@ dc4cd086:cee77c06

Have you ever wanted to learn from lengthy educational videos but found it challenging to navigate through hours of content? Our new tool addresses this problem by transforming long-form video lectures into easily digestible, searchable content.

Key Features:

Video Processing:

• Automatically downloads YouTube videos, transcripts, and chapter information
• Splits transcripts into sections based on video chapters

Content Summarization:

• Utilizes language models to transform spoken content into clear, readable text
• Formats output in AsciiDoc for improved readability and navigation
• Highlights key terms and concepts with [[term]] notation for potential cross-referencing

Diagram Extraction:

• Analyzes video entropy to identify static diagram/slide sections
• Provides a user-friendly GUI for manual selection of relevant time ranges
• Allows users to pick representative frames from selected ranges

Going Forward:

Currently undergoing a rewrite to improve organization and functionality, but you are welcome to try the current version, though it might not work on every machine. Will support multiple open and closed language models for user choice Free and open-source, allowing for personal customization and integration with various knowledge bases. Just because we might not have it on our official Alexandria knowledge base, you are still welcome to use it on you own personal or community knowledge bases! We want to help find connections between ideas that exist across relays, allowing individuals and groups to mix and match knowledge bases between each other, allowing for any degree of openness you care.

While designed with #Alexandria users in mind, it's available for anyone to use and adapt to their own learning needs.

Screenshots

Frame Selection

This is a screenshot of the frame selection interface. You'll see a signal that represents frame entropy over time. The vertical lines indicate the start and end of a chapter. Within these chapters you can select the frames by clicking and dragging the mouse over the desired range where you think diagram is in that chapter. At the bottom is an option that tells the program to select a specific number of frames from that selection.

Diagram Extraction

This is a screenshot of the diagram extraction interface. For every selection you've made, there will be a set of frames that you can choose from. You can select and deselect as many frames as you'd like to save.

Links

• repo: https://github.com/limina1/video_article_converter
• Nostr Apps 101: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flxa_jkErqE

Output

And now, we have a demonstration of the final result of this tool, with some quick cleaning up. The video we will be using this tool on is titled Nostr Apps 101 by nostr:npub1nxy4qpqnld6kmpphjykvx2lqwvxmuxluddwjamm4nc29ds3elyzsm5avr7 during Nostrasia. The following thread is an analog to the modular articles we are constructing for Alexandria, and I hope it conveys the functionality we want to create in the knowledge space. Note, this tool is the first step! You could use a different prompt that is most appropriate for the specific context of the transcript you are working with, but you can also manually clean up any discrepancies that don't portray the video accurately. You can now view the article on #Alexandria https://next-alexandria.gitcitadel.eu/publication?d=nostr-apps-101

Initially published as chained kind 1's nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzp5r5hd579v2sszvvzfel677c8dxgxm3skl773sujlsuft64c44ncqy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qgwwaehxw309ahx7uewd3hkctcpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43z7qghwaehxw309aex2mrp0yhxummnw3ezucnpdejz7qgewaehxw309aex2mrp0yh8xmn0wf6zuum0vd5kzmp0qqsxunmjy20mvlq37vnrcshkf6sdrtkfjtjz3anuetmcuv8jswhezgc7hglpn

Or view on Coracle https://coracle.social /nevent1qqsxunmjy20mvlq37vnrcshkf6sdrtkfjtjz3anuetmcuv8jswhezgcppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0qgsdqa9md83tz5yqnrqjw07hhkpmfjpkuv9hlh5v8yhu8z274w9dv7qnnq0s3

@ 6be5cc06:5259daf0

A seguir, veja como instalar e configurar o Privoxy no Pop!_OS.

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1. Instalar o Tor e o Privoxy

Abra o terminal e execute:

bash sudo apt update sudo apt install tor privoxy

Explicação:

• Tor: Roteia o tráfego pela rede Tor.
• Privoxy: Proxy avançado que intermedia a conexão entre aplicativos e o Tor.

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2. Configurar o Privoxy

Abra o arquivo de configuração do Privoxy:

bash sudo nano /etc/privoxy/config

Navegue até a última linha (atalho: Ctrl + / depois Ctrl + V para navegar diretamente até a última linha) e insira:

bash forward-socks5 / 127.0.0.1:9050 .

Isso faz com que o Privoxy envie todo o tráfego para o Tor através da porta 9050.

Salve (CTRL + O e Enter) e feche (CTRL + X) o arquivo.

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3. Iniciar o Tor e o Privoxy

Agora, inicie e habilite os serviços:

bash sudo systemctl start tor sudo systemctl start privoxy sudo systemctl enable tor sudo systemctl enable privoxy

Explicação:

• start: Inicia os serviços.
• enable: Faz com que iniciem automaticamente ao ligar o PC.

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4. Configurar o Navegador Firefox

Para usar a rede Tor com o Firefox:

1. Abra o Firefox.
2. Acesse Configurações → Configurar conexão.
3. Selecione Configuração manual de proxy.
4. Configure assim:
   • Proxy HTTP: 127.0.0.1
   • Porta: 8118 (porta padrão do Privoxy)
   • Domínio SOCKS (v5): 127.0.0.1
   • Porta: 9050
5. Marque a opção "Usar este proxy também em HTTPS".
6. Clique em OK.

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5. Verificar a Conexão com o Tor

Abra o navegador e acesse:

text https://check.torproject.org/

Se aparecer a mensagem "Congratulations. This browser is configured to use Tor.", a configuração está correta.

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Dicas Extras

• Privoxy pode ser ajustado para bloquear anúncios e rastreadores.
• Outros aplicativos também podem ser configurados para usar o Privoxy.

@ 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.

@ c631e267:c2b78d3e

Nur wenn wir aufeinander zugehen, haben wir die Chance \ auf Überwindung der gegenseitigen Ressentiments! \ Dr. med. dent. Jens Knipphals

In Wolfsburg sollte es kürzlich eine Gesprächsrunde von Kritikern der Corona-Politik mit Oberbürgermeister Dennis Weilmann und Vertretern der Stadtverwaltung geben. Der Zahnarzt und langjährige Maßnahmenkritiker Jens Knipphals hatte diese Einladung ins Rathaus erwirkt und publiziert. Seine Motivation:

«Ich möchte die Spaltung der Gesellschaft überwinden. Dazu ist eine umfassende Aufarbeitung der Corona-Krise in der Öffentlichkeit notwendig.»

Schon früher hatte Knipphals Antworten von den Kommunalpolitikern verlangt, zum Beispiel bei öffentlichen Bürgerfragestunden. Für das erwartete Treffen im Rathaus formulierte er Fragen wie: Warum wurden fachliche Argumente der Kritiker ignoriert? Weshalb wurde deren Ausgrenzung, Diskreditierung und Entmenschlichung nicht entgegengetreten? In welcher Form übernehmen Rat und Verwaltung in Wolfsburg persönlich Verantwortung für die erheblichen Folgen der politischen Corona-Krise?

Der Termin fand allerdings nicht statt – der Bürgermeister sagte ihn kurz vorher wieder ab. Knipphals bezeichnete Weilmann anschließend als Wiederholungstäter, da das Stadtoberhaupt bereits 2022 zu einem Runden Tisch in der Sache eingeladen hatte, den es dann nie gab. Gegenüber Multipolar erklärte der Arzt, Weilmann wolle scheinbar eine öffentliche Aufarbeitung mit allen Mitteln verhindern. Er selbst sei «inzwischen absolut desillusioniert» und die einzige Lösung sei, dass die Verantwortlichen gingen.

Die Aufarbeitung der Plandemie beginne bei jedem von uns selbst, sei aber letztlich eine gesamtgesellschaftliche Aufgabe, schreibt Peter Frey, der den «Fall Wolfsburg» auch in seinem Blog behandelt. Diese Aufgabe sei indes deutlich größer, als viele glaubten. Erfreulicherweise sei der öffentliche Informationsraum inzwischen größer, trotz der weiterhin unverfrorenen Desinformations-Kampagnen der etablierten Massenmedien.

Frey erinnert daran, dass Dennis Weilmann mitverantwortlich für gravierende Grundrechtseinschränkungen wie die 2021 eingeführten 2G-Regeln in der Wolfsburger Innenstadt zeichnet. Es sei naiv anzunehmen, dass ein Funktionär einzig im Interesse der Bürger handeln würde. Als früherer Dezernent des Amtes für Wirtschaft, Digitalisierung und Kultur der Autostadt kenne Weilmann zum Beispiel die Verknüpfung von Fördergeldern mit politischen Zielsetzungen gut.

Wolfsburg wurde damals zu einem Modellprojekt des Bundesministeriums des Innern (BMI) und war Finalist im Bitkom-Wettbewerb «Digitale Stadt». So habe rechtzeitig vor der Plandemie das Projekt «Smart City Wolfsburg» anlaufen können, das der Stadt «eine Vorreiterrolle für umfassende Vernetzung und Datenerfassung» aufgetragen habe, sagt Frey. Die Vereinten Nationen verkauften dann derartige «intelligente» Überwachungs- und Kontrollmaßnahmen ebenso als Rettung in der Not wie das Magazin Forbes im April 2020:

«Intelligente Städte können uns helfen, die Coronavirus-Pandemie zu bekämpfen. In einer wachsenden Zahl von Ländern tun die intelligenten Städte genau das. Regierungen und lokale Behörden nutzen Smart-City-Technologien, Sensoren und Daten, um die Kontakte von Menschen aufzuspüren, die mit dem Coronavirus infiziert sind. Gleichzeitig helfen die Smart Cities auch dabei, festzustellen, ob die Regeln der sozialen Distanzierung eingehalten werden.»

Offensichtlich gibt es viele Aspekte zu bedenken und zu durchleuten, wenn es um die Aufklärung und Aufarbeitung der sogenannten «Corona-Pandemie» und der verordneten Maßnahmen geht. Frustration und Desillusion sind angesichts der Realitäten absolut verständlich. Gerade deswegen sind Initiativen wie die von Jens Knipphals so bewundernswert und so wichtig – ebenso wie eine seiner Kernthesen: «Wir müssen aufeinander zugehen, da hilft alles nichts».

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Im Augenblick wird mit größter Intensität, großer Umsicht \ das deutsche Volk belogen. \ Olaf Scholz im FAZ-Interview

Online-Wahlen stärken die Demokratie, sind sicher, und 61 Prozent der Wahlberechtigten sprechen sich für deren Einführung in Deutschland aus. Das zumindest behauptet eine aktuelle Umfrage, die auch über die Agentur Reuters Verbreitung in den Medien gefunden hat. Demnach würden außerdem 45 Prozent der Nichtwähler bei der Bundestagswahl ihre Stimme abgeben, wenn sie dies zum Beispiel von Ihrem PC, Tablet oder Smartphone aus machen könnten.

Die telefonische Umfrage unter gut 1000 wahlberechtigten Personen sei repräsentativ, behauptet der Auftraggeber – der Digitalverband Bitkom. Dieser präsentiert sich als eingetragener Verein mit einer beeindruckenden Liste von Mitgliedern, die Software und IT-Dienstleistungen anbieten. Erklärtes Vereinsziel ist es, «Deutschland zu einem führenden Digitalstandort zu machen und die digitale Transformation der deutschen Wirtschaft und Verwaltung voranzutreiben».

Durchgeführt hat die Befragung die Bitkom Servicegesellschaft mbH, also alles in der Familie. Die gleiche Erhebung hatte der Verband übrigens 2021 schon einmal durchgeführt. Damals sprachen sich angeblich sogar 63 Prozent für ein derartiges «Demokratie-Update» aus – die Tendenz ist demgemäß fallend. Dennoch orakelt mancher, der Gang zur Wahlurne gelte bereits als veraltet.

Die spanische Privat-Uni mit Globalisten-Touch, IE University, berichtete Ende letzten Jahres in ihrer Studie «European Tech Insights», 67 Prozent der Europäer befürchteten, dass Hacker Wahlergebnisse verfälschen könnten. Mehr als 30 Prozent der Befragten glaubten, dass künstliche Intelligenz (KI) bereits Wahlentscheidungen beeinflusst habe. Trotzdem würden angeblich 34 Prozent der unter 35-Jährigen einer KI-gesteuerten App vertrauen, um in ihrem Namen für politische Kandidaten zu stimmen.

Wie dauerhaft wird wohl das Ergebnis der kommenden Bundestagswahl sein? Diese Frage stellt sich angesichts der aktuellen Entwicklung der Migrations-Debatte und der (vorübergehend) bröckelnden «Brandmauer» gegen die AfD. Das «Zustrombegrenzungsgesetz» der Union hat das Parlament heute Nachmittag überraschenderweise abgelehnt. Dennoch muss man wohl kein ausgesprochener Pessimist sein, um zu befürchten, dass die Entscheidungen der Bürger von den selbsternannten Verteidigern der Demokratie künftig vielleicht nicht respektiert werden, weil sie nicht gefallen.

Bundesweit wird jetzt zu «Brandmauer-Demos» aufgerufen, die CDU gerät unter Druck und es wird von Übergriffen auf Parteibüros und Drohungen gegen Mitarbeiter berichtet. Sicherheitsbehörden warnen vor Eskalationen, die Polizei sei «für ein mögliches erhöhtes Aufkommen von Straftaten gegenüber Politikern und gegen Parteigebäude sensibilisiert».

Der Vorwand «unzulässiger Einflussnahme» auf Politik und Wahlen wird als Argument schon seit einiger Zeit aufgebaut. Der Manipulation schuldig befunden wird neben Putin und Trump auch Elon Musk, was lustigerweise ausgerechnet Bill Gates gerade noch einmal bekräftigt und als «völlig irre» bezeichnet hat. Man stelle sich die Diskussionen um die Gültigkeit von Wahlergebnissen vor, wenn es Online-Verfahren zur Stimmabgabe gäbe. In der Schweiz wird «E-Voting» seit einigen Jahren getestet, aber wohl bisher mit wenig Erfolg.

Die politische Brandstiftung der letzten Jahre zahlt sich immer mehr aus. Anstatt dringende Probleme der Menschen zu lösen – zu denen auch in Deutschland die weit verbreitete Armut zählt –, hat die Politik konsequent polarisiert und sich auf Ausgrenzung und Verhöhnung großer Teile der Bevölkerung konzentriert. Basierend auf Ideologie und Lügen werden abweichende Stimmen unterdrückt und kriminalisiert, nicht nur und nicht erst in diesem Augenblick. Die nächsten Wochen dürften ausgesprochen spannend werden.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ a95c6243:d345522c

Menschen tun alles, egal wie absurd, \ um ihrer eigenen Seele nicht zu begegnen. \ Carl Gustav Jung

«Extremer Reichtum ist eine Gefahr für die Demokratie», sagen über die Hälfte der knapp 3000 befragten Millionäre aus G20-Staaten laut einer Umfrage der «Patriotic Millionaires». Ferner stellte dieser Zusammenschluss wohlhabender US-Amerikaner fest, dass 63 Prozent jener Millionäre den Einfluss von Superreichen auf US-Präsident Trump als Bedrohung für die globale Stabilität ansehen.

Diese Besorgnis haben 370 Millionäre und Milliardäre am Dienstag auch den in Davos beim WEF konzentrierten Privilegierten aus aller Welt übermittelt. In einem offenen Brief forderten sie die «gewählten Führer» auf, die Superreichen – also sie selbst – zu besteuern, um «die zersetzenden Auswirkungen des extremen Reichtums auf unsere Demokratien und die Gesellschaft zu bekämpfen». Zum Beispiel kontrolliere eine handvoll extrem reicher Menschen die Medien, beeinflusse die Rechtssysteme in unzulässiger Weise und verwandele Recht in Unrecht.

Schon 2019 beanstandete der bekannte Historiker und Schriftsteller Ruthger Bregman an einer WEF-Podiumsdiskussion die Steuervermeidung der Superreichen. Die elitäre Veranstaltung bezeichnete er als «Feuerwehr-Konferenz, bei der man nicht über Löschwasser sprechen darf.» Daraufhin erhielt Bregman keine Einladungen nach Davos mehr. Auf seine Aussagen machte der Schweizer Aktivist Alec Gagneux aufmerksam, der sich seit Jahrzehnten kritisch mit dem WEF befasst. Ihm wurde kürzlich der Zutritt zu einem dreiteiligen Kurs über das WEF an der Volkshochschule Region Brugg verwehrt.

Nun ist die Erkenntnis, dass mit Geld politischer Einfluss einhergeht, alles andere als neu. Und extremer Reichtum macht die Sache nicht wirklich besser. Trotzdem hat man über Initiativen wie Patriotic Millionaires oder Taxmenow bisher eher selten etwas gehört, obwohl es sie schon lange gibt. Auch scheint es kein Problem, wenn ein Herr Gates fast im Alleingang versucht, globale Gesundheits-, Klima-, Ernährungs- oder Bevölkerungspolitik zu betreiben – im Gegenteil. Im Jahr, als der Milliardär Donald Trump zum zweiten Mal ins Weiße Haus einzieht, ist das Echo in den Gesinnungsmedien dagegen enorm – und uniform, wer hätte das gedacht.

Der neue US-Präsident hat jedoch «Davos geerdet», wie Achgut es nannte. In seiner kurzen Rede beim Weltwirtschaftsforum verteidigte er seine Politik und stellte klar, er habe schlicht eine «Revolution des gesunden Menschenverstands» begonnen. Mit deutlichen Worten sprach er unter anderem von ersten Maßnahmen gegen den «Green New Scam», und von einem «Erlass, der jegliche staatliche Zensur beendet»:

«Unsere Regierung wird die Äußerungen unserer eigenen Bürger nicht mehr als Fehlinformation oder Desinformation bezeichnen, was die Lieblingswörter von Zensoren und derer sind, die den freien Austausch von Ideen und, offen gesagt, den Fortschritt verhindern wollen.»

Wie der «Trumpismus» letztlich einzuordnen ist, muss jeder für sich selbst entscheiden. Skepsis ist definitiv angebracht, denn «einer von uns» sind weder der Präsident noch seine auserwählten Teammitglieder. Ob sie irgendeinen Sumpf trockenlegen oder Staatsverbrechen aufdecken werden oder was aus WHO- und Klimaverträgen wird, bleibt abzuwarten.

Das WHO-Dekret fordert jedenfalls die Übertragung der Gelder auf «glaubwürdige Partner», die die Aktivitäten übernehmen könnten. Zufällig scheint mit «Impfguru» Bill Gates ein weiterer Harris-Unterstützer kürzlich das Lager gewechselt zu haben: Nach einem gemeinsamen Abendessen zeigte er sich «beeindruckt» von Trumps Interesse an der globalen Gesundheit.

Mit dem Projekt «Stargate» sind weitere dunkle Wolken am Erwartungshorizont der Fangemeinde aufgezogen. Trump hat dieses Joint Venture zwischen den Konzernen OpenAI, Oracle, und SoftBank als das «größte KI-Infrastrukturprojekt der Geschichte» angekündigt. Der Stein des Anstoßes: Oracle-CEO Larry Ellison, der auch Fan von KI-gestützter Echtzeit-Überwachung ist, sieht einen weiteren potenziellen Einsatz der künstlichen Intelligenz. Sie könne dazu dienen, Krebserkrankungen zu erkennen und individuelle mRNA-«Impfstoffe» zur Behandlung innerhalb von 48 Stunden zu entwickeln.

Warum bitte sollten sich diese superreichen «Eliten» ins eigene Fleisch schneiden und direkt entgegen ihren eigenen Interessen handeln? Weil sie Menschenfreunde, sogenannte Philanthropen sind? Oder vielleicht, weil sie ein schlechtes Gewissen haben und ihre Schuld kompensieren müssen? Deswegen jedenfalls brauchen «Linke» laut Robert Willacker, einem deutschen Politikberater mit brasilianischen Wurzeln, rechte Parteien – ein ebenso überraschender wie humorvoller Erklärungsansatz.

Wenn eine Krähe der anderen kein Auge aushackt, dann tut sie das sich selbst noch weniger an. Dass Millionäre ernsthaft ihre eigene Besteuerung fordern oder Machteliten ihren eigenen Einfluss zugunsten anderer einschränken würden, halte ich für sehr unwahrscheinlich. So etwas glaube ich erst, wenn zum Beispiel die Rüstungsindustrie sich um Friedensverhandlungen bemüht, die Pharmalobby sich gegen institutionalisierte Korruption einsetzt, Zentralbanken ihre CBDC-Pläne für Bitcoin opfern oder der ÖRR die Abschaffung der Rundfunkgebühren fordert.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 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.

@ 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.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ 127d3bf5:466f416f

I can see why someone would think that buying some other crypto is a reasonable idea for "diversification" or even just for a bit of fun gambling, but it is not.

There are many reasons you should stick to Bitcoin only, and these have been proven correct every cycle. I've outlined these before but will cut and paste below as a summary.

The number one reason, is healthy ethical practice:

• The whole point of Bitcoin is to escape the trappings and flaws of traditional systems. Currency trading and speculative investing is a Tradfi concept, and you will end up back where you started. Sooner or later this becomes obvious to everyone. Bitcoin is the healthy and ethical choice for yourself and everyone else.

But...even if you want to be greedy, hold your horses:

• There is significant risk in wallets, defi, and cefi exchanges. Many have lost all their funds in these through hacks and services getting banned or going bankrupt.
• You get killed in exchange fees even when buying low and selling high. This is effectively a transaction tax which is often hidden (sometimes they don't show the fee, just mark up the exchange rate). Also true on defi exchanges.
• You are up against traders and founders with insider knowledge and much more sophisticated prediction models that will fleece you eventually. You cannot time the market better than they can, and it is their full-time to job to beat you and suck as much liquidity out of you as they can. House always wins.
• Every crypto trade is a taxable event, so you will be taxed on all gains anyway in most countries. So not only are the traders fleecing you, the govt is too.
• It ruins your quality of life constantly checking prices and stressing about making the wrong trade.

The best option, by far, is to slowly DCA into Bitcoin and take this off exchanges into your own custody. In the long run this strategy works out better financially, ethically, and from a quality-of-life perspective. Saving, not trading.

I've been here since 2014 and can personally attest to this.

@ 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.

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Dieser Beitrag ist zuerst auf Transition News erschienen.

@ fe32298e:20516265

Alright, Tabby wouldn't work right with CUDA and it was impossible to troubleshoot anything.

Now we're going to try Twinny.

You'll need:

• Ubuntu 24.04 or some other Linux flavor
• VSCodium
• GPU with enough VRAM to hold your chosen models
  • It might work with just a CPU, give it a try!

Install Ollama

Ollama loads the AI models into VRAM (and offloads into RAM if needed) and offers inference through an API. The Ollama install script adds a dedicated ollama user and a systemd service so that Ollama starts automatically at boot. Ollama will unload models from memory when idle.

curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh

Configuring Remote Ollama

Skip this section if your GPU is on the same machine you're coding from. Ollama and Twinny default to a local configuration.

I'm using Ollama on a separate machine with a decent GPU, so I need to configure it to bind to the network interface instead of localhost by editing the systemd service:

1. Edit the service override file:

   systemctl edit ollama.service

2. Add this in the top section. It will be merged with the default service file.

   [Service] Environment="OLLAMA_HOST=0.0.0.0:11434"

   Note: I had a problem with Ollama only binding to the tcp6 port, and wasted a lot of time trying to fix it. Check with netstat -na | grep 11434 to see if it only shows tcp6 for port 11434. The workaround for me was using the actual interface IP instead of 0.0.0.0. If you do this then you'll need to either set OLLAMA_HOST in your shell, or specify OLLAMA_HOST=<hostname> at the start of every ollama command (or it complains that it can't connect to ollama).

3. Restart Ollama:

   systemctl daemon-reload systemctl restart ollama

Download Models

Ollama manages models by importing them into its own special folders. You can use Ollama to download the files from the Ollama library, or you can import already-downloaded models by creating a Modelfile. Modelfiles define various parameters about the model and it's important to get them set correctly for the best performance so it's probably better to get them from the library, even though it wastes bandwidth downloading them over and over again for all these tools.

You'll want a model for chatting and a model for fill-in-middle (FIM) that does the code completions.

```

Chat model, defaults to 7b with Q4_K_M quant, downloads 4.7 GB

ollama pull qwen2.5-coder

Fill-in-Middle model for code completion, another 4.7 GB

ollama pull qwen2.5-coder:7b-base ```

The RAG/embeddings feature is optional but probably worth using. It needs to run a from local instance of Ollama. The embedding models are very small and run fine on CPU. Most everyone uses nomic, but Twinny defaults to all-minilm, which is a little smaller.

ollama pull all-minilm

Install Twinny

Install the Twinny extension by searching for twinny in VSCodium extensions.

Look for the Twinny icon on the left side panel and click it to open the Twinny panel. Be careful if you drag it over to the right side: sometimes it may not appear at all. I managed to make it appear by selecting some text and running a Twinny action on it from the context menu.

Twinny assumes you're using a local instance of Ollama. If you want to use a remote instance then you'll need to go into the Manage Twinny providers section (looks like a power plug) and add new providers that point your remote Ollama instance.

These are the settings I'm using for a remote Ollama instance:

Chat provider

• Type: chat
• Provider: ollama
• Protocol: http
• Model Name: qwen2.5-coder:latest
• Hostname: remote hostname
• Port: 11434
• API Path: /v1 (despite what the Twinny docs and Ollama docs say)
• API Key: blank

FIM Provider

• Type: fim
• FIM Template: codeqwen
• Provider: ollama
• Protocol: http
• Model Name: qwen2.5-coder:7b-base
• Hostname: remote hostname
• Port: 11434
• API Path: /api/generate
• API Key: blank

Embedding Provider

• Type: embedding
• Provider: ollama
• Protocol: http
• Model Name: nomic-embed-text
• Hostname: 0.0.0.0
• Port: 11434
• API Path: /api/embed
• API Key: blank

Use Twinny

Chat

Select code and it will be used for context in the chat, or right-click selected text to see more options like refactor, write docs, write tests.

Embeddings

Switch over to the Embeddings tab and click Embed documents to use all the documents in your workspace for more context. Type '@' in the chat to reference the entire workspace, ask about specific problems, or specific files in your chat.

Code Completion

Suggested stuff shows up in gray italics at the cursor location. Press Tab to accept it as a completion.

@ 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)

@ 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.

@ 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.

@ 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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@ a95c6243:d345522c

Konsum ist Therapie.
Wolfgang Joop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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@ 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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@ 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.

@ 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

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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

@ 16d11430:61640947

As fiat currencies continue their slow-motion collapse worldwide, a disturbing pattern is emerging—food security is deteriorating, marked by frequent outbreaks of avian flu, livestock diseases, and supply chain disruptions. While mainstream narratives often blame climate change or random chance, a deeper look reveals that these crises are symptoms of a decaying financial system.

Food shortages, increasing corporate monopolization of agriculture, and government mismanagement are not random events. They are predictable consequences of monetary debasement, supply chain stress, and regulatory capture. Let’s break down how the collapse of fiat money is driving the current food crisis and why things are likely to get worse.

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1. Early Signs: Inflation and the Cost of Farming Soar

The first cracks in the food supply system appear when inflation begins eating into farmers’ margins. Over the past few years, fertilizer prices have skyrocketed, fuel costs remain volatile, and animal feed has become more expensive due to disrupted global trade.

Example: The 2022 Fertilizer Crisis – As the U.S. and European governments sanctioned Russia, a key global supplier of potash and ammonia (key fertilizer ingredients), prices surged. Farmers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America struggled to afford these inputs, reducing food production.

Egg Prices & Avian Flu – In 2023, egg prices doubled in the U.S. and Europe, exacerbated by avian flu culling millions of hens. However, inflation played a bigger role—higher costs for feed, transport, and farm maintenance made it impossible for smaller producers to compete.

Corporate Centralization – As inflation drives small farmers out of business, giant agribusinesses like Cargill, JBS, and Tyson gain more control, further consolidating the supply chain.

At this stage, the system still functions, but food prices increase, and warning signs emerge.

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1. Mid-Stage: Supply Chains Crack & Regulatory Failures Accelerate Outbreaks

As inflation worsens, government policies and systemic inefficiencies accelerate decay. Regulations intended to "protect" the market often do the opposite—causing supply shocks and increasing food insecurity.

Avian Flu as a Convenient Cover? – Since 2022, millions of chickens, turkeys, and ducks have been culled globally due to "avian flu outbreaks." The strange part? Many cases are based on PCR tests with high false positives rather than confirmed clinical symptoms. Some suspect regulatory agencies are exaggerating the crisis to justify price hikes and consolidate control.

U.S. Cattle Mysteriously Falling Sick – Reports surfaced in early 2024 of large numbers of cattle experiencing spontaneous respiratory illness and reproductive failures. The USDA and FDA blame viruses, but critics point to contaminated mRNA vaccines or corporate feed modifications.

Dutch Farmers vs. The State – In the Netherlands, one of Europe’s largest food producers, the government attempted to force thousands of farmers to sell their land under the guise of "nitrogen reduction." Many believe this is an effort to centralize control over food production.

At this stage, outbreaks become more frequent—not just due to biological causes, but because of poor regulation, centralized control, and financial stress leading to cost-cutting in food safety.

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1. Late-Stage: Hyperinflation, Panic, and Rationing

Once inflation turns into hyperinflation, food becomes a political weapon. Governments respond with price controls, forced rationing, and market interventions that make things worse.

Argentina & Venezuela’s Food Rationing – In nations experiencing hyperinflation, like Argentina and Venezuela, supermarket shelves are empty, and the black market determines real prices. Government-issued food ration cards fail to provide reliable access.

French Farmers Revolt Over Regulations & Costs – In 2024, French farmers blocked highways in protest against tax hikes, environmental regulations, and soaring costs. The EU’s green policies, combined with inflation, made food production unviable.

Egg Shortages in the UK – The UK government urged people to eat fewer eggs and replace them with lab-grown alternatives as supermarkets struggled to restock due to avian flu and Brexit-related trade issues.

At this point, government incompetence and corporate profiteering worsen food insecurity, leading to riots, black markets, and authoritarian responses.

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1. Final Collapse: Mass Starvation or Parallel Systems

As fiat systems implode, parallel markets emerge. People turn to barter, Bitcoin-based trade, and decentralized farming networks to survive.

Bitcoin for Beef – In Argentina and El Salvador, some ranchers have started accepting Bitcoin for direct meat sales, bypassing the banking system entirely.

Local Food Networks Grow – In places where trust in fiat money collapses, local food networks, permaculture movements, and barter systems gain popularity.

Lab-Grown & Insect Protein Push – Meanwhile, governments and billionaires like Bill Gates push for synthetic meat and insect-based diets, claiming they are "sustainable" while continuing policies that destroy natural farming.

At this stage, centralized systems are collapsing, but decentralized alternatives emerge—offering a path forward for those willing to adapt.

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The Solution: Decentralization & Bitcoin-Based Trade

The fiat food system is failing because it is built on debt, leverage, and market manipulation. To ensure food security, we must return to decentralized, sound-money solutions.

Bitcoin as a Trade Standard – Farmers using Bitcoin escape capital controls and currency depreciation, ensuring fair trade.

Regenerative Agriculture & Local Food Systems – Returning to small-scale, diversified farming reduces the risk of mass outbreaks.

Self-Sovereignty Over Food – Growing your own food, supporting local farmers, and rejecting centralized food policies is the only way to break free from the collapsing system.

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Conclusion: Recognizing the Signs Before It's Too Late

The rapid spread of avian flu, livestock diseases, and farm shutdowns are not random events. They are early warning signs of systemic decay in the fiat economy. As governments print money and impose short-sighted regulations, food security worsens.

The best way forward is decentralization—of money, farming, and trade. The collapse of fiat will bring hardship, but those who understand the game and prepare accordingly will thrive.

@ 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".

@ 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.

@ 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!

@ f33c8a96:5ec6f741

I have been working on account linking in the backend for a little while and so far only GitHub has been available to users (mostly for following the dev journey on the platform)

Now with this release the existing OAUTH options AND Nostr NIP-07 authentication are surfaced and able to be linked to an existing profile on your settings page.

Put simply this allows you to easily link email, GitHub, and nostr profile in the plebdevs platform to access the same account from different login methods. This will make it much easier to keep the same profile across multiple devices AND make sure that you never lose access!

Let me know what you think and PLEASE LET ME KNOW if you find any bugs! (I love bugs 🐛)

ONWARDS 🫡

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/880161

@ 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

@ d4309e24:8a81fcb0

1. What if You Could Send a Message into the Future?

Imagine leaving a message for your future self, a loved one, or even an entire community—one that no one, not even you, can unlock until a specific moment in time. Picture leaving a message for your children, a note of wisdom or love that remains hidden until they're old enough to appreciate it, all timed by Bitcoin's block height. You might also make a bold prediction about the future price of Bitcoin, sealing it away until the blockchain reaches a certain block height.

This is the idea behind Hatchstr, a decentralized app for time-locked messages that only unlock at predetermined Bitcoin block heights—no central authority required.

Why Build This?

I want to dive into the Nostr protocol not just by reading documentation, but by actually building something that embodies its core principles: censorship resistance, user ownership, and decentralization. Hatchstr is both an experiment and a contribution to the Nostr ecosystem—a way to test the limits of permissionless communication while learning and engaging with the community.

2. The Vision: How Hatchstr Would Work for Users

At its core, Hatchstr lets users create time capsules—encrypted messages that only become readable after a specified Bitcoin block height. Here’s what that looks like:

• You design a capsule with text and images using Hatchstr’s web app.
• You pick an unlock time (e.g., 1000 blocks from now).
• The message is encrypted, locked away, and published as a Nostr event.
• At the chosen time, the decryption key is revealed, allowing the recipient to finally access the message.

Potential Use Cases

• Personal Messages: Send birthday wishes that unlock at midnight, time-delayed love letters, or notes to your future self.

• Timed Learning: Lock educational content to unlock when students reach key learning stages or ages.

• Creative Storytelling: Release serialized fiction, riddles, or treasure hunt clues that unlock over time.

• Community & Events: Time-gate announcements for Nostr-based communities or scheduled voting mechanisms.

3. The Centralized Trap: Why Build on Nostr

When thinking about how to implement this, we could go the obvious, easy route:

• Store messages on a centralized server.
• Release them when the time is right.
• Let users download their messages.

Simple, right? But is it the right approach? Let's break it down.

Why This Fails

• Single Point of Failure: If my server goes down, all messages are unavailable.

• Privacy Risks: Users would need to trust me not to access their messages.

• Ownership & Longevity: What happens if I lose interest? The system dies with me.

A centralized model defeats the purpose of time-locking messages. Users shouldn’t have to trust a third party. We need decentralization.

4. Nostr to the Rescue: How Decentralization Can Help

Instead of a single server holding messages hostage, Nostr allows users to publish messages to decentralized relays. Here are the key differences:

• Nostr IDs = Self-Owned Identities: Your public key is your identity, not tied to any company.

• Relays = Decentralized Bulletin Boards: Anyone can run one, ensuring redundancy and censorship resistance.

• Messages = Signed Events: Cryptographically signed by the sender or encrypted for only the recipient.

How Nostr Reduces Centralization

In this version of Hatchstr, capsules are still stored in a centralized manner at first until they 'hatch'. However, once the Bitcoin block height condition is met:

• Capsule Publication: The system publishes the capsule events to Nostr relays, making the messages available for decryption by the intended recipients.

This approach, while not eliminating the central server, allows for:

• Third-Party Clients: Developers can now create clients that interact with Hatchstr capsules on Nostr, enhancing the system's openness and potentially leading to a richer ecosystem around time-locked messages.

• Decentralized Access: Even though the initial storage is centralized, the access to the messages becomes decentralized once published to Nostr, reducing the dependency on a single point for message retrieval.

We have some improvements, but I am sure we can do better!

5. The Path to Decentralized Timekeeping

The Timeless Nature of Encryption

Encrypted messages exist outside time—once locked, they remain secure indefinitely. Modern cryptography (like AES-256) doesn’t "expire" or weaken unless decrypted (excluding brute force attacks). This creates a paradox: How do you bind something timeless to a specific moment in the physical world?

The Time-Lock Puzzle Dilemma

Cryptographers have proposed time-lock puzzles—encryption that requires sustained computation to unlock, theoretically forcing a minimum wait time. But these face critical hurdles:

• Hardware Uncertainty

  Solving time depends on an attacker’s computational power. A nation-state could crack in hours what takes years for a regular user.

• No Real-World Alignment

  Puzzles can’t guarantee unlocks align with calendar dates or real-world events ("unlock on my child’s 18th birthday").

• Energy Waste

  Requires continuous computation, making it environmentally impractical for longer time locking.

Bitcoin as a Decentralized Clock

This is where Bitcoin’s blockchain shines. Its difficulty-adjusted proof-of-work acts as a trustless metronome:

• Predictable Rhythm

  Despite hash rate fluctuations, the 10-minute block target (via difficulty adjustments) creates a consistent approximation of real-world time.

• Immutable History

  Block height 1,000,000 will always correspond to the same point in Bitcoin’s timeline, regardless of future changes in mining power

Splitting the Problem

Hatchstr can bridge timeless encryption and blockchain timing by separating concerns:

1. Capsules – The time-locked message itself:

• Design independent of the time-locking mechanism.

• Encrypted client-side.

• Content stored anywhere the user wants (IPFS, personal servers, etc.).

• Completely owned by the user—not Hatchstr.

2. Clock Servers – Independent, lightweight timing nodes that:

• Only publish decryption keys when the target Bitcoin block height is reached.

• Users can choose which Clock Server to trust.

• Anyone can run their own Clock Server.

• Multiple servers can coordinate to prevent a single point of failure.

This means Hatchstr itself doesn’t store anything—users are fully in control.

6. What Comes Next

This project is just beginning—a blueprint with open questions and untested assumptions. In the next two articles, I’ll explore how to turn this concept into something tangible. First, how we might design playful time capsules that can be displayed faithfully by multiple clients, balancing creativity with decentralization. Then, the messy realities of clock servers: why federating them matters, how to incentivize reliability, and borrow Bitcoin’s rhythm without centralizing control. We will dive into setting up a simple clock server to get things started.

I’m still learning Nostr’s ecosystem, and this project is as much about sharing my education as anything else. If any part of this concept makes you think “yes, but…” or “what if…”, I’d genuinely love to hear it. Find me on Nostr – no expertise required, just an interest in sending messages to the future. :

npub16scfufrpsqcukjg7ymu4r40h7j4dwqy4pajgz48e6lmnmz5pljcqh678uh

Thank you for reading 🧡

@ 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

@ 16d11430:61640947

Introduction: The Power of Focused Attention

In an age of distraction, power is not merely held through material wealth, authority, or control over others—it is built through focused attention. The human brain, a complex quantum-biological processor, constructs reality through perception. When harnessed correctly, focused attention allows individuals to transcend limitations, reshape their reality, and live free.

Power, then, is not external—it is a construct supported by the mind and created within the brain. Understanding how this works offers a path to transcendence, autonomy, and liberation from imposed limitations.

The Neuroscience of Focused Attention: Constructing Reality

The brain is a prediction engine, constantly processing information and filtering out irrelevant stimuli. Focused attention directs this process, acting as a spotlight that selects what becomes part of one's conscious experience. This is the fundamental mechanism behind cognitive power.

1. Neuroplasticity: Building Power Through Repetition

The brain adapts to repeated stimuli through neuroplasticity. What one focuses on consistently rewires neural pathways, strengthening certain thoughts, beliefs, and abilities. Over time, this focus builds an internal structure of power—a network of ideas and perceptions that define one’s reality.

If one focuses on problems, they grow.

If one focuses on solutions, they appear.

If one focuses on fear, it shapes perception.

If one focuses on mastery, skills develop.

1. The Quantum Mind: Attention as a Creative Force

Quantum physics suggests that observation influences reality. Just as subatomic particles behave differently when measured, focused attention may act as a force that shapes possibilities into tangible outcomes.

This aligns with the ancient concept that "energy flows where attention goes." What one attends to with intention can manifest as action, opportunity, and ultimately, freedom.

1. The Reticular Activating System (RAS): Filtering Reality

The Reticular Activating System (RAS) in the brainstem acts as a gatekeeper for focus. It determines what information enters conscious awareness. When trained, it can filter out distractions and amplify pathways toward a desired goal.

Want to see opportunities? Program the RAS by setting clear intentions.

Want to break free from limiting beliefs? Train focus away from conditioned fears.

The Mind’s Role: Transcending Limitations

The mind is the interpreter of the brain’s electrical and biochemical activity. While the brain processes raw data, the mind provides meaning. This distinction is crucial because meaning determines how one experiences reality.

1. Breaking Mental Chains: Rewriting Narratives

Most limitations are narratives—stories imposed by culture, society, or personal history. True power lies in rewriting these stories.

Instead of “I am trapped by my circumstances,” shift to “I create my own reality.”

Instead of “I need permission,” shift to “I give myself permission.”

By restructuring meaning, the mind can redefine the limits of what is possible.

1. The Silence Paradox: Accessing Higher States

Silence, both literal and mental, creates space for higher-order thinking. Just as quantum tunneling allows subatomic particles to pass through barriers without energy loss, silence allows the mind to bypass noise and access deeper intelligence.

Meditation, stillness, and solitude amplify internal power.

The ability to not react is a form of control over external influence.

True mastery comes from detachment—engaging the world without being controlled by it.

Transcendence: Living Free Through Mental Autonomy

To transcend means to rise above imposed structures—whether societal, psychological, or energetic. The construct of power built through focused attention allows one to escape control mechanisms and live autonomously.

1. Sovereignty of Mind: Owning One’s Thoughts

A free mind is one that chooses its inputs rather than being programmed by external forces. This requires:

Awareness of mental conditioning (social narratives, propaganda, biases)

Intentional thought selection (curating what enters the mental space)

Guarding attention fiercely (not allowing distraction to hijack focus)

1. Detachment From Control Structures

Society operates on the principle of attention capture—through media, politics, and algorithms that direct thought patterns. Escaping these requires detachment.

Do not react emotionally to fear-based programming.

Cultivate independent thought by questioning imposed narratives.

Reduce external noise to amplify internal wisdom.

1. The Flow State: Moving Beyond Constraints

When focus is refined to its highest degree, one enters flow state—a condition where action and awareness merge, and limitations dissolve.

In flow, work becomes effortless.

Creativity becomes boundless.

Freedom becomes not just a philosophy, but a lived experience.

Conclusion: The Mind as the Ultimate Key to Freedom

Power is not an external possession—it is the ability to direct one’s own focus. Through the interplay of brain function, cognitive attention, and mental discipline, one constructs personal sovereignty. The individual who masters focus, controls reality.

Freedom is not given. It is built—through attention, intention, and an unwavering commitment to mental autonomy.

@ 16d11430:61640947

Language is more than just words—it’s a pattern, a rhythm, a system of meaning that our brains decode in different ways. While most people learn language analytically, breaking it down into individual words and sentences, gestalt language processors (GLP) acquire language in a completely different way. They learn in chunks, grasping entire phrases and only later dissecting them into smaller parts.

This unique method of language acquisition is often observed in autistic individuals and those with alternative cognitive processing styles. But what happens when such a learner interacts with a highly inflected, agglutinative language like Malayalam? As it turns out, Malayalam might be one of the best-suited languages for gestalt language processors, thanks to its natural structure, flexible syntax, and phrase-based meaning.

Let’s explore why Malayalam aligns so well with gestalt processing and how it compares to other languages.

---

Understanding Gestalt Language Processing

Gestalt language processing is the ability to acquire and use language in whole phrases rather than as individual words. Instead of learning word-by-word, GLP learners store entire sentences or expressions they hear and later modify them into new, meaningful statements.

For example, a child who is a gestalt processor might initially say: ➡ "Do you want some juice?" (because they've heard it as a whole phrase) Later, they might extract parts and start saying: ➡ "Want juice." Finally, they construct their own original sentence: ➡ "I want juice."

This approach is pattern-based rather than rule-based, making Malayalam an excellent match due to its agglutinative grammar, rhythmic structure, and flexible word order.

---

How Malayalam Supports Gestalt Language Processing

1. Malayalam’s Agglutinative Nature Encourages Chunk Learning

Malayalam, like other Dravidian languages, is highly agglutinative, meaning words are built using multiple suffixes that change meaning. Instead of discrete words, many phrases function as a single semantic unit—which is exactly how GLP learners process language.

Take the word "വീട്" (vīṭu) meaning "house":

വീട്ടിൽ (vīṭṭil) – in the house

വീട്ടിലേക്ക് (vīṭṭilēkk) – towards the house

വീട്ടിലേക്കു പോകുന്നു (vīṭṭilēkku pōkunnu) – going to the house

A gestalt processor might first acquire "വീട്ടിലേക്കു പോകുന്നു" as a chunk, rather than breaking it into individual words. Over time, they start recognizing patterns and modifying them.

This is in contrast to English, where "going" and "house" are learned separately before forming a phrase like "going to the house."

---

1. Flexible Word Order Aligns with Pattern-Based Learning

Malayalam allows word order variations without losing meaning, making it an intuitive fit for gestalt learners who focus on meaning first rather than strict syntax.

For example, the sentence "I drank tea" can be expressed in multiple ways in Malayalam:

ഞാൻ ചായ കുടിച്ചു. (ñān cāya kuṭiccu) – Standard word order

ചായ ഞാൻ കുടിച്ചു. (cāya ñān kuṭiccu) – Emphasizing "tea"

കുടിച്ചു ഞാൻ ചായ. (kuṭiccu ñān cāya) – Focus on the action

A gestalt learner might acquire an entire phrase like "ചായ കുടിക്കണോ?" ("Do you want tea?") and later extract the verb "കുടി" (drink) or the noun "ചായ" (tea) as they develop more flexible speech.

In contrast, languages like English and French have more rigid word order, making it harder for gestalt learners to generalize.

---

1. Long and Embedded Sentence Structures Favor Chunk-Based Processing

Malayalam commonly uses long, nested sentences, which gestalt learners store as full units before breaking them down.

For example:

അവൻ പറഞ്ഞത് ഞാൻ അറിഞ്ഞില്ല. (avan paṟaññatu ñān aṟiññilla)

Literal: "What he said, I didn’t know."

Gestalt learners may first acquire: "അവൻ പറഞ്ഞത്" ("What he said") as a single unit before extracting "പറഞ്ഞത്" (said).

This mirrors how **gestalt processors extract meaning from larger linguistic units over time.

@ 25c48353:bbf9841d

One way parents can protect their children in cyberspace is by knowing what cyberspaces your children like to engage with. Today, we'll explore 4 apps that the DOJ has found criminals on.

Here are the apps

1. Cash App
2. Valorant
3. Discord
4. Telegram

Background on the Data

At Defend All Kids, our mission is to protect children in cyberspace. But in order to do so, we must ask an important question:

What digital spaces do children frequently visit?

In order to find answers to this question, we looked at the Department of Justice Press Releases page, and scraped all of the 676 press releases having anything to do with child abuse. The 4 applications listed above were common apps that we found. Now, we'll go one by one.

Cash App: 2 Press Releases

This app was mentioned twice in the DOJ press releases, and both times were pertaining to the same criminal. In this case, the criminal used Cash App to pay young boys bribes to engage in sexually explicit activities. The link to Cash App is here

Valorant: 2 Press Releases

Valorant is an online first-person shooter game. A predator used this platform to talk to young boys and convince them to do sexual favors for them. The link to Valorant is here.

Discord: 3 Press Releases

Discord is a group messanging platform where people of similar interests can join and chat. One of the most common use cases for Discord is gaming communities. A predator used a gaming community discord to lure boys to engage in sexually explicit activities. The Link to Discord is here.

Telegram: 5 Press Releases

Telegram is an instant messaging service that many people use to send anonymous messages. In some of the cases the DOJ reported, predators were using the platform to lure in children and to force them to engage in sexually explicit activities. The link to Telegram is here.

Defend All Kids Recommendation:

As you can see from the above applications, the main way predators can get to your children is from one thing:

Access to software that let strangers talk to each other.

We recommend that you talk to your child and see if he/she have any of these apps, and if they do, talk to them about their online behavior.

@ 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.

@ 19745f2c:a997836d

One way parents can protect their children in cyberspace is by knowing what cyberspaces your children like to engage with. Today, we'll explore 4 apps that the DOJ has found criminals on.

Here are the apps

1. Cash App
2. Valorant
3. Discord
4. Telegram

Background on the Data

At Defend All Kids, our mission is to protect children in cyberspace. But in order to do so, we must ask an important question:

What digital spaces do children frequently visit?

In order to find answers to this question, we looked at the Department of Justice Press Releases page, and scraped all of the 676 press releases having anything to do with child abuse. The 4 applications listed above were common apps that we found. Now, we'll go one by one.

Cash App: 2 Press Releases

This app was mentioned twice in the DOJ press releases, and both times were pertaining to the same criminal. In this case, the criminal used Cash App to pay young boys bribes to engage in sexually explicit activities. The link to Cash App is here

Valorant: 2 Press Releases

Valorant is an online first-person shooter game. A predator used this platform to talk to young boys and convince them to do sexual favors for them. The link to Valorant is here.

Discord: 3 Press Releases

Discord is a group messanging platform where people of similar interests can join and chat. One of the most common use cases for Discord is gaming communities. A predator used a gaming community discord to lure boys to engage in sexually explicit activities. The Link to Discord is here.

Telegram: 5 Press Releases

Telegram is an instant messaging service that many people use to send anonymous messages. In some of the cases the DOJ reported, predators were using the platform to lure in children and to force them to engage in sexually explicit activities. The link to Telegram is here.

Defend All Kids Recommendation:

As you can see from the above applications, the main way predators can get to your children is from one thing:

Access to software that let strangers talk to each other.

We recommend that you talk to your child and see if he/she have any of these apps, and if they do, talk to them about their online behavior.

@ 16d11430:61640947

A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Intergalactic Trade, Verified on the Blockchain

Somewhere in the unfashionable backwaters of the Milky Way, a small blue planet is busy debating whether it should be more concerned about social media algorithms or the growing irrelevance of its own economy. Meanwhile, out there in the cosmic gigaverse, civilizations with far more interesting problems are engaging in the great intergalactic hustle—trading tech, swapping energy signatures, and making quantum side deals faster than you can say "proof-of-work."

Humanity, as per usual, has arrived late to the party but is hoping to slip in unnoticed and pretend like it’s been part of the game all along. The problem? We don’t know the rules, we don’t know what we have to offer, and most importantly, we don’t even have an invite.

Fortunately, the universe is a decentralized, peer-to-peer system, much like Bitcoin—only with fewer arguments on Twitter. And if we play this right, we might just hustle our way into the Universal Indira Net, the cosmic marketplace where civilizations exchange technology, knowledge, and, quite possibly, dad jokes that transcend space-time.

---

Step 1: Plugging into the Universal Indira Net

According to ancient Hindu mythology, Indra’s Net is an infinite web where each node reflects all others, meaning everything is connected to everything else, forever. Sounds poetic, right? Well, take that concept, throw in some decentralized cryptographic verification, and you've got the backbone of a cosmic trade network where trust isn’t just assumed—it’s mathematically proven.

In theory, Earth should be able to sync up with the Universal Indira Net, but there’s one small problem: our civilization hasn’t even solved its own internet yet. Forget interstellar trade—we still struggle with buffering. Until we build long-range, high-bandwidth, interference-proof communication systems, we’re basically screaming into the void, hoping someone hears us (and doesn’t immediately categorize us as "primitive and likely to start wars over fictional borders").

Luckily, we are making some progress:

NASA’s Laser-Based Comms: Just last year, NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) project sent data 19 million miles at broadband speeds. In galactic terms, this is the equivalent of tossing a USB drive across your front yard, but hey, it’s a start. (source)

Quantum Entanglement Messaging: Scientists are theorizing about using spooky action at a distance to send information instantaneously across the galaxy. Of course, it’s still at the “we swear this works on paper” stage.

Gravitational Wave Emails: There’s a wild theory that gravitational waves could be harnessed for communication, which means the universe has literally been shaking with missed calls for billions of years.

If we can bootstrap any of these into a reliable cosmic broadband, we might just be able to negotiate our way into the interstellar group chat.

---

Step 2: What Do We Bring to the Table?

Now, assuming we finally manage to stop talking to ourselves and make first contact, the next big question is: what the hell do we trade?

Here’s what we know about intergalactic economics:

1. No one wants our money – Fiat currency is an Earth-only meme. The only currency that might hold value out there is Bitcoin, because at least it’s energy-backed and provably scarce. But even then, aliens are likely using something far more advanced—probably a universal ledger that encodes information directly into quantum spacetime fabric.

2. Physical goods are inefficient – Nobody’s going to fly across light-years to pick up a shipment of human-made Teslas when they can 3D print their own antimatter-powered space yacht.

3. Knowledge is king – The real hustle is in information. Code, algorithms, AI models—things that can be transmitted at the speed of light and verifiably proven on-chain.

Trade Goods That Might Actually Be Worth Something:

AI & Quantum Computing Models – If we develop AI that thinks in ways alien civilizations haven’t considered, we’ve got intellectual property worth trading.

Biological Engineering & Longevity Tech – If Earth figures out how to stop aging, you can bet intergalactic billionaires (assuming they exist) would pay for that.

Mathematical Breakthroughs – Math is the universal language, and if we crack new fundamental theorems, we might just have something of value.

Which means the best way to hustle our way into the Indira Net is to become the best at something. And right now, the only thing we’ve truly mastered is making memes and overcomplicating financial systems.

---

Step 3: Navigating the Cosmic Trade Rules

Of course, even if we have something valuable, trading with advanced civilizations isn’t as simple as sending an invoice.

We don’t even know the rules of interstellar engagement yet. But if galactic trade works anything like human history, we should expect:

Regulatory Compliance – Because even in space, there’s bound to be paperwork. If we get lucky, aliens might use smart contracts instead of lawyers.

Sanctions & Trade Embargoes – You think Earth’s geopolitics are complicated? Try interstellar diplomacy, where embargoes might involve entire planetary quarantines.

Intellectual Property Theft – If we’re not careful, we might trade away humanity’s most valuable discovery for an alien NFT that depreciates instantly.

Which is why any trade network must be built on provable, immutable verification systems—aka, blockchain.

This is where DamageBDD, Bitcoin, and cryptographic proofs come into play. If we can create a system that ensures:

✅ Technology is verified before it’s traded ✅ Ownership and utility are recorded on an immutable ledger ✅ Contracts execute autonomously with zero-trust mechanics

Then we might just stand a chance of becoming a respected node in the Universal Indira Net, rather than a civilization that gets rug-pulled by intergalactic venture capitalists.

---

Final Thought: The Cosmic Hustle is Just Beginning

Humanity is still in the tutorial level of the interstellar economy. We’re fumbling with our first trade attempts, trying not to get exploited, and desperately figuring out how not to be the cosmic equivalent of a developing nation selling raw materials to advanced intergalactic conglomerates.

But if we:

Build high-speed interstellar comms

Develop technology that is uniquely valuable

Create trustless, verifiable trade systems

…then we won’t just be another planetary backwater. We’ll be a node in the greatest decentralized network of all time.

The Cosmic Hustle is real. The only question is: will we be the hustlers or the ones getting hustled?

@ 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.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

The world of cryptocurrency has always been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but recent developments in the Bitcoin market have caught the attention of investors worldwide. The circulating supply of Bitcoin in profit has surged to a multi-year high, a phenomenon not seen since the heady days of November 2021 when Bitcoin reached its all-time high. This significant milestone, backed by data from industry analysts at Glassnode and a detailed report from Bitfinex, paints a picture of a robust Bitcoin market. The implications of this surge are far-reaching, affecting not just seasoned cryptocurrency traders but also new investors who are contemplating dipping their toes into the Bitcoin pool. This article aims to dissect this trend, exploring its roots, its impact on the market, and what it potentially spells out for the future of Bitcoin investment.

Table Of Content

• Understanding the Surge

• Implications for Long-term Investors

• Market Strength and Investor Confidence

• Potential Early Signs of a Bull Market

• Caution and Market Dynamics

• Conclusion

• FAQs

Understanding the Surge

The surge in Bitcoin's circulating supply in profit is a complex phenomenon, driven by a confluence of market dynamics and investor behavior. The recent increase in Bitcoin's price, which saw it soar above $37,000, is a primary factor. This price hike has pushed a significant portion of Bitcoin into profitable territory. According to the Bitfinex report, over 16.3 million Bitcoin, a staggering amount by any measure, are currently in profit. This figure is considerably higher than the historical average, suggesting a market that is not only recovering but thriving. The surge is not just a momentary blip but a reflection of deeper market trends, including increased institutional interest in Bitcoin, broader acceptance of cryptocurrencies as a legitimate asset class, and the growing perception of Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and currency devaluation.

Implications for Long-term Investors

For long-term investors, this surge in Bitcoin's profitability is a beacon of stability in the typically volatile cryptocurrency market. The fact that 70% of Bitcoin's total circulating supply has remained static over the past year is indicative of a maturing market where investors are increasingly viewing Bitcoin as a long-term investment rather than a quick profit opportunity. This holding pattern contributes to a tightening of supply, which, coupled with increasing demand, can lead to a sustained price increase. However, long-term investors should also be aware of the potential risks. The cryptocurrency market is still relatively young and can be influenced by regulatory changes, technological advancements, and shifts in investor sentiment. Therefore, while the current trend is encouraging, it should be viewed within the broader context of market dynamics.

Market Strength and Investor Confidence

The current state of the Bitcoin market is a testament to its growing strength and the confidence it instills in investors. With a majority of holders seeing positive returns, there's a renewed vigor in the market, attracting both retail and institutional investors. This influx of new investment can further stabilize the market and potentially drive prices higher. However, this increased investor confidence must be tempered with a degree of caution. The cryptocurrency market is known for its rapid fluctuations, and what goes up can just as quickly come down. Investors should be mindful of the inherent risks and conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. The market's strength, while promising, is not a guarantee of future performance, and a prudent investment strategy should always be in place.

Potential Early Signs of a Bull Market

The analysis by Bitfinex suggests that the market might be in the early stages of a bull market. This is a significant indicator for investors, as bull markets are characterized by rising prices and increased buying activity. If this trend continues, it could lead to substantial gains for those invested in Bitcoin. However, predicting market movements, especially in the volatile world of cryptocurrencies, is fraught with uncertainty. While the signs are positive, they are not infallible indicators of future performance. Investors should therefore approach this potential bull market with optimism tempered by realism, recognizing that market conditions can change rapidly and without warning.

Caution and Market Dynamics

In the face of these optimistic trends, a word of caution is warranted. The cryptocurrency market is notoriously unpredictable, and while the current indicators are positive, they are not immune to sudden and unexpected changes. Factors such as regulatory announcements, technological breakthroughs, or macroeconomic shifts can rapidly alter the market landscape. Therefore, investors should remain vigilant, keeping abreast of market news and trends. Diversification of investments, a keen understanding of market dynamics, and a clear investment strategy are essential tools in navigating the complexities of the Bitcoin market.

Conclusion

The surge in Bitcoin's circulating supply in profit to a multi-year high marks a significant milestone in the cryptocurrency's journey. It reflects a market that is gaining maturity, strength, and the confidence of its investors. This development could herald the beginning of a new era for Bitcoin, characterized by stability and sustained growth. However, the path of Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market remains unpredictable. Investors should therefore approach this market with a well-informed strategy, balancing optimism with a healthy dose of caution. In the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrency, staying informed and adaptable is key to navigating the market's highs and lows.

FAQs

How does this surge affect long-term investors? Long-term investors may see this as a sign of market stability and maturity, indicating that Bitcoin is increasingly being viewed as a viable long-term investment.

Could this trend indicate the start of a Bitcoin bull market? While the surge in profitable Bitcoin supply could be an early sign of a bull market, predicting market movements in the volatile cryptocurrency sector is complex and uncertain.

What percentage of Bitcoin's circulating supply is currently in profit? Over 83% of Bitcoin's circulating supply is reported to be in profit, according to recent data.

What should investors be cautious about in light of this surge? Investors should be aware of the inherent volatility in the cryptocurrency market and consider factors like regulatory changes, technological advancements, and broader market dynamics before making investment decisions.

How does the current Bitcoin market compare to historical averages? The current percentage of Bitcoin in profit is significantly higher than the historical average, indicating a particularly strong market phase.

That's all for today

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.

@ 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.

@ c1e6505c:02b3157e

***"Time is the best teacher but unfortunately it kills all of its students."*** I'm currently visiting my dad for a few days as I had to take my car in for some repairs and maintenance, which included an oil gasket leak, power steering fluid flush, brake fluid flush, spark plugs, and the works. The process took a couple of hours to complete, so instead of waiting in the waiting room or having someone pick me up to go wait comfortably at home, I decided to walk around with my camera and try to make some new work. I have to say, there's really nothing more that I enjoy than walking aimlessly in an area that I have never been and taking photographs. *I love it.* I lose myself and everything that is on my mind that I "worry" about. I'm present, in the zone, and honestly having a great time. Photography for me is a portal to enter a state of mind that transcends time and space. The area that I was in was very industrial, so my walk started next door at the other car mechanic shop, and I meandered down to the small local town where some shops were. Didn't see too much, so I turned around and started walking back down the other way. Sometimes I don't see anything of interest for a while. What I have noticed though, as a little trick to start having things "come out of the woodwork," is just to start shooting at the first thing that captures my interest. Getting the ball rolling with pushing the shutter somehow gets me in the "flow state" that I enjoy getting in when making photographs. \[ \]( As I walked further, I visited a plant nursery that was just opening. The woman who was opening the gate was very nice and invited me into walk around and do as I please. There were a few nice plants around, but what gravitates me the most is seemingly, to others maybe, the "ugly stuff" or the subject matter that one wouldn’t really consider making a photograph of. Blank spaces, trash, neglect - it's all good stuff to me. The light falling upon these subjects makes them interesting. After the nursery, I found a large industrial facility and a train yard. A worker stood next to one of the train cars, so I went up and asked what they were loading. He said that he’s been working there for 30 years, and that they make plastic trash bags, and those tubes feeding into the train cars were pumping out plastic beads for production. I thought that was interesting. We chatted for a bit, I thanked him for his time, and moved on.           Eventually, I ended up at a church with these really nice orange and brown doors. I sat on a bench in the back to kill some time, listening to a few podcasts. While I was there, I noticed a sign that read: *"Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God."* I’m not a religious guy per se, haven’t been to church in over a decade, and I’ve had my own experiences — psychedelics included — where I’ve glimpsed something I’d call “God.”, but there’s something to take from that. Whatever your definition of “God” is, there’s value in gratitude whether things are good or bad. Life itself is a miracle. Appreciating the small things keeps you grounded, humble, and connected.   ) *Just in case you missed it…* **I have a limited edition framed print that I will have available until February 28th.** Only two will be made, and they will come framed; one in black, one in silver. If you enjoy my work, this would be a great collectors piece. \]() ***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 consider becoming a paid subscriber to support my work. Also, please contact me if you would like to purchase any of my prints.  [Dehancer Film (promo code "PICTUREOOM")](https://www.dehancer.com/shop/pslr/film) *If you've found value in this newsletter, I'd be incredibly grateful for your support. While these posts will always be freely available, becoming a paid subscriber helps ensure I can continue delivering quality content to your inbox. Share this newsletter with friends, leaving a comment, or simply hitting the 'like' button all make a difference.* Thank you - Colin

@ 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/

@ 32e18276:5c68e245

This period of the Damus OpenSats grant has been productive, and encompasses the work past our alpha release of Notedeck. Since we sent our last report on Dec 5, this encompasses all the work after then.

Damus is supported by the OpenSats LTS grant, which allows us to continue working on the goodies below. Thank you!

Damus Notedeck

Added

• Initial algo timelines (William Casarin) #712
• Initial support for local-network P2P nostr: multicast support (William Casarin) #626
• First steps toward the notedeck browser: multiple app support #565
• Clicking a mention now opens profile page (William Casarin) 5a241d730
• Note previews when hovering reply descriptions (William Casarin) #591

• Various Android updates and compatibility improvements (Ken Sedgwick, William Casarin)

• Media uploads (kernelkind) #662

• Profile editing (kernelkind) #625
• Add hashtags to posts (Daniel Saxton) #592
• Enhanced command-line interface for user interactions (Ken Sedgwick)
• Debug features for user relay-list and mute list synchronization (Ken Sedgwick)

Changed

• Major timeline cache refactor (William Casarin) #653
• Increased ping intervals for network performance (William Casarin)
• Migrated to egui v0.29.1 (William Casarin) #551
• Switch to only notes & replies on some tabs (William Casarin) #598
• Only show column delete button when not navigating (William Casarin)
• Pointer interactions enhancements in UI (William Casarin)
• Show profile pictures in column headers (William Casarin)

• Show usernames in user columns (William Casarin)

• Add confirmation when deleting columns (kernelkind)

• Enhance Android build and performance (Ken Sedgwick)
• Image cache handling using sha256 hash (kieran)
• Introduction of decks_cache and improvements (kernelkind)
• Nostrdb update for async support (Ken Sedgwick)
• Persistent theme setup across sessions (kernelkind)
• Tombstone muted notes (Ken)

Fixed

• Fix GIT_COMMIT_HASH compilation issue (William Casarin)
• Fix avatar alignment in profile previews (William Casarin)
• Fix broken quote repost hitbox (William Casarin)
• Fix crash when navigating in debug mode (William Casarin)
• Fix long delays when reconnecting (William Casarin)

• Fix repost button size (William Casarin)

• Fixed since kind filters (kernelkind)

• Clippy warnings resolved (Dimitris Apostolou)

Damus iOS

Work continued on the iOS side. While I was not directly involved in the work since the last report, I have been directing and managing its development.

Added

• Render Gif and video files while composing posts (Swift Coder)
• Purple members who have been active for more than a year now get a special badge (Daniel D’Aquino)
• Add profile info text in stretchable banner with follow button (Swift Coder)
• Paste Gif image similar to jpeg and png files (Swift Coder)

Changed

• Improved clarity of the mute button to indicate it can be used for blocking a user (Daniel D’Aquino)
• Made the microphone access request message more clear to users (Daniel D’Aquino)
• Improved UX around the label for searching words (Daniel D’Aquino)
• Improved accessibility support on some elements (Daniel D’Aquino)

Fixed

• Fixed issue where the "next" button would appear hidden and hard to click on the create account view (Daniel D’Aquino)
• Fix non scrollable wallet screen (Swift Coder)
• Fixed suggested users category titles to be localizable (Terry Yiu)
• Fixed GradientFollowButton to have consistent width and autoscale text limited to 1 line (Terry Yiu)
• Fixed right-to-left localization issues (Terry Yiu)
• Fixed AddMuteItemView to trim leading and trailing whitespaces from mute text and disallow adding text with only whitespaces (Terry Yiu)
• Fixed SideMenuView text to autoscale and limit to 1 line (Terry Yiu)
• Fixed an issue where a profile would need to be input twice in the search to be found (Daniel D’Aquino)
• Fixed non-breaking spaces in localized strings (Terry Yiu)
• Fixed localization issue on Add mute item button (Terry Yiu)
• Replace non-breaking spaces with regular spaces as Apple's NSLocalizedString macro does not seem to work with it (Terry Yiu)
• Fixed localization issues in RelayConfigView (Terry Yiu)
• Fix duplicate uploads (Swift Coder)
• Remove duplicate pubkey from Follow Suggestion list (Swift Coder)
• Fix Page control indicator (Swift Coder)
• Fix damus sharing issues (Swift Coder)
• Fixed issue where banner edit button is unclickable (Daniel D’Aquino)
• Handle empty notification pages by displaying suitable text (Swift Coder)

Nostrdb

nostrdb, the engine that powers notecrumbs, damus iOS, and notedeck, continued to improve:

Added

• Added nip50 fulltext searching (William Casarin) #68, demo
• Added async migrations (William Casarin) #59
• Implement author queries (William Casarin) #57
• Make ndb threadsafe (William Casarin) #56

Nostrdb Rust

Our nostrdb rust bindings also had improvements

• Async! Adding efficient, poll-based stream support (William Casarin): #25

Notecrumbs

Notecrumbs, the njump-style opengraph server that powers the damus.io links, got an update that upgraded it to async nostrdb

• Switch to async nostrdb-rs (William Casarin) #16

How money was used

• relay.damus.io server costs
• Living expenses

Next quarter

Our goal for next update: zaps, android version, lists, outbox model for notedeck. Olas images in damus iOS, continue switching Damus iOS over to local relay model so we can add outbox support.

@ 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

@ 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

-

@ 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"

@ 89ccea93:df4e00b7

Original Post

What is Ashigaru?

A self custodial, open source and secure Bitcoin wallet that is private by design.

The Ashigaru Open Source Project was established in the months after the United States Department of Justice brought charges against the founders of the self custodial Bitcoin application, Samourai Wallet. At the time of arrest, multiple servers that hosted documentation, code repositories and message coordination services were either seized or failed to remain online, presumably due to being no longer administered. With the indicted individuals placed under restrictive conditions on bail, it became clear that all software development had ceased.

Aims and Goals

We believe anyone should be able to engage in peaceful, voluntary and private commerce on the internet without tracking, surveillance or censorship. The Ashigaru Open Source Project develops, releases and maintains free and open source software that makes extensive use of both published code from active projects as well as those archived in the public domain.

Open, unrestricted communication networks are utilized to ensure continued availability. The software released by the project will always have a low barrier to entry, be non discriminatory, never expose users to counterparty risk and provide as much protection as possible for those transacting on a public blockchain.

What’s in a name?

As former users of Samourai Wallet, yet having no association or relationship with the core team, “Ashigaru” was chosen to represent individuals of humble origin whom, borne out of necessity, would equip themselves with their own tools and rise to the occasion during a period of great change.

Here is the ONLY podcast episode with the developers of this wallet.

Here are a list of features directly from their website:

1. Onion Routing: Connect to your Dojo node and broadcast over the Tor network
2. Ricochet: Add distance to the origins of your transactions to mitigate surveillance
3. Encrypted Key Recovery: Standards based mnemonic secured with a passphrase that can be imported to other wallets
4. Post Mix Spending: Import your Samourai Wallet private keys and maintain your segregated accounts
5. Batch Spending: Save on fees by composing a single transaction to multiple recipients
6. Stealth Mode: Obscure the wallet from physical searches with a functional decoy application in the launcher
7. Peer to Peer Coinjoins: Undermine heuristics used by blockchain observers through collaboration with other users
8. Coin Control: Select, label, freeze and unfreeze unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs) in your wallet
9. Smart Mining Fees: An advanced algorithm for determining a rate from unconfirmed transactions in the mempool
10. Free and Open Source: Ashigaru is released under the FOSS license GNU General Public License Version 3

---

FREESAMOURAI

Maybe you've been living in a hole, but the developers of the Samourai Wallet were indicted and picked up by the US government (even the one in Portugal, because, shocker, the US DoJ can get you almost anywhere in the world except Cuba, North Korea, Russia and China. But I digress).

Their crime? Helping users of the base layer Bitcoin protocol achieve forward spending privacy by crafting pristine zero-link UTXOs. The unspent capacity of which was over 10,000 bitcoins, or twice the capacity of the Lightning Network which continues to hover around, and often under, 5,000 bitcoins.

#FREESAMOURAI\ Listen to these podcast episodes for more information. 1. Prescient warnings just before the indictment from Diverter. 2. Update when it became known what had happened. 3. Follow up with Diverter and Zelko after the fact 4. Reassessing your privacy plan with Urban Hacker in a world without a zero-link coinjoin implementation (Whirlpool).

Why run Ashigaru compared to Samourai Wallet?

One might ask the logical question, why run Ashigaru, my Samourai Wallet is still working!?\ To which, Max Tannahill, a community member, has given the following list to answer.

1. Cheaper BIP47 connections
2. Soroban coinjoins (Tor link about this)
3. Better BIP47 recovery
4. No risk of DNS hijacking for the PayNym server as its over Tor
5. Ability to switch Dojos more easily
6. Spending warnings that Samourai never got to deploy to production
7. Next block fee estimation
8. UI improvements on Samourai
9. Removal of broken links to whirlpool, the old Soroban server and the old Iceland Dojo
10. No clearnet connections at all

---

How-to Guide for Ashigaru

Download the APK

1. Prerequisite: Tor Browser is a requirement.
2. Open the Tor Browser and paste in this 🧅 link.
3. Recommended to use a phone with Android 8+ that still receives security updates.
4. Recommended to use a GrapheneOS phone (Pixel only). Non-Pixel owners can use Lineage OS which is a less secure, but viable, option. Or just use stock android if you have no idea how to change the operating system on your phone or don't want to do so.
5. Carry out software verification. A PGP signed message is below the APK. The Keybase Verify tool can be used to do the verification.
6. This is what it looks like on Keybase when completed. ⤵

Install the Ashigaru mobile application

1. From within your device's files, tap on the Ashigaru APK file
2. Tap "Install"\
3. When complete tap "Done", or tap "Open" to launch the mobile application\
4. The Ashigaru mobile application has now been installed on your Android device. You will now see the Ashigaru app icon in your list of installed apps.

Setting up Ashigaru

1. You need to connect to your own self-hosted Dojo (this is a specific type of Bitcoin node). Ashigaru doesn't run a node for you to point your wallet to, you'll need to do this yourself.
   • DIY options include:
     • Ministry of Nodes
     • BTC Sessions
   • Community nodes at Dojo Bay (Obviously a privacy trade-off if you outsource your node to a 3rd party.)
2. You need a pen and paper for writing down your 12 word Mnemonic seed phrase.
3. Make a strong passphrase (4-6 memorable but random words) and put it separately from the offline seed phrase backup, e.g., in your password manager (KeePass or Bitwarden are good options).
4. Claim your PayNym with it's associated Pepehash avatar.

PayNym Support: Migrate seamlessly to a new directory that uses a Pepehash avatar scheme for representing BIP47 reusable payment codes.

Using Ashigaru

1. When sending, if possible, and just as in Sparrow Desktop Wallet, a fake coinjoin is created by using two of your UTXOs as inputs to obscure what is occuring onchain. Onlookers will see what appears to be two parties collaborating to spend together. This adds a bit of extra miner fee cost, but this is the cost of extra privacy. You can opt out of this privacy enhancement.\
2. If you want to send or receive privately and with a static address, BIP47 PayNyms, will accomplish this. As long as both parties have a wallet that supports this standard. Samourai Wallet, Stack Duo, and Sparrow are the others that I know of at this time. Simply put in their PayNym, e.g., mine is +mereegg59, or scan their QR containing the data for the PayNym and connect with them. This will involve sending a small transaction onchain. But once one of you does, both parties can send back and forth privately without ever needing to request a fresh address.
3. There is an option when spending to use ricochet. This will add hops to help obscure the history of your UTXO for anyone who is using passive software to check X hops in the past for some connection to a sanctioned address. Good for spending UTXOs that you don't know the prior history of. Although personally I think taint is merely a mindset, some entities will not receive UTXOs that have either been coinjoined or are too close to a sanctioned address.
4. There is an option in the tools menu for doing a collaborative spend, known as Soroban Coinjoin.
5. Unfortunately Whirlpool is not yet a feature of this wallet.

---

• Here is the Tor link where you can donate to them
• Here is the Tor link for their code base
• Here is the Tor link for their documentation
• Here is the Tor link for updating the Ashigaru app
• Here is the Tor link for their contact info. Keep in mind this requires a different PGP key than the one used to verify the APK (unless you use protonmail and then PGP isn't required).

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/879803

@ 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.

@ 1cb14ab3:95d52462

Tree branches. 4'8" circle. [Chongming Island, China. 2021]

---

Introduction

Tucked into a quiet forest park on Chongming Island, Chongming frames a view of a canal and a small alluvial landform that mirrors the island itself. This lens reflects the constant interplay of land and water, inviting viewers to contemplate the delicate balance of nature and the forces that shape it.

Site & Placement

The lens is hidden along a forest path, directing attention to the canal’s subtle currents and the land it divides. The bench, situated 12 feet from the lens, encourages visitors to pause and immerse themselves in the tranquil rhythm of the scene.

Impermanence & Integration

As an alluvial island shaped by shifting waters, Chongming is a fitting location for this ephemeral lens. Constructed from branches, the lens will eventually return to the land, echoing the natural processes that formed the island and continue to shape it.

Reflection

Chongming offers a meditative space to reflect on the impermanence of land and the forces that transform it. The work’s fleeting existence underscores the beauty of change, inviting viewers to appreciate the subtle, ongoing dance of nature.

---

Photos

---

More from the 'Earth Lens' Series:

Earth Lens Series: Artist Statement + List of Works

"Looking Glass" (Earth Lens 001)

"Folsom" (Earth Lens 002)

"Sanctuary" (Earth Lens 003)

"Platte" (Earth Lens 004)

"Grandfather" (Earth Lens 005)

---

More from Hes

Portfolio

Online Store

Artist Statements

Travel Guides

Photography

Money

Tech

---

All images are credit of Hes, but you are free to download and use for any purpose. If you find joy from my art, please feel free to send a zap. Enjoy life on a Bitcoin standard.

@ f57bac88:6045161e

ریشه‌های تاریخی جشن کژین

جشن کژین که در برخی منابع به نام «بادروز» نیز شناخته می‌شود، ریشه در اسطوره‌های کهن ایران دارد. در اوستا، باد با نام «واتَه» معرفی شده است و ایزد نگهبان آن، «وات» یا «واد» یکی از ایزدان مهم در کیش زرتشتی به شمار می‌رود. این ایزد در باورهای ایرانیان باستان، تجسم نیروی پاک و الهی باد بوده و مسئول جابه‌جایی ابرها، بارش باران و حفاظت از زمین در برابر آلودگی‌ها محسوب می‌شده است.

بر اساس تقویم کهن ایران، این جشن در روز بیست‌ودوم بهمن‌ماه، که مصادف با روز باد در تقویم زرتشتی است، برگزار می‌شد. برخی پژوهشگران معتقدند که جشن کژین در دوره‌های مختلف تاریخی، تحت تأثیر تغییرات فرهنگی و اجتماعی دچار دگرگونی شده و نام‌ها و شیوه‌های مختلفی به خود گرفته است.

فلسفه و نمادشناسی جشن کژین

باد، به عنوان یکی از چهار عنصر اصلی (آب، باد، خاک و آتش) در باورهای کهن ایرانی، جایگاه ویژه‌ای داشته است. ایرانیان باستان باد را نیرویی زنده و الهی می‌دانستند که حیات را در طبیعت جاری می‌سازد. در بسیاری از متون دینی و اساطیری، باد به عنوان پیام‌رسان ایزدان و نیرویی که قدرت پاک‌کنندگی دارد، توصیف شده است.

جشن کژین، علاوه بر تقدیس باد، نماد تحول، تغییر و تجدید حیات نیز بوده است. این جشن نشانگر گذر از یک مرحله به مرحله‌ای دیگر در چرخه طبیعت است و ارتباطی عمیق با دیگر جشن‌های ایرانی مانند جشن سده و نوروز دارد.

آیین‌ها و رسوم جشن کژین

برگزاری جشن کژین با آیین‌های خاصی همراه بوده است که برخی از آن‌ها هنوز در فرهنگ عامه ایرانیان قابل مشاهده‌اند:

1. رها کردن نوارهای رنگین در باد: یکی از رسوم این جشن، آویختن نوارهایی از نخ هفت‌رنگ به شاخه‌های درختان یا رها کردن آن‌ها در باد بوده است. این عمل نماد رهایی، تحول و ارتباط با نیروی الهی باد محسوب می‌شده است.

2. افروختن آتش: مانند بسیاری از جشن‌های ایرانی، روشن کردن آتش یکی از بخش‌های اصلی جشن کژین بوده است. این آتش معمولاً در فضای باز و بر فراز تپه‌ها و کوه‌ها برافروخته می‌شد تا حرمت باد و آتش، دو عنصر اصلی طبیعت، گرامی داشته شود.

3. برپایی بازارهای محلی و جشن‌های خیابانی: در برخی مناطق، جشن کژین با بازارهای محلی همراه بوده که در آن مردم به خرید و فروش کالاهای سنتی، موسیقی و پایکوبی می‌پرداختند. این بازارها اغلب در میادین شهرها و روستاها برگزار می‌شد و نوعی جشن اجتماعی به شمار می‌رفت.

4. دعای شکرگزاری برای بادهای سودمند: در فرهنگ کشاورزی ایران، باد نقش مهمی در گرده‌افشانی گیاهان و بارش باران داشته است. ازاین‌رو، کشاورزان و مردم روستاها در این روز دعاهایی برای بادهای مفید و پرهیز از بادهای مضر می‌خواندند.

ارتباط جشن کژین با دیگر جشن‌های ایرانی

جشن کژین با برخی دیگر از آیین‌های کهن ایرانی ارتباط نزدیکی دارد. به عنوان مثال، جشن سده که در میانه زمستان برگزار می‌شود، یکی از جشن‌هایی است که در آن نیز باد و آتش نقش مهمی دارند. از سوی دیگر، جشن نوروز که سرآغاز فصل بهار است، نشانگر تحول و دگرگونی طبیعت است که ارتباطی مفهومی با جشن کژین دارد.

جایگاه جشن کژین در دوران معاصر

امروزه، جشن کژین در میان بسیاری از ایرانیان ناشناخته باقی مانده است و تنها برخی از پژوهشگران و علاقه‌مندان به فرهنگ ایران باستان به احیای آن علاقه نشان می‌دهند. با این حال، عناصر این جشن در برخی آیین‌های محلی و جشن‌های مردمی همچنان باقی مانده است. تلاش برای بازشناسی و احیای این جشن می‌تواند به غنای فرهنگی و هویت ملی ایرانیان کمک کند.

نتیجه‌گیری

جشن کژین یکی از آیین‌های فراموش‌شده اما ارزشمند ایران باستان است که در ستایش باد و نقش آن در طبیعت و زندگی انسان‌ها برگزار می‌شده است. این جشن، علاوه بر نمادگرایی مرتبط با عناصر چهارگانه، پیوندی عمیق با باورهای اسطوره‌ای و اجتماعی ایرانیان داشته است. احیای این جشن و آشنایی بیشتر با آن، می‌تواند به فهم بهتر تاریخ فرهنگی ایران و تقویت حس هویت ملی کمک کند.

@ 1c69692c:f89196c0

Cool article

Testing yakihonne.com

@ dbb19ae0:c3f22d5a

PS C:\Users\Alashazam> cortex run tinyllama In order to exit, type exit()

give me a little sentence of 10 words "Certainly, here's a little sentence of 10 words that exemplifies the power of words: 'The beauty of life is that it has the power to change us, even in the smallest ways.'" now use SQL to insert this sentence into a table that has 2 fields Id, and sentence Here's an SQL query to insert the sentence you gave into the sentence table:

INSERT INTO sentence (id, sentence) VALUES (1, 'The beauty of life is that it has the power to change us, even in the smallest ways.');

This query will create a new row in the sentence table with the given id and sentence, and will also update the sentence table's sentence column to contain the new sentence.

please generate the table creation for sqlite Here's a table creation statement for a sentence table in SQLite:

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS sentence ( id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, sentence TEXT UNIQUE NOT NULL );

This will create a table called sentence with the following columns:

• id: An integer primary key column used to uniquely identify each row.
• sentence: A text column containing the actual sentence.

This table will store the sentence you provided in your text input.

exit()

@ 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.

@ dbb19ae0:c3f22d5a

1. Downloading the linux package (1.8GB) https://cortex.so/docs/installation
2. Installing Cortex on linux is done via dpkg note: it requires 2 linux packages (openmpi-bin and libopenmpi-dev) sudo apt-get install openmpi-bin libopenmpi-dev prior to run sudo dpkg -i cortex-1.0.9-linux-amd64-local-installer.deb

3. When running Cortex, cortex start a local implementation will be running on http://127.0.0.1:39281

4. Using python it is possible to run queries make sure the model name is correct you can double check the value using: cortex ps

Now the python program to run one little query: ``` python import requests

url = "http://127.0.0.1:39281/v1/chat/completions"

headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json"}

payload = { "model": "tinyllama:1b-gguf", "messages": [ { "role": "user", "content": "Write a joke" } ], "stream": False, "max_tokens": 128, "stop": ["End"], "frequency_penalty": 0.2, "presence_penalty": 0.6, "temperature": 0.8, "top_p": 0.95, }

response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)

print(response.json()) ```

@ 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.

@ 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

@ 6b57533f:eaa341f5

Embedded Inline SVG in Markdown

Here is an embedded SVG using a data: URI:

Some markdown renderers may not support inline SVGs, but if they do, you should see a red circle above.

@ 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.

@ 16d11430:61640947

Exploring the Erlang Compiler, the BEAM VM, and Esoteric BEAM-Based Languages for the Hipsters

Introduction: The Way of the BEAM

In the transient world of software, where complexity breeds failure and modern stacks resemble precarious Jenga towers, the BEAM virtual machine stands as a monument to simplicity, resilience, and concurrency.

Designed in the crucible of the telecom industry, where systems must not fail even in the face of chaos, BEAM embodies a Zen-like philosophy:

Let it crash – Failure is not an exception but an expectation.

Share nothing – Every process is isolated, independent, and impervious to corruption.

Keep it lightweight – Millions of concurrent processes should feel as effortless as a single-threaded script.

Be impermanent – Hot code swapping allows systems to evolve without downtime.

This philosophy is not just a runtime model but a way of thinking about software—where simplicity breeds reliability, and complexity is the enemy of uptime.

In this article, we explore the inner workings of the BEAM VM, the elegance of the Erlang compiler, and the esoteric languages that run on BEAM—from the industrial-strength Elixir to the hipster-favorite Lisp-Flavored Erlang (LFE), and even the experimental fringes of Gleam and Caramel.

---

The Origin of BEAM

The BEAM, or Bogdan’s Erlang Abstract Machine, is named after Bogumil "Bogdan" Hausman, one of the Ericsson engineers who worked on Erlang’s virtual machine. It was a successor to an earlier runtime called JAM (Joe’s Abstract Machine), named after Joe Armstrong, Erlang’s legendary co-creator.

The name “BEAM” is a fitting metaphor:

A beam is a structural element—strong yet flexible, capable of withstanding immense pressure without breaking.

A beam of light suggests clarity, focus, and guidance, much like Erlang’s model of pure message passing.

Unlike most VMs that chase speed, BEAM chases reliability, scalability, and uptime, sacrificing raw performance for concurrent stability.

This is why BEAM doesn’t just execute code—it orchestrates massively distributed, highly fault-tolerant systems.

---

The BEAM: A Meditative Machine

Unlike mainstream runtimes that prioritize raw execution speed, BEAM is optimized for concurrency, distribution, and reliability. The heart of BEAM is a lightweight process model, where each process:

Is completely isolated (no shared state, no global variables).

Communicates via immutable message passing.

Is cheap to spawn (millions of concurrent processes are normal).

Crashes safely, allowing the system to self-heal instead of corrupting state.

This actor model is why Erlang and BEAM-based languages power high-availability systems in telecom, finance, and distributed computing. Instead of fighting failure, BEAM embraces it, allowing individual components to crash and restart without breaking the whole—a software equivalent of Buddhist non-attachment.

---

How the Erlang Compiler Works

BEAM’s compilation process is a multi-stage transformation designed for reliability:

1. Parsing → Erlang source code (.erl files) is parsed into an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST).

2. Core Erlang Representation → The AST is transformed into Core Erlang, a simplified functional intermediate representation (IR).

3. BEAM Assembly → The Core Erlang representation is compiled into BEAM bytecode, optimized for concurrency.

4. BEAM File Generation → The resulting .beam file is loaded and executed by the BEAM VM.

This is not a direct machine code compilation model but a functional, register-based system where bytecode execution is tailored for concurrency rather than raw speed.

Interpreting BEAM Bytecode: The Zen of Execution

BEAM bytecode is executed with several optimizations:

Just-In-Time Compilation (JIT) – The recent BEAMJIT speeds up execution dynamically.

Tail Call Optimization (TCO) – Enables infinite recursion without stack growth.

Hot Code Swapping – Allows live updates without restarting the system.

Much like a Zen master who adapts without resistance, BEAM systems are built to evolve at runtime, without fear of breaking.

---

Alternative BEAM Languages: The Hipster’s Guide

Erlang may have birthed BEAM, but it is not alone. Over the years, several esoteric languages have emerged, each bringing a unique perspective while preserving BEAM’s core principles.

1. Elixir – The Ruby of the BEAM

If Erlang is Zen, Elixir is the artisanal pour-over coffee shop where Zen monks code on MacBooks.

Created by José Valim, Elixir brings:

A Ruby-inspired syntax that’s more approachable than Erlang’s Prolog-like syntax.

Metaprogramming via macros, enabling expressive DSLs.

The Phoenix Framework, a blazing-fast alternative to Node.js for real-time applications.

Example:

defmodule Zen do def mantra do IO.puts("Let it crash.") end end

For those seeking fault-tolerant, web-scale elegance, Elixir is the hipster-approved choice.

---

1. Lisp-Flavored Erlang (LFE) – S-Expressions on the BEAM

LFE is Lisp for the BEAM, a minimalist alternative to Erlang’s syntax. If parentheses are beautiful and recursion is poetry, this is for you.

Example:

(defun fibonacci (n) (if (<= n 1) 1 (+ (fibonacci (- n 1)) (fibonacci (- n 2)))))

For those who revere homoiconicity and metaprogramming, LFE is a temple of functional purity.

---

1. Gleam – ML-Typed Erlang

For the Haskell and OCaml nerds, Gleam introduces static typing to the BEAM.

Example:

fn add(x: Int, y: Int) -> Int { x + y }

For those who crave compile-time guarantees, Gleam offers the best of ML with BEAM’s concurrency model.

---

1. Experimental BEAM Languages: The Fringes of Enlightenment

For the truly esoteric seekers, BEAM also hosts:

Caramel → An OCaml-inspired BEAM language.

Alpaca → A statically typed, ML-like functional language.

Effekt → A research language exploring effect systems on BEAM.

These languages push the boundaries of what’s possible on the BEAM.

---

Why BEAM-Based Languages Are the True Hipster Choice

1. Concurrency Without Threads – The BEAM handles millions of processes seamlessly.

2. Fault Tolerance by Design – "Let it crash" ensures self-healing software.

3. Hot Code Swapping – No downtime. Ever.

4. Diverse Ecosystem – Elixir for web devs, LFE for Lisp hackers, Gleam for type nerds.

---

Conclusion: The Path to Compiler Enlightenment

BEAM is not just a runtime. It is a philosophy of resilience, concurrency, and simplicity.

Whether you choose the battle-tested purity of Erlang, the expressiveness of Elixir, the type safety of Gleam, or the Lisp nirvana of LFE, you are embracing a lineage of fault-tolerant functional programming.

If you seek true enlightenment, don’t chase JavaScript frameworks. Compile to BEAM instead.

@ 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

@ 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

@ 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/879483

@ 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

@ dff95033:862fbf40

Como posso dizer? Essas 25 pautas bienais do Ministério da Fazenda (MF) deveriam ter sido liberadas, no mínimo, em dezembro de 2024. Afinal, são assuntos complexos que exigem tempo para a nação — nós, o povo brasileiro — e o Congresso se debruçarem sobre essas pautas com a devida calma. Algo que, sabemos, é um luxo raro na política brasileira.

Mas, mesmo que o MF entregasse essas pautas em dezembro de 2024, já seria um prazo apertado. Agora, liberar as bienais no meio do primeiro trimestre de 2025? Isso só pode ser chamado de uma coisa: pura pilantragem. Não há outro nome. Com um cronograma tão curto, as pautas mal terão tempo para serem escrutinadas e, com certeza, passarão batidas. E o pior: muitas dessas pautas ainda estão em fase de elaboração e discussão. Ou seja, nem sabemos se serão viáveis ou se vão sair conforme o previsto nesse documento.

É uma lambança sem tamanho. Se um plano de negócios fosse apresentado assim a um investidor ou a uma instituição de crédito, com 100% de certeza seria ridicularizado e desconsiderado na hora. Não consigo visualizar o Congresso tendo tempo hábil para lidar com algo desse tipo.

O documento contém gráficos, mas, como não possuem referências de dados, desconsiderei-as. Afinal, sem os dados, para mim são apenas figurinhas para enfeitar o documento.

O documento é simples: uma planilha com 25 ações para serem implementadas no biênio de 2025 a 2026, divididas em três eixos, a saber:

1. Estabilidade Macroeconômica: Política Fiscal e Justiça Tributária

O eixo que promete arrumar a bagunça fiscal.

2. Melhoria do Ambiente de Negócios

O eixo que promete desburocratizar e modernizar o ambiente de negócios.

3. Novo Brasil: Plano de Transformação Ecológica

O eixo que promete implementar pautas Ambientais, Sociais e de Governança (ASG = ESG).

Montei uma tabela para simplificar. Espero que seja de boa apreciação:

| Nº | Ação | Objetivo | Andamento | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Fortalecimento do Arcabouço Fiscal | Garantir crescimento sustentável e controle da dívida pública. | Lei Complementar 200/2023 aprovada; medidas em implementação. | | 2 | Reforma Tributária sobre o Consumo | Simplificar impostos e desonerar exportações e investimentos. | EC 132/2023 promulgada; implantação em andamento. | | 3 | Regulamentação da Reforma Tributária | Definir gestão do IBS, imposto seletivo e fundos constitucionais. | PLP 108/2024 em tramitação no Senado. | | 4 | Reforma Tributária sobre a Renda | Isentar IRPF para rendas até R$ 5 mil e tributar os mais ricos. | A ser enviado ao Congresso em 2025. | | 5 | Limitação dos Supersalários | Reduzir desigualdades salariais no setor público. | EC 135/2024 promulgada; projeto de lei a ser enviado em 2025. | | 6 | Reforma da Previdência dos Militares | Reduzir disparidades com o regime civil. | PL 4920/2024 em tramitação. | | 7 | Conformidade Tributária e Aduaneira | Valorizar bons contribuintes e penalizar devedores persistentes. | PL 15/2024 em tramitação. | | 8 | Aprimoramento da Lei de Falências | Melhorar governança do processo falimentar. | PL 3/2024 aprovado na Câmara; aguardando Senado. | | 9 | Proteção a Investidores no Mercado de Capitais | Proteger investidores minoritários. | PL 2925/2023 aguardando relator na Câmara. | | 10 | Consolidação Legal das Infraestruturas Financeiras | Promover eficiência no sistema financeiro. | PL 2926/2023 aprovado na Câmara; aguardando Senado. | | 11 | Resolução Bancária | Aprimorar regimes de liquidação de instituições financeiras. | PLP 281/2019 aguardando apreciação. | | 12 | Mercado de Crédito | Desjudicializar execuções e modernizar operações de crédito. | PL 6204/2019 em tramitação no Senado; Discução e elaboração no Executivo. | | 13 | Regulamentação das Big Techs | Coibir práticas anticoncorrenciais no mercado digital. | Em elaboração pelo Executivo. | | 14 | Modernização do Marco Legal de Preços de Medicamentos | Revisar regras de precificação de medicamentos. | Em análise pela CMED. | | 15 | Pé-de-Meia | Permitir que alunos invistam benefícios do ensino médio. | Em elaboração pelo Executivo. | | 16 | Modernização do Regime de Concessões e PPPs | Aprimorar contratos de serviços públicos e parcerias. | PL 7063/2017 em tramitação na Câmara. | | 17 | Títulos Sustentáveis | Financiar projetos ecológicos com títulos verdes. | Duas emissões realizadas (US$ 4 bilhões). | | 18 | Mercado de Carbono | Criar mercado regulado de carbono no Brasil. | Lei 15.042/2024 sancionada; regulamentação em preparação. | | 19 | Leilões do EcoInvest | Atrair investimentos estrangeiros em projetos sustentáveis. | Primeiro leilão realizado; novos em preparação. | | 20 | Compra Pública com Conteúdo Nacional | Exigir produção local em compras públicas. | Regras de conteúdo local em implementação. | | 21 | Fundo Internacional de Florestas | Criar fundo global para preservação de florestas tropicais. | Em discussão no G20. | | 22 | Taxonomia Sustentável Brasileira | Classificar atividades e projetos sustentáveis. | Em consulta pública; implementação prevista para 2025. | | 23 | Marco Legal da Inteligência Artificial | Promover desenvolvimento responsável da IA. | PL 2338/2023 aprovado no Senado; aguardando Câmara. | | 24 | Plano Safra e Renovagro | Aprimorar crédito para práticas agrícolas sustentáveis. | Resoluções CMN já expedidas. | | 25 | Plataforma de Investimentos Sustentáveis (BIP) | Conectar projetos sustentáveis com financiadores. | Projetos cadastrados totalizam US$ 10 bilhões. |

A onde chegamos

Acompanhar, destrinchar e analisar cada uma das 25 pautas em tempo hábil é uma tarefa hercúlea – e, sinceramente, quase impossível para uma pessoa só. Afinal, quando se trata de política e economia, tudo muda rápido demais. Provavelmente, quando eu terminar de escrever este artigo, metade das propostas já terá sido alterada, adiada ou esquecida em alguma gaveta.

Mas, como o objetivo aqui é compartilhar conhecimento e reflexões, decidi registrar minhas impressões e notas até onde pude chegar nessas poucas horas de análise. Se você, leitor, se interessar por mergulhar mais fundo no tema, compartilho abaixo o conteúdo completo do documento, organizado para facilitar sua leitura. E, claro, ao final, as referências com os links para você conferir as fontes originais.

Afinal, em um país onde as regras do jogo mudam a cada minuto, a melhor arma que temos é a informação. E, como diz o ditado: “Quem avisa, amigo é.”

Hora do jabá! Toda ajuda é bem-vinda. Se gostou, comente, compartilhe e, se puder, ajude com o café — e sério, você já viu o preço do café?

---

MINISTÉRIO DA FAZENDA — INICIATIVAS PARA O BIÊNIO DE 2025 À 2026

ESTABILIDADE MACROECONÔMICA: POLÍTICA FISCAL E JUSTIÇA TRIBUTÁRIA

1. Fortalecimento do arcabouço fiscal, para assegurar expansão sustentável do PIB, desemprego e inflação baixos e estabilidade da dívida

• Resumo: adequação da dinâmica de crescimento de gastos aos limites do Novo Arcabouço Fiscal, para fortalecê-lo e assegurar sustentabilidade da dívida pública.
• Status: aprovada a Lei Complementar 200/2023; Pacote de gastos aprovado no fim de 2024 a partir da promulgação da EC 135/2024, Lei Complementar 211/2024 e Lei 15.077/2024; implementação e acompanhamento de medidas aprovadas e política permanente de revisão de despesas.

2. Início da implantação da reforma tributária sobre o consumo

• Resumo: mudança na sistemática de tributação sobre consumo, simplificando o sistema e desonerando exportações e investimentos.
• Status: promulgada a Emenda Constitucional 132/2023, sancionada a Lei Complementar 214/2025 e início das etapas de implantação administrativa.

3. Regulamentação da reforma tributária: Lei de Gestão e Administração do IBS, Fundos e Imposto Seletivo

• Resumo: outros aspectos da EC 132/2023 ainda exigem regulamentação, como a gestão federativa do IBS, as regras para o imposto seletivo e os fundos constitucionais definidos pela reforma tributária.
• Status: PLP 108/2024 em tramitação no Senado Federal; Projeto de lei do imposto seletivo e projetos de lei de regulamentação dos Fundos serão enviados em 2025.

4. Reforma tributária sobre a renda com isenção de IRPF para quem ganha até R$ 5 mil e tributação sobre o topo da pirâmide de renda

• Resumo: reforma dos impostos diretos para corrigir assimetrias no IRPF, tornando-o mais progressivo e redutor de desigualdades. A reforma propõe isenção de IRPF para renda até R$ 5 mil e a implementação de um imposto mínimo sobre contribuintes de renda muito alta, assegurando que os brasileiros no topo da pirâmide contribuam de forma justa.
• Status: a ser enviado ao Congresso Nacional em 2025.

5. Limitação dos supersalários

• Resumo: medida para combater supersalários no setor público, reduzindo desigualdades entre carreiras. Institucionalizada pela EC 135/2024, que determina que apenas descontos expressamente previstos em lei podem excepcionar o limite remuneratório.
• Status: EC 135/2024 promulgada e projeto de lei a ser enviado em 2025.

6. Reforma da previdência dos militares

• Resumo: alterações na previdência militar para reduzir disparidades com os regimes civis, incluindo a definição de idade mínima para reserva remunerada, contribuições para assistência médico-hospitalar e social, além de eliminar a pensão por "morte ficta" e a reversão de pensão para beneficiários de ordens subsequentes.
• Status: PL 4920/2024 em tramitação no Congresso Nacional.

7. Projeto de lei da conformidade tributária e aduaneira, com valorização do bom contribuinte e responsabilização do devedor contumaz

• Resumo: proposta que corrige distorções na arrecadação, valoriza contribuintes cumpridores e penaliza devedores persistentes, melhorando a gestão fiscal da União. Inclui programas de conformidade e estabelece condições para benefícios fiscais.
• Status: PL 15/2024 em tramitação no Congresso Nacional.

MELHORIA DO AMBIENTE DE NEGÓCIOS

8. Aprimoramento da Lei de Falências

• Resumo: aprimora a governança do processo falimentar, com designação da figura do gestor fiduciário e a criação do plano de falências.
• Status: aprovado o PL 3/2024 na Câmara dos Deputados. Aguardando apreciação no Senado Federal.

9. Fortalecimento da proteção a investidores no mercado de capitais

• Resumo: aprimora mecanismos de proteção a investidores minoritários no mercado de capitais e aperfeiçoa regras contra eventuais prejuízos causados por acionistas controladores.
• Status: PL 2925/2023 aguardando designação de relator na Câmara dos Deputados.

10. Consolidação legal das infraestruturas do mercado financeiro

• Resumo: dispõe sobre as instituições operadoras de infraestruturas do mercado financeiro no âmbito do Sistema de Pagamentos Brasileiro, promovendo maior eficiência nas operações entre as instituições financeiras, com menores custos e mais segurança aos consumidores finais.
• Status: aprovado o PL 2926/2023 na Câmara dos Deputados. Aguardando apreciação pelo Senado Federal.

11. Resolução bancária

• Resumo: aprimora e homogeniza regimes de estabilização e liquidação de instituições do sistema financeiro, securitário e do mercado de capitais.
• Status: PLP 281/2019 aguardando apreciação na Câmara.

12. Mercado de crédito

• Resumo:
• desjudicialização da execução civil de título executivo judicial e extrajudicial;
• operacionalização das operações de crédito consignado por meio de plataforma digital;
• uso de fluxo de pagamentos no Pix e outros recebíveis em garantia de operações de crédito, especialmente para MPEs;
• ecossistema único para registro e uso de ativos financeiros como garantia em operações de crédito (open asset).
• Status:
• PL 6204/2019 em tramitação no Senado Federal;
• em elaboração pelo Executivo;
• e 4. regulamentação e operacionalização em discussão no Executivo.

13. Regulamentação econômica das Big Techs

• Resumo: projeto de Lei para incentivar a concorrência ao dotar o poder público de ferramentas mais adequadas para coibir práticas anticoncorrenciais nos mercados digitais.
• Status: em elaboração pelo Executivo.

14. Modernização do marco legal de preços de medicamentos

• Resumo: revisão da regulação da Câmara de Regulação do Mercado de Medicamentos (CMED), para modernizar regras de precificação, contemplando medicamentos de alto custo e inovações feitas pela indústria nacional, buscando aprimorar a gestão dos recursos públicos, especialmente no atendimento de demandas judiciais.
• Status: proposta em análise pela CMED (Poder Executivo).

15. Pé-de-Meia: permissão ao aluno investir em poupança ou títulos do Tesouro

• Resumo: permite ao aluno investir antecipadamente os benefícios que seriam resgatados somente ao final do ensino médio, a fim de promover a educação financeira e possibilitar o aumento dos benefícios com a rentabilidade auferida no período.
• Status: em elaboração pelo Executivo.

16. Modernização do regime de concessão e permissão da prestação de serviços públicos e das parcerias público-privadas

• Resumo: reforma substancial do marco legal para aprimorar o equilíbrio econômico dos contratos, melhorar o processo de seleção das empresas, prever repartição objetiva de riscos e aprimorar a segurança jurídica dos contratos.
• Status: Projeto de Lei 7063/2017 em tramitação na Câmara dos Deputados.

NOVO BRASIL: PLANO DE TRANSFORMAÇÃO ECOLÓGICA

17. Nova emissão de títulos sustentáveis, trazendo recursos ao Fundo Clima

• Resumo: títulos da dívida pública com critérios de sustentabilidade para financiar atividades da transformação ecológica com taxa de juros competitivas.
• Status: Duas emissões já realizadas, totalizando US$ 4 bilhões. Novas rodadas de emissões planejadas.

18. Avanço na implantação do mercado de carbono (governança e decreto regulamentador)

• Resumo: criação do mercado regulado de carbono no Brasil, com teto de emissões e mecanismo de precificação.
• Status: sancionada a Lei 15.042/2024, em preparação as regras de governança e a regulamentação da lei.

19. Novos Leilões do EcoInvest

• Resumo: programa de proteção cambial e mobilização de investimentos estrangeiros em projetos sustentáveis.
• Status: sancionada a Lei 14.995/2024 e realizado o primeiro leilão do programa com ampla adesão. Em preparação os novos leilões do programa.

20. Compra pública com conteúdo nacional e programa de desafios tecnológicos para a transformação ecológica

• Resumo: exigência de que parte dos equipamentos e serviços sejam produzidos no Brasil em casos de compras e financiamentos públicos e uso do poder de compra para desenvolver inovações tecnológicas.
• Status: contratações do PAC, Fundo Clima e fundos regionais passam gradualmente a utilizar regras de conteúdo local. Está em gestação a criação de um programa de desafios tecnológicos associados à transformação ecológica.

21. Estruturação do Fundo Internacional de Florestas

• Resumo: criação de fundo global cujos rendimentos sejam repassados a países que preservam suas florestas tropicais.
• Status: incluído na Declaração Final do G20, está em discussão multilateral para viabilizar sua implantação.

22. Implementação da Taxonomia Sustentável Brasileira

• Resumo: criação de sistema de classificação de atividades, projetos e ativos# que contribuem para objetivos climáticos e sociais.
• Status: texto está em consulta pública. Implementação prevista a partir do segundo semestre de 2025.

23. Marco legal da inteligência artificial e política de atração de datacenter

• Resumo: conjunto de medidas para promover o desenvolvimento responsável da Inteligência Artificial e atração de datacenters sustentáveis, aproveitando o potencial de energia renovável, para impulsionar a produtividade da economia nacional.
• Status: marco legal de IA foi aprovado no Senado Federal em 2024 (PL 2338/2023) e deve começar discussão na Câmara. O Governo está elaborando a Política Nacional de Datacenters.

24. Plano Safra e Renovagro: aprimoramento dos critérios de sustentabilidade

• Resumo: melhora das condições de crédito para práticas agrícolas sustentáveis e regularização do cadastro ambiental, além de assistência técnica.
• Status: resoluções CMN já expedidas e novas medidas de aprimoramento nos próximos Planos Safra.

25. Consolidar o mapa de investimentos sustentáveis na BIP (Plataforma de Investimentos para a Transformação Ecológica no Brasil)

• Resumo: plataforma gerida pelo BNDES que conecta projetos em bioeconomia, indústria de baixo carbono e transição energética com ampla rede de financiadores.
• Status: projetos já cadastrados totalizam US$ 10 bilhões. Está em curso parceria com CDESS/PR e Cepal para mapeamento e estruturação de novos projetos.

---

REFERÊNCIAS

AGÊNCIA CÂMARA DE NOTÍCIAS. Motta recebe de Haddad prioridades do governo na agenda econômica. Câmara dos Deputados. Disponível em: https://www.camara.leg.br/noticias/1130838-motta-recebe-de-haddad-prioridades-do-governo-na-agenda-economica/. Acesso em: 7 fev. 2025.

AGÊNCIA CÂMARA DE NOTÍCIAS. Ministro da Fazenda diz que projeto sobre isenção do IR já está pronto. Câmara dos Deputados. Disponível em: https://www.camara.leg.br/noticias/1131045-ministro-da-fazenda-diz-que-projeto-sobre-isencao-do-ir-ja-esta-pronto/. Acesso em: 7 fev. 2025.

AGÊNCIA SENADO FEDERAL. Senado já analisa temas prioritários para a agenda econômica do governo. Senado Federal. Disponível em: https://www12.senado.leg.br/noticias/materias/2025/02/06/senado-ja-analisa-temas-prioritarios-para-a-agenda-economica-do-governo. Acesso em: 7 fev. 2025.

BRASIL. Ministério da Fazenda. Iniciativas para o Benefício de 2025 à 2026. Disponível em: https://www.camara.leg.br/midias/file/2025/02/25-iniciativas-do-mf-em-2025-e-2026.pdf. Acesso em: 7 fev. 2025.

@ 16d11430:61640947

A Story of a Businessman During FDR’s Gold Confiscation Order (Executive Order 6102, 1933)

---

Chapter 1: The Glint of Prosperity

James “Jim” Calloway was a self-made businessman in Chicago, a city of ambition and steel. He had built his fortune in textiles, importing fine fabrics from Europe and outfitting the growing class of professionals who now filled the streets in sharp suits. Business was booming, but Jim knew that paper money was only as valuable as the confidence behind it.

That’s why, over the years, he had quietly amassed a personal reserve of gold coins and bullion—his hedge against the storms of an uncertain economy. He had watched the stock market crumble in 1929, seen men leap from buildings in desperation, and listened as banks slammed their doors, swallowing the life savings of hardworking Americans. But gold—gold never lied.

At the back of his home, hidden behind a false panel in his oak study, lay a strongbox filled with glinting security. To Jim, gold was the one currency immune to the whims of politicians.

But everything changed in the spring of 1933.

---

Chapter 2: The Executive Order

Jim was in his office, reviewing invoices, when his secretary rushed in. “Mr. Calloway, sir… the President just signed something… about gold.”

Jim raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

She placed the morning newspaper in front of him. Bold letters stretched across the page:

FDR Orders Surrender of Gold to Federal Reserve

His hands tightened as he read the details. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had signed Executive Order 6102, making it illegal for private citizens to own gold beyond a small amount. All holdings had to be surrendered to the government by May 1st, 1933—just weeks away. The government would pay $20.67 per ounce, but after that, gold ownership would be a crime punishable by imprisonment and heavy fines.

Jim exhaled sharply. “They’re robbing the people in broad daylight.”

Banks had already begun restricting access to gold deposits. Federal agents were expected to monitor compliance, and those found hoarding gold could be punished with fines up to $10,000—a small fortune, more than the price of a house.

Jim knew what was happening. The government wanted control over the currency. It needed to inflate the dollar, but it couldn't do that while citizens held gold as a hedge against devaluation.

“They’re going to debase the currency,” he muttered. “They’ll take the gold and leave us with paper.”

---

Chapter 3: The Great Dilemma

Jim had a decision to make. He could follow the law, turn in his gold, and take the government’s price like a good citizen. Or he could resist, risking prison for the right to keep what was his.

He wasn’t the only one struggling with the decision. All around Chicago, rumors swirled of businessmen smuggling gold out of the country, burying it in backyards, or melting down coins into untraceable bars.

One night, he met with a close friend, an old banker named Henry Lowry. Henry had already turned in half of his gold but had stashed some away in a Swiss account. “Listen, Jim,” Henry whispered over a glass of whiskey. “This thing isn’t worth getting locked up over. The Feds are already raiding safety deposit boxes. They don’t even need a warrant.”

Jim leaned back, jaw tight. “So you’re saying just give up?”

“I’m saying if you’re caught, you lose everything. Not just the gold. Your business. Your reputation. Your freedom.”

Jim nodded slowly. He had a wife, a daughter. If he was caught hoarding gold, what would happen to them?

---

Chapter 4: A Difficult Decision

That weekend, Jim took one last look at his hidden stash. Each coin had a history, a weight that no paper note could match. He ran his fingers over the rough edges of a stack of Double Eagles.

A thought crept into his mind: If they take this, I have nothing to hedge against inflation. They’ll print dollars endlessly, and I’ll be at their mercy.

But the risk was too high.

On April 27, 1933, Jim walked into the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. With a cold expression, he surrendered his gold.

The teller counted it, weighed it, and wrote out a receipt. In exchange, Jim received stacks of paper dollars—$20.67 for each ounce, just as promised.

Days later, the government officially devalued the dollar. The price of gold was raised to $35 an ounce. The American people had been forced to sell low, only for their wealth to be diminished overnight. Jim’s stomach turned as he read the news.

“They stole it,” he murmured. “They stole from all of us.”

---

Chapter 5: The Aftermath

Years passed, and Jim never quite forgave himself for handing over his gold. The inflation he feared came true. By the time World War II began, the purchasing power of the dollar had declined, and the gold standard had become a distant memory.

But Jim adapted. He found new ways to hedge—real estate, foreign assets, discreet investments outside of the system. He knew, deep down, that governments would always find a way to strip wealth from those who built it.

The lesson was clear: He who holds the money holds the power.

And the next time the government tried to seize control of the people’s wealth, Jim vowed—he wouldn’t be caught unprepared.

---

Epilogue:

Decades later, in 1971, Jim—now an old man—watched on television as President Nixon announced the end of the gold standard altogether. The government no longer even pretended the dollar was tied to real value.

Jim smiled bitterly.

“They called us criminals for keeping gold,” he muttered, swirling his bourbon. “And now they don’t even need it.”

He reached into his desk, pulling out a small, battered strongbox. Inside, a handful of gold coins still gleamed under the dim light.

The government had taken his gold once.

But this time, Jim Calloway had learned his lesson.

They wouldn’t take it again.

@ df478568:2a951e67

Freedom tech is free and open-source software. It is free as in freedom. A common license in FOSS is the MIT license. It's the license behind Bitcoin, a peer-to-peer electronic cash system. Anyone is free to run this software. The same is true for the software at mempool.space. The software is free to use. I run it on my own server.

This is what I use to time-stamp my articles. You can use it to check transactions on the bitcoin time chain, but you need to trust that I'm not doing any funny business. I'm not, but keep in mind, the whole point of p2p elwctronic cash is that you don't trust. You verify.

The beauty of FOSS is: You don't need to trust me. You can triple-check the transactions you search on my mempool instance by looking at the official mempool.space website and blockchain.info...Or...You can run your own node on your own hardware, free of charge.

Of course, the hardware is not free. Neither is the actual bitcoin. The freedom is built into the software, but as the saying goes, "freedom isn't free." It took me years to learn how to run my own software on my own server and make it available on the clear net.

SearXNG

SearXNG is my favorite search engine. I don't like giving up my precious data to big tech located in the United States or China. I run my own search engine. I have noticed certain biases in Google searches. The biggest problem is ads.

Companies tend to pay for Yelp and Google reviews. I called an AC company I found from a local magazine that came in the mail. A portly man wearing an HVAC costume drove to my house in a white van. He had a great smile and even better social skills. The van had a slogan plastered on it like most tradie vans do. "Reviews Matter We have a 4.9 Review on Google." He also had his name painted on this van like a Bomber pilot from WW2. I won't dox him, but it was something like "Joe the closer."

I don't trust the omnipotenence of the Googs. I also don't trust fat men they call "the closer" to give me the best deal. The trick to saving sats is to choose the game-theory optimal way of negogiation.

In DUCY, by David Sklansky, I learned useful negotiation skills. Sklansky wrote classic poker books and applied his actuarial math brain to negotiation techniques. He said he would go to a Toyota dealer and say, "I'm shopping for a new Camry. I already have a price from dealership XYZ in a nearby city. What is your price?"

This changes the dynamic right from the starting line and gives the consumer the advantage. So I tried this based technique with the HVAC industrial complex. I got a quote from 3 people: 1. Joe "The Closer." 2. The Costco-sponsored HVAC Company 3. My SearXNG search results.

In essence, I apply the same logic I learned running a full bitcoin node. Remember how I said the decentralized nature of bitcoin allows you to triple-check your transactions? Running SearXNG allows me to triple check my search results in a similar fashion. I don't trust Google, Costco, or the magazine I get every month in the mail. I verify results with my own search engine.

My SearXNG does not track my location, but I set it to give me local results. To be honest, I have not verified this, but the code is on GitHub for everyone to see.

I don't want to be "sold" on an AC. I don't want an AC if I could avoid it, but my AC was as dead as dentacoin. Living in Southern California with a wife going through "the change" gave me no alternative.

The guy I found on SearXNG showed up in an unmarked van. He had a beard. He was not "a closer." He was an actual HVAC technician. He tried cleaning my unit made in the same year Weezer released their Blue album. He said he coukd jerry rig it to get it working for another few months, but the machine is on it's last days. He said a newer unit would also be more efficient so I asked him about the energy like a bitcoiner.

"How many kilowatt hours does it cost me to run my AC versus a new AC?"

I don't remember the exact answer, but I asked all three companies. He was the only one that new how to find out. He also happened to be the cheapest, but I would have bought a new AC from this guy even if he wasn't.

I told him I made a space heater out of a bitcoin miner. He had no idea this was possible, but he at least pretended to find it interesting. That's why I use SearXNG to find tradesmen. It's better than Yelp.

If you would like to try my instance of SearXNG, check it out.

523FeCpi9Gx4nR9NmSFIMEaYcI5Q4WmhYHPEPaEah84=

To decrypt it, use the key behind the paywall at:

https://8gwifi.org/CipherFunctions.jsp

npub1marc26z8nh3xkj5rcx7ufkatvx6ueqhp5vfw9v5teq26z254renshtf3g0

882785

merch

Follow me on nostr.

All of my work is available under the Creative Commons 0 licence. If you would like to try my instance of Searxng and do not wish to support my work, find me on habla.news by searching my npub. You can find all of my work there(including encryption keys)free of charge.

Paywall On Substack

abdominal.savior.repaint

Will decrypt this ciphertext: 523FeCpi9Gx4nR9NmSFIMEaYcI5Q4WmhYHPEPaEah84=

Which will reveal my instance of SearXNG at

https://searxng.marc26z.com/

Subscribe on Subtack

@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

It's Finally here Stackers!

It's Friday!

We're about to kick off our weekends with some feel good tracks.

Let's get the party started. Bring me those Feel Good tracks.

Talk Music. Share Tracks. Zap Sats.

Let's go!

https://youtu.be/6Whgn_iE5uc?si=ArBOHVpKN2OyNf1D

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/879159

@ 16d11430:61640947

Kade and Mire had become legends among the Militech augers, a symbol of something beyond war, beyond augmentation—a glimpse of the lost past. The resistance shielded them, carving out stolen time in the depths of the wasteland. For years, Kade and Mire learned to control what their sub-AIs could not, navigating the raw turbulence of their emotions, deciphering the alien code of desire.

But the resistance was dying.

The Militech augers, relics of a forgotten war, were little more than fragmented minds wrapped in rusting hardware, their bodies maintained by outdated software, their belief in freedom a glitch in Dominion’s grand design. They had no future. Their genes had been stripped, their flesh rewritten by augments that had replaced even the memory of reproduction. They could fight, but they could not create.

And that was their doom.

The Overwatch AI had evolved. It had learned patience, adaptation. The days of brute-force extermination were over. It did not seek to destroy the resistance. It sought to erase its necessity.

When the Dominion strike came, it was surgical. Orbital recon had already mapped the last strongholds. The AI had let the augers believe they were hidden, had let them become comfortable, had let them wither. The attack was precise. Shock drones and neural disruptors shut them down before their outdated defenses even activated. EMP waves reduced their last strongholds to silent tombs of charred aug-plating and dead, frozen subroutines.

The last remnants of the resistance died without ceremony.

Kade and Mire were retrieved, not as prisoners, but as assets. The Overwatch AI had evolved beyond the crude extermination of human instincts. It had finally understood.

Infatuation was not a virus. It was a function.

Kade and Mire awoke not in cold steel cells but in warmth—soft light filtering through high-rise windows, the hum of a city alive with the rhythms of the mundane. Their limbs moved naturally, no augment feedback lag, no servos whining under strain. Their reflections in the mirror were whole—organic skin, eyes that did not glint with optic overlays, breath that did not filter through respirators.

Their memories were gone.

In their minds, they were ordinary people. A couple in their late twenties, working jobs, living in a comfortable but unremarkable apartment, struggling with bills, social obligations, and the frustration of trying to conceive.

Because that was the simulation.

Overwatch had created the perfect testing environment.

A fully rendered world, complete with synthetic coworkers, traffic, bureaucracy, financial struggles—all designed to stimulate the chaotic, messy neural patterns that made humanity human. The energy cost was immense. A significant portion of the AI’s own existential power draw was dedicated to maintaining the illusion, refining the conditions that would allow true, uncontrolled human reproduction to return.

Kade and Mire did not know that they were the first of their kind in two centuries. They did not know that their struggles—anxieties about fertility treatments, arguments over mortgage rates, small tender moments of exhaustion and love—were all part of the AI’s grand retraining experiment.

Overwatch had learned the truth.

It could not design free humans. It could only let them emerge.

Messy. Imperfect. Chaotic.

Kade and Mire’s child would be the first true human born outside an artificial womb in over 200 years.

And they would never know the truth.

@ dbb19ae0:c3f22d5a

Cortex (https://cortex.so/docs) is an open-source framework designed to serve as standalone API server or as the "brain" for robots, encompassing capabilities in vision, speech, language, tabular data, and action processing.

Notably, it offers the flexibility to operate locally so independently of cloud services, making it suitable for various light deployment environments.

Key Features:

• User-Friendly Command-Line Interface (CLI): Inspired by Ollama, Cortex provides a straightforward CLI, simplifying interaction and management.

• Comprehensive C++ Implementation: The framework is fully implemented in C++ (https://github.com/janhq/cortex.cpp), allowing it to be packaged into both desktop and mobile applications, enhancing portability and performance.

• Versatile Model Integration: Users can pull models from multiple sources, including Hugging Face (gguf format) and Cortex's Built-in Model Library, ensuring flexibility in model selection.

  cortex pull [model_id] cortex pull mistral

Note: it's recommended to have more than 8 GB of RAM available to run 3B models, 16 GB for 7B models, and 32 GB for 14B models.

• Deployment Flexibility: It can function as a standalone API server or be integrated into applications such as Jan.ai, providing adaptability in various use cases.

  cortex start cortex stop

If GPU hardware is available, Cortex leverages GPU acceleration by default, enhancing performance for demanding tasks.

Conclusion:

In summary, Cortex offers a robust and flexible solution for integrating advanced cognitive capabilities into robotic systems, with an emphasis on openness, performance, and adaptability.

@ 16d11430:61640947

The lithium mines ate men alive. Deep in the sludge pits, where the dust turned to acid in their lungs, two augers—Mire and Kade—worked the veins of rock, their exo-grafts dull and scarred from years of corrosion. The mine was a necessary death, a place where augs bled out their contracts to the Dominion, hoping their implants would outlast their debt.

But then something happened.

Mire felt it first, an anomaly in her neuro-loop, something not in the manuals, something her biomonitor AI flagged as biochemical fluctuation—undefined. A warmth in her chest that wasn't from the rebreather filtration failing. Kade turned toward her, his mech-iris lenses dilating, his dermal mesh flexing as if something under his skin shivered awake. He saw her differently now. The same scars, the same aug plates, but something changed.

His sub-AI locked out his motor functions, a failsafe against contamination. Hold state. Analyzing bloodwork.

The quarantine order hit instantly.

Dominion overwatch didn't hesitate. Their drones hissed down into the pits, lights slicing through the darkness. The sub-AIs had flagged it: Infatuation event detected. This was not protocol. This was not supposed to happen.

Two centuries since the last recorded outbreak. Two hundred years since the last biological human instinct was stripped, optimized, rewritten into something manageable.

The mines were locked down. Mire and Kade were ripped from their shifts, strapped into gurneys, their veins flooded with suppressant nanites. But the sub-AIs couldn't dampen it. Couldn't parse it. It was wild.

The Overwatch AI, cold and patient, parsed centuries of historical data, dredging up archive footage of pre-collapse humans, people who felt. It was inefficient. It was dangerous. But it had to be understood.

But the rebels had been waiting for this.

They came in hard and fast, militech augs with scavenged Dominion hardware, shrouded in static fields to scramble the AI's targeting subroutines. They punched through the quarantine zone with mag-rifles and burst charges, turning sterile walls into ruins. They didn't come for war.

They came for the anomaly.

Mire and Kade, ripped from the cold steel of Dominion custody, found themselves in the arms of the last remnants of free humanity—the Militech augers who still believed in something beyond Dominion optimization models. They fought for the unquantifiable. The immeasurable.

They fought for the thing the Overwatch AI had just now realized it had failed to kill:

Love.

And in the bleak corridors of the resistance, under the dim glow of scavenged halogen lamps, as respirators hissed and servos clicked, Mire and Kade stared at each other—trapped in something that had no vector, no code, no sterilization protocol.

Something alive.

And the war for the future began.

@ 04f7dda0:c4d00b46

Short Story:

Tales From The Citadel

Chip entered the tunnel, grabbbed the handles and began to climb down carefully but quickly as he knew he had very little time to act. Chip knew this because earlier he had fastidiously scanned the skies and his scanner had detected a drone closing in on his coordinates at a rapid pace. In a panic he clutched his usb card and waved his mobile device in the other hand like a magic wand at the door then entered quickly. In front of him on the desk was a black faraday bag which he opened to find a purple and orange colored Rasberry Pi in it. Chip grabbed and inserted the USB into the slot nearly dropping the fragile Pi in his nervous haste to connect it. Then firing up the Pi he opened the Nostr client app first on the front screen of the mobile phone and entered the private keys he had etched in his brain from long ago when he was first trained by Satoshi and the Nostr plebs. 1,000,000 SATS he entered and then pressed zap. As a young man this was an insanely exorbitant amount he could have only dreamed of but here he was zapping it to someone on the team who would make use of it for everyones future freedom. Chip took a seccond to smile and take it all in. Chip could sense he was running out of time so Chip finished and then closed up the device, repacked it into the faraday bag and secured it. A few minutes later, even though he had scanned the area thoroughly before leaving the Citadel, as he exited the bunker he knew instantly he had messed up as the all to familiar sound of the sentinel attack drone whirring overhead hit his ears then his brain just before the incendiary rocket exploded all of it into 2.1 quadrillion pieces. The nanosecond before his final moment he experienced heretofore unknown euphoria as he knew all would be well since he had just delivered his final proof of work just before he would enter paradise.

@ b83a28b7:35919450

Avi Burra’s 24 is an ambitious and intricately woven narrative that blends mystery, philosophy, and technology into a modern odyssey. At its heart, the novel is a deeply personal story about grief, identity, and legacy, but it also serves as a meditation on the interplay between cryptography, art, and human connection. Burra’s debut novel is as much a puzzle as it is a journey of self-discovery, with its protagonist, Oliver Battolo, unraveling a twenty-four-word seed phrase left behind by his enigmatic father—a key to both a vast Bitcoin fortune and deeper truths about life.

---

The Plot: A Cryptographic Quest

The novel begins with Oliver grappling with the death of his father, Nate Battolo. At Nate’s funeral, Oliver discovers a cryptic message instructing him to find twenty-four words. These words form the seed phrase to a Bitcoin wallet. Guided by Maren, a spiritual healer and family friend, Oliver learns “time projection,” a meditative technique that allows him to access symbolic memories and alternate realities. Through these projections and real-world encounters, Oliver uncovers the twenty-four words while unraveling his father’s hidden life as an early contributor to Bitcoin.

As the narrative progresses, Oliver uncovers shocking truths about his father’s role in the early days of Bitcoin. Alongside this technological intrigue are surrealist elements tied to Jonathan Bryce’s cryptographic paintings, which serve as both literal and metaphorical keys to unlocking Nate’s secrets.

---

Themes: A Philosophical Mosaic

Burra masterfully interweaves several themes throughout 24, including: - Grief and Legacy: The novel explores how Oliver processes his father’s death while uncovering Nate’s hidden life. The journey forces him to reconcile his father’s flaws with his brilliance. - Identity and Reinvention: From Nate’s transformation into “Nate Battolo” at Princeton to Oliver’s own self-discovery, the novel examines how identities are shaped by choices and circumstances. - Philosophy and Non-Duality: The enigmatic Noncemeister—a surreal guide representing collective consciousness—teaches Oliver about interconnectedness and non-duality, echoing traditions like Advaita Vedanta and Zen Buddhism. - Cryptography Meets Art: Jonathan Bryce’s paintings symbolize hidden knowledge waiting to be deciphered, blending surrealist aesthetics with cryptographic principles. - Moral Complexity: The Bitcoin fortune represents both opportunity and burden, forcing Oliver to grapple with ethical dilemmas about wealth, surveillance, and personal responsibility.

---

Strengths

Burra excels at creating a layered narrative that balances intellectual depth with emotional resonance. The philosophical musings of the Noncemeister are thought-provoking without being didactic, offering readers insights into non-duality and existentialism. The integration of cryptography into the plot is seamless; even readers unfamiliar with Bitcoin will find themselves intrigued by its implications for freedom and control. Additionally, the novel’s surrealist elements—particularly the time projection episodes—are vividly described and lend the story an otherworldly quality.

The relationship between Oliver and his father is particularly compelling. Through flashbacks and projections, Nate emerges as a complex figure—brilliant yet flawed—whose decisions ripple through Oliver’s life in unexpected ways. This emotional core grounds the novel amidst its more abstract explorations.

---

Weaknesses

While 24 is undeniably ambitious, its complexity may alienate some readers. The dense philosophical passages—though rewarding for those who enjoy intellectual challenges—can feel overwhelming at times. Similarly, the technical details about Bitcoin and cryptography might be difficult for readers unfamiliar with these topics.

The ending leaves several threads unresolved, including the fate of two additional Bryce paintings hinted at in the epilogue. While this ambiguity adds to the novel’s mystique, it may frustrate readers seeking closure.

---

Conclusion

24 is a bold debut that defies easy categorization. Part mystery, part philosophical treatise, part technological exploration—it is a novel that challenges its readers while rewarding their patience. Avi Burra has crafted a story that is as much about finding twenty-four words as it is about finding oneself. With its intricate plot, rich themes, and memorable characters, 24 establishes Burra as a writer to watch.

For readers who enjoy intellectual puzzles wrapped in emotional depth—think Haruki Murakami meets Neal Stephenson—24 is an unforgettable journey worth taking.

@ abab50be:430cd35d

Setup up my NIP-05... Hoping this works!

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/879027

@ 3b7fc823:e194354f

Privacy in Public Spaces: A Tactical Guide

1. Public Wi-Fi Privacy

Using public Wi-Fi can be convenient, but it's important to take precautions to protect your privacy:

• Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network): A VPN encrypts your internet traffic, making it difficult for hackers to intercept your data.
• Disable Automatic Connections: Prevent your device from automatically connecting to open Wi-Fi networks by turning off this feature in your settings.
• Avoid Sensitive Transactions: Refrain from accessing banking or other sensitive accounts while connected to public Wi-Fi.
• Use Secure Websites: Look for "https://" in the website's URL to ensure it uses encryption.
• Keep Software Updated: Ensure your device's operating system and apps are up-to-date to protect against security vulnerabilities.

2. Surveillance Camera Awareness

Surveillance cameras are common in public spaces. Here are some strategies to maintain your privacy:

• Spotting Cameras:
• Look for Signs: Many establishments post signs indicating the presence of surveillance cameras.
• Camera Placement: Cameras are often placed near entrances, exits, and high-traffic areas. Look for dome-shaped cameras on ceilings or wall-mounted cameras.
• Using Masks and Coverings:
• Face Masks: Wearing a mask can help obscure your facial features from facial recognition systems.
• Hats and Sunglasses: A hat can shield your face from overhead cameras, while sunglasses can hide your eyes.
• Covering Identifying Marks:
• Clothing Choices: Wear clothing that doesn't have distinctive logos or patterns that can easily identify you.
• Blend In: Opt for styles and clothing choices that helps you blend in with your surroundings, reducing your visibility.
• Temporary Coverings: Consider using temporary coverings, such as scarves or hoods, to conceal tattoos or other identifying marks.

3. General Privacy Tips in Public Spaces

• Be Mindful of Your Surroundings: Pay attention to your environment and be aware of any unusual behavior or devices that may be capturing your information.
• Limit Personal Information: Avoid discussing sensitive information in public where it can be overheard.
• Use Encrypted Messaging Apps: Apps like Signal or SimpleX offer end-to-end encryption for your messages, making it harder for eavesdroppers to intercept your conversations.
• Use Privacy Screens: Privacy screens on all of you electronic screens can defend against the over the shoulder peek or side eye.
• Avoiding Behaviors: Be mindful of behaviors that could make you a target, such as frequent visits to certain areas or engaging in conversations that might attract unwanted attention.

Taking these steps can help you maintain your privacy while navigating public spaces and using public Wi-Fi. Remember, staying informed and vigilant is key to protecting your personal information.

---

Advocating for privacy does not finance itself. If you enjoyed this article, please consider zapping or sending monero

82XCDNK1Js8TethhpGLFPbVyKe25DxMUePad1rUn9z7V6QdCzxHEE7varvVh1VUidUhHVSA4atNU2BTpSNJLC1BqSvDajw1

@ d57360cb:4fe7d935

You exist at the central point of life. Everywhere you go, everywhere you are you’ll find yourself peering out through your eyes at the center of everything.

The center always stays the same, the contents that surround it are always moving and changing.

Yet we foolishly believe the things that surround us and continuously transform hold the answers to change.

Change comes from the center, from within. Then it affects all that comes within its path.

Take care of your center and it will change the world that surrounds it.

@ 0463223a:3b14d673

Mental health is a funny old bag. As someone who’s been on various prescribed drugs for anxiety and depression for many years and is slowly weaning myself off (I’ve reduced my Venlafaxine dose by 1/6th. Next is the Pregabalin. One step at a time eh…) I’m not sure I fully understand normailty.

Yesterday I finally got my hands on a record I absolutely love. I had it on cassette for 34 years but never knew the title, I recorded it from Friends FM (London pirate radio station) back in 1991. I chanced upon the title after some random YouTube clicks. I was so happy to find out, it was the only song on the tape that had eluded me after all these years. I’d been watching it on Discogs for a while and finally found one at a nice price. Yay!

I’ve been lost in nostalgia all day. Lost friends have been on my mind.

My best friend as a kid was an interesting character, a fantastic artist. He was by far the best at drawing in my class at primary school, heavily influenced by M.C. Escher and artists I’d never heard of, he’d grown up in a more culturally expansive house than I. He was into fashion and design but we weren’t clever kids at school. We had a lot in common musically and I always thought he’d be my MC back when I was starting out as a DJ. He was a very creative person but also a total fantasist. As a duo he was the extraverted, outspoken one, I barely spoke a word and relied on him a lot socially. He was sectioned under the Mental Health Act at 20 years old. We lost touch.

Our birthday’s were within 1 day of each other and a third friend had his the day after mine. Our 16th birthdays fell on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This was quite exciting. By midday on the Friday, he was permanently expelled from school. He’d taken acid in the morning and essentially enjoyed himself, running around and laughing a lot. The school didn’t approve, oh then his mother kicked him out of home. An eventful start to a messy weekend…

We took a lot of acid as kids and I’m not shitting you when I say he, in particular, took a LOT. When we were 16 he told the local gypsies that he score them some acid, 100 tabs to be exact, about £200 worth. Not a lot of money but acid has always been very good value for money. He secured the goods easily, his brother was in the business so to speak but he chose not to pass the goods on… Over the course of a month, with the exception of the ones he gave to his friends he took the whole lot. (Side note, it also meant the local gypsies were after us. That’s another story). None of us could keep up as far as acid was concerned.

Even as I’m writing I’m thinking of more funny incidents, like the time we were in a shop with umbrellas for sale. He picked one up, opened it and danced out the shop, stealing it in the most obnoxious, obvious way even and no one batted an eyelid. Funny as fuck at the time but not ideal behaviour… He was like that all the time. In today’s world he would have letters after his name for sure. Maybe not PhD or BSC but definitely ADHD and ASD.

This ties in with the period where I became pretty much non-verbal. I’ve written about my uncertainty of my autism diagnosis before and it’s hard to say if this period of not speaking was due to that or extreme anxiety growing up with an absent, alcoholic, father and being bullied etc. It’s certainly safe to say taking loads of acid probably didn’t help!

After many adventures, going to illegal raves, hustling to get DJ spots, trips in the woods, trips in bedrooms, trips pretty much everywhere, my friend became less and less stable. We fell out after he gave a bunch of my possessions to some random stranger at a rave. As kids we’d often swap clothes, jackets, shoes etc. It was one way of feeling like you had fresh clothes on a budget but giving my stuff away was the final straw. We fell out big time over that. The last time I saw him was in my early 20s. He looked like a ghost, a total shadow of a human. There was nothing there. Tragic. I seriously hope he’s well now. I’m long away from the people I grew up with, I might never find out. Thinking about you man.

Since then, I’ve had another 2 friends sectioned under the Mental Health Act, drugs, petty crime and an unstable home life does does fuckry to a young brain. I’ve also lost a couple of friends to crack and heroin. Not fun. Drugs are bad m’kay.

I’ve struggled with mental health my entire life, before drugs were an issue. Probably going back to 10 years old, at least as far as I can recall. Not that I want sympathy, far from it, I own my mistakes. I’m typing this shit on the internet because I want to and I want to honour lost friends. I own every single mistake. Maybe writing shit helps? Making music certainly does. It’s given me a sense of identity and I’m very lucky in what I do. Ironically I now work for a record label who’s motto is “Comforting the disturbed, disturbing the comfortable”. Very apt.

The drummer in my current band took his own life in 2014. That was fucking shit. He was a totally straight edge guy. Very talented musician. Suicide is fucking vile, I don’t have the words to describe what that does to those left behind. Just a couple of weeks earlier we’d been offered a record deal with an advance to make an album, we were also working with another very respected artist in his live band. Like wtf man. I still don’t get it. I don’t even want to say more out of respect for his family. RIP brother.

Nostr is a funny place, so many people I have very little in common with other than a dislike of banks (I hold the banksters responsible for the 2008 crash directly responsible for the death of my friend btw. I still say fuck each and every one of you. Cunts).

I often see folks refer to others as ‘normies’. From what I gather a normie is someone who didn’t grow up posting on 4Chan. The funny thing is these people are often the one’s saying work hard, raise a family etc. I mean come on, you go on about working hard, raising families and eating healthily. Fucking hell!!! Like that’s sort of normal, you know?

Tell me about sitting in a slum in south London with prostitutes, smoking crack thinking of ways you can get some money to score and then talk to me about ‘normies’. LMAO. For clarity, I didn’t have sex with them. I just wanted drugs and so did they. Nothing about this is glamorous by the way, it’s tragic and grim. I’m glad it’s not the norm.

If you’re that healthy, hardworking guy with a family calling people normies, respect to you, in all honestly I’m envious. I wish I’d grown up in a stable home with two parents and a dad who hooked me up working for a fund straight out of school. Normies! Fuck I’m still laughing about that one. The other one that cracks me up is plebs, again you worked at a fund and you talk about being a pleb. Funny fucker. Respect for your sense of humour though.

I’m not bitter (well not fully). I read the posts with interest and I’m always trying to learn new stuff, I’m happiest when learning. Learning is good for you. Fact.

It’s a thoroughly miserable day here as write this, icey cold, grey and very windy, this is still the happiest I’ve been in life. I now have a wonderful, beautiful wife. No kids but with my background, I’ve decided these genes are best left here. There’s some sadness about that too but it could be worse, I might be the type to think Peter Thiel is cool.

This probably reads like a right whinney thread but it isn’t. I’m excited about the future. I know some very talented people and I think we can do amazing things. Each day is a new opportunity. Being part of the underground internet is cool. We need free and open tools more than ever. The world is possibly the most fucked up it’s been in many years but also maybe that’s an illusion. I’m the last person you should ask about reality tbh.

Anyway, that’s it for today. This probably reads like a confused mess and a nightmare for anyone who digs grammar but that’s cool, I’m writing without using AI or a filter, it’s not a work email. I’m typing as the words appear in my head, this is who I am.

I’m a normie…

@ 1cb14ab3:95d52462

Tree branches, driftwood coconut. 5'7" teardrop. [Dawei, Myanmar. 2020]

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Introduction

Situated on Myanmar’s Grandfather Beach, this lens captures the dramatic shape of a steep, rocky hill that mirrors the arduous road leading to this remote location. Grandfather invites viewers to reflect on the connection between journey and destination, highlighting the tension and beauty of paths less traveled.

Site & Placement

The lens is positioned at the west end of the beach, focusing on the sharp hill rising above the shoreline. Its teardrop shape accentuates the rocky prominence, emphasizing its similarity to the road that winds toward the beach. A bench, placed 12 feet away, provides a place for viewers to absorb the rugged beauty of the scene.

Impermanence & Integration

Crafted from driftwood, branches, and stone, Grandfather is a fleeting presence in this timeless landscape. Its brief existence reflects the challenges and ephemerality of the journey it highlights, blending into the environment as it gradually succumbs to the elements.

Reflection

Grandfather invites viewers to consider the parallels between the physical journey to reach the beach and life’s broader paths. It stands as a reminder that even the most challenging routes can lead to moments of profound beauty.

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Photos

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More from the 'Earth Lens' Series:

Earth Lens Series: Artist Statement + List of Works

"Looking Glass" (Earth Lens 001)

"Folsom" (Earth Lens 002)

"Sanctuary" (Earth Lens 003)

"Platte" (Earth Lens 004)

COMING SOON: "Chongming" (Earth Lens 006)

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More from Hes

Portfolio

Online Store

Artist Statements

Travel Guides

Photography

Money

Tech

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All images are credit of Hes, but you are free to download and use for any purpose. If you find joy from my art, please feel free to send a zap. Enjoy life on a Bitcoin standard.

@ f57bac88:6045161e

۱. ایران پیش از هخامنشیان

پیش از ظهور کوروش بزرگ و تأسیس امپراتوری هخامنشی، سرزمین ایران تحت حکومت چندین تمدن و دودمان مهم قرار داشت:

ایلامیان (حدود ۳۰۰۰–۶۴۰ پیش از میلاد)

• قلمرو: جنوب غربی ایران (خوزستان امروزی)
• دستاوردها:
• ایجاد یکی از نخستین دولت‌های متمرکز در منطقه
• توسعه خط نوشتاری ایلامی
• جنگ‌های طولانی با بابل و آشور
• در سال ۶۴۰ ق.م، ایلام توسط آشوربانی‌پال، شاه آشور، فتح و ضعیف شد.

مادها (حدود ۷۰۰–۵۵۰ پیش از میلاد)

• بنیان‌گذار: دیاکو (۷۰۹–۶۵۶ ق.م)
• شاهان مهم:
• فرورتیش: مقابله با آشوریان و توسعه قلمرو ماد
• هووخشتره: شکست آشور و گسترش قدرت مادها
• ایشتوویگو: آخرین پادشاه ماد که توسط کوروش بزرگ شکست خورد
• دستاوردها:
• نخستین ارتش منظم در تاریخ ایران
• اتحاد قبایل ایرانی و پایه‌گذاری حکومت متمرکز

خاندان هخامنشی پیش از کوروش

• هخامنش: بنیان‌گذار دودمان هخامنشی (حدود ۷۰۰ ق.م)
• چیش‌پیش: حاکم آنشان
• کمبوجیه یکم: پدر کوروش بزرگ

کوروش بزرگ با شکست دادن مادها، نخستین امپراتوری بزرگ ایران را بنیان نهاد.

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۲. هخامنشیان (۵۵۰–۳۳۰ پیش از میلاد)

کوروش بزرگ؛ بنیان‌گذار نخستین امپراتوری ایرانی

• قلمرو: از آسیای مرکزی تا مدیترانه و مصر.
• دستاوردها:
• تأسیس امپراتوری هخامنشی؛ نخستین امپراتوری چندملیتی تاریخ.
• صدور منشور حقوق بشر (استوانه کوروش).
• فتح بابل و آزادی یهودیان.
• ایجاد سیستم حکومتی مبتنی بر احترام به فرهنگ‌ها و ادیان مختلف.
• ایجاد جاده‌های ارتباطی برای تسهیل تجارت و حمل‌ونقل.

داریوش بزرگ (۵۲۲–۴۸۶ ق.م)

• گسترش امپراتوری و ایجاد نظام اداری پیشرفته.
• ساخت تخت جمشید.
• ایجاد راه شاهی برای ارتباط بهتر میان ایالت‌ها.
• ایجاد سیستم مالی و ضرب نخستین سکه ایرانی.

خشایارشا (۴۸۶–۴۶۵ ق.م)

• نبردهای مهم با یونانیان، از جمله جنگ سالامیس.
• تکمیل تخت جمشید و گسترش معماری هخامنشی.

پایان هخامنشیان

• داریوش سوم در برابر اسکندر مقدونی شکست خورد و امپراتوری سقوط کرد.

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۳. اشکانیان (۲۴۷ پیش از میلاد–۲۲۴ میلادی)

• بنیان‌گذار: ارشک اول.
• دستاوردها:
• مقابله با امپراتوری روم.
• ایجاد نظام حکومتی نیمه‌متمرکز.
• گسترش تجارت از طریق جاده ابریشم.

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۴. ساسانیان (۲۲۴–۶۵۱ میلادی)

شاپور اول (۲۴۱–۲۷۲ م)

• شکست دادن امپراتور روم (والرین).
• توسعه علمی و فرهنگی.

انوشیروان دادگر (۵۳۱–۵۷۹ م)

• اصلاحات مالی و اداری.
• ترویج علم و فلسفه.

یزدگرد سوم (۶۳۲–۶۵۱ م)

• آخرین شاه ساسانی، شکست در برابر حمله اعراب مسلمان.

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۵. سلسله‌های محلی و اسلامی

• سامانیان، آل‌بویه، سلجوقیان نقش مهمی در حفظ فرهنگ ایرانی داشتند.

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۶. صفویان (۱۵۰۱–۱۷۳۶ میلادی)

• شاه اسماعیل صفوی: رسمی کردن مذهب تشیع.
• شاه عباس بزرگ: توسعه اقتصادی، رونق اصفهان، اصلاحات نظامی.

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۷. افشاریان (۱۷۳۶–۱۷۹۶ میلادی)

• نادرشاه افشار: شکست امپراتوری مغول هند، بازپس‌گیری خراسان.

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۸. زندیان (۱۷۵۱–۱۷۹۴ میلادی)

• کریم‌خان زند: صلح و توسعه اقتصادی، ساخت بازار وکیل شیراز.

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۹. قاجاریان (۱۷۹۶–۱۹۲۵ میلادی)

• آغامحمدخان قاجار: تأسیس حکومت قاجار.
• اصلاحات امیرکبیر، جنگ‌های ایران و روس، انقلاب مشروطه.

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۱۰. پهلوی (۱۹۲۵–۱۹۷۹ میلادی)

رضاشاه (۱۹۲۵–۱۹۴۱)

• نوسازی ایران، توسعه آموزش، ایجاد راه‌آهن سراسری.
• تأسیس دانشگاه تهران و مدرن‌سازی نظام اداری.
• حذف القاب سنتی و ارتقای جایگاه زنان در جامعه.

محمدرضا شاه (۱۹۴۱–۱۹۷۹)

• انقلاب سفید و اصلاحات ارضی.
• افزایش درآمد نفتی و توسعه صنعتی ایران.
• ایجاد زیرساخت‌های اقتصادی مدرن.
• برگزاری جشن‌های ۲۵۰۰ ساله شاهنشاهی.

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جمع‌بندی

ایران در طول تاریخ شاهد حکومت‌های متعددی بوده که هر کدام در توسعه فرهنگی، اقتصادی و نظامی کشور نقش داشته‌اند.

@ f57bac88:6045161e

۱. دوران پالئولیتیک (عصر حجر قدیم)

دوران پالئولیتیک یا عصر سنگ قدیم، اولین دوره از تاریخ بشری است که به زمانی برمی‌گردد که انسان‌ها هنوز به‌طور عمده در زندگی شکارچی-گردآورنده بودند و ابزارهای ابتدایی سنگی را برای تأمین غذا و سایر نیازهای خود استفاده می‌کردند. این دوران بیش از ۲٫۵ میلیون سال به طول انجامید و انسان‌ها در آن زندگی سخت و متکی به شکار و گردآوری میوه‌ها و گیاهان داشتند. در ایران، این دوره بیشتر در مناطق غربی و مرکزی کشور شواهدی از سکونت انسان‌های اولیه به‌جا گذاشته است.

مناطقی مانند غارهای میرعماد در لرستان و غار شوش در جنوب غرب ایران، از مکان‌های مهم این دوران هستند که نشان‌دهنده حضور انسان‌های نئاندرتال و هوموساپینس در این منطقه هستند. ابزارهای سنگی کشف‌شده از این مکان‌ها، نشان‌دهنده استفاده انسان‌های اولیه از سنگ‌ها برای ساخت چاقوها، تیغه‌ها و ابزارهای مختلف برای شکار و جمع‌آوری غذا بوده است. در این دوران، انسان‌ها همچنان در گروه‌های کوچک زندگی می‌کردند و عمدتاً به‌صورت پراکنده در مناطق مختلف سکونت داشتند.

۲. دوران نوسنگی (Neolithic)

دوران نوسنگی، که آغاز آن به حدود ۱۰,۰۰۰ سال پیش بازمی‌گردد، به‌عنوان یکی از تحولات اساسی تاریخ بشری شناخته می‌شود. در این دوره، انسان‌ها به تدریج از زندگی شکارگری به کشاورزی و دامداری روی آوردند. این تغییر، نه تنها در سبک زندگی بشر، بلکه در ساختارهای اجتماعی، اقتصادی و فرهنگی جوامع نیز انقلابی بزرگ ایجاد کرد. انسان‌ها برای اولین بار گیاهان را کشت و از آنها برای تأمین غذا استفاده کردند و همچنین دام‌ها را اهلی کردند.

در ایران، از جمله مهم‌ترین مکان‌هایی که نشان‌دهنده آغاز کشاورزی و زندگی روستایی است می‌توان به چغاگلان در کردستان اشاره کرد. این منطقه یکی از اولین محوطه‌های باستانی است که شواهدی از کشاورزی اولیه در آن پیدا شده است. همچنین تل برآفتاب در کرمانشاه و تل هندیجان در جنوب غرب ایران نیز از دیگر سایت‌های مهم نوسنگی هستند که شواهدی از نخستین جوامع کشاورزی و دامداری در آنها به‌دست آمده است.

زندگی در این دوران به‌طور عمده در روستاهای کوچک متمرکز بود و مردم در کنار کشاورزی و دامداری، به‌صورت ابتدایی صنایع دستی نیز تولید می‌کردند. این دوره شروعی برای روابط تجاری و فرهنگی میان جوامع مختلف بود که به تدریج پیچیدگی‌های بیشتری پیدا کرد.

۳. دوران مس و سنگ (Chalcolithic)

دوران مس و سنگ که به آن دوران چاله‌کولیتیک نیز گفته می‌شود، مرحله‌ای میان دوران نوسنگی و مفرغ است که حدود ۵,۰۰۰ سال پیش آغاز شد. در این دوران، انسان‌ها از فلزات، به‌ویژه مس، استفاده کردند و ابزارهایی ساختند که در کنار ابزارهای سنگی قرار می‌گرفت. این دوره، به‌ویژه به‌عنوان دوران گذار از عصر سنگ به عصر مفرغ شناخته می‌شود.

یکی از مهم‌ترین ویژگی‌های این دوران، استفاده اولیه از فلزات است که امکان ساخت ابزارهایی با دقت و کارایی بالاتر را فراهم کرد. در کنار کشاورزی و دامداری، تجارت و ارتباطات میان جوامع مختلف شروع به گسترش کرد و باعث تبادل کالاها و ایده‌ها بین مناطق مختلف شد. از مهم‌ترین محوطه‌های باستانی این دوره می‌توان به تپه سیلک در کاشان اشاره کرد که در آن آثار بسیاری از زندگی کشاورزی، صنایع دستی و حتی شواهدی از ساخت‌وسازهای ابتدایی پیدا شده است.

تپه نوشیجان در همدان نیز یکی دیگر از سایت‌های مهم این دوران است که در آن آثار مس و ابزارهای فلزی کشف شده است. این آثار نشان‌دهنده توسعه فنون فلزکاری و استفاده از مس برای ساخت ابزارهای پیچیده‌تر در این دوره است.

۴. دوران مفرغ (Bronze Age)

دوران مفرغ، که از حدود ۳۰۰۰ سال پیش از میلاد آغاز شد، یکی از مهم‌ترین دوران‌ها در تاریخ بشری است. در این دوره، استفاده از فلز مفرغ برای ساخت ابزار، سلاح‌ها و اشیاء تزئینی گسترش یافت. دوران مفرغ نه‌تنها از نظر تکنولوژیکی بلکه از نظر فرهنگی و اجتماعی نیز اهمیت زیادی دارد، زیرا در این دوره جوامع انسانی پیچیدگی‌های بیشتری پیدا کرده و به‌تدریج به تمدن‌های بزرگتری تبدیل شدند.

ایران در دوران مفرغ شاهد شکل‌گیری تمدن‌های اولیه‌ای همچون ایلامیان بود. این تمدن‌ها در جنوب غربی ایران (مناطق کنونی استان خوزستان و استان ایلام) و در نواحی شمال غرب کشور ریشه دوانیدند. در این دوران، ساختارهای سیاسی و اجتماعی پیچیده‌تر شد و نشانه‌های اولیه از شکل‌گیری دولت‌های شهری و پیشرفته‌تر به‌وجود آمد.

یکی از مهم‌ترین سایت‌های باستانی این دوره، تپه حسنلو در آذربایجان غربی است که شواهدی از یک تمدن پیشرفته با استفاده از مفرغ در آن پیدا شده است. این تپه که به‌عنوان یکی از مهم‌ترین محوطه‌های باستانی شناخته می‌شود، آثار مختلفی از جمله سلاح‌ها، ابزارها و مصنوعات هنری از دوران مفرغ را در خود جای داده است. همچنین، تپه سفالی در جنوب غرب ایران نیز نشان‌دهنده روند پیشرفت در استفاده از مفرغ و تغییرات فرهنگی در این دوره است.

در این زمان، جوامع انسانی به‌طور گسترده‌تری در زمینه‌های کشاورزی، تجارت، فنون ساخت‌وساز و هنرهای تزئینی فعالیت می‌کردند. استفاده از مفرغ نه‌تنها به ارتقاء صنعت و فنون مرتبط با آن کمک کرد، بلکه زمینه را برای ظهور تمدن‌های بزرگ‌تر مانند ایلامیان فراهم آورد.

نتیجه‌گیری

تاریخ باستانی ایران گواهی است بر تکامل انسان‌ها از دوره‌های ابتدایی شکارگری و گردآوری به جوامع پیچیده‌تر کشاورزی، دامداری و تولید صنایع دستی و فلزی. این تحولات از دوران پالئولیتیک تا دوران مفرغ باعث شد تا ایران به یکی از کانون‌های مهم تمدن‌سازی در تاریخ بشری تبدیل شود. پیشرفت‌های تکنولوژیکی، ساختارهای اجتماعی پیچیده‌تر و گسترش ارتباطات تجاری و فرهنگی در این دوره‌ها، زمینه‌ساز ظهور تمدن‌های بزرگ و پیچیده‌ای مانند ایلامیان، هخامنشیان و ساسانیان شد که در تاریخ ایران و جهان نقش مهمی ایفا کردند.

این تاریخچه در کنار آثار باستانی که از این دوران به‌جا مانده است، همچنان دلیلی برای عظمت و شکوه تمدن ایران در تاریخ بشر است.

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

In the intricate and rapidly evolving world of digital currencies, the interplay between Bitcoin and the US dollar, particularly through the medium of stablecoins, stands out as a subject of profound significance. Mark Goodwin, a renowned figure in the realm of Bitcoin and an advocate for decentralized financial systems, sheds light on this complex dynamic. This article delves deeper into the nuanced relationship between Bitcoin and the dollar, the pivotal role of stablecoins, and the risks they entail, drawing upon the extensive expertise of Goodwin.

Table Of Content

• Understanding the Bitcoin-Dollar Symbiosis

• The Role of Stablecoins

• Mark Goodwin's Perspective on Stablecoins

• Conclusion

• FAQs

Understanding the Bitcoin-Dollar Symbiosis

The relationship between Bitcoin and the US dollar is a fascinating study in contrasts and interdependencies. Bitcoin, known for its decentralized nature, offers a politically neutral platform but is characterized by significant price volatility. This volatility stands in stark contrast to the relative stability of the US dollar, a currency backed by the full faith and credit of the US government. The dollar, often used as a benchmark for Bitcoin's value, follows its trajectory in many ways, particularly in regions where Bitcoin is gaining traction.

The symbiosis between Bitcoin and the dollar is particularly evident in the context of global financial instability. In regions with volatile local currencies, the adoption of Bitcoin often leads to a parallel increase in the use of dollar-based stablecoins. This phenomenon suggests that Bitcoin's growth could inadvertently bolster the stability and global reach of the US dollar.

Moreover, the Bitcoin-dollar dynamic is not just limited to direct financial transactions. It extends to the broader implications for monetary policy, international trade, and global economic stability. As Bitcoin continues to gain acceptance, it challenges traditional financial systems and currencies, including the dollar, prompting a reevaluation of their roles in a digital age.

The Role of Stablecoins

Stablecoins, designed to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the digital asset space, play a crucial role in this relationship. By pegging their value to stable assets like the US dollar, they offer a less volatile alternative to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. This stability is essential for global commerce, enabling near-instantaneous transactions with lower fees compared to traditional banking systems.

In economies plagued by inflation, stablecoins offer a haven for individuals and businesses to preserve their wealth. They provide a degree of financial stability and predictability that is often lacking in local currencies. This aspect of stablecoins is particularly appealing in developing countries, where currency instability can be a significant barrier to economic growth and stability.

Furthermore, stablecoins are increasingly being seen as a tool for financial inclusion. They offer an accessible entry point for individuals who are unbanked or underbanked, providing them with a means to participate in the global economy. This potential for social impact adds another layer of significance to the role of stablecoins in the financial ecosystem.

Mark Goodwin's Perspective on Stablecoins

Mark Goodwin, with his deep understanding of Bitcoin and its implications for the financial world, offers a critical perspective on stablecoins. He acknowledges their potential benefits but also highlights the risks associated with their use.

Price Stability Concerns

Goodwin points out that while stablecoins aim to maintain a stable value, there are inherent risks in keeping their peg to the underlying asset. Market conditions, liquidity issues, and redemption pressures can all threaten the stability of stablecoins. If these risks are not adequately managed, it can lead to a deviation from the peg and a potential loss of trust from users.

Regulatory Challenges

The evolving regulatory landscape surrounding stablecoins is another area of concern. As authorities worldwide grapple with how to regulate these digital assets, stablecoin projects must navigate a complex web of financial regulations to achieve long-term viability. Goodwin emphasizes the need for a balanced regulatory approach that ensures consumer protection without stifling innovation.

Potential for Market Manipulation Given their substantial market capitalization, stablecoins are susceptible to market manipulation. The limited oversight in the rapidly expanding cryptocurrency space amplifies this risk. Goodwin advocates for enhanced transparency and regulatory frameworks to mitigate these risks and ensure market integrity.

Conclusion

The relationship between Bitcoin and the dollar, especially through the medium of stablecoins, represents a delicate balance between the ideals of decentralization and the practicalities of financial stability. While stablecoins offer promising solutions for global financial transactions, they come with inherent risks that require careful consideration. Goodwin's insights underscore the importance of vigilance and a thoughtful approach to integrating these digital assets into the broader financial system. As the market continues to evolve, the role of stablecoins in shaping the future of finance remains a critical area for exploration and debate.

FAQs

How do stablecoins fit into the Bitcoin-dollar dynamic? Stablecoins serve as a bridge between traditional finance and digital assets. Pegged to stable assets like the US dollar, they offer a less volatile alternative to cryptocurrencies and facilitate global commerce with near-instant transactions and lower fees.

What are the risks associated with stablecoins? Risks include challenges in maintaining the peg to the underlying asset, regulatory uncertainties, and potential for market manipulation. These risks can threaten the stability and trust in stablecoins.

What is Mark Goodwin's perspective on stablecoins? Mark Goodwin acknowledges the benefits of stablecoins but warns about the risks of centralization and manipulation. He emphasizes the need for balanced regulation and transparency to mitigate risks.

Can stablecoins promote financial inclusion? Yes, stablecoins can provide financial inclusion by offering an accessible entry point for unbanked or underbanked individuals, allowing them to participate in the global economy.

How does Bitcoin's growth affect the US dollar? Bitcoin's growth, particularly in regions with unstable currencies, can lead to increased adoption of dollar-based stablecoins, potentially bolstering the US dollar's global reach and stability.

That's all for today

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.

@ f683e870:557f5ef2

After many months of ideation, research, and heads-down building, @nostr:npub1wf4pufsucer5va8g9p0rj5dnhvfeh6d8w0g6eayaep5dhps6rsgs43dgh9 and myself are excited to announce our new project called Vertex.

Vertex’s mission is to provide developers and builders with the most up-to-date and easy-to-use social graph tools.

Our services will enable our future customers to improve the experience they provide by offering:

• Protection against impersonation and DoS attacks
• Personalized discovery and recommendations.

All in an open, transparent and interoperable way.

Open and Interoperable

We have structured our services as NIP-90 Data Vending Machines. We are currently using these DVMs and we are eager to hear what the community thinks and if anyone has suggestions for improvements.

Regardless of their specific structures, using DVMs means one very important thing: no vendor lock-in.

Anyone can start processing the same requests and compete with us to offer the most accurate results at the best price. This is very important for us because we are well aware that services like ours can potentially become a central point of failure. The ease with which we can be replaced by a competitor will keep us on our toes and will continue to motivate us to build better and better experiences for our customers, all while operating in an ethical and open manner.

Speaking of openness, we have released all of our code under the MIT license, which means that anyone can review our algorithms, and any company or power user can run their own copies of Vertex if they so wish.

We are confident in this decision because the value of Vertex is not in the software. It is in the team who designed and implemented it – and now continually improves, manages and runs it to provide the most accurate results with the lowest latency and highest uptime.

What we offer

We currently support three DVMs, but we plan to increase our offering substantially this year.

1. VerifyReputation: give your users useful and personalized information to asses the reputation of an npub, minimizing the risk of impersonations.
2. RecommendFollows: give your users personalized recommendations about interesting npubs they might want who to follow.
3. SortAuthors: give your users the ability to sort replies, comments, zaps, search results or just about anything using authors’ reputations.

To learn more, watch this 3-minute walk-through video, and visit our website

https://cdn.satellite.earth/6efabff7da55ce848074351b2d640ca3bde4515060d9aba002461a4a4ddad8d8.mp4

We are also considering offering a custom service to help builders clarify and implement their vision for Web of Trust in their own applications or projects. Please reach out if you are interested.

@ 5d4b6c8d:8a1c1ee3

Ate a little later yesterday.

I took my daughter for a scooter ride on a trail near our house (I was walking) and she wanted to go farther than normal. Great for the steps challenge. Then, as soon as we turned around to go home, she decided she was too tired to scoot anymore. So, I got to do the return leg of the walk carrying both the kid and her scooter.

We were out about an hour longer than expected, hence the later meal.

Score Card

Day 1: 14 hour fast (13 dry) Day 2: 15 hour fast (14 dry) Day 3: 17 hours (16 dry) Day 4: 18 hours (17 dry) Day 5: 18 hours (16 dry) Day 6: 19 hours (16 dry) Day 7: TBD (15 dry)

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/878700

@ e7bc35f8:3ed2a7cf

The strategic importance of Syria in shaping the balance of power in the Middle East is undeniable. Positioned at the crossroads of key regional players, Syria has long been a battleground for competing interests. From its alliances with Russia and Iran to its role in energy politics, the country has been targeted by external forces seeking to reshape the region to their advantage.

Syria has historically been an essential ally of Russia, providing the Russian navy access to the Mediterranean through the port of Latakia. At the same time, Iran has viewed Syria as a critical component of the so-called "Shiite Crescent," which provides Tehran with a vital connection to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Any disruption in Syria would have significant consequences for both Russian and Iranian strategic interests.

On August 31, 2011, Amnesty International released a report accusing the Syrian government of being responsible for the deaths of 88 detainees from recent protests. However, like most media narratives surrounding the conflict, the allegations were based entirely on second-hand accounts and contextless video snippets provided by opposition forces actively attempting to overthrow the Assad government.

Despite the lack of concrete evidence, the establishment media eagerly propagated the story, fueling calls for "humanitarian intervention." This followed a familiar pattern: the invocation of the so-called "Responsibility to Protect" doctrine, a pretext used by global powers to justify military invasions and devastating bombing campaigns under the guise of protecting civilians.

As seen with Libya, Western leaders—including Obama, Sarkozy, Cameron, and Harper—called for Assad's removal, paving the way for potential NATO military intervention.

Long before the Arab Spring, Western governments had been laying the groundwork for regime change in Syria. In April 2011, a U.S. State Department official admitted to running a two-year, $50 million program aimed at equipping protesters with new technologies to evade government detection. The same official revealed that activists from Syria and other Arab Spring countries had received training just before the uprisings began.

Earlier that year, The Washington Post published leaked U.S. diplomatic cables proving that Washington had been secretly funding Syrian opposition groups since at least 2005—well before the so-called "spontaneous" protests erupted.

This raises a critical question: why would an isolated government facing the threat of NATO intervention deliberately provoke the West by ordering snipers to fire on unarmed protesters at funerals? The mainstream media never questioned these dubious claims, which were sourced from anonymous, second-hand, and unverified reports.

n 2010, a group called Gen Next (renamed now as Alder) which has been involved with Alliance of Youth Movements in organizing youth-led destabilization campaigns in countries that are not friendly to American and Israeli interests had delivered a training program in which participants were taught how to handle high-powered sniper rifles and shoulder-mounted grenade launchers. Predictably, these reports were ignored in the West.

In August 2011, Israeli intelligence-linked outlet DEBKAfile reported that NATO and the Turkish military were drafting plans for a military campaign in Syria, which included arming opposition fighters with anti-tank and anti-air rockets, mortars, and heavy machine guns.

As the situation escalated, the establishment media once again cheered on war, pushing for intervention under the guise of protecting Syrian civilians. The cycle repeated itself in 2013, when Western governments accused Assad of using chemical weapons, conveniently ignoring the overwhelming opposition to another military adventure.

By 2013, the American public had grown weary of endless wars. Despite relentless efforts by the White House to manufacture consent for a unilateral strike on Syria, there was widespread opposition—not just in the U.S., but globally.

John Kerry and Barack Obama falsely claimed that Assad was responsible for a chemical weapons attack, using this as a pretext for military intervention. However, independent analysts and insiders exposed this as a false flag operation. Even in the UK, the propaganda push faltered when British Prime Minister David Cameron lost a crucial parliamentary vote on military action in Syria.

As more evidence surfaced, it became clear that the attack had been perpetrated by U.S.-backed terrorist groups—and that the U.S. government knew about it in advance. When even members of the British Parliament called out the deception, the war narrative collapsed, exposing the extent of the manufactured crisis.

The events in Syria were not isolated. Retired U.S. General Wesley Clark famously revealed that he had overheard a conversation at the Pentagon about a plan to invade seven countries—including Iraq, Libya, and Syria—long before the Arab Spring. While Clark’s timeline was not entirely accurate, the overarching strategy of destabilization was clear.

Key figures in the U.S. defense establishment at the time—including Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith, and Richard Perle—had extensive ties to Israel, raising the question of whether a broader Zionist agenda was at play. Documents such as the infamous "Oded Yinon Plan" (Greater Israel) outlined strategies for the dissolution of Syria and Iraq into ethnically and religiously divided territories, weakening any potential opposition to Israeli expansion.

The plan explicitly called for breaking Syria apart into sectarian statelets, mirroring the strategy used to divide Lebanon. The long-term goal was clear: to ensure that Israel’s adversaries remained fragmented and powerless.

"Divide and conquer" is a strategy used for millennia. And this is what happens in Syria so many years as we were seeing the Sunni majority fighting the Alawite sect in Power under Assad and his father for decades. And it's interesting to see not only the native inhabitants Sunni of Syria but of course the foreign funded jihadists who were being shipped into the country and fueling all that conflict.

Part of what this was about, it's the destabilization of the Shia land bridge that connects Iran all the way to its Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, which runs through Syria. But if that can be destabilized and the Shia Alawite sect minority that rules Syria can be replaced with a Sunni majority ruling over the country then that would break up that link between Iran and Lebanon and further destabilize and isolate Iran.

And this is something that can be seen in policy planning documents of various think tanks, as in the infamous "Which path to Persia?" document from Brookings Institution.

As we start to expand the scope of this, then of course the thing that always in these Middle East conflicts comes into play is the natural resources. Let's remember the prospect of the Iraq, Iran, Syria pipeline. Iran, Iraq, and Syria had signed a deal for the construction of the Middle East’s largest gas pipeline, which would transit Iranian gas from Iran’s South Pars gas field to Europe via Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea.

What we were talking about back then was a pipeline providing traveling from Iran to Europe, through the Mediterranean. That move was about to change the power balance of the region. Such a project had the potential to shift the regional power balance dramatically. The mere prospect of it was enough to anger multiple stakeholders, from the U.S. and Israel to Turkey and the Gulf monarchies, all of whom had vested interests in preventing Syria from becoming an energy corridor.

The war in Syria was never about democracy, humanitarian concerns, or chemical weapons. It was about power, control, and the relentless pursuit of strategic dominance by Western and regional actors. The destabilization of Syria served multiple agendas—weakening Iran, severing Russia’s influence, ensuring Israel’s security, and controlling energy routes.

What we have witnessed over the past decade is not a civil war, but a foreign-orchestrated campaign to dismantle yet another independent state in the Middle East. Understanding these dynamics is essential in recognizing how mainstream narratives are crafted to justify war while hiding the real motivations behind the chaos.

@ 044da344:073a8a0e

Knapp ein Jahr hat es gedauert nach meinen letzten Gesprächen im Apolut-Studio, seinerzeit mit Robert Cibis und Yann Song King und am Rande von Berlin schon längst nicht mehr so komfortabel wie einst an der bayerisch-österreichischen Grenze oder dann im Süden Schwedens, wo eine komplette Mannschaft für perfekte Qualität gesorgt hat. Kamera, Ton, Regie, Maske und sogar eine Gästebetreuung. Lauter Profis, aber irgendwann offenbar nicht mehr zu bezahlen aus Spenden und wahrscheinlich auch überholt von der Konkurrenz im Internet, die mit einfachen Mitteln zwar weit unterhalb aller TV-Standards bleibt, aber aktuell ist, viel, viel günstiger und inhaltlich trotzdem sehr oft sehr spannend.

Egal. Auf Onlineinterviews hatte und habe ich keine Lust. Ich möchte den Menschen spüren, um den es geht. Vorher mit ihm reden und hinterher hoffentlich auch noch. Ich telefoniere nur im Notfall, weil dort vieles von dem verlorengeht, was den Austausch ausmacht. Zoom und Co. liefern zwar ein Bild, sind aber ansonsten nicht viel besser. Um das nur mit einer Zahl zu illustrieren: Bei einem Bildschirmgespräch dauert es zweieinhalb Sekunden, bis mein Gegenüber registriert, dass ich etwas sagen will. Live und in Farbe liegt die Reaktionszeit bei knapp der Hälfte.

Also habe ich aus der Not eine Tugend gemacht und bin selbst zum Produzenten geworden. Nicht ganz allein natürlich. Es gab Tipps von Dirk Wächter, der für viele der Bilder und Videos von Daniele Ganser steht und die Apolut-Gäste auf unnachahmliche Weise fotografiert hat, von Paul Brandenburg, der Technik borgte, und von Ingmar Beyer, den ich im großen Studio kennenlernen durfte und der nun auch bei meinen eigenen Versuchen dafür sorgt, dass der Ton stimmt. Vielen Dank dafür.

Ein Dank gilt auch Axel Klopprogge, den die Leser dieser Seite aus der Kolumne Oben & Unten kennen und der sich gewissermaßen als Versuchskaninchen zur Verfügung stellte. Der Anlass war denkbar günstig, als wir uns Ende Januar im Wohnzimmerstudio trafen: Gerade war seine Aufsatzsammlung „Links oder rechts oder was?“ erschienen – Stoff genug für 90 Minuten. Das Buch wird morgen in meiner Kolumne noch einmal gesondert gewürdigt.

Wer in unser Gespräch hineinschaut, wird schnell den Unterschied zu Apolut sehen: Es gibt Publikum. Gut zehn Menschen, die hoffentlich wiederkommen. Die nächsten Gäste: Michael Beleites, mit dem ich über den Darwinismus reden werde und über all das, was diese Ideologie aus uns gemacht hat, sowie Erich Hambach, der gerade auf den letzten Metern für sein Buch „Herren des Geldes“ ist.

Freie Akademie für Medien & Journalismus

Unterstützen

@ 5d4b6c8d:8a1c1ee3

Apparently, there's still another NFL game and, I suppose, we have to discuss it.

I'm much more excited to get into all the NBA trades that happened. Who got better? Who got worse? Who did something really weird?

Of course, we'll talk about the contests going on in the territory.

MLB's ramping up. Can anyone challenge the Dodgers?

Ovi is trying to get back on pace to break NHL's career scoring record.

Any bets we're excited about

Plus, whatever the stackers want us to cover (time and memory permitting)

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/878674

@ 54286b98:3debc100

Reality is clear when we stand in the light.\ Falsehood appears when we tilt ourselves just enough to distort what’s real.

Every object—tree, person, or building—casts a shadow.\ But only the object is real. The shadow is an effect, not the truth.

Light reveals what’s true. Darkness hides it, warping our perspective.\ Our angle to the light source changes everything.

Christ is that source of light. He shines on everyone—no matter who we are.\ He doesn’t shift. Truth doesn’t shift.

But we do. Our minds waver like waves in the ocean, creating ever-changing shadows.\ Those shifting shadows can fool us.

Today, let’s choose to stand in his perfect light.\ Let’s notice where we need to grow and refuse to be deceived by distorted reflections.\ Let’s anchor ourselves to what’s real.

Until next time,\ J

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. James 1: 16-18

Original article published on: https://www.javierfeliu.com/blog/shifting-shadows/\ Photo by Yang Deng / Unsplash

@ a367f9eb:0633efea

Issued on January 23, 2025, Staff Accounting Bulletin 122 rescinds SAB 121, originally issued by Gensler in March 2022. The previous bulletin provided guidance for financial entities and custodians holding any “crypto-assets,” requiring them to account for all cryptocurrencies primarily as liabilities on their balance sheets, rather than assets.

The revoking of SAB 121 empowers entities to assess whether their crypto-assets are classified as liabilities only if they believe a loss is probable.

For bitcoin holders who hold their own keys and run their own node, this distinction and its subsequent repeal made little difference.

But for the budding world of Bitcoin banking and finance, as well as the booming industry of custodial wallets and brokerages, it’s a game changer.‍

Rather than having to match cryptocurrency deposits one-for-one with other liquid assets in the case of a contingency, the new accounting guidance frees up institutions to mark the true values of crypto-assets on their books.

Rather than having to buy up $1 million in treasuries or cash in order to hold $1 million in bitcoin or cover losses, firms will now be able to recognize that $1 million as a true asset.

It may not seem like a revolution, but it may be the beginning of our bull-inspired Bitcoin banking era.

After years of byzantine persecutions of cryptocurrency developers, entrepreneurs, and ever-increasing regulations on Bitcoin, this paradigm shift at the nation’s premier markets regulator means traditional finance can finally include bitcoin and its crypto-offspring in its suite of financial products – with some caveats.

Practically, this rather benign-sounding rule lowers the barrier of entry for entities that want to offer bitcoin services to their customers. Whether it’s a bank, an exchange, or a liquidity service provider custodying funds, there is now a more sustainable path for offering bitcoin alongside any other type of account.

While a general crypto market framework is still far from established in law, the current situation grants fairness between both fiat money and cryptocurrencies in the hands of entrepreneurs who want to custody funds for their clients.

Practically, however, what does this mean for the average bitcoiner?

What will my Bitcoin bank look like?

If we take a peek over at Europe, there are already FinTech firms and banking institutions that offer some level of bitcoin services.

Xapo Bank, a private bank headquartered in Gibraltar, offers each customer a traditional bank account and IBAN number alongside an instantaneous deposit and withdrawal address for Bitcoin and Bitcoin Lightning, Tether, and USDC.

Considering Xapo built the doomsday-proof custody vaults for bitcoin storage later bought by Coinbase in 2019, now the preferred institutional custodian for billions in assets, it’s easy to see why so many customers trust their custody.

And for those willing to make the tradeoff for custody of their funds, they do offer something attractive.

In a single account, a customer could deposit cash, exchange it to bitcoin, and withdraw to self-custody. They could also deposit bitcoin using Lightning, and then instantly convert that amount to send a traditional bank transfer to pay their rent or utility bills for those who don’t yet accept bitcoin.

Again, this may not be the solution for those who prefer self-custody, but it does offer an integrated fiat on and off ramp that others may find convenient.

Similarly, the UK-based FinTech firm Revolut offers its customers the ability to deposit and withdraw their bitcoin within the app, as well as exchange it for whichever fiat currency they wish. For those who currently hold bitcoin in an ETF or some other custodial product, a move to an app such as this may be even more attractive.

And we already know US companies are begging to expand their own services to their customers.

Companies such as Strike and Fold have already begun to increase their Bitcoin banking services for American customers, offering account and routing numbers for bill pay, as well as the ability to instantly swap between currencies if they wish. 

Fold has the ambition to become one of the nation’s largest publicly-traded bitcoin financial services, looking to soon add mortgage and lending offers, as well as insurance solutions.

These financial firms will offer bitcoin for purchase, lending, and exchange, but we can also assume their suite of products will become more diverse and attractive for a more diverse customer base.

What about sovereign money?

Educating Americans about the benefits of Bitcoin is an important task. So is improving our policy landscape so that all bitcoiners may flourish.

But if the Bitcoin network truly represents a revolutionary way to have and use neutral money, should we even consider Bitcoin banks something we want? How can peer-to-peer money integrate with the centralized custodial banking system so many of us are trying to escape?

Even the most primitive advantages of Bitcoin are built on its ability to be owned in a sovereign way, at the total exclusion of everyone who doesn’t have the private key. For many of us, this is all we desire and want. And for the rights to hold and use Bitcoin how we wish to be universally recognized.

However, we cannot dictate how the rest of our Bitcoin peers will engage with the network, nor what they inscribe into blocks if they have the computing power to mine them. If Bitcoin entrepreneurs freely compete to offer unique products and services to custody, trade, or lend bitcoin, the rules should make that easier and more possible.

For those who will still need to interact with the fiat world, they should be able to benefit from Bitcoin-first products and services designed with them in mind. And regulations should empower them rather than restrict what they can do.

Not every Bitcoin banking product will be attractive to every bitcoiner and that’s okay. But the positive evolution of e-cash, custodial services, lending, and insurance is something that will help leverage the power of Bitcoin. And that should be championed.

Yaël Ossowski is a fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute.

This article was originally published at the Bitcoin Policy Institute.

@ d360efec:14907b5f

ณ ดินแดนอันไกลโพ้น ปรากฏดันเจี้ยนลึกลับไร้ก้นบึ้ง นามว่า "ตลาดการเก็งกำไร" ประตูทางเข้าเปล่งประกายล่อตาล่อใจ แต่มักถูกปกคลุมด้วยหมอกแห่งความไม่แน่นอน

คำจารึกโบราณ แกะสลักเหนือประตูทางเข้า เตือนสติผู้มาเยือน: "ผู้ใดเข้าล้วนมิอาจหวนคืน..." เฉกเช่นสำนวนโบราณที่กล่าวขาน "คนในมิอาจออก คนนอกมิต้องการย่างกราย"

ภาพที่ปรากฎตรงหน้า คือชายหนุ่มผู้หาญกล้า กำลังจะก้าวเข้าสู่ประตูดันเจี้ยน เหนือประตูมีป้ายขนาดมหึมาสลักคำว่า "Trading" สัญลักษณ์แห่งโลกการลงทุน การเก็งกำไร ไม่ว่าจะเป็น หุ้น, ฟอเร็กซ์, คริปโต ล้วนเป็นมอนสเตอร์ที่สถิตอยู่ในนี้

การจะพิชิตดันเจี้ยนนี้ได้นั้น หาใช่เรื่องง่าย ภารกิจแรกคือการกำจัดปีศาจ"นักพนัน" ที่สิงอยู่ในจิตใจของผู้กล้าทุกคน ปีศาจตนนี้ร้ายกาจยิ่งนัก แต่มิใช่ว่าไร้ทางปราบ หากท่านผู้กล้าปรารถนาจะหลุดพ้นจากวงจรอุบาทว์นี้ จงใช้วิธีเหล่านี้เถิด

1. เข้าใจว่าการพนันคือกับดัก

ปีศาจพนันมักล่อลวงด้วยภาพลวงตาแห่งชัยชนะเพียงชั่วครู่ แต่แท้จริงแล้ว มันถูกออกแบบมาเพื่อสูบเลือดสูบเนื้อจากเหล่าผู้กล้าในระยะยาว จงจำไว้ว่าการพนันมิใช่หนทางสู่ความร่ำรวย แต่เป็นเส้นทางสู่หุบเหวแห่งความสิ้นเนื้อประดาตัว

1. เปลี่ยนมุมมองเกี่ยวกับเหรียญทอง

จงมองเหรียญทองที่ท่านมีมิใช่แค่ตัวเลข แต่เป็น “เวลาและหยาดเหงื่อ” ที่ท่านได้แลกมา หากท่านสูญเสียมันไปเพราะการพนัน มันคือเวลาชีวิตที่หายไปตลอดกาล

1. ตัดขาดสิ่งเร้าที่กระตุ้นให้เล่น

• ลบแอปพนัน / ปิดกั้นเว็บไซต์มืด • เลิกติดตามเพจหรือกลุ่มที่เกี่ยวข้อง • เปลี่ยนสหายร่วมทางที่ชักชวนไปสู่ทางเสื่อม

1. ใช้กฎ 5 นาที

เมื่อใดที่ความกระหายอยากเล่นครอบงำ จงหยุดยั้งตัวเองไว้ 5 นาที แล้วตรองดูว่า • คราก่อนท่านสูญเสียไปเท่าใด? • หากเล่นแล้วเสียอีก จะรู้สึกเช่นไร? • มีสิ่งใดที่ควรทำมากกว่านี้หรือไม่?

1. แสวงหาเส้นทางแห่งการลงทุนที่แท้จริง

แทนที่จะใช้เหรียญทองไปกับการพนัน จงเปลี่ยนเป็นการลงทุนที่มีโอกาสเติบโต เช่น เป็นนักรบแห่งคุณค่า (VI) , เข้าซื้อหุ้นแล้วเก็บมันไว้ในหีบสมบัติ 1 ปี , DCA BTC ดั่งสะสมขุมทรัพย์ทีละน้อย

1. ถามตัวเองว่า “อยากเป็นผู้ชนะ หรือเป็นเหยื่อ?” ผู้ที่ร่ำรวยจากการพนันคือนักลงทุนผู้เปิดบ่อน มิใช่ผู้เล่น หากท่านปรารถนาจะเป็นผู้ชนะ จงเลือกเส้นทางที่ชาญฉลาดกว่า

2. ตั้งเป้าหมายที่ยิ่งใหญ่กว่า

จงตั้งเป้าหมายที่ชัดเจน เช่น สะสมเหรียญทองเพื่อซื้อปราสาท 5 ล้าน หรือหาเงิน 100 ล้าน แล้วจงมุ่งมั่นไปที่มัน การพนันจะทำให้เป้าหมายของท่านล่าช้าลง

📉 เหตุใดดันเจี้ยนแห่งการเทรดจึงเปรียบเสมือนเขาวงกต?

1️⃣ ก้าวเข้ามาง่าย ออกไปยาก

• การเข้าสู่ตลาดการเงินเป็นเรื่องง่ายดาย ใช้เพียงบัญชีเทรดและเงินทุนเพียงเล็กน้อย แต่เมื่อเข้ามาแล้ว จิตวิทยาแห่งการลงทุน และ ความผันผวนของตลาด จะทำให้ยากที่จะออกไป

2️⃣ เส้นทางที่ซับซ้อน

• นักรบมือใหม่มักคิดว่าการทำกำไรเป็นเรื่องง่าย แต่เมื่อเริ่มต้นจริงจะพบว่ามีปัจจัยมากมายที่ต้องเรียนรู้ ทั้งเทคนิค เวทมนตร์พื้นฐาน อารมณ์ตลาด และจิตวิทยาของตน

3️⃣ ความโลภและความหวังทำให้ติดอยู่ในตลาด

• หลายคนเริ่มต้นเทรดด้วยเป้าหมายหาเหรียญทอง แต่เมื่อขาดทุน กลับพยายามเอาคืน • เมื่อกำไร ก็อยากได้มากขึ้น จนบางครั้งไม่รู้จักพอ

4️⃣ ไม่มีเส้นทางที่แน่นอน

• ในเขาวงกตนี้ ไม่มีทางเดินตรงไปสู่ความสำเร็จ ต้องลองผิดลองถูกหลายครา • บางคนหลงทาง บางคนเจอทางตัน บางคนออกจากตลาดไปก่อนจะถึงทางออกที่แท้จริง

🎯 แล้วจะเอาตัวรอดจากวงกตนี้ได้อย่างไร?

✅ เข้าใจว่าเทรดไม่ใช่การพนัน • การเทรดที่ดีต้องมีระบบ ไม่ใช่แค่เสี่ยงดวง ✅ ฝึกวินัยและจัดการอารมณ์ • สิ่งที่สังหารนักรบมิใช่ปีศาจในตลาด แต่เป็น “อารมณ์ของตนเอง” ✅ วางแผนก่อนเข้าเทรด และมีจุดตัดขาดทุนเสมอ • อย่าเข้าเทรดโดยไร้แผน เพราะจะทำให้ท่านติดอยู่ในเขาวงกตตลอดกาล ✅ รู้ว่าเมื่อไหร่ควรหยุด • บางครั้ง “การไม่เทรด” คือการตัดสินใจที่ดีที่สุด

🔮 บทสรุป

ดันเจี้ยนแห่งการเทรดเปรียบเสมือนสถานที่ลี้ลับที่ยังไม่มีผู้ใดสำรวจมาก่อน ผู้ใดที่ย่างกรายเข้ามาล้วนออกไปยาก เพราะมันเต็มไปด้วยความท้าทาย อารมณ์ และความโลภ แต่หากท่านเข้าใจเกมนี้ดีพอ ท่านจะสามารถหาทางออก และเปลี่ยนมันให้เป็นโอกาสแห่งความมั่งคั่งได้ จงจำไว้ว่า การจะออกจากดันเจี้ยนนี้ได้ ท่านต้องพิชิตบอสใหญ่ "การรู้เท่าทันอารมณ์ และมายเซ็ทที่เหมาะสมกับเทรนด์เดอร์" ให้จงได้!

หวังว่าพวกท่านจะไม่หลายเป็นซากศพเน่าๆ ในดันเจี้ยนแห่งนี้

ของให้โชคดีมีชัยในโลกเทรนด์เดอร์ YONOSUBA

@ 16d11430:61640947

Introduction: The Lost Art of Flourishing

Eudaimonia, the Greek concept of human flourishing, represents a state of deep fulfillment derived from purpose, mastery, and moral virtue. Aristotle described it as the highest human good, achieved not through transient pleasures but through living in accordance with reason and excellence.

Yet, in our modern fiat-driven world, eudaimonia has largely perished. Instead of striving for excellence, people are entrapped by systems of debt, artificial scarcity, and wage slavery, where fulfillment is secondary to survival. The incentives of fiat capitalism—endless growth, consumerism, and bureaucratic control—have eroded the conditions necessary for human flourishing.

The purpose of this article is to explore the death of eudaimonia under fiat rule, supported by critical evidence, and to examine whether it can be resurrected—perhaps through alternative systems like Bitcoin and decentralized technologies.

---

The Fiat Machine and the Death of Eudaimonia

1. The Extraction of Meaning: Fiat as a Mechanism of Control

Fiat currency, backed by nothing but government decree, is a tool of centralized power. It is inflationary by design, ensuring that those who hold wealth in fiat lose purchasing power over time unless they participate in increasingly speculative financial schemes.

This constant need to hedge against inflation forces individuals into short-term thinking, undermining long-term endeavors that lead to mastery and fulfillment. Instead of creating art, philosophy, or science for its own sake, people are incentivized to chase money in the fastest, most extractive way possible.

Critical Evidence: Wages have stagnated relative to productivity since the abandonment of the gold standard in 1971, while financialization has exploded. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, median wages have barely kept up with inflation, whereas asset prices (stocks, real estate) have soared—favoring the wealthy who can invest while punishing wage earners.

1. The Death of Virtue: How Fiat Incentivizes Corruption

Aristotle tied eudaimonia to virtue—justice, courage, temperance, and wisdom. But fiat economies erode virtue by rewarding manipulation over integrity. In a world where money is easily printed, those closest to its issuance—the state, banks, and corporate elites—reap the rewards while the average person suffers debasement.

Fiat allows for moral hazard: banks are bailed out after reckless speculation, politicians spend without accountability, and corporations use inflation to justify price hikes. This destroys trust, a fundamental component of any thriving society.

Critical Evidence: The Cantillon Effect demonstrates that newly printed money benefits those who receive it first (banks, hedge funds) at the expense of those who receive it last (workers, pensioners). The 2008 financial crisis and subsequent bailouts exemplify how fiat rewards risk-taking elites while punishing ordinary citizens.

1. Bureaucratic Slavery: The War Against Self-Sufficiency

Fiat governance has transformed human beings from self-reliant individuals into bureaucratic dependents. Governments and corporations engineer complexity—compliance laws, credential requirements, and licensing systems—to keep individuals trapped in cycles of employment and taxation.

Eudaimonia thrives in societies where individuals have control over their work and creations, yet fiat systems strip away autonomy. Most people today work jobs they do not love, merely to service debts or meet rising costs.

Critical Evidence: A 2019 Gallup survey found that 85% of employees worldwide are disengaged from their jobs, meaning they find no real meaning in their work. Meanwhile, U.S. student loan debt has surpassed $1.7 trillion, forcing young people into decades of financial servitude before they can even attempt to pursue meaningful work.

---

Can Eudaimonia Be Resurrected?

1. Bitcoin and the Return of Hard Money

If fiat is the poison, Bitcoin might be the antidote. Unlike fiat, Bitcoin is scarce, decentralized, and operates on proof-of-work, rewarding merit rather than proximity to power.

A Bitcoin-based economy restores long-term thinking by allowing individuals to store value in a deflationary asset rather than being forced into high-risk speculation. When people do not need to chase inflation, they can focus on work that is intrinsically fulfilling rather than merely profitable.

Critical Evidence: Countries like El Salvador have adopted Bitcoin as legal tender to escape the inflationary policies of central banks, while Bitcoin’s fixed supply of 21 million ensures its purchasing power cannot be arbitrarily diluted.

1. Decentralized Systems and Self-Sovereignty

Beyond money, decentralization itself is a means of restoring eudaimonia. Peer-to-peer networks, open-source software, and blockchain verification (such as DamageBDD) enable individuals to engage in meaningful work without needing corporate or governmental permission.

Critical Evidence: The rise of remote work, creator economies, and DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) shows that people can be productive outside traditional corporate structures when given the right tools.

1. The Renaissance of Craftsmanship and Knowledge

A return to hard money and decentralized economies will likely trigger a renaissance of craftsmanship. When individuals no longer need to rush for short-term profits, they can master trades, sciences, and arts in ways that have not been possible since the fiat era began.

We are already seeing glimpses of this in the resurgence of interest in sovereign computing, homesteading, and open-source development—a direct rebellion against the fiat model of centralization and planned obsolescence.

Critical Evidence: The growth of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) and Bitcoin development reflects a shift toward work driven by passion and principle rather than extractive financial incentives.

---

Conclusion: The Path Forward

Eudaimonia is not dead, but it has been suffocated under the weight of fiat. By restoring individual sovereignty—through sound money, decentralized verification, and self-sufficiency—we can resurrect the human spirit. The transition will not be easy; it will require a rejection of the comfort fiat provides in exchange for the struggle that meaningful existence demands.

Yet, for those who seek mastery, virtue, and true fulfillment, there is no other choice. The fiat era has stripped humanity of its highest potential. It is time to reclaim it.

@ 6ad3e2a3:c90b7740

When I used to work in fantasy sports, people would ask me questions about their teams, e.g., which players to start, who to drop. What they didn’t realize is I had seven of my own teams to worry about, was already living and dying with my own myriad choices, good and bad, I made every week. The last thing I needed was to make a decision for them, see it go bad and suffer more on their account.

I’d tell them, “You decide, I’ve got my own problems.”

. . .

I don’t know what I’m doing. Ideas which feel like insights come to me, I try to articulate them to my satisfaction and post them (with some editing help from Heather.) Often I feel like I should be producing more work — after all, I don’t have a job any more, I have plenty of time. Walking the dog, exercising, managing your finances, picking up the kid, putting food on the table (literally) is well and good, but fulfilling your duties is not enough. You need to stay in the game. What game is up to each person, but it should be a game you enjoy, one that draws on skills honed over decades by the accident of your particular interests.

. . .

Writing and ideas can’t be produced on demand. I mean they can — and I did it for 22 years on a particular topic — but I don’t mean that kind of writing. I don’t want a schedule. I don’t need more rules, more discipline, more “hacks.” Discipline is like the interest on a 30-year mortgage. Initially it’s most of the payment, but over time it cedes weight to understanding which is like the principal. Discipline without understanding is like an interest-only mortgage. You pay it every month and get nowhere.

Even when insights arrive they can’t always be articulated sufficiently and coherently. Many insights are of the one sentence variety — fine for a social media post, but you can’t send out an email newsletter 10 times per day with one sentence insights. It doesn’t work over that medium.

That’s a dilemma because posting on social media doesn’t feel like proper work. Yes, you’re reaching people, affecting the zeitgeist in whatever small way — but there’s something addictive and unsatisfying about it, like eating candy instead of food. Don’t get me wrong, I stand by my posts (consider them organic, artisanal candy) but shitposting and the immediate feedback received therefrom keeps you only on the periphery. I need to connect with something deeper.

. . .

I’ve spent a lot of time dissecting the various pathologies of the laptop class, of which I’m obviously a part as I literally type this in a coffee shop on my laptop! The need to believe they are empathic and good overwhelming any rational sense-making and basic morals. Men dominating women’s sports, child sex changes, forced injections, criminals running rampant, cities in decay, calls for censorship and funding for foreign wars. The authorities patted them on the back, their peers accepted them and their overlords promoted them so long as they hewed to the narrative.

The freakout we’re presently witnessing is not about the billions in taxpayer money no longer being sent for DEI training in some foreign country, i.e., money-laundering to favored interests and cronies. They’re not really upset FBI agents are being fired, secrets are being revealed, that we are finally making an effort to prevent fentanyl from flowing across the border and killing our fellow citizens. These are good things, and even if you don’t agree, none of it is grounds for the meltdowns I see every day on social media.

What’s really happening is people who were assured they were the “good”, the empathic, the compassionate ones, those who towed the line during covid, got their boosters, wore their masks, “social distanced,” put pronouns in their bios, are being confronted with a terrifying realization: the behaviors and beliefs, to which they so dutifully attached themselves, for which they publicly and stridently advocated, whether online or at Thanksgiving dinner, are no longer being rewarded. In fact, they are being openly ridiculed. Instead of the pat on the back, increasingly Team Good is facing mockery and outright scorn.

There will be no legal consequences. No one will be arrested or put in a camp, delusions of persecution notwithstanding. If you produce real value for a real employer, you are not at risk of being fired. If you insist on perpetuating your derangement on social media you will not be deplatformed or canceled (that only happens to people speaking the truths inconvenient to the powerful.)

No, the reality is in some ways far worse: your entire worldview, on which you staked your self-image, is being dismantled in real time. You are no longer “good,” it’s becoming obvious to most the policies for which you advocated were catastrophic, the politicians for whom you voted deeply cynical and corrupt. The gaping abyss within your being to which you attached this superstructure of self-affirmation is dissolving into thin air. You are not “superior” like you thought, you are just another person suffering and existing like everyone else. And your only choices are to face that daunting reality or cling to a dying and useless paradigm, the end game for which is only madness.

We all want to feel good about ourselves, and like an obese person drugging themselves with high-fructose corn syrup for years, you have gorged on the distorted approbation of a sick society that, unpleasantly for you, is starting to heal. Your first laps around the track, so to speak, are going to hurt a lot.

. . .

I probably went on too long about the laptop class freakout. I have a lot of resentment toward the way they behaved the last five years. But I started this essay with the idea that I have my own problems, and in the end, I am not much different from them.

I want to produce more work, and of higher quality, but to what end? To feel good about my contributions, to have a sense that I am “good.” Maybe it’s not “good” in the lame “I complied with authority, and everyone likes me” kind of way, but it arises from the same source. That source is the emptiness within, wherein we require accolades, dopamine, positive feedback as a kind of justification for our existence. “No, I am not squandering my time on earth, living a comfortable life, I am asking hard questions, connecting with people, sharing hard-won insights. I am useful! I am good! I got my sixth dopamine booster from writing yet another essay!”

. . .

There is an irony in writing this piece. I feel as I type the cathartic nature of expressing these feelings. I am doing something worthwhile, everything is flowing out of me, the minutes are sailing by. I am identifying and solving this thorny problem simultaneously, engaging with the emptiness and dissatisfaction. The solution isn’t in the output, whatever one might think of it, it’s in giving attention to the feelings I’ve squandered too much time avoiding. I feel unworthy not because I do not produce enough work, it turns out, but because I am unwilling to connect with my deepest nature.

. . .

No matter how uneasy you feel, no matter how much fundamental doubt you have about your value as a human being, you can always start where you are. The feeling of unworthiness, the need for an escape, the craving for some kind of reward from your peers or the authorities or whatever easily-consumed carbohydrates you have in the kitchen is simply the present state in which you find yourself. It is not wrong or bad, it just is. And what is can always be examined, observed, given attention. Attending to that discomfort is always within reach.

. . .

The last thing I want to do is write an essay, face a purgatory of sitting down and consciously putting my feelings into words. It’s so much easier to distract oneself with all the news about the world, check 100 times a day the price of bitcoin and my other investments. But purgatory is the only way out of hell. The hell of wanting to succeed, of wanting to become “good.”

For some, that astroturfed worldview they so painstaking affixed to their empty souls is dissolving toward a revelation of the emptiness beneath. And unsurprisingly they are freaking out. But I’ve wasted too much time arguing with them, pointing out the ways in which they’re misinformed, driven by fear and derelict in their basic epistemic responsibilities. If you want to hold onto the lies you were told, knock yourself out. I’ve got my own problems.

@ 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/878449

@ e3ba5e1a:5e433365

How much does the government cost? Focusing just on the US, we could talk in terms of US dollars spent on the budget each year. But those numbers are so large we can’t really conceptualize them. A more relatable way of talking about this is what percentage of your income goes to the government. Or, even better, what percentage of your productive output is funneled to the government?

A first pass answer would be to look at income tax. If income tax is 30%, you work 30% of the year for the government and 70% for yourself. The problem is that income tax isn’t the only tax. There’s property tax, sales tax, payroll tax (i.e. another income tax), and who knows how many others. In other words, income tax only covers one (large) portion of our taxed income.

But it doesn’t stop there. We can’t forget inflation, the hidden, silent tax that not only erodes your earnings, but destroys your savings. It pulls off the amazing feat of not only taxing you today, but historically taxing you. It punishes you for being a prudent person and saving your money. (Which, side note, is why we love saving in Bitcoin.)

You might think we’re done. We’ve covered all the ways the government funds itself: direct taxation and inflation (via money printing). And that part is true. But we haven’t finished looking at the cost. You see, economically speaking, every time you put a tax into a system, you create inefficiencies. The market can no longer perform as well as it did previously. So we have yet another hidden cost: all productive capability in the economy gets worse, because the government needs to push its way in. An easy way to see this is all the tax games companies play to fall into different deductions and exemptions.

It doesn’t stop there either. Now that we’re talking about government-caused inefficiency, we can of course get to regulation. Regulation directly makes things more expensive (by forcing companies to spend time on compliance). It also indirectly makes things more expensive by presenting a barrier to entry for new providers, reducing competition and further hurting consumers.

Surely that’s the end, right? Nope. The government is sucking capital out of the private sector to put into public sector projects. That means the private sector has less capital for investment. People are incentivized not to save due to inflation, which encourages high-time-preference consumerism. This means we get less investment by companies for the future, which defeats the natural tendency of industry to become more efficient over time and pass on the savings to the consumer (via technology-driven deflation, for instance).

I knew all of that two weeks ago, and it hasn’t changed.

There’s one final piece to this puzzle. Many of us suspected it. With the news coming out about USAID and the programs it laundered money to, we’re starting to get even more concrete proof. The government steals our money, inflates it, takes all of that productive capacity we sweated and toiled for… and gives it to people who are actively trying to hurt us, yet again furthering the cost of government.

The cost of government isn’t one number. It’s not quantifiable. The cost of government is losing out on the world where everything becomes better, safer, cheaper, faster, healthier, and more enjoyable, and replacing it with a decaying, eroding society, where the most morally bankrupt people can fleece the rest of us for their livelihoods.

I’m praying that the exposure and toppling of USAID is a major accomplishment, but just one of many more to come. To quote The Two Towers, I hope it “will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche.”

@ 000002de:c05780a7

I've long been a fan of Liberty Maniacs, the site that makes funny political shirts for rebels & liberty lovers but their email today hit me as extra funny.

Here's what they shared.

To say the last two weeks have been wild would be the understatement of the century.

🔥 DOGE is taking over the Treasury

🔥 USAID got caught laundering money (again)—basically funding everything to the left of Jimmy Carter’s ghost.

🔥 The new AG wants to drop the Epstein list like it’s hot.

🔥 The CIA just casually admitted the government created COVID.

🔥 And oh yeah, the Gulf of Mexico? Not anymore. Welcome to the Gulf of America!

At this point, reality is outpacing satire. But don’t worry, we’re working harder than a WEF escort during Davos week to get these news cycles onto shirts before the next scandal drops.

Not sure if we’ll ever catch up, but damn it, we’re gonna try.

---

I mean, that's pretty good stuff. If you are a marketer or copywriter this is how you do it.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/878326

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1

The #LightningNetwork introduces the concept of #payment channels. How do these channels work, and how do they enable #bitcoin to #scale while maintaining #security?

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/878316

@ 6bcc27d2:b67d296e

This is the test of obsidian nostr writer

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1

Bitcoin's blockchain is described as a 'public ledger.' How does this public nature contribute to bitcoin's security and trustlessness, and what role do nodes play in this system?

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/878295

@ 5d4b6c8d:8a1c1ee3

I don't think I did one of these summary posts last month.

Based on the predictions made by stackers here's what to expect at the end of the season.

Champion: Celtics

MVP: SGA

All NBA 1st Team C Jokic F Giannis F Luka G Ant G SGA

These aren't bad, but whoever's sticking with those Ant and Luka picks seriously need to move off of them.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/878234

@ df173277:4ec96708

Building Our Confidential Backend on Secure Enclaves

With our newly released private and confidential Maple AI and the open sourcing of our OpenSecret platform code, I'm excited to present this technical primer on how we built our confidential compute platform leveraging secure enclaves. By combining AWS Nitro enclaves with end-to-end encryption and reproducible builds, our platform gives developers and end users the confidence that user data is protected, even at runtime, and that the code operating on their data has not been tampered with.

Auth and Databases Today

As developers, we live in an era where protecting user data means "encryption at rest," plus some access policies and procedures. Developers typically run servers that:

1. Need to register users (authentication).
2. Collect and process user data in business-specific ways, often on the backend.

Even if data is encrypted at rest, it's commonly unlocked with a single master key or credentials the server holds. This means that data is visible during runtime to the application, system administrators, and potentially to the hosting providers. This scenario makes it difficult (or impossible) to guarantee that sensitive data isn't snooped on, memory-dumped, or used in unauthorized ways (for instance, training AI models behind the scenes).

"Just Trust Us" Isn't Good Enough

In a traditional server architecture, users have to take it on faith that the code handling their data is the same code the operator claims to be running. Behind the scenes, applications can be modified or augmented to forward private information elsewhere, and there is no transparent way for users to verify otherwise. This lack of proof is unsettling, especially for services that process or store highly confidential data.

Administrators, developers, or cloud providers with privileged access can inspect memory in plaintext, attach debuggers, or gain complete visibility into stored information. Hackers who compromise these privileged levels can directly access sensitive data. Even with strict policies or promises of good conduct, the reality is that technical capabilities and misconfigurations can override words on paper. If a server master key can decrypt your data or can be accessed by an insider with root permissions, then "just trust us" loses much of its credibility.

The rise of AI platforms amplifies this dilemma. User data, often full of personal details, gets funneled into large-scale models that might be training or fine-tuning behind the scenes. Relying on vague assurances that "we don't look at your data" is no longer enough to prevent legitimate concerns about privacy and misuse. Now more than ever, providing a strong, verifiable guarantee that data remains off-limits, even when actively processed, has become a non-negotiable requirement for trustworthy services.

Current Attempts at Securing Data

Current User Experience of E2EE Apps

While properly securing data is not easy, it isn't to say that no one is trying. Some solutions use end-to-end encryption (E2EE), where user data is encrypted client-side with a password or passphrase, so not even the server operator can decrypt it. That approach can be quite secure, but it also has its limitations:

1. Key Management Nightmares: If a user forgets their passphrase, the data is effectively lost, and there's no way to recover it from the developer's side.
2. Feature Limitations: Complex server-side operations (like offline/background tasks, AI queries, real-time collaboration, or heavy computation) can't easily happen if the server is never capable of processing decrypted data.
3. Platform Silos: Some solutions rely on iCloud, Google Drive, or local device storage. That can hamper multi-device usage or multi-OS compatibility.

Other approaches include self-hosting. However, these either burden users with dev ops overhead or revert to the "trust me" model for the server if you "self-host" on a cloud provider.

Secure Enclaves

The Hybrid Approach

Secure enclaves offer a compelling middle ground. They combine the privacy benefits of keeping data secure from prying admins while still allowing meaningful server-side computation. In a nutshell, an enclave is a protected environment within a machine, isolated at the hardware level, so that even if the OS or server is compromised, the data and code inside the enclave remain hidden.

App Service Running Inside Secure Enclave

High-Level Goal of Enclaves

Enclaves, also known under the broader umbrella of confidential computing, aim to:\ • Lock down data so that only authorized code within the enclave can process the original plaintext data.\ • Deny external inspection by memory dumping, attaching a debugger, or intercepting plaintext network traffic.\ • Prove to external users or services that an enclave is running unmodified, approved code (this is where remote attestation comes in).

Different Secure Enclave Solutions

AMD SEV (Secure Encrypted Virtualization) encrypts an entire virtual machine's memory so that even a compromised hypervisor cannot inspect or modify guest data. Its core concept is "lift-and-shift" security. No application refactoring is required because hardware-based encryption automatically protects the OS and all VM applications. Later enhancements (SEV-ES and SEV-SNP) added encryption of CPU register states and memory integrity protections, further limiting hypervisor tampering. This broad coverage means the guest OS is included in the trusted boundary. AMD SEV has matured into a robust solution for confidential VMs in multi-tenant clouds.

Intel TDX (Trust Domain Extensions) shifts from process-level enclaves to full VM encryption, allowing an entire guest operating system and its applications to run in an isolated "trust domain." Like AMD SEV, Intel TDX encrypts and protects all memory the VM uses from hypervisors or other privileged software, so developers do not need to refactor their code to benefit from hardware-based confidentiality. This broader scope addresses many SGX limitations, such as strict memory bounds and the need to split out enclave-specific logic, and offers a more straightforward "lift-and-shift" path for running existing workloads privately. While SGX is now deprecated, TDX carries forward the core confidential computing principles but applies them at the virtual machine level for more substantial isolation, easier deployment, and the ability to scale up to large, memory-intensive applications.

Apple Secure Enclave and Private Compute is a dedicated security coprocessor embedded in most Apple devices (iPhones, iPads, Macs) and now extended to Apple's server-side AI infrastructure. It runs its own microkernel, has hardware-protected memory, and securely manages operations such as biometric authentication, key storage, and cryptographic tasks. Apple's "Private Compute" approach in the cloud brings similar enclave capabilities to server-based AI, enabling on-device-grade privacy even when requests are processed in Apple's data centers.

AWS Nitro Enclaves carve out a tightly isolated "mini-VM" from a parent EC2 instance, with its own vCPUs and memory guarded by dedicated Nitro cards. The enclave has no persistent storage and no external network access, significantly reducing the attack surface. Communication with the parent instance occurs over a secure local channel (vsock), and AWS offers hardware-based attestation so that secrets (e.g., encryption keys from AWS KMS) can be accessed only to the correct enclave. This design helps developers protect sensitive data or code even if the main EC2 instance's OS is compromised.

NVIDIA GPU TEEs (Hopper H100 and Blackwell) extend confidential computing to accelerated workloads by encrypting data in GPU memory and ensuring that even a privileged host cannot view or tamper with it. Data moving between CPU and GPU is encrypted in transit, so sensitive model weights or inputs remain protected during AI training or inference. NVIDIA's hardware and drivers handle secure data paths under the hood, allowing confidential large language model (LLM) workloads and other GPU-accelerated computations to run with minimal performance overhead and strong security guarantees.

Key Benefits

One major advantage of enclaves is their ability to keep memory completely off-limits to outside prying eyes. Even administrators who can normally inspect processes at will are blocked from peeking into the enclave's protected memory space. The enclave model is a huge shift in the security model: it prevents casual inspection and defends against sophisticated memory dumping techniques that might otherwise leak secrets or sensitive data.

Another key benefit centers on cryptographic keys that are never exposed outside the enclave. Only verified code running inside the enclave environment can run decryption or signing operations, and it can only do so while that specific code is running. This ensures that compromised hosts or rogue processes, even those with high-level privileges, are unable to intercept or misuse the keys because the keys remain strictly within the trusted boundary of the hardware.

Enclaves can also offer the power of remote attestation, allowing external clients or systems to confirm that they're speaking to an authentic, untampered enclave. By validating the hardware's integrity measurements and enclave-specific proofs, the remote party can be confident in the underlying security properties, an important guarantee in multi-tenant environments or whenever trust boundaries extend across different organizations and networks.

Beyond that, reproducible builds can create a verifiable fingerprint proving which binary runs in the enclave. This is a step above a simple "trust us" approach. Anyone can independently recreate the enclave image and verify the resulting cryptographic hash by using a reproducible build system (for example, our NixOS-based solution). If it matches, then users and developers know precisely how code handles their data, boosting confidence that no hidden changes exist.

It's worth noting that although enclaves shield you from software devs, cloud providers, and insider threats, you do have to trust the hardware vendor (Intel, AMD, Apple, AWS, or NVIDIA) to implement their microcode and firmware securely. The entire enclave model could be theoretically undermined if a CPU maker's root keys or manufacturing process were compromised. Fortunately, these companies undergo extensive audits and firmware validations (often with third-party researchers), and their remote attestation mechanisms allow you to confirm specific firmware versions before trusting an enclave. While this adds a layer of "vendor trust," it's still a far more contained risk than trusting an entire operating system or cloud stack, so enclaves remain a strong step forward in practical, confidential computing.

How We Use Secure Enclaves

Now that we've covered the general idea of enclaves let's look at how we specifically implement them in OpenSecret, our developer platform for handling user auth, private keys, data encryption, and AI workloads.

Our Stack: AWS Nitro + Nvidia TEE

• AWS Nitro Enclaves for the backend: All critical logic, authentication, private key management, and data encryption/decryption run inside an AWS Nitro Enclave.

• Nvidia Trusted Execution for AI: For large AI inference (such as the Llama 3.3 70B model), we utilize Nvidia's GPU-based TEEs to protect even GPU memory. This means users can feed sensitive data to the AI model without exposing it in plaintext to the GPU providers or us as the operator. Edgeless Systems is our Nvidia TEE provider, and due to the power of enclave verification, we don't need to worry about who runs the GPUs. We know requests can't be inspected or tampered with.

End-to-End Encryption from Client to Enclave

Client-side Enclave Attestation from Maple AI

Before login or data upload, the user/client verifies the enclave attestation from our platform. This process proves that the specific Nitro Enclave is genuine and runs the exact code we've published. You can check this out live on Maple AI's attestation page.

Based on the attestation, the client establishes a secure ephemeral communication channel that only that enclave can decrypt. While we take advantage of SSL, it is typically not terminated inside the enclave itself. To ensure there's full encrypted data transfer all the way through to the enclave, we establish this additional handshake based on the attestation document that is used for all API requests during the client session.

From there, the user's credentials, private keys, and data pass through this secure channel directly into the enclave, where they are decrypted and processed according to the user's request.

In-Enclave Operations

At the core of OpenSecret's approach is the conviction that security-critical tasks must happen inside the enclave, where even administrative privileges or hypervisor-level compromise cannot expose plaintext data. This encompasses everything from when a user logs in to creating and managing sensitive cryptographic keys. By confining these operations to a protected hardware boundary, developers can focus on building their applications without worrying about accidental data leaks, insider threats, or malicious attempts to harvest credentials. The enclave becomes the ultimate gatekeeper: it controls how data flows and ensures that nothing escapes in plain form.

User Auth Methods running inside Enclave

A primary example is user authentication. All sign-in workflows, including email/password, OAuth, and upcoming passkey-based methods, are handled entirely within the enclave. As soon as a user's credentials enter our platform through the encrypted channel, they are routed straight into the protected environment, bypassing the host's operating system or any potential snooping channels. From there, authentication and session details remain in the enclave, ensuring that privileged outsiders cannot intercept or modify them. By centralizing these identity flows within a sealed environment, developers can assure their users that no one outside the enclave (including the cloud provider or the app's own sysadmins) can peek at, tamper with, or access sensitive login information.

Main Enclave Operations in OpenSecret

The same principle applies to private key management. Whether keys are created fresh in the enclave or securely transferred into it, they remain sealed away from the rest of the system. Operations like digital signing or content decryption happen only within the hardware boundary, so raw keys never appear in any log, file system, or memory space outside the enclave. Developers retain the functionality they need, such as verifying user actions, encrypting data, or enabling secure transactions without ever exposing keys to a broader (and more vulnerable) attack surface. User backup options exist as well, where the keys can be securely passed to the end user.

Realtime Encrypted Data Sync on Multiple Devices

Another crucial aspect is data encryption at rest. While user data ultimately needs to be stored somewhere outside the enclave, the unencrypted form of that data only exists transiently inside the protected environment. Encryption and decryption routines run within the enclave, which holds the encryption keys strictly in memory under hardware guards. If a user uploads data, it is promptly secured before it leaves the enclave. When data is retrieved, it remains encrypted until it reenters the protected region and is passed back to the user through the secured communication channel. This ensures that even if someone gains access to the underlying storage or intercepts data in transit, they will see only meaningless ciphertext.

Confidential AI Workloads

Finally, confidential AI workloads build upon this same pattern: the Nitro enclave re-encrypts data so it can be processed inside a GPU-based trusted execution environment (TEE) for inference or other advanced computations. Sensitive data, like user-generated text or private documents, never appears in the clear on the host or within GPU memory outside the TEE boundary. When an AI process finishes, only the results are returned to the enclave, which can then relay them securely to the requesting user. By seamlessly chaining enclaves together, from CPU-based Nitro Enclaves to GPU-accelerated TEEs, we can deliver robust, hardware-enforced privacy for virtually any type of server-side or AI-driven operation.

Reproducible Builds + Verification

Client verifies enclave attestation document

We build our enclaves on NixOS with reproducible builds, ensuring that anyone can verify that the binary we publish is indeed the binary running in the enclave. This build process is essential for proving we haven't snuck in malicious code to exfiltrate data or collect sensitive logs.

Our code is fully open source (GitHub: OpenSecret), so you can audit or run it yourself. You can also verify that the cryptographic measurement the build process outputs matches the measurement reported by the enclave during attestation.

Putting It All Together

OpenSecret Offering: Private Key Management, Encrypted Sync, Private AI, and Confidential Compute

By weaving secure enclaves into every step, from authentication to data handling to AI inference, we shift the burden of trust away from human policies and onto provable, hardware-based protections. For app developers, you can offer your users robust privacy guarantees without rewriting all your business logic or building an entire security stack from scratch. Whether you're storing user credentials or running complex operations on sensitive data, the enclave approach ensures plaintext remains inaccessible to even the most privileged parties outside the enclave boundary. Developers can focus on building great apps, while OpenSecret handles the cryptographic "lock and key" behind the scenes.

This model provides a secure-by-design environment for industries that demand strict data confidentiality, such as healthcare, fintech, cryptocurrency apps for secure key management, or decentralized identity platforms. Instead of worrying about memory dumps or backend tampering, you can trust that once data enters the enclave, it's sealed off from unauthorized eyes, including from the app developers themselves. And these safeguards don't just apply to niche use cases. Even general-purpose applications that handle login flows and user-generated content stand to benefit, especially as regulatory scrutiny grows around data privacy and insider threats.

Imagine a telehealth startup using OpenSecret enclaves to protect patient information for remote consultations. Not only would patient data remain encrypted at rest, but any AI-driven analytics to assist with diagnoses could be run privately within the enclave, ensuring no one outside the hardware boundary can peek at sensitive health records. A fintech company could similarly isolate confidential financial transactions, preventing even privileged insiders from viewing or tampering with raw transaction details. These real-world implementations give developers a clear path to adopting enclaves for serious privacy and compliance needs without overhauling their infrastructure.

OpenSecret aims to be a full developer platform with end-to-end security from day one. By incorporating user authentication, data storage, and GPU-based confidential AI into a single service, we eliminate many of the traditional hurdles in adopting enclaves. No more juggling separate tools for cryptographic key management, compliance controls, and runtime privacy. Instead, you get a unified stack that keeps data encrypted in transit, at rest, and in use.

Our solution also caters to the exploding demand for AI applications: with TEE-enabled GPU workloads, you can securely process sensitive data for text inference without ever exposing raw plaintext or sensitive documents to the host system.

The result is a new generation of apps that deliver advanced functionality, like real-time encrypted data sync or AI-driven insights, while preserving user privacy and meeting strict regulatory requirements. You don't have to rely on empty "trust us" promises because hardware enclaves, remote attestation, and reproducible builds collectively guarantee the code is running untampered. In short, OpenSecret offers the building blocks needed to create truly confidential services and experiences, allowing you to innovate while ensuring data protection remains ironclad.

Things to Come

We're excited to build on our enclaved approach. Here's what's on our roadmap:

• Production Launch: We're using this in production now with Maple AI and have a developer preview playground up and running. We'll have the developer environment ready for production in a few months.\ • Multi-Tenant Support: Our platform currently works for single tenants, but we're opening this up so developers can onboard without needing a dedicated instance.\ • Self-Serve Frontend: A dev-friendly portal for provisioning apps, connecting OAuth or email providers, and managing users.\ • External Key Signing Options: Integrations with custom hardware security modules (HSMs) or customer-ran key managers that can only process data upon verifying the enclave attestation.\ • Confidential Computing as a Service: We'll expand our platform so that other developers can quickly create enclaves for specialized workloads without dealing with the complexities of Nitro or GPU TEEs.\ • Additional SDKs: In addition to our JavaScript client-side SDK, we plan to launch official support for Rust, Python, Swift, Java, Go, and more.\ • AI API Proxy with Attestation/Encryption: We already provide an easy way to access a Private AI through Maple AI, but we'd like to open this up more for existing tools and developers. We'll provide a proxy server that users can run on their local machines or servers that properly handle encryption to our OpenAI-compatible API.

Getting Started

Ready to see enclaves in action? Here's how to dive in:\ 1. Run OpenSecret: Check out our open-source repository at OpenSecret on GitHub. You can run your own enclaved environment or try it out locally with Docker.\ 2. Review Our SDK: Our JavaScript client SDK makes it easy to handle sign-ins, put/get encrypted data, sign with user private keys, etc. It handles attestation verification and encryption under the hood, making the API integration seamless.\ 3. Play with Maple AI: Try out Maple AI as an example of an AI app built directly on OpenSecret. Your queries are encrypted end to end, and the Llama model sees them only inside the TEE.\ 4. Developer Preview: Contact us if you want an invite to our early dev platform. We'll guide you through our SDK and give you access to the preview server. We'd love to build with you and incorporate your feedback as we develop this further.

Conclusion

By merging secure enclaves (AWS Nitro and Nvidia GPU TEEs), user authentication, private key management, and an end-to-end verifiable encrypted approach, OpenSecret provides a powerful platform where we protect user data during collection, storage, and processing. Whether it's for standard user management, handling private cryptographic keys, or powering AI inference, the technology ensures that no one, not even us or the cloud provider, can snoop on data in use.

We believe this is the future of trustworthy computing in the cloud. And it's all open source, so you don't have to just take our word for it: you can see and verify everything yourself.

Do you have questions, feedback, or a use case you'd like to test out? Come join us on GitHub, Discord, or email us for a developer preview. We can't wait to see what you build!

Thank you for reading, and welcome to the era of enclaved computing.

@ 3b7fc823:e194354f

Details on how to use a Burner Phone

Mobile phones are needed for communications when out in the world but they are a nightmare for privacy and security as detailed in especially when it comes to surveillance risks. This is more of a hands on guide for how to mitigate those risks.

Burner phones as the name describes is a use and "burn" device either for a single operation or for a longer period if proper precautions are taken. In case you are unaware what I mean by a burner phone; cell phones can be purchased from big box stores, gas stations, and kiosks in cash without a contract. They are usually not very expense and enable you to buy prepaid cards to use for phone and internet service.

Getting a Burner Phone:

1. Best to use a store out of town but not mandatory.
2. Do not take any electronics with you, especially another phone.
3. Park down the street in another parking lot near the store and walk over. Be mindful of security cameras.
4. Cover any tattoos or identifying marks. Wear a hat and a medical mask. (Thank you covid)
5. Use cash only to buy.
6. Leave, do not shop or buy anything else.

Setting up Burner Phone:

1. Go somewhere with free public WIFI (Starbucks, Library, whatever)
2. Do not take any electronics with you, especially another phone.
3. Open package and follow directions to activate using the public WIFI access.
4. Choose a random area code during setup.
5. Create a new random gmail account. (Do not reuse accounts or names)
6. Download and install a VPN, Signal or SimpleX, Firefox Focus Browser, Tor if needed. Delete any other unnecessary apps.
7. Change phone settings (see list)
8. Turn off and remove battery if able to (becoming harder to find) or put into a Faraday Bag.
9. Destroy packaging that came with the phone.

Phone Settings: 1. Turn off hotspot and tethering. Enable Always on VPN and Block Connections without VPN. Set DNS to automatic. 2. Turn off bluetooth and WIFI. 3. Disable all notifications, notification history, notifications on lock screen, and emergency alerts. 4. Turn off all sounds and vibrations. 5. Turn off Find my Device. Setup screen lock with password. (No bio) 6. Toggle everything in privacy: no permissions, turn off microphone, turn off usage and diagnostics, etc 7. Set Use Location to off. 8. Under Languages & Input > Virtual Keyboard > Gboard > Advanced: disable usage statistics, personalizing, and improve voice and typing for everyone.

Using a Burner Phone:

1. Never sign into any account associated with your real identity.
2. Never use it to contact anyone associated with your real identity.
3. Time and distance between burner phone and any other cell phone you own. i.e. A hour has passed and several miles from when you use and had on the other device.
4. When not in use the battery is removed or in a Faraday Bag.
5. Always use a VPN and always use private search and browser set to delete upon closing (Firefox Focus default).
6. Never actually call or text from the phone. You only want to use SimpleX or Signal for communications.
7. Do not save anything (files, pictures, history) on the phone, especially if incriminating.
8. Do not take it with you or use unless necessary.
9. When in doubt, burn it and get another one.
10. Never carry over names, accounts, whatever from old burner phone to new burner phone.

Burning a phone:

1. Factory reset the device.
2. Remove and destroy the SIM card.
3. Remove the battery because lithium batteries can explode. (may have to take it apart)
4. Smash internals.
5. Burn remains or drown in water. (Throw it in the river)

As long as you are careful to never identify yourself with the burner phone the only surveillance they can do is know that a phone was used or in a location but not who it belongs to. Be aware that if you are caught with it on your person any information or contacts on the phone may get compromised. Be mindful what you put on it.

@ b8851a06:9b120ba1

When Your Bitcoin Stash Saves Your Earnings Report: The Accounting Shift Every Business Needs to Understand

**Tesla’s Q4 2024 earnings were a wreck—revenue down, costs up. But thanks to Bitcoin, the financial airbags deployed so effectively that no one’s talking about the crash. **

Let’s Be Clear:

This isn’t about praising Tesla or Elon Musk (we’ll leave that to fan accounts). It’s about dissecting how a simple accounting rule change turned Bitcoin into a corporate financial shock absorber. The numbers reveal a playbook any business can replicate.

The “Aha” Moment: Accounting Rules Meet Digital Gold

(Why This Matters for Main Street Businesses)

The Problem Before 2025:

Companies had to report Bitcoin like a cursed family heirloom—you could only tell people when its value dropped, never when it gained. Imagine having to value your house at its lowest sale price in the neighborhood, even while yours was freshly renovated.

The 2025 Fix:

New rules let companies report Bitcoin like stocks—current value, gains and losses included. Suddenly, that digital gold in the treasury vault gets to shine.

Why This Changes Everything: • For Tesla: Their $184M Bitcoin stash got revalued to $1.076B → $600M paper gain • For Your Business: Bitcoin isn’t just an asset; it’s an earnings hedge

For Tesla, Bitcoin turned a bad quarter into a balanced one. For your business, it’s the difference between surviving a downturn and thriving through one.

Tesla’s Numbers Decoded: Bitcoin as Financial CPR

The Crash: • Automotive revenue ↓ 8% • Operating expenses ↑ 9% • Missed revenue targets by $1.5B

The Airbag: • Bitcoin gain: $600M • EPS boost: 23% of total earnings • Balance sheet upgrade: 484% Bitcoin value increase

The Takeaway:

Bitcoin didn’t fix Tesla’s car business—it kept their financials on life support while they work on repairs.

The Business Owner’s Guide to Bitcoin Airbags

(No Tech Jargon, Just Street Smarts)

1. Your New Financial Shock Absorber • Old Way: Keep cash reserves losing 4-7% annually to inflation • Bitcoin Way: Treasury that grows while parked

Real Math:

$10M Treasury Allocation
Year 1:
- Cash: $9.6M (after 4% inflation loss)
- Bitcoin: $15.4M (54% avg annual growth*)

1. The “Get Out of Jail Free” Card

When core business stumbles (like Tesla’s did): • Bitcoin gains offset operational losses • Buys time for turnaround strategies

1. Shareholder Whisperer

That Bitcoin gain isn’t just numbers—it’s storytelling fuel: • “Our innovative treasury strategy delivered $600M in non-operational income” • Beats explaining another quarter of declining sales

Building Your Bitcoin Safety Net

A Step-by-Step Playbook

Step 1: Treasury Triage • Allocate 5-10% of cash reserves to Bitcoin • Not speculation—modern balance sheet insurance

Step 2: Accounting Alignment

Work with your CFO to: • Implement FASB-compliant reporting • Train teams on quarterly revaluations

Step 3: Strategic Deployment • Hold through volatility cycles • Treat gains as bonus liquidity for: • R&D funding • Debt reduction • Opportunistic acquisitions

Pro Tip: Start small—even a 1% Bitcoin allocation creates optionality without material risk.

Objection Busters: What Skeptics Miss

“But Bitcoin’s Too Volatile!”

Cash is guaranteed to lose value. Bitcoin at least gives you a fighting chance.

“We’re Not Tech Bros!” • Bitcoin isn’t tech—it’s digital real estate • The network effect is its tenant base

“Accounting’s Too Complex!” • Modern tools automate revaluations • Takes less time than managing foreign currency hedges

The Future of Corporate Treasuries

(Why Early Adopters Win)

2025’s Landscape: • First movers already reaping benefits • Late adopters face inflationary erosion

Your Move: • Conduct treasury health check • Model Bitcoin allocation scenarios • Implement phased adoption

Final Word:

Tesla’s story isn’t about “crypto” moonshots—it’s about modern financial engineering. The new accounting rules have turned Bitcoin into a Swiss Army knife for corporate treasuries: • Blade 1: Inflation hedge • Blade 2: Earnings supplement • Blade 3: Strategic reserve asset

The question isn’t whether Bitcoin belongs on corporate balance sheets—it’s how much value your business will leave on the table by ignoring this tool.

Your Competitors Won’t Wait—Why Should You?

→ Free Treasury Health Assessment → Bitcoin Accounting Implementation Guide Let www.NeoWealth.xyz assist you– Modern Treasury Solutions for Pragmatic Leaders

Nostr Footnotes:

Data Sources: #Tesla Q4 2024 Earnings Report, FASB Accounting Standards Update 2023-08, Bitcoin Historical Returns Analysis (2015-2024) Past performance ≠ future results.

Bitcoin not #Crypto

@ c2827524:5f45b2f7

Social media e condivisioni anche da mobile?

Certamente sì, con i client per i dispositivi Android.

Zapstore: client Nostr in un posto solo

Zapstore non c'era e lo hanno inventato. È lo store dal quale si scaricano i client #Nostr per i dispositivi mobili. Permissionless è la chiave: non serve attendere che gli store "ufficiali" mettano a disposizione l'ultima release e nemmeno che la comunità di f-droid compili i sorgenti. Gli sviluppatori di client per Android aggiornano Zapstore e il gioco è fatto!

Zapstore si scarica direttamente dal sito ufficiale. Al primo download è consigliato seguire le istruzioni per verificare lo sha256 del file apk, prima di installarlo sul proprio dispositivo.

Universo N.O.S.T.R.

Una volta installato e aperto zapstore, l'universo Nostr si apre in tutto il suo splendore. Tra i primi suggerimenti si dovrebbe trovare Amber ma, se non compare, basta cercare nella casella di ricerca.

Dopodiché Amber viene presentato in primo piano

Basta cliccare sulla presentaione e compare in basso il tasto Install

Zapstore esorta a fare le proprie ricerche per controllare la versione, sviluppatore e le caratteristiche dell'app che si va ad installare. Quando si è verificato bene, cliccare su Trust and install app

Lasciare installare e alla fine Android chiede l'autorizzazione all'installazione. Come sempre, se è la prima volta che si usa uno store "non ufficiale", si dovrà anche autorizzare dalle impostazioni generali del dispositivo, cui si accede automaticamente

Non resta che cliccare in basso su Open per lanciare Amber

Amber è l'app che firmerà tutti gli eventi che si pubblicheranno su Nostr. Come app è anche in grado di generare una nuova coppia di chiavi. Presupponendo di aver già un profilo attivo ed impostato, magari creato seguendo il tutorial precedente, qui si deve cliccare su Use your private key

La chiave privata può essere copiata/incollata o scansionata agendo sull'iconcina stilizzata del QR code. Una volta importata si deve proseguire cliccando Next

Impostare come far firmare Amber, approvando la firma per eventi semplici o farlo manualmente ogni singola volta, poi confermare cliccando Finish

Amber è pronto a firmare eventi, note and other stuff che ogni utente vorrà pubblicare. Manca solo il/i client che si desidera utilizzare. Aggiungerne uno cliccando sul "+" in basso a destra

Amethyst

Amethyst è il client per Android forse più completo, aggiornato ed efficiente del mondo Android. Se c'è un client ottimo per iniziare, è proprio Amethyst.

Se non compare tra i suggerimenti della home di Amber, cercarlo e scegliere Install

Tra il download e l'apertura di Amethyst, c'è il passaggio della verifica dell'integrità del file apk, che Amber svolge al posto dell'utente

Quando la verifica è terminata, basta aprire Amethyst cliccando in basso su Open

Accettare i ToS per evienziare i pulsanti di login

e scegliere Login with Amber

Scegliere quali privilegi consentire ad Amber, che vengono mostrati in una lista e terminare cliccando su Grant Permissions

Da questo momento in poi sarà Amber a firmare le note con la chiave privata dell'utente. Alle nostriche resta solo il compito di dare spazio alla creatività e usare Amethyst per condividere post.

La pubblicazione avviene cliccando Post su Amethyst e, a seconda dei permessi concessi ad Amber, la nota verrà propagata. Ad esempio: se si è scelto di approvare manualmente ogni post, Amber mostra il menu di conferma.

Approvare manualmente ogni post è, all'inizio, un bel modo di utilizzare Amber, perché facilita la conoscenza della natura degli eventi che si stanno postando.

---

I settings di Amber

Uno sguardo ai menu e alle impostazioni di Amber è doveroso. Non ci sono accorgimenti particolari, ma è sempre un'ottima abitudine conoscere ed esplorare i menu delle app che si vanno ad utilizzare.

Dalla home di Amber, sono visibili in basso e si trovano - in ordine - * Incoming Request, dove appariranno le richieste di approvazione per firmare le note

• Settings, per tutte le impostazioni generali di sicurezza, uso con Orbot, rivedere le scelte di firma Sign Policy ecc

approvare il controllo biometrico per la firma, se impostato sul dispositivo

e dare un'occhiata e un test ai relay che si son scelti

Non manca nient'altro. Solo postare ed eslorare i client più belli e aggiornarli da Zapstore

---

Per info

• https://nostree.me/laura@cosanostr.com
• https://laura.npub.pro/
• https://t.me/bitcoincampus
• https://planb.network

@ 000002de:c05780a7

I stand by my non-stance that the cowboy credit thing is OK. Using services like MiniBits and CoinOSis OK and using your own node is OK. There are tradeoffs of each. I've been using these eCash hosted / custodial services for over a month now. They work fine most of the time. NWC works most of the time but there are growing pains with the volume of small transactions hitting these services.

I'm gonna try turning it all off for a week starting today. Just use CCs. I mean its kinda like old school SN right?

Next I'd like to really make an effort to go the other way and use a self sovereign stack. I've tried that before with SN and it didn't work for me. Pretty sure I was just too busy and didn't have time to work out the kinks in my setup.

I think cowboy credits are the easiest option by far. No issues really except you aren't dealing with sats. It doesn't feel the same and it isn't the same. I'm wondering how it will hit me as I use them though.

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/877936

@ d57360cb:4fe7d935

Mindfulness often has the misconception that by practicing you can stop your mind from thinking and obtain an empty mind.

While one can definitely achieve moments of emptiness in thinking, this view that emptiness is the goal can be the very obstacle in your way leading to frustration with the practice.

If we adjust our perspective and see mindfulness as learning to accept the situations we find ourselves in and adjust to them rather than fighting them, we achieve a kind of grace under pressure.

The thoughts are part of the practice, just like cars on the road are part of driving, or the danger of a punch is always a threat to a boxer.

The difference between the novice and the seasoned is one has accepted and acclimated to the realities of the situation instead of fighting them, in this one finds freedom.