Need some Ammo, how do I respond to a really smart friend of mine who thinks.
1) BlackRock will get best MIT people and come up with a Better Bitcoin
2) On Saylor after I sent a link to Saylor BTC Prague Keynote; "Yes, I’ll listen to it. I recognized MicroStrategy and Saylor. He’s had a number of legal issues, particularly fraud and most recently tax evasion."
When you can't think on your own, use Lazy Language.
I love this post. What I put out on the former bird app with no traction a while ago https://twitter.com/Bitcoinapolis55/status/1566897627421151233?s=20
"Bitcoin: The GREAT Work/Life Wealth/Health Balance"
By BR (Original Content only on NOSTR)
September 9, 2023
We all have heard:
FIAT WORLD
"You need to have a good Work/Life balance."
But what about this?
BITCOIN WORLD
"Work/Life balances."
Exactly eighteen Months ago today I started living and working my life on a Bitcoin Only Standard. (I now celebrate every 9th day of the month.)
I now understand what my Wildlife Artist friend has told me for decades how he spends months on a painting never knowing if it will sell. He's made a phenomenal living but it was never easy and he had to learn everything to save money during lean times. (e.g. He built his own house etc.)
Today, I think of him as if I am an artist, as I 'work on Bitcoin.' Painting, perhaps some will sell in the future ("Number go up") or none will sell ("Number go down.")
Regardless, Bitcoin has changed my life for the better in all aspects.
How have I changed?
Mental Health:
Rock Solid, all my mental health issues were tied to my soul sucking career in Corporate America. I loved my BI work but always hated the job. To this day, I post, repost, post again the one page from Saifedean's "The Bitcoin Standard" that hit me so hard between the eyes. I am attaching it again on this post. I re-read it at least once a month, usually on the 9th. Mentally, I feel great, the best in decades.
Physical Health:
I am 6'3" tall and have dropped 30 pounds and am under 200 pounds for the first time in about 15 years. All my blood work is normal as compared to almost pre-diabetic numbers. Physically, I feel great.
I understand, those are the two main parts of a person's health.
What about, "how do you pay the bills?"
Your wealth of Financial Health.
I have always been a saver, do I have a lot of money, no, do I have enough right now, yes.
For now, go back to FIAT WORLD and say, 'work/life balance' but translate it to 'wealth/health balance.'
Both of these are in line right now for me and I am thriving. I can go another five years. Working fully on Bitcoin, perhaps turning it into a 'Geek Squad' like business (e.g. 'Bitcoin Squad'). I am already telling people I know to 'study Bitcoin.'
My family and friends, beautiful, incredible wife of 31 years included, have been terrible. Laughing and joking, giving me shit. (The way I am wired is they are actually fueling my nuclear energy plant inside me because 'giving me shit' is also my love language.) I flat out tell them. You will get into Bitcoin at the price you deserve and I will help onboard you but I will be very expensive the longer you wait. Perhaps like Bitcoin Transaction fees on the Baselayer?
Recap to my family/friends:
You will get into Bitcoin at the price you deserve and you will get into Bitcoin all on the baselayer/self custody at the price you deserve.
For now, I am THRIVING, I literally have to temper my enthusiasm for people, mostly friends and family, who tell me I am nuts to my face. But there is one constant comment I am hearing from all these people as they tell me how great I look.
Me, unabashedly, "Thank you." I feel great thanks to Bitcoin and Satoshi and the Bitcoin Community, nothing made sense in my Corporate Career. Day one I was a disruptor, outlier, anti status quo, employee. I was the typical "put this guy into Special Projects.' I played the game horribly, it took a toll for years, and it manifested in my Wealth/Health.
Not anymore. I have taken control, listening to Saylor/Dorsey's wisdom on Bitcoin and how extremely wealthy people value health too? Saylor/Dorsey are unicorns to share with the world, how selfless, just like Satoshi. Grateful.
FIAT WORLD
"Work/Life" Balance
BITCOIN WORLD
"Life/Life" Balance
Future Me to family/friends: "I will be really expensive WHEN I help any of you go through the Bitcoin process and I will not feel remotely bad charging you after years of your non support. " (All wrapped in some colorful love language back to them.)
My life has forever changed.
Grateful.
===================
Author notes:
I am attaching a picture of a painting from my wildlife artist friend Bob who paints up in the 'Pucker Brush.' Bob is a dear friend, 17 years older than me, and is the only Bitcoiner I know in my vast circle of friends. Bob has always had a work/life balance and is another one of the great Bitcoin Unicorns.
Daily I read mainstream media on what is being written/presented on Bitcoin. It seldom is any good. Sadly, this is how everyone I know is being informed, ill informed mind you. I am looking forward to showing people these timestamped posts to say it was always right in front of your face and should never be a shock.
Today, there is a really good opinion article written by Charlie McGlynn at Forkast, first time this site has ever hit my radar and it is a direct hit. https://forkast.news/bitcoin-etf-quiet-800-pound-gorilla-roar/
It may make a lot of sense to revisit Satoshi's words on this - https://www.mail-archive.com/cryptography@metzdowd.com/msg09964.html
Bitcoin was never about Satoshi and it certainly isn't about any of us.
Bitcoin: "The Experts - They Remind us Daily"
In Bitcoin. In Science. In Life. Just because you have an Internet connection doesn't make you a financial guru, a doctor, a relationship expert. I spent almost three decades on BI software comparable to MicroStrategy. I never once said I was an 'expert' since I learned every day. I let my work speak for itself.
Bitcoiners can be so off putting, not everyone does good analysis and try to do mic drops for people to parrot. "It's the math."
Bitcoin is genius math but the words used around it are just as important. Especially in a truly decentralized environment, like Bitcoin.
However, just because you have fancy lights and microphones doesn't make you a good podcaster. More is sometimes worse.
There is an art to good content, the most important part?
"EDITING"
Most people don't have three hours to listen to people blather on and on about an important topic on Bitcoin only to get a few salient points.
I am not mocking the Podcast Kings at all, as I am trying to fill a niche (reworking my effort as NOSTR based) by pulling out those main points, not for entertainment or easy to read like a book, more like a database so people can grab and go with arguments/discussion. So far I grade myself an 'F' but I know my formula works. It worked beautifully for those in the cancer community as I navigated as a 'normie' those early years.
So many educational opportunities are missed because so many Bitcoiners hang with the like minded posse or group. It is easy to discuss Bitcoin with people who 'get it', the 'plebs', instead of talking to the 'normies' but with a one percent adoption rate and zero Bitcoin budget for marketing. I am grateful for the people like Swan who are spending millions to educate those outside the Bitcoin Bunch. It benefits anyone investing in Bitcoin. Advertising isn't an expense, it is an investment. This holds really true with Bitcoin.
After the Internet, I thought there was never going to be another major disruptor and I now feel Bitcoin is even bigger, it is awesome, but even if most don't see it, enjoy the ride, now, don't wait.
https://i.imgur.com/zT7HE21.mp4
Thanks Satoshi. You are an inspiration and have helped me so much mentally and physically, I don't even give a rip about financially since that is not what matters in life. You may not understand Health over Wealth at this point in your life, I do. I am an expert on that subject based on life experience.
Life
Tick. Tock. Next Shock.
"Life is what happens when you plan something else.' - Anonymous
"Bitcoin: It's Not just the Math, it's the Words too"
By BR (Written on NOSTR)
Back at the end of 2022, I compared two random posts (then Tweets), hours apart, by two random self proclaimed 'experts' on Bitcoin.
I was simply pointing out how one guy is claiming Bitcoin's scarcity isn't special and one guy is claiming Bitcoin's scarcity is Bitcoin's superpower.
Who is right? Who are the players. It all matters.
1) Ben Armstrong, Bitboy_Crypto
2) Robert Breedlove
The point I was trying to make then and now is how important EVERYTHING ever spoken on Bitcoin needs to be backed up starting with what Satoshi said. People have tried to break the math in Bitcoin since its inception, but they have also tried to break its words. All the words, spoken then and now.
Ben Armstrong, the guy is going through a crisis, we all go through crisis, but HOW you deal with it shows your true character too. Ben is terrible for Bitcoin and I can't stand him personally and I will spell out why.
Cory Klippsten, like him or not, is a master Bitcoin communicator and he rightly pegged the entire group of people like Bitboy in saying they spout 'Influential Ignorance.' WiM197 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNfzdALpeaY
Let's analyze the two seemingly innocuos posts (attached), Bitboy flippantly says "You realize 21 Million is JUST an arbitrary number, RIGHT?"
I capitalized JUST because it conveys truth and 'RIGHT' is a sarcastic way of saying you can't be that stupid to not understand that the 21 Million is arbitrary?
Breedlove followed with his post saying the opposite and explaining why POW/Scarcity are the superpower of Bitcoin.
Cut to today.
Bitboy is trash. Not an expert on anything, especially not Bitcoin
Breedlove is solid. Bitcoin expert, backed up by math/words, then and now.
To end:
Me: "You all realize Bitboy is JUST an influencer of the ignorant, RIGHT?"
Study Bitcoin. People will get into it at the price they deserve. Bitcoin is backed up by a wall of energy, math, and words, for the past 14 years transacting almost 100 Trillion dollars at the speed of light on an open source immutable ledger.
Mark my words.
p.s. I won't even get into Bitboy's idiotic reasoning on comparing Yearn Finance being a better option than Bitcoin. Obviously, the one drug he isn't taking is the one to cure his stupidity.
I consider myself a 'meatasaurus' I love meat. Favorite days are having it breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I point to my incisors to say these are to 'tear flesh.' However, non doctors posting or talking on podcasts doesn't mean proof. You are going against most of epidemiology on this. We really don't know, it is sad, I have been in the cancer space now for 26 years, as a volunteer, I was just like most people. Saying doctors are fools, shouting, but not until I calmed the fuck down was I invited behind the scenes to see just how wrong I was about the NCI. Doctors.
The problem? US. We live in a litigious society. Where one person can take down a lot of progress (e.g. gene therapy) as they sue if a side effect testing something that could save millions kills one person. I know of a few who died testing Rituximab before they figured to give massive doses of Benadryl along side it. It is a wonder drug, it saved my wife's life with her incurable cancer diagnosis at 31. She is now 57 and a two time cancer survivor. These people work tirelessly behind the scenes and get trashed? Christ.
We spend trillions to KILL the people we hate and not nearly enough to SAVE the people we love. Like NOSTR developers, the cancer researchers are welfare recipients in lab coats/pocket protectors.
A person with billions of dollars or a few dollars and an Internet connection is not more savvy or smarter than an entire group of doctors. I used to think that way, I was a total fucking idiot.
We are the problem and every one reading this is one blood test away from understanding what I am typing right now.
I have to say, it sounds pretty terrible but badass if you add 'OF':
Jeff Booth: "The Bitcoin Angel of Ego Death"
Bitcoin is the FIRST BEST currency/store of value/digital property/money.
Exactly, and I know we both thought the same thing when Jeff explained how some people like to 'go after' other people and how it is a small percentage of people who like that. HOWEVER, in our defense, some 'toxic' Bitcoin maximalists are WAY better than other toxic maximalists. For instance, your level of toxicity is usually wrapped in cutting/biting humor, dare say sarcasm? Some people find sarcasm so off putting yet I think WE are hilarious and it is much needed Entertainment in the online Bitcoin world. Again thinking the Angel/Devil in "Animal House" on the guy's shoulder, Jeff is the Bitcoin angel Ego Death..Ego Death....Ego Death. Jeff "Namaste" Booth.
nostr:npub1s5yq6wadwrxde4lhfs56gn64hwzuhnfa6r9mj476r5s4hkunzgzqrs6q7z I saw you posted something about Brian Brooks. It was Brian, then Saif, then Saylor who got me to 'Orange Pill Myself.' It seldom is one person and/or effort. Your podcast is incredible too. I try to direct as many people over there. I do hope you can get Brian on your podcast. I know Natalie tried. He may be really gun shy for obvious reasons. Here are my notes (extensive). https://bitcoinapolis.blogspot.com/2023/02/bitcoin-brain-named-brian-brooks.html
A brief snippet:
Bitcoin: "A Brain named Brian Brooks"
Update: June 14, 2023: Sam Calahan of Swan was speaking to Natalie Brunell on Coin Stories the other day:
"Bombshells Against Binance & Coinbase Explained Simply with Sam Callahan"
In a Binance filing, Sam explains the previous two CEOs at Binance to CZ (Slea-Zy), known as Hostile CEO A and Hostile CEO B
CEO A is: Catherine Coley who is presumably still missing.
CEO B is: Brian Brooks
This was an excellent podcast, thank you. I just love how mellow Jeff Booth is, so easy to listen to, understand, and the time flew by. I laughed at the dogs, how you bleeped the only time Jeff swore as he warned you in advance. Talk about a guy who lives 'Ego Death' as he is invariably surrounded by Bitcoin Egomaniacs, one of whom is a fellow Canadian I can't listen to. Hint his schtick: "Back in my fuckin' day, it was Southwestern Bell, but now it is AT&T. Anyway, Southwestern Bell...." I always listen for a soundbite Yellow would like and the part Jeff said: "AHHAHAHRHGHAH" could be special to him. Finally, the biggest laugh was at the end when you explained how you are the only one who still says 'NOSE-ster', that is why Carla "Eccentric Lady" and Walker "Eclectic Man" are a Bitcoin power couple, formerly known as the ****** Couple. Redacted.
nostr:npub1a2cww4kn9wqte4ry70vyfwqyqvpswksna27rtxd8vty6c74era8sdcw83a It's already so doggone good. Thank you. Woof.
Vivik Ramasmarmy has lost his Bitcoin Badge. See anything wrong in his donation page (not so) fine print?
When it comes to Drivechain/Sidechain/Liquid Bitcoin/BP300/increasing Blocksize etc. You can't simply say 'trust us.' There is a ton of work left to do to simply explain things and there is a reason Saylor, Natalie, Saif are better than many of the techies/podcasters speaking on difficult subjects. Bitcoin is just as much about 'words' as it is 'numbers.' The latter is near miracle. The former needs a lot of work.
Two things come to mind.
1) My favorite Short Story
2) Frank Zappa quote
Short Story "The Man, The Dog, The Machine."
The man is there to feed the dog. The dog is there to keep the man away from the machine. THE END
Frank Zappa quote: Attached.
Fascinating take of yours on the 'information gap', wow. So Coinbase/Armstrong know Bitcoin is the best but they know how confusing it is out there on the Crypto side. We may as well go to the bank as much as we can for the years it will take to separate out the wheat from the chaff. Then say, "we had no idea" when pressed in the future. Totally slimy and total arbitrage as you said. Thanks.