Basecamp for Men E297: Bitcoin Simplifies Life

E297: Bitcoin Simplifies Life with Special Guest Pete Noble

 

E297 Introduction

I LOVE talking to Bitcoiners! There is, not only an enthusiasm and excitement that is contagious but also a sense of possibility for the future coupled with a steely-eyed look at the current decaying monetary system that is irresistible to me. In short, Bitcoiners know some things. Things that not everyone knows yet. If this ruffles your feathers because you are a so-called “smart technologist”, neither my guest nor I really give two fucks. Are you following me? Sorry to be so crass out of the gate but there are some serious misconceptions about money that 99 percent of the population holds close.

I have a really interesting interview with a new friend today but first a couple of memes to capture the spirit of what we will be talking about. 

The first is from IG (I think from The Black Robinhood) and titled “If You’re Still Saving in Dollars, You Don’t Understand Money.

Here’ why: the dollar isn’t designed to hold value- it’s designed to lose it. Inflation is built into the system. Central banks print trillions, governments spend recklessly, and your “savings” melt away year after year. Bitcoin flips that script.

With a fixed supply of 21 million, Bitcoin is mathematically scarce. No one can print more. Every four years, new supply gets cut in half. Demand grows, supply shrinks and over time, price compounds.

Saving in dollars = guaranteed loss

Saving in Bitcoin = protection + exponential upside

When you stack in Bitcoin, you‘re not just saving money-you’’re saving your time, labor, and freedom in a form that can’t be inflated away.

People who dismiss Bitcoin expose themselves: they don’t actually understand what money is supposed to do- and that is store value over time.

Fiat fails that test. Bitcoin passes with flying colors. The question isn’t “Why Bitcoin?”. It’s “Why are you still trusting melting dollars?”

And another interesting tidbit for you. Young Hoon Kim, The man who holds the Guiness World Record for highest IQ of 276 has converted all his assets into Bitcoin believes that Bitcoin will 100 X in 10 years and become the world reserve currency. And is quoted as saying “Bitcoin is the only hope for the future economy.” So….. for all you smarty pants out there. The man with an IQ of 276 has done the proof of work and is putting his chips on Bitcoin. Do you think it might be worth a bit of study for you? Don’t shoot me, I’m just the messenger.

I really love today’s interview. Enjoy!

Pete Noble Bio-

My guest today is Pete Noble. Pete is a hustband and father, a man who has worked in technology for decades, and an enthusiastic Bitcoiner. Here is my interview w Pete Noble. 

E297 Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. We will be keeping track of Pete and all the developments and ideas that spring forth in the Bitcoin space. What an exciting time to be alive! Thank you Basecampers!

Basecamp for Men E294: On Privacy…Get Off Zero

E294: On Privacy…Get Off Zero

 

E294 Introduction

The topic of digital privacy is one that I have been personally circling around for quite a few years. Watching how Bitcoiners and cypherpunks ( young and old) navigate this topic.

I am a Gen Xer and grew up in the early days of technology and I have been a man who has put convenience of using technology ahead of my own privacy (as most all of us had). I have been a die-hard Apple user since I was a young man and have enjoyed how seamlessly the user interface is with all the Apps I regularly use.

But with my initiation into Bitcoin (and it is a true initiation and chapter in a Hero’s Journey) has come a growing awareness.

That my love of ease and convenience has made me an easy mark for surveillance and even control. In any centralized system, whoever controls the central node sets the terms. And if the terms are to continually watch and push inputs at you, for instance, then that is what you will get. Without getting too Orwellian out of the gate….centralized control IS thought-control. Do you like constantly being watched and programmed? Eh, maybe not so much.

“But it is so convenient….” Yep, that is the rub.

There is a growing movement afoot called Freedom Technology. Open source, encrypted, impossible to control. And it all fits in nicely with Bitcoin, a decentralized ledger meant to put control of your money in your hands. It is early in the game but it is obvious that digital privacy along with Bitcoin and other decentralized systems that are emerging have a mutually beneficial relationship. To understand one is to take steps in understanding them all.

This decentralized revolution is quietly but surely making its way to the stage. You may not see it or think you need to understand it but I believe this will be talked about for decades to come.

The decentralized, open source movement reminds of Shawshank Redemption where Andy writes to Red “If you’ve come this far, perhaps you’re willing to come a little further.” I am speaking for myself as Red as much as you dear Basecamper. Another topic we will open with today but will surely be finding good guests in the episodes and seasons to come. Enjoy!

 Philip Charter Bio-

My guest today is Philip Charter. Philip is a totally human writer working in the Bitcoin space. He helps Bitcoin companies stack gains through expert articles, meaningful stories, and laser-focused copy. Here is my interview with Philip Charter.

E294 Final Thoughts-

 I love Philip’s message of getting off Zero. I think with complex topics like Bitcoin and digital privacy. The get off Zero approach gives you permission to muck around and learn at your own speed.

Personally, my get off zero involved running a Bitcoin node but also using Bitwarden to keep my most important passwords and info in a military-grade encrypted vault. But I will continue to learn about privacy, now looking into Proton mail and VPN suite and Graphene OS for phones. I will keep you posted.

Basecamp for Men E287: Why Can’t We Talk About This?

E287: Why Can’t We Talk About This?

 

E287 Introduction

I was having a conversation with a woman the other day, someone I didn‘t know all that well and the topic of Covid vaccines came up. She brought it up, not me. She asked me what I thought and I sort of chuckled. “What do you want to know?”

Well, she said first do you mind if I ask you if you got any of them. I said I don’t mind the question at all and no, I did not take any of the Covid jabs nor did my wife and son. She went on the say that she knows a lot of people having issues, herself included and she is thinking that it might have something to do with the vaccines. I just listened.

Until she said this, she said “I don’t think we’ll know for years who made the right choice, the vaccinated or the unvaccinated.” I stopped here there. I said no, I agree that each person has to choose for themselves. But I told her something that I have said on this show a couple of times and it illustrates that we don’t need to wait to find out “made the right choice.”

I told her I know lots of people in both camps: the unvaccinated and the vaccinated. Of the unvaccinated I don’t know a SINGLE person who regrets not getting them. In fact, the overall sentiment is one of gratitude for not taking them. As in Thank You God for telling me not to get it, sort of thing.

And I told her that of the vaccinated, I simply know LOTS who, given the choice again WOULD NOT take the vaccine. Lots in that group that have regrets. Not everyone, but many. Lots of

Was I too harsh with her? I hope not. I just wanted her to know how the unvaccinated think about this. We are not waiting a few more years to assess whether we made the right choice. Are you following me?

My guest today has made an important documentary titled “Why Can’t We Talk About This?” about this very topic. I hope you enjoy the interview and will go watch the film and support this filmmaker. Enjoy Basecampers.

Dean Rainey Bio

My guest today is Dean Rainey. Dean is a Canadian filmmaker whose work has been aired on National Geographic, Discover Channel, CNN, and Fox Movies. His first feature length documentary “Why Can’t We Talk About This?” is a gripping look into the true story of a man injured my the MRNa vaccine and uncomfortable silence surrounding vaccine-related harm. Here is my interview with Dean Rainey.

E287 Final Thoughts

To watch “Why Can’t We Talk About This?” and support the film and Dean, go to www.raineymedia.com. Thank you Basecampers and we’ll see you around the fire next week.

 

 

Basecamp for Men E284: Recovery and the Hero’s Journey

E284: Recovery and the Hero’s Journey with Special Guest Kristy Stevens

 

E284 Introduction

One of my favorite sayings is that each chapter of your Hero‘s Journey will require a slightly different version of yourself. It is a saying with many layers, isn‘t it?

I was talking with my 18 y.o. son Lucas, who has taken a fairly cynical view of his future prospects. He doesn‘t think that there is any way he will ever be able to buy a house or get ahead. The hamster wheel perspective (totally justified btw, if not the most creative way to look at the future. ) But…..he’s really young, right?

And I was telling him that he is on Lucas Rezac version two or three right now. I am his father and I am on Tony Rezac 9.0 or 10.0. Getting ready for another version soon.

I went on to say that the way you see yourself and the world changes with each version. Sometimes subtly and sometimes quite drastically.

You can always tell when you are outgrowing the previous version of yourself. How? You may start to get tired of the same ole same ole routine you do. You find yourself annoyed at how you see and do things. You notice that shit ain’t working but you don’t yet have the next moves.

Oftentime, what is required is a LIGHTER version of yourself. And when I say lighter, I mean lighter in ego, lighter in the emotional/spiritual things that are weighing you down. Things like a lingering addiction or a victim mentality that no longer serves you or a habit that is completely running you around or maybe you keep telling yourself the same 2 or 3 disempowering stories about yourself and the world. You know, where the people around you know you are sort of lying to yourself and don’t know how to alert you, are you following me?

In many ways, you may not be fully aware that you have started a new version of yourself. It might feel like your just working through another mini-crisis, or you finally turned the corner on some part of life that you had been struggling with. Or maybe your friend circle looks a lot different like it does for me now. The friendship circle of Tony version 10.0 looks a lot different than the friend group of Tony in earlier version. This doesn’t mean you have to create new close friends, just that it may be required to successfully grow into what is needed from you.

Today’s guest is a wonderful example of growing into newer versions of yourself and travelling lighter on the road less travelled. I found her to be inspiring and charming. Enjoy the interview.

 Kristy Stevens Bio

My guest today is Kristy Stevens. Kristy is a mother, a former addict, and now a champion of recovery and helping young people find a better life path through her work with the Eastside Academy. Here is my interview with Kristy Stevens.

E284 Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. To find and support the great work that Eastside Academy is doing right here in Seattle, go to www.eastsideacamemy.org. Thank you Basecampers!

 

Basecamp for Men E283: The Good, the True, and the Beautiful

E283: The Good, the True, and the Beautiful

 

E283 Introduction

Today is a bit of an odd little short-format Firestarter episode, under 10 minutes. With that Terrance McKenna audio clip and then a song at the end. I came across the idea for this mini-EP for this as I was on my run around the lake that I do. I had a playlist on and the song “Feels So Good” by Chuck Mangione, which was one of the popular songs of the day when I was a little kid. It made me think back to my childhood when this song would come on the FM radio in my Mom’s car.

A simple little jazz and trumpet song that conveyed its central theme…..Feels So Good. And I realized that this thread of joy and God and Divine Guidance and love and family is absolutely essential for our ascension and redemption. The Globalists, the Luciferians, call them what you will, can’t stand this about us. Our Divine Spark, the life-force and emotions that gives meaning to this whole mythic storyline.

It all got me thinking about something the ancient Greeks referred to as The Good, the True, and the Beautiful. This ancient Platonic ideal contains three qualities or principles that are transcendent. These principles transcend nationalities, transcend Democrat vs. Republican, woke vs. Patriot, Trump as King vs. Trump as Hitler. The Good the True and the Beautiful is a wonderful lens and mirror and a barometer to see and feel how we are doing at each stage.

And you can see the attack on all of this in the mainstream culture and the mainstream media. The education system is dumbing down the kids (which is not True or Good or Beautiful). Our once-proud cities look ravaged by crime and addiction and filth. Again, nothing True or Good or Beautiful going on down the street.

The media landscape is a vipers den of lies and deception. Again, not Good or True or Beautiful. So much so that you could, as a practice, completely invert EVERYTHING that the media says and have a more accurate portrait of what is going on.

And yet….and yet we still have laughter, we still have beautiful children being born and raised, we still have joy in one another. Even as we all see the absurdity of it all like Terrance McKennan said in the beginning.

If Terrance McKenna is correct and moving into a higher dimension is like a “fire in the madhouse” then the game becomes how do we hold onto the Good and the True and the Beautiful while inside the “fire in the madhouse”. That is what we are all attempting to do. No wonder people are freaking out about every little thing and bracing for God knows what.

It’s important for us to keep one another close in these times. Even if it is just 2 or 3 trusted friends and family members. Large numbers in your tribe does not matter. This is not a popularity contest. The fire in the madhouse moment has us reach only for those most important to us. To keep alive the Good, the True, and the Beautiful as we watch this insanity reveal itself to this beautiful planet and all of the confused, traumatized and loving humans who call this place home.

I was going to conclude with a classical musical piece but God was whispering about this song so this song it is. And remember Basecampers, you and I , we belong to the Light. We’ll see you next week.