Latest from The Mandibles author Lionel Shriver. This is the article to share with your family and normie friends to help open their eyes to the problem of government's reckless spending.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-real-test-for-the-republic
Hide the deadly black tarantula
(Daylight come and we want go home)
L.A.B.O.U.R. - Lies About Budgeting and Overcharging Unwary Residents
Here we go ... "No tax rises for working people" =
1. Extend tax threshold freeze
2. National Insurance increase
3. Capital gains tax increase
4. Reduce pension rebates
5. More spending and more inflation
Fever for 5 days now annoyingly - usually viral would be over by now :/ But you're right, keen to avoid ABs if possible but also have to work and look after a toddler! Thanks for the kind words 🙏
Disappointed to get a negative result on a COVID test. Means this flu is likely bacterial and I really don't want to take antibiotics 😥
The block is wicking 📈
Tragic story. But inevitable the way unmarked police cars drive in London. You never see a police officer just doing ordinary patrolling, but you're guaranteed to be pushed off the road by them almost every time you drive.
Lots of lessons here about privacy hygiene
Wild to me that this fact about WW1 bond sales is relatively well known and reported on by mainstream news, but AFAICT almost no historians have updated their views on the main causes of WW1.
Even Niall Ferguson on nostr:nprofile1qqsyx708d0a8d2qt3ku75avjz8vshvlx0v3q97ygpnz0tllzqegxrtgpzpmhxue69uhkummnw3ezumt0d5hsvge3uc's podcast seemed not to know about it, despite him being one of the most critical of the conventional narrative historians.
If you're a parent then you'll recognize the paternalistic instinct to control that we all share.
Your child won't put on their socks, eventually you're so invested in making them put them on that when they agree but now want a different colour, you refuse. It becomes about doing what you say, not getting socks on their feet.
This is what statists have an imbalance of. Some of us recognize it, and fight it within ourselves because we know it's better to allow people to make their own choices. Feeding the need to control is tempting but harmful to relationships, and inhibits the value that comes from people having freedom.
Blows my mind how almost everyone thinks government money is normal and "real". Not just normies, but serious historians, radical politicians and most supposed libertarians too. This is the result of the most effective (and ongoing) propaganda campaign in history.
Taxes are stolen money,
Funding inefficient and ineffective public services,
That enable corruption,
And feed a growing bureaucracy.
You can argue against growing bureaucracy, condemn corruption, and attempt to make public services better, but the core problem is the state's ability to take your money by force.
Minimise the state's ability to steal from you.
#Bitcoin
This is accurate.
I can see it so clearly partly because where I work is very pro-regime. More AML and bullshit data laws help our market, and give us a moat. But because I stack, and mostly consume media outside the mainstream bubble I see it for what it is. It's the water I swim in, but at least I know it's water while my peers don't.
The problem for me personally is the cognitive dissonance I endure building products that are probably net harmful, but the propaganda around me says it's the most noble industry to be in.
I'm not American, so it's kind of moot, but tbh I'm a bit more skeptical that Trump isn't regime-aligned. If anything, I'd prefer him to lose so that at least there's a chance for a stronger counter-culture to emerge against left wing power. Trump wouldn't fix anything, but also him being in office makes those on the left feel like they're heroic and cool by being even more vocally socialist.
The quality of my life changed when I switched to reading novels more than non-fiction. Much more interesting, and more rewarding than the endless drivel of management and self-help books I thought I had to read to stay ahead.
Even now as a product manager my peers are always trying to stay ahead by reading the latest business book. I just ignore all that shit and keep reading novels. Most of the "key takeaways" from non-fiction filter through to me eventually. Not saying it makes me better at my job, but not measurably worse either.
That said, there are some non-fiction books that were worth reading. Ones that stand out, that I still use and think about:
- High output management by Andy Grove
- Inspired by Marty Cagan
- Working backwards by Colin Bryer & Bill Carr
The exception here are biographies which I find often have the same complex tapestry as a novel. Some favourites:
- Churchill: Walking with destiny by Andrew Roberts
- Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
- Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
But generally, highly recommend sticking with fiction most of the time.
Great episode about the tragedy of shutting down legitimate scientific debate, and the consequences of bureaucratic dogma in medicine. Send this to your NPC friends as a palatable inspiration to question authority a bit more.
Clear uncontroversial examples about where the scientific establishment was irrefutably wrong for many years: preventing peanut allergies, and hormone replacement therapy etc.
EconTalk: What Modern Medicine Gets Wrong (with Marty Makary)
Episode webpage: https://www.econtalk.org/what-modern-medicine-gets-wrong-with-marty-makary/
Can you imagine how different things could be if US Republicans nominated someone sane like Rand Paul?
If I had to simp for a politician it would be him.
Honestly with Bari Weiss: Why Senator Rand Paul Hasn’t Endorsed Trump
Episode webpage: https://www.thefp.com/podcasts
there's nothing more motivating than ticking off a todo list, especially with paper and pen
Start work
Some bullshit
Check BTC exchange rate to see if I can retire yet
Nope
Back to work
I'm guessing you don't work a full time job and have more freedom over your time? Then basically you're in the same position as a billionaire. I mean, what else are they doing? Okay you can buy loads of fast cars or a yacht, but driving the car must get a bit tiresome ... and then when you're on your yacht then you're essentially just a time rich pleb with a view.
Watching Peter Thiel on JRE: seems like he's just so rich and has so much time on his hands that he spends most of it reading weird shit about pyramids and human ancestors taking magic mushrooms.
Actually makes you wonder about the propensity for billionaires to go down a Bitcoin rabbit hole, or be plebs on nostr. I mean, what else are they doing? Can't spend 100% of your time preparing for board meetings or going to charity balls - and if you were that rich, why would you?
Holy fuck, Christine Lagarde on The Daily Show: https://youtu.be/bmA4z24I7Xc
Worth watching as it perfectly encapsulates the situation we find ourselves in:
1. Gets challenged on "why 2%" and has no answer other than "it's not noticed that much", and it "gives wiggle room".
2. Blames recent inflation on supply chain, Ukraine war, Russian interference in energy prices - no mention of ZIRP.
3. Jon Stewart (I like him, but he's very left wing) poses the question about why not more demand stimulus, which gives Lagarde no reason to excuse CBs causing inflation with money printing. Actually encourages it more!
4. Both are into "Global governance" for AI - well, let me just say, GFY.
5. Lagarde thinks that their "analytical models" are now better, implying we won't have runaway inflation again "unless there's another pandemic". The sheer arrogance and incompetence is breathtaking. But also, shit, the moral hazard is terrifying.
We'd be so screwed without Bitcoin.
In London there are often small stickers with QR codes on traffic lights or street lamp poles. Sometimes they're pretty obvious with an image of a marijuana leaf.
When you go to the address it's a full online store with really professionally packaged joints and edibles, and a shipping and return policies etc. They even have Google and Trust Pilot reviews! This is all despite cannabis being technically illegal in the UK.
For one particular vendor I've seen (nila.bz) they accept crypto for payment and even give a 15% discount. Sadly, they do not accept Lightning. My suspicion is that it's some kind of Finance related payment plugin because there's some reference to Trust Wallet.
A couple of interesting notes for me:
1. Because it's illegal there is no regulation, and yet trusted vendors are around to provide a quality service where the market demands it.
2. Vendors want crypto more than fiat (hence the discount), but clearly the message about Lightning hasn't reached them (or maybe they don't know how to receive privately).
UK tried to prosecute this woman for holding up a sign with a palm tree and coconuts. This is the state of free speech here.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/coconut-placards-and-the-truth-about-free-speech-in-britain
Damn, can't boost or comment on nostr:nprofile1qqsx2wyjt6lmvc05rrvv05r5hm3w3t7h0pcpmkyswrpd4ymd2u09tscpz9mhxue69uhkummnw3ezuamfdejj7gy9xew with Amber signing - getting some "FormatException: Unexpected character" error. Worked a few days ago :-/