Feed explores two subtle but, it notes, far-reaching changes to the fabric of everyday life. First, Yield. Merge. Exit. Freak Out, dissecting the impact of the introduction of the new fluorescent yellow green street signs: “government-sponsored change to the visual landscape.” Then, the move to the new dollar coins : “Although the Sacagawea coin isn’t yet a

common sight, the advertising campaign

certainly is. Every bus and subway has

that creepy, deadwhitemale face of

George Washington urging us to use the

new coin, assuring us that it’s OK. But

isn’t a high-profile marketing blitz for

money itself a little odd? Why is the

government so desperate for us to adopt

this new coin? The party line is that the

Golden Dollar, while more expensive to

produce than paper money, is the better

deal in the long run since coins last around

thirty years while dollar bills are out of

circulation within a year.

But another possible reason is that the

new coin helps to placate powerful

lobbies such as the vending, transit, and

gaming industries … The U.S. Mint

made sure that the Sacagawea had the

exact same size, weight, and

electromagnetic composition as the (Susan B. Anthony dollar coin),

saving vending and slot-machine

manufacturers hefty retrofitting costs.

Conveniently, then, the government is

able to present itself as progressive while

keeping some big, important friends

happy along the way. ”