@ a95c6243:d345522c

Die Ungerechtigkeit ist uns nur in dem Falle angenehm,\ dass wir Vorteile aus ihr ziehen;\ in jedem andern hegt man den Wunsch,\ dass der Unschuldige in Schutz genommen werde.\ Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Politiker beteuern jederzeit, nur das Beste für die Bevölkerung zu wollen – nicht von ihr. Auch die zahlreichen unsäglichen «Corona-Maßnahmen» waren angeblich zu unserem Schutz notwendig, vor allem wegen der «besonders vulnerablen Personen». Daher mussten alle möglichen Restriktionen zwangsweise und unter Umgehung der Parlamente verordnet werden.

Inzwischen hat sich immer deutlicher herausgestellt, dass viele jener «Schutzmaßnahmen» den gegenteiligen Effekt hatten, sie haben den Menschen und den Gesellschaften enorm geschadet. Nicht nur haben die experimentellen Geninjektionen – wie erwartet – massive Nebenwirkungen, sondern Maskentragen schadet der Psyche und der Entwicklung (nicht nur unserer Kinder) und «Lockdowns und Zensur haben Menschen getötet».

Eine der wichtigsten Waffen unserer «Beschützer» ist die Spaltung der Gesellschaft. Die tiefen Gräben, die Politiker, Lobbyisten und Leitmedien praktisch weltweit ausgehoben haben, funktionieren leider nahezu in Perfektion. Von ihren persönlichen Erfahrungen als Kritikerin der Maßnahmen berichtete kürzlich eine Schweizerin im Interview mit Transition News. Sie sei schwer enttäuscht und verspüre bis heute eine Hemmschwelle und ein seltsames Unwohlsein im Umgang mit «Geimpften».

Menschen, die aufrichtig andere schützen wollten, werden von einer eindeutig politischen Justiz verfolgt, verhaftet und angeklagt. Dazu zählen viele Ärzte, darunter Heinrich Habig, Bianca Witzschel und Walter Weber. Über den aktuell laufenden Prozess gegen Dr. Weber hat Transition News mehrfach berichtet (z.B. hier und hier). Auch der Selbstschutz durch Verweigerung der Zwangs-Covid-«Impfung» bewahrt nicht vor dem Knast, wie Bundeswehrsoldaten wie Alexander Bittner erfahren mussten.

Die eigentlich Kriminellen schützen sich derweil erfolgreich selber, nämlich vor der Verantwortung. Die «Impf»-Kampagne war «das größte Verbrechen gegen die Menschheit». Trotzdem stellt man sich in den USA gerade die Frage, ob der scheidende Präsident Joe Biden nach seinem Sohn Hunter möglicherweise auch Anthony Fauci begnadigen wird – in diesem Fall sogar präventiv. Gibt es überhaupt noch einen Rest Glaubwürdigkeit, den Biden verspielen könnte?

Der Gedanke, den ehemaligen wissenschaftlichen Chefberater des US-Präsidenten und Direktor des National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) vorsorglich mit einem Schutzschild zu versehen, dürfte mit der vergangenen Präsidentschaftswahl zu tun haben. Gleich mehrere Personalentscheidungen des designierten Präsidenten Donald Trump lassen Leute wie Fauci erneut in den Fokus rücken.

Das Buch «The Real Anthony Fauci» des nominierten US-Gesundheitsministers Robert F. Kennedy Jr. erschien 2021 und dreht sich um die Machenschaften der Pharma-Lobby in der öffentlichen Gesundheit. Das Vorwort zur rumänischen Ausgabe des Buches schrieb übrigens Călin Georgescu, der Überraschungssieger der ersten Wahlrunde der aktuellen Präsidentschaftswahlen in Rumänien. Vielleicht erklärt diese Verbindung einen Teil der Panik im Wertewesten.

In Rumänien selber gab es gerade einen Paukenschlag: Das bisherige Ergebnis wurde heute durch das Verfassungsgericht annuliert und die für Sonntag angesetzte Stichwahl kurzfristig abgesagt – wegen angeblicher «aggressiver russischer Einmischung». Thomas Oysmüller merkt dazu an, damit sei jetzt in der EU das Tabu gebrochen, Wahlen zu verbieten, bevor sie etwas ändern können.

Unsere Empörung angesichts der Historie von Maßnahmen, die die Falschen beschützen und für die meisten von Nachteil sind, müsste enorm sein. Die Frage ist, was wir damit machen. Wir sollten nach vorne schauen und unsere Energie clever einsetzen. Abgesehen von der Umgehung von jeglichem «Schutz vor Desinformation und Hassrede» (sprich: Zensur) wird es unsere wichtigste Aufgabe sein, Gräben zu überwinden.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ a8d1560d:3fec7a08

The digital age is increasingly dominated by centralized platforms that control data, censor content, and limit privacy. Amid these trends, Nostr offers an alternative: a decentralized protocol built on WebSocket and JSON that upholds the values of decentralization, privacy, and censorship resistance. But how can Nostr gain wider adoption while preserving its core principles? Here’s a detailed look at potential strategies.

---

What is Nostr?

Nostr stands for "Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays." Unlike centralized services, it is an open protocol designed to enable decentralized social networks and communication systems. It is based on two core technologies: - WebSocket for real-time communication. - JSON as a lightweight data format for information exchange.

Users identify themselves through a cryptographic key pair (public and private keys), ensuring authentication and the integrity of their content. Content is distributed via relays, which act as independent nodes. This decentralized architecture makes Nostr resistant to censorship and central control.

---

Challenges and Goals

While Nostr offers numerous advantages, it faces several challenges: - Driving adoption in a world accustomed to centralized platforms. - Improving usability to attract a broader audience. - Maintaining its core values of decentralization, privacy, and uncensorability, even as it grows.

To address these challenges, both technical and social aspects must be considered.

---

1. Improve Usability

A major barrier to Nostr’s adoption is its current complexity, which can deter less tech-savvy users. Addressing this requires a focus on user experience:

• Simplify Onboarding:
• Key management can be confusing. Automating key generation and secure backup processes can help ease new users into the system.

• Clear, simple tutorials and visual guides can reduce the learning curve.

• Cross-Platform Apps:

• Reliable and feature-rich clients for mobile and desktop platforms (e.g., iOS, Android, Windows, Linux) are essential.

• Consistent interfaces and features such as dark mode or customizable themes can enhance user retention.

• Localization:

• Supporting multiple languages in clients and tutorials can help Nostr gain traction in diverse regions.

---

2. Democratize and Decentralize Relays

Relays are the backbone of Nostr, and their availability and decentralization are crucial for the protocol’s long-term success.

• Promote Open Relay Hosting:
• Provide detailed guides and tools to make it easy for individuals to host their own relays.

• Hosting kits and optimized configurations can reduce costs and technical barriers.

• Incentivize Relay Operators:

• Introduce monetization models such as micropayments through Bitcoin/Lightning to make relay operations financially sustainable.

• Simplify Relay Selection:

• Users should have access to tools that help them identify trustworthy and active relays. Recommendation algorithms or curated lists could be helpful.

---

3. Educate and Build a Community

An informed and engaged community is critical for Nostr’s success. Public awareness and collaboration efforts should be prioritized:

• Awareness Campaigns:

• Articles, blogs, and videos can explain the benefits of Nostr, particularly around privacy and censorship resistance.

• Workshops and Hackathons:

• Events aimed at both developers and users can help spread knowledge about Nostr and encourage new applications.

• Integration with Existing Networks:

• Tools that allow cross-posting between Nostr and other platforms (e.g., Twitter or Mastodon) could extend its reach and ease the transition for users.

---

4. Strengthen the Developer Ecosystem

A robust developer ecosystem is essential for creating new applications and features on Nostr.

• Promote Open-Source Projects:

• Developers should have access to well-documented open-source libraries to build their own projects on Nostr.

• Ensure Modularity:

• Standards and protocol extensions should allow new features to be added without compromising decentralization or interoperability.

• Enhance Interoperability:

• Nostr could establish bridges to other protocols, such as Matrix or ActivityPub, to expand its use cases.

---

5. Prioritize Privacy and Security

Privacy and security are central to Nostr’s promise and should be continually enhanced:

• End-to-End Encryption:

• Messages between users should be encrypted by default to ensure maximum confidentiality.

• Enhance Anonymity:

• Integrations with technologies like Tor or VPNs could increase user anonymity.

• Data Ownership:

• Users should have full control over their content, including the ability to export and delete it as needed.

---

6. Foster Practical Applications

To drive adoption, Nostr must deliver concrete use cases that go beyond social networking:

• Specialized Apps:

• Decentralized marketplaces, secure messaging apps, or alternative blogging platforms could be built on Nostr.

• Bitcoin Integration:

• Connecting with Bitcoin and the Lightning Network could enable micropayments and create financial incentives.

• Experimental Ideas:

• Creative applications such as decentralized voting systems or educational platforms could attract new audiences.

---

7. Ensure Resilience Against Regulation

The regulatory landscape, particularly in the EU, could pose challenges for Nostr. Ensuring resilience is key:

• Preserve Censorship Resistance:

• Nostr’s design should prevent centralized interference or blockades.

• Emphasize Technical Neutrality:

• Nostr is a protocol, not a service. This distinction should be clearly communicated to mitigate regulatory pressure.

• Guarantee Accessibility:

• Technologies like proxy relays or alternative connection methods could ensure access in censorship-prone regions.

---

Conclusion

Nostr offers a promising alternative to centralized platforms by putting decentralization, privacy, and censorship resistance at its core. To gain widespread adoption, it must strike a balance between technical innovation, user-friendly implementation, and the protection of its core values. Through targeted awareness campaigns, a strong developer ecosystem, and an active community, Nostr can become a groundbreaking platform for digital communication—without compromising user freedom or autonomy.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Konsum ist Therapie.
Wolfgang Joop

Umweltbewusstes Verhalten und verantwortungsvoller Konsum zeugen durchaus von einer wünschenswerten Einstellung. Ob man deswegen allerdings einen grünen statt eines schwarzen Freitags braucht, darf getrost bezweifelt werden – zumal es sich um manipulatorische Konzepte handelt. Wie in der politischen Landschaft sind auch hier die Etiketten irgendwas zwischen nichtssagend und trügerisch.

Heute ist also wieder mal «Black Friday», falls Sie es noch nicht mitbekommen haben sollten. Eigentlich haben wir ja eher schon eine ganze «Black Week», der dann oft auch noch ein «Cyber Monday» folgt. Die Werbebranche wird nicht müde, immer neue Anlässe zu erfinden oder zu importieren, um uns zum Konsumieren zu bewegen. Und sie ist damit sehr erfolgreich.

Warum fallen wir auf derartige Werbetricks herein und kaufen im Zweifelsfall Dinge oder Mengen, die wir sicher nicht brauchen? Pure Psychologie, würde ich sagen. Rabattschilder triggern etwas in uns, was den Verstand in Stand-by versetzt. Zusätzlich beeinflussen uns alle möglichen emotionalen Reize und animieren uns zum Schnäppchenkauf.

Gedankenlosigkeit und Maßlosigkeit können besonders bei der Ernährung zu ernsten Problemen führen. Erst kürzlich hat mir ein Bekannter nach einer USA-Reise erzählt, dass es dort offenbar nicht unüblich ist, schon zum ausgiebigen Frühstück in einem Restaurant wenigstens einen Liter Cola zu trinken. Gerne auch mehr, um das Gratis-Nachfüllen des Bechers auszunutzen.

Kritik am schwarzen Freitag und dem unnötigen Konsum kommt oft von Umweltschützern. Neben Ressourcenverschwendung, hohem Energieverbrauch und wachsenden Müllbergen durch eine zunehmende Wegwerfmentalität kommt dabei in der Regel auch die «Klimakrise» auf den Tisch.

Die EU-Kommission lancierte 2015 den Begriff «Green Friday» im Kontext der überarbeiteten Rechtsvorschriften zur Kennzeichnung der Energieeffizienz von Elektrogeräten. Sie nutzte die Gelegenheit kurz vor dem damaligen schwarzen Freitag und vor der UN-Klimakonferenz COP21, bei der das Pariser Abkommen unterzeichnet werden sollte.

Heute wird ein grüner Freitag oft im Zusammenhang mit der Forderung nach «nachhaltigem Konsum» benutzt. Derweil ist die Europäische Union schon weit in ihr Geschäftsmodell des «Green New Deal» verstrickt. In ihrer Propaganda zum Klimawandel verspricht sie tatsächlich «Unterstützung der Menschen und Regionen, die von immer häufigeren Extremwetter-Ereignissen betroffen sind». Was wohl die Menschen in der Region um Valencia dazu sagen?

Ganz im Sinne des Great Reset propagierten die Vereinten Nationen seit Ende 2020 eine «grüne Erholung von Covid-19, um den Klimawandel zu verlangsamen». Der UN-Umweltbericht sah in dem Jahr einen Schwerpunkt auf dem Verbraucherverhalten. Änderungen des Konsumverhaltens des Einzelnen könnten dazu beitragen, den Klimaschutz zu stärken, hieß es dort.

Der Begriff «Schwarzer Freitag» wurde in den USA nicht erstmals für Einkäufe nach Thanksgiving verwendet – wie oft angenommen –, sondern für eine Finanzkrise. Jedoch nicht für den Börsencrash von 1929, sondern bereits für den Zusammenbruch des US-Goldmarktes im September 1869. Seitdem mussten die Menschen weltweit so einige schwarze Tage erleben.

Kürzlich sind die britischen Aufsichtsbehörden weiter von ihrer Zurückhaltung nach dem letzten großen Finanzcrash von 2008 abgerückt. Sie haben Regeln für den Bankensektor gelockert, womit sie «verantwortungsvolle Risikobereitschaft» unterstützen wollen. Man würde sicher zu schwarz sehen, wenn man hier ein grünes Wunder befürchten würde.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 592295cf:413a0db9

Week 02-11

• Nsite zap by hzrd149 Support page

Content creator want more users. They can go to Bluesky.

Great that Nostr is a Echo Chambers. As stated by Rabble during NostRiga, Nostr is a bitcoin meetup. And it is very difficult as said several times, to subvert this fact. It seems that many bitcoiners don't like this, but they can't do anything, leave Nostr and migrate to other lids.

I'm reading Nostr adventar calendar of Japanese Nostr users.

The first two Don and Jun speak of a Mahjong game and the other of how possibly to count the followers of a given account, countfollowed. - Adventar calendar continue until Christmas 🎅

• Even Bluesky is looking at MLS , is not a soccer league, is a protocol for message by groups, "circles" Post on Bluesky

• Relays chakany is introduce sunday. link

I've never seen such dead animals as in Nostr. Something reminds me facebook. The carnivore folks

Hivemind podcast by Max, the kilometric comment on fountain under the podcast is the most appetizing thing of all. Just one comment, little one.

He interviewed Kagi's and searched for a brownie pill, perhaps caused a little headache. ( Brownie pill is orange plus purple)

---

Loss dog on Nostr this week 😔😔 Pam and Derek family dog

conspiracy theory: Fiatjaf was the reply guy!!!

I tried to download voyage, from zapstore but nothing does not work even the 17.1 does not go. Too bad.

I hear so much about notedeck that I want to make a notedeck do it yourself.

Cherry tree, stuck hzrd149 is making an app a day, Chunked blobs on blossom.

A like is used to send your writing Relays

Announcement of a possible wallet in Damus, this could make things better, zap and whatnot.

---

• Or I'm posting a song here, a musical interlude. song on wavlake

---

There seems to be a good buzz on Nostr, maybe it's already a Christmassy atmosphere.

• Backup di Bluesky cool things Bluesky post

---

On another rssfeed thing.

nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzq9h35qgq6n8ll0xyyv8gurjzjrx9sjwp4hry6ejnlks8cqcmzp6tqqs93j2remdw2pxnctasa9vlsaerrrsl7p5csx5wj88kk0yq977rtdqxt7glp

It's the same thing as following a cross de bridge, but if they do 3 bridge, I say something is wrong. A bot is attached to a Relay. The Relay goes down and so much greetings, then I can look for RSS feeds in my computer without need of Nostr. I can share a particular opml file on Nostr, but I don't know how to do it I asked Fiatjaf but didn't answer it was taken by dichotomie.

Nip19 really Easy to do filter query.

You have events_id pubkey Relay Instead with Nostr:note you only have the event_id.

• Sebastix says he has to implement it in his library, discover the latest weekly report. nostr-php-helper-library

---

Oh no Pablo has become super Saiyan 🤣

There is a way to make a podcast starting from a long text, blog. With artificial intelligence. But then I thought, but if one does not have time could not have the text of the article summarized, perhaps we like generating content. It can be an option, either you read or you listen. But if you do not have time perhaps it is better to just summarize, dear chatgpt summarize this text, done. Essential points and make a thread for the social network and do what you want.

• Homemade Traditional Boozy Mincemeat, I didn't even know that existed 🤙 link to shopstr

Hodlbod news on bunker burrow

nostr:nevent1qqs84na25g6mdelvl0408nnq8m29j5070dm9mvjrzxyc6yrx2udjyuczyztuwzjyxe4x2dwpgken87tna2rdlhpd02

• In case you don't see the note burrow on github

Once you have the email what do you do with your encrypted key? No Enterprise user maybe. Rember the article of Hodlbod in "Is Always a political move". ✅

List of artists on Nostr nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4xqpzqfngzhsvjggdlgeycm96x4emzjlwf8dyyzdfg4hefp89zpkdgz99qyghwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnhd9hx2tcpzfmhxue69uhkummnw3e82efwvdhk6tcqp9qku6tdv96x7unng9grdr

• An article for food recipe on Nostr Article link

I don't know if they'll ever be there. You can write a recipe book. Or to put recipes on wiki, there doesn't seem to be that attention or that desire. One more relay is always better

• Olas has a website 🥊 Olas app

Oh i see cool Hodlbod bot A summary bot

nostr:nevent1qqs0v88uc2u3he3lm3mpm5h3gr8cuht5wv9g0tk0x9hzvamgvpdjwvspzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgq3qjlrs53pkdfjnts29kveljul2sm0actt6n8dxrrzqcersttvcuv3qu0ltyv

That's all!!

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Und plötzlich weißt du:
Es ist Zeit, etwas Neues zu beginnen
und dem Zauber des Anfangs zu vertrauen.
Meister Eckhart

Schwarz, rot, gold leuchtet es im Kopf des Newsletters der deutschen Bundesregierung, der mir freitags ins Postfach flattert. Rot, gelb und grün werden daneben sicher noch lange vielzitierte Farben sein, auch wenn diese nie geleuchtet haben. Die Ampel hat sich gerade selber den Stecker gezogen – und hinterlässt einen wirtschaftlichen und gesellschaftlichen Trümmerhaufen.

Mit einem bemerkenswerten Timing hat die deutsche Regierungskoalition am Tag des «Comebacks» von Donald Trump in den USA endlich ihr Scheitern besiegelt. Während der eine seinen Sieg bei den Präsidentschaftswahlen feierte, erwachten die anderen jäh aus ihrer Selbsthypnose rund um Harris-Hype und Trump-Panik – mit teils erschreckenden Auswüchsen. Seit Mittwoch werden die Geschicke Deutschlands nun von einer rot-grünen Minderheitsregierung «geleitet» und man steuert auf Neuwahlen zu.

Das Kindergarten-Gehabe um zwei konkurrierende Wirtschaftsgipfel letzte Woche war bereits bezeichnend. In einem Strategiepapier gestand Finanzminister Lindner außerdem den «Absturz Deutschlands» ein und offenbarte, dass die wirtschaftlichen Probleme teilweise von der Ampel-Politik «vorsätzlich herbeigeführt» worden seien.

Lindner und weitere FDP-Minister wurden also vom Bundeskanzler entlassen. Verkehrs- und Digitalminister Wissing trat flugs aus der FDP aus; deshalb darf er nicht nur im Amt bleiben, sondern hat zusätzlich noch das Justizministerium übernommen. Und mit Jörg Kukies habe Scholz «seinen Lieblingsbock zum Obergärtner», sprich: Finanzminister befördert, meint Norbert Häring.

Es gebe keine Vertrauensbasis für die weitere Zusammenarbeit mit der FDP, hatte der Kanzler erklärt, Lindner habe zu oft sein Vertrauen gebrochen. Am 15. Januar 2025 werde er daher im Bundestag die Vertrauensfrage stellen, was ggf. den Weg für vorgezogene Neuwahlen freimachen würde.

Apropos Vertrauen: Über die Hälfte der Bundesbürger glauben, dass sie ihre Meinung nicht frei sagen können. Das ging erst kürzlich aus dem diesjährigen «Freiheitsindex» hervor, einer Studie, die die Wechselwirkung zwischen Berichterstattung der Medien und subjektivem Freiheitsempfinden der Bürger misst. «Beim Vertrauen in Staat und Medien zerreißt es uns gerade», kommentierte dies der Leiter des Schweizer Unternehmens Media Tenor, das die Untersuchung zusammen mit dem Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach durchführt.

«Die absolute Mehrheit hat absolut die Nase voll», titelte die Bild angesichts des «Ampel-Showdowns». Die Mehrheit wolle Neuwahlen und die Grünen sollten zuerst gehen, lasen wir dort.

Dass «Insolvenzminister» Robert Habeck heute seine Kandidatur für das Kanzleramt verkündet hat, kann nur als Teil der politmedialen Realitätsverweigerung verstanden werden. Wer allerdings denke, schlimmer als in Zeiten der Ampel könne es nicht mehr werden, sei reichlich optimistisch, schrieb Uwe Froschauer bei Manova. Und er kenne Friedrich Merz schlecht, der sich schon jetzt rhetorisch auf seine Rolle als oberster Feldherr Deutschlands vorbereite.

Was also tun? Der Schweizer Verein «Losdemokratie» will eine Volksinitiative lancieren, um die Bestimmung von Parlamentsmitgliedern per Los einzuführen. Das Losverfahren sorge für mehr Demokratie, denn als Alternative zum Wahlverfahren garantiere es eine breitere Beteiligung und repräsentativere Parlamente. Ob das ein Weg ist, sei dahingestellt.

In jedem Fall wird es notwendig sein, unsere Bemühungen um Freiheit und Selbstbestimmung zu verstärken. Mehr Unabhängigkeit von staatlichen und zentralen Institutionen – also die Suche nach dezentralen Lösungsansätzen – gehört dabei sicher zu den Möglichkeiten. Das gilt sowohl für jede/n Einzelne/n als auch für Entitäten wie die alternativen Medien.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ c3f12a9a:06c21301

Dear friends,

The European Union is at a crossroads, and the stakes could not be higher. A new proposal threatens to undermine one of our most fundamental rights—our privacy. This initiative, called "Chat Control," would require the scanning of private messages and emails across Europe, even in services that are end-to-end encrypted. If this passes, our ability to communicate freely and securely in the digital world will be a thing of the past.

This is not just a theoretical issue—it’s happening now. The Council Presidency is pushing the proposal forward, with discussions planned for December 6, 2024. It’s crucial that we act now to protect our rights and freedoms before it’s too late.

As a united community, we’ve already proven what we can achieve. In the Czech Republic, we recently secured a Bitcoin tax exemption by working together and pressuring our politicians with constructive requests. If we mobilize on a European scale, we have a chance to stop this dangerous proposal in its tracks.

Let’s join forces, write to our representatives, and let them know that we won’t stand for mass surveillance. Let’s also spread the word to those around us—our friends, families, and networks. Together, we can make a difference.

—

Situation Summary: The European Union is considering a proposal to mandate the scanning of all private messages and emails to combat child sexual exploitation material (CSEM). This initiative, known as "Chat Control," would apply even to end-to-end encrypted services, effectively ending digital privacy.

The proposal also includes measures such as network blocking, scanning personal cloud storage, mandatory age verification, and app store censorship, potentially excluding minors from the digital world.

Despite significant opposition from citizens, experts, and some Members of the European Parliament, the proposal is moving forward, with the last discussion few days ago at December 6, 2024. Critics argue that this constitutes mass surveillance and severely undermines fundamental rights.

Thank you for standing up for privacy and freedom. Wondrej

source- https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/posts/chat-control/ https://www.seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/domaci-politika-eu-chce-povinnou-kontrolu-chatu-265958

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/802048

@ 65912a7a:5dc638bf

Chef's notes

This is my late partner's award winning Cajun rice & beans recipe. It's an updated take on the traditional Cajun comfort food.

Chef Darin was a classically trained chef who spent 30+ years in the kitchen perfecting his recipes, and delivering authentic Cajun and Creole food to his patrons. This is a 5-star dish that will earn the respect of the most discerning Cajun afficionado. You won't be disappointed.

I suggest making this recipe exactly as directed the first time, and then make whatever adjustments you want for future batches. Also, don't cheap out on the Andouille. No Johnsonville or Hillshire Farms. Chef Aidelle's is a good choice, as is Silva's from Whole Foods. They cost a few extra bucks, but it's absolutely worth it.

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 30 min
• 🍳 Cook time: 3 hours
• 🍽️ Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 16oz small red beans, dry
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 14-16oz andouille sausage, sliced
• 8oz ham, cubed
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 tbsp garlic (12 cloves), minced
• 7 cups water
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1 tbsp parsley, dried
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper, dried
• ¼ tsp sage, rubbed
• 1½ tsp salt (more or less to taste)

Directions

1. Soak beans in a large pot of water overnight.
2. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes (until onion is translucent).
3. Add beans, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, salt, MSG, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, Sage, and water. Stir, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low (btwn 2-3). Cover and simmer for 2½ hours.
4. Remove bay leaves. Mash some of the beans. Stir Andouille and ham into beans, and simmer uncovered for an additional 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the rice. Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Serve beans over steamed white rice.

@ 8fb140b4:f948000c

After nuking my second LND node (the first one died due to hardware failure) by my own typo and lack of any thought in the design of the CLI of LND lightning node tools, I decided to take a plunge into the world of mature and complex implementation of the protocol, Eclair by ACINQ. It has been almost one year (the birth of the node was on Christmas Day 2023), 50 thousand transactions routed, and over 30 BTC of routed value. In this post, I'd like to reflect on my experiences with Eclair, go over some of the gotchas and issues, and highlight some of the good choices that I've made since the beginning of my adventure.

Learnings from the Past Experience

While I was learning Lightning network and had very little understanding of how things worked in the whole Bitcoin space, Umbrel was my go-to solution that helped me get off the ground. It proved to be easy and somewhat educational but was not something that I would continuously run for the production setup or trust with any significant amount of bitcoin that I could not afford to lose. Lightning is built on top of the L1 (Bitcoin) network but manages the state of the channels in its own database that is negotiated and agreed upon with its peers. Any failures in the state integrity may result in the complete loss of liquidity or hefty penalty transactions (significant loss of capital). A Lightning node that participates in routing public transactions is also required to be constantly online with as little downtime as possible and only short periods offline at a time. Otherwise, you may risk causing force-closure of the channel due to expired HTLC that is measured in number of blocks.

The Setup

Taking all of my learnings into consideration, I decided to first invest in reliable enterprise-grade hardware: - Server-grade hardware with ECC memory and reliable power supply and CPU - UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to avoid any headaches due to electrical spikes or drop-outs - Reliable enterprise SSDs and NVMEs - ZFS (filesystem) to mirror the critical storage and to ensure full integrity of the data (bit-rot prevention). You do need to tune ZFS for your specific workload and reliability - Reliable and replicated database (PostgreSQL) with two local and one remote replica, and a requirement to have at least two replicas committing the transaction to the disk - Backup! On-site and off-site backup of the critical configuration that you could use to restore the node if your house burns down - Spare parts, redundancy, backup, monitoring - Reliable and stable internet connectivity

The software is Eclair 0.11.0 (latest release as of today), PostgreSQL 16 with two replicas, Bitcoin Core 27.2 (with redundant storage of blocks), additional Bitcoin Core running on a separate node and in-sync with the chain (in case primary node fails), Ubuntu 22.04 with the latest docker software from the official Docker repo.

All Major Gotchas That I Came Across

While Eclair is mature and very stable in itself, it does have some quirks and design choices that you need to account for when running your node. The software is written in Scala and requires a specific version of JVM to run it, as well as JRE and Maven to build it. It doesn't mean that other versions won't work, but you may find unpleasant bugs that may result in catastrophic failures of your node with nobody to help you. All of the requirements are listed in the release notes and installation guide. Whenever in doubt, RTFM first, then ask questions.

Limited Support by the FOSS Community

Eclair is not the most popular implementation of the Lightning protocol, and therefore it is hard to find tools or plugins that could help you manage the node. GUI for the node so far is only supported by RTL and with a very limited number of features. For any sort of statistics, you are limited to either Prometheus (extensive metrics are available) or writing your own SQL on top of the Eclair tables.

On-chain Fee Differences Between Yours and Partner Nodes

This one hit me hard, and many times. I've had more than a few force-closures of the channels because of the conservative and safe default settings. The worst part is, it strikes you when there is a huge spike in fees, which results in significant losses to force-close the channel due to high fees. I am still not 100% sure how the big difference can be exploited in practice, and opted for increase of the tolerance levels to avoid surprise FCs: eclair.on-chain-fees { feerate-tolerance { ratio-low = <0.01~> // will allow remote fee rates as low as XX our local feerate (spikes) ratio-high = <20.0~> // will allow remote fee rates as high as XX times our local feerate (drops) } } It is up to you and your risk tolerance to define something reasonable and yet allow for secure and reliable node operation.

Initial Lightning Network State Sync

When I just started running the node, I had very few channels and startup times were fast. Later, when I expanded the number of channels, I noted that it took my node up to 6-12 hours before it was fully in-sync and routing traffic fast. Given that ACINQ maintains one of the largest nodes on the network, I knew that there was something with my settings that caused the issue. After some research, I came across the setting that whitelisted node IDs for state sync, which immediately rang a bell since I knew from the LND days that not all peer nodes are used for the network sync. Setting the list to my most reliable and largest nodes reduced the startup settling times down to minutes again: eclair.sync-whitelist = [ "03864ef025fde8fb587d989186ce6a4a186895ee44a926bfc370e2c366597a3f8f", ... ] You do not need to have too many public keys in here, and should keep it between 5-10.

Automatic MAX HTLC Adjustment for the Channel

One of the killer features of Eclair is its ability to automatically adjust MAX HTLC for the channel and reduce the number of failed transactions due to insufficient liquidity on the channel. It can be used to estimate your total channels' balances but with smart configuration and a little thinking, you can make it reasonably private while still maintaining a good transaction flow: eclair.channel.channel-update.min-time-between-updates=1 hour # Allows for the adjustments to be made once every hour eclair.channel.channel-update.balance-thresholds=[ { available-sat = 10000 max-htlc-sat = 0 // 0% of 10000 }, ... ] You can have as many variations as you need, and ensure that the channel MAX HTLC is set well and within reasonable ranges. You would also want to account for multiple transactions going through the channel, but also account for the channel size and an average amount of sats per transaction.

Max Accepted HTLCs

By design, the Lightning channel is limited to a specific number of in-flight HTLCs, and the setting is fixed during channel opening time with no way of changing it unless you close and reopen the channel with new settings. If you find your node routing a lot of small transactions (zaps), you may quickly fail many due to that limit (I think default was in single digit range): eclair.channel.max-htlc-value-in-flight-percent=98 # Default I think is half or 50% eclair.channel.max-accepted-htlcs = 50 The setting above will allow for the channel to be more fully utilized and have more concurrent transactions without clogging.

CLTV Delta

This is basically a setting that is global for Eclair and sets the maximum number of remaining blocks (in time) before HTLC expires. Setting this too high may result in many HTLCs failing for the small nodes with not so great centrality, and reduce the number of routed transactions: ```

CLTV delta

eclair.channel.expiry-delta-blocks = 60 ``` Default is 144 but I found that setting this to 60 (minimum possible for my node setup and configuration) yields better results for routing. It does expose you to more risk of expired HTLCs that may cause force-closures, but I have seen only one so far on my node.

Allocate Sufficient Memory

You will want to adjust the heap size for Eclair, since the default is too small to run any sizable node. Setting JAVA_OPTS=-Xmx32g (or half the size of your available RAM) would be a good start. I would advise having at least 32GB of RAM for the node, and allocating at least 16GB (JAVA_OPTS=-Xmx16g) for smooth and fast operations.

And More Settings and Parameters to Tune

I have covered only some of the major settings that I felt were worth writing about, but there is much more you could configure and tweak. Read all of the Guides and especially focus on the Configure and a sample reference configuration file.

Good Decisions

First, going with Eclair was the right choice, along with using server-grade hardware with ECC RAM and reliable storage. Second, having a replicated database on three separate nodes with one off-site saved me from a sure destruction of all state and loss of funds. Third, deciding to only maintain channels with reliable and stable nodes saved me from some bad force-closures, where I would choose to close the channel if a peer node goes up and down too frequently, regardless of how well it routes. Even big nodes run by single operators fail badly, as do nodes operated by companies. Keeping your eyes on the node and its health, as well as the health of its peers, is something that very few operators do, which can cause failures and unnecessary loss of your and their funds.

Lastly, if you decide to run a routing node, you have a responsibility to maintain it well and monitor its health. There are many tools you could use, and with Eclair you can use Prometheus and Grafana. Keep your node's packages updated and monitor for any security-related issues that may appear from time to time, so you can mitigate them quickly.

Conclusion

So far I am satisfied with Eclair despite all of the difficulties and headaches I've had with it. It is not perfect, and it requires me to create small tools to do some basic things, but I need a stable and reliable node that I can trust. Eclair has proved to be all that I wanted, and saved my bacon a few times when I nuked one of the PostgreSQL servers and all of its data, and managed to do the same for another replica, but was able to recover and recreate from the remaining replica. Eclair is also stateless during runtime and guarantees consistency of the node regardless of how it fails. Even if you pull a plug on the node's server, it will still be able to come up and recover its consistent state that is in agreement with its peers.

Is it for everyone? No, it is definitely not for everyone or for anyone who just wants a small node to run their online shop with a few channels. You could have a very reliable and trusted node for the online shop with Eclair, but you will need some technical skills to be able to set up, maintain and recover it if things go wrong.

In the end, it is all up to you, your skills, your willingness to learn, and your risk tolerance to make that decision. For me, it was the right choice, and I have no regrets despite not having access to the latest shiny features of the Lightning network.

@ dd664d5e:5633d319

Yeah, so... nah.

People keep trying to explain to me, that women will be better-off, if they become more dangerous. While I can see the inevitableness of women living in remote rural areas learning to shoot with a rifle, and similar, I'm generally against arming women with killing machines.

This is not because I'm averse to the idea of using violence to solve problems (albeit after exhausting better options), or because I don't like guns, or am unfamiliar with them. It's also not because I don't know I would look totally, mind-numbingly hot holding something long and spearlike, while dressed in camo and wearing a T-Shirt that appears to have shrunk in the wash.

It's a more fundamental set of problems, that irks me.

Bazooka Barbie

American gun manufacturers saturated the public and private male market so thoroughly, that they eventually turned to marketing firearms to women.

Men are scary and bad. There is Stranger Danger. We can't just make the neighborhood less dangerous because erm... reasons. Stay safe with a cute gun.

It has gone along with the predictable hypersexualization of the conservative feminine ideal. Since guns are considered aggressive, women with guns are perceived as more sexually available. Guns (and tanks, bombs, bows, etc.) make women "equal", "independent", "feisty", "hot", "freaky", "calculating", "empowered", etc.

Sorta slutty, basically.

This Gun Girl is not like the helpless, hapless, harmless homemaker ideal, of yesteryear. A woman who was dependent, chaste, gentle, wise... and in need of protection. A woman who saw the men around her as people she could rely on for providing her with a safe environment. That woman is au revoir. Now, sistas are doing it for themselves. 💪🏻

The New Martial Missy needs a man, like a fish needs a bicycle... but make it country.

Yeah, it's marketing, but it sure has set the tone, and millions of men have been trained to prefer women who market themselves in this manner. Hard, mean, lean women. That will not remain without wider societal consequences.

You know, I liked that homemaker. I miss her. She's literally me.

Those arms are for cuddling babies, not holding rocket launchers.

Now, that we've all become accustomed to imagery of women holding firearms, it wasn't much of a leap to condition us all to the sight of women in frontline police, guard, or military positions.

Instead of war being a terrible, highly-lethal, territorial fight amongst men, it's now cute, hip, trendy and fun. It's a big party, and women are finally allowed to join in.

Now, women have finally jettisoned the terrible burden of being society's life-bearers and caretakers, and we're just more potential enemy combatants. We know it's okay to punch women, shoot women, etc. since we've been watching it happen on screens, for decades. Women are now often assumed to be fighters, not lovers. Cavalry, not mothers.

Girls on top

Not only does this undermine any female role -- and put female civilians under a cloud of suspicion -- it also reduces mens' claim to be paramount in governance. Why should a man be the Commander in Chief, if women are on the battlefield?

In fact, why should men be in charge of anything, anywhere? Look at them. There they are. Hiding at home. Cowering in their kitchens, wringing their hands and fretting, while courageous, dangerous women protect them from dangers foreign and domestic. Women are the better men, really.

Is this really where we want to go?

The final bitterness

But one thing I find most disturbing is something more personal. The ubiquitous nature of firearms in American homes has made domestic violence increasingly deadly. Adding more guns, for the female residents, often serves to make such violence even more deadly for women.

It turns out, that women are usually reluctant to shoot people they know; even more than men. Women without this inhibition are prone to sharing their home with men missing the same trait. And, now, they have more guns.

@ 7ed7d5c3:6927e200

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?  Thou art more lovely and more temperate; Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,  And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

 And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

 By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;

``` But thy eternal summer shall not fade Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou growest;

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this and this gives life to thee. ```

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Es ist besser, ein Licht zu entzünden, als auf die Dunkelheit zu schimpfen. Konfuzius

Die Bemühungen um Aufarbeitung der sogenannten Corona-Pandemie, um Aufklärung der Hintergründe, Benennung von Verantwortlichkeiten und das Ziehen von Konsequenzen sind durchaus nicht eingeschlafen. Das Interesse daran ist unter den gegebenen Umständen vielleicht nicht sonderlich groß, aber es ist vorhanden.

Der sächsische Landtag hat gestern die Einsetzung eines Untersuchungsausschusses zur Corona-Politik beschlossen. In einer Sondersitzung erhielt ein entsprechender Antrag der AfD-Fraktion die ausreichende Zustimmung, auch von einigen Abgeordneten des BSW.

In den Niederlanden wird Bill Gates vor Gericht erscheinen müssen. Sieben durch die Covid-«Impfstoffe» geschädigte Personen hatten Klage eingereicht. Sie werfen unter anderem Gates, Pfizer-Chef Bourla und dem niederländischen Staat vor, sie hätten gewusst, dass diese Präparate weder sicher noch wirksam sind.

Mit den mRNA-«Impfstoffen» von Pfizer/BioNTech befasst sich auch ein neues Buch. Darin werden die Erkenntnisse von Ärzten und Wissenschaftlern aus der Analyse interner Dokumente über die klinischen Studien der Covid-Injektion präsentiert. Es handelt sich um jene in den USA freigeklagten Papiere, die die Arzneimittelbehörde (Food and Drug Administration, FDA) 75 Jahre unter Verschluss halten wollte.

Ebenfalls Wissenschaftler und Ärzte, aber auch andere Experten organisieren als Verbundnetzwerk Corona-Solution kostenfreie Online-Konferenzen. Ihr Ziel ist es, «wissenschaftlich, demokratisch und friedlich» über Impfstoffe und Behandlungsprotokolle gegen SARS-CoV-2 aufzuklären und die Diskriminierung von Ungeimpften zu stoppen. Gestern fand eine weitere Konferenz statt. Ihr Thema: «Corona und modRNA: Von Toten, Lebenden und Physik lernen».

Aufgrund des Digital Services Acts (DSA) der Europäischen Union sei das Risiko groß, dass ihre Arbeit als «Fake-News» bezeichnet würde, so das Netzwerk. Staatlich unerwünschte wissenschaftliche Aufklärung müsse sich passende Kanäle zur Veröffentlichung suchen. Ihre Live-Streams seien deshalb zum Beispiel nicht auf YouTube zu finden.

Der vielfältige Einsatz für Aufklärung und Aufarbeitung wird sich nicht stummschalten lassen. Nicht einmal der Zensurmeister der EU, Deutschland, wird so etwas erreichen. Die frisch aktivierten «Trusted Flagger» dürften allerdings künftige Siege beim «Denunzianten-Wettbewerb» im Kontext des DSA zusätzlich absichern.

Wo sind die Grenzen der Meinungsfreiheit? Sicher gibt es sie. Aber die ideologische Gleichstellung von illegalen mit unerwünschten Äußerungen verfolgt offensichtlich eher das Ziel, ein derart elementares demokratisches Grundrecht möglichst weitgehend auszuhebeln. Vorwürfe wie «Hassrede», «Delegitimierung des Staates» oder «Volksverhetzung» werden heute inflationär verwendet, um Systemkritik zu unterbinden. Gegen solche Bestrebungen gilt es, sich zu wehren.

---

Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum dritten Geburtstag, liebe Denk Bar! Wieso zum dritten? Das war doch 2022 und jetzt sind wir im Jahr 2024, oder? Ja, das ist schon richtig, aber bei Geburtstagen erinnere ich mich immer auch an meinen Vater, und der behauptete oft, der erste sei ja schließlich der Tag der Geburt selber und den müsse man natürlich mitzählen. Wo er recht hat, hat er nunmal recht. Konsequenterweise wird also heute dieser Blog an seinem dritten Geburtstag zwei Jahre alt.

Das ist ein Grund zum Feiern, wie ich finde. Einerseits ganz einfach, weil es dafür gar nicht genug Gründe geben kann. «Das Leben sind zwei Tage», lautet ein gängiger Ausdruck hier in Andalusien. In der Tat könnte es so sein, auch wenn wir uns im Alltag oft genug von der Routine vereinnahmen lassen.

Seit dem Start der Denk Bar vor zwei Jahren ist unglaublich viel passiert. Ebenso wie die zweieinhalb Jahre davor, und all jenes war letztlich auch der Auslöser dafür, dass ich begann, öffentlich zu schreiben. Damals notierte ich:

«Seit einigen Jahren erscheint unser öffentliches Umfeld immer fragwürdiger, widersprüchlicher und manchmal schier unglaublich - jede Menge Anlass für eigene Recherchen und Gedanken, ganz einfach mit einer Portion gesundem Menschenverstand.»

Wir erleben den sogenannten «großen Umbruch», einen globalen Coup, den skrupellose Egoisten clever eingefädelt haben und seit ein paar Jahren knallhart – aber nett verpackt – durchziehen, um buchstäblich alles nach ihrem Gusto umzukrempeln. Die Gelegenheit ist ja angeblich günstig und muss genutzt werden.

Nie hätte ich mir träumen lassen, dass ich so etwas jemals miterleben müsste. Die Bosheit, mit der ganz offensichtlich gegen die eigene Bevölkerung gearbeitet wird, war früher für mich unvorstellbar. Mein (Rest-) Vertrauen in alle möglichen Bereiche wie Politik, Wissenschaft, Justiz, Medien oder Kirche ist praktisch komplett zerstört. Einen «inneren Totalschaden» hatte ich mal für unsere Gesellschaften diagnostiziert.

Was mich vielleicht am meisten erschreckt, ist zum einen das Niveau der Gleichschaltung, das weltweit erreicht werden konnte, und zum anderen die praktisch totale Spaltung der Gesellschaft. Haben wir das tatsächlich mit uns machen lassen?? Unfassbar! Aber das Werkzeug «Angst» ist sehr mächtig und funktioniert bis heute.

Zum Glück passieren auch positive Dinge und neue Perspektiven öffnen sich. Für viele Menschen waren und sind die Entwicklungen der letzten Jahre ein Augenöffner. Sie sehen «Querdenken» als das, was es ist: eine Tugend.

Auch die immer ernsteren Zensurbemühungen sind letztlich nur ein Zeichen der Schwäche, wo Argumente fehlen. Sie werden nicht verhindern, dass wir unsere Meinung äußern, unbequeme Fragen stellen und dass die Wahrheit peu à peu ans Licht kommt. Es gibt immer Mittel und Wege, auch für uns.

---

Danke, dass du diesen Weg mit mir weitergehst!

@ 9cb3545c:2ff47bca

Hey there! So you’ve got a whopping 50+ Lightning Channels and you’re not keen on them Force Closing? Well, buckle up! This guide will be an additional resource as you navigate through daunting process.

In this post, we will go over some extra tips and tricks not covered in the official guide. While this guide does have some steps that are not covered by Umbrel, its main objective is to provide confidence in the process (not a replacement process), coming from someone who’s been there and done that, and some how came out with all Lightning Channels still running! I highly recommend reading this post fully before starting the migration process.

Before we dive in, here is the Official Guide from the Umbrel team on how to update UmbrelOS from 0.5.4 to 1.x.x. Reference the steps all the time, and follow them carefully.

With that out of the way. Here are some extra TIPs to fill in some gaps I encountered as I went through the process.

The Order of Steps

Tip #1:

In the Official Umbrel Guide, the Umbrel team asks you to start by backing up your data. As a lightning Node Runner, I recommend against this. Because the Bash script will stop all Umbrel Services and your node will remain offline while you prepare a Bootable USB Stick. So definitely don't start with the backup, first get the bootable stick sorted out, then move on to backups.

Creating the Bootable USB Stick

TIP #2:

After many failed attempts to create a bootable USB stick from the link umbrel provides in their official guide. I ended up getting the ISO directly from Umbrels team through their Discord Channel. Unfortunately, I wont be able to share this link here. but just in case the umbrelOS-amd64-usb-installer.iso.xz didnt work for you as well, this could be an alternative route.

TIP #3:

Since Umbrel is an actual full OS now. You might need to handle some BIOS quirks. The umbrelOS Kernal is not signed. So if you have Secure Boot turned on in the BIOS, your PC will try to protect you, and block you from booting into you USB Stick. Turn off Secure Boot and you should be able to bypass this issue. I also had to turn on Legacy Option ROMs as well.

Tip #4:

Test your Bootable USB Stick on a secondary device before you go on trying to update your node. Since turning the node off and on is a hassle, its just easier to be certain the the Bootable Stick is ready before even attempting to upgrade your node.

If all is good, you are ready to get back to the guide and walk through the steps.

Preparing the Hardware

Tip #5:

In the official guide they as you to connect a Keyboard and Screen. This is of course needed. I would highly suggest you connect a mouse as well. My Bios was very stubborn and didn't comply with just a keyboard as I attempted to re-order Boot Sequences.

The Migration Process

Tip #6:

Remember, this is 10 times easier if you are not running a lightning node, but on a lightning node, the Channel.db file is being updated constantly. Once you start the backup process, the script will shutdown umbrel services and start copying. you can''t turn your node back on after this stage. If you do, assume the backup you created through the Bash script is obsolete. and you will have to redo the backup process again. If you really know what you are doing, you probably can surgically copy/paste the LND folder. But its easier not to do this.

But not to worry, if you start the process just keep going (especially if you checked all the TIPs I cover above). I say this out of experience, because after I started the first backup process, it took me about an hour to backup my SSD, but then the Bootable USB stick threw so many errors I gave up, and turned on the node again. Then later re-attempted the process from scratch. This time, since my external SSD was already full, it took 3.5 hours to backup all the files again.

Tip #7:

This will take time, so just trust the migration process and wait for the files to get copied. you are probably copying more than a terabyte worth of data back and forth over USB, Leverage USB 3 if you have it.

Tip #8:

If you have a custom name for your umbrel node. Meaning you do not access it by using umbrel.local, this will be reset to the default umbrel.local after the migration. I am not sure if this could be switched again to a custom name, but for now, this won't cause any issues.

Tip #9:

During the last steps of the Migration process, and once Umbrel has copied the backup back into the SSD, it will finish the process with downloading your apps, and restarting. Don't freak out :D

Tip #10:

I honestly don't have a tenth tip, but thought it would make this list look nicer with one. So my last tip for you is to relax and enjoy the process. And feel free to tag me if you faced any issues. Hopefully it will be something i experienced and will be able to help.

Have Fun, and Good Luck!

@ df8f0a64:057d87a5

2024年下半期の振り返り

あんまり変化はないんですが、進捗ありません！で終わっても仕方ないのでちょっとは無理やりでも振り返りましょう

0. 退職した

上半期時点で決まってはいたんですが、　6年間ほど勤務した会社を退職しました

退職直前まで爆発物取扱みたいなタスクをこなして、なかなかひやひやした退職プロセス

静かに退職したいので送別会の類のイベントは無しにしてくれというお願いをきいてくれた各メンバーに感謝です

1. 公開していたNostrリレーの設定を変更した

日本のみに公開していたリレーを、全世界に公開しました

当初はCloudflareでリレーをホストしていたのが、利用していたnosflareもcfrelayもクライアントに対してイベントを配布するコードがなく（R2だけではできない）

さてどうしたものかと悩んでいたタイミングで、Umbrelのおひとり様リレーのポートを公開する対応をしました。リレーのお引越し

で、公開してしばらくしたら、すごい勢いで日本国外からの投稿が着信するようになり大困惑

調べてみたら、Mutiny wallet（現在はサービス終了）が運営しているblastr.mutinywallet.com（たぶんまだ稼働している）が原因でした

Nostr.watchのAPIを利用して、世の中にあるNostrリレーすべてにイベントを送り込む凶悪な思想犯です

ヘッダー情報などでブロックできなかったので、blastrがホストされてるCloudflareのIPを全てブロックする力技で対処しました

ちなみに、nosflareもいつのまにかblastrのようなものをホストしているようです

なんなんでしょうね、Nostrの白人さんたちの、過激なほど分散というか対検閲をしようとするお節介さは

2. 公開していたNostrリレーを潰した

上記のように折角いろいろやったリレーを潰しました

Reply guyというbotが猛威をふるった時期、クソみたいなイベントをばら撒かれてくることに私がキレたからです。クソが

NostrとしてはこれをきっかけにWoTを組み込んだリレーが開発されたりして、スパム対策が一歩前進した感があります。クソが

スパムばら撒きをBostrが助長してるみたいな批難を受けて、作者のYonleさんがブチ切れ、全Nostr関連リポジトリのメンテを放棄する事態も発生

ちょうどMutiny walletでGOXしたご本人の機嫌が悪かった時期に、クソスパムがぶつかったことによる悲しい出来事でした。ほんとクソ

3. おわりに

他にもこまいことはいくつかあるんですが、主にはこんなとこでしょうか。来年も楽しくNostrしたいですね

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

GitHub is a software project graveyard

I think the main reason why we have so many lone wolf devs is an economic one. The fact that most FOSS devs aren't being paid for their code is making this worse, not better, as they work for fame, not fortune.

Nobody wants to use joint-repos because they don't want to give up or share the property rights to the contents. But because anything someone else does in a repo you own, also belongs to you, people are disincentized from contributing to your repo.

GitHub, especially, has incentivized this splintering and isolation. Everyone wants to have all changes in their own repo because they can profit best on repos listed directly under their own name, so long as they become popular. Maximize your 🟩 and ⭐ , like chips you can cash in for a prize.

And because forking other people's repos is the norm, rather than teamwork, requests for changes are usually ignored or responded to with "fork it, bro." Go away. Leave me alone. My repo is none of your business.

Too autistic, even for me

So, the developers separate their efforts into a million tiny repos that are mostly redundant with other ones, there's little interaction, progress is often surprisingly slow and stalls for months at a time, it's hard to keep track of what other people are doing (so that you can review and test changes), most of the effort is headed straight for the bin, people build the same things over and over, and communication is extremely limited.

This is a work environment that is unattractive for anyone who isn't autistic and/or highly introverted. Half of the fun of open-source development used to be the esprit de corps. Much has been said about #Bluesky, but it all misses a major point: that's where you go, if you want to work with other people, to build something large, polished, and impressive. It doesn't actually matter how many developers Nostr has, if they all only stare at their own plates.

Your repo coulda been a file folder.

Ironically, git was developed for collaboration on large projects with a distributed team. Now, everyone uses it for projects they work on alone. They put those projects on the Internet to market them. It's a cheap gimmick, not an earnest attempt at collaboration. Collaboration begins at the beginning.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Ein Lämmchen löschte an einem Bache seinen Durst. Fern von ihm, aber näher der Quelle, tat ein Wolf das gleiche. Kaum erblickte er das Lämmchen, so schrie er:

"Warum trübst du mir das Wasser, das ich trinken will?"

"Wie wäre das möglich", erwiderte schüchtern das Lämmchen, "ich stehe hier unten und du so weit oben; das Wasser fließt ja von dir zu mir; glaube mir, es kam mir nie in den Sinn, dir etwas Böses zu tun!"

"Ei, sieh doch! Du machst es gerade, wie dein Vater vor sechs Monaten; ich erinnere mich noch sehr wohl, daß auch du dabei warst, aber glücklich entkamst, als ich ihm für sein Schmähen das Fell abzog!"

"Ach, Herr!" flehte das zitternde Lämmchen, "ich bin ja erst vier Wochen alt und kannte meinen Vater gar nicht, so lange ist er schon tot; wie soll ich denn für ihn büßen."

"Du Unverschämter!" so endigt der Wolf mit erheuchelter Wut, indem er die Zähne fletschte. "Tot oder nicht tot, weiß ich doch, daß euer ganzes Geschlecht mich hasset, und dafür muß ich mich rächen."

Ohne weitere Umstände zu machen, zerriß er das Lämmchen und verschlang es.

Das Gewissen regt sich selbst bei dem größten Bösewichte; er sucht doch nach Vorwand, um dasselbe damit bei Begehung seiner Schlechtigkeiten zu beschwichtigen.

Quelle: https://eden.one/fabeln-aesop-das-lamm-und-der-wolf

@ a849beb6:b327e6d2

\ \ It was another historic week for both bitcoin and the Ten31 portfolio, as the world’s oldest, largest, most battle-tested cryptocurrency climbed to new all-time highs each day to close out the week just shy of the $100,000 mark. Along the way, bitcoin continued to accumulate institutional and regulatory wins, including the much-anticipated approval and launch of spot bitcoin ETF options and the appointment of several additional pro-bitcoin Presidential cabinet officials. The timing for this momentum was poetic, as this week marked the second anniversary of the pico-bottom of the 2022 bear market, a level that bitcoin has now hurdled to the tune of more than 6x despite the litany of bitcoin obituaries published at the time. The entirety of 2024 and especially the past month have further cemented our view that bitcoin is rapidly gaining a sense of legitimacy among institutions, fiduciaries, and governments, and we remain optimistic that this trend is set to accelerate even more into 2025.

Several Ten31 portfolio companies made exciting announcements this week that should serve to further entrench bitcoin’s institutional adoption. AnchorWatch, a first of its kind bitcoin insurance provider offering 1:1 coverage with its innovative use of bitcoin’s native properties, announced it has been designated a Lloyd’s of London Coverholder, giving the company unique, blue-chip status as it begins to write bitcoin insurance policies of up to $100 million per policy starting next month. Meanwhile, Battery Finance Founder and CEO Andrew Hohns appeared on CNBC to delve into the launch of Battery’s pioneering private credit strategy which fuses bitcoin and conventional tangible assets in a dual-collateralized structure that offers a compelling risk/return profile to both lenders and borrowers. Both companies are clearing a path for substantially greater bitcoin adoption in massive, untapped pools of capital, and Ten31 is proud to have served as lead investor for AnchorWatch’s Seed round and as exclusive capital partner for Battery.

As the world’s largest investor focused entirely on bitcoin, Ten31 has deployed nearly $150 million across two funds into more than 30 of the most promising and innovative companies in the ecosystem like AnchorWatch and Battery, and we expect 2025 to be the best year yet for both bitcoin and our portfolio. Ten31 will hold a first close for its third fund at the end of this year, and investors in that close will benefit from attractive incentives and a strong initial portfolio. Visit ten31.vc/funds to learn more and get in touch to discuss participating.\ \ Portfolio Company Spotlight 

Primal is a first of its kind application for the Nostr protocol that combines a client, caching service, analytics tools, and more to address several unmet needs in the nascent Nostr ecosystem. Through the combination of its sleek client application and its caching service (built on a completely open source stack), Primal seeks to offer an end-user experience as smooth and easy as that of legacy social media platforms like Twitter and eventually many other applications, unlocking the vast potential of Nostr for the next billion people. Primal also offers an integrated wallet (powered by Strike BLACK) that substantially reduces onboarding and UX frictions for both Nostr and the lightning network while highlighting bitcoin’s unique power as internet-native, open-source money. 

Selected Portfolio News

AnchorWatch announced it has achieved Llody’s Coverholder status, allowing the company to provide unique 1:1 bitcoin insurance offerings starting in December.\ \ Battery Finance Founder and CEO Andrew Hohns appeared on CNBC to delve into the company’s unique bitcoin-backed private credit strategy.

Primal launched version 2.0, a landmark update that adds a feed marketplace, robust advanced search capabilities, premium-tier offerings, and many more new features.

Debifi launched its new iOS app for Apple users seeking non-custodial bitcoin-collateralized loans.

Media

Strike Founder and CEO Jack Mallers joined Bloomberg TV to discuss the strong volumes the company has seen over the past year and the potential for a US bitcoin strategic reserve. 

Primal Founder and CEO Miljan Braticevic joined The Bitcoin Podcast to discuss the rollout of Primal 2.0 and the future of Nostr. 

Ten31 Managing Partner Marty Bent appeared on BlazeTV to discuss recent changes in the regulatory environment for bitcoin. 

Zaprite published a customer testimonial video highlighting the popularity of its offerings across the bitcoin ecosystem. 

Market Updates

Continuing its recent momentum, bitcoin reached another new all-time high this week, clocking in just below $100,000 on Friday. Bitcoin has now reached a market cap of nearly $2 trillion, putting it within 3% of the market caps of Amazon and Google. 

After receiving SEC and CFTC approval over the past month, long-awaited options on spot bitcoin ETFs were fully approved and launched this week. These options should help further expand bitcoin’s institutional liquidity profile, with potentially significant implications for price action over time.

The new derivatives showed strong performance out of the gate, with volumes on options for BlackRock’s IBIT reaching nearly $2 billion on just the first day of trading despite surprisingly tight position limits for the vehicles. 

Meanwhile, the underlying spot bitcoin ETF complex had yet another banner week, pulling in $3.4 billion in net inflows. 

New reports suggested President-elect Donald Trump’s social media company is in advanced talks to acquire crypto trading platform Bakkt, potentially the latest indication of the incoming administration’s stance toward the broader “crypto” ecosystem. 

On the macro front, US housing starts declined M/M again in October on persistently high mortgage rates and weather impacts. The metric remains well below pre-COVID levels. 

Pockets of the US commercial real estate market remain challenged, as the CEO of large Florida developer Related indicated that developers need further rate cuts “badly” to maintain project viability. 

US Manufacturing PMI increased slightly M/M, but has now been in contraction territory (<50) for well over two years.

The latest iteration of the University of Michigan’s popular consumer sentiment survey ticked up following this month’s election results, though so did five-year inflation expectations, which now sit comfortably north of 3%. 

Regulatory Update

After weeks of speculation, the incoming Trump administration appointed hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to head up the US Treasury. Like many of Trump’s cabinet selections so far, Bessent has been a public advocate for bitcoin. 

Trump also appointed Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick – another outspoken bitcoin bull – as Secretary of the Commerce Department. 

Meanwhile, the Trump team is reportedly considering creating a new “crypto czar” role to sit within the administration. While it’s unclear at this point what that role would entail, one report indicated that the administration’s broader “crypto council” is expected to move forward with plans for a strategic bitcoin reserve.

Various government lawyers suggested this week that the Trump administration is likely to be less aggressive in seeking adversarial enforcement actions against bitcoin and “crypto” in general, as regulatory bodies appear poised to shift resources and focus elsewhere. 

Other updates from the regulatory apparatus were also directionally positive for bitcoin, most notably FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg’s confirmation that he plans to resign from his post at the end of President Biden’s term. 

Many critics have alleged Gruenberg was an architect of “Operation Chokepoint 2.0,” which has created banking headwinds for bitcoin companies over the past several years, so a change of leadership at the department is likely yet another positive for the space.

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler also officially announced he plans to resign at the start of the new administration. Gensler has been the target of much ire from the broader “crypto” space, though we expect many projects outside bitcoin may continue to struggle with questions around the Howey Test.

Overseas, a Chinese court ruled that it is not illegal for individuals to hold cryptocurrency, even though the country is still ostensibly enforcing a ban on crypto transactions. 

Noteworthy

The incoming CEO of Charles Schwab – which administers over $9 trillion in client assets – suggested the platform is preparing to “get into” spot bitcoin offerings and that he “feels silly” for having waited this long. As this attitude becomes more common among traditional finance players, we continue to believe that the number of acquirers coming to market for bitcoin infrastructure capabilities will far outstrip the number of available high quality assets. 

BlackRock’s 2025 Thematic Outlook notes a “renewed sense of optimism” on bitcoin among the asset manager’s client base due to macro tailwinds and the improving regulatory environment. Elsewhere, BlackRock’s head of digital assets indicated the firm does not view bitcoin as a “risk-on” asset. 

MicroStrategy, which was a sub-$1 billion market cap company less than five years ago, briefly breached a $100 billion equity value this week as it continues to aggressively acquire bitcoin. The company now holds nearly 350,000 bitcoin on its balance sheet. 

Notably, Allianz SE, Germany’s largest insurer, spoke for 25% of MicroStrategy’s latest $3 billion convertible note offering this week, suggesting growing appetite for bitcoin proxy exposure among more restricted pools of capital. 

The ongoing meltdown of fintech middleware provider Synapse has left tens of thousands of customers with nearly 100% deposit haircuts as hundreds of millions in funds remain missing, the latest unfortunate case study in the fragility of much of the US’s legacy banking stack. 

Travel

• BitcoinMENA, Dec 9-10

• Nashville BitDevs, Dec 10

• Austin BitDevs, Dec 19

• Nashville Energy and Mining Summit, Jan 30

@ 65912a7a:5dc638bf

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 5 min
• 🍳 Cook time: 30 min
• 🍽️ Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 12-14oz fresh cranberries
• 1⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 orange, peeled & chopped
• 1 cup water

Directions

1. Using medium sauce pan, simmer cranberries and water for 5-6 min. Cranberries will start to pop.
2. Add brown sugar, raisins, and chopped orange to the berries.
3. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 min. Stir often to prevent sticking. Remove from heat.
4. Let set until room temp. Mixture will thicken as it cools.
5. Put in a covered container and keep refrigerated. Lasts for about 2 weeks.

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

The motherhood illusion

Growing up, I was always told that women wanted children, whilst men wanted sex. So, marriage was created, to unite these two urges, and men and women don't otherwise particularly differ. But, it turns out, that women want protection and sex, and men want children and sex.

This is why women tend to be attracted to more masculine men (they're associated with protection) and men tend to be attracted to more feminine women (they're associated with motherhood). Women who are attracted to men, who aren't overtly masculine, are looking for a different aspect of protection (reliability, steady income or wealth, emotional security, etc.)

This wasn't readily apparent, in earlier generations, as widespread, youthful marriage meant that there weren't any real decisions being made by the participants. Almost all women got married and had kids, and almost all men got married and had sex. Math checks out. But the number of women who could protect and provide for themselves was low, and the men marrying were often very young and libidinous, and not yet contemplating their own legacy.

Feminism, easy abortion, deindustrialization, delayed marriage, and reliable contraception have dissolved this illusion, completely. Millions of Western women quickly turned into cougars, careerists, party girls, and e-girls, and an entire army of childless men and sidelined dads bubbled up and began to make their pain known. Humanity's dirty underbelly has been exposed.

Women aren't as sweet, as we thought, and men are much sweeter.

Women also want children, but not as intensely. In fact, they seem to often viscerally dislike children, and are jealous of the protection they are to give them. So, they are prone to offing their offspring because they are averse to having any in-house competition.

If you just left women up to their own devices and reduced the social pressure, at least a fifth of them wouldn't bother having children, at all, and another quarter will have one and then lose interest or age out. This is not a new phenomenon, as we can see.

The male competition for potential mothers turns out to be absolutely brutal, and more difficult than simply finding a woman to sleep with. And, now, we finally understand why men traditionally jumped through so many hoops, to attain a wife. It wasn't for the sex; we've always had brothels, masturbation, and pornography. It was for the familial comfort, and, especially, for the children.

Good fathers make good mothers

Some women don't know if they are "potential mothers", until they meet a "potential father", and their urge to procreate suddenly kicks in. They didn't want children for their own sake, but now they want some for his sake. All of a sudden, they're imagining themselves rocking the cradle, googling "what to eat, when you're expecting", and find themselves gushing over anything that gives off Hint of Infant.

I'm pregnant! Look what I can do! Look what I can do! For you, darling.

Women married to men they are deeply in love with, are much more likely to desire to become mothers (and be devastated by infertility), and make for better mothers, because children are like individualized presents they can give to their husband.

They want to impress him. Most want to be decent parents in their own right, but the urge to impress seems to raise this to a much higher level because women are vain, and therefore focused on raising their own status and how they appear to others. And the greatest "other", of a happy wife, is her husband.

Because men are narcissistic, and therefore in love with anything associated with themselves (which underpins their obsession with owning property), men have an intense attachment to their children. What is more "yours", than your progeny?

Fathers seem to develop a special attachment to, or fondness for, the mothers of their children, that goes beyond lust or romantic love; they never forgot who gave them this new Mini Me. And they are often quite impressed by their own ability to perform this trick numerous times, which leads to the intense satisfaction they feel at "going into serial production" and churning out more of those Mini Mes until their adoring wife pleads for mercy.

Men want children. Women, who love a man, want to give him those children and gain the fidelity that comes along with those children. This is the actual "trade" underpinning the urge to marry.

@ ddf03aca:5cb3bbbe

Recently, I have been surrounded by people experimenting with various projects, and a common theme among them is the use of cashu as the payment layer. While this fact alone is already great, the best part is to identify users and implementers needs and combining forces to come up with novel solutions.

---

Subscriptions with Cashu

One of the most remarkable aspects of cashu is that it is a bearer asset. This hands ownership and control back to the user. Even though mints back the tokens, they have no authority to move a token on behalf of a user or any other party. How cool is that?

However, this also introduces challenges when building subscription-based services. Subscriptions typically require periodic payments, and with cashu, users must renew these manually. Currently, there are two primary approaches to address this:

1. Overpaying:
   To minimize the number of interactions, users can pay for longer periods upfront. For example, instead of paying 2,100 sats for one hour, they could pay 6,000 sats for three hours. If they realize they don’t need the full three hours, the excess payment is effectively wasted.

2. Full Interactivity:
   In this setup, payers and receivers stay connected through a communication channel, and payments are made at small, regular intervals. While this avoids overpayment, it requires constant connectivity. If the connection is lost, the subscription ends.

---

Enter Locking Scripts

One of the most powerful features of cashu is its locking scripts. Let’s take a quick refresher. A locking script defines the conditions under which a token (or "nut") becomes spendable. In essence, it’s similar to Bitcoin’s spending conditions, but instead of being enforced by the Bitcoin network, these conditions are enforced by the cashu mint alone.

A widely-used locking condition is Pay-to-Public-Key (P2PK). This locks a token to a specific public key, meaning it can only be spent when a valid signature from the key’s owner is provided. This mechanism is what enables NIP-61 nut zaps, where a token can be publicly shared but is only claimable by the intended recipient who holds the private key.

To address situations where a recipient loses access to their keys or simply doesn’t claim the token, P2PK includes additional options: locktime and a refund key. These options allow for the inclusion of a fallback mechanism. If the primary lock expires after a set time, a refund key can reclaim the token.

With these tools, we can now create non-interactive payment streams!

---

One Missing Piece…

Before diving into payment streams, there’s one more crucial concept to cover: cashu tokens are not singular "things". Instead, they’re composed of multiple proofs, each carrying its own cryptographic data and spendability. For example, if you receive a cashu token made up of five proofs, you could choose to claim only three proofs and leave the other two untouched. This flexibility is rarely utilized but is vital for building payment streams.

---

The Grand Finale: Payment Streams

Now that we have all the building blocks, let’s construct a payment stream using cashu. By leveraging locking scripts, refund keys, and multiple proofs, we can design a token that enables recipients to claim small portions of the total amount at regular intervals—without requiring any further interaction from the sender.

Even better, as the sender, you retain the ability to cancel the stream at any time and reclaim any unspent portions.

Example: Renting a VPS

Imagine renting a VPS for a week, priced at 1,000 sats per day. Here’s how a payment stream could work:

1. Construct a token worth 7,000 sats to cover the entire week.
2. Divide the token into 7 proofs, each worth 1,000 sats.
3. Lock each proof using a P2PK script, locking to your key and adding the recipients key as a refund key.
4. The first proof has a locktime of now.
5. The second proof has a locktime of now + 1 day.
6. The third proof has a locktime of now + 2 days, and so on.

When the token is sent, the receiver can immediately claim the first proof since its locktime has expired and the refund key is now able to claim. The second proof becomes claimable after one day, the third after two days, and so on.

At the same time, the sender retains the ability to reclaim any unclaimed proofs by signing with their key. If you decide to stop using the VPS midweek, you can cancel the stream and reclaim the remaining proofs; all without further interaction with the receiver.

---

With this approach, we can create robust, non-interactive payment streams that combine the autonomy of cashu with the flexibility to reclaim funds.

Thank you for reading. Make sure to leave a nut if you enjoyed this :)

@ a8d1560d:3fec7a08

Das digitale Zeitalter wird zunehmend von zentralisierten Plattformen geprägt, die Daten kontrollieren, Inhalte zensieren und Privatsphäre einschränken. Inmitten dieser Entwicklungen bietet Nostr eine Alternative: ein dezentrales Protokoll, das auf WebSocket und JSON basiert und die Werte von Dezentralität, Privatsphäre und Zensurresistenz hochhält. Doch wie kann sich Nostr verbreiten, ohne diese Grundwerte zu gefährden? Ein detaillierter Blick auf mögliche Strategien.

---

Was ist Nostr?

Nostr steht für "Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays". Es handelt sich nicht um eine Plattform oder einen zentralen Dienst, sondern um ein offenes Protokoll, das entwickelt wurde, um dezentrale soziale Netzwerke und Kommunikationslösungen zu ermöglichen. Es baut auf zwei Kerntechnologien auf: - WebSocket für Echtzeitkommunikation. - JSON als leichtgewichtiges Datenformat zur Übertragung von Informationen.

Die Nutzer identifizieren sich über ein kryptographisches Schlüsselpaar (privater und öffentlicher Schlüssel), was Authentifizierung und Integrität der Inhalte sicherstellt. Inhalte werden über sogenannte Relays verbreitet, die als Knotenpunkte fungieren und unabhängig betrieben werden können. Diese Struktur macht Nostr resistent gegenüber Zensur und zentraler Kontrolle.

---

Herausforderungen und Ziele

Obwohl Nostr viele Vorteile bietet, steht es vor mehreren Herausforderungen: - Die Akzeptanz in einer Welt, die an zentrale Plattformen gewöhnt ist. - Die Benutzerfreundlichkeit, die für breite Nutzung entscheidend ist. - Die Wahrung seiner Werte von Dezentralität, Privatsphäre und Zensurresistenz, selbst bei wachsender Verbreitung.

Um diese Ziele zu erreichen, müssen technische, soziale und regulatorische Aspekte gleichermaßen berücksichtigt werden.

---

1. Benutzerfreundlichkeit verbessern

Ein zentrales Hindernis für die Verbreitung von Nostr ist seine derzeitige Komplexität, die technisch weniger versierte Nutzer abschrecken kann. Um dies zu ändern, sollte der Fokus auf einer besseren Benutzererfahrung liegen:

• Einfacheres Onboarding:
• Schlüsselmanagement kann verwirrend sein. Automatisierte, aber sichere Lösungen für die Erstellung und Sicherung privater Schlüssel könnten den Einstieg erleichtern.

• Klare und einfache Tutorials sowie visuelle Erklärungen könnten dazu beitragen, die Lernkurve zu senken.

• Apps für verschiedene Plattformen:

• Zuverlässige und funktionsreiche Clients für mobile und Desktop-Plattformen (z. B. iOS, Android, Windows, Linux) sind essenziell.

• Eine konsistente Benutzeroberfläche und Funktionen wie Dark Mode oder Themes können Nutzerbindung stärken.

• Mehrsprachige Unterstützung:

• Lokalisierung der Clients und Tutorials in verschiedenen Sprachen kann dazu beitragen, Nostr in unterschiedlichen Regionen populär zu machen.

---

2. Relays demokratisieren und dezentralisieren

Relays sind das Herzstück von Nostr, und ihre Verfügbarkeit sowie Dezentralität sind entscheidend für die langfristige Stabilität des Protokolls.

• Förderung offener Relay-Betreibung:
• Detaillierte Anleitungen und Tools sollten bereitgestellt werden, um es Menschen einfach zu machen, eigene Relays zu betreiben.

• Hosting-Kits und optimierte Konfigurationen könnten Kosten und technische Hürden senken.

• Anreize für Relay-Betreiber:

• Monetarisierungsmodelle wie Micropayments über Bitcoin/Lightning könnten dazu beitragen, Relays finanziell nachhaltig zu machen.

• Relay-Auswahl vereinfachen:

• Nutzer sollten leicht erkennen können, welche Relays vertrauenswürdig und aktiv sind. Empfehlungsalgorithmen oder Listen könnten hier helfen.

---

3. Aufklärung und Community-Bildung

Eine informierte und engagierte Community ist entscheidend für den Erfolg von Nostr. Daher sollte der Fokus auf öffentlicher Aufklärung und Zusammenarbeit liegen:

• Bildungskampagnen:

• Artikel, Blogs und Videos könnten die Vorteile von Nostr verständlich erklären, insbesondere in Bezug auf Datenschutz und Zensurresistenz.

• Workshops und Hackathons:

• Veranstaltungen, die sich an Entwickler und Anwender richten, können helfen, das Wissen über Nostr zu verbreiten und neue Anwendungen zu entwickeln.

• Integration mit bestehenden Netzwerken:

• Tools zur Integration von Nostr mit anderen Plattformen (z. B. Twitter oder Mastodon) könnten die Reichweite erhöhen und den Übergang erleichtern.

---

4. Entwickler-Ökosystem stärken

Ein starkes Entwickler-Ökosystem ist entscheidend, um neue Anwendungen und Funktionen auf Nostr zu schaffen.

• Open-Source-Projekte fördern:

• Entwickler sollten Zugang zu gut dokumentierten Open-Source-Bibliotheken haben, um eigene Projekte auf Basis von Nostr umzusetzen.

• Modularität gewährleisten:

• Standards und Protokollerweiterungen sollten es ermöglichen, neue Funktionen hinzuzufügen, ohne die Dezentralität oder Interoperabilität zu gefährden.

• Interoperabilität stärken:

• Nostr könnte Brücken zu anderen Protokollen wie Matrix oder ActivityPub schlagen, um die Nutzungsmöglichkeiten zu erweitern.

---

5. Datenschutz und Sicherheit priorisieren

Privatsphäre und Sicherheit sind zentrale Versprechen von Nostr und sollten konsequent weiterentwickelt werden:

• Ende-zu-Ende-Verschlüsselung:

• Nachrichten zwischen Nutzern sollten standardmäßig verschlüsselt werden, um maximale Vertraulichkeit zu gewährleisten.

• Anonymität verbessern:

• Integration mit Technologien wie Tor oder VPNs könnte die Anonymität der Nutzer erhöhen.

• Selbstbestimmung über Daten:

• Nutzer sollten die volle Kontrolle über ihre Inhalte haben, einschließlich Export- und Löschoptionen.

---

6. Praktische Anwendungen fördern

Um Nostr populär zu machen, müssen konkrete Anwendungsfälle geschaffen werden, die über soziale Netzwerke hinausgehen:

• Spezialisierte Apps:

• Dezentrale Marktplätze, sichere Messenger oder alternative Blogging-Plattformen könnten auf Nostr aufbauen.

• Integration mit Bitcoin:

• Die Verbindung mit Bitcoin und dem Lightning-Netzwerk kann Micropayments ermöglichen und finanzielle Anreize schaffen.

• Experimentelle Anwendungen:

• Kreative Ideen wie dezentrale Abstimmungen oder Bildungssysteme könnten neue Zielgruppen ansprechen.

---

7. Widerstandsfähigkeit gegen Regulierung

Die regulatorische Landschaft, insbesondere in der EU, könnte Herausforderungen für Nostr darstellen. Es ist wichtig, Widerstandsfähigkeit zu sichern:

• Zensurresistenz bewahren:

• Nostr sollte so gestaltet sein, dass zentrale Eingriffe oder Blockaden schwer umzusetzen sind.

• Technische Neutralität betonen:

• Nostr ist ein Protokoll, kein Service. Diese Unterscheidung sollte klar kommuniziert werden, um regulatorischen Druck abzumildern.

• Zugang sicherstellen:

• Technologien wie Proxy-Relays oder alternative Verbindungsprotokolle könnten den Zugang in zensurkritischen Regionen gewährleisten.

---

Fazit

Nostr bietet eine vielversprechende Alternative zu zentralisierten Plattformen, indem es Dezentralität, Privatsphäre und Zensurresistenz in den Mittelpunkt stellt. Um sich erfolgreich zu verbreiten, muss jedoch eine Balance gefunden werden: zwischen technischer Innovation, benutzerfreundlicher Umsetzung und dem Schutz seiner Kernwerte. Mit gezielter Aufklärung, einem starken Entwickler-Ökosystem und einer aktiven Community kann Nostr zu einer zukunftsweisenden Plattform für die digitale Kommunikation werden – ohne die Freiheit und Selbstbestimmung seiner Nutzer zu gefährden.

@ 1bda7e1f:bb97c4d9

Tldr

• Nostr is an open protocol which is interoperable with all kinds of other technologies
• You can use this interoperability to create custom solutions
• Nostr apps define a custom URI scheme handler "nostr:"
• In this blog I use this to integrate Nostr with NFC cards
• I create a Nostr NFC "login card" which allows me to log into Amethyst client
• I create a Nostr NFC "business card" which allows anyone to find my profile with a tap

Inter-Op All The Things!

Nostr is a new open social protocol for the internet. This open nature is very exciting because it means Nostr can add new capabilities to all other internet-connected technologies, from browsers to web applications. In my view, it achieves this through three core capabilities.

• A lightweight decentralised identity (Nostr keys, "npubs" and "nsecs"),
• A lightweight data distribution network (Nostr relays),
• A set of data interoperability standards (The Nostr Improvement Protocols "NIPs"), including the "nostr:" URI which we'll use in this post.

The lightweight nature is its core strength. Very little is required to interoperate with Nostr, which means many existing technologies can be easily used with the network.

Over the next few blog posts, I'll explore different Nostr inter-op ideas, and also deliver my first small open source projects to the community. I'll cover–

• NFC cards integrated with Nostr (in this post),
• Workflow Automations integrated with Nostr,
• AI LLMs integrated with Nostr.

The "Nostr:" URI

One feature of Nostr is it defines a custom URI scheme handler "nostr:". What is that?

A URI is used to identify a resource in a system. A system will have a protocol handler registry used to store such URI's, and if a system has a URI registered, then it knows what to do when it sees it. You are probably already familiar with some URI schemes such as "http:" and "mailto:". For example, when you click an http link, the system knows that it describes an http resource and opens a web browser to fetch the content from the internet.

A nostr: link operates in the same way. The nostr: prefix indicates a custom URI scheme specifically designed for the Nostr protocol. If a system has a Nostr application installed, that application may have registered "nostr:" in the protocol handler registry. On that system when a "nostr:" URI is clicked, the system will know that it describes a nostr resource and open the Nostr client to fetch the content from the nostr relay network.

This inter-op with the protocol handler registry gives us the power to do nice and exciting things with other technologies.

Nostr and NFC

Another technology that uses URIs is NFC cards. NFC (Near Field Communication) is a wireless technology that enables devices to exchange data over a few centimeters. It’s widely used in contactless payments, access control, and information sharing.

NFC tags are small chips embedded in cards or stickers which can store data like plain text, URLs, or custom URIs. They are very cheap (cents each) and widely available (Amazon with next day delivery).

When an NFC tag contains a URI, such as a http: (or nostr:) link, it acts as a trigger. Tapping the tag with an NFC-enabled device launches the associated application and processes the URI. For example, tapping a tag with "nostr:..." could open a Nostr client, directing it to a specific login page, public profile, or event.

This inter-op allows us to bridge the physical world to Nostr with just a tap.

Many useful ideas

There are many interesting ways to use this. Too many for me to explore. Perhaps some of these are interesting for your next side hustle?

• Nostr NFC "login cards" – tap to log into Amethyst on Android,
• Nostr NFC "business cards" – give to connections so they can tap to load your npub,
• Nostr NFC "payment cards" – integrating lightning network or ecash,
• Nostr NFC "doorbells", "punch cards", "drop boxes", or "dead drops" – put a tag in a specific place and tap to open a location-specific message or chat,
• Integrations with other access control systems,
• Integrations with other home automation systems,
• Many more ...

To start with I have built and use the "login card" and "business card" solutions. This blog post will show you how to do the same.

Nostr Login Card

You can use an NFC card to log into your Nostr client.

Most Nostr clients accept a variety of login methods, from posting your nsec into the app (insecure) to using a remote signer (more secure). A less known but more secure method is to sign into a session with a tap of a specially-configured NFC card. Amethyst is a Nostr client on Android which supports this type of login.

• A secure method for logging in
• Optionally keeps no log in history on the device after logout
• Does not require users to know or understand how keys work
• Keys are kept secure on a physically-separated card to reduce risk of compromise

Nostr devs think that this is useful for anti-establishment actors–Fair enough. For me, I am interested in this login card pattern as it could be useful for rolling out identities within an organisation context with less training (office workers are already familiar with door access cards). This pattern potentially abstracts away key management to the IT or ops team who provision the cards.

I first discovered this when Kohei demonstrated it in his video.

Here's how you set it up at a high level–

1. Buy yourself some NFC cards
2. Get your Nostr key ready in an encrypted, password protected format called "nencryptsec"
3. Write the nencryptsec to the NFC card as a custom URI
4. Tap to load the login screen, and enter your password to login

Here it is in detail–

Buy yourself some NFC cards

I found no specific requirements. As usual with Nostr so far, I tried to the cheapest possible route and it worked. Generic brand NFC cards shipped from China, I believe it was 50X for $15 from Amazon. Your mileage may vary.

Get your Nostr key ready

Your key will be saved to the NFC card in an encrypted password-protected format called "nencryptsec". Several applications support this. As we'll be using this to login to Amethyst, we will use Amethyst to output the nencryptsec for us.

1. Login to Amethyst with your nsec,
2. Open the sidebar and click "Backup Keys",
3. Enter a password, and click "Encrypt and my secret key",
4. It will add the password-protected key to your clipboard in the format "ncryptsec1...",
5. Remember to backup your password.

Write the ncryptsec to the NFC card

1. Download the free NFC Tools app to your device, and open it,
2. Click "Write" and "Add a record", then click "Custom URL / URI",
3. Paste your nencryptsec with the nostr URI in front, i.e. "nostr:ncryptsec1..." and click OK,
4. Click "Write". NFC Tools will prompt you to "Approach an NFC tag",
5. Place your NFC card against your phone, and it will write to the card,
6. Your card is ready.

Tap to load the login screen

Tap the card against your phone again, and your phone should open the login screen of Amethyst and prompt you for your password.

Once you enter your password, Amethyst will decrypt your nsec and log you in.

Optionally, you can also set the app to forget you once you log out.

You have created a Nostr NFC "login card".

Nostr Business Card

You can use another NFC card to give anyone you meet a link straight to your Nostr profile.

I attended Peter McCormack's #CheatCode conference in Sydney and gave a few of these out following the Nostr panel, notably to Preston Pysh where it got some cut through and found me my first 100 followers. You can do the same.

To create your Nostr NFC "business card" is even easier than your NFC "login card".

1. Buy yourself some NFC cards,
2. Download the free NFC Tools app to your device, and open it,
3. Click "Write" and "Add a record", then click "Custom URL / URI",
4. Write your npub to the NFC card as a custom URI in the format "nostr:npub1..." (e.g. for me this is "nostr:npub1r0d8u8mnj6769500nypnm28a9hpk9qg8jr0ehe30tygr3wuhcnvs4rfsft"),
5. Your card is ready.

Give the card to someone who is a Nostr user, and when they tap the card against their phone it will open their preferred Nostr client and go directly to your Nostr profile page.

You have created a Nostr NFC "business card".

What I Did Wrong

I like to share what I did wrong so you don't have to make the same mistakes. This time, this was very easy, and little went wrong. In general

• When password-protecting your nsec, don't forget the password!
• When writing to the NFC card, make sure to use "Custom URI/URL" as this accepts your "nostr:" URI scheme. If you use generic "URI/URL" it won't work.

What's Next

Over my first four blogs I have explored creating a good Nostr setup

• Mined a Nostr pubkey and backed up the mnemonic
• Set up Nostr payments with a Lightning wallet plus all the bells and whistles
• Set up NIP-05 and Lighting Address at my own domain
• Set up a Personal Relay at my own domain

Over the next few blogs I will be exploring different types of Nostr inter-op

• NFC cards integrated with Nostr (this post)
• Workflow Automations integrated with Nostr
• AI LLMs integrated with Nostr

Please be sure to let me know if you think there's another Nostr topic you'd like to see me tackle.

GM Nostr.

@ 6bae33c8:607272e8

It was a bad week. I went 2-3 ATS in Circa, and my fantasy teams no-showed. My best team needs a good game from Ja’Marr Chase tonight to lock in a spot in the postseason (maybe it’s in anyway as a third-place team due to total points.) The other two fringe ones didn’t come close. And my Steak League team will miss the playoffs thanks to an utter no-show and now is in serious jeopardy of buying. I barely watched the first half of the late games, opting instead to go to sleep.

I’m soured on the season, but it’s no one’s fault but my own. The truth is I don’t give a shit that much. I mean I’m pissed but not as pissed as I should be. I had a crushing day, it torched most of my season, and I’m annoyed, but I didn’t do anything special to deserve to win. I did the research, and I did the FAAB every week, and I set my lineups carefully. But I’m not doing anything above and beyond. I have only the interest I have. I’ve completed the transition from professional to casual player.

• I took the Titans -3.5 as one of my picks and Will Levis as my Steak League QB with my other QBs on bye. For whatever reason the Jaguars were ranked last against QB scoring, but limited both C.J. Stroud, who I started last week against them, and Levis. Not that Levis was a lock against anyone.

• I had the Jets +5.5 which was the right side all game, but it was the wrong side because it was the Jets who are cursed.

• I also had Braelon Allen, so of course Isaiah Davis scores the TD and outplays him.

• The strangest storyline of the day was Jonnu Smith who I have everywhere scoring zero points on one target during regulation, then getting 13.8 on a single overtime drive including the game-winning TD. I’m happy he did so much in overtime, but what the fuck was that?

• Other than Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa is probably the best bet for passing yards in any given game.

• Sam Darnold had a monster game — he also didn’t throw a pick and scrambled to make some of those downfield throws. Jordan Addison is emerging as a star alongside Justin Jefferson too, maybe the best WR tandem in the league.

• Maybe Kirk Cousins is cooked. One more loss, and they have to whip out Penix.

• The fucking Giants. I actually laid the wood with the Saints too, and they couldn’t just send it to overtime with a chip shot FG (to give the Saints a chance to cover the 4.5). Plus I had Malik Nabers going and needed more points.

• The Panthers play everyone tough now. I used Jonathon Brooks in the flex in one league, and he got hurt again. Waiting all year for injured players doesn’t usually pan out. Nick Chubb is still healthy, but hasn’t done much either.

• Saquon Barkley had a modest game, but now has 1,623 yards with four games to go. I love Barkley, but the 17-game season really skews record books.

• I’m an idiot for not using the Steelers in the Circa contest. Of course they were going to cover after losing outright a couple weeks ago. I did start Calvin Austin in the Steak League (with George Pickens out), and Austin got me one catch for four yards.

• I had the Bucs -7 against the Raiders, and it was close for a while, but the Raiders are always on the edge of collapse with their QB play.

• I started Bucky Irving who the team shut down early as a precaution. No one told them Week 14 in fantasy is not the time for precaution.

• I foolishly used Arizona in the Circa contest. They were good for a few games a few games ago, but now they’ve reverted. Seattle has more balls than they do. As a Kenny Walker owner, it’s rough seeing Zach Charbonnet have the game you were waiting for from Walker all year.

• Maybe the style is too high-degree of difficulty, but Kyler Murray has never been consistent.

• I didn’t watch Rams-Bills. One reason why my top team is on the ropes is one of the guys I’m competing with (Bob Cramutola) had Josh Allen going. I woke up this morning, was like how did he get 196 points?

• Kyren Williams is like my size, but handles 29 carries, two catches, no problem.

• Puca Nacua should have been a first-round pick. The injury was unlucky, but he belonged ahead of A.J. Brown and Garrett Wilson. Just a target and playmaking machine.

• I had Jordan Mason on my teams all year, and of course Isaac Guerendo goes bananas when you needed it most. The Niners were the obvious buy-low, but I didn’t realize that until watching the first half.

• I had Kimani Vidal in one league, Gus Edwards in another. Edwards scored a TD at least, but would it kill Justin Herbert to target a running back?

• Thomas Hobbes famously described life in the state of nature as “nasty, brutish and short.” Chiefs games are similarly nasty, brutish and close.

@ ece53feb:1edf277e

https://www.newyorkupstate.com/news/2024/12/upstate-ny-village-shuts-off-water-declares-state-of-emergency.html?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

@ a58a2663:87bb2918

1. Concluir com minha filha, até o fim de 2025, a leitura da tradução latina de Ursinho Pooh, isto é, Winnie Ille Pu, de Alexander Lenard (1910-1972), poeta, ensaísta e tradutor húngaro que viveu no Brasil. Que texto curioso! Estranho estímulo que me chegou para voltar a estudar latim a sério.

1. Importar mais livros pela Thrift Books e menos pela Loja do Diabo. Seu acervo é excepcional e o frete é mais barato. Às vezes, em menos de duas semanas já estou com o livro em mãos (e olha que resido no Maranhão).

2. Concluir e publicar meu livro Vida após as Universidades. Escrita & criação em velhos & novos contextos de risco, desenvolvimento de algumas ideias que insinuei em Contra a vida intelectual, no que diz respeito ao encerramento de um ciclo histórico de modos de fazer investigação erudita.

3. Rematar o terceiro e último módulo de Convivium - Seminário Permanente de Humanidades, "A Alegoria do Mundo: o Mago, o Filólogo e o Colonizador", embrião de um longo ensaio sobre o "projeto humanista" e as vias de saída da modernidade oferecidas pelo pensamento latino-americano. (As inscrições seguem abertas. Caso queira inscrever-se pagando em bitcoin, me mande um e-mail: camoensiii57@protonmail.com).

4. Defender no primeiro semestre minha tese de doutoramento sobre João Francisco Lisboa (1812-1863), o maior prosador brasileiro de meados do século XIX. Compreender seu Jornal de Tímon implica rever concepções há muitos estabelecidas sobre a formação da literatura brasileira.

5. Escrever pelo menos cinco ensaios de apresentação do pensamento de Vilém Flusser e do que pretendo realizar em FLUSSER_project. A ideia é divulgá-los em inglês e especialmente aqui pelo Nostr.

6. Ler TUDO de Ignacio Gómez de Liaño.

7. Não ceder à tentação de discutir com imbecil.

@ 01d0bbf9:91130d4c

The Bitcoin community thrives on open-source innovation, but Coinkite’s move against BTClock risks stifling progress and alienating its core supporters.

Open-source projects like BTClock typically aim to promote innovation and accessibility within the Bitcoin community. Suing the programmer for trademark infringement seems like an overly aggressive move by Coinkite, given the values that Bitcoin and its ecosystem often stand for: decentralization, collaboration, and open innovation.

Why It’s Problematic:

1. Chilling Effect on Open Source:

2. Actions like this discourage developers from creating alternative solutions or building on existing ideas, which stifles community-driven progress.

3. Open-source projects thrive on shared knowledge, and this lawsuit could set a precedent for others to clamp down on grassroots efforts.

4. Reputation Risk for Coinkite:

5. While Coinkite has long been respected for products like the Blockclock and Coldcard, this move could alienate its core audience—Bitcoiners who value freedom and decentralization.

6. By targeting an open-source developer, Coinkite risks being perceived as prioritizing profits over community principles.

7. Trademark Infringement Question:

8. If the issue is solely over the name "BTClock," a fair resolution could involve renaming the project rather than pursuing legal action.

9. Lawsuits should ideally be a last resort, not the first response.

A Better Approach:

• Coinkite could have worked with the BTClock developer to address concerns without legal action—perhaps through dialogue or collaboration.
• Open acknowledgment of BTClock’s differences (lower cost, open-source) would have shown confidence in their own premium product, while still respecting community-driven alternatives.

What NVK and Coinkite Should Do

Even now, NVK could mitigate the damage:

• Withdraw the Lawsuit: Openly acknowledge the backlash and frame it as a misunderstanding or a "necessary step" that they’re now reconsidering due to the community’s response.
• Collaborate with BTClock: Find a way to coexist, perhaps by licensing certain Blockclock-specific elements if truly necessary, while leaving room for BTClock’s open-source innovation.

@ e356a30c:11e846f7

Bitcoin, the world's first and most well-known cryptocurrency, has taken the financial world by storm. Its decentralized nature, secure transactions, and potential for high returns have attracted millions of investors. However, the volatile nature of the market and regulatory uncertainties have also raised concerns.

The Pros of Bitcoin 1. Decentralization: Bitcoin operates on a decentralized network, meaning no single entity controls it. This makes it resistant to censorship and manipulation. 2. Security: Bitcoin transactions are secured by blockchain technology, a robust system that records transactions in a transparent and immutable way. 3. Potential for High Returns: Bitcoin's price has experienced significant fluctuations, leading to substantial gains for early investors. 4. Global Accessibility: Bitcoin can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection, regardless of geographic location or financial status. 5. Privacy: Bitcoin transactions can be conducted pseudonymously, providing a level of privacy not offered by traditional financial systems.

The Cons of Bitcoin 1. Volatility: Bitcoin's price is highly volatile, making it a risky investment. Price fluctuations can be drastic, and investors may lose significant amounts of money. 2. Regulatory Uncertainty: The regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies is still evolving, and governments around the world are taking different approaches. This uncertainty can create legal and tax complications for investors. 3. Energy Consumption: Bitcoin mining requires significant amounts of energy, raising concerns about its environmental impact. 4. Security Risks: While blockchain technology is secure, individuals can still be vulnerable to hacking and scams. 5. Limited Practical Use Cases: Bitcoin's primary use case remains as a speculative asset rather than a widely accepted means of payment. Should You Invest in Bitcoin?

The decision to invest in Bitcoin is a personal one that should be carefully considered. It is essential to conduct thorough research and understand the risks involved. If you're considering investing, here are some tips: 1. Diversify Your Portfolio: Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Diversify your investments across various asset classes to mitigate risk. 2. Start Small: Begin with a small investment to test the waters and gain experience. 3. Long-Term Perspective: Bitcoin is a long-term investment. Don't get caught up in short-term price fluctuations. 4. Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date with the latest news and developments in the cryptocurrency market. 5. Consult a Financial Advisor: Seek advice from a qualified financial advisor to get personalized guidance.

Ultimately, the future of Bitcoin remains uncertain. While it has the potential to revolutionize the financial industry, it also faces significant challenges. As technology continues to evolve, it is likely that cryptocurrencies will play an increasingly important role in the global economy. However, investors should approach this emerging market with caution and a clear understanding of the risks involved.

Reference: https://ssoemsisd.com/depomin82-an-overview-of-cryptocurrency-and-its-investment-potential/

@ 1bda7e1f:bb97c4d9

Tldr

• Nostr is an open protocol which is interoperable with all kinds of other technologies
• You can use this interoperability to create custom solutions
• Nostr apps define the a custom URI scheme handler "nostr:"
• In this blog I use this to integrate Nostr with NFC cards
• I create a Nostr NFC "login card" which allows me to log into Amethyst client
• I create a Nostr NFC "business card" which allows anyone to find my profile with a tap

Inter-Op All The Things!

Nostr is a new open social protocol for the internet. This open nature is very exciting because it means Nostr can add new capabilities to all other internet-connected technologies, from browsers to web applications. In my view, it achieves this through three core capabilities.

• A lightweight decentralised identity (Nostr keys, "npubs" and "nsecs"),
• A lightweight data distribution network (Nostr relays),
• A set of data interoperability standards (The Nostr Improvement Protocols "NIPs"), including the "nostr:" URI which we'll use in this post.

The lightweight nature is its core strength. Very little is required to interoperate with Nostr, which means many existing technologies can be easily used with the network.

Over the next few blog posts, I'll explore different Nostr inter-op ideas, and also deliver my first small open source projects to the community. I'll cover–

• NFC cards integrated with Nostr (in this post),
• Workflow Automations integrated with Nostr,
• AI LLMs integrated with Nostr.

The "Nostr:" URI

One feature of Nostr is it defines a custom URI scheme handler "nostr:". What is that?

A URI is used to identify a resource in a system. A system will have a protocol handler registry used to store such URI's, and if a system has a URI registered, then it knows what to do when it sees it. You are probably already familiar with some URI schemes such as "http:" and "mailto:". For example, when you click an http link, the system knows that it describes an http resource and opens a web browser to fetch the content from the internet.

A nostr: link operates in the same way. The nostr: prefix indicates a custom URI scheme specifically designed for the Nostr protocol. If a system has a Nostr application installed, that application may have registered "nostr:" in the protocol handler registry. On that system when a "nostr:" URI is clicked, the system will know that it describes a nostr resource and open the Nostr client to fetch the content from the nostr relay network.

This inter-op with the protocol handler registry gives us the power to do nice and exciting things with other technologies.

Nostr and NFC

Another technology that uses URIs is NFC cards. NFC (Near Field Communication) is a wireless technology that enables devices to exchange data over a few centimeters. It’s widely used in contactless payments, access control, and information sharing.

NFC tags are small chips embedded in cards or stickers which can store data like plain text, URLs, or custom URIs. They are very cheap (cents each) and widely available (Amazon with next day delivery).

When an NFC tag contains a URI, such as a http: (or nostr:) link, it acts as a trigger. Tapping the tag with an NFC-enabled device launches the associated application and processes the URI. For example, tapping a tag with "nostr:..." could open a Nostr client, directing it to a specific login page, public profile, or event.

This inter-op allows us to bridge the physical world to Nostr with just a tap.

Many useful ideas

There are many interesting ways to use this. Too many for me to explore. Perhaps some of these are interesting for your next side hustle?

• Nostr NFC "login cards" – tap to log into Amethyst on Android,
• Nostr NFC "business cards" – give to connections so they can tap to load your npub,
• Nostr NFC "payment cards" – integrating lightning network or ecash,
• Nostr NFC "doorbells", "punch cards", "drop boxes", or "dead drops" – put a tag in a specific place and tap to open a location-specific message or chat,
• Integrations with other access control systems,
• Integrations with other home automation systems,
• Many more ...

To start with I have built and use the "login card" and "business card" solutions. This blog post will show you how to do the same.

Nostr Login Card

You can use an NFC card to log into your Nostr client.

Most Nostr clients accept a variety of login methods, from posting your nsec into the app (insecure) to using a remote signer (more secure). A less known but more secure method is to sign into a session with a tap of a specially-configured NFC card. Amethyst is a Nostr client on Android which supports this type of login.

• A secure method for logging in
• Optionally keeps no log in history on the device after logout
• Does not require users to know or understand how keys work
• Keys are kept secure on a physically-separated card to reduce risk of compromise

Nostr devs think that this is useful for anti-establishment actors–Fair enough. For me, I am interested in this login card pattern as it could be useful for rolling out identities within an organisation context with less training (office workers are already familiar with door access cards). This pattern potentially abstracts away key management to the IT or ops team who provision the cards.

I first discovered this when Kohei demonstrated it in his video.

Here's how you set it up at a high level–

1. Buy yourself some NFC cards
2. Get your Nostr key ready in an encrypted, password protected format called "nencryptsec"
3. Write the nencryptsec to the NFC card as a custom URI
4. Tap to load the login screen, and enter your password to login

Here it is in detail–

Buy yourself some NFC cards

I found no specific requirements. As usual with Nostr so far, I tried to the cheapest possible route and it worked. Generic brand NFC cards shipped from China, I believe it was 50X for $15 from Amazon. Your mileage may vary.

Get your Nostr key ready

Your key will be saved to the NFC card in an encrypted password-protected format called "nencryptsec". Several applications support this. As we'll be using this to login to Amethyst, we will use Amethyst to output the nencryptsec for us.

1. Login to Amethyst with your nsec,
2. Open the sidebar and click "Backup Keys",
3. Enter a password, and click "Encrypt and my secret key",
4. It will add the password-protected key to your clipboard in the format "ncryptsec1...",
5. Remember to backup your password.

Write the ncryptsec to the NFC card

1. Download the free NFC Tools app to your device, and open it,
2. Click "Write" and "Add a record", then click "Custom URL / URI",
3. Paste your nencryptsec with the nostr URI in front, i.e. "nostr:ncryptsec1..." and click OK,
4. Click "Write". NFC Tools will prompt you to "Approach an NFC tag",
5. Place your NFC card against your phone, and it will write to the card,
6. Your card is ready.

Tap to load the login screen

Tap the card against your phone again, and your phone should open the login screen of Amethyst and prompt you for your password.

Once you enter your password, Amethyst will decrypt your nsec and log you in.

Optionally, you can also set the app to forget you once you log out.

You have created a Nostr NFC "login card".

Nostr Business Card

You can use another NFC card to give anyone you meet a link straight to your Nostr profile.

I attended Peter McCormack's #CheatCode conference in Sydney and gave a few of these out following the Nostr panel, notably to Preston Pysh where it got some cut through and found me my first 100 followers. You can do the same.

To create your Nostr NFC "business card" is even easier than your NFC "login card".

1. Buy yourself some NFC cards,
2. Download the free NFC Tools app to your device, and open it,
3. Click "Write" and "Add a record", then click "Custom URL / URI",
4. Write your npub to the NFC card as a custom URI in the format "nostr:npub1..." (e.g. for me this is "nostr:npub1r0d8u8mnj6769500nypnm28a9hpk9qg8jr0ehe30tygr3wuhcnvs4rfsft"),
5. Your card is ready.

Give the card to someone who is a Nostr user, and when they tap the card against their phone it will open their preferred Nostr client and go directly to your Nostr profile page.

You have created a Nostr NFC "business card".

What I Did Wrong

I like to share what I did wrong so you don't have to make the same mistakes. This time, this was very easy, and little went wrong. In general

• When password-protecting your nsec, don't forget the password!
• When writing to the NFC card, make sure to use "Custom URI/URL" as this accepts your "nostr:" URI scheme. If you use generic "URI/URL" it won't work.

What's Next

Over my first four blogs I have explored creating a good Nostr setup

• Mined a Nostr pubkey and backed up the mnemonic
• Set up Nostr payments with a Lightning wallet plus all the bells and whistles
• Set up NIP-05 and Lighting Address at my own domain
• Set up a Personal Relay at my own domain

Over the next few blogs I will be exploring different types of Nostr inter-op

• NFC cards integrated with Nostr (this post)
• Workflow Automations integrated with Nostr
• AI LLMs integrated with Nostr

Please be sure to let me know if you think there's another Nostr topic you'd like to see me tackle.

GM Nostr.

@ 005bc4de:ef11e1a2

I've long had a hunch, and on Saturday it was confirmed. God gifted us indoor plumbing for the purpose of keeping us humble.

The kitchen sink has had a slight drip for...too long. Of late, it has been getting worse and I procrastinated until I simply couldn't any longer. Saturday, I determined to finally fix it.

In theory, it should be simple: remove the stupid garbage disposal (which we never used) as it had rusted through and was the leakage problem, then rebuild the piping without a stupid garbage disposal. I've learned to take photos or repair projects, and did, but being a bit nerdy and maybe a bit spectrumy I need to draw it out...helps me flesh things out in my mind.

!(image)[https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/crrdlx/23u6WTkJyo2BWz64wAdM1ow93QciRyBdseq48FWL9rpYUijLAVg8n2fAP61tMuHdNest7.png]

To me, home projects are judged by the number of trips to the home improvement store. I set the over/under on this one at 2.5 trips. If I could only go twice to the store, and get it done, I'd say it was a victory. Over 2.5 and it would be a loss. My usual is around 4 trips, so, feeling this was an easy endeavor, the low 2.5 over/under was set.

Step 1 - disassembly

Tearing things apart is the easy part. At least, it's supposed to be easy because you don't have to be particularly careful. Removing the stupid garbage disposal would be nothing more than unscrewing things, and it was. However, the plastic composite ring that held on the stupid garbage disposal was impossibly not going to come off. I had to use and angle grinder and literally cut the thing off. This is akin to removing a rusty nail with an axe. I cut, off it came.

Step 2 - assembly

I looked at the situation, I drew my sketch. Actually, I drew the first part of the sketch. What's pictured above is the final composition of several iterations and additions. I took trip #1 to the home improvements store, surprisingly found the section quickly (unheard of) and surprisingly quickly found the parts I needed (also unheard of). After navigating through all the Christmas shoppers buying cute decorative doo-daddies (while I was buying pipe), I paid, navigated jammed-full parking lot, then I was gone.

The first part, the "basin/catch thing" went in too easily and things were going too well. (This can't be good, I thought.) And, sure enough under the sink, the parts I thought would do the job weren't even close. What was I thinking?

So, back to the store trip #2. Same thing...section, parts, navigate holiday shoppers (there were more now), navigate parking lot (there were more now), gone. The next parts were assembled, sort of. The little diagrams on the packaging and the in-studio plumbing vids I'd watched all looked so easy. Everything matched up, everything fit. Here, with my head stuck underneath a dark and damp sink and my arms twisted in wrong ways, nothing matched up, nothing fit. And, I needed another part.

So, back to the store trip #3. A few hours in now, I was getting perturbed. I had to humble myself and do what men hate doing...I decided to ask for help.

The kind home improvement store man was answering questions left and right. (It was even busier now.) I waited...more humbling. When my turn came, I bent the knee, showed him my photo of what I had going on under the sink.

"That's not gonna work," he said.

Ugh. "What am I doing wrong?" I asked kind of pitifully.

"Water flows downhill, not uphill," he informed me.

So, this was the real lesson in humility yesterday. Normally, with a smart-alec answer like that (which does not answer my "what's wrong" question, but was merely injected to kick me while I'm down), I would have responded with something of the same kind...because, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. I might've said, "It doesn't flow downhill when it's pumped uphill," or "Well, I'll be doggone, that's it! Water does flow downhill. You're a smart man!" Actually, I probably would have said, "Good for you, that's correct," as if congratulating him on his accomplishment of water flowage knowledge, then I would have repeated my question, "what am I doing wrong?"

However, I was too beat down, and stuck. I kept my mouth shut. To get an extra jab in, he added something about how my design would also create a venting problem. Then, he gave constructive advice: take this part out, get one of these, it slides in and out, adjust it to where it fits, easy. To be fair, I think he was growing weary from all the stupid people and stupid questions...evidently people come up with crazy ideas, like water flowing uphill.

I chuckled, "Easy for you maybe," I said. This was trip three, I was stuck, I didn't exactly know what he was telling me to do, I was too embarrassed to ask after having been passive aggressive plumbing-shamed. He seemed pretty confident, so I headed out, with little confidence this would work.

Navigate holiday shoppers, the checkout lady said, "Oh, you're back," (great, now they're starting to know me and my ineptitude, more embarrassment), pay, navigate parking lot, gone.

Back home, I was getting closer. What I was doing was a case of building things out piece by piece. If I had a truck full of parts outside, I could have been done in 30 minutes. The back-and-forth and shaming was what was draining me. The system I was building seemed as though it was finally going to work, but, it just wasn't lining up right...about an inch of a misalign. I needed one more extension part for a slight drop. The last piece of the jigsaw was close, but not exactly right. By this time though, I was getting tired and that added to the frustration. Plus, I couldn't dare go back and face Mr. Water Downhill and Mrs. You're Backagain. I went to a closer, but more pricey, hardware store. I found the part I thought would work and the Santa-looking man there assured me that part was correct. For the first time since trip #1, I felt I might get it to work.

Back home, again, holding things under the sink, looking, figuring, head scratching...nope, this part won't work. Santa was wrong. A male threaded head can't mate with a male threaded head...it just doesn't work that way. Argh! Seriously?! I have to go back again?!

I scratched my head and figured I'd retrace and try what seemed promising the last time...just take a fresh look. To wrap this up, I finally got it to work by mixing and matching parts in the kits I'd bought. The flexible "get rid of this" part that Mr. Water Downhill told me to toss out did the trick. That part was able to flex the one inch drop that I needed to get things to mesh up. And just like that, it was complete.

Tighten, tighten, tighten, tighten, tighten, and tighten. Then, pray for no leaks. Water back on...

Based on my prior plumbing endeavors, I was stunned...there were no leaks. And a day in, so far, so good. I'll keep praying.

Stats

• 5.5 hours of work
• 3 trips to home improvement store
• 1 trip to hardware store
• 1 trip to home improvement store to return unused part (yet to be done)
• 1 trip to hardware store to return unused part (yet to be done)
• 1 make-me-feel-dumb comment from the guy in plumbing
• 1 "back again" from the checkout lady
• 1 "that'll work" from Santa lookalike

With the over/under on trips to the store set at 2.5, and me hitting 6 trips counting the returns, this was clearly a fail.

Moral

The moral of the story is that my hunch was correct...God's purpose in giving us indoor plumbing is so that we stay humble. It's either "stay humble," or get slapped down and "get humbled."

@ c48e29f0:26e14c11

TL;DR -- HIGHLIGHT THIS TRANSCRIPT TO CREATE NEW NOSTR EVENTS, GET ZAPS, AND EXPOSE MORE PEOPLE TO THE* BITCOIN PODCAST IN THE PROCESS*

WHY THE FUCK AM I DOING THIS?

Up until now I've been publishing transcripts for THE Bitcoin Podcast (@Titcoin on Nostr) on my website, bitcoinpodcast.net/words, and, more recently, putting show notes/summaries on my newly-created Substack, substack.com/@walkeramerica, so people can sign up to get episodes delivered to their inbox (unfortunately I can't publish the full transcripts on Substack because they're too long). I also just hate doing this because it takes time and I don't think anyone actually reads them on my website or on my Substack. And Substack is a centralized shithole anyway.

But I've been thinking... It would make a lot more sense to just publish the summaries and full transcripts directly on Nostr so people can search and highlight the text more easily, with each highlight creating a brand new Nostr event. I'll also post the quotes I've already pulled from the episode in a section at the top, which will give people a taste of what they can expect in addition to giving them some low-hanging-fruit for highlighting. Most obviously, publishing on Nostr means I just need to publish ONCE and my post will be available to everyone on whatever client they use (huzzah for open protocols and fuck Substack).

There are a few benefits to this Nostr-focused approach:

1. People can easily search the full text transcripts and find quotes they find meaningful/funny/fucked up/insightful/etc.
2. When they create a highlight, they publish a new Nostr event which people can zap. People are incentivized to find the most valuable quotes because people like getting zapped.
3. If people see highlights they find valuable, they'll come check out the full version of the show notes and subsequently watch/listen to the episodes, in addition to searching the transcript for their own highlight-able material (more zaps ensue). Maybe they even use the transcript as they listen to the episode and highlight as they go. Who knows?!
4. As a content creator, I now have a new way to discover what parts of the episode speak to people most because I can see what people choose to highlight, and which highlights people choose to zap. This helps me decide which parts of an episode will make for the highest-signal short-form video clips, and of finding fire quotes I may have missed on my first pass-through. The highlights become a way to crowdsource signal and filter noise.
5. The episodes become more interactive as new conversations pop up around Nostr based on different highlights. Nostr events are created, thoughts are provoked, zaps are zapped, sats flow, community grows, and my episodes of THE Bitcoin Podcast get more visibility. #GrowNostr ?
6. Thanks to Zap Splits, I can add my podcast guests to a split list, ensuring that any zaps I received are also shared with them (which I did for HODL and Cason on this long-form note).

Anyway, that's enough chit chat for now. Let's see if this works or if it's just a late-night idea that doesn't seem as smart in the morning.

The full transcript of the episode is below, in addition to some of the quotes I pulled already (feel free to highlight the shit out of them). But first, here are the links to watch/listen to my conversation with Hodl and Cason:

• Fountain: https://www.fountain.fm/episode/TO4YqCAm0k2zTdLIi7xl
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/0Jy2QFRmhP4
• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bitcoin-trump-freedom-the-american-idea-erik-cason/id1694392423?i=1000676077910
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7rCjFeTCdXwgrX6jylj5jH
• Rumble: https://rumble.com/v5mtk5t-bitcoin-trump-freedom-and-the-american-idea-erik-cason-and-american-hodl.html
• Everywhere else: https://bitcoinpodcast.net/podcast
• SHOW NOTES: https://open.substack.com/pub/walkeramerica/p/american-hodl-x-erik-cason-bitcoin
• Highlighter: https://highlighter.com/walker/BITCOIN-TRUMP-FREEDOM-THE-AMERICAN-IDEA-ERIK-CASON-AMERICAN-HODL-THE-Bitcoin-Podcast-zmwmhj *

EXTREMELY HIGHLIGHT-ABLE QUOTES

Erik Cason “Look, you dumb motherfuckers, you could have just doubled your fucking wealth over the last year, had you just shut the fuck up and been like, ‘maybe I'm poor and working at a dead end job that I fucking hate because I don't understand how money actually works. And maybe these Bitcoin guys who have made some money and some self-independence for themselves, maybe they have a point.’ But instead they go, this is a far right Psyop that's being played in order to try to destroy the wonderfulness of modern monetary theory. And the government needs to be able to print out money because how else can we spread the love and make sure that all people everywhere are always equal and have all of the equal opportunity always, particularly the brown people that we want to bomb out of existence because, you know, they need to use my fucking pronouns. And that's why we're bombing the shit out of them is because they're hateful, racist pieces of garbage that, you know, and then, and then there's just like the like, well, like fuck Israel, we can't like support them. But like Ukraine is great. Or the people doing the opposite one. I'm like, what, like, why the fuck is the red or the blue people telling you to bomb the right people?

HODL (50:34.642) You can just do things. You don't have to wait for anybody. Nothing's decreed. Like, listen, fiat is a fucking disease of the mind. That's what it is. And every currency on earth that's not Bitcoin is fiat. Ethereum is fiat. Solana is fiat. Tether is fiat. They're all fiat, okay? And then obviously all the fiat currencies are fiat. But fiat is not just affecting the monetary supply and material goods like iPhones and shit. No, fiat affects YOU. It affects your mind. It affects the way you think. You think that the world is decreed to you from scribes on high. It's not. The world is built by people that get out and build the fucking world. So if you want to do something, just go do it. Get politically active if you want to be politically active. Build a business if you want to build a business. Build a family if you want to build a family. Build an estate if you want to build an estate. Go to Mars if you want to go to Mars. Fucking just go do it. Do what you want to do. That is the Bitcoin story. Not by decree. No one tells you to do it. You decree it. You fucking decree it. You go out and do what the fuck you're gonna do in the world. That's what we're doing here in Bitcoin.

HODL “The state condemned a man to slow death, double life imprisonment. And we said, ‘no, you don't get to do that.’ We got to rewrite the rules of the game as the game was being played. And it shows that we don't have to just sit there and take it.”

Erik Cason (01:01:49.037) the world fucking needs Americanism right now. Like shit is fucked up and there needs to be a renewal of this American spirit that pushes out into the world that, you know, is what 1776 was about, which was a global revolution that then swept through Europe because they're like, yo Europeans, look, we just like fucked up the British empire and we earned our own rights by fighting these assholes. Would you like that? They're like, yeah, this like monarchy shit is bullshit. Let's, let's fucking fight. And I hope that we're going to see a renewal of that same spirit that we're going to fight back against our federal government and their surveillance in the deep state and that we're going to push that shit out numb into Europe and that the Europeans are going to be like, yeah, you know what? turns out getting asked fucked by our government and getting global surveillance through a CBDC is bullshit. Let's fight these motherfuckers.

HODL That is the Bitcoin story. Not by decree. No one tells you to do it. You decree it. You fucking decree it. You go out and do what the fuck you're gonna do in the world. That's what we're doing here in Bitcoin.

TRANSCRIPT: AMERICAN HODL x ERIK CASON

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (00:00.07) ground audio, but the new Macs do it like really fucking well shockingly, which is honestly quite nice. Okay. We are allegedly live on zap.stream. So I'm just going to fiddle with this for a second. Let's see here. But yeah, we were, Eric, we were just discussing that hodl is basically on team no sleep right now. and has been, yeah, just

HODL (00:01.4) Mm-hmm.

Erik Cason (00:07.304) It's just.

Erik Cason (00:11.184) Alright.

HODL (00:24.418) Well, ever since they stole the 2020 election, you gotta stay up all night now.

Erik Cason (00:24.72) Are you?

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (00:29.668) It's true. You got to keep them in check.

Erik Cason (00:32.525) So is this like a young children thing or is this like your brain is all spun out from

HODL (00:38.808) No, this is was it. No, it's because I was at Bitcoin mags live stream for like 12 hours yesterday and I didn't get home until like, you know, 1 30 a.m. and then I fucking didn't go to sleep until 2 a.m. And then because I have young children, I was up at 5 a.m. So it's like, you know, good times.

Erik Cason (00:54.893) Good. No, I... My sleep got absolutely fucked a couple nights ago, because like I was like, I'm gonna stay up a little late and watch a movie. And then my brain was like, yeah, you want to stay up fucking late, asshole? How about you fall asleep at 4 a.m.? So this last night I was like, you know what? Like this shit isn't worth it anymore. Like I'm a fucking adult. I'm going to bed at nine o'clock. I'm going to get up at six o'clock and like work out and do all my like adult shit because...

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:07.735) how you like that.

Erik Cason (01:18.866) I'm just like fucking sick. Like I could do that shit when I was in my 20s, but like that's a long ways away from now. So now I gotta like take care of my body or it's gonna fuck me up.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:30.62) it's I was out. I was fishing like this whole weekend, like a dude's trip with my, dad and my father-in-law and like some other older dudes. And just like, yeah, we were fishing, fishing for steelheads. It was a wonderful time. My first time fishing for steelheads had a fucking blast, but like you're out in the river all goddamn day. And by the time we got back, like, and I was like the young buck of the group and still I'm like, 7 P.M. It's about time to turn in like, fuck.

Erik Cason (01:42.099) Drop.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (02:00.591) But yeah, so I feel your pain. But then last night I got home from the trip and like was watching MSNBC for fun and stayed up until like three or something because I was.

HODL (02:08.802) Yeah. did either of you watch the view this morning? It was, it was so good. I would highly recommend it. Well, they start whoopee Goldberg starts off with tears in her eyes and she's trying to be magnanimous and she, she goes, yeah, let's talk about, let's get into it. And then she passes it to Joy Behar and Joy Behar holds it together for like,

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (02:13.572) No.

Erik Cason (02:13.819) No, like-

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (02:19.915) Describe it.

HODL (02:35.832) 90 % of the time and she's like, you know, we got it. It was a fair election and we got it just but he's a racist and then they just like rescinded. It's a full struggle session. It was amazing. Like honestly, it could have been pay-per-view. I would have paid $75 to watch it. It was one of the greatest things I've ever seen. It was amazing.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (02:47.081) my god.

Erik Cason (02:56.683) So like, what are they gonna do now other than just like malfunction and have a hard time? Like I'm just really enjoying getting to like sit in this space and being like democracy is super great, isn't it? Isn't it wonderful that we elected a fascist Hitler who's waited for his second term to implement the genocide against all of the people that are you? And they're like, the demogood, so I'm really.

HODL (03:20.024) Yeah.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (03:24.54) The glitching is real right now. you almost feel bad, or I would almost feel bad, if the people who are glitching, like, were glitching right now, weren't so insufferable for so long. Like, I would almost feel bad, you know what I mean? But I'm not quite there yet.

HODL (03:40.049) Yeah, yeah. No, I don't feel a shred of guilt about anything. I'm just laughing at all the memes. It's hilarious.

Erik Cason (03:42.172) One.

Erik Cason (03:47.146) Like look, like fuck this voting and democracy nonsense, but like I'm, really enjoying these liberals that have used the last four years to try to cram all this fucking nonsense down everybody's throat and now have to deal with like the reactionary against that. in addition to the fact of that, like it's about fucking time. Like the last, the last four years were like really fucking wacky. And like we had, we, we still have this geriatric prison. Like what the fuck happened to Joe Biden? Did he just like vanish? Like what?

HODL (04:08.6) Mm-hmm.

Erik Cason (04:16.862) It's just so weird to me in that, like in the meanwhile, the whole liberal machine keeps marching on being like, like this is, so anyways, I'm just excited to watch this whole thing kind of break down and crash into flames and see what happens.

HODL (04:31.128) I woke up feeling just proud of America. And the reason I was proud of America is not because America voted the way I wanted them to vote, which they did, like in a landslide victory. The reason I was proud of them, proud of the feeling of being American was that propaganda doesn't work on us. You tried to Psyop us and we just aren't fucking having it.

Because being an American means doing whatever the fuck we want and you are not allowed to tell us what to do. That's the feeling, that's the energy I woke up with. Like, the American people are exactly who I thought they were. You know, it's like that meme. They are who we thought they were! They are who we thought they were! You know, it's like, the American people are who I thought they were and they're just as fucking wild and untamed and fucking crazy.

and individualistic as I've always expected and needed them and wanted them to be and known that they were and I just fucking love it. I love seeing the results come in and then the people who are the professional propagandists, the Joe Scarborough, the MSNBCs, the Rachel Maddows, the Whoopi Goldbergs, right? Professional paid propagandists go, I can't believe calling them racist garbage didn't work. Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck all of you. Fuck you.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (05:51.245) It's fucking insane.

Erik Cason (05:51.287) Well, it's interesting because like it's a it's this really reactionary hateful thing where and it's like super hypocritical where it's like, fuck you, you racist piece of goddamn shit. Like you need to go into the fucking concentration camp and be brutally raped and tortured because you won't tolerate other people. You fucking sick fucking pig. And it's like, you know, maybe there should be some self reflection here about some of those things you said and are expressing and like

HODL (06:20.642) Yeah.

Erik Cason (06:20.715) I don't know, like this is the thing that I've been trying to deal with kind of in the liberal bubble I'm in. It's like, hey, do you guys think that like all the hatred and vitriol that you're directing at white people and about like how useless men are and that they really obstruct everything that could have ever been done that's good might have a little something to do with this. In addition to like, perhaps we're in the position that we're in because of the way that you keep shitting on all these people that actually

might have some degree of value to society. And I'm not saying they're better or worse than anybody, but maybe trying to direct all your hate towards them could have something to do with the outcome that came here as opposed to you being like, hey, these people, we'd like to include them in the fold rather than just kind of doing the reverse hate thing. But you know, I don't know. I'm not, I'm not a politician.

HODL (07:07.96) Yeah.

It's tough to tell people like, you know all that shit that's in your head? That's not real. It's just not real. None of it. You made it up. You're living in magical fairy princess land. Okay. And what I would, what I would want you to do is form a hypothesis and test it. You know I mean? Like experiment. Are you in magical fairy princess land? Can you fly? You know what I mean? Maybe you start on the ground first. Don't jump out of a window, but like, you know, maybe test your flap your wings little, see if it works.

If it doesn't, maybe we have the wrong hypothesis. I don't know. Weird. Just be calling here.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (07:42.586) Whoa, that would require like critical thought though and actual self-reflection and like now they've just like they've gone the other way and they're like well actually the black and Latinos are racist too and they clearly like and you're like hold on hold on guys I was told because of the intersectional hierarchy that they couldn't be Racist but but now they are racist and the Arabs to some of those Arabs We don't like them the Cubans especially escaping communism coming here voting for a Republican. Who do they think they are? It's ridiculous

HODL (07:53.748) Right.

HODL (08:00.876) They can't be racist. Yeah, they can't.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (08:12.804) Yeah, it's fucking will there be any self-reflection though like any like moment of inward like looking inward to say Maybe we were kind of part of the problem, huh? Hmm

HODL (08:23.448) They're nowhere close to being ready to deal with reality. In a sense, kind of like, it's a huge miscarriage of American civil duty that's happened because these people have been so badly brainwashed and Psy-op by the mainstream media, these professional state propagandists that you can't help but feel a little bit bad for them. at the same time, mean,

There's nothing to do but to get out of your echo bubble. you, the only person who can crawl out of Plato's cave is you. And I don't know how to explain to you that the shadows aren't real. They're just not real. And so like those of us who are out of the cave, we, we all talk about how retarded you all are in the cave, but we don't know how to actually get you out of the cave. Cause every time we try and bring you out, you fucking bite us and go rabid, you know?

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (09:17.66) And we can literally tell you the cave exit is right there. This is where you need to go to get out of the cave. And they're like, that exit looks not really like it's inclusive. I don't think I'm going to go out that way. Sorry, Kason. Go ahead,

Erik Cason (09:17.689) It's a pretty sad situation overall.

Erik Cason (09:31.29) Well, like with it being at a Bitcoin all time high right now, like that, you know, is what I came on with is that like, look, you dumb motherfuckers, like you could have, you could have just doubled your fucking wealth over, know, over the last year, had you just like shut the fuck up and been like, maybe I'm poor and working at a dead end job that I fucking hate because I don't understand how money actually works. And maybe these Bitcoin guys who have like made some money and some

self-independence for themselves, like maybe they have a point. But instead they go, this is a far right Psyop that's being played in order to try to destroy the wonderfulness of modern monetary theory. And the government needs to be able to print out money because how else can we spread the love and make sure that all people everywhere are always equal and have all of the equal opportunity always, particularly the brown people that we want to bomb out of existence because

You know, they need to use my fucking pronouns. And that's why we're bombing the shit out of them is because they're hateful, racist pieces of garbage that, you know, and then, and then there's just like the like, well, like fuck Israel, we can't like support them. But like Ukraine is great. Or the people doing the opposite one. I'm like, what, like, why the fuck is the red or the blue people telling you to bomb the right people? Regardless, like maybe you should just be upset that brown people are

you know, and in the case of Ukraine, white people too are getting blown up. Like the bombs are not racist. They will kill people whether they're white or brown. And I don't know, it would just be really great if people could be like, you know, maybe we should just kind of talk to people instead of murder them. But again, I'm not a politician. Maybe there's something I'm missing here. Maybe they need to be murdered.

HODL (11:07.501) Yeah.

key on this is like the Bitcoin price as a lens by which to view the world. It's like last night when I was watching the election results. I was at Bitcoin Magazine studio and they had all the boards up and all the stuff, you know, and I'm watching it all. It's like the traditional media and I'm on my phone looking at the Bitcoin price and I'm like Trump's gonna win. Like it just got bid in the markets. This is gonna happen. I now know the future ahead of traditional media.

And it's the same thing with like, Polymarket was telling us Trump was going to win for months and months because people have been actually, you know, putting economic value behind those, those, you know, those votes that they're making with their economic capital, right? And so, you know, if you're listening to traditional media, you're trying to do sense making that way and you have like, you know, the, poll, the Nate Silvers of the world, the pollsters telling you, Ann Seltzer telling you like, he's going to win Iowa, whatever. they, these people have no skin in the game. So there's no.

proof of work to their predictions. you need to, once you have proof of work as a lens, you as a Bitcoiner, look for it and see it and find it everywhere and anything that you can attach proof of work to, you realize that this is a real thing and you can bank on it. But I mean, people that don't have that are doing everything proof of stake, right? Like they just don't understand that reality that unfortunately they are living in. There's nothing you can do about it. can't.

You can't escape that reality, right? Like you are inside that reality.

Erik Cason (12:42.853) Well, it'd be clear like, proof of stake as a methodology that's like operable and like that's called socialism. Like I can actually like hijack the government and be like, Hey, Mr. Musk, like, fuck you. We're going to like steal all your shit. It's like, cool. Like now that we did that guys, like how much more runway we have? They're like, we have, we have four days. We got, we got four days to run the budget now. It's like, it's like the guy that's

Wait, wait, the guy that's getting us into space and like gave us like satellite internet and shit, like stealing everything from him got us four days of runway? And they're like, yeah. So we're out of time now. So who are we going to rob next? They're like, that Amazon guy. Yeah, like fuck him. He's like stealing from people and he's hateful. It's like, yeah. Why do you think he has better approval ratings than like the

and like everyone in like the US military. Like it seems like people really like him. They're like, cause, cause he's, he's racist, right? So let's steal his shit. And like, and like, that's what proof of stake is about. It's like, fuck these other people. We can like steal their shit and like remake the rules so that like stealing shit is okay when we steal shit for the right reasons.

And this is like the clusterfuck that's Ethereum. Like if you've watched like what their monetary policy has been like since the fucking Dow fork that happened, it's literally always been like, yeah, but like this is the one time it will ever happen. Well, maybe we'll change it again. You know what? Fuck it. We're just going to kind of do whatever we want. And like, that's fine, but it's not going to work out long-term and there's going to be very severe fucking consequences. So you...

could learn about how economics works and it turns out that like, nobody likes being stolen from and it turns out like, if I can steal from you, I can steal from other people too. And that's like a really big problem. So you should probably be invested in a system that goes, you know what? We're not gonna steal from anybody ever. But what about Hitler and Pol Pot? And it's like, yeah, it turns out that even fucking assholes, we like need to respect their right to property too.

Erik Cason (14:54.332) And they're like, but if we do that, then like all of the racist and hateful people will win. And it's like, you know, maybe you need to expand your worldview beyond thinking that everybody's hateful and racist. And that's kind of their main problem. By the way, like I've never actually, like when I was younger, I had a couple of friends, dads who were like pretty racist and stuff, but it was always this like, I don't know. Like I've never met somebody who like really had as their like main thing. They're like, yeah, but like, fuck the Mexicans and the black people. It's it's like usually like.

Yeah, but what about Habib? Like he was helping us out early and they're like, well, yeah, he's brown and that's fine. But, I'm like, so you're like, not really that racist. And they're like, well, you know, they're trying to take our jobs. And it's like, well, but were you gonna, were you gonna do the gardening? And they're like, well, no, fuck no. I ain't gonna get wet today. It's like, maybe he, maybe Jesus is pretty good at what he does, you know? I'm just saying.

I don't think he's taking your job. You don't seem like you're gonna be gardening in the ring. I'm just saying.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (15:57.544) I think so much this is like a it's it's it is a mirror right like What you see and everybody else tends to be more of a reflection of what you have going on in the inside? Than what is actually going on with them because you don't fucking know them you have no way of knowing what they're what their beliefs are whether or not they are a Giant bigot and a racist or whether they're just some man or woman trying to live their life Put food in the table for their kids and not get just absolutely bent over a barrel by the government

which is like a reasonable thing. Like nobody really wants to be bent over a barrel by the government, right? But apparently if you push back against that too hard, you are given one of these labels. But then it's like you have kind of this proof of concept here that this is just a reflection of what is going on in a lot of these, you know, bigot callers minds. When you see them say things like, you know, I can't like why would all of these Latinos vote for their own deportation? It's like, do you think the only Latinos in the country?

are here illegally? Like, is that what you think? That they're voting for their own deportation? Like, there's lots of Latinos here who came here legally, like a ton of them. And it turns out a lot of them were escaping the same sort of bullshit socialist verging on communist policies that you're trying to push on them now. And then you turn around and call them racist because they didn't agree with you. Like, it's this insane

paternalistic projection and I like but again the sad thing is I don't know if there is ever like a come to Jesus moment where they're like you know what you know guys we went too far we were wrong I was was pretty messed up for a few years there huh we're cool now let's keep things civil we're not gonna call everybody Nazis anymore especially you white lib or you white women you know you white suburban women you Nazis like it's just like turns out calling everybody a Nazi is a really bad campaign move like

I don't know who like how who could have known right shocking.

HODL (17:57.56) I think you guys are both being charitable and trying to diagnose them. I spent a lot of time trying to do that too, get into their heads and understand their psychology. How could you think this way? It's so severely retarded. And now I'm just like, listen, we have now unfettered control of all three branches of government. it's like, I don't listen. At the Thanksgiving dinner table, I don't pay attention to the conversation at the kids table. I don't care what the kids are talking about. You know what mean? It doesn't matter. It's like...

What color crayon do you like? I don't know. like burnt umber. That's my favorite. Yeah. It's like no, who gives a fuck? We're at the adult table now and it's about stacking wins on the board and you know, like for instance, mean, Trump is the first Bitcoin president. Vance owns Bitcoin. We now have the opportunity to like see real Bitcoin appointments be made where like people who are being recommended for high purchase of power

will be people that are sympathetic to Bitcoin, if not Bitcoiners themselves from an ideological standpoint. And to me, that's the most fascinating thing that's going on. And whatever like woke mind virus is like eating the brains of like the liberal white women we all know. I don't give a single fuck like drink your Chardonnay bitch and like hopefully it cures it. I don't know what to tell you, you know, take some ivermectin.

Erik Cason (19:11.977) Well, it's funny because I have a good friend who like, you know, he's like, deep barrier roots. So like everybody is like very, very liberal. And like he's a bit of the black sheep of family. So he, you know, he was like, I'm going to vote for Trump. And this, this is like very upsetting to his family. And like, you know, everyone was getting outraged with him. And he was like, look, he was like, look, like the only way we get to talk about politics now is like, you have to steel man my position. Like you don't get to come to me and be like,

But Trump's like a racist bigot. Like you need to actually come to me and be like, well, perhaps you want to elect Trump because like you feel different about economic policies or whatever. And I've found like, this is the best way to actually like force people to, like think in a meaningful way. Cause like, otherwise they'll do the same bullshit with you. But I've found like it really glitches people pretty hard. Cause I can be like, look, like I, I understand your position. Like you think Kamala as being the first black woman president.

is really going to create policies that champion and allow for, you know, people of various and diverse backgrounds to be able to have a real leg up in America. Totally hear that. I have a fundamentally different position that I don't believe that that actually helps people in a unique way. And I actually think there's a very discreet kind of racism that's going on with that. When you say, Hey, we need to give reparations to black people.

because they're not good enough to be able to compete with the white people. It's like, they're, you know, like I see something a bit racist in that. And like, again, I'm not trying to take away from that. There, there can be good reasoning behind that, but you know, particularly living in the state of California where this has actually been proposed as like a meaningful bill seems pretty fucking racist to me to steal a bunch of money from me and give it to a bunch of, of, you know, people, you know, I think in this case, just black people that are going to be getting that.

money directly when as far as I know they directly were not enslaved by me or my ancestors and I'm not sure what their relationship is to it either. I'm saying the with Kamala Harris like black woman this is this you know great that if she was elected that she would be the first black woman but let's be very clear she's not like African-American she's a Jamaican woman that's where she's descended from and again like doesn't take away from the fact that that is would be the first black woman president but

Erik Cason (21:35.851) She is not an African-American and that's a bit misleading to kind of do that whole pitch. But most people are really uninterested in this just because they have a deep vested interest in what their emotional capacity is. And that's one of the things I've found deeply disturbing about a lot of liberal ideology is that like if something feels right, that means that like that is right. And when you try to pick that apart, they go, well, that's racist. And that doesn't feel like if I'm, that doesn't feel good. So we can't be that.

And like it turns out that like maybe there's a little bit of racism you have going on there with, you know, wanting to steal money from white people and give it to all the other people. Just saying.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (22:16.397) It's you know, it's you mentioned like this friend who's bucking the trend in his Bay Area family, right? And something I just think is so genuinely sad is that we are at a place right now and and I'm sure you know people could come up with examples of like well in the Civil War families were broken up over that and it's like, okay, let's not please let's not compare the two the two moments in time, but the fact that people will literally stop speaking to their family basically, you know, diso you know disavow them like well my

My mom voted for Donald Trump. And so I can't I just I won't speak to her anymore. I can't possibly because it turns out even though this woman loved me and raised me my entire life and made so many sacrifices for me and did everything she possibly could to give me every advantage I could have. She's a racist bigot. And it's like people will literally stop like I'm sure you guys know people like I can think of a number of people within circles. I run it like off the top of my head that level like nope.

I won't be talking to them anymore. Like I like I'm out, you know, no more family Thanksgiving for me. I can't be around this racism. No more Christmas. I you're not going to see your grandchild. I don't know any of those examples personally out of no more grandchildren time. That'd be like especially fucked up. But the point is like how do you have so much hate in your heart that you cannot you cannot get over the fact that somebody that you love and that loves you may have a slightly different opinion than you.

And that the fact that their opinion is different is so offensive to you that you would break apart those ties that bind you for a fucking political candidate, for a fucking agent of the state apparatus. That is fucking insane. Like that truly blows my mind and I think that is really sad. If somebody by some chances listened to this who's like, well I haven't talked to my uncle Jim in two years because he voted for so-and-so on either side of the fucking aisle. Who cares?

Like you should be able to argue the most with the people you love the most. Because no matter what, at the end of the day, you guys fucking still love each other. Get the fuck over it. You're going to have disagreements. It's OK. That's a beautiful thing. And you should have people that challenge you.

Erik Cason (24:25.621) What?

It's both about like a first of all, it's about like a really weak frame of individual reference that that that's very frankly, callow at the bottom. Because like if you you have to identify so strongly with a political party or a movement that that becomes definitive about you and that like you you need to break with other people because they're disagreeing with it. Because like, look, like I'm clearly like a freak Bitcoiner and like everyone in my life doesn't agree.

with the Bitcoin thing, despite the fact that they've seen me have very, very fat gains while they have lost lots of money. And I think that's sad and unfortunate. And like, I'm always like waiting, you know, at the dinner table at Thanksgiving for them to be like, so Eric, like Bitcoin's at an all time high. Like we were all totally fucking wrong and we could have, you know, doubled our portfolios had we actually listened to you. But like, nope, never fucking happens. And at best I try to bring up the Bitcoin thing.

Wow, like the, just don't understand this money thing. So how was the game last night? And I'm like, you you could like, you could have actually like rolled that into like a question being like, so Eric, like what is money? Like why is Bitcoin actually different from the dollar? Cause I don't understand and you seem to get it. But yeah, that never happens. And I find it pretty sad and unfortunate. And like the other one is like.

I'm still open to Bitcoin being fucking wrong. I'm certain it's not. I mean, like if you happen to be a top tier world cryptographer and you're like, check it out. There's this error in the sub 256 curve that was chosen. And turns out the whole thing's fucking broken. You know, I'd probably contact the US military first and like let them know and understand that fucking encryption standards don't work. I just find it pretty fascinating how deep.

Erik Cason (26:19.241) Most people have fled into the them and like they don't actually have a definitive idea of who and what they are, their purpose in the world. that they're like much more interested in making sure everybody feels comfortable and safe rather than making a little bit of discomfort in a conversation that might force some thought and growth. Cause like, again, I don't want to be a fucking asshole, but

Why don't we think real hard about how things are going and what we would really desire for ourselves and others? And like, I don't know. It's, I know this Thanksgiving is going to get interesting with people being like, that hateful bigot Trump, he was elected and he's going to destroy America now. I'll be like, yeah, like it was pretty bad when Hitler was elected for the second non-consecutive term. And when he really made the choice to go after all of his political opponents at that point in time, that was a really weird.

time in history, huh guys? And they're like, yeah.

HODL (27:13.932) Yeah, remember, remember Hitler's bipartisan coalition, you know, like the Tulsi Gavrids of the Weimar Germany were joining up with Hitler like, no, it's so stupid, dude. I think if we take it at face value, everything Eric said is and Walker said is true. But like, you know, I think a lot of these things are just that family members just really don't fuck with each other for deep, deep familial reasons like trauma, trauma reasons. And they're using the

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (27:24.998) you

HODL (27:40.93) the Trump thing is a convenient excuse, right? Rather than going to therapy and like hashing out their shit or having a frank and honest conversation. I mean, I have family members in my life who, you know, I've had these frictions with and the truth is like, our relationship was never good. It goes deep to the psyche of both individuals in the conflict. It relates back to our grandparents and their site and you know, it just goes back and back and you're like.

Okay, so I actually I've been like cast in a play here of like some deep familial trauma and I'm not even like really aware of what's going on and neither is the other participant. We just know that we don't like each other and then you have this flashpoint of Donald Trump's election in 2016 or in 2024 or whatever and then that becomes the the way to fissure like it creates the fissures in the relationship and whatever. So I think I think that's a lot of what's going on. But I also think that you know more on the

the topic that you were saying about, you were trying to talk to all these people and they wouldn't listen or whatever. I went through this myself and what I realized is that I had survivor's guilt. So I needed to fix them for me, had nothing to do with them. It was all about me. It had to do with my own feelings of inadequacy around not being able to save my own mother from her psychological issues. And then when I realized that I was like, okay, I can just stop doing that.

because it's not serving the other person. I thought it was my way into being a good person. Like I'm a good person. I care about these people. I really want to help them and whatever. But the truth is man that there are people with a growth mindset and there are people without a growth mindset. And I'm a person with a growth mindset. I want to continue growing in life and doing, you know, cause there's no, there's no stasis in nature, right? That's nature abhors a vacuum. Like there is no stasis.

everything's in constant flux. It's constant chaos and you're, basically either growing or decaying, right? That's how nature works. And so we are a part of nature. That's how we work. Also, that's how we work psychologically, but for some reason, people don't think or believe this and they like to, you know, have this sort of delusion that they're, they're a static element in a static system. makes no sense to me. And I can't stand people who are like that and I don't want to be around them. So for me, after I realized the survivor's guilt thing, I was like, okay, yeah.

HODL (29:58.432) I don't want to be around people that don't have a growth mindset. And so now I just am not. So if you don't have that, if you don't think that way, I'm just not around you, bro. I don't know what you got going on and I don't care. And I wish you well. I hope you get out of it, but fuck off.

Erik Cason (30:13.977) Yeah, I've, you know, it's taken me a while to learn it, but particularly family, it's as much as like, really want like deep connecting conversation and for like us to understand each other and for them to like meet me where I'm at. They have like zero fucking interest in that. Like they really want to talk about the weather, like anything that's like level one, maybe level two, but like level three, fuck no.

and it took me a long time to like button up against that wall being like, what, like, why aren't you guys turned on? Like, why don't you like, you know, I'm like, like COVID was like a great example of like trying to bring that stuff up and like lots of big conflict coming up. And it hurt me for a long time because I was like, why don't they want to understand me? Like, this is so difficult. I want to be loved in the way I want to be loved. And like, I finally just kind of got to the place of like, like this is their shit.

HODL (30:50.104) Mm-hmm.

Erik Cason (31:04.262) they're incapable of it. And like the more I rock the boat, the more that they're going to resist it, making capsize more likely. And like, I just need to be okay with doing the level one and level two thing with them. And the truth is I can, I can do level eight, nine, 10 shit with you guys. And like that's frankly, like that's why I really fucking love the Bitcoin community is cause like I can have real and sincere conversation where we actually think hard about shit and go deep and enjoy that. And like that's.

Kind of what friends are supposed to be for. Family can be for, you know, just loving them for who they're meant. you know, I love my mom, really great person. I'm never going to have a deep and thoughtful connecting conversation about the political nature of world and our reality with her. Gonna have a really great conversation about how beautiful the sky is. But, you know, that's about as far as it can go. And that's okay.

And so I just, I really welcome people who are going to go into this Thanksgiving ready to fist fight everybody. Just like eat like a fucking marijuana brownie before that. And just like enjoy staring at the vase or some shit. Like it's not worth fighting your family and their stupid ideas of what they believe is right. Cause the other is like, if you're a Bitcoiner, like it's pretty clear that the next cycle is getting pumping right now.

And so anybody who is even remotely smart in your family is going to come to you when Bitcoin's at $120,000 at Thanksgiving and be like, hey, you know, you like made like some money with this, right? And you can be like, yeah, I'm like really fucking high, but yeah, I made some money with this. And they'll be like, could you, could you tell me a bit about that? And maybe that'll be your opening. Don't, don't expect it, but

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that with what the Trump team is up to, they're about to like front run destroying the entire financial system. Cause that's like, that's kind of their MO. They're like good with this money shit and they all clearly hold Bitcoin and they're clearly going to be appointing people. So, look, like I'm not telling you what to do, but like, if you like money, you should probably buy Bitcoin and keep holding it for awhile. Cause I'm pretty sure it's going to keep going up for awhile here.

Erik Cason (33:15.035) Although there is some fucking moron right now who's absolutely gonna slam their hand in the door and be like, it's going back to 15k. No way the bit going to keep up with this.

HODL (33:23.881) 58K is a lost universe. Otto said it's not static. Bullshit. 58K, stable coin, static, static system.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (33:31.261) To fair, I love the 58k meme and I am guilty of using it so much, but now I've also implemented the 158k meme because it looks almost the same to the the unseeing eye. You just see 58k, but there's a one in there.

HODL (33:43.128) Why not, why not 250 AK? Why not 350 AK? Why not 950 AK? Why not 1.258 K?

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (33:48.17) Jesus I hadn't even gotten that far fuck why not

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (33:55.421) 5.8 you know, like fuck it. Let's let's roll it up. So first of all, I appreciate you guys because you and I appreciate that we can have level eight and nine conversation, maybe someday a level 10. I don't know how high these levels go. So like how the scale works exactly, but I appreciate that there exist people that we can have these kinds of fucking talks with because it's you're right. It's not always within the family. Sometimes it is. And that's very fortunate, but like

If that's not you out there listening like that's okay, too Like you know, that's why that's why you're in Bitcoin, right? Because you can go meet with a bunch of other strange people who want to talk about how fucked up our monetary system is like ad nauseum and like are Super fucking down with that and that's a beautiful thing But I'm curious cuz cuz Eric you mentioned just like the Trump team MO being Go in and kind of like fuck shit up a little bit in the in the financial system. Do you think?

Do you think, okay, like Trump is on board with that? Like, is Trump gonna go full on end the Fed? Like, is Ron Paul coming on here and we are fucking burning this thing down? Or is Trump, like, he's, I don't know about your, like, the vibes you've gotten from, but he seems more measured lately. Like, maybe it's, you know, almost getting assassinated. Maybe it's just a little, you know, couple extra years. Maybe it's Barron being nine and a half feet tall standing next to him. And he's like, you know what? I'm not the biggest guy in the room anymore. I don't know. We're like,

Where do you think we go? Where is Trump at on this? And do you think the team he's assembling is actually going to go in there and be like, no, we're going to bring the Fed down?

Erik Cason (35:34.077) I think from the standpoint, it looks like that's a possibility, but like I, I am very, very deeply convinced that like, the deep state is absolutely and unequivocally in control. And there's no conceivable fucking way that anybody in any elected or any appointed position can like meaningfully stop any of this. Cause like, I, I can't really imagine the powers that be in the back room are like, you guys, they let, like got the right people in the right position to like do stuff like.

What are we gonna do now? And they're like, dang, guess we lost. We just gotta accept it. So no, and I think Ron Paul and Elon Musk and all the people who get in right position, they are absolutely going to try their best to do stuff. And then I'm pretty sure none of it's gonna happen. Same thing, totally holding my breath that Trump keeps his word about freeing Ross day one. Gonna be mum on the word until then. If it doesn't happen, I'm not gonna be shocked.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (36:28.371) Yeah.

Erik Cason (36:32.094) If it does happen, I will be the first to give alkylates to where they're due because that would be phenomenal. My hope is that everybody who's really full all the hopium of all this stuff will see the next two years play out. Very little will actually change in terms of it. Yeah, that's when I'm gonna launch my radical states rights movement to use the states to unilaterally fuck up the federal government.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (36:40.764) Amen.

HODL (36:59.272) Dude, let's talk about the Ross thing for a second because did anyone have more on the line yesterday than Ross Ulbricht? No. Like, mean, Ross Ulbricht's life hung in the balance. was double life, rot in a prison cell for all eternity until you die and are taken away in a casket or freedom in three months, freedom in two and a half months. I mean, that's a fucking crazy

crazy thing that he had to live through, you know, the potential that either one of these outcomes, was like, everyone was saying it was a 50-50 toss up between these outcomes. And luckily, we're in the good timeline. And, you know, I was hanging out with the production crew when I was at this thing last night, and, you know, basically they were asking me like, why do you guys all care so much about Ross? And I said, listen, Ross's story is a miscarriage of justice.

and Ross didn't deserve double life. did do something wrong. He did deserve some prison time. Like, that's just how it is. I know, like, the anarcho-capitalist would be like, no way, bro, but it's like, come on. I mean, we have a society that has rules. He broke the rules. Like, he does a little time. But he's, at this point in life, he has paid his, whatever debt he owed to society has been more than paid. He just created a website. He never hired hitmen. All that is bullshit. The man who allegedly,

he hired to have killed supports him as a vocal supporter of Ross Ulberg. I mean, you've been lied to about this case, the agents, the federal agents on the case were dirty. They were they were stealing. Yes. Yeah, FBI. Yep.

Erik Cason (38:33.375) Like all of them from different agencies, like every single motherfucking federal agent in that goddamn agency stole money, like it's fucking insane. And most of them like got off the hook too. And this is what I'm so fucking angry about is the hypocrisy of

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (38:34.759) Yeah.

HODL (38:43.352) Yeah, they did last time that Ross last time that Ross exactly. No, and I mean what I'm saying is like this is this case is a miscarriage of justice and Ross deserves to be free and he will be free in two and a half months. I'm not one of these Bitcoiners who's like we'll see bro. We'll see if Trump does it like no, no, he's he's gonna be free. It's a campaign promise. We put up serious money and we went to bat for Trump and now we're gonna get Ross out and the reason it's important to us is what I told the production crew.

is because yes, all those things are truths of miscarriage of justice, et cetera. But what it shows is that we are ascendant politically, that we matter, that we're important. Things weren't supposed to happen this way. And then they happen this way. The state condemned a man to slow death, double life imprisonment. And we said, no, you don't get to do that. We got to rewrite the rules of the game as the game was being played. And it shows that we don't have to just sit there and take it. mean, imagine the timeline where Bitcoin goes to zero.

In that timeline, Ross rots in prison for the rest of his life. But we're in the good timeline where Bitcoin is at 76k and Ross is free in two and a half months. And I mean, it just shows that we are going to be players in the world. You're not going to be off in the woods with your cold card shoved up your ass. I mean, if you want to do that, like that's fine. Like get freaky. It's okay. Bitcoin is about freedom, but

Erik Cason (40:03.294) You should really consider a ledger if you're doing that, you know.

HODL (40:05.41) Go like that, open your eyes. Yeah, don't, the cold card is very square. Listen, you want to shove it up your ass, you be my guest, okay? But we're going to be playing.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (40:05.901) Yeah, for real.

Erik Cason (40:14.43) I really need to make a buttplug that is specifically designed for this.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (40:18.076) How has no one made that yet? That's my question.

HODL (40:19.544) I know right. We are going to be players in the world and we're going to have political power. And we're also going to make some butt plugs. Okay. That can accept a leg.

Erik Cason (40:25.255) seed taker.

Erik Cason (40:32.606) You want your engraved butt plug? Please read each other.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (40:37.95) We're thinking of spinning up a little, a little shop for them. They're going to be super nice. Hypoallergenic, course, really smooth on entry. Not so much on exit. Cause you don't want that thing coming out necessarily, right? Like you got to keep it in there.

Erik Cason (40:41.129) You

HODL (40:43.224) I'm

HODL (40:51.938) Just to wrap that up, I'm happy for Ross and I'm happy for us. think like this is a big moment in Bitcoin's history. Ross being for it is a big moment.

Erik Cason (41:02.625) Well, and and, you know, I'm on the opposite side. I'm going to hold my breath till it happens. And when it does, I'm, you know, that'll bring you back in the fold from like crazy crypto anarchist land. Like I'm, might like move into like far right political activism or some shit. but it's really important to get that, like, we're an actual political force now. And like, I really hope that we're going to start behaving like it and that there's going to be like a real actual Bitcoin contingency because like,

HODL (41:09.698) Just fair.

Erik Cason (41:30.175) I actually think in the next four years, there's a real fucking shot of ending the Fed. And like, I don't think anybody inside the federal government will do it, but I do legitimately believe that like, if we got 35 states to push through their state legislature legislation to like end the Fed, that that shit would get amended to the constitution. And like the federal government would have to like flip the fuck out and figure out how to do that.

And I think it's really important because like the federal government is so out of fucking control at this point in time. We really need to start figuring out new and different methodologies to change how that can happen. So I'm just excited to see all the change that's happening and also like fucking 100K is like in play now. So it's to be really exciting when we get there. I haven't heard from Valis in like a year. Well, I've privately heard him from before, but like I hope his 100K party is still going to happen somewhere.

HODL (42:12.6) dude, 100k by Thanksgiving.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (42:21.727) Yeah, we're whether I mean I don't like to you know talk about price too much on this show because I'm not an open-mouthed YouTube shill But that being said caveat, you know, it is like above 70 say we're like 76 200 right now that's just like kind of a trip, you know, and I would I agree with you that like As I was watching the price last night again, I like I've been on the river these last like four days. I have like checked

Twitter a couple of times then I was like, nah, that's not really of interest to me. Like I'm out in fucking nature catching fish hanging out with like my dad. Like that's what I want to, this is what I want to be doing right at this moment. And, then I got back and of course I was like, yes, you know, like bring it in. And then, you know, stayed up until 2 AM watching MSNBC as one does, but like you could, you could feel something was happening and I think you can feel something is happening now. And I just wonder like,

HODL (43:00.93) Yeah.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (43:17.916) does Bitcoin like because I would say that Bitcoin is it is inherently partisan or excuse me it is inherently political it is not partisan right it is like money is always going to be political we're talking about separating fucking money in state of course that is going to be political it is not inherently partisan it is only partisan if partisans make it partisan and that's not to say the people that are pro Bitcoin are the partisans who are making it partisan it's the ones on the other side who are reactionary to it right

HODL (43:25.804) Yes.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (43:46.343) So I'm just interested to see like, I mean, fuck like there, it's a, it's a red fucking wave. Like Trump blew out the popular vote. He's got the mandate, right? He obviously won the electoral college. You've got a Republican majority in the house and the Senate by all rights. have no excuse not to do everything they claim they want to do. Right? Like they have, there's no excuse.

HODL (44:04.704) interest rate. 100%. By the way, by the way, the Democrats going after us and brought and broader crypto markets was such in retrospect, such a massive unforced error on their part. There was no reason to make significant enemies of us. None. And all they did was suffer because of it. Now, like, I don't know how much we affected the election.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (44:21.554) Yes.

HODL (44:32.62) But we affected it some non-trivial amount, okay? And it just, it wasn't something they needed to do and they did it anyway because they were drunk with power. That's why they

Erik Cason (44:43.022) I mean, they did it because like they believe their own retarded bullshit that they like they had literally pumped up their own ass intentionally where they're they're like, this is used for terrorism financing and it's it's so all the bros can get away with tax and like it was all bullshit that they just repeatedly kept convincing themselves like like the fucking Greenpeace nonsense and like the like I feel so bad for the guy that's running that Twitter because like

Like all he does is tweet something and is immediately, like provided all of the evidence of how fucking wrong he is. And like the other thing that's just so shameful is that like these people are supposed to actually like give a fuck about the environment and like, what's more important than making sure that we're actually getting clean hydro power from power plants that were going to be shut down otherwise, you know, like what's more important to people in sub-Saharan Africa who have never had access to

fucking electricity and can't have clean water and now they can. Like it's, it's just so disingenuous. And like, again, I would really hope that, you know, the Democrats would sit down and be like, wow, we like, we really fucked that one up. We should really like reconsider this. But, I very, very strong doubts that that's going to happen. And it's going to be really interesting to see kind of what the co what comes out of it. But yeah, I have a very strong expectation.

that they are going to continue to double down until essentially they fracture the Democrat party into like, there's either gonna be a renewed moderated democratic movement or it's gonna fracture out into like different parties. Either way, it's gonna be fucking entertaining.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (46:26.386) Can I say something controversial guys? am, I am, I am glad Elizabeth Warren was reelected because honestly, I, she was, she was against what John Deaton, right? He was like the, yeah, he lost.

Erik Cason (46:28.546) No.

HODL (46:30.962) Yeah.

Erik Cason (46:36.254) was she?

HODL (46:41.1) Yeah, he lost. Yeah. He had an uphill battle. She's very well funded in her state and Massachusetts is a liberal shithole.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (46:46.202) she is.

Erik Cason (46:47.973) Huh, where'd that money come from? That's really interesting. Huh.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (46:50.723) from but he was funded by crypto lobbyists. But no, the reason I'm happy that Elizabeth Warren won is because I would have missed her. I would have honestly missed reply guying her all the time when she says stupid fucking useless shit like that would have left a little bit of a hole in me. And I don't know how I would have filled it like I need something to butt up against. And like Pocahontas is the best.

HODL (46:55.65) Yeah.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (47:18.52) She's just the best for that. it's like when she talks about price gouging, I see Elizabeth Warren price gouging tweet. And I'm just like, yes, I know what I'm doing today. You know, like, it's nice to have that. And like, I also think to your point, Eric, like, she is going to their and to your point as well, like unforced errors, she's going to continue to fracture the Democratic Party. Because like, like one in fucking seven Americans owns Bitcoin, like owns Bitcoin.

This is according to the study that Troy Cross did. There's probably a margin of error there. But even if it's one in fucking five Americans, that's already a shitload. And we are not even in like number go up mania yet where people are like, I probably need some of that. This is a growing coalition. And to fight against it is just like, first of all, you're fighting against freedom and you're just fighting against people from all walks of life. It's not like these are just the crypto bros or all these, you know, like not every, you know,

Bitcoin bro is as fucking radical as case in over here, you know, and I mean that in honestly the most complimentary way possible just so know, Eric, but like that, like what the fuck are they fighting against? What are they anti your anti freedom? Your anti people being able to make decisions for themselves. But it's like, like it's like my body, my choice, like my fucking money, my choice. Fuck right off. Anyway, I'm so glad I was so glad she was reelected. That's it. That's

Erik Cason (48:25.289) Thank you, I appreciate that.

HODL (48:38.968) 100 % no, I was gonna I was gonna say the same thing you said which is that it's such a it's such a bipartisan like coalition multi racial like pluralistic like I mean Bitcoin is a large tent like the Orange Party is the largest tent we have politically and they did they made a large mistake going after us because you know, first of all, it's like

Erik Cason (48:44.359) back in a minute, gentlemen.

HODL (49:06.604) Are you dumb? You're going after young millennials with money who are multi- like racially diverse? The fuck is- are you stupid? Like what's wrong? It doesn't even make sense. It doesn't even compute. But anyway, listen, there was a referendum on these people last night. I feel confident that this worldview is going to be dealt a hearty blow. And they're gonna realize that, you know, there's a new player in town and it's the crypto lobby and the Bitcoin lobby.

And David Bailey in some non-trivial fashion was responsible for freeing Ross Ulbrich from prison or will be responsible for freeing Ross Ulbrich from prison and for getting Donald Trump elected. He made a significant, you know, mark dent on this election and he's the MVP of Bitcoin in 2024. Like that goes to David Bailey, number one with a bullet. There's no one else that even came close this year. And, you know, I think

It just reminds me, I was talking with David Zell about this last night that you can just do things. You can just do things. Whatever you want to do, you can just do it. Just do it. Elon wanted to affect the election. He just went out and rounded up a bunch of Amish people and drove them to the polls because the Amish can't drive themselves to the polls. He was like, we will drive you to the polls. You hate the government, right? And the Amish were like, fuck yeah. They tried to shut down our raw milk and shit. And Elon was like, yeah, fuck that.

We will drive you there. Let's all go vote. You can just do things. You don't have to wait for anybody. Nothing's decreed. Like, listen, fiat is a fucking disease of the mind. That's what it is. And every currency on earth that's not Bitcoin is fiat. Ethereum is fiat. Solana is fiat. Tether is fiat. They're all fiat, okay? And then obviously all the fiat currencies are fiat. But fiat is not just affecting the monetary supply and material goods like iPhones and shit. No, fiat affects

You. It affects your mind. It affects the way you think. You think that the world is decreed to you from scribes on high. It's not. The world is built by people that get out and build the fucking world. So if you want to do something, just go do it. Get politically active if you want to be politically active. Build a business if you want to build a business. Build a family if you want to build a family. Build an estate if you want to build an estate. Go to Mars if you want to go to Mars. Fucking just go do it. Do what you want to do.

HODL (51:31.916) That is the Bitcoin story. Not by decree. No one tells you to do it. You decree it. You fucking decree it. You go out and do what the fuck you're gonna do in the world. That's what we're doing here in Bitcoin.

Erik Cason (51:52.808) the to elaborate on your point, like, this fucking disease has rotted out 95 % of all of the creative potential of people everywhere. And it's great to see that that 5 % is making the change for the other 90%. Like, what we're seeing being developed in this entire system is fucking phenomenal. And people are not asking for fucking permission anymore. And I really hope between what we're seeing in Bitcoin, and the renewal of this American spirit that like,

Like one of the things I didn't realize last night with that I was so excited about when I started watching the Bitcoin price go up and the markets go up. was like, yeah, like there's this entire economic engine that's sighing with relief now that they're not going to get fucked out of existence by a socialist government that fucking hates them. And that maybe there's real potential to actually create dynamic change. Like I actually, and I think it's really interesting that people like this tariff thing's going to destroy anything. Like fuck that, this tariff thing's going to supercharge the fucking economy.

Like it's gonna turn out that like people that are importing cheap shit from China and they have to pay twice as much, they're gonna go, you know, maybe I'm gonna buy the American made thing where I'm not gonna have to pay twice as much for the same thing, you know? And like that's a really great fucking thing. And I understand all the economic arguments about how tariffs work and otherwise, but like, let's be clear, cheap shit from China that's subsidized by slavery, like it's not good for fucking America. You know what's good for America? Shit made in America that paid American people.

HODL (53:17.067) huh.

Erik Cason (53:18.59) that give American salaries so that they can spend money in America. And like, not to get on the nationalistist thing, but like, the other thing is, like, the world fucking needs Americanism right now. Like shit is fucked up and there needs to be a renewal of this American spirit that pushes out into the world that, you know, is what 1776 was about, which was a global revolution that then swept through Europe because they're like, yo Europeans, look, we just like fucked up the British empire and we...

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (53:30.43) Yes.

Erik Cason (53:47.21) earned our own rights by fighting these assholes. Would you like that? They're like, yeah, this like monarchy shit is bullshit. Let's, let's fucking fight. And I hope that we're going to see a renewal of that same spirit that we're going to fight back against our federal government and their surveillance in the deep state and that we're going to push that shit out numb into Europe and that the Europeans are going to be like, yeah, you know what? turns out getting asked fucked by our government and getting global surveillance through a CBDC is bullshit. Let's fight these motherfuckers. And I would love to see more than anything.

See, a sincere German nationalist movement renew itself instead of them living in their fucking shame about Nazism and like, get that like that shit's over guys and that like Germans, you actually have some like really great shit about your culture that if you guys can protect in a meaningful way, very similar to Americans and still be able to be inclusive with that ideal, like there's something great to be done. But like living in all this shame about like, like.

we're bunch of racist Nazis because we believe German culture is great is the same kind of bullshit that they're trying to tell us about because you believe in America and what America means, it doesn't mean that you're a far right racist. It means that you're a fucking American that believes in the real values and ethics of what it means to be American. So, you know, fuck this fiat bullshit, fuck CBDCs and it's time for us to really start rebuilding in a meaningful and thoughtful way on top of a Bitcoin standard because that's really an American standard.

HODL (55:00.344) Mm-hmm.

HODL (55:12.162) Fuck yeah. Fuck yeah. Fuck yeah. Fuck No. No. No. No.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (55:12.479) fucking it. Fuck. Yeah, Wait, can we talk about Europeans for a second? Because like, wait, wait, just for one second. Cause have you noticed that the only people more confused about what happened in the U S election than the Democrats are the Europeans. They're like, on. What do you, what do you mean? Don't you understand? He's mean and bad. And how sad is this? These Americans, how did like it's it's mind blowing. And then you're like, God,

HODL (55:24.822) is the Europeans,

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (55:41.149) Like your point Eric like yeah, like I'm like so I feel like sometimes I went through the state like a stage in my life where I was like not I love America I love America because I love the fucking American idea and I love the American people and I love the possibilities that the existence of the American idea Allows for people in this country because it allows people to fucking create and build and do meaningful things but I went through a stage where I was like, you know, this is on my my Bitcoin journey where I'm also like

Well, but the fucking military industrial fucking war machine, the fucking the fucking fiat monetary colonialism that's perpetuated by the IMF and the World Bank, like and the Federal Reserve. This is this is bad. Like and then I got to the point where naturally like five seconds later I was like, yeah, but that's not America. Like that's fucking institutions. That is US government institutions. Those are institutions of theft and destruction and death.

America is a fucking idea and it's the people who hold that idea up and use it as their fucking torch to bring light into darkness and That is what I think people can get behind and I think you should be able to fucking get behind that Like I don't give a fuck what political party you fucking identify with like this week or forever in your entire life like There I don't know if you guys have heard anybody say this before but there is no red. There is no blue There is the state and there is you

Yes, there are meaningful differences in political parties. Obviously, there's a difference between Kamala, like what Kamala's administration would have been and what Trump's will be. But ultimately, we are not a divided people. We are a people who are united around the idea that America is fucking amazing. That idea is fucking amazing. And we are going to be fucking damned if we will let the state usurp that idea for its own fucking death and destruction and theft. And I think

I hope that more people can get around that and realize that look we're all on the fucking same side. There are two sides. It is the people the independent individuals and it is the state. There is no other side like there's no there's no other sides. You can color the horse a different color but like it's still the state granted again. me caveat. There are some differences especially you get down to local governments. There's a lot of difference but like we have so much more not to sound fucking cheesy.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (58:02.634) We have so much more that brings us together than divides us. And what brings us together is the idea that America is fucking special. And if it wasn't for fucking America, Europe would be still have been fucked from those fucking German Nazis, actual Nazis. Like we have literally pulled Europe's own head out of its ass so many times. And yet they still look at us like, well, these, you know, uncouth barbarians. It's like, you know, fucking right. We're uncouth and we're fucking barbarians. And there's a reason that you called us.

when you fucking got your panties in a twist and started murdering tr- like millions of people because you couldn't handle it on your fucking own, you pansies. Like, I love- for any Europeans listening, I fucking love you because you're listening to this and you obviously have a set of balls or maybe not balls, you know, you may be a lady European, but like, America is uniquely positioned to drive massive change in the world because of the American idea. That is what I would say.

HODL (58:58.392) The American, by the way, the thing that's beautiful about America, the American ideal, what is it, right? Like people might not know, especially if you're from Europe, the American ideal is I am the king of my own castle. I am, I am the captain of myself. Okay. I do not have to do anything that you want me to do. I am in charge of me. And if what I'm doing doesn't harm anyone, I should be completely allowed. And I'm well within every right, my God given rights to continue doing that thing.

That is a new idea in the world. It's a baby idea. It's only 250 some odd years old and not quite 250 yet. It's only about 250 years old. And we have to protect that idea because that's the most important idea in the history of the world thus far. And every time I see Americans exercise it and say, a second. Sometimes Americans get caught up in this thing where they're listening to people they shouldn't be listening to.

You know, they're to the television, Rachel Maddow or whoever, Joy Reid, Whoopi Goldberg. And then they go, wait a second, why? They just wake up and they go, why have I been listening to this bitch? What the fuck am I doing listening to this person? I'm just gonna do whatever the fuck I want. No! I'm doing what I want!

Erik Cason (01:00:18.705) Well, Hoddle's out now because he did what he wanted. Look, these are really important.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:00:23.144) Wait, is your computer okay?

HODL (01:00:24.984) I didn't mean to hit the computer, but it's okay, it's fine.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:00:28.072) I thought that was for dramatic effect.

Erik Cason (01:00:28.409) The, the, yeah, it was good. These are really important ideals and like, you know, to, reemphasize everything that you said, Walker, like it took me a long time on my own journey as an anarchist. So like, like I'm an, I'm an anarchist and I'm American. Like I fundamentally believe that Americans on a whole, like we have all of the same value sets. Like nobody wants to hurt other people. Nobody wants to be hurt. People want to respect each other's right to private property. People want to see innovative and creative solutions and

and like let people be freaky and do what they are. And so like, I see reactions on both sides. It's like, look, like if you want to be your gay transgender lizard or like whatever the fuck you want to identify as, like that's fucking great. Good for you. Like do not come into the fucking schools and try to teach kids that shit. Like I'm uninterested in that. In fact, like why the fuck are we doing this school thing? Like if you look at the fucking department of education, you know what every single standard has been measured to do each year?

It goes fucking down. That's what it does. It teaches kids to be fucking stupid little robots that can't think for themselves. Like it, I find it deeply disturbing when I, when my son has friends that are in public school come over and like how fucking remedial they are and how much they, don't, there's a certain creativity that they really lack that I find fucking disturbing, you know? And also on the same side, like just cause people want to be weirdos and freaks don't mean that we have to hate on them and remove their right to be fucking weirdos and freaks. It's just like, don't.

In the same way that like, I'm not going to put my shit in your face. Don't put your shit in my face and don't try to use public institutions to do that. There's no fucking need. Same thing. Like I have no fucking interest in deporting people from this country just because they disagree with me on different principles. Like we need to learn to live in fucking peace and have a radical modernism between us because without that, they're like that. That's what America is all about is about being able to figure out.

How do we live with these ideals that allow for us all to flourish despite how different we are? know, like Europeans like take a fucking cue from us. Like, you know, like we, we figured out how to make this shit work. You guys are trying to model the same thing, but to be very clear, like what you guys are doing with the European Central Bank and the EU and shit, like this is not going to end well for you guys. And so I really encourage

Erik Cason (01:02:47.665) And like I've noticed this more coming from German specifically like you guys need to redouble in your own nationalism and so far of that like you guys are actual independent countries and you need to stop letting this fucked up institution that got created by a bunch of bureaucrats that told you that everything was gonna get better with it. You know like I have an uncle that's lived in Berlin since the 1970s and he knows the conversion of when they went from the mark to the euro fucked everybody over super hard and that's how it is kind of universally.

You guys should really consider taking back national sovereignty, destroying the European Central Bank, and probably, you know, the fact that the thing is ran by an actual fucking financial criminal who has been found guilty of financial crimes, that's pretty fucking ridiculous. And it's pretty ridiculous that you guys tolerate this bullshit being shoved down your throat from Brussels, so...

I really hope that you guys are gonna light shit on fire, cause like, when you guys commit yourself to burning shit down and like throwing shit at people and other stuff, you guys are really good at it. Like, into that. Like keep doing more of that. Like stop, stop with this other fucking nonsense. Cause you know, you guys are gonna get something pretty nasty out of it if you guys keep tolerating this bullshit.

HODL (01:04:03.836) You know what I think the difference between the European mind and the American mind is is that in Europe for you know, thousands of years, if you talk back to the nobility, they could kill you with impunity, right? And in America, one day we took a look at the nobility and we were like, fuck you. We just killed everybody, bro. You know, and so that's different starting points, you know, inception.

Erik Cason (01:04:24.048) Yup, fun f-

Erik Cason (01:04:27.868) Fun fact is that there is an actual amendment to the United States Constitution that is still active to be ratified by states that if you are given a title of nobility in America, you will be stripped of all political rights and positions. think it was the, because there's like three outstanding articles that could be ratified by states, like aren't, like another is about like child labor. The other one's article the first, which.

HODL (01:04:49.706) Yeah.

Erik Cason (01:04:53.424) I've had another great radical plan of like forcing state legislatures to ratify article the first to be, and it's called that because it was the first article to ever be that passed through the congressional approval process. And it went to the States to get approved, but it was never approved. And what article the first stipulates is that no representative of the federal government shall ever represent any more than 50,000 people at a time. And to be clear, if that passed today, that would mean that the House of Representatives would be like,

7,000 people or some shit like that. So that would be really fun if we like got states to pass it just to fuck up the federal government. Cause this is my big thing that I want not only for Americans, but for Europeans and all people everywhere is that like, I believe very, very strongly it is about states, provinces and counties against their unified federal government. Like if you look at what's going on in Spain right now, after the crisis that happened in Valencia and how much the federal government is absolutely fucking those people over.

This is where the real war is at. So I'd like to see more radicalism of states' rights against federal governments across the board. And I think that would really help solve a lot of problems.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:06:02.717) Eric, you mentioned something earlier about, like, just speaking of states' rights, that if, what was it, 35 states were to basically resolve internally, like, as independent states, that we should end the Fed, that the federal government would basically need to scramble. Can you elaborate on that a little bit more for those of us who are less constitutionally literate?

Erik Cason (01:06:20.71) Yeah, so this is all a hypothetical way to be able to ratify the United States Constitution directly using state legislatures only. Nothing has to go through the federal government and it is not supposed to have any oversight. This has never happened in American history because every single time that this method has been used to amend the Constitution, when it's gotten within two or three states,

The federal government has essentially flipped the fuck out and Congress has passed that amendment to the United States with the same language directly so that this was all circumnavigated. There was a Supreme Court decision in 1908 that essentially said if states tried to do this, we wouldn't recognize it. But like this is all about creating constitutional crisis because the 10th Amendment is very explicit and that any powers that are not enumerated to the federal government directly in the Constitution are reserved for states alone. So.

The whole idea would be essentially be go state by state, get the exact same language passed saying that we are calling on an Article 5 convention to amend the United States Constitution to end the Federal Reserve and that the federal government shall have no oversight whatsoever around the issuance of a currency. And in theory, it could pass. For me, the big goal is to get it past 33 states or something.

federal government's gonna freak out. You're probably gonna have the judicial branch being like, no, this is illegitimate. There's no way to amend the constitution without the federal government. We're gonna be like, Texas, what do you think about that? They're trying to say that the sovereignty of your state and what you guys decide isn't okay. Is that something you agree with? How do you feel about that, Nevada, Wyoming? Is this okay with you guys?

Cause for me, the big crisis that happened in America, which is where fiat money started in America was during the civil war. And as much as everybody likes to suck Abraham Lincoln's dick and celebrate him as being a really great guy, good job with like ending slavery, but like you like really fucked up a lot of other stuff with what you did in that. Not to mention that like explicitly creating an amendment to the United States constitution that says that other people can't have slaves, but the

Erik Cason (01:08:28.913) the state itself can have slaves is pretty fucked up. So with that, I really encourage everybody look into the Article 5 ratification process. I really have a boner for the idea using this to like fuck up the federal government across the board. Because to me, this is actually about a radical evolution of the political process that like I think federal politics is fundamentally broken. And if there's a way to lateralize a national movement that uses

only states and state legislatures to start amending the Constitution, or even calling for an Article 5 convention to rewrite the Constitution on a whole, which is also specifically reserved by Article 5 in the U.S. Constitution, there's actually an opportunity for us to roll back radical federal power, destroy the deep state, and renew the American dream throughout the globe by essentially creating the American dream with the federal government and the deep state stripped from it. So that's kind of my insane idea.

you know, let's have a couple lawyers and legal scholars come in here and tell me how I'm fucking insane or wrong or maybe even right, but as far as I know, this is an actual thing that could happen. It's just been kind of buried in history for a long time.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:09:41.32) HODL your thoughts.

HODL (01:09:43.512) I listen, I'm an Article 5 maxi as well. Eric has explained it to me multiple times. just, you know, I think like in practical terms, I just I just don't think we're gonna be able to do that. Yeah, it'd be cool. It'd be cool if it happened. You know, I would be for it.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:10:00.4) Let's let's talk about some practical terms then because okay I want to want to get your guys take on this whole Bitcoin strategic reserve thing Senator okay, so you we remember at the Bitcoin conference in Nashville Trump gave what I think was honestly incredible stand-up performance like that dudes a dude he riffs like he's he's Like you cannot argue with the fact that the dude can fucking what does he call? He calls it the weave right? You know like he riffs. It's impressive. It's just

HODL (01:10:20.344) It was funny. Yeah.

HODL (01:10:25.91) leave.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:10:28.702) very like nice routine. yeah. Yeah. Go save the delivery man. But, and he talked kind of like, we're going to keep the Bitcoin that we have, you know, we're not going to sell any of it. He didn't like explicitly say we are going to start, you know, printing fiat to acquire Bitcoin. He said he would protect the industry though. He said a lot of positive things. Then as everybody is leaving the stage, like after he finished, Lummis comes up and is like, I have a fucking bill right here. Like

Erik Cason (01:10:29.088) My dogs are attacking the delivery man, so I gotta stop them.

HODL (01:10:31.416) Nope.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:10:57.703) I have a bill for the US to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve and like I felt bad because like again like people are like yelling like everyone's leaving the thing like and I'm sitting there like she just like this is fucking actually actually news that lumos is like I've got a fucking bill for this she's been on top of it since then Do what do you think is the most likely scenario that's gonna play out as far as the establishment of a strategic reserve? Is this something that like Trump is gonna be all for?

HODL (01:11:05.442) Yeah.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:11:24.455) Like once he gets a little more knowledge of it, where do you think we're going with this?

HODL (01:11:27.348) So the way that Trump said it on stage initially is is wrong and can't happen. So the Bitcoin that have been seized, you know by whomever, whichever government authority sees them, then there are multiple government authorities that have seized them over time. They belong to somebody they have owners, right? So like most recently the Bitfinex hack there was four billion dollars worth of Bitcoin or something that was seized by the US government, but that Bitcoin all belongs to

people and it has to go back to them. So you can't use it for your national strategic stockpile. But in general, I think the idea of a national strategic stockpile is something that is going to happen one way or another. I think it's inevitable. Whether it goes on the central bank's balance sheet or whether it's put into the hands of the executive branch, I'm not sure. But America is going to acquire a large swath of Bitcoin at some point.

I think there's a the most interesting thing about it is the prisoners dilemma of the nation state level game theory around who goes first So if you go first, you're the most advantaged, right? But for some reason I don't think this is widely known and so nobody's gone first yet or maybe it's because we don't have Younger people who understand these things or have game this out Is Trump's administration administration where we we can do those things I think

Maybe I mean, JD Vance is a Bitcoin or Vivek is a Bitcoin or Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a Bitcoin or Tulsi Gabbard is a Bitcoin or Elon Musk is a Bitcoin or Trump owns a little bit of Bitcoin. He's dabbled in some crypto bullshit. He has his own shit coin. So yeah, I mean, there is a potential that it could happen this time around. I think the most important or the most interesting thing to me is the game theory between other nation states. And then the thing I was going to mention is in some

To some degree, I think the Bitcoin that's in the public markets is a honeypot for the US government. So MSTR is a honeypot for the US government. The ETFs are the public companies that have Bitcoin on treasury like Tesla. So those things are things that can be nationalized in a moment's notice if needed. But we're not on a Bitcoin standard. So the government doesn't need to seize your Bitcoin yet. If fiat starts to collapse, they may need to seize your Bitcoin.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:13:33.256) Mm.

HODL (01:13:56.273) They may seize your b- They'll never need to do it. I mean, they just will do it, right? And so, yeah, I think that's- Those are my high-level thoughts around everything, though.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:14:04.595) Do you, I assume when you talk about a first mover advantage, you're discounting El Salvador in this particular instance because they do not print their own currency, because they are dollarized. Yeah.

HODL (01:14:12.756) It's too small. Well, it's also too small. It's just too small. El Salvador is a very poor country. They're doing listen, they're doing great. They're on the upswing, but they're not a player in the world. They don't mean anything like I mean, El Salvador is a tiny nothing country with no resources like I love what's going on down there. You're always probably they're very small. If you looked at them on the map, it's like this big. It's yeah, it's Russia, China, America.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:14:28.105) For now, for now, for now, let's let's let, yeah.

HODL (01:14:41.238) France, Germany, those are the countries that one of them needs to go first. G7.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:14:45.897) Do you so I mean like Russia has been shifting some of its stances around Bitcoin mining and Bitcoin more generally recently. mean do you think that like that is like we're going to see a lot more of that because Russia was for a while very like no we're you know not a fan of this. mean you know it's not the not the freest country in the world let's say and so freedom money tends to be a little bit.

It's like oil and water, like they don't mix well, right? But clearly they're realizing the geopolitical significance of Bitcoin, which is still sitting at like, I mean, I don't know what the market cap is right now after we're over, we're pamping, but like, we're not over 2 trillion yet. We're at like what, below a trillion and a half, like 1.5, which is fucking nothing. Like in the grand scheme of things, like we are still fucking early.

Erik Cason (01:15:31.04) point five.

HODL (01:15:37.74) Yep. Smaller than Apple Computer.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:15:42.303) Yeah, Bitcoin did just pass meta though, right? I think like today like I believe so, but I don't know like

HODL (01:15:47.308) Probably.

Erik Cason (01:15:52.717) That piece of shit company is worth one and a half tru- Like what the fuck is wrong with this world? I'm sorry, like that- that is upsetting that so many fucking morons are on that goddamn surveillance platform giving away their information towards somebody that fucking hates them.

HODL (01:16:02.38) It's.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:16:06.473) to, it's just,

HODL (01:16:08.214) Instagram is very popular with the hoes Eric very popular

Erik Cason (01:16:11.434) I know. Bitches just be scrolling.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:16:12.551) And Facebook's very popular with the boomers. Like I think boomers are the only ones left on Facebook. I'm honestly convinced, which is hilarious because the boomers were the same ones being like this, this, these Facebook's are going to melt your brains. And now they're like, you know, like this picture of Donald Trump and Jesus is incredible. Like when did they take this? This is amazing. Like, don't think boomer boomers have really bad AI detection skills. Also, that's a slight digression, but it leaves them very vulnerable to manipulation. I think

HODL (01:16:24.342) It's, yeah.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:16:40.456) It's also kind of cute and endearing. God bless you, you bought your house for two raspberries and now you're a multimillionaire.

Erik Cason (01:16:47.724) look like in all honesty, like I see the next decade is like there's gonna be this really it's funny because I remember I was at Burning Man. I'd taken a bunch of acid and I was talking to a younger friend about this and I like went on this crazy diatribe. was like, yeah, in 30 years, we're gonna have like a youth fascist movement that's just gonna be all about like fucking stripping the boomers of their property and like sending them off to the prison camps for liquidation just because people are gonna be so fucking angry at the way that they feel like they were robbed and stolen from. So like

I don't know. It's very similar to that Junseth podcast where he talked to that young scammer where he was pretty indifferent to the way he was ripping people off. honestly, young people have a pretty good point. Yeah, if an AI boomer can't tell the difference between Donald Trump and an AI bot, and you can rip him off doing that, why shouldn't you? Yeah, he made his millions of dollars from watching his house inflate.

HODL (01:17:21.57) of these cameras.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:17:23.049) was amazing.

Erik Cason (01:17:46.102) you know, because of how fucked up the monetary system is. So why shouldn't you just engage in outright graft? I'm not saying that that's right in any meaningful way. Like it's an honest and open-ended question that frankly, I've really struggled with, like meaningfully answering to them. Cause like, yeah, this system has absolutely fucked you and robbed you. And there is no meaningful way that you are going to crawl out of the hole that you've been forced to live in. So like, I don't, I don't know what you can really do to try to protect yourself other than get yourself on a Bitcoin standard.

HODL (01:18:15.108) you? Do you that's Do you think that's true, though? Because like, didn't you feel that way when you were 1819? Because I did, I felt like the boomers had pulled up the ladder. They got rich selling houses back and forth to each other. We were never going to be able to do the same thing, etc, etc. And then God was just like, boom, here's, here's digital coins, bitch. And I was like, fuck. This is amazing. I'm richer than these guys could have ever dreamed. Yeah.

Erik Cason (01:18:15.414) But you probably shouldn't be robbing people, because that's fucked up.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:18:18.344) Yeah

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:18:38.045) you

You

HODL (01:18:43.158) So I mean, think there's always something on the horizon.

Erik Cason (01:18:43.567) I mean, for me personally, for me personally, yeah, but like, I, and like, this is one of the things I always struggle with is that like, we're in an extremely unique position, you know, across, like, that's one of the reasons I didn't just like take the money and run is that like, feel a real obligation towards speaking to the very real power that this has to like, write the economy in a meaningful way again. And with that being said, like,

If I was 20 years old looking at the economy right now, like I would very sincerely be trying to build a career as probably both a drug dealer and a scammer just because I look at the world and be like, why the fuck should I participate in any of this goddamn non- like you want me to fork out $400,000 to get a fucking bachelor's degree while you got that shit for free? Like why the fuck shouldn't I just set fire to everything and watch it burn because

What do I have to win in this system? Like, like I can work for 30 fucking years so I can get a down payment on a home that then I'll spend the next 30 fucking years trying to pay off scraping by. Like, I think shit is really, really fucked up. And I think the only reason that kids aren't outraged is because they're so dopamine addicted to the scrolling that they can't even pull their head far enough out of the phone to stop and look around and go, gee, shit's really fucking bad. But that terrifies them. So they look back at the phone and keep scrolling.

so I think shit's kind of sad right now, but, you know, like I, I hope I'm wrong and that it's not actually that dark out there, but from the, from the young people that I speak to, like, there isn't a rage about it. There's like a very real defeat that like they have been beaten down into a cage that like, they're just doing their best to figure out how to be in. So, while I do agree that I did feel that way when I was younger, like I very sincerely feel like I just like found the fucking glitch in the system.

And I remember like picking it up and being like, there's no fucking way that like magic internet money is going to become the global standard of the future and like make a difference in the 2024 presidential election. And the funniest thing is, that like, there was no political conversation about Bitcoin in my opinion, up until about 2016. Like there were, there was no conceivable difference. know, like crypto didn't even exist on a whole. There was a bunch of shit coin copies, like Litecoin and Feathercoin and shit.

Erik Cason (01:21:07.812) But it was only with the premiere of Ethereum that Bitcoiners were like, hang on, like, we're trying to like make a kind of money that you can't fuck with. And they're like, yeah, like I thought, I thought this was the whole thing that we could just like make up Clowncoin and like make a bunch of money. And I was like, I think we have like different ethics here. And they're like, huh. So like, you don't want any Clowncoin? And I was like, no.

Good luck with that though.

HODL (01:21:32.28) No, mean, you know, I think that, okay, so one thing is, did you see the scammers who got caught for 250 million? They hit up a Genesis creditor for 250 million. Did you see that story?

Erik Cason (01:21:44.022) yeah, yeah. Wasn't this a while ago that they just, you it was like, he had like fucking, like two FAA, like through texts or some shit and they just, just, yeah.

HODL (01:21:52.438) Yeah, they posed as I think they pose as Genesis or so I can't remember how the scam worked. But anyway, like they got $250 million in Bitcoin off of this guy. And it wasn't that long ago. was like six months ago or something. And then what did they do? They went out to the clubs in Miami and LA and they started buying OnlyFans girls Birkin bags and Lamborghinis and whatever. And my favorite text message from the thread is by the way, and then the FBI caught them two months later because

Everybody who's ever seen Goodfellas knows you don't go out and buy a fucking pink Cadillac day one. Are you fucking retarded? Robert De Niro is gonna whack you, okay? Or they don't watch it? Yeah, it's like, the kid literally bought a pink, he bought a pink Lambo for a girl. That is in Goodfellas, the guy does that and then he gets whacked.

Erik Cason (01:22:29.509) Kids don't watch oldies anymore.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:22:31.567) No, the answers are all there. They gave you the answers.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:22:41.425) Also, like she's not going to bang you either way, bro. Like, you know, seriously,

HODL (01:22:43.704) Well, that's the point. That's the point I'm getting to. So there's a text message from the girl and he goes, hey, what's up? I bought you a fucking pink Lambo Urus. You want it? Let's be friends, whatever. And she's like, lol, I have a boyfriend. Sorry. And it's like, dude, you are going to get ass raped in federal prison for the next 10 years.

Erik Cason (01:22:44.377) Yeah, that's like the most beta fucking move you can make.

HODL (01:23:09.568) and you couldn't even get the girl to sleep with you after you bought her a fucking Lamborghini. You know why? It's because when you earn money that way, girls know. They know that you're a fucking loser. They can feel it. They can sense it. Right? And so like she didn't want to have anything to do with you. So it's like, what did you get out of the score, bro? You went to Rodeo Drive and wore some gay Louis Vuitton shit for a little bit and we're in the nightclub fucking sipping on fucking...

awesome, Migo, fucking Don Hoolit, whatever the fuck, like what the f- that's nothing. You threw away your life for nothing, bro. Come on.

Erik Cason (01:23:41.263) Yeah, not to digress, but like if you want to like get rich and make a bunch of money to like get all the hot bitches, like I got news for you. Like it's not gonna work in any meaningful way. And like, you're actually gonna find yourself in like a super bitch beta position where you're gonna be like, huh, like I just like drove this girl in my Porsche over to this guy's house that she's like, that isn't my boyfriend. So.

HODL (01:24:06.808) It's just her trainer dude, it's just her trainer dude. He's the only guy who can work her glutes right bro, it's a thing.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:24:09.639) It's just Pilates instructor. It's cool, man.

Erik Cason (01:24:12.716) Yeah.

I'm going to, you know, she needs me to pick her up in a half hour. So I'm just, I'm going to hang out at this coffee shop just cause I wonder why she's doing only a half hour of Pilate though. That's kind of weird.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:24:24.735) That's strange. Doesn't seem like enough to get a good burn.

HODL (01:24:25.836) was like a... No, dude, it's more intense sweat, dude. If you do it that way, it's what...

Erik Cason (01:24:31.644) Well, and look, the... This is all part of the general nihilism that's playing out, because like when you get that money, when you get money that easily, that quickly through doing dumb shit like scamming, like you're not going to like stop and be like, whoa, like I finally got the lotto ticket to get out of here. Like I'm going to buy a couple of laundry mats and maybe like, you know, like a driving range and a couple other places that can really generate some cashflow for me.

No, you're gonna do like a bunch of retarded shit like that and you're gonna blow the money. like, this is one of the things I love the most about Bitcoin. It's like, Bitcoin doesn't solve cashflow problems or if like you don't have any meaningful like model that you're operating from the world from. if you can't save money, like you will not have any fucking Bitcoin. But like, if you're somebody who's like thoughtful and saving money and you have like a 401k and you've like played their game and gotten fucked by that, like.

Bitcoin's going to be hugely helpful for you because like now you're actually going to have a like savings that like does the thing it's supposed to do. So good on you. And also like, I'm sorry for all the younger kids that are getting fucked by this system that hates them. Like you really should be on only a Bitcoin standard. And if you're not, like I, I would love to hear your solution on why we're fucking dumb and you have the solution. Cause as far as I can tell.

You're gonna work at a Starbucks for the next 30 years and live in your mom's basement and like maybe, maybe if you want a family, you'll have like a chihuahua or something like, look, I got two dogs right now. Like these motherfuckers eat like nobody's business. So like get a really small dog that like you, you like don't need to like feed a lot of food to.

HODL (01:26:08.075) Dude, you know what though, it's all mentality, truly. It's like, people don't, when you talk about like having children and caring about yourself for the future and you know, making money and how making money is a good thing, younger people are just straight up confused, right? And to us, that's like, that's the default that we grew up in. Those are our values. And yeah, but younger people are like, what? Is this some sort of like, trad, like trad?

Chad movement thing, dude. And you're like, what? This is called being a normal person, retard. What are you talking about? And it's because it's so like they haven't heard it. They've been being dude, if you go to public school, you have been being lectured by cat ladies eight hours a day for a fucking 15 years. OK, like and they have like fucking unicorn fairy tattoos on them and stuff. And they're like, Donald Trump is a racist. That's what you've been dealing with.

Erik Cason (01:26:46.577) You can't say that word anymore.

HODL (01:27:06.432) Okay, so you come out of that and then Andrew Tate's like, if you want to be a fucking man, you gotta have a fucking Bugatti. And then you go, fuck, this is fucking speaking to me, dude. Right? Like, when we were young, that was just like common sense. It was like, yeah, sports cars and hot chicks. Like that's what we like, bro. Like, you know.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:27:26.162) Nobody needs to tell you that dude. Like, yeah.

Erik Cason (01:27:26.46) I feel...

I feel really fucking bad for younger people. Like particularly like if you're like a young guy going through puberty and like you want to like go talk to this girl, but you're all nervous because you've watched all this like cancel culture shit. Like now you're too terrified to ever go talk to her. And now like you haven't talked to any girls in your whole life and you want to, but you can't. So like you feel like total fucking wiener. And then like somebody was like, well, if you feel like a wiener and like being a man's really hard, like maybe you're a woman and they're like, maybe I am a woman. And like,

It's something, it's fucked up. It's really wrong. And like a lot of times these poor kids just need somebody to be like, yeah, like you need to go talk to the woman. She could possibly like get really upset and sue you or some shit, but chances are she's just going to think you're kind of weird and you'll feel uncomfortable and walk away, you know, being blown out and like, that's okay. That that's part of life. It's okay when a woman rejects you. doesn't define you as a human being.

HODL (01:28:17.56) I'm not supposed to say this but if you're a teenage boy Go and get a little drunk and do donuts in a parking lot. Okay. I'm not supposed to say that you probably shouldn't do it, but you know You should probably do it. Yeah, like in an empty parking lot empty. Don't go on the road. Just Donuts you can do it in don't do

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:28:31.498) Great advice. It's terrible advice, but it's great advice.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:28:41.608) And honestly, you live in the mid-west, like wait until, like you've got a little bit of snow there, wait until it's a little bit slick, it's much safer to do the donuts when your wheels are actually sliding versus you're like burning rubber. So that, we're tempering the donut device with some good Midwestern, you know, logical advice there. You know, I think, and Hodel, know you've got a hard stop coming up soon. I think we may need to do an entire other...

HODL (01:28:57.653) Absolutely.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:29:08.702) show about the fact that you know who hates homeschooling and who has had homeschooling illegal for a long time. Germany. Thank you. It's it's I appreciate you knew where I was going with that. And you know who implemented that. It was the fucking Nazis. Why did they implement the fact that you can't it is illegal for you to homeschool your kids for you to raise and instruct your kids at home.

HODL (01:29:18.754) Germany, right?

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:29:34.868) because they wanted to fucking control the narrative and control your kids and indoctrinate them and make them good little fucking Hitler's youth Nazis. And then we can go back a little bit further to the Prussian system of education, which is like what kind of was the genesis of the Nazi system, which is we want to create great little worker bees and great little soldiers. And the only way we can do that is if we have control of them from the first time they're able to fucking formulate a word.

Until they are of a you an age where it's appropriate to send them off to fucking work until they die or fight until they die I digress a little bit but the point is that if you don't like homeschooling you're a nazi And I mean that literally not like the everyone's a nazi thing like you're literally agreeing with what the nazis wanted So congratulations. You're a literal nazi not a figurative nazi That's

I just wanted to get that off my chest a little bit guys as a homeschooled guy myself who then went to public school because my parents Said it's your fucking decision do what you want to do. They didn't swear at me at that time They just said it's your decision, but I added the fucking but That was a fucking trip getting into public school and realizing I thought I was gonna be real stupid That was like my big worry where I was like mom and dad I think I should go to public school like what if I'm not as smart as the other kids They're always all my friends that I play sports with they're always doing homework and all this extra work like they've to be way ahead of me

They're like, okay, that's your decision. You can decide to do that. But like you've got a you know, like it's your it's your choice So anything that comes with it's your you know your responsibility, okay? And then I got to school and I was like, my god, everybody is fucking stupid. shit They are catering to the lowest common denominator. And this is a fucking joke I dig and I'm not even like that smart like I was smart enough to be a valedictorian and like kind of a bumblefucky town but that's like, you know, like you're the

skinniest kid at fat camp. You know what I mean? Like it's like, okay, like nice, nice job, but like you're still fat. Like, Hey, Hey, you guys are, you know,

Erik Cason (01:31:31.689) There are all these kids from her high school listening right now, and I'm like, hey, I'm not that dumb.

HODL (01:31:35.316) Hey, I often walk here. I often walk in my glue and he sniffed it. I thought we were friends.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:31:42.305) I knew some fucking great fucking people and there were also some great fucking teachers in there who actually were like fuck this administrative bullshit. I'm just going to actually teach these kids. They were also the teachers always getting in trouble with the administration for like you're not following the curriculum. know like but and like I fucking love the small town that I grew up in because there are fucking great people there. The point is that the public school system did no one any favors. And you know what you just don't fucking need it man. You should do like

An hour or two of school a day and you'll be fucking good. That's all I did And then I went and started fires like not pyro fires But like I like to start controlled fires who doesn't you know what I mean? That's part of it And if you're a young guy listening to this and you've never just gone and started a fire fucking a go and start a fire because No, self-respecting woman will marry you unless you can start a fire like and I'm just telling you Yeah

Erik Cason (01:32:31.926) Yeah, do it on metal trash can though, or like somewhere that you're not gonna start forest fire. know, like Smokey the Bear had a point.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:32:37.258) Well, yeah, don't do yet again not pyromaniac fires start controlled fires Learn how to control them and be a responsible member of society who knows how to make flame like fucking hey That's the only reason that we started drinking bone marrow that was actually cooked and had our brains grow and you want to spit on that I don't think so I've digressed a little bit but it felt like I needed to digress a little bit to get us off track enough for hodl for me to allow you to make a graceful exit here How much more time you got you got time for one last?

HODL (01:33:05.928) got, yeah, I got like five more minutes. I can do five more minutes.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:33:06.81) thought Okay, okay, so Okay, it first. I just want to say thank you to everybody who tuned in on this Noster only live stream fuck YouTube fuck live stream on Twitter fuck wherever else you can live stream like twitch I've never used it, but I hear the kids do all these sats that you guys have sent which is almost 50,000 sats which is awesome I'm gonna send them all to open sats and provide receipts. So thank you guys for doing that We're gonna fund some open source development while shitting on ridiculous people

Erik Cason (01:33:10.21) diatribe.

HODL (01:33:34.072) Yeah.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:33:36.352) Closing thoughts, gentlemen. Hodel, you want to kick us off?

HODL (01:33:40.888) Yeah, let me think about this here for a second. What are my closing thoughts? I think...

in general, you gotta just keep living, man. No, I got nothing.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:33:57.792) Yeah, you don't have to have that. You already dropped so much wisdom. Well, Eric, what about you? What do want to leave people with?

HODL (01:34:04.561) Come back to me. Do Eric first, then come back.

Erik Cason (01:34:10.474) Look, Trump getting elected was like a the whole market was like waiting to see whether or not we're going to go into like socialism hell or if there's going to be an opportunity for something meaningful to happen. Now something meaningful is going to happen and Bitcoin is going to rip super fucking hard in the next six months. And so like if you've been like, I've been like, stacking a little here and there, but I got my 401k like you don't have enough fucking coin. You're going to want more coin later and you should stack harder. So you should really consider about like

Put, you know, like stop messing around, like fucking shove it in, like, like put the whole thing in and enjoy what it means and be like, fucking go for it. In addition to, you know, you should really think for yourself, you know, like no, nobody actually has all of the right fucking answers. And if you actually spend some time and energy thinking hard about what your values are and what you want for the world and for yourself, you're probably going to come to some great conclusions. you know,

So I really hope that more of you are going to fly your freak freak flags and like do your own thing. Walker, you're a great example. You're just doing the Bitcoin podcast to swipe the fact that Bitcoin podcasts were saturated as fuck. You were just like, you know what? I'm going to try my own fucking thing. Turns out people like you and like listen to you. So even if it seems in other people are like, hey, this is saturated. There's too many people like go do you and what you're supposed to like, that's what the world wants. That's where you're to find your power and that's where you're going to make the most money. Don't wait for somebody to be like,

You need to call a degree in to suck five dicks at this law firm to get a job to practice law. find, like, find the fucking hack. Figure out the way that you can actually go do the thing that you want to do. What is the world wants for you and other people want for you? The system does not fucking want for you. Like realize that right now, you're going to be way fucking ahead for yourself. So.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:35:36.02) You

Erik Cason (01:35:53.28) I hope to see all of you young entrepreneurs with the production of all of the great and wonderful things that you will be accepting only on a Bitcoin standard because you're smart enough that you don't want to get fucked holding a bunch of fiat that's going to go to zero. That's the end of what I have to

HODL (01:36:06.496) I am. I actually do have something to say I was I was thinking about this. I think going into the bull market, an important message for people that they need to be aware of is that, yes, you should go hard. know, there's that clip of me on Walker show saying stack your fucking ass off and all that. And like, yes, you should go hard. You should you should be here. You should be fully committed to this and you should be, you know, investing a significant portion of what you have available. All true.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:36:06.728) A fucking

HODL (01:36:34.648) but you know in bull markets people take leverage and Leverage is something that people mistakenly think is a time machine to being an og And it's not and you know, we've seen a lot of people get wrecked So if you are gonna take leverage be extremely careful it's it's one of those things that like if you warn enough people about doing it the people that

you know, ignore all the warnings and walk through all the warning signs anyway, and then go do it and succeed. They were always meant to succeed. But for the vast majority of people like you won't succeed. You know what mean? So like you really should heed the warning and only you know if you're that person or not, and everybody thinks they are that person. But you only find out you're not that person who can walk through all the warning signs until you get fucking destroyed. So don't get destroyed. You know what I mean? Like

Erik Cason (01:37:24.676) By the way, this is being said by the man who made a Bitcoin by betting the man who had the leverage platform that his leverage platform would go bankrupt within a year and it fucking did. just saying that Hoddle might actually know a little bit about what the fuck he's talking about. So with that, please don't go long and slam your fucking dick in the door because there's a 10 % drawdown, which could very well happen when we hit an all time high and your retarded ass did a 10X long and didn't realize.

HODL (01:37:32.728) That's right.

Erik Cason (01:37:51.928) that that's what happens. You get fucking liquidated when the price goes down. So don't be fucking retarded and lose the little bit of Bitcoin that you have because you thought that you could get more Bitcoin because you were smarter. You're not. You're a normal fucking person who will hurt yourself if you do that. So sorry, I just really wanted to add.

HODL (01:38:07.746) So no, % 100 % and two cardinal sins here in Bitcoin you need to be aware of heading into the bull market is number one, not being bullish enough on Bitcoin. That's the biggest sin. It's the biggest sin anyone can make. Number two, unfortunately, is being too bullish on Bitcoin. So you got to strike the balance right in the middle there. Because if you're on either side, you're getting fucking wrecked. Okay, so the best way to do that, stack your Bitcoin, hodl your Bitcoin.

do it in self custody, do it in cold storage, do it with a multi sig. Don't go crazy on this, these products, these MSTU and BTU and fucking these leverage products you can now get access to in the markets. Don't go crazy on MSTR stock, don't go crazy on shit coins or meme coins. You know, everybody has a plan. I've met a lot of guys who had a plan to get to 100 Bitcoin, who ended up with zero Bitcoin, right? So like,

Try not to be one of those guys. If your plan has three elaborate steps that involve you hitting a million shot three times, you're not gonna execute that plan, man. I couldn't execute it. I don't know why you think you're good enough to. I don't know why anyone would ever think they're good enough to. Be smart.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:39:20.83) got a fucking three step plan and it's called DCA and fucking like literally guys, none of us are as smart as we think we are. And like that's good. Like you being too smart is just a pain. That's why you know, that's why you need to drink and stuff. But like literally just like just fucking DCA. Like it's actually like just this GCO like you can just buy Bitcoin, set up a daily DCA buy and then set up an hourly DCA buy.

HODL (01:39:24.503) Yes.

HODL (01:39:38.828) Totally.

Walker (BitcoinPodcast.net) (01:39:49.492) and it'll just split the difference and you will be in large profit in the long term. And I have not been around as long as you guys been around since 2020 and I just dollar cost average. And you know what? It works. And I try to create some value. And Eric, to your point, I appreciate that, that you see this journey that I'm on creating another fucking Bitcoin podcast. But I just want to say until there are more Bitcoin podcasts than insufferable fucking finance bro podcasts,

There are not enough Bitcoin podcasts. need to this needs to be the flippening where Bitcoin podcasts are more plentiful than fucking finance bro. Like here here's the real real estate stock stocks that you should buy that'll generate some passive income for you when you're 401k. It's like Jesus fucking Christ. Grow some balls and buy some Bitcoin guys. Yeah. I fucking appreciate you guys. Thanks for hopping on here. This this was a very enjoyable time.

And I know that people fucking love hearing from both of you guys because you are principal dudes who always laid out straight and We are we are very blessed to have you in this fucking strange community of people and it's great to fucking hang out with you guys And I hope we can do it in fucking person over a beer again soon But yeah, hold on get the fuck out of here case it I'm you guys for everyone listening I'm gonna kill this live stream now and we're gonna just to make sure these guys are uploaded. So fucking love you all. Thanks for joining

I'm killing it now.

@ 5e5fc143:393d5a2c

Now test old reliable front end Stay tuned more later Keeping this as template long note for debugging in future as come across few NIP-33 post edit issues

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

You don't understand how insidious open-borders propaganda is, until you realize that it's an attempt to remove all differentiating traits from humans. They call this "strengthening individuality by removing nationality" (hello, newspeak), but what makes humans individual is their particular collection of traits, and nationality (and ethnicity, religion, etc. -- nationality is just the first domino they want to topple) is one of those.

Humans are not blank slates. Like DNA or physiognomy, our personalities are differing jumbles of cultural "letters". Each person selects consciously and subconsciously from amongst these letters, adding to or rejecting them, amplifying or suppressing them, twisting or combining them, building on top of them... and that's what makes you into You.

Open borders is an attempt to reduce the number of cultural letters you can build your "You" out of. If you take away the word "German", I am not liberated. There is simply one less adjective, with which I can describe myself. You have merely eradicated information, crippled language, and reduced my choices. I can then no longer define myself according to "German things", but I can also no longer define myself in opposition to German things.

Enter the Borg

We are easier to control and brainwash and persecute, if we are centralized and homogenized. As if the entire world were one, big prison and we were all forced to undergo the same education, wear the same clothes, follow the same rules, eat the same foods, enjoy the same entertainment, live the same lifestyle, share the same diseases and cures, enjoy the same lockdowns, join in the same cancel culture, fight the same wars.

That is what globalization brings. That is the end game of Open Borders: * No more cultural evolution or revolution. * Genes, but no memes. * You can go everywhere, but everywhere is the same, so you just stay home. * You can meet people from all over, but they are all the same, so you just don't bother. * One mass of humanity, that can be easily molded and manipulated.

@ 005bc4de:ef11e1a2

I've long had a hunch, and on Saturday it was confirmed. God gifted us indoor plumbing for the purpose of keeping us humble.

The kitchen sink has had a slight drip for...too long. Of late, it has been getting worse and I procrastinated until I simply couldn't any longer. Saturday, I determined to finally fix it.

In theory, it should be simple: remove the stupid garbage disposal (which we never used) as it had rusted through and was the leakage problem, then rebuild the piping without a stupid garbage disposal. I've learned to take photos or repair projects, and did, but being a bit nerdy and maybe a bit spectrumy I need to draw it out...helps me flesh things out in my mind.

https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/crrdlx/23u6WTkJyo2BWz64wAdM1ow93QciRyBdseq48FWL9rpYUijLAVg8n2fAP61tMuHdNest7.png

To me, home projects are judged by the number of trips to the home improvement store. I set the over/under on this one at 2.5 trips. If I could only go twice to the store, and get it done, I'd say it was a victory. Over 2.5 and it would be a loss. My usual is around 4 trips, so, feeling this was an easy endeavor, the low 2.5 over/under was set.

Step 1 - disassembly

Tearing things apart is the easy part. At least, it's supposed to be easy because you don't have to be particularly careful. Removing the stupid garbage disposal would be nothing more than unscrewing things, and it was. However, the plastic composite ring that held on the stupid garbage disposal was impossibly not going to come off. I had to use and angle grinder and literally cut the thing off. This is akin to removing a rusty nail with an axe. I cut, off it came.

Step 2 - assembly

I looked at the situation, I drew my sketch. Actually, I drew the first part of the sketch. What's pictured above is the final composition of several iterations and additions. I took trip #1 to the home improvements store, surprisingly found the section quickly (unheard of) and surprisingly quickly found the parts I needed (also unheard of). After navigating through all the Christmas shoppers buying cute decorative doo-daddies (while I was buying pipe), I paid, navigated jammed-full parking lot, then I was gone.

The first part, the "basin/catch thing" went in too easily and things were going too well. (This can't be good, I thought.) And, sure enough under the sink, the parts I thought would do the job weren't even close. What was I thinking?

So, back to the store trip #2. Same thing...section, parts, navigate holiday shoppers (there were more now), navigate parking lot (there were more now), gone. The next parts were assembled, sort of. The little diagrams on the packaging and the in-studio plumbing vids I'd watched all looked so easy. Everything matched up, everything fit. Here, with my head stuck underneath a dark and damp sink and my arms twisted in wrong ways, nothing matched up, nothing fit. And, I needed another part.

So, back to the store trip #3. A few hours in now, I was getting perturbed. I had to humble myself and do what men hate doing...I decided to ask for help.

The kind home improvement store man was answering questions left and right. (It was even busier now.) I waited...more humbling. When my turn came, I bent the knee, showed him my photo of what I had going on under the sink.

"That's not gonna work," he said.

Ugh. "What am I doing wrong?" I asked kind of pitifully.

"Water flows downhill, not uphill," he informed me.

So, this was the real lesson in humility yesterday. Normally, with a smart-alec answer like that (which does not answer my "what's wrong" question, but was merely injected to kick me while I'm down), I would have responded with something of the same kind...because, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. I might've said, "It doesn't flow downhill when it's pumped uphill," or "Well, I'll be doggone, that's it! Water does flow downhill. You're a smart man!" Actually, I probably would have said, "Good for you, that's correct," as if congratulating him on his accomplishment of water flowage knowledge, then I would have repeated my question, "what am I doing wrong?"

However, I was too beat down, and stuck. I kept my mouth shut. To get an extra jab in, he added something about how my design would also create a venting problem. Then, he gave constructive advice: take this part out, get one of these, it slides in and out, adjust it to where it fits, easy. To be fair, I think he was growing weary from all the stupid people and stupid questions...evidently people come up with crazy ideas, like water flowing uphill.

I chuckled, "Easy for you maybe," I said. This was trip three, I was stuck, I didn't exactly know what he was telling me to do, I was too embarrassed to ask after having been passive aggressive plumbing-shamed. He seemed pretty confident, so I headed out, with little confidence this would work.

Navigate holiday shoppers, the checkout lady said, "Oh, you're back," (great, now they're starting to know me and my ineptitude, more embarrassment), pay, navigate parking lot, gone.

Back home, I was getting closer. What I was doing was a case of building things out piece by piece. If I had a truck full of parts outside, I could have been done in 30 minutes. The back-and-forth and shaming was what was draining me. The system I was building seemed as though it was finally going to work, but, it just wasn't lining up right...about an inch of a misalign. I needed one more extension part for a slight drop. The last piece of the jigsaw was close, but not exactly right. By this time though, I was getting tired and that added to the frustration. Plus, I couldn't dare go back and face Mr. Water Downhill and Mrs. You're Backagain. I went to a closer, but more pricey, hardware store. I found the part I thought would work and the Santa-looking man there assured me that part was correct. For the first time since trip #1, I felt I might get it to work.

Back home, again, holding things under the sink, looking, figuring, head scratching...nope, this part won't work. Santa was wrong. A male threaded head can't mate with a male threaded head...it just doesn't work that way. Argh! Seriously?! I have to go back again?!

I scratched my head and figured I'd retrace and try what seemed promising the last time...just take a fresh look. To wrap this up, I finally got it to work by mixing and matching parts in the kits I'd bought. The flexible "get rid of this" part that Mr. Water Downhill told me to toss out did the trick. That part was able to flex the one inch drop that I needed to get things to mesh up. And just like that, it was complete.

Tighten, tighten, tighten, tighten, tighten, and tighten. Then, pray for no leaks. Water back on...

Based on my prior plumbing endeavors, I was stunned...there were no leaks. And a day in, so far, so good. I'll keep praying.

Stats

• 5.5 hours of work
• 3 trips to home improvement store
• 1 trip to hardware store
• 1 trip to home improvement store to return unused part (yet to be done)
• 1 trip to hardware store to return unused part (yet to be done)
• 1 make-me-feel-dumb comment from the guy in plumbing
• 1 "back again" from the checkout lady
• 1 "that'll work" from Santa lookalike

With the over/under on trips to the store set at 2.5, and me hitting 6 trips counting the returns, this was clearly a fail.

Moral

The moral of the story is that my hunch was correct...God's purpose in giving us indoor plumbing is so that we stay humble. It's either "stay humble," or get slapped down and "get humbled."

@ af9c48b7:a3f7aaf4

Chef's notes

This simple, easy, no bake desert will surely be the it at you next family gathering. You can keep it a secret or share it with the crowd that this is a healthy alternative to normal pie. I think everyone will be amazed at how good it really is.

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 30
• 🍳 Cook time: 0
• 🍽️ Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of Heavy Cream- 0g sugar, 5.5g carbohydrates
• 3/4 cup of Half and Half- 6g sugar, 3g carbohydrates
• 4oz Sugar Free Cool Whip (1/2 small container) - 0g sugar, 37.5g carbohydrates
• 1.5oz box (small box) of Sugar Free Instant Chocolate Pudding- 0g sugar, 32g carbohydrates
• 1 Pecan Pie Crust- 24g sugar, 72g carbohydrates

Directions

1. The total pie has 30g of sugar and 149.50g of carboydrates. So if you cut the pie into 8 equal slices, that would come to 3.75g of sugar and 18.69g carbohydrates per slice. If you decided to not eat the crust, your sugar intake would be .75 gram per slice and the carborytrates would be 9.69g per slice. Based on your objective, you could use only heavy whipping cream and no half and half to further reduce your sugar intake.
2. Mix all wet ingredients and the instant pudding until thoroughly mixed and a consistent color has been achieved. The heavy whipping cream causes the mixture to thicken the more you mix it. So, I’d recommend using an electric mixer. Once you are satisfied with the color, start mixing in the whipping cream until it has a consistent “chocolate” color thorough. Once your satisfied with the color, spoon the mixture into the pie crust, smooth the top to your liking, and then refrigerate for one hour before serving.

@ 9bfc0ed5:17da5661

Here are some recent football articles from 2024: Erik ten Hag could join RB Leipzig According to Sky Sports, Erik ten Hag could join forces with Jurgen Klopp at RB Leipzig, which could hurt Manchester United's chances of getting David Raum. Mohamed Salah to sign a new deal at Liverpool After months of negotiations, Mohamed Salah is close to signing a new two-year deal with Liverpool. Manchester United considering Patrick Dorgu Manchester United is considering signing Lecce full-back Patrick Dorgu, who is also a target for Chelsea and Tottenham. Arsenal expected to resist January approaches for Jakub Kiwior Arsenal is expected to resist January approaches for Jakub Kiwior, who is of interest across Europe. Copa América 2024 Yahoo Sports reports that the Copa América 2024 mini-World Cup will be held in the U.S. The tournament is intended to appeal to both Latino fans and casual American viewers. Kylian Mbappe Kylian Mbappe's head collided with the shoulder of Austrian defender Kevin Danso during the Group D opener in Duesseldorf. Slovakia vs Belgium Slovakia beat Belgium 1-0 at Euro 2024. England started off their Euro 2024 campaign with a victory against Serbia England started their Euro 2024 campaign with a victory against Serbia on Sunday.

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

You have no idea

I regularly read comments from people, on here, wondering how it's possible to marry -- or even simply be friends! -- with someone who doesn't agree with you on politics. I see this sentiment expressed quite often, usually in the context of Bitcoin, or whatever pig is currently being chased through the village, as they say around here.

It seems rather sensible, but I don't think it's as hard, as people make it out to be. Further, I think it's a dangerous precondition to set, for your interpersonal relationships, because the political field is constantly in flux. If you determine who you will love, by their opinions, do you stop loving them if their opinions change, or if the opinions they have become irrelevant and a new set of opinions are needed -- and their new ones don't match your new ones? We could see this happen to relationships en masse, during the Covid Era, and I think it happens every day, in a slow grind toward the disintegration of interpersonal discourse.

I suspect many people do stop loving, at that point, as they never really loved the other person for their own sake, they loved the other person because they thought the other person was exactly like they are. But no two people are alike, and the longer you are in a relationship with someone else, the more the initial giddiness wears off and the trials and tribulations add up, the more you notice how very different you actually are. This is the point, where best friends and romantic couples say, We just grew apart.

But you were always apart. You were always two different people. You just didn't notice, until now.

I've also always been surprised at how many same-party relationships disintegrate because of some disagreement over some particular detail of some particular topic, that they generally agree on. To me, it seems like an irrelevant side-topic, but they can't stand to be with this person... and they stomp off. So, I tend to think that it's less that opinions need to align to each other, but rather that opinions need to align in accordance with the level of interpersonal tolerance they can bring into the relationship.

I was raised by relaxed revolutionaries

Maybe I see things this way because my parents come from two diverging political, cultural, national, and ethnic backgrounds, and are prone to disagreeing about a lot of "important" (to people outside their marriage) things, but still have one of the healthiest, most-fruitful, and most long-running marriages of anyone I know, from that generation. My parents, you see, aren't united by their opinions. They're united by their relationship, which is something outside of opinions. Beyond opinions. Relationships are what turn two different people into one, cohesive unit, so that they slowly grow together. Eventually, even their faces merge, and their biological clocks tick to the same rhythm. They eventually become one entity that contains differing opinions about the same topics.

It's like magic, but it's the result of a mindset, not a worldview. Or, as I like to quip:

The best way to stay married, is to not get divorced.

My parents simply determined early on, that they would stay together, and whenever they would find that they disagreed on something that didn't directly pertain to their day-to-day existence with each other they would just agree-to-disagree about that, or roll their eyes, and move on. You do you. Live and let live.

My parents have some of the most strongly held personal opinions of any people I've ever met, but they're also incredibly tolerant and can get along with nearly anyone, so their friends are a confusing hodgepodge of people we liked and found interesting enough to keep around. Which makes their house parties really fun, and highly unusual, in this day and age of mutual-damnation across the aisle.

The things that did affect them, directly, like which school the children should attend or which country they should live in, etc. were things they'd sit down and discuss, and somehow one opinion would emerge, and they'd again... move on.

And that's how my husband and I also live our lives, and it's been working surprisingly well. No topics are off-limits to discussion (so long as you don't drone on for too long), nobody has to give up deeply held beliefs, or stop agitating for the political decisions they prefer.

You see, we didn't like that the other always had the same opinion. We liked that the other always held their opinions strongly. That they were passionate about their opinions. That they were willing to voice their opinions; sacrifice to promote their opinions. And that they didn't let anyone browbeat or cow them, for their opinions, not even their best friends or their spouse. But that they were open to listening to the other side, and trying to wrap their mind around the possibility that they might just be wrong about something.

We married each other because we knew: this person really cares, this person has thought this through, and they're in it, to win it. What "it" is, is mostly irrelevant, so long as it doesn't entail torturing small animals in the basement, or raising the children on a diet of Mountain Dew and porn, or something.

Live and let live. At least, it's never boring. At least, there's always something to ~~argue~~ talk about. At least, we never think... we've just grown apart.

@ 41e6f20b:06049e45

Let me tell you a beautiful story. Last night, during the speakers' dinner at Monerotopia, the waitress was collecting tiny tips in Mexican pesos. I asked her, "Do you really want to earn tips seriously?" I then showed her how to set up a Cake Wallet, and she started collecting tips in Monero, reaching 0.9 XMR. Of course, she wanted to cash out to fiat immediately, but it solved a real problem for her: making more money. That amount was something she would never have earned in a single workday. We kept talking, and I promised to give her Zoom workshops. What can I say? I love people, and that's why I'm a natural orange-piller.

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

The newspaper barons are all into crypto, now

Watching the outsized-impact we crypto enthusiasts (I'm including Bitcoin in that category), had on the 2024 USA presidential election, was a sobering affair. At the moment, our impact is primarily over the voting box, but, already, indirectly, (over Elon Musik, Donald Trump, and Jack Dorsey, etc.) through our sheer wealth (and the ingenuity that brought us that wealth) being able to influence the voting population, by changing/shifting the communications channels and influencing what is written there.

Elon even reached deep into his foreign-learned bag of political tricks and started handing out money, directly, to petition signers.

Survival of the fittest, ongoing

Now, you all know that I have full respect for an expert player, when I see one, so no hating the hustle, from my side. We all play the hand we are dealt, and the political game is now such a pigsty, that you have to get a bit dirty, to have a chance at winning. Trying to stay neat and above the fray cost Republicans the last election.

It was the most dramatic display of the greatest power following the best money, that has been seen, since the Medici family began minting gold coins. The entire world is in shock. Change is upon us.

He who has the best money, makes the rules.

On a smaller, but not insignificant scale, private wealth and access to Bitcoin funding, have allowed quite a few of us Nostriches, to dedicate time and energy toward promoting and developing the New Internet. Whereas, other people's hobby is increasingly the night shift at the gas station, or doing something mind-numbing, to escape the realities of their current economic misery.

You don't need money to be here, but you can spend more time here, if you have money. And we are here, writing the rules. We call them NIPs.

Same ole, same ole

But back to us Bitcoiners...

I increasingly don't see us morally any different than the clever people crowding into any safe asset, during any financial crisis. Like the people who bought agricultural land, gold, and Swiss Francs, before the Reichsmark melted down. The people who had that stuff, mostly managed to keep it, and their children and grandchildren have inherited it. Or they managed to marry back into families, that have done so, by remaining in the same social class, through beauty or talent.

We Bitcoiners have a good narrative to go along with our flight to economic safety, but everyone has that narrative. Humans have a conscience and need to justify their own actions, to themselves. I'm also a goldbug, you see, and a stockholder, and all three assets are rife with the same virtuous narrative.

How do we save our financial behinds, without being evil?

Some people are simply more situationally aware and have more agency, by nature and circumstances, and they adapt faster. It's not mere intelligence, rather, it also requires a willingness to act and take risks. There's an element of chance to it, but it's still always the same types of people ending up with the assets, with the winners slightly shifting with each round, due to evolution and changes in the environment.

Charity was invented, to get such people to willingly share their assets, or the fruits of their assets, for the common good. So, rather than fret over the morality of the asset, itself, the better response is to consider stepping up your charity (effort or payments), to balance out the inevitable negative impact of the coming Age of Bitcoin Inequality.

Coming down from the ATH

Even now, Bitcoin isn't the only safe asset; it's just the most-fungible and partitionable one, so that it's the one most akin to money. And lines are being blurred, as corporations, funds, governments, and insurers discharge dollars and stock up on harder reserve assets, including Bitcoin.

They can hear the money printers rolling out, already, because nobody can print-n-spend, like Trump can. Let's not forget that the money for the last big bump came from the infamous Trump stimmy checks, that lots of us stacked on crypto.

As Bitcoin flows into such markets, the power will rest with both groups (the direct-hodlers and the title-holders), although the hodlers will initially have the upper hand. I say, initially because many hodlers will need to discharge or invest Bitcoin, to live off of it, but the others don't need to, so it should eventually even out. It could take dozens or even hundreds of years to rebalance. By then, the world will be a very different place, and we don't know if Bitcoin will even still be a part of it.

Assets come, assets go, and I'm just glad I didn't let down my forefathers, by leaving them with the first generation, who failed to adapt. Even if I'm a bit late, to the Bitcoin game, the ball is still in play.

May the best money win. And may it be mine. And may I do good with it.

@ 4ba8e86d:89d32de4

Tutorial feito por nostr:nostr:npub1rc56x0ek0dd303eph523g3chm0wmrs5wdk6vs0ehd0m5fn8t7y4sqra3tk poste original abaixo:

Parte 1 : http://xh6liiypqffzwnu5734ucwps37tn2g6npthvugz3gdoqpikujju525yd.onion/263585/tutorial-debloat-de-celulares-android-via-adb-parte-1

Parte 2 : http://xh6liiypqffzwnu5734ucwps37tn2g6npthvugz3gdoqpikujju525yd.onion/index.php/263586/tutorial-debloat-de-celulares-android-via-adb-parte-2

Quando o assunto é privacidade em celulares, uma das medidas comumente mencionadas é a remoção de bloatwares do dispositivo, também chamado de debloat. O meio mais eficiente para isso sem dúvidas é a troca de sistema operacional. Custom Rom’s como LineageOS, GrapheneOS, Iodé, CalyxOS, etc, já são bastante enxutos nesse quesito, principalmente quanto não é instalado os G-Apps com o sistema. No entanto, essa prática pode acabar resultando em problemas indesejados como a perca de funções do dispositivo, e até mesmo incompatibilidade com apps bancários, tornando este método mais atrativo para quem possui mais de um dispositivo e separando um apenas para privacidade.   Pensando nisso, pessoas que possuem apenas um único dispositivo móvel, que são necessitadas desses apps ou funções, mas, ao mesmo tempo, tem essa visão em prol da privacidade, buscam por um meio-termo entre manter a Stock rom, e não ter seus dados coletados por esses bloatwares. Felizmente, a remoção de bloatwares é possível e pode ser realizada via root, ou mais da maneira que este artigo irá tratar, via adb.

O que são bloatwares?

Bloatware é a junção das palavras bloat (inchar) + software (programa), ou seja, um bloatware é basicamente um programa inútil ou facilmente substituível — colocado em seu dispositivo previamente pela fabricante e operadora — que está no seu dispositivo apenas ocupando espaço de armazenamento, consumindo memória RAM e pior, coletando seus dados e enviando para servidores externos, além de serem mais pontos de vulnerabilidades.

O que é o adb?

O Android Debug Brigde, ou apenas adb, é uma ferramenta que se utiliza das permissões de usuário shell e permite o envio de comandos vindo de um computador para um dispositivo Android exigindo apenas que a depuração USB esteja ativa, mas também pode ser usada diretamente no celular a partir do Android 11, com o uso do Termux e a depuração sem fio (ou depuração wifi). A ferramenta funciona normalmente em dispositivos sem root, e também funciona caso o celular esteja em Recovery Mode.

Requisitos:

Para computadores:

• Depuração USB ativa no celular; • Computador com adb; • Cabo USB;

Para celulares:

• Depuração sem fio (ou depuração wifi) ativa no celular; • Termux; • Android 11 ou superior;

Para ambos:

• Firewall NetGuard instalado e configurado no celular; • Lista de bloatwares para seu dispositivo;

Ativação de depuração:

Para ativar a Depuração USB em seu dispositivo, pesquise como ativar as opções de desenvolvedor de seu dispositivo, e lá ative a depuração. No caso da depuração sem fio, sua ativação irá ser necessária apenas no momento que for conectar o dispositivo ao Termux.

Instalação e configuração do NetGuard

O NetGuard pode ser instalado através da própria Google Play Store, mas de preferência instale pela F-Droid ou Github para evitar telemetria.

F-Droid: https://f-droid.org/packages/eu.faircode.netguard/

Github: https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard/releases

Após instalado, configure da seguinte maneira:

Configurações → padrões (lista branca/negra) → ative as 3 primeiras opções (bloquear wifi, bloquear dados móveis e aplicar regras ‘quando tela estiver ligada’);

Configurações → opções avançadas → ative as duas primeiras (administrar aplicativos do sistema e registrar acesso a internet);

Com isso, todos os apps estarão sendo bloqueados de acessar a internet, seja por wifi ou dados móveis, e na página principal do app basta permitir o acesso a rede para os apps que você vai usar (se necessário). Permita que o app rode em segundo plano sem restrição da otimização de bateria, assim quando o celular ligar, ele já estará ativo.

Lista de bloatwares

Nem todos os bloatwares são genéricos, haverá bloatwares diferentes conforme a marca, modelo, versão do Android, e até mesmo região.

Para obter uma lista de bloatwares de seu dispositivo, caso seu aparelho já possua um tempo de existência, você encontrará listas prontas facilmente apenas pesquisando por elas. Supondo que temos um Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus em mãos, basta pesquisar em seu motor de busca por:

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus bloatware list

Provavelmente essas listas já terão inclusas todos os bloatwares das mais diversas regiões, lhe poupando o trabalho de buscar por alguma lista mais específica.

Caso seu aparelho seja muito recente, e/ou não encontre uma lista pronta de bloatwares, devo dizer que você acaba de pegar em merda, pois é chato para um caralho pesquisar por cada aplicação para saber sua função, se é essencial para o sistema ou se é facilmente substituível.

De antemão já aviso, que mais para frente, caso vossa gostosura remova um desses aplicativos que era essencial para o sistema sem saber, vai acabar resultando na perda de alguma função importante, ou pior, ao reiniciar o aparelho o sistema pode estar quebrado, lhe obrigando a seguir com uma formatação, e repetir todo o processo novamente.

Download do adb em computadores

Para usar a ferramenta do adb em computadores, basta baixar o pacote chamado SDK platform-tools, disponível através deste link: https://developer.android.com/tools/releases/platform-tools. Por ele, você consegue o download para Windows, Mac e Linux.

Uma vez baixado, basta extrair o arquivo zipado, contendo dentro dele uma pasta chamada platform-tools que basta ser aberta no terminal para se usar o adb.

Download do adb em celulares com Termux.

Para usar a ferramenta do adb diretamente no celular, antes temos que baixar o app Termux, que é um emulador de terminal linux, e já possui o adb em seu repositório. Você encontra o app na Google Play Store, mas novamente recomendo baixar pela F-Droid ou diretamente no Github do projeto.

F-Droid: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.termux/

Github: https://github.com/termux/termux-app/releases

Processo de debloat

Antes de iniciarmos, é importante deixar claro que não é para você sair removendo todos os bloatwares de cara sem mais nem menos, afinal alguns deles precisam antes ser substituídos, podem ser essenciais para você para alguma atividade ou função, ou até mesmo são insubstituíveis.

Alguns exemplos de bloatwares que a substituição é necessária antes da remoção, é o Launcher, afinal, é a interface gráfica do sistema, e o teclado, que sem ele só é possível digitar com teclado externo. O Launcher e teclado podem ser substituídos por quaisquer outros, minha recomendação pessoal é por aqueles que respeitam sua privacidade, como Pie Launcher e Simple Laucher, enquanto o teclado pelo OpenBoard e FlorisBoard, todos open-source e disponíveis da F-Droid.

Identifique entre a lista de bloatwares, quais você gosta, precisa ou prefere não substituir, de maneira alguma você é obrigado a remover todos os bloatwares possíveis, modifique seu sistema a seu bel-prazer. O NetGuard lista todos os apps do celular com o nome do pacote, com isso você pode filtrar bem qual deles não remover.

Um exemplo claro de bloatware insubstituível e, portanto, não pode ser removido, é o com.android.mtp, um protocolo onde sua função é auxiliar a comunicação do dispositivo com um computador via USB, mas por algum motivo, tem acesso a rede e se comunica frequentemente com servidores externos. Para esses casos, e melhor solução mesmo é bloquear o acesso a rede desses bloatwares com o NetGuard.

MTP tentando comunicação com servidores externos:

Executando o adb shell

No computador

Faça backup de todos os seus arquivos importantes para algum armazenamento externo, e formate seu celular com o hard reset. Após a formatação, e a ativação da depuração USB, conecte seu aparelho e o pc com o auxílio de um cabo USB. Muito provavelmente seu dispositivo irá apenas começar a carregar, por isso permita a transferência de dados, para que o computador consiga se comunicar normalmente com o celular.

Já no pc, abra a pasta platform-tools dentro do terminal, e execute o seguinte comando:

./adb start-server

O resultado deve ser:

daemon not running; starting now at tcp:5037 daemon started successfully

E caso não apareça nada, execute:

./adb kill-server

E inicie novamente.

Com o adb conectado ao celular, execute:

./adb shell

Para poder executar comandos diretamente para o dispositivo. No meu caso, meu celular é um Redmi Note 8 Pro, codinome Begonia.

Logo o resultado deve ser:

begonia:/ $

Caso ocorra algum erro do tipo:

adb: device unauthorized. This adb server’s $ADB_VENDOR_KEYS is not set Try ‘adb kill-server’ if that seems wrong. Otherwise check for a confirmation dialog on your device.

Verifique no celular se apareceu alguma confirmação para autorizar a depuração USB, caso sim, autorize e tente novamente. Caso não apareça nada, execute o kill-server e repita o processo.

No celular

Após realizar o mesmo processo de backup e hard reset citado anteriormente, instale o Termux e, com ele iniciado, execute o comando:

pkg install android-tools

Quando surgir a mensagem “Do you want to continue? [Y/n]”, basta dar enter novamente que já aceita e finaliza a instalação

Agora, vá até as opções de desenvolvedor, e ative a depuração sem fio. Dentro das opções da depuração sem fio, terá uma opção de emparelhamento do dispositivo com um código, que irá informar para você um código em emparelhamento, com um endereço IP e porta, que será usado para a conexão com o Termux.

Para facilitar o processo, recomendo que abra tanto as configurações quanto o Termux ao mesmo tempo, e divida a tela com os dois app’s, como da maneira a seguir:

Para parear o Termux com o dispositivo, não é necessário digitar o ip informado, basta trocar por “localhost”, já a porta e o código de emparelhamento, deve ser digitado exatamente como informado. Execute:

adb pair localhost:porta CódigoDeEmparelhamento

De acordo com a imagem mostrada anteriormente, o comando ficaria “adb pair localhost:41255 757495”.

Com o dispositivo emparelhado com o Termux, agora basta conectar para conseguir executar os comandos, para isso execute:

adb connect localhost:porta

Obs: a porta que você deve informar neste comando não é a mesma informada com o código de emparelhamento, e sim a informada na tela principal da depuração sem fio.

Pronto! Termux e adb conectado com sucesso ao dispositivo, agora basta executar normalmente o adb shell:

adb shell

Remoção na prática Com o adb shell executado, você está pronto para remover os bloatwares. No meu caso, irei mostrar apenas a remoção de um app (Google Maps), já que o comando é o mesmo para qualquer outro, mudando apenas o nome do pacote.

Dentro do NetGuard, verificando as informações do Google Maps:

Podemos ver que mesmo fora de uso, e com a localização do dispositivo desativado, o app está tentando loucamente se comunicar com servidores externos, e informar sabe-se lá que peste. Mas sem novidades até aqui, o mais importante é que podemos ver que o nome do pacote do Google Maps é com.google.android.apps.maps, e para o remover do celular, basta executar:

pm uninstall –user 0 com.google.android.apps.maps

E pronto, bloatware removido! Agora basta repetir o processo para o resto dos bloatwares, trocando apenas o nome do pacote.

Para acelerar o processo, você pode já criar uma lista do bloco de notas com os comandos, e quando colar no terminal, irá executar um atrás do outro.

Exemplo de lista:

Caso a donzela tenha removido alguma coisa sem querer, também é possível recuperar o pacote com o comando:

cmd package install-existing nome.do.pacote

Pós-debloat

Após limpar o máximo possível o seu sistema, reinicie o aparelho, caso entre no como recovery e não seja possível dar reboot, significa que você removeu algum app “essencial” para o sistema, e terá que formatar o aparelho e repetir toda a remoção novamente, desta vez removendo poucos bloatwares de uma vez, e reiniciando o aparelho até descobrir qual deles não pode ser removido. Sim, dá trabalho… quem mandou querer privacidade?

Caso o aparelho reinicie normalmente após a remoção, parabéns, agora basta usar seu celular como bem entender! Mantenha o NetGuard sempre executando e os bloatwares que não foram possíveis remover não irão se comunicar com servidores externos, passe a usar apps open source da F-Droid e instale outros apps através da Aurora Store ao invés da Google Play Store.

Referências: Caso você seja um Australopithecus e tenha achado este guia difícil, eis uma videoaula (3:14:40) do Anderson do canal Ciberdef, realizando todo o processo: http://odysee.com/@zai:5/Como-remover-at%C3%A9-200-APLICATIVOS-que-colocam-a-sua-PRIVACIDADE-E-SEGURAN%C3%87A-em-risco.:4?lid=6d50f40314eee7e2f218536d9e5d300290931d23

Pdf’s do Anderson citados na videoaula: créditos ao anon6837264 http://eternalcbrzpicytj4zyguygpmkjlkddxob7tptlr25cdipe5svyqoqd.onion/file/3863a834d29285d397b73a4af6fb1bbe67c888d72d30/t-05e63192d02ffd.pdf

Processo de instalação do Termux e adb no celular: https://youtu.be/APolZrPHSms

@ 2063cd79:57bd1320

Eines der interessantesten Themen im immer mehr Facetten umfassenden Bitcoin-Bereich ist und bleibt das Mining. Erst diese Woche wurde wieder ein neues ATH erreicht und die Nachrichten der letzten paar Wochen zeigen, dass es immer noch ein Bereich ist, der sich nach wie vor neu erfindet und stets im Wandel ist. Besonders die Formierung neuer immer größer werdender Mining-Pools, die damit einhergehenden Überlegungen rund um Stratum V2, aber auch die ständige Veränderung der grossen, an Börsen gelisteten Minern sind immer wieder Gesprächsthemen und erzeugen viele Nachrichten. Bevor wir uns diese letzten Neuigkeiten anschauen, ist es jedoch einmal wert, einen Schritt zurückzutreten und sich genau zu vergegenwärtigen, was Miner eigentlich tun - also wie der Mining-Prozess abläuft.

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Die Mining-Lotterie

Die meisten Menschen missverstehen oder verstehen nicht ganz, was Bitcoin-Miner tatsächlich tun, um neue Blocks zu produzieren. Es wird hauptsächlich über den hohen Energieaufwand gesprochen, was dazu führt, dass fälschlicherweise angenommen wird, dass die gesamte aufgebrachte Energie in jeden neu produzierten Block fließt. Die Analogie zum herkömmlichen Bergbau, oder Goldschürfen, trägt teilweise zur Verwirrung bei. Denn beim Bergbau arbeiten viele Maschinen gleichzeitig daran, wertvolle Stoffe aus der Erde zu ziehen, dabei können parallel weltweit Edelmetalle geborgen werden und viele Faktoren spielen dabei eine Rolle, wie erfolgreich in Bergbau-Unternehmen arbeitet (z.B. Menge des Equipments, die in der Lokalität vorhandene Menge an wertvollen Stoffen, usw.). Beim Bitcoin-Mining ist dies nicht ganz der Fall.

Denn einfach ausgedrückt ist Mining eine Lotterie, um neue Blöcke in der Bitcoin-Blockchain zu erstellen. Dabei ergeben sich zwei Effekte: 1) Jeder neue Block fügt Transaktionen der Blockchain hinzu und sichert damit zusätzlich vorherige Blöcke und die darin enthaltenen Transaktionen ab (sichert also das gesamte Netzwerk ab). 2) Erhalten erfolgreiche Miner eine Belohnung (den Blockreward) für die getane Arbeit und für die aufgewendeten realen Ressourcen (z. B. Strom, Hardware, OpEx). Aber was ist genau mit Lotteriesystem gemeint?

Man stelle sich vor, dass alle Miner im Bitcoin-Netzwerk das gleiche Lotto spielen. Doch in unserem Lottospiel werden die 6 richtigen Zahlen nicht am Ende gezogen, sondern sind am Anfang jeder Runde gesetzt (es gibt keine Möglichkeit zu schummeln, denn es gibt niemanden, von dem man die richtigen Zahlen erhalten kann, bis sie gefunden wurden). Alle Lotto-Teilnehmer setzen sich also hin und fangen an, so schnell wie nur eben möglich Lottoscheine auszufüllen, denn es geht darum, die richtigen 6 Zahlen für die jeweilige Runde als erstes zu finden. Derjenige Spieler, der am schnellsten Scheine ausfüllen kann, hat höhere Chancen, die richtigen Zahlen auch als erstes zu erraten. Sobald ein Spieler die richtigen 6 Zahlen hat, ist die Runde sofort beendet und alle Mitspieler können sich den Gewinner-Schein ansehen und mit den veröffentlichten 6 Zahlen vergleichen, um damit zu validieren, dass der Gewinner auch tatsächlich übereinstimmende Zahlen hat. Der Gewinner bekommt den Jackpot und die nächste Runde beginnt. Einziger Unterschied ist, dass man sich mit dem Jackpot keine Kartbahn in den Garten bauen kann.

Da dieses Lottospiel sich immer größerer Beliebtheit erfreut kommen immer mehr interessierte Spieler hinzu, aber auch die existierenden Spieler fangen an, Freunde dazuzuholen, die ihnen helfen sollen, noch schneller Lottoscheine auszufüllen. Durch die steigende Anzahl an Spielern würde jede Runde schneller vorbei sein, da ja viel mehr Spieler gleichzeitig Scheine ausfüllen und damit die Wahrscheinlichkeit steigt, dass die 6 Richtigen schneller gefunden werden. Da die Lotterie nur eine begrenzte Menge von Kapital zur Ausschüttung als Jackpots bereithält, muss sie das Spiel so anpassen, dass die Runden möglichst gleich lang dauern.

Dazu wird jede Runde die Schwierigkeit erhöht. Mussten die ersten Spieler nur 6 Richtige aus einer Zahlenreihe von z.B. 49 Felden erraten, wird die Anzahl der möglichen Zahlen erhöht, sodass eine Runde im Durchschnitt immer 10 Minuten dauert. Verlassen Spieler die Runde, wird die Zahl der möglichen Felder genauso wieder reduziert. Im Bitcoin-Netzwerk wird die stetige Ausschüttung von neuen bitcoins genauso reguliert. Damit im Durchschnitt alle 10 Minuten ein neuer Block produziert wird, müssen alle 2016 Blöcke (ca. alle 2 Wochen) die Schwierigkeit angepasst werden, um die Blockzeit bei 10 Minuten zu halten. Treten innerhalb dieses Zeitraums von ca. 2 Wochen mehr Miner dem Netzwerk bei, steigt die Hashrate und infolgedessen muss die Schwierigkeit angepasst werden.

Alle Miner im Netzwerk verwenden ASIC (Mining-Equipment, oder Rigs) - spezialisierte Computer, die nur darauf ausgelegt sind, Hashes so schnell wie möglich zu berechnen. Einen Hash berechnen bedeutet, eine zufällige Eingabe in eine mathematische Funktion einzufügen und eine Ausgabe zu erzeugen. Technisch bedeutet dies, dass ein Block von Transaktionen erstellt wird und in eine SHA256-Hash-Funktion eingegeben wird. Wenn die Ausgabe mit der "Gewinnerzahl" übereinstimmt, hat der Miner gewonnen und kann den neuen Block in die Blockchain schreiben und kann seinem Block das Preisgeld (die Subsidy) hinzufügen, die an den Miner ausgezahlt wird. Dann beginnt die nächste Runde.

Mehr Hashes pro Sekunde entsprechen mehr ausgefüllten Lottoscheinen pro Sekunde und damit einer größeren Erfolgswahrscheinlichkeit. Beim Hashing (mehr dazu ⬇️) wird immer eine Ausgabe mit einer festen Größe erstellt (in unserem Beispiel 6 Zahlen), die als Hash bezeichnet wird. Entgegen der landläufigen Meinung handelt es sich hierbei nicht um komplexe Mathematik, sondern nur um eine sehr schnelle Wiederholung der immer gleichen Berechnung mit neuen Eingaben, bis das erhoffte Ergebnis gefunden wird.

ASICs sind darauf ausgelegt, diese eine Berechnung (die SHA256-Hash-Funktion) so schnell und effizient wie möglich zu erledigen, und nicht um komplizierte Rechenaufgaben oder mathematische Probleme zu lösen. Es geht dabei einzig und allein um Schnelligkeit.

Anders als beim analogen Bergbau können verschiedene Teilnehmer also nicht parallel wertvolle Stoffe erwirtschaften, sondern pro Spiel immer nur einer. Der Gewinner bekommt alles und alle anderen Teilnehmer haben ihre aufgewendete Arbeit "umsonst" getan, das heißt wie beim herkömmlichen Lotto haben sie nur für die Teilnahme an der Runde bezahlt (in Form von Rechenleistung, Strom, usw.), bekommen aber vom Gewinn nichts ab. Der Anreiz besteht also darin, bei der nächsten Runde mehr Glück zu haben und die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines Gewinnes zu erhöhen.

In jeder anderen Branche schwankt das Angebot je nach Nachfrage. Wenn die Nachfrage nach einem wertvollen Stoff steigt, werden die Teilnehmer die Produktion entsprechend der Nachfrage erhöhen. Das bedeutet, mehr Equipment wird hinzugefügt, um schneller mehr des Produkts zu erwirtschaften. Bei Bitcoin ist das Angebot im Code festgelegt (neue bitcoins alle 10 Minuten) und kann sich auch bei steigender Nachfrage nicht ändern.

Aufgrund seiner genehmigungsfreien Natur ist es jedem gestattet, von überall auf der Welt Bitcoin zu produzieren, also an der Lotterie teilzunehmen. Die Lotterie schließt niemanden aus - einzig und allein Staaten oder andere Gerichtsbarkeiten können ihren Bürgern (versuchen zu) verbieten, an der Lotterie teilzunehmen. Dies führt dazu, dass sich Bitcoin-Miner überall auf der Welt ansiedeln, wo es für sie am wirtschaftlichsten ist am Netzwerk zu partizipieren (stabile und günstige Energieversorgung, rechtlich abgesicherte Eigentumsrechte, keine Verbote, usw.).

Gerade die ersten beiden Punkte (Energie und Eigentumsrechte) führen dazu, dass sich Bitcoin-Mining in Staaten wie den USA, Kanada oder Kazakhstan besonders konzentriert und in Ländern wie China oder Russland (durch Mining-Verbote) abnimmt - so in der Theorie. Denn heute stammen angenommen immer noch ca. 20% und 5% der weltweiten Hashrate aus China und Russland. Theorien dafür gibt es viele und besonders die letzten - fast unverhältnismäßigen - Anstiege der Hashrate führen zu vielen Spekulationen darüber, dass der russische Staat insgeheim seine eigene Mining-Infrastruktur ausbaut.

Hashing vs. kryptografische Verschlüsselung

Das Bitcoin-Netzwerk bedient sich vieler verschiedener Elemente, um die verschiedenen Eigenschaften oder Funktionen zu bedienen. Oft wird dabei das Hashing (z.B. verwendet beim Mining-Prozess und der Erstellung von Adressen) mit kryptografischer Verschlüsselung / Encryption (z.B. beim Erstellen von Keys) verwechselt oder in einen Topf geworfen.

Hashing: Das Hashing ist eine bestimmte Form der Kryptografie. Beim Hashing wird eine Eingabe (eine beliebig lange Datenkette) zu einer festen Ausgabegröße transformiert. Die Eingabe kann alles sein, z.B. viele Namen aneinandergereiht, oder jeder Straßenname irgendeiner Stadt aneinandergereiht, usw., es kann ziemlich alles sein, was man sich vorstellen kann und in Form einer Folge von Zeichen dargestellt werden kann. Der Hashing-Algorithmus funktioniert im Wesentlichen als Einbahnstraße, die die Eingabe in eine feste Folge von Buchstaben und Zahlen umwandelt.

Ein bekannter Anwendungsfall für diese Art von Algorithmus ist die Passwort-Speicherung auf Webseiten. Wenn Benutzer ein Passwort anlegen, errechnet der Computer automatisch einen Hash, welcher hinterlegt und beim Einloggen abgefragt wird. So werden bei einem Hack der Webseite nur nicht rückgängig zu machende Hashes der Passwörter gestohlen.

Kryptografische Verschlüsselung: Bei der kryptografischen Verschlüsselung handelt es sich auch um eine Form der Kryptografie, doch anders als beim Hashing, handelt es sich hier um einen bidirektionalen Algorithmus, also eine Zweirichtungsstraße. Das bedeutet schlicht, dass der Algorithmus eine Eingabe verschlüsselt, die verschlüsselte Ausgabe mit dem passenden Schlüssel jedoch wieder entschlüsselt werden kann. Somit kann der Besitzer des Schlüssels herausfinden, was die ursprüngliche Eingabenachricht war.

Ein bekannter Anwendungsfall für diese Art von Algorithmus ist die Ende-zu-Ende-Verschlüsselung bei verschiedenen Messenger-Diensten. Nachrichten werden verschlüsselt versendet und nur der Empfänger hat den nötigen Schlüssel, um die Nachricht wieder zu öffnen. Das passiert bei den Messenger-Diensten ganz automatisch, ohne dass ein Nutzer mit den Schlüsseln herumhantieren muss.

💡Dieser Unterschied ist ganz wichtig: Beim Hashing ist es unmöglich Anhand der Ausgabe die ursprüngliche Eingabe durch eine Rücktransformation zu erhalten. Man kann nur Daten eingeben und erhält dann eine feste Ausgabe. Verwendet man den selben Algorithmus bei der gleichen Eingabe erhält man immer eine identische Ausgabe.

Hashing beim Mining: Hashing ist im Wesentlichen die Art und Weise von Bitcoin, das gesamte Netzwerk zu koordinieren, um einen bestimmten Hash zu finden, der eine bestimmte vom System festgelegte Schwierigkeit erfüllt. Diese Schwierigkeit stellt sicher, dass egal ob die Hälfte der Miner im Laufe des nächsten Jahres verschwindet, oder ob sich die Anzahl der Miner im Laufe des nächsten Jahres verdreifacht, im Durchschnitt dafür Sorge getragen wird, dass das Bitcoin-Netzwerk immer ziemlich stabil ist und weiterhin etwa alle 10 Minuten ein neuer Transaktionsblock erscheint.

Es ist also essentiell, den Unterschied zwischen Verschlüsselung und Hashing zu verstehen und mit dem Mythos aufzuräumen, dass Mining "komplizierte, mathematische Probleme" löst. Ein weiterer viel verbreiteter Mythos ist, dass der Energieverbrauch zunehmen wird, je mehr Nutzer//innen Bitcoin Transaktionen ausführen. Es braucht nämlich nicht mehr Miner, um mehr Transaktionen zu verarbeiten. Die Anzahl der Transaktionen ist begrenzt durch die Blockgröße und die Anpassung der Schwierigkeit, die dafür sorgt, dass Blocks alle 10 Minuten produziert werden. Dies ist der Fall, wenn es auf der Welt nur noch einen einzigen Miner gäbe, genauso wie dies der Fall ist, wenn sich die Mining-Hashrate verhundertfacht. Eine Erweiterung der Gesamt-Hashrate führt allerdings zu einer höheren Sicherheit des Netzwerks, da ein potentieller Angriff auf das Netzwerk nur funktionieren kann, wenn der Angreifer mehr als 51% der gesamten Hashrate auf sich vereinigt.

🫳🎤

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In diesem Sinne, 2... 1... Risiko!‌

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

Unsucking the feed is real

As a Nostrich with an interesting, thought-provoking, and informative feed... a feed so good, that we're creating clients just to look at that feed... a feed that puts a lie to the idea that Nostr is nothing, but people reposting from Twitter or rehashing worn-out Bitcoin memes... a feed that I personally and increasingly enjoy perusing... I am here to tell you that the feed is real.

It's taken me over a year, to produce this feed. I literally spent hours and hours, day in and day out, scouring the Nostrverse for people worth introducing other people to. It was brutally difficult, as I was fighting the inherent nature of the Nostr clients and relays, in their current, most-popular form.

It goes like so...

Here are the steps I took, that sometimes weren't possible to take, until I tried to take them, and that still will sometimes break your client because the clients are often intentionally designed to steer you into having one particular feed:

1) Make a screenshot of your current relay list and copy your follows list. 2) Unsubscribe from all the relays, that you are currently subscribed to. Your feed should disappear. If it doesn't, or it doesn't allow for this, switch to a different client app because yours is corrupted. 3) Unfollow everyone. Delete the whole list. You are taking your follows private, which will invariably result in only following npubs whose stuff you actually want to see, since there's no longer any virtue-signaling going on. Also, it's easier to explain having no list, than a very short one. If your client doesn't allow for this, or starts throwing error messages and freezing up, then switch to a different client app because yours is corrupted. 4) Curate your copied follows list. Go line by line and look at the feed produced by the npub on that list. * Do you want to see that in your feed, going forward? * Do they produce original content and/or are they interesting conversationalists, in the replies? * Have they been active, within the past three months? * Are they simply good friends or real-life acquaintances, that you want to keep tabs on? * If not, cross out their name. * If you have been following someone because they repost or quote interesting things, look at who they've been reposting and follow them, instead. 5) Of the npubs remaining on your list, go through and select the 10 most interesting ones, and look at the reposts and quotes in their feed, and their topical lists like \"Favorites\", \"Devs\", \"Recipes\", etc. (Not their follows list, unless it's quite short, as follows tend to be full of people they follow for social-signaling or client-functional reasons, that they don't actively look at.) Find some new follows, there. 6) Now, set up a personal relay and add all the follows, that made the cut, to your allowed-npubs list. Do not add people to the list, just to make them feel better, or because you feel guilty, as they follow you, or to keep them from yelling at you. Remember, they can't see the list! 7) Think about the topics you find interesting, and add an allowed-keywords list (this is better than hashtags, as it searches the entire content of the notes), with the OR operator (these allowed npubs OR these allowed topics). 8) Make sure that you choose words likely to find the content you are most-interested in, and not people just ranting about it or spamming (those are great additions to your relay's block-list). If you are Muslim, for instance, instead of "Islam" or "shariah", choose "hadith" or "riba", as those are words more-likely to be used by people who know what they are talking about. If you are into bread baking, add "sourdough", "rye", "yeast", or "whisk", but don't add "bread" or "carbs". Once a note from those people shows up in your feed, and their feed looks like someone interesting, you can add their npub to your allow list. Remember: The topics are there to find people to add to the allow list, not merely for their own sake, as this is not a topical relay, but a personal one. 9) Open up a faucet (or relay syncing) with some of the big relays you previously unsubscribed from, some WoT relays, and some of the paid relays (nostr.land, nostr.wine, nostr21.com, and sovbit.host, for example). Your relay will filter that feed and only accept the events from the people and topics on your list. As your relay becomes more popular, npubs will begin writing directly to it, and the connections to other relays will sink in significance. 10) Go to your client of choice and subscribe to your new relay. Also subscribe to some topical relays, or curated neighborhood relays, you find interesting or your frens are running. This is an easy way to find new, interesting npubs, to add to your own relay.

That's a lot of work, you say? Yes, but the result is great, and you are now fully in-charge of your own feed. You also -- here's the cool part -- have a feed good enough, that other people can add your feed to theirs and enjoy your manual curation. As you refine and expand your feed, theirs will also be refined, in parallel. You are now an official Nostr Community Curator. My sincere congratulations.

Why is this so hard?

This is only a lot of work because the clients aren't designed to interact with relays, to this extent, as they were created to service mega-relays, download all their crap to your local cache, and adjust the feed over the follows/mutes lists. This was an idea borne of the axiom that Relays Are Hard, so there will only ever be a handful of them, where we'd all clump together and the relay operators would never judge the quality of someone's content. Then, some unusually clever people made relays increasingly easy, and the mailbox communication model was invented, and here we are.

What we have now, and that is slowly growing in popularity, among the #NostrIntelligentsia, are Nostr clients aimed at curating and viewing individual relays or personalized sets of smaller or more-specialized relays. The reigning client devs refused to give us those clients, and most of us aren't up to developing our own clients, so the relay devs took matters into their own hands and made the clients themselves. The free market remains undefeated.

This is a total game-changer. Last one to board this train is a rotten egg.

Originally, relays were supposed to be completely stupid and clients were supposed to be completely smart, but it's now actually the other way around, because most relay devs have a market-born incentive to make their content highly customizable and appealing to individuals (so that more people run relays).

But what about algos?

Can't you just slap an algo on top of Damus, Lol, or Primal relays, and get the same result? I would argue... no. No, you can't. Or, rather, only in the short to medium term.

Running your own relay, is running your own server. You are now intellectually independent, at a machine-level, and therefore a fully sovereign consumer. If you then use algos to control your own server, or in a client that subscribes to your own server, then you can further-refine a feed that is already in a high-to-you-signal state, rather than risking an algo inching you toward the Consensus Feed.

I have noticed that my own feed is slowly drifting away from the ReplyGuy-Cryptobot-Porny-Bitcoin-Meme Dumpster Fire, that almost everyone else is looking at, and it's due to running my own relay. If I use DVMs, those algos sometimes refer to relays I intentionally avoid, so they return results according to those relays. The results are as underwhelming, as you would expect, and often are simply 31 flavors of the Trending List.

But, that isn't your problem, anymore. From here, you can actively expand and refine your feed, over your whitelist, the topics, and your personally-managed algos.

Happy Nostr-ing!

@ 6871d8df:4a9396c1

Today is Election Day here in the US, and it's a big deal.

As of now, this is my bet on the vote:

For myself, as I did in 2020, I will be voting for Donald Trump.

My biggest reasons for this are as follows: 1. Dismantling the bureaucracy. 2. Financial Freedom 3. Food Freedom

There are others, but those are my top three.

For me, the fact that unelected bureaucrats essentially run our government (Joe Biden is still our President right now, though no one has seen or heard from him in months) is our largest red flag. I think it is our biggest priority to return to a place where the people we elect to run our government actually run our government.

Trump swung and missed on this in his first term, but with his commitment to RFK and having people on his side like Vivek, I do not think he will sing and miss this time.

Next is financial freedom. The Biden-Harris administration has been incredibly hostile to what I am calling financial freedom. They mostly got their policies from the Warren camp, which hates digital currencies.

Being a part of Bitcoin startups for most of the Biden admin, I have seen this first hand. Operation Chokepoint 2.0 was a real thing and it was scary living through it. Actively seeing the government try to de-bank you was something I never would have thought was possible in the 'Land of the Free.'

The fact that the gov could de-bank you at all was an even bigger catalyst of how necessary a neutral, open, digital, and global money was critical for not only freedom itself, but our future.

Trump clearly is the better candidate regarding this. Yes, he may have launched a grifting shitcoin, but he doesn't want my industry — and financial freedom itself — dead. This is a no-brainer.

Andreessen Horowitz had a great podcast summarizing this that is worth the listen. It sums up where I sit as opposed to the current administration.

Trump has also promised to free Ross, which is absolutely necessary.

Last is food freedom.

I think the US is going the absolute wrong direction when it comes to health and food. In the name of saving animals and climate, food guidelines have been captured by this horrible, anti-human ideology.

I personally think it's not only necessary but good for humans to eat lots of beef and just meat in general. So much of what we've been told about nutrition and cholesterol is blatantly wrong.

Only one side of the aisle is trying to mandate this in the name of 'science.' I think they are wrong.

There is also only one side of the aisle that is anti-seed oils. I haven't eaten seed oils for almost four years, and bringing that mainstream, I think, is incredibly important. RFK is leading the way here. Trump putting him in a position of power to 'Make America Healthy Again,' I believe, is a fantastic initiative and one that is at the forefront for me for this election.

@ 2063cd79:57bd1320

Eine hitzige Debatte wird momentan in der Bitcoin-Welt über NFTs (sagen die einen) bzw. unnötigen Datenmüll (sagen die anderen) auf der Bitcoin-Blockchain geführt. Anlass zur Debatte hat ein von Casey Rodarmor entwickeltes System gegeben, das es ermöglicht mit Hilfe seines speziell dafür entwickelten Protokolls jedem Satoshi (Sat) eine einzigartige Folgenummer (Ordinal) zuzuweisen und somit nachverfolgbar zu machen. Dies erlaubt dann das Schreiben von Dateien direkt in die Witness Sektion eines Blocks, also direkt in die Blockchain, eine sogenannte Inscription. Das Thema erhitzt die Gemüter, jeder hat eine Meinung dazu und entweder ist man im Lager der Supporter oder der Gegner. Oder man hat schon beim Lesen dieser Einleitung nicht ein Wort verstanden. Für diese Gruppe soll diese Übersicht funktionieren, in der die Funktionsweise von Ordinals und Inscriptions erklärt wird und was die Pro- und Kontra-Argumente der jeweiligen Lager sind.

---

Daten in die Bitcoin-Blockchain zu schreiben, die nicht direkt etwas mit der Funktionsweise des Systems zu tun haben, ist nichts Neues. Es gibt seit jeher verschiedene Möglichkeiten Nachrichten, Dateien oder andere Informationen in Blocks zu packen. Sogar der Genesis Block enthält die Nachricht "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks" in der Coinbase,

das Whitepaper von Satoshi Nakamoto wurde bereits 2013 in Block 230009 verewigt,

OP_Returns ermöglichen das Schreiben kurzer (80 Zeichen) Nachrichten,

und auch Protokolle, die auf Bitcoin laufen, wie z.B. Counterparty und u.a. den Handel mit Rare Pepes ermöglichen, existieren bereits seit 2014. Dennoch scheint etwas an der neuen, von Casey Rodarmor vorgestellten Methode anders zu sein, dass es die Gemüter so sehr erhitzt. Das Konzept ist ein zweigeteiltes, zunächst wird eine Theorie, oder Konvention, beschlossen, der zufolge jeder Sat in der Blockchain einzigartig und nachverfolgbar wird. Damit werden die einzelnen Sats im weitesten Sinne schon zu NFTs. Darüber hinaus ermöglicht diese Konvention das Verschmelzen dieser einzigartigen Sats mit hochgeladenen Daten. Denn - um beim obigen Beispiel des Whitepapers zu bleiben - ist die hochgeladene PDF Datei für immer in Block 230009 festgeschrieben, aber sie gehört niemandem, denn ein Block gehört niemandem per se, ein Block ist ein öffentliches Register aller stattgefundenen Transaktionen zu dieser Blockzeit. Indem man Dateien mit Sats verbindet, lassen sich diese verschicken und handeln, denn Sats haben (der Ordinal Theory zufolge) immer eine/n Besitzer//in.

Doch um besser verstehen zu können, wie dieses neue Protokoll funktioniert, muss man sich wie immer ein paar verschiedene Konzepte annehmen. Wir brechen diese erstmal der Reihe nach auf.

SegWit (Segregated Witness)

Bevor wir uns mit Ordinals und Inscriptions beschäftigen machen wir einen kurzen historischen und technischen Ausflug, denn Inscriptions wären ohne SegWit nicht möglich. Deshalb lohnt es sich besser zu verstehen, was man unter diesem Transaktionsformat versteht.

SegWit wurde 2017 erdacht, um in erster Linie zwei existierende Probleme zu lösen: 1) Transaction Malleability und 2) die Effizienz von Blöcken zu erhöhen. Bis dato hatten Blöcke eine effektive maximal Größe von 1MB und bestanden aus dem sogenannten Header (Basisdaten: Signaturen und Skripte) und den Transaktionsdaten (Inputs und Outputs). Diese Headerdaten (auch Witness-Daten genannt) nahmen einen Großteil der zur Verfügung stehenden Größe ein, was zu ineffizienten und oftmals mit hohen Transaktionsgebühren versehenen Blöcken führte. Mit Hilfe des SegWit Protokolls konnte eine Skalierung von Bitcoin erreicht werden, ohne die offizielle in den Code geschriebene Blockgröße von 1MB zu verändern. Dazu kommt, dass diese Lösung keinen Hard-Fork benötigte und ganz nebenbei (aber offiziell in erster Linie) auch das Problem der Malleability löste. Ohne auf die Details von Hard- und Soft-Forks einzugehen, ist dies ein wichtiges Detail, denn 2017 tobten die sogenannten Blocksize-Wars und führten schließlich zur Abspaltung von Bitcoin Cash und seinen 8MB-Blöcken.

SegWit wurde im Juli 2017 mit Block 477120 aktiviert. Wie der Name Segregated Witness schon impliziert, werden die Witness-Daten (Signaturen und Skripte) getrennt und in einer separate Datenstruktur (Witness Merkle Tree) geführt, sodass der Hauptteil des Blocks weniger Basisinformationen enthält und somit mehr Platz für Transaktionsinformationen lässt, Blöcke also effizienter macht und damit Gebühren niedriger hält. Der Zaubertrick dabei ist, dass es immer noch derselbe Block ist, allerdings mit zwei Sätzen von Datenstrukturen (Transaktionsabschnitt und Basisinformationsabschnitt), und somit den Protokollregeln entspricht und eine Blockgröße von 1MB eigentlich nicht überschreitet. Dieser mathematische Kniff führt dazu, dass für die Einführung kein Hard-Fork benötigt wurde (nur einen Soft-Fork), was eine Abwärtskompatibilität gewährleistet und somit auch Adressen und Wallets, die unter dem Legacy-System arbeiten ohne Probleme funktionieren. Der mathematische Kniff hat allerdings eine seltsame Neuerung zur Folge, denn Blöcke werden seitdem in Gewicht statt Größe gemessen.

Ein voller Block von ca. 1MB Größe und 4 Millionen WU Gewicht

Bitcoin hat nun also eine sogenannte Blockgrößengrenze (1MB) und eine Blockgewichtsgrenze (4 Millionen Gewichtseinheiten (WU), was ca. 4MB entspricht). Darüber hinaus wurden mit dem SegWit-Soft-Fork die heute gängigen bc1-Adressen (im Gegensatz zu den alten 1- und 3-Adressen) eingeführt.

Ein weiterer Nebeneffekt, neben der Reduzierung der Gebühren durch Kapazitätsverbesserung und Lösung der Transaktionsformbarkeit (Malleability), ist dass Layer-2-Lösungen, wie unter anderem Lightning, ermöglicht wurden, da Zahlungskanäle davon abhängen, dass unverformbare Transaktionen bestehen. Für die Skalierbarkeit und Dezentralisierung von Bitcoin hat die relativ kleine Blockgröße den Vorteil, dass der Betrieb von privaten Nodes erleichtert wird.

Taproot

Mit dem Wissen über SegWit müssen wir uns auch kurz mit Taproot beschäftigen, einem weiteren Soft-Fork, das mit Block 709632 im November 2021 aktiviert wurde. Taproot hat viele Neuerungen mit sich gebracht, die es hier zu besprechen den Rahmen sprengen würde, doch wichtig ist, dass Ordinals das Input-Feld von Taproot-Transaktionen nutzen, das seit dem SegWit Update getrennt wurde. Auch wichtig ist, dass es seit Taproot keine Regel gibt, die die Größe von Inputs begrenzt und damit Daten beliebig viel Platz (bis zur Blockgrößenbegrenzung von 4MB) beanspruchen können. Dies ermöglicht im Endeffekt die Öffnung des Protokolls zur Verwendung von Skripten, wie bei Ordinals geschehen und somit das Hochladen von großen Dateien, die die volle Blockgröße einnehmen können.

Ordinals

Das Protokoll besteht aus zwei Konzepten. Auf der einen Seite Ordinals (engl. Ordnungszahlen) und auf der anderen Seite Inscriptions (engl. Inschriften). Ordinals an sich funktionieren losgelöst von Inscriptions, Inscriptions benötigen aber Ordinals, um zu funktionieren. Man könnte also von einer Pfadabhängigkeit bei Inscriptions sprechen.

💡Pfadabhängigkeit: Bei pfadabhängigen Vorgängen bauen die einzelnen Prozesse auf einander auf und das Resultat ist davon abhängig, welche Reihenfolge gewählt wird. Einfaches Beispiel: Ein Bad nehmen (Prozess 1) und dann mit dem Handtuch abtrocknen (Prozess 2) führt zu einem komoplett anderen Ergebnis, als sich mit dem Handtuch abzutrocknen und dann ein Bad zu nehmen.

Ordinals können also unabhängig von Inscriptions verstanden werden. Es handelt sich dabei um eine vom Programmierer erfundene Konvention, einzelne Sats durchzumummerieren.

“Satoshis are numbered in the order in which they’re mined, and transferred from transaction inputs to transaction outputs in first-in-first-out order.” - Casey Rodarmor

Das Prinzip ist dabei recht einfach: Es wird angenommen, dass jeder bitcoin aus 100.000.000 Sats besteht und damit Sats durchgezählt werden können. Die Sats werden mit dem Genesis Block (Block 0) beginnend in der Reihenfolge, in der sie produziert wurden, nach dem FIFO-Prinzip (First in first out) durchgezählt und markiert. Der erste jemals produzierte Block (Genesis Block) enthielt 50 bitcoins und damit 5.000.000.000 Sats. So lassen sich die Sats durchzählen: der erste Sat ist #0, der zweite hat die Ordnungszahl #1 und der letzte Sat dieses ersten Blocks hat die Ordnungszahl 4.999.999.999.

Um dies umzusetzen wurde ein spezieller Block Explorer geschrieben, der dieser Konvention folgt und den jeweiligen Sats einen "Namen" zuweist, um diese leichter nachverfolgen zu können. So lässt sich so tun (!), als ob sich einzelne Sats von UTXO zu UTXO bewegen würden. Um UTXOs besser verstehen zu können, empfehle ich diesen vorherigen Artikel:

https://www.genexyz.org/post/25-block-774775-utxos-fee-management-v3ulch/

Die Konvention täuscht also vor, dass Sats nicht ausgegeben oder verbrannt werden, sondern, dass diese in einer Art Kette von Bitcoin-Atomen existieren und diese Kette beim Versenden von Transaktionen nur aufgebrochen und die einzelnen Atomversatzstücke andernorts wieder auftauchen und nicht, wie eigentlich der Fall, eingeschmolzen / verbrannt werden.

Umgesetzt wird das alles durch ein Open-Source-Protokoll namens ord, das auf dem Bitcoin Core Protokoll läuft. Dies bedeutet, dass keine Veränderungen am Bitcoin Protokoll selbst vorgenommen werden, sondern eine Programm entwickelt wurde, das die Daten in der Blockchain benutzt, um eine andere Sicht zu erzeugen, die es ermöglicht, einzelne Sats zu benennen und nachzuverfolgen und somit jeden einzelnen Sat "einzigartig" aussehen zu lassen. Es ist also völlig freiwillig, sich auf diese Konvention und die Namensgebung einzulassen.

Folgt man jedoch dieser Konvention, so ergeben sich natürlich Spielereien, wie z.B. Seltenheit einzelner Sats beruhend auf dem Block, in dem sie enthalten waren oder sind, welche laufende Nummer sie haben, etc. Es ist in etwa so, als hätte ich eine Million kleiner Kieselsteine in meiner Einfahrt. Für jeden, der einfach vorbeigeht, ist jeder Kieselstein einfach nur eines von vielen Steinchen. Ich habe aber ein System gefunden, um jeden einzelnen Stein einzeln zu benennen, und damit ergeben sich "besondere" Steine, z.B. Stein #1 oder Stein #69. Nur wer meinem System der Nummerierung folgt, sieht, dass dies besondere Steine sind, jeder andere sieht einfach nur Steine.

Inscriptions

Bei Inscriptions handelt es sich um eine von Ordinals zunächst losgelöste separate Funktion. Hierbei wird die eigentliche Datei in die Blockchain geschrieben, allerdings im Einklang mit Ordinals wird dieser Datei ein einzigartiger Sat zugeschrieben. Dies funktioniert auch wieder nur, wenn man der willkürlichen Konvention des Protokolls Folge leistet, denn beim Schreiben der Datei in die Blockchain wird natürlich eine Transaktion erstellt. Diese Transaktion enthält (mindestens) einen UTXO, der/die aus mehreren Sats bestehen und deshalb legt das Protokoll fest, dass eine Inscription beim Mining mit dem ersten Sat des ersten UTXO der Transaktion verschmolzen wird. Damit wird die Inscription (also die Datei) dauerhaft und auf ewig markiert und kann somit von anderen Sats unterschieden wird.

Unter Verwendung dieser Konvention (und der dazu nötigen Wallets) können UTXOs, die ein Sat-Inscription-Paar enthalten, gefunden und ihre Bewegungen und ihr Eigentum über Transaktionen hinweg verfolgt werden. Dies führt dazu, dass diese Sats, bzw. die Inscriptions, gehandelt, verschenkt, gekauft und verkauft werden können. Dabei entstehen also digitale Artefakte, oder anders genannt NFTs.

Inscriptions sind naturgemäß größere Dateien und nehmen daher mehr vom begrenzten Platz in jedem Block ein (daher die langen Erklärungen zu SegWit und Taproot). Die Benutzer//innen, die Inscriptions erstellen bzw. hochladen, müssen die dazu erforderlichen (höheren) Gebühren zahlen. Dieser Punkt ist für die folgende Diskussion wichtig.

Diskussion

Okay, soweit so gut, soweit so scheiße.

Kurzum: Es gibt ein System, das das Benennen einzelner Sats ermöglicht (wenn man daran glaubt) - Ordinals. Es besteht die Möglichkeit, Dateien in Blöcke zu schreiben und diese mit den benannten Sats zu verknüpfen - Inscriptions. Die beiden Theorien oder Konventionen sind nicht gleich, brauchen aber einander.

Ordinals alleine schaden nicht. Es ist das Hinzufügen digitaler Artefakte in Transaktionen, das die größere Debatte entflammt. Denn Inscriptions verlagern ein Risiko direkt in die Blockchain. Ein OP_Return z.B. kann 40KB (also 80 Zeichen) beinhalten und somit z.B. einen Link zu einer Datei darstellen (einen Pointer). Eine Datei mit fragwürdigem oder kriminellem Inhalt, würde also immer auf einer externen Website liegen und somit würde auch das Risiko vom Betreiber getragen werden. Inscriptions öffnen die Tür, Dateien, die bis zu 3MB pro Block groß sind, direkt in die Blockchain zu schreiben. Hier eröffnen sich Korridore für Reputationsangriffe auf Bitcoin.

Ordinals (ich fasse jetzt Ordinals und Inscriptions mal zusammen) eröffnen neue Wege, mit Bitcoin zu interagieren. Es bietet "Spaß" mit Bitcoin und fügt eine neue Schicht hinzu, Bitcoin mit Kunst und Kultur zusammenzubringen ist. Es könnte außerdem die Akzeptanz erhöhen und neue Interessenten für Bitcoin begeistern, die für die Bildchen kommen, aber wegen der bahnbrechenden Technologie und den fundamentalen Mehrwerten von Bitcoin bleiben.

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Die Hauptargumente gegen Ordinals berufen sich auf die größeren Datenmengen, die von Nodes validiert werden müssen und darauf, dass Blöcke mit "unnötigem Müll" gefüllt werden und damit wichtige und relevante Transaktionen nicht schnell genug verarbeitet werden. Allerdings muss man dazu sagen, dass Ordinals nicht die Blockgröße erhöhen, sondern im schlimmsten Fall dafür sorgen, dass das Blocklimit öfter erreicht wird. Ein normaler Block sieht meist so aus:

Man sieht, dass das Gewicht von 4 MWU nicht ganz erreicht wurde und 2.675 Transaktionen einen Platz gefunden haben.

Im Vergleich dazu wurden im folgenden Block lediglich 648 Transaktionen untergebracht, die pro Transaktion viel größer sind (schaut man sich die jeweiligen Transaktionen an, stellt man fest, dass so gut wie jeder dieser großen Blöcke den gleichen Betrag von 0.0001 BTC aufweist, was darauf schließen lässt, dass die Ordinals-Transaktionen sind).

Fürsprecher von Ordinals argumentieren oft damit, dass diese "nutzlosen" Transaktionen auch bezahlt werden müssen, um andere "wertigere" Transaktionen zu verdrängen, da Miner diese sonst nicht dem Block hinzufügen würden. Hier muss man aber sagen, dass diese Transaktionen relativ geringe Transaktionsgebühren von 4 Sat/vB bezahlt haben. Da wir wissen, dass Transaktionsgebühren basierend auf der Größe der Transaktion berechnet werden und nicht auf dem Wert der Transaktion in Bitcoin, werden für diese 0.0001 BTC Transaktionen dennoch Gebühren im Bereich von 150.000 bis 250.000 Sats (ca. $50 bei aktuellem Kurs) fällig (es sei denn man hat Nick Luxor als Freund).

Die Marktkräfte innerhalb des Bitcoin-Netzwerks werden also zeigen, wie lange diese Art von Transaktionen einen Großteil des vorhandenen Platzes einnehmen werden. Die Debatte um Transaktionsgebühren ist eine sehr wichtige, denn gibt es immer wieder Theorien darüber, wie Miner zukünftig profitabel sein können, wenn die Subsidies immer irrelevanter werden und auch das Sicherheitsbudget von Bitcoin gewährleistet werden muss. Befürworter von Ordinals bringen dies als ein weiteres Pro-Argument für einen weiteren Use-Case und gesteigertes Interesse an On-Chain Transaktionen an.

https://x.com/BitcoinPierre/status/1622744824896970753

Natürlich erleben Ordinals gerade einen Hype und so ist es nicht verwunderlich, dass vor zwei Tagen über 50% des vorhandenen Platzes von Ordinals-Transaktionen eingenommen wurde. Diese Zahl ist heute schon auf unter 25% gesunken, was einen klaren Hype und keine Regel aufweist.

Unabhängig davon, ob Inscriptions als „wertvolle“ Verwendung von Bitcoin angesehen wird oder nicht, wird der Markt über die angemessene Gebührengestaltung darüber entscheiden, ob Nutzer weiterhin das System für diese Art von Spielerei nutzen wollen. Sollten sich Inscriptions als langlebig erweisen, werden Transaktionsgebühren unweigerlich steigen und somit mehr Absender kleinerer Bitcoin-Transaktionen auf Layer-2-Protokolle wie Lightning ausweichen.

Puristen sind gegen Inscriptions, da sie argumentieren, dass das Speichern großer Daten auf dem Bitcoin Ledger den Blockplatz für keinen wirklichen Zweck verschwendet und nur Stress für Nodebetreiber verursacht. Blocks, wie der folgende, führen dazu, dass sich ihnen die Nackenhaare aufstellen und neben der Verschwendung von Platz wird häufig das Reputationsrisiko als Kritik angebracht.

Denn Inscriptions, die einmal in die Blockchain geschrieben wurden, lassen sich nicht mehr entfernen und damit auch nicht der Inhalt der hochgeladenen Dateien. Unmoralische und kriminelle Inhalte eröffnen so einen Korridor für Zensur, allerdings sollte auch beachtet werden, dass es auch einen speziellen Block Explorer benötigt, der Inscriptions darstellt, und diese Explorer haben natürlich die Möglichkeit Bilder mit moralisch und rechtlich fragwürdigen Inhalten zu zensieren, bzw. nicht darzustellen (wie in Inscription #668 passiert).

https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-ordinals-creators-look-for-fix-after-first-instance-of-shock-porn

Um das Hochladen dieser "schlechten" Inhalte zu vermeiden, müssten die Bitcoin-Konsensregeln geändert werden. Und wenn diese verändert werden können, um Menschen davon abzuhalten, Bilder in das Bitcoin-Netzwerk zu laden, können die Regeln auch verändert werden, um z.B. Nutzer//innen mit politischen Interessen oder kritischen Meinungen davon abzuhalten, Bitcoin zu nutzen, wie sie es für richtig erachten. Denn am Ende ist Bitcoin ein System von Regeln, nicht von Vorurteilen oder Gefühlen und Meinungen, und der Schiedsrichter darüber, was darf und was nicht darf, bleibt der Code.

Im besten Fall können Inscriptions den Nicht-Bitcoin-NFT-Markt aushebeln und NFT-Fans den Spiegel vorhalten, dass ihre teuren Bildchen und die zugrunde liegende Technologie fast wertlos sind.

Welchem Camp man auch angehören mag, es bleibt festzuhalten, dass die ganze Ordinals-Theorie auf einer willkürlichen Annahme beruht und nur funktioniert, wenn man der Theorie folgt, dass Sats (ähnlich wie Atome bei Gold oder Nukleotide bei DNS) feste Bestandteile darstellen, die sich einzeln nachverfolgen lassen und nicht - wie ich denke - eine Maßeinheit darstellen. Zu sagen, ein UTXO besteht aus n-Menge Sats und jeder Sat ist einzigartig, ist genauso sinnvoll, wie zu sagen, dass man einen Eimer Wasser hat und sich jedes Milliliter Wasser einzeln nachvollziehen lässt. Liter ist eine Maßeinheit und nicht die Grundform, aus der Wasser besteht.

🫳🎤

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In diesem Sinne, 2... 1... Risiko!‌

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

You have no idea

I regularly read comments from people, on here, wondering how it's possible to marry -- or even simply be friends! -- with someone who doesn't agree with you on politics. I see this sentiment expressed quite often, usually in the context of Bitcoin, or whatever pig is currently being chased through the village, as they say around here.

It seems rather sensible, but I don't think it's as hard, as people make it out to be. Further, I think it's a dangerous precondition to set, for your interpersonal relationships, because the political field is constantly in flux. If you determine who you will love, by their opinions, do you stop loving them if their opinions change, or if the opinions they have become irrelevant and a new set of opinions are needed -- and their new ones don't match your new ones? We could see this happen to relationships en masse, during the Covid Era, and I think it happens every day, in a slow grind toward the disintegration of interpersonal discourse.

I suspect many people do stop loving, at that point, as they never really loved the other person for their own sake, they loved the other person because they thought the other person was exactly like they are. But no two people are alike, and the longer you are in a relationship with someone else, the more the initial giddiness wears off and the trials and tribulations add up, the more you notice how very different you actually are. This is the point, where best friends and romantic couples say, We just grew apart.

But you were always apart. You were always two different people. You just didn't notice, until now.

I've also always been surprised at how many same-party relationships disintegrate because of some disagreement over some particular detail of some particular topic, that they generally agree on. To me, it seems like an irrelevant side-topic, but they can't stand to be with this person... and they stomp off. So, I tend to think that it's less that opinions need to align to each other, but rather than opinions need to align in accordance with the level of interpersonal tolerance they can bring into the relationship.

I was raised by relaxed revolutionaries

Maybe I see things this way because my parents come from two diverging political, cultural, national, and ethnic backgrounds, and are prone to disagreeing about a lot of "important" (to people outside their marriage) things, but still have one of the healthiest, most-fruitful, and most long-running marriages of anyone I know, from that generation. My parents, you see, aren't united by their opinions. They're united by their relationship, which is something outside of opinions. Beyond opinions. Relationships are what turn two different people into one, cohesive unit, so that they slowly grow together. Eventually, even their faces merge, and their biological clocks tick to the same rhythm. They eventually become one entity that contains differing opinions about the same topics.

It's like magic, but it's the result of a mindset, not a worldview. Or, as I like to quip:

The best way to stay married, is to not get divorced.

My parents simply determined early on, that they would stay together, and whenever they would find that they disagreed on something that didn't directly pertain to their day-to-day existence with each other they would just agree-to-disagree about that, or roll their eyes, and move on. You do you. Live and let live.

My parents have some of the most strongly held personal opinions of any people I've ever met, but they're also incredibly tolerant and can get along with nearly anyone, so their friends are a confusing hodgepodge of people we liked and found interesting enough to keep around. Which makes their house parties really fun, and highly unusual, in this day and age of mutual-damnation across the aisle.

The things that did affect them, directly, like which school the children should attend or which country they should live in, etc. were things they'd sit down and discuss, and somehow one opinion would emerge, and they'd again... move on.

And that's how my husband and I also live our lives, and it's been working surprisingly well. No topics are off-limits to discussion (so long as you don't drone on for too long), nobody has to give up deeply held beliefs, or stop agitating for the political decisions they prefer.

You see, we didn't like that the other always had the same opinion. We liked that the other always held their opinions strongly. That they were passionate about their opinions. That they were willing to voice their opinions; sacrifice to promote their opinions. And that they didn't let anyone browbeat or cow them, for their opinions, not even their best friends or their spouse. But that they were open to listening to the other side, and trying to wrap their mind around the possibility that they might just be wrong about something.

We married each other because we knew: this person really cares, this person has thought this through, and they're in it, to win it. What "it" is, is mostly irrelevant, so long as it doesn't entail torturing small animals in the basement, or raising the children on a diet of Mountain Dew and porn, or something.

Live and let live. At least, it's never boring. At least, there's always something to ~~argue~~ talk about. At least, we never think... we've just grown apart.

@ 4ba8e86d:89d32de4

Tutorial feito por Grom mestre⚡poste original abaixo:

http://xh6liiypqffzwnu5734ucwps37tn2g6npthvugz3gdoqpikujju525yd.onion/240277/tutorial-criando-e-acessando-sua-conta-de-email-pela-i2p?show=240277#q240277

Bom dia/tarde/noite a todos os camaradas. Seguindo a nossa série de tutoriais referentes a tecnologias essenciais para a segurança e o anonimato dos usuários, sendo as primeiras a openPGP e a I2P, lhes apresento mais uma opção para expandir os seus conhecimentos da DW. Muitos devem conhecer os serviços de mail na onion como DNMX e mail2tor, mas e que tal um serviço de email pela I2P. Nesse tutorial eu vou mostrar a vocês como criar a sua primeira conta no hq.postman.i2p e a acessar essa conta.

É importante que vocês tenham lido a minha primeira série de tutoriais a respeito de como instalar, configurar e navegar pela I2P nostr:nevent1qqsyjcz2w0e6d6dcdeprhuuarw4aqkw730y542dzlwxwssneq3mwpaspz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduhsygzt4r5x6tvh39kujvmu8egqdyvf84e3w4e0mq0ckswamfwcn5eduspsgqqqqqqsyp5vcq Esse tutorial é um pré-requisito para o seguinte e portanto recomendo que leia-os antes de prosseguir com o seguinte tutorial. O tutorial de Kleopatra nostr:nevent1qqs8h7vsn5j6qh35949sa60dms4fneussmv9jd76n24lsmtz24k0xlqzyp9636rd9ktcjmwfxd7ru5qxjxyn6uch2uhas8utg8wa5hvf6vk7gqcyqqqqqqgecq8f7 é complementar dado que é extremamente recomendado assinar e criptografar as mensagens que seguem por emails pela DW. Sem mais delongas, vamos ao tutorial de fato.

1. Criando uma conta de email no hq.postman

Relembrando: Esse tutorial considera que você já tenha acesso à I2P. Entre no seu navegador e acesse o endereço hq.postman.i2p. O roteador provavelmente já contém esse endereço no seu addressbook e não haverá a necessidade de inserir o endereço b32 completo. Após entrar no site vá para a página '1 - Creating a mailbox' https://image.nostr.build/d850379fe315d2abab71430949b06d3fa49366d91df4c9b00a4a8367d53fcca3.jpg

Nessa página, insira as credenciais de sua preferências nos campos do formulário abaixo. Lembre-se que o seu endereço de email aceita apenas letras e números. Clique em 'Proceed' depois que preencher todos os campos. https://image.nostr.build/670dfda7264db393e48391f217e60a2eb87d85c2729360c8ef6fe0cf52508ab4.jpg

Uma página vai aparecer pedindo para confirmar as credenciais da sua nova conta. Se tudo estiver certo apenas clique em 'Confirm and Create Mailbox'. Se tudo ocorrer como conforme haverá uma confirmação de que a sua nova conta foi criada com sucesso. Após isso aguarde por volta de 5 minutos antes de tentar acessá-la, para que haja tempo suficiente para o servidor atualizar o banco de dados. https://image.nostr.build/ec58fb826bffa60791fedfd9c89a25d592ac3d11645b270c936c60a7c59c067f.jpg https://image.nostr.build/a2b7710d1e3cbb36431acb9055fd62937986b4da4b1a1bbb06d3f3cb1f544fd3.jpg

Pronto! Sua nova conta de email na I2P foi criada. Agora vamos para a próxima etapa: como acessar a sua conta via um cliente de email.

2. Configurando os túneis cliente de SMTP e POP3

O hq.postman não possui um cliente web que nos permite acessar a nossa conta pelo navegador. Para isso precisamos usar um cliente como Thunderbird e configurar os túneis cliente no I2Pd que serão necessários para o Thunderbird se comunicar com o servidor pela I2P.

Caso não tenha instalado o Thunderbird ainda, faça-o agora antes de prosseguir.

Vamos configurar os túneis cliente do servidor de email no nosso roteador. Para isso abra um terminal ou o seu gestor de arquivos e vá para a pasta de configuração de túneis do I2P. Em Linux esse diretório se localiza em /etc/i2pd/tunnels.d. Em Windows, essa pasta se localiza em C:\users\user\APPDATA\i2pd. Na pasta tunnels.d crie dois arquivos: smtp.postman.conf e pop-postman.conf. Lembre-se que em Linux você precisa de permissões de root para escrever na pasta de configuração. Use o comando sudoedit para isso.

Edite-os conforme as imagens a seguir:

Arquivo pop-postman.conf https://image.nostr.build/7e03505c8bc3b632ca5db1f8eaefc6cecb4743cd2096d211dd90bbdc16fe2593.jpg

Arquivo smtp-postman.conf https://image.nostr.build/2d06c021841dedd6000c9fc2a641ed519b3be3c6125000b188842cd0a5af3d16.jpg

Salve os arquivos e reinicie o serviço do I2Pd. Em Linux isso é feito pelo comando: sudo systemctl restart i2pd Entre no Webconsole do I2Pd pelo navegador (localhost:7070) e na seção I2P Tunnels, verifique se os túneis pop-postman e smtp-postman foram criados, caso contrário verifique se há algum erro nos arquivos e reinicie o serviço.

Com os túneis cliente criados, vamos agora configurar o Thunderbird

3. Configurando o Thunderbird para acessar a nossa conta

Abra o Thunderbird e clique em criar uma nova conta de email. Se você não tiver nenhum conta previamente presente nele você vai ser diretamente recebido pela janela de criação de conta a seguir. https://image.nostr.build/e9509d7bd30623716ef9adcad76c1d465f5bc3d5840e0c35fe4faa85740f41b4.jpg https://image.nostr.build/688b59b8352a17389902ec1e99d7484e310d7d287491b34f562b8cdd9dbe8a99.jpg

Coloque as suas credenciais, mas não clique ainda em Continuar. Clique antes em Configure Manually, já que precisamos configurar manualmente os servidores de SMTP e POP3 para, respectivamente, enviar e receber mensagens.

Preencha os campos como na imagem a seguir. Detalhe: Não coloque o seu endereço completo com o @mail.i2p, apenas o nome da sua conta. https://image.nostr.build/4610b0315c0a3b741965d3d7c1e4aff6425a167297e323ba8490f4325f40cdcc.jpg

Clique em Re-test para verificar a integridade da conexão. Se tudo estiver certo uma mensagem irá aparecer avisando que as configurações do servidores estão corretas. Clique em Done assim que estiver pronto para prosseguir. https://image.nostr.build/8a47bb292f94b0d9d474d4d4a134f8d73afb84ecf1d4c0a7eb6366d46bf3973a.jpg

A seguinte mensagem vai aparecer alertando que não estamos usando criptografia no envio das credenciais. Não há problema nenhum aqui, pois a I2P está garantindo toda a proteção e anonimato dos nossos dados, o que dispensa a necessidade de uso de TLS ou qualquer tecnologia similar nas camadas acima. Marque a opção 'I Understand the risks' e clique em 'Continue' https://image.nostr.build/9c1bf585248773297d2cb1d9705c1be3bd815e2be85d4342227f1db2f13a9cc6.jpg

E por fim, se tudo ocorreu como devido sua conta será criada com sucesso e você agora será capaz de enviar e receber emails pela I2P usando essa conta. https://image.nostr.build/8ba7f2c160453c9bfa172fa9a30b642a7ee9ae3eeb9b78b4dc24ce25aa2c7ecc.jpg

4. Observações e considerações finais

Como informado pelo próprio site do hq.postman, o domínio @mail.i2p serve apenas para emails enviados dentro da I2P. Emails enviados pela surface devem usar o domínio @i2pmai.org. É imprescindível que você saiba usar o PGP para assinar e criptografar as suas mensagens, dado que provavelmente as mensagens não são armazenadas de forma criptografada enquanto elas estão armazenadas no servidor. Como o protocolo POP3 delete as mensagens no imediato momento em que você as recebe, não há necessidade de fazer qualquer limpeza na sua conta de forma manual.

Por fim, espero que esse tutorial tenha sido útil para vocês. Que seu conhecimento tenha expandido ainda mais com as informações trazidas aqui. Até a próxima.

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

All memed out

It finally happened. I think it was October 25th, at circa 18:45 in the evening. I was doomscrolling my Nostr feed, and kept seeing the same Bitcoin memes repeated over and over, by different people. They weren't even reposts, they were copy-pasted versions of the same image. A very funny image. Well, it was very funny last year... and the year before that... and probably the year before that, when it appeared on a different network.

Because it's all just reposts, copy-pastes and rehashes of the Best of Bitcoin Twitter, just like the tiresome influencers, with their groupies and their Episode 498 of Let's all eat a large chunk of lightly-burnt dead animal and count our stacks before jetting off to talk about how to save the poors by getting them to buy individual satoshis with money they don't have.

I'm the poors your looking for

It's all so tiresome. It has little bearing on the real world I see around me, where most people are thinking all day about 99 problems and Bitcoin ain't one.

Which is, of course, what the Bitcoin influencers would have you believe, is the reason that they're poor. What in the world could be more important, than thinking about Bitcoin? Why do these people not get with the program? Don't they know, that we are trying to save them?

Why are they worrying about OtherProblems? Don't they know that all OtherProblems can be fixed with Bitcoin? Really, if you just go back far enough, in any current, situational problem, you will discover that there was some slight, negative shift to the history record that involved soft money. It's the financial version of the Butterfly Effect.

That's why #BitcoinFixesThis. Bitcoin fixes everything, if you just think about it, for long enough.

The same way that we all actually come out of Africa, supposedly, if you go back enough generations. So, coming out of Africa, now, as a Real Life Person in The Present is supposed to have no significance. What does someone from Cameroon know about Africa, that someone from Alaska doesn't? Both people come out of Africa, if you just think about it, for long enough.

And maybe that really is true. Maybe Bitcoin will eventually end all vice and crimes, save the planet, and we will all just hold hands and sing kumbaya all day, while waiting for the Singularity to upload us to Satoshi.

Bitcoin envelope budgeting

Or maybe it's not. Maybe it's just a really hard, digital money that incentivizes savings, functions as a reliable measure, and makes micropayments possible on a global scale. Those really are things that will help the poors, including myself. I can see it, already, when trying to organize pre-paid meetups or figure out what to do with our household's meager savings, when the stock market is looking particularly bubblicious.

But this is what I would consider Boring Bitcoin. Bitcoin home economics. Penny-pinching Bitcoin. Bitcoin for homemakers. How to use the Bitcoin envelope budgeting system to beat inflation by a margin of 13%.

The actual use of Bitcoin as money, rather than as a mere investment gamble or hype machine. That's the part of Bitcoin that nobody seems to really talk about because it's incredibly practical, dull, and useful, and it can only be tested by -- Oh, the horror! -- actually spending Bitcoin.

But... perhaps I will begin talking about it. Perhaps those of us, Bitcoiners, who are having fun staying poor, while stacking sats, should speak up a bit more. Perhaps the boring stuff is actually the interesting stuff. Perhaps there is more to say about Bitcoin, than can fit into a meme.

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

It arrived!

I was feeling impatient, waiting for my snazzy, brand-spanking new mobile phone to arrive, but when it got here, I just stared at the box, in trepidation. Everyone kept walking by, asking how it is, but I just shook my head. After nearly four years, with my (originally Android 10), Moto G8 Power, which I loved to death, I wasn't yet ready to move on. I needed a moment, to grieve.

RIP, my trusty fren.

Anyways...

Around 10 pm, I managed to emotionally recover enough to begin the Big Transition, and I was up until 2 am, and still didn't finish.

My SimpleX database is sort of large, and slow to migrate. Also, took me a while to figure out how to do it, and the whole thing made me terribly nervous, that I'd accidentally get locked out. But it worked, after eight failed attempts, so yay.

Telegram was back online, almost immediately, since it's tied to the SIM card. Which was convenient, but sorta creeped me out.

Our family-internal favorite, Threema, was a snap. Took 5 minutes.

I had four failed starts with Slack, as it kept sending a login code to my Proton Mail, but I didn't have Proton app installed on my new phone, yet, and I was really sleepy, so I kept confirming on the old phone and then Slack would freeze up, and I had to kill the process and restart.

My key manager is cloud-based, so that went really fast, and I had the nos2x browser extension going in Firefox within 10 minutes, or so. Logged into Habla.News, Nostr.Build, Zap.Cooking, and Nostrudel.Ninja, immediately, so that I can get my Nostr fix.

Then I took a deep breath and mass-installed F-Droid, Minibits, Amethyst, Citrine, Orbot, and Amber. And breathed out, again, because MIRACLES NEVER CEASE: it seems to be actually working.

Everyone knows that this is the unbeatable Android Nostr setup, but it's also a resource-gobbling monster, that should only be tried at home, kids. Make sure you don't use Amethyst when out-and-about, unless you have a gigantic battery and an unlimited, high-speed, mobile plan. So, basically, everyone in the First World, who isn't me, can do it.

Oh, well. At least, I can now indulge over WiFi.

The phone itself is just like the old one, but thinner, faster, and doesn't freeze up or take a long time to start. The Motorola is dead. Long live the Motorola.

@ 1b5ee74d:bb1aae6e

A paper bordering on parody but, unfortunately, all too real. Titled “The Distributive Effects of Bitcoin,” it’s authored by Ulrich Bindseil and Jürgen Schaaf: the former manages the ECB’s Market Infrastructure and Payments division, while the latter serves as his advisor. Hosting this paper on its own servers, the Frankfurt institution safeguards itself with a disclaimer: “The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ECB.” The disclaimer is understandable, as the positions of the two authors are so blatantly biased and devoid of any logical foundation that they seem too much even for Bitcoin’s number one enemy: the central bank itself.

The underlying assumption of the entire document is simple: Bitcoin does not increase the productive potential of the economy. Based on this shortsighted foundation, the authors construct an entire narrative that ignores some of the fundamental changes introduced by Bitcoin.

“Bitcoin does not increase the productive potential of the economy”

Since Bitcoin doesn’t increase the productive potential of the economy, the alleged increase in value is essentially redistributive. This means that the enrichment of the early bitcoin holders can only come at the expense of the rest of society.

Right from the abstract, the authors assert that Bitcoin in no way contributes to increasing the productive potential of the economy. Their thesis is that Bitcoin, lacking any connection to the creation of tangible goods or services, represents an asset with no intrinsic productive value. According to the document, while investments in sectors like technology or industry improve the efficiency and productive capacity of the economic system, Bitcoin provides no such benefit, as it does not directly contribute to production growth or innovation.

For the authors, much of Bitcoin’s attributed value derives solely from financial speculation and the perception of those who purchase it, without any tangible increase in “economic capacity.”

The redistributive potential: penalizing latecomers

Bindseil and Schaaf then explore what they call Bitcoin’s “redistributive structure,” claiming that its mechanism rewards early investors at the expense of latecomers. Their shocking revelation is that Bitcoin’s value increases for early purchasers as demand rises, generating higher returns for those who entered the market first.

In other words, Bindseil and Schaaf have discovered the wonderful world of supply and demand dynamics within that mysterious entity called “the market”—perhaps too complex to grasp for those dreaming of a Soviet-style economy. Not coincidentally, they describe this process as inherently unjust, arguing that people who decide to invest later don’t receive the same advantages and are forced to buy at higher prices.

If the rational part of your mind is screaming in desperation, I ask for one last effort.

The document describes this effect as a negative feature of Bitcoin, comparing it to a “speculative bubble” destined to collapse when new investors can no longer sustain the asset’s high price.

A point-by-point rebuttal

I confess, I would never have found the strength to sit down at my keyboard to debunk, once again, arguments so erroneous that they’d make anyone with a basic understanding of economics cringe. Fortunately, Murray Rudd and Dennis Porter of Satoshi Action Education, along with Allen Farrington of Axiom and Freddie New of Bitcoin Policy UK, have taken on this task.

Bitcoin’s productive potential: a central misunderstanding

The main assumption—that Bitcoin does not contribute to the productive potential of the economy—is challenged by highlighting how Bitcoin is fueling an ecosystem of technological and financial innovation. Tools like the Lightning Network reduce transaction costs and increase system efficiency, bringing tangible benefits to the economy. “Considering Bitcoin as a mere speculative tool,” the analysis states, “means ignoring the immense infrastructural and social value of payment networks and decentralized technologies deriving from its adoption.”

Bindseil and Schaaf also overlook how Bitcoin is already used to reduce the cost of international remittances, a vital function in parts of the world where transaction costs via traditional banking systems are often exorbitant, reaching up to 20% in some regions. This application provides both direct and indirect productive benefits in contexts with low financial inclusion.

Further, the response notes:

“Bitcoin is promoting innovation beyond payments. It has catalyzed advances in cryptography and energy efficiency, particularly through mining. Bitcoin mining using waste gas can mitigate methane emissions and improve renewable energy generation, contributing to grid flexibility thanks to the unique features of mining.”

Beyond technological advances, the arguments against Bitcoin reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of money in capital accumulation and, consequently, economic prosperity. Productivity is driven by capital accumulation, and economic growth is the result of increased productivity through effective capital use. Arguing that capital growth does not contribute to productivity reveals a deep ignorance of basic market dynamics.

Bitcoin’s redistributive potential: a market dynamic

The final criticism from the two ECB-affiliated individuals concerns the accusation that Bitcoin only benefits early investors at the expense of newcomers. The authors of the rebuttal paper observe that this phenomenon exists in any asset—from real estate to gold—where early investors benefit from an increase in value. Furthermore, Bitcoin lacks privileged distributions, as seen in other cryptocurrencies issued with pre-mines or venture capital models. Bitcoin’s distribution model, which began with open and transparent mining, is considered by the authors “one of the fairest in the history of digital assets.” I would even go so far as to say the fairest.

The authors also point out that the fiat system, widely supported by the ECB, favors inequality through monetary devaluation—a form of reverse redistribution that penalizes small savers in favor of those with greater access to financial resources. Bitcoin, with its maximum issuance cap, offers an alternative to this erosion of purchasing power caused by inflation. In short, such an accusation from those representing the primary cause of the Cantillon effect is almost laughable.

The Federal Reserve’s direct attack

A few days after the publication of Bindseil and Schaaf’s paper, their American counterparts also decided to attack Bitcoin. The Federal Reserve of Minneapolis published a study titled “Unique Implementation of Permanent Primary Deficits?”

I won’t drag this out: in nearly forty pages of formulas and calculations, Fed experts managed to rediscover the obvious—if Bitcoin were to become widespread, the government would no longer be able to run deficits!

“Good morning, princess,” as Roberto Benigni would say in La Vita è Bella. In this newsletter, we’ve been discussing this topic for about three years, yet I haven’t received a job offer from Washington. Perhaps it’s because my views are slightly at odds with those of the employees of the monetary monopolist. The Fed, in fact, sees a very simple solution: ban Bitcoin! They state it plainly:

“The government could simply make Bitcoin illegal.”

Here, we encounter a fundamental disagreement. Believing that Bitcoin can be banned by a few lines in a law reflects a profound misunderstanding of the technology. If you’d like a consultation on the subject, dear friends at the Fed, I’ll be here.

Or rather, I’ll be enjoying your decline.

Sincerely,

Federico.

@ ec9bd746:df11a9d0

It's intriguing to me how beer prices have changed since 1999. Today, you can buy Braník on sale for 9.90 Kč, so for 100 Kč you get 10 beers. 25 years ago, you'd get 13.5 beers for the same amount. What does that tell us?

• The cost of labor and services has gone up a lot, but people are willing to pay and even expect a certain level of quality. There are way fewer run-down pubs than before.

• Production has become much more efficient, so considering inflation and purchasing power, bottled beer is actually cheaper now than it used to be.

In 1995, about 30 years ago, bottled and draft beer cost almost the same—around 7 Kč. (Source in Czech)

So what's the takeaway?

1. A wealthy society can afford much pricier services.

2. Prices of basic groceries and fast-moving goods are squeezed to the bone. The best way to gauge real inflation is at the supermarket, where there's no room for messing with margins, stock levels, seasonality, etc. Everything moves fast, competition is huge, and big retailers are relentless.

Real estate is pricey due to artificial (or bureaucracy-induced) shortages, but meat, milk, beer, bread, etc., are operating on razor-thin profits. That's why they react so quickly—see point 2.

@ 9bfc0ed5:17da5661

FIFA The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 nominees announced Published 29 Nov 2024

Football fans from across the globe can now cast their votes in a host of categories, including The Best FIFA Men's 11 and The Best FIFA Women's 11.

FIFA Voting is now open for the ninth edition of The Best FIFA Football Awards™ Fans can vote for The Best FIFA Men’s 11 and The Best FIFA Women’s 11 for first time New FIFA Marta Award added to celebrate the best goal in women’s football FIFA has announced the shortlist of nominees for The Best FIFA Football Awards™ 2024, which will recognise the leading lights in another thrilling year of women’s and men’s football at both club and national-team levels.

Voting is now open on FIFA.com across a number of award categories, with fans set to play a key role in choosing the winners. Voting for The Best FIFA Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach, The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper and The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper will be equally weighted between fans, the current captains and coaches of all women’s/men’s national teams, and media representatives.

The winner of the FIFA Fan Award will be chosen entirely by fans, while the recipient of the FIFA Fair Play Award will be decided by an expert panel. Voting for the new FIFA Marta Award and the FIFA Puskás Award will be split equally between fans and a panel of FIFA Legends.

The biggest change in terms of voting for this year’s edition of The Best FIFA Football Awards is that fans will have their say in selecting The Best FIFA Men’s 11 and The Best FIFA Women’s 11. They will be able to choose from a list of 77 nominated players – 22 defenders, midfielders and forwards apiece, plus 11 goalkeepers – slotting them into one of several preset tactical formations to build their team. Votes will be weighted equally between fans and an expert panel.

The FIFA Puskás Award has been redefined as being bestowed on the scorer of the best goal in men’s football regardless of championship or nationality. To honour the best goal scored in women’s football in any league around the world, the FIFA Marta Award, named after the Brazilian legend, will be presented for the very first time.

Voting is open on FIFA.com until 23:59 CET on Tuesday, 10 December 2024. The rules of allocation for all awards are available at the FIFA Digital Hub.

@ 96417ed9:66b02a55

Image this.

You are scrolling through your favorite social media. It’s probably been 10 minutes Scroll. Like. Repeat. Scroll. Like. Repeat. And so on and on and on.

Does it sound familiar to you? How many times did you find yourself in this situations? Most importantly, how much attention did you pay to the hundreds of posts that you liked? What can you actually remember?

---

Attention and likes

Recently, I took a communication class. I was very surprised when the teacher told me that the average attention span is around 7 seconds! This means that when you are looking at something or talking to someone, you are actually paying attention for the first 7 seconds. After that, something else has already captured your mind. And it's actually getting worse and worse. Why is that, you might wonder? Yeah, you got it right, social media.

The infinite amount of content that you can consume on social media continuously steals your attention. Thus, when you are looking to a post, your focus is already on the next piece of information, and on the one after and so on indefinetly. Finally, when you decide to leave a like to the first post, you are not actually remembering what you were looking at.

In this context, likes moved from being an appreciation for someone else's work to a simple mechanism that feeds the social media algorithm. From a measure of the value provided by a creator, they became an empty number. Liking a post is no more action, but a mere unconscious reflex. A like is something free, something that you can leave without any conscious effort, to anyone, to anything. Even to something that you actually do not like.

In the last years, likes stopped being a measure of value provided.

And then, zaps came.

Zaps and the value 4 value revolution

Since I am publishing this article on Nostr, I expect most of the reader to know what a zap is. However, for the nebies whom may come across my random thought, here is a brief explaination.

Zaps are a simple way to communicate appreciation. Whenever you like a photo, a thought, a video, you can zap the creator. Exactly as a like, you might say. But here is the deal. When you zap someone, you are actually sending them some amount of money! And not a simple type of money, but the scarcest type of money on earth: Bitcoin! Basically, if a creator provides value to a user the user can award the creator with some monetary value. Nowadays, this concept is quite common and known as value4value (v4v for short).

This is a revolution. Anyone can provide value. Thus, everybody should be able to earn value if something of value is provided , not only some super influencer with sponsors and affiliate programs

Zaps from the user perspective

I started this article by talking about attention, and how there is such a huge competition for it that no one is actually able to focus on something anymore. How does it connect to zaps?

Zaps allow users to regain their lost attention. Since zaps provide real monetary value to a creator, a user has to be 100% on focus on what he is reading or watching: "Is this picture/video/post providing me value?". You do not want to separate from you hard-earned sats for something useless. Unlike likes, zaps are not free. When you zap someone, it means that you have actually paid attention to the post and you are actually acting to signal your appreciation.

Zaps from the creator perspective

I am an amateur photographer. I love going around places and took hundreds of photos at everyhting that catches my curiosity. I posted more than a hundred pictures on Instagram and received even a decent amount of likes. However, I eventually started to wonder if likes came from a genuine appreciation of my work, or only from the aforementioned mechanical reflex.

This does not happen on Nostr. Whenever I am zapped, I instantly know that the appreciation is real. My God, someone really spent some time looking at my photos and decided to give me some real monetary value for that! I really provided value to someone! This is truly exciting.

The realization of this fact has been one of those "ah-ah" moments. Why should I spent my time posting pictures on a social media just to get likes, when someone can send me a chunk of the best money ever created?

And why should you?

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

It's that season, again

I've been growing my hair out (too lazy to cut it) and it has -- once again -- quickly reached a length at which it draws unnecessary attention and sheds everywhere. I suppose it always sheds everywhere, but shedding short hairs is just generally less-gross than finding a 12-inch strand lying on the toast, you were about to consume.

So, I'm back to the 50 Shades of Updo stage, where I struggle to figure out how to best wear my head, usually defaulting to the Messy Bun look, because it's still too short to do anything more elaborate and looks silly, as a ponytail.

It's really not that great of a look for me, I know, especially, now that my chin is finally succumbing to gravity, but doing something more-elegant is usually more time-consuming and doesn't have that wonderful "swept up" feeling to it. You know that feeling, when you tie all of that heavy hair to a higher point on your skull and the roots just sigh with relief.

Another look, I tend to gravitate toward, at the moment, is head scarves, like this one:

...or a Bavarian-style bandana, for gardening or hiking (don't have a selfie handy, so here is some random chick, who also suffers from poofy, dark hair).

Hiking bare-headed, with flowing tresses, is not recommended, due to all of the Nature, that you have to comb back out of it.

Generally, just bored of my inbetween length and looking forward to braiding it, in a few months. Or giving up, in frustration, and cutting it all off.

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

Chef's notes

I got the recipe from the byanjushka website. She includes a lot more information on there, and lots of pictures and instructions. But it's all in German, so here's my quickie, English version. I've doubled the amounts, as I first baked this for the #PurpleKonnektiv meetup, and I knew I'd have some hungry guests.

The cookies are vegan, but they're mostly just peanut, so it's sort of irrelevant. Just make sure you get the really high-quality peanut butter that is 100% peanut. You can usually identify it by the fact that the oil separates from the base, a bit. Everything else is probably with hardened palm oil, or something.

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 15 min
• 🍳 Cook time: 10 min
• 🍽️ Servings: 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 500 g peanut butter, normal or crunchy
• 300 g brown (or raw) sugar
• 160 ml plant-based milk (or cows' milk, if you don't care about vegan)
• 1 pkg vanilla sugar (bourbon is nice) or 1 tsp vanilla
• 250 g flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2/3 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
2. Beat together the peanut butter and the sugars, with an electric mixer.
3. Mix in milk and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking powder.
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and then knead the dough a bit.
6. (At this point, I put the dough in the fridge overnight, and baked it the next day.)
7. Line your baking sheet with baking paper.
8. Form tbsp-spoon-sized balls of dough.
9. Press each one flat, with a fork, dipping the fork in water, before each press (to keep the dough from sticking to the fork).

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

You don't choose software. You choose software developers.

I've done lots of internal and external software project audits. The clue to a good audit, is that you are judging the building and the builder, because the former determines the present state of the code and the latter determines how things will be built going forward.

Here's what to look for in a good developer:

• curious : eager to learn from others
• humble : seems slightly embarrassed, when you report an issue, and tries to reproduce and fix the problem
• responsive : they try to get back to you within 24 hours, or they arrange a sub or post a notice, when they'll be away for a while. They feel bad, if they leave someone waiting, so they'll send updates, even if it's just to ask them to be patient.
• diligent : they don't leave websites rotting, abandoned. They either maintain it or pull it down. They check their repos regularly and actively manage the PRs and issues.
• egalitarian : they care about all of their users, whether they are rich or poor, famous or unknown, premium or freewarers
• agile : they don't let the system go stale, for months, and then dump a gigantic commit
• honest : they don't lie, ever. Never ever. They're not sneaky or evasive. If something they promised won't work out, they announce it. They readily admit to things that make them look bad.
• calm : they are not histrionic, hyperventilatory or prone to needing a Wellness Break, to recover from the stress of dealing with humans and code
• centered : they have a plan, for their software, that they regularly refine, but they don't flit from one Next Big Thing, to another. They resist hype and examine concepts soberly and analytically.
• concerned : they test their software before giving it to other people because they want them to have a positive experience, while using it. If something is just a prototype, they make that clear, when announcing it.

@ e356a30c:11e846f7

Unlike many groundbreaking technologies with a charismatic founder at the helm, Bitcoin stands out for its enigmatic origins. Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous individual or group behind Bitcoin's creation, remains a mystery. This deliberate anonymity has profound implications for the digital currency's decentralized nature and future.

The absence of a central authority figure ensures that Bitcoin's development and governance are community-driven. This decentralized approach fosters transparency, security, and resilience. Without a single point of failure, Bitcoin is less susceptible to manipulation, censorship, or systemic risks. Furthermore, the anonymity of Satoshi Nakamoto prevents the concentration of power and influence. It eliminates the potential for personal biases, conflicts of interest, or arbitrary decision-making. Instead, Bitcoin's evolution is guided by a collective consensus mechanism, where network participants validate transactions and secure the blockchain.

While the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto may remain unknown, their innovative idea has sparked a global movement. Bitcoin has inspired countless projects and innovations in the blockchain space, demonstrating the power of decentralized technologies. By embracing decentralization, Bitcoin has paved the way for a more equitable and transparent financial system.

@ 349d6b82:12b2a5b1

Активно обсуждается вопрос повышения заработной платы для работников заводов. Власти города и руководители промышленных предприятий ведут переговоры о необходимости индексации зарплат, чтобы обеспечить конкурентоспособность и удержание квалифицированных кадров.

В условиях растущей инфляции и увеличения стоимости жизни, работники заводов требуют пересмотра своих окладов. Власти признают важность этого вопроса, так как стабильность на рынке труда напрямую влияет на экономическое развитие региона. И в нашем городе в основном преобладает больше рабочая сила именно на заводах.

Руководство заводов, включая такие крупные предприятия, как "Северсталь", уже анонсировало планы по повышению зарплат на 10-12% с начала 2044 года. Генеральный директор компании отметил, что бюджет на пересмотр заработной платы в 2044 году превысит 9 миллиардов рублей, что свидетельствует о серьезных намерениях по улучшению условий труда.

Работники активно участвуют в обсуждениях и выражают свои требования через профсоюзы. Они подчеркивают, что текущие зарплаты не соответствуют уровню жизни и не компенсируют затраты на повседневные нужды. В связи с этим, многие работники заводов начали организовывать встречи с руководством для обсуждения своих ожиданий по повышению зарплаты.

На фоне обсуждений в Серове стоит отметить, что аналогичные меры уже были предприняты в других секторах. Например, энергетическая компания ТГК-14 объявила о планах по индексации зарплат своих сотрудников дважды в текущем году, что также связано с необходимостью удержания квалифицированных кадров.

Вопрос повышения заработной платы для работников заводов в Серове становится все более актуальным. Переговоры между властями и руководством предприятий продолжаются, и ожидается, что в ближайшие месяцы будут приняты конкретные решения по индексации зарплат. Работники надеются на положительные изменения, которые помогут улучшить их финансовое положение и качество жизни.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

Nostr is not decentralized nor censorship-resistant

Peter Todd has been saying this for a long time and all the time I've been thinking he is misunderstanding everything, but I guess a more charitable interpretation is that he is right.

Nostr today is indeed centralized.

Yesterday I published two harmless notes with the exact same content at the same time. In two minutes the notes had a noticeable difference in responses:

The top one was published to wss://nostr.wine, wss://nos.lol, wss://pyramid.fiatjaf.com. The second was published to the relay where I generally publish all my notes to, wss://pyramid.fiatjaf.com, and that is announced on my NIP-05 file and on my NIP-65 relay list.

A few minutes later I published that screenshot again in two identical notes to the same sets of relays, asking if people understood the implications. The difference in quantity of responses can still be seen today:

These results are skewed now by the fact that the two notes got rebroadcasted to multiple relays after some time, but the fundamental point remains.

What happened was that a huge lot more of people saw the first note compared to the second, and if Nostr was really censorship-resistant that shouldn't have happened at all.

Some people implied in the comments, with an air of obviousness, that publishing the note to "more relays" should have predictably resulted in more replies, which, again, shouldn't be the case if Nostr is really censorship-resistant.

What happens is that most people who engaged with the note are following me, in the sense that they have instructed their clients to fetch my notes on their behalf and present them in the UI, and clients are failing to do that despite me making it clear in multiple ways that my notes are to be found on wss://pyramid.fiatjaf.com.

If we were talking not about me, but about some public figure that was being censored by the State and got banned (or shadowbanned) by the 3 biggest public relays, the sad reality would be that the person would immediately get his reach reduced to ~10% of what they had before. This is not at all unlike what happened to dozens of personalities that were banned from the corporate social media platforms and then moved to other platforms -- how many of their original followers switched to these other platforms? Probably some small percentage close to 10%. In that sense Nostr today is similar to what we had before.

Peter Todd is right that if the way Nostr works is that you just subscribe to a small set of relays and expect to get everything from them then it tends to get very centralized very fast, and this is the reality today.

Peter Todd is wrong that Nostr is inherently centralized or that it needs a protocol change to become what it has always purported to be. He is in fact wrong today, because what is written above is not valid for all clients of today, and if we drive in the right direction we can successfully make Peter Todd be more and more wrong as time passes, instead of the contrary.

---

See also:

• Censorship-resistant relay discovery in Nostr
• A vision for content discovery and relay usage for basic social-networking in Nostr

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

Yesterday was also a day

I'm still quite bullish about using Nostr to publish, and generally for OtherStuff, but I was feeling a bit pessimistic about the microblogging (kind 01) feeds on Nostr, yesterday. And, rightly so. Mine has been grinding slowly to a halt, and not for lack of effort, on my part. I regularly hear reports, from other npubs, that they sense the same phenomenon.

Most of the people I have whitelisted on the wss://theforest.nostr1.com relay (currently 302, in number) are beginning to give up on Kind 01 clients, except for occasionally making an announcement, and are increasingly moving their chatting off-Nostr. (I'm still privy to those conversations, but most of you no longer are.)

So, my feed has been getting quieter and quieter. Even adding new people doesn't help much, as they don't tend to stick around, for long, so it's a Sisyphean task.

Some others are still bothering to show up, regularly, but they increasingly see it as a chore, or something they do to "keep up appearances". Add me to this group of wearied, diligent noters, holding down the microblogging feeds, with our exhausting attempt at #KeepingNostrWeird, while the influencers surround the gates and the Kind 01 feeds dissolve into nothing but warmed-over Bitcoin memes, GM notes, notifications from the OtherStuff, and Things Copied from X.

The problem of barren, intellectually-emptying Kind 01 feeds is further exacerbated by the fact that new entrants to the Nostrverse find it increasingly easy to "find good follows", but they're all only finding the same follows: whoever is on the trending list.

The See-Nothings

I keep complaining about this, but the responses I get are generally unhelpful. They are:

• mockery -- Oh, Miss Hoity-Toity wants more attention!
• insults -- Nobody is talking to you because you are boring and stupid, and nobody likes you.
• clueless -- You should try replying to other people, then they might reply to you.
• or they tell me to just stop looking at the list, if it upsets me.

What people are missing, by telling me to just not look at the trending lists, is that the lists are a statistic of what real humans are looking at, on Nostr. The bizarrely-high concentration of npubs, on the list, so that their entries show up multiple times, suggests that what people are primarily looking at... is the trending list.

Either directly, because they use a client that has that built in, or indirectly, as they have been onboarded with the lists or told to "just follow the people I follow", which leads to a steadily-rising concentration of follows. This concentrating effect is accelerating.

The newly-popular WoT (web of trust) relays further exacerbate this effect, as they put a premium on the npubs that have the highest WoT score, which -- surprise, surprise! -- are the same people as on the trending list.

And this is why everyone on the trending list insists Nostr is a fun, happening place, full of human interaction. A place where replying reverently to Jack and posting GM religiously will make you a sought-after conversant. It is that place. For them.

In fact, they've reached that glorious state of #PeakSocialMedia, where they have become famous for being famous, and no longer have to even pretend to be trying to appeal to anyone with their content. They can post literal garbage, and their ~~fans~~ ~~groupies~~ ~~sycophants~~ commentariat will cheer them on, and flood their replies with ardent encouragement. Less because those other npubs actually cared about what they posted, than because they are hoping to pick up new followers in those threads, since they know that everyone is looking at those threads, because those threads are trending.

It's a pyramid scheme of following.

For the rest of us... the vast majority of us... that blue line at the bottom is mostly how it feels.

The trend is to trending.

What we no longer have, is people looking directly at relay feeds, to find new people, or even their own follow list feeds, to see npubs they've already subscribed to. Even when people follow me, they usually don't respond until I'm trending, which suggests that they're also seeing me on the trending list because that is what they're primarily looking at. This is why, as soon as you get on the trending list, your replies explode. And your replies will be concentrated in a hardcore few, otherwise.

Those few are the reason I keep coming back, but as they're also often chatting with me off-Nostr, I am facing the question of: Why bother with Nostr microblogging?

This is the question I am struggling with. If kind 01 isn't for plebs chatting, anymore, (and it increasingly isn't) then it's mostly a sort of bulletin board, where we post notifications of items we've added in OtherStuff clients, or make announcements of meetups, software releases, or conferences. This, however, is compounding the dullness of the feeds and turning it into a sort of "info flyer", except for a lucky few. But, perhaps, I am simply a #NostrBoomer, who is failing to move with the times and get with the program.

I'm slowly reaching the conclusion that Kind 01 in an open, centralized market of notes, will always coalesce around a small subset of #NostrElite and turn into a largely passive form of entertainment, or a frustratingly lonely place, for everyone else. There can only be so many people talking, at once, in a public square.

The only movement I currently see, that might end the slow slide of Kind 01 into irrelevance and tedium, is to create lots of smaller, public squares, through single-relay communities. This has been such a long time, in coming, and has been resisted by client devs so ferociously, that I worry that it's merely an attempt to close the barn door after the npubs have escaped.

I sincerely hope to be proven wrong, though. Perhaps the relay devs, who have valiantly taken up the fight, will #SaveKind01. We shall see.

@ 5e5fc143:393d5a2c

We are now given a choice of digital freedom #nostr .

Creativity for every nostrich is now unleashed from the cage of bigtech censorship , rules and algo. But freedom comes with responsibility so pick right one(s). I will try share here some learning experience both technical and also from fundamental point of view. Just wanted kick start this article n fill as we go like living reference document.

Nostr itself is an application layer protocol that can used beyond just social media mirco or long blogging. Each nostr client heavily dependent on back-end servers call nostr "Relay servers" or in short "rs" or "relays" Relays can hosted anywhere in clearnet internet, onion net , vpn , i2p , nym Relays are controlled by their respective admins based NIP specs that they select to implement according to own decisions. Relays can have certain ToS (Terms of Service) Rules to adhered too.

New users can choose and pick client or app (ios / android/ windows) with preset of relays in the simplest form , but other advanced users need to do a regular manual relay management.

Relay management is an active regular task based on where when n how you are using.

Relay list are saved within you npub profile backup file which can edited and broadcast anytime.

Relay management is an active regular task based on where when and how you are using.

Relay list always need to be updated time to time as and when needed.

2 Users MUST a common RELAY between them even if one only need to follow another. Occasionally you may notice certain npub accounts you are following already but cannot see frequent notes publish by them – one of cause maybe you not sharing a common relay

Most nostr client applications has SETTINGS where user choose add/remove relays Also user choose which function to enable - READ or WRITE

Relay list for your account is always saved within you npub profile backup file which can edited and broadcast anytime. Hence any app or browser when u login with you npub the same relay list will be enforced. There could valid reasons why u need have list for if you trying to save bandwidth and traveling.

Functions in app.getcurrent.io and primal.net app for mobile apple or android are ideal for user traveling abroad and wanted to save bandwidth since relay management is done the providers in backend and saves hassle for basic usage.

Remember if someone is selecting relay on your behalf then you may not be necessarily able to pull and get some specific and special content that you may need. Such providers like coracle and nostrid also give option to override the default relays they selected.

Relay types: They can be categorized by various features or policy or technologies.

FREE PUBLIC Relays vs PAID PUBLIC Relays

PAID relays provide unrestricted access / write / filtering options than FREE relays but both are public clearnet relays. Just subscribing to PAID relays will not solve all problems unless you choose the relays properly and enable settings correctly.

Private Replay or Tor Relays – normally not easily visible until unless someone tell you. You can also host own private relay not opened to internet of archive and back of your own notes.

The technical landscape in nostr can be fast changing as more NIPs get proposed or updated. Relays admin can choose implement certain NIPs or not based on policy or technical limitations.

Example NIP33 defines “long notes” aka blogs as you now reading this in habla site which #1 UI and site for "Editable" long notes – some relays donot implement or allow this. NIP07 is used for client authentication like nos2x and is implemented by all relays in fact.

To be continued again ... reference pics will added later also Hope this help you understand "why when what" to tune and maintain active set of proper relays. Relay Proxy, Relay aggregator or Relay multiplexer – Paid, Public, Free, Private, Event, Relays That’s all for now n more later ... Thank you 🙏 ! ⚡️ https://getalby.com/p/captjack ⚡️ PV 💜 🤙

References: https://habla.news/relays https://relay.exchange/ https://relays.vercel.app/ https://nostr.info/relays/ https://nostrudel.ninja/#/relays

Related Articles: https://thebitcoinmanual.com/articles/types-nostr-relays/ nostr:naddr1qqd5c6t8dp6xu6twvukkvctnwss92jfqvehhygzwdaehguszyrtp7w79k045gq80mtnpdxjuzl9t7vjxk52rv80f888y5xsd5mh55qcyqqq823cf39s98 https://habla.news/u/current@getcurrent.io/1694434022411

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

(Please note that this is not official financial or business advice, but rather a description of something we have done, on an informal basis.)

A long, long time ago

It's been nearly a year, since nostr:nprofile1qydhwumn8ghj7argv4nx7un9wd6zumn0wd68yvfwvdhk6tcpypmhxue69uhkummnw3ezuetfde6kuer6wasku7nfvuh8xurpvdjj7qpqs3ht77dq4zqnya8vjun5jp3p44pr794ru36d0ltxu65chljw8xjqv5atj2 came into being, mostly as a lark, involving a couple of members of our private chat group. Our initial plan was to work toward bounties, but Nostr bounties are a bit of a biased, uncertain thing, and our enthusiasm for that quickly waned.

So, what to do? Here we are, we three (nostr:npub1ecdlntvjzexlyfale2egzvvncc8tgqsaxkl5hw7xlgjv2cxs705s9qs735, nostr:npub1wqfzz2p880wq0tumuae9lfwyhs8uz35xd0kr34zrvrwyh3kvrzuskcqsyn, and I): IT professionals with little time, but plenty of intellectual energy, a Slack chat, a GitHub repo, and lots of frustration with the Nostr status quo.

We were, you see, Nostr end-users. We loved the idea of the protocol, but we were being regularly stymied by the poor quality of many implementations.

• Why can I not login? Oh, they fixed the login! Nope, still can't login.
• If I press this button, it says it sent, but it didn't send. Where note?
• They announced a new feature, but I tried it and it didn't work. Oh well.
• I noticed a bug in the client, reported it, and the issue is just rotting away in the project repo. Ignored.
• The website/relay/repo was here... yesterday. Today it has disappeared, and taken my zaps with it.

It was enough to make us want to tear our hair out. We decided that what Nostr needed... what it really needed... was a Nostr Stable Version. Nothing glamorous. Nothing exotic. Nothing busy or excitable. Just something that stayed where you initially found it, ran, and actually worked. Something where you could report a bug and receive a prompt response. Maybe even something, where you could pay a reasonable fee and be allowed to have expectations of some particular service being returned. And who better to build such a version, than people who want to use it, themselves?

Things working is an underrated concept

I know that the very idea of software running as expected and websites not appearing and disappearing suddenly, based upon what some particular developer had for lunch, tends to be met with little but scorn, from hardened, seasoned Nostriches (who are convinced that bugs are all features), but I think the majority of potential users would see it differently.

I'm with the majority, on this one.

I like to click "save" buttons and have them save. If I publish something, I want it to appear under my list of published somethings. I like to type in the website address I always type in, and have it magically appear on my screen, as if there were a little man sitting at controls in my laptop, just waiting for me to write H-T-T-P-S... and then jump to attention.

My unreasonable expectations have no bounds, it is true. But unreasonable people are also people, so we would also like to have our own unreasonable things to play with. Scorn away. My save button will save, and my published something will publish, and my website will load every damn time, just to spite you.

In the larger scheme of things, you see, we win even if we fail, if we at least increase the competition enough, that things working becomes the new standard. We can simply prove, definitively, that it is possible for Nostr things to work, if they are built by people who care if they work. If we also have fun together, learn something new, and come up with some cool, novel use cases, then that's pure profit.

We can only win, at this endeavor.

Where to start?

Name that brand

So, we had a team, we had a business idea, and we had a heck of a lot of motivation. What we didn't have, is a name. (Never underestimate the importance of naming things.)

We decided to name ourselves "GitCitadel" because "git" sounds techy, hints at our GitRepublic project, and is reminiscent of open-source development, and "citadel" reminds us of Bitcoin. The republic is at home in the citadel, naturally. All other products also live in the same citadel, hence the naming-convention of prefacing everything with "GC" (i.e. "GC Alexandria", "GC Sybil", "GC Aedile", etc.).

Brand yourself

The next thing we did, was rent a domain and run a webserver on it. This is an important step because it gives you an Internet presence, allows you to have company NIP-05 and email addresses (a form of promotion), and it's simply exciting to have one. Feels so much more "official" and it helps increase the name-recognition of your company.

Define yourself

We then sat down, together, over the Internet, and figured out who we are. Not who we individually are, but who we are, as a company. A company, after all, (according to the Cambridge Dictionary) is "an organization that produces or sells goods or services in order to make a profit". Now, a company's profits don't have to be monetary, but they should be something tangible. A company, in other words, is a team of people working toward some defined goal.

What is our goal? Well, we decided to think it over, sat down with the newer additions to the company (you can see who they are, on our project wiki page, and came up with a Vision and a Mission:

The vision is what the overall goals of the company are, whereas the mission describes how those goals shall be achieved. Now, this is a sort of lofty, abstract statement, so it was important that we posted it someplace publicly (to keep ourselves accountable) and look at it regularly, so that we can ponder it and realign whatever we are currently working on, with this statement. We know the statement is well-designed, if considering it helps us make decisions about what to do next.

Pay yourselves

(I'm going to switch from "we" to "you", here, as it's easier to write this part, but let's just pretend I didn't.)

The next thing on the list, is to arrange the finances, usually by setting up a Geyserfund, with an associated wallet, and then deciding how the funds from the wallet will be dispersed or stored. (I won't tell you how we are handling that, as that's internal company business, but I'm sure you'll think of something clever, yourselves. Or just google it.)

I would encourage you to arrange to pay yourselves profits. Not merely because your idea is going to make you all fabulously wealthy and internationally famous (although, that is obviously true), but because profits are the most pure form of communication that consumers in the market have with its producers, and one of the best ways to make decisions and measure increases in efficiency (increasing profits and/or output, while keeping prices steady or falling).

Cutting off this signal, in order to look pious to outsiders, is to shoot yourself in your free-market foot. Nobody says that you have to spend your profits on the proverbial lambo and a bimbo. You could donate them to charity, reinvest them, or store them for your nephews to inherit, but pay them out, you should. You don't have to love money, to value it as a tool and use it shrewdly. Money is a measure, and companies should regularly measure themselves: against their previous state, against their potential state, and against their competition.

(Also, you can use money to buy a lambo and a bimbo, but you didn't hear that from me.)

Organize yourselves

Once you've been working together, for a while, you'll find that you need to figure out how to organize yourselves. The first step is to...

Form a board of directors.

Stop laughing. I'm serious.

Any company has at least two roles (President and Secretary), ideally held by two different people, so any single-proprietor company is a man down. Find a different person, to be your Second, even if they're just your confident, who lets you cry on your shoulder on The Bad Days, when your code refuses to compile, and can tell people that you've become a Bitcoin millionaire and have gone on a sabbatical to hike the Himalayas and will be back in 3 months on The Very Good Days. Because business man was not meant to be alone.

If, like us, you're a small herd of people and have already been working together for a while, then this step is actually really, really fun. Just think about what people are already doing, and put a label on it. That role is now defined and it is clear who is in charge of what.

Scientists become "Chief Science Officer" or "Scientific Advisor". The person who always writes the okay, so this is what we've decided comment in the thread becomes the Secretary, the one managing the Lightning wallet and worrying over paying for the servers is the CFO, the person running the remote server becomes the CTO, and so on and etc.

And everyone knows who the CEO is. Everyone always knows. They do. Just write it down.

Agree how to disagree

Now, have the secretary write up a Member's Agreement. It's a contract between the members, about whatever the group thinks is important concerning the way the company will operate. According to Investopedia, common topics are:

Is this legally binding? Probably not. Maybe. I don't know and wouldn't tell you, even if I did. But it's emotionally binding, which is arguably more important.

Writing things down is an advanced form of naming things and it provides clarity, helps to manage expectations, and allows you to define a working agreement before Real Money shows up and taints your interaction. You're just accepting tips, at the moment. Everyone is calm and cheerful, so now is your best time to negotiate.

Keep it very simple and only address the most basic things. If you wish to incorporate, at a later date, then you just take this to a registered agent, or other experienced person, and have them tidy up any loose ends and add the fine print.

Go forth, together

This has probably taken you weeks, or even months, but you're now a company. Get a logo and a company npub, start dropping the company name into your notes, and get on with the business of being in business.

@ e6ce6154:275e3444

Este artigo foi censurado pelo estado e fomos obrigados a deletá-lo após ameaça de homens armados virem nos visitar e agredir nossa vida e propriedade.

Isto é mais uma prova que os autoproclamados antirracistas são piores que os racistas.

https://rothbardbrasil.com/pelo-direito-de-ser-racista-fascista-machista-e-homofobico

Segue artigo na íntegra. 👇

Sem dúvida, a escalada autoritária do totalitarismo cultural progressista nos últimos anos tem sido sumariamente deletéria e prejudicial para a liberdade de expressão. Como seria de se esperar, a cada dia que passa o autoritarismo progressista continua a se expandir de maneira irrefreável, prejudicando a liberdade dos indivíduos de formas cada vez mais deploráveis e contundentes.

Com a ascensão da tirania politicamente correta e sua invasão a todos os terrenos culturais, o autoritarismo progressista foi se alastrando e consolidando sua hegemonia em determinados segmentos. Com a eventual eclosão e a expansão da opressiva e despótica cultura do cancelamento — uma progênie inevitável do totalitarismo progressista —, todas as pessoas que manifestam opiniões, crenças ou posicionamentos que não estão alinhados com as pautas universitárias da moda tornam-se um alvo.

Há algumas semanas, vimos a enorme repercussão causada pelo caso envolvendo o jogador profissional de vôlei Maurício Sousa, que foi cancelado pelo simples fato de ter emitido sua opinião pessoal sobre um personagem de história em quadrinhos, Jon Kent, o novo Superman, que é bissexual. Maurício Sousa reprovou a conduta sexual do personagem, o que é um direito pessoal inalienável que ele tem. Ele não é obrigado a gostar ou aprovar a bissexualidade. Como qualquer pessoa, ele tem o direito pleno de criticar tudo aquilo que ele não gosta. No entanto, pelo simples fato de emitir a sua opinião pessoal, Maurício Sousa foi acusado de homofobia e teve seu contrato rescindido, sendo desligado do Minas Tênis Clube.

Lamentavelmente, Maurício Sousa não foi o primeiro e nem será o último indivíduo a sofrer com a opressiva e autoritária cultura do cancelamento. Como uma tirania cultural que está em plena ascensão e usufrui de um amplo apoio do establishment, essa nova forma de totalitarismo cultural colorido e festivo está se impondo de formas e maneiras bastante contundentes em praticamente todas as esferas da sociedade contemporânea. Sua intenção é relegar ao ostracismo todos aqueles que não se curvam ao totalitarismo progressista, criminalizando opiniões e crenças que divergem do culto à libertinagem hedonista pós-moderna. Oculto por trás de todo esse ativismo autoritário, o que temos de fato é uma profunda hostilidade por padrões morais tradicionalistas, cristãos e conservadores.

No entanto, é fundamental entendermos uma questão imperativa, que explica em partes o conflito aqui criado — todos os progressistas contemporâneos são crias oriundas do direito positivo. Por essa razão, eles jamais entenderão de forma pragmática e objetiva conceitos como criminalidade, direitos de propriedade, agressão e liberdade de expressão pela perspectiva do jusnaturalismo, que é manifestamente o direito em seu estado mais puro, correto, ético e equilibrado.

Pela ótica jusnaturalista, uma opinião é uma opinião. Ponto final. E absolutamente ninguém deve ser preso, cancelado, sabotado ou boicotado por expressar uma opinião particular sobre qualquer assunto. Palavras não agridem ninguém, portanto jamais poderiam ser consideradas um crime em si. Apenas deveriam ser tipificados como crimes agressões de caráter objetivo, como roubo, sequestro, fraude, extorsão, estupro e infrações similares, que representam uma ameaça direta à integridade física da vítima, ou que busquem subtrair alguma posse empregando a violência.

Infelizmente, a geração floquinho de neve — terrivelmente histérica, egocêntrica e sensível — fica profundamente ofendida e consternada sempre que alguém defende posicionamentos contrários à religião progressista. Por essa razão, os guerreiros da justiça social sinceramente acreditam que o papai-estado deve censurar todas as opiniões que eles não gostam de ouvir, assim como deve também criar leis para encarcerar todos aqueles que falam ou escrevem coisas que desagradam a militância.

Como a geração floquinho de neve foi criada para acreditar que todas as suas vontades pessoais e disposições ideológicas devem ser sumariamente atendidas pelo papai-estado, eles embarcaram em uma cruzada moral que pretende erradicar todas as coisas que são ofensivas à ideologia progressista; só assim eles poderão deflagrar na Terra o seu tão sonhado paraíso hedonista e igualitário, de inimaginável esplendor e felicidade.

Em virtude do seu comportamento intrinsecamente despótico, autoritário e egocêntrico, acaba sendo inevitável que militantes progressistas problematizem tudo aquilo que os desagrada.

Como são criaturas inúteis destituídas de ocupação real e verdadeiro sentido na vida, sendo oprimidas unicamente na sua própria imaginação, militantes progressistas precisam constantemente inventar novos vilões para serem combatidos.

Partindo dessa perspectiva, é natural para a militância que absolutamente tudo que exista no mundo e que não se enquadra com as regras autoritárias e restritivas da religião progressista seja encarado como um problema. Para a geração floquinho de neve, o capitalismo é um problema. O fascismo é um problema. A iniciativa privada é um problema. O homem branco, tradicionalista, conservador e heterossexual é um problema. A desigualdade é um problema. A liberdade é um problema. Monteiro Lobato é um problema (sim, até mesmo o renomado ícone da literatura brasileira, autor — entre outros títulos — de Urupês, foi vítima da cultura do cancelamento, acusado de ser racista e eugenista).

Para a esquerda, praticamente tudo é um problema. Na mentalidade da militância progressista, tudo é motivo para reclamação. Foi em função desse comportamento histérico, histriônico e infantil que o famoso pensador conservador-libertário americano P. J. O’Rourke afirmou que “o esquerdismo é uma filosofia de pirralhos chorões”. O que é uma verdade absoluta e irrefutável em todos os sentidos.

De fato, todas as filosofias de esquerda de forma geral são idealizações utópicas e infantis de um mundo perfeito. Enquanto o mundo não se transformar naquela colorida e vibrante utopia que é apresentada pela cartilha socialista padrão, militantes continuarão a reclamar contra tudo o que existe no mundo de forma agressiva, visceral e beligerante. Evidentemente, eles não vão fazer absolutamente nada de positivo ou construtivo para que o mundo se transforme no gracioso paraíso que eles tanto desejam ver consolidado, mas eles continuarão a berrar e vociferar muito em sua busca incessante pela utopia, marcando presença em passeatas inúteis ou combatendo o fascismo imaginário nas redes sociais.

Sem dúvida, estamos muito perto de ver leis absurdas e estúpidas sendo implementadas, para agradar a militância da terra colorida do assistencialismo eterno onde nada é escasso e tudo cai do céu. Em breve, você não poderá usar calças pretas, pois elas serão consideradas peças de vestuário excessivamente heterossexuais. Apenas calças amarelas ou coloridas serão permitidas. Você também terá que tingir de cor-de-rosa uma mecha do seu cabelo; pois preservar o seu cabelo na sua cor natural é heteronormativo demais da sua parte, sendo portanto um componente demasiadamente opressor da sociedade.

Você também não poderá ver filmes de guerra ou de ação, apenas comédias românticas, pois certos gêneros de filmes exaltam a violência do patriarcado e isso impede o mundo de se tornar uma graciosa festa colorida de fraternidades universitárias ungidas por pôneis resplandecentes, hedonismo infinito, vadiagem universitária e autogratificação psicodélica, que certamente são elementos indispensáveis para se produzir o paraíso na Terra.

Sabemos perfeitamente, no entanto, que dentre as atitudes “opressivas” que a militância progressista mais se empenha em combater, estão o racismo, o fascismo, o machismo e a homofobia. No entanto, é fundamental entender que ser racista, fascista, machista ou homofóbico não são crimes em si. Na prática, todos esses elementos são apenas traços de personalidade; e eles não podem ser pura e simplesmente criminalizados porque ideólogos e militantes progressistas iluminados não gostam deles.

Tanto pela ética quanto pela ótica jusnaturalista, é facilmente compreensível entender que esses traços de personalidade não podem ser criminalizados ou proibidos simplesmente porque integrantes de uma ideologia não tem nenhuma apreciação ou simpatia por eles. Da mesma forma, nenhum desses traços de personalidade representa em si um perigo para a sociedade, pelo simples fato de existir. Por incrível que pareça, até mesmo o machismo, o racismo, o fascismo e a homofobia merecem a devida apologia.

Mas vamos analisar cada um desses tópicos separadamente para entender isso melhor.

Racismo

Quando falamos no Japão, normalmente não fazemos nenhuma associação da sociedade japonesa com o racismo. No entanto, é incontestável o fato de que a sociedade japonesa pode ser considerada uma das sociedades mais racistas do mundo. E a verdade é que não há absolutamente nada de errado com isso.

Aproximadamente 97% da população do Japão é nativa; apenas 3% do componente populacional é constituído por estrangeiros (a população do Japão é estimada em aproximadamente 126 milhões de habitantes). Isso faz a sociedade japonesa ser uma das mais homogêneas do mundo. As autoridades japonesas reconhecidamente dificultam processos de seleção e aplicação a estrangeiros que desejam se tornar residentes. E a maioria dos japoneses aprova essa decisão.

Diversos estabelecimentos comerciais como hotéis, bares e restaurantes por todo o país tem placas na entrada que dizem “somente para japoneses” e a maioria destes estabelecimentos se recusa ostensivamente a atender ou aceitar clientes estrangeiros, não importa quão ricos ou abastados sejam.

Na Terra do Sol Nascente, a hostilidade e a desconfiança natural para com estrangeiros é tão grande que até mesmo indivíduos que nascem em algum outro país, mas são filhos de pais japoneses, não são considerados cidadãos plenamente japoneses.

Se estes indivíduos decidem sair do seu país de origem para se estabelecer no Japão — mesmo tendo descendência nipônica legítima e inquestionável —, eles enfrentarão uma discriminação social considerável, especialmente se não dominarem o idioma japonês de forma impecável. Esse fato mostra que a discriminação é uma parte tão indissociável quanto elementar da sociedade japonesa, e ela está tão profundamente arraigada à cultura nipônica que é praticamente impossível alterá-la ou atenuá-la por qualquer motivo.

A verdade é que — quando falamos de um país como o Japão — nem todos os discursos politicamente corretos do mundo, nem a histeria progressista ocidental mais inflamada poderão algum dia modificar, extirpar ou sequer atenuar o componente racista da cultura nipônica. E isso é consequência de uma questão tão simples quanto primordial: discriminar faz parte da natureza humana, sendo tanto um direito individual quanto um elemento cultural inerente à muitas nações do mundo. Os japoneses não tem problema algum em admitir ou institucionalizar o seu preconceito, justamente pelo fato de que a ideologia politicamente correta não tem no oriente a força e a presença que tem no ocidente.

E é fundamental enfatizar que, sendo de natureza pacífica — ou seja, não violando nem agredindo terceiros —, a discriminação é um recurso natural dos seres humanos, que está diretamente associada a questões como familiaridade e segurança.

Absolutamente ninguém deve ser forçado a apreciar ou integrar-se a raças, etnias, pessoas ou tribos que não lhe transmitem sentimentos de segurança ou familiaridade. Integração forçada é o verdadeiro crime, e isso diversos países europeus — principalmente os escandinavos (países que lideram o ranking de submissão à ideologia politicamente correta) — aprenderam da pior forma possível.

A integração forçada com imigrantes islâmicos resultou em ondas de assassinato, estupro e violência inimagináveis para diversos países europeus, até então civilizados, que a imprensa ocidental politicamente correta e a militância progressista estão permanentemente tentando esconder, porque não desejam que o ocidente descubra como a agenda “humanitária” de integração forçada dos povos muçulmanos em países do Velho Mundo resultou em algumas das piores chacinas e tragédias na história recente da Europa.

Ou seja, ao discriminarem estrangeiros, os japoneses estão apenas se protegendo e lutando para preservar sua nação como um ambiente cultural, étnico e social que lhe é seguro e familiar, assim se opondo a mudanças bruscas, indesejadas e antinaturais, que poderiam comprometer a estabilidade social do país.

A discriminação — sendo de natureza pacífica —, é benévola, salutar e indubitavelmente ajuda a manter a estabilidade social da comunidade. Toda e qualquer forma de integração forçada deve ser repudiada com veemência, pois, mais cedo ou mais tarde, ela irá subverter a ordem social vigente, e sempre será acompanhada de deploráveis e dramáticos resultados.

Para citar novamente os países escandinavos, a Suécia é um excelente exemplo do que não fazer. Tendo seguido o caminho contrário ao da discriminação racional praticada pela sociedade japonesa, atualmente a sociedade sueca — além de afundar de forma consistente na lama da libertinagem, da decadência e da deterioração progressista — sofre em demasia com os imigrantes muçulmanos, que foram deixados praticamente livres para matar, saquear, esquartejar e estuprar quem eles quiserem. Hoje, eles são praticamente intocáveis, visto que denunciá-los, desmoralizá-los ou acusá-los de qualquer crime é uma atitude politicamente incorreta e altamente reprovada pelo establishment progressista. A elite socialista sueca jamais se atreve a acusá-los de qualquer crime, pois temem ser classificados como xenófobos e intolerantes. Ou seja, a desgraça da Europa, sobretudo dos países escandinavos, foi não ter oferecido nenhuma resistência à ideologia progressista politicamente correta. Hoje, eles são totalmente submissos a ela.

O exemplo do Japão mostra, portanto — para além de qualquer dúvida —, a importância ética e prática da discriminação, que é perfeitamente aceitável e natural, sendo uma tendência inerente aos seres humanos, e portanto intrínseca a determinados comportamentos, sociedades e culturas.

Indo ainda mais longe nessa questão, devemos entender que na verdade todos nós discriminamos, e não existe absolutamente nada de errado nisso. Discriminar pessoas faz parte da natureza humana e quem se recusa a admitir esse fato é um hipócrita. Mulheres discriminam homens na hora de selecionar um parceiro; elas avaliam diversos quesitos, como altura, aparência, status social, condição financeira e carisma. E dentre suas opções, elas sempre escolherão o homem mais atraente, másculo e viril, em detrimento de todos os baixinhos, calvos, carentes, frágeis e inibidos que possam estar disponíveis. Da mesma forma, homens sempre terão preferência por mulheres jovens, atraentes e delicadas, em detrimento de todas as feministas de meia-idade, acima do peso, de cabelo pintado, que são mães solteiras e militantes socialistas. A própria militância progressista discrimina pessoas de forma virulenta e intransigente, como fica evidente no tratamento que dispensam a mulheres bolsonaristas e a negros de direita.

A verdade é que — não importa o nível de histeria da militância progressista — a discriminação é inerente à condição humana e um direito natural inalienável de todos. É parte indissociável da natureza humana e qualquer pessoa pode e deve exercer esse direito sempre que desejar. Não existe absolutamente nada de errado em discriminar pessoas. O problema real é a ideologia progressista e o autoritarismo politicamente correto, movimentos tirânicos que não respeitam o direito das pessoas de discriminar.

Fascismo

Quando falamos de fascismo, precisamos entender que, para a esquerda política, o fascismo é compreendido como um conceito completamente divorciado do seu significado original. Para um militante de esquerda, fascista é todo aquele que defende posicionamentos contrários ao progressismo, não se referindo necessariamente a um fascista clássico.

Mas, seja como for, é necessário entender que — como qualquer ideologia política — até mesmo o fascismo clássico tem o direito de existir e ocupar o seu devido lugar; portanto, fascistas não devem ser arbitrariamente censurados, apesar de defenderem conceitos que representam uma completa antítese de tudo aquilo que é valioso para os entusiastas da liberdade.

Em um país como o Brasil, onde socialistas e comunistas tem total liberdade para se expressar, defender suas ideologias e até mesmo formar partidos políticos, não faz absolutamente o menor sentido que fascistas — e até mesmo nazistas assumidos — sofram qualquer tipo de discriminação. Embora socialistas e comunistas se sintam moralmente superiores aos fascistas (ou a qualquer outra filosofia política ou escola de pensamento), sabemos perfeitamente que o seu senso de superioridade é fruto de uma pueril romantização universitária da sua própria ideologia. A história mostra efetivamente que o socialismo clássico e o comunismo causaram muito mais destruição do que o fascismo.

Portanto, se socialistas e comunistas tem total liberdade para se expressar, não existe a menor razão para que fascistas não usufruam dessa mesma liberdade.

É claro, nesse ponto, seremos invariavelmente confrontados por um oportuno dilema — o famoso paradoxo da intolerância, de Karl Popper. Até que ponto uma sociedade livre e tolerante deve tolerar a intolerância (inerente a ideologias totalitárias)?

As leis de propriedade privada resolveriam isso em uma sociedade livre. O mais importante a levarmos em consideração no atual contexto, no entanto — ao defender ou criticar uma determinada ideologia, filosofia ou escola de pensamento —, é entender que, seja ela qual for, ela tem o direito de existir. E todas as pessoas que a defendem tem o direito de defendê-la, da mesma maneira que todos os seus detratores tem o direito de criticá-la.

Essa é uma forte razão para jamais apoiarmos a censura. Muito pelo contrário, devemos repudiar com veemência e intransigência toda e qualquer forma de censura, especialmente a estatal.

Existem duas fortes razões para isso:

A primeira delas é a volatilidade da censura (especialmente a estatal). A censura oficial do governo, depois que é implementada, torna-se absolutamente incontrolável. Hoje, ela pode estar apontada para um grupo de pessoas cujas ideias divergem das suas. Mas amanhã, ela pode estar apontada justamente para as ideias que você defende. É fundamental, portanto, compreendermos que a censura estatal é incontrolável. Sob qualquer ponto de vista, é muito mais vantajoso que exista uma vasta pluralidade de ideias conflitantes na sociedade competindo entre si, do que o estado decidir que ideias podem ser difundidas ou não.

Além do mais, libertários e anarcocapitalistas não podem nunca esperar qualquer tipo de simpatia por parte das autoridades governamentais. Para o estado, seria infinitamente mais prático e vantajoso criminalizar o libertarianismo e o anarcocapitalismo — sob a alegação de que são filosofias perigosas difundidas por extremistas radicais que ameaçam o estado democrático de direito — do que o fascismo ou qualquer outra ideologia centralizada em governos burocráticos e onipotentes. Portanto, defender a censura, especialmente a estatal, representa sempre um perigo para o próprio indivíduo, que mais cedo ou mais tarde poderá ver a censura oficial do sistema se voltar contra ele.

Outra razão pela qual libertários jamais devem defender a censura, é porque — ao contrário dos estatistas — não é coerente que defensores da liberdade se comportem como se o estado fosse o seu papai e o governo fosse a sua mamãe. Não devemos terceirizar nossas próprias responsabilidades, tampouco devemos nos comportar como adultos infantilizados. Assumimos a responsabilidade de combater todas as ideologias e filosofias que agridem a liberdade e os seres humanos. Não procuramos políticos ou burocratas para executar essa tarefa por nós.

Portanto, se você ver um fascista sendo censurado nas redes sociais ou em qualquer outro lugar, assuma suas dores. Sinta-se compelido a defendê-lo, mostre aos seus detratores que ele tem todo direito de se expressar, como qualquer pessoa. Você não tem obrigação de concordar com ele ou apreciar as ideias que ele defende. Mas silenciar arbitrariamente qualquer pessoa não é uma pauta que honra a liberdade.

Se você não gosta de estado, planejamento central, burocracia, impostos, tarifas, políticas coletivistas, nacionalistas e desenvolvimentistas, mostre com argumentos coesos e convincentes porque a liberdade e o livre mercado são superiores a todos esses conceitos. Mas repudie a censura com intransigência e mordacidade.

Em primeiro lugar, porque você aprecia e defende a liberdade de expressão para todas as pessoas. E em segundo lugar, por entender perfeitamente que — se a censura eventualmente se tornar uma política de estado vigente entre a sociedade — é mais provável que ela atinja primeiro os defensores da liberdade do que os defensores do estado.

Machismo

Muitos elementos do comportamento masculino que hoje são atacados com virulência e considerados machistas pelo movimento progressista são na verdade manifestações naturais intrínsecas ao homem, que nossos avôs cultivaram ao longo de suas vidas sem serem recriminados por isso. Com a ascensão do feminismo, do progressismo e a eventual problematização do sexo masculino, o antagonismo militante dos principais líderes da revolução sexual da contracultura passou a naturalmente condenar todos os atributos genuinamente masculinos, por considerá-los símbolos de opressão e dominação social.

Apesar do Brasil ser uma sociedade liberal ultra-progressista, onde o estado protege mais as mulheres do que as crianças — afinal, a cada semana novas leis são implementadas concedendo inúmeros privilégios e benefícios às mulheres, aos quais elas jamais teriam direito em uma sociedade genuinamente machista e patriarcal —, a esquerda política persiste em tentar difundir a fantasia da opressão masculina e o mito de que vivemos em uma sociedade machista e patriarcal.

Como sempre, a realidade mostra um cenário muito diferente daquilo que é pregado pela militância da terra da fantasia. O Brasil atual não tem absolutamente nada de machista ou patriarcal. No Brasil, mulheres podem votar, podem ocupar posições de poder e autoridade tanto na esfera pública quanto em companhias privadas, podem se candidatar a cargos políticos, podem ser vereadoras, deputadas, governadoras, podem ser proprietárias do próprio negócio, podem se divorciar, podem dirigir, podem comprar armas, podem andar de biquíni nas praias, podem usar saias extremamente curtas, podem ver programas de televisão sobre sexo voltados única e exclusivamente para o público feminino, podem se casar com outras mulheres, podem ser promíscuas, podem consumir bebidas alcoólicas ao ponto da embriaguez, e podem fazer praticamente tudo aquilo que elas desejarem. No Brasil do século XXI, as mulheres são genuinamente livres para fazer as próprias escolhas em praticamente todos os aspectos de suas vidas. O que mostra efetivamente que a tal opressão do patriarcado não existe.

O liberalismo social extremo do qual as mulheres usufruem no Brasil atual — e que poderíamos estender a toda a sociedade contemporânea ocidental — é suficiente para desmantelar completamente a fábula feminista da sociedade patriarcal machista e opressora, que existe única e exclusivamente no mundinho de fantasias ideológicas da esquerda progressista.

Tão importante quanto, é fundamental compreender que nenhum homem é obrigado a levar o feminismo a sério ou considerá-lo um movimento social e político legítimo. Para um homem, ser considerado machista ou até mesmo assumir-se como um não deveria ser um problema. O progressismo e o feminismo — com o seu nefasto hábito de demonizar os homens, bem como todos os elementos inerentes ao comportamento e a cultura masculina — é que são o verdadeiro problema, conforme tentam modificar o homem para transformá-lo em algo que ele não é nem deveria ser: uma criatura dócil, passiva e submissa, que é comandada por ideologias hostis e antinaturais, que não respeitam a hierarquia de uma ordem social milenar e condições inerentes à própria natureza humana. Com o seu hábito de tentar modificar tudo através de leis e decretos, o feminismo e o progressismo mostram efetivamente que o seu real objetivo é criminalizar a masculinidade.

A verdade é que — usufruindo de um nível elevado de liberdades — não existe praticamente nada que a mulher brasileira do século XXI não possa fazer. Adicionalmente, o governo dá as mulheres uma quantidade tão avassaladora de vantagens, privilégios e benefícios, que está ficando cada vez mais difícil para elas encontrarem razões válidas para reclamarem da vida. Se o projeto de lei que pretende fornecer um auxílio mensal de mil e duzentos reais para mães solteiras for aprovado pelo senado, muitas mulheres que tem filhos não precisarão nem mesmo trabalhar para ter sustento. E tantas outras procurarão engravidar, para ter direito a receber uma mesada mensal do governo até o seu filho completar a maioridade.

O que a militância colorida da terra da fantasia convenientemente ignora — pois a realidade nunca corresponde ao seu conto de fadas ideológico — é que o mundo de uma forma geral continua sendo muito mais implacável com os homens do que é com as mulheres. No Brasil, a esmagadora maioria dos suicídios é praticada por homens, a maioria das vítimas de homicídio são homens e de cada quatro moradores de rua, três são homens. Mas é evidente que uma sociedade liberal ultra-progressista não se importa com os homens, pois ela não é influenciada por fatos concretos ou pela realidade. Seu objetivo é simplesmente atender as disposições de uma agenda ideológica, não importa quão divorciadas da realidade elas são.

O nível exacerbado de liberdades sociais e privilégios governamentais dos quais as mulheres brasileiras usufruem é suficiente para destruir a fantasiosa fábula da sociedade machista, opressora e patriarcal. Se as mulheres brasileiras não estão felizes, a culpa definitivamente não é dos homens. Se a vasta profusão de liberdades, privilégios e benefícios da sociedade ocidental não as deixa plenamente saciadas e satisfeitas, elas podem sempre mudar de ares e tentar uma vida mais abnegada e espartana em países como Irã, Paquistão ou Afeganistão. Quem sabe assim elas não se sentirão melhores e mais realizadas?

Homofobia

Quando falamos em homofobia, entramos em uma categoria muito parecida com a do racismo: o direito de discriminação é totalmente válido. Absolutamente ninguém deve ser obrigado a aceitar homossexuais ou considerar o homossexualismo como algo normal. Sendo cristão, não existe nem sequer a mais vaga possibilidade de que algum dia eu venha a aceitar o homossexualismo como algo natural. O homossexualismo se qualifica como um grave desvio de conduta e um pecado contra o Criador.

A Bíblia proíbe terminantemente conduta sexual imoral, o que — além do homossexualismo — inclui adultério, fornicação, incesto e bestialidade, entre outras formas igualmente pérfidas de degradação.

Segue abaixo três passagens bíblicas que proíbem terminantemente a conduta homossexual:

“Não te deitarás com um homem como se deita com uma mulher. Isso é abominável!” (Levítico 18:22 — King James Atualizada)

“Se um homem se deitar com outro homem, como se deita com mulher, ambos terão praticado abominação; certamente serão mortos; o seu sangue estará sobre eles.” (Levítico 20:13 — João Ferreira de Almeida Atualizada)

“O quê! Não sabeis que os injustos não herdarão o reino de Deus? Não sejais desencaminhados. Nem fornicadores, nem idólatras, nem adúlteros, nem homens mantidos para propósitos desnaturais, nem homens que se deitam com homens, nem ladrões, nem gananciosos, nem beberrões, nem injuriadores, nem extorsores herdarão o reino de Deus.” (1 Coríntios 6:9,10 —Tradução do Novo Mundo das Escrituras Sagradas com Referências)

Se você não é religioso, pode simplesmente levar em consideração o argumento do respeito pela ordem natural. A ordem natural é incondicional e incisiva com relação a uma questão: o complemento de tudo o que existe é o seu oposto, não o seu igual. O complemento do dia é a noite, o complemento da luz é a escuridão, o complemento da água, que é líquida, é a terra, que é sólida. E como sabemos o complemento do macho — de sua respectiva espécie — é a fêmea.

Portanto, o complemento do homem, o macho da espécie humana, é naturalmente a mulher, a fêmea da espécie humana. Um homem e uma mulher podem naturalmente se reproduzir, porque são um complemento biológico natural. Por outro lado, um homem e outro homem são incapazes de se reproduzir, assim como uma mulher e outra mulher.

Infelizmente, o mundo atual está longe de aceitar como plenamente estabelecida a ordem natural pelo simples fato dela existir, visto que tentam subvertê-la a qualquer custo, não importa o malabarismo intelectual que tenham que fazer para justificar os seus pontos de vista distorcidos e antinaturais. A libertinagem irrefreável e a imoralidade bestial do mundo contemporâneo pós-moderno não reconhecem nenhum tipo de limite. Quem tenta restabelecer princípios morais salutares é imediatamente considerado um vilão retrógrado e repressivo, sendo ativamente demonizado pela militância do hedonismo, da luxúria e da licenciosidade desenfreada e sem limites.

Definitivamente, fazer a apologia da moralidade, do autocontrole e do autodomínio não faz nenhum sucesso na Sodoma e Gomorra global dos dias atuais. O que faz sucesso é lacração, devassidão, promiscuidade e prazeres carnais vazios. O famoso escritor e filósofo francês Albert Camus expressou uma verdade contundente quando disse: “Uma só frase lhe bastará para definir o homem moderno — fornicava e lia jornais”.

Qualquer indivíduo tem o direito inalienável de discriminar ativamente homossexuais, pelo direito que ele julgar mais pertinente no seu caso. A objeção de consciência para qualquer situação é um direito natural dos indivíduos. Há alguns anos, um caso que aconteceu nos Estados Unidos ganhou enorme repercussão internacional, quando o confeiteiro Jack Phillips se recusou a fazer um bolo de casamento para o “casal” homossexual Dave Mullins e Charlie Craig.

Uma representação dos direitos civis do estado do Colorado abriu um inquérito contra o confeiteiro, alegando que ele deveria ser obrigado a atender todos os clientes, independente da orientação sexual, raça ou crença. Preste atenção nas palavras usadas — ele deveria ser obrigado a atender.

Como se recusou bravamente a ceder, o caso foi parar invariavelmente na Suprema Corte, que decidiu por sete a dois em favor de Jack Phillips, sob a alegação de que obrigar o confeiteiro a atender o “casal” homossexual era uma violação nefasta dos seus princípios religiosos. Felizmente, esse foi um caso em que a liberdade prevaleceu sobre a tirania progressista.

Evidentemente, homossexuais não devem ser agredidos, ofendidos, internados em clínicas contra a sua vontade, nem devem ser constrangidos em suas liberdades pelo fato de serem homossexuais. O que eles precisam entender é que a liberdade é uma via de mão dupla. Eles podem ter liberdade para adotar a conduta que desejarem e fazer o que quiserem (contanto que não agridam ninguém), mas da mesma forma, é fundamental respeitar e preservar a liberdade de terceiros que desejam rejeitá-los pacificamente, pelo motivo que for.

Afinal, ninguém tem a menor obrigação de aceitá-los, atendê-los ou sequer pensar que uma união estável entre duas pessoas do mesmo sexo — incapaz de gerar descendentes, e, portanto, antinatural — deva ser considerado um matrimônio de verdade. Absolutamente nenhuma pessoa, ideia, movimento, crença ou ideologia usufrui de plena unanimidade no mundo. Por que o homossexualismo deveria ter tal privilégio?

Homossexuais não são portadores de uma verdade definitiva, absoluta e indiscutível, que está acima da humanidade. São seres humanos comuns que — na melhor das hipóteses —, levam um estilo de vida que pode ser considerado “alternativo”, e absolutamente ninguém tem a obrigação de considerar esse estilo de vida normal ou aceitável. A única obrigação das pessoas é não interferir, e isso não implica uma obrigação em aceitar.

Discriminar homossexuais (assim como pessoas de qualquer outro grupo, raça, religião, nacionalidade ou etnia) é um direito natural por parte de todos aqueles que desejam exercer esse direito. E isso nem o direito positivo nem a militância progressista poderão algum dia alterar ou subverter. O direito natural e a inclinação inerente dos seres humanos em atender às suas próprias disposições é simplesmente imutável e faz parte do seu conjunto de necessidades.

Conclusão

A militância progressista é absurdamente autoritária, e todas as suas estratégias e disposições ideológicas mostram que ela está em uma guerra permanente contra a ordem natural, contra a liberdade e principalmente contra o homem branco, cristão, conservador e tradicionalista — possivelmente, aquilo que ela mais odeia e despreza.

Nós não podemos, no entanto, ceder ou dar espaço para a agenda progressista, tampouco pensar em considerar como sendo normais todas as pautas abusivas e tirânicas que a militância pretende estabelecer como sendo perfeitamente razoáveis e aceitáveis, quer a sociedade aceite isso ou não. Afinal, conforme formos cedendo, o progressismo tirânico e totalitário tende a ganhar cada vez mais espaço.

Quanto mais espaço o progressismo conquistar, mais corroída será a liberdade e mais impulso ganhará o totalitarismo. Com isso, a cultura do cancelamento vai acabar com carreiras, profissões e com o sustento de muitas pessoas, pelo simples fato de que elas discordam das pautas universitárias da moda.

A história mostra perfeitamente que quanto mais liberdade uma sociedade tem, mais progresso ela atinge. Por outro lado, quanto mais autoritária ela for, mais retrocessos ela sofrerá. O autoritarismo se combate com liberdade, desafiando as pautas de todos aqueles que persistem em implementar a tirania na sociedade. O politicamente correto é o nazismo dos costumes, que pretende subverter a moral através de uma cultura de vigilância policial despótica e autoritária, para que toda a sociedade seja subjugada pela agenda totalitária progressista.

Pois quanto a nós, precisamos continuar travando o bom combate em nome da liberdade. E isso inclui reconhecer que ideologias, hábitos e costumes de que não gostamos tem o direito de existir e até mesmo de serem defendidos.

@ 349d6b82:12b2a5b1

В Серове активно продолжаются реконструкции общежитий для студентов Серовского Металлургического Техникума и Серовского Политехнического Техникума.

В рамках программы по улучшению условий проживания студентов, власти города начали масштабную реконструкцию общежитий. Обновления включают модернизацию жилых помещений, установку новых систем отопления и водоснабжения, а также создание современных учебных и досуговых зон.

Важным аспектом реконструкции стало улучшение инфраструктуры вокруг общежитий. Были обновлены дороги, добавлены велосипедные дорожки и обустроены зеленые зоны, что создает более комфортные условия для студентов.

Власти города также запустили ряд социальных инициатив, направленных на поддержку студентов. Это включает в себя программы по психологической поддержке и организации культурных мероприятий, которые способствуют интеграции студентов в местное сообщество.

Эти изменения уже начали оказывать положительное влияние на качество жизни студентов в Серове. Улучшенные условия проживания способствуют не только комфортному обучению, но и активному отдыху, что в свою очередь положительно сказывается на их успеваемости и общем уровне удовлетворенности жизнью.

Преобразования общежитий и сопутствующие инициативы становятся важным шагом к созданию более комфортной и поддерживающей среды для студентов в Серове.

@ df8f0a64:057d87a5

書き散らす動機

残暑続きからの急な気温低下で鼻炎がひどくなる今日この頃、皆様お元気でしょうか

株主への抗議のために退職してから2ヶ月半、流石に暇を持て余してきました 時間がある上に能動的に働く気も起きず、ひたすらボーッとしたりうねうね考え事をする日々です 幸いにして人生も折り返しにさしかかる頃になり、時折「今、人生が終わって構わないのでは？」というようなことも考えたりします （鬱病既往歴ありますが私は元気です）

子どものお迎えを終えて、いつもどおり夕食をとり、またうねうねしているうちに ふと、6年前の年末に急死された、仕事でお世話になったTさんのことを思い出しました

子を寝かしつけてもまだ頭の中をぐるぐるしていたので、ここに吐き出してすっきりしようという魂胆です

Tさんとの出会い

私のキャリアの（ほぼ）スタートはVC（ベンチャーキャピタル）でした 誰のせいでもないとある経緯もあり、周囲からは警戒され避けられ、わずか6年ではありますが、 インナーサークルに入り込めない時期を過ごし、当時の上司と二人、とにかくやれることをやり続ける毎日でした

いつものようにピッチイベントに参加しているとき、近くの席にいたスーツ姿の3人組と目が一瞬合います

「事業会社の人だ」

協調投資やファンド出資のきっかけを掴むべく、その3人に話かけます

「よろしければ弊社投資先のご紹介や御社の...」

ひととおりの挨拶を済ませ、この人たちにも避けられるんだろうと思いながらも要件を切り出します

「是非やりましょう」

いつもとは違う嬉しい返事をくれたのがTさんでした

面倒見の良い他社の先輩

そのときの3人組であるMさん・Iさん・Tさんには、私の仕事人生の中で最もお世話になったと言っても過言ではありません

ファンドの営業を受けていただき、協調投資を行い、VCからの転職後にも協業相手として他部署のキーマンをご紹介いただき...

社会人になったばかりの私の、今思い返せば恥ずかしい（部下がこんな提案したら卒倒する）レベルの提案を、 誰もが知る一流企業の多忙な役職持ちであるにも関わらず、毎回一時間も割いて丁寧に対応してくださる心の広い方でした

当時、VCと接点をもつような事業会社の対スタートアップ部隊は、本業でご活躍されている方が兼任で取り組むパターンが多く、Mさん・Iさん・Tさんももちろんそう

その後も昇進され、最後には本社の取締役に。今年遂に退任され、所謂「あがり」でしょうか、子会社の取締役に異動 長い社会人人生をほぼ走りきり、有終の美を飾ろうとする時期にさしかかっています

でもTさんはそこにはいません

残される側

冒頭触れたとおり、Tさんは6年前のこの時期に急死されました 死因については、Tさんのご友人がFBに投稿していた文章を読んでも、Iさんに聞いてもわからない

悲しいかな、四十年近く生きていると、死因が明かされない理由がわかるようになる機会が一度や二度はあります Tさんもおそらくそうだったのでしょう

直前まで、Iさんと一緒にベイエリアに出張され、楽しそうなコメントと共に写真を投稿されていたのに 晩婚なのか再婚なのか、とにかくご結婚されて一年ちょっと。お子様も生まれたばかりだったのに Tさんは近い人間に心中を隠して、静かにこの世を去りました

あなたの快い返事に、どれほど私が救われたのか 転職後の提案のとき、受付で顔を出してすぐ「元気？」と声をかけてくださったことがどれほど私を安心させてくれたか あなたが声をかけてくれる度、私の社会人としての成果が生まれたことに、私は十分に感謝を伝えられていません

まだしばらく残る理由

振り返って、Tさんのように誰かの人生をenhanceできたのか？と自分に問うと、まだできたとは思えません。残念ですが

今ここで死んでも私は構わないけど、まだもうちょっと頑張るべきかな、老いてから誰かに感謝をしてもらうまで生きてみてもいいかな

そうふと思い直しているうちに日付が変わりました

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

Table Of Content

• The McGlone Prediction

• A Candid Chat with Scott Melker

• Economic Indicators

• The Housing Market

• Bitcoin vs. NASDAQ

• Bitcoin ETFs

• Conclusion

• FAQ

In the dynamic realm of cryptocurrency, predictions come and go, but few make waves like those from Bloomberg Intelligence's Mike McGlone. With a keen eye on the economic landscape, McGlone foresees a potential rise of Bitcoin to a staggering $100,000. However, this ascent isn't without its challenges. Dive into our detailed analysis to understand the economic hurdles and the factors that might propel Bitcoin to new heights.

The McGlone Prediction

Mike McGlone, the senior macro strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, is no stranger to bold predictions. In the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrency, he's made a name for himself with his insightful forecasts. This time around, he's got his eyes set on a whopping $100,000 price tag for Bitcoin. But it's not all smooth sailing. McGlone acknowledges the economic challenges that lie ahead, and it's these very hurdles that might fuel Bitcoin's rise.

A Candid Chat with Scott Melker

In a recent head-to-head with crypto influencer Scott Melker, McGlone didn't hold back. He reiterated his unwavering belief in Bitcoin's long-term potential. But here's the twist: before we see Bitcoin basking in the glory of six figures, it might take a nosedive, potentially even below the $20,000 mark. It's a rollercoaster of emotions for crypto enthusiasts, but McGlone's track record suggests we should sit up and listen.

Economic Indicators

McGlone's predictions aren't just plucked from thin air. He's been meticulously analyzing the financial landscape. Those Treasury bills yielding over 5%? They've caught his attention. The Federal Reserve's monetary tightening antics? They're on his radar too. These indicators, among others, paint a picture of the economic challenges that could shape Bitcoin's trajectory.

The Housing Market

One can't discuss economic hurdles without mentioning the housing market. McGlone has been closely monitoring the Case-Shiller index, a tool that tracks US real estate prices. After reaching its zenith in June 2022, the index has been on a downward spiral, eerily reminiscent of the 2006 slump. This decline could be a harbinger of things to come, potentially influencing Bitcoin's path.

Bitcoin vs. NASDAQ

Drawing parallels between Bitcoin and the NASDAQ offers intriguing insights. Since its $30,000 peak in 2020, Bitcoin's price has remained stagnant. In stark contrast, the NASDAQ has flourished, registering a 20% growth. With powerhouse assets like AI technology under its belt, the NASDAQ's robust performance serves as a benchmark, highlighting Bitcoin's potential amidst economic challenges.

Bitcoin ETFs

The introduction of Bitcoin ETFs was met with much fanfare. However, the anticipated surge in Bitcoin's performance was a no-show. McGlone attributes this to an overly optimistic sentiment clouding pragmatic judgment. With the Federal Reserve reigning in the monetary supply, it's akin to pulling the rug from under Bitcoin's feet. Yet, in this challenging macroeconomic environment, McGlone sees a silver lining for Bitcoin's ascent.

Conclusion

McGlone's vision for Bitcoin is both optimistic and grounded. While the road to $100,000 is fraught with challenges, these very obstacles might be the catalyst for Bitcoin's meteoric rise. As the crypto world watches with bated breath, only time will reveal the accuracy of McGlone's predictions. One thing's for sure: the journey promises to be exhilarating.

FAQ

Who is Mike McGlone? Mike McGlone is a senior macro strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, known for his insightful cryptocurrency forecasts.

What is McGlone's latest prediction for Bitcoin? McGlone predicts that Bitcoin could potentially rise to $100,000, albeit facing several economic challenges.

Why is the housing market significant in this context? McGlone references the Case-Shiller index, which tracks US real estate prices, as an indicator of potential economic hurdles that could influence Bitcoin's trajectory.

How does the NASDAQ's performance compare to Bitcoin's? While Bitcoin's price has stagnated since 2020, the NASDAQ has seen a 20% growth, serving as a comparative benchmark.

That's all for today

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

Why waste time, looking at other people's stuff?

I get this question a lot, on Nostr, and it feeds immediately back to the next question: Why don't you just build your own client, if you're so smart?

This was a completely new question for me, as I'm used to collaborating with at least one other person, even when doing FOSS stuff. (No, this isn't my first such project; we just used to call it "volunteering" and "sharing the code", which sounds way less glamorous.) It never occurred to me, that a habit of collaboration and interaction was some sign of my ignorance and incompetence, or somehow proof that I can't vomit up "Hello World!" in 5 different programming languages.

I also made the deadly political mistake, when I entered the Nostrsphere, of refusing to call myself a "dev". For me, "dev" is a special title, given to someone doing a specific type of programming (fiddling with GUIs, mostly, which I've only done occasionally, as a sub), whereas the types I've done are "test automation", "development operations", "database management and data curation", "requirements engineering", and "application administration". Because it's so much easier to find someone interested in building a GUI, rather than building AnythingElse, I tend to slide into AnythingElse and it eventually became my professional specialty to be the Girl Friday of every project.

But, in Nostr, there is no AnythingElse category. There are only (GUI) client devs and AllOfTheIdiotsWhoMustBowDownToTheDevs. Which merely doubled my instinct to distance myself from the term. I do not want to join some cargo cult and be pedestalized and regarded as some sort of superhuman everyone owes fealty to, in return for raining GUI presents down on my loyal subjects.

Software engineers are simply people who are skilled craftsman, not gods, and it is fair to point out that some are more skilled than others. It is also completely fair to criticize their products, report bugs, and wonder aloud at endemic low-quality.

Which brings me back to the initial question:

What does the inquisitive dev know, that the others don't?

1) You learn an awful lot about an awful lot, by looking at specs, reviewing code, and trying out various implementations of concepts you are already familiar with. There are, in fact, n number of use cases for every event type, and I've seen so many of them, that I can conjure them up, or invent new ones, on the fly, rather than wasting time inventing similar events. 2) They don't have to explain their concept to you, later, when you interact. Each interaction brings you closer to parallel-levels of knowledge, which raises the signal-strength of the interaction, and widens your own knowledge base, for interacting with third parties. 3) You are increasingly-likely to contribute code or perform some other more-advanced task, for other people, as you don't face the hurdle of adjusting to a new repo or unfamiliar language, while being less-likely to merely fork-and-ignore because you have a standing business relationship with the other developer. 4) If the other dev stops maintaining the repo, you'll be inclined to continue on your own. You may even eventually receive administrative access, rather than needing to fork, as they trust you with their stuff. This means that the risk of the repo becoming abandoned falls, with each active dev snooping around it, even if that is not their primary project. 5) It helps you determine who to focus your energy on interacting with, further. Is this person new to software development, perhaps, but has some interesting transfer-knowledge from some other branch, that has resulted in a surprisingly novel concept? Is this person able to write very clean code, so that merely reading their code feels like mental training for your own craftsman's toolbox?

...and many more reasons, but this is getting too long, so, let's just cut to the chase.

What does a craftswoman want?

But, this still doesn't answer the question of my private motivation. Why do I want to gather all of this knowledge, from those further ahead, than I?

I think Nostr has long moved past the initial stage, where mere speed was of the essence, so that one npub could finally post a note and have it appear on the other npubs' client. That must have felt like a miracle, but it increasingly feels like a disaster, as the steadily-rising complexity of the Nostr ecosystem causes haphazardly-structured and largely-unexamined code bases to begin to atrophy, or result in developers running around at an exhausting speed, with their bug-extinguishers, to put out fire after fire.

I think the time has arrived, for a different kind of development. Maybe even for a different kind of developer. Not replacing the experimentalism that made Nostr fun, but adding the realm of production-quality software engineering. The sort of software development that requires relay administration, testing, support... collaboration, interaction, maybe even someone who does AnythingElse.

I want to build useful, elegant products people enjoy using and feel comfortable relying on. I want them to use them, naturally and happily, to accomplish tasks they consider worthwhile. I don't want them thinking about me, while they use it. The craftswoman should never be greater than her work.

I want them to feel free -- nay, be eager! -- to give me both positive and negative feedback. My assumption is always that our production is imperfect because we are imperfect, so you do us a favor, by pointing out where we can improve. That's why we wish to integrate a feedback form that produces ngit issue events, putting your questions and comments straight on our board.

And there will be an AnythingElse person, reading that board, and responding promptly, rest assured.

@ 5e5fc143:393d5a2c

Just revisiting some quick tips for #newbies #pow #public #blockchain users only.

if you just getting started with bitcoin or any pow crypto coins or been using or storing them for a while, you not must forget the roots and fundamentals.

Hot Wallet — It gets connected to live internet at some point in time essentially to sign / send a tx i.e. spending transaction — exposes the private key of the address from in the process

Cold Wallet — It never ever gets connected or online and can always keep receiving inbound amounts Paper wallets are best n cheapest form of cold wallet that can used once n thrown away.

Cold wallets need to either “import”ed or “sweep”ed in order to used or spend — https://coinsutra.com/private-key-import-vs-sweep-difference/

Any thin #wallet is always dependent on connectivity to live up2date node server where-as self-sufficient qt / cli wallet takes a while to sync up to latest block height in order to be usable.

Beginners should always resist the attraction of quick and fast — thin n 3rd party wallets and always start a long learning journey of core wallets of any coin — either “qt” GUI wallet or command line “coin-cli” wallet

Almost all #proofofwork #blockchains i.e. #POW has #node #wallet - everyone who use support he #public #blockchain secures own you coin value

You can run fullnode either on clearnet or over onion 🧅 #BTC has >55% of nodes running in onion out of total 15000+ live fullnodes and 50000+ bitcoincore wallets around blockheight 777000 . Other notable pow chains are #LTC #RVN and rest are babychains for now !

Always delete hot wallet to test practice restoration before sending any large refunds to it to be safe.

Large funds are always best to keep in self custody node wallets rare n occasional use

Final word — Cannot see private key 🔑 or seed 🌱 in any wallet means not your coin. 😲

That’s all for now n Thank you 🙏 ! ⚡️ https://getalby.com/p/captjack ⚡️

Some Cold wallet nostr posts nostr:note1p6ke5wqshgxtfzj5de3u04hejl2c5ygj8xk8ex6fqdsg29jmt33qnx57y2 nostr:note1rse0l220quur6vfx0htje94ezecjj03y6j7lguwl09fmvmpt6g3q0cg7yw nostr:note1q5w8dyjuqc7sz7ygl97y0ztv6sal2hm4yrf5nmur2tkz9lq2wx9qcjw90q

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@ 16d11430:61640947

Title: "From the East India Company to Modern Multinational Exploitation: How Fiat Instruments Perpetuate Centuries of Inequality"

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The world has changed immeasurably since the era of the East India Company (EIC). Empires have fallen, revolutions have redrawn borders, and technology has transformed how we live, work, and communicate. Yet beneath the façade of progress lies a troubling continuity: the mechanisms of exploitation pioneered by the EIC remain alive and well, repackaged for a globalized age. The fiat instruments of economic domination—centralized financial systems, corporate monopolies, and legal frameworks favoring the elite—continue to enrich a select few while subjugating vast populations. In this intricate web of exploitation, the parallels between the 18th-century EIC and modern financial and corporate systems are impossible to ignore.

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The East India Company: A Blueprint for Exploitation

The EIC was not merely a trading company; it was an unprecedented experiment in privatized empire-building. Armed with a royal charter granting it a monopoly over trade in the East Indies, the EIC leveraged financial innovation and brutal force to extract unimaginable wealth from the Indian subcontinent and other colonies. At its peak, it controlled vast territories, fielded a private army larger than that of many nation-states, and wielded immense political influence in Britain.

The EIC's tools of exploitation were remarkably modern: - Debt Instruments: The EIC taxed Indian peasants to fund wars and trade operations, creating a cycle of debt and dependency. - Corporate Sovereignty: As a quasi-sovereign entity, it governed territories, manipulated local economies, and imposed legal frameworks designed to funnel wealth to Britain. - Shareholder Capitalism: The EIC's joint-stock structure ensured that profits flowed to British elites, incentivizing exploitative policies to maximize dividends.

This model of extraction devastated colonies like India, where wealth was drained to the metropole, local industries were decimated, and millions perished in famines caused by forced cultivation of cash crops.

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Fiat Systems: The Modern Successor to the EIC

Today, the instruments of exploitation have evolved, but their essence remains unchanged. Fiat currency systems, controlled by central banks and governments, perpetuate global economic inequalities and benefit the same elite classes that once profited from colonialism. The parallels are striking.

1. Centralized Currency and Debt as Tools of Control

• EIC: Taxation in India was imposed in British fiat currencies, compelling local populations to participate in exploitative colonial markets.
• Modern Era: Developing nations remain trapped in debt cycles dictated by global financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank. Loans are issued in fiat currencies such as the US dollar, often with austerity conditions that dismantle public services and prioritize debt repayment over local well-being.

For example, countries in the Global South are routinely forced to export raw materials and labor while importing expensive finished goods—a dynamic eerily similar to the colonial trade patterns enforced by the EIC.

2. Corporate Sovereignty and Multinational Power

• EIC: With its monopoly on trade and private army, the EIC operated as a state within a state, enforcing its will on colonized populations.
• Modern Era: Multinational corporations wield comparable power, often surpassing the GDP of the nations in which they operate. Companies like Amazon, Apple, and Shell dictate terms to governments, exploit tax loopholes, and maintain supply chains reliant on low-wage labor in the Global South.

For instance, mining corporations in Africa extract resources like cobalt and lithium—essential for modern technology—while leaving local communities impoverished and environments devastated. The profits flow to shareholders in the Global North, mirroring the wealth drain orchestrated by the EIC.

3. Legal and Financial Instruments Favoring the Elite

• EIC: British laws shielded the EIC from accountability while enforcing policies that crushed local industries (e.g., the destruction of India's textile sector).
• Modern Era: International trade agreements and intellectual property laws disproportionately benefit corporations in the Global North. The World Trade Organization (WTO) enforces patent protections that prevent developing nations from accessing affordable medicine or technology, deepening inequality.

Cryptocurrencies and decentralized finance hold promise for disrupting this dynamic, but even these innovations are co-opted by elites, leaving the underlying fiat-driven power structures intact.

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Continuity of Exploitation: The Masses vs. the Elite

Global Wealth Inequality

The gap between the rich and the poor has widened to unprecedented levels. According to Oxfam, the world’s richest 1% control more wealth than the rest of humanity combined—a statistic that echoes the wealth concentration in colonial Britain, where EIC shareholders and aristocrats lived in opulence while Indian peasants starved.

Environmental Exploitation

The extractive practices perfected by the EIC have found new life in the 21st century. From deforestation in the Amazon to rare earth mining in Africa, modern corporations exploit natural resources in developing countries with little regard for environmental or social costs. These practices disproportionately harm marginalized communities, just as colonial extraction devastated colonized lands.

Labor and Supply Chains

The forced labor systems of the EIC have been replaced by sweatshops and precarious gig economy jobs. Workers in Bangladesh sewing clothes for fast-fashion brands, or delivery drivers in developed nations earning below minimum wage, are part of the same continuum of exploitation that fueled the EIC's profits.

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The Beneficiaries: Then and Now

The beneficiaries of this system have remained remarkably consistent: 1. Financial Elites: Shareholders of the EIC were aristocrats and merchants; today, they are hedge funds, venture capitalists, and institutional investors. 2. Corporate Executives: Just as EIC officials amassed personal fortunes, modern CEOs earn astronomical salaries while overseeing exploitative practices. 3. Global North Nations: The wealth extracted from colonies powered Britain's industrial revolution; today, wealth extracted from the Global South sustains the consumer economies of the Global North.

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Is Change Possible?

The enduring legacy of the EIC underscores the need for systemic change. While the tools of exploitation have adapted to the times, so too must the resistance. Decentralized technologies like Bitcoin offer an alternative to fiat systems, empowering individuals and bypassing centralized control. Grassroots movements and worker cooperatives challenge the dominance of corporate monopolies. Yet these efforts face immense resistance from entrenched elites.

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Conclusion

From the East India Company to modern fiat-driven systems, the structures of mass exploitation have remained astonishingly consistent. They continue to prioritize profits for the few over the well-being of the many, perpetuating cycles of poverty, inequality, and environmental destruction. The instruments may have changed—stock options replacing private armies, multinational treaties replacing royal charters—but the underlying logic remains the same. Until these systems are dismantled, the lessons of history will remain painfully relevant.

Exploitation #Colonialism #EastIndiaCompany #MultinationalCorporations #WealthInequality #FiatCurrency #GlobalJustice #EconomicExploitation #EnvironmentalJustice #CorporateGreed #Decentralization #HistoryRepeats #Sustainability #SocialImpact #EconomicInequality

@ bf95e1a4:ebdcc848

This is the AI-generated full transcript of Bitcoin Infinity Show #129 with Max Hillebrand!

Check out the https://bitcoininfinitystore.com/ for our books, merch, and more!

Luke: Max, welcome for the first time to the Bitcoin Infinity Show.

The Lodging of Wayfaring Men

Knut: Yeah, so one of the first things, you have made the best book recommendations to me that I've ever gotten from anyone. And one was The Ethics of Liberty by Murray Rothbard, and the other one was Economic Science and the Austrian Method by Hans Hermann Hoppe. And now you recommended another book, which I haven't read yet, called The Lodging of Wayfaring Men.

what is that book about and why do you recommend it so much?

Max: It's a beautiful book. it's incredible. And it's written for us and for Bitcoiners, but it's over 20 years old. it was written in like 1997 to 2002 and that time period. And it's loosely based on real events, which is fascinating. the book is crazy. it goes about a group of cypherpunks who are, Building an anonymous marketplace, and the first attempts of an anonymous digital currency.

And again, this shit really happened. the story is quite wild. With, the freedom tech being built for very good reasons. people who understood the philosophical impact. and the deep reasons for why freedom is important. So they were very motivated, and, dedicated to make the world a better place in their lifetime.

And so they got their shit together and got organized and built something incredible, right? And it took them a couple attempts. and eventually they rolled it out and enabled people to trade right, to do their business, online in cyberspace, and encrypt it. And so that made a lot of people very happy because, you know, you get to live life free and undisturbed, so it got adopted by many users.

So much so that eventually the government started to notice that somehow they're making less tax revenue than before. And something's a bit fishy, you know. And then they started to investigate and You know, the NSA and FBI put a decent amount of people on the topic and tried to de anonymize the users of these services and infiltrate them.

And yeah, so the story is about this whole clash between the first and second realm, you know, people who built FreedomTag. And people who enslave others and how those two worlds kind of clash. it's a book that's very inspiring.

Knut: What was the website called?

Max: So, the author's name is Paul Rosenberg.

originally this book was published anonymously, years later, when it was safe to, associate their actual name with this, he did. he was, a teacher, an electrical engineer's teacher. He wrote 30 books on that subject, and is a very eloquent and practiced writer, but also a hardcore cypherpunk and freedom lover, and very well read,

So he has the freemansperspective. com. This is a newsletter. You can go back. It's going for, I don't know, 10, 20 years or something. And every week there's one or two short pieces of articles that he writes. And this book is actually also includes some writings that he did in the past and published. so it's somewhat a collection of his thought.

The Lodging of Wayfaring Men is a fiction book, right? It's basically a fictionalized story with, character arcs and such. the author is very technical, and he understands cryptography and how to apply it. He understands distributed networks and laying fiber optic cables and stuff like this.

So there's a lot of real computer science in this fictional world. And that makes it quite applicable to today where we're surrounded with cryptography much more than at the time when this book was written.

Knut: So, all right.

Taxes

Knut: bit of a jump here, but why is, avoiding paying taxes the most altruistic thing you can do in life?

Max: this is actually one thing that gets covered in the book, right, where,

Knut: that was the case.

Max: because this is also why this book is so interesting to recommend to newcomers, to this philosophy, because at the beginning, not everyone is convinced that this is a good idea. Even the creators of this technology don't know the end result and how other people will use this tech.

There's a lot of ambiguity there. And so this book follows characters who reason through these very difficult questions. For example, I'm going to spoil this book a bit, but everyone should read it anyway. So, there's one character who was a lawyer, right? He works together with an ex FBI agent, who both of them share this common, seeking of justice, like real justice, to stop bad guys from doing bad things, to good people.

the ex FBI guy is somewhat disillusioned. With the institution of the FBI to actually provide and establish justice. so now he is somewhat like walking this line in between the institution and, the actual free realm, vigilant justice basically.

and here then when thinking of. this case. is there a wrong being done by the FBI trying to stop this project? Or is this project actually good? Do they have justice in doing what they do? then, he, reasoned of, is the avoidance of tax, of, of taxation evil.

And, and, of course then walks through the reasonable steps of thinking. No, if, two people transact voluntarily. both people are better off after the trade than before, right? Both people are happy, both say thank you and shake hands. that's trade. That's the market, right? and then you have coercion,

Where one guy says, give me that, and the other says, no, actually, I don't want to give you that, but the guy hits him and takes it anyway. And so that means afterwards that the guy who stole it is obviously better off. He's happy, right? He got the thing, but the guy who was the victim was being stolen from is worse off.

And so humans have the capacity to do mutually beneficial things, right? To literally create value, make both of us better off than we were before. And we also have the potential to destroy value and take from others. and one is beneficial and fosters the growth of civilization and the other destroys it.

Knut: And so, you know, avoiding being stolen from is a good thing. Reminds me of one thing we go into in the new book, about the difference between lawful and illegal. I don't remember the name of the guy now, but some Dutch libertarian thinker, who emphasized on the terms, made the point that something being lawful is like lawful in an ethical sense, like the basis in Don't Steal, whereas legal is the top down government imposed legal framework, and how the two don't always align, or rather, they almost never align.

Natural vs Man Made Law

Max: Yeah, this is the difference between natural law and man made law. A natural law is one that is universal across time and space. It's always present, and it's immutable. It cannot be changed, at least not by us. And, you know, physics, for example, is a natural law. And arguably there is a natural law to ethics as well.

Specifically, as morality increases, freedom increases. And as morality decreases, freedom decreases. That's the law of gravity in the ethical realm. and, that man didn't make it, right? We just realize it because it is what it is. And then we have man made law on the other hand. this is depends on a certain territory, right?

The law in the U. S. is different from the law in Russia. And it also depends on time. I think the American law in the 1700s is very different from what it is today. and so there are these imaginary lines where these rules apply and there's Other places or times where they do not apply. So they're arbitrary, right?

And so they can be designed, to the benefit of some and at the expense of others. And that is ultimately what, politics is about.

Knut: Yeah, I think this is one of the key points that that quote unquote normies have such a hard time wrapping their head around. Natural law and like what, what makes don't steal a natural law? Like what, what is the very foundation of, libertarianism or anarcho capitalism or absolute property rights or whatever you may call it, consensualism?

And to my understanding, it has to do with homesteading. If you're the first person that acquired something, then no other person has a right to take that away from you. And you can logically deduct your way to that being true. Like, what's your view on that? And what's your understanding of that? And how would you explain that to a layman?

Max: Well, the reality is such that we have limited scarce resources. If we have one piece of steak on the table and three guys who are hungry, like some are gonna go home on an empty stomach, right? We literally don't have enough food to feed us all, right? And one piece of something can only be used by one person at one time, right?

We cannot duplicate one piece of steak into many and satisfy everyone. So this is a natural form part of reality, right? That's just how things are, you know? So there's a potential of conflict over who gets to allocate these scarce resources. And there's a couple solutions to it, right, that have been proposed.

Like one would be like, nobody owns it, right? Nobody gets to eat it because it's natural and it's not part of your body, so don't touch it, right? But then we die, you know, all

Knut: that's the problem with that.

Max: That's kind of a problem.

Knut: Yeah.

Max: so

Knut: Yeah.

Resource Allocation

Max: So let's rule that option out. another solution is, of course, we all own it. Right?

And we all, get to use it. But, that doesn't really work either, right? Because, sure, we all own it, but who actually gets to eat it? Because there's three different mouths and the food only goes into one of them. we can't all actually own something if we cannot all use it.

It is limited and only a few can use it. So, everyone owns it isn't the solution to the problem. Because everyone cannot own it, there's not enough for everyone. So again, that's an issue. Ultimately, we all starve. And another option would be, we vote.

We somehow pick who gets to allocate these resources. But then, I mean, we're 8 billion people. How are we all going to vote on who gets to stake? Right? Like That's, that's going to be impractical. Like, how are we even going to communicate, all 8 billion of us, to get together in a vote? So again, until we have the result of the vote, nobody eats the steak, so we all starve again.

It's not really a good solution either. And then we have one option that, like, a small subset of the people gets to make the choice of, you know, how to allocate these resources. And we can just pick them, vote for them, for example. But here again, now other people are allocating the resources for others, right?

Like, and some bureaucrat, a hundred kilometers away, is not gonna know, like, who of us is vegetarian and doesn't want the meat. Right? and that just means that someone who's far off doesn't have the knowledge to actually allocate the resources in a proper manner. And that leads to misallocations, right?

We starve, again. Because the guy who doesn't want the meat gets it and then it rots. And the guys who would actually like it never get access to it and they starve. So that's the fundamental problem of socialism, basically, of some priest class allocating the resources for others. So again, the solution doesn't work either.

So we're not left with much. But one thing that seems to work is private property rights. Again, as you said, the person who creates something, the butcher, or the farmer who raised the cow, can now decide what to do with it. Does he butcher it himself? Does he sell it to a butcher? So the person who created something gets to own it, and gets to decide how to allocate this, and then he has the right to either consume it himself, or to abdicate the consumption of this good.

So to say, I won't use it, I will trade it, I will give it to you, right? And he can make it a gift. Just say here, half the entire cow, like, I like you, I like your family, you, like, I'm happy that you're happy, right? Great, that's possible, right? Or, of course, he would want something from you in return, like, give me a bar of gold, or, a bushel of wheat, or something else.

we now have a way that we can allocate resources in a clear, simple rule set, the person who created it. can decide what to do and have a contractual agreement to transfer this ownership to someone else. the people who actually have the problem now have the power to allocate the resources to solve those problems and not some guy far away, but just you and me who created stuff.

Ownership of Information

Knut: And as you said, this only applies to scarce resources. So what, would be an example of a resource where you could eat the steak, but I could have it too. And, the thing that comes to mind, is information, of course. So, can you own information?

Max: No, like, because that, that doesn't really make sense, right? To own means to allocate, how to allocate these, to decide how to allocate these resources. All right. And then, that's a solution to a problem of a lack of resource allocation, right? or for a lack of resources that need to be allocated rather.

But with information, there is no lack. Like if I have a PDF, I can copy it to you and I can send it to you, and I can send it to a hundred other people, and I still have the exact same high fidelity version. Of the information that I shared with others, and of course it's the same with words, right? The words that I speak, they're not lost on me, right?

I still retain them and the information that they represent. and that means we don't need to be, stingy with information. We can give it to everyone. and it doesn't degrade the quality quite on the contrary, right? without information there is no production.

imagine yourself on an island, and you have all the raw materials, all the machinery, like everything there, but you don't know anything about physics, or material science, or just production stages of how to build things. If you don't know any of that, the raw material is worth nothing to you.

Nothing. Because you don't know how to allocate, how to shape this raw material into other things so that it actually solves your problems in the end. we need information in order to produce things. That's the theory behind it. The blueprints, so to say. the cool thing is, we don't have to be stingy with the blueprints.

We can give every human on this planet Equal access to all of the information that we as humans have accumulated, and now all of a sudden you will never be stranded on an island not knowing how to do something, because you can just look it up. In the grand database of accumulated human knowledge, of course, technology has made that much more possible and low cost.

Back in the day, in order to share an information, you needed to speak verbally to it, right? So you're limited to time and space, or you need to scratch it on some stone or clay or write it on a piece of paper, And then still, you have the scarcity of the paper, right? There's only one book.

And there's a hundred people who want to read it. So again, information is limited. Not because the information itself is limited, but because the medium of the information is scarce. And that was a big tragedy that we were never able to communicate at a large scale, and remember these conversations and easily access them.

Until the cypherpunks who came up with computers, right? And realized that we can build this realm of information That is so cheap to transfer and store information, that we can just basically do it for free, for anybody, for 8 billion people. And all they need is a rather cheap form of silicon, and like, nicely arranged.

but of course people try to hold on to the protection schemes that extract money from others, and capital from others, and You know, nation states have enforced intellectual property rights and patents and such, and that just harms people. It doesn't bring forward the best out of humanity. And that's a big shame.

Knut: Now, very well put. this has been Praxeology 101 with Max Hillebrand.

Bitcoin and Praxeology

Knut: where I want to follow on, follow up here is, how does this apply to Bitcoin? Because Bitcoin is only information, so how can anyone theoretically ever own a Satoshi? Do you really own it, or what is it?

Max: What is actually a Satoshi? Look into the Bitcoin code base. There is no such thing as Satoshi, right? The transaction has a field that is an integer. But it's just an integer. It doesn't even have a unit associated to it, right? So, it's just a number. Satoshis are just numbers in a database.

And you don't own the number 270, 000 just because you have 270, 000 bitcoin. The actual number of satoshis, no, you don't control them. You don't own them. But information has another interesting thing that cypherpunks realized, right? That, once, like, when you have a secret, then you can choose to share it with others.

And then once you've shared it with one person, however, you cannot control what that person does with the information. He can keep it secret for himself, or he can tell it to the entire world. And so, there is such a thing as giving access rights to information. And this is an important part in Bitcoin, of course, right?

Our secret keys should be secret, privately kept just for us, because if you do share your secret key publicly, then all of a sudden anyone can, Signed messages, with this private key and therefore spent Bitcoin in the transaction chain of Bitcoin. and well, that's a critical part of it.

So Bitcoin basically relies on keeping information, hidden from others, in order to ensure that we, solve, like, basically Bitcoin. It's just a piece of software, right? So it is non scarce information, but it wants to be money. And money needs to be scarce, right? Because if I can spend a bar of gold first to you, and then the same bar of gold later to you, we have infinite inflation, right?

The money system just dies. so scarcity is required. It's a required feature for money and digital money therefore requires digital scarcity. And so what Bitcoin does is it establishes a set of computer code that defines the access, right? Two certain chunks of money, so to say, right? And the chunks of money are Bitcoin UTXOs, unspent transaction outputs, and the spending condition, so to say, or like the rule how to allocate this money, who gets to decide it.

Where this money goes next is defined by a script and a small computer program that evaluates either to true or to false, depending what input you provide. And so the script is the lock, and usually it's a single public key. And then the way to prove that You're actually authorized to spend this coin is by creating a valid witness.

You know, the input to the script, to the program that returns it to true rather than to false. And usually, again, that's a signature of a single private key over the transaction structure that you're actually spending the money. Bitcoin's genius realization is that. We just all have to check every transaction of everyone else.

And when we do that, we can be sure that, nobody's being stolen from, That nobody is, losing access to his money, that someone is spending the money with a wrong signature. he doesn't have the private key. He cannot produce a valid signature. So we have to make sure that such a transaction does never make it into the blockchain, right?

that's the first important aspect. And the second is we want to ensure that there's no inflation. that's Because if we can just create as many tokens as we want, then the value of the token goes to the marginal cost of production. If we can produce a token with the click of a button, then the marginal cost of that token, or the value of that token, will be zero, right?

So we need to make it, Difficult, or in fact, in Bitcoin, impossible to create additional units, you know, there's 21 million and that's it, right? That's the set of rules. And therefore, when we check each transactions, we also ensure that there is no transaction that has one Bitcoin on the input side and 10 Bitcoin on the output side, therefore increasing the total supply of Bitcoin.

And so Bitcoin is a massive verification machine to ensure that this computer system is this way of speaking to each other, actually balances the books of the system. of how many units of money are there, and who has the right to allocate these, and so it's basically a system that creates a natural resource, and then also manages the allocation of this natural resource.

Knut: so Bitcoin is almost a parallel universe where, in fact, you do own the Bitcoin, basically, but the ownership is not defined by you as a person. It's defined by the knowledge of a secret. so you prove that you have access to it by having access to the private key, which unlocks it.

Ownership of Bitcoin

Knut: On earth that can prove that you own a Bitcoin except you, the holder of the private key.

Max: If the holder of the private key reveals information to others that indicates such, one very common way that this would be is you have a mobile wallet, that does not run a Bitcoin full node, That connects to someone else's full node to check if you have Bitcoin,

You don't use Tor, so there's an IP address linked from you to the server, and so the server operator knows that this IP address just asked how much money is on this address, and so we have, a very strong indication, that this IP address owner owns

Knut: It can be a very strong indication, but in my mind it can never be proof. Because you need to sign with the actual private key to prove. Otherwise it's boating accident time.

Max: guy with the gun doesn't need proof, right, he just needs a good enough guess. For him, he needs, like, there is a praxeology to violence. thieves are actors. They live in a state of uneasiness, they have problems, and they try to find a solution to that problem. They don't have ethics, they don't have morals, and so their solution to the problem harms other people.

But nevertheless, they are still actors. And so they think that they will be better off after the action of theft than before. That's a value judgment. And it's an entrepreneurial one. So they might be correct, they might not. They break into a house, hoping that there is a bar of gold hidden under the couch, right?

Turns out there's not, right? So, if they spend a lot of money breaking into the house, and there's no loot, they're not profitable thieves. And this means that they destroyed their capital, right? They spent 10 Bitcoin on getting the equipment, and they got 0 Bitcoin back. So, that means they're 10 Bitcoin poorer, and eventually they will run out of money and starve.

So, thieves need to be profitable in order to do their thieving, and that's the genius that cypherpunks realized. If we exponentially increase the cost of attack, and exponentially decrease the cost of defense, then we make thievery unprofitable. And that's the genius of private public key cryptography and encryption, right?

It's trivial to generate a private key and then generate a public key or a signature, right? But to brute force a private key or to forge a signature without it, like, requires more energy that would collapse into a black hole, you know? So that's kind of a problem.

And for thieves, right? It's really good for the people who want to defend themselves. Because they can very cheaply do it, and it just doesn't make sense to attempt to break the encryption. But nevertheless, computer systems are very complex, and there's a lot of metadata associated with, computing and communicating between computers.

And so, there are, microphones and radio frequency scanners that you can point on computers and see the computation happening in the machine because there's a lot of radiation outside of the computer that can be correlated to which bits are being flipped you can have all types of side channel attacks to extract secrets from a computer while it's running the problem is that the holistic technology stack we have is quite susceptible to revealing information that should have been kept secret.

And again, that is a critical part, of course, to communication encryption, but even more so for Bitcoin. If we lose the assurance that only we know the private key, the money system is broken. And that's why Bitcoiners were so paranoid and started this whole thing of hardware wallets and secure elements to Really ensure that we don't leak private key material, but it's an extremely difficult task, because, well, this reality is very observable, and the cards are, to some extent, quite in favor of surveillance, unfortunately.

the guy with the gun in this case could be the government, Yeah, exactly, it can just be like a poor guy who needs to provide for his children, you know, and, he sees a way for feeding his family for the next two years, and that's a good trade off for him.

Knut: Yeah, momentarily.

Max: right?

Bitcoin and World Peace

Knut: So, if we manage to do this, on a grand scale, and if people in general manage To exponentially increase the cost of the attack while simultaneously decreasing the cost of defense. Does that lead to world peace at one point? Is that the end goal?

Max: Yeah, I think so. Oh, I mean, that makes sense. If every economically rational thief will realize that he is worse off if he does this stealing, right? Like, actually, because he needs to spend much more money in an attempted theft, and most likely he's not going to succeed. And, I mean, this exponential difference has to be huge, though, right?

Because, like, we had castles, you know? Like, castles are quite, like, quite extreme asymmetric protection. Like, if you're behind castle walls, with a well staffed militia that actually defends the walls, It's quite difficult to get to you if you just have, you know, like, humans and swords and ladders. that's, like, sieges are, in the favor of the defender.

But still, they happened a lot, right? And people were able to overcome these defenses. Because, I guess they weren't never holistically secure, you know? There was always some backdoor that enabled the attacker to go through, to get through, right? and that might just be brute force, right? You just bring a huge army and You're fine with tens of thousands of your own guys getting killed, but eventually, you know, after you throw a couple hundred thousand people at the problem, someone will succeed to break through.

Quite a brutal tactic, obviously, but it worked.

Knut: you get in.

Max: But then cryptographers came around and were like, well, but there's math.

Luke: Yeah, we can use RAM in another way. 1 plus 1 is 2. What? Are you sure?

Knut: that might be offensive.

Luke: That's a different kind of worms.

Knut: Yeah. . Yeah. So, the,

Bitcoin For Attack

Knut: so Bitcoin being this perfect defense mechanism, because all it does is increase the cost of the attack, can Bitcoin ever be used for attack in your opinion? Like, can it be used in an aggressive way?

Max: I think directly not, because again, it is just, speech and such, but on the other hand, maybe yes. Because, let's say, if someone hacked your machine, and got access to your private key, and spends the Bitcoin, like, in the context of Bitcoin itself, it's a valid signature, it's a valid transaction, and it will be included.

So, in the legalities of Bitcoin, it is no theft, right? It is a valid transaction. but, On the ethical realm, you worked hard to get these Bitcoin and you didn't want to send them to the attacker, so he is definitely stealing them from you. So, Bitcoin can be stolen, certainly, in the human analysis.

Not on a technical level, we've never seen a transaction confirmed with an invalid signature, but on the human level, There have been a lot of people that got separated from their Bitcoin against their will, right, against their consent. and, and that is theft. So, thieves can use Bitcoin, thieves can get paid in Bitcoin, thieves can take your Bitcoin and pay them to themselves, right?

that's a fact of reality too.

Aggression and Spam

Knut: Could that be used in an aggressive way?

Max: it is just the writing of bits and bytes, right? So there's, however, again, a limited amount of resources that are available specifically in Bitcoin. And not just do we have 21 million Bitcoin, we also have like, Two and a half slash four megabyte blocks, right?

And so this means there's only a certain number of transactions that can be fit into a single block. that means we have, again, a scarce resource and we need to allocate it. this is why there is a price for Bitcoin transactions, because that's how we solve the scarcity problem, right?

by whoever pays the most gets in. that's a, or it's not even whoever pays the most. It's like. You can choose who goes in by mining a block, right? You have full freedom of choice of which transaction do you include into your block. And if you don't mine, then you can propose to someone else, say, please include my transaction into a block.

But again, there's a large demand and a limited supply. so most likely people will start bribing each other and it's like, yeah, if you include my transaction in your block, I'll give you sats. And in fact, Bitcoin, the Bitcoin software launched with a anonymous peer to peer marketplace for the scarce good, which is Blockspace.

Satoshi didn't have to do that, right? Bitcoin would have totally worked, if, if you could not, like, if every input sum has to be exactly equal to every output sum, right?

There cannot be that outputs are smaller than inputs and the leftover goes to the miners, but that could have been a consensus rule, right? But then most likely we would have seen some third party external marketplace. Where people would do the bidding on please include my transaction into the block.

And then of course they would have to figure out how do we actually pay the miner to get our transaction in the block. So Satoshi had the genius to embed an anonymous marketplace. Into the core essence of the protocol, right, with the rule that outputs can be smaller than inputs, and the rule that we have this gossip peer to peer network, which like the whole peer to peer network is kind of optional, by the way, but it's just there to kind of make it easier so that we have this anonymous marketplace for Blockspace that we can propagate offers, right, and one person sends the offer and gets spread to the entire network.

So the demand side is no monopoly. Anyone can broadcast a message to the peer to peer network hoping to be included. And then on the supply side, the actual miners, there's also no monopoly. Anyone can spin up his computer and start SHA 256 hashing. On the most recent chain, right, with his own candidate block.

And nobody can stop you, right? That's the definition of no monopoly. New market participants are not hindered to enter the system. And so this is the most radical free market that we've seen probably ever. And it's been kind of hidden inside Bitcoin since the very beginning.

Mining vs Hashing

Knut: Yeah, you can of course also pay the miner in something else than sats to get included into a block. And if a mining pool does this, the individual miners doesn't necessarily have a claim to a piece of the pie of whatever money was paid to the mining pool owner under the table and not on the system, right?

They can't even see it. So how big of a problem is that, and can you really call yourself a miner if you're just selling hash power to a pool and the pool isn't transparent?

Max: I mean, it's actually true that we, like, there could be in the future, A alternative marketplace for block space that's not inside the Bitcoin Core client. And by the way, arguably that's better, because we have a piece of software that does one thing really well, and then, you know, we just specialize and put the two modules together.

architecturally speaking, this might be better. we see things like, for example, the mempool. space explorer, or accelerator, right, is one. Marketplace that is now establishing that that seems to work now quite well. Of course, it has the issue of there's a central, like, order book, so to say, and probably custodian for the money as well.

And so, I'm not sure, but it's one approach of doing such an alternative marketplace and there can be downsides. it's not really public of how much Volume is going through here, right? how much are people speeding up their transactions, And I guess the same goes to much earlier where we just had mining pools offering this in their own API, or a webpage.

so at least now, like we, we have a dedicated service provider. That's not a mining pool doing this, which I think is an improvement. but we could also, you know, build. A, like, off chain peer to peer network, so to say, that's not related to Bitcoin per se, but that has all of the aspects that we want just dedicated for an optimized market book for this resource.

And Bitcoin should still work, I think. Like, the marketplace inside Bitcoin Core is not essential in the long run. It was just very convenient to bootstrap it. But, you know, in 50, 100 years, I wouldn't be surprised if we have Dedicated systems for, for these things that potentially are in different repositories and such different softwares.

Knut: So, in your opinion, how damaging is a temporary fee spike over a weekend or something where it goes up to like, 2000 SATs per transaction. what impact does it have on lightning channels and lightning providers and so on? Like do you consider it an attack or what is it?

Max: it's an inevitability almost, right? If you have a hard, extremely limited supply, right? there is only two and a half megabytes in the usual block, and you have extremely fluctuating demand, and there is no way to speed up production of the good. there is bound to be extreme, differences of we have way more demand than supply or way less, right?

But it will be very rare that we will fill just exactly everyone who wanted to gets in. So to actually clean out every transaction that wanted to be made is quite rare already now and in the future, if Bitcoin continues to be used, this is even more unlikely, right?

So then the question is just how, like, do you get into the top, like, the top payers to get included in the block still? And this is where just the technology is quite difficult, because this is like, you're, you're, you're, it's an order book, right? You're trading, basically, and you don't know if the price goes up or price goes down.

And this is all at least supposed to be automated. Bitcoin wallet developers are building trading bots, block space accountants charged to purchase block space on behalf of the user. the user just clicks send and that's it. the software does all of the complexities of constructing a transaction that is of a size acceptable, right?

Because if fees are super high, you don't want to build a transaction with a hundred inputs and one output, right? You would want to have a transaction with one input, one output. It would be way cheaper if the fee spike is currently high. a smart robot should build a different structured transaction with more or fewer inputs and outputs to accommodate the current fluctuation of the market.

And of course, the fee rate is another, like what's actually your bid that you put into this marketplace? And that's trading like. How much are you going to pay for the stock? Nobody really knows, right? And so it's kind of good luck and you don't know if it goes up or goes down. And sometimes you overpay, right?

And you pay way more than was actually needed to get into that block. And so you lose money, you lose capital. And sometimes you don't pay enough and you don't get included for months, right? but there's better software that can alleviate a lot of these problems.

Spam Making Bitcoin Worse as Money

Luke: Well, so I guess another side to this question, because everything you're saying makes makes total sense from the perspective of that this stuff is definitely going to happen from from hyperbitcoinization side. There's just going to be more demand than there is supply of block space. But I think the issue that we've been exploring a lot.

Lately, is, is that when there are transactions that aren't really being made for the purpose of moving value from one person to another in the form of Satoshis, they're, they're another form of value, subjective value that is communicated through arbitrary data, or at least some other type of, of data.

Does that change the property of Bitcoin as money? That's essentially, I think the, the root of the, the argument any, anyone talking

Knut: Yeah, exactly.

Luke: the functionality of Bitcoin is

Max: Well, I think. There's a couple aspects to this, right? We have again a scarce resource block space, and there's the problem of how do we allocate this block space. And there are very stringent rules on this, right? You cannot have arbitrary data in blocks, right? There needs to be, for example, the transaction structure.

There needs to be inputs that point to previous outputs, and there need to be outputs, the sum of the inputs, sum of outputs, hashes, transaction headers, all of the stuff needs to be followed in order for this to be considered a valid block. So the Bitcoin developers have, from the very beginning, had a very, I guess, authoritarian regime to allocating these resources, which makes sense.

If you don't put stringent, like, structure in a protocol, then people just fill it with garbage and every software breaks, right? So it's like a practicality thing that we need to have a very opinionated, kind of thing. Set of rules and we need to pick one of them and like just do it because if we don't pick any then it won't work and also if we pick the wrong one it won't work either.

imagine the rules would have been like a broken hashing algorithm, for example, not SHA 256 but SHA 1 or something that's broken. People can create collisions, right? So there could be two transactions that have the exact same transaction ID. breaks the system, right? So if that would have been the set of rules, Bitcoin would have broken, right?

And now also, again, if we allow arbitrary things to be built, then people will just use it as data storage, for example, and just fill it up with megabytes of images. And again, limited amount of resources. If all of it is used for, for pictures, then none of it can be used for money transfer, right? So this is again, an inherent conflict.

the tricky thing though is, now we have this. established set of rules in the Bitcoin consensus and how do we change it, right? And that's the really tricky part of, making up man made rules. Bitcoin is not Natural in the sense, right? Like, humans came up with this shit.

Like, this is our creativity that made this happen. and so, it's not nature made, right? It's man made. Of course, men are part of nature and such. So it's a bit, wishy washy here, but ultimately, we made it, we can change it, we can make it better, and we can break it. And that's a really scary position, because I think we all realize that this is quite an important project, and we definitely have it in our power to break this thing.

I hope we do our best effort.

Caution When Changing Bitcoin

Luke: my interpretation of that is, is that, caution when making changes to Bitcoin is paramount. Would you agree with that?

Max: Well, inaction is an action too, right? And that might be even more dangerous. So, there might be critical bugs in the protocol that if not addressed will break the system and potentially they are currently being exploited, right? And so, in such a case, we should do our best to fix it as soon as possible.

Satoshi knew that from the very beginning, right? So, how exactly we do that? Who knows?

Knut: Well, if it's up to the individual miners, which it is, what blocks they want to mine, what transactions they want to include in a block. And it can be fixed that way, a sly roundabout way, if you will.

Max: Well, if we could trust the miners with stuff like this, then we could trust the miners with enforcing the 21 million, right? But we can't, right? We don't rely on anyone. We verify it ourselves, right? And so the reason why we don't have actual JPEGs in Bitcoin blocks is because your node says no to any block that actually has a JPEG in it, right?

Blocks have to have transaction in it. If not, you kick them out, right? So even if there's valid proof of work Proof of Work doesn't solve the problem of integrity of the block, right? This has nothing to do with Proof of Work. In fact, Proof of Work is one part of the rules of the integrity of the block that is defined, enforced, and verified by the full nodes itself, right?

Specifically, if you want to get rid of inscriptions, that's certainly a hard fork. Like, taproot transactions are currently valid, and if we make these taproot transactions in the future invalid, that's a hard fork, right?

It would be great to hard fork Bitcoin. We could clean so much stuff. It's just a practical reality that breaking the hard fork use of a running protocol is extremely difficult and arguably, unethical. Because people have signed up to the previous system, built businesses and, stored their money in these types of scripts.

If we now make them unspendable, what is that? No?

Mining Incentives

Knut: so, when it comes to mining, there's, minor incentives, like, the thing we talked about before, about, under the table payments to big mining pools, To me, the obvious fix to this problem is to get it into the brains of the hash salesmen, that they ought not be mere hash salesmen, but actual miners and know what block they're mining on.

Because I think the ethos among the individual miners is, better than, these bigger pools that might not be, as, concerned with the longevity of the Bitcoin experiment, but, more fiat minded and wanting a quick buck now rather than save the system in the long run.

So, right now it feels like we're trusting these bigger entities to have as much of a disincentive to destroy Bitcoin so that they won't, it's tricky. Like it's a gray zone, right? What's your thoughts?

Max: I think Satoshi's genius in designing the Bitcoin protocol was that he did his best to separate different tasks that need to be done in the system into different like conceptual entities, and then to ensure that each of these aspects is distributed as widely as possible. And this is ultimately what it means that Bitcoin is decentralized, right?

There is not one person that defines the set of rules, for example, or one person that writes the candidate block, Or one person that provides the proof of work for the candidate block, or one person that provides the signature for each transaction, right? Each of these things is distributed. And in the ideal case, in the original Bitcoin client, to every user, right?

Like, the Bitcoin software in 2009 was mining by default for everyone, right? So, literally the entire stack of the operation was at 100 percent of the users, right? There was no non validating, non mining users. In the beginning, right? We had perfect decentralization, so to say, right? And then if efficiencies kick in and economies of scale and division of labor, and we start to optimize each of these things kind of on its own and split it out into different branches of government.

Yeah, specialized entities, so to say. And if you specialize on being the best hasher that you could possibly be, you just give up on being the best block candidate creator that you could possibly be. Because if you do the one thing that you're marginally better at and focus all your attention on that, you will be the most profitable.

so, yes, it is. It is an issue. and we, Bitcoin would be better off if we further distribute the risk and responsibility of each of these tasks to as many people as possible. And I think we've done a really good job, for example, of distributing the ownership of private keys.

And like, there's, I don't know, many millions of private key holders on the Bitcoin blockchain, right? So that's, that's great. but, and we have. Probably done this as well with hashers, right? There's a decent amount of quite large independent hashing institutions, right? Not so well with mining pools and actual block candidate creation, like, that's pretty bad.

Like, there's two or three of them, so that's scary as fuck. Right there we've utterly failed and we've made Bitcoin way worse than it was before. in this one metric of resilience, of decentralization, of distribution of risks, we made it a lot more efficient, but we made it much more vulnerable to attack.

that is a problem. Thankfully, a lot of people are working on fixing it. It's a really difficult problem, right? It's not that there's some malicious, attempt of trying to break it. I mean, maybe there is, but the more likely answer is just bloody difficult computer science. it just needs an insane amount of research and development before we will have tools that are even coming close to being actually adequate.

Right? I'm not praising Satoshi's 2009 code as being perfect, because it was a pile of shit, right? And you could break it in a million ways. so we've improved a lot, but we're very far from done because to some extent the realities of the difficulty of the situation have caught on much faster than our ability to solve these.

Yeah, I mean, the problems that are currently existent in Bitcoin and that now we're at Nostriga today and talking about Nostr, this sort of related communication layer in relation to Bitcoin, you mentioned at the very beginning, Freedom Tech.

Freedom Tech and Nostr

Luke: So, we, when we last talked to you, you were focusing on Wasabi Wallet and now obviously that project has just been made open source, essentially, and so my question to you on that is, what are you focusing on in terms of Freedom Tech now?

Max: Nostr is definitely a highlight, right? Nostr is just incredibly cool. And it's so wild to think that Nostr is like two years old. it's not old, but look at the amount of stuff that we've built. In this short time frame, how powerful are we? It's incredible, right? If we get our act together and actually build on, such an open protocol and get people excited about it and people using it, it doesn't take us long to fundamentally change the pattern of speech on this planet.

Wow, that's incredible. Like, we did that. And we're just getting started. think about where Nostr is going to be in five years. It will be wild. Absolutely insane. that's very bullish and very encouraging. And it's super exciting to work at such an early stage in the protocol, because there's so many obvious improvements.

There's so many obvious use cases. There's so many low hanging fruits of how we can make it even better than it currently is. Alright, so we have something that's already great, and we know a million ways on how we can make it even better. and you can be part of making a meaningful improvement in getting this to like an exponential blow off of awesomeness.

Knut: Meaningful improvement of humanity, really.

Max: Yeah. Yeah, that's the other thing, like, that's why Freedom Tech is so exhilarating to work at, because we're ending slavery. That's kind of a big deal, you know,

Knut: Yeah, it should have been done at least 300 years ago.

Max: Yeah.

Luke: No, it's, it's amazing. And well, and actually, so a couple of things here. First of all, we've talked about this a little bit, how Nostr seems like it's the playground that people wanted as an alternative to Bitcoin. In other words, people who went and started making shitcoins were basically just wanting a playground to do all this stuff.

But now is, is, is Nostr basically the place where people can do that and channel their energies in a way that isn't going to break money?

Max: Yeah. I absolutely agree. So I'm very bullish on a lot of these use cases and one other area that currently interests me a lot, is just zero knowledge cryptography. it's wild what's possible. it's absolutely wild. Within the last five years or so. The theory has developed.

And again, a lot of shitcoin projects putting zero knowledge proofs on blockchains and such, and I'm not quite convinced that we actually need a blockchain for that. I think relays are just fine. And so I'm quite bullish on having actual zero knowledge proofs much more integrated in Nostr clients. Like, you can do amazing things with this.

Like, for example, anonymous web of trust, right? You could prove to me under an ephemeral anonymous identity, right, that you are in fact, On my follower list. Like, I'm following you, but I don't know who you are. Right? So, these types of things are trivial with zero knowledge stuff. And we don't have any size constraints or computation constraints in Nostr.

Because it is not a global consensus system. Only the people who are interested in this proof actually have to, like, download it and verify it and such. so, it's, I think we can do a lot of amazing stuff here. it seems pretty obvious wins here.

Knut: driving these 180 IQ young developers into Nostr instead of shitcoin development is, is like moving them? To do, to think more of what they should rather than what they could, because I think that's, that's sort of the main problem with this nerdy set of shitcoin developers is that they, oh, I could do this if I just do this and they, they focus on what they can do rather than what they should do.

And it's Nostr, Changing the direction of that, are people thinking more of ethical things while developing on this than

Max: it's a big claim, right? That like a piece of tech can

Knut: it's hopium

Max: improve the morality of people. it's definitely a big claim, but it seems true. Like, if you think about it in Bitcoin, like probably each of us, our level of morality before we discovered Bitcoin and what it is now.

And our understanding of morality has substantially, improved, right? And I'm not sure if it would have happened, at least to this extent, without being exposed to the Bitcoin technology. and Bitcoin is just money, you know, like, humans do a lot more than buy stuff, sure, money is incredibly important, but it's far from everything of the human experience.

And I think Nostr. We'll do a lot of the other stuff and Nostr has this freedom mindset embedded into the protocol just as Bitcoin has. And so I'm extremely bullish on seeing the people who get exposed to Nostr and what it does to them in the long run.

Hyperbitcoinization vs Hypernostrification

Max: So what happens first? Hyper ossification or hyper ization both at the same time.

Knut: does one lead to the other?

Max: there's definitely synergies here, right? and, yes, one leads to the other. there's, I met a bunch of people who got interested into Nostr first, and then used Bitcoin for the first time. It's a very common theme, actually. again, because Like, social, like, think of the, think of the, like, average screen time of people, right?

it, for sure.

I think Nostr is going to be way bigger than Bitcoin in the improvement of the human condition.

Knut: Then again, every time you press the like button or the retweet button or whatever on your social media app, even the legacy system, you are providing someone with some value. That's why your account is valuable to, Facebook's and the Twitters of the world. There is a value thing embedded into everything you do on the internet.

Max: It's just, you don't get a tradable good.

Knut: No, no,

Max: sell the like to someone else.

Knut: not at this point.

Max: They have now a star emoji. If you send the star emoji, you can send the star emoji back to the company, and they will give you money. So, voila. It's basically a shitcoin, but it's a star.

Luke: is it more important to fix money or the other stuff?

Max: Well, that's a big one. Both again, because money is only half of every transaction, right? And so maybe the earlier example of the marketplace for Bitcoin block space is perfect because why did Satoshi include the marketplace, the other stuff together with the money? Because it was kind of essential, right?

you need to have both at the same time in order to live, right? You need to speak, you need to advertise your products, you need to negotiate with the customers, right? You need to convince them of the value that you will provide to them, and then you need to receive the money and tell them that you've received it, and ultimately hand over the goods, right?

So there's a lot of human interaction into every trade, and the money aspect is just Like, one small part of this long interactive chain of protocol, basically. I think we need both at the same time. And we're just discovering upgrades to each of them as we move along. But this has always been in synergy.

Like, the internet is way older than Bitcoin, right? So arguably, we need the other stuff first, right? We needed like 20, 30 years of other stuff before we could actually come up with the money.

Knut: so fix the money, fix the world then fix the world and you fix the money.

Luke: No, but seriously, we actually talked about this. in that, maybe an analogy to, that the internet needed to develop in a centralized way because the, literally the hardware and everything, the architecture, the client server model was literally a centralized and centralizing system. Model and that needed to exist first.

And then the analogy is that gold was centralized naturally in the sense that physically the physical constraints of gold made it so that it naturally centralized into banks and then fiat solved that problem to sort of decentralize it, but it broke everything. So now the mechanism of fixing the money and decentralizing the money was gold.

Bitcoin, but the corollary for decentralizing the communication is Nostr. So both things have kind of happened in a parallel. That's, what we were discussing.

Wrapping Up

Luke: That is the alarm Oh,

Knut: Oh, okay.

Max: so we'll wrap it up.

Knut: Well, I'm

Max: Nostr for sure. Max at TowardsLiberty. com. You can send me mail, notes and sats to that, which is, by the way, crazy, right? That we can have like this unique identifier to get, like, all of your needs settled is wild. Check out, lodging of Wayfaring Men. That's, the main shill of this video.

And I made the audiobook for it. it's on a podcast. The podcast is by the author, Paul Rosenberg. And, it's called Parallel Society, right? So check that out. right now we've released the first episode. the others will come shortly thereafter. the other book recommendation I should highlight, which we haven't mentioned yet, is Cryptoeconomics by Eric Voskuhl.

Most of what I said here was very much inspired by that book. He has the most rigorous understanding of Bitcoin. It's by far the best Bitcoin book. So I also did the audiobook for that. Just search for Cryptoeconomics in your

Knut: audio book though.

Max: when you have to read tables of math formulas, it's starting to fall apart.

But there's a lot of verbal logic in the book that goes very well. Just get the free PDF for the actual graphs and

Knut: And keep using Wasabi and fire up your own coordinators and whatnot, right?

Luke: Now get on stage, Max. Don't want to make you late.

Max: Bye

the book, that's not what I said.

Luke: right, that's it.

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

There was once a man, who missed an important meeting because his alarm clock didn't ring. He was a bit upset, and wished for it to be corrected, so he promptly got up, got dressed, and took the alarm clock back to the store, where he'd gotten it from.

He stood in line, patiently, at the service counter, and waited his turn. When he got to the front, the clerk asked, "How may I help you?"

"Oh, I'm having trouble with this alarm clock. You see, it doesn't ring, when the time is reached. I was wondering if that could be fixed."

"Why should we fix that? We're actually very busy building the new model. Should be out in a few weeks. Just wait for that one. Goodbye."

"What? Wait! You can't just leave it broken, like this."

"Why not? What right do you have, to demand an alarm clock that rings? Besides, how many alarm clocks have you built?"

The customer was now quite flustered and a bit ashamed of his self, "Well, none. I admit that, but..."

"Well, there you go! Outrageous, that you should criticize something someone else has accomplished, that you have not. Besides, you are incompetent to tell if anything is even wrong. Maybe this is some sort of non-ringing alarm clock. Perhaps it has lights or wave sounds..."

The second customer in line suddenly piped up, "Ahem. I'm sorry to interrupt. I must admit, I've also never built an alarm clock, but I'm a jeweler, who sells and repairs watches, and I must agree with you, sir," nods to first customer, "This is most definitely a ringing alarm clock and... See here? This bit of the bell arm has rusted through and broken off. Shoddy craftmanship, I'd say."

"Oh, Mr High-n-Mighty jeweler, claims to know how a good alarm clock is to be made, while having zero experience. I've had enough of this outrage. I'm getting the vapors and need at least a two-week sabbatical, to recover from such gross mistreatment. The store is closing immediately. Everyone out!"

"But my clock, sir!"

The door slams in his face, and he heads home, dumping his clock in the garbage bin down the street. Next time, he will simply use the alarm on his cell phone. That always rings.

@ 2fb77d26:c47a6ee1

****Der Staat geriert sich als Bewahrer von Demokratie und Menschenrechten, als singuläres Modell zur Aufrechterhaltung gesellschaftlicher Ordnung. Dabei haben die Strukturen supranationaler »Global Governance« das Konzept Nationalstaat längst obsolet gemacht. Und auch ein Blick auf das Handeln des Machtapparats Staat lässt begründete Zweifel an dessen öffentlicher Darstellung aufkommen – denn das Kerngeschäft eines jeden Staates besteht aus Unterdrückung, Raub und Mord. **

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Mein exklusiver Beitrag für die zweite GEGENDRUCK, die 224 Seiten umfasst, am 15.10.2024 veröffentlicht wurde und unter www.gegendruck.eu bestellt werden kann. Nur durch die Unterstützung von analogen Formaten dieser Art wird aus der Gegenwart eine Vergangenheit, die man in der uns drohenden Zukunft noch zu rekonstruieren vermag. * Original mit Quellen: www.regenauer.press/blog/regieren-ist-ok*

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»Wenn das Volk die Regierung fürchtet, haben wir Tyrannei. Wenn die Regierung das Volk fürchtet, haben wir Freiheit« – soll Thomas Jefferson, einer der Gründerväter der USA, dereinst festgehalten haben. Wer sich also in Anbetracht des Status quo noch nicht ganz si-cher ist, mit welchem Herrschaftssystem ihn die kriegslüsterne Biosicherheitsdoktrin der Postmoderne beglückt, mag in Jeffersons Worten entsprechende Inspiration finden. Denn mit Demokratie hat die ohrenbetäubende Kakofonie von Stil-, Rechts- und Sinnbrüchen selbstverständlich nichts zu tun. Die verblassende Pluralismussimulation der zurückliegen-den Dekaden mausert sich zu dem, was mental mobile Staatstheoretiker, Historiker, Philoso-phen, Journalisten und Aktivisten seit langem erwarten – einer offen kriminellen Terrorherr-schaft. Selten war klarer als jetzt: Regieren ist organisierte Kriminalität.

Folgt man Thomas Hobbes und Friedrich Nietzsche, ist der Staat ein »Ungeheuer«. Wäh-rend Hobbes diesen Umstand durchaus goutierte, fand Nietzsche ihn abstoßend. Und zwar zurecht. Denn die repressiven Züge, die das Staatskonzept seit der frühen Neuzeit kenn-zeichnen, sind inhärenter Bestandteil der Politikproduktion. Egal, welche Ideologie ein Staat vertritt, seinen Souveränitätsanspruch kann er nur mit Gewalt durchsetzen. Nach außen mit Krieg, nach innen mit dem auf konstant interpretationsoffener werdenden Gesetzen basieren-den Gewaltmonopol. Im Rahmen seiner Halbwertszeit durchläuft jedes Herrschaftskonstrukt vergleichbare Zyklen. Ist ein Staat gegründet, eine Regierung ausgerufen, institutionalisiert sie das favorisierte politische Modell – Demokratie, Sozialismus, Konservatismus, Libera-lismus, et cetera – und vereinnahmt ihre Untertanen mit Indoktrination, Zugeständnissen und moderater Autonomie. Doch Macht korrumpiert. Und macht gierig. Vor allem in repräsenta-tiven Systemen wie der korporatisierten Sozialdemokratie, wo Einfluss einen monetären Wert darstellt.

Die Folge: Lobbyismus, Korruption, Lagerbildung, Grabenkämpfe und Obszönitäten. Einer Phase relativer Freiheit und Prosperität folgt so bald eine mehr oder weniger harsche »Ent-differenzierung« (Wolfgang Merkel, 2010) – also die Auflösung alter Strukturen, Funktio-nen und Integrationsmechanismen. Die herrschenden »Machteliten« (C. Wright Mills, 1956) grenzen sich nach zwei Seiten ab. Auf der einen von regimetreuen Bewahrern des ursprüng-lichen Konzepts, den Konservativen, auf der anderen von den Gegnern »progressiver« Re-formen. Reformen, von denen zumeist die von wachsender staatlicher Machtfülle benachtei-ligte Bevölkerung betroffen ist. Diese zahlt natürlich auch die Zeche. Rechtsprechung und Medien passen sich diesem zusehends autoritären Umfeld an, um ihre Daseinsberechtigung nicht einzubüßen. Mit dem Implementierungsgrad solcher Reformprojekte aus dem Elfen-beinturm, in der Regel begleitet von ausufernder Bürokratie, wachsen die Widerstände dage-gen. Aus Autokratie wird Totalitarismus. »Erst ist es ein Polizeistaat, dann kommen die Aufstände«. Die »Mistgabeln« (Nick Hanauer, 2014). Aus der Vogelperspektive betrachtet sind es stets die gleichen zivilisatorischen Prozesse. Seit Jahrhunderten. In allen Systemen. Offen ist nur, wie brutal der Staat vorgehen muss, um sich an der Macht zu halten – und wie lange es dauert, bis die Arroganz der wenigen dennoch an der Macht der vielen erstickt.

Denn schlussendlich fällt jedes Imperium. Das lehrt die Geschichte. Hat das System den Zenit überschritten, fällt ob der grotesken Machtexzesse und Schizophrenitäten auch den konformistischsten Etatisten auf, dass die politmediale Schmierenkomödie nichts mehr mit der Realität des eigenen Lebens zu tun hat. Gewalt greift Raum. Psychische Gewalt – und physische. Demnach hat nun zweifelsohne auch der vermeintlich liberale Rechtsstaat der von supranationalen Verordnungen diktierten Gegenwart sein finales Entwicklungsstadium er-reicht: Die Tyrannei.

»Seht uns nur an. Alles ist verdreht, alles steht Kopf. Ärzte zerstören Gesundheit, Anwälte zerstören Gerechtigkeit, Psychiater zerstören Verstand, Wissenschaftler zerstören Wahr-heit, Massenmedien zerstören Information, Religionen zerstören Spiritualität und Regierun-gen zerstören die Freiheit.« (Michael Ellner)

Neu ist das alles nicht. Nur die Darreichungsformen und Machtinstrumente von Herrschaft wandeln sich über die Jahrhunderte. Die disziplinierenden Kontrollmechanismen zur Subor-dination der Massen professionalisieren sich im Rahmen des technologischen Fortschritts. So wirkt der Panoptismus der Postmoderne vor allem deshalb monströs, weil unser Gehirn evolutionär nicht darauf eingestellt ist. Es ist der Militarisierung von Information im Dauer-feuer multimedialer Infantilisierungspropaganda in den wenigsten Fällen gewachsen. Wer versucht, dieser omnipräsenten Pervertierung von Realität mit tradierten Denk- und Hand-lungsmustern zu begegnen, geht unter.

Nicht umsonst klagt der »Widerstand« in weiten Teilen über Erschöpfungszustände, Ver-schleiß, Burnout und Depression. Genau da soll er in Augen des Staatskonzeptes sein – am Ende. Aufgerieben. Entmutigt. Ohnmächtig. Dabei wäre gerade Humor das Patentrezept, um auch düsteren Zeiten ein erfülltes Leben abzugewinnen. Ein freies Leben. Denn frei wird man nicht, frei ist man – oder eben nicht. Freiheit ist eine Geisteshaltung, kein organisatori-sches Problem.

»Unsere Gesellschaft wird von Wahnsinnigen mit wahnsinnigen Zielen geführt. (…) Und ich denke, ich werde als Wahnsinniger eingesperrt, wenn ich das zum Ausdruck bringe. Das ist das Verrückte daran.« (John Lennon)

In diesem Lichte betrachtet nimmt es also kaum Wunder, dass das primäre Ziel der regieren-den Kaste darin besteht, die Bevölkerung in Angst, Armut, Abhängigkeiten und Agonie zu halten. Selbstbestimmte, selbstbewusste Individuen hätten nämlich nicht nur die Zeit, son-dern auch die mentale Kapazität und die Mittel, das Ponzi-Schema des polit-finanziellen Komplexes intellektuell wie organisatorisch zu durchdringen. Dementsprechend ist das Staatskonzept auch nicht darauf ausgelegt, das Individuum zu fördern. Es dient der Imple-mentierung eines konformistischen Kollektivismus. Die Massen sollen sich um die Flagge scharen. Wer kritische Fragen stellt und sich der Polonaise der Gutgläubigen verweigert, gilt als Landesverräter.

Doch nicht nur die vermeintlichen Häretiker sind Opfer staatlicher Willkür und Gewaltherr-schaft. Jeder Bürger stellt per se eine potenzielle Gefahr für die Machthaber dar. Dement-sprechend agiert das »Ungeheuer« Staat. Es führt einen konstanten – mehr oder weniger vernichtenden – Krieg gegen die eigene Bevölkerung. Welche Waffen in diesem Gefecht zum Einsatz kommen, erläutert ein von Wikileaks am 13. Juni 2008 veröffentlichtes Ge-heimdokument der US-Armee vom 20. September 1994. Titel: »Foreign Internal Defense Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Special Forces«. Zu Deutsch: Taktiken, Techniken und Verfahren zur internen Verteidigung im Ausland für Spezialeinheiten. Julian Assange nannte es einmal »das wichtigste Dokument, das Wikileaks je veröffentlichte«. Aus gutem Grund. Denn während der Titel des 219 Seiten umfassenden Strategiepapiers darauf abstellt, dass es sich um Arbeitsanweisungen für Spezialeinheiten handelt, die im Ausland operieren, sind die beschriebenen Methoden der asymmetrischen Kriegsführung genau jene, unter de-nen – neben dem Rest der Welt – auch die amerikanische Bevölkerung leidet.

Die US-Armee beschreibt im Detail, wie die verdeckt operierenden Kräfte Regierungen ab-setzen, Oppositionsgruppen infiltrieren, die Bevölkerung manipulieren und Kriege initiieren sollen. Auf Gesetze, Moral oder Kollateralschäden wird dabei keine Rücksicht genommen. Primäres Ziel – koste es, was es wolle – ist die Durchsetzung der Pax Americana im Zielge-biet. Ein paar Zitate verdeutlichen, wie das »Ungeheuer« dabei vorgeht.

»Aufstände sind nicht einfach zufällige politische Gewalt; sie sind gezielte politische Gewalt. Sie erfordern eine Führung, die Vision, Richtung, Anleitung, Koordination und organisato-rische Kohärenz bietet. Die Anführer der Aufständischen müssen ihre Sache dem Volk be-kannt machen und die Unterstützung der Bevölkerung gewinnen. (…) Ihre Ausbildung, ihr Hintergrund, ihre Familie, ihre sozialen Verbindungen und Erfahrungen prägen ihr Den-ken und die Art und Weise, wie sie ihre Ziele erreichen. Diese Faktoren prägen auch ihre Herangehensweise an die Problemlösung.« (S. 13)

»Die Ideologie von Gruppen innerhalb der Bewegung kann auf unterschiedliche Ansichten über strategische Ziele hinweisen. Gruppen können ideologische Konflikte haben, die gelöst werden müssen, bevor ein Gegner daraus Kapital schlagen kann. Die Ideologie kann wahr-scheinliche Ziele und Taktiken nahelegen. Sie beeinflusst stark die Wahrnehmung der Um-gebung durch den Aufständischen. Diese Wahrnehmung der Umgebung wiederum prägt die organisatorischen und operativen Methoden der Bewegung.« (S. 14)

»Wenn eine Situation explosiv ist, kann fast jedes Ereignis als auslösendes Ereignis dienen. Das richtige Timing kann auch in kurzer Zeit eine Flut von Ereignissen hervorrufen, sodass es schwierig ist, ein einzelnes Ereignis als die Handlung zu bezeichnen, die den Kampf aus-gelöst hat. Daher kann es hilfreicher sein, eine Reihe von Handlungen als auslösendes Er-eignis zu betrachten. Auslösende Ereignisse können historisch sein – und die Aufständi-schen erinnern die Bevölkerung an das Ereignis. Diese Technik befreit den Aufständischen davon, auf ein geeignetes Ereignis zu warten.« (S. 18)

»Oft sind es die Armen, die im Krieg kämpfen. CSDF-Programme (CSDF: Civilian Self-Defense Force) bieten der wohlhabenden Klasse die Möglichkeit, direkt und persönlich am Kampf gegen Gesetzlosigkeit und Aufstände beteiligt zu sein. Geschäftsleute und Fachleute beteiligen sich an CSDF aus einem Gefühl der bürgerlichen Pflicht, aus Stolz und aus der Notwendigkeit, ihr Vermögen zu schützen. Ihre aktive Beteiligung verleiht dem Programm Glaubwürdigkeit, stärkt die Legitimität der Regierung und verringert Klassenkonflikte. Wohlhabendes Personal kann bei der Ausstattung seiner Einheiten mithelfen. Es darf ihnen jedoch nicht gestattet sein, den Teilnehmern ein Gehalt zu zahlen.« (S. 128)

»PSYOP-Personal oder in PSYOP ausgebildete SFOD-Mitglieder (SFOD: Special Forces Operational Detachment) erleichtern die Zusammenarbeit zwischen der lokalen Bevölke-rung und dem HN-Militär (HN: Host Nation). Wenn qualifiziertes oder fähiges HN-Personal verfügbar ist, arbeitet das US-Personal durch sie. CSDF-Elemente müssen in der Anwendung von PSYOP geschult werden, um die Bevölkerung über die Vorteile zu informie-ren, die sie durch die Zusammenarbeit mit ihnen erzielen. PSYOP-Themen müssen sich an nationale und/oder fiktive Themen halten, um eine einheitliche Politik darzustellen. Es ist entscheidend, dass PSYOP zunächst an die lokale Bevölkerung gerichtet wird, um ihre Un-terstützung der Aufständischen zu beenden und ihre Akzeptanz und Zusammenarbeit für das CSDF-Programm zu gewinnen. (…) PSYOP kann die Mission unterstützen, indem es die aufständischen Kräfte bei neutralen Gruppen diskreditiert, Zwietracht unter den Auf-ständischen selbst sät und Überläuferprogramme unterstützt. Spaltungsprogramme führen zu Zwietracht, Desorganisation, niedriger Moral, Subversion und Überläufern innerhalb der aufständischen Kräfte. Wichtig sind auch nationale Programme, um Aufständische mit Angeboten von Amnestie und Belohnungen auf die Seite der Regierung zu ziehen. Die Motive für eine Kapitulation können von persönlichen Rivalitäten und Bitterkeit bis hin zu Desillusi-onierung und Entmutigung reichen. Druck seitens der Sicherheitskräfte hat Überzeugungs-kraft. (…) Alle Agenten werden genau beobachtet und diejenigen, die nicht zuverlässig sind, werden abgelöst. Wenige, zielgerichtete, zuverlässige Agenten sind besser und wirtschaftli-cher als viele schlechte. (…) Sicherheitskräfte können Einzelpersonen aus der Bevölkerung dazu bringen, Informanten zu werden. Sicherheitskräfte nutzen verschiedene Motive (Staatsbürgersinn, Patriotismus, Angst, Strafvermeidung, Dankbarkeit, Rache oder Eifer-sucht, finanzielle Belohnungen) als überzeugende Argumente. Sie nutzen die Zusicherung des Schutzes vor Repressalien als Hauptanreiz.« (S. 139, ff)

Zusammengefasst: Die Reichen bezahlen, sorgen für Stimmung und Glaubwürdigkeit, die politische Klasse passt die Vorgehensweise an lokale Strukturen, herrschende Ideologien, Demoskopie und Kommunikationsprozesse an – und die Armen werden zum Sterben an die Front geschickt. Und das sind nur kurze Einblicke in ein über 200 Seiten starkes Handbuch zum Krieg gegen die Zivilbevölkerung, die in Augen des Hegemon offenkundig nichts ande-res als Verfügungsmasse und Kanonenfutter ist. Man möchte Julian Assange beipflichten: Dieses Dokument erklärt nicht nur, warum unsere Gesellschaften, die Wirtschaft und das moralische Koordinatensystem des Homo sapiens in Auflösung begriffen sind – die Skru-pellosigkeit der im Detail beschriebenen Methoden lässt einem das Blut in den Adern gefrie-ren. Selbst nach auszugsweiser Lektüre muss man konstatieren: Nietzsche hatte Recht. Der Staat ist ein eiskaltes Ungeheuer.

Doch was ist der Staat? War es früher das klar erkenntliche Machtvehikel von Monarchen, Imperatoren, Familiendynastien und Klerus, erweckt das Staatskonzept der jüngeren Neuzeit gerne den Eindruck, es hätte sich von dieser Despotie der wenigen gelöst, stünde für sich, auf einem Fundament des Volkswillens, der sich in Verfassungen, Gesetzen und Wahlen widerspiegelt. Weit gefehlt. Auch die »Global Governance« von heute ist nichts anderes als Despotismus. Weithin kontrolliert von den gleichen Bankenkartellen, Familien, Unterneh-men und Organisationen, die seit Generationen den Lauf der Welt bestimmen. Die Regenbo-gen emanierende Pluralismussimulation der Postmoderne verbirgt diesen Umstand nur bes-ser. Sie tyrannisiert indirekt. Köpfe werden nicht mehr abgeschlagen, sondern gewaschen. Exakt so, wie es die angloamerikanischen Vordenker dieses Systems im ausgehenden 19. Jahrhundert insinuierten. Siehe Carroll Quigley, Tragedy and Hope, 1966, Kapitel »The Fu-ture in Perspective«, Seite 1247:

»Das Argument, dass die beiden Parteien entgegengesetzte Ideale und politische Ansichten vertreten sollten, eine vielleicht rechts, die andere links, ist eine törichte Idee, die nur für doktrinäre und akademische Denker akzeptabel ist. Stattdessen sollten die beiden Parteien nahezu identisch sein, sodass das amerikanische Volk die Schurken bei jeder Wahl raus-werfen kann, ohne dass es zu tiefgreifenden oder umfassenden politischen Veränderungen kommt. Die politischen Pläne, die für Amerika lebenswichtig und notwendig sind, sind nicht länger Gegenstand großer Meinungsverschiedenheiten, sondern nur noch in Einzelheiten des Verfahrens, der Priorität oder der Methode umstritten.«

Sodass nach Scheindebatten, Empörungsmanagement und Abstimmungen nicht vom allge-meinen Kurs abgewichen werden muss. Was Quigleys elitäre Zirkel – er war bis zur Veröf-fentlichung von Tragedy and Hope einer von ihnen und unterstützte ihre Ideen – für die Rückführung der 13 US-Kolonien sowie die moderne Expansion des britischen Empire vor-sahen, ist heute zentrales Element der wertewestlichen Fassadendemokratie. Symptombe-sprechung, Lippenbekenntnisse, Emotionsamplituden, »Der Dritte Weg« – »wo soziale Ge-rechtigkeit und Markt miteinander versöhnt werden sollen« – und auch nach der x-ten Wahl bleibt alles beim Alten. Ob Berlin, Brüssel, London, New York, Beirut oder Peking: Ein Potemkin’sches Dorf. Denn wir leben längst in der Idealvorstellung von Benito Mussolini, der den perfekten Faschismus als Korporatismus bezeichnete und als symbiotische Fusion der Macht von Staat und Konzernen verstand. Als »Public Private Partnership«.

»Benito Mussolini hat der modernen Sparpolitik den Weg bereitet und die Arbeiterbewe-gung unterdrückt. Liberale Ökonomen im In- und Ausland bewunderten ihn dafür«, schrieb man bei Jacobin am 6. März 2023. So zeitigt das Staatskonzept dieser Tage die gleichen ver-heerenden Folgen wie die Herrschaftskonstrukte der Vergangenheit. Vertikale Durchlässig-keit begrenzt, das Volk manipuliert, ausgebeutet und gegängelt. Anstelle von Arbeitslagern, Schlägertrupps und Exekutionskommandos machen heute Algorithmen die Drecksarbeit. Sonst hat sich kaum etwas geändert.

Stand heute leben nach Angaben von Oxfam weltweit knapp fünf Milliarden mehr Men-schen in Armut als vor 2020. Das sind die ärmsten 60 Prozent der Menschheit. Zusammen haben sie circa 20 Milliarden US-Dollar verloren. Das Gesamtvermögen der reichsten Deut-schen wuchs im gleichen Zeitraum von 89 auf 155 Milliarden US-Dollar – ein Zuwachs von 73,85 Prozent. Die 148 größten Konzerne der Welt konnten zwischen Juni 2022 und Juni 2023 circa 1,8 Billionen Dollar an Gewinnen verzeichnen – ein Anstieg von 52,5 Prozent gegenüber dem Durchschnitt der Jahre 2018 bis 2021. Der Reingewinn stieg gegenüber die-sem Zeitraum um 20 Prozent auf 700 Milliarden Dollar. Und die fünf reichsten Menschen der Welt haben ihr Vermögen seit 2020 verdoppelt. Wer vom Nachhaltigkeitskorporatismus profitiert, dürfte damit geklärt sein.

Der Normalbürger dagegen kämpft gegen steigende Steuern, Inflation und anziehende Ener-giekosten. In einem luftabschnürenden Korsett von Verträgen, Verpflichtungen und Ver-bindlichkeiten gefangen, bleibt weder Zeit noch Geld für ein Leben in Würde. Der angepass-te Regenbogendemokrat wird geboren, indoktriniert, ausgebeutet und dann bestattet. Indivi-duelle Entfaltung ist in diesem Lebensentwurf von der Stange nicht vorgesehen. Die leitme-dialen Podiumsdiskussionen um Work-Life-Balance, Gendersprache und feministische Au-ßenpolitik klingen in den Ohren der buckelnden Arbeiterklasse – und auch für weite Teilen des schwindenden Mittelstandes – wie blanker Hohn. Das Habitat des Mediazän, das nicht selten den Eindruck erweckt, man lebe in einer fehlerhaft programmierten Simulation, zwingt seinen Bewohner immer häufiger dazu, sich existenziellen Problemen zu stellen: Unterkunft, Nahrung, Fortpflanzung. Überleben.

Noch bezahlt er Jahreslizenzen für Cloud-Software, Netflix für Filme und Streamingdienste für Musik, die er früher erwarb und dann einfach besaß. Noch geht er wählen und entschei-det brav zwischen Pest und Cholera, um vier weitere Jahre nicht die Hoffnung zu verlieren. Noch glaubt, ignoriert oder kommentiert er leidensfähig die intelligenzbeleidigenden Lügen-gebilde, die als Realität vermarktet werden.

Mithin erstaunlich. Denn nicht erst seit der Corona-Krise belegen nackte Zahlen, dass der Mensch in diesem System nicht nur beraubt und unterdrückt, sondern auch als Versuchska-ninchen für den pharmakologisch-finanziellen Komplex missbraucht wird. Nürnberger Ko-dex hin oder her. Während Robert Koch vor der Schaffung dieses vermeintlichen Bollwerks für die körperliche Unversehrtheit noch ungestraft Menschenversuche in seinen kolonialen Konzentrationslagern durchführen durfte, ist das Thema seit Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges tabu. Gesetzlich eliminiert. Angeblich. Doch bereits in den 1940er Jahren infizierte der US-Gesundheitsdienst Gefängnisinsassen und psychisch kranke Personen mit Syphilis-Erregern. Von 1946 bis 1949 weiteten die USA das Programm auf Guatemala aus und machten sich zusätzlich über Soldaten und Prostituierte her. Das Echo der angelsächsisch geprägten Eugeniklehre hallte im fortgeführten Rassismus nach.

»Schockierende Fälle wie der Tod der 49 Kinder nach Medikamententests in einem indi-schen Krankenhaus sind in der Geschichte der Medizin nichts Neues: In den USA wurde Farbigen zu Studienzwecken von 1932 bis 1972 die Syphilis-Therapie verweigert.« (SZ, Das Verbrechen von Tuskegee, 11. Mai 2010)

Am 20. September 1950 spritzte die US-Marine vor der Küste San Franciscos Mikroben in die Troposphäre, um zu testen, welche Effekte ein Angriff mit Biowaffen auf die damals 800.000 Einwohner der Stadt haben würde. 1953 startete die CIA das MK-Ultra-Programm, in dessen Rahmen abertausenden ahnungsloser Menschen LSD verabreicht wurde. Zwei Jahre später nahm »Project Whitecoat« – Projekt Weißkittel – seine Arbeit auf. Die bestand im Verlauf der folgenden 20 Jahre darin, Menschenversuche mit Hasenpest, Typhus, Gelb-fieber und Milzbrand durchzuführen. Und Ende der 60er testeten die amerikanischen Streit-kräfte Nervengas an den eigenen Soldaten. Der SPIEGEL schrieb diesbezüglich am 10. Juli 2013:

»11. Oktober, 16:25 Uhr, 26 Stunden nach Testbeginn. Kleine blutende Anomalien am lin-ken Bein festgestellt. Subjekt behauptet, es habe seinen Rasierer fallen gelassen und sich dabei ins Bein geschnitten – doch so war es nicht. Er habe seine Sommersprossen damals für Käfer gehalten, sagt Rochelle: »Die krabbelten überall unter meiner Haut herum«. Den Betreuern habe er nichts davon erzählt, es sei ihm peinlich gewesen: »Ich habe meine Ra-sierklinge genommen und versucht, die Käfer aus meiner Haut zu schneiden.« Er war längst nicht mehr selbst dazu in der Lage, die Experimente zu stoppen. Damit war die Ein-verständniserklärung Makulatur. So wie Frank Rochelle ergeht es in Edgewood mehr als 7.800 US-Soldaten; im ganzen Land sind es rund 100.000. Systematisch haben Militär und Geheimdienste die eigenen Leute seit Ende des Ersten Weltkriegs Giften, Gasen, Drogen und Psycho-Kampfstoffen ausgesetzt, darunter LSD, Sarin, Senfgas, BZ, VX, Barbiturate, Amphetamine, Chlorpromazin und immer so weiter. Nachsorgeuntersuchungen? Fehlan-zeige. Erst nach fast sechs Jahrzehnten stoppt das US-Parlament die Menschenversuche im Jahr 1975.«

Ebenfalls bis weit in die 70er hinein injizierte man US-Gefängnisinsassen Pestizide und Herbizide. Mindestens 2.600 Menschen wurden derartigen Versuchen unterzogen. Natürlich musste auch die Atombombe am lebenden Objekt getestet werden. Sowohl Frankreich als auch Großbritannien, die ehemalige Sowjetunion oder die USA schickten Menschen auf die Testgelände. Viele von ihnen segneten danach relativ rasch das Zeitliche. Bis heute kämpfen Bewohner der entsprechenden Landstriche um Entschädigungen, weil sie ihre Krebserkran-kungen der im Umland von Testgebieten gestreuten Strahlung zuschreiben. In den 70ern machte sich der Journalist Paul Jacobs auf eigene Faust daran, die Geschichte der Betroffe-nen zu dokumentieren – um 1978 selbst an Krebs zu sterben. Selbst vor Versuchen an Kin-dern schreckte das »Ungeheuer« nie zurück, wie wiederum der SPIEGEL in Ausgabe 45 vom 2. November 1986 ausführt:

»Dwayne winkte seiner Mutter zu, sie lächelte zurück, dann schloss sich die schwere Eisen-tür hinter dem todkranken Kind. Seit drei Jahren wurde Dwayne Sexton am Strahleninstitut des Atomforschungszentrums Oak Ridge im Bundesstaat Tennessee gegen Leukämie be-handelt. Er hatte eine qualvolle Knochenmark-Transplantation sowie etliche Runden von Chemotherapie hinter sich. Alles war vergeblich geblieben. Als letztes Mittel wollten die Ärz-te nun versuchen, mit massiver Bestrahlung die Krebszellen im Knochenmark des Kindes zu zerstören. Dass diese Methode riskant und – zur damaligen Zeit, 1968 – auch wenig er-probt war, teilten die Ärzte den Eltern des Kindes mit. Was sie aber verschwiegen, war, dass sie auch im Auftrag der amerikanischen Weltraumbehörde NASA arbeiteten. Sie soll-ten herausfinden, wieviel Strahlung Astronauten im All aushalten würden, ohne krank zu werden. Für die von der NASA bestellte Untersuchung erprobten die Ärzte an ihren Patien-ten, so hieß es in einem ihrer Berichte, verschiedene »therapeutische Szenarien, die aus Strahlenmengen im All abgeleitet wurden«. Im Klartext: Nicht allein medizinische Erwä-gungen zum Wohl des Patienten setzten die Höhe der Strahlendosis fest, sondern auch die Bedürfnisse der NASA. In diesem Sinn waren die Patienten lebende Versuchskaninchen.«

Mindestens 23.000 US-Amerikaner wurden von Militäreinrichtungen und Gesundheitsbe-hörden vorsätzlich verstrahlt. Zu Forschungszwecken. »Kalter Krieg gegen US-Bevölkerung« nannte es die taz am 24. Oktober 1994.

»Zwischen 1950 und 1972 finanzierte das Pentagon außerdem fünf klinische Studien über die Aufnahmefähigkeit des menschlichen Körpers von Strahlen, um Aussagen über die psy-chologischen wie biologischen Folgen von Atomexplosionen zu erhalten. Die Versuchsper-sonen waren größtenteils in Armut lebende Schwarze. (…) Bei einem anderen Experiment mussten Soldaten auf Fässern mit radioaktivem Material herumfahren, um zu prüfen, ob ihre Autos sie vor den Strahlen schützten. In Hanford im US-Bundesstaat Washington setz-ten die Militärs absichtlich eine nukleare Wolke frei, um die Verlagerung der Wolke zu un-tersuchen. Aufgrund einer plötzlichen Änderung der Wetterlage fielen die radioaktiven Teil-chen auf einem 300 Kilometer langen und 60 Kilometer breiten Gebiet nieder (…). (jW, 29. August 1997)

Der Umgang mit der indigenen Bevölkerung wirft kein besseres Licht auf die Vereinigten Staaten. Von fünf bis sieben Millionen Ureinwohnern im Jahr 1500 waren im Jahr 1900 noch 237.000 übrig. Ob Hungersnöte, Sklavenarbeit, Massaker, Umsiedlungen oder »Boar-ding Schools« – Umerziehungsinternate: Die aus Großbritannien eingereisten Siedler verüb-ten einen Genozid an den indigenen Stämmen. Nachdem die mageren Reste der stolzen Indi-anervölker in Reservate gepfercht worden waren, suchte der Staat deren Fortpflanzung mit-tels Zwangssterilisation zu verhindern. Mehr als 60.000 Indigene wurden im 20. Jahrhundert einer solch abscheulichen Behandlung unterzogen. Darüber hinaus war das Eugenik-Programm der USA, das erst 1981 endgültig eingestellt wurde, Grundlage für die Rassen-lehre des deutschen NS-Regimes.

Ähnlich ging man in Kanada vor. Seit den 1920er Jahren wurden dort tausende indigene Frauen zwangssterilisiert – bis heute – obwohl die entsprechenden Gesetze mittlerweile ab-geschafft wurden. Die tagesschau vermeldet dazu am 10. März 2024:

»Die Worte des weißen Arztes haben sich Liz (…) ins Gedächtnis gebrannt: »Es ist besser, du stimmst der Abtreibung zu. Denn wir werden dir dieses Baby wegnehmen. So oder so«. Die damals 17-jährige Kanadierin vom indigenen Volk der Anishinabe wagt es nicht, zu widersprechen. Verängstigt sitzt sie Ende der 1970er-Jahre im Behandlungsraum der Indi-an Clinic in der Provinz Ontario, einer Klinik, in der Indigene behandelt werden, damit sie an die sogenannte Zivilisation angepasst werden. (…) Die alleinerziehende Mutter sei nicht in der Lage, für ein weiteres Kind zu sorgen. Der Arzt will ihr deshalb die Eileiter abbinden und sie dadurch sterilisieren. (…) Erst Jahre später wird ihr klar: Sie ist nicht allein. Zehn-tausende indigene Frauen sind in Kanada seit den 1920er-Jahren im Einklang mit der Eu-genik-Gesetzgebung gegen ihren Willen sterilisiert worden. Und obwohl es diese Gesetze nicht mehr gibt, geschieht es bis heute, weiß Senatorin Yvonne Boyer im Kongress in Otta-wa (…). Noch immer ist Zwangssterilisation kein Tatbestand im kanadischen Strafgesetz-buch. (…) Vergangenes Jahr wurde in den Nordwest-Territorien ein Arzt bestraft, weil er 2019 eine Inuit-Frau gegen ihren Willen unfruchtbar gemacht hat. Er verlor seine Lizenz – für fünf Monate.«

Dass sich nicht nur das angloamerikanische Empire für Eugenik begeisterte, zeigt die Ein-richtung des ersten rassenbiologischen Instituts in Schweden im Jahr 1921. Zwischen 1935 und 1976 wurden dort circa 62.000 Menschen zwangssterilisiert. Die offiziellen Begrün-dungen für die Eingriffe reichten von »Mischling« über »Alkoholismus« bis zu »dämlich« und »religiös«. Sprich: Reine Willkür unter dem Deckmantel der Wissenschaft. Legalisiert vom schwedischen Staat.

Heute begegnen uns die staatlich organisierten Eugenik-Programme unter wohlklingenden Labels wie Bioethik, reproduktive Gesundheit, biosoziale Forschung und Bevölkerungspoli-tik. Seit 1954 finden die von den Vereinten Nationen (UN) organisierten Weltbevölkerungs-konferenzen statt. Die letzte im November 2019 in Nairobi (Kenia). Was bei diesen Konfe-renzen besprochen wird, lässt sich anhand eines Artikels des GUARDIAN vom 15. April 2012 oder eines Beitrags von C-Fam (Center for Family and Human Rights) erahnen:

»Großbritannien hat 166 Millionen Pfund (268 Millionen Dollar) für ein Regierungspro-gramm in Indien gespendet, das arme Frauen und Männer zwangssterilisiert. Die britische Hilfsorganisation nannte die Notwendigkeit, dem Klimawandel durch Bevölkerungsreduzie-rung zu begegnen, als Hauptgrund für die Finanzierung des missbräuchlichen indischen Programms (…). Verpfuschte Operationen verursachten Qualen, Blutungen und Todesfäl-le. In einer von der britischen Regierung ins Visier genommenen Region verblutete die 35-jährige Frau eines armen Arbeiters, die mit Zwillingen schwanger war. Einige Frauen, die während der Schwangerschaft sterilisiert wurden, erlitten Fehlgeburten. Einige wurden mit weniger als acht Dollar und einem Sari bestochen, anderen wurde mit dem Verlust ihrer Lebensmittelkarten gedroht. Manchen wurde gesagt, die Operationen dienten der allgemei-nen Gesundheitsfürsorge, und sie erfuhren den wahren Zweck erst zu spät. Kliniken erhiel-ten Prämien für mehr als dreißig Operationen pro Tag. Nichtstaatliche Mitarbeiter wurden für jede Person bezahlt, die sie zu einer Operation überredeten. Ein Chirurg, der in einem Schulgebäude arbeitete, führte in zwei Stunden 53 Operationen durch – ohne qualifiziertes Personal, fließendes Wasser oder Mittel zum Reinigen der Geräte. Berichte der indischen Regierung aus den Jahren 2006 und 2009 warnten vor Problemen mit dem Programm. Dennoch empfahl ein Bericht des britischen Ministeriums für internationale Entwicklung aus dem Jahr 2010 die weitere Unterstützung des Programms mit der Begründung, dass eine Reduzierung der Bevölkerungszahl die Treibhausgase senken würde. (…) Sterilisation ist die häufigste Methode der Familienplanung, die in Phase II des indischen Programms für Reproduktions- und Kindergesundheit eingesetzt wird, das 2005 mit britischer Finanzie-rung begann. Trotz der Enthüllungen im ersten Jahr hat Großbritannien keine Bedingungen an seine Finanzierung geknüpft. (…) Im Juli wird Großbritannien zusammen mit der Bill & Melinda Gates Stiftung einen Familienplanungsgipfel in London ausrichten. Ziel der Veran-staltung ist es, beispielloses politisches Engagement und Ressourcen von Entwicklungslän-dern, Gebern, dem privaten Sektor, der Zivilgesellschaft und anderen Partnern zu generie-ren, um den Familienplanungsbedarf von Frauen in den ärmsten Ländern der Welt bis 2020 zu decken, erklärte das britische Ministerium für internationale Entwicklung. Melinda Gates hielt kürzlich eine Rede, in der sie behauptete, dass die Hilfe bei der Empfängnisver-hütung nichts mit Bevölkerungskontrolle oder Zwangssterilisationsprogrammen zu tun ha-be.« (C-Fam, 2. Mai 2012)

»Familienplanungsbedarf«? Dass solche Programme nichts mit »Bevölkerungskontrolle« zu tun haben, ist eine infame Lüge. Schon die von Julian Huxley verfasste Grundsatzschrift der UNESCO von 1946 spricht davon, dass Eugenik wieder salonfähig gemacht werden muss. »Das Undenkbare wenigstens wieder denkbar machen«, nannte Huxley es damals. So muss auch die ungezügelte Massenmigration als Waffe im mittlerweile allgegenwärtigen Kampf der Kulturen verstanden werden. Dabei ist allerdings nicht die Migration selbst das Problem – denn auch die Migranten sind Opfer dieser Agenda – sondern der jeweilige Auslöser für diese Zuwanderungsströme. Die verarmten, verzweifelten, traumatisierten, mit falschen Ver-sprechungen gelockten und als Spaltpilz missbrauchten Menschen für die Symptome des wertwestlichen Neokolonialismus verantwortlich zu machen, greift zu kurz.

Die chaotischen Zustände auf deutschen, britischen, schwedischen und französischen Stra-ßen sind kein Zufall, sondern gewollt. Das belegt ein Strategiepapier der Vereinten Nationen, das am 21. März 2000 publiziert wurde. Titel des Dokuments: »Replacement Migration: Is it A Solution to Declining and Ageing Populations?« Übersetzt: »Ersatzmigration: Ist sie eine Lösung für schrumpfende und alternde Bevölkerungen?«. Auf 177 Seiten erläutert die Stu-die, wie Frankreich, Großbritannien, Deutschland, Italien, Japan oder Russland zurückge-hende Geburtenraten durch massenhafte Zuwanderung kompensieren sollen. Auf den Seiten 32 und 33 liest man diesbezüglich:

»Abbildung 1 zeigt einen standardisierten Vergleich der Zuwanderungsströme pro Million Einwohner (Stand: 2000). Aus diesem Vergleich geht hervor, dass im Verhältnis zur Lan-desgröße die Zahl der Einwanderer, die im Zeitraum 2000-2050 pro Jahr benötigt wird, um den Bestand der Bevölkerung im erwerbsfähigen Alter zu erhalten (Szenario IV), mit 6.500 Einwanderern auf eine Million Einwohner in Italien am höchsten ist, gefolgt von Deutschland mit 6.000 Einwanderern pro Jahr auf eine Million Einwohner. Von den in die-sem Bericht untersuchten Ländern und Regionen benötigten die Vereinigten Staaten mit et-wa 1.300 Einwanderern auf eine Million Einwohner die geringste Zahl von Einwanderern, um einen Rückgang ihrer Bevölkerung im erwerbsfähigen Alter zu verhindern.«

»Die Zahl der Einwanderer, die notwendig ist, um ein Schrumpfen der Bevölkerung im er-werbsfähigen Alter auszugleichen, übersteigt diejenige, die einen Rückgang der Gesamtbe-völkerung ausgleichen würde, um ein Erhebliches. Ob solche höheren Einwanderungszah-len zu den Optionen gehören, die den Regierungen zur Verfügung stehen, hängt zum großen Teil von den sozialen, wirtschaftlichen und politischen Verhältnissen des jeweiligen Landes beziehungsweise der jeweiligen Region ab.«

Wer also annimmt, dass die Destabilisierungskriege und Raubzüge der NATO-Hegemonie nur dem Zwecke dienten, missliebige Regierungen auszutauschen und der Rohstoffe eines Landes habhaft zu werden, liegt offenkundig falsch. Wenn das wertewestliche Imperium irgendwo Demokratie abwirft, hat es dabei auch die strategischen Ziele globaler Bevölke-rungskontrolle im Blick. Migration als Waffe – gerichtet gegen beide involvierten Parteien. Demnach kann man sich nur wünschen, dass die Gewaltausbrüche zwischen einheimischer Bevölkerung und Migranten in den verschiedenen EU-Ländern rasch ein Ende nehmen und sich die von Verzweiflung herrührende Wut beider Parteien auf das eigentliche Problem fo-kussiert: Die herrschende Kaste und ihr gesichtsloses Imperium supranationaler Organisati-onen.

Wahrlich – die Liste an staatlich organisierten, legitimierten, orchestrierten und geduldeten Gräueltaten ließe sich beliebig lange fortführen. Je nachdem, wie weit man zurückzublicken gedenkt. Viele dieser Verbrechen sind Teil der offiziellen Geschichtsschreibung. Jeder weiß es. Dennoch führt dieses Wissen um die Skrupellosigkeit eines im Kern faschistoiden Sys-tems erstaunlicherweise bis heute nicht dazu, dass sich die Menschheit auf andere Formen des Zusammenlebens, der Verwaltung und Organisation einigt. Noch immer sehnen sich die Massen nach Führung, zentraler Steuerung und Ikonen, die ihnen ein besseres Leben ver-sprechen. Dabei belegt die Zivilisationsgeschichte mehr als eindrücklich, dass es sich um leere Versprechen handelt, dass die Hoffnung auf den edlen Ritter, die rettende Wahl oder eine bessere Zukunft reine Illusion ist. Der Machtapparat Staat dient nur einem einzigen Zweck – dem Erhalt des Machtapparats.

Es bedarf demnach auch keiner Diskussion um marginale Optimierungen des herrschenden Systems. Denn wer nur Symptome behandelt, wird die Ursache der Krankheit nicht eliminie-ren. Es bedarf der konstruktiven Debatte darüber, wie dieses System in Gänze zu ersetzen ist.

Dabei gilt es, eigene Narrative zu entwickeln. Geschichten. Vorstellungen von einer freiheit-lich organisierten Zukunft. Von einem lebenswerten morgen. Für eine Zeit nach dem »Un-geheuer«. Wir brauchen Ideen, von denen wir nachfolgende Generationen begeistern kön-nen. Und damit ist nicht die technische Verbesserung des Smartphones oder eine neue App gemeint, sondern eine Utopie. Denn gegen etwas zu sein, ist einfach. Für etwas zu sein, da-gegen nicht.

So engagieren wir uns längst nicht mehr nur für den Erhalt der Meinungsfreiheit, sondern für die Bewahrung des freien Willens. Denn was im Namen des Staates – »im Namen des Volkes« – und damit im Namen jener Menschen, die den Staat durch Wahl oder Duldung legitimieren, geschah, geschieht und geschehen wird, kann kein emotional gesundes Mitglied unserer Spezies wirklich wollen.

@ dbfa19e3:debb6089

https://www.piecover.com/2024/12/how-to-use-bitcoin-to-escape-war-and.html A lot of countries in the world are becoming more tyrannical as the governments are becoming more desperate for money to fund wars, social programs and other pet projects they invented. In many cases people find themselves stuck paying for a war they know nothing about and have nothing to do with, they pay for it in forms of hyperinflation(higher price for everything) since the currency is being printed at scale to pay for everything, while costing the people their friends and family members and even their own lives in the process, with no fault of their own. But there is hope, we are going explore a way people can use to protect themselves and their love ones.

Bitcoin is a financial tool for freedom and self-preservation, it is the easiest way you can: save, protect, invest and increase the value of your money overtime. There are a lot of people who have used Bitcoin to save their lives under hyperinflationary economies such as the author of one of the most popular Bitcoin book "The Bitcoin Standard" - Saifedean Ammous, he used Bitcoin to save his life under hyperinflation in Lebanon. You can do the same thing for yourself and your family by simply converting your local currency to bitcoin, write down your pass phrase and store it somewhere safe or memorize it if you can, it will be there for you whenever wherever you need it, in contrast to cash, gold or a bank account that can be taken away from you at the airport or at the border, once you get to your destination country you can use any phone with a wifi connection to download your money and exchange it for what you need to sustain yourself.

You can use any of these bitcoin wallet to regain access to your bitcoin: Blue Wallet, Green Wallet, Aqua Wallet, Sparrow Wallet, Phoenix Wallet, etc. Need an easier way to use bitcoin?

  If you worry about losing your pass phrase you can simply backup your bitcoin access key by just using your email address as your credential on: Muun Wallet, WalletofSatoshi, blinkwallet, etc.
 Please share this with a dear friend!

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

The 4P's

Remember the Four "P"s of Marketing? Let's look at them, in relation to digital creative work on Nostr.

Product

The product needs to be designed to fulfill a need or desire in the market. If you are writing things nobody wants to read, singing songs nobody wants to hear, or posting pictures that nobody wants to see, then you need to reevaluate your product choices because you are spam.

You are wasting your time, which means you bear a cost for the production of these goods. Is it really worth it? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe you could do something else, or do something in addition, to make the product more appealing.

On the other hand, if you are producing something valuable to a niche audience, you might want to think more about specifically aiming for and catering to that audience, rather than wasting your energy trying to appeal to a larger, indifferent group. It is better to be loved by a few and hated by many, than to be uninteresting to nearly everyone and ignore those who love you.

Price

People should have some anchor for the price, even if you have not explicitly named a price, so that they can know what such effort is "normally" worth and orient your value-provided up or down from there. It should also be clear what they are paying for, so that they know what the scope of the payment covers.

If there is no such anchor available, you can help create one by coming up with your own personal scale for other people's works and discussing it, in public. Any listeners will react positively or negatively, but they will all now have a mental "price point" to orient their own prices around.

If you have fixed and/or variable costs, the price you name should at least cover them, otherwise you need to lower the costs or raise the price. If you name no price, expect to get nothing, and you will never be disappointed. But you may also occasionally get a lot, and have it nearly knock you off your feet, so be prepared for that, too.

Generally, things that are free are of lower quality because producers have no incentive to expend great effort to produce things nobody values enough to pay for. The only major exceptions to this are cross-financing, such as freemium or preview models (typical for things like Substack or OnlyFans), or production funded by third parties (as is the case with Linux and GitHub). In both these cases, the payment exists, but is deferred or distanced.

Many products or services therefore start off "free", during an introductory period, but if they aren't getting enough income from it, they'll eventually give up and wander off. We pay creatives for their continued efforts and continued presence.

Placement

It is of vital importance that you place your products efficiently. Things you should consider:

1. What relays will this work be accessible from? Large relays will extend your reach, but your product will appear within a sea of spam, so its relative value will decline, the same way the perceived worth of the nicest house on the block is dragged down by the houses around it.
2. Writing to large relays also destroys the perceived exclusivity of the offer, although this can be partially mitigated by encryption. A mix of wide/exclusive is probably best, since exclusive access to someone unknown is less valuable than to someone well-known.
3. Remember that the people paying for exclusive access, aren't necessarily paying for access to "better" material, they're paying for access to you, as a person, and/or they are trying to encourage you to continue your work. Rather than having your blockbusters behind a paywall, have the more personal items there and spend more time responding to the people who actually care about you and your art.
4. Do you even want the work directly accessible over Nostr? Perhaps you prefer to store the work off-Nostr and simply expand access to that, to npubs.
5. Something that covers price and placement is what sort of payment rails the hosting platform provides and/or you will accept. Some people only want to accept Lightning zaps, but others might be okay with fiat transactions of some sort, on-chain Bitcoin, gift cards, badge or NIP-05 sales, or some other method. Generally, the more payment options available, the less friction preventing payment. Lightning is arguably the payment method with the least friction, so it should go first in the list.

Promotion

Get Noticed

Who is your target audience and how can you get their attention, so that they find out which product you are offering? This one is extremely difficult, on Nostr. Mostly, everyone just screams things into the void, and people with more followers scream louder and are more-likely to be heard. So, I'd say:

• try to have more followers,
• find someone with lots of followers to help you with marketing, or
• join a "boost cooperative", where you join forces with other smaller accounts, to promote each other's notes.

Find your tribe

Use hashtags, but limit yourself to those that are truly relevant, and never have more than 3 in a note. Post to communities/topic-relays or groups, or write an article or wiki page or etc. and then cross-post to your kind 01 feed, with a hyperlink to a website that displays your work properly.

@ 349d6b82:12b2a5b1

Все уже не понаслышке знают о Дмитрии Александровиче Кузнецове - Признанный волонтер Серова, который внес неимоверный вклад в наш город и который является примером для подражания у многих молодых ребят. Сегодня мы обсудим одни из самых запоминающих, грустных, значимых событий из жизни Дмитрия Александровиче и окунемся в его профессиональную деятельность.

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

I entered STEM in the late 90s and women weren't discouraged (much), but we also weren't actively encouraged. Neither were the guys. The head of our IT department was a woman, and that was actually not that rare, back then. In fact, the % of women getting comp sci or IT majors has been steadily falling, as this article by Texas Tech University magazine notes.

I've long been puzzled by the big "Girls Coding" push, that the corporations have been engaging in. It accomplished nothing in my workspace, except causing potential colleagues to view me with increasing suspicion. Entering IT teams in the 90s, everyone assumed I must be a genius because everyone there was some sort of genius. Now, they assume that I'm there to fix their "lack of diversity". This starts me off on the wrong foot, every time.

People went into IT because they cared about the subject matter. There wasn't much money in it, so the work atmosphere wasn't cutthroat or dominated by venture capitalistic intentions. We were just a bunch of middle class mathematicians and engineers, basically, hiding out in the computer room with our nerdy friends, building stuff we thought would be useful and cracking our dorky jokes.

Destroying this wholesome atmosphere with divisive company politics, turning it into a high-stakes game for gamblers, and the constant economic precariousness of software projects, is what made women leave IT and it is what is keeping women away.

We've managed to recreate that familial atmosphere, in our nostr:npub1s3ht77dq4zqnya8vjun5jp3p44pr794ru36d0ltxu65chljw8xjqd975wz team, and that's probably why we girls like being there. Turns out, the people who are best at recognizing your talents and accomodating your personal responsibilities, are your friends on the team, who are simply happy that you're there and want you to keep showing up.

@ 41fa852b:af7b7706

"I wish I bought less bitcoin" --Nobody Ever

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Yes I know it's 100,000 USD, not GBP!

But it's a big round number and I'm used to looking at the price in dollars.

I thought as a way to celebrate we might have a little fun competition. The first person to crack the cipher below and reply to this email (you need to be subscribed to have received the email) with the decoded message will win 10,000 sats!

uwnafhd nx sjhjxxfwd ktw fs tujs xthnjyd ns ymj jqjhywtsnh flj uwnafhd nx sty xjhwjhd f uwnafyj rfyyjw nx xtrjymnsl tsj itjxsy bfsy ymj bmtqj btwqi yt pstb gzy f xjhwjy rfyyjw nx xtrjymnsl tsj itjxsy bfsy fsdgtid yt pstb uwnafhd nx ymj utbjw yt xjqjhynajqd wjajfq tsjxjqk yt ymj btwqi

If enough of you enjoy it, we'll do it again.

Good luck, and let's check out what's on this week.

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If you've enjoyed the newsletter and find it valuable to you and the UK Bitcoin community, please consider donating some sats here.

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This week's sponsor is…

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Upcoming Bitcoin Meetups

Happening this week…

1. Dundee Bitcoin: Join them on the 2nd Monday of every month from 5:30 to 8:30 PM at The Wine Press, 16 Shore Terrace, Dundee DD1 3DN. This month's meetup is on Monday, 9th December.

2. Glasgow Bitcoin: Meeting this month at Committee Room No. 9, G1 1JQ on Wednesday 11th at 18:00.

3. Bitcoin Beach Bournemouth: Every second Thursday of the month at Chaplins Cellar Bar. 529 Christchurch Road, Boscombe, United. You'll find them in the Cogg Room at 19:30. This month it's the 12th.

4. Limerick Bitcoiners: Back with another meetup after a break. Meeting at 20:00 on the 13th. DM them on Twitter/X using the link to get info on the location.

5. Bitcoin Walk - Edinburgh: Every Saturday they walk around Arthur's Seat in this historic city. Join them at 12 pm to chat about all things Bitcoin and keep fit.

6. Kent Bitcoin: These guys will be at The Muggleton Inn on Sunday 15th at 12:00. The Muggleton Inn, 8--9 High Street, Maidstone, ME14 1HJ.

7. Northants Bitcoin Walk: As you'll see below in the 'new businesses' section, Northamptonshire has a new bitcoin-accepting cafe. This month the Northants Walk will start at the Ark Cafe at 11:00, with a walk along the River Nene and back to the cafe for refreshments afterwards. Let's pray for some good weather.

8. Bitcoin East: Join Bitcoin East in Bury St. Edmunds on December 15th, 11:00 at Procopio's Pantry. They'll then be moving on to Vespers Bar, IP33 3PH, at 12:00. All welcome, Bitcoiners and anyone else curious about Bitcoin.

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New Businesses Accepting Bitcoin

• The Ark Cafe - Northampton: An amazing custom-made floating cafe in Northampton. A vegan cafe at weekends, Saturday 10:00 - 15:00 and Sunday 11:00 - 15:00 and available for event hire for parties, conferences, weddings etc. The main hall can accommodate up to 45 guests for a sit-down meal or up to 65 for a more informal get-together. Contact them on Twitter/X for more info.

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Upcoming Special Events

This event isn't happening this week, but it's important to add to your calendar now as tickets are selling fast.

• Bitcoin Surrey & Berkshire Bitcoiners: A joint Christmas Dinner and 100k Party on Tuesday, 17th December, at Yiayias at The Fox (GU10 3PH). Dinner starts at 19:30, featuring award-winning Greek cuisine and the option of a Festive Meze or a Traditional Christmas menu. Kirit Magic will perform exclusive Bitcoin-themed close-up magic at 18:00. Tickets are £35 per person, with a £15 deposit required by 10th December via the Lightning Network. The venue accepts Bitcoin for drinks and dinner balances, so bring your Lightning wallet. Free parking is available, and kids are welcome.

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Get Involved

• Volunteer Opportunities: Bridge2Bitcoin is actively seeking volunteers who share our passion for merchant adoption. We'd be delighted to connect if you're eager to contribute. Reach out to us on Twitter or through our website.
• Start Your Own Meetup: Interested in launching a Bitcoin meetup? We're here to support you every step of the way. We've assisted numerous UK Bitcoin meetups in getting started. Get in touch via Twitter.
• Contribute to BTCMaps: BTCMaps is a vital part of the Bitcoin ecosystem. It's a perfect project to get involved with if you're not a coder or even that technical. A great way to give back to the community. Maintain an area of the UK and keep it up-to-date.
• Telegram users: You might find our Telegram Channel another useful way to keep up-to-date with UK meetups.
• Feedback and Suggestions: We value your input! Share your ideas on how we can enhance this newsletter.

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This week's sponsors are…

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Get out and support the meetups where you can, visit Bitcoin Events UK for more info on each meetup and to find your closest on the interactive map.

Stay tuned for more updates next week!

Simon.

@ 7c765d40:bd121d84

First off, happy birthday Arnie!

Our favorite guy turned 1 today.

Unofficially.

We don't know when he was born but the shelter estimated sometime this week.

So December 8th it is.

I hope he's enjoyed his first year.

He's sure brightened up our world out here.

So that'll be part one - decay.

Birthdays take a psychological toll on people.

Hours, days, years, birthdays.

Time, as we know it, is a human construct.

There is obviously correlation between time and the body starting to age.

But I feel like most of this aging process happens in our mind.

We convince ourself that just because another year passed, we should start feeling worse and getting fatter.

One thing that I've learned over these last few years is the power of thought.

We've all been guilty of this.

"I'm about to turn 50, my best years are behind me."

"I'm 40 and don't have kids or a wife, I'm going to die alone."

Time is absolutely relevant - and a big part of why bitcoin works so well.

But these are just numbers we use to stay organized and consistent.

There are 70 years with a sharper mind than some 20 year olds.

It's important to realize this concept and to not age yourself faster than you need.

Your mind is your most powerful tool.

Make sure you're using it to your advantage.

Onto the next part - decoy.

I am a big proponent of having a decoy wallet in your house.

The purpose of the decoy is to trick "bad actors" into thinking this is your main wallet.

If someone were to break into your house, you hand them your decoy wallet.

The problem with most bitcoiners - including myself until a few weeks ago - is that they keep the decoy with the main wallet.

It makes the most to keep valuable items in the safe or a safe place in the house.

But having the decoy wallet and the main wallet in the same place kind of defeats the purpose.

So here's a few tips for levelling up your bitcoin security:

1. If you have more than 10 million sats (.10 bitcoin) consider using a decoy wallet.

2. Keep the decoy wallet (approx 5-10% of your stack) in the safe.

3. Keep your main wallet in a separate hidden location.

4. Keep your seed phrase on steel or titanium.

5. If you have more than 50 million sats (.50 bitcoin), start looking into a multi-signature setup. This is the more advanced version of a decoy wallet which requires 2 of 3 signatures to send any bitcoin.

Your bitcoin security setup is always evolving.

Never rush into anything or panic.

Take your time and do it right.

And be sure to practice and rehearse your setup on a regular basis.

The last thing you want to do is go through all this time and effort only to lock yourself out!

Happy birthday Arn!

Happy Sunday to all!

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PROJECT POTENTIAL - You can now find the expanded audio versions of these on the new podcast - Project Potential! I will be sharing the video versions here for the LITF members but you can also find it for free on Spotify and of course Fountain!

Here is the link to Episode 006 on Fountain: https://fountain.fm/episode/i99LWnNr0pUVGA1ukuX4

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Have a great day everyone! And remember, the only thing more scarce than bitcoin is time!

Jor

@ bf95e1a4:ebdcc848

This is the full AI-generated transcript of Bitcoin Infinity Show #127 featuring George Manolov!

If you'd like to support us, check out https://bitcoininfinitystore.com/ for our books, merch, and more!

BIS128 - Ben Perrin - Transcript

Knut: Ben, welcome to the Bitcoin Infinity Show. Thanks for having me, guys. Yeah, this is where we first met, in Riga, five years ago.

Yeah, that's wild. Yeah, and our lives took a turn.

Ben: Yeah. I mean, it's amazing what can happen in a seemingly short period of time. Everything is markedly different, I think, on both ends.

Knut: Yeah, but I mean, I can't believe how you do what you do, like, you do like the double amount of conferences that I do.

Ben: I think I need to slow myself down a bit.

Knut: but you've been traveling around a lot, like, with the family as well.

Ben: Yeah, we try to strike a balance. Sometimes I go solo, sometimes it's the full family. Sometimes it's, me and the missus. It really depends, but, a little bit of both all through the year.

how's it been, like, what's your, well, Yeah. I mean, the travel aspect of it is fantastic. I love seeing all these places and it's kind of cool. To be honest, seeing all the Bitcoiners just in different parts of the globe all through the year, it's like every time it's a quasi family reunion, right? In cool locations.

Knut: Who was that that called us a traveling circus? Joe, yeah, it's Joe Hall.

Ben: Yeah. Yeah. That's, I mean, accurate. I think it's based, I was just saying outside that we should just collectively, you know, buy a jet, put all the necessary stuff in it and just hop around the globe and host a bunch of events and then get it all done in a couple of months and then

Luke: It's not a bad strategy.

Knut: no, it's a low time preference

Ben: are we going to start a geyser fund for the jet,

Knut: yeah, what private jet wanted, like,

Luke: If anything, it would be a good meme anyway, right?

Ben: How many bitcoin do you think we need for a jet? Sats.

Knut: Yeah, well, it'll take a while to gather the funds and we'll call that a jet lag.

Ben: I all enjoy seeing the exorbitant amount of Bitcoin required. And then like, you know, 5, 000 sats raised so far.

Knut: Yeah, and then five years later, 5, 000 sats is enough for a jet.

Luke: there we go. Oh, absolutely.

The Origins of BTC Sessions

Luke: So can you give us a little bit of, your story, how this all started? how did you get into Bitcoin and how did you become a, cause you're not actually Mr. Sessions, but you are, you get confused for that all the

Ben: Yeah. so, prior to Bitcoin, I actually, taught kids how to breakdance for years.

Knut: Australian ladies,

Ben: Yeah, non Australian ladies, no, no, I, I taught, I was basically doing in school residencies. So, like, in, in phys ed, instead of the phys ed teacher, you know, helming the, the dance unit, I would come in as a novelty and, You know, teach the kids a routine over the course of a week and then they'd perform at the end of the week.

And, so it was a fun job, but it didn't particularly, pay the bills. So I needed a side hustle. And that side hustle for a while was, I went on a bunch of tech blogs and I just kind of learned how to tear, tear apart a MacBook and like swap out the hard drive and the RAM and things like that.

And then, so I would flip MacBooks because everybody wanted a MacBook, but you could get it used. And so I would upgrade it and then sell it and earn a few hundred bucks in an afternoon. And that felt pretty decent. But because I was on those tech blogs, the Bitcoin articles would be in front of me from time to time.

it took about a year of saying, ah, crap, I missed the boat over and over again, to finally say, maybe I should actually read into this and figure out what it was. And, I spent the better part of two years trying to learn how to use it. And searching desperately for video tutorials because I'm a very visual learner.

It was always like, Oh, go to this blog and, or, or go to this forum and halfway down in the comments, some dude described in point form how to do this. And I was like, I, I can't learn like this, but I had to. And so the channel was more like a response to the itch I couldn't scratch for myself.

And I figured if, if I wanted that, somebody might find Bitcoin tutorials useful, and, that was eight years ago. And so now, yeah, eight, eight years worth of, doing tutorials.

Knut: So, do you have any other, educational background? university studies or anything like

Ben: this was just like, it was a com, so the skills that kind of came together were, even though I was teaching dance, like, teaching a concept that can be complex to like a school kid. As long as you can break it down in a simple manner, like I had to get used to sometimes five year olds trying to learn and memorize a routine.

With very foreign movements to them. regardless of subject matter, it translates if you can break something down. And the tech aspect of it, like I was not technical whatsoever before Git. Other than like, I mean, yeah I said I tore up Macbooks, but like, if you can, put in a Nintendo cartridge.

That's like the skillset that you needed to do that. and so that was just like trial and error, you know, tearing your hair out, doing it again, trying again, learning what not to do. and then just the being comfortable, like in front of a camera, I guess, over time.

Knut: So, the stripe from tearing your hair out?

Luke: Yeah, it grew back eventually, but turned color. Yes. did you realize that you're never allowed to change your hairstyle ever again?

Ben: The first time going to a conference and, somebody coming up and saying like, Oh, I saw you from across the parking lot. And I was like, Oh crap, I'm stuck with this forever. Yeah, now it's like, I literally, but this is going to be the OPSEC thing. Cause when it's time to disappear, I just have to die this back.

And I, I'm a ghost.

Luke: Yeah, Nobody will know who I am. It's like if Knut shaves his

Ben: Yeah,

Knut: yeah, yeah, yeah.

Ben: Yeah.

Luke: Although actually the beard hasn't even been going that long, but now you're used to it.

Ben: Yeah, yeah.

What Has Changed in Bitcoin?

Luke: So, what's changed over this eight years? Because I imagine early days that you're teaching vastly different things from now in the space.

Ben: Yes and no. there's a lot more to teach now than there ever was. like the early days, I was more or less confined to whatever phone app happened to be out as a wallet, there was very limited option for hardware, like it just kind of started to pop up as I was early days. and then like Bitcoin ATMs or online exchanges, that was kind of the crop of what I could do.

And now, the list of things I would like to cover is growing faster than I can cover it. It's an impossible task to teach everything. And so, that's a great thing, because there's so much optionality out there for people. I think because of that now, we're seeing a lot more people do tutorial videos, which is fantastic.

every time I see a new person throw their hat in the ring and start making video tutorials, I'm like a mini victory. I've treated the opposite of. Competition because you can never have too much education, just as everybody should have a Bitcoin podcast.

Neutrality

Knut: Yeah, so speaking of podcasts and video tutorials, like, how do you stay neutral in terms of the products? I mean, you must be getting offers from everyone here and there, like, can you promote this for me? Can you do that for me?

Ben: so there's two aspects to it. I mean, number one, obviously the only way that I can do this full-time is to have sponsors on the show. But the sponsors that I usually have, it's typically not them coming to me. Not to say there isn't people coming to me, but the ones that come to me typically are like shitcoin casinos and stuff like that.

And saying it's a default. No. but the sponsors that I tend to have typically it's me saying, Oh, I use this and it's great. And then I reach out to that entity and say, would you like to sponsor the show? But that comes with a caveat of no matter what, The whole point of the channel is to educate people how to use things, so I will be covering your competitors and teaching people how to use them as well.

So, it's just, you gotta just be forthcoming with, like, the pros and cons of everything, and be realistic about how things work, and, yeah.

Knut: yeah, yeah. Oh, can I have that water? Sorry. yeah, this is a tricky thing, like, especially for consumers, like, how can you trust the content you're consuming, but I think, the essence of that is that, authenticity is the currency of the future, whoever said that, but, it's such a great.

Like your reputation is everything. if you're discovered to be a sellout or if people discover you're a sellout, you lose, or your sponsors too, at certain point, right. So,

Ben: It's, especially in Bitcoin, I feel like, Bitcoiners hold each other to a higher standard than fiat world does. and, Bitcoiners it's not so easy to forget, somebody. not that you can't, redeem yourself when you make a mistake as long as you own it.

I think the worst thing that you can do is just double down instead of being like, you know, fucked up kind of thing. So, yeah.

Early Days

Luke: No, exactly, and I mean, I was actually curious about this. Did you ever go to, like, when you're getting into Bitcoin, were you ever curious about some of the, checkcoins and

Ben: Oh yeah, like, especially early on, because, there was no good resources, that succinctly described the difference between Bitcoin and everything else. It wasn't until, I spent most of my time learning about Bitcoin specifically, and then, I heard little things about other shitcoins but I never gained any conviction with any of the other ones, and to me it was always considered gambling, if I had anything like that.

And so it took working at an OTC desk in 2017, like a physical walk in with cash and buy Bitcoin or shitcoins to open my eyes to just how degenerate all of that stuff was. like my experience at the peak of the 2017 bull run. Was being in a room probably about double or triple the size of this.

we had three desks, with money counters on them, and it was shoulder to shoulder people in this room, all standing with stacks of cash, Ready to buy whatever coin had gone up the most that day. Ripple hit 3. 50. I'd love 10, 000 worth of Ripple, please. and it was just that day after day after day.

And people convinced that like, oh, this is the future. This is how it's gonna be. And after going through all that and seeing the ICO craze and everything, it just put such a bad taste in my mouth witnessing that and in a way being party to it, like working and being on the other side of the desk from that, that, discussions with and working with Francis Pouliot, with BullBitcoin.

He actually poached me from that company that I was at and it was a breath of fresh air to get somewhere and focus on Bitcoin. And so that was the formation of where I'm at now.

Bull Bitcoin

Knut: In 2019, you were here with the bull Bitcoin

Ben: Mm hmm.

how many of you were here? was a lot of us. 15 Yeah, there was, there was a lot. it was like they brought a bunch of the Debs and like Madex was here. 'cause he did the shirts and everything. Yeah. Francis Dave, like, yeah.

We were all out here and it was a good time.

Knut: Bull Bitcoin is definitely the most based exchange in the world, I think. think there are exchanges nowadays that are on par with them, but if you take the historical perspective, there is no second

Ben: Yeah, well it was such a departure for Francis to come out and be like, his announcement of what BullBitcoin was going to be and to say, we are actively Bitcoin only I remember people in the room as he announced it being like, Seriously, you guys are only doing Bitcoin.

You're actively choosing not to do anything else. And, it seemed like a crazy move to a number of people that watched that announcement and it was the best thing that they could have done.

Knut: Of course. I mean, I love that before and after picture of Francis, you know, when he's in his corporate suit and everything. The before picture and the second picture, it looks like something out of Commando or

Yeah. Rolled out of the jungle. No, it's great.

Ben: Yeah, that was a formative time for sure.

Calgary Community Building

Luke: Yeah, and I mean, those were my first touch points with crypto, the 2017 run, and I mean, in the offices in Calgary, because I'm just starting my career, just out of school, and I'm working at an oil and gas company, and it's like, everyone's talking about Ethereum or Ripple,

Yeah, and so that was the only thing that I got off my ass and went and bought a little bit for a little while with some Ethereum, and as soon as everything crashed in 2017, it's just like, I'm like, Yeah, I forgot about it for four years until things started to climb again.

And so no, no regrets, like, what ifs or anything like that. But, but yeah, that, that was, that was the culture at the time though, is, is, is what I'm saying. and this, this was all like, I had no idea this was all going on around me, the Bitcoin community, in, in Calgary. Right. and so this is, this is now where.

You're active in building the community in Calgary, right?

Ben: yeah, so, we're now kind of, you know, I've reached a point where, you know, it's great using Bitcoin as a savings mechanism and all that, but, I think it was late last year. there was some announcement in and around like exchanges, basically sending out the warnings to everybody, like, Hey, if you coin join and then send to the exchange, we'll have to shut your account.

Like you've got to at least add a hop and every, and people were. We're getting angry and almost like shooting the messenger, like, Oh, like, why don't you just not comply? And it's like, well, then the business doesn't exist. So I, like, I kind of get it. But at the end of the day, I got annoyed because people were, again, shooting the messenger rather than like just trying to do something about it.

And, and so that kind of, spurred me into. You know, recognizing that the only way around that is to actively use Bitcoin peer to peer, right? Like, not just save it. Cause like, if you're, if you're saving your Bitcoin and you're putting it away and everything, and then all of a sudden, every on and off ramp, it just Disappears overnight because of regulatory overreach.

What the hell do you do? Like, yeah, you can find your, your, your peer to peer exchanges and stuff like that, but like, isn't it so much better if you can just know the place where you can get beef or, you know, your barber, if you, if you can just use your money for everything that you need and then also just save it.

Like, isn't that a far better world than having to rely on somebody somewhere to exchange for a worse money?

Vexl

Knut: Are you familiar with Vexl? Yes. looks really promising, I think. yeah, we had Grafton on. Weeks ago. And, it's great. most of the users are in Prague at the moment, but still, if we can get that going, it's like, I view it as VL being is to local Bitcoins what B2C pay server is to BitPay you're taking these centralized models and.

making them peer to peer and more decentralized.

Ben: it, yeah, it's needed, whatever the, I really like the idea of what Vexel's doing, again, like, it's thin in my area for people listing stuff on there, but, again, at the end of the day, I think in, however we can do it to kind of build out, starting from the Bitcoiners themselves, ways to meet our daily needs, just using Bitcoin, like, I've been, I've been basically living on a Bitcoin standard since 2020.

Now, 90 something percent of my income is all Bitcoin. and I use it, like I, by default, don't have dollars beyond, like, exactly what needs to come out of a bank account each month for some specific payments that I can't do externally.

Knut: So what is your reaction when people say that Bitcoin isn't money?

Ben: So you can say it, but you're fucking wrong. it's puzzling when somebody says that to me because my entire life is a refutation of that statement. Like,

Knut: that's a clip right

Ben: Yeah.

Sats Market

Luke: that's fantastic. I had no idea any of this stuff existed. I literally got into Bitcoin as I was leaving Canada and I haven't been back to Calgary in three years now. I'm super looking forward to next summer.

I'll make it to your sats market and the Bitcoin rodeo and everything. So can you tell us a little bit about the sats market

Ben: Yeah, so, I guess I kinda went off the rails when I was about to dive into that, but that knee jerk of me getting angry that people weren't doing anything about it, that spurred me into doing the first sat market, and So I was like, guys, the only way around this is to just start using Bitcoin.

And so I put out the word online and said let's do this in three weeks, let's do a market. And we got 35 merchants together in that period of time, put on a big, Christmas market. And it was great. I was surprised how many people got together and made that happen. And so now we've done three of them.

we did a spring one as kind of like a dry run, to prep for the Bitcoin rodeo one that we did in July. but now I think we're going to do two per year so that it's kind of more of an event. but then we want to actually form relationships with each other so that, you don't need the market to get the things that you want.

So like, you know, my kid shoved something in the toilet, I called the Bitcoin plumber. And he came and I paid him in sats for sorting out my shit coin problem. and I think a big part of the market was, yes, it's great having, Bitcoin related merch and goodies and stuff like that.

But like, It shouldn't be all that. It needs to be stuff that people actually need. So we have local farmers come in, and you know, they've got beef and eggs and chickens and all that. We have a lot of tradesmen, like roofers, people doing flooring, people doing all kinds of different stuff.

We've got a guy who, one of the services he's offering is teaching people how to homestead. so like there's, there's a wide variety, there's a children's author, there's a whole bunch of different stuff. and it's a very eclectic mix of a lot of different things. but also like the useful, like, oh, I need food, you know, I need my haircut.

Canada and Alberta

Knut: so, do you expect, I mean, if you look up government overreach during the early 2020s in the dictionary, you'll get a picture of a Castro's bastard doing, do you expect some kind of clamp down or like problems with this from a government side in Canada?

Ben: Well, the nice thing about it is that it's the hardest thing to prevent when I know the guy I get my eggs from. When, you know, what are you going to say? you guys can't be friends anymore. Go fuck yourself. like if I happen to go visit my buddy at his house And he happens to give me some eggs, and I happen to slip and scan a QR code then like I was to stop that Yeah

Luke: would go, Well, I mean, some calibration on this as well. I think for people who aren't familiar with how Canada is basically, Alberta and Calgary is like the heart of freedom country in Canada. Quebec is also a little bit, it's got its own flavor of that essentially, but Alberta has been going through some really interesting times in the last decade.

Ben: so It's very different from the US in that the individual states have so much more, free reign to set things how they like, and you can freely move around between states. But in Canada, the federal government has a lot more power over each individual province than I would like.

But Alberta, as of late, has been really pushing back against federal overreach, in particular, and around energy, health, and education. so there's been all of these things that have culminated in, we created the Alberta Sovereignty Act, which Gives us a conduit to any time the federal government tries to do something where they're stepping out of their wheelhouse, we basically can now refer to that and flip them the bird and say, tough.

We saw that province next to us, Saskatchewan, when they tried to impose a carbon tax, the entire province, the government just said, we're not collecting it. And so like, you're starting to see, and it's very interesting because The sovereign individual, the book, when they were discussing, the idea of local governance and the breakdown of larger nation states, when they were talking about Canada, it was written in the 90s when Quebec was voting whether it wanted to remain part of Canada.

And so one would have assumed at the time they would have said Quebec will be the first to separate from Canada. But they said no, it's more likely to be Alberta because it's so energy heavy. and we get kind of screwed by the rest of Canada, so there's what's known as equalization payments, if we produce and have a lot of industry, rather than using that as a mechanism to incentivize people to move away from areas where industry may not justify so many people living towards where the good jobs and the resources are.

they just say, Oh, you guys are doing pretty well. We're going to take, however many billions of dollars of that, and we're going to pepper it over here.

Knut: Yeah.

Ben: when you look at say Quebec versus Alberta, Alberta, I can't remember what this is. Very recently, in the past few years, there was a year where I think Alberta paid 10 billion dollars in equalization payments, and, Quebec received 11.

And, and, and so basically we just gave Quebec all the money, and that's like 40 percent of their GDP.

Knut: yeah, it's socialism. That's how socialism works. The problem with socialism is that eventually you'll run out of other people's money.

Ben: Yeah. and so, but I mean, what would have happened if that wasn't in place is there wouldn't be as many jobs in Quebec and a number of people might have said, Oh, there's more jobs over here. We're going to move to where the industry is.

Luke: Yeah. Free market. It's natural. It's what happens when you leave things be and let people cooperate and collaborate the way they want. but instead we're incentivizing people to stay put Well, and I mean, the other thing, not just the equalization, right, is that the energy is literally landlocked in Alberta, and to get the oil to market, you have to take it to a coast, that's how this stuff gets sold, and there's just been fights over building pipelines within Canada or into the United States, Barack Obama cancelled the Keystone pipeline, the Keystone XL pipeline the first time, Then Trump re approved it, and then Biden finally cancelled it, and I think they're actually giving up on it now.

But even within Canada, that's the problem, is that Quebec, who gets all of this money from Alberta, says they will not let a pipeline through their province.

Knut: yeah, it's, in the book.

yeah. yeah,

Luke: your feeling on just the political situation in general in Alberta and Canada as a whole?

Ben: it's interesting because I don't put Too much or really any trust in politicians, but the political pendulum making it's I feel like it already peaked to one side and it's about to swing back and they'll be that degree of What seems like normalcy for a while and then it'll swing too far the other direction again in the 90s growing up I felt as if These conservatives are gonna censor everything and, it was always like, Oh, we need to take this off TV and off the radio and we don't want anybody to see this In my head, I was always like, well, just don't watch it.

Don't listen to it. If you don't like Like, why are you telling others what they can or can't do or watch? And so I always grew up thinking that's where the pressure's gonna come from. But as that political pendulum swung to the left, it doesn't matter who's in power, it's just what are they censoring, right?

And so I think I leaned left, politically speaking, early in my life because it was just like a knee jerk. Against whoever was telling me not to do things, and so I felt like I swung left, and then it got to a point where I was just insufferable, like, actively, trumpeting whatever the leftist politicians would say, and it wasn't until a friend of mine actually said to me, I asked him about the election when Trudeau got elected for the first time, which I voted for, and,

Luke: Sorry.

Ben: The thing that opened my eyes to how insane I had gotten was, a friend of mine that I would have assumed for like the, who he was and kind of his lifestyle and everything like that would have, definitely been voting for Trudeau. So I asked him what he thought of the election. And he said, you made me vote conservative. And I was like, I stepped away from that conversation and took a long hard look in the mirror and realized the person that I thought I was helping by voting this way voted the opposite because I was such a loud mouth. what I ended up doing is I started searching for the exact opposite of what I would have searched for on like YouTube and all that.

And it was my first peek into how bad the algorithms get you. And because all of a sudden I was getting served inside of a couple of weeks, I was getting served the polar opposite end of the spectrum and nothing but that, and like rage bait. it made me realize like.

There's, there's no winner in that scenario.

Pendulum

Knut: it's so funny that they use the word pendulum because that's one of the chapter names from the new book. And we describe exactly that process of left and right, but also how this dynamic happens in smaller communities as well. And the danger we see in the Bitcoin community here is that, I've noticed this effect that Whenever people discover Bitcoin and realize that the government is lying to them.

The lazy thing to do is just to buy the opposite narrative and buy into all the conspiracy theories, and all of a sudden Alex Jones is not a liar, have you noticed that too, and like, are you worried about the Bitcoin community, that we're getting sloppy, buying into stuff?

Ben: Yeah, I think it's inevitable that people have that reaction in that we're at that point in time where people are deeply distrustful of every single institution. And I think it's exactly what you're saying, is that the knee jerk reaction is, so everything's a conspiracy, or everything's a scam. And, you know, kudos to the people that are a little bit more nuanced with the thinking. I can fall into that trap too. And, I think it's also, to go back to one of the other formative moments in Bitcoin for me was, as I first started getting involved. Seeing the coverage of Mt.

Gox, on the news because I had, I still knew very, very little about Bitcoin at that point. I had just started learning, but even with, a month or two of reading, I knew that all of the reporting was completely wrong. where they were saying Bitcoin got hacked. And I knew it was just a bad company, lost people's money.

And, to see every news outlet report it the same and all be wrong, and know that I've done effectively the minimal viable research, and I know that you're incorrect. It made me step back and say, well, God, like, what if other things that I know even less about are being reported incorrectly?

Knut: I know exactly what I reacted to the most, that they describe Bitcoin ma mining as solving this super complex

Ben: Yes.

Knut: Yes. When it's really just guessing a number over and over again. so it's portrayed as something that's absolutely isn't

Ben: Yeah. it's blindly throwing a dart at a dart board somewhere.

Knut: I had experiences with this earlier on where, you know, being interviewed for smaller things and just reading the interview afterwards and seeing how much they got wrong. this is so often everything.

Ben: Yeah. Cause I mean, there's people in society that are tasked with trying to distill information and present it in a friendly public facing manner. And, when you're trying to do that, it's difficult to do that accurately and also in an entertaining way that drives clicks and views and all that kind of stuff.

so I think a lot of people by default just use some of those bad habits and, you know, go for the clicks, I suppose.

Nostr

Luke: Well, and how do you feel about an antidote to this in Nostr, decentralizing communication?

Ben: Yeah, I think. With this, it definitely puts us in the right direction in that, you know, previously, the way, we've seen dissenting opinions dealt with is just shutting them down. you know, now, I still very much think that the entire world has not yet grappled with the fact that you can instantly communicate with anybody, anywhere, and get a megaphone to tell the world whatever you think.

and people have not been great at learning how to distill information and decide if the information is right and true. we're still as a species not great at that, but I think having Absolute censorship resistance puts us towards that because then the only tool you have to fight against bad information is better information.

And so people need to stop being babysat and actually be forced into a space where they have to distill information and think critically. and that's a muscle that most people haven't exercised and even myself, at times just, you know, it's easy to go the lazy way. But I think, yeah, with something like Nostr where, you can say whatever you want.

Nobody can remove it afterwards. it forces hard conversations to be had rather than trying to silence them. So I think it's a slow process and it's not gonna happen anytime soon. But it gets us stepping in the right direction.

Knut: I think communication is the thing that elevates us from barbarism to civilization, really. Because if you go down to first principles and what this is all about, it's like humans have two ways of resolving conflict, and the one is violence, And the other is communication. You agree and you argue and you come up with a solution.

And the latter is obviously preferable to the former, because we don't want violence. seeing things that way makes everything so much clearer, you realize that even without the internet communication would have won out in the long run, because it's more efficient than violence.

Violence is costly. so, and it did sort of like there were fewer wars, like in, Early 90s when the internet wasn't a thing than ever before. So like, fewer people were killed in wars. So the internet has just sped up the process. And right now you can communicate with anyone in the entire world at an instant.

And it's not only text, it's video, like without a lag. And on top of that you have bitcoin, which is, part of that, because it is communication. What bitcoin pointed out was that money doesn't have to be anything but communication. That's why I'm so extremely optimistic about it, because it is the cure all, in that sense, because it's so damn powerful,

Why Are You Bullish?

Knut: so Ben Sessions, why are you bullish?

Ben: am I bullish? in this moment, I think I'm most bullish because people haven't stopped building and they're doing so at such a breakneck pace that I guess alluding to earlier in the conversation, how that list of things for me to teach people about is growing faster than I can teach it.

And, and that's a great place to be in, given that when I started, the most common question I got from people hearing, Oh, you're doing a Bitcoin tutorial channel. I mean, you're going to run out of stuff to do, aren't you? And it's the exact opposite. and so I, when there's that much of a brain drain and, and there's so many people Interested in somehow being involved and contributing and seeing this as the seismic shift that it is.

how can you not be bullish about that? I mean, we started a company a few months ago called Bitcoin Mentor. Educators, one on ones and all that. But we put out the word that we were looking for people that wanted to be Bitcoin educators. We had 350 applicants. Isn't that insane?

Luke: It's amazing.

Knut: Yeah,

Ben: Obviously we couldn't take all 350, but we built a solid team from the people that were there and there was some really talented people there.

The Bitcoin Mentor

Ben: So can you talk us through what this is? what is the Bitcoin? It's the Bitcoin Mentors. Yeah, Bitcoin Mentor. I, have previously for a number of years done, Private one on ones with people, typically, you know, Zoom or whatever, video call. those were usually people that had gone to the free tutorials on YouTube, but they need a little bit of extra hand holding.

Maybe, like, it's either just their confidence in doing it themselves, and they just want somebody to kind of walk them through it the first time, or they hit a snag and I didn't cover it as in depth as I should have or, there's a lot of moving parts. I got to the point where I was so busy with these sessions, these one on ones, that I wasn't having time to make the tutorials anymore.

And, you know, I can't not have that. You know, that's like, it's such an important thing to have the free resource out there as well. So, I met, my co founder now, Mike, and, we just kind of formulated an idea of building a team and, yeah, so it's basically for anybody that's either like brand new and is just trying to wrap their head around, key management or hardware or whatever, or for the, you know, What I would refer to as the Bitcoin luddites, the ones that have, and this isn't at all a dig because this happens to everybody, but.

Where you come in, you learn the few things you're comfortable with, and then you stand still for a long time and you begin wondering like, is my setup still as good as I thought it was when I originally did it? Should I add to it? Should I learn something new? Or I just wanna level up and learn some new things?

We get a lot of people coming in like that, being like. Yo, I, I don't know, I got a ledger like five years ago and I set it up and I haven't done anything since. And now I think I want to try a cold card or whatever else, or now I want to run a node or now I want to, you know, I want to learn again.

Luke: And so we get a lot of those people coming in the door saying, help walk me through this. And once they've done it once, then, okay, that's a skill they've attained and they can do it themselves without any assistance after that. Oh, awesome initiative. And I mean, yeah, like obviously there's a need there for people to get involved in this stuff. And I mean, the user experience in Bitcoin is still very much, you have to do the things or else it's not quite going to work. And I mean, do you think it's ever going to be?

So simple that anyone can just quickly get on to Bitcoin in a self sovereign way. I don't, I don't think that there's ever going to

Knut: always a trade

Luke: there's

always a trade off. do you think about that?

Ben: there's always a trade off. I think, and it also depends on what our interactions with Bitcoin look like in the future, like in terms of what is the average person's experience using Bitcoin. Bitcoin, I would venture to say that their initial interaction with Bitcoin inside of Five years or less is not going to be on chain.

Like people aren't going to be onboarded directly to on chain. They're going to, I think the way that we teach needs to be completely inverted because the way I used to teach was, okay, let's attack a regular on chain Bitcoin wallet first. here's how you set it up. Here's your seed phrase on chain transactions work like this, you know, every 10 minutes, all like, here's how the fees work.

That was typically the first thing you wrapped your head around and then you would say, Oh, and now there's this thing called lightning. And this allows you, you know, for more day to day, smaller trends. And so you'd, you'd start at the base and you'd build the knowledge to the upper layers. But that's not going to be how people interact with Bitcoin because, economically speaking, that's not going to make sense.

They're going to come in from a top layer first with their first few sats.

custodial lightning. exactly. But what will be the goal is working your way down through the self sovereignty stack to hopefully get as close to the base as you can for that person. And so it's gonna be like, oh, I came in through a Fediment, or I came in through a Cashument, or I came in through a Custodial Lightning Wallet.

Knut: You'd be like, okay, great. Transactionally, you now know what you're doing, but let's see if we can give you more control. And move that direction. had a thought about the 350 applicants, because they all want to be Bitcoin mentors. I think they probably all are, just on a smaller scale. Like, all of those people are teaching their friends and family how to use things.

It's already amazing. Because you're right, all of those applicants were vying to be part of a specific group but nothing precludes them from continuing to be the bitcoin person in their group of friends that people come to for advice and help. beautiful.

What is Ben Most Excited About - Fedi(Mint)

Luke: And so you mentioned a couple of things like, Fedimint and Cashew as one example, like just new stuff that's been coming up. What are you most excited about that's, like projects that look really exciting to you right now?

Ben: I'm very interested in the Fediment stuff. I think it's really cool. Now, again, you gotta recognize that it's a trade off. But, I tend to look at things from the perspective of What is available to us right now? No, I recognize that things can change and maybe you have the ability to have shared, you know, UTXO custody in a way,

But with how Bitcoin works right now and the tools that are available to us, I think FedAmends are pretty damn good trade off, to enable a number of things that are very attractive. So like, instant, peer to peer free and perfectly private transactions within a mint. Gaining the privacy of the crowd if you spend to another mint.

and what I mean by that is, maybe you have a mint that has a thousand people in it, and another mint that has a thousand people in it. When you go to send money to somebody in the other mint, it's a lightning transaction between the two. federations, but nobody knows which person in this mint initiated the transaction and nobody knows which person in that mint received it.

yeah, it's beautiful.

so I love that. there's things like you can do offline payments. there's a lot of really cool things. and Feddy app is doing is something that I think it would be super. Useful in the context of what we're doing with the sat market in Calgary is if we had, you know, within, if we had everybody sound like a mint.

And within the Feddy app, we could have a community that in that same app with their wallet management, they also see all of the resources needed to use said Bitcoin locally. So maybe it, it, by default, we have built in there, the btcmap. org that will center in on Calgary when you tap on it within the app, maybe it has bit refill or whatever to get your gift cards.

Maybe it has whatever other, because It's like a whole ecosystem in a singular app that you can tailor for your specific community, which is, so useful, and I didn't know exactly what it was going to be until I actually physically saw it.

Yeah, Yeah, so I love it.

Now, yeah, we still have some questions about it, but we'll talk to Obi one of these, like, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. So we're looking forward to interrogate him about the nooks and crannies about Fede. But, yeah, it's very, very promising. yeah, it's, I think that particular ecosystem is gonna make leaps and bounds in the coming years and it'll be very interesting to see how it's used and how resilient it is, in the way that they're trying to flesh out that ecosystem because at this point anybody can make a mint. And so, and that's a double edged sword, because anybody will make a mint, and some will be, they won't all be created equally.

Some will rug, for sure, some will rug pull, but others will, you know, It'll likely be done well and stand the test of time and kind of, it'll be more of a reputation based thing rather than,

Knut: that's reputation based is, is, is based. I mean it's, that's what we're excited about, about Nostr, a lot of the You know, web of trust things so that you get all the, the reputation score is basically your, you own your social graph and your friends and your connections and your posts and everything.

And that's where you get your recommendation is from. So I think that ends up, you know, killing woke disney one day because there won't be a discrepancy between user scores and critics

Ben: yes,

Knut: like so

Ben: yeah,

Knut: much going on

Ben: yeah, that's fantastic.

Luke: It's fantastic to get your perspective on this because you're probably one of the people who really actually gets in there and tries the most things

Amplifying, right? like that

Ben: I tend to tinker around with pretty much everything that I can get my hands on. there's more people that are starting to be that as well. if you were to look at my apps on my phone, it's just like a disgusting amount of different Bitcoin wallets and everything.

and those are just the ones that I have put in a folder. If you go through the entire app drawer, it's just, I don't remember when I downloaded this

Outlook for Canada and Alberta

Luke: No, it's funny, but, you're clearly bullish on Bitcoin. And what about Canada? What's your feelings on Canada, Alberta as well?

Ben: I hope Alberta secedes. So that's that would be, I'm, I'm, I'm very pro, smaller and more local governance. I, you know, I, I think that you become disconnected from, your constituents when you try to govern too many of them all at once, it's very difficult when you have. a large group of people in very, very different conditions and trying to say, you guys are all gonna live by the exact same rules.

I think more local governance is great. I feel like Trudeau will be gone next year. everybody's sick of him, including his own party, but at the same time, if I had to guess, I would say that, he'll be stubborn enough to run again. And that Polyev will probably win he's a bitcoiner but at the same time, I don't think that he'll do anything, in terms of regulatory that would be super favorable.

Luke: I think it'll just kind of be status quo. if anything, it'll at least buy some time. To build out things that make Bitcoin more resilient in the face of the next tyrant. I've still got all my family in Canada, tons of friends in Canada, I hope for the best in Canada, I'm the coward, sort of, and left, but no, no, it was more of a pull than a push, I mean, as much as things were difficult a few years ago in Alberta, I mean, like, yeah, it was other reasons, but still, of course, close to my

Knut: voted with your feet. It's good. you made a freedom footprint. That's what you

Luke: Well, yeah, awesome to have you and other great people in, in Calgary and, and Canada, you know, still bearing the torch and everything. So,

Ben: Yeah, there's a good, there's a solid group there, and yeah, the Calgary, the Alberta, generally, like all the Alberta Bitcoiners, there's something there, and I can't wait to see that blossom into what it seems to be becoming.

Luke: well, sign us up for the sats market, in June, July, next year. Cause, yeah, well, a hundred percent

Knut: We need Knut to come stampeding I can do the stampeding. yeah, apparently it's not optional.

Wrapping Up

Knut: anyway, where do you want to send our listeners? Like with btc sessions. com? Is that a thing now? Dot ca,

Ben: flair on there. if somebody's listening or watching this that is unfamiliar, and you need to learn anything, just search BTC Sessions on YouTube. you'll find it there. I'm on, Nostr, I'm on X still. you gotta be where the normies are at when you're trying to orange pill and educate, I suppose, too.

the Bitcoin Mentor stuff, you can check out at bitcoinmentor. io if you need some more hand holding on anything. There's a solid group of educators there.

Luke: fantastic. And I'm going to look at this camera now to my friends from Calgary, who I've been telling you to go attend the sats market. Get to it, talk to this guy, you won't regret it, and you know who you are.

Thanks for everything you do, and thanks for being on the show.

thanks for having me, guys. Appreciate it. Ben, thanks again. This has been the Bitcoin Infinity Show.

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

A fortnight of being real on Nostr

It's been over two weeks, since I announced that I would primarily be noting from my lesser-known Silberengel npub, and it's been an interesting experience. As with anything I ever do, I clicked around a lot, tested out a lot, and tried out a lot. Mostly, I observed.

Let me share, what I've learned

1. Nostr-related products are increasingly useless, if you don't follow anyone, or only follow a handful of people. Everything is geared to follows and you usually really do need to follow gobs of people, to have an interesting feed, by capturing the most-active people (about 10% of the people you follow). Those people tend to quote and boost other people's notes into your stream, allowing you to follow those additional people and so on, like a snowball scheme. This means that follows are actually a feed-management mechanism, rather than any indication of a relationship between npubs. It also means that 10% of the npubs decide what everyone will look at.
2. Many people collect followers, by being active for a very short time, following lots and lots of people and getting follow-backs, then they unfollow the smaller npubs or abruptly change their tone or the content (this is common with spammers and scammers). Then they have a high WoT score. What, precisely, is being trusted here? (Also, centering WoT on follows is influencer-maxxing for plebs, KWIM?)
3. Why are individuals never unfollowing these npubs? Because nobody unfollows anyone who hasn't seriously upset them. Follow-inertia is rampant and the follow lists are so long that most people don't even know who they are following. So long as the "bad npub" doesn't spam the people who are following them directly, they don't notice anything. That means following spam can inadvertently protect you from spam, whilst the same spammers throw crap at your own frens, all damned day.
4. Most relay owners/operators don't ever look directly at the feed from their own relay, so it's usually full of enormous amounts of garbage. Your clients and personal/private relays are often downloading and broadcasting all of that garbage indiscriminately, so the garbage gets passed around, like a social media virus. Many of you just haven't noticed, because you also don't look at the feed from your relays (see 1).
5. Almost all business logic (the controls, in the classic model-view-controller setup) has been placed on the client-side. This is great, if you're a client developer, as it makes relays superfluous and traps your customers in your app, by making moving to a different app more onerous. Every move requires a period of readjustment and fiddling, before they can see their feed the way that they are used to seeing it. This is less great, if you're a user and are interested in trying out a different app.
6. When I began, two weeks ago, the concept of topical, private, and personal relays interacting were mostly a pipe dream (pun intended), but I've been pleased to see, that some other people are beginning to catch on to the appeal of decentralizing and specializing the model layer. A diverse, sprawling network of relays, connected through the outbox model and negentropy syncing, is really next-generation communication, and essential for ensuring censorship-resistance, while supporting smooth interaction.
7. Once you get above a few hundred followers (which I already have, That went fast!), additional followers are increasingly spam or inactive/bot npubs, and once you get a few thousand followers, that Bot Effect goes parabolic, as your notes are spread more widely onto spammy relays. You won't notice, yourself, as anything over a few hundred becomes Some Big Number and you'll eventually stop even looking to see who they are, or caring about them, at all. Which leads directly to my next point...
8. The number of followers a person has, correlates with an increase in their disdain for people who care about follower counts, likes, reactions, or even zaps. This noblesse oblige says nothing about the usefulness or information any of these signals carry. You will please also notice that they never change npubs and rarely change profile pics because of reasons I don't need to elaborate on, further.
9. On-boarding is a lonely experience because nobody looks at the feed, and you initially have no followers. Even if you reply to people, they often can't see what you wrote because of your low WoT score. That is, unless you already know someone there, who can vouch for you. Or are lucky to get discovered by the Nostr Welcoming Committee and end up one of the biggest npubs overnight, which is like winning the follower lottery. For most new npubs, the experience is terrible and they eventually give up, for a handful the experience is absolutely fantastic and they are hooked. Obvious lesson: nobody should onboard, who doesn't know at least 1 other person: so invites only. Unlike Those Other Protocols, Nostr doesn't need a centrally-determined invite, as every client or relay can offer their own version, geared to a different audience. The goal simply needs to be: get off 1.
10. I don't get many zaps or reactions, anymore, but I still have interesting conversations, and I no longer face the surreal situation of every cough, hiccup, or sneeze I emit being front-page news. Nostr feels more like Nostr, again, and less like Twitter, and now I want communities and forums even harder.

@ eac63075:b4988b48

Imagine a large public square, illuminated by intense spotlights, where every individual who dares to approach the center is immediately recognized, photographed, and cataloged. In this square, every word spoken becomes indelibly tied to its speaker. Under such conditions, many would hesitate before speaking, fearing not only the disapproval of the audience but also the potential punishments that could follow the mere act of expressing an idea. Now, imagine a second square, where anyone can cover their face with a mask, allowing their voice to echo without revealing their identity. It is in this second square that true freedom of expression flourishes, and this metaphorical mask represents anonymity.

https://www.fountain.fm/episode/MweciiR21hySxjdsNa7u

In debates about freedom of expression—one of the fundamental pillars of democratic societies—anonymity often emerges as a controversial element. For some, it serves as a refuge for digital criminals or slanderers. For others, it is an indispensable tool, capable of protecting dissenting voices and inspiring authentic debates, with ideas judged on their merits rather than the messenger’s reputation. This article aims to explain, in a clear and instructive manner, why anonymity is essential to genuine freedom of expression, illustrating its value with metaphors, real-life examples, and historical references.

The Protective Mask: Avoiding Retaliation and Threats

Just as a navigator uses guiding instruments to avoid jagged rocks at sea, anonymity functions like a shield, allowing bold voices to navigate oppressive reefs without foundering. There are countless examples of individuals who have risked their lives to expose crimes and injustices—from whistleblowers in authoritarian governments to investigative journalists uncovering the complex machinations of organized crime. Without the possibility of anonymity, many of these stories would never have come to light.

Organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and other digital rights advocacy groups emphasize that the ability to speak without revealing one’s identity is crucial when the cost of speaking out is dangerously high. In censorship-ridden regimes, criticizing the government can lead to imprisonment, torture, or even death. Human rights activists, LGBTQIA+ communities in hostile countries, and journalists investigating illicit dealings all rely on anonymity to continue their work without putting their own lives at immediate risk. In this context, anonymity is not a whim—it’s the chance to survive one’s own opinion.

The Voice of the Invisible: Empowering Marginalized Groups

Think of anonymity as an invisible microphone placed at the disposal of those who, without it, would never dare to take the stage. Historically, marginalized groups have always faced additional barriers to making their voices heard. Women in patriarchal societies, ethnic minorities facing discrimination, or individuals persecuted for their sexual orientation find in anonymity a safe space to speak out, claim their rights, and share their experiences without fearing public humiliation or physical violence.

This “invisible microphone” not only gives voice to those who once remained silent but also transforms the arena of public debate into a more equitable space. By removing the link between idea and identity, it reduces the risk of immediate prejudice against the messenger. As a result, society can assess arguments more impartially. Here, ideas are judged on their content, not on the face that speaks them.

The Strength of History: The Precedent of the Federalist Papers

History offers a famous example of the power of anonymous words: the Federalist Papers. Published between 1787 and 1788, these essays supported the ratification of the United States Constitution and were written under the pseudonym “Publius” by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. The reason for concealing their identities was clear: to ensure that their ideas would be judged on their argumentative strength rather than the prestige or fame of the authors.

The precedent set by the Federalist Papers is emblematic. It shows that, in the building of one of the first modern democracies, anonymity was used as a legitimate tool to establish fundamental concepts. If the founders of the nation that prides itself on its First Amendment—the one that protects freedom of expression—resorted to anonymity, we should recognize that this resource is not only defensible but also an essential part of the framework of healthy public debate.

Faceless Messages: The Democracy of Pure Ideas

In an ideal world, we would judge a message purely on its content. In reality, however, names, faces, social status, and economic position influence how we receive and interpret a person’s words. Anonymity removes these superficial layers, allowing the message to present itself bare, subject to rational evaluation without the veils of prejudice.

In this sense, anonymity acts as a “filter of equality”: by concealing the source, it prevents us from assigning credibility (or discredit) based on stereotypes, prejudices, or personal rivalries. Thus, ideas previously dismissed out of hand can now be heard with greater attention, opening paths to social innovation, political reflection, and challenges to the status quo. A contemporary example is online forums that allow anonymous posts. While we acknowledge that such spaces can be misused, we cannot ignore their potential to give voice to those who would never feel safe speaking under their own name in public.

Privacy, Intimacy, and the Freedom to Whisper

Anonymity is not limited to the public or political sphere. In personal and professional relations, the ability to speak anonymously can allow someone to seek help or reveal extremely sensitive matters. Imagine a patient who needs to consult a doctor about a stigmatized health issue, or a person seeking legal advice in a delicate situation. The “mask” of anonymity offers a safe haven for sharing information without the anguish of being judged or exposed.

Thus, anonymity also safeguards our “right to whisper,” that is, the ability to exchange information, secrets, and confessions without the constant glare of a spotlight. Real or perceived surveillance can stifle communication and inhibit creativity, reporting, and the exchange of ideas. By shielding individuals from forced exposure, anonymity reinforces the very fabric of freedom of expression, preventing the fear of identification from silencing words before they are spoken.

Anonymity in the Digital Age: Between Encryption and Censorship

In the digital age, the issue of anonymity becomes even more relevant. With the expansion of online surveillance and the growth of social networks, maintaining anonymity can be challenging. Social media platforms increasingly request personal data, and governments attempt to impose barriers against anonymity, often justifying them as measures of national security or crime prevention.

However, according to reports and documents from human rights organizations, such as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), encryption and anonymity are key tools for freedom of expression in the digital environment. Without these resources, citizens and journalists, for instance, become more vulnerable to persecution. In various countries, the existence of anonymous and encrypted channels enables information to circulate, grievances to be reported, and societies to remain informed, even in the face of heavy censorship.

Legal Protection: Judicial Recognition of Anonymity

The United States Supreme Court, as well as other constitutional courts around the world, recognizes anonymity as an integral part of the right to free expression. In the United States, the First Amendment has been applied in cases that defended the right to anonymous speech, viewing it as a bulwark against the tyranny of the majority. When minorities are protected by anonymity, personal reprisals against those who dare to question dogmas or denounce abuses are prevented.

This judicial understanding reinforces the legitimacy of anonymity and its direct association with the strengthening of democracy. After all, a robust democracy requires not only the absence of formal censorship but also the guarantee that minority or unpopular voices can speak out without fear.

Conclusion: The Cloak That Protects Freedom

If freedom of expression is the heart of democracy, anonymity is the cloak that shields that heart from the poisoned darts of fear, persecution, and prejudice. It creates the right environment for ideas to flourish freely, for courageous voices to emerge from silence, and for society to debate its most complex issues in the light of reason rather than beneath the shadow of intimidation.

In a world where surveillance and political tensions are ever-present, anonymity preserves the essence of free speech: humanity’s ability to question, propose, denounce, criticize, and create without shackles. By recognizing the importance of this resource, we safeguard not only individual voices but also the very principle that makes democracy worthy of its name.

Selected References:

• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF): https://www.eff.org/issues/anonymity

• Freedom Forum: https://www.freedomforum.org/anonymous-speech/

• Association for Progressive Communications (APC): https://www.apc.org/

• The First Amendment Encyclopedia: Anonymous Speech: https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/anonymous-speech/

• The Federalist Papers: Historical context available at Library of Congress and various printed and digital compilations.

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Cover Photo by Redd Francisco / Unsplash

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

Let's talk about baking bread

I've mentioned a few times, how large-scale central planning leads inevitably to artificial scarcity and rising prices. Allow me to illustrate -- using a completely invented allegory about bread -- that has absolutely no parallels to any economy you may already be familiar with.

We start with 20

Let us say, there is a group of 20 people in a village doing something that requires some niche skill and interest, but not inordinate amounts of talent or uncommon knowledge, such as baking loaves of bread containing emmer wheat. This is not an easy thing to do, and you'd have to read up on it and practice, to begin with, but it's not an insurmountably-high barrier for anyone who already knows how to bake.

Now, they're not baking all that much of this bread, as the market for people who want to eat it, is still rather small. But, they're happy to bake the bread, and sell it below cost (at $10), as they can see that the market is steadily growing and they know that there is a possibility of recuperating their investments, and maybe even turning some profit. They hope to eventually profit either directly (through the selling of the bread), or indirectly (as A Person Who Helped Invent Emmer Bread), or ideally some combination of the two.

They are baking away, and honing their baking skills, and scrounging up the money for bigger and better ovens or cleverly-arranging discounted contracts for slightly-larger deliveries of wheat, and more and more bakers see this activity and wander over to their village, to see how this bread is made. Well, the current bakers are starting to sink under all of the bread orders they are receiving, and customers are complaining of late deliveries, so they start to ask the 10 visiting bakers, if they would like to also set up a bakery and take some of the production off of their hands.

We now have 25 bakers

The visiting bakers consider it and 5 agree and the rest wander off again, as they already are quite busy baking the bread they've always baked, and they aren't as certain of the possibility of growth, for this new type of bread.

The 5 additional bakers take a while to setup shop and assemble staff and place wheat orders and etc., but after a few weeks or months, they are also adding to the bread supply. There are now 25 bakers, all completely booked-out, producing bread. The price of bread has fallen, to $8/loaf.

And the bread they produced! All of the bakers competing for orders and expanding their product lines and customer base quickly lead to the white emmer bread being followed by whole-grain emmer bread, emmer dinner rolls, emmer-raisin bread, and even one rebel daring to bake spelt-emmer pretzels because... Well, why not? The customer, (who, at this point, is the person eating the bread), gets to decide which bread will be baked, and the pretzels sell like hotcakes.

The emmer hotcakes also sell like hotcakes.

No baker is making much (or any) money off of the baking, but they all can see where this will end up, so they are still highly motivated and continue to invest and innovate at breathtaking speed. We now have emmer baking mixes, "We luv emmer" t-shirts, emmer baking crowd-sourcing, all-about-emmer recipe books and blogs, etc. The bakers see this all as an investment, and cross-finance their fledgling businesses through selling other bread types, their spouse's day job, burning through their savings, or working Saturday night, stocking shelves at the grocery.

Everyone can be a winner! Everyone can find their niche-in-niche! Everyone can specialize! Private enterprise for every baker, who rises and falls on his own efforts alone! And although everyone was competing with everyone else, there was no bitterness, as everyone could clearly see that effort and reward were in some sort of balance.

We are now short 3

But, alas, that was not meant to be. The joy and harmony is short-lived.

A gigantic, wealthy foundation, who is dedicated to "ensuring much emmer bread will be baked, by financially supporting emmer bakers" enters the chat.

"We have seen that there is much baking going on, here, but just think how much better and more baking could be done, if we financed your baking! Isn't that clever? Then you could really concentrate on baking, instead of having to worry about financing your business or marketing your products. All you have to do, is apply to receive our baker's grant, by signing this form, acknowledging that you will only bake products containing nothing but emmer and you will otherwise support our mission. We promise to pay you $100/loaf."

The 2 people making spelt-emmer pretzels, and the 1 person making spelt-emmer cookies, refuse to sign on, and slink off, as they are very convinced of the rightness of including spelt. One emmer-purist baker refuses on some economic principle that nobody comprehends, and immediately turns around and goes back to work in their bakery, with their shoulders hunched. But the remaining 21 bakers happily apply for a baker's grant. The mixed-grain bakers are upset about the breakup of the emmer market, and spend some time sulking, before wandering off to the new, much-smaller, spelt bread market, that is setting up, down the street. Where they sell their bread for $6 and slowly go bankrupt.

And then there were 10

2 weeks go by. 4 weeks go by. Baking has slowed. The grant hopefuls hold a meeting, where they discuss the joys of baking. Baking slows further.

Everyone is too excited, to find out if their new Universal Customer will be paying for the bread they bake. $100 a loaf! Just think of it! All of the bakers quickly do the math and realize that they not only will turn a profit, they can buy themselves a nice house and a new car and...

Nobody listens to the complaints from The Old Customers, who are the useless individual people only paying $8, despite them slaving away, all day, in front of a hot oven. They should be happy that they are getting bread, at all! Instead they complain that the bread is dry, that the delivery is late, that the bottoms are burnt. Ingrates.

And, then, the big day arrives, and the foundation happily announces that they will be giving 10 lucky bakers a grant.

The bakers are stunned. It had seemed that all of the bakers would be getting the grants, not only part of them. But, of course, the Universal Customer looked through the applications and tried to spend its money wisely. Why give grants to 5 bakers, who all produce the same type of olive-emmer bread? Give it to one, and then tell him to produce 5 times as much bread. He is then the olive-emmer bread expert and they will simply keep loose tabs on him, to nudge him to bake the bread in a sensible manner. And, of course, he shall always focus on baking olive bread, as that is what the grant is for.

The bakers stroll off, to their bakeries. Those who baked olive bread and received no grant, close up shop, as they can see which way the wind is blowing. The other grantless bakers reformulate their bakery plans, to see if they can somehow market themselves as "grant-free bakers" and wonder at how long they can stand the humiliation of selling to demanding, fickle customers at $8/loaf, when others are selling at $100/loaf, to an indifferent customer who doesn't even eat it.

The happiest 10 bakers leave for another conference, and while they are gone, their bakeries burn down. Their grants continue to flow, regardless, and the actual bread eaters are now standing in line at the last few bakeries, paying $20/loaf.

The End.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

Table Of Content

• The Rise of Bitcoin Mining

• Riot Platforms: The New Kid on the Block

• Local Residents Speak Out

• The Environmental Angle

• Economic Implications

• The Road Ahead: Solutions and Compromises

• Conclusion

• FAQ

Deep in the heart of Texas, a new challenge is brewing. The vast state, known for its oil rigs, cowboy culture, and iconic history, is now grappling with a modern dilemma. The world's largest Bitcoin mine has set up shop, and it's causing quite the commotion. As the digital gold rush intensifies, the Lone Star State finds itself at the crossroads of progress and preservation. Residents, policymakers, and industry leaders are all weighing in, making it a hot topic of discussion from Houston to Dallas.

The Rise of Bitcoin Mining

Bitcoin, the pioneering digital currency that's taken the world by storm, relies on a process called mining. This isn't about pickaxes and gold pans, but powerful computers solving complex algorithms. As the value of Bitcoin has soared, so has the race to mine it. Texas, with its cheap energy and vast landscapes, has become a hotspot. However, this boom brings its own set of challenges, from infrastructure strains to environmental concerns.

Riot Platforms: The New Kid on the Block

Enter Riot Platforms, the behemoth at the center of the storm. As the world's most significant Bitcoin mining operation, it's drawing power and attention in equal measure. While it promises prosperity and progress, it also poses questions. How much strain can the Texan grid take? And at what cost to the community? With its massive operations, Riot Platforms is both a beacon of opportunity and a potential point of contention.

Local Residents Speak Out

For the folks calling Texas home, this isn't just a tech debate. It's about their daily lives, their neighborhoods, and their futures. There are fears of power outages, skyrocketing electricity bills, and even potential environmental fallout. The heart of the matter? Balancing the promise of the future with the needs of the present. Town hall meetings, community forums, and local discussions are buzzing with opinions and concerns.

The Environmental Angle

Let's face it, Bitcoin mining isn't exactly green. The energy consumption is staggering, often compared to that of entire countries. With Texas' grid already dancing a delicate balance, the addition of massive mining operations is like adding fuel to the fire. The question on everyone's lips: Is there a sustainable way forward? Environmentalists and activists are pushing for greener solutions, making it a pivotal point in the debate.

Economic Implications

But it's not all storm clouds. The silver lining? Economic growth. Bitcoin mining is bringing jobs, investments, and a tech boom to regions that might have been left behind. For many, this is a golden opportunity, a chance to ride the wave of the future. But is it a future everyone wants? Economists and industry experts are analyzing the long-term implications, weighing the pros and cons of this digital revolution.

The Road Ahead: Solutions and Compromises

All is not lost. As the debate rages, innovators are seeking solutions. Think renewable energy sources, improved grid infrastructure, and even tweaks to the mining process itself. The goal? To find a middle ground where tech and tradition can coexist. Stakeholders are coming together, brainstorming ways to ensure that Texas remains both progressive and preserved.

Conclusion

The Bitcoin mining grid challenge is more than just a Texan issue; it's a global conversation about the future of energy, economy, and the environment. As Texas grapples with this modern gold rush, the world watches, waits, and wonders: What's the next move for the Lone Star State? With its rich history of innovation and resilience, many are optimistic that Texas will find a path forward that benefits all.

FAQ

What is the main issue in Texas regarding Bitcoin mining? Texas is grappling with the challenges posed by the world's largest Bitcoin mine, Riot Platforms, which has raised concerns about energy consumption, grid strain, and environmental impact.

Why is Bitcoin mining a concern for the environment? Bitcoin mining consumes vast amounts of energy, often compared to entire countries, leading to concerns about its carbon footprint and sustainability.

How are local residents reacting to the Bitcoin mining operations? Many Texans are concerned about potential power outages, increased electricity bills, and the broader community impact of such large-scale mining operations.

Are there any economic benefits to Bitcoin mining in Texas? Yes, Bitcoin mining has brought jobs, investments, and technological advancements to the state, offering economic growth opportunities.

That's all for today

If you want more, be sure to follow us on:

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Instagram: @croxroadnews.co

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

Young people, in Europe and America, started moving out at the turn of the last century. It wasn't a tradition, in those countries. Housing was formerly multigenerational, but people became steadily more transient, with industrialization and the following rise of office work and the concentration closer to cities.

Prior to then, housing (including rents) was prohibitively expensive, so everyone tried to stay in their parents' or employers' home, for as long, as possible. Both the "Go west!" and "Lebensraum!" slogans hint at that crowded past. People risked their lives, en mass, trying to find enough cheap land, to build their own home. Many people left Germany, and similarly crowded countries, to move to places like Texas, where you could own your own home and therefore marry without your employers' or parents' permission.

It is still common to have inheritance fueds, here, in Bavaria, with the children squabbling over who gets to "keep" the house and how much "payout" the other children will receive, as compensation. Because you cannot always simply move to a different home in the same area (there is little available land for building and nothing to rent), leaving the ancestral home can result in de facto banishment from the entire region.

Wages increased, after WWI created a tighter labor market, and governments and large corporations (receiving government subsidies) began building or subsidizing massive amounts of homes, while the size of each home shrank dramatically. Those factors combined to lower the relative cost of housing, to the individual purchaser.

But the resulting Baby Boom construction explosion so overwhelmed the housing and mortgage markets, that housing is a very unappealing long-term investment, now, as there is hardly anyone around, to move into those many homes, when the Boomers pass. Their children and grandchildren (if they have any) are much poorer than they are, and much fewer in number, which guarantees that the housing market in most areas will eventually begin to collapse, in real terms, as Boomers pass away, or attempt to downsize.

To stabilize prices and prevent fires or delinquency, governments will begin demolishing empty houses, as they already sometimes do, in the former East Germany. Former West Germany dealt with steadily-falling house prices by mass-importing foreigners and paying for their rent at above-market prices, to artificially reinflate the housing market, but it appears that the easterners had a more politically- and economically- sustainable model for ridding themselves of excess homes.

But the era of cheap housing is over, and will continue to be so, for the next 10-15 years, so young people increasingly stay home, well into adulthood. As some cultures now have "moving out", as a prerequisite to dating, their childrens' marriage rate has plummeted and, consequently, so has the birth rate.

@ 01d0bbf9:91130d4c

Chef's notes

Amazingly tangy, firey hot, but still mellow and bright.

I use this on everything– Use it to dress salads, dip (honey mustard) for fried chicken, elevate your taco nights, heck a spoonful first thing in the morning will wake you up better than coffee!

Don't forget to use up those delicious chilis and garlic, they are so good!

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 20 min
• 🍳 Cook time: 1-2 weeks
• 🍽️ Servings: (12x) 8oz jars

Ingredients

• 16oz fresh chili peppers
• 8oz red onion
• 8oz garlic
• 96oz honey
• Fresh thyme

Directions

1. Thinly slice peppers, garlic, shallots and fresh thyme
2. Add chopped ingredients to the honey
3. Leave to ferment (loosely covered) for 1-2 weeks
4. Drizzle that amazing pungent firey gold liquid over EVERYTHING. (Don't forget to use up those amazing chilis and garlic too.)

@ 349d6b82:12b2a5b1

В сегодняшнем в нашем подкасте мы погрузимся в важнейшие вопросы экологии и технологий, которые формируют наше будущее. Сегодня у нас в гостях доктор биологических наук, профессор Алексей Петрович Сидоров. Мы обсудим текущее состояние экологии в Серове, современные технологии, способные снизить загрязнение, и важность устойчивого развития в условиях растущей промышленности:

@ e356a30c:11e846f7

Bitcoin's recent surge to record highs has sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency market, sparking renewed interest and debate about the future of digital currencies. As Bitcoin's value climbs, it casts a long shadow over the broader crypto landscape, influencing the performance of other cryptocurrencies and attracting new investors to the space.

Bitcoin's price surge can be attributed to several factors, including increased institutional adoption, favorable regulatory developments, and growing global economic uncertainty. As more traditional financial institutions and corporations recognize Bitcoin's potential as a store of value and a hedge against inflation, they are allocating a portion of their portfolios to Bitcoin, driving up demand and prices.

Additionally, recent regulatory moves in some jurisdictions have created a more favorable environment for cryptocurrencies, boosting investor confidence and attracting new capital to the market.

The impact of Bitcoin's price surge on other cryptocurrencies is multifaceted. On the one hand, it can lead to a broader "crypto winter," where investors flock to Bitcoin, leaving other cryptocurrencies struggling to gain traction. This can be particularly detrimental to smaller, less established cryptocurrencies that rely on market sentiment and investor interest to maintain their value. On the other hand, Bitcoin's success can also serve as a catalyst for broader crypto adoption, as investors become more familiar with the concept of digital currencies and the potential benefits they offer. This could lead to increased interest in other cryptocurrencies, particularly those with innovative technologies or unique use cases.

The surge in Bitcoin's value has also attracted a new wave of investors to the cryptocurrency market, including retail investors and institutional investors. This influx of new capital can provide a much-needed boost to the crypto market, driving innovation and development within the industry. However, it also raises concerns about market volatility and the potential for speculative bubbles. As more investors enter the market, it is crucial to maintain a level of caution and to avoid making investment decisions based on hype or fear. In conclusion, Bitcoin's recent price surge has had a significant impact on the cryptocurrency market, both positively and negatively. While it has attracted new investors and boosted market sentiment, it has also led to increased volatility and potential risks for investors. As the crypto market continues to evolve, it is essential to stay informed about the latest developments and to make informed investment decisions based on sound analysis and risk management principles.

bitcoin

@ a9434ee1:d5c885be

1. Relay = Community?

If spinning up a relay is getting easier and cheaper by the day, why can't the relays literally be the group/community?

Then: * Any relay is by default a public community. The more restricted read- or write-access is, the more it becomes a private group. * Any publication targeted at (h-tag) and stored, and thus accepted, by a relay can be seen as a publication in that community. * All-in-1 hosting solutions (integrated blossom servers, lightning nodes, ...) are made easier.

2. Why invent new kinds?

Why can't Kind 1 posts that are targeted and accepted by a relay (i.e. community) just be the forum-posts of that community? Why create new kinds for this? And even weirder, why create a new kind with that exclusively serves as a reply to that new kind? Why not just use generic replies (kind 1111) and take the #otherstuff (event kinds and apps) as an opportunity to introduce those?

For chat messages, however, I get it. You need a kind + reply-kind for those.

3. Community VS Private group

It seems like the only distinction you really need, both for the user and the apps implementing all this, is:
1. Public Community: anyone can read and follow this community but for writing the admins can set limits (pricing, white listings, ...) 2. Private group: only the profiles that even know this relay (i.e. group) exists can interact with it. Read-access has to be granted (invite, pricing, ...) and admins can set limits for writing too. Beyond this distinction it's a bit naive to try to categorize them. Open vs Closed doesn't really mean much for example, since technically all groups/communities set limits and are thus closed. It's more interesting to look the ways in which they can be closed and build on the simplest distinctions you can make there.

The difference between Public communities and private groups is the most important one because they both have very different UX and specification requirements:

Memberlist

Communities: None existent
Anyone can read and follow. It just has limits on who can publish what, when. So the most interesting thing to surface is probable something like a list of most active members or a highlighted set of profiles that have special characteristics within this community (top supporter, god-mode, resident artist, ...).
Private Groups: Necessary for it's existence
The whitelisted npubs for read-access are the members.

Moderation actions

Both types of groups need a way for the admin(s) to:
* Block/remove users * Remove events * Edit metadata (name, description, guidelines...) * Specify who can write publish what, under what condition

Only private groups need a way for the admin(s) to:
* Add/approve new members → specify who has read-access, under what condition

Generalizing too many actions like add member, join request, etc... that are only applicable to one of these categories just creates bad UX for the other one. You don't "add a member" to a public community. People can follow it without asking anyone's permission (ok yes, some will AUTH for reading but that's besides the point). Some of its followers will then just choose to publish something there and the admin either allows them or not.

Having a common protocol for specifying the conditions for this write-access interoperably (as mentioned above) is what I would like to see instead: * Both Communities and Private groups need it anyway * You have to assume admins need granularity in the conditions they set for publishing in their group/community: Who, what, under what condition, ... * You don't want to link out to custom websites (or similar) explaining their allowance schemes

Sidenote: we need a similar kind of spec for the services that allow you to spin up your hosting solution (relay, server, node, ...) so that, when you click "Create new community" in an app, those services can be surfaced. With their business models (including options to self-host parts of it) just there, in the app, without linking out. Same for the lines of communication and payments that are needed to make those business models work from within any app.

Publication and Discovery

Only Communities allow for the exciting possibility of publishing something in multiple overlapping communities at once. Someone writing about how Bees are Capitalists can target their article at the communities that most overlap with its content (and with the author's means and write-access of course). Members of a community around beekeeping can organically discover content and communities on Austrian economics relevant to them.

With Private groups publication happens only in the group and discovery is blocked on purpose.

@ 06b7819d:d1d8327c

Power as the Reduction of Possibilities: Niklas Luhmann’s Perspective

Niklas Luhmann, a leading figure in systems theory, offers a unique conceptualization of power that diverges from traditional notions of domination or coercion. Rather than viewing power as a forceful imposition of will, Luhmann frames it as a mechanism for reducing possibilities within a given social system. For Luhmann, power is less about direct coercion and more about structuring decision-making processes by limiting the range of available options.

In his systems-theoretical approach, Luhmann argues that power operates as a communication medium, enabling complex social systems to function by simplifying the overwhelming array of potential actions. In any decision-making context, there are countless possibilities, and not all can be pursued. Power serves as a tool to focus attention, filter alternatives, and channel behavior toward specific actions while excluding others. This reduction of options creates a manageable environment for coordinated action, which is essential for the stability of a system.

Importantly, this process does not inherently involve force or threats. Instead, power works through expectations, norms, and structures that guide behavior. For example, in an organizational setting, the hierarchy of authority determines which decisions are permissible, thereby shaping the actions of individuals without overt coercion. The employees’ actions are not forced; rather, they are conditioned by the organizational framework, which narrows their choices.

Luhmann’s idea redefines power as a productive force in social systems. By limiting possibilities, power reduces uncertainty, making collaboration and collective action possible. It ensures that systems can function efficiently despite their inherent complexity. This perspective shifts the emphasis from conflict to coordination, offering a more nuanced understanding of how power operates in modern societies.

In sum, Niklas Luhmann’s theory of power as the reduction of possibilities highlights its integrative role in enabling social systems to navigate complexity. It challenges conventional views of power as coercion, emphasizing its capacity to organize and stabilize interactions through the selective limitation of actions.

@ 1d5357bf:1bdf0a52

If Bitcoin Is in Its Infancy, Nostr Is Still in Its Nursing Stage Skepticism is healthy, especially within the Bitcoin community. At the moment, Nostr users are predominantly Bitcoiners, and it's understandable that people are cautious about adopting new technologies. However, based on my limited experience over the last few months, Nostr has shown immense potential and is evolving at a breakneck pace.

The Speed of Development: A Double-Edged Sword The rate at which new functionality is being rolled out on Nostr is staggering. On the one hand, this rapid development brings constant innovation and new tools for users to explore. On the other hand, it often means that many implementations still need refinement, or at the very least, better documentation. It's exciting, but there are still bumps in the road that need to be ironed out. Censorship Resistance and Relay-Based Architecture One of Nostr’s most appealing features is its decentralized architecture, which revolves around relays. This design ensures that the protocol is censorship-resistant. If you’re tech-savvy enough, you can even run your own relay, allowing you to retain full control of your notes. This distributed system empowers users by giving them the tools to protect their content and stay independent of centralized entities.

A Protocol, Not a Platform Nostr is not a platform—it's a protocol. This distinction is crucial because it enables a high degree of interoperability, which can pave the way for a diverse ecosystem of applications. This opens up a world of possibilities and allows for network effects to take hold as more people and applications begin to interact with the protocol.

Privacy and Control Another advantage is the ability to manage your privacy more effectively. With Nostr, you can use multiple nsec/npub keys, giving you more control over your identity and interactions. This flexibility is a game-changer in a world where privacy is often compromised by centralized platforms.

Areas for Improvement Of course, Nostr is not without its challenges. Many of the available applications feel unpolished, and spam is a growing issue (the infamous "reply guy" problem). The ephemeral nature of the content also presents a challenge—once you post something, you can't "put the toothpaste back in the tube," sort to speak.

Enjoying the Ride Despite its growing pains, I’ve found Nostr to be an enjoyable experience so far. There are no algorithms dictating what you see, which results in a signal-rich environment with minimal toxicity—for now, at least. It’s refreshing to engage in conversations that aren’t manipulated by unseen forces, and I look forward to seeing where Nostr goes from here.

@ 58937958:545e6994

Making Waves：Bitcoin-themed handmade goods

nevent1qqs04vf85pyducj8h4s49g2ex84r6dvzenjjg4m7wrd9g955506r36cpz4mhxue69uhhxarjvee8jtnfwf5hxtn5duhsygzcjdu4sqmvah54tvjmj22c8q2qhgk74judryu7mydyr039ghnfjs09g2yq

20081031

This bag is inspired by the Bitcoin White Paper.

「20081031」
Price：210,000 sats
Limited to 21 pieces
Free Shipping
I will produce and sell one per week.#ProofOfHandmade　#MakingWavesBTC pic.twitter.com/9mKtsYJft3

— Making Waves (@MakingWavesBTC) November 23, 2024

For details, please visit ↓

https://makingwaves-btc.com/en/

Sales have also started at Geyser. https://geyser.fund/project/makingwaves

Sales on Shopstr is also planned.

BitcoinTokyo2024

I exhibited at "Shibuya Lightning Marche" in Japan and made sales of 1,885,314 sats (approximately $1,181 at the exchange rate on the day) over two days.

Handmade goods by MakingWaves (Example)
・Bookmark
・Coaster
・COLDCARD Q case
・Japanese-Style Drawstring Bag
Enjoy the Lightning Marche🧸#BitcoinTokyo2024#渋谷ライトニングマルシェ pic.twitter.com/qqNXAT0nWN

— Making Waves (@MakingWavesBTC) September 21, 2024

Moving forward, I will focus on selling items priced at 2,100 sats, 21,000 sats, and 210,000 sats.

• 2,100 sats: Bookmarks, beginner-friendly Bitcoin comic booklets, etc.
• 21,000 sats: Pouches, and similar items.
• 210,000 sats: Limited-edition bags, and more.

Short Video：Bitcoin Handmade Anime【MakingWaves】

A short animation for Bitcoin beginners & kids.

Bitcoin guide site for beginners：bitcoin-zukan.com

Image credits:

Although the site is in Japanese, there are many articles translated into English.

Supervised by Koji Higashi, co-organizer of BitcoinTokyo2024.

Podcast：Grassroots Bitcoin

A podcast supporting grassroots Bitcoin activities.

While most episodes are in Japanese, the episode listed below is in English.

Introducing "MakingWaves" https://www.fountain.fm/episode/7si9y8sxmWmhfK8CeMQ8

Podcast URL * Fountain：https://www.fountain.fm/show/eWVWc2vZXycjPlMTZsLf * Spotify：https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/shigeru-minami * Apple Podcast：https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/%E8%8D%89%E3%81%AE%E6%A0%B9%E3%83%93%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%82%B3%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3/id1757540844

Other activities, SNS, etc.

Twitter（English）：Making Waves

“20081031”
No.1/21 Completed!

I adjusted it so that the word bitcoin is printed on the back of the outer pocket as well.
I think it will be useful when showing it to fellow bitcoiners. pic.twitter.com/00ejMN6s2H

— Making Waves (@MakingWavesBTC) November 26, 2024

I post about handmade goods.

https://x.com/MakingWavesBTC

Twitter（Japanese）：Shigeru Minami

COLDCARDでビットコインを受け取り・送金する解説動画を
YouTubeにアップしました
私は操作する度に緊張する上に結構間違えるので
どなたかの役に立つかもと思って作りました pic.twitter.com/7UFnClknSU

— Shigeru Minami (@kiterugumatic) October 21, 2024

I mainly share posts about Bitcoin, along with personal updates.

https://x.com/kiterugumatic

Nostr：Shigeru Minami

nostr:nevent1qqszzcz9npq5xgw08tp5wud0kg9wfacf9fkj07gu82wn3wjsad3wd2cppvjdw

My posts are mostly personal.

As I’m practicing English, I try to post without using translation tools as much as possible.

Please forgive any awkward or hard-to-read sentences.

npub1tzfhjkqrdnk7j4djtwfftqupgzazm6kt35vnnmv35sd7y4z7dx2qzhkje9

Instagram（English）：Making Waves

I share short videos of the handmade goods production process.

https://www.instagram.com/making_waves_btc/

Note

The illustrations on bitcoin-zukan.com and my SNS icons were created by a commissioned illustrator.

All other activities are personally handled by Shigeru Minami.

Examples include handmade crafting, video production, article writing, product photography, designing original fabric, and creating illustrations for my original characters, "Bull & Bear."

For inquiries, please feel free to contact me via the SNS platforms mentioned above or the email address provided below.

E-mail：contact@makingwaves-btc.com

Thank you for reading all the way through.

@ 123711f7:c0a0c17e

Donald Trump told supporters Monday he is “not a Nazi,” using a rally in the final week of a bitter White House race to refute accusations of authoritarianism, including from a former top aide who branded him a fascist.

• As he and rival Kamala Harris, the current vice president, entered the final stretch of one of the closest US elections in modern times, each candidate and their teams have ramped up the political rhetoric, inflaming an already tense campaign.

Democrat Harris, who has accused Trump of stoking divisions, crisscrossed Michigan on Monday while the Republican visited Georgia, another of the decisive swing states, where he said critics are accusing him of being a modern-day “Hitler.”

“The newest line from Kamala and her campaign is that everyone who isn’t voting for her is a Nazi,” Trump told a boisterous rally in Atlanta.

@ 2efa460d:66e3a4b7

Longform has its very own challenges. I never tried to craft text on decentralized platforms. This is my first trial. Let's see how this will work. The editor is very helpful. From the start, I've a good feeling.

There's always a ticket somewhere.

@ bf95e1a4:ebdcc848

This is the full AI-generated transcript of Bitcoin Infinity Show #127 featuring George Manolov!

If you'd like to support us, check out https://bitcoininfinitystore.com/ for our books, merch, and more!

Welcoming George Manolov

Luke: George, welcome to the Bitcoin Infinity Show, thank you for joining us.

George: Thank you, Knut.

Knut: Good to have you here, George.

George: to be here, yeah.

you're here to tell us about the city that I was most surprised by ever. Like, I've never heard of the city before I went to Bulgaria, Yeah, time flies.

Knut: So Plovdiv, Bulgaria, which was amazing, this rich, Thousands of years of history plays with a lot of different eras and different styles of architecture and stuff, really enjoyed Plovdiv, and you have a football team there.

George: yeah, indeed.

George Manolov and Botev Plovdiv

George: Please give us the story about George and Plovdiv Yeah, sure.

Knut: Plovdiv.

George: Sure, sure. So, Plovdiv is, well, I would say it's the oldest living city in Europe, so continuously inhabited. Like you say, not many people know it. I guess, like, we don't have good enough marketing, but, that's probably part of my job right now, right? To spread the word about it. so it's, like the second largest city in the country.

And, yeah, it's just this, it's very, like, I love how you put it because almost nobody has really heard of Plovdiv, right? Most people, when they hear of Bulgaria, they've probably heard of Sofia but Sofia is, okay, but Plovdiv is kind of the chill place, Plovdiv is the place that is actually worth visiting, the place where, people just enjoy going there.

I was born there, right? and, grew up there till 18 or so, then, Studied, lived in Sofia most of the time. And, last year, in kind of summer, I was already kind of way deeper into Bitcoin. I decided I'm going to go full time into Bitcoin, just commit all my time in Bitcoin at the time, educating, publishing books in Bulgarian about Bitcoin, creating my own educational platform.

And then I got, reached out and connected really to the owner of the football club in the city, which is also the oldest football club in the country, Botev Plovdiv, who was, well, he got introduced into Bitcoin himself and he realized it's going to be a very big, project. You know, going to play a central role in where the world is going.

Knut: What is this the owner of the club?

George: That's right. The owner of the club. was like, Hey, I think we can do something unique with Bitcoin because, you know, the club is really a company, right? It's a business on the one hand, but it's a special type of business, it's not where just you produce a certain product or service.

It's really a living organism where people are involved into it, for very emotional reasons. people feel like it's their own and it's not like a small group of people. It's a very large group of people. In our case, we have tens of thousands, arguably more than a hundred, 200, 000 people who care, who watch, who follow the club.

And so on the one hand, like there's many different ways in which we can look into this, but on the one hand. It's for me, what really inspired me and what got me like, Oh my God, like, is this really happening is that we can bring the conversation about Bitcoin from a completely different angle into society to a group of people who for the most part would never really They would like this, they would never listen to podcasts like this, they would never get to any of the kind of places and things we listen to, watch, consume, right?

and people go, You know, people go kind of for bread and circus, right,

Knut: yeah, yeah.

George: for the games. That's what really football is, right? It's fun and it's emotion, it's enjoyment, but then we push them censorship resistance and hard money, right?

And we don't really push it, you know, that's the thing, right? Because are like consistently, progressively, gradually over time, introducing it and finding the best way and the most appropriate way to, yeah, plant that seed. To the minds of the people, into the views of the people and so on and so forth.

so it's really like, you know, what we're trying to build is, we feel we're in a very privileged position, right? because we've been, the first really professional sports club globally, I would say, to have, uh, crypto Bitcoin, you know, people, departments, who is actually full time employed to, you know, think of a way to grow the business, to think of a way to integrate Bitcoin natively, within the various aspects of, of, of the organization, which obviously initially includes like accepting payments and so on and so forth.

But, um, but there's so much more you can do exactly with this type of, Like organization, again, like not, not, not just a business in a traditional sense.

Knut: Yeah. And, uh, won the league, right? Is that, is that right?

George: Yeah, man, like it's, uh, yeah, so we, um, when I started last year, things were super bad. Like exactly one year ago, I was there for the, for one of the first games. It was horrible. Like, I was like, okay, this is a great idea, but if the team is doing so bad and if, uh, if they keep losing and if the fans keep getting, you know, being unhappy, Um, it's not gonna go anywhere, but still, I gave it a, I gave it a go, right, because I was like, okay, I just hope that the sports side guys are going to do their, their part, and I have my opportunity here, um, to, to just like push, to educate, to, To do what, what, what life is giving me an opportunity to do.

And, uh, very fortunately, as we started working, the team started performing better and better and better. We got a completely new coach. We got a new sports director. We, we had a lot of key staff changes across the organization, which, Um, relatively quickly started showing results. So, uh, yeah, like, 10 months later in May, we won the Bulgarian Cup.

Luke: Is that the cup or the league? Like, uh,

George: it's the cup, it's the cup. So, so, I was saying, like, we started very bad in the league. And so, we were doing better and better, but still, like, we finished 9th in the league out of 16 clubs at the end of the day. But which was still okay, because, like, when I joined, like, we were, like,

Luke: Worried about relegation or something like that?

George: there. I mean,

Knut: We're complete, uh, like I've tried to take an interest to football, but like, uh, my ADD just, the brain just wanders away after five minutes and I can't concentrate anymore. So I don't

Luke: a basketball fan.

Knut: Am I now?

Football for Noobs

Knut: Uh, so, uh, what's the difference between the cup and the league? Let's begin there. That's, that's how much of a football noob I

George: So, so pretty much in every country is the same, right? You have a league or a championship where you have, in our case, 16 teams, and every team plays twice against every other team. So home game, away game, and then, you know, you either win three points when you win, or you lose, or you draw, and you, you, you win one point.

And then, so after you play, after you play, in our case, this, what is it, games? You know,

Luke: 30.

George: yeah, about 30. Yeah, right. You're better than Matt, it's obvious. So, um, so once you play these 30 games, um, you, um, yeah, like the team with the most points wins, right? Whereas, uh, the cup is direct elimination

Knut: So quarterfinals, semifinals, all that.

George: exactly. So it's the easier way. So this was the way for us to due to the bad start of the season. This was the way for us to, to achieve something in this season and to achieve something important because what the Cubs gives us as an opportunity and gave us was to play in the European Leagues.

So UEFA Leagues. And we just did that. We played six games. Uh, for the Europe, uh, Europe League and the Europe Conference League.

Knut: Okay. But to, to be in the champions league, that's a totally, you have to, yeah, yeah. You have to win the league and you have to win all sorts of stuff. Like how does that work?

George: yeah. You have to win the league. And then in our case, so in every country it's different, but in our case, we have to win, like we go to qualifications for the Champions League. So it's like, I mean, three to four games. And if we win that, we go to the Champions League.

Knut: Alright,

George: That's the current state of affairs, although that can change over the years.

Knut: alright, uh, it all makes sense to me now, that's a lie, but anyway.

Luke: No, uh, I'll definitely, we'll acknowledge here that I'm more of the, the sports fan, uh, generally here, and I, I follow football, I like, uh, I like European, uh, football, uh, well, and obviously I'm using the correct, uh, term despite my, um, my pseudo American accent, uh. Yeah, anyway, um, uh, no, it's fantastic to see, and I mean, yeah, for the non sports fans, uh, listening to this, I get that

Knut: Well, I am a sports fan, it's just that Starcraft 2 is my sport, and yeah, yeah,

Luke: yeah,

George: eSports.

Knut: yeah, yeah, so I watch, watch Starcraft 2 games. That's what I do for procrastination sometimes.

Luke: valid sports, I'm not going to compare it to other things that aren't

Knut: breakdancing? Is that a valid sport?

Luke: Breakdancing is, um, hmm, interesting. I think anything with points, that judges give points, is kind of not a sport, it's an activity.

Knut: yeah.

Luke: but, yeah, anyway,

Knut: thing to do.

Luke: is a thing to do, yes, definitely, but back to, back to, um, um, Botev Plod, is it Botev, Botev, what's, what's, Botev, Botev Plod, yeah, so, so, um, yeah, yeah, like, the, the, the achievement, winning, winning the cup, I mean, the, The cups are sort of more difficult.

They're both difficult in their own way, right? Like, the cup, you lose one game, you're out, basically, right? But, I mean, the league is like this endurance, achievement, right? You have to perform well over the course of the whole season. But the cheat code, so to say, and I probably subconsciously used the other football team's terminology, who's in the space, Real Bedford, um,

Botev Plovdiv's Bitcoin Strategy

Luke: The, the idea right, if, if I'm getting it, is that you guys would, would keep the Bitcoin in the, in the, the treasury, the, the company, and then over the course of time it's just gonna do the number go up thing and, and the, the club will have more resources.

Right. Is that, is that the idea you're thinking with the, the bitcoin strategy?

George: There's actually many, many things to it. And this is kind of the most, let's say, vanilla type of approach. Yeah, like just buy Bitcoin and hold it on the balance sheet, which is, which is great. But there's actually so many other things you can do. And that's where, because if you just do that, frankly, like, I mean, you don't need me involved, right, much.

I mean, just call Coinbase, whatever, wire the money, crack in and, buy. but with us it's like, really, uh, we see a huge opportunity to, first of all, align our brand with the Bitcoin brand, which is a royalty free, uh, The biggest brand in finance, for sure. One, uh, like it's going to be the biggest brand in the world for sure at some point.

Right. So that's, that's one play. And to do this, it's not enough for you to just buy Bitcoin and hold it on a balance sheet. It's what you need to do is proof of work, right? You need to do things that nobody has ever done. You need to really kind of be creative. Uh, and, and, um, to push the boundaries of what anyone has ever done before, right?

So, so that is, uh, that is my kind of job and it's a lot of, um, a lot of just like, let's, let's think of what, what new things we can do with Bitcoin and sports and football that nobody has ever done. Just because others are focused on the short term things, they're focused on, hitting those, those quick wins, those quick goals, which is why, for example, like a lot of the sports and, and that have, you know, interact, they haven't really interacted outside of Bedford with Bitcoin, right?

It's mostly been crypto because it's just, okay, let's make some quick money. Um,

Luke: usually, it's usually just sponsorships, right?

Knut: yeah,

George: yes. Um, and for us, because on the one hand, like, we're not like Manchester United, right? We're not Chelsea. So we don't have that much to monetize immediately. Like we're a large club, but.

Luke: You're a large club in a local league, which is, which is different from the, it's not one of the leagues that is internationally positioned like that. But, but, I mean, the, the difference between you guys and Bedford that I, that I think is, is really interesting. Like, McCormack, what he, Peter McCormack, what he's doing, I mean, he's, he's taking a club from the bottom and aiming for the top.

But who knows how long that's going to take him to get there, right? But you guys are already in the top of your league, right? Like, in the top league.

George: right, yeah, and also there's, there's different in this, we're in the top of our league. My goal, personally, is to go to Champions League, but this is very hard, right? Because, like, okay, when you start from Peter's ground, like, it's easy, okay, every year you level up, you level up, or, I mean, I'm not gonna say it's easy, but it's easier than, uh, than once you're, you know, at our level.

For us, it's important to play currently every year in European leagues like we've done so far and to every year consistently, like, increase the level of the sports, level of the business department bit by bit, and, but like breaking that point where we, you know, win the league, Where we win several more games and enter the Champions League, that, that's really hard.

I mean, because you're already at that stage where everybody, like, so many teams are so strong, right? So it's um, it takes just a lot of ingredients for you to, to, to hit, uh, in order to win. But we're gonna get there.

Knut: and does the club self custody it's bitcoin? And if so, is it a something out of 11 multisig, that sounds like a football thing?

George: Why so? Ah, yeah, an 11? Nah, nah, fuck that. I mean Nah, even, even 7 Motosick is a, is a killer, but no. Um, yeah, I can't really speak too much about this at this point. Yeah. Um, but, um, but yeah, I mean, we do, of course we do self custody. So that's, that's the approach that we've chosen with kind of a lot of, um, we've chosen to go really pure, pure Bitcoin in terms of the strategy.

And that's how we set ourselves apart. That's how we believe we win the long game because for instance, like we Bitcoin with BTC pay server. Which in my mind they don't even have competition. It's the only like, real, solid, autonomous, sovereign way to accept payments. And it's also the way which makes sense for like, Frankly, any standard business, because like, man, we're selling scarves, we're selling, um, membership boat cards, we're selling jerseys, we're selling basic merch, and if we are to sell it with basically any other service out there, outside of BTC Pay Server, we have to basically, uh, indirectly do KYC, right?

Like, we have to go through KYC, we have to go through KYB, which is ridiculous, um, in my mind. And so, um, so that's why we're exceptionally thankful to B2C Pay Server guys, uh, for what they've built. Uh, it's been like an absolute pleasure to, um, to use their product, to use their service. Uh, we have, you know, outside of B2C Pay, we, uh, we are the first, uh, sports club on Nostr.

Where, uh, we have, uh, actively been posting, exploring, you know, meeting people here. Kind of thinking of what we could do from our angle again, like first, first time on Nostr.

Aqua WAllet

George: Um, we have partnered with, uh, Aqua, JAN3's Aqua wallet, which has a, a Botive skin mode now. So if you go to settings, you can turn Botive mode and then it turns into the colors of the club and, you know, have the picture of the stadium there.

Um,

Luke: I'm using Aqua right now because, uh, uh, usually I like to use Aqua as like a sort of a middle wallet, uh, uh, because it's still slightly slower than other lightning wallets because they, they, the, everything actually lives on, on liquid and then they, they, uh, go out via bolts. Uh, so it's slightly slower than a faster, um, like, like than other, um, more direct lightning wallets.

And so usually when I come to a conference, I'm going to load up a, like a temporary. I don't know, Blink or something like that, but I forgot to do that, so I'm just using my Aqua wallet, and you know what, it's been great here, it's been working, uh, so yeah, we're big fans of Aqua wallet and what

Knut: Yeah, and a BTC pay server. I mean, uh, we can echo everything you said that we, BitcoinInfinity. com, like, and the store here We just fired up. Everything is powered by a BTC pay server, and we just love it. Yes.

Luke: So what was your question about, uh, Aqua?

George: If yours is on BOTEV mode.

Luke: Uh, I don't think I've gone into the settings and changed it to Vaudev mode, I'll have to do that, maybe we'll take

George: It's dark mode,

but cooler.

Luke: Doc dark mode, but cooler. Okay. Okay. Actually that's a, that's a, that's a good point. That's a good point. Yeah. We'll take a, we'll take a picture after, uh, after the episode and we'll de proof, bot, uh, bot e mode, and, uh, uh, post that on Nostr.

How does that sound?

George: Let's go.

Knut: Yeah. Nostr. Um, is there a connection there between both a plot and Nostr while you're doing Nostr stuff as well?

History and Freedom

George: Yeah. Well, look, um, a lot of these things is like, so What Botev Plovdiv stands for, um, very importantly, so the club was named after Hristo Botev, who's, uh, like, one of the most Bulgarians, if the most famous Bulgarian revolutionaries, like, historical figure, uh, he was a poet, he was a revolutionary, he fought for Bulgaria's freedom back in the day,

Luke: Which, which day, which, what day did you

George: uh, 110, uh, what is it, like, 50 years ago or so?

Yeah.

Knut: Mm-Hmm?

Luke: Okay. So, so

Knut: before the Commes.

Luke: ottoman, uh,

George: Yeah, yeah, yeah. He, he, he, he fought for the, for the liberation of Bulgaria from, from the Ottoman Empire. And a lot of what he stands for is this fight for freedom, his fight for liberty. Um, and this, this lives until this very day into the identity of the club and to what we stand for into the songs, into the, into the music.

Um, you know, um, the kind of like what, what our fans also resonate with, um, and, and what they sing like in many, in many ways. Right. So, um, Freedom of speech, freedom of, uh, of like freedom in general is, is a value that is deeply ingrained into kind of like what the club stands for. Um, and, uh, you know, that's why I'm into Bitcoin.

That's why I believe. And that's, that's why I saw this even bigger opportunity. Oh my God, like, how is this happening? There's so many, sometimes, you know, some like weird things happen in life and you have no explanation why and how all these things align. But, but for me, it's like this club was made really to.

to be aligned with BOTEF and to be, uh, to, to, to be aligned with Bitcoin and with Nostr. If I look at all the other clubs in Bulgaria, right, like just in Bulgaria, none of the others, like, there's no this contextual historical background that you can make these connections. But with us, we have it, and what a chance that, like, we have this owner, and he got, like, introduced to it, and then we got connected.

Like, how the hell does this happen, man? I don't know,

Luke: We like to say this, the surreal doesn't end, you know, and like, uh, my, my whole story, I've been talking about this, uh, at the, the conference here is like two years ago was the first time I ever met Bitcoiners here in Baltic Honeybadger. We, we met for the, for the first time, uh, all three of us, uh, met for the first time two years ago, I've been in Baltic Honeybadger and it's like, things, things happen so fast.

Uh, I've, I've, uh, I've thought it was been awesome just following, uh, what you've been doing with the, the club and the story. So great to, Great to get to talk about it, but, uh,

Bitcoin in Football

George: Yeah. No, for, for me, like really the, the most exciting part is really even coming forward. So, uh, because, so now it's been, so we, a long, we announced, uh, publicly that we're doing this, uh, 31st October last year. So the anniversary of the, of the, uh, Bitcoin White paper, um, we've built a lot right. And very, very importantly, I'm super proud, like, I don't know if you saw this, but like a month ago, we played on European League, the UEFA League with Bitcoin straight on our jerseys, which was like, like, when I saw this, I'm like, dude, it's crazy that this is happening.

But, but the best is really yet to come, like, like we like to say. Um, so I, I think we, we're, we have, um, we have still so much more to do. So for me, the next big part, which I'm super excited about literally in the coming month as, uh, as I go back. So is to finally get some of our. Players or at least one or two to get to do something publicly about this, because at the end of the day, that's why for me, the more I do, the more I, uh, play in this arena, I realized this is really a Trojan horse for us to bring Bitcoin into the conversation, into the minds, like I said, of people who otherwise wouldn't and, and our players, you know, especially a few of them, they're really influencers, right?

Um, a lot of people follow them. A lot of people respect them. And, um, and if they do, uh, you know, something meaningful, something cool, something impactful, this is going to have a huge impact onto our forwards. This could very well have impact onto, um, other sportsmen, other football people, other football clubs, right?

Uh, so that's why I'm doing it, right? Really?

Luke: No, this is fantastic, and actually this was exactly where I was hoping to go next, so thank you for queuing that up. But, no, no, the game theory of all this, right? Like, one club getting, Positioning as the, as the Bitcoin club in a league, uh, really means that eventually all the other clubs are going to need to adopt Bitcoin.

If they're going to be able to compete, because if play playing out the game theory, number go up, whatever it is, Bitcoin strategy plays out, you guys are going to be the most financially capable club. Financially sustainable in not very long, you know, assuming everything plays out the way we're thinking it will, right?

So, so other, other clubs then would become incentivized to also adopt Bitcoin. So what, what do you, what do you think about that? Like you, do you, do you see that, uh, happening as well?

George: Yeah, I'm not really sure if it would happen to me. That fast, to be fair. Like, I think it's inevitable, right, obviously, but I think it, yeah, like, I think this definitely takes at least three, four years, maybe more. Um,

Luke: That's, that's still pretty fast.

George: yeah, I guess. I mean, I mean, like, okay, let me define it better. It takes three, four years.

So, for other clubs within our league to start doing something like this, uh, maybe it takes less time for other clubs to realize it, but I think for them to do it, it also depends on our actions, right? So because like, we don't have like a treasury of microstrategy or something, so it's not, and we're not doing like a

Luke: you don't?

George: monthly like leverage on top of leverage on top of another leverage, you know, uh, we're not in, in Michael's privileged position. but we can do other cool things, right? Uh, one of the, um, so this is not yet live and this is not yet happening, but one of the, like two, two projects, let's say, I'm gonna briefly, like, tease here that, that I'm working on that I hope to have very large impact is first, uh, building this, uh, simple tool Uh, called like a Bitcoin, uh, football salary calculator that, uh, it's like really a DCA tool, but like looking back and like tailoring it to our niche where I want to, for us to visually and emotionally Show, um, to players, but also to fans of ours, like what Bitcoin could have done for their remuneration, if you look one year back in time, two years back in time, three years back in time, four years back in time, and for them to really realize, Oh my God, this is a no brainer.

Right? I want to make this mess. And this is hard, right? Um, because like, there's so many tools and like, but I want to be, because the audience is very wide, very different types of audience. I want to make this so that you can consume it in like two, three, four minutes. And you're like, okay, I need to learn more about this.

This actually is interesting. There's like, that's so much dense and emotional and compact information that you're like, Whoa. Why am I not doing this? How did I miss this?

Knut: What, what, what was the name of that website? I, I don't know if it's still up, but bitcoin or shit.com or something like that. So, so it lists if you bought this item when it came out, an iPhone five or whatever, uh, and if you had bought b bitcoin instead.com, I think that that's the, that's the name. So if you bought, uh, if you bought Bitcoin instead, it shows you how much, how much more money you'd have now and how many iPhones you

George: Yeah. Yeah. And of course there's many of these tools, obviously like we've all see them and we all like like them and retweet them and repost them. And it's all great. But I think, at least I hope that we can do something impactful with this. If we really tailor it, compact it to a specific type of niche audience with a specific message designed for them.

And because this audience is also like. A type of audience who can also like, um, you know, bring it to other bubbles that we ourselves are not part of, right? So that's, for example, one like, uh, one like project I'm very, very excited about and I hope we can, um, yeah, we'll bring forward relatively soon.

There's a few moving elements, but definitely in the coming month or two, uh, at most. And then, uh, and then, you know, speaking of the other clubs, what, what I want us to do is what we're working is next year, we're targeting to do, I hope we could do the world's first, uh, Bitcoin, uh, Cup tournament. Uh, for youth players, 70 year old boys who are, you know, right there before they sign their first professional contract, start earning money, for them, first of all, like, it's a Bitcoin football cup, like, it's the first time this, this could potentially ever happen And then it's, it's a football first tournament, right?

This is the, we want to make it like top quality, like really the highest quality when it comes to sports, but then you have Bitcoin involved all over the place, right? In terms of brand, in terms of rewards, in terms of, um, in terms of like plays, um, like, like games and, and interactions, activations, uh, throughout, before, throughout, and after the, And after the event, and for this, I'm targeting to get really like, like big clubs.

I mean, because it's academies, right? I mean, I cannot get the Manchester United first team, just maybe we could get the Manchester United 17 year old team or, you know, another big club. We get some of these, and then like we get their brands, we get them on the focus of Bitcoin. And we drive the conversation faster, you know, not three, four years from now, but Less

Knut: what about, um, like right now there's you and there's, um, you guys and there's a real bed for it, right? Those are the two I know of in Europe. Are you aware of any other clubs that are doing a Bitcoin strategy? I mean, is this virus spreading? Like, have you heard anything like,

George: Um, Oh, there's, uh, there's the Austrian Admira Vakir who have done some integration. So it's a second tier, uh, second league, uh, second league, uh, club that have, uh, that have, uh, you know, they've also had Bitcoin on the, their second team jersey. And, um, and they, they also accept Bitcoin payments, uh, here and there, but you know, the thing is, there's some other clubs, um, there's a Miami, um, not Miami, um, a Hawaiian club that, that is doing, uh, that is doing like their Bitcoin gig,

Knut: yeah, there are other, other sports, right, other sports team and sports teams in other sports that are doing it. But, but for football specifically,

George: which ones?

Knut: Uh, I'm so bad with sports, but wasn't there like a hockey team or a basketball team or

Luke: I'm not aware of any others, actually. Yeah, like, uh, there's been some attempts at

Knut: it's

Luke: an orange colored team or something like

Knut: more the individual athletes,

Luke: Yeah, yeah, there have been individual

Knut: for instance, a

Luke: have been individual

Knut: player, and there was some American football player.

George: There's been individual athletes, a lot of them. There's been, I was asking if you know, but there's been a baseball club in Australia, the Port Heat. Uh, who did kind of a Bitcoin strategy. Uh, but very unfortunately that didn't work out. They kind of started this at the peak of the last bull cycle. And, um, and as I understand, uh, there wasn't like a strong alignment between the owners and the management in terms of like understanding that this is a long game.

So that's why this kind of flopped. Um, but yeah, like I, I think the reason why it's not happening in more, unfortunately, and, and, and I see this even, even within our club, uh, you know, but, but definitely no other clubs because Fiat has permitted sports as well. Right. So all the sports club, uh, clubs or the vast majority in football, for sure.

They're like, you know, on the hamster wheel themselves.

Knut: They're indebted,

George: They're indebted.

Knut: to an extreme level,

George: yeah, like, like fighting for every dollar for every income. So it's, it's hard for you to like, Oh yeah, we're going to have this long term Bitcoin strategy that's going to take like two, three, four, five years to play out.

And we can benefit a lot from it. It's very, very hard in, you know, unfortunately for a large organizations, sports club in particular to To have this realization, to map this out, to get others on board. That's why it's not so popular and uh, and that's why I'm grateful and keep pushing that we have this chance.

Luke: I mean, you make a great point here about essentially the, it's the organizational alignment, right? Like the, the, these are companies, sports clubs are companies. They just have this large, the business is involved around getting fans to come in and consume this sort of marketing. Product, essentially. So it's, it's a certain kind of company that's run a certain way, but just like any other company, you need, you need alignment from the management.

So it's, it's fantastic that, uh, Boteb Plovdiv has, has the, uh, alignment and is, is putting their, their trust in you to, to move this thing forward. And I mean, from the, from the perspective of this thing, Playing out, right? The, the best part that, uh, I think one of the best parts that you, you mentioned again was the, the influencers.

Like you get, you get some players, there's, there's so many angles to, to reach people through this. I think it's, I think it's fantastic. The, uh, orange pilling a player and then they move to another club, but they, they, maybe they don't get to get paid in Bitcoin, but maybe they still put, put their money in, in Bitcoin.

Maybe they even ask their club to, to, uh, pay them in Bitcoin, something like that. And then the, the Questions start getting, uh, asked and all this.

5 Year Goals

Luke: So what, what is the, the goal in, in five years, for example, where, where do you see the club in the five year mark?

George: Oh man. Yeah, in five years, I think we definitely have to be in Champions League. Like in my mind, you know, like people around me like, oh, you're too ambitious. I'm like, man, yeah, like in five years, we definitely have to be in Champions League. Uh, that's, that's my personal goal. On our internal Slack, I have the Champions League icon there.

That's why I'm there, right? Um, so, uh, it's a lot of hard work. Like, it's really a lot of hard work. And it's also not completely dependent on me and my work, to be fair. Like, because, at all. I mean, really, like, uh, I mean, at the end of the day, the most important part is the sports department, right? Uh, in the club.

Um, so that has to continue going well. But, but I think We're going in a good direction there too, because we have the, they're the long term view as well, right. We have our academy internally, which is, yeah, it's one of the best academies. It's the best really academy in terms of infrastructure in the country.

That's why we're also can't afford to think of this Bitcoin Cup tournament, because we have the infrastructure, we have like a super cool stadium, that's crazy. If we can, if we can do a final for, for such a tournament there. Um, so, so we have all the things in place in terms of In terms of assets, I would say, uh, it's just a lot of moving parts.

a lot of work, consistency, and a bit of luck. Always it comes, you know, when, when it comes to, when it comes to football and sports, but, but five years from now, I want us to be in the champions league. I want us to be the absolute, you know, international professional level, uh, Bitcoin level, Bitcoin sports club.

and, uh, and I want for this tournament that I start to be like a, like, like to have the fourth edition by then. Uh, and, and I want to have clubs, but five years is a lot of time, you know, as you say, like, I also want to have other clubs following us by then. I think that's absolutely, absolutely is going to be doable.

Knut: What, what are the, what are the tax laws around Bitcoin in Bulgaria? Like what, are there any issues there? Or like what, is it easy enough,

George: It's kind of okay. Uh, it's kind of okay. So if you just buy Bitcoin and hold it, like you don't, uh, you don't, uh, incur taxes, uh, until you sell it, if you accept Bitcoin for payments, um, and if you don't sell it, you can just, uh, keep it as inventory on your balance sheet. So again, no,

Knut: but there's a capital gains tax or something if you sell it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Alright.

George: 10%. So it's, it's, uh,

Knut: Pretty good.

George: Yeah, I mean, it's not like El Salvador. Okay. Uh, but, but it's, uh, it's, it's way better than many other places. Um, and, uh, yeah, so we've been looking, looking actually, so I was in El Salvador a couple of months ago, because we've been looking very much to do stuff there.

And we've been, uh, yeah. Um, because we've been, we've been thinking of what to do more with Bitcoin, right? So that's why I said, like, it's not just about buying and accepting Bitcoin. It's about corporate strategies, about branding strategies, about how to make money. Um, it's about education strategies. It's, there's so much around it.

So in terms of corporate strategy, I was, uh, we're very attracted by El Salvador, um, and their, uh, capital markets regulation, because they're basically striving to build capital markets on top of Bitcoin. Bitcoin is legal tender there. They have all kinds of, tax incentives for companies to issue debt or to sell equity.

on their capital, on their, um, well, let's say nascent upcoming capital markets, because it's not like it's, you know, hustling and bustling yet. Um, but, but they're, they've put a lot of the rails, uh, um, or they're building a lot of the rails to, um, to really enable the, the, the creation of Bitcoin based capital markets.

So, um, we've had great talks there. We have meetings with, uh, um, we have. Yeah, with the Bitcoin office, right? Um, so, ideally, like, we're striving to build some connection there and to do something, interesting and world first again from a corporate perspective. It's just that, as many things, it's a little harder than you would expect it to be, or it takes a little more time than, Then you would hope to do it.

But my idea or long term vision, frankly, like what we want to do with Bitcoin, uh, and with the club is to enable our current fans and global fans to become co owners of the club. And that's why, you know, I have big hopes for, uh, for us being able to do this out of El Salvador and through El Salvador, because this would, like from a tax perspective, from a branding perspective, from legal security perspective would be, would be ideal.

It's just that, again, um, my enthusiasm is a little over, uh, ahead of kind of like how, uh, how, how advanced and set up everything there is, but, uh, but we're, we're very actively talking to them. We're working with many parties there, so. Just maybe we can have big news there too.

International and Local Effects

Luke: Well, no, and, and you actually said something great about global fans. I think this is a, a fantastic thing, right? A a again, Bedford is, is similar. They've, they've got, they've got fans all over the world and, and I think for you guys it's like who is going to tune into the Bulgarian football league outside of Bulgaria before, well, not too many people, but now a bunch of Bitcoiners.

If they're into, if they're into football or, or not even, because this is the funny thing. There were, there were a lot of people posting about that. They, they've got, they, they don't usually follow, follow sports at all, but, but they'll follow the Bitcoin team. So the, the funny thing is, I think, I think the first, the first club to adopt Bitcoin in every league is going to get all of these global fans.

And maybe the, maybe the, the second one, the third one, maybe can get some kind of other support, but it's really the first one in every

George: really.

Luke: That, that

George: Not

Luke: That's that. I, I completely agree with you there. It's the, it's the first one

Knut: first mover advantage.

Luke: mover advantage. It's gonna get, it is gonna get all of the, all of the Bitcoiners are gonna now be, be supporting and, uh, uh, yeah.

I mean, have, have you seen, uh, some, some uptick in, uh, kind of international

George: yeah, yeah. So, international but also local. Like, local is very important. Like, we have, like, so many people in the country who's like, just what you say, like, I didn't care about sports or football, like, forever, or at all, ever, but now I follow, now I buy merch, now I come, you know, every now and then they come to games, so

Luke: Well, because there's the bread and circuses thing that you said, it gets tossed around in the Bitcoin world and also some other places on kind of the Twitter sphere and whatever, it's like it's a distraction, that sports is sort of a distraction from clown world basically and it's a way of people to sort of Uh, forget about what's going on around them, but I think that's also missing the, the positives, which it, it's a, it's a community builder, it brings people together, there's a, there's a sense of, of pride in, in something local succeeding, everyone, everyone's happy, there's, there's real economic, uh, effects usually when a, when a local sports team wins, and so, so from, from my perspective, I, I, I think, I think sport is a good thing, and it's, and it's, it's something that, that people can rally around, and so,

George: an amazing thing.

Luke: Yeah.

And, and so what, what are, what are you looking at locally? Like what, what do you hope to have the effect, uh, uh, locally in, in piv?

George: Yeah. Um, yeah, no, look, uh, for me, sports, like, for us, the, the, the, the, about Plovdiv, for me, that's what I realized, like, we're kind of very much into Bitcoin and stuff, obviously, that's our interest, but I think when we go on a Bitcoin standard, Right. And, uh, in general, people start feeling wealthier, opposed to, like, being in the grind.

You're just going to have more time for fun stuff, right? Like playing football, I mean, or volleyball, or whatever your sport is, or, like, going and cheering your team, and, uh, and being part of such a community. And I think that's really what, you know, even Nostr is about. Like it's, Being part of these communities, because that's fun, and like, we as humans, at the end of the day, we are living to be part of communities, right?

And you find your community, you're an active part of it, you contribute to it, you evolve it, right? You build it in one way or another. And unfortunately, you know, today in the fiat world, this is just like A stress valve in many ways, or like you say, like Brothers and Sisters, whatever. Um, but, uh, but I think it can be so much more, right?

It is, but it can be so much more for a larger amount of people and so on and so forth. uh, but yeah, well, back in Plovdiv, man, like, I have big hopes. I really have big, big ambitions there. I want to get Bitcoin into the wallets of, uh, of like tens of thousands of people. I want people to wake up. I want people to see.

Luke: big is piv? How many

George: It's like three, four hundred thousand people. So it's a lot. Uh, our stadium is, uh, 21, 000 seats stadium. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. It's, it's 19. I wish it was 21.

Luke: Yeah. You'll have to add 2000 more

George: Maybe, yeah, we'll, we'll think of some additional construction.

Luke: the, make the infinity stand when

George: Right. Right. But, uh, but yeah, like the setting was super cool. Like, it's really cool.

Like when it's feel like, man, the atmosphere is amazing. Um, and so it's, and it's really this community that you can feel that people are involved. So it's, it's like consistency and it's social engineering in one way or another, right?

Knut: one of our favorite words,

George: but in a positive way.

Knut: in a positive way, okay.

George: So it's social engineering for us to ingrain Bitcoin and make it part of kind of what people see, do, have, own, interact with, right?

So, uh, I think exactly because of this community element, exactly because, Because, you know, football is a football club and there's this unique living organism we can, we can create this and, you know, it's fascinating. I'm so much into this and there's other people who are so much into this. Oh my god, like, we can make such a big difference.

And, and like in the country. You know, on a political and economic level, they don't get it. Like, they don't see it. They just are in their, you know, like, oh, are we going to accept the euro? Oh, what's happening with the war? I'm like, who cares? Let's build.

Bulgarian Currency Situation

Knut: Yeah, Bulgaria has its own shitcoin, I almost forgot about that, but uh, what's it called again?

George: Kinda. Um, but not quite, to be fair. It's, it's a good coin, uh, not for investing, but, but for medium of exchange is actually decent. Uh, Lev, Lev

Knut: Lev, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah,

George: and I recently got educated about this. So, uh, the lev is pegged to the euro. So, um, uh, so, so that, that is super cool for, for us, for me as a consumer, for businesses, because like the fixed rate.

So for trade is, um, It's, it's good, right? As the world would be in the future. You have one currency, Bitcoin, you don't have the currency exchange risk, right? We don't have it only with the European Union. And the good part with this, so, we got, we got hyperinflation back in 1997. Was really bad. People lost almost everything, everything, in many cases.

Um, and then we got this so called currency board introduced and the currency board is like we have the left, but the left has to be backed up by other currencies. So it's like a stable coin, kind of like how Tether is backed by, by dollars. You know, the levy is backed by euro and like a basket of, I think they have some other currencies and assets, which is cool because the local politicians, they cannot print, they cannot, you know, so, so it's been, it's been, I think, way better than Hungary, Sweden, uh, Finland, you have your, oh

but Sweden I've heard it's kind of bad,

Knut: It's kinda bad, Norway too, like, both Swedish and Norwegian crown, and the crown in Czechia, like the Czech Republic, it's also

George: Yeah.

Knut: I mean, they're all going to shit the smaller

George: So, so for us, it's like, I would say we're better than, than the Corona, the, and, and all these like local currencies, because we kind of just are there to the, peg to the Euro. The local politicians don't have the opportunity to print. So it's, it's a very good position for us to be.

Luke: You, you get the, the negatives of the, the euro. But, but still, I mean, I mean the, the realistically, the dollar at the Euro and maybe the, the Chinese currency are the only, are the only ones that are in the, sort of within our own, within our own lifetimes are, are going to be not as terribly bad against Bitcoin.

But all the other ones are just, are. All the other ones are

Knut: Yeah, I think it's just a matter of time before both, uh, at least Sweden, uh, switches to Euro standard. If not switching to Bitcoin standard happens first, but well, we'll see, we'll see what happens.

George: man. I'm very bearish about the Euro.

Knut: yeah, yeah, it's like,

Luke: It'll be the second last to fall or third last but but yeah it's it's it's it's not going to be the the last and so it's yeah.

Knut: So that is what it is. I mean, speaking of Bulgaria and currencies and stuff,

Bitcoin Adoption in Bulgaria

Knut: like, how is the rest of, how is Bitcoin adoption in general in Bulgaria? What's happening in other places? Like, Plamen opened a bar, I saw, and like, what are the connections? What's happening?

George: It's actually quite cool. I'm, I'm, I'm quite happy with, with how the ecosystem is evolving. There's, there's Plamen, um, with his whole community, like content creation, the conferences he's been doing, which has been like a very, I think he's responsible for like, I don't know, probably like, 000, maybe several 10, 000s of people who have opened their eyes and even if they're not hard bitcoiners, they now own bitcoin.

Uh, so that's huge. We have other content creators also who've had an impact. We have now once or twice per, yeah, about twice per year we have like, uh, A small, uh, merchant, uh, like, conference events, so for merchants to accept Bitcoin. we have these people who are active and who are doing things. Now, actually, yeah, there's something new that's coming up here, uh, literally in Plovdiv is we have this, um, this, uh, great dudes who have this, um, um, it's an application for, uh, ordering food, like takeaway and, uh, what is it, like,

Knut: like Glovo or

George: yeah, yeah, like Glovo, um, but, um, but, um, But it's not like this big corporate thing that, but, but still, it's a very good product and they've integrated accepting Bitcoin there for quite some time now they've made it even easier and they've introduced.

So we have like about, I think it's 15 restaurants in Sofia and like five or so in Plovdiv where through their system, you can order food. And pay with Bitcoin online, or you can also go in the restaurant and pay in Bitcoin online, and they just, um, they just won a, uh, grant from, uh, Bitcoin Beach, uh, and, uh, they're going to use the grant, uh, to, well, the attempt is really to start like a small circular economy, if you would Um, where, so if you go, uh, to one of those restaurants and pay with Bitcoin, you're going to get sats back 10%, and then, um, the restaurant is also going to get 10 percent sats back.

And if you order food, um, through their app, also the driver is going to get, uh, some sats back. And, uh, we've just been discussing, because obviously we're partnering with them, with the football club, so we'll push this out, because some of the restaurants that are there are our, I mean, basically, like, we have two restaurants locally that are partners, we got them in, right, obviously, in the deal, um, So, so that is also like, for me, it's like super cool because now for so far, the club has been pushing Bitcoin.

Now we have two of our restaurant partners who are themselves like hard Botevists, Botefans, and like they're popular. Now they're starting to accept Bitcoin in their, in their two restaurants, right? And they're going to have their campaigns. We're going to push them more. So, um, so I'm really excited about this and fingers crossed this goes well.

We have good metrics because if we have good metrics. Yeah, we'll look for ways to grow this. So there's a lot of grassroots things happening, which I love. On the top, nothing.

Knut: It's the way it's supposed to be.

George: But it's the way it is. Yeah, it's a better

Luke: Yeah it really seems like that you get one or two of these big anchors like like for example you you guys have had that had that conference last couple of years but now with both of Plavdev now Bulgaria is really got a couple of big anchors. Big relative in relative terms, uh, and all of this other stuff can, can start coming up around it.

And, uh, love, love to see it. I mean, he, I mean here, here with Rega, there's Honey Budger has been going for a really long time, and I, and I even think that they are honest about, we, we would, we just talked to, to Max, uh, about this, uh, from Defi and like yeah, there's not much other adoption in, in Lavia and this conference has been going on for a long time.

Exactly. And so it's just like, uh, it's, it's, it's great to see, uh, in, in your case, in Bulgaria's case, that there's, there's more of this, uh, picking up. So, yeah,

George: Well, I think it's really, in our case, I don't know, like it's grassroots, like I said, and I really believe grassroots and then Rio or for the vast majority, Rio adoption comes permissionless life. It comes like it's not forced. You know, there is this point where, okay, there's Plamen, like, he got the inspiration, he makes his content, he does the conferences, Like, our owner, he sees this opportunity for Bitcoin, for the club. He takes the action, right? So it's, it's not like, so it's individuals, right? Taking actions and then, as you have, you know, several of them, maybe others get inspired or get ideas going and that's how the magic happens. And, uh, yeah. Excited about it.

Wrapping Up

Luke: it's awesome, man. Great hear your story. So, was, uh, was there anything else that you wanted to discuss or bring up on this topic?

George: no, I mean, what I would say is absolutely, uh, Please, uh, you know, Knut, you've been, but please, you're absolutely welcome, Luke, join as well, like, both of you should come

Knut: Absolutely. Highly recommend it. I had a great time in Bulgaria, and it's such a fascinating country, it's such a rich history and such a beautiful place, and the food is great, and it's very affordable, it's very, yeah, very

George: like, I have people who come in Plogis specifically to, like, nomads, spend, like, a or a month. So, so please enjoy, visit the game. come spend in the restaurants where they accept Bitcoin, follow us on social media for sure, so, X and Nostr,

Luke: Yes, all the details, please.

Knut: And also like one of the eras, uh, infamous eras of Bulgaria is the commie era, right? Where you can see the impact that system had on the country and how horrid it is. Uh, so it's, it's, uh, that might not be a good pitch for, uh, but that's

Luke: Let him, let him share his social medias, Knut.

George: wait, do you have, do you have something

Knut: no, no, I think like the, The point I was getting to is, if you get to Bulgaria, don't only go to Sofia, go around the rest of the country, because it's not as raped as that town was by, as that city was by communism, all this concrete, yeah, yeah,

George: yeah, the,

Knut: you can really see the impact there. I'm not, um, yeah, this came out totally wrong, but I'm trying to, I'm trying to, To hype Bulgaria here, but also there's a historical lesson to be learned in the country, for sure,

George: sure. It's really like, there's so many different things there. So there's the communist part, there's like fucking amazing nature, there's like

Knut: is everything, yeah.

George: if you're into hiking, there's like, just like from Sofia, what I love about Sofia, like just last week, twice, end of the day, I'm like fucked up, like tired of computer.

40 minutes up and I'm up in the mountains, hiking, in like 2000 meters altitude. Uh, so, so there's all these like super cool things, but on the socials, yeah, we're on Twitter. we're on Nostr, uh, so Twitter is, um, botif underscore, uh, en, on Nostr, uh, we are just botif. Yeah, you can find us.

Luke: going say you're NPUB? No, no, no,

George: I'm still learning it, okay?

Luke: we'll post, you're still learning, we'll post all the details in the show

George: Yes. Yes. And feel free to also check out our website. We have, due to our El Salvadorian, um, kind of project, we already have a Salvadorian website, which is very easy to remember, botif. sv. So you can go there and from there you'll find all the links and information.

Luke: Absolutely fantastic.

Knut: Great! Get the inverse of Clown World. This is a shill. BitcoinInfinityStore. com And thank you very much for coming on,

George: was great having

Knut: Great to have

Luke: George, thanks so much. This has been Bitcoin Infinity Show. Thank you for

@ c67cd3e1:84098345

@ 4ec341e6:6dc2fdaf

Fazendo referencia ao capítulo 2 - “Dizendo não”, o nome deste é o contrário: “Dizendo sim” e fala sobre linguagem de comprometimento, como e quando dizer “SIM” de forma bem clara e comprometida.

Você diz que fará. Você é honesto. Você de fato o faz.

O autor discorre que existe uma linguagem de comprometimento, e uma linguagem de não comprometimento, como exemplos de linguagem de não comprometimento estão: “Espero já ter feito…”, “Temos que fazer…” e “Alguém tem que fazer…”. Ou seja, linguagem que coloca algo à ser feito como fora do controle do programador, se isentando de culpa e/ou responsabilidade.

Há poucas pessoas que ao falarem algo, realmente estão sendo honestas e cumprem o prometido.

O autor ainda diz algo que ele ainda vai explorar nos próximos capítulos: Outras pessoas dependem do seu comprometimento e das suas estimativas, se você diz que algo será entregue, essas pessoas que dependem de você vão se planejar com base nessa informação, o que pode incluir o roadmap das próximas sprints ou comunicação com clientes da empresa, por isso se torna ainda mais importante o comprometimento total com as promessas.

Deve-se usar a linguagem de comprometimento para que não exista dúvidas daquilo que foi prometido.

O autor aborda alguns exemplos e possíveis saídas caso o desenvolvedor seja pressionado à enregar o que se pede. É importante relembrar o capítulo 2 para não usar a palavra “tentar”, e ser o mais assertivo possível.

Não se espera que profissionais digam sim para tudo que se pede à eles. […] mas precisam trabalhar para tornar o sim possível.

Também uma frase muito interessante, dado que CEOs, CTOs e gestores de projeto querem que os desenvolvedores digam SIM para absolutamente tudo, como prazos impossíveis, aumento de escopo de user stories, demandas não planejadas etc.

@ bf95e1a4:ebdcc848

This is the cleaned, AI-generated transcript of Bitcoin Infinity Show #127

If you'd like to support us, check out https://bitcoininfinitystore.com/ for all our books, merch, and more!

Welcoming George Manolov

Luke: George, welcome to the Bitcoin Infinity Show, thank you for joining us.

George: Thank you, Knut.

Knut: Good to have you here, George.

George: to be here, yeah.

you're here to tell us about the city that I was most surprised by ever. Like, I've never heard of the city before I went to Bulgaria, Yeah, time flies.

Knut: So Plovdiv, Bulgaria, which was amazing, this rich, Thousands of years of history plays with a lot of different eras and different styles of architecture and stuff, really enjoyed Plovdiv, and you have a football team there.

George: yeah, indeed.

George Manolov and Botev Plovdiv

George: Please give us the story about George and Plovdiv Yeah, sure.

Knut: Plovdiv.

George: Sure, sure. So, Plovdiv is, well, I would say it's the oldest living city in Europe, so continuously inhabited. Like you say, not many people know it. I guess, like, we don't have good enough marketing, but, that's probably part of my job right now, right? To spread the word about it. so it's, like the second largest city in the country.

And, yeah, it's just this, it's very, like, I love how you put it because almost nobody has really heard of Plovdiv, right? Most people, when they hear of Bulgaria, they've probably heard of Sofia but Sofia is, okay, but Plovdiv is kind of the chill place, Plovdiv is the place that is actually worth visiting, the place where, people just enjoy going there.

I was born there, right? and, grew up there till 18 or so, then, Studied, lived in Sofia most of the time. And, last year, in kind of summer, I was already kind of way deeper into Bitcoin. I decided I'm going to go full time into Bitcoin, just commit all my time in Bitcoin at the time, educating, publishing books in Bulgarian about Bitcoin, creating my own educational platform.

And then I got, reached out and connected really to the owner of the football club in the city, which is also the oldest football club in the country, Botev Plovdiv, who was, well, he got introduced into Bitcoin himself and he realized it's going to be a very big, project. You know, going to play a central role in where the world is going.

Knut: What is this the owner of the club?

George: That's right. The owner of the club. was like, Hey, I think we can do something unique with Bitcoin because, you know, the club is really a company, right? It's a business on the one hand, but it's a special type of business, it's not where just you produce a certain product or service.

It's really a living organism where people are involved into it, for very emotional reasons. people feel like it's their own and it's not like a small group of people. It's a very large group of people. In our case, we have tens of thousands, arguably more than a hundred, 200, 000 people who care, who watch, who follow the club.

And so on the one hand, like there's many different ways in which we can look into this, but on the one hand. It's for me, what really inspired me and what got me like, Oh my God, like, is this really happening is that we can bring the conversation about Bitcoin from a completely different angle into society to a group of people who for the most part would never really They would like this, they would never listen to podcasts like this, they would never get to any of the kind of places and things we listen to, watch, consume, right?

and people go, You know, people go kind of for bread and circus, right,

Knut: yeah, yeah.

George: for the games. That's what really football is, right? It's fun and it's emotion, it's enjoyment, but then we push them censorship resistance and hard money, right?

And we don't really push it, you know, that's the thing, right? Because are like consistently, progressively, gradually over time, introducing it and finding the best way and the most appropriate way to, yeah, plant that seed. To the minds of the people, into the views of the people and so on and so forth.

so it's really like, you know, what we're trying to build is, we feel we're in a very privileged position, right? because we've been, the first really professional sports club globally, I would say, to have, uh, crypto Bitcoin, you know, people, departments, who is actually full time employed to, you know, think of a way to grow the business, to think of a way to integrate Bitcoin natively, within the various aspects of, of, of the organization, which obviously initially includes like accepting payments and so on and so forth.

But, um, but there's so much more you can do exactly with this type of, Like organization, again, like not, not, not just a business in a traditional sense.

Knut: Yeah. And, uh, won the league, right? Is that, is that right?

George: Yeah, man, like it's, uh, yeah, so we, um, when I started last year, things were super bad. Like exactly one year ago, I was there for the, for one of the first games. It was horrible. Like, I was like, okay, this is a great idea, but if the team is doing so bad and if, uh, if they keep losing and if the fans keep getting, you know, being unhappy, Um, it's not gonna go anywhere, but still, I gave it a, I gave it a go, right, because I was like, okay, I just hope that the sports side guys are going to do their, their part, and I have my opportunity here, um, to, to just like push, to educate, to, To do what, what, what life is giving me an opportunity to do.

And, uh, very fortunately, as we started working, the team started performing better and better and better. We got a completely new coach. We got a new sports director. We, we had a lot of key staff changes across the organization, which, Um, relatively quickly started showing results. So, uh, yeah, like, 10 months later in May, we won the Bulgarian Cup.

Luke: Is that the cup or the league? Like, uh,

George: it's the cup, it's the cup. So, so, I was saying, like, we started very bad in the league. And so, we were doing better and better, but still, like, we finished 9th in the league out of 16 clubs at the end of the day. But which was still okay, because, like, when I joined, like, we were, like,

Luke: Worried about relegation or something like that?

George: there. I mean,

Knut: We're complete, uh, like I've tried to take an interest to football, but like, uh, my ADD just, the brain just wanders away after five minutes and I can't concentrate anymore. So I don't

Luke: a basketball fan.

Knut: Am I now?

Football for Noobs

Knut: Uh, so, uh, what's the difference between the cup and the league? Let's begin there. That's, that's how much of a football noob I

George: So, so pretty much in every country is the same, right? You have a league or a championship where you have, in our case, 16 teams, and every team plays twice against every other team. So home game, away game, and then, you know, you either win three points when you win, or you lose, or you draw, and you, you, you win one point.

And then, so after you play, after you play, in our case, this, what is it, games? You know,

Luke: 30.

George: yeah, about 30. Yeah, right. You're better than Matt, it's obvious. So, um, so once you play these 30 games, um, you, um, yeah, like the team with the most points wins, right? Whereas, uh, the cup is direct elimination

Knut: So quarterfinals, semifinals, all that.

George: exactly. So it's the easier way. So this was the way for us to due to the bad start of the season. This was the way for us to, to achieve something in this season and to achieve something important because what the Cubs gives us as an opportunity and gave us was to play in the European Leagues.

So UEFA Leagues. And we just did that. We played six games. Uh, for the Europe, uh, Europe League and the Europe Conference League.

Knut: Okay. But to, to be in the champions league, that's a totally, you have to, yeah, yeah. You have to win the league and you have to win all sorts of stuff. Like how does that work?

George: yeah. You have to win the league. And then in our case, so in every country it's different, but in our case, we have to win, like we go to qualifications for the Champions League. So it's like, I mean, three to four games. And if we win that, we go to the Champions League.

Knut: Alright,

George: That's the current state of affairs, although that can change over the years.

Knut: alright, uh, it all makes sense to me now, that's a lie, but anyway.

Luke: No, uh, I'll definitely, we'll acknowledge here that I'm more of the, the sports fan, uh, generally here, and I, I follow football, I like, uh, I like European, uh, football, uh, well, and obviously I'm using the correct, uh, term despite my, um, my pseudo American accent, uh. Yeah, anyway, um, uh, no, it's fantastic to see, and I mean, yeah, for the non sports fans, uh, listening to this, I get that

Knut: Well, I am a sports fan, it's just that Starcraft 2 is my sport, and yeah, yeah,

Luke: yeah,

George: eSports.

Knut: yeah, yeah, so I watch, watch Starcraft 2 games. That's what I do for procrastination sometimes.

Luke: valid sports, I'm not going to compare it to other things that aren't

Knut: breakdancing? Is that a valid sport?

Luke: Breakdancing is, um, hmm, interesting. I think anything with points, that judges give points, is kind of not a sport, it's an activity.

Knut: yeah.

Luke: but, yeah, anyway,

Knut: thing to do.

Luke: is a thing to do, yes, definitely, but back to, back to, um, um, Botev Plod, is it Botev, Botev, what's, what's, Botev, Botev Plod, yeah, so, so, um, yeah, yeah, like, the, the, the achievement, winning, winning the cup, I mean, the, The cups are sort of more difficult.

They're both difficult in their own way, right? Like, the cup, you lose one game, you're out, basically, right? But, I mean, the league is like this endurance, achievement, right? You have to perform well over the course of the whole season. But the cheat code, so to say, and I probably subconsciously used the other football team's terminology, who's in the space, Real Bedford, um,

Botev Plovdiv's Bitcoin Strategy

Luke: The, the idea right, if, if I'm getting it, is that you guys would, would keep the Bitcoin in the, in the, the treasury, the, the company, and then over the course of time it's just gonna do the number go up thing and, and the, the club will have more resources.

Right. Is that, is that the idea you're thinking with the, the bitcoin strategy?

George: There's actually many, many things to it. And this is kind of the most, let's say, vanilla type of approach. Yeah, like just buy Bitcoin and hold it on the balance sheet, which is, which is great. But there's actually so many other things you can do. And that's where, because if you just do that, frankly, like, I mean, you don't need me involved, right, much.

I mean, just call Coinbase, whatever, wire the money, crack in and, buy. but with us it's like, really, uh, we see a huge opportunity to, first of all, align our brand with the Bitcoin brand, which is a royalty free, uh, The biggest brand in finance, for sure. One, uh, like it's going to be the biggest brand in the world for sure at some point.

Right. So that's, that's one play. And to do this, it's not enough for you to just buy Bitcoin and hold it on a balance sheet. It's what you need to do is proof of work, right? You need to do things that nobody has ever done. You need to really kind of be creative. Uh, and, and, um, to push the boundaries of what anyone has ever done before, right?

So, so that is, uh, that is my kind of job and it's a lot of, um, a lot of just like, let's, let's think of what, what new things we can do with Bitcoin and sports and football that nobody has ever done. Just because others are focused on the short term things, they're focused on, hitting those, those quick wins, those quick goals, which is why, for example, like a lot of the sports and, and that have, you know, interact, they haven't really interacted outside of Bedford with Bitcoin, right?

It's mostly been crypto because it's just, okay, let's make some quick money. Um,

Luke: usually, it's usually just sponsorships, right?

Knut: yeah,

George: yes. Um, and for us, because on the one hand, like, we're not like Manchester United, right? We're not Chelsea. So we don't have that much to monetize immediately. Like we're a large club, but.

Luke: You're a large club in a local league, which is, which is different from the, it's not one of the leagues that is internationally positioned like that. But, but, I mean, the, the difference between you guys and Bedford that I, that I think is, is really interesting. Like, McCormack, what he, Peter McCormack, what he's doing, I mean, he's, he's taking a club from the bottom and aiming for the top.

But who knows how long that's going to take him to get there, right? But you guys are already in the top of your league, right? Like, in the top league.

George: right, yeah, and also there's, there's different in this, we're in the top of our league. My goal, personally, is to go to Champions League, but this is very hard, right? Because, like, okay, when you start from Peter's ground, like, it's easy, okay, every year you level up, you level up, or, I mean, I'm not gonna say it's easy, but it's easier than, uh, than once you're, you know, at our level.

For us, it's important to play currently every year in European leagues like we've done so far and to every year consistently, like, increase the level of the sports, level of the business department bit by bit, and, but like breaking that point where we, you know, win the league, Where we win several more games and enter the Champions League, that, that's really hard.

I mean, because you're already at that stage where everybody, like, so many teams are so strong, right? So it's um, it takes just a lot of ingredients for you to, to, to hit, uh, in order to win. But we're gonna get there.

Knut: and does the club self custody it's bitcoin? And if so, is it a something out of 11 multisig, that sounds like a football thing?

George: Why so? Ah, yeah, an 11? Nah, nah, fuck that. I mean Nah, even, even 7 Motosick is a, is a killer, but no. Um, yeah, I can't really speak too much about this at this point. Yeah. Um, but, um, but yeah, I mean, we do, of course we do self custody. So that's, that's the approach that we've chosen with kind of a lot of, um, we've chosen to go really pure, pure Bitcoin in terms of the strategy.

And that's how we set ourselves apart. That's how we believe we win the long game because for instance, like we Bitcoin with BTC pay server. Which in my mind they don't even have competition. It's the only like, real, solid, autonomous, sovereign way to accept payments. And it's also the way which makes sense for like, Frankly, any standard business, because like, man, we're selling scarves, we're selling, um, membership boat cards, we're selling jerseys, we're selling basic merch, and if we are to sell it with basically any other service out there, outside of BTC Pay Server, we have to basically, uh, indirectly do KYC, right?

Like, we have to go through KYC, we have to go through KYB, which is ridiculous, um, in my mind. And so, um, so that's why we're exceptionally thankful to B2C Pay Server guys, uh, for what they've built. Uh, it's been like an absolute pleasure to, um, to use their product, to use their service. Uh, we have, you know, outside of B2C Pay, we, uh, we are the first, uh, sports club on Nostr.

Where, uh, we have, uh, actively been posting, exploring, you know, meeting people here. Kind of thinking of what we could do from our angle again, like first, first time on Nostr.

Aqua WAllet

George: Um, we have partnered with, uh, Aqua, JAN3's Aqua wallet, which has a, a Botive skin mode now. So if you go to settings, you can turn Botive mode and then it turns into the colors of the club and, you know, have the picture of the stadium there.

Um,

Luke: I'm using Aqua right now because, uh, uh, usually I like to use Aqua as like a sort of a middle wallet, uh, uh, because it's still slightly slower than other lightning wallets because they, they, the, everything actually lives on, on liquid and then they, they, uh, go out via bolts. Uh, so it's slightly slower than a faster, um, like, like than other, um, more direct lightning wallets.

And so usually when I come to a conference, I'm going to load up a, like a temporary. I don't know, Blink or something like that, but I forgot to do that, so I'm just using my Aqua wallet, and you know what, it's been great here, it's been working, uh, so yeah, we're big fans of Aqua wallet and what

Knut: Yeah, and a BTC pay server. I mean, uh, we can echo everything you said that we, BitcoinInfinity. com, like, and the store here We just fired up. Everything is powered by a BTC pay server, and we just love it. Yes.

Luke: So what was your question about, uh, Aqua?

George: If yours is on BOTEV mode.

Luke: Uh, I don't think I've gone into the settings and changed it to Vaudev mode, I'll have to do that, maybe we'll take

George: It's dark mode,

but cooler.

Luke: Doc dark mode, but cooler. Okay. Okay. Actually that's a, that's a, that's a good point. That's a good point. Yeah. We'll take a, we'll take a picture after, uh, after the episode and we'll de proof, bot, uh, bot e mode, and, uh, uh, post that on Nostr.

How does that sound?

George: Let's go.

Knut: Yeah. Nostr. Um, is there a connection there between both a plot and Nostr while you're doing Nostr stuff as well?

History and Freedom

George: Yeah. Well, look, um, a lot of these things is like, so What Botev Plovdiv stands for, um, very importantly, so the club was named after Hristo Botev, who's, uh, like, one of the most Bulgarians, if the most famous Bulgarian revolutionaries, like, historical figure, uh, he was a poet, he was a revolutionary, he fought for Bulgaria's freedom back in the day,

Luke: Which, which day, which, what day did you

George: uh, 110, uh, what is it, like, 50 years ago or so?

Yeah.

Knut: Mm-Hmm?

Luke: Okay. So, so

Knut: before the Commes.

Luke: ottoman, uh,

George: Yeah, yeah, yeah. He, he, he, he fought for the, for the liberation of Bulgaria from, from the Ottoman Empire. And a lot of what he stands for is this fight for freedom, his fight for liberty. Um, and this, this lives until this very day into the identity of the club and to what we stand for into the songs, into the, into the music.

Um, you know, um, the kind of like what, what our fans also resonate with, um, and, and what they sing like in many, in many ways. Right. So, um, Freedom of speech, freedom of, uh, of like freedom in general is, is a value that is deeply ingrained into kind of like what the club stands for. Um, and, uh, you know, that's why I'm into Bitcoin.

That's why I believe. And that's, that's why I saw this even bigger opportunity. Oh my God, like, how is this happening? There's so many, sometimes, you know, some like weird things happen in life and you have no explanation why and how all these things align. But, but for me, it's like this club was made really to.

to be aligned with BOTEF and to be, uh, to, to, to be aligned with Bitcoin and with Nostr. If I look at all the other clubs in Bulgaria, right, like just in Bulgaria, none of the others, like, there's no this contextual historical background that you can make these connections. But with us, we have it, and what a chance that, like, we have this owner, and he got, like, introduced to it, and then we got connected.

Like, how the hell does this happen, man? I don't know,

Luke: We like to say this, the surreal doesn't end, you know, and like, uh, my, my whole story, I've been talking about this, uh, at the, the conference here is like two years ago was the first time I ever met Bitcoiners here in Baltic Honeybadger. We, we met for the, for the first time, uh, all three of us, uh, met for the first time two years ago, I've been in Baltic Honeybadger and it's like, things, things happen so fast.

Uh, I've, I've, uh, I've thought it was been awesome just following, uh, what you've been doing with the, the club and the story. So great to, Great to get to talk about it, but, uh,

Bitcoin in Football

George: Yeah. No, for, for me, like really the, the most exciting part is really even coming forward. So, uh, because, so now it's been, so we, a long, we announced, uh, publicly that we're doing this, uh, 31st October last year. So the anniversary of the, of the, uh, Bitcoin White paper, um, we've built a lot right. And very, very importantly, I'm super proud, like, I don't know if you saw this, but like a month ago, we played on European League, the UEFA League with Bitcoin straight on our jerseys, which was like, like, when I saw this, I'm like, dude, it's crazy that this is happening.

But, but the best is really yet to come, like, like we like to say. Um, so I, I think we, we're, we have, um, we have still so much more to do. So for me, the next big part, which I'm super excited about literally in the coming month as, uh, as I go back. So is to finally get some of our. Players or at least one or two to get to do something publicly about this, because at the end of the day, that's why for me, the more I do, the more I, uh, play in this arena, I realized this is really a Trojan horse for us to bring Bitcoin into the conversation, into the minds, like I said, of people who otherwise wouldn't and, and our players, you know, especially a few of them, they're really influencers, right?

Um, a lot of people follow them. A lot of people respect them. And, um, and if they do, uh, you know, something meaningful, something cool, something impactful, this is going to have a huge impact onto our forwards. This could very well have impact onto, um, other sportsmen, other football people, other football clubs, right?

Uh, so that's why I'm doing it, right? Really?

Luke: No, this is fantastic, and actually this was exactly where I was hoping to go next, so thank you for queuing that up. But, no, no, the game theory of all this, right? Like, one club getting, Positioning as the, as the Bitcoin club in a league, uh, really means that eventually all the other clubs are going to need to adopt Bitcoin.

If they're going to be able to compete, because if play playing out the game theory, number go up, whatever it is, Bitcoin strategy plays out, you guys are going to be the most financially capable club. Financially sustainable in not very long, you know, assuming everything plays out the way we're thinking it will, right?

So, so other, other clubs then would become incentivized to also adopt Bitcoin. So what, what do you, what do you think about that? Like you, do you, do you see that, uh, happening as well?

George: Yeah, I'm not really sure if it would happen to me. That fast, to be fair. Like, I think it's inevitable, right, obviously, but I think it, yeah, like, I think this definitely takes at least three, four years, maybe more. Um,

Luke: That's, that's still pretty fast.

George: yeah, I guess. I mean, I mean, like, okay, let me define it better. It takes three, four years.

So, for other clubs within our league to start doing something like this, uh, maybe it takes less time for other clubs to realize it, but I think for them to do it, it also depends on our actions, right? So because like, we don't have like a treasury of microstrategy or something, so it's not, and we're not doing like a

Luke: you don't?

George: monthly like leverage on top of leverage on top of another leverage, you know, uh, we're not in, in Michael's privileged position. but we can do other cool things, right? Uh, one of the, um, so this is not yet live and this is not yet happening, but one of the, like two, two projects, let's say, I'm gonna briefly, like, tease here that, that I'm working on that I hope to have very large impact is first, uh, building this, uh, simple tool Uh, called like a Bitcoin, uh, football salary calculator that, uh, it's like really a DCA tool, but like looking back and like tailoring it to our niche where I want to, for us to visually and emotionally Show, um, to players, but also to fans of ours, like what Bitcoin could have done for their remuneration, if you look one year back in time, two years back in time, three years back in time, four years back in time, and for them to really realize, Oh my God, this is a no brainer.

Right? I want to make this mess. And this is hard, right? Um, because like, there's so many tools and like, but I want to be, because the audience is very wide, very different types of audience. I want to make this so that you can consume it in like two, three, four minutes. And you're like, okay, I need to learn more about this.

This actually is interesting. There's like, that's so much dense and emotional and compact information that you're like, Whoa. Why am I not doing this? How did I miss this?

Knut: What, what, what was the name of that website? I, I don't know if it's still up, but bitcoin or shit.com or something like that. So, so it lists if you bought this item when it came out, an iPhone five or whatever, uh, and if you had bought b bitcoin instead.com, I think that that's the, that's the name. So if you bought, uh, if you bought Bitcoin instead, it shows you how much, how much more money you'd have now and how many iPhones you

George: Yeah. Yeah. And of course there's many of these tools, obviously like we've all see them and we all like like them and retweet them and repost them. And it's all great. But I think, at least I hope that we can do something impactful with this. If we really tailor it, compact it to a specific type of niche audience with a specific message designed for them.

And because this audience is also like. A type of audience who can also like, um, you know, bring it to other bubbles that we ourselves are not part of, right? So that's, for example, one like, uh, one like project I'm very, very excited about and I hope we can, um, yeah, we'll bring forward relatively soon.

There's a few moving elements, but definitely in the coming month or two, uh, at most. And then, uh, and then, you know, speaking of the other clubs, what, what I want us to do is what we're working is next year, we're targeting to do, I hope we could do the world's first, uh, Bitcoin, uh, Cup tournament. Uh, for youth players, 70 year old boys who are, you know, right there before they sign their first professional contract, start earning money, for them, first of all, like, it's a Bitcoin football cup, like, it's the first time this, this could potentially ever happen And then it's, it's a football first tournament, right?

This is the, we want to make it like top quality, like really the highest quality when it comes to sports, but then you have Bitcoin involved all over the place, right? In terms of brand, in terms of rewards, in terms of, um, in terms of like plays, um, like, like games and, and interactions, activations, uh, throughout, before, throughout, and after the, And after the event, and for this, I'm targeting to get really like, like big clubs.

I mean, because it's academies, right? I mean, I cannot get the Manchester United first team, just maybe we could get the Manchester United 17 year old team or, you know, another big club. We get some of these, and then like we get their brands, we get them on the focus of Bitcoin. And we drive the conversation faster, you know, not three, four years from now, but Less

Knut: what about, um, like right now there's you and there's, um, you guys and there's a real bed for it, right? Those are the two I know of in Europe. Are you aware of any other clubs that are doing a Bitcoin strategy? I mean, is this virus spreading? Like, have you heard anything like,

George: Um, Oh, there's, uh, there's the Austrian Admira Vakir who have done some integration. So it's a second tier, uh, second league, uh, second league, uh, club that have, uh, that have, uh, you know, they've also had Bitcoin on the, their second team jersey. And, um, and they, they also accept Bitcoin payments, uh, here and there, but you know, the thing is, there's some other clubs, um, there's a Miami, um, not Miami, um, a Hawaiian club that, that is doing, uh, that is doing like their Bitcoin gig,

Knut: yeah, there are other, other sports, right, other sports team and sports teams in other sports that are doing it. But, but for football specifically,

George: which ones?

Knut: Uh, I'm so bad with sports, but wasn't there like a hockey team or a basketball team or

Luke: I'm not aware of any others, actually. Yeah, like, uh, there's been some attempts at

Knut: it's

Luke: an orange colored team or something like

Knut: more the individual athletes,

Luke: Yeah, yeah, there have been individual

Knut: for instance, a

Luke: have been individual

Knut: player, and there was some American football player.

George: There's been individual athletes, a lot of them. There's been, I was asking if you know, but there's been a baseball club in Australia, the Port Heat. Uh, who did kind of a Bitcoin strategy. Uh, but very unfortunately that didn't work out. They kind of started this at the peak of the last bull cycle. And, um, and as I understand, uh, there wasn't like a strong alignment between the owners and the management in terms of like understanding that this is a long game.

So that's why this kind of flopped. Um, but yeah, like I, I think the reason why it's not happening in more, unfortunately, and, and, and I see this even, even within our club, uh, you know, but, but definitely no other clubs because Fiat has permitted sports as well. Right. So all the sports club, uh, clubs or the vast majority in football, for sure.

They're like, you know, on the hamster wheel themselves.

Knut: They're indebted,

George: They're indebted.

Knut: to an extreme level,

George: yeah, like, like fighting for every dollar for every income. So it's, it's hard for you to like, Oh yeah, we're going to have this long term Bitcoin strategy that's going to take like two, three, four, five years to play out.

And we can benefit a lot from it. It's very, very hard in, you know, unfortunately for a large organizations, sports club in particular to To have this realization, to map this out, to get others on board. That's why it's not so popular and uh, and that's why I'm grateful and keep pushing that we have this chance.

Luke: I mean, you make a great point here about essentially the, it's the organizational alignment, right? Like the, the, these are companies, sports clubs are companies. They just have this large, the business is involved around getting fans to come in and consume this sort of marketing. Product, essentially. So it's, it's a certain kind of company that's run a certain way, but just like any other company, you need, you need alignment from the management.

So it's, it's fantastic that, uh, Boteb Plovdiv has, has the, uh, alignment and is, is putting their, their trust in you to, to move this thing forward. And I mean, from the, from the perspective of this thing, Playing out, right? The, the best part that, uh, I think one of the best parts that you, you mentioned again was the, the influencers.

Like you get, you get some players, there's, there's so many angles to, to reach people through this. I think it's, I think it's fantastic. The, uh, orange pilling a player and then they move to another club, but they, they, maybe they don't get to get paid in Bitcoin, but maybe they still put, put their money in, in Bitcoin.

Maybe they even ask their club to, to, uh, pay them in Bitcoin, something like that. And then the, the Questions start getting, uh, asked and all this.

5 Year Goals

Luke: So what, what is the, the goal in, in five years, for example, where, where do you see the club in the five year mark?

George: Oh man. Yeah, in five years, I think we definitely have to be in Champions League. Like in my mind, you know, like people around me like, oh, you're too ambitious. I'm like, man, yeah, like in five years, we definitely have to be in Champions League. Uh, that's, that's my personal goal. On our internal Slack, I have the Champions League icon there.

That's why I'm there, right? Um, so, uh, it's a lot of hard work. Like, it's really a lot of hard work. And it's also not completely dependent on me and my work, to be fair. Like, because, at all. I mean, really, like, uh, I mean, at the end of the day, the most important part is the sports department, right? Uh, in the club.

Um, so that has to continue going well. But, but I think We're going in a good direction there too, because we have the, they're the long term view as well, right. We have our academy internally, which is, yeah, it's one of the best academies. It's the best really academy in terms of infrastructure in the country.

That's why we're also can't afford to think of this Bitcoin Cup tournament, because we have the infrastructure, we have like a super cool stadium, that's crazy. If we can, if we can do a final for, for such a tournament there. Um, so, so we have all the things in place in terms of In terms of assets, I would say, uh, it's just a lot of moving parts.

a lot of work, consistency, and a bit of luck. Always it comes, you know, when, when it comes to, when it comes to football and sports, but, but five years from now, I want us to be in the champions league. I want us to be the absolute, you know, international professional level, uh, Bitcoin level, Bitcoin sports club.

and, uh, and I want for this tournament that I start to be like a, like, like to have the fourth edition by then. Uh, and, and I want to have clubs, but five years is a lot of time, you know, as you say, like, I also want to have other clubs following us by then. I think that's absolutely, absolutely is going to be doable.

Knut: What, what are the, what are the tax laws around Bitcoin in Bulgaria? Like what, are there any issues there? Or like what, is it easy enough,

George: It's kind of okay. Uh, it's kind of okay. So if you just buy Bitcoin and hold it, like you don't, uh, you don't, uh, incur taxes, uh, until you sell it, if you accept Bitcoin for payments, um, and if you don't sell it, you can just, uh, keep it as inventory on your balance sheet. So again, no,

Knut: but there's a capital gains tax or something if you sell it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Alright.

George: 10%. So it's, it's, uh,

Knut: Pretty good.

George: Yeah, I mean, it's not like El Salvador. Okay. Uh, but, but it's, uh, it's, it's way better than many other places. Um, and, uh, yeah, so we've been looking, looking actually, so I was in El Salvador a couple of months ago, because we've been looking very much to do stuff there.

And we've been, uh, yeah. Um, because we've been, we've been thinking of what to do more with Bitcoin, right? So that's why I said, like, it's not just about buying and accepting Bitcoin. It's about corporate strategies, about branding strategies, about how to make money. Um, it's about education strategies. It's, there's so much around it.

So in terms of corporate strategy, I was, uh, we're very attracted by El Salvador, um, and their, uh, capital markets regulation, because they're basically striving to build capital markets on top of Bitcoin. Bitcoin is legal tender there. They have all kinds of, tax incentives for companies to issue debt or to sell equity.

on their capital, on their, um, well, let's say nascent upcoming capital markets, because it's not like it's, you know, hustling and bustling yet. Um, but, but they're, they've put a lot of the rails, uh, um, or they're building a lot of the rails to, um, to really enable the, the, the creation of Bitcoin based capital markets.

So, um, we've had great talks there. We have meetings with, uh, um, we have. Yeah, with the Bitcoin office, right? Um, so, ideally, like, we're striving to build some connection there and to do something, interesting and world first again from a corporate perspective. It's just that, as many things, it's a little harder than you would expect it to be, or it takes a little more time than, Then you would hope to do it.

But my idea or long term vision, frankly, like what we want to do with Bitcoin, uh, and with the club is to enable our current fans and global fans to become co owners of the club. And that's why, you know, I have big hopes for, uh, for us being able to do this out of El Salvador and through El Salvador, because this would, like from a tax perspective, from a branding perspective, from legal security perspective would be, would be ideal.

It's just that, again, um, my enthusiasm is a little over, uh, ahead of kind of like how, uh, how, how advanced and set up everything there is, but, uh, but we're, we're very actively talking to them. We're working with many parties there, so. Just maybe we can have big news there too.

International and Local Effects

Luke: Well, no, and, and you actually said something great about global fans. I think this is a, a fantastic thing, right? A a again, Bedford is, is similar. They've, they've got, they've got fans all over the world and, and I think for you guys it's like who is going to tune into the Bulgarian football league outside of Bulgaria before, well, not too many people, but now a bunch of Bitcoiners.

If they're into, if they're into football or, or not even, because this is the funny thing. There were, there were a lot of people posting about that. They, they've got, they, they don't usually follow, follow sports at all, but, but they'll follow the Bitcoin team. So the, the funny thing is, I think, I think the first, the first club to adopt Bitcoin in every league is going to get all of these global fans.

And maybe the, maybe the, the second one, the third one, maybe can get some kind of other support, but it's really the first one in every

George: really.

Luke: That, that

George: Not

Luke: That's that. I, I completely agree with you there. It's the, it's the first one

Knut: first mover advantage.

Luke: mover advantage. It's gonna get, it is gonna get all of the, all of the Bitcoiners are gonna now be, be supporting and, uh, uh, yeah.

I mean, have, have you seen, uh, some, some uptick in, uh, kind of international

George: yeah, yeah. So, international but also local. Like, local is very important. Like, we have, like, so many people in the country who's like, just what you say, like, I didn't care about sports or football, like, forever, or at all, ever, but now I follow, now I buy merch, now I come, you know, every now and then they come to games, so

Luke: Well, because there's the bread and circuses thing that you said, it gets tossed around in the Bitcoin world and also some other places on kind of the Twitter sphere and whatever, it's like it's a distraction, that sports is sort of a distraction from clown world basically and it's a way of people to sort of Uh, forget about what's going on around them, but I think that's also missing the, the positives, which it, it's a, it's a community builder, it brings people together, there's a, there's a sense of, of pride in, in something local succeeding, everyone, everyone's happy, there's, there's real economic, uh, effects usually when a, when a local sports team wins, and so, so from, from my perspective, I, I, I think, I think sport is a good thing, and it's, and it's, it's something that, that people can rally around, and so,

George: an amazing thing.

Luke: Yeah.

And, and so what, what are, what are you looking at locally? Like what, what do you hope to have the effect, uh, uh, locally in, in piv?

George: Yeah. Um, yeah, no, look, uh, for me, sports, like, for us, the, the, the, the, about Plovdiv, for me, that's what I realized, like, we're kind of very much into Bitcoin and stuff, obviously, that's our interest, but I think when we go on a Bitcoin standard, Right. And, uh, in general, people start feeling wealthier, opposed to, like, being in the grind.

You're just going to have more time for fun stuff, right? Like playing football, I mean, or volleyball, or whatever your sport is, or, like, going and cheering your team, and, uh, and being part of such a community. And I think that's really what, you know, even Nostr is about. Like it's, Being part of these communities, because that's fun, and like, we as humans, at the end of the day, we are living to be part of communities, right?

And you find your community, you're an active part of it, you contribute to it, you evolve it, right? You build it in one way or another. And unfortunately, you know, today in the fiat world, this is just like A stress valve in many ways, or like you say, like Brothers and Sisters, whatever. Um, but, uh, but I think it can be so much more, right?

It is, but it can be so much more for a larger amount of people and so on and so forth. uh, but yeah, well, back in Plovdiv, man, like, I have big hopes. I really have big, big ambitions there. I want to get Bitcoin into the wallets of, uh, of like tens of thousands of people. I want people to wake up. I want people to see.

Luke: big is piv? How many

George: It's like three, four hundred thousand people. So it's a lot. Uh, our stadium is, uh, 21, 000 seats stadium. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. It's, it's 19. I wish it was 21.

Luke: Yeah. You'll have to add 2000 more

George: Maybe, yeah, we'll, we'll think of some additional construction.

Luke: the, make the infinity stand when

George: Right. Right. But, uh, but yeah, like the setting was super cool. Like, it's really cool.

Like when it's feel like, man, the atmosphere is amazing. Um, and so it's, and it's really this community that you can feel that people are involved. So it's, it's like consistency and it's social engineering in one way or another, right?

Knut: one of our favorite words,

George: but in a positive way.

Knut: in a positive way, okay.

George: So it's social engineering for us to ingrain Bitcoin and make it part of kind of what people see, do, have, own, interact with, right?

So, uh, I think exactly because of this community element, exactly because, Because, you know, football is a football club and there's this unique living organism we can, we can create this and, you know, it's fascinating. I'm so much into this and there's other people who are so much into this. Oh my god, like, we can make such a big difference.

And, and like in the country. You know, on a political and economic level, they don't get it. Like, they don't see it. They just are in their, you know, like, oh, are we going to accept the euro? Oh, what's happening with the war? I'm like, who cares? Let's build.

Bulgarian Currency Situation

Knut: Yeah, Bulgaria has its own shitcoin, I almost forgot about that, but uh, what's it called again?

George: Kinda. Um, but not quite, to be fair. It's, it's a good coin, uh, not for investing, but, but for medium of exchange is actually decent. Uh, Lev, Lev

Knut: Lev, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah,

George: and I recently got educated about this. So, uh, the lev is pegged to the euro. So, um, uh, so, so that, that is super cool for, for us, for me as a consumer, for businesses, because like the fixed rate.

So for trade is, um, It's, it's good, right? As the world would be in the future. You have one currency, Bitcoin, you don't have the currency exchange risk, right? We don't have it only with the European Union. And the good part with this, so, we got, we got hyperinflation back in 1997. Was really bad. People lost almost everything, everything, in many cases.

Um, and then we got this so called currency board introduced and the currency board is like we have the left, but the left has to be backed up by other currencies. So it's like a stable coin, kind of like how Tether is backed by, by dollars. You know, the levy is backed by euro and like a basket of, I think they have some other currencies and assets, which is cool because the local politicians, they cannot print, they cannot, you know, so, so it's been, it's been, I think, way better than Hungary, Sweden, uh, Finland, you have your, oh

but Sweden I've heard it's kind of bad,

Knut: It's kinda bad, Norway too, like, both Swedish and Norwegian crown, and the crown in Czechia, like the Czech Republic, it's also

George: Yeah.

Knut: I mean, they're all going to shit the smaller

George: So, so for us, it's like, I would say we're better than, than the Corona, the, and, and all these like local currencies, because we kind of just are there to the, peg to the Euro. The local politicians don't have the opportunity to print. So it's, it's a very good position for us to be.

Luke: You, you get the, the negatives of the, the euro. But, but still, I mean, I mean the, the realistically, the dollar at the Euro and maybe the, the Chinese currency are the only, are the only ones that are in the, sort of within our own, within our own lifetimes are, are going to be not as terribly bad against Bitcoin.

But all the other ones are just, are. All the other ones are

Knut: Yeah, I think it's just a matter of time before both, uh, at least Sweden, uh, switches to Euro standard. If not switching to Bitcoin standard happens first, but well, we'll see, we'll see what happens.

George: man. I'm very bearish about the Euro.

Knut: yeah, yeah, it's like,

Luke: It'll be the second last to fall or third last but but yeah it's it's it's it's not going to be the the last and so it's yeah.

Knut: So that is what it is. I mean, speaking of Bulgaria and currencies and stuff,

Bitcoin Adoption in Bulgaria

Knut: like, how is the rest of, how is Bitcoin adoption in general in Bulgaria? What's happening in other places? Like, Plamen opened a bar, I saw, and like, what are the connections? What's happening?

George: It's actually quite cool. I'm, I'm, I'm quite happy with, with how the ecosystem is evolving. There's, there's Plamen, um, with his whole community, like content creation, the conferences he's been doing, which has been like a very, I think he's responsible for like, I don't know, probably like, 000, maybe several 10, 000s of people who have opened their eyes and even if they're not hard bitcoiners, they now own bitcoin.

Uh, so that's huge. We have other content creators also who've had an impact. We have now once or twice per, yeah, about twice per year we have like, uh, A small, uh, merchant, uh, like, conference events, so for merchants to accept Bitcoin. we have these people who are active and who are doing things. Now, actually, yeah, there's something new that's coming up here, uh, literally in Plovdiv is we have this, um, this, uh, great dudes who have this, um, um, it's an application for, uh, ordering food, like takeaway and, uh, what is it, like,

Knut: like Glovo or

George: yeah, yeah, like Glovo, um, but, um, but, um, But it's not like this big corporate thing that, but, but still, it's a very good product and they've integrated accepting Bitcoin there for quite some time now they've made it even easier and they've introduced.

So we have like about, I think it's 15 restaurants in Sofia and like five or so in Plovdiv where through their system, you can order food. And pay with Bitcoin online, or you can also go in the restaurant and pay in Bitcoin online, and they just, um, they just won a, uh, grant from, uh, Bitcoin Beach, uh, and, uh, they're going to use the grant, uh, to, well, the attempt is really to start like a small circular economy, if you would Um, where, so if you go, uh, to one of those restaurants and pay with Bitcoin, you're going to get sats back 10%, and then, um, the restaurant is also going to get 10 percent sats back.

And if you order food, um, through their app, also the driver is going to get, uh, some sats back. And, uh, we've just been discussing, because obviously we're partnering with them, with the football club, so we'll push this out, because some of the restaurants that are there are our, I mean, basically, like, we have two restaurants locally that are partners, we got them in, right, obviously, in the deal, um, So, so that is also like, for me, it's like super cool because now for so far, the club has been pushing Bitcoin.

Now we have two of our restaurant partners who are themselves like hard Botevists, Botefans, and like they're popular. Now they're starting to accept Bitcoin in their, in their two restaurants, right? And they're going to have their campaigns. We're going to push them more. So, um, so I'm really excited about this and fingers crossed this goes well.

We have good metrics because if we have good metrics. Yeah, we'll look for ways to grow this. So there's a lot of grassroots things happening, which I love. On the top, nothing.

Knut: It's the way it's supposed to be.

George: But it's the way it is. Yeah, it's a better

Luke: Yeah it really seems like that you get one or two of these big anchors like like for example you you guys have had that had that conference last couple of years but now with both of Plavdev now Bulgaria is really got a couple of big anchors. Big relative in relative terms, uh, and all of this other stuff can, can start coming up around it.

And, uh, love, love to see it. I mean, he, I mean here, here with Rega, there's Honey Budger has been going for a really long time, and I, and I even think that they are honest about, we, we would, we just talked to, to Max, uh, about this, uh, from Defi and like yeah, there's not much other adoption in, in Lavia and this conference has been going on for a long time.

Exactly. And so it's just like, uh, it's, it's, it's great to see, uh, in, in your case, in Bulgaria's case, that there's, there's more of this, uh, picking up. So, yeah,

George: Well, I think it's really, in our case, I don't know, like it's grassroots, like I said, and I really believe grassroots and then Rio or for the vast majority, Rio adoption comes permissionless life. It comes like it's not forced. You know, there is this point where, okay, there's Plamen, like, he got the inspiration, he makes his content, he does the conferences, Like, our owner, he sees this opportunity for Bitcoin, for the club. He takes the action, right? So it's, it's not like, so it's individuals, right? Taking actions and then, as you have, you know, several of them, maybe others get inspired or get ideas going and that's how the magic happens. And, uh, yeah. Excited about it.

Wrapping Up

Luke: it's awesome, man. Great hear your story. So, was, uh, was there anything else that you wanted to discuss or bring up on this topic?

George: no, I mean, what I would say is absolutely, uh, Please, uh, you know, Knut, you've been, but please, you're absolutely welcome, Luke, join as well, like, both of you should come

Knut: Absolutely. Highly recommend it. I had a great time in Bulgaria, and it's such a fascinating country, it's such a rich history and such a beautiful place, and the food is great, and it's very affordable, it's very, yeah, very

George: like, I have people who come in Plogis specifically to, like, nomads, spend, like, a or a month. So, so please enjoy, visit the game. come spend in the restaurants where they accept Bitcoin, follow us on social media for sure, so, X and Nostr,

Luke: Yes, all the details, please.

Knut: And also like one of the eras, uh, infamous eras of Bulgaria is the commie era, right? Where you can see the impact that system had on the country and how horrid it is. Uh, so it's, it's, uh, that might not be a good pitch for, uh, but that's

Luke: Let him, let him share his social medias, Knut.

George: wait, do you have, do you have something

Knut: no, no, I think like the, The point I was getting to is, if you get to Bulgaria, don't only go to Sofia, go around the rest of the country, because it's not as raped as that town was by, as that city was by communism, all this concrete, yeah, yeah,

George: yeah, the,

Knut: you can really see the impact there. I'm not, um, yeah, this came out totally wrong, but I'm trying to, I'm trying to, To hype Bulgaria here, but also there's a historical lesson to be learned in the country, for sure,

George: sure. It's really like, there's so many different things there. So there's the communist part, there's like fucking amazing nature, there's like

Knut: is everything, yeah.

George: if you're into hiking, there's like, just like from Sofia, what I love about Sofia, like just last week, twice, end of the day, I'm like fucked up, like tired of computer.

40 minutes up and I'm up in the mountains, hiking, in like 2000 meters altitude. Uh, so, so there's all these like super cool things, but on the socials, yeah, we're on Twitter. we're on Nostr, uh, so Twitter is, um, botif underscore, uh, en, on Nostr, uh, we are just botif. Yeah, you can find us.

Luke: going say you're NPUB? No, no, no,

George: I'm still learning it, okay?

Luke: we'll post, you're still learning, we'll post all the details in the show

George: Yes. Yes. And feel free to also check out our website. We have, due to our El Salvadorian, um, kind of project, we already have a Salvadorian website, which is very easy to remember, botif. sv. So you can go there and from there you'll find all the links and information.

Luke: Absolutely fantastic.

Knut: Great! Get the inverse of Clown World. This is a shill. BitcoinInfinityStore. com And thank you very much for coming on,

George: was great having

Knut: Great to have

Luke: George, thanks so much. This has been Bitcoin Infinity Show. Thank you for

@ 16d11430:61640947

The Illusion of Security in Fiat: Why Cybersecurity Must Embrace the Dimensional Shift

In a world tethered to fiat and Web2 infrastructures, the illusion of stability and security has long been a comfort blanket for governments, institutions, and individuals alike. Yet, under the surface, the ground is shifting—an avalanche of sophisticated misinformation, algorithmic deception, and systemic vulnerabilities is eroding the very foundation of this legacy system. For cybersecurity professionals, failing to recognize this dimensional shift isn’t just risky—it’s career-ending.

Fiat's Achilles Heel: The Cycle of Self-Deception

Fiat systems, by design, are centralized and heavily dependent on trust. Yet, paradoxically, this trust is their greatest vulnerability. Central banks print money with impunity, eroding the value of savings and causing systemic inefficiencies. Meanwhile, data silos, held hostage by Web2 giants, have become breeding grounds for exploitation:

1. Misinformation Engines: Web2 platforms, incentivized by ad revenue, amplify sensationalism over truth. This creates a feedback loop where narratives, even false ones, gain legitimacy through sheer repetition. Fiat-backed institutions use this chaos to manipulate public sentiment, further entrenching themselves while losing credibility.

2. Attack Vectors Proliferate: The centralization of fiat systems creates choke points—banks, payment processors, and SWIFT networks—that are prime targets for cybercriminals. Even with the most advanced cybersecurity measures, these systems cannot outpace the adaptive ingenuity of attackers.

3. Trust as a Single Point of Failure: The fiat ecosystem depends on the belief that institutions can safeguard wealth and data. Once that trust is eroded, whether through hacks, financial collapses, or leaked misinformation campaigns, the entire structure risks implosion.

Why Web2 Will Cannibalize Itself

Web2, the backbone of fiat-driven systems, is not immune to internal rot. Its business model—built on monetizing user data—has created a dystopian ecosystem where privacy is an illusion and security breaches are inevitable. Worse still, AI-powered disinformation campaigns are growing so sophisticated that they will soon outpace the ability of any centralized system to detect or counter them.

This isn’t just a technical problem; it’s a philosophical one. Web2’s centralized nature means it is both a honeypot for attackers and a self-consuming entity. It will eat itself from the inside out as trust evaporates and users demand systems that are decentralized, transparent, and verifiable.

Enter the Dimensional Shift: Why Bitcoin and Web3 Matter

The shift from fiat and Web2 to Bitcoin and Web3 represents not just a technological evolution but a fundamental redefinition of how systems are built and secured. Cybersecurity professionals must take note of these changes to remain relevant:

1. Decentralization is the New Security Model: Unlike fiat systems, Bitcoin operates on a decentralized, immutable ledger. There’s no central point of failure—no institution to exploit, no trust to break. This fundamentally changes the attack surface, forcing bad actors to fight an uphill battle.

2. Transparency Erodes Deception: In Web3, transparency is native. Smart contracts and decentralized protocols enable open auditing and verification, making it exponentially harder for misinformation or corruption to thrive.

3. Censorship Resistance is the Future: Fiat systems and Web2 platforms rely on gatekeeping. Bitcoin and Web3, by contrast, are censorship-resistant, ensuring that access is not dictated by centralized actors. This creates a more secure and equitable foundation for the internet’s next era.

4. Economic Alignment with Security: Bitcoin’s proof-of-work model aligns economic incentives with security. Attackers must expend vast resources to compromise the network, making it uneconomical to succeed.

Why Cybersecurity Professionals Can’t Afford to Ignore the Shift

As fiat systems wobble under their own contradictions, cybersecurity professionals must adapt or risk obsolescence. Defending centralized silos will become increasingly untenable in a world where users demand decentralized solutions. Staying relevant requires:

• Understanding Blockchain Security: Learn the mechanics of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and emerging Web3 protocols. These systems are defining the new standard for secure, decentralized architectures.

• Anticipating New Attack Vectors: While decentralized systems mitigate many traditional threats, they also introduce novel risks, such as smart contract vulnerabilities and social engineering attacks on DAO governance.

• Championing Privacy and Sovereignty: Users are awakening to the value of self-sovereign identities and privacy-preserving technologies. Cybersecurity leaders must advocate for these principles to stay ahead of the curve.

Adapt or Be Swallowed by the Shifting Ground

The fiat-Web2 paradigm is unraveling, and the cracks are no longer subtle. The erosion of trust, coupled with the relentless onslaught of misinformation and cyber threats, will make legacy systems untenable in the coming decade. Bitcoin and Web3 are not just alternatives; they are inevitabilities, born out of necessity.

For the cybersecurity industry, this is a call to action. Ignore the dimensional shift at your peril. Embrace it, and you’ll be at the forefront of a new era—one where security is intrinsic, trust is programmable, and the ground beneath your feet is no longer shifting, but solid and immutable.

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