Published inPolitically Speaking·Dec 23, 2022Member-onlyThe Golden Age of Performative PoliticsA generation of rockstar politicians ready to do even less for society… — Politics has always been a game of under-the-table deals and shady characters. Dividing people along ideological lines to get votes, then trying to run a united country requires a certain amount of…flexibility — moral and otherwise. In the past, politicians were universally distrusted. By many polls they still are. But…Politics4 min readPolitics4 min read
Oct 13, 2022Member-onlyA Billion More Reasons to Ditch Alex Jones and Tucker CarlsonOur power to control our virtual lives has so far been an illusion. Algorithms and apps promise automated customization. Built under the assumption they’re smarter than their users, and more in tune with their user’s beliefs, they presumably provide the very thing you need at the exact moment you need…Politics4 min readPolitics4 min read
Sep 30, 2022Member-onlyTime To Stop Surrendering Our Lives To Social Media (Again)I was a late-comer to the social media scene. The technology really blossomed when I was working for the FBI. Having a social media presence then wasn’t the best of ideas. I gave in after I left for the private sector. Mostly because I wanted to explore self-employment and promotion…Social Media5 min readSocial Media5 min read
Feb 14, 2022I’ve just read one of the most lucid, wide-ranging, cross-disciplinary critiques of cryptocurrency and blockchain I’ve yet to encounter. It comes from David “DSHR” Rosenthal, a distinguished technologist whose past achievements includin…A Comprehensive Synthesis of the Technological, Ecological and Political Critique of Blockchainism88313Cory DoctorowAll the critiques of blockchain tech but I have yet to see alternatives aside from "add more…All the critiques of blockchain tech but I have yet to see alternatives aside from "add more regulation to fiat currency!" So how's that going for us? Nowhere. Because our current political system is owned by moneyed elites and based on entrenched ideologies intent on disenfranchising the poor. In the…2 min read2 min read
Feb 14, 2022…ility is part of the reason that blockchains and fraud go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Thefts on working permissionless blockchains can’t be readily reversed, making them permanent. Meanwhile, the entities who end up at the top of the centralization pile in these networks can comm…A Comprehensive Synthesis of the Technological, Ecological and Political Critique of Blockchainism88313Cory DoctorowNot necessarily true.Not necessarily true. Stolen funds can be rendered useless to the thieves and eventually recovered. Just sit tight, watch them move around on the transparent chain and reclaim them when the morons try to cash out. Assuming Bitcoin stays on its current course, all the thieves did was HODL some…1 min read1 min read
Published inThe Environment·Feb 6, 2022Member-onlyDiaries of a Climate Nomad — LouisianaExploring the inconvenient places people would rather forget… — “What’s that smell?” Our second day in Louisiana and I was already having flashbacks. We’d traveled to New Orleans years ago in the wake of Mardi Gras. Though the quiet streets were recovering from the raucous celebration, I enjoyed the city’s artsy vibe and the Creole aesthetic. What I couldn’t…Environment4 min readEnvironment4 min read
Feb 3, 2022The Inevitability of Trusted Third Parties1.8K26Cory DoctorowTrue, you need trusted third parties.True, you need trusted third parties. But right now, we have far too many of those. I'm not sure if blockchain would ever completely eliminate third parties entirely - you always have the system itself and the components of said system between users. What it does eliminate is layer upon…2 min read2 min read
Published inThe Environment·Jan 25, 2022Member-onlyThe Most Important Component of Your Home Solar Install? Your Car.How the automobile will once more shape America’s future. — If you own a home then the smartest investment you could make right now is a renewable energy system. With climate change threatening the globe and legacy power grids deteriorating under the strain, a decentralized solution will be the only path to a reliable, greener future. The second smartest purchase…Climate Change5 min readClimate Change5 min read
Published inThe Environment·Jan 21, 2022Member-onlyDiaries of a Climate Nomad — TexasOnce home, now a temporary port in a raging storm — “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute,” has been the Texas punchline for decades. Having lived in the state for over twenty years, I can attest to the wild swings in temperature. Every January, I got used to the week where we’d hit 80 degrees Fahrenheit and…Environment6 min readEnvironment6 min read
Published inPredict·Jan 10, 2022Member-onlyThe Stock Market is a Ponzi SchemeAnd how cryptocurrency changes the game — We’ve all heard the accusations about Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency space. Social media is awash with dire warnings about how crypto investors are getting scammed. It’s one big Ponzi, they’ll say. One day soon, Bitcoin will be worth nothing. The claim carried more weight thirteen years ago. But who knows…Cryptocurrency7 min readCryptocurrency7 min read
