57 - Back in Belfast - just visiting
🇮🇪 🇬🇧 Back on the road again - we are in Belfast, taking a break from the warmer weather in Bangkok and I will be focusing on family priorities for a bit. We will be in Holywood and Belfast for a few days - so if you want to meet up, do say quickly! Maybe you are interested to do the Bitcoin project in person?
Belfast this week is 25 degrees colder than Bangkok - this was quite a shock to the system although after a while you adapt. Even so I remain convinced that once you have lived in a warm country you do not want to live in a cold one any more!
This weekend we are looking forward to my Dad's 90th birthday on Sunday. The whole family is here to celebrate. Times like this are precious and you need to live them while you can. Last such time was my birthday last summer - events like this do not happen frequently and if you recall Steve Jobs' advice you will know why you need to prioritise experiences over possessions and things.
One such experience was breakfast on Friday morning - happy to get back to Belfast Bap Co in St Georges Market for the best baps in the city - thanks, John!
If you are wondering about your own priorities and what you should be focusing on - I wrote about my philosophy and approach back in Issue 13 - you might want to check in case it gives inspiration.
Elsewhere in the world, things seem far from improving and there are undoubtedly several big things coming - you may recall back in Issue 45 I highlighted some dates to keep in mind.
Optimistic signs
There are a few hopeful signs and seizing these opportunities will not only help to wake up others but also to build the necessary community and connections for what will undoubtedly follow. One example is the Better Way Conference in Bath UK at the beginning of June and this will be available online for those who cannot join in person.
Emma
You will recognise Dr Tess Lawrie as one of the organisers and I suggest you listen to her recent interview with Richard Vobes who will be hosting one of the sessions along with Andrew Bridgen MP and Mattias Desmet - both of whom should be well known to you by now.
In case you missed it (ICYMI) - go back and check Tess's reading of Anthem for Justice.
Book of the week
With the long haul flight to Europe I had plenty of time this week to get into a great book and am happy to share some highlights. You will recall that I am a great fan of Mythos by Stephen Fry; well Heroes is the second book in the series and it takes things to a new level - diving deeper into the stories of some of the better-known mythical characters.
The book comprises nine sections, each of which covers a different period of Greek mythology and highlights key figures and stories from that time. The stories of gods and heroes are not just fantastical tales, but rather a way of exploring universal human themes and experiences such as love, betrayal, and power. These stories have been passed down through oral tradition and have been retold throughout history. A few highlights should make you think:
- Gods: covers the creation of the world and the gods of Greek mythology, including Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades. This ought to make you think a bit - including how often the gods are portrayed as interfering with humans, often for their own amusement.
- Prometheus: tells how Prometheus stole fire from the gods, as well as the creation of the first woman, Pandora. By giving fire to humans, Prometheus challenged the authority of the gods and provided a means for humans to become more independent and self-sufficient. However, Prometheus's theft of fire also incurred the wrath of the gods, particularly Zeus, who saw it as an act of rebellion against divine authority. As punishment, Zeus had Prometheus chained to a rock and subjected to eternal torture.
- Heracles: covers the exploits of the hero Heracles (also known as Hercules), including his twelve labours and his death and apotheosis in which he was elevated to the status of a god and taken up to Mount Olympus, where he was given a place among the other gods. Heracles' apotheosis is significant because it represents a transformation from a mortal hero to a divine figure, and suggests that the gods recognised and rewarded his great deeds and courage.
There are quite a few other significant characters and stories in this great book including Bellerophon, Orpheus, Jason and the Argonauts, Atalanta, Oedipus and Theseus. Have you read it? Let me know your thoughts on this or Mythos or the next one that I will be enjoying, Troy.
Rediscovery of the week - decode yourself
During the week something reminded me of this one that I had first watched when it came out a couple of years ago. Logan gives a most interesting and clear explanation of many so-called fringe techniques. Your instinct might be to dismiss them without thinking; to do so is certainly a mistake. Better to look deeper and even try some of the many tools that he explains. You will be surprised - "coincidences" aplenty at least! How many is too many?
Logan covers many topics, including: Astrology -- 5:02, Mayan Astrology -- 17:01, Numerology -- 19:00, Alchemy -- 34:39, Personality Types (Psychology) -- 53:38, Human Design -- 54:46, Animal Tarot (medicine cards) 57:44, Totem Pole 58:46, Tarot 1:01:24, Cards of Illumination 1:02:19
You will recall that I am a fan of psychology and tools that give insights on personality. For example: Enneagram (I am type 8, Challenger) and MBTI/Keirsey (I am Artisan Crafter). Digging deeper I was intrigued to find that I also have Life Path 8, namely: CEO & Material Manifester.
Do give this a look and let me know your thoughts. Do you recognise the description of me? And - what about your own? What are your insights or surprises on yourself?
Memetic Warfare
This is yet another new term that is symptomatic of our current reality. Memetic warfare is a form of warfare that involves the use of memes as a weapon to influence and manipulate people's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours. Memes are cultural units or ideas that are spread rapidly and widely within a society. In memetic warfare, memes are designed and deployed with the intent of influencing the targeted group's thinking and actions.
The use of memes in memetic warfare can take many forms, such as propaganda, disinformation, and misinformation campaigns. These memes can be spread through various channels, including social media platforms, messaging apps, and other online forums.
Below is one example that is playing out at present - and may well have backfired to everyone's benefit! Follow the links to get the full story.
Cosmo's Open Letter says clearly what many of us were thinking and I am happy to say that this does seem to be bringing about some meeting of minds and putting facts on the table
Cosmo Crixter
Der GiGi writes: "We are undoubtedly living through a Culture War of sorts. Left vs. Right, Red vs. Blue, Based vs. Woke, Blue Bird vs. Purple Bird, and furries vs. normal people. It's hard to pinpoint the fault lines that are the underlying reason for this war. Some believe it boils down to individualism vs. collectivism. Others see it as capitalism vs. marxism, self-regulating order vs. central planning. Others speculate that this mess is related to a decline in religious belief, a result of the Nietzschean assassination of God.
"All of these reasons might be valid or partly valid, but for me, as a bitcoiner — as someone who has marvelled at the graphs of "WTF happened in 1971" many times — it is hard to point to anything other than the emergency of fiat money as the main underlying reason for the chaos we are living through."
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More in this issue
- Photo memories from around Belfast this week
- New project this week - your first bitcoin...
- Plenty of useful links - don't say nobody told you!
- Closing out with a an interesting decode - hiding in plain sight!
🛠️ Project Updates
With all the travel this week I have not made much concrete progress on my projects - other than following up with those who have taken the challenge and installed WalletOfSatoshi and are now the happy owners of their first bitcoin.
What are you waiting for? Just do it and let me know your lightning address. Instructions in last week's newsletter - it takes 5-10 minutes.
During April I plan to make progress again and will help you join some experiments with Nostr, Cashu, Nutstash and RedeemApp. You will find out how bitcoin offers a new form of money and person-to-person transfers that do not require (or even allow) any government interference. Don't miss this opportunity.
Meanwhile - Larry's thoughts from Vitenam are well worth reading. He is right that there is a LOT of work needed on UX for lightning - indeed, we are early!
Larry Salibra
🔗 Useful links - Inform yourself
Below are a few gems from my NetNewsWire feeds for your edification and they may be helpful to share with others.
Good Advice: Never Believe Anything Until It Is Officially Denied
Russian author and dissident Yevgeny Yevtushenko famously said (of his government): "When truth is replaced by silence, the silence is a lie." Therefore, when the government denies something, it is more likely to be an indication that what they deny is true, since the government has an interest in suppressing the truth. Consider C-19, 911, JFK etc....
quoteresearch
In similar and related vein - this discussion between Hrvoje and Gabriel is a Must-Listen. Hrvoje describes how and why he has been de-platformed for speaking the truth. It is certainly true that when you get too close to the truth with any sort of substantial following you WILL BE SILENCED or DISAPPEARED.
Keep in mind that Nostr (covered in My Projects) can help here - examples in subsequent newsleters and I will be helping you to try this out if you like.
Speaking of lies - consider Jerome's response to a simple question. If you are any way familiar with body language you will see LIES in capitals everywhere in his statement.
A regular favourite of mine is The Maverick of Wall Street. He does a daily update at the end of every trading day US time. Super high-quality insights delivered with a unique style. DYOR and enjoy.
In his inimitable style, Richard asks some rather important questions:
James' weekly updates on Tuesday are also required watching - this is is his On Chain Technical Analysis (OCTA) session where he reviews and comments on information that is visible on the blockchain. Fascinating as ever.
Ivor's recent analysis may well surprise you - the origin of all of the nonsense goes back to George Bush in 2005 - details here and here
Practical as ever, Neil gives his thoughts about where we are and what to do. I hope he is wrong but it is certainly wrong to dismiss this without proper consideration and you likely would do well to implement some of his suggestions.
Lastly - an interesting post by Rich Goodman on why we should use Cash:
I have a £50 banknote and go to a restaurant and pay for dinner with it.
- The restaurant owner then uses the note to pay for the laundry.
- The laundry owner then uses the note to pay the barber.
- The barber will then use the note to pay for shopping.
After an unlimited number of payments, it will still remain a £50 value, which has fulfilled its purpose to everyone who used it for payment and the bank has jumped dry from every cash payment transaction made.
BUT - IF I go to a restaurant and pay digitally via Card
- the bank fees are charged to the seller are 3%, so around £1.50
( and so will be the fee of £1.50 for each further payment transaction )
-for the owner re laundry or
- payments of the owner of the laundry shop,
- or payments of the barber etc.....
Therefore, after 30 transactions, the initial £50 will exist at only £5, and the remaining £45 has become the property of the bank … thanks to all of the digital transactions and fees!
Use it or lose it folks…. Once it’s gone we won’t get it back!
The example above explains exactly how The Matrix works - do you see it yet?
🤔 Closing Thoughts - do not skip this!
You must consider Logan's decode of Apple Computer. Continuing last week's theme of surprisingly missed biblical references, get your bible out and check out Genesis 3:1-24. So many things that are hiding in plain sight.
Remember
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