Chapter 1: A New Year's Encounter

On New Year’s Day at 5:33 a.m., I was driving a cab in Tucson, where I’ve spent the last eight years. Being 45 years old and not particularly tech-savvy, I tend to keep things simple—cash tucked away in a sock under my dresser, and my stash of grass hidden in a cookie jar. As for my rear end, let's just say years of sitting in a cab have taken their toll.

I picked up my first passenger of the day, a young hipster in his thirties. His tight jeans made it a challenge for him to get into the cab, and he quickly informed me he had been awake all night designing websites as a freelancer. He asked to be taken to a local coffee shop.

“I just got a hot tip about some Bitcoin,” he said.

“What’s Big Coin?” I replied.

“Bitcoin,” he corrected me, surprised. “You’ve seriously never heard of it?”

“I don’t venture out much,” I admitted.

“It’s the only currency worth trusting these days. It’s crypto money, so when everything crashes and the dollar loses its value, Bitcoin holders will be just fine.”

“What happens if the computers fail?” I inquired.

He laughed, almost condescendingly, as if I were naive. “If you know what you’re doing, you have a backup plan,” he explained. “I could break it down for you, but we don’t have time. It's a complex topic.”

After a short ride, I dropped him at the coffee shop and agreed to wait. A few minutes later, he emerged, grinning as he struggled to fit something into his skinny jeans while balancing a fancy coffee in the other hand.

“Dude,” he exclaimed, “I’m set for life! I plan to retire by 28. People who grind away at jobs are just foolish. No offense.”

“None taken,” I replied, driving him back home.

Upon reaching his apartment, he attempted to pay using his debit card, but it was declined. He tried again, only to face another rejection due to “insufficient funds.”

“Fucking bullshit,” he cursed. “See? Everything's going downhill!”

“I don’t accept Bitcoin, sorry,” I informed him.

“I’ll be right back. I’ll leave my coffee as collateral,” he said before darting inside.

I waited. And waited. Deep down, I knew he wouldn’t return.

I could call the police, but from past experience, I knew they wouldn’t show up for hours. Even when they finally arrived, I ended up losing more than I gained. I wasn’t up for banging on his door or shouting through his windows, so I grabbed his coffee from the cup holder instead.

Thus, I started the new year $28 in the hole, perpetually chasing money. I took a sip of the coffee—it was surprisingly good, flavored with vanilla. Turning on the radio, I found a George Strait marathon on 99.5, a comforting tradition for New Year’s Day. I turned up the volume, hoping the world wouldn’t end before they played “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls.”

END

Chapter 2: The Reality of Cryptocurrency

This video discusses the ins and outs of mining and profiting from lesser-known cryptocurrencies, often referred to as "shitcoins."

In this video, highlights from a debate explore whether Bitcoin stands apart from other cryptocurrencies, often dubbed as "shitcoins."