In the long run, we are all dead, but for now, stop smugly advising me to cash out my Bitcoins.

As of 6PM today, 1 Bitcoin can be sold in the U.S for $725.

Yes, I am happy about that. But even if Bitcoin had lost all of its value today, I would personally still be putting my money into cryptocurrencies. Cashing out because Bitcoin is going to "crash eventually, it's just a matter of when" is just as ridiculous as putting all of your savings into Bitcoin.

These days, Bitcoin is mainstream enough for every other person to have some sort of opinion on it. People who ridicule Bitcoin claim that the coins have no intrinsic value, are too volatile, and laugh as more people turn their cash money into an ever-deflating virtual currency. It's a Ponzi scheme, a bubble, an engine for money laundering, and any time the price of Bitcoin rises is a good time to cash it out.

On the equally-insane other side of the spectrum, Bitcoin promises freedom from government regulations and a completely free worldwide market. The NSA can't get us if they can't trace our online payments. Satoshi will turn us all into millionaires one day, so buy a few Bitcoins and leave it in a fireproof safe. Your grandchildren will thank you for it.

This graph shows my level of rage over time. 

Somewhere in the middle, Bitcoin is a completely valid technology to invest in. Pennies, nickels, and dimes are already archaic. Ideally, we'd have a network that allows us to instantly transfer purchasing power from one person to another without incurring massive fees. In the age of digitization, why are we so uneasy about the gradual digitization of currency?

At the moment, Bitcoin transactions are still slow and carry a reasonable amount of risk. Bitcoin can be incredibly complicated, and even scary, to use without understanding the technical aspects of the transactions. Bitcoin needed the help of developers and consumer in order to grow, and thanks to its newfound popularity, it now provides a huge incentive for creative minds around the world to be the first to solve its problems. Whether it's Wall Street brokers looking to make a quick buck or small businesses embracing the long term potential of cryptocurrency, any new adopter is a good adopter.

Except for this guy. This guy is an idiot.

But what if Bitcoin crashes? If someone ends up figuring out a way to tag and trace Bitcoins without permission, then we might have a problem. But most people are worried that Bitcoin might end up being the Napster or MySpace of digital currency, which isn't as bad as it sounds. Napster and MySpace made huge strides in their respective markets, and Bitcoin can do the same. If a new cryptocurrency enters the market and replaces Bitcoin, it will no doubt allow current Bitcoin users to exchange their BTC for the new currency.

I'm excited about Bitcoin, but mostly, I'm just excited about the future. Between wearable technology, free fiber optic internet, and self-driving cars, I think Bitcoin is just another step in the digital revolution. It has its hitches and inconsistencies, but what's holding it back the most is the uninformed rejection of the idea of digital currency.

Also, unsolicited financial advice is usually not well-received anyways.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Meta

Rock. It's my favorite sign to throw because I don't have to budge a finger. I think I'll throw Rock most of the time. It's an easy 50-50 win-loss ratio anyways.

Paper. Shit, it looks like my friends caught on to my Rock-only strategy. They're throwing Paper most of the time now. This isn't looking good.

Scissors. Well if I just switch to Scissors for five rounds in a row, I can beat their Paper strategy. They'll never see it coming.

Rock. OH NOW YOU ENJOY THROWING ROCK? I THREW ROCK BEFORE IT WAS COOL.

Not sure why I Google Image'd an RPS diagram. Also not sure why one exists.

5 Gaming Techniques That Are Actually Absurd

1. Snaking

We used to do this all day in high school. Join the cool kids revolution.

In Mario Kart DS (and Mario Kart Wii), the fastest way to get around a track is to exploit the speed boosts that you get when you drift. By constantly alternating left and right drifts, you would move forward in a zigzag at a faster pace than you would without the boosts. It's called snaking because you move like an extremely fast snake, but at the same time, YOU'RE DRIVING LIKE A SNAKE. If I were Mario, I'd outlaw snaking and make sure that you lose your MarioKart driving license if you're ever caught boosting your kart on the road.

The Chronicle of a Very Bad Idea

The single purpose of this blog post is to complete a set of events. Bear with me here.

This blog started off as a simple motivational tool. Yunsuk wanted to start drawing again and I wanted to start writing again, so we matched each other's progress one-for-one. At this point, I'm falling behind, and it's entirely my fault.

Painting a Picture of My Perfect Support

Last night was one of those nights. Everyone was gathered on Mumble making small talk when Yunsuk interrupts the conversation by asking Michael to "paint a picture of his perfect woman." It was boy talk night again, so I put on my favorite ambient music, listened, and made loose tangents in my head.

 Loose tangents... Loose... Loo...Lulu! Credits to Poki-grzyb on Deviantart.

Top 5 Groupon, LivingSocial, and Google Offers Deals

Deal-of-the-day websites are the essence of my existence as a broke college kid. Groupon, LivingSocial, and Google Offers have provided me with hangout and date ideas that would have otherwise cost twice as much. These days, it may be difficult to find something exciting in between all of the Botox and wine tasting deals, but every so often, one of these fun deals will reappear for one more day.

5. Snow Tubing
Found on: Living Social Adventures
Price: ~$70

She makes snow tubing look safe.

For those of you who've watched Avatar: the Last Airbender, snow tubing is the closest you'll get to penguin sledding. Instead of sitting on a hard sled, you have the option of belly flopping onto a soft tube and going headfirst down a snowy track. Racing isn't encouraged, but there's nothing stopping you from gunning down the slope at the same time as your friends. To top it all off, the deal came with a cozy little buffet at a nearby tavern. If you're inept at skiing and snowboarding, snow tubing is the way to go.

The Best Superpower Ever (Pt. 2)

DISCLAIMER: This is a completely extraneous entry that has nothing to do with anyone on Mumble. As a matter of fact, by the end of the entry, you might want the same superpower as me!

I hold a firm belief that everybody is a good person on the inside. Perhaps true altruism does not exist, but we connect with our peers by aiding them in everyday tasks and providing emotional support. A superhero is somebody who is lucky enough to have the ability to help many people at once. Being a superhero must be an extremely fulfilling job, especially when the general public doesn't know your true identity.

The Best Superpower Ever

One night, Warren, Yunsuk, and I were performing our weekly mental exercises when I had an epiphany. That night, I, ordinary ol' Lisa, figured out what my superpower would be if I were to have one. 

To understand the sheer magnitude of this event, I'd like to say that knowing which single superpower you'd have is just as important as actually having a superpower. Having the perfect power means understanding all of the responsibilities of wielding your abilities. The most difficult part about choosing a superpower is making sure that it has no unanticipated consequences. 

If you could go back in time and change one thing...

As a young teenager, I spent countless hours asking myself what I would change if I could go back in time. Given that I had teenager problems, most of the reminiscing consisted of awkward moments that I could have avoided or times that I could have stood up for myself but didn't. Today, well, up until about a few minutes ago, I would say that there is absolutely nothing that I would have done differently. Thanks to Yunsuk, there is now a nagging exception to my satisfactory life.