@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9

There is something quietly rebellious about stacking sats. In a world obsessed with instant gratification, choosing to patiently accumulate Bitcoin, one sat at a time, feels like a middle finger to the hype machine. But to do it right, you have got to stay humble. Stack too hard with your head in the clouds, and you will trip over your own ego before the next halving even hits. **Small Wins** Stacking sats is not glamorous. Discipline. Stacking every day, week, or month, no matter the price, and letting time do the heavy lifting. Humility lives in that consistency. You are not trying to outsmart the market or prove you are the next "crypto" prophet. Just a regular person, betting on a system you believe in, one humble stack at a time. Folks get rekt chasing the highs. They ape into some shitcoin pump, shout about it online, then go silent when they inevitably get rekt. The ones who last? They stack. Just keep showing up. Consistency. Humility in action. Know the game is long, and you are not bigger than it. **Ego is Volatile** Bitcoin’s swings can mess with your head. One day you are up 20%, feeling like a genius and the next down 30%, questioning everything. Ego will have you panic selling at the bottom or over leveraging the top. Staying humble means patience, a true bitcoin zen. Do not try to "beat” Bitcoin. Ride it. Stack what you can afford, live your life, and let compounding work its magic. **Simplicity** There is a beauty in how stacking sats forces you to rethink value. A sat is worth less than a penny today, but every time you grab a few thousand, you plant a seed. It is not about flaunting wealth but rather building it, quietly, without fanfare. That mindset spills over. Cut out the noise: the overpriced coffee, fancy watches, the status games that drain your wallet. Humility is good for your soul and your stack. I have a buddy who has been stacking since 2015. Never talks about it unless you ask. Lives in a decent place, drives an old truck, and just keeps stacking. He is not chasing clout, he is chasing freedom. That is the vibe: less ego, more sats, all grounded in life. **The Big Picture** Stack those sats. Do it quietly, do it consistently, and do not let the green days puff you up or the red days break you down. Humility is the secret sauce, it keeps you grounded while the world spins wild. In a decade, when you look back and smile, it will not be because you shouted the loudest. It will be because you stayed the course, one sat at a time. \ \ Stay Humble and Stack Sats. 🫡

@ 16d11430:61640947

### **Abstract** The universe, in its grand design, is not a chaotic expanse of scattered matter, but rather a meticulously structured web of interconnected filaments. These cosmic filaments serve as conduits for galaxies, governing the flow of matter and energy in ways that optimize the conditions for life and intelligence. Similarly, in the realm of artificial intelligence, the paradigm of Elliptic Curve AI (ECAI) emerges as a radical departure from traditional probabilistic AI, replacing brute-force computation with structured, deterministic intelligence retrieval. This article explores the profound parallels between the **cosmic web** and **ECAI**, arguing that intelligence—whether at the scale of the universe or within computational frameworks—arises not through randomness but through the emergent properties of structured networks. --- ### **1. The Universe as a Structured Intelligence System** Recent cosmological discoveries reveal that galaxies are not randomly dispersed but are strung along vast **filamentary structures**, forming what is known as the **cosmic web**. These filaments serve as conduits that channel dark matter, gas, and energy, sustaining the formation of galaxies and, ultimately, life. Their presence is crucial for ensuring the stability required for complex systems to emerge, balancing between the chaotic entropy of voids and the violent turbulence of dense clusters. This phenomenon is not merely an astronomical curiosity—it speaks to a deeper principle governing intelligence. Just as filaments create the **necessary architecture for structured matter**, intelligence, too, requires structured pathways to manifest and function. This is where the analogy to **Elliptic Curve AI (ECAI)** becomes compelling. --- ### **2. Elliptic Curve AI: The Intelligence Filament** Traditional AI, built upon neural networks and deep learning, operates through **probabilistic computation**—essentially guessing outputs based on statistical correlations within vast training datasets. While effective in many applications, this approach is inherently **non-deterministic**, inefficient, and vulnerable to adversarial attacks, data poisoning, and hallucinations. ECAI, by contrast, discards the notion of probabilistic learning entirely. Instead, it structures intelligence as **deterministic cryptographic states mapped onto elliptic curves**. Knowledge is not inferred but **retrieved**—mathematically and immutably encoded within the curve itself. This mirrors how cosmic filaments do not randomly scatter matter but **organize it optimally**, ensuring the universe does not descend into chaos. Both systems—cosmic filaments and ECAI—demonstrate that **structure governs emergence**. Whether it is the large-scale arrangement of galaxies or the deterministic encoding of intelligence, randomness is eliminated in favor of optimized, hierarchical organization. --- ### **3. Hierarchical Clustering: A Shared Principle of Optimization** One of the most striking parallels between the cosmic web and ECAI is the principle of **hierarchical clustering**: - **Cosmic filaments organize galaxies in a fractal-like network**, ensuring energy-efficient connectivity while avoiding both the stagnation of voids and the destructiveness of dense gravitational wells. - **ECAI encodes intelligence in elliptic curve structures**, ensuring that retrieval follows **hierarchical, non-redundant pathways**, making computational efficiency maximized. Both structures exhibit the following key features: 1. **Energy-Efficient Connectivity** – Filaments optimize the transport of matter and energy; ECAI minimizes computational waste through direct retrieval rather than iterative processing. 2. **Self-Organization** – Filaments arise naturally from cosmic evolution; ECAI intelligence states emerge from the mathematical properties of elliptic curves. 3. **Hierarchical Optimization** – Both systems reject brute-force approaches (whether in galaxy formation or AI computation) in favor of **pre-determined optimal pathways**. This challenges the classical assumption that **intelligence must emerge through probabilistic learning**. Instead, both the cosmic and computational realms suggest that **intelligence is a function of structure, not randomness**. --- ### **4. The Anthropic Implication: Are Structured Universes a Prerequisite for Intelligence?** A fundamental question in cosmology is whether the universe is **fine-tuned** for life and intelligence. If cosmic filaments are **essential for galaxy formation and stability**, does this imply that only structured universes can support intelligent observers? A similar question arises in AI: If ECAI proves that intelligence can be **retrieved deterministically** rather than computed probabilistically, does this imply that the very nature of intelligence itself is **non-random**? If so, then probabilistic AI—like universes without structured filaments—may be a transient or inefficient model of intelligence. This suggests a radical idea: - Just as structured cosmic filaments **define the conditions for life**, structured computational frameworks **define the conditions for true intelligence**. - If structured universes are **prerequisites for intelligent life**, then deterministic computational models (like ECAI) may be the only viable path to **stable, secure, and truthful AI**. --- ### **5. The Universe as an Information Network & ECAI** There is a growing hypothesis that the universe itself functions as a **computational network**, where cosmic filaments act as **synaptic pathways** optimizing the flow of information. If this is true, then ECAI is the **computational realization of the cosmic web**, proving that intelligence is not about **prediction**, but **retrieval from structured states**. - In the universe, matter is **channeled through filaments** to form structured galaxies. - In ECAI, knowledge is **channeled through elliptic curves** to form structured intelligence. - Both reject **stochastic randomness** in favor of **deterministic pathways**. This could indicate that **true intelligence, whether cosmic or artificial, must always emerge from structured determinism rather than probabilistic chaos**. --- ### **Conclusion: The Filamentary Structure of Intelligence** The convergence of **cosmic filaments** and **Elliptic Curve AI** suggests a profound principle: intelligence—whether it governs the organization of galaxies or the retrieval of computational knowledge—emerges from **structured, deterministic systems**. In both the cosmic and AI domains, hierarchical clustering, optimized connectivity, and deterministic pathways define the conditions for stability, efficiency, and intelligence. 🚀 **If cosmic filaments are necessary for intelligent life, then ECAI is the necessary computational paradigm for structured intelligence. The future of AI is not about probabilistic computation—it is about deterministic retrieval, just as the universe itself is a structured retrieval system of matter and energy.** 🚀

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

Writer: H. G. Wells English Short stories Fiction Speculative fiction Science fiction Apocalyptic Dystopian Dying Earth Science fantasy 1895 British Originally published in magazines Set in Surrey Social science fiction Time travel Veganism The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us. His grey eyes shone and twinkled, and his usually pale face was flushed and animated. The fire burned brightly, and the soft radiance of the incandescent lights in the lilies of silver caught the bubbles that flashed and passed in our glasses. Our chairs, being his patents, embraced and caressed us rather than submitted to be sat upon, and there was that luxurious after-dinner atmosphere when thought roams gracefully free of the trammels of precision. And he put it to us in this way–marking the points with a lean forefinger–as we sat and lazily admired his earnestness over this new paradox (as we thought it:) and his fecundity. `You must follow me carefully. I shall have to controvert one or two ideas that are almost universally accepted. The geometry, for instance, they taught you at school is founded on a misconception.’ `Is not that rather a large thing to expect us to begin upon?’ said Filby, an argumentative person with red hair. `I do not mean to ask you to accept anything without reasonable ground for it. You will soon admit as much as I need from you. You know of course that a mathematical line, a line of thickness NIL, has no real existence. They taught you that? Neither has a mathematical plane. These things are mere abstractions.’ `That is all right,’ said the Psychologist. `Nor, having only length, breadth, and thickness, can a cube have a real existence.’ `There I object,’ said Filby. `Of course a solid body may exist. All real things–‘ `So most people think. But wait a moment. Can an INSTANTANEOUS cube exist?’ `Don’t follow you,’ said Filby. `Can a cube that does not last for any time at all, have a real existence?’ Filby became pensive. `Clearly,’ the Time Traveller proceeded, `any real body must have extension in FOUR directions: it must have Length, Breadth, Thickness, and–Duration. But through a natural infirmity of the flesh, which I will explain to you in a moment, we incline to overlook this fact. There are really four dimensions, three which we call the three planes of Space, and a fourth, Time. There is, however, a tendency to draw an unreal distinction between the former three dimensions and the latter, because it happens that our consciousness moves intermittently in one direction along the latter from the beginning to the end of our lives.’ `That,’ said a very young man, making spasmodic efforts to relight his cigar over the lamp; `that . . . very clear indeed.’ `Now, it is very remarkable that this is so extensively overlooked,’ continued the Time Traveller, with a slight accession of cheerfulness. `Really this is what is meant by the Fourth Dimension, though some people who talk about the Fourth Dimension do not know they mean it. It is only another way of looking at Time. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TIME AND ANY OF THE THREE DIMENSIONS OF SPACE EXCEPT THAT OUR CONSCIOUSNESS MOVES ALONG IT. But some foolish people have got hold of the wrong side of that idea. You have all heard what they have to say about this Fourth Dimension?’ `_I_ have not,’ said the Provincial Mayor. `It is simply this. That Space, as our mathematicians have it, is spoken of as having three dimensions, which one may call Length, Breadth, and Thickness, and is always definable by reference to three planes, each at right angles to the others. But some philosophical people have been asking why THREE dimensions particularly–why not another direction at right angles to the other three?–and have even tried to construct a Four-Dimension geometry. Professor Simon Newcomb was expounding this to the New York Mathematical Society only a month or so ago. You know how on a flat surface, which has only two dimensions, we can represent a figure of a three-dimensional solid, and similarly they think that by models of thee dimensions they could represent one of four–if they could master the perspective of the thing. See?’ `I think so,’ murmured the Provincial Mayor; and, knitting his brows, he lapsed into an introspective state, his lips moving as one who repeats mystic words. `Yes, I think I see it now,’ he said after some time, brightening in a quite transitory manner. `Well, I do not mind telling you I have been at work upon this geometry of Four Dimensions for some time. Some of my results are curious. For instance, here is a portrait of a man at eight years old, another at fifteen, another at seventeen, another at twenty-three, and so on. All these are evidently sections, as it were, Three-Dimensional representations of his Four-Dimensioned being, which is a fixed and unalterable thing. `Scientific people,’ proceeded the Time Traveller, after the pause required for the proper assimilation of this, `know very well that Time is only a kind of Space. Here is a popular scientific diagram, a weather record. This line I trace with my finger shows the movement of the barometer. Yesterday it was so high, yesterday night it fell, then this morning it rose again, and so gently upward to here. Surely the mercury did not trace this line in any of the dimensions of Space generally recognized? But certainly it traced such a line, and that line, therefore, we must conclude was along the Time-Dimension.’ `But,’ said the Medical Man, staring hard at a coal in the fire, `if Time is really only a fourth dimension of Space, why is it, and why has it always been, regarded as something different? And why cannot we move in Time as we move about in the other dimensions of Space?’ The Time Traveller smiled. `Are you sure we can move freely in Space? Right and left we can go, backward and forward freely enough, and men always have done so. I admit we move freely in two dimensions. But how about up and down? Gravitation limits us there.’ `Not exactly,’ said the Medical Man. `There are balloons.’ `But before the balloons, save for spasmodic jumping and the inequalities of the surface, man had no freedom of vertical movement.’ `Still they could move a little up and down,’ said the Medical Man. `Easier, far easier down than up.’ `And you cannot move at all in Time, you cannot get away from the present moment.’ `My dear sir, that is just where you are wrong. That is just where the whole world has gone wrong. We are always getting away from the present moment. Our mental existences, which are immaterial and have no dimensions, are passing along the Time-Dimension with a uniform velocity from the cradle to the grave. Just as we should travel DOWN if we began our existence fifty miles above the earth’s surface.’ `But the great difficulty is this,’ interrupted the Psychologist. `You CAN move about in all directions of Space, but you cannot move about in Time.’ `That is the germ of my great discovery. But you are wrong to say that we cannot move about in Time. For instance, if I am recalling an incident very vividly I go back to the instant of its occurrence: I become absent-minded, as you say. I jump back for a moment. Of course we have no means of staying back for any length of Time, any more than a savage or an animal has of staying six feet above the ground. But a civilized man is better off than the savage in this respect. He can go up against gravitation in a balloon, and why should he not hope that ultimately he may be able to stop or accelerate his drift along the Time-Dimension, or even turn about and travel the other way?’ `Oh, THIS,’ began Filby, `is all–‘ `Why not?’ said the Time Traveller. `It’s against reason,’ said Filby. `What reason?’ said the Time Traveller. `You can show black is white by argument,’ said Filby, `but you will never convince me.’ `Possibly not,’ said the Time Traveller. `But now you begin to see the object of my investigations into the geometry of Four Dimensions. Long ago I had a vague inkling of a machine–‘ `To travel through Time!’ exclaimed the Very Young Man. `That shall travel indifferently in any direction of Space and Time, as the driver determines.’ Filby contented himself with laughter. `But I have experimental verification,’ said the Time Traveller. `It would be remarkably convenient for the historian,’ the Psychologist suggested. `One might travel back and verify the accepted account of the Battle of Hastings, for instance!’ `Don’t you think you would attract attention?’ said the Medical Man. `Our ancestors had no great tolerance for anachronisms.’ `One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato,’ the Very Young Man thought. `In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.’ `Then there is the future,’ said the Very Young Man. `Just think! One might invest all one’s money, leave it to accumulate at interest, and hurry on ahead!’ `To discover a society,’ said I, `erected on a strictly communistic basis.’ `Of all the wild extravagant theories!’ began the Psychologist. `Yes, so it seemed to me, and so I never talked of it until–‘ `Experimental verification!’ cried I. `You are going to verify THAT?’ `The experiment!’ cried Filby, who was getting brain-weary. `Let’s see your experiment anyhow,’ said the Psychologist, `though it’s all humbug, you know.’ The Time Traveller smiled round at us. Then, still smiling faintly, and with his hands deep in his trousers pockets, he walked slowly out of the room, and we heard his slippers shuffling down the long passage to his laboratory. The Psychologist looked at us. `I wonder what he’s got?’ `Some sleight-of-hand trick or other,’ said the Medical Man, and Filby tried to tell us about a conjurer he had seen at Burslem; but before he had finished his preface the Time Traveller came back, and Filby’s anecdote collapsed. The thing the Time Traveller held in his hand was a glittering metallic framework, scarcely larger than a small clock, and very delicately made. There was ivory in it, and some transparent crystalline substance. And now I must be explicit, for this that follows–unless his explanation is to be accepted–is an absolutely unaccountable thing. He took one of the small octagonal tables that were scattered about the room, and set it in front of the fire, with two legs on the hearthrug. On this table he placed the mechanism. Then he drew up a chair, and sat down. The only other object on the table was a small shaded lamp, the bright light of which fell upon the model. There were also perhaps a dozen candles about, two in brass candlesticks upon the mantel and several in sconces, so that the room was brilliantly illuminated. I sat in a low arm-chair nearest the fire, and I drew this forward so as to be almost between the Time Traveller and the fireplace. Filby sat behind him, looking over his shoulder. The Medical Man and the Provincial Mayor watched him in profile from the right, the Psychologist from the left. The Very Young Man stood behind the Psychologist. We were all on the alert. It appears incredible to me that any kind of trick, however subtly conceived and however adroitly done, could have been played upon us under these conditions. The Time Traveller looked at us, and then at the mechanism. `Well?’ said the Psychologist. `This little affair,’ said the Time Traveller, resting his elbows upon the table and pressing his hands together above the apparatus, `is only a model. It is my plan for a machine to travel through time. You will notice that it looks singularly askew, and that there is an odd twinkling appearance about this bar, as though it was in some way unreal.’ He pointed to the part with his finger. `Also, here is one little white lever, and here is another.’ The Medical Man got up out of his chair and peered into the thing. `It’s beautifully made,’ he said. `It took two years to make,’ retorted the Time Traveller. Then, when we had all imitated the action of the Medical Man, he said: `Now I want you clearly to understand that this lever, being pressed over, sends the machine gliding into the future, and this other reverses the motion. This saddle represents the seat of a time traveller. Presently I am going to press the lever, and off the machine will go. It will vanish, pass into future Time, and disappear. Have a good look at the thing. Look at the table too, and satisfy yourselves there is no trickery. I don’t want to waste this model, and then be told I’m a quack.’ There was a minute’s pause perhaps. The Psychologist seemed about to speak to me, but changed his mind. Then the Time Traveller put forth his finger towards the lever. `No,’ he said suddenly. `Lend me your hand.’ And turning to the Psychologist, he took that individual’s hand in his own and told him to put out his forefinger. So that it was the Psychologist himself who sent forth the model Time Machine on its interminable voyage. We all saw the lever turn. I am absolutely certain there was no trickery. There was a breath of wind, and the lamp flame jumped. One of the candles on the mantel was blown out, and the little machine suddenly swung round, became indistinct, was seen as a ghost for a second perhaps, as an eddy of faintly glittering brass and ivory; and it was gone–vanished! Save for the lamp the table was bare. Everyone was silent for a minute. Then Filby said he was damned. The Psychologist recovered from his stupor, and suddenly looked under the table. At that the Time Traveller laughed cheerfully. `Well?’ he said, with a reminiscence of the Psychologist. Then, getting up, he went to the tobacco jar on the mantel, and with his back to us began to fill his pipe. We stared at each other. `Look here,’ said the Medical Man, `are you in earnest about this? Do you seriously believe that that machine has travelled into time?’ `Certainly,’ said the Time Traveller, stooping to light a spill at the fire. Then he turned, lighting his pipe, to look at the Psychologist’s face. (The Psychologist, to show that he was not unhinged, helped himself to a cigar and tried to light it uncut.) `What is more, I have a big machine nearly finished in there’–he indicated the laboratory–`and when that is put together I mean to have a journey on my own account.’ `You mean to say that that machine has travelled into the future?’ said Filby. `Into the future or the past–I don’t, for certain, know which.’ After an interval the Psychologist had an inspiration. `It must have gone into the past if it has gone anywhere,’ he said. `Why?’ said the Time Traveller. `Because I presume that it has not moved in space, and if it travelled into the future it would still be here all this time, since it must have travelled through this time.’ `But,’ I said, `If it travelled into the past it would have been visible when we came first into this room; and last Thursday when we were here; and the Thursday before that; and so forth!’ `Serious objections,’ remarked the Provincial Mayor, with an air of impartiality, turning towards the Time Traveller. `Not a bit,’ said the Time Traveller, and, to the Psychologist: `You think. You can explain that. It’s presentation below the threshold, you know, diluted presentation.’ `Of course,’ said the Psychologist, and reassured us. `That’s a simple point of psychology. I should have thought of it. It’s plain enough, and helps the paradox delightfully. We cannot see it, nor can we appreciate this machine, any more than we can the spoke of a wheel spinning, or a bullet flying through the air. If it is travelling through time fifty times or a hundred times faster than we are, if it gets through a minute while we get through a second, the impression it creates will of course be only one-fiftieth or one-hundredth of what it would make if it were not travelling in time. That’s plain enough.’ He passed his hand through the space in which the machine had been. `You see?’ he said, laughing. We sat and stared at the vacant table for a minute or so. Then the Time Traveller asked us what we thought of it all. `It sounds plausible enough to-night,’ said the Medical Man; ‘but wait until to-morrow. Wait for the common sense of the morning.’ `Would you like to see the Time Machine itself?’ asked the Time Traveller. And therewith, taking the lamp in his hand, he led the way down the long, draughty corridor to his laboratory. I remember vividly the flickering light, his queer, broad head in silhouette, the dance of the shadows, how we all followed him, puzzled but incredulous, and how there in the laboratory we beheld a larger edition of the little mechanism which we had seen vanish from before our eyes. Parts were of nickel, parts of ivory, parts had certainly been filed or sawn out of rock crystal. The thing was generally complete, but the twisted crystalline bars lay unfinished upon the bench beside some sheets of drawings, and I took one up for a better look at it. Quartz it seemed to be. `Look here,’ said the Medical Man, `are you perfectly serious? Or is this a trick–like that ghost you showed us last Christmas?’ `Upon that machine,’ said the Time Traveller, holding the lamp aloft, `I intend to explore time. Is that plain? I was never more serious in my life.’ None of us quite knew how to take it. I caught Filby’s eye over the shoulder of the Medical Man, and he winked at me solemnly. II I think that at that time none of us quite believed in the Time Machine. The fact is, the Time Traveller was one of those men who are too clever to be believed: you never felt that you saw all round him; you always suspected some subtle reserve, some ingenuity in ambush, behind his lucid frankness. Had Filby shown the model and explained the matter in the Time Traveller’s words, we should have shown HIM far less scepticism. For we should have perceived his motives; a pork butcher could understand Filby. But the Time Traveller had more than a touch of whim among his elements, and we distrusted him. Things that would have made the frame of a less clever man seemed tricks in his hands. It is a mistake to do things too easily. The serious people who took him seriously never felt quite sure of his deportment; they were somehow aware that trusting their reputations for judgment with him was like furnishing a nursery with egg-shell china. So I don’t think any of us said very much about time travelling in the interval between that Thursday and the next, though its odd potentialities ran, no doubt, in most of our minds: its plausibility, that is, its practical incredibleness, the curious possibilities of anachronism and of utter confusion it suggested. For my own part, I was particularly preoccupied with the trick of the model. That I remember discussing with the Medical Man, whom I met on Friday at the Linnaean. He said he had seen a similar thing at Tubingen, and laid considerable stress on the blowing out of the candle. But how the trick was done he could not explain. The next Thursday I went again to Richmond–I suppose I was one of the Time Traveller’s most constant guests–and, arriving late, found four or five men already assembled in his drawing-room. The Medical Man was standing before the fire with a sheet of paper in one hand and his watch in the other. I looked round for the Time Traveller, and–`It’s half-past seven now,’ said the Medical Man. `I suppose we’d better have dinner?’ `Where’s—-?’ said I, naming our host. `You’ve just come? It’s rather odd. He’s unavoidably detained. He asks me in this note to lead off with dinner at seven if he’s not back. Says he’ll explain when he comes.’ `It seems a pity to let the dinner spoil,’ said the Editor of a well-known daily paper; and thereupon the Doctor rang the bell. The Psychologist was the only person besides the Doctor and myself who had attended the previous dinner. The other men were Blank, the Editor aforementioned, a certain journalist, and another–a quiet, shy man with a beard–whom I didn’t know, and who, as far as my observation went, never opened his mouth all the evening. There was some speculation at the dinner-table about the Time Traveller’s absence, and I suggested time travelling, in a half-jocular spirit. The Editor wanted that explained to him, and the Psychologist volunteered a wooden account of the `ingenious paradox and trick’ we had witnessed that day week. He was in the midst of his exposition when the door from the corridor opened slowly and without noise. I was facing the door, and saw it first. `Hallo!’ I said. `At last!’ And the door opened wider, and the Time Traveller stood before us. I gave a cry of surprise. `Good heavens! man, what’s the matter?’ cried the Medical Man, who saw him next. And the whole tableful turned towards the door. He was in an amazing plight. His coat was dusty and dirty, and smeared with green down the sleeves; his hair disordered, and as it seemed to me greyer–either with dust and dirt or because its colour had actually faded. His face was ghastly pale; his chin had a brown cut on it–a cut half healed; his expression was haggard and drawn, as by intense suffering. For a moment he hesitated in the doorway, as if he had been dazzled by the light. Then he came into the room. He walked with just such a limp as I have seen in footsore tramps. We stared at him in silence, expecting him to speak. He said not a word, but came painfully to the table, and made a motion towards the wine. The Editor filled a glass of champagne, and pushed it towards him. He drained it, and it seemed to do him good: for he looked round the table, and the ghost of his old smile flickered across his face. `What on earth have you been up to, man?’ said the Doctor. The Time Traveller did not seem to hear. `Don’t let me disturb you,’ he said, with a certain faltering articulation. `I’m all right.’ He stopped, held out his glass for more, and took it off at a draught. `That’s good,’ he said. His eyes grew brighter, and a faint colour came into his cheeks. His glance flickered over our faces with a certain dull approval, and then went round the warm and comfortable room. Then he spoke again, still as it were feeling his way among his words. `I’m going to wash and dress, and then I’ll come down and explain things. . . Save me some of that mutton. I’m starving for a bit of meat.’ He looked across at the Editor, who was a rare visitor, and hoped he was all right. The Editor began a question. `Tell you presently,’ said the Time Traveller. `I’m–funny! Be all right in a minute.’ He put down his glass, and walked towards the staircase door. Again I remarked his lameness and the soft padding sound of his footfall, and standing up in my place, I saw his feet as he went out. He had nothing on them but a pair of tattered blood-stained socks. Then the door closed upon him. I had half a mind to follow, till I remembered how he detested any fuss about himself. For a minute, perhaps, my mind was wool-gathering. Then, ‘Remarkable Behaviour of an Eminent Scientist,’ I heard the Editor say, thinking (after his wont) in headlines. And this brought my attention back to the bright dinner-table. `What’s the game?’ said the Journalist. `Has he been doing the Amateur Cadger? I don’t follow.’ I met the eye of the Psychologist, and read my own interpretation in his face. I thought of the Time Traveller limping painfully upstairs. I don’t think any one else had noticed his lameness. The first to recover completely from this surprise was the Medical Man, who rang the bell–the Time Traveller hated to have servants waiting at dinner–for a hot plate. At that the Editor turned to his knife and fork with a grunt, and the Silent Man followed suit. The dinner was resumed. Conversation was exclamatory for a little while, with gaps of wonderment; and then the Editor got fervent in his curiosity. `Does our friend eke out his modest income with a crossing? or has he his Nebuchadnezzar phases?’ he inquired. `I feel assured it’s this business of the Time Machine,’ I said, and took up the Psychologist’s account of our previous meeting. The new guests were frankly incredulous. The Editor raised objections. `What WAS this time travelling? A man couldn’t cover himself with dust by rolling in a paradox, could he?’ And then, as the idea came home to him, he resorted to caricature. Hadn’t they any clothes-brushes in the Future? The Journalist too, would not believe at any price, and joined the Editor in the easy work of heaping ridicule on the whole thing. They were both the new kind of journalist–very joyous, irreverent young men. `Our Special Correspondent in the Day after To-morrow reports,’ the Journalist was saying–or rather shouting–when the Time Traveller came back. He was dressed in ordinary evening clothes, and nothing save his haggard look remained of the change that had startled me. `I say,’ said the Editor hilariously, `these chaps here say you have been travelling into the middle of next week! Tell us all about little Rosebery, will you? What will you take for the lot?’ The Time Traveller came to the place reserved for him without a word. He smiled quietly, in his old way. `Where’s my mutton?’ he said. `What a treat it is to stick a fork into meat again!’ `Story!’ cried the Editor. `Story be damned!’ said the Time Traveller. `I want something to eat. I won’t say a word until I get some peptone into my arteries. Thanks. And the salt.’ `One word,’ said I. `Have you been time travelling?’ `Yes,’ said the Time Traveller, with his mouth full, nodding his head. `I’d give a shilling a line for a verbatim note,’ said the Editor. The Time Traveller pushed his glass towards the Silent Man and rang it with his fingernail; at which the Silent Man, who had been staring at his face, started convulsively, and poured him wine. The rest of the dinner was uncomfortable. For my own part, sudden questions kept on rising to my lips, and I dare say it was the same with the others. The Journalist tried to relieve the tension by telling anecdotes of Hettie Potter. The Time Traveller devoted his attention to his dinner, and displayed the appetite of a tramp. The Medical Man smoked a cigarette, and watched the Time Traveller through his eyelashes. The Silent Man seemed even more clumsy than usual, and drank champagne with regularity and determination out of sheer nervousness. At last the Time Traveller pushed his plate away, and looked round us. `I suppose I must apologize,’ he said. `I was simply starving. I’ve had a most amazing time.’ He reached out his hand for a cigar, and cut the end. `But come into the smoking-room. It’s too long a story to tell over greasy plates.’ And ringing the bell in passing, he led the way into the adjoining room. `You have told Blank, and Dash, and Chose about the machine?’ he said to me, leaning back in his easy-chair and naming the three new guests. `But the thing’s a mere paradox,’ said the Editor. `I can’t argue to-night. I don’t mind telling you the story, but I can’t argue. I will,’ he went on, `tell you the story of what has happened to me, if you like, but you must refrain from interruptions. I want to tell it. Badly. Most of it will sound like lying. So be it! It’s true–every word of it, all the same. I was in my laboratory at four o’clock, and since then . . . I’ve lived eight days . . . such days as no human being ever lived before! I’m nearly worn out, but I shan’t sleep till I’ve told this thing over to you. Then I shall go to bed. But no interruptions! Is it agreed?’ `Agreed,’ said the Editor, and the rest of us echoed `Agreed.’ And with that the Time Traveller began his story as I have set it forth. He sat back in his chair at first, and spoke like a weary man. Afterwards he got more animated. In writing it down I feel with only too much keenness the inadequacy of pen and ink –and, above all, my own inadequacy–to express its quality. You read, I will suppose, attentively enough; but you cannot see the speaker’s white, sincere face in the bright circle of the little lamp, nor hear the intonation of his voice. You cannot know how his expression followed the turns of his story! Most of us hearers were in shadow, for the candles in the smoking-room had not been lighted, and only the face of the Journalist and the legs of the Silent Man from the knees downward were illuminated. At first we glanced now and again at each other. After a time we ceased to do that, and looked only at the Time Traveller’s face. III `I told some of you last Thursday of the principles of the Time Machine, and showed you the actual thing itself, incomplete in the workshop. There it is now, a little travel-worn, truly; and one of the ivory bars is cracked, and a brass rail bent; but the rest of it’s sound enough. I expected to finish it on Friday, but on Friday, when the putting together was nearly done, I found that one of the nickel bars was exactly one inch too short, and this I had to get remade; so that the thing was not complete until this morning. It was at ten o’clock to-day that the first of all Time Machines began its career. I gave it a last tap, tried all the screws again, put one more drop of oil on the quartz rod, and sat myself in the saddle. I suppose a suicide who holds a pistol to his skull feels much the same wonder at what will come next as I felt then. I took the starting lever in one hand and the stopping one in the other, pressed the first, and almost immediately the second. I seemed to reel; I felt a nightmare sensation of falling; and, looking round, I saw the laboratory exactly as before. Had anything happened? For a moment I suspected that my intellect had tricked me. Then I noted the clock. A moment before, as it seemed, it had stood at a minute or so past ten; now it was nearly half-past three! `I drew a breath, set my teeth, gripped the starting lever with both hands, and went off with a thud. The laboratory got hazy and went dark. Mrs. Watchett came in and walked, apparently without seeing me, towards the garden door. I suppose it took her a minute or so to traverse the place, but to me she seemed to shoot across the room like a rocket. I pressed the lever over to its extreme position. The night came like the turning out of a lamp, and in another moment came to-morrow. The laboratory grew faint and hazy, then fainter and ever fainter. To-morrow night came black, then day again, night again, day again, faster and faster still. An eddying murmur filled my ears, and a strange, dumb confusedness descended on my mind. `I am afraid I cannot convey the peculiar sensations of time travelling. They are excessively unpleasant. There is a feeling exactly like that one has upon a switchback–of a helpless headlong motion! I felt the same horrible anticipation, too, of an imminent smash. As I put on pace, night followed day like the flapping of a black wing. The dim suggestion of the laboratory seemed presently to fall away from me, and I saw the sun hopping swiftly across the sky, leaping it every minute, and every minute marking a day. I supposed the laboratory had been destroyed and I had come into the open air. I had a dim impression of scaffolding, but I was already going too fast to be conscious of any moving things. The slowest snail that ever crawled dashed by too fast for me. The twinkling succession of darkness and light was excessively painful to the eye. Then, in the intermittent darknesses, I saw the moon spinning swiftly through her quarters from new to full, and had a faint glimpse of the circling stars. Presently, as I went on, still gaining velocity, the palpitation of night and day merged into one continuous greyness; the sky took on a wonderful deepness of blue, a splendid luminous color like that of early twilight; the jerking sun became a streak of fire, a brilliant arch, in space; the moon a fainter fluctuating band; and I could see nothing of the stars, save now and then a brighter circle flickering in the blue. `The landscape was misty and vague. I was still on the hill-side upon which this house now stands, and the shoulder rose above me grey and dim. I saw trees growing and changing like puffs of vapour, now brown, now green; they grew, spread, shivered, and passed away. I saw huge buildings rise up faint and fair, and pass like dreams. The whole surface of the earth seemed changed–melting and flowing under my eyes. The little hands upon the dials that registered my speed raced round faster and faster. Presently I noted that the sun belt swayed up and down, from solstice to solstice, in a minute or less, and that consequently my pace was over a year a minute; and minute by minute the white snow flashed across the world, and vanished, and was followed by the bright, brief green of spring. `The unpleasant sensations of the start were less poignant now. They merged at last into a kind of hysterical exhilaration. I remarked indeed a clumsy swaying of the machine, for which I was unable to account. But my mind was too confused to attend to it, so with a kind of madness growing upon me, I flung myself into futurity. At first I scarce thought of stopping, scarce thought of anything but these new sensations. But presently a fresh series of impressions grew up in my mind–a certain curiosity and therewith a certain dread–until at last they took complete possession of me. What strange developments of humanity, what wonderful advances upon our rudimentary civilization, I thought, might not appear when I came to look nearly into the dim elusive world that raced and fluctuated before my eyes! I saw great and splendid architecture rising about me, more massive than any buildings of our own time, and yet, as it seemed, built of glimmer and mist. I saw a richer green flow up the hill-side, and remain there, without any wintry intermission. Even through the veil of my confusion the earth seemed very fair. And so my mind came round to the business of stopping, `The peculiar risk lay in the possibility of my finding some substance in the space which I, or the machine, occupied. So long as I travelled at a high velocity through time, this scarcely mattered; I was, so to speak, attenuated–was slipping like a vapour through the interstices of intervening substances! But to come to a stop involved the jamming of myself, molecule by molecule, into whatever lay in my way; meant bringing my atoms into such intimate contact with those of the obstacle that a profound chemical reaction–possibly a far-reaching explosion –would result, and blow myself and my apparatus out of all possible dimensions–into the Unknown. This possibility had occurred to me again and again while I was making the machine; but then I had cheerfully accepted it as an unavoidable risk– one of the risks a man has got to take! Now the risk was inevitable, I no longer saw it in the same cheerful light. The fact is that insensibly, the absolute strangeness of everything, the sickly jarring and swaying of the machine, above all, the feeling of prolonged falling, had absolutely upset my nerve. I told myself that I could never stop, and with a gust of petulance I resolved to stop forthwith. Like an impatient fool, I lugged over the lever, and incontinently the thing went reeling over, and I was flung headlong through the air. `There was the sound of a clap of thunder in my ears. I may have been stunned for a moment. A pitiless hail was hissing round me, and I was sitting on soft turf in front of the overset machine. Everything still seemed grey, but presently I remarked that the confusion in my ears was gone. I looked round me. I was on what seemed to be a little lawn in a garden, surrounded by rhododendron bushes, and I noticed that their mauve and purple blossoms were dropping in a shower under the beating of the hail-stones. The rebounding, dancing hail hung in a cloud over the machine, and drove along the ground like smoke. In a moment I was wet to the skin. “Fine hospitality,” said I, “to a man who has travelled innumerable years to see you.” `Presently I thought what a fool I was to get wet. I stood up and looked round me. A colossal figure, carved apparently in some white stone, loomed indistinctly beyond the rhododendrons through the hazy downpour. But all else of the world was invisible. `My sensations would be hard to describe. As the columns of hail grew thinner, I saw the white figure more distinctly. It was very large, for a silver birch-tree touched its shoulder. It was of white marble, in shape something like a winged sphinx, but the wings, instead of being carried vertically at the sides, were spread so that it seemed to hover. The pedestal, it appeared to me, was of bronze, and was thick with verdigris. It chanced that the face was towards me; the sightless eyes seemed to watch me; there was the faint shadow of a smile on the lips. It was greatly weather-worn, and that imparted an unpleasant suggestion of disease. I stood looking at it for a little space–half a minute, perhaps, or half an hour. It seemed to advance and to recede as the hail drove before it denser or thinner. At last I tore my eyes from it for a moment and saw that the hail curtain had worn threadbare, and that the sky was lightening with the promise of the Sun. `I looked up again at the crouching white shape, and the full temerity of my voyage came suddenly upon me. What might appear when that hazy curtain was altogether withdrawn? What might not have happened to men? What if cruelty had grown into a common passion? What if in this interval the race had lost its manliness and had developed into something inhuman, unsympathetic, and overwhelmingly powerful? I might seem some old-world savage animal, only the more dreadful and disgusting for our common likeness–a foul creature to be incontinently slain. `Already I saw other vast shapes–huge buildings with intricate parapets and tall columns, with a wooded hill-side dimly creeping in upon me through the lessening storm. I was seized with a panic fear. I turned frantically to the Time Machine, and strove hard to readjust it. As I did so the shafts of the sun smote through the thunderstorm. The grey downpour was swept aside and vanished like the trailing garments of a ghost. Above me, in the intense blue of the summer sky, some faint brown shreds of cloud whirled into nothingness. The great buildings about me stood out clear and distinct, shining with the wet of the thunderstorm, and picked out in white by the unmelted hailstones piled along their courses. I felt naked in a strange world. I felt as perhaps a bird may feel in the clear air, knowing the hawk wings above and will swoop. My fear grew to frenzy. I took a breathing space, set my teeth, and again grappled fiercely, wrist and knee, with the machine. It gave under my desperate onset and turned over. It struck my chin violently. One hand on the saddle, the other on the lever, I stood panting heavily in attitude to mount again. `But with this recovery of a prompt retreat my courage recovered. I looked more curiously and less fearfully at this world of the remote future. In a circular opening, high up in the wall of the nearer house, I saw a group of figures clad in rich soft robes. They had seen me, and their faces were directed towards me. `Then I heard voices approaching me. Coming through the bushes by the White Sphinx were the heads and shoulders of men running. One of these emerged in a pathway leading straight to the little lawn upon which I stood with my machine. He was a slight creature–perhaps four feet high–clad in a purple tunic, girdled at the waist with a leather belt. Sandals or buskins–I could not clearly distinguish which–were on his feet; his legs were bare to the knees, and his head was bare. Noticing that, I noticed for the first time how warm the air was. `He struck me as being a very beautiful and graceful creature, but indescribably frail. His flushed face reminded me of the more beautiful kind of consumptive–that hectic beauty of which we used to hear so much. At the sight of him I suddenly regained confidence. I took my hands from the machine. IV `In another moment we were standing face to face, I and this fragile thing out of futurity. He came straight up to me and laughed into my eyes. The absence from his bearing of any sign of fear struck me at once. Then he turned to the two others who were following him and spoke to them in a strange and very sweet and liquid tongue. `There were others coming, and presently a little group of perhaps eight or ten of these exquisite creatures were about me. One of them addressed me. It came into my head, oddly enough, that my voice was too harsh and deep for them. So I shook my head, and, pointing to my ears, shook it again. He came a step forward, hesitated, and then touched my hand. Then I felt other soft little tentacles upon my back and shoulders. They wanted to make sure I was real. There was nothing in this at all alarming. Indeed, there was something in these pretty little people that inspired confidence–a graceful gentleness, a certain childlike ease. And besides, they looked so frail that I could fancy myself flinging the whole dozen of them about like nine-pins. But I made a sudden motion to warn them when I saw their little pink hands feeling at the Time Machine. Happily then, when it was not too late, I thought of a danger I had hitherto forgotten, and reaching over the bars of the machine I unscrewed the little levers that would set it in motion, and put these in my pocket. Then I turned again to see what I could do in the way of communication. `And then, looking more nearly into their features, I saw some further peculiarities in their Dresden-china type of prettiness. Their hair, which was uniformly curly, came to a sharp end at the neck and cheek; there was not the faintest suggestion of it on the face, and their ears were singularly minute. The mouths were small, with bright red, rather thin lips, and the little chins ran to a point. The eyes were large and mild; and–this may seem egotism on my part–I fancied even that there was a certain lack of the interest I might have expected in them. `As they made no effort to communicate with me, but simply stood round me smiling and speaking in soft cooing notes to each other, I began the conversation. I pointed to the Time Machine and to myself. Then hesitating for a moment how to express time, I pointed to the sun. At once a quaintly pretty little figure in chequered purple and white followed my gesture, and then astonished me by imitating the sound of thunder. `For a moment I was staggered, though the import of his gesture was plain enough. The question had come into my mind abruptly: were these creatures fools? You may hardly understand how it took me. You see I had always anticipated that the people of the year Eight Hundred and Two Thousand odd would be incredibly in front of us in knowledge, art, everything. Then one of them suddenly asked me a question that showed him to be on the intellectual level of one of our five-year-old children– asked me, in fact, if I had come from the sun in a thunderstorm! It let loose the judgment I had suspended upon their clothes, their frail light limbs, and fragile features. A flow of disappointment rushed across my mind. For a moment I felt that I had built the Time Machine in vain. `I nodded, pointed to the sun, and gave them such a vivid rendering of a thunderclap as startled them. They all withdrew a pace or so and bowed. Then came one laughing towards me, carrying a chain of beautiful flowers altogether new to me, and put it about my neck. The idea was received with melodious applause; and presently they were all running to and fro for flowers, and laughingly flinging them upon me until I was almost smothered with blossom. You who have never seen the like can scarcely imagine what delicate and wonderful flowers countless years of culture had created. Then someone suggested that their plaything should be exhibited in the nearest building, and so I was led past the sphinx of white marble, which had seemed to watch me all the while with a smile at my astonishment, towards a vast grey edifice of fretted stone. As I went with them the memory of my confident anticipations of a profoundly grave and intellectual posterity came, with irresistible merriment, to my mind. `The building had a huge entry, and was altogether of colossal dimensions. I was naturally most occupied with the growing crowd of little people, and with the big open portals that yawned before me shadowy and mysterious. My general impression of the world I saw over their heads was a tangled waste of beautiful bushes and flowers, a long neglected and yet weedless garden. I saw a number of tall spikes of strange white flowers, measuring a foot perhaps across the spread of the waxen petals. They grew scattered, as if wild, among the variegated shrubs, but, as I say, I did not examine them closely at this time. The Time Machine was left deserted on the turf among the rhododendrons. `The arch of the doorway was richly carved, but naturally I did not observe the carving very narrowly, though I fancied I saw suggestions of old Phoenician decorations as I passed through, and it struck me that they were very badly broken and weather- worn. Several more brightly clad people met me in the doorway, and so we entered, I, dressed in dingy nineteenth-century garments, looking grotesque enough, garlanded with flowers, and surrounded by an eddying mass of bright, soft-colored robes and shining white limbs, in a melodious whirl of laughter and laughing speech. `The big doorway opened into a proportionately great hall hung with brown. The roof was in shadow, and the windows, partially glazed with coloured glass and partially unglazed, admitted a tempered light. The floor was made up of huge blocks of some very hard white metal, not plates nor slabs–blocks, and it was so much worn, as I judged by the going to and fro of past generations, as to be deeply channelled along the more frequented ways. Transverse to the length were innumerable tables made of slabs of polished stone, raised perhaps a foot from the floor, and upon these were heaps of fruits. Some I recognized as a kind of hypertrophied raspberry and orange, but for the most part they were strange. `Between the tables was scattered a great number of cushions. Upon these my conductors seated themselves, signing for me to do likewise. With a pretty absence of ceremony they began to eat the fruit with their hands, flinging peel and stalks, and so forth, into the round openings in the sides of the tables. I was not loath to follow their example, for I felt thirsty and hungry. As I did so I surveyed the hall at my leisure. `And perhaps the thing that struck me most was its dilapidated look. The stained-glass windows, which displayed only a geometrical pattern, were broken in many places, and the curtains that hung across the lower end were thick with dust. And it caught my eye that the corner of the marble table near me was fractured. Nevertheless, the general effect was extremely rich and picturesque. There were, perhaps, a couple of hundred people dining in the hall, and most of them, seated as near to me as they could come, were watching me with interest, their little eyes shining over the fruit they were eating. All were clad in the same soft and yet strong, silky material. `Fruit, by the by, was all their diet. These people of the remote future were strict vegetarians, and while I was with them, in spite of some carnal cravings, I had to be frugivorous also. Indeed, I found afterwards that horses, cattle, sheep, dogs, had followed the Ichthyosaurus into extinction. But the fruits were very delightful; one, in particular, that seemed to be in season all the time I was there–a floury thing in a three-sided husk –was especially good, and I made it my staple. At first I was puzzled by all these strange fruits, and by the strange flowers I saw, but later I began to perceive their import. `However, I am telling you of my fruit dinner in the distant future now. So soon as my appetite was a little checked, I determined to make a resolute attempt to learn the speech of these new men of mine. Clearly that was the next thing to do. The fruits seemed a convenient thing to begin upon, and holding one of these up I began a series of interrogative sounds and gestures. I had some considerable difficulty in conveying my meaning. At first my efforts met with a stare of surprise or inextinguishable laughter, but presently a fair-haired little creature seemed to grasp my intention and repeated a name. They had to chatter and explain the business at great length to each other, and my first attempts to make the exquisite little sounds of their language caused an immense amount of amusement. However, I felt like a schoolmaster amidst children, and persisted, and presently I had a score of noun substantives at least at my command; and then I got to demonstrative pronouns, and even the verb “to eat.” But it was slow work, and the little people soon tired and wanted to get away from my interrogations, so I determined, rather of necessity, to let them give their lessons in little doses when they felt inclined. And very little doses I found they were before long, for I never met people more indolent or more easily fatigued. `A queer thing I soon discovered about my little hosts, and that was their lack of interest. They would come to me with eager cries of astonishment, like children, but like children they would soon stop examining me and wander away after some other toy. The dinner and my conversational beginnings ended, I noted for the first time that almost all those who had surrounded me at first were gone. It is odd, too, how speedily I came to disregard these little people. I went out through the portal into the sunlit world again as soon as my hunger was satisfied. I was continually meeting more of these men of the future, who would follow me a little distance, chatter and laugh about me, and, having smiled and gesticulated in a friendly way, leave me again to my own devices. `The calm of evening was upon the world as I emerged from the great hall, and the scene was lit by the warm glow of the setting sun. At first things were very confusing. Everything was so entirely different from the world I had known–even the flowers. The big building I had left was situated on the slope of a broad river valley, but the Thames had shifted perhaps a mile from its present position. I resolved to mount to the summit of a crest perhaps a mile and a half away, from which I could get a wider view of this our planet in the year Eight Hundred and Two Thousand Seven Hundred and One A.D. For that, I should explain, was the date the little dials of my machine recorded. `As I walked I was watching for every impression that could possibly help to explain the condition of ruinous splendour in which I found the world–for ruinous it was. A little way up the hill, for instance, was a great heap of granite, bound together by masses of aluminium, a vast labyrinth of precipitous walls and crumpled heaps, amidst which were thick heaps of very beautiful pagoda-like plants–nettles possibly–but wonderfully tinted with brown about the leaves, and incapable of stinging. It was evidently the derelict remains of some vast structure, to what end built I could not determine. It was here that I was destined, at a later date, to have a very strange experience–the first intimation of a still stranger discovery–but of that I will speak in its proper place. `Looking round with a sudden thought, from a terrace on which I rested for a while, I realized that there were no small houses to be seen. Apparently the single house, and possibly even the household, had vanished. Here and there among the greenery were palace-like buildings, but the house and the cottage, which form such characteristic features of our own English landscape, had disappeared. `”Communism,” said I to myself. `And on the heels of that came another thought. I looked at the half-dozen little figures that were following me. Then, in a flash, I perceived that all had the same form of costume, the same soft hairless visage, and the same girlish rotundity of limb. It may seem strange, perhaps, that I had not noticed this before. But everything was so strange. Now, I saw the fact plainly enough. In costume, and in all the differences of texture and bearing that now mark off the sexes from each other, these people of the future were alike. And the children seemed to my eyes to be but the miniatures of their parents. I judged, then, that the children of that time were extremely precocious, physically at least, and I found afterwards abundant verification of my opinion. `Seeing the ease and security in which these people were living, I felt that this close resemblance of the sexes was after all what one would expect; for the strength of a man and the softness of a woman, the institution of the family, and the differentiation of occupations are mere militant necessities of an age of physical force; where population is balanced and abundant, much childbearing becomes an evil rather than a blessing to the State; where violence comes but rarely and off-spring are secure, there is less necessity–indeed there is no necessity–for an efficient family, and the specialization of the sexes with reference to their children’s needs disappears. We see some beginnings of this even in our own time, and in this future age it was complete. This, I must remind you, was my speculation at the time. Later, I was to appreciate how far it fell short of the reality. `While I was musing upon these things, my attention was attracted by a pretty little structure, like a well under a cupola. I thought in a transitory way of the oddness of wells still existing, and then resumed the thread of my speculations. There were no large buildings towards the top of the hill, and as my walking powers were evidently miraculous, I was presently left alone for the first time. With a strange sense of freedom and adventure I pushed on up to the crest. `There I found a seat of some yellow metal that I did not recognize, corroded in places with a kind of pinkish rust and half smothered in soft moss, the arm-rests cast and filed into the resemblance of griffins’ heads. I sat down on it, and I surveyed the broad view of our old world under the sunset of that long day. It was as sweet and fair a view as I have ever seen. The sun had already gone below the horizon and the west was flaming gold, touched with some horizontal bars of purple and crimson. Below was the valley of the Thames, in which the river lay like a band of burnished steel. I have already spoken of the great palaces dotted about among the variegated greenery, some in ruins and some still occupied. Here and there rose a white or silvery figure in the waste garden of the earth, here and there came the sharp vertical line of some cupola or obelisk. There were no hedges, no signs of proprietary rights, no evidences of agriculture; the whole earth had become a garden. `So watching, I began to put my interpretation upon the things I had seen, and as it shaped itself to me that evening, my interpretation was something in this way. (Afterwards I found I had got only a half-truth–or only a glimpse of one facet of the truth.) `It seemed to me that I had happened upon humanity upon the wane. The ruddy sunset set me thinking of the sunset of mankind. For the first time I began to realize an odd consequence of the social effort in which we are at present engaged. And yet, come to think, it is a logical consequence enough. Strength is the outcome of need; security sets a premium on feebleness. The work of ameliorating the conditions of life–the true civilizing process that makes life more and more secure–had gone steadily on to a climax. One triumph of a united humanity over Nature had followed another. Things that are now mere dreams had become projects deliberately put in hand and carried forward. And the harvest was what I saw! `After all, the sanitation and the agriculture of to-day are still in the rudimentary stage. The science of our time has attacked but a little department of the field of human disease, but even so, it spreads its operations very steadily and persistently. Our agriculture and horticulture destroy a weed just here and there and cultivate perhaps a score or so of wholesome plants, leaving the greater number to fight out a balance as they can. We improve our favourite plants and animals –and how few they are–gradually by selective breeding; now a new and better peach, now a seedless grape, now a sweeter and larger flower, now a more convenient breed of cattle. We improve them gradually, because our ideals are vague and tentative, and our knowledge is very limited; because Nature, too, is shy and slow in our clumsy hands. Some day all this will be better organized, and still better. That is the drift of the current in spite of the eddies. The whole world will be intelligent, educated, and co-operating; things will move faster and faster towards the subjugation of Nature. In the end, wisely and carefully we shall readjust the balance of animal and vegetable to suit our human needs. `This adjustment, I say, must have been done, and done well; done indeed for all Time, in the space of Time across which my machine had leaped. The air was free from gnats, the earth from weeds or fungi; everywhere were fruits and sweet and delightful flowers; brilliant butterflies flew hither and thither. The ideal of preventive medicine was attained. Diseases had been stamped out. I saw no evidence of any contagious diseases during all my stay. And I shall have to tell you later that even the processes of putrefaction and decay had been profoundly affected by these changes. `Social triumphs, too, had been effected. I saw mankind housed in splendid shelters, gloriously clothed, and as yet I had found them engaged in no toil. There were no signs of struggle, neither social nor economical struggle. The shop, the advertisement, traffic, all that commerce which constitutes the body of our world, was gone. It was natural on that golden evening that I should jump at the idea of a social paradise. The difficulty of increasing population had been met, I guessed, and population had ceased to increase. `But with this change in condition comes inevitably adaptations to the change. What, unless biological science is a mass of errors, is the cause of human intelligence and vigour? Hardship and freedom: conditions under which the active, strong, and subtle survive and the weaker go to the wall; conditions that put a premium upon the loyal alliance of capable men, upon self-restraint, patience, and decision. And the institution of the family, and the emotions that arise therein, the fierce jealousy, the tenderness for offspring, parental self-devotion, all found their justification and support in the imminent dangers of the young. NOW, where are these imminent dangers? There is a sentiment arising, and it will grow, against connubial jealousy, against fierce maternity, against passion of all sorts; unnecessary things now, and things that make us uncomfortable, savage survivals, discords in a refined and pleasant life. `I thought of the physical slightness of the people, their lack of intelligence, and those big abundant ruins, and it strengthened my belief in a perfect conquest of Nature. For after the battle comes Quiet. Humanity had been strong, energetic, and intelligent, and had used all its abundant vitality to alter the conditions under which it lived. And now came the reaction of the altered conditions. `Under the new conditions of perfect comfort and security, that restless energy, that with us is strength, would become weakness. Even in our own time certain tendencies and desires, once necessary to survival, are a constant source of failure. Physical courage and the love of battle, for instance, are no great help–may even be hindrances–to a civilized man. And in a state of physical balance and security, power, intellectual as well as physical, would be out of place. For countless years I judged there had been no danger of war or solitary violence, no danger from wild beasts, no wasting disease to require strength of constitution, no need of toil. For such a life, what we should call the weak are as well equipped as the strong, are indeed no longer weak. Better equipped indeed they are, for the strong would be fretted by an energy for which there was no outlet. No doubt the exquisite beauty of the buildings I saw was the outcome of the last surgings of the now purposeless energy of mankind before it settled down into perfect harmony with the conditions under which it lived–the flourish of that triumph which began the last great peace. This has ever been the fate of energy in security; it takes to art and to eroticism, and then come languor and decay. `Even this artistic impetus would at last die away–had almost died in the Time I saw. To adorn themselves with flowers, to dance, to sing in the sunlight: so much was left of the artistic spirit, and no more. Even that would fade in the end into a contented inactivity. We are kept keen on the grindstone of pain and necessity, and, it seemed to me, that here was that hateful grindstone broken at last! `As I stood there in the gathering dark I thought that in this simple explanation I had mastered the problem of the world– mastered the whole secret of these delicious people. Possibly the checks they had devised for the increase of population had succeeded too well, and their numbers had rather diminished than kept stationary. That would account for the abandoned ruins. Very simple was my explanation, and plausible enough–as most wrong theories are! V `As I stood there musing over this too perfect triumph of man, the full moon, yellow and gibbous, came up out of an overflow of silver light in the north-east. The bright little figures ceased to move about below, a noiseless owl flitted by, and I shivered with the chill of the night. I determined to descend and find where I could sleep. `I looked for the building I knew. Then my eye travelled along to the figure of the White Sphinx upon the pedestal of bronze, growing distinct as the light of the rising moon grew brighter. I could see the silver birch against it. There was the tangle of rhododendron bushes, black in the pale light, and there was the little lawn. I looked at the lawn again. A queer doubt chilled my complacency. “No,” said I stoutly to myself, “that was not the lawn.” `But it WAS the lawn. For the white leprous face of the sphinx was towards it. Can you imagine what I felt as this conviction came home to me? But you cannot. The Time Machine was gone! `At once, like a lash across the face, came the possibility of losing my own age, of being left helpless in this strange new world. The bare thought of it was an actual physical sensation. I could feel it grip me at the throat and stop my breathing. In another moment I was in a passion of fear and running with great leaping strides down the slope. Once I fell headlong and cut my face; I lost no time in stanching the blood, but jumped up and ran on, with a warm trickle down my cheek and chin. All the time I ran I was saying to myself: “They have moved it a little, pushed it under the bushes out of the way.” Nevertheless, I ran with all my might. All the time, with the certainty that sometimes comes with excessive dread, I knew that such assurance was folly, knew instinctively that the machine was removed out of my reach. My breath came with pain. I suppose I covered the whole distance from the hill crest to the little lawn, two miles perhaps, in ten minutes. And I am not a young man. I cursed aloud, as I ran, at my confident folly in leaving the machine, wasting good breath thereby. I cried aloud, and none answered. Not a creature seemed to be stirring in that moonlit world. `When I reached the lawn my worst fears were realized. Not a trace of the thing was to be seen. I felt faint and cold when I faced the empty space among the black tangle of bushes. I ran round it furiously, as if the thing might be hidden in a corner, and then stopped abruptly, with my hands clutching my hair. Above me towered the sphinx, upon the bronze pedestal, white, shining, leprous, in the light of the rising moon. It seemed to smile in mockery of my dismay. `I might have consoled myself by imagining the little people had put the mechanism in some shelter for me, had I not felt assured of their physical and intellectual inadequacy. That is what dismayed me: the sense of some hitherto unsuspected power, through whose intervention my invention had vanished. Yet, for one thing I felt assured: unless some other age had produced its exact duplicate, the machine could not have moved in time. The attachment of the levers–I will show you the method later– prevented any one from tampering with it in that way when they were removed. It had moved, and was hid, only in space. But then, where could it be? `I think I must have had a kind of frenzy. I remember running violently in and out among the moonlit bushes all round the sphinx, and startling some white animal that, in the dim light, I took for a small deer. I remember, too, late that night, beating the bushes with my clenched fist until my knuckles were gashed and bleeding from the broken twigs. Then, sobbing and raving in my anguish of mind, I went down to the great building of stone. The big hall was dark, silent, and deserted. I slipped on the uneven floor, and fell over one of the malachite tables, almost breaking my shin. I lit a match and went on past the dusty curtains, of which I have told you. `There I found a second great hall covered with cushions, upon which, perhaps, a score or so of the little people were sleeping. I have no doubt they found my second appearance strange enough, coming suddenly out of the quiet darkness with inarticulate noises and the splutter and flare of a match. For they had forgotten about matches. “Where is my Time Machine?” I began, bawling like an angry child, laying hands upon them and shaking them up together. It must have been very queer to them. Some laughed, most of them looked sorely frightened. When I saw them standing round me, it came into my head that I was doing as foolish a thing as it was possible for me to do under the circumstances, in trying to revive the sensation of fear. For, reasoning from their daylight behaviour, I thought that fear must be forgotten. `Abruptly, I dashed down the match, and, knocking one of the people over in my course, went blundering across the big dining-hall again, out under the moonlight. I heard cries of terror and their little feet running and stumbling this way and that. I do not remember all I did as the moon crept up the sky. I suppose it was the unexpected nature of my loss that maddened me. I felt hopelessly cut off from my own kind–a strange animal in an unknown world. I must have raved to and fro, screaming and crying upon God and Fate. I have a memory of horrible fatigue, as the long night of despair wore away; of looking in this impossible place and that; of groping among moon-lit ruins and touching strange creatures in the black shadows; at last, of lying on the ground near the sphinx and weeping with absolute wretchedness. I had nothing left but misery. Then I slept, and when I woke again it was full day, and a couple of sparrows were hopping round me on the turf within reach of my arm. `I sat up in the freshness of the morning, trying to remember how I had got there, and why I had such a profound sense of desertion and despair. Then things came clear in my mind. With the plain, reasonable daylight, I could look my circumstances fairly in the face. I saw the wild folly of my frenzy overnight, and I could reason with myself. “Suppose the worst?” I said. “Suppose the machine altogether lost–perhaps destroyed? It behooves me to be calm and patient, to learn the way of the people, to get a clear idea of the method of my loss, and the means of getting materials and tools; so that in the end, perhaps, I may make another.” That would be my only hope, perhaps, but better than despair. And, after all, it was a beautiful and curious world. `But probably, the machine had only been taken away. Still, I must be calm and patient, find its hiding-place, and recover it by force or cunning. And with that I scrambled to my feet and looked about me, wondering where I could bathe. I felt weary, stiff, and travel-soiled. The freshness of the morning made me desire an equal freshness. I had exhausted my emotion. Indeed, as I went about my business, I found myself wondering at my intense excitement overnight. I made a careful examination of the ground about the little lawn. I wasted some time in futile questionings, conveyed, as well as I was able, to such of the little people as came by. They all failed to understand my gestures; some were simply stolid, some thought it was a jest and laughed at me. I had the hardest task in the world to keep my hands off their pretty laughing faces. It was a foolish impulse, but the devil begotten of fear and blind anger was ill curbed and still eager to take advantage of my perplexity. The turf gave better counsel. I found a groove ripped in it, about midway between the pedestal of the sphinx and the marks of my feet where, on arrival, I had struggled with the overturned machine. There were other signs of removal about, with queer narrow footprints like those I could imagine made by a sloth. This directed my closer attention to the pedestal. It was, as I think I have said, of bronze. It was not a mere block, but highly decorated with deep framed panels on either side. I went and rapped at these. The pedestal was hollow. Examining the panels with care I found them discontinuous with the frames. There were no handles or keyholes, but possibly the panels, if they were doors, as I supposed, opened from within. One thing was clear enough to my mind. It took no very great mental effort to infer that my Time Machine was inside that pedestal. But how it got there was a different problem. `I saw the heads of two orange-clad people coming through the bushes and under some blossom-covered apple-trees towards me. I turned smiling to them and beckoned them to me. They came, and then, pointing to the bronze pedestal, I tried to intimate my wish to open it. But at my first gesture towards this they behaved very oddly. I don’t know how to convey their expression to you. Suppose you were to use a grossly improper gesture to a delicate-minded woman–it is how she would look. They went off as if they had received the last possible insult. I tried a sweet-looking little chap in white next, with exactly the same result. Somehow, his manner made me feel ashamed of myself. But, as you know, I wanted the Time Machine, and I tried him once more. As he turned off, like the others, my temper got the better of me. In three strides I was after him, had him by the loose part of his robe round the neck, and began dragging him towards the sphinx. Then I saw the horror and repugnance of his face, and all of a sudden I let him go. `But I was not beaten yet. I banged with my fist at the bronze panels. I thought I heard something stir inside–to be explicit, I thought I heard a sound like a chuckle–but I must have been mistaken. Then I got a big pebble from the river, and came and hammered till I had flattened a coil in the decorations, and the verdigris came off in powdery flakes. The delicate little people must have heard me hammering in gusty outbreaks a mile away on either hand, but nothing came of it. I saw a crowd of them upon the slopes, looking furtively at me. At last, hot and tired, I sat down to watch the place. But I was too restless to watch long; I am too Occidental for a long vigil. I could work at a problem for years, but to wait inactive for twenty-four hours–that is another matter. `I got up after a time, and began walking aimlessly through the bushes towards the hill again. “Patience,” said I to myself. “If you want your machine again you must leave that sphinx alone. If they mean to take your machine away, it’s little good your wrecking their bronze panels, and if they don’t, you will get it back as soon as you can ask for it. To sit among all those unknown things before a puzzle like that is hopeless. That way lies monomania. Face this world. Learn its ways, watch it, be careful of too hasty guesses at its meaning. In the end you will find clues to it all.” Then suddenly the humour of the situation came into my mind: the thought of the years I had spent in study and toil to get into the future age, and now my passion of anxiety to get out of it. I had made myself the most complicated and the most hopeless trap that ever a man devised. Although it was at my own expense, I could not help myself. I laughed aloud. `Going through the big palace, it seemed to me that the little people avoided me. It may have been my fancy, or it may have had something to do with my hammering at the gates of bronze. Yet I felt tolerably sure of the avoidance. I was careful, however, to show no concern and to abstain from any pursuit of them, and in the course of a day or two things got back to the old footing. I made what progress I could in the language, and in addition I pushed my explorations here and there. Either I missed some subtle point or their language was excessively simple–almost exclusively composed of concrete substantives and verbs. There seemed to be few, if any, abstract terms, or little use of figurative language. Their sentences were usually simple and of two words, and I failed to convey or understand any but the simplest propositions. I determined to put the thought of my Time Machine and the mystery of the bronze doors under the sphinx as much as possible in a corner of memory, until my growing knowledge would lead me back to them in a natural way. Yet a certain feeling, you may understand, tethered me in a circle of a few miles round the point of my arrival. `So far as I could see, all the world displayed the same exuberant richness as the Thames valley. From every hill I climbed I saw the same abundance of splendid buildings, endlessly varied in material and style, the same clustering thickets of evergreens, the same blossom-laden trees and tree-ferns. Here and there water shone like silver, and beyond, the land rose into blue undulating hills, and so faded into the serenity of the sky. A peculiar feature, which presently attracted my attention, was the presence of certain circular wells, several, as it seemed to me, of a very great depth. One lay by the path up the hill, which I had followed during my first walk. Like the others, it was rimmed with bronze, curiously wrought, and protected by a little cupola from the rain. Sitting by the side of these wells, and peering down into the shafted darkness, I could see no gleam of water, nor could I start any reflection with a lighted match. But in all of them I heard a certain sound: a thud-thud-thud, like the beating of some big engine; and I discovered, from the flaring of my matches, that a steady current of air set down the shafts. Further, I threw a scrap of paper into the throat of one, and, instead of fluttering slowly down, it was at once sucked swiftly out of sight. `After a time, too, I came to connect these wells with tall towers standing here and there upon the slopes; for above them there was often just such a flicker in the air as one sees on a hot day above a sun-scorched beach. Putting things together, I reached a strong suggestion of an extensive system of subterranean ventilation, whose true import it was difficult to imagine. I was at first inclined to associate it with the sanitary apparatus of these people. It was an obvious conclusion, but it was absolutely wrong. `And here I must admit that I learned very little of drains and bells and modes of conveyance, and the like conveniences, during my time in this real future. In some of these visions of Utopias and coming times which I have read, there is a vast amount of detail about building, and social arrangements, and so forth. But while such details are easy enough to obtain when the whole world is contained in one’s imagination, they are altogether inaccessible to a real traveller amid such realities as I found here. Conceive the tale of London which a negro, fresh from Central Africa, would take back to his tribe! What would he know of railway companies, of social movements, of telephone and telegraph wires, of the Parcels Delivery Company, and postal orders and the like? Yet we, at least, should be willing enough to explain these things to him! And even of what he knew, how much could he make his untravelled friend either apprehend or believe? Then, think how narrow the gap between a negro and a white man of our own times, and how wide the interval between myself and these of the Golden Age! I was sensible of much which was unseen, and which contributed to my comfort; but save for a general impression of automatic organization, I fear I can convey very little of the difference to your mind. `In the matter of sepulchre, for instance, I could see no signs of crematoria nor anything suggestive of tombs. But it occurred to me that, possibly, there might be cemeteries (or crematoria) somewhere beyond the range of my explorings. This, again, was a question I deliberately put to myself, and my curiosity was at first entirely defeated upon the point. The thing puzzled me, and I was led to make a further remark, which puzzled me still more: that aged and infirm among this people there were none. `I must confess that my satisfaction with my first theories of an automatic civilization and a decadent humanity did not long endure. Yet I could think of no other. Let me put my difficulties. The several big palaces I had explored were mere living places, great dining-halls and sleeping apartments. I could find no machinery, no appliances of any kind. Yet these people were clothed in pleasant fabrics that must at times need renewal, and their sandals, though undecorated, were fairly complex specimens of metalwork. Somehow such things must be made. And the little people displayed no vestige of a creative tendency. There were no shops, no workshops, no sign of importations among them. They spent all their time in playing gently, in bathing in the river, in making love in a half-playful fashion, in eating fruit and sleeping. I could not see how things were kept going. `Then, again, about the Time Machine: something, I knew not what, had taken it into the hollow pedestal of the White Sphinx. Why? For the life of me I could not imagine. Those waterless wells, too, those flickering pillars. I felt I lacked a clue. I felt–how shall I put it? Suppose you found an inscription, with sentences here and there in excellent plain English, and interpolated therewith, others made up of words, of letters even, absolutely unknown to you? Well, on the third day of my visit, that was how the world of Eight Hundred and Two Thousand Seven Hundred and One presented itself to me! `That day, too, I made a friend–of a sort. It happened that, as I was watching some of the little people bathing in a shallow, one of them was seized with cramp and began drifting downstream. The main current ran rather swiftly, but not too strongly for even a moderate swimmer. It will give you an idea, therefore, of the strange deficiency in these creatures, when I tell you that none made the slightest attempt to rescue the weakly crying little thing which was drowning before their eyes. When I realized this, I hurriedly slipped off my clothes, and, wading in at a point lower down, I caught the poor mite and drew her safe to land. A little rubbing of the limbs soon brought her round, and I had the satisfaction of seeing she was all right before I left her. I had got to such a low estimate of her kind that I did not expect any gratitude from her. In that, however, I was wrong. `This happened in the morning. In the afternoon I met my little woman, as I believe it was, as I was returning towards my centre from an exploration, and she received me with cries of delight and presented me with a big garland of flowers– evidently made for me and me alone. The thing took my imagination. Very possibly I had been feeling desolate. At any rate I did my best to display my appreciation of the gift. We were soon seated together in a little stone arbour, engaged in conversation, chiefly of smiles. The creature’s friendliness affected me exactly as a child’s might have done. We passed each other flowers, and she kissed my hands. I did the same to hers. Then I tried talk, and found that her name was Weena, which, though I don’t know what it meant, somehow seemed appropriate enough. That was the beginning of a queer friendship which lasted a week, and ended–as I will tell you! `She was exactly like a child. She wanted to be with me always. She tried to follow me everywhere, and on my next journey out and about it went to my heart to tire her down, and leave her at last, exhausted and calling after me rather plaintively. But the problems of the world had to be mastered. I had not, I said to myself, come into the future to carry on a miniature flirtation. Yet her distress when I left her was very great, her expostulations at the parting were sometimes frantic, and I think, altogether, I had as much trouble as comfort from her devotion. Nevertheless she was, somehow, a very great comfort. I thought it was mere childish affection that made her cling to me. Until it was too late, I did not clearly know what I had inflicted upon her when I left her. Nor until it was too late did I clearly understand what she was to me. For, by merely seeming fond of me, and showing in her weak, futile way that she cared for me, the little doll of a creature presently gave my return to the neighbourhood of the White Sphinx almost the feeling of coming home; and I would watch for her tiny figure of white and gold so soon as I came over the hill. `It was from her, too, that I learned that fear had not yet left the world. She was fearless enough in the daylight, and she had the oddest confidence in me; for once, in a foolish moment, I made threatening grimaces at her, and she simply laughed at them. But she dreaded the dark, dreaded shadows, dreaded black things. Darkness to her was the one thing dreadful. It was a singularly passionate emotion, and it set me thinking and observing. I discovered then, among other things, that these little people gathered into the great houses after dark, and slept in droves. To enter upon them without a light was to put them into a tumult of apprehension. I never found one out of doors, or one sleeping alone within doors, after dark. Yet I was still such a blockhead that I missed the lesson of that fear, and in spite of Weena’s distress I insisted upon sleeping away from these slumbering multitudes. `It troubled her greatly, but in the end her odd affection for me triumphed, and for five of the nights of our acquaintance, including the last night of all, she slept with her head pillowed on my arm. But my story slips away from me as I speak of her. It must have been the night before her rescue that I was awakened about dawn. I had been restless, dreaming most disagreeably that I was drowned, and that sea anemones were feeling over my face with their soft palps. I woke with a start, and with an odd fancy that some greyish animal had just rushed out of the chamber. I tried to get to sleep again, but I felt restless and uncomfortable. It was that dim grey hour when things are just creeping out of darkness, when everything is colourless and clear cut, and yet unreal. I got up, and went down into the great hall, and so out upon the flagstones in front of the palace. I thought I would make a virtue of necessity, and see the sunrise. `The moon was setting, and the dying moonlight and the first pallor of dawn were mingled in a ghastly half-light. The bushes were inky black, the ground a sombre grey, the sky colourless and cheerless. And up the hill I thought I could see ghosts. There several times, as I scanned the slope, I saw white figures. Twice I fancied I saw a solitary white, ape-like creature running rather quickly up the hill, and once near the ruins I saw a leash of them carrying some dark body. They moved hastily. I did not see what became of them. It seemed that they vanished among the bushes. The dawn was still indistinct, you must understand. I was feeling that chill, uncertain, early-morning feeling you may have known. I doubted my eyes. `As the eastern sky grew brighter, and the light of the day came on and its vivid colouring returned upon the world once more, I scanned the view keenly. But I saw no vestige of my white figures. They were mere creatures of the half light. “They must have been ghosts,” I said; “I wonder whence they dated.” For a queer notion of Grant Allen’s came into my head, and amused me. If each generation die and leave ghosts, he argued, the world at last will get overcrowded with them. On that theory they would have grown innumerable some Eight Hundred Thousand Years hence, and it was no great wonder to see four at once. But the jest was unsatisfying, and I was thinking of these figures all the morning, until Weena’s rescue drove them out of my head. I associated them in some indefinite way with the white animal I had startled in my first passionate search for the Time Machine. But Weena was a pleasant substitute. Yet all the same, they were soon destined to take far deadlier possession of my mind. `I think I have said how much hotter than our own was the weather of this Golden Age. I cannot account for it. It may be that the sun was hotter, or the earth nearer the sun. It is usual to assume that the sun will go on cooling steadily in the future. But people, unfamiliar with such speculations as those of the younger Darwin, forget that the planets must ultimately fall back one by one into the parent body. As these catastrophes occur, the sun will blaze with renewed energy; and it may be that some inner planet had suffered this fate. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that the sun was very much hotter than we know it. `Well, one very hot morning–my fourth, I think–as I was seeking shelter from the heat and glare in a colossal ruin near the great house where I slept and fed, there happened this strange thing: Clambering among these heaps of masonry, I found a narrow gallery, whose end and side windows were blocked by fallen masses of stone. By contrast with the brilliancy outside, it seemed at first impenetrably dark to me. I entered it groping, for the change from light to blackness made spots of colour swim before me. Suddenly I halted spellbound. A pair of eyes, luminous by reflection against the daylight without, was watching me out of the darkness. `The old instinctive dread of wild beasts came upon me. I clenched my hands and steadfastly looked into the glaring eyeballs. I was afraid to turn. Then the thought of the absolute security in which humanity appeared to be living came to my mind. And then I remembered that strange terror of the dark. Overcoming my fear to some extent, I advanced a step and spoke. I will admit that my voice was harsh and ill-controlled. I put out my hand and touched something soft. At once the eyes darted sideways, and something white ran past me. I turned with my heart in my mouth, and saw a queer little ape-like figure, its head held down in a peculiar manner, running across the sunlit space behind me. It blundered against a block of granite, staggered aside, and in a moment was hidden in a black shadow beneath another pile of ruined masonry. `My impression of it is, of course, imperfect; but I know it was a dull white, and had strange large greyish-red eyes; also that there was flaxen hair on its head and down its back. But, as I say, it went too fast for me to see distinctly. I cannot even say whether it ran on all-fours, or only with its forearms held very low. After an instant’s pause I followed it into the second heap of ruins. I could not find it at first; but, after a time in the profound obscurity, I came upon one of those round well-like openings of which I have told you, half closed by a fallen pillar. A sudden thought came to me. Could this Thing have vanished down the shaft? I lit a match, and, looking down, I saw a small, white, moving creature, with large bright eyes which regarded me steadfastly as it retreated. It made me shudder. It was so like a human spider! It was clambering down the wall, and now I saw for the first time a number of metal foot and hand rests forming a kind of ladder down the shaft. Then the light burned my fingers and fell out of my hand, going out as it dropped, and when I had lit another the little monster had disappeared. `I do not know how long I sat peering down that well. It was not for some time that I could succeed in persuading myself that the thing I had seen was human. But, gradually, the truth dawned on me: that Man had not remained one species, but had differentiated into two distinct animals: that my graceful children of the Upper-world were not the sole descendants of our generation, but that this bleached, obscene, nocturnal Thing, which had flashed before me, was also heir to all the ages. `I thought of the flickering pillars and of my theory of an underground ventilation. I began to suspect their true import. And what, I wondered, was this Lemur doing in my scheme of a perfectly balanced organization? How was it related to the indolent serenity of the beautiful Upper-worlders? And what was hidden down there, at the foot of that shaft? I sat upon the edge of the well telling myself that, at any rate, there was nothing to fear, and that there I must descend for the solution of my difficulties. And withal I was absolutely afraid to go! As I hesitated, two of the beautiful Upper-world people came running in their amorous sport across the daylight in the shadow. The male pursued the female, flinging flowers at her as he ran. `They seemed distressed to find me, my arm against the overturned pillar, peering down the well. Apparently it was considered bad form to remark these apertures; for when I pointed to this one, and tried to frame a question about it in their tongue, they were still more visibly distressed and turned away. But they were interested by my matches, and I struck some to amuse them. I tried them again about the well, and again I failed. So presently I left them, meaning to go back to Weena, and see what I could get from her. But my mind was already in revolution; my guesses and impressions were slipping and sliding to a new adjustment. I had now a clue to the import of these wells, to the ventilating towers, to the mystery of the ghosts; to say nothing of a hint at the meaning of the bronze gates and the fate of the Time Machine! And very vaguely there came a suggestion towards the solution of the economic problem that had puzzled me. `Here was the new view. Plainly, this second species of Man was subterranean. There were three circumstances in particular which made me think that its rare emergence above ground was the outcome of a long-continued underground habit. In the first place, there was the bleached look common in most animals that live largely in the dark–the white fish of the Kentucky caves, for instance. Then, those large eyes, with that capacity for reflecting light, are common features of nocturnal things– witness the owl and the cat. And last of all, that evident confusion in the sunshine, that hasty yet fumbling awkward flight towards dark shadow, and that peculiar carriage of the head while in the light–all reinforced the theory of an extreme sensitiveness of the retina. `Beneath my feet, then, the earth must be tunnelled enormously, and these tunnellings were the habitat of the new race. The presence of ventilating shafts and wells along the hill slopes–everywhere, in fact except along the river valley –showed how universal were its ramifications. What so natural, then, as to assume that it was in this artificial Underworld that such work as was necessary to the comfort of the daylight race was done? The notion was so plausible that I at once accepted it, and went on to assume the how of this splitting of the human species. I dare say you will anticipate the shape of my theory; though, for myself, I very soon felt that it fell far short of the truth. `At first, proceeding from the problems of our own age, it seemed clear as daylight to me that the gradual widening of the present merely temporary and social difference between the Capitalist and the Labourer, was the key to the whole position. No doubt it will seem grotesque enough to you–and wildly incredible!–and yet even now there are existing circumstances to point that way. There is a tendency to utilize underground space for the less ornamental purposes of civilization; there is the Metropolitan Railway in London, for instance, there are new electric railways, there are subways, there are underground workrooms and restaurants, and they increase and multiply. Evidently, I thought, this tendency had increased till Industry had gradually lost its birthright in the sky. I mean that it had gone deeper and deeper into larger and ever larger underground factories, spending a still-increasing amount of its time therein, till, in the end–! Even now, does not an East-end worker live in such artificial conditions as practically to be cut off from the natural surface of the earth? `Again, the exclusive tendency of richer people–due, no doubt, to the increasing refinement of their education, and the widening gulf between them and the rude violence of the poor– is already leading to the closing, in their interest, of considerable portions of the surface of the land. About London, for instance, perhaps half the prettier country is shut in against intrusion. And this same widening gulf–which is due to the length and expense of the higher educational process and the increased facilities for and temptations towards refined habits on the part of the rich–will make that exchange between class and class, that promotion by intermarriage which at present retards the splitting of our species along lines of social stratification, less and less frequent. So, in the end, above ground you must have the Haves, pursuing pleasure and comfort and beauty, and below ground the Have-nots, the Workers getting continually adapted to the conditions of their labour. Once they were there, they would no doubt have to pay rent, and not a little of it, for the ventilation of their caverns; and if they refused, they would starve or be suffocated for arrears. Such of them as were so constituted as to be miserable and rebellious would die; and, in the end, the balance being permanent, the survivors would become as well adapted to the conditions of underground life, and as happy in their way, as the Upper-world people were to theirs. As it seemed to me, the refined beauty and the etiolated pallor followed naturally enough. `The great triumph of Humanity I had dreamed of took a different shape in my mind. It had been no such triumph of moral education and general co-operation as I had imagined. Instead, I saw a real aristocracy, armed with a perfected science and working to a logical conclusion the industrial system of to-day. Its triumph had not been simply a triumph over Nature, but a triumph over Nature and the fellow-man. This, I must warn you, was my theory at the time. I had no convenient cicerone in the pattern of the Utopian books. My explanation may be absolutely wrong. I still think it is the most plausible one. But even on this supposition the balanced civilization that was at last attained must have long since passed its zenith, and was now far fallen into decay. The too-perfect security of the Upper-worlders had led them to a slow movement of degeneration, to a general dwindling in size, strength, and intelligence. That I could see clearly enough already. What had happened to the Under-grounders I did not yet suspect; but from what I had seen of the Morlocks–that, by the by, was the name by which these creatures were called–I could imagine that the modification of the human type was even far more profound than among the “Eloi,” the beautiful race that I already knew. `Then came troublesome doubts. Why had the Morlocks taken my Time Machine? For I felt sure it was they who had taken it. Why, too, if the Eloi were masters, could they not restore the machine to me? And why were they so terribly afraid of the dark? I proceeded, as I have said, to question Weena about this Under-world, but here again I was disappointed. At first she would not understand my questions, and presently she refused to answer them. She shivered as though the topic was unendurable. And when I pressed her, perhaps a little harshly, she burst into tears. They were the only tears, except my own, I ever saw in that Golden Age. When I saw them I ceased abruptly to trouble about the Morlocks, and was only concerned in banishing these signs of the human inheritance from Weena’s eyes. And very soon she was smiling and clapping her hands, while I solemnly burned a match. VI `It may seem odd to you, but it was two days before I could follow up the new-found clue in what was manifestly the proper way. I felt a peculiar shrinking from those pallid bodies. They were just the half-bleached colour of the worms and things one sees preserved in spirit in a zoological museum. And they were filthily cold to the touch. Probably my shrinking was largely due to the sympathetic influence of the Eloi, whose disgust of the Morlocks I now began to appreciate. `The next night I did not sleep well. Probably my health was a little disordered. I was oppressed with perplexity and doubt. Once or twice I had a feeling of intense fear for which I could perceive no definite reason. I remember creeping noiselessly into the great hall where the little people were sleeping in the moonlight–that night Weena was among them–and feeling reassured by their presence. It occurred to me even then, that in the course of a few days the moon must pass through its last quarter, and the nights grow dark, when the appearances of these unpleasant creatures from below, these whitened Lemurs, this new vermin that had replaced the old, might be more abundant. And on both these days I had the restless feeling of one who shirks an inevitable duty. I felt assured that the Time Machine was only to be recovered by boldly penetrating these underground mysteries. Yet I could not face the mystery. If only I had had a companion it would have been different. But I was so horribly alone, and even to clamber down into the darkness of the well appalled me. I don’t know if you will understand my feeling, but I never felt quite safe at my back. `It was this restlessness, this insecurity, perhaps, that drove me further and further afield in my exploring expeditions. Going to the south-westward towards the rising country that is now called Combe Wood, I observed far off, in the direction of nineteenth-century Banstead, a vast green structure, different in character from any I had hitherto seen. It was larger than the largest of the palaces or ruins I knew, and the facade had an Oriental look: the face of it having the lustre, as well as the pale-green tint, a kind of bluish-green, of a certain type of Chinese porcelain. This difference in aspect suggested a difference in use, and I was minded to push on and explore. But the day was growing late, and I had come upon the sight of the place after a long and tiring circuit; so I resolved to hold over the adventure for the following day, and I returned to the welcome and the caresses of little Weena. But next morning I perceived clearly enough that my curiosity regarding the Palace of Green Porcelain was a piece of self-deception, to enable me to shirk, by another day, an experience I dreaded. I resolved I would make the descent without further waste of time, and started out in the early morning towards a well near the ruins of granite and aluminium. `Little Weena ran with me. She danced beside me to the well, but when she saw me lean over the mouth and look downward, she seemed strangely disconcerted. “Good-bye, Little Weena,” I said, kissing her; and then putting her down, I began to feel over the parapet for the climbing hooks. Rather hastily, I may as well confess, for I feared my courage might leak away! At first she watched me in amazement. Then she gave a most piteous cry, and running to me, she began to pull at me with her little hands. I think her opposition nerved me rather to proceed. I shook her off, perhaps a little roughly, and in another moment I was in the throat of the well. I saw her agonized face over the parapet, and smiled to reassure her. Then I had to look down at the unstable hooks to which I clung. `I had to clamber down a shaft of perhaps two hundred yards. The descent was effected by means of metallic bars projecting from the sides of the well, and these being adapted to the needs of a creature much smaller and lighter than myself, I was speedily cramped and fatigued by the descent. And not simply fatigued! One of the bars bent suddenly under my weight, and almost swung me off into the blackness beneath. For a moment I hung by one hand, and after that experience I did not dare to rest again. Though my arms and back were presently acutely painful, I went on clambering down the sheer descent with as quick a motion as possible. Glancing upward, I saw the aperture, a small blue disk, in which a star was visible, while little Weena’s head showed as a round black projection. The thudding sound of a machine below grew louder and more oppressive. Everything save that little disk above was profoundly dark, and when I looked up again Weena had disappeared. `I was in an agony of discomfort. I had some thought of trying to go up the shaft again, and leave the Under-world alone. But even while I turned this over in my mind I continued to descend. At last, with intense relief, I saw dimly coming up, a foot to the right of me, a slender loophole in the wall. Swinging myself in, I found it was the aperture of a narrow horizontal tunnel in which I could lie down and rest. It was not too soon. My arms ached, my back was cramped, and I was trembling with the prolonged terror of a fall. Besides this, the unbroken darkness had had a distressing effect upon my eyes. The air was full of the throb and hum of machinery pumping air down the shaft. `I do not know how long I lay. I was roused by a soft hand touching my face. Starting up in the darkness I snatched at my matches and, hastily striking one, I saw three stooping white creatures similar to the one I had seen above ground in the ruin, hastily retreating before the light. Living, as they did, in what appeared to me impenetrable darkness, their eyes were abnormally large and sensitive, just as are the pupils of the abysmal fishes, and they reflected the light in the same way. I have no doubt they could see me in that rayless obscurity, and they did not seem to have any fear of me apart from the light. But, so soon as I struck a match in order to see them, they fled incontinently, vanishing into dark gutters and tunnels, from which their eyes glared at me in the strangest fashion. `I tried to call to them, but the language they had was apparently different from that of the Over-world people; so that I was needs left to my own unaided efforts, and the thought of flight before exploration was even then in my mind. But I said to myself, “You are in for it now,” and, feeling my way along the tunnel, I found the noise of machinery grow louder. Presently the walls fell away from me, and I came to a large open space, and striking another match, saw that I had entered a vast arched cavern, which stretched into utter darkness beyond the range of my light. The view I had of it was as much as one could see in the burning of a match. `Necessarily my memory is vague. Great shapes like big <iframe width="1280" height="533" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9DA6ZP96OdI" title="The Time Machine - Answer To Why One Can Not Change The Past" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wj_DsD9DjE4" title="Solar System in Motion A Helical Visualization of Time" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> **[npub16d8gxt2z4k9e8sdpc0yyqzf5gp0np09ls4lnn630qzxzvwpl0rgq5h4rzv]** **Helical Visualization of Time's Passage in Orbital Motion and Celestial Mechanics** Exploring the dynamics of our Solar System through helical visualization opens new possibilities for understanding time, orbital motion, and planetary trajectories. By visualizing time as a continuous helical path, we gain insights into the cyclical and evolving nature of celestial mechanics, where each planet's orbit interacts with others in both predictable and dynamic patterns. ### **1. Helical Visualization of Time’s Passage** - **Time as a Continuous Helix**: Instead of viewing planetary orbits as fixed ellipses, this model represents the passage of time as a helical curve, linking each orbital cycle to the next. This visualization allows for a deeper understanding of the long-term movement of celestial bodies. - **Progression of Orbital Events**: As planets follow their helical paths, we can track the passage of time from multiple perspectives, observing how their positions and velocities evolve in relation to one another. The helical model offers an elegant representation of periodic cycles that emphasizes the interconnectedness of cosmic events. - **Temporal Interactions**: In this model, events like eclipses, conjunctions, and retrogrades become visualized as intersecting points on the helical path, emphasizing their importance in the grand tapestry of the Solar System's motion. ### **2. Orbital Motion and Celestial Mechanics** - **Interplanetary Influences**: The interactions between planetary bodies are inherently governed by gravitational forces, which create orbital motions that are often predictable yet influenced by external factors like planetary alignments and the gravitational pull of distant stars. - **Orbital Resonance and Tidal Forces**: The gravitational interactions between planets, moons, and even asteroids can result in phenomena like orbital resonance. These interactions can be visualized in a helical model, showing how bodies can affect each other's orbits over time, much like the push and pull of a dance. - **The Dance of the Planets**: Each planet’s orbit is not only a path through space but a part of a cosmic ballet, where their gravitational interactions affect one another's orbits. The helical model of motion helps us visualize how these interactions evolve over millions of years, helping to predict future trajectories. ### **3. Planetary Orbits and the Structure of the Solar System** - **Elliptical and Spiral Patterns**: While many planetary orbits are elliptical, the helical model introduces a dynamic spiral element to represent the combined motion of planets both around the Sun and through space. As the planets move, their orbits could resemble intricate spirals that reflect the cumulative effect of their motion through time. - **Resonance and Stability**: Certain orbits may stabilize or shift over long periods due to gravitational interactions between planets. This helical view provides a tool for observing how minor orbital shifts can amplify over time, affecting not only the planets but the overall structure of the Solar System. - **Nonlinear Progression**: Planets do not follow predictable paths in a simple two-dimensional plane. Instead, their orbits are affected by multiple forces, including interactions with other celestial bodies, making the helical model an ideal tool for visualizing the complexity and evolving nature of these planetary orbits. ### **4. Space Visualization and the Expanding Universe** - **Moving Beyond the Solar System**: The helical model of time and orbital motion does not end with our Solar System. As we visualize the movement of our Solar System within the broader context of the Milky Way, we begin to understand how our own galaxy's orbit affects our local motion through the universe. - **Helical Paths in Cosmic Space**: This visualization method allows us to consider the Solar System’s motion as part of a larger, spiraling pattern that reaches across the galaxy, suggesting that our journey through space follows an intricate, three-dimensional helical path. ### **Connections (Links to Other Notes)** - **The Mathematical Foundations of Orbital Mechanics** - **Time as a Dimension in Celestial Navigation** - **Gravitational Forces and Orbital Stability** ### **Tags** #SolarSystem #HelicalMotion #TimeVisualization #OrbitalMechanics #CelestialBodies #PlanetaryOrbits #SpaceExploration ### **Donations via** - ZeroSumFreeParity@primal.net

@ 378562cd:a6fc6773

The theory of evolution claims that all life gradually developed from a common ancestor over millions of years, shaped by random mutations and natural selection. It is often presented as an unquestionable fact, but when examined closely (the part many fail to do anymore), the evidence tells a different story. Both scientific discoveries and biblical truth point to a far more logical and consistent explanation—one of intentional design rather than blind chance. From the complexity of life to the precise order of the universe, every aspect of creation bears the unmistakable marks of an intelligent Creator. Let’s break it down simply and clearly, exposing the flaws in evolution and revealing the undeniable truth of God’s design. 1. No Transitional Fossils If evolution were true, we should see countless fossils of creatures in-between species (half-fish, half-reptile, etc.). Instead, fossils show fully formed creatures appearing suddenly, with no gradual change. Even Darwin admitted the fossil record didn’t support his theory. 2. Life is Too Complex to Happen by Accident The human eye, the bacterial flagellum, and even a single cell are incredibly complex, with interdependent parts that must all work at once. This is called irreducible complexity—if one piece is missing, the whole system fails. Random mutations can’t create such intricate designs. Design requires a designer. 3. DNA: A Code That Needs a Programmer DNA is a vast information system, more advanced than any computer code. Information always comes from intelligence, not random processes. Mutations mainly destroy information; they don’t create new, functional systems. 4. The Second Law of Thermodynamics: Things Fall Apart Everything's natural tendency is to break down over time, not build up (like a house falling apart, not randomly constructing itself). Evolution claims the opposite—that things become more complex without guidance. This contradicts observed science. 5. Consciousness and Morality Make No Sense in Evolution Why do humans have love, compassion, and a sense of right and wrong? If we were just animals fighting to survive, morality wouldn’t exist. The Bible explains it: We were made in God's image, not just random molecules. 6. The Bible’s Account of Creation Matches Reality Genesis 1 says God created “kinds”—dogs produce dogs, birds produce birds, and humans produce humans. This is exactly what we see in nature—no one has ever observed one kind turning into another. Evolution is based on assumptions, while the Bible gives a clear, tested explanation of life’s origin. The Complete Solution: Creation is Truth The evidence points to a Creator, not blind chance. Science confirms the Bible, not evolution. Recognizing God's design gives life meaning and purpose. Psalm 19:1 – “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” Evolution is not just scientifically weak—it removes purpose and meaning. The truth is simple: God created life, and we are part of His design.

@ b8a9df82:6ab5cbbd

Last week at Bitcoin Investment Week in New York City, hosted by Anthony Pompliano, Jack Mallers walked in wearing sneakers and a T-shirt, casually dropping, “Man… I hate politics.” That was it. That was the moment I felt aligned again. That’s the energy I came for. No suits. No corporate jargon. Just a guy who gets it—who cares about people, bringing Bitcoin-powered payments to the masses and making sure people can actually use it. His presence was a reminder of why we’re here in the first place. And his words—“I hate politics”—were a breath of fresh air. Now, don’t get me wrong. Anthony was a fantastic host. His ability to mix wittiness, playfulness, and seriousness made him an entertaining moderator. But this week was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in the Bitcoin ecosystem. One of the biggest letdowns was the lack of interaction. No real Q&A sessions, no direct engagement, no real discussions. Just one fireside chat after another. And sure, I get it—people love to hear themselves talk. But where were the questions? The critical debates? The chance for the audience to actually participate? I’m used to Bitcoin meetups and conferences where you walk away with new ideas, new friends, and maybe even a new project to contribute to. Here, it was more like sitting in an expensive lecture hall, watching a lineup of speakers tell us things we already know. A different vibe—and not in a good way Over the past few months, I’ve attended nearly ten Bitcoin conferences, each leaving me feeling uplifted, inspired, and ready to take action. But this? This felt different. And not in a good way. If this had been my first Bitcoin event, I might have walked away questioning whether I even belonged here. It wasn’t Prague. It wasn’t Riga. It wasn’t the buzzing, grassroots, pleb-filled gatherings I had grown to love. Instead, it felt more like a Wall Street networking event disguised as a Bitcoin conference. Maybe it was the suits. Or the fact that I was sitting in a room full of investors who have no problem dropping $1,000+ on a ticket. Or that it reminded me way too much of my former life—working as a manager in London’s real estate industry, navigating boardrooms full of finance guys in polished shoes, talking about “assets under management.” Bitcoin isn’t just an investment thesis. It’s a revolution. A movement. And yet, at times during this week, I felt like I was back in my fiat past, stuck in a room where people measured success in dollars, not in freedom. Maybe that’s the point. Bitcoin Investment Week was never meant to be a pleb gathering. That said, the week did have some bright spots. PubKey was a fantastic kickoff. That was real Bitcoin culture—plebs, Nostr, grassroots energy. People who actually use Bitcoin, not just talk about it. But the absolute highlight? Jack Mallers, sneakers and all, cutting through the noise with his authenticity. So, why did we even go? Good question. Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was stepping out of our usual circles to see Bitcoin through a different lens. Maybe it was to remind ourselves why we chose this path in the first place. Would I go again? Probably not. Would I trade Prague, Riga, bitcoin++ or any of the grassroots Bitcoin conferences for this? Not a chance. At the end of the day, Bitcoin doesn’t belong to Wall Street from my opinion. It belongs to the people who actually use it. And those are the people I want to be around.

@ fcd81845:5c1832a7

# Price Updates In order to improve the services we offer, we are increasing the prices effective date March 6th 2025: Here are the changes (all prices are per month, rolling contract): | name | Price | New Price | | ---- | ----- | --------- | | Tiny | 2 EUR | 2.70 EUR | | Small | 4 EUR | 5.10 EUR | | Medium | 8 EUR | 9.90 EUR | | Large | 17 EUR | 21.90 EUR | | X-Large | 30 EUR | 39.90 EUR | | XX-Large | 45 EUR | 55.50 EUR | These changes coincide with the release of custom pricing!  ### We have also release a few other features: - User configurable PTR records - Separate billing page on VM info view - VM resource usage graphs - New VM's are assigned a forward DNS entry on lnvps.cloud (eg. vm-1.lnvps.cloud) existing VM's will have a forward entry added at a later date. - As well as many other smaller improvements in the handling of resource allocation

@ 000002de:c05780a7

Been hearing clips of Newsom's new podcast. I've long said Newsom will run for president. I was saying this when he was the mayor of San Fransisco. He is like a modern day Bill Clinton. He is VERY gifted with the skills a politician needs. He's cool and calm. He's quick and sharp. His podcast isn't terrible and he's talking to people that disagree with him. He is also pissing off the more extreme members of his party by his pivots on many issues. He's even talking about men in women's sports. Make no mistake. I think the dude is a snake and criminal. I hope he never gets any other political office. I just think MANY, most people on the right underestimate this man. Had the Biden crime family actually cared about their party they would have stepped down and let Newsom run. I think he would have defeated Trump. I know that will piss many of you off but I do not believe the US changed because the Orange man won an election. Trump was shooting fish in a barrel in the last election. Two attempts were made on his life. Biden ran the US into the ground. Harris is a joke. Newsom is not. Newsom is not a radical. He will move to the center and that will appeal to lot of people. Fools, but they are what they are. originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/906052

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

--- _A comprehensive system for archiving and managing large datasets efficiently on Linux._ --- ## **1. Planning Your Data Archiving Strategy** Before starting, define the structure of your archive: ✅ **What are you storing?** Books, PDFs, videos, software, research papers, backups, etc. ✅ **How often will you access the data?** Frequently accessed data should be on SSDs, while deep archives can remain on HDDs. ✅ **What organization method will you use?** Folder hierarchy and indexing are critical for retrieval. --- ## **2. Choosing the Right Storage Setup** Since you plan to use **2TB HDDs and store them away**, here are Linux-friendly storage solutions: ### **📀 Offline Storage: Hard Drives & Optical Media** ✔ **External HDDs (2TB each)** – Use `ext4` or `XFS` for best performance. ✔ **M-DISC Blu-rays (100GB per disc)** – Excellent for long-term storage. ✔ **SSD (for fast access archives)** – More durable than HDDs but pricier. ### **🛠 Best Practices for Hard Drive Storage on Linux** 🔹 **Use `smartctl` to monitor drive health** ```bash sudo apt install smartmontools sudo smartctl -a /dev/sdX ``` 🔹 **Store drives vertically in anti-static bags.** 🔹 **Rotate drives periodically** to prevent degradation. 🔹 **Keep in a cool, dry, dark place.** ### **☁ Cloud Backup (Optional)** ✔ **Arweave** – Decentralized storage for public data. ✔ **rclone + Backblaze B2/Wasabi** – Cheap, encrypted backups. ✔ **Self-hosted options** – Nextcloud, Syncthing, IPFS. --- ## **3. Organizing and Indexing Your Data** ### **📂 Folder Structure (Linux-Friendly)** Use a clear hierarchy: ```plaintext 📁 /mnt/archive/ 📁 Books/ 📁 Fiction/ 📁 Non-Fiction/ 📁 Software/ 📁 Research_Papers/ 📁 Backups/ ``` 💡 **Use YYYY-MM-DD format for filenames** ✅ `2025-01-01_Backup_ProjectX.tar.gz` ✅ `2024_Complete_Library_Fiction.epub` ### **📑 Indexing Your Archives** Use Linux tools to catalog your archive: ✔ **Generate a file index of a drive:** ```bash find /mnt/DriveX > ~/Indexes/DriveX_index.txt ``` ✔ **Use `locate` for fast searches:** ```bash sudo updatedb # Update database locate filename ``` ✔ **Use `Recoll` for full-text search:** ```bash sudo apt install recoll recoll ``` 🚀 **Store index files on a "Master Archive Index" USB drive.** --- ## **4. Compressing & Deduplicating Data** To **save space and remove duplicates**, use: ✔ **Compression Tools:** - `tar -cvf archive.tar folder/ && zstd archive.tar` (fast, modern compression) - `7z a archive.7z folder/` (best for text-heavy files) ✔ **Deduplication Tools:** - `fdupes -r /mnt/archive/` (finds duplicate files) - `rdfind -deleteduplicates true /mnt/archive/` (removes duplicates automatically) 💡 **Use `par2` to create parity files for recovery:** ```bash par2 create -r10 file.par2 file.ext ``` This helps reconstruct corrupted archives. --- ## **5. Ensuring Long-Term Data Integrity** Data can degrade over time. Use **checksums** to verify files. ✔ **Generate Checksums:** ```bash sha256sum filename.ext > filename.sha256 ``` ✔ **Verify Data Integrity Periodically:** ```bash sha256sum -c filename.sha256 ``` 🔹 Use `SnapRAID` for multi-disk redundancy: ```bash sudo apt install snapraid snapraid sync snapraid scrub ``` 🔹 Consider **ZFS or Btrfs** for automatic error correction: ```bash sudo apt install zfsutils-linux zpool create archivepool /dev/sdX ``` --- ## **6. Accessing Your Data Efficiently** Even when archived, you may need to access files quickly. ✔ **Use Symbolic Links to "fake" files still being on your system:** ```bash ln -s /mnt/driveX/mybook.pdf ~/Documents/ ``` ✔ **Use a Local Search Engine (`Recoll`):** ```bash recoll ``` ✔ **Search within text files using `grep`:** ```bash grep -rnw '/mnt/archive/' -e 'Bitcoin' ``` --- ## **7. Scaling Up & Expanding Your Archive** Since you're storing **2TB drives and setting them aside**, keep them numbered and logged. ### **📦 Physical Storage & Labeling** ✔ Store each drive in **fireproof safe or waterproof cases**. ✔ Label drives (`Drive_001`, `Drive_002`, etc.). ✔ Maintain a **printed master list** of drive contents. ### **📶 Network Storage for Easy Access** If your archive **grows too large**, consider: - **NAS (TrueNAS, OpenMediaVault)** – Linux-based network storage. - **JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks)** – Cheap and easy expansion. - **Deduplicated Storage** – `ZFS`/`Btrfs` with auto-checksumming. --- ## **8. Automating Your Archival Process** If you frequently update your archive, automation is essential. ### **✔ Backup Scripts (Linux)** #### **Use `rsync` for incremental backups:** ```bash rsync -av --progress /source/ /mnt/archive/ ``` #### **Automate Backup with Cron Jobs** ```bash crontab -e ``` Add: ```plaintext 0 3 * * * rsync -av --delete /source/ /mnt/archive/ ``` This runs the backup every night at 3 AM. #### **Automate Index Updates** ```bash 0 4 * * * find /mnt/archive > ~/Indexes/master_index.txt ``` --- ## **So Making These Considerations** ✔ **Be Consistent** – Maintain a structured system. ✔ **Test Your Backups** – Ensure archives are not corrupted before deleting originals. ✔ **Plan for Growth** – Maintain an efficient catalog as data expands. For data hoarders seeking reliable 2TB storage solutions and appropriate physical storage containers, here's a comprehensive overview: ## **2TB Storage Options** **1. Hard Disk Drives (HDDs):** - **Western Digital My Book Series:** These external HDDs are designed to resemble a standard black hardback book. They come in various editions, such as Essential, Premium, and Studio, catering to different user needs. citeturn0search19 - **Seagate Barracuda Series:** Known for affordability and performance, these HDDs are suitable for general usage, including data hoarding. They offer storage capacities ranging from 500GB to 8TB, with speeds up to 190MB/s. citeturn0search20 **2. Solid State Drives (SSDs):** - **Seagate Barracuda SSDs:** These SSDs come with either SATA or NVMe interfaces, storage sizes from 240GB to 2TB, and read speeds up to 560MB/s for SATA and 3,400MB/s for NVMe. They are ideal for faster data access and reliability. citeturn0search20 **3. Network Attached Storage (NAS) Drives:** - **Seagate IronWolf Series:** Designed for NAS devices, these drives offer HDD storage capacities from 1TB to 20TB and SSD capacities from 240GB to 4TB. They are optimized for multi-user environments and continuous operation. citeturn0search20 ## **Physical Storage Containers for 2TB Drives** Proper storage of your drives is crucial to ensure data integrity and longevity. Here are some recommendations: **1. Anti-Static Bags:** Essential for protecting drives from electrostatic discharge, especially during handling and transportation. **2. Protective Cases:** - **Hard Drive Carrying Cases:** These cases offer padded compartments to securely hold individual drives, protecting them from physical shocks and environmental factors. **3. Storage Boxes:** - **Anti-Static Storage Boxes:** Designed to hold multiple drives, these boxes provide organized storage with anti-static protection, ideal for archiving purposes. **4. Drive Caddies and Enclosures:** - **HDD/SSD Enclosures:** These allow internal drives to function as external drives, offering both protection and versatility in connectivity. **5. Fireproof and Waterproof Safes:** For long-term storage, consider safes that protect against environmental hazards, ensuring data preservation even in adverse conditions. **Storage Tips:** - **Labeling:** Clearly label each drive with its contents and date of storage for easy identification. - **Climate Control:** Store drives in a cool, dry environment to prevent data degradation over time. By selecting appropriate 2TB storage solutions and ensuring they are stored in suitable containers, you can effectively manage and protect your data hoard. Here’s a set of custom **Bash scripts** to automate your archival workflow on Linux: ### **1️⃣ Compression & Archiving Script** This script compresses and archives files, organizing them by date. ```bash #!/bin/bash # Compress and archive files into dated folders ARCHIVE_DIR="/mnt/backup" DATE=$(date +"%Y-%m-%d") BACKUP_DIR="$ARCHIVE_DIR/$DATE" mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR" # Find and compress files find ~/Documents -type f -mtime -7 -print0 | tar --null -czvf "$BACKUP_DIR/archive.tar.gz" --files-from - echo "Backup completed: $BACKUP_DIR/archive.tar.gz" ``` --- ### **2️⃣ Indexing Script** This script creates a list of all archived files and saves it for easy lookup. ```bash #!/bin/bash # Generate an index file for all backups ARCHIVE_DIR="/mnt/backup" INDEX_FILE="$ARCHIVE_DIR/index.txt" find "$ARCHIVE_DIR" -type f -name "*.tar.gz" > "$INDEX_FILE" echo "Index file updated: $INDEX_FILE" ``` --- ### **3️⃣ Storage Space Monitor** This script alerts you if the disk usage exceeds 90%. ```bash #!/bin/bash # Monitor storage usage THRESHOLD=90 USAGE=$(df -h | grep '/mnt/backup' | awk '{print $5}' | sed 's/%//') if [ "$USAGE" -gt "$THRESHOLD" ]; then echo "WARNING: Disk usage at $USAGE%!" fi ``` --- ### **4️⃣ Automatic HDD Swap Alert** This script checks if a new 2TB drive is connected and notifies you. ```bash #!/bin/bash # Detect new drives and notify WATCHED_SIZE="2T" DEVICE=$(lsblk -dn -o NAME,SIZE | grep "$WATCHED_SIZE" | awk '{print $1}') if [ -n "$DEVICE" ]; then echo "New 2TB drive detected: /dev/$DEVICE" fi ``` --- ### **5️⃣ Symbolic Link Organizer** This script creates symlinks to easily access archived files from a single directory. ```bash #!/bin/bash # Organize files using symbolic links ARCHIVE_DIR="/mnt/backup" LINK_DIR="$HOME/Archive_Links" mkdir -p "$LINK_DIR" ln -s "$ARCHIVE_DIR"/*/*.tar.gz "$LINK_DIR/" echo "Symbolic links updated in $LINK_DIR" ``` --- #### 🔥 **How to Use These Scripts:** 1. **Save each script** as a `.sh` file. 2. **Make them executable** using: ```bash chmod +x script_name.sh ``` 3. **Run manually or set up a cron job** for automation: ```bash crontab -e ``` Add this line to run the backup every Sunday at midnight: ```bash 0 0 * * 0 /path/to/backup_script.sh ``` Here's a **Bash script** to encrypt your backups using **GPG (GnuPG)** for strong encryption. 🚀 --- ### 🔐 **Backup & Encrypt Script** This script will: ✅ **Compress** files into an archive ✅ **Encrypt** it using **GPG** ✅ **Store** it in a secure location ```bash #!/bin/bash # Backup and encrypt script ARCHIVE_DIR="/mnt/backup" DATE=$(date +"%Y-%m-%d") BACKUP_FILE="$ARCHIVE_DIR/backup_$DATE.tar.gz" ENCRYPTED_FILE="$BACKUP_FILE.gpg" GPG_RECIPIENT="your@email.com" # Change this to your GPG key or use --symmetric for password-based encryption mkdir -p "$ARCHIVE_DIR" # Compress files tar -czvf "$BACKUP_FILE" ~/Documents # Encrypt the backup using GPG gpg --output "$ENCRYPTED_FILE" --encrypt --recipient "$GPG_RECIPIENT" "$BACKUP_FILE" # Verify encryption success if [ -f "$ENCRYPTED_FILE" ]; then echo "Backup encrypted successfully: $ENCRYPTED_FILE" rm "$BACKUP_FILE" # Remove unencrypted file for security else echo "Encryption failed!" fi ``` --- ### 🔓 **Decrypting a Backup** To restore a backup, run: ```bash gpg --decrypt --output backup.tar.gz backup_YYYY-MM-DD.tar.gz.gpg tar -xzvf backup.tar.gz ``` --- ### 🔁 **Automating with Cron** To run this script every Sunday at midnight: ```bash crontab -e ``` Add this line: ```bash 0 0 * * 0 /path/to/encrypt_backup.sh ``` --- ### 🔐 **Backup & Encrypt Script (Password-Based)** This script: ✅ Compresses files into an archive ✅ Encrypts them using **GPG with a passphrase** ✅ Stores them in a secure location ```bash #!/bin/bash # Backup and encrypt script (password-based) ARCHIVE_DIR="/mnt/backup" DATE=$(date +"%Y-%m-%d") BACKUP_FILE="$ARCHIVE_DIR/backup_$DATE.tar.gz" ENCRYPTED_FILE="$BACKUP_FILE.gpg" PASSPHRASE="YourStrongPassphraseHere" # Change this! mkdir -p "$ARCHIVE_DIR" # Compress files tar -czvf "$BACKUP_FILE" ~/Documents # Encrypt the backup with a password gpg --batch --yes --passphrase "$PASSPHRASE" --symmetric --cipher-algo AES256 --output "$ENCRYPTED_FILE" "$BACKUP_FILE" # Verify encryption success if [ -f "$ENCRYPTED_FILE" ]; then echo "Backup encrypted successfully: $ENCRYPTED_FILE" rm "$BACKUP_FILE" # Remove unencrypted file for security else echo "Encryption failed!" fi ``` --- ### 🔓 **Decrypting a Backup** To restore a backup, run: ```bash gpg --batch --yes --passphrase "YourStrongPassphraseHere" --decrypt --output backup.tar.gz backup_YYYY-MM-DD.tar.gz.gpg tar -xzvf backup.tar.gz ``` --- ### 🔁 **Automating with Cron** To run this script every Sunday at midnight: ```bash crontab -e ``` Add this line: ```bash 0 0 * * 0 /path/to/encrypt_backup.sh ``` --- ### 🔥 **Security Best Practices** - **Do NOT hardcode the password in the script.** Instead, store it in a secure location like a `.gpg-pass` file and use: ```bash PASSPHRASE=$(cat /path/to/.gpg-pass) ``` - **Use a strong passphrase** with at least **16+ characters**. - **Consider using a hardware security key** or **YubiKey** for extra security. --- Here's how you can add **automatic cloud syncing** to your encrypted backups. This script will sync your encrypted backups to a cloud storage service like **Rsync**, **Dropbox**, or **Nextcloud** using the **rclone** tool, which is compatible with many cloud providers. ### **Step 1: Install rclone** First, you need to install `rclone` if you haven't already. It’s a powerful tool for managing cloud storage. 1. Install rclone: ```bash curl https://rclone.org/install.sh | sudo bash ``` 2. Configure rclone with your cloud provider (e.g., Google Drive): ```bash rclone config ``` Follow the prompts to set up your cloud provider. After configuration, you'll have a "remote" (e.g., `rsync` for https://rsync.net) to use in the script. --- ### 🔐 **Backup, Encrypt, and Sync to Cloud Script** This script will: ✅ Compress files into an archive ✅ Encrypt them with a password ✅ Sync the encrypted backup to the cloud storage ```bash #!/bin/bash # Backup, encrypt, and sync to cloud script (password-based) ARCHIVE_DIR="/mnt/backup" DATE=$(date +"%Y-%m-%d") BACKUP_FILE="$ARCHIVE_DIR/backup_$DATE.tar.gz" ENCRYPTED_FILE="$BACKUP_FILE.gpg" PASSPHRASE="YourStrongPassphraseHere" # Change this! # Cloud configuration (rclone remote name) CLOUD_REMOTE="gdrive" # Change this to your remote name (e.g., 'gdrive', 'dropbox', 'nextcloud') CLOUD_DIR="backups" # Cloud directory where backups will be stored mkdir -p "$ARCHIVE_DIR" # Compress files tar -czvf "$BACKUP_FILE" ~/Documents # Encrypt the backup with a password gpg --batch --yes --passphrase "$PASSPHRASE" --symmetric --cipher-algo AES256 --output "$ENCRYPTED_FILE" "$BACKUP_FILE" # Verify encryption success if [ -f "$ENCRYPTED_FILE" ]; then echo "Backup encrypted successfully: $ENCRYPTED_FILE" rm "$BACKUP_FILE" # Remove unencrypted file for security # Sync the encrypted backup to the cloud using rclone rclone copy "$ENCRYPTED_FILE" "$CLOUD_REMOTE:$CLOUD_DIR" --progress # Verify sync success if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then echo "Backup successfully synced to cloud: $CLOUD_REMOTE:$CLOUD_DIR" rm "$ENCRYPTED_FILE" # Remove local backup after syncing else echo "Cloud sync failed!" fi else echo "Encryption failed!" fi ``` --- ### **How to Use the Script:** 1. **Edit the script**: - Change the `PASSPHRASE` to a secure passphrase. - Change `CLOUD_REMOTE` to your cloud provider’s rclone remote name (e.g., `gdrive`, `dropbox`). - Change `CLOUD_DIR` to the cloud folder where you'd like to store the backup. 2. **Set up a cron job** for automatic backups: - To run the backup every Sunday at midnight, add this line to your crontab: ```bash crontab -e ``` Add: ```bash 0 0 * * 0 /path/to/backup_encrypt_sync.sh ``` --- ### 🔥 **Security Tips:** - **Store the passphrase securely** (e.g., use a `.gpg-pass` file with `cat /path/to/.gpg-pass`). - Use **rclone's encryption** feature for sensitive data in the cloud if you want to encrypt before uploading. - Use **multiple cloud services** (e.g., Google Drive and Dropbox) for redundancy. --- +------------------------------+ | 1. Planning Data Archiving | | Strategy | +------------------------------+ | v +------------------------------+ | What are you storing? | | (Books, PDFs, Software, etc.)| +------------------------------+ | v +------------------------------+ | How often to access data? | | (Fast SSD vs. Long-term HDD) | +------------------------------+ | v +------------------------------+ | Organization method (Folder | | structure, indexing) | +------------------------------+ | v +------------------------------+ | 2. Choosing Right Storage | | Setup | +------------------------------+ | v +-----------------------------------------------+ | HDDs (2TB), M-DISC Blu-rays, or SSD for fast | | access archives | +-----------------------------------------------+ | v +-----------------------------------------------+ | Offline Storage - Best Practices: | | Use ext4/XFS, store vertically, rotate, etc. | +-----------------------------------------------+ | v +------------------------------+ | 3. Organizing & Indexing | | Your Data | +------------------------------+ | v +------------------------------+ | Folder structure (YYYY-MM-DD)| +------------------------------+ | v +------------------------------+ | Indexing: locate, Recoll, find| | command | +------------------------------+ | v +------------------------------+ | 4. Compress & Deduplicate | | Data | +------------------------------+ | v +-----------------------------------------------+ | Use compression tools (tar, 7z) & dedup tools | | (fdupes, rdfind) | +-----------------------------------------------+ | v +------------------------------+ | 5. Ensuring Long-Term Data | | Integrity | +------------------------------+ | v +-----------------------------------------------+ | Generate checksums, periodic verification | | SnapRAID or ZFS for redundancy | +-----------------------------------------------+ | v +------------------------------+ | 6. Accessing Data Efficiently| +------------------------------+ | v +-----------------------------------------------+ | Use symlinks, local search engines, grep | +-----------------------------------------------+ | v +------------------------------+ | 7. Scaling & Expanding Your | | Archive | +------------------------------+ | v +-----------------------------------------------+ | Physical storage options (fireproof safe) | | Network storage (NAS, JBOD) | +-----------------------------------------------+ | v +------------------------------+ | 8. Automating Your Archival | | Process | +------------------------------+ | v +-----------------------------------------------+ | Use cron jobs, backup scripts (rsync) | | for automated updates | +-----------------------------------------------+

@ d34e832d:383f78d0

https://pub-53ed77d5544b46628691823c1795f2c7.r2.dev/Reticulum-Unstoppable-Network-Compressed.mp4 [npub16d8gxt2z4k9e8sdpc0yyqzf5gp0np09ls4lnn630qzxzvwpl0rgq5h4rzv] ### **What is Reticulum?** Reticulum is a cryptographic networking stack designed for resilient, decentralized, and censorship-resistant communication. Unlike the traditional internet, Reticulum enables fully independent digital communications over various physical mediums, such as radio, LoRa, serial links, and even TCP/IP. The key advantages of Reticulum include: - **Decentralization** – No reliance on centralized infrastructure. - **Encryption & Privacy** – End-to-end encryption built-in. - **Resilience** – Operates over unreliable and low-bandwidth links. - **Interoperability** – Works over WiFi, LoRa, Bluetooth, and more. - **Ease of Use** – Can run on minimal hardware, including Raspberry Pi and embedded devices. Reticulum is ideal for off-grid, censorship-resistant communications, emergency preparedness, and secure messaging. --- ## **1. Getting Started with Reticulum** To quickly get started with Reticulum, follow the official guide: [Reticulum: Getting Started Fast](https://markqvist.github.io/Reticulum/manual/gettingstartedfast.html) ### **Step 1: Install Reticulum** #### **On Linux (Debian/Ubuntu-based systems)** ```sh sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y sudo apt install -y python3-pip pip3 install rns ``` #### **On Raspberry Pi or ARM-based Systems** ```sh pip3 install rns ``` #### **On Windows** Using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) or Python: ```sh pip install rns ``` #### **On macOS** ```sh pip3 install rns ``` --- ## **2. Configuring Reticulum** Once installed, Reticulum needs a configuration file. The default location is: ```sh ~/.config/reticulum/config.toml ``` To generate the default configuration: ```sh rnsd ``` This creates a configuration file with default settings. --- ## **3. Using Reticulum** ### **Starting the Reticulum Daemon** To run the Reticulum daemon (`rnsd`), use: ```sh rnsd ``` This starts the network stack, allowing applications to communicate over Reticulum. ### **Testing Your Reticulum Node** Run the diagnostic tool to ensure your node is functioning: ```sh rnstatus ``` This shows the status of all connected interfaces and peers. --- ## **4. Adding Interfaces** ### **LoRa Interface (for Off-Grid Communications)** Reticulum supports long-range LoRa radios like the **RAK Wireless** and **Meshtastic devices**. To add a LoRa interface, edit `config.toml` and add: ```toml [[interfaces]] type = "LoRa" name = "My_LoRa_Interface" frequency = 868.0 bandwidth = 125 spreading_factor = 9 ``` Restart Reticulum to apply the changes. ### **Serial (For Direct Device-to-Device Links)** For communication over serial links (e.g., between two Raspberry Pis): ```toml [[interfaces]] type = "Serial" port = "/dev/ttyUSB0" baudrate = 115200 ``` ### **TCP/IP (For Internet-Based Nodes)** If you want to bridge your Reticulum node over an existing IP network: ```toml [[interfaces]] type = "TCP" listen = true bind = "0.0.0.0" port = 4242 ``` --- ## **5. Applications Using Reticulum** ### **LXMF (LoRa Mesh Messaging Framework)** LXMF is a delay-tolerant, fully decentralized messaging system that operates over Reticulum. It allows encrypted, store-and-forward messaging without requiring an always-online server. To install: ```sh pip3 install lxmf ``` To start the LXMF node: ```sh lxmfd ``` ### **Nomad Network (Decentralized Chat & File Sharing)** Nomad is a Reticulum-based chat and file-sharing platform, ideal for **off-grid** communication. To install: ```sh pip3 install nomad-network ``` To run: ```sh nomad ``` ### **Mesh Networking with Meshtastic & Reticulum** Reticulum can work alongside **Meshtastic** for true decentralized long-range communication. To set up a Meshtastic bridge: ```toml [[interfaces]] type = "LoRa" port = "/dev/ttyUSB0" baudrate = 115200 ``` --- ## **6. Security & Privacy Features** - **Automatic End-to-End Encryption** – Every message is encrypted by default. - **No Centralized Logging** – Communication leaves no metadata traces. - **Self-Healing Routing** – Designed to work in unstable or hostile environments. --- ## **7. Practical Use Cases** - **Off-Grid Communication** – Works in remote areas without cellular service. - **Censorship Resistance** – Cannot be blocked by ISPs or governments. - **Emergency Networks** – Enables resilient communication during disasters. - **Private P2P Networks** – Create a secure, encrypted communication layer. --- ## **8. Further Exploration & Documentation** - **Reticulum Official Manual**: [https://markqvist.github.io/Reticulum/manual/](https://markqvist.github.io/Reticulum/manual/) - **Reticulum GitHub Repository**: [https://github.com/markqvist/Reticulum](https://github.com/markqvist/Reticulum) - **Nomad Network**: [https://github.com/markqvist/NomadNet](https://github.com/markqvist/NomadNet) - **Meshtastic + Reticulum**: [https://meshtastic.org](https://meshtastic.org) --- ## **Connections (Links to Other Notes)** - **Mesh Networking for Decentralized Communication** - **LoRa and Off-Grid Bitcoin Transactions** - **Censorship-Resistant Communication Using Nostr & Reticulum** ## **Tags** #Reticulum #DecentralizedComms #MeshNetworking #CensorshipResistance #LoRa ## **Donations via** - **Bitcoin Lightning**: lightninglayerhash@getalby.com

@ 43baaf0c:d193e34c

From Bangkok to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.  For the past three years, I’ve traveled from Bangkok to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with a stop in Dubai a 24-hour journey that brings me back to Europe and to my artist friend, Alecs Navio. Along with his wife, he runs a coworking space called Soppa de Azul. The main reason I return here is to create new art. Alecs constantly inspires me—we talk about art, artists, and he shares books that spark new ideas for my work. As an artist, I believe it’s essential to keep evolving. Growth comes from inspiration, and there’s no better source than fellow artists. Surrounding yourself with creative minds fuels your passion, and it all starts with conversations about art and life.  Today was a perfect example of why I’m here. I looked at some of my older artwork hanging in the coworking space and said I didn’t like it anymore. Alecs reminded me that I should appreciate my past work because it’s part of my journey. Without it I wouldn’t be the artist I am today. I always say the journey is the destination, and Alecs helped me see that this applies to art as well. This is why I believe in surrounding myself with people who inspire me those who celebrate my growth and remind me why they are such an important part of my journey. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o5UohDfgK5g?si=UQbaf4jkkrXz8VVR" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

@ 0c503f08:4aed05c7

My host is Debian and I'm using VirtualBox. Everything seems to be working well. originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/906016

@ d6c48950:54d57756

I wanted to write my system for bitcoin inheritance and seed storage that will likely outlive me - the reason why is recently bitkey (squares hardware wallet) announced their inheritance system which is a vast improvement but still has a single point of failure square and the app they maintain though this is still a good thing and will improve the ecosystem and raise awareness there is a cheaper method that is just a secure but doesn’t have a single point of failure. ## 2/3 seed storage 2/3 seed storage is actually a pretty simple way of splitting up a key into three parts, if you have one part it’s useless, if you have any two parts it’s complete - if one piece is destroyed it doesn’t matter (demo below) | A<br/> | B<br/> | C<br/> | |-----|-----|-----| | 1. apple<br/> | 2. zipper<br/> | 3. dog<br/> | | 4. tree<br/> | 5. car<br/> | 6. bus<br/> | | 7. banana<br/> | 8. motorbike<br/> | 9. dune<br/> | | 10. frank<br/> | 11. foundation<br/> | 12. meditation<br/> | | 13. whiteboard<br/> | 14. laptop<br/> | 15. books<br/> | | 16. perfume<br/> | 17. computer<br/> | 18. stone<br/> | | 19. brick<br/> | 20. spreadsheet<br/> | 21. bird<br/> | | 22. blog<br/> | 23. leaves<br/> | 24. grass<br/> | This is a seed phrase split up into three parts (a,b,c) - now you can create your 3 parts (1) | A<br/> | B<br/> | | |-----|-----|-----| | 1. apple<br/> | 2. zipper<br/> | | | 4. tree<br/> | 5. car<br/> | | | 7. banana<br/> | 8. motorbike<br/> | | | 10. frank<br/> | 11. foundation<br/> | | | 13. whiteboard<br/> | 14. laptop<br/> | | | 16. perfume<br/> | 17. computer<br/> | | | 19. brick<br/> | 20. spreadsheet<br/> | | | 22. blog<br/> | 23. leaves<br/> | | (2) | | B<br/> | C<br/> | |-----|-----|-----| | | 2. zipper<br/> | 3. dog<br/> | | | 5. car<br/> | 6. bus<br/> | | | 8. motorbike<br/> | 9. dune<br/> | | | 11. foundation<br/> | 12. meditation<br/> | | | 14. laptop<br/> | 15. books<br/> | | | 17. computer<br/> | 18. stone<br/> | | | 20. spreadsheet<br/> | 21. bird<br/> | | | 23. leaves<br/> | 24. grass<br/> | (3) | A<br/> | | C<br/> | |-----|-----|-----| | 1. apple<br/> | | 3. dog<br/> | | 4. tree<br/> | | 6. bus<br/> | | 7. banana<br/> | | 9. dune<br/> | | 10. frank<br/> | | 12. meditation<br/> | | 13. whiteboard<br/> | | 15. books<br/> | | 16. perfume<br/> | | 18. stone<br/> | | 19. brick<br/> | | 21. bird<br/> | | 22. blog<br/> | | 24. grass<br/> | Now you have your parts, you need at least 2/3 for it to be useful. ## distribution Distribution is pretty simple, keep one part, give a part to whomever you want to be able to claim your bitcoin upon death, give a part to someone you trust (along with instructions to post it to the claimant upon your death). ## failure For this to fail either 1. Two out of three parts would have to be destroyed 2. The trusted party would have to not post it AND either your part or the claimants would have to be destroyed 3. The trusted party cannot figure out how to use a seed phrase (by default you should include instructions i.e NEVER SHARE THE SEED, transfer to a recommended wallet from bitcoin.org then transfer to an exchange and sell)

@ 43baaf0c:d193e34c

Bangkok art city.  Bangkok is a highly creative city, which is one of the reasons I love living here. I’d love to hold a second exhibition something special and even bigger than before. The fact that all major galleries are free to the public says a lot about how much Bangkok values art. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6ddpEoSn_os?si=YKg6JRcsta1oNY9b" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> Over the last five months, I’ve been developing BangPOP art as both a concept and a blueprint for exhibitions worldwide. It serves as a guideline to ensure recognizable elements in each exhibition or event. While the artwork itself will always be unique, the POP Up exhibitions will have a distinct and recognizable identity wherever they take place.  You can read here the https://bitpopart.com/bangpop POP exhibition blue print.  Unfortunately, my plan to hold an exhibition at River City in Bangkok doesn’t seem to be coming together. Here’s the curator’s note: ‘our exhibition schedule on the 2nd floor this year and next year are quite packed and we have received numerous proposals at this moment.‘  After considering alternative venues in Bangkok, I’m optimistic about finding the right fit. For now, my focus is shifting to Europe, where I’ll use the BangPOP blueprint as my guiding framework.   Thank you Bangkok! 

@ f3873798:24b3f2f3

Olá pessoal! Estas altas temperaturas mais períodos de chuvas, é um prato cheio para a proliferação de mosquitos o que além de ser um incomodo pode ser tornar questão de saúde pública devido as doenças trazidas por eles. Por isso trouxe para vocês uma receitinha para espantar os mosquitos da sua casa. Bora lá Receita Espanta mosquito Ingredientes: 500 mL de álcool de cereais ou álcool 70 % 10g de cravo-da-índia. 10 gotas de óleo essencial de citronela 10 gotas de óleo essencial de lavanda 1 borrifador Modo de preparo 1. Coloque os cravos-da-índia dentro de um frasco com álcool de cereais. 2. Deixe a mistura descansar por pelo menos 24 horas, agitando de vez em quando. 3. Após esse período, coe os cravos e adicione os óleos essenciais de citronela e lavanda. 4. Despeje o líquido em um borrifador e aplique nos cômodos da casa, especialmente perto de janelas e portas. E Adeus mosquitos 😎

@ 15a592c4:e8bdd024

"Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape." – Charles Dickens Suffering is an inevitable part of life, and it can be a transformative experience that teaches us valuable lessons. While it's natural to try to avoid pain and hardship, embracing suffering as a teacher can help us grow, learn, and rise above our challenges. In this article, we'll explore the lessons that only suffering can teach. Lesson; 1. Resilience and Adaptability Suffering teaches us to be resilient and adaptable in the face of adversity. When we're forced to navigate difficult circumstances, we learn to adjust our expectations, priorities, and strategies. This adaptability helps us develop coping mechanisms and bounce back from setbacks. 2: Empathy and Compassion Suffering gives us a deeper understanding of others who are struggling. When we've experienced pain and hardship ourselves, we're more likely to empathize with others who are going through similar challenges. This empathy fosters compassion, kindness, and a stronger sense of community. 3: Gratitude and Appreciation Suffering helps us appreciate the good things in life and cultivate gratitude. When we've faced hardship, we're more likely to cherish the people, experiences, and moments that bring us joy. This gratitude shifts our focus from what's lacking to what we already have. 4: Self-Awareness and Introspection Suffering prompts us to look inward and confront our own strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. Through introspection, we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, our values, and our goals. This self-awareness helps us make positive changes and grow as individuals. 5: Hope and Perseverance Suffering teaches us to hold onto hope, even in the darkest moments. When we've faced adversity and come out the other side, we develop a sense of perseverance that helps us push through challenges. This hope and perseverance give us the strength to keep moving forward, even when the road ahead seems uncertain. Conclusion Suffering is an inevitable part of life, but it can also be a transformative teacher. By embracing the lessons that suffering can teach us, we can rise above our challenges, grow as individuals, and develop the resilience, empathy, gratitude, self-awareness, and hope that we need to navigate life's ups and downs.

@ 15a592c4:e8bdd024

*Strategies for Effective Time Management and Productivity* In today's fast-paced world, managing time effectively is crucial for achieving success in both personal and professional life. With numerous tasks competing for our attention, it's easy to get bogged down and lose focus. However, by implementing the right strategies, you can optimize your time management skills, boost productivity, and accomplish your goals. *Set Clear Goals* Before you can manage your time effectively, you need to know what you want to achieve. Setting clear goals helps you focus on what's truly important and allocate your time accordingly. Try to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals that align with your priorities. *Use a Scheduling Tool* A scheduling tool, such as a planner, calendar, or app, helps you organize your tasks, appointments, and deadlines. Write down all your tasks, big and small, and allocate specific time slots for each. Set reminders and notifications to ensure you stay on track. *Prioritize Tasks* Not all tasks are created equal. Prioritize tasks based on their urgency and importance. Use the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize tasks into four quadrants: 1. Urgent and important (Do first) 2. Important but not urgent (Schedule) 3. Urgent but not important (Delegate) 4. Not urgent or important (Eliminate) *Avoid Multitasking* Multitasking may seem like an efficient way to get things done, but it can actually decrease productivity and increase stress. Focus on one task at a time, and give it your undivided attention. *Manage Distractions* Distractions are everywhere, from social media to email notifications. Identify your most significant distractions and eliminate them while you work. Use tools like website blockers or apps that help you stay focused. *Take Breaks* Taking regular breaks can help you recharge and maintain productivity. Use the Pomodoro Technique: work for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, and repeat. *Learn to Say No* Don't take on too much by trying to please everyone. Learn to say no to tasks that don't align with your goals or values. Remember, saying no to something that doesn't serve you means saying yes to yourself. *Review and Adjust* Regularly review your time management strategy to identify areas for improvement. Adjust your schedule, goals, and habits as needed. Effective time management and productivity require discipline, intention, and strategy. By implementing these strategies, you'll be able to: - Achieve your goals - Reduce stress and anxiety - Increase productivity and efficiency - Enjoy a better work-life balance Remember, time management is a skill that takes practice, so be patient and persistent. With the right strategies and mindset, you can master your time and unlock your potentials...

@ 97c70a44:ad98e322

When developing on nostr, normally it's enough to read the NIP related to a given feature you want to build to know what has to be done. But there are some aspects of nostr development that aren't so straightforward because they depend less on specific data formats than on how different concepts are combined. An example of this is how for a while it was considered best practice to re-publish notes when replying to them. This practice emerged before the outbox model gained traction, and was a hacky way of attempting to ensure relays had the full context required for a given note. Over time though, pubkey hints emerged as a better way to ensure other clients could find required context. Another one of these things is "relay-based groups", or as I prefer to call it "relays-as-groups" (RAG). Such a thing doesn't really exist - there's no spec for it (although some _aspects_ of the concept are included in NIP 29), but at the same time there are two concrete implementations (Flotilla and Chachi) which leverage several different NIPs in order to create a cohesive system for groups on nostr. This composability is one of the neat qualities of nostr. Not only would it be unhelpful to specify how different parts of the protocol should work together, it would be impossible because of the number of possible combinations possible just from applying a little bit of common sense to the NIPs repo. No one said it was ok to put `t` tags on a `kind 0`. But no one's stopping you! And the semantics are basically self-evident if you understand its component parts. So, instead of writing a NIP that sets relay-based groups in stone, I'm writing this guide in order to document how I've combined different parts of the nostr protocol to create a compelling architecture for groups. ## Relays Relays already have a canonical identity, which is the relay's url. Events posted to a relay can be thought of as "posted to that group". This means that every relay is already a group. All nostr notes have already been posted to one or more groups. One common objection to this structure is that identifying a group with a relay means that groups are dependent on the relay to continue hosting the group. In normal broadcast nostr (which forms organic permissionless groups based on user-centric social clustering), this is a very bad thing, because hosts are orthogonal to group identity. Communities are completely different. Communities actually need someone to enforce community boundaries, implement moderation, etc. Reliance on a host is a feature, not a bug (in contrast to NIP 29 groups, which tend to co-locate many groups on a single host, relays-as-groups tends to encourage one group, one host). This doesn't mean that federation, mirrors, and migration can't be accomplished. In a sense, leaving this on the social layer is a good thing, because it adds friction to the dissolution/forking of a group. But the door is wide open to protocol additions to support those use cases for relay-based groups. One possible approach would be to follow [this draft PR](https://github.com/coracle-social/nips/blob/60179dfba2a51479c569c9192290bb4cefc660a8/xx.md#federation) which specified a "federation" event relays could publish on their own behalf. ## Relay keys [This draft PR to NIP 11](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1764) specifies a `self` field which represents the relay's identity. Using this, relays can publish events on their own behalf. Currently, the `pubkey` field sort of does the same thing, but is overloaded as a contact field for the owner of the relay. ## AUTH Relays can control access using [NIP 42 AUTH](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/42.md). There are any number of modes a relay can operate in: 1. No auth, fully public - anyone can read/write to the group. 2. Relays may enforce broad or granular access controls with AUTH. Relays may deny EVENTs or REQs depending on user identity. Messages returned in AUTH, CLOSED, or OK messages should be human readable. It's crucial that clients show these error messages to users. Here's how Flotilla handles failed AUTH and denied event publishing:  [LIMITS](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1434) could also be used in theory to help clients adapt their interface depending on user abilities and relay policy. 3. AUTH with implicit access controls. In this mode, relays may exclude matching events from REQs if the user does not have permission to view them. This can be useful for multi-use relays that host hidden rooms. This mode should be used with caution, because it can result in confusion for the end user. See [Triflector](https://github.com/coracle-social/triflector) for a relay implementation that supports some of these auth policies. ## Invite codes If a user doesn't have access to a relay, they can request access using [this draft NIP](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1079). This is true whether access has been explicitly or implicitly denied (although users will have to know that they should use an invite code to request access). The above referenced NIP also contains a mechanism for users to request an invite code that they can share with other users. The policy for these invite codes is entirely up to the relay. They may be single-use, multi-use, or require additional verification. Additional requirements can be communicated to the user in the OK message, for example directions to visit an external URL to register. See [Triflector](https://github.com/coracle-social/triflector) for a relay implementation that supports invite codes. ## Content Any kind of event can be published to a relay being treated as a group, unless rejected by the relay implementation. In particular, [NIP 7D](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/7D.md) was added to support basic threads, and [NIP C7](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/C7.md) for chat messages. Since which relay an event came from determines which group it was posted to, clients need to have a mechanism for keeping track of which relay they received an event from, and should not broadcast events to other relays (unless intending to cross-post the content). ## Rooms Rooms follow [NIP 29](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/29.md). I wish NIP 29 wasn't called "relay based groups", which is very confusing when talking about "relays as groups". It's much better to think of them as sub-groups, or as Flotilla calls them, "rooms". Rooms have two modes - managed and unmanaged. Managed rooms follow all the rules laid out in NIP 29 about metadata published by the relay and user membership. In either case, rooms are represented by a random room id, and are posted to by including the id in an event's `h` tag. This allows rooms to switch between managed and unmanaged modes without losing any content. Managed room names come from `kind 39000` room meta events, but unmanaged rooms don't have these. Instead, room names should come from members' NIP 51 `kind 10009` membership lists. Tags on these lists should look like this: `["group", "groupid", "wss://group.example.com", "Cat lovers"]`. If no name can be found for the room (i.e., there aren't any members), the room should be ignored by clients. Rooms present a difficulty for publishing to the relay as a whole, since content with an `h` tag can't be excluded from requests. Currently, relay-wide posts are h-tagged with `_` which works for "group" clients, but not more generally. I'm not sure how to solve this other than to ask relays to support negative filters. ## Cross-posting The simplest way to cross-post content from one group (or room) to another, is to quote the original note in whatever event kind is appropriate. For example, a blog post might be quoted in a `kind 9` to be cross-posted to chat, or in a `kind 11` to be cross-posted to a thread. `kind 16` reposts can be used the same way if the reader's client renders reposts. Posting the original event to multiple relays-as-groups is trivial, since all you have to do is send the event to the relay. Posting to multiple rooms simultaneously by appending multiple `h` tags is however not recommended, since group relays/clients are incentivised to protect themselves from spam by rejecting events with multiple `h` tags (similar to how events with multiple `t` tags are sometimes rejected). ## Privacy Currently, it's recommended to include a [NIP 70](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/70.md) `-` tag on content posted to relays-as-groups to discourage replication of relay-specific content across the network. Another slightly stronger approach would be for group relays to strip signatures in order to make events invalid (or at least deniable). For this approach to work, users would have to be able to signal that they trust relays to be honest. We could also [use ZkSNARKS](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1682) to validate signatures in bulk. In any case, group posts should not be considered "private" in the same way E2EE groups might be. Relays-as-groups should be considered a good fit for low-stakes groups with many members (since trust deteriorates quickly as more people get involved). ## Membership There is currently no canonical member list published by relays (except for NIP 29 managed rooms). Instead, users keep track of their own relay and room memberships using `kind 10009` lists. Relay-level memberships are represented by an `r` tag containing the relay url, and room-level memberships are represented using a `group` tag. Users can choose to advertise their membership in a RAG by using unencrypted tags, or they may keep their membership private by using encrypted tags. Advertised memberships are useful for helping people find groups based on their social graph:  User memberships should not be trusted, since they can be published unilaterally by anyone, regardless of actual access. Possible improvements in this area would be the ability to provide proof of access: - Relays could publish member lists (although this would sacrifice member privacy) - Relays could support a new command that allows querying a particular member's access status - Relays could provide a proof to the member that they could then choose to publish or not ## Moderation There are two parts to moderation: reporting and taking action based on these reports. Reporting is already covered by [NIP 56](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/56.md). Clients should be careful about encouraging users to post reports for illegal content under their own identity, since that can itself be illegal. Relays also should not serve reports to users, since that can be used to _find_ rather than address objectionable content. Reports are only one mechanism for flagging objectionable content. Relay operators and administrators can use whatever heuristics they like to identify and address objectionable content. This might be via automated policies that auto-ban based on reports from high-reputation people, a client that implements [NIP 86](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/86.md) relay management API, or by some other admin interface. There's currently no way for moderators of a given relay to be advertised, or for a moderator's client to know that the user is a moderator (so that they can enable UI elements for in-app moderation). This could be addressed via [NIP 11](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/11.md), [LIMITS](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1434), or some other mechanism in the future. ## General best practices In general, it's very important when developing a client to assume that the relay has _no_ special support for _any_ of the above features, instead treating all of this stuff as [progressive enhancement](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Progressive_Enhancement). For example, if a user enters an invite code, go ahead and send it to the relay using a `kind 28934` event. If it's rejected, you know that it didn't work. But if it's accepted, you don't know that it worked - you only know that the relay allowed the user to publish that event. This is helpful, becaues it may imply that the user does indeed have access to the relay. But additional probing may be needed, and reliance on error messages down the road when something else fails unexpectedly is indispensable. This paradigm may drive some engineers nuts, because it's basically equivalent to coding your clients to reverse-engineer relay support for every feature you want to use. But this is true of nostr as a whole - anyone can put whatever weird stuff in an event and sign it. Clients have to be extremely compliant with Postell's law - doing their absolute best to accept whatever weird data or behavior shows up and handle failure in any situation. Sure, it's annoying, but it's the cost of permissionless development. What it gets us is a completely open-ended protocol, in which anything can be built, and in which every solution is tested by the market.

@ 2ed3596e:98b4cc78

Americans can now Dollar Cost Average (DCA) bitcoin directly from their bank straight to self-custody! This first-of-its-kind product is the safest way to buy bitcoin on a schedule. We call it **Recurring Buy**.  When you set up a Recurring Buy, we handle the entire buying process for you. The journey from dollars in your bank to bitcoin in self-custody is seamless and eliminates the risk of having money sit in a balance at a bitcoin exchange.  Bitcoin Well will automatically pull dollars from your bank, convert them to bitcoin and send your (real) bitcoin directly to your personal wallet. All Recurring Buy transactions have no added fees and we also pay your miner fee. We apply our standard 1.2% spread with no other fees. Your path to financial independence just got automated! 🗓️🤖 To set up your bitcoin Recurring Buy, go to the [Buy bitcoin page](https://app.bitcoinwell.com/usa/buy) and set your purchase size, wallet destination and purchase frequency. That’s it! Watch your self-custody bitcoin wallet fill up with bitcoin. \ \ Below are detailed instructions on how to DCA bitcoin to your personal bitcoin wallet; automatically and on your schedule.  ## **Set your transaction details**   Go to your [Buy bitcoin page](https://app.bitcoinwell.com/usa/buy) where you’ll see four options to set your bitcoin Recurring Buy: Amount, Source, Destination and Frequency.  You can set up to five unique Recurring Buys. This enables you to buy different amounts of bitcoin on different time frames concurrently, all while being sent directly to self-custody for *free* 🤯 <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/49ccbdf5992af9a1ccf3ab2e6dccea33d53f44eb8e31f7bb67abb650518b7d8d.png"> \ **Amount**: Select the amount of dollars you want to convert into bitcoin.  \ \ **Source**: The bank to pull dollars.\ \ **Destination**: Your personal bitcoin wallet. Bitcoin Well automatically converts incoming dollars to bitcoin immediately when they are received. Your bitcoin will be [automatically batched and sent to you for free](https://bitcoinwell.com/blog/bitcoin-transactions-are-now-batched-in-the-usa-heres-what-that-means-for-you).  **Frequency**: Your purchase frequency is set to ‘One time’ by default so you can smash buy.  You can set your payment frequency to weekly, biweekly or monthly. When setting your frequency, choose the start date: you can select “Today” or navigate the calendar to choose a later start date. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/8023dccf220ca22bcebc7e10ec727311e33a3e19b9fc795ee6a90df7f98317fd.png"> \ Once you’ve set up your Recurring Buy, select “Review” and then “Confirm” to activate your bitcoin Recurring Buy. The best bitcoin Recurring Buy in the USA is here 🐐 ## **Pausing, cancelling or changing your Recurring Buy** \ You can easily pause or cancel any of your Recurring Buys from the Buy bitcoin page. All of your Recurring Buys will be shown on the right-hand side of your Buy bitcoin page on desktop or at the bottom of your Buy bitcoin page on mobile. \ \ To pause a Recurring Buy, click the pause button within the Recurring Buy preview in your Buy bitcoin page. Similarly, to cancel a Recurring Buy, click the ‘Cancel’ button within the Recurring Buy preview. \ \ To replace an active Recurring Buy, simply cancel your active Recurring Buy as described above and then set up a new Recurring Buy with your new desired amount and frequency. For example: you want to cancel an existing biweekly $200 Recurring Buy with a weekly $100 Recurring Buy. Cancel the existing biweekly $200 Recurring buy, then set up a new weekly $100 Recurring Buy as described in **Set your transaction details**. <img src="https://blossom.primal.net/da4919fc378950a29d7bbb05144323b64c0673fbfb846fb3647188f3e817db1d.png"> \ As always, your bitcoin is automatically purchased at the current market rate when your dollars arrive. Additionally, your bitcoin will be batched and sent out on the blockchain *for free* by default.  ## **Earn sats from your bitcoin transactions** \ Bitcoin Well is also the best place in the world to earn bitcoin. When you earn points in your Bitcoin Well account, you gain the opportunity to play the Bitcoin (Wishing) Well, where you win sats with every play. The best part? We send bitcoin that you win straight to your personal wallet via the Lightning Network ⚡ Oh yeah, did we mention you can win 1,000,000 sats? If you're an active Bitcoin Well customer, there is a chance you've earned a pile of points. The more you use your account for buying, selling or spending bitcoin - the more points you’ll earn! Log in to your Bitcoin Well account and [check your point balance](https://app.bitcoinwell.com/reward-points). ## **About Bitcoin Well** \ Bitcoin Well exists to enable independence. We do this by coupling the convenience of modern banking, with the benefits of bitcoin. In other words, we make it easy to use bitcoin with self-custody.  ⁠ ⁠

@ 5b0183ab:a114563e

### What Is Dark Nostr? Dark Nostr can be described as the unintended adverse effects that arise from creating systems designed to resist censorship and promote freedom. These systems often rely on algorithms and micropayments to function, but their very design can inadvertently spawn phenomena that are unpredictable, uncontrollable, and sometimes downright weird. Think of it as the *Yin* to the *Yang* of decentralized freedom—a necessary shadow cast by the bright ideals of liberation. While freedom protocols aim to empower individuals, they also open the door to consequences that aren’t always sunshine and rainbows. --- ### An Emergent Phenomenon The fascinating thing about Dark Nostr is its emergent nature. This means it’s not something you can fully define or predict ahead of time; instead, it arises organically as decentralized systems are implemented and evolve. Like watching clouds form shapes in the sky, GM miners panhandle for sats or shower girls in the global feed, you can only observe it as it happens—and even then, its contours remain elusive. Emergent phenomena are tricky beasts. While simplicity is at the core of the protocol layer darkness is born on the edge where complexity thrives—where individual components interact in ways that produce unpredictable outcomes. In this case, Dark Nostr encapsulates everything from algorithmic quirks and micropayment dynamics to unforeseen social consequences within decentralized ecosystems. --- ### Studying Dark Nostr: Memes as Cultural Artifacts Here’s where things get anthropologically juicy: much of what we know about Dark Nostr comes not from academic papers or technical manuals but from memes. Yes, memes—the internet’s favorite medium for cultural commentary—have become a lens through which this phenomenon is being observed and studied. Memes act as modern-day hieroglyphs, distilling complex ideas into bite-sized cultural artifacts that reflect collective sentiment. When communities encounter something as nebulous as Dark Nostr, they turn to humor and symbolism to make sense of it. In doing so, they create a shared narrative—a way to grapple with the shadow side of decentralization without losing sight of its promise. --- ### Why Does It Matter? Dark Nostr isn’t just an abstract concept for philosophers or tech enthusiasts—it’s a reminder that every innovation comes with trade-offs. While decentralized systems aim to empower individuals by resisting censorship and central control, they also carry risks that must be acknowledged: - Algorithmic Chaos: Algorithms designed for freedom might amplify harmful content or create echo chambers. - Micropayment Pitfalls: Financial incentives could lead to exploitation or manipulation within these systems. - Social Dynamics: The lack of centralized control might enable bad actors or foster unforeseen societal shifts. Understanding Dark Nostr is crucial for anyone involved in building or using decentralized technologies. It challenges us to balance freedom with responsibility and reminds us that even the most well-intentioned systems have their shadow side. --- ### Conclusion: Embracing the Shadow Dark Nostr is more than just a cautionary tale—it’s a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of human interaction with technology. As an emergent phenomenon, it invites us to remain vigilant and adaptive as we navigate the uncharted waters of decentralization. By studying its manifestations through cultural artifacts like memes and engaging in thoughtful reflection, we can better prepare for both its opportunities and risks. After all, every great innovation needs its shadow—it’s what makes progress real, messy, and human. So here we stand before Dark Nostr: may we study it wisely, meme it relentlessly, and learn from its lessons as we build the future together. Stay Vigilent Nostr.....

@ 4925ea33:025410d8

Os óleos essenciais são os principais ativos terapêuticos da Aromaterapia. No entanto, assim como qualquer substância que aplicamos na pele, inalamos ou ingerimos, eles podem causar reações alérgicas. Esse risco é ainda maior porque os óleos essenciais contêm compostos altamente concentrados, alguns dos quais possuem grande potencial alergênico. Por isso, é fundamental conhecer bem os óleos essenciais e entender seus riscos antes de utilizá-los. ## Entendendo os riscos dos óleos essenciais  Embora sejam naturais, os óleos essenciais são altamente concentrados e podem provocar irritações ou alergias em algumas pessoas. Cada óleo contém diferentes componentes químicos, e é essencial compreender sua toxicidade para um uso seguro. Podemos dividir os principais componentes químicos dos óleos essenciais em dois grandes grupos: * Aromáticos ou fenóis * Terpênicos Além desses, existem outras substâncias que, apesar de terem propriedades terapêuticas, também podem apresentar riscos, como: lactonas, cumarinas (responsáveis pela fototoxicidade), ftalidas, compostos nitrogenados e compostos sulfurados. A toxicidade de um óleo essencial depende da concentração dessas substâncias e do método de extração. Por exemplo, óleos obtidos pelo método de prensagem a frio preservam melhor seus componentes químicos, tornando-se mais potentes terapeuticamente, mas também mais propensos a causar reações adversas. Os principais riscos dos óleos essenciais incluem: ✔️ Fotossensibilização (aumenta a sensibilidade da pele ao sol) ✔️ Efeito cáustico (pode causar queimaduras químicas) ✔️ Irritação na pele e nas mucosas ✔️ Reações alérgicas ✔️ Nefrotoxicidade (toxicidade para os rins) ✔️ Hepatotoxicidade (toxicidade para o fígado) ✔️ Neurotoxicidade (efeitos no sistema nervoso) Diante desses riscos, é essencial contar com a orientação de um profissional e sempre realizar um teste de sensibilidade antes de usar qualquer óleo essencial. ## Como fazer o teste de sensibilidade?  O teste de sensibilidade deve ser feito em áreas mais sensíveis da pele, como a dobra do cotovelo ou atrás da orelha – sendo a dobra do cotovelo a opção mais segura. **Passo a passo:** Diluir o óleo essencial: misture 1 ou 2 gotas do óleo essencial em 5 mL de óleo carreador (ou siga a proporção de 1 gota de óleo essencial para 5 gotas de carreador). Aplicar na pele: passe a mistura na região escolhida. Observar por 24 horas: caso surjam vermelhidão, coceira ou irritação, é importante avaliar a gravidade da reação com um profissional antes de prosseguir com o uso. Mesmo em casos de reações leves, pode ser possível utilizar o óleo essencial com uma diluição maior. Nesses casos, o aromaterapeuta pode ajustar a formulação conforme tabelas específicas para pessoas sensíveis. ## Dicas para um uso seguro dos óleos essenciais  ✅ Nunca use óleos essenciais puros na pele. Sempre dilua em um óleo carreador adequado, pois ele transporta os ativos sem alterar suas propriedades e pode até potencializar os efeitos terapêuticos. ✅ Atenção à inalação! Ajuste o número de gotas no difusor e o tempo de exposição. No início do tratamento, prefira difusões curtas (até 30 minutos). ✅ Atenção às diluições! As proporções variam conforme o público: Crianças e pessoas sensíveis: diluição máxima de 1% de óleo essencial na fórmula. Adultos saudáveis: diluição entre 2% e 3%. Se você tem dúvidas ou quer saber como a Aromaterapia pode ajudar no seu dia a dia, me mande uma mensagem! Será um prazer te ajudar a usar os óleos essenciais com segurança. 😊✨

@ 6e0ea5d6:0327f353

Ascolta bene! Absorb from suffering the lessons that joy would never dare to offer you. Davvero, all strong men are truly tested only when everything falls apart. It is easy to feel good and motivated on happy days. But in life's great adversities, we discover whether we can truly withstand what our optimism conveniently sweeps under the rug. When you are dragged by powerful currents, regretting diving into deep waters is useless. The only path is to fight with strong strokes to avoid drowning and cling to the first rock or log that appears on the riverbank to survive. Likewise, my friend, your regrets and remorse are like concrete weights tied to your feet, dragging you deeper into despair. Which man has never tormented himself thinking, "What if I had done things differently?" The failure of your decisions must be confronted with all your strength. Do not lament what you could have done or failed to do—focus your mind on fixing what is still within your control. This is not about motivation; it is about survival. A wound, once healed, becomes a scar. A mistake, once learned from, becomes a valuable lesson. Anguish, sadness, and frustration are anchors that paralyze and offer no benefit. You must not stop your journey just because your shoes have worn out. You cannot bury your will to win simply because of the defeats along the way. Nothing will ever be easy—it never was. Anyone who says otherwise is a cunning liar! Infatti, if there is one piece of advice I can give to each of you, it is this: never allow yourself to succumb when everything collapses, and your plans slip through your fingers. Thank you for reading, my friend! If this message resonated with you, consider leaving your "🥃" as a token of appreciation. A toast to our family!

@ f1989a96:bcaaf2c1

Good morning, readers! In Nicaragua, the regime is increasingly cracking down on civil society, imposing new financial regulations on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that require them to disclose donors and report all financial transactions — further restricting their ability to operate independently. Meanwhile, in Iraq, the central bank governor announced plans to introduce a central bank digital currency (CBDC) to replace cash in circulation. CBDCs are a mechanism for using digital currencies to centralize financial control. In freedom tech news, Alby Go, a mobile Bitcoin Lightning wallet, added support for Pick n Pay QR codes, making it easier for South Africans to pay with Bitcoin at one of the country’s largest retailers. Additionally, Bitcoin Safe, an open-source Bitcoin wallet designed to simplify self-custody, introduced support for Burmese and Korean Languages, making the wallet more accessible to activists, dissidents, and individuals in these regions. We end with a new discussion from 21st Capital, where Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer at HRF, joins Ziya Sadr, an Iranian activist and Bitcoin educator, to explore Bitcoin’s role in fighting financial repression and advancing global freedom. Sadr, who was detained by the Iranian regime during the Mahsa Amini protests, shares a sobering account of authoritarian control and the ways Bitcoin can help alleviate these struggles. **Now, let’s get right to it!** ### [**Subscribe Here**](https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter?mc_cid=bf652c0a5a) ## **GLOBAL NEWS** #### **Nicaragua | Increases Financial Surveillance of NGOs** Nicaragua’s dictator, Daniel Ortega, intensified his [crackdown](https://havanatimes.org/features/nicaragua-surveillance-of-ngos-finances-tightened/) on civil society with two new regulations that significantly increase the Ministry of the Interior’s (MINT) authority over national and foreign NGOs. The new regulations require NGOs to submit financial documentation, disclose their donors, and report all financial transactions. Using this information, authorities can now classify organizations as “threats,” conduct surprise inspections, impose sanctions, seize assets, and force closure. These regulations, framed as efforts to combat “digital terrorism,” intensify state surveillance and control and are a continuation of the regime’s systematic use of financial repression to silence dissent. This year alone, Ortega [shut down](https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/261539/nicaraguan-dictatorship-shuts-down-more-organizations-including-dominican-nuns) 15 NGOs, and since 2021, he has closed over 5,600. #### **El Salvador | IMF Approves 1.4 Billion Loan With Further Restrictions** The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has officially [approved](https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/26/pr25043-el-salvador-imf-approves-new-40-month-us1-bn-eff-arr) its $1.4 billion loan to El Salvador while reinforcing even stricter limits on Bitcoin. This comes after last month’s legal reforms that made Bitcoin acceptance voluntary and prohibited its use for tax payments. The finalized deal, which grants an immediate $113 million disbursement, confines “government engagement in Bitcoin-related economic activities, as well as government transactions in and purchases of Bitcoin.” Despite these constraints, President Bukele has continued to [flaunt](https://x.com/nayibbukele/status/1896745753521148308) Bitcoin purchases on social media, leaving many questions unanswered. Where does this bitcoin come from? Who controls the wallets? The lack of transparency remains. #### **Iraq | Issuing CBDC to Replace Cash** Iraq’s central bank governor, Ali Al-Allaq, [announced](https://www.agbi.com/banking-finance/2025/02/iraq-plans-digital-currency-to-replace-paper-notes/) that “the Iraqi central bank is now moving to create its own digital currency which will gradually replace paper notes.” Al-Allaq highlighted that this move aligns with broader “radical” changes in the global financial system. This news comes after Iraq [banned](https://shafaq.com/en/Economy/Iraq-among-10-nations-banning-cryptocurrency) all digital assets in 2017, citing concerns over financial crime and terrorism. Yet, its embrace of a CBDC over decentralized currencies like Bitcoin highlights a familiar pattern. China, Nigeria, and Russia have also pushed for CBDCs while restricting Bitcoin. Evidently, authoritarian regimes prefer financial control to remain in their own hands rather than risk empowering the public.  #### **Nigeria | Frees Tigran Gambaryan in Exchange for Greater Financial Surveillance**  In October 2024, Nigeria released Tigran Gambaryan, a former Binance executive [accused](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8dmp1jg448o?mc_cid=9921b0f578&mc_eid=UNIQID) of money laundering and contributing to the naira’s devaluation — though, in reality, he was a scapegoat for the regime’s economic mismanagement. [According](https://www.therage.co/the-cost-of-gambaryan/) to The Rage, his release was secured through a deal with the US to help Nigeria prosecute “cryptocurrency and financial crimes.” Soon after, the two countries announced the creation of a “Bilateral Liaison Group on Illicit Finance and Cryptocurrencies” to expand Nigeria’s surveillance capabilities and “pursue cybercrime investigations and prosecutions.” Gambaryan, who described his prison conditions as “torture,” now faces an unsettling reality: his freedom may have come at the cost of strengthening an authoritarian regime notorious for its financial repression. #### **Turkey | X Blocks Accounts of Three Journalists at Regimes Request** X recently [blocked](https://www.turkishminute.com/2025/02/26/x-blocks-access-to-accounts-of-3-kurdish-journalists-in-turkey3/) the accounts of three Kurdish journalists in Turkey — Abdurrahman Gök, Oktay Candemir, and Ruşen Takva — following a Turkish government request citing concerns over “national security.” The journalists, known for exposing government corruption and reporting on Kurdish issues, now join a growing list of silenced Turkish reporters. This comes as Turkey intensifies its crackdown on independent media through arrests, legal pressure, and censorship. With [95%](https://www.turkishminute.com/2025/02/26/x-blocks-access-to-accounts-of-3-kurdish-journalists-in-turkey3/) of media outlets in Turkey complying with the regime, social platforms remain one of the last places for free expression. Yet, as X and other platforms increasingly comply with authoritarian demands, access to independent information shrinks. This escalating repression underscores the need for censorship-resistant alternatives like nostr, where government pressure or corporate compliance cannot easily suppress speech. \_________________________________________________________\_ #### **Webinar Series for Nonprofits: Become Unstoppable** HRF will host a [free, three-day webinar](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0sjqwSFQo8HGMsWIIDRyhx34TsoonOSTfYoWSy-aaBbLeSw/viewform) from March 17–19, teaching human rights defenders and nonprofits how to use Bitcoin to counter state censorship and confiscation. Sessions run daily from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT and are beginner-friendly. The webinar will be led by Anna Chekhovich, HRF’s Bitcoin nonprofit adoption lead and financial manager at Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation. [Register for webinar](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0sjqwSFQo8HGMsWIIDRyhx34TsoonOSTfYoWSy-aaBbLeSw/viewform) #### **SXSW | The Human Rights Risks of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)** Join HRF at [SXSW 2025](https://www.sxsw.com/) in Austin from March 7–13 to explore how CBDCs threaten financial freedom. Experts [Roger Huang](https://x.com/Rogerh1991), [Charlene Fadirepo](https://x.com/CharFadirepo), and [Nick Anthony](https://x.com/EconWithNick) will discuss how authoritarian regimes use CBDCs for surveillance and control. Attendees can also visit HRF’s  [CBDC Tracker](https://cbdctracker.hrf.org/) booth to explore an interactive map of CBDC developments worldwide.  #### [Get your tickets](https://www.sxsw.com/conference/) \_________________________________________________________\_ ## BITCOIN AND FREEDOM TECH NEWS #### **Nostr Wallet Connect | Introduces Pull Request for On-Chain Send and Receive** [Nostr Wallet Connect](https://nwc.dev/) (NWC), a protocol that connects Bitcoin Lightning wallets and applications, is developing a potential [upgrade](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1807): support for on-chain Bitcoin transactions. Currently, NWC is designed for Lightning transactions. This new update would allow users to also send and receive on-chain Bitcoin transactions, which are slower and less private, but more secure with higher send and receive limits. This means users and apps can more easily move funds between Lightning and regular Bitcoin wallets, making NWC more practical and flexible. This upgrade enhances financial resilience for dissidents and activists by providing a more secure and flexible way to store and move Bitcoin. #### **Bitcoin Safe | Adds Support for Burmese and Korean Languages** [Bitcoin Safe](https://github.com/andreasgriffin/bitcoin-safe), an open-source Bitcoin wallet designed to make self-custody simple — even for non-technical users — [introduced](https://github.com/andreasgriffin/bitcoin-safe/releases/tag/1.0.7) support for Burmese and Korean Languages. This support makes the wallet more accessible to activists, dissidents, and individuals in these regions, empowering them with uncensorable and unseizable money. Bitcoin Safe guides users through the entire setup process, offering step-by-step instructions for single-signature wallets (where one private key controls your Bitcoin) and multisignature wallets (which require multiple private keys for added security). By breaking down barriers to Bitcoin self-custody, Bitcoin Safe is making financial freedom accessible to those who need it most. #### **Frostr | Turn Your Nostr Private Key into a Rotatable Multisig** [Frostr](https://www.frostr.org/) is an experimental new tool that adds a layer of security to a user’s nostr private key by splitting it into multiple parts. Instead of using a single key, Frostr divides the key into shares, requiring a subset of these shares to sign messages on nostr. This offers two key benefits. First, greater security; even if one share is lost or stolen, a user’s full key remains secret and in their control. Second, flexible key rotation; users can replace or update shares of the key without changing their digital identity. This is an important advancement for activists, journalists, and human rights defenders. Many authoritarian regimes track, censor, and punish those who speak freely. If an activist’s private key is compromised, their digital identity and safety could be at risk. Frostr removes this single point of failure and empowers users to communicate freely, securely, and flexibly, even in hostile environments. #### **Alby Go | Integrates Pick n Pay QRs for Bitcoin Payments in South Africa** [Alby Go](https://github.com/getAlby/go), a mobile Bitcoin Lightning wallet, [added](https://github.com/getAlby/go/releases/tag/v1.10.0) support for Pick n Pay QR codes, making it easier for South Africans to pay with Bitcoin at one of the country’s largest retailers. The update also integrates BTC map, offering users a detailed directory of merchants that accept Bitcoin. These changes make everyday Bitcoin payments more practical, expand access to businesses that accept Bitcoin, and give South Africans an alternative to the country’s unstable financial system and currency. #### **bitcoin++ | Announces Freedom and Privacy Edition** [bitcoin++](https://btcplusplus.dev/), a bitcoin-only developer conference series, is set to [return](https://btcplusplus.dev/conf/riga) on August 7-8, 2025, with a dedicated focus on freedom and privacy. Taking place in Riga, Latvia the event will bring together privacy advocates, developers, and freedom tech enthusiasts to explore the latest developments in privacy tech, censorship resistance, and open-source development on Bitcoin. Learn more and get your tickets [here](https://btcplusplus.dev/conf/riga). ## RECOMMENDED CONTENT #### **Bitcoin’s Potential to Revolutionize Freedom with Alex Gladstein** In this [episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-nrreRWdPI) of 21st Capital, Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer at HRF, sits down with Ziya Sadr, an Iranian activist and Bitcoin educator, to discuss Bitcoin’s role in fighting financial repression and advancing global freedom. Ziya helped build Iran’s Farsi-speaking Bitcoin community, created educational content on privacy, and contributed to open-source translation projects. He was later detained by the Iranian regime during the Mahsa Amini protests. During the discussion, Gladstein highlights stories of individuals escaping authoritarian control, accessing global markets, and securing their wealth through Bitcoin. Watch here to [learn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-nrreRWdPI) how Bitcoin is a tool for human rights. *If this article was forwarded to you and you enjoyed reading it, please consider subscribing to the Financial Freedom Report [here](https://mailchi.mp/hrf.org/financial-freedom-newsletter?mc_cid=bf652c0a5a).* *Support the newsletter by donating bitcoin to HRF’s Financial Freedom program [via BTCPay](https://hrf.org/btc).*\ *Want to contribute to the newsletter? Submit tips, stories, news, and ideas by emailing us at ffreport @ [hrf.org](http://hrf.org/)* *The Bitcoin Development Fund (BDF) is accepting grant proposals on an ongoing basis. The Bitcoin Development Fund is looking to support Bitcoin developers, community builders, and educators. Submit proposals [here](https://forms.monday.com/forms/57019f8829449d9e729d9e3545a237ea?r=use1)*. [**Subscribe to newsletter**](http://financialfreedomreport.org/) [**Apply for a grant**](https://forms.monday.com/forms/57019f8829449d9e729d9e3545a237ea?r=use1&mc_cid=39c1c9b7e8&mc_eid=778e9876e3) [**Support our work**](https://hrf.org/btc?mc_cid=39c1c9b7e8&mc_eid=778e9876e3) [**Visit our website**](https://hrf.org/programs/financial-freedom/)

@ 5d4b6c8d:8a1c1ee3

https://primal.net/e/nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzqntcggz30qhq60ltqdx32zku9d46unhrkjtcv7fml7jx3dh4h94nqqsvzgwvn5e9wr7hujh8f86gffs9s9xkx483rm3at9t4gmkryhwu05qhf8s8l Nice quick primer on one of the advantages of fasting. originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/905637

@ 407529d6:83e93205

NOSTR (Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays) is a decentralized, censorship-resistant social network built for true digital freedom. Unlike traditional platforms, NOSTR has no central authority—no single company or government can control or take it down. ✔ No More Censorship – Your voice cannot be silenced by an algorithm or policy. ✔ True Ownership – You control your content and identity, no risks of sudden bans. ✔ Fair Monetization – Earn Bitcoin directly from your audience without relying on ads. Why You Should Join NOSTR Today 1️⃣ Unrestricted Speech – Express yourself without fear of being silenced or deplatformed. 2️⃣ Direct Peer-to-Peer Earnings – Receive Bitcoin from supporters without any middleman taking a cut. 3️⃣ Decentralized and Secure – No central server that can be hacked, censored, or shut down. The future of social media isn’t about control—it’s about freedom, ownership, and financial independence. NOSTR isn’t just another platform; it’s a movement. Join the revolution. Own your voice. Take back control. #NOSTR #Decentralization #Bitcoin #FreeSpeech #FutureOfSocialMedia

@ cbaa0c82:e9313245

#TheWholeGrain - #February2025 Ah, February! The month of love! Well, it is if Valentine's Day and a few slices of bread have anything to say about it! All of this month's Sunday Singles all revolved around this theme. How can we portray to folks our love for, well, Love! We even changed our logo on Valentine's Day this year and released the art for it as a note using the NOSTR protocol. The adventure known as Questline released two more pages of its story ending the month with readers wondering how will the gang deal with their first adversary. As usual a piece of Concept Art and Bitcoin Art were released. However, some will notice that the art work was released with a new framing standard which we plan to continue. Last of all, we started releasing merchandise with an exclusive bundle inspired by this month's Toast's Comic Collection. You'll see more information about this near the end of this issue of The Whole Grain. **Sunday Singles - February 2025** 2025-02-02 | Sunday Single 78 Title: Cupid *If you don’t watch out, you might just get struck by Cupid’s arrow!* https://i.nostr.build/Op8Snf3PjwJvzzK8.png 2025-02-09 | Sunday Single 79 Title: Ace of Hearts *Will you be an Ace this Valentine’s Day?* https://i.nostr.build/X5fEXpE9HJIR2QCH.png 2025-02-16 | Sunday Single 80 Title: Three of Hearts *Talk about lucky! Here are three hearts worth having!* https://i.nostr.build/5JfWe3GggiPEEULv.png 2025-02-23 | Sunday Single 81 Title: Chemistry *For the past month our top scientist has been studying chemistry.* https://i.nostr.build/VS4GN0D7vH7cQUyv.png **Adventure Series: Questline** Bread, Toast, and End-Piece left a recently burned down village behind them. As they continue forward pondering what they have recently seen they are about to be surprised by something big... Writer: Daniel David (dan 🍞) Artist: Dakota Jernigan (The Bitcoin Painter) 2025-02-11 | Questline 003 - Time to Move Forward After some time investigating the recently torched village our heroes continue on the path. Toast is happy to be leaving it behind them, but Bread continues to wonder what could have possibly caused such immense damage... and where were all the villagers? https://i.nostr.build/gh7OlC14dUCrzorW.png 2025-02-25 | Questline 004 - Winged Predator The village and its dark clouds can no longer be seen behind our heroes. However, Bread still cannot stop pondering the village, and what could have happened to it. Suddenly, within a span of few seconds, Toast notices their three shadows engrossed by a much larger one and hears what is approaching behind them. https://i.nostr.build/SlAxb3eRzptMe3il.png **Other Content Released in February 2025** 2025-02-05 | Toast's Comic Collection Title: Batbread #10 *I am... vengeance. I am... the night. I am... Batbread.* https://i.nostr.build/Townax6XYzlZbKpa.png 2025-02-12 | Concept Art Title: Second Toast Sketch *A second sketch of the character Toast. Remade and cleaned up.* https://i.nostr.build/zcUuetaZDGEqjrqU.png 2025-02-14 | Leftover Title: Valentine's Day 2025 *Happy Valentine's Day! 💘 We know that we say this a lot, but... 🍞 ♥️ U* https://i.nostr.build/12MUzD8uVwfDBY0t.png 2025-02-19 | Bitcoin Art Title: The Miner Block Height: 884458 *End-Piece is the miner of the group. Someone has to do the hard work!* https://i.nostr.build/03EYvG3owN6TeRki.png **Merchandise Announcement** We want to begin selling some merchandise. After the success of the exclusive metal cut-outs sold at Nostr Valley 2024 we decided to sell something similar. Bread and Toast made an announcement this past month shortly after this month's Toast's Comic Collection release with the Batbread Bundle (Limited Supply). https://i.nostr.build/PNt4kyEJkaCe7q1K.png If you are interested in purchasing he Batbread Bundle contact us by email at store@breadandtoast.com with "Batbread" in the subject line! There are only 21 in total available. It'll be first come, first serve! Thanks for checking out the sixth issue of The Whole Grain. The Whole Grain is released on the first of every month and covers all of the content released by Bread and Toast in the previous month. For all Bread and Toast content visit BreadandToast.com! **🍞 ♥️ U** ***Bread, Toast, and End-Piece*** #BreadandToast #SundaySingle #Questline #ToastsComicCollection #ConceptArt #BitcoinArt #Bread #Toast #EndPiece #Artstr #Comic #Cartoon #NostrOnly #Valentines #Love #🖼️ ***List of nPubs Mentioned:*** The Bitcoin Painter: npub1tx5ccpregnm9afq0xaj42hh93xl4qd3lfa7u74v5cdvyhwcnlanqplhd8g dan 🍞: npub16e3vzr7dk2uepjcnl85nfare3kdapxge08gr42s99n9kg7xs8xhs90y9v6

@ e111a405:fa441558

# Human Work and Intuition Human work will focus on negotiating with other humans and making decisions. The companies letting AI decide everything will soon enter a red ocean with endless competition. The companies that enable their leadership teams to strengthen and use their intuitive intelligence, even forgo AI's recommendations, will excel.

@ d830ee7b:4e61cd62

สายลมพัดกระโชกแรง แทรกซึมผ่านแนวต้นไม้สูงใหญ่ในป่าทึบ **รัตติกาลโอบล้อมทุกสิ่งไว้ในความมืดมิด** ร่างของเอี้ยก้วยเคลื่อนผ่านเส้นทางขรุขระ ย่ำเดินไปบนโคลนที่เปียกชื้นจากฝนที่ตกพรำมาทั้งวัน ทุกย่างก้าวหนักอึ้ง... ไม่ใช่เพราะความเหนื่อยล้าของร่างกาย แต่เป็นภาระของหัวใจที่แบกรับไว้—**มันหนักเสียยิ่งกว่าภูเขาหลายลูก** **เซียวเหล่งนึ่ง... จากไปแล้ว** ราวกับสวรรค์เล่นตลก เหมือนโชคชะตากำลังทดสอบจิตวิญญาณของเขา ทุกสิ่งที่เขาต่อสู้เพื่อมัน ทุกสิ่งที่เขาหวงแหน... **กลับถูกพรากไปอย่างโหดร้าย** ไม่มีสิ่งใดเจ็บปวดมากไปกว่าการยืนอยู่เพียงลำพังในโลกกว้างใหญ่ที่ไร้เงาของนาง --- ไม่นานก่อนหน้านี้ เอี้ยก้วยและเซียวเหล่งนึ่งยังคงอยู่ด้วยกันภายใน **หุบเขาสุสานโบราณ**—สถานที่ที่ทั้งสองเคยให้คำมั่นว่าจะครองรักกันไปชั่วชีวิต แต่แล้วโชคชะตาก็พลิกผันอย่างโหดร้าย เซียวเหล่งนึ่งเชื่อว่า **ตนเองถูกวางยาพิษร้ายแรง** นางไม่ต้องการให้เอี้ยก้วยต้องทนทุกข์ทรมานกับการเห็นนางจากไปช้าๆ—นางจึงเลือกที่จะทิ้งเขาไว้ **“อย่าตามหาข้า...”** เสียงของนางยังคงก้องอยู่ในใจเขา แม้จะเป็นเพียงกระซิบแผ่วเบาในคืนฝนตก แต่สำหรับเอี้ยก้วย **มันราวกับเสียงฟ้าผ่าที่ทำลายทุกสิ่ง** เขาเคยสาบานว่าจะอยู่เคียงข้างนาง แต่สุดท้ายนางกลับเลือกหนทางนี้... ฝนยังคงโปรยปราย สายลมยังคงโหมพัด **แต่ในใจของเอี้ยก้วย กลับเงียบงันยิ่งกว่าทะเลทรายอันว่างเปล่า** ตั้งแต่วันที่เซียวเหล่งนึ่งจากไป เขาออกเดินทางโดยไร้จุดหมาย เท้าของเขาพาเขาไปข้างหน้าอย่างไร้ทิศทาง แม้แต่ตัวเขาเองก็ไม่รู้ว่ากำลังจะไปที่ใด **หรือบางที... อาจเป็นเพราะเขาไม่สนใจอีกแล้ว** เขาเดินฝ่าภูเขา ป่าทึบ ลัดเลาะเส้นทางอันเปลี่ยวร้างของยุทธภพ แววตาของเขามิได้เต็มไปด้วยความโกรธแค้นอีกต่อไป แต่มันกลับกลายเป็นความว่างเปล่า **ราวกับวิหคที่บินหลงทางในฟากฟ้าอันไร้ที่สิ้นสุด** เขาไม่ได้มุ่งหน้ากลับไปที่สุสานโบราณ เพราะเขารู้ว่า—**ต่อให้กลับไป ก็จะไม่พบสิ่งใดอีกแล้ว**  เสียงฟ้าคำรามก้องกังวาน สายฟ้าผ่าลงมาส่องแสงวาบผ่านม่านเมฆดำสนิท ลำแสงสีขาวแหวกทะลุเงาของต้นไม้สูงใหญ่ **เผยให้เห็นร่างของเอี้ยก้วยที่ยังคงยืนอยู่กลางพายุ** เสื้อคลุมของเขาเปียกโชกจากสายฝน น้ำฝนไหลซึมผ่านผิวกาย แต่อากาศหนาวเย็นกลับไม่อาจทำให้เขาสั่นสะท้านได้ **เพราะจิตใจของเขาเย็นยะเยือกยิ่งกว่าสายลมที่พัดผ่าน** **“ทำไมกัน...”** เสียงของเขาถูกกลืนหายไปในเสียงพายุ เอี้ยก้วยกำมือแน่น รู้สึกถึงอารมณ์ที่ปะทุขึ้นภายใน—มันเป็นทั้งความเจ็บปวด ความโกรธ ความสับสน และความสิ้นหวัง แต่ทันใดนั้นเอง... **เขาสัมผัสได้ถึงบางสิ่ง** มันไม่ใช่เพียงเสียงพายุ หรือเสียงใบไม้ไหวในสายลม—**แต่เป็นสายตา... สายตาของใครบางคนกำลังจ้องมองเขาอยู่** ร่างของเอี้ยก้วยตวัดสายตามองไปรอบตัว ลมหายใจของเขาติดขัด ฝนที่ตกหนักบดบังทุกสิ่งรอบกาย แต่มันมิอาจบดบังสัมผัสของเขาได้ จากมุมหนึ่งของม่านฝน... **เงาหนึ่งขยับเข้ามาอย่างแผ่วเบา** แม้ไม่มีเสียงฝีเท้า แต่พลังที่เปล่งออกมากลับหนักหน่วง **ยิ่งกว่าคลื่นของมหาสมุทร** เสียงหนึ่งดังขึ้น แทรกผ่านสายฝน... **"ดูเหมือนเจ้ายังไม่เข้าใจสายฝนดีพอ..."** มันไม่ดังนักแต่กลับทะลวงเข้าสู่หัวใจ เอี้ยก้วยหันขวับ ดวงตาจ้องเขม็งผ่านม่านน้ำ แล้วเขาก็เห็น... ชายผู้นั้นยืนอยู่กลางสายฝน แต่เสื้อคลุมขาวของเขากลับมิได้เปียกโชกแม้แต่น้อย ร่างสูงโปร่งแต่กลับแฝงไว้ด้วยพลังอันไม่อาจหยั่งถึง ดวงตาของเขาสงบนิ่งยิ่งกว่าน้ำในบึงลึก ทว่ากลับสะท้อนความลี้ลับดุจมหาสมุทร **“ข้าแซ่ JAKK นามว่า Goodday”** เสียงของเขาราบเรียบ แต่กลับทำให้หัวใจของเอี้ยก้วยเต้นแรงอย่างไม่รู้สาเหตุ มันไม่ใช่พลังข่มขู่ แต่เป็นแรงกดดันที่มาโดยธรรมชาติ ราวกับภูเขาสูงตระหง่านที่มิได้พยายามบดบังแสงอาทิตย์ แต่กลับบังมันไว้โดยสมบูรณ์ **“เจ้าคือใครกันแน่?”** เอี้ยก้วยเอ่ยถาม ดวงตาจ้องมองชายลึกลับตรงหน้า “เจ้ามีจุดประสงค์ใดถึงได้ปรากฏตัวต่อหน้าข้า?” JAKK เพียงแค่ยิ้มบาง ๆ แต่ในดวงตานั้นกลับฉายแววที่ทำให้หัวใจของเอี้ยก้วยสั่นสะท้าน **“ข้าคือผู้เดินทางผ่าน เช่นเดียวกับสายฝนนี้”** เอี้ยก้วยขมวดคิ้ว คำพูดเหล่านั้นช่างคลุมเครือ ราวกับหยาดฝนที่ร่วงหล่นแต่กลับไร้รูปร่างจับต้อง ทันใดนั้นเอง สายลมกระโชกแรงขึ้น ฝนที่เคยสาดกระหน่ำกลับเปลี่ยนทิศทาง หยาดน้ำที่ตกลงมากลางอากาศดูเหมือนจะหยุดนิ่ง ก่อนจะไหลวนตามแรงที่มองไม่เห็น **ราวกับทั้งสายฝนนี้กำลังถูกควบคุม**  **ฟึ่บ!** เสี้ยววินาทีถัดมา เอี้ยก้วยสัมผัสได้ถึงแรงบางอย่างที่พุ่งผ่านใบหน้า **ไม่ใช่ลม ไม่ใช่ฝน แต่มันคือบางสิ่งที่จับต้องไม่ได้!** เขาตวัดกระบี่ขึ้นอย่างฉับพลัน แต่กลับสัมผัสได้เพียงความว่างเปล่า พริบตานั้นเอง... **ใบไม้ด้านหลังเขาถูกเฉือนขาดเป็นเส้นตรง!** เอี้ยก้วยเบิกตากว้าง **"นี่มัน..."** JAKK เอียงศีรษะเล็กน้อย ดวงตาฉายแววของผู้ที่มองเห็นสิ่งที่ผู้อื่นมองไม่ออก **“ฝนสามารถทำให้ดินชุ่มชื้น หรือสามารถกัดเซาะภูเขาได้”** เขากล่าวช้า ๆ **“แต่เจ้ากลับปล่อยให้มันตกต้องโดยไร้ความหมาย”** เอี้ยก้วยกำกระบี่แน่น รู้สึกถึงความโกรธที่แล่นขึ้นมาในอก **"เจ้าหมายความว่าอย่างไร?"** **JAKK ไม่ตอบ** แต่เพียงยื่นมือออกไป **หยดน้ำฝนที่ปลายนิ้วของเขาค่อย ๆ ไหลรวมกันเป็นเส้นบางเบา ส่องประกายราวใยไหมในความมืด** **"น้ำ... ไม่ได้แข็งแกร่งที่สุด"** **"แต่มันไม่มีใครทำลายมันได้"** เอี้ยก้วยขมวดคิ้ว **เขาไม่เข้าใจ... หรือบางที เขาอาจไม่อยากเข้าใจ** JAKK ปล่อยให้ความเงียบเข้าปกคลุมชั่วขณะ ก่อนจะกล่าวขึ้นด้วยเสียงแผ่วเบา **แต่แหลมคมกว่ากระบี่ใด ๆ** **"เจ้ากำลังเผชิญหน้ากับสายฝน... หรือเจ้ากำลังปล่อยให้มันกลืนกินเจ้า?"** คำถามที่ดูเหมือนไร้ความหมาย... กลับหนักหน่วงยิ่งกว่าสายฝนที่โหมกระหน่ำ เอี้ยก้วยรู้สึกถึงอะไรบางอย่างกำลังสั่นคลอนอยู่ในจิตใจของตนเอง **"ฝนเป็นเพียงฝน ข้าจะไปอยู่เหนือมันหรือถูกมันชะล้างได้อย่างไร?"** เขาตอบโดยไม่ต้องคิด JAKK ยิ้มเพียงเล็กน้อย ก่อนกล่าวคำที่ทำให้เอี้ยก้วยต้องนิ่งงัน **"เช่นนั้น เจ้าก็ไม่อาจเข้าใจสิ่งที่กำลังมองหา..."** --- สายฝนยังคงโปรยปราย ท้องฟ้ามืดครึ้มราวกับมหาสมุทรที่คว่ำลงสู่พื้นพิภพ ฟ้าคำรามก้อง ลำแสงสายฟ้าแหวกม่านเมฆดำสาดลงมาราวกับต้องการเปิดโปงความลึกลับที่ปกคลุมค่ำคืนนี้ เอี้ยก้วยยืนตระหง่านอยู่กลางลานหิน สายตาของเขามิได้จดจ้องสายฝนที่ซัดกระหน่ำร่างของเขาอีกต่อไป หากแต่จับจ้องอยู่ที่ชายตรงหน้า—บุรุษผู้เผยตนจากม่านฝน ร่างสูงสง่าในอาภรณ์ขาวสะอาดไร้รอยเปียก ดวงตาสงบนิ่งดังมหานทีอันลึกล้ำ **“เจ้ากำลังต้านฝน…”** JAKK กล่าวเสียงเรียบ **“แต่สายฝนนี้มิใช่ศัตรูของเจ้า”** เอี้ยก้วยสูดลมหายใจเข้าลึก กระชับกระบี่ในมือแน่น **“ข้ามิได้มาที่นี่เพื่อทดสอบความหมายของหยาดฝน”** เสียงของเขาเด็ดเดี่ยว **“แต่เพื่อพิสูจน์ว่าข้ายังยืนหยัดอยู่ได้ แม้สวรรค์จะทอดทิ้งข้า”**  JAKK มิได้กล่าวตอบ แต่ปลายนิ้วของเขายื่นออกมาเพียงเล็กน้อย **ฟึ่บ!** สายฝนรอบตัว JAKK คล้ายหยุดนิ่งไปชั่วขณะ ก่อนจะรวมตัวกันเป็นเส้นสายโปร่งใสราวกับใยไหมสะท้อนแสงจันทร์ **“ใยวารี”** เสียงกระซิบแผ่วเบาดังลอดออกจากริมฝีปากของ JAKK และในพริบตานั้นเอง เส้นสายเหล่านั้นก็แปรเปลี่ยนเป็นอาวุธแห่งธารา แหวกอากาศพุ่งเข้าหาเอี้ยก้วยด้วยความเร็วเหนือมนุษย์! **เคร้ง!** เอี้ยก้วยสะบัดกระบี่ปัดป้อง แต่บางสิ่งผิดปกติ เส้นใยน้ำมิได้ถูกเฉือนขาด กลับพันรอบคมกระบี่ราวกับเถาวัลย์ที่ไร้ตัวตน ร่างของเขาถูกดึงรั้งไปข้างหน้าโดยไม่รู้ตัว! **“อะไร!?”** **ฟึ่บ!** เอี้ยก้วยตัดสินใจกระโจนขึ้นกลางอากาศ หมุนตัวเพื่อสะบัดใยวารีออกจากร่าง แต่ในขณะที่เขาลอยตัวกลางหาว ใยโปร่งใสเหล่านั้นกลับเคลื่อนตามมาอย่างลื่นไหล ปรับทิศทางเหมือนมันมีชีวิต! JAKK มองภาพนั้นนิ่ง ๆ ดวงตาของเขาไร้แววเย้ยหยัน มีเพียงประกายแห่งการสังเกต **“สายน้ำไม่เคยยึดติด ไม่เคยต่อต้าน”** JAKK กล่าวเรียบ ๆ **“มันซึมซับทุกสิ่งอย่างไร้รูปร่าง เจ้ายังไม่เข้าใจสิ่งที่อยู่ตรงหน้า”** เอี้ยก้วยกัดฟันแน่น ฝ่ามือที่จับกระบี่เริ่มสั่นเล็กน้อย **นี่มิใช่วิชาที่เขาเคยประมือมาก่อน…** **“ถ้าเช่นนั้น ข้าจะทำให้มันแตกสลาย!”** **กระบี่วิหคโบยบิน!** เอี้ยก้วยระเบิดพลังสุดกำลัง กวัดแกว่งกระบี่เป็นวงกว้าง ตวัดเป็นแนวสายลมกรรโชก! ลำแสงแห่งกระบี่พุ่งตัดผ่านม่านฝน ปะทะเข้ากับใยวารีที่พุ่งมาอย่างแรง! **ฉัวะ!** สิ่งที่เกิดขึ้นหาใช่การแตกสลายของใยวารีไม่ เส้นใยเหล่านั้นกลับยืดหยุ่นและดูดซับแรงปะทะของกระบี่ ราวกับมันมิใช่ของแข็งหรือของเหลว แต่เป็นสภาวะที่อยู่เหนือขึ้นไป! **เคร้ง!** แรงสะท้อนทำให้เอี้ยก้วยเสียหลัก กระบี่ของเขาถูกดูดซับพลังไปในชั่วพริบตา ร่างของเขาถอยหลังไปหลายก้าว หัวใจเต้นแรง **“เป็นไปไม่ได้...”** JAKK ก้าวเข้ามาช้า ๆ สายตาไร้แววสมเพชหรือโอ้อวด มีเพียงความสงบเช่นผืนน้ำที่ไร้คลื่น **“พลังที่แข็งแกร่งที่สุด มิใช่พลังที่เผชิญหน้า”** เขากล่าว **“แต่คือพลังที่อยู่เหนือการเผชิญหน้า”** **เอี้ยก้วยยังไม่เข้าใจ แต่จิตใจของเขาเริ่มหวั่นไหว** JAKK มองเขาเงียบ ๆ ก่อนจะพลิกมืออย่างแผ่วเบา **ฟึ่บ!** ใยวารีสายสุดท้ายพุ่งตรงเข้าหาร่างของเอี้ยก้วย! เอี้ยก้วยสะบัดกระบี่ขึ้นสุดกำลังเพื่อป้องกัน แต่… ครั้งนี้ เขารู้สึกว่า **มันมิใช่สิ่งที่สามารถต้านทานได้ด้วยพลังเพียงอย่างเดียว**  เขายังคงหอบหายใจหนัก สองมือกำกระบี่แน่น สายตาจับจ้องไปยังชายตรงหน้า—JAKK บุรุษผู้ควบคุมน้ำฝนได้ดั่งอวัยวะของตนเอง เขาเพียงยืนอยู่ตรงนั้น ดวงตาเรียบนิ่ง ไม่แสดงความเหนือกว่า แต่กลับเปล่งพลังลี้ลับราวกับสายน้ำในห้วงลึก เอี้ยก้วยไม่เคยเจอศัตรูเช่นนี้มาก่อน ทุกกระบวนท่าของเขาถูกทำให้ไร้ความหมาย ดุจพายุกระหน่ำใส่ธารน้ำ มันมิได้แตกหัก แต่มันกลืนกินและซึมซับทุกสิ่งที่เข้ามา **“ข้ายังไม่เข้าใจ…”** เสียงของเอี้ยก้วยแผ่วเบา แต่หนักแน่นในความสงสัย ดวงตาของเขายังคงคุกรุ่นด้วยไฟแห่งการต่อสู้ แต่ในแววตานั้น เริ่มฉายแววของบางสิ่งที่เปลี่ยนแปลง JAKK พินิจเขาครู่หนึ่งก่อนกล่าวขึ้น **“เจ้ายังมิอาจปล่อยให้สายน้ำไหลผ่านใจเจ้า”** เขายื่นมือออกไป หยดน้ำฝนที่ตกลงมากลางอากาศหยุดนิ่งชั่วขณะ ก่อนจะค่อย ๆ เคลื่อนไหว หมุนวนในอากาศดุจเส้นไหมโปร่งใส เอี้ยก้วยจ้องมองมัน หัวใจเต้นแรง **มันไร้รูปร่าง ไร้ขีดจำกัด…** **เช่นนั้นข้าจะทำลายมันได้อย่างไร?** --- เอี้ยก้วยก้าวถอยหลังหนึ่งก้าว นี่เป็นครั้งแรกที่เขารู้สึกว่าไม่อาจพึ่งพากระบี่ของตนเองได้ **“ข้าคิดว่าข้ารู้จักกระบี่ของข้าดีที่สุด แต่เหตุใดมันจึงไร้พลังต่อหน้าเจ้า?”** JAKK มิได้ตอบ แต่พลิกฝ่ามือเบา ๆ เส้นใยวารีที่ลอยอยู่กลางอากาศเริ่มขยับ เปลี่ยนเป็นรูปแบบใหม่ตลอดเวลา บางครั้งมันรวมกันเป็นหยดน้ำเดียว บางครั้งมันแตกออกเป็นเส้นสายมากมาย ไร้รูปแบบตายตัว **“แล้วเจ้าคิดว่าตนเองคืออะไร?”** JAKK เอ่ยขึ้น เอี้ยก้วยขมวดคิ้ว **“ข้าเป็นข้า… เอี้ยก้วย”** JAKK ส่ายหน้า **“หากเจ้ามีตัวตนเช่นนั้น เจ้าจะไม่มีวันเข้าใจวารี”** เอี้ยก้วยเม้มริมฝีปากแน่น นี่เป็นครั้งแรกที่เขารู้สึกว่าตัวเองถูกผลักให้ตกลงสู่ห้วงแห่งความเงียบ เขาสูดลมหายใจเข้าลึก ก่อนจะค่อย ๆ หลับตาลง สายฝนยังคงตกลงมา แต่บัดนี้ มันมิได้รู้สึกเหมือนดาบนับพันที่โหมกระหน่ำลงบนร่างของเขาอีกต่อไป มันค่อย ๆ ซึมผ่านผิวหนัง คล้ายกับเขาเองก็เป็นส่วนหนึ่งของมัน ปลายนิ้วของเขาขยับเพียงเล็กน้อย—และในวินาทีนั้น เขารู้สึกได้ถึงแรงสั่นสะเทือนบางอย่าง **เขาสัมผัสได้ถึงสายน้ำรอบตัว** แต่ก่อนที่เขาจะเข้าใจมันอย่างแท้จริง— **ฟึ่บ!** JAKK พลิกฝ่ามือเสี้ยววินาที เส้นใยวารีสะบัดวูบ ปลดปล่อยแรงกระแทกมหาศาล! เอี้ยก้วยลืมตาขึ้น **แต่คราวนี้ เขามิได้ต้านทานมัน** **เขาเคลื่อนตัวไปกับมัน—** ร่างของเขาหลุดจากการจู่โจมได้อย่างฉิวเฉียด โดยที่มิได้ออกแรงฝืนเลยแม้แต่น้อย!  หยาดน้ำเย็นเฉียบโปรยปรายลงมาอย่างต่อเนื่อง สายลมพัดโหมรุนแรงพอจะถอนรากต้นไม้ แต่ภายในใจของเอี้ยก้วย กลับสงบนิ่งอย่างไม่เคยเป็นมาก่อน เมื่อครู่... ร่างของเขาหลุดพ้นจากการจู่โจมของ "ใยวารี" โดยที่มิได้ต่อต้าน แต่มันไม่ใช่เพราะเขาเร็วขึ้น หรือแข็งแกร่งขึ้น **เขาเพียง ‘ปล่อยให้มันไหลไป’** ดวงตาของเขาเบิกกว้าง ความรู้สึกหนึ่งพลันแล่นผ่านจิตใจราวกับสายฟ้าที่ส่องลงบนมหาสมุทรอันมืดมิด JAKK มองเขาอยู่ห่าง ๆ มุมปากของชายลึกลับผู้นี้ยกขึ้นเพียงเล็กน้อย แต่แฝงไว้ด้วยความพึงพอใจ **“เริ่มเข้าใจแล้วหรือไม่?”** เอี้ยก้วยกำกระบี่แน่น... แต่ครั้งนี้ มิใช่ด้วยความโกรธ มิใช่เพื่อจู่โจม มิใช่เพื่อพิสูจน์ตนเองต่อโชคชะตา แต่เพื่อสัมผัสถึงบางสิ่งที่เคยถูกซ่อนเร้นมาตลอดชีวิต **“ข้าเริ่มสัมผัสได้... แต่ข้ายังไม่เข้าใจ”** JAKK ยกมือขึ้น นิ้วชี้แตะกลางอากาศ— **ฟึ่บ!** หยดฝนที่โปรยปรายอยู่พลันรวมตัวกันกลางอากาศ หมุนวนเป็นเกลียว ก่อนจะยืดขยายออกเป็น **กระบี่วารี**—ใสกระจ่างประหนึ่งกระจก แต่มิใช่ของแข็ง มิใช่ของเหลว มันไร้ตัวตนและมีอยู่ในคราวเดียวกัน **“เจ้าจะต้องเรียนรู้ด้วยร่างกายของเจ้าเอง”** **“มาเถิด เอี้ยก้วย”** เอี้ยก้วยมิใช่คนที่หวั่นเกรงต่อความท้าทาย เขาสูดลมหายใจเข้าลึก ก้าวขาขึ้นหน้าอย่างมั่นคง ดวงตาทอประกาย **ครั้งนี้ เขาจะมิใช่ผู้ที่ปล่อยให้คลื่นซัดไปตามใจมันอีกต่อไป** เขาตวัดกระบี่ขึ้น— **ฟึ่บ!** JAKK เคลื่อนกาย กระบี่วารีของเขาโค้งงอ ปรับเปลี่ยนรูปทรงไปราวกับธารน้ำที่ไหลเวียน **ไม่มีมุม ไม่มีองศา ไม่มีวิถีที่คาดเดาได้**  เอี้ยก้วยตวัดกระบี่เข้าปะทะ— **เคร้ง!** ปลายกระบี่กระทบกัน แต่กลับมิได้มีเสียงกังวานของโลหะ กลับเป็นเสียงสายน้ำแตกกระจาย ก่อนจะรวมตัวกันใหม่ราวกับไม่เคยแปรเปลี่ยน **“กระบี่ของเจ้ามีขอบเขต”** JAKK กล่าว **“แต่วารี... ไร้ขอบเขต”** เอี้ยก้วยมิได้ตอบ แต่ร่างของเขาเริ่มเคลื่อนไหวช้าลง สายตามิได้จับจ้องไปที่กระบี่ของ JAKK อีกต่อไป แต่กลับมองไปที่ **‘กระแสน้ำ’** ที่กำลังไหลเวียนอยู่รอบตัวเขา **เขาต้องไม่ต่อสู้กับมัน แต่ต้องเป็นหนึ่งเดียวกับมัน** ร่างของเอี้ยก้วยเริ่มขยับไหลลื่นขึ้น ความแข็งแกร่งของกระบี่วิหคถูกหลอมรวมเข้ากับความอ่อนโยนของสายน้ำ ทุกก้าวย่างของเขาเบาหวิว ทุกกระบวนท่าที่ปล่อยออกไป **ไม่มีจุดเริ่มต้นและไม่มีจุดจบ** JAKK มองดูการเปลี่ยนแปลงนั้นก่อนจะค่อย ๆ ลดกระบี่วารีลง “เข้าใจแล้วหรือยัง?” เอี้ยก้วยมิได้ตอบ เขาเพียงปล่อยให้หยาดฝนซึมผ่านร่างของตนเอง **แต่ครั้งนี้ มิใช่เพราะมันตกลงมา แต่เพราะเขาเป็นส่วนหนึ่งของมัน** JAKK ยิ้มบาง ๆ ก่อนกล่าวทิ้งท้าย— **“เมื่อเจ้าเป็นวารี เจ้าจะไม่มีวันถูกทำลาย”**  ### **สิบหกปีต่อมา..** สายลมอ่อนพัดผ่านแมกไม้ เสียงน้ำไหลจากลำธารเล็ก ๆ ขับขานเป็นบทเพลงแห่งความสงบ ฟากฟ้าไร้เมฆฝน แสงอาทิตย์อ่อนจางทอดผ่านปลายใบไผ่ ดุจรอยยิ้มของสวรรค์หลังจากผ่านพายุอันเกรี้ยวกราดมาเนิ่นนาน เอี้ยก้วยยืนอยู่บนโขดหินริมลำธาร มองสายน้ำที่ไหลผ่านราวกับไม่มีจุดสิ้นสุด ในแววตานั้นมีเพียงความสงบและลึกซึ้ง ร่างของเขายังคงองอาจเช่นวันวาน แต่สิ่งที่เปลี่ยนไปคือพลังอันเงียบสงบที่แผ่ซ่านอยู่รอบกาย **มิใช่เพลิงแห่งโทสะ หากแต่เป็นสายธารที่ไหลลื่น ไม่มีสิ่งใดขวางกั้นได้** “เจ้ากำลังคิดอะไรอยู่?” เสียงอ่อนโยนดังขึ้นเบื้องหลัง **เซียวเหล่งนึ่ง** ก้าวออกจากร่มเงาของต้นไม้ นางยังคงงดงามดังเดิม แม้กาลเวลาจะล่วงผ่าน ทว่าดวงตาของนางยังเปี่ยมไปด้วยความอ่อนโยน และรอยยิ้มที่มอบให้เอี้ยก้วยยังคงเป็นเช่นเดิม เอี้ยก้วยหันมองนาง ก่อนยิ้มบาง ๆ แล้วทอดสายตากลับไปยังลำธาร “มีผู้หนึ่งเคยกล่าวกับข้า... วารีไม่เคยต่อต้านสิ่งใด แต่ไม่มีสิ่งใดทำลายมันได้” เซียวเหล่งนึ่งขมวดคิ้วเล็กน้อย “ผู้ใด?” เอี้ยก้วยนิ่งไปชั่วขณะ ก่อนตอบ “อาวุโสผู้หนึ่งนามว่า Jakk Goodday ไม่เพียงยอดฝีมือ แต่เป็นผู้ที่เข้าใจธรรมชาติแห่งทุกสรรพสิ่ง” เขายิ้มเล็กน้อย “เขาสอนข้าถึงพลังที่แท้จริงของวารี” เซียวเหล่งนึ่งรับฟังเงียบ ๆ นางมองเขาด้วยแววตาที่เต็มไปด้วยความเข้าใจ เขาหย่อนปลายนิ้วลงไปในน้ำเบื้องหน้า แหวนน้ำกระจายออกเป็นวง ทว่าไม่นานก็คืนสู่สภาพเดิม "แรงที่รุนแรงที่สุด ไม่ได้ทำให้ทุกอย่างแตกสลาย... แต่มันจะถูกดูดซับไปในที่สุด" เอี้ยก้วยพึมพำเบา ๆ “เมื่อก่อน ข้ามักต่อต้านทุกสิ่ง” เอี้ยก้วยเอ่ยขึ้น แววตาสะท้อนถึงอดีตที่ผ่านมา “ข้าสู้กับโชคชะตา ข้าท้าทายทุกสิ่งที่ขัดขวางข้า ไม่ว่าจะเป็นสวรรค์หรือมนุษย์”  เอี้ยก้วยหลับตาลง สายลมพัดผ่านร่างของเขาเย็นเยียบ ก่อนจะเปิดตาขึ้นช้า ๆ "เมื่อก่อนข้าต้านทานทุกสิ่ง **แต่บางครั้ง... ทางที่มั่นคงที่สุด อาจเป็นทางที่ไม่มีเส้นทางเลย**" เขาเอ่ยเสียงเบา คล้ายกล่าวกับตนเองมากกว่านาง เซียวเหล่งนึ่งก้าวเข้าไปใกล้ มองสบตาเขานิ่ง ๆ "แล้วตอนนี้ เจ้าจะไหลไปตามกระแสน้ำ... หรือเจ้ายังต้องการกระบี่ของเจ้าอยู่?" “น้ำไม่เคยฝืนตัวมันเอง มันไม่แข็งกร้าว แต่มันชนะทุกสิ่ง ไม่ว่าจะเป็นหินแข็งหรือเหล็กกล้า” เขายื่นมือแตะผิวน้ำเบา ๆ “กระบี่ของข้าเคยเป็นดังเปลวไฟที่เผาผลาญทุกสิ่ง แต่ตอนนี้... มันเป็นสายธารที่ไหลไปตามใจของมัน” เซียวเหล่งนึ่งก้าวเข้ามาใกล้ แสงอาทิตย์ส่องต้องนางราวกับนางเป็นภาพฝัน “ข้าดีใจที่เจ้ากลับมา... และข้าดีใจที่เจ้าพบสิ่งที่เจ้าตามหามาตลอด” เอี้ยก้วยหันกลับมาสบตานาง แววตาของเขาอ่อนโยน "ข้ารู้แล้วว่า การรอคอยที่แท้จริง... มิใช่เพียงรอคอยเจ้า แต่เป็นรอคอยวันที่ข้าจะเข้าใจตัวข้าเอง" เซียวเหล่งนึ่งยิ้ม “และตอนนี้ เจ้าเข้าใจแล้วหรือไม่?” เอี้ยก้วยพยักหน้า “ข้าเข้าใจแล้ว” เขากุมมือนางเบา ๆ “รักที่แท้จริงมิใช่พันธนาการ มันเป็นดั่งสายน้ำ ไม่ต้องไขว่คว้า ไม่ต้องครอบครอง แต่ไหลไปตามทางของมันเอง” เซียวเหล่งนึ่งเงยหน้าขึ้นสบตาเขา นางไม่ต้องการคำพูดใดอีก เพราะทุกสิ่งอยู่ในดวงตาของเขาแล้ว สายลมพัดผ่านเบา ๆ ลำธารยังคงไหลไปข้างหน้า ไม่มีสิ่งใดหยุดยั้งมันได้ เช่นเดียวกับเวลาที่เคลื่อนผ่าน และความรักที่ไม่มีวันจืดจาง **และในที่สุด... เอี้ยก้วยก็ได้กลายเป็นดั่งสายน้ำ ที่ไม่มีวันถูกทำลาย** 

@ 5b705e6c:25c1efe5

Trying out comet!

@ 8947a945:9bfcf626

## Law of diminishing returns : ทำมากได้น้อย ซวยหน่อยขาดทุน  ** หมายเหตุ บทความนี้มีเนื้อหาต่อเนื่องจาก [“(TH) Why I quit : สาเหตุที่ผมลาออกจากที่(ทำงาน) ที่ (เคย) เรียกว่า”บ้าน”](https://www.yakihonne.com/article/naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzpz2849zn00wd9e3dpdqdk4mrdm8rqdz6pa3usp44xzjlr7dlea3xqq2hgdtjwsm4zut0v35ksk3dwpghg3rexfgj648vkt4) ใครยังไม่ได้อ่าน แนะนำให้ไปอ่านก่อนนะครับ ผมได้ยิน คุณท็อป จิรายุส (คุณท๊อป บิทคับ) พูดคำว่า **"Law of diminishing returns"** ไว้ตอนแชร์มุมมองด้านการทำธุรกิจ ตอนนั้นผมไม่เข้าใจ แต่ผมรู้สึกว่ามันเป็นเจ๋งดี สำหรับผม สรุปกฏนี้สั้นๆ คือ **“ทำมากได้น้อย ซวยหน่อยขาดทุน”** กฏข้อนี้ว่าด้วยเรื่องการทำธุรกิจ พูดถึงปัจจัย 3 อย่าง - **Fixed input** คือสิ่งที่ไม่สามารถผลิตเพิ่มได้อีกในธุรกิจตอนนั้น เช่น จำนวนห้องตรวจในโรงพยาบาล, พื้นที่ที่ดินทำการเกษตร, ห้องเก็บสินค้า, จำนวนโต๊ะทำงานในสำนักงาน, ช่องบริการลูกค้าในธุรกิจบริการต่างๆ เป็นต้น ผมขอเรียกสั้นๆว่า “พื้นที่” - **Variable input** คือสิ่งที่สามารถเติมเข้ามาในธุรกิจได้ ปรับแต่งได้ เช่น แรงงาน เครื่องจักร พลังงาน - **Marginal product** คือผลลัพธ์ของธุรกิจ กำไรเพิ่มขึ้นหลังจากเพิ่ม variable input เข้าสู่ระบบ ระยะของ law of diminishing returns - Increased return (ทำเงินได้เยอะขึ้น) เมื่อป้อนแรงงานหรือเครื่องจักรเข้าสู่ระบบ ธุรกิจสามารถทำเงินเพิ่มขึ้นเนื่องจาก fixed input เดิมที่ถูกใช้สอยไม่เต็มที่ (underutilized) ถูกเติมเต็ม กรณีของรพ. คือมีห้องตรวจที่ว่าง ไม่มีหมอนั่งตรวจคนไข้ ห้องตรวจนั้นก็จะไม่สร้างรายได้ แต่เมื่อห้องนั้นมีหมอมานั่ง จะเปลี่ยนเป็นพื้นที่ที่ก่อให้เกิดรายได้ เมื่อห้องตรวจทุกห้องมีหมอนั่งครบ ถือว่าเต็มศักยภาพ ประสิทธิภาพการทำงานที่ดีตามมา - Diminishing return (ทำมากได้น้อย) จุดของความพอดี (optimum point) คือจุดที่สมดุลพอดีของธุรกิจนั้น ทำกำไรได้เหมาะสม ไม่มากไม่น้อยจนเกินไป แต่ถ้ามองไม่เห็นจุด optimum นี้แล้วยังเพิ่ม”แรงงาน”เข้าไปอีก มันจะทำให้ ”พื้นที่” วุ่นวายเละเทะ ประสิทธิภาพในการทำงานลดลง - Negative returns (ซวยหน่อยขาดทุน) ถ้ายังไม่หยุดเพิ่ม “แรงงาน” อีก สามารถนำมาสู่การขาดทุน สรุปเป็นกราฟหน้าตาตามนี้ครับ  ## ทำไมมันถึงเป็นอย่างนั้น ### ผมใช้โมเดลธุรกิจรพ.นี้เป็นตัวอย่างเลยนะครับ ช่วงแรกที่สร้างรพ. ห้องตรวจมีไม่มาก จำนวนหมอและคนไข้สมดุลกันพอดี งานไม่หนักเกินไป การดูแลคนไข้มีประสิทธิภาพ รพ.เป็นที่ไว้ใจของคนในพื้นที่ มีชื่อเสียง ถูกบอกต่อ ทำให้จำนวนคนไข้เข้ามารับบริการมากขึ้น ต้องขยายพื้นที่รพ. สร้างตึกเพิ่ม รับบุคคลากรทุกระดับเข้ามาทำงานมากขึ้น จนเต็มพื้นที่ที่ดินรพ.ไม่สามารถขยายเพิ่มไปได้มากกว่านี้แล้ว เกิดสมดุลพอดี ทุกพื้นที่ถูกใช้งานเต็มศักยภาพ ประสิทธิภาพงานดีมาก  ### ผลการดำเนินงาน **ไม่เคยขาดทุน** ผ่านช่วงวิกฤต**ต้มยำกุ้ง** และ **COVID** ได้สบายๆ ฐานะทางการเงินแข็งแรง จ่ายปันผลสม่ำเสมอ ถ้าผมเป็นเจ้าของรพ.ผมจะ 1. สร้างระบบ 2. สร้างทีมผู้บริหาร 3. เน้นย้ำความสำคัญทำตามระบบ 3. Plan - Do- Check - Act เมื่อเกิดปัญหา เพื่อให้ตัวผมสามารถถอยตัวเองออกมาจากตัวธุรกิจ คอยติดตาม monitor ทุกไตรมาส อย่างใกล้ชิด ไม่ทำอะไรเพิ่มไปมากกว่านี้ แต่สุดท้ายมันก็เกิดเหตุการณ์ทายาทรุ่นที่ 2 “ไม่เอา” นั่นแหละครับ มันทำให้วัฒนธรรมองค์กรเปลี่ยน ก้าวเท้าเข้าไปสู่ยุคตกต่ำ  > #### บริหารแบบล้าหลัง ทำอะไรไม่สุด คิดว่าทำแล้วแต่จริงๆคือไม่ได้ทำ แก้ปัญหาไม่ตรงจุดสร้างปัญหากว่าเดิม --- ### ตัวอย่าง #### 1. นโยบายการประหยัดพลังงานเพื่อลด carbon footprint ฟังดูเหมือนจะดี แต่รพ.สื่อสารให้ > #### รณรงค์ให้ปิดไฟ ... ปิดแอร์เมื่อไม่ใช้งาน ... ผมว่าประโยคนี้มันคุ้นๆ เหมือนเคยได้ยินมามากกว่า 10 ปีแล้ว ... หรือผมเข้าใจผิดหรือเปล่าไม่แน่ใจ รณรงค์แค่นี้แหละครับ เรื่องลด carbon footprint ไม่ได้เป็นการคิดอะไรใหม่ๆที่เหมาะกับยุคสมัย หรือสร้างอะไรที่จับต้องได้ (objective) แต่สิ่งที่ทำสวนทางโดยสิ้นเชิงคือใช้พลาสติกแบบใช้แล้วทิ้ง **(single use plastic)** เป็นภาชนะหลักในการบรรจุอาหารของแพทย์ และผู้เข้าร่วมประชุมงานใหญ่ๆ  มีเสียงเสนอแนะจากบุคคลากรทุกระดับว่าให้ทำเป็นบุฟเฟ่ต์ จานชามช้อนส้อมแบบปกติก็ได้ เสนอกันมา 5 ปี ก็ยังคงไม่่มีการเปลี่ยนแปลง ได้รับแจ้งลงมาว่าใช้ภาชนะพลาสติกมันประหยัดกว่า เอาเป็นว่ากล่องข้าวพลาสติกมีการใช้อย่างน้อย 1200 กล่องต่อเดือน … คาดว่าสมการการปล่อยก๊าสคาร์บอน (carbon emission) ที่ทีมผู้บริหารคำนวณ อาจจะซับซ้อนเกินความเข้าใจของผมก็ได้นะครับ #### 2. การตลาดที่ล้มเหลวและพาแพทย์ซวย  ทำการตลาดไม่เข้าเป้า “เหมือนจะ” ทำ digital marketing แต่ทำแค่โพสกราฟฟิคโปรโมชั่นภาพนิ่งลงสื่อโซเชียลทุกช่องทาง แล้วบอกว่านั่นคือ digital marketing #### ... แต่เดี๋ยวก่อนๆๆๆ ... ผมจะบอกว่าการโพสมันเป็นแค่ 1 ใน 10 ของ digital marketing แต่รพ.เข้าใจว่าตัวเองได้เข้าสู่ digital marketing แล้ว #### ... จริงๆมันไม่ใช่เลยเว้ย ... ผลลัพธ์คือไม่สามารถเปิดน่านน้ำลูกค้าใหม่ได้เลย ได้แต่ฐานลูกค้าเดิมที่มี brand royalty (แต่แนวโน้มลดลง) แถมที่แย่ที่สุดคือทำการตลาดแพคเกจออกมาโดยไม่ปรึกษาแพทย์ก่อนว่ามันขัดต่อมาตรฐานการรักษาหรือไม่ กลายเป็นทำแพคเกจดึงดูดคนไข้เข้ามาใช้บริการ แต่การรักษาในแพคเกจขัดต่อมาตรฐานการรักษาของแพทย์ คนไข้ไม่รู้หรอกครับ คนไข้จะเอาตามที่มีในแพคเกจ เขาจ่ายตังค์แล้ว **แต่ความซวยมันไปตกอยู่กับแพทย์** #### 3. วางกลยุทธไม่เข้าเป้า  ทุกๆต้นปีทางผู้บริหารจะประกาศกลยุทธประจำปี ว่าในปีนั้นๆรพ.จะมุ้งเน้นพัฒนาด้านไหน รพ.นี้มีปัญหาที่เป็นงูกินหางมานาน มันส่งผลต่อประสิทธิภาพการทำงานของหมอและพยาบาล มีการเสนอแก้ปัญหาเรื่องนี้วนซ้ำซากมา 5 ปี แต่ไม่ได้รับแก้ไขจริงจัง (ผมขอไม่เล่านะครับ) แต่กลยุทธประจำปี 3 ปีที่ผ่านมา พุ่งใส่ตัวบุคคลากร เน้นพฤติกรรมบริการที่ดีเลิศ ทราบมาว่ามีการลงทุนกับโครงการนี้หลักแสนหรือหลักล้าน มีการจัด workshop เชิญวิทยากรและ trainer จากบริษัทภายนอก (outsource) เข้ามาอบรม เป็นโครงการที่เน้นให้บุคคลากรทุกคนเข้าอบรม 100% ผมมองว่าปัญหาที่เป็นราก (root cause) มันยังไม่ถูกแก้เลย เปรียบเทียบเหมือนฐานรากของอาคารที่มันโคลงเคลงๆไม่มั่นคงยังไม่ได้รับการแก้ไข แต่พยายามตกแต่งห้องด้วยวัสดุคุณภาพดีและเทคโนโลยีที่ทันสมัย … แต่พร้อมจะล้มลงมาได้ทุกเมื่อ #### 4. มีเสน่ดึงดูด partner ใหม่ๆ แต่ไม่เอาเอง ในช่วง COVID ระลอกแรก มีผู้นำทางด้านธุรกิจโรงแรมในจังหวัดมานำเสนอโมเดลธุรกิจ “hospitel เปลี่ยนโรงแรมให้เป็นโรงพยาบาล” ด้วยศักยภาพของรพ.ที่มีบุคคลากรเพียงพอ และตัวโรงแรมที่นำมาเสนอมีห้องพักประมาณ 300 ห้อง เป็นโมเดลที่รพ.และโรงแรม win-win ทั้งคู่ แต่ทางผู้บริหารมองว่าไม่คุ้ม ปฏิเสธข้อเสนอนี้ ทำให้เสียโอกาสให้กับคู่แข่งคว้าตลาด blue ocean นี้ไป  ผมได้แต่เกาหัวตอนรู้เรื่องนี้ เพราะ 1. ช่วง COVID คนไข้น้อย พนักงานโดนลดชั่วโมงการทำงาน ได้เงินเดือนขั้นต่ำ ไม่ได้ OT 2. ทาง partner เสนอขอบุคคลากรเหล่านี้แหละ ไปช่วยงาน เรื่องสถานที่ทางโรงแรมเขามีแม่บ้าน ฝ่ายทำความสะอาดอยู่แล้ว 3. ทาง partner เสนอ profit sharing กับทางรพ. ถึงผมจะไม่รู้ตัวเลข แต่เชื่อว่ามันยุติธรรม > #### ผมก็ไม่รู้ครับ ว่าอะไรคือคุ้มสำหรับผู้บริหาร #### 5. Top down absolute power ไม่ฟังข้อเสนอจากตัวแทนหมอ คนที่มีอำนาจการตัดสินใจไม่เคยเอาตัวลงมาคุยกับหมอแบบจริงจังเลย 1-2 ปีจะลงมาพบหมอทั้งรพ.ซักหนึ่งครั้ง สร้างภาพเก่ง พูดขายฝันสวนหรูถึงภาพที่เขาต้องการ สั่งการลงมา พอเกิดปัญหาตัวเองไม่ลงมารับผิดชอบ แต่อาศัยหน่วยข่าวกรอง(ที่ไม่รู้ว่ากรองอะไรเข้าไปบ้าง) ออกคำสั่งแก้ผ้าเอาหน้ารอดลงมาทีหลัง #### แถมสั่งให้เงียบและหุบปาก ครั้งหนึ่งมีคำสั่งออกมาไม่ชัดเจน จนพยาบาลทำงานไม่ได้ ตัวแทนพยาบาลต้องโทรมาหาผมเพื่อให้ผมช่วย ผมรวบรวมข้อมูลทั้งหมดและพบว่าคำสั่งมีปัญหาจริงๆ ผมจึง chat line ลงไปสอบถามผู้บริหารเพื่อขอความชัดเจน … ผ่านไปไม่ถึง 5 นาที หนึ่งในผู้บริหาร(คนที่แทงข้างหลังผมที่หาว่าผมมาตรวจคนไข้ VIP เขาช้า 5 นาทีนั่นแหละ)โทรหาผมทันทีคุยกับผมสั้นๆ ใจความว่า “คำสั่งนั้นเอาแบบเดิม ไม่ต้องแก้ และให้ผมเงียบๆซะ”... (ก็ได้วะครับ)  ## จุดเปลี่ยนที่ทำให้รพ.เข้าสู่ law of diminishing returns ห้องตรวจทุกห้องของรพ. ถูกใช้จนเต็มศักยภาพ … เอาจริงๆคือล้นศักยภาพเสียอีก (over-utilized) บางแผนกมีเก้าอี้ดนตรี - หมอคนแรกหมดเวลาออกตรวจ - หมอคนต่อไปเดินเข้าใช้ห้องตรวจต่อทันที - ถ้าไม่ทันก็ต้องคว้าห้องตรวจที่ว่างพร้อมใช้งานก่อน - หมอทำการไล่ที่กันเอง - หมอบางท่านต้องใช้ห้องทำงานของพยาบาลเป็นห้องตรวจชั่วคราว ห้องพักผู้ป่วยก็เช่นกัน บางช่วงเตียงเต็มจนไม่สามารถ admit คนไข้ได้ แต่จำที่ผมบอกได้มั้ยครับว่า คนที่เป็น top down absolute power ไม่เคยเอาตัวลงมาพูดคุยกับแพทย์เพื่อรับฟังปัญหาที่แท้จริงเลย รับแต่ข่าวกรอง(ที่ไม่รู้ว่ากรองอะไรเข้าไปบ้าง) ช่วงนึงมีคนไข้ complaint ว่ารอนั่งรอหมอนาน หมอมาตรวจช้า ผู้บริหารเลยพยายามจะแก้ปัญหา โดยการ monitor **waiting time (ระยะเวลารอหมอ)** หยิบยกเรื่องนี้ขึ้นมาเป็นวาระเร่งด่วนต้องรีบแก้ไข แต่เขายังงงๆกับ concept waiting time อยู่เลยว่าจะนับตั้งแต่ตอนไหนถึงตอนไหน - Waiting time สั้นแปลว่าดี เพราะคนไข้ได้เจอหมอเร็ว - Waiting time นานแปลว่าไม่ดี เพราะคนไข้นั่งรอหมอนาน เขาตีความจากตัวเลขครับ แต่เคยเอาตัวลงมาดูจริงๆหรือเปล่าว่าทำไมตัวเลขมันถึงออกมาไม่ดี >### คำตอบคือ“ไม่” ครับ หมอบางสาขามีความจำเป็นต้องไปดูคนไข้ที่อาการหนักใช้เวลารักษานาน ... หรือ ... รับปรึกษาจากแพทย์ต่างสาขา ... หรือ ... เป็นสาขาเฉพาะทางของเฉพาะทางอีกที ต้องใช้เวลาตรวจละเอียดตรวจนาน >#### มันเป็นกระบวนการทำงานของหมอ ที่หมอด้วยกันเข้าใจกัน ส่วนคนเก็บข้อมูลก็นำเสนอไปทั้งอย่างนั้นโดยที่ไม่ได้วิเคราะห์อะไรเลย มันเป็นการกรองข้อมูลที่ไม่รอบคอบก่อนนำเสนอผู้บริหาร สุดท้ายผู้บริหาร ***“โทษหมอ”*** ว่าไม่มีการบริหารเวลาทำงานที่ดีเพียงพอ ทำให้คนไข้รอนาน เขาสรุปกันดื้อๆแบบนี้เลยครับ พอหนักๆเข้า **“รอหมอนาน ต้องเพิ่มหมอ”** season การรับสมัครหมอหลายตำแหน่งได้เริ่มขึ้น แต่เดี๋ยวนะ ห้องตรวจมันแน่นจนแทบไม่มีที่ให้หมอนั่งทำงานแล้ว แต่เขาก็ไม่สนครับ รับหมอหน้าใหม่ๆมาเพิ่มเรื่อยๆ ด้วย mindset ว่า **"ต้องเพิ่มหมอ หมอจะได้เยอะขึ้น คนไข้จะได้ไม่ต้องรอนาน"** และเชื่อว่าจะทำรายได้ให้รพ.มากขึ้น หมอหน้าใหม่บางท่านเข้ามาทำงานวันแรกถึงขั้นอยู่ในสภาวะ dead air คือ***ไม่มีที่ให้นั่งทำงาน*** ### “ทำมากได้น้อย” เริ่มต้น คนไข้รพ.นี้ ส่วนใหญ่เป็นโรคซับซ้อน ต้องการทักษะและเวลาหมอเฉพาะทางแต่ละสาขาอยู่ดี ไม่ได้ทำให้ waiting time ดีขึ้น คนไข้ยัง “นั่งรอหมอนานเหมือนเดิม” รายได้เริ่มลดลง ยอดคนไข้เริ่มลดลง รพ.พยายามแก้เกมโดยการเพิ่มราคาค่าบริการ (เพิ่มขนาด ticket size) ทำให้มีเสียงรีวิวตามโซเชียลว่า **"แพง"** ผลที่เกิดขึ้นคือคนไข้หลายคนอาศัยรพ.นี้ในการตรวจวินิจฉัยโรคแล้วเอาผลไปรักษาต่อรพ.รัฐบาลตามสิทธิ์เพราะสู้ราคาค่ารักษาไม่ไหว บางคนมีประกันสุขภาพหลายฉบับแต่ก็ต้องจ่ายส่วนต่างมากอยู่ดี  วิธีการข้างต้นนี้ ไม่ผิดกติกาครับ ผล X-ray , CT, MRI, ultrasound จากรพ.เอกชน ไวกว่ารพ.รัฐบาลอยู่แล้ว แต่ก็มีคนไข้บางส่วนยินดีจ่ายแพง เพราะเชื่อมั่นหมอที่รพ.นี้ไม่อยากย้ายรพ.ก็มีครับ เพราะหมอไม่ได้ทำอะไรผิด หมอเก่งๆมีเยอะ ถึงแม้ว่ารพ.จะรักษา momentum มีจำนวนคนไข้ประมาณ 1100 - 1200 รายต่อวัน แต่ก็เป็นโรคง่ายๆ(simple disease) เช่นไข้หวัด อาหารเป็นพิษ เป็นต้น โรคเหล่านี้ ticket size ไม่ได้ใหญ่มาก ประคองไว้ไม่ให้ขาดทุนเท่านั้นครับ แต่ความแพงแบบไม่สมเหตุสมผล ทำให้คนไข้หลายรายถอดใจย้ายรพ.ตั้งแต่ทราบค่าใช้จ่ายวินาทีแรก คนไข้น้อยลง --> รายได้ลดลง --> เพิ่ม ticket size ต่อหัวให้แพงขึ้น --> คนไข้หนีเพราะแพงเกิน > #### ผมไม่รู้ว่าผู้บริหารเขาเห็นไหม แต่คาดว่าคงจะไม่เห็น ส่วนโรคหรือการผ่าตัดที่สมศักดิ์ศรีกับศักยภาพของรพ. **"น้อยมากจนแทบไม่มี"** ไม่ใช่สาเหตุอื่นเลยครับ โดนรพ.คู่แข่งในรัศมี 20 กิโลเมตรเอาไปหมด เพราะราคาถูกกว่า หมอก็เก่งไม่แพ้กัน หมอบางคนเคยอยู่ที่รพ.แห่งนี้ เสนอโปรเจคการรักษาโรคบางโรคที่สามารถสร้างรายได้เป็นกอบเป็นกำ แต่ทางรพ.ไม่เอาเอง สุดท้ายหมอเหล่านั้นย้ายไปอยู่กับรพ.คู่แข่งและผลักดันโปรเจคเหล่านั้นสำเร็จจนมีชื่อเสียง > #### "รพ.ขายสินค้า premium ไม่ได้เลย ขายได้แต่สินค้าเกรดท้องตลาด" กลยุทธที่รพ.ทำต่อมาคือเพิ่มจำนวนชั่วโมงการทำงานของหมอให้เพิ่มขึ้นโดยให้หมอมาทำงานเร็วขึ้น 2 ชม. แต่ไม่จ่าย OT ให้ ด้วยตรรกะว่าถ้าหมอทำงานนานขึ้น จะมีจำนวนคนไข้มากขึ้น ทางรพ.ไม่ได้ขอร้อง แต่บีบคอให้หมอร่วมมือ หากไม่ร่วมมือไล่ออกทันที  ไปๆมาๆ มีการไล่ออกกระทันหันเกิดขึ้น มีการส่งหนังสือส่วนตัวหาหมอทุกคน ใครมีรายชื่อที่จะปลดออกก็ต้องออกจากงานทันที ผมมองว่าฐานะทางการเงินมีปัญหารุนแรงครับ เงินเดือนพนักงานถือเป็น fixed cost ที่ธุรกิจต้องแบกรับ ถ้าเจ๋งจริงต้องควบคุมรายจ่ายให้ธุรกิจสามารถไปต่อได้โดยไม่ปลดคน ในส่วนของธุรกิจรพ. หมอคือบุคคลากรที่สำคัญที่สุดและเป็นด่านสุดท้ายที่จะไล่ออกเพื่อรักษาชีวิตของธุรกิจ ตอนนี้รพ.ได้เข้าสู่ระยะสุดท้ายของ law of diminishing returns คือ “ซวยหน่อยขาดทุน” เป็นที่เรียบร้อยครับ จุดจบของรพ.แบบนี้ ที่ศักยภาพดี แต่บริหารห่วยแตก มันจะจบด้วยการถูก take over ผ่านมาไม่นานกราฟหุ้นออกอาการ exit liquidity แล้วครับ ## ข้อคิดที่อยากแบ่งปันกับทุกคนที่อ่านมาจนจบ 1. ช่วงธุรกิจเปลี่ยนผ่านสู่ทายาท คือจุดวัดใจหัวเลี้ยวหัวต่อว่าจะรอดหรือไม่รอด 2. Law of diminishing returns ไม่ได้ใช้เฉพาะกับธุรกิจ แต่สามารถประยุกต์ใช้กับการดำเนินชีวิตได้หลายมิติ หากใครเข้าใจ จะขยับเข้าสู่ Pareto’s rule … สั้นๆคือ ทำน้อยแต่ได้(โคตร)มาก 3. เจ้าของธุรกิจ ต้องหูไว มองหาเนื้อร้ายที่คอยกัดกินธุรกิจให้เจอ แล้วกำจัดมันซะ ก่อนที่ธุรกิจจะล้มทั้งยืน ทับตัวเองตาย

@ d6c48950:54d57756

This post is going to cover some very basic habits and sanity checks that offer large returns over time whilst having a very low cost and in that theme I’m going to keep this to a condensed bullet point list. **how to get the solution faster** - You solve problems every day, when you have a goal and try to achieve it, when you face a shortcoming and try and overcome it, when you have an issue and resolve it - As a habit each time you solve a problem go over your actual thoguht process, how did you solve it? - After you’ve looked critically at it ask how you could have improved it **if someones better do what they tell you** - I’ve noticed a lot of people won’t take advice from people who knows better (I think because they feel if they just do what they’re told it doesn’t feel like ‘their’ accomplishment) - If someone is more credible than you and the advice they give is credible just do what you’re told **accept easy/simple solutions** - Weight loss is incredibly simple, you weigh yourself daily, count your calories and maintain a deficit of 200-500kcal daily, apps automate most of the heavy lifting - As a human it’s natural to fight against simple/easy solutions to longstanding problems - “Not only has this thing been destroying my life for years but the solution is easy and something everyone already knows? the solution is the thing everyones been telling me since the problem first started?” - supress the urge to push it away and just accept the solution, even if it means your problem was mostly self inflicted and easily avoidable **log predictions** - Keep a log of your predictions (I use apple numbers) then also log your confidence (55%, 65%, 75%, 85%, 95%) in each prediction and see how close you are - If you make 100 predictions at 55% confidence only 55 of them should be correct, if more are correct you’re underconfident if less are correct you’re overconfident **working harder is almost always beneficial** - Despite the doomerish advice hard work and time spent working is beneficial way more than most people give it credit for - there’s probably a point at which it tops off (16hrs a day might be marginally better than 12hrs) but it’s way higher than you’d instinctively expect - Try working longer hours and harder and see how you do, in my view burnout is probably a non issue if other factors of your life (sleep, diet, exercise, stress management) are correct, **basic stuff works very well** - Certain basic advice (sleep, exercise, don’t take recreational drugs, don’t drink) are not only increidlby consistent but they also have very large effect sizes, do the basic stuff before moving onto the more esoteric like nicotine patches or adderall

@ bc575705:dba3ed39

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. **The Attention Deficit Trap:** The constant stream of notifications, updates, and content creates a state of perpetual distraction, making it difficult to focus, think critically, and engage in meaningful interactions. 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 apps here: https://nostrapps.com/

@ 3492dd43:1af4ffdd

Testing comet.md the idea of writing locally is a great. Why would i need to be connected to the internet to login to a server somewhere in order to write. Upon reflection, that seems highly regarded. This basically has the feel of a combination of an rss reader and the apple notes app. Include email intergration and also subscribing and reading, and this will be a game changer

@ a012dc82:6458a70d

In a groundbreaking move that could significantly alter the investment landscape, Harvest Fund Management, a prominent Chinese asset manager, has boldly stepped forward with an application for a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in Hong Kong. This initiative is not just a leap towards diversifying investment options but also a testament to the evolving acceptance and integration of digital assets into the mainstream financial ecosystem. **Table of Contents** - Introduction to Spot Bitcoin ETFs - Harvest Fund's Strategic Move - The Significance for Hong Kong - Regulatory Landscape and Stablecoin Interest - The Road Ahead - Conclusion - FAQs **Introduction to Spot Bitcoin ETFs** Spot Bitcoin ETFs represent a bridge between the traditional financial world and the burgeoning realm of cryptocurrencies. By mirroring the current market price of Bitcoin, these ETFs offer investors a straightforward path to participate in the cryptocurrency market without the direct ownership of Bitcoin. This eliminates the need for investors to engage with cryptocurrency exchanges or secure digital wallets, thereby lowering the entry barriers to the Bitcoin market. The significance of spot Bitcoin ETFs extends beyond convenience; they are a symbol of the growing legitimization of cryptocurrencies as a viable asset class. By being listed on conventional stock exchanges, these ETFs are subjected to regulatory scrutiny and standards, offering a layer of security and transparency that is sometimes questioned in the crypto space. This development could potentially attract a new wave of institutional and retail investors, who have been on the sidelines due to concerns over regulatory clarity and the technical challenges associated with cryptocurrency investments. **Harvest Fund's Strategic Move** Harvest Fund Management's application for a spot Bitcoin ETF is a calculated strategic move, positioning the firm at the forefront of financial innovation in Hong Kong. By aiming to launch the city's first such ETF, Harvest Fund is not merely expanding its product lineup but is also contributing to the legitimization and institutionalization of Bitcoin as an investable asset. This pioneering effort reflects a deep understanding of market dynamics and a vision for the future of investment, where digital and traditional assets coexist within regulated frameworks. The initiative by Harvest Fund could catalyze a shift in investor sentiment, encouraging more conservative players to consider the potential of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Furthermore, it sets a benchmark for product innovation and regulatory compliance, potentially influencing the pace and direction of cryptocurrency adoption across the financial sector. As the first mover, Harvest Fund could enjoy a competitive advantage, capturing significant market share among investors eager to explore digital assets within a regulated environment. **The Significance for Hong Kong** Hong Kong's financial landscape is on the cusp of transformation, with Harvest Fund's application signaling a broader trend towards the acceptance of digital assets. This move comes at a pivotal moment, as Hong Kong seeks to assert itself as a global hub for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. The interest from approximately 10 fund companies in launching their own spot crypto ETFs underscores the city's potential to lead in the virtual asset space. This collective momentum could significantly enhance Hong Kong's attractiveness as a financial center, drawing in global investors looking for regulated avenues into the cryptocurrency market. The introduction of spot Bitcoin ETFs would not only diversify the city's financial products but also reinforce its reputation as a jurisdiction that balances innovation with investor protection. By providing a structured and regulated framework for cryptocurrency investments, Hong Kong can set a global standard for how financial centers can adapt to the evolving landscape of digital assets. This development is a key step in the broader journey towards integrating cryptocurrencies into the global financial system, with Hong Kong leading the way. **Regulatory Landscape and Stablecoin Interest** The enthusiasm for spot Bitcoin ETFs in Hong Kong is paralleled by an equally significant interest in stablecoins, indicating a comprehensive approach to cryptocurrency regulation and adoption. The discussions between the HKMA and various companies about stablecoin trials reflect a proactive stance towards understanding and integrating digital currencies in a way that supports financial stability and innovation. This balanced approach is crucial, as stablecoins represent a bridge between traditional fiat currencies and cryptocurrencies, offering the potential for more efficient payment systems and financial services. The regulatory efforts around stablecoins, coupled with the move towards spot Bitcoin ETFs, show Hong Kong's commitment to creating a robust framework for digital assets. This not only enhances the city's competitive edge as a financial hub but also provides a blueprint for other jurisdictions navigating the complexities of cryptocurrency regulation. By leading in both areas, Hong Kong is positioning itself at the forefront of financial innovation, setting the stage for a future where digital and traditional finance converge seamlessly. **The Road Ahead** The initiative by Harvest Fund Management to launch a spot Bitcoin ETF in Hong Kong marks the beginning of a new era in cryptocurrency investment. This move is more than just an expansion of the financial products available to investors; it is a signal of the maturing relationship between the cryptocurrency industry and the broader financial community. As regulatory frameworks continue to evolve and more players enter the market, the landscape for cryptocurrency investment is set to undergo significant changes. Hong Kong's role in this transition cannot be understated. By fostering an environment that encourages innovation while ensuring investor protection, the city is not just adapting to the rise of digital assets but is actively shaping the future of finance. The success of Harvest Fund's application and the subsequent launch of the city's first spot Bitcoin ETF could serve as a catalyst for other financial centers to follow suit, potentially leading to a global shift in how cryptocurrencies are perceived and utilized within the investment world. **Conclusion** Harvest Fund Management's bold step towards launching a spot Bitcoin ETF in Hong Kong is a landmark moment in the integration of digital assets into mainstream finance. This initiative not only opens up new avenues for investment but also underscores Hong Kong's ambition to be at the forefront of financial innovation. As the regulatory landscape evolves and the market for digital assets continues to grow, the efforts of Harvest Fund and like-minded institutions will be crucial in bridging the gap between traditional finance and the digital asset world. The path ahead is promising, and Hong Kong's leadership in this space could pave the way for a new chapter in the global financial narrative, where digital and traditional assets coexist in a regulated, dynamic, and inclusive investment ecosystem. **FAQs** **Who has filed for the first spot Bitcoin ETF in Hong Kong?** Harvest Fund Management, a major Chinese asset manager, has filed an application for the first spot Bitcoin ETF in Hong Kong with the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). **Why is a spot Bitcoin ETF significant for investors?** A spot Bitcoin ETF provides a regulated, accessible, and potentially less risky way for investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin's price movements without dealing with the complexities of cryptocurrency exchanges, digital wallets, and private keys. **How does a spot Bitcoin ETF work?** A spot Bitcoin ETF buys and holds actual Bitcoin, and the value of the ETF shares fluctuates with the real-time price of Bitcoin. Investors can buy and sell these shares through traditional stock exchanges. **What are the benefits of investing in a spot Bitcoin ETF?** Investing in a spot Bitcoin ETF offers the benefits of trading and owning a stock, including regulatory protection, ease of access, and liquidity, while also providing exposure to Bitcoin's price. **That's all for today** **If you want more, be sure to follow us on:** **NOSTR: croxroad@getalby.com** **X: [@croxroadnewsco](https://x.com/croxroadnewsco)** **Instagram: [@croxroadnews.co/](https://www.instagram.com/croxroadnews.co/)** **Youtube: [@thebitcoinlibertarian](https://www.youtube.com/@thebitcoinlibertarian)** **Store: https://croxroad.store** **Subscribe to CROX ROAD Bitcoin Only Daily Newsletter** **https://www.croxroad.co/subscribe** **Get Orange Pill App And Connect With Bitcoiners In Your Area. Stack Friends Who Stack Sats link: https://signup.theorangepillapp.com/opa/croxroad** **Buy Bitcoin Books At Konsensus Network Store. 10% Discount With Code “21croxroad” link: https://bitcoinbook.shop?ref=21croxroad** *DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.*

@ bc575705:dba3ed39

One of the most exciting aspects of music production is blending the organic warmth of acoustic instruments with the limitless possibilities of electronic sounds. Combining these two worlds allows me to create rich, layered compositions that feel both timeless and modern. In this post, I’ll share my process for merging acoustic and electronic elements, offering a glimpse into how I approach this dynamic interplay in my music. ## **Start With a Core Idea** Every track begins with a central idea that sets the tone for the composition. This could be a melody played on an acoustic piano, a chord progression on a guitar, or a rhythmic motif created with electronic drums. Starting with a strong foundation helps anchor the track, making it easier to integrate acoustic and electronic layers cohesively. Example: I might record a simple acoustic guitar loop and use it as the backbone of the track. Its natural tone provides a grounding element that contrasts beautifully with the synthetic textures I’ll layer in later. ## **Record Acoustic Elements With Character** When incorporating acoustic instruments, I focus on capturing their raw, authentic sound. Imperfections—like the creak of a guitar string or the ambient noise of the recording space—add character and depth to the track. **What I Use:** I often record acoustic elements using a condenser microphone to capture detail and warmth. Instruments like piano, guitar, or even simple percussive hits serve as the organic counterpoint to electronic layers. **How I Use It:** I’ll sometimes process these recordings with effects like reverb or delay to give them a dreamlike quality, or leave them raw for a more intimate feel. ## **Build Electronic Layers** With the acoustic elements in place, I begin crafting the electronic components. These can range from deep, evolving synth pads to intricate drum patterns and glitchy textures. The goal is to complement the acoustic elements without overpowering them. **What I Use:** Tools like Serum, Omnisphere, and analog synths like the Korg Minilogue are my go-to for designing electronic sounds. Drum machines or sample packs provide the rhythmic backbone. **How I Use It:** I’ll often create electronic layers that echo or contrast with the acoustic parts—for instance, pairing a warm piano melody with shimmering, high-frequency synths to create a sense of balance. ## **Focus on Blending and Balance** The magic of combining acoustic and electronic elements lies in how they interact. To achieve a cohesive sound, I pay close attention to how each layer fits within the mix. **Techniques I Use:** **EQ:** I carve out space in the frequency spectrum for each element. For example, cutting low-end frequencies on a synth pad can make room for the natural resonance of an acoustic bass. **Compression:** Light compression can help glue the acoustic and electronic layers together, ensuring they feel like part of the same sonic space. **Reverb and Delay:** Applying similar reverb settings to both acoustic and electronic elements can create a sense of unity and atmosphere. ## **Experiment With Textures and Effects** One of my favorite parts of the process is experimenting with how acoustic and electronic sounds can interact. Sometimes, this involves processing acoustic recordings through electronic effects, or vice versa. **Examples:** *Running an acoustic guitar loop through a granular synthesizer to create glitchy, fragmented textures.* *Sampling a piano note and pitching it down to create a haunting drone.* *Adding subtle distortion to electronic drums to give them a more organic, analog feel.* ## **Embrace the Contrast** Part of what makes this combination so compelling is the contrast between the two elements. Acoustic instruments bring warmth, humanity, and imperfection, while electronic sounds add precision, innovation, and texture. Leaning into these differences can create dynamic and emotionally resonant compositions. **Example:** Pairing a raw, emotive vocal recording with a pulsating, mechanical bassline creates a tension that keeps the listener engaged. ## **Refine and Iterate** Once all the elements are in place, I spend time refining the mix and arrangement. **This involves:** *Adjusting levels to ensure no element overpowers the others.* *Experimenting with transitions to smoothly blend acoustic and electronic sections.* *Listening to the track as a whole to ensure it tells a cohesive story.* ## **Why This Approach Inspires Me** Blending acoustic and electronic elements allows me to explore the dualities of sound—the organic and the synthetic, the familiar and the futuristic. It’s a process that pushes me creatively, challenging me to think beyond genre boundaries and embrace the full spectrum of sonic possibilities. At its core, this approach is about connection—bridging the past and the present, the human and the technological, to create music that feels both timeless and forward-thinking.

@ 1c19eb1a:e22fb0bc

It's been barely two years since I joined Nostr on my main npub, nostr:npub1kun5628raxpm7usdkj62z2337hr77f3ryrg9cf0vjpyf4jvk9r9smv3lhe, and in just that relatively short time, the amount of development on top of this protocol has been staggering. When nostr:npub1sg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q0uf63m first opened the floodgates of adoption by tweeting about Nostr, it felt like most of the available clients were barely serviceable and held together with a prayer and copious amounts of duct tape. Of course, it can sometimes still feel that way, but there are definitely some Nostr apps looking and feeling more polished and providing true innovation when compared with legacy social platforms. Indeed, there are a growing number of Nostr-based applications and tools that have very little to do with social media at all. One thing we have not had available to the growing Nostr community, and those considering joining it, is a source for application reviews that is thorough, approachable, knowledgeable, and balanced. This is what I hope to begin to provide through this new npub dedicated to reviewing as many of the Nostr clients, apps, and tools as I possibly can, so you the reader can determine which ones will fit your needs, and perhaps help you find new ones you had never heard about. One of the best parts about Nostr is the portability of your identity and social graph, allowing users to log into any Nostr-based application with their same "account" without some centralized tech giant like Google or Apple owning who you are and all of your data. Leverage this super-power of Nostr with me as we explore the best applications and tools the intrepid developers building on this platform have cooked up. ## What will you review? My choice of applications to review will be based on a few factors. First, I will only be reviewing applications that have a production release, or are otherwise considered production ready by the developer. nostr:npub1xtscya34g58tk0z605fvr788k263gsu6cy9x0mhnm87echrgufzsevkk5s, you won't have to worry that I will be putting NoteDeck under the microscope while it is still very much in alpha. All of us who love to try the new clients as soon as they are available understand well enough that there will be plenty of bugs, UI quirks, and rough edges to look past. Second, I will generally be reviewing applications that are meant to be user-facing for the average person. That is, apps that your normie friends might soon be using, and then asking you why they can't edit anything they post. I will not be doing reviews of various relay implementations, for instance, unless they are designed to be approachable to the average user to install and manage. nostr:npub10npj3gydmv40m70ehemmal6vsdyfl7tewgvz043g54p0x23y0s8qzztl5h, your project might just be a notable exception. Third, my reviews will be limited by the operating systems I have available to me at the time. Sorry folks over on iOS, Mac, and Windows. I will only be able to review apps I can run on Android, Linux, or my web browser for the time being. ## How will the apps be rated? I want to be thorough in my reviews, and yet avoid overloading my readers with information they don't care about. In order to attempt to achieve this, I will break my reviews into several sections, so readers can skip to the sections relevant to their interests. First, I will provide a basic overview of the type of application I am reviewing, what it is trying to achieve, and why a user might want to try it out. Next, I will give my overall impression of the application. The good, the bad, and the ugly, as it were, so that those who just want a brief rundown can get the TLDR right out the gate and be on their way. Then we will begin diving into the nitty-gritty with an in depth look at the main features of the application. What it does well. What features seem lacking. What expected features are absent. What features make it unique and set it apart from other applications with a similar purpose. For the sake of all the baby Nostriches out there, the next section will be an assessment of how approachable the application would likely be to a normie who is coming to Nostr with no idea what a public and private key are, what relays are, or why they might want to start interacting here instead of on a legacy equivalent. What would someone used to Twitter think of #Snort? What would someone used to Spotify think of #Fountain or #Wavlake? The next section will be a review of the application's UI. The design and polish. How easy it is to find the things you want in the areas you would expect them. In short, how well the application achieves the goal of making the user feel at home and want to continue using the app just through quality UI design. If you know me and my contstant harping on developers to include various forms of external signing, it should be no surprise to you that the next section will cover login options. What does the sign-in and sign-up flow look like, and does the user have to expose their private key to the application in order to use it? A review of virtually any Nostr application would be incomplete without a section dedicated to zap integration. How prominent is zapping in the app? How easy is it to zap or start receiving zaps? Are zaps displayed in a way that encourages users to compete to be top zapper? Is Nostr Wallet Connect supported for using external wallets for one-tap-zapping? Most Nostr applications, even "other stuff" clients, are designed to present some form of content to the user. The next section will cover how easy it is for the user to find the type of content they may be interested in, or to discover content they didn't know they might be interested in. For social clients, how easy is it to discover other users that they might want to follow? The backbone of the protocol is the interplay between clients and relays, and the next section of the review will cover how the app manages relays. Are they hidden from the user? Are there sensible defaults? Can users who want to do so select the relays they prefer? Does the app respect relays the user has selected in other apps, or are the app's relays independent of those selected in other apps. Worse, does the app overwrite your selected relays with its defaults? Finally, I will scour the #AskNostr feed for questions and comments from other users about the app under review to get more perspectives than just my own. What are the common pain-points other users are having? What do they love about the app? What features would they like to see added? Are there other sections you would like to see me add before I start dropping reviews? Get them to me soon, because I am currently taking notes for my first review, which will be the #Primal #Android client! PV 🤙

@ 1c19eb1a:e22fb0bc

I am happy to present to you the first full review posted to Nostr Reviews: #Primal for #Android! Primal has its origins as a micro-blogging, social media client, though it is now expanding its horizons into long-form content. It was first released only as a web client in March of 2023, but has since had a native client released for both iOS and Android. All of Primal's clients recently had an update to Primal 2.0, which included both performance improvements and a number of new features. This review will focus on the Android client specifically, both on phone and tablet. Since Primal has also added features that are only available to those enrolled in their new premium subscription, it should also be noted that this review will be from the perspective of a free user. This is for two reasons. First, I am using an alternate npub to review the app, and if I were to purchase premium at some time in the future, it would be on my main npub. Second, despite a lot of positive things I have to say about Primal, I am not planning to regularly use any of their apps on my main account for the time being, for reasons that will be discussed later in the review. The application can be installed through the [Google Play Store](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.primal.android&hl=en_US), Zapstore, or by downloading it directly from Primal's [GitHub](https://github.com/PrimalHQ/primal-android-app/releases/). This review is current as of Primal Android version 2.0.21. In the ecosystem of "notes and other stuff," Primal is predominantly in the "notes" category. It is geared toward users who want a social media experience similar to Twitter or Facebook with an infinite scrolling feed of notes to interact with. However, there is some "other stuff" included to complement this primary focus on short and long form notes including a built-in Lightning wallet powered by #Strike, a robust advanced search, and a media-only feed.  ## Overall Impression Score: **3.8** / 5 Primal may well be the most polished UI of any Nostr client native to Android. It is incredibly well designed and thought out, with all of the icons and settings in the places a user would expect to find them. It is also incredibly easy to get started on Nostr via Primal's sign-up flow. The only two things that will be foreign to new users are the lack of any need to set a password or give an email address, and the prompt to optionally set up the wallet. Complaints prior to the 2.0 update about Primal being slow and clunky should now be completely alleviated. I only experienced quick load times and snappy UI controls with a couple very minor exceptions. Primal is not, however, a client that I would recommend for the power-user. Control over preferred relays is minimal and does not allow the user to determine which relays they write to and which they only read from. Though you can use your own wallet, it will not appear within the wallet interface, which only works with the custodial wallet from Strike. Moreover, and most eggregiously, the only way for existing users to log in is by pasting their nsec, as Primal does not support either the Android signer or remote signer options for users to protect their private key at this time. This lack of signer support is the primary reason the client received such a low overall score. If even one form of external signer log in is added to Primal, the score will be amended to 4.2 / 5, and if both Android signer and remote signer support is added, it will increase to 4.5. Another downside to Primal is that it still utilizes an outdated direct message specification that leaks metadata that can be readily seen by anyone on the network. While the content of your messages remains encrypted, anyone can see who you are messaging with, and when. That said, the beautiful thing about Nostr as a protocol is that users are not locked into any particular client. You may find Primal to be a great client for your average #bloomscrolling and zapping memes, but opt for a different client for more advanced uses and for direct messaging. ## Features Primal has a lot of features users would expect from any Nostr client that is focused on short-form notes, but it also packs in a lot of features that set it apart from other clients, and that showcase Primal's obvious prioritization of a top-tier user experience. ### Home Feed By default, the infinitely scrolling Home feed displays notes from those you currently follow in chronological order. This is traditional Nostr at its finest, and made all the more immersive by the choice to have all distracting UI elements quickly hide themselves from view as the you begin to scroll down the feed. They return just as quickly when you begin to scroll back up.  Scrolling the feed is incredibly fast, with no noticeable choppiness and minimal media pop-in if you are on a decent internet connection. Helpfully, it is easy to get back to the top of the feed whenever there is a new post to be viewed, as a bubble will appear with the profile pictures of the users who have posted since you started scrolling.  ### Interacting With Notes Interacting with a note in the feed can be done via the very recognizable icons at the bottom of each post. You can comment, zap, like, repost, and/or bookmark the note. Notably, tapping on the zap icon will immediately zap the note your default amount of sats, making zapping incredibly fast, especially when using the built-in wallet. Long pressing on the zap icon will open up a menu with a variety of amounts, along with the ability to zap a custom amount. All of these amounts, and the messages that are sent with the zap, can be customized in the application settings.  Users who are familiar with Twitter or Instagram will feel right at home with only having one option for "liking" a post. However, users from Facebook or other Nostr clients may wonder why they don't have more options for reactions. This is one of those things where users who are new to Nostr probably won't notice they are missing out on anything at all, while users familiar with clients like #Amethyst or #noStrudel will miss the ability to react with a 🤙 or a 🫂. It's a similar story with the bookmark option. While this is a nice bit of feature parity for Twitter users, for those already used to the ability to have multiple customized lists of bookmarks, or at minimum have the ability to separate them into public and private, it may be a disappointment that they have no access to the bookmarks they already built up on other clients. Primal offers only one list of bookmarks for short-form notes and they are all visible to the public. However, you are at least presented with a warning about the public nature of your bookmarks before saving your first one. Yet, I can't dock the Primal team much for making these design choices, as they are understandable for Primal's goal of being a welcoming client for those coming over to Nostr from centralized platforms. They have optimized for the onboarding of new users, rather than for those who have been around for a while, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. ### Post Creation Composing posts in Primal is as simple as it gets. Accessed by tapping the obvious circular button with a "+" on it in the lower right of the Home feed, most of what you could need is included in the interface, and nothing you don't.  Your device's default keyboard loads immediately, and the you can start typing away. There are options for adding images from your gallery, or taking a picture with your camera, both of which will result in the image being uploaded to Primal's media-hosting server. If you prefer to host your media elsewhere, you can simply paste the link to that media into your post. There is also an @ icon as a tip-off that you can tag other users. Tapping on this simply types "@" into your note and brings up a list of users. All you have to do to narrow down the user you want to tag is continue typing their handle, Nostr address, or paste in their npub.  This can get mixed results in other clients, which sometimes have a hard time finding particular users when typing in their handle, forcing you to have to remember their Nostr address or go hunt down their npub by another means. Not so with Primal, though. I had no issues tagging anyone I wanted by simply typing in their handle. Of course, when you are tagging someone well known, you may find that there are multiple users posing as that person. Primal helps you out here, though. Usually the top result is the person you want, as Primal places them in order of how many followers they have. This is quite reliable right now, but there is nothing stopping someone from spinning up an army of bots to follow their fake accounts, rendering follower count useless for determining which account is legitimate. It would be nice to see these results ranked by web-of-trust, or at least an indication of how many users you follow who also follow the users listed in the results. Once you are satisfied with your note, the "Post" button is easy to find in the top right of the screen. ### Feed Selector and Marketplace Primal's Home feed really shines when you open up the feed selection interface, and find that there are a plethora of options available for customizing your view. By default, it only shows four options, but tapping "Edit" opens up a new page of available toggles to add to the feed selector.  The options don't end there, though. Tapping "Add Feed" will open up the feed marketplace, where an ever-growing number of custom feeds can be found, some created by Primal and some created by others. This feed marketplace is available to a few other clients, but none have so closely integrated it with their Home feeds like Primal has.  Unfortunately, as great as these custom feeds are, this was also the feature where I ran into the most bugs while testing out the app. One of these bugs was while selecting custom feeds. Occasionally, these feed menu screens would become unresponsive and I would be unable to confirm my selection, or even use the back button on my device to back out of the screen. However, I was able to pull the screen down to close it and re-open the menu, and everything would be responsive again. This only seemed to occur when I spent 30 seconds or more on the same screen, so I imagine that most users won't encounter it much in their regular use. Another UI bug occurred for me while in the feed marketplace. I could scroll down the list of available feeds, but attempting to scroll back up the feed would often close the interface entirely instead, as though I had pulled the screen down from the top, when I was swiping in the middle of the screen. The last of these bugs occurred when selecting a long-form "Reads" feed while in the menu for the Home feed. The menu would allow me to add this feed and select it to be displayed, but it would fail to load the feed once selected, stating "There is no content in this feed." Going to a different page within the the app and then going back to the Home tab would automatically remove the long-form feed from view, and reset back to the most recently viewed short-form "Notes" feed, though the long-form feed would still be available to select again. The results were similar when selecting a short-form feed for the Reads feed. I would suggest that if long-form and short-form feeds are going to be displayed in the same list, and yet not be able to be displayed in the same feed, the application should present an error message when attempting to add a long-form feed for the Home feed or a short-form feed for the Reads feed, and encourage the user add it to the proper feed instead. ### Long-Form "Reads" Feed A brand new feature in Primal 2.0, users can now browse and read long-form content posted to Nostr without having to go to a separate client. Primal now has a dedicated "Reads" feed to browse and interact with these articles. This feed displays the author and title of each article or blog, along with an image, if available. Quite conveniently, it also lets you know the approximate amount of time it will take to read a given article, so you can decide if you have the time to dive into it now, or come back later.  Noticeably absent from the Reads feed, though, is the ability to compose an article of your own. This is another understandable design choice for a mobile client. Composing a long-form note on a smart-phone screen is not a good time. Better to be done on a larger screen, in a client with a full-featured text editor. Tapping an article will open up an attractive reading interface, with the ability to bookmark for later. These bookmarks are a separate list from your short-form note bookmarks so you don't have to scroll through a bunch of notes you bookmarked to find the article you told yourself you would read later and it's already been three weeks. While you can comment on the article or zap it, you will notice that you cannot repost or quote-post it. It's not that you can't do so on Nostr. You absolutely can in other clients. In fact, you can do so on Primal's web client, too. However, Primal on Android does not handle rendering long-form note previews in the Home feed, so they have simply left out the option to share them there. See below for an example of a quote-post of a long-form note in the Primal web client vs the Android client. Primal Web:  Primal Android:  ### The Explore Tab Another unique feature of the Primal client is the Explore tab, indicated by the compass icon. This tab is dedicated to discovering content from outside your current follow list. You can find the feed marketplace here, and add any of the available feeds to your Home or Reads feed selections. You can also find suggested users to follow in the People tab. The Zaps tab will show you who has been sending and receiving large zaps. Make friends with the generous ones! The Media tab gives you a chronological feed of just media, displayed in a tile view. This can be great when you are looking for users who post dank memes, or incredible photography on a regular basis. Unfortunately, it appears that there is no way to filter this feed for sensitive content, and so you do not have to scroll far before you see pornographic material. Indeed, it does not appear that filters for sensitive content are available in Primal for ***any*** feed. The app is kind enough to give a minimal warning that objectionable content may be present when selecting the "Nostr Firehose" option in your Home feed, with a brief "be careful" in the feed description, but there is not even that much of a warning here for the media-only feed.  The media-only feed doesn't appear to be quite as bad as the Nostr Firehose feed, so there must be some form of filtering already taking place, rather than being a truly global feed of all media. Yet, occasional sensitive content still litters the feed and is unavoidable, even for users who would rather not see it. There are, of course, ways to mute particular users who post such content, if you don't want to see it a second time from the same user, but that is a never-ending game of whack-a-mole, so your only realistic choices in Primal are currently to either avoid the Nostr Firehose and media-only feeds, or determine that you can put up with regularly scrolling past often graphic content. This is probably the only choice Primal has made that is not friendly to new users. Most clients these days will have some protections in place to hide sensitive content by default, but still allow the user to toggle those protections off if they so choose. Some of them hide posts flagged as sensitive content altogether, others just blur the images unless the user taps to reveal them, and others simply blur all images posted by users you don't follow. If Primal wants to target new users who are accustomed to legacy social media platforms, they really should follow suit. The final tab is titled "Topics," but it is really just a list of popular hashtags, which appear to be arranged by how often they are being used. This can be good for finding things that other users are interested in talking about, or finding specific content you are interested in. If you tap on any topic in the list, it will display a feed of notes that include that hashtag. What's better, you can add it as a feed option you can select on your Home feed any time you want to see posts with that tag. The only suggestion I would make to improve this tab is some indication of why the topics are arranged in the order presented. A simple indicator of the number of posts with that hashtag in the last 24 hours, or whatever the interval is for determining their ranking, would more than suffice. Even with those few shortcomings, Primal's Explore tab makes the client one of the best options for discovering content on Nostr that you are actually interested in seeing and interacting with. ### Built-In Wallet While this feature is completely optional, the icon to access the wallet is the largest of the icons at the bottom of the screen, making you feel like you are missing out on the most important feature of the app if you don't set it up. I could be critical of this design choice, but in many ways I think it is warranted. The built-in wallet is one of the most unique features that Primal has going for it.  Consider: If you are a new user coming to Nostr, who isn't already a Bitcoiner, and you see that everyone else on the platform is sending and receiving sats for their posts, will you be more likely to go download a separate wallet application or use one that is built-into your client? I would wager the latter option by a long shot. No need to figure out which wallet you should download, whether you should do self-custody or custodial, or make the mistake of choosing a wallet with unexpected setup fees and no Lightning address so you can't even receive zaps to it. nostr:npub16c0nh3dnadzqpm76uctf5hqhe2lny344zsmpm6feee9p5rdxaa9q586nvr often states that he believes more people will be onboarded to Bitcoin through Nostr than by any other means, and by including a wallet into the Primal client, his team has made adopting Bitcoin that much easier for new Nostr users. Some of us purists may complain that it is custodial and KYC, but that is an unfortunate necessity in order to facilitate onboarding newcoiners to Bitcoin. This is ***not*** intended to be a wallet for those of us who have been using Bitcoin and Lightning regularly already. It is meant for those who are not already familiar with Bitcoin to make it as easy as possible to get off zero, and it accomplishes this better than any other wallet I have ever tried. In large part, this is because the KYC is very light. It does need the user's legal name, a valid email address, date of birth, and country of residence, but that's it! From there, the user can buy Bitcoin directly through the app, but only in the amount of $4.99 at a time. This is because there is a substantial markup on top of the current market price, due to utilizing whatever payment method the user has set up through their Google Play Store. The markup seemed to be about 19% above the current price, since I could purchase 4,143 sats for $4.99 ($120,415 / Bitcoin), when the current price was about $101,500. But the idea here is not for the Primal wallet to be a user's primary method of stacking sats. Rather, it is intended to get them off zero and have a small amount of sats to experience zapping with, and it accomplishes this with less friction than any other method I know. Moreover, the Primal wallet has the features one would expect from any Lightning wallet. You can send sats to any Nostr user or Lightning address, receive via invoice, or scan to pay an invoice. It even has the ability to receive via on-chain. This means users who don't want to pay the markup from buying through Primal can easily transfer sats they obtained by other means into the Primal wallet for zapping, or for using it as their daily-driver spending wallet. Speaking of zapping, once the wallet is activated, sending zaps is automatically set to use the wallet, and they are ***fast***. Primal gives you immediate feedback that the zap was sent and the transaction shows in your wallet history typically before you can open the interface. I can confidently say that Primal wallet's integration is the absolute best zapping experience I have seen in any Nostr client. One thing to note that may not be immediately apparent to new users is they need to add their Lightning address with Primal into their profile details before they can start receiving zaps. So, sending zaps using the wallet is automatic as soon as you activate it, but receiving is not. Ideally, this could be further streamlined, so that Primal automatically adds the Lightning address to the user's profile when the wallet is set up, so long as there is not currently a Lightning address listed. Of course, if you already have a Lightning wallet, you can connect it to Primal for zapping, too. We will discuss this further in the section dedicated to zap integration. ### Advanced Search Search has always been a tough nut to crack on Nostr, since it is highly dependent on which relays the client is pulling information from. Primal has sought to resolve this issue, among others, by running a caching relay that pulls notes from a number of relays to store them locally, and perform some spam filtering. This allows for much faster retrieval of search results, and also makes their advanced search feature possible. Advanced search can be accessed from most pages by selecting the magnifying glass icon, and then the icon for more options next to the search bar. As can be seen in the screenshot below, there are a plethora of filters that can be applied to your search terms.  You can immediately see how this advanced search could be a very powerful tool for not just finding a particular previous note that you are looking for, but for creating your own custom feed of notes. Well, wouldn't you know it, Primal allows you to do just that! This search feature, paired with the other features mentioned above related to finding notes you want to see in your feed, makes Primal hands-down the best client for content discovery. The only downside as a free user is that some of these search options are locked behind the premium membership. Or else you only get to see a certain number of results of your advanced search before you must be a premium member to see more. ## Can My Grandma Use It? Score: **4.8** / 5 Primal has obviously put a high priority on making their client user-friendly, even for those who have never heard of relays, public/private key cryptography, or Bitcoin. All of that complexity is hidden away. Some of it is available to play around with for the users who care to do so, but it does not at all get in the way of the users who just want to jump in and start posting notes and interacting with other users in a truly open public square. To begin with, the onboarting experience is incredibly smooth. Tap "Create Account," enter your chosen display name and optional bio information, upload a profile picture, and then choose some topics you are interested in. You are then presented with a preview of your profile, with the ability to add a banner image, if you so choose, and then tap "Create Account Now."  From there you receive confirmation that your account has been created and that your "Nostr key" is available to you in the application settings. No further explanation is given about what this key is for at this point, but the user doesn't really need to know at the moment, either. If they are curious, they will go to the app settings to find out. At this point, Primal encourages the user to activate Primal Wallet, but also gives the option for the user to do it later.  That's it! The next screen the user sees if they don't opt to set up the wallet is their Home feed with notes listed in chronological order. More impressive, the feed is not empty, because Primal has auto-followed several accounts based on your selected topics. Now, there has definitely been some legitimate criticism of this practice of following specific accounts based on the topic selection, and I agree. I would much prefer to see Primal follow hashtags based on what was selected, and combine the followed hashtags into a feed titled "My Topics" or something of that nature, and make that the default view when the user finishes onboarding. Following particular users automatically will artificially inflate certain users' exposure, while other users who might be quality follows for that topic aren't seen at all. The advantage of following particular users over a hashtag, though, is that Primal retains some control over the quality of the posts that new users are exposed to right away. Primal can ensure that new users see people who are actually posting quality photography when they choose it as one of their interests. However, even with that example, I chose photography as one of my interests and while I did get some stunning photography in my Home feed by default based on Primal's chosen follows, I also scrolled through the Photography hashtag for a bit and I really feel like I would have been better served if Primal had simply followed that hashtag rather than a particular set of users. We've already discussed how simple it is to set up the Primal Wallet. You can see the features section above if you missed it. It is, by far, the most user friendly experience to onboarding onto Lightning and getting a few sats for zapping, and it is the only one I know of that is built directly into a Nostr client. This means new users will have a frictionless introduction to transacting via Lightning, perhaps without even realizing that's what they are doing. Discovering new content of interest is incredibly intuitive on Primal, and the only thing that new users may struggle with is getting their own notes seen by others. To assist with this, I would suggest Primal encourage users to make their first post to the introductions hashtag and direct any questions to the AskNostr hashtag as part of the onboarding process. This will get them some immediate interactions from other users, and further encouragement to set up their wallet if they haven't already done so. ## How do UI look? Score: **4.9** / 5 Primal is the most stunningly beautiful Nostr client available, in my honest opinion. Despite some of my hangups about certain functionality, the UI alone makes me ***want*** to use it.  It is clean, attractive, and intuitive. Everything I needed was easy to find, and nothing felt busy or cluttered. There are only a few minor UI glitches that I ran into while testing the app. Some of them were mentioned in the section of the review detailing the feed selector feature, but a couple others occurred during onboarding. First, my profile picture was not centered in the preview when I uploaded it. This appears to be because it was a low quality image. Uploading a higher quality photo did not have this result.  The other UI bug was related to text instructions that were cut off, and not able to scroll to see the rest of them. This occurred on a few pages during onboarding, and I expect it was due to the size of my phone screen, since it did not occur when I was on a slightly larger phone or tablet.  Speaking of tablets, Primal Android looks really good on a tablet, too! While the client does not have a landscape mode by default, many Android tablets support forcing apps to open in full-screen landscape mode, with mixed results. However, Primal handles it well. I would still like to see a tablet version developed that takes advantage of the increased screen real estate, but it is certainly a passable option.      At this point, I would say the web client probably has a bit better UI for use on a tablet than the Android client does, but you miss out on using the built-in wallet, which is a major selling point of the app. This lack of a landscape mode for tablets and the few very minor UI bugs I encountered are the only reason Primal doesn't get a perfect score in this category, because the client is absolutely stunning otherwise, both in light and dark modes. There are also two color schemes available for each.  ## Log In Options Score: **1** / 5 Unfortunately, Primal has not included any options for log in outside of pasting your private key into the application. While this is a very simple way to log in for new users to understand, it is also the least secure means to log into Nostr applications. This is because, even with the most trustworthy client developer, giving the application access to your private key always has the potential for that private key to somehow be exposed or leaked, and on Nostr there is currently no way to rotate to a different private key and keep your identity and social graph. If someone gets your key, they ***are you*** on Nostr for all intents and purposes. This is not a situation that users should be willing to tolerate from production-release clients at this point. There are much better log in standards that can and should be implemented if you care about your users. That said, I am happy to report that external signer support is on the roadmap for Primal, as confirmed below: nostr:note1n59tc8k5l2v30jxuzghg7dy2ns76ld0hqnn8tkahyywpwp47ms5qst8ehl No word yet on whether this will be Android signer or remote signer support, or both. This lack of external signer support is why I absolutely will not use my main npub with Primal for Android. I am happy to use the web client, which supports and encourages logging in with a browser extension, but until the Android client allows users to protect their private key, I cannot recommend it for existing Nostr users. ## Zap Integration Score: **4.8** / 5 As mentioned when discussing Primal's built-in wallet feature, zapping in Primal can be the most seamless experience I have ever seen in a Nostr client. Pairing the wallet with the client is absolutely the path forward for Nostr leading the way to Bitcoin adoption. But what if you already have a Lightning wallet you want to use for zapping? You have a couple options. If it is an Alby wallet or another wallet that supports Nostr Wallet Connect, you can connect it with Primal to use with one-tap zapping.  How your zapping experience goes with this option will vary greatly based on your particular wallet of choice and is beyond the scope of this review. I used this option with a hosted wallet on my Alby Hub and it worked perfectly. Primal gives you immediate feedback that you have zapped, even though the transaction usually takes a few seconds to process and appear in your wallet's history. The one major downside to using an external wallet is the lack of integration with the wallet interface. This interface currently only works with Primal's wallet, and therefore the most prominent tab in the entire app goes unused when you connect an external wallet.  An ideal improvement would be for the wallet screen to work similar to Alby Go when you have an external wallet connected via Nostr Wallet Connect, allowing the user to have Primal act as their primary mobile Lightning wallet. It could have balance and transaction history displayed, and allow sending and receiving, just like the integrated Primal wallet, but remove the ability to purchase sats directly through the app when using an external wallet. ## Content Discovery Score: **4.8** / 5 Primal is the best client to use if you want to discover new content you are interested in. There is no comparison, with only a few caveats. First, the content must have been posted to Nostr as either a short-form or long-form note. Primal has a limited ability to display other types of content. For instance, discovering video content or streaming content is lacking. Second, you must be willing to put up with the fact that Primal lacks a means of filtering sensitive content when you are exploring beyond the bounds of your current followers. This may not be an issue for some, but for others it could be a deal-breaker. Third, it would be preferable for Primal to follow topics you are interested in when you choose them during onboarding, rather than follow specific npubs. Ideally, create a "My Topics" feed that can be edited by selecting your interests in the Topics section of the Explore tab. ## Relay Management Score: **2.5** / 5 For new users who don't want to mess around with managing relays, Primal is fantastic! There are 7 relays selected by default, in addition to Primal's caching service. For most users who aren't familiar with Nostr's protocol archetecture, they probably won't ever have to change their default relays in order to use the client as they would expect. However, two of these default relays were consistently unreachable during the week that I tested. These were relay.plebes.fans and remnant.cloud. The first relay seems to be an incorrect URL, as I found nosflare.plebes.fans online and with perfect uptime for the last 12 hours on [nostr.watch](https://nostr.watch). I was unable to find remnant.cloud on nostr.watch at all. A third relay was intermittent, sometimes online and reachable, and other times unreachable: v1250.planz.io/nostr. If Primal is going to have default relays, they should ideally be reliable and with accurate URLs. That said, users can add other relays that they prefer, and remove relays that they no longer want to use. They can even set a different caching service to use with the client, rather than using Primal's.  However, that is the extent of a user's control over their relays. They cannot choose which relays they want to write to and which they want to read from, nor can they set any private relays, outbox or inbox relays, or general relays. Loading the npub I used for this review into another client with full relay management support revealed that the relays selected in Primal are being added to both the user's public outbox relays and public inbox relays, but not to any other relay type, which leads me to believe the caching relay is acting as the client's only general relay and search relay. One unique and welcomed addition is the "Enhanced Privacy" feature, which is off by default, but which can be toggled on. I am not sure why this is not on by default, though. Perhaps someone from the Primal team can enlighten me on that choice. By default, when you post to Nostr, all of your outbox relays will see your IP address. If you turn on the Enhanced Privacy mode, only Primal's caching service will see your IP address, because it will post your note to the other relays on your behalf. In this way, the caching service acts similar to a VPN for posting to Nostr, as long as you trust Primal not to log or leak your IP address. ## Current Users' Questions The AskNostr hashtag can be a good indication of the pain points that other users are currently having with a client. Here are some of the most common questions submitted about Primal since the launch of 2.0: nostr:note1dqv4mwqn7lvpaceg9s7damf932ydv9skv2x99l56ufy3f7q8tkdqpxk0rd This was a pretty common question, because users expect that they will be able to create the same type of content that they can consume in a particular client. I can understand why this was left out in a mobile client, but perhaps it should be added in the web client. nostr:note16xnm8a2mmrs7t9pqymwjgd384ynpf098gmemzy49p3572vhwx2mqcqw8xe This is a more concerning bug, since it appears some users are experiencing their images being replaced with completely different images. I did not experience anything similar in my testing, though. nostr:note1uhrk30nq0e566kx8ac4qpwrdh0vfaav33rfvckyvlzn04tkuqahsx8e7mr There hasn't been an answer to this, but I have not been able to find a way. It seems search results will always include replies as well as original notes, so a feed made from the search results will as well. Perhaps a filter can be added to the advanced search to exclude replies? There is already a filter to ***only*** show replies, but there is no corresponding filter to only show original notes. nostr:note1zlnzua28a5v76jwuakyrf7hham56kx9me9la3dnt3fvymcyaq6eqjfmtq6 Since both mobile platforms support the wallet, users expect that they will be able to access it in their web client, too. At this time, they cannot. The only way to have seamless zapping in the web client is to use the Alby extension, but there is not a way to connect it to your Primal wallet via Nostr Wallet Connect either. This means users must have a separate wallet for zapping on the web client if they use the Primal Wallet on mobile. nostr:note15tf2u9pffy58y9lk27y245ew792raqc7lc22jezxvqj7xrak9ztqu45wep It seems that Primal is filtering for spam even for profiles you actively follow. Moreover, exactly what the criteria is for being considered spam is currently opaque. nostr:note1xexnzv0vrmc8svvduurydwmu43w7dftyqmjh4ps98zksr39ln2qswkuced For those unaware, Blossom is a protocol for hosting media as blobs identified by a hash, allowing them to be located on and displayed from other servers they have been mirrored to when when the target server isn't available. Primal currently runs a Blossom server (blossom.primal.net) so I would expect we see Blossom support in the future. nostr:note1unugv7s36e2kxl768ykg0qly7czeplp8qnc207k4pj45rexgqv4sue50y6 Currently, Primal on Android only supports uploading photos to your posts. Users must upload any video to some other hosting service and copy/paste a link to the video into their post on Primal. I would not be surprised to see this feature added in the near future, though. nostr:note10w6538y58dkd9mdrlkfc8ylhnyqutc56ggdw7gk5y7nsp00rdk4q3qgrex Many Nostr users have more than one npub for various uses. Users would prefer to have a way to quickly switch between accounts than to have to log all the way out and paste their npub for the other account every time they want to use it. There is good news on this front, though: nostr:note17xv632yqfz8nx092lj4sxr7drrqfey6e2373ha00qlq8j8qv6jjs36kxlh ## Wrap Up All in all, Primal is an excellent client. It won't be for everyone, but that's one of the strengths of Nostr as a protocol. You can choose to use the client that best fits your own needs, and supplement with other clients and tools as necessary. There are a couple glaring issues I have with Primal that prevent me from using it on my main npub, but it is also an ever-improving client, that already has me hopeful for those issues to be resolved in a future release. So, what should I review next? Another Android client, such as #Amethyst or #Voyage? Maybe an "other stuff" app, like #Wavlake or #Fountain? Please leave your suggestions in the comments. I hope this review was valuable to you! If it was, please consider letting me know just how valuable by zapping me some sats and reposting it out to your follows. Thank you for reading! PV 🤙

@ 1c19eb1a:e22fb0bc

After my first major review of [Primal on Android](https://www.nostr-reviews.com/post/1733635103705/), we're going to go a very different direction for this next review. Primal is your standard "Twitter clone" type of kind 1 note client, now branching into long-form. They also have a team of developers working on making it one of the best clients to fill that use-case. By contrast, this review will not be focusing on any client at all. Not even an "other stuff" client. Instead, we will be reviewing a very useful tool created and maintained by nostr:npub1w4uswmv6lu9yel005l3qgheysmr7tk9uvwluddznju3nuxalevvs2d0jr5 called #Amber. For those unfamiliar with Amber, it is an #Android application dedicated to managing your signing keys, and allowing you to log into various #Nostr applications without having to paste in your private key, better known as your #nsec. It is not recommended to paste your nsec into various applications because they each represent another means by which it could be compromised, and anyone who has your nsec can post as you. On Nostr, your #npub is your identity, and your signature using your private key is considered absolute proof that any given note, reaction, follow update, or profile change was authorized by the rightful owner of that identity. It happens less often these days, but early on, when the only way to try out a new client was by inputting your nsec, users had their nsec compromised from time to time, or they would suspect that their key may have been compromised. When this occurs, there is no way to recover your account, or set a new private key, deprecating the previous one. The only thing you can do is start over from scratch, letting everyone know that your key has been compromised and to follow you on your new npub. If you use Amber to log into other Nostr apps, you significantly reduce the likelihood that your private key will be compromised, because only one application has access to it, and all other applications reach out to Amber to sign any events. This isn't quite as secure as storing your private key on a separate device that isn't connected to the internet whatsoever, like many of us have grown accustomed to with securing our #Bitcoin, but then again, an online persona isn't nearly as important to secure for most of us as our entire life savings. Amber is the first application of its kind for managing your Nostr keys on a mobile device. nostr:npub1w4uswmv6lu9yel005l3qgheysmr7tk9uvwluddznju3nuxalevvs2d0jr5 didn't merely develop the application, but literally created the specification for accomplishing external signing on Android which can be found in [NIP-55](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/55.md). Unfortunately, Amber is only available for Android. A signer application for iOS is in the works from nostr:npub1yaul8k059377u9lsu67de7y637w4jtgeuwcmh5n7788l6xnlnrgs3tvjmf, but is not ready for use at this time. There is also a new mobile signer app for Android and iOS called Nowser, but I have not yet had a chance to try this app out. From a cursory look at the Android version, it is indeed in the very early stages of development and cannot be compared with Amber. This review of Amber is current as of version 3.2.5.  ## Overall Impression Score: **4.5** / 5 I cannot speak highly enough about Amber as a tool that every Nostr user on Android should start using if they are not already. When the day comes that we have more options for well-developed signer apps on mobile, my opinion may very well change, but until then Amber is what we have available to us. Even so, it is an incredibly well thought-out and reliable tool for securing your nsec. Despite being the only well-established Android signer available for Android, Amber ***can*** be compared with other external signing methods available on other platforms. Even with more competition in this arena, though, Amber still holds up incredibly well. If you are signing into web applications on a desktop, I still would recommend using a browser extension like #Alby or #Nos2x, as the experience is usually faster, more seamless, and far more web apps support this signing method ([NIP-07](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/07.md)) than currently support the two methods employed by Amber. Nevertheless that gap is definitely narrowing. A running list I created of applications that support login and signing with Amber can be found here: [Nostr Clients with External Signer Support](nostr:naddr1qvzqqqrcvgpzpde8f55w86vrhaeqmd955y4rraw8aunzxgxstsj7eyzgntyev2xtqydhwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnzwf5kw6r5vfhkcapwdejhgtcpr4mhxue69uhkg6ttv95k7ue3x5cnwtnwdaehgu339e3k7mf0qq4xummnw3ez6cmvd9jkuarn94mkjarg94jhsar9wfhxzmpdwd5kwmn9wgkhxatswphhyaqrcy76t) I have run into relatively few bugs in my extensive use of Amber for all of my mobile signing needs. Occasionally the application crashes when trying to send it a signing request from a couple of applications, but I would not be surprised if this is no fault of Amber at all, and rather the fault of those specific apps, since it works flawlessly with the vast majority of apps that support either [NIP-55](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/55.md) or [NIP-46](https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/46.md) login. I also believe that mobile is the ideal platform to use for this type of application. First, because most people use Nostr clients on their phone more than on a desktop. There are, of course, exceptions to that, but in general we spend more time on our phones when interacting online. New users are also more likely to be introduced to Nostr by a friend having them download a Nostr client on their phone than on a PC, and that can be a prime opportunity to introduce the new user to protecting their private key. Finally, I agree with the following assessment from nostr:npub1jlrs53pkdfjnts29kveljul2sm0actt6n8dxrrzqcersttvcuv3qdjynqn. nostr:nevent1qqsw0r6gzn05xg67h5q2xkplwsuzedjxw9lf7ntrxjl8ajm350fcyugprfmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68yurvv438xtnrdaksyg9hyaxj3clfswlhyrd5kjsj5v04clhjvgeq6pwztmysfzdvn93gev7awu9v The one downside to Amber is that it will be quite foreign for new users. That is partially unavoidable with Nostr, since folks are not accustomed to public/private key cryptography in general, let alone using a private key to log into websites or social media apps. However, the initial signup process is a bit cumbersome if Amber is being used as the means of initially generating a key pair. I think some of this could be foregone at start-up in favor of streamlining onboarding, and then encourage the user to back-up their private key at a later time. ## Features Amber has some features that may surprise you, outside of just storing your private key and signing requests from your favorite Nostr clients. It is a full key management application, supporting multiple accounts, various backup methods, and even the ability to authorize other users to access a Nostr profile you control. ### Android Signing This is the signing method where Amber really shines in both speed and ease of use. Any Android application that supports this standard, and even some progressive web-apps that can be installed to your Android's home-screen, can very quickly and seamlessly connect with Amber to authorize anything that you need signed with your nsec. All you have to do is select "Login with Amber" in clients like #Amethyst or #0xChat and the app will reach out to Amber for all signing requests from there on out. If you had previously signed into the app with your nsec, you will first need to log out, then choose the option to use Amber when you log back in.  This is a massive deal, because everything you do on Nostr requires a signature from your private key. Log in? Needs a signature. Post a "GM" note? Needs a signature. Follow someone who zapped your note? Needs a signature. Zap them back? You guessed it; needs a signature. When you paste your private key into an application, it will automatically sign a lot of these actions without you ever being asked for approval, but you will quickly realize just how many things the client is doing on your behalf when Amber is asking you to approve them each time. Now, this can also get quite annoying after a while. I recommend using the setting that allows Amber to automatically sign for basic functions, which will cut down on some of the authorization spam. Once you have been asked to authorize the same type of action a few times, you can also toggle the option to automatically authorize that action in the future. Don't worry, though, you have full control to require Amber to ask you for permission again if you want to be alerted each time, and this toggle is specific to each application, so it's not a blanket approval for all Nostr clients you connect with.  This method of signing is just as fast as signing via browser extension on web clients, which users may be more accustomed to. Everything is happening locally on the device, so it can be very snappy and secure. ### Nostr Connect/Bunker Signing This next method of signing has a bit of a delay, because it is using a Nostr relay to send encrypted information back and forth between the app the user is interacting with and Amber to obtain signatures remotely. It isn't a significant delay most of the time, but it is just enough to be noticeable. Also, unlike the previous signing method that would automatically switch to Amber as the active application when a signing request is sent, this method only sends you a notification that you must be watching for. This can lead to situations where you are wondering why something isn't working in a client you signed into remotely, because it is waiting on you to authorize the action and you didn't notice the notification from Amber. As you use the application, you get used to the need to check for such authorization requests from time to time, or when something isn't working as expected.  By default, Amber will use relay.nsec.app to communicate with whichever Nostr app you are connecting to. You can set a different relay for this purpose, if you like, though not just any relay will support the event kinds that Amber uses for remote signing. You can even run your own relay just for your own signing purposes. In fact, the creator of Amber has a relay application you can run on your phone, called Citrine, that can be used for signing with any web app you are using locally on your phone. This is definitely more of an advanced option, but it is there for you if you want it. For most users, sticking with relay.nsec.app will be just fine, especially since the contents of the events sent back and forth for signing are all encrypted. Something many users may not realize is that this remote signing feature allows for issuing signing permissions to team members. For instance, if anyone ever joined me in writing reviews, I could issue them a connection string from Amber, and limit their permissions to just posting long-form draft events. Anything else they tried to do would require my explicit approval each time. Moreover, I could revoke those permissions if I ever felt they were being abused, without the need to start over with a whole new npub. Of course, this requires that your phone is online whenever a team member is trying to sign using the connection string you issued, and it requires you pay attention to your notifications so you can approve or reject requests you have not set to auto-approve. However, this is probably only useful for small teams, and larger businesses will want to find a more robust solution for managing access to their npub, such as Keycast from nostr:npub1zuuajd7u3sx8xu92yav9jwxpr839cs0kc3q6t56vd5u9q033xmhsk6c2uc. The method for establishing a connection between Amber and a Nostr app for remote signing can vary for each app. Most, at minimum, will support obtaining a connection string from Amber that starts with "bunker://" and pasting it in at the time of login. Then you just need to approve the connection request from Amber and the client will log you in and send any subsequent signing requests to Amber using the same connection string.  Some clients will also offer the option to scan a QR code to connect the client to Amber. This is quite convenient, but just remember that this also means the client is setting which relay will be used for communication between the two. Clients with this option will also have a connection string you can copy and paste into Amber to achieve the same purpose. For instance, you may need this option if you are trying to connect to an app on your phone and therefore can't scan the QR code using Amber on the same phone.  ### Multiple Accounts Amber does not lock you into using it with only a single set of keys. You can add all of your Nostr "accounts" to Amber and use it for signing events for each independently. Of course, Nostr doesn't actually have "accounts" in the traditional sense. Your identity is simply your key-pair, and Amber stores and accesses each private key as needed.  When first signing in using native Android signing as described above, Amber will default to whichever account was most recently selected, but you can switch to the account that is needed before approving the request. After initial login, Amber will automatically detect the account that the signing request is for. ### Key Backup & Restore Amber allows multiple ways to back up your private key. As most users would expect, you can get your standard nsec and copy/paste it to a password manager, but you can also obtain your private key as a list of mnemonic seed words, an encrypted version of your key called an ncryptsec, or even a QR code of your nsec or ncryptsec.  Additionally, in order to gain access to this information, Amber requires you to enter your device's PIN or use biometric authentication. This isn't cold-storage level protection for your private key by any means, especially since your phone is an internet connected device and does not store your key within a secure element, but it is about as secure as you can ask for while having your key accessible for signing Nostr events. ### Tor Support While Amber does not have Tor support within the app itself, it does support connecting to Tor through Orbot. This would be used with remote signing so that Amber would not connect directly over clearnet to the relay used for communication with the Nostr app requesting the signature. Instead, Amber would connect through Tor, so the relay would not see your IP address. This means you can utilize the remote signing option without compromising your anonymity.  ### Additional Security Amber allows the user the option to require either biometric or PIN authentication before approving signing requests. This can provide that extra bit of assurance that no one will be able to sign events using your private key if they happen to gain access to your phone. The PIN you set in Amber is also independent from the PIN to unlock your device, allowing for separation of access. ## Can My Grandma Use It? Score: **4.0** / 5 At the end of the day, Amber is a tool for those who have some concept of the importance of protecting their private key by not pasting it into every Nostr client that comes along. This concept in itself is not terribly approachable to an average person. They are used to just plugging their password into every service they use, and even worse, they usually have the ***same password*** for everything so they can more readily remember it. The idea that they should never enter their "Nostr password" into any Nostr application would never occur to them unless someone first explained how cryptography works related to public/private key pairs. That said, I think there can be some improvements made to how users are introduced to these concepts, and that a signer application like Amber might be ideal for the job. Considering Amber as a new user's first touchpoint with Nostr, I think it holds up well, but could be somewhat streamlined. Upon opening the app, the user is prompted to either use their existing private key or "Create a new Nostr account." This is straightforward enough. "Account" is not a technically correct term with Nostr, but it is a term that new users would be familiar with and understand the basic concept.  The next screen announces that the account is ready, and presents the user with their public key, explaining that it is "a sort of username" that will allow others to find them on Nostr. While it is good to explain this to the user, it is unnecessary information at this point. This screen also prompts the user to set a nickname and set a password to encrypt their private key. Since the backup options also allow the user to set this password, I think this step could be pushed to a later time. This screen would better serve the new user if it simply prompted them to set a nickname and short bio that could be saved to a few default relays.  Of course, Amber is currently prompting for a password to be set up-front because the next screen requires the new user to download a "backup kit" in order to continue. While I do believe it is a good idea to encourage the creation of a backup, it is not crucial to do so immediately upon creation of a new npub that has nothing at stake if the private key is lost. This is something the UI could remind the user to do at a later time, reducing the friction of profile creation, and expediting getting them into the action.  Outside of these minor onboarding friction points, I think Amber does a great job of explaining to the user the purpose of each of its features, all within the app and without any need to reference external documentation. As long as the user understands the basic concept that their private key is being stored by Amber in order to sign requests from other Nostr apps, so they don't have to be given the private key, Amber is very good about explaining the rest without getting too far into the technical weeds. The most glaring usability issue with Amber is that it isn't available in the Play Store. Average users expect to be able to find applications they can trust in their mobile device's default app store. There is a valid argument to be made that they are incorrect in this assumption, but that doesn't change the fact that this is the assumption most people make. They believe that applications in the Play Store are "safe" and that anything they can't install through the Play Store is suspect. The prompts that the Android operating system requires the user to approve when installing "unknown apps" certainly doesn't help with this impression. Now, I absolutely ***love*** the Zapstore from nostr:npub1wf4pufsucer5va8g9p0rj5dnhvfeh6d8w0g6eayaep5dhps6rsgs43dgh9, but it doesn't do much to alleviate this issue. Users will still need to be convinced that it is safe to install the Zapstore from the GitHub repo, and then install Amber from there. Furthermore, this adds yet another step to the onboarding process. Instead of: - Install Amber - Set up your keys - Install the client you want to use - Log in with Amber The process becomes: - Go to the Zapstore GitHub and download the latest version from the releases page. - Install the APK you downloaded, allowing any prompt to install unknown apps. - Open Zapstore and install Amber, allowing any prompt to install unknown apps again. - Open Amber and set up your keys. - Install the client you want to use - Log in with Amber An application as important as Amber for protecting users' private keys should be as readily available to the new user as possible. New users are the ones most prone to making mistakes that could compromise their private keys. Amber should be available to them in the Play Store. ## How do UI Look? Score: **4.5** / 5 Amber's UI can be described as clean but utilitarian. But then, Amber is a tool, so this is somewhat expected. It is not an app you will be spending a lot of time in, so the UI just needs to be serviceable. I would say it accomplishes this and then some. UI elements are generally easy to understand what they do, and page headings fill in the gaps where that is not the case.  I am not the biggest fan of the color-scheme, particularly in light-mode, but it is not bad in dark-mode at all, and Amber follows whatever theme you have set for your device in that respect. Additionally, the color choice does make sense given the application's name.  It must also be taken into consideration that Amber is almost entirely the product of a single developer's work. He has done a great job producing an app that is not only useful, but pleasant to interact with. The same cannot be said for most utility apps I have previously used, with interfaces that clearly made good design the lowest priority. While Amber's UI may not be the most beautiful Nostr app I have seen, design was clearly not an afterthought, either, and it is appreciated. ## Relay Management Score: **4.9** / 5 Even though Amber is not a Nostr client, where users can browse notes from their favorite npubs, it still relies heavily on relays for some of its features. Primarily, it uses relays for communicating with other Nostr apps for remote signing requests. However, it also uses relays to fetch profile data, so that each private key you add to Amber will automatically load your chosen username and profile picture. In the relay settings, users can choose which relays are being used to fetch profile data, and which relays will be used by default when creating new remote signing connection strings.  The user can also see which relays are currently connected to Amber and even look at the information that has been passed back and forth on each of those active relays. This information about actively connected relays is not only available within the application, but also in the notification that Amber has to keep in your device's notification tray in order to continue to operate in the background while you are using other apps.  Optionality is the name of the game when it comes to how Amber handles relay selection. The user can just stick with the default signing relay, use their own relay as the default, or even use a different relay for each Nostr application that they connect to for remote signing. Amber gives the user an incredible amount of flexibility in this regard. In addition to all of this, because not all relays accept the event types needed for remote signing, when you add a relay address to Amber, it automatically tests that relay to see if it will work. This alone can be a massive time saver, so users aren't trying to use relays that don't support remote signing and wondering why they can't log into noStrudel with the connection string they got from Amber.  The only way I could see relay management being improved would be some means of giving the user relay recommendations, in case they want to use a relay other than relay.nsec.app, but they aren't sure which other relays will accept remote signing events. That said, most users who want to use a different relay for signing remote events will likely be using their own, in which case recommendations aren't needed. ## Current Users' Questions The AskNostr hashtag can be a good indication of the pain points that other users are currently having with any Nostr application. Here are some of the most common questions submitted about Amber in the last two months. nostr:nevent1qqsfrdr68fafgcvl8dgnhm9hxpsjxuks78afxhu8yewhtyf3d7mkg9gpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgq3qkgh77xxt7hhtt4u528hecnx69rhagla8jj3tclgyf9wvkxa6dc0sxp0e6m This is a good example of Amber working correctly, but the app the user is trying to log into not working. In my experience with #Olas in particular, it sometimes allows remote signer login, and sometimes doesn't. Amber will receive the signing request and I will approve it, but Olas remains on the login screen. If Amber is receiving the signing requests, and you are approving them, the fault is likely with the application you are trying to log into. That's it. That's all the repeated questions I could find. Oh, there were a few one-off questions where relay.nsec.app wouldn't connect, or where the user's out-of-date web browser was the issue. Outside of that, though, there were no common questions about ***how*** to use Amber, and that is a testament to Amber's ease of use all on its own. ## Wrap Up If you are on Android and you are not already using Amber to protect your nsec, please do yourself a favor and get it installed. It's not at all complicated to set up, and it will make trying out all the latest Nostr clients a safe and pleasant experience. If you are a client developer and you have not added support for NIP-55 or NIP-46, do your users the courtesy of respecting the sanctity of their private keys. Even developers who have no intention of compromising their users' keys can inadvertently do so. Make that eventuality impossible by adding support for NIP-55 and NIP-46 signing. Finally, I apologize for the extended time it took me to get this review finished. The time I have available is scarce, Nostr is distracting, and nostr:npub1w4uswmv6lu9yel005l3qgheysmr7tk9uvwluddznju3nuxalevvs2d0jr5 kept improving Amber even as I was putting it through its paces over the last two months. Keep shipping, my friend! You have made one of the most useful tools we have seen for Nostr to date! Now... What should I review next?

@ 2cb8ae56:84d30cba

どうも、Nostrまとめ(2024)ぶりですね。 記事として出すのはかなりお久しぶりかも、お名前変わりまして「フェゼレント」でございます。 意味としては以下の通りです 1.Fezer（フェザー）という英単語 2.ent（エント）という造語 2-1. netを崩した形、よくこれに打ち間違えます。 2-2. Entertainment（エンターテイメント）の略語、なんか娯楽とか話題を生み出せる人になりたいですね。 1と2をｶﾞｯﾀｲ!!!(トムブラウン風)しまして、フェゼレントです。 なんとググってみますと、Fezerent及びフェゼレントの検索結果が0。 これは...一種のチャンスでは！？と思って、使っています。 さて、そこで出てくるのが「薄味のキャルピス」と「IVstrook」の今後ですよね。 後者に至っては3年分の料金を払ってドメインまで取っているわけですし、前者はかなりネットとかラジオでも浸透しています。 というわけで、こんな風に置き換えます。 Nostr、YT、Discordはフェゼレント及びFezerentを使用します。 それ以外（ラジオを含む）では薄味のキャルピス、IVstrookを使用します。 そして、NHKなどAM波を使用して放送を行っているラジオ局用で使用していた「テックジャンカー」ですが、使用を停止します。 あんま浸透しなかったわけですからね そんな感じでやっていきます 最後に、記事最後に使用する署名のような奴ですが、そちらは変更なく「IVstrook」単体で行います。 また、ニコニコ動画及び各種ポッドキャストサービスにて配信しておりました「Small Room Space」ですが、今後はzap.streamというNostrのシステムを使用したサービスを用い、番組名の変更は行わないものとします。 zap.streamでの配信開始は「4月7日」 ちょうど#1が公開されてから1年が経過した日です 重ねて、当名義を使用したニコニコ動画への投稿は「3月8日」をもって終了とし、zap.streamへ移行します。 以上、今年に入ってからまともにニコニコ動画で投稿できていませんでしたが、そのような運びとさせていただきます。 2025/03/06 IVstrook

@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9

Hello Stackers! Welcome on into the ~Music Corner of the Saloon! A place where we Talk Music. Share Tracks. Zap Sats. So stay a while and listen. 🚨Don't forget to check out the pinned items in the territory homepage! You can always find the latest weeklies there!🚨 🚨Subscribe to the territory to ensure you never miss a post! 🚨 originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/905374

@ 732c6a62:42003da2

> De acordo com a Forbes, a Ripple (Empresa responsável pela Criptomoeda XRP) tem financiado e apoiado campanhas contra a mineração de Bitcoin. ## **Por que Ripple faz propaganda anti-bitcoin?** Simples: **eles são o oposto do Bitcoin em quase tudo.** Enquanto o Bitcoin foi criado para ser descentralizado, resistente à censura e independente de instituições, o Ripple é basicamente um serviço bancário 2.0. Eles precisam atacar o Bitcoin para justificar sua própria existência. ## **O que você não sabe:** 1. **Ripple Labs controla a maioria do XRP:** Eles têm um estoque estratégico que pode ser liberado no mercado a qualquer momento. Isso é o oposto de descentralização. 2. **XRP não é uma moeda para "pessoas comuns":** Foi criada para bancos e instituições financeiras. Basicamente, é o "banco central" das criptomoedas. 3. **Ripple não é blockchain no sentido tradicional:** Eles usam um protocolo chamado **Ripple Protocol Consensus Algorithm (RPCA)**, que é mais rápido, mas menos descentralizado. ## **Os principais ataques do Ripple ao Bitcoin:** 1. **Anti-mineração:** O Ripple critica o consumo de energia do Bitcoin, mas esquece que seu próprio sistema depende de servidores centralizados que também consomem energia. 2. **Anti-reserva estratégica:** O Ripple tem um estoque gigante de XRP, mas critica o Bitcoin por ser "deflacionário". Hipocrisia? Nunca ouvi falar. 3. **Anti-descentralização:** O Ripple prega que a descentralização do Bitcoin é "ineficiente", mas o que eles realmente querem é manter o controle nas mãos de poucos. ## **Análise Psicológica Básica (para você que acha que XRP é o futuro):** - **Síndrome do Underdog:** Acha que apoiar o Ripple te faz um rebelde, mas na verdade você está torcendo para o sistema bancário tradicional. - **Viés de Confirmação:** Só ouve opiniões que validam sua decisão de comprar XRP. - **Efeito Dunning-Kruger:** Acha que entender Ripple te torna um especialista em criptomoedas, mas não sabe o que é um *hard fork*. **Estudo de Caso (Real, mas Você Vai Ignorar):** Carlos, 30 anos, comprou XRP porque "é o futuro das transações bancárias". Ele não sabe que o Ripple está sendo processado pela SEC por vender XRP como um título não registrado. Carlos agora está esperando o "pump" que nunca vem. ## **Conclusão: ou, "volte para a aula de economia do ensino médio"** Ripple não é o futuro das finanças. É só mais um player tentando lucrar em um mercado competitivo. E sua propaganda anti-Bitcoin? Essa só prova que **a descentralização assusta quem quer controle**. Agora vá estudar blockchain básico — ou pelo menos pare de compartilhar memes com erros de português.