The only people making money on altcoins are the insiders printing, pumping, and dumping them. Bitcoin only.

Review of Musashi (1939) by Eiji Yoshikawa This is one of my favorite books of all time, and one that I return to often. It is the semi-fictionalized story of the real exploits of the greatest swordsman in Japanese history, Miyamoto Musashi. What makes this book so legendary? First, it takes place in the fascinating time period of Feudal Japan, when samurai warriors and the shoguns they serve rule the land. The duels and battle sequences are phenomenal, and made even more visceral in the manga, Vagabond (1998), inspired by Musashi. Furthermore, you as the reader get to experience the life-changing arc of Musashi, who starts out as a ruffian whom many consider a menace to society. His quest for greatness compels him to battle every esteemed samurai in the land to become the greatest warrior of all, but he eventually realizes the wisdom in choosing one’s battles carefully and using violence only after all other options have been exhausted. In short, you see him evolve from a battle-hungry youth to a principled samurai master. Though it’s a fairly long book at nearly 1K pages, it’s written in episodic format and so goes by quickly. I couldn’t put it down the first time I read it. Each mini story is awesome and profound in its own right, and they all work together toward the crescendo at the end. If you are the type of person who is drawn to the samurai way of life, this is the book for you.

Actual cypherpunks’ reaction hearing Lopp wants to freeze Satoshi’s coins

Bull market confirmed.

Have a blessed Sunday.

“There was once a teacher called Tozan, and one day when he was weighing some flax, a student came to him and said: What is Buddha? This question can mean what is reality, or what is it to be awakened… Tozan answered: This flax weighs 3 lbs.” — Alan Watts, The Gateless Gate

Book Review of Daemon (2006) and Freedom™️ (2010) by Daniel Suarez Just finished this series. I originally heard about it when Andrej Karpathy mentioned it in passing in an AI podcast, and decided if one of the preeminent devs of our time is thinking about it, it might be worth the read. Early on, I was skeptical the series would be any good. The characters seemed a bit one dimensional, and some of the plot lines were a bit pulpy for my taste. However, I’m glad I stuck with it, because the second half of the first book, and the entire second book is gripping. Not only that, but it succeeds where most AI takeover novels fail, in that the AI is not entirely evil or benevolent, but somewhere in the middle. It leaves humanity room to choose how the future unravels, then makes that future possible. I also like the gamified digital parallel world that arises alongside the legacy world. And the rise of dark net credits over dollars is reminiscent of Bitcoin and cypherpunk circular economies. The ending is also phenomenal. I won’t give it away, but it’s one of those book narrative arcs that feels immensely satisfying once you turn the last page, even if you had hesitations early on.

Bitcoin

Satoshi Nakamoto

Prof Jiang:

You can lead a normie to Bitcoin, but you can’t make him stack.

Bond holders are the sucker at the poker table.

Save in Bitcoin. Focus on your craft.

You can ignore Bitcoin, but you cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring Bitcoin.

“Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 18:3 (KJV)

Review of The Secret Oral Teachings in Tibetan Buddhist Sects by Alexandra David-Neel (1967) This is said to be Alan Watts’ favorite book. Or at least, the one he praised most during his lifetime. He calls it the ‘I told you so’ book: “If you want to know what Buddhists really teach on this matter, put in a very simple way, you get a book by Alexandra David-Neel called, ‘The Secret Oral Teachings.’ […] I call it the ‘I told you so’ book because I’ve often been accused of inventing my own unique brand of Buddhism and foisting it off on the public as being the real thing. I just have to point them to this book and say, ‘You see?’” — Alan Watts, The Power of Space This book draws from the author’s years living among Tibetan lamas and monks in the 1910s and 1920s, gaining their trust and collecting their oral teachings firsthand. It is perhaps the most direct, no-nonsense explanation of Mahayana Buddhism that has been written other than Watts’ own work. It is short, enjoyable, and has a style of lighthearted curiosity and clarity.

Review of The Book of Satoshi by Phil Champagne (2014) Too often “best Bitcoin book” lists overlook this primary source gem. If you haven’t read Satoshi’s own words, you are missing the most formative part of Bitcoin’s history. Phil has done an excellent job compiling all the most important forum posts, emails, and correspondences Satoshi exchanged with early cypherpunks and developers. You’ll be amazed by how many of today’s hot-button debate topics, from quantum computing threats to block size limits, spam, and beyond, were already thoroughly hashed out in Bitcoin’s first few years. More than that, you’ll get a sense for the man himself. His tone of voice. His philosophy. His intentions for Bitcoin. After the whitepaper, this is the text I recommend most to Bitcoiners seeking a deeper understanding of the most important monetary innovation since the gold standard.

Parable of the Empty Vault “Time, which sees all things, has found you out.” — Sophocles, Oedipus Rex (429 BC) Once, in a vast realm that stretched across seas and lands, there was an annual festival. Noble leaders gathered with their children to celebrate the kingdom’s long history and its reputation for enduring wealth. For generations, the people spoke of the hidden vault beneath the capital, said to secure the prosperity of the entire realm. The children grew up hearing these stories of the vault and dreamed of seeing it for themselves. At last, during one great festival, they approached the royal steward, keeper of records, and asked to be shown the treasure that had made their kingdom so dominant. The steward hesitated. He told them the vault was unremarkable, its story dull and long past its importance. But the children persisted, and the nobles joined them. Reluctantly, the steward led them through winding corridors to the cavern meant to hold the realm’s riches. The vault was empty. No gold. No jewels. No coins. The children stood silent. The nobles exchanged uneasy glances. How could a kingdom celebrated for its wealth continue to thrive when its legendary treasure was gone? After a long pause, the steward spoke. Years earlier, he explained, storms and misfortune had carried away the contents of the vault. The records, however, remained. Over time, those records came to be trusted more than what had once filled the stone chamber. New claims were added. Promises multiplied. Eventually, many claims rested on what had once been a single hoard. The numbers continued to grow, even as the vault stayed empty. Only then did the people begin to understand what they had already been sensing. Prices across the realm had been rising. Goods required more effort to produce yet wore out sooner. Crafts that once stood on their own now depended on distant suppliers and intricate arrangements. The kingdom still appeared prosperous, but maintaining that appearance demanded ever greater coordination and strain. Some had fared better than others. Those closest to the steward, those who received early access to new records and promises, found themselves growing wealthier. Their proximity insulated them from the consequences felt elsewhere. For the rest, prosperity arrived later, diluted, or not at all. What had seemed like scattered troubles now formed a single pattern. The empty vault had not caused these changes all at once. It had merely revealed them. In time, the people began to search for a new foundation. *** This parable originates from The @The Way of Bitcoin (wayofbitcoin.com)

I’m a Bitcoiner so my retirement plan is fiat collapsing as it has since 1913.

Have a blessed Sunday.