Old-timer, you knew facts about Lauda that I did not:  Her surname is Gillis!  And she wears not a skirt, but a kilt—with no underwear, fearsome fighter that she is.

Silly me:  I had always assumed that she was Egyptian.

Thank you.  Not only for that, but for some intelligent arguments which I believe are wrong, and are worth debate.

Unfortunately, I have had little forum time in the past few days.  I will return here (and to a few other threads) when I can treat this seriously as appropriate.

That’s just a little bit melodramatic for a 7-day ban of people who participated in a shitcoin giveaway, yes?

This is an Internet forum.  It is a 7-day ban from an Internet forum, and not undeserved.

Quarantines and death are not really comparable.

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Speaking of which, I regret that I am just passing through after missing many pages.  Due to IRL.  You know, the place where we are facing quarantines and death.

Wise investment strategy:  TA predicts that I would win such a bet. ;-)


I myself was once raked bloody with sharp claws for my having started in Zcash.  I was left pleading that it’s made by Real Cryptographers, that my crypto-idols Greg Maxwell and Pieter Wuille had cordially collaborated with Zcash people on some zero-knowledge cryptography stuff (on the Bitcoin blockchain), that Peter Todd was one of the trusted parties in the original Zcash Trusted Setup (per the blog post that he repudiated and defaced (archival link) when he unleashed a tweetstorm against Zcash), etc., etc.  At least technology-wise, it is not a typical shitcoin!

The cat’s reply:  Hiss.

Lauda is a Maximal Maximalist.

My personal experience HODLing Zcash :-(, plus their horrid handling of an unlimited inflation bug, their backpedalling on their promise to prioritize ASIC-resistance (just when XMR started fighting hard there), and many other stupidities, indicate that Zcash is an atypical shitcoin.  Technology alone does not produce the Bitcoin Social Phenomenon; and worse is good technology poorly executed.  I still say that Zcash is one of the best altcoins; but that is damning with faint praise:  Just saying that it has innovative technology instead of being a dumb clone of Bitcoin sources, and it’s not an outright scam.

Kitty: 1; Nully: NULL.

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Though your point is well-taken, my mention of Lauda was a one-line off-hand remark about someone whom I am honoured to consider my friend, amidst a post about some WO regulars.

Furthermore, I am thinking that the cat does not give any shits about what those particular peeps think.  As for me—eh.  I am not a cat:  I am a man.

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I personally will toast you on that:  Some of the trolls in Reputation perpetually accuse me of being Lauda’s alt.  I take that as a compliment, for I compete with her for the title of most principled and uncompromising. :-)


As for philosophy, although the discussion itself is as ancient as organized society, I believe that perhaps the relevant reference would be Machiavelli—who actually said that it is easier to rule by being feared, but more powerful to rule by being loved.

I love Lauda (don’t take that the wrong way: our relation is amicably professional).  So do many others.  And is she fearsome?  Frankly, I love the cat because she’s not a pussy (so to speak).

All good things must be dangerous, and therefore widely feared and hated:  As fire and Lightning, mathematics and cryptography, freedom, and Bitcoin itself.

In keeping with my (in)famous “theme” of quoting things that will upset idiots less if left untranslated:

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I know. ;-)


I am not particularly inclined to take up an extended discussion about this here in WO.  But you see, I have been running far behind in my quota for talking about Lauda:  The cypherpunk nym who is so powerful that she is a greater threat to liberty than governments, banks, and all the armies of the world combined!

Such wow.

Seriously?  A well-known rule that stops massive spews of spam should be bent based on favouratism, so that hardcore Bitcoiners can get away with participating in a shitcoin giveaway?  I don’t always agree with mods; but what’s supremely “bullshitty” is to give them bullshit over a ban that could have been avoided by, um, not participating in a shitcoin giveaway.  Some people whom I generally like are on that list; so, well, see ’em in 7 days.

Forking hell, in a locked thread where I can’t say what was already said anyway, this made me give preeeeccciouss merrritttzz to suchmoon.  Got to be objective, I guess. ;-)


That was damn straight.

Anyone want to place bets on what the cat would think?  LOL.

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Edit, OT/but for the record that I do not like backtalk, this was attempted at 2020-03-21 20:02:24:

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A warning for the topic creator? !! ? ! ?



“Victim”?

So sorry for your hurt feelings.  Please don’t break important anti-spam rules that prevent this place from degenerating into “crypto talk” or whatever.

No, I did not—because I did not waste my time downloading and watching a long list of videos as “proofs” of a theory that does not comport with common sense.

You did not even clearly identify the source and content of the videos.  You dumped a bunch of links with clickbait titles and talk beneath a big, scary banner.  If I had a satoshi for every time I had seen a similar format of presentation with Flat Earth, Moon Landing Hoax, etc., etc., ad nauseam, then we would need to hardfork a forbidden increase of max money.  “Watch these ten link-dumped hour-long videos narrated by a breathless nutjob, if you want to know THE TRUTH!!!”


Yes, based on that, I just knew that you were presenting what you purport to be primary-source evidence for a theory that you have vaguely insinuated without bothering to explain in any coherent way.

What in your OP suggests that I should even look (especially when I am under time pressure right now—well, most people are usually busy if their time is worthwhile)?


Nice straw-man.  Credibility is not determined by which free-upload video site you put things on.

Also, by the way, I surf the web with a locked-down Tor Browser with Javascript disabled, plus kernel-level restrictions that would prevent audiovisuals from working.  If I want to watch something on Youtube, Dailymotion, Pornhub, or any of these other tube sites, then I use security-isolated youtube-dl manually to download it.  I must expect that that will be worthwhile.  More importantly, I must expect that the time spent watching the long list of videos will be worthwhile.  And no, this doesn’t cut it:


Ahem, no.

Your post brought this plague to public attention (i.e., my attention), whereupon I created trust feedback.  (“Neutral”, because I do not use negative feedback for non-serious purposes; this is the third “neutral” that I have left in fine humour, and the second one that I’ve left for an alt account that had some humorous element (though the other one had a serious purpose).)

As for the taste of the joke, yes, I will laugh at the plague and laugh at death, too.  It is superior to panicking.  Indeed, I most appreciate the joke now of all times, because I can’t drink myself silly when I am trying to find serious information for serious personal situations.

Always check trust pages on suspicious Newbie accounts.

I think this one has bad intentions toward us all.

I also have strong opinions on the respective topics of overpopulation, vaccines, and epidemics.  (In my case, that last is my opinion of the risk that modern transportation technology can easily turn a local problem into a global pandemic, almost overnight.  What would happen if another Black Death were to occur in the era of aeroplanes and automobiles?  That would be a nuclear weapon, compared in relative terms to a .22 calibre coronavirus pistol.  No, I do not want to get shot with a .22 pistol, either!)  —Also, many opinions on etc., etc.

I am not a doctor.  I suppose that you could call me “a god damn computer geek” (though I would object, on grounds that I am anti-technocratic).

If I were also a billionaire, would you be suspicious that I had created SARS-CoV-2?  

Somebody close to me is now presenting symptoms fully consistent with COVID-19, including somewhat worrisome respiratory involvement.  Her dread phone call hit me amidst other blows of Murphy’s Law.  C’est la vie!

This is the singular person in my extended family to whom I have always felt closest, even when she is faraway.  I love her dearly; nevertheless, I am still not panicking.  Neither is she.  She is calm, rational, a lucid thinker despite the low-grade fever, and about as cheerful as one can be in the circumstance.  We candidly discussed her probability of death (we think, low but not insignificant); and in prudence, I inquired as to her wishes in the event of her death.  I had (and now have) tears welling in my eyes; she was emotionally unmoved.  Her morale is a model of personal courage—a quality for which I admit she handily exceeds me, and always has.

For psychosomatic reasons, I do think that this increases her chance of survival.  I have decided that if I contract the virus, then I will program myself with a subjective 100% dogmatic belief and determination that I will live—even though I objectively know that I am personally at high risk (due to multiple factors, all inapplicable to her).  A whitehat mindhack of pure doublethink:  I would be coldly, rationally fooling myself for the purpose of giving myself a placebo boost—without irrationally basing any practical decisions on that belief.

Anyway, I will not fear the virus.  Everybody dies someday; and death oft first embraces those who fear it.

I record this note both from my respect and admiration for the person of whom I speak, and for the general suggestion that indeed, on the other side of the coin, people who are mortally terrified of the virus are probably not thusly improving their prognoses if they actually catch it.  I once knew a palliative care nurse who watched human death occur daily; she habitually vented at me (before she eventually wound up in professional therapy), and she frequently remarked on the moment when people just give up.  I also have a passing familiarity with anthropological literature on witch-doctors who could literally kill with (the belief in) a curse.

Terror went viral:  The virus itself is genetic thing; on a “memetic” level, governments’ and mass-media’s treatment of the topic is practically a WMD.  The viral meme of mass panic is an apocalyptic global pandemic.

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Quote from: nullius on March 15, 2020, 05:53:59 PM

Some of you will die from the coronavirus...  The virus may kill me, too; maybe, maybe not.  That is acceptable:  Life is risk, and death is a part of life.  My only sadness is that sometimes, the worst befalls the best of people.

What is unacceptable is panic, bureaucratic “do something!” tyranny, and worst of all, hybris.

Quote from: nullius on March 18, 2020, 01:32:15 AM

People are going to die.  Yes.  That’s life.

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I find myself arguing against each and all of:

• Panic.
• Fantastic dolts who suppose that SARS-CoV-2 must be somehow of different origins from the 2002–03 SARS-CoV.  Wow, a zoonotic jumped species—as has doubtless been the origin of countless diseases throughout the whole history of all living creatures on Earth.  It is closely related to another zoonotic that also jumped species.  Clearly, the most likely explanation is that this is a genetically engineered bioweapon!
• Panic.
• Destroying all that remains of civilization, for the purpose of failing to save it.
• Panic.
• Tyranny.  The naïve, fallible mortal human in me is shocked that nobody notices we have instantaneously entered an era of global dictatorship, without any significant resistance or even protest.  The dispassionate scholar knows human nature, and is therefore not surprised.  The new normality is that every government everywhere can issue any “emergency” order they want, and nobody will even complain!  WTF.  Are you awake?  (Nice question.)
• Panic.

My own perspective:  Humans endured plagues for all time before modern history.  There are now two significant differences:

• Technology makes plagues spread much faster.  I shudder to imagine the Black Death in the era of aeroplanes and automobiles.  Could happen someday—is not the coronavirus situation.  Many coronavirus-type incidents have probably occurred over the centuries, but remained local, minor, barely worth remark.
  
  Indeed, I would suggest that Chinese scholars should probably examine the question of whether there is any evidence of previous SARS outbreaks, before modern times.  My hypothesis:  Variants of this virus have jumped to humans many times within the five millennia for which at least some historical record may exist.  Minor local outbreaks may have burned out without leaving any historical evidence that would be extant today (especially after the last century’s upheavals destroyed much historical evidence in China).  Thus, a negative cannot be proved (as is oft the case with historical hypotheses).
  
  I do think that’s an important question; and it is just the type of question that nobody thinks of.
• Modernity has made humans soft and weak.  Soft, weak creatures do not survive.  In this context, I mean that collectively, in the long run.  Sooner or later, humans have a high risk of going extinct due to having degenerated into wimps who are totally maladapted to the harsh conditions of life in this world.  Evolution is blind:  It does not always “progress” or “advance” a species with godlike intentions, as commonly assumed and implied by pseudoscientific liberals.

I never said that the virus is not bad (although I think its level of badness is much exaggerated, whereas people have faced much worse historically).

I never said that people will not die.  Actually, I am of the opinion that everybody dies someday.

I said and say, stop panicking.  If the current trend does not soon change, then a relatively moderate global epidemic of coronavirus will have ushered in a new era of mass starvation.  It has already inaugurated global tyranny, the full extent of which has yet to be seen.

Quote from: nullius on March 19, 2020, 02:55:01 AM

I condemn anybody and everybody who PANICS.

Out of respect for those few Americans who are not contemptible domestic animals begging to be wrapped in unlimited chains forever, I will quote a great American—a famous quote, which obviously applies here:

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” — Benjamin Franklin

Honey, I need to mortgage you so that I can accumulate some more Bitcoin before the halvening.

Not a new thought.  Also, as usual for me, it is not a wise investment strategy; people should ask Jay for those.  I am an extremist. ;-)

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If you want to insult me with the type of nonsense that says everything about you and nothing about me, then please at least have the balls to say my name.

Though you’re not the only one who is afraid to.

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I assume this is unrelated—but just in case, for the record:


From trying to figure out where mindrust had gone, I wandered in here during the dump, before the pump.  I wouldn’t change my avatar for the same reason that I don’t have a paid signature, and would only take one to avoid immediate personal catastrophe (admittedly possible).

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Life is just one big string of interruptions lately.  One after another...  Reply to mindrust stuck in drafts box.  I hope Jay’s advice is well taken:  It is sound, logical, and pro-Bitcoin without being hotheaded bull.

Simple: Put in an amount consistent with “what you can afford to lose”.  Then “if” it goes down to $1k (which I think is very unlikely), or even if “the motherfucker” goes to zero (!), put on your strong face and endure the pain—safe in the knowledge that you didn’t just lose your shirt.

If that amount is not greater than or equal to 0.00000001 BTC, then why are you even involved in Bitcoin!?

For me, that amount is equal to “all the long-term monetary savings that I have”.  But that is because I am—well, I am me.  I have endured physical hardship for my principles.  Losing my life savings would be very painful; but as I have said repeatedly, if hypothetically Bitcoin were to totally fail, then I would be much more worried about losing what may be our last historical chance for freedom-money.


Paging Jay, I think that mindrust needs some n00b-level generalized investing tips about risk management and not being “muh mental health!” tier weak hands.

I am not even a financial investor, and I know that much.  [Edit:  Jay posted while I was writing this post.  Just hammered through.  Go read what he said. ++Jay]

mindrust, what if Tesla goes to zero?  Or the goddamn dollar goes to zero?  Where is your risk management there?


I know that Jay is going hard on you lately, but daaaamn, you need it.

Actually, not only generalized investment advice:  Generalized life wisdom.


An inexorable, inviolable law of the universe in which we live:

Only the dead are safe.

I suppose that is an object lesson about emotional decision-making, generally. :-/

Edit:  P.S., see edit of my prior post.  (Damn, this thread moves fast.)

A sell all order!?  If there is money there that you really cannot afford to lose, it may be rational to hedge sometimes.  But close out your whole position!?

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Edit:


I know.  I am just joking around.  It is my way of coping with the discovery that a totally die-hard Bitcoin defender sold every last satoshi on the belief that it was all about to go to zero.

“9/11” was the best opportunity for wealthy New Yorkers (or Pentagon insiders) to vanish.  No bodies!  Any questions would be unpatriotic and offensive to family left behind!  Of course, opportunity favours the prepared; and that opportunity happened to favour wealthy, very shrewd people with overseas assets that may already have inadvertently slipped through the cracks and gotten lost.  Whoops!  The perfect storm of tragedies!  —Déjà vu:  I idly speculated on this with a personal associate, sometime before evening on 2001-09-11.  Neither of us were so foolish as to infer any connection between the people who perpetrated the attack, and anybody who may have conveniently exploited it for their own purposes.  Opportunity does favour the prepared!

As a separate but related issue, if I understand correctly, the Tragic Boating Accident pandemic started with the gun owners.  Of course, I expect that it should be contagious to goldbugs.


Funny memes aside, of course, I do not think that this would actually work in reality—unless your accident was well-documented, and occurred significantly in advance of any seizures.  With firearms, that probably also invokes a problem that you could get in big trouble for being caught currently in possession of an item with a serial number, which was legal before you proved that you lost it (and from which it is highly illegal to remove the serial number).  Gold is more fungible than guns are; and if you store only some of it in your boat, it may be difficult to tell which part is which.  Ammo is also fungible—and also has the ancillary benefit of being consumable.  Do you go shooting an awful lot?

I do hear that the plague of tragic boating accidents has made marine wildlife peculiarly dangerous.  PSA:  Be careful with the boat that you logically use to store your guns, ammo, gold, and also the only backups of your Bitcoin wallet!^*  Think of the environment!

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* Invokes the problem of blockchain analysis.  Be careful.

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I am in a peculiarly poor state of general health (not irrelevant to 20-month absence).  And with limited supplies of food and other critical items.  Things do not look good.

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Damn, this thread moves fast.  Edit before posting:


Too bad that mindrust had a tragic mental malfunction of the “totally WTF” calibre.  (← Edit after posting:  Worthy of its own meme graphic.  Hmmm.)  The silver lining is that he can report to the Turkish tax/doxing authorities with iron-clad documentation that he sold at the bottom, and now he just does stocks. ;-)

Done shilling BCH/BSV and decided to make sense now?

(Why I love the cat.  And why I always check trust pages before hitting the merit button on Newbie accounts.)

See also:

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(Will catch up with you all soon.  ENOTIME.  This was an emergency post, LFC_Bitcoin.)

N.b., I refuse to carry a phone.  For reason of its location-tracking.  (And its bugging ability, but that is somewhat easier to control.)  I guess the “new normal” does not have a place for me.  Excerpted in pertinent part:


I called it!  Enjoy!

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Edit:
I condemn anybody and everybody who PANICS.

Out of respect for those few Americans who are not contemptible domestic animals begging to be wrapped in unlimited chains forever, I will quote a great American—a famous quote, which obviously applies here:

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” — Benjamin Franklin