Readit NewsAnecdotally, I know several friends (with arts background) that have found jobs now and really well paying ones (galleries). The arts business hasn't seen a boom like this before. There is so much cash in the economy, thanks to printing $18 trillion last year.
But I find it odd that you wouldn't think there's something wrong with it. Essentially large swaths of the population are locked out. That is a huge problem.
Dead Comment
We (society as a whole) have an economic mechanism for protecting against risk - insurance. In places where insurance is too expensive or not available at all, perhaps we should consider letting nature take over.
How far and how long did you hike for? I just can't imagine walking through the woods for so many months. Also where did you hike?
Most bacteria in boogers and sweat is pretty harmless stuff, and a lot of it can be used to metabolize some tasty compounds. Even some clostridiums (same category of bacteria as the disease c. difficile and an omnipresent type of bacteria in our stomachs) are used to produce esters in rum.
While I completely agree with you, the cultural barriers to this are petty much a non-starter in much of the country. I love not owning a car and being able to rely on mass transit where I live (Austin, TX), but Texas is so culturally opposed to anything like this.
A lot of people think that mass transit is for the poor, and the car represents independence and freedom. Go where you want, when you want (but you're gonna be bumper-to-bumper most of the way there.)
I hate that mentality, but driverless cars represent the "have your cake and eat it too" solution. It more closely aligns with the culture of driving here in the US, while also claiming numerous commercial and infrastructure benefits.
That's because it is. I had to take the metro in Montréal to get to work this week, hadn't taken it in months because I usually bike, it's such a shitty experience. It smells bad, it's hot, it's filled with tired people that don't feel like going to work (you feel it in the air), beggars harass you, it's slow (it can take 3x as much time as riding a bike to get where you want to) and it's operating past maximum capacity during rush hour. I haven't even gotten started on when service is interrupted and you show up over an hour late to work or class. Anybody who can afford a bit more for reliability and comfort will spend it without looking back.