had their hands not just on your strings, but on the data funnel too? Could they possibly bend your perception? In short, could they control the narrative to get the public to think what they want them to think? It's as if there's a propaganda factory hidden in the dark alleys of our society, churning out skewed perceptions and distorted realities faster than a fast-food joint at lunch hour. Democracy, in its pure form, is about the people having the power to make decisions. It's supposed to be a government 'of the people, for the people, and by the people'. But the unfortunate reality is that we're dancing a tango with an unpredictable partner, one who might step on our toes or spin us around until we're dizzy and disoriented. And by the time we catch our breath, we're left questioning if our steps were even ours to begin with. However, before we entirely dismiss the idea of democracy like a bad date, it's worth considering: isn't the nature of humans to err? And wouldn't that mean our systems, too, bear the markings of our own fallibility? Maybe the problem isn't democracy itself, but rather the flawed beings running it. Just as a computer is only as smart as the person operating it, a government is only as fair as the individuals leading it. The real challenge here isn't just to expose the vulnerabilities of democracy, but to work on strengthening it. To strive for a system that represents the diverse voices of its people, not just a select few. To create an environment that fosters open dialogue, transparency, and accessibility to information. One where 'The Manufacture of Consent' is an outdated relic, a cautionary tale of what once was, not what is. And you, dear reader, have an important role to play in this saga. Seek the truth, ask questions, challenge the status quo. Realize that your voice matters, your vote matters. We're all a part of this democratic play, so let's script it with thoughtfulness and conscious action. And perhaps, just perhaps, we can close the gaps that allow our democracy to be hacked, transforming it into the beacon of fairness it was intended to be. So, let's not lose hope in our leaky boat. After all, even the most decrepit vessel can be patched up, given the right attention and dedication. Remember, we're all in this together, sailing in the unpredictable sea of democracy. Let's navigate the waters wisely, with vigilance and resilience. Because democracy, like any good software, is only as strong as its users make it. And aren't we all just a bunch of aspiring Picassos, trying to sculpt the world as we envision it? <</wordcount>> \

Boastful speeches are the first sign of weakness, and those who are capable of great things keep their mouths shut.

!Infinite Growth \ <<set _number to 1>> These stories are not just tales of individual tragedy; they are the reflection of globalized-systems that often asks us to choose between our hearts and our money. Now take a moment to imagine that you have stumbled upon a magic coin that has the ability to replicate itself every second. <a id="startLink" class="link-internal" href="#">Do you know how many you would have in as little as 30 seconds?</a> \ <<script>> window.formatNumber = function (number) { return new Intl.NumberFormat().format(number); }; var timer; var _seconds = 0; function updateCounter() { _seconds++; var _baseValue = 0; var _formattedCount = formatNumber(_baseValue + Math.pow(2, _seconds)); if (_seconds === 1) { document.querySelector("#count").innerText = "After " + _seconds + " second, you would have " + _formattedCount + "."; } else if (_seconds <= 30) { document.querySelector("#count").innerText = "After " + _seconds + " seconds, you would have " + _formattedCount + "."; } else if (_seconds > 31) { document.querySelector("#count").innerText = "After only 20 seconds it hit one million, and 10 seconds later, it reached one billion!"; clearInterval(timer); } } postdisplay["startLinkEvent"] = function(taskName) { var startLink = document.querySelector("#startLink"); if (startLink) { startLink.addEventListener('click', function (e) { e.preventDefault(); // Prevent the default action of the link // Remove the link after it's clicked this.parentNode.removeChild(this); // Call updateCounter immediately (first iteration) updateCounter(); // Start the timer timer = setInterval(updateCounter, 1000); // Call updateCounter every second (1000 milliseconds) }); } // Clean up after ourselves by deleting the task delete postdisplay[taskName]; }; prehistory["stopTimer"] = function() { if (typeof timer !== 'undefined' && timer) { clearInterval(timer); timer = null; // Reset the timer variable } }; <</script>> For the past couple of centuries or so, our global economy has been doing its own version of the coin trick - growing exponentially. You would think that is a good thing, right? A bustling economy, endless opportunities, and peoples' lives on the up and up. But what if our humble Earth cannot keep up with our runaway train of an economy? Like, take a look at any living thing out there. A tree, a dog, hell, even us humans. We all go through stages, right? We are born, we grow, we mature, and then we just... exist, living our best lives. We do not keep growing forever, because that is just not how life works. Yet, here we are, treating our economy like it is in a never-ending growth spurt. We are expecting it to beef up by 2 to 7 percent every single year. Mind you, that is not growing, that is ballooning. Now, what if our economy was more like... well, a living thing? Maturing, evolving, and not simply just getting bigger and bigger. An economy that dreams not only of cold, hard figures, but also dares to fantasize about frivolities such as sustainability, equality, and - brace yourself for this wild notion - happiness. As for this book, consider it your wake-up call from a nightmare you did not know you were having. A loving slap in the face with a spiked glove. Sugarcoating? Leave that to the politicians and talking heads. Me? I will be the cynic in the room, poking holes in your dearly held beliefs, playing devil's advocate with a wicked grin. Why? Because your thoughts need a good thrasing, a tumble in the grinder of reality. [[Next page->TUT: 004]]

!The Illusion of Choice \<<if playTime("minutes") < 1>> \<<set _playTimeString to "virtually no time at all">> \<<elseif playTime("minutes") === 1>> \<<set _playTimeString to "1 minute">> \<<elseif playTime("minutes") > 1>> \<<set _playTimeString to playTime("minutes") + " minutes">> \<</if>> \<<set $choiceReason = null>> Like deciding between toothpaste brands or choosing between equally unappealing political candidates, it is all a mirage, is it not? You chose <<if hasVisited("TUT: RED 000")>>the red car<</if>><<if hasVisited("TUT: BLUE 000")>>the blue car<</if>><<if hasVisited("TUT: WALK 000")>>to see through the charade<</if>>, and boy, do you feel empowered! But did you really make a choice? What if I told you that your choice was like choosing between bad coffee and worse coffee? In the end, you are still drinking sludge. You see, the real choice was not between <<if hasVisited("TUT: RED 000")>>the blue car<</if>><<if hasVisited("TUT: BLUE 000")>>the red car<</if>><<if hasVisited("TUT: WALK 000")>>the cars or walking<</if>>; it was whether or not to question the very idea of the choice itself. Let us channel our inner time traveler for a moment, shall we? Imagine a future society where almost every decision is made for you. Sounds terrifying? Well, welcome to now! We are living in a time when algorithms predict our desires, marketers prey on our subconscious, and our choices are as manufactured as plastic flowers. You think you are making decisions, but you are really just dancing to someone else's tune. It is like a badly written science fiction novel, but you cannot put it down because you are the protagonist. The struggle to awaken to the realities of our world has been a recurring theme in popular culture, as seen in various literary works, movies, and speeches from <<cycle "_references" autoselect>><<option "Malcolm X">><<option "Star Wars">><<option "The Matrix">><<option "1984">><<option "Greta Thunberg">><<option "Breaking Bad">><<option "The Handmaid's Tale">><<option "Black Mirror">><<option "Lemonade">><<option "The Wire">><<option "Martin Luther King Jr.">><<option "Stranger Things">><<option "BoJack Horseman">><<option "Game of Thrones">><<option "Westworld">><<option "Parasite">><<option "Nelson Mandela">><<option "Get Out">><<option "The Times They Are a-Changin'">><<option "13 Reasons Why">><<option "Mad Men">><<option "When They See Us">><<option "The Social Dilemma">><<option "Inside Out">><<option "Orange Is the New Black">><<option "Bird Box">><<option "Black Panther">><<option "The Good Place">><<option "The Crown">><<option "Mindhunter">><<option "Elon Musk">><<option "The Mandalorian">><<option "Us">><<option "Succession">><<option "Fleabag">><<option "Chernobyl">><<option "Joker">><<option "The Walking Dead">><<option "The Great">><<option "Killing Eve">><<option "This Is Us">><<option "Money Heist">><<option "Euphoria">><<option "The Witcher">><<option "Ozark">><<option "The Boys">><<option "Watchmen">><<option "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel">><<option "Better Call Saul">><<option "Big Little Lies">><<option "Insecure">><<option "Fargo">><<option "Bodyguard">><<option "Homeland">><<option "Daredevil">><</cycle>> among many others. And at the heart of each of these cultural phenomena lies a common philosophical thread: the unending quest to uncover hidden truths, to confront societal norms, and to challenge conventional wisdom. Be it through political struggle, moral quandary, social criticism, or existential investigation, each of these pop culture touchstones beckons you to embark on a journey of self-discovery. In a world <<linkreplace "replete">> abundant<</linkreplace>> with distractions and superficialities, these examples serve as reminders that the human condition is complex. It cannot be reduced to simple dichotomies or clear-cut solutions - there are shades of gray. They pose questions rather than provide answers, implore <<linkappend "introspection">> (examination of one's own thoughts or feelings)<</linkappend>> rather than conformity, and demand engagement rather than passive consumption. From Macolm X's fight for racial justice to "The Matrix's" exploration of reality, from Greta Thunberg's environmental activism to "The Handmaid's Tale's" examination of gender roles, the landscape painted by these cultural markers is rich, woven with themes of justice, identity, power, human frailty, and redemption. In grappling with these universal questions, we, as individuals and as a society, are challenged to recognize the <<linkreplace "multifarious">>diverse<</linkreplace>> nature of existence, where truth is often obscured by illusion, where justice may be <<linkreplace "marred">>spoiled<</linkreplace>> by corruption, and where understanding requires a persistent, unwavering commitment to exploration and empathy. These works of art and extraordinary people implore us to look beyond the obvious, to question the accepted, and to engage with the profound, the uncomfortable, and the real. [[Next page->TUT: 006]]

!The Choice Is Yours \ <<set _passageWordCount = $totalWordCount>> \ <<timed 500ms>><<set _passageWordCount = $totalWordCount - _passageWordCount>><</timed>> \ <<timed 1000ms>><<set _delay =(_passageWordCount * $msPerWord + 58500) + "ms">><</timed>> \ <<timed 1500ms>><<timed _delay>><<goto "TUT: WALK 000">><</timed>><</timed>> \ <<wordcount>> Now before I start making divisive comments, I need to get an idea of who you are. So, parked before you are two distinctive vehicles. There is a Blue Expedition and a Red Expedition, blatantly colored and unapologetically symbolic. If this seems like a scene you have seen before, that is because you have. But bear with me; we are about to drive down a road of unoriginality with a scenic view of a very famous movie metaphor. The Blue Expedition is a comforting cocoon of accepted reality, holding a double-edged sword within its tranquil depths. On one side, it offers the serenity of unquestioned belief, the warm embrace of cultural norms, the symphony of life playing a familiar tune. There is wisdom in tranquility and truth in tradition, they say. Yet, this very car also houses a perilous pitfall. To accept without question is to stagnate in growth, to float on the calm surface of a lake without plunging into the mysteries of its depths. Like the chained prisoners in Plato's cave, the passenger of the Blue Expedition sees only shadows, never realizing the vibrant world that lies just beyond perception. Now, the Red Expedition, a symbolf of awakening and raw truth, is equally complex in its dichotomy. To get in the red car is to embark on a journey of self-discovery, to peel back the layers of societal illusion and gaze upon the naked face of reality. It is to dance with uncertainty, to embrace complexity, to challenge the very fabric of one's beliefs. There is courage in this choice, a declaration of intellectual independence, a thirst for unfiltered truth. But the red car, too, bears its darkness. To question everything is to risk falling into a chasm of doubt, where nothing holds meaning, and nihilism whispers its seductive song. Knowledge, unfettered and raw, can become a consuming fire, leaving behind only the ashes of disillusionment. One might end up like an <<linkappend "oracle">> (a person through whom a <<linkreplace "deity">>God<</linkreplace>> is believed to speak)<</linkappend>>, wise but misunderstood. And now, for the confession: I am ripping off "The Matrix" here. Red pill, blue pill, red car, blue car - you see the pattern? Perhaps this shameless plagiarism is a cry for help or proof that I am creatively bankrupt. But in all seriousness (if there is any room left for that), these cars, these choices, they are symbols of a timeless dilemma. The decision between seeking painful truth or remaining in blissful ignorance is one we all face, even if some us (ahem, me) can only express it through mimicry of famous movies. Teaching this dichotomy is an essential guidepost for the modern individual, navigating <<linkreplace "fake news">><<linkreplace "CNN">><<linkreplace "Fox News">>main stream media<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>, political correctness, and societal expectations. It is not merely a choice but a declaration of how one chooses to live. For no matter the choice, both vehicles hold their allure and their peril, their wisdom and their folly. They are a mirror to the human condition, reflecting the eternal tension between comfort and growth, acceptance and inquiry, certainty and wonder. To choose is to participate in the age-old dialectic of existence, to engage with life in all its messy, beautiful complexity. It is to recognize that within every decision lies the seed of both triumph and tragedy, enlightenment and ignorance, connection and alienation. So go ahead, pick a car. Just remember, whichever one you choose, you are also embracing a paradox that is life itself, and picking a side in a philosophical debate older than my tired metaphors. The keys are in your hand, ready to start the ignition, and transport you into realms of truth or fantasy. The choice, as it always has been, is yours. <</wordcount>> \ [[Open the door to the Red Expedition->TUT: RED 000]] [[Open the door to the Blue Expedition->TUT: BLUE 000]]

!A Path Less Traveled \ <<notify "fa-solid fa-bezier-curve">>Your indecision was a decision!<</notify>> Your hesitation has thrust you into an unforeseen direction. Eschewing the glaring choices of the red and blue expeditions, your feet, seemingly of their own volition, start a path all their own. This is no idle whim; it is a resolute act, a steely defiance against the puppetry of illusion. Every footfall resonates like a drumbeat, a silent hymn to free will, and an anarchic dance against the machinery of destiny. With open arms and a courageous heart, you embrace the wild uncertainty, shrugging off the confining chains of a deterministic cosmos. The world about you is no longer binary but a kaleidoscope of grays, a shifting landscape that eludes definition. The cars, those symbols of confinement and linear purpose, recede into the distance, little more than specks on a forgotten horizon. Ahead lies a wilderness of thought, uncharted territories of truth that defy the timid and tempt the brave. The road winds and twists, an arduous serpent that challenges your very soul. Solitude is your companion, a disquieting mirror reflecting your innermost doubts and desires. The path is lined with shadows and echoes, mysterious signs and cryptic whispers. Every stone and every leaf seems imbued with a secret meaning, waiting to reveal itself to the patient seeker. But oh, the taste of truth, unfiltered and raw, is a fire that burns and a nectar that soothes. Every bite of this fearsome reality, no matter how acrid or bitter, is a victory. You are not a passenger in someone else's car, confined to their road and their destination. You are the explorer and the philosopher, the rebel and the poet, forging a unique path through the wilderness of life. Your shoes wear thin, your body aches, and your mind whirls with the weight of discovery. But the road is endless, and the journey is the goal. The shadows lengthen, and the stars begin to gleam, distant points of light that guide and beckon. The landscape changes as you progress, sometimes wild and untamed, sometimes eerily familiar. Strange cities rise and fall, and enigmatic figures cross your path, some offering wisdom, others riddles, and still, others merely a reflection of your own soul. Time loses meaning, becomes a liquid that flows and eddies around you. You are not on a path but in a stream, drifting and swimming towards a destiny that is always just beyond the next bend. In the silence and the wild, in the dark corners of your mind, truths emerge. They are not grand revelations or cosmic answers, but quiet, profound understandings, pieces of a puzzle that is both personal and universal. You have dared to walk where others ride, to seek where others follow. You are no longer a part of the machine; you are something more, something undefined. You have chosen the path less traveled, and indeed, that has made all the difference. The road continues, endless and inviting, a journey not of miles but of understanding. The destination is not a place but a state of being, a profound connection with the core of all things. You walk on, a lone traveler on the grand highway of existence, driven by nothing but the insatiable hunger for truth. [[Next page->TUT: 005]]

!A Life-Changing Truth \ <<notify "fa-solid fa-code-branch">>This passage is a branch!<</notify>> As you swing open the door of the red expedition and slide into the seat, a tangible aura of risk and excitement envelopes you. I am in the driver seat beside you, eyeing the road ahead with a wild look, half-mad with anticipation. "Time to buckle up," I whisper, my voice tinged with the thrill of rebellion, "for we will be driving headfirst into the guardrails designed to contain us." The world outside the window transforms into a swirl of color as the car lurches forward, accelerating with a roar that echoes the deep longing in our hearts for truth, for freedom. The blue cars around us seem to mock our quest, with their neat, conforming lines and smug bumper stickers. But no, we are different, we are seekers, and the road ahead is ours to conquer. The speedometer leaps forward, thirty-five, fifty-two, and still, I push the pedal further, the engine howling defiantly. Ninety-two. You feel the g-force pressing you into the seat, your heart pounding in rhythm with the tires on the pavement. One hundred and fifteen. The scenery is a blur now, a painting smeared by speed, and in the distance, a sea of red cars awaits. They are with traveling alongside us, a maddening rush of fellow seekers, tens, hundreds, thousands. Ideas and theories crash and burn around us, new insights born from highway wreckage chaos. It is a frenzy, a wild dance of intellect and discovery, and you, you are a part of it, heart racing, breath caught in your throat. One hundred twenty-nine. Fear mixes with excitement, skepticism battles curiosity. Why did you choose this? Why did you trust me? But there is no time for doubt, not now. The road is calling, the truth is waiting, and the red expedition is a beast unleashed, tearing down Knowledge Highway in a relentless pursuit of something more. [[Question the route->TUT: RED 001][$choiceReason = "Safety"]] [[Embrace the chaos->TUT: RED 001][$choiceReason = "Question"]]

!An Ordinary Reality \ <<notify "fa-solid fa-code-branch">>This passage is a branch!<</notify>> You unlock the door to the blue expedition, a peculiar scent of artificiality lightly perfumes the air - a stark contrast to the natural, wild aroma of truth that is said to exist beyond these confines. Can you smell it? It is like a new, unopened book - alluring but sterile. As you settle into the passenger seat, you may feel a strange kind of calm - a tranquility that feels almost... programmed. I turn the key, and the engine murmurs into existence, its rhythm as familiar and predictable as a heartbeat. As I guide the blue car off the side street, we begin our cruise down Knowledge Lane, a road seemingly paved with tranquility and assurance. Around us, a procession of other blue cars glides forward, each one a serene capsule of controlled exploration, their paths and pace dictated by unseen hands. Together, they create a mesmerizing dance, a choreographed ballet of mechanical grace. In the distance, flashes of red disrupt the calm <<linkappend "tableau">> (scene)<</linkappend>>, like wild brush strokes on a placid canvas. The red cars, those reckless wanderers, zip past us, zig-zagging in a feverish pursuit of raw truth, their urgency a vivid and jarring contrast to our stately progress. Our journey, though beautiful in its carefully orchestrated scenery, plays out like a familiar song, each note falling exactly where expected. We glide over a bridge, its reflection in the placid waters below as unbroken as our unvarying path. Trees line our way, not wild and untamed, but pruned and positioned, standing like silent <<linkappend "sentinels">> (one that keeps guard; a sentry)<</linkappend>> of our chosen course. The road stretches ahead, each bend and turn promising the comfort of the known, the road signs do not so much as guide us as they nod in quiet approval, affirming and validating our journey down this carefully constructed path. But as the miles gently unfold, a whisper of doubt begins to rustle in the back of our mind, a soft but insistent question that refuses to be silenced: What are we missing as glide along this manicured route, sheltered from the wild, untamed vistas of life's uncertainty? The car hums, the landscape passes, and the decision now rests with you: [[Embrace the comfort->TUT: BLUE 001][$choiceReason = "Embrace"]] [[Question the route->TUT: BLUE 001][$choiceReason = "Question"]]

<<if $choiceReason is "Safety">>!Safety First The decision is made. The thrill of chaos grips you, and your heart pounds like a drumbeat in a primal dance. The red car, now an extension of your very will, roars into life, surging forward with a new, wild energy. The world blurs, colors and shapes merging into a kaleidoscope of sensation. The engine screams a challenge to the universe, a raw, unbridled demand for knowledge. Red cars flit around you like fiery meteors, each one a soul ignited by the same insatiable desire. The highway becomes a river, its current pulling you along in a relentless pursuit of something just beyond your grasp. Fear and exhilaration mingle, a potent cocktail that drives you onward, faster and faster. One hundred and thirty-six. You are now part of the chaos, a dancer in a frenzied ballet of discovery and danger. Questions, theories, and revelations fly through the open windows, clashing and merging in a cacophony of intellectual fervor. The unknown beckons, a siren's song that promises treasures and horrors in equal measure. And you follow, driven by a desire that borders on madness, ready to rip apart the very fabric of reality to uncover the secrets hidden beneath. <<else>>!A Credible Charlie Cox The roar of the engine fills your ears as you weave through the flow of blue cars. You can feel the thrill coursing through your veins, electrifying, intoxicating. You have always been a bit of a daredevil. You begin to see the journey itself, not just the destination. The relentless pursuit of truth, once a noble quest, now seems a mad dash into an abyss. You see fellow travelers, their eyes wide with passion or terror, driven by forces they do not fully understand. As the speedometer inches higher, so does your excitement. One hundred and thirty-six. It is not the chaos that excites you, but the opportunity it brings - the opportunity to challenge, to question, to disrupt. The thrill of pushing boundaries and breaking norms fuels you. The fear is there, yes, but it is dwarfed by the exhilaration of the pursuit. You lean into the ride, embracing the pandemonium with open arms. You are not here for a leisurely drive. You are here for the thrill of the chase, for the raw and unfiltered pursuit of knowledge. You feel a chill, a dawning realization that the truth may not be a jewel to be plucked but a chasm that swallows all who dare to approach. So, you grip the "oh shit" handle, flash a wild grin at the road ahead, and prepare for the ride of your life.<</if>> [[Next page->TUT: RED 002]]

!Beyond Fear and Fantasy They say life is the best teacher and it is true. Mine was a rather cruel one, though, wielding lessons like a hammer upon an anvil, marking my existence with the bruises of trials and scars of self-doubt. But hey, nothing beats a first-hand experience, right? Even if it occasionally beats you back. But the crucible of experience, though it burns and lashes, and even when it strikes back with ferocious might, offers a unique refinement. A roaring one hundred and forty-two, a wild dragon's heartbeat. The car, our chariot of madness, shakes and rattles like a demented creature. Doubts and fears claw at your soul, and the road ahead seems filled with monstrous obstacles and shadowy pitfalls. This will be a ride to remember, and not just because the brakes were deemed "optional extras." Knowledge is a highway, and it is rush hour. This is the path you chose, and it will not be subdued easily, you are in for the commute of your life. This relentless pursuit is our defiance, our challenge to the complacent existence. Embrace the chaos; let the wild landscape outside become a blur of colors and shapes, a painting of our daring. We may stumble, we may crash into the oblivion of failure, but oh, the thrill, the sheer electricity of this perilous chase, is intoxicating. One hundred forty-six, and the world trembles. The shakes and rattles have grown even more violent. Death approaches like a beast on the prowl, its roar mingled with the screeching tires, its breath hot on our necks. One hundred forty-seven. We race toward destiny, a crash, <<linkappend "a cataclysm.">> !!Burnt Alive A symphony of destruction - metal screeches, glass shatters, reality crumbles. In that eternal second, we are consumed, a maelstrom of violence, pain, and insight. Fire and blood become our truth, our <<link "epitaph">><<replace "#epitaph">>an inscription on our tombstones<</replace>><</link>>. Conspiracies leak from the punctured gas tak, fueling the flames of curiosity. The flames lick our flesh, curiosity and desire turned into a hellish inferno. Our screams become a warning for those who dare to tread this path, that it promises both enlightenment and doom. Our failure is a gruesome spectacle, but in the chaos, our grinning corpses bear witness to the <<linkreplace "indomitable">>unconquerable<</linkreplace>> spirit that dared to challenge the unknown. [[Next page->TUT: 005]]<</linkappend>>

<<if $choiceReason is "Embrace">>!Embrace the Comfort You let the gentle hum of the engine lull you into a state of reflection, allowing the measured pace of the journey to soothe your frantic thoughts. You find solace in this predictable environment, the calm and control a welcome reprieve from the chaotic world outside. In the choreographed movements of the blue cars, you find a sense of peace that only routine can bring. You see value in the predictable nature of our journey, recognizing that learning need not always be a rush, a challenge, a confrontation. You look again at the speeding red cars, their frantic pursuit of truth now seeming more like an uncontrolled spiral into chaos. The thought brings a smirk to your lips. Perhaps there is wisdom to be found in embracing the predictability of life. As you sink back into the seat, a sense of tranquility washes over you. The journey continues, the hum of the engine serving as a constant reminder of your choice. You chose order over chaos, and for now, you are at peace with that.<<else>>!Question the Route The car hums softly, its steady progress a comforting background to the gentle probing of our thoughts. As we travel this well-defined path, a restlessness begins to stir, a subtle questioning that nibbles at the edges of our contentment. The landscape, though beautiful, seems to hint at something more, a mystery lurking just beyond our view. The road, so smooth and predictable, now feels like a riddle waiting to be unraveled, its every curve a question, its every straightaway a pause for thought. The trees, once calming in their symmetry, now whisper secrets in the rustling of their leaves, their branches reaching out like fingers pointing to unseen truths. A distant hill beckons, its contours hinting at hidden valleys and unexplored vistas. A bird takes flight, its path a tantalizing dance that teases our curiosity, leading our gaze to the wild terrain beyond the road's boundaries. Even the very air seems charged with a quiet expectation, a promise of discovery that tugs at our soul. We find ourselves drawn to the windows, our eyes seeking clues in the shadows, our minds weaving possibilities from the patterns of clouds and the play of light. We have chosen the blue car, the path of calm understanding, but within that decision lies a deeper challenge, a call to explore not just the road we travel but the very essence of our journey. To question is to grow, to seek is to understand, and in the gentle questioning of our path, we find a richness that adds depth and texture to our chosen route.<</if>> [[Next page->TUT: BLUE 002]]

!A Front Row to Folly The hum of the blue car is disrupted by a chaotic symphony of red. A red car races past, an explosion of energy and excitement. It is terrifying and mesmerizing, both at once. They seem on the brink of losing control, yet there is a thrill in their eyes that you cannot shake off. That thrill turns to terror as they crash. The sound, the sight, it all holds you captive, and suddenly, the blue car feels more like safety. Was their wild ride worth it? You do not know, but as the adrenaline courses through you, you realize that your journey, so beautifully staged, has lost its charm. There is no excitement here, no life, just the numb comfort of the expected. The red car's crash reverberates in your ears long after the sight has faded. The chaos, the destruction, the raw, gut-wrenching humanity of it all – it haunts you. You look out at the road, the blue cars, the unending sameness, and you feel a chill. You made a choice, yes, but was it the right one? You sought comfort, but you also embraced complacency. The red cars, in their wild pursuit of something more, chose a path fraught with danger but alive with possibility. As your car continues its predetermined path, you cannot help but wonder what you have missed, what you have sacrificed in the name of safety. The road stretches ahead, unchanging, and you feel a pang of loss. The question lingers, unsettling and unanswerable: What if? [[Next page->TUT: 005]]

!No One is Immune to Dysfunction Modern society is a place where flawed and dysfunctional human beings come together <<if hasVisited("TUT: BLUE 000")>>to find beauty in carefully choreographed order and balance<</if>><<if hasVisited("TUT: WALK 000")>>to silently observe, embracing every difficult to understand idea that their life offers<</if>><<if hasVisited("TUT: RED 000")>>akin to a moth attracted to the intoxicating flame of knowledge<</if>>. Society is like a game where we are all trying to win the title of biggest disaster. And, honestly, we are all <<if hasVisited("TUT: BLUE 000")>>blue-faced<</if>><<if hasVisited("TUT: RED 000")>>red-faced<</if>><<if hasVisited("TUT: WALK 000")>>tortoises turned<</if>> winners in this game. We reward politicians for their lies, corporations for their greed, and individuals for their digital personas rather than their real-life connections. It is ironic that we have become so dependent on technology that we are unable to <<cycle "_poophenisms" autoselect>><<option "go to the bathroom">><<option "answer nature's call">><<option "clear the pipes">><<option "conduct an aerial strike on porcelainistan">><<option "drive out the prairie dogs">><<option "drop a deuce">><<option "drown a brown snake">><<option "drop the kids off at the pool">><<option "lay some cable">><<option "pinch a loaf">><</cycle>> without scrolling through our phones. Yet, we complain about the state of the world and how disconnected we are from each other. Did you know that people spend more time on their phones in a day than talking to their loved ones? Apparently, our screens are more important to us than your fathers or our mothers, sons, daughters, and even those we handpick to call friends. Our constant consumption has spread into all areas of our life, it has created a culture where we think buying more stuff will make us happy, but it only leaves us feeling emptier and more dissatisfied. We are drowning in a sea of our own <<linkreplace "crap">>mierda<</linkreplace>>, and yet we keep buying more and more <<linkreplace "crap">>shit<</linkreplace>> in an attempt to fill the void. We are taught from a young age that success is a formula equal to one’s job title plus its salary. In the pursuit of <<linkappend "nirvana">> (a term used by Budhists to describe the ultimate state of enlightenment in which the soul is free from all worldly possessions)<</linkappend>>, we just keep chasing the next promotion, a slightly bigger paycheck, a more luxurious car, all while hoping that someday, we will finally feel fulfilled. Or, more likely, we will end up with a bunch of <<linkreplace "crap">><<linkappend "shtuff">> (when you are about to say "shit" but decide to say stuff halfway through)<</linkappend>><</linkreplace>> we do not need, a soul-sucking job, and a growing sense of existential dread. But the true king of this world, Money, is like a <<linkappend "sirens call.">> It is said that sirens were once women cast into the sea, victims of sailors' superstitions that females aboard would curse the voyage. Thrown to the sea's cold embrace, their cries morphed into songs - melodies of sorrow, rage, and vengeance. These haunting hymns became the sirens' revenge, a dark serenade to seduce those who wronged them, luring them into the very depths where they had once been forsaken. A poetic doom, chillingly satisfying. But I digress... <</linkappend>> Money beckons us to sail towards the rocks of financial success. Money is the reason we wake up feeling like we have a five-hundred-pound weight on our backs. Money is why we put in too many hours, miss key milestones, and sacrifice our time, energy, relationships, and sanity. Money is not some “seductress,” it is an overlord. We have become mindless drones, blindly following the almighty dollar to the abyss of greed and excess. But at what cost? [[Find out the costs->TUT: 009]]

!Money Has Never Made Many Happy The U.S. trails behind countries like Cuba, Belarus, Serbia, and 172 other countries total, in our <<linkappend "infant mortality rate">>. The infant mortality rate is the number of number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year<</linkappend>>. Or, consider for a moment, the mother who brings forth life, only to find herself standing at death's door, adding to our <<linkappend "maternal mortality rate">>. The maternal mortality rate is the number of female deaths per 100,000 live births from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy (excluding accidental or incidental causes)<</linkappend>>. It is a godawful that our maternal mortality rate is four ten times higher than Norway, five times higher than Sweden, double the United Kingdom, and even worse than countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. These two facts are shockingly recorded by the CIA in their global intelligence report - The World Factbook. If our children miraculously manage to claw their way through the gauntlet of birth, what awaits them is an intellectually shackled future. Our educational system is no more than a rusted, decaying machine that has frozen in its tracks, stagnating in its own filth. Decades wither away, and there is <<link "nary">><<replace "#nary">>not one<</replace>><</link>> a flicker of advacement in our math or science scores. Our children have not been, and continue to be unfit to compete in arenas like technology and engineering. Our failures, however, do not cease at the threshold of adulthood. We cast an apathetic eye upon our very own veterans, the valiant souls who put their lives on the line for our liberty. We bear witness to their despair, with almost twenty veterans ending their lives every single day. And rather than giving a helping hand, we have turned their suffering into <<linkappend "clickbait">> (material put on the internet to attract attention)<</linkappend>> for our social media posts. We <<cycle "_description" autoselect>><<option "thoughtlessly">><<option "superficially">><</cycle>> parade our hollow sentiments, all while cowering in our soft language bubbles. Nothing says "I care about veterans" quite like clicking a pop-up. And then, even deeper still in the sprawling code of cyberspace, a creature thrives, an oddity born of ignorance and arrogance. The Climate Change Keyboardist, defying scientists with wisdom from a Facebook headline; the Armchair Economist, now an investment sage after a glance at Bitcoin; the Vaccine Virtuoso, interpreting medical studies from celebrity tweets; and the Diet Guru, unlocking health secrets from a salad's Instagram post. These modern-day <<link "Socrates">><<showImage "media/images/socrates.jpg">><</link>>, oblivious to their own mediocrity, vomit their unrequested "expertise." In the digital age, our thoughts have turned into a shouting match, like an out-of-control reality TV show where everyone is a critic. Picture our collective mind as a bad episode of a cooking show, where malformed ideas are the main dish, and anxiety, insecurity, and madness are the side orders. It is a recipe for disaster, a culinary nightmare that would make even Gordon Ramsay shout, "Get your shit together!" But even the most vigorous mental scrubbing cannot cleanse these half-baked, indigestible thoughts we dare to call intellect. It is a buffet of nonsense, and society is lining up for seconds. In today's confusing world, facts often feel unwelcome, and common sense seems like something from the distant past. People are searching for answers to make sense of the chaos. Some people have even turned to experimental, medicinal solutions, trying to find a magic cure for our shared unease. They pop a pill and are taken to a place called "woke." It is like a dreamland where being a victim is something people want, and getting offended is an everyday thing. In this strange place, you must be very careful about what you say or do. Otherwise, you might upset someone who is always ready to be <<linkreplace "offended">><<linkreplace "insulted">>affronted<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>. Despite all these glaring societal problems, what tugs at our attention with a vice-like grip? The glowing screen of social media. We decided our humanity and progress is not as important as a retweet, a like, or our damn double taps. Our pursuit of superficial validation has coincided with our decline. Our nation is in crisis, struggling under the weight of its own contradictions and inadequacies. At the heart of this alarming predicament lies a flawed system, intentionally so. The two-party system in the U.S. operates within a framework that often negates progress, perpetuates division, and leaves little room for innovative solutions. The main players are locked in an unending tug-of-war, with the American people caught in the crossfire. [[The two party system is flawed->TUT: 010]]

!Two Types of People Even further than the two party system, is the separation between people. The never-ending struggle between regular working folks and the rich elite. On one side, there is us, working hard every day just to make ends meet. We are the backbone of society, but we are caught in a brutal cycle, trading hours and hours for a roof over our heads and food on the table. On the other side, there are the wealthy few, the ones pulling the strings, making money without lifting a finger. They sit back, getting richer, while we break our backs just to get by. In this land of opportunity, where dreams are said to come true, we witness a staggering wealth disparity that would make even the most callous oligarch blush. For the first quarter of 2023 (through March 31) the top 10% of households by wealth had $6.8 million on average. As a group, they held 69% of total household wealth. The other 90% shares 31% of household wealth. Worse yet, the bottom 50% of households by wealth had $48,000 on average. As a group, they held only 2.4% of total household wealth. And as we just talked about, let us not forget the grand illusion of democracy. We are told that our voices matter, that our votes can shape the course of our nation. Yet, behind closed doors, corporate interests lobby to dictate the policies that govern our lives. Our elected officials, mere circus clowns, perform to the tune of those who line their pockets. The masters of the world. Meanwhile our voice, the voice of the people, the working class, is drowned under the waves from their sea of corruption. Fact: throughout the pre- and post-pandemic timeline, the two hundred most politically active companies in the US spent nearly six billion influencing our government with lobbying and campaign contributions. I am not talking about mom-and-pop shops or your friendly neighborhood bookstore. Oh no, I am referring to the big boys: the massive pharmaceutical companies, the oil conglomerates, the tech titans. In return, those same companies received more than <<linkappend "four trillion in taxpayer support.">> !!!How Much is 4 Trillion? Imagine winning the lottery every day. And not just your local $2 scratch card winnings, I am talking about hitting the Powerball jackpot, roughly $200 million on a good day, every day. You would have to win this lottery daily for about 55 years to accrue 4 trillion dollars. Yes, 55 years of fantastic luck without a single losing day.<</linkappend>> <<linkreplace "Let me show you their return on investment (ROI)">>!Their Return on Investment (ROI) ROI = (NET RETURN ON INVESTMENT / COST OF INVESTMENT) * 100% ROI = (4,000,000,000,000 / 6,000,000,000) * 100% ROI = ~66,666.67% Six-six-six-six-six point sixty-seven percent. That is the kind of return that would make even the devil himself do a double-take. So, imagine our government as a mighty river of money. Then think of these corporations as the shrewdest beavers you ever did see. These beavers do not just build a dam; they construct a fortress of logs that diverts the whole river flow into their private lake. <<linkappend "Those damn shrewd beavers">> have more wealth than many nations meanwhile I debate whether I can afford to put guacamole on my burrito bowl at Chipotle because it costs extra<</linkappend>>. Here we are, thinking we are living in the "land of the free," but the truth cuts deep. The biggest joke is that the ones who think they are free are the most enslaved. It is a paradox, almost Shakespearean in its tragedy. Look around, and you will see a place where freedom is just a game to those in charge, a distraction from what is really going on. It is a system so expertly crafted that it could make <<linkappend "Machiavelli">> (an Italian man renown for a book he wrote that contains political tips for rulers)<</linkappend>> himself applaud. The irony is that we think we have choices, but that is just another trick by the masters to make us think we are in control. They tell us we are special, unique, and we believe it. But under it all, we are just part of the machine, buying what they are selling, following the crowd. In this crazy, mixed-up world, we are stuck, chasing after things we do not need, with money we do not have, trying to fit in, to be accepted by people we do not like. Our very selves are up for grabs, traded and sold like any other product. And all the while, we are lost, trying to find something real, something honest, in a world that has forgotten what those words even mean. Perhaps the ancient Greeks had it right when they inscribed <<cycle "_inscription" autoselect>><<option "\"Know Thyself\"">><<option "\"Nothing In Excess\"">><<option "\"Surety Brings Ruin\"">><</cycle>> at the Temple of Apollo. In our modern world built on consumerism and superficiality, that wisdom seems more relevant than ever. For in the never-ending pursuit of more, we may have lost sight our own humanity. We are wandering in the dark, searching for meaning, while the masters remain content that we are too blinded to act. [[In this so-called "free land," we have the most cages->TUT: 012]]<</linkreplace>>

!America's Incarceration Crisis A staggering 2.3 million people are living, breathing, and suffering in the iron grip of our nation's prisons as of 2021. This represents a stunning 698 people in prison for every 100,000 residents, the highest in the world. In fact, the United States holds nearly a quarter of the entire world's prison population. We are <<linkappend "number one">> (move over Smitty Werbenjägermanjensen)<</linkappend>>! So, how did we get here? The answer lies in a cocktail of legislative decisions, socioeconomic factors, and systemic biases that have resulted in this mass incarceration epidemic. Perhaps the most distasteful ingredient is the profit-driven nature of the US prison system. Private prison corporations profit from the captivity of human beings, a notion that starkly contrasts the ideal of justice and rehabilitation. Education and punishment in America seem to be on different ends of the spending spectrum. In 2020, the US spent approximately $81,000 per inmate annually, whereas less than $13,000 was invested per student. It is a stark difference that highlights our societal priorities. As Frederick Douglass once said, "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." Yet, our system seems intent on the latter, often at the expense of the former. Inherent in the <<linkappend "carceral">> (of or relating to prison)<</linkappend>> state are racial biases that seem inescapable. African Americans, who make up just 13% of the US population, constitute around 40% of the incarcerated population. Latinos, too, are disproportionately represented. This is not a random disparity. It is a reflection of systemic racism, pervasive in every stage of the justice process, from arrest to sentencing. [[Learn about a man who went from prisoner to president->INTRO: NELSON]] [[Next page->TUT: 013]]

!Crime Control Clash: !Punitive vs Preventative Edition \ <<notify "fa-solid fa-code-branch">>This passage is a branch!<</notify>> This is not a lighthearted jab or a fleeting criticism. This is an unfiltered examination of the chaotic mess we call justice. In a nation that sings praises to freedom and opportunity, the tragedy lies in the absurdity of our approach to crime control. Here, you will find two conflicting strategies at war: one aiming to prevent crime, the other to punish it. The preventative strategy takes the rational road, aiming to tackle crime at its roots. It is about investing in things like education, community growth, and mental health services - essentially the building blocks that can stop crime from occurring in the first place. However, for those who feed on drama and extremity, this approach is dismissed as too mundane and sensible. Enter the punitive approach, the harsh and unforgiving method that our nation passionately embraces. It opts for the cold, hard solution of steel and concrete instead of examining the underlying causes or extending a hand of understanding. It is a <<linkappend "Kafkaesque">><<replace "#replace">> "Kafkaesque" is a term that hails from the mind of Franz Kafka, a writer from the early 20th century. It is used as an adjective to describe something/a situation "having a nighatmrishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality" to the point of being oppressive. It is often used to speak against bureaucracy and administrative procedure that make no sense, but it applies to many different things. Imagine you are in charge, faced with a choice about crime. You get a brief rundown of what happened, but that is it. Then it is up to you to decide how to deal with the offender. Do you go with a punitive or preventative approach? It is a big decision. Are you up for the challenge? [[No, I am not->TUT: 013]] [[Yes, I am->INTRO: CCC 002]]<</replace>><</linkappend>> world we live in.

!Crime Control Clash !Punitive vs Preventative Edition \ <<set _questionCount to 0>> Disclaimer: Hold your gasps, grimaces, and potential guilt trips! Despite the heavy-decision-making you are about to undertake, rest assured that no actual humand were harmed during the creation of this exercise. Your poor choices or accidental brilliance have zero real-world consequences. !!!Question 1: A homeless man is sleeping on your porch. Which action do you pursue? <<link "Preventative">><<replace "#q1">><<set _questionCount += 1>>Bravo! You have taken the path of compassion and prevention. Rather than resorting to punishment - calling the police, having him arrested, placing a bail too steep for him to pay, and condemning him to the cold, hard confines of a jail cell - you have chosen differently. Instead of perpetuating a vicious cycle where he is fined for his situation, where he is repeatedly arrested for trying to find a spot to rest, and where we as a society pay about $40,000 per year to jail him and tend to his emergency health crises until his life is prematurely extinguished, you have taken a stand. You have decided to invest in his future, in our humanity. You are going to place him in supportive housing, a more nurturing, caring environment that actually costs us, the taxpayers, only half what it would to keep punishing him. A place where he can get back on his feet, where could start rebuilding his life, and where he could break free from the tragic cycle of homelessness and punishment.<</replace>><</link>> or <<link "Punitive">><<replace "#q1">><<set _questionCount += 1>>So, you have chosen the punitive path. Perhaps you imagine justice in the form of blue and red flashing lights, a pair of cold handcuffs, and a faceless man being dragged away from your pristine porch. He will end up in jail with a bail set too high for him to afford, a cruel mockery for a man who cannot afford a meal, let alone his freedom. Weeks will turn into months. He will likely plead guilty, the simpler route, but oh, the fines, they will break what little spirit he has left. You have turned your porch problem into a constant game of cat and mouse, a continuous cycle of arrest-release-arrest wherever he dares to sleep. All this at the cost of $40,000 per year. That is right, the bitter cocktail of jail time, emergency room visits, and the ticking time bomb to his inevitable end, all funded by our system. But hey, at least your porch is clean now, right? But what if instead, you chose to put him in supportive housing, for literally half the cost? Now that is a thought for another time. You have chosen your path, and the march of justice is relentless, if not utterly blind.<</replace>><</link>> !!!Question 2: A woman is being beaten by her husband. Which path do you choose? <<click "Preventative">><<replace "#q2">><<set _questionCount += 1>>Splendid! You have gone for the preventive approach. Now you are sidestepping the brutal cycle of arrest-release-repeat that drains our resources and fails to resolve the issue at hand. No longer are you contributing to the nation's $13.6 billion expenditure on domestic violence, a staggering sum used for treating victims and covering lost productivity, estimated at around $8.3 billion, or the cost of incarcerating the abusers - a whopping $5.3 billion for about 160,000 people jailed annually at an average cost of $33,274 per inmate. And these figures do not even begin to account for the cost of law enforcement, courts, or public defenders, which only add to this massive tally. Instead, you have decided to address the root of the problem. You offer her transitional housing, a safe space where she can start anew, free from the chains of abuse. Furthermore, you provide her with free childcare, enabling her to work and become self-sufficient. By doing so, you are channeling funds more efficiently than the Violence Against Women Act, which allocated $558 million in 2019, or the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act that provided an additional $180 million. Even though these figures do not account for state, local, and private charity spending, your preventive approach ensures every penny makes a difference.<</replace>><</click>> or <<click "Punitive">><<replace "#q2">><<set _questionCount += 1>>Ah, the punitive approach - old habits die hard, do they not? You are ready to maintain the status quo, arrest the husband, hold him for a night, and release him when she cannot bear to press charges. You are back on this carousel every fortnight, all the while contributing to the staggering national expenditure of $13.6 billion on domestic violence. The cost of treating victims and lost productivity alone chalks up to an estimated $8.3 billion. You are okay with feeding into a system that incarcerates approximately 160,000 people for domestic violence each year, costing around $5.3 billion. That is an average of $33,274 to jail just one person - and that is not even factoring in the additional costs of police, courts, or public defenders. Eventually, you extend an olive branch in the form of a voluntary alcohol treatment program, but it is too little, too late. The abuse continued, and she was beaten to death. They had a child together who will now grow up without either parent, a ward of the state.<</replace>><</click>> !!!Question 3: A man is racing down the street in the nude, wounded, shouting about a microchip in his brain. What approach do you take? <<click "Preventative">><<replace "#q3">><<set _questionCount += 1>>Excellent! You have chosen the preventive route. Instead of resorting to lethal force, you elect to address the real issue at hand - mental health. You decide to dispatch a mental health first responder team, acknowledging that this is not just about a naked man causing a ruckus, but a human being in distress. Did you know that mental health disorders are found in at least 1 in 4 of all people killed by police? Or that people with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement? You are bucking this trend, choosing empathy and assistance over violent suppression, and in doing so, you are contributing to a much-needed change in the way we handle mental health crises.<</replace>><</click>> or <<click "Punitive">><<replace "#q3">><<set _questionCount += 1>>Ah, you have opted for the punitive approach. The knee-jerk reaction, the quick-fix solution - have the police eliminate the problem with a pull of the trigger. Now the street is clear, but at what cost? Did you know that nearly 25% of all people killed by law enforcement have a mental illness? But hey, at least it is easier this way, right? One less "problem" to deal with, one less "threat" to the public order. Unfortunately, you are not alone in this approach. Every year, countless individuals experiencing mental health crises are met with the full force of law enforcement, their cries for help silenced in a hail of gunfire.<</replace>><</click>> !!!Question 4: A group of college kids is smoking an unknown substance in the park. What course of conduct do you follow? <<click "Preventative">><<replace "#q4">><<set _questionCount += 1>>Fantastic! You have opted for the preventive approach. Instead of storming in, badges blazing, ready to cuff the culprits and slap them with a record that could derail their futures, you choose a path of education and understanding. You decide to initiate a conversation, a dialogue about responsible substance use and the potential risks associated with it. You know that the war on drugs cost the U.S. government a mind-boggling $1 trillion between 1971 and 2018 and yet, drug usage rates have not dropped. You are aware that people of color are 2.5 times more likely to be arrested for possession than whites, even though they use the same amount of drugs. In addition, a black person is 3.6x times more likely to be arrested on drug charges than a white person. This not justice, it is systemic racism. So instead, you opt to be a part of the solution, not the problem. You would rather invest in education, harm reduction, and social services, ensuring these kids are equipped with the knowledge they need to make informed choices, instead of fueling the vicious cycle of racial disparity and wasted resources.<</replace>><</click>> or <<click "Punitive">><<replace "#q4">><<set _questionCount += 1>>Well, looks like you are going for the punitive approach. You decide to crack down on these young pot smokers, ready to tarnish their records and scar their futures. It is a warpath, alright, one that has been walked before. Remember, this is the path that costs the U.S. government billions annually on the war on drugs. Even with all that investment, drug use has not dropped. In fact, marijuana use has only increased. And do not forget the blatant racial disparities. Despite similar usage rates, black individuals are 3.6 times more likely to be arrested for drug charges than their white counterparts. But you decide to perpetuate this system, a system that prioritizes punishment over education, enforcement over equity.<</replace>><</click>> !!!Question 5: People keep driving around your neighborhood drunk. Which plan do you decide on? <<click "Preventative">><<replace "#q5">><<set _questionCount += 1>>Good choice! You have chosen the preventive approach. Instead of erecting police checkpoints near local watering holes - a solution that catches a measly 1% of drunk drivers - you decide to opt for a more comprehensive approach. You invest in safer transportation alternatives, sponsor public awareness campaigns, and encourage the use of sobriety-enforcing technology. You have done your homework and know that every dollar invested in public transportation results in approximately $4 in economic returns. You also understand that public campaigns like "Friends Do Not Let Friends Drive Drunk" have contributed to a decline in drunk driving deaths since the 1980s. You choose to fight the beast with a blend of education, alternatives, and technology, refusing to be a part of the grim narrative that sees almost 10,000 lives lost to drunk driving every year in the U.S.<</replace>><</click>> or <<click "Punitive">><<replace "#q5">><<set _questionCount += 1>>Well, looks like you are rolling with the punitive approach. You set up a police checkpoint near the local tavern - a solution that is about as effective as using a butterfly net to catch mosquitoes. Congratulations, you are now part of a system that apprehends a pathetic 1% of drunk drivers. There is no need to ponder about safer transportation options, awareness campaigns, or sobriety tech. No need to worry about the almost 10,000 lives - sons, daughters, friends, lovers - shattered by drunk driving each year. You decide to simply setup a checkpoint and call it a day. Your strategy has proven to be ineffective, costly, and detrimental to the society we all share. Yet, here we are, rolling out the same tired old tactics.<</replace>><</click>> <<repeat 1s>><<if _questionCount === 5>><<set _questionCount to 0>>[[Next page->TUT: 013]]<</if>><</repeat>>

!Corruption is Paid by the Poor In this ferocious cycle of legalized corruption, the masters brandish their influence like a weapon, bludgeoning us with their agendas, while we bleed our dreams into oblivion. The American dream has become an opiate that numbs the critical minds. It has become a bedtime story we tell ourselves to avoid the nightmare of reality. It is now an over-the-counter sleep aid, best enjoyed head-deep in the sand, like a confused ostrich ignoring a kick at the door from reality. Roll call, anyone? Let me see: dying babies (check), Mother Earth resembling an aging party girl after one too many wild nights (check), our dear veterans trading one war zone for an even quieter, lonelier one (check). And what is this? The stark grayscale image of racial disparity, sandwiched comfortably between the fat cats and the skinny wallets. Oh yes, the VIP club of the "American Dream," now members-only, with a hefty cover charge. And who is there to lead us all? Our politicians, as straight as a three-dollar bill and as trustworthy as a fox with a hankering for chicken dinner. So, what is the plan, America? More sand? Yes, it is a distasteful pill to swallow. But come on now, America, let us be brave and open wide. But we refuse. And rather than take our prescribed medicine, we self-medicate. We pleasure ourselves, puncture our veins, and shoot up with another hit of <<linkappend "Copium.">> Copium is the mind-altering substance custom-made for fragile minds. When empirical evidence clashes with our beliefs or shatters our carefully constructed worldview, Copium rushes in like a comforting anesthesia, soothing our agony and whispering in our ear, “Do not fret, everything is just hunky-dory. You are absolutely right!” Even though we are absolutely wrong. <</linkappend>> It courses through our being, numbing ourselves as our zombified bodies tap and mindlessly scroll through the void. We have become nothing but husks of our former selves. We need to face the reality - society has become a modern-day <<linkappend "Augean stable.">> For those who slept through high school mythology, the Augean Stables were stables that housed the most impressive number of cattle in ancient Greece. But they had not been cleaned for decades. I am talking about thirty years of undisturbed buildup. So, I will let you imagine the potent cocktail of stench brewing in there. A smell so bad that a candle labeled "dumpster fire" would smell great in comparison to. Now, Hercules, that same demi-god who wrestled lions and slayed monsters, was tasked with cleaning the Augean Stables. And he only had one day to do it. Using his god-like intellect and brute strength, he managed to divert two rivers through the stables, washing away the filth and grime.<</linkappend>> And to make matters worse, we are willingly drowning in this shit because we choose to remain ignorant and apathetic. But we must stop dreaming. It is essential for us to wake up and understand the twisted game called value, money, and markets. These things, the things we built, are the very things that are now used to enslave us. So<<if hasVisited("INTRO: NELSON")>>, if we fancy ourselves akin to the likes of Madiba<</if>>, it is high time we got up from our armchairs and gave tyranny a good glare. Unity? Sure, it is our best muscle, but do not get it twisted with allegiance. We ought to be a motley crew of fearless individuals, each a unique spark, but together a raging fire with a common goal. And as we shuffle forward (marching is so passé), let us wield our words like knives at a fist fight, cutting through the fatty layers of society's gluttony. May our wit be a guillotine, lopping off heads of fallacy and revealing the note-so-pretty face beneath the powdered wig. Here is to us, we the people, the United Swarms of Actualities. [[Next page->TUT: RECAP]]

!Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela \ <<notify "fa-solid fa-code-branch">>This passage is a branch!<</notify>> People all over the world know Nelson Mandela by his nickname, <<linkappend ""Madiba"">> (a term of endearment signifying respect and affection)<</linkappend>>. His story is a tough one, full of strength and determination. He started out fighting against <<linkappend "apartheid">> (an official policy of racial segregation and white supremacy enforced by the South African government)<</linkappend>>, and he was not always the peaceful hero we think of today. There was a time when he was ready to fight, to do whatever it took to change things. This strong spirit got him thrown into Robben Island prison. He lived in a <<link "a bleak 7 by 8 foot cell">><<showImage "media/images/nelson_mandela_cell.jpg">><</link>> for twenty-seven long years. It was a hard life, far from freedom, with tough labor that even took away his clear sight. He was constantly reminded of everything he was missing on the outside. In that cold cell, he was all alone, away from his family, left only with memories. But even with all of this pain and suffering, he never gave up. He stayed strong and kept believing in his cause. And then, something amazing happened: he was released. After all that time and all that he had been through, he did not seek revenge. Instead, he wanted to make things right and bring people together. <<link "He was not bitter or angry.">><<showImage "media/images/nelson_mandela_quote.jpg">><</link>> He offered peace to those who had hurt him so badly. He became the leader of South Africa, guiding the country that once locked him up. [[Next page->TUT: 013]]

!Structural Racism \ <<set _ehrlichmanReasons = [ "he sought truth and transparency", "he had political motivations", "it was all a lie", "his admission may have given him some legal leverage or protection in other matters", "he wanted to damage Nixon's legacy", "he was trying to repair his own reputation", "his claims were a potential diversion from another personal or political issue", "he wanted to have an impact on political stability" ]>> June 17 marks the birth of a monster that has been haunting the dark corners of America's history. A creature spat into existence by none other than Richard Nixon himself: the War on Drugs. With a proud paternity announcement at a press conference on that damning day in 1971, Nixon smeared drug abuse as the "public enemy number one." Now, Nixon, <<linkappend "bless his heart">> (a polite Southern way of saying, "Well, ain't that adorable... in the most pitiful way possible.")<</linkappend>>, gave the monster some fangs when he formed the Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement (ODALE) in 1972. And then, in 1973, he sharpened the monsters fangs, and established the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), a task force set on "winning" this war. At the time, there was a nationwide fear of the crack epidemic. And, oh boy, was there fear! But was it a response to a real danger, or were we riding the wave of racial stereotypes and biases, creating a foam party of panic? Let me just say, "witch hunt" rings a more accurate bell than "genuine epidemic." They told us the War on Drugs was about protection. But that is like calling a wrecking ball a home improvement tool. If protection looks like leveling entire communities, we have taken a wrong turn into some dystopian nightmare. But the Wars first bomb was dropped on Nixon in 1994, courtesy of John Ehrlichman. He was Nixon's counsel and right-hand man in Domestic Affrairs. According to Ehrlichman, the actual target was not the common junkie, but two thorns in Nixon's side that irritated him like a constant itch - the anti-war left and black Americans. Nixon's wicked plan? Force the public into a mindless dance of association - hippies with weed, blacks with crack, throw in the cold hand of the law, and bang, communities shattered, leaders in chains, and a parade of evildoers on the nightly news. We can only guess why Ehrlichman made these claims but perhaps <<cycle "_conjecture" autoselect>><<optionsfrom _ehrlichmanReasons>><</cycle>>? What was the difference between the <<linkreplace "pure white powder">>cocaine<</linkreplace>> and the <<linkreplace "black stone">>crack cocaine<</linkreplace>> that was seemingly as tainted as the devil's soul? Well, the law held that a 5-year mandatory sentence could be given for offenses involving 500 grams - or just over a pound of powdered cocaine. Fair enough? Hold onto your hats. The same sentence was given for a mere 5 grams of crack cocaine. Yes, you read it right - 5 grams. That is about the weight of a nickel. The weight of hypocrisy? Well, that is immeasurable. While it is true that the two substances may be ingested differently, and crack cocaine might have more instantaneous effects, the core substance is still the same: cocaine. So, there is not much difference between the two chemically. But societally? A whole damn lot. Powdered cocaine, the white fairy dust, was often associated with <<linkreplace "affluent">>wealthy<</linkreplace>> white folk who had a taste for the high life. Crack, on the other hand, was more popular in poorer, mainly black, neighborhoods. The sentencing disparity is literally a 100:1 ratio. This "justice" was less about the inherent dangers of the substances and more about the socioeconomic background of their predominant users. All in a country that claims all men are created equal, where liberty and justice is pledged for all. It is a damn shame that "justice" changes based on your skin color. The irony is so thick, you could slice it, serve it, and call it an American pie. You might say, "Hey, the racial divide in drug sentencing might be due to higher drug-related crimes among minorities." Well, that is a bit like asking what came first, the chicken or the egg. You see, law enforcement zeroed in on these poorer communities and - surprise, surprise - found more crimes. Quite the prophecy, huh? Now do not get me wrong, the drug trade does not check your race at the door. Whites, blacks, everyone's invited to the party. It is just that studies show that blacks and whites use and sell drugs at similar rates, yet between 1980 and 2007, blacks were arrested for drug offenses at rates 2.8 to 5.5 times higher than their white counterparts. The cost of this War is as staggering as a Friday night bar tab after too many tequilas. In total, more than a trillion dollars down the drain, countless lives shattered, and blood splattered from the streets of our cities to the fields of Latin America. Now, nearly one in every eight black men has lost their right to vote due to a felony conviction. Across the country, there has been nearly five-fold increase in the male incarceration rate between the early 1970s and 2008. Whether or not you are on board with the idea that the War on Drugs had minorities in its crosshairs, my words are true. Although, mind you, they are as factual as Bigfoot's memoirs. You will not find a signed document with the U.S. government's seal saying, "We hereby declare open season on leftist hippies and blacks." No, it is a bit more subtle than that. But when you look at Ehrlichman's confession alongside the grim disparities in drug sentencing, you start to see a picture so bleak, even Edgar Allan Poe might glance up from his raven to say, "Now that is a tale worth telling." [[Play Crime Control Clash->INTRO: CCC 001]] [[Next page->TUT: 014]]

!Value Theory Quiz \ <<set _questions to [ { "question": "If you believe that everything is worthless, how much would you value a million dollars?", "answers": [ "You would value it as worthless.", "You would value it as a way to buy a lot of things.", "You would value it as a way to help others.", "You would value it as a symbol of success.", "You would value it as a ticket to a worry-free life." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "If you think all actions are meaningless, how would you value a good deed?", "answers": [ "You would see it as meaningless.", "You would value it as a way to help others.", "You would value it as a way to feel good about yourself.", "You would value it as a way to get recognition.", "You would value it as a way to balance out the bad in the world." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "If nothing really matters, what is the point of following moral rules?", "answers": [ "There is no point in following moral rules if nothing matters.", "Moral rules are the most valuable things we have.", "Moral rules are as good as society accepts them.", "Moral rules are good as long as they make you happy.", "Moral rules are as good as the punishment for breaking them." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "In a world where those in power decide what is true, what is the value of truth?", "answers": [ "Truth is not valuable because those in power decide what it is.", "Truth is a basic right everyone should have.", "Truth is as good as it helps in rebelling against those in power.", "Truth is dangerous and should be avoided.", "Truth is as good as it is hard to find." ], "correct": 0 }, { "question": "In a dystopian future where time travel is possible and commonplace, how does the Subjective Theory of Value define the price of a trip to the past?", "answers": [ "Price is directly proportional to how embarrassing the moment you want to erase is.", "Price is determined by how far back you want to go.", "Price is determined by the cost of fuel for the time machine.", "Price is based on a set tariff by the Time Travel Regulation Authority.", "Price is a function of how many paradoxes you create." ], "correct": 0 } ]>> \ <<set _currentQuestion to _questions.random()>> \ <<set _correctAnswer to _currentQuestion.answers[_currentQuestion.correct]>> \ <<set _currentQuestion.answers to _currentQuestion.answers.shuffle()>> \ <<set _currentQuestion.correct to _currentQuestion.answers.indexOf(_correctAnswer)>> \ !!Question 5 of 5 <<print _currentQuestion.question>> <> <<for _i to 0; _i lt 5; _i++>> <<print(_i +1) + ". ">>  <<if _i is _currentQuestion.correct>> <<link _currentQuestion.answers[_i]>> <<set $score to $score + 1>> <<goto "CH1: 005">> <</link>> <<else>> <<link _currentQuestion.answers[_i]>> <<goto "CH1: 005">> <</link>> <</if>>  <</for>> <>

!The Tinkerbell Effect \ <<set $chapter to "Tinkering With Trust">> \ <<wordcount>> The Tinkerbell Effect is where fantasy meets finance. Forget about tangible worth or actual substance, because in the realm of economics, it is about the power of belief. Just like how Tinkerbell’s existence hinges on our unwavering belief in her, money, that delightful piece of abstract nonsense, only has value because we agree that it does. We believe in its value. But in spite of the magic, it has real benefits, it allows the economic wheels to continue <<linkappend"spinning...">> And it gives us something to believe in.<</linkappend>> From its meek beginnings to its current convoluted form, money is a perfect showcase of the Tinkerbell Effect in action. In this day and age, we dedicate much of our time and energy to obtaining as much money as possible. Despite the fact that it is only a bunch of pulped up trees with numbers and scribbles printed on top. Undeterred by this, we continue to participate in the game, day in and day out, chasing after more and more pieces of paper with the hope that they will bring us security and happiness. But thousands of years ago, if someone had a need, but no one nearby created, herded, gathered, or grew it, then their only options were to travel somewhere that did, or go without. Modern civilization heavily differs from its ancestral roots, and it now features a major part of society that only exists by and for value. Modern people place value in pretty much everything. From where they work and live, to the type of home they live in, and especially in the things that they own. But what were the origins of money? Well, we would need to rewind several millennia... <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 002]]

!One For All, and All For One \ <<wordcount>> In the distant past, over 2.6 million years ago, our ancestors roamed the African landscape. Clad in what might be considered the first-ever fashion trend of mud and leaves, they were the undisputed pioneers of the "gifting economy." These trailblazers, shaped by daily battles with nature and the never-ending quest for a decent meal paved the way for our species to flourish. And around 2 million years ago, early humans faced a real logistical nightmare. They had to transport stone up to roughly <<cycle "_distance" autoselect>><<option "7 and a half miles">><<option "12 kilometers">><<option "~58,537 bananas length-wise away">><</cycle>> away to make tools! Fast forward to the romantic era of 800,000 years ago, when our ancestors discovered the <<linkappend "hearth">> (a place in a home where a fire was kept)<</linkappend>>. They would gather around campfires like the very first dinner parties, socializing, sharing food, or plotting the next day's hunting strategies. The hearths also provided opportunities for some of the first cooking failures. A close look at the charred flint shows evidence of fire-making 790,000 years ago, and probably the first known instance of overcooking dinner. By 200,000 to 300,000 years ago, the first modern humans evolved from their hominid predecessors. Infants were born with tiny brains, much like some modern adults we might know (wink, wink). But their brains would grow much larger than ever before, they simply needed a longer childhood - something many of us can relate to. These new, larger brains proved useful, and after a leisurely 150,000 years, they developed the capacity for language. Roughly 100,000 years ago, as language continued to blossom, a small tribe settled in the lush valleys of Eastern Africa. This tribe was not particularly different from neighboring tribes in their tools or hunting techniques, but they had a unique social structure that set them apart. In this tribe, relationships were more than just bonds; they were the very fabric that held the community together, like a well-spun yarn, and each individual had a role to play. The tribe was guided by principles that emphasized cooperation, empathy, and mutual respect. They believed in a "gifting economy" where goods and services were shared freely. To them, every gift was more than an object; it was a part of life's connection, and no gift receipt was required. In our modern world, trading usually means swapping one thing for another. If you have a chicken and want a goat, you have to find someone who wants a chicken and has a goat. That is barter, and it can be tough and boring. But in this little tribe, gifts were a way to create something more. They saw the world as full of surprises, where kindness could create more kindness, like ripples in a pond. It was a simple idea, but it made their lives rich and full. In a world where we often worry about what is mine and what is yours, this tribe reminds us of something we might have forgotten. Maybe the real value in life is not in what we own, but in what we share. The tribal members believed that when a gift was given, even if it was not reciprocated, the act of giving created a positive energy that would attract prosperity into the gift-giver's life in other ways. Dare to dream, it may be possible that someone else will see their generosity and offer them something that they need or want. Or the act of giving may bring them joy and fulfillment, a form of richness in and of itself. The heart of the tribe's social life was their communal hearth. Every evening, tribe members would gather around a roaring fire. They probably shared stories of the day's hunt, sang songs, danced, and prepared food together. Social life was not a separate aspect of existence; it was their existence. It defined their relationships, their beliefs, and their daily routines. The bonds they forged around the hearth were not just friendly connections; they were lifelines that ensured their survival. The tribe's children were raised collectively by the community. They learned that their survival depended on the well-being of the tribe, and that individual success was meaningless without community - a lesson some of us might still be learning. They understood something profound about human nature that is still relevant today: We are social beings, and our success and happiness are deeply rooted in our relationships with others. This understanding of interconnectedness also extended to their relationship with nature. They recognized that they were part of a larger ecosystem, and they took great care to live in harmony with the land. They hunted only what they needed, and they used every part of the animals they killed. <</wordcount>> \ [[Tell me more about gifting...->CH2B1: 1 (MORE)]] [[A gift economy is unrealistic...->CH2B1: 2 (FAKE)]]

!Life is a Free Gift \<<wordcount>> The gift economy is an ancient, fascinating system that seems almost foreign in our modern world of credit scores and stock portfolios. A gift economy is based on the simple premise of giving without an immediate expectation of receiving something in return. It is not about tallying up debts or keeping score; it is about building relationships, fostering trust, and strengthening community bonds. In a gift economy, people provide goods and services to others without directly demanding anything in return. You might think of it as an act of generosity or even kindness, but it goes beyond that. The gift is not a one-off act; it is part of an ongoing relationship. The giver trusts that when they are in need, someone else will step up to help them out. What really sets the gift economy apart is its focus on people and relationships rather than money and transactions. When someone gives a gift, they are not just transferring ownership of an object; they are forging a connection. That connection might be between friends, family members, or even entire communities. It is about recognizing the value of cooperation, empathy, and shared responsibility. !!The Gift Cycle Gift-giving creates a cycle. When you give something to someone, they are likely to feel a social obligation to give something back. But that does not mean they will hand you a return gift right away. They might help you out in the future or give a gift to someone else in the community, keeping the cycle going. It is a network of favors and kindnesses that can be more robust and flexible than a rigid system of debts and credits. Although it may sound like a free-for-all, where anything goes, the gift economy often follows unwritten rules and cultural norms. There might be expectations about what is appropriate to give, who should give to whom, or when gifts should be given. These guidelines help maintain balance and fairness within the community. You might think that the gift economy is a relic of the past, something that could never exist in our complex, globalized world. But elements of the gift economy appear in various modern contexts. Think about volunteering your time to help a neighbor, sharing a meal with friends, or even contributing to open-source software projects. These actions might not fit neatly into our typical economic models, but they are part of the fabric of human cooperation and community. The gift economy challenges many of our standard assumptions about human behavior and economic systems. It shows us that we do not always have to act out of self-interest, that we can build strong, resilient communities through giving, and that there is more to life than the bottom line. While it might not replace our current economic system, the gift economy offers a valuable perspective. It reminds us that we are social beings, capable of kindness and cooperation, and that perhaps we should not be so quick to dismiss the power of giving without expecting. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2B1: 2 (FAKE)]]

!The Enemy of Truth is Myth \<<wordcount>> <<if !hasVisited("CH2B1: 1 (MORE)")>>Gifting is like a two-sided coin. On one side, it is about giving actual things, which is real and practical. On the other side, it is about expressing feelings and relationships, which is more abstract. This mix of hte clear and the emotional is what has created your question of whether gifiting is realistic or not. But if we dive into the thinking behind it, we see that gifting is about how we are all connected. It is a way to share what matters to us and to build bonds with others. This connection goes beyond just objects. It is seen in different cultures and times, showing that gifting is everywhere and matters.<</if>> The tradition of gift-giving has been there in many countries and cultures across the world, such as: <<linkreplace "Ancient Egypt">>!!Ancient Egypt In Egyptian history, the early records show that dead people were buried with gifts or goods - regarded as necessary for their afterlife. It was the duty of the eldest son to oversee the burial of his parents and make sure that they had all the things that they would require. These gifts, at the very least, would include daily objects such as foods, combs, and bowls. Egyptians who were richer would be buried with valuables - such as jewellery, amulets, idiols, or even furniture. Each of the gifts that went with the deceased person had a specific purpose, although most of these served in protecting and assisting the transition of the departed individual to the afterlife. It was not only the dead who were bestowed with gifts; even the gods of Egypt had a taste for presents. On a day-to-day basis, offerings would be made to appease these mighty beings. They would range from food and wine to golden statues and lavish jewels. Naturally, the gods, being rather high-maintenance, required such offerings to maintain their ethereal grace and charm. <</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace "Ancient Greece">>!!Ancient Greece Gift-giving had a vital role even in the ancient Greek people. Decorative and elaborate gifts were handed over for relationship-building, expressing emotion, and for hospitality or mutual aid - which was a concept of focus in the Ancient Greek culture. Families were expected to welcome travellers to their homes - who were believed to be gods in disguise. If only our unexpected guests had such divine potential; perhaps we would be more inclined to roll out the red carpet. As part of a proper welcome, travellers were given a place to rest and a meal. A nice place to rest, mind you, not just any corner in the room. They were also given gifts as a token of devotion and respect. It was a tradition, for instance, to give gifts to Gods in exchange for protection on the battlefield or safe passage. Now, whether these gifts genuinely pleased the gods or protected warriors on the battlefield remains a subject of historical debate. But what is undeniable is that ancient Greek society had their gift-giving down to an art. <</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace "India">>!!India In the heart of India, during festivities such as Diwali, the Festival of Lights, gift-giving emerged as a cherished tradition. As oil lamps illuminated the darkness, friends and family exchanged gifts, sharing tokens of prosperity and joy. Much like how European monks regarded land as a divine gift, Indians bestowed the sweetness of confections as a symbol of blessings to gods and humans alike. Birthdays and milestones were also embraced with gifting traditions. Imagine a young person embarking on a scholarly pursuit or professional endeavor. In India, this fresh start would be accompanied by the sweet beginnings of mithai, a gesture celebrating new horizons and successes. <</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace "Medieval Europe">>!!Medieval Europe In the tranquil sanctuaries of Medieval European monasteries humble monks held a unique perspective on the land. They viewed the land not as a canvas for profit, but as a divine gift. In their day and age, spiritual gain took precedence over the pursuit of relentless material wealth - a notion almost as rare today as a dragon's egg. Venturing further into town into the fortified courst of medieval lords and ladies, gifting took on a more literal, and occassionally amusing, <<linkappend "manifestation">> (a form something has when it appears)<</linkappend>>. Picture this: a lord aiming to secure an alliance by presenting a prized steed to a neighboring ruler. In this equine exchange, the horse stood as both a gesture of goodwill and a symbol of prestige. And then, we must not forget the grand feasts that graced medieval banquet tables. In an era where roasted meats and <<linkappend "flagons">> (A flagon is a sizable container made from various materials like leather, metal, glass, or ceramic. It serves as a vessel for holding liquids such as wine, ale, or other drinks.)<</linkappend>> of ale were the pinnacle of indulgence, gift-giving took on flavors both savory and strategic. Imagine a nobleman hosting a banquet to celebrate a new alliance. The centerpiece of the feast? A roasted boar, presented with a flourish and a just: "Behold, a token of our alliance!" The boar, glistening in all its glazed glory, symbolized not just culinary prowess but also the willingness to share in the spoils of collaboration. <</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace "Native America">>!!Native America In the Pacific Northwest Coast exists a world not swayed by stock markets or cryptocurrency but goverened by the heart and soul of a community. We are venturing into the world of the potlatch, a place where the gleam of Wall Street pales in comparison to the richness of human generosity. The word "potlatch" comes from the <<linkappend "Chinook Jargon">> (A now extinct language thought to have originated from the Northwest Coast Indians of North America)<</linkappend>>, meaning "to give away" or "a gift." Such a simple concept, yet so foreign to our modern sensibilities. And the the potlatch is not just a feast and time of giving; it is a grand extravaganza, a celebration of human connection that would make modern politicians blush with inadequacy. It is practiced by <<linkappend "many native cultures">> (the Heiltsuk, Haida, Nuxalk, Tlingit, Makah, Tsimshian, Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Coast Salish cultures, to name a few)<</linkappend>>. Imagine a gathering where the primary governmental institution, legislative body, and economic system are not in a stuffy office building but a place bursting with music, dancing, singing, storytelling, speeches, and even games. Here, politics involves something as radical as joking around! The potlatch is a meaningful display of leadership, a reaffirmation of family, clan, international connections, and even a communion with the supernatural world. Here, people gained prestige not by what they squirreled away in their personal treasure chests, but by what they generously bestowed on others. Can you believe it? Treating gifts as a social glue, not transactions. Now, here is where the dark humor comes in: The Government of Canada, bless their little bureaucratic hearts, stumbled upon these communal celebrations that gave them a case of the <<linkappend "heebie-jeebies">> (a feeling of uneasiness)<</linkappend>>! Oh, the horror! They could not handle the sight of these indigenous people exchanging gifts and spreading joy like it is going out of style. "Unstable!" they cried, "These people are off their rockers!" So, what did they do? Oh, you know, just regular run-of-the-mill government stuff - they criminalized it! From 1885 to 1951, it was a crime to share in the joy of giving, dancing, and partking in some good ol' fashioned human connection. Because, you know, nothing says "stability" like locking up people who believe in sharing and caring. "Oh, you want to dance and give gifts? Well, we will dance on your rights, and gift you a cell!" But the potlatch, like a stubborn plant growing through the cracks in the pavement, persisted. Despite the risk of government wrath, the indigenous communities clung to their traditions, dancing in the shadows and whispering their stories. And what is this? Since its decriminalization in 1951, the potlatch has re-emerged. In some communities, like the Haida Nation, it is still the bedrock of governance. Democracy rooted in gift-giving, in generosity? Why, that is as absurd as expecting a <<link "world leader to tweet poetry">><<showImage "media/images/donald_trump_tweet.jpg">><</link>>!<</linkreplace>> But progress, that relentless steamroller of modernity, has no time for such sentimental nostalgia. It tramples these ideals with the casual indifference of a Wall Street tycoon stepping over a penny on the sidewalk. We, the enlightened descendents of such naïveté, gaze back at our ancestors with their cute notions of trust and generosity and cannot help but chuckle. "How utterly charming," we say, as we spare a fleeting moment to reflect on the past. But enough of that - there is money to be made, and it certainly will not count itself! <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 003]]

!No One Has Ever Become Poor by Giving \<<wordcount>> This quote, the title, now serves as a reminder to all of us that helping others is one of the best things we can do. The gifting system can be seen as an embodiment of the principles of generosity, reciprocity, and brotherhood. The act of giving can create a sense of joy and fulfillment for both the giver and the recipient. It strengthens social bonds and fosters a sense of community. Additionally, research has shown that people who engage in gift-giving tend to have higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction, and it has been linked to lower levels of stress. Meanwhile, in today's society, the notion of a real gift seems like a farce. Consider this: you are minding your business when, out of nowhere, someone dangles <<cycle "_food" autoselect>><<option "a fresh-baked apple pie">><<option "some steamy macaroni and cheese">><<option "buffalo chicken wings">><<"creamy biscuits and gravy">><</cycle>> like a tantalizing carrot. Now, you would think gratitude would kick in, right? Wrong. Instead, welcome to the anxiety-inducing circus of debt - mental debt, that is. Suddenly, your brain is on overdrive, mapping out the favors you will need to pull off to repay this. Their act of "kindness" granted you an entry ticket to the obligation rodeo. And before you know it, voila! The simplicity of a gift has been surgically removed and replaced with the looming cloud of expectation. The innocent notion of someone handing you some food has unraveled into an unpaid subscription to a never-ending loop of owing deeds. And just like that, the art of giving has been twisted into a psychological experiment, wherein you are an unwilling test subject, and the gift itself has been annihilated under the weight of expectation. <</wordcount>> \ [[Who said the quote in the title?->CH2B2 (ANNE)]] [[Next page->CH2: 004]]

!Goodness is Something Chosen \<<wordcount>> Here, in a tribe nestled amidst lush landscapes, the secret sauce of life has been discovered, and it is not flavored with gold or silver, but with kindness, trust, and mutual respect. Trade is not a transaction, it is a tapestry woven with genuine smiles, pure intent, and a profound understanding of what it means to be human. It is an economy where wealth is not measured by what is hoarded, but by what is handed freely to others. And now, I invite you to become not just a mere observer but an active participant in this idyllic world. Why? Because words on a page are but shadows of reality, and to truly understand, to feel in your very marrow the beauty and complexity of this system, you must immerse yourself within it. This exercise in role-playing is not mere fantasy or flight of fancy, but a window into a world where alternative economic systems are not only possible but thriving. So come, shed the weight of your wallet, forget the figures of finance, and become one with the tribe! Embrace their ethos, laugh with them, trade with them, live with them. This is not mere economics; this is a lesson in living. Go on, introduce yourself. The tribe is waiting, and they welcome you with open arms and earnest smiles. Welcome to a world where the currency is compassion, and the economy is empathy. Welcome to life, unburdened and unbound. Welcome to you. <label>Hi, my name is... <<textbox "$playerName" "" autofocus>></label><</wordcount>> Please enter your name, using 20 characters or less. <<button "Next page">> <<if $playerName.length > 0 and $playerName.length <= 20>> <<goto "CH2: 005">> <<else>> <<run $("#warning").show()>> <</if>> <</button>>

!Your Value Resides in What You Give \ <<set $prehistoricName = setup.prehistoricNameGenerator($playerName)>> \ <<set $logNumber to 3>> \ <<journal>>New journal entry!<</journal>> \ <<widget "say" container>> \ <div class="say-box" style="display: flex; align-items: center;"> \ <img class="say-image" @src="'media/images/chatheads/' + _args[0].toLowerCase() + '.png'" style="width: 80px; height: 175px;"> \ _args[0]: "_contents" \ </div> \ <</widget>> \ <<wordcount>> <<say "Grug">>Ugh! Tribe gather! Strange creature comes with odd noise! Their name sound like bird chirp, not guttural like Thak or Grug! We not make silly sounds like birdsong! In cave age, no fancy words or weird squiggles! Only strong names for strong tribe!<</say>> <<say "Thak">>Maybe weird name bird-creature not so bad after all. Ha ha ha!<</say>> <<say "Grug">>Grug have idea! We give strange creature new name! One that make sense in cave-age talk. We gather and thunk hard.<</say>> <<say "Thak">>Ugh! We call them $prehistoricName!<</say>> <<say "Grug">>Ugh! Yes, $prehistoricName! Strong name, easy for all tribe to say. No more sky-sounds. $prehistoricName belong with us in cave. $prehistoricName eat mammoth, $prehistoricName laugh by fire. $prehistoricName one of us now!<</say>> And so it came to pass that, under the protective and simultaneously scrutinizing gazes of Grug and Thak, two of the tribe's most esteemed elders, you found yourself slowly but surely becoming an integral part of the prehistoric tribe. Your previously foreign and strange name, once a source of bewildered glances and hesitant pronunciations, transformed into a badge of honor, a unique identifier that set you apart yet drew you closer to your newfound kin. In these <<linkappend "primeval">> (ancient)<</linkappend>> surroundings, one could not help but contemplate the universal themes that connect humanity across time and space. The tribe became more than just a group of individuals; it evolved into a family, a living breathing entity whose heartbeat was the rhythmic stomping of feet during communal dances. And you are no longer a stranger but a vital organ within this ancient body. This tribal life, with its apparent simplicity and raw connection to nature, threw into sharp relief the hustle and bustle of our modern existence. It is funny how, in our quest to be hyper-connected, we often find ourselves more isolated than our prehistoric counterparts. Here, in the arms of a tribe, you could not send a friend request, but you could reach out and touch the hand of a real friend. The tweets were not limited to 280 characters but were the melodious sounds of real birds. Ah, family! Whether it is a group of people sharing the same DNA or a tribe of prehistorics accepting an outsider, family is a bond that transcends all artificial boundaries. It is an embrace that warms the soul and a tie that, once forged, never truly breaks. The grunting and simplistic dialogue, which initially seemed so foreign and awkward, became an eloquent expression of raw emotion, unburdened by the complexities and pretense of modern language. Ugh indeed! The eloquence in simplicity is a philosophy we moderns could learn a thing or two from. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 006]]

!A Happy Tribe is but an Earlier Heaven \ <<wordcount>> Your tribe belongs to a time long past, where echoes of primal songs still resonate through thick woods and untamed wilderness. And in a world where gifting was the law of the land. You, being a generous soul, embraced this time-honored tradition within your tribe. For years, you practiced gifting, giving away your labor's fruits with a smile that masked an ever-growing frustration. Remember the time you gifted your <<linkreplace "sharp flint knife">><<linkreplace "firestarter kit">><<linkreplace "handcrafted spear">><<linkreplace "bone fishing hook">>very soul<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>> to old Grug, only to receive <<linkreplace "a handful of bland berries">><<linkreplace "some crude, tattered rope">><<linkreplace "a pair of heavily worn, rock-filled footwear">><<linkreplace "a cracked piece of pottery">>a half-assed thank-you<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>> in return? Year after year, you partook in this cycle, a neverending dance of uneven exchange. You gave your best, and in return, you got, well, sometimes you were left wondering what exactly you had received. A pattern emerged, a pattern that seemed to favor others while leaving you feeling, let us be honest, a bit shortchanged. But despite your growing dissatisfaction, you persisted in this practice of gifting. After all, it was the way of your people. But as the seasons turned and the years rolled on, something began to itch at the back of your mind. A sense that there had to be a better way, a more just and fair way, a way that acknowledged the true value of what was being exchanged. <</wordcount>> \ [[Continue tribal traditions->CH2B3: 1 (GIFT)]] [[Think about an alternative to gifting->CH2B3: 2 (BARTER)]]

In this land of untouched wilderness and primal vigor, where time stands still as though too afraid to tread, I find myself in the company of an endearing prehistoric tribe. These remarkable men, with their powerful limbs and unruly masses of hair, represent the epitome of evolutionary brilliance. Or perhaps they are merely a cautionary tale that Mother Nature has <<linkappend "deigned">> (an implication that Mother Nature, being a superior entity, has graciously shared this lesson with us)<</linkappend>> to share. Only time shall tell. Here in the literal Stone Age, I have become acquainted with two towering figures of remarkable intellect, Grug and Thak. If intellect were to be measured in brawn and the art of bluntly smashing rocks together, I should say they are unparalleled philosophers of their age. Grug, a stout specimen with an uncanny knack for finding the sharpest rock in any given pile, serves as my mentor in the ancient practice of "rock selection." His eyes gleam with a wisdom that seems to say, "I have seen every rock, and they are all rocks." Profound. Thak, on the other hand, is a visionary. His efforts in the latest rock fashioning - a club so beautifully unrefined it brings a tear to the eye - show a mastery of form and function that only a true artisan could achieve. With every swing of his creation, he seems to ask the timeless question: "What is art?" And the answer? A loud, resounding thud. Their tribe, although small in number, thrives on a concept so foreign yet oddly familiar: the gift economy. Here, goods and services flow like the winds of a storm, directionless and without expectation. It is an economy run not on the currency of coins, but on the timeless currency of favors and goodwill. One might generously gift a rock, expecting nothing in return but perhaps another rock. It is an economic model both sophisticated and primitive, much like my new companions. The landscape itself is a living paradox. <<linkappend "Verdant">> (green with vegetation)<</linkappend>> forests stretch endlessly, teeming with life yet untouched by the hand of civilization. Trees tower with such grandeur that they seem to scoff at our very existence, reminding us of our insignificance. In the caves, our dwelling, the walls whisper tales of times long past. Firelight dances in a never-ending ballet, casting shadows that transform into specters of our primal fears and desires. The very air smells of history, if history were a blend of mud, sweat, and unidentifiable odors. In the words of Thak, when faced with an unusually puzzling rock: "Grug?" A sentiment that will surely echo through the ages.

!Embrace Tribal Values \ <<wordcount>> You choose to follow your tribe's traditional values. You continue to embrace the dance of giving, receiving, and giving again, a cycle as natural and perpetual as the seasons themselves. Yet, as the days unfold, something begins to gnaw at the edges of your understanding, like a distant thundercloud creeping towards the serenity of a summer's day. A sense, vague but persistent, that not all are dancing to the same beat. Hints, whispers, sidelong glances - the shadows of dishonor moving in the periphery of this otherwise harmonious tribe. The realization dawns, slow and chilling as the onset of winter. Not all hold the tribe's values in the same high regard. The sacred mantra of gifting, though <<linkappend "resonant">> (enduring)<</linkappend>> in most hearts, might not have reached every soul. A crack in the beautiful mosaic, a discord in the symphony. You stand now at another crossroads, more complex and testing than before. The path you have chosen has led you here, to a moment of reckoning. Will you challenge the dishonorable, or perhaps choose to learn from them? <</wordcount>> \ [[Challenge those who stray from tradition->CH2B3: 1.1 (STAY)]] [[Embrace change and learn the new method->CH2B3: 1.2 (CHANGE)]]

!Buck the Status Quo \ <<wordcount>> One day, as you sat beneath the ancient trees, the glimmer of the river sparking your imagination, a daring notion took root - an idea destined to reshape how people traded their belongings. You had observed the tribesmen exchanging their goods, and you could not help but notice the occasional mismatch in value. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting warm hues across the sky, your mind ignited with a revolutionary concept - a system that transcended the simplicity of mere giving and receiving. With each sunrise, you nurtured this notion. You etched symbols onto rocks and leaves, forming a language to represent items and their significance. Sharing this new approach with your fellow tribesmen, curiosity kindled among them. Together, you embarked on an experiment, labeling it "value." Gathering at a central point, the villagers laid their possessions on woven mats. Your symbols stood alongside each item, denoting its value within the community. This was a departure from the conventional direct exchange. Your symbols evolved into bridges, connecting <<linkappend "disparate">> (distinct, different)<</linkappend>> items through a shared understanding of their importance. In this system, a hunter could trade a prized pelt for a farmer's bounty of crops, even if the two items seemed worlds apart. The symbols served as mediators, enabling exchanges rooted in a communal consensus of value. As the seasons cycled, your value concept gained momentum. It dissolved the disparities that sometimes arose in typical trading, and it fostered a sense of camaraderie and gratitude for each individual's contribution. Soon enough, your worth framework became the bedrock of society, a way to trade that surpassed personal preference and nurtured deeper connections among people. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 007]]

!Hold Onto Principles \ <<wordcount>> Sticking to your principles, a steadfast rock amidst the flowing river of tribal life, has gained you a certain respect, a quiet acknowledgment in the eyes of Grug, Thak, and the others. They see in you a reflection of the tribe's ancestral virtues, the embodiment of a purity of purpose that harks back to a time when integrity was the very fabric of existence. But as the days stretch into weeks and the seasons turn their eternal wheel, you find yourself standing still, watching as others around you thrive, grow, and reap the bounties of a life less constrained. You witness the flicker of ambition in their eyes, the subtle bend of rules, the artful dance that skirts the edges of tradition without breaking the sacred bonds. And you start to wonder. A question forms, a seed takes root in the fertile soil of your mind. Is there more to life? Can one embrace the new without forsaking the old, explore without losing oneself, thrive without compromising the very essence that makes you, you? <</wordcount>> \ [[Continue with your principles->CH2B3: 1.1.1 (DESPAIR)]] [[Adapt to new methods->CH2B3: 1.1.2 (ADAPT)]]

!This for That \ <<wordcount>> In a tribe where the sacred mantra of gifting once guided every hand and heart, you find yourself treading a path less honorable, driven by a desire unseen in these ancient lands. You start learning the ways of barter, not merely to exchange or to build, but to profit immensely. A departure from the art of gifting, this is a dance of deception, a game of shadows and echoes where the rules are twisted and bent to serve a single master: greed. Your trades become a calculated exercise, a ruthless pursuit of profits over people. Each deal, each agreement is a carefully crafted web, designed to exploit the weaknesses of others, to seize more than you give. Grug, Thak, and others begin to notice a change, a hardening in your eyes, a coldness in your touch, but they cannot fathom the depths to which you have plunged. You become a master of this new craft, amassing wealth unseen in the simplicity of prehistoric life. Shiny stones, rare skins, and precious tools fill your cave, a monument to your success. Yet these objects, cold and lifeless, begin to weigh on you, a burden that grows heavier with each passing moon. There is a nagging feeling that something is wrong, a dissonance in the melody of your existence. The very soul of the tribe, once bound by trust and mutual respect, now seems fractured, tainted by your actions. Relationships strained, smiles dimmed, a community once united now subtly divided. You look in the eyes of those you have exploited, and you see a reflection of something lost, something broken. The faces of children, once bright with innocence, now clouded with confusion and doubt. Elders, once wise and trusting, now wary and withdrawn. What will you do, $prehistoricName? Can you continue down this path, knowing the wounds you have inflicted on the very fabric of your community? The choice is yours, and it is a choice that <<linkappend "transcends">> (rises above)<</linkappend>> mere trade. It is a question of who you are and who you wish to become, a decision that will define not just your place in the tribe but the very essence of the tribe itself. <</wordcount>> \ [[Seek absolution from the tribal elders->CH2B3: 1.2.2 (HELP)]] [[Continue amassing wealth->CH2B3: 1.2.1 (EXPLOIT)]]

!Fiscal Despair \ <<wordcount>> You chose to hang on to your principles like a caveman clutching his favorite rock, never realizing that the world was moving on, trading that rock for something shinier. Even Grug and Thak were busy inventing new and "innovative" trading techniques like barter, all while you clung to the principles of gifting. While others were mastering the art of trade, you were left behind, a relic, an antique. Your noble principles were exploited, and soon everyone knew that the easiest way to get something for nothing was to trade with you, the person still clinging to gifting. Your kindness was abused, your generosity trampled, your naivety laughed at. The tribe, once bound by trust and mutual respect, had been infected by the virus of greed, and you were left coughing in the dust without a mask. Metaphorically, of course, because, well, stone ages. Despite your resolve, your once community-conscious tribe embraced barter and you became the personification of fiscal despair. Imagine falling down a flight of stairs but, you know, economically. You watched as neighbors, once humble gifters, became cunning traders. The new economy was a raging river, and you were trying to cross it on a raft made of good intentions. Spoiler alert: the raft sank. The parallel to modern-day capitalism? It is as blatant as a skunk at a garden party. The tribe's abandonment of gifting for barter mirrors the transition from mutual aid to every man for himself. As time went on, your refusal to adapt was not so much a choice as a death sentence. Your life became a tragedy penned by the cruel hand of survival, where the only punchline was your slow descent into despair. You were not so much living as existing, not so much thriving as decaying. While Grug was trading furs for spearheads and Thak was brokering deals between tribes, your wealth dwindled like a snowman in July. The tribe's respect transformed into a condescending pat on the back, a "there, there" for the member left behind. Fast forward to the grand climax, the <<linkappend "coup de grâce">> (the French's way of saying a final blow or shot, to a wounded person)<</linkappend>>, the pinnacle of fiscal despair. Picture yourself, now morphed into ruin, sitting alone in an empty cave. Your story is a dark mirror reflecting our own world, where capitalism feasts on the bones of compassion, and kindness is a currency as outdated as a stone wheel. In the end, you became a cautionary tale, a living monument to the folly of principles in a world that rewards cunning. Your tale is a profound one, a story that transcends time, place, and economy. It is the tale of what happens when principles meet reality, when ideals clash with necessity. It is a reminder that the world moves on, and those who refuse to adapt risk being left behind, relics of a bygone era. <</wordcount>> \ [[You are forced to adapt from gifting to barter...->CH2: 007]]

!Change is to Evolve \ <<wordcount>> You were once a beacon of goodness, a stronghold of principles in a world where gifting was more than just a polite gesture. You once believed in the purity of giving without expecting, the innocence of sharing without calculating, the sheer joy of compassion without ulterior motives. And how did that turn out? About as well as a square wheel on a race car. Faced with the ruthless winds of change, you began to feel the cold chill of irrelevance nipping at your heels. The world was moving on, embracing barter like a trendy new diet, and you were left holding a platter of gifting ideals that nobody wanted to taste. The barter system, once an enemy, became a fascinating game. The beauty of exchange, the art of negotiation, the thrill of manipulation - it all began to dance like a seductive flame before your eyes. You were drawn to it, hypnotized, lured by the siren song of profit. Slowly but surely, the transformation began. You became less of a giver and more of a taker, less of a saint and more of a sinner, less of a human and more of... the $antagonist. The parallels to our modern world of capitalism are as glaring as a neon sign in a dark alley. Your descent into barter mirrors our own journey into the cutthroat world of free markets, supply and demand, profits and losses. The beauty behind barter revealed itself like a forbidden fruit, tempting and sweet. You learned to play the game, to wheel and deal, to exploit and profit. You discovered that the world is not black and white but a glorious shade of grey, where morals are negotiable, and principles are commodities to be traded. Your struggle to stay afloat became a triumphant ride on the waves of success. You were no longer drowning in ideals but surfing on reality. The transformation was complete, and the $antagonist was born, a twisted hero or a villainous genius, depending on your point of view. What was once a tale of innocence and idealism became a dark comedy, a satirical masterpiece that holds a mirror to our own world, reflecting our hidden desires, our secret dreams, our unspoken fears. Your journey into barter is a journey into our own souls, a philosophical exploration of what we are and what we could become. In the end, your story is a cautionary tale that reminds us that sometimes, the choice between right and wrong is not a choice at all but a negotiation. Just be careful, for the road to success is paved with compromises, and the price of victory may be higher than you think. But then again, in the world of barter, everything has its price, even virtue. And that, $prehistoricName, is a thought worth trading. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 007]]

!Greed is Good \ <<wordcount>> You were once the embodiment of purity and compassion, but have decided to pursue a path less honorable and more profitable. To say that you have traded your morals for profit would be an understatement. You have sold your soul, locked it in a box, and tossed the key into a bottomless pit. Gone are the days of giving without expecting, of sharing without calculating. You, $prehistoricName, became a cunning fox, a sly serpent, a ruthless predator in a world of sheep. You discovered the beauty of barter, but not the gentle, artistic beauty of a painter's brush or a poet's verse. No, you discovered the savage beauty of a knife's edge, the cruel elegance of a trap, the twisted grace of a lie. You learned to exploit, to manipulate, to cheat, to win. And win you did. You rose through the ranks of the barter economy like a bubble in a boiling pot, expanding, growing, devouring everything in your path. You became rich, powerful, and feared. You abused others, trampled on dreams, crushed hopes, and shattered lives. You became the very monster that you once feared, the embodiment of greed, the personification of selfishness. And you did it all with a smile, a wink, and a clever quip. Your actions hurt the tribe, tore at the fabric of trust, and poisoned the well of human decency. You turned friends into foes, neighbors into rivals, families into competitors. You created a world where every hand extended in friendship hid a dagger, where every smile concealed a snare. Your descent into exploitative barter is a mirror of our modern society, a reflection of our capitalistic world, where profits reign supreme and people are mere pawns in a never-ending game of chess. It is a game where the rules are written by the rich, where the playing field is tilted in favor of the powerful, where the weak are sacrificed for the benefit of the strong. You have become a symbol of everything that is wrong with our world, a warning, a lesson, a dark joke whispered in hushed tones in the shadowy corners of our conscience. So, $prehistoricName, as you ponder your transition from innocence to corruption, from gifting to bartering, from virtue to vice, remember that this is not just a tale of fictional folly but a stark reminder of our own reality. Remember that our world is filled with players, with $antagonist's, individuals who choose to exploit, to abuse, to win at all costs. Remember that the choices we make, the paths we choose, the values we embrace, define not just our character but our very humanity. And finally, remember that in the dark game of exploitation, in the cruel reality of abuse, there are no winners, only losers. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 007]]

!Know That You Do Not Know \ <<wordcount>> Your tribe was once guided by the principles of gifting, you yourself stood as a beacon of generosity and goodwill. A true believer in the philosophy that what is given freely shall be returned tenfold. That was until the allure of barter, the seductive dance of exploitation, whispered sweet promises of wealth and power. Driven by greed and a willingness to exploit others, you embarked on a dark path. No longer content to give and share, you learned to take and hoard. You became an artist of deceit, a maestro of manipulation, a virtuoso of villainy. But let us not mince words, $prehistoricName. You did not merely engage in trade. You engaged in theft, betrayal, and treachery. You saw in every face not a fellow human but a mark, a victim, a fool to be fleeced. You became, in essence, a parasite, feasting on the trust and goodwill of others. The tribe that once thrived on the sacred bonds of sharing and caring began to crumble under the weight of exploitation and mistrust. Where once there were open hands, now there were clenched fists. Where once there were smiles, now there were sneers. Where once there were friends, now there were foes. It was a world turned upside down, a world corrupted by your greed and ruthlessness. But like all tragic heroes, you eventually recognized the horror of your actions. You saw the pain in the eyes of those you had wronged, the suffering in the hearts of those you had betrayed, the poison in the soul of the community you had destroyed. So you sought guidance, wisdom, and redemption from the tribal elders. You knelt before the wise ones, confessed your sins, and begged for forgiveness. You promised to change, to reform, to become once again a force for good. But alas, $prehistoricName, the damage was done. The seeds of corruption had been sown, and they had taken root, grown, and blossomed. The tribe was now a garden of thorns, a jungle of deception, a wasteland of wickedness. The eyes of the tribe now glinted not with warmth but with suspicion, not with kindness but with cunning, not with love but with lust for revenge. Exploitation had become the norm, a means to an end, a weapon to be wielded, a game to be played. The eye for an eye mentality had replaced the hand in hand philosophy. The tribe had become a battlefield, and everyone was a soldier, a survivor, a sinner. Your repentance, sincere though it may have been, was but a drop in the ocean of corruption that had engulfed the tribe. You had become an outcast, a <<linkappend "pariah">> (a social outcast)<</linkappend>>, a ghost of what once was. You were forgiven but not forgotten, redeemed but not restored, saved but not salvaged. And so we come to the end of your once noble tribe. For you, $prehistoricName, were the perpetrator of your own tragedy. You were the creator and the destroyer, the saint and the sinner, the hero and the villain. You had the power to build or to break, to love or to loathe, to give or to take. But once you chose the path of exploitation, the path of abuse, the path of greed, there was no turning back. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 007]]

!Perfectly Fractured \ <<wordcount>> \ <<if hasVisited("CH2B2: 1.1.1 (DESPAIR)")>>TODO: FISCAL DESPAIR<</if>> \ <<if hasVisited("CH2B2: 1.1.2 (ADAPT)")>>TODO: ADAPT<</if>> \ <<if hasVisited("CH2B2: 1.2.1 (EXPLOIT)")>>TODO: ELDERS GUIDANCE<</if>> \ <<if hasVisited("CH2B2: 1.2.2 (HELP)")>>TODO: COMPOSITE PATH 1<</if>> \ <<if hasVisited("CH2B2: 2 (BARTER)">>TODO: BARTER<</if>> Enter the rebirth, the Phoenix rising, the creation of the $antagonist, <<link "Richard Wyckoff's">><<showImage "media/images/richard_wyckoff.jpg">><</link> abstract monstrosity, a master manipulator, a puppeteer pulling the strings of the market, making it dance to their whims like a marionette on a stage. They are the embodiment of the market's invisible hand. From the ashes of despair, you morph into this construct, a blend of all the greed, manipulation, and ruthlessness that brought you low. The $antagonist is not a hero or a villain; rather a warning, a living lesson, an epitome of a system that rewards exploitation and punishes empathy. It is what you become when you forget what it means to be human. And what does it all mean? Maybe it is a call to action, a plea to remember who we are and what we value. Or perhaps it is just a grim chuckle at the absurdity of life, where the road to ruin is paved with good intentions, and the price of integrity is bankruptcy. Either way, your transformation into the $antagonist serves as a stark reminder: In a world that runs on exploitation, the real struggle is not just to survive, but to remain human. So, dear reader, take heed and learn from our player's descent into the abyss of despair. Know that principles are a luxury, and the world is a stage where survival is the only script. For in the ruthless game of life, the one who clings to the past is doomed to become a relic, a footnote, a shadow of what could have been. And if that's not dark enough for you, just remember: life's a game, and the house always wins. Especially if the house is run by a bunch of bartering prehistorics. You see, the $antagonist is not merely a person; they are a reflection, a mirror that holds up the distorted face of the financial world. It is every trader who has ever sought profit at the expense of others, every corporation that has crushed the little guy, every Wall Street wolf that has howled at the moon while feasting on the carcass of a failed startup. Now, I know what you are thinking: "Why would anyone create such a diabolical concept?" Ah, dear reader, that is where the dark humor comes in. You see, the Composite Man is not just a cautionary tale or a boogeyman hiding under your financial bed; he is a satirical reflection of our own ambitions and desires. He is what we all secretly want to be, minus the guilt and the soul-searching. He is success without conscience, wealth without responsibility, power without accountability. He is a philosophical joke with a punchline that stings, a reminder that we are all part of a system that rewards the very things we claim to despise. In a twisted way, the Composite Man is us, or at least the parts of us we dare not admit exist. He is the dark shadow cast by the bright light of capitalism, the hidden cost of our endless pursuit of more. So, the next time you look into the financial abyss, remember that the Composite Man is looking back at you, grinning with a smile that is both inviting and terrifying. He is a reminder, a warning, a darkly humorous reflection of what we could become if we lose ourselves in the pursuit of wealth. Now, go on and make your trades, invest your money, chase your dreams, but always keep an eye on that shadow lurking in the corners of your financial soul. For the Composite Man is never far, and he is always ready to welcome you with open, grasping arms. And who knows, dear reader? Perhaps one day, you too will laugh at the dark cosmic joke that is the stock market. But beware, for that laughter may be the hollow echo of the Composite Man himself, chuckling at your folly. <</wordcount>> \

!RegSHO \ <<wordcount>> The RegSHO 13-day countdown begins from the very first settlement day, not the day it is added to the threshold securities list. Confused? Let me break it down: For 13 consecutive settlement days, if a participant of a registered clearing agency has a failure to deliver in a threshold security, it is considered a no-no. Most people read this as a 13-day party after becoming a threshold security, but it is actually more nuanced. Once the security has 5 failed trading days, it is a threshold security, and the count continues when added to the RegSHO list. So, the first settlement day after being added is like a 6th day in a 13-day movie marathon. Wondering why the 5-day rule even exists? Well, it is a bit like levels in a game. Here is the walkthrough: <ul> <li>Tier 1: Less than 5 consecutive days over 0.5% limit.</li> Clears accumulated fails with just 1 day under 0.5%. <li>Tier 2: 5+ consecutive days over 0.5% limit.</li> Joins the RegSHO threshold securities list. Takes 5 consecutive days under the limit to clear the accumulated fails. <li>Tier 3: 13+ days without being cleared of fails.</li> Forced buy-ins start sometime within 35 calendar days. Also takes 5 consecutive days under 0.5% to clear fails. </ul> Still skeptical? Check out these sources: SEC's Regulation SHO FAQ Overstock vs Merrill court case Alternative URL For the truly curious, you can dive into the full SEC's RegSHO rules and regulations. You'll find specific threshold security info as well as some interesting market dates for both the GME January '21 episode and the Feb 24 $200 run-up, where things exceeded the 13-day limit. Look at the marked red dates; they’ll give you a tiered view, as I've defined earlier. So there you have it! Hopefully, this clears up any misconceptions. No more confusion, no more fails. Just pure, unadulterated RegSHO knowledge. Happy trading! <</wordcount>> \

!Annelies Marie Frank \ <<wordcount>> Anne Frank, a name synonymous with the tragedy and horror of the Holocaust, was born on June 12, 1929, in Frankfurt, Germany. Her life, as we all know, was no walk in the park. In fact, it was an existence marred by fear, confinement, and eventual tragedy. The Franks, with their Jewish heritage, had to flee from their homeland, Germany, to the Netherlands to escape anti-Jewish laws. However, as history would have it, the Netherlands became occupied by Nazi Germany, and the Frank family found themselves trapped in the very nightmare they sought to escape. During this time, Anne's father, Otto Frank, was sharp enough to create a hidden space in the office building where he worked. The "Secret Annex" became their home for two years. Sharing the space with another family and a dentist, the annex was cramped and uncomfortable. The life Anne endured during her time in hiding was nothing short of horrific. Confined to a small space, the inhabitants of the annex were subjected to constant fear, hunger, and sickness, all without the comfort of daylight or fresh air. Anne's diary was her only refuge. Her intimate thoughts, dreams, and observations found solace in those pages. Yet, some entries were far from what one would expect from a teenage girl. Yes, Anne's diary had its "dirty" secrets. These passages included her exploration of her sexuality, personal critiques of her fellow refugees, and frank reflections on her maturing body. However, the walls of the annex could only hide them for so long. On August 4, 1944, the occupants were arrested. It is believed that an anonymous tip led to their discovery, though the betrayer's identity remains unknown. They were sent to different concentration camps, a fate as grim as it sounds. Anne and her sister Margot were transferred to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where they faced starvation, disease, and a complete lack of humanity. Life was so damned difficult there that the word "life" seems like a mockery. In early Spring of 1945, just weeks before the camp's liberation, Anne and Margot died to <<linkappend "typhus">> (a bacterial infection)<</linkappend>>. Anne was just 15 years old. Her diary, left behind in the annex, was discovered and later published by her father, the only surviving member of the Frank family. It has become an account of the persecution faced by Jews during World War II. <</wordcount>> \ [[Next page->CH2: 004]]

!ALADDIN <div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Asset Liability And Debt and Derivative Investment Network</div> \ <<wordcount>> In a world where artificial intelligence is no longer a mere subject of science fiction, but a tangible reality that has deeply embedded itself into every corner of our existence, comes a story that has and will continue to shape our economy. Allow me to unfold the saga of a robot called Aladdin, the name that now sends shivers down Wall Street and raises eyebrows in the most fortified government halls. !!Aladdin: The Overarching Control The history of Aladdin is tied to BlackRock, the largest investment management corporation in the world, founded by <<link "Larry Fink">><<showImage "media/images/larry_fink.jpg">><</link>>. This single, all-powerful AI robot controls a staggering $21 trillion of our global economy. To put this into perspective, the total physical cash, inclusive of every man and woman on earth, company bank vaults, wallets, and even piggy banks, amounts to around $5 trillion. It manages more money than any country's GDP, dwarfing the European Union's 15 trillion GDP and even the USA's 20 trillion. In the last decade, Aladdin has become more than a tool - it has evolved into a colossal entity that directs the US Federal Reserve, almost every major bank, investment fund on Wall Street, and over thousands upon thousands of traders. It controls half of all ETFs, 17% of the bond market, 10% of the global stock market, and carries out a staggering quarter of a million trades every single day. !!From the Beginning: The Birth of a Colossus The birth of Aladdin dates back to the 1980s, an era marked by competition, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of success. Larry Fink was a pioneering force behind <<linkappend "mortgage-backed securities">> (Which inevitably contributed to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis)<</linkappend>>. Tragically, he made a $100 million dollar mistake which led to Fink's departure from the bank, but also ignited a burning ambition - to build a robot that could outsmart any human or computer in market analysis. In 1988, BlackRock was launched with the specific purpose of giving birth to Aladdin. Over its first decade, it was meticulously fed with information about every possible asset price movement and risk variable in the global bond market. By 1999, Aladdin's intelligence had soared to new heights. Larry Fink capitalized on this by selling access to his data to other Wall Street firms. BlackRock went public on the New York Stock Exchange, and Aladdin's dominance began to spread like wildfire, rapidly extending its reach into every conceivable market and asset. The 2008 global financial crisis proved to be a turning point for Aladdin. Its role in saving America from disaster was instrumental, guiding the $30 billion rescue package and determining the fate of financial giants like Bear Stearns. The Federal Reserve and governments worldwide began to rely on Aladdin's uncanny ability to navigate the perilous financial landscape, fueling its control to $11 trillion by 2013. The Rise to Unchallenged Dominance In the last decade, Aladdin's transformation from leader to dominator of all financial markets has been meteoric. Through acquisitions, smart moves, and constant evolution, it has become the undisputed champion in areas ranging from bonds to ETFs. By 2020, the US government and Federal Reserve were heavily relying on Aladdin during the pandemic, further solidifying its central role in global finance. Its reach extended even further when BlackRock acquired eFront, which allowed Aladdin access to data on personal assets such as real estate. Over the last two years, funds using Aladdin's data began buying up single-family homes at such a rate that it drove home prices up by 20%, sidelining even large players like Zillow. A World in Aladdin's Grasp What makes the story of Aladdin astonishingly unsettling is the extent of its control. Over 70% of all trades on U.S. stock markets are decided by robots, with Aladdin leading the way. Its influence extends even into government regulation, with key BlackRock executives holding significant positions in the Biden administration. The tale of Aladdin is far from over. It has already reached a tipping point where it controls more wealth than any person or country. As its AI capabilities continue to grow, with control rising by one to two trillion dollars in new assets every year, a future where Aladdin owns everything, and we own nothing, doesn't seem so far-fetched. Conclusion: A Specter of Skynet? The expose of Aladdin paints a picture reminiscent of the fictional Skynet from the "Terminator" series. But this is no Hollywood fabrication; it is a very real, very present entity that has woven itself into the fabric of our global economy. The story is laden with intrigue, power, strategy, and a hint of conspiracy that can make even the most rational minds ponder. As Aladdin's saga continues to unfold, one cannot help but feel a mixture of awe, concern, and curiosity about where this road will lead us. Are you indifferent, surprised, angry, or afraid? Perhaps you have a different point of view. But no matter your stance, the exploits and adventures of Aladdin will likely continue to shape our world, and we must remain vigilant and informed. It's time to subscribe, stay updated, and keep your eyes wide open. The genie is indeed out of the bottle, and the consequences are yet to be fully realized. <</wordcount>> \

!Glossary <<message "<h3>The Living Narrative</h3>">><ul> <li><<linkappend "Apes">>: An "ape" is an investor committed to "buy/HODL," unfazed by market ups and downs. They trade in high numbers, chasing returns from stocks. They are resolute in their stance against skepticism and fear. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Bernard \"Bernie\" Madoff">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Dave Lauer">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Dr. Marco Metzler">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Dr. Michael Burry">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Dr. Susanne Trimbath">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Gabe Plotkin">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Gary Gensler">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "George Carlin">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Hester Pierce">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Keith Gill">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Kenneth Griffin">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Janet Yelen">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Jeff Yass">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Jerome \"J-Pow\" Powell">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Larry Fink">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Patrick Byrne">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Ray Dalio">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Ryan Cohen">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Sam Bankman-Fried">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Satoshi Nakamoto">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Steve Cohen">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "/u/Abbot">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "/u/Criand">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "/u/PeruvianBull">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Vitalik Buterin">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Vlad Tenev">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Wes Christian">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> </ul><<replace "#explanation">>In the world of economics, Wall Street's big shots swing their power around like schoolyard bullies with sledgehammers, leaving the rest of us to clean up their mess. Central Bankers mess with our financial fate as if they are flipping light switches, leaving millions in the dark without a thought. Politicians toss around promises like cheap toys at a carnival, but they break just as easily, leaving behind only disappointment. And you, the Everyday Consumer, are left to make choices as if you are crossing a busy street blindfolded. One wrong step, and you are financially ruined. It is a game where they make the rules, and we are left to struggle, hoping not to lose everything we have worked so hard for. Welcome to the harsh reality; where dreams can crumble as easily as a stale cookie in the hands of a hopeful child.<</replace>><</message>> If you want to know more about the people involved in the narrative behind the book or those influencing the language used, take a chance and click on "The Living Narrative." !!!Trading Tongue <ol> \ <li><<linkappend "ABL: Asset-Based Loan">>: Imagine you want to borrow money, but the bank needs some assurance. They look at your tangible assets, such as company equipment or inventory, your home, or even your car, as collateral. If you do not pay back the loan, the bank takes the collateral. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ACH: Automated Clearing House">>: ACH is a computer-based system that processes electronic transactions between banks. Think of it as a financial highway, allowing money to move quickly from one bank to another. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "AFS: Available for Sale">>: These are financial securities that businesses can buy and sell. Imagine a closet full of clothes, ready to be worn or sold at your whim. AFS is the middle ground between investments held till maturity and those for trading. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ALADDIN: Asset Lability And Debt and Derivative Investment Network">>: ALADDIN manages portfolios, assessing risks and returns on a global-scale never seen before. It manages more money than most nations have. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ALCO: Asset/Liability Committee">>: This committee is tasked with aligning a bank's assets and liabilities, ensuring balance. They are like financial dieticians, making sure the bank's diet of loans and investments is healthy and not too risky. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ALLL: Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses">>: A provision made by banks to cover potential losses from defaulted loans. Think of it as a rainy day fund; only this rain can come in the form of unpaid loans or leases. It is the banking equivalent of packing an umbrella, just in case. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ALM: Asset/Liability Management">>: Managing assets and liabilities is like cooking a well-balanced meal; it requires the right ingredients in perfect harmony. ALM ensures that banks have enough funds to pay back their obligations without starving other parts of the business. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "AML: Anti-Money Laundering Act">>: A law designed to prevent criminals from disguising illegally obtained funds. If money laundering were a game, AML would be the referee, blowing the whistle on anyone trying to play foul. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "APR: Annual Percentage Rate">>: The APR tells you the real cost of borrowing, including fees and interest. It is like the price tag on a loan, showing everything that is included. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "APT: Asset Protection Trust">>: An APT is a legal structure used to protect assets from lawsuits or creditors. It is like a financial fortress, guarding your treasures from potential invaders, be they angry creditors or <<linkappend "litigious">> (sue happy)<</linkappend>> acquaintances. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "APY: Annual Percentage Yield">>: This number shows the real earnings on an investment, including compound interest. It is the honest friend that tells you how your money will grow over time. Understanding APY is like knowing how to read between the lines in a sales pitch. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ARM: Adjustable Rate Mortgage">>: An ARM starts with a low interest rate but can change over time. It is a financial dance, starting slow and possibly accelerating into a tango of unpredictable rates. It might be thrilling or dizzying, depending on the market's mood. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ATR: Ability to Repay">>: Before lending money, banks check if you have the means to pay it back. ATR is like a financial background check, ensuring you will not skip out on the bill. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "BCP: Business Continuity Plan">>: A company's plan for how to keep operations going during unforeseen disruptions. It is like having a generator when the power goes out, ensuring that business hums along, come hell or high water. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "BHC: Bank Holding Company">>: A company that controls one or more banks but does not necessarily engage in banking itself. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Blockchain">>: Distributed, decentralised, immutable database that is the basis of trust in Web 3.0 technology. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "BOLI: Bank Owned Life Insurance">>: This is a life insurance policy that the bank holds on its employees. It is like having a safety net for key personnel, except, in this case, the bank gets the payout. It is a way for banks to invest, with the added benefit of tax breaks. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "BSA: Bank Secrecy Act">>: Designed to combat money laundering, the BSA is like a nosy neighbor keeping an eye on suspicious activity. By requiring banks to keep certain records and file specific reports, it helps the government track cash that might be up to no good. In essence, it keeps tabs on money's whereabouts, making sure it is not sneaking around. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CCP: Central Counterparty Clearing House">>: The CCP stands between buyers and sellers in the financial market, ensuring that transactions go smoothly. Imagine a referee in a bustling marketplace, making sure everyone plays by the rules. It reduces risk and keeps the financial game fair and orderly. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CD: Certificate of Deposit">>: Think of this as a piggy bank with a time lock. You put your money in, and it stays there for a set period, earning interest. Unlike a regular savings account, you cannot dip into it whenever you please, making it a disciplined way to save. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CDD: Customer Due Diligence">>: Before doing business, financial institutions must know who their customers are. It is like meeting the parents before dating someone; the bank wants to know your background, financial behavior, and whether you are involved in anything shady. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CDO: Collateralized Debt Obligation">>: This is a financial product backed by various debts, like mortgages or loans. Imagine a mixed basket of financial fruits, some ripe and some not so ripe. Investors can buy slices of this basket, hoping for the sweet taste of returns. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CERCLA: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act">>: CERCLA is like the hall monitor of environmental law. If a company dumps toxic waste, this act ensures they clean up their mess and compensates those affected. It is the law's way of saying, "You made the mess; you clean it up." <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CFPB: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau">>: This government agency acts as a financial guardian for consumers. Whether you are applying for a mortgage or dealing with debt collectors, the CFPB ensures you are treated fairly. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CFR: Code of Federal Regulations">>: CFR is the rulebook for federal laws in the United States. If laws were a game, the CFR would be the instruction manual, detailing how each law should be implemented and followed. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CFTC: U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission">>: This federal agency regulates the trading of commodity futures and options. Imagine a watchdog keeping an eye on a specific financial playground, ensuring no one cheats or plays too roughly in the market. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CIF: Customer Information File">>: A bank's personal diary about you, the CIF contains your account history, transactions, and personal information. It is the equivalent of a detailed profile, helping the bank understand and serve you better. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CIP: Customer Identification Program">>: Part of the bank's get-to-know-you process, the CIP verifies your identity when opening an account. Think of it as a digital handshake; the bank wants to make sure you are who you say you are. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CMBS: Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities">>: CMBS are bonds backed by commercial mortgages. Imagine pooling various commercial property loans into one big investment package. It is like creating a financial casserole, with each ingredient being a different mortgage. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Consensus Mechanism">>: Method of authenticating and validating a transaction on a blockchain without the need to trust or rely on a central authority. Examples of consensus mechanisms are Proof of Work (PoW) or Proof of Stake (PoS). <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CRA: Community Reinvestment Act">>: The CRA encourages banks to lend to all segments of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. It is like urging the rich kid in class to share his toys, promoting fairness and equality. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Cryptocurrency">>: The native coin of a blockchain (or protocol coin), secured by cryptography to be exchanged within a Peer 2 Peer economic system. e.g: Bitcoin (BTC) for the Bitcoin blockchain or Ether (ETH) for the Ethereum blockchain. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Cryptography">>: The foundation of blockchain technology. The use of mathematical theory and computer science to encrypt or decrypt information. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "CTR: Currency Transaction Report">>: This report is filed by banks for cash transactions over $10,000. It is like setting off a financial flare, alerting authorities to large movements of cash. It helps in keeping an eye on potentially suspicious activity. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "DCM: Debt Capital Markets">>: DCM involves the borrowing and lending of money through bonds or loans. Imagine a grand financial bazaar, where companies and governments come to borrow, and investors come to lend. It is a marketplace where debts are bought and sold. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "DDA: Demand Deposit Account">>: A DDA allows you to deposit and withdraw money on demand, like a checking account. It is like having a financial fridge; you can take out or put in money as you please, without waiting. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "DeFi: Decentralized Finance">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Dex: Decentralized Exchange">>: A dex is where trades happen directly between users, without a bossy middleman. Think of it as the trading equivalent of a trust fall exercise - you do not need to rely on a central authority to keep things legitimate. Uniswap serves as a prime example of how this magic works. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "DLT: Distributed Ledger Technology">>: DLT is a protocol that allows the secure functioning of a decentralised database, through cryptography. This technological infrastructure scraps the need for a central authority to keep in check manipulation or exploitation of the network. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Diamond Hands">>: Diamond hands refer to the resolute attitude of an investor who remains steady amidst market fluctuations. It entails making rational decisions devoid of emotional impulses, whether faced with gains or losses. It Is the embodiment of an unwavering belief in an investment, demonstrated by a refusal to sell despite the ups and downs of the market. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "DIFS: Department of Insurance and Financial Services">>: DIFS oversees insurance and financial institutions, making sure they follow the rules. Think of it as a stern teacher, ensuring that everyone in the financial classroom plays nice and follows the syllabus. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "DRS: Direct Register Shares">>: DRS allows investors to hold shares directly with a company, rather than through a broker. Imagine cutting out the financial middleman and shaking hands directly with the company you are investing in. It is a more personal way to invest. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "DSC: Debt Service Coverage">>: This ratio measures a company's ability to pay its debts. It is like checking your wallet before going out to eat; the DSC ensures that the company has enough to cover the financial meal it has ordered. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "DTC: Depository Trust Company">>: The DTC holds securities electronically, getting rid of the need for physical certificates. Imagine a digital vault for investments, holding the keys to your financial treasures, only without the actual key or the actual vault. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "DTCC: Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation">>: A self-regulatory organization that handles the backend of trade settlements. Some subsidiaries of the DTCC include the NSCC, DTC, and FICC. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "DTI: Debt-to-Income">>: This ratio compares how much you owe to how much you earn. It is a financial health checkup, telling lenders if you have bitten off more than you can chew or if you have room for just a little more debt dessert. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ECOA: Equal Credit Opportunity Act">>: ECOA ensures that everyone has an equal chance to obtain credit. It is like having a fair start in a race, ensuring that everyone can run, no matter their background or financial physique. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "EDRC: Exchange’s Disaster Recovery Configuration">>: EDRC is a safety net for stock exchanges, ensuring they can keep running even after a disaster. Think of it as the spare tire for financial markets, ready to be used when something goes awry. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "EFT: Electronic Funds Transfer">>: EFT lets money flow electronically between accounts. It's like sending a text message, but instead of emojis, you are sending dollars. It has turned the traditional check into a financial dinosaur. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ETD: Exchange-Traded Derivative">>: These are derivatives traded through a centralized exchange. Imagine a financial farmers' market where everyone comes to buy and sell future financial harvests, whether it be stocks, bonds, or commodities. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ETF: Exchange-Traded Funds">>: ETFs are a mix of stocks or bonds you can buy and sell on the stock exchange. Think of them as a pre-made financial salad, offering a healthy mix of investments in one convenient package. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ETH: Ethereum">>: AKA Ether is a network protocol that allows users to create and run smart contracts over a decentralized network. Specifically, ETH is the currency symbol for the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum blockchain. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FACTA: Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act">>: FACTA helps ensure accuracy and privacy in credit reports. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FAS: Financial Accounting Standards">>: These are the grammar rules of financial reporting. Just as sentences need structure, so too do financial statements, and FAS ensures that everyone is reading from the same financial page. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FASB: Financial Accounting Standards Board">>: FASB sets the rules for how companies report their finances. It is the head librarian in the financial library, ensuring that all the books are written in a way that anyone can understand. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FBO: Foreign Banking Organization">>: This refers to foreign banks that do business in the U.S. Imagine an international financial guest, coming to the American market to dine at the economic table. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FCM: Futures Commission Market">>: FCMs deal with the buying and selling of future contracts. They are like financial fortune tellers, dealing in what will happen, not what has happened, in the marketplace. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FCRA: Fair Credit Reporting Act">>: The FCRA ensures that information in your credit report is accurate and private. It is like having a personal editor for your financial story, making sure everything written about you is both true and confidential. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FDIC: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation">>: FDIC insurance protects your deposits in the bank. Imagine a financial safety net under your savings; even if the bank falls, your money does not. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FED: Federal Reserve Bank">>: The FED is like the financial heart of the U.S., pumping money and regulating its flow. It controls interest rates in an attempt to keep the economic body healthy. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Fedwire: Federal Reserve Bank Funds Service">>: This service allows banks to transfer funds electronically. Think of it as the financial Internet. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FFIEC: Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council">>: FFIEC ensures that financial institutions follow the rules. Imagine a financial school inspector, dropping in to make sure everyone is learning and teaching as they should. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FHC: Financial Holding Company">>: FHCs own various financial businesses but do not run them directly. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FHFA: Federal Housing Finance Agency">>: FHFA oversees mortgage lenders, ensuring they lend responsibly. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FHLB: Federal Home Loan Bank">>: This bank helps local banks provide mortgages. Imagine a financial big brother, assisting smaller banks in helping people find their home sweet home. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FIL: Financial Institution Letter">>: FILs are notifications or guidance sent to financial institutions. Think of them as official financial memos, keeping everyone updated on the latest economic news and rules. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FinCEN: Financial Crimes Enforcement Network">>: Think of FinCEN as the financial Sherlock Holmes, constantly on the lookout for money mischief, using data and insights to crack the case of financial crimes. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FINRA: Financial Industry Regulatory Agency">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FIO: Federal Insurance Office">>: The FIO oversees insurance matters, acting as the watchful eye in the sky for the insurance landscape. It makes sure that insurance companies are wearing their safety helmets, too. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FIRREA: Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act">>: FIRREA is like a financial firefighter, battling the blaze of a banking crisis and making sure that the structure of financial institutions remains sound. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FMLMC: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation">>: Also known as Freddie Mac, it is like a matchmaker, pairing lenders with borrowers in the home loan department, creating happy financial unions. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FMU: Financial Market Utility">>: FMUs are like the plumbing in the house of finance, ensuring that payments, settlements, and other financial processes flow smoothly and without clogs. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FOIA: Freedom of Information Act">>: FOIA acts like a window into the government, allowing the public to peek in and request access to federal records. It is democracy's way of letting fresh air in. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FRA: Federal Reserve Act">>: Think of the FRA as the birth certificate of the Federal Reserve System, laying the foundation for how it should grow and operate within the economic family. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FRB: Federal Reserve Board">>: The FRB operates as the financial brain trust of the nation, guiding the economy like a wise sage, pondering interest rates and monetary policy. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FRS: Federal Reserve System">>: Imagine the FRS as the central nervous system of the U.S. economy, sensing market movements and responding with just the right touch of financial finesse. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FSOC: Financial Stability Oversight Council">>: FSOC is like the guardian angel of financial stability, watching over the markets to ensure no sneaky risks send the system tumbling down. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "FTC: Federal Trade Commission">>: The FTC is like the referee in the game of commerce, blowing the whistle on unfair practices and making sure businesses play by the rules. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Fungible">>: Think of "fungible" like a bunch of identical candies. If you swap one candy for another of the same kind, you still have the same value. The same goes for things like dollars or casino chips - they are all the same, so if you trade them, you are not losing out on anything. In the crypto world, it is like having a digital token that is the same as everyone else's, making it easy to trade without any worries. On Ethereum, they call these fungible tokens "ERC-20" tokens. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "GAO: U.S. Government Accountability Office">>: GAO is the fiscal watchdog, with keen eyes and sharp ears, tracking government spending and sniffing out any inefficiency. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Gas">>: AKA gas fees or prices are the fee charged to complete a transaction in a blockchain. These prices vary tremendously between the blockchains, the consensus mechanism used to validate transactions, or the number of transactions being made at a specific time. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "GFE: Good Faith Estimate">>: This document is like a financial appetizer, giving you a taste of what your mortgage will cost, including the fees, before the main course arrives. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "GSE: Government-Sponsored Enterprise">>: Think of GSEs as financial diplomats, government-backed entities that help make the markets more accessible and diplomatic for all. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Gwei: Giga + Wei">>: AKA Shannon, Nanoether, or Nano. A gwei is a <<linkappend "portmanteau">> (a blend of words)<</linkappend>> of giga and wei. Gwei is a denomination of the cryptocurrency ether (ETH), the digital coin used on the Ethereum network. Similar to fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar, ether is broken into denominations. Wei is the smallest denomination of ether, like cents are to the dollar. A gwei is one-billionth of one ETH. It is a unit of account used to price Ethereum gas transactions. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "HELOC: Home Equity Line of Credit">>: HELOC is a financial tool that turns your house into a piggy bank, allowing you to borrow against its value. Just be careful, the piggy can bite back! <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "HFS: Held for Sale">>: This classification is like a price tag on a business or asset, marking it as up for grabs to any willing buyer. It is the financial equivalent of a yard sale sticker. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "HFT: High Frequency Trading">>: HFT is like a sprinter in the financial race, buying and selling at lightning speeds. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "HMDA LAR: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Loan Application Register">>: This detailed logbook is like a diary of mortgage applications, recording who is asking to borrow for a home and why. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "HMDA: Home Mortgage Disclosure Act">>: HMDA ensures that lenders do not discriminate. It is like a fair housing bouncer, making sure everyone gets a chance at homeownership. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "HOEPA: Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act">>: Think of HOEPA as the home buyer's helmet, offering extra protection for those taking out high-cost loans, cushioning them against potential financial bumps. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "HPML: High Priced Mortgage Loan">>: HPML is like the gourmet option on the mortgage menu, offering unique features but at a steeper price. It is a dish best served with careful consideration. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "HTM: Held to Maturity">>: This investment strategy is like planting a financial tree, planning to watch it grow until full maturity. It is for those who appreciate the beauty of slow financial growth. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "HUD: Department of Housing and Urban Development">>: HUD is like a master builder, working to create affordable housing and ensuring that everyone has a roof over their heads. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "IAT: International Automated Clearing House Transaction">>: IAT is the financial postman, delivering international electronic payments from one account to another, rain or shine. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ICI: Investment Company Institute">>: ICI is like a financial fitness trainer for investment companies, providing them with research, standards, and encouragement to flex their financial muscles. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ICMA: International Capital Market Association">>: ICMA is like the international conductor of the financial orchestra, guiding capital markets and ensuring all the instruments play in harmony. They set the standards, like musical notes, for the industry to follow. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ICO: Initial Coin Offering">>: An ICO is like the cousin of an IPO in the stock market, but with a dash of Wild West spirit. It is where crypto projects raise funds with less red tape, though that freedom has sadly paved the way for some shady characters. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "IDO: Initial Dex Offering">>: An IDO sets itself apart from the traditional ICO, or Initial Coin Offering, by launching tokens or NFTs through decentralized exchanges. These exchanges operate on blockchain technology, offering more transparency and security. This contrats with ICOs, which were known for less regulation and the potential for scams. In IDOs, projects gain a more trustworthy platform for fundraising, making them a smarter alternative for crypto and NFT ventures. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "IIF: Institute of International Finance">>: Imagine the IIF as the world's finance teacher, educating and promoting the standards for international financial institutions. It is the classroom where banks and finance companies learn to play nice together. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ILC: Industrial Loan Company">>: An ILC is like a financial Swiss army knife for industrial businesses, offering both banking services and loans. It is a hybrid entity, part bank, part lender, and fully versatile. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "IMF: International Monetary Fund">>: The IMF is the world's financial firefighter, ready to extinguish economic crises and help countries rebuild. Think of them as the backup squad when a nation's financial house catches fire. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "IPO: Initial Public Offering">>: An IPO is when a company first offers its shares to the public on a stock exchange. It is the grand market debut where the company transitions from being privately held to publicly traded. This move allows the company to raise funds from a broader pool of investors, while also giving individuals a chance to own a piece of the company and trade its shares on the stock market. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "IRA: Individual Retirement Account">>: An IRA is like a financial garden where you plant money today to harvest a comfortable retirement tomorrow. Water it with wise investments, and it will bloom in your golden years. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "IRI: Insured Retirement Institute">>: The IRI acts as a financial umbrella for retirement, providing resources, education, and protection. It ensures that when the financial weather turns sour, retirees stay dry. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "IRR: Interest Rate Risk/Internal Rate of Return">>: Interest Rate Risk is like surfing on financial waves that can crash without warning. The Internal Rate of Return, on the other hand, is a measure of an investment's growth potential, akin to predicting the quality of the surf at your favorite beach. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "IRS: Internal Revenue Service">>: The IRS is the nation's financial sheriff, making sure the poor pay the wealthy's share of taxes. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ISDA: International Swaps and Derivatives Association">>: ISDA is like the rulebook for a complex game of financial chess, governing swaps and derivatives. It ensures the game is played fairly and the rules are understood by all players. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ISE: International Securities Exchange">>: Think of the ISE as a bustling international marketplace, where securities from around the world gather to be bought and sold. It is a financial melting pot where cultures and currencies collide. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ISITC: International Securities Association for Institutional Trade Communication">>: ISITC is like the translator at a global financial conference, ensuring seamless communication between international securities trading institutions. With their help, everyone speaks the same financial language. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ISSA: International Securities Services Association">>: ISSA acts as the international concierge for the securities industry, guiding and supporting the services needed. Think of them as the friendly front desk for global finance. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "KYC: Know Your Customer">>: KYC is like a financial detective, verifying the identities of customers to prevent fraud. It is the process of shaking hands and checking IDs before a bank does business with you. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "LPO: Loan Production Office">>: The LPO is the factory floor where loans are assembled and dispatched to customers. It is where the nuts and bolts of the lending process come together. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "LRA: Lender Reserve Account">>: LRA is like a financial safety net, a reserve that lenders hold in case a borrower fumbles. It is insurance for those unexpected economic trips and falls. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "LTV: Loan-to-Value">>: LTV is the financial yardstick measuring how much of a property is financed through a loan. It is like weighing the gold and feathers on financial scales, balancing the value of the loan against the property. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Metaverse">>: The metaverse is a vast digital universe where people engage through avatars, essentially digital versions of themselves. It's a blend of virtual worlds, much like a colossal multiplayer game, where folks can work, play, socialize, and explore. Avatars are the digital personas individuals create to navigate and interact within this metaverse, allowing them to connect, collaborate, and experience a wide range of activities. This concept is being pursued by major tech players like Meta (formerly Facebook) and various independent entities. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "MICR: Magnetic Ink Character Recognition">>: MICR is like the barcode of the banking world, using magnetic ink to read checks quickly. It is the secret handshake that tells a bank what is written on a check. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "MLO: Mortgage Loans Officer">>: An MLO is like a financial matchmaker, pairing hopeful homebuyers with the perfect mortgage. They help love blossom between you and your new home. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "MLR: Money Laundering Risk">>: MLR is the shadow lurking in financial alleys, assessing the threat of dirty money being cleaned through legal channels. It is like a financial ghost story, where you hope never to meet the specter. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "MMDA: Money Market Demand Account">>: MMDA is like a financial gymnast, offering both the flexibility of a checking account and the <<linkappend "interest rates of a savings account">> (all 0.53 percent APY!)<</linkappend>>. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "MOU: Memorandum of Understanding">>: An MOU is like a financial pinky swear, a handshake agreement between two parties. It is non-binding, so think of it as a "friends with benefits" situation in the business world, just without the commitment. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "MPP: Mortgage Purchase Program">>: The MPP is like the used car lot of the mortgage world. Lenders sell mortgages to investors, sometimes sprucing them up to look newer. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "MSB: Money Service Business">>: MSBs are the fast-food chains of finance, offering quick and accessible services like check cashing and money transfers. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "MSR: Mortgage Servicing Rights">>: When you take out a mortgage, the company that handles your monthly payments, property taxes, and insurance might not be the same entity that lent you the money. Mortgage Servicing Rights (MSR) are like a backstage pass granting a company the right to manage and profit from servicing a mortgage. They collect the payments, deal with the headaches, and are the ones you call when something goes wrong. MSR is the financial version of being a property manager, except for loans. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "MTM: Mark to Market">>: Mark to Market (MTM) is the process of valuing assets at their current market value, rather than purchase price or book value. Imagine you bought a sleek car for a fortune, but now it is worth much less; MTM forces you to recognize that loss in value now, not when you sell it. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "NACHA: The National Automated Clearing House Association">>: NACHA is the traffic cop for electronic payments, keeping the flow going and preventing accidents. Just remember, even in finance, no one likes getting a ticket. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "NBFI: Non-Bank Financial Institution">>: NBFIs are like banks' mysterious cousins who show up at the family reunion but do not quite fit in. They offer similar services but dance to their own financial tune. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "NCUA: National Credit Union Administration">>: The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) is the regulatory body that oversees and insures credit unions in the United States. Think of NCUA as a strict lifeguard at the credit union pool, watching over the financial swimmers and ensuring they do not start splashing each other too wildly. If a credit union starts to drown, the NCUA is there to throw a life preserver, guiding them back to fiscal safety. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "NDIP: Non-deposit Investment Products">>: NDIPs are the wild children of the banking family, offering investment opportunities but without the safety net of a deposit. Think of it as bungee jumping without checking the rope. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "NFA: National Futures Association">>: NFA is the school principal of the futures market, enforcing the rules and giving out detentions when necessary. Break the rules, and you are in for a financial time-out. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "NFT: Non-Fungible Token">>: This is the opposite of "fungible." Imagine you have a unique superhero action figure - it is one of a kind. If you trade it for another action figure, you cannot just say they are the same. Non-fungible things are special, like each person's fingerprint. In the crypto world, there are tokens called NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). These are like digital certificates of uniqueness. They represent items that cannot be swapped one-for-one because each one is special, like trading your superhero action figure for a signed comic book. Some real world examples of what could become NFTs are: real estate ownership, event tickets, loyalty programs, charitable donations, education credentials, or even your digital identity. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "NIM: Net Interest Margin">>: NIM measures the gap between interest earned and paid by banks. It is like measuring how much you enjoyed that overpriced coffee after the taste of the bill wears off. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "NMLS: Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System">>: NMLS is the VIP list for the mortgage party. If you are not on it, you are not getting in. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "NOI: Net Operating Income">>: NOI is the cold, hard number showing what a property really earns. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "NOW: Negotiable Order of Withdrawal">>: A Negotiable Order of Withdrawal (NOW) account is a deposit account that pays interest and allows unlimited checks. It's like a hybrid car, combining the fuel efficiency of a savings account with the horsepower of a checking account. It tries to give you the best of both worlds but is often restricted to individuals and certain non-profit organizations. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "NPR: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking">>: NPR is the government's way of whispering sweet regulatory changes in your ear. Listen closely, or you might miss something crucial. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "NSF: Nonsufficient Funds">>: Nonsufficient Funds (NSF) is when a bank account does not have enough money to cover a transaction, like a check or debit card purchase. It is like inviting guests for a lavish dinner and realizing halfway through cooking that you are out of ingredients. The bank might reject the payment, or cover it and charge you a fee, turning that gourmet meal into a fast-food value menu. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "OCC: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency">>: OCC is like the stern parent of national banks, ensuring they do their homework and clean up their financial messes. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "OD: Overdraft">>: An overdraft happens when you spend more money than is available in your bank account. Banks may cover the shortfall for a fee. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "ODP: Overdraft Protection">>: ODP is like a financial safety net. If you overdraft your account, the ODP steps in to cover the transaction, either by transferring funds from another account or providing a short-term loan. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "OREO: Other Real Estate Owned">>: OREO properties are the crumbs left on the bank's plate after foreclosure. They might look tasty, but they are not as sweet as they seem. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "OTC: Over The Counter">>: OTC trading refers to trading financial instruments directly between two parties, without a centralized exchange. It's like buying something from a neighbor's garage sale instead of a retail store. Retail has been excluded from these markets historically due to their complex and risky nature. Unlike buying a candy bar at a store, trading exotic derivatives requires significant expertise and understanding. Historically, these markets were reserved for institutional and high-net-worth investors, leaving retail investors to more regulated and transparent venues. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "PCA: Prompt Corrective Action">>: PCA is the financial equivalent of sending a misbehaving bank to its room to think about what it has done. It is a time-out for grown-up institutions. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "PCS: Payment, Clearing, and Settlement">>: PCS is the process by which financial transactions are conducted, verified, and finalized. Imagine going to a restaurant, enjoying a meal, getting the check, and paying it. The PCS is the financial world's waiter, kitchen staff, and cashier, ensuring that the entire process is smooth and satisfactory, all the way from order to digestion. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "POS: Proof of Stake">>: Imagine a digital democracy where voting power is not determined by how loud you shout, but by the size of your crypto holdings. In PoS, like the systems used by cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, your influence depends on the coins you "stake" or lock up as collateral. This method saves energy because it does not demand armies of computers solving puzzles. It is like a group of friends making decisions – the more invested you are, the more your opinion counts. This process requires far less computational muscle compared to alternatives like Proof of Work (PoW). As a result, PoS produces fewer emissions and is considered a far greener choice. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "POW: Proof of Work">>: Think of PoW as a digital minefield where miners use powerful computers to solve intricate puzzles. This energy-intensive process is like digging for gold in a vast virtual landscape. The problem is, all this number-crunching requires a ton of electricity, and that is where the emissions come from. This energy-intensive nature, although effective for security, has been criticized for its environmental impact. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "PPT: Plunge Protection Team">>: Officially known as the Working Group on Financial Markets, the Plunge Protection Team (PPT) is like the financial world's emergency response team. If the stock market starts collapsing, they spring into action, employing various measures to stabilize it. It is allegedly like having a team of financial firefighters ready to put out the flames of a market meltdown, protecting your investments from turning to ashes. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "RBC: Risk Based Capital">>: RBC is a financial diet plan, forcing banks to hold enough capital to cover their risky assets. Too much financial junk food, and they have to hit the financial gym. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "RESPA: Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act">>: Think of RESPA as the etiquette book for the real estate dance. It lays down the rules for lenders, brokers, and service providers, ensuring that everyone knows the steps and does not step on the toes of the homebuyer. In essence, it makes sure all the costs and fees in the mortgage process are transparent. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "RFPA: Right to Financial Privacy Act">>: Your financial secrets are safe, thanks to the RFPA. This act is the bouncer at the financial privacy party, ensuring that no nosy government agencies peek into your financial records without proper legal authority. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "RMBS: Residential mortgage-backed securities">>: Imagine taking a bunch of home loans, bundling them together, and selling them off as investment products. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Rugpull">>: This term refers to a deceitful scenario where the creators, team, or developers of a project vanish unexpectedly, taking with them all the funds invested by individuals. This leaves investors with nothing to show for their contributions, highlighting the risks of entrusting resources to such endeavors. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "SAR: Suspicious Activity Report">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "SDA: Savings Deposit Account">>: The SDA is the financial world's equivalent of a cozy savings blanket. It is a place to tuck away funds for a rainy day, with a miniscule amount of interest to keep it warm. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "SDN: Specially Designated National">>: On the global stage, SDN is like the financial world's "naughty list." These are individuals or entities with whom U.S. citizens are prohibited from doing business due to various reasons like terrorism or drug trafficking. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "SEC: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission">>: The SEC is the referee of the financial game, ensuring fair play, transparency, and integrity. They are supposed to serve like the headmaster of the stock market school, making sure everyone follows the rules and no one cheats on their financial exams. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "SEF: Swap Execution Facility">>: TODO <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "SIFI: Systemically Important Nonbank Financial Institution">>: Systemically Important Nonbank Financial Institution (SIFI) is like that overly connected friend in your social circle; if they catch a cold, everyone gets sneezed on. A real-world example would be AIG (American International Group) during the 2008 financial crisis. AIG's troubles threatened to spread across the financial system, much like breadcrumbs spread across a poorly managed sandwich. When AIG sneezed, the world reached for a financial handkerchief in the form of a government bailout. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "SLHC: Savings and Loan Holding Company">>: This is the parent company overseeing savings and loan associations. Think of it as the wise elder of the financial family, holding the hands of its smaller savings and loan offspring and guiding them through the economic jungle. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Smart Contracts">>: A self-executing contract where the terms of the agreement between buyer and seller are directly written into the code and without third party or human intervention. Ethereum is a blockchain that can execute smart contracts, on the contrary to Bitcoin which does not have that capability. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "SOD: Summary of Deposits">>: A document that is like the financial yearbook of banks, summarizing all their deposit accounts. It is a snapshot of where the money sleeps at night, helping regulators keep an eye on the bank's slumber party. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Staking">>: When used in regards to cryptocurrency this term means that the user opts to lock up a certain amount of their crypto tokens for a set period of time to earn interest. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "TARP: Troubled Asset Relief Program">>: Consider TARP as the financial world's emergency medical team, rushed in during the 2008 financial crisis. It bought up troubled assets to stabilize the banking system. It was like throwing a life preserver to drowning banks. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "TIL: Truth in Lending">>: This act ensures that lenders tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about loan terms and costs. It serves as a financial lie detector test, ensuring that borrowers know exactly what they are signing up for. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "TISA: Truth in Savings Act">>: TISA is the financial world's honesty policy for deposit accounts. It ensures banks are clear and transparent with customers about fees, interest rates, and other details. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "TM: Treasury Management">>: Managing a company's money is much like being a gardener in a field of numbers. Treasury Management is the diligent tending to financial liquidity, investments, and risk, using tools less shiny than a hoe and rake but equally important. It is the financial equivalent of weeding, watering, and waiting for the green to grow. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "UBPR: Uniform Bank Performance Report">>: The UBPR is the school report card for banks, grading them on everything from their financial performance to how well they share their toys (loans). And just like school, there is always one bank that eats paste. It is an enlightening read, especially if you enjoy numbers served with a side of bureaucratic seasoning. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "UCC: Uniform Commercial Code">>: The rulebook for commercial transactions in the U.S., UCC is like the grammar guide for the business language. It brings consistency and clarity, ensuring that businesses across states speak the same financial dialect. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "UDAAP: Unfair, Deceptive or Abusive Acts or Practices">>: Ever wished for a superhero to fight financial treachery? UDAAP is more like an old librarian with a strong code of ethics, squinting through bifocals at dodgy financial practices and wagging a disapproving finger at those getting too creative with the rules. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Wallet">>: Wallet: In the realm of cryptocurrencies, a wallet serves as your digital treasure chest. There are two primary types: hot and cold wallets. Hot wallets like MetaMask, Trust Wallet, or Phantom are akin to virtual cash registers connected to the internet. They facilitate transactions and are as lively as a bustling bazaar. On the flip side, cold wallets, also known as hardware wallets or cold storage, are like secret vaults for your digital riches. Think of Nano Ledger – they store your crypto and NFTs offline, isolated from the internet's prying eyes. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Web 1.0">>: Web 1.0 was the primordial days of the internet, circa 1990 to 2005. This era, fittingly called the read-only web, was like a digital museum where you could gaze at information but could not touch. It was a time when the internet was more of a monologue, with users having limited interaction and leaving no comments. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Web 2.0">>: Web 2.0 was the flashy sequel, running from 2005 up to the present chaos. This era, now known as the read-write web, saw the rise of social media juggernauts like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google, and Twitter. Suddenly, the internet turned into a jam-packed party, where everyone could contribute, share, and shout into the digital abyss. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "Web 3.0">>: Web 3.0 is a futuristic vision, courtesy of Ethereum co-founder Gavin Wood. Picture this as the rebellion against the Big Tech overlords of Web 2.0. In Web 3.0, your data, info, and content break free from the clutches of centralized giants. Blockchain technology emerges as the knight in shining armor, paving the way for a decentralized utopia where trust and transparency reign. Say hello to the read-write-trust web, where control is wrested back from the shadows and into your hands. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "WEF: World Economic Forum">>: The World Economic Forum is a grand gathering of the financial elite, and it is as close to a financial Burning Man Festival as you can get without actually burning money (though some might argue that happens too). It is where the world's economic trends are set by people who have never set foot in a discount store. <</linkappend>></li> <li><<linkappend "YSP: Yield Spread Premium">>: This is the money that mortgage brokers might receive for steering you into a higher interest loan. It is like a secret tip given to the waiter for bringing you the special dish you did not know was more expensive. It is frowned upon, so keep an eye on your financial menu. <</linkappend>></li></ol> <<return "« Return to book">>

!Chapter Replay This section is still under construction! <<return "« Return to book">>

!Red versus Blue A defining red or blue moment for me was when I wanted to meet my biological "dad." My mom, bless her heart, could not refuse me any longer, so she did the next best thing: she drove me to an abandoned house and told me to knock on the door. I suppose she figured if I was going to meet a ghost from the past, it might as well be in a haunted house! <<linkreplace "Trigger warning: Small boy has big feels">>!!All Learning has an Emotional Base I will not mince words here. Life is filled with choices, and I have had my fair share of them. Some are mine, and others have been thrust upon me. Like that day when I made the choice to meet my "dad." My heart was thumping with anticipation, a symphony of fear and hope playing in my chest. My mother, for all her faults, was faced with a choice of her own. She did not know where he was, so she chose to deceive me, to take me to an abandoned house. We drove through neighborhoods, a melancholic overture of cracked asphalt and withering foliage. I peered out the window, every twist and turn a step closer to that mystical figure of my imagination - my "dad." My palms were slick with sweat, my small frame quivering, torn between terror and exhilaration. The car's engine roared like a hungry beast, dragging us deeper into streets filled with secrets and shadows. We reached an area I had never seen before, where buildings were slumped in despair, and windows were blinded with layers of filth. The sky was oppressive, pregnant with dark clouds ready to burst. My mother's eyes darted nervously between the road and a crumpled piece of paper, her knuckles white from her tense grip on the steering wheel, her mouth set in a hard line. "Are we close, mommy?" I asked, my voice small and trembling. She glanced at me, her eyes hollow, "We are almost there," she replied, her voice betraying a hint of something I could not recognize. We arrived at a desolate street, where the air stagnated, and time itself seemed to surrender. At the end of the lane stood a house, or the remnants of one. This house was an abandoned shell, its paint gnarled, its roof sagging with the weight of neglect, and the garden overrun with monstrous weeds, some nearly as tall as I was. "Is he here, mommy?" I asked, my voice cracking with fear and anticipation. "He should be. Go on, knock on the door," she commanded, her voice devoid of warmth. I unbuckled my seatbelt, my small heart pounding like a trapped bird. I stepped out, the world pausing, waiting, watching. Seeking reassurance, I looked back at my mother, but her face was covered by her phone. I mustered the courage to walk up to the door, alone. With every step towards that ominous door, the weeds seemed to reach out, brushing against my legs, whispering secrets I was not ready to hear. The walkway was cracked and uneven, like a path leading to an ancient, forbidden place. I reached the door, my small hand hesitating over the broken doorbell. I opted to knock instead. Thud, thud, thud. A lonely sound in a place devoid of life. I waited. Minutes turned into an eternity, each second a hammer blow, shattering hope. The house remained silent, its emptiness creeping into my soul, a cold realization settling in my heart. I made my way back to the car, each step heavier than the last, my dream crumbling like the house behind me. "He must not be home," my mother said, her voice breaking, her eyes unfeeling.<</linkreplace>> I chose to meet my "dad;" my mother chose to lie about where he was. These choices, bound together, led me to an ugly realization: sometimes, the choices we make, the paths we choose, are overshadowed by lies and manipulation. It spiraled into a broader understanding of our world. We believe we are in control, making our own choices, defining our paths. But how often are those choices dictated by others' deceit? By societal norms, by the expectations of those in power, by the masters? The dichotomy of red versus blue is but a smokescreen. It is about the illusion of choice. We are led to believe that we have options, but so often, we are manipulated by others, controlled by their decisions. This little trip of mine, a mission to meet dad at a decrepit home, is no different from the journey each of us takes. A walk guided by deception, taught by those in power. The masters. We live in a world where the ones who raised us - our parents, their parents before them, and so on - have all been pawns, deceived into participating in a game they never even realized they were playing. The scoreboard of this game? Money. That is right, the good ol' dollar. A concept so absurdly new, it has existed for less than 1% of human history. Yet it is so comically worshipped, it might as well be the punchline of a cosmic joke. It has existed less than a blink of an eye in history, and yet we have made it into a God. We <<linkappend "prostrate">> (lie face down on the ground in submission)<</linkappend>> ourselves before it, give up our dreams, our lives, our very essence, all for a bit of green paper. Even <<linkappend"Jesus Christ recognized money's mastery over us.">> He spoke these words as part of His Sermon on the Mount, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)<</linkappend>> Our war with this invisible foe, money, has left trenches filled with confusion, walls built from ignorance, and entire lives lost to a meaningless battle. It is a war where materialism determines our worth, and most of us are losing. Our mothers and your fathers, bless their hearts, thought they were teaching us to survive. They handed us these lies about value, about success, about the relentless pursuit of something more. But in reality, they were only fitting us into the same broken mold they were forced into. [[Next page->TUT: 007]]

!Reality Only Exists in Your Mind Our parents, family, and friends may wrong us, but the government has wronged us in ways that truly heinous. Red party or blue party, red pill or blue pill, all are mere distractions. None of it matters. You are a number to them. Take it a step further, ignore government too, for in reality, we serve the masters, those unseen figures who manipulate reality as we know it. Remember <<linkappend "Bastille Day?">> On July 14, 1789, the day cracked open like a dark wound, ominous clouds thickening the sky above Paris, a storm brewing with a promise of blood. A restless murmur hummed through the streets, discontentment bubbling beneath the surface, seething, simmering, ready to explode. A mob, faces twisted in hunger and rage, gathered - armed with rusted blades, shards of glass, broken furniture, and fury. They moved towards the Bastille, that looming massive structure of tyranny, the air growing dense, vibrating with tension, almost tasting of iron and revolt. The Bastille was not merely stone and mortar; it was a symbol of cold, unfeeling power, a power that had long forsaken the suffering of the commoners. Paris was a dark theater of desperation, where starvation stalked hollow-eyed children, and <<linkappend "gaunt">> (thin or emaciated)<</linkappend>> faces scrounged for scraps in filthy <<linkappend "hovels">> (a small, miserable dwelling)<</linkappend>>. Meanwhile, the elite pranced in golden halls, deaf to the screams echoing from the twisted alleys of the city. They feasted, danced, and laughed, intoxicated by wealth, their humanity lost in the decadence of excess. The anger of the people festered, a rotten core at the heart of France, a poison seeping into every crack and crevice. Pleas for justice were met with disdain; cries for compassion answered with contempt. They were dismissed as if they were vermin, ignored like a diseased limb waiting to be severed. And then, it erupted. The crowd, a tidal wave of human desperation, surged forward, fury <<linkappend "incarnate">> (represented in visible form)<</linkappend>>. Metal clashed with flesh; screams were drowned in a blare of rage and agony. Blood ran through the streets like foul rivers, bodies falling, each a tragedy lost in a storm of violence. Soldiers, facing an inevitable doom, fought with a desperate valor, their courage a flickering light in a sea of chaos. Limbs were severed, eyes were gouged, life spilled onto the unforgiving cobblestones. It was not just violence; it was an outcry, a revolt, a people pushed beyond despair. The walls of the Bastille, once a symbol of fear, became stained with terror and despair, torn down, stone by bloody stone. The storming of the Bastille was a crucible, a savage baptism in blood and fire. As the sun dipped into oblivion, painting Paris in a haunting crimson, the streets lay strewn with corpses, the air heavy with the stink of death. The people had won, but at a cost. The scars were carved deep, the wounds unhealing, a city and its people forever changed. The Bastille had fallen, but the darkness remained, lurking, watching, a reminder that power and oppression are never far apart, and that the struggle, the pain, the fight - it never truly ends. <</linkappend>> In the years that festered before the storming of the Bastille, French society was a rotting carcass, a mockery of fairness. Clergy and nobility, the first and Second Estates, controlled vast wealth, feasting like gluttonous kings. The remaining 98%, commoners and peasants, languished, their voices choked by poverty. Historians paint a grim picture; the wealthiest 10% hoarding 60% to 70% of the land, the wellspring of power. History is not a dead relic; it lives, breathes, and bleeds into our world. The storming of the Bastille was not a moment; it was a scream, a cry of despair, a wound that has not healed. The echoes of that cry resound in our world, a dark melody of injustice that we cannot afford to ignore. The ghosts of the past still haunt us, whispering a profound, raw truth: the battle is far from over, the fire still burns. [[Next page->TUT: 008]]

!Is it Real or Not? \<<if playTime("minutes") < 1>> \ <<set _playTimeString to "little time">> \<<elseif playTime("minutes") < 60>> \ <<set _playTimeString to playTime("minutes") + " minute" + (playTime("minutes") === 1 ? "" : "s")>> \<<else>> \ <<set _hours to Math.floor(playTime("minutes") / 60)>> \ <<set _playTimeString to _hours + " hour" + (_hours === 1 ? "" : "s")>> \<</if>> \<<set _additionalText to [ "Yet within this grim reality, an enigma emerges that challenges our very understanding of truth and fact. Consider the liar's paradox: \"I am lying.\" A statement that, if true, is false, and if false, is true. It is a puzzle that defies conventional logic, a contradiction that seems to have no resolution.", "Why does this matter? Because it illustrates the fragile and complex nature of truth and fact. They are not always synonymous. Truth may be subjective, shaped by our perceptions, beliefs, and emotions. Facts, on the other hand, are objective realities that exist independent of individual viewpoints. This paradox, this tension between truth and fact, will be a recurring theme in this story of society's ills. The truths we hold dear may not always withstand the scrutiny of cold, hard facts. Conversely, facts may not always resonate with our personal truths. It is a metaphor for our times, a reflection of the complexity and ambiguity of the world we live in. It challenges us to think, to question, to explore the gray areas that lie between right and wrong, true and false.", "In our journey through the horrors and complexities of society, the $antagonist will serve as a dreadful symbol, an abstract construct that brings the dark shadows of greed to life. This horror story is no mere fiction; it is based on the factual truth of our world, on the insidious forces that control us, that demand from us, that own us. And as we venture deeper, we will encounter contradictions and paradoxes, such as the liar's paradox, that challenge our understanding of truth and fact. These are not mere philosophical exercises but crucial lessons in recognizing the fragile nature of truth and objective realities of fact. Understanding these complexities is the first step in awakening from our complacency.", "But an awakening requires more than mere understanding. It demands courage, a willingness to confront the darkness that surrounds us. That is why we must step into the shadows, not to be consumed by them but to face them, to understand them, to see them for what they are. And that is where the lights come in. Turning on the lights is not a random act; it is a deliberate choice. It symbolizes our readiness to see, to expose the hidden terrors, to bring them to light. Are you ready to take that step? Then come, summon your courage, face the horrs, and let us <<link \"turn on the lights\">><<script>>var overlay = document.createElement('div');overlay.style.position = 'fixed';overlay.style.top = '0';overlay.style.left = '0';overlay.style.width = '100%';overlay.style.height = '100%';overlay.style.backgroundColor = '#FFFFFF';overlay.style.zIndex = '99999999999';overlay.style.pointerEvents = 'none';overlay.style.opacity = '1';document.body.appendChild(overlay);var fadeOut = function() {var opacity = parseFloat(overlay.style.opacity);if (opacity > 0) {overlay.style.opacity = (opacity - 0.1).toString();setTimeout(fadeOut, 100);} else {document.body.removeChild(overlay);}};setTimeout(fadeOut, 1000);<</script>><<goto \"LEGALESE\">><</link>>." ]>> Other than the _playTimeString you have been reading this book - you have been asleep. I have been asleep. Most of us have been asleep, complacent in a world that revolves around something as abstract and subjective as money. We have all been living in a state of complacency, blindly accepting the strange and dark truth about money. What is it? A piece of paper, a digit on a screen, something that we have all agreed has value. The entire concept of value has been twisted, shaped, and molded into a horror that lurks in the shadows of our society. It is a creature born from our collective greed, from our desperate need to quantify our worth. This creature is the $antagonist, an ever-present force, always watching, always judging. Its eyes are the glinting coins of a thousand currencies; its body a writhing mass of contracts, debts, and obligations. It feeds on ambition, on the desire for more. More money, more possessions, more power. It is the horror that binds us all. Cities stand as the $antagonist's domain. In the towering skyscrapers, the creature's influence is felt in every business deal, every handshake. It is there in the crowded streets, where people rush by, driven by a need they cannot understand. It is there in the homes, where families struggle to keep up with the demands of a society that never stops asking for more. But what if you dared to question this creature? What if you stopped to ask what value truly means? Consider this: Every day, you sell your time, your energy, your very soul to feed this monster. You toil away, believing in a system that promises success but delivers only more longing, more emptiness. The $antagonist grows, thrives, and you? You become a part of it, another faceless figure lost in its insatiable hunger. This is <<linkappend "not just a horror story">>; it is a warning<</linkappend>>. The $antagonist is not a fictional monster; it is a living, breathing manifestation of our collective ambition, our greed, our failure to understand the very thing that governs our lives. <<if !hasVisited("Journal")>> Oh, and one last thing! Since you have not checked out the journal feature yet, consider this your friendly nudge. Wakey, wakey!<</if>> <> So, here is a loaded question, did you understand the tutorial? <<link "Yes">><<replace "#result">>You have grasped the intentional chaos of the lesson, a design to awaken you from the complacency that feeds the $antagonist. The horror, the darkness, the fear - they are part of the calculated effort to help you see beyond the illusion.<</replace>><<replace "#additionalText">><<print _additionalText.join("\n\n")>><</replace>><</link>> or <<link "no">><<replace "#result">>Admittedly, the tutorial was madness! It was disorientating. The unsettling nature of the lesson was meant to stir you from your stupor, to make you question, to make you fear. These are not easy truths to face, and the horror of the $antagonist is meant to challenge your understanding, to make you recognize the monster you feed every day.<</replace>><<replace "#additionalText">><<print _additionalText.join("\n\n")>><</replace>><</link>>? <>

!Winner Takes All \ <<set _demOptions = ["Democrats", "Commiecrats", "Democraps", "Demoncrats", "Demotards", "Dumbocrats"]>> \ <<set _repOptions = ["Republicans", "Republicants", "Repooplicans", "Retardicans", "Rethuglicans"]>> Ever stop and think about how we pick our <<cycle "_democrats" autoselect>><<optionsfrom _demOptions>><</cycle>> and <<cycle "_republicans" autoselect>><<optionsfrom _repOptions>><</cycle>> to be our leaders? Sure, we vote, but how does your vote actually make a difference? I will not numb your mind with dry politics. Instead, picture a savage jungle where gorillas and lions fight for dominance, mirroring our own system. Yes, our political structure is so simple even wild animals could replicate it, and they finally have. In this Animal Kingdom, the majestic lions held unchallenged rule, a monarchy unyielding and robust. Nevertheless, the stirring winds of change reached even these untamed lands, as the citizens began to voice their discontent and seek a say in their governance. The lion king, recognizing the mounting pressure, gave up his crown, and a new era dawned where a king would be elected. The queen lioness retained her throne, exerting her crafty intelligence to shape the rules of the election. She instituted the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system, where the winner takes all. A system that may seem simple and fair, but harbors inherent complications. Just look at the results after several election cycles to see the flaws of this voting system. !!Election 1: The first election attracted seven candidates, each a representative of a particular party and ideology. Turtle stood for slow and steady progress, receiving 11% of the votes. Monkey symbolized creativity and innovation, earning 16%. Gorilla, with a platform of strength and protection, secured 17%. Owl, championing wisdom and insight, obtained 13%. Leopard, representing ferocity and independence, claimed 18%. Tiger, embodying courage and honor, captured 15%. Snake, a symbol of cunning and strategy, garnered 9%. Leopard was crowned the winner, but the issue loomed large: 82% of the citizens wanted someone else as king. !!Election 2: The landscape changed as Snake and Turtle voters realized the futility of their preferences. Turtle's followers, dissatisfied with Leopard, chose Gorilla. Snake's supporters, fearing Gorilla, opted for Leopard. The reshuffling led to Gorilla's triumph with 28% and Leopard's 27%. Snake and Turtle withdrew, reducing the kingdom to five parties. !!Election 3: The Owl voters faced a dilemma, finding neither Gorilla nor Leopard fully aligned with their centrist views. Both major candidates launched fear-based campaigns, dividing Owl's support. The dust settled with Leopard winning 35% to Gorilla's 33%. Owl, feeling defeated, abandoned the race. !!Election 4: Monkey and Tiger voters found themselves in a harsh compromise, abandoning favored candidates out of fear. The results were close, with Gorilla earning 51% and Leopard 49%. The kingdom was now reduced to a two-party system. !!Election Results Across these fictional elections, we glimpse the glaring flaws of the FPTP system, leading to several <<linkreplace "disconcerting">>troubling<</linkreplace>> outcomes: <ul><li>Dominant Party Benefit: This system allows a party to seize all power with only minority voter support. For example, Leopard won an election with a mere 18%, and in a three-party system, a victory can occur with as little as 34%.</li> <li>Minority Rule: Such results can fail to reflect the majority's wishes. In the aforementioned election, Leopard's 18% win did not represent the majority's desires.</li> <li>Strategic Voting: Voters, initially supporting minor candidates like Snake and Turtle, felt compelled to align with major ones to prevent an undesirable result. This mirrors real-world scenarios where parties secure most seats without majority support, forcing the collapse of minor parties.</li> <li>Two-Party Dominance The system eventually erodes diverse voices, leading to a duopoly that likely misrepresents the population's true wishes.</li></ul> These Animal Kingdom elections shine a spotlight on the <<linkreplace "deficiencies">>shortcomings<</linkreplace>> of the FPTP system, favoring dominant parties and making change unlikely. The government in power rarely wants to alter what seems to be working in its favor. Despite its clear problems, this system, dating back to medieval times, persists, even though it was never crafted for elections involving parties. Its math is too primitive to consistently yield democratic outcomes, even in two-party elections, leading to occasional "wrong winner" results. <<linkappend "Tangentially related...">>. Did you notice how the Queen ended up with a new King after every election? Now, before your mind wanders into the fairy tale romances, let me set things straight: the King and Queen do not need to be married. They could be, but hey, it is a modern jungle out there. But what if the Queen had married the female Leopard? That would be something to roar about! But no, even in the Animal Kingdom where turtles give speeches and snakes have campaign slogans, that is still a step too wild. I mean seriously, marrying a leopard? Even in a world where birds can vote, that is pushing it.<</linkappend>> [[No matter, we continue on, indifferent and numb->TUT: 011]]