A Tip For America

September 27, 2018 Andrew Uphoff

Tipping is a bit of a grey area. The modern view on tipping varies based on culture and that’s evident in statistics of tipping rates between states.

Why does tipping vary between states? Wasn’t this system put in place long ago?

How Exactly Did Tipping Come To Be?

Tipping was a concept that originated in Europe.

The thoughts behind various forms of tipping was a thank you to a server or innkeeper for their services. A thought based on appreciation for the work the individual put in to the customer’s experience.

Seems a pretty basic concept really. If someone does something for you, generally an easy way to show your appreciation is to provide them with currency to live their lives with.

Germany even tipped it’s beer delivery workers with money to go get drinks themselves.

Yet there’s a much different history to tipping in America.

I’ve read quite a few articles trying to find multiple views on how tipping in America started and none of them provide any encouraging information.

It seems tipping was adopted in America partly due to racist restaurant owners who could then make their black workers rely on tips entirely.

Not even just the restaurant owners were accepting these practices.

Many customers felt tipping was natural as the servers were seen as “inferiors”.

Was this the only mentality bringing the idea overseas? I seriously doubt it.

However it is important to remember it is still part of what drove tipping to popularity.

Stardew Valley - Addicted To Life

September 10, 2018 Andrew Uphoff

Stardew Valley is an indie game that a friend of mine turned me on to. Though I had a lot of fun with games like Harvest Moon, I was a little skeptical of picking up a game like this as a working stiff at the age of 30.

However, I am really happy I gave it a chance.

What Kind Of Game Is Stardew Valley?

Well, it's essentially a farming game, and I do mean this in every sense of the word.

So when I say Stardew Valley is a farming game, you're farming everything from crops, to wood, to slimes, and even fishing plays a big part in the game.

That’s not all the game has to offer though.

Food Service - The Industry Of Culture

September 3, 2018 Andrew Uphoff

The Food Industry: An economical beast so large, we can't fully track it's impact on the economy.

Given it's size and demand in the global market, is there a deeper reason that food is such a huge deal to people?

Of course there is.

Food has driven decisions in society from where people settle, to what kind of foods they choose to grow. Flavor, aroma, and presentation - these things are all the driving force behind the food industry.

The most sought after foods these days requires more and more work to prepare. Even basic sandwich recipes require a monumental amount of work to make available on a day to day basis.

When Did The Food Industry Change Everything?

From the start of civilization.

The Way Of The Future: Crafted Currencies

June 17, 2018 Andrew Uphoff

George looks like he's having a shirty day.

What are Cryptocurrencies?

For those of you not entirely sure what cryptocurrencies are, they're designed to be a decentralized system of currency run entirely by a technology called blockchains. The idea is to make a currency valued solely by the users which leads the value of said currency to depend heavily on how the users choose to accept it. Seem difficult? It can be.

However I think it's important to remember this is how currency came to be in the first place. Humanity has warred over numerous resources. One such currency is common and in great quantity in the average household. What could that currency be? Salt.

The value of salt was determined by its uses in food preservation, as well as its perceived scarcity at times. It wasn't until salt became common that we turned to other valuables as currency such as gold, precious metals, and even other resources like oil(current global trade standard). So what does the future of currency look like as society advances? That really all depends on how cryptocurrencies are handled in the coming years.

Blog

How Exactly Did Tipping Come To Be?

What Kind Of Game Is Stardew Valley?

When Did The Food Industry Change Everything?

What are Cryptocurrencies?