Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar …Remember “pieces of eight”? The old Spanish “peso” was divided into eight “reales” — but the American colonists called the peso a “dollar” and the reales they called “bits.” Hence, two bits is a quarter. Of course, bits and dollars were essentially nicknames until the US created its own currency in 1787, and officially adopted the “dollar” as the basis for it. As a side note, the US has never officially had a coin called a “nickel”: that is a nickname that has stuck for 150 years. As worked out by Thomas Jefferson, the whole system was supposed to look like this: 1 eagle = 10 dollars = 100 dimes = 1000 cents = 10000 mils The “eagle” and the “mil” went by the board, but for many years there was a half cent coin. We still label a coin “One Dime”, though we never got in the habit of saying things like, “That’ll be 4 dimes and 8 cents.” Historical Trivia lesson for today.
Bitcoin, whether its inventors were intending to do this or not, became favored as a shadow currency. Untraceable and worth only what the traders believed it was worth. It has been used for years in drug and human-sex-trafficking “professions” as a result, and with a great deal of success. Until somebody noticed that the emperor has no clothes…..
Doughfoot about 10 years ago
Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar …Remember “pieces of eight”? The old Spanish “peso” was divided into eight “reales” — but the American colonists called the peso a “dollar” and the reales they called “bits.” Hence, two bits is a quarter. Of course, bits and dollars were essentially nicknames until the US created its own currency in 1787, and officially adopted the “dollar” as the basis for it. As a side note, the US has never officially had a coin called a “nickel”: that is a nickname that has stuck for 150 years. As worked out by Thomas Jefferson, the whole system was supposed to look like this: 1 eagle = 10 dollars = 100 dimes = 1000 cents = 10000 mils The “eagle” and the “mil” went by the board, but for many years there was a half cent coin. We still label a coin “One Dime”, though we never got in the habit of saying things like, “That’ll be 4 dimes and 8 cents.” Historical Trivia lesson for today.
bernardgarner about 10 years ago
Maybe the word “Shrem” will enter the language like condom, jacuzzi, and poubelle only it will be a synonym for on online financial scam.
Enoki about 10 years ago
Did ya notice? The dots form a matrix….
I Play One On TV about 10 years ago
Bitcoin, whether its inventors were intending to do this or not, became favored as a shadow currency. Untraceable and worth only what the traders believed it was worth. It has been used for years in drug and human-sex-trafficking “professions” as a result, and with a great deal of success. Until somebody noticed that the emperor has no clothes…..
chromosome Premium Member about 10 years ago
Looks like the bitcoins have gone to seed.