Thinking of adopting a new hobby: Printing AI generated signs with malformed letters and put it into reality. No one will believe that the picture from the lake was real.

https://m.primal.net/JVAs.png


Oh the weirdness of internet with ads.


Leopold Aschenbrenner is an industry insider, who used to work for  OpenAI on AI alignment problems, in a team lead by now famous Ilya  Sutskever. He understands what is happening in the industry and  especially how fast they are going.

The essays start by “AGI by 2027 is strikingly plausible”. He  explains how. It’s not only computational power increases, but  algorithmic / research improvements. I like how he explains how alien  these models could be, what we can understand with them and how is  alignment done these days and why this exact strategy won’t work later  down the line.

But there are some important parts where we differ in opinion.

https://juraj.bednar.io/en/blog-en/2024/07/14/situational-awareness-on-as-gi-a-somewhat-cypherpunk-perspective/

https://image.nostr.build/86deb8e392e5bdd5a825ab4d79cd1545669aacb6678a9da4bfb47a3615be083a.jpg


pro tip: I try to force myself to look at the market number rather than the news, with words and opinions and misinformation.

raw market data

https://polymarket.com/elections


do you have a license for that typewriter ser?

https://newsletter.pessimistsarchive.org/p/remember-typewriter-licenses

this thinking is coming back to your favorite state. otherwise - gulag.


The view that bitcoin is an investment only and a partisan issue is very typical for US-Americans and Europeans as it ignores billions of people in the rest of the world who need bitcoin as a tool to escape their authoritarian regimes’ financial oppression.

Bitcoin is a technology and the only form of money beneath cash that can be used by anyone without permission. Bitcoin doesn’t need politicians good will. Bitcoin is rules without rulers.
https://m.primal.net/JQXq.jpg


first, no, I don't care about politicians being on Nostr.

second, there's no reason they could not come either, it's not illegal to receive money.

and third, let's not be pussies. We live a cypherpunk dream, let's enjoy it and not limit ourselves.


npub cash says they lock tokens to the public key.

https://npub.cash/

https://m.primal.net/JQWZ.png


Casually checking what is on sale at nostr:npub1mftv2j67vayavkks8rqev3u8jjhefe86tf80msstfxvpunk9vmps6prkl3.

For example an apartment, because the other wants to move to Paraguay.

#signal

https://m.primal.net/JQVk.png


I think there are open source gateways already, no need to write a new one. It should just be setup during onboarding in the profile.


what about receiving? does it use some kind of cashu<->lightning address gateway for zaps by people who use a client that does not understand cashu zaps?


This is a great set of essays on the current state of AI and future trajectory. I recommend it to both people who think they know what's going on, and especially to people who believe AI is just a bit more sophisticated parrot.

https://situational-awareness.ai/


don't have recent experience with esim hotspots.

mobimatter works quite ok, but for permanent home internet I would go for Starlink instead


My favorite news site says Trump is climbing.

The only interesting news are written by market prices.

https://polymarket.com/elections

https://m.primal.net/JQQo.png


A storm at the music festival with 5G internet down is a perfect use case for Reticulum or Meshtastic. Mental note: a permanent car rnode. Then find cool friends who to the same.

Also: always be in roaming. Choose a different operator when one is down.


took me 3 mins


lifetime is cheaper than one year in this case.

and it's a useful thing to learn, useful for BTC collateralized loans without KYC, prediction markets, ...

there are ways to use these systems without being exposed to shitcoin price risk.


I mean that the link in the note is not rendered on the webpage, not a link to npub pro webpage.

the note has a link and on npub pro there is no visualization of that link.


Using anonymous global or regional data esims not only improves your privacy, but gives you better service. Because you are usually in roaming, if the coverage of one operator is not good, or they have an outage, you can usually use a different one, which is not possible if you're "at home".

Also you can have one as a backup. Mobimatter has so far the best prices and 1 year validity of data. Keepgo has also good programs. Bitrefill has shorter term, but can be cheaper per gb. All three support crypto payments.


I know and he did not try to destroy Bitcoin. He kept true to the non-KYC values, even when shapeshift had to implement KYC, he built an alternative that works without KYC. For me, he is a mostly positive character.

Bitcoiners have some kind of lasting trauma, I do not subscribe to traumas.


How can you be fucked with it? The market price is now, 1 MOR token keeps you the Pro account. No subscription, no hassle, no risk of future shitcoin price.


I unlocked Pro account on venice.ai using the Morph token (yes, shitcoinery, very utilitarian, just save money, no gambling)! Just keep a MOR token in your Ethereum (Arbitrum) wallet for unlimited uncensored content creation, including images, text, and code.

🚀 How to get started:

- Create a new MetaMask account for privacy.
- Set aside around $30.
- Purchase Ethereum on the Arbitrum network via platforms like SideShift or Trocador, paying with Lightning, L-BTC, Monero, etc.

- Convert ETH to MOR aiming for 1 MOR token.
Complete the swap.
Link: https://app.uniswap.org/explore/pools/arbitrum/0xE5Cf22EE4988d54141B77050967E1052Bd9c7F7A?chain=arbitrum

- Navigate to your account settings, connect your web3 wallet, and sign the transaction (tip: use an account based on email address to use it from devices that don't have Metamask. At this point, you can uninstall metamask wallet and forget about having it).

Log out and back in to activate your Pro account—no monthly fees, just hold the token. It’s cheaper than an annual subscription!

🌍 Enjoy limitless, uncensored access with a one-time setup! You can turn of "safe Venice" and remove image watermarks.

Yes, not very user friendly, your other option is to pay $49/year.

https://image.nostr.build/2e152e6d640fec93aa7abd1953c766cdfd0e6ef9ceba355129d6d592136a232d.png


it works now! thanks.

https://juraj.npub.pro/

site previews would be cool for urls. my notes are not very graphic unfortunately. but it looks very cool anyway!


yes. it's awesome. the only things that don't work:
- primal on open screen (blinking, I already reported it)
- Google pay on GrapheneOS. that can't be solved easily, I have a cover with small wallet and I carry a card and 100€ cash. I prefer paying with cash anyway
- compared to iPhone, solid backups. That is unfortunately an unsolved problem.

everything else works well. enjoy it!


I love it!

https://robertheaton.com/pyskywifi/


nostr:nprofile1qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcprfmhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuumgd96xvmmjvdjjummwv5hsz8nhwden5te0dehhxarj94c82c3wwajkcmr0wfjx2u3wdejhgtcpr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezumt4w35ku7thv9kxcet59e3k7mf0qyv8wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnrw4e8yetwwshxv7tf9uqzqv6kmesm89j8jvww3vs5pv46hqm7pqgvpm63twlf9hszfqzqhz7ajxvgda  I am trying to unsuccessfully play with nostr.pub since yesterday. Today the bug is different and I can't even login, after logging in, I am still unlogged, except when I try to login, it recognizes I am in. Tried Safari and Firefox, both in new private window as well to rule out some old cookies/local storage.

Video:
https://video.nostr.build/72758971e003d16db3faca7285372f5c1c127b183ffb759c0350af67636081a7.mp4


This started more or less as a joke, I wanted to write a policy paper, as think tanks do.

But it might just work :)

https://juraj.bednar.io/assets/post-covid/post-covid-en.pdf


Perfect software license doesn't exis....

https://github.com/me-shaon/GLWTPL/blob/master/NSFW_LICENSE


Mid-day ice 🧊 cold shower 🚿

nostr:npub1zjmlr0dyue8exympgh3xy2wyqm73kc8s7q2cua9rdaqvrl6aw9cs70r5gf


gm

morning coffee, V60

nostr:npub1zjmlr0dyue8exympgh3xy2wyqm73kc8s7q2cua9rdaqvrl6aw9cs70r5gf


Eso level estimator got a web front-end!

This is just a coding experiment. Front-end is just static HTML and JavaScript, which creates a random Nostr identity and sends the message over Nostr relay to the already existing bot and displays the answer. You can download the three files (index.html, dist/bundle.js and img/logo.png) and host it anywhere else (needs to be served over http(s), not from local filesystem).

Backend is running locally on my machine, with ollama and a model that the machine can handle (depends on where I run it).

So nostr:nprofile1qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcqyq2t0uda5nnylycnv9z7yc3fcsr06xmq7rcptrn55dh5ps0lt4chzglg5m3  how eso is this?

https://juraj.bednar.io/esolevel

https://image.nostr.build/1a098a343c173d9c0505ee7e421fae936b5e5cffbf8d46dfbfc0fca5ff291cc6.jpg


Which might be a good thing


I also love your energy!


nostr:nprofile1qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcqyq2t0uda5nnylycnv9z7yc3fcsr06xmq7rcptrn55dh5ps0lt4chzglg5m3  Vagus nerve stimulation


nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qgwwaehxw309ahx7uewd3hkctcqyq2t0uda5nnylycnv9z7yc3fcsr06xmq7rcptrn55dh5ps0lt4chzwwuhu2  Praxeology


nostr:npub1zjmlr0dyue8exympgh3xy2wyqm73kc8s7q2cua9rdaqvrl6aw9cs70r5gf anarcho-christianity


nostr:npub1zjmlr0dyue8exympgh3xy2wyqm73kc8s7q2cua9rdaqvrl6aw9cs70r5gf memes about politics


I'm looking for a few people to help beta test Fountain's new nostr integration - ideally you already use Fountain but not a strict requirement!

Please DM me if you're interested and repost for visibility!

#asknostr


Monero cryptocurrency


nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qgwwaehxw309ahx7uewd3hkctcqyq2t0uda5nnylycnv9z7yc3fcsr06xmq7rcptrn55dh5ps0lt4chzwwuhu2  Fiat currency


nostr:nprofile1qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcqyq2t0uda5nnylycnv9z7yc3fcsr06xmq7rcptrn55dh5ps0lt4chzglg5m3  Bitcoin


nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qgwwaehxw309ahx7uewd3hkctcqyq2t0uda5nnylycnv9z7yc3fcsr06xmq7rcptrn55dh5ps0lt4chzwwuhu2  Why is coding fun? What do people see in coding?


For translating Phoenix Wallet for Android, I use this helpful script to see what strings were added and need to be translated.

https://gist.github.com/jooray/b1b7597ce49379e7ac600f3399356a6a


Slovenský preklad androidovej verzie Phoenix Wallet s BOLT-12 a adresárom kontaktov je pripravený na merge! Snáď už v nasledujúcej oficiálnej verzii Phoenix-u!

https://github.com/ACINQ/phoenix/pull/581

Ak chcete prispieť na kakao s adaptogénnymi hubami, ktoré som pri tvorbe tohto veldieľa vypil, zaps prijímam štandardne cez Nostr alebo cez BOLT-12 na:

lightning:lno1zrxq8pjw7qjlm68mtp7e3yvxee4y5xrgjhhyf2fxhlphpckrvevh50u0qwj7e98uts950w4jnhgjgs4ydnv44yv0sfqcl0y35gu74k4jnjytcqsz78fha4ux3gppkzrtjtqlcjrlg4wvwu83dwtgzr5e6y04n2yx60gqqv7xerzdqzf9p4uedchpfg55q2ctwxnfexmlj8qrevac0vrqynu3hykhz65uzhywuslw8n99vfmsdv2cy5v8qtyncmcdq8h6rdun9havmaeq60cm0v049zt9zntdq6vhtv4rqen7zqqssya36pkvstjgqetrsvu7et4h5v


It's hard to convey how cool and through reticulum.network is.

This is what a non tcpip network should have been. Private/Public key based IDs. Routes everything through any pipes. Mind blown.


Hidden messages on circuit boards, known as „silkscreen Easter eggs," are intentional inscriptions or images concealed within the printed circuit board's silkscreen layer.

Engineers and designers sometimes incorporate these elements for personal or team recognition, offering a unique touch to the hardware. https://image.nostr.build/3ada6648c83985fe669b31fe110534b36334471f15cfa3b834a8fb7c234044d1.jpg https://image.nostr.build/84b1b9b1ad98a9c1d67332a97949cf046e99e0b77875cd38f0d91d44cf69507c.jpg https://image.nostr.build/33dd5f2b0f03c492ed47135c3e966eb1c48de7eac3438f4344fa624e447551d9.jpg https://image.nostr.build/2661282de52e1dbaa08d3f3b1914196f4920ca8d2180f6b3434f1eb7017d17ef.jpg https://image.nostr.build/ee700ebb6adf1aa068593d0ecb436f87fd228913ad4eaddfd67c560248c0995c.jpg https://image.nostr.build/39a040703ed6a6d8b434bcc72738b5912a48a951a1f9212469d08fd7f0a06f0d.jpg https://image.nostr.build/d503e22223727de0b34a7a60446090c9c54908951051c782238b6eb728d2ee40.jpg https://image.nostr.build/4097cd28235d6d5a427fa4e3711375003aafe1a59829e93992607f35d11925f5.jpg https://image.nostr.build/f85191c190e8deb42e1985d0ca737580f87b027232cf64de487f4569d9496e2a.jpg https://image.nostr.build/2b6c93054bad68a46a5281fc4e9ed702c3cefbd0eea6659f6a138deaea2cd00a.jpg


yes. channel management creates utxos, payments go through channels


to open a channel you create a utxo. and then you use it over and over again to receive.

channels create utxos (in most cases, they don't have to), payments don't.


parse error.

I don't understand the question.

with Bolt-12 you won't need a lightning address, bolt-12 is a replacement for that


Safe 5 has touchscreen, so typing passphrases and pins is possible and practical on the device.

Also the shamir backup by default is on 5 I think, but you can always choose shamir backup on 3 and T manually.


Sats are cheap, buy more Bitcoin

Fees are low, open channels

And get your Bitcoin, optionally directly to lightning to avoid taint, P2P, for example using nostr:npub1mftv2j67vayavkks8rqev3u8jjhefe86tf80msstfxvpunk9vmps6prkl3

Bear markets are amazing, enjoy them!


I got my Trezor Safe 5. Some notable changes to Trezor T:

- the display is amazing, very nice user interface, it is much easier to type in PIN and everything than before, even if you have bigger fingers

- I like the new shamir-enabled backup by default. I think this is truly the future of backups, old mnemonic backups do not give us so many options.

- some (even if not open) secure element is better than no secure element, should be much harder to get the seed out of the device. But of course - use a passphrase (and type it on the device, not computer)

- they are shipping, I got normal order from e-shop

If you want to benefit from secure element (for example if you don't use passphrase) and you got Trezor One or Trezor T, I recommend upgrading. If you got Safe 3, the main upgrade is just the display (not two buttons), so if you are comfortable with using it with the physical buttons, keep it.

https://affil.trezor.io/SHYE


lightning payments don't create utxos


link is here. https://polymarket.com/event/will-biden-drop-out-of-presidential-race?tid=1720120053855

the picture has the specific snapshot in time, link will change according to future market conditions, I specifically relate to this specific moment and current market situation.


This is how I celebrate independence day. From the cyberspace.

https://www.eff.org/cyberspace-independence

Sk verzia: https://paralelnapolis.sk/institut-kryptoanarchie/deklaracia-nezavislosti-kyberpriestoru/


Bolt 12 is getting popular 🥳🥳

If you have CLN and want to pay to bolt12 from command line, I did a little tool for that. It can also pay to Lightning Address and even the new DNS based Lightning Address (BIP353).

https://github.com/urza/payto


prediction markets > news

https://m.primal.net/JHnm.jpg


Cashu Nutshell backend wish list:

- Breez/Greenlight (Almost there)
- LNMarkets USD (No impl yet)
- Nostr Wallet Connect (PR ready)
- Credit card fiat backend (needs courage and a bit of crazy)
- Manual cash register (press a button to issue ecash)

Please contribute!


Phoenix supports Bolt-12 reusable payment requests.

It's slowly time for Nostr to switch to it and make Zaps less custodial. Domains are pain.

lno1zrxq8pjw7qjlm68mtp7e3yvxee4y5xrgjhhyf2fxhlphpckrvevh50u0qwj7e98uts950w4jnhgjgs4ydnv44yv0sfqcl0y35gu74k4jnjytcqsz78fha4ux3gppkzrtjtqlcjrlg4wvwu83dwtgzr5e6y04n2yx60gqqv7xerzdqzf9p4uedchpfg55q2ctwxnfexmlj8qrevac0vrqynu3hykhz65uzhywuslw8n99vfmsdv2cy5v8qtyncmcdq8h6rdun9havmaeq60cm0v049zt9zntdq6vhtv4rqen7zqqssya36pkvstjgqetrsvu7et4h5v

https://m.primal.net/JHjs.jpg


Your lack of trust because you don't like audits they publish is not enough to call someone scam. there's no indication they are doing something fishy.

You can say you don't trust them. I short them :)

For something to be a scam, it is not enough that you don't feel well about it. It means they are defrauding people and there's no indication of that.

If it is delivered as promised, it's ok from the scam-no scam scale. People use the word lightly these days, but they should not.


A good while ago, Apple denied new Damus versions until zaps were removed from notes. There is a slight roundabout way to activate it though: https://damuszap.oxtr.dev. This is a script made by nostr:npub1k92qsr95jcumkpu6dffurkvwwycwa2euvx4fthv78ru7gqqz0nrs2ngfwd that reactivates the zap button on notes.


it would be a scam if they did it dishonestly (like banks do).

tether explains what it is pretty well. you can choose to buy the product or not, but they don't scam you.

it is easy to walk around and yell scam at everything, but to qualify for a scam, you need to actually mislead people, which Tether is not doing.


Tether is much more backed than any other form of USD people have in legacy system except for cash.

The banks' reserve requirements are not even worth a footnote on their balance sheet these days.

Regulating it makes zero sense.


Orange Flash of Freedom: https://hackyourself.io/product/the-orange-flash-of-freedom-understanding-and-using-the-bitcoin-lightning-network/

or

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D13HQ6L4/

Breez blog:

https://medium.com/breez-technology/lightning-is-the-common-language-of-the-bitcoin-economy-eb8515341c11


People are a bit confused about mica stablecoin regulation. While I think whole MiCA should be rejected as a whole, we have options.

The way I understand it is that Brussels does not like competition in money printing, so they disallowed stablecoins that are not EUR based and EUR based have to be printed in concert with Brussels-Frankfurt. But we are already printing both dollars and euros in the cyphersphere.

What this could mean in practice is ban on offering stablecoins on exchanges for European union customers and ban for businesses accepting these stablecoins.

Here comes a solution. People often confuse payment network and what is sent through the payment network. You can send USD or eur through visa payment network. You can send USDT through Ethereum, Liquid, ... The confusion is with Bitcoin, there is both Bitcoin payment network and Bitcoin as a unit.

I've long said that the best stablecoin is a short position on bitcoin coupled with the bitcoin. For an interesting trust minimized implementation, see DLC channels in @get10101.

So how does this relate to stablecoins? You can have a stabilized position denominated in USD, but still pay with lightning. Merchant does not have to accept stablecoin, if you want to spend stable value. This is between you and your wallet. You can send$100 over lightning - you go long (exiting the short position) and sent SATs worth $100. If the merchant wants to keep it in dollars, they can open a short, but that's the merchant's problem.

Lightning is uniquely positioned to do payments in this way. Settlement is instant and even the position exit and enter can be atomic. No other crypto payment network can do this. I've written about this feature in Orange Flash of Freedom, or see nostr:npub1ey6qdmvzcgcsr883m9nspzz0mm037l26xtardzcskfsvc6gc7jssm9szvp's blog (links in reply).

Another advantage of this way of value stabilization is that there a natural interest rate (called a funding rate). You should be paid for shorting Bitcoin. Well, should is a strong word, but you usually are, because people will pay to go long on Bitcoin.

I think whatever camp you are in, if you like stablecoins here or there, if you want BTC only, or if you are into alts, lightning is what connects it all.

Now someone should go and tell Coinbase commerce, they are a bit slow to get it.


Now it is very much updated with emoji support and it has it's own gist, so you can track all innovations!

https://gist.github.com/jooray/cc17a18120d4ee00f74bcdd4617b5ba4


example answer from Claude Sonnet 3.5:

I'll evaluate each item and assign an eso level based on the provided scale:

1. NAD+ supplementation:
Eso level: 3
Rationale: While there's growing research interest, it's largely based on observational studies and preliminary clinical trials.

2. Blue light blocking:
Eso level: 2
Rationale: This is based on established principles of light physics and its effects on circadian rhythms, with some causal studies supporting its use.

3. Sun exposure:
Eso level: 1
Rationale: The benefits of sun exposure for vitamin D production and other health effects are well-established in physics and biochemistry.

4. Forest bathing:
Eso level: 4.5
Rationale: While there are some studies showing psychological benefits, it borders on more alternative practices like mindfulness.

5. Cryotherapy:
Eso level: 3.5
Rationale: There's a mix of observational studies and some controlled trials, but long-term effects and mechanisms are not fully established.

6. Wim Hof breathing:
Eso level: 5
Rationale: While there are some studies on its effects, it incorporates elements of meditation and alternative breathing techniques.

7. Grounding:
Eso level: 6
Rationale: Also known as "earthing," this practice has limited scientific backing and involves concepts similar to energy healing.

8. Ketamine:
Eso level: 2.5
Rationale: As a known chemical compound with established pharmacological effects, it's studied in controlled clinical trials. However, its use in alternative settings slightly increases its eso level.

These ratings are based on the current state of scientific evidence and general perception of these practices. The eso levels may change as more research is conducted and our understanding evolves.


I have a new invention! It's a program I've been working on for 10 minutes, giving you estimates of various techniques to improve human condition. You run it on your favorite LLM. Ok, it's just a prompt. Copy, paste, enjoy:

You are going to output an eso level (level of esotericness) based on the following scale:

0 - facts driving through logic from axioms

1 - physics, chemistry

2 - results based on studies with theory of causality

3 - observational studies

4 - behavioral studies, behavioral economics, psychology

5 - adaptogenic mushrooms, adaptogens, mindfulness meditation

6 - psychedelics, incense, aromatherapy, loving kindness meditation

7 - chakras, energy healing, psychedelics with astral planes

8 - telepathy, governments are good, democracy, monotheism, Christianity

9 - astral planes, remote viewing, tarot, polytheistic religions

10 - aliens from parallel universe are talking to us via channel wormhole opened by DMT activated neuronal resonance, speaking to ghosts

you will be given a query and you would fit and calculate eso level to your best knowledge.

let's try to value these:

Nad+ supplementation

Blue light blocking

Sun exposure

Forest bathing

Cryotherapy

Wim Hof breathing

Grounding

Ketamine


Concept of Orange Summer - how to free your life with Bitcoin. From nostr:nprofile1qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcqyrt6w3mtzff6ryp0wetgtllr6dgl3shz43eg7e26adflfjdzlxnh6dnhmjw

https://youtu.be/OdetWF6Y2Qk?si=mvPyPE569lXV9RBO


What is the best state of the art text to speech model suitable for converting an English written book to an audiobook (mp3) usable from Hugging Face transformers library?

I don't want to use reader apps, because their performance is not so good, I can leave it running overnight and prefer better intonation and more natural sounding voice.


It is weird to me that people still don't use AI language models daily. Of course the are privacy or wokeness concerns, but we have many options now.

Almost everyone could save a lot of time using LLMs especially for boring bureaucracy, basic factual questions, translations, ..


All good, I'm not religious about Linux distributions. Many teams are doing great job.

For servers I prefer Ubuntu LTS or RHEL based distributions, because I don't want to babysit and upgrade it all the time, so I set it up and it should work (but be patched) for around a decade.

On desktop, something a bit more punk is better.


ElevateNG can upgrade CentOS 7 on the fly and you can migrate to AlmaLinux just with their tooling.

For me, it worked like magic.


of course! you can write notes by just typing !!!!!!!!!!!

to you, you look smart, but to others you just look like very angry person

peak cypherpunk


If you got rugpulled by RedHat's acquisition of CentOS (servers deleting mirror lists and suddenly subscription is required), know that there is a way out. People over at AlmaLinux project have your back!

To migrate Centos (including Centos Stream 8) to AlmaLinux (which is one of the continuations of this project), you can use almalinux-deploy script. You can in some cases even upgrade to AlmaLinux 9 (based on RHEL9) with ElevateNG, which is another AlmaLinux project for on the fly upgrades.

No need to upgrade to AlmaLinux 9 though, AlmaLinux 8 is supported until 2029, plenty of time.

I have migrated all old CentOS 8 machines (I also use Debian and Ubuntu, to make things more fun) to AlmaLinux and elevated one to 9 (the other one is a hypervisor and I can't easily take a snapshot, the other one is on LUKS partition, which is not supported by Elevate yet).

I love FOSS. No rugpulls allowed!

alma-deploy howto: https://wiki.almalinux.org/documentation/migration-guide.html#how-to-migrate

ElevateNG howto: https://wiki.almalinux.org/elevate/ELevate-NG-testing-guide.html


Gratulujem Julianovi Assangovi k tomu, že môže konečne žiť normálny život. A rozhovor so Stellou (od nostr:npub1pamu3dhq5glm35ylf5e8wh3df73vv40n643ksukp26tnshx6vqlqq85dmc ) o kultúre cenzúry tu:

https://echo24.cz/a/HWRg3/zpravy-svet-stella-assange-svoboda-slova-nejvetsi-riziko-generacni-posun


🇬🇧 ⛏ ⚡ Introducing

OFF GRID STEVE

please watch, share, send to a mate and zap what ever you think it’s worth!

#V4V #bitcoinmining 💜 🧡

https://youtu.be/V_PNiqIOjVA


I did not see it coming that Mt Gox would stop the Bitcoin induced evaporation of the oceans


I want this to exist.

nostr:nevent1qqstmwkdmrjsf7zzk05yl3x8m7lkaahvll7jw22j59ku7fp5uvfr0qcpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgtczyphydppzm7m554ecwq4gsgaek2qk32atse2l4t9ks57dpms4mmhfxqcyqqqqqqgp2gzpg


Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://fuglede.github.io/llama.ttf/


Cypherpunker príde na párty svetovej elity. Podnikatelia hovoria: “Čo spolu vytvoríme?” Ale obďaleč stojí politik a začne kričať…

S nostr:npub15xkpvjux5fw2q0kgl8m9c6pv0wu5urgctq9tthftmu559lf4wxqqknkrnh sa zaoberáme vplyvom Bitcoinu na spoločnosť. Hovoríme o tom, ako sa Bitcoin stal z cypherpunkovej hračky dôležitým hráčom s reálnym dosahom na svetovú ekonomiku. Rozoberáme reakcie existujúcich štruktúr. V čom je iný bitcoinový život oproti fiatovému životu? Budú Bitcoineri hýbať svetom alebo bude svet hýbať Bitcoinermi?

https://juraj.bednar.io/podcast/2024/06/23/cypherpunker-pride-na-party-elity-o-bitcoinovej-aristokracii-s-wilderom/


I was not using anonymous even. I even had to KYC with an ID for marketplace order, because that would make them money transmitter.

How did you manage an anonymous account though? I think they need a credit card that's on your name and prepaid cards don't work. Before you can use an anonymous payment method.


I might give it a try again, I know it, the user experience was horrible and it does not solve the problem of sending articles to my reader on GrapheneOS from my computer's browser for reading with one click. I think the user experience is worst from all the readers I've tried.


I am specifically looking for this user experience. I read an article (or have a pdf, epub) on my laptop and I send it to my mobile e-reader app to read at night.

This is Push to Kindle (third party app) with Kindle reader. I would like to replicate something that does not rely on Amazon.

https://video.nostr.build/93961f616fa0443357c4950c2a22d3955f5f6b951c16e998a56a687e976b944c.mp4


Nope, Milei is a politician. We don't need those.


another bug of nostr:npub12vkcxr0luzwp8e673v29eqjhrr7p9vqq8asav85swaepclllj09sylpugg is that for some reason with swiping keyboard (Gboard in this case), it does not capitalize the letters at the beginning of the sentence. like this. most other nostr apps work well, so it's a quirk of primal.

I'm following advice from Nostr panel at BTCPrague and reporting bugs :)

https://m.primal.net/ItnM.mp4


I had fun working on this design at the ecash hackday. Teamed up with  nostr:npub1f742zec57c6qk9ajfr8wyjn0s4vrfzh4hesyj2yqplvj5wrfydxsjprpa3 to create a concept for sending ecash notes via Bluetooth on Macadamia. Can’t wait to refine and ship this. iOS users, check out Macadamia. It’s a beautiful Cashu wallet: https://macadamia.cash  https://m.primal.net/Itkm.mp4


I am an author and I do both Amazon and my own distribution through my web with woocommerce and nostr:npub155m2k8ml8sqn8w4dhh689vdv0t2twa8dgvkpnzfggxf4wfughjsq2cdcvg. When people buy from me directly, they get the files without any DRM bullshit. I try to turn off any DRM where I can (for example Apple allows authors to opt out from DRM and give customers pure epub).

Also even people get the ebook from me, I get to keep 100% instead of 30% through Amazon. But for me it is more important that my content gets to whoever needs it, and Amazon distribution is what many people prefer. It's one click buying and have it in your reader user experience is great and people like to do things the easy way. It removes friction. But it is the infamous turkey problem.


There is this annoying bug in nostr:npub12vkcxr0luzwp8e673v29eqjhrr7p9vqq8asav85swaepclllj09sylpugg running on GrapheneOS on Pixel Fold. It is unusable with the fold open, it just blinks like this...

https://m.primal.net/Itmn.mp4


For me it is not really a problem of books, I did not read many books through Amazon, I usually buy them from authors, or just use the reader to read articles and PDFs. So the real problem yesterday was I wanted to finish reading an essay written by a friend and the book reader did not work.

So what is more justified is switching to a more open reading and listening infrastructure than Kindle and Audible (I use Audible a lot and there I lost access to books I paid for - not even with gift cards).

The real question for me is what is the best non corporate or self sovereign reading experience. Hardware will be probably Daylight, which I ordered and it will take some time to get it, until then I have my Pixel Fold with GrapheneOS.

But what about good user friendly reader app? When I see an article I want to read on my desktop, I clicked one button and then I could read it in the bed.


I have Plex lifetime membership :)


I'm looking for a Kindle reader app alternative. For reading, not for buying books.

What I would love:
 - Android support (I use GrapheneOS)
 - as self sovereign as possible
 - possibility to send articles from web to it using some kind of browser extension which removes formatting (I've been using Push to Kindle by FiveFilters)
 - possibility to send pdf end epubs. PDFs with usable formatting should optionally be shown as an ebook, not literally on page (Kindle would convert pdf to epub like book, which allowed me to read papers formatted for A4 on a smaller screen, zoom fonts). Send to Kindle alternative basically
 - the app would remember where I stopped reading for each book / article separately

I know about Pocket Books, LiberaFD and Moon Reader but they don't seem to support last two points which are important for my reading workflow.


what's the best reader app? I don't need access to books, but I need a good reader app that I can use to read articles, ebooks and pdfs and it would remember my position for each book separately.


Maybe I should start a books on tape service! 🤔 🤣


thanks, I'll look into Natural Reader. I mostly read articles or papers, so I don't need access to books that much, but what would be cool is to be able to save for later from both mobile and computer and the app would remember per article where I'm at.


For the ereader

For the ereader


oh, Audible is also gone.

that does not even have anything to do with lightning, I paid that with credit card


Thanks for sharing ☀

Thanks for sharing ☀


I got an email from Amazon that my account has been suspended. Apparently they did not like I've been buying gift cards with lightning. What are they even for then? Why do they sell them in stores?

My evening reading is gone, the books I "bought" are gone and it all came from no-reply email address. You can reach customer support, just login to your account. Wait a minute.

I'll be replacing my e-reader with nostr:npub1a00wj229auzjswlq4s77y4u8eqdx5k9ppatgl8rtv8va65f6mwksum9q3h when it arrives. And will switch to Nostr with whatever I can. What a shitshow.


why would I go to a pub and meet all those smelly drunk people when I can read a book at home? :)


smoking AND drinking


need to get you that book though!


you got me 😀


oh, Babiš had power.

he ruined the entrepreneurship environment for years with his Zajišťovací príkaz


Great Nostr panel from nostr:npub167n5w6cj2wseqtmk26zllc7n28uv9c4vw28k2kht206vnghe5a7stgzu3r

https://youtu.be/SSFVR5ZXOuA?si=JHMCGYSefQznjg00


Slovaks are often criticized for handing out Andrej Babiš, a Slovak who once was Czech prime minister. Fair enough, but then let's not forget all EU citizens got Věra Jourová, who reminds me of the worst neomarxist, I perceive a lot of doublespeak. She's pro privacy, but of course it's ok when EU bureaucrats read your communication. And don't get me started with financial communication, which is not only read, but censored.

I think we'll gladly take Babiš back if she promised to retire (a teaching gig at some university in Brussels or Paris would be great).


New Trezor Safe 5 is out. It is an update of Trezor T with touchscreen, adding a secondary secure element to increase physical security (but using passphrase is recommended).

One update I particullary like is that 1-of-1 Shamir backup is now the default. Which means, when you want to up your backup game, you can split it into 2-of-3 or any other without moving your funds. It is not technically possible to do it with seed backup with any HW wallet. I wonder why other wallets do not support Shamir backups. Yes, the standard (defined in SLIP-0039) was developed by @satoshilabs, but so was the original BIP-39, so the "not invented here" syndrome should not be a barrier to adoption.

And I've heard it will come to other Trezors (esp. Safe 3) when you initialize them.

Get yours here:
https://affil.trezor.io/SHYE

https://image.nostr.build/3e6779657c8257f1c95ab460c8552c05d8e0ee2e2effb88960fd0a61e7b3d1f9.jpg


As the crowdfunding ended, here's the famous bitter manifesto, it turned out that the event was much more optimistic!

nostr:nevent1qywhwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnzd96xxmmfdejhytnnda3kjctv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwdehhxarj9e3xwtcpz4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezummcw3ezuer9wchszxmhwden5te0dehhxarj9ehhyctwvajhq6tvdshxgetk9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcpzpmhxue69uhkummnw3ezumt0d5hszrnhwden5te0dehhxtnvdakz7qpqre4y33mp4apd6ac333vg470r4qhe0uac7kags5cmp0yunuh4ugcqwuz4el


Cypherpunk meetup was a blast! Thank you all for attending.

nostr:nevent1qywhwumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnzd96xxmmfdejhytnnda3kjctv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwdehhxarj9e3xwtcpz4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezummcw3ezuer9wchszxmhwden5te0dehhxarj9ehhyctwvajhq6tvdshxgetk9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcpzpmhxue69uhkummnw3ezumt0d5hszrnhwden5te0dehhxtnvdakz7qpqd4t8wvt6ghkvxwjpu9m0zt9unuahly8t39sm2r8tz5vyszpqqqwslgk63r


One of the things I hate most about movies is the normalization of drinking alcohol. Young people want to have a good time, they go to a bar. Important meeting with a business partner? The host always picks a fancy glass jar and they drink.

For me, I always imagine smelly drunks in an underground station, intelligence -15 points.

If I want to have a good time, definitely not in a bar. And drinking is super low status signal for me.

I accept that in some areas I'm super judgemental.


tam chodia ťažiť ľudia fiat.

väčšinou od deviatej do piatej, pod officové halogénky.


S nostr:npub1regqy84lgkptfthek7jxp4plcnh62kupljwa36zk46t0el2ntz3qqt0eqk sme si zafilozofovali o oranžovom lete, bitcoine a fiatových baniach.

https://jednoduchobitcoin.podbean.com/e/oranzove-leto-juraj-bednar-jb-76/


Cypherpunk - past, present and future(s).

A new episode from the Option Plus podcast, a recording from MoneroKon 2024.

I talk about the importance of anonymity in increasing personal freedom
by detaching physical actions from identities that can be targeted. We
celebrate the progress made in utilizing cypherpunk technologies and
acknowledge the revolutionary impact of projects like Bitcoin. Bitcoin
has become a significant reserve asset globally (number 6!).

I discuss the remaining challenges facing the cypherpunk movement, such
as the need for truly private peer-to-peer markets, improved reputation
mechanisms, better coordination, and a shift towards prioritizing
anonymity over mere privacy. Additionally, building "pipes" between
different cypherpunk technologies, like the old school unix pipe.

https://hackyourself.io/2024/06/10/cypherpunk-past-present-and-future/

https://image.nostr.build/4001d17060717d84341c4946fa8a7bde3030122c94585e73daf649dbda815a05.jpg


This, but fiat. Bonds on the books of the favourite bank near you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_DQtUK-FXg


Very cool


SK/CZ:
Pavol Lupták nostr:nprofile1qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcqyzs6c9jts639egp7erulvhrg93amjnsdrpvq4dwa900jjshax4ccqvwrc23   o cestovaní Argentínou, Paraguajom a Uruguajom

S Wilderom sa tentoraz rozprávam o Argentíne, Paraguaji a Uruguaji -  najmä z pohľadu bežného cestovateľa. Na čo by ste mali byť pripravení?  Je to tam bezpečné? Dá sa tam fungovať s deťmi? Aký majú miestni vzťah k  imigrantom a cudzincom? A koľko stojí večera?  Kde žiť ako digitálny nomád, ako funguje zdravotníctvo, "pravidlá ako  svetový supermarket".

https://juraj.bednar.io/podcast/2024/06/09/pavol-luptak-o-cestovani-argentinou-paraguajom-a-uruguajom/

https://image.nostr.build/dad43767f3cedffdaedbc11b34d520f16408c7864c65ddc76fb1aaae54b8121a.jpg


A bitcoiner wakes up from the cypherpunk nightmare. People are still on fiat standard.
https://image.nostr.build/653335bd714e33dc31d1ff7a089a3ac51b70d9437b17e9e12dab36ef6e6188aa.jpg


This is the place to be on Thursday.

Door policy: Normies not allowed, only cypherpunks.

nostr:nevent1qy88wumn8ghj7mn0wvhxcmmv9uq32amnwvaz7tmjv4kxz7fwv3sk6atn9e5k7tcqyqujqwv3hr4u5vkmvw5cakdpr2k4e8at2ckvtmcsfa26p0ysswh2yxqgj5n


GrapheneOS has Duress PIN now. Trezor has the Wipe code.

How do I remember them? How do I make sure I know them when I need them?

I have a routine to do a Backup Check drill every month.

I have a reminder with a checklist similar to this:

- [ ] Is;sync between my devices working?
- [ ] I manually check/copy long term backups.
- [ ] Is my online stash for emergency recovery working? Do I know the login & pass? I upload newest version of encrypted password managed to the online stash.
- [ ] Do I know the Duress PIN / Wipe code?

It's line an evac/fire emergency drill. You do it regularly so you don't forget how to do it.


Some people need to hear this:

Most Bitcoiners do not trade! I spent zero minutes and seconds watching candles this year.

Traders need an edge in trading, otherwise they are the product (if you use automated trading bots, membership groups with trading strategies, you are still the product, but you also pay for it!)

Using Bitcoin is not about trading. Don't overcomplicate.

Install wallet, receive, non KYC, self custodial.

https://hackyourself.io/courses/a-quick-introduction-to-bitcoin-wallet-setup-buying-payments/


I just contributed to a crowdfunding of a movie called Parallel space.  It is about these Parallel Spaces that we create, Nostr, Bitcoin, ...

npub1t06hqqn3lc6zq7qj2ah8pzf0nxmlk0a5huu8065avuj77wfwduzq0n7w43

https://geyser.fund/project/parallelspace


yes


I don't know who needs to hear this, but you can still become Bitcoiner. It's easy, the best is to approach a Bitcoiner you already know (a friend or a friend of a friend).

You can still front run mega corporations turning their cash reserves into bitcoin.

If you keep your productive energy in fiat, it evaporates. If you consume it, entropy will take it - even memories fade with time, although make sure to make them.

It does not really matter much if you earn Bitcoin or you buy it. Don't overcomplicate. Self custodial wallet, buy and play.

Everything else will come with time - hardware wallets, inheritance, backups, deeper understanding. Just don't be that person that knows about bitcoin but does not have a personal experience with it.

At a later stage you might want to read Cryptocurrencies: Hack your way to a better life, in order to learn about many fun things you can do with Bitcoin. This one is unique that it shows you practical things, not only "we'll all be rich" hopium.

But for start, quick education is for free here: https://hackyourself.io/courses/a-quick-introduction-to-bitcoin-wallet-setup-buying-payments/

(Or in Slovak: https://juraj.bednar.io/courses/ako-si-kupit-prve-kryptomeny-a-zaplatit-nimi/ )


Väčšina podnikateľov sa cyklí v ilúzii zárobku. Veľmi často sa deje niektorá z týchto vecí:

 - skutočný return on capital je nižší ako cenová inflácia. Podnikateľ v skutočnosti nezarába, aj keď platí "daň z príjmu".
 - permanentná potreba "prefinancovania cash flow" cez nejaké formy úverov (či už od majiteľa, cez kontokorent alebo iné formy financovania). Pracujete, vystavujete faktúry, platíte úroky, ale výsledok je strata.
 - ak sa vám darí a zarábate cash (gratulujem!), časť z neho chcete nechať vo firme - a zje vám ho inflácia, kým ho budete potrebovať. Dopĺňať finančnú rezervu je potrebné neustále už len kvôli inflácii.
 - darí sa konkurencii, ktorá nemá nutne lepší produkt, marketing a pod., ale má ľahší (a lacnejší) prístup k úverom. Nechápete ako môžu zarábať s tak zlým produktom, keď vaša marža je na bode mrazu. V skutočnosti cez úvery front-runujú infláciu.

Ak chcete vedieť ako otočiť podnikanie z fiatového rozmýšľania a ako vám môže tvrdá mena (Bitcoin) pomôcť, do konca júna som urobil 23% zľavu na kurz Kryptomeny pre podnikateľov. Dodatočná zľava pri platbe Bitcoinom. A cenu znížila už aj inflácia, keďže som od jeho vzniku nezvyšoval ceny...

Použite kupón podnikajte23.

https://juraj.bednar.io/product/kryptomeny-pre-podnikatelov-online-kurz/


Sorry, Biden has 38%

Politics is acting, 80% of it is what he says into a microphone. Trump just knows how to do it better.


Neither did Biden, under his leadership, there was Operation Chokepoint 2.0, jailing open source developers.

It seems to me Biden's actions are horrible and he does not even have words.

Prediction markets seem to agree that Trump is doing something right to get the votes. I agree that what he'll actually do will be very different, he is very chaotic. The problem is Biden is predictable and people don't like what he's doing and going to do.

So in this case, the outlook is much better with Trump, even though you are absolutely right.

Prediction markets seems to agree, Trump knows how to get votes. Biden is now 36%.

https://m.primal.net/INZB.png


Yes, he understands how to get votes.

Support crypto, pardon Ross is easily 5M votes if I'm being very conservative.

He is doing something right.

(I am not a US citizen, I never vote and I don't care about the result, just observing prediction markets vs actions).

https://m.primal.net/INZB.png


A friend has taught me a weird habit. You find yourself in a place where you realize how much you love the life you're living and with curiosity you ask yourself a variation of the question "what do the fiat people do right now?". The word fiat represents where you started your way where you are now, what it means for you. I've used the beautiful slovak "etatisti" - that's actually what the anonymous person that taught me this habit used.

Then you imagine halogen lights in the office, endless traffic jams and calls and meetings. E-mail. Low quality cantina food. Mortgage. And making fiat that some corporation made up on their books in order to loan it to the employer.

And especially the various hierarchies. Political, corporate, scientific, ...

And then you shake your head and catch another wave. If only people knew that riding the volatility is very peaceful, you just can't stay near the beach, the want smashes you to a round of forced skin peeling. Out there is better.


Most food especially deserts that you can get is so sweet that for someone who's more or less on natural diet, it is inedible.

Like basic chocolate bars or even ice cream just tastes like pure sugar with a hint of something else. Sometimes there's not even a hint. I got two scoops of ice cream the other day, I closed my eyes and I did not taste a difference. Just sugar.

The nice thing is that I don't enjoy it, so the heroin effect does not work on me.

Short sugar industry.


In Gyokuro we trust!

Each year, there is a special holiday for me, when fresh Japanese 🍵 is produced. It's Shincha time!

This year, I scored some (actually a lot) through nostr:npub1mftv2j67vayavkks8rqev3u8jjhefe86tf80msstfxvpunk9vmps6prkl3 , paid peer to peer over lightning.

https://m.primal.net/ILIR.jpg


WhatsApp is registered to "a" phone number. Can be any.

Email can be encrypted but it's hard, depends on the provider or software that you use and the problem is key exchange.

I don't like either option, let alone Discord or FSM forbid - Telegram.

But that is a good demonstration of the problem - it's about network effects.


yes. the parallel beacon is going dark, so the contrast will not be that clear to most.

but you have places like Dubai - not a beacon of liberty, but there is no socialism. And contrary to what most think, very little comes from oil in Dubai, they have built it from scratch.


When me and nostr:npub15xkpvjux5fw2q0kgl8m9c6pv0wu5urgctq9tthftmu559lf4wxqqknkrnh wrote a series of articles on How [Slovakia/European union] is preparing to become digital dictatorship of Chinese type, we were called by the believers in the state many things, including that we catastrophize the topic and it's not that bad.

Actually, it is much worse than we expected.

- almost complete removal of privacy in financial communication (yes, it's a type of communication)
- real focused attempts to ban end to end encryption in EU (see the quoted article)
- state controlled censorship that had exactly opposite effects - increase of reach of censored individuals, obscure websites became active telegram channels with thousands of people and further polarization that has potential to kill western liberal democracies at best, start wars in the worst case.

All of course because we think of children and of course some little rent seeking with friends from surveillance corporations.

This is the paradise, where governments are good, politicians not corrupt and the last thing to solve it some pedophiles who would be stupid enough to share illegal materials and groom kids through surveilled channels. You know, like the terrorist who put "for remotely activated explosive device, thank you" into bank transfer reference.

I don't think anyone believes that European union is anything but a bad joke. But on this one, I know I'm wrong.

https://mullvad.net/en/why-privacy-matters/going-dark


Are we referencing ourselves, our internal world or the outside?

We should create ourselves from within and show ourselves outside, not the other way around.

Beautifully put by Paul Rosenberg.

https://freemansperspective.com/rules-versus-righteousness/


Three weeks ago I wrote an article on the EU's new AMLR in Bitcoin Magazine, detailing how the EU passed ALM laws restricting the use of Bitcoin privacy tools without any data to back up their claims that privacy heightens money laundering and terrorist financing risks.

Alex Stachtchenko took it a step further and ran the numbers. For every Euro confiscated, 200€ are spent. This means that the EU's AML compliance costs of 144B Euro exceeds all money ascribed to crime per year at 110B Euro – and still, 99% of criminal profits escape confiscation.

Despite their absolute inefficiency AML laws continue to be expanded, subjecting all EU citizens to total financial surveillance for the price of catching 1%. It is a system that has grown completely out of control and is in no way proportionate to the right to privacy enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

It's a long read, and its in French so you'll need to translate it, but I guarantee that it will be worth every minute of your time.

BM article:
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/legal/eu-parliament-adopts-aml-laws-regulating-bitcoin-based-on-questionable-assumptions

Alex' article:
https://medium.com/@AlexStach/les-d%C3%A9rives-de-la-surveillance-financi%C3%A8re-menacent-nos-d%C3%A9mocraties-323fbdc1ccbf

https://image.nostr.build/0d7632afe0b2d12e5c537683aeea5a2eab16f94acbb1842d1303e17e030b5e22.png
https://image.nostr.build/514287cc9ae1fe3d36a5de492cae8516d80643a9e56fb3cd4d4727ca344d90d2.png


After sharing funny Peppa pig picture with Saylor yesterday, I'm watching this talk by Saylor and it's really good.

I think most of the things Saylor says are true, the only problem is that there are many important parts that are both true and important that he does not say.

They relate to cypherpunk, liberty and parallel economy, where the situation is more difficult and the simple "there's no second best" narrative breaks apart.

The "Bitcoin fixes this" meme does not work until we don't have a Schelling point. I hope Bitcoin becomes it and then it might fix many things, but until then we have to do it ourselves. We might use Bitcoin on the way, but Bitcoin by itself does not fix things. It's a virtual thing, it needs an actor, with a will to use it as a tool to fix something.

So listen to Michael Saylor. He's smart, tells you things you probably need to hear, but then, don't go into "I'm going to be super rich soon" mode, but think further. Bitcoin brings an experience with long term thinking. Use it.

https://youtu.be/S3T4nhtHxOA


There's no log off on Nostr!

We are on it forever!


that's my point no. 1


https://image.nostr.build/00e100ecd2b3618be0cba3b923cb8d57bb43d8c515b63f59925d547121946b73.jpg

Short fiat, long bitcoin

Howto: https://hackyourself.io/product/cryptocurrencies-hack-your-way-to-a-better-life/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/8057043482?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

(also available in Spanish and Slovak)

Or with videos and some more services described: https://hackyourself.io/product/how-to-harness-the-value-of-bitcoin-without-having-to-sell-it-ebook-mini-course/


Over at the bird app, nostr:npub1tr4dstaptd2sp98h7hlysp8qle6mw7wmauhfkgz3rmxdd8ndprusnw2y5g asked why we don't all work on lightning and play with ecash. I think this answer might be interesting for many:

1.) Not everyone wants to work on LN. One of the important parts of Bitcoin is people often do things just because they are fun or they don't were not done yet. This is the most important reason. Bitcoin is a decentralized movement and people play and tinker with various ideas.

2.) Both Fedi and especially Cashu are also improving lightning, they are tightly integrated. You can pay and receive lightning invoices without having a channel yourself. You can use a mint even to route lightning payments!

3.) They are both custodial, but it's  decentralized forest of custodians. While custody might be dangerous in some jurisdictions, it is completely unregulated in others. So it's good that millions of custodians around the world can flourish in the future just by installing open source software and still have some nice properties:

- an uncle Jim custodian without sticking his nose into transactions, he does not know which nephew is more successful, does not know about balances
- in many jurisdictions, the need for license is only for entrepreneurs. If someone does not offer the service on an open market and does not collect fees, they don't need license for example. So you can provide the user experience of a custodial wallet, free transactions within the mint without being harassed for offering this service to your family
- especially Fedi can be part of scaling solution. Imagine one utxo costs 500$ to send. If 20 families have shares custody of the utxo for lightning, it's basically a channel factory. 25$ per family (10$ per person) is quite ok. And they have to only trust that more than half don't cheat. Which is very safe assumption in many communities. Other people would either pay 500$ or use custodians. Here, privacy is also preserved.

4.) you can do many things that you just can't do with lightning.

- Sender and receiver do not have to be online at the same time. So podcasters can have lightning address that sends them ecash notes over nostr as listeners stream and they can claim it over lightning as they become online. Or my toy project - sending SATs over LoRA long distance radio, allowing to store the notes on a propagation node using the Reticulum stack:

https://youtu.be/HAX8GFn5uCI?si=h4ohHX0ZtiTU1Xj_

- with some preparation, you can do safe completely offline transactions

- you can pay for API calls (age of AI, here we go) by just including an ecash note in request headers, there's no back and forth like with lightning

- the paying device (wallet) can be super dumb. It needs to be able to send strings and do very basic arithmetic (to pick the right notes). No digital signatures are needed, everything is presigned, so payment really is "here's a string"

5.) many things are easier. For example nostr:npub12rv5lskctqxxs2c8rf2zlzc7xx3qpvzs3w4etgemauy9thegr43sf485vg from Cashu project is working on dollar balances. Contrary to USDT on Tron, you can send it over lightning and it has ecash anonymity properties. There are many ways to do it and I hope more can be tried. You can have tokens based on conditions, which enables prediction markets, value stabilization, etc. All with tradeable and transferable balances (you basically create a pair of ecash notes, one or the other is valid based on a condition).

I have written a paper with Rene Pickardt on how to do this on lightning:

https://hackmd.io/@lpQxZaCeTG6OJZI3awxQPQ/LN-DLC

Then nostr:npub1c40rwav67rtl4pmy56wa8vhh8cynlm0zvhr96mcnd5xat74ldxmsm8ttqy implemented a similar idea in DLC channels. With ecash, a lot of complexity just disappears, because it is theoretically not limited to Bitcoin script

6.) we don't know what we'll need in the future. Betting on one solution is not a good idea. Given the tight integration with Lightning, it's only good we can experiment and we'll see what works in the future

7.) ecash tech was used in privacy tools. Not sure about Samourai, but Wasabi coordinator is basically a per coinjoin ecash mint, so the coordinator does not know the link between inputs and outputs. So tinkering with this tech is a good idea. Fedi can be used as a coinjoin in this way, but don't tell the feds!


The sounds of 90s https://video.nostr.build/0789887867f5e0115997e4dae31b657f260cae1479c737a65a0e387a8c1d0c8b.mp4


regulation is the mind killer


Agreed, I also add one more reason and that is you can't truly own these fiat assets. Someone else has private keys.

Once you know the power of true private ownership, everything else feels like a scam.

https://freemansperspective.com/why-i-no-longer-invest-in-stocks-and-bonds/


or people who don't understand that regulatory clarity of Bitcoin does not come from regulations, but from the code. actually if the fiat regulations and the rules collide, the code wins


because it's dead.

I was an early user of it, but then for years I had no active contacts there


Unpopular opinions:

1.) we never wanted regulatory clarity. we wanted to be left alone. Regulatory clarity was something that politicians wanted to deliver, but we did not order this. Everything that is not forbidden is allowed. If regulations don't regulate crypto, we can do whatever we want.

2.) there is much less regulatory clarity. The regulations are vague. Just the AML regulations are not exact. You are supposed to somehow evaluate risk, the regulator does not tell you how exactly, but when you don't do it as they wish it's good, you are a money launderer. There are many uncertain things about current crypto regulations.

3.) projects closing down or leaving some markets is not because they are doing something wrong, but because prosecutors are making up random rules. After a decade of improving regulatory clarity, projects are closing down because the regulatory clarity is actually lower than when they started.

Result; politicians chose a goal and as usual, their actions that should have led to this goal had exactly opposite effect and increased bureaucracy, regulatory capture and hindered development. The wealth of society decreased again.


I did not use chatgpt to create that summary, but it works on Venice too, using Dolphin llama3

https://m.primal.net/IFbf.png
https://m.primal.net/IFbg.png


exactly. I would add that not only is end to end encryption not enabled by default, but it's not supported for group conversations.

for anyone interested in more details:

https://juraj.bednar.io/en/blog-en/2022/04/29/encrypted-messengers-how-to-communicate-privately/

https://juraj.bednar.io/en/blog-en/2022/05/03/encrypted-messengers-comparison/

nostr:note16zscwhfdpscg95xn7zlucmjcprnjr2pa4jz2se833vhmfs4xmgsq88nnx8


there are no neutral countries. all are states


tldr: The main point of the article is that while the complete deletion of content on decentralized platforms like Nostr is technically impossible, it is still important to allow users to express their intentions through delete and edit functionalities. These features serve as social signals and provide creators with the opportunity to learn from feedback and make changes to their content. The author argues that supporting delete and edit in Nostr apps will create a more humane and empowering online space for users.


Here we go full circle again. This is the loop of computational paradigms 😀


I'm not, I'm not a customer and I'm indifferent to KYC exchanges. It's like a vegan restaurant for me. I understand that they exist, but they offer nothing usable to me. I'm slightly annoyed by every podcaster pushing them for referral fees.

On the other hand, understanding the reality of job market is important. It has depth, sorting through top offers is not how to get an accurate picture of it.


one man's paycut is another man's hot career opportunity


yes, but that's their choice. often you can build things with developing talent. when I started with my company, I often hired students and invested time rather than money. they grew their capabilities and put in more effort, I could start without outside investment.


well, if they can find people for less money, that's what the position is worth.

price only exists when an exchange happens. it seems that for many people just the feeling of working for some company is a non financial part of the salary.

if it works for them and not for you, it is fine, you chose not to take the deal.


KYC/AML policies kinda flip the script on innocence until proven guilty by treating everyone like they're suspicious until proven otherwise.


very cool! I'll try it out for some event I'll organize.

I was thinking a sort of proto ticketing system with transferability could be just an instance of a cashu mint, disconnected from lightning or other mints. then a 1sat note could be the ticket. it could be exchanged for a new note easily in case of resale to prevent fraud.

I was thinking integrating it with btcpayserver somehow.

or if the ticket has a fixed price you could actually mint it yourself over lightning, but can't transfer out.

nostr:note10uf3jhl5htp6qmjg8590gqtv76523tqg9s0r2tv0upxuhxc7xhds53zprg


lmao now we can finally put Docs and Sheets on Drive, without it being Google!

nostr:nevent1qqsf8slv3t6r4qpnewkevpssvhwqjnv7q609lrvz2eskg3w9g207c5qpzemhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuurjd9kkzmpwdejhgq3qgcxzte5zlkncx26j68ez60fzkvtkm9e0vrwdcvsjakxf9mu9qewqxpqqqqqqz3h0z2j


that's way there's a hotkey to disable biometrics. advisable to use it when you're pulled over or go through customs. it's usually a few times pressing power button.

or even easier - after reboot.


yes

I've done that as a kid. I trained one bot with political jokes about then prime minister and the other one was jokes about Windows. and then I let them chat against each other.

I let it run over night and in the morning they were vibing.


that is a feature. you don't need many people. Vexl does extended social graph (friend of a friend) and it's good if both can verify with someone they don't know.

Social networks expand really fast, no need to worry about it. it just needs a little push and then it goes well


If it is not used, just start. When everyone opens it and they don't see it, just add your first request and keep it there. Organizing a Bitcoin meetup and talking about Vexl is also a good idea. with network effects, it spreads fast. a few meetups with 10 min onboarding sessions is all you need. you will not trade with everyone anyway, onboard the superspreaders.


I don't think it matters. Vexl does not see trades. The phone number is used for discovery of social graph, which would give you away even when the numbers were not kyced. Social graph is basically like a fingerprint anyway.

The point is, the trades do not happen on Vexl and they have no idea who trades what with who.


netuším, určite support


Given recent news, it is time to re-read the last chapter of Cryptocurrencies: Hack your way to a better life. English version online here:

https://juraj.bednar.io/en/blog-en/2022/11/20/lunarpunk-the-future-of-cryptocurrencies-in-regulatory-hell/

Slovak and Spanish versions available in the book.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA3YZVDUN5s

We saw this coming. Join the dark forest. You have nothing to lose but your barbed wired fences


wow! instant enqueue, thank you

I haven't heard a podcast with Stephan Kinsella before, although I'm fan of his work.

nostr:note17fdwwuwcg2z7fu9gp59nny69lzmw8grrc6qsfmssdefrw0sxftwqmnjcu6


and there should be a business model, they are a wallet


I would use vexl.it for KYC-free BTC, especially in Europe. and lightning, lots of lightning

nostr:note1jvjdnj3cgudefapq5lqgz7vg7khl32llsywz39vmzwl58rnnj27sz5sy7j


whisper for speech to text, then a model like openvoice2 that can render text to speech in infinite accents and styles. distortion is not enough.

as for the identities, SimpleX has a nice model. no permanent identities, just rendezvous strings.

could be a fun hacking project. the latency is going to be horrible though.


The Clock of the Long Now is a mechanical clock designed to keep time for 10,000 years, promoting a radical shift in human perspective towards long-term thinking. This innovative project encourages us to consider the consequences of our actions not just for the next generation, but for millennia to come. By measuring time on a vast scale, the Clock inspires a new mindset that prioritizes sustainability, preservation, and responsibility, urging us to make decisions that will benefit the world 10,000 years from now.

Bitcoin is a form of this clock in software.

https://image.nostr.build/88ac5a0a71a21cae3c1bd9a8aca321e4647bba697f39dc7a8eaa3dea1ed95eb3.png


I don't believe it was coordinated globally. It was copycatted.

The positive side is that it was also exploited as a business opportunity by those that did see people wanted to flee. Dystopia makes utopia an opportunity that will be used.


Yes, fiat is a shitcoin, with certainty of loss of value. Every central bank targets inflation, none of them even say they want to preserve let alone increase purchasing power.

The list below shows the failures of wrapped shitcoins, which are even worse. Some people get their money back thanks to the state insurance, but for many even this type of protection does not work.

Yet the same people say Bitcoin is dangerous. Yes, it's volatile, but I don't have to trust a management of a bank I know nothing about, central bankers or insurance schemes. I am my own reserve bank.

https://www.fdic.gov/resources/resolutions/bank-failures/failed-bank-list/


probably close to risk adjusted net present value of lifetime profit of labor

so probably not too bad even if they needed to get into debt

the real question is - why today's slavery is so expensive?

military draft / conscription or mandatory education is a form of slavery


people buying BTC with fiat already have a shitcoin problem

the way is to print the shitcoins and immediately convert


ešte že na prikúpenie máme deriváty. napr 10101.finance


E2EE DMs are coming to Nostr 🔒

After being nerd sniped by hearing  nostr:npub1az9xj85cmxv8e9j9y80lvqp97crsqdu2fpu3srwthd99qfu9qsgstam8y8 mention OTR for the millionth time on the Bitcoin Review podcast, I spent the last few weeks digging into OTR, the Signal protocol, and a grab-bag of other cryptography.

The end result is that I (am pretty sure at least) that I found a way to do E2EE (end-to-end encrypted) DMs on Nostr in a way that is both forward and post-compromise secure AND doesn't require any centralized servers.

Demo video: https://share.cleanshot.com/nMKk6cn0

Live demo app: https://drdm-demo.vercel.app

And finally, the NIP (for those of you with bikes in need of a shed): https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/pull/1206

Huge thanks to  nostr:npub1klkk3vrzme455yh9rl2jshq7rc8dpegj3ndf82c3ks2sk40dxt7qulx3vt and  nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft for the chats while I worked out the details.


also, there is nothing in nostr yet that attempts to solve reputation.


I think you mean cash or frozen octopus.

nostr:note1ew67muajej0e9g95u6tn8zde4ggteu9ycq4kj7uya576jfj3h3gqny4fdm

https://m.primal.net/IBwV.webp


How to make sense of recent attacks on Bitcoin, parallel financial systems and individuals

It seems like a coordinated attack, not only coincidence. But things not be as they seem. While I can't rule out coincidence or coordination with the goal of destroying, I think it is something else...

I think it is coordination in decentralized system.

Premises:
- when you count reserves (and not demand deposits), Bitcoin is 6th largest reserve asset. It is around 20% of usd dollar reserves. This is not without reaction. IMF has included a condition not to make BTC legal tender in its loans terms and conditions. BTC is a way out, not only for individuals
- the upcoming elections in the US and bitcoin being a polarizing force. Decels attack it on unfounded environmental claims. It does not matter they don't know what they're talking about. They want votes, they sing a song that will lure in more voters, regardless of the factual basis. Politics is acting and storytelling.
- the real threat is people having a way out. But my premise is that there is no single actor that is incentivized enough to do something real about it.

I think what we see is emergence of micro level behavior:
- sec, central banks, etc are seeing the evaporation of their power. Organizations such as fatf-gafi and OECD see that their effort is not as fruitful, because people run software that does not dance to its tune. They do many small decisions to make it harder for us, every bureacrat seeing they have less power will do something, but there's no boss that is focused on delivering. At least not yet.
- institutions that found and used the exit are more powerful than ever. El Salvador is successful and does not regret using the exit door. Not because of legal tender, but because they buy it and use it themselves at the state level. On this level, BTC is true fuck you money
- many prosecutors and investigators see that putting Bitcoiners in jail has huge political capital and makes careers. Again, not coordinated in such a way "let's hit them all", more like "now is the time". Politically (before elections), it's a career making show of power.

I can't prove this, but this line of thinking is important, because it suggests that:
- lobbying is a waste of time
- there's no mastermind, it's emergent
- lunarpunk thesis is important

One possible development in the US: free people of America, we have you access to very nice and clean Bitcoin through ETF products, there's no money laundering, you can keep making money, but don't touch the real reserves, there are institutions with our approval that will do it for you. Soft ban on self custody, kill payment protocols, integrate asset to the financial system.

Don't predict the end game, there might not be one. Even the central planners have different objectives that are rarely aligned and there's power struggle within the hierarchy. What appears as conspiracy is just result of the internal conflict within the hierarchy.


preto je to prvá vec, ktorú im poviem. potom nie sú prekvapení.

"Bitcoin je jedna z mála vecí, ktorú môžete naozaj vlastniť. preto vám nedávam custodial peňaženku. ale transakcie stoja peniaze, pripravte sa na to"


SK/CZ: Recenzia ďalšej Lightning peňaženky pre BitcoinAlza, tentoraz som sa pozrel na Phoenix. Okrem recenzie je to aj rýchly návod.

Phoenix odporúčam novým používateľom. Ak prekusnú poplatky, tak majú jednu peňaženku, ktorá funguje on-chain aj cez Lightning, s jedným zostatkom, non-custodial. Všetko fičí - platby sú rýchle, poplatky relatívne rozumné. Samozrejme, ak chce niekto geekovať a ladiť veci, tak je to OK. Ale myslím, že lepšie je proste povedať, že Bitcoin stojí peniaze, ak chcete mať skvelú užívateľskú skúsenosť.

Viac v článkoch:

CZ: https://www.alza.cz/phoenix-lightning-network-v-kapse-snadno-a-prehledne-navod
SK: https://www.alza.sk/phoenix-lightning-network-vo-vrecku-lahko-a-prehladne-navod


People often say that the state is fallback for people who are in extreme need. To protect the vulnerable.

If you believe this, read this article. It is a huge suffering caused by all the states, from hardcore dictatorship to western liberal democracies.

Yes, these people exist and no, they don't have options. They have to hide and suffer. All because of problems completely made up by the international statist community.

Statism=slavery

https://paper.wf/crypto-agorism/the-dangers-of-the-states-monopoly-on-identity


stonewall was removed from sparrow


I hope all of them implement it, that will be a win.

but the spec is not yet final, is it?


what is 50€ becomes 5000€ soon. not only because NgU, but you keep using it

there's no channel management with second generation wallets. it just works.


yes, muun is not a lightning wallet. it's an onchain wallet with misleading marketing


ľudia čo mali košele mali poker face, takže predpokladám, že neboli nadšení. ostatní vyzerali že idú s mojím flow


porovnávať vlády je ako porovnávať si pásomnice


I love that we have wallet diversity (and this is by far not exhaustive list).

Personally, I by default recommend @PhoenixWallet because I'm very reluctant to recommend custodial wallets, that's not what Bitcoin is about.

Many people think that they'll recommend custodial to hook them up and then they'll switch to non custodial. But usually there's no real strategy to when to do it and you meet them months later with the same custodial wallet and if you ask them about it, they have no idea what you're talking about.

If we want low fees and ability to receive, @AquaBitcoin might be a good option, so is Helm (new project, the Mutiny of liquid lightning swaps).

There's a long way to improve the user experience though, my suggestion is:

https://juraj.bednar.io/en/blog-en/2023/05/07/expanding-the-lightning-network-to-serve-billions-a-quick-win-strategy/

https://m.primal.net/HzOP.png


SK/CZ: Článok o Breez pre Bitcoin Alza

Medzi Lightning peňaženky druhej generácie patrí aj lightning peňaženka  Breez. Je to zároveň akési laboratórium Lightning technológií a je  stavaná ako “super-appka”, podobne ako čínsky WeChat. V Breez môžete  počúvať podcasty a streamovať saty svojim obľúbeným podcasterom vďaka  technológii podcasting 2.0. Má integrované množstvo ďalších aplikácií,  ktoré sú dostupné priamo z menu Apps... Breez taktiež funguje ako point of sale terminál na prijímanie platieb v prevádzke.

SK: https://www.alza.sk/breez-lightningova-penezenka-recenzia-a-navod
CZ: https://www.alza.cz/breez-lightningova-penezenka-recenze-navod


SK/CZ: Ak by sme počúvali centrálnych bankárov, tak by sme mohli nadobudnúť dojem, že Bitcoin je pre šialených gamblerov, niečo ako nahrážka kasína. V skutočnosti je to však trochu inak - fiat meny a bežné fiat investície nám garantujú istotu straty kúpnej sily a vystavujú nás riziku úplnej straty našej investície, kdežto pri Bitcoine si vieme riziko riadiť - a ak chceme, môže byť úplne konzervatívne. Vytvorenie takéhoto konzervatívneho typu investície si v tejto prednáške aj ukážeme. Je to ukážka spôsobu premýšľania, nie investičná rada.

https://juraj.bednar.io/podcast/2024/04/21/bitcoin-ako-konzervativna-investicia/

https://image.nostr.build/6d7354d956f8bda0db89c3546d92a9d1215d87c756c82aeac492dfc3e2e159e3.jpg


Orange flash of freedom

Exponential:)

nostr:note10amusxjc5m9z47r6pzjz5a7zwdy6tq0gncem4d96ytp6afdv0f2qm8ffav


Happy Halving! Since we pleb can't do any on-chain transactions (hope you have your lightning channels open), here's something to do instead - listen to the conversation about Bitcoin native finance. Because when the moon comes (and it will!), you definitely don't want to sell your Bitcoin.

In this episode we talk with science_genial and richard holzeis from nostr:nprofile1qy08wumn8ghj7mn0wd68yttsw43zuam9d3kx7unyv4ezumn9wshszrnhwden5te0dehhxtnvdakz7qgnwaehxw309ac82unsd3jhqct89ejhxtcqyrz4udm4ntcd0758vjnfm5aj7ulqj0ldufjuvht0zdksm406ha5mw9u0fmj   and Martin and Chairman from Firefish about Bitcoin-native finance.

https://hackyourself.io/2024/04/20/bitcoin-finance-with-10101-firefish-how-to-harness-the-value-of-bitcoin-without-having-to-sell-it/


going to ask some cypherpunks in person...

https://pay.cypherpunk.today/apps/4LEEvtqY8UMnuB7y5wCmjvi2tXy3/crowdfund


Mr Durov does not want to suddenly fall out of the window, so that's understandable.

use end to end encrypted communication. there's no reason not to.


There's simple way to solve this. delete telegram and install end to end encrypted messenger. then you don't have to figure out what Russia or any other government might do, or if you can trust employees or management of the company.

https://juraj.bednar.io/en/blog-en/2022/04/29/encrypted-messengers-how-to-communicate-privately/

https://juraj.bednar.io/en/blog-en/2022/05/03/encrypted-messengers-comparison/


The link to the code is under the video.

Code is here: https://github.com/jooray/nutband


I can't confirm nor deny this, because it is true


My strategy is cryptoanarchy, which means that the only real way to build it is bottom up. It might look slow, it is very tempting to hope for big changes by changing the centralized rules. But changing centralized rules almost never works and it takes a lot of energy. So rather slow progress (with improvements results in my own life and liberty) than hopium of forcing my opinion on others through the system.

Turning off the system starts within ourselves.

So the question to start to it is - if changing the system is not an option, what is the best course of action?


I've seen this worrying tendency (mostly among the Bitcoin community, but mainly because that's my crew) of overpromising and underdelivering. It reminds me of the ICO shitcoin craze of token for revolutionizing something completely and when you raise money, you don't have any incentive or will to actually deliver.

This is of course less worrying because they don't rise money from the public usually, but it's annoying nevertheless.

It's not only in technological projects. A "conference that will change your life", with all the same speakers saying all the same things as last year at a different conference. A hackathon that will improve the ecosystem, but mostly getting a bunch of people drunk. A second layer protocol on Bitcoin, that is not a second layer protocol (can't exit to L1) and it's not on Bitcoin (requires a fork -> Bitcoin is that one that is not forked yet).

I am not against having a clear vision and trying to achieve it. But all this "we are going to change the world today!" shows just how people don't understand how difficult it is to actually change or build things. I used to have a company with 100 employees and even changes within my own company (I had most "private keys" - control) took a long time.

Bitcoin and societal change is like a ship. You turn the wheel and you wait, wait, wait and the ship is not doing anything for a long time. If during waiting for the ship to turn, you change your mind and turn the wheel somewhere else, you are going the same way.

A lot of what is happening is inertia. It's not good or bad. What is annoying are people yelling their promises without understanding this reality.

They look at themselves like they are innovators. To me, they just have not experienced this yet.


True to some extent.

The second option has several practical limitations:

 - you will most probably still be the menu even if you are at the table. The influence of minorities (and we are a minority) is miniscule in democracy and very often backfires. Yet being at the table has huge opportunity cost. I used to be at the table and the impact was much worse than reading a book in my bathtub, which is what I now do whenever I feel the urge to be at the table.

 - we have a strategy to not being the menu that actually works today. It's called cryptoanarchy, it works. Bonus point - it pisses off the non libertarian normies a lot. They waste their lives in infinite debates, campaigns and voting and we can create our lives today.

- it hurts our minds and our integrity. We know that majority coercion is violence, we can participate and consider it self defense, but it takes a huge toll, it damages our internal world and integrity.

There is really a more saddening view than watching a libertarian changing things the old way. You hear the words speaking of their experience, but they sound like a cry rather than speech.

https://image.nostr.build/cc8b99c7cebeaeddd9b11652a3c84caf0592df156f071ad0a0accd956cb86ba8.png


The first hacker event that I attended was Hysteria session. I remember that everyone bought their desktop computer, there was a local IRC server and everyone started networking the way we knew - connect to the IRC server, set their nickname, get a drink.

If you wanted to assign a face to a nickname, you would negotiate over IRC, you would both raise hands and complete the handshake by raising a glass. Then back to terminal.

I think we have evolved from here. Some of us are going to cover our faces, but there will be no IRC server...
https://pay.cypherpunk.today/apps/4LEEvtqY8UMnuB7y5wCmjvi2tXy3/crowdfund

https://m.primal.net/HwLU.webp


I like the "fear is the mind killer" mantra (or any version of it, such as the elaborate Fear Setting exercise).

But although it's nice to point out what fear does to mind, the true power arises when you realize you need it yourself. In that moment, you understand, that you are in fear, that it is taking control over your mind and doing that is the first step to taking the control back - and returning to yourself (your mind).


You can upgrade to lunarpunk easily, just add cypherpunk to the mix.

lunarpunk = cypherpunk + solarpunk


Wait, what?

We all laugh that the insurance companies are old fashioned, but you won't believe what I just read.

https://image.nostr.build/15bdbf26881ddf2d79c7f78b4c8a21c26f09fc9addde54d75c008d28c8fe811f.png

https://image.nostr.build/ed3d397626ecfa16be90e7d50d25d5644c457f4bbac570d8e9d9d70f83a5cc17.png


I've got social proof of existence!

see you at btcprague and if you are there, don't forget there's cypherpunk meetup as well

https://pay.cypherpunk.today/apps/4LEEvtqY8UMnuB7y5wCmjvi2tXy3/crowdfund

nostr:note15lcddw0pc487yvdrexu8jeq9xs8tjmsur3jswt5uc8m50raz5qcskesz5p


Progress without permission by Robert Chovanculiak is one of the examples of a book that fills the gap of "what would happen if state did not do X". There are many books that theorize how many things could be organized without the state, dreaming of possible market structures that could work. What Robert does in his book is more profound - he looks at what people have actually done when state solution was not available, possible or desirable. From building of lighthouses and bridges as a "public good" to private justice on internet platforms.

This book is very unique and I'm happy it is available in English.

As Frank Braun said (and is quoted in the book): "technologies lead, politicians just follow".

What would happen if the founders of Skype went to ask the telecommunications bureau of Estonia instead of growing to first few million users first? That changed the conversation to a simple "don't want this progress? Sure we can go pay taxes elsewhere"...

https://www.amazon.com/Progress-without-permission-crowdfunding-cryptocurrencies-ebook/dp/B0CW1LPJL9/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=2T0IN9EN8UHIF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OqXsmv0Ct0x3PW4ePYDnURkthSf0qAlkasNXJnZFsAE5D9rFzmIIdPFj0NuAh9rxporaZJFatBfDzBjKbceIGw17mDSLKKgAXa9Vo-C09-vVmYyPWcT_R0Df3aDMNmOzMjlrZHaOUw8jWPvUYOnuuUKbsiUbY49CsdRny222rBv2TBlaH7nOv-ykOrPX4M72pRr5zxyA9jOWeIhYdFAZFQ.pbItxUpU-Sif7DDYHbhmRO71HcmUSFj2O5vAwpDbLYw&dib_tag=se&keywords=progress+without+permission&sprefix=%2Caps%2C562&sr=8-1


SK/CZ: S Mariannou sa bavíme o koncepte oranžového leta, zmene mindsetu a vytváraní vlastného života. O koncepte oranžového leta som napísal blog, ale povedali sme si, že by to chcelo trošku detailnejšie rozobrať. Podcast je to netradičný, dúfam, že občasné fúkanie vetra nezabráni tomu, aby ste si ho zapli, naladili sa a vypadli. Čo to znamená? Počúvajte, obzvlášť ak ste bitcoineri.

https://juraj.bednar.io/podcast/2024/04/13/oranzove-leto-stanme-sa-tvorcami-svojho-zivota-s-mariannou-sadeckou/


Coffee on me ☕

Coffee on me ☕


This very important book about surveillance ("intelligence") has been just released freely. It is a short but important read, especially if you are into privacy or cypherpunk, from two cypherpunk OGs.

https://freemansperspective.com/the-new-age-of-intelligence/


 nostr:npub1m2mvvpjugwdehtaskrcl7ksvdqnnhnjur9v6g9v266nss504q7mqvlr8p9

Watch out, Jamie is observing! 👀

https://m.primal.net/HtjJ.png


since you ask so nicely:

no


That's the one that I've found, but I don't want to run lnbits. Fan of the project, but I already run too much stuff that I need to take care of (monitor, update) and it increases attack surface.


That is the case. Also I found it just much less reliable. But hopefully it will get better.

The problem with aqua is the same as with monero here:

https://juraj.bednar.io/en/blog-en/2024/04/07/lightning-network-the-payment-network-of-the-internet/

Only true lightning is usable for swaps so far - they can be atomic, multichain and instant finality.


What is the best guide to start using Nostr Markets as a merchant? I do not have lnbits installed (although I have btcpayserver). What do I need?


It's not even a fake name. You can identify yourself using any pseudonym you like for transaction (as long as you don't pay with credit card, when it's sometimes checked and your legal name is doxxed). I don't have any special preference for any specific name you want to identify as. Go wild!

https://hackinglives.substack.com/p/become-james-smith


I can't do this on Audible, although I get it (and also prefer listening to books). Unfortunately, I still have not cracked the code of English books, so I am publishing them at a loss. Adding audiobook would multiply it.

Also, this specific book has lots of screenshots to show things around, so I recommend getting the paperback.


I updated my article about scaling Lightning using Liquid to match the chapter from the newly published book: The Orange Flash of Freedom: Understanding and using the Bitcoin Lightning network.
The main idea is that you can expand Lightning beyond just on-chain backed channels. There are already ideas about e-cash backed channels, they can theoretically even be used for routing. What not many people get is that you can use these as part of the payment path and even bridge trustlessly.
I propose opening channels on Liquid everytime a user would be otherwise priced-out to a custodial solution and open real (bitcoin-time-chain-backed) channel when amount is high enough and/or fees are low enough. You can even combine liquid-backed and bitcoin-time-chain backed channels at the same time (even within the same payment!) and the recipient does not care, they receive their coins through their existing channels.
This technology would also bring trustless instant bridging from and to liquid without having to do anything with the liquid federation.

If you have not read this blog and are interested in ⚡, give it look, if you like it, check out the whole book.

https://juraj.bednar.io/en/blog-en/2023/05/07/expanding-the-lightning-network-to-serve-billions-a-quick-win-strategy/


I don't care what info you put in.

legally, I have to ask (to determine vat). In reality, I don't care.


Juraj is a very eloquent writer, this is the book you buy for your friends and family, knowing they'll get some easily digestable cypherpunk as fuck knowledge.

I haven't read it yet, but anything Juraj writes is an instant recommend from me!

nostr:nevent1qqs0herw527j0tq7rj5ccv9pm4u09qktkt7rf7y6qwnm8mzertrc0pcpp4mhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mqzyrdtd3sxt3pehxa0kzc0rl66p35zww7wtsv4nfq43tt2wzz375rmvqcyqqqqqqgv3auk8


I just published a new book, this one is specifically on Lightning network. From basic use-cases to explanation of how it works, and a few things that I see coming in the future (or hope for).

The Orange Flash of Freedom: Understanding and using the Bitcoin Lightning network

Bitcoin has created digital gold - empowering many people to freely transact using a non-inflationary, non-manipulable hard form of money. The Lightning network builds upon this innovation, offering a fast, scalable payment network, that can be used to instantly send and receive money over the internet. It is a basic protocol of the internet, similar to e-mail for communication, or web for accessing information or apps. Lightning network can be as complex as you need it to be. Installing and using a current generation bitcoin wallet that supports lightning can be learned in under three minutes. This book gives you an overview of various wallets, the inner working of lightning, bitcoin fees, and proposals to make Lightning scale and be an interoperable payment protocol, even beyond Bitcoin blockchain.

Whether you are a beginner or an advanced user, you'll discover that installing and using a modern Bitcoin wallet with Lightning support can be mastered in just a few minutes.

My web:
https://hackyourself.io/product/the-orange-flash-of-freedom-understanding-and-using-the-bitcoin-lightning-network/

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D13HQ6L4/

(Amazon is better for paperbacks outside of EU, possibly even within EU. But you can pay with Lightning on my web)

https://image.nostr.build/f63ccef25fcd9b9a181ad465ae40d282eeadd8a4f5c752434423cb0539f73e69.jpg


New episode ready for funding:

https://alexanarcho.live/podcast/cypher-7

Together with nostr:npub1m2mvvpjugwdehtaskrcl7ksvdqnnhnjur9v6g9v266nss504q7mqvlr8p9 about crypto anarchy as a strategy for personal freedom, the lunarpunk movement and much more


no, she offered many things as usual, it was not very well targeted (and I did not buy anything).

of course the bank will offer whatever is in demand, they want their fees

what strikes me as weird is the contradiction in world view of the people that buy this, because they tend to be politically progressive and pro weapons to Ukraine, yet they would like their investments to not be about weapons.


yes, but at the same time the same kind of people promote sending weapons to Ukraine.

that contradiction is what is interesting to me


yes


Strong Towns is a very interesting book, combining complex systems approach, decentralization, (anti)fragility and architecture and human relationships. It explains why most cities are broke, why infrastructure is falling apart and suggests a better approach to building cities. Highly recommended reading.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZL3LH2T/


Computational approach to reality. When studying computer science ("informatics" in central european curriculum), I did not get the vast usability of this approach to many other fields. We have learned about what is decidable, how (asymptotically) complex a computation is, the universality of computation and many topics, hidden in theorems and lemmas. In computer networks, artificial intelligence, cognitive sciences and multiagent systems, we have touched upon complex systems and the fascinating phenomenon of emergent behavior.

Lately I have enjoyed using this knowledge to understand many more complex systems. Wolfram's approach to physics is computational, it builds physics theory from the ground up based on computation paradigms. Economy, society, and even our thinking are all examples for complex systems with emergent behavior.

Yes, I can be very bitchy about people not understanding what is going on. I often laugh at "centrally planned forests", when I walk to one, before enjoying the forest, I usually give some remarks about what is wrong with "scientific forestry".

I often criticize current centrally planned financial system, yet I do not have a degree in economy, finance or whatever political fields these people study. Yet I can criticize and discount their ideas solely on the basis of theory of complex systems and computation. These people think they control something, but that is very naive view of the world. No number of academic titles or experience can turn a complex system into something that can be centrally managed, but in order to do understand why the model is wrong, you need to understand how things emerge in complex systems. (for those of you who do not know what complex system is - it is not merely something "complicated").

I am often criticized for absence of humility - smarter people have studied something and know what they are talking about, I have studied something else and I don't know.

The problem is this - it is easier to know that something is unknowable or that something does not work than to prove that it does. Things often seem to work and then break down. I believe there's more humility in understanding why you can't centrally plan a complex system. It's humility in relation to reality, not to academic rank though.


Help me understand this part of a common woke narrative (also known as mainstream).

With the keyword being understand.

A banker called me today and she mentioned some ESG investment fund (of course I'm not interested, because the only ESG investment I'm interested in is called Bitcoin). She said that "you can be sure it's not weapons manufacturing".

On the other hand, the self-proclaimed "good people" (🌞) are trying to get guns, ammo and many other kinds of weapon materials to Ukraine, because our future depends on it.

Shouldn't the ESG fund then contain stock of Lockheed-Martin, Raytheon, Huntington Ingalls, Northrop Grumman and Boeing? Who is going to make those weapons? Aren't the investors in these companies making this possible?

It seems a bit out of integrity. But make me understand. Am I confused and are these different groups of people? Some are against any weapons and are in ESG funds and some other people are heavily invested in defense stock and want to help Ukraine against the crazy murderer from Moscow?


“The best works divide the audience”


The real agenda,

https://image.nostr.build/4f16d4ebba7e317c2d91ec06179f8bfb09971da2f07030b66769cf1fa9756953.jpg


if you don't have batteries, you are covering only small part of 24h of your consumption. still reliant on grid.

also, panels take a lot of space, so overproduction takes space, costs money and ROI is smaller.

panels are cheap, but you need often permission to build more and of course inverter (you can't connect infinite amount of panels to an inverter) and then you don't even mine enough to buy energy for night for that money. if you had batteries, it would be better. 😀


that's actually better than I thought.

I think the problem is really with the excess. It is either rare and not enough to mine, or you have overpaid on the fv system, so your energy is actually expensive.

I can imagine two situations where it makes sense:

- you are traveling and not using the energy, nobody's at home
- you get access to spot prices and have batteries. when the energy is cheap or negative, you both mine and charge batteries (you can do this with Victron systems for example)


Don't be the product, always be the buyer.
https://proton.me/blog/outlook-is-microsofts-new-data-collection-service


Virtual battery is not based on prices. You give them kWh, you can get kWh back (but you pay distribution fees).


they will also mine 0.01 xmr per year. not worth even the time to set it up.


Again, imagine how American government is so dumb that they sell 30k #bitcoin tight to the Silk Road for fucking fiat they can print 🗣


For homes, it's actually hard to get the spot price. You usually get either flat fee or two prices (day/night or alterning hours for heat pump).

So it does not matter much. If you have two prices system, you can even charge batteries from the grid and don't consume anything during the high price times.

I personally don't use virtual battery though, I have real batteries and I can use everything I make.


What makes it better? Unless you need the machine anyway for something else, the capital costs kill it too, don't they?


it duplicates the price, but still cheaper than the grid. and you have backup when the grid goes down.

giving excess to the grid using virtual battery (tax free) and then consuming it later is still better deal than mining. for the saved amount, buy BTC.

do you actually do this BTW?


I am not often hyped about self sustainability. I'd rather use the market to get things I can't produce very well and produce by using my unique abilities. It is called specialization.

The problem is when the centrally planned providers are controlled by insane people. Then it is more than sane to invest your capital to production capacity and become independent of the central planners. The paradox is that because I can't build lightweight nuclear reactor, I need to build renewables, which is what the central planners wanted to push towards anyway.

By accepting the central planners are insane and taking production in your own hands, you do what they want. This has quite the Scanner Darkly vibes...

sorry for the bird app reference, I don't know how to copy a thread very well.

at least giving a preview.

https://twitter.com/energybants/status/1775015586176663641?t=UmSyO6Q_fSKxrQS6r3CwDA&s=19

https://m.primal.net/HqaO.png


that means you overpaid on solar, if you have 10kWh day excess (even sometimes), you paid good 15k for energy you don't need and can't store.

so the cost is not zero, you overbuilt the solar farm.

if you have the system set correctly, you don't have much excess you can't store, certainly not 10kWh per day, even if there are some exceptional days.

also, in many countries, there's a limit of 10kWp, if you go more than that, you enter into commercial producer area - regulations, taxes, ...


or look at it like this - the cost of electricity is 6-8 cents per kWh when produced by a system without battery, double if you have battery. if you can use it in any other way (even storing in battery), it is a better deal. because the old miner will not produce more that much per kWh, probably less than half.


summer in Europe is not the best time for solar. there's more sun, but it's also too hot. best months are may and June.

in summer, you are more likely to also need ac to cool the house, so the consumption will be also much higher, so there'll be less excess.

selling to the grid is usually not a good idea. virtual battery means you don't have to pay for energy you consume later, but you have to pay distribution costs, which are around 40-60% of the price. you can also sell for money, but that involves a lot more territory compliance and income taxes. it's much better to consume what you produce. so batteries are a good idea.


I have a solar system and was doing this calculation several times, also tried other people who build solar systems and understand Bitcoin mining.

if you find a way to do it without being in brutal loss, let me know. but show numbers.

with current solar systems, assuming you use everything it produces over lifetime, the cost per kWh is 6-8 cents. if you want to use batteries, the price doubles.

assuming a 3kW miner and 6 hours of peak sunshine (that's way overblown though), you need at least 12kWp of panels. that will not fit on most roofs anyway, but if you have a greenhouse or a parking lot, you can use that, along with let's say 3x3kWh batteries.

you still have not made anything for the house, just for the miner, which also costs a lot of money and if you want to see that money back, you can't not run it, the difficulty increase will kill ROI.

the professional miners get 3-4 cents per kWh and that's 24/7.

just buy Bitcoin instead of the miner and use the solar system for all your other energy needs.

p.s.: I have not talked about cooling. you need another 3kW AC unit to cool the miner.


the math never works out. the capital investment for miners is so high that in order to get at least return on capital, you need to run it 24/7. it never pays off to turn it off. if you do and only use surpluses, the miner will never pay for itself.


yes, buy Bitcoin, sell your production for Bitcoin.

mining is not interesting and it's highly specialized environment. do what you do best, leave mining to specialized entrepreneurs that are best in mining.


home mining from household renewables unfortunately does not work. you increase monetary sovereignty by buying Bitcoin.

if you have the miner, you have to run and cool it 24/7 and then maybe it works. solar energy is at least 3x than what profitable miners get from hydroelectric dams. and that's before you solved the problem of the night.