We paid off everything around 10 years ago. No mortgage, no car payments, no installment payments. It really is life changing. In the first book of the uncle eric series by richard maybury - he asks "what is better, $5M in assets and $0 debt, or $100M in assets and $95M in debt" - the net worth is the same, but I sleep much better with the first option. Credit score does go to zero though. Thanks for the thought provoking question.
I've had this FREE ROSS sticker on the back of my work badge for months.....I will be very disappointed if this sticker remains on the back of my work badge after tomorrow. (the sticker has been a great conversation starter)
I agree with you. Most are hype. I found nostr:npub17yqgpat6e6ensd78jqhj4c3ef03uq04uqu3z05rhjnlk67lwm8wq9w5269 to be almost all signal.
from my daughter #4. She gave me this note for my birthday - my favorite gifts are words and hugs.
For my birthday - my sister-in-law made me these custom bitcoin coasters. so thoughtful. need to get her on nostr.
123 YEARS OF LIGHT, 100 YEARS OF LIES
In Livermore, California, a single light bulb has been glowing continuously since 1901.123 years of uninterrupted brilliance. But this simple bulb reveals a dark truth: the deliberate sabotage of innovation by the Phoebus Cartel in the 1920s.
This cartel didn’t just shorten the lifespan of light bulbs to 1,000 hours, they set the stage for planned obsolescence, a system where products are intentionally designed to fail. The result? A global economy warped by false scarcity and consumer exploitation. Exactly what nostr:npub1gdu7w6l6w65qhrdeaf6eyywepwe7v7ezqtugsrxy7hl7ypjsvxksd76nak mentioned in the Fiat Standard.
HOW THE MARKET WAS RIGGED
Planned obsolescence distorts free markets by severing the natural relationship between consumer preferences and producer innovation. Instead of competing on durability or quality, manufacturers engineer products to fail, creating:
🔘 False scarcity, forcing premature replacement.
🔘 Distorted price signals, hiding true product value.
🔘 Resource misallocation, with energy and materials wasted on unnecessary replacements.
The Austrian economic perspective shows how this disrupts entrepreneurial discovery, where true innovation is replaced with profit-maximizing manipulation.
THE HIDDEN COSTS OF PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE
🔘 Consumer Debt: Endless replacement cycles disproportionately burden lower-income households.
🔘 Erosion of Trust: Consumers lose faith in the fairness of market mechanisms.
🔘 Innovation Suppression: Producers focus on maximizing profit margins, not advancing technology or durability.
The effects ripple outward: natural market forces are stifled, and the potential for true progress is dimmed.
THE WAY FORWARD
The solution isn’t more regulation, it’s a return to genuine market principles. In a free market:
🔘 Durability becomes a competitive edge, as consumers reward long-lasting products.
🔘 Entrepreneurial discovery thrives, driving innovation in response to real demand.
🔘 Trust is restored, as producers align with consumer needs, not artificially imposed cycles.
The Livermore bulb is more than a relic it’s a symbol of what markets can achieve when driven by freedom and ingenuity. Let’s reject the #Fiat cartel mindset and reignite a system where innovation and durability shine brighter than ever.
#Nostr
I knew this happened- thanks for sharing the story
Join us, for a friendly Bitcoin meetup in Penzance - beginners are welcome!
📅 Thursday, 19th December 2024 @ 8pm
📍The Dolphin Tavern, Quay Street, Penzance, TR18 4BD - we'll meet in the 'little room' on the right @ Table 21.
nostr:npub1g8ag22auywa5c5de6w9ujenpyhrrp9qq8sjzram02xldttmmwurqfd0hqk nostr:npub1c64kx6ydpukhet5rayt23lwkfypu6h9ysd2c8nycv594aaw6j7rqmn3096 nostr:npub1nqt6hg6k78la4uj0c0yc44s28t8nkgaaee7rdnrr0vszlul4wwdszsfpug
good luck to all of you in the meetup!
Welcome to Nostr
