Given my desire to use nostr more, here is my backstory: I was raised on the banks of the Mississippi River by my father, an Indian immigrant, and mother who hails from a small Illinois farming town. I love to compete, and the basketball court and classroom were my arenas. I could not stand coming in second place, which has resulted in a robust—and often overdone—work ethic. I aimed to spend the summer before my sophomore year of high school increasing my basketball skill and strength so I could make the varsity team. However, for unknown reasons, I had a spinal stroke resulting in quadriplegia (i.e. paralysis in all four limbs). The loss of basketball was overwhelming emotionally. However, I pivoted my work ethic from basketball to physical therapy to possibly regain function. Believing in the “everything happens for a reason” narrative, I decided I would become a neurologist who specialized in spinal cord injury research and rehabilitation. I set my sights on attending the best school for neuroscience and ended up attending Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. I quickly realized, though, that I did not enjoy studying neuroscience, conducting neuroscience research, or interacting with patients. I was lost and did not know what to do with my life. In late 2020, I found bitcoin. Bitcoin intrigued me, and I went down the rabbit hole. I dabbled with the broader crypto universe, not yet realizing the difference. Bull markets are incredibly noisy for newcomers. I finished my neuroscience degree in 2021 but decided not to enter the medical field due to a lack of interest. I applied for an operations role at Morgan Stanley in Baltimore, as I desperately needed a job and knew I wanted to explore a career in finance. One of my interviewers talked at length about Bitcoin (fairly competently looking back), and that was enough for me to give the role a shot. The role was supporting the financial hedging component of commodities trading. Essentially, commodities traders use financial instruments to hedge bilateral or OTC deals to lock in PnL or mitigate price risk. I ensured these financial trades flowed correctly through our systems. After two years, my girlfriend of several years and I moved to New York City because of a mobility offer. I now handle settlements for our power and gas deals. I am receiving incredible insight into how these deals are structured. I love it. My girlfriend was key to my mental and emotional recovery from my spinal cord injury. She helped me love myself again and not settle for becoming a neurologist simply because I had a neurological injury. Without her, I’d be miserable in medical school and probably a fiat maximalist having never had the desire to explore Bitcoin. I will explore more of these items in the future, but I feel like this is a sufficient introduction. It’s nice to meet you.🤝

How do I add Phoneix wallet to Damus? I have to either paste something (what am I pasting?) or scan a QR code. @boston wine, you may be able to assist here. Thanks.

A picture says a thousand words: 1. A simple cortado—not an $8 syrup and sugar coffee concoction from a big chain 2. A glass cup—no microplastic dousing 3. A neighborhood bakery—supporting a local business who uses high-quality ingredients and bakes bread daily

destigmatizing disability by riding my scooter 5 mph down the streets of nyc able-bodied walkers in disbelief at the speed I cook at #zoomzoom

Big Coffee is a shitcoin with its overpriced syrup and seed oil concoctions. Return to the simple espresso or macchiato from your neighborhood cafe.

from the depths of the bear. still true. View quoted note →

back on nostr after some time away. i want to return to pairing true free speech (not billionaire-decreed free speech on X) with free money. View quoted note →

Bask in the sun + touch grass.

My work philosophy: - Set the tone for your team by arriving first and leaving last, taking extreme ownership, and striving to be the most productive. - Every process can become more efficient and less risky. You just need to be curious and competent. - Reduce your learning curve by asking questions across the organization, not just your team. Don’t settle for incomplete answers. - Teach others so your understanding increases. They will expose your lack of understanding. - Treat colleagues across the organization like you would a client—white-glove service and quick action. - Run with the most competent. Surrounding yourself with mediocrity leads to mediocrity. - As you feel your learning pace slow, ask for more responsibilities or pivot to a new internal/external opportunity. - As a new joiner, be an absolute dog—ask how your performance is tracked and create a plan to be the fastest trained. If you’re going to work, you might as well kick ass and be rewarded.

Should I share more insight into life with a disability? I feel like that’s one interesting topic I can opine on that most can’t.

The downside of deleting Twitter is I have no idea what’s happening in the world. Though, most of the “news” there is noise and inconsequential. The upside is I find myself speaking more with my girlfriend or reading an in-depth article instead of aimlessly scrolling.

A perfect day.☀️🌳

Deleted Twitter last night. Let’s see how long I can keep it that way.

#[0]​ Phoneix wallet is dope. I’m having a great time lol.

Zelenskyy as commencement speaker this morning.

Graduation pt. 2 for my lady this morning.

I’m not sure we have enough data points to say DeSantis is a bitcoiner or truly understands it at all. It’s much clearer that RFK is a bitcoiner. DeSantis has the right talking points, but he could just be appealing to our demographic for votes. My main issue with him is the way he’s approached the Disney issue. I don’t like the state using its powers to affect a business simply because that business exercised its right to free speech—regardless if I agree with that speech or not. There’s obviously more to that issue, but his meddling with Disney as a state entity doesn’t strike me as the very pro-freedom/limited government. View quoted note →

What is tragic about the health status quo in America is that people will choose salads doused in seed oils instead of eating steaks, thinking they are making a healthy choice. They are obsessed with “watching their salt intake” and “decreasing their cholesterol.” It hurts me watching the elderly and at-risk population forgo the food they should be eating for lies they have been sold.

Can someone explain to me what this is? What is it called?

In-person classical music is nourishment for the soul. Incredibly beautiful.