[extropy-chat] re: The Economist 14-page special on oil

[Bret Kulakovich]

That is very interesting -

Banks in the US are now are offering ATMs that don't require a deposit 
envelope.

Instead, you feed the bills into the ATM through a slot, they are 
scanned in, and each appear on the screen for you to verify.

What a great way to track currency - direct assignment of serial 
numbers.

Yikes!

]3


On May 5, 2005, at 12:58 PM, Amara Graps wrote:

>
> (Mike Lorrey about why he doesn't subscribe to The Economist)
>> I don't subscribe for the simple reason that under the Patriot Act it
>> is well nigh impossible for a United States Serf to keep a bank
>> account, even an online one, without divulging a Socialist Slavery
>> Number, thus, I don't bank, anymore, not until my next secret project
>> bears fruit. Even PayPal demands an SSN now.
>
> Probably Italy is following the US, in this respect, or else the US
> is looking to Italy, but the codice fiscale, the Italian version of
> the social security number, is all pervasive here, for a number of
> reasons (tax being the obvious one, but other odd reasons include
> the way that vendors, by state law, provide insurance for their
> customers for their purchased electronics). The codice fiscale is
> generated from one's  full name, their birthplace and then a letter
> at the end that adds a "random" element.
>
> The codice fiscale is even used (without the tourists needing to
> know) to perform the accounting for tourists staying in hotels. Did
> you ever wonder why the Italian hotel deskclerk asked you for your
> passport? They are usually not so nosy (and in fact there are much
> stronger privacy laws here than in the US), but it is for their
> money management: to extract a birthdate/birth country so that
> their accounting software can generate the codice fiscale and then
> calculate a tax for your room. I haven't started to be concerned
> about it (yet) because the databases are not connected (yet), and
> the public servants I've met are generally squeamish about
> technology and computers.  Even though most of my transactions are
> with cash, my banks have full information about me, and it is
> impossible for me to perform my job (travel especially), without my
> credit card. For me this is sad, especially, since I worked very
> hard to remove credit cards from my life (I don't have debt with
> the exception of the long cycle of paying my work travel and
> getting reimbursed).
>
>> That being said, I do work for GoldGrams (http://www.goldmoney.com).
>> Coding, writing, graphic design, swimsuit modelling, you name it.
>
> Is this Anthony Hargis' work? If so, it's been years since I met
> someone living/working for gold. My housemate 20 years ago did all
> of his banking with Anthony Hargis and his gold banking. I didn't
> know it still existed. This is interesting.
>
> Amara
>
>
> -- 
>
> ********************************************************************
> Amara Graps, PhD          email: amara at amara.com
> Computational Physics     vita:  ftp://ftp.amara.com/pub/resume.txt
> Multiplex Answers         URL:   http://www.amara.com/
> ********************************************************************
> "Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the
> future of the human race."   -- H. G. Wells
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