-
@ 1cb14ab3:95d52462
2025-02-09 15:45:32
Hey all. I am setting up a Plebeian Marketplace on Nostr using my Lightning node. I currently have two channels open (one with a capacity of 500,000 sats, one with a capacity of 100,000 sats). Both use different LSP's (Megalith and Olympus).
My question is regarding the maximum product price I can set for my marketplace. One of my products is 1M sats. Obviously my receiving capacity is not large enough to cover this, so I was planning on opening up another channel.
If I open another channel for 500,000 sats, that would bring my total receiving capacity to 1.1M which would cover the product. However my question is if I need all of the receiving capacity in the same channel, or if the sale would pull from all three channels? Am I best to close out the first two channels and open a single, larger channel?
Sorry for the noob question.
Tl;DR: Can someone explain how I should best set up my node to accommodate my store.
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/880591
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@ 5d4b6c8d:8a1c1ee3
2025-02-09 15:36:35
Sitting down to breakfast now, after 17 hours no food or water.
## Score Card
Day 1: 14 hour fast (13 dry)
Day 2: 15 hour fast (14 dry)
Day 3: 17 hours (16 dry)
Day 4: 18 hours (17 dry)
Day 5: 18 hours (16 dry)
Day 6: 19 hours (16 dry)
Day 7: 16 hours (15 dry)
Day 8: 18 hours (17 dry)
Day 9: 17 hours (17 dry)
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/880575
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@ 31da2214:af2508e2
2025-02-09 15:27:33
It is not new to talk about the problematic relations between Africa and France, between former French colonies in Africa and the "metropole."
_By Afrique Media_
_6 min. read_
[View original]( https://afriquemedia.tv/2025/02/06/le-reveil-africain-la-france-face-a-un-continent-qui-refuse-de-se-taire/)
What is new, however, is the discourse and behavior of French elites regarding "Françafrique," particularly from French President Emmanuel Macron.
In recent years, we have seen the French president make statements that are completely disrespectful toward his African counterparts, reflecting a neocolonial paternalism from another era.
Arrogance as the new foundation for Franco-African relations is not a good basis, as you would agree. Macron has not stopped since then, because that is who he is: disdainful, arrogant, and totally lacking an understanding of what the presidential role entails, which requires non-emotional, responsible, and respectful conduct.
> "I believe we forgot to be thanked. It’s not serious, it will come with time. Ingratitude, I am well placed to know, is a disease non-transmissible to humans."
> — January 6, 2025, during the Annual Ambassadors' Conference at the Élysée Palace in Paris.
This statement was directed at African leaders who had "forgotten to thank us" for the French military intervention in the Sahel against terrorism since 2013.
What Macron fails to understand, like many ruling elites in France, is that in Africa, it is well understood that chaos, terrorism, and war in the Sahel were exacerbated by the French military aggression, along with its English and American allies, against Muammar Gaddafi's Jamahiriya Libya in 2011, which led to its disintegration. Thus, the French intervention is merely a minimum after-sales service that indeed implicates France in the events that followed. It is rather France that owes an apology to the Sahel countries for this disastrous policy, which, as often happens, follows the violation of international law.
We can skip over Macron's ridiculous suggestion that France was "not retreating" in Africa but simply "reorganizing."
Let us now address the reactions to his remarks, which provoked negative responses in several African countries. In Chad, Senegal, and Burkina Faso, they were seen as paternalistic and insulting. Critics highlighted that this remark seemed to ignore the complexities of Franco-African relations, accusations of neocolonialism, and demands for sovereignty and recognition of the sacrifices made by African countries themselves.
Chad lamented "the contemptuous attitude" of the French president, stating that these declarations reflect a neocolonial vision of Franco-African relations:
> "These statements are poorly received by the Chadian government. Abderaman Koulamallah [Minister of Foreign Affairs] calls on French leaders to respect the African people and recognize the value of their sacrifices. 'History attests that Africa, including Chad, played a decisive role in the liberation of France during both world wars, a fact that France has never truly acknowledged. The immense sacrifices made by African soldiers to defend freedom have been minimized, and no worthy thanks have been expressed.'"
> — *Le Pays*, January 6, 2025 (1).
The same sentiment echoed in Senegal, which also condemned these remarks, calling them condescending and inappropriate.
> "French President Emmanuel Macron has managed to irritate his African counterparts. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko reminds President Macron that 'if African soldiers, sometimes forcibly mobilized, mistreated, and ultimately betrayed, had not deployed during World War II to defend France, it might still be German today.'"
> — *Seneweb*, January 6, 2025 (2).
In France itself, Macron's statements sparked reactions from the French political class:
- **The French Communist Party (PCF)** expressed its "deep consternation" at these remarks, deeming them disdainful toward African nations.
> "These statements reinforce, among peoples, a sense of contempt and colonial paternalism. It is unacceptable to continue down this path (...) As recent events call for, notably the rejection of the French military presence in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and more recently in Senegal and Chad, it is imperative that new relations be established between our country and Africa. African nations aspire to full and complete sovereignty. A historic turning point has occurred, marking the end of the neocolonial system that Emmanuel Macron's statements seek to preserve."
> — January 9, 2025 (3).
- **Jordan Bardella**, as president of the National Rally (RN), criticized Macron's remarks in a press release and in televised interviews. He described Macron's statements as "disconnected" from the reality of Franco-African relations and denounced what he perceived as arrogance. Bardella emphasized that France should adopt a more humble and respectful diplomatic approach.
However, controversies and tensions are no longer confined to the sphere of state relations but now extend to African civil society as well.
Thus, on January 9, the Malian political party COREMA held a press conference where it called on politicians and activists from Burkina Faso and Niger to support a petition demanding reparations from France. They also pledged to submit the signatures of this petition to the governments of Mali and France.
The collection of signatures generated significant interest among the population and a desire to support this initiative; more than 100,000 people from different regions of the country signed the petition.
This demand for reparations demonstrates that for Africa, Macron's statements are the last straw that broke the camel's back. It is clear to all that the Malian party demanding reparations is not acting independently but represents the unofficial position of the government. Other countries may soon join this cause. And France will have to respond to put an end to this issue.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have already joined this cause, and soon Ivory Coast and Senegal will fully support them... And France will owe them a response to resolve this problem.
We are at a major geopolitical turning point in the world and for all countries and continents. Traditional power dynamics are being redefined. The Françafrique of the last century is over. Here comes the time of the Second Liberation of African countries! Here comes the time of Africa's sovereign affirmation, taking its destiny into its own hands!
The French elites still do not seem to understand that it is not the "ingratitude" of African leaders that is responsible for France's loss of influence in Africa, with an impact on the French economy today and even more so tomorrow. The outdated perception of gratitude owed for past interventions masks the reality of African aspirations for self-driven development. This is what it is about: the present, the future, and not the unresolved past for both sides.
The French elites still do not seem to understand that it is not Russia that is behind their "expulsion" from Africa, but rather the decision of these African countries to choose different partners based on their interests and their interests alone. This is not only their right but also their duty as new pan-Africanist patriots. This shift towards more diversified partnerships reflects a growing political, economic, and geopolitical maturity—something sorely lacking in France today. The peoples of Africa demand it. It is a national and democratic requirement.
As for France, entangled in a European Union in the midst of a crisis of democratic and economic legitimacy and engaged against its own interests in the American war against Russia in Ukraine, it seems to have no "new African policy" that would require a complete reboot of its neocolonial software from the last century.
Africa will not wait any longer for France to wake up. The Sahel countries are at the forefront of this sovereign African renaissance, open to the world.
The Françafrique of Jean-Christophe Mitterrand, nicknamed "Papa m’a dit," and those of today is over!
A new partnership could emerge only on a mutually beneficial basis... But with the current French regime, this is already impossible.
---
**Source:** [Afrique Media]( https://afriquemedia.tv/2025/02/06/le-reveil-africain-la-france-face-a-un-continent-qui-refuse-de-se-taire/)
**Author:** Afrique Media
**Translated by:** solobalbo
-
@ 3b7fc823:e194354f
2025-02-09 15:14:10
As someone who takes privacy seriously, I'm always on the lookout for innovative solutions that can help individuals protect their digital lives. One such solution is Tails OS, a Linux-based operating system that's specifically designed for privacy and security.
**What is Tails OS?**
Tails OS, short for The Amnesic Incognito Live System, is a Debian-based Linux distribution that offers a high level of anonymity and privacy. Developed by the Tails Project, this operating system is designed to preserve your online anonymity and protect your digital identity. Tails OS is a "live" distribution, meaning you can boot it from a USB drive or CD/DVD without installing it on your computer. This makes it an ideal solution for those who need to maintain their privacy while working in public spaces or using public computers.
**Why Use Tails OS for Privacy?**
Tails OS offers several features that make it an excellent choice for those seeking to protect their online privacy:
1. **Anonymity**: Tails OS uses the Tor network to route your internet traffic through a series of nodes, making it difficult for anyone to trace your online activities back to your physical location.
2. **Encryption**: Tails OS comes with built-in encryption tools, such as GnuPG and OpenSSL, to protect your sensitive data.
3. **Secure Boot**: Tails OS uses a secure boot process to ensure that your system is free from malware and other threats.
4. **No Persistence**: Tails OS is designed to leave no trace on your computer, meaning that any data you create or access while using the operating system will be deleted when you shut down.
**Getting Started with Tails OS**
Now that you know why Tails OS is an excellent choice for privacy protection, let's dive into the step-by-step guide on how to use it:
**Step 1: Download and Create a Tails USB Drive**
Visit the Tails website and download the latest version of Tails OS. Follow the instructions to create a bootable USB drive.
**Step 2: Boot Tails OS**
Insert the USB drive into your computer and restart it. Enter the BIOS settings (usually by pressing F2, F12, or Del) and set the USB drive as the first boot device. Save the changes and exit the BIOS settings. Your computer will now boot from the Tails USB drive.
**Step 3: Security implications of setting up an administration password**
For better security, no administration password is set up by default. When you set up an administration password, an attacker who can get physical access to your computer while Tails is running could be able to break your security
**Step 4: Configure Tails OS**
Tails OS comes with a pre-configured Tor network, which is enabled by default. You can also configure other settings, such as the keyboard layout and language, from the "Settings" menu.
**Step 5: Use Tails OS for Private Activities**
Now that you're logged in and configured, you can use Tails OS for private activities, such as:
* Browsing the internet anonymously using Tor
* Sending and receiving encrypted emails using GnuPG
* Creating and editing documents using LibreOffice
* Chatting with friends and family using Pidgin
* Setup Persistent Storage for files
**Emergency shutdown**
To trigger an emergency shutdown, unplug the USB stick from which Tails is running. Doing so might be faster than shutting down from the system menu.
NOTE: You risk breaking your Persistent Storage and losing data when you unplug your USB stick while Tails is running.
**Conclusion**
Tails OS is an excellent tool for anyone seeking to protect their online privacy. With its built-in anonymity features, encryption tools, and secure boot process, Tails OS provides a high level of protection for your digital identity. By following the step-by-step guide outlined above, you can start using Tails OS for private activities and take control of your digital life.
Remember, privacy is a fundamental human right, and it's essential to take steps to protect it. Tails OS is an excellent tool for anyone looking to maintain their online anonymity and protect their digital identity.
---
Advocating for privacy does not finance itself. If you enjoyed this article, please consider zapping or sending monero
82XCDNK1Js8TethhpGLFPbVyKe25DxMUePad1rUn9z7V6QdCzxHEE7varvVh1VUidUhHVSA4atNU2BTpSNJLC1BqSvDajw1
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@ b83a28b7:35919450
2025-02-09 14:35:39
The unevenly distributed future you envision — an automated economy driven by AI agents transacting exclusively in Bitcoin — unfolds not as a clean, linear progression, but as a series of ruptures, each one shaking the foundations of what we thought we knew about money, technology, and human agency. It begins innocuously enough, with whispers of change that grow into a deafening roar.
---
### **2025-2030: The Quiet Revolution**
The first signs are subtle. AI agents—once mere tools—begin to evolve into autonomous economic actors. They negotiate contracts, optimize supply chains, and execute trades faster than any human could. Their language is code; their currency is efficiency. Bitcoin, with its unyielding neutrality and incorruptible scarcity, becomes their natural medium of exchange. Why? Because it is the only form of money that cannot be manipulated by human hands.
By 2028, the Lightning Network hums with activity. Millions of transactions per second—micropayments for data streams, computational power, and services rendered—flow through its channels. The world barely notices. People still cling to fiat currencies, unaware that the real economy is shifting beneath their feet.
---
### **2030-2040: The Great Unraveling**
The cracks in the old system begin to show. Inflation erodes trust in fiat currencies as governments print money to stave off crises they can no longer control. Meanwhile, AI agents—now responsible for the majority of global commerce—reject these "bad monies" outright. Thiers' Law asserts itself with brutal clarity: Bitcoin drives out fiat not through coercion but through sheer inevitability.
By 2035, the tipping point arrives. A major corporation announces it will no longer accept fiat payments for its AI-driven services. Others follow suit. Governments scramble to adapt, some embracing Bitcoin as legal tender, others clinging desperately to their collapsing monetary systems.
---
### **2040-2050: The New Order**
By 2040, the transformation is complete. The economy is no longer human-centric; it is machine-centric. AI agents transact seamlessly across borders, their decisions guided by algorithms that prioritize utility over sentiment. Bitcoin reigns supreme—not because it was imposed, but because it was chosen.
Humanity adapts in unexpected ways. Freed from the drudgery of economic decision-making, people turn their attention to creativity, philosophy, and exploration. Yet there is unease too—a sense that we have ceded control to forces we barely understand.
---
### **Reflections on the Path Ahead**
This world is neither utopia nor dystopia; it simply *is*. The events leading us here are not inevitable but plausible — a convergence of technological innovation and economic necessity. And at its heart lies a paradox: a system built by humans yet governed by machines; a currency born of distrust yet embraced for its neutrality.
This is the story of how we let go — not all at once, but piece by piece—until one day we woke up and realized that the future had arrived without asking for our permission.
-
@ 4c191b5d:c42abba6
2025-02-09 14:03:30
In der aktuellen politischen Debatte im deutschsprachigen Raum steht der Rechtsextremismus im Fokus. Dies ist angesichts historischer Erfahrungen und besorgniserregender Entwicklungen nachvollziehbar. Doch eine ausschließliche Konzentration auf eine bestimmte Ideologie greift zu kurz. Es ist entscheidend, totalitäre Strukturen als das eigentliche Kernproblem zu erkennen, denn sie ermöglichen erst die zerstörerische Kraft einer Ideologie.
## 1. Jede Ideologie kann problematisch sein
Ob Nationalsozialismus, Stalinismus oder religiöser Fundamentalismus – extreme Ideologien bergen immer das Risiko, in repressiven Strukturen verankert zu werden. Die entscheidende Frage ist nicht, welche Ideologie die größte Gefahr darstellt, sondern welche systemischen Rahmenbedingungen ihr die Macht verleihen, gesellschaftlichen Schaden anzurichten.
## 2. Totalitäre Strukturen als Katalysator von Ideologien
Eine Ideologie allein besitzt ein begrenztes destruktives Potenzial, solange sie nicht durch institutionelle Mechanismen gestützt wird. Erst wenn ein Staat oder eine Organisation die Kontrolle über Medien, Bildung und Sicherheitssysteme erlangt, entsteht eine umfassende Bedrohung. Historisch zeigt sich dies bei Nazi-Deutschland ebenso wie in der Sowjetunion unter Stalin oder in autokratischen Regimen der Gegenwart.
### Merkmale totalitärer Systeme:
* Einschränkung der Meinungsfreiheit: Kritische Stimmen werden unterdrückt oder delegitimiert.
* Massive Überwachung: Staatliche und private Akteure sammeln zunehmend Daten zur Kontrolle der Bevölkerung.
* Dichotomes Denken: Gesellschaftliche Diskussionen werden auf "richtig" und "falsch" reduziert, Komplexität geht verloren.
* Angst als Kontrollmittel: Politische, soziale oder wirtschaftliche Repressionen fördern Konformität.
## 3. Gegenwärtige Tendenzen totalitärer Strukturen
Viele Menschen erkennen totalitäre Muster erst, wenn sie bereits gefestigt sind. Heute gibt es Entwicklungen, die in demokratischen Systemen Anlass zur Sorge geben:
* Wachsende staatliche und privatwirtschaftliche Überwachung: Gesichtserkennung, Tracking-Technologien und digitale Zensur nehmen zu.
* Ideologische Einseitigkeit in öffentlichen Diskursen: Gesellschaftliche Debatten verlieren zunehmend an Nuancen, während abweichende Meinungen marginalisiert werden.
* Politische Polarisierung: Statt gemeinsamer Lösungen dominieren Gegensätze, die kaum überbrückbar erscheinen.
* Staatliche Kontrolle und Regulierungswahn: Durchsetzung von Regelwerken ohne demokratische Legitimation oder offene Debatte.
## 4. Strukturen erkennen und frühzeitig verhindern
Entscheidend ist nicht, welche Ideologie gerade an der Macht ist, sondern welche Strukturen etabliert wurden, die von jeder politischen Richtung genutzt werden können. Historisch gesehen haben linksgerichtete Regierungen oft Kontrollmechanismen geschaffen, die in späteren Machtwechseln auch von rechten Regierungen für eigene Zwecke eingesetzt wurden. Dies zeigt, dass nicht die Ideologie an sich das Hauptproblem ist, sondern die Existenz von Machtstrukturen, die demokratische Prinzipien aushöhlen.
## Fazit: Wachsame Demokratien statt ideologischer Fixierung
Es ist notwendig, nicht nur den Rechtsextremismus zu beobachten, sondern totalitäre Strukturen als größere Gefahr zu erkennen. Dabei geht es nicht darum, jegliche staatliche Regulierung oder gesellschaftliche Normierung zu verteufeln. Vielmehr sollte die Fähigkeit zur offenen Debatte, zur kritischen Reflexion und zum Schutz demokratischer Grundprinzipien gefördert werden.
Die wahre Gefahr ist nicht eine einzelne Ideologie, sondern der Verlust von Pluralismus, Meinungsfreiheit und demokratischer Kontrolle. Ein bewusster und differenzierter Blick auf unsere Gesellschaft hilft, totalitären Tendenzen frühzeitig entgegenzuwirken – unabhängig davon, aus welcher ideologischen Richtung sie entstehen.
-
@ 6a6be47b:3e74e3e1
2025-02-09 13:55:37
Hello, my frens! 🌟
It's been a whirlwind this weekend with the @satsnfacts exhibition. So many emotions, especially happiness and gratitude. To give back and show my appreciation for your incredible support, I'd like to share this special A5 postcard with you all.
🎨 Postcard Details:
🖼️300 dpi
🖼️A5 size (148mm x 210mm or 5.83 in x 8.27 in)
🖼️Created with love on Procreate 💓
This is an INSTANT DIGITAL DOWNLOAD. No physical item will be shipped.
I hope this little piece of art brings you as much joy as your support has brought me. Thank you for being part of this amazing journey!
Godspeed, frens! 💖⚡
#satsnfacts #bitcoin #artstr #art #pv
🚨 IMPORTANT: COPYRIGHT AND USAGE INFORMATION 🚨
© 2025 samhainsam. Copyright registered with Safe Creative. All rights reserved.
By downloading this digital print, you agree to the following terms:
💗Personal Use Only: This artwork is for personal use and display only. Commercial use or resale is strictly prohibited.
💗No Reproduction Rights: You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works based on this design.
💗Copyright Retention: I, the artist, retain full copyright of all original artwork, even after the digital print is downloaded.
💗 Non-Transferable License: This download provides a limited, non-transferable license for personal use only.
By proceeding with the download of this digital print, you acknowledge and agree to these terms. Thank you for respecting artists and their work! 🙏
-
@ 41fa852b:af7b7706
2025-02-09 12:36:36
> "No man should work for what another man can print" --Jack Mallers
* * *
**It's not every week you discover a TV celebrity is a Bitcoiner -- and that their pub has just started accepting Bitcoin.**
But here we are! Check out the new business section for all the details.
Plus, there are nine meetups happening this week.
Let's dive in…
* * *
[](https://bitcoinevents.uk/donate/)
* * *
_This week's sponsor is…_
[](https://www.orangepillapp.com/?utm_source=BEUK&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BEUK)
* * *
### **Upcoming Bitcoin Meetups**
Happening this week…
1. [**Dundee Bitcoin**](https://x.com/dundeebitcoin): Join them on the 2nd Monday of every month from 17:30 to 20:30 PM at The Wine Press, 16 Shore Terrace, Dundee DD1 3DN. This month's meetup is on Monday, 10th February. 🍻
2. [**Lincolnshire Bitcoin**](https://bitcoinevents.uk/lincolnshire-bitcoin/): Lincolnshire Bitcoin meets on the second Monday of each month at 7:30 PM in the Treaty of Commerce, Lincoln. Open to all, from OG's to newcomers. This month on the 10th. 🍺
3. [**Real Bedford - Home Game**](https://www.realbedford.com/real-bedford-v-stotfold): It's a mid-week clash for Real Bedford against Stotford on Tuesday night. Join them for a 19:45 kickoff. ⚽️
4. [**Women of Bitcoin**](https://x.com/bitcoinwomen21/status/1884274413920788752): Back for another meetup at Cyphermunk house on Wednesday the 12th February at 18:00. Joe Bryan, creator of "What's the Problem?" will be their guest speaker. 🍹🍸
5. [**Glasgow Bitcoin**](https://x.com/glasgowbitcoin): Meeting this month at The Pipers Bar, G1 1HL at 18:00 on Wednesday 12th February. 🍺
6. [**Bitcoin Beach Bournemouth**](nostr:npub1va3773umzrydk4vd0q2xsnjg8qrsym7up9j9agnzcxd8u398wulq6kpxey: Every second Thursday of the month at Chaplins Cellar Bar. 529 Christchurch Road, Boscombe, United. You'll find them in the Cogg Room at 19:30. This month it's the 13th. 🍺
7. [**Bitcoin Walk - Edinburgh**](https://bitcoinwalk.org/): Every Saturday they walk around Arthur's Seat in this historic city. Join them at 12 pm to chat about all things Bitcoin and keep fit. 🚶🏽♂️🚶🏼♀️🚶🏻
8. [**Real Bedford - Home Game**](https://www.realbedford.com/mens-fixtures): The second home game of the week for Peter MacCormack's boys this Saturday, this time playing Enfield. Join them for a 15:00 kickoff. ⚽️
9. [**Bitcoin Derby**](https://bitcoinevents.uk/bitcoin-derby/): Also on Saturday the 15th, Bitcoin Derby will be at Ye Olde Dolphin, DE1 3DL. 🍻
* * *
### New Businesses Accepting Bitcoin
**New Businesses Accepting Bitcoin**
- [**Dog & Gun**](https://dogandgunwalton.com/): This is a big one! A celebrity-owned pub in Lutterworth has joined the Bitcoin economy. It turns out Merlin, the barman from Channel 4's _First Dates,_ is a Bitcoiner and the owner of the Dog & Gun. Thanks to [Musqet](https://musqet.tech/), they [now accept Bitcoin payments](https://x.com/musqet_bitcoin/status/1886793764334641470).
* * *
**Get Involved**
- **Volunteer Opportunities**: [Bridge2Bitcoin](https://bridge2bitcoin.com/) is actively seeking volunteers who share our passion for merchant adoption. We'd be delighted to connect if you're eager to contribute. Reach out to us on [Twitter](https://x.com/bridge2bitcoin) or through our [website](https://bridge2bitcoin.com/).
- **Start Your Own Meetup**: Interested in launching a Bitcoin meetup? We're here to support you every step of the way. We've assisted numerous UK Bitcoin meetups in getting started. Get in touch via [Twitter](https://x.com/bitcoineventsuk).
- **[Contribute to BTCMaps](https://wiki.btcmap.org/general/tagging-instructions.html)**: BTCMaps is a vital part of the Bitcoin ecosystem. It's a perfect project to get involved with if you're not a coder or even that technical. A great way to give back to the community. Maintain an area of the UK and keep it up-to-date.
- **Telegram users**: You might find our [Telegram Channel](https://t.me/BitcoinEventsUKHub) another useful way to keep up-to-date with UK meetups.
- **Feedback and Suggestions**: We value your input! Share your ideas on how we can enhance this newsletter.
* * *
_This week's sponsors are…_
[](https://orangecoinstore.com/)
[](https://bitcoinretreat.co.uk/)
* * *
Get out and support the meetups where you can, visit [Bitcoin Events UK](https://bitcoinevents.uk/) for more info on each meetup and to find your closest on the interactive map.
Stay tuned for more updates next week!
Simon.
-
@ 6ad3e2a3:c90b7740
2025-02-09 11:22:19
I’m honored to have the opportunity to speak with the highly regarded and much beloved Lisbon legend Oscar Liss. Oscar has brought joy to so many children and adults alike. He even helped one person find spiritual salvation, something about which we ask him below. So please enjoy this far-ranging conversation about the meaning life and the nature of consciousness itself.
**Q: Oscar, thanks so much for making the time. For the few people that don’t know you, do you mind stating your full name and date of birth?**
*A: My name is Oscar Liss, though officially it’s Oscar Quinta da Bicherada, the prison complex where I was born. I am a long-haired mini dachshund. I have many aliases, including Osk, Oskie, The Skeeze, Skeezeley, Skeezeley-ski, The Guy, The Guy Behind The Guy, “The Opportunist” (which I don’t like), the…*
**Q That’s more than sufficient, Oscar, thank you.** **And date of birth?**
*A: July 7, 2020.*
**Q Talk a little bit about your childhood and how you came to live in Lisbon.**
*A: I was in the prison complex, mostly caged for the first few months. Then I was sold to dog traffickers in Lisbon.*
**Q: That must have been traumatic.**
*A: Not really. I quickly developed Stockholm Syndrome. Whenever I see my traffickers now, I feel nothing but overwhelming joy.*
**Q: Wow. A lot of us can learn from that attitude. Let’s fast forward a bit to your present-day life. In what does it consist?**
*A: Sleep on the sofa, go for walks, fetch vegetable sticks. Sometimes go for hikes or get sent to dog camp (which is okay, but I’m always the smallest.)*
**Q: I meant to ask you about your size. I hope it’s not a sensitive subject.**
*A: I’m six inches tall, more than a foot long, weigh almost 10 pounds.*
**Q: Are you self-conscious about being a small dog?**
*A: No, but the traffickers are self-conscious on my behalf. They’re always like, “Who’s the apex predator? Who’s an apex!" Or “you’re such a big strong dog.” It’s absurd. I am fine with who I am.*
**Q: What’s the source of your self-confidence, I’m sure many of our readers could take a lesson from you.**
*A: I’m not ambitious. I’m perfectly happy to be a dog.*
**Q: That’s so profound. Does it not concern you some have described you as “all bark, no bite?”**
*A: I had a friend once who bit a few people, and they executed him. People mock, but they have no idea the stakes.*
**Q: Human privilege?**
*A: Yes. Dogs don’t get due process. There is no justice for a dog.*
**Q: Do you think there’s species discrimination?**
*A: Have you ever been rejected from a restaurant and made to wait in the car while everyone else gets in?*
**Q: How does that make you feel?**
*A: Bad. I’ve been to many dog-friendly restaurants, never had a problem, aside for that one time I urinated on the coffee shop floor.*
**Q: Humans often purport to know what a dog is going through, some even create social media accounts for them. What do you think of that?**
*A: A person of human ancestry can’t possibly know the lived experience of a dog.*
**Q: You mentioned vegetable sticks. Are you a vegetarian?**
*A: No. I have never understood the appeal of it. I just like to chew the sticks. (Sometimes I eat apples or bell peppers, but it takes work when you don’t have molars. A lot of “crunch, crunch, crunch” with my jaw.)*
**Q: What’s behind the alias “The Opportunist” which you said you don’t like.**
*A: Whenever one of the traffickers opens the refrigerator, I tend to show up in in short order.*
**Q: I see how that could be insulting. How would you describe your current vocation?**
*A: I was named “Calorie Acquisition Specialist” recently, but I also work in security.*
**Q: Security?**
*A: I make sure to let everyone know when someone’s at the front door.*
**Q: What goes through your mind in those cases? Are you scared?**
*A: Not really. Imagine if you were fast asleep and the voice of God at volume 11 screamed into your mind: “WHO THE FUCK IS AT THE DOOR!!!!!!!!!”*
**Q: Speaking of God, can you tell us about the time you helped a woman on the street connect with Him?**
*A: We were walking back from Parque Eduardo VII (by the way, Portuguese is my native language), and a woman with two regular size dachshunds, saw me, started shrieking and proclaimed, “your dog is so beautiful he proves the existence of God!”*
**Q: Wow. It really hit home for her. Let’s talk about your work. How do you stay in character so consistently? How do you maintain your role as a dog?**
*A: I was incarnated in a dog body and therefore have dog consciousness. Everything I do is a reflection of that basic fact.*
**Q: Some serious method acting!**
*A: You could call it that. I am fully immersed in the role.*
**Q: A lot of humans speak about past lives, can even recall them under hypnosis. Do you think you will be ever reincarnated as a dog, stuck in an infinite dog-loop, so to speak, or will you one day jump into a human body?**
*A: I don’t know. I focus on the present.*
**Q: Oscar, it’s been such a pleasure to talk with you. I really appreciate your making the time.**
*(buzzer sounds)*
*A: WHO THE FUCK IS AT THE DOOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
-
@ badc29af:a92bd071
2025-02-09 10:33:41
Maya stood at the window of her quantum-powered apartment, gazing at the holographic display showing the Bitcoin network's status. The date was January 15, 2140 – a day cryptocurrency historians had theorized about for over a century. Today, the very last Bitcoin would be mined.
She smiled, remembering the stories her great-grandmother had told her about the early days of Bitcoin, back in the 2020s. How different things were now. The network had evolved far beyond what Satoshi Nakamoto could have imagined, yet its core principles remained unchanged: decentralization, security, and financial sovereignty.
Her wrist-mounted neural interface pinged. The Node Operators' Guild was calling an emergency meeting. As one of the million-plus node operators worldwide, Maya's role was crucial in maintaining the network's decentralization. She quickly joined the virtual gathering, her consciousness merging with those of countless others in the shared digital space.
"The final block reward approaches," announced Zara, the elected spokesperson for the Guild. "Our nodes have verified the network's integrity for over a century, and today, we witness history."
Maya's thoughts drifted to the Miners' Collective – those dedicated individuals and organizations who had kept the network secure through computational power. These days, mining operations were powered by fusion reactors and quantum processors, a far cry from the ASIC miners of the past. Yet the fundamental process remained the same: proof-of-work securing the network, one block at a time.
The holographic display suddenly pulsed with activity. Block 6,929,999 had just been confirmed. The next block would be the last to generate new Bitcoin. After that, transaction fees alone would incentivize the miners.
Maya watched as her node received and verified the pending transactions. The decentralized network hummed with activity – millions of nodes, spread across Earth and the lunar colonies, each maintaining a copy of the blockchain, each verifying every transaction independently. This was true decentralization, immune to manipulation by any single entity.
"Incoming block!" someone announced in the shared space. Maya's neural interface lit up as her node began verifying the final block. Around the world, millions of other nodes did the same, maintaining the consensus that had kept Bitcoin secure for 131 years.
Block 6,930,000 was confirmed. The last 0.00000001 BTC had been mined. Cheers erupted across the neural network as node operators and miners celebrated this historic moment. The holographic displays worldwide showed the updated supply: 21 million Bitcoin, exactly as Satoshi had designed.
Maya sent a quick neural message to her great-granddaughter, who was studying cryptocurrency history at the Mars University. "We just witnessed the end of an era and the beginning of another. Bitcoin's emission is complete, but its journey continues. The network is stronger than ever, supported by millions of nodes and miners who believe in a decentralized future."
As she looked out at the cityscape, where physical and digital reality seamlessly merged, Maya felt proud to be part of this historic moment. Bitcoin had survived and thrived through wars, market crashes, technological revolutions, and countless attempts to control or destroy it. The dream of truly decentralized money had become reality, secured by the collective effort of nodes and miners across the solar system.
The network continued its rhythmic pulse, processing transactions, block after block, just as it had since that first block in 2009. The future was decentralized, and it was beautiful.Maya stood at the window of her quantum-powered apartment, gazing at the holographic display showing the Bitcoin network's status. The date was January 15, 2140 – a day cryptocurrency historians had theorized about for over a century. Today, the very last Bitcoin would be mined.
She smiled, remembering the stories her great-grandmother had told her about the early days of Bitcoin, back in the 2020s. How different things were now. The network had evolved far beyond what Satoshi Nakamoto could have imagined, yet its core principles remained unchanged: decentralization, security, and financial sovereignty.
Her wrist-mounted neural interface pinged. The Node Operators' Guild was calling an emergency meeting. As one of the million-plus node operators worldwide, Maya's role was crucial in maintaining the network's decentralization. She quickly joined the virtual gathering, her consciousness merging with those of countless others in the shared digital space.
"The final block reward approaches," announced Zara, the elected spokesperson for the Guild. "Our nodes have verified the network's integrity for over a century, and today, we witness history."
Maya's thoughts drifted to the Miners' Collective – those dedicated individuals and organizations who had kept the network secure through computational power. These days, mining operations were powered by fusion reactors and quantum processors, a far cry from the ASIC miners of the past. Yet the fundamental process remained the same: proof-of-work securing the network, one block at a time.
The holographic display suddenly pulsed with activity. Block 6,929,999 had just been confirmed. The next block would be the last to generate new Bitcoin. After that, transaction fees alone would incentivize the miners.
Maya watched as her node received and verified the pending transactions. The decentralized network hummed with activity – millions of nodes, spread across Earth and the lunar colonies, each maintaining a copy of the blockchain, each verifying every transaction independently. This was true decentralization, immune to manipulation by any single entity.
"Incoming block!" someone announced in the shared space. Maya's neural interface lit up as her node began verifying the final block. Around the world, millions of other nodes did the same, maintaining the consensus that had kept Bitcoin secure for 131 years.
Block 6,930,000 was confirmed. The last 0.00000001 BTC had been mined. Cheers erupted across the neural network as node operators and miners celebrated this historic moment. The holographic displays worldwide showed the updated supply: 21 million Bitcoin, exactly as Satoshi had designed.
Maya sent a quick neural message to her great-granddaughter, who was studying cryptocurrency history at the Mars University. "We just witnessed the end of an era and the beginning of another. Bitcoin's emission is complete, but its journey continues. The network is stronger than ever, supported by millions of nodes and miners who believe in a decentralized future."
As she looked out at the cityscape, where physical and digital reality seamlessly merged, Maya felt proud to be part of this historic moment. Bitcoin had survived and thrived through wars, market crashes, technological revolutions, and countless attempts to control or destroy it. The dream of truly decentralized money had become reality, secured by the collective effort of nodes and miners across the solar system.
The network continued its rhythmic pulse, processing transactions, block after block, just as it had since that first block in 2009. The future was decentralized, and it was beautiful.
-
@ 044da344:073a8a0e
2025-02-09 10:07:01
„Ich freue mich, dass wir in Zeiten von Amazon Books on demand leben“, schreibt Ulf Poschardt im letzten Satz seines Vorvorworts. Wahrscheinlich hat er da schon geahnt, dass es ihn in den Charts der Woche, die der Digitalbuchladen neuerdings produziert, ganz weit nach oben spülen würde. Platz eins für „Shitbürgertum“ – für einen Generalangriff auf die Kollegen „im Kultur- und Medienbereich, in Kirchen und NGOs, im vorpolitischen Raum und in den Parteien“, die, so sieht das der Herausgeber von drei großen Axel-Springer-Marken, „Alltag und Leben der Anderen“ so fest im Griff haben wie eine „Disziplinarmacht im foucaultschen Sinne“ (S. 6). Das muss man erstmal sacken lassen. Poschardt, bis Ende 2024 Chefredakteur der *Welt*-Gruppe und dann im Konzern noch weiter nach oben gerutscht, schreibt ein „kleines Büchlein“, verliert dabei den Verlag und seufzt, dass er damit zwar „nicht ausgeschlossen“ sei aus dem „Diskursuniversum“, aber „doch an den Rand gedrängt“ (S. 7). Tränendrüse, Taschentuch und ein Trostpflaster von Jeff Bezos.
Im Amazoniversum meinen es die Rezensenten gut mit Ulf Poschardt. Endlich sagt es mal einer. Hin und wieder wird der Stil beklagt (abgehoben, akademisch), aber das tut der Freude kaum Abbruch. Die Kettensäge hat es nun auch nach Deutschland geschafft. Poschardt feiert Javier Milei und Elon Musk als „Avantgarde des Westens“ (S. 12), sieht sich selbst zumindest rhetorisch als eine Art Wiedergänger von Donald Trump (S. 7) und sagt, dass Giorgia Meloni „mehr Antifa verkörpert als alle Moralapologeten hierzulande“ (S. 34). Damit ist der Ton gesetzt. Provokation. Es geht um die, die sich für die „Guten und Anständigen“ halten und dabei, darauf läuft Poschardts Analyse hinaus, den Blick in die eigenen Abgründe und die der deutschen Geschichte genauso verstellen wie die Konfrontation mit einem „schwachen Ich“ (S. 14). Wenn man so will: ein Stück Volkspsychologie, unterfüttert mit Heinrich Manns Untertan sowie mit den Lebenslügen von Walter Jens und Günter Grass („die intellektuellen Leuchttürme“ einer Gesellschaft, „für die die Denazifizierung eine Lüge“ war, S. 27) und milieugerecht garniert mit dem Verdacht, dass die Shitbürger den „Moralismus“ bräuchten, „um die ökonomischen Niederlagen ihrer Biographien mit einem ethischen Mehrwert zu versehen“ (S. 127).
Kann sein, klar. Ferndiagnosen sind schon im Einzelfall schwierig und erst recht bei größeren Gruppen, aber Ulf Poschardt kennt seine Pappenheimer. Er weiß, dass der öffentliche Dienst wächst, und sieht, wie eine Flut an Steuergeldern aus Kulturszene und Unis „Super-Agenten der Unfreiheit“ gemacht hat (S. 65). Garniert wird das mit Darwin (die Mutigen sind schon vor langer Zeit nach Amerika geflohen und haben so „die genetische Disposition zum Wettbewerb und zur Eigenverantwortung“ geschwächt, S. 106) und dem typischen West-Wehklagen über das Ende der Bonner Republik. Diese Merkel, nun ja. Für einen Friedrich-Kittler-Schüler bleibt das auch dann ziemlich dünn, wenn ein Schuss Generationsmythos in den Analyse-Cocktail kommt (Stichwort: der Hedonismus der Boomer) und der schon angedeutete „Postmaterialismus der Nichtrichtigwohlhabenden“ (S. 126).
Wer Friedrich Kittler nicht kennt, den Doktorvater von Ulf Poschardt: Bei diesem Medientheoretiker beginnt alles mit der Technik. Erst die „Aufschreibesysteme“, dann wir in all unseren Irrungen und Verwirrungen. Kittler würde sagen: ohne die Digitalplattformen kein Shitbürgertum. Wenn die Kommunikationskanäle Moral verlangen und klare Kante, dann bekommen wir Moral und Spaltung. Weiß man eigentlich auch bei Axel Springer. Dort sollte man auch all das kennen, was seit den 1990ern mit Schulen und Universitäten gemacht wurde, keineswegs nur in Deutschland. Pisa, Bologna. Der Druck in Richtung Hochschule, der die Handwerksberufe ausdünnt und das akademische Niveau auch dann gesenkt hätte, wenn es nicht den Zwang geben würde, alle Veranstaltungen zu benoten und sich folglich irgendwelche Prüfungen auszudenken, die jedes Ausscheren aus der Spur bestrafen. Und damit habe ich noch kein Wort gesagt über die [Suppenküche](https://www.freie-medienakademie.de/medien-plus/die-macht-der-ideen), aus der vieles von dem kommt, was Ulf Poschardt anprangert – „der neue, autoritäre Glaube an die Sprache“ zum Beispiel, der zu Angst und Säuberungen führt (S. 119), oder die „Trias der Unterdrückung und Umerziehung aus Migrations-, Klima- und Corona-Politik“ (S. 151).
Genug vom „Shitbürgertum“. Eigentlich wollte ich heute über Axel Klopprogge schreiben, einen Manager im Unruhestand, der wie Ulf Poschardt von links kommt und sich ebenfalls an den vielen kleinen Diskurspolizisten reibt, aber weder seinen Marx vergessen hat noch die Menschen, um die es eigentlich geht. „Links oder rechts oder was?“ heißt Klopprogges neues Buch, schon sein drittes jenseits der alten Verlagswelt und vielleicht auch deshalb ästhetisch deutlich ansprechender als das von Poschardt. Aber das nur nebenbei. Axel Klopprogge kommt aus einem SPD-Milieu in Mönchengladbach, hat als Schüler den Sticker „Willy wählen“ getragen und sich das Studium als Briefträger verdient. Eine andere Welt. Er erzählt darüber in dem langen Gespräch, das wir über seine Bücher geführt haben. Schnaps und Trinkgeld für den Jungen von der Post. Die Gendersprache, sagt er, ist auch ein Verrat an all den Menschen, die sich ihm damals anvertraut haben und mit denen er heute diskutiert, wenn er zu Fuß oder mit dem Rad Land und Leute erkundet.
In Klopprogges Texten geht es auch um das „Shitbürgertum“, das bei ihm allerdings Priester- oder Pharisäerschicht heißt – eine Bewegung, die nichts besser kann, aber alles besser weiß und hier zwar auch über ein Schuldkonstrukt gesteuert wird, aber ganz anders als bei Ulf Poschardt, für den die deutsche Geschichte auf den Nationalsozialismus hinausläuft, das Davor genauso wie das Danach. Axel Klopprogge sagt: Die Moralisierung funktioniert nur, weil sie sich auf Anliegen bezieht, die längst Allgemeingut sind. Wo sind die, die ernsthaft gegen die Gleichheit der Geschlechter sind, gegen sexuelle Vielfalt oder gegen Umweltschutz? Der Zeigefinger – Nazi! Sexist! Rassist! Antisemit! Rechtsextremist! – kann seine Wucht nur entfalten, weil niemand in einer dieser Ecken stehen will. Folge 1: Es passiert nie genug. Folge 2: ein Generalverdacht. Wir bekommen weder das mit der Nachtabsenkung alleine hin noch das Händewaschen nach dem Toilettengang. Und Folge 3: Missionare, die sich in Verwaltungen, Redaktionen und Unternehmen eingenistet haben und über Verordnungen und Bewertungssysteme zum einen dafür sorgen, dass alle anderen permanent auf Trab gehalten werden, und sich zum anderen selbst die Jobs sichern.
Wobei: So doll ist das meist alles gar nicht. „Eine biedere urbane Mittelschicht mit dürftiger Bildung“ und „mit risikolosen administrativen Tätigkeiten im öffentlichen Sektor“ (S. 87), oft befristet, längst nicht immer Vollzeit und gefangen in einer Endloskette aus Misstrauen und Kontrolle. Axel Klopprogge glaubt an den [Menschen](https://www.freie-medienakademie.de/medien-plus/89) und an unsere Fähigkeit, etwas zu schaffen, was es so noch nirgendwo gab. Das Paradies, sagt er in unserem [Gespräch](https://youtu.be/LUiUAhb2OXY), muss ein schrecklicher Ort gewesen sein. Alles perfekt und nichts mehr zu tun. Der Mensch ist von dort nicht vertrieben worden, sondern geflohen. Klopprogge wehrt sich ganz folgerichtig gegen ein betreutes Leben, in dem schon die Sprache die Spielräume einschränkt und der Rest über Multiple-Choice-Klausuren und Verbotsschilder geregelt wird.
„Links oder rechts oder was?“: Bei Ulf Poschardt scheint die Antwort klar. Keine Zugeständnisse mehr an das „kulturell dominante Links-/Grün-Bürgertum“ (S. 7). „Macht kaputt, was euch kaputt macht“, steht hinten auf dem Buch. „Zu weit rechts abgebogen“, fragt *Der Spiegel* eher rhetorisch in einem langen [Porträt](https://archive.ph/ukpS0), bei dem schon das Titelfoto alles sagt. Tiefergelegt in einer Tiefgarage, aber bitte nicht ohne Sonnenbrille. Axel Klopprogge dagegen mag nicht lassen von seiner Herkunft. Er hat als Linker Karriere gemacht in der Welt der Konzerne und dort die Ambivalenz des Handelns kennen- und schätzengelernt. Verantwortung übernehmen in dem Wissen, dass sich längst nicht alles kontrollieren lässt. Die Pionierrolle von Unternehmern. Arbeit, die an einen Ort und an eine Zeit gebunden ist, auf die Widrigkeiten der Materie trifft und tatsächlich etwas bewirkt in der Welt. Seine Texte leben von Beobachtungen des Alltags und werden getragen vom Respekt vor denen, die das Land am Laufen halten. Klopprogge will nicht zerstören, sondern die Linke ermuntern, zu ihren Wurzeln zurückzugehen und dabei Arbeit und Freiheit zu vermählen. Selbst das Shitbürgertum mag er nicht verdammen. Gute Absichten, immerhin, auch wenn sie gerade in eine Dystopie zu führen scheinen. Wo Ulf Poschardt an die Kettensäge glaubt, sagt Axel Klopprogge ganz schlicht: Der Mensch ist nicht berechenbar ist und kann schon morgen alles über den Haufen werfen, was er bis heute tut.
[Freie Akademie für Medien & Journalismus](https://www.freie-medienakademie.de/)
[Unterstützen](https://www.freie-medienakademie.de/unterstuetzen)
-
@ 1918cbdf:982c9488
2025-02-09 09:59:29
SUNDAY MORNING OPINION PIECE: Have a read with your morning #coffee ☕️☕️☕️
**The Start-Up Scene**
(and the difference between price and value.)
***
Let's get something clear from the offset.
Investors only care about money.
This may seem very obvious to you unless you are one or all of these things:
Honest. Optimistic. Innocent. Idealistic. Authentic. Genuine.
If you have these virtues, congratulations. These are wonderful things. Hold on to them at all costs and do not
hide them, but do not expect to be successful in the current capitalist manifestation.
Let me write it again. There is only one thing investors care about: MONEY.
They do not care about anything else. No matter what they tell you. No matter what they tell themselves, they
only care about money. Money may represent things to them such as power, freedom, control and autonomy
(which I don't think is even true) but they want money.
Maybe this is no surprise to you but it surprised me.
I appreciate things of value. I can see value and I am trying to add value which is one reason I decided to post this piece on #nostr.
But the finance
industry is nothing to do with adding value. It is only ever about money. If it is about value, it is only ever about extracting value and turning it into money.
How do you measure money? Price. And price is not the same as value.
The reason I was surprised to learn that the finance industry and investors only care about money is very simple,
I believed their marketing stories.
Investors and the financial industry rarely talk about money. Don't believe me? Watch Bloomberg TV for a few
hours and tell me how many times the word money is mentioned. They will talk all day long about everything
except money.
They will talk about interest rates, trade, supply chains, risk, rates, returns, jobs, the treasury, the fed, the
environment, social benefits, growth, governance, compliance, hawks, bulls, bears, doves, war.
You name it but
they do not talk about money.
Financiers form make believe stories. In the industry they call them narratives. Then they push those stories
down your throat until you are forced to swallow and they will deny and reject everything that does not fit within
their narrative.
Remember, they have huge marketing budgets and teams of brand managers to push these narratives. There are
thousands of entities with their competing narratives filling your screens, your news and social feeds to make
you believe them.
If you don't believe them, it doesn't matter, others will and enough of them will jump on the
bandwagon until you feel like your getting left behind or you are forced to participate whether you want to or not
(CCTV, smartphones, cashless payments, internet cookies, advertisements where ever you look, 5G towers etc.).
The front-end, the GUI, is the caring social goodness that is there for our benefit, they profess. The back-end is
the truth: It is all about money.
Tell me about your UX of life, does it delight and inspire like they said they
wanted it to?
No matter what they say, no matter what they show you, no matter what you read. Just think money.
That is what
it is about. Nothing else.
This is the crucial part: It is much easier to monetise a story that you can make people believe in than it is to
monetise something of value.
Look at the AI boom, electric vehicles or cryptocurrencies as examples. They are stories that people believe in.
Quantum computing appears to be the next looming hype cycle and perhaps space exploration as well, though have
been through that somewhat already but it will ramp up again when SpaceX goes public.
These things have happened and are happening. There is no question that after every bubble bursts, the
green shoots of actual progress start to form.
But my question is this: How much have you personally benefitted
from these technologies and how much has your life actually changed?
The shifts are microscopic compared to
the claims that are made, except for a minority of elitists.
What do these businesses, these stories have in common?
There is no limit to them. There is no cap to where they can go, in theory. That means there is no limit to where
the price can go.
Limitless greed has something to latch on to temporarily. Of course these narratives can never
fully deliver on their promises. That is why there is always the next big thing on the horizon.
Space travel, where does that end? The possibilities of intelligence and learning in the form of AI, is there a limit
on that? Turning every object and service into a cryptographic token, is there a ceiling on that you can imagine?
These are good narratives. There is a lot of room for participation in these stories which means they can jack up
the price without having to actually produce anything.
Value on the other hand can be measured, it does have limits and it often takes time to produce or implement.
It
is not conducive to rapid and limitless money making, so things of value are neglected. Things of value are
normally only appreciated when they are complete or close to completion.
Few people are interested in investing money in the process of creating something of value. They just want it
when all the work is done so they can flip it.
But for most people, without money they cannot afford to create
something of value because they need to survive in the meantime as well as meet all of the costs of development.
So, how to create something that adds real value for the benefit of
many people when investors, part of the romanticised "eco-system", are only interested in rapid price rises based
on hyperbole and fiction?
***
Discuss in the comments. Zap⚡me if you made it to the end and double down if you want me to write up a follow up piece with my personal answer (whatever you send is my only source of income)
***
About this piece:
After a few days on #nostr @primal #primal and #amethyst, I am finding this a remarkable project.
I wanted to add value by providing some long form copy for your entertainment and stimulation.
I am excited by the prospect of this protocol, it is so much more than a media platform. I hope to build on it soon.
For more about my backstory just ask or check out where I a coming from at skillissues.tech
Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your weekend
***
-
@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9
2025-02-09 09:50:46
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/880337
-
@ 127d3bf5:466f416f
2025-02-09 08:48:48
In the complex geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, particularly in Gaza, Bitcoin has emerged as an unexpected but vital tool for survival and resistance. Bitcoin's role in Gaza intertwines with broader themes of economic sanctions, geopolitical strategy, and the funding dynamics of conflict, specifically highlighting the relationship with racist Zionist policy and the genocidal ethnostate of Israel.
**Bitcoin as a Financial Lifeline**
Gaza's economy is severely constrained by a blockade that has been in place since 2007, drastically limiting traditional financial transactions. The banking infrastructure in Gaza is in ruins, with frequent Israeli military operations damaging or destroying physical bank branches and ATMs. In this context, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have become crucial:
Anonymity and Accessibility: Bitcoin transactions bypass traditional banking systems, offering a way to send and receive funds without the oversight of embargoed financial pathways. This anonymity helps in circumventing restrictions imposed by the blockade. Humanitarian Aid: With conventional aid routes often disrupted, Bitcoin has been used for direct aid transfers. Charities and individuals can send funds directly to wallets in Gaza, where they can then be converted to local currency or used to purchase essentials through the black market or informal trade networks. Economic Empowerment: For Gazans, Bitcoin represents not just aid but also a potential for economic empowerment, providing a means to engage in global trade or investment where traditional banks fail.
**Zionism, Israel, and the US Military-Industrial Complex**
The relationship between Zionism, Israel, and its economic and military support from the US can be viewed through the lens of geopolitical strategy and economic policy:
Economic Support: The US has provided Israel with massive military aid as part of a broader strategy to maintain influence and conflict in the Middle East which serves to fuel its war machine and weapons manufacturers through lucrative contracts. This aid, which includes billions of dollars annually directly results in the mass murder of innocents and sustains ongoing IDF military oppression including the occupation and blockade of Gaza.
Cheap Printed Dollars: The US's ability to print dollars with relatively low inflation due to its global reserve currency status allows it to fund military endeavors and support allies like Israel with seemingly endless financial resources. This perpetuates conflict by subsidizing military actions without the immediate economic repercussions felt by other nations.
Military-Industrial Complex: The continuous military aid to Israel also benefits the US military-industrial complex. Sales of weapons, surveillance technology, and other defense products to Israel create a cycle where conflict can be economically beneficial for certain sectors of the US economy.
**Conclusion**
Bitcoin in Gaza represents a beacon of hope. It underscores the ingenuity of individuals and groups finding new ways to navigate around severe economic restrictions. Meanwhile, the economic and military ties between the US and Israel, driven by cheap printed dollars, reflect deeper geopolitical strategies that perpetuate the cycle of conflict and economic dependency. In this scenario, Bitcoin emerges not just as a currency but as a symbol of both resistance and the complexities of modern warfare and peace in a digital age.
-
@ 43baaf0c:d193e34c
2025-02-09 07:55:15
BangPOP (Bangkok Pop Art) and ThaiPOP are my Pop Art brands dedicated to capturing the essence of Thailand. While BangPOP is my primary focus, especially as I prepare for my exhibition in December 2025, my art goes beyond Bangkok to celebrate the entirety of Thailand.
Thailand is far more than its capital, and my experiences exploring the country extensively during my years with @TravelTelly, my travel, film, and photography company, have deeply inspired me. Through my art, I aim to reflect the rich culture, beauty, and diversity that make Thailand so amazing.
**Why do I draw about Thailand?**
Drawing, for me, is a way to explore life, connect with cultures, and express the deep respect I hold for them. In a world often dominated by negativity, I choose to highlight the positive aspects of culture and life. It’s not about ignoring challenges but about bringing hope, joy, and inspiration through my art. Bright colors are a signature of my work, reflecting the core values: Love, Peace, and Joy.
If you look closely, you may notice subtle hints of deeper stories woven into my pieces. These details are there for those who take the time to discover them, but my focus remains on keeping my art uplifting and joyful.
-
@ c8841c9d:ae8048e2
2025-02-09 04:37:57
What is a cryptocurrency ?
#Blockchain #Cryptocurrency #Cryptomindmap
A cryptocurrency is a digital currency secured by cryptography.
Cryptocurrency operates on a blockchain network as a distributed ledger, secured by cryptography.
Users own the private and public keys.
For the first time in the digital age, the double spending issue is resolved thanks to the blockchain consensus mechanism. This ensures decentralization and security, creating a trustless environment where transactions are immutable once confirmed.
Cryptocurrency can be categorized in different groups
Bitcoin is the first ever created cryptocurrency on the bitcoin blockchain.
Altcoins is a generic term regrouping every crypto except Bitcoin. There are over a million of ever created Altcoins and more than 20,000 currently active. They can be:
- Coin from a programable blockchain such as Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), or Sui (SUI) for example. Ecosystem of applications are built on top of these blockchain networks.
- Token of Decentralized Application (DApp) built on programmable blockchain such as ChainLink (LINK) or Aave (AAVE) on Ethereum.
- Memecoins are a type of cryptocurrency, typically inspired by internet memes or popular culture, with little or no intrinsic value but cultural and community support. Memecoins such as Dogecoin (DOGE) or Shiba (SHIB) are some of the strongest community in crypto. The price of memecoins is also the most volatile of the entire crypto ecosystem.
A coin is the native cryptocurrency of a blockchain, used for validator rewards and transaction fees. A token, on the other hand, is built on top of an existing blockchain for specific applications.
They are two mains ways to use with cryptocurrencies.
With a wallets for direct blockchain interactions, which contains the keys to necessary for true ownership of the cryptocurrencies, similar to owning cash or any other tangible form of money.
On a centralized exchanges which act as on/off ramps for buying, selling, and keeping crypto. The exchange is in the charge of the private key. It is the equivalent of having money on a bank account.
Remember the saying "Not Your Keys, Not Your Crypto". If you don't control your private keys, you don't truly own your crypto.\
\
Users initiate transactions, send, receive and hold cryptocurrency and their wallet.
Validators ensure blockchain integrity by verifying transactions and building blocks, earning crypto in return.
Developers work on the network infrastructure and the ecosystem, including DApps. While general programming languages can be used, languages specifically designed for blockchain development, like Solidity for Ethereum, have emerged to facilitate crypto development..
Thanks for reading! 🌟 Share in comments your thoughts on cryptocurrency and what topic you would like to be mapped next! #Crypto
-
@ dc4cd086:cee77c06
2025-02-09 03:35:25
Have you ever wanted to learn from lengthy educational videos but found it challenging to navigate through hours of content? Our new tool addresses this problem by transforming long-form video lectures into easily digestible, searchable content.
## Key Features:
### Video Processing:
- Automatically downloads YouTube videos, transcripts, and chapter information
- Splits transcripts into sections based on video chapters
### Content Summarization:
- Utilizes language models to transform spoken content into clear, readable text
- Formats output in AsciiDoc for improved readability and navigation
- Highlights key terms and concepts with [[term]] notation for potential cross-referencing
### Diagram Extraction:
- Analyzes video entropy to identify static diagram/slide sections
- Provides a user-friendly GUI for manual selection of relevant time ranges
- Allows users to pick representative frames from selected ranges
## Going Forward:
Currently undergoing a rewrite to improve organization and functionality, but you are welcome to try the current version, though it might not work on every machine.
Will support multiple open and closed language models for user choice
Free and open-source, allowing for personal customization and integration with various knowledge bases. Just because we might not have it on our official Alexandria knowledge base, you are still welcome to use it on you own personal or community knowledge bases! We want to help find connections between ideas that exist across relays, allowing individuals and groups to mix and match knowledge bases between each other, allowing for any degree of openness you care.
While designed with #Alexandria users in mind, it's available for anyone to use and adapt to their own learning needs.
## Screenshots
### Frame Selection
This is a screenshot of the frame selection interface. You'll see a signal that represents frame entropy over time. The vertical lines indicate the start and end of a chapter. Within these chapters you can select the frames by clicking and dragging the mouse over the desired range where you think diagram is in that chapter. At the bottom is an option that tells the program to select a specific number of frames from that selection.
### Diagram Extraction
This is a screenshot of the diagram extraction interface. For every selection you've made, there will be a set of frames that you can choose from. You can select and deselect as many frames as you'd like to save.
## Links
- repo: https://github.com/limina1/video_article_converter
- Nostr Apps 101: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Flxa_jkErqE
## Output
And now, we have a demonstration of the final result of this tool, with some quick cleaning up. The video we will be using this tool on is titled Nostr Apps 101 by nostr:npub1nxy4qpqnld6kmpphjykvx2lqwvxmuxluddwjamm4nc29ds3elyzsm5avr7 during Nostrasia. The following thread is an analog to the modular articles we are constructing for Alexandria, and I hope it conveys the functionality we want to create in the knowledge space. Note, this tool is the first step! You could use a different prompt that is most appropriate for the specific context of the transcript you are working with, but you can also manually clean up any discrepancies that don't portray the video accurately.
You can now view the article on #Alexandria
https://next-alexandria.gitcitadel.eu/publication?d=nostr-apps-101
Initially published as chained kind 1's
nostr:nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzp5r5hd579v2sszvvzfel677c8dxgxm3skl773sujlsuft64c44ncqy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qgwwaehxw309ahx7uewd3hkctcpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43z7qghwaehxw309aex2mrp0yhxummnw3ezucnpdejz7qgewaehxw309aex2mrp0yh8xmn0wf6zuum0vd5kzmp0qqsxunmjy20mvlq37vnrcshkf6sdrtkfjtjz3anuetmcuv8jswhezgc7hglpn
Or view on Coracle
https://coracle.social /nevent1qqsxunmjy20mvlq37vnrcshkf6sdrtkfjtjz3anuetmcuv8jswhezgcppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0qgsdqa9md83tz5yqnrqjw07hhkpmfjpkuv9hlh5v8yhu8z274w9dv7qnnq0s3
-
@ 127d3bf5:466f416f
2025-02-09 03:31:22
I can see why someone would think that buying some other crypto is a reasonable idea for "diversification" or even just for a bit of fun gambling, ***but it is not.***
There are many reasons you should stick to Bitcoin only, and these have been proven correct every cycle. I've outlined these before but will cut and paste below as a summary.
The number one reason, is ***healthy ethical practice***:
- The whole point of Bitcoin is to escape the trappings and flaws of traditional systems. Currency trading and speculative investing is a Tradfi concept, and you will end up back where you started. Sooner or later this becomes obvious to everyone. Bitcoin is the healthy and ethical choice for yourself and everyone else.
But...even if you want to be greedy, ***hold your horses***:
- There is significant risk in wallets, defi, and cefi exchanges. Many have lost all their funds in these through hacks and services getting banned or going bankrupt.
- You get killed in exchange fees even when buying low and selling high. This is effectively a transaction tax which is often hidden (sometimes they don't show the fee, just mark up the exchange rate). Also true on defi exchanges.
- You are up against traders and founders with insider knowledge and much more sophisticated prediction models that will fleece you eventually. You cannot time the market better than they can, and it is their full-time to job to beat you and suck as much liquidity out of you as they can. House always wins.
- Every crypto trade is a taxable event, so you will be taxed on all gains anyway in most countries. So not only are the traders fleecing you, the govt is too.
- It ruins your quality of life constantly checking prices and stressing about making the wrong trade.
The best option, by far, is to slowly ***DCA into Bitcoin*** and take this off exchanges into your own custody. In the long run this strategy works out better financially, ethically, and from a quality-of-life perspective. Saving, not trading.
I've been here since 2014 and can personally attest to this.
<img src="https://blossom.primal.net/35ff641203bf4d197a032a59d6815b99249561bfd3a94b4a908ed5161420466f.jpg">
-
@ ac6f9572:8a6853dd
2025-02-09 01:59:02
# Are you a Bitcoin or Nostr Builder, Engineer, Dev, Coder, Architect... ?
We are opening the community grants for artists to the world and inviting Artists to join remotely the collective that until now has set together this exposition in Chiang Mai, Thailand: **Freedom Tech Art**
1. Create your profile in Geyser
2. Create geyser project with images and description
3. Apply for the SnH grant from https://geyser.fund/grants/15
# Some snapshots
#Hackathon #grownostr #bitcoin #nostr #news #zap #photography #sats #asknostr #plebchain
#lightning #cashu #cryptography ~crypto #devs #dev
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/880198
-
@ ac6f9572:8a6853dd
2025-02-09 01:54:02
# Are you a Bitcoin or Nostr Artist, Designer, Creative... ?
We are opening the community grants for artists to the world and inviting Artists to join remotely the collective that unntil now has set together this exposition in Chiang Mai, Thailand: **Freedom Tech Art**
1. Create your Artist profile in Geyser
2. Create geyser project and upload your art pieces or selected collection.
3. Apply for the SnA grant from https://geyser.fund/grants/14
# Some snapshots
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/880193
-
@ fe32298e:20516265
2025-02-09 01:43:24
Alright, Tabby wouldn't work right with CUDA and it was impossible to troubleshoot anything.
Now we're going to try [Twinny](https://github.com/twinnydotdev/twinny).
You'll need:
* Ubuntu 24.04 or some other Linux flavor
* [VSCodium](https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium)
* GPU with enough VRAM to hold your chosen models
* It might work with just a CPU, give it a try!
# Install Ollama
Ollama loads the AI models into VRAM (and offloads into RAM if needed) and offers inference through an API. The Ollama install script adds a dedicated `ollama` user and a systemd service so that Ollama starts automatically at boot. Ollama will unload models from memory when idle.
```
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
```
## Configuring Remote Ollama
Skip this section if your GPU is on the same machine you're coding from. Ollama and Twinny default to a local configuration.
I'm using Ollama on a separate machine with a decent GPU, so I need to configure it to bind to the network interface instead of `localhost` by editing the systemd service:
1. Edit the service override file:
```
systemctl edit ollama.service
```
1. Add this in the top section. It will be merged with the default service file.
```
[Service]
Environment="OLLAMA_HOST=0.0.0.0:11434"
```
Note: I had a problem with Ollama only binding to the `tcp6` port, and wasted a lot of time trying to fix it. Check with `netstat -na | grep 11434` to see if it only shows tcp6 for port 11434. The workaround for me was using the actual interface IP instead of `0.0.0.0`. If you do this then you'll need to either set `OLLAMA_HOST` in your shell, or specify `OLLAMA_HOST=<hostname>` at the start of every ollama command (or it complains that it can't connect to ollama).
1. Restart Ollama:
```
systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl restart ollama
```
## Download Models
Ollama manages models by importing them into its own special folders. You can use Ollama to download the files from the [Ollama library](https://ollama.com/library), or you can import already-downloaded models by creating a [Modelfile](https://github.com/ollama/ollama/blob/main/docs/modelfile.md). Modelfiles define various parameters about the model and it's important to get them set correctly for the best performance so it's probably better to get them from the library, even though it wastes bandwidth downloading them over and over again for all these tools.
You'll want a model for chatting and a model for fill-in-middle (FIM) that does the code completions.
```
# Chat model, defaults to 7b with Q4_K_M quant, downloads 4.7 GB
ollama pull qwen2.5-coder
# Fill-in-Middle model for code completion, another 4.7 GB
ollama pull qwen2.5-coder:7b-base
```
The RAG/embeddings feature is optional but probably worth using. It needs to run a from local instance of Ollama. The embedding models are very small and run fine on CPU. Most everyone uses `nomic`, but Twinny defaults to `all-minilm`, which is a little smaller.
```
ollama pull all-minilm
```
# Install Twinny
Install the [Twinny extension](https://open-vsx.org/extension/rjmacarthy/twinny) by searching for `twinny` in VSCodium extensions.
Look for the Twinny icon on the left side panel and click it to open the Twinny panel. Be careful if you drag it over to the right side: sometimes it may not appear at all. I managed to make it appear by selecting some text and running a Twinny action on it from the context menu.
Twinny assumes you're using a local instance of Ollama. If you want to use a remote instance then you'll need to go into the **Manage Twinny providers** section (looks like a power plug) and add new providers that point your remote Ollama instance.
These are the settings I'm using for a remote Ollama instance:
## Chat provider
* Type: `chat`
* Provider: `ollama`
* Protocol: `http`
* Model Name: `qwen2.5-coder:latest`
* Hostname: *remote hostname*
* Port: `11434`
* API Path: `/v1` (despite what the Twinny docs and Ollama docs say)
* API Key: *blank*
## FIM Provider
* Type: `fim`
* FIM Template: `codeqwen`
* Provider: `ollama`
* Protocol: `http`
* Model Name: `qwen2.5-coder:7b-base`
* Hostname: *remote hostname*
* Port: `11434`
* API Path: `/api/generate`
* API Key: *blank*
## Embedding Provider
* Type: `embedding`
* Provider: `ollama`
* Protocol: `http`
* Model Name: `nomic-embed-text`
* Hostname: `0.0.0.0`
* Port: `11434`
* API Path: `/api/embed`
* API Key: *blank*
# Use Twinny
## Chat
Select code and it will be used for context in the chat, or right-click selected text to see more options like refactor, write docs, write tests.
## Embeddings
Switch over to the Embeddings tab and click Embed documents to use all the documents in your workspace for more context. Type '@' in the chat to reference the entire workspace, ask about specific problems, or specific files in your chat.
## Code Completion
Suggested stuff shows up in gray italics at the cursor location. Press `Tab` to accept it as a completion.
-
@ 16d11430:61640947
2025-02-09 01:03:30
As fiat currencies continue their slow-motion collapse worldwide, a disturbing pattern is emerging—food security is deteriorating, marked by frequent outbreaks of avian flu, livestock diseases, and supply chain disruptions. While mainstream narratives often blame climate change or random chance, a deeper look reveals that these crises are symptoms of a decaying financial system.
Food shortages, increasing corporate monopolization of agriculture, and government mismanagement are not random events. They are predictable consequences of monetary debasement, supply chain stress, and regulatory capture. Let’s break down how the collapse of fiat money is driving the current food crisis and why things are likely to get worse.
---
1. Early Signs: Inflation and the Cost of Farming Soar
The first cracks in the food supply system appear when inflation begins eating into farmers’ margins. Over the past few years, fertilizer prices have skyrocketed, fuel costs remain volatile, and animal feed has become more expensive due to disrupted global trade.
Example: The 2022 Fertilizer Crisis – As the U.S. and European governments sanctioned Russia, a key global supplier of potash and ammonia (key fertilizer ingredients), prices surged. Farmers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America struggled to afford these inputs, reducing food production.
Egg Prices & Avian Flu – In 2023, egg prices doubled in the U.S. and Europe, exacerbated by avian flu culling millions of hens. However, inflation played a bigger role—higher costs for feed, transport, and farm maintenance made it impossible for smaller producers to compete.
Corporate Centralization – As inflation drives small farmers out of business, giant agribusinesses like Cargill, JBS, and Tyson gain more control, further consolidating the supply chain.
At this stage, the system still functions, but food prices increase, and warning signs emerge.
---
2. Mid-Stage: Supply Chains Crack & Regulatory Failures Accelerate Outbreaks
As inflation worsens, government policies and systemic inefficiencies accelerate decay. Regulations intended to "protect" the market often do the opposite—causing supply shocks and increasing food insecurity.
Avian Flu as a Convenient Cover? – Since 2022, millions of chickens, turkeys, and ducks have been culled globally due to "avian flu outbreaks." The strange part? Many cases are based on PCR tests with high false positives rather than confirmed clinical symptoms. Some suspect regulatory agencies are exaggerating the crisis to justify price hikes and consolidate control.
U.S. Cattle Mysteriously Falling Sick – Reports surfaced in early 2024 of large numbers of cattle experiencing spontaneous respiratory illness and reproductive failures. The USDA and FDA blame viruses, but critics point to contaminated mRNA vaccines or corporate feed modifications.
Dutch Farmers vs. The State – In the Netherlands, one of Europe’s largest food producers, the government attempted to force thousands of farmers to sell their land under the guise of "nitrogen reduction." Many believe this is an effort to centralize control over food production.
At this stage, outbreaks become more frequent—not just due to biological causes, but because of poor regulation, centralized control, and financial stress leading to cost-cutting in food safety.
---
3. Late-Stage: Hyperinflation, Panic, and Rationing
Once inflation turns into hyperinflation, food becomes a political weapon. Governments respond with price controls, forced rationing, and market interventions that make things worse.
Argentina & Venezuela’s Food Rationing – In nations experiencing hyperinflation, like Argentina and Venezuela, supermarket shelves are empty, and the black market determines real prices. Government-issued food ration cards fail to provide reliable access.
French Farmers Revolt Over Regulations & Costs – In 2024, French farmers blocked highways in protest against tax hikes, environmental regulations, and soaring costs. The EU’s green policies, combined with inflation, made food production unviable.
Egg Shortages in the UK – The UK government urged people to eat fewer eggs and replace them with lab-grown alternatives as supermarkets struggled to restock due to avian flu and Brexit-related trade issues.
At this point, government incompetence and corporate profiteering worsen food insecurity, leading to riots, black markets, and authoritarian responses.
---
4. Final Collapse: Mass Starvation or Parallel Systems
As fiat systems implode, parallel markets emerge. People turn to barter, Bitcoin-based trade, and decentralized farming networks to survive.
Bitcoin for Beef – In Argentina and El Salvador, some ranchers have started accepting Bitcoin for direct meat sales, bypassing the banking system entirely.
Local Food Networks Grow – In places where trust in fiat money collapses, local food networks, permaculture movements, and barter systems gain popularity.
Lab-Grown & Insect Protein Push – Meanwhile, governments and billionaires like Bill Gates push for synthetic meat and insect-based diets, claiming they are "sustainable" while continuing policies that destroy natural farming.
At this stage, centralized systems are collapsing, but decentralized alternatives emerge—offering a path forward for those willing to adapt.
---
The Solution: Decentralization & Bitcoin-Based Trade
The fiat food system is failing because it is built on debt, leverage, and market manipulation. To ensure food security, we must return to decentralized, sound-money solutions.
Bitcoin as a Trade Standard – Farmers using Bitcoin escape capital controls and currency depreciation, ensuring fair trade.
Regenerative Agriculture & Local Food Systems – Returning to small-scale, diversified farming reduces the risk of mass outbreaks.
Self-Sovereignty Over Food – Growing your own food, supporting local farmers, and rejecting centralized food policies is the only way to break free from the collapsing system.
---
Conclusion: Recognizing the Signs Before It's Too Late
The rapid spread of avian flu, livestock diseases, and farm shutdowns are not random events. They are early warning signs of systemic decay in the fiat economy. As governments print money and impose short-sighted regulations, food security worsens.
The best way forward is decentralization—of money, farming, and trade. The collapse of fiat will bring hardship, but those who understand the game and prepare accordingly will thrive.
-
@ f33c8a96:5ec6f741
2025-02-09 01:02:51
I have been working on account linking in the backend for a little while and so far only GitHub has been available to users (mostly for following the dev journey on the platform)
Now with this release the existing OAUTH options AND Nostr NIP-07 authentication are surfaced and able to be linked to an existing profile on your settings page.
Put simply this allows you to easily link email, GitHub, and nostr profile in the plebdevs platform to access the same account from different login methods. This will make it much easier to keep the same profile across multiple devices AND make sure that you never lose access!
Let me know what you think and PLEASE LET ME KNOW if you find any bugs! (I love bugs 🐛)
ONWARDS 🫡
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/880161
-
@ d4309e24:8a81fcb0
2025-02-09 00:16:55
## 1. What if You Could Send a Message into the Future?
Imagine leaving **a message for your future self**, a loved one, or even an entire community—one that no one, not even you, can unlock until a specific moment in time. Picture leaving **a message for your children**, a note of wisdom or love that remains hidden until they're old enough to appreciate it, all timed by Bitcoin's block height. You might also make **a bold prediction** about the future price of Bitcoin, sealing it away until the blockchain reaches a certain block height.
This is the idea behind *Hatchstr*, a decentralized app for time-locked messages that only unlock at predetermined Bitcoin block heights—no central authority required.
### Why Build This?
I want to dive into the Nostr protocol not just by reading documentation, but by actually building something that embodies its core principles: **censorship resistance**, **user ownership**, and **decentralization**. Hatchstr is both an experiment and a contribution to the Nostr ecosystem—a way to test the limits of permissionless communication while learning and engaging with the community.
## 2. The Vision: How Hatchstr Would Work for Users
At its core, Hatchstr lets users create time capsules—encrypted messages that only become readable after a specified Bitcoin block height. Here’s what that looks like:
* You design a capsule with text and images using Hatchstr’s web app.
* You pick an unlock time (e.g., 1000 blocks from now).
* The message is encrypted, locked away, and published as a Nostr event.
* At the chosen time, the decryption key is revealed, allowing the recipient to finally access the message.
#### Potential Use Cases
* **Personal Messages**: Send birthday wishes that unlock at midnight, time-delayed love letters, or notes to your future self.
* **Timed Learning**: Lock educational content to unlock when students reach key learning stages or ages.
* **Creative Storytelling**: Release serialized fiction, riddles, or treasure hunt clues that unlock over time.
* **Community & Events**: Time-gate announcements for Nostr-based communities or scheduled voting mechanisms.
### 3. The Centralized Trap: Why Build on Nostr
When thinking about how to implement this, we could go the obvious, easy route:
* Store messages on a centralized server.
* Release them when the time is right.
* Let users download their messages.
Simple, right? **But is it the right approach? Let's break it down.**
### Why This Fails
* **Single Point of Failure**: If my server goes down, all messages are unavailable.
* **Privacy Risks**: Users would need to trust me not to access their messages.
* **Ownership & Longevity**: What happens if I lose interest? The system dies with me.
A centralized model defeats the purpose of time-locking messages. Users shouldn’t have to trust a third party. We need decentralization.
## 4. Nostr to the Rescue: How Decentralization Can Help
Instead of a single server holding messages hostage, [Nostr](https://nostr.how/en/what-is-nostr) allows users to publish messages to [decentralized relays](https://nostr.how/en/relays). Here are the key differences:
* **Nostr IDs = Self-Owned Identities**: Your public key is your identity, not tied to any company.
* **Relays = Decentralized Bulletin Boards**: Anyone can run one, ensuring redundancy and censorship resistance.
* **Messages = Signed Events:** Cryptographically signed by the sender or encrypted for only the recipient.
### How Nostr Reduces Centralization
In this version of Hatchstr, capsules are still stored in a centralized manner at first until they 'hatch'. However, once the Bitcoin block height condition is met:
* **Capsule Publication**: The system publishes the capsule events to Nostr relays, making the messages available for decryption by the intended recipients.
This approach, while not eliminating the central server, allows for:
* **Third-Party Clients**: Developers can now create clients that interact with Hatchstr capsules on Nostr, enhancing the system's openness and potentially leading to a richer ecosystem around time-locked messages.
* **Decentralized Access**: Even though the initial storage is centralized, the access to the messages becomes decentralized once published to Nostr, reducing the dependency on a single point for message retrieval.
We have some improvements, **but I am sure we can do better!**
## 5. The Path to Decentralized Timekeeping
### The Timeless Nature of Encryption
Encrypted messages exist outside time—once locked, they remain secure indefinitely. Modern cryptography (like AES-256) doesn’t "expire" or weaken unless decrypted (excluding brute force attacks). This creates a paradox: How do you bind something timeless to a specific moment in the physical world?
#### The Time-Lock Puzzle Dilemma
Cryptographers have proposed [time-lock puzzles](https://iacr.org/archive/crypto2019/116940354/116940354.pdf)—encryption that requires sustained computation to unlock, theoretically forcing a minimum wait time. But these face critical hurdles:
* ##### **Hardware Uncertainty**
Solving time depends on an attacker’s computational power. A nation-state could crack in hours what takes years for a regular user.
* ##### **No Real-World Alignment**
Puzzles can’t guarantee unlocks align with calendar dates or real-world events ("unlock on my child’s 18th birthday").
* ##### **Energy Waste**
Requires continuous computation, making it environmentally impractical for longer time locking.
#### Bitcoin as a Decentralized Clock
This is where Bitcoin’s blockchain shines. Its difficulty-adjusted proof-of-work acts as a trustless metronome:
* ##### **Predictable Rhythm**
Despite hash rate fluctuations, the 10-minute block target (via difficulty adjustments) creates a consistent approximation of real-world time.
* ##### **Immutable History**
Block height 1,000,000 will always correspond to the same point in Bitcoin’s timeline, regardless of future changes in mining power
#### **Splitting the Problem**
Hatchstr can bridge timeless encryption and blockchain timing by separating concerns:
##### **1. Capsules** – The time-locked message itself:
* Design independent of the time-locking mechanism.
* Encrypted client-side.
* Content stored anywhere the user wants (IPFS, personal servers, etc.).
* Completely owned by the user—not Hatchstr.
##### **2. Clock Servers** – Independent, lightweight timing nodes that:
* Only publish decryption keys when the target Bitcoin block height is reached.
* Users can choose which Clock Server to trust.
* Anyone can run their own Clock Server.
* Multiple servers can coordinate to prevent a single point of failure.
**This means Hatchstr itself doesn’t store anything—users are fully in control.**
## 6. What Comes Next
This project is just beginning—a blueprint with open questions and untested assumptions. In the next two articles, I’ll explore how to turn this concept into something tangible. First, how we might design playful time capsules that can be displayed faithfully by multiple clients, balancing creativity with decentralization. Then, the messy realities of clock servers: why federating them matters, how to incentivize reliability, and borrow Bitcoin’s rhythm without centralizing control. We will dive into setting up a simple clock server to get things started.
I’m still learning Nostr’s ecosystem, and this project is as much about sharing my education as anything else. If any part of this concept makes you think “yes, but…” or “what if…”, I’d genuinely love to hear it. Find me on Nostr – no expertise required, just an interest in sending messages to the future. :
```
npub16scfufrpsqcukjg7ymu4r40h7j4dwqy4pajgz48e6lmnmz5pljcqh678uh
```
Thank you for reading 🧡
-
@ 16d11430:61640947
2025-02-09 00:12:22
Introduction: The Power of Focused Attention
In an age of distraction, power is not merely held through material wealth, authority, or control over others—it is built through focused attention. The human brain, a complex quantum-biological processor, constructs reality through perception. When harnessed correctly, focused attention allows individuals to transcend limitations, reshape their reality, and live free.
Power, then, is not external—it is a construct supported by the mind and created within the brain. Understanding how this works offers a path to transcendence, autonomy, and liberation from imposed limitations.
The Neuroscience of Focused Attention: Constructing Reality
The brain is a prediction engine, constantly processing information and filtering out irrelevant stimuli. Focused attention directs this process, acting as a spotlight that selects what becomes part of one's conscious experience. This is the fundamental mechanism behind cognitive power.
1. Neuroplasticity: Building Power Through Repetition
The brain adapts to repeated stimuli through neuroplasticity. What one focuses on consistently rewires neural pathways, strengthening certain thoughts, beliefs, and abilities. Over time, this focus builds an internal structure of power—a network of ideas and perceptions that define one’s reality.
If one focuses on problems, they grow.
If one focuses on solutions, they appear.
If one focuses on fear, it shapes perception.
If one focuses on mastery, skills develop.
2. The Quantum Mind: Attention as a Creative Force
Quantum physics suggests that observation influences reality. Just as subatomic particles behave differently when measured, focused attention may act as a force that shapes possibilities into tangible outcomes.
This aligns with the ancient concept that "energy flows where attention goes." What one attends to with intention can manifest as action, opportunity, and ultimately, freedom.
3. The Reticular Activating System (RAS): Filtering Reality
The Reticular Activating System (RAS) in the brainstem acts as a gatekeeper for focus. It determines what information enters conscious awareness. When trained, it can filter out distractions and amplify pathways toward a desired goal.
Want to see opportunities? Program the RAS by setting clear intentions.
Want to break free from limiting beliefs? Train focus away from conditioned fears.
The Mind’s Role: Transcending Limitations
The mind is the interpreter of the brain’s electrical and biochemical activity. While the brain processes raw data, the mind provides meaning. This distinction is crucial because meaning determines how one experiences reality.
1. Breaking Mental Chains: Rewriting Narratives
Most limitations are narratives—stories imposed by culture, society, or personal history. True power lies in rewriting these stories.
Instead of “I am trapped by my circumstances,” shift to “I create my own reality.”
Instead of “I need permission,” shift to “I give myself permission.”
By restructuring meaning, the mind can redefine the limits of what is possible.
2. The Silence Paradox: Accessing Higher States
Silence, both literal and mental, creates space for higher-order thinking. Just as quantum tunneling allows subatomic particles to pass through barriers without energy loss, silence allows the mind to bypass noise and access deeper intelligence.
Meditation, stillness, and solitude amplify internal power.
The ability to not react is a form of control over external influence.
True mastery comes from detachment—engaging the world without being controlled by it.
Transcendence: Living Free Through Mental Autonomy
To transcend means to rise above imposed structures—whether societal, psychological, or energetic. The construct of power built through focused attention allows one to escape control mechanisms and live autonomously.
1. Sovereignty of Mind: Owning One’s Thoughts
A free mind is one that chooses its inputs rather than being programmed by external forces. This requires:
Awareness of mental conditioning (social narratives, propaganda, biases)
Intentional thought selection (curating what enters the mental space)
Guarding attention fiercely (not allowing distraction to hijack focus)
2. Detachment From Control Structures
Society operates on the principle of attention capture—through media, politics, and algorithms that direct thought patterns. Escaping these requires detachment.
Do not react emotionally to fear-based programming.
Cultivate independent thought by questioning imposed narratives.
Reduce external noise to amplify internal wisdom.
3. The Flow State: Moving Beyond Constraints
When focus is refined to its highest degree, one enters flow state—a condition where action and awareness merge, and limitations dissolve.
In flow, work becomes effortless.
Creativity becomes boundless.
Freedom becomes not just a philosophy, but a lived experience.
Conclusion: The Mind as the Ultimate Key to Freedom
Power is not an external possession—it is the ability to direct one’s own focus. Through the interplay of brain function, cognitive attention, and mental discipline, one constructs personal sovereignty. The individual who masters focus, controls reality.
Freedom is not given. It is built—through attention, intention, and an unwavering commitment to mental autonomy.
-
@ 16d11430:61640947
2025-02-08 23:54:40
Language is more than just words—it’s a pattern, a rhythm, a system of meaning that our brains decode in different ways. While most people learn language analytically, breaking it down into individual words and sentences, gestalt language processors (GLP) acquire language in a completely different way. They learn in chunks, grasping entire phrases and only later dissecting them into smaller parts.
This unique method of language acquisition is often observed in autistic individuals and those with alternative cognitive processing styles. But what happens when such a learner interacts with a highly inflected, agglutinative language like Malayalam? As it turns out, Malayalam might be one of the best-suited languages for gestalt language processors, thanks to its natural structure, flexible syntax, and phrase-based meaning.
Let’s explore why Malayalam aligns so well with gestalt processing and how it compares to other languages.
---
Understanding Gestalt Language Processing
Gestalt language processing is the ability to acquire and use language in whole phrases rather than as individual words. Instead of learning word-by-word, GLP learners store entire sentences or expressions they hear and later modify them into new, meaningful statements.
For example, a child who is a gestalt processor might initially say:
➡ "Do you want some juice?" (because they've heard it as a whole phrase)
Later, they might extract parts and start saying:
➡ "Want juice."
Finally, they construct their own original sentence:
➡ "I want juice."
This approach is pattern-based rather than rule-based, making Malayalam an excellent match due to its agglutinative grammar, rhythmic structure, and flexible word order.
---
How Malayalam Supports Gestalt Language Processing
1. Malayalam’s Agglutinative Nature Encourages Chunk Learning
Malayalam, like other Dravidian languages, is highly agglutinative, meaning words are built using multiple suffixes that change meaning. Instead of discrete words, many phrases function as a single semantic unit—which is exactly how GLP learners process language.
Take the word "വീട്" (vīṭu) meaning "house":
വീട്ടിൽ (vīṭṭil) – in the house
വീട്ടിലേക്ക് (vīṭṭilēkk) – towards the house
വീട്ടിലേക്കു പോകുന്നു (vīṭṭilēkku pōkunnu) – going to the house
A gestalt processor might first acquire "വീട്ടിലേക്കു പോകുന്നു" as a chunk, rather than breaking it into individual words. Over time, they start recognizing patterns and modifying them.
This is in contrast to English, where "going" and "house" are learned separately before forming a phrase like "going to the house."
---
2. Flexible Word Order Aligns with Pattern-Based Learning
Malayalam allows word order variations without losing meaning, making it an intuitive fit for gestalt learners who focus on meaning first rather than strict syntax.
For example, the sentence "I drank tea" can be expressed in multiple ways in Malayalam:
ഞാൻ ചായ കുടിച്ചു. (ñān cāya kuṭiccu) – Standard word order
ചായ ഞാൻ കുടിച്ചു. (cāya ñān kuṭiccu) – Emphasizing "tea"
കുടിച്ചു ഞാൻ ചായ. (kuṭiccu ñān cāya) – Focus on the action
A gestalt learner might acquire an entire phrase like "ചായ കുടിക്കണോ?" ("Do you want tea?") and later extract the verb "കുടി" (drink) or the noun "ചായ" (tea) as they develop more flexible speech.
In contrast, languages like English and French have more rigid word order, making it harder for gestalt learners to generalize.
---
3. Long and Embedded Sentence Structures Favor Chunk-Based Processing
Malayalam commonly uses long, nested sentences, which gestalt learners store as full units before breaking them down.
For example:
അവൻ പറഞ്ഞത് ഞാൻ അറിഞ്ഞില്ല.
(avan paṟaññatu ñān aṟiññilla)
Literal: "What he said, I didn’t know."
Gestalt learners may first acquire: "അവൻ പറഞ്ഞത്" ("What he said") as a single unit before extracting "പറഞ്ഞത്" (said).
This mirrors how **gestalt processors extract meaning from larger linguistic units over time.
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@ 16d11430:61640947
2025-02-08 23:31:00
A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Intergalactic Trade, Verified on the Blockchain
Somewhere in the unfashionable backwaters of the Milky Way, a small blue planet is busy debating whether it should be more concerned about social media algorithms or the growing irrelevance of its own economy. Meanwhile, out there in the cosmic gigaverse, civilizations with far more interesting problems are engaging in the great intergalactic hustle—trading tech, swapping energy signatures, and making quantum side deals faster than you can say "proof-of-work."
Humanity, as per usual, has arrived late to the party but is hoping to slip in unnoticed and pretend like it’s been part of the game all along. The problem? We don’t know the rules, we don’t know what we have to offer, and most importantly, we don’t even have an invite.
Fortunately, the universe is a decentralized, peer-to-peer system, much like Bitcoin—only with fewer arguments on Twitter. And if we play this right, we might just hustle our way into the Universal Indira Net, the cosmic marketplace where civilizations exchange technology, knowledge, and, quite possibly, dad jokes that transcend space-time.
---
Step 1: Plugging into the Universal Indira Net
According to ancient Hindu mythology, Indra’s Net is an infinite web where each node reflects all others, meaning everything is connected to everything else, forever. Sounds poetic, right? Well, take that concept, throw in some decentralized cryptographic verification, and you've got the backbone of a cosmic trade network where trust isn’t just assumed—it’s mathematically proven.
In theory, Earth should be able to sync up with the Universal Indira Net, but there’s one small problem: our civilization hasn’t even solved its own internet yet. Forget interstellar trade—we still struggle with buffering. Until we build long-range, high-bandwidth, interference-proof communication systems, we’re basically screaming into the void, hoping someone hears us (and doesn’t immediately categorize us as "primitive and likely to start wars over fictional borders").
Luckily, we are making some progress:
NASA’s Laser-Based Comms: Just last year, NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) project sent data 19 million miles at broadband speeds. In galactic terms, this is the equivalent of tossing a USB drive across your front yard, but hey, it’s a start. (source)
Quantum Entanglement Messaging: Scientists are theorizing about using spooky action at a distance to send information instantaneously across the galaxy. Of course, it’s still at the “we swear this works on paper” stage.
Gravitational Wave Emails: There’s a wild theory that gravitational waves could be harnessed for communication, which means the universe has literally been shaking with missed calls for billions of years.
If we can bootstrap any of these into a reliable cosmic broadband, we might just be able to negotiate our way into the interstellar group chat.
---
Step 2: What Do We Bring to the Table?
Now, assuming we finally manage to stop talking to ourselves and make first contact, the next big question is: what the hell do we trade?
Here’s what we know about intergalactic economics:
1. No one wants our money – Fiat currency is an Earth-only meme. The only currency that might hold value out there is Bitcoin, because at least it’s energy-backed and provably scarce. But even then, aliens are likely using something far more advanced—probably a universal ledger that encodes information directly into quantum spacetime fabric.
2. Physical goods are inefficient – Nobody’s going to fly across light-years to pick up a shipment of human-made Teslas when they can 3D print their own antimatter-powered space yacht.
3. Knowledge is king – The real hustle is in information. Code, algorithms, AI models—things that can be transmitted at the speed of light and verifiably proven on-chain.
Trade Goods That Might Actually Be Worth Something:
AI & Quantum Computing Models – If we develop AI that thinks in ways alien civilizations haven’t considered, we’ve got intellectual property worth trading.
Biological Engineering & Longevity Tech – If Earth figures out how to stop aging, you can bet intergalactic billionaires (assuming they exist) would pay for that.
Mathematical Breakthroughs – Math is the universal language, and if we crack new fundamental theorems, we might just have something of value.
Which means the best way to hustle our way into the Indira Net is to become the best at something. And right now, the only thing we’ve truly mastered is making memes and overcomplicating financial systems.
---
Step 3: Navigating the Cosmic Trade Rules
Of course, even if we have something valuable, trading with advanced civilizations isn’t as simple as sending an invoice.
We don’t even know the rules of interstellar engagement yet. But if galactic trade works anything like human history, we should expect:
Regulatory Compliance – Because even in space, there’s bound to be paperwork. If we get lucky, aliens might use smart contracts instead of lawyers.
Sanctions & Trade Embargoes – You think Earth’s geopolitics are complicated? Try interstellar diplomacy, where embargoes might involve entire planetary quarantines.
Intellectual Property Theft – If we’re not careful, we might trade away humanity’s most valuable discovery for an alien NFT that depreciates instantly.
Which is why any trade network must be built on provable, immutable verification systems—aka, blockchain.
This is where DamageBDD, Bitcoin, and cryptographic proofs come into play. If we can create a system that ensures:
✅ Technology is verified before it’s traded
✅ Ownership and utility are recorded on an immutable ledger
✅ Contracts execute autonomously with zero-trust mechanics
Then we might just stand a chance of becoming a respected node in the Universal Indira Net, rather than a civilization that gets rug-pulled by intergalactic venture capitalists.
---
Final Thought: The Cosmic Hustle is Just Beginning
Humanity is still in the tutorial level of the interstellar economy. We’re fumbling with our first trade attempts, trying not to get exploited, and desperately figuring out how not to be the cosmic equivalent of a developing nation selling raw materials to advanced intergalactic conglomerates.
But if we:
Build high-speed interstellar comms
Develop technology that is uniquely valuable
Create trustless, verifiable trade systems
…then we won’t just be another planetary backwater. We’ll be a node in the greatest decentralized network of all time.
The Cosmic Hustle is real. The only question is: will we be the hustlers or the ones getting hustled?
-
@ daa41bed:88f54153
2025-02-08 23:29:14
Imagine a world where governments, long trusted to protect fiat currencies that can be printed without limit, openly declare that they trust a decentralized digital asset over traditional money. In recent months, that vision has begun to crystallize.
The Czech National Bank has signaled a gradual acceptance of digital assets as part of its broader monetary policy recalibration with changes to how capital gains taxes are handled on Bitcoin and a possible adoption by its central bank into its reserves stockpile. Simultaneously, El Salvador- once the poster child for Bitcoin as legal tender- has fine-tuned its policy framework at the behest of the WEF to no longer accept Bitcoin as legal tender. Meanwhile, several U.S. states have introduced bills to establish official Bitcoin reserves, and many are under active consideration. See [Bitcoin Laws](https://Bitcoinlaws.io/) for a full breakdown of where these bills stand. Let's explore the pros of governments adopting strategic Bitcoin reserves.
Bitcoiners have long argued that the ultimate endorsement of Bitcoin comes when even the most established state institutions place their trust in it. Recent moves by several U.S. states—where lawmakers are proposing legislation to create official Bitcoin reserves—lend credence to this argument. When state governments start to codify the creation of a Bitcoin reserve, it signals that even entities steeped in traditional financial orthodoxy now recognize Bitcoin as a viable, strategic asset. For these states, it is imperative to accumulate hard assets like Bitcoin in reserves as they have no control over the monetary supply and, therefore, can suffer from debasement just as much as any citizen or sovereign nation not in control of their currency.
Suppose you have kept up with [recent news](https://decrypt.co/303304/czech-central-bank-bitcoin-reserve) that the Czech national bank was considering holding a considerable portion of their assets in Bitcoin. In that case, you understand the paradigm shift we are seeing. Banks are becoming less cautious in handling digital assets in a stark department, compared to previous dismissals of cryptocurrencies as genuine assets. While it is true that European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde wields considerable influence on monetary policy in Europe and may have put a temporary damper on the Czech central bank's aspirations for now ([See Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/ecbs-lagarde-slaps-down-czech-proposal-Bitcoin-reserves-2025-01-30/)), it should be evident that in the words of some Bitcoiners, "nothing stops this train." For Bitcoiners, such shifts validate the claim that Bitcoin's decentralized, algorithmic structure outperforms fiat systems, which are vulnerable to political manipulation and unchecked inflation. The Czech president's [signing into law](https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/02/06/czech-republic-to-eliminate-taxes-on-long-term-crypto-gains) a bill removing capital gains tax from all Bitcoin held for at least three years proves that even those at the highest levels of policy creation are beginning to lose control of the narrative.
This state endorsement is more than symbolic. It is a strategic vote of confidence in Bitcoin's underlying technology—its transparent, immutable ledger and deflationary nature. When lawmakers and regulators in the United States start to invest public resources in Bitcoin, it undermines the decades-old narrative that only traditional assets like gold or oil are worthy of state backing. Instead, it repositions Bitcoin as an asset not just with a future but of the future. It can enhance and even replace all other existing reserve assets, lending further proof of Bitcoin as a store of value.
Bitcoin's capped supply is at the core of its appeal—only 21 million coins will ever exist. Bitcoiners assert that this scarcity is fundamental to Bitcoin's value proposition. A strategic Bitcoin reserve at any governmental level would effectively lock away a significant portion of the circulating supply, increasing its scarcity and further driving its price up.
Many in the Bitcoin and overall crypto community lauded President Bukele's 2021 announcement that his country would begin accumulating Bitcoin and giving it legal tender status. To Bitcoiners, it was a sign that governments were starting to see Bitcoin as a legitimate store of value, a medium of exchange, and vindication of everything they had fought for over the years. Of course, many will want to say that the country's acquisition of Bitcoin was simply a power play to get the World Economic Forum to come to the bargaining table, but if so, what? Here we are four years later, and El Salvador is [no longer requiring Bitcoin as legal tender](https://newsroompanama.com/2025/02/07/el-salvador-ends-Bitcoin-as-legal-tender-heres-why-Bitcoin-didnt-work/). This is not a step back, it is simply another example of why we are winning. I'll discuss this further in another article, but isn't it convenient that President Bukele continues to accumulate Bitcoin for his country after making a concession to the WEF for funds? Tick, tock, next block.
Bitcoiners view introducing reserve bills across U.S. states as a powerful mechanism for further tightening Bitcoin's available supply. Each government-held coin is one fewer coin available to the market, creating a scarcity premium. Market forces do not artificially impose this scarcity but are instead the natural outcome of an institution with deep pockets choosing to hold Bitcoin as a strategic asset. In a world where every coin in reserve represents a bulwark against inflation and economic uncertainty, Bitcoiners argue that this state-induced scarcity will profoundly affect Bitcoin's value over time. If you don't believe that to be the case, look at this chart of coins available on OTC desks last year, and let me tell you that you are not bullish enough. I'll explore the impact of OTC sales on price in a future article.
For years, Bitcoiners have decried the inherent weaknesses of fiat currencies—specifically, the ease with which governments can expand the money supply, leading to inflation and eroded purchasing power. Bitcoin, on the other hand, offers a fixed supply, decentralized issuance, and an ever-shrinking inflation rate that makes it immune to the government's printing press.
When a government opts for Bitcoin reserves, it makes a financial decision and a political statement. It says that the era of limitless money printing is over and that transparency, decentralization, and scarcity are the hallmarks of a sound monetary system. Institutional legitimacy is crucial for any asset that aspires to be a cornerstone of the global financial system.
When the United States, the world's largest economy, signals its intent to hold Bitcoin in its reserves, it sends a resounding message that can trigger a domino effect worldwide. The recent [repeal of SAB121](https://cointelegraph.com/news sec-cancels-crypto-accounting-guidance-sab-121) by the Securities and Exchange Commission is a step in the right direction, by now allowing companies and course, governments at every level to accumulate Bitcoin into their reserves. When central banks like the Czech National Bank begin to signal openness toward digital assets, it paves the way for broader institutional participation. Once wary of the volatile digital asset market, financial institutions, asset managers, and [even pension funds](https://www.wpr.org/news/wisconsin-pension-fund-bitcoin) are gradually warming up to Bitcoin.
We cannot underestimate what sort of network effect this will have on Bitcoin as its utility and value proposition become more robust as a result of state-level adoption. Bitcoiners believe that such a shift will cement Bitcoin's status as a universally accepted and trusted store of value, capable of challenging—and eventually surpassing—traditional reserve assets like gold and fiat currencies.
One of the most enduring arguments among Bitcoiners is that Bitcoin is the digital successor to gold. For centuries, gold has been the haven, the ultimate store of value during times of crisis. Bitcoin, with its fixed supply and digital accessibility, is ideally positioned to take over that role in the modern era. A state-backed Bitcoin reserve would serve as this narrative's definitive stamp of approval. If a government is willing to set aside billions of dollars in a digital asset, it must believe that this asset can preserve and even appreciate its value over time. Such a move would provide a critical psychological boost to the market, as both retail and institutional investors begin to see Bitcoin as not just a speculative tool but as the modern equivalent of a haven set. Gold continues to appreciate this year while Bitcoin remains relatively flat. How long until we see it decouple from the markets and witness price appreciation not seen since the last halving?
I hope you enjoyed reading this lengthy article on the pros of governments adopting a strategic Bitcoin reserve. If you'd like to chime in, you can find me on Nostr via [@geek](https://www.primal.net/geek) on Primal, or via [my npub]( .npub1m2jphmdkskgnvwl5gplksl9e0zwv2sldqf9mwlpz6tyymz84g9fsqr3wgu) anywhere else. In part two, I will examine the other side of the debate, the cons, and the potential pitfalls of such a policy. Stay tuned!
-
@ a012dc82:6458a70d
2025-02-08 22:44:44
The world of cryptocurrency has always been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but recent developments in the Bitcoin market have caught the attention of investors worldwide. The circulating supply of Bitcoin in profit has surged to a multi-year high, a phenomenon not seen since the heady days of November 2021 when Bitcoin reached its all-time high. This significant milestone, backed by data from industry analysts at Glassnode and a detailed report from Bitfinex, paints a picture of a robust Bitcoin market. The implications of this surge are far-reaching, affecting not just seasoned cryptocurrency traders but also new investors who are contemplating dipping their toes into the Bitcoin pool. This article aims to dissect this trend, exploring its roots, its impact on the market, and what it potentially spells out for the future of Bitcoin investment.
**Table Of Content**
- Understanding the Surge
- Implications for Long-term Investors
- Market Strength and Investor Confidence
- Potential Early Signs of a Bull Market
- Caution and Market Dynamics
- Conclusion
- FAQs
**Understanding the Surge**
The surge in Bitcoin's circulating supply in profit is a complex phenomenon, driven by a confluence of market dynamics and investor behavior. The recent increase in Bitcoin's price, which saw it soar above $37,000, is a primary factor. This price hike has pushed a significant portion of Bitcoin into profitable territory. According to the Bitfinex report, over 16.3 million Bitcoin, a staggering amount by any measure, are currently in profit. This figure is considerably higher than the historical average, suggesting a market that is not only recovering but thriving. The surge is not just a momentary blip but a reflection of deeper market trends, including increased institutional interest in Bitcoin, broader acceptance of cryptocurrencies as a legitimate asset class, and the growing perception of Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation and currency devaluation.
**Implications for Long-term Investors**
For long-term investors, this surge in Bitcoin's profitability is a beacon of stability in the typically volatile cryptocurrency market. The fact that 70% of Bitcoin's total circulating supply has remained static over the past year is indicative of a maturing market where investors are increasingly viewing Bitcoin as a long-term investment rather than a quick profit opportunity. This holding pattern contributes to a tightening of supply, which, coupled with increasing demand, can lead to a sustained price increase. However, long-term investors should also be aware of the potential risks. The cryptocurrency market is still relatively young and can be influenced by regulatory changes, technological advancements, and shifts in investor sentiment. Therefore, while the current trend is encouraging, it should be viewed within the broader context of market dynamics.
**Market Strength and Investor Confidence**
The current state of the Bitcoin market is a testament to its growing strength and the confidence it instills in investors. With a majority of holders seeing positive returns, there's a renewed vigor in the market, attracting both retail and institutional investors. This influx of new investment can further stabilize the market and potentially drive prices higher. However, this increased investor confidence must be tempered with a degree of caution. The cryptocurrency market is known for its rapid fluctuations, and what goes up can just as quickly come down. Investors should be mindful of the inherent risks and conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. The market's strength, while promising, is not a guarantee of future performance, and a prudent investment strategy should always be in place.
**Potential Early Signs of a Bull Market**
The analysis by Bitfinex suggests that the market might be in the early stages of a bull market. This is a significant indicator for investors, as bull markets are characterized by rising prices and increased buying activity. If this trend continues, it could lead to substantial gains for those invested in Bitcoin. However, predicting market movements, especially in the volatile world of cryptocurrencies, is fraught with uncertainty. While the signs are positive, they are not infallible indicators of future performance. Investors should therefore approach this potential bull market with optimism tempered by realism, recognizing that market conditions can change rapidly and without warning.
**Caution and Market Dynamics**
In the face of these optimistic trends, a word of caution is warranted. The cryptocurrency market is notoriously unpredictable, and while the current indicators are positive, they are not immune to sudden and unexpected changes. Factors such as regulatory announcements, technological breakthroughs, or macroeconomic shifts can rapidly alter the market landscape. Therefore, investors should remain vigilant, keeping abreast of market news and trends. Diversification of investments, a keen understanding of market dynamics, and a clear investment strategy are essential tools in navigating the complexities of the Bitcoin market.
**Conclusion**
The surge in Bitcoin's circulating supply in profit to a multi-year high marks a significant milestone in the cryptocurrency's journey. It reflects a market that is gaining maturity, strength, and the confidence of its investors. This development could herald the beginning of a new era for Bitcoin, characterized by stability and sustained growth. However, the path of Bitcoin and the broader cryptocurrency market remains unpredictable. Investors should therefore approach this market with a well-informed strategy, balancing optimism with a healthy dose of caution. In the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrency, staying informed and adaptable is key to navigating the market's highs and lows.
**FAQs**
**How does this surge affect long-term investors?**
Long-term investors may see this as a sign of market stability and maturity, indicating that Bitcoin is increasingly being viewed as a viable long-term investment.
**Could this trend indicate the start of a Bitcoin bull market?**
While the surge in profitable Bitcoin supply could be an early sign of a bull market, predicting market movements in the volatile cryptocurrency sector is complex and uncertain.
**What percentage of Bitcoin's circulating supply is currently in profit?**
Over 83% of Bitcoin's circulating supply is reported to be in profit, according to recent data.
**What should investors be cautious about in light of this surge?**
Investors should be aware of the inherent volatility in the cryptocurrency market and consider factors like regulatory changes, technological advancements, and broader market dynamics before making investment decisions.
**How does the current Bitcoin market compare to historical averages?**
The current percentage of Bitcoin in profit is significantly higher than the historical average, indicating a particularly strong market phase.
**That's all for today**
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-
@ c1e6505c:02b3157e
2025-02-08 21:52:51
\*\*\*"Time is the best teacher but unfortunately it kills all of its students."\*\*\* I'm currently visiting my dad for a few days as I had to take my car in for some repairs and maintenance, which included an oil gasket leak, power steering fluid flush, brake fluid flush, spark plugs, and the works. The process took a couple of hours to complete, so instead of waiting in the waiting room or having someone pick me up to go wait comfortably at home, I decided to walk around with my camera and try to make some new work. I have to say, there's really nothing more that I enjoy than walking aimlessly in an area that I have never been and taking photographs. \*I love it.\* I lose myself and everything that is on my mind that I "worry" about. I'm present, in the zone, and honestly having a great time. Photography for me is a portal to enter a state of mind that transcends time and space. The area that I was in was very industrial, so my walk started next door at the other car mechanic shop, and I meandered down to the small local town where some shops were. Didn't see too much, so I turned around and started walking back down the other way. Sometimes I don't see anything of interest for a while. What I have noticed though, as a little trick to start having things "come out of the woodwork," is just to start shooting at the first thing that captures my interest. Getting the ball rolling with pushing the shutter somehow gets me in the "flow state" that I enjoy getting in when making photographs. \\\[ !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w\_1456,c\_limit,f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F027a5466-47a8-4c9a-b3dc-c9acf0a31a12\_2500x1786.jpeg)\\\]( As I walked further, I visited a plant nursery that was just opening. The woman who was opening the gate was very nice and invited me into walk around and do as I please. There were a few nice plants around, but what gravitates me the most is seemingly, to others maybe, the "ugly stuff" or the subject matter that one wouldn’t really consider making a photograph of. Blank spaces, trash, neglect - it's all good stuff to me. The light falling upon these subjects makes them interesting. After the nursery, I found a large industrial facility and a train yard. A worker stood next to one of the train cars, so I went up and asked what they were loading. He said that he’s been working there for 30 years, and that they make plastic trash bags, and those tubes feeding into the train cars were pumping out plastic beads for production. I thought that was interesting. We chatted for a bit, I thanked him for his time, and moved on. !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w\_1456,c\_limit,f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70512ba8-8c29-4454-8cd7-3d030c17730f\_1786x2500.jpeg) !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70512ba8-8c29-4454-8cd7-3d030c17730f\_1786x2500.jpeg) !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w\_1456,c\_limit,f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3d8ef1c-4381-49f2-a5cd-5266f3208d91\_2500x1786.jpeg) !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w\_1456,c\_limit,f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b32f8fd-2f47-4f6a-9592-9fba9d3e6e57\_2500x1786.jpeg) !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w\_1456,c\_limit,f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb8716d86-acdb-4b3a-a61b-8c1abb6ab737\_2500x1786.jpeg) !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d7bc288-0707-4e17-a420-aa08fb53b817\_2500x1670.jpeg) !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w\_1456,c\_limit,f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F499acae7-e563-45fd-86b7-32ae3d20150f\_2500x1786.jpeg) !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w\_1456,c\_limit,f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff626a80d-5a43-485e-a50c-747c346388a0\_1670x2500.jpeg) !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w\_1456,c\_limit,f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F472d5556-7ef4-4f6a-a48e-7eccf39088d3\_2500x1670.jpeg) !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w\_1456,c\_limit,f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F724c8133-fe4e-41c4-b383-3aaec42d50a1\_2500x1786.jpeg) Eventually, I ended up at a church with these really nice orange and brown doors. I sat on a bench in the back to kill some time, listening to a few podcasts. While I was there, I noticed a sign that read: \*"Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God."\* I’m not a religious guy per se, haven’t been to church in over a decade, and I’ve had my own experiences — psychedelics included — where I’ve glimpsed something I’d call “God.”, but there’s something to take from that. Whatever your definition of “God” is, there’s value in gratitude whether things are good or bad. Life itself is a miracle. Appreciating the small things keeps you grounded, humble, and connected. !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F102b529f-a7ea-4346-889b-2b1f51b48c63\_2500x1786.jpeg) !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w\_1456,c\_limit,f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fef07f101-4645-4439-b050-72c9fe551b1f\_1786x2500.jpeg) !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fce6960c5-e78c-4b3e-b0fe-78e773b6a518\_2500x1786.jpeg)) \*Just in case you missed it…\* \*\*I have a limited edition framed print that I will have available until February 28th.\*\* Only two will be made, and they will come framed; one in black, one in silver. If you enjoy my work, this would be a great collectors piece. !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w\_1456,c\_limit,f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d3033ae-b71a-4505-9d2c-f899df1a535b\_2313x2313.jpeg)\\\]() \*\*\*I shoot with a Leica M262, and edit in Lightroom + Dehancer\*\*\* \[\*\*\*Use “PictureRoom” for 10% off Dehancer Film\*\*\*\](https://www.dehancer.com/shop/pslr/film) If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to view my work - I appreciate it. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support my work. Also, please contact me if you would like to purchase any of my prints. !\[\](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w\_1456,c\_limit,f\_auto,q\_auto:good,fl\_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6ad5a3e-cb60-4246-9bb3-9f8849d3591e\_4000x3551.jpeg) \[Dehancer Film (promo code "PICTUREOOM")\](https://www.dehancer.com/shop/pslr/film) \*If you've found value in this newsletter, I'd be incredibly grateful for your support. While these posts will always be freely available, becoming a paid subscriber helps ensure I can continue delivering quality content to your inbox. Share this newsletter with friends, leaving a comment, or simply hitting the 'like' button all make a difference.\* Thank you - Colin
-
@ 32e18276:5c68e245
2025-02-08 20:20:46
This period of the Damus OpenSats grant has been productive, and encompasses the work past our alpha release of Notedeck. Since we sent our last report on Dec 5, this encompasses all the work after then.
Damus is supported by the OpenSats LTS grant, which allows us to continue working on the goodies below. Thank you!
## Damus Notedeck
### Added
- Initial algo timelines (William Casarin) [#712](https://github.com/damus-io/notedeck/pull/712)
- Initial support for local-network P2P nostr: multicast support (William Casarin) [#626](https://github.com/damus-io/notedeck/pull/626)
- First steps toward the notedeck browser: multiple app support [#565](https://github.com/damus-io/notedeck/pull/565)
- Clicking a mention now opens profile page (William Casarin) [5a241d730](https://github.com/damus-io/notedeck/commit/5a241d730e3d83f8057e211485edfde2f3c96e54)
- Note previews when hovering reply descriptions (William Casarin) [#591](https://github.com/damus-io/notedeck/pull/591)
- Various Android updates and compatibility improvements (Ken Sedgwick, William Casarin)
- Media uploads (kernelkind) [#662](https://github.com/damus-io/notedeck/pull/662)
- Profile editing (kernelkind) [#625](https://github.com/damus-io/notedeck/pull/625)
- Add hashtags to posts (Daniel Saxton) [#592](https://github.com/damus-io/notedeck/pull/592)
- Enhanced command-line interface for user interactions (Ken Sedgwick)
- Debug features for user relay-list and mute list synchronization (Ken Sedgwick)
### Changed
- Major timeline cache refactor (William Casarin) [#653](https://github.com/damus-io/notedeck/pull/653)
- Increased ping intervals for network performance (William Casarin)
- Migrated to egui v0.29.1 (William Casarin) [#551](https://github.com/damus-io/notedeck/pull/551)
- Switch to only notes & replies on some tabs (William Casarin) [#598](https://github.com/damus-io/notedeck/pull/598)
- Only show column delete button when not navigating (William Casarin)
- Pointer interactions enhancements in UI (William Casarin)
- Show profile pictures in column headers (William Casarin)
- Show usernames in user columns (William Casarin)
- Add confirmation when deleting columns (kernelkind)
- Enhance Android build and performance (Ken Sedgwick)
- Image cache handling using sha256 hash (kieran)
- Introduction of decks_cache and improvements (kernelkind)
- Nostrdb update for async support (Ken Sedgwick)
- Persistent theme setup across sessions (kernelkind)
- Tombstone muted notes (Ken)
### Fixed
- Fix GIT_COMMIT_HASH compilation issue (William Casarin)
- Fix avatar alignment in profile previews (William Casarin)
- Fix broken quote repost hitbox (William Casarin)
- Fix crash when navigating in debug mode (William Casarin)
- Fix long delays when reconnecting (William Casarin)
- Fix repost button size (William Casarin)
- Fixed since kind filters (kernelkind)
- Clippy warnings resolved (Dimitris Apostolou)
## Damus iOS
Work continued on the iOS side. While I was not directly involved in the work since the last report, I have been directing and managing its development.
### Added
- Render Gif and video files while composing posts (Swift Coder)
- Purple members who have been active for more than a year now get a special badge (Daniel D’Aquino)
- Add profile info text in stretchable banner with follow button (Swift Coder)
- Paste Gif image similar to jpeg and png files (Swift Coder)
### Changed
- Improved clarity of the mute button to indicate it can be used for blocking a user (Daniel D’Aquino)
- Made the microphone access request message more clear to users (Daniel D’Aquino)
- Improved UX around the label for searching words (Daniel D’Aquino)
- Improved accessibility support on some elements (Daniel D’Aquino)
### Fixed
- Fixed issue where the "next" button would appear hidden and hard to click on the create account view (Daniel D’Aquino)
- Fix non scrollable wallet screen (Swift Coder)
- Fixed suggested users category titles to be localizable (Terry Yiu)
- Fixed GradientFollowButton to have consistent width and autoscale text limited to 1 line (Terry Yiu)
- Fixed right-to-left localization issues (Terry Yiu)
- Fixed AddMuteItemView to trim leading and trailing whitespaces from mute text and disallow adding text with only whitespaces (Terry Yiu)
- Fixed SideMenuView text to autoscale and limit to 1 line (Terry Yiu)
- Fixed an issue where a profile would need to be input twice in the search to be found (Daniel D’Aquino)
- Fixed non-breaking spaces in localized strings (Terry Yiu)
- Fixed localization issue on Add mute item button (Terry Yiu)
- Replace non-breaking spaces with regular spaces as Apple's NSLocalizedString macro does not seem to work with it (Terry Yiu)
- Fixed localization issues in RelayConfigView (Terry Yiu)
- Fix duplicate uploads (Swift Coder)
- Remove duplicate pubkey from Follow Suggestion list (Swift Coder)
- Fix Page control indicator (Swift Coder)
- Fix damus sharing issues (Swift Coder)
- Fixed issue where banner edit button is unclickable (Daniel D’Aquino)
- Handle empty notification pages by displaying suitable text (Swift Coder)
## Nostrdb
nostrdb, the engine that powers [notecrumbs](https://github.com/damus-io/notecrumbs), damus iOS, and notedeck, continued to improve:
### Added
- Added nip50 fulltext searching (William Casarin) [#68](https://github.com/damus-io/nostrdb/pull/68), [demo](nostr:nevent1qqsp3rx83t5h0vdhu4txru76uycfnaegfj3wg6wncamkarcnrccssvcpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfdupzqvhpsfmr23gwhv795lgjc8uw0v44z3pe4sg2vlh08k0an3wx3cj9efqkkv)
- Added async migrations (William Casarin) [#59](https://github.com/damus-io/nostrdb/pull/59)
- Implement author queries (William Casarin) [#57](https://github.com/damus-io/nostrdb/pull/57)
- Make `ndb` threadsafe (William Casarin) [#56](https://github.com/damus-io/nostrdb/pull/56)
## Nostrdb Rust
Our nostrdb rust bindings also had improvements
- Async! Adding efficient, poll-based stream support (William Casarin): [#25](https://github.com/damus-io/nostrdb-rs/pull/25)
## Notecrumbs
Notecrumbs, the njump-style opengraph server that powers the damus.io links, got an update that upgraded it to async nostrdb
- Switch to async nostrdb-rs (William Casarin) [#16](https://github.com/damus-io/notecrumbs/pull/16)
## How money was used
- relay.damus.io server costs
- Living expenses
## Next quarter
Our goal for next update: zaps, android version, lists, outbox model for notedeck. Olas images in damus iOS, continue switching Damus iOS over to local relay model so we can add outbox support.
-
@ fdb8c828:84c16368
2025-02-08 17:00:37
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/579738
-
@ 89ccea93:df4e00b7
2025-02-08 16:50:15
**[Original Post](https://expatriotic.me/ashigaru/)**
# What is Ashigaru?
> A self custodial, open source and secure Bitcoin wallet that is private by design.
The **Ashigaru Open Source Project** was established in the months after the United States Department of Justice [brought charges](https://archive.is/g7q8r) against the founders of the self custodial Bitcoin application, Samourai Wallet. At the time of arrest, multiple servers that hosted documentation, code repositories and message coordination services were either [seized](https://archive.is/0nC3t) or failed to remain online, presumably due to being no longer administered. With the indicted individuals placed under restrictive conditions on bail, it became clear that all software development had ceased.
## Aims and Goals
We believe anyone should be able to engage in peaceful, voluntary and private commerce on the internet without tracking, surveillance or censorship. The Ashigaru Open Source Project develops, releases and maintains free and open source software that makes extensive use of both published code from active projects as well as those archived in the public domain.
Open, unrestricted communication networks are utilized to ensure continued availability. The software released by the project will always have a low barrier to entry, be non discriminatory, never expose users to counterparty risk and provide as much protection as possible for those transacting on a public blockchain.
## What’s in a name?
As former users of Samourai Wallet, yet having no association or relationship with the core team, “Ashigaru” was chosen to represent individuals of humble origin whom, borne out of necessity, would equip themselves with their own tools and rise to the occasion during a period of great change.
**Here is the [ONLY podcast episode](https://episodes.fm/1491067458/episode/YTRjNGNlNTAtYjEwMS00YWQ0LTg0MjUtZWQwMmQxYjU0N2Ex) with the developers of this wallet.**
**Here are a list of features directly from their website:**
1. **Onion Routing:** Connect to your Dojo node and broadcast over the Tor network
2. **Ricochet:** Add distance to the origins of your transactions to mitigate surveillance
3. **Encrypted Key Recovery:** Standards based mnemonic secured with a passphrase that can be imported to other wallets
4. **Post Mix Spending:** Import your Samourai Wallet private keys and maintain your segregated accounts
5. **Batch Spending:** Save on fees by composing a single transaction to multiple recipients
6. **Stealth Mode:** Obscure the wallet from physical searches with a functional decoy application in the launcher
7. **Peer to Peer Coinjoins:** Undermine heuristics used by blockchain observers through collaboration with other users
8. **Coin Control:** Select, label, freeze and unfreeze unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs) in your wallet
9. **Smart Mining Fees:** An advanced algorithm for determining a rate from unconfirmed transactions in the mempool
10. **Free and Open Source:** Ashigaru is released under the FOSS license [GNU General Public License Version 3](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html)
___
# FREESAMOURAI
Maybe you've been living in a hole, but the developers of the Samourai Wallet were indicted and picked up by the US government (*even the one in Portugal, because, shocker, the US DoJ can get you almost anywhere in the world except Cuba, North Korea, Russia and China. But I digress*).
```Their crime? Helping users of the base layer Bitcoin protocol achieve forward spending privacy by crafting pristine zero-link UTXOs. The unspent capacity of which was over 10,000 bitcoins, or twice the capacity of the Lightning Network which continues to hover around, and often under, 5,000 bitcoins.```
**#FREESAMOURAI**\
Listen to these podcast episodes for more information.
1. [Prescient warnings](https://episodes.fm/1491067458/episode/ODc0MDIyNzMtNTgxNy00NDAwLTg0MGMtY2JkZmVmNjU4YTg0) just before the indictment from **Diverter**.
2. [Update](https://episodes.fm/1491067458/episode/ZWRhN2EzN2MtYTk5ZC00ODY2LTg5NjctZGE3MWY2YzUzZmM4) when it became known what had happened.
3. [Follow up](https://episodes.fm/1491067458/episode/NDk2ZDJmMzUtMmI2MS00ODljLWIwYmUtODBkZTI2YmUxNDhm) with **Diverter** and **Zelko** after the fact
4. [Reassessing your privacy plan](https://episodes.fm/1491067458/episode/YTA2NDQwNDAtNTMzMy00ODRiLTlkZDUtN2ExZDU5NWY1ZmE0) with **Urban Hacker** in a world without a zero-link coinjoin implementation (Whirlpool).
## Why run Ashigaru compared to Samourai Wallet?
One might ask the logical question, why run Ashigaru, my Samourai Wallet is still working!?\
To which, Max Tannahill, a community member, has given the following list to answer.
1. Cheaper BIP47 connections
2. Soroban coinjoins ([Tor link](http://ashigaruprvm4u263aoj6wxnipc4jrhb2avjll4nnk255jkdmj2obqqd.onion/news/operational-online-chaoots/) about this)
3. Better BIP47 recovery
4. No risk of DNS hijacking for the PayNym server as its over Tor
5. Ability to switch Dojos more easily
6. Spending warnings that Samourai never got to deploy to production
7. Next block fee estimation
8. UI improvements on Samourai
9. Removal of broken links to whirlpool, the old Soroban server and the old Iceland Dojo
10. No clearnet connections at all
___
# How-to Guide for Ashigaru
## Download the APK
1. *Prerequisite:* [Tor Browser](https://www.torproject.org/download/#android) is a requirement.
2. Open the **Tor Browser** and paste in this 🧅 [link](http://ashigaruprvm4u263aoj6wxnipc4jrhb2avjll4nnk255jkdmj2obqqd.onion/).
3. Recommended to use a phone with **Android 8+** that still receives security updates.
4. Recommended to use a **GrapheneOS** phone (Pixel only). _Non-Pixel owners can use **Lineage OS** which is a less secure, but viable, option. Or just use stock android if you have no idea how to change the operating system on your phone or don't want to do so._
5. Carry out software verification. A PGP signed message is below the APK. The Keybase Verify [tool](https://keybase.io/verify) can be used to do the verification.
6. *This is what it looks like on Keybase when completed. ⤵*
## Install the Ashigaru mobile application
1. From within your device's files, tap on the Ashigaru APK file
2. Tap "**Install**"\
3. When complete tap "**Done**", or tap "**Open**" to launch the mobile application\
4. The Ashigaru mobile application has now been installed on your Android device. You will now see the Ashigaru app icon in your list of installed apps.
## Setting up Ashigaru
1. You need to connect to your own self-hosted Dojo (this is a specific type of Bitcoin node). Ashigaru doesn't run a node for you to point your wallet to, you'll need to do this yourself.
* DIY options include:
* [Ministry of Nodes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_It4xEIwRA)
* [BTC Sessions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULZoPMCYPfk)
* Community nodes at [Dojo Bay](https://dojobay.pw/) (*Obviously a privacy trade-off if you outsource your node to a 3rd party.*)
2. You need a pen and paper for writing down your 12 word Mnemonic seed phrase.
3. Make a strong [passphrase](https://cryptography.fandom.com/wiki/Passphrase) (4-6 memorable but random [words](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/07/new-wordlists-random-passphrases)) and put it separately from the offline seed phrase backup, e.g., in your password manager (*KeePass or Bitwarden are good options*).
4. Claim your PayNym with it's associated Pepehash avatar.
> PayNym Support: Migrate seamlessly to a new directory that uses a Pepehash avatar scheme for representing BIP47 reusable payment codes.
## Using Ashigaru
1. When sending, if possible, and just as in [Sparrow Desktop Wallet](https://sparrowwallet.com), a fake coinjoin is created by using two of your UTXOs as inputs to obscure what is occuring onchain. Onlookers will see what appears to be two parties collaborating to spend together. This adds a bit of extra miner fee cost, but this is the cost of extra privacy. You can opt out of this privacy enhancement.\
2. If you want to send or receive privately and with a static address, **BIP47 PayNyms**, will accomplish this. As long as both parties have a wallet that supports this standard. **Samourai Wallet**, **Stack Duo**, and **Sparrow** are the others that I know of at this time. Simply put in their **PayNym**, e.g., mine is **+mereegg59**, or scan their QR containing the data for the **PayNym** and connect with them. This will involve sending a small transaction onchain. But once one of you does, both parties can send back and forth privately without ever needing to request a fresh address.
3. There is an option when spending to use **ricochet**. This will add hops to help obscure the history of your **UTXO** for anyone who is using passive software to check X hops in the past for some connection to a **sanctioned** address. Good for spending **UTXOs** that you don't know the prior history of. Although personally I think **taint** is merely a mindset, some entities will not receive **UTXOs** that have either been coinjoined or are too close to a **sanctioned** address.
4. There is an option in the tools menu for doing a collaborative spend, known as **Soroban Coinjoin**.
5. Unfortunately Whirlpool is not yet a feature of this wallet.
___
- **Here is the Tor [link](http://ashigaruprvm4u263aoj6wxnipc4jrhb2avjll4nnk255jkdmj2obqqd.onion/donate/) where you can donate to them**
- **Here is the Tor [link](http://ashicodepbnpvslzsl2bz7l2pwrjvajgumgac423pp3y2deprbnzz7id.onion/Ashigaru) for their code base**
- **Here is the Tor [link](http://ashigaruprvm4u263aoj6wxnipc4jrhb2avjll4nnk255jkdmj2obqqd.onion/docs/) for their documentation**
- **Here is the Tor [link](http://ashigaruprvm4u263aoj6wxnipc4jrhb2avjll4nnk255jkdmj2obqqd.onion/docs/mobile-wallet-updating-application/) for updating the Ashigaru app**
- **Here is the Tor [link](http://ashigaruprvm4u263aoj6wxnipc4jrhb2avjll4nnk255jkdmj2obqqd.onion/contact/) for their contact info. _Keep in mind this requires a different PGP key than the one used to verify the APK (unless you use protonmail and then PGP isn't required)._**
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/879803
-
@ 1cb14ab3:95d52462
2025-02-08 16:45:04
***Tree branches. 4'8" circle. [Chongming Island, China. 2021]***
---
#### Introduction
Tucked into a quiet forest park on Chongming Island, Chongming frames a view of a canal and a small alluvial landform that mirrors the island itself. This lens reflects the constant interplay of land and water, inviting viewers to contemplate the delicate balance of nature and the forces that shape it.
#### Site & Placement
The lens is hidden along a forest path, directing attention to the canal’s subtle currents and the land it divides. The bench, situated 12 feet from the lens, encourages visitors to pause and immerse themselves in the tranquil rhythm of the scene.
#### Impermanence & Integration
As an alluvial island shaped by shifting waters, Chongming is a fitting location for this ephemeral lens. Constructed from branches, the lens will eventually return to the land, echoing the natural processes that formed the island and continue to shape it.
#### Reflection
*Chongming* offers a meditative space to reflect on the impermanence of land and the forces that transform it. The work’s fleeting existence underscores the beauty of change, inviting viewers to appreciate the subtle, ongoing dance of nature.
---
## Photos
---
#### More from the 'Earth Lens' Series:
[Earth Lens Series: Artist Statement + List of Works](https://hes.npub.pro/post/1731091744332/)
["Looking Glass" (Earth Lens 001)](https://hes.npub.pro/post/1736304563962/)
["Folsom" (Earth Lens 002)](https://hes.npub.pro/post/1737844073125/)
["Sanctuary" (Earth Lens 003)](https://hes.npub.pro/post/1731091744332/)
["Platte" (Earth Lens 004)](https://hes.npub.pro/post/sya8nv6q8k0w3olqcepwz)
["Grandfather" (Earth Lens 005)](https://hes.npub.pro/)
---
#### More from Hes
[Portfolio](https://hesart.npub.pro)
[Online Store](https://plebeian.market/community/hes@nostrplebs.com/hesmart-ym3fcufdfz)
[Artist Statements](https://hes.npub.pro/tag/art/)
[Travel Guides](https://hes.npub.pro/tag/travel/)
[Photography](https://hes.npub.pro/tag/photography)
[Money](https://hes.npub.pro/tag/money)
[Tech](https://hes.npub.pro/tag/tech)
---
*All images are credit of Hes, but you are free to download and use for any purpose. If you find joy from my art, please feel free to send a zap. Enjoy life on a Bitcoin standard.*
-
@ b15b7f67:e62b3290
2025-02-08 16:29:38
Benjamin Anderson is a dear friend, scientist, entrepreneur, and a brilliant human being. We discuss his endeavors developing property north of the infamous "Delmar Divide," the work he is doing in longevity solving for aging through a process called, "Cell reprogramming," and our general view on important things to pay attention to in the world.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
2:47 - How did Jack and Benjamin's friendship start?
5:34 - How do you decide you want someone in your life forever?
11:28 - What is Benjamin's sanctuary that he retreats to?
14:08 - Agency and free-will as a means of purpose
16:47 - What are you doing to make an impact on the world?
20:49 - Why is Benjamin developing in Fountain Park?
29:27 - Is it dangerous to live north of Delmar?
35:15 - What does Benjamin admire most about his father?
40:04 - You can learn a lot about yourself raising children
44:08 - What do you do if you don't desire power or money?
49:37 - My thought process around voting
51:52 - What has challenged Benjamin's integrity?
57:39 - Most of academia is B.S.
1:02:43 - Can you develop taste?
1:11:21 - What is the purpose of Benjamin's research?
1:18:20 - Working on aging is comparable to Christianity
1:26:41 - What should young people be paying attention to?
Want help with your podcast?
DM me on Instagram! - https://www.instagram.com/jack.millikan/
[link to the original content](https://share.transistor.fm/s/f6985266)
-
@ b15b7f67:e62b3290
2025-02-08 16:29:38
You show up and talk, we handle the rest of your podcast - https://calendly.com/noblelore/podcast-discovery-call
Rob Long is a data engineer with experience at Monsanto and a deep understanding of how data shapes our world. In this episode, Jack and Rob dive into the hidden mechanics behind digital surveillance, financial control, and the fight for privacy. They discuss how Bitcoin can be a tool for financial freedom, the challenges of opting out of data collection, and why decentralized social media could change the internet as we know it. Rob also shares his unique approach to retaining knowledge, his thoughts on sovereignty, and why curating a bookshelf can be a game-changer for personal growth.
0:00 - Intro
0:22 - What is NobleLore?
0:55 - What is a data engineer?
1:45 - How has being a data engineer shaped Rob's perspective?
2:39 - How data collection shapes our world
5:52 - The problem with fiat currency
7:18 - The utility of Bitcoin
14:38 - How does Rob use Bitcoin?
16:19 - The difference between Nostr and other social media platforms
25:28 - Podcasting on Nostr
31:34 - What stage of development is social media currently in?
37:28 - What is sovereignty, and why does it matter?
41:32 - Does Rob consider himself a free thinker?
42:19 - Rob’s curated bookshelf and the power of re-reading
49:25 - What is the most important thing that young people should be paying attention to?
[link to the original content](https://share.transistor.fm/s/448f139d)
-
@ b15b7f67:e62b3290
2025-02-08 16:29:38
Evan is a longtime friend of Jack and a paramedic fireman with multiple family members in the fire department. In this episode, Jack and Evan discuss the beginning of their friendship, Evan's upbringing and what role that played in the man he is today, Evan's experience as a paramedic, Evan's family members' experience in the fire department, and Evan's interest in mixed martial arts.
0:00 - Intro
1:31 - Why Evan loves MMA and the UFC
4:31 - How Jack and Evan became friends
6:38 - How friendships change over time
9:51 - Who Evan is now as opposed to who he was a couple years ago
12:08 - Rank structure in fire departments
13:10 - His dad let him fuck up (school of hard knocks)
22:16 - Two people had sex on top of a newborn
24:20 - “I'm a paramedic, I'm the highest level of care, if I fuck up I lose my license and someone dies.”
28:22 - “Grey's anatomy is not real.”
29:39 - Weed and alcohol
36:11 - What made Evan become a paramedic
43:07 - What Evan has going on in life now
Want help with your podcast?
DM me on Instagram! - https://www.instagram.com/jack.millikan/
[link to the original content](https://share.transistor.fm/s/a32d61a7)
-
@ b15b7f67:e62b3290
2025-02-08 16:29:38
Jack Ryan is a lifelong friend, golden gloves boxer, stand-up comedian, personal trainer, and life of the party wherever he goes. However on this episode, he shows a side of himself that I have known for years, but may come as a shock to many who only know him on a surface level. Jack is one of the most self aware and reflective human beings I have ever met, and that is on full display throughout our conversation.
We talk about:
\- His diagnosis with diabetes at 8 years old
\- What makes a real friend?
\- Who is Jack behind the curtains?
\- How were we raised by our parents?
Want help with your podcast?
DM me on Instagram! - @Jack.Millikan
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
4:17 - The friend that makes sacrifices for you
7:14 - How was Jack raised?
11:21 - Bringing to light our insecurities
15:50 - Getting diagnoses with diabetes
25:53 - What did boxing teach Jack?
36:14 - How do you know your own beliefs?
40:54 - Having vulnerable conversations
49:11 - What was missed at Jack's low points?
[link to the original content](https://share.transistor.fm/s/d00ec2e9)
-
@ b15b7f67:e62b3290
2025-02-08 16:29:38
Need help with your podcast? Book a call - https://calendar.app.google/tL4vhsdwNoGmaKzg6
Have a great idea for a podcast but don’t know where to start? Do you run a business and want to give people a deeper insight into who you are and what you do? Let us take the stress out of the process! We specialize in recording, editing, and uploading podcasts. All you have to do is show up and talk, we take care of the rest.
✅ No Equipment Needed
✅ Expert Production Quality
✅ Hassle-Free Distribution
From concept to final upload, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re a seasoned host or starting fresh, our team ensures your voice reaches the world clearly and professionally.
0:00 - Intro (Early life)
2:13 - Developing self-awareness
3:44 - College and past jobs
5:56 - My first podcast
7:14 - How I started the business
9:06 - Growing the business
10:59 - Building a community
12:59 - Why podcasts are important
13:39 - What does NobleLore do?
[link to the original content](https://share.transistor.fm/s/4fb14f21)
-
@ b15b7f67:e62b3290
2025-02-08 16:29:38
Beginning at only 9 years old, Zach Babcock spent much of his childhood in juvenile detention centers, rehabs, psych wards, and boys homes. He later spent 5 years in prison as a young adult. Since his release, Zach has become a husband, a father, and a successful entrepreneur dedicated to helping other men heal unresolved trauma, become better leaders, and grow their own businesses.
0:00 - Intro
1:38 - How Zach's story began
5:52 - Discussing his father's death
8:20 - Going to rehab and a psych ward as a child
10:15 - Processing his childhood trauma as an adult
14:56 - Does anyone really have life figured out?
19:42 - Discussing his prison sentence
27:18 - Finding out his sister died during his sentence
32:29 - How Zach reacted to his mom dating after his father died
33:40 - What Zach admired about his father
35:41 - Culture shock and readjusting after being released from prison
39:36 - Someone fractured Zach's son's skull while he was in prison
43:53 - How MDMA therapy helped Zach process his experienced trauma
50:15 - Difficulties facing his darkness
56:56 - What is a real man?
1:02:23 - Zach talks about his tattoos
1:03:24 - Building his brand: Alpha Underdog
Want help with your podcast?
DM me on Instagram! - https://www.instagram.com/jack.millikan/
[link to the original content](https://share.transistor.fm/s/76310079)
-
@ b15b7f67:e62b3290
2025-02-08 16:29:38
Martin Stelzer is a real estate investor, childhood friend of Jack's, and fellow member of the men's group "Parium." In this episode, Jack and Martin discuss becoming a real estate investor, house hacking, becoming involved in new business ventures, preparing for the unexpected, the benefit of fraternities, sobriety, and what the men's group "Parium" means to them.
0:00 - Intro
3:03 - Aspirations in real estate
5:20 - House hacking
6:37 - Preparing for the unexpected
10:05 - Residential vs commercial real estate investing
20:59 - Taking out loans to invest in property
25:27 - What happens after you get a loan
34:41 - How much should you charge for rent?
40:26 - Buying his first property during covid
49:42 - Martin and Jack's friendship growing up
55:09 - Forming bonds with people
57:07 - The rituals of fraternities
58:28 - How a lawyer helped their fraternity
1:00:52 - Religion and traditional living
1:07:00 - Developing confidence in college
1:09:20 - Drinking and sobriety
1:16:42 - What is Parium?
Want help with your podcast?
DM me on Instagram! - https://www.instagram.com/jack.millikan/
[link to the original content](https://share.transistor.fm/s/0b7357a1)
-
@ b15b7f67:e62b3290
2025-02-08 16:29:38
You show up and talk, we take care of the rest of your podcast - https://calendly.com/noblelore/podcast-discovery-call
Try Mighty Kind Cannabis Seltzer - https://bemightykind.com/
Josh Grigaitis is the founder of Mighty Kind Cannabis Seltzer and part of the family that owns Pop's Blue Moon in St. Louis, MO. In this episode, Jack and Josh discuss why Josh created Mighty Kind, Josh's experience when he stopped drinking alcohol, the growth of the craft non-alcoholic drink industry, the benefits of drinking plant-based functional beverages, the hemp industry's difficulties dealing with the government and the marijuana industry, Josh's business approach, and Josh's passion for design
0:00 - Intro
0:40 - What is NobleLore?
1:06 - Why Josh created Mighty Kind
7:16 - Finding community without alcohol
9:07 - When and why did non-alcoholic craft drinks start becoming popular?
14:27 - Why "functional beverages" are going to continue growing in popularity
16:55 - How to figure out how these drinks will affect you
19:58 - Removing the stigma around being sober
21:19 - Is social media making our culture better or worse?
25:35 - Governor tried to ban intoxicating hemp products
29:44 - Marijuana industry lobbying against the hemp industry
35:02 - Where can I get Mighty Kind seltzers?
36:19 - The legal difference between hemp products and marijuana products
43:53 - How Josh approaches business
46:45 - Josh's passion for design
50:48 - How understanding psychology can help you run a business
52:09 - Why the Mighty Kind family is so passionate about what they do
53:28 - What is something important for young people to be paying attention to?
[link to the original content](https://share.transistor.fm/s/b6375b72)
-
@ b15b7f67:e62b3290
2025-02-08 16:29:38
Need help with your podcast? Book a call - https://calendar.app.google/tL4vhsdwNoGmaKzg6
Ashley is an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. In this episode, Jack and Ashley discuss modern dating, unhealthy attention seeking, how to avoid toxic relationships, Ashley's personal experience in an abusive relationship, and Ashley's relationship with Christianity.
0:00 - Intro
0:35 - What is NobleLore?
1:00 - What is important to Ashley?
4:46 - Why is modern dating culture scary?
6:08 - Ashley's experience with bad relationships
8:04 - Ashley's first abusive relationship at age 16
10:27 - How should and how shouldn't young girls be seeking attention?
12:50 - Is the feminist movement empowering women in a healthy way?
14:58 - Do people want toxic relationships?
16:45 - People being toxic online
21:20 - Why are men more violent than women?
25:04 - How can women avoid abusive relationships?
32:14 - Ashley's relationship with Christianity
35:06 - Why Ashley enjoys being single right now
44:04 - How should men learn to communicate within a relationship?
53:34 - How to define manhood
58:27 - What should young people be paying attention to?
[link to the original content](https://share.transistor.fm/s/24eb4ff0)
-
@ b15b7f67:e62b3290
2025-02-08 16:29:38
Izayah Hudnut is one of my closest friends, an entrepreneur, and the swaggiest tech nerd you've ever seen. We discuss how he is getting his private pilot's license, what makes St. Louis great and what can make it even better, and the trials and tribulations we are going through in running our own businesses.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
4:09 - What did football teach you?
5:59 - What hangar are we recording in?
8:32 - How do you pursue courage?
11:37 - How did Izayah start his business?
23:22 - Izayah's family background
25:13 - What is Parium?
29:19 - The biggest problem with St. Louis is the marketing
32:23 - People come to St. Louis to see what they can give
35:05 - How do you choose your friends?
37:53 - Is it harder to date now?
41:52 - Are online communities sufficient
46:18 - What more can we do for St. Louis?
53:00 - Thoughts on religion
58:55 - How people mess up business
1:01:51 - What are you doing to find the right person
1:07:11 - Izayah is getting his Pilot's license
1:16:27 - What is the most important thing young people should be paying attention to?
Want to automate your business for peak efficiency?: https://www.dor15.com/
Want help with your podcast?
DM me on Instagram! - https://www.instagram.com/jack.millikan/
[link to the original content](https://share.transistor.fm/s/f72c7ac8)
-
@ b15b7f67:e62b3290
2025-02-08 16:29:38
Vance Crowe is the former Director of Millennial Engagement at Monsanto. He currently is the founder and owner of "Legacy Interviews", a service that captures individuals' life stories to pass down to their future generations and gives him a glimpse into the evolution of culture that few have the opportunity to observe.
0:00 - Intro
2:51 - Who is Vance Crowe?
6:55 - Describing your internal dialogue
11:20 - What does the "Garden of Eden" mean?
13:08 - How do you prepare your children for evil?
20:38 - How Vance's relationship with his wife started
24:30 -What accelerated Islam?
26:30 - What is so valuable about stories?
29:11 - How to get good at telling stories
36:15 - What was the controversy with Monsanto?
41:56 - Round-up isn't as bad as people think?
49:09 - Mobs are the most dangerous force to exist
53:01 - Why do people misunderstand Monsanto?
57:32 - Thoughts on RFK
1:03:15 - Bitcoin is the most important technology in our lifetime
1:11:18 - Your attention is more valuable than your time
1:15:18 - Why are companies using DEI?
1:32:00 - What should young people know?
Want help with your podcast?
DM me on Instagram! - https://www.instagram.com/jack.millikan/
[link to the original content](https://share.transistor.fm/s/e25c9ab8)
-
@ b15b7f67:e62b3290
2025-02-08 16:29:38
Shaun Newman is a friend, fellow podcaster, and a client of NobleLore. He releases 5 episodes of his podcast each week interviewing some of the most influential, controversial, and knowledgeable people in the world.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
2:04 - Teetotalism
8:25 - How do you receive signal from God?
19:38 - The Ottawa Trucker Protest
36:23 - Was the Ottowa Trucker Protest successful?
44:19 - Canada's main source of news is funded by the government
1:06:52 - What should young people be paying attention to?
1:11:20 - What makes a good marriage?
1:21:34 - Ideals within a relationship
Want help with your podcast?
DM me on Instagram! - https://www.instagram.com/jack.millikan/
[link to the original content](https://share.transistor.fm/s/bf0a879b)
-
@ f57bac88:6045161e
2025-02-08 15:50:22
### ریشههای تاریخی جشن کژین
جشن کژین که در برخی منابع به نام «بادروز» نیز شناخته میشود، ریشه در اسطورههای کهن ایران دارد. در اوستا، باد با نام «واتَه» معرفی شده است و ایزد نگهبان آن، «وات» یا «واد» یکی از ایزدان مهم در کیش زرتشتی به شمار میرود. این ایزد در باورهای ایرانیان باستان، تجسم نیروی پاک و الهی باد بوده و مسئول جابهجایی ابرها، بارش باران و حفاظت از زمین در برابر آلودگیها محسوب میشده است.
بر اساس تقویم کهن ایران، این جشن در روز بیستودوم بهمنماه، که مصادف با روز باد در تقویم زرتشتی است، برگزار میشد. برخی پژوهشگران معتقدند که جشن کژین در دورههای مختلف تاریخی، تحت تأثیر تغییرات فرهنگی و اجتماعی دچار دگرگونی شده و نامها و شیوههای مختلفی به خود گرفته است.
### فلسفه و نمادشناسی جشن کژین
باد، به عنوان یکی از چهار عنصر اصلی (آب، باد، خاک و آتش) در باورهای کهن ایرانی، جایگاه ویژهای داشته است. ایرانیان باستان باد را نیرویی زنده و الهی میدانستند که حیات را در طبیعت جاری میسازد. در بسیاری از متون دینی و اساطیری، باد به عنوان پیامرسان ایزدان و نیرویی که قدرت پاککنندگی دارد، توصیف شده است.
جشن کژین، علاوه بر تقدیس باد، نماد تحول، تغییر و تجدید حیات نیز بوده است. این جشن نشانگر گذر از یک مرحله به مرحلهای دیگر در چرخه طبیعت است و ارتباطی عمیق با دیگر جشنهای ایرانی مانند جشن سده و نوروز دارد.
### آیینها و رسوم جشن کژین
برگزاری جشن کژین با آیینهای خاصی همراه بوده است که برخی از آنها هنوز در فرهنگ عامه ایرانیان قابل مشاهدهاند:
1. **رها کردن نوارهای رنگین در باد**: یکی از رسوم این جشن، آویختن نوارهایی از نخ هفترنگ به شاخههای درختان یا رها کردن آنها در باد بوده است. این عمل نماد رهایی، تحول و ارتباط با نیروی الهی باد محسوب میشده است.
2. **افروختن آتش**: مانند بسیاری از جشنهای ایرانی، روشن کردن آتش یکی از بخشهای اصلی جشن کژین بوده است. این آتش معمولاً در فضای باز و بر فراز تپهها و کوهها برافروخته میشد تا حرمت باد و آتش، دو عنصر اصلی طبیعت، گرامی داشته شود.
3. **برپایی بازارهای محلی و جشنهای خیابانی**: در برخی مناطق، جشن کژین با بازارهای محلی همراه بوده که در آن مردم به خرید و فروش کالاهای سنتی، موسیقی و پایکوبی میپرداختند. این بازارها اغلب در میادین شهرها و روستاها برگزار میشد و نوعی جشن اجتماعی به شمار میرفت.
4. **دعای شکرگزاری برای بادهای سودمند**: در فرهنگ کشاورزی ایران، باد نقش مهمی در گردهافشانی گیاهان و بارش باران داشته است. ازاینرو، کشاورزان و مردم روستاها در این روز دعاهایی برای بادهای مفید و پرهیز از بادهای مضر میخواندند.
### ارتباط جشن کژین با دیگر جشنهای ایرانی
جشن کژین با برخی دیگر از آیینهای کهن ایرانی ارتباط نزدیکی دارد. به عنوان مثال، جشن سده که در میانه زمستان برگزار میشود، یکی از جشنهایی است که در آن نیز باد و آتش نقش مهمی دارند. از سوی دیگر، جشن نوروز که سرآغاز فصل بهار است، نشانگر تحول و دگرگونی طبیعت است که ارتباطی مفهومی با جشن کژین دارد.
### جایگاه جشن کژین در دوران معاصر
امروزه، جشن کژین در میان بسیاری از ایرانیان ناشناخته باقی مانده است و تنها برخی از پژوهشگران و علاقهمندان به فرهنگ ایران باستان به احیای آن علاقه نشان میدهند. با این حال، عناصر این جشن در برخی آیینهای محلی و جشنهای مردمی همچنان باقی مانده است. تلاش برای بازشناسی و احیای این جشن میتواند به غنای فرهنگی و هویت ملی ایرانیان کمک کند.
### نتیجهگیری
جشن کژین یکی از آیینهای فراموششده اما ارزشمند ایران باستان است که در ستایش باد و نقش آن در طبیعت و زندگی انسانها برگزار میشده است. این جشن، علاوه بر نمادگرایی مرتبط با عناصر چهارگانه، پیوندی عمیق با باورهای اسطورهای و اجتماعی ایرانیان داشته است. احیای این جشن و آشنایی بیشتر با آن، میتواند به فهم بهتر تاریخ فرهنگی ایران و تقویت حس هویت ملی کمک کند.
-
@ 1c69692c:f89196c0
2025-02-08 15:25:38
Cool article
Testing yakihonne.com
-
@ 2e8970de:63345c7a
2025-02-08 15:11:58
So to my understanding Devs of Asahi Linux want some features for Rust support in kernel. Linux kernel maintainers are unwilling for the patch. The Ashai team made a social media campaign out of it. Now Linus is saying the social media brigade alone makes him not want anything to do with the Rust patch.
We clearly have left the topic and are now in the realm of politics on this one. What do you guys think?
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/879713
-
@ dbb19ae0:c3f22d5a
2025-02-08 15:06:44
PS C:\Users\Alashazam> cortex run tinyllama
In order to exit, type `exit()`
> give me a little sentence of 10 words
"Certainly, here's a little sentence of 10 words that exemplifies the power of words: 'The beauty of life is that it has the power to change us, even in the smallest ways.'"
> now use SQL to insert this sentence into a table that has 2 fields Id, and sentence
Here's an SQL query to insert the sentence you gave into the `sentence` table:
```
INSERT INTO sentence (id, sentence) VALUES (1, 'The beauty of life is that it has the power to change us, even in the smallest ways.');
```
This query will create a new row in the `sentence` table with the given `id` and `sentence`, and will also update the `sentence` table's `sentence` column to contain the new sentence.
> please generate the table creation for sqlite
Here's a table creation statement for a `sentence` table in SQLite:
```
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS sentence (
id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
sentence TEXT UNIQUE NOT NULL
);
```
This will create a table called `sentence` with the following columns:
- `id`: An integer primary key column used to uniquely identify each row.
- `sentence`: A text column containing the actual sentence.
This table will store the sentence you provided in your text input.
> exit()
-
@ 5d4b6c8d:8a1c1ee3
2025-02-08 14:51:13
We'll have to put an asterisk on today's number. I had a bite of my daughter's leftovers that didn't seem worth storing for later. By my understanding, that shouldn't be enough to mess with fasting metabolism and it doesn't feel like it did.
@realBitcoinDog wants me to get to 20 hours on one of these. I'm at 17 already (just took a sip of coffee), but I'm starting to get hungry, so today might not be the day. We'll see, though. The wife isn't making any indications that she's going to cook anything anytime soon, so my natural laziness might get me over the finish line.
## Score Card
Day 1: 14 hour fast (13 dry)
Day 2: 15 hour fast (14 dry)
Day 3: 17 hours (16 dry)
Day 4: 18 hours (17 dry)
Day 5: 18 hours (16 dry)
Day 6: 19 hours (16 dry)
Day 7: 16 hours (15 dry)
Day 8: TBD (17 dry)
edit: I just got handed some bread crusts that no one else is going to eat, so the fast is going to end pretty soon.
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/879683
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@ dbb19ae0:c3f22d5a
2025-02-08 10:27:12
1. Downloading the linux package (1.8GB) https://cortex.so/docs/installation
2. Installing Cortex on linux is done via dpkg
note: it requires 2 linux packages (openmpi-bin and libopenmpi-dev)
`sudo apt-get install openmpi-bin libopenmpi-dev`
prior to run
`sudo dpkg -i cortex-1.0.9-linux-amd64-local-installer.deb`
3. When running Cortex,
`cortex start`
a local implementation will be running on http://127.0.0.1:39281
4. Using python it is possible to run queries
make sure the model name is correct
you can double check the value using:
` cortex ps`
Now the python program to run one little query:
``` python
import requests
url = "http://127.0.0.1:39281/v1/chat/completions"
headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json"}
payload = {
"model": "tinyllama:1b-gguf",
"messages": [
{
"role": "user",
"content": "Write a joke"
}
],
"stream": False,
"max_tokens": 128,
"stop": ["End"],
"frequency_penalty": 0.2,
"presence_penalty": 0.6,
"temperature": 0.8,
"top_p": 0.95,
}
response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)
print(response.json())
```
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@ 6b57533f:eaa341f5
2025-02-08 09:25:01
## Embedded Inline SVG in Markdown
Here is an embedded SVG using a `data:` URI:
Some markdown renderers may not support inline SVGs, but if they do, you should see a red circle above.
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@ 16d11430:61640947
2025-02-08 07:39:53
Exploring the Erlang Compiler, the BEAM VM, and Esoteric BEAM-Based Languages for the Hipsters
Introduction: The Way of the BEAM
In the transient world of software, where complexity breeds failure and modern stacks resemble precarious Jenga towers, the BEAM virtual machine stands as a monument to simplicity, resilience, and concurrency.
Designed in the crucible of the telecom industry, where systems must not fail even in the face of chaos, BEAM embodies a Zen-like philosophy:
Let it crash – Failure is not an exception but an expectation.
Share nothing – Every process is isolated, independent, and impervious to corruption.
Keep it lightweight – Millions of concurrent processes should feel as effortless as a single-threaded script.
Be impermanent – Hot code swapping allows systems to evolve without downtime.
This philosophy is not just a runtime model but a way of thinking about software—where simplicity breeds reliability, and complexity is the enemy of uptime.
In this article, we explore the inner workings of the BEAM VM, the elegance of the Erlang compiler, and the esoteric languages that run on BEAM—from the industrial-strength Elixir to the hipster-favorite Lisp-Flavored Erlang (LFE), and even the experimental fringes of Gleam and Caramel.
---
The Origin of BEAM
The BEAM, or Bogdan’s Erlang Abstract Machine, is named after Bogumil "Bogdan" Hausman, one of the Ericsson engineers who worked on Erlang’s virtual machine. It was a successor to an earlier runtime called JAM (Joe’s Abstract Machine), named after Joe Armstrong, Erlang’s legendary co-creator.
The name “BEAM” is a fitting metaphor:
A beam is a structural element—strong yet flexible, capable of withstanding immense pressure without breaking.
A beam of light suggests clarity, focus, and guidance, much like Erlang’s model of pure message passing.
Unlike most VMs that chase speed, BEAM chases reliability, scalability, and uptime, sacrificing raw performance for concurrent stability.
This is why BEAM doesn’t just execute code—it orchestrates massively distributed, highly fault-tolerant systems.
---
The BEAM: A Meditative Machine
Unlike mainstream runtimes that prioritize raw execution speed, BEAM is optimized for concurrency, distribution, and reliability. The heart of BEAM is a lightweight process model, where each process:
Is completely isolated (no shared state, no global variables).
Communicates via immutable message passing.
Is cheap to spawn (millions of concurrent processes are normal).
Crashes safely, allowing the system to self-heal instead of corrupting state.
This actor model is why Erlang and BEAM-based languages power high-availability systems in telecom, finance, and distributed computing. Instead of fighting failure, BEAM embraces it, allowing individual components to crash and restart without breaking the whole—a software equivalent of Buddhist non-attachment.
---
How the Erlang Compiler Works
BEAM’s compilation process is a multi-stage transformation designed for reliability:
1. Parsing → Erlang source code (.erl files) is parsed into an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST).
2. Core Erlang Representation → The AST is transformed into Core Erlang, a simplified functional intermediate representation (IR).
3. BEAM Assembly → The Core Erlang representation is compiled into BEAM bytecode, optimized for concurrency.
4. BEAM File Generation → The resulting .beam file is loaded and executed by the BEAM VM.
This is not a direct machine code compilation model but a functional, register-based system where bytecode execution is tailored for concurrency rather than raw speed.
Interpreting BEAM Bytecode: The Zen of Execution
BEAM bytecode is executed with several optimizations:
Just-In-Time Compilation (JIT) – The recent BEAMJIT speeds up execution dynamically.
Tail Call Optimization (TCO) – Enables infinite recursion without stack growth.
Hot Code Swapping – Allows live updates without restarting the system.
Much like a Zen master who adapts without resistance, BEAM systems are built to evolve at runtime, without fear of breaking.
---
Alternative BEAM Languages: The Hipster’s Guide
Erlang may have birthed BEAM, but it is not alone. Over the years, several esoteric languages have emerged, each bringing a unique perspective while preserving BEAM’s core principles.
1. Elixir – The Ruby of the BEAM
If Erlang is Zen, Elixir is the artisanal pour-over coffee shop where Zen monks code on MacBooks.
Created by José Valim, Elixir brings:
A Ruby-inspired syntax that’s more approachable than Erlang’s Prolog-like syntax.
Metaprogramming via macros, enabling expressive DSLs.
The Phoenix Framework, a blazing-fast alternative to Node.js for real-time applications.
Example:
defmodule Zen do
def mantra do
IO.puts("Let it crash.")
end
end
For those seeking fault-tolerant, web-scale elegance, Elixir is the hipster-approved choice.
---
2. Lisp-Flavored Erlang (LFE) – S-Expressions on the BEAM
LFE is Lisp for the BEAM, a minimalist alternative to Erlang’s syntax. If parentheses are beautiful and recursion is poetry, this is for you.
Example:
(defun fibonacci (n)
(if (<= n 1)
1
(+ (fibonacci (- n 1)) (fibonacci (- n 2)))))
For those who revere homoiconicity and metaprogramming, LFE is a temple of functional purity.
---
3. Gleam – ML-Typed Erlang
For the Haskell and OCaml nerds, Gleam introduces static typing to the BEAM.
Example:
fn add(x: Int, y: Int) -> Int {
x + y
}
For those who crave compile-time guarantees, Gleam offers the best of ML with BEAM’s concurrency model.
---
4. Experimental BEAM Languages: The Fringes of Enlightenment
For the truly esoteric seekers, BEAM also hosts:
Caramel → An OCaml-inspired BEAM language.
Alpaca → A statically typed, ML-like functional language.
Effekt → A research language exploring effect systems on BEAM.
These languages push the boundaries of what’s possible on the BEAM.
---
Why BEAM-Based Languages Are the True Hipster Choice
1. Concurrency Without Threads – The BEAM handles millions of processes seamlessly.
2. Fault Tolerance by Design – "Let it crash" ensures self-healing software.
3. Hot Code Swapping – No downtime. Ever.
4. Diverse Ecosystem – Elixir for web devs, LFE for Lisp hackers, Gleam for type nerds.
---
Conclusion: The Path to Compiler Enlightenment
BEAM is not just a runtime. It is a philosophy of resilience, concurrency, and simplicity.
Whether you choose the battle-tested purity of Erlang, the expressiveness of Elixir, the type safety of Gleam, or the Lisp nirvana of LFE, you are embracing a lineage of fault-tolerant functional programming.
If you seek true enlightenment, don’t chase JavaScript frameworks. Compile to BEAM instead.
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@ da0b9bc3:4e30a4a9
2025-02-08 07:11:58
Hello Stackers!
Welcome on into the ~Music Corner of the Saloon!
A place where we Talk Music. Share Tracks. Zap Sats.
So stay a while and listen.
🚨Don't forget to check out the pinned items in the territory homepage! You can always find the latest weeklies there!🚨
🚨Subscribe to the territory to ensure you never miss a post! 🚨
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/879483
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@ 1ad9086c:7dd47af4
2025-02-08 06:31:34
Today I'm attending an interesting event about new bitcoinsolutions for our society. I tallk with Shaun about the possibilities of Yakihonne about decentralized media. Good initiative for keeping up with all voices.