I don't know why it took about a week to show up in my feed, I only found this from some of the Youtubers I've been following. So here's the interview. It's at the very end https://youtu.be/YcgE-5a1Ztc

So apparently scientists found a piece of code that has been patented by Moderna 3 years before the pandemic, in the Covid virus. I knew 0 genetic engineering stuff but that sounded sus to me. I'm trying to look up articles about it and the only one from something more mainstream was that 2 scientists reverse-engineered the Moderna vaccine and posted it online.

Now we could just give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe that 1 in 3 trillion chance needed for this to happen indeed happened. But what further make it suspicious is the CEO has basically dropped most of his stocks and even deleted his Tweeter.

In light of all this, do you suspect Moderna was behind this pandemic? Apparently they really weren't selling anything aside from this vaccine.
 

I noticed that the forum is, I don't know how to call it, wonky whenever I use my browser's TOR feature. I'm using Brave BTW. For starter, I get asked a captcha when using the private window with TOR. I never have to do that with the regular window. This captcha also seem to purposely make me repeat it over and over again, even failing me when I answered correctly. Needless to say, it takes quite a while just to login to the forum. I've had sites that require image captchas that I've opened in the regular window and those captchas work normally and I've NEVER had to repeat any.

And then this one which I've encountered for the first time - "Too fast/Overloaded (503)" error message. I've made a post in the Pol section about Ukraine, watched like 20 minutes of news about what's going on there, then when I came back to post on the Economics section regarding that topic, I got that error message. Took me like 3 times refreshing the page before it allowed me to post my comment.

I've only experienced TOR through Brave and haven't used it in other ways and the only thing I knew about it is it's all about privacy but why do I have the feeling that this forum does not like it?

So I've only started hearing about this, from a non-economic channel no less (Better Bachelor, which happened to got recommended?. https://youtu.be/diVXYzN-X1k Here's the video from BlazeTV he showed. https://youtu.be/zbkCBIIol2Q

I still haven't completely grasped it but how bad do you think it would for us? And do you think crypto can help?

It looks like this whole trouble Vox started isn't over yet and now they're demanding MORE censorship. I couldn't care less what these people say to each other, what's disturbing is that it can get even worse. Also weird that people are stealthly being unsubbed eh?

I wonder how things could change if Google get hit by antitrust.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SATOtyNLYA

First thing in the morning and this is the first Bitcoin news that showed up in my feed... https://www.ccn.com/rich-bitcoin-trader-risks-death-penalty-for-building-home-on-the-sea/amp

I remember there was a thread here talking about this same project. Also IIRC they were still within Thailand's territorial waters. Do you think the government would push through the complaint and actually arrest the couple?

I think this case would hamper further seasteading attempts since they would all have to at least be assembled near the coast before being dragged into international waters. Governments can follow Thailand's example and file complaints while projects are still under construction.

https://youtu.be/xS-eWwwmcoo

It's just unbelievable what's coming out of the mouths of these people. Terrorism, money laundering? Banks have had a monopoly of those for a long time, now a more transparent technology came out, they'd start accusing it of those crimes?

Considering that these bankers has also talked about removing the insurance in bank savings accounts, it just strikes me as revolting for them to say all these. If people felt secured with their money these banks are holding and then loaning away with massive interests, then maybe people wouldn't feel the need to find other ways of keeping their money.

Sigh, guys, they've finally taken notice and has become more serious now. The battle has begun

OK, so this was from several weeks ago but just happened to chance upon it on my Recommended list (quite funny they did recommend it, right?).

This is a small video from the engineer that Google fired. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9_o42QaVnA In it he said that Google do remove links to certain videos on Youtube and results on Google search. Have you ever actually encountered it? Like, some site you used to access disappears from the first page of the search result (bumped down) that you only notice when you are not using your Google account?

I can't remember any instance but they are really censoring stuff that don't have the usual elements calling for censorship (pornography, violence, etc) then wouldn't that be really disturbing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QqRN8YNe_A

So what do you think? How could America have done it differently? Of course whether they did all that for their own good is up to question but as we see now, the results haven't been pretty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAVOrCPBVzU

Business Insider executive editor Sara Silverstein speaks with Richard Turnill, global chief investment strategist at BlackRock, which oversees $6 trillion. He says that while he thinks blockchain technology will be adopted more over time, but that doesn't mean that cryptocurrencies should keep going higher and higher. He says they show a lot of the characteristics of a bubble. Lastly, he argues that bitcoin has no fair value right now, which is why he doesn't own it.

So what are your thoughts on this? I also believe nothing can keep on going up forever but when do you think the price increases would stop and we'd get a plateau?

OK, so I don't live in the US but I came upon this on my subs and I really do found it a bit disappointing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1vE_LVBx4s

So, how do you justify this? I'm all for free market and letting people reap the rewards of their labor and risk taking but are these exemptions really justifiable?

So I was going through my subscriptions when I saw this video in the Business Insider channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxJ_fRgswj0

I have a hard time talking about economics but I just find it a bit annoying for it to be called a bubble. Also the mention of having no intrinsic value can also be said of fiat but no one seem to complain.

I dunno, maybe I've just grown to be more confident of Bitcoin. If you have to explain to someone, but someone you know or those jerks on the Youtube comments that bitcoin is not a bubble, what would you tell them?

Came upon an article while browsing FB. I knew from the title that it's gonna anger me and indeed, it was blood-curdling.

http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/172587-maute-child-soldiers-marawi

MARAWI CITY, Philippines – A few years ago, a young boy overheard Cayamora and Farhana Maute talking to his parents about him. The parents of the notorious Maute brothers, responsible for the raging battles in Marawi City, were offering to make him study the Koran.

It was a privilege a poor family would not pass up, especially if the offer came from such a respected clan. In the absence of formal schooling, it's common practice in communities here to organize Arabic and Islamic studies for children.

“Pangarap ng pamilya ko makapag-aral ako ng Koran (It is my family's dream to make me study the Koran),” said the boy, now in his teens. What is not clear is if his parents were also given monetary assistance.

The boy found himself relocating a few years back to the faraway town of Butig, some 50 road kilometers away from Marawi City, where he diligently learned the Koran.

But a month into the lessons, they gave him a rifle and taught him how to kill. "Lahat daw ng Christian sa buong mundo, patayin daw, 'te (They said all the Christians in the world must die)," he said.

The boy did not know about the Mautes' links to the international terrorist network Islamic State (ISIS) or anything about establishing a caliphate in Mindanao, which, according to the military, was the "grand plan" of the Maute Group.

He was told it was his specific duty to kill government soldiers.

"Tinuruan ako mag-patay ng tao. Kung di ko siya patayin, ako ang mamamatay. Ako naunahan ba (They taught me how to kill people. If I don't kill, I will die. They will kill me first)," he said.

He was once a child soldier fighting alongside the Maute brothers in his not so distant past. If he had stayed with the Mautes, he could be fighting in Marawi today, if not be dead already, he said.

When he was in Butig, he did not question the teachings. Not even in his mind. "Naniwala kami din, 'te, mga dalawang taon na 'te. Naniwala talaga 'te (I really did believe them for two years. I really believed)," he said.

His singular dream was to go to heaven and he was taught dying in battle was the way this could happen.

"Gusto ko talaga magpakamatay (I wanted to die for the cause)," he said.

Indeed, the boy recalled being happy in Butig, where he lived in a big house. He was especially fond of riding the horses when they were on a break from studying.

He mingled with the Maute children, including Omar and Abdullah, who would rise to international notoriety for the ongoing siege in Marawi City.

“Masaya ang Butig. Masaya buhay ko sa Butig (I was happy in Butig. I had a good life there),” he said.

To protect the boy, we agreed not to divulge his name and his personal details. We verified the boy's story about his stay in Butig – the hometown of Farhana Maute – by checking military reports too about the terrorist group's operations in Butig.


Brainwashed

The boy agreed to talk because he doesn’t want more children to be brainwashed by the likes of the Mautes to support a cause that he now says is “very wrong.”

That the Maute Group used child soldiers is well reported. Rappler also obtained what appears to be propaganda videos of Filipino-looking children joining adult fighters carrying the ISIS black flag. A high-ranking military officer who operated in Butig confirmed the video was shot in the area.

The same officer provided an old photo of child soldiers recovered last year in one military operation in Butig, Farhana's hometown.

The boy said he was told it's what Allah wanted him to become.

"Sabihin nila, magka-edad ka na. Tapos ito gawin mo. 'Yan ang sinusundan natin dito sa Koran. Utos ng Allah (They say, you are growing up. This is what you should do. This is what we should follow, according to the Koran. It is what Allah wants us to do)," the boy recalled.

He was the perfect soldier. There's nothing like the misinformed courage of a child.

"Gusto ko talagang patayin ang mga sundalo. Nagtatatakbo ako sa mga puno para maghanap ng sundalo (I really wanted to kill soldiers. I was running among the trees to hunt for them)," he said.

He was talking about the clashes last year in Butig, where the Maute Group was able to raise the black flag of the Islamic State (ISIS). Three military offensives were launched there to flush them out.

"Naubos ko pa mga bala ko sa unang giyera. Sobra. te. Sabi ko, mamatay ako sa giyera na ito at mapunta na ako sa langit. Kung mamatay sa giyera, kukunin ka ni Allah (I emptied my magazine in my first battle. It was intense. I told myself, 'I will die in this war and I will go to heaven.' If I die in the battlefield, Allah will welcome me to heaven)," he said.

"Ready talaga ako mamatay, 'te. Kapag pumutok ang kanyon at ang mga eroplano dumating, hindi talaga ako magtago (I was ready to die. If the cannons were fired and if the planes came, I really wouldn't hide)," he added.

The boy didn't die in the wars in Butig. He didn't kill any soldier either. He didn't get the chance to master his marksmanship. And then something happened that changed his life and made him realize the teachings were wrong. We are withholding these details to protect his identity.

Today the boy said he still reads the Koran on his own. "Magbasa ako ng Koran. Pakiramdam ko 'te parang magaan (I read the Koran and when I do, I feel much better)," he said.

He hears the clashes in Butig and he knows some of his friends are fighting to get to heaven. "Maling-mali talaga, 'te (It's really wrong)," he said.

The military was surprised by the Maute Group's resistance in Marawi City because bandits usually run to the mountains and escape when confronted with heavy artillery. The clash is now on its 4th week and the fighters are still holding out.

If they were trained like the young boy, it means they are all ready to kill and they are all ready to die. – Rappler.com

What must be done to stop this madness?

So I was just surfing the web during my downtime and the internet being a rabbit hole that it is, I realized I got to this page....  http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20010817233944data_trunc_sys.shtml

Having read Guns, Germs and Steel before (as well as watching the documentary on Youtube), I was really surprised that the difference can be attributed to simple things like frost.

This got me thinking, if you believe the poor countries are already locked in to their fate by the cards dealt them, does this mean they are blameless for their current situation? Did colonialism really messed them up or it simply exacerbated an existing problem? And how can poor countries overcome the challenges to becoming 1st-World?

I wonder how many people here have heard of the channel Holy Koolaid on Youtube. A few weeks ago Thomas has posted that changes in the way Youtube pay for ads has really made a dent on his income. Apparently he moved somewhere in Asia so he can live cheaper while doing his online work full time.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP8mSkYLWgg&lc=z13zs1l5vyusdjzek22qxtrbdousclcyc04.1494021338309487

Just now he posted that he finally got a bitcoin address to receive donations. http://www.holykoolaid.com/bitcoin/

I do find his vids amusing and they're definitely one of the milder channels along that line. I can't donate though so I'm thinking I might post this here in case anyone's interested. Maybe Moloch would?