The Pryor Week #8: Où est mon bicyclette?

Hey, I hope you’re having a safe week, wherever you are.

Here’s what I did:

• Planned two short weekend trips to see some good friends off to another country

• Played hockey, only let in 2 goals this time (usually it’s 5-8). One of these days I’ll achieve the illusive shutout…one of these days…

• Rode around on the bicyclette (pictured above) 4 times

• Got told by an international payment provider I can’t use their service anymore. It ain’t easy living in Taiwan and dealing with banks.*

Pic Descrip:

Forgive me for the ugliness of the pic, I was in a rush when I decided I wanted to mention it this week.

But what is it exactly?

It’s this system of bike sharing they have in most major cities in Taiwan that are pretty damn terrific. While the initial setup is a bit hard for non-Mandarin-speaking folks, it’s insanely easy to use afterward.

Essentially, you slap your card on the machine, it unlocks the bike of your choice, then you roam around to your chubby body’s delight until you find another bike-parking station, slide the bike into an available slot, and you’re back on your way using traditional mobile technology (two feet and a heartbeat).

There are a few positives and negatives to the system.

Pros:

• It’s crazy cheap. Like $1.50 an hour or something.

• You can avoid using taxis and other transportation, saving both money and the environment, if you believe that’s still a thing worth saving.

• You get to feel like a 1920’s milkmaid roaming around the streets of Europe in an incredibly slow old-fashioned bicycle with matching front basket.

• Said basket can hold things.

• You can bike to the bar and walk (or stumble) home, saving both time and dignity.

Cons:

• You have to park them at the parking stations. It makes sense but in some areas (like my home) it requires a 15-minute walk because of the remoteness of the area.

• The bikes are pretty slow going unless you really push it. I think it’s by design. So for some people, it’s annoying and too much of a workout to go faster. For me, I look at it as extra work I don’t have to do in the gym later.

• The handles are often sticky and make me feel icky.

But why do they only allow them to be parked at designated stations? Well, this happened in China a few years ago when they made them 100% mobile, park-wherever-you-want kind of thing:

---

Some Interesting Things I Learned This Week

#1. Amazon is a Monopoly, Duh

I enjoyed watching this 15-minute video by Matt Stoller, an economics author and former Senior Policy Advisor and Budget Analyst to the Senate Budget Committee.

In the video, he shows how Amazon has built a lasting monopoly without ever being direct/forward in the process of doing it, namely, by using “free” Amazon Prime as a hidden monopolistic power aggregator.

It’s pretty eye-opening but not all that surprising since I’ve studied this stuff extensively over the years. Still, quite interesting if that’s your jam.

#2. The Mosquitoes Aren’t Coming

California and Florida next year will be seeing an influx of 2 billion new mosquitoes. But not your regular annoying head-slapping bloodsuckers, these ones come with a catch. Or don’t, I suppose.

“The modified male insects are designed to produce infertile offspring, ideally reducing local populations and rates of mosquito-borne illness.”

Will these genetically modified mutants eventually become our new overlords? Only time will tell, but lately, they might be preferred to the current alternative.

#3. Oh, That’s Why We’re Screwed

A peer-reviewed study came out Monday from the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Its claim? That up to half of US adults have lower IQs because of leaded gas (it was outlawed in 1996).

“Certain cohorts were more affected than others. For people born in the 1960s and the 1970s, when leaded gas consumption was skyrocketing, the IQ loss was estimated to be up to 6 points and for some, more than 7 points. Exposure to it came primarily from inhaling auto exhaust.”—Source

This might explain a few conversations I’ve had over the years. Or why Tucker Carlson is a thing.

---

That’s it, thanks folks.

Stay safe out there.

This message has been brought to you by J.J. Pryor.

---

Notes:

I’m hoping I can solve this payment provider issue somehow, but it’s still in limbo as I research what I can do. The sad result is due to the big income drop, I have to take a break from my essay/thoughtsays/deep-dive writing on Medium for a while. I don’t make much doing those generally, but the cumulative monthly income goes a long way in Taiwan.

So, until I find a fix, I’m relegated to doing more side-work for the immediate future.

C’est la vie, of course. Wish me luck!

👇Click the heart thingy? The algorithm loves it. I love it more.👇