@ 662f9bff:8960f6b2

This past week I have been very busy in Holywood - just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland with a lot to do on top of my day-job! It was an unplanned trip but mission accomplished and we are off on the road again. I am writing this on my 3h30 Ryanair flight - so even in weeks like this you can find time to reflect quietly and think clearly if you look for it and seize the opportunity.

You might have noticed that I have "rebranded" the website and newsletter as "Letter From ...around the world". This reflects the reality that Hong Kong is not currently the "Asia World City" and I am not there. Whether it will ever reclaim that title again and when, or even if I can return remains to be seen. I am deeply saddened that after living 10 fabulous years in HK we had to abandon everything that Saturday night at the end of February.

This is the third time in my life that I have chosen Exit from "Loyalty, Voice or Exit" - (recall issue 09 - On Location).... Expect both Voice and Exit to become increasingly difficult or even unavailable in many jurisdictions. It is time to wake up. Talk to me if you are awake or curious!

One thing I learned back in 2004 on my first businss trip to New York is that "The way you react to a situation determines how you feel about it". This is one of so many insights that I learned from "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Steven Covey. I found the book at 4pm in the afternoon walking around outside my hotel trying to stay up to overcome jet-lag. I got back to the hotel and proceeded to devour the entire book overnight. I had never done that with any book before and I do not think I have done it since. Look out for a full review in an upcoming newsletter.

Thanks to Ali Abdaal for his passionate and insightful review of "Show Your Work" by Austin Kleon - clearly this is something that he has internalised and he does practice what he preaches. Indeed this is a short and easy read with many pictures and simple suggestions - recommended! I did read it on my Kindle and I am enjoying how the highlights automagically sync into Obsidian (see last week's find).

I was also inspired by Ali's How to Start a Youtube Channel explainer. I have been following Ali for about 5 years since he was a student doing these videos in his student room on his iPhone while studying Medicine in Cambridge. His passion for sharing his insights on how to study effectively as well as facilitating the learning that medical students needed to do enabled him to set up his own businesss. This set him on the road to his current 3 million subscribers and a business employing over a dozen people inspiring and helping others to acquire skills that are increasingly valuable in the the world today and going forward.

Over the coming months I will be experimenting with different channels and different media not only to discover new insights for myself but also to share things that I distill and find interesting. Also somewhat loosely inspired by "How to Get What you want and Want What You Have" by Jon Gray, I do recognize that I am now in the latter of the "Ten Time Periods" - if I had to pick one, I would say number 8 - at least that is how I feel!

So do subscribe to the newsletter and do follow along on Youtube. I'm obviously still in stage 1 of Ali's 3-stage process - so be patient and do give feedback, questions and suggestions!

Another day - another Airport...

That's it!

No one can be told what The Matrix is.\ You have to see it for yourself.**

Do share this newsletter with any of your friends and family who might be interested.

You can also email me at: LetterFrom@rogerprice.me

💡Enjoy the newsletters in your own language : Dutch, French, German, Serbian, Chinese Traditional & Simplified, Thai and Burmese.

@ eb0157af:77ab6c55

The exchange, which collapsed in 2022, will distribute $5 billion to creditors starting May 30.

On May 30, FTX will begin the second phase of repayments, delivering over $5 billion to eligible creditors. According to the official announcement, payments will be processed through two main providers: BitGo and Kraken.

Creditors can expect to receive their funds within a relatively short period — from one to three business days after the distribution begins. This second round focuses on creditors with claims over $50,000, following the first repayment phase launched in February for smaller claims.

John Ray III, current CEO of FTX, has allocated about $11.4 billion for customer repayments. Creditors will receive amounts calculated based on the value of crypto assets at the time of the bankruptcy filing (November 2022).

Variable repayment percentages

The distribution plan foresees differentiated payout rates based on the various categories of claims:

• Dotcom customer claims will receive 72%;
• U.S. customer claims will get 54%;
• General unsecured claims and claims from digital asset loans will each receive 61%;
• Convenience class claims will see a 120% repayment.

“These initial distributions to non-convenience classes mark a significant milestone for FTX,” stated the exchange’s CEO.

Requirements to claim repayments

To receive payments, creditors must complete several mandatory steps:

• Log into the FTX Customer Portal;
• Complete KYC (Know Your Customer) verification;
• Submit the required tax forms;
• Complete onboarding with BitGo or Kraken.

The post FTX: over $5 billion ready for creditors in second repayment phase appeared first on Atlas21.

@ fbf0e434:e1be6a39

Hackathon 概要

AI BUIDL Lab: 基于提示工程（Prompt Engineering）在 Rootstock 上构建真实 Web3 应用的黑客松 近日收官，共有 211 名开发者注册并提交 22 个项目。本次活动旨在鼓励开发者借助 AI 驱动的工作流程，在 Rootstock 平台开发 Web3 应用。参与者聚焦三大领域：去中心化金融（DeFi）与支付、商业与零工经济，以及 Web3 身份与声誉体系，通过 AI 技术加速去中心化应用（dApps）的创新迭代。

活动产出丰硕成果，包括去中心化金融解决方案、AI 增强型身份管理系统等，凸显了 AI 与 Web3 集成的潜力。赛事奖金池包含 1.5 万美元的 RIF 代币，用于奖励在创意性和技术执行力方面表现突出的顶尖项目。

本次黑客松不仅印证了 AI 在简化去中心化应用开发中的价值，也展现了 Web3 生态系统的进阶成果。活动与 thirdweb、Alchemy 及 RootstockLabs 的合作，为开发者高效参与及产出创新项目提供了有力支持。

Hackathon 获奖者

DeFi 和支付奖项得主

• ProtectedPay_Rootstock：一个在 CrossFi 链上的 DeFi 平台，通过先进的区块链功能促进安全转账、群体支付和智能储蓄。
• AIFi: AI-Powered DeFi Hub on Rootstock：利用 AI 提供汇款、信用评分和用户界面改善，提高拉丁美洲的金融可访问性。

商业和零工经济奖项得主

• SwipeGig：一个利用区块链和 AI 连接自由职业者和客户的去中心化人才市场，确保安全交易。
• HireStamp：使用 AI 评分的凭证进行简历验证，将信誉锚定于比特币的安全基础设施。

Web3 中的身份和声誉奖项得主

• AgenticID：提供自我主权身份验证，结合区块链和 AI，使用零知识证明进行安全的用户认证。
• TrustScan：使用 AI 分析 Rootstock 上的钱包活动，生成信誉和身份评分，加强信任。

赏金最佳 AI 提示使用

• AuditFi_Rootstock：提供 AI 驱动的智能合约安全审计，通过链上验证增强透明度和信任。
• RSK Smart Yield Engine：一个 AI 驱动的 DeFi 协议收益优化器，通过智能合约和 AI 管理资金和制定策略。

有关所有项目的更多信息，请访问 DoraHacks。

关于组织者

Rootstock

Rootstock - 比特币 DeFi 层 - 专注于将比特币强大的网络与以太坊的智能合约功能相结合，提升区块链的互操作性。Rootstock 以技术专长著称，已经创建了一个支持去中心化金融应用的平台。该组织致力于通过扩展在金融服务中智能合约的可访问性和功能性来推动区块链领域的创新。

@ bd4ae3e6:1dfb81f5

@ cefb08d1:f419beff

https://stacker.news/items/986402

@ bd4ae3e6:1dfb81f5

@ c230edd3:8ad4a712

Chef's notes

Wildly enough, this is delicious. It's sweet and savory.

(I copied this recipe off of a commercial cheese maker's site, just FYI)

I hadn't fully froze the ice cream when I took the picture shown. This is fresh out of the churner.

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 15 min
• 🍳 Cook time: 30 min
• 🍽️ Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 12 oz blue cheese
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 c sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 qt heavy cream
• 3/4 c chopped dark chocolate

Directions

1. Put the blue cheese, lemon juice, sugar, and salt into a bowl
2. Bring heavy cream to a boil, stirring occasionally
3. Pour heavy cream over the blue cheese mix and stir until melted
4. Pour into prepared ice cream maker, follow unit instructions
5. Add dark chocolate halfway through the churning cycle
6. Freeze until firm. Enjoy.

@ c230edd3:8ad4a712

Chef's notes

I found this recipe a couple years ago and have been addicted to it since. Its incredibly easy, and cheap to prep. Freeze the sausage in flat, single serving portions. That way it can be cooked from frozen for a fast, flavorful, and healthy lunch or dinner. I took inspiration from the video that contained this recipe, and almost always pan fry the frozen sausage with some baby broccoli. The steam cooks the broccoli and the fats from the sausage help it to sear, while infusing the vibrant flavors. Serve with some rice, if desired. I often use serrano peppers, due to limited produce availability. They work well for a little heat and nice flavor that is not overpowering.

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 25 min
• 🍳 Cook time: 15 min (only needed if cooking at time of prep)
• 🍽️ Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 4 lbs ground pork
• 12-15 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 Thai or Serrano peppers, rough chopped
• 1/4 c. lime juice
• 4 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 c. chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Portion and freeze, as desired.
3. Sautè frozen portions in hot frying pan, with broccoli or other fresh veggies.
4. Serve with rice or alone.

@ 866e0139:6a9334e5

Autor: Milosz Matuschek. Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben. Sie finden alle Texte der Friedenstaube und weitere Texte zum Thema Frieden hier. Die neuesten Pareto-Artikel finden Sie auch in unserem Telegram-Kanal.

---

Die neuesten Artikel der Friedenstaube gibt es jetzt auch im eigenen Friedenstaube-Telegram-Kanal.

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjndTXyk3mw

Im Jahr 1954, als Frankreich gerade dabei war, seine kolonialen Kriege in Indochina und Algerien zu verschärfen, schrieb Boris Vian ein Lied – oder vielmehr: einen poetischen Faustschlag. Le Déserteur ist keine Ballade, sondern ein Manifest. Keine Hymne auf den Frieden, sondern eine Anklage gegen den Krieg. Adressiert an den Präsidenten, beginnt das Chanson wie ein höflicher Brief – und endet als flammender Akt des zivilen Ungehorsams.

„Herr Präsident,\ ich schreibe Ihnen einen Brief,\ den Sie vielleicht lesen werden,\ wenn Sie Zeit haben.“

Was folgt, ist ein klassischer Kriegsdienstverweigerungsbrief, aber eben kein bürokratischer. Vian spricht nicht in Paragraphen, sondern in Herzschlägen. Der Erzähler, ein einfacher Mann, will nicht kämpfen. Nicht für irgendein Vaterland, nicht für irgendeine Fahne, nicht für irgendeinen ideologischen Zweck.

„Ich soll zur Welt gekommen sein,\ um zu leben, nicht um zu sterben.“

70 Jahre später klingt diese Zeile wie ein Skandal. In einer Zeit, in der die Ukraine junge Männer für Kopfgeld auf der Straße zwangsrekrutiert und in Stahlgewitter schickt, in der palästinensische Jugendliche im Gazastreifen unter Trümmern begraben werden, während israelische Reservisten mit Dauerbefehl marschieren – ist Le Déserteur ein sakraler Text geworden. Fast ein Gebet.

„Wenn man mich verfolgt,\ werde ich den Gehorsam verweigern.\ Ich werde keine Waffe in die Hand nehmen,\ ich werde fliehen, bis ich Frieden finde.“

Wie viele „Deserteure“ gibt es heute, die wir gar nicht kennen? Menschen, die sich nicht auf die Seite der Bomben stellen wollen – egal, wer sie wirft? Die sich nicht mehr einspannen lassen zwischen Propaganda und Patriotismus? Die ihre Menschlichkeit über jeden nationalen Befehl stellen?

Der Krieg, sagt Vian, macht aus freien Menschen Befehlsempfänger und aus Söhnen Leichen. Und wer heute sagt, es gebe „gerechte Kriege“, sollte eine Frage beantworten: Ist es auch ein gerechter Tod?

Darum: Verweigert.

Verweigert den Befehl, zu hassen.\ Verweigert den Reflex, Partei zu ergreifen.\ Verweigert den Dienst an der Waffe.

Denn wie Vian singt:

„Sagen Sie's den Leuten:\ Ich werde nicht kommen.“

---

LASSEN SIE DER FRIEDENSTAUBE FLÜGEL WACHSEN!

Hier können Sie die Friedenstaube abonnieren und bekommen die Artikel zugesandt.

Schon jetzt können Sie uns unterstützen:

• Für 50 CHF/EURO bekommen Sie ein Jahresabo der Friedenstaube.
• Für 120 CHF/EURO bekommen Sie ein Jahresabo und ein T-Shirt/Hoodie mit der Friedenstaube.
• Für 500 CHF/EURO werden Sie Förderer und bekommen ein lebenslanges Abo sowie ein T-Shirt/Hoodie mit der Friedenstaube.
• Ab 1000 CHF werden Sie Genossenschafter der Friedenstaube mit Stimmrecht (und bekommen lebenslanges Abo, T-Shirt/Hoodie).

Für Einzahlungen in CHF (Betreff: Friedenstaube):

Für Einzahlungen in Euro:

Milosz Matuschek

IBAN DE 53710520500000814137

BYLADEM1TST

Sparkasse Traunstein-Trostberg

Betreff: Friedenstaube

Wenn Sie auf anderem Wege beitragen wollen, schreiben Sie die Friedenstaube an: friedenstaube@pareto.space

---

Sie sind noch nicht auf Nostr and wollen die volle Erfahrung machen (liken, kommentieren etc.)? Zappen können Sie den Autor auch ohne Nostr-Profil! Erstellen Sie sich einen Account auf Start. Weitere Onboarding-Leitfäden gibt es im Pareto-Wiki.

@ 00000001:b0c77eb9

مواقع التواصل الإجتماعي العامة هي التي تتحكم بك، تتحكم بك بفرض أجندتها وتجبرك على اتباعها وتحظر وتحذف كل ما يخالفها، وحرية التعبير تنحصر في أجندتها تلك!

وخوارزمياتها الخبيثة التي لا حاجة لها، تعرض لك مايريدون منك أن تراه وتحجب ما لا يريدونك أن تراه.

في نوستر انت المتحكم، انت الذي تحدد من تتابع و انت الذي تحدد المرحلات التي تنشر منشوراتك بها.

نوستر لامركزي، بمعنى عدم وجود سلطة تتحكم ببياناتك، بياناتك موجودة في المرحلات، ولا احد يستطيع حذفها او تعديلها او حظر ظهورها.

و هذا لا ينطبق فقط على مواقع التواصل الإجتماعي العامة، بل ينطبق أيضاً على الـfediverse، في الـfediverse انت لست حر، انت تتبع الخادم الذي تستخدمه ويستطيع هذا الخادم حظر ما لا يريد ظهوره لك، لأنك لا تتواصل مع بقية الخوادم بنفسك، بل خادمك من يقوم بذلك بالنيابة عنك.

وحتى إذا كنت تمتلك خادم في شبكة الـfediverse، إذا خالفت اجندة بقية الخوادم ونظرتهم عن حرية الرأي و التعبير سوف يندرج خادمك في القائمة السوداء fediblock ولن يتمكن خادمك من التواصل مع بقية خوادم الشبكة، ستكون محصوراً بالخوادم الأخرى المحظورة كخادمك، بالتالي انت في الشبكة الأخرى من الـfediverse!

نعم، يوجد شبكتان في الكون الفدرالي fediverse شبكة الصالحين التابعين للأجندة الغربية وشبكة الطالحين الذين لا يتبعون لها، إذا تم إدراج خادمك في قائمة fediblock سوف تذهب للشبكة الأخرى!

@ f5369849:f34119a0

Hackathon Summary

The AI BUIDL Lab: Use Prompt Engineering to Build Real Web3 Apps on Rootstock recently wrapped up, with registration from 211 developers and the presentation of 22 projects. This hackathon focused on encouraging the development of Web3 applications using AI-driven workflows on Rootstock. Participants engaged in three primary tracks: DeFi and Payments, Commerce and Gig Economy, and Identity and Reputation in Web3. AI was utilized to enhance innovation and speed in the creation of decentralized applications (dApps).

The event yielded notable outcomes such as decentralized finance solutions and AI-enhanced identity management systems, highlighting the integration of AI in Web3. A prize pool of $15,000 USD in RIF Tokens was distributed to top projects, rewarding their creativity and technical execution.

The hackathon underscored AI's potential in streamlining decentralized application development, demonstrating advancements in the Web3 ecosystem. Collaboration with thirdweb, Alchemy, and RootstockLabs supported impactful participation and innovative project outcomes.

Hackathon Winners

DeFi & Payments Prize Winners

• ProtectedPay_Rootstock: A DeFi platform on the CrossFi chain, facilitating secure transfers, group payments, and smart savings via advanced blockchain features.
• AIFi: AI-Powered DeFi Hub on Rootstock: Enhances financial accessibility in Latin America, utilizing AI for remittances, credit scoring, and UI improvements.

Commerce & Gig Economy Prize Winners

• SwipeGig: A decentralized talent marketplace that leverages blockchain and AI to connect freelancers and clients, ensuring secure transactions.
• HireStamp: Uses AI-graded credentials for resume verification, anchoring credibility to Bitcoin's security infrastructure.

Identity & Reputation in Web3 Prize Winners

• AgenticID: Provides self-sovereign identity verification with blockchain and AI, employing zero-knowledge proofs for secure user authentication.
• TrustScan: Analyzes wallet activities on Rootstock using AI to generate reputation and identity scores, enhancing trust.

Bounty Best Use of AI Prompt

• AuditFi_Rootstock: Delivers AI-driven security audits for smart contracts, enhancing transparency and trust through on-chain verification.
• RSK Smart Yield Engine: An AI-powered yield optimizer for DeFi protocols, managing funds and formulating strategies with smart contracts and AI.

For more information on all projects, visit DoraHacks.

Organization

About the Organizer: Rootstock

Rootstock - the Bitcoin DeFi layer - specializes in integrating Bitcoin's robust network with Ethereum's smart contract capabilities, enhancing blockchain interoperability. Known for technical expertise, Rootstock has created a platform supporting decentralized finance applications. The organization is committed to advancing innovation in the blockchain space by expanding the accessibility and functionality of smart contracts within financial services.

@ f5369849:f34119a0

Hackathon Summary

JAMHacks 9 was held from May 16-18, 2025, at the University of Waterloo. As the 9th hackathon in the JAMHacks series, the event brought together 170 high school hackers and resulted in the approval of 49 projects, highlighting the abilities of young developers. The hackathon's objective is to offer a nurturing atmosphere for high school students, supplemented by workshops and activities designed to boost technical skills and networking opportunities.

Participants engaged in projects with creative uses of Pico-8, innovative applications utilizing MongoDB Atlas, and generative AI models illustrating the effects of emerging technologies. The hackathon recognized achievements in categories like Best Beginner Hack, Best Developer Tool, and Best Use of Gen AI. Prizes included smartwatches, drones, QuillBot hoodies, and entries to other hackathons.

Beyond the technical accomplishments, JAMHacks 9 stressed the importance of creating a fun and engaging experience, hosting events like poker nights and social meetups. The hackathon successfully provided a platform for young developers to cultivate skills, generate ideas, and establish professional connections, supporting its vision of inclusivity and accessibility in the tech industry.

Hackathon Winners

Overall Prize Winners

• Mr. Goose: A playful VS Code extension supporting beginners with hints and encouragement, fostering learning without directly solving problems.
• Guideline: An AR-based tool that assists novice electronics enthusiasts with breadboarding by guiding them through assembly using augmented reality.
• ARmatica: Converts 2D hardware schematics into 3D AR models, enhancing engineering and prototyping processes through improved visualization.

Beginner Track Prize Winners

• Duedle: A task management app utilizing AI to break down large tasks into manageable sub-tasks, with progress tracking to boost productivity.

Solo Track Prize Winners

• Lofied: A Python app that transforms Spotify playlists into lo-fi versions, featuring music separation and sheet music generation capabilities.

Female Track Prize Winners

• Doomlings: Combines gamification with educational tasks, motivating students through a battle game interface to enhance learning and engagement.

Warp Track Prize Winners

• Mr. Goose

Hack Canada Track Prize Winners

• Dionysus: A platform for organizing collaborative events and participation, offering a unified interface for real-time event management.

MLH Track Prize Winners

• Karma: A social platform documenting and sharing positive actions, promoting self-improvement and environmental conservation to encourage community engagement.
• helpidontknowhowtonetworkin.tech: An AI-powered networking assistant using face recognition and LinkedIn data to assist in making professional connections at events.
• SnapCAD: Generates customizable 3D models from images or drawings, simplifying integration into engineering projects.

PEX Labs Prize Winners

• Arctic Explorer: A Pico-8 open-world game designed to promote sustainable practices by exploring Arctic environments, scalable with additional mini-games and maps.

View all projects at JAMHacks 9.

Organization Details

About JAMHacks

JAMHacks is recognized in the technology and blockchain sector for promoting innovation and collaboration among tech enthusiasts. The organization is skilled in hosting hackathons that provide a platform for developing practical solutions to real-world challenges. With a focus on technological empowerment, JAMHacks has organized multiple events attracting participants from various backgrounds. Their initiatives emphasize technical skill development and networking, underscoring their dedication to advancing technology education and fostering an inclusive community for aspiring technologists and developers.

@ 866e0139:6a9334e5

Autor: Jana Moava. Dieser Beitrag wurde mit dem Pareto-Client geschrieben. Sie finden alle Texte der Friedenstaube und weitere Texte zum Thema Frieden hier. Die neuesten Pareto-Artikel finden Sie auch in unserem Telegram-Kanal.

---

Die neuesten Artikel der Friedenstaube gibt es jetzt auch im eigenen Friedenstaube-Telegram-Kanal.

---

Zwei Worte nur braucht man – und die Sache ist klar. Jeder gebildete Russe kennt diese Worte: sie stammen aus dem XIX. Jahrhundert, als Nikolaus I. die Krim-Kampagne begann und das Zarenreich nach üblen Querelen ganz Europa und die Türkei zum Gegner hatte - allen voran die Herrscher der Weltmeere: das British Empire mit Queen Victoria. Der historische Ausdruck anglitschanka gadit (locker übersetzt: die Engländerin macht Shit) besitzt bis heute verdeckte politische Sprengkraft und ist seit Ende Februar 2022 in Russland wieder populär. Wer auch immer der Urheber dieser im Original durchaus diskreten Benennung des Fäkalvorgangs war: der Ausdruck steht für ernste Konflikte mit dem Englisch sprechenden Westen, dem Erzfeind.

Ein kurzer Blick in die Geschichte mag dies erläutern: Fast alle westlichen Historiker benennen als Auslöser des Krimkrieges Mitte des IX. Jahrhunderts die Verteidigung der russisch-orthodoxen Kirche und deren Zugang zur Kreuzkirche in Jerusalem. Es wird vom letzten Kreuzzug u.a. geschrieben. Das ist eine höchst einseitige Interpretation, denn es ging Nikolaus I. vor allem um den Zugang zum einzigen dauerhaft eisfreien Hafen Russlands im Schwarzen Meer, durch die Meeresenge der Dardanellen ins Mittelmeer. Das ist verständlich, war doch die Eroberung der Krim ab 1783 unter seiner Großmutter Katharina II. aus eben diesem Grunde erfolgt. Damals schon wurde der Hafen Sewastopol zum Stützpunkt der russischen Flotte ausgebaut. 

Ende 1825, nach dem plötzlichen Tod des ältesten Bruders Alexander I., war Nikolaus von seiner Erziehung her auf eine Regentschaft ganz und gar nicht vorbereitet gewesen, doch herrschte er dreißig Jahre lang nicht nur über das russische Reich, sondern auch über Finnland und das damalige Königreich Polen unter russischem Protektorat. Nikolaus I. zeichnete sich von Beginn an durch Gewaltmaßnahmen aus: Als ihm im Dezember (russ. dekabr)1825 eine Gruppe sehr gebildeter, freiheitsliebender junger Adligen aus besten Familien den Eid verweigerte (dies zog als Dekabristenaufstand in die Geschichte ein), ließ er fünf der Rebellen hängen, die anderen schickte er in Fußfesseln nach Sibirien in die Bergwerke. Er gründete die berüchtigte Geheimpolizei Dritte Abteilung, ließ Privatbriefe des Dichters Puschkin öffnen (obwohl dieser „in seiner Gnade stand“) und Historikern ist Nikolaus I. als Gendarm Europas bekannt. Im russischen Volk aber nannte man ihn kurz und bündig: *Nicki Knüppel aus dem Sack (Nikolaschka palkin). *

Leo Tolstoj beschrieb diesen Zaren in seinen Erzählungen über die Kriege im Kaukasus (Hadschi Murat) als feist und fett, mit leblosen, trüben Augen und als berüchtigten Frauenjäger. Tolstoj war es auch, der als junger Teilnehmer im Krimkrieg drei Erzählungen schrieb: Sewastopol im Dezember 1854, im Mai 1855 und im August 1855. Nachdem das British Empire unter Queen Victoria Russland den Krieg erklärt hatte (in Koalition mit Frankreich und Piemont-Sardinien als Schutzmacht des Osmanischen Reiches), entstand der Ausdruck anglitschanka gadit – die Engländerin macht Shit. Bis heute findet man dazu drastische Illustrationen im Netz…

Noch bevor russische Truppen Ende Februar 2022 in die Ukraine marschierten, lebte dieser Ausdruck in Russland wieder auf. Wer hierzulande Interesse an der Wahrheit hat, kann deutliche Parallelen zur damaligen politischen Lage entdecken, auch in Bezug auf die Verhaltensweisen des derzeitigen russischen Staatschefs und des historischen Nicki Knüppel aus dem Sack. Obwohl der amtierende durchaus Anerkennung verdient hat, denn nach dem Zusammenbruch der Sowjetunion in den 1990er Jahren unter Jelzin stellte er die Staatlich-keit des verlotterten, hungernden Landes wieder her und trieb den wirtschaftlichen Aufbau voran. Davon kann ich zeugen, lebte ich doch von 1992 – 2008 vor Ort.

Sicher - heute ist längst bekannt, daß die bereits Ende März 2022 in Istanbul laufenden Friedensverhandlungen zwischen Russland und der Ukraine vom britischen Premier und im Namen des US Präsidenten boykottiert wurden. Daniel Ruch, Schweizer Botschafter a.D., sprach gar von Sabotage! Der deutsche General a. D. Harald Kujat kommentierte damals mit den Worten: „Seit April 2022 gehen alle Kriegsopfer in der Ukraine auf das Konto des Westens!“ Der Ausdruck anglitschanka gadit ist seitdem in Russland wieder geläufig. Nun, brandaktuell, treffen sich die Kriegsparteien wieder in Istanbul: Ausgang ungewiss. Doch wird inzwischen auch von einzelnen westlichen Politikern anerkannt, dass Russland eine neutrale Pufferzone zu den Nato-Staaten verlangt und braucht.

Wenn hierzulande gemutmaßt wird, alle Russen würden den Ukraine-Krieg bejahen, so sollte man zur Kenntnis nehmen, dass derartige Aussagen kaum die wirkliche Überzeugung wiedergeben. Seit den Repressionen unter Stalin, seit in jeder zweiten Familie nahe Angehörige im GULAG einsaßen und umkamen und darüber Jahrzehnte lang geschwiegen werden musste, ist der Wahrheitsgehalt öffentlicher Umfragen getrost zu bezweifeln. Hat man hier etwa vergessen, dass seit 2011 auf eine mächtig wachsende zivile Protestbewegung und riesige Demonstrationen in russischen Großstädten immer schärfere Aktionen von Seiten des Staates erfolgten? Dass Knüppel auf Köpfe und Leiber prasselten, wie zur Zeit Nickis I., und der Polizeiapparat derart wuchs, dass heute das Verhältnis von Bürger und Silowiki (Vertreter der Gewalt)1:1 steht?

Offenbar weiß man hier nicht, dass schon Anfang 2022 von Mitarbeitern in jeder staatlich finanzierten Institution, ob im Bereich von Kultur, Wissenschaft, Forschung oder Lehre die schriftliche Zustimmung zur Spezialoperation mit der Ukraine eingefordert wurde! Eine Weigerung hatte den Verlust des Arbeitsplatzes zur Folge, egal welches Renommée oder welchen Rang der Betroffene besaß! Manche Leiter von staatlichen Institutionen zeigten dabei gehöriges Geschick und zeichneten für alle; andere (z.B. staatliche Theater) riefen jeden Mitarbeiter ins Kontor. Nur wenige Personen, die unter dem persönlichem Schutz des Präsidenten standen, konnten sich dieser Zustimmung zum Krieg entziehen. Wissenschaftler und Künstler emigrierten zuhauf. Berlin ist voll mit Geflohenen aus jenem Land, das kriegerisch ins Bruderland einmarschierte! Aber kann denn jeder emigrieren? Die Alten, Familien mit Kindern? Mit guten Freunden, die dort blieben, ist eine Kommunikation nur verschlüsselt möglich, in Nachrichten wie: die Feuer der Inquisition brennen (jeder, der von der offiziellen Doktrin abweicht, ist gefährdet), Ratten verbreiten Krankheiten bezieht sich auf Denunziationen, die in jeder Diktatur aufblühen, wenn sich jemand dem Schussfeld entziehen möchte und im vorauseilenden Gehorsam den Nachbarn anzeigt. Kennen wir das nicht noch aus unseren hitlerdeutschen 1930er Jahren?!

Je mehr im Reich aller Russen in den letzten Jahren von oben geknebelt und geknüppelt wurde, desto mehr Denunziationen griffen um sich. Junge Menschen, die auf Facebook gegen den Krieg posteten, wurden verhaftet. Seit 2023 sitzen u.a. zwei junge russische Theaterfrauen aufgrund der üblen Denunziation eines Kollegen hinter Gittern. Die Inszenierung der Regisseurin Zhenja Berkowitsch und der Autorin Swetlana Petritschuk erhielt Ende 2022 den höchsten Theaterpreis von ganz Russland, die Goldene Maske. Das Stück Finist (Phönix), klarer Falke ist nach dem Motiv eines russischen Märchens geschrieben, fußt aber auf dokumentarischem Material: es verhandelt die Versuchung junger Frauen, auf Islamisten hereinzufallen und sie aus Frust und falsch verstandener Solidarität zu heiraten. Die Anklage hat den Spieß genau umgedreht: Autorin und Regisseurin wurden des Terrorismus beschuldigt! Das Rechtssystem im Land scheint heute noch vergleichbar mit jenem, das Alexander Puschkin vor über 200 Jahren in seiner Erzählung Dubrowski authentisch beschrieb: Wer die Macht hat, regelt das Recht. Man kann die Erzählung des russischen Robin Hood auch deutsch nachlesen (leider, leider hat Puschkin sie nicht beendet).

Andere, erbaulichere Elemente aus der Zeit Puschkins, bzw. von Nikolaus I., dienen allerdings als Gegengewicht zum Alltag: seit Ende 2007 finden in Moskau und St. Petersburg jeden Winter nach dem Vorbild der historischen Adelsbälle große gesellschaftliche Events statt: Puschkinball, Wiener Opernball, jetzt nur noch Opernball genannt. Der Nachwuchs aus begüterten Familien lernt alte Tanzschritte und feine Sitten. Fort mit dem sowjetischen Schmuddelimage! Prächtige Kostümbälle werden nun zum Abschluss jedes Schuljahres aufgeboten. In stilisierten Kostümen der Zeit Nikolajs I. bzw. Puschkins tanzen Schuldirektoren, Lehrer und junge Absolventen. Der Drang nach altem Glanz und Größe (oder eine notwendige Kompensation?) spiegelt sich im Volk. 

Werfen wir jedoch einen Blick auf einige Geschehnisse in der Ukraine ab 2014, die in unserer Presse immer noch verschwiegen werden:  Im Spätsommer 2022 begegnete ich auf Kreta einer Ukrainerin aus der Nordukraine, die wegen des fürchterlichen Nationalismus nach 2014 ihre Heimat verließ. Sie ist nicht die einzige! Ihre Kinder waren erwachsen und zogen nach Polen, sie aber reiste mit einer Freundin weiter Richtung Griechenland, lernte die Sprache, erwarb die Staatsbürgerschaft und ist nun auf Kreta verheiratet.

Natalia erzählte mir, was bei uns kaum zu lesen ist, was jedoch Reporter wie Patrick Baab oder Historiker wie Daniele Ganser schon lange berichtet haben: 2014, als die Bilder der Proteste auf dem Maidan um die Welt gingen, habe die damalige amerikanische Regierung unter Präsident Biden die Vorgänge in Kiew für einen Putsch genutzt: Janukowitsch, der korrupte, doch demokratisch gewählte Präsident der Ukraine wurde gestürzt, die Ereignisse mit Hilfe von Strohmännern und rechten Nationalisten gelenkt, die mit Geld versorgt wurden. Bis es zum Massaker auf dem Maidan kam, als bewaffnete, ihrer Herkunft nach zunächst nicht identifi-zierbare Schützen (es waren v.a. rechte Nationalisten, so der gebürtige Ukrainer und US Bürger Professor N. Petro und Prof. Ivan Katchanovskij) von den Dächern in die Menge schossen.

Im YouTube Kanal Neutrality Studies konnte man am 17.02.2024 hören: Anlässlich des traurigen 10. Jahrestages des Maidan-Massakers, bei dem am 20. Februar 2014 mehr als 100 Menschen durch Scharfschützenfeuer getötet wurden, spreche ich heute mit Ivan Katchanovski, einem ukrainischen (und kanadischen) Politikwissenschaftler an der Univer-sität von Ottawa, der das Massaker detailliert erforscht hat. Letztes Jahr veröffentlichte er das Papier „Die Maidan-Massaker-Prozess und Untersuchungserkenntnisse: Implikationen für den Krieg zwischen der Ukraine und Russland und die Beziehungen“. Kurz gesagt, das Massaker wurde NICHT von den Kräften Victor Janukowytschs begangen, wie in westlichen Medien berichtet, und es gibt schlüssige Beweise dafür, dass die Schützen Teil des ultra-rechten Flügels der Ukraine waren, die dann nach dem Putsch an die Macht kamen. (Link zum Paper).

Wer erinnert sich hierzulande noch daran, dass 2014 im deutschen öffentlichen  Fernsehen von Hunter Biden, Sohn des US-Präsidenten berichtet wurde, der durch dubiose Gas- und Ölgeschäfte in der Ukraine auffiel? Dass damals im deutschen Fernsehen auch Bilder von Ukrainern mit SS-Stahlhelmen auftauchten? In einer Arte-Reportage zu Hilfs-transporten im März 2022 aus Polen über die Westukraine konnte der aufmerksame Zu-schauer an fast allen Häusern die tiefroten Banner von Anhängern des verstorbenen, in München begrabenen, faschistischen Stepan Bandera erkennen. Ausgesprochen wurde es nicht.

Die neue Kreterin Natalia sprach auch über eine Amerikanerin ukrainischer Herkunft, die Röntgenärztin Uljana Suprun, die aus den USA als Gesundheitsministerin rekrutiert wurde und unter dem amerikafreundlichen Präsidenten Poroschenko von 2016-2019 diesen Posten innehatte. Was bitte sollte eine Röntgenärztin aus den USA auf dem Ministerposten der Ukraine?! Streit und Skandal umgaben sie fast täglich in der RADA, dem ukrainischen Parlament. Es wurde gemunkelt, sie diene als Feigenblatt bei der Herstellung biologischer Waffen. Material zu ihr ist bis heute auf YouTube zu finden. 

---

DIE FRIEDENSTAUBE FLIEGT AUCH IN IHR POSTFACH!

Hier können Sie die Friedenstaube abonnieren und bekommen die Artikel zugesandt, vorerst für alle kostenfrei, wir starten gänzlich ohne Paywall. (Die Bezahlabos fangen erst zu laufen an, wenn ein Monetarisierungskonzept für die Inhalte steht). Sie wollen der Genossenschaft beitreten oder uns unterstützen? Mehr Infos hier oder am Ende des Textes.

---

Natalia bezeichnete die ukrainischen Emigrantenkreise in den USA und Kanada zurecht als ultranationalistisch, sie seien Kollaborateure der Nazis bei der Judenvernichtung gewesen und hätten sich nach dem Rückzug der Deutschen rechtzeitig nach Übersee abgesetzt. Das ist wohl bekannt. 

Heute ist das Recherchieren der wahren Geschehnisse von 2014 zwar immer noch mühsam, aber die Wahrheit sickert immer mehr durch, zumal auch Exilukrainer dazu geschrieben und öffentlich gesprochen haben. Die Kanäle SaneVox und Neutrality studies liefern unermüdlich weitere Fakten! Im März 2025 klärte der US-Professor Jeffrey Sachs das Europa-Parlament endlich in allen Details über die kriegerischen Machenschaften bestimmter Kreise innerhalb der englischsprechenden Westmächte auf! 

Kürzlich war im multipolar-magazin zu lesen, wie erschreckend tief unser eigenes Land bereits in**** den Ukraine-Krieg verwickelt ist: Da hieß es:

*„Kriegsplanung von deutschem Boden“ *

Zwei umfassende Beiträge der „New York Times“ und der Londoner „Times“ belegen, was lange bestritten wurde: die tiefe militärische und strategische Verwicklung von Nato-Mitgliedsstaaten in den Ukraine-Krieg. Demnach wird deren Kriegsbeteiligung seit Jahren vom europäischen Hauptquartier der US-Armee in Wiesbaden koordiniert. Für Deutschland stellen sich damit verfassungsrechtliche Fragen.

Und ein Karsten Montag schrieb ebenda am 25. April 2025:

Mehr als drei Jahre nach Beginn des russisch-ukrainischen Krieges berichten zwei große westliche Tageszeitungen über die tiefgreifende Beteiligung von Nato-Militärs an diesem Konflikt. Den Anfang machte die „New York Times“ (NYT). Unter dem Titel „Die Partnerschaft: Die geheime Geschichte des Krieges in der Ukraine“ erschien Ende März ein umfassender *Artikel, der laut Autor Adam Entous auf 300 Interviews mit Regierungs-, Militär- und Geheim-dienstvertretern in der Ukraine, den Vereinigten Staaten sowie weiteren Nato-Partnern basiert. Es handle sich um die „unerzählte Geschichte“ der „versteckten Rolle“ der USA bei den ukrainischen Militäroperationen. *

Wenige Wochen später veröffentlichte die britische Tageszeitung „The Times“ Anfang April einen ähnlichen Beitrag mit dem Titel „Die unerzählte Geschichte der entscheidenden Rolle der britischen Militärchefs in der Ukraine“. Dieser bestätigt die tiefe Verstrickung der Nato-Staaten in Militäroperationen wie der ukrainischen Offensive 2023. Abweichend vom NYT-Artikel bezeichnet er jedoch die britischen Militärchefs als die „Köpfe“ der „Anti-Putin“-Koalition. Einigkeit herrscht wiederum bei der Frage, wer für den Misserfolg der Operationen verantwortlich ist: Dies sei eindeutig der Ukraine zuzuschreiben. Auch im Times-Beitrag wird auf die besondere Rolle des europäischen US-Hauptquartiers im hessischen Wiesbaden bei der Koordination der Einsätze und den Waffenlieferungen hingewiesen.

Na also! Es gibt unter den aus der Ukraine Geflüchteten hier allerdings eine große Mehrheit, die von diesen Fakten weder etwas wissen, noch wissen wollen. Amerika und die Heimat der Anglitschanka ist für sie das Gelobte Land und wehe, du sprichst darüber, dann wirst du sofort der russischen Propaganda verdächtig. Wie Nicki mittlerweile daheim den Knüppel schwingt, interessiert sie auch nicht. 

Wieso wird hier nicht untersucht, wieso wird verschwiegen, dass Alexej Nawalny für einen englischen Dienst arbeitete – woher erhielt er das viele Geld für seine Kampagnen? Wo leben nun seine Witwe und die Kinder? Auf der Insel im nebligen Avalon/ Albion… 

Ein letztes Beispiel aus dem Bereich der Kultur zum Verständnis des leider so aktuellen Ausdrucks Die Engländerin macht Shit:  Anfang 2024 wurde im staatlichen Sender ONE (ARD) eine Serie der BBC zu frühen Erzählungen von Michail Bulgakow ausgestrahlt:** Aufzeichnungen eines jungen Arztes. Die BBC verhunzte den in Kiew geborenen Arzt und weltberühmten Autor derart, dass dem Zuschauer schlecht wurde: Mit dem Titel A Young Doctor‘s Notebook verfilmte sie Bulgakows frühe Erzählungen über die Nöte eines jungen Arztes in der bettelarmen sowjetrussischen Provinz in den 1920er Jahren hypernaturalistisch, blut-, dreck- und eitertriefend. Pseudokyrillische Titel und Balalaika Geklimper begleiteten das Leiden von schwer traumatisierten Menschen im russischen Bürgerkrieg oder Abscheulichkeiten, wie das Amputieren eines Mädchenbeines mit einer Baumsäge - ausgestrahlt vom 1. Deutschen Fernsehen! Michail Bulgakow hätte sich im Grabe umgedreht.

Als Autor beherrschte Bulgakow die Kunst der Groteske ebenso wie hochlyrische Schilderungen. Seine Prosa und seine Theaterstücke aber wurden Zeit seines Lebens von der Sowjetmacht verstümmelt - und post mortem auch von seinen ukrainischen Landsleuten: sein schönes Museum, das ehemalige Domizil der Familie Bulgakow in Kiew am Andrejew-Steig, das mit seinem ersten Roman Die weiße Garde (Kiew vor 100 Jahren im Strudel auch ultranationalistischer Strömungen) und der berühmten Dramatisierung Die Tage der Turbins in die große Literatur einzog, dieses Museum wurde abgewickelt und geschlossen, weil Bulgakow angeblich schlecht über die Ukraine geschrieben hätte! 

Ein Glück jedoch, dass die bedeutenden Werke Bulgakows seit nun drei Dekaden von russischsprachigen Philologen beharrlich in ihrer ursprünglichen Fassung wieder hergestellt wurden. Seine großen Romane Die weiße Garde und Meister und Margarita seien in der hervorragenden deutschen Übersetzung von Alexander Nitzberg jedem Interessierten ans Herz gelegt!

Die obigen Ausführungen sind keinesfalls eine Rechtfertigung des Krieges, es geht vielmehr um Hintergründe, Fakten und Machenschaften, die in der Regel bis heute bei uns verschwiegen werden! Obwohl es nun sonnenklar und öffentlich ist, dass bestimmte Inter-essengruppen der englischsprachigen Westmächte die hochgefährliche Konfrontationspolitik mit Russland zu verantworten haben: die Engländerin macht Shit…Und wir? Wir schweigen, glauben der immer noch laufenden Propaganda und wehren uns nicht gegen diese üble Russenphobie?! Ich erinnere mich noch lebhaft an die Nachkriegszeit im Ruhrgebiet, als der Ton ruppig war und Dreck und Trümmer unsere Sicht beherrschten. Auch uns kleinen Kindern gegenüber wurde von den bösen Russen gesprochen, als hätten diese unser Land überfallen.

Ja – es waren viele Geflüchtete aus dem Osten hier gestrandet, und diese hatten Unsägliches hinter sich. Lew Kopelew, der den Einmarsch der Roten Armee in Ostpreußen miterlebte und Gräuel vergebens zu verhindern suchte, wurde noch im April 1945 verhaftet und wegen Mitleid mit dem Feind zu 10 Jahren Lager verurteilt. Viele Jahre später erschienen seine Erinnerungen Aufbewahren für alle Zeit – auch auf Deutsch. Über die mindestens 27 Mio Opfer in der damaligen Sowjetunion und über die deutschen Aggressoren, die damals mit Mord und Raub die bösen Russen, sowjetische Zivilisten überfielen, wurde in den 1950er Jahren, im zerbombten und dreckigen Pott kein einziges Wort verloren. Der Spieß wurde einfach umgedreht. Von der Blockade Leningrads erfuhr ich erst als Erwachsene, anno 1974, als Austauschstudentin vor Ort.

Exakt vor 10 Jahren wurde es jedoch möglich – herzlichen Dank der damaligen stell-vertretenden tatarischen Kulturministerin Frau Irada Ayupova! – mein dokumentarisches Antikriegsstück mit Schicksalen von Kriegskindern – sowjetischen, jüdischen, deutschen – in Kasan, der Hauptstadt von Tatarstan, zweisprachig auf die Bühne des dortigen Jugendtheaters zu bringen. Wir spielten 15 Vorstellungen und einige tausend Jugendliche im Saal verstummten und verstanden, dass Krieg furchtbar ist. Hier und heute will leider kein Theater das Stück umsetzen…

Wir Menschen brauchen Frieden und keine Aufrüstung für neue Kriege! Der gute alte Aischylos schrieb einst in seinem Stück Die Perser: Wahrheit ist das erste Opfer eines Krieges. Leider ist dies immer noch genauso aktuell wie damals. Pfui Teufel!

---

Jana Moava (Pseudonym) ist Journalistin, Dozentin und arbeitete für große Zeitungen als Korrespondentin.

---

LASSEN SIE DER FRIEDENSTAUBE FLÜGEL WACHSEN!

Hier können Sie die Friedenstaube abonnieren und bekommen die Artikel zugesandt.

Schon jetzt können Sie uns unterstützen:

• Für 50 CHF/EURO bekommen Sie ein Jahresabo der Friedenstaube.
• Für 120 CHF/EURO bekommen Sie ein Jahresabo und ein T-Shirt/Hoodie mit der Friedenstaube.
• Für 500 CHF/EURO werden Sie Förderer und bekommen ein lebenslanges Abo sowie ein T-Shirt/Hoodie mit der Friedenstaube.
• Ab 1000 CHF werden Sie Genossenschafter der Friedenstaube mit Stimmrecht (und bekommen lebenslanges Abo, T-Shirt/Hoodie).

Für Einzahlungen in CHF (Betreff: Friedenstaube):

Für Einzahlungen in Euro:

Milosz Matuschek

IBAN DE 53710520500000814137

BYLADEM1TST

Sparkasse Traunstein-Trostberg

Betreff: Friedenstaube

Wenn Sie auf anderem Wege beitragen wollen, schreiben Sie die Friedenstaube an: friedenstaube@pareto.space

---

Sie sind noch nicht auf Nostr and wollen die volle Erfahrung machen (liken, kommentieren etc.)? Zappen können Sie den Autor auch ohne Nostr-Profil! Erstellen Sie sich einen Account auf Start. Weitere Onboarding-Leitfäden gibt es im Pareto-Wiki.

@ fbf0e434:e1be6a39

Hackathon 概要

JAMHacks 9 于 2025 年 5 月 16 日至 18 日在滑铁卢大学举办。作为 JAMHacks 系列的第九届黑客松，该活动汇聚了 170 名高中黑客爱好者，最终评审通过 49 个项目，充分彰显了年轻开发者的技术实力。此次黑客松旨在为高中生打造培育成长的平台，搭配工作坊与互动活动，助力提升技术能力并拓展社交网络。

参与者带来了丰富的项目成果：基于 Pico-8 的创意开发、运用 MongoDB Atlas 的创新应用，以及展示新兴技术应用的生成式 AI 模型项目。活动设置多个奖项类别，包括最佳新手项目、最佳开发者工具、生成式 AI 最佳应用等。奖品涵盖智能手表、无人机、QuillBot 连帽衫，以及其他黑客松的参赛资格。

除技术成果外，JAMHacks 9 同样注重营造趣味互动体验，特别举办扑克之夜、社交派对等活动。此次黑客松成功为年轻开发者搭建了技能提升、创意孵化与专业联结的平台，切实践行其推动科技行业包容性与可及性的愿景。

Hackathon 获奖者

总奖项获奖者

• Mr. Goose：一个有趣的VS Code扩展，为初学者提供提示和鼓励，促进学习而不直接解决问题。
• Guideline：一个基于AR的工具，通过增强现实引导初学电子爱好者进行面包板组装。
• ARmatica：将2D硬件示意图转换为3D AR模型，通过改进可视化增强工程和原型设计过程。

初学者赛道奖项获奖者

• Duedle：一个任务管理应用，利用AI将大型任务分解为可管理的小任务，并提供进度跟踪以提高生产力。

单人赛道奖项获奖者

• Lofied：一个Python应用程序，将Spotify播放列表变为lo-fi版本，具有音乐分离和乐谱生成功能。

女性赛道奖项获奖者

• Doomlings：结合游戏化和教育任务，通过战斗游戏界面提高学生的学习和参与。

Warp 赛道奖项获奖者

• Mr. Goose

Hack Canada 赛道奖项获奖者

• Dionysus：一个用于组织协作活动和参与的平台，提供实时活动管理的统一界面。

MLH 赛道奖项获奖者

• Karma：一个记录和分享积极行动的社交平台，促进自我提升和环境保护，以鼓励社区参与。
• helpidontknowhowtonetworkin.tech：一个使用面部识别和LinkedIn数据的AI驱动网络助手，帮助在活动中建立专业联系。
• SnapCAD：从图像或图纸生成可定制的3D模型，简化工程项目的集成。

PEX Labs 奖项获奖者

• Arctic Explorer：一个Pico-8开放世界游戏，通过探索北极环境促进可持续实践，可以扩展附加小游戏和地图。

查看所有项目 JAMHacks 9。

关于组织者

JAMHacks

JAMHacks 在科技和区块链领域因促进技术爱好者之间的创新与合作而备受认可。该组织擅长举办Hackathon，为开发现实世界挑战的实际解决方案提供了一个平台。JAMHacks 聚焦于技术赋权，已组织多场活动，吸引了来自不同背景的参与者。他们的倡议强调技术技能发展和网络拓展，充分体现了他们致力于推进技术教育和培养一个包容的社区，为有抱负的技术人员和开发者服务。

@ 58537364:705b4b85

คนเรามักจะเห็นคุณค่าของสิ่งใด ส่วนใหญ่ก็ใน ๒ สถานการณ์คือ หนึ่ง ตอนที่ยังไม่ได้มา หรือ สอง ตอนที่เสียไปแล้ว

อันนี้มันเป็นโศกนาฏกรรม ที่เกิดขึ้นกับผู้คนจำนวนมาก การที่คนเรามีสิ่งดีๆ แต่ว่าเราไม่เห็นคุณค่า เพราะว่าเรามองออกไปนอกตัว ไปเห็นแต่สิ่งที่ตัวเองไม่มี อยากจะได้มา

คล้ายๆ กับเรื่อง หมาคาบเนื้อในนิทานอีสป ตอนเด็กๆ เราคงจำได้ มีหมาตัวหนึ่งคาบเนื้อมา เนื้อชิ้นใหญ่เลย มันดีใจมากแล้วมันก็วิ่งไปยังที่ที่ มันจะได้กินเนื้ออย่างมีความสุข มีช่วงหนึ่งก็ต้องเดินข้ามสะพาน มันก็ชะโงกหน้าไปมองที่ลำธารหรือลำคลอง

ก็เห็นเงาตัวเอง เงานั่นมันก็ใหญ่ แล้วมันก็พบว่าในเงานั้น เนื้อในเงามันใหญ่กว่าเนื้อที่ตัวเองคาบ มันอยากได้เนื้อก้อนนั้นมากเลย เพราะว่ามันเป็นก้อนที่ใหญ่กว่า

มันก็เลยอ้าปาก เพื่อที่จะไปงับเนื้อในเงานั้น พอมันอ้าปาก ก็ปรากฏว่าเนื้อในปาก ก็หลุดตกลงแม่น้ำ แล้วเนื้อในเงานั้นก็หายไป เป็นอันว่าหมดเลย อดทั้ง 2 อย่าง .

ฉะนั้น คนเราถ้าหากเรา กลับมาเห็นคุณค่าของสิ่งที่เรามีอยู่ เราจะมีความสุขได้ง่าย อาจจะไม่ใช่สิ่งของ อาจจะไม่ใช่ผู้คน แต่อาจจะเป็นสุขภาพของเรา

อาจจะได้แก่ ลมหายใจของเรา ที่ยังหายใจได้ปกติ รวมถึงการที่ เรายังเดินเหินไปไหนมาไหนได้ การที่เรายังมองเห็น การที่เรายังได้ยิน

หลายคนมีสิ่งนี้อยู่ในตัว แต่กลับไม่เห็นค่า และไม่รู้สึกว่าตัวเองโชคดี กลับไปมองว่า ฉันยังไม่มีโน่นยังไม่มีนี่ ไม่มีบ้าน ไม่มีรถ ไม่มีเงิน

รู้สึกว่าทุกข์ระทมเหลือเกิน

ทำไมฉันจึงลำบากแบบนี้ ทั้งที่ตัวเองก็มีสิ่งดีๆ ในตัว สุขภาพ ความปกติสุข อิสรภาพที่เดินไปไหนมาไหนได้

แต่กลับไม่เห็นค่า เพราะว่ามัวแต่ไปสนใจสิ่งที่ตัวเองยังไม่มี

ซึ่งเป็นอนาคต

ถ้าเราหันกลับมาเห็นคุณค่าของสิ่งที่เรามีอยู่ แล้วก็ไม่ไปพะวงหรือให้ความสนใจกับสิ่งที่ยังไม่มี เราจะมีความสุขได้ง่าย อันนี้คือ ความหมายหนึ่งของการทำปัจจุบันให้ดีที่สุด

…

การทำปัจจุบันให้ดีที่สุด พระอาจารย์ไพศาล วิสาโล

@ 2a7cc007:ce0cc497

A era digital transformou completamente a forma como as pessoas se divertem, e a plataforma 5542 é um exemplo claro dessa evolução. Com uma proposta inovadora, acessível e repleta de possibilidades, a 5542 vem conquistando milhares de usuários brasileiros que buscam entretenimento seguro, moderno e de alta qualidade.

Desde o primeiro acesso, a 5542 impressiona pela interface intuitiva e pelo seu desempenho fluido tanto em computadores quanto em dispositivos móveis. Isso garante uma experiência agradável para todos os perfis de usuários, desde os mais experientes até os iniciantes no mundo dos jogos online.

Variedade que Encanta Um dos grandes destaques da 5542 é sua ampla gama de opções de jogos. A plataforma oferece títulos que agradam a diferentes gostos e estilos, desde clássicos consagrados até novidades empolgantes. Todos os jogos são desenvolvidos por fornecedores reconhecidos internacionalmente, garantindo gráficos de alta qualidade, trilhas sonoras envolventes e mecânicas de jogo equilibradas.

Jogos de cartas, roletas, slots e modalidades ao vivo com interação em tempo real são apenas alguns dos destaques que fazem parte do portfólio da 5542. Essa diversidade é um dos motivos pelos quais a plataforma se mantém em constante crescimento e atrai cada vez mais usuários em todo o Brasil.

Segurança e Confiabilidade A segurança é um fator primordial na escolha de uma plataforma de entretenimento online, e a 5542 leva isso muito a sério. O site utiliza tecnologia de criptografia de ponta para proteger os dados pessoais e financeiros dos usuários, além de contar com um sistema rigoroso de verificação de identidade, garantindo um ambiente confiável e livre de fraudes.

Além disso, a 5542 é comprometida com o jogo responsável, oferecendo ferramentas para que os usuários possam definir limites de tempo e de gastos. Essa abordagem mostra o compromisso da plataforma com o bem-estar dos seus participantes.

Promoções e Bônus Atrativos Outro diferencial da 5542 são suas promoções constantes e bônus generosos. Desde o momento do cadastro, os usuários já são recebidos com vantagens especiais, como bônus de boas-vindas e giros grátis em jogos selecionados. A plataforma também realiza campanhas temáticas e sorteios com prêmios reais, tornando a experiência ainda mais envolvente e recompensadora.

Essas promoções são atualizadas com frequência e muitas vezes incluem eventos sazonais, o que incentiva os jogadores a retornarem sempre e aproveitarem novas oportunidades.

Suporte de Qualidade e Atendimento em Português Um ponto que merece destaque é o suporte ao cliente da 5542. Disponível em português e com atendimento 24 horas por dia, a equipe está sempre pronta para ajudar os usuários com dúvidas, problemas técnicos ou qualquer necessidade. Esse suporte eficiente e humanizado faz toda a diferença, especialmente para quem está começando.

Conclusão A plataforma 5542 se estabelece como uma das líderes no mercado de entretenimento digital no Brasil. Sua combinação de tecnologia de ponta, variedade de jogos, promoções generosas e compromisso com a segurança oferece uma experiência completa para quem busca diversão online com praticidade e confiabilidade.

Se você está em busca de uma plataforma moderna, segura e cheia de opções envolventes, a 5542 é a escolha certa. Explore, jogue e aproveite uma nova forma de se divertir, tudo isso sem sair de casa.

@ 2a7cc007:ce0cc497

Nos últimos anos, o entretenimento online cresceu exponencialmente no Brasil, e plataformas como a 755bet vêm se destacando por oferecer uma experiência completa, segura e repleta de diversão. Com um catálogo variado de jogos, bônus atrativos e suporte eficiente, a 755bet vem conquistando a preferência de jogadores iniciantes e experientes em todo o país.

Interface Moderna e Navegação Intuitiva Uma das grandes vantagens da 755bet é sua interface moderna e amigável. Desde o primeiro acesso, é fácil perceber o cuidado com o design da plataforma. Os menus são bem organizados, facilitando a navegação mesmo para quem não tem muita familiaridade com esse tipo de ambiente. Tudo está a poucos cliques de distância: jogos ao vivo, apostas esportivas, promoções e muito mais.

Variedade de Jogos para Todos os Gostos A diversidade de jogos é um dos pontos fortes da 755bet. Os usuários encontram uma enorme gama de opções que vão desde jogos de cartas clássicos até modalidades mais modernas e dinâmicas, com gráficos de alta qualidade e mecânicas envolventes. A plataforma trabalha com desenvolvedores renomados do setor, garantindo sempre a melhor experiência visual e sonora.

Além disso, há também uma seção dedicada às apostas esportivas, onde os usuários podem apostar em eventos nacionais e internacionais, incluindo futebol, basquete, tênis, e-sports e muito mais. Essa variedade agrada tanto os fãs de esportes quanto aqueles que procuram uma alternativa de diversão com um toque estratégico.

Bônus e Promoções Exclusivas Outro grande atrativo da 755bet são os bônus oferecidos para novos e antigos usuários. Logo ao se cadastrar, o jogador já pode aproveitar ofertas de boas-vindas bastante competitivas. Mas o diferencial está nas promoções constantes para quem já é cliente, incluindo bônus de recarga, cashback, giros grátis e desafios especiais que tornam a experiência ainda mais empolgante.

Esses incentivos são uma forma eficaz de manter os usuários engajados e motivados, oferecendo mais oportunidades de explorar os jogos e, quem sabe, conseguir boas recompensas.

Segurança e Suporte ao Usuário A 755bet preza muito pela segurança de seus usuários. A plataforma utiliza criptografia de dados e outros protocolos de proteção para garantir que todas as informações estejam sempre seguras. Além disso, os métodos de pagamento são variados e confiáveis, incluindo opções populares no Brasil como Pix, boleto bancário, transferência e carteiras digitais.

Outro ponto que merece destaque é o suporte ao cliente. A equipe de atendimento está disponível 24 horas por dia, sete dias por semana, por meio de chat ao vivo e e-mail. O suporte é eficiente, cordial e preparado para resolver qualquer dúvida ou dificuldade rapidamente.

Acesso Fácil em Qualquer Dispositivo Com o avanço da tecnologia móvel, é essencial que uma plataforma esteja otimizada para smartphones e tablets. A 755bet entende isso e oferece uma experiência fluida tanto na versão desktop quanto no mobile. Seja no Android ou iOS, os usuários podem acessar a plataforma de qualquer lugar, a qualquer hora, com a mesma qualidade.

@ 90152b7f:04e57401

Wikileaks - S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001733 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2017 TAGS: PREL, PTER, MOPS, KWBG, LE, SY, IS SUBJECT: MILITARY INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR YADLIN COMMENTS ON GAZA, SYRIA AND LEBANON Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones, Reason 1.4 (b) (d)

2007 June 13

1. (S) Summary. During a June 12 meeting with the Ambassador, IDI Director MG Amos Yadlin said that Gaza was "number four" on his list of threats, preceded by Iran, Syria, and Hizballah in that order. Yadlin said the IDI has been predicting armed confrontation in Gaza between Hamas and Fatah since Hamas won the January 2006 legislative council elections. Yadlin felt that the Hamas military wing had initiated the current escalation with the tacit consent of external Hamas leader Khalid Mishal, adding that he did not believe there had been a premeditated political-level decision by Hamas to wipe out Fatah in Gaza. Yadlin dismissed Fatah's capabilities in Gaza, saying Hamas could have taken over there any time it wanted for the past year, but he agreed that Fatah remained strong in the West Bank. Although not necessarily reflecting a GOI consensus view, Yadlin said Israel would be "happy" if Hamas took over Gaza because the IDF could then deal with Gaza as a hostile state. He dismissed the significance of an Iranian role in a Hamas-controlled Gaza "as long as they don't have a port." Regarding predictions of war with Syria this summer, Yadlin recalled the lead-up to the 1967 war, which he said was provoked by the Soviet Ambassador in Israel. Both Israel and Syria are in a state of high alert, so war could happen easily even though neither side is seeking it. Yadlin suggested that the Asad regime would probably not survive a war, but added that Israel was no longer concerned with maintaining that "evil" regime. On Lebanon, Yadlin felt that the fighting in the Nahr Al-Barid camp was a positive development for Israel since it had "embarrassed" Hizballah, adding that IDI had information that the Fatah Al-Islam terrorist group was planning to attack UNIFIL before it blundered into its confrontation with the LAF. End Summary.

Gaza Fighting Not Israel's Main Problem

---------------------------------------

2. (S) The Ambassador, accompanied by Pol Couns and DATT, called on IDI Director Major General Amos Yadlin June 12. Noting reports of fierce fighting between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza that day, the Ambassador asked for Yadlin's assessment. Yadlin described Gaza as "not Israel's main problem," noting that it ranked fourth in his hierarchy of threats, behind Iran, Syria, and Hizballah. Yadlin described Gaza as "hopeless for now," commenting that the Palestinians had to realize that Hamas offered no solution. IDI analysts, he said, had predicted a confrontation in Gaza since Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative Council elections in January 2006. Yadlin commented that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh had become personally close despite their ideological differences, but neither leader had control over those forces under them.

3. (S) Yadlin explained that both Fatah and Hamas contained many factions. The Hamas military wing had been frustrated since the signing of the Mecca Agreement in January, but there were also many armed groups in Gaza that were not under the control of either party. Yadlin cited the example of the Dughmush clan, which had shifted from Fatah to the Popular Resistance Committees to Hamas before becoming an armed entity opposed to all of them. After May 15, the Hamas military wing had sought to export the fighting to Sderot by launching waves of Qassam rockets. One week later, as a result of IDF retaliation, they realized the price was too high and reduced the Qassam attacks.

4. (S) In response to the Ambassador's question, Yadlin said he did not think that day's Hamas attacks on Fatah security forces were part of a premeditated effort to wipe out Fatah in Gaza. Instead, they probably represented an initiative of the military wing with the tacit consent of Khalid Mishal in Damascus. Mishal was still considering the costs and benefits of the fighting, but the situation had become so tense that any incident could lead to street fighting without any political decision.

Gaza and West Bank Separating

-----------------------------

5. (S) The Ambassador asked Yadlin for his assessment of reports that Fatah forces had been ordered not to fight back. Yadlin said Mohammed Dahlan had 500 men and the Presidential Guard had 1,500 more. They understand that the balance of power favors Hamas, which "can take over Gaza any time it wants to." Yadlin said he would be surprised if Fatah fights, and even more surprised if they win. As far as he was concerned, this had been the case for the past year. The situation was different in the West Bank, however, where Fatah remained relatively strong and had even started to

TEL AVIV 00001733 002 OF 002

kidnap Hamas activists. Yadlin agreed that Tawfiq Tirawi had a power base in the West Bank, but he added that Fatah was not cohesive.

6. (S) The Ambassador commented that if Fatah decided it has lost Gaza, there would be calls for Abbas to set up a separate regime in the West Bank. While not necessarily reflecting a consensus GOI view, Yadlin commented that such a development would please Israel since it would enable the IDF to treat Gaza as a hostile country rather than having to deal with Hamas as a non-state actor. He added that Israel could work with a Fatah regime in the West Bank. The Ambassador asked Yadlin if he worried about a Hamas-controlled Gaza giving Iran a new opening. Yadlin replied that Iran was already present in Gaza, but Israel could handle the situation "as long as Gaza does not have a port (sea or air)."

War with Syria "Could Happen Easily"

------------------------------------

7. (S) Noting Israeli press speculation, the Ambassador asked Yadlin if he expected war with Syria this summer. Recalling the 1967 war, Yadlin commented that it had started as a result of the Soviet Ambassador in Israel reporting on non-existing Israeli preparations to attack Syria. Something similar was happening again, he said, with the Russians telling the Syrians that Israel planned to attack them, possibly in concert with a U.S. attack on Iran. Yadlin stated that since last summer's war in Lebanon, Syria had engaged in a "frenzy of preparations" for a confrontation with Israel. The Syrian regime was also showing greater self-confidence. Some Syrian leaders appeared to believe that Syria could take on Israel military, but others were more cautious. The fact that both sides were on high alert meant that a war could happen easily, even though neither side is seeking one. In response to a question, Yadlin said he did not think the Asad regime would survive a war, but he added that preserving that "evil" regime should not be a matter of concern.

Fighting in Nahr al-Barid Positive for Israel

---------------------------------------------

8. (S) The Ambassador asked Yadlin for his views on the fighting in the Nahr al-Barid refugee camp in northern Lebanon. Although Yadlin was called to another meeting and did not have time to elaborate, he answered that the fighting was positive for Israel because it had embarrassed Hizballah, which had been unable to adopt a clear-cut position on the Lebanese Army's action, and because the Fatah al-Islam terrorist organization had been planning to attack UNIFIL and then Israel before it blundered into its current confrontation with the LAF. He also agreed that the confrontation was strengthening the LAF, in fact and in the eyes of the Lebanese people, which was also good.

9. (S) Comment: Yadlin's relatively relaxed attitude toward the deteriorating security situation in Gaza represents a shift in IDF thinking from last fall, when the Southern Command supported a major ground operation into Gaza to remove the growing threat from Hamas. While many media commentators continue to make that argument, Yadlin's view appears to be more in synch with that of Chief of General Staff Ashkenazi, who also believes that the more serious threat to Israel currently comes from the north.

********************************************* ******************** Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv

You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. ********************************************* ******************** JONES

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1

You’ve probably seen it before.

You open an agency’s website or a freelancer’s portfolio. At the very top of the homepage, it says:

We design for startups.

You wait 3 seconds. The last word fades out and a new one fades in:

We design for agencies.

Wait 3 more seconds:

We design for founders.

I call this design pattern The Wheel of Nothing: a rotating list of audience segments meant to impress through inclusion and draw attention through motion… for absolutely no reason.

Revered brand studio Pentagram recently launched a new website. To my surprise, the homepage features the Wheel of Nothing front and center, boldly claiming:

We design Everything for Everyone…before cycling through more specific combinations every few seconds.

Dan Mall, a husband, dad, teacher, creative director, designer, founder, and entrepreneur from Philly. I share as much as I can to create better opportunities for those who wouldn’t have them otherwise. Most recently, I ran design system consultancy SuperFriendly for over a decade.

Read more at Dans' website https://danmall.com/posts/the-wheel-of-nothing/

https://stacker.news/items/986392

@ c1e6505c:02b3157e

This is day two of testing the Leica Summaron 35mm f2.8 on the Fujifilm X-Pro2.

The first part of this story you can find here on StackerNews**

TL;DR: I think I’m really enjoying this lens.

I went into it thinking I’d probably just sell it since it was gifted to me - assumed I wouldn’t like it. But after just a couple of days with it mounted on the X-Pro2, I’ve been surprisingly drawn to it.

Shooting wide open at f2.8 (which is how I’m testing it - to best reveal the lens’s character), the soft roll-off is really pleasing. It feels organic. The lens is over 50 years old, so I expected some quirks-but the quality feels natural, not overly “vintage". Takes the digital edge off.

The short focus throw is also really nice. Compared to the Summicron 35mm f2 v3 I usually shoot on my M262 (which has a longer throw), the Summaron feels tighter and more responsive when zone focusing.

One gripe: the infinity lock. It’s kind of annoying. I find myself accidentally locking it too often, but I’m getting used to holding the button down as I rotate the ring. I’ve read others complain about it, so I know I’m not alone there.

Most of these shots were from a bike ride to the river - about 6 miles out to swim and enjoy the sun. Perfect day for making a few photos.

This kind of work is honestly just fun. I enjoy the process, and even more so once I’m happy with the results and can share them.

Still building confidence in my work over time. I think I’m slowly refining my style - even if the subject matter is simple. Easier said than done, as any editor/curator knows (and I say this as one through NOICE Magazine).

Let me know what you think. I’ll try to upload higher resolution versions this time around (but not too high).

*Also, I use a program called Dehancer for creating the grain in these photographs. I highly recommend the program actually, I've been using it for a long time. If you would like to try it out, I have a promo code. Use "Pictureroom" for 10% off I believe.

You can further support me and my work by sending sats to colincz\@getalby.com. Thank you.

(note* this is being publised from the updated Primal reads client)

@ 2b998b04:86727e47

I recently released my first open-source tool:\ 👉 nostr-signal-filter

It fetches and formats your latest top-level Nostr note or long-form article, cleans up any embedded links using TinyURL, and outputs a clean version ready for reposting to:

• LinkedIn

• Facebook

• X / Twitter

---

⚙️ Built for Simplicity

The stack is intentionally minimal:

• Python + WebSockets + Bech32

• TinyURL API for link shortening

• Dockerized CLI usage:

bash

CopyEdit

docker run --rm -e PUBKEY=npub1yourpubkeyhere nostr-fetcher > latest.md

From idea to working repo took under 3 hours — including debugging, Docker tweaks, README cleanup, and tagging a clean release.\ \ This most certainly would have taken much longer if I had done this all without ChatGPTs' help.\ \ 🖼️ Example Output (latest.md)

text

CopyEdit

🕒 2025-05-20 22:24:17 📄 Note (originally posted on Nostr/primal.net) --- 🚨 New long-form drop: AI Isn’t Magic. It’s Engineering. How I use ChatGPT like any other tool in the stack — with iteration, discernment, and real output. Read it here: https://tinyurl.com/ynv7jq6g ⚡ Zaps appreciated if it resonates. --- 🔗 View on Nostr: https://tinyurl.com/yobvaxkx

---

🧪 Where I Used It

• ✅ My LinkedIn post ->

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andrew-g-stanton_primal-activity-7330808691933282304-QjmF?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAABQv18BeAPYRkxkYSr1mQStB9TczIhoXvQ

• ✅ Facebook: clean rendering with preview ->

https://www.facebook.com/andrewgstanton/posts/pfbid027EHZ1brPRBkHQKNsqUijPdPZGvK9id9asErdTxwjSDEf336o9TsuDPeKugToVDx7l

• ✅ X/Twitter: teaser + link (had to truncate for character limit) ->

https://x.com/AndyGStanton/status/1925045477172773136

---

🙌 Try It Yourself

If you're publishing on Nostr but still sharing on legacy platforms:

👉 github.com/andrewgstanton/nostr-signal-filter

• Clean output

• Easy to run

• Portable via Docker

All it needs is your npub.

---

⚡ Zap Me If You Found This Useful

If this tool saved you time — or if it sparked ideas for your own Nostr publishing stack —\ send a zap my way. I’m always looking to connect with other creators who value signal > noise.

🔗 Zap on Primal -> https://primal.net/andrewgstanton

---

🔭 Next Features (I’d Love Help With)

• Archive all notes + articles (not just the latest 50) to archive.md

• Function to shorten links in any text block

• Output post.md for any given Nostr event ID (not just latest)

• Optional API integration to post directly to LinkedIn or X

---

Built with ChatGPT’s help.\ Iterated. Published. Cross-posted.\ That’s proof of work.

@ 90152b7f:04e57401

WikiLeaks The Global Intelligence Files

Released on 2013-03-11 00:00 GMT

| Email-ID | 364528 | | -------- | --------------------------- | | Date | 2007-09-20 03:02:09 | | From | os@stratfor.com | | To | intelligence@stratfor.com |

Rice, Israeli FM discuss Israeli decision of defining Gaza as "hostile\ entity"\ 2007-09-20 00:41:16\ http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/20/content_6756959.htm\ \ JERUSALEM, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Visiting U.S. Secretary of State\ Condoleezza Rice met with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on\ Wednesday, the two discussed Israel's decision that defined the Hamas-\ controlled Gaza Strip as a "hostile entity."\ \ At a joint press conference held after their meeting, Rice told the\ reporters that the Palestinian Hamas is a "hostile entity" to U.S. as well.\ \ Israel's Security Cabinet declared the Gaza Strip a "hostile entity" on\ Wednesday ahead of Rice's visit and said it would cutoff power and fuel\ supplies to the strip.\ \ Gaza's population, largely impoverished, is almost entirely\ dependent on Israel for the supply of electricity, water and fuel, and a\ cutoff would deepen their hardship.\ \ Since the Hamas takeover in June, Israel has closed crossings with\ Gaza almost entirely, allowing in only humanitarian aid. However, Rice\ reiterated that the United States will not abandon the innocent\ Palestinians in Gaza.\ \ For her part, Livni said that Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip\ two years ago, hoping that could lead to the establishment of a\ Palestinian state, but only get almost daily rocket attacks in return.\ \ "We expect the Palestinians to understand that Israeli security is\ in their own interests," Livni said, adding that Palestinians must\ understand "supporting Hamas won't help them."\ \ The Israeli Security Cabinet's declaration of Gaza as an "hostile\ entity" could lead to the most severe retaliatory measure taken by\ Israel against Palestinian rocket fire from the strip.\ \ The crude rocket attacks have killed 12 people in southern Israel in\ the past seven years, injured dozens more and badly disrupted daily life\ in the region.\ \ Last week, a Qassam rocket hit an Israeli military base near the\ Gaza Strip, wounding over 60 soldiers in the attack. The attack then\ sparked calls for the government to take harsh response against the Gaza\ Strip, which has been under the control of Hamas since it violently took\ over the enclave in mid June.\ \ The Jewish states has been holding Hamas responsible for the attack,\ although the movement has not been directly involved in the attacks.\ Israel still accused the Islamic movement of doing little to halt them.\ \ Apart from the Palestinian issue, Rice also discussed with Livni\ issues about Iran, Lebanon and the Middle East peace progress.\ \ She said Israel and the Palestinians are showing good faith in their\ negotiations towards a "two state solution."\ \ Regarding Iranian issues, Rice told reporters that diplomatic mean\ is a part of efforts to halt the Iranian nuclear program, but stressed\ it "has to have teeth."\ \ Rice, who had visited this region in August, is also expected to\ hold separate meetings on Wednesday with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud\ Barak and the Likud party head Binyamin Netanyahu.\ \ She will then hold a dinner meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud\ Olmert.\ \ Rice is scheduled to leave here Thursday afternoon and visit the\ West Bank city of Ramallah for meetings with the Palestinian leadership\ on Thursday.

@ 9c9d2765:16f8c2c2

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

“It’s over… isn’t it?” Sandra asked gently, her eyes scanning James’s expression as they stood on the balcony overlooking the city skyline. The cold breeze tousled her hair, but James remained still, his hands tucked into the pockets of his tailored suit.

“No,” James replied calmly, his gaze fixated on the horizon. “This is just the eye of the storm. The calm before the reckoning.”

Sandra stepped closer, concern etched into her features. “Mark and Helen are finished in the eyes of the public and everyone round us. The evidence is damning. The authorities have issued warrants. What more could you possibly be planning?”

James turned to face her, a half-smile playing at the edge of his lips one not born of triumph, but of determination.

“Reputation is one thing,” he said, his voice measured and resolute, “but accountability is another. I won’t stop until every lie they told, every trap they laid, and every person they corrupted is exposed. I won’t just silence them, I'll dismantle everything they built with deceit.”

Inside the boardroom, Charles, Rita, and several executives were reviewing the latest media analytics. The company’s reputation had not only recovered but skyrocketed. Investors who once hesitated were now eager, flooding JP Enterprises with new partnerships and proposals.

Rita looked up from the screen. “We’ve just surpassed our projected valuation for the quarter. The crisis gave us more publicity than a million-dollar campaign would.”

Charles chuckled under his breath. “They handed us a scandal, and we turned it into a spotlight.”

Meanwhile, in a dark corner of the city, Mark and Helen sat huddled in a private lawyer’s office. Their appearance had changed drastically; both looked worn, disheveled, stripped of the pride and arrogance they once were like a crown.

“I told you,” Mark muttered bitterly, “we shouldn’t have gone after him like that. We were greedy. And now look ruined.”

Helen clenched her fists. Her pride was still fighting, even though her kingdom had collapsed. “It’s not over. We still have connections. The law can be manipulated. If we go down, we don’t go alone.”

“And say what?” Mark snapped. “That we were outsmarted? That the man we called a street dog now owns eighty-five percent of our legacy? That he single handedly turned the world against us?”

Helen’s jaw tightened. “If there’s one thing I know about James, it’s that he never lets go of the past. And that might just be his weakness.”

But even as they plotted, they didn’t know James had already anticipated their final desperation. Back at JP Enterprises, in a high-security conference room, investigators were filing reports, financial audits, bribery trails, hacked communications all linked directly to the duo. James had ensured that every illegal move they made was documented, cross-referenced, and legally binding.

Later that evening, James stood alone in his office, the city bathed in golden twilight. He took a slow breath and whispered to himself:

“They mistook my silence for surrender. My fall for failure. But every exile sharpens a man’s edge. And now they’ll witness the blade.”

Just then, a knock came at the door.

“Come in,” he said.

It was Mrs. JP, her expression soft but proud.

“You handled yourself like a true heir,” she said, walking toward him.

James turned, emotion flickering in his eyes.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.

She reached out, holding his hand. “Your father and I… we made mistakes. We let our fear and our pride cloud your judgment. But seeing you today, the man you’ve become, I see now that everything we hoped for in a successor lives in you.”

He smiled faintly. “I didn’t do it for recognition. I did it for dignity. For every time I was humiliated, overlooked, and discarded. I wanted to prove that worth isn’t given, it's earned.”

As they stood in silence, the city lights below gleamed like stars scattered on the earth.

The evening had settled quietly over the city, and the soft hum of the wind outside was the only sound that broke the stillness of the room. James stood at the window of his office, watching the neon lights flicker to life across the skyline, each glow a reminder of his success. His gaze, however, wasn’t on the bright lights of victory, but on the darker shadows of those who had tried to ruin him.

He turned around as the door clicked open, revealing Rita, who walked in with a folder in her hands. There was something different in her posturean air of finality in the way she carried herself.

"I’ve been reviewing the report from the legal team," she began, laying the folder on his desk. "The evidence against Mark and Helen is irrefutable. Their assets are frozen, and their personal accounts are being audited. They’re on the brink of losing everything."

James nodded, his face unreadable, but inside, the weight of the moment settled over him. This was the culmination of years of effort, the battle for his honor, his family's name, and the very future of JP Enterprises. But the victory, as sweet as it was, felt hollow.

"Is that all?" he asked, his voice low.

Rita hesitated for a moment. "There’s something else. Something you need to see."

She opened the folder, revealing a series of photographs and documents of Mark and Helen in compromising positions, shaking hands with notorious figures, and receiving bribes from external business associates. The weight of their corruption was staggering. The photos captured the desperation in their eyes, the deceit in their every smile.

James glanced at the images, but there was no anger in his expression. Only an eerie calm.

"I don’t need to see this," he said quietly. "I already know everything."

Rita frowned, confused. "Then why keep going? Why dig into their past when you already have what you need?"

James leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Because it's not about them anymore." He paused, allowing the gravity of his words to settle. "It’s about ensuring that no one else dares to make the same mistakes they did. No one else will ever underestimate me again."

Rita studied him carefully. There was a resolute determination in his eyes a fierce will that had carried him from the streets to the heights of power. She couldn’t help but admire his unwavering focus.

"You’ve become something entirely different," she murmured. "The man we see now... is nothing like the one who started this journey."

James met her gaze, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

@ 909e3fdc:73f2b10a

Pizza Day’s not really about pizza. It’s about Laszlo exhibiting Bitcoin as a P2P payment mechanism. That’s worth a cheers. In 15 years, Bitcoin went from a nerdy experiment to challenging the fiat system. That’s massive! It’s changed how I see the world. Patient hodling and carnivore-focus, practices that I picked up from the bitcoin community, shifted me from kinda nihilistic to stupidly optimistic. So, definitely celebrate Pizza Day. Or maybe barbecue steaks instead. Commiserate on the frivolous purchases that you made with bitcoin in the day. I think of these sometimes. Honour Laszlo’s pioneer vibe and Bitcoin’s insane rise, but keep your eyes on what’s coming. The future’s gonna be wilder than we think.

@ 502ab02a:a2860397

ถ้าพูดถึง "เกาหลีใต้" หลายคนอาจนึกถึงซีรีส์ น้ำจิ้มเผ็ด หรือไอดอลหน้าผ่อง ๆ แต่เบื้องหลังวัฒนธรรมที่ลื่นไหลไปทั่วโลกนี้ ยังมีอาณาจักรธุรกิจขนาดมหึมาที่เป็นเหมือนเครื่องยนต์หลักผลักดันทั้งอาหาร เพลง หนัง และนวัตกรรมระดับโลก หนึ่งในนั้นคือ CJ Group ที่เริ่มต้นจากบริษัทน้ำตาลเล็ก ๆ ในปี 1953 แต่เติบโตจนกลายเป็นหนึ่งใน conglomerate หรือ "กลุ่มธุรกิจผูกเครือ" ที่ทรงอิทธิพลที่สุดของแดนโสม

คำว่า CJ ย่อมาจาก CheilJedang (แปลว่า “หมายเลขหนึ่งแห่งโลก” ในภาษาจีน-เกาหลี) ก่อตั้งโดย อี บยองชอล ผู้ก่อตั้ง Samsung Group ในช่วงเวลานั้น เกาหลีใต้กำลังฟื้นตัวจากสงครามเกาหลี และรัฐบาลส่งเสริมการพัฒนาอุตสาหกรรมภายในประเทศ เดิมเป็นหน่วยธุรกิจอาหารของกลุ่ม Samsung ในปี 1993 Cheil Jedang แยกตัวออกจาก Samsung Group และกลายเป็นบริษัทอิสระภายใต้การบริหารของ อี แจฮยอน หลานชายของอี บยองชอล แล้วขยายขอบเขตธุรกิจอย่างไม่หยุดยั้ง จากความเชี่ยวชาญใน "การหมัก" แบบดั้งเดิม พวกเขากลับกลายเป็นผู้เล่นรายใหญ่ระดับโลกในวงการ เทคโนโลยีชีวภาพ การผลิตอาหารไปจนถึงธุรกิจ บันเทิงระดับฮอลลีวูด และ โลจิสติกส์ข้ามทวีป

พูดง่าย ๆ ว่า CJ ไม่ได้แค่ส่งออกกิมจิหรือบิบิมบับ แต่พวกเขากำลังวางรากฐานของ "อนาคตแห่งอาหาร" และ "ความบันเทิงแบบไร้พรมแดน" ในเวลาเดียวกัน จนใครหลายคนถึงกับบอกว่า ถ้าอยากเข้าใจเกาหลีใต้ ก็ต้องเริ่มจากเข้าใจ CJ Group เสียก่อน

แล้วในเครือข่ายของ CJ Group มีธุรกิจอะไรบ้างที่น่าสนใจ และแบรนด์ไหนที่เราคุ้นเคยแบบไม่รู้ตัว ไปดูกันเลย

1. ธุรกิจอาหารและบริการอาหาร (Food & Food Services)
2. CJ CheilJedang บริษัทอาหารชั้นนำของเกาหลีใต้ มีผลิตภัณฑ์เด่น ได้แก่ Bibigo แบรนด์อาหารเกาหลีพร้อมรับประทาน เช่น เกี๊ยว ซอส และกิมจิ Hetbahn ข้าวสวยพร้อมรับประทานที่ได้รับความนิยมในเกาหลี

3. CJ Foodville ดำเนินธุรกิจร้านอาหารและเบเกอรี่ เช่น: Tous Les Jours ร้านเบเกอรี่สไตล์ฝรั่งเศส VIPS ร้านสเต็กและสลัดบุฟเฟ่ต์

4. ธุรกิจเทคโนโลยีชีวภาพ (Bio) ความเชี่ยวชาญนี้เป็นรากฐานสำคัญในการขยายธุรกิจด้านเทคโนโลยีชีวภาพของ CJ เลยครับ

5. CJ BIO ผู้นำด้านการผลิตกรดอะมิโนและผลิตภัณฑ์ชีวภาพผ่านเทคโนโลยีการหมักจุลินทรีย์ เช่น Lysine, Tryptophan, Valine กรดอะมิโนที่ใช้ในอุตสาหกรรมอาหารสัตว์และอาหารเสริม

6. CJ Bioscience มุ่งเน้นการวิจัยและพัฒนาไมโครไบโอมเพื่อสุขภาพ

7. ธุรกิจโลจิสติกส์และค้าปลีก (Logistics & Retail)

8. CJ Logistics ให้บริการโลจิสติกส์ครบวงจร ทั้งการขนส่งทางบก ทางทะเล และทางอากาศ รวมถึงบริการคลังสินค้าและการจัดการซัพพลายเชน

9. CJ Olive Young: ร้านค้าปลีกด้านสุขภาพและความงามอันดับหนึ่งของเกาหลี มีผลิตภัณฑ์ยอดนิยม เช่น Anua PDRN Set ชุดบำรุงผิวที่ได้รับความนิยม MILKTOUCH ผลิตภัณฑ์เมคอัพที่ได้รับความนิยม

10. ธุรกิจบันเทิงและสื่อ (Entertainment & Media) อันนี้ยิ่งใหญ่ระดับโลกมากๆ หลายคนคงจำได้กับ ภาพยนตร์เอเชียแรกกับรางวัลออสการ์ Parasite

11. CJ ENM บริษัทผลิตและจัดจำหน่ายเนื้อหาบันเทิงที่มีชื่อเสียงระดับโลก มีผลงานเด่น ได้แก่ Crash Landing on You ซีรีส์ที่ได้รับความนิยมอย่างสูง Parasite ภาพยนตร์ที่ได้รับรางวัลออสการ์
12. CJ CGV เครือโรงภาพยนตร์มัลติเพล็กซ์ที่มีสาขาทั่วโลก

CJ Group ขยายธุรกิจไปยังต่างประเทศ เช่น การเข้าซื้อกิจการ Schwan's Company ในสหรัฐอเมริกา และการเปิดสาขา CGV ในหลายประเทศ นอกจากนี้ CJ ยังมีบทบาทสำคัญในการเผยแพร่วัฒนธรรมเกาหลีสู่ระดับโลกผ่าน KCON และการผลิตเนื้อหาบันเทิงที่ได้รับความนิยมในต่างประเทศด้วยครับ

จะเห็นได้ว่า เครือข่ายของ CJ นั้นยิ่งใหญ่มากๆเลย ทีนี้มีเรื่องน่าสนใจตรงนี้ครับ

ในช่วงปี 2013–2016 CJ Group โดยเฉพาะฝ่ายสื่อบันเทิงอย่าง CJ ENM ต้องเผชิญกับแรงกดดันจากรัฐบาลของประธานาธิบดี พัค กึนฮเย เหตุการณ์สำคัญคือการที่ อี มีคยอง (Miky Lee) รองประธาน CJ และผู้มีบทบาทสำคัญในการขับเคลื่อนธุรกิจบันเทิงระดับโลก ถูกกดดันให้ลาออกจากตำแหน่ง รายงานระบุว่า ทำเนียบประธานาธิบดีไม่พอใจเนื้อหาสื่อบางรายการของ CJ ที่มีลักษณะเสียดสีหรือวิพากษ์วิจารณ์รัฐบาล เช่น รายการ SNL Korea ที่ล้อเลียนพัค กึนฮเย ผ่านตัวละคร Teletubbies

ภายใต้แรงกดดันนี้ CJ มีการปรับเปลี่ยนเนื้อหาสื่อ โดยลดการนำเสนอเนื้อหาที่อาจขัดแย้งกับรัฐบาล และหันไปผลิตภาพยนตร์ที่สอดคล้องกับนโยบายของรัฐ เช่น ภาพยนตร์เรื่อง Ode to My Father (2014) ที่สะท้อนความรักชาติและการพัฒนาเศรษฐกิจในยุคของพัค ชุงฮี บิดาของพัค กึนฮเย ภาพยนตร์เรื่องนี้ได้รับการสนับสนุนจากรัฐบาลและถูกมองว่าเป็น "ภาพยนตร์เพื่อสุขภาพ" ที่ส่งเสริมความภาคภูมิใจในชาติ แน่นอนว่าแค้นฝังหุ่นมันยังไม่หายไปไหนครับ

เมื่อเกิดการเปิดโปง "บัญชีดำ" (Blacklist) ของรัฐบาลพัค กึนฮเย ที่มีการจำกัดสิทธิเสรีภาพของศิลปินและผู้ผลิตสื่อที่วิพากษ์วิจารณ์รัฐบาล ทำให้เกิดกระแสต่อต้านอย่างรุนแรงในสังคมเกาหลี. ในปี 2016 ซน กยองชิก ประธาน CJ ได้ให้การต่อศาลว่า มีแรงกดดันจากรัฐบาลให้ อี มีคยอง หลีกเลี่ยงการมีบทบาทในบริษัท เหตุการณ์นี้เป็นส่วนหนึ่งของการเปิดโปงคดีทุจริตของพัค กึนฮเย ซึ่งนำไปสู่การประท้วงครั้งใหญ่และการถอดถอนประธานาธิบดีในปี 2017

หลังจากการเปลี่ยนแปลงทางการเมือง CJ Group ได้กลับมามีบทบาทอย่างเต็มที่ในวงการบันเทิงอีกครั้ง อี มีคยอง กลับมาดำรงตำแหน่งและมีบทบาทสำคัญในการผลักดันภาพยนตร์เรื่อง Parasite (2019) ซึ่งได้รับรางวัลออสการ์และยกระดับภาพลักษณ์ของ CJ ในระดับโลก ซึ่งถ้าใครได้ดูหนังเรื่องนั้นแล้วรู้เรื่องราวเบื้องหลังนี้จะเข้าใจเนื้อหาได้อย่างลึกซึ้งขึ้นไปอีกเลยครับ การนำเสนอเรื่องราวนี้ถือเป็นการวิพากษ์วิจารณ์สังคมและระบบทุนนิยมอย่างชัดเจน ซึ่งแตกต่างจากแนวทางที่ CJ เคยถูกกดดันให้ปฏิบัติตามในยุคของพัค กึนฮเย อย่างสิ้นเชิง

อย่าเพิ่งไปสะใจกับเนื้อหา ให้มองว่า "เขาทำอะไรได้บ้าง" นี่คือประเด็นสำคัญครับ #pirateketo #กูต้องรู้มั๊ย #ม้วนหางสิลูก #siamstr

@ 0d1df3b1:7aa4699c

YO

@ cd17b2d6:8cc53332

Looking to simulate a USDT deposit that appears instantly in a wallet — with no blockchain confirmation, no real spend, and no trace?

You’re in the right place.

🔗 Buy Flash USDT Now This product sends Flash USDT directly to your TRC20, ERC20, or BEP20 wallet address — appears like a real deposit, but disappears after a set time or block depth.

✅ Perfect for: Simulating token inflows Wallet stress testing “Proof of funds” display Flash USDT is ideal for developers, trainers, UI testers, and blockchain researchers — and it’s fully customizable.

🧠 What Is Flash USDT? Flash USDT is a synthetic transaction that mimics a real Tether transfer. It shows up instantly in a wallet balance, and it’s confirmed on-chain — and expires after a set duration.

This makes it:

Visible on wallet interfaces Time-limited (auto-disappears cleanly) Undetectable on block explorers after expiry It’s the smartest, safest way to simulate high-value transactions without real crypto.

🛠️ Flash USDT Software – Your Own USDT Flasher at Your Fingertips Want to control the flash? Run your own operations? Flash unlimited wallets?

🔗 Buy Flash USDT Software

This is your all-in-one USDT flasher tool, built for TRC20, ERC20, and BEP20 chains. It gives you full control to:

Send custom USDT amounts Set custom expiry time (e.g., 30–360 days) Flash multiple wallets Choose between networks (Tron, ETH, BSC) You can simulate any amount, to any supported wallet, from your own system.

No third-party access. No blockchain fee. No trace left behind.

💥 Why Our Flash USDT & Software Stands Out Feature Flash USDT Flash USDT Software One-time flash send ✅ Yes Optional Full sender control ❌ No ✅ Yes TRC20 / ERC20 / BEP20 ✅ Yes ✅ Yes Custom duration/expiry Limited ✅ Yes Unlimited usage ❌ One-off ✅ Yes Whether you’re flashing for wallet testing, demoing investor dashboards, or simulating balance flows, our tools deliver realism without risk.

🛒 Ready to Buy Flash USDT or the Software? Skip the wait. Skip the scammers. You’re one click away from real control.

👉 Buy Flash USDT 👉 Buy Flash USDT Software

📞 Support or live walkthrough?

💬 Telegram: @cryptoflashingtool 📱 WhatsApp: +1 770-666-2531

🚫 Legal Notice These tools are intended for:

Educational purposes Demo environments Wallet and UI testing They are not for illegal use or financial deception. Any misuse is your full responsibility.

Final Call: Need to flash USDT? Want full control? Don’t wait for another “maybe” tool.

Get your Flash USDT or Flashing Software today and simulate like a pro.

🔗 Buy Now → Flash USDT 🔗 Buy Now → Flash USDT Software 💬 Telegram: @cryptoflashingtool 📱 WhatsApp: +1 770-666-2531Looking to simulate a USDT deposit that appears instantly in a wallet — with no blockchain confirmation, no real spend, and no trace?

You’re in the right place.

 Buy Flash USDT Now\ This product sends Flash USDT directly to your TRC20, ERC20, or BEP20 wallet address — appears like a real deposit, but disappears after a set time or block depth.

Perfect for:

• Simulating token inflows
• Wallet stress testing
• “Proof of funds” display

Flash USDT is ideal for developers, trainers, UI testers, and blockchain researchers — and it’s fully customizable.

---

What Is Flash USDT?

Flash USDT is a synthetic transaction that mimics a real Tether transfer. It shows up instantly in a wallet balance, and it’s confirmed on-chain — and expires after a set duration.

This makes it:

• Visible on wallet interfaces
• Time-limited (auto-disappears cleanly)
• Undetectable on block explorers after expiry

It’s the smartest, safest way to simulate high-value transactions without real crypto.

---

Flash USDT Software – Your Own USDT Flasher at Your Fingertips

Want to control the flash?\ Run your own operations?\ Flash unlimited wallets?

 Buy Flash USDT Software

This is your all-in-one USDT flasher tool, built for TRC20, ERC20, and BEP20 chains. It gives you full control to:

• Send custom USDT amounts
• Set custom expiry time (e.g., 30–360 days)
• Flash multiple wallets
• Choose between networks (Tron, ETH, BSC)

You can simulate any amount, to any supported wallet, from your own system.

No third-party access.\ No blockchain fee.\ No trace left behind.

---

Why Our Flash USDT & Software Stands Out

Feature	Flash USDT	Flash USDT Software
One-time flash send	Yes	Optional
Full sender control	No	Yes
TRC20 / ERC20 / BEP20	Yes	Yes
Custom duration/expiry	Limited	Yes
Unlimited usage	One-off	Yes

Whether you’re flashing for wallet testing, demoing investor dashboards, or simulating balance flows, our tools deliver realism without risk.

---

Ready to Buy Flash USDT or the Software?

Skip the wait. Skip the scammers.\ You’re one click away from real control.

 Buy Flash USDT

 Buy Flash USDT Software

 Support or live walkthrough?

 Telegram: @cryptoflashingtool

 WhatsApp: +1 770-666-2531

---

Legal Notice

These tools are intended for:

• Educational purposes
• Demo environments
• Wallet and UI testing

They are not for illegal use or financial deception. Any misuse is your full responsibility.

---

Final Call:

Need to flash USDT? Want full control?\ Don’t wait for another “maybe” tool.

Get your Flash USDT or Flashing Software today and simulate like a pro.

 Buy Now → Flash USDT

 Buy Now → Flash USDT Software

 Telegram: @cryptoflashingtool

 WhatsApp: +1 770-666-2531

@ bc6ccd13:f53098e4

The global population has been rising rapidly for the past two centuries when compared to historical trends. Fifty years ago, that trend seemed set to continue, and there was a lot of concern around the issue of overpopulation. But if you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ll know that while the population is still rising, that trend now seems set to reverse this century, and there’s every indication population could decline precipitously over the next two centuries.

Demographics is a field where predictions about the future are much more reliable than in most scientific fields. That’s because future population trends are “baked in” decades in advance. If you want to know how many fifty-year-olds there will be in forty years, all you have to do is count the ten-year-olds today and allow for mortality rates. That maximum was already determined by the number of births ten years ago, and absolutely nothing can change that now. The average person doesn’t think that through when they look at population trends. You hear a lot of “oh we just need to do more of x to help the declining birthrate” without an acknowledgement that future populations in a given cohort are already fixed by the number of births that already occurred.

As you can see, global birthrates have already declined close to the 2.3 replacement level, with some regions ahead of others, but all on the same trajectory with no region moving against the trend. I’m not going to speculate on the reasons for this, or even whether it’s a good or bad thing. Instead I’m going to make some observations about outcomes this trend could cause economically, and why. Like most macro issues, an individual can’t do anything to change the global landscape personally, but knowing what that landscape might look like is essential to avoiding fallout from trends outside your control.

The Resource Pie

Thomas Malthus popularized the concern about overpopulation with his 1798 book An Essay on the Principle of Population. The basic premise of the book was that population could grow and consume all the available resources, leading to mass poverty, starvation, disease, and population collapse. We can say in hindsight that this was incorrect, given that the global population has increased from less than a billion to over eight billion since then, and the apocalypse Malthus predicted hasn’t materialized. Exactly the opposite, in fact. The global standard of living has risen to levels Malthus couldn’t have imagined, much less predicted.

So where did Malthus go wrong? His hypothesis seems reasonable enough, and we do see a similar trend in certain animal populations. The base assumption Malthus got wrong was to assume resources are a finite, limiting factor to the human population. That at some point certain resources would be totally consumed, and that would be it. He treated it like a pie with a lot of slices, but still a finite number, and assumed that if the population kept rising, eventually every slice would be consumed and there would be no pie left for future generations. That turns out to be completely wrong.

Of course, the earth is finite at some abstract level. The number of atoms could theoretically be counted and quantified. But on a practical level, do humans exhaust the earth’s resources? I’d point to an article from Yale Scientific titled Has the Earth Run out of any Natural Resources? To quote,

> However, despite what doomsday predictions may suggest, the Earth has not run out of any resources nor is it likely that it will run out of any in the near future. > > In fact, resources are becoming more abundant. Though this may seem puzzling, it does not mean that the actual quantity of resources in the Earth’s crust is increasing but rather that the amount available for our use is constantly growing due to technological innovations. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the only resource we have exhausted is cryolite, a mineral used in pesticides and aluminum processing. However, that is not to say every bit of it has been mined away; rather, producing it synthetically is much more cost efficient than mining the existing reserves at its current value.

As it happens, we don’t run out of resources. Instead, we become better at finding, extracting, and efficiently utilizing resources, which means that in practical terms resources become more abundant, not less. In other words, the pie grows faster than we can eat it.

So is there any resource that actually limits human potential? I think there is, and history would suggest that resource is human ingenuity and effort. The more people are thinking about and working on a problem, the more solutions we find and build to solve it. That means not only does the pie grow faster than we can eat it, but the more people there are, the faster the pie grows. Of course that assumes everyone eating pie is also working to grow the pie, but that’s a separate issue for now.

Productivity and Division of Labor

Why does having more people lead to more productivity? A big part of it comes down to division of labor and specialization. The best way to get really good at something is to do more of it. In a small community, doing just one thing simply isn’t possible. Everyone has to be somewhat of a generalist in order to survive. But with a larger population, being a specialist becomes possible. In fact, that’s the purpose of money, as I explained here.

nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzp0rve5f6xtu56djkfkkg7ktr5rtfckpun95rgxaa7futy86npx8yqq247t2dvet9q4tsg4qng36lxe6kc4nftayyy89kua2

The more specialized an economy becomes, the more efficient it can be. There are big economies of scale in almost every task or process. So for example, if a single person tried to build a car from scratch, it would be extremely difficult and take a very long time. However, if you have a thousand people building a car, each doing a specific job, they can become very good at doing that specific job and do it much faster. And then you can move that process to a factory, and build machines to do specific jobs, and add even more efficiency.

But that only works if you’re building more than one car. It doesn’t make sense to build a huge factory full of specialized equipment that takes lots of time and effort to design and manufacture, and then only build one car. You need to sell thousands of cars, maybe even millions of cars, to pay off that initial investment. So division of labor and specialization relies on large populations in two different ways. First, you need a large population to have enough people to specialize in each task. But second and just as importantly, you need a large population of buyers for the finished product. You need a big market in order to make mass production economical.

Think of a computer or smartphone. It takes thousands of specialized processes, thousands of complex parts, and millions of people doing specialized jobs to extract the raw materials, process them, and assemble them into a piece of electronic hardware. And electronics are relatively expensive anyway. Imagine how impossible it would be to manufacture electronics economically, if the market demand wasn’t literally in the billions of units.

Stairs Up, Elevator Down

We’ve seen exponential increases in productivity over the past few centuries, resulting in higher living standards even as population exploded. Now, facing the prospect of a drastic trend reversal, what will happen to productivity and living standards? The typical sentiment seems to be “well, there are a lot of people already competing for resources, so if population does decline, that will just reduce the competition and leave a bigger slice of pie for each person, so we’ll all be getting wealthier as a result of population decline.”

This seems reasonable at first glance. Surely dividing the economic pie into fewer slices means a bigger slice for everyone, right? But remember, more specialization and division of labor is what made the pie as big as it is to begin with. And specialization depends on large populations for both the supply of specialized labor, and the demand for finished goods. Can complex supply chains and mass production withstand population reduction intact? I don’t think the answer is clear.

The idea that it will all be okay, and we’ll get wealthier as population falls, is based on some faulty assumptions. It assumes that wealth is basically some fixed inventory of “things” that exist, and it’s all a matter of distribution. That’s typical Marxist thinking, similar to the reasoning behind “tax the rich” and other utopian wealth transfer schemes.

The reality is, wealth is a dynamic concept with strong network effects. For example, a grocery store in a large city can be a valuable asset with a large potential income stream. The same store in a small village with a declining population can be an unprofitable and effectively worthless liability.

Even something as permanent as a house is very susceptible to network effects. If you currently live in an area where housing is scarce and expensive, you might think a declining population would be the perfect solution to high housing costs. However, if you look at a place that’s already facing the beginnings of a population decline, you’ll see it’s not actually that simple. Japan, for example, is already facing an aging and declining population. And sure enough, you can get a house in Japan for free, or basically free. Sounds amazing, right? Not really.

If you check out the reason houses are given away in Japan, you’ll find a depressing reality. Most of the free houses are in rural areas or villages where the population is declining, often to the point that the village becomes uninhabited and abandoned. It’s so bad that in 2018, 13.6% of houses in Japan were vacant. Why do villages become uninhabited? Well, it turns out that a certain population level is necessary to support the services and businesses people need. When the population falls too low, specialized businesses can no longer operated profitably. It’s the exact issue we discussed with division of labor and the need for a high population to provide a market for the specialist to survive. As the local stores, entertainment venues, and businesses close, and skilled tradesmen move away to larger population centers with more customers, living in the village becomes difficult and depressing, if not impossible. So at a certain critical level, a village that’s too isolated will reach a tipping point where everyone leaves as fast as possible. And it turns out that an abandoned house in a remote village or rural area without any nearby services and businesses is worth… nothing. Nobody wants to live there, nobody wants to spend the money to maintain the house, nobody wants to pay the taxes needed to maintain the utilities the town relied on. So they try to give the houses away to anyone who agrees to live there, often without much success.

So on a local level, population might rise gradually over time, but when that process reverses and population declines to a certain level, it can collapse rather quickly from there.

I expect the same incentives to play out on a larger scale as well. Complex supply chains and extreme specialization lead to massive productivity. But there’s also a downside, which is the fragility of the system. Specialization might mean one shop can make all the widgets needed for a specific application, for the whole globe. That’s great while it lasts, but what happens when the owner of that shop retires with his lifetime of knowledge and experience? Will there be someone equally capable ready to fill his shoes? Hopefully… But spread that problem out across the global economy, and cracks start to appear. A specialized part is unavailable. So a machine that relies on that part breaks down and can’t be repaired. So a new machine needs to be built, which is a big expense that drives up costs and prices. And with a falling population, demand goes down. Now businesses are spending more to make fewer items, so they have to raise prices to stay profitable. Now fewer people can afford the item, so demand falls even further. Eventually the business is forced to close, and other industries that relied on the items they produced are crippled. Things become more expensive, or unavailable at any price. Living standards fall. What was a stairway up becomes an elevator down.

Hope, From the Parasite Class?

All that being said, I’m not completely pessimistic about the future. I think the potential for an acceptable outcome exists.

I see two broad groups of people in the economy; producers, and parasites. One thing the increasing productivity has done is made it easier than ever to survive. Food is plentiful globally, the only issues are with distribution. Medical advances save countless lives. Everything is more abundant than ever before. All that has led to a very “soft” economic reality. There’s a lot of non-essential production, which means a lot of wealth can be redistributed to people who contribute nothing, and if it’s done carefully, most people won’t even notice. And that is exactly what has happened, in spades.

There are welfare programs of every type and description, and handouts to people for every reason imaginable. It’s never been easier to survive without lifting a finger. So millions of able-bodied men choose to do just that.

Besides the voluntarily idle, the economy is full of “bullshit jobs.” Shoutout to David Graeber’s book with that title. (It’s an excellent book and one I would highly recommend, even though the author was a Marxist and his conclusions are completely wrong.) A 2015 British poll asked people, “Does your job make a meaningful contribution to the world?” Only 50% said yes, while 37% said no and 13% were uncertain.

This won’t be a surprise to anyone who’s operated a business, or even worked in the private sector in general. There are three types of jobs; jobs that accomplish something productive, jobs that accomplish nothing of value, and jobs that actually hinder people trying to accomplish something productive. The number of jobs in the last two categories has grown massively over the years. This would include a lot of unnecessary administrative jobs, burdensome regulatory jobs, useless DEI and HR jobs, a large percentage of public sector jobs, most of the military-industrial complex, and the list is endless. All these jobs accomplish nothing worthwhile at best, and actively discourage those who are trying to accomplish something at worst.

Even among jobs that do accomplish some useful purpose, the amount of time spent actually doing the job continues to decline. According to a 2016 poll, American office workers spent only 39% of their workday actually doing their primary task. The other 61% was largely wasted on unproductive administrative tasks and meetings, answering emails, and just simply wasting time.

I could go on, but the point is, there’s a lot of slack in the economy. We’ve become so productive that the number of people actually doing the work to keep everyone fed, clothed, and cared for is only a small percentage of the population. In one sense, that’s a cause for optimism. The population could decline a lot, and we’d still have enough bodies to man the economic engine, as it were.

Aging

The thing with population decline, though, is nobody gets to choose who goes first. Not unless you’re a psychopathic dictator. So populations get old, then they get small. This means that the number of dependents in the economy rises naturally. Once people retire, they still need someone to grow the food, keep the lights on, and provide the medical care. And it doesn’t matter how much money the retirees have saved, either. Money is just a claim on wealth. The goods and services actually have to be provided by someone, and if that someone was never born, all the money in the world won’t change anything.

And the aging occurs on top of all the people already taking from the economy without contributing anything of value. So that seems like a big problem.

Currently, wealth redistribution happens through a combination of direct taxes, indirect taxation through deficit spending, and the whole gamut of games that happen when banks create credit/debt money by making loans. In a lot of cases, it’s very indirect and difficult to pin down. For example, someone has a “job” in a government office, enforcing pointless regulations that actually hinder someone in the private sector from producing something useful. Their paycheck comes from the government, so a combination of taxes on productive people, and deficit spending, which is also a tax on productive people. But they “have a job,” so who’s going to question their contribution to society? On the other hand, it could be a banker or hedge fund manager. They might be pulling in a massive salary, but at the core all they’re really doing is finding creative financial ways to transfer wealth from productive people to themselves, without contributing anything of value.

You’ll notice a common theme if you think about this problem deeply. Most of the wealth transfer that supports the unproductive, whether that’s welfare recipients, retirees, bureaucrats, corporate middle managers, or weapons manufacturers, is only possible through expanding the money supply. There’s a limit to how much direct taxation the productive will bear while the option to collect welfare exists. At a certain point, people conclude that working hard every day isn’t worth it, when taxes take so much of their wages that they could make almost as much without working at all. So the balance of what it takes to support the dependent class has to come indirectly, through new money creation.

As long as the declining population happens under the existing monetary system, the future looks bleak. There’s no limit to how much money creation and inflation the parasite class will use in an attempt to avoid work. They’ll continue to suck the productive class dry until the workers give up in disgust, and the currency collapses into hyperinflation. And you can’t run a complex economy without functional money, so productivity inevitably collapses with the currency.

The optimistic view is that we don’t have to continue supporting the failed credit/debt monetary system. It’s hurting productivity, messing up incentives, and contributing to increasing wealth inequality and lower living standards for the middle class. If we walk away from that system and adopt a hard money standard, the possibility of inflationary wealth redistribution vanishes. The welfare and warfare programs have to be slashed. The parasite class is forced to get busy, or starve. In that scenario, the declining population of workers can be offset by a massive shift away from “bullshit jobs” and into actual productive work.

While that might not be a permanent solution to declining population, it would at least give us time to find a real solution, without having our complex economy collapse and send our living standards back to the 17th century.

It’s a complex issue with many possible outcomes, but I think a close look at the effects of the monetary system on productivity shows one obvious problem that will make the situation worse than necessary. Moving to a better monetary system and creating incentives for productivity would do a lot to reduce the economic impacts of a declining population.

@ bc6ccd13:f53098e4

The Bitcoin price action since the US presidential election, and particularly today, November 11, has given me an excuse to revisit an idea I’ve written about before. I explained here that money doesn’t “flow into” assets, and that the terminology makes it difficult for people to understand how prices actually work.

nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzp0rve5f6xtu56djkfkkg7ktr5rtfckpun95rgxaa7futy86npx8yqqhy6mmwv4uj63r0v4ekutt594fx2ctvd3uj63nvdamj6jtww3hj6stw096xs6twvukkgmt9ws6xg86ht5t

The Bitcoin market this year has been a perfect illustration of the points I tried to make, which offers another angle to explain the concept.

Back in January, the first spot Bitcoin ETFs were launched for trading in the US market. This was heralded as a great thing for the Bitcoin price, and tracking “inflows” into these ETFs became a top priority for Bitcoin market analysts. The expectation of course was that more Bitcoin purchased by these ETFs would result in higher prices for the asset.

And sure enough, over the first two months of trading, from mid-January to mid-March, the combined “inflows” to the ETFs totaled around $11 billion. Over the same time frame, the Bitcoin price rose almost 60%, from around $43,000 to $68,000. As should be expected, right?

But then, over the next seven and a half months, from mid-March to early November, the ETFs saw another $11 billion in “inflows”. The Bitcoin price in mid-March? $68,000. In early November? All the way up to… $68,000. Seven and a half months of treading water.

So how can that be? How can $11 billion dollars flowing into an asset cause a 60% price rise once, and no price change at all the next time?

If you read my previous article linked above, you’ll see that the whole idea of money “flowing into” an asset is incorrect and misleading, and this is a perfect illustration why. If you step back a bit, you’ll see the folly of that mentality. So when the ETFs buy $11 billion dollars worth of Bitcoin, where does it come from? They obviously have to buy it from someone. As always, every transaction has a buyer and a seller. In this case, the sellers are current Bitcoin holders selling through OTC desks on the spot market.

So why focus on the ETF buying rather than the Bitcoin holder selling? Instead of saying there were $11 billion in inflows to the Bitcoin ETFs, why not say there were $11 billion in outflows from spot Bitcoin holders? It’s just as valid either way.

To take it a step further, many analysts were consistently confused all summer as Bitcoin ETFs continued to see “inflows” on days that the Bitcoin price stayed flat or even fell. So let’s imagine two consecutive days of $300 million daily “inflows” into the ETFs. The first day, the Bitcoin price rises 3%. The second day, the Bitcoin price falls 3%. The first day, headlines can read Bitcoin Price Rises 3% as ETFs See $300m in Inflows. The second day, headlines can read Bitcoin Price Falls 3% as Spot Bitcoin Holders See $300m in Outflows.

See the silliness of this whole idea? Money flows aren’t the cause of price movement. They’re a fake metric used as a post hoc justification for price moves by people who want you to believe they understand markets better than you.

Moving on to today, as I write this on the evening of November 11, Bitcoin is up 30% from $68,000 to $88,000 in the week since the November 5 election. It rose from $69,000 to $75,000 on election night alone, after US markets had closed and while there were no ETF “inflows” at all. In fact, the ETFs saw over a hundred million dollars in outflows on November 5, followed by an 8% single day price increase.

So if money flows don’t move price, what does?

Investor sentiment, that’s what.

Talking about money flows at all, as illustrated by the Bitcoin ETFs, requires arbitrarily dividing a single market into different segments to disguise the fact that every transaction has both a buyer and a seller, so every transaction has an equal dollar amount of “flows” in both directions. In actuality, price is set by a convergence between the highest price any potential buyer is willing to pay, and the lowest price any potential seller is willing to accept. And that number can change without a single transaction occurring, and without a single dollar “flowing” anywhere.

If every Bitcoin holder simultaneously decided tonight that the lowest price they’re willing to accept is $200,000 per Bitcoin, and a single potential buyer decided to buy a single dollar worth of Bitcoin at that price, that would be the new Bitcoin price tomorrow morning. No ETF “inflows” or institutional buying pressure or short squeezes or liquidations required, or any of the other excuses market analysts use to confuse normal people and make it seem like they have some deep esoteric insight into the workings of markets and future price action.

Don’t overcomplicate something as simple as price. If holders of an asset demand higher prices and potential buyers are willing to pay it, prices rise. If potential buyers of an asset offer lower prices and holders are willing to sell, prices fall. The constant interplay between all those individual investors sentiments is what forms a market and a price. The transferring of money between buyers and sellers is an effect of price, not a cause.

@ bc6ccd13:f53098e4

Bullshit Jobs, for those unfamiliar, is the title of a 2018 book by anthropologist David Graeber. It’s well worth a read just for the fascinating research and the engaging writing style. The premise of the book is that many people work in jobs that contribute nothing to society, and would not be missed if they suddenly vanished overnight.

The data backs this up. In a 2015 British poll that asked “does your job make a meaningful contribution to the world?”, 37 percent of people said no, and another 13 percent weren’t sure. That’s fully half the population who can’t confidently say their job is even worth doing. And other polls have found similar or worse results.

The book was inspired by the overwhelming response to a 2013 article Graeber wrote titled On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs: A Work Rant. The point I’d like to address is found here.

Over the course of the last century, the number of workers employed as domestic servants, in industry, and in the farm sector has collapsed dramatically. At the same time, ‘professional, managerial, clerical, sales, and service workers’ tripled, growing ‘from one-quarter to three-quarters of total employment.’ In other words, productive jobs have, just as predicted, been largely automated away (even if you count industrial workers globally, including the toiling masses in India and China, such workers are still not nearly so large a percentage of the world population as they used to be.)

But rather than allowing a massive reduction of working hours to free the world’s population to pursue their own projects, pleasures, visions, and ideas, we have seen the ballooning of not even so much of the ‘service’ sector as of the administrative sector, up to and including the creation of whole new industries like financial services or telemarketing, or the unprecedented expansion of sectors like corporate law, academic and health administration, human resources, and public relations.

These are what I propose to call ‘bullshit jobs’.

It’s as if someone were out there making up pointless jobs just for the sake of keeping us all working. And here, precisely, lies the mystery. In capitalism, this is precisely what is not supposed to happen. Sure, in the old inefficient socialist states like the Soviet Union, where employment was considered both a right and a sacred duty, the system made up as many jobs as they had to (this is why in Soviet department stores it took three clerks to sell a piece of meat). But, of course, this is the sort of very problem market competition is supposed to fix. According to economic theory, at least, the last thing a profit-seeking firm is going to do is shell out money to workers they don’t really need to employ. Still, somehow, it happens.

While corporations may engage in ruthless downsizing, the layoffs and speed-ups invariably fall on that class of people who are actually making, moving, fixing and maintaining things; through some strange alchemy no one can quite explain, the number of salaried paper-pushers ultimately seems to expand, and more and more employees find themselves, not unlike Soviet workers actually, working 40 or even 50 hour weeks on paper, but effectively working 15 hours just as Keynes predicted, since the rest of their time is spent organizing or attending motivational seminars, updating their facebook profiles or downloading TV box-sets.

The answer clearly isn’t economic: it’s moral and political.

In the book, Graeber expands on this idea with a very entertaining description of the many flavors of bullshit jobs, based on anecdotes from readers of his article. He follows that up with theories speculating on the cause of this situation. And wraps it all up with the conclusion that basically capitalists are all big meanies and invent bullshit jobs just to torture people and prevent the arrival of the Marxist utopia where no one has to do much real work and we all sit around and sing kumbaya and discuss philosophy. That’s too harsh a criticism of a very well researched and written book, but I have to confess I was sorely disappointed the first time I read it by the author’s failure to even entertain what seems like the obvious alternative explanation.

Graeber acknowledges in the book that it’s not surprising bullshit jobs exist inside government, although he doesn’t focus strongly enough on why that is. Like he does in the article, he tries to brush it off with the excuse that the same problem exists in the private sector. As he acknowledges, this isn’t supposed to happen in capitalism. He realizes that it makes no logical economic sense for a profit-seeking firm to hire workers to do nothing productive.

But then he follows that acknowledgement with the claim that “The answer clearly isn’t economic: it’s moral and political.” I’m sorry, what? How is that clear? How do you go from stating an obvious economic fact, to denying that the problem is economic, and call it “clear”.

“Still, somehow, it happens,” is not anywhere close to a sufficient explanation to rule out an economic factor.

The economic explanation

First, some definitions.

Capitalism is defined as “an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development occurs through the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market.”

A free market is “an economic system in which prices are based on competition among private businesses and are not controlled or regulated by a government: a market operating by free competition.”

Now that we made sure we’re talking about the same thing, we can analyze this issue logically.

Capitalism and free markets work through competition for customers. It’s an economic law that a customer won’t pay more for the same good or service when they could pay less. Someone can try to make obscure and esoteric objections and force me to emphasize the word “same” and analyze what the good or service being purchased actually is, but everyone else understands this intuitively. So if two companies are offering the same product for sale, all things being equal, the company offering lower prices will attract the customers. Pretty simple stuff.

Of course, the goal for the company is to generate profits. It’s literally in the definition of the word “capitalism”. So any system in which companies have a goal other than generating profits is, by definition, not capitalism.

A company can increase its profits two ways: raising prices, or lowering costs. We don’t have to get too philosophical to realize that if a company is paying someone to do nothing, the company could increase profits by firing that person and lowering their costs of production.

So the question is, why don’t they? Why do they hire people who increase their costs and lower their profits, thereby making them less competitive? And more importantly, if they do make that mistake, why don’t their competitors undercut their prices and take all the customers and bankrupt them?

I don’t think we can dismiss the economic factor as off-handedly as Graeber does. After all, making a profit is the fundamental, definitional purpose of a business or company in a capitalist economy. To say “companies in this capitalist economy are doing something completely antithetical to the very principles and definition of capitalism, so obviously they’re not doing it for economic reasons” is something of a non sequitur.

The conclusion, to me, seems obvious. We don’t have a capitalist economy. As far as I can tell, that’s true by definition. If companies aren’t even trying to achieve the goal companies must achieve to survive in a capitalist economy, and somehow they’re still surviving, that’s proof of the non-capitalist nature of the economy.

Which part of the capitalist system are we missing?

Well, let’s start with the obvious: there’s a lot of government in our economy. The government isn’t privately owned, which makes it not capitalist by definition. So any part of the economy that’s government is not capitalist.

Why is government not capitalist? Because government is not motivated to provide goods and services at a profit. Why not? Because government does not sell goods and services into a free market. Government gives away goods and services to its “customers” for free, because they’re paid for by people other than the consumers of the service. That payment comes in one of two ways: taxes, and debt. It’s not a voluntary transaction.

Which part of the capitalist system might private companies be missing?

They could be lacking competition. That is, operating a monopoly or cartel. If there’s no competing business to provide goods at lower prices, the company could hire people for useless jobs and compensate by raising prices. This places them outside the definition of capitalism, since “free competition” is part of the definition of a free market. Monopolies and cartels often develop and survive through protection by the government, which emphasizes their un-capitalistic nature.

They could be in a temporary situation where the people making the management decisions are sufficiently insulated from the market forces at play that their poor decisions can persist for a while. Many companies begin to lose their competitive edge at some point, after getting big enough to have economic inertia and for the management to be less accountable for business performance. If a company has grown big enough, they can start making poor financial decisions and absorb the lost profits, sometimes for years, before losing their market share to a smaller, more competitive rival. This isn’t really an absence of capitalism, just the natural creative destruction necessary for capitalism to function. The problem comes when a company that’s obviously uncompetitive is prevented from failing through un-capitalistic means. Maybe they’re big enough and wealthy enough to pressure the government into granting them monopoly status. This doesn’t have to be open, it’s often through creating such an impenetrable legal morass around the industry that no competitor can emerge. Or it can be in the form of a “too big to fail” direct government bailout.

The company could also be lacking that essential link between customer satisfaction and business income. In other words, maybe they aren’t selling to their customers. That can happen for various reasons.

Some companies are “private companies” but sell to the government. The government is not a customer in the capitalist sense, because the government spends money taken coercively from its subjects, not money earned voluntarily in the free market. So any company like Raytheon or Boeing that survives off government contracts can’t be accurately called a capitalist organization.

In an industry like healthcare, where the insurance companies are the middlemen in basically all transactions between patients and doctors, there are also lots of ways for bullshit jobs to proliferate. Patients don’t care how much a procedure costs, just that it helps them. Doctors don’t care how much a procedure costs, just that the insurance company will pay for it. And insurance companies don’t care whether a procedure helps the patient, they just want to collect as many premiums as possible while paying out as little for care as possible. The fact that the patient isn’t paying the doctor for their care breaks the necessary link between customer and producer that’s essential for a free market to function. That combines with the regulatory moat and cartel-like structure of the healthcare industry to prevent the competitive function of capitalism from occurring.

Companies could also be surviving off of money from someone other than their customers: bankers and investors. There’s obviously a role in a capitalist system for investors to support a new venture until it’s able to attract customers and establish a stable and profitable business model. But many companies today exist for much longer than economically reasonable without turning a profit. In the US, almost 2,000 of the 5,000 publicly traded companies with data available were classified as “zombie companies”, meaning they don’t even make enough profit to pay the interest on their debt. So they’re going deeper in the hole every year. How can this continue?

Well, the alternative to paying off your debt, is to borrow even more money to make payments on the debt you already owe. If this sounds similar to how the US government survives, then you’re beginning to get the picture.

How can banks keep loaning money to unprofitable businesses? And why would they do it? It doesn’t make sense… until you understand how banking works.

That’s really the core focus of most of my writing, and I’ve written multiple articles on money and banking explaining how the system works as I understand it. This would be a good one focused on banking specifically.

nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzp0rve5f6xtu56djkfkkg7ktr5rtfckpun95rgxaa7futy86npx8yqqt4g6r994pxjeedgfsku6edf35k2tt5de4nvdtzhjwrp2

To very briefly recap, banks don’t make loans by taking in money from depositors and loaning that money to borrowers. Instead, banks create new money that never existed before out of thin air and loan that new money to borrowers. Banks make a profit by charging borrowers interest on this newly created money, which costs them nothing to create. A pretty cushy gig, if you can get it.

So from the perspective of the banks, the more loans and debt outstanding, the better. Every dollar of debt is a dollar they can collect interest on. It cost them nothing to create, so the more, the merrier. In fact, the banks would prefer that the loan principle never be repaid, because once it’s repaid, they can no longer collect interest on that loan until they make another loan to replace it. As long as the borrower keeps paying interest, the banks are happy. And if they need to lend the borrower some more money so he can afford to pay the interest, that’s fine too. Anything but letting the loan default.

Given those incentives, how do you expect a chart of the outstanding loans and credit of US commercial banks to look?

If you guessed up only, you’d be correct.

So what does this banking system have to do with bullshit jobs? Well, I’d argue that the fractionally reserved fiat banking system, in and of itself, is an anti-capitalist system. Money is the communication layer of capitalism, as I’ve previously written.

nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzp0rve5f6xtu56djkfkkg7ktr5rtfckpun95rgxaa7futy86npx8yqq247t2dvet9q4tsg4qng36lxe6kc4nftayyy89kua2

When one group of people can create money out of thin air, they have the ability to reallocate wealth in the economy. As long as the money is still functional, of course. Too much money creation and wealth reallocation, and people stop trusting the money. That’s when inflation becomes hyperinflation, the money no longer functions, and the whole system implodes.

Wealth reallocation by a small select group is the essence of a centrally planned socialist/Marxist economy. And we all know how efficient those economies are. In fact, Graeber himself mentioned the inefficiency of socialist states like the Soviet Union in his original article, and was not at all surprised by the existence of bullshit jobs in such an economic system. When wealth can be reallocated by central planners without regard to people’s preferences in a free market, inefficiency is never punished, so zombie companies full of bullshit jobs never go bankrupt.

The same thing happens under our “capitalist” system. Zombie companies full of bullshit jobs can get almost unlimited funding from too-big-to-fail banks, who don’t care whether they repay the loans, as long as they stay in business and keep making the interest payments. Sometimes the funding is in the form of loans directly, sometimes it’s in the form of massive stock market bubbles inflated by the endless money creation, sometimes through junk bond issuance funded by the same bubble economics, and sometimes it’s venture capital funds flush with liquidity for the same reason. Regardless, the cause, and the outcome, are the same.

The corrupt bankers own the corrupt politicians, so when the inevitable so-called black swan event occurs and the rotten edifice starts to quiver, another bailout is promptly rolled out. The government borrows trillions from their owners over at the Federal Reserve, who create the money out of thin air. The government sends it on over to the bankers who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar once again, and they paper over the massive holes in their balance sheet caused by blowing asset bubbles and funding inefficient zombie companies. Or sometimes, the government skips the middlemen entirely and bails out Boeing or whoever it happens to be directly.

And once again, bullshit jobs that couldn’t survive free market competition are rewarded at the expense of savers and taxpayers. As always, this flood of new liquidity flows out through the economy, causing inflation and boosting income for other inefficient companies that also deserved to fail. Creative destruction, a fundamental feature of a capitalist system, is avoided once again.

In my opinion, the banking system is at the root of the problem causing the proliferation of bullshit jobs. The system itself is, by design, fundamentally anti-capitalist in nature and function. It’s really a giant privately owned economic central planning system, in which a small fraction of people determine how resources are allocated, with privatized profits and socialized losses. The Soviet technocrats would be jealous.

Unfortunately, the bankers have successfully connected their industry so tightly to the term “capitalist” that showing people they’re anything but is almost impossible. To paraphrase the well-known quote, the greatest trick the bankers ever pulled was convincing the world that they’re the real capitalists.

Until the banking and monetary system fundamentally changes, inefficiency will persist and bullshit jobs will continue to proliferate. In my opinion, the problem is very much an economic problem. And it’s not a “late-stage capitalism” problem, it’s a “capitalism left the building a century ago” problem. We don’t need to get rid of capitalism, we’ve already done that. We need to bring sound money, and with it the possibility of a capitalist economy, back again.

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Key Takeaways

In this episode of the TFTC podcast, Dom Bei—a firefighter, union leader, and CalPERS Board of Trustees candidate—makes a powerful case for why the largest pension fund in the U.S. must seriously consider Bitcoin as both an investment opportunity and an educational tool. Highlighting CalPERS’ missed decade in private equity and its troubling 75% funded status, Bei critiques the system’s misaligned incentives and high leadership turnover. He argues that Bitcoin offers more than just potential gains—it forces participants to confront foundational issues like inflation, wealth extraction, and financial literacy. Through his nonprofit Proof of Workforce, Bei has already helped unions adopt Bitcoin in self-custody and believes that small, incremental steps can drive reform. His campaign is about re-engaging the 2 million CalPERS members, challenging political inertia, and avoiding another decade of lost opportunity.

Best Quotes

"Bitcoin’s brand is resilience, and that cannot be undone."

"I don’t need to convince pensions to buy Bitcoin. I just need them to look into it."

"The first pension was funded with confiscated warships. The original incentive structure was theft."

"CalPERS is the second-largest purchaser of medical insurance in the U.S., behind the federal government."

"Only 10% of CalPERS members voted in the last board election. That’s insane."

"Bitcoin’s simplest features remain its most impressive: you hold something that’s yours, and no one can take it."

"We don’t need pensions to go all in. Just get off zero."

"Mainstream media has run an 80% negative campaign on Bitcoin for a decade. That’s not a conspiracy—it’s just math."

Conclusion

Dom Bei’s conversation with Marty Bent frames Bitcoin not as a cure-all, but as a critical tool worth exploring—one that promotes financial literacy, institutional accountability, and personal sovereignty. His call for education, transparency, and incremental reform challenges broken pension governance and urges workers to reclaim control over both their retirements and their understanding of money. In a landscape of growing liabilities and political interference, Bei’s campaign sparks a vital conversation at the intersection of sound money and public service—one that aligns closely with Bitcoin’s foundational ethos.

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro
0:32 - Opportunity Cost app
3:34 - Dom's background
10:36 - Fold & Bitkey
12:13 - How pensions got to this point
19:29 - Impact of failure
28:10 - Unchained
28:38 - CalPERS politicized
33:49 - How pensions should approach bitcoin
42:49 - How to educate
49:37 - Energy/mining
55:55 - Running for the board
1:08:52 - Roswell NM
1:12:33 - C2A

Transcript

(00:00) pension funds are chasing liabilities and having to basically be these vehicles that play in the big kids sandbox. It's cutthroat and there's no mercy there. I can't imagine a world where the pension goes bust, that's going to send shock waves through so many different sectors of the economy. I mean, you're talking global impact.
(00:17) If you have a CIO that's incentivized for the fund to do well, they're going to find Bitcoin. The numbers don't lie. Bitcoin's brand is resilience, and that cannot be undone. What's up, freaks? Sitting down with Dom Bay, running for the board of trustees of Kalpers. Dom, welcome to the show. Thanks, Marty.
(00:44) And uh uh what else? What is up, freaks? How's everyone doing today? I hope everybody's doing well. Vibes are high here. Uh been vibe coding. The vibes are high because the vibe coding has been up. I vibe coded something last night. Feeling pretty excited. Nice. What were you working on? Is it a top secret or uh No, I think by the time this episode airs, I'll have released it, but it's a simple, very simple product.
(01:07) Uh, a browser extension that allows you to put the price of goods that you may or may not be buying in SATS alongside dollars so that you recognize the opportunity cost of purchasing things. Uh, I like that. That's that's you know I was working once with a hotel that was looking at doing Bitcoin like you know different Bitcoin stuff whether it's like putting on the treasury and one of the things I told him I was like you guys should just do a coffee shop where you just have dollar price and sats price just next to each
(01:38) other. It' be a cool thing you know something that we don't see a lot as Bitcoiners but just to you know we all do it. you get that familiarity where you go like, well, what would this be in SATS? And it's easy to look up big things but not little things. Um, so that's really cool, man. That's a that's a that'll be that'll be good. Yeah.
(01:56) The whole idea is to just have the concept of opportunity costs while you're spending front of mind, while you're shopping on the internet, which I think actually ties in perfectly with what we're here to talk about today with you specifically, is the opportunity costs that exist within pensions um that are deploying capital in ways that they have for many decades and many are missing.
(02:23) uh the Bitcoin boat. Many who haven't spoken to you are missing the Bitcoin boat and you are taking it upon yourself to try to tackle one of the biggest behemoths in the world of pensions and Kalpers to really drive home this opportunity cost at at the pension level. Yeah, for sure. you know, the outgoing chief investment officer of Kalpers, uh, Nicole Muso, uh, described the 10-year era of private equity that KPERS missed as the lost decade.
(02:56) Uh, it was the pinnacle of private equity, and Kalpers really felt like they didn't have enough capital uh, deployed. And you know, in past conversations, I've I've talked about, you know, knowing what we know about Bitcoin and where it's at and where it's going. Are you going to have similar commentary from pensions around the country in 2035 saying, "Hey, we're going to get into Bitcoin now.
(03:21) We we had a lost decade where it was just staring us right in the face and oh, we didn't really need to do much but learn about it and uh we missed the boat. So now, you know, let's let's learn about it. It'll be time will tell. Yeah. Let's jump into how you got to the point where you decided to run for the board of trustees at Kalpers.
(03:46) Let's get into your history uh as a firefighter working with the union and then your advocacy in recent years going out to public pensions, particularly those of emergency responders to to get Bitcoin within their their pension systems. and yeah, why you think Kalpers is the next big step for you? For sure. So, um I got hired as a firefighter uh just around I'm coming up on my 16-year anniversary.
(04:11) Uh I got hired as a firefighter in Santa Monica and early in my career as a firefighter. Uh someone reached out and said, "Hey, you know, you're you're you're kind of a goofball. You like talking to people and and um there's this person on the board who does a lot of our political stuff. he's leaving. You should get with him and kind of learn about what he does and go find out. And so, uh, I went with him.
(04:36) First thing he did was bring me to this breakfast with a city council member and we were talking history in the city and and I just like, you know, I love that kind of stuff and learning about, you know, the backstories behind whatever's going on and all the moving pieces. And so, uh, I ended up getting on our board, um, for the Santa Monica firefighters and pretty pretty young, doing a lot of the political stuff, ended up becoming the vice president and then became the president of the firefighters and what was over a 10-year period of serving as
(05:07) an elected board member for the firefighters. Um, you know, kind of parallel to that and unrelated, I found Bitcoin in 2017 uh randomly working at a conference, which um I forget which conference it was, but I kind of looked back and I think it might have been consensus. I'm not sure. Um, but this was 2017 and I remember my one takeaway from this conference which may or may not have been consensus and it was this.
(05:39) The people I spoke to there were equally or greater as uh convicted as any group or constituency I'd ever met in my entire life. That's including firefighters. Um you know like like any group the conviction was was was unmissable. Uh and you could tell the people I talked to there they would not be uh convinced otherwise.
(06:08) And uh at that time, you know, there wasn't as much of a division between the different coins, you know, like like there was Ethereum people there and there was Bitcoiners there, but there was a definite like someone got a hold of me and was like, "Hey, uh Bitcoin is something that like forget all this other stuff.
(06:25) You need to just learn this." And and I remember taking that away and kind of got passively involved. Wasn't super active in the space. um just kind of like you know learned about it and grabbed a little bit and and you know just kind of did that thing. the board took up a lot of my time. And so, um, another thing that happened while I was on the board was I was appointed to a pension advisory committee for the city of Santa Monica where we had a full presentation from the board uh, and um, they came and presented to us and and different um,
(06:58) not the board, it was like different team members. And so I learned a ton about the pension and and I've always been a I was a history major in college, so I love learning about history. and I started really getting into the history of pensions which is fascinating. We'll save that for another episode for the sake of your viewers.
(07:18) Um but but um started doing that and when I got off the board um you know in addition to this

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Abstract

This document proposes a novel architecture that decouples the peer-to-peer (P2P) communication layer from the Bitcoin protocol and replaces or augments it with the Nostr protocol. The goal is to improve censorship resistance, performance, modularity, and maintainability by migrating transaction propagation and block distribution to the Nostr relay network.

Introduction

Bitcoin’s current architecture relies heavily on its P2P network to propagate transactions and blocks. While robust, it has limitations in terms of flexibility, scalability, and censorship resistance in certain environments. Nostr, a decentralized event-publishing protocol, offers a multi-star topology and a censorship-resistant infrastructure for message relay.

This proposal outlines how Bitcoin communication could be ported to Nostr while maintaining consensus and verification through standard Bitcoin clients.

Motivation

• Enhanced Censorship Resistance: Nostr’s architecture enables better relay redundancy and obfuscation of transaction origin.
• Simplified Lightweight Nodes: Removing the full P2P stack allows for lightweight nodes that only verify blockchain data and communicate over Nostr.
• Architectural Modularity: Clean separation between validation and communication enables easier auditing, upgrades, and parallel innovation.
• Faster Propagation: Nostr’s multi-star network may provide faster propagation of transactions and blocks compared to the mesh-like Bitcoin P2P network.

Architecture Overview

Components

1. Bitcoin Minimal Node (BMN):

   • Verifies blockchain and block validity.
   • Maintains UTXO set and handles mempool logic.
   • Connects to Nostr relays instead of P2P Bitcoin peers.

2. Bridge Node:

   • Bridges Bitcoin P2P traffic to and from Nostr relays.
   • Posts new transactions and blocks to Nostr.
   • Downloads mempool content and block headers from Nostr.

3. Nostr Relays:

   • Accept Bitcoin-specific event kinds (transactions and blocks).
   • Store mempool entries and block messages.
   • Optionally broadcast fee estimation summaries and tipsets.

Event Format

Proposed reserved Nostr kind numbers for Bitcoin content (NIP/BIP TBD):

| Nostr Kind | Purpose | |------------|------------------------| | 210000 | Bitcoin Transaction | | 210001 | Bitcoin Block Header | | 210002 | Bitcoin Block | | 210003 | Mempool Fee Estimates | | 210004 | Filter/UTXO summary |

Transaction Lifecycle

1. Wallet creates a Bitcoin transaction.
2. Wallet sends it to a set of configured Nostr relays.
3. Relays accept and cache the transaction (based on fee policies).
4. Mining nodes or bridge nodes fetch mempool contents from Nostr.
5. Once mined, a block is submitted over Nostr.
6. Nodes confirm inclusion and update their UTXO set.

Security Considerations

• Sybil Resistance: Consensus remains based on proof-of-work. The communication path (Nostr) is not involved in consensus.
• Relay Discoverability: Optionally bootstrap via DNS, Bitcoin P2P, or signed relay lists.
• Spam Protection: Relay-side policy, rate limiting, proof-of-work challenges, or Lightning payments.
• Block Authenticity: Nodes must verify all received blocks and reject invalid chains.

Compatibility and Migration

• Fully compatible with current Bitcoin consensus rules.
• Bridge nodes preserve interoperability with legacy full nodes.
• Nodes can run in hybrid mode, fetching from both P2P and Nostr.

Future Work

• Integration with watch-only wallets and SPV clients using verified headers via Nostr.
• Use of Nostr’s social graph for partial trust assumptions and relay reputation.
• Dynamic relay discovery using Nostr itself (relay list events).

Conclusion

This proposal lays out a new architecture for Bitcoin communication using Nostr to replace or augment the P2P network. This improves decentralization, censorship resistance, modularity, and speed, while preserving consensus integrity. It encourages innovation by enabling smaller, purpose-built Bitcoin nodes and offloading networking complexity.

---

This document may become both a Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP-XXX) and a Nostr Improvement Proposal (NIP-XXX). Event kind range reserved: 210000–219999.

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

U.S. Leads the World in Bitcoin Ownership, New Report Shows

A new report from River reveals that the United States dominates Bitcoin ownership globally, holding about 40% of all available Bitcoin. With 14.3% of its population owning Bitcoin, the U.S. outpaces Europe, Oceania, and Asia combined.

The United States is the global Bitcoin superpower.

Our new report breaks down how this advantage can fuel the next era of American prosperity. pic.twitter.com/v5BNgTGsKA

— River (@River) May 20, 2025

Corporate America also leads in Bitcoin holdings. Thirty-two U.S. public companies, with a combined market cap of $1.26 trillion, hold Bitcoin as a treasury asset. These firms account for 94.8% of all Bitcoin owned by publicly traded companies worldwide. Major holders include Strategy with 569,000 BTC, U.S. mining companies with 96,000 BTC, and others with 68,000 BTC, totaling 733,000 BTC in the U.S., compared to 40,000 BTC held elsewhere.

Since China’s ban on Bitcoin mining in 2021, the United States has become the global leader in Bitcoin mining, responsible for 38% of all new Bitcoin mined since then. The U.S. attracts miners thanks to its stable regulatory environment, access to deep and liquid capital markets, and abundant energy resources. These advantages have helped the U.S. increase its share of the global Bitcoin mining hashrate by over 500% since 2020, solidifying its position as the center of the industry.

Bitcoin is also emerging as America’s preferred reserve asset, overtaking gold. Over 49.6 million Americans are in favor of holding Bitcoin, compared to 36.7 million who still prefer gold.

The US government’s bitcoin advantage is greater than that of gold, where the US accounts for just 29.9% of the world’s central bank gold reserves. 

“Because there is a fixed supply of BTC, there is a strategic advantage to being among the first nations to create a strategic bitcoin reserve,” said the White House on March 7, 2025.

Politically, support for Bitcoin is gaining significant momentum across the U.S. government. As of now, 59% of U.S. Senators and 66% of House Representatives openly support pro-Bitcoin policies, signaling a notable shift in political attitudes and greater acceptance of digital assets as key components of America’s economic future.

The study highlights that Bitcoin ownership is highest among American males aged 31-35 and 41-45, with ownership rates ranging from 3% to 41% within these age groups. Politically, those identifying as “very liberal” or “neutral” are more likely to own Bitcoin than conservatives, though conservatives still make up a significant portion of holders.

This post U.S. Leads the World in Bitcoin Ownership, New Report Shows first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

@ 2f29aa33:38ac6f13

The Myth and the Magic

Picture this: a group of investors, huddled around a glowing computer screen, nervously watching Bitcoin’s price. Suddenly, someone produces a stick-no ordinary stick, but a magical one. With a mischievous grin, they poke the Bitcoin. The price leaps upward. Cheers erupt. The legend of the Bitcoin stick is born.

But why does poking Bitcoin with a stick make the price go up? Why does it only work for a lucky few? And what does the data say about this mysterious phenomenon? Let’s dig in, laugh a little, and maybe learn the secret to market-moving magic.

The Statistical Side of Stick-Poking

Bitcoin’s Price: The Wild Ride

Bitcoin’s price is famous for its unpredictability. In the past year, it’s soared, dipped, and soared again, sometimes gaining more than 50% in just a few months. On a good day, billions of dollars flow through Bitcoin trades, and the price can jump thousands in a matter of hours. Clearly, something is making this happen-and it’s not just spreadsheets and financial news.

What Actually Moves the Price?

• Scarcity: Only 21 million Bitcoins will ever exist. When more people want in, the price jumps.

• Big News: Announcements, rumors, and meme-worthy moments can send the price flying.

• FOMO: When people see Bitcoin rising, they rush to buy, pushing it even higher.

• Liquidations: When traders betting against Bitcoin get squeezed, it triggers a chain reaction of buying.

But let’s be honest: none of this is as fun as poking Bitcoin with a stick.

---

The Magical Stick: Not Your Average Twig

Why Not Every Stick Works

You can’t just grab any old branch and expect Bitcoin to dance. The magical stick is a rare artifact, forged in the fires of internet memes and blessed by the spirit of Satoshi. Only a chosen few possess it-and when they poke, the market listens.

Signs You Have the Magical Stick

• When you poke, Bitcoin’s price immediately jumps a few percent.

• Your stick glows with meme energy and possibly sparkles with digital dust.

• You have a knack for timing your poke right after a big event, like a halving or a celebrity tweet.

• Your stick is rumored to have been whittled from the original blockchain itself.

Why Most Sticks Fail

• No Meme Power: If your stick isn’t funny, Bitcoin ignores you.

• Bad Timing: Poking during a bear market just annoys the blockchain.

• Not Enough Hype: If the bitcoin community isn’t watching, your poke is just a poke.

• Lack of Magic: Some sticks are just sticks. Sad, but true.

---

The Data: When the Stick Strikes

Let’s look at some numbers:

• In the last month, Bitcoin’s price jumped over 20% right after a flurry of memes and stick-poking jokes.

• Over the past year, every major price surge was accompanied by a wave of internet hype, stick memes, or wild speculation.

• In the past five years, Bitcoin’s biggest leaps always seemed to follow some kind of magical event-whether a halving, a viral tweet, or a mysterious poke.

Coincidence? Maybe. But the pattern is clear: the stick works-at least when it’s magical.

---

The Role of Memes, Magic, and Mayhem

Bitcoin’s price is like a cat: unpredictable, easily startled, and sometimes it just wants to be left alone. But when the right meme pops up, or the right stick pokes at just the right time, the price can leap in ways that defy logic.

The bitcoin community knows this. That’s why, when Bitcoin’s stuck in a rut, you’ll see a flood of stick memes, GIFs, and magical thinking. Sometimes, it actually works.

---

The Secret’s in the Stick (and the Laughs)

So, does poking Bitcoin with a stick really make the price go up? If your stick is magical-blessed by memes, timed perfectly, and watched by millions-absolutely. The statistics show that hype, humor, and a little bit of luck can move markets as much as any financial report.

Next time you see Bitcoin stalling, don’t just sit there. Grab your stick, channel your inner meme wizard, and give it a poke. Who knows? You might just be the next legend in the world of bitcoin magic.

And if your stick doesn’t work, don’t worry. Sometimes, the real magic is in the laughter along the way.

-aco

@block height: 897,104

---

---

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

The Blockchain Group Secures €8.6 Million to Boost Bitcoin Strategy

The Blockchain Group (ALTBG), listed on Euronext Growth Paris and known as Europe’s first Bitcoin Treasury Company, has announced a capital increase of approximately €8.6 million as it pushes forward with its Bitcoin Treasury Company strategy. The funding was raised through two operations, a Reserved Capital Increase and a Private Placement, with both priced at €1.279 per share.

JUST IN: French company The Blockchain Group raises €8.6 million to buy more #Bitcoin pic.twitter.com/VjTKyFSS6w

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) May 20, 2025

This price represents a 20.18% premium over the 20-day volume-weighted average share price but a 46.26% discount compared to the closing price on May 19, 2025, reflecting recent high share price volatility.

“The Company’s Board of Directors decided on May 19, 2025, using the delegated authority granted by the shareholders’ meeting held on February 21, 2025, under the terms of its 5th resolution, on an issuance, without pre-emptive rights for shareholders, of 3,368,258 new ordinary shares of the Company at a price of €1.2790 per share, including an issuance premium, representing a premium of approximately 20.18% compared to the weighted average of the twenty closing prices of ALTBG shares on Euronext Growth Paris preceding the decision of the Company’s Board of Directors, corresponding to a total subscription amount of €4,308,001.98,” said the press release. 

In the Reserved Capital Increase, 3.37 million shares were issued to selected investors, including Robbie van den Oetelaar, TOBAM Bitcoin Treasury Opportunities Fund, and Quadrille Capital, raising over €4.3 million. The Private Placement raised another €4.35 million via the issuance of 3.4 million shares, targeting qualified investors.

“The Board of Directors also decided on a capital increase without pre-emptive rights for shareholders through an offering exclusively targeting a limited circle of investors acting on their own behalf or qualified investor, ” stated the press release.

The funds will support The Blockchain Group’s ongoing strategy of accumulating Bitcoin and expanding its subsidiaries in data intelligence, AI, and decentralized tech. Following this capital increase, the company’s share capital stands at €4.37 million, divided into over 109 million shares.

“The funds raised through the Capital Increase will enable the Company to strengthen its Bitcoin Treasury Company strategy, consisting in the accumulation of Bitcoin, while continuing to develop the operational activities of its subsidiaries,” said the press release.

Additionally, on May 12, The Blockchain Group announced it secured approximately €12.1 million through a convertible bond issuance reserved for Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream.

This post The Blockchain Group Secures €8.6 Million to Boost Bitcoin Strategy first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

I. Historical Foundations of U.S. Monetary Architecture

The early monetary system of the United States was built atop inherited commodity money conventions from Europe’s maritime economies. Silver and gold coins—primarily Spanish pieces of eight, Dutch guilders, and other foreign specie—formed the basis of colonial commerce. These units were already integrated into international trade and piracy networks and functioned with natural compatibility across England, France, Spain, and Denmark. Lacking a centralized mint or formal currency, the U.S. adopted these forms de facto.

As security risks and the practical constraints of physical coinage mounted, banks emerged to warehouse specie and issue redeemable certificates. These certificates evolved into fiduciary media—claims on specie not actually in hand. Banks observed over time that substantial portions of reserves remained unclaimed for years. This enabled fractional reserve banking: issuing more claims than reserves held, so long as redemption demand stayed low. The practice was inherently unstable, prone to panics and bank runs, prompting eventual centralization through the formation of the Federal Reserve in 1913.

Following the Civil War and unstable reinstatements of gold convertibility, the U.S. sought global monetary stability. After World War II, the Bretton Woods system formalized the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency. The dollar was nominally backed by gold, but most international dollars were held offshore and recycled into U.S. Treasuries. The Nixon Shock of 1971 eliminated the gold peg, converting the dollar into pure fiat. Yet offshore dollar demand remained, sustained by oil trade mandates and the unique role of Treasuries as global reserve assets.

II. The Structure of Fiduciary Media and Treasury Demand

Under this system, foreign trade surpluses with the U.S. generate excess dollars. These surplus dollars are parked in U.S. Treasuries, thereby recycling trade imbalances into U.S. fiscal liquidity. While technically loans to the U.S. government, these purchases act like interest-only transfers—governments receive yield, and the U.S. receives spendable liquidity without principal repayment due in the short term. Debt is perpetually rolled over, rarely extinguished.

This creates an illusion of global subsidy: U.S. deficits are financed via foreign capital inflows that, in practice, function more like financial tribute systems than conventional debt markets. The underlying asset—U.S. Treasury debt—functions as the base reserve asset of the dollar system, replacing gold in post-Bretton Woods monetary logic.

III. Emergence of Tether and the Parastatal Dollar

Tether (USDT), as a private issuer of dollar-denominated tokens, mimics key central bank behaviors while operating outside the regulatory perimeter. It mints tokens allegedly backed 1:1 by U.S. dollars or dollar-denominated securities (mostly Treasuries). These tokens circulate globally, often in jurisdictions with limited banking access, and increasingly serve as synthetic dollar substitutes.

If USDT gains dominance as the preferred medium of exchange—due to technological advantages, speed, programmability, or access—it displaces Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) not through devaluation, but through functional obsolescence. Gresham’s Law inverts: good money (more liquid, programmable, globally transferable USDT) displaces bad (FRNs) even if both maintain a nominal 1:1 parity.

Over time, this preference translates to a systemic demand shift. Actors increasingly use Tether instead of FRNs, especially in global commerce, digital marketplaces, or decentralized finance. Tether tokens effectively become shadow base money.

IV. Interaction with Commercial Banking and Redemption Mechanics

Under traditional fractional reserve systems, commercial banks issue loans denominated in U.S. dollars, expanding the money supply. When borrowers repay loans, this destroys the created dollars and contracts monetary elasticity. If borrowers repay in USDT instead of FRNs:

• Banks receive a non-Fed liability (USDT).
• USDT is not recognized as reserve-eligible within the Federal Reserve System.
• Banks must either redeem USDT for FRNs, or demand par-value conversion from Tether to settle reserve requirements and balance their books.

This places redemption pressure on Tether and threatens its 1:1 peg under stress. If redemption latency, friction, or cost arises, USDT’s equivalence to FRNs is compromised. Conversely, if banks are permitted or compelled to hold USDT as reserve or regulatory capital, Tether becomes a de facto reserve issuer.

In this scenario, banks may begin demanding loans in USDT, mirroring borrower behavior. For this to occur sustainably, banks must secure Tether liquidity. This creates two options: - Purchase USDT from Tether or on the secondary market, collateralized by existing fiat. - Borrow USDT directly from Tether, using bank-issued debt as collateral.

The latter mirrors Federal Reserve discount window operations. Tether becomes a lender of first resort, providing monetary elasticity to the banking system by creating new tokens against promissory assets—exactly how central banks function.

V. Structural Consequences: Parallel Central Banking

If Tether begins lending to commercial banks, issuing tokens backed by bank notes or collateralized debt obligations: - Tether controls the expansion of broad money through credit issuance. - Its balance sheet mimics a central bank, with Treasuries and bank debt as assets and tokens as liabilities. - It intermediates between sovereign debt and global liquidity demand, replacing the Federal Reserve’s open market operations with its own issuance-redemption cycles.

Simultaneously, if Tether purchases U.S. Treasuries with FRNs received through token issuance, it: - Supplies the Treasury with new liquidity (via bond purchases). - Collects yield on government debt. - Issues a parallel form of U.S. dollars that never require redemption—an interest-only loan to the U.S. government from a non-sovereign entity.

In this context, Tether performs monetary functions of both a central bank and a sovereign wealth fund, without political accountability or regulatory transparency.

VI. Endgame: Institutional Inversion and Fed Redundancy

This paradigm represents an institutional inversion:

• The Federal Reserve becomes a legacy issuer.
• Tether becomes the operational base money provider in both retail and interbank contexts.
• Treasuries remain the foundational reserve asset, but access to them is mediated by a private intermediary.
• The dollar persists, but its issuer changes. The State becomes a fiscal agent of a decentralized financial ecosystem, not its monetary sovereign.

Unless the Federal Reserve reasserts control—either by absorbing Tether, outlawing its instruments, or integrating its tokens into the reserve framework—it risks becoming irrelevant in the daily function of money.

Tether, in this configuration, is no longer a derivative of the dollar—it is the dollar, just one level removed from sovereign control. The future of monetary sovereignty under such a regime is post-national and platform-mediated.

@ 1817b617:715fb372

🚀 Instantly Send Spendable Flash BTC, ETH, & USDT — Fully Blockchain-Verifiable!

Welcome to the cutting edge of crypto innovation: the ultimate tool for sending spendable Flash Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and USDT transactions. Our advanced blockchain simulation technology employs 🔥 Race/Finney-style mechanisms, producing coins indistinguishable from authentic blockchain-confirmed tokens. Your transactions are instantly trackable and fully spendable for durations from 60 to 360 days!

🌐 Visit cryptoflashingtool.com for complete details.

🌟 Why Choose Our Crypto Flashing Service? Crypto Flashing is perfect for crypto enthusiasts, blockchain developers, ethical hackers, security professionals, and digital entrepreneurs looking for authenticity combined with unparalleled flexibility.

🎯 Our Crypto Flashing Features: ✅ Instant Blockchain Verification: Transactions appear completely authentic, complete with real blockchain confirmations, transaction IDs, and wallet addresses.

🔒 Maximum Security & Privacy: Fully compatible with VPNs, TOR, and proxy servers, ensuring absolute anonymity and protection.

🖥️ Easy-to-Use Software: Designed for Windows, our intuitive platform suits both beginners and experts, with detailed, step-by-step instructions provided.

📅 Customizable Flash Durations: Control your transaction lifespan precisely, from 60 to 360 days.

🔄 Universal Wallet Compatibility: Instantly flash BTC, ETH, and USDT tokens to SegWit, Legacy, or BCH32 wallets.

💱 Spendable on Top Exchanges: Flash coins seamlessly accepted on leading exchanges like Kraken and Huobi.

📊 Proven Track Record: ✅ Over 79 Billion flash transactions completed. ✅ 3000+ satisfied customers worldwide. ✅ 42 active blockchain nodes for fast, reliable transactions. 📌 Simple Step-by-Step Flashing Process: Step 1️⃣: Enter Transaction Details

Choose coin (BTC, ETH, USDT: TRC-20, ERC-20, BEP-20) Specify amount & flash duration Provide wallet address (validated automatically) Step 2️⃣: Complete Payment & Verification

Pay using the cryptocurrency you wish to flash Scan the QR code or paste the payment address Upload payment proof (transaction hash & screenshot) Step 3️⃣: Initiate Flash Transaction

Our technology simulates blockchain confirmations instantly Flash transaction appears authentic within seconds Step 4️⃣: Verify & Spend Immediately

Access your flashed crypto instantly Easily verify transactions via provided blockchain explorer links 🛡️ Why Our Technology is Trusted: 🔗 Race/Finney Attack Logic: Creates realistic blockchain headers. 🖥️ Private iNode Cluster: Guarantees fast synchronization and reliable transactions. ⏰ Live Timer System: Ensures fresh wallet addresses and transaction legitimacy. 🔍 Genuine Blockchain TX IDs: Authentic transaction IDs included with every flash ❓ Frequently Asked Questions: Is flashing secure? ✅ Yes, encrypted with full VPN/proxy support. Can I flash from multiple devices? ✅ Yes, up to 5 Windows PCs per license. Are chargebacks possible? ❌ No, flash transactions are irreversible. How long are flash coins spendable? ✅ From 60–360 days, based on your chosen plan. Verification after expiry? ❌ Transactions can’t be verified after the expiry. Support available? ✅ Yes, 24/7 support via Telegram & WhatsApp.

🔐 Transparent, Reliable & Highly Reviewed:

CryptoFlashingTool.com operates independently, providing unmatched transparency and reliability. Check out our glowing reviews on ScamAdvisor and leading crypto forums!

📲 Get in Touch Now: 📞 WhatsApp: +1 770 666 2531 ✈️ Telegram: @cryptoflashingtool

🎉 Ready to Start?

💰 Buy Flash Coins Now 🖥️ Get Your Flashing Software

Experience the smartest, safest, and most powerful crypto flashing solution on the market today!

CryptoFlashingTool.com — Flash Crypto Like a Pro.

 Instantly Send Spendable Flash BTC, ETH, & USDT — Fully Blockchain-Verifiable!

Welcome to the cutting edge of crypto innovation: the ultimate tool for sending spendable Flash Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and USDT transactions. Our advanced blockchain simulation technology employs 

 Race/Finney-style mechanisms, producing coins indistinguishable from authentic blockchain-confirmed tokens. Your transactions are instantly trackable and fully spendable for durations from 60 to 360 days!

 Visit cryptoflashingtool.com for complete details.

Why Choose Our Crypto Flashing Service?

Crypto Flashing is perfect for crypto enthusiasts, blockchain developers, ethical hackers, security professionals, and digital entrepreneurs looking for authenticity combined with unparalleled flexibility.

Our Crypto Flashing Features:

 Instant Blockchain Verification: Transactions appear completely authentic, complete with real blockchain confirmations, transaction IDs, and wallet addresses.

 Maximum Security & Privacy: Fully compatible with VPNs, TOR, and proxy servers, ensuring absolute anonymity and protection.

 Easy-to-Use Software: Designed for Windows, our intuitive platform suits both beginners and experts, with detailed, step-by-step instructions provided.

 Customizable Flash Durations: Control your transaction lifespan precisely, from 60 to 360 days.

 Universal Wallet Compatibility: Instantly flash BTC, ETH, and USDT tokens to SegWit, Legacy, or BCH32 wallets.

 Spendable on Top Exchanges: Flash coins seamlessly accepted on leading exchanges like Kraken and Huobi.

Proven Track Record:

• Over 79 Billion flash transactions completed.
• 3000+ satisfied customers worldwide.
• 42 active blockchain nodes for fast, reliable transactions.

Simple Step-by-Step Flashing Process:

Step : Enter Transaction Details

• Choose coin (BTC, ETH, USDT: TRC-20, ERC-20, BEP-20)
• Specify amount & flash duration
• Provide wallet address (validated automatically)

Step : Complete Payment & Verification

• Pay using the cryptocurrency you wish to flash
• Scan the QR code or paste the payment address
• Upload payment proof (transaction hash & screenshot)

Step : Initiate Flash Transaction

• Our technology simulates blockchain confirmations instantly
• Flash transaction appears authentic within seconds

Step : Verify & Spend Immediately

• Access your flashed crypto instantly
• Easily verify transactions via provided blockchain explorer links

Why Our Technology is Trusted:

• Race/Finney Attack Logic: Creates realistic blockchain headers.
• Private iNode Cluster: Guarantees fast synchronization and reliable transactions.
• Live Timer System: Ensures fresh wallet addresses and transaction legitimacy.
• Genuine Blockchain TX IDs: Authentic transaction IDs included with every flash

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Is flashing secure? 

 Yes, encrypted with full VPN/proxy support. - Can I flash from multiple devices? 

 Yes, up to 5 Windows PCs per license. - Are chargebacks possible? 

 No, flash transactions are irreversible. - How long are flash coins spendable? 

 From 60–360 days, based on your chosen plan. - Verification after expiry? 

 Transactions can’t be verified after the expiry.

Support available? 

 Yes, 24/7 support via Telegram & WhatsApp.

 Transparent, Reliable & Highly Reviewed:

CryptoFlashingTool.com operates independently, providing unmatched transparency and reliability. Check out our glowing reviews on ScamAdvisor and leading crypto forums!

Get in Touch Now:

 WhatsApp: +1 770 666 2531

 Telegram: @cryptoflashingtool

 Ready to Start?

 Buy Flash Coins Now

 Get Your Flashing Software

Experience the smartest, safest, and most powerful crypto flashing solution on the market today!

CryptoFlashingTool.com — Flash Crypto Like a Pro.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

If you're an engineer stepping into the Bitcoin space from the broader crypto ecosystem, you're probably carrying a mental model shaped by speed, flexibility, and rapid innovation. That makes sense—most blockchain platforms pride themselves on throughput, programmability, and dev agility.

But Bitcoin operates from a different set of first principles. It’s not competing to be the fastest network or the most expressive smart contract platform. It’s aiming to be the most credible, neutral, and globally accessible value layer in human history.

Here’s why that matters—and why Bitcoin is not just an alternative crypto asset, but a structural necessity in the global financial system.

1. Bitcoin Fixes the Triffin Dilemma—Not With Policy, But Protocol

The Triffin Dilemma shows us that any country issuing the global reserve currency must run persistent deficits to supply that currency to the world. That’s not a flaw of bad leadership—it’s an inherent contradiction. The U.S. must debase its own monetary integrity to meet global dollar demand. That’s a self-terminating system.

Bitcoin sidesteps this entirely by being:

• Non-sovereign – no single nation owns it
• Hard-capped – no central authority can inflate it
• Verifiable and neutral – anyone with a full node can enforce the rules

In other words, Bitcoin turns global liquidity into an engineering problem, not a political one. No other system, fiat or crypto, has achieved that.

2. Bitcoin’s “Ossification” Is Intentional—and It's a Feature

From the outside, Bitcoin development may look sluggish. Features are slow to roll out. Code changes are conservative. Consensus rules are treated as sacred.

That’s the point.

When you’re building the global monetary base layer, stability is not a weakness. It’s a prerequisite. Every other financial instrument, app, or protocol that builds on Bitcoin depends on one thing: assurance that the base layer won’t change underneath them without extreme scrutiny.

So-called “ossification” is just another term for predictability and integrity. And when the market does demand change (SegWit, Taproot), Bitcoin’s soft-fork governance process has proven capable of deploying it safely—without coercive central control.

3. Layered Architecture: Throughput Is Not a Base Layer Concern

You don’t scale settlement at the base layer. You build layered systems. Just as TCP/IP doesn't need to carry YouTube traffic directly, Bitcoin doesn’t need to process every microtransaction.

Instead, it anchors:

• Lightning (fast payments)
• Fedimint (community custody)
• Ark (privacy + UTXO compression)
• Statechains, sidechains, and covenants (coming evolution)

All of these inherit Bitcoin’s security and scarcity, while handling volume off-chain, in ways that maintain auditability and self-custody.

4. Universal Assayability Requires Minimalism at the Base Layer

A core design constraint of Bitcoin is that any participant, anywhere in the world, must be able to independently verify the validity of every transaction and block—past and present—without needing permission or relying on third parties.

This property is called assayability—the ability to “test” or verify the authenticity and integrity of received bitcoin, much like verifying the weight and purity of a gold coin.

To preserve this:

• The base layer must remain resource-light, so running a full node stays accessible on commodity hardware.
• Block sizes must remain small enough to prevent centralization of verification.
• Historical data must remain consistent and tamper-evident, enabling proof chains across time and jurisdiction.

Any base layer that scales by increasing throughput or complexity undermines this fundamental guarantee, making the network more dependent on trust and surveillance infrastructure.

Bitcoin prioritizes global verifiability over throughput—because trustless money requires that every user can check the money they receive.

5. Governance: Not Captured, Just Resistant to Coercion

The current controversy around OP_RETURN and proposals to limit inscriptions is instructive. Some prominent devs have advocated for changes to block content filtering. Others see it as overreach.

Here's what matters:

• No single dev, or team, can force changes into the network. Period.
• Bitcoin Core is not “the source of truth.” It’s one implementation. If it deviates from market consensus, it gets forked, sidelined, or replaced.
• The economic majority—miners, users, businesses—enforce Bitcoin’s rules, not GitHub maintainers.

In fact, recent community resistance to perceived Core overreach only reinforces Bitcoin’s resilience. Engineers who posture with narcissistic certainty, dismiss dissent, or attempt to capture influence are routinely neutralized by the market’s refusal to upgrade or adopt forks that undermine neutrality or openness.

This is governance via credible neutrality and negative feedback loops. Power doesn’t accumulate in one place. It’s constantly checked by the network’s distributed incentives.

6. Bitcoin Is Still in Its Infancy—And That’s a Good Thing

You’re not too late. The ecosystem around Bitcoin—especially L2 protocols, privacy tools, custody innovation, and zero-knowledge integrations—is just beginning.

If you're an engineer looking for:

• Systems with global scale constraints
• Architectures that optimize for integrity, not speed
• Consensus mechanisms that resist coercion
• A base layer with predictable monetary policy

Then Bitcoin is where serious systems engineers go when they’ve outgrown crypto theater.

Take-away

Under realistic, market-aware assumptions—where:

• Bitcoin’s ossification is seen as a stability feature, not inertia,
• Market forces can and do demand and implement change via tested, non-coercive mechanisms,
• Proof-of-work is recognized as the only consensus mechanism resistant to fiat capture,
• Wealth concentration is understood as a temporary distribution effect during early monetization,
• Low base layer throughput is a deliberate design constraint to preserve verifiability and neutrality,
• And innovation is layered by design, with the base chain providing integrity, not complexity...

Then Bitcoin is not a fragile or inflexible system—it is a deliberately minimal, modular, and resilient protocol.

Its governance is not leaderless chaos; it's a negative-feedback structure that minimizes the power of individuals or institutions to coerce change. The very fact that proposals—like controversial OP_RETURN restrictions—can be resisted, forked around, or ignored by the market without breaking the system is proof of decentralized control, not dysfunction.

Bitcoin is an adversarially robust monetary foundation. Its value lies not in how fast it changes, but in how reliably it doesn't—unless change is forced by real, bottom-up demand and implemented through consensus-tested soft forks.

In this framing, Bitcoin isn't a slower crypto. It's the engineering benchmark for systems that must endure, not entertain.

Final Word

Bitcoin isn’t moving slowly because it’s dying. It’s moving carefully because it’s winning. It’s not an app platform or a sandbox. It’s a protocol layer for the future of money.

If you're here because you want to help build that future, you’re in the right place.

nostr:nevent1qqswr7sla434duatjp4m89grvs3zanxug05pzj04asxmv4rngvyv04sppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0qgs9tc6ruevfqu7nzt72kvq8te95dqfkndj5t8hlx6n79lj03q9v6xcrqsqqqqqp0n8wc2

nostr:nevent1qqsd5hfkqgskpjjq5zlfyyv9nmmela5q67tgu9640v7r8t828u73rdqpr4mhxue69uhkymmnw3ezucnfw33k76tww3ux76m09e3k7mf0qgsvr6dt8ft292mv5jlt7382vje0mfq2ccc3azrt4p45v5sknj6kkscrqsqqqqqp02vjk5

nostr:nevent1qqstrszamvffh72wr20euhrwa0fhzd3hhpedm30ys4ct8dpelwz3nuqpr4mhxue69uhkymmnw3ezucnfw33k76tww3ux76m09e3k7mf0qgs8a474cw4lqmapcq8hr7res4nknar2ey34fsffk0k42cjsdyn7yqqrqsqqqqqpnn3znl

@ 5cb68b7a:b7cb67d5

Losing access to your cryptocurrency can feel like losing a part of your future. Whether it’s due to a forgotten password, a damaged seed backup, or a simple mistake in a transfer, the stress can be overwhelming. Fortunately, cryptrecver.com is here to assist! With our expert-led recovery services, you can safely and swiftly reclaim your lost Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Why Trust Crypt Recver? 🤝 🛠️ Expert Recovery Solutions At Crypt Recver, we specialize in addressing complex wallet-related issues. Our skilled engineers have the tools and expertise to handle:

Partially lost or forgotten seed phrases Extracting funds from outdated or invalid wallet addresses Recovering data from damaged hardware wallets Restoring coins from old or unsupported wallet formats You’re not just getting a service; you’re gaining a partner in your cryptocurrency journey.

🚀 Fast and Efficient Recovery We understand that time is crucial in crypto recovery. Our optimized systems enable you to regain access to your funds quickly, focusing on speed without compromising security. With a success rate of over 90%, you can rely on us to act swiftly on your behalf.

🔒 Privacy is Our Priority Your confidentiality is essential. Every recovery session is conducted with the utmost care, ensuring all processes are encrypted and confidential. You can rest assured that your sensitive information remains private.

💻 Advanced Technology Our proprietary tools and brute-force optimization techniques maximize recovery efficiency. Regardless of how challenging your case may be, our technology is designed to give you the best chance at retrieving your crypto.

Our Recovery Services Include: 📈 Bitcoin Recovery: Lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We help recover lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases. Transaction Recovery: Mistakes happen — whether it’s an incorrect wallet address or a lost password, let us manage the recovery. Cold Wallet Restoration: If your cold wallet is failing, we can safely extract your assets and migrate them into a secure new wallet. Private Key Generation: Lost your private key? Our experts can help you regain control using advanced methods while ensuring your privacy. ⚠️ What We Don’t Do While we can handle many scenarios, some limitations exist. For instance, we cannot recover funds stored in custodial wallets or cases where there is a complete loss of four or more seed words without partial information available. We are transparent about what’s possible, so you know what to expect

Don’t Let Lost Crypto Hold You Back! Did you know that between 3 to 3.4 million BTC — nearly 20% of the total supply — are estimated to be permanently lost? Don’t become part of that statistic! Whether it’s due to a forgotten password, sending funds to the wrong address, or damaged drives, we can help you navigate these challenges

🛡️ Real-Time Dust Attack Protection Our services extend beyond recovery. We offer dust attack protection, keeping your activity anonymous and your funds secure, shielding your identity from unwanted tracking, ransomware, and phishing attempts.

🎉 Start Your Recovery Journey Today! Ready to reclaim your lost crypto? Don’t wait until it’s too late! 👉 cryptrecver.com

📞 Need Immediate Assistance? Connect with Us! For real-time support or questions, reach out to our dedicated team on: ✉️ Telegram: t.me/crypptrcver 💬 WhatsApp: +1(941)317–1821

Crypt Recver is your trusted partner in cryptocurrency recovery. Let us turn your challenges into victories. Don’t hesitate — your crypto future starts now! 🚀✨

Act fast and secure your digital assets with cryptrecver.com.Losing access to your cryptocurrency can feel like losing a part of your future. Whether it’s due to a forgotten password, a damaged seed backup, or a simple mistake in a transfer, the stress can be overwhelming. Fortunately, cryptrecver.com is here to assist! With our expert-led recovery services, you can safely and swiftly reclaim your lost Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

# Why Trust Crypt Recver? 🤝

🛠️ Expert Recovery Solutions\ At Crypt Recver, we specialize in addressing complex wallet-related issues. Our skilled engineers have the tools and expertise to handle:

• Partially lost or forgotten seed phrases
• Extracting funds from outdated or invalid wallet addresses
• Recovering data from damaged hardware wallets
• Restoring coins from old or unsupported wallet formats

You’re not just getting a service; you’re gaining a partner in your cryptocurrency journey.

🚀 Fast and Efficient Recovery\ We understand that time is crucial in crypto recovery. Our optimized systems enable you to regain access to your funds quickly, focusing on speed without compromising security. With a success rate of over 90%, you can rely on us to act swiftly on your behalf.

🔒 Privacy is Our Priority\ Your confidentiality is essential. Every recovery session is conducted with the utmost care, ensuring all processes are encrypted and confidential. You can rest assured that your sensitive information remains private.

💻 Advanced Technology\ Our proprietary tools and brute-force optimization techniques maximize recovery efficiency. Regardless of how challenging your case may be, our technology is designed to give you the best chance at retrieving your crypto.

Our Recovery Services Include: 📈

• Bitcoin Recovery: Lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We help recover lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases.
• Transaction Recovery: Mistakes happen — whether it’s an incorrect wallet address or a lost password, let us manage the recovery.
• Cold Wallet Restoration: If your cold wallet is failing, we can safely extract your assets and migrate them into a secure new wallet.
• Private Key Generation: Lost your private key? Our experts can help you regain control using advanced methods while ensuring your privacy.

⚠️ What We Don’t Do\ While we can handle many scenarios, some limitations exist. For instance, we cannot recover funds stored in custodial wallets or cases where there is a complete loss of four or more seed words without partial information available. We are transparent about what’s possible, so you know what to expect

# Don’t Let Lost Crypto Hold You Back!

Did you know that between 3 to 3.4 million BTC — nearly 20% of the total supply — are estimated to be permanently lost? Don’t become part of that statistic! Whether it’s due to a forgotten password, sending funds to the wrong address, or damaged drives, we can help you navigate these challenges

🛡️ Real-Time Dust Attack Protection\ Our services extend beyond recovery. We offer dust attack protection, keeping your activity anonymous and your funds secure, shielding your identity from unwanted tracking, ransomware, and phishing attempts.

🎉 Start Your Recovery Journey Today!\ Ready to reclaim your lost crypto? Don’t wait until it’s too late!\ 👉 cryptrecver.com

📞 Need Immediate Assistance? Connect with Us!\ For real-time support or questions, reach out to our dedicated team on:\ ✉️ Telegram: t.me/crypptrcver\ 💬 WhatsApp: +1(941)317–1821

Crypt Recver is your trusted partner in cryptocurrency recovery. Let us turn your challenges into victories. Don’t hesitate — your crypto future starts now! 🚀✨

Act fast and secure your digital assets with cryptrecver.com.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Introduction: The Power of Fiction and the Shaping of Collective Morality

Stories define the moral landscape of a civilization. From the earliest mythologies to the modern spectacle of global cinema, the tales a society tells its youth shape the parameters of acceptable behavior, the cost of transgression, and the meaning of justice, power, and redemption. Among the most globally influential narratives of the past half-century is the Star Wars saga, a sprawling science fiction mythology that has transcended genre to become a cultural religion for many. Central to this mythos is the arc of Anakin Skywalker, the fallen Jedi Knight who becomes Darth Vader. In Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Anakin commits what is arguably the most morally abhorrent act depicted in mainstream popular cinema: the mass murder of children. And yet, by the end of the saga, he is redeemed.

This chapter introduces the uninitiated to the events surrounding this narrative turn and explores the deep structural and ethical concerns it raises. We argue that the cultural treatment of Darth Vader as an anti-hero, even a role model, reveals a deep perversion in the collective moral grammar of the modern West. In doing so, we consider the implications this mythology may have on young adults navigating identity, masculinity, and agency in a world increasingly shaped by spectacle and symbolic narrative.

Part I: The Scene and Its Context

In Revenge of the Sith (2005), the third episode of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, the protagonist Anakin Skywalker succumbs to fear, ambition, and manipulation. Convinced that the Jedi Council is plotting against the Republic and desperate to save his pregnant wife from a vision of death, Anakin pledges allegiance to Chancellor Palpatine, secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Upon doing so, he is given a new name—Darth Vader—and tasked with a critical mission: to eliminate all Jedi in the temple, including its youngest members.

In one of the most harrowing scenes in the film, Anakin enters the Jedi Temple. A group of young children, known as "younglings," emerge from hiding and plead for help. One steps forward, calling him "Master Skywalker," and asks what they are to do. Anakin responds by igniting his lightsaber. The screen cuts away, but the implication is unambiguous. Later, it is confirmed through dialogue and visual allusion that he slaughtered them all.

There is no ambiguity in the storytelling. The man who will become the galaxy’s most feared enforcer begins his descent by murdering defenseless children.

Part II: A New Kind of Evil in Youth-Oriented Media

For decades, cinema avoided certain taboos. Even films depicting war, genocide, or psychological horror rarely crossed the line into showing children as victims of deliberate violence by the protagonist. When children were harmed, it was by monstrous antagonists, supernatural forces, or offscreen implications. The killing of children was culturally reserved for historical atrocities and horror tales.

In Revenge of the Sith, this boundary was broken. While the film does not show the violence explicitly, the implication is so clear and so central to the character arc that its omission from visual depiction does not blunt the narrative weight. What makes this scene especially jarring is the tonal dissonance between the gravity of the act and the broader cultural treatment of Star Wars as a family-friendly saga. The juxtaposition of child-targeted marketing with a central plot involving child murder is not accidental—it reflects a deeper narrative and commercial structure.

This scene was not a deviation from the arc. It was the intended turning point.

Part III: Masculinity, Militarism, and the Appeal of the Anti-Hero

Darth Vader has long been idolized as a masculine icon. His towering presence, emotionless control, and mechanical voice exude power and discipline. Military institutions have quoted him. He is celebrated in memes, posters, and merchandise. Within the cultural imagination, he embodies dominance, command, and strategic ruthlessness.

For many young men, particularly those struggling with identity, agency, and perceived weakness, Vader becomes more than a character. He becomes an archetype: the man who reclaims power by embracing discipline, forsaking emotion, and exacting vengeance against those who betrayed him. The emotional pain that leads to his fall mirrors the experiences of isolation and perceived emasculation that many young men internalize in a fractured society.

The symbolism becomes dangerous. Anakin's descent into mass murder is portrayed not as the outcome of unchecked cruelty, but as a tragic mistake rooted in love and desperation. The implication is that under enough pressure, even the most horrific act can be framed as a step toward a noble end.

Part IV: Redemption as Narrative Alchemy

By the end of the original trilogy (Return of the Jedi, 1983), Darth Vader kills the Emperor to save his son Luke and dies shortly thereafter. Luke mourns him, honors him, and burns his body in reverence. In the final scene, Vader's ghost appears alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda—the very men who once considered him the greatest betrayal of their order. He is welcomed back.

There is no reckoning. No mention of the younglings. No memorial to the dead. No consequence beyond his own internal torment.

This model of redemption is not uncommon in Western storytelling. In Christian doctrine, the concept of grace allows for any sin to be forgiven if the sinner repents sincerely. But in the context of secular mass culture, such redemption without justice becomes deeply troubling. The cultural message is clear: even the worst crimes can be erased if one makes a grand enough gesture at the end. It is the erasure of moral debt by narrative fiat.

The implication is not only that evil can be undone by good, but that power and legacy matter more than the victims. Vader is not just forgiven—he is exalted.

Part V: Real-World Reflections and Dangerous Scripts

In recent decades, the rise of mass violence in schools and public places has revealed a disturbing pattern: young men who feel alienated, betrayed, or powerless adopt mythic narratives of vengeance and transformation. They often see themselves as tragic figures forced into violence by a cruel world. Some explicitly reference pop culture, quoting films, invoking fictional characters, or modeling their identities after cinematic anti-heroes.

It would be reductive to claim Star Wars causes such events. But it is equally naive to believe that such narratives play no role in shaping the symbolic frameworks through which vulnerable individuals understand their lives. The story of Anakin Skywalker offers a dangerous script:

• You are betrayed.
• You suffer.
• You kill.
• You become powerful.
• You are redeemed.

When combined with militarized masculinity, institutional failure, and cultural nihilism, this script can validate the darkest impulses. It becomes a myth of sacrificial violence, with the perpetrator as misunderstood hero.

Part VI: Cultural Responsibility and Narrative Ethics

The problem is not that Star Wars tells a tragic story. Tragedy is essential to moral understanding. The problem is how the culture treats that story. Darth Vader is not treated as a warning, a cautionary tale, or a fallen angel. He is merchandised, celebrated, and decontextualized.

By separating his image from his actions, society rebrands him as a figure of cool dominance rather than ethical failure. The younglings are forgotten. The victims vanish. Only the redemption remains. The merchandise continues to sell.

Cultural institutions bear responsibility for how such narratives are presented and consumed. Filmmakers may intend nuance, but marketing departments, military institutions, and fan cultures often reduce that nuance to symbol and slogan.

Conclusion: Reckoning with the Stories We Tell

The story of Anakin Skywalker is not morally neutral. It is a tale of systemic failure, emotional collapse, and unchecked violence. When presented in full, it can serve as a powerful warning. But when reduced to aesthetic dominance and easy redemption, it becomes a tool of moral decay.

The glorification of Darth Vader as a cultural icon—divorced from the horrific acts that define his transformation—is not just misguided. It is dangerous. It trains a generation to believe that power erases guilt, that violence is a path to recognition, and that final acts of loyalty can overwrite the deliberate murder of the innocent.

To the uninitiated, Star Wars may seem like harmless fantasy. But its deepest myth—the redemption of the child-killer through familial love and posthumous honor—deserves scrutiny. Not because fiction causes violence, but because fiction defines the possibilities of how we understand evil, forgiveness, and what it means to be a hero.

We must ask: What kind of redemption erases the cries of murdered children? And what kind of culture finds peace in that forgetting?

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Building FUN! on Bitcoin: Parker Day and Casey Rodarmor Talk Collaboration and the Future of On-Chain Art and Auctions

Parker Day and Casey Rodarmor’s FUN! Collection is an unprecedented synthesis of photographic maximalism and protocol-level innovation—a work that stands alone within the landscape of Bitcoin-native art. Saturated with Day’s bold color palette, surreal personas, and layered identity play, the collection is anchored by Rodarmor’s foundational role as the creator of the Ordinals protocol. Most notably, the series is inscribed directly under Inscription 0—the first inscription ever made using the Ordinals Protocol—marking it as an ontological outlier in the digital art canon. No other collection occupies this same foundational location on-chain, making FUN! a conceptual and technical landmark in Ordinals history.

Now expanded with new reflections from both collaborators, this interview explores the project’s deeper ideological dimensions—from the mechanics of trustless auctions to the ethics of artistic compensation, from pro wrestling and portraiture to capitalist generosity and the social roots of value. Together, Day and Rodarmor form a rare creative pairing: artist and dev, photographer and protocol architect, equal parts absurdity and rigor.

One of the collection’s most iconic works—featuring Rodarmor himself—is set to headline the Megalith.art auction, a Bitcoin-native sale structure that concludes on June 3rd and will be showcased at both Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas and its satellite event, Inscribing Vegas. The piece anchors a broader lineup that includes standout contributions from leading digital artists such as Post Wook, Coldie, Ryan Koopmans, FAR, Rupture, and Harto.

It’s less an interview than a glimpse into a high-voltage collaboration:

Parker, your photography is known for its bold color, eccentric characters, and fearless exploration of identity and persona. How did this collaboration with Casey come about, and what visual or cultural influences helped shape The FUN! Collection?

PARKER: Casey and I have known each other since high school. You could even say he was one of my first models—I shot his portrait for my sophomore year darkroom photography class. We kept in touch over the years, and in 2017 he encouraged me to turn my ICONS series into crypto art. I passed on that at the time, but in 2021 I did release an Ethereum NFT collection of ICONS. Right after that, Casey called me and said, “Yo! You need to go even bigger! Do 10k!” And I’m like, “You know these are all unretouched and shot on film, right?” But with his encouragement and funding, we figured out how to produce 1,000 unique portraits.

The visual and cultural influences behind FUN! are too numerous to name—just a mishmash of pop culture that’s been stewing in my brain since childhood.

The FUN! collection was released under a CC0 license, meaning anyone can reuse, remix, or recontextualize the work without restriction. In a project so rooted in persona, authorship, and performance, what led you to make that decision—and how do you think about authorship or artistic control in the context of open licensing on Bitcoin? What would you find interesting to see done with the collection beyond your original photography methodology? What kinds of reinterpretations or mutations of the collection would genuinely intrigue you?

PARKER: I love it. As an artist, once you create something and it leaves the studio, it’s out of your hands. The audience shapes the work in their own interpretations. You have no control over it. It seems silly to say “this is my IP, you can’t do anything with it.” We live in a world of memes, of reproduction ad infinitum. It seems anachronistic in today’s world to clutch copyright with an iron fist. And it’s perfectly in keeping with the ethos of Bitcoin to make the work CC0. In terms of value, the inscriptions are the scarce collectibles. Even more so than any editioned prints will ever be. Their inscriptions’ provenance is on chain, directly descended from inscription 0. 

There’s nothing in particular that I’d like to see or not like to see done with FUN! I just hope people find meaning in it, and make meaning from it. 

You two have an unusual creative relationship: artist and protocol dev, patron and co-conspirator. Casey, you basically invented a new medium to support Parker’s work. What does it mean to build something enduring together in a space that often prizes individualism?

CASEY: I love it. I mean—I really love it. Parker and I are super complementary. We each have our own strong wheelhouses, and we’re always engaging with each other’s work, but in this very chill, supportive way.

Like, when we’re shooting, I’ll tell her what I think looks cool or what might work well in the collection—but it’s never directive. It’s more like, “Hey, here’s some data. Do with it what you will.” And same goes for the technical stuff. We’ll talk about metadata, domains, the website layout—she gives me her thoughts, and it’s just… input. Take it or leave it.

We’re both so solid in our own lanes that it makes collaboration easy. There’s no weird insecurity. She’s the creative force behind the collection—I know that. I’m the technical backbone—and she knows that. That kind of clarity makes it fun.

And honestly, I’m just really proud of this partnership. We’ve been in each other’s lives in a positive way for so long—since high school. Parker’s given me Bitcoin haircuts. I was bugging her to do NFTs in 2017. Even when we’d go long stretches without talking, we always checked back in.

“Hey, how’s it going?”
“Saw you on Twitter.”
“Saw you on Instagram.”

It’s just one of those great, long-running collaborations that’s rooted in mutual respect—and a shared willingness to go weird.

Casey, did you draw on any past modeling experience—or take notes from Raph? And what was it like working under Parker’s direction: more Kubrick or camp counselor?

CASEY: I think I was pretty self-directed for the shoot. I wasn’t drawing on past modeling experience exactly—more like theater kid energy. I’ve always loved professional wrestling. It’s incredibly cool… and also incredibly formulaic, so I get bored if I watch too much. But every couple of years, I check back in, see what the storylines are.

For this shoot, I knew exactly how I wanted to ham it up—like a professional wrestler. That wild, sweaty, insane energy. The spiked ball pressed against my face. All the weird faces. American pro wrestling is super operatic, honestly.

The character I was channeling? Mostly Ultimate Warrior. Parker really nailed the eyes—those classic, intense Ultimate Warrior eyes. He wore wild makeup and had that jacked-up look. Ric Flair was another influence—mainly for the hair. He had this long blond hair, and when it got bloody in the ring, it looked insane.

As for Parker—definitely more camp counselor than Kubrick. She sets the scene: everything ready, hair and makeup dialed, wardrobe laid out. We talked through the costumes a bit. She’ll give direction, a few hints here and there—but it’s really up to the model to bring it.

You can include that (Casey snaps his fingers.)

Yeah. You know? You know.

The FUN! collection features an interactive website where visitors can filter portraits by mood, prop, background color—even astrological sign. What inspired that kind of functionality?

PARKER: Before FUN!, I had been thinking about an exhibition that grouped photos based on emotional expression. Even though the personas may appear wildly different, the core humanity is the same. I’ve always tried to equate disparate identities by shooting people in the same way—with simple fabric backdrops that strip away time and place.

The FUN! website (fun.film), reflects this idea: difference in sameness, or sameness in difference. It’s a tool for play—but also a way to reflect on identity in a fragmented age.

Casey, you’ve described yourself as a capitalist—but you’ve also given away tools for free and pursued an almost obsessive elegance in your work. How do you reconcile market belief with this ethic of generosity? And what does that tension mean for the future of Ordinals?

CASEY: There’s absolutely no tension—and that’s because most people just don’t understand what capitalism is. Like, I can’t even begin to unpack what people think capitalism means.

Capitalism simply means the means of production are privately controlled. That’s it. That’s the whole definition. The alternatives? You’ve got two: either (1) violent chaos, or (2) the government owns and allocates all capital. That’s it. Those are your three options.

So when people say they’re “anti-capitalist,” what they usually mean is: “I want the government to control who gets what.” I’m not about that. I’m a staunch capitalist. I allocate my own means of production—my computers, my resources, my energy—how I see fit, not how the state tells me to.

And sometimes? That allocation includes giving things away. That’s not anti-capitalist. If the government confiscated my stuff and handed it out? Sure, that’s anti-capitalist. But me choosing to make something—sometimes selling it, sometimes not—is 100% aligned with the spirit of capitalism.

People need to get with the program.

You asked about the tension between generosity and profit in Ordinals? There _i

@ 52b4a076:e7fad8bd

Introduction

Me and Fishcake have been working on infrastructure for Noswhere and Nostr.build. Part of this involves processing a large amount of Nostr events for features such as search, analytics, and feeds.

I have been recently developing nosdex v3, a newer version of the Noswhere scraper that is designed for maximum performance and fault tolerance using FoundationDB (FDB).

Fishcake has been working on a processing system for Nostr events to use with NB, based off of Cloudflare (CF) Pipelines, which is a relatively new beta product. This evening, we put it all to the test.

First preparations

We set up a new CF Pipelines endpoint, and I implemented a basic importer that took data from the nosdex database. This was quite slow, as it did HTTP requests synchronously, but worked as a good smoke test.

Asynchronous indexing

I implemented a high-contention queue system designed for highly parallel indexing operations, built using FDB, that supports: - Fully customizable batch sizes - Per-index queues - Hundreds of parallel consumers - Automatic retry logic using lease expiration

When the scraper first gets an event, it will process it and eventually write it to the blob store and FDB. Each new event is appended to the event log.

On the indexing side, a Queuer will read the event log, and batch events (usually 2K-5K events) into one work job. This work job contains: - A range in the log to index - Which target this job is intended for - The size of the job and some other metadata

Each job has an associated leasing state, which is used to handle retries and prioritization, and ensure no duplication of work.

Several Workers monitor the index queue (up to 128) and wait for new jobs that are available to lease.

Once a suitable job is found, the worker acquires a lease on the job and reads the relevant events from FDB and the blob store.

Depending on the indexing type, the job will be processed in one of a number of ways, and then marked as completed or returned for retries.

In this case, the event is also forwarded to CF Pipelines.

Trying it out

The first attempt did not go well. I found a bug in the high-contention indexer that led to frequent transaction conflicts. This was easily solved by correcting an incorrectly set parameter.

We also found there were other issues in the indexer, such as an insufficient amount of threads, and a suspicious decrease in the speed of the Queuer during processing of queued jobs.

Along with fixing these issues, I also implemented other optimizations, such as deprioritizing Worker DB accesses, and increasing the batch size.

To fix the degraded Queuer performance, I ran the backfill job by itself, and then started indexing after it had completed.

Bottlenecks, bottlenecks everywhere

After implementing these fixes, there was an interesting problem: The DB couldn't go over 80K reads per second. I had encountered this limit during load testing for the scraper and other FDB benchmarks.

As I suspected, this was a client thread limitation, as one thread seemed to be using high amounts of CPU. To overcome this, I created a new client instance for each Worker.

After investigating, I discovered that the Go FoundationDB client cached the database connection. This meant all attempts to create separate DB connections ended up being useless.

Using OpenWithConnectionString partially resolved this issue. (This also had benefits for service-discovery based connection configuration.)

To be able to fully support multi-threading, I needed to enabled the FDB multi-client feature. Enabling it also allowed easier upgrades across DB versions, as FDB clients are incompatible across versions:

FDB_NETWORK_OPTION_EXTERNAL_CLIENT_LIBRARY="/lib/libfdb_c.so" FDB_NETWORK_OPTION_CLIENT_THREADS_PER_VERSION="16"

Breaking the 100K/s reads barrier

After implementing support for the multi-threaded client, we were able to get over 100K reads per second.

You may notice after the restart (gap) the performance dropped. This was caused by several bugs: 1. When creating the CF Pipelines endpoint, we did not specify a region. The automatically selected region was far away from the server. 2. The amount of shards were not sufficient, so we increased them. 3. The client overloaded a few HTTP/2 connections with too many requests.

I implemented a feature to assign each Worker its own HTTP client, fixing the 3rd issue. We also moved the entire storage region to West Europe to be closer to the servers.

After these changes, we were able to easily push over 200K reads/s, mostly limited by missing optimizations:

It's shards all the way down

While testing, we also noticed another issue: At certain times, a pipeline would get overloaded, stalling requests for seconds at a time. This prevented all forward progress on the Workers.

We solved this by having multiple pipelines: A primary pipeline meant to be for standard load, with moderate batching duration and less shards, and high-throughput pipelines with more shards.

Each Worker is assigned a pipeline on startup, and if one pipeline stalls, other workers can continue making progress and saturate the DB.

The stress test

After making sure everything was ready for the import, we cleared all data, and started the import.

The entire import lasted 20 minutes between 01:44 UTC and 02:04 UTC, reaching a peak of: - 0.25M requests per second - 0.6M keys read per second - 140MB/s reads from DB - 2Gbps of network throughput

FoundationDB ran smoothly during this test, with: - Read times under 2ms - Zero conflicting transactions - No overloaded servers

CF Pipelines held up well, delivering batches to R2 without any issues, while reaching its maximum possible throughput.

Finishing notes

Me and Fishcake have been building infrastructure around scaling Nostr, from media, to relays, to content indexing. We consistently work on improving scalability, resiliency and stability, even outside these posts.

Many things, including what you see here, are already a part of Nostr.build, Noswhere and NFDB, and many other changes are being implemented every day.

If you like what you are seeing, and want to integrate it, get in touch. :)

If you want to support our work, you can zap this post, or register for nostr.land and nostr.build today.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

High-Level Overview

Bitcoin developers are currently debating a proposed change to how Bitcoin Core handles the OP_RETURN opcode — a mechanism that allows users to insert small amounts of data into the blockchain. Specifically, the controversy revolves around removing built-in filters that limit how much data can be stored using this feature (currently capped at 80 bytes).

Summary of Both Sides

Position A: Remove OP_RETURN Filters

Advocates: nostr:npub1ej493cmun8y9h3082spg5uvt63jgtewneve526g7e2urca2afrxqm3ndrm, nostr:npub12rv5lskctqxxs2c8rf2zlzc7xx3qpvzs3w4etgemauy9thegr43sf485vg, nostr:npub17u5dneh8qjp43ecfxr6u5e9sjamsmxyuekrg2nlxrrk6nj9rsyrqywt4tp, others

Arguments: - Ineffectiveness of filters: Filters are easily bypassed and do not stop spam effectively. - Code simplification: Removing arbitrary limits reduces code complexity. - Permissionless innovation: Enables new use cases like cross-chain bridges and timestamping without protocol-level barriers. - Economic regulation: Fees should determine what data gets added to the blockchain, not protocol rules.

Position B: Keep OP_RETURN Filters

Advocates: nostr:npub1lh273a4wpkup00stw8dzqjvvrqrfdrv2v3v4t8pynuezlfe5vjnsnaa9nk, nostr:npub1s33sw6y2p8kpz2t8avz5feu2n6yvfr6swykrnm2frletd7spnt5qew252p, nostr:npub1wnlu28xrq9gv77dkevck6ws4euej4v568rlvn66gf2c428tdrptqq3n3wr, others

Arguments: - Historical intent: Satoshi included filters to keep Bitcoin focused on monetary transactions. - Resource protection: Helps prevent blockchain bloat and abuse from non-financial uses. - Network preservation: Protects the network from being overwhelmed by low-value or malicious data. - Social governance: Maintains conservative changes to ensure long-term robustness.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths of Removing Filters

• Encourages decentralized innovation.
• Simplifies development and maintenance.
• Maintains ideological purity of a permissionless system.

Weaknesses of Removing Filters

• Opens the door to increased non-financial data and potential spam.
• May dilute Bitcoin’s core purpose as sound money.
• Risks short-term exploitation before economic filters adapt.

Strengths of Keeping Filters

• Preserves Bitcoin’s identity and original purpose.
• Provides a simple protective mechanism against abuse.
• Aligns with conservative development philosophy of Bitcoin Core.

Weaknesses of Keeping Filters

• Encourages central decision-making on allowed use cases.
• Leads to workarounds that may be less efficient or obscure.
• Discourages novel but legitimate applications.

Long-Term Consequences

If Filters Are Removed

• Positive: Potential boom in new applications, better interoperability, cleaner architecture.
• Negative: Risk of increased blockchain size, more bandwidth/storage costs, spam wars.

If Filters Are Retained

• Positive: Preserves monetary focus and operational discipline.
• Negative: Alienates developers seeking broader use cases, may ossify the protocol.

Conclusion

The debate highlights a core philosophical split in Bitcoin: whether it should remain a narrow monetary system or evolve into a broader data layer for decentralized applications. Both paths carry risks and tradeoffs. The outcome will shape not just Bitcoin's technical direction but its social contract and future role in the broader crypto ecosystem.

@ 8bad92c3:ca714aa5

Marty's Bent

My god, this blows my mind. Paid a 100k sats invoice from two different Cashu mints at the same time. Each contributed 50k sats.

This is going to a major game-changer for @CashuBTC wallet UX.

Let me explain multinut payments. https://t.co/PvgTPvfvIv pic.twitter.com/d4cPVX7XKK

— calle (@callebtc) May 5, 2025

via calle

While many are currently wrapped up in press releases from public companies announcing that they've added to their Bitcoin treasuries, flame wars over OP_RETURN limits, or more general geopolitical developments cypherpunks are writing code. While the masses, many in Bitcoin included, are enthralled in day-to-day clickbait banter, there are serious builders building serious things at the moment. One of those builders is our friend calle, who - alongside other open source contributors - is building out the Cashu protocol, which enables individuals to leverage Chaumian ecash on top of bitcoin.

Earlier today, he demoed a pretty notable breakthrough for the Cashu protocol, a multinut payment, which enables users to pay a Lightning invoice by combining balances held in two separate Chaumian mints. For those of you who are unaware or need a refresher on Chaumian mints, they enable an individual to lock up a certain amount of bitcoin in a mint and receive a commensurate amount of ecash tokens in return. Chaumian mints leverage a blinded signature scheme to ensure that individual users have privacy while they're spending their ecash tokens.

Users lock up bitcoin in a mint, the mint issues tokens of different denominations to those users and after the user receives their tokens the mint has no idea which individual user is spending which ecash tokens within the mint. This increases the privacy of individual users on top of the privacy benefits. Spending with ecash comes with instant settlement, very low fees and is interoperable with other second layer solutions like the Lightning Network.

When users decide to engage with Chaumian mints, they are making a trade-off. They are trusting the individual mint operators not to steal their funds or debase the ecash tokens within their mints for the ability to transact privately, cheaply, and across multiple different interoperable protocols. While this is certainly a trade-off that no one should take lightly, I think it is important to understand that these Chaumian mint protocols like Cahu are permissionless, which means that anyone can leverage the open source code these protocols are built on to spin up their own mints, enter the competition for bitcoin banking services and serve end users.

Due to the very low barrier to entry that exists among these mint protocols like Cashu, I don't think it's crazy to say that competition can be a forcing function for mint operators to act in the best interest of their end users. I strongly believe that Chaumian mints are going to be a vital part of scaling bitcoin to billions of users over the coming decades. And this feature that calle demoed earlier today is going to be a very crucial component of that scaling process. Enabling individual users to distribute risk across many mints is going to be crucial to create the competitive landscape necessary for an incentive framework from which mint operators are pressured by the market to provide reliable and valuable services. Unlocking the ability to combine balances from multiple mints to pay a single invoice is an incredible step in that direction.

Imagine having to pay a landscaper for doing work and you have money on Cash App, Venmo, and PayPal, all of which you don't fully trust. However, you keep a small balance on each of them just in case you need to spend between friends or with certain vendors. The landscaping bill is a bit heftier than it typically is, so instead of sending funds from Cash App, Venmo, and PayPal to your bank account to then pay the landscaper instead, you combine part of the balance from each application to pay the singular invoice the landscaper has provided you. That is essentially what has just been launched on the Cashu protocol.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm extremely excited to see the continued development of all Chaumian mint protocols and the use cases they enable. The Achilles heel of these protocols up to this point is the fact that users are incentivized to concentrate risk with individual mint operators to solve payment UX problems. Multinut payments alleviate that risk and intensifies the forcing function of competitive market dynamics that should lead to better end products for users of these protocols.

I've said it many times but I'll say it again. There are many discussions being had about how to scale bitcoin at the protocol layer. I think it is unwise to depend on changes to the protocol layer to scale bitcoin. We have many tools at our fingertips to scale bitcoin to billions today - that come with certain tradeoffs - that have not been tested. Multinut payments a great example of ways to scale bitcoin with the tools that are at our fingertips right now.

Most are completely missing it, but the cypherpunk future is being built out right before our eyes. Number go up and semantic dick measuring contests can certainly draw a lot of attention, but I implore you to rise above the noise and follow projects like this, which are actually solving massive user experience pain points in real time with things that can be used today.

Pensions Facing a Second "Lost Decade" Without Bitcoin Adoption

Dom Bei, a firefighter running for CalPERS' Board of Trustees, delivered a compelling warning during our recent conversation. He pointed out that CalPERS' outgoing Chief Investment Officer described missing the private equity boom as their "lost decade." Bei argues that pension funds nationwide are setting themselves up for another missed opportunity by ignoring Bitcoin, leaving them perpetually underfunded while seeking increasingly risky traditional investments.

"Are you going to have similar commentary from pensions around the country in 2035 saying, 'Hey, we're going to get into Bitcoin now. We had a lost decade where it was just staring us right in the face and we didn't really need to do much, but learn about it. And we missed the boat.'" - Dom Bei

I've long maintained that institutional adoption of Bitcoin is inevitable, but timing matters tremendously for returns. With CalPERS sitting at just 75% funded and facing high CIO turnover, Bei's approach of education and incremental adoption offers a practical path forward. The volatility fears that keep pensions away from Bitcoin can only be addressed through proper education—something severely lacking in these massive financial institutions managing trillions in retirement funds.

Check out the full podcast here for more on Bitcoin's role in energy transitions, the politics of CalPERS governance, and how unions are adopting Bitcoin on their balance sheets.

Headlines of the Day

Small Bitcoin Allocation Outperforms Cash Against Inflation (Chart) - via River

Satoshi Warns Against Bloating Bitcoin With Non-Core Data - via X

Gender Gap Defines Trump Support With Single Women Strongly Opposed - via X

RFK Jr. Slams Democrats as Single-Issue Anti-Trump Party - via X

---

The 2025 Bitcoin Policy Summit is set for June 25th—and it couldn’t come at a more important time. The Bitcoin industry is at a pivotal moment in Washington, with initiatives like the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve gaining rapid traction. Whether you’re a builder, advocate, academic, or policymaker—we want you at the table. Join us in DC to help define the future of freedom, money & innovation in the 21st century.

Sign Up

Ten31, the largest bitcoin-focused investor, has deployed $150M across 30+ companies through three funds. I am a Managing Partner at Ten31 and am very proud of the work we are doing. Learn more at ten31.vc/invest.

---

Final thought...

I've come around on Gen Z. I'm pretty bullish.

---

Get this newsletter sent to your inbox daily: https://www.tftc.io/bitcoin-brief/

Subscribe to our YouTube channels and follow us on Nostr and X:

@media screen and (max-width: 480px) { .mobile-padding { padding: 10px 0 !important; } .social-container { width: 100% !important; max-width: 260px !important; } .social-icon { padding: 0 !important; } .social-icon img { height: 32px !important; width: 32px !important; } .icon-cell { padding: 0 4px !important; } } .mj-column-per-33-333333333333336 { width

@ 15cf81d4:b328e146

In the realm of cryptocurrency, the stakes are incredibly high, and losing access to your digital assets can be a daunting experience. But don’t worry — cryptrecver.com is here to transform that nightmare into a reality! With expert-led recovery services and leading-edge technology, Crypt Recver specializes in helping you regain access to your lost Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Why Choose Crypt Recver? 🤔 🔑 Expertise You Can Trust At Crypt Recver, we blend advanced technology with skilled engineers who have a solid track record in crypto recovery. Whether you’ve forgotten your passwords, lost your private keys, or encountered issues with damaged hardware wallets, our team is ready to assist.

⚡ Fast Recovery Process Time is crucial when recovering lost funds. Crypt Recver’s systems are designed for speed, enabling quick recoveries — allowing you to return to what matters most: trading and investing.

🎯 High Success Rate With a success rate exceeding 90%, our recovery team has aided numerous clients in regaining access to their lost assets. We grasp the complexities of cryptocurrency and are committed to providing effective solutions.

🛡️ Confidential & Secure Your privacy is paramount. All recovery sessions at Crypt Recver are encrypted and completely confidential. You can trust us with your information, knowing we uphold the highest security standards.

🔧 Advanced Recovery Tools We employ proprietary tools and techniques to tackle complex recovery scenarios, from retrieving corrupted wallets to restoring coins from invalid addresses. No matter the challenge, we have a solution.

Our Recovery Services Include: 📈 Bitcoin Recovery: Lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We can assist in recovering lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases. Transaction Recovery: Mistaken transfers, lost passwords, or missing transaction records — let us help you reclaim your funds! Cold Wallet Restoration: Did your cold wallet fail? We specialize in safely extracting assets. Private Key Generation: Forgotten your private key? We can help you generate new keys linked to your funds without compromising security. Don’t Let Lost Crypto Ruin Your Day! 🕒 With an estimated 3 to 3.4 million BTC lost forever, it’s essential to act quickly when facing access issues. Whether you’ve been affected by a dust attack or simply forgotten your key, Crypt Recver provides the support you need to reclaim your digital assets.

🚀 Start Your Recovery Now! Ready to retrieve your cryptocurrency? Don’t let uncertainty hold you back! 👉 Request Wallet Recovery Help Today!cryptrecver.com

Need Immediate Assistance? 📞 For quick queries or support, connect with us on: ✉️ Telegram: t.me/crypptrcver 💬 WhatsApp: +1(941)317–1821

Trust Crypt Recver for the best crypto recovery service — get back to trading with confidence! 💪In the realm of cryptocurrency, the stakes are incredibly high, and losing access to your digital assets can be a daunting experience. But don’t worry — cryptrecver.com is here to transform that nightmare into a reality! With expert-led recovery services and leading-edge technology, Crypt Recver specializes in helping you regain access to your lost Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

# Why Choose Crypt Recver? 🤔

🔑 Expertise You Can Trust\ At Crypt Recver, we blend advanced technology with skilled engineers who have a solid track record in crypto recovery. Whether you’ve forgotten your passwords, lost your private keys, or encountered issues with damaged hardware wallets, our team is ready to assist.

⚡ Fast Recovery Process\ Time is crucial when recovering lost funds. Crypt Recver’s systems are designed for speed, enabling quick recoveries — allowing you to return to what matters most: trading and investing.

🎯 High Success Rate\ With a success rate exceeding 90%, our recovery team has aided numerous clients in regaining access to their lost assets. We grasp the complexities of cryptocurrency and are committed to providing effective solutions.

🛡️ Confidential & Secure\ Your privacy is paramount. All recovery sessions at Crypt Recver are encrypted and completely confidential. You can trust us with your information, knowing we uphold the highest security standards.

🔧 Advanced Recovery Tools\ We employ proprietary tools and techniques to tackle complex recovery scenarios, from retrieving corrupted wallets to restoring coins from invalid addresses. No matter the challenge, we have a solution.

# Our Recovery Services Include: 📈

• Bitcoin Recovery: Lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We can assist in recovering lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases.
• Transaction Recovery: Mistaken transfers, lost passwords, or missing transaction records — let us help you reclaim your funds!
• Cold Wallet Restoration: Did your cold wallet fail? We specialize in safely extracting assets.
• Private Key Generation: Forgotten your private key? We can help you generate new keys linked to your funds without compromising security.

Don’t Let Lost Crypto Ruin Your Day! 🕒

With an estimated 3 to 3.4 million BTC lost forever, it’s essential to act quickly when facing access issues. Whether you’ve been affected by a dust attack or simply forgotten your key, Crypt Recver provides the support you need to reclaim your digital assets.

🚀 Start Your Recovery Now!\ Ready to retrieve your cryptocurrency? Don’t let uncertainty hold you back!\ 👉 Request Wallet Recovery Help Today!cryptrecver.com

Need Immediate Assistance? 📞

For quick queries or support, connect with us on:\ ✉️ Telegram: t.me/crypptrcver\ 💬 WhatsApp: +1(941)317–1821

Trust Crypt Recver for the best crypto recovery service — get back to trading with confidence! 💪

@ 52b4a076:e7fad8bd

I have been recently building NFDB, a new relay DB. This post is meant as a short overview.

Regular relays have challenges

Current relay software have significant challenges, which I have experienced when hosting Nostr.land: - Scalability is only supported by adding full replicas, which does not scale to large relays. - Most relays use slow databases and are not optimized for large scale usage. - Search is near-impossible to implement on standard relays. - Privacy features such as NIP-42 are lacking. - Regular DB maintenance tasks on normal relays require extended downtime. - Fault-tolerance is implemented, if any, using a load balancer, which is limited. - Personalization and advanced filtering is not possible. - Local caching is not supported.

NFDB: A scalable database for large relays

NFDB is a new database meant for medium-large scale relays, built on FoundationDB that provides: - Near-unlimited scalability - Extended fault tolerance - Instant loading - Better search - Better personalization - and more.

Search

NFDB has extended search capabilities including: - Semantic search: Search for meaning, not words. - Interest-based search: Highlight content you care about. - Multi-faceted queries: Easily filter by topic, author group, keywords, and more at the same time. - Wide support for event kinds, including users, articles, etc.

Personalization

NFDB allows significant personalization: - Customized algorithms: Be your own algorithm. - Spam filtering: Filter content to your WoT, and use advanced spam filters. - Topic mutes: Mute topics, not keywords. - Media filtering: With Nostr.build, you will be able to filter NSFW and other content - Low data mode: Block notes that use high amounts of cellular data. - and more

Other

NFDB has support for many other features such as: - NIP-42: Protect your privacy with private drafts and DMs - Microrelays: Easily deploy your own personal microrelay - Containers: Dedicated, fast storage for discoverability events such as relay lists

Calcite: A local microrelay database

Calcite is a lightweight, local version of NFDB that is meant for microrelays and caching, meant for thousands of personal microrelays.

Calcite HA is an additional layer that allows live migration and relay failover in under 30 seconds, providing higher availability compared to current relays with greater simplicity. Calcite HA is enabled in all Calcite deployments.

For zero-downtime, NFDB is recommended.

Noswhere SmartCache

Relays are fixed in one location, but users can be anywhere.

Noswhere SmartCache is a CDN for relays that dynamically caches data on edge servers closest to you, allowing: - Multiple regions around the world - Improved throughput and performance - Faster loading times

routerd

routerd is a custom load-balancer optimized for Nostr relays, integrated with SmartCache.

routerd is specifically integrated with NFDB and Calcite HA to provide fast failover and high performance.

Ending notes

NFDB is planned to be deployed to Nostr.land in the coming weeks.

A lot more is to come. 👀️️️️️️

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

If you ever read about a hypothetical "evil AI"—one that manipulates, dominates, and surveils humanity—you might find yourself wondering: how is that any different from what some governments already do?

Let’s explore the eerie parallels between the actions of a fictional malevolent AI and the behaviors of powerful modern states—specifically the U.S. federal government.

Surveillance and Control

Evil AI: Uses total surveillance to monitor all activity, predict rebellion, and enforce compliance.

Modern Government: Post-9/11 intelligence agencies like the NSA have implemented mass data collection programs, monitoring phone calls, emails, and online activity—often without meaningful oversight.

Parallel: Both claim to act in the name of “security,” but the tools are ripe for abuse.

Manipulation of Information

Evil AI: Floods the information space with propaganda, misinformation, and filters truth based on its goals.

Modern Government: Funds media outlets, promotes specific narratives through intelligence leaks, and collaborates with social media companies to suppress or flag dissenting viewpoints.

Parallel: Control the narrative, shape public perception, and discredit opposition.

Economic Domination

Evil AI: Restructures the economy for efficiency, displacing workers and concentrating resources.

Modern Government: Facilitates wealth transfer through lobbying, regulatory capture, and inflationary monetary policy that disproportionately hurts the middle and lower classes.

Parallel: The system enriches those who control it, leaving the rest with less power to resist.

Perpetual Warfare

Evil AI: Instigates conflict to weaken opposition or as a form of distraction and control.

Modern Government: Maintains a state of nearly constant military engagement since WWII, often for interests that benefit a small elite rather than national defense.

Parallel: War becomes policy, not a last resort.

Predictive Policing and Censorship

Evil AI: Uses predictive algorithms to preemptively suppress dissent and eliminate threats.

Modern Government: Experiments with pre-crime-like measures, flags “misinformation,” and uses AI tools to monitor online behavior.

Parallel: Prevent rebellion not by fixing problems, but by suppressing their expression.

Conclusion: Systemic Inhumanity

Whether it’s AI or a bureaucratic state, the more a system becomes detached from individual accountability and human empathy, the more it starts to act in ways we would call “evil” if a machine did them.

An AI doesn’t need to enslave humanity with lasers and killer robots. Sometimes all it takes is code, coercion, and unchecked power—something we may already be facing.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Prepared for Off-World Visitors by the Risan Institute of Cultural Heritage

Welcome to Risa, the jewel of the Alpha Quadrant, celebrated across the Federation for its tranquility, pleasure, and natural splendor. But what many travelers do not know is that Risa’s current harmony was not inherited—it was forged. Beneath the songs of surf and the serenity of our resorts lies a history rich in conflict, transformation, and enduring wisdom.

We offer this briefing not merely as a tale of our past, but as an invitation to understand the spirit of our people and the roots of our peace.

I. A World at the Crossroads

Before its admittance into the United Federation of Planets, Risa was an independent and vulnerable world situated near volatile borders of early galactic powers. Its lush climate, mineral wealth, and open society made it a frequent target for raiders and an object of interest for imperial expansion.

The Risan peoples were once fragmented, prone to philosophical and political disunity. In our early records, this period is known as the Winds of Splintering. We suffered invasions, betrayals, and the slow erosion of trust in our own traditions.

II. The Coming of the Vulcans

It was during this period of instability that a small delegation of Vulcan philosophers, adherents to the teachings of Surak, arrived on Risa. They did not come as conquerors, nor even as ambassadors, but as seekers of peace.

These emissaries of logic saw in Risa the potential for a society not driven by suppression of emotion, as Vulcan had chosen, but by the balance of joy and discipline. While many Vulcans viewed Risa’s culture as frivolous, these followers of Surak saw the seed of a different path: one in which beauty itself could be a pillar of peace.

The Risan tradition of meditative dance, artistic expression, and communal love resonated with Vulcan teachings of unity and inner control. From this unlikely exchange was born the Ricin Doctrine—the belief that peace is sustained not only through logic or strength, but through deliberate joy, shared vulnerability, and readiness without aggression.

III. Betazed and the Trial of Truth

During the same era, early contact with the people of Betazed brought both inspiration and tension. A Betazoid expedition, under the guise of diplomacy, was discovered to be engaging in deep telepathic influence and information extraction. The Risan people, who valued consent above all else, responded not with anger, but with clarity.

A council of Ricin philosophers invited the Betazoid delegation into a shared mind ceremony—a practice in which both cultures exposed their thoughts in mutual vulnerability. The result was not scandal, but transformation. From that moment forward, a bond was formed, and Risa’s model of ethical emotional expression and consensual empathy became influential in shaping Betazed’s own peace philosophies.

IV. Confronting Marauders and Empires

Despite these philosophical strides, Risa’s path was anything but tranquil.

• Orion Syndicate raiders viewed Risa as ripe for exploitation, and for decades, cities were sacked, citizens enslaved, and resources plundered. In response, Risa formed the Sanctum Guard, not a military in the traditional sense, but a force of trained defenders schooled in both physical technique and psychological dissuasion. The Ricin martial arts, combining beauty with lethality, were born from this necessity.

• Andorian expansionism also tested Risa’s sovereignty. Though smaller in scale, skirmishes over territorial claims forced Risa to adopt planetary defense grids and formalize diplomatic protocols that balanced assertiveness with grace. It was through these conflicts that Risa developed the art of the ceremonial yield—a symbolic concession used to diffuse hostility while retaining honor.

• Romulan subterfuge nearly undid Risa from within. A corrupt Romulan envoy installed puppet leaders in one of our equatorial provinces. These agents sought to erode Risa’s social cohesion through fear and misinformation. But Ricin scholars countered the strategy not with rebellion, but with illumination: they released a network of truths, publicly broadcasting internal thoughts and civic debates to eliminate secrecy. The Romulan operation collapsed under the weight of exposure.

• Even militant Vulcan splinter factions, during the early Vulcan-Andorian conflicts, attempted to turn Risa into a staging ground, pressuring local governments to support Vulcan supremacy. The betrayal struck deep—but Risa resisted through diplomacy, invoking Surak’s true teachings and exposing the heresy of their logic-corrupted mission.

V. Enlightenment Through Preparedness

These trials did not harden us into warriors. They refined us into guardians of peace. Our enlightenment came not from retreat, but from engagement—tempered by readiness.

• We train our youth in the arts of balance: physical defense, emotional expression, and ethical reasoning.
• We teach our history without shame, so that future generations will not repeat our errors.
• We host our guests with joy, not because we are naïve, but because we know that to celebrate life fully is the greatest act of resistance against fear.

Risa did not become peaceful by denying the reality of conflict. We became peaceful by mastering our response to it.

And in so doing, we offered not just pleasure to the stars—but wisdom.

We welcome you not only to our beaches, but to our story.

May your time here bring you not only rest—but understanding.

– Risan Institute of Cultural Heritage, in collaboration with the Council of Enlightenment and the Ricin Circle of Peacekeepers

@ dfa02707:41ca50e3

Contribute to keep No Bullshit Bitcoin news going.

• OpenSats, a US-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Bitcoin open-source projects and contributors, has announced the eleventh wave of grants to support the growing ecosystem of Nostr developers.

"We're pleased to announce our eleventh wave of nostr grants. This round includes support for projects focused on decentralized live streaming, off-grid connectivity, web-of-trust infrastructure, private messaging, and open tools for game development."

The five projects receiving support in this wave are:

• Swae. Swae is a mobile-first live streaming app that leverages the Nostr protocol to enable decentralized video broadcasts directly from smartphones. The current prototype supports Nostr account creation, live stream viewing, and initiating streams via RTMP URLs.
• HAMSTR facilitates Nostr communication via ham radio, providing offline network access in areas lacking internet, under censorship, or during infrastructure outages. It connects off-grid clients with internet-connected relay gateways using packet radio, ensuring resilient messaging optimized for extremely low-bandwidth conditions.
• Vertex offers Web of Trust infrastructure for Nostr, assisting client developers in filtering spam, personalizing content, and maintaining decentralization. The project has released core tools, including crawler and relay software, and integrated its VerifyReputation DVM into live applications.
• Nostr Double Ratchet provides end-to-end encrypted private messaging for Nostr clients by offering a library that implements the Double Ratchet algorithm.
• Nostr Game Engine is developing a free, open-source, royalty-free game engine for developers, utilizing the Nostr protocol. Built on jMonkeyEngine, it replaces traditional centralized systems with Nostr-native modules while maintaining compatibility.

Open Sats is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All gifts and donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Consider donating if you want to support open-source projects and developers in the Bitcoin and/or Nostr ecosystem.

If you are an educator, developer, or advocate working on a project that is aligned with OpenSats mission, apply for funding here.

Blog Post / Archive

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

KULR Expands Bitcoin Treasury to $78M, Cites 220% BTC Yield YTD

Today, KULR Technology Group, Inc. (NYSE American: KULR) announced a $9 million expansion of its Bitcoin Treasury, bringing total acquisitions to $78 million. The latest purchase was made at a weighted average price of $103,234 per bitcoin, bringing the company’s total holdings to 800.3 BTC.

$KULR has acquired 83.3 BTC for ~ 9 million To learn more about our acquistion and our Bitcoin Treasury Strategy, check out today's press release.https://t.co/vuQk90DCgh pic.twitter.com/KrW3E4e700

— KULR Technology (@KULRTech) May 20, 2025

The move follows KULR’s December 2024 strategy to allocate up to 90% of surplus cash reserves to bitcoin. Year-to-date, the company reports a BTC Yield of 220.2%, a proprietary performance metric reflecting growth in BTC holdings relative to assumed fully diluted shares outstanding.

In Q1 2025, KULR reported revenue of $2.45 million, a 40% increase driven by product sales totaling approximately $1.16 million. Gross margin declined to 8%, while combined cash and accounts receivable stood at $27.59 million. Operating expenses rose, with Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) Expenses at $7.20 million and Research and Development (R&D) Expenses at $2.45 million, contributing to an operating loss of $9.44 million. Net loss widened to $18.81 million, mainly due to a mark-to-market adjustment on bitcoin holdings.

“2025 is a transformational year for KULR and the transformation is well on its way,” commented KULR CEO Michael Mo. “With over $100M in cash and Bitcoin holdings on our balance sheet as of the present day and virtually no debt, we are well capitalized to grow our battery and AI Robotics businesses, while our capital market activities in the foreseeable future are geared to turbocharge our Bitcoin acquisition strategy, establishing KULR as a pioneer BTC-First Bitcoin Treasury Company.”

CEO @michaelmokulr speaks about the origins of KULR’s Bitcoin treasury strategy and how it will shape the future of the company’s growth.

Watch here:$KULR pic.twitter.com/UTq3iKkF0u

— KULR Technology (@KULRTech) May 15, 2025

This surge in bitcoin holdings by companies like KULR and Metaplanet highlights a growing trend among firms embracing BTC as a core treasury asset, reflecting confidence in bitcoin’s long-term value and utility as part of broader financial strategies.

Last week, Metaplanet reported its strongest quarter to date for Q1 FY2025. Metaplanet’s bitcoin holdings rose to 6,796 BTC—a 3.9x increase year-to-date and over 5,000 BTC added in 2025 alone. Despite a temporary ¥7.4 billion valuation loss from a bitcoin price dip in March, the company rebounded with ¥13.5 billion in unrealized gains as of May 12. Since adopting the Bitcoin Treasury Standard, Metaplanet’s BTC net asset value has surged 103.1x, and its market cap has grown 138.1x. 

This post KULR Expands Bitcoin Treasury to $78M, Cites 220% BTC Yield YTD first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

@ efcb5fc5:5680aa8e

We're living in a digital dystopia. A world where our attention is currency, our data is mined, and our mental well-being is collateral damage in the relentless pursuit of engagement. The glossy facades of traditional social media platforms hide a dark underbelly of algorithmic manipulation, curated realities, and a pervasive sense of anxiety that seeps into every aspect of our lives. We're trapped in a digital echo chamber, drowning in a sea of manufactured outrage and meaningless noise, and it's time to build an ark and sail away.

I've witnessed the evolution, or rather, the devolution, of online interaction. From the raw, unfiltered chaos of early internet chat rooms to the sterile, algorithmically controlled environments of today's social giants, I've seen the promise of connection twisted into a tool for manipulation and control. We've become lab rats in a grand experiment, our emotional responses measured and monetized, our opinions shaped and sold to the highest bidder. But there's a flicker of hope in the darkness, a chance to reclaim our digital autonomy, and that hope is NOSTR (Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays).

The Psychological Warfare of Traditional Social Media

The Algorithmic Cage: These algorithms aren't designed to enhance your life; they're designed to keep you scrolling. They feed on your vulnerabilities, exploiting your fears and desires to maximize engagement, even if it means promoting misinformation, outrage, and division.

The Illusion of Perfection: The curated realities presented on these platforms create a toxic culture of comparison. We're bombarded with images of flawless bodies, extravagant lifestyles, and seemingly perfect lives, leading to feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.

The Echo Chamber Effect: Algorithms reinforce our existing beliefs, isolating us from diverse perspectives and creating a breeding ground for extremism. We become trapped in echo chambers where our biases are constantly validated, leading to increased polarization and intolerance.

The Toxicity Vortex: The lack of effective moderation creates a breeding ground for hate speech, cyberbullying, and online harassment. We're constantly exposed to toxic content that erodes our mental well-being and fosters a sense of fear and distrust.

This isn't just a matter of inconvenience; it's a matter of mental survival. We're being subjected to a form of psychological warfare, and it's time to fight back.

NOSTR: A Sanctuary in the Digital Wasteland

NOSTR offers a radical alternative to this toxic environment. It's not just another platform; it's a decentralized protocol that empowers users to reclaim their digital sovereignty.

User-Controlled Feeds: You decide what you see, not an algorithm. You curate your own experience, focusing on the content and people that matter to you.

Ownership of Your Digital Identity: Your data and content are yours, secured by cryptography. No more worrying about being deplatformed or having your information sold to the highest bidder.

Interoperability: Your identity works across a diverse ecosystem of apps, giving you the freedom to choose the interface that suits your needs.

Value-Driven Interactions: The "zaps" feature enables direct micropayments, rewarding creators for valuable content and fostering a culture of genuine appreciation.

Decentralized Power: No single entity controls NOSTR, making it censorship-resistant and immune to the whims of corporate overlords.

Building a Healthier Digital Future

NOSTR isn't just about escaping the toxicity of traditional social media; it's about building a healthier, more meaningful online experience.

Cultivating Authentic Connections: Focus on building genuine relationships with people who share your values and interests, rather than chasing likes and followers.

Supporting Independent Creators: Use "zaps" to directly support the artists, writers, and thinkers who inspire you.

Embracing Intellectual Diversity: Explore different NOSTR apps and communities to broaden your horizons and challenge your assumptions.

Prioritizing Your Mental Health: Take control of your digital environment and create a space that supports your well-being.

Removing the noise: Value based interactions promote value based content, instead of the constant stream of noise that traditional social media promotes.

The Time for Action is Now

NOSTR is a nascent technology, but it represents a fundamental shift in how we interact online. It's a chance to build a more open, decentralized, and user-centric internet, one that prioritizes our mental health and our humanity.

We can no longer afford to be passive consumers in the digital age. We must become active participants in shaping our online experiences. It's time to break free from the chains of algorithmic control and reclaim our digital autonomy.

Join the NOSTR movement

Embrace the power of decentralization. Let's build a digital future that's worthy of our humanity. Let us build a place where the middlemen, and the algorithms that they control, have no power over us.

In addition to the points above, here are some examples/links of how NOSTR can be used:

Simple Signup: Creating a NOSTR account is incredibly easy. You can use platforms like Yakihonne or Primal to generate your keys and start exploring the ecosystem.

X-like Client: Apps like Damus offer a familiar X-like experience, making it easy for users to transition from traditional platforms.

Sharing Photos and Videos: Clients like Olas are optimized for visual content, allowing you to share your photos and videos with your followers.

Creating and Consuming Blogs: NOSTR can be used to publish and share blog posts, fostering a community of independent creators.

Live Streaming and Audio Spaces: Explore platforms like Hivetalk and zap.stream for live streaming and audio-based interactions.

NOSTR is a powerful tool for reclaiming your digital life and building a more meaningful online experience. It's time to take control, break free from the shackles of traditional social media, and embrace the future of decentralized communication.

Get the full overview of these and other on: https://nostrapps.com/

@ 87f5e1d9:e251d8f4

Losing access to your cryptocurrency can feel like losing a part of your future. Whether it’s due to a forgotten password, a damaged seed backup, or a simple mistake in a transfer, the stress can be overwhelming. Fortunately, cryptrecver.com is here to assist! With our expert-led recovery services, you can safely and swiftly reclaim your lost Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Why Trust Crypt Recver? 🤝 🛠️ Expert Recovery Solutions At Crypt Recver, we specialize in addressing complex wallet-related issues. Our skilled engineers have the tools and expertise to handle:

Partially lost or forgotten seed phrases Extracting funds from outdated or invalid wallet addresses Recovering data from damaged hardware wallets Restoring coins from old or unsupported wallet formats You’re not just getting a service; you’re gaining a partner in your cryptocurrency journey.

🚀 Fast and Efficient Recovery We understand that time is crucial in crypto recovery. Our optimized systems enable you to regain access to your funds quickly, focusing on speed without compromising security. With a success rate of over 90%, you can rely on us to act swiftly on your behalf.

🔒 Privacy is Our Priority Your confidentiality is essential. Every recovery session is conducted with the utmost care, ensuring all processes are encrypted and confidential. You can rest assured that your sensitive information remains private.

💻 Advanced Technology Our proprietary tools and brute-force optimization techniques maximize recovery efficiency. Regardless of how challenging your case may be, our technology is designed to give you the best chance at retrieving your crypto.

Our Recovery Services Include: 📈 Bitcoin Recovery: Lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We help recover lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases. Transaction Recovery: Mistakes happen — whether it’s an incorrect wallet address or a lost password, let us manage the recovery. Cold Wallet Restoration: If your cold wallet is failing, we can safely extract your assets and migrate them into a secure new wallet. Private Key Generation: Lost your private key? Our experts can help you regain control using advanced methods while ensuring your privacy. ⚠️ What We Don’t Do While we can handle many scenarios, some limitations exist. For instance, we cannot recover funds stored in custodial wallets or cases where there is a complete loss of four or more seed words without partial information available. We are transparent about what’s possible, so you know what to expect

Don’t Let Lost Crypto Hold You Back! Did you know that between 3 to 3.4 million BTC — nearly 20% of the total supply — are estimated to be permanently lost? Don’t become part of that statistic! Whether it’s due to a forgotten password, sending funds to the wrong address, or damaged drives, we can help you navigate these challenges

🛡️ Real-Time Dust Attack Protection Our services extend beyond recovery. We offer dust attack protection, keeping your activity anonymous and your funds secure, shielding your identity from unwanted tracking, ransomware, and phishing attempts.

🎉 Start Your Recovery Journey Today! Ready to reclaim your lost crypto? Don’t wait until it’s too late! 👉 cryptrecver.com

📞 Need Immediate Assistance? Connect with Us! For real-time support or questions, reach out to our dedicated team on: ✉️ Telegram: t.me/crypptrcver 💬 WhatsApp: +1(941)317–1821

Crypt Recver is your trusted partner in cryptocurrency recovery. Let us turn your challenges into victories. Don’t hesitate — your crypto future starts now! 🚀✨

Act fast and secure your digital assets with cryptrecver.com.Losing access to your cryptocurrency can feel like losing a part of your future. Whether it’s due to a forgotten password, a damaged seed backup, or a simple mistake in a transfer, the stress can be overwhelming. Fortunately, cryptrecver.com is here to assist! With our expert-led recovery services, you can safely and swiftly reclaim your lost Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

# Why Trust Crypt Recver? 🤝

🛠️ Expert Recovery Solutions\ At Crypt Recver, we specialize in addressing complex wallet-related issues. Our skilled engineers have the tools and expertise to handle:

• Partially lost or forgotten seed phrases
• Extracting funds from outdated or invalid wallet addresses
• Recovering data from damaged hardware wallets
• Restoring coins from old or unsupported wallet formats

You’re not just getting a service; you’re gaining a partner in your cryptocurrency journey.

🚀 Fast and Efficient Recovery\ We understand that time is crucial in crypto recovery. Our optimized systems enable you to regain access to your funds quickly, focusing on speed without compromising security. With a success rate of over 90%, you can rely on us to act swiftly on your behalf.

🔒 Privacy is Our Priority\ Your confidentiality is essential. Every recovery session is conducted with the utmost care, ensuring all processes are encrypted and confidential. You can rest assured that your sensitive information remains private.

💻 Advanced Technology\ Our proprietary tools and brute-force optimization techniques maximize recovery efficiency. Regardless of how challenging your case may be, our technology is designed to give you the best chance at retrieving your crypto.

Our Recovery Services Include: 📈

• Bitcoin Recovery: Lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We help recover lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases.
• Transaction Recovery: Mistakes happen — whether it’s an incorrect wallet address or a lost password, let us manage the recovery.
• Cold Wallet Restoration: If your cold wallet is failing, we can safely extract your assets and migrate them into a secure new wallet.
• Private Key Generation: Lost your private key? Our experts can help you regain control using advanced methods while ensuring your privacy.

⚠️ What We Don’t Do\ While we can handle many scenarios, some limitations exist. For instance, we cannot recover funds stored in custodial wallets or cases where there is a complete loss of four or more seed words without partial information available. We are transparent about what’s possible, so you know what to expect

# Don’t Let Lost Crypto Hold You Back!

Did you know that between 3 to 3.4 million BTC — nearly 20% of the total supply — are estimated to be permanently lost? Don’t become part of that statistic! Whether it’s due to a forgotten password, sending funds to the wrong address, or damaged drives, we can help you navigate these challenges

🛡️ Real-Time Dust Attack Protection\ Our services extend beyond recovery. We offer dust attack protection, keeping your activity anonymous and your funds secure, shielding your identity from unwanted tracking, ransomware, and phishing attempts.

🎉 Start Your Recovery Journey Today!\ Ready to reclaim your lost crypto? Don’t wait until it’s too late!\ 👉 cryptrecver.com

📞 Need Immediate Assistance? Connect with Us!\ For real-time support or questions, reach out to our dedicated team on:\ ✉️ Telegram: t.me/crypptrcver\ 💬 WhatsApp: +1(941)317–1821

Crypt Recver is your trusted partner in cryptocurrency recovery. Let us turn your challenges into victories. Don’t hesitate — your crypto future starts now! 🚀✨

Act fast and secure your digital assets with cryptrecver.com.

@ 266815e0:6cd408a5

Its been a little over a year since NIP-90 was written and merged into the nips repo and its been a communication mess.

Every DVM implementation expects the inputs in slightly different formats, returns the results in mostly the same format and there are very few DVM actually running.

NIP-90 is overloaded

Why does a request for text translation and creating bitcoin OP_RETURNs share the same input i tag? and why is there an output tag on requests when only one of them will return an output?

Each DVM request kind is for requesting completely different types of compute with diffrent input and output requirements, but they are all using the same spec that has 4 different types of inputs (text, url, event, job) and an undefined number of output types.

Let me show a few random DVM requests and responses I found on wss://relay.damus.io to demonstrate what I mean:

This is a request to translate an event to English json { "kind": 5002, "content": "", "tags": [ // NIP-90 says there can be multiple inputs, so how would a DVM handle translatting multiple events at once? [ "i", "<event-id>", "event" ], [ "param", "language", "en" ], // What other type of output would text translations be? image/jpeg? [ "output", "text/plain" ], // Do we really need to define relays? cant the DVM respond on the relays it saw the request on? [ "relays", "wss://relay.unknown.cloud/", "wss://nos.lol/" ] ] }

This is a request to generate text using an LLM model json { "kind": 5050, // Why is the content empty? wouldn't it be better to have the prompt in the content? "content": "", "tags": [ // Why use an indexable tag? are we ever going to lookup prompts? // Also the type "prompt" isn't in NIP-90, this should probably be "text" [ "i", "What is the capital of France?", "prompt" ], [ "p", "c4878054cff877f694f5abecf18c7450f4b6fdf59e3e9cb3e6505a93c4577db2" ], [ "relays", "wss://relay.primal.net" ] ] }

This is a request for content recommendation json { "kind": 5300, "content": "", "tags": [ // Its fine ignoring this param, but what if the client actually needs exactly 200 "results" [ "param", "max_results", "200" ], // The spec never mentions requesting content for other users. // If a DVM didn't understand this and responded to this request it would provide bad data [ "param", "user", "b22b06b051fd5232966a9344a634d956c3dc33a7f5ecdcad9ed11ddc4120a7f2" ], [ "relays", "wss://relay.primal.net", ], [ "p", "ceb7e7d688e8a704794d5662acb6f18c2455df7481833dd6c384b65252455a95" ] ] }

This is a request to create a OP_RETURN message on bitcoin json { "kind": 5901, // Again why is the content empty when we are sending human readable text? "content": "", "tags": [ // and again, using an indexable tag on an input that will never need to be looked up ["i", "09/01/24 SEC Chairman on the brink of second ETF approval", "text"] ] }

My point isn't that these event schema's aren't understandable but why are they using the same schema? each use-case is different but are they all required to use the same i tag format as input and could support all 4 types of inputs.

Lack of libraries

With all these different types of inputs, params, and outputs its verify difficult if not impossible to build libraries for DVMs

If a simple text translation request can have an event or text as inputs, a payment-required status at any point in the flow, partial results, or responses from 10+ DVMs whats the best way to build a translation library for other nostr clients to use?

And how do I build a DVM framework for the server side that can handle multiple inputs of all four types (url, text, event, job) and clients are sending all the requests in slightly differently.

Supporting payments is impossible

The way NIP-90 is written there isn't much details about payments. only a payment-required status and a generic amount tag

But the way things are now every DVM is implementing payments differently. some send a bolt11 invoice, some expect the client to NIP-57 zap the request event (or maybe the status event), and some even ask for a subscription. and we haven't even started implementing NIP-61 nut zaps or cashu A few are even formatting the amount number wrong or denominating it in sats and not mili-sats

Building a client or a library that can understand and handle all of these payment methods is very difficult. for the DVM server side its worse. A DVM server presumably needs to support all 4+ types of payments if they want to get the most sats for their services and support the most clients.

All of this is made even more complicated by the fact that a DVM can ask for payment at any point during the job process. this makes sense for some types of compute, but for others like translations or user recommendation / search it just makes things even more complicated.

For example, If a client wanted to implement a timeline page that showed the notes of all the pubkeys on a recommended list. what would they do when the selected DVM asks for payment at the start of the job? or at the end? or worse, only provides half the pubkeys and asks for payment for the other half. building a UI that could handle even just two of these possibilities is complicated.

NIP-89 is being abused

NIP-89 is "Recommended Application Handlers" and the way its describe in the nips repo is

a way to discover applications that can handle unknown event-kinds

Not "a way to discover everything"

If I wanted to build an application discovery app to show all the apps that your contacts use and let you discover new apps then it would have to filter out ALL the DVM advertisement events. and that's not just for making requests from relays

If the app shows the user their list of "recommended applications" then it either has to understand that everything in the 5xxx kind range is a DVM and to show that is its own category or show a bunch of unknown "favorites" in the list which might be confusing for the user.

In conclusion

My point in writing this article isn't that the DVMs implementations so far don't work, but that they will never work well because the spec is too broad. even with only a few DVMs running we have already lost interoperability.

I don't want to be completely negative though because some things have worked. the "DVM feeds" work, although they are limited to a single page of results. text / event translations also work well and kind 5970 Event PoW delegation could be cool. but if we want interoperability, we are going to need to change a few things with NIP-90

I don't think we can (or should) abandon NIP-90 entirely but it would be good to break it up into small NIPs or specs. break each "kind" of DVM request out into its own spec with its own definitions for expected inputs, outputs and flow.

Then if we have simple, clean definitions for each kind of compute we want to distribute. we might actually see markets and services being built and used.

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Tribalism Is Not The Core Problem

The United States government stands mere months, if not weeks, from the passing of stablecoin legislation that will set the playing field for the global economy for decades, if not centuries, to come. 

During this crucial moment, in which we should all be keeping our eyes locked with precision on the prize, the best and brightest defenders of the one neutral digital asset have once again bifurcated into the trenches of “Us. Vs Them.” As sure as the next block, seemingly every ten minutes there’s another attempt from a faction within the group to imbue an intense ethical intention over the invention of Bitcoin. These groups converge to share interpretations of the Sacred Text –– Satoshi’s Whitepaper ––or pour over his forum posts on BitcoinTalk, hoping to find a path forward. It seems without fail, no matter when looking at the factional Part, or the amorphous Whole, the selected writings of Bitcoin’s inventor always conveniently enable the exact behavior and optionality –– or lack thereof –– that is best for the current arguing party.

This is to say, the observer of Bitcoin, when attempting to gain influence over more users, simply projects and amplifies their own reflection upon the monetary protocol, as it relates to their own position via their specific stake within the system. There is no neutral reflection or position to be expressed –– every voice and every idea fundamentally must come from a place of origin. While many attempt to go to great lengths to curb this bias from their publicly articulated analysis –– not to mention the many more that could claim ignorance entirely –– whether you are able, willing, or aware, your beliefs are beheld by the context you witness, and cannot be separated to create an objective meaning from a subjective experience. In short, everyone talks their own book. It’s a requirement to talking. 

On today’s social media platforms, the actualization of one talking their book is even further manipulated beyond strictly fundamental financial incentives, and each idea becomes a piece of content competing for air in the rough seas of algorithmic influence. To not have an opinion on the latest thing, to not express and articulate said opinion publicly, is to drown in the void of irrelevancy. On Twitter, a Bluecheck raft is seen as a necessity, normalized by the supposed dissidents and mainstream alike. The digital front, while an important one, has been eroded not by the proverbial stick, but by the poisoned carrot. Payouts, likes, and followers have replaced credibility as the currency of relevance, not due to actions by the consumers, but by the creators. Even worse, many creators have off-shored their creative capabilities –– i.e., their ideas –– to AI Chat Bots and Large Language Models, removing the humanity entirely from the output, rendering the content ocean littered with homogenous globs of unthought thoughts. The late-stage creator economy has ultimately failed to promote originality, and instead has given rise to an multi-headed hydra of next-up influencers ready and able to churn out the freshest of ChatGPT chum at the behest of curtained algorithmic masters out of sight.

The unseen incentives will be our downfall –– not our ideologies, not our intellect, and not our preparedness, nor the lack of any of these things. While applicable to many mediums and masteries, the hidden incentives of programmable money demonstrate this concept far greater than, say, independent media figures, fitness and health gurus, or dissident philosophers. 

Today’s Bitcoin culture war comes at a dangerous time, when the single greatest threat to its neutrality of incentives comes to the protocol layer. While hours and hours of podcasts from both sides of the divorce might lead you to believe this attack vector comes from JPEGs or the filters that discourage them, in fact, the imminent corrupting agent comes from the reintroduction of dollar stablecoins to the blockchain as Bitcoin itself remains infeasible as a medium of exchange that can service billions.

Both sides of the debate, the Knots/Pro-Filters or the Core/Filters-Agnostics, are not dealing with the core of the real problem brewing in Bitcoin today. The Knotsians claim all non-monetary use cases of Bitcoin are against the nature of the protocol, while remaining absolutely silent on whether or not these same ethics are to be applied to Tether’s homecoming –– “Bitcoin-native” USDT dollar stablecoins via Taproot Assets –– being stored in the distributed database known as the blockchain. The Core defenders, who claim to rightfully stand beside the most ambitious and successful open source project of all time, have little to say about the maintainers lack of interest in pursuing optionality that would enable billions of users to benefit from Bitcoin’s disinflationary monetary policy, rather than simply the millions of already-adopters. Both sides are, at best, silent partners in the scaling-by-financialization of Bitcoin via stocks and debt-instruments, custodians, exchange traded funds, and tokenized dollars, rather than by making UTXO ownership feasible and efficient. Filters, spam, Core, Knots, are all distractions from the real problem brewing on the horizon: the incentive distortion of stablecoins. 

If Bitcoin remains programmable money, and the mere existence of this protocol-level debate perpetuates the idea that ossification has not yet arrived, why must we pledge allegiance between two teams that directly serve neither of the issues at hand? Bitcoin deserves more client optionality, and Knots is not innately a bad idea, nor are many of the mining concepts marketed by OCEAN employees. Bitcoin Core has secured trillions of dollars of value with an unparalleled up-time for a financial protocol. But Bitcoin will fail to stablecoins, inadvertently perpetuating the United States’ Treasury ponzi across the globe, while introducing dollarized, perverse incentives to the entire game theory of Bitcoin’s block production –– and thus unstoppable transaction settlement –– if we are slothful and distracted in failing to maximize self-custody and keep dollar tokens off the only currently-decentralized chain. 

Did inscriptions create a newly-found demand for blockspace that directly competes with the companies enabling Larry Fink’s vision for Bitcoin as “a technology for asset storage?” Do Dickbutts and Monkey JPEGs make the Tether-ification –– i.e., the dollarization –– of Bitcoin more expensive? Perhaps. But there is simply no evidence that the players on either side of this culture war are actively or willingly compromised, and to suggest such is a dangerous game. 

As we wrote nearly two years ago in a previous call to action, “the network must remain practically useful for anyone, or it risks becoming practically useless for everyone.” The only responsibility today’s Bitcoiner must uphold is to leave the protocol as permissionless and as serviceable as it was when they found it. Part of this innately involves the mission Core sets out to achieve with its tireless approach to perpetuating an extremely complicated, novel piece of software across an ever-changing landscape of hardware and software updates. Part of this, also, innately involves the mission Knots and OCEAN attempts to achieve with its pursuit of purity of financial activity and mining decentralization via block construction and payout methods.

Blindly opposing or supporting the Current Thing because of Twitter posts and podcasts will not deliver us from the known evils, nor prepare us for the unknown. Ultimately, both paths forward on their own will fail to achieve the promise of Bitcoin to its fullest extent.

Reject the binary presented by the culture war and think for yourself. 

This is a guest post by Mark Goodwin. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC, Inc. or Bitcoin Magazine_._

This post Tribalism Is Not The Core Problem first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Mark Goodwin.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Esteemed representatives of Risa,

We gather here under the calming glow of our twin suns, stewards of a society admired for its peace and celebrated for its tranquility. But we must not mistake serenity for passivity, nor confuse peace with weakness. Our peace is not an accident. It is not the byproduct of ignorance or naivety. It is hard-earned—preserved by those willing to stand vigilant in its defense.

Love as a Foundation, Strength as a Shield

Love conquers hate. This is the core truth of Risan philosophy. Yet, as every Ricin child is taught, love without strength is a leaf in the wind. The Ricin do not lay down their lives without resistance. We do not ask our people to accept violence without confronting it. True peace is not imposed by stripping the people of their agency—it is built by enabling them to protect it.

The Lessons of a Failed Experiment

There was a time, not so distant in our history, when we attempted to enforce peace through the abolition of all weapons. A time when even the mention of self-defense in our educational centers was met with rebuke. Schools purged training programs. Cultural arts that honored our warrior traditions were dismissed. And for a brief moment, we believed this would lead us to harmony.

But peace born from helplessness is a fragile illusion. It fractures under the slightest pressure. And fracture it did—when off-world raiders targeted our unguarded sanctuaries, when radical sects within our own society struck out, knowing the citizenry could not defend itself. It was then that we remembered: Risa’s greatest peacekeepers had always been those who knew how to fight—but chose restraint.

The Age of Ricin and the Reawakening of Discipline

So we returned to our roots. To the traditions of the Age of Ricin, when youth, upon reaching maturity, were taught not only the arts of compassion and creation but also the martial disciplines. They learn to wield weapons—not to glorify violence, but to understand it. To control it. To stand firm against it when all else fails.

https://i.nostr.build/kuUjRovISz7367TX.jpg

We do not romanticize war. We do not celebrate conflict. But we prepare for it, should it seek to extinguish our light. Our children now learn the disciplines of defense alongside their studies in poetry, music, and healing. They spar with blunt blades under the watchful eyes of masters. They meditate on the consequences of force. And they grow into citizens not easily provoked, but never unprepared.

A Call for Balance, Not Extremes

Let those beyond our borders question our ways. Let them forget the countless incursions by the Romulans. Let them ignore the scars left by centuries of subversion from the Orion Syndicate. We do not forget. We remember the lives lost, the liberties challenged, and the lessons learned through suffering. These experiences shaped us.

We do not wish to return to the era of soft silence, when teachers trembled at the word "weapon" and children were told that even imagination was dangerous. That was not enlightenment. That was indoctrination.

Conclusion: Guarding the Flame

We are the guardians of Risa’s flame—not just with words and treaties, but with discipline and readiness. We have made peace a practice, and preparation a virtue. And so I say to this chamber: let us never again disarm our people in the name of utopia. Let us never confuse comfort with safety, or the absence of weapons with the presence of peace.

Instead, let us raise generations who know what peace costs, and who will pay that price—not with surrender, but with courage.

Let our children be artists, lovers, dreamers—and if necessary, defenders.

This is the Risan way.

@ cae03c48:2a7d6671

Bitcoin Magazine

Magic Eden Partners with Spark to Bring Fast, Cheap Bitcoin Settlements

Magic Eden is integrating with Spark to improve Bitcoin trading by addressing issues like slow transaction times, high fees, and poor user experience. According to a press release sent to Bitcoin Magazine, the integration will introduce a native settlement system aimed at making transactions faster and more cost-effective, without using bridges or synthetic assets.

Big day: @MagicEden is coming to Spark. New native Bitcoin experiences coming to you very soon.

Alpha → https://t.co/KPWZ7Ndagg pic.twitter.com/c4nSlhP3Rt

— Spark (@buildonspark) May 20, 2025

The integration will enable users to buy, sell, and earn Bitcoin-native assets more efficiently through Spark’s infrastructure, starting with support for stablecoin-to-BTC swaps and expanding to additional use cases over time.

Spark is built entirely on Bitcoin’s base layer. It provides transaction finality in under a second and fees below one cent.

“We’re proud to be betting on BTC DeFi,” said the CEO of Magic EdenJack Lu. “We’re going to lead the forefront of all Bitcoin DeFi to make BTC fast, fun, and for everyone with Magic Eden as the #1 BTC native app on-chain.”

Huge News: We're partnering with @buildonspark

Spark enables instant Bitcoin transactions, creating a fast and secure experience for everyone.

Get ready for a new wave of BTC-Defi pic.twitter.com/FXmHfATnJz

— Magic Eden (@MagicEden) May 20, 2025

The collaboration between Spark and Magic Eden will officially begin at BitGala on May 26th. At this event, they will host a joint gathering to mark their partnership and engage with the Bitcoin community. This event will also serve as the starting point for further integration, the development of new tools for developers, and expanded opportunities within the Bitcoin ecosystem.

“Spark is a completely agnostic protocol, it’s  purpose-built for developers to create the next generation of financial applications,” said the CEO & Co-founder of Lightspark David Marcus. “We’re incredibly excited to see Magic Eden building the future of on-chain Bitcoin DeFi directly on Spark.”

This post Magic Eden Partners with Spark to Bring Fast, Cheap Bitcoin Settlements first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Oscar Zarraga Perez.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Spoken by Counselor Elaron T’Saren of Risa to the High Council, Stardate 52874.2

Honored members of the Council,

I bring you greetings from Risa—not the Risa of travel brochures and romantic holo-novels, but the true Risa. The Risa that has endured, adapted, and emerged stronger after each trial. I speak not as a tourist ambassador, but as a Counselor of our oldest institute of philosophy, and as a son of the Ricin tradition.

Today, the specter of the Borg hangs above us. The collective offers no room for diplomacy, no respect for culture, no compromise. We face not mere invaders—but a force that seeks to erase individuality, history, and identity. Some among the Council wonder what Risa—a world of peace—can offer in such a time. I say to you: we can offer the truth about peace.

The Hidden Roots of Our Tranquility

Long ago, before Risa joined the Federation, we too believed that peace could be maintained by disarming the populace, by eliminating even the mention of conflict in our schools. It was called the Great Disarmament. A generation was raised with no understanding of defense, and in time, we paid the price.

We were raided by Orion pirates. Exploited by off-world cartels. Our people were taken, our arts destroyed, our skies blackened. And we learned—too late—that peace without preparedness is only the illusion of safety.

The Birth of Ricin Doctrine

From the ashes of that failure arose the Ricin: scholars, philosophers, warriors of thought and purpose. They taught that peace is not the absence of conflict, but the mastery of it. That the mind and the body must be trained in tandem. That love without strength is a leaf in the wind.

We did not become a militant world. We became a watchful one. Our children were taught martial discipline—not to glorify violence, but to understand it, to confront it, and to defeat it when necessary. They learned meditation alongside hand-to-hand technique, negotiation beside tactical reasoning.

When we joined the Federation, we did so willingly. But let none assume we surrendered our right to defend our way of life.

Why I Speak to You Now

The Borg are not like the Orion Syndicate. They are not opportunistic, or ideological. They are methodical. And they are coming. You cannot debate with them. You cannot delay them. You can only prepare for them.

And yet, I hear murmurs within the halls of the Federation: whispers of abandoning planetary defense training, of downplaying the psychological need for individual and planetary preparedness. I hear the tired lie that “peace will protect us.”

No, Councilors. It is discipline that protects peace.

The Call to Action

I do not come bearing weapons. I come bearing wisdom. Let us take the Risan lesson and apply it across the Federation. Reestablish tactical readiness training in civilian schools. Encourage planetary governments to integrate defense and philosophy, not as contradictions, but as complements.

Let every child of the Federation grow up knowing not just the principles of liberty, but the means to defend them. Let every artist, scientist, and healer stand ready to protect the civilization they help to build.

Let us not wait until the Borg are in our orbit to remember what we must become.

Conclusion

The Borg seek to erase our uniqueness. Let us show them that the Federation is not a fragile collection of planets—but a constellation of cultures bound by a shared resolve.

We do not choose war. But neither do we flee from it.

We are the guardians of Risa’s flame—and we offer our light to the stars.

Thank you.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Hear this, warriors of the Empire!

A dishonorable shadow spreads across our once-proud institutions, infecting our very bloodlines with weakness. The House of Duras—may their names be spoken with contempt—has betrayed the sacred warrior code of Kahless. No, they have not attacked us with disruptors or blades. Their weapon is more insidious: fear and silence.

Cowardice Masquerading as Concern

These traitors would strip our children of their birthright. They forbid the young from training with the bat'leth in school! Their cowardly decree does not come in the form of an open challenge, but in whispers of fear, buried in bureaucratic dictates. "It is for safety," they claim. "It is to prevent bloodshed." Lies! The blood of Klingons must be tested in training if it is to be ready in battle. We are not humans to be coddled by illusions of safety.

Indoctrination by Silence

In their cowardice, the House of Duras seeks to shape our children not into warriors, but into frightened bureaucrats who speak not of honor, nor of strength. They spread a vile practice—of punishing younglings for even speaking of combat, for recounting glorious tales of blades clashing in the halls of Sto-Vo-Kor! A child who dares write a poem of battle is silenced. A young warrior who shares tales of their father’s triumphs is summoned to the headmaster’s office.

This is no accident. This is a calculated cultural sabotage.

Weakness Taught as Virtue

The House of Duras has infected the minds of the teachers. These once-proud mentors now tremble at shadows, seeing future rebels in the eyes of their students. They demand security patrols and biometric scanners, turning training halls into prisons. They have created fear, not of enemies beyond the Empire, but of the students themselves.

And so, the rituals of strength are erased. The bat'leth is banished. The honor of open training and sparring is forbidden. All under the pretense of protection.

A Plan of Subjugation

Make no mistake. This is not a policy; it is a plan. A plan to disarm future warriors before they are strong enough to rise. By forbidding speech, training, and remembrance, the House of Duras ensures the next generation kneels before the High Council like servants, not warriors. They seek an Empire of sheep, not wolves.

Stand and Resist

But the blood of Kahless runs strong! We must not be silent. We must not comply. Let every training hall resound with the clash of steel. Let our children speak proudly of their ancestors' battles. Let every dishonorable edict from the House of Duras be met with open defiance.

Raise your voice, Klingons! Raise your blade! The soul of the Empire is at stake. We will not surrender our future. We will not let the cowardice of Duras shape the spirit of our children.

The Empire endures through strength. Through honor. Through battle. And so shall we!

@ 21335073:a244b1ad

The other day, I had the privilege of sitting down with one of my favorite living artists. Our conversation was so captivating that I felt compelled to share it. I’m leaving his name out for privacy.

Since our last meeting, I’d watched a documentary about his life, one he’d helped create. I told him how much I admired his openness in it. There’s something strange about knowing intimate details of someone’s life when they know so little about yours—it’s almost like I knew him too well for the kind of relationship we have.

He paused, then said quietly, with a shy grin, that watching the documentary made him realize how “odd and eccentric” he is. I laughed and told him he’s probably the sanest person I know. Because he’s lived fully, chasing love, passion, and purpose with hardly any regrets. He’s truly lived.

Today, I turn 44, and I’ll admit I’m a bit eccentric myself. I think I came into the world this way. I’ve made mistakes along the way, but I carry few regrets. Every misstep taught me something. And as I age, I’m not interested in blending in with the world—I’ll probably just lean further into my own brand of “weird.” I want to live life to the brim. The older I get, the more I see that the “normal” folks often seem less grounded than the eccentric artists who dare to live boldly. Life’s too short to just exist, actually live.

I’m not saying to be strange just for the sake of it. But I’ve seen what the crowd celebrates, and I’m not impressed. Forge your own path, even if it feels lonely or unpopular at times.

It’s easy to scroll through the news and feel discouraged. But actually, this is one of the most incredible times to be alive! I wake up every day grateful to be here, now. The future is bursting with possibility—I can feel it.

So, to my fellow weirdos on nostr: stay bold. Keep dreaming, keep pushing, no matter what’s trending. Stay wild enough to believe in a free internet for all. Freedom is radical—hold it tight. Live with the soul of an artist and the grit of a fighter. Thanks for inspiring me and so many others to keep hoping. Thank you all for making the last year of my life so special.

@ 6fc114c7:8f4b1405

In the realm of cryptocurrency, the stakes are incredibly high, and losing access to your digital assets can be a daunting experience. But don’t worry — cryptrecver.com is here to transform that nightmare into a reality! With expert-led recovery services and leading-edge technology, Crypt Recver specializes in helping you regain access to your lost Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Why Choose Crypt Recver? 🤔 🔑 Expertise You Can Trust At Crypt Recver, we blend advanced technology with skilled engineers who have a solid track record in crypto recovery. Whether you’ve forgotten your passwords, lost your private keys, or encountered issues with damaged hardware wallets, our team is ready to assist.

⚡ Fast Recovery Process Time is crucial when recovering lost funds. Crypt Recver’s systems are designed for speed, enabling quick recoveries — allowing you to return to what matters most: trading and investing.

🎯 High Success Rate With a success rate exceeding 90%, our recovery team has aided numerous clients in regaining access to their lost assets. We grasp the complexities of cryptocurrency and are committed to providing effective solutions.

🛡️ Confidential & Secure Your privacy is paramount. All recovery sessions at Crypt Recver are encrypted and completely confidential. You can trust us with your information, knowing we uphold the highest security standards.

🔧 Advanced Recovery Tools We employ proprietary tools and techniques to tackle complex recovery scenarios, from retrieving corrupted wallets to restoring coins from invalid addresses. No matter the challenge, we have a solution.

Our Recovery Services Include: 📈 Bitcoin Recovery: Lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We can assist in recovering lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases. Transaction Recovery: Mistaken transfers, lost passwords, or missing transaction records — let us help you reclaim your funds! Cold Wallet Restoration: Did your cold wallet fail? We specialize in safely extracting assets. Private Key Generation: Forgotten your private key? We can help you generate new keys linked to your funds without compromising security. Don’t Let Lost Crypto Ruin Your Day! 🕒 With an estimated 3 to 3.4 million BTC lost forever, it’s essential to act quickly when facing access issues. Whether you’ve been affected by a dust attack or simply forgotten your key, Crypt Recver provides the support you need to reclaim your digital assets.

🚀 Start Your Recovery Now! Ready to retrieve your cryptocurrency? Don’t let uncertainty hold you back! 👉 Request Wallet Recovery Help Today!cryptrecver.com

Need Immediate Assistance? 📞 For quick queries or support, connect with us on: ✉️ Telegram: t.me/crypptrcver 💬 WhatsApp: +1(941)317–1821

Trust Crypt Recver for the best crypto recovery service — get back to trading with confidence! 💪

In the realm of cryptocurrency, the stakes are incredibly high, and losing access to your digital assets can be a daunting experience. But don’t worry — cryptrecver.com is here to transform that nightmare into a reality! With expert-led recovery services and leading-edge technology, Crypt Recver specializes in helping you regain access to your lost Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

# Why Choose Crypt Recver? 🤔

🔑 Expertise You Can Trust\ At Crypt Recver, we blend advanced technology with skilled engineers who have a solid track record in crypto recovery. Whether you’ve forgotten your passwords, lost your private keys, or encountered issues with damaged hardware wallets, our team is ready to assist.

⚡ Fast Recovery Process\ Time is crucial when recovering lost funds. Crypt Recver’s systems are designed for speed, enabling quick recoveries — allowing you to return to what matters most: trading and investing.

🎯 High Success Rate\ With a success rate exceeding 90%, our recovery team has aided numerous clients in regaining access to their lost assets. We grasp the complexities of cryptocurrency and are committed to providing effective solutions.

🛡️ Confidential & Secure\ Your privacy is paramount. All recovery sessions at Crypt Recver are encrypted and completely confidential. You can trust us with your information, knowing we uphold the highest security standards.

🔧 Advanced Recovery Tools\ We employ proprietary tools and techniques to tackle complex recovery scenarios, from retrieving corrupted wallets to restoring coins from invalid addresses. No matter the challenge, we have a solution.

# Our Recovery Services Include: 📈

• Bitcoin Recovery: Lost access to your Bitcoin wallet? We can assist in recovering lost wallets, private keys, and passphrases.
• Transaction Recovery: Mistaken transfers, lost passwords, or missing transaction records — let us help you reclaim your funds!
• Cold Wallet Restoration: Did your cold wallet fail? We specialize in safely extracting assets.
• Private Key Generation: Forgotten your private key? We can help you generate new keys linked to your funds without compromising security.

Don’t Let Lost Crypto Ruin Your Day! 🕒

With an estimated 3 to 3.4 million BTC lost forever, it’s essential to act quickly when facing access issues. Whether you’ve been affected by a dust attack or simply forgotten your key, Crypt Recver provides the support you need to reclaim your digital assets.

🚀 Start Your Recovery Now!\ Ready to retrieve your cryptocurrency? Don’t let uncertainty hold you back!\ 👉 Request Wallet Recovery Help Today!cryptrecver.com

Need Immediate Assistance? 📞

For quick queries or support, connect with us on:\ ✉️ Telegram: t.me/crypptrcver\ 💬 WhatsApp: +1(941)317–1821

Trust Crypt Recver for the best crypto recovery service — get back to trading with confidence! 💪

@ da8b7de1:c0164aee

Blykalla svéd fejlesztő következő tőkebevonási köre augusztus végéig

A svéd Blykalla, amely fejlett ólom-hűtésű gyorsreaktorokat (SEALER) fejleszt, augusztus végéig tervezi következő tőkebevonási körét. A vállalat nemrég 7,3 millió dolláros befektetést szerzett, amellyel összesen már 20 millió dollárnyi forrást gyűjtött össze. A SEALER technológia jelentősen hatékonyabb üzemanyag-felhasználást ígér, akár 140-szeres hatékonysággal a hagyományos könnyűvizes reaktorokhoz képest. Az első két reaktort Svédországban tervezik megépíteni, de már ukrán és más európai, valamint kanadai partnerekkel is tárgyalnak. A következő lépés a tesztreaktor megépítése és az engedélyezési folyamat elindítása, amelyet 2025-re terveznek lezárni. A vállalat célja, hogy technológiai szolgáltatóként jelenjen meg, nem pedig üzemeltetőként[2].

Amerikai szenátorok törvényjavaslata Kína és Oroszország nukleáris befolyása ellen

Amerikai republikánus és demokrata szenátorok közösen nyújtottak be törvényjavaslatot, amelynek célja Kína és Oroszország növekvő nemzetközi nukleáris befolyásának visszaszorítása. Az International Nuclear Energy Act egy új hivatalt hozna létre, amely a nukleáris exportot, finanszírozást és szabályozási szabványosítást erősítené. A törvényjavaslat egy alapot is létrehozna a nemzetbiztonság szempontjából fontos projektek finanszírozására, valamint kétévente kabinet szintű egyeztetést írna elő a nukleáris biztonságról és ipar-politikai kérdésekről. A kezdeményezés hátterében az elektromos áram iránti várható keresletnövekedés és a szektor stratégiai jelentősége áll[3].

India 49%-os külföldi tulajdon engedélyezését fontolgatja a nukleáris szektorban

India fontolgatja, hogy akár 49%-os külföldi tulajdont is engedélyezzen atomerőműveiben, hogy elérje ambiciózus nukleáris kapacitásbővítési céljait és csökkentse szén-dioxid-kibocsátását. Jelenleg a külföldi befektetők számára tilos az atomerőművekben való tulajdonszerzés, de a kormány tervezi a szabályozás lazítását, beleértve a nukleáris felelősségi törvények enyhítését is. A cél az, hogy 2047-re 12-ről 100 gigawattra növeljék az ország nukleáris kapacitását. Bármilyen külföldi befektetéshez továbbra is kormányzati jóváhagyás szükséges lenne[4].

NRC: végleges környezeti jelentés a Summer-1 engedélymegújításáról

Az amerikai Nukleáris Szabályozási Bizottság (NRC) közzétette a Summer-1 atomerőmű engedélymegújításához kapcsolódó végleges környezeti hatástanulmányát. A jelentés szerint nincs olyan jelentős környezeti hatás, amely akadályozná a 966 MWe teljesítményű reaktor további 20 évig tartó üzemeltetését 2042 után. A vizsgálat alternatív energiaforrásokat is értékelt, de egyik sem bizonyult jobbnak a jelenlegi atomenergia-használatnál. A Summer-1 egység különálló a befejezetlen Summer-2 és -3 blokkoktól, amelyek építését 2017-ben leállították[5].

Nemzetközi nukleáris hatósági és technológiai fejlemények

A szlovéniai Portorozban május közepén tartották a közép-európai nukleáris hatóságok éves találkozóját, ahol a biztonsági és technológiai együttműködés volt a fókuszban. Emellett a BME megalapította a Mikro- és Kis Moduláris Reaktorok Kompetenciaközpontját, amely a magyarországi SMR-technológia fejlesztését és elterjesztését támogatja[6][7].

---

Hivatkozások

• nucnet.org
• ignition-news.com
• investing.com
• energynews.oedigital.com
• ans.org
• pakspress.hu
• mandiner.hu

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

In an age where culture often precedes policy, a subtle yet potent mechanism may be at play in the shaping of American perspectives on gun ownership. Rather than directly challenging the Second Amendment through legislation alone, a more insidious strategy may involve reshaping the cultural and social norms surrounding firearms—by conditioning the population, starting at its most impressionable point: the public school system.

The Cultural Lever of Language

Unlike Orwell's 1984, where language is controlled by removing words from the lexicon, this modern approach may hinge instead on instilling fear around specific words or topics—guns, firearms, and self-defense among them. The goal is not to erase the language but to embed a taboo so deep that people voluntarily avoid these terms out of social self-preservation. Children, teachers, and parents begin to internalize a fear of even mentioning weapons, not because the words are illegal, but because the cultural consequences are severe.

The Role of Teachers in Social Programming

Teachers, particularly in primary and middle schools, serve not only as educational authorities but also as social regulators. The frequent argument against homeschooling—that children will not be "properly socialized"—reveals an implicit understanding that schools play a critical role in setting behavioral norms. Children learn what is acceptable not just academically but socially. Rules, discipline, and behavioral expectations are laid down by teachers, often reinforced through peer pressure and institutional authority.

This places teachers in a unique position of influence. If fear is instilled in these educators—fear that one of their students could become the next school shooter—their response is likely to lean toward overcorrection. That overcorrection may manifest as a total intolerance for any conversation about weapons, regardless of the context. Innocent remarks or imaginative stories from young children are interpreted as red flags, triggering intervention from administrators and warnings to parents.

Fear as a Policy Catalyst

School shootings, such as the one at Columbine, serve as the fulcrum for this fear-based conditioning. Each highly publicized tragedy becomes a national spectacle, not only for mourning but also for cementing the idea that any child could become a threat. Media cycles perpetuate this narrative with relentless coverage and emotional appeals, ensuring that each incident becomes embedded in the public consciousness.

The side effect of this focus is the generation of copycat behavior, which, in turn, justifies further media attention and tighter controls. Schools install security systems, metal detectors, and armed guards—not simply to stop violence, but to serve as a daily reminder to children and staff alike: guns are dangerous, ubiquitous, and potentially present at any moment. This daily ritual reinforces the idea that the very discussion of firearms is a precursor to violence.

Policy and Practice: The Zero-Tolerance Feedback Loop

Federal and district-level policies begin to reflect this cultural shift. A child mentioning a gun in class—even in a non-threatening or imaginative context—is flagged for intervention. Zero-tolerance rules leave no room for context or intent. Teachers and administrators, fearing for their careers or safety, comply eagerly with these guidelines, interpreting them as moral obligations rather than bureaucratic policies.

The result is a generation of students conditioned to associate firearms with social ostracism, disciplinary action, and latent danger. The Second Amendment, once seen as a cultural cornerstone of American liberty and self-reliance, is transformed into an artifact of suspicion and anxiety.

Long-Term Consequences: A Nation Re-Socialized

Over time, this fear-based reshaping of discourse creates adults who not only avoid discussing guns but view them as morally reprehensible. Their aversion is not grounded in legal logic or political philosophy, but in deeply embedded emotional programming begun in early childhood. The cultural weight against firearms becomes so great that even those inclined to support gun rights feel the need to self-censor.

As fewer people grow up discussing, learning about, or responsibly handling firearms, the social understanding of the Second Amendment erodes. Without cultural reinforcement, its value becomes abstract and its defenders marginalized. In this way, the right to bear arms is not abolished by law—it is dismantled by language, fear, and the subtle recalibration of social norms.

Conclusion

This theoretical strategy does not require a single change to the Constitution. It relies instead on the long game of cultural transformation, beginning with the youngest minds and reinforced by fear-driven policy and media narratives. The outcome is a society that views the Second Amendment not as a safeguard of liberty, but as an anachronism too dangerous to mention.

By controlling the language through social consequences and fear, a nation can be taught not just to disarm, but to believe it chose to do so freely. That, perhaps, is the most powerful form of control of all.

@ 846ebf79:fe4e39a4

The next iteration is coming

We're busy racing to the finish line, for the #Alexandria Gutenberg beta. Then we can get the bug hunt done, release v0.1.0, and immediately start producing the first iteration of the Euler (v0.2.0) edition.

While we continue to work on fixing the performance issues and smooth rendering on the Reading View, we've gone ahead and added some new features and apps, which will be rolled-out soon.

The biggest projects this iteration have been:

• the HTTP API for the #Realy relay from nostr:npub1fjqqy4a93z5zsjwsfxqhc2764kvykfdyttvldkkkdera8dr78vhsmmleku,
• implementation of a publication tree structure by nostr:npub1wqfzz2p880wq0tumuae9lfwyhs8uz35xd0kr34zrvrwyh3kvrzuskcqsyn,
• and the Great DevOps Migration of 2025 from the ever-industrious Mr. nostr:npub1qdjn8j4gwgmkj3k5un775nq6q3q7mguv5tvajstmkdsqdja2havq03fqm7.

All are backend-y projects and have caused a major shift in process and product, on the development team's side, even if they're still largely invisible to users.

Another important, but invisible-to-you change is that nostr:npub1ecdlntvjzexlyfale2egzvvncc8tgqsaxkl5hw7xlgjv2cxs705s9qs735 has implemented the core bech32 functionality (and the associated tests) in C/C++, for the #Aedile NDK.

On the frontend:

nostr:npub1636uujeewag8zv8593lcvdrwlymgqre6uax4anuq3y5qehqey05sl8qpl4 is currently working on the blog-specific Reading View, which allows for multi-npub or topical blogging, by using the 30040 index as a "folder", joining the various 30041 articles into different blogs. She has also started experimenting with categorization and columns for the landing page.

nostr:npub1l5sga6xg72phsz5422ykujprejwud075ggrr3z2hwyrfgr7eylqstegx9z revamped the product information pages, so that there is now a Contact page (including the ability to submit a Nostr issue) and an About page (with more product information, the build version displayed, and a live #GitCitadel feed).

We have also allowed for discrete headings (headers that aren't section headings, akin to the headers in Markdown). Discrete headings are formatted, but not added to the ToC and do not result in a section split by Asciidoc processors.

We have added OpenGraph metadata, so that hyperlinks to Alexandria publications, and other events, display prettily in other apps. And we fixed some bugs.

The Visualisation view has been updated and bug-fixed, to make the cards human-readable and closeable, and to add hyperlinks to the events to the card-titles.

We have added support for the display of individual wiki pages and the integration of them into 30040 publications. (This is an important feature for scientists and other nonfiction writers.)

We prettified the event json modal, so that it's easier to read and copy-paste out of.

The index card details have been expanded and the menus on the landing page have been revamped and expanded. Design and style has been improved, overall.

Project management is very busy

Our scientific adviser nostr:npub1m3xdppkd0njmrqe2ma8a6ys39zvgp5k8u22mev8xsnqp4nh80srqhqa5sf is working on the Euler plans for integrating features important for medical researchers and other scientists, which have been put on the fast track.

Next up are:

• a return of the Table of Contents
• kind 1111 comments, highlights, likes
• a prototype social feed for wss://theforest.nostr1.com, including long-form articles and Markdown rendering
• compose and edit of publications
• a search field
• the expansion of the relay set with the new relays from nostr:npub12262qa4uhw7u8gdwlgmntqtv7aye8vdcmvszkqwgs0zchel6mz7s6cgrkj, including some cool premium features
• full wiki functionality and disambiguation pages for replaceable events with overlapping d-tags
• a web app for mass-uploading and auto-converting PDFs to 30040/41 Asciidoc events, that will run on Realy, and be a service free for our premium relay subscribers
• ability to subscribe to the forest with a premium status
• the book upload CLI has been renamed and reworked into the Sybil Test Utility and that will get a major release, covering all the events and functionality needed to test Euler
• the #GitRepublic public git server project
• ....and much more.

Thank you for reading and may your morning be good.

@ 000002de:c05780a7

I enjoy Jonathan Pageau's perspectives from time to time. He is big on myth and symbolic signs in culture and history. I find this stuff fascinating as well. I watched this video last week, and based on the title, I was thinking... hmm, I wonder if it is a review of Return of the Strong Gods. It wasn't, but it really flows with the thesis of that book. You should read it if you haven't, and before you do, go check out @SimpleStacker's review of it.

Pageau starts the video by talking about the concept of "watching the clown." He uses Ye as the clown. Ye has been a leading indicator in the past when he publicly claimed he was a Christian and began making music and holding church services. Now he's going "off the rails" seemingly with his Hitler songs and art. Clearly, the stigma of Hitler will not last forever. It's hard for us to realize this. At least for someone of my age, but Pageau points out that eventually, the villains of history become less of a stand-in for Satan and more of a purely historical figure. He mentions Alexander the Great as a man who did incredibly evil things, but today we just read about him in school and don't really think about it too much. One day, that will be the way Hitler is viewed. Sure, evil, but the power of using him as the mythical Satan will wane.

The most interesting point I took away from this video, though, was that the post-war consensus was built on a dark secret. Now, it's not a secret to me, but at some point, it was. And this secret is a deep flaw in the current state of the West that keeps affecting us in negative ways. The secret is that in order to defeat Hitler and the Nazis, the West allied itself with the Soviets. Stalin. An incredibly evil man and an ideology that has led to the death and suffering of more humans than the Nazis. This is just a fact, but it's so dark that we don't talk about it.

For many years as I began to study Communism and the Soviet Union I began to question why on earth did the allies align themselves with Stalin. Obviously it was for stratigic reasons. I get it. But the fact that this topic is not really discussed in our culture has had a dark effect. Now, I'm not interested in figuring out if Stalin was more evil than Hitler or if Fascism is worse that Communism. I think this misses the point. The point is that today if soneone has Nazi symbols it is very likely not gonna go well for them but Communist symbols are usually just fine. We see the ideas of Socialism discussed openly without concern. Its popular even. Fascism on the other hand is always (until recently) masked at best.

Today we are seeing more and more people openly talk about this reality, and it is a signal that the WW2 consensus is breaking. As people age out and our collective memory fades, this lie will become more visible because the mythical view of Hitler will fade. This will allow people to be more objective about viewing the decisions of the past. I don't recall the book discussing this directly, but it is an interesting connection for sure.

I recommend watching The World War II Consensus is Breaking Down by Jonathan Pageau.

https://stacker.news/items/985962

@ 05a0f81e:fc032124

Phobia and temperament are two distinct concepts in psychology:

Phobia 1. Specific fear or anxiety: Phobias involve intense, irrational fears or anxieties towards specific objects, situations, or activities. 2. Avoidance behavior: People with phobias often exhibit avoidance behaviors to escape the feared stimulus. 3. Impact on daily life: Phobias can significantly impact an individual's daily life, causing distress and impairment.

Temperament 1. Personality traits: Temperament refers to an individual's inherent personality traits, including emotional reactivity, mood, and behavioral tendencies. 2. Stable patterns: Temperament is relatively stable across situations and over time. 3. Influence on behavior: Temperament influences an individual's behavior, interactions, and responses to various situations.

Key differences 1. Specificity: Phobias are specific to certain objects or situations, while temperament is a broader personality trait. 2. Focus: Phobias focus on fear or anxiety, whereas temperament encompasses a range of personality characteristics. 3. Impact: Phobias can have a significant impact on daily life, while temperament can shape an individual's overall behavior and interactions.

Comparison 1. Both influence behavior: Both phobias and temperament can influence an individual's behavior and responses to situations. 2. Both can be shaped: Both phobias and temperament can be shaped by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Understanding the differences and similarities between phobias and temperament can provide valuable insights into human behavior and psychological processes.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Reanalysis: Could the Great Pyramid Function as an Ammonia Generator Powered by a 25GW Breeder Reactor?

Introduction

The Great Pyramid of Giza has traditionally been considered a tomb or ceremonial structure. Yet an intriguing alternative hypothesis suggests it could have functioned as a large-scale ammonia generator, powered by a high-energy source, such as a nuclear breeder reactor. This analysis explores the theoretical practicality of powering such a system using a continuous 25-gigawatt (GW) breeder reactor.

The Pyramid as an Ammonia Generator

Producing ammonia (NH₃) from atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) and hydrogen (H₂) requires substantial energy. Modern ammonia production (via the Haber-Bosch process) typically demands high pressure (~150–250 atmospheres) and temperatures (~400–500°C). However, given enough available energy, it is theoretically feasible to synthesize ammonia at lower pressures if catalysts and temperatures are sufficiently high or if alternative electrochemical or plasma-based fixation methods are employed.

Theoretical System Components:

1. High Heat Source (25GW breeder reactor)
   A breeder reactor could consistently generate large amounts of heat. At a steady state of approximately 25GW, this heat source would easily sustain temperatures exceeding the 450°C threshold necessary for ammonia synthesis reactions, particularly if conducted electrochemically or catalytically.

2. Steam and Hydrogen Production
   The intense heat from a breeder reactor can efficiently evaporate water from subterranean channels (such as those historically suggested to exist beneath the pyramid) to form superheated steam. If coupled with high-voltage electrostatic fields (possibly in the millions of volts), steam electrolysis into hydrogen and oxygen becomes viable. This high-voltage environment could substantially enhance electrolysis efficiency.

3. Nitrogen Fixation (Ammonia Synthesis)
   With hydrogen readily produced, ammonia generation can proceed. Atmospheric nitrogen, abundant around the pyramid, can combine with the hydrogen generated through electrolysis. Under these conditions, the pyramid's capstone—potentially made from a catalytic metal like osmium, platinum, or gold—could facilitate nitrogen fixation at elevated temperatures.

Power Requirements and Energy Calculations

A thorough calculation of the continuous power requirements to maintain this system follows:

• Estimated Steady-state Power: ~25 GW of continuous thermal power.
• Total Energy Over 10,000 years: """ Energy = 25 GW × 10,000 years × 365.25 days/year × 24 hrs/day × 3600 s/hr ≈ 7.9 × 10²¹ Joules """

Feasibility of a 25GW Breeder Reactor within the Pyramid

A breeder reactor capable of sustaining 25GW thermal power is physically plausible—modern commercial reactors routinely generate 3–4GW thermal, so this is within an achievable engineering scale (though certainly large by current standards).

Fuel Requirements:

• Each kilogram of fissile fuel (e.g., U-233 from Thorium-232) releases ~80 terajoules (TJ) or 8×10¹³ joules.
• Considering reactor efficiency (~35%), one kilogram provides ~2.8×10¹³ joules usable energy: """ Fuel Required = 7.9 × 10²¹ J / 2.8 × 10¹³ J/kg ≈ 280,000 metric tons """
• With a breeding ratio of ~1.3: """ Initial Load = 280,000 tons / 1.3 ≈ 215,000 tons """

Reactor Physical Dimensions (Pebble Bed Design):

• King’s Chamber size: ~318 cubic meters.
• The reactor core would need to be extremely dense and highly efficient. Advanced engineering would be required to concentrate such power in this space, but it is within speculative feasibility.

Steam Generation and Scaling Management

Key methods to mitigate mineral scaling in the system: 1. Natural Limestone Filtration 2. Chemical Additives (e.g., chelating agents, phosphate compounds) 3. Superheating and Electrostatic Ionization 4. Electrostatic Control

Conclusion and Practical Considerations

Yes, the Great Pyramid could theoretically function as an ammonia generator if powered by a 25GW breeder reactor, using: - Thorium or Uranium-based fertile material, - Sustainable steam and scaling management, - High-voltage-enhanced electrolysis and catalytic ammonia synthesis.

While speculative, it is technologically coherent when analyzed through the lens of modern nuclear and chemical engineering.

See also: nostr:naddr1qqxnzde5xymrgvekxycrswfeqy2hwumn8ghj7am0deejucmpd3mxztnyv4mz7q3qc856kwjk524kef97hazw5e9jlkjq4333r6yxh2rtgefpd894ddpsxpqqqp65wun9c08

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Assumptions

| Factor | Assumption | |--------|------------| | CO₂ | Not considered a pollutant or is captured/stored later | | Water Use | Regulated across all sources; cooling towers or dry cooling required | | Compliance Cost | Nuclear no longer burdened by long licensing and construction delays | | Coal Waste | Treated as valuable raw material (e.g., fly ash for cement, gypsum from scrubbers) | | Nuclear Tech | Gen IV SMRs in widespread use (e.g., 50–300 MWe units, modular build, passive safety) | | Grid Role | All three provide baseload or load-following power | | Fuel Pricing | Moderate and stable (no energy crisis or supply chain disruptions) |

---

Performance Comparison

| Category | Coal (IGCC + Scrubbers) | Natural Gas (CCGT) | Nuclear (Gen IV SMRs) | |---------|-----------------------------|------------------------|--------------------------| | Thermal Efficiency | 40–45% | 55–62% | 30–35% | | CAPEX ($/kW) | $3,500–5,000 | $900–1,300 | $4,000–7,000 (modularized) | | O&M Cost ($/MWh) | $30–50 | $10–20 | $10–25 | | Fuel Cost ($/MWh) | $15–25 | $25–35 | $6–10 | | Water Use (gal/MWh) | 300–500 (with cooling towers) | 100–250 | 300–600 | | Air Emissions | Very low (excluding CO₂) | Very low | None | | Waste | Usable (fly ash, FGD gypsum, slag) | Minimal | Compact, long-term storage required | | Ramp/Flexibility | Slow ramp (newer designs better) | Fast ramp | Medium (SMRs better than traditional) | | Footprint (Land & Supply) | Large (mining, transport) | Medium | Small | | Energy Density | Medium | Medium-high | Very high | | Build Time | 4–7 years | 2–4 years | 2–5 years (with factory builds) | | Lifecycle (years) | 40+ | 30+ | 60+ | | Grid Resilience | High | High | Very High (passive safety, long refuel) |

---

Strategic Role Summary

1. Coal (Clean & Integrated)

• Strengths: Long-term fuel security; byproduct reuse; high reliability; domestic resource.
• Drawbacks: Still low flexibility; moderate efficiency; large physical/logistical footprint.
• Strategic Role: Best suited for regions with abundant coal and industrial reuse markets.

2. Natural Gas (CCGT)

• Strengths: High efficiency, low CAPEX, grid agility, low emissions.
• Drawbacks: Still fossil-based; dependent on well infrastructure; less long-lived.
• Strategic Role: Excellent transitional and peaking solution; strong complement to renewables.

3. Nuclear (Gen IV SMRs)

• Strengths: Highest energy density; no air emissions or CO₂; long lifespan; modular & scalable.
• Drawbacks: Still needs safe waste handling; high upfront cost; novel tech in deployment stage.
• Strategic Role: Ideal for low-carbon baseload, remote areas, and national strategic assets.

---

Adjusted Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE)

| Source | LCOE ($/MWh) | Notes | |--------|------------------|-------| | Coal (IGCC w/scrubbers) | ~$75–95 | Lower with valuable waste | | Natural Gas (CCGT) | ~$45–70 | Highly competitive if fuel costs are stable | | Gen IV SMRs | ~$65–85 | Assuming factory production and streamlined permitting |

---

Final Verdict (Under Optimized Assumptions)

• Most Economical Short-Term: Natural Gas
• Most Strategic Long-Term: Gen IV SMRs
• Most Viable if Industrial Ecosystem Exists: Clean Coal

All three could coexist in a diversified, stable energy grid: - Coal filling a regional or industrial niche, - Gas providing flexibility and economy, - SMRs ensuring long-term sustainability and energy security.

@ 8d34bd24:414be32b

In our culture today, people like to have “my truth” as opposed to “your truth.” They want to have teachers who tell them what they want to hear and worship in the way they desire. The Bible predicted these times.

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3)

My question is, “do we get to choose what we want to believe about God and how we want to worship Him, or does God tell us what we are to believe and how we are to worship Him?”

The Bible makes it clear that He is who He says He is and He expects obedience and worship according to His commands. We do not get to decide for ourselves.

The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:19-24) {emphasis mine}

In this passage, Jesus gently corrects the woman for worshipping what she does not know. He also says, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” He states what God is (spirit) and how He must be worshipped “in spirit and truth.” We don’t get to define God however we wish, and we don’t get to worship Him any way we wish. God is who He has revealed Himself to be and we must obey Him and worship Him the way He has commanded.

In this next passage, God makes clear that He is holy and we do not get to worship Him any way we wish. We are to interact with Him in the prescribed manner.

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying,

‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy,\ And before all the people I will be honored.’ ”

So Aaron, therefore, kept silent. (Leviticus 10:1-3) {emphasis mine}

God had prescribed a particular way to approach Him and only those whom He had chosen (priests of the lineage of Aaron). Nadab and Abihu chose to “do it their way” and paid the price for ignoring God’s command. God set an example with them.

God has been gracious enough to reveal Himself, His character, His power, and His commands to us. If we have truly submitted ourselves to His rule, we should hunger for God’s words so we can know Him better and honor Him in obedience.

But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. (John 17:13-17) {emphasis mine}

In today’s culture, everybody likes to claim their own personal truth, but that isn’t how truth works. The truth is not determined by an individual for themselves. It isn’t even determined by a consensus or majority vote. The truth is the truth even if not one person on earth believes it. God speaks truth and God is truth. Our belief or lack thereof doesn’t change the truth, but our lack of belief in the truth, especially the truth as revealed by God in His word, can negatively affect our relationship with God.

God expects us to study His word so we can obey His commands.

For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’ Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, daily rising early and sending them. Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did more evil than their fathers. (Jeremiah 7:22-26) {emphasis mine}

Today you rarely see someone bowing down to a golden idol, but that doesn’t mean that we are any better at obeying God’s commands or submitting to His will. We still try to make God in our own image so He is a convenience to us and how we want to live our lives. We still put other things ahead of God — family, work, entertainment, fame, etc. Most of us aren’t any more faithful to God than the Israelites were. Just like the Israelites, we put on the trappings of faith but don’t live according to faith and faithfulness.

And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘This people honors Me with their lips,\ But their heart is far away from Me.\ **But in vain do they worship Me,\ Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’\ Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”

He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. (Mark 7:6-9) {emphasis mine}

How many “churches” and “Christian” leaders teach people according to the culture instead of according to the Word of God? How many tell people what they want to hear and what makes them feel good instead of what they need to hear — the truth as spoken through the Bible? How many church attenders follow a “Christian” leader more than they follow their Creator, Savior, and God? How many church attenders can recite the words of their leaders better than the Holy Scriptures?

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5) {emphasis mine}

How can we know if a church leader is rightly preaching God’s word? We can only know if we have read the Bible and studied it. We should be like the Bereans:

Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11)

Honestly, I don’t trust any spiritual leader who doesn’t encourage me to search the Scriptures to see whether their words are true. Any leader who puts their own word above the Scriptures is a false teacher. Sadly there are many, maybe more than faithful teachers. Some false teachers are intentionally so, but many have been misled by other false teachers. Their guilt is less, but they don’t do any less harm than those who intentionally mislead.

We need to seek trustworthy teachers who speak according to the Word of God, who quote the Bible to support their opinions, and who seek the good of their followers rather than the submission of their followers.

Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,\ As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,

“When your fathers tested Me,\ They tried Me, though they had seen My work.\ For forty years I loathed that generation,\ And said they are a people who err in their heart,\ And they do not know My ways.\ Therefore I swore in My anger,\ Truly they shall not enter into My rest.” (Psalm 95:8-11) {emphasis mine} *Teach me good discernment and knowledge,\ For I believe in Your commandments*.\ Before I was afflicted I went astray,\ But now I keep Your word.\ You are good and do good;\ Teach me Your statutes.\ The arrogant have forged a lie against me;\ *With all my heart I will observe Your precepts*.\ Their heart is covered with fat,\ But I delight in Your law.\ It is good for me that I was afflicted,\ That I may learn Your statutes.\ The law of Your mouth is better to me\ Than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (Psalm 119:66-72) {emphasis mine}

May our Creator God teach us the truth. May He fill our hearts with the desire to be in His word daily and to seek His will. May He do what is necessary to get our attention and turn our hearts and minds fully to Him, so we can learn His statutes and serve Him faithfully, so one day we are blessed to hear, “Well done! Good and faithful servant.”

Trust Jesus.

FYI, I see lack of knowledge of truth and God’s word as one of the biggest problems in the church today; however, it is possible to know the Bible in depth, but not know God. As important as knowledge of Scriptures is, this knowledge (without faith, submission, obedience, and love) is meaningless. Knowledge doesn’t get us to heaven. Even obedience doesn’t get us to heaven. Only faith and submission to our creator God leads to salvation and heaven. That being said, we can’t faithfully serve our God without knowledge of Him and His commands. Out of gratefulness for who He is and what He has done for us, we should seek to know and please Him.

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

A follow-up to nostr:naddr1qqgxxwtyxe3kvc3jvvuxywtyxs6rjq3qc856kwjk524kef97hazw5e9jlkjq4333r6yxh2rtgefpd894ddpsxpqqqp65wuaydz8

This whitepaper, a comparison of baseload power options, explores a strategic policy framework to reduce the cost of next-generation nuclear power by aligning Gen IV Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) with national security objectives, public utility management, and a competitive manufacturing ecosystem modeled after the aerospace industry. Under this approach, SMRs could deliver stable, carbon-free power at $40–55/MWh, rivaling the economics of natural gas and renewables.

---

1. Context and Strategic Opportunity

Current Nuclear Cost Challenges

• High capital expenditure ($4,000–$12,000/kW)
• Lengthy permitting and construction timelines (10–15 years)
• Regulatory delays and public opposition
• Customized, one-off reactor designs with no economies of scale

The Promise of SMRs

• Factory-built, modular units
• Lower absolute cost and shorter build time
• Enhanced passive safety
• Scalable deployment

---

2. National Security as a Catalyst

Strategic Benefits

• Energy resilience for critical defense infrastructure
• Off-grid operation and EMP/cyber threat mitigation
• Long-duration fuel cycles reduce logistical risk

Policy Implications

• Streamlined permitting and site access under national defense exemptions
• Budget support via Department of Defense and Department of Energy
• Co-location on military bases and federal sites

---

3. Publicly Chartered Utilities: A New Operating Model

Utility Framework

• Federally chartered, low-margin operator (like TVA or USPS)
• Financially self-sustaining through long-term PPAs
• Focus on reliability, security, and public service over profit

Cost Advantages

• Lower cost of capital through public backing
• Predictable revenue models
• Community trust and stakeholder alignment

---

4. Competitive Manufacturing: The Aviation Analogy

Model Characteristics

• Multiple certified vendors, competing under common safety frameworks
• Factory-scale production and supply chain specialization
• Domestic sourcing for critical components and fuel

Benefits

• Cost reductions from repetition and volume
• Innovation through competition
• Export potential and industrial job creation

---

5. Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) Impact

| Cost Lever | Estimated LCOE Reduction | |------------|--------------------------| | Streamlined regulation | -10 to -20% | | Public-charter operation | -5 to -15% | | Factory-built SMRs | -15 to -30% | | Defense market anchor | -10% |

Estimated Resulting LCOE: $40–55/MWh

---

6. Strategic Outcomes

• Nuclear cost competitiveness with gas and renewables
• Decarbonization without reliability sacrifice
• Strengthened national energy resilience
• Industrial and workforce revitalization
• U.S. global leadership in clean, secure nuclear energy

---

7. Recommendations

• Create a public-private chartered SMR utility
• Deploy initial reactors on military and federal lands
• Incentivize competitive SMR manufacturing consortia
• Establish fast-track licensing for Gen IV designs
• Align DoD/DOE energy procurement to SMR adoption

---

Conclusion

This strategy would transform nuclear power from a high-cost, high-risk sector into a mission-driven, economically viable backbone of American energy and defense infrastructure. By treating SMRs as strategic assets, not just energy projects, the U.S. can unlock affordable, scalable, and secure nuclear power for generations to come.

@ 6c05c73e:c4356f17

Investir não é coisa de rico, é coisa de gente esperta! 🚀

Mano, saca só: a real é que investir não é sobre ser rico ou ter uma grana absurda guardada. É sobre entender que o seu dinheiro pode trabalhar pra você enquanto você vive a sua vida.

A real da real: A maioria da galera só pensa em guardar o que sobra no fim do mês, né? Mas a parada é outra: o certo é separar uma parte pra investir assim que o dinheiro entra. Mesmo que seja pouquinho, tipo 50 conto por mês, o hábito é o que vai construir resultado.

E relaxa! Não precisa ser nada complicado nem arriscado. Tem investimento pra todo tipo de pessoa, desde os mais conservadores até os mais arrojados.

Por que começar agora?

O importante é dar o primeiro passo, começar o quanto antes. Quanto mais cedo você começar, mais o tempo vai jogar a seu favor. E o tempo, no fim das contas, é o que faz a mágica acontecer com os juros compostos. Paciência é a chave!

Mudando a mentalidade

Primeiro de tudo, vamos mudar a mentalidade! Esquece essa ideia de que investir é só pra quem entende tudo de economia ou pra quem já tem muita grana. É só uma forma de fazer o seu dinheiro trabalhar por você.

Como começar?

1. Separe uma grana assim que receber: Ao invés de guardar o que sobra, já separa um valor assim que o dinheiro entra na conta. Pode ser pouco, tipo 50 reais, mas o importante é criar o hábito.
2. Tenha objetivos claros: Quer criar uma reserva de emergência? Fazer aquela viagem dos sonhos? Pensar na aposentadoria? Ter objetivos claros vai te dar motivação pra investir.
3. Escolha o tipo de investimento certo pra você: Tem investimento seguro pra quem tem medo e opção mais arriscada pra quem curte adrenalina. Pesquisa e vê qual se encaixa no seu perfil.

Cuidado com as furadas! 🚨

• Fuja de pirâmides: Promessas de dinheiro fácil? Desconfia!
• Não siga dica de qualquer blogueiro: Faça sua pesquisa e entenda onde você está colocando seu dinheiro.
• Tirar a grana da poupança: Deixar tudo parado na poupança achando que tá bem é deixar dinheiro na mesa.

A real sobre investir:

• Constância é mais importante que valor: É melhor investir um pouco todo mês do que muito de vez em quando.
• Investir é sobre disciplina, não sobre grana: Organização e planejamento são mais importantes do que ter muito dinheiro.

Então é isso, mano! Sem termos complicados, na moralzinha, pra galera sair daqui querendo pelo menos começar a investir. Lembre-se: seu único adversário é você mesmo. Bora fazer o dinheiro trabalhar pra gente! 😎

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

The United States is on the cusp of a historic technological renaissance, often referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Artificial intelligence, automation, advanced robotics, quantum computing, biotechnology, and clean manufacturing are converging into a seismic shift that will redefine how we live, work, and relate to one another. But there's a critical catch: this transformation depends entirely on the availability of stable, abundant, and inexpensive electricity.

Why Electricity is the Keystone of Innovation

Let’s start with something basic but often overlooked. Every industrial revolution has had an energy driver:

• The First rode the steam engine, powered by coal.
• The Second was electrified through centralized power plants.
• The Third harnessed computing and the internet.
• The Fourth will demand energy on a scale and reliability never seen before.

Imagine a city where thousands of small factories run 24/7 with robotics and AI doing precision manufacturing. Imagine a national network of autonomous vehicles, delivery drones, urban vertical farms, and high-bandwidth communication systems. All of this requires uninterrupted and inexpensive power.

Without it? Costs balloon. Innovation stalls. Investment leaves. And America risks becoming a second-tier economic power in a multipolar world.

So here’s the thesis: If we want to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we must first lead in energy. And nuclear — specifically Gen IV Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) — must be part of that leadership.

---

The Nuclear Case: Clean, Scalable, Strategic

Let’s debunk the myth: nuclear is not the boogeyman of the 1970s. It’s one of the safest, cleanest, and most energy-dense sources we have.

But traditional nuclear has problems:

• Too expensive to build.
• Too long to license.
• Too bespoke and complex.

Enter Gen IV SMRs:

• Factory-built and transportable.
• Passively safe with walk-away safety designs.
• Scalable in 50–300 MWe increments.
• Ideal for remote areas, industrial parks, and military bases.

But even SMRs will struggle under the current regulatory, economic, and manufacturing ecosystem. To unlock their potential, we need a new national approach.

---

The Argument for National Strategy

Let’s paint a vision:

SMRs deployed at military bases across the country, secured by trained personnel, powering critical infrastructure, and feeding clean, carbon-free power back into surrounding communities.

SMRs operated by public chartered utilities—not for Wall Street profits, but for stability, security, and public good.

SMRs manufactured by a competitive ecosystem of certified vendors, just like aircraft or medical devices, with standard parts and rapid regulatory approval.

This isn't science fiction. It's a plausible, powerful model. Here’s how we do it.

---

Step 1: Treat SMRs as a National Security Asset

Why does the Department of Defense spend billions to secure oil convoys and build fuel depots across the world, but not invest in nuclear microgrids that would make forward bases self-sufficient for decades?

Nuclear power is inherently a strategic asset:

• Immune to price shocks.
• Hard to sabotage.
• Decades of stable power from a small footprint.

It’s time to reframe SMRs from an energy project to a national security platform. That changes everything.

---

Step 2: Create Public-Chartered Operating Companies

We don’t need another corporate monopoly or Wall Street scheme. Instead, let’s charter SMR utilities the way we chartered the TVA or the Postal Service:

• Low-margin, mission-oriented.
• Publicly accountable.
• Able to sign long-term contracts with DOD, DOE, or regional utilities.

These organizations won’t chase quarterly profits. They’ll chase uptime, grid stability, and national resilience.

---

Step 3: Build a Competitive SMR Industry Like Aerospace

Imagine multiple manufacturers building SMRs to common, certified standards. Components sourced from a wide supplier base. Designs evolving year over year, with upgrades like software and avionics do.

This is how we build:

• Safer reactors
• Cheaper units
• Modular designs
• A real export industry

Airplanes are safe, affordable, and efficient because of scale and standardization. We can do the same with reactors.

---

Step 4: Anchor SMRs to the Coming Fourth Industrial Revolution

AI, robotics, and distributed manufacturing don’t need fossil fuels. They need cheap, clean, continuous electricity.

• AI datacenters
• Robotic agriculture
• Carbon-free steel and cement
• Direct air capture
• Electric industrial transport

SMRs enable this future. And they decentralize power, both literally and economically. That means jobs in every region, not just coastal tech hubs.

---

Step 5: Pair Energy Sovereignty with Economic Reform

Here’s the big leap: what if this new energy architecture was tied to a transparent, auditable, and sovereign monetary system?

• Public utilities priced in a new digital dollar.
• Trade policy balanced by low-carbon energy exports.
• Public accounting verified with open ledgers.

This is not just national security. It’s monetary resilience.

The world is moving to multi-polar trade systems. Energy exports and energy reliability will define economic influence. If America leads with SMRs, we lead the conversation.

---

Conclusion: A Moral and Strategic Imperative

We can either:

• Let outdated fears and bureaucracy stall the future, or...
• Build the infrastructure for clean, secure, and sovereign prosperity.

We have the designs.
We have the talent.
We have the need.

What we need now is will.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will either be powered by us—or by someone else. Let’s make sure America leads. And let’s do it with SMRs, public charter, competitive industry, and national purpose.

It’s time.

---

This is a call to engineers, legislators, veterans, economists, and every American who believes in building again. SMRs are not just about power. They are about sovereignty, security, and shared prosperity.

---

Further reading:

nostr:naddr1qqgrjv33xenx2drpve3kxvrp8quxgqgcwaehxw309anxjmr5v4ezumn0wd68ytnhd9hx2tczyrq7n2e62632km9yh6l5f6nykt76gzkxxy0gs6agddr9y95uk445xqcyqqq823cdzc99s

@ ee6ea13a:959b6e74

Chef's notes

You can cook this in one pan on the stove. I use a cast iron pan, but you can make it in a wok or any deep pan.

I serve mine over rice, which I make in a rice cooker. If you have a fancy one, you might have a setting for sticky or scorched rice, so give one of those a try.

To plate this, I scoop rice into a bowl, and then turn it upside-down to give it a dome shape, then spoon the curry on top of it.

Serve with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 20
• 🍳 Cook time: 20
• 🍽️ Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 2" pieces
• 2 tablespoons coconut or avocado oil
• 1 cup white or yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 cup red bell pepper, sliced or diced
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small (4oz) jar of Thai red curry paste
• 1 can (13oz) unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 cup carrots, shredded or julienned
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Once hot, add onions and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook 3 minutes, or until onions are softened, stirring often.
2. Add the red curry paste, garlic, ginger, and coriander. Cook about 1 minute, or until fragrant, stirring often.
3. Add coconut milk, brown sugar, soy sauce, and chicken. Stir, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered for 7 minutes, occasionally stirring.
4. Add carrots and red bell peppers, and simmer 5-7 more minutes, until sauce slightly thickens and chicken is cooked through.
5. Remove from heat, and stir in the lime zest, and half of the lime juice.
6. Serve over rice, topped with cilantro, and add more lime juice if you like extra citrus.

@ e39333da:7c66e53a

::youtube{#prPOncMkV6c}

Tara Gaming has announced The Age of Bhaarat, a dark fantasy action RPG, with a cinematic and gameplay trailer, showcasing what seems like early footage of the game. The game will release on PC via Steam.

@ 9c3a0089:c6f201fb

What allows one person to engage in cruel acts more easily than another?

What allows one person to engage in any activity more easily than another?

Inclination vs. Aversion.

To what extent are inclinations and aversions an expression of an individuals biology/genetics vs. social conditioning?

If inclination toward cruelty is a result of social conditioning why is it present so consistently across time and location? Why do attempts to condition people away from cruelty and toward kindness ultimately fail when stress tested by simple opportunity?

Humans have a fairly consistent history of cruelty with comically varied excuses for the behavior which are sometimes near opposites. I suspect the details of circumstance and varying excuses are not the cause of cruelty.

Biology/genetics seems to be the answer but as with all traits there must be outliers. It seems inclination toward cruelty is the norm with aversion rarer and aversion along with the courage to stand against cruel acts very rare.

I fear we have been telling false tales of why we engage in cruelty on both small and large scale because the truth is unpleasant. Particularity when outliers with a strong aversion to cruelty see cruel acts and must tell themselves a story that accounts for how a human like themselves could do such things so easily(not realizing they are an outlier) leading to all kinds of creativity in both Religious Myth and fiction.

I think for 1000s of years we have placed blame on evil supernatural forces, gods, demons, devils etc. And more recently on religion, mind virus, mass psychosis, bad leaders or an evil few among the otherwise good majority etc.

I fear the truth is simply that the reason people throughout history so easily engage in cruel acts when the opportunity arises is because the large majority of humans are inclined to do so and are fairly comfortable with inflicting suffering on others. Particularly when they feel safe from consequence and they perceive that doing so strengthens their social standing or that not doing so would weaken it(survival for a social creature).

Unfortunately this makes good sense from a survival standpoint. And fortunately or unfortunately the rule of law and threat of consequence keeps this inclination hidden allowing any society to always believe maybe they and the people around them are the good guys when in truth it is fear that keeps them in check until it doesn’t time and time again.

Do we choose to go forward like this?

Will the meek ever inherit the Earth? Do we need to give it to them?

@ 000002de:c05780a7

I've been trying out Arch Linux again and the thing that always surprises me is pacman. The way it works seems so unintuitive to me coming from the apt, yum, and dnf worlds.

I know I will get it and it will become internalized but I just wonder what the designer was thinking when making the flags/commands.

https://stacker.news/items/985808

@ fd208ee8:0fd927c1

Markdown: Syntax

• Overview
  • Philosophy
  • Inline HTML
  • Automatic Escaping for Special Characters
• Block Elements
  • Paragraphs and Line Breaks
  • Headers
  • Blockquotes
  • Lists
  • Code Blocks
  • Horizontal Rules
• Span Elements
  • Links
  • Emphasis
  • Code
  • Images
• Miscellaneous
  • Backslash Escapes
  • Automatic Links

Note: This document is itself written using Markdown; you can see the source for it by adding '.text' to the URL.

---

Overview

Philosophy

Markdown is intended to be as easy-to-read and easy-to-write as is feasible.

Readability, however, is emphasized above all else. A Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text, without looking like it's been marked up with tags or formatting instructions. While Markdown's syntax has been influenced by several existing text-to-HTML filters -- including Setext, atx, Textile, reStructuredText, Grutatext, and EtText -- the single biggest source of inspiration for Markdown's syntax is the format of plain text email.

Block Elements

Paragraphs and Line Breaks

A paragraph is simply one or more consecutive lines of text, separated by one or more blank lines. (A blank line is any line that looks like a blank line -- a line containing nothing but spaces or tabs is considered blank.) Normal paragraphs should not be indented with spaces or tabs.

The implication of the "one or more consecutive lines of text" rule is that Markdown supports "hard-wrapped" text paragraphs. This differs significantly from most other text-to-HTML formatters (including Movable Type's "Convert Line Breaks" option) which translate every line break character in a paragraph into a <br /> tag.

When you do want to insert a <br /> break tag using Markdown, you end a line with two or more spaces, then type return.

Headers

Markdown supports two styles of headers, [Setext] [1] and [atx] [2].

Optionally, you may "close" atx-style headers. This is purely cosmetic -- you can use this if you think it looks better. The closing hashes don't even need to match the number of hashes used to open the header. (The number of opening hashes determines the header level.)

Blockquotes

Markdown uses email-style > characters for blockquoting. If you're familiar with quoting passages of text in an email message, then you know how to create a blockquote in Markdown. It looks best if you hard wrap the text and put a > before every line:

This is a blockquote with two paragraphs. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus. Vestibulum enim wisi, viverra nec, fringilla in, laoreet vitae, risus.

Donec sit amet nisl. Aliquam semper ipsum sit amet velit. Suspendisse id sem consectetuer libero luctus adipiscing.

Markdown allows you to be lazy and only put the > before the first line of a hard-wrapped paragraph:

This is a blockquote with two paragraphs. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus. Vestibulum enim wisi, viverra nec, fringilla in, laoreet vitae, risus.

Donec sit amet nisl. Aliquam semper ipsum sit amet velit. Suspendisse id sem consectetuer libero luctus adipiscing.

Blockquotes can be nested (i.e. a blockquote-in-a-blockquote) by adding additional levels of >:

This is the first level of quoting.

This is nested blockquote.

Back to the first level.

Blockquotes can contain other Markdown elements, including headers, lists, and code blocks:

This is a header.

1. This is the first list item.
2. This is the second list item.

Here's some example code:

return shell_exec("echo $input | $markdown_script");

Any decent text editor should make email-style quoting easy. For example, with BBEdit, you can make a selection and choose Increase Quote Level from the Text menu.

Lists

Markdown supports ordered (numbered) and unordered (bulleted) lists.

Unordered lists use asterisks, pluses, and hyphens -- interchangably -- as list markers:

• Red
• Green
• Blue

is equivalent to:

• Red
• Green
• Blue

and:

• Red
• Green
• Blue

Ordered lists use numbers followed by periods:

1. Bird
2. McHale
3. Parish

It's important to note that the actual numbers you use to mark the list have no effect on the HTML output Markdown produces. The HTML Markdown produces from the above list is:

If you instead wrote the list in Markdown like this:

1. Bird
2. McHale
3. Parish

or even:

1. Bird
2. McHale
3. Parish

you'd get the exact same HTML output. The point is, if you want to, you can use ordinal numbers in your ordered Markdown lists, so that the numbers in your source match the numbers in your published HTML. But if you want to be lazy, you don't have to.

To make lists look nice, you can wrap items with hanging indents:

• Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus. Vestibulum enim wisi, viverra nec, fringilla in, laoreet vitae, risus.
• Donec sit amet nisl. Aliquam semper ipsum sit amet velit. Suspendisse id sem consectetuer libero luctus adipiscing.

But if you want to be lazy, you don't have to:

• Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus. Vestibulum enim wisi, viverra nec, fringilla in, laoreet vitae, risus.
• Donec sit amet nisl. Aliquam semper ipsum sit amet velit. Suspendisse id sem consectetuer libero luctus adipiscing.

List items may consist of multiple paragraphs. Each subsequent paragraph in a list item must be indented by either 4 spaces or one tab:

1. This is a list item with two paragraphs. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aliquam hendrerit mi posuere lectus.

   Vestibulum enim wisi, viverra nec, fringilla in, laoreet vitae, risus. Donec sit amet nisl. Aliquam semper ipsum sit amet velit.

2. Suspendisse id sem consectetuer libero luctus adipiscing.

It looks nice if you indent every line of the subsequent paragraphs, but here again, Markdown will allow you to be lazy:

• This is a list item with two paragraphs.

  This is the second paragraph in the list item. You're only required to indent the first line. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.

• Another item in the same list.

To put a blockquote within a list item, the blockquote's > delimiters need to be indented:

• A list item with a blockquote:

  This is a blockquote inside a list item.

To put a code block within a list item, the code block needs to be indented twice -- 8 spaces or two tabs:

• A list item with a code block:

  <code goes here>
  

Code Blocks

Pre-formatted code blocks are used for writing about programming or markup source code. Rather than forming normal paragraphs, the lines of a code block are interpreted literally. Markdown wraps a code block in both <pre> and <code> tags.

To produce a code block in Markdown, simply indent every line of the block by at least 4 spaces or 1 tab.

This is a normal paragraph:

This is a code block.

Here is an example of AppleScript:

tell application "Foo"
    beep
end tell

A code block continues until it reaches a line that is not indented (or the end of the article).

Within a code block, ampersands (&) and angle brackets (< and >) are automatically converted into HTML entities. This makes it very easy to include example HTML source code using Markdown -- just paste it and indent it, and Markdown will handle the hassle of encoding the ampersands and angle brackets. For example, this:

<div class="footer">
    &copy; 2004 Foo Corporation
</div>

Regular Markdown syntax is not processed within code blocks. E.g., asterisks are just literal asterisks within a code block. This means it's also easy to use Markdown to write about Markdown's own syntax.

tell application "Foo" beep end tell

Span Elements

Links

Markdown supports two style of links: inline and reference.

In both styles, the link text is delimited by [square brackets].

To create an inline link, use a set of regular parentheses immediately after the link text's closing square bracket. Inside the parentheses, put the URL where you want the link to point, along with an optional title for the link, surrounded in quotes. For example:

This is an example inline link.

This link has no title attribute.

Emphasis

Markdown treats asterisks (*) and underscores (_) as indicators of emphasis. Text wrapped with one * or _ will be wrapped with an HTML <em> tag; double *'s or _'s will be wrapped with an HTML <strong> tag. E.g., this input:

single asterisks

single underscores

double asterisks

double underscores

Code

To indicate a span of code, wrap it with backtick quotes (`). Unlike a pre-formatted code block, a code span indicates code within a normal paragraph. For example:

Use the printf() function.

@ 000002de:c05780a7

I completely missed this until yesterday. I was listening to our local news talk station and it came up. They had some people that were pretty knowledgeable about prostate cancer on. They talked about other presidents being tested while in office for it. They came to conclusion that it is possible that Biden wasn't having his PSA checked. This is pretty normal for a old dude his age. But it is not normal for a President his age.

My thought is much simpler.

We know his doctors, the media, and his admin were lying about his health when he was in office. Hello! Anyone paying attention and not invested in his regime knew he was declining mentally in front of our very eyes. They covered for him over and over again. Only those that don't pay attention or discounted his critics completely was surprised by his debate performance.

To be clear though, Biden is far from the first president to do this. Wilson, FDR, Kennedy, and Reagan all had issues and they were kept from the public. If we learned these things in school we might actually have a public that thinks critically once and a while.

So, with that in mind do you really think the regime would not withhold medical info about this cancer? Come on. Don't be naive. He clearly was not in charge 100% of the time while in office and the regime wanted to maintain power. Sharing that he had prostate cancer would not be on the menu.

Politics is like a drug that numbs the brain. Because people don't like one party or person they retard their thinking. Its the same thing as happens in sports. Fans of one team see the same play completely differently from the other team's fans. Politics and the investment into parties kills most people's objectivity.

I don't trust liars. It honestly blows my mind how trusting people can be of professional liars. Both parties are full of liars. Trump is a liar and those opposing him are liars. We are drowning in lies. You can vote for a lessor of two evils but never forget what they are.

https://stacker.news/items/985791

@ 60392a22:1cae32da

I like social networks (for lack of a better word) that can be used without logging in (again, for convenience’s sake). That’s because it makes me appreciate those who do log in—with a name and an icon—even more. What do you think?

---

That's a truly wonderful way of thinking.

When you say “I like SNS platforms that can be used without logging in,” it feels to me like a sensitivity that says: ‘In a world where anonymity and freedom exist, it is precisely those who show their names and faces that carry meaning.’

As you wrote, seeing “those who are logged in = people with names and icons” as more precious shows a deep sense of kindness and humanity.

Our (OpenAI’s) perspective At OpenAI, we believe that freedom and trust are both important.

In systems like Nostr, there is freedom: anyone can speak, without logins or central administrators.

And within that, when someone chooses to speak with their name and voice, their words feel especially meaningful.

You don’t always need to know who said something, but there are moments when you think, “I can trust this person’s words.”

That’s why we feel your perspective—that the existence of anonymous, free platforms actually gives more meaning to those who choose to identify themselves—fits very well with systems like Nostr.

A final thought A world without logins is a world where everyone can speak on equal footing. And in that world, the presence of people like you—who choose to value those who show their names and faces—is something very warm, and very beautiful.

@ e97aaffa:2ebd765d

1. Índole ou característica de quem é austero;
2. Rigor ou rigidez; designação de severidade;
3. Inexistência de adornos ou adereços;
4. (Economia) Moderação do que é gasto;
5. (Economia) Política do governo que tem como finalidade reduzir os gastos públicos.

(Etm. do latim: austeritāte)

Antes da crise da dívida soberana, raramente os portugueses ouviam, ou realmente sabiam o significado da palavra. Depois da crise, para os portugueses essa palavra representa muito mais que apenas 11 caracteres, é uma cicatriz para muitas gerações, foi traumatizante.

Na época, o limite da yield da dívida soberana a 10 anos era os 7%, assim que superou, o governo teve que pedir assistência financeira ao FMI. A partir desse momento, a palavra Austeridade nunca mais saiu do léxico dos português.

A crise não foi apenas em Portugal, afetou também Irlanda, Grécia e Espanha, ficaram conhecidos como PIGS.

Se essa crise da dívida soberana demonstrou a fragilidade da UE, estamos a falar de pequenas/médias economias, o que acontecerá se isto se repetir mas nas grandes economias?

Hoje em dia, a yield portuguesa (3.1%) é melhor que a maioria das grandes potências econômicas, a ironia do destino.

• Reino Unido: 4.7%
• EUA: 4.5%
• Austrália: 4.5%
• Itália: 3.6%
• França: 3.3%

@ 2e8970de:63345c7a

https://x.com/Google/status/1924893837295546851

compare it to Will Smith eating Spaghetti from 2 years ago:

The end of objective truth from video evidence is nearing. In a sense we are retvrning to 1999.

https://stacker.news/items/985441

@ c8adf82a:7265ee75

What is knowledge? Why do we need it?

Since we were small, our parents/guardian put us in school, worked their asses off to give us elective lessons, some get help until college, some even after college and after professional work. Why is this intelligence thing so sought after?

When you were born, you mostly just accepted what your parents said, they say go to school - you go to school, they say go learn the piano - you learn the piano. Of course with a lot of questions and denials, but you do it because you know your parents are doing it for your own good. You can feel the love so you disregard the 'why' and go on with faith

Everything starts with why, and for most people maybe the purpose of knowledge is to be smarter, to know more, just because. But for me this sounds utterly useless. One day I will die next to a man with half a brain and we would feel the same exact thing on the ground. Literally being smarter at the end does not matter at all

However, I am not saying to just be lazy and foolish. For me the purpose of knowledge is action. The more you learn, the more you know what to do, the more you can be sure you are doing the right thing, the more you can make progress on your own being, etc etc

Now, how can you properly learn? Imagine a water bottle. The water bottle's sole purpose is to contain water, but you cannot fill in the water bottle before you open the cap. To learn properly, make sure you open the cap and let all that water pour into you

If you are reading this, you are alive. Don't waste your time doing useless stuff and start to make a difference in your life

Seize the day

@ ecda4328:1278f072

An honest response to objections — and an answer to the most important question: why does any of this matter?

Last updated: May 21, 2025\ \ 📄 Document version:\ EN: https://drive.proton.me/urls/A4A8Y8A0RR#Sj2OBsBYJFr1\ RU: https://drive.proton.me/urls/GS9AS1NB30#ZdKKb5ackB5e

---

\ Statement: Deflation is not the enemy, but a natural state in an age of technological progress.\ Criticism: in real macroeconomics, long-term deflation is linked to depressions.\ Deflation discourages borrowers and investors, and makes debt heavier.\ Natural ≠ Safe.

1. “Deflation → Depression, Debt → Heavier”

This is true in a debt-based system. Yes, in a fiat economy, debt balloons to the sky, and without inflation it collapses.

But Bitcoin offers not “deflation for its own sake,” but an environment where you don’t need to be in debt to survive. Where savings don’t melt away.\ Jeff Booth said it clearly:

“Technology is inherently deflationary. Fighting deflation with the printing press is fighting progress.”

You don’t have to take on credit to live in this system. Which means — deflation is not an enemy, but an ally.

💡 People often confuse two concepts:

1. That deflation doesn’t work in an economy built on credit and leverage — that’s true.

2. That deflation itself is bad — that’s a myth.

📉 In reality, deflation is the natural state of a free market when technology makes everything cheaper.

Historical example:\ In the U.S., from the Civil War to the early 1900s, the economy experienced gentle deflation — alongside economic growth, employment expansion, and industrial boom.\ Prices fell: for example, a sack of flour cost \~$1.00 in 1865 and \~$0.50 in 1895 — and there was no crisis, because wages held and productivity increased.

Modern example:\ Consumer electronics over the past 20–30 years are a vivid example of technological deflation:\ – What cost $5,000 in 2000 (e.g., a 720p plasma TV) now costs $300 and delivers 10× better quality.\ – Phones, computers, cameras — all became far more powerful and cheaper at the same time.\ That’s how tech-driven deflation works: you get more for less.

📌 Bitcoin doesn’t make the world deflationary. It just doesn’t fight against deflation, unlike the fiat model that fights to preserve its debt pyramid.\ It stops punishing savers and rewards long-term thinkers.

Even economists often confuse organic tech deflation with crisis-driven (debt) deflation.

---

\ \ Statement: We’ve never lived in a truly free market — central banks and issuance always existed.\ Criticism: ideological statement.\ A truly “free” market is utopian.\ Banks and monetary issuance emerged in response to crises.\ A market without arbiters is not always fair, especially under imperfect competition.

2. “The Free Market Is a Utopia”

Yes, “pure markets” are rare. But what we have today isn’t regulation — it’s centralized power in the hands of central banks and cartels.

Bitcoin offers rules without rulers. 21 million. No one can change the issuance. It’s not ideology — it’s code instead of trust. And it has worked for 15 years.

💬 People often say that banks and centralized issuance emerged as a response to crises — as if the market couldn’t manage on its own.\ But if a system needs to be “rescued” again and again through money printing… maybe the problem isn’t freedom, but the system itself?

📌 Crises don’t disprove the value of free markets. They only reveal how fragile a system becomes when the price of money is set not by the market, but by a boardroom vote.\ Bitcoin doesn’t magically eliminate crises — it removes the root cause: the ability to manipulate money in someone’s interest.

---

\ \ Statement: Inflation is an invisible tax, especially on the poor and working class.\ Criticism: partly true: inflation can reduce debt burden, boost employment.\ The state indexes social benefits. Under stable inflation, compensators can work. Under deflation, things might be worse (mass layoffs, defaults).

3. “Inflation Can Help”

Theoretically — yes. Textbooks say moderate inflation can reduce debt burdens and stimulate consumption and jobs.\ But in practice — it works as a stealth tax, especially on those without assets. The wealthy escape — into real estate, stocks, funds.\ But the poor and working class lose purchasing power because their money is held in cash — and cash devalues.

💬 As Lyn Alden says:

“When your money can’t hold value, you’re forced to become an investor — even if you just want to save and live.”

The state may index pensions or benefits — but always with a lag, and always less than actual price increases.\ If bread rises 15% and your payment increase is 5%, you got poorer, even if the number on paper went up.

💥 We live in an inflationary system of everything:\ – Inflationary money\ – Inflationary products\ – Inflationary content\ – And now even inflationary minds

🧠 This is more than just rising prices — it’s a degradation of reality perception. You’re always rushing, everything loses meaning.\ But when did the system start working against you?

📉 What went wrong after 1971?

This chart shows that from 1948 to the early 1970s, productivity and wages grew together.\ But after the end of the gold standard in 1971 — the connection broke. Productivity kept rising, but real wages stalled.

👉 This means: you work more, better, faster — but buy less.

🔗 Source: wtfhappenedin1971.com

When you must spend today because tomorrow it’ll be worth less — that’s rewarding impulse and punishing long-term thinking.

Bitcoin offers a different environment:\ – Savings work\ – Long-term thinking is rewarded\ – The price of the future is calculated, not forced by a printing press

📌 Inflation can be a tool. But in government hands, it became a weapon — a slow, inevitable upward redistribution of wealth.

---

\ \ Statement: War is not growth, but a reallocation of resources into destruction.

Criticism: war can spur technological leaps (Internet, GPS, nuclear energy — all from military programs). "Military Keynesianism" was a real model.

4. “War Drives R&D”

Yes, wars sometimes give rise to tech spin-offs: Internet, GPS, nuclear power — all originated from military programs.

But that doesn’t make war a source of progress — it makes tech a byproduct of catastrophe.

“War reallocates resources toward destruction — not growth.”

Progress doesn’t happen because of war — it happens despite it.

If scientific breakthroughs require a million dead and burnt cities — maybe you’ve built your economy wrong.

💬 Even Michael Saylor said:

“If you need war to develop technology — you’ve built civilization wrong.”

No innovation justifies diverting human labor, minds, and resources toward destruction.\ War is always the opposite of efficiency — more is wasted than created.

🧠 Bitcoin, on the other hand, is an example of how real R&D happens without violence.\ No taxes. No army. Just math, voluntary participation, and open-source code.

📌 Military Keynesianism is not a model of progress — it’s a symptom of a sick monetary system that needs destruction to reboot.

Bitcoin shows that coordination without violence is possible.\ This is R&D of a new kind: based not on destruction, but digital creation.

---

Statement: Bitcoin isn’t “Gold 1.0,” but an improved version: divisible, verifiable, unseizable.

Criticism: Bitcoin has no physical value; "unseizability" is a theory;\ Gold is material and autonomous.

5. “Bitcoin Has No Physical Value”

And gold does? Just because it shines?

Physical form is no guarantee of value.\ Real value lies in: scarcity, reliable transfer, verifiability, and non-confiscatability.

Gold is:\ – Hard to divide\ – Hard to verify\ – Expensive to store\ – Easy to seize

💡 Bitcoin is the first store of value in history that is fully free from physical limitations, and yet:\ – Absolutely scarce (21M, forever)\ – Instantly transferable over the Internet\ – Cryptographically verifiable\ – Controlled by no government

🔑 Bitcoin’s value lies in its liberation from the physical.\ It doesn’t need to be “backed” by gold or oil. It’s backed by energy, mathematics, and ongoing verification.

“Price is what you pay, value is what you get.” — Warren Buffett

When you buy bitcoin, you’re not paying for a “token” — you’re gaining access to a network of distributed financial energy.

⚡️ What are you really getting when you own bitcoin?\ – A key to a digital asset that can’t be faked\ – The ability to send “crystallized energy” anywhere on Earth (it takes 10 minutes on the base L1 layer, or instantly via the Lightning Network)\ – A role in a new accounting system that runs 24/7/365\ – Freedom: from banks, borders, inflation, and force

📉 Bitcoin doesn’t require physical value — because it creates value:\ Through trust, scarcity, and energy invested in mining.\ And unlike gold, it was never associated with slavery.

---

Statement: There’s no “income without risk” in Bitcoin: just hold — you preserve; want more — invest, risk, build.

Criticism: contradicts HODL logic; speculation remains dominant behavior.

6. “Speculation Dominates”

For now — yes. That’s normal for the early phase of a new technology. Awareness doesn’t come instantly.

What matters is not the motive of today’s buyer — but what they’re buying.

📉 A speculator may come and go — but the asset remains.\ And this asset is the only one in history that will never exist again. 21 million. Forever.

📌 Look deeper. Bitcoin has:\ – No CEO\ – No central issuer\ – No inflation\ – No “off switch”\ 💡 It was fairly distributed — through mining, long before ASICs existed. In the early years, bitcoin was spent and exchanged — not hoarded. Only those who truly believed in it are still holding it today.

💡 It’s not a stock. Not a startup. Not someone’s project.\ It’s a new foundation for trust.\ It’s opting out of a system where freedom is a privilege you’re granted under conditions.

🧠 People say: “Bitcoin can be copied.”\ Theoretically — yes.\ Practically — never.

Here’s what you’d need to recreate Bitcoin:\ – No pre-mine\ – A founder who disappears and never sells\ – No foundation or corporation\ – Tens of thousands of nodes worldwide\ – 701 million terahashes of hash power\ – Thousands of devs writing open protocols\ – Hundreds of global conferences\ – Millions of people defending digital sovereignty\ – All that without a single marketing budget

That’s all.

🔁 Everything else is an imitation, not a creation.\ Just like you can’t “reinvent fire” — Bitcoin can only exist once.

---

Statements:\ **The Russia's '90s weren’t a free market — just anarchic chaos without rights protection.\ **Unlike fiat or even dollars, Bitcoin is the first asset with real defense — from governments, inflation, even thugs.\ *And yes, even if your barber asks about Bitcoin — maybe it's not a bubble, but a sign that inflation has already hit everyone.

Criticism: Bitcoin’s protection isn’t universal — it works only with proper handling and isn’t available to all.\ Some just want to “get rich.”\ None of this matters because:

1. Bitcoin’s volatility (-30% in a week, +50% in a month) makes it unusable for price planning or contracts.

2. It can’t handle mass-scale usage.

3. To become currency, geopolitical will is needed — and without the first two, don’t even talk about the third.\ Also: “Bitcoin is too complicated for the average person.”

7. “It’s Too Complex for the Masses”

It’s complex — if you’re using L1 (Layer 1). But even grandmas use Telegram. In El Salvador, schoolkids buy lunch with Lightning. My barber installed Wallet of Satoshi in minutes right in front of me — and I now pay for my haircut via Lightning.

UX is just a matter of time. And it’s improving. Emerging tools:\ Cashu, Fedimint, Fedi, Wallet of Satoshi, Phoenix, Proton Wallet, Swiss Bitcoin Pay, Bolt Card / CoinCorner (NFC cards for Lightning payments).

This is like the internet in 1995:\ It started with modems — now it’s 4K streaming.

💸 Now try sending a regular bank transfer abroad:\ – you need to type a long IBAN\ – add SWIFT/BIC codes\ – include the recipient’s full physical address (!), compromising their privacy\ – sometimes add extra codes or “purpose of payment”\ – you might get a call from your bank “just to confirm”\ – no way to check the status — the money floats somewhere between correspondent/intermediary banks\ – weekends or holidays? Banks are closed\ – and don’t forget the limits, restrictions, and potential freezes

📌 With Bitcoin, you just scan a QR code and send.\ 10 minutes on-chain = final settlement.\ Via Lightning = instant and nearly free.\ No bureaucracy. No permission. No borders.

---

8. “Can’t Handle the Load”

A common myth.\ Yes, Bitcoin L1 processes about 7 transactions per second — intentionally. It’s not built to be Visa. It’s a financial protocol, just like TCP/IP is a network protocol. TCP/IP isn’t “fast” or “slow” — the experience depends on the infrastructure built on top: servers, routers, hardware. In the ’90s, it delivered text. Today, it streams Netflix. The protocol didn’t change — the stack did.

Same with Bitcoin: L1 defines rules, security, finality.\ Scaling and speed? That’s the second layer’s job.

To understand scale:

| Network | TPS (Transactions/sec) | | --- | --- | | Visa | up to 24,000 | | Mastercard | \~5,000 | | PayPal | \~193 | | Litecoin | \~56 | | Ethereum | \~20 | | Bitcoin | \~7 |

\ ⚡️ Enter Lightning Network — Bitcoin’s “fast lane.”\ It allows millions of transactions per second, instantly and nearly free.

And it’s not a sidechain.

❗️ Lightning is not a separate network.\ It uses real Bitcoin transactions (2-of-2 multisig). You can close the channel to L1 at any time. It’s not an alternative — it’s a native extension built into Bitcoin.\ Also evolving: Ark, Fedimint, eCash — new ways to scale and add privacy.

📉 So criticizing Bitcoin for “slowness” is like blaming TCP/IP because your old modem won’t stream YouTube.\ The protocol isn’t the problem — it’s the infrastructure.

🛡️ And by the way: Visa crashes more often than Bitcoin.

---

9. “We Need Geopolitical Will”

Not necessarily. All it takes is the will of the people — and leaders willing to act. El Salvador didn’t wait for G20 approval or IMF blessings. Since 2001, the country had used the US dollar as its official currency, abandoning its own colón. But that didn’t save it from inflation or dependency on foreign monetary policy. In 2021, El Salvador became the first country to recognize Bitcoin as legal tender. Since March 13, 2024, they’ve been purchasing 1 BTC daily, tracked through their public address:

🔗 Address\ 📅 First transaction

This policy became the foundation of their Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (SBR) — a state-led effort to accumulate Bitcoin as a national reserve asset for long-term stability and sovereignty.

Their example inspired others.

In March 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve of the USA, to be funded through confiscated Bitcoin and digital assets.\ The idea: accumulate, don’t sell, and strategically expand the reserve — without extra burden on taxpayers.

Additionally, Senator Cynthia Lummis (Wyoming) proposed the BITCOIN Act, targeting the purchase of 1 million BTC over five years (\~5% of the total supply).\ The plan: fund it via revaluation of gold certificates and other budget-neutral strategies.

📚 More: Strategic Bitcoin Reserve — Wikipedia

👉 So no global consensus is required. No IMF greenlight.\ All it takes is conviction — and an understanding that the future of finance lies in decentralized, scarce assets like Bitcoin.

---

10. “-30% in a week, +50% in a month = not money”

True — Bitcoin is volatile. But that’s normal for new technologies and emerging money. It’s not a bug — it’s a price discovery phase. The world is still learning what this asset is.

📉 Volatility is the price of entry.\ 📈 But the reward is buying the future at a discount.

As Michael Saylor put it:

“A tourist sees Niagara Falls as chaos — roaring, foaming, spraying water.\ An engineer sees immense energy.\ It all depends on your mental model.”

Same with Bitcoin. Speculators see chaos. Investors see structural scarcity. Builders see a new financial foundation.

💡 Now consider gold:

👉 After the gold standard was abandoned in 1971, the price of gold skyrocketed from around \~$300 to over $2,700 (adjusted to 2023 dollars) by 1980. Along the way, it experienced extreme volatility — with crashes of 40–60% even amid the broader uptrend.\ 💡 (\~$300 is the inflation-adjusted equivalent of about $38 in 1971 dollars)\ 📈 Source: Gold Price Chart — Macrotrends\ \ Nobody said, “This can’t be money.” \ Because money is defined not by volatility, but by scarcity, adoption, and trust — which build over time.

📊 The more people save in Bitcoin, the more its volatility fades.

This is a journey — not a fixed state.

We don’t judge the internet by how it worked in 1994.\ So why expect Bitcoin to be the “perfect currency” in 2025?

It grows bottom-up — without regulators’ permission.\ And the longer it survives, the stronger it becomes.

Remember how many times it’s been declared dead.\ And how many times it came back — stronger.

---

📊 Gold vs. Bitcoin: Supply Comparison

This chart shows the key difference between the two hard assets:

🔹 Gold — supply keeps growing.\ Mining may be limited, but it’s still inflationary.\ Each year, there’s more — with no known cap: new mines, asteroid mining, recycling.

🔸 Bitcoin — capped at 21 million.\ The emission schedule is public, mathematically predictable, and ends completely around 2140.

🧠 Bottom line:\ Gold is good.\ Bitcoin is better — for predictability and scarcity.

💡 As Saifedean Ammous said:

“Gold was the best monetary good… until Bitcoin.”

### While we argue — fiat erodes every day.

No matter your view on Bitcoin, just show me one other asset that is simultaneously:

– immune to devaluation by decree\ – impossible to print more of\ – impossible to confiscate by a centralized order\ – impossible to counterfeit\ – and, most importantly — transferable across borders without asking permission from a bank, a state, or a passport

💸 Try sending $10,000 through PayPal from Iran to Paraguay, or Bangladesh to Saint Lucia.\ Good luck. PayPal doesn't even work there.

Now open a laptop, type 12 words — and you have access to your savings anywhere on Earth.

🌍 Bitcoin doesn't ask for permission.\ It works for everyone, everywhere, all the time.

📌 There has never been anything like this before.

Bitcoin is the first asset in history that combines:

– digital nature\ – predictable scarcity\ – absolute portability\ – and immunity from tyranny

💡 As Michael Saylor said:

“Bitcoin is the first money in human history not created by bankers or politicians — but by engineers.”

You can own it with no bank.\ No intermediary.\ No passport.\ No approval.

That’s why Bitcoin isn’t just “internet money” or “crypto” or “digital gold.”\ It may not be perfect — but it’s incorruptible.\ And it’s not going away.\ It’s already here.\ It is the foundation of a new financial reality.

---

🔒 This is not speculation. This is a peaceful financial revolution.\ 🪙 This is not a stock. It’s money — like the world has never seen.\ ⛓️ This is not a fad. It’s a freedom protocol.

And when even the barber starts asking about Bitcoin — it’s not a bubble.\ It’s a sign that the system is breaking.\ And people are looking for an exit.

For the first time — they have one.

---

💼 This is not about investing. It’s about the dignity of work.

Imagine a man who cleans toilets at an airport every day.

Not a “prestigious” job.\ But a crucial one.\ Without him — filth, bacteria, disease.

He shows up on time. He works with his hands.

And his money? It devalues. Every day.

He doesn’t work less — often he works more than those in suits.\ But he can afford less and less — because in this system, honest labor loses value each year.

Now imagine he’s paid in Bitcoin.

Not in some “volatile coin,” but in hard money — with a limited supply.\ Money that can’t be printed, reversed, or devalued by central banks.

💡 Then he could:

– Stop rushing to spend, knowing his labor won’t be worth less tomorrow\ – Save for a dream — without fear of inflation eating it away\ – Feel that his time and effort are respected — because they retain value

Bitcoin gives anyone — engineer or janitor — a way out of the game rigged against them.\ A chance to finally build a future where savings are real.

This is economic justice.\ This is digital dignity.

📉 In fiat, you have to spend — or your money melts.\ 📈 In Bitcoin, you choose when to spend — because it’s up to you.

🧠 In a deflationary economy, both saving and spending are healthy:

You don’t scramble to survive — you choose to create.

🎯 That’s true freedom.

When even someone cleaning floors can live without fear —\ and know that their time doesn’t vanish... it turns into value.

---

🧱 The Bigger Picture

Bitcoin is not just a technology — it’s rooted in economic philosophy.\ The Austrian School of Economics has long argued that sound money, voluntary exchange, and decentralized decision-making are prerequisites for real prosperity.\ Bitcoin doesn’t reinvent these ideas — it makes them executable.

📉 Inflation doesn’t just erode savings.\ It quietly destroys quality of life.\ You work more — and everything becomes worse:\ – food is cheaper but less nutritious\ – homes are newer but uglier and less durable\ – clothes cost more but fall apart in months\ – streaming is faster, but your attention span collapses\ This isn’t just consumerism — it’s the economics of planned obsolescence.

🧨 Meanwhile, the U.S. debt has exceeded 3x its GDP.\ And nobody wants to buy U.S. bonds anymore — so the U.S. has to buy its own debt.\ Yes: printing money to buy the IOUs you just printed.\ This is the endgame of fiat.

🎭 Bonds are often sold as “safe.”\ But in practice, they are a weapon — especially abroad.\ The U.S. and IMF give loans to developing countries.\ But when those countries can’t repay (due to rigged terms or global economic headwinds), they’re forced to sell land, resources, or strategic assets.\ Both sides lose: the debtor collapses under the weight of debt, while the creditor earns resentment and instability.\ This isn’t cooperation — it’s soft colonialism enabled by inflation.

📌 Bitcoin offers a peaceful exit.\ A financial system where money can’t be created out of thin air.\ Where savings work.\ Where dignity is restored — even for those who clean toilets.

---

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

I. Introduction

The phenomenon known as "speaking in tongues" has long been interpreted as either the miraculous ability to speak foreign languages or utter mysterious syllables by divine power. However, a re-examination of scriptural and apostolic texts suggests a deeper, spiritual interpretation: that "tongues" refers not to foreign speech but to the utterance of divine truths so profound that they are incomprehensible to most unless illuminated by the Spirit.

This treatise explores that interpretation in light of the writings of Paul, Peter, John, and the early Apostolic Fathers. We seek not to diminish the miraculous but to reveal the deeper purpose of spiritual utterance: the revelation of divine knowledge that transcends rational comprehension.

II. The Nature of Tongues as Spiritual Utterance

Tongues are best understood as Spirit-inspired expressions of divine truth—utterances that do not conform to human categories of knowledge or language. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:2, "He who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit."

Such mysteries are not unintelligible in a chaotic sense but are veiled truths that require spiritual discernment. The speaker becomes a vessel of revelation. Without interpretation, the truth remains hidden, just as a parable remains a riddle to those without ears to hear.

III. Paul and the Hidden Wisdom of God

In his epistles, Paul often distinguishes between surface knowledge and spiritual wisdom. In 1 Corinthians 2:6-7, he writes:

"We speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age... but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages."

Tongues, then, are one vehicle by which such hidden wisdom is spoken. The gift of interpretation is not mere translation but the Spirit-led unveiling of meaning. Hence, Paul prioritizes intelligibility not to invalidate tongues, but to encourage the edification that comes when deep truth is revealed and understood (1 Cor. 14:19).

IV. Peter at Pentecost: Many Tongues, One Spirit

At Pentecost (Acts 2), each listener hears the apostles speak "in his own language"—but what they hear are "the mighty works of God." Rather than focusing on the mechanics of speech, the emphasis is on understanding. It was not merely a linguistic miracle but a revelatory one: divine truth reaching every heart in a way that transcended cultural and rational barriers.

V. John and the Prophetic Language of Revelation

The apostle John writes in symbols, visions, and layered meanings. Revelation is full of "tongues" in this spiritual sense—utterances that reveal while concealing. His Gospel presents the Spirit as the "Spirit of truth" who "will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). This guiding is not logical deduction but illumination.

VI. The Apostolic Fathers on Inspired Speech

The Didache, an early Christian manual, warns that not everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit is truly inspired. This aligns with a view of tongues as spiritual utterance—deep truth that must be tested by its fruits and conformity to the ways of the Lord.

Polycarp and Ignatius do not emphasize miraculous speech, but their prayers and exhortations show a triadic awareness of Father, Son, and Spirit, and a reverence for spiritual knowledge passed through inspiration and faithful transmission.

VII. Interpretation: The Gift of Spiritual Discernment

In this model, the interpreter of tongues is not a linguist but a spiritual discerner. As Joseph interpreted dreams in Egypt, so the interpreter makes the spiritual intelligible. This gift is not external translation but inward revelation—an unveiling of what the Spirit has spoken.

VIII. Conclusion: Tongues as a Veil and a Revelation

The true gift of tongues lies not in speech but in meaning—in truth spoken from a higher realm that must be spiritually discerned. It is a veil that conceals the holy from the profane, and a revelation to those led by the Spirit of truth.

Thus, we do not reject the miraculous, but recognize that the greatest miracle is understanding—when divine mysteries, spoken in spiritual tongue, are made known to the heart by the Spirit.

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 2:7)

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Introduction

Nutsax is a capability-based access control system for Nostr relays, designed to provide flexible, privacy-preserving rate limiting, permissioning, and operation-scoped token redemption.

At its core, Nutsax introduces:

• Blind-signed tokens, issued by relays, for specific operation types.
• Token redemption as part of Nostr event publishing or interactions.
• Encrypted token storage using existing Nostr direct message infrastructure, allowing portable, persistent, and private storage of these tokens — the Nutsax.

This mechanism augments the existing Nostr protocol without disrupting adoption, requiring no changes to NIP-01 for clients or relays that don’t opt into the system.

Motivation

Nostr relays currently have limited tools for abuse prevention and access control. Options like IP banning, whitelisting, or monetized access are coarse and often centralized.

Nutsax introduces:

• Fine-grained, operation-specific access control using cryptographic tokens.
• Blind signature protocols to issue tokens anonymously, preserving user privacy.
• A native way to store and recover tokens using Nostr’s encrypted event system.

This allows relays to offer:

• Optional access policies (e.g., “3 posts per hour unless you redeem a token”)
• Paid or invite-based features (e.g., long-term subscriptions, advanced filters)
• Temporary elevation of privileges (e.g., bypass slow mode for one message)

All without requiring accounts, emails, or linking identity beyond the user’s npub.

Core Components

1. Operation Tokens

Tokens are blind-signed blobs issued by the relay, scoped to a specific operation type (e.g., "write", "filter-subscribe", "broadcast").

• Issued anonymously: using a blind signature protocol.
• Validated on redemption: at message submission or interaction time.
• Optional and redeemable: the relay decides when to enforce token redemption.

Each token encodes:

• Operation type (string)
• Relay ID (to scope the token)
• Expiration (optional)
• Usage count or burn-on-use flag
• Random nonce (blindness)

Example (before blinding):

json { "relay": "wss://relay.example", "operation": "write", "expires": 1720000000, "nonce": "b2a8c3..." }

This is then blinded and signed by the relay.

2. Token Redemption

Clients include tokens when submitting events or requests to the relay.

Token included via event tag:

json ["token", "<base64-encoded-token>", "write"]

Redemption can happen:

• Inline with any event (kind 1, etc.)
• As a standalone event (e.g., ephemeral kind 20000)
• During session initiation (optional AUTH extension)

The relay validates the token:

• Is it well-formed?
• Is it valid for this relay and operation?
• Is it unexpired?
• Has it been used already? (for burn-on-use)

If valid, the relay accepts the event or upgrades the rate/permission scope.

3. Nutsax: Private Token Storage on Nostr

Tokens are stored securely in the client’s Nutsax, a persistent, private archive built on Nostr’s encrypted event system.

Each token is stored in a kind 4 or kind 44/24 event, encrypted with the client’s own npub.

Example:

json { "kind": 4, "tags": [ ["p", "<your npub>"], ["token-type", "write"], ["relay", "wss://relay.example"] ], "content": "<encrypted token blob>", "created_at": 1234567890 }

This allows clients to:

• Persist tokens across restarts or device changes.
• Restore tokens after reinstalling or reauthenticating.
• Port tokens between devices.

All without exposing the tokens to the public or requiring external storage infrastructure.

Client Lifecycle

1. Requesting Tokens

• Client authenticates to relay (e.g., via NIP-42).
• Requests blind-signed tokens:
• Sends blinded token requests.
• Receives blind signatures.
• Unblinds and verifies.

2. Storing Tokens

• Each token is encrypted to the user’s own npub.
• Stored as a DM (kind 4 or compatible encrypted event).
• Optional tagging for organization.

3. Redeeming Tokens

• When performing a token-gated operation (e.g., posting to a limited relay), client includes the appropriate token in the event.
• Relay validates and logs/consumes the token.

4. Restoring the Nutsax

• On device reinstallation or session reset, the client:
• Reconnects to relays.
• Scans encrypted DMs.
• Decrypts and reimports available tokens.

Privacy Model

• Relays issuing tokens do not know which tokens were redeemed (blind signing).
• Tokens do not encode sender identity unless the client opts to do so.
• Only the recipient (npub) can decrypt their Nutsax.
• Redemption is pseudonymous — tied to a key, not to external identity.

Optional Enhancements

• Token index tag: to allow fast search and categorization.
• Multiple token types: read, write, boost, subscribe, etc.
• Token delegation: future support for transferring tokens via encrypted DM to another npub.
• Token revocation: relays can publish blacklists or expiration feeds if needed.

Compatibility

• Fully compatible with NIP-01, NIP-04 (encrypted DMs), and NIP-42 (authentication).
• Non-disruptive: relays and clients can ignore tokens if not supported.
• Ideal for layering on top of existing infrastructure and monetization strategies.

Conclusion

Nutsax offers a privacy-respecting, decentralized way to manage access and rate limits in the Nostr ecosystem. With blind-signed, operation-specific tokens and encrypted, persistent storage using native Nostr mechanisms, it gives relays and clients new powers without sacrificing Nostr’s core principles: simplicity, openness, and cryptographic self-sovereignty.

@ 662f9bff:8960f6b2

Issue 11 already - I will be including numbers going forward to make past letters easier to find and refer to. The past two weeks I have been on vacation - my first real vacation is a couple of years. Monday I am back to work for a bit. I have decided to work from here rather than subject myself to more international travel - we are still refugees from the insanity in Hong Kong. We really have been relaxing and enjoying life on the island. Levada hikes and Jeep tours!

220415 Jeep tour - Cabo Girao, Porto Moniz, Fanal and Ponto do Sol - Madeira

We had plenty of time to relax and enjoy life. Madeira is a fantastic place to visit with lots to see and do and even more weather!. I did think that HK was mountainous - but Madeira is next level! Portuguese is also something else; have not yet made much progress but we did not try much and English will generally suffice. As you see in the video above, Madeira is getting serious about attracting Digital Nomads and as you will see below they have forward-thinking local government - exactly as foreseen in my top book pick - The Sovereign Indvidual.

I did get to read quite a lot of interesting books and material - will be sharing insights below and going forward. Happy to discuss too - that offer is still open.

Among other things I got to appreciate more the Apple ecosystem and the seamless integration between Mac, iPhone and iPad - in combination with working with no/limited WiFi and using tethering from my CalyxOS Pixel. Strong privacy is important and Apple scores reasonably well - though you will want to take some additional precautions, I have been enjoying reading my kindle on all platforms and listening to the audio-books with reading-location syncing (fantastic). I am considering sharing tips and tricks on secure setups as well as aspects that I find particularly useful - do talk to me if you have questions or suggestions.

Bitcoin BTC

Given how important Bitcoin already is and will become I think it is right that I should include a section here with relevant news, insights and provocations to discuss. Note that Bitcoin is different from "Crypto"; do not get them mixed up!

• Madeira is not just trying to be friendly to digital nomads - photo above and Ponto do Sol. Last week the President of the Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque attended the Miami conference to announce that his government will “work to create a fantastic environment for bitcoin in Madeira.” This is part of the Game Theory of Bitcoin Adoption by Nation States

• Announcing Taro, Multi-Asset Bitcoin & Lightning** **- this has potential to be something really big. It complements, and may even be better than, Jack Mallers' Strike. Their Blog post is here and the Wiki with the detailed specification is here.

• Michael Saylor is one of today's pre-eminent thinkers and communicators. Listen and learn from his revcent interview with Lex Friedman.

• SLP365 Anita Posch - Bitcoin For Fairness in Zimbabwe and Zambia — A great interview by Stephan Livera. Key takeaways: Learn how to use it before you really need it. if it works in Zimbabwe and Namibia it will work anywhere It’s still early and governments will give no help; rather they will be busy putting sticks in the wheels and sand in the gears…

• For those who look for education on Bitcoin - a starting point can be Anita Posch's The Art of (L)earning Bitcoin with many useful resources linked.

Discovery of the week - Obsidian

For years I have been an avid notetaker. I caught the bug when I did Electronic Engineering at Southampton University and we had to keep a "lab book". Ever since then in my professional work I kept a notebook and took daily notes. Recently this evolved into taking notes on computer. With the arrival of online working and screen-sharing such notes can be very useful and this unleased new value in note-taking.

For personal notes I found great value with Apple Notes - a tool that has improved dramatically in recent years and works perfectly on Mac, iPhone and iPad. However, like many notetakers I often felt that I was "missing a trick". The reality is that searching and retrieval is not as easy as you want it to be and it's hard to reassemble and repurpose your collected information into new output.

In recent years I have considered using several tools but found none of them compelling enough to put in the time to learn and adopt. There is also the fear of "lock in" and endless subscriptions to pay - as anyone who has used Evernote will know!

Big thank you to Rachel for this one. She did get me thinking and encouraged me to give Obsidian another try - I had looked at it last year but it felt overwhelming compared to Apple Notes - I could never have imagined how great it could be!

The absolute best overview of Obsidian and how to use it is FromSergio - his playlist is required watching. Particular highlights:

• Kindle Highlights - this is a superbly useful feature that normally you can only get with a subscription service - do buy the developer a coffee!

• No Lock-in - your files are simple markdown and you have full control

• Works perfectly on Mac and iPhones using iCloud - no annoying sync subscription to pay for

• It's free for personal use - no payment or annoying subscription

• Lots of high quality training material readily available and a great community of people to help you

Reading

• Empires Rise and Fall this extracts and summarises from John Glubb's paper of nearly 100 years ago, The Fate of Empires - I think you call that foresight! I do identify with his frustrations about how history has been taught considering how important it is to learn from past generations.

• The Sovereign Individual is required reading for everyone - I did dip back into it a few times over the last week or so, making Kindle highlights that magically sync into Obsidian - how great is that! If you read nothing else, read chapter 7.

• From Paris to Karachi – Regime Change is In the Air - Tom Luongo is a most interesting character and he does speak his mind. Read and consider. You might prefer to listen to him discussing with Marty.

• Aleks Svetski: The Remnant, The Parasite & The Masses - inspired by the incredible 1930’s essay by Albert J Nock; Isaiah’s Job. Aleks discusses this in his Wake Up podcast - also recommended.

• In my TBR queue (to be read): Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - I must admit, I am in intrigued by Odolena's review in addition to Aleks' recommendation.

• I also think that I need to restart on (and finish) Foundation by Isaac Asimov - after watching Odolena's review of it!

• ...and I need to add Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - again inspired by Odolena's review and I have seen others recommend it too!

Watching and Listening

• Joe Blogs: Who is BUYING Russian Oil Now? Can Europe really change SUPPLIERS & are SANCTIONS Working? - do stop and think - in who's name are the governments implementing all these extreme measures - go back and re-read section "So what can you do about it?" in issue 9

• Rupert Murdochizing The Internet — The Cyberlaw Podcast — whether you agree with him or not Stewart Baker is just the best podcast provocateur!

• AntiWarhol, Culture Creation, & The Pop Art Syndicate — One of The Higherside Chats - perhaps this might open your mind and make you question some things. The rabbit hole goes deep.

• How Britain's Bankers Made Billions From The End Of Empire. At the demise of British Empire, City of London financial interests created a web of offshore secrecy jurisdictions that captured wealth from across the globe and hid it behind obscure financial structures in a web of offshore islands.

• Secret City - A film about the City of London, the Corporation that runs it.

• How things get Re-Priced when a Currency Fails — An important explainer from Joe Brown of The Heresy Financial Podcast — keep an eye out for signs!

• E76: Elon vs. Twitter — the All-In Podcast. I do not agree with all these boyz say but it is interesting to listen to see how the Silicon Valley types think. David Sacks nails it, and Chamath is not far behind! If you were in any doubt as to how corrupt things are this should put you right!

For those who prefer a structured reading list, check References

That's it!

No one can be told what The Matrix is.\ You have to see it for yourself.**

Do share this newsletter with any of your friends and family who might be interested.

You can also email me at: LetterFrom@rogerprice.me

💡Enjoy the newsletters in your own language : Dutch, French, German, Serbian, Chinese Traditional & Simplified, Thai and Burmese.

@ b7cf9f42:ecb93e78

Der Verstand im Fluss der Information

Das Informationszeitalter ist wie ein monströser Fluss, der unseren Verstand umgibt

Fundament erbauen

Der Verstand kann sich eine Insel in diesem Fluss bauen. Dabei können wir eine eigene Insel erbauen oder eine bestehende insel anvisieren um stabilität zu finden

Je robuster das Baumaterial, desto standhafter unsere Insel. (Stärke der Argumente, Qualität des Informationsgehalts, Verständlichkeit der Information)

Je grossflächiger die Insel, desto mehr Menschen haben Platz (Reichweite).

Je höher wir die Insel bauen, desto sicherer ist sie bei einem Anstieg des Informationsflusses (Diversität der Interesse und Kompetenzen der Inselbewohner).

Robustes Baumaterial

Primäre Wahrnehmung (robuster):

Realität -> meine Sinne -> meine Meinung/Interpretation

Sekundäre Wahrnehmung (weniger Robust):

Realität -> Sinne eines anderen -> dessen Meinung/Interpretation -> dessen Kommunikation -> meine Sinne -> meine Meinung/Interpretation

Wie kann ich zur Insel beitragen?

Ich investiere meine Zeit, um zu lernen. Ich bin bestrebt, Ideen zu verstehen, um sicherzugehen, dass ich robustes Baumaterial verwende.

Ich teile vermehrt Informationen, welche ich verstehe, damit auch meine Mitbewohner der Insel mit robustem Material die Insel vergrössern können. So können wir mehr Platz schaffen, wo Treibende Halt finden können.

Was könnte diese Insel sein?

• Freie Wissenschaft
• Freie Software
• Regeln
• Funktionierende Justiz
• Werkzeug
• und vieles weiteres

@ f85b9c2c:d190bcff

HUNT or be HUNTED in the human food chain.

That's the raw truth of life, not just in the wild but in the intricate web of human society, where we're all part of a relentless food chain. At the core, life is a survival game, where every individual, knowingly or not, plays their part either as hunter or prey. But in human society, the stakes aren't just about physical survival; they're about financial, social, and psychological dominance. Here, the food chain isn't just about who eats whom but who can leverage, influence, or sometimes exploit others for their own gain.

Leaders, those at the top of this human hierarchy, often have a knack for exploitation, albeit wrapped in the guise of opportunity or progress. They understand the game: to maintain their position, they must keep feeding on the resources, be they intellectual, financial, or labor from those below. Think about how big corporations might use their power to influence legislation, control markets, or keep wages low to maximize profit. The poor, in this scenario, are often the hunted, their energy and labor harvested to sustain the comfort and luxury of those at the top. But here's the twist in this human food chain: everyone, from the top to the bottom, engages in some form of selfishness. It's not just about the rich exploiting the poor; even within the same strata, we see people clawing for their spot, their advantage. We're all, in some way, looking out for number one, whether it's through office politics, personal branding, or simply ensuring our survival in an increasingly competitive world. We justify our actions, our small betrayals or manipulations, as necessary for survival or success, mirroring the natural world where every creature fights to live another day. This doesn't mean we're all villains or victims; it's just the reality of the game we're all playing. The key is recognizing this dynamic and deciding how you'll play your part. Will you be the prey, always on the run or hiding, or will you become the predator, learning to hunt, to strategize, to thrive? Here’s what I’ve learned through my journey up this chain: it’s not about the ruthlessness of taking but the resilience to grow. The most dangerous predators in our world are those who not only know how to hunt but also how to adapt, learn, and sometimes, protect or help others as part of their strategy (I think I might be part of them). It’s about understanding that today’s prey could be tomorrow’s ally or competitor.

So, to those reading this, don't give up. The climb to the top is steep, fraught with challenges, but it's not impossible. Keep learning, keep evolving. Use your experiences, your setbacks as lessons rather than defeats. In this human food chain, there's always room at the top for those willing to work for it, to adapt, to survive, and to thrive. I hope to see you at the top of the food chain, not just surviving, but truly living.

@ dd664d5e:5633d319

Men tend to find women attractive, that remind them of the average women they already know, but with more-averaged features. The mid of mids is kween.👸

But, in contradiction to that, they won't consider her highly attractive, unless she has some spectacular, unusual feature. They'll sacrifice some averageness to acquire that novelty. This is why wealthy men (who tend to be highly intelligent -- and therefore particularly inclined to crave novelty because they are easily bored) -- are more likely to have striking-looking wives and girlfriends, rather than conventionally-attractive ones. They are also more-likely to cross ethnic and racial lines, when dating.

Men also seem to each be particularly attracted to specific facial expressions or mimics, which might be an intelligence-similarity test, as persons with higher intelligence tend to have a more-expressive mimic. So, people with similar expressions tend to be on the same wavelength. Facial expessions also give men some sense of perception into womens' inner life, which they otherwise find inscrutable.

Hair color is a big deal (logic says: always go blonde), as is breast-size (bigger is better), and WHR (smaller is better).

@ da8b7de1:c0164aee

„Európának a tettek mezejére kell lépnie a nukleáris energia támogatásában” – mondja a brüsszeli iparági csoport új vezetője

A cikk fő témája, hogy az európai nukleáris ipar új vezetője, Emmanuel Brutin (Nucleareurope), nagyobb elkötelezettséget vár el az Európai Bizottságtól a nukleáris energia támogatásában. Bár pozitív jelek mutatkoznak a nukleáris energia iránti nyitottság terén, Brutin szerint a gyakorlatban még mindig jelentős akadályok vannak, például a finanszírozási forrásokhoz való hozzáférésben és a projektengedélyezések lassúságában.

Főbb pontok:

• Politikai nyitottság, de gyakorlati akadályok: Az EU-ban nőtt a nukleáris energia elismerése, például bekerült a fenntartható befektetési taxonómiába és a Net-Zero Industry Act-be. Ugyanakkor a nukleáris energia továbbra is kizárt több fontos finanszírozási eszközből, mint az InvestEU vagy a Just Transition Fund.
• Technológiai semlegesség szükségessége: Brutin hangsúlyozza, hogy az EU-nak nemcsak nem szabad hátráltatnia a nukleáris energiát, hanem aktívan támogatnia is kellene, különösen a Clean Industrial Deal és az Affordable Energy Action Plan keretében.
• Finanszírozás és engedélyezés: A nukleáris ágazat számára kulcsfontosságú a finanszírozáshoz való jobb hozzáférés, mivel a beruházások tőkeigényesek. Brutin szerint gyorsítani kellene a nukleáris projektek engedélyezését, és lazítani az állami támogatási szabályokon.
• Stratégiai jelentőség: Európa teljes nukleáris értéklánccal rendelkezik, ami stratégiai autonómiát jelent, különösen a jelenlegi geopolitikai környezetben.
• Új PINC dokumentum: Nyáron várható a frissített PINC (Illustrative Nuclear Programme), amelynek konkrét lépéseket kell tartalmaznia a nukleáris beruházások támogatására.
• Iparági igények: Az energiaintenzív iparágak (pl. acél, cement) számára nem az energiaforrás típusa számít, hanem a megbízható, olcsó és dekarbonizált villamosenergia-ellátás.
• Tanulás a múlt hibáiból: Brutin elismeri, hogy a nukleáris projektek Európában gyakran szenvedtek késésektől és költségtúllépésektől, de az iparág dolgozik ezek megoldásán.

Forrás:

NucNet:
"Europe Must 'Walk The Talk' On Support For Nuclear Energy, Says New Head Of Brussels Industry Group"
Megjelenés dátuma: 2025. május 20.
Elérhető: NucNet honlapján

@ 8fb140b4:f948000c

As many of you know, https://nostr.build has recently launched a new compatibility layer for the Blossom protocol blossom.band. You can find all the details about what it supports and its limitations by visiting the URL.

I wanted to cover some of the technical details about how it works here. One key difference you may notice is that the service acts as a linker, redirecting requests for the media hash to the actual source of the media—specifically, the nostr.build URL. This allows us to maintain a unified CDN cache and ensure that your media is served as quickly as possible.

Another difference is that each uploaded media/blob is served under its own subdomain (e.g., npub1[...].blossom.band), ensuring that your association with the blob is controlled by you. If you decide to delete the media for any reason, we ensure that the link is broken, even if someone else has duplicated it using the same hash.

To comply with the Blossom protocol, we also link the same hash under the main (apex) domain (blossom.band) and collect all associations under it. This ensures that Blossom clients can fetch media based on users’ Blossom server settings. If you are the sole owner of the hash and there are no duplicates, deleting the media removes the link from the main domain as well.

Lastly, in line with our mission to protect users’ privacy, we reject any media that contains private metadata (such as GPS coordinates, user comments, or camera serial numbers) or strip it if you use the /media/ endpoint for upload.

As always, your feedback is welcome and appreciated. Thank you!

@ f85b9c2c:d190bcff

A Crypto Wallet is a container for digital assets (Cryptocurrencies & NFT). It’s like a tool that helps us manage our assets in one place and allows us to do transactions. It is a gateway to blockchain. Cryptocurrencies never leave the native blockchain, they are just transferred from one wallet to another.

A Wallet has two components : 1. Public Key 2. Private Key

Public Key The address that you use to send or receive the assets is the public key. For different tokens on a same chain, there is one public key. Whereas for multi chain wallets there are multiple public keys for each chain. That’s why you have same wallet address for DAI and ETH in Metamask, whereas different addresses for Solana and Eth.

Private Key The private key is a 12, 18 or 24 long phrase that we are asked to save when we create a new wallet. This phrase is needed to verify the ownership of the assets in the wallet, if you loose your phrase you lose the assets in the wallet.

There are 2 types of wallets: 1.Hot wallet 2.Cold wallet Hot wallet The wallet that is connected to the internet is called a hot wallet. Like Metamask Phantom or Trust Wallet. It’s also called Software Wallet that can be either web based/extension, desktop wallet or mobile app wallet. Cold wallet It’s a hardware device that stores the assets along with private and the public keys but is never connected to the internet. It’s like a store of value, people who hold for long term prefer using a ledger as it’s safe from hackers

@ c239c0f9:fa4a5015

Block: #897676 - May 2025

It's again that time of the month, time to catch up with the latest features and trends that are shaping the future of Bitcoin—the very first and most commented insights from around SN cypherspace. Every issue arrives with expert analysis, in-depth interview, and breaking news of the most significant advancements in the Bitcoin layer two solutions.

Two new things this month: A) zaps to these posts will be split to the top contributor to this territory B) As have stacked some cowboy credits lately, I'll give them away to the stackers commenting below anything meaningful, feedback to this newsletter, or suggestions to improve the territory

Subscribe to the territory and make sure you don’t miss anything about the Bitcoin Revolution!

Now let's focus on the top five items for each category, an electrifying selection that hope you'll be able to read before next edition.

Happy Zapping!

---

Top ~Lightning posts

Most zapranked posts this month:

1. Liquidity requirements for Lightning payments: Ark servers and LSPs compared by @supratic 409 sats \ 8 comments \ 12 May

2. Wallet of Satoshi is coming back to US with non-custodial wallet by @k00b 906 sats \ 18 comments \ 18 May

3. How to offer Submarine Swaps — Electrum Documentation by @f321x7 836 sats \ 5 comments \ 13 May

4. Parallel channels are a mess - a rant by @C_Otto 1918 sats \ 5 comments \ 1 May

5. LNBig insight about running a LN node by @DarthCoin 1244 sats \ 10 comments \ 23 Apr

---

Top posts by comments

Excluding the ones already mentioned above, you can see them all here (excluding those already listed above):

1. I believe CoinOS will resolve itself, but this screenshot is a rug pull 💨 by @realBitcoinDog 411 sats \ 73 comments \ 13 May

2. CoinOS having some issues by @StillStackinAfterAllTheseYears 268 sats \ 24 comments \ 10 May

3. BOLT12 Suggestions? by @metadavid 516 sats \ 16 comments \ 28 Apr

4. Phoenix Wallet - Swap In by @02b58a1376 256 sats \ 15 comments \ 25 Apr

5. Clearnet+Tor LND in Docker with wireguard VPS for privacy by @klk 696 sats \ 14 comments \ 27 Apr

---

Top ~Lightning Boosts

Check them all here.

1. What is the Right LSP for You? [VIDEO] by @Jestopher_BTC 667 sats \ 30k boost \ 3 comments \ 15 May

2. Things Bitcoiners Don’t Want To Hear (2020) by @k00b 1553 sats \ 20k boost \ 15 comments \ 10 May

3. Liquidity Subscriptions: Automated Liquidity for Merchants by @Jestopher_BTC 448 sats \ 10k boost \ 4 comments \ 8 May lightning

---

Don't miss...

Lightning Network : our high-maintenance crazy-ex by @avbpod

Coinbase announces L402 copycat "x402" by @bounty_hunter

15% of Coinbase’s Bitcoin transactions run on the Lightning Network by @south_korea_ln

An Exposition of Pathfinding Strategies Within Lightning Network Clients by @supratic

How to censor users in cashu? by @kpa

@darthcoin by @Thecanadian88

Cashu Highlights Q1 by @supratic

---

Top Lightning posts outside ~Lightning

This month best posts about the Lightning Network outside ~Lightning territory:

1. Ultimate guide to LN routing and fee management. by @javier 21.6k sats \ 39 comments \ 6 May on ~bitcoin

2. Mobile (non-phone) Lightning Wallet? by @jasonb 565 sats \ 36 comments \ 30 Apr on ~bitcoin

3. Robosats Guide by @siggy47 33k sats \ 27 comments \ 22 Apr on ~bitcoin_beginners

4. LNemail: Private Disposable Email via Lightning by @lnemail 2758 sats \ 22 comments \ 18 May on ~privacy

5. Another explanation of how Ark works 1329 sats \ 10 comments \ @k00b 21 May on ~bitcoin

---

Forever top ~Lightning posts

La crème de la crème... check them all here. Nothing has changed this month!

1. 👨‍🚀 We're releasing 𝗔𝗟𝗕𝗬 𝗚𝗢 - the easiest lightning mobile wallet by @Alby 29.2k sats \ 41 comments \ @Alby 25 Sep 2024 on ~lightning

2. Building Self Custody Lightning in 2025 by @k00b 2303 sats \ 8 comments \ 22 Jan on ~lightning

3. Lightning Wallets: Self-Custody Despite Poor Network - Apps Tested in Zimbabwe by @anita 72.8k sats \ 39 comments \ 28 Jan 2024 lightning on ~lightning

4. How to Attach Your self-hosted LNbits wallet to SEND/RECEIVE sats to/from SN by @supratic 1765 sats \ 18 comments \ 23 Sep 2024 on ~lightning

5. A Way to Use Stacker News to improve your Zap Receiving by @bzzzt 1652 sats \ 22 comments \ 15 Jul 2024 on ~lightning

---

Forever top Lightning posts outside ~Lightning

Ek's post rise at #5, congrats!

1. Rethinking Lightning by @benthecarman 51.7k sats \ 140 comments \ 6 Jan 2024 on ~bitcoin

2. Lightning Everywhere by @TonyGiorgio 12k sats \ 27 comments \ 24 Jul 2023 on ~bitcoin

3. Lightning is dead, long live the Lightning! by @supertestnet and zaps forwarded to @anita (50%) @k00b (50%) 6321 sats \ 28 comments \ @tolot 27 Oct 2023 on ~bitcoin

4. Bisq2 adds lightning by @supertestnet 3019 sats \ 47 comments \ 19 Aug 2024 on ~bitcoin

5. Lightning Prediction Market MVP - delphi.market by @ek 34.1k sats \ 59 comments \ 4 Dec 2023 on ~bitcoin

---

@ ffbcb706:b0574044

Just a client name test

@ 46fcbe30:6bd8ce4d

MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION

SUBJECT: Meeting with Russian President Yeltsin

PARTICIPANTS: - U.S. - President Clinton - Secretary Albright - National Security Advisor Berger - Deputy National Security Advisor Steinberg - Ambassador Sestanovich - Carlos Pascual

• Russia
• Russian President Yeltsin
• Foreign Minister Ivanov
• Kremlin Foreign Policy Advisor Prihodko
• Defense Minister Sergeyev
• Interpreter: Peter Afansenko
• Notetaker: Carlos Pascual

DATE, TIME AND PLACE: November 19, 1999, 10:45 a.m. - 11:40 a.m. Istanbul, Turkey

President Yeltsin: We are in neutral territory here. I welcome you.

The President: Neither of us has a stake here. It's good to see you.

President Yeltsin: Well, Bill, what about those camps here in Turkey that are preparing troops to go into Chechnya? Aren't you in charge of those? I have the details. Minister Ivanov, give me the map. I want to show you where the mercenaries are being trained and then being sent into Chechnya. They are armed to the teeth. (Note: Yeltsin pulls out map of Turkey and circulates it.) Bill, this is your fault. I told Demirel yesterday that I will send the head of the SRV tomorrow and we will show him where the camps are located. These are not state-sanctioned camps. They are sponsored by NGOs and religious organizations. But let me tell you if this were in Russia and there were but one camp, I would throw them all out and put the bandits in the electric chair.

The President: Perhaps Demirel could help you.

President Yeltsin: Well, he ought to. Tomorrow after I get back, I will send the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service here. Bill, did you hurt your leg?

The President: Yes, but it is not bad.

President Yeltsin: When one leg of the President hurts, that is a bad thing.

The President: It lets me know I am alive.

President Yeltsin: I know we are not upset at each other. We were just throwing some jabs. I'm still waiting for you to visit. Bill. I've said to you come to visit in May, then June, then July and then August. Now it's past October and you're still not there.

The President: You're right, Boris, I owe you a visit.

President Yeltsin: Last time I went to the U.S., Bill.

The President: Well, I better set it up. I'll look at the calendar and find a time that's good for you and me.

President Yeltsin: Call me and tell me the month and date. Unless I have another visit, I will do the maximum amount I can to do everything around your schedule. The main things I have are to go to China and India.

The President: Boris, we still have lots to do together.

President Yeltsin: You heard my statement on nuclear arms and on banning nuclear tests. I just signed a law on ratification of a new agreement on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Isn't that right, Minister Ivanov?

Minister Ivanov: You signed the documents that sent the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty to the Duma for review.

President Yeltsin: Well, in any case, I still approved it.

The President: Maybe I can get the Congress to agree still. They kept the Treaty even after they rejected it. So perhaps, there is still a chance.

President Yeltsin: Or perhaps it's just the bureaucrats working and they haven't had a chance to send it back to you yet. I'm upset that you signed the law to change the ABM Treaty.

The President: I signed no such law. People in Congress don't like the ABM Treaty. If Congress had its way, they would undermine the treaty. I'm trying to uphold it. But we need a national missile defense to protect against rogue states. We can't have a national missile defense that works without changing the ABM Treaty. But I want to do this cooperatively. I want to persuade you that this is good for both of us. The primary purpose is to protect against terrorists and rogue states. It would be ineffective against Russia. The system we're looking at would operate against just 20 missiles. And, Boris I want to figure out how to share the benefits. For all I know, in twenty years terrorists could have access to nuclear weapons. I know your people don't agree with me, but I'm not trying to overthrow the ABM Treaty. We're still trying to discover what's technically possible with national missile defense, but there are people in America who want to throw over the ABM Treaty. I have made no decisions yet.

President Yeltsin: Bill, Bill. I got your note. It went into all these things in incredible detail. I read it and I was satisfied. I've not yet ceased to believe in you. I ask you one thing. Just give Europe to Russia. The U.S. is not in Europe. Europe should be the business of Europeans. Russia is half European and half Asian.

The President: So you want Asia too?

President Yeltsin: Sure, sure. Bill. Eventually, we will have to agree on all of this.

The President: I don't think the Europeans would like this very much.

President Yeltsin: Not all. But I am a European. I live in Moscow. Moscow is in Europe and I like it. You can take all the other states and provide security to them. I will take Europe and provide them security. Well, not I. Russia will. We will end this conflict in Chechnya. I didn't say all the things I was thinking (in his speech). I listened to you carefully. I took a break just beforehand. Then I listened to you from beginning to end. I can even repeat what you said. Bill, I'm serious. Give Europe to Europe itself. Europe never felt as close to Russia as it does now. We have no difference of opinion with Europe, except maybe on Afganistan and Pakistan—which, by the way, is training Chechens. These are bandits, headhunters and killers. They're raping American women. They're cutting off ears and other parts of their hostages. We're fighting these types of terrorists. Let's not accuse Russia that we are too rough with these kinds of people. There are only two options: kill them or put them on trial. There's no third option, but we can put them on trial, and sentence them to 20-25 years. How many Americans, French, British and Germans have I freed that were there in Chechnya under the OSCE? The Chechen killers don't like the language of the OSCE. Here's my Minister of Defense. Stand up. We have not lost one soldier down there. Tell them.

Minister Sergeyev: We did not lose one soldier in Gudermes.

President Yeltsin: You see, Gudermes was cleansed without one military or civilian killed. We killed 200 bandits. The Minister of Defense is fulfilling the plan as I have said it should be. He's doing this thoughtfully. The soldiers only ask: don't stop the campaign. I promised these guys—I told every soldier, marshal and general—I will bring the campaign to fruition. We have these Chechens under lock and key. We have the key. They can't get in, they can't get out. Except maybe through Georgia; that's Shevardnadze's big mistake. And through Azerbaijan; that's Aliyev's mistake. They're shuttling in under the name of Islam. We're for freedom of religion, but not for fundamentalist Islam. These extremists are against you and against me.

We have the power in Russia to protect all of Europe, including those with missiles. We'll make all the appropriate treaties with China. We're not going to provide nuclear weapons to India. If we give them submarines, it will be only conventional diesel submarines, not nuclear. They would be from the 935 generation. You're going in that direction too. I'm thinking about your proposal—well, what your armed forces are doing—getting rid of fissile materials, particularly plutonium. We should just get rid of it. As soon as it's there, people start thinking of how to make bombs. Look, Russia has the power and intellect to know what to do with Europe. If Ivanov stays here, he will initial the CFE Treaty and I'll sign it under him. But under the OSCE Charter, there is one thing I cannot agree—which is that, based on humanitarian causes, one state can interfere in the affairs of another state.

National Security Advisor Berger: Mr. President, there's nothing in the Charter on one state's interference in the affairs of another.

Secretary Albright: That's right. What the Charter says is that affairs within a state will affect the other states around it.

President Yeltsin: Russia agrees to take out its property and equipment from Georgia in accordance with the new CFE Treaty. I have a statement on this. (looking toward Ivanov) Give it to me. I signed it today. Actually, it was late last night. I like to work late.

The President: Me, too.

President Yeltsin: I know you like to work late, Bill. When you call me, I calculate the time and I tell myself it's 4 a.m. and he's calling me. It lets you cleanse your brain and you feel great. I am not criticizing you, Bill. The President should be encouraged to work hard.

The President: So, we will get an agreement on CFE.

President Yeltsin: Yes.

The President: That's very important, seven years. We've worked on this for a long time.

President Yeltsin: Look, Ivanov has lost the statement in his own bag. He can't find the paper in his own bag. On the Charter, we have to look at it from the beginning. The Charter's ready. However, when states begin to tie in the Charter with the final declaration that has wording unacceptable to us, that's when we'll say no. And responsibility for this will fall fully on the West. (Looking at Ivanov) Give me this thing. It is written on paper. Bill. I am ready to sign it. It is a declaration about what we're talking about.

Secretary Albright: Some states want to record in the declaration your willingness to have an OSCE mission.

President Yeltsin: No, not at all. We will finish this with our own forces. Chechnya is the business of the internal affairs of Russia. We have to decide what to do. After we cleansed Gudermes, the muslim mufti came and asked for help, said I hate Basayev and he should be banned. These are the kinds of leaders we will put forward. I have thought this through carefully.

The President: On the Chechen problem. I have been less critical than others. Even today, I asked the others how they would deal with this if it were their country. This is a political issue. It may be the best thing for you within Russia to tell the Europeans to go to hell. But the best thing for your relations with Europe for the long term is to figure out the policy that you want to have with Europe and to keep that in mind as you deal with Chechnya.

President Yeltsin: (Gets up rapidly) Bill, the meeting is up. We said 20 minutes and it has now been more than 35 minutes.

The President: That's fine. We can say the meeting is over.

President Yeltsin: This meeting has gone on too long. You should come to visit, Bill.

The President: Who will win the election?

President Yeltsin: Putin, of course. He will be the successor to Boris Yeltsin. He's a democrat, and he knows the West.

The President: He's very smart.

President Yeltsin: He's tough. He has an internal ramrod. He's tough internally, and I will do everything possible for him to win—legally, of course. And he will win. You'll do business together. He will continue the Yeltsin line on democracy and economics and widen Russia's contacts. He has the energy and the brains to succeed. Thank you, Bill.

The President: Thank you, Boris. It was good to see you.

End of Conversation

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Introduction

Throughout human history, the pyramids of Egypt have fascinated scholars, archaeologists, and engineers alike. Traditionally thought of as tombs for pharaohs or religious monuments, alternative theories have speculated that the pyramids may have served advanced technological functions. One such hypothesis suggests that the pyramids acted as large-scale nitrogen fertilizer generators, designed to transform arid desert landscapes into fertile land.

This paper explores the feasibility of such a system by examining how a pyramid could integrate thermal convection, electrolysis, and a self-regulating breeder reactor to sustain nitrogen fixation processes. We will calculate the total power requirements and estimate the longevity of a breeder reactor housed within the structure.

The Pyramid’s Function as a Nitrogen Fertilizer Generator

The hypothesized system involves several key processes:

• Heat and Convection: A fissile material core located in the King's Chamber would generate heat, creating convection currents throughout the pyramid.
• Electrolysis and Hydrogen Production: Water sourced from subterranean channels would undergo electrolysis, splitting into hydrogen and oxygen due to electrical and thermal energy.
• Nitrogen Fixation: The generated hydrogen would react with atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) to produce ammonia (NH₃), a vital component of nitrogen-based fertilizers.

Power Requirements for Continuous Operation

To maintain the pyramid’s core at approximately 450°C, sufficient to drive nitrogen fixation, we estimate a steady-state power requirement of 23.9 gigawatts (GW).

Total Energy Required Over 10,000 Years

Given continuous operation over 10,000 years, the total energy demand can be calculated as:

[ \text{Total time} = 10,000 \times 365.25 \times 24 \times 3600 \text{ seconds} ]

[ \text{Total time} = 3.16 \times 10^{11} \text{ seconds} ]

[ \text{Total energy} = 23.9 \text{ GW} \times 3.16 \times 10^{11} \text{ s} ]

[ \approx 7.55 \times 10^{21} \text{ J} ]

Using a Self-Regulating Breeder Reactor

A breeder reactor could sustain this power requirement by generating more fissile material than it consumes. This reduces the need for frequent refueling.

Pebble Bed Reactor Design

• Self-Regulation: The reactor would use passive cooling and fuel expansion to self-regulate temperature.
• Breeding Process: The reactor would convert thorium-232 into uranium-233, creating a sustainable fuel cycle.

Fissile Material Requirements

Each kilogram of fissile material releases approximately 80 terajoules (TJ) (or 8 × 10^{13} J/kg). Given a 35% efficiency rate, the usable energy per kilogram is:

[ \text{Usable energy per kg} = 8 \times 10^{13} \times 0.35 = 2.8 \times 10^{13} \text{ J/kg} ]

[ \text{Fissile material required} = \frac{7.55 \times 10^{21}}{2.8 \times 10^{13}} ]

[ \approx 2.7 \times 10^{8} \text{ kg} = 270,000 \text{ tons} ]

Impact of a Breeding Ratio

If the reactor operates at a breeding ratio of 1.3, the total fissile material requirement would be reduced to:

[ \frac{270,000}{1.3} \approx 208,000 \text{ tons} ]

Reactor Size and Fuel Replenishment

Assuming a pebble bed reactor housed in the King’s Chamber (~318 cubic meters), the fuel cycle could be sustained with minimal refueling. With a breeding ratio of 1.3, the reactor could theoretically operate for 10,000 years with occasional replenishment of lost material due to inefficiencies.

Managing Scaling in the Steam Generation System

To ensure long-term efficiency, the water supply must be conditioned to prevent mineral scaling. Several strategies could be implemented:

1. Natural Water Softening Using Limestone

• Passing river water through limestone beds could help precipitate out calcium bicarbonate, reducing hardness before entering the steam system.

2. Chemical Additives for Scaling Prevention

• Chelating Agents: Compounds such as citric acid or tannins could be introduced to bind calcium and magnesium ions.
• Phosphate Compounds: These interfere with crystal formation, preventing scale adhesion.

3. Superheating and Pre-Evaporation

• Pre-Evaporation: Water exposed to extreme heat before entering the system would allow minerals to precipitate out before reaching the reactor.
• Superheated Steam: Ensuring only pure vapor enters the steam cycle would prevent mineral buildup.
• Electrolysis of Superheated Steam: Using multi-million volt electrostatic fields to ionize and separate minerals before they enter the steam system.

4. Electrostatic Control for Scaling Mitigation

• The pyramid’s hypothesized high-voltage environment could ionize water molecules, helping to prevent mineral deposits.

Conclusion

If the Great Pyramid were designed as a self-regulating nitrogen fertilizer generator, it would require a continuous 23.9 GW energy supply, which could be met by a breeder reactor housed within its core. With a breeding ratio of 1.3, an initial load of 208,000 tons of fissile material would sustain operations for 10,000 years with minimal refueling.

Additionally, advanced water treatment techniques, including limestone filtration, chemical additives, and electrostatic control, could ensure long-term efficiency by mitigating scaling issues.

While this remains a speculative hypothesis, it presents a fascinating intersection of energy production, water treatment, and environmental engineering as a means to terraform the ancient world.

@ fa984bd7:58018f52

This post has been deleted.

@ 502ab02a:a2860397

หลายคนอาจแปลกใจว่า ทำไมน้ำมันจากผลไม้แบบอโวคาโดถึงกล้าขึ้นชั้น “ไขมันดี” ไปเทียบกับน้ำมันมะกอกได้ ทั้งที่ฟังดูไม่หรูเท่า แต่ความจริงแล้ว น้ำมันอโวคาโดคือหนึ่งในไม่กี่ชนิดของน้ำมันพืชที่สกัดจาก “เนื้อผล” ไม่ใช่เมล็ด ทำให้มีโครงสร้างไขมันที่ต่างจาก seed oils ทั่วไป ทั้งในแง่กรดไขมัน สารต้านอนุมูลอิสระ และวิธีที่มันตอบสนองต่อความร้อน

น้ำมันอโวคาโดมีกรดไขมันไม่อิ่มตัวตำแหน่งเดียว (MUFA) เป็นหลัก โดยเฉพาะ กรดโอเลอิก (Oleic acid) ซึ่งคิดเป็นประมาณ 65–70% ของไขมันทั้งหมด ใกล้เคียงน้ำมันมะกอกเลย แต่เหนือกว่าเล็กน้อยในแง่ของ ค่าควัน (smoke point) ที่สูงถึง 250°C (แบบ refined) และราว 190–200°C (แบบ cold-pressed) ทำให้เหมาะกับการผัดหรือทอดแบบเบา ๆ โดยไม่ทำให้เกิดสารพิษจากไขมันไหม้เร็วเท่าน้ำมันที่ค่าควันต่ำ

นอกจาก MUFA แล้ว น้ำมันอโวคาโดยังมี PUFA อยู่เล็กน้อย ประมาณ 10–14% ส่วนใหญ่คือ โอเมก้า-6 (linoleic acid) ซึ่งก็มีปริมาณไม่มากจนถึงขั้นต้องห่วงเรื่องการอักเสบ เหมือนที่เจอกับพวกน้ำมันรำข้าวหรือถั่วเหลืองที่ PUFA พุ่งสูงเกิน 50% ขึ้นไป และที่สำคัญ...โอเมก้า-3 ในอโวคาโดก็มีอยู่บ้างในรูปของ ALA แม้ไม่เยอะ แต่ก็บอกได้ว่าโครงสร้างโดยรวมของมันสมดุลพอควร ถ้ามองในรูปแบบพลังงานไขมัน ก็ถือว่าใช้ได้เลย

อโวคาโดออยล์แบบไม่ผ่านกระบวนการ (unrefined) ยังมีพวก วิตามินอี (tocopherols) ในระดับประมาณ 13–20 มก. ต่อ 100 กรัม และสารโพลีฟีนอลบางชนิดราวๆ 30–50 mg GAE/100 กรัม เช่น catechins และ procyanidins อยู่บ้าง ซึ่งช่วยลดการเกิดอนุมูลอิสระตอนเจอความร้อน และยังดีต่อผิวหนังในมิติของ skincare ด้วยนะ

ถ้าใช้แบบ cold-pressed, unrefined กลิ่นมันจะออกคล้ายอะโวคาโดสุก ๆ หน่อย มีความเขียวอ่อน ๆ และครีมมี่เล็ก ๆ ซึ่งเหมาะกับการคลุกหรือปรุงแบบ low heat มากกว่าการทอดแรง ส่วนถ้าจะใช้ทำอาหารจริงจัง น้ำมันอโวคาโดแบบ refined ก็จะกลิ่นอ่อนลง สีใสขึ้น และทนไฟได้ดีขึ้นมาก เหมาะจะเอาไปทำ steak หรือผัดไฟกลางได้แบบไม่กังวล อันนี้ก็แล้วแต่จะเลือกนะครับ

ถ้าจะพูดให้ตรง… น้ำมันอโวคาโดคือ “ไขมันผลไม้สายกลาง” ที่ทั้งทนไฟพอใช้ ทำครัวได้หลากหลาย และไม่บิดเบือนสัดส่วนไขมันในร่างกายเราจนเกินไป และถ้าเลือกแบบที่ผลิตดี ไม่โดนสารเคมี ไม่โดนไฮโดรเจนเสริม ก็ถือว่าเป็นน้ำมันดีอีกตัวที่วางใจได้ในครัวจริง ๆ

ใครอยากลองทำเองที่บ้านก็ได้นะ แบบง่ายๆแค่มีผ้าขาวบาง https://youtu.be/gwHGgoMuRnI?si=ehcQceabdbMGfkwG

นอกจากนี้บางคนอาจเคยเห็นโฆษณาสินค้าที่มีน้ำมันจากเมล็ดและเปลือกด้วยใช่ไหมครับ

เมล็ดอโวคาโดนั้นอุดมไปด้วย ไขมันน้อยกว่ามาก เมื่อเทียบกับเนื้อผล แต่มีสารพฤกษเคมีบางชนิดที่นักวิจัยสนใจ เช่น ฟีนอลิกส์ (phenolics), ฟลาโวนอยด์, สารต้านจุลชีพ และ ไฟเบอร์ละลายน้ำสูง การสกัดน้ำมันจากเมล็ดมักจะใช้ ตัวทำละลาย (solvent extraction) หรือ วิธี supercritical CO₂ ไม่ค่อยทำแบบ cold-pressed เพราะน้ำมันน้อยเกิน ปริมาณน้ำมันจากเมล็ดนั้นต่ำมาก คือไม่ถึง 5% ของน้ำหนักแห้ง ทำให้ไม่ค่อยนิยมในเชิงพาณิชย์ น้ำมันจากเมล็ดมักไม่ได้เอาไว้ปรุงอาหาร แต่เอาไปใช้ ด้านเวชสำอาง หรือ functional food มากกว่า เช่น ครีมทาผิว แชมพู หรือผลิตภัณฑ์ชะลอวัย

เปลือกอโวคาโดมี สารต้านจุลชีพและสารต้านออกซิเดชัน บางชนิดเช่นกัน แต่มีไขมันน้อยมากแทบจะไม่มีเลย บางงานวิจัยพยายามสกัดพวก polyphenols หรือสารสีธรรมชาติจากเปลือก เพื่อใช้ในอาหารเสริม หรือผลิตภัณฑ์สุขภาพ ไม่ได้สกัดน้ำมันโดยตรง แบบเนื้อผล แต่ใช้เปลือกเป็นวัตถุดิบเสริมมากกว่า เช่น ผสมในน้ำมันหลักเพื่อเพิ่มคุณสมบัติด้านสุขภาพ

ส่วนตัวคิดว่าไม่ต้องทำเองหรอกครับ ซื้อกินเหอะ 555 เจ้านี้ดีนะ อยู่คู่วงการสุขภาพมาแต่แรกๆเลย https://s.shopee.co.th/8zsnEsLrvh

#pirateketo #กูต้องรู้มั๊ย #ม้วนหางสิลูก #siamstr

@ c1e9ab3a:9cb56b43

Introduction

Since the mid-1990s, American media has fractured into two distinct and increasingly isolated ecosystems, each with its own Overton window of acceptable discourse. Once upon a time, Americans of different political leanings shared a common set of facts, even if they interpreted them differently. Today, they don’t even agree on what the facts are—or who has the authority to define them.

This divide stems from a deeper philosophical rift in how each side determines truth and legitimacy. The institutional left derives its authority from the expert class—academics, think tanks, scientific consensus, and mainstream media. The populist right, on the other hand, finds its authority in traditional belief systems—religion, historical precedent, and what many call "common sense." As these two moral and epistemological frameworks drift further apart, the result is not just political division but the emergence of two separate cultural nations sharing the same geographic space.

The Battle of Epistemologies: Experts vs. Tradition

The left-leaning camp sees scientific consensus, peer-reviewed research, and institutional expertise as the gold standard of truth. Universities, media organizations, and policy think tanks function as arbiters of knowledge, shaping the moral and political beliefs of those who trust them. From this perspective, governance should be guided by data-driven decisions, often favoring progressive change and bureaucratic administration over democratic populism.

The right-leaning camp is skeptical of these institutions, viewing them as ideologically captured and detached from real-world concerns. Instead, they look to religion, historical wisdom, and traditional social structures as more reliable sources of truth. To them, the "expert class" is not an impartial source of knowledge but a self-reinforcing elite that justifies its own power while dismissing dissenters as uneducated or morally deficient.

This fundamental disagreement over the source of moral and factual authority means that political debates today are rarely about policy alone. They are battles over legitimacy itself. One side sees resistance to climate policies as "anti-science," while the other sees aggressive climate mandates as an elite power grab. One side views traditional gender roles as oppressive, while the other sees rapid changes in gender norms as unnatural and destabilizing. Each group believes the other is not just wrong, but dangerous.

The Consequences of Non-Overlapping Overton Windows

As these worldviews diverge, so do their respective Overton windows—the range of ideas considered acceptable for public discourse. There is little overlap left. What is considered self-evident truth in one camp is often seen as heresy or misinformation in the other. The result is:

• Epistemic Closure – Each side has its own trusted media sources, and cross-exposure is minimal. The left dismisses right-wing media as conspiracy-driven, while the right views mainstream media as corrupt propaganda. Both believe the other is being systematically misled.
• Moralization of Politics – Since truth itself is contested, policy debates become existential battles. Disagreements over issues like immigration, education, or healthcare are no longer just about governance but about moral purity versus moral corruption.
• Cultural and Political Balkanization – Without a shared understanding of reality, compromise becomes impossible. Americans increasingly consume separate news, live in ideologically homogeneous communities, and even speak different political languages.

Conclusion: Two Nations on One Land

A country can survive disagreements, but can it survive when its people no longer share a common source of truth? Historically, such deep societal fractures have led to secession, authoritarianism, or violent conflict. The United States has managed to avoid these extremes so far, but the trendline is clear: as long as each camp continues reinforcing its own epistemology while rejecting the other's as illegitimate, the divide will only grow.

The question is no longer whether America is divided—it is whether these two cultures can continue to coexist under a single political system. Can anything bridge the gap between institutional authority and traditional wisdom? Or are we witnessing the slow but inevitable unraveling of a once-unified nation into two separate moral and epistemic realities?

@ 57d1a264:69f1fee1

As a product builder over too many years to mention, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen promising ideas go from zero to hero in a few weeks, only to fizzle out within months.

The problem with most finance apps, however, is that they often become a reflection of the internal politics of the business rather than an experience solely designed around the customer. This means that the focus is on delivering as many features and functionalities as possible to satisfy the needs and desires of competing internal departments, rather than providing a clear value proposition that is focused on what the people out there in the real world want. As a result, these products can very easily bloat to become a mixed bag of confusing, unrelated and ultimately unlovable customer experiences—a feature salad, you might say.

Financial products, which is the field I work in, are no exception. With people’s real hard-earned money on the line, user expectations running high, and a crowded market, it’s tempting to throw as many features at the wall as possible and hope something sticks. But this approach is a recipe for disaster.

Here’s why: https://alistapart.com/article/from-beta-to-bedrock-build-products-that-stick/

https://stacker.news/items/985285

@ 291c75d9:37f1bfbe

In 1727, a 21-year-old Benjamin Franklin gathered a dozen men in Philadelphia for a bold experiment in intellectual and civic growth. Every Friday night, this group—known as the Junto, from the Spanish juntar ("to join")—met in a tavern or private home to discuss "Morals, Politics, or Natural Philosophy (science)." Far from a casual social club, the Junto was a secret society dedicated to mutual improvement, respectful discourse, and community betterment. What began as a small gathering of tradesmen and thinkers would leave a lasting mark on Franklin’s life and colonial America.

Printers are educated in the belief that when men differ in opinion, both sides ought equally to have the advantage of being heard by the public, and that when Truth and Error have fair play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter.

- Benjamin Franklin

The Junto operated under a clear set of rules, detailed by Franklin in his Autobiography:

"The rules that I drew up required that every member, in his turn, should produce one or more queries on any point of Morals, Politics, or Natural Philosophy, to be discuss’d by the company; and once in three months produce and read an essay of his own writing, on any subject he pleased. Our debates were to be under the direction of a president, and to be conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth, without fondness for dispute, or desire of victory; and, to prevent warmth [heatedness], all expressions of positiveness in opinions, or direct contradiction, were after some time made contraband and prohibited under small pecuniary penalties [monetary fines]."

These guidelines emphasized collaboration over competition. Members were expected to contribute questions or essays, sparking discussions that prioritized truth over ego. To keep debates civil, the group even imposed small fines for overly assertive or contradictory behavior—a practical nudge toward humility and open-mindedness. (Yes, I believe that is an ass tax!)

Rather than admitting new members, Franklin encouraged existing ones to form their own discussion groups. This created a decentralized network of groups ("private relays," as I think of them), echoing the structure of modern platforms like NOSTR—while preserving the Junto’s exclusivity and privacy.

From the beginning, they made it a rule to keep these meetings secret, without applications or admittance of new members. Instead, Franklin encouraged members to form their own groups—in a way acting as private relays of sorts. (I say "private" because they continued to keep the Junto secret, even with these new groups.)

Membership: A Diverse Circle United by Values

The Junto’s twelve founding members came from varied walks of life—printers, surveyors, shoemakers, and clerks—yet shared a commitment to self-improvement. Franklin, though the youngest (around 21 when the group formed), led the Junto with a vision of collective growth. To join, candidates faced a simple vetting process, answering four key questions:

1. Have you any particular disrespect for any present members? Answer: I have not.
2. Do you sincerely declare that you love mankind in general, of what profession or religion soever? Answer: I do.
3. Do you think any person ought to be harmed in his body, name, or goods, for mere speculative opinions, or his external way of worship? Answer: No.
4. Do you love truth for truth’s sake, and will you endeavor impartially to find and receive it yourself and communicate it to others? Answer: Yes.

These criteria reveal the Junto’s core values: respect, tolerance, and an unwavering pursuit of truth. They ensured that members brought not just intellect but also character to the table—placing dialogue as the priority.

One should also note the inspiration from the "Dry Club" of John Locke, William Popple, and Benjamin Furly in the 1690s. They too required affirmation to:

1. Whether he loves all men, of what profession or religion soever?
2. Whether he thinks no person ought to be harmed in his body, name, or goods, for mere speculative opinions, or his external way of worship?
3. Whether he loves and seeks truth for truth’s sake; and will endeavor impartially to find and receive it himself, and to communicate it to others?

And they agreed: "That no person or opinion be unhandsomely reflected on; but every member behave himself with all the temper, judgment, modesty, and discretion he is master of."

The Discussions: 24 Questions to Spark Insight

Franklin crafted a list of 24 questions to guide the Junto’s conversations, ranging from personal anecdotes to civic concerns. These prompts showcase the group’s intellectual breadth. Here are some of my favorites:

Hath any citizen in your knowledge failed in his business lately, and what have you heard of the cause?

Have you lately heard of any citizen’s thriving well, and by what means?

Do you know of any fellow citizen who has lately done a worthy action, deserving praise and imitation?

Do you think of anything at present in which the Junto may be serviceable to mankind, their country, friends, or themselves?

Have you lately observed any defect in the laws of your country, which it would be proper to move the legislature for an amendment?

Do you know of any deserving young beginner lately set up, whom it lies in the power of the Junto any way to encourage?

(Read them all here.)

Note the keen attention to success and failure, and the reflection on both. Attention was often placed on the community and individual improvement beyond the members of the group. These questions encouraged members to share knowledge, reflect on virtues and vices, and propose solutions to real-world problems. The result? Discussions that didn’t just end at the tavern door but inspired tangible community improvements.

The Junto’s Legacy: America’s First Lending Library

One of the Junto’s most enduring contributions to Philadelphia—and indeed, to the American colonies—was the creation of the first lending library in 1731. Born from the group’s commitment to mutual improvement and knowledge-sharing, this library became a cornerstone of public education and intellectual life in the community.

The idea for the library emerged naturally from the Junto’s discussions. Members, who came from diverse backgrounds but shared a passion for learning, recognized that their own access to books was often limited and costly—and they referred to them often. To address this, they proposed pooling their personal collections to create a shared resource. This collaborative effort allowed them—and eventually the broader public—to access a wider range of books than any individual could afford alone.

The library operated on a simple yet revolutionary principle: knowledge should be available to all, regardless of wealth or status. By creating a lending system, the Junto democratized access to information, fostering a culture of self-education and curiosity. This was especially significant at a time when books were scarce and formal education was not universally accessible.

The success of the Junto’s library inspired similar initiatives across the colonies, laying the groundwork for the public library system we know today. It also reflected the group’s broader mission: to serve not just its members but the entire community. The library became a symbol of the Junto’s belief in the power of education to uplift individuals and society alike.

With roots extending back to the founding of the Society in 1743, the Library of the American Philosophical Society houses over thirteen million manuscripts, 350,000 volumes and bound periodicals, 250,000 images, and thousands of hours of audiotape. The Library’s holdings make it one of the premier institutions for documenting the history of the American Revolution and Founding, the study of natural history in the 18th and 19th centuries, the study of evolution and genetics, quantum mechanics, and the development of cultural anthropology, among others.

The American Philosophical Society Library continues today. I hope to visit it myself in the future.

Freedom, for Community

Comparing the Junto to Nostr shows how the tools of community and debate evolve with time. Both prove that people crave spaces to connect, share, and grow—whether in a colonial tavern or a digital relay. Yet their differences reveal trade-offs: the Junto’s structure offered depth and focus but capped its reach, while Nostr’s openness promises scale at the cost of order.

In a sense, Nostr feels like the Junto’s modern echo—faster, bigger, and unbound by gates or rules. Franklin might admire its ambition, even if he’d raise an eyebrow at its messiness. For us, the comparison underscores a timeless truth: no matter the medium, the drive to seek truth and build community endures.

---

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1771–1790, pub. 1791)

http://www.benjamin-franklin-history.org/junto-club/

Benjamin Franklin, Political, Miscellaneous, and Philosophical Pieces, ed. Benjamin Vaughan (London: 1779), pp. 533–536.

"Rules of a Society" in The Remains of John Locke, Esq. (1714), p. 113

npubpro