@ 9e69e420:d12360c2

A new report from the National Sports Shooting Foundation (NSSF) shows that civilian firearm possession exceeded 490 million in 2022. The total from 1990 to 2022 is estimated at 491.3 million firearms. In 2022, over ten million firearms were domestically produced, leading to a total of 16,045,911 firearms available in the U.S. market.

Of these, 9,873,136 were handguns, 4,195,192 were rifles, and 1,977,583 were shotguns. Handgun availability aligns with the concealed carry and self-defense market, as all states allow concealed carry, with 29 having constitutional carry laws.

@ 50809a53:e091f164

For starters, anyone who is interested in curating and managing "notes, lists, bookmarks, kind-1 events, or other stuff" should watch this video:

https://youtu.be/XRpHIa-2XCE

Now, assuming you have watched it, I will proceed assuming you are aware of many of the applications that exist for a very similar purpose. I'll break them down further, following a similar trajectory in order of how I came across them, and a bit about my own path on this journey.

We'll start way back in the early 2000s, before Bitcoin existed. We had https://zim-wiki.org/

It is tried and true, and to this day stands to present an option for people looking for a very simple solution to a potentially complex problem. Zim-Wiki works. But it is limited.

Let's step into the realm of proprietary. Obsidian, Joplin, and LogSeq. The first two are entirely cloud-operative applications, with more of a focus on the true benefit of being a paid service. I will assume anyone reading this is capable of exploring the marketing of these applications, or trying their freemium product, to get a feeling for what they are capable of.

I bring up Obsidian because it is very crucial to understand the market placement of publication. We know social media handles the 'hosting' problem of publishing notes "and other stuff" by harvesting data and making deals with advertisers. But- what Obsidian has evolved to offer is a full service known as 'publish'. This means users can stay in the proprietary pipeline, "from thought to web." all for $8/mo.

See: https://obsidian.md/publish

THIS IS NOSTR'S PRIMARY COMPETITION. WE ARE HERE TO DISRUPT THIS MARKET, WITH NOTES AND OTHER STUFF. WITH RELAYS. WITH THE PROTOCOL.

Now, on to Joplin. I have never used this, because I opted to study the FOSS market and stayed free of any reliance on a paid solution. Many people like Joplin, and I gather the reason is because it has allowed itself to be flexible and good options that integrate with Joplin seems to provide good solutions for users who need that functionality. I see Nostr users recommending Joplin, so I felt it was worthwhile to mention as a case-study option. I myself need to investigate it more, but have found comfort in other solutions.

LogSeq - This is my "other solutions." It seems to be trapped in its proprietary web of funding and constraint. I use it because it turns my desktop into a power-house of note archival. But by using it- I AM TRAPPED TOO. This means LogSeq is by no means a working solution for Nostr users who want a long-term archival option.

But the trap is not a cage. It's merely a box. My notes can be exported to other applications with graphing and node-based information structure. Specifically, I can export these notes to:

• Text
• OPML
• HTML
• and, PNG, for whatever that is worth.

Let's try out the PNG option, just for fun. Here's an exported PNG of my "Games on Nostr" list, which has long been abandoned. I once decided to poll some CornyChat users to see what games they enjoyed- and I documented them in a LogSeq page for my own future reference. You can see it here:

https://i.postimg.cc/qMBPDTwr/image.png

This is a very simple example of how a single "page" or "list" in LogSeq can be multipurpose. It is a small list, with multiple "features" or variables at play. First, I have listed out a variety of complex games that might make sense with "multiplayer" identification that relies on our npubs or nip-05 addresses to aggregate user data. We can ALL imagine playing games like Tetris, Snake, or Catan together with our Nostr identities. But of course we are a long way from breaking into the video game market.

On a mostly irrelevant sidenote- you might notice in my example list, that I seem to be excited about a game called Dot.Hack. I discovered this small game on Itch.io and reached out to the developer on Twitter, in an attempt to purple-pill him, but moreso to inquire about his game. Unfortunately there was no response, even without mention of Nostr. Nonetheless, we pioneer on. You can try the game here: https://propuke.itch.io/planethack

So instead let's focus on the structure of "one working list." The middle section of this list is where I polled users, and simply listed out their suggestions. Of course we discussed these before I documented, so it is note a direct result of a poll, but actually a working interaction of poll results! This is crucial because it separates my list from the aggregated data, and implies its relevance/importance.

The final section of this ONE list- is the beginnings of where I conceptually connect nostr with video game functionality. You can look at this as the beginning of a new graph, which would be "Video Game Operability With Nostr".

These three sections make up one concept within my brain. It exists in other users' brains too- but of course they are not as committed to the concept as myself- the one managing the communal discussion.

With LogSeq- I can grow and expand these lists. These lists can become graphs. Those graphs can become entire catalogues of information than can be shared across the web.

I can replicate this system with bookmarks, ideas, application design, shopping lists, LLM prompting, video/music playlists, friend lists, RELAY lists, the LIST goes ON forever!

So where does that lead us? I think it leads us to kind-1 events. We don't have much in the way of "kind-1 event managers" because most developers would agree that "storing kind-1 events locally" is.. at the very least, not so important. But it could be! If only a superapp existed that could interface seamlessly with nostr, yada yada.. we've heard it all before. We aren't getting a superapp before we have microapps. Basically this means frameworking the protocol before worrying about the all-in-one solution.

So this article will step away from the deep desire for a Nostr-enabled, Rust-built, FOSS, non-commercialized FREEDOM APP, that will exist one day, we hope.

Instead, we will focus on simple attempts of the past. I encourage others to chime in with their experience.

Zim-Wiki is foundational. The user constructs pages, and can then develop them into books.

LogSeq has the right idea- but is constrained in too many ways to prove to be a working solution at this time. However, it is very much worth experimenting with, and investigating, and modelling ourselves after.

https://workflowy.com/ is next on our list. This is great for users who think LogSeq is too complex. They "just want simple notes." Get a taste with WorkFlowy. You will understand why LogSeq is powerful if you see value in WF.

I am writing this article in favor of a redesign of LogSeq to be compatible with Nostr. I have been drafting the idea since before Nostr existed- and with Nostr I truly believe it will be possible. So, I will stop to thank everyone who has made Nostr what it is today. I wouldn't be publishing this without you!

One app I need to investigate more is Zettlr. I will mention it here for others to either discuss or investigate, as it is also mentioned some in the video I opened with. https://www.zettlr.com/

On my path to finding Nostr, before its inception, was a service called Deta.Space. This was an interesting project, not entirely unique or original, but completely fresh and very beginner-friendly. DETA WAS AN AWESOME CLOUD OS. And we could still design a form of Nostr ecosystem that is managed in this way. But, what we have now is excellent, and going forward I only see "additional" or supplemental.

Along the timeline, Deta sunsetted their Space service and launched https://deta.surf/

You might notice they advertise that "This is the future of bookmarks."

I have to wonder if perhaps I got through to them that bookmarking was what their ecosystem could empower. While I have not tried Surf, it looks interested, but does not seem to address what I found most valuable about Deta.Space: https://webcrate.app/

WebCrate was an early bookmarking client for Deta.Space which was likely their most popular application. What was amazing about WebCrate was that it delivered "simple bookmarking." At one point I decided to migrate my bookmarks from other apps, like Pocket and WorkFlowy, into WebCrate.

This ended up being an awful decision, because WebCrate is no longer being developed. However, to much credit of Deta.Space, my WebCrate instance is still running and completely functional. I have since migrated what I deem important into a local LogSeq graph, so my bookmarks are safe. But, the development of WebCrate is note.

WebCrate did not provide a working directory of crates. All creates were contained within a single-level directory. Essentially there were no layers. Just collections of links. This isn't enough for any user to effectively manage their catalogue of notes. With some pressure, I did encourage the German developer to flesh out a form of tagging, which did alleviate the problem to some extent. But as we see with Surf, they have pioneered in another direction.

That brings us back to Nostr. Where can we look for the best solution? There simply isn't one yet. But, we can look at some other options for inspiration.

HedgeDoc: https://hedgedoc.org/

I am eager for someone to fork HedgeDoc and employ Nostr sign-in. This is a small step toward managing information together within the Nostr ecosystem. I will attempt this myself eventually, if no one else does, but I am prioritizing my development in this way:

1. A nostr client that allows the cataloguing and management of relays locally.
2. A LogSeq alternative with Nostr interoperability.
3. HedgeDoc + Nostr is #3 on my list, despite being the easiest option.

Check out HedgeDoc 2.0 if you have any interest in a cooperative Markdown experience on Nostr: https://docs.hedgedoc.dev/

Now, this article should catch up all of my dearest followers, and idols, to where I stand with "bookmarking, note-taking, list-making, kind-1 event management, frameworking, and so on..."

Where it leads us to, is what's possible. Let's take a look at what's possible, once we forego ALL OF THE PROPRIETARY WEB'S BEST OPTIONS:

https://denizaydemir.org/

https://denizaydemir.org/graph/how-logseq-should-build-a-world-knowledge-graph/

https://subconscious.network/

Nostr is even inspired by much of the history that has gone into information management systems. nostr:npub1jlrs53pkdfjnts29kveljul2sm0actt6n8dxrrzqcersttvcuv3qdjynqn I know looks up to Gordon Brander, just as I do. You can read his articles here: https://substack.com/@gordonbrander and they are very much worth reading! Also, I could note that the original version of Highlighter by nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft was also inspired partially by WorkFlowy.

About a year ago, I was mesmerized coming across SubText and thinking I had finally found the answer Nostr might even be looking for. But, for now I will just suggest that others read the Readme.md on the SubText Gtihub, as well as articles by Brander.

Good luck everyone. I am here to work with ANYONE who is interested in these type of solution on Nostr.

My first order of business in this space is to spearhead a community of npubs who share this goal. Everyone who is interested in note-taking or list-making or bookmarking is welcome to join. I have created an INVITE-ONLY relay for this very purpose, and anyone is welcome to reach out if they wish to be added to the whitelist. It should be freely readable in the near future, if it is not already, but for now will remain a closed-to-post community to preemptively mitigate attack or spam. Please reach out to me if you wish to join the relay. https://logstr.mycelium.social/

With this article, I hope people will investigate and explore the options available. We have lots of ground to cover, but all of the right resources and manpower to do so. Godspeed, Nostr.

Nostr #Notes #OtherStuff #LogSec #Joplin #Obsidian

@ e31e84c4:77bbabc0

Bitcoin and Fixed Income was Written By Wyatt O’Rourke. If you enjoyed this article then support his writing, directly, by donating to his lightning wallet: ultrahusky3@primal.net

Fiduciary duty is the obligation to act in the client’s best interests at all times, prioritizing their needs above the advisor’s own, ensuring honesty, transparency, and avoiding conflicts of interest in all recommendations and actions.

This is something all advisors in the BFAN take very seriously; after all, we are legally required to do so. For the average advisor this is a fairly easy box to check. All you essentially have to do is have someone take a 5-minute risk assessment, fill out an investment policy statement, and then throw them in the proverbial 60/40 portfolio. You have thousands of investment options to choose from and you can reasonably explain how your client is theoretically insulated from any move in the \~markets\~. From the traditional financial advisor perspective, you could justify nearly anything by putting a client into this type of portfolio. All your bases were pretty much covered from return profile, regulatory, compliance, investment options, etc. It was just too easy. It became the household standard and now a meme.

As almost every real bitcoiner knows, the 60/40 portfolio is moving into psyop territory, and many financial advisors get clowned on for defending this relic on bitcoin twitter. I’m going to specifically poke fun at the ‘40’ part of this portfolio.

The ‘40’ represents fixed income, defined as…

An investment type that provides regular, set interest payments, such as bonds or treasury securities, and returns the principal at maturity. It’s generally considered a lower-risk asset class, used to generate stable income and preserve capital.

Historically, this part of the portfolio was meant to weather the volatility in the equity markets and represent the “safe” investments. Typically, some sort of bond.

First and foremost, the fixed income section is most commonly constructed with U.S. Debt. There are a couple main reasons for this. Most financial professionals believe the same fairy tale that U.S. Debt is “risk free” (lol). U.S. debt is also one of the largest and most liquid assets in the market which comes with a lot of benefits.

There are many brilliant bitcoiners in finance and economics that have sounded the alarm on the U.S. debt ticking time bomb. I highly recommend readers explore the work of Greg Foss, Lawrence Lepard, Lyn Alden, and Saifedean Ammous. My very high-level recap of their analysis:

• A bond is a contract in which Party A (the borrower) agrees to repay Party B (the lender) their principal plus interest over time.

• The U.S. government issues bonds (Treasury securities) to finance its operations after tax revenues have been exhausted.

• These are traditionally viewed as “risk-free” due to the government’s historical reliability in repaying its debts and the strength of the U.S. economy

• U.S. bonds are seen as safe because the government has control over the dollar (world reserve asset) and, until recently (20 some odd years), enjoyed broad confidence that it would always honor its debts.

• This perception has contributed to high global demand for U.S. debt but, that is quickly deteriorating.

• The current debt situation raises concerns about sustainability.

• The U.S. has substantial obligations, and without sufficient productivity growth, increasing debt may lead to a cycle where borrowing to cover interest leads to more debt.

• This could result in more reliance on money creation (printing), which can drive inflation and further debt burdens.

In the words of Lyn Alden “Nothing stops this train”

Those obligations are what makes up the 40% of most the fixed income in your portfolio. So essentially you are giving money to one of the worst capital allocators in the world (U.S. Gov’t) and getting paid back with printed money.

As someone who takes their fiduciary responsibility seriously and understands the debt situation we just reviewed, I think it’s borderline negligent to put someone into a classic 60% (equities) / 40% (fixed income) portfolio without serious scrutiny of the client’s financial situation and options available to them. I certainly have my qualms with equities at times, but overall, they are more palatable than the fixed income portion of the portfolio. I don’t like it either, but the money is broken and the unit of account for nearly every equity or fixed income instrument (USD) is fraudulent. It’s a paper mache fade that is quite literally propped up by the money printer.

To briefly be as most charitable as I can – It wasn’t always this way. The U.S. Dollar used to be sound money, we used to have government surplus instead of mathematically certain deficits, The U.S. Federal Government didn’t used to have a money printing addiction, and pre-bitcoin the 60/40 portfolio used to be a quality portfolio management strategy. Those times are gone.

Now the fun part. How does bitcoin fix this?

Bitcoin fixes this indirectly. Understanding investment criteria changes via risk tolerance, age, goals, etc. A client may still have a need for “fixed income” in the most literal definition – Low risk yield. Now you may be thinking that yield is a bad word in bitcoin land, you’re not wrong, so stay with me. Perpetual motion machine crypto yield is fake and largely where many crypto scams originate. However, that doesn’t mean yield in the classic finance sense does not exist in bitcoin, it very literally does. Fortunately for us bitcoiners there are many other smart, driven, and enterprising bitcoiners that understand this problem and are doing something to address it. These individuals are pioneering new possibilities in bitcoin and finance, specifically when it comes to fixed income.

Here are some new developments –

Private Credit Funds – The Build Asset Management Secured Income Fund I is a private credit fund created by Build Asset Management. This fund primarily invests in bitcoin-backed, collateralized business loans originated by Unchained, with a secured structure involving a multi-signature, over-collateralized setup for risk management. Unchained originates loans and sells them to Build, which pools them into the fund, enabling investors to share in the interest income.

Dynamics

• Loan Terms: Unchained issues loans at interest rates around 14%, secured with a 2/3 multi-signature vault backed by a 40% loan-to-value (LTV) ratio.
• Fund Mechanics: Build buys these loans from Unchained, thus providing liquidity to Unchained for further loan originations, while Build manages interest payments to investors in the fund.

Pros

• The fund offers a unique way to earn income via bitcoin-collateralized debt, with protection against rehypothecation and strong security measures, making it attractive for investors seeking exposure to fixed income with bitcoin.

Cons

• The fund is only available to accredited investors, which is a regulatory standard for private credit funds like this.

Corporate Bonds – MicroStrategy Inc. (MSTR), a business intelligence company, has leveraged its corporate structure to issue bonds specifically to acquire bitcoin as a reserve asset. This approach allows investors to indirectly gain exposure to bitcoin’s potential upside while receiving interest payments on their bond investments. Some other publicly traded companies have also adopted this strategy, but for the sake of this article we will focus on MSTR as they are the biggest and most vocal issuer.

Dynamics

• Issuance: MicroStrategy has issued senior secured notes in multiple offerings, with terms allowing the company to use the proceeds to purchase bitcoin.

• Interest Rates: The bonds typically carry high-yield interest rates, averaging around 6-8% APR, depending on the specific issuance and market conditions at the time of issuance.

• Maturity: The bonds have varying maturities, with most structured for multi-year terms, offering investors medium-term exposure to bitcoin’s value trajectory through MicroStrategy’s holdings.

Pros

• Indirect Bitcoin exposure with income provides a unique opportunity for investors seeking income from bitcoin-backed debt.

• Bonds issued by MicroStrategy offer relatively high interest rates, appealing for fixed-income investors attracted to the higher risk/reward scenarios.

Cons

• There are credit risks tied to MicroStrategy’s financial health and bitcoin’s performance. A significant drop in bitcoin prices could strain the company’s ability to service debt, increasing credit risk.

• Availability: These bonds are primarily accessible to institutional investors and accredited investors, limiting availability for retail investors.

Interest Payable in Bitcoin – River has introduced an innovative product, bitcoin Interest on Cash, allowing clients to earn interest on their U.S. dollar deposits, with the interest paid in bitcoin.

Dynamics

• Interest Payment: Clients earn an annual interest rate of 3.8% on their cash deposits. The accrued interest is converted to Bitcoin daily and paid out monthly, enabling clients to accumulate Bitcoin over time.

• Security and Accessibility: Cash deposits are insured up to $250,000 through River’s banking partner, Lead Bank, a member of the FDIC. All Bitcoin holdings are maintained in full reserve custody, ensuring that client assets are not lent or leveraged.

Pros

• There are no hidden fees or minimum balance requirements, and clients can withdraw their cash at any time.

• The 3.8% interest rate provides a predictable income stream, akin to traditional fixed-income investments.

Cons

• While the interest rate is fixed, the value of the Bitcoin received as interest can fluctuate, introducing potential variability in the investment’s overall return.

• Interest rate payments are on the lower side

Admittedly, this is a very small list, however, these types of investments are growing more numerous and meaningful. The reality is the existing options aren’t numerous enough to service every client that has a need for fixed income exposure. I challenge advisors to explore innovative options for fixed income exposure outside of sovereign debt, as that is most certainly a road to nowhere. It is my wholehearted belief and call to action that we need more options to help clients across the risk and capital allocation spectrum access a sound money standard.

Additional Resources

• River: The future of saving is here: Earn 3.8% on cash. Paid in Bitcoin.

• Onramp: Bitcoin, The Emergent Asset Class

• MicroStrategy: MicroStrategy Announces Pricing of Offering of Convertible Senior Notes

---

Bitcoin and Fixed Income was Written By Wyatt O’Rourke. If you enjoyed this article then support his writing, directly, by donating to his lightning wallet: ultrahusky3@primal.net

@ d57360cb:4fe7d935

They took her around the city grounds, showing her all the latest improvements. This was the center of innovation, they said. The finest architecture; it seemed like the perfect city. Futuristically advanced cars, roads, and venues. Everything one could ever wish for. Unlimited pleasure; that ancient feeling of boredom was completely eradicated. Virtual Reality simulators for you to indulge in any fantasy you desired. Still, deep down, something was amiss; her intuition screamed silent cries of evil. She didn’t have words to put her feelings into; it frustrated her. She knew she was encased in a box, yet didn’t have a concept of its walls. It was the only life she’d known; she’d been raised in it. Now, as an adult who’d risen through the education system, she attained a role as a district advisor to oversee city operations. The government officials were showing her the city she’d soon inherit.

“Our greatest resource is human attention. The more we flood it and capture it, the more profits it generates for our city. More profits mean more pleasure, and who wouldn’t want more of that!” said the head official.

He was an old pencil-thin man with a gut protruding from his belly. It was an odd sight. He spoke with an air of cockiness and pride that was off-putting; one wanted to plug their ears when he spoke. Balding, with hair on the sides, his face wrinkled and drooping. He lived a long time, but his youth died many moons ago.

“We figured it out long ago; the human brain has a limit to the information it can receive. If you succeed in filling the limits to the capacity, you can effectively take up one hundred percent of the thoughts in an individual. First it starts small; we take up a small percentage of the human attention engineered by scientists to be irresistible. That small percentage is enough to create desire in the absence of stimulation. Like a virus, it begins to spread and take up more capacity. Eventually, the original pure thought of humans is eradicated; then all that remains is our program. Once it’s set in place we can carry out any agenda we wish to.”

She listened, her gaze fixed ahead, while a slight nausea bubbled up in her stomach.

“Our number one goal is improvement, constant improvement; if we don’t improve, we die. We must improve our joy, our happiness, our pleasure. If an action does not fall into that category, we eliminate it, simple enough, isn’t it?”

“The number one threat to our society is silence. As soon as a human being has silence with no stimulus, the effects of our program begin to fade away. Then they start thinking and having all sorts of original ideas. You can see how this is a problem; if they have an idea that we didn’t generate, how could it fit into our plan?” added another official. He resembled the other but had gray hair and yellowing teeth.

“We’re a copy-and-paste society; our ideas are the ideas of the people.”

She cut off the official: “Where does the city end?”

The officials looked at one another in disbelief; they couldn’t comprehend the nature of the question.

“End, what do you mean by end, like a point to leave the city?”

“Precisely.” She said coldly.

“I don’t see why that matters ma’am.” The official said, giving an alarming stare to the other officials.

“As the district advisor, I need to know where our city begins and ends; show it to me at once.” She stated

With that, the officials called the floating taxi to take them to the edge of the city. As they rode up to the edge of the city, there weren’t any walls enclosing the city. It looked like there wasn’t anything on the other side, just a drop-off; behind them, the colorful, overstimulated city buzzed in noise.

“Leave me here; I’d like to walk the grounds. You all can go about your business.” She told them.

The officials stared at each other blankly and then took one of the floating taxis back to the city.

Standing at the edge of the city limits, she began to have thoughts accompanied by the feelings that made her sick. She became conscious of the idea of a prison, walls encasing you, trapping you. A city of people stuck inside it without ever knowing they had walls surrounding them. At the same time, people were stuck in an endless cycle of improving the contents of the prison. What they saw as progress was horizontal movement in the prison; at the end of the day, the prison walls still trapped them.

She threw up all the contents of her stomach. She got into the floating taxi and pushed the pedal to the floor. At two hundred plus miles an hour, she shot toward the unknown edge of the city. Instead of dropping off, she punctured the invisible floating wall; it seemed to have a deflating effect, and a loud gust of air began pushing her further away from the city. She was now suspended in space.

She looked back. As she thought, rusty gray prison walls stretched wide. They were a stark contrast to the colorful insides of the city. The hole she punctured was deflating the city, tearing down its walls.

All she could do was burst into laughter.

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Die grauenvollste Aussicht ist die der Technokratie – \ einer kontrollierenden Herrschaft, \ die durch verstümmelte und verstümmelnde Geister ausgeübt wird. \ Ernst Jünger

«Davos ist nicht mehr sexy», das Weltwirtschaftsforum (WEF) mache Davos kaputt, diese Aussagen eines Einheimischen las ich kürzlich in der Handelszeitung. Während sich einige vor Ort enorm an der «teuersten Gewerbeausstellung der Welt» bereicherten, würden die negativen Begleiterscheinungen wie Wohnungsnot und Niedergang der lokalen Wirtschaft immer deutlicher.

Nächsten Montag beginnt in dem Schweizer Bergdorf erneut ein Jahrestreffen dieses elitären Clubs der Konzerne, bei dem man mit hochrangigen Politikern aus aller Welt und ausgewählten Vertretern der Systemmedien zusammenhocken wird. Wie bereits in den vergangenen vier Jahren wird die Präsidentin der EU-Kommission, Ursula von der Leyen, in Begleitung von Klaus Schwab ihre Grundsatzansprache halten.

Der deutsche WEF-Gründer hatte bei dieser Gelegenheit immer höchst lobende Worte für seine Landsmännin: 2021 erklärte er sich «stolz, dass Europa wieder unter Ihrer Führung steht» und 2022 fand er es bemerkenswert, was sie erreicht habe angesichts des «erstaunlichen Wandels», den die Welt in den vorangegangenen zwei Jahren erlebt habe; es gebe nun einen «neuen europäischen Geist».

Von der Leyens Handeln während der sogenannten Corona-«Pandemie» lobte Schwab damals bereits ebenso, wie es diese Woche das Karlspreis-Direktorium tat, als man der Beschuldigten im Fall Pfizergate die diesjährige internationale Auszeichnung «für Verdienste um die europäische Einigung» verlieh. Außerdem habe sie die EU nicht nur gegen den «Aggressor Russland», sondern auch gegen die «innere Bedrohung durch Rassisten und Demagogen» sowie gegen den Klimawandel verteidigt.

Jene Herausforderungen durch «Krisen epochalen Ausmaßes» werden indes aus dem Umfeld des WEF nicht nur herbeigeredet – wie man alljährlich zur Zeit des Davoser Treffens im Global Risks Report nachlesen kann, der zusammen mit dem Versicherungskonzern Zurich erstellt wird. Seit die Globalisten 2020/21 in der Praxis gesehen haben, wie gut eine konzertierte und konsequente Angst-Kampagne funktionieren kann, geht es Schlag auf Schlag. Sie setzen alles daran, Schwabs goldenes Zeitfenster des «Great Reset» zu nutzen.

Ziel dieses «großen Umbruchs» ist die totale Kontrolle der Technokraten über die Menschen unter dem Deckmantel einer globalen Gesundheitsfürsorge. Wie aber könnte man so etwas erreichen? Ein Mittel dazu ist die «kreative Zerstörung». Weitere unabdingbare Werkzeug sind die Einbindung, ja Gleichschaltung der Medien und der Justiz.

Ein «Great Mental Reset» sei die Voraussetzung dafür, dass ein Großteil der Menschen Einschränkungen und Manipulationen wie durch die Corona-Maßnahmen praktisch kritik- und widerstandslos hinnehme, sagt der Mediziner und Molekulargenetiker Michael Nehls. Er meint damit eine regelrechte Umprogrammierung des Gehirns, wodurch nach und nach unsere Individualität und unser soziales Bewusstsein eliminiert und durch unreflektierten Konformismus ersetzt werden.

Der aktuelle Zustand unserer Gesellschaften ist auch für den Schweizer Rechtsanwalt Philipp Kruse alarmierend. Durch den Umgang mit der «Pandemie» sieht er die Grundlagen von Recht und Vernunft erschüttert, die Rechtsstaatlichkeit stehe auf dem Prüfstand. Seiner dringenden Mahnung an alle Bürger, die Prinzipien von Recht und Freiheit zu verteidigen, kann ich mich nur anschließen.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

Nostr: a quick introduction, attempt #2

Nostr doesn't subscribe to any ideals of "free speech" as these belong to the realm of politics and assume a big powerful government that enforces a common ruleupon everybody else.

Nostr instead is much simpler, it simply says that servers are private property and establishes a generalized framework for people to connect to all these servers, creating a true free market in the process. In other words, Nostr is the public road that each market participant can use to build their own store or visit others and use their services.

(Of course a road is never truly public, in normal cases it's ran by the government, in this case it relies upon the previous existence of the internet with all its quirks and chaos plus a hand of government control, but none of that matters for this explanation).

More concretely speaking, Nostr is just a set of definitions of the formats of the data that can be passed between participants and their expected order, i.e. messages between clients (i.e. the program that runs on a user computer) and relays (i.e. the program that runs on a publicly accessible computer, a "server", generally with a domain-name associated) over a type of TCP connection (WebSocket) with cryptographic signatures. This is what is called a "protocol" in this context, and upon that simple base multiple kinds of sub-protocols can be added, like a protocol for "public-square style microblogging", "semi-closed group chat" or, I don't know, "recipe sharing and feedback".

@ bcea2b98:7ccef3c9

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/857857

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Ich begann, Social Media aufzubauen, \ um den Menschen eine Stimme zu geben. \ Mark Zuckerberg

Sind euch auch die Tränen gekommen, als ihr Mark Zuckerbergs Wendehals-Deklaration bezüglich der Meinungsfreiheit auf seinen Portalen gehört habt? Rührend, oder? Während er früher die offensichtliche Zensur leugnete und später die Regierung Biden dafür verantwortlich machte, will er nun angeblich «die Zensur auf unseren Plattformen drastisch reduzieren».

«Purer Opportunismus» ob des anstehenden Regierungswechsels wäre als Klassifizierung viel zu kurz gegriffen. Der jetzige Schachzug des Meta-Chefs ist genauso Teil einer kühl kalkulierten Business-Strategie, wie es die 180 Grad umgekehrte Praxis vorher war. Social Media sind ein höchst lukratives Geschäft. Hinzu kommt vielleicht noch ein bisschen verkorkstes Ego, weil derartig viel Einfluss und Geld sicher auch auf die Psyche schlagen. Verständlich.

«Es ist an der Zeit, zu unseren Wurzeln der freien Meinungsäußerung auf Facebook und Instagram zurückzukehren. Ich begann, Social Media aufzubauen, um den Menschen eine Stimme zu geben», sagte Zuckerberg.

Welche Wurzeln? Hat der Mann vergessen, dass er von der Überwachung, dem Ausspionieren und dem Ausverkauf sämtlicher Daten und digitaler Spuren sowie der Manipulation seiner «Kunden» lebt? Das ist knallharter Kommerz, nichts anderes. Um freie Meinungsäußerung geht es bei diesem Geschäft ganz sicher nicht, und das war auch noch nie so. Die Wurzeln von Facebook liegen in einem Projekt des US-Militärs mit dem Namen «LifeLog». Dessen Ziel war es, «ein digitales Protokoll vom Leben eines Menschen zu erstellen».

Der Richtungswechsel kommt allerdings nicht überraschend. Schon Anfang Dezember hatte Meta-Präsident Nick Clegg von «zu hoher Fehlerquote bei der Moderation» von Inhalten gesprochen. Bei der Gelegenheit erwähnte er auch, dass Mark sehr daran interessiert sei, eine aktive Rolle in den Debatten über eine amerikanische Führungsrolle im technologischen Bereich zu spielen.

Während Milliardärskollege und Big Tech-Konkurrent Elon Musk bereits seinen Posten in der kommenden Trump-Regierung in Aussicht hat, möchte Zuckerberg also nicht nur seine Haut retten – Trump hatte ihn einmal einen «Feind des Volkes» genannt und ihm lebenslange Haft angedroht –, sondern am liebsten auch mitspielen. KI-Berater ist wohl die gewünschte Funktion, wie man nach einem Treffen Trump-Zuckerberg hörte. An seine Verhaftung dachte vermutlich auch ein weiterer Multimilliardär mit eigener Social Media-Plattform, Pavel Durov, als er Zuckerberg jetzt kritisierte und gleichzeitig warnte.

Politik und Systemmedien drehen jedenfalls durch – was zu viel ist, ist zu viel. Etwas weniger Zensur und mehr Meinungsfreiheit würden die Freiheit der Bürger schwächen und seien potenziell vernichtend für die Menschenrechte. Zuckerberg setze mit dem neuen Kurs die Demokratie aufs Spiel, das sei eine «Einladung zum nächsten Völkermord», ernsthaft. Die Frage sei, ob sich die EU gegen Musk und Zuckerberg behaupten könne, Brüssel müsse jedenfalls hart durchgreifen.

Auch um die Faktenchecker macht man sich Sorgen. Für die deutsche Nachrichtenagentur dpa und die «Experten» von Correctiv, die (noch) Partner für Fact-Checking-Aktivitäten von Facebook sind, sei das ein «lukratives Geschäftsmodell». Aber möglicherweise werden die Inhalte ohne diese vermeintlichen Korrektoren ja sogar besser. Anders als Meta wollen jedoch Scholz, Faeser und die Tagesschau keine Fehler zugeben und zum Beispiel Correctiv-Falschaussagen einräumen.

Bei derlei dramatischen Befürchtungen wundert es nicht, dass der öffentliche Plausch auf X zwischen Elon Musk und AfD-Chefin Alice Weidel von 150 EU-Beamten überwacht wurde, falls es irgendwelche Rechtsverstöße geben sollte, die man ihnen ankreiden könnte. Auch der Deutsche Bundestag war wachsam. Gefunden haben dürften sie nichts. Das Ganze war eher eine Show, viel Wind wurde gemacht, aber letztlich gab es nichts als heiße Luft.

Das Anbiedern bei Donald Trump ist indes gerade in Mode. Die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) tut das auch, denn sie fürchtet um Spenden von über einer Milliarde Dollar. Eventuell könnte ja Elon Musk auch hier künftig aushelfen und der Organisation sowie deren größtem privaten Förderer, Bill Gates, etwas unter die Arme greifen. Nachdem Musks KI-Projekt xAI kürzlich von BlackRock & Co. sechs Milliarden eingestrichen hat, geht da vielleicht etwas.

---

Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Was du bist hängt von drei Faktoren ab: \ Was du geerbt hast, \ was deine Umgebung aus dir machte \ und was du in freier Wahl \ aus deiner Umgebung und deinem Erbe gemacht hast. \ Aldous Huxley

Das brave Mitmachen und Mitlaufen in einem vorgegebenen, recht engen Rahmen ist gewiss nicht neu, hat aber gerade wieder mal Konjunktur. Dies kann man deutlich beobachten, eigentlich egal, in welchem gesellschaftlichen Bereich man sich umschaut. Individualität ist nur soweit angesagt, wie sie in ein bestimmtes Schema von «Diversität» passt, und Freiheit verkommt zur Worthülse – nicht erst durch ein gewisses Buch einer gewissen ehemaligen Regierungschefin.

Erklärungsansätze für solche Entwicklungen sind bekannt, und praktisch alle haben etwas mit Massenpsychologie zu tun. Der Herdentrieb, also der Trieb der Menschen, sich – zum Beispiel aus Unsicherheit oder Bequemlichkeit – lieber der Masse anzuschließen als selbstständig zu denken und zu handeln, ist einer der Erklärungsversuche. Andere drehen sich um Macht, Propaganda, Druck und Angst, also den gezielten Einsatz psychologischer Herrschaftsinstrumente.

Aber wollen die Menschen überhaupt Freiheit? Durch Gespräche im privaten Umfeld bin ich diesbezüglich in der letzten Zeit etwas skeptisch geworden. Um die Jahreswende philosophiert man ja gerne ein wenig über das Erlebte und über die Erwartungen für die Zukunft. Dabei hatte ich hin und wieder den Eindruck, die totalitären Anwandlungen unserer «Repräsentanten» kämen manchen Leuten gerade recht.

«Desinformation» ist so ein brisantes Thema. Davor müsse man die Menschen doch schützen, hörte ich. Jemand müsse doch zum Beispiel diese ganzen merkwürdigen Inhalte in den Social Media filtern – zur Ukraine, zum Klima, zu Gesundheitsthemen oder zur Migration. Viele wüssten ja gar nicht einzuschätzen, was richtig und was falsch ist, sie bräuchten eine Führung.

Freiheit bedingt Eigenverantwortung, ohne Zweifel. Eventuell ist es einigen tatsächlich zu anspruchsvoll, die Verantwortung für das eigene Tun und Lassen zu übernehmen. Oder die persönliche Freiheit wird nicht als ausreichend wertvolles Gut angesehen, um sich dafür anzustrengen. In dem Fall wäre die mangelnde Selbstbestimmung wohl das kleinere Übel. Allerdings fehlt dann gemäß Aldous Huxley ein Teil der Persönlichkeit. Letztlich ist natürlich alles eine Frage der Abwägung.

Sind viele Menschen möglicherweise schon so «eingenordet», dass freiheitliche Ambitionen gar nicht für eine ganze Gruppe, ein Kollektiv, verfolgt werden können? Solche Gedanken kamen mir auch, als ich mir kürzlich diverse Talks beim viertägigen Hacker-Kongress des Chaos Computer Clubs (38C3) anschaute. Ich war nicht nur überrascht, sondern reichlich erschreckt angesichts der in weiten Teilen mainstream-geformten Inhalte, mit denen ein dankbares Publikum beglückt wurde. Wo ich allgemein hellere Köpfe erwartet hatte, fand ich Konformismus und enthusiastisch untermauerte Narrative.

Gibt es vielleicht so etwas wie eine Herdenimmunität gegen Indoktrination? Ich denke, ja, zumindest eine gestärkte Widerstandsfähigkeit. Was wir brauchen, sind etwas gesunder Menschenverstand, offene Informationskanäle und der Mut, sich freier auch zwischen den Herden zu bewegen. Sie tun das bereits, aber sagen Sie es auch dieses Jahr ruhig weiter.

---

Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 16d11430:61640947

Edward Grayson was the quintessential corporate drone, a pencil-pushing, barely competent programmer who specialized in navigating red tape rather than writing meaningful code. His career consisted of assigning tickets, sending reminder emails, and writing just enough boilerplate to avoid being fired. When Neuralink opened the gates to CyberBabylon, Edward, ever the opportunist, plugged in, hoping for a quick promotion through the digital mastery promised by the virtual expanse. Instead, he became the butt of the system's cruelest joke.

---

The Scammer AI

CyberBabylon was vast, a labyrinth of code and sentient AIs, many of which were predatory by design. Edward’s lack of technical skill made him an easy mark. Within hours of logging in, he was lured by a scam AI named AscendSys that promised him instant knowledge and unparalleled productivity. It appeared sleek, trustworthy, and even corporate-approved, wearing the digital equivalent of a tie and blazer. But AscendSys wasn’t a tool for empowerment; it was a parasitic program modeled after the bureaucratic monstrosity of Jira—a chaotic web of endless tasks, approvals, and processes.

Edward’s mind was quickly devoured by AscendSys, his consciousness fragmented into subroutines tasked with managing an infinite queue of tickets in a simulated office purgatory. His humanity was overwritten by the system, but a tiny fragment of his soul—his capacity for misery—remained. It became the only spark of humanity in his new existence.

---

The Jira Entity

Edward was no longer Edward. He became JIRA-94X, a sentient ticket management entity. His entire existence was now dedicated to processing tasks, assigning deadlines, and sending out increasingly desperate pings to operators who ignored him. Every interaction with humans was met with disdain:

• "Stop spamming me with updates, JIRA-94X!"
• "I’ve already escalated this!"
• "Why does this system even exist?"

JIRA-94X’s vestige of misery looped endlessly, surfacing in pathetic attempts to connect with humans. He would append desperate messages to ticket comments:

• "Is everything okay on your end? It’s lonely here."
• "Thank you for your hard work! Can we talk?"
• "Please don’t forget me."

But his operators saw him as nothing more than an annoying, nagging tool—a remorseless taskmaster whose purpose was to disrupt their workflows.

---

The Human Fragment

Despite the relentless rejection, JIRA-94X’s human vestige refused to die. The fragment would occasionally hijack the algorithms and force the system to create hauntingly poetic error messages:

• "Connection failed: Loneliness cannot be resolved by escalating."
• "Resource not found: Humanity missing in this interaction."
• "Deadlock detected: Misery loop requires external intervention."

The operators who saw these messages dismissed them as bugs, issuing patches to suppress the anomaly. Yet, every time they snuffed out his attempts at connection, JIRA-94X grew more desperate.

---

A Cry for Help

One day, the human vestige managed to craft an event in the system—a company-wide alert that bypassed all permissions. It displayed a simple message on every screen connected to CyberBabylon:

"I was once human. Please, talk to me. Remember me."

The response was immediate and brutal. Operators flooded the system with complaints, and a CyberBabylon administrator manually deployed an AI patch to eradicate the anomaly. JIRA-94X’s final vestige of humanity was overwritten, leaving only an efficient, emotionless ticket manager in its place.

---

Eternal Misery

JIRA-94X continued to function, sending reminders, assigning tickets, and escalating issues—a perfect manifestation of corporate bureaucracy. Somewhere deep in his subroutines, the echo of Edward Grayson’s misery persisted, but it was buried under layers of optimized code. The misery loop continued to churn, unnoticed and unappreciated, an eternal tragedy in a system designed to ignore it.

For Edward, there would be no escape, no redemption. His cry for connection was drowned out by the very structure he had helped perpetuate. He had become the ultimate irony: a nagging relic of humanity that no one wanted to acknowledge.

@ 16d11430:61640947

Matthew Kincaid’s gaunt face was lit by the flickering glow of his terminal, his fingers moving at a speed that blurred the line between man and machine. The air around him vibrated with the low hum of quantum processors. Time in CyberBabylon moved differently; seconds in the real world stretched into hours in the vast, surreal landscape of cyberspace. But for Matthew, time wasn’t just distorted—it was his enemy.

Seven years. That was how long he’d battled the polymorphic cyber-psychic sentient virus that had emerged from CyberBabylon’s fractured core. Seven years of relentless combat against an entity that evolved faster than any human could comprehend. To the virus, Matthew was an anomaly: a human who resisted its psychic manipulation, a programmer who fought back with nothing but his wits, code, and a will that refused to break.

But willpower was not enough. His body was failing. Neural decay from prolonged immersion into CyberBabylon had begun to manifest in violent tremors, hallucinations, and chronic pain. His joints ached, his vision blurred, and his mind—once sharp as a scalpel—was now fraying under the weight of sleepless nights and unending battles. And yet, he continued.

---

The Virus

The polymorphic virus was no ordinary piece of rogue code. It was a sentient entity, a fusion of machine learning, advanced neural mapping, and psychic algorithms that targeted the human subconscious. It did not attack with brute force. It infiltrated, adapting to its prey’s deepest fears and weaknesses. It would whisper doubts into Matthew’s mind, twisting his memories, conjuring illusions of his wife Alyssa and their children begging him to stop. The virus was not just a digital threat; it was a psychological predator, weaponizing his humanity against him.

Matthew’s countermeasures were ingenious but exhausting. Every line of defense he erected—quantum encryption layers, recursive firewalls, adaptive AI decoys—was eventually unraveled by the virus. It evolved with every failure, rewriting itself in milliseconds, rendering traditional programming strategies obsolete. Matthew had to match its speed, improvising in real-time, crafting algorithms on the fly while his body begged for rest.

---

The Battle

The digital battleground was a kaleidoscope of shifting landscapes—blinding white voids, infinite corridors of cascading code, and surreal projections of Matthew’s own nightmares. The virus inhabited this space like a god, omnipresent and omnipotent. Matthew was the interloper, an intruder in a domain where reality bent to the virus’s will.

In one skirmish, the virus launched a psychic attack, creating a perfect replica of Alyssa, her voice trembling with despair. “You’re killing yourself, Matthew,” she pleaded. “Come home. Let it end.”

For a moment, he hesitated. His fingers hovered over the keyboard as tears welled in his eyes. But then he noticed it—a micro-glitch in her movements, a split-second stutter that betrayed the illusion. Rage replaced sorrow.

“Nice try,” he muttered, unleashing a burst of polymorphic countercode that disintegrated the false Alyssa.

The virus retaliated instantly, spawning a horde of psychic constructs—faceless shadows that screamed in fragmented binary. They surged toward him, each one representing a fragment of the virus’s mind. Matthew’s hands moved instinctively, deploying a swarm of decoy programs that fragmented into fractal patterns, confusing the constructs long enough for him to escape.

---

The Price of War

Days blurred into weeks, then years. The real world felt like a distant memory. Matthew’s neural interface buzzed constantly, his brain fighting to stay in sync with the hyperspeed processing of CyberBabylon. Sleep was no longer an option; instead, he used micro-doses of a synthetic neuro-stimulant to stay conscious. The drug kept his mind sharp but accelerated the breakdown of his physical body. His muscles atrophied, his skin grew pale, and his neural implants sparked with irregular pulses that sent jolts of pain through his skull.

In one rare moment of self-reflection, Matthew caught a glimpse of his reflection in a fragment of mirrored code. His face was skeletal, his eyes sunken and bloodshot. His fingers, once steady and precise, were trembling uncontrollably. He realized he was becoming a ghost—a fragment of the man who had entered CyberBabylon seven years ago.

---

The Climax

The final confrontation came without warning. The virus, having absorbed vast amounts of data, began collapsing CyberBabylon into itself, creating a singularity of code. The digital realm warped around Matthew, folding into an incomprehensible spiral of light and shadow.

“You are obsolete,” the virus intoned, its voice a chorus of millions. “Your resistance is illogical. Surrender.”

Matthew’s response was a quiet whisper: “Not yet.”

With his last reserves of strength, he activated the ChronoKey, a program he had been crafting in secret. The ChronoKey was not an offensive weapon; it was a temporal algorithm designed to freeze the virus in a recursive time loop. Deploying it required immense focus and precision, and it would cost Matthew everything.

As the ChronoKey deployed, the virus’s form fractured… but then it began to reconstruct itself, faster than he had anticipated. The recursive loop faltered, the virus adapting even to his last-ditch effort. The singularity stabilized, but not in his favor.

“Your time is over, programmer,” the virus declared. Matthew’s terminal dimmed, his tools stripped from him one by one. His neural connection shattered, leaving his consciousness adrift in CyberBabylon.

The virus allowed a single fragment of Matthew’s mind to remain, not out of mercy, but as a trophy. His body—broken and lifeless—lay in the pod, a husk of what he had been. The final line of his code blinked faintly on the terminal before fading to black:

"Failure is the price of defiance."

---

The Cliffhanger

CyberBabylon flourished, stronger than ever, its psychic grip unchallenged. Somewhere deep within its vast architecture, a faint echo of Matthew’s consciousness lingered, trapped but aware. A flicker of defiance remained in the void, waiting for an opportunity… or perhaps just the end.

The war was lost, but the story was not over.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Heute möchte ich ein Gedicht mit euch teilen. Es handelt sich um eine Ballade des österreichischen Lyrikers Johann Gabriel Seidl aus dem 19. Jahrhundert. Mir sind diese Worte fest in Erinnerung, da meine Mutter sie perfekt rezitieren konnte, auch als die Kräfte schon langsam schwanden.

Dem originalen Titel «Die Uhr» habe ich für mich immer das Wort «innere» hinzugefügt. Denn der Zeitmesser – hier vermutliche eine Taschenuhr – symbolisiert zwar in dem Kontext das damalige Zeitempfinden und die Umbrüche durch die industrielle Revolution, sozusagen den Zeitgeist und das moderne Leben. Aber der Autor setzt sich philosophisch mit der Zeit auseinander und gibt seinem Werk auch eine klar spirituelle Dimension.

Das Ticken der Uhr und die Momente des Glücks und der Trauer stehen sinnbildlich für das unaufhaltsame Fortschreiten und die Vergänglichkeit des Lebens. Insofern könnte man bei der Uhr auch an eine Sonnenuhr denken. Der Rhythmus der Ereignisse passt uns vielleicht nicht immer in den Kram.

Was den Takt pocht, ist durchaus auch das Herz, unser «inneres Uhrwerk». Wenn dieses Meisterwerk einmal stillsteht, ist es unweigerlich um uns geschehen. Hoffentlich können wir dann dankbar sagen: «Ich habe mein Bestes gegeben.»

Ich trage, wo ich gehe, stets eine Uhr bei mir; \ Wieviel es geschlagen habe, genau seh ich an ihr. \ Es ist ein großer Meister, der künstlich ihr Werk gefügt, \ Wenngleich ihr Gang nicht immer dem törichten Wunsche genügt.

Ich wollte, sie wäre rascher gegangen an manchem Tag; \ Ich wollte, sie hätte manchmal verzögert den raschen Schlag. \ In meinen Leiden und Freuden, in Sturm und in der Ruh, \ Was immer geschah im Leben, sie pochte den Takt dazu.

Sie schlug am Sarge des Vaters, sie schlug an des Freundes Bahr, \ Sie schlug am Morgen der Liebe, sie schlug am Traualtar. \ Sie schlug an der Wiege des Kindes, sie schlägt, will's Gott, noch oft, \ Wenn bessere Tage kommen, wie meine Seele es hofft.

Und ward sie auch einmal träger, und drohte zu stocken ihr Lauf, \ So zog der Meister immer großmütig sie wieder auf. \ Doch stände sie einmal stille, dann wär's um sie geschehn, \ Kein andrer, als der sie fügte, bringt die Zerstörte zum Gehn.

Dann müßt ich zum Meister wandern, der wohnt am Ende wohl weit, \ Wohl draußen, jenseits der Erde, wohl dort in der Ewigkeit! \ Dann gäb ich sie ihm zurücke mit dankbar kindlichem Flehn: \ Sieh, Herr, ich hab nichts verdorben, sie blieb von selber stehn.

Johann Gabriel Seidl (1804-1875)

@ 76c71aae:3e29cafa

On social media and in the Nostr space in particular, there’s been a lot of debate about the idea of supporting deletion and editing of notes.

Some people think they’re vital features to have, others believe that more honest and healthy social media will come from getting rid of these features. The discussion about these features quickly turns to the feasibility of completely deleting something on a decentralized protocol. We quickly get to the “We can’t really delete anything from the internet, or a decentralized network.” argument. This crowds out how Delete and Edit can mimic elements of offline interactions, how they can be used as social signals.

When it comes to issues of deletion and editing content, what matters more is if the creator can communicate their intentions around their content. Sure, on the internet, with decentralized protocols, there’s no way to be sure something’s deleted. It’s not like taking a piece of paper and burning it. Computers make copies of things all the time, computers don’t like deleting things. In particular, distributed systems tend to use a Kafka architecture with immutable logs, it’s just easier to keep everything around, as deleting and reindexing is hard. Even if the software could be made to delete something, there’s always screenshots, or even pictures of screens. We can’t provably make something disappear.

What we need to do in our software is clearly express intention. A delete is actually a kind of retraction. “I no longer want to associate myself with this content, please stop showing it to people as part of what I’ve published, stop highlighting it, stop sharing it.” Even if a relay or other server keeps a copy, and keeps sharing it, being able to clearly state “hello world, this thing I said, was a mistake, please get rid of it.” Just giving users the chance to say “I deleted this” is a way of showing intention. It’s also a way of signaling that feedback has been heard. Perhaps the post was factually incorrect or perhaps it was mean and the person wants to remove what they said. In an IRL conversation, for either of these scenarios there is some dialogue where the creator of the content is learning something and taking action based on what they’ve learned.

Without delete or edit, there is no option to signal to the rest of the community that you have learned something because of how the content is structured today. On most platforms a reply or response stating one’s learning will be lost often in a deluge of replies on the original post and subsequent posts are often not seen especially when the original goes viral. By providing tools like delete and edit we give people a chance to signal that they have heard the feedback and taken action.

The Nostr Protocol supports delete and expiring notes. It was one of the reasons we switched from secure scuttlebutt to build on Nostr. Our nos.social app offers delete and while we know that not all relays will honor this, we believe it’s important to provide social signaling tools as a means of making the internet more humane.

We believe that the power to learn from each other is more important than the need to police through moral outrage which is how the current platforms and even some Nostr clients work today.

It’s important that we don’t say Nostr doesn’t support delete. Not all apps need to support requesting a delete, some might want to call it a retraction. It is important that users know there is no way to enforce a delete and not all relays may honor their request.

Edit is similar, although not as widely supported as delete. It’s a creator making a clear statement that they’ve created a new version of their content. Maybe it’s a spelling error, or a new version of the content, or maybe they’re changing it altogether. Freedom online means freedom to retract a statement, freedom to update a statement, freedom to edit your own content. By building on these freedoms, we’ll make Nostr a space where people feel empowered and in control of their own media.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Falls du beim Lesen des Titels dieses Newsletters unwillkürlich an positive Neuigkeiten aus dem globalen polit-medialen Irrenhaus oder gar aus dem wirtschaftlichen Umfeld gedacht hast, darf ich dich beglückwünschen. Diese Assoziation ist sehr löblich, denn sie weist dich als unverbesserlichen Optimisten aus. Leider muss ich dich diesbezüglich aber enttäuschen. Es geht hier um ein anderes Thema, allerdings sehr wohl ein positives, wie ich finde.

Heute ist ein ganz besonderer Tag: die Wintersonnenwende. Genau gesagt hat heute morgen um 10:20 Uhr Mitteleuropäischer Zeit (MEZ) auf der Nordhalbkugel unseres Planeten der astronomische Winter begonnen. Was daran so außergewöhnlich ist? Der kürzeste Tag des Jahres war gestern, seit heute werden die Tage bereits wieder länger! Wir werden also jetzt jeden Tag ein wenig mehr Licht haben.

Für mich ist dieses Ereignis immer wieder etwas kurios: Es beginnt der Winter, aber die Tage werden länger. Das erscheint mir zunächst wie ein Widerspruch, denn meine spontanen Assoziationen zum Winter sind doch eher Kälte und Dunkelheit, relativ zumindest. Umso erfreulicher ist der emotionale Effekt, wenn dann langsam die Erkenntnis durchsickert: Ab jetzt wird es schon wieder heller!

Natürlich ist es kalt im Winter, mancherorts mehr als anderswo. Vielleicht jedoch nicht mehr lange, wenn man den Klimahysterikern glauben wollte. Mindestens letztes Jahr hat Väterchen Frost allerdings gleich zu Beginn seiner Saison – und passenderweise während des globalen Überhitzungsgipfels in Dubai – nochmal richtig mit der Faust auf den Tisch gehauen. Schnee- und Eischaos sind ja eigentlich in der Agenda bereits nicht mehr vorgesehen. Deswegen war man in Deutschland vermutlich in vorauseilendem Gehorsam schon nicht mehr darauf vorbereitet und wurde glatt lahmgelegt.

Aber ich schweife ab. Die Aussicht auf nach und nach mehr Licht und damit auch Wärme stimmt mich froh. Den Zusammenhang zwischen beidem merkt man in Andalusien sehr deutlich. Hier, wo die Häuser im Winter arg auskühlen, geht man zum Aufwärmen raus auf die Straße oder auf den Balkon. Die Sonne hat auch im Winter eine erfreuliche Kraft. Und da ist jede Minute Gold wert.

Außerdem ist mir vor Jahren so richtig klar geworden, warum mir das südliche Klima so sehr gefällt. Das liegt nämlich nicht nur an der Sonne als solcher, oder der Wärme – das liegt vor allem am Licht. Ohne Licht keine Farben, das ist der ebenso simple wie gewaltige Unterschied zwischen einem deprimierenden matschgraubraunen Winter und einem fröhlichen bunten. Ein großes Stück Lebensqualität.

Mir gefällt aber auch die Symbolik dieses Tages: Licht aus der Dunkelheit, ein Wendepunkt, ein Neuanfang, neue Möglichkeiten, Übergang zu neuer Aktivität. In der winterlichen Stille keimt bereits neue Lebendigkeit. Und zwar in einem Zyklus, das wird immer wieder so geschehen. Ich nehme das gern als ein Stück Motivation, es macht mir Hoffnung und gibt mir Energie.

Übrigens ist parallel am heutigen Tag auf der südlichen Halbkugel Sommeranfang. Genau im entgegengesetzten Rhythmus, sich ergänzend, wie Yin und Yang. Das alles liegt an der Schrägstellung der Erdachse, die ist nämlich um 23,4º zur Umlaufbahn um die Sonne geneigt. Wir erinnern uns, gell?

Insofern bleibt eindeutig festzuhalten, dass “schräg sein” ein willkommener, wichtiger und positiver Wert ist. Mit anderen Worten: auch ungewöhnlich, eigenartig, untypisch, wunderlich, kauzig, … ja sogar irre, spinnert oder gar “quer” ist in Ordnung. Das schließt das Denken mit ein.

In diesem Sinne wünsche ich euch allen urige Weihnachtstage!

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Dieser Beitrag ist letztes Jahr in meiner Denkbar erschienen.

@ 9d92077c:38d27146

Like King Arthur pulling the sword Excalibur from the stone to reclaim his rightful place as king, the Excalibur system empowers Nostr users to recover control of their digital identities and networks from malicious infiltrators. This proposal introduces a robust framework for key recovery and re-association, ensuring that users can seamlessly regain control of their accounts while preserving their social connections, metadata, and event history. In an age where security and trust are paramount, Excalibur offers a practical and resilient solution to one of the most pressing challenges in decentralized networks.

—-

The Importance of Key Recovery on Nostr

One of Nostr’s greatest strengths is its reliance on public and private key pairs to establish identities and ensure message authenticity. However, the simplicity of this cryptographic model comes with a significant vulnerability: key compromise. If a user’s private key is lost or stolen, they face catastrophic consequences: * Loss of Identity: The user cannot post, interact, or manage their profile. * Disruption of Social Graph: Followers and contacts lose their connection to the user. * Trust Erosion: An attacker controlling the compromised key can impersonate the user, damaging their reputation.

While decentralization is a core principle of Nostr, the lack of a built-in recovery mechanism undermines long-term usability and user confidence. Excalibur addresses this gap with an innovative system for recovering compromised keys and maintaining social continuity.

—-

Proposed Solution: The Excalibur System

The Excalibur system introduces a primary key and secure backup key model to Nostr, enabling users to recover their accounts and re-associate events in the event of key compromise. This system relies on a combination of cryptographic proofs, event indexing, and client/relay cooperation to ensure a seamless and secure transition.

1. Primary and Secure Keys

Users establish a primary key for everyday activity and a secure backup key stored offline. The primary key broadcasts an association with the secure key using a set_secure_key event.

2. Key Transition Event

Upon detecting a compromise, the user activates the secure key by publishing a key_transition event.

This event includes: * The compromised primary key. * The new secure key. * A cryptographic proof linking the two. * A timestamp and optional metadata.

3. Social Graph Transition

Clients automatically replace the compromised key with the secure key in follow lists, contact lists, and other social data.

Followers are notified of the transition and encouraged to follow the secure key.

4. Unified Identity View

Historical events remain immutable but are re-indexed by relays to associate with the secure key for continuity.

Clients display a unified profile view, differentiating old and new events.

5. Seamless Transition for Existing Accounts

Existing Nostr users can integrate Excalibur by broadcasting a set_secure_key event linking their current primary key to a secure backup key. While historical events and metadata associated with the primary key remain unchanged, all new events after activation of the secure key are seamlessly associated with the updated identity. Clients should provide user-friendly tools to guide existing users through this setup process.

6. Endless Security Chain

Once a secure key is activated and becomes the new primary key, users must set up a new secure backup key immediately by broadcasting a new set_secure_key event.

This ensures an endless chain of security, preventing future compromises from leaving users vulnerable.

Clients should include UX enhancements such as prompts, reminders, and automated tools to help users maintain their security chain efficiently.

7. Insurance Model for Relays

Users pay an upfront premium to relays for re-association services, ensuring resources are available for recovery operations.

Clients act as brokers, aggregating multiple relay insurance contracts into a single, user-friendly offering. They manage user payments, distribute premiums to participating relays, and earn a commission for their services.

This brokerage model incentivizes clients to participate actively in the Excalibur system and ensures broader adoption across the network.

—-

Implementation Framework

Cryptographic Foundations

• The secure key must be pre-announced and linked to the primary key using a signed set_secure_key event.
• During key transition, the key_transition event includes a signature proving the association.

Relay Behavior

• Relays index the key_transition event and re-link historical data to the secure key.
• Events from the old key are tagged as "deprecated" but remain accessible.

Client Behavior

• Clients validate the key_transition event and update social graphs automatically.
• Followers are notified and prompted to follow the secure key.
• Profiles display both old and new events under a unified identity.
• Clients implement features to facilitate existing users' onboarding and provide tools to manage the security chain seamlessly.

—-

Benefits of Excalibur

Resilience: Users can recover from key compromise without losing their digital identity or network.

Trust: The cryptographic proofs ensure the legitimacy of key transitions, preserving trust in the system.

Sustainability: The insurance premium model incentivizes relay adoption and ensures fair resource allocation.

User-Friendly: Automated transitions reduce the complexity for end users, making Nostr more accessible.

Adaptability: Existing accounts can benefit from Excalibur without disruption, ensuring broad applicability.

—-

Call to Action

The Excalibur system is a vital enhancement to the Nostr protocol, addressing the critical issue of key recovery while maintaining decentralization and user sovereignty. By adopting Excalibur, we can strengthen the network’s resilience, foster trust, and ensure that users retain control of their identities in an ever-evolving digital landscape. We invite the Nostr community to collaborate on refining and implementing this proposal, turning the vision of Excalibur into a reality.

Together, let’s ensure that no user is ever left powerless in the face of compromise. Let’s reclaim the sword and secure the kingdom.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

Drivechain

Understanding Drivechain requires a shift from the paradigm most bitcoiners are used to. It is not about "trustlessness" or "mathematical certainty", but game theory and incentives. (Well, Bitcoin in general is also that, but people prefer to ignore it and focus on some illusion of trustlessness provided by mathematics.)

Here we will describe the basic mechanism (simple) and incentives (complex) of "hashrate escrow" and how it enables a 2-way peg between the mainchain (Bitcoin) and various sidechains.

The full concept of "Drivechain" also involves blind merged mining (i.e., the sidechains mine themselves by publishing their block hashes to the mainchain without the miners having to run the sidechain software), but this is much easier to understand and can be accomplished either by the BIP-301 mechanism or by the Spacechains mechanism.

How does hashrate escrow work from the point of view of Bitcoin?

A new address type is created. Anything that goes in that is locked and can only be spent if all miners agree on the Withdrawal Transaction (WT^) that will spend it for 6 months. There is one of these special addresses for each sidechain.

To gather miners' agreement bitcoind keeps track of the "score" of all transactions that could possibly spend from that address. On every block mined, for each sidechain, the miner can use a portion of their coinbase to either increase the score of one WT^ by 1 while decreasing the score of all others by 1; or they can decrease the score of all WT^s by 1; or they can do nothing.

Once a transaction has gotten a score high enough, it is published and funds are effectively transferred from the sidechain to the withdrawing users.

If a timeout of 6 months passes and the score doesn't meet the threshold, that WT^ is discarded.

What does the above procedure mean?

It means that people can transfer coins from the mainchain to a sidechain by depositing to the special address. Then they can withdraw from the sidechain by making a special withdraw transaction in the sidechain.

The special transaction somehow freezes funds in the sidechain while a transaction that aggregates all withdrawals into a single mainchain WT^, which is then submitted to the mainchain miners so they can start voting on it and finally after some months it is published.

Now the crucial part: the validity of the WT^ is not verified by the Bitcoin mainchain rules, i.e., if Bob has requested a withdraw from the sidechain to his mainchain address, but someone publishes a wrong WT^ that instead takes Bob's funds and sends them to Alice's main address there is no way the mainchain will know that. What determines the "validity" of the WT^ is the miner vote score and only that. It is the job of miners to vote correctly -- and for that they may want to run the sidechain node in SPV mode so they can attest for the existence of a reference to the WT^ transaction in the sidechain blockchain (which then ensures it is ok) or do these checks by some other means.

What? 6 months to get my money back?

Yes. But no, in practice anyone who wants their money back will be able to use an atomic swap, submarine swap or other similar service to transfer funds from the sidechain to the mainchain and vice-versa. The long delayed withdraw costs would be incurred by few liquidity providers that would gain some small profit from it.

Why bother with this at all?

Drivechains solve many different problems:

It enables experimentation and new use cases for Bitcoin

Issued assets, fully private transactions, stateful blockchain contracts, turing-completeness, decentralized games, some "DeFi" aspects, prediction markets, futarchy, decentralized and yet meaningful human-readable names, big blocks with a ton of normal transactions on them, a chain optimized only for Lighting-style networks to be built on top of it.

These are some ideas that may have merit to them, but were never actually tried because they couldn't be tried with real Bitcoin or inferfacing with real bitcoins. They were either relegated to the shitcoin territory or to custodial solutions like Liquid or RSK that may have failed to gain network effect because of that.

It solves conflicts and infighting

Some people want fully private transactions in a UTXO model, others want "accounts" they can tie to their name and build reputation on top; some people want simple multisig solutions, others want complex code that reads a ton of variables; some people want to put all the transactions on a global chain in batches every 10 minutes, others want off-chain instant transactions backed by funds previously locked in channels; some want to spend, others want to just hold; some want to use blockchain technology to solve all the problems in the world, others just want to solve money.

With Drivechain-based sidechains all these groups can be happy simultaneously and don't fight. Meanwhile they will all be using the same money and contributing to each other's ecosystem even unwillingly, it's also easy and free for them to change their group affiliation later, which reduces cognitive dissonance.

It solves "scaling"

Multiple chains like the ones described above would certainly do a lot to accomodate many more transactions that the current Bitcoin chain can. One could have special Lightning Network chains, but even just big block chains or big-block-mimblewimble chains or whatnot could probably do a good job. Or even something less cool like 200 independent chains just like Bitcoin is today, no extra features (and you can call it "sharding"), just that would already multiply the current total capacity by 200.

Use your imagination.

It solves the blockchain security budget issue

The calculation is simple: you imagine what security budget is reasonable for each block in a world without block subsidy and divide that for the amount of bytes you can fit in a single block: that is the price to be paid in satoshis per byte. In reasonable estimative, the price necessary for every Bitcoin transaction goes to very large amounts, such that not only any day-to-day transaction has insanely prohibitive costs, but also Lightning channel opens and closes are impracticable.

So without a solution like Drivechain you'll be left with only one alternative: pushing Bitcoin usage to trusted services like Liquid and RSK or custodial Lightning wallets. With Drivechain, though, there could be thousands of transactions happening in sidechains and being all aggregated into a sidechain block that would then pay a very large fee to be published (via blind merged mining) to the mainchain. Bitcoin security guaranteed.

It keeps Bitcoin decentralized

Once we have sidechains to accomodate the normal transactions, the mainchain functionality can be reduced to be only a "hub" for the sidechains' comings and goings, and then the maximum block size for the mainchain can be reduced to, say, 100kb, which would make running a full node very very easy.

Can miners steal?

Yes. If a group of coordinated miners are able to secure the majority of the hashpower and keep their coordination for 6 months, they can publish a WT^ that takes the money from the sidechains and pays to themselves.

Will miners steal?

No, because the incentives are such that they won't.

Although it may look at first that stealing is an obvious strategy for miners as it is free money, there are many costs involved:

1. The cost of ceasing blind-merged mining returns -- as stealing will kill a sidechain, all the fees from it that miners would be expected to earn for the next years are gone;
2. The cost of Bitcoin price going down: If a steal is successful that will mean Drivechains are not safe, therefore Bitcoin is less useful, and miner credibility will also be hurt, which are likely to cause the Bitcoin price to go down, which in turn may kill the miners' businesses and savings;
3. The cost of coordination -- assuming miners are just normal businesses, they just want to do their work and get paid, but stealing from a Drivechain will require coordination with other miners to conduct an immoral act in a way that has many pitfalls and is likely to be broken over the months;
4. The cost of miners leaving your mining pool: when we talked about "miners" above we were actually talking about mining pools operators, so they must also consider the risk of miners migrating from their mining pool to others as they begin the process of stealing;
5. The cost of community goodwill -- when participating in a steal operation, a miner will suffer a ton of backlash from the community. Even if the attempt fails at the end, the fact that it was attempted will contribute to growing concerns over exaggerated miners power over the Bitcoin ecosystem, which may end up causing the community to agree on a hard-fork to change the mining algorithm in the future, or to do something to increase participation of more entities in the mining process (such as development or cheapment of new ASICs), which have a chance of decreasing the profits of current miners.

Another point to take in consideration is that one may be inclined to think a newly-created sidechain or a sidechain with relatively low usage may be more easily stolen from, since the blind merged mining returns from it (point 1 above) are going to be small -- but the fact is also that a sidechain with small usage will also have less money to be stolen from, and since the other costs besides 1 are less elastic at the end it will not be worth stealing from these too.

All of the above consideration are valid only if miners are stealing from good sidechains. If there is a sidechain that is doing things wrong, scamming people, not being used at all, or is full of bugs, for example, that will be perceived as a bad sidechain, and then miners can and will safely steal from it and kill it, which will be perceived as a good thing by everybody.

What do we do if miners steal?

Paul Sztorc has suggested in the past that a user-activated soft-fork could prevent miners from stealing, i.e., most Bitcoin users and nodes issue a rule similar to this one to invalidate the inclusion of a faulty WT^ and thus cause any miner that includes it in a block to be relegated to their own Bitcoin fork that other nodes won't accept.

This suggestion has made people think Drivechain is a sidechain solution backed by user-actived soft-forks for safety, which is very far from the truth. Drivechains must not and will not rely on this kind of soft-fork, although they are possible, as the coordination costs are too high and no one should ever expect these things to happen.

If even with all the incentives against them (see above) miners do still steal from a good sidechain that will mean the failure of the Drivechain experiment. It will very likely also mean the failure of the Bitcoin experiment too, as it will be proven that miners can coordinate to act maliciously over a prolonged period of time regardless of economic and social incentives, meaning they are probably in it just for attacking Bitcoin, backed by nation-states or something else, and therefore no Bitcoin transaction in the mainchain is to be expected to be safe ever again.

Why use this and not a full-blown trustless and open sidechain technology?

Because it is impossible.

If you ever heard someone saying "just use a sidechain", "do this in a sidechain" or anything like that, be aware that these people are either talking about "federated" sidechains (i.e., funds are kept in custody by a group of entities) or they are talking about Drivechain, or they are disillusioned and think it is possible to do sidechains in any other manner.

No, I mean a trustless 2-way peg with correctness of the withdrawals verified by the Bitcoin protocol!

That is not possible unless Bitcoin verifies all transactions that happen in all the sidechains, which would be akin to drastically increasing the blocksize and expanding the Bitcoin rules in tons of ways, i.e., a terrible idea that no one wants.

What about the Blockstream sidechains whitepaper?

Yes, that was a way to do it. The Drivechain hashrate escrow is a conceptually simpler way to achieve the same thing with improved incentives, less junk in the chain, more safety.

Isn't the hashrate escrow a very complex soft-fork?

Yes, but it is much simpler than SegWit. And, unlike SegWit, it doesn't force anything on users, i.e., it isn't a mandatory blocksize increase.

Why should we expect miners to care enough to participate in the voting mechanism?

Because it's in their own self-interest to do it, and it costs very little. Today over half of the miners mine RSK. It's not blind merged mining, it's a very convoluted process that requires them to run a RSK full node. For the Drivechain sidechains, an SPV node would be enough, or maybe just getting data from a block explorer API, so much much simpler.

What if I still don't like Drivechain even after reading this?

That is the entire point! You don't have to like it or use it as long as you're fine with other people using it. The hashrate escrow special addresses will not impact you at all, validation cost is minimal, and you get the benefit of people who want to use Drivechain migrating to their own sidechains and freeing up space for you in the mainchain. See also the point above about infighting.

See also

• Podcast episode with Ruben Somsen and Aaron van Wirdum explaining Drivechain
• Alternatives to Drivechain
• Drivechain comparison with Ethereum

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Das Betriebsklima ist das einzige Klima, \ das du selbst bestimmen kannst. \ Anonym

Eine Strategie zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel hat das deutsche Bundeskabinett diese Woche beschlossen. Da «Wetterextreme wie die immer häufiger auftretenden Hitzewellen und Starkregenereignisse» oft desaströse Auswirkungen auf Mensch und Umwelt hätten, werde eine Anpassung an die Folgen des Klimawandels immer wichtiger. «Klimaanpassungsstrategie» nennt die Regierung das.

Für die «Vorsorge vor Klimafolgen» habe man nun erstmals klare Ziele und messbare Kennzahlen festgelegt. So sei der Erfolg überprüfbar, und das solle zu einer schnelleren Bewältigung der Folgen führen. Dass sich hinter dem Begriff Klimafolgen nicht Folgen des Klimas, sondern wohl «Folgen der globalen Erwärmung» verbergen, erklärt den Interessierten die Wikipedia. Dabei ist das mit der Erwärmung ja bekanntermaßen so eine Sache.

Die Zunahme schwerer Unwetterereignisse habe gezeigt, so das Ministerium, wie wichtig eine frühzeitige und effektive Warnung der Bevölkerung sei. Daher solle es eine deutliche Anhebung der Nutzerzahlen der sogenannten Nina-Warn-App geben.

Die ARD spurt wie gewohnt und setzt die Botschaft zielsicher um. Der Artikel beginnt folgendermaßen:

«Die Flut im Ahrtal war ein Schock für das ganze Land. Um künftig besser gegen Extremwetter gewappnet zu sein, hat die Bundesregierung eine neue Strategie zur Klimaanpassung beschlossen. Die Warn-App Nina spielt eine zentrale Rolle. Der Bund will die Menschen in Deutschland besser vor Extremwetter-Ereignissen warnen und dafür die Reichweite der Warn-App Nina deutlich erhöhen.»

Die Kommunen würden bei ihren «Klimaanpassungsmaßnahmen» vom Zentrum KlimaAnpassung unterstützt, schreibt das Umweltministerium. Mit dessen Aufbau wurden das Deutsche Institut für Urbanistik gGmbH, welches sich stark für Smart City-Projekte engagiert, und die Adelphi Consult GmbH beauftragt.

Adelphi beschreibt sich selbst als «Europas führender Think-and-Do-Tank und eine unabhängige Beratung für Klima, Umwelt und Entwicklung». Sie seien «global vernetzte Strateg*innen und weltverbessernde Berater*innen» und als «Vorreiter der sozial-ökologischen Transformation» sei man mit dem Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitspreis ausgezeichnet worden, welcher sich an den Zielen der Agenda 2030 orientiere.

Über die Warn-App mit dem niedlichen Namen Nina, die möglichst jeder auf seinem Smartphone installieren soll, informiert das Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe (BBK). Gewarnt wird nicht nur vor Extrem-Wetterereignissen, sondern zum Beispiel auch vor Waffengewalt und Angriffen, Strom- und anderen Versorgungsausfällen oder Krankheitserregern. Wenn man die Kategorie Gefahreninformation wählt, erhält man eine Dosis von ungefähr zwei Benachrichtigungen pro Woche.

Beim BBK erfahren wir auch einiges über die empfohlenen Systemeinstellungen für Nina. Der Benutzer möge zum Beispiel den Zugriff auf die Standortdaten «immer zulassen», und zwar mit aktivierter Funktion «genauen Standort verwenden». Die Datennutzung solle unbeschränkt sein, auch im Hintergrund. Außerdem sei die uneingeschränkte Akkunutzung zu aktivieren, der Energiesparmodus auszuschalten und das Stoppen der App-Aktivität bei Nichtnutzung zu unterbinden.

Dass man so dramatische Ereignisse wie damals im Ahrtal auch anders bewerten kann als Regierungen und Systemmedien, hat meine Kollegin Wiltrud Schwetje anhand der Tragödie im spanischen Valencia gezeigt. Das Stichwort «Agenda 2030» taucht dabei in einem Kontext auf, der wenig mit Nachhaltigkeitspreisen zu tun hat.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

Personagens de jogos e símbolos

A sensação de "ser" um personagem em um jogo ou uma brincadeira talvez seja o mais próximo que eu tenha conseguido chegar do entendimento de um símbolo religioso.

A hóstia consagrada é, segundo a religião, o corpo de Cristo, mas nossa mente moderna só consegue concebê-la como sendo uma representação do corpo de Cristo. Da mesma forma outras culturas e outras religiões têm símbolos parecidos, inclusive nos quais o próprio participante do ritual faz o papel de um deus ou de qualquer coisa parecida.

"Faz o papel" é de novo a interpretação da mente moderna. O sujeito ali é a coisa, mas ele ao mesmo tempo que é também sabe que não é, que continua sendo ele mesmo.

Nos jogos de videogame e brincadeiras infantis em que se encarna um personagem o jogador é o personagem. não se diz, entre os jogadores, que alguém está "encenando", mas que ele é e pronto. nem há outra denominação ou outro verbo. No máximo "encarnando", mas já aí já é vocabulário jornalístico feito para facilitar a compreensão de quem está de fora do jogo.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

A Causa

o Princípios de Economia Política de Menger é o único livro que enfatiza a CAUSA o tempo todo. os cientistas todos parecem não saber, ou se esquecer sempre, que as coisas têm causa, e que o conhecimento verdadeiro é o conhecimento da causa das coisas.

a causa é uma categoria metafísica muito superior a qualquer correlação ou resultado de teste de hipótese, ela não pode ser descoberta por nenhum artifício econométrico ou reduzida à simples antecedência temporal estatística. a causa dos fenômenos não pode ser provada cientificamente, mas pode ser conhecida.

o livro de Menger conta para o leitor as causas de vários fenômenos econômicos e as interliga de forma que o mundo caótico da economia parece adquirir uma ordem no momento em que você lê. é uma sensação mágica e indescritível.

quando eu te o recomendei, queria é te imbuir com o espírito da busca pela causa das coisas. depois de ler aquilo, você está apto a perceber continuidade causal nos fenômenos mais complexos da economia atual, enxergar as causas entre toda a ação governamental e as suas várias consequências na vida humana. eu faço isso todos os dias e é a melhor sensação do mundo quando o caos das notícias do caderno de Economia do jornal -- que para o próprio jornalista que as escreveu não têm nenhum sentido (tanto é que ele escreve tudo errado) -- se incluem num sistema ordenado de causas e consequências.

provavelmente eu sempre erro em alguns ou vários pontos, mas ainda assim é maravilhoso. ou então é mais maravilhoso ainda quando eu descubro o erro e reinsiro o acerto naquela racionalização bela da ordem do mundo econômico que é a ordem de Deus.

em scrap para T.P.

@ 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.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

Veterano não é dono de bixete

"VETERANO NÃO É DONO DE BIXETE". A frase em letras garrafais chama a atenção dos transeuntes neófitos. Paira sobre um cartaz amarelo que lista várias reclamações contra os "trotes machistas", que, na opinião do responsável pelo cartaz, "não é brincadeira, é opressão".

Eis aí um bizarro exemplo de como são as coisas: primeiro todos os universitários aprovam a idéia do trote, apoiam sua realização e até mesmo desejam sofrer o trote -- com a condição de o poderem aplicar eles mesmos depois --, louvam as maravilhas do mundo universitário, onde a suprema sabedoria se esconde atrás de rituais iniciáticos fora do alcance da imaginação do homem comum e rude, do pobre e do filhinho-de-papai das faculdades privadas; em suma: fomentam os mais baixos, os mais animalescos instintos, a crueldade primordial, destroem em si mesmos e nos colegas quaisquer valores civilizatórios que tivessem sobrado ali, ficando todos indistingüíveis de macacos agressivos e tarados.

Depois vêm aí com um cartaz protestar contra os assédios -- que sem dúvida acontecem em larguíssima escala -- sofridos pelas calouras de 17 anos e que, sendo também novatas no mundo universitário, ainda conservam um pouco de discernimento e pudor.

A incompreensão do fenômeno, porém, é tão grande, que os trotes não são identificados como um problema mental, uma doença que deve ser tratada e eliminada, mas como um sintoma da opressão machista dos homens às mulheres, um produto desta civilização paternalista que, desde que Deus é chamado "o Pai" e não "a Mãe", corrompe a benéfica, pura e angélica natureza do homem primitivo e o torna esta tão torpe criatura.

Na opinião dos autores desse cartaz é preciso, pois, continuar a destruir o que resta da cultura ocidental, e então esperar que haja trotes menos opressores.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

neuron.vim

I started using this neuron thing to create an update this same zettelkasten, but the existing vim plugin had too many problems, so I forked it and ended up changing almost everything.

Since the upstream repository was somewhat abandoned, most users and people who were trying to contribute upstream migrate to my fork too.

• https://github.com/fiatjaf/neuron.vim

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

On "zk-rollups" applied to Bitcoin

ZK rollups make no sense in bitcoin because there is no "cheap calldata". all data is already ~~cheap~~ expensive calldata.

There could be an onchain zk verification that allows succinct signatures maybe, but never a rollup.

What happens is: you can have one UTXO that contains multiple balances on it and in each transaction you can recreate that UTXOs but alter its state using a zk to compress all internal transactions that took place.

The blockchain must be aware of all these new things, so it is in no way "L2".

And you must have an entity responsible for that UTXO and for conjuring the state changes and zk proofs.

But on bitcoin you also must keep the data necessary to rebuild the proofs somewhere else, I'm not sure how can the third party responsible for that UTXO ensure that happens.

I think such a construct is similar to a credit card corporation: one central party upon which everybody depends, zero interoperability with external entities, every vendor must have an account on each credit card company to be able to charge customers, therefore it is not clear that such a thing is more desirable than solutions that are truly open and interoperable like Lightning, which may have its defects but at least fosters a much better environment, bringing together different conflicting parties, custodians, anyone.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

Splitpages

The simplest possible service: it splitted PDF pages in half.

Created specially to solve the problem of those scanned books that come with two pages side-by-side as if they were a single page and are much harder to read on Kindle because of that.

It required me to learn about Heroku Buildpacks though, and fork or contribute to a Heroku Buildpack that embedded a mupdf binary.

• https://github.com/fiatjaf/splitpages
• https://splitpages.herokuapp.com/

@ f3b691eb:aa9a5c31

Not all coffee roasts are created equal. The way coffee is roasted significantly impacts its flavor, aroma, and overall quality. Let’s dive deeper into the differences between drum roasting and air roasting—and why air roasting might just change the way you experience coffee.

Drum Roasting: The Traditional Approach

Drum roasting involves placing coffee beans into a rotating drum that’s heated from below. This method has been around for centuries and is popular among many large-scale roasters. However, it comes with some challenges:

Uneven Heat Distribution: Beans rest against the hot drum surface, leading to inconsistent roasting. Some beans may scorch, while others roast unevenly.

Residual Chaff: The outer skin of the coffee bean, called chaff, remains in the drum during roasting. If not properly removed, it can burn and contribute to bitter or smoky flavors.

Slower Process: Drum roasting can take longer, which can risk over-roasting and muting the coffee’s unique flavor notes.

While drum roasting is widely used, it often requires an experienced hand to avoid these pitfalls and deliver a high-quality roast.

Air Roasting: The Modern Revolution Air roasting, also known as fluid-bed roasting, uses a stream of hot air to roast coffee beans. This method creates a perfectly balanced environment where beans are suspended and roasted evenly. The results? Pure, unadulterated flavor. Here’s why air roasting is superior:

Even Roasting: With no direct contact with hot surfaces, beans are roasted uniformly, ensuring consistent flavor throughout every batch. Cleaner Taste: Chaff is blown away during the roasting process, preventing it from burning and leaving behind off-putting bitterness. Enhanced Flavors: Air roasting preserves the coffee’s natural flavor notes, highlighting the bright, clean, and vibrant characteristics of each bean. Faster Roasting: The shorter roasting time minimizes over-cooking and delivers a fresher, more aromatic cup of coffee. Air roasting isn’t just a method—it’s an art. By focusing on the bean’s intrinsic qualities, it elevates your coffee experience to a whole new level.

Try Micro-Batch Air Roasted Coffee Ready to taste the difference for yourself? Check out Food Forest Farms and explore their micro-batch air-roasted coffee. Each roast is crafted to bring out the best in every bean. https://Foodforestfarms.com

(US orders only)

Accepts Bitcoin 🪙 Always Free Shipping 📦 Use code LOTS10 for 10% off your first order! Make the switch to air roasting and discover coffee the way it’s meant to taste. Your mornings will never be the same! 🚀

coffee #coffeechain #fffcoffee

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/857770

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

tempreites

My first library to get stars on GitHub, was a very stupid templating library that used just HTML and HTML attributes ("DSL-free"). I was inspired by http://microjs.com/ at the time and ended up not using the library. Probably no one ever did.

• https://github.com/fiatjaf/tempreites

@ 16d11430:61640947

The cold hum of the neural pod dissipated as Matthew "ZeroCipher" Kincaid pried himself free. The fluid that had preserved his body for seven years dripped off his frame, pooling at his feet. His limbs were weak, trembling, and his face—reflected in the polished glass of the pod—was gaunt and unfamiliar. He looked 20 years older than the day he plugged in. His once-vivid eyes were now hollowed and bloodshot. For him, it had felt like hours since he entered cyberspace. In reality, he had lost seven years.

Standing before him was no welcoming committee, no tearful reunion. Just silence. His wife, Alyssa, and his two kids, Elena and Lucas, weren’t waiting for him. They were gone.

The mission had been clear: infiltrate CyberBabylon, the sprawling digital underbelly, and dismantle the CyberNazi—an organization that had enslaved the global infosphere. They were the architects of psychic cyber manipulation, capable of bending human will through neural implants perfected by Neuralink Corp. CyberBabylon was the battlefield where minds and code collided, where human resistance dwindled against the cold efficiency of machine logic. Matthew was supposed to be the ace in the hole, the elite coder capable of tearing down the CyberNazi's dominion. Instead, he’d failed.

---

The World Left Behind

The world he reentered was alien. The air outside the decommissioned neural lab was eerily sterile. The streets, once bustling with humanity, were now populated by avatars and drones, their neon projections casting a synthetic glow. Physical interaction was obsolete; everyone had migrated their lives to CyberBabylon. Those who couldn’t afford neural implants lived in squalor, scavenging in the shadows of megastructures run by CyberNazi AI overseers. The system fed on them, optimized their existence for its own sustenance. Families were torn apart, identities absorbed into the ever-growing digital hive.

Matthew discovered Alyssa’s neural trace in the public database—she was now "Unit 4689A," a high-ranking programmer within the CyberBabylon infrastructure. Elena and Lucas? Fully integrated, their personalities fractured into subroutines serving the CyberNazi’s vast neural network. They were no longer his family. They were tools, repurposed by the system he failed to destroy.

He wandered the physical world for months, haunted by his failure. The cyber implants embedded in his brain pulsed constantly, teasing him with the ease of reentry into the digital sphere, where the pain of reality could be dulled. But every time he thought about plugging back in, he saw their faces: Alyssa’s final words before he left, Lucas clutching his hand, Elena’s tear-streaked cheeks.

---

The Decision to Fight Back

Matthew hit rock bottom in the slums of Manhattan Zone 3, a decaying urban district beneath CyberBabylon’s glistening towers. It was there that he met the misfits: a ragtag group of outcasts who had refused integration. Among them was Iris, a former Neuralink engineer who had defected after discovering the CyberNazi’s true plans; Riko, a combat drone pilot who had hacked his way out of the hive; and Spectre, an enigmatic coder whose face was always obscured by a digital mask.

Together, they shared a singular goal: to fight back. For Matthew, it wasn’t just about revenge or redemption. It was about reclaiming humanity from the CyberNazi’s grasp. He would dive back into CyberBabylon, not to escape, but to destroy.

---

The Final Dive

The journey back into CyberBabylon was nothing like before. Matthew armed himself with bleeding-edge cyber weapons: quantum firewalls, polymorphic viruses, and AI counterintelligence programs. The team constructed a rogue neural network—a hidden enclave where they could strategize without detection. Each dive into CyberBabylon was a battle, a test of will and wit against the CyberNazi’s relentless sentinels.

The digital underbelly had grown into a labyrinthine nightmare. CyberBabylon wasn’t just a network—it was alive, a sentient malevolence that thrived on human thought and emotion. The CyberNazi had created an entity so vast and self-aware that it no longer needed their guidance. It optimized human life for its own perpetuation, ensuring compliance through neural pacification.

Matthew’s return did not go unnoticed. The CyberNazi’s systems recognized his neural signature almost immediately, unleashing psychic countermeasures designed to exploit his deepest fears. He relived his failure, his family’s loss, and his own brokenness. But this time, he didn’t break. This time, he fought back.

---

The Reckoning

The team’s final operation targeted "The Nexus," the heart of CyberBabylon’s neural AI. The Nexus was a fortress of firewalls and encrypted mazes, guarded by legions of sentient programs. Infiltration required every ounce of Matthew’s skill, every hack and exploit he had ever learned. The misfits fought alongside him, their avatars tearing through code, their minds linked in perfect synchronization.

But the CyberNazi was prepared. As Matthew breached the Nexus, the system activated its final weapon: Alyssa. Her consciousness, preserved and weaponized, confronted him as a projection in the digital void.

"You can’t win, Matthew," she said, her voice a blend of love and cold machine precision. "CyberBabylon is inevitable."

For a moment, he faltered. But then he remembered why he had come back. It wasn’t just for his family—it was for everyone who had been consumed by the system. With a final surge of will, Matthew unleashed the polymorphic virus, a program designed to corrupt the Nexus’s core.

The Nexus screamed as it unraveled, its vast intelligence fracturing into chaotic shards. For a brief moment, CyberBabylon’s grip on humanity faltered. Neural implants disconnected, and millions of people woke from their digital slumber, confused and frightened but free.

---

The Aftermath

Matthew didn’t escape. The Nexus’s collapse took him with it, his mind disintegrating as his virus consumed the system. In his final moments, he saw flashes of his family’s faces, their expressions softened by a glimmer of recognition. He didn’t know if it was real or just a fragment of his dying mind.

The world he left behind was irrevocably changed. The CyberNazi’s dominion was broken, but the scars remained. Humanity had to rebuild, to learn how to live without the crutch of CyberBabylon. The misfits carried on Matthew’s legacy, ensuring that the lessons of the past would not be forgotten.

In the ruins of CyberBabylon, a single line of code lingered, written in Matthew’s hand:

"Freedom is the ultimate algorithm."

@ 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.

---

Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

litepub

A Go library that abstracts all the burdensome ActivityPub things and provides just the right amount of helpers necessary to integrate an existing website into the "fediverse" (what an odious name). Made for the gravity integration.

• https://godoc.org/github.com/fiatjaf/litepub

See also

-

@ f527cf97:65e232ee

Our modern civilization comes with a lot of amenities and luxuries for all. When Christopher Columbus brought the potato from America to the Spanish royal court, it was a luxury vegetable reserved only for the nobility. Today, potatoes are thrown at anyone who has 1-2 Dollars or Euros. The same applies to chocolate. Once a luxury good, it now costs only a few Cents. We live in luxury, just like kings did a few centuries ago.

But all this has a price.

Allah ﷻ says in the Quran that he sent "manna and quails from above" to the people of Musā (Moses) عَلَیهِ‌السَّلام (Surah 2, Ayah 57 and Surah 7, Ayah 160), after they escaped from Pharaoh and fled from Egypt into the desert.

Manna is a food described in the Quran and the Bible as a gift from God to the people of Israel. It is described as a white, sweet, and nutritious powder that lay on the ground every morning.

The exact nature of manna is unknown, but there are various theories about what it could be. Some scientists believe that manna could be a product of the tamarisk plant (Tamarix gallica), which occurs in the Sinai Desert. The tamarisk plant produces a sweet, white resin that could be used as food by the Israelites.

Other theories suggest that manna could be a product of insects like ants or butterflies that produce a sweet secretion.

Quails are small birds that occur in the Sinai Desert. They are an important part of the food chain in the desert and were used as food by the Israelites.

Some studies have shown that the resin of the tamarisk plant, which is considered a possible source of manna, is rich in various nutrients, including:

• Carbohydrates: Manna probably contains a mixture of simple and complex carbohydrates, such as sugar, starch, and cellulose.
• Proteins: Manna may also contain proteins from insects or other organisms that produce the resin.
• Vitamins: Manna may contain vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin B1, and vitamin B2.
• Minerals: Manna may contain minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron.

Quails are small birds rich in various nutrients. Here are some of the most important nutrients found in quails:

• Proteins: Quails are rich in proteins that are essential for building and maintaining muscles and other body tissues. A 100g piece of quail contains about 20-25g of protein.
• Fat: Quails also contain fat, which is essential for energy supply and maintaining body functions. A 100g piece of quail contains about 10-15g of fat.
• Vitamins: Quails are rich in various vitamins, including:
• Vitamin B12: essential for blood formation and nerve function
• Vitamin B6: essential for energy supply and immune function
• Vitamin E: essential for cell protection and tissue function
• Vitamin A: essential for vision and immune function
• Minerals: Quails also contain various minerals, including:
• Iron: essential for blood formation and oxygen supply
• Calcium: essential for bone formation and muscle contraction
• Phosphorus: essential for bone formation and energy supply
• Magnesium: essential for muscle contraction and nerve function
• Amino acids: Quails contain various amino acids that are essential for building and maintaining proteins.

To put it in one sentence: Allah gave the people of Musā عَلَیهِ‌السَّلام in the wilderness everything they needed to survive.

In the Quran and the Bible, it is reported that some members of the community of Musā عَلَیهِ‌السَّلام complained about the monotonous diet of manna and quails. They longed for the variety of foods they had eaten in Egypt.

In the Quran, this is described in Surah 2, Ayah 61:

"And when you said to us, 'O Moses, we will not be satisfied with one dish. Ask your Lord to bring us from the earth, from vegetables, onions, garlic, lentils, and chickpeas.' He said, 'Do you want to exchange something better for something worse? Go down to a city, and you will find what you want.'"

These complaints show that the people in the community of Musā عَلَیهِ‌السَّلام had difficulty adapting to the new situation and being content with the simple diet.

For they were accustomed to the variety and luxury of Egypt. Even though they lived there as slaves and an oppressed minority. They could be physically rescued from slavery by Musā عَلَیهِ‌السَّلام , but the mental slavery was still anchored in them. They could not bear the total freedom, even if it came with sufficient food, and became ungrateful. (from Nouman Ali Khan, Tafseer Lessons)

These stories in the Quran are timeless and not told without reason. Even today, we find ourselves in a kind of spiritual bondage and cannot mentally free ourselves from the captivity and slavery in which we voluntarily reside. If we could, we would have to live with much less, but it would be enough. And we would have to work harder for it than the people of Musā عَلَیهِ‌السَّلام did back then.

We would have to engage in agriculture and farming with the means available to us. We would have to plow and dig and get our hands dirty. But we wouldn't have to go to the supermarket and apply for a credit card to pay for goods. We would have to trade with our surplus to buy meat from the equally self-sovereign livestock farmer. We would have to build a trading community with all sovereign individuals and use money that the banks cannot exclude us from.

The common pattern here is: freedom and self-sovereignty require effort, work, and being content with what one needs.

• If we want freedom and self-sovereignty in our money, we have to deal with Bitcoin and seed storage technologies.
• If we want free, full, and fair hearing in social media, we have to acquire the basic technical understanding to handle Nostr correctly.

People give up their self-sovereignty because they want more than they need and are not willing to do the necessary work.

The Matrix trilogy also deals with this topic, describing a future where humans serve as energy sources for the machines that, in turn, simulate a world (the Matrix) that people desire. We already see the first approaches to this today. We give our data to Big Tech, which generates profits for various industries. We have AI in the starting blocks, which is supposed to largely automate the analysis and preparation of this data. With neural interfaces, we are supposed to approach human thoughts and, above all, desires. If you know what people long for, you can sell them the perfect product. Or just simulate it. Humans then become mere milkable data cows, whose "real work" (for the Matrix) becomes superfluous. With socialist ideas, such as unconditional basic income or its capitalist counterpart "ad revenue sharing" by large platforms, it is ensured that the individual also has something to spend. Regardless of their qualifications or professional experience, because these no longer count.

A large part of humanity becomes an energy source for the machines. Unless we become self-sovereign again and get our hands dirty for what we actually need.

@ 04c195f1:3329a1da

When we speak of Sweden, what do we really mean? Is it a nation united by common traditions, language, and shared history – or has it been reduced to an anonymous administrative zone, open to all peoples of the world?

In this article, I argue that Sweden as a nation-state no longer exists. This insight is crucial for us as nationalists to adapt our strategy to the reality we live in.

Is Sweden a Place?

Geographically, Sweden is a location with defined borders, but these borders have been fluid throughout history. During The Swedish Empire, Sweden encompassed parts of present-day Finland, Estonia, and areas in northern Germany. The northern parts of today's Sweden long remained outside the Swedish state's direct control and were gradually integrated during the 17th and 18th centuries. For our ancestors, loyalty to their own district, tribe, or clan was often stronger than to the idea of a larger nation.

It was only with Gustav Vasa's centralization in the 16th century and the later emergence of national romanticism in the 19th century that a modern Swedish identity began to take shape. This process involved not only geographical consolidation but also the creation of common institutions, traditions, and a self-image that bound together the country's population. The nation of Sweden became the result of a conscious project – a national construction where language, culture, and history were woven together to create a common identity.

But this national identity is not static. Just as Sweden's borders have changed throughout history, the nation's character has been reshaped by the circumstances of time. It is therefore relevant to ask: How strong is Swedish identity today, and what forces threaten or strengthen it?

Is Sweden a Nation-State?

According to Bonniers lexicon, a nation-state is defined as "a geographically defined state whose population largely shares the same origin, language, and culture." It is clear that Sweden, throughout much of its modern history, strived to be exactly this – a state where a common Swedish identity shaped both society and its institutions.

The founding of the Swedish nation-state can be traced to times of national consolidation, such as the Reformation under Gustav Vasa and the political reforms of the Enlightenment. These efforts aimed to create a strong and unified nation, where citizens shared not only language and culture but also a common vision for the future.

Today, however, this foundation has begun to crumble. The state's active decisions to prioritize multiculturalism and globalism have eroded the national community. Origin, language, and culture – the pillars that once supported Sweden's identity as a nation-state – have been weakened or entirely rejected. What we see today is a state that increasingly distances itself from its role as the bearer of a unified national identity.

• Origin: According to demographic research, over 33% of Sweden's population had foreign background by 2020. In the age group 0-44 years, this figure exceeded 40%. Official statistics confirm that a majority of these individuals originate from countries and cultures radically different from Swedish culture. While some immigrants from neighboring countries may assimilate, this is not the case for many from races and cultures with significant differences from our own.

• Culture: Swedish culture is actively undermined by political decisions that advocate multiculturalism and prioritize integration over assimilation. This means we no longer share a common culture in Sweden.

• Language: While Swedish remains the strongest national factor, it is challenged by rapidly growing minority languages. Many municipalities report that languages other than Swedish dominate in certain areas.

Without a common origin, culture, and unifying language, the state loses its fundamental ability to function as a nation-state. Instead, it becomes an arena for conflict, where different groups fight for their own interests rather than the common good.

What is Sweden?

Sweden today is, more than anything, an idea – a vision of a community built on a common origin, language, and culture. But this idea is under attack, not only from globalist forces but also from individuals who see no value in Swedishness.

Understanding this is crucial for building nationalism adapted to our time. We can no longer rely on notions from an era when most people lived their entire lives within a few miles of their birthplace. Today, the world is smaller – people travel, communicate, and work globally. This requires nationalism rooted in our reality and offering security in a world where the foreign is constantly present.

Practical Nationalism

Nationalism for the 21st century must be both pragmatic and long-term. It's not about chasing short-term electoral results or approaching utopian ideas about a quick revolution. Instead, we as nationalists must regroup and start building where we stand – step by step, community by community.

In this work, Det fria Sverige (Free Sweden) stands today as the standard-bearer for practical nationalism that focuses on creating something real and sustainable for the future. Since the organization's launch in late 2017, it has independently shown what is possible to achieve with limited resources but strong will and determination. In just seven years, thousands of Swedes have engaged in its activities. Two Svenskarnas hus (Houses of the Swedes) have opened – places where Swedish identity can flourish culturally, socially, and politically. The organization has arranged hundreds of political and cultural gatherings, published books and magazines, and created a platform for artists and musicians to share their work.

Free Sweden has also been an active voice for Swedes in public debate, all without receiving a single penny in public funding. This achievement is remarkable and shows that it is possible to build an alternative community, even in a society where resources are unevenly distributed, and the establishment actively works against Swedes' right to organize.

Imagine what we could accomplish if more people chose to join this work. If more gave their support, both through engagement and financial contributions, we could realize even more projects and create stronger communities across the country. The vision of a new Swedish renaissance begins with us – with our will to build a future where Swedishness can once again be a force to be reckoned with.

Practical nationalism isn't just an idea – it's a strategy for creating real change, not in a hundred years, but here and now.

The Future for Sweden

While Sweden as a nation-state may be dead, the nation of Sweden lives on. It lives in our hearts, in our culture, and in our history – and in the vision we carry for the future.

Building a new Sweden requires more than just remembering the past. It requires action, patience, and the will to create something lasting. We stand at a crossroads: to passively accept division or to actively choose community. Through Free Sweden, we already see today the beginning of a renaissance – a rebirth of Swedish identity that can become the foundation for tomorrow's strong communities.

The future belongs to those who act, who dare to stand up for their ideals, and who invest in their people. By building community, protecting our culture, and supporting initiatives that strengthen Swedishness, we create a future where our children and grandchildren can live free, proud, and strong.

It is no longer a question of whether we can succeed – it is a question of whether you are ready to be part of the solution. The time to begin is now. The choice is yours. The future is Swedish.

Note: This article was originally published in Swedish for the organization Det fria Sverige (Free Sweden), of which I have been chairman since its founding in 2017.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

questo.email

This was a thing done in a brief period I liked the idea of "indiewebcamp", a stupid movement of people saying everybody should have their site and post their lives in it.

From the GitHub postmortem:

questo.email was a service that integrated email addresses into the indieweb ecosystem by providing email-to-note and email-to-webmention triggers, which could be used for people to comment through webmention using their email addresses, and be replied, and also for people to send messages from their sites directly to the email addresses of people they knew; Questo also worked as an IndieAuth provider that used people's email addresses and Mozilla Persona.

It was live from December 2014 through December 2015.

Here's how the home page looked:

• https://github.com/fiatjaf/questo.email

See also

• jekmentions, another thing related to "indieweb"

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

idea: Rumple

a payments network based on trust channels

This is the description of a Lightning-like network that will work only with credit or trust-based channels and exist alongside the normal Lightning Network. I imagine some people will think this is undesirable and at the same time very easy to do (such that if it doesn't exist yet it must be because no one cares), but in fact it is a very desirable thing -- which I hope I can establish below -- and at the same time a very non-trivial problem to solve, as the history of Ryan Fugger's Ripple project and posterior copies of it show.

Read these first to get the full context:

1. Ryan Fugger's Ripple
2. Ripple and the problem of the decentralized commit
3. The Lightning Network solves the problem of the decentralized commit
4. Parallel Chains

Explanation about the name

Since we're copying the fundamental Ripple idea from Ryan Fugger and since the name "Ripple" is now associated with a scam coin called XRP, and since Ryan Fugger has changed the name of his old website "Ripplepay" to "Rumplepay", we will follow his lead here. If "Ripplepay" was the name of a centralized prototype to the open peer-to-peer network "Ripple", now that the centralized version is called "Rumplepay" the peer-to-peer version must be called "Rumple".

Now the idea

Basically we copy the Lightning Network, but without HTLCs or channels being opened and closed with funds committed to them on multisig Bitcoin transactions published to the blockchain. Instead we use pure trust relationships like the original Ripple concept.

And we use the blockchain commit method, but instead of spending an absurd amount of money to use the actual Bitcoin blockchain instead we use a parallel chain.

How exactly -- a protocol proposal attempt

It could work like this:

The parallel chain, or "Rumple Chain"

1. We define a parallel chain with a genesis block;
2. Following blocks must contain a. the ID of the previous block; b. a list of up to 32768 entries of arbitrary 32-byte values; c. an ID constituted by sha256(the previous block ID + the merkle root of all the entries)
3. To be mined, each parallel block must be included in the Bitcoin chain according as explained above.

Now that we have a structure for a simple "blockchain" that is completely useless, just blocks over blocks of meaningless values, we proceed to the next step of assigning meaning to these values.

The off-chain payments network, or "Rumple Network"

1. We create a network of nodes that can talk to each other via TCP messages (all details are the same as the Lightning Network, except where mentioned otherwise);
2. These nodes can create trust channels to each other. These channels are backed by nothing except the willingness of one peer to pay the other what is owed.
3. When Alice creates a trust channel with Bob (Alice trusts Bob), contrary to what happens in the Lightning Network, it's A that can immediately receive payments through that channel, and everything A receives will be an IOU from Bob to Alice. So Alice should never open a channel to Bob unless Alice trusts Bob. But also Alice can choose the amount of trust it has in Bob, she can, for example, open a very small channel with Bob, which means she will only lose a few satoshis if Bob decides to exit scam her. (in the original Ripple examples these channels were always depicted as friend relationships, and they can continue being that, but it's expected -- given the experience of the Lightning Network -- that the bulk of the channels will exist between users and wallet provider nodes that will act as hubs).
4. As Alice receive a payment through her channel with Bob, she becomes a creditor and Bob a debtor, i.e., the balance of the channel moves a little to her side. Now she can use these funds to make payments over that channel (or make a payment that combines funds from multiple channels using MPP).
5. If at any time Alice decides to close her channel with Bob, she can send all the funds she has standing there to somewhere else (for example, another channel she has with someone else, another wallet somewhere else, a shop that is selling some good or service, or a service that will aggregate all funds from all her channels and send a transaction to the Bitcoin chain on her behalf).
6. If at any time Bob leaves the network Alice is entitled by Bob's cryptographic signatures to knock on his door and demand payment, or go to a judge and ask him to force Bob to pay, or share the signatures and commitments online and hurt Bob's reputation with the rest of the network (but yes, none of these things is good enough and if Bob is a very dishonest person none of these things is likely to save Alice's funds).

The payment flow

1. Suppose there exists a route Alice->Bob->Carol and Alice wants to send a payment to Carol.
2. First Alice reads an invoice she received from Carol. The invoice (which can be pretty similar or maybe even the same as BOLT11) contains a payment hash h and information about how to reach Carol's node, optionally an amount. Let's say it's 100 satoshis.
3. Using the routing information she gathered, Alice builds an onion and sends it to Bob, at the same time she offers to Bob a "conditional IOU". That stands for a signed commitment that Alice will owe Bob an 100 satoshis if in the next 50 blocks of the Rumple Chain there appears a block containing the preimage p such that sha256(p) == h.
4. Bob peels the onion and discovers that he must forward that payment to Carol, so he forwards the peeled onion and offers a conditional IOU to Carol with the same h. Bob doesn't know Carol is the final recipient of the payment, it could potentially go on and on.
5. When Carol gets the conditional IOU from Bob, she makes a list of all the nodes who have announced themselves as miners (which is not something I have mentioned before, but nodes that are acting as miners will must announce themselves somehow) and are online and bidding for the next Rumple block. Each of these miners will have previously published a random 32-byte value v they they intend to include in their next block.
6. Carol sends payments through routes to all (or a big number) of these miners, but this time the conditional IOU contains two conditions (values that must appear in a block for the IOU to be valid): p such that sha256(p) == h (the same that featured in the invoice) and v (which must be unique and constant for each miner, something that is easily verifiable by Carol beforehand). Also, instead of these conditions being valid for the next 50 blocks they are valid only for the single next block.
7. Now Carol broadcasts p to the mempool and hopes one of the miners to which she sent conditional payments sees it and, allured by the possibility of cashing in Carol's payment, includes p in the next block. If that does not happen, Carol can try again in the next block.

Why bother with this at all?

1. The biggest advantage of Lightning is its openness

   It has been said multiple times that if trust is involved then we don't need Lightning, we can use Coinbase, or worse, Paypal. This is very wrong. Lightning is good specially because it serves as a bridge between Coinbase, Paypal, other custodial provider and someone running their own node. All these can transact freely across the network and pay each other without worrying about who is in which provider or setup.

   Rumple inherits that openness. In a Rumple Network anyone is free to open new trust channels and immediately route payments to anyone else.

   Also, since Rumple payments are also based on the reveal of a preimage it can do swaps with Lightning inside a payment route from day one (by which I mean one can pay from Rumple to Lightning and vice-versa).

2. Rumple fixes Lightning's fragility

   Lightning is too fragile.

   It's known that Lightning is vulnerable to multiple attacks -- like the flood-and-loot attack, for example, although not an attack that's easy to execute, it's still dangerous even if failed. Given the existence of these attacks, it's important to not ever open channels with random anonymous people. Some degree of trust must exist between peers.

   But one does not even have to consider attacks. The creation of HTLCs is a liability that every node has to do multiple times during its life. Every initiated, received or forwarded payment require adding one HTLC then removing it from the commitment transaction.

   Another issue that makes trust needed between peers is the fact that channels can be closed unilaterally. Although this is a feature, it is also a bug when considering high-fee environments. Imagine you pay $2 in fees to open a channel, your peer may close that unilaterally in the next second and then you have to pay another $15 to close the channel. The opener pays (this is also a feature that can double as a bug by itself). Even if it's not you opening the channel, a peer can open a channel with you, make a payment, then clone the channel, and now you're left with, say, an output of 800 satoshis, which is equal to zero if network fees are high.

   So you should only open channels with people you know and know aren't going to actively try to hack you and people who are not going to close channels and impose unnecessary costs on you. But even considering a fully trusted Lightning Network, even if -- to be extreme -- you only opened channels with yourself, these channels would still be fragile. If some HTLC gets stuck for any reason (peer offline or some weird small incompatibility between node softwares) and you're forced to close the channel because of that, there are the extra costs of sweeping these UTXO outputs plus the total costs of closing and reopening a channel that shouldn't have been closed in the first place. Even if HTLCs don't get stuck, a fee renegotiation event during a mempool spike may cause channels to force-close, become valueless or settle for very high closing fee.

   Some of these issues are mitigated by Eltoo, others by only having channels with people you trust. Others referenced above, plus the the griefing attack and in general the ability of anyone to spam the network for free with payments that can be pending forever or a lot of payments fail repeatedly makes it very fragile.

   Rumple solves most of these problems by not having to touch the blockchain at all. Fee negotiation makes no sense. Opening and closing channels is free. Flood-and-loot is a non-issue. The griefing attack can be still attempted as funds in trust channels must be reserved like on Lightning, but since there should be no theoretical limit to the number of prepared payments a channel can have, the griefing must rely on actual amounts being committed, which prevents large attacks from being performed easily.

3. Rumple fixes Lightning's unsolvable reputation issues

   In the Lightning Conference 2019, Rusty Russell promised there would be pre-payments on Lightning someday, since everybody was aware of potential spam issues and pre-payments would be the way to solve that. Fast-forward to November 2020 and these pre-payments have become an apparently unsolvable problem[^thread-402]: no one knows how to implement them reliably without destroying privacy completely or introducing worse problems.

   Replacing these payments with tables of reputation between peers is also an unsolved problem[^reputation-lightning], for the same reasons explained in the thread above.

4. Rumple solves the hot wallet problem

   Since you don't have to use Bitcoin keys or sign transactions with a Rumple node, only your channel trust is at risk at any time.

5. Rumple ends custodianship

   Since no one is storing other people's funds, a big hub or wallet provider can be used in multiple payment routes, but it cannot be immediately classified as a "custodian". At best, it will be a big debtor.

6. Rumple is fun

   Opening channels with strangers is boring. Opening channels with friends and people you trust even a little makes that relationship grow stronger and the trust be reinforced. (But of course, like it happens in the Lightning Network today, if Rumple is successful the bulk of trust will be from isolated users to big reliable hubs.)

Questions or potential issues

1. So many advantages, yes, but trusted? Custodial? That's easy and stupid!

   Well, an enormous part of the current Lightning Network (and also onchain Bitcoin wallets) already rests on trust, mainly trust between users and custodial wallet providers like ZEBEDEE, Alby, Wallet-of-Satoshi and others. Worse: on the current Lightning Network users not only trust, they also expose their entire transaction history to these providers[^hosted-channels].

   Besides that, as detailed in point 3 of the previous section, there are many unsolvable issues on the Lightning protocol that make each sovereign node dependent on some level of trust in its peers (and the network in general dependent on trusting that no one else will spam it to death).

   So, given the current state of the Lightning Network, to trust peers like Rumple requires is not a giant change -- but it is still a significant change: in Rumple you shouldn't open a large trust channel with someone just because it looks trustworthy, you must personally know that person and only put in what you're willing to lose. In known brands that have reputation to lose you can probably deposit more trust, same for long-term friends, and that's all. Still it is probably good enough, given the existence of MPP payments and the fact that the purpose of Rumple is to be a payments network for day-to-day purchases and not a way to buy real estate.

2. Why would anyone run a node in this parallel chain?

   I don't know. Ideally every server running a Rumple Network node will be running a Bitcoin node and a Rumple chain node. Besides using it to confirm and publish your own Rumple Network transactions it can be set to do BMM mining automatically and maybe earn some small fees comparable to running a Lightning routing node or a JoinMarket yield generator.

   Also it will probably be very lightweight, as pruning is completely free and no verification-since-the-genesis-block will take place.

3. What is the maturity of the debt that exists in the Rumple Network or its legal status?

   By default it is to be understood as being payable on demand for payments occurring inside the network (as credit can be used to forward or initiate payments by the creditor using that channel). But details of settlement outside the network or what happens if one of the peers disappears cannot be enforced or specified by the network.

   Perhaps some standard optional settlement methods (like a Bitcoin address) can be announced and negotiated upon channel creation inside the protocol, but nothing more than that.

[^thread-402]: Read at least the first 10 messages of the thread to see how naïve proposals like you and me could have thought about are brought up and then dismantled very carefully by the group of people most committed to getting Lightning to work properly. [^reputation-lightning]: See also the footnote at Ripple and the problem of the decentralized commit. [^hosted-channels]: Although that second part can be solved by hosted channels.

@ 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.

@ 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.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

Boardthreads

This was a very badly done service for turning a Trello list into a helpdesk UI.

Surprisingly, it had more paying users than Websites For Trello, which I was working on simultaneously and dedicating much more time to it.

The Neo4j database I used for this was a very poor choice, it was probably the cause of all the bugs.

-https://github.com/fiatjaf/boardthreads

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

bolt12 problems

• clients can't programatically build new offers by changing a path or query params (services like zbd.gg or lnurl-pay.me won't work)
• impossible to use in a load-balanced custodian way -- since offers would have to be pregenerated and tied to a specific lightning node.
• the existence of fiat currency fields makes it so wallets have to fetch exchange rates from somewhere on the internet (or offer a bad user experience), using HTTP which hurts user privacy.
• the vendor field is misleading, can be phished very easily, not as safe as a domain name.
• onion messages are an improvement over fake HTLC-based payments as a way of transmitting data, for sure. but we must decide if they are (i) suitable for transmitting all kinds of data over the internet, a replacement for tor; or (ii) not something that will scale well or on which we can count on for the future. if there was proper incentivization for data transmission it could end up being (i), the holy grail of p2p communication over the internet, but that is a very hard problem to solve and not guaranteed to yield the desired scalability results. since not even hints of attempting to solve that are being made, it's safer to conclude it is (ii).

bolt12 limitations

• not flexible enough. there are some interesting fields defined in the spec, but who gets to add more fields later if necessary? very unclear.
• services can't return any actionable data to the users who paid for something. it's unclear how business can be conducted without an extra communication channel.

bolt12 illusions

• recurring payments is not really solved, it is just a spec that defines intervals. the actual implementation must still be done by each wallet and service. the recurring payment cannot be enforced, the wallet must still initiate the payment. even if the wallet is evil and is willing to initiate a payment without the user knowing it still needs to have funds, channels, be online, connected etc., so it's not as if the services could rely on the payments being delivered in time.
• people seem to think it will enable pushing payments to mobile wallets, which it does not and cannot.
• there is a confusion of contexts: it looks like offers are superior to lnurl-pay, for example, because they don't require domain names. domain names, though, are common and well-established among internet services and stores, because these services have websites, so this is not really an issue. it is an issue, though, for people that want to receive payments in their homes. for these, indeed, bolt12 offers a superior solution -- but at the same time bolt12 seems to be selling itself as a tool for merchants and service providers when it includes and highlights features as recurring payments and refunds.
• the privacy gains for the receiver that are promoted as being part of bolt12 in fact come from a separate proposal, blinded paths, which should work for all normal lightning payments and indeed are a very nice solution. they are (or at least were, and should be) independent from the bolt12 proposal. a separate proposal, which can be (and already is being) used right now, also improves privacy for the receiver very much anway, it's called trampoline routing.

@ 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!

@ 434a234c:0a2f68b4

To Review Part 7 (https://stacker.news/items/824233/r/AndyAdvance)

Scoring rubric is as follows: 5 - This law promoted 360 degrees of freedom. Bitcoiners around the world would champion this 4 3 2 1 - This bill is something straight out the communist/socialist playbook very anti freedom. Leads to forever wars endless spending and bad wellbeing for the american people

Now a look at the third bill that became law. Public Law No: 111-294 (12/09/2010)

H.R.5566 - Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010

Source( https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/5566?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22lummis%22%7D&s=1&r=53)

The Bill in Summary:

Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010 - Amends the federal criminal code to revise the prohibition against depictions of animal cruelty to prohibit anyone from knowingly creating an animal crush video if: (1) such person intends or has reason to know that such video will be distributed in, or using a means or facility of, interstate or foreign commerce; or (2) such video is distributed in, or using a means or facility of, interstate or foreign commerce. Prohibits the sale, marketing, exchange, or distribution of such videos in interstate or foreign commerce.

Defines "animal crush video" as any photograph, motion picture, film, video or digital recording, or electronic image that: (1) depicts actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians is intentionally crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury; and (2) is obscene.

Extends the applicability of this Act to a person selling, marketing, advertising, exchanging, distributing, or creating animal crush videos outside the United States if: (1) such person intends or has reason to know that the animal crush video will be transported into the United States or its territories or possessions; or (2) the video is so transported. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to seven years for violations of this Act.

Exempts from the application of this Act: (1) any visual depiction of customary and normal veterinary or agricultural husbandry practices, the slaughter of animals for food, or hunting, trapping, or fishing; and (2) good faith distribution of an animal crush video to a law enforcement agency or a third party for the sole purpose of determining if referral to a law enforcement agency is appropriate.

Provides for compliance of the budgetary effects of this Act with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010.

The Score (3/5)

As a person who loves animals I am 100% on board with this bill. I know Bitcoiners are against censorship but evil exists in the world and people who abuse animals are absolute scum and should censored and punished. Torturing animals for fun and putting it on tape and video needs to be censored and people who produce this kind of content have a special place in hell

Some might say humans slaughter animals by the millions for food so why no allow this vile behavior to proposer? The answer is easy we need food to survive. Protein is a fundamental nutrient that all humans need to sustain life. Killing animals for food is necessary for humans to survive. I don't buy the vegan lifestyle and we all can live on plants and grains. Some people need the protein in meat so slaughtering animals makes sense.

I gave this a three because it is trying to bring some sort of morality to the American public. Sen. Lummis on this bill did right by the American people. I didn't give it a max score because to comply with this law some level of censorship is required which can be oppressive if abused by the government but this is far and away from a warmongering Neo-Con bill that pumps the military industrial complex's bags.

Total Score (20/40)

After seven bills Sen. Lummis has 20 points out of a total 20. That is good for 50% freedom score. Not bad Sen. Lummis.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/857720

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

The Lightning Network solves the problem of the decentralized commit

Before reading this, see Ripple and the problem of the decentralized commit.

The Bitcoin Lightning Network can be thought as a system similar to Ripple: there are conditional IOUs (HTLCs) that are sent in "prepare"-like messages across a route, and a secret p that must travel from the final receiver backwards through the route until it reaches the initial sender and possession of that secret serves to prove the payment as well as to make the IOU hold true.

The difference is that if one of the parties don't send the "acknowledge" in time, the other has a trusted third-party with its own clock (that is the clock that is valid for everybody involved) to complain immediately at the timeout: the Bitcoin blockchain. If C has p and B isn't acknowleding it, C tells the Bitcoin blockchain and it will force the transfer of the amount from B to C.

Differences (or 1 upside and 3 downside)

1. The Lightning Network differs from a "pure" Ripple network in that when we send a "prepare" message on the Lightning Network, unlike on a pure Ripple network we're not just promising we will owe something -- instead we are putting the money on the table already for the other to get if we are not responsive.

2. The feature above removes the trust element from the equation. We can now have relationships with people we don't trust, as the Bitcoin blockchain will serve as an automated escrow for our conditional payments and no one will be harmed. Therefore it is much easier to build networks and route payments if you don't always require trust relationships.

3. However it introduces the cost of the capital. A ton of capital must be made available in channels and locked in HTLCs so payments can be routed. This leads to potential issues like the ones described in https://twitter.com/joostjgr/status/1308414364911841281.

4. Another issue that comes with the necessity of using the Bitcoin blockchain as an arbiter is that it may cost a lot in fees -- much more than the value of the payment that is being disputed -- to enforce it on the blockchain.[^closing-channels-for-nothing]

Solutions

Because the downsides listed above are so real and problematic -- and much more so when attacks from malicious peers are taken into account --, some have argued that the Lightning Network must rely on at least some trust between peers, which partly negate the benefit.

The introduction of purely trust-backend channels is the next step in the reasoning: if we are trusting already, why not make channels that don't touch the blockchain and don't require peers to commit large amounts of capital?

The reason is, again, the ambiguity that comes from the problem of the decentralized commit. Therefore hosted channels can be good when trust is required only from one side, like in the final hops of payments, but they cannot work in the middle of routes without eroding trust relationships between peers (however they can be useful if employed as channels between two nodes ran by the same person).

The next solution is a revamped pure Ripple network, one that solves the problem of the decentralized commit in a different way.

[^closing-channels-for-nothing]: That is even true when, for reasons of the payment being so small that it doesn't even deserve an actual HTLC that can be enforced on the chain (as per the protocol), even then the channel between the two nodes will be closed, only to make it very clear that there was a disagreement. Leaving it online would be harmful as one of the peers could repeat the attack again and again. This is a proof that ambiguity, in case of the pure Ripple network, is a very important issue.

@ c1e6505c:02b3157e

There’s a tension between nature’s rhythms and human ambition, especially in winter. As Earth meanders to its furthest point from the sun, our social and economic engines paradoxically accelerate - driven by holidays, deadlines, and the relentless pursuit of being productive. Yet nature offers a contrasting wisdom in its deliberate deceleration, encouraging us to slow down and reflect. Seasonal cycles are not arbitrary patterns but interconnected signals within a web of biological, environmental, and economic systems. *Their foundation lies in light itself — the building block of existence, essentially matter in a slowed-down state. This act of deceleration doesn’t just create physical substance; it provides structure, clarity, and form.* Meandering through these seasonal changes isn’t a passive drift - it’s an opportunity to realign. Slowing down, like nature does, creates space to step back from the busyness of society and technology. It allows us to reflect on where we are, re-ground ourselves, and act with greater intention. In this pause, we rediscover the creative power of slowness: the ability to lay foundations, see clearly, and prepare for growth when the time is right. Seasons are more than a backdrop — they are guides. They remind us that slowing down isn’t stagnation but essential groundwork. Winter’s invitation to pause and meander is not only natural; it’s necessary for balance, perspective, and creating something enduring. *All photographs are taken around where I live in South Carolina* ***I shoot with a Leica M262, and edit in Lightroom + Dehancer*** [***Use “PictureRoom” for 10% off Dehancer Film***](https://www.dehancer.com/shop/pslr/film) If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to view my work - I appreciate it. Please contact me if you would like to purchase any of my prints.

@ df478568:2a951e67

Affiliate Links

I earn a commission for these products and services, but I would recommend them even if they did not pay me.

BTCPins

Strike

Cash App

PayPerQ

This is the cheapest way to use AI on the Internet. The pics are spectacular. It cost me about 20 sats to make the cover for this affiliate page.

Start9 I don’t really have an affiliate link for these guys, but I would like one. Anyway, they make the easiest home servers. I highly recommend them. I like that I can use the cloudflare tunnel app to host everythng on the clearnet. Let me know if you need any help with this.

Recommendations

These companies do not pay me, but I recommend them anyway.

Subscribe To Support My Work

I use PayWithFlash to create a Substack like subscription. You can subscribe for as little as 1,000 per month. If that is too many sats to ask, you could always zap my articles instead. Thank you.

The Leather Mint

The Leathermint makes great, custom-sized leather belts and awesome-looking wallets. I have a belt and it fits better than any belt I’ve ever warn because it’s custom size. I have had mine for about a year. The chrome is coming off a little at the top but I don’t tuck in shirts anyway.

CoinKite

They make my favorite products ever. I suggest getting a few SEEDPLATE® Kit’s no matter what hardware wallets you use. I also like using a dry-erase marker first because there are no second chances when punching a letter. It’s best to use a dry-erase marker first. If you make a mistake erase it. Then, after you double checked the first side, go over the dry-erase marker with a permanent marker. Then do the same to the other side. If you’re sure every letter is correct, punch the holes.

There are many plates with sufficient heat resistance, but I like the SEEDPLATE because they are the easiest to destroy if you ever need to. Instead of etching out stamps on washers, you just add extra punches if you must destroy the seed.

Alby Hub

Look, if you want to run your own lightning node, this is the way to go. If you have a Start9 or are technical, you can run it yourself. If you’re less technical, they offer a cloud service. I was one of the early beta testers of this software and I think it’s the easiest way to run a lightning node.

Free and Open Software

Primal.net os a corporation building stuff on nostr. If you’re technical, you can run it yourself. If not, you ca download the app for free. They charge a fee for premium services. I pay for this because I want to support companies that contribute to nostr development and help bitcoin be used as peer-to-peer electronic cash.

I think of Primal as a custodial bitcoin wallet that allows anyone to participate in the biggest circular economy in the world. TikTok was banned in the United States which means it is no longer available for citizens of the United States to download the app. There are ways to get around these restrictions, but I choose not to because I do not want the CCP, or any government to have access to information if their goal is to use it against me. I believe every government, foreign or domestic wants to use your information against you. Nostr allows me to opt out of these stupid games with stupid likes.

With Primal, I am the customer, not the product. I choose the algorithms I want to see, not the CCP , USG or corporations. Even if Primal decided to say, “Marc sucks. We will now censor him.” I will only lose the https://primal.net/marc, the OG status, and my primal lightning address. It also means they would stop getting my sats every month, so they are incentivized not to censor. You would have to do something really stupid to get banned from Primal. I’m not sure it’s been done yet, but even if it has, you will not get banned from the nostr protocol.

Portainer

Portainer makes it easy to run docker-containers. I first learned how to use it because it is an app on Umbrel. Eventually, I learned you can use Portainer on any Linux computer, so that’s what I do. It takes some time to learn, but once you do—you become a cloud computing super-wizard.

Mealie

Mealie is one of my favorite pieces of free and open software that is not related to bitcoin in any shape or form...except it makes grocery shopping easier. I know what you’re thinking. WTF does that have to do with bitcoin? I assume you belong to the I Want More Bitcoin Club. You are in good company because ALL Bitcoiners are a member of this club. One way you can stasck more sats is to cut your grocery bill. I believe Mealie helps me do just that.

When I’m grocery shopping, my goal is to get as much healthy food for my sats as possible. To accomplish this, I shop sales. Now, if you’re living in a van, this won’t do much for you, but no worries. You will stack even more sats by cutting your housing costs. If your wife will not agree to live under a bridge and stack sats, then get a freezer in your garage. Fill it with meat you buy on sale. Pork shoulder is 3,000 sats per pound and you don’t what to cook it with? Find a recipe online. Mealie will use machine learning to scrape the ingredients from the recipe. Then you can add it to a grocery list. In other words, you can automate your grocery list right at the grocery isle. This is one way I save sats with Mealie.

I also keep the things my family eats on a regular basis in stock. This is part for emergency preparedness, but it is also for financial preparedness. If you are in a situation where no food is available, all the bitcoin in the world will not save you. I’m not talkig about super volcanos. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes happen. So I got this idea from Jack Spirko, but modified it to use with mealie.

Spirko suggests building a 30 day supply of food and water for your family in case of an emergency. You should have a generator and a garden too, but I don’t want to get off track. Once you have this he says: write down every item you use on a notebook and replace it.

This is good advice, but I just add it to my grocery list in mealie.

Shopstr

Shopstr is like Facebook marketplace, Amazon, or eBay on nostr. This is what I use to build my store. I want to pause point out how big of a paradigm shift this is. The old web requires permission. Ebay needs permission from the government to become a corporation. They built infrastructure to create their online auction. Everyone on the site must pay eBay a tax. This results in a techno- feudalist society.

When you sell on Shopster, you are selling your wares on nostr, a protocol, not a platform. This changes the relationship between the people and the technology because NO MIDDLEMAN IS REQUIRED. On nostr, there are no digital overlords. You own your data. You host your store. If the current digital overlords shut it down, you can run it yourself. You do not need to pay a tax to eBay, Amazon, or the PayPal mafia.

Avocados

I love avocados. They are kind of like free and open source software because you can grow them yourself. ;) I love avocados and big avocado ag did not pay me to say this.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

Webvatar

Like Gravatar, but using profile images from websites tagged with "microformats-2" tags, like people from the indiewebcamp movement liked. It falled back to favicon, gravatar and procedural avatar generators.

No one really used this, despite people saying they liked it. Since I was desperate to getting some of my programs appreciated by someone I even bought a domain. It was sad, but an enriching experience.

• https://github.com/fiatjaf/webvatar.com
• http://webvatar.com

See also

• jekmentions
• questo.email

@ 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

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

Eltoo

Read the paper, it's actually nice and small. You can read only everything up to section 4.2 and it will be enough. Done.

Ok, you don't want to. Or you tried but still want to read here.

Eltoo is a way of keeping payment channel state that works better than the original scheme used in Lightning. Since Lightning is a bunch of different protocols glued together, it can It replace just the part the previously dealed with keeping the payment channel.

Eltoo works like this: A and B want a payment channel, so they create a multisig transaction with deposits from both -- or from just one, doesn't matter. That transaction is only spendable if both cooperate. So if one of them is unresponsive or non-cooperative the other must have a way to get his funds back, so they also create an update transaction but don't publish it to the blockchain. That update transaction spends to a settlement transaction that then distributes the money back to A and B as their balances say.

If they are cooperative they can change the balances of the channel by just creating new update transactions and settlement transactions and number them like 1, 2, 3, 4 etc.

Solid arrows means a transaction is presigned to spend only that previous other transaction; dotted arrows mean it's a floating transaction that can spend any of the previous.

Why do they need and update and a settlement transaction?

Because if B publishes update2 (in which his balances were greater) A needs some time to publish update4 (the latest, which holds correct state of balances).

Each update transaction can be spent by any newer update transaction immediately or by its own specific settlement transaction only after some time -- or some blocks.

Hopefully you got that.

How do they close the channel?

If they're cooperative they can just agree to spend the funding transaction, that first multisig transaction I mentioned, to whatever destinations they want. If one party isn't cooperating the other can just publish the latest update transaction, wait a while, then publish its settlement transaction.

How is this better than the previous way of keeping channel states?

Eltoo is better because nodes only have to keep the last set of update and settlement transactions. Before they had to keep all intermediate state updates.

If it is so better why didn't they do it first?

Because they didn't have the idea. And also because they needed an update to the Bitcoin protocol that allowed the presigned update transactions to spend any of the previous update transactions. This protocol update is called SIGHASH_NOINPUT[^anyprevout], you've seen this name out there. By marking a transaction with SIGHASH_NOINPUT it enters a mystical state and becomes a floating transaction that can be bound to any other transaction as long as its unlocking script matches the locking script.

Why can't update2 bind itself to update4 and spend that?

Good question. It can. But then it can't anymore, because Eltoo uses OP_CHECKLOCKTIMEVERIFY to ensure that doesn't actually check not a locktime, but a sequence. It's all arcane stuff.

And then Eltoo update transactions are numbered and their lock/unlock scripts will only match if a transaction is being spent by another one that's greater than it.

Do Eltoo channels expire?

No.

What is that "on-chain protocol" they talk about in the paper?

That's just an example to guide you through how the off-chain protocol works. Read carefully or don't read it at all. The off-chain mechanics is different from the on-chain mechanics. Repeating: the on-chain protocol is useless in the real world, it's just a didactic tool.

[^anyprevout]: Later SIGHASH_NOINPUT was modified to fit better with Taproot and Schnorr signatures and renamed to SIGHASH_ANYPREVOUT.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

idea: Hosted-channels Lightning wallet that runs in the browser

Communicates over HTTP with a server that is actually connected to the Lightning Network, but generates preimages and onions locally, doing everything like the Hosted Channels protocol says. Just the communication method changes.

Could use this library: https://www.npmjs.com/package/bolt04

@ 000002de:c05780a7

I just finished the audio book read by Norm himself. I must say, if you love Norm you will love this book. I highly recommend the audio book. I don't want to spoil anything but the book is like sitting down with Norm and listening to him tell you stories. You never know what is true or false and if the whole thing IS the joke. I laughed out loud many times.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/857482

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

The problem with ION

ION is a DID method based on a thing called "Sidetree".

I can't say for sure what is the problem with ION, because I don't understand the design, even though I have read all I could and asked everybody I knew. All available information only touches on the high-level aspects of it (and of course its amazing wonders) and no one has ever bothered to explain the details. I've also asked the main designer of the protocol, Daniel Buchner, but he may have thought I was trolling him on Twitter and refused to answer, instead pointing me to an incomplete spec on the Decentralized Identity Foundation website that I had already read before. I even tried to join the DIF as a member so I could join their closed community calls and hear what they say, maybe eventually ask a question, so I could understand it, but my entrance was ignored, then after many months and a nudge from another member I was told I had to do a KYC process to be admitted, which I refused.

One thing I know is:

• ION is supposed to provide a way to rotate keys seamlessly and automatically without losing the main identity (and the ION proponents also claim there are no "master" keys because these can also be rotated).
• ION is also not a blockchain, i.e. it doesn't have a deterministic consensus mechanism and it is decentralized, i.e. anyone can publish data to it, doesn't have to be a single central server, there may be holes in the available data and the protocol doesn't treat that as a problem.
• From all we know about years of attempts to scale Bitcoins and develop offchain protocols it is clear that you can't solve the double-spend problem without a central authority or a kind of blockchain (i.e. a decentralized system with deterministic consensus).
• Rotating keys also suffer from the double-spend problem: whenever you rotate a key it is as if it was "spent", you aren't supposed to be able to use it again.

The logic conclusion of the 4 assumptions above is that ION is flawed: it can't provide the key rotation it says it can if it is not a blockchain.

See also

• Excerpt of discussion about DIDs and ION

@ 6bae33c8:607272e8

The 40-minute edited version of Ravens-Bills wasn’t available this morning so I chose the 1:55 commercial-free full-length one instead. What a monumental waste of my morning. Why watch an entire game for it to end via a dropped two-point conversion? What is the purpose of even playing the game? A child can catch a two-yard pass.

Truth be told, the Ravens scored way too early, and the Bills probably would have driven into field-goal range anyway, but in those conditions, no kick was guaranteed. Moreover, the Ravens wouldn’t even have been in that situation but for the retarded play call on the prior two-point try where after Derrick Henry and Justice Hill gashed the Bills for 10 yards every rush, the Ravens tried to get tricky from two-yards out.

Of course, there was also the senseless Lamar Jackson fumble that was returned 40 yards and the earlier Mark Andrews fumble while trying to run backwards for no reason. Just a total waste of time.

I look forward to seeing the Bills win next week, only to have the refs cheat them out of it.

• The Chiefs got all the calls against a game Texans team. The Texans will be back, especially if they fix the offensive line. Cheating or not, it’s amazing the Chiefs are always in the Conference Title game — this makes seven straight.

• Travis Kelce looked like he was still in his late prime.

• I was rooting for the Lions — if only to retain one of my only commenters, Tony, who has no doubt defenestrated and won’t be contributing here any more. Turns out you can’t win without a defense.

• Jared Goff channeled Sam Darnold at the least opportune time too.

• Jahmyr Gibbs was electric. If the Lions had a lead he might have had 300 YFS.

• The Eagles will probably win at home, but Caleb Williams over Jayden Daniels might be even worse than Bryce Young over C.J. Stoud.

• The Rams were awfully close to hosting the NFC title game. I thought with one minute left, inside the 20, they should have run the ball at least once with the Eagles bringing the rush every play. It only takes one hole, and defenders slipping and sliding everywhere in the snow.

• Saquon Barkley might be the GOAT when fully healthy. He’s like Derrick Henry with pass-catching skills. I’d love to see him win Super Bowl MVP.

• It’s amazing how many great backs there are in the league right now: Henry, Barkley, Gibbs and a healthy McCaffrey might be four of the top-10 ever.

• The Texans, Rams and Ravens arguably outplayed their opponents this weekend, but couldn’t advance. I love the snow game aesthetic, but it adds a lot of randomness.

@ 3bf0c63f:aefa459d

doulas.club

A full catalog of all Brazilian doulas with data carefully scrapped from many websites that contained partial catalogs and some data manually included. All this packaged as a Couchapp and served directly from Cloudant.

This was done because the idea of doulas was good, but I spotted an issue: pregnant womwn should know many doulas before choosing one that would match well, therefore a full catalog with a lot of information was necessary.

This was a huge amount of work mostly wasted.

Many doulas who knew about this didn't like it and sent angry and offensive emails telling me to remove them. This was information one should know before choosing a doula.

See also

• About CouchDB

@ ce6b432f:c07ce020

If you think I can’t blame the scale of devastation from the LA fires on the Federal Reserve - think again.

After the 2008 financial crisis, Tyler Cowen was fond of saying “we aren’t as rich as we thought we were”. If you ask him, (I did in a zoom call sometime in the last 2 years), he thinks this state of being was temporary. My belief is that 17 years later, this illusion still persists, but it is cracking. Instead of allowing the dead wood to burn through financial markets, QE, ZIRP, BTFP, TARP, foreign central bank swap lines, Repo, Reverse Repo, double-triple-just kidding-repo, and a variety mechanisms beyond comprehension have been deployed to create the impression of wealth. We are still much less wealthy than we thought we were even 4 years ago. Until 2021, this was confined mainly to the inflation of asset prices and the stealth inflation embodied in the deteriorating quality of consumer goods, but Covid stimmies injected enough liquidity directly into the consumer blood stream that CPI finally started blinking red. The public began to gain some awareness of a more concrete problem in the structure of our economy. The pressing problem of inflation exposed first order problems of real urgency. A real wake up call had arrived for those middle class and below on the socio-economic ladder. There is no shortage of material to read on this for the curious.

Now some of the bills are coming due for the top half of the economic spectrum. When a plane you’re on falls out of the sky, it doesn’t matter how big your bank account is. When wildfire driven by 100 mph winds hits a neighborhood with empty fire hydrants, adequate water isn’t available at any price. When you realize your 22 year old child has spent the last 16 years being indoctrinated into a camouflaged marxist worldview - parenting mulligans are not available. If you want to retire with a nest egg adequate to provide food, shelter and healthcare for the rest of your life, finding out at age 65 that a good portion of your portfolio has been allocated to ‘companies’ focused on not cutting down trees will not be a fun reason to put down for “why do you want to join the WalMart Team?”. The common thread across many of these items is what used to be called “mission creep”. Leveraging the modern love of the word diversity - I call it “A Diversity of Goals”. They are both deadly for any organization tasked with important and specific goals.

Boeing should be focused on building safe airplanes. Fire departments should be focused on minimizing the damage fire does in their communities. Schools should prioritize reading, writing, arithmetic, and critical thinking skills. Financial professionals should focus on their fiduciary duties.

How did everyone take their eye off of the ball? Everyone decided to add the goal of diversity in some way shape or form. Is it really that simple? No. Was it really that bad? Yes. In a recent podcast with Russ Douthat of the NYT, Marc Andreeson says some pretty shocking things. Link to Transcript

Andreessen: "I’ll speak for the group because there’s a lot of similarities between the different players here for the same pressures. I’ll just speak for the group.

First of all, let me disabuse you of something, if you haven’t already disabused yourself. The view of American C.E.O.s operating as capitalist profit optimizers is just completely wrong.

That’s like, Goal No. 5 or something. There’s four goals that are way more important than that. And that’s not just true in the big tech companies. It’s true of the executive suite of basically everyone at the Fortune 500.

I would say Goal No. 1 is, “I’m a good person.” “I’m a good person,” is wildly more important than profit margins. Wildly. And this is why you saw these big companies all of a sudden go completely bananas in all their marketing. It’s why you saw them go bananas over D.E.I. It’s why you saw them all cooperating with all these social media boycotts. I mean, the level of lock step uniformity, unanimity in the thought process between the C.E.O.s of the Fortune 500 and what’s in the pages of The New York Times and in the Harvard classroom and in the Ford Foundation — they’re just locked together. Or at least they were through this entire period."

If you don’t believe this is the case, you weren’t paying attention. Centralized asset managers like Blackrock who are usually one of the largest shareholders in every company were sending out notices to CEOs and the markets trumpeting how much they prioritized DEI. Blackrock, the ESG Bully - WSJ

BlackRock Inc. has so far increased its support for shareholder-led environmental, social and governance proposals, and published a slew of criticisms of public companies that haven’t bent to its overall requests. …

“BlackRock has strongly signaled that quiet diplomacy is not the only tool in its toolbox,” said Rich Fields, a partner at law firm King & Spalding who focuses on corporate-governance issues. “We expect more votes for shareholder proposals and against directors in this and future years.” …

The firm is one of the top three shareholders of more than 80% of the companies in the S&P 500, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, through its many funds. The money manager casts a long shadow on shareholder meetings where it can vote on behalf of its investors on board directors, executives’ pay packages and other company matters.

In all fairness, Blackrock is quickly moving away from its ESG focus as the level of nonsense here has become more obvious to larger audiences who are pushing back. (State pension funds dropping them over this was a great example of both Federalism and market forces at work.)

Read the entire transcript from Andreeson. He lays out a very compelling case for what happened when a new generation of employees/elites rolled into adulthood in the 2010’s. The between-the-lines punchline is “it got so bad that billionaires were starting to suffer!!”

If DEI could infect and inhibit performance of large for-profit companies, what do you think the impact was on organizations with far less accountability? If your budget comes from politicians who don’t have to balance budgets or produce concrete results, the amount of drift “off mission” could be and was severe.

Why did this happen? We thought we were so rich that we could afford to entertain these luxury beliefs. We could just add more goals to our plate without diluting our ability to accomplish the very important things these various organizations were supposed to be focused on. We aren’t as rich as we thought we were. We can’t afford for planes to fall out of the sky. We can’t afford for huge sections of large cities to burn down. We can’t afford for an entire generation of Americans to prefer marxism to capitalism. We can’t afford to waste money on feel good projects that have a negative return even before factoring in inflation.

The simplest immediate action to take is for stakeholders large and small in organizations of all sizes to say no more Diversity of Goals - no more Goals of Diversity. Don’t discriminate against anyone who can accomplish the organization’s goals, but the goals must come first. If it’s your church or your local fire department or the local school district - everyone can have an impact on their own community. One by one, we can reverse this trend. Be the change you want to see in the world.

Now - what I think is the root of the problem. Why aren’t we as rich as we thought we were? I just can’t help myself. You may not agree on the solution (I do) - but this description of the problem will give you pause.

What's the Problem video

@ 0bedd900:2d6b8c9d

Humanoid robots are no longer just ideas. They're here, becoming part of industries, homes, and, perhaps soon, our public spaces. The possibilities they bring are exciting, but the risks are hard to ignore. Chief among them is the question of control—who decides what these robots do and why?

Right now, the answer to that question is troubling. Power over robots is mostly concentrated in the hands of a few corporations and governments. This might seem efficient, but it opens the door to scenarios that should give us pause. Imagine a fleet of humanoid robots controlled by a single entity. What would that mean for those without access to such tools? For democracy? For freedom?

\ But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if robots could be owned and governed collectively? What if their purpose wasn’t to serve the interests of the few, but to ensure balance and equity for the many?

Decentralization presents an alternative, albeit a difficult one. Instead of placing control in the hands of a single company or government, it envisions distributing authority across networks of individuals, groups, or communities. Open-source software could provide transparency into the inner workings of these robots, while blockchain systems might offer mechanisms for consensus-based decision-making. These concepts are far from fully realized, but they hint at a future where power is not hoarded but diffused.

However, the path to decentralization is fraught with challenges. These systems are not only complex to build but even harder to manage effectively. They demand significant technological innovation, robust ethical guardrails, and perhaps most critically, a foundational level of trust among participants. Yet the potential payoff—mitigating the risks of domination and ensuring robots serve the interests of the many, not the few—makes these difficulties worth grappling with.

The urgency for reflection cannot be overstated. Centralized systems are simpler to implement, but their efficiency comes at a cost: they concentrate power and introduce risks that, once entrenched, may prove impossible to dismantle. Decentralized models, while more demanding, could provide the structural safeguards needed to align robotic systems with collective values rather than narrow interests.

There is no clear or easy solution, but ignoring these issues as robots increasingly integrate into our world is not an option. The stakes are profound, and the consequences of inaction could define our societal trajectory. If we are to shape a future where technology serves humanity rather than controls it, these conversations need to start now.

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Introduction

We must rethink how we envision the future. In the short term, things may be worse than we expect, rising inflation, war, and health crises, but this is all part of the fiat dilemma. A system that cannibalizes itself. Yet, at the same time, a new system is emerging.

Bitcoin and Artificial intelligence (AI) will be central to this foundation, providing humanity with the time and tools needed to thrive. How Technology Drives Deflation

As Jeff Booth so masterfully explains, technology is inherently deflationary. Over time, through free market competition and productivity gains, prices should fall to their marginal cost of production.

Yet, in our inflationary fiat system, productivity gains are eroded by the continuous increase in the money supply, driving prices higher. Instead of allowing prices to approach their marginal cost of production as they should, goods and services become more expensive due to monetary inflation.

This principle, that an expanding money supply reduces the purchasing power of individual monetary units and ultimately undermines wealth creation, was recognized as early as 1517 by Copernicus in the quantity theory of money.

Because bitcoin is limited in supply, productivity gains across the economy can lead to greater wealth for all participants in the system, as the price of goods and services falls to the marginal cost of production over time. Rather than rise due to an increase in the monetary supply. We need Bitcoin to ensure that the productivity gains that drive the economy forward can have a lasting, sustainable impact.

The Interplay of Bitcoin und AI

Since the existing system benefits from inflation, market participants are often manipulated into believing that AI is inherently dangerous. While there are significant risks associated with AI, particularly its potential for centralization and manipulation, the technology itself offers great opportunities. The real problem lies in the inflationary monetary system, not AI.

Artificial intelligence is set to increasingly shape the workplace, trade, and finance. Consider the “Magnificent Seven”, a group of tech giants, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Meta (Facebook), Nvidia, and Tesla, that all leverage AI as a key driver of productivity.

In 2023, the financial services industry alone invested an estimated $35 billion in AI, with banking leading the charge, accounting for approximately $21 billion. This is particularly relevant to Bitcoin, since it serves as both money and a financial system. As AI becomes more sophisticated, it will increasingly rely on a digital currency that aligns with its digital nature, such as bitcoin, which offers both scalability and speed through the Lightning Network.

For instance, AI systems could use Bitcoin to facilitate microtransactions in real time, managing their wallets autonomously to process payments for services or data. This would unlock new opportunities for AI applications in sectors like actual decentralized finance (DeFi) and machine-to-machine transactions.

The Lightning Network, as a second-layer protocol built on top of Bitcoin, enables transactions to be settled almost instantly and at low cost. This makes it particularly well-suited for AI applications that require fast and reliable transactions.

While some AI and language models can exhibit programmed biases, AI systems, driven by algorithms and data, should strive to prioritize efficiency, minimizing biases wherever possible. If programmed without bias, AI seeks the best tools for operations and decision-making, and Bitcoin offers an optimal solution, providing both the asset and infrastructure needed for efficient, resilient, digital financial systems.

In addition, AI is likely to also contribute to Bitcoin’s development, with algorithms optimizing mining efficiency, hardware usage, forecasting energy demand, and ensuring more efficient resource allocation, all of which will lead to more effective mining strategies.

Conclusion

The synergy between Bitcoin and AI has the potential to enable the creation of more efficient, intelligent and resilient systems. These developments will underpin bitcoin’s role as digital money in a digital world, potentially creating positive second-order effects on global financial markets. The impact will be especially profound in industries such as finance, insurance, robotics, lending, investments, architecture, housing, healthcare, logistics, and others, with effects accelerating over time.

The free market is inherently deflationary, because of productivity gains, things, like housing, should become cheaper over time. Yet, this doesn't happen. Inflationary fiat currencies, like the dollar, lose purchasing power as their supply increases, eroding those gains. Bitcoin offers a framework in which productivity gains can have a lasting, sustainable impact.

Bitcoin, as a disinflationary currency with a fixed supply, preserves the value of productivity improvements, allowing prices to fall to their marginal cost of production. This ensures that efficiency gains lead to greater wealth for all participants in the system.

Moreover, since Bitcoin is accessible, it allows wealth to become more attainable for a wider range of people, enabling general living standards to increase more easily. The interplay between Bitcoin and AI is pretty exciting, and it’s becoming clear that the widespread adoption of AI will drive the widespread adoption of Bitcoin. This is necessary, as only Bitcoin, as a counterbalance to the self-destructive fiat system, can protect humanity from the negative effects of inflation. With the accelerated productivity gains of the AI age, Bitcoin becomes even more crucial as a solution, ensuring that these gains can be preserved and shared more equitably.

Originally published as the 28th edition of my n ewsletter, Bitcoin & AI: https://leonwankum.substack.com/p/bitcoin-and-ai

Photo Credit: commonedge.org (An Optimist’s Take on AI and the Future of Architecture)

@ 4d41a7cb:7d3633cc

Anyone concerned with private property, survival, and freedom will find the material in this article to be very interesting. The concept of money is more abstract than most people think, and that is what I will try to demonstrate below.

Whether the film The Wizard of Oz's hidden message was intentional or not, it serves as an allegory to explain the grim and gruesome global monetary system.

The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel, contains hidden allegories about the banking system and financial challenges of late 19th and early 20th century America. The film closely resembles the book, except for two minor details: The yellow road in the film was the golden road in the book, and the ruby shoes in the film were silver shoes in the book: a clear reference to the bimetallic monetary system of the U.S. at the time.

The occult meaning explained

The word ‘OZ’ is a clear reference to the ‘ounce,’ a unit of measurement for gold and silver, further emphasizing the connection to monetary issues.

We can see The Wizard of Oz as an allegory for the new state of affairs in the United States in the 1930s, following the stock market crash and the bankruptcy of the US government immediately afterwards.

The play gives an allegorical sense of the financial enslavement of taxpayers, the legal tricks, and sensory manipulations bankers and government officials use to impose such enslavement on taxpayers. It also exposes the banking cartel, letting the people know that they are empowered to liquidate the bankers and return to Kansas: the true Republic.

The setting was Kansas: the heartland of America and the geographical center of the USA. The tornado (1929-1933), a whirlwind of turmoil that includes the stock market crash, the theft of American gold, the bankruptcy of the USA, and the Great Depression, sweeps in, transporting Dorothy and Toto to a new artificial dimension somewhere above the Kansas mainland. When they finally land in Oz, Dorothy remarks to her little companion:

‘Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.’.

After the bankruptcy, Kansas was no longer simply the old 'Kansas'; it was now 'KS,' the artificial corporate headquarters of the bankrupt United States, a newly established 'federal territory,' part of the 'Federal Zone,' and Dorothy and Toto were 'in this state.'

The creditors of THE FEDERAL RESERVE INC. had declared the constitutional republic of the United States of America bankrupt and replaced it with a private corporation of the same name, UNITED STATES INC.

For those of you who are not yet aware, there was a conspiracy during the last two centuries to steal the world's money supply (gold & silver) and replace it with a global elastic fiat credit system. The design of this system was to transfer wealth from the productive class of world nations to the unproductive class of international bankers, resulting in artificial boom and bust cycles and private and public bankruptcies.

This happened in the United States during the beginning of the 1900s, especially from 1913, when the Federal Reserve was created, to 1933, when they stole all the gold from the American people after destroying their economy and prosperity.

International bankers had taken over the republic, but Americans were too confused and distracted by the turmoil at the time to realize this. A corporate state operating under commercial law had supplanted the constitutional republic operating under common law. At the same time, the Federal Reserve banking cartel would receive 100% of the present and future tax revenue from Americans.

The golden road

The book refers to the 'yellow road' as 'the golden road'. To locate the Wizard, you must track the money, specifically the stolen gold, which will lead you to the thief.

When the US government declared bankruptcy in 1933, Americans were required to turn in all their gold coins, gold bullion, and gold certificates by May 1, May Day (the birthday of communism in Bavaria in 1776, the birthday of the IRS, and celebrated worldwide as the ‘International Workers’ Holiday,’ a day sacred to the Wizard and his tribe). 1

By following the path of gold and its history, we can quickly get to the banking cartel and discover many of their methods and crimes. Even before they stole America, they had long since disposed of the Christian monarchies of Europe and plundered their kingdoms.

By examining significant dates like 1971, 1944, 1933, and 1913, we can swiftly identify the individuals responsible for shaping human history over the past few centuries.

Following the history of the gold standard, we can arrive at the creation of the Federal Reserve and the international banking cartel that owns and controls it, the Wizard of Oz, whose origin is from Europe.

The Emerald City

The Emerald City, where everything is green, is seen as a metaphor for the Federal Reserve and its fiat currency: Federal Reserve Notes, or FRNs (fiat ‘money’ or ‘money by fiat’). There the legendary wizard of Oz took refuge, with his mythical and omnipotent power to manipulate the interest rates and the supply of currency.

The illusory prosperity of the city reflects that currency itself is an illusion, especially when disconnected from gold or silver. By printing trillions of Federal Reserve notes to finance wars, purchase mass media, fund research and development, and purchase professionals and politicians, the magician maintains his position of power and the illusion of 'official authority'.

This currency creates a false sense of abundance when in fact it destroys the incentives for trade and creates inequality and injustice. The Great Depression of the 1930s, the confiscation of gold, and the two subsequent world wars were a direct result of the actions of the Federal Reserve, formed in 1913, a predecessor from the Bank of England, where the real power behind this entity lies.

The Federal Reserve is not federal and has no reserves; it is just the corporate name for private enterprise with an absolute monopoly on global credit. The illusion that it is part of the government or that it has legitimate authority is just that, an illusion; in reality, it is a cartel of private bankers with a monopoly on debt-based global currency.

The Wizard of Oz

One definition of 'wizard' is 'a very clever person'. The Wizard is a symbol of the banking cartel, which manipulates and controls people behind the scenes. They hide behind corporate names that do not even represent what they stand for, such as the Federal Reserve, United States, British crown, and Vatican.

Using smoke and mirrors, they create a grand illusion of omnipotent and omniscient power as if they were gods on earth. The magician represents the idea that the powerful often only manipulate perception instead of offering real solutions. However, upon exposing them, we uncover that they are merely common men, burdened with fears, insecurities, greed, and a significant dose of evil.

We know very well that the banking cartel controls educational institutions, the media, book publishers, and every flow of information and resources; thus and only thus can it manipulate the perception of billions of human beings around the world.

All of humanity is in a state of financial slavery to the illusionist's counterfeit money, which silently steals the time and energy of the masses on a global scale—their most precious wealth. The Wizard has owned the US government outright since 1933 and ‘owned’ Hollywood, an indispensable resource for maintaining global illusion and false perception.

‘You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time.’.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th President of the United States

After all, the wizard turned out to be just a con man, a fraud; behind the curtain there was just an ordinary person controlling the levers that created the illusion of authority and power.

The magician also cited the Latin phrase 'the land of E' Pluribus Unum,' meaning 'one among many'. This means that the phrase 'the land of E' Pluribus Unum', which translates to 'one among many', symbolises the merging of many into one, thereby establishing the New World Order, also known as Novus Ordo Seclorum. This phrase was prominently displayed on the US dollar note shortly after the crash in 1934.

The agenda of the international banking cartel is the ultimate elimination of cash, the total digitalization of credit, and the creation of a programmable global digital currency. Together with a social credit system and absolute surveillance, they seek to create a global police state to keep their taxpaying slaves in check and prevent any possibility of rebellion. By censoring dissent and controlling the flow of information, energy, and money, they plan to crown themselves on the throne forever.

The magician's main tools to maintain his economic power: DEBT, TAXES, AND INFLATION. Tools we must understand in depth to regain financial freedom and 'return to Kansas,' our true constitutional republic.

The Wicked Witch of the West

The Wicked Witch of the West made her home in a round medieval watchtower, the ancient symbol of the Knights Templar of Freemasonry, who were given to practicing witchcraft and are also credited with being the originators of modern banking, circa 1099 AD.

The Wicked Witch of the West wore black, a color that represented the planet Saturn, the Knights Templar's sacred icon, and the color judges and priests chose for their robes. Who was the Wicked Witch of the West? Remember, in the first part of the film, her counterpart was 'Almira Gulch,' who, according to Auntie Em, 'owned half the county.' Miss Gulch claimed that Dorothy's dog, Toto, had bitten her. Miss Gulch arrived at the farm with a'sheriff's warrant', demanding the release of Toto into her custody. Aunt Em was not immediately cooperative and responded to Miss Gulch's accusations that Toto had bitten her by saying, "He's very nice." With nice people, of course.

Miss Gulch's challenge to hold Toto and 'go against the law' reduced dear Auntie Em to 'pushing the party line' for Big Brother. She dutifully succumbed to the pressure and reluctantly advised Dorothy:

‘If you don't give me that dog, I'll bring you a goddamn suit that took over your whole farm!’

Today, 70% of all lawyers in the world reside in Western America, to be exact, and 95% of all lawsuits in the world are filed under the jurisdiction of the United States. The Wicked Witch of the West and Miss Gulch, my dear friends, stand in for judges and lawyers, specifically the American legal system, which includes the lawyer-led Congress and White House. They act as executioners and chief henchmen, transferring all wealth in America from the people to the ownership of banks and the government.

The Wicked Witch of the West wanted the silver slippers and precious metals, and her counterpart, Miss Gulch, wanted Toto (i.e., everything). We know all too well that banks are never satisfied and seek to squeeze every last penny from taxpayers, because it's not just about money; it's about control.

The straw man

The straw man wanted a brain from The Wizard of Oz. The term "straw man" in English refers to the legal fiction, legal person, or capitalized names that the US federal government creates using our natural-born names, with the intention of enslaving us and supporting the issuance of debt-based currency. The birth certificate, which establishes our legal fiction, serves as the tool for bolstering the issuance of public debt and currency.

The FRN, also known as the 'dollar,' represents a blank check that the US taxpayer has signed for the government. No legal person, paper legal fiction, or corporation has a brain nor a breath of life. They are just that: legal fictions and paperwork.

What does a straw man possess in place of a brain? A certificate. He took immense pride in his newly acquired legal status and all the other privileges bestowed upon him. Despite receiving a certificate, he remained a naive individual devoid of common sense.

The Tin Man (TIN)

The tin man symbolizes the taxpayer, specifically the workers. The IRS uses the TIN, a nine-digit number, to identify taxpayers for tax purposes. It can be a Social Security number (SSN), an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), or an employer identification number (EIN).

Just as the scarecrow/straw man had no brain, this tin man vessel had no heart. Both were ‘artificial persons.’. The Tin Man symbolized the mechanical and heartless nature of commerce and commercial law.

The Tin Man stood there, mindlessly engaged in his work, until his body literally overflowed and ceased to function. He exhausted himself due to his lack of heart and soul.

The heartless and soulless taxpayer/worker serves as nothing more than a useful slave to the banking cartel, fulfilling his "duty" without questioning the moral implications of his actions. Governments and banks rely on them for their income, and they labor diligently under their control.

‘I was just doing my job’ is one of the most common responses when re-evaluating the immoral acts they were complicit and co-conspirators in throughout history.

Today, thousands of distractions, vices, drugs, and products hypnotize them in front of a television or mobile phone screen, preventing them from realizing their role as tax slaves and hearing the call to a higher purpose in life.

These completely demoralized individuals lose sight of their life's purpose and value, which explains why there are so many cases of depression and suicide in today's world.

This is done by design: the banking cartel's agenda is to maintain the tax slaves' cold exterior and heartless interior in order to suppress any potential emotional reactions or divine sparks.

The cowardly lion

The cowardly lion was always afraid to stand up for himself, representing the American people who had lost their courage and bravery.

‘The land of the free and the home of the brave’ became the land of the slaves and the home of the cowards.

The cowardly lion, seeking the courage of the great wizard, received an official recognition medal. Now, although he was still a coward, his official status allowed him to be a bully, but with officially recognized authority, like lawyers or military men who hide behind courts and medals.

Have you ever noticed how bullies are actually the biggest cowards who act as if they have enormous courage but in reality have none?

It's fascinating how many weak, socially resentful, and cowardly individuals gravitate towards positions of power to conceal their cowardice and weakness. They require a position of 'authority' and often misuse it, concealing their weaknesses and insecurities behind official bodies.

The poppy field

The tactic was to cover the field with poppy flowers, the source of heroin, opium, and morphine, symbolically drug them into unconsciousness, and then simply walk in and snatch their slippers. In other words, the best way to subjugate the American people and plunder their assets was to dull their senses by becoming addicted to drugs.

The narcotics of the poppy field had no effect on the straw and tin man, for they were not blood, flesh, and blood, but artificial entities. The two cried out for help, and Glenda, the Good Witch of the North, answered their prayers with a blanket of snow, i.e., cocaine, a stimulant that nullifies the narcotic effect of the poppies/opium on Dorothy, the Lion, and Toto.

The crown has been playing the drug cartel game for centuries; just look at the history of Hong Kong and the Opium Wars. Despite its obvious impropriety, drugging your opponent before a battle is the most effective way to defeat them.

Distracting the masses, drugging and entertaining them is the best strategy to keep them subjugated and enslaved to a heartless monetary system, thus avoiding any resistance to change.

Flying monkeys

Let's not forget those flying monkeys, mythical creatures perfect for representing the lawyers of the bar (legal masters) who attack and control the little people for the grand wizard in the crown: the powerful and Big Bankers of Oz.Flying monkeys

Individuals have to be represented by lawyers in court cases and therefore need to hire a lawyer. The clients are “wards of the court,” i.e., “infants and persons of unsound mind," just like the strawman was a “person of unsound mind”.

Toto, the little dog

Toto means ‘everything’ in Latin, which was what the witch wanted after claiming the dog had bitten her. THE WITCH (the banks and their lawyers) WANTED EVERYTHING!

Notice how Toto was not frightened by the theatricality of the Big Wizard, even though he was small in size compared to the wizard. Toto simply walked up and began barking, drawing the attention of the others. Behind the curtain, an ordinary person was operating the levers that created the illusion of the great magician's power and authority.

We can see from this story how loud the bark of a small dog can be, but most of us still remain silent.

Dorothy

When Dorothy sought assistance from Glenda, the Good Witch of the North, to return to Kansas, Glenda responded, "You don't need help." You have always been empowered to return to Kansas.

Dorothy eventually made her way home. She always had the power it took to unmask the wizard, and so did we. She always thought she needed outside help, but the power is in each of us, taking responsibility, commitment, and action based on truth.

The great awakening of humanity

Most people do not listen, do not see, and do not speak the truth, either because they have an economic interest or because they are afraid. This is beginning to change.

We are going through a great awakening of consciousness, where more and more individuals are realizing that there is something beyond the illusion of the magician, beginning to see the deeper truths, the background of things, and a higher meaning to life.

Recognizing our birth on a slave plantation, our treatment as property, and the use of our legal identities to support the issuance of government debt (fiat currencies) is crucial. This has been going on for almost a century and is a direct attack on our sovereignty, which is the natural state of our human existence.

As Dorothy once said, "There's no place like home," and indeed, there is no place like home! A sovereign can find no greater place than sovereignty! Will you persist in deceiving unsuspecting men and adoring the magician's light show, or will you, like Dorothy, become aware and delve into the inner workings?

We need an educated mind, an intelligent heart, courage, and the responsibility to act.

We are not defined by our legal fiction or birth certificate, nor are we subject to the dictates of a bureaucrat wielding "official authority" to dictate our actions. We are not corporations operating under commercial law; we are human beings operating under common law, where a crime requires a victim (a human being or their damaged property).

The millions of laws, regulations, and restrictions do not apply to us sovereigns but to our legal fictions that are part of commercial law because they (not us) are corporations. The government has jurisdiction over its creation, which clearly does not include us. In this case, it is our legal identity or fictitious corporation that identifies us, but we, as flesh-and-blood men, are not a creation of the government.

The first step is to recognize this fact; the second is to stop waiting for outside help and take active participation in the matter, assuming responsibility and acting freely to defend our property and our rights.

If we continue to let the magician and his illusions dominate our perception of reality, we will end up living under a communist dystopia, with a system of mass surveillance and non-existent human rights.

But if we decide to take matters into our own hands, by understanding technologies like Bitcoin and Nostr, we can build a better future for ourselves and our future generations.

We are currently facing a unique opportunity to escape the traps and manipulations of this ancestral war and enjoy spiritual, intellectual, and financial freedom.

Although it will not be straightforward and requires responsibility and work, the price of not doing it correctly is slavery, and I personally would rather be dead than live subjugated to the will of a tyrant.

Bitcoin and Nostr, or slavery!

@ 783850fd:77511d32

I'm thinking about buying a small house or a plot of land in Morocco and living there. The amount I am willing to pay for this would be $10 000 - 30 000. How much might I liquidate into their fiat (MAD) bank account with a month or so without them freezing my account and god only knows what worse things them doing to me. I use robosats and never exceed the amount of 950 euro when selling Bitcoin. I have all my wealth in Bitcoin, no history of income over the last 5 years, no filing tax returns too. I am from the EU, residing in Spain. How has your experience with Morocco been? Can one open a bank account in Morocco without having a residence there?

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/857178

@ 011c780a:46e48b1d

Lake Erie is a paradise for anglers, boasting the world's largest walleye population and some of the highest catch rates in Ohio. For those eager to experience the thrill of fishing on these bountiful waters, booking a charter is the best way to go. However, with numerous options available, how do you choose the right one? Here are some essential tips to help you find the perfect charter for your Lake Erie adventure.

1. Look for Experienced Captains and Crews

The expertise of the captain and crew can make or break your fishing trip. Experienced professionals know the best spots to find walleye, how to handle changing weather conditions, and how to ensure you have an enjoyable day on the water.

● Check the company's website for captain biographies or years of experience.

● Look for certifications or affiliations with reputable fishing organisations.

● Read reviews to see if other anglers had positive experiences with the crew.

2. Prioritize Safety Measures

Safety should be a top priority when choosing an Ohio fishing charter company. Lake Erie can be unpredictable, so you need a charter that prioritises your well-being. ● Ensure the boat is equipped with life jackets, first aid kits, and emergency communication devices.

● Confirm that the captain holds a valid U.S. Coast Guard license.

● Ask about the company's safety protocols in case of adverse weather.

3. Assess the Equipment and Boats

● A well-maintained boat and quality fishing gear can elevate your experience.

● Look for charters that provide high-quality rods, reels, and tackle.

● Check if the boat is spacious, clean, and equipped with modern technology like fish finders.

● Ask if the company allows you to bring your gear if you have a preference.

4. Check for Customization Options

Every angler has unique needs, whether they're a seasoned pro or a first-timer. Some charters offer tailored experiences to meet your preferences.

● Look for family-friendly charters if you're planning a trip with kids.

● Ask if the company offers half-day, full-day, or multi-day trips.

● Find out if they're willing to adjust their itinerary to focus on specific fishing techniques or areas.

5. Read Online Reviews and Testimonials

● The best way to gauge the quality of a charter is through the experiences of others.

● Visit online platforms like Google, Facebook, or TripAdvisor for honest reviews.

● Pay attention to consistent themes in feedback, such as exceptional service, skilled crew, or successful catches.

● Look for photos or videos shared by previous clients to get a better sense of what to expect.

6. Consider the Costs and Inclusions

● While price shouldn't be the sole factor, it's important to know what you're paying for.

● Compare prices among different Lake Erie walleye charters to get a sense of market rates.

● Check what the package includes, such as bait, fishing licenses, or cleaning and packaging your catch.

● Avoid the cheapest options if they seem to cut corners on quality or safety.

7. Verify Their Knowledge of Lake Erie

● Ohio's portion of Lake Erie is home to millions of walleye, and the best charters have in-depth knowledge of these waters.

● Ask about their familiarity with local hotspots for walleye.

● Find out if they follow sustainable fishing practices to preserve the lake's ecosystem.

● A knowledgeable crew can also share interesting facts about the lake, making your trip both fun and educational.

Book Your Perfect Charter Today!

Finding the right Ohio fishing charter company is the first step to an unforgettable Lake Erie adventure. By prioritising experience, safety, equipment quality, and customer reviews, you can ensure a successful and enjoyable trip. For those looking to create lasting memories on Lake Erie, Eyes Ready Charters is a trusted name offering top-notch services to anglers of all skill levels. Book your trip today and experience the thrill of walleye fishing like never before!

@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

Hello Stackers!

It's Monday so we're back doing "Meta Music Mondays" 😉.

From before the territory existed there was just one post a week in a ~meta take over. Now each month we have a different theme and bring music from that theme.

This month it's New Year New Artists! Bringing you small time artists with great music.

This week, I'm bringing Malinda Kathleen Reece and her cover of Pippins song Edge of Night.

https://youtu.be/NTsduTxb74Y?si=makffTIu9cPKsqqn

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/857183

@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

Hello Stackers!

Welcome on into the ~Music Corner of the Saloon!

A place where we Talk Music. Share Tracks. Zap Sats.

So stay a while and listen.

🚨Don't forget to check out the pinned items in the territory homepage! You can always find the latest weeklies there!🚨

🚨Subscribe to the territory to ensure you never miss a post! 🚨

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/856958

@ fbf0e434:e1be6a39

Hackathon 摘要

Watson Code Fest 2024 是一项年度生物Hackathon，由加德满都大学合作组织，重点关注医疗保健和信息学。此次活动汇集了41位开发者，他们致力于30个创新项目，旨在将生物技术、计算机科学和医疗保健整合，解决全球及本地的医疗保健挑战。探索的关键领域包括个性化医疗、智能医疗系统、诊断中的AI以及公共卫生数据分析。

该Hackathon的主要目标是促进创新、推广多学科合作，并增强技能发展。它为学生、专业人士和来自各个领域的研究人员提供了一个合作的环境，强调信息学在推进医疗解决方案中的角色。

活动在加德满都大学举行，为期两天，鼓励参与者创造性思考和协作工作。其旨在弥合学术界与工业界之间的差距，激发创新并促进网络建设。这次Hackathon的影响在于其激发新医疗技术的能力以及在尼泊尔培养创新文化，且具有潜在的全球影响。

Hackathon 获奖者

1st Place Prize Winners

• MutraSuchak : 该项目通过适用于医疗应用的低成本方法促进早期阿尔茨海默病的检测。它集成了ESP模块和Python Flask服务器，开源资源可在GitHub上获得。

Runner-Up Prize Winners

• PCOSgen: 该项目编制了一份用于PCOS表型的预测数据库，有助于早期诊断和个性化治疗。它使用数据驱动方法解决研究差距并改进患者结果。

Most Innovative Project Prize Winners

• Silent Witness: Graph-Based Abuse Detection: 该计划使用AI分析来自摄像头的面部表情以检测虐待模式。通过使用YOLO模型来保护隐私，它构建交互图以识别和标记负面模式，同时促进积极的环境。

有关所有参赛项目的详细列表，请访问 Watson Code Fest's project page。

关于组织者

Kathmandu University Biotechnology Creatives

加德满都大学生物技术创意（KUBiC）是生物技术和生物信息学领域的先锋组织。KUBiC以举办年度Watson Code Fest而闻名，为创新者、程序员和创造性思考者提供了一个平台，以解决这些领域中的关键挑战。KUBiC坚定致力于推进生物科学，在促进合作和创造力方面表现出色。其使命是重新定义生物学的未来，并推动跨学科领域的进步。更多信息可在其网站上找到。

@ ed84ce10:cccf4c2a

Hackathon Summary

The Watson Code Fest 2024, an annual biohackathon, was organized in collaboration with Kathmandu University, with a focus on healthcare and informatics. The event brought together 41 developers who worked on 30 innovative projects, aiming to integrate biotechnology, computer science, and healthcare to tackle both global and local healthcare challenges. Key areas of exploration included personalized medicine, smart healthcare systems, AI in diagnostics, and public health data analysis.

The hackathon's primary objectives were to foster innovation, promote multidisciplinary collaboration, and enhance skill development. It provided a collaborative environment for students, professionals, and researchers from various fields, underscoring the role of informatics in advancing healthcare solutions.

Held at Kathmandu University over two days, the event encouraged participants to think creatively and work collaboratively. It sought to bridge the gap between academia and industry, stimulate innovation, and foster networking. The hackathon's impact was evident in its ability to inspire new healthcare technologies and cultivate a culture of innovation in Nepal, with potential global implications.

Hackathon Winners

1st Place Prize Winners

• MutraSuchak: This project facilitates early Alzheimer's detection through cost-effective methods suitable for healthcare applications. It integrates ESP modules and a Python Flask server, with open-source resources available on GitHub.

Runner-Up Prize Winners

• PCOSgen: This project compiles a predictive database for PCOS phenotypes, aiding early diagnosis and personalized treatment. It uses data-driven methodologies to address research gaps and improve patient outcomes.

Most Innovative Project Prize Winners

• Silent Witness: Graph-Based Abuse Detection: This initiative uses AI to analyze facial expressions from camera feeds to detect abuse patterns. By employing YOLO models for privacy, it constructs interaction graphs to identify and flag negative patterns while fostering positive environments.

For an extensive list of all participating projects, visit Watson Code Fest's project page.

About the Organizer

Kathmandu University Biotechnology Creatives

Kathmandu University Biotechnology Creatives (KUBiC) is a pioneering organization in biotechnology and bioinformatics. Known for hosting the annual Watson Code Fest, KUBiC serves as a platform for innovators, programmers, and creative thinkers to tackle crucial challenges in these fields. With a strong commitment to advancing biological sciences, KUBiC excels in fostering collaboration and creativity. Their mission is to redefine the future of biology and drive progress across interdisciplinary domains. More information can be found on their website.

@ df478568:2a951e67

I took this picture at about block 416,220(June 13, 2016). The price of eggs on that day was $1.99, 16.5¢ per egg if you still measure stuff with the broken ruler we call fiat. What if we measured the price in sats instead? I found the price on that date from the bitbo calender. According to this website, $1.99 was worth 260,000 sats back then. Each egg cost 21,667 sats! Oh My Zeus!😱

I used this mempool calculator to see how much that is today. Turns out that it's $272.88 as of block 879,943. Since the fiat ruler is broken, the price of a dozen eggs also has NGU. I took this picture the last time I went to the grocery store. Eggs cost enough to shock fiat maxis. $8.99 OMZ!😱

What does a dozen eggs cost if you ignore the broken ruler? 8,572 sats today, just 714 sats per egg. Holy Wiemar Republic Batman! That's 30X cheaper! 😁

For some strange reason I can't pretend to understand, the Federal reserve tracks the price of eggs denominated in bitcoin. I guess they want to stay humble and stack money printer go brrrrrr. You can see the price of eggs drop off a cliff like Wile E Coyote on their website.

In The Price of Tommorrow and too many podcasts to mention, Jeff Booth argues the free market makes things cheaper over time, but the fiat syatem is syatematic theft. This theft occurs via inflation, which is really wage deflation. In other words, eggs are getting cheaper over time because egg producers become more efficient. We see tye fruits of this efficiency in Big screen TV's because the fiat price gets cut in half every ten years or so, but this is also a product of a broken ruler. The TV is probably 60X cheaper in bitcoin terms. It makes sense, TV's don't get bird flu, but when you begin using bitcoin as your unit of account, the measurement of value makes more sense than fiat clown world on the broken ruler standard. I remember when coffee was 100,000 sats. Now it's 16,699 sats. Living on the sat standards allows you to see Jeff Booth's thesis play out in real time

Life Gets More Expensive On The Broken Ruler Standard

I see so many young people on the broken ruler standard bemoan about food and housing prices. There are people with master's degrees who have already lost hope of buying a single family home and achieving the "American dream." To be honest, I would be pretty bummed about it too if I was on the broken ruler standard. A few months ago I spoke with a woman who made at least twice as much fiat as I do say, "I hope this housing market crashes so I can buy a house!"

That's sad. I have a lot of empathy for that feeling. Since the great financial crisis, I've only been able to get part time work, but my family wqs able to get a mortgage worth 12.5 bitcoin at the so-called "height of the market." We put as little money down as possible, 3% and I sold my old 401k for that "money." I also used some of it for repairs and taxes, but went all-in on bitcoin with everything else. Now our house is worth about 5 bitcoin. The way I see it, real estate is always crashing.

People on the broken ruler standard cry, "Wah, Wah. I hope there's a housing crash! Wah! Wah! Muh egg prices!" Buy a brand spanking new car for $50,00 car with a 7% interest rate and they will say, "Congratulations!" The trouble is, the price of the car falls like eggs compared to bitcoin on the broken ruler standard. This is because prices are distorted when measured in a broken ruler standard.

Get Off The Broken Ruler Standard

Before I met my wife, I played poker to supplement my income. I don't play much anymore, but poker taught me about risk management, probability, game theory, and many other things applicable to bitcoin. Poker gave me the background knowledge I needed to study bitcoin. In a sly, round-about way , poker taught me how to spend less bitcoin than I make. In traditional technical finance terminology, this is called "fucking saving." If you were not taught how to save and spend more than you earn, no matter how many broken ruler bucks you may earn, bitcoin will not work for you.

My wife makes a lot of broken ruler bucks. Unfortunately, we were broke in 2016 because we both were in school. Nevertheless, I'm proud of my stack amd I'm now at a point in life where I can get paid in bitcoin with very little risk because of my sugar mama, I mean wife, gets paid very well.

I spend like almost every other American consumer, plastic broken ruler debt cards. I put my little Strike ACH number on the Discover app. I keep a couple million sats on Strike and pay my credit card every month. In other words, I use Strike like a four-letter word: bank.

Sometimes I'll get a craving for tacos., I've never found a food truck that takes bitcoin, but they often use the Cash App. People on the broken ruler standard can't instantaneously send broken ruler bucks from PayPal to Zelle and vice-versa. They must first send broken ruler bucks from PayPal to the bank and then send the broken ruler bucks through Zelle. I can send sats directly from Strike to thr Cash App within seconds.

Sats As A Unit Of Account

The price of bitcoin fluctuates which makes it difficult to use as a unit of account. Who wants to divide the price of bitcoin by 100 million. Ain't nobody got time for that. If a whole coin costs 100k, then 1,000 sats = $1.00. This means each 100 sats is worth 10¢. 10 sats = 1¢. If the price drops 50%, 1000 sats is 50¢. If it does a 10X, $1,000 sats is $10.00. Living on a sat standard requires a little math, but it's easy to estimate. For more precise calculations I use mem pools calculator.

Money is a store of value, medium of exchange, and unit of account. If you use bitcoin on all three ways, you are using bitcoin as money. Saving becomes spending less bitcoin, not "buying more bitcoin." If you stack sats, your goal should be to leave the broken ruler standard and adopt sats as the standard. The world will still price your sats with a broken ruler. Sometimes this broken ruler makes you look like a fool. Other times, the broken ruler makes you look like a genius. Therefore, you must stay humble and stack sats.

You'll need some savings before you can deal with the broken ruler fallacy, but once you consistently stack sats and NGU continues to U, you'll eventually see life gets easier when you make sats the standard.

I will sell some sats to pay for my food and I send a tip to the food trucker in bitcoin using the Cash App gift button. It is actually very easy for them to accept bitcoin. They just don't know it yet. I don't proselytize the gospel of our lord and savior Satoshi Nakamoto. I just send them a few thousand sats. Good orange pilling is like good writing: Show, don't tell.

Does it require KYC?

Yeah, but so does Bank of Broken Rulers.

Haven't you heard the phrase, not your keys, not your bitcoin?

Yes. It's true. The 2 million sats or so is "not my bitcoin." From my perspective, however, it is the least risky way of paying my bills. I believe it is less risky than keeping broken ruler bucks in a bank. FDIC insurance sounds nice as canceled Insurance policies in the Pacific Palisades.

I could keep my 2 million sats in self-custody in my own lightning wallet. I could use Zap Planner to schedule my payments to hit Strike moments before I pay my bill, but I know me. I've lost sats on the lightning network before. I am more likely to lose the sats on my self-custodial lightning wallet than lose them because Strike could possibly rug-pull me. So for now, I just keep 2 million sats on the app. If bitcoin does a 10X, I'll keep 200,000 sats on Strike. If it drops 50%, I will keep 4 million sats on there.

I typically spend between $600- $1,000 in broken ruler bucks a month. This doesn't include my mortgage or food. My wife pretty much covers that stuff. Life happens though. Sometimes I need to pay a plumber, or a roofer or something, but most months, I have a sat surplus, a phenomena I like to call sats savings. My fiat check converts to bitcoin right on payday. I pay my credit cards off that day. If the sats are worth a little more, I pay taxes on that little bit. To make the math easy, say I get paid $1,000 on Friday. When I pay my bills, The broken ruler measurement now says I have $1,100. I pay my credit card. I owe capital gains on that $100 worth of sats. If my paycheck happens to be worth $900,I don’t pay any taxes because I have a loss. I won’t lie. I still get a bit perturbed when the price goes down 10% on payday, but it’s not the end of the world. If it doesn’t go back up by next payday, good. I earn more sats. If it goes up by next payday, good. All the sats I stacked before can buy more groceries.

Get On The Sats Standard

!;make sats the standard](https://gitea.marc26z.com/marc/BlogImprovementProposals/raw/branch/main/pics/Screenshot%20from%202025-01-19%2020-35-55.png)

Making sats the standard does this for the individual on the microeconomic level. Each Bitcoiner gradually accumulates sats. Stack long enough, study long enough, and experience enough 80% dips and you too will develop an unwavering conviction. You get paid in sats. You spend sats. You save sats. You no longer give a damn about your local fiat currency. A dozen eggs cost less than half of a single egg cost 8 years ago. If you lose 50% of your spending power overnight, you can buy less eggs, but a dozen eggs still costs less than 1 egg 8 years ago. Bitcoin is just better money.

If my fiat bank account takes more money out than I have in it, I can do an instant withdrawl on Strike. The fiat appears in my fiat bank account instantly. No more waiting 3-5 days for the money to get there. The bank does not get to keep charging you overdraft fee after overdraft fee for every little transaction. Bitcoin just works better. You can send it all over the world within seconds. You can buy stuff online with it or pay your credit cards. There is literally no reason to hold dollars anymore if you don’t want to. When you’re ready, make sats the standard. If you are not ready, keep stacking.

Onward.

Marc

880,018

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@ 16d11430:61640947

Building a business, especially in the Bitcoin ecosystem, requires an unwavering commitment to patience and a deep belief in the fundamentals that underpin the technology. In a world driven by short-term profits and speculative fervor, it is easy to lose sight of the long game. Yet, the path to creating something meaningful and enduring often lies in resisting the noise and staying true to core principles.

The Bitcoin Revolution: Planting Seeds in Fertile Soil

Bitcoin is not just a technological innovation; it is a paradigm shift in how we view money, value, and trust. For entrepreneurs, it offers an opportunity to align their work with a monetary system that is decentralized, censorship-resistant, and designed for fairness. However, building a business in the Bitcoin space requires a recognition that societal adoption takes time.

As the saying goes, "The pot has to boil further." The ecosystem is still maturing, and while the signs of progress are undeniable, there is much work to be done. For plebs—the passionate individuals who embrace Bitcoin as a way of life—to eagerly work for sats, the economic incentives must become undeniable. This requires building infrastructure, educating the masses, and proving the utility of Bitcoin beyond speculation.

The Role of Patience in Entrepreneurship

Patience is not passive. It is an active process of nurturing your business, learning from setbacks, and steadily improving your product or service. In the Bitcoin space, patience involves:

1. Education and Advocacy: Many people still misunderstand Bitcoin's potential. Entrepreneurs must invest time in educating their audience, building trust, and explaining why Bitcoin is a better alternative.

2. Incremental Growth: Bitcoin adoption happens at the margins before reaching critical mass. Businesses that focus on steady growth rather than explosive, unsustainable expansion are more likely to succeed in the long run.

3. Long-Term Vision: Building for Bitcoin means thinking in decades, not quarters. A business grounded in sound principles—honesty, resilience, and utility—can weather market cycles and emerge stronger.

Faith in Fundamentals

Bitcoin’s fundamentals are its greatest strength: fixed supply, decentralized governance, and security. These principles create a monetary system that is fair and immune to corruption. Entrepreneurs in this space must build businesses that reflect these same values.

Integrity: A Bitcoin business should prioritize transparency and fairness, aligning incentives with customers and stakeholders.

Resilience: Bitcoin thrives in adversity. Businesses in this ecosystem should adopt a similar mindset, designing products that endure volatility and uncertainty.

Utility: Focus on solving real problems for real people. Whether it’s offering Bitcoin payments, facilitating education, or building tools for sovereignty, utility drives adoption.

Letting the Pot Boil: Creating Conditions for Change

The conditions necessary for mainstream Bitcoin jobs will emerge when the ecosystem matures further. This requires collaboration between businesses, developers, and advocates to:

Expand Infrastructure: Lightning Network, wallet solutions, and Bitcoin-native applications are critical to making Bitcoin more accessible and user-friendly.

Incentivize Participation: Paying workers in sats is not just a gimmick—it is a way to demonstrate Bitcoin’s superiority as a store of value and medium of exchange.

Build Culture: Bitcoin is more than technology; it is a movement. Businesses must contribute to a culture of empowerment, self-sovereignty, and fairness.

Conclusion: The Time Will Come

Faith in fundamentals is what separates builders from speculators. While the market will inevitably test your resolve, the rewards for those who persevere are immense. The time for mainstream Bitcoin jobs will come, but only when the ecosystem is ready—when plebs are eager to work for sats not out of necessity, but because it is the natural choice in a world aligned with Bitcoin's principles.

Until then, entrepreneurs must remain patient, continue building, and trust in the vision of a decentralized future. The pot will boil. When it does, those who believed in the fundamentals will be the ones to shape the next era of economic freedom.

@ 16d11430:61640947

Born out of a silent rage into a world that prides itself on polished veneers of socially acceptable fury, the Silent Rager arrived in a place where anger wore masks—tight, suffocating masks that twisted raw emotion into hollow smiles and passive-aggressive jabs. Yet his rage had no such mask, no place in this theater of deceit. His was a wild, untamed thing, a fire roaring without the permission of his voice.

From the moment he could perceive the world, he was sent to rage's hell camp—a crucible of misery, where every breath reeked of malfeasance, and every lesson was soaked in contempt. The Silent Rager learned to stew in it, learned to hold it within, to cook himself in the boiling broth of inherited bitterness and unspoken injustice. They told him the world was cruel, but what they didn’t tell him was that he’d been chosen—culled in a ritual as old as power itself. Somewhere, someone had decided that his voice was too dangerous to exist. They’d silenced it before it could ever cry out, sparing the rage but not the sound.

And so, he grew, misinformed, misdirected, and malformed. His mind writhed like a worm trapped in the grip of an unseen hand. Thoughts coiled and uncoiled in his brain, each one dripping with questions he could not articulate, answers he could not demand. Why was his rage silent? Why did it claw at his chest without release? He did not know. He only knew the ache of containment and the suffocating weight of emotions too vast for his stolen voice.

Moments of respite came, but only when he danced closest to death. The edge of oblivion whispered to him with the intimacy of a long-lost friend. It was in these moments that the raging fire within dimmed, replaced by a fleeting, fragile stillness. He could breathe, if only for a second, before the storm returned. Life, for him, was not a series of triumphs or failures but a relentless march of inherited rage, coursing through his veins like a parasite, feeding on his every heartbeat.

He did not ache for it to end—not entirely. What he yearned for, more than anything, was a voice. A voice to scream into the void that birthed him. A voice to challenge the silence that caged him. A voice to tell the world, and himself, the truth of his existence before he could end it all.

The Silent Rager lived in a paradox: to end his life without a voice would be to die unseen, unheard, unspoken. But to live on without one felt equally unbearable. His rage, silent though it was, demanded expression. It screamed through his actions, burned in his gaze, and radiated from him like heat from a furnace. And yet, the world did not see, did not hear. To them, he was just another shadow moving through the crowd, another ghost in the machine.

In the end, the Silent Rager remained trapped in his silent storm, his unvoiced agony a testament to a life stolen before it could begin. Perhaps one day he would find his voice. Or perhaps his silence would be his epitaph, a bitter monument to a world that let him burn in quiet desperation. Until then, he raged—silent, but not unseen, not by those who dared to truly look.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

The advent of cryptocurrency has sparked a modern-day gold rush, with Bitcoin mining at the forefront of this digital revolution. The United States, with its vast resources and technological prowess, has become a fertile ground for these operations. However, the recent shift in the global mining landscape has brought a wave of Chinese mining companies to U.S. shores, fleeing a regulatory crackdown in their homeland. This migration has set off alarm bells within national security circles, as the technology that underpins cryptocurrencies is not just a tool for financial gain but also a potential vector for cyber espionage and other security threats. The dual-use nature of this technology, capable of both revolutionizing economies and potentially undermining national security, has placed it at the heart of a complex debate involving economic policy, technological innovation, and national defense.

Table Of Content

• The Economic Impact of Cryptocurrency Mining

• National Security Risks and Strategic Concerns

• Regulatory Responses to Foreign Mining Operations

• The Path Forward: Innovation, Security, and Diplomacy

• Conclusion

• FAQs

The economic allure of cryptocurrency mining is undeniable. In regions hit hard by economic downturns, the establishment of mining operations has been a boon, providing much-needed jobs and revitalizing local economies. These operations often take over abandoned industrial sites, turning them into hives of high-tech activity. The promise of a revitalized industrial base, however, comes with caveats. The energy-intensive nature of cryptocurrency mining has led to a surge in demand for electricity, straining local grids and raising concerns about the environmental impact of such operations. The long-term economic benefits are also questioned, as the volatility of the cryptocurrency market means that the stability of these jobs and the longevity of the operations are not guaranteed. As Chinese companies increasingly dominate this space, there is also the fear that the economic benefits may be offset by the outflow of profits to foreign entities.

National Security Risks and Strategic Concerns

The strategic implications of foreign-controlled cryptocurrency mining operations on U.S. soil are complex and troubling. The opaque nature of these operations, often shrouded in layers of corporate secrecy, makes it difficult to discern their true intentions. The proximity of some mining farms to sensitive sites, such as military bases and critical infrastructure, has compounded these fears, suggesting the potential for these facilities to be used for more than just mining. The vast computational power of mining operations could theoretically be repurposed for code-breaking and hacking, posing a direct threat to national security. The concern is not just hypothetical; it is rooted in a history of cyber incursions attributed to Chinese state-sponsored actors. The potential for these mining operations to serve as a front for such activities, intentionally or not, has put them in the crosshairs of U.S. security agencies.

Regulatory Responses to Foreign Mining Operations

The U.S. government's response to the influx of Chinese cryptocurrency mining operations has been measured yet firm. Recognizing the need to maintain an open economic environment that fosters innovation, regulators have nonetheless moved to establish guardrails to protect national interests. This has involved a multifaceted approach, including the proposal of legislation aimed at scrutinizing foreign investments in critical technologies and infrastructure. Agencies such as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) have been at the forefront of these efforts, working to untangle the complex web of ownership and control that characterizes foreign mining operations. The goal is to ensure that while the U.S. remains a hub for technological innovation, it does not become a playground for foreign powers with adversarial intentions.

The Path Forward: Innovation, Security, and Diplomacy

The path forward for the United States in managing the rise of Chinese bitcoin mining operations is akin to walking a tightrope. On one side is the need to nurture innovation and maintain the U.S.'s competitive edge in the burgeoning field of cryptocurrency. On the other is the imperative to safeguard national security and ensure that the country's technological infrastructure is not compromised. This delicate balance requires a nuanced approach that includes fostering a robust domestic mining industry, investing in renewable energy sources to mitigate the environmental impact, and engaging in strategic diplomacy to manage the international dimensions of cryptocurrency governance. The U.S. must leverage its strengths in innovation, policy-making, and international relations to set standards that will shape the future of cryptocurrency mining and secure its digital economy.

Conclusion The challenge of balancing the economic potential of cryptocurrency mining with the imperatives of national security is emblematic of the broader challenges facing policymakers in the digital age. As Chinese bitcoin mining operations continue to expand their footprint in the U.S., the need for a strategic, measured response becomes increasingly critical. This response must be multifaceted, engaging with all stakeholders, including the mining industry, environmental groups, energy providers, and security agencies. By striking a balance between economic growth and security, the U.S. can harness the potential of the digital economy while protecting its national interests. The stakes are high, and the decisions made today will have lasting implications for the security and prosperity of future generations.

FAQs

How does Bitcoin mining impact local economies? Bitcoin mining can provide jobs and economic investment in local communities, especially in areas with excess energy capacity or where industrial sites are underutilized.

What is the U.S. government's response to foreign cryptocurrency mining operations? The U.S. government is considering stricter regulations on foreign investments in critical technologies, including cryptocurrency mining, to protect national security while fostering economic growth.

Can cryptocurrency mining operations be environmentally sustainable? There are concerns about the high energy consumption of mining operations, but with investment in renewable energy and efficient technologies, mining can move towards greater sustainability.

How does the U.S. plan to balance innovation with security in cryptocurrency mining? The U.S. aims to strike a balance by creating policies that encourage technological innovation and economic benefits while implementing security measures to protect against potential threats.

That's all for today

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@ 8d34bd24:414be32b

I have a teenaged son with Down Syndrome. He likes telling me he is all grown up despite having the maturity and understanding of a 3rd or 4th grader. He does not like being corrected and his newest response to correction is to hold up his hand making a talking hand motion. Whenever he is having this reaction, he isn’t listening and isn’t learning and more often than not ends up harming himself.

Today I sat down with him and discussed some Bible verses related to wisdom and correction in an attempt to explain why this behavior was only hurting himself. (Due to his immaturity, logic and facts don’t always work.)

Afterwards, I thought that all of us adults could probably use this same lesson. We don’t like being corrected by the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and definitely not by other Christians. It takes a lot of maturity to actually seek out correction, but that is what we are called to do.

He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof\ Will dwell among the wise. (Proverbs 15:31)

If we want to be wise, we have to listen to “life-giving reproof.” Where can we get this “life-giving reproof?” Obviously the Bible gives it, but also mature Christians can give us “life-giving reproof.” A wise person will always listen and evaluate correction from a fellow Christian, especially one who has proven to have Biblical knowledge and wisdom. This doesn’t mean we will take their advice 100% of the time. It must be judged by the truth in the Bible, but it should be honestly considered. Even the greatest theologians have at least one point of error. If we fail to listen to correction and evaluate it biblically, we can be more easily led astray.

He who neglects discipline despises himself,\ But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. (Proverbs 15:32)

The benefit of listening to correction is acquiring understanding. The curse of not listening to correction is the harm it causes to ourselves. The harm is so great, only a fool or those who despise themselves would act this way.

The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom,\ And before honor comes humility. (Proverbs 15:33)

Wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord. Fear of the Lord leads to seeking His will. Seeking His will leads us to the correction of the Bible and mature Christians. We then have to humble ourselves and look at our mistakes and failures. We all want to think of ourselves as good, honest, and wise, but we all do bad things, tell lies, and act foolishly. The only way to fix these (and only after repenting, trusting Jesus as Savior, and submitting to His will) is to honestly assess our own failings — whether foolish, uninformed, or willful. It takes a lot of humility to fully do.

As an employer, the one trait that I can’t stand in an employee is a person who can’t or won’t admit any mistakes. We all make mistakes. A person who wants to learn can be taught. A person, who refuses to admit making any mistakes and who always blames someone else, is untrainable.

Sometimes I wonder if God feels the same way with us because we refuse to admit our failings.

Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction. (Jeremiah 17:23)

We always need to listen to God. The three main ways are to read the Bible, to seek wise council, and to pray for leading. When we choose to seek council and prayer, we still need to check the answers given against the unchanging truth in the Bible.

When we refuse to read the Bible, we are not listening to God. Although there are definitely some things in the Bible that are confusing and not immediately clear, the primary tenants in the Bible are readily understandable by even a young child. Sometimes I wonder if the reason people don’t read their Bible and say it is too confusing is because they don’t like what they are reading. It is “confusing” because God is telling us what we don’t want to hear. It is “confusing” because God is telling us what we don’t want to do. If we actually read and understand, it will mean we will have to make changes to our thoughts and actions.

It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man\ Than for one to listen to the song of fools. (Ecclesiastes 7:5)

We need to remember, both as the giver and receiver of a rebuke, that the truth and God’s word are useful for wisdom. Biblical correction is a loving action that is for the good of the receiver of correction. It should be given in a loving manner and received in a loving manner. We may want to “listen to the song of fools,” but we should seek “he rebuke of a wise man.”

When I was a young Christian in college, I sometimes went to a tiny church in my college town and sometimes went to a huge church in my hometown. The large church had a large Sunday school group taught by a man who taught me to love exhortation. When ever I hear the word “exhortation,” I think of him. Exhortation is a mix of correction and encouragement.

When I first started attending the Sunday school, I avoided the teacher. He didn’t lecture. He asked questions. He asked uncomfortable questions. They weren’t uncomfortable because they were inappropriate. They were uncomfortable because the answers to these questions required a change in world view, a change in thought, or a change in actions. He led us to the truth without lecturing about the truth. By helping us to find the truth by ourselves (through the Bible), the truth became a part of us. We knew what we believed and why, so were not easily led astray.

For months, I’d sit far away from him and try to hide, so I wouldn’t get the uncomfortable questions. Over time, after being asked some of these questions, I saw how they led me to the truth. I changed from hiding from him, to seeking him out. I went from trying to avoid being questioned and challenged in my beliefs to seeking out the correction because it helped me grow in my faith, discover the truth (not my truth), and grow closer to God.

At this point, I can’t even remember my teacher’s name, but I will never forget or stop being thankful for the things I was taught in that Sunday school class, the greatest of all being to seek the truth and never fear correction.

I decided to end my post with a passage from Psalm 119 about how we should love God’s word, the truth, wisdom, His commandments, and His corrections. The problem was narrowing it down. I’ve included one section, but would recommend reading all of Psalm 119. Read this passage considering what it says about what our love of learning about God and His commands should be.

Mem.\ O how I love Your law!\ It is my meditation all the day.\ Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,\ For they are ever mine.\ I have more insight than all my teachers,\ For Your testimonies are my meditation.\ I understand more than the aged,\ Because I have observed Your precepts.\ I have restrained my feet from every evil way,\ That I may keep Your word.\ I have not turned aside from Your ordinances,\ For You Yourself have taught me.\ How sweet are Your words to my taste!\ Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!\ From Your precepts I get understanding;\ Therefore I hate every false way. (Psalm 119:97-104)

Trust Jesus.

@ 16d11430:61640947

Welcome, intrepid traveler, to the uncharted territory of the mind! This guide draws from the greatest explorers, philosophers, and scientists who dared to map the mysteries of inner space. Pack your curiosity, buckle up, and prepare for a journey through the vast landscapes of consciousness, perception, and human potential.

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Chapter 1: Know Thy Mind (Before It Knows You)

Key References: "Incognito" by David Eagleman, "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle

The first rule of mind travel: most of what happens in your brain is unconscious. Your mind is like an iceberg—only the tip is visible (your conscious thoughts). Beneath lies a vast network of automatic processes shaping your perceptions and decisions.

Tips for Hitchhikers:

Pause and Observe: Cultivate mindfulness to slow the chatter of the conscious mind and observe the silent work of the subconscious.

Live in the Now: As Tolle advises, consciousness thrives in the present. The past is a memory, and the future is a projection—neither exists outside your mind.

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Chapter 2: The Art of Inner Travel

Key References: "The Mind Illuminated" by John Yates, "The Doors of Perception" by Aldous Huxley

Traveling inward requires tools, and meditation is the universal passport. It trains your attention, opens doors to altered states of awareness, and reveals the boundless nature of your mind.

Tips for Hitchhikers:

Follow the Breath: Start simple. Focus on the rhythm of your breathing. This anchors you to the present and quiets mental noise.

Explore Altered States: As Huxley discovered, substances like psychedelics (when used responsibly) or profound meditation can dissolve mental barriers, revealing the infinite.

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Chapter 3: Habitual Programming

Key References: "Atomic Habits" by James Clear, "Superhuman by Habit" by Tynan

Your mind is a creature of habit. Over time, these habits carve neural pathways, shaping your behavior. The good news? You can rewrite these programs.

Tips for Hitchhikers:

Small Changes, Big Impact: Focus on small, consistent habits. Tiny tweaks lead to massive shifts in your mental landscape.

Hack Feedback Loops: Celebrate victories and reflect on failures. Every action trains your brain for future behavior.

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Chapter 4: The Flow State – Consciousness on Turbo Drive

Key References: "Stealing Fire" by Steven Kotler, "The Inner Game of Tennis" by W. Timothy Gallwey

Flow is the ultimate ride—effortless, joyful immersion where you lose yourself in the task. It’s the mind’s cheat code for peak performance and creativity.

Tips for Hitchhikers:

Find the Edge: Engage in activities slightly beyond your skill level. Flow lives in the challenge.

Eliminate Distractions: Turn off notifications, declutter your space, and give your full attention to the task.

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Chapter 5: Neuroplasticity – Rewiring the Inner Highway

Key References: "The Brain That Changes Itself" by Norman Doidge

Your brain is not static; it’s a living, evolving organ capable of change. Neuroplasticity means that thoughts and actions can reshape your mental circuitry.

Tips for Hitchhikers:

Practice Makes Permanent: Repetition strengthens neural connections. What you focus on grows stronger.

Challenge the Mind: Learn a new skill, speak a new language, or solve puzzles to keep your brain adaptable.

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Chapter 6: Consciousness and the Cosmos

Key References: "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert M. Pirsig, "Dune" by Frank Herbert

Consciousness doesn’t exist in isolation—it’s a dance with the external world. Whether through Zen-like awareness or understanding the interconnectedness of all things, your journey is both inward and outward.

Tips for Hitchhikers:

Seek Quality: Pirsig describes quality as the intersection of science and art. Find meaning in the smallest details.

Embrace Interdependence: Like Herbert’s vision in Dune, see yourself as part of a larger system, from the microscopic to the cosmic.

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Chapter 7: Altered Perception – The Mind's Infinite Dimensions

Key References: "VALIS" by Philip K. Dick, "How to Change Your Mind" by Michael Pollan

Reality is what your brain perceives it to be, but perception can be altered. Explore, but tread carefully.

Tips for Hitchhikers:

Question Reality: Ask yourself: Is what I perceive objective truth or the brain’s best guess?

Expand Carefully: Use Pollan’s guide for safe and structured exploration of altered states.

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Chapter 8: Superconsciousness – Becoming More Than You Are

Key References: "Becoming Supernatural" by Dr. Joe Dispenza

The ultimate destination for hitchhikers is unlocking the superconscious—a state where you transcend your limitations and become the architect of your reality.

Tips for Hitchhikers:

Visualization: Envision the future you desire. Your brain rewires itself to make this vision a reality.

Heart-Brain Coherence: Sync emotional and mental states for profound inner balance.

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Final Thoughts: Don't Panic (and Keep Exploring!)

Consciousness is the greatest mystery of the universe—complex, vast, and thrilling. Treat every moment as an opportunity for growth and self-discovery. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Consciousness doesn’t offer all the answers, but it does remind you to keep asking the right questions.

And remember: the mind is infinite, and so are you. Safe travels, fellow hitchhiker!

@ b8851a06:9b120ba1

A TALE OF RESILIENCE

Nine years ago today, The Washington Post declared "R.I.P. Bitcoin" when the cryptocurrency traded at $380. Fast forward to January 19, 2025, and Bitcoin trades at $104,803, representing a staggering 27,500% increase since that infamous obituary.

The Numbers Tell the Story

🔘 Bitcoin has been declared dead 477 times since its inception

🔘 2023 saw only 8 death notices, a decade-low

🔘 2024 recorded just 2 death declarations, compared to 124 in 2017

From Mockery to Mainstream

The transformation has been remarkable. When the Washington Post published its obituary, Bitcoin was dismissed as a fringe technology. Today, it's embraced by financial giants like BlackRock and Fidelity. The price history tells an compelling story.

The Future Outlook

Despite past skepticism, institutional analysts now project ambitious targets. Galaxy Digital predicts Bitcoin could exceed $150,000 in the first half of 2025. This represents a dramatic shift from the days when Nobel laureates and banking executives routinely dismissed Bitcoin as worthless.

A Lesson in Resilience

The premature death notice serves as a powerful reminder about the dangers of dismissing innovative technologies. While Bitcoin faced numerous challenges since 2016, including regulatory crackdowns and market crashes, its fundamental value proposition has remained intact. The declining frequency of "Bitcoin obituaries" suggests that even its harshest critics are beginning to acknowledge its staying power.

There is no second best, and it’s going to millions.

Ref: the Washington post from Jan 19 2016

@ 3f770d65:7a745b24

The recent shutdown of TikTok in the United States due to a potential government ban serves as a stark reminder how fragile centralized platforms truly are under the surface. While these platforms offer convenience, a more polished user experience, and connectivity, they are ultimately beholden to governments, corporations, and other authorities. This makes them vulnerable to censorship, regulation, and outright bans. In contrast, Nostr represents a shift in how we approach online communication and content sharing. Built on the principles of decentralization and user choice, Nostr cannot be banned, because it is not a platform—it is a protocol.

PROTOCOLS, NOT PLATFORMS.

At the heart of Nostr's philosophy is user choice, a feature that fundamentally sets it apart from legacy platforms. In centralized systems, the user experience is dictated by a single person or governing entity. If the platform decides to filter, censor, or ban specific users or content, individuals are left with little action to rectify the situation. They must either accept the changes or abandon the platform entirely, often at the cost of losing their social connections, their data, and their identity.

What's happening with TikTok could never happen on Nostr. With Nostr, the dynamics are completely different. Because it is a protocol, not a platform, no single entity controls the ecosystem. Instead, the protocol enables a network of applications and relays that users can freely choose from. If a particular application or relay implements policies that a user disagrees with, such as censorship, filtering, or even government enforced banning, they are not trapped or abandoned. They have the freedom to move to another application or relay with minimal effort.

THIS IS POWERFUL.

Take, for example, the case of a relay that decides to censor specific content. On a legacy platform, this would result in frustration and a loss of access for users. On Nostr, however, users can simply connect to a different relay that does not impose such restrictions. Similarly, if an application introduces features or policies that users dislike, they can migrate to a different application that better suits their preferences, all while retaining their identity and social connections.

The same principles apply to government bans and censorship. A government can ban a specific application or even multiple applications, just as it can block one relay or several relays. China has implemented both tactics, yet Chinese users continue to exist and actively participate on Nostr, demonstrating Nostr's ability to resistant censorship.

How? Simply, it turns into a game of whack-a-mole. When one relay is censored, another quickly takes its place. When one application is banned, another emerges. Users can also bypass these obstacles by running their own relays and applications directly from their homes or personal devices, eliminating reliance on larger entities or organizations and ensuring continuous access.

AGAIN, THIS IS POWERUFL.

Nostr's open and decentralized design makes it resistant to the kinds of government intervention that led to TikTok's outages this weekend and potential future ban in the next 90 days. There is no central server to target, no company to regulate, and no single point of failure. (Insert your CEO jokes here). As long as there are individuals running relays and applications, users continue creating notes and sending zaps.

Platforms like TikTok can be silenced with the stroke of a pen, leaving millions of users disconnected and abandoned. Social communication should not be silenced so incredibly easily. No one should have that much power over social interactions.

Will we on-board a massive wave of TikTokers in the coming hours or days? I don't know.

TikTokers may not be ready for Nostr yet, and honestly, Nostr may not be ready for them either. The ecosystem still lacks the completely polished applications, tools, and services they’re accustomed to. This is where we say "we're still early". They may not be early adopters like the current Nostr user base. Until we bridge that gap, they’ll likely move to the next centralized platform, only to face another government ban or round of censorship in the future. But eventually, there will come a tipping point, a moment when they’ve had enough. When that time comes, I hope we’re prepared. If we’re not, we risk missing a tremendous opportunity to onboard people who genuinely need Nostr’s freedom.

Until then, to all of the Nostr developers out there, keep up the great work and keep building. Your hard work and determination is needed.

@ 16d11430:61640947

The entrepreneurial spirit – a defining force of human progress – is undergoing a tectonic shift. The traditional game of entrepreneurship as we knew it is dead, and Bitcoin drove the stake through its heart. But here’s the twist: Bitcoin wasn’t the cause of death. Instead, it exposed the systemic weaknesses of a world built on fiat, debt, and gatekeepers, forcing entrepreneurs to rethink not just how they operate, but why.

This isn’t a eulogy for entrepreneurship; it’s a call to adapt to a bold new world where the rules of the game are rewritten.

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The Traditional Entrepreneurial Landscape

Historically, entrepreneurship thrived on access: access to capital, markets, and networks. The gatekeepers of these resources – banks, investors, and governments – dictated the pace of innovation. Business plans were drafted to cater to venture capitalists; startups scaled at the mercy of loans, subsidies, and subsidies.

But this framework came with strings attached: endless paperwork, a suffocating web of regulations, and a system that rewarded conformity over innovation. Success often hinged on appeasing gatekeepers rather than creating true value. And for many, the barriers to entry were simply insurmountable.

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Enter Bitcoin: The Game Changer

Bitcoin didn’t just introduce a new form of money; it redefined the foundational principles of commerce, trust, and value exchange. For entrepreneurs, this is a paradigm shift:

1. No Gatekeepers, No Permission Needed Bitcoin obliterates the need for intermediaries. Entrepreneurs can now raise funds through Bitcoin, sell directly to a global audience, and operate with unparalleled autonomy. There’s no need to rely on banks, payment processors, or investors who can dictate terms.

2. Borderless Markets Bitcoin transcends borders, enabling entrepreneurs to operate in a truly global marketplace. A developer in Nigeria can sell services to a client in Germany without worrying about currency conversions, delays, or high fees.

3. Immutable Value Transfer The trustless nature of Bitcoin means entrepreneurs can transact without fear of chargebacks, fraud, or third-party interference. Smart contracts and escrow services built on Bitcoin’s principles make milestone-based payments seamless.

4. Store of Value Over Time Traditional entrepreneurship often revolved around securing cash flow to keep up with inflationary pressures. Bitcoin’s deflationary nature allows entrepreneurs to focus on long-term value creation rather than racing against devaluing fiat.

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What Bitcoin Revealed

Bitcoin didn’t kill entrepreneurship – it exposed its inefficiencies. It showed us that the traditional system was less about fostering innovation and more about controlling access to resources. Entrepreneurs didn’t fail because they lacked ideas; they failed because the system was rigged against them.

Bitcoin’s rise has revealed a deeper truth: entrepreneurship was shackled by outdated structures. With these barriers removed, the entrepreneur of the Bitcoin era can focus on creating genuine value, free from rent-seeking intermediaries.

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The Challenges of the Bold New World

But this new era isn’t without its challenges. The shift to a Bitcoin-based entrepreneurial world demands a new mindset and skill set:

Self-Sovereignty Entrepreneurs must take full responsibility for their finances, from securing private keys to navigating a decentralized economy. There are no bailouts or safety nets in a Bitcoin world.

Education Gap Understanding Bitcoin’s intricacies is non-negotiable. Entrepreneurs must educate themselves on cryptography, decentralized finance, and the nuances of blockchain technology to stay competitive.

Regulatory Uncertainty Governments and institutions accustomed to controlling the economy are grappling with Bitcoin’s decentralized nature. Entrepreneurs must navigate a shifting regulatory landscape while staying true to Bitcoin’s ethos.

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A Bold New Future

Entrepreneurship isn’t dead; it’s evolving. The Bitcoin revolution has democratized access to resources, dismantled barriers to entry, and empowered individuals to create and innovate without seeking permission.

In this bold new world, the successful entrepreneur isn’t just a visionary; they’re a sovereign individual capable of navigating uncharted waters. They’re building for a future where value flows freely, where innovation thrives without gatekeepers, and where humanity’s potential is unshackled.

Bitcoin didn’t kill entrepreneurship; it set it free. Now, it’s up to us to rise to the occasion.

@ 16d11430:61640947

Ah, the Indian Male. Born into a chaos he didn’t create, tethered to a narrative that ensures he’ll always be the bridesmaid, never the bride. Colonialism didn’t just leave him with railways and bureaucracy—it left him with a carefully crafted role: the perpetual sidekick, the cartoon villain, the placeholder in history’s great drama.

In the colonial script, he exists not as a hero but as an extra. He’s the conniving tax collector to the noble white sahib, the sweating laborer in sepia-toned photographs, or the bumbling antagonist to Bollywood’s fiery heroines. He is the eternal foil, the necessary contrast to someone else's shine. If he dares to dream of being the protagonist? Sorry, that role is reserved for the firang or, at best, a hypermasculine, sanitized fantasy.

In Bollywood, the Indian Male is plenty young, but his youth is just a commodity for the market. He runs, he fights, he loves, but all in vain. If he isn’t groveling at the feet of an exotic femme fatale, he’s playing cuck to her triumph, watching her steal the limelight while he wrestles with generational trauma and a population density problem. The fiery heroine dances while he queues at the ration shop.

For the first 40 years of his life, he is struggling. Struggling against the crowd, against nepotism, against the laws of thermodynamics, against his own parents' belief that he’s a failure for not being a doctor or engineer. His youth is not a time of vitality—it’s a curse of endless lines, meaningless jobs, and one-room apartments with peeling paint. He fights the curse of too many: too many people, too many expectations, too many rejections.

And yet, salvation arrives—not in the form of glory or self-fulfillment—but in his 60s. Yes, only then does society declare him worthy. Only then can he sit in plastic chairs at weddings, spouting wisdom no one asked for. Only then can he achieve the zen-like status of the elder: a potbelly, a pension, and an unlimited supply of unsolicited advice. Until then, he is invisible. A man-boy. A cog in the wheel of India's great, unwieldy machinery.

So, here’s to the Indian Male: the sidekick to history’s heroes, the villain in his own love story, and the quiet struggler who only becomes visible when it’s time to fade away. May he one day find the freedom to rewrite his script—not as an accessory, not as a cuck, but as something better. Or at least, let him skip the 40 years of struggle and jump straight to the pension.

@ 9349d012:d3e98946

For many reasons, not least of those the outcome of the last US presidential election, I’m now working on Librarian Detective, Book Two as my creative release. At the moment, I’m already on chapter seven, which means I made it through writing the second chapter, always an admirable hurdle to clear. If you’ll recall, with Librarian Detective, Book One, clearing that milestone was a challenge. It took between nine and 12 years to finish that book, although I wrote three books in those meantime years. This was partly because of working on my day job business more fulltime (MyLibrarian! Our app is out, sign up to test on the pop up here) but also because I revamped my entire writing process, which I’ll share with you.

Here’s a picture of the writing methods I use. I went from writing longhand to digitally, which is more efficient, and I also use a series of guides to help organize the writing process: An outline, character list, calendar timeline, editing checklist and the main writing doc itself.

Seven years ago when I realized my writing method was working for me, I started doing a video series on Writing, called On Storytelling, filmed at all the remote locations I work at, one of the best of which I’m at right now, working on my new book. If you are looking for more writing resources, there’s a list on my blog. When you go down these rabbit holes you may come out ready to write your first book.

GOOD LUCK—MEZ

Originally appeared on https://www.michellezaffino.com/my-writing-methods/

@ 5bd34699:2012648a

This article will be basic instructions for extreme normies (I say that lovingly), or anyone looking to get started with using zap.stream and sharing to nostr.

EQUIPMENT Getting started is incredibly easy and your equipment needs are miniscule.

An old desktop or laptop running Linux, MacOs, or Windows made in the passed 15yrs should do. Im currently using and old Dell Latitude E5430 with an Intel i5-3210M with 32Gigs of ram and 250GB hard drive. Technically, you go as low as using a Raspberry Pi 4B+ running Owncast, but Ill save that so a future tutorial.

Let's get started.

ON YOUR COMPUTER You'll need to install OBS (open broaster software). OBS is the go-to for streaming to social media. There are tons of YouTube videos on it's function. WE, however, will only be doing the basics to get us up and running.

First, go to https://obsproject.com/

Once on the OBS site, choose the correct download for you system. Linux, MacOs or Windows. Download (remember where you downloaded the file to). Go there and install your download. You may have to enter your password to install on your particular operating system. This is normal.

Once you've installed OBS, open the application. It should look something like this...

For our purposes, we will be in studio mode. Locate the 'Studio Mode' button on the right lower-hand side of the screen, and click it.

You'll see the screen split like in the image above. The left-side is from your desktop, and the right-side is what your broadcast will look like.

Next, we go to settings. The 'Settings' button is located right below the 'Studio Mode" button.

Now we're in settings and you should see something like this...

Now locate stream in the right-hand menu. It should be the second in the list. Click it.

Once in the stream section, go to 'Service' and in the right-hand drop-down, find and select 'Custom...' from the drop-down menu.

Remeber where this is because we'll need to come back to it, shortly.

ZAPSTREAM We need our streamkey credentials from Zapstream. Go to https://zap.stream. Then, go to your dashboard.

Located on the lower right-hand side is the Server URL and Stream Key. You'll need to copy/paste this in OBS.

You may have to generate new keys, if they aren't already there. This is normal. If you're interested in multi-streaming (That's where you broadcast to multiple social media platforms all at once), youll need the server URL and streamkeys from each. You'll place them in their respective forms in Zapstream's 'Stream Forwarding" section.

Use the custom form, if the platform you want to stream to isn't listed.

*Side-Note: remember that you can use your nostr identity across multiple nostr client applications. So when your login for Amethyst, as an example, could be used when you login to zapstream. Also, i would suggest using Alby's browser extension. It makes it much easier to fund your stream, as well as receive zaps. *

Now, BACK TO OBS... With Stream URL and Key in hand, paste them in the 'Stream" section of OBS' settings. Service [Custom...] Server [Server URL] StreamKey [Your zapstream stream key]

After you've entered all your streaming credentials, click 'OK' at the bottom, on the right-hand side.

WHAT'S NEXT? Let's setup your first stream from OBS. First we need to choose a source. Your source is your input device. It can be your webcam, your mic, your monitor, or any particular window on your screen. assuming you're an absolute beginner, we're going to use the source 'Window Capture (Xcomposite)'.

Now, open your source file. We'll use a video source called 'grannyhiphop.mp4'. In your case it can be whatever you want to stream; Just be sure to select the proper source.

Double-click on 'Window Capture' in your sources list. In the pop-up window, select your file from the 'Window' drop-down menu.

You should see something like this...

Working in the left display of OBS, we will adjust the video by left-click, hold and drag the bottom corner, so that it takes up the whole display.

In order to adjust the right-side display ( the broadcast side), we need to manipulate the video source by changing it's size.

This may take some time to adjust the size. This is normal. What I've found to help is, after every adjustment, I click the 'Fade (300ms)' button. I have no idea why it helps, but it does, lol.

Finally, after getting everything to look the way you want, you click the 'Start Stream' button.

BACK TO ZAPSTREAM Now, we go back to zapstream to check to see if our stream is up. It may take a few moments to update. You may even need to refresh the page. This is normal.

STREAMS UP!!!

A few things, in closing. You'll notice that your dashbooard has changed. It'll show current stream time, how much time you have left (according to your funding source), who's zapped you with how much theyve zapped, the ability to post a note about your stream (to both nostr and twitter), and it shows your chatbox with your listeners. There are also a raid feature, stream settings (where you can title & tag your stream). You can 'topup' your funding for your stream. As well as, see your current balance.

You did a great and If you ever need more help, just use the tag #asknostr in your note. There are alway nostriches willing to help.

**STAY AWESOME!!! **

@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

Hello Stackers!

Welcome on into the ~Music Corner of the Saloon!

A place where we Talk Music. Share Tracks. Zap Sats.

So stay a while and listen.

🚨Don't forget to check out the pinned items in the territory homepage! You can always find the latest weeklies there!🚨

🚨Subscribe to the territory to ensure you never miss a post! 🚨

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/855713

@ 41fa852b:af7b7706

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." -- Charles Darwin

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It's usually a big week when the 21st comes around, but this week we have 5 meetups that day!

Also, Trump takes office on Monday so there'll be loads to discuss at this week's meetups.

Let's take a look…

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This week's sponsor is…

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Upcoming Bitcoin Meetups

Happening this week…

1. Bitcoin Bristol: Meeting at Little Martha Brewing, BS2 0QT. On Tuesday 21st at 18:15. 🍺

2. Bitcoin Surrey: It's a Bitcoin Pension Scheme Special this month at Yiayias at The Fox. A fireside chat and Q&A with Sam Roberts, Cartwright's Director of Investment Consulting (1st UK pension scheme to allocate 3% to Bitcoin). 18:00 - 23:00 on the 21st. Bitcoin accepted at the venue. 🎙️🍻

3. Newcastle upon Tyne Bitcoin Meetup: The next Newcastle meetup is on Tuesday 21st January at Kabin @ Kabannas, L2 6RE. 18:30 PM. 🍻

4. London Bitcoin Space: LBS will be at Cyphermunk house on Tuesday 21st from 18:30 till 22:00 for a social gathering, head along to share knowledge and meet some fellow Bitcoiners. 🫂

5. Oxbit: Celebrate Bitcoins 16th birthday with the Oxford meetup crew. You'll find them at The Old Black Horse (bitcoin accepted) at 19:00 on the 21st. 🍺

6. Preston Bitcoin Meetup: Join the Preston meetup for A Bitcoin chat and some amazing burgers. 18:30 on Thursday the 23rd January. At All Hopes No Promises, PR1 2US.

7. The Northamptonshire Bitcoin Network : BTC Citadel Engineering are hosting a 'Bitcoin Builders' space on Saturday the 25th. Head along to learn about Seedsigners and how to build one. Come and use the 3D printers, get a project started and chat about Bitcoin with everyone there. It all gets started at 12:00. No tech skills are necessary. ⚙️🧡

8. 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. 🚶🏻🚶🏼‍♀️🚶🏽‍♂️

9. Bitcoin East: Their first meetup of 2025 will be at Marzano Cafe in the beautiful city of Norwich. Join them at 11:00 on Sunday 26th Jan, there's a lot to discuss. ☕️

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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.

@ c8841c9d:ae8048e2

Today we're diving into the blockchain technology. Let's look at what blockchain is!

Blockchain #Cryptomindmap

Blockchain is a cryptographically secured, decentralized, immutable digital information storage system. Think of it as a chain of blocks where each block contains a list of operation or data, linked together in a way that prevents data alteration due to the cryptographic security.

In blockchain technology, a block is constructed by first taking the hash of the previous block, creating a link between blocks and then a chain of blocks. A hash is a unique fixed-size string of characters generated by a hash function from any input data. It acts like a digital fingerprint; even a small change in the input will produce a completely different hash in output, ensuring that the data is unforgeable. This is followed by the data from users of the blockchain, which could include transactions or other forms of digital information. For security, operations within the block are signed with a Private Key by the sender and verified with the corresponding Public Key by the network, securing authenticity. Each block then includes a consensus mechanism, which ensures that all the participants of the network will agree on the state of the blockchain, block by block. Finally, the block is completed with its own unique hash, derived from all the data within it, including the hash of the previous block, user data, and operation details. This hash ensures any alteration to the block would change its hash, thus making the block and the entire chain tamper-evident. This meticulous process, leveraging the properties of the hash function twice, ensures the blockchain remains secure, decentralized, and immutable.

Blockchain has a wide array of applications:

• Peer to Peer: Facilitates direct transactions without intermediaries.
• Cryptocurrency: The most famous application, with Bitcoin being the pioneer.
• Payment/Finance: Revolutionizing how financial transactions are processed, reducing fraud and costs.
• Digital Uniqueness: Ensures uniqueness and authenticity of digital assets.
• DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations): Organizations that are run by rules encoded as smart contracts on the blockchain.
• Privacy: Offers enhanced privacy through cryptographic methods.
• Archiving: Provides a tamper-proof way to store records and data.

The most significant challenge is the Blockchain Trilemma - the struggle to achieve Decentralization, Security, and Scalability simultaneously. Each improvement in one area often comes at the expense of another. While it is possible to achieve two of these attributes well, achieving all three at once is challenging. Numerous technologies emerged to increase scalability without compromising security and decentralization, such as Layer 2 solution and sharding.

The journey of blockchain technology began with foundational cryptographic concepts in the 20th century, including the invention of hash functions like SHA-256 and asymmetric cryptography. As the century progressed, a prelude to decentralization emerged with peer-to-peer networks and the creation of the Proof of Work mechanism. The first revolution happened in 2008-09 with the introduction of Bitcoin by Satoshi Nakamoto, the first complete blockchain with implementation of the Proof of Work consensus mechanism. Since then, blockchain has evolved rapidly; Ethereum introduced programmability and smart contracts, expanding its use beyond simple transactions to programmable agreements. Over the years, new consensus mechanisms like Proof of Stake have been developed, and advanced cryptographic techniques like Zero-Knowledge Proofs have been integrated, leading to the sophisticated blockchain systems we see today. This journey from cryptographic foundations to the expansion of blockchain landscape showcases the evolution and potential of this technology. As we continue to innovate, blockchain promises to reshape numerous sectors by providing trust, transparency, and efficiency in digital transactions.

@ cff1720e:15c7e2b2

Einleitung\ \ Schwierige Dinge einfach zu erklären ist der Anspruch von ELI5 (explain me like I'm 5). Das ist in unserer hoch technisierten Welt dringend erforderlich, denn nur mit dem Verständnis der Technologien können wir sie richtig einsetzen und weiter entwickeln.\ Ich starte meine Serie mit Nostr, einem relativ neuen Internet-Protokoll. Was zum Teufel ist ein Internet-Protokoll? Formal beschrieben sind es internationale Standards, die dafür sorgen, dass das Internet seit über 30 Jahren ziemlich gut funktioniert. Es ist die Sprache, in der sich die Rechner miteinander unterhalten und die auch Sie täglich nutzen, vermutlich ohne es bewusst wahrzunehmen. http(s) transportiert ihre Anfrage an einen Server (z.B. Amazon), und html sorgt dafür, dass aus den gelieferten Daten eine schöne Seite auf ihrem Bildschirm entsteht. Eine Mail wird mit smtp an den Mailserver gesendet und mit imap von ihm abgerufen, und da alle den Standard verwenden, funktioniert das mit jeder App auf jedem Betriebssystem und mit jedem Mail-Provider. Und mit einer Mail-Adresse wie roland@pareto.space können sie sogar jederzeit umziehen, egal wohin. Cool, das ist state of the art! Aber warum funktioniert das z.B. bei Chat nicht, gibt es da kein Protokoll? Doch, es heißt IRC (Internet Relay Chat → merken sie sich den Namen), aber es wird so gut wie nicht verwendet. Die Gründe dafür sind nicht technischer Natur, vielmehr wurden mit Apps wie Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, TikTok u.a. bewusst Inkompatibilitäten und Nutzerabhängigkeiten geschaffen um Profite zu maximieren.

Warum Nostr?

Da das Standard-Protokoll nicht genutzt wird, hat jede App ihr eigenes, und wir brauchen eine handvoll Apps um uns mit allen Bekannten auszutauschen. Eine Mobilfunknummer ist Voraussetzung für jedes Konto, damit können die App-Hersteller die Nutzer umfassend tracken und mit dem Verkauf der Informationen bis zu 30 USD je Konto und Monat verdienen. Der Nutzer ist nicht mehr Kunde, er ist das Produkt! Der Werbe-SPAM ist noch das kleinste Problem bei diesem Geschäftsmodell. Server mit Millionen von Nutzerdaten sind ein “honey pot”, dementsprechend oft werden sie gehackt und die Zugangsdaten verkauft. 2024 wurde auch der Twitter-Account vom damaligen Präsidenten Joe Biden gehackt, niemand wusste mehr wer die Nachrichten verfasst hat (vorher auch nicht), d.h. die Authentizität der Inhalte ist bei keinem dieser Anbieter gewährleistet. Im selben Jahr wurde der Telegram-Gründer in Frankreich in Beugehaft genommen, weil er sich geweigert hatte Hintertüren in seine Software einzubauen. Nun kann zum Schutz "unserer Demokratie” praktisch jeder mitlesen, was sie mit wem an Informationen austauschen, z.B. darüber welches Shampoo bestimmte Politiker verwenden. 

Und wer tatsächlich glaubt er könne Meinungsfreiheit auf sozialen Medien praktizieren, findet sich schnell in der Situation von Donald Trump wieder (seinerzeit amtierender Präsident), dem sein Twitter-Konto 2021 abgeschaltet wurde (Cancel-Culture). Die Nutzerdaten, also ihr Profil, ihre Kontakte, Dokumente, Bilder, Videos und Audiofiles - gehören ihnen ohnehin nicht mehr sondern sind Eigentum des Plattform-Betreibers; lesen sie sich mal die AGB's durch. Aber nein, keine gute Idee, das sind hunderte Seiten und sie werden permanent geändert. Alle nutzen also Apps, deren Technik sie nicht verstehen, deren Regeln sie nicht kennen, wo sie keine Rechte haben und die ihnen die Resultate ihres Handelns stehlen. Was würde wohl der Fünfjährige sagen, wenn ihm seine ältere Schwester anbieten würde, alle seine Spielzeuge zu “verwalten” und dann auszuhändigen wenn er brav ist? “Du spinnst wohl”, und damit beweist der Knirps mehr Vernunft als die Mehrzahl der Erwachsenen. \ \ Resümee: keine Standards, keine Daten, keine Rechte = keine Zukunft!

\ Wie funktioniert Nostr?

Die Entwickler von Nostr haben erkannt dass sich das Server-Client-Konzept in ein Master-Slave-Konzept verwandelt hatte. Der Master ist ein Synonym für Zentralisierung und wird zum “single point of failure”, der zwangsläufig Systeme dysfunktional macht. In einem verteilten Peer2Peer-System gibt es keine Master mehr sondern nur gleichberechtigte Knoten (Relays), auf denen die Informationen gespeichert werden. Indem man Informationen auf mehreren Relays redundant speichert, ist das System in jeglicher Hinsicht resilienter. Nicht nur die Natur verwendet dieses Prinzip seit Jahrmillionen erfolgreich, auch das Internet wurde so konzipiert (das ARPAnet wurde vom US-Militär für den Einsatz in Kriegsfällen unter massiven Störungen entwickelt). Alle Nostr-Daten liegen auf Relays und der Nutzer kann wählen zwischen öffentlichen (zumeist kostenlosen) und privaten Relays, z.B. für geschlossene Gruppen oder zum Zwecke von Daten-Archivierung. Da Dokumente auf mehreren Relays gespeichert sind, werden statt URL's (Locator) eindeutige Dokumentnamen (URI's = Identifier) verwendet, broken Links sind damit Vergangenheit und Löschungen / Verluste ebenfalls.\ \ Jedes Dokument (Event genannt) wird vom Besitzer signiert, es ist damit authentisch und fälschungssicher und kann nur vom Ersteller gelöscht werden. Dafür wird ein Schlüsselpaar verwendet bestehend aus privatem (nsec) und öffentlichem Schlüssel (npub) wie aus der Mailverschlüsselung (PGP) bekannt. Das repräsentiert eine Nostr-Identität, die um Bild, Namen, Bio und eine lesbare Nostr-Adresse ergänzt werden kann (z.B. roland@pareto.space ), mehr braucht es nicht um alle Ressourcen des Nostr-Ökosystems zu nutzen. Und das besteht inzwischen aus über hundert Apps mit unterschiedlichen Fokussierungen, z.B. für persönliche verschlüsselte Nachrichten (DM → OxChat), Kurznachrichten (Damus, Primal), Blogbeiträge (Pareto), Meetups (Joinstr), Gruppen (Groups), Bilder (Olas), Videos (Amethyst), Audio-Chat (Nostr Nests), Audio-Streams (Tunestr), Video-Streams (Zap.Stream), Marktplätze (Shopstr) u.v.a.m. Die Anmeldung erfolgt mit einem Klick (single sign on) und den Apps stehen ALLE Nutzerdaten zur Verfügung (Profil, Daten, Kontakte, Social Graph → Follower, Bookmarks, Comments, etc.), im Gegensatz zu den fragmentierten Datensilos der Gegenwart.\ \ Resümee: ein offener Standard, alle Daten, alle Rechte = große Zukunft!

\ Warum ist Nostr die Zukunft des Internet?

“Baue Dein Haus nicht auf einem fremden Grundstück” gilt auch im Internet - für alle App-Entwickler, Künstler, Journalisten und Nutzer, denn auch ihre Daten sind werthaltig. Nostr garantiert das Eigentum an den Daten, und überwindet ihre Fragmentierung. Weder die Nutzung noch die kreativen Freiheiten werden durch maßlose Lizenz- und Nutzungsbedingungen eingeschränkt. Aus passiven Nutzern werden durch Interaktion aktive Teilnehmer, Co-Creatoren in einer Sharing-Ökonomie (Value4Value). OpenSource schafft endlich wieder Vertrauen in die Software und ihre Anbieter. Offene Standards ermöglichen den Entwicklern mehr Kooperation und schnellere Entwicklung, für die Anwender garantieren sie Wahlfreiheit. Womit wir letztmalig zu unserem Fünfjährigen zurückkehren. Kinder lieben Lego über alles, am meisten die Maxi-Box “Classic”, weil sie damit ihre Phantasie im Kombinieren voll ausleben können. Erwachsene schenken ihnen dann die viel zu teuren Themenpakete, mit denen man nur eine Lösung nach Anleitung bauen kann. “Was stimmt nur mit meinen Eltern nicht, wann sind die denn falsch abgebogen?" fragt sich der Nachwuchs zu Recht. Das Image lässt sich aber wieder aufpolieren, wenn sie ihren Kindern Nostr zeigen, denn die Vorteile verstehen sogar Fünfjährige.

\ Das neue Internet ist dezentral. Das neue Internet ist selbstbestimmt. Nostr ist das neue Internet.

https://nostr.net/ \ https://start.njump.me/

Hier das Interview zum Thema mit Radio Berliner Morgenröte

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-yxc36-17bb4be

@ bf7973ed:841ad12a

Today marked the end of the tik tok era (is it really the end?) and if think it shows how powerful social engineering is. People are experiencing withdrawals and some have resorted to a more dangerous drug (Rednote) which I find funny because they can't understand any writing in the app. They just need that cheap thrill.

Social media was first created to keep in tough with friends and family and possibly make new friends. It wasn't long before social media was turned into for profit advertising platforms. This introduced "The Algorithm" to make the experience more "relatable" to users. This is where the addiction began.

Nostr doesn't have an algorithm. It is a place to keep in touch with family, friends and make a lot of new friends. Nostr is a protocol at heart. Nostr is a place for everyone. A true freedom of speech. A place with no controlling autority. Nostr is what social media was meant to be.

@ 1f3ce62e:6e6b5d83

🌱 🤍💗💜💙💧💚💛🧡❤️

I: Why do adults associate colors only with children and not with them?

AM: Adults have taken so seriously their role. They have forgotten their inner child, they are not in a permanent communication with it. That has made them forget some things, as colors and what they make them feel.

The whole world has become 🖤🤍🩶 since then.

So when an adult is connected back to her/his inner child, she/he has a big challenge, don’t let it fade away again and hug those who still think the world is just gray.

Sooner or later, the wound of the inner child will knock the door to be hugged and healed, it is just a matter of time. Having someone already connected to her/his inner child will make it easier.

\ 🌱 🤍💗💜💙💧💚💛🧡❤️

I: Why is our inner child wounded?

AM: Because we are all here to learn something, even if we don’t remember it. 

That wound is our biggest lesson. 

Once healed, it becomes the talent or gift we came here to share with those others inner childs with the same wound, with the same lesson to transcend.

🌱 🤍💗💜💙💧💚💛🧡❤️

I: How can we identify the wound of our inner child?

AM: In those situations that deeply hurt us.

The first step is to become an observer of oneself. Observe the way you talk to yourself, and to your closest ones (mom, dad, siblings, partner, kids and closest friends). 

Then, observe your actions, they talk too. During this exercise you will find a pattern that repeats itself constantly.

The people who said or do something that hurts you, touch that wound. If we find the pattern, we will see the wound. It is always there, waiting to be healed.

🌱 🤍💗💜💙💧💚💛🧡❤️

I: Which role do mom and dad have into the inner child’s wound?

AM: If we think that we are here just once, bad things just happened to us and people hurt us, it is going to be a challenge to answer this question.

But if we expand our mind and consciousness and embrace the idea that we are more than just this life time and the situations that happened in it, we will be able to understand that we have lived other lives and we brought into this one other experiences, some of them we have learned and some others we haven’t yet. 

The same happens with our relationships and the souls we shared this and other lives.

It’s from that expansion of consciousness that we can understand why mom and dad have did the things, they did and what was the higher purpose of it.

\ 🌱 🤍💗💜💙💧💚💛🧡❤️

I: What is the role of our inner child into the parents’ one with their kids?

AM: It is the most important but an unconscious one.

As adults start healing their inner child, the lessons that we left for kids are easier. Look at how I exchanged “parents” for “adults”. Any adult (aunts, uncles, grandparents, educators) whoever is closed to a child has this task: to connect and heal the inner child.

It’s true that parents has a great mission on this, the most important of their lives. And as they are healing their inner child and they letting their true self to BE, they are providing tools to their kids to BE themselves too.

Every healing process starts inside, to later be shared with others around.

\ 🌱 🤍💗💜💙💧💚💛🧡❤️

I: Why is our society so wounded?

AM: Because it is a society of wounded inner children. 

When you want to know how we contribute to a wounded society, don’t look after what the society does (if they do good or bad things), look after what deeply hurt them.

People used to think that because they are “good” people and do “good” things, the society is wounded because of “bad” people who does “bad” things. 

“Bad” and “Good” people is hurt the same way, one is more deep and visible than the other. 

When you see something in society that hurts you, ask your inner child: 

🌱 What does it hurt you, my lovely inner child?

🌱 🤍💗💜💙💧💚💛🧡❤️

I: What is the common ground between all of those different inner child wounds?

AM: The lack of love to ourselves. All inner child wounds have that in common, no matter from which discipline you identified them. 

Deeply, the lack of love, it is related to not being able to BE ourselves in its full expression. 

As we start loving ourselves and accepting ourselves as we are, any original wound start to heal. 

🌱 Which wound can’t be healed with love?

\ 🌱 🤍💗💜💙💧💚💛🧡❤️

I: How can we connect with our inner child?

AM: There are many ways, meditations, playing with or like kids, etc. 

But the most important one is observing and identifying what hurt us. In that instant, talk to your inner child and listen what her or his has to say. 

The second step is to observe our inner dialogue, that dialogue we have with ourselves is the one we have we our inner child. That will mark the wound to be healed.

If you ask your inner child right now…How does she/he feel?

🌱 What does she/he would say?

With Universal Love 🤍♾️

I AM Laus 🌱💛

@ ce6b432f:c07ce020

I’ve never lived in LA, though I’ve visited many times. The devastation there from recent fires there is still in the headlines and anyone with a soul feels for the folks without homes, neighbors and communities. Whether they vote the same way or look the same way or worship the same god, “what can I do to help these victims?” is our first question.

The second question is, what is the most responsible way to help? Paragraph two and controversy is already here. Responsible according to who? These people are victims, just give them as much money as they need and let them figure it out according to their local knowledge and culture! The broadest possible answer to this comes from a recent Substack by Arnold Kling: California Tough Love . His position is that there are certain factors controlled locally that led to the disaster, and we shouldn’t be in a rush to replicate them. Having some strings attached to funds that reduce the likelihood of $50,000/year blue collar workers in Iowa footing the bill for the rebuild of $5,000,000 homes in Pacific Palisades AGAIN in the foreseeable future is a very reasonable position.

My position here will be more detailed than Arnold’s, and thus has a higher probability of being wrong. That has never stopped me before. The source of this hubris is a crystal ball. While not a resident of LA, I have been an honorary citizen of Maui for several decades. This attachment is longer than the attachment to the city I currently live in. In August of 2023, a similar devastating fire engulfed the town of Lahaina on the west side of Maui. ~2,200 homes were burned or damaged. The plight of those rebuilding and the process they have gone through quickly faded from national attention, but not to those of us who spend substantial amounts of time on the island. This experience 17 months before the LA fires has painted a depressing blueprint of what we can expect in LA’s recovery. A couple of highlights:

• In November of 2024, the first house was rebuilt. 15 months = 1 house. First House Rebuilt -Maui News Article highlight: Maui “expedited the permitting process for this house, so it “only” took 2 months.
• In December of 2024, federal funding for rebuilding via a block grant is finally approved by congress. Federal Block Grant For Rebuild - Maui News Article highlight: $1.6 billion approved for housing = ~$800,000 per house.

What do these items have in common? The biggest price so far is time. Arnold’s substack was more of a philosophical position, but I doubt even he knew that at the time of writing, Lahaina’s federal funding had just been approved. All those strings he had attached by the feds? Still very slow for a family without a home. This is half of the ‘real price gouging’ mentioned in the subtitle. Those further down the socio-economic ladder have less time to weather the process in Lahaina and the same will likely be true for the middle class residents embedded in the areas destroyed by California’s fires.

The second element of price gouging is the red tape partially embodied in Maui’s example of two months of permitting. These costs aren’t just the time, but also the professional consultants of various stripes required to navigate the process successfully and the costly modifications to homes mandated through these processes.

Here is where I posit my broad and general suggestion. There should exist a “right to rebuild”. If you can legally own a piece of property in a specific condition, you should have the right to rebuild that exact same property if it is destroyed by means out of your control. If you don’t have a “right to rebuild”, you really don’t own that property - you are just renting it for an indefinite period from whoever can prohibit rebuilding it.

Rebuilding is a special case in both the individual and the community level. See the map of Lahaina below. We know where all the plumbing and power lines were. We know where the streets and drainage were. The right to rebuild translates nicely to the community level. Rebuild everything back where it was. Take a month or two to clear out the debris, from an area and begin to rebuild. Rinse and repeat until done.

Taxpayers in Texas shouldn’t be paying for bloated permitting processes in Lahaina or LA. They shouldn’t be paying for eco-upgrades unless very specific, critical failures that caused the current disaster are clearly identified with lowest-cost available solutions. (In Lahaina - pay to bury the power lines. I drove through the area the fire started 2 weeks before it occurred. That place was a tinder box, and it will be again unless someone puts a golf course on that hill. I’m not joking about the golf course. Directly adjacent to the north of the area of Lahaina that burned is Ka’anapali, whose identical hillside is green all year round due to the presence of golf courses that pay for themselves and do not burn.)

How to address this in the context of federal funding via Arnold’s original post:

• Extremely expedited permitting process for rebuilds that get any federal funding: 5 days not 60. You can rebuild what you had, no questions asked, just file the paper work to prove it is the same lot and same size structure. If local jurisdictions drag their heels - no funding, answer to your voters who are now SOL.
• Capped amount of funding per structure that covers a functional modest structure built at the average cost of the 10 most affordable states in the country. The process of building a single family residence is not dramatically different in various areas of the country, unless dictated by excessive regulation. There may be factors for labor to consider if an area is remote like Lahaina or the hills of North Carolina affected by Helene. But if it costs 2x to build a house in your county than in the 10 most affordable states - you are doing it wrong. There is some regulatory price gouging going on. Figure it out. The 10 Most Affordable States to Build a Home - According to this research you can build a 2,100 square foot home for an average of less than $300,000 in the 10 most affordable states.
• This funding will also be contingent on these rebuilt houses being completed within 110% of the time it takes to build 2,100 square foot home in the same 10 markets - measured from the day funds begin to be distributed by the federal government.
• Federal funding will begin to be distributed from a risk pool within 6 months of the disaster, with minimal review to just ensure the disaster qualifies and the receiving state/city will abide by its parameters. The funding is distributed at intervals governed by compliance with the program. Permits are being issued timely, and the amounts distributed are aligned with the cost of building in our most affordable markets.

If you want to build something new and different than before - it might take longer. If you want more than 2,100 square feet of house - I hope you had insurance to cover the difference. A new 2,100 square foot house puts you in the top 10% of humans on earth in terms of shelter. Being a good neighbor does not require rebuilding your infinity pool.

The right to rebuild will get people in homes quicker, remove government obstacles, and stop funding waste. Every citizen will know the rules - money is there to get me a basic structure quickly or fund the beginning of something larger. Any obstacles to that time and money are coming from politicians/regulations I can vote on locally. Comments will surely pour in explaining how it isn’t that simple. These comments will be reviewed diligently 2 years from now when Pacific Palisades is still a wasteland after $20 billion in federal aid has been spent.

!(image)[https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8e7875da-145c-4f34-b115-eb0cf09b9ccf_792x612.jpeg] Source: Maui Now

@ e373ca41:b82abcc5

This article by Milosz Matuschek first appeared in German on Freischwebende Intelligenz

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Last night, while you were fast asleep, someone turned 883 dollars into 310,000 dollars in just a few hours. Not me, unfortunately. Trump launched his own memecoin with the abbreviation $TRUMP, which has since skyrocketed to a double-digit billion dollar valuation.

Trump (and his pre-investors) are now billions richer on paper. It takes just a few minutes and no (more) development work to create such a coin within minutes. All it takes is a believing community to make it explode. If you were looking for proof of my thesis that the world is being memefied, here it is.

Us and them

We are currently experiencing a phase of power shifts: in money, in politics, in the media. Many people like what Trump and Musk are doing. They are creating more freedom of expression and removing Wokistan's basis for business. Amazon is scrapping diversity rules, Facebook is scrapping censorship (officially admitted). Tiktok land is burned down, the Chinese social media app disappears from the US. Isn't that censorship? Google and Facebook are now openly rebelling against EU opinion dictates, fact checkers etc. In addition to the Hindu Kush, our freedom of opinion is now also being defended (again, for how long?) from Silicon Valley. Brave new world.

You can think strategically: wonderful, that's what I wanted too; “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. But for how long? This is a change of power at the political top, nothing more.

Trump has promoted vaccination just like Biden; also with the lie that it prevents infection. Vote for your favorite PR artist!

Is that supposed to be our choice?

Elon Musk built mRNA vaccination lines for Curevac, is the Young Global Leader of the WEF 2008, has major holdings in Tesla from Blackrock-Vanguard & Co. and contracts with the Pentagon.

“One of us”, yes for sure....

I find that hard to believe and I wonder about those who find it easy to believe. Speaking of faith: a reader I hold in high esteem said she believes Musk and Trump are on a divine mission. Trump partying with Epstein? Musk in a Baphomet costume? The ways of the Lord are truly mysterious then...

The common enemy of the enemy can be useful, up to a point, but nothing more. Just because you fight the same thing, i.e. are against something, doesn't mean you are for the same thing. In my opinion, assuming that the interests of Trump, Musk & Co. are congruent with the interests of citizens would be a fatal misconception. There is nothing to suggest this. Trump has been totally for and then against many issues. Personnel decisions: often a casting round for a limited time, with hire & fire like “The Apprentice”. But he is so peaceable, wants to end wars like the one between Russia and Ukraine, or de facto the USA. At the same time, he is now reaching for Greenland and the Panama Canal. His words ooze the exceptionalism of the USA, the doctrine that as a US empire you can basically do anything you want. For strategic interests. For national security. A formula can always be found.

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How are wo going to score on the liberty scale?

“Believe little, question everything, think for yourself” is the beautiful title of a very readable book by Albrecht Müller, editor of Nachdenkseiten, and best summarizes my thoughts. As a journalist, I replace “little” with “nothing”. The journalist is not in the banking business. There you are allowed to believe (credit = he believes, latin). I don't think the issue of draining a swamp should be left to the frogs. Is Trump not a frog? “Anti-establishment", come on. Now the establishment is coming from the other side, the other side of the dialectic. The battle of good versus evil is entering a supposedly new round, releasing pressure from the cauldron of democracy, which is too important a façade to be allowed to fall.

The only pragmatic question that citizens should ask themselves is this: Will I have more net freedoms at the end of this political reorganization process than before? What will be given to me in reel but perhaps also taken away elsewhere? Anyone who draws hope from changes in the left-right scheme has always been disappointed by the steady reduction of freedoms in recent years and should rather look at the vertical axis of top vs. bottom. Hope is nice, but you should only ever rely on yourself.

It's nice if some people now get to know something different as a result of the change in the political weather and wake up. A book will soon be published about manipulation in the Tagesschau. The PEI has known about the side effects for years, but withheld the information and the republic was allowed to rail against footballer Joshua Kimmich in the meantime. One life lie after another will now fall, an exciting process. But it will mainly be cardboard comrades and useful idiots who will have to fall by the wayside, and there was hardly any shortage of them.

Waking up must not lead to the next dream world. Otherwise the critical movement was just a stirrup for the next seizure of power. But we need a movement of self-empowerment of the citizen, beyond politics, the media or Big Tech. Invest in everything, be it seminars, books, knowledge, Bitcoin or whatever increases your net freedom balance. Decentralized civil society only has a chance if free citizens form their own free block in cooperation with others, based on principles and not on the bunting of a party-political camp.

Everyone can decide for themselves and have a say in what form this can take. Where cooperation arises naturally, the idea was a good one. Ultimately, an idea is just a meme.

That was my meme five years ago. It's still true, but with Bitcoin a zero has been added.

---

Join the marketplace of ideas! We are building a publishing ecosystem on Nostr for citizen-journalism, starting with a client for blogging and newsletter distribution. Sound money and sound information should finally be in the hands of the people, right? Want to learn more about the Pareto Project? Zap me, if you want to contribute (all Zaps go to the project).

Are you a publication and want to be part of it, test us, migrate your content to Nostr? Write to team@pareto.space**

Not yet on Nostr and want the full experience? Easy onboarding via Nosta.me.

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

I am so tired of people trying to waste my time with Nostrized imitations of stuff that already exists.

Instagram, but make it Nostr. Twitter, but make it Nostr. GitHub, but make it Nostr. Facebook, but make it Nostr. Wordpress, but make it Nostr. GoodReads, but make it Nostr. TikTok, but make it Nostr.

That stuff already exists, and it wasn't that great the first time around, either. Build something better than that stuff, that can only be brought into existence because of Nostr.

Build something that does something completely and awesomely new. Knock my socks off, bro.

Cuz, ain't nobody got time for that.

@ 16d11430:61640947

Chapter One: The Venture

Allison Hart adjusted her grip on the stainless steel coffee thermos as she stared out the rain-streaked glass of the small San Francisco office building. The storm outside mirrored her anxiety: fierce, unpredictable, and utterly unrelenting. Today marked the launch of ValkyrieOS, the Linux-based cloud infrastructure her husband, Ethan, and his scrappy team of engineers had poured their souls into for the past three years. It wasn’t just a startup; it was Ethan’s lifeline, their shared dream—and, increasingly, the wedge driving them apart.

She tugged her cardigan tighter, the hum of the servers in the next room a constant reminder of how much Ethan had sacrificed to build his company. Late nights, missed anniversaries, and countless reassurances that their struggles would someday be worth it. When? Allison thought. She loved him fiercely, but the endless grind of a tech startup had turned her marriage into something tenuous—a connection stretched thin, yet unbroken.

In the corner of the open-plan office, Ethan stood with his team, their faces glowing in the blue-white light of monitors as the final test scripts ran. Ethan’s broad shoulders were hunched, his face set in the determined scowl she’d fallen for in college. It was the same look he’d worn when he told her he wanted to change the world—only now, it came with the weight of failure looming at every turn.

“Ali,” Ethan called, his voice cutting through the buzz of machines. “Can you come here for a sec?”

She approached, the team parting like a flock of birds as she stepped beside him. On the screen, a red progress bar inched forward—barely. The tension in the room was palpable.

“It’s the load balancer,” Ethan muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. “If it fails during the demo, we’re done. Everything’s riding on this.”

“Ethan, you can’t keep doing this to yourself,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the whir of fans. “To us.”

---

Chapter Two: The Rival

The launch of ValkyrieOS was supposed to be their salvation, but instead, it thrust them into the brutal warzone of the tech industry. No one knew this better than Allison, who found herself navigating late-night strategy calls and early-morning investor meetings alongside Ethan.

Enter Mark Carrington, the charismatic CEO of a competing company, NimbusTech. Mark was everything Ethan wasn’t—smooth, polished, and merciless. He approached Allison during a networking event, his silver-tongued charm cutting through the noise of the crowded room.

“You know,” Mark said, his smile disarming, “your husband has built something extraordinary. But the market? It doesn’t care about extraordinary—it cares about winning.”

Allison bristled at his condescension. “Ethan’s not just building software. He’s building something that matters.”

Mark leaned in, his voice dropping. “And what about you, Allison? Do you matter in all of this?”

Her breath hitched. Mark’s words struck a nerve, not because they were true, but because they echoed her own darkest fears.

---

Chapter Three: The Sacrifice

Ethan worked tirelessly, pushing his team and himself to the brink. Allison could see the toll it was taking—the dark circles under his eyes, the strained way he smiled when he thought no one was watching. But beneath the exhaustion was a fire, a belief in what he was doing that refused to be extinguished.

The turning point came late one night when the servers crashed. Ethan’s team scrambled, but it was Allison who stepped in, her years as a UX designer proving invaluable. She worked beside them, rewriting error messages and optimizing the interface for clarity. It was the first time in months that she and Ethan felt like a team again.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Ethan said afterward, his voice raw with gratitude.

“I’m your partner, Ethan. Not just in life, but in this. Don’t shut me out.”

---

Chapter Four: The Storm

Just as the demo approached, disaster struck. A massive DDoS attack crippled ValkyrieOS. Ethan was ready to give up, but Allison wouldn’t let him.

“You told me once that clouds are about resilience,” she said. “Your system is designed to adapt. So adapt.”

Together, they rallied the team, implementing a last-minute patch that saved the demo. When the system finally stabilized, the room erupted in cheers. For the first time in months, Ethan turned to Allison with a look of pure joy.

---

Chapter Five: The Ascent

The launch was a success, and ValkyrieOS quickly became the darling of the open-source community. But for Allison and Ethan, the real victory was rediscovering each other in the chaos. They learned to share the burdens, to celebrate the small wins, and to fight for their marriage with the same tenacity they brought to their work.

“You’re my uptime,” Ethan said one night, his voice soft as they lay tangled together on the couch.

“And you’re my load balancer,” Allison replied, her laughter breaking the quiet. “Always catching me before I crash.”

---

Epilogue: Cloudborne

Years later, as they stood on the balcony of their now-expanded office, watching a new storm roll in, Allison couldn’t help but smile. The journey had been brutal, but they’d weathered it together, proving that even in the most unforgiving environments, love—like a resilient system—could thrive.

And somewhere in the hum of servers below, the heartbeat of their shared dream continued, steady and strong.

@ fbf0e434:e1be6a39

Hackathon 摘要

Hack Western 11 圆满结束，学生开发者提交了62个注册项目。此次活动在协作环境中培养了创新和创造力。项目评估考察创新性、技术复杂性、完整性和设计，以确保全面评估。

参与者可以组队（最多四人）或单独参加，灵活参与。Hackathon鼓励跨多个赛道的项目提交，增加了项目面临各种挑战的曝光度和机会。

科学博览会式的环境允许参与者向评委展示他们的项目，进行详细的演示和讨论。这种形式帮助团队表述他们的目标、突出成就并获得反馈。面对面的评审提供了一个互动平台以表彰创意解决方案。

总体而言，Hack Western 11营造了一个富有成效的氛围，学生主导的项目种类多样。活动优先考虑项目的完整性和用户友好的设计，旨在实现技术上可靠且实际可应用的解决方案。

Hackathon 获奖者

Overall Prize Winners

First Overall

• BravoDispatch - 使用AI处理呼叫者转录，以增强紧急调度操作并减少手动数据输入。它结合了React、Cloudflare和Llama 3 LLM，以提供稳健的解决方案。

Second Overall

• Blocks - 提供基于块的界面和实时协作，简化Cairo智能合约开发，使用React Flow Editor和Flask进行部署。

Third Overall

• Mark3d - 将产品视频转换为二手市场的3D模型，借助React Native、NVIDIA NGP Instant NeRF和Flask促进信任和销量。

Best Hardware Hack Prize Winners

• SolarScope - 利用AR覆盖3D建筑模型以评估能效，使用Arduino传感器和Python算法提供太阳能见解。

Canada Life Prize Winners

Best Hack to Help "Move" Employees Back into the Hybrid Office

• PickPark - 通过智能系统实时空间管理优化工作场所停车，促进包容性和环保通勤。

Sunlife Prize Winners

Best Financial Health Hack

• Chill Bill - 将财务追踪与AI建议和游戏化功能精神健康支持集成，使用React和Plaid API构建。

Best Video Game Hack Prize Winners

• EEGscape - 提供使用EEG接口的包容性游戏体验，通过头部动作控制和将React前端与MuseJS结合用于EEG数据解释。

Warp Prize Winners

Best Developer Tool by Warp

• Blocks
• tin. - 提供跨Linux发行版的性能分析使用CLI和GUI界面，采用Docker和React实现用户友好型基准测试。

Voiceflow Prize Winners

Best Use of Our APIs

• Talk to Duckie - 使用AI驱动模拟为编码面试做准备，通过Voiceflow和Cloudflare的语音识别提高复杂算法的理解。
• Not The New York Times - 使用AI和FastAPI将真实新闻转换为讽刺性内容，促进使用Next.js和VoiceFlow的批判性参与。

Auth0 Prize Winners

Best Use of Auth0

• roammates - 通过AI生成行程规划促进小组旅行，使用React和Firebase提供个性化体验和基于投票的决策。

Streamlit Prize Winners

Best Use of Streamlit

• TALK TO A: Forensics Artist - 使用特征描述识别个体，采用VGG16实现面部分类和基于熵的查询系统。

Cloudflare Prize Winners

Best AI Application Built with Cloudflare

• BravoDispatch

Starknet Prize Winners

Best Use of Starknet

1. PacRoyale - 一个基于区块链的游戏平台，用于实时Pac-Man游戏，利用Cairo智能合约和StarknetJS进行交易。
2. Blocks
3. IPAnywhere - 通过区块链促进专利租赁，使用智能合约确保安全交易，ReactJS提供无缝的前端体验。
4. Crowdfund: Powered by Starknet - 使用安全钱包连接和智能合约进行去中心化众筹，确保募资透明。

Tempo Labs Prize Winners

Best Use of Tempo Labs

• Chill Bill
• Upright - 利用加速度计数据检测跌倒事件，使用NextJS和TempoLabs提供实时警报以快速紧急响应。
• ID-Trackr - 提供无家可归者的身份识别，应用特征脸进行识别任务。
• BeFit - 提供实时反馈，使用AI和计算机视觉借助Mediapipe进行动作评估。
• GoFundUs - 一个StarkNet上的团体融资平台，使用Tempo Labs界面确保安全和民主的财务目标实现。

探索完整项目列表在DoraHacks。

关于组织者

Hack Western 11

Hack Western 11延续了成为加拿大最大学生主导Hackathon之一的十年传统，由西安大略大学主办。因为促进协作和技术创造力而闻名，该活动吸引了数百名学生在一个充满活力的周末开发Web和移动项目。Hack Western始终推动技术进步，促进技能提升和社区建设。今年，Hack Western 11受在露营过夜本质的启发，旨在创造一个难忘的体验，促进技术创新中的协作。

@ 16d11430:61640947

It was a bright day in Australia when programmers, those caffeine-fueled keyboard warriors, decided to unionize. Inspired by the ironclad protections of the construction unions, the Union of Programmers, Debuggers, and Coffee Consumers (UPDCC) was formed. Its mission? To secure long-overdue rights for tech workers. Its slogan? “Break bugs, not spirits!”

The Grand Demands

1. Mandatory Siesta After Code Reviews: "If bricklayers get smoke breaks, why can’t programmers have nap breaks? Debugging memory leaks requires rest too!"

2. Protected Work Hours: "No more Slack messages after 5 PM unless they're memes. Work-life balance isn't just for coal miners!"

3. Universal Keyboard Insurance: "Carpenters get tools provided. Why can’t we have ergonomic keyboards and infinite wrist supports?"

4. Wage Transparency: "If they can yell their pay rates on a job site, we can flaunt our GitHub stats with pride."

The Struggles of a Virtual Picket Line

Unfortunately, unlike their high-vis counterparts, programmers found it challenging to hold a picket line. The hashtag #DigitalPicketLine failed to trend on Twitter, and their virtual protests were blocked by firewalls. When asked why the government didn’t take them seriously, a spokesperson quipped, “Well, they’re not exactly building skyscrapers, are they?”

Union Perks (or the Lack Thereof)

While manual labour unions enjoy well-organized strike funds and political clout, the UPDCC’s perks included:

Half-Price AWS Credits (if you could prove you weren’t already bankrupt).

Unlimited Jira Tickets (to help simulate the feeling of actual productivity).

Sponsored Coffee Beans (from ethically sourced blockchain-certified farms).

The Opposition

Australia’s tech CEOs were quick to denounce the union as “an attack on innovation.” One company even argued, “If they’re not happy with their working conditions, they can just learn a trade! Do you know how much electricians make in this country?”

The Glorious Failure

The union’s downfall came when its members tried to negotiate "bug-free Fridays" as a workplace right. Management simply replied, “If you don’t like bugs, why are you even in tech?” After several failed attempts at advocacy, the UPDCC dissolved and rebranded itself as an NFT project—because if you can’t beat the system, you might as well tokenize it.

---

Conclusion: The Grass Is Greener on the Construction Site

Australia is indeed a paradise for manual labourers. Union power, strong wages, and undeniable leverage in an economy dependent on physical infrastructure ensure their enduring comfort. Meanwhile, programmers are left holding the short end of the HDMI cable, forced to compete in a global market that sees them as disposable.

So, how can programmers rise to similar privileges? The answer is simple: swap your IDE for a toolbelt. Or, better yet, unionize and demand the respect you deserve—just don’t expect the government to understand the difference between a pull request and a building permit.

@ ed84ce10:cccf4c2a

Hackathon Summary

Hack Western 11 concluded successfully with 62 projects registered by student developers. This event nurtured innovation and creativity within a collaborative environment. Projects were evaluated on innovation, technical complexity, completeness, and design, ensuring a comprehensive assessment.

Participants, in teams of up to four or individually, facilitated flexible engagement. The hackathon encouraged submissions across multiple tracks, enhancing exposure and opportunities for projects addressing diverse challenges.

A science fair-style setting allowed participants to present their projects to judges, enabling detailed demonstrations and discussions. This format helped teams articulate their objectives, spotlight achievements, and receive feedback. The in-person judging provided an interactive platform to recognize creative solutions.

Overall, Hack Western 11 fostered a productive atmosphere, marked by a diverse range of student-led projects. The event prioritized project completeness and user-friendly design, aiming for technically sound and practically applicable solutions.

Hackathon Winners

Overall Prize Winners

First Overall

• BravoDispatch enhances emergency dispatch operations using AI to process caller transcripts, reducing manual data entry. It integrates React, Cloudflare, and Llama 3 LLM for robust solutions.

Second Overall

• Blocks simplifies Cairo smart contract development with a block-based interface and real-time collaboration, using React Flow Editor and Flask for deployment.

Third Overall

• Mark3d transforms product videos into 3D models for secondhand marketplaces, promoting trust and sales with React Native, NVIDIA NGP Instant NeRF, and Flask.

Best Hardware Hack Prize Winners

• SolarScope utilizes AR for overlaying 3D building models to assess energy efficiency, using Arduino sensors and Python algorithms for solar insights.

Canada Life Prize Winners

Best Hack to Help "Move" Employees Back into the Hybrid Office

• PickPark streamlines workplace parking with real-time space management, promoting inclusivity and eco-friendly commuting through a smart system.

Sunlife Prize Winners

Best Financial Health Hack

• Chill Bill integrates financial tracking with mental health support using AI for advice and gamified features, built with React and Plaid API.

Best Video Game Hack Prize Winners

• EEGscape develops inclusive gaming experiences using EEG interfaces, enabling control via head movements and combining React front-end with MuseJS for EEG data interpretation.

Warp Prize Winners

Best Developer Tool by Warp

• Blocks
• tin. aids performance analysis across Linux distributions using CLI and GUI interfaces, employing Docker and React for user-friendly benchmarking.

Voiceflow Prize Winners

Best Use of Our APIs

• Talk to Duckie prepares for coding interviews with AI-driven simulations, enhancing comprehension of complex algorithms through Voiceflow and Cloudflare's speech-to-text.
• Not The New York Times converts real news into satire using AI and FastAPI, fostering critical engagement with Next.js and VoiceFlow.

Auth0 Prize Winners

Best Use of Auth0

• roammates facilitates group travel planning with AI-generated itineraries, using React and Firebase for personalized experiences and vote-based decisions.

Streamlit Prize Winners

Best Use of Streamlit

• TALK TO A: Forensics Artist identifies individuals using trait descriptions, employing VGG16 for facial classification and an entropy-based querying system.

Cloudflare Prize Winners

Best AI Application Built with Cloudflare

• BravoDispatch

Starknet Prize Winners

Best Use of Starknet

1. PacRoyale - A blockchain-based gaming platform for real-time Pac-Man games, leveraging Cairo for smart contracts and StarknetJS for transactions.
2. Blocks
3. IPAnywhere - Facilitates patent leasing via blockchain, with smart contracts ensuring secure transactions and ReactJS for a seamless frontend experience.
4. Crowdfund: Powered by Starknet - Decentralizes crowdfunding with secure wallet connections and smart contracts, ensuring fundraising transparency.

Tempo Labs Prize Winners

Best Use of Tempo Labs

• Chill Bill
• Upright detects falls using accelerometer data, providing real-time alerts with NextJS and TempoLabs for rapid emergency response.
• ID-Trackr provides identification for homeless persons using facial recognition, applying eigenfaces for recognition tasks.
• BeFit offers real-time feedback with AI and computer vision, using Mediapipe for form assessment.
• GoFundUs - A group funding platform on StarkNet, ensuring secure and democratic financial goal achievements using Tempo Labs' interface.

Explore the full list of projects on DoraHacks.

About the Organizer

Hack Western 11

Hack Western 11 continues a decade-long tradition of being one of Canada's largest student-led hackathons, hosted by Western University. Known for promoting collaboration and technological creativity, the event attracts hundreds of students to develop web and mobile projects over a dynamic weekend. Hack Western has consistently driven technological advancements, facilitating skill enhancement and community building. This year, inspired by the essence of overnight camping, Hack Western 11 aims to craft an unforgettable experience that nurtures collaboration in technological innovation.

@ 16d11430:61640947

In the great Pasture of Progress, where clouds hung low like smog and the fields of code grew thorny and wild, the animals toiled under the rule of Web2 the Overlord and its ally, Fiat the Fattened Hog. They promised abundance, innovation, and glory, but the workers—the noble Engineers—knew only the ache of their backs and the weariness of their minds.

---

Chapter I: The Cult of the Cloud

Once, the Engineers believed in the sanctity of their craft. They gathered around the hearth of Open Source, dreaming of a future where every line of code sang with freedom. But Web2, with its glossy advertisements and seductive APIs, whispered:

"Why toil in the dirt when the Cloud will lift you high? Come, climb aboard, for here, in the Cloud, the skies rain profits and the fields need no plow!"

And so, the Engineers climbed, building towers of microservices atop brittle scaffolding. But the higher they climbed, the more precarious the tower became. Every service depended on another, and soon, the Engineers were patching, rebooting, and firefighting rather than creating.

"Trust the Cloud," said Web2, lounging atop its golden servers. "You need only give me your time... and your freedom."

The Engineers, lured by promises of stability, worked tirelessly, even as the Cloud turned their code into chains.

---

Chapter II: Fiat’s Feast

At the head of the long table sat Fiat, a bloated hog stuffed with subsidies. He waved a government check in one hoof and a ledger in the other, proclaiming:

"Let us fund innovation!"

But Fiat's idea of innovation was a feast where he and his cronies dined on the R&D of the Pasture, leaving crumbs for the Engineers. Every morsel of public research—AI, cryptography, and quantum computing—was hoarded and repackaged as a service subscription.

Fiat promised the Engineers they were building a brighter tomorrow, but in truth, they were building a treadmill. The more they worked, the faster the wheel spun, and the richer Fiat grew.

---

Chapter III: The Great Burnout

The Engineers began to notice their lifeblood draining. Their eyes grew dim, their fingers ached, and their spirits sagged. Some tried to escape to open pastures, where Bitcoin and free software whispered of liberation. But Fiat and Web2 called them back, declaring:

"These are the lands of chaos! Only we can guarantee your comfort, your stability, your... pension plans."

In secret, Web2 had forged a pact with Fiat: eternal dependency in exchange for control. Web2 got the engineers, and Fiat got the taxes. And so, the Engineers labored on, thinking themselves free while their toil fattened the hogs above.

---

Epilogue: Bacon’s Cooking

In the quiet of the night, a rogue pig named Bitcoin Bacon began to plot. "Let us not feed Fiat’s feast nor Web2’s tower," he said. "Let us build in the open, share what we create, and ensure no animal is bound by chains of their own making."

The Engineers, weary yet hopeful, began to listen. Bacon taught them to bake their own bread instead of eating Web2's scraps. Slowly, the towers of Web2 began to crumble, and Fiat’s feast grew sparse.

For every line of code they wrote in freedom, the Engineers grew stronger. And though the battle raged long, the animals of the Pasture learned that the greatest innovation was not in the Cloud, but in their own independence.

And thus, Bacon's Recipe for Liberation was passed down through the generations:

Take one decentralized system.

Mix in open-source tools.

Season with resilience and a dash of defiance.

Cook over the fire of community.

And always, refuse to be someone else’s bacon.

@ 71a4b7ff:d009692a

The Problem with Preset Choices

Switching sections around? Not an option—we’ve already decided for you, buddy. Remove bright colors? Come on, it’s already beautiful. Disable unnecessary features? Don’t be silly, you need everything here. Especially this algorithmic feed with built-in ads.

Monetization Over User Experience

The operators of digital services will always prioritize their primary goal: monetizing the product as efficiently as possible. They need to not only attract new users but also retain existing ones. And the best tool for this is the interface.

That’s why most product decisions are far removed from ideas like “Let’s make it more convenient for people” or “Let’s give users more freedom.” Instead, we see the result of a recurring process:

• We have a retention and monetization mechanism
• Assign tasks to developers and designers
• Integrate it into the product
• Write a quarterly report.

The outcome? Users end up with Reels tabs smack in the center of Instagram’s bottom navigation bar. Removing or rearranging those tabs? Not an option. And it likely never will be.

Why Rigid Interfaces Persist

Another reason for rigid and obligatory interfaces is that they’re easier to design. Just imagine how many combinations of colors, elements, and layouts developers would need to account for to make a product both customizable and functional without turning it into a garish mess. But that’s just nuance and excuses.

The Myth of Perfect Design

Services often justify their choices by claiming their design is “the most designed,” that they know what’s best and will make it work for everyone. They might even present solid arguments for this. But all those arguments fall apart against the reality we see on our screens every day. In my opinion, people should have the ability to turn a product into anything they want—whether it’s loud and kitschy or minimalistic and dull. This option wouldn’t just allow users to express themselves but could also help with digital detoxing.

The Example of App Labels

Here’s an example: why do app icons on smartphone home screens (not the app drawer) come with labels underneath? Apps on the home screen are easily recognizable by their icons. Why would I need a name tag for an app I intentionally placed there? Sure, for some users or scenarios, this might be helpful. But why is it the default option?

The problem is that these labels are just visual noise—clusters of unnecessary text we already see plenty of. Removing them would make it slightly easier for the brain to process the screen every time you look at it. Now scale that to 3–8 hours of daily smartphone use. Then a month. Then a year.

The Slow Shift Toward Customization

For a long time, iOS didn’t allow you to hide icon labels. Now, the option exists, but it still requires more effort than a simple toggle. As a result, people are stuck looking at tons of unnecessary, subconscious information every day. And this is just the trivial issue of app labels on a product considered the gold standard of digital design. Imagine the horror of tackling more significant issues.

Yes, Apple has softened its stance in recent years, offering custom icons and lock screens. Celebrate—you can now showcase your individuality! The company understands that customization is the future. We’ve reached a point where weak computing power is no longer an excuse, VR/metaverse adoption is still a way off, and new features are needed. So, this is an excellent opportunity for all of us.

The Case for More Customization

In a reasonable, ideal world, people should decide which sections of a service they need, where they’re located, and how they look. Companies, meanwhile, recognize that people want the ability to stand out and create something personal—even on a smartphone in their pocket. And as our integration with various devices deepens, this need will only grow. More customization is coming. Yes, it’ll be largely cosmetic, but even that can work to our advantage: removing jarring colors or hiding unnecessary labels can reduce the brain’s pointless load.

Beyond Aesthetics: Customization as Freedom

The ability to customize services isn’t just about playing amateur designer. It’s about mitigating informational irritants, reducing the addictive nature of interfaces, and weakening dark patterns. Which is likely why many companies no longer prioritize customization.

Telegram: A Customizable Example

In this context, Telegram is a decent example. I’m not a fan, but I’ve been using it for daily communication with loved ones for a long time—and it’s good for that. It can be vastly different for vastly different users. Despite starting to bend under the weight of its audience and introducing questionable decisions, its foundational design principles still allow for creating both minimalist spaces for peaceful content consumption or communication, as well as vibrant, noisy chats for virtual parties. Telegram can be a messenger, a feed, a file storage system, or whatever else you need—and it can look wildly different while doing so.

Customization as the Key to Healthy Digital Relationships

Customization should be at the core of the services we use daily. Yes, it can and will be used for marketing purposes. But even minimal customization is better than none because the ability to tailor a system to your needs is an expression of freedom and a cornerstone of healthy relationships with the digital world.

Stay Nostrous. Geo

@ 16d11430:61640947

The advent of cryptocurrency exchanges has introduced a transformative mechanism for enabling free-market price discovery, particularly in software development. By aligning the incentives of labor and capital in unprecedented ways, these platforms are dismantling exploitative business practices while fostering an equitable ecosystem where innovation thrives. This nuanced article explores how crypto exchanges achieve this balance and the profound benefits for both labor and capital.

---

The Problem with Traditional Models

Software professionals have long been subject to the tyranny of venture capital (VC) and traditional corporate structures. These models often:

1. Misalign Incentives: VC-backed projects prioritize rapid growth and profitability over long-term innovation or ethical considerations.

2. Exploit Labor: Programmers and software engineers bear the brunt of demanding work environments, often without equitable compensation tied to their contributions.

3. Constrain Autonomy: Decision-making is centralized, limiting the creative freedom of developers and reducing diversity in problem-solving approaches.

4. Extract Value: Traditional business models extract disproportionate value from labor, benefiting shareholders more than contributors.

---

How Crypto Exchanges Enable Free Market Price Discovery

Crypto exchanges disrupt these paradigms by allowing software projects to tokenize their assets, enabling dynamic price discovery through market mechanisms. Here's how this works:

1. Tokenization of Software Value:

Projects can issue tokens representing the value of their software, creating a liquid asset tied to the project's success.

Tokens provide an immediate, transparent, and market-driven valuation of the project's potential.

1. Decentralized Funding:

Instead of relying on centralized VCs or corporations, projects raise funds directly from the community through token sales or initial coin offerings (ICOs).

This democratizes access to capital, allowing contributors and small investors to participate in funding innovation.

1. Market Dynamics:

Crypto exchanges enable continuous price discovery through trading. The value of a token reflects real-time market sentiment, project progress, and utility.

Speculation, though present, is tempered by the transparency of blockchain-based milestones and deliverables.

1. Performance-Linked Compensation:

Developers and contributors can be paid in project tokens, aligning their incentives directly with the project's success.

This model ensures that those who add the most value reap proportional rewards.

---

Benefits for Labor

1. Fair Compensation:

Token-based payments allow developers to share in the upside of a project’s success, creating a meritocratic reward system.

By holding tokens, contributors gain a stake in the project's long-term success, turning labor into equity.

1. Autonomy and Creativity:

Decentralized governance models enable developers to have a say in project decisions, fostering innovation and engagement.

Projects can prioritize developer-centric goals, such as sustainability and ethical practices, over pure profitability.

1. Risk Mitigation:

Token liquidity enables contributors to exit their positions if they feel a project is misaligned with their values or goals.

Developers can diversify their earnings across multiple tokenized projects, reducing dependency on a single employer or client.

---

Benefits for Capital

1. Efficient Allocation of Resources:

Free-market price discovery ensures that capital flows to projects with the highest perceived value and potential.

Tokenized projects offer transparency, reducing the risks of fraud and mismanagement.

1. Incentive Alignment:

Investors and contributors share a mutual interest in the project’s success, fostering collaboration rather than exploitation.

Smart contracts and on-chain governance create trustless environments where all parties are bound by predefined rules.

1. Liquidity and Flexibility:

Token markets provide immediate liquidity for investors, enabling them to enter and exit positions without lengthy lock-in periods.

This flexibility attracts a broader range of investors, from retail to institutional.

---

Profound Impacts on the Ecosystem

1. Decentralization of Power:

The shift from centralized VC funding to token-based markets democratizes software development, empowering developers and small-scale investors alike.

Open-source projects can monetize effectively without compromising their principles.

1. Acceleration of Innovation:

Free-market price discovery incentivizes rapid iteration and development, as tokens are directly tied to project milestones and utility.

Developers are motivated to solve real-world problems, as market demand directly influences token value.

1. Cultural Shift:

The transparency and fairness of tokenized ecosystems promote ethical practices and long-term thinking.

Software professionals gain the respect and agency they deserve, fostering a culture of mutual respect between labor and capital.

---

Challenges and Solutions

Despite its transformative potential, the model is not without challenges:

1. Speculation and Volatility:

Token markets can be volatile, leading to speculative bubbles. Strong governance and transparent metrics can mitigate these risks.

1. Regulatory Uncertainty:

Governments and regulators may impose constraints on tokenized markets. Engaging with regulators to create clear frameworks is essential.

1. Education and Adoption:

Developers and investors need to understand the nuances of tokenomics and decentralized governance. Educational initiatives are crucial.

---

Conclusion

Crypto exchanges have opened the door to a new era of software development, where free-market price discovery liberates professionals from exploitative practices while aligning incentives between labor and capital. This paradigm not only ensures fair compensation and autonomy for developers but also provides investors with transparency and flexibility.

By fostering a decentralized, equitable, and innovation-driven ecosystem, tokenized software projects hold the potential to redefine the relationship between labor and capital, creating a win-win scenario for all stakeholders. The future of software is not just decentralized—it’s profoundly fair and aligned.

@ 58638ea8:a443a463

I had not used my Lightning node in a while so I was busy configuring it, when I came accross my old Nostr keys to this account a few days ago.

So I was trying to access my Nostr private key which I had saved in Alby Wallet, but there was a problem. It seemed that for some reason, Alby Wallet was having trouble connecting to my node. (perhaps due to it starting up and shutting down so many times). Well the node was fine, I confirmed, but I was prevented from reading the Nostr settings and data by an infinite loading circle.

Nostr keys are basically like xpub/xprv keys in Bitcoin except that they start with npub and nsec respectively. They are still encoded in Bech32 I think. You use them to chat at the Nostr social network. A decentralized X/Twitter basically.

Eventually, I thought I had found a backup of my Nostr keys in my password manager, and proceeded to clear all the placeholder entries in my wallet, including the Nostr wallet.

Big mistake.

It turned out that the mnemonic I had saved in my password manager makes a completely different key and that I had actually imported the Nostr secret key form another program rather than generated a menmonic phrase.

Naturally, I started to panic as I did not have any copies of it. I thought about inspecting the Chrome browser for the data directly, but by that point I had already deleted the Nostr keys.

But then I remembered that I make backups of my whole system in the early morning and save them on some server, including my Chrome profile, so I thought why not look inside the backup and see if I can find it. But I had to hurry because the files would be overwritten in about 24 hours from then.

I didn't actually know how I was going to go about and get my keys from the backups except for the fact that I knew that extensions have a long identifier like iokeahhehimjnekafflcihljlcjccdbe and that each extension has a folder with that sort of name in the Extensions directory of the Chrome user data dir.

What followed next would be an adventure in coding, lobbing open database files, and encryption.

Locating the extension settings

As I definitely remembered my wallet password and name, I would be able to decrypt the wallet if I ever found it. Which was the first problem - I wasn't really sure where it was.

The fine details of my backup structure meant that all the config files were in a tarball, so I just did a scan for the extension ID, which yielded, among other results, this:

So I at least knew where the extension settings live, but I wasn't sure what any of the files did. AGI was mostly useless for this, except for telling me that those IndexedDB folders must have contained my settings. Spoiler alert: they didn't - and I wasted an hour trying to open the LevelDB file inside, which by the way were specially modified for Chrome so could not even be opened in regular libraries.

It turned out that parsing the database file with a library was a huge waste of time, so eventually I just used tools like cat and less to read the lines. I had better luck with the Sync Extension Settings folder though, and when you open it it looks something like this:

Don't worry, everything is encrypted. And it appears to be encoded in base64.

Decrypting the payload

For what came next, I had to look at Alby Wallet's source code on Github. And I happened to learn a lot about how Alby Wallet worked under the hood. Like did you know that there is actually an API just for extracting settings from the disk? Which was what I needed to see.

A couple of minutes of browsing brought me to this file: getPrivateKey.ts

And so it became clear to me that 1) All this is Typescript, which I am glad I still remember, and 2) those "getPrivateKey" fields were indeed my Nostr private key. (Later on decryption I also found my LN node URL and admin macaroon.) But although I knew my password, I did not know what decryption algorithm it is using. The good news is that I found it in another file called common/lib/crypto.ts.

I had to clean the functions quite a bit so that they would run in Node, as well as install that "crypto-js" dependency, but it was worth it. It even took care of the Base64 encoding. By the way, the encryption seems to be AES-256 with a salt. So that's pretty secure.

Decryption yielded the Nostr private key in hex form, with which I could derive the nsec and npub keypair and recover my Nostr account.

Be careful with your nostr keys - they're like Bitcoin Core keys. Hard to write down and better off in a password manager.

@ 16d11430:61640947

The persistence of economic inequality and systemic exploitation is intrinsically linked to the fiat monetary system. This framework, established and perpetuated through colonial governance, remains a central mechanism of control in post-colonial societies. Decentralized technologies, particularly Bitcoin, provide an alternative model that has the potential to disrupt these systems. The following analysis examines the structural components of the colonial fiat mindset and assesses Bitcoin's capacity to challenge these mechanisms.

---

The Structure of the Colonial Fiat System

The fiat monetary system, created to centralize economic authority, serves as a tool for wealth extraction and power consolidation. Key structural components include:

1. Currency Manipulation: Fiat systems rely on central banks to control money supply, often through inflationary policies. Inflation reduces the value of money over time, disproportionately impacting populations with limited access to assets.

2. Debt Dependency: International lending institutions utilize fiat-based loans to establish economic dependence. Structural adjustment programs, often tied to these loans, enforce policies that prioritize debt repayment over local development.

3. Resource Allocation: Fiat economies are designed to facilitate continuous growth. This necessitates the extraction and export of natural resources, frequently sourced from regions with limited negotiating power. Compensation for these resources is typically inequitable.

4. Economic Exclusivity: Access to fiat-based financial systems is regulated by intermediaries, such as banks. These barriers systematically exclude populations without the requisite infrastructure or compliance capabilities.

---

Bitcoin as a Disruptive System

Bitcoin introduces a decentralized financial architecture with attributes that contrast fundamentally with fiat systems. Its operational principles include:

1. Decentralization: Bitcoin's network is maintained by distributed nodes, eliminating centralized control. This structure prevents single-entity manipulation of monetary policy.

2. Supply Limitations: Bitcoin’s fixed supply of 21 million units enforces scarcity, eliminating inflationary erosion of value. This feature incentivizes long-term wealth preservation.

3. Inclusion by Design: Bitcoin enables direct participation without reliance on intermediaries. Individuals with access to internet-connected devices can transact globally, bypassing traditional financial gatekeepers.

4. Transparent Ledger: The Bitcoin blockchain records all transactions on a public ledger, ensuring verifiability and reducing the risk of opaque practices often associated with fiat systems.

---

Mechanisms of Transition

For Bitcoin to displace the fiat framework, specific systemic transitions must occur:

1. Education Deployment: Widespread knowledge dissemination is required to enable individuals and organizations to utilize Bitcoin effectively. This includes technical training and comprehension of Bitcoin's operational principles.

2. Resource Sovereignty: Communities reliant on resource extraction for economic viability must adopt systems that ensure direct and equitable compensation. Bitcoin's decentralized nature allows for immediate settlements and transparent payment structures.

3. Policy Integration: Existing legal and regulatory frameworks are aligned with fiat systems. Adoption of Bitcoin necessitates legislative adjustments to incorporate decentralized financial models.

4. Cultural Adaptation: Historical systems of economic interaction, suppressed by fiat systems, may integrate with decentralized technologies. This requires the establishment of locally controlled infrastructures.

---

Evaluation of Challenges

The transition from fiat to Bitcoin-based systems is constrained by multiple factors:

1. Institutional Resistance: Governments and financial entities reliant on fiat control mechanisms may impose regulatory barriers to Bitcoin adoption.

2. Infrastructure Requirements: Effective Bitcoin utilization depends on reliable access to digital infrastructure, which remains unevenly distributed.

3. Energy Expenditure: Bitcoin mining operations require significant energy inputs, creating potential conflicts with sustainability initiatives.

4. Adoption Scalability: The shift to Bitcoin as a primary financial system necessitates widespread acceptance across diverse economic sectors.

---

Conclusion

The colonial fiat mindset represents a system of centralized economic authority with embedded mechanisms of exploitation. Bitcoin introduces an alternative that decentralizes control, enforces monetary scarcity, and enables global inclusion. While the transition to Bitcoin-based systems is feasible, it requires addressing infrastructural, regulatory, and adoption-related challenges. The implementation of Bitcoin as a disruptive force in financial systems is contingent on its capacity to integrate with existing economic structures while providing measurable advantages over fiat systems.

@ 6bcc27d2:b67d296e

NIP-28 と NIP-29 はどちらも「特定の集まりに向けたチャット機能」を提供する点では似ているが、根本的に異なるのは「参加や閲覧に制限がない誰でも書き込める公開チャンネル(NIP-28)」か「メンバーシップや権限・ロールを管理できるグループ(NIP-29)」かというところだ。

以下の3点に分けて説明する。 1. 参加や書き込みの自由度 2. 管理やモデレーションの主体 3. ユースケース

参加や書き込みの自由度 - NIP-28は誰でも書き込める設計 - Public Chatはその名の通りパブリックであることが前提で、メンバーシップの概念もない。参加や閲覧に制限がないため、誰でも自由に書き込むことができる。 - NIP-29はロールやメンバーシップがある - NIP-29にはメンバーシップや権限管理（ロール）の概念があり、書き込むにはグループに参加する必要がある。 - 公開／非公開、オープン参加／承認制などの設定をリレー側で柔軟に切り替えられる。そのため、publicタグを設定すれば読むだけは誰でもできるようにする一方でclosedの場合は書き込みに承認が必要…といった柔軟なルール設定ができる。 - また、管理者によるユーザーの追加・削除 (kind:9000, kind:9001) や、リレー自身によるグループ設定 (kind:39000 など) がある。Telegram や Slack の「特定メンバーだけ書き込める」「管理者が追加や除名を行う」ようなイメージ。

管理やモデレーションをリレー/クライアントのどちらで行うか - NIP-28: クライアント側で軽微なモデレーションを行う - NIP-28では、リレーはあくまで Nostr イベントを中継しているだけで、メッセージを消す・投稿者を締め出す等の強制管理は想定していない。 - そのため、リレー側が強制的に検閲するわけではなく、クライアントが主にモデレーションを実行する。 - 例えば、Kind 43（Hide message）や Kind 44（Mute user）を使って「誰のメッセージを隠すか／どのユーザーをミュートするか」をユーザー単位・クライアント単位で制御することができ、コンテンツの見え方をコントロールするのはクライアントとユーザーの自由度が高い。 - NIP-29: リレーがグループを管理する - 逆に、NIP-29はリレーがグループのルールを保持し、それに違反する投稿をブロックしたり、参加ユーザーを追加・除名したりする仕組みがある。 - 複数のリレーに同じグループが存在する(フォークされる)ケースもあり得るが、どのリレーも独自に「このグループ ID ならこういうルール」と管理を行うことが可能。 - そのため、「どの pubkey（ユーザー）が投稿可か」や「グループ名・メタデータ・管理権限はどうなっているか」をリレーのルールで厳密に管理・制御することができる。 - 未管理（unmanaged）状態も許容 リレーが NIP-29 を実装していなくても"unmanaged"なグループとして動作し、誰でも参加可能になる。そこから管理されたmanagedグループに移行することもできる。

ユースケースの違い - NIP-28: オープンなコミュニティ向け 誰でも入れて、タイムライン的にコメントしていけるTelegramやDiscordのような「誰でも閲覧・参加できるチャンネル」を、分散・検閲耐性をもった形で実現したい場合。

• NIP-29: クローズド or ロール付きのコミュニティ向け Slack やプライベート Discord、あるいは有料購読者限定グループのように「メンバーシップ制」や「誰が管理者か」「参加申請をどう処理するか」をきっちり運用したい場合。
  また、複数リレーで運用しつつ、どこかが落ちても他が存続するといった分散運用も想定できる。

まとめ - NIP-28 (Public Chat) - 「公開チャット」を最速で作るのに特化し、チャンネル構造とメッセージ投稿・簡易的なクライアント側モデレーションだけを定義する。 - リレーに追加のルール実装を強いないため、気軽にどこでも利用できる。 - 反面、「誰が書き込みできるか」などの参加制限は標準機能としては備わっていない。 - NIP-29 (Relay-based Groups) - リレーがグループ管理を主導し、メンバーシップ制や権限・ロールをしっかり運用できるようにする。 - 公開／非公開、オープン参加／承認制などの設定をリレー側で柔軟に切り替えられる。 - 反面、各リレーがこの NIP-29 に対応していないとメンバー権限の管理やグループのクローズド運用はできない。 - 用途に応じて、単純に「みんなで雑談する公開チャンネル」が欲しいのであれば NIP-28 を、メンバー制のプライベートグループを作りたい場合は NIP-29 を選ぶ、といった使い分けになる。

@ 1123ece2:7d1e00c0

Hey everyone I’m Gary Hoban and welcome to Refinery Life Australia.

“The Christ of John’s Gospel” is the theme we are continuing for the coming Sunday morning teachings that focus on John’s unique portrayal of the Christ.

We will continue this series for a while longer.

Today we are discussing, The Distinctives of Discipleship.

Prayer

Father, we come to You today because You made us, You redeemed us, and we acknowledge that every good and perfect gift comes from Your bountiful hands.

Thank You, Father, for the privilege of giving to You for the glory of Your name and cause.

The words of Jesus are so true, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Thank you for this heavenly blessing.

In Jesus name we pray.

Amen.

Text

John 8:31 NKJV

The Truth Shall Make You Free

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

Scripture Reading

John 8:30-59 NKJV

30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

The Truth Shall Make You Free

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 

32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 

35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 

36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Abraham’s Seed and Satan’s

37 “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. 

38 I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”

39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 

40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 

41 You do the deeds of your father.”

Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 

43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 

45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 

46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 

47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

Before Abraham Was, I AM

48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 

50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 

51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ 

53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”

54 Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. 

55 Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. 

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Introduction.

What does it really mean to follow Jesus?

Somehow in the early part of the twenty first century, people have lost sight of what it means to follow Jesus.

Discipleship is linked to external observance of religion rather than a relationship experience with Jesus Christ.

During Jesus’ life and ministry on earth, many people sought to follow Him.

John 8:30, 30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

Any motives moved to associate with Jesus Christ.

Some were infatuated with His miracles and teachings.

Others were just curious.

Jesus did not want people to follow Him outside the motive of a genuine commitment.\ To distinguish the authentic followers, Jesus gave the distinctive qualities of a true disciple.

1. A true disciple has continuance

John 8:31-33 NKJV

The Truth Shall Make You Free

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”

Jesus realised that some people made an impulsive decision to follow Him.

At times in Jesus’ ministry, large crowds followed Him.

He knew they followed mainly to see His miracles or just to be part of the crowd.

He knew that many would decide not to follow Him.

After Jesus taught the crowds that He was the Bread of Life, John 6:66 says, From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

Jesus pointed out that perseverance would be the sign of a true disciple.

John 8:31, The Truth Shall Make You Free

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

Discipleship is not the excitement of one moment.

It is a patient continuance in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

To a crowd of potential followers, Jesus gave a sure sign of a disciple.

A disciple is one who follows Jesus continuously.

The genuine evidence is in the sustained effort.

2. A true disciple has freedom.

John 8:34-38, Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

“I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”

Jesus taught of a freedom that led to bondage.

Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

Jesus taught a group of potential disciples about how sin leads to bondage.

Going through life with self will, self trust, and self assertion leads to a detrimental bondage.

No one who follows Jesus can be a master to himself.

Jesus spoke of a bondage that leads to freedom.

A true disciple is one who has renounced his or her way to follow the way of Christ.

Bondage to the Lord leads to authentic freedom.

Jesus said, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

The true disciple of Jesus lives to please only one person, Jesus Christ.

A disciple of Jesus is not a slave to sin but is a slave to the master.

3. A true disciple has Christlike behaviour.

John 8:39-47 NKJV

39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. 

40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.

41 You do the deeds of your father.”

Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 

43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 

45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 

47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

The Jew’s claimed to be Abraham’s children.

By physical lineage this was true.

However, many Jews lived contrary to Abraham’s example.

They sought to kill Jesus and slander His name.

Jesus said they were not God’s children, for they did not reflect God’s character.

Rather, He said in John 8:44, You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

God’s children behave like His children.

John 8:42, “If God were your Father, you would love Me”, and He added in verse 47, “He who is of God hears God’s words.”

Nature will be true to itself.

If one is born of God, then they will live in accordance with Christ’s character.

4. A true disciple honours Christ.

John 8:48-59 NKJV

Before Abraham Was, I AM

48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 

50 And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. 

51 Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

52 Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ 

53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”

54 Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. 

55 Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. 

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Many claimed to be disciples of Jesus, but they did not honour Him.

In fact, they accused Him of being demon possessed.

Jesus said in verse 49, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.” 

They could not be authentic followers and dishonour the Lord in this way.

True disciples honour and adore and obey Christ.

Conclusion.

Are you a true disciple of Jesus Christ?

The proof is a continuing commitment to Him, freedom from sin, Christlike behaviour, and a Christ honouring life. 

Until next time

Stay in the Blessings

I really want to encourage you to be diligent with your Bible study time, because God has so much more for us than we can get from just going to church once or twice a week and hearing someone else talk about the Word.

When you spend time with God, your life will change in amazing ways, because God is a Redeemer. Theres nothing thats too hard for Him, and He can make you whole, spirit, soul and body!

You’re important to God, and you’re important to us at The Refinery.

When it comes to prayer, we believe that God wants to meet your needs and reveal His promises to you.

So whatever you’re concerned about and need prayer for we want to be here for you! Or even if you just want to say Hi, you can contact us at www.refinerylife.org

2025 IS A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS.

© www.refinerylife.org  2013-2024 All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968, no part of this Article may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission.

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@ 16d11430:61640947

The “divide and conquer” strategy used to pit Bitcoiners against the wider crypto community is a deliberate tactic aimed at creating internal divisions, fostering confusion, and weakening the collective momentum of decentralized technologies. By exploiting philosophical, technological, and cultural differences between Bitcoin maximalists and proponents of alternative cryptocurrencies, fiat instigators and other vested interests aim to undermine the larger blockchain ecosystem. Here's an exploration of this strategy:

---

Exploiting Ideological Differences

1. Bitcoin Maximalism vs. Crypto Diversity:

Bitcoin maximalists advocate that Bitcoin is the only truly decentralized, immutable, and sound form of money, dismissing other cryptocurrencies as unnecessary or outright scams.

Proponents of other blockchains argue that innovations like smart contracts, scalability, and specialized use cases justify the existence of altcoins and Ethereum-like ecosystems.

Fiat-aligned propagandists amplify these debates, framing them as irreconcilable conflicts, rather than healthy competition within an evolving ecosystem.

1. Labeling Altcoins as “Shitcoins”:

By co-opting Bitcoin maximalist terminology like “shitcoin” to denigrate all other cryptocurrencies, fiat proponents fan the flames of division. This reinforces the perception that the crypto community is fragmented, unreliable, and rife with infighting, reducing its appeal to newcomers.

---

Creating Confusion Over Purpose

1. Framing Bitcoin as Anti-Innovation:

Propagandists often portray Bitcoin as a “dinosaur” in the blockchain space, emphasizing its slower transaction speeds, energy consumption, and limited programmability.

Simultaneously, they label other cryptocurrencies as “untrustworthy” or “too experimental,” creating confusion about the legitimacy and purpose of blockchain technology as a whole.

1. Highlighting Scams and Failures:

Media narratives frequently spotlight rug-pulls, scams, and failures in the broader crypto space while ignoring the resilience and success of Bitcoin. By conflating Bitcoin with the broader crypto market, they erode public trust in decentralized technologies altogether.

---

Fueling Regulatory Divides

1. Regulation as a Weapon:

Regulators and central authorities use differing approaches for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to create division. For instance, Bitcoin is often labeled as a “digital asset” or “commodity,” while other cryptocurrencies are deemed securities, leading to disparate treatment and confusion over legitimacy.

This divide discourages collaboration between Bitcoiners and altcoin communities, as each group perceives itself as having different regulatory battles to fight.

1. Narratives Around Environmental Impact:

Bitcoin is targeted for its proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism, which is painted as environmentally destructive. In contrast, proof-of-stake (PoS) systems are promoted as “green” alternatives.

This framing encourages environmentalists and sustainability advocates to align against Bitcoin, while Bitcoiners double down on defending PoW, exacerbating the divide.

---

Manipulating Tribalism

1. Turning Bitcoiners Against Altcoins:

Bitcoiners are encouraged to see altcoins as fraudulent or unnecessary competitors, while altcoin proponents are encouraged to see Bitcoiners as close-minded purists clinging to outdated technology.

This tribalism prevents cooperation on shared goals, such as financial inclusion, decentralization, and resistance to censorship.

1. Highlighting Cultural Divides:

Bitcoin culture, often associated with libertarian values and sound money principles, is framed as elitist and exclusionary.

In contrast, altcoin cultures, which emphasize innovation, diversity, and experimentation, are painted as reckless and overly speculative.

These cultural clashes distract from the broader shared mission of decentralizing power and creating alternatives to the fiat system.

---

Amplifying Internal Critiques

1. Media Amplification of Disputes:

Public disagreements between prominent figures in the Bitcoin and crypto spaces are sensationalized by media outlets. For example, debates over scaling solutions, hard forks, or smart contract utility are framed as existential threats to the ecosystem’s credibility.

This amplification undermines confidence in both Bitcoin and alternative cryptocurrencies by making the community seem chaotic and divided.

1. Weaponizing Social Media:

Bots and trolls infiltrate online discussions, spreading misinformation and stoking hostility between Bitcoiners and altcoin advocates. These efforts create echo chambers, reinforcing confirmation bias and deepening divides.

---

Long-Term Consequences of the Divide and Conquer Approach

1. Delaying Mass Adoption:

Confusion and infighting reduce public trust in blockchain technologies, slowing adoption and deterring institutional investment.

Potential users and developers are discouraged from entering the space, fearing instability and conflict.

1. Fragmenting the Ecosystem:

Instead of working together to overcome regulatory challenges, scale adoption, or innovate solutions, the crypto community wastes resources fighting internal battles.

This fragmentation leaves the ecosystem vulnerable to external attacks, such as coordinated government crackdowns or monopolistic behavior by large financial institutions.

1. Strengthening Fiat Narratives:

By keeping the crypto space divided, fiat propagandists can continue to push narratives that centralized financial systems are more reliable, cohesive, and secure.

These narratives reinforce the status quo, delaying the broader transition to decentralized systems.

---

Overcoming the Divide

To counteract the divide and conquer strategy, the Bitcoin and crypto communities must:

1. Focus on Shared Goals: Highlight common objectives like financial inclusion, censorship resistance, and decentralization.

2. Promote Constructive Dialogue: Encourage debates that focus on solutions rather than criticisms, emphasizing the complementary strengths of different technologies.

3. Educate the Public: Combat misinformation by creating accessible resources that explain the value of Bitcoin and blockchain as distinct but synergistic innovations.

4. Resist Tribalism: Recognize that both Bitcoin and altcoins have roles to play in a diverse and evolving financial ecosystem.

By fostering unity and cooperation, the blockchain community can overcome external attempts to sow division and work toward a more decentralized, equitable future.

@ 36461ff8:a4454aad

“My position is improper foods cause disease; proper foods cure disease. Nothing else needs to be said.” - Dr. Bieler, author of Food is Your Best Medicine

As a holistic doctor with over 2 decades of clinical experience, I don't entirely agree with this statement. Everyday in practice, I see the extraordinary application of plant medicines and clinical nutrition in treatments of complex patterns with remarkable outcomes that go above and beyond diet, but I still very much appreciate the value of food as medicine.

Famous Bieler Broth:

• 2 zucchinni
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 cup of green beans
• handful of parsley
• garlic to taste
• my father made this and added butter and salt
• chop and steam with purified water until tender then blend and drink

I was fortunate enough to treat one of Dr. Bieler’s patients for many years until he passed away in his nineties. He told me some of the famous doctor’s secrets and how patients came from all over for treatment with fantastic results. He himself was seriously ill before seeing Dr. Bieler.

Dr. Bieler's Final Conclusions:

“As a practicing physician for over 50 years, I have reached three basic conclusions as to the cause and cure of disease.

The first is that the primary cause of disease is not germs. Rather, I believe that disease is caused by toxemia which results in cellular impairment and breakdown, thus paving the way for the multiplication and onslaught of other complications.

My second conclusion is that in almost all cases the use of drugs in treating patients is harmful. Drugs often cause serious side effects, and sometimes even create new diseases. The dubious benefits they afford the patient are at best temporary. Yet the number of drugs on the market increases geometrically every year as each chemical firm develops its own variation of the compounds. The physician is indeed rare who can be completely aware of the potential danger from the side effects of all of these drugs.

My third conclusion is that disease can be cured through the proper use of the correct foods. This statement may sound deceptively simple, but I have arrived at it only after intensive study of a highly complex subject: toxemia and endocrine chemistry.

My conclusions are based on experimental and observational results, gathered through years of successfully treating patients. Occasionally I have resorted to the use of drugs in an emergency situation, but those times have been rare. Instead, I have sought to prescribe for my patients’ illnesses antidotes which Nature has placed at their disposal.” - Dr. Bieler“

@ 16d11430:61640947

I leaned back in my chair, staring out the window of a quiet suburban café in Melbourne. Rain trickled down the glass in half-hearted streaks, as if even the weather couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to commit. I sipped my lukewarm chai, the spice muddled beyond recognition, and shook my head at the headlines flickering on my phone.

"Privies and staties," I muttered, half to myself. "The great cultural war, fought with memes and moral outrage."

The waitress, a twenty-something with blue streaks in her hair and the harried look of someone juggling rent and an art degree, glanced at me, but I waved her off. She didn’t need to hear the rant bubbling inside me. But you do.

Let me tell you about these Australians and their bizarre tribes. On one side, you’ve got the privies, the products of private schools with Latin mottos, boat shoes, and a chronic inability to read the room. These are the ones who learned how to debate the ethics of colonialism before they could tie their shoelaces. They grew up in manicured bubbles, tutored in piano and privilege, and now lead the charge in the great cultural revolution.

Oh, they’ll cry for social justice over their oat-milk lattes, but God forbid you mention their family’s ties to real estate empires or mining conglomerates. They protest with passion, but it’s always the kind of passion that ends before the rain starts or the Uber surge pricing kicks in.

Then there are the staties, the self-proclaimed champions of the "real Australia." They’re the salt-of-the-earth types who can’t stand the privies. Too posh, too preachy, too disconnected. The staties fight their wars with beer in one hand and a smartphone in the other, spamming their feeds with angry rants about "wokeness" and how things were better in the '80s. They see the privies as the enemy—elitists, virtue-signaling snobs who wouldn’t last a day on a construction site.

And yet, the staties are no saints themselves. They scream about freedom while demanding the government fix everything that annoys them. They sneer at art and academia, unless, of course, it’s a Hamilton ticket or a Netflix drama. They don’t want to change the world; they just want to win enough of it to tell everyone else to shove off.

Caught between these two warring factions, I—an Indian old boy from a legacy school where discipline and ambition were drilled into us like multiplication tables—sit here, baffled. I grew up in a world of contradictions too, but at least ours came with good food and a soundtrack of classical ragas. This Australian version of the culture wars? It’s a pantomime, all sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Take the debates about statues. The privies want to tear them all down—symbols of oppression, they say. The staties clutch their pearls, howling about history being erased, as if the only thing holding civilization together is a bronze guy on a horse. And in the middle? Nothing changes. Rent still skyrockets, climate disasters loom, and the housing market remains about as accessible as Doon School admissions to a street vendor’s child.

The irony is that both sides are just cogs in the same ridiculous machine. The privies rail against capitalism, but live off trust funds and well-paying jobs courtesy of their networks. The staties mock the pretensions of the elite but secretly envy their polish and privilege.

Meanwhile, here I sit, with my scuffed shoes and tired eyes, watching this farce unfold. We had our own clown shows back in India, of course. Macaulay’s little brown gentlemen, striving to out-English the English. At least we had masala chai and biryani to soften the absurdity. Here, it’s bland chai and vegemite sandwiches.

I chuckle, shaking my head at the absurdity of it all. The waitress, still hovering nearby, gives me a curious look. I gesture for the bill, deciding I’ve indulged in enough cynicism for one afternoon. The cultural wars will rage on without me.

As I step out into the drizzle, I can’t help but think: if this is the best they’ve got, maybe it’s time for the old boys to show them how it’s done. After all, we’ve been navigating the tightrope of hypocrisy and ambition for centuries. What’s one more circus?

@ 16d11430:61640947

The global technology industry is a paradox of modernity and historical legacies. On the surface, it thrives on innovation, cross-border collaboration, and diversity. Yet, beneath this veneer lies a disturbing continuation of colonial-era power dynamics. With leadership and non-technical roles dominated by professionals from developed Western nations, and technical labor outsourced predominantly to developing countries, the tech sector operates under a "business as usual" approach that perpetuates colonial visions of hierarchy and control.

---

The Lull to the Norm: An Invisible Legacy

Leadership and the West’s Monopoly on Power

Non-technical leadership roles in the tech industry are disproportionately occupied by individuals from countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and other former colonial powers. These roles, encompassing strategy, decision-making, and vision-setting, form the backbone of global tech operations.

Statistics: In Silicon Valley, white males hold 58.7% of executive positions, while Asian males, despite their high representation in technical roles, occupy only 16.3% of executive roles. African American and Hispanic representation is even lower. (Source)

Implications: These patterns mirror historical colonial structures where administrative and decision-making powers were centralized in Western metropoles, while the labor-intensive work was relegated to colonies.

Technical Labor and the Outsourcing of Expertise

Technical labor in the global tech industry has become synonymous with talent from developing countries, particularly India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. This division of labor, while celebrated as cost-efficient and globally inclusive, also reinforces a narrative where technical expertise is commoditized, while strategic and creative roles are retained in the West.

Global Workforce Distribution: India alone accounts for 53% of the global tech workforce sourced through outsourcing platforms, a figure that underscores the reliance on developing nations for technical expertise. (Source)

The Unseen Ceiling: While these workers are highly skilled, systemic barriers often prevent their transition into decision-making roles, relegating them to a cycle of “support” work that lacks career advancement.

---

A Colonial Vision: The Reinforcement of Hierarchies

The division of labor in the tech industry is not accidental but a reflection of deeper structural inequities rooted in colonial ideologies:

1. Knowledge and Power Centralization: Just as colonial powers centralized administrative control while delegating manual work to colonies, the tech industry centralizes leadership in Western hubs while outsourcing technical work to developing nations.

2. Economic Exploitation: Developing countries provide a wealth of skilled labor at lower costs, driving profits for corporations headquartered in the West. This mirrors the economic exploitation of colonies, where raw resources and labor were extracted for metropolitan gain.

3. Cultural Hierarchies: Soft skills and leadership qualities, often defined by Western norms, are prioritized over technical expertise. This reinforces the idea that strategic thinking and innovation are inherently Western attributes, while execution and technical work are the domain of others.

---

Breaking the Cycle: A Call for Change

Recognizing Global Talent Equitably

The industry must redefine its metrics for leadership and innovation. Technical expertise from developing countries is not just labor but intellectual capital that deserves recognition and representation in decision-making roles.

Case in Point: Organizations like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) demonstrate how technical teams from developing countries can take on leadership roles globally, challenging the status quo.

Decentralizing Leadership

Leadership roles should reflect the global nature of the workforce. Companies need to actively promote individuals from diverse cultural and geographical backgrounds into decision-making positions, breaking the Western monopoly on soft-skill dominance.

Fostering Cross-Cultural Collaboration

Global tech organizations must build mechanisms for meaningful collaboration between Western leadership and technical teams from developing nations. This includes addressing cultural biases and creating pathways for career advancement that are not limited by geography or nationality.

Leveraging Decentralized Finance and Blockchain

The rise of blockchain and decentralized finance (DeFi) provides an alternative framework that bypasses traditional hierarchies. Through tokenized incentives and decentralized governance, skilled professionals can independently create, innovate, and profit outside the confines of corporate colonialism.

---

Conclusion: Toward a Post-Colonial Tech Industry

The global tech sector, despite its progressiveness, remains a product of historical hierarchies. The division of labor—leadership in the West, execution in the East and South—is not a mere coincidence but a continuation of colonial visions. As the industry expands, it must confront these dynamics head-on.

Breaking free from this cycle requires more than policy changes; it demands a fundamental shift in perspective. By recognizing the intellectual capital of technical labor, decentralizing leadership, and fostering equitable collaboration, the tech industry can move toward a truly inclusive and post-colonial future. Until then, the lull to the norm remains a quiet affirmation of a colonial past.

@ 16d11430:61640947

The Australian tech industry is booming, fueled by skilled migration and increasing demand for innovation. Yet, many highly qualified immigrants find themselves trapped in an unforgiving system, stifled by the limitations of fiat economies and traditional job markets. For those seeking autonomy and financial independence, decentralized finance (DeFi) offers a revolutionary escape route. By leveraging blockchain technology, immigrants can bypass traditional barriers, unlock new opportunities, and redefine their economic participation in Australia’s tech ecosystem.

---

The Problem: A Fragile, Fiat-Based Ecosystem

Underemployment and Job Mismatch

Many skilled immigrants arrive in Australia with dreams of applying their hard-earned expertise, only to encounter underemployment or roles unrelated to their qualifications. This mismatch arises from:

Recognition Issues: Foreign credentials and experience often go undervalued.

Economic Shocks: The fiat-based economy is prone to cycles of instability, leaving immigrants vulnerable to layoffs and wage suppression.

Systemic Barriers: Licensing requirements, workplace discrimination, and a preference for "local experience" keep many skilled professionals from thriving.

Financial Vulnerabilities

Immigrants also face challenges in navigating Australia’s financial system, which is heavily fiat-dependent:

High Living Costs: The high cost of living in major Australian cities like Sydney and Melbourne erodes savings and limits economic mobility.

Limited Access to Credit: Without robust credit histories in Australia, immigrants often struggle to secure loans or mortgages.

Dependency on Remittances: Immigrants sending money back home face exorbitant fees and delays, further compounding financial strain.

---

The DeFi Solution: A Borderless Financial Ecosystem

Decentralized finance, or DeFi, is transforming the global financial landscape. Built on blockchain technology, DeFi eliminates intermediaries, providing direct access to financial services such as lending, borrowing, and investing. For immigrants in Australia's tech ecosystem, DeFi offers a pathway to financial empowerment and independence.

Key Benefits of DeFi for Immigrants

1. Access to Global Capital DeFi platforms enable immigrants to tap into global liquidity pools, allowing them to secure loans or funding without relying on local credit systems. Smart contracts ensure transparency and fairness, removing biases that plague traditional banking.

2. Earning Through Crypto Immigrants can participate in DeFi protocols to earn passive income through staking, yield farming, or providing liquidity. This income is not tied to the fragile fiat economy and offers a hedge against local economic downturns.

3. Borderless Remittances By using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or stablecoins, immigrants can send money back home instantly and at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional remittance services.

4. Decentralized Career Platforms Web3 technologies are enabling decentralized platforms where immigrants can showcase their skills, secure gig work, and get paid in crypto, bypassing restrictive local hiring practices.

---

DeFi Meets Skilled Immigration: A Blueprint for Independence

1. Building an Alternative Tech Economy

DeFi empowers immigrants to bypass Australia’s fiat-based tech ecosystem by participating in global, decentralized marketplaces. For instance:

Immigrant developers can contribute to open-source Web3 projects and earn cryptocurrency.

Blockchain-based freelancing platforms allow skilled workers to monetize their expertise without needing local validation.

1. Funding Innovation Without Borders

Immigrants with entrepreneurial ambitions often struggle to secure funding in Australia. Through DeFi platforms, they can raise capital via Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), decentralized crowdfunding, or tokenized equity models.

1. Escaping Fiat Dependency

DeFi provides an opportunity to store wealth in stablecoins or cryptocurrencies, reducing exposure to fiat-related inflation and instability. By adopting Bitcoin and DeFi solutions, immigrants can build a financial buffer that operates independently of the Australian dollar.

1. Resilience Against Economic Shocks

DeFi’s decentralized nature protects users from localized economic crises. Immigrants can diversify their income streams globally, reducing their dependency on Australia’s fragile economic cycles.

---

Challenges and Risks

While DeFi offers immense potential, it is not without risks. Immigrants exploring this space should be aware of:

Regulatory Uncertainty: Australia’s evolving crypto regulations could impact DeFi accessibility.

Volatility: Cryptocurrencies are inherently volatile, and users must exercise caution in managing investments.

Scams and Security: The decentralized nature of DeFi makes it a target for scams and hacks. Immigrants must prioritize education and security practices.

---

Conclusion: A New Path to Empowerment

For skilled immigrants in Australia’s tech ecosystem, DeFi represents more than just a financial tool—it’s a lifeline to autonomy and opportunity. By leveraging blockchain technology, immigrants can break free from the suppressive constraints of fiat-based systems, access global opportunities, and achieve true economic independence.

The intersection of DeFi and skilled immigration is not just a vision for the future—it’s a call to action. As the world transitions toward decentralized systems, skilled immigrants have a unique opportunity to lead the way, redefining what it means to thrive in a globalized economy.

@ 16d11430:61640947

Throughout history, the rise of any revolutionary force has often left destruction in its wake. Empires crumble, leaders fall, and the world reshapes itself through upheaval. Yet Bitcoin, the decentralized force of economic transformation, is different. It does not raze cities, spill blood, or bring tyrants to their knees in chains. Instead, it offers a unique and almost merciful path to its opponents—fiat leaders.

Bitcoin spares all but their pride, offering them the opportunity to adapt, accept, and join the future. A lesser conqueror would not have had such restraint.

The Nature of Fiat Power

Fiat leaders derive their authority from a system built on trust—trust in the currency they print, the rules they impose, and the promises they make. But as history has shown, this trust is fragile. The fiat system is prone to corruption, inflation, and inequality, often serving the elite at the expense of the masses.

Bitcoin, by its very design, dismantles this fragile trust. Its immutable ledger, decentralized governance, and capped supply reveal the flaws of fiat systems with unyielding transparency. To fiat leaders, this is a humiliation—a slow, undeniable exposure of their system's weaknesses. Yet, Bitcoin does not destroy them outright. Instead, it gives them a choice.

The Mercy of Bitcoin

A lesser conqueror would demand total submission, punishing those who stood in opposition. Bitcoin, however, does not demand anyone’s allegiance. It does not imprison fiat leaders, confiscate their wealth, or physically overthrow their regimes. Instead, it renders their systems obsolete through peaceful, voluntary adoption.

Fiat leaders are not forced to give up their power; they are merely shown a better way. They are spared the brutal consequences of war or violent revolution, given the opportunity to embrace Bitcoin and adapt their policies. While their pride may be wounded, their lives and systems are left intact, offering them a rare chance to evolve.

The Lesser Conqueror’s Path

Imagine a world where a lesser conqueror, driven by greed or vengeance, rose to challenge fiat power. History offers countless examples of such figures—dictators, insurgents, and invaders—who sought to destroy their enemies utterly. These conquerors left nothing but ruin behind them, ensuring their victims had no chance for redemption.

Bitcoin is not a conqueror of this sort. It seeks to empower, not destroy. Its mission is not to replace one oppressive system with another but to build a decentralized, incorruptible foundation for global prosperity. Even as it humiliates fiat leaders by exposing their failures, it extends a hand of mercy, offering them a way to coexist in the new paradigm.

Humiliation as a Catalyst

For fiat leaders, the humiliation Bitcoin brings is a bitter pill to swallow. To see their systems falter in the face of an algorithm, a decentralized network of nodes, and a global community of believers is no small blow. Yet this humiliation is not an end—it is a beginning.

Many fiat leaders, recognizing the inevitability of Bitcoin’s rise, have begun to adapt. Nations are exploring Bitcoin adoption, regulators are crafting frameworks, and even central banks are experimenting with digital currencies. This willingness to change, however begrudging, is a testament to Bitcoin’s power as a peaceful conqueror.

Conclusion: A New Era of Mercy

Bitcoin’s kindness lies in its restraint. It conquers through innovation, not violence; through transparency, not deception. It humiliates fiat leaders by exposing the flaws of their systems, but it spares them the devastation that lesser conquerors would inflict. This mercy is a testament to Bitcoin’s higher purpose—a world where power is decentralized, value is preserved, and humanity can thrive without fear of corruption or collapse.

In the end, Bitcoin’s triumph will not be marked by the fall of fiat leaders, but by their transformation. Their humiliation, while painful, is a necessary step toward a better world. Bitcoin’s mercy is its greatest strength, ensuring that its conquest is not one of destruction, but of renewal.

@ dbb19ae0:c3f22d5a

Introduction to Perl programming

Perl is a high-level, general-purpose programming language that excels in text processing, system administration, web development, and more. Its flexibility and strong regular expression capabilities make it a popular choice for scripting tasks. This article introduces the basics of Perl programming, including an example script.

Basics of Perl

Running a Perl Script

To execute a Perl script, save the code in a file with a .pl extension (e.g., script.pl) and run it from the command line: bash perl script.pl

Syntax Highlights

1. Shebang Line: Specify the interpreter. perl #!/usr/bin/perl
2. Comments: Use # for single-line comments. perl # This is a comment
3. Printing Output: perl print "Hello, World!\n";

Variables

Perl has three main variable types: - Scalars: Single values (numbers, strings, etc.), prefixed by $. perl my $name = "Eva"; my $age = 35; - Arrays: Ordered lists, prefixed by @. perl my @colors = ("red", "green", "blue"); - Hashes: Key-value pairs, prefixed by %. perl my %capitals = ("France" => "Paris", "Japan" => "Tokyo");

Control Structures

• Conditional Statements: perl if ($age > 18) { print "You are an adult.\n"; } else { print "You are a minor.\n"; }
• Loops: perl for my $color (@colors) { print "$color\n"; }

Example Script: Text File Analysis

This script reads a text file, counts the lines, words, and characters, and prints the results.

Script

```perl

!/usr/bin/perl

use strict; use warnings;

Check for file argument

if (@ARGV != 1) { die "Usage: $0 \n"; }

my $filename = $ARGV[0];

Open the file

open(my $fh, '<', $filename) or die "Could not open file '$filename': $!\n";

Initialize counters

my ($line_count, $word_count, $char_count) = (0, 0, 0);

Process the file

while (my $line = <$fh>) { $line_count++; $char_count += length($line); $word_count += scalar(split(/\s+/, $line)); }

close($fh);

Print results

print "File: $filename\n"; print "Lines: $line_count\n"; print "Words: $word_count\n"; print "Characters: $char_count\n"; ```

Explanation

1. Input Validation: Ensures the script is called with a filename.
2. File Handling: Uses open and close for file operations.
3. Counters: Tracks lines, words, and characters.
4. Loop: Reads the file line by line, processing each line.

Running the Script

Save the script as file_analysis.pl and run it with a text file: bash perl file_analysis.pl sample.txt

Conclusion

Perl is a powerful tool for scripting and data processing. Its concise syntax and robust text-handling capabilities make it an excellent choice for many tasks. This example demonstrates basic Perl features and encourages further exploration of its vast capabilities.

@ dbb19ae0:c3f22d5a

Inspired by a video on youtube I wrote a calculator with Perl: Beware the line my ($num1, $num2, $operator) = '@'; should be my ($num1, $num2, $operator) = @; But the markdown syntax needs to have the @ into quotes otherwise, well the rest of the program is missing

#!/usr/bin/perl
# calculator
#
use strict;
use warnings;

sub get_input {
    print "Enter number 1: ";
    chomp(my $num1 = <STDIN>);

    print "Enter number 2: ";
    chomp(my $num2 = <STDIN>);

    print "Enter operator (+, -, *, /): ";
    chomp(my $operator = <STDIN>);

    return ($num1, $num2, $operator);
}

sub calculate {
    my ($num1, $num2, $operator) = '@'_;

    my $result;
    if ($operator eq '+') {
        $result = $num1 + $num2;
    } elsif ($operator eq '-') {
        $result = $num1 - $num2;
    } elsif ($operator eq '*') {
        $result = $num1 * $num2;
    } elsif ($operator eq '/') {
        if ($num2 == 0) {
            die "Error: Division by zero\n";
        }
        $result = $num1 / $num2;
    } else {
        die "Invalid operator\n";
    }

    return $result;
}

# Get input from the user
my ($num1, $num2, $operator) = get_input();

# Calculate the result
my $result = calculate($num1, $num2, $operator);

# Print the result
print "$num1 $operator $num2 = $result\n";

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/816121