I listened to a great podcast today from Freakonomics. It was called, Why Are We Still Using Cash? It’s several weeks old. I’m a little behind. I’m a father of twins. Does everyone know what a podcast is? The general idea is that a lot of crime (I.e. drug trafficking, tax evasion, etc.) is fueled by cash. Eliminating cash would greatly reduce crime, make credit easier to obtain, make it easier to stimulate the economy, etc. It would also provide institutions or governments more information about our private affairs. Does anyone still use cash?
There is a segment of American Christianity that obsesses over applying Biblical prophecies to our current events. Many of these prophecies are apocalyptic in nature and one of these end-times predictions includes the use of a universal worldwide currency. There is a theory that digital technology facilitates our credit based economy becoming this universal currency. Did I mention I have been stuggling for two weeks to get PayPal linked correctly to my bank account?
During the past 10 years or so, I have been periodically obsessed with end-time theories and apocalyptic notions in general. Check out my project, Judgement, here! It includes several apocalyptic songs and lots of end-times propaganda.
I am guessing this all seems like half baked, poorly organized ramblings. They are. However, it all comes together within the realm of a notion that many familiar and tangible things no longer exist in the physical world. Everything is theoretical. Cash, art, and music all exist in an imaginary place made of 1’s and 0’s that we can hopefully access at any given time. Does anyone still buy CD’s?
The succession of physical products, from records to cassettes to CD’s, was obvious. (I almost forgot 8-tracks.) It was obvious because they were tangible items that we could physically witness disappear and be replaced by new tangible items. Now, it’s a lot of speculation. The process required to go from playing guitar in your mom’s basement to your fans’ earbuds is relatively simple and accessible to anyone with a computer. The airwaves are flooded due to the ease of distribution. All new music exists out there in space, somewhere. It has never been easier to get your music in front of an audience. There is so much music out there, it’s like the proverbial haystack and it’s really hard to become a needle. Does anyone still listen to music?
Whether cash, music, literature, or our identities, we need to exist in the real world. Spend some cash and head out to find some new music with one or more real live friends.
I am sure my audience is not big enough for a survey to be a valid tool. However, I am curious. If you read this on Facebook, leave a comment indicating when you last purchased a physical CD and if it’s not too embarrassing, what was the CD. If you have a minute, follow me on Twitter and check out my survey.
Don’t forgot to join our mailing list for all Brother Jack news.