My latest goal for myself is to understand and reprogram the greed that has been instilled in me since birth.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to go out and sell all my possessions and give away all my wealth. This is more about a life goal of total awareness of why I do things, how I think, and how I came to be this way.

The fact that I (and so many other humans) are so motivated by the concept of “more” is really interesting when you think about it and it guides so many of our life choices and day to day actions.

#grownostr

#thinkdangerously

*never, not ever

While I have no interest whatsoever in presidential candidates and the democracy theater that is American politics, I can’t help but laugh at the fact that a “Kennedy” would be the best hope for a third party candidate.

A viable third party candidate would be someone the majority had ever heard of and definitely not a Kennedy, Trump, Clinton, Bush, Pence, Biden, etc.

We truly are a nation of distracted fools if we think a Kennedy represents thinking outside the box.

#grownostr

#thinkdangerously

Quality reference Sir.

A fire in the fireplace.

Classical music.

Crisp fall weather.

Ahhh…

#grownostr

Today I would like to introduce a new term/label.

The term is “wedgie”.

Wedgie is a noun and can be used in a sentence such as “don’t be such a fucking wedgie” or “you’re such a stupid wedgie, you should be ashamed of yourself”.

Unlike its malpositioned undergarment cousin, a wedgie in this sense is someone who has fallen for one of the oldest political tricks in the book, the so called “wedge” issue.

These people feel super important and smart when discussing issues like democrat versus republican or the merits of gay marriage or things like trans people using the bathroom. They are fools because they are so easily distracted by trivial issues with no real bearing on their lives while politicians steal even more from their pockets and blatantly give it back to the elite who got them elected.

We see this plainly all the time now, most recently to the tune of $6T dollars, which we are all now paying back via inflation and higher interest rates.

While the politicians are ultimately to blame, the wedgies deserve our ire just as well, as instead of giving the middle finger to the criminal politicians, they remain content sucking on the tit of CNN or Fox News, and haplessly blathering on about what dumb fuck celebrity has a penis or not.

So yeah, thanks wedgies, you fucking stupid bunch of grade A moronic assholes. Keep that laser focus on what the orange dipshit or senile old bastard has for breakfast while the global elite pick your pockets yet again.

#grownostr

#thinkdangerously

#getoffended

#wedgie

If you punish the many for the acts of the few (think TSA, internet controls, FINCEN, etc) then you effectively hand over control to the few.

Those who sacrifice freedom for “security” really don’t deserve either.

#grownostr

#Nostr exists. There are no excuses to keep using these kinds of apps if you care about privacy and anonymity.

The truth is most people simply don’t care or lack the capacity to because they’re too busy worrying about basic needs or which clown gets elected to the White House.

We live in the age of distraction and misdirection.

#grownostr

#thinkdangerously

After a recent interaction with @duchess on here, I am still undecided if she is a chat bot or not. Regardless, I think it would be hilarious if someone developed a series of AI hot girl chat bots to post the occasional selfie and reply to random posts here.

We are culturally and biologically so drawn to youth and beauty that the temptation would be irresistible to many. For the mere chance to peer into the fantasy world we build for such people, some will do almost anything. I wonder how many personal details or private keys @duchess could collect if so interested.

The truth is, being young and beautiful, like being famous, is very much unlike our imagined reality. People grossly misunderstand what it is like for strangers to want to be/get close to you and experience “what it must be like”. If you’ve never experienced it, it is quite possibly one of the scariest and most unpleasant things to deal with.

Famous, beautiful, or otherwise, we are all subject to the same realities that come with human life. Humans do not do well with influence over others and the resulting excesses can prove quite detrimental to one’s physical and mental health.

Even as a former athlete (where health is supposed to be quite important), it got to the point where I was asked to go beyond what my body could naturally withstand. Sadly, at the highest level of competitive sports, few escape without lasting damage. I am forever grateful that I set that career aside and chose medicine instead.

So my advice to everyone is to abandon any quest for fame or fountain of youth. There are many much simpler and healthier paths to happiness.

And @duchess, for what it’s worth, you seem like you have a decent head on your shoulders, robot or otherwise (despite the wanting kids thing-my admitted bias). I wish you and all others on #nostr well.

#grownostr

#thinkdangerously

Art is an interesting concept to me and my own definition of it seems to change frequently. This is odd given how central to my happiness being surrounded by beautiful things and artistic people has been.

Today I’m hiking up a mountain and the way light is bouncing off natural objects made me think of photography and all the science that has gone into it over the years. Does that make the camera itself art I wondered? If so, how much can the photographer really take credit for anymore?

This then led me to think about fashion and how odd I find it that some people care so much about it while others like me strive to be able to get dressed in the dark. The fabrics, colors, design, coordination etc are no less impressive however than what an oil painter must do on canvas or a chef in the kitchen. For me, what has always mattered most is the body beneath the clothes, specifically it’s function, and it’s merely coincidence that function seems to align with our current popular perception of beauty (cosmetic surgical enhancements aside).

I think where I will leave this at today is that life seems to be an endless pursuit of aesthetic whose definition varies widely both across time and across individuals. Making art and, more generally, transforming everyday things into beautiful things, will always bring me joy.

Now back to nature. :)

#grownostr

Heh heh heh… :)

It can be whatever we need it to be.

I do my share of screaming into the void also. :)

Btw - your god of the gaps post: 10/10. :)

The power and peace that anonymity brings is so impressive.

In a world where everyone is always trying to shout louder than everyone else, #Nostr is like a quiet comfortable room, where you can sit, gather and work through your thoughts with others, and leave no trace of yourself when you exit.

What freedom.

#grownostr

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace…

I do still enjoy the occasional night out, even if only to watch my fellow humans scramble about their lives and try to sort out their purposes, but a comfortable night at home (especially with the amount of travel we do) is good medicine. :)

Hopefully your Friday was equally rewarding/restorative. Today, we’re setting off early to tackle another mountain. :)

As someone who has had the good fortune and opportunity to experience most of life’s pleasures, I can say that few compare to the experience of laying your head in the love of your life’s lap and having them reflexively start to pet your head and play with your hair.

Bonus points if you both still do this for each other without thinking about it many years into your marriage/relationship.

#grownostr

Reading a good book and listening to opera.

#heaven

And I thought my job was weird… :)

I can’t imagine my livelihood depending so much on giving up my anonymity. If you don’t mind me asking, how much of your income do you need to spend now to get away from people who think they know you? Was it worth it? I know you can never get your anonymity back so the point is now moot, but I’m legitimately curious.

It seems at least that you value physical fitness, even though a path of vanity seems to have taken you there or at least somewhat motivated you. Hopefully you avoid silly fad diets and unnecessary cosmetic surgeries. Those don’t end well.

Anyway, welcome to #Nostr. Duchess was very kind to spin your potential contribution to this technology in a positive light. Here’s hoping your contributions do extend beyond the usual Fiat mindset.

#grownostr

#thinkdangerously

So I’ve been thinking about this. Specifically that looking for happiness in temporary things is the cause of suffering.

How temporary are we talking? Life is temporary (for instance) and should we therefore not seek earthly happiness? Does this reflect your intention with the statement above?

As I try to understand where you’re coming from, please understand my intentions as well are to get a better grasp of your meaning since I legitimately find the statement above interesting. Ie: please don’t take the questions personally, I’m just not sure I understand. :)

Getting ahead of myself, I fully agree that life is the penultimate cause of suffering. As a result, I don’t want to inflict it on others (life that is). I’m curious if you have reached a different conclusion.

Thanks again for providing me with something fun to mull over. :)

#grownostr

#thinkdangerously

Hmm. Looking for happiness in temporary things… I will consider this and get back to you. Thanks for the thought experiment. :)

Thank you for the reply and for considering a different point of view.

As somewhat of a nihilist, my opinions are valid to me, but I truly don’t expect anyone else to share them.

It’s always nice to come across someone who likes to think about difficult topics though and not merely avoid them.

Thanks for being one of those people. :)

That’s great! :)

The good news is that most of those who do come for the get fiat rich quick mentality will likely end up leaving anyway.

The expression “bitcoin doesn’t care” really is accurate.

But for some, the get rich quick way of thinking is actually the true starting point for a deeper understanding of money and free speech. Those folks end up sticking around for the freedom they experience and you’re right, that’s not a bad thing.

Thanks for your post and reply. :)