Got tired of white ceiling so I gave it a greyish bluish coat (dusty blue palette) . Absolutely love it but never gonna paint ceilings again - I have zero Michelangelo skills. Why are ceilings these days always painted in white ?

Did clothing create shame, or did shame create clothing?

Arduino is an open source company that is highly successful esp in the makers and educational communities. And they open source everything - hardware, software. There is a large number of arduino clones globally, much cheaper too and they are just as welcome to the arduino community and considered as part of the ecosystem. But people tend to go back to arduino to get their goods because not only is it at an affordable price, but there is brand loyalty, trust, support - that and it’s the real thing. Would love to see more open source conversations on business-building and revenue-making in Nostr events. I think the equation that might work is : Build something so good + reach out to intended target market = people would love to pay for it. At the early stages, people may be drawn to a product out of curiosity or because they connect with the founder's vision. Over a period of time, they start to remember the brand, and this familiarity builds trust. This is the same whether you have IP protection, open-source, or keep it as a trade secret. But everything here is experimentation which is what makes it so special. Some call them developers but their are really open-source scientist testing out which hypothesis works. Nostr is like this big open-source laboratory and we get to watch it real time. Pretty amazing if you ask me.

Love these two quotes by Aaron Swartz - We must never underestimate the power of ordinary people to make a difference. Be curious. Read widely. Try new things. I think a lot of what people call intelligence boils down to curiosity.

This documentary is a good one in understanding why you want to be Nostr. It explains how the internet started as something pure and good, free from government and commercial interference — but eventually became regulated by governments, controlled by investors and advertisers, and dominated by algorithms and surveillance. After watching, I understand better why @jack gave > $21 million for open source with no expectations or influence by him — enabling innovations purely driven by the builders' vision — without investor pressure, advertising influence, or government meddling. It’s a long journey for Nostr, but I hope it remains pure and wonderful. And if you are reading this, know that every moment you are here, is a moment of freedom on Nostr ❤️ PS : These documentary captured significant eyeballs. If anyone know these guys or similar filmmakers, perhaps they can look into why Nostr is the renaissance of the internet.

The more governments try to aggressively suppress freedom of speech, the wider the awareness among people will grow. People will start looking for cyberspace where they can breathe easy. Keep building y’all❤️

Picked up The Alchemist over the weekend - I haven’t read it in over 20 years. It’s a feel good kinda book and I love this quote : When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

Saw this in a cookbook and I thought it was beautifully written Latvia | Latvija South of Estonia and north of Lithuania lies Latvia. Possessing a large coastline similar to Estonia’s (a fact reflected in the nation’s love of fresh and preserved fish), Latvia is also extremely wooded – no matter where you find yourself in the country you will always be within thirty minutes’ drive of a forest. Latvia's cuisine possesses fewer of its northern neighbour's Nordic flourishes. The influences tend to be more Russian in origin, unsurprising given the country’s demographics (of the three Baltic countries, Latvia is where the most Russian families have remained post-independence; they make up a quarter of the population). Like their neighbours, Latvians have both a very real respect for nature and hold close their time-honoured folk beliefs (for example, Latvians believe good fortune will come for the year ahead if they place the scales of an eaten fish in their wallet on New Year’s eve.) Linguistically, along with Lithuanian, Latvian is one of the last spoken Indo-European languages. While not known to be the most gregarious of people, once Latvians get to know and trust you, they open up to be some of the warmest, most welcoming people you are likely to meet. They are also known for their frankness, something that is reflected in the length of their constitution, the Satversme, which is one of the shortest in Europe. Riga, the nation’s capital, is home to beautiful art nouveau architecture, a medieval old town and a stunning central market. Like Tallinn, Riga has opened up to the outside world and its food while at the same time respecting its own traditions and culture. Yes, locals love to enjoy various dishes from around the world (sushi is particularly popular, for example) but they are just as likely to be found converging at the buffets of traditional Latvian restaurants to enjoy their own cuisine. The wide range of food available can be seen at the capital’s central market, where five old zeppelin hangers now house a kaleidoscope of fresh and pickled vegetables, dried flowers as well as dairy producers, butchers and fishmongers. It’s a UNESCO heritage site and one of the largest markets in Europe.

there's so much clarity in knowing what you don't know

❤️

Over a year ago I removed social media apps and email access from my phone. The phone became a much more peaceful and fun tool used to communicate with friends, reading stuff and just exploring new information when I’m taking a break from work. Turning smartphone to somewhat stupid has been a smarter move. Unfortunately I realise email is a necessity, but I haven’t come to terms with it yet. But that aside, if you are able to self direct own learning, autonomous learning often yields better results than having information pushed at you. I could never go back to the days of social media apps on mobile again. Even if reinstalled, I wouldn't bother with them—those days are long gone.

Dealing with a client who hasn’t paid and has gone MIA - this has taken up so much of my peace the past 2 weeks. I learnt the hard way that there are very little international laws to protect freelance workers. My country can’t do anything to help, other than to lodge a police report for formality purpose but I am fairly amazed that DOJ has been responsive as the client is American - and although it will take a few weeks, at least something I guess. The good thing about US governing bodies and justice systems is that they have always been polite. I don't know if they are polite to americans but they have been polite to me. My benchmark for response is so low that they shock the bejesus out of me with politeness all the time. Man, bootstrapping is tough - not the kind you get funded and still complain non stop lol, but the kind you work your arse off to self fund and have responsibilities and stress 24/7. But all throughout, I do have this sweet boy for comfort. Little things I am grateful for.