Spyre
Spyre Velatura

I am a learning computer.

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npub1f4u70jzxdh6kmsxe2073x3ypkadn8xndacaffh7ksd5h3rf3ye3qx750rl

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nprofile1qqsy6708eprxmatdcrv48lgngjqmwkennfk7uw55mltgx6tc35cjvcscqk55c

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npub1f4u70jzxdh6kmsxe2073x3ypkadn8xndacaffh7ksd5h3rf3ye3qx750rl

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Last Notes

2024-09-16 02:38:47

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Beauty is valuable for its own sake. Art isn't about the artist, but about what it takes to make art. Joyce called art, "communication with the transcendent divine," and so I have replaced what used to be creation for ego (for the applause) into creation for the sake of being closer to those that create. For some folks, I suppose they would call that "god" or The Great Creator, but for me, it's simply being in the brotherhood of all those who have constructed superfluous beauty, for no other reason than to fill the world with amazement. When I see great works of art, I feel that I'm a part of that. I'm no longer a solitary person, but another artist continuing with the perpetual, inventive, struggle of procreation (albeit in another form). This is a way of asserting the process of individuation in myself, and at the same time, affirming what I am is good because I make good things.
My purpose has (fortunately) been easy to identify. I make art. Good, beautiful, wonderful, emotional, pretty, art. I do not conflate myself with the work, but let it grow from me. I'm not here to make a "statement" or produce some technical feat of imagery. Just making something more beautiful when I leave than when I arrived, is all that I need to do. It's not easy, because anything that's beautiful will never be easy, but fire feeds on obstacles, and art is a difficult and endless obstacle.
Right now, I'm developing what I call "semiotic alchemy" which is my way of turning ordinary things into beautiful things through painting. I have a lot to learn still, but I've been able to build a small studio, and find some quiet time to explore my ideas. It's absolute bliss and I am following this vein of gold until the end.
Thanks for asking! I'm curious if you have also found your own personal creek to pan for gold? I would like to think we all have somewhere inside of us, that holds the flecks of creation, waiting to be sifted.

2024-09-15 23:41:43

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I had a situation that recently left me with a 50% chance of surviving the next 10 years. It has radically altered what I find valuable. Although you may not believe it, I am actually happier now than I have ever been before. I have never had direction and motivation like I do now. Suddenly, my "purpose" has become clear, and I know exactly what I want do, and what to leave behind. I have found a magic (perhaps "spirituality"?) that never existed before in my life. Every day I wake up with an understanding with what gifts I have been given and what they are to be used for. Some may think my situation is tragic, but for me it has created an order to the universe, and I see something special in myself that I previously ignored. My life makes sense now that I can see the end. I am participating joyfully in the sorrow, because these times will never come again.
To answer your question, I am doubling down on my pursuits, because I know they are what makes my legacy, gives my life meaning, and gives me a wealth that could never be achieved from any job or career path. The world seems to be conspiring in my favor because of this knowledge. Daily, I am closer to death, but from my perspective, I have found eternal life in every moment granted. I have discovered an alchemy that has turned my lead soul into gold (or bitcoin, lol!)

2024-09-13 09:43:57

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I warned my friends when they were excited to get "free" stimulus checks from the government. I said, "Nothing is free, and this will only lead to more inflation."
Now I say, "The only reason we're poor is because we need more stimulus checks! Without stimulus checks, how will we battle the inflation?!?"
I bought BTC. They bought new TVs. Now I could buy 10 TVs for what theirs cost.

2024-09-13 09:26:47

https://m.primal.net/Koce.jpg
He saw the weary day with fading light,
After the world's demands scraped her soul raw.
Between breaths,
Love gave strength through silent symphony.
The daily factures mended,
Without gesture.
It was a solace of belonging and the simple glow of hearth,
To crack the cold stones upon her chest.

2024-09-13 09:02:16

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Though thou loved her as thyself,
As a self of purer clay,
Though her parting dims the day,
Stealing grace from all alive;
Heartily they know,
When half-gods go,
The gods arrive.
-Emerson

2024-09-11 20:29:46

Every mark on the canvas is a denial of possible future intentions. To begin, you must become comfortable with the destruction of potential in favor of the creation of something real.

2024-09-10 21:09:07

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Jack Vance has a beautiful way of creating wry conversations with humor. His settings are a mix of technology and magic, but neither are familiar to the standard palette found in most SF/Fantasy. I also appreciate his descriptions of costume and shared meals, which appear like short points of Dickensian inspiration. I find his work to be without the angst of modern writers, and more in the optimistic spirit of adventure from the 1950's. He and Bradburry hold a special place in my library. I have read some of their books more than once simply because they brought me a guiltless joy that reminded me of my childhood, when I would spend all day in bed reading and eating after dinner mints.

2024-09-10 20:52:09

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Red Dead Redemption 2 still looks amazing after all these years!

2024-09-10 20:50:49

https://m.primal.net/KmOj.jpg
The alchemical opus of artistic creation manifests through dual transmutations:
1. The prima materia of the composition, a holistic mandala of the psyche.
2. The conjunctio of archetypal forms, their sacred geometry of relationships orchestrating the grand opus.
Myriad symbols emerge from the collective unconscious, each to be weighed on scales against the feather of Ma'at - the cosmic whole. In isolation, they are but leaden fragments; their golden significance revealed only in service to the greater individuation.
These archetypal elements must be shaped not by the ego's whim, but by the numinous demands of the Self. They are the philosopher's stone, the building blocks of psychic integration, their individual essence transmuted in the forge of creative wholeness.
In this grand alchemy, the artist becomes both the vessel and the alchemist, transforming the fragmented shadow into the luminous totality of the individuated Self.

2024-09-10 20:40:25

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I thought you were a man. I always appreciate a correction when necessary.

2024-09-06 18:21:11

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What a haughty reply!

2024-09-06 18:16:16

What else besides bitcoin would you buy? I just don't see any other way forward.
I'm at the age where I realize the importance of voting with your money and supporting people/causes you believe in. I buy art to support the artist. I buy bitcoin to support a new currency.

2024-09-06 10:04:39

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Did you know that it's illegal for citizens to own guns in Mexico? But they have a murder rate that's 3X the USA. Just some stats for you to ponder!

2024-09-04 02:00:13

Lex Fridman said, “Let me ask you about my good friend Joe Rogan... he is legit, the greatest conversationalist in the world."
I laughed pretty hard at this. I thought you might also.

2024-09-02 21:36:14

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Politics.

2024-09-01 18:58:44

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Love it!

2024-09-01 18:53:34

The musical "Hamilton" is a psyop. It was written to improve sentiment regarding The Federal Reserve and the centralization of power.

2024-08-31 18:48:59

The printing press decentralized information and lead to a great expansion of knowledge and power. Bitcoin will do the same for money. Now we need to decentralize communication networks and create a mode of communication that cannot be shut down. NOSTR is a step in that direction, but more is needed. The fight against authoritarianism is coming again. We need a free market of ideas, or the value of truth will be lost in the constant bidding for power.

2024-08-30 22:00:05

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Damn... they were one of the only sources I really trusted for good info and knowledgeable staff, that wasn't compromised by advertising money. I will miss them.

2024-08-30 19:40:30

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This is why I do not accept zaps. I am not willing to give up my identity this way. Once I am ID'd I lose my freedom to say what I want.

2024-08-28 18:19:06

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I built a couple work benches and an easel this summer. I realized that I'm a very poor carpenter. I'm a great machinist, but something about wood eludes my skill. This work is beautiful, and I have a much greater appreciation for those who work with wood. Thanks for sharing!

2024-08-28 08:00:01

https://m.primal.net/KRKw.jpg
Paradoxically, it is the wellspring and the director, existing both outside the realm it brought into being and permeating every aspect of that same domain. This entity embodies the source material and the organizing law. It serves as both the origin and the guiding force, simultaneously existing beyond the universe it birthed and within every fiber of its creation.

2024-08-27 07:40:06

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The root cause of the Democratic collapse was the inability of Hillary Clinton to be elected and repay the billions in favors she and her ilk had promised in return for the presidency. Time Magazine (and the rest of the media) were so sure that their investment in Hillary would be returned, they claimed her victory in print before the votes had been counted. Once she was denied office, billions and billions of dollars were lost. Where are the wars she promised? Where were the great spending projects/subsidies they were certain to get with her elected? Who would they now have to make new deals with to claw back the money they had been promised? When Trump was elected, all those "sure things" were threatened and placed on the back burner until another anointed Democrat could take office and sign checks again. This is why they are trying to kill Trump. He cannot be bribed or blackmailed. Even a career Republican politician would bend the knee to these special interest groups, but Trump stands in defiance. Although there are deep philosophical changes that are radically altering the Democratic party, I believe these extremist and uncompromising ideas are a result this lost wager and a scramble to implement an undefeatable ideology that will cement victory forever. Simply put, the Democrats lost a very expensive bet when Trump was elected to their surprise. Since then, they have decided to destroy anything that stands in their way to gaining access to the money again. They want anyone (even another Republican) but Trump, and they aren't going to bet again, they are going to rig the game.

2024-08-27 07:11:26

https://m.primal.net/KPHe.jpg
Remember your scope. Produce a narrow pocket of design surface, with a limited number of viable options. You must create beneficial category limits for the expression of structure, or the space cannot be encoded. Without these boundaries, there exists no material substance to the hypothetical. Bring order to your chaotic urge and through constraints you will find the life of your primordial stars are also bound by the laws of your physics. Each creative endeavor has its own set of governing principles to be discovered.

2024-08-26 23:05:07

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Unfortunately, I've lost touch with my edge in tech. I've seen Docker configurations similar to Umbrel, and nostr-rs-relay/go-nostr (using Rust), and other pre-built binaries, but I've never attempted to work with them. NOSTR is new to me, and these days I rely on folks smarter and more knowledgeable than myself for help. Please let me know if you find an answer! The future of free speech may depend on these solutions!

2024-08-26 18:42:59

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Our purpose is to individuate. The older you get, the stranger you become, until eventually you realize that you will die alone, surrounded by people. You are the singularity which has no comparison; a lonely artwork. From blackness you began and into blackness you will return. But during those moments of growth, you embrace the struggle, trust the pain, and learn the hurt. It is what gives a tree knots, an old man warts, and a body a soul.

2024-08-26 18:16:17

I am so happy I am no longer the smartest person in the room. I am learning again, and it feels so good, almost youthful, to be surrounded by such intelligence and ambition. Thank you Nostr and bitcoin for the lessons you are giving. May we never be content with our education but continue to grow through knowledge. We are in the presence of the many forefathers of a new world. I'm here to join this declaration of digital independence.

2024-08-26 17:48:52

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I think it's a great idea! We're also going to need new relays for more decentralization. I think Tor/Onion is great, but it's not entirely infallible. There are entry and exit points that governments can monitor. I'm not sure of the extent of their mapping, but it's still a risk. I wish I had kept up on my education, but the pace of change is making it difficult. I could be wrong about Tor, but it's better than nothing.

2024-08-26 01:17:16

I was 15 when I built my first computer. I hacked BBSes to get access to shareware games. I learned Linux and C++ and was there on opening night for Windows 95. I used PGP encryption to send emails, used a pager to send codes, pirated Photoshop to make a webpage, and used a dial-up modem to download Quake 0-day. I was a script kiddie on IRC, a mod on several MUDs, and read The Hacker's Manifesto. I ran a botnet, had an FTP account, and knew where to find the Anarchist Cookbook. I'm not a very experienced techie... but I am old-school, and I have spent most of my techno-life gaining access to places I'm not supposed to be, to hang out with people who know things they're not supposed to know. Perhaps not a "child of the internet" but certainly a cousin.
Because of my background, bitcoin came naturally to me. I understood the importance of decentralization and anonymity. I knew how the mechanisms worked and how strong they were. I also had a fear that my hobbies would someday get me in trouble. I grew up, straightened up, and tried to forget my grey-hat past.
There was always the suspicion that things were too free for any government to let it continue, but we felt secure knowing that we could outsmart the Agents. Hell... we were more worried about the MPAA, the RIAA, and Hollywood than the (incompetent) government. Our VPNs and newsgroups were too clever for The Man. We could shut down child-porn sites faster than any lawman. We could sniff out and doxx any enemy of information and stop the progress of lies with our links. We kept the doors of the digital library open for anyone curious enough, and smart enough, to find their way into the archived rabbit holes that society had deemed too upsetting to publish.
But now I see what's happening to the network. We have lost most of that freedom. Some of it was given freely, one app, one account, one signup at a time. We handed them our information willingly. But then came Room 641A, and we knew the end was coming. Five Eyes, the Patriot Act, the DMCA, ACPA, TCPA, and a dozen other rules were passed without much uproar. The public wasn't smart enough to know what they were missing.
But now they're coming for the words. They don't just want control of the network and power over the facts. They want to outlaw truth and stop conversation. They wish to kill opposition, with either bullets during a televised speech, or through fake polls and stuffed ballot boxes. They are here to silence us, in the name of a collapsing dollar.
Nostr and bitcoin will be our refuge. We must build our blockchain walls and reinforce them with proof of work. We have to protect speech with encryption and defend authenticity with verification. We are building a global consensus reality, which is updated every 10 minutes, that can be owned by anyone, regardless of what Agents are watching. We must prepare ourselves for the separation of state from money. We must begin creating the separation of government from law.
All paths lead to decentralization. Be sovereign and become unlimited. The anonymous will inherit the earth.

2024-08-25 19:54:07

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

2024-08-25 07:03:30

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It used to be that we had "transvestites" that would just wear women's clothing on the weekend. Everyone was like, "Weird, but OK." Now we have radical surgery to confirm some identity that's part of a fashionable vocabulary invented less than 10 years ago. People are having a crisis of the soul, and instead of investigating themselves, they reach for political movements and cling to ideology. They buy read-made answers sold to them by politicians while struggling to be more and more unique, to the point of destroying themselves as an exhibit. Narcissism and ego have run rampant, fueled by 24-hour news coverage and social media. There are no bullies, no shame, no commitment, and thus, no community and no connection to a consensus. They crave individuation, and shop for home-made religion, while ignoring 100,000 years of history and collective psyche. They are lost without context and absolutely dedicated in their war to purge normalcy in the name of novus. The enduring aspects of human experience are discarded, in favor of the superficial. This leads to a fragmented, disconnected society lacking in genuine self-understanding or community. The 80's club scene was the peak of our modern Hellenism. (I am only half joking.)

2024-08-25 06:42:38

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Good question. When was the last time we saw a riot in China?

2024-08-25 06:20:46

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The internet I grew up with is no longer there. This is as close as I can get to what used to be the wild open frontier. I miss the freedom and the intelligence that came with new technology. Nowadays, everything is either captured or full of average morons. I must always run from the Eternal September.

2024-08-25 06:15:17

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Conservative stations (like Murdoch owns) are mostly rural. The liberals own the cities and urban areas (Soros). That's what happened. Old voters in farm communities watch FOX. City kids watch CNN. You can see why the Democrats have blue density, while the Republicans have large areas of red.

2024-08-25 05:51:00

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He was incredible. You should read about how/why he chose the encryption method he did... seems like he knew something far above and beyond the average person. Some have said it was an indication that he worked for NSA, but I disagree. I think he just had an intuition about trusted systems.

2024-08-25 05:48:00

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Your post made me finally create a Nostr account. I knew it would eventually happen, but the news this week, and what you said, really made it sink in. I had better make one sooner rather than later.