History coming to life

Today I enjoyed a very private tour (no one else showed up) through the Met’s American Art exhibit, which, like most of the museum, is a true marvel.

Growing up I enjoyed reading about history, but somehow it was always a very rational pursuit. In short, I mostly took what I read as a story or an interesting fact. I found it difficult to identify viscerally with the events, to truly put myself in the shoes of the people that experienced them.

Today I’m reminded that history, at its best, makes past events come to life: Descriptions of the life of dutch settlers sharing the island of Manhattan with only 500 other pioneers from a multitude of nationalities and backgrounds, Washington’s men crossing the Delaware during a freezing cold Christmas eve, the extravagance of the Vanderbilt’s gilded age.

How can one not be in awe of the fortitude, the creativity and resourcefulness, the insanity and obsession of those that came before us?

Emmanuel Leutze’s “Washington Crossing the Delaware” (1851)

Running nostr from 30,000 ft - the new (couple of) mile high club

The Woke Mind Virus  -  Part 2

In Part 1 I argued that while the social justice movement has an at least partially sound origin, its opponents are correct in characterizing it as a problem, or even a mind virus.

Here I want to suggest that this virus will not be stopped by trying to argue against it or by demonizing those who spread it. Viruses only become a problem when they encounter a weak host and bad ideas only spread when they fall on fertile ground.

Most radical movements in history have spread not for a lack of resistance but because they found support in a very frustrated population.

This movement is no different. Many people are deeply frustrated with their overall situation and a flawed social justice movement is one of their outlets. And an increasing number of people is encountering circumstances in their daily life that are not just frustrating but traumatizing, adding fuel to the fire.

This, the wounds and the trauma is what needs to be addressed. Not by giving in to every irrational and counterproductive demand. Not by arguing. But by proactively working on a new system that can hold and heal.

Edward Hicks' "Peaceable Kingdom" (1832)

The woke mind virus

This is not a post about how wrong the social justice movement is about everything.

Unlike Jordan Peterson I think that postmodernism has merit. He who studies existence through contemplation must recognize that reality is in fact much more fluid than our culture would have us believe, that absolute truths and duality are difficult to come by and that the solid self does not hold up to scrutiny.

And yet, those who have succumbed to the woke mind virus have thrown the baby of meaning out with the bath water of meta-narratives. Meaning can co-exist alongside ambiguity just like content can exist alongside emptiness.

In order to exist in the world we need to engage with it as a solid self. And we need to agree to certain landscapes of meaning. Now, clinging to that solid self and being overly committed to one particular landscape is the source of many an ailment of our culture, but denying the existence of any such structure is just as harmful.

Once again, we need to dance on the slackline of paradox in order to “make sense” of it.

William Frederick Yeames’s “And When Did You Last See Your Father?” (1878)

How is anyone proactively choosing Microsoft 365 over Google Workspace?

How is anyone proactively choosing Microsoft 365 over Google Workspace?

Life is not a dress rehearsal

Even if you’re not into motorcycles the film TT - Closer to the Edge ought to be on your watchlist.

It follows what must be one of the most dangerous races in the world, the Isle of Man’s Tourist Trophy.

The TT is not dangerous in the way other motorsport events are dangerous - it is critically and imminently lethally dangerous - since its launch in 1907 there have been 156 fatalities (6 of them in 2022 alone).

If you’re interested in how the existence of such a race can possibly be ethical, I’ll direct you to a read that goes into this difficult question much better than I could.

The reason I wanted to write about the TT race is due to a scene from the movie in which yet another casualty is reported and some of the spectators are interviewed about it. In one notable interview, a spectator addresses the question about whether this race should continue to exist with the answer:

“Life is not a dress rehearsal.”

Even for those of us who are not racing motorcycles, it is important to remember, from time to time, that we are going to die one day. And that this, right here, is it. This is opening night.

Have a great Monday!

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s "Riding With Death" (1988)

Primal

Festina lente

Wisdom often consists of holding two opposing notions simultaneously. One example is the Latin proverb Festina lente - Make haste, slowly.

During my stay at the Japanese Zen monastery Antaiji I was able to experience the idea of festina lente first hand. Everything here had a place and time. And there were clear instructions for almost every task around the premises.

This made it easy to perform tasks or move between them swiftly but it also created an optimal and distraction-free environment to complete them mindfully.

The result was people who worked hastily, yet intentionally. Who rushed and who yet were mindful.

The result was flow, flow even during mundane tasks.

M.C. Escher’s “Waterfall” (1961)

All we need to regulate AI is to put it on a Bitcoin standard

@note1kmgsfpu97qgu8rag6sgv0rlta3q5xak9x9ku9zcsnf2c7qljwqas2fthqx

Say hi to my Dad, nostr:npub1cxdeppg2cnsjals3tfhp3303uccvdmwnvhw9fvquczp8qn58j6nqc5xamn, surely the first chess Grandmaster on nostr!? Hit him up for conversations about chess, riding a motorcycle through Italy/the Alps and tobacco. 😉

#introductions #chess

Honestly, this is valid feedback. Doesn't take away from the movement, but there need to be solutions to some of this.

Yes, Alby is a good and safe way of doing it! But curious if others have other ideas!

Two non custodial wallets that integrate with #nostr are: Alby, Phoenix

Some of my relays are stale. Is there a list of relays you all recommend adding?

nostr:npub12akj8hpakgzk6gygf9rzlm343nulpue3pgkx8jmvyeayh86cfrus4x6fdh

Markets are complicated but they're not that complicated. In the end it's supply and demand. And we know that a very large amount of #Bitcoin has recently been absorbed by ETFs.

Yes, there has been a lot of extraordinary selling on the supply side (including the German police, FTX, Mt. Gox etc.) but this has been the case every cycle.

I think that until all major custodians' holdings Bitcoin are audited, we as Bitcoiners should assume that another FTX (or even larger) is hiding in plain sight, thereby suppressing the price.

Can someone explain what I'm missing? If I'm right then I think that this ought to be a key area of focus for nostr:npub15dqlghlewk84wz3pkqqvzl2w2w36f97g89ljds8x6c094nlu02vqjllm5m nostr:npub1sg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q0uf63m and other influential bitcoiners. We need proper audits of all #bitcoin on exchanges!

nostr:note10lnade0yjvpcqzqdlyyszvzurvhyfd2kctt33k80zvnczdlaxczq2lcs33

The only plausible way for so much incremental demand for #Bitcoin to not result in higher prices, is for a significant part of the supply to not be actual Bitcoin.

This is a real problem.

"growth through self-inquiry". Love that!

Welcome Ben!