170 - Family in town
🇪🇸 This week we have been rather busy. The Belgian side of the family has been here in Palma and we have been making the most of the great weather and our time together to get out and about around the island in addition to all our usual routine.
Over the weekend I was happy to join the Bitcoiner Brunch. Our intrepid organiser picked yet another fabulous location - over in Puerto Portals. I was unaware of this place but it clearly is somewhere for the rich and famous to come and play. We had quite a crowd of interesting people and we had some great discussion on many Bitcoin topics. In addition we got to practice peer-to-peer transactions - an important skill to have. For some more of what we discussed see Project Updates below. Folks were also impressed by the Cashu and Nostr demos and these are things that more and more people are beginning to use.
During this past week V and I also celebrated another Wedding Anniversary here - I'll not tell you which one, but it is indeed a high number! It was nice to be able to do that with family and we had a great dinner on our terrace - outdoors, enjoying the evening in Palma.
Midweek we went out on Motorbike trikes for a tour around the Island. We have done this before and it is a nice way to spend the day. We stopped off for coffee and snacks at a couple of scenic spots on the way and back via Andratx Port and Palma.
We also had a day out on a private boat from Santa Ponsa. V spent a few family holidays here over 50 years ago - so it was interesting to see the place again and we had fun out and about on the boat.
After all that we are looking forward to having some quieter time in the coming weeks. I'm still expecting a few Bitcoiner events and the weather has certainly got warmer and will likely stay like this. We are into our final weeks here before moving on again and it begins to have an end-of-term feeling - just like Bangkok in March!
Book of the week
For the last couple of weeks I have been reading an excellent book and you likely will want to get your own copy. I bought my copy from him by subscribing to his substack. Once you understand the content you will want to support him and get your own copy too.
After Covid, tens of millions of people understand one thing: they've been fooled. Yet they are still wondering WHY this could happen. Many have experienced that it's very difficult to find the answer on the internet or in books - this book solves that.
Mees Baaijen
Click for the book download - you can support him by subscribing to the substack
The issue which has swept down the centuries, and which will have to be fought sooner or later, is the people versus the banks.
Lord Acton (1834-1902),
“one of the most learned people of his age”
Synchronistically (in truth there are no coincidences), Hrvoje also interviewed Mees this week and you will likely enjoy this bang-up-to-date interview. I tend to agree with their conclusions and they also seem to agree with what Simon also sees. No matter how much you think you know, you will be surprised by some of the things that Mees has uncovered and explains.
With the insights and peace of mind brought by reading The Predators versus The People, you can spend your time on helping to find ways to regain our stolen planet, freedom and future. Opt out of the madness and live your life.
Monologue of the week
Speaking of madness, Simon does a great job of explaining the latest dose. I am sharing this, not to scare you - rather for those who are awake to understand what is happening and why. You will also see what is likely coming. Simon has a long track record of being right on these things - even if his delivery style can be a little verbose and chatty.
Simon's thoughts are pretty much echoed and independently confirmed here by The Solari Report. You are watching the early signs of the next stage kicking off.
More in this issue
- Photo memories - Around the island this week
- Project Updates - Nostr and Bitcoin wallet security
- Plenty of useful links - don't say nobody told you!
- Closing out - the truth about Time, your Consciousness and Sleep
Out and about this week
🛠️ Project Updates
The following are topics we discussed at our Bitcoiner Brunch and I am sharing them here for your greater wisdom too! What are you doing? What are your projects?
Nostr and Reads
If you have not yet looked at Nostr, it is time that you did. Nostr is a decentralised social network protocol built on simplicity and resilience. Unlike traditional platforms, Nostr isn't a single entity but a set of rules allowing diverse clients and relays to interact. Its key feature is censorship resistance: no single authority can block or remove content, as users can choose different relays to broadcast and receive messages. It is also a platform for all sorts of new applications.
Primal is one of the best Nostr clients but you are able to use any one of many clients and you can move between them with your Private/Public key. Just enjoy the freedom from the madness on the X, Facebook and other social media and follow whoever you like. The link above gives you access to my Newsletters that I am also copying over to Nostr.
Key Benefits:
- Censorship Resistance: Impervious to single-point censorship efforts.
- Decentralisation: No central control means greater network stability and resistance to manipulation.
- User Ownership: You control your data and identity using cryptographic keys.
- Open and Extensible: The simple protocol allows for innovation and diverse client development.
- Data Portability: Your identity and data are not locked into a single platform. You can move between clients and relays.
- Global Availability: Operates worldwide without regional restrictions inherent in centralised platforms.
Creating an account on Nostr is free and you have have as many as you want - just remember to securely save your Private key for each account you make. I do recommend that you use a Password Manager for this - KeepassXC is a good option - it is also free and open source.
The 13th Word
Also known as a "passphrase", the so-called 13th word gives very important privacy and security extension to any capable Bitcoin Wallet. This is a powerful feature giving you as many additional wallets as you want that are derived from your 12-word seed but known only to you. It comes with the responsibility of remembering the passphrase perfectly. If you're new to Bitcoin, it's best to thoroughly understand the basics of the 12-word recovery phrase before experimenting with passphrases. Always test your recovery process before committing significant funds.
For the full explainer of what is does and why you would want it see here:
Roger Price
Click for the full explainer - remember to go step by step
🔗 Links for your edification
The following are links from my NetNewswire feeds - learn, enjoy and share.
Was I too harsh?
I think not! Some folks thought that I was being too harsh in my criticism of the egregious tactics of the major Big Tech firms. Listen here as JC explains it rather clearly with specific data points for Adobe - who really is one of the most greedy.
Ditching Google Workspace
I also got pushed into action this week. Horrible Google told me that they were increasing the cost of my Google Business Subscription due to the introduction of "amazing new AI features" that nobody (and certainly not me) ever asked for. In doing so, they reminded me that not only did I have a business account for me but also for V and she is doubly (likely even more) uninterested in their AI crap.
So - Bingo. I have bitten the bullet and decided to migrate my business accounts over to Protonmail, reducing my recurring costs to 30% of what I was paying and taking all the revenue away from Evil Google. Feels Good.
To do that, I asked NanoGPT to give me step by step instructions for the migration and any things to watch for. Totally amazing. I got detailed instructions for everything, including switching over the Domain records, migrating all the data and reminding me to cancel the Google Crap before they charge me increased prices.
Can you spot the clues?
From time to time I check in with this girl. She often has rather interesting analyses such as this one. How interesting that the FBI will move out of their current building (because it is "not safe") and it does indeed seem that there is something in the works to be prosecuted - even if all the traditional big things are claimed to be outside "statue of limitations". WDYT?
My suspicion is that this will just lead to another "scene in the movie" that is designed to divide up the US population and to further reduce the trust in State Institutions as the controlled demolition continues - as foreseen by Charlie and Jason.
Tom's book
Tom can seem a bit fatalistic sometimes and I do understand all that - especially living up there in Scandinavia with the long winter nights. However his book sounds interesting and I will be adding this to my summer reading. I think that I have already moved on but I want to support him and this is all good information to know and to be able to share with those who are still stuck.
The Brutal Truth About Work reveals the hidden realities of wage slavery, burnout, and toxic work culture. If you feel trapped by the 9-5 grind and crave real freedom, this honest conversation and book might change how you see work forever. Discover why so many feel burned out and undervalued in today’s corporate world.
For a very-much-related perspective, Chad's recent take is worth a listen. He is certainly right that if you pretend nothing is changing, you will regret it. Don't say that nobody told you!
🤔 Closing Thoughts
To close out this week I have a couple of items that also seemed to arrive synchronistically. You will recall that I have been reading "The Holographic Universe" and this has got me thinking about the "nature of time". Like many, I am not convinced that it is as "linear" as we are told and now alternative ideas seem to be allowed - as the first clip below explains. The second clip covers another topic we have talked about - what really happens when you sleep.
Time might not be what you think
In this video, we dive deep into a declassified CIA report on the Gateway Process. This is a topic that we have discussed before and you may well have been experimenting with this too. Building on the Gateway Process, the video explores how time is perceived in altered states of consciousness and how the universe may operate beyond our traditional concept of linear time.
It breaks down what the report actually said, how it connects with quantum physics, human consciousness and ancient spiritual beliefs. From the idea of timeless dimensions to astral projection and energy fields, you’ll discover why time may not be what we think it is—and how science is slowly catching up with mysticism. This should remind you of the discussion on The Holographic Universe and also the work of Rupert Sheldrake - both of these authors have been vilified and suppressed by mainstream "science" - so they are likely onto something important.
Where does your consciousness go when you sleep?
I have had quite a few of you reaching out to say that you too do not believe the mainstream explanation about "why we sleep". This idea also seems to become more prevalent and this (admittedly AI-produced) explainer below does a good job of summarising some of the key flaws in the official line.
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No one can be told what The Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.
- Morpheus to Neo in The Matrix
Click to watch - maybe now you are ready and can see it?
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You can also email me at: LetterFrom@rogerprice.me
- The Architect
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