btc
Ben Cousens

☻ cso https://zbd.gg
⚡︎ founder https://antidote.biz
┼ singer https://theholyhour.faith
✐ cuzomano https://audiosnobbery.com

Public Key

npub14yzxejghthz6ghae8gkgjru63vvvwpl6d454wud2hycqpqwnugdqcutuw5

NIP-05 Address

btc@zbd.gg

NIP-57 Address

btc@zbd.gg

Profile Code

nprofile1qqs2jprveyt4m3dyt7un5tyfp7dgkxx8qlax662hwx4tjvqqs8f7yxspzdmhxw309ucnydewxqhrqt338gmnwdehqy28wumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hst7ej46

Publishing to

127.0.0.1:7777

relay.damus.io

Author Public Key

npub14yzxejghthz6ghae8gkgjru63vvvwpl6d454wud2hycqpqwnugdqcutuw5

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Last Notes

2025-04-29 10:52:58

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They’ve been the go-to reference for a lot of the post punk revival that started in London in 2019/20. The original Black Country, New Road material drove the most comparisons, but I think it was a little overdone (critics thought comparisons made them sound clever imo). To me, Slint sit very squarely in Gen X apathy and I love it.

2025-04-29 10:45:42

It’s beautifully sunny outside so I’m listening to Slint. https://open.spotify.com/track/6zWbR4y3nTpXQ2YvXwvf56

2025-04-21 14:54:18

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I would look past the illustrator’s work as they are not the author.
I think it was in 2013 that Prince said “the internet is over” to The Guardian. He was ridiculed for the statement at the time, but the gap between what an artist tries to convey and what the audience understands is often wide. I increasingly see the statement as very prescient. The internet isn’t what it was. Feeds are alienating, opt-in spam, and websites are a dying art.
On Nostr, we herald the ability to rectify much of this while we also paradoxically create an even more powerful and dangerous incentive: money for engagement.
On balance, I do feel it is likely to be an improvement: at the very least, the financial relationship between creation, creator and audience is direct and transparent. In an optimistic light, real artists and true quality will rise to the top and have the means to go further… but rarely does the utopian vision for a technology play out.
I remain hopeful, because the contemporary internet is indeed rather shite.

2025-04-21 11:48:25

Nice piece (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/5d06bbb4-0034-493b-8b0d-5c0ab74bedef

2025-04-18 17:15:42

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To be fair, I’m a goth rock and post punk fan… I’d rather scream “now I’m nothing” over a broken guitar.

2025-04-18 17:13:13

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Lots here to think and talk about. Matt and Marty have a lot to learn about gaming.
Lightnite/Satoshi’s Games definitely didn’t fail because of it being a development sinkhole, and it certainly wasn’t going to fix anything by switching chains.
Stay tuned for PC gaming with Bitcoin news. Nothing to report any time soon, but we haven’t forgotten that world at all at ZBD. Quite the opposite.

2025-04-18 17:08:12

There’s something deeply depressing about a song whose chorus is belting out “I want to be forever young” over a generic pounding dance beat.

2025-03-31 22:17:23

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*Bluesky is _still_ shit. Everything now deleted.

2025-03-31 22:11:08

Bluesky is shit.

2025-03-31 19:33:58

This is why scaling custodially can be acceptable today. We should drive usage; it’s good. Not everyone can own a UTXO.
#nevent1q…gn6w

2025-03-29 17:28:09

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yes plz

2025-03-26 06:03:31

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🫡

2025-03-25 04:48:28

I feel ready to re-engage with social media. I have words I can articulate; le jeu, blasé, se met comfortable et se laisse passer.
But where to even start? Nowhere is cool anymore.

2025-03-25 04:02:19

🌞 Vibes 🌞

2025-02-26 00:01:56

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Primal auto-zapped “coffee on me,” but I’d honestly love this and would be so in your debt I’d owe you a starfish with that coffee.

2025-02-25 08:46:43

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😬🫣

2025-02-25 07:12:37

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About time you shared some good music.

2025-02-21 16:32:45

Disgraceful. https://news.sky.com/story/apple-removes-advanced-security-tool-over-uk-government-row-13314003

2025-02-09 17:22:29

How does it feel
To treat me like you do?
When you’ve laid your hands upon me
And told me who you are.

2025-02-06 00:41:08

It’s 2025 and it’s still very difficult to find people on Nostr.

2025-02-01 08:38:48

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While a legendary moment in music history, Prince was deeply unhappy with the night. He idolised James Brown and choked when he was invited on stage. Deeply competitive, he felt he needed to upstage MJ, but froze both on guitar and vocals. Hence the “weirdness” of his performance. MJ and Prince would go on to have an extremely competitive relationship throughout the 80s.

2025-01-30 18:28:28

I wish my thoughts and insights were a bit more whimsical, but life gets so grown-up.
I miss David Lynch’s weather reports already. I remember listening to them on KROQ in LA back in 2006/7.
Such a little slice of bizarre delight for almost 20 years.

2025-01-30 18:27:04

Thinking.
Networks with low user bases but extraordinary reach are not Social Networks. They are Influence Networks. There are varying degrees of influence networks, and I believe this description better aligns with the monetisation model.
Don’t confuse them with Social Networks, which have essentially fallen apart (at least the 1.0 form).
…And don’t confuse Social Networks with Social Graphs.
The next social network could be built on this social graph, but there’s a lot to build.

2025-01-16 18:47:01

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Such sad news!

2025-01-16 18:46:45

fuck.
https://news.sky.com/story/david-lynch-twin-peaks-and-mulholland-drive-director-dies-13290346

2025-01-13 09:15:37

Oh the irony! https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jan/13/george-orwell-to-be-honoured-on-new-2-coin-by-royal-mint

2025-01-12 00:58:43

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I take it back. Bluesky is shit.

2025-01-06 18:44:15

I’ve been spending time on Bluesky. I really quite like it.
Mainly because what I’m interested in—all the musicians and creative people I admire—is readily-available, discoverability is decent, and the community engagement is present.
Threads, I’ve yet to try, but I must say it has zero appeal to me, and I’m very familiar with Mastodon/ActivityPub communities. I also can’t stand Instagram (why I like Olas).
As others are saying, talking about Bitcoin and Nostr all day is boring. To critique myself, even when I’m thinking about music here, it’s always with a v4v touch. “Setting up” over here is also really quite complicated.
On Bluesky I instantly found my favourite bands, and they’re posting cool stuff I want to see. I’m wanting to check it more. My X usage continues to evaporate.
Bluesky attracted normies and now it has a small network effect, because they don’t talk about Bluesky all day. No one there cares about what we care about over here, and that’s why it’s successful in attracting media & entertainment. It’s good to see things improving here, slowly.
It’s definitely possible Bluesky dies, but the social media world has changed for good imo. We’re in the unbundling era. Communities will become smaller.
Nostr needs to become cool. It’s too awesome, and it’s what I hope social media and the internet will be more “like”. Having all your friends and content come with you, wherever you go, is very cool.
Look at me, part of the challenge, writing about Nostr on Nostr.

2025-01-04 11:45:16

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https://m.primal.net/NRcC.jpg

2025-01-03 10:08:45

Olas definitely the most exciting Nostr client in terms of potential I’ve seen in some time. h/t @npub1l2v…ajft 👏

2024-12-30 19:49:42

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Quick maths says this is ~$16/mo. More than a streaming subscription, and all the funds going only to the content I engaged with. This model is so much better.

2024-12-30 19:47:06

Supporting creators never felt so seamless, or so good @npub1v5u…n0v5
Gotta hit that 1% next year!
https://m.primal.net/NLpI.jpg

2024-12-30 19:44:58

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Damn, Daniel!

2024-12-29 19:41:57

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Ayyyyyyy

2024-12-27 01:49:58

If Chris Nolan’s next film is an *actual* telling of The Odyssey, not a modern thing or a “reimagining”, then I am very excited.

2024-12-26 21:14:39

So @npub1tm9…xn72 seems very cool. Is anyone actually using it? Are these “secure” (or “private”) Nostr DMs?

2024-12-22 01:43:22

Make It, Don’t Fake It. https://www.audiosnobbery.com/make-it-dont-fake-it/

2024-12-20 22:30:23

I remember going to an AI + Music event in 2018 hosted by Spotify in Paris. They talked about optimising engagement with the first 30 seconds of a song, because that’s when they monetise. They don’t care what happens afterwards.
And now this: https://harpers.org/archive/2025/01/the-ghosts-in-the-machine-liz-pelly-spotify-musicians/
I’ve followed Liz Pelly for maybe 7-8 years. She’s legit. Spotify does not value music. It’s all just “content” that helps them sustain a very challenging business model (like YouTube).
If you are an artist, be aware. The money is elsewhere.
You don’t need 1 million streams, you only need 1,000 fans.

2024-12-04 07:18:59

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Do you use 0xChat? I can DM more info.

2024-12-03 09:07:05

Anyone seen/heard/got anything on combining Ghost + Nostr?
I’ve seen npub.pro but that seems just to be theme compatible. I’m looking for cross-posting + more.

2024-11-04 02:11:08

Yakihonne seems pretty bloody good.

2024-10-31 17:22:42

🤘🤘🤘
https://fountain.fm/episode/x3v4yu6AuXsmYvdljKZe
#nevent1q…4gjk

2024-10-27 14:48:05

You got my attention. Thanks @npub1z0r…xuxf for surfacing.
https://fountain.fm/track/UnU0uBAgdtEemg84UVlN
#nevent1q…lh20

2024-09-12 12:09:19

🤘
https://fountain.fm/track/ZrvfWGyNoieiCJoSECKW
#nevent1q…gmst

2024-07-17 18:57:48

There’s a NIN bootleg out there called Purest Feeling. IYKYK.

2024-07-06 13:55:27

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Angélica Garcia
BRAINIAC
Fever Ray
Mazerati
Secret Machines
Super Flu

2024-05-23 16:37:11

Let’s go, Brazil 🌞

2024-04-20 00:08:31

3.6m sat/vb holy fucking shit lol

2024-04-19 23:11:35

Let’s halve the shit out of this mf

2024-04-19 23:09:07

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😎😎😎 hi from 36,000 ft over the North Atlantic

2024-04-19 21:46:10

Yes he is. FACT.
#note1m5a…8w02

2024-04-19 02:12:37

The plastic face forced to portray
All the insides left cold and grey.
https://open.spotify.com/track/4oT5PdNkT94kZo58ylAtCu

2024-04-17 01:06:32

Masterminded by serious ppl: https://open.spotify.com/track/59Q16UjyoQLm5T6zj8VUf7

2024-04-13 18:15:51

IYKYK https://open.spotify.com/track/5uyK1WM8qe14n70kvh3IUM

2024-04-11 22:25:31

So much wasted energy tapped out on glass by angry little fingers.

2024-04-11 21:02:20

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https://bitdevsla.org/

2024-04-11 09:39:08

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Check out BitDevs LA! You can meet folks IRL who can help you grok bitcoin. It’s not scary; it’s just new.

2024-04-10 21:43:19

Vibe. https://open.spotify.com/track/3iKVR7XI5P90fqEYjZBn5p

2024-04-09 07:36:56

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Damn I love that fire one. Why can’t I zap you for it!?

2024-04-06 05:44:19

Trent Reznor is always right. He just doesn’t know about @npub1yfg…v6vg yet. https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/trent_reznor_speaks_up_on_terrible_payout_of_streaming_services_weve_had_enough_time_to_see_that_not_all_boats_rise.html

2024-04-05 10:24:16

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But of course. #nevent1q…txez

2024-04-03 17:39:35

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You just got 1,000 more :)

2024-04-03 17:38:35

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ZBD :) stay tuned :)

2024-04-03 17:38:17

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That cat 🤣🤣

2024-04-01 17:09:22

Performative BS also reaching ATHs.

2024-03-21 02:59:16

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Prince?

2024-03-19 05:39:37

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We all do.

2024-03-19 05:31:45

Building the future. Now.

2024-03-15 08:20:36

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TikTok’ers should download PopReel. They don’t know how many sats they’re missing. https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/popreel/id1617081213

2024-03-08 19:02:35

So I know I work here but hot damn I love the latest ZBD app update. 🔥🔥🔥

2024-02-28 17:57:05

Ya’ll feeling good today? 😉

2024-02-07 21:12:59

I receive quite a few requests for sats. I love it. Sometimes when they’re modest enough, I say yes 👀

2024-02-06 21:55:25

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https://addslice.com/

2024-02-03 18:10:41

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Bonsoir! 🧄🥖🐌

2024-02-03 08:27:54

Name a song that changed you.

2024-02-03 06:55:50

Name a song that changed you.

2024-02-03 06:53:43

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Ayyyye. Hail To The Thief.

2024-01-31 00:02:38

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https://media0.giphy.com/media/3ornk57KwDXf81rjWM/200w.gif?cid=586b07f07lrcq05o149b552roeyl87p1sda5xo5mvn06136g&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=200w.gif&ct=g

2024-01-30 00:01:42

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https://media3.giphy.com/media/10bSDvU0lpSous/200w.gif?cid=586b07f0ugz586zxpe49ez1nfwerihafcvelbxutaou7qknz&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=200w.gif&ct=g

2024-01-26 10:11:37

Berlin gets it. https://cdn.zbd.gg/ugc-uploads/3c079c2d-1706263896287.jpeg

2024-01-23 01:31:26

I need more badges.
Like, where’s my goat legs badge?

2024-01-23 01:31:02

I think ya’ll are gonna enjoy 2024 with ZBD.

2024-01-19 01:26:02

relay subscriptions definitely don't work

2024-01-13 11:09:44

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https://media2.giphy.com/media/eMybmbhrgdiXExJJiC/200w.gif?cid=586b07f0dxzffmsbednh8tmb1cetjcfbavjqm6ve8ftw15st&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=200w.gif&ct=g

2024-01-13 10:52:08

3 free sats! Grab ‘em while you can (if you know how)…
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

2024-01-12 10:19:21

Friday. We’ll get by, I suppose.
https://open.spotify.com/track/1SWWn0eLHHRoZbx0aBDdVg

2024-01-09 08:34:05

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🤘 https://media3.giphy.com/media/orU1939C3Wg1y/200w.gif?cid=586b07f06jdtq9k4lffjk7prap2rp2fyltselt7q7ewup3kw&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=200w.gif&ct=g

2024-01-09 07:04:10

Good morning. https://open.spotify.com/track/6m44QcsdbzCOL1Gacaxo8N

2024-01-09 07:02:45

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One of the greatest albums of all time. Must listen from start to finish whenever I put it on.

2024-01-08 11:16:50

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