HackerNews Summary (2023-05-13 08PM)

Source: Please Let Me Monetize My Hobbies

Summary
The author ridicules the idea of monetizing hobbies, suggesting that introducing commercialization can only bring stress and anxiety.

Fact

💰 “Please, let me put a price on joy. After all, if it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense, does it?”

🎨 “Please, let me monetize my creativity. I mean, what better way to kill spontaneity than by introducing a strict content upload schedule?”

📈 “Please, let me run my hobbies like a business. After all, nothing says ‘relaxation’ quite like quarterly revenue projections and analyzing engagement metrics.”

🤑 “Please, let me sacrifice my love of the craft at the altar of commercialization. Who needs the satisfaction of a job well done when you can have the pressure of meeting viewer expectations instead?”

Source: The True Story of Kudzu, the Vine That Never Truly Ate the South

Summary
Kudzu, the infamous weed, is not as dangerous as people think. It was introduced as a garden novelty from Asia, and used to combat soil erosion during the Great Depression. However, it had little use in agriculture and posed no significant threat to the Southern landscapes.

Fact

🌱 Kudzu was introduced from Asia in the late 19th century as a garden novelty but was only planted widely in the 1930s.

💰 The newly created Soil Conservation Service offered as much as $8 per acre to anyone willing to plant kudzu in an effort to combat soil erosion during the Great Depression.

🐄 Kudzu couldn’t tolerate sustained grazing by horses or cattle.

🚜 Many other vines grow just as fast in the warm, wet climate of the South.

📻 Radio host and Atlanta Constitution columnist Channing Cope was the driving force behind getting those seedlings in the ground for kudzu’s use as a soil erosion fighter.

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