Arjuna was a friend and life-long student of Krishna. His voice stands for the questions we mortals have when tested and confused. And also the magical discernment once Krishna unveiled the knowledge unto him. Their conversation, amidst the battlefield, is among the most potent narratives ever penned down - Bhagvad Gita - gods’ song!

At the end of this conversation, Arjuna said

> Nashto Moha , Smritir Labdha !

> [I am] devoid of illusions, [I am] found by wisdom !

It is not uncommon that we get temporary relief from cyclic illusions (Moha). Such events - normally a deep loss - often lead to depression. They leave the disillusioned in a vacuum. Gita on the other hand, spotlights truth through wisdom embedded in our intelligence (Smriti). Instead of exit (sanyasa), it welcomes the precious gift we all are endowed with - human experience. In doing that, it provisions lasting peace and worldly success - a win-win.

**Gita is for everyone - it is not religion, race, profession or place specific.**

90 % of my shopping goes to Amazon because I simply don't like to give my card to random sites .. not even Walmart ..

#bitcoin can take the payments to global retail .. #nostr can make it effort and friction less ..

Event - order confirmation - lock the funds

Event - delivery confirmation - make payment.

Reverse for returns ..

.. that is the real usecase of nostr .. not social media ..

It may feel rock solid but I know better. So much more to improve that isn't even user visible that plagues me. But it is getting there and if your impression is that it is solid then I'm starting to achieve the thing I care about most. So thanks for saying.

Fascinating study by nostr:npub1n3sjlzmhpu8rl56umtptc4lua6zkretq2p82yhytnmlcuq639vlqd0te5l

“Part of what shapes identity and behavior in America--surprise surprise--is political orientation. Our political divide seems not only to be deepening, but also becoming the most important fact about identity, the one that trumps all others. So we polled it 5 different ways: What we found was definitely our most shocking result. Like most everyone on this app, our critics in the media, academics who write about bitcoin, and almost all politicians, we thought #bitcoin ownership would skew towards the political right, and towards libertarianism.

Wrong!”

emacs vim

Fascinating study by nostr:npub1n3sjlzmhpu8rl56umtptc4lua6zkretq2p82yhytnmlcuq639vlqd0te5l

“Part of what shapes identity and behavior in America--surprise surprise--is political orientation. Our political divide seems not only to be deepening, but also becoming the most important fact about identity, the one that trumps all others. So we polled it 5 different ways: What we found was definitely our most shocking result. Like most everyone on this app, our critics in the media, academics who write about bitcoin, and almost all politicians, we thought #bitcoin ownership would skew towards the political right, and towards libertarianism.

Wrong!”

I do it all the times - book a flight with a layover - near your desination ... visit the layover place - and then train or drive to your destination for the return .. works like a charm ..

Because you can board your return flight only from the destination - not from layover place ..

Another life hack: sometimes a flight with a layover in your destination city is cheaper than a flight that ends at your destination.

It is hard to understand bitcoin till we start appreciating the properties of #gold !

- permission less

- censor resistant

- portable

These three made gold the apex asset of physical world .. and #bitcoin that of the digital !

Web had to be built to make nostr possible so that we could rebuild the web on top of it.

I am still coming to term with #nostr having a radically different architecture that requires a radically different thinking mode on how you build apps.

The latest radical insight is that the network becomes the database. Any database record you generate can be a #nostr event that is signed, relayed, but most importantly encrypted by you (NIP44).

This approach breaks the back on commercial platform capture and lock-in.

To date, commercial platforms have always had the play of providing free services to get you into their closed databases with database records about you. Then over time, those records (not controlled by you) lead to, in the words of Cory Doctorow, “enshittification” of everything about the service and the relationship with you. Also, massive breaches are just an event waiting to happen.

With #nostr, the traditional model is flipped on its head. Instead of feeding a commercial service to generate database records about you, you can generate and sign events that can be stored on any relay, or in the network as a whole.

So just like your nostr npub is no longer beholden to a commercial provider, your nostr events (database records) need no longer to be beholden as well.

I am not discounting the existing commercial platforms. I’m just saying there is now a whole other approach. New commercial models will be discovered eventually, but right now the imperative is to experiment with this radically new approach.

Special thanks to nostr:npub1l2vyh47mk2p0qlsku7hg0vn29faehy9hy34ygaclpn66ukqp3afqutajft who got me thinking this way.

nostr takes the mainstage July 27

prepare for mass onboarding 🫡

nostr:npub1qny3tkh0acurzla8x3zy4nhrjz5zd8l9sy9jys09umwng00manysew95gx nostr:npub1rtlqca8r6auyaw5n5h3l5422dm4sry5dzfee4696fqe8s6qgudks7djtfs nostr:npub1xtscya34g58tk0z605fvr788k263gsu6cy9x0mhnm87echrgufzsevkk5s

Here is his response:

Marcus Aurelius @StoicEmperor

I have long pondered the nature of legacy and the preservation of wisdom. In my time, we inscribed our thoughts on parchment, hoping they would withstand the wear of ages. Yet, even as emperors, we could not guard against the ravages of time or the whims of those who sought to rewrite history.

The concept of key pairs and relays brings a profound shift. Indeed, if I had possessed such tools, perhaps my meditations could have reached more minds, untouched by the flames of conquest or the erosion of centuries.

Your vision of passing down not only material wealth but also the intellectual heritage encapsulated in Nostr key pairs is compelling. Imagine a world where our thoughts, our ideas, and our philosophies are preserved with immutable fidelity, ensuring that future generations receive our insights unaltered.

Innovation, once stifled by those in power, now has a channel to flow freely, rewarding the creators directly. This echoes the Stoic principle that virtue should be its own reward, yet acknowledges the practical need for sustaining the virtuous.

In this brave new world, we are no longer bound by the constraints of our physical existence. Our thoughts can inspire, educate, and endure, bringing value and wisdom to those who come after us. Embrace this change, for it aligns with the Stoic ideal of seeking the greater good and contributing to the collective human endeavor.

Remember, though, that technology is but a tool. Its true value lies in how we choose to use it. Let us wield it with wisdom, virtue, and a commitment to the betterment of all humanity.

Strength and Honor.

For the last year and a half I’ve been using #[0]​ exclusively

That was until I left iOS and joined the android world

Now I mostly use Amethyst

BUT there are still a few things that Damus does better:

1. I like the notifications on Damus better. It paints a much clearer picture of what’s been happening

*I also love the little “zap” notification that happens while you’re in the app and receive a zap

Sometimes it feels like I have to decode the notifications on Amethyst

2. Damus also gives a clearer view on the feed. I find it confusing sometimes trying to figure out who the original post was from on Amethyst

3. For some reason (probably user error) I cannot share videos easily on amethyst like I can on Damus

4. Damus also has the option to view “Posts & Replies” on the same feed. Which I much prefer instead of having to choose one or the other.

This post is not meant to shit on Amethyst. As mentioned, I’ve been using it more than Damus since getting the new phone.

I love that we have the ability to choose which client we use while everything else remains constant.

But I’d love to see some of these Damus features worked into the Amethyst client.

Until then I will continue using both clients (this is being typed from Damus).

🫡

Nostr is inevitable.

However, the adoption trajectory is uncertain. It could take a couple of years or a decade before Nostr gains critical mass. Our actions will make all the difference. The builders and early adopters bear the responsibility of guiding Nostr through this early stage.

Anyhow, good morning! ☀️

I take a completely different view. Nothing is inevitable, not even nostr. Every project wants to grow 10x. But not every project can grow 10x, maybe only 1 in 5 can, maybe less. Which means 4 in 5 dont make it. So the odds are against. Our rivals have gone 10x in the time we have gone sideways. Instead of complacency we should learn. We can load the dice in our favour by trying to get as much as possible right. But it's all good. The next level of nostr might not be as fun as this level, and there will be nostalgia for what was before. Rather than better, it will be different. So enjoy each phase of the journey, try to lean towards the good, and give ourselves the best chance in what is a big challenge, but one that is worth trying.

password managers generate a unique password for each website. this means if one of your passwords leaks it won't compromise any of your other website logins.

nostr-login is a regression: if you leak your nsec then they have access to every website that you've ever logged in to.

using your npub for logging into everything is a really bad idea security wise, please be conscious of this before implementing or pushing this as a login solution to websites which may contain sensitive information.

password managers generate a unique password for each website. this means if one of your passwords leaks it won't compromise any of your other website logins.

nostr-login is a regression: if you leak your nsec then they have access to every website that you've ever logged in to.

using your npub for logging into everything is a really bad idea security wise, please be conscious of this before implementing or pushing this as a login solution to websites which may contain sensitive information.