I Started This One Hobby Collecting Cracked Corn

Sparrows rarely change their feeding patterns, even when chased with claws. A squirrel, on the other tail, has hidden away insights from the oaks, which show long life can be grown by patience and by the luck of storms, passed on to them by the clouds they know. All the jays in the neighborhood try to take advantage of these truths, hidden in plain sight. The starlings will inform a listener how well they are doing according to robber barons, or investment bankers, or mannerly crows, which they espouse as learned scholars. Parroting experts gives an incentive to steal the other birds’ food. Soon, the golden corn the bird lover throws under the apple tree will be able to be shared with roving bands of coyotes, which could signal a lusty end to free trade. It might even cause the native ground squirrel into being a ward of the state.

The skeleton

___ rarely change their ___ ____, even when ____ with ____. ___ has ___ on insights from ___, which show ___ can be ____by ___ and by ___ passed on to them by _____ they know. ____ tries to take advantage of these ___. The ____will inform a ____ how well they are doing according to ____ which they espouse. ______ gives an incentive to ____. Soon, ____ will be able to be shared with _____, which could _____ a ____ to ____ _____. It might even ___  being a ____.

The original, from The Economist and “A guide to goodness: Values for money”

“Consumers rarely change their buying habits, even when confronted with scientific and other data, says Mr O’Rourke. So he has drawn on insights from behavioural economics, which show shoppers can be greatly influenced by peer pressure and by information passed on to them by people they know. The app tries to take advantage of these pressures. The virtue rating will inform a consumer how well they are doing according to the values which they espouse. That measurement gives an incentive to do better. Soon, the rating will be able to be shared with others on social-media sites such as Facebook, which could inspire (or pressurise) a shopper to consume more thoughtfully. It might even, believes Mr O’Rourke, turn being a good shopper into an online game.”

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My 2011 NoWriPo is a self-starter, a riff on a brilliant work, I Am A Very Productive Entrepreneur by Mathias Svalina. Don’t be disappointed. Read the Real Thing. And support small presses, too.

“Consumption” is today’s prompt, thanks to Poetic Asides 2011 PAD Chapbook Challenge.

Clarification(s): I love crows. I do not like shopping.