#Business benefits of crypto

[aeternusfoundation]

Crypto Tokens: The New Shade of Lifestyle

[froggibus]

Power Trip - Miguel O’Hara

Pairing: Miguel O’Hara x f! Reader (reader uses female pronouns + has a pussy)

Genre: smut/NSFW

Word Count: 1.9k

Summary: Miguel comes to your universe seeking comfort, but gets the opposite when he sees you on a date

CW: kinda sorta maybe dubcon?, friends with benefits, dom! Miguel, sub! Reader, jealous! Miguel, possessiveness, fingering, oral (f! receiving), slight orgasm denial, begging, sub/dom dynamics, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it <3), creampie, Miguel is kind of an asshole

ive been incredibly down bad for this man lately so here is the result of my 2am thirst writing lol <3 also idkidk I just love the idea of fwb with Miguel and him being super possessive while also being noncommittal

————

It’s late by the time Miguel is back in your universe, but you’re nowhere to be seen in your studio apartment. He knows you were here recently, he can smell it. Smell your perfume lingering in the air. 

The sweet smell floods his senses and only adds to his annoyance. Where are you going this late at night, dressing up all nice and smelling so sweet? Who are you seeing?

The thought of you going on a date has the adrenaline pumping through his veins. You’re his. You should be with him. 

He pulls his mask back over his face and climbs out of your window, pulling out his phone. He opens up the app he installed on your phone to track you, narrowing his eyes when he sees the red dot pulsing at a bar. 

Because of course you’re at a bar. 

Miguel watches you from the shadows of the rooftop across the street. You’re all dressed up, sipping on a Manhattan while some loser chats you up. He can’t help but size the guy up—he could snap him like a twig with one arm. 

What the hell are you doing with a guy like that?

You can feel eyes on you, and not just from the guy in front of you talking about his crypto. No—you’re being watched. You can feel eyes burning into the back of your head, watching your every move. 

The feeling makes you tense, shoulders bunching up to your ears. You finish off your drink and start pulling your coat over your shoulders. 

Crypto guy looks at you in confusion. “Leaving so soon?”

“Yeah, I just, I need some air,” you say, and before he can protest anymore, you’re shoving your way onto the cold, crowded streets. 

Miguel doesn’t take his eyes off of you the whole time, silently trailing after you. He almost laughs at the way you look over your shoulder, trying to see if you’re being followed, but falling just short of seeing him. It’s adorable, really. 

As if he’d ever let anything happen to you. 

You set down your bag and jacket at your kitchen table, rolling your shoulders to loosen the tension. Something in the shadows catches your eye and you sigh. Of course. 

“You can come out now,” you sigh. 

Miguel steps out of the shadows, broad frame towering over you. His jaw is clenched and he looks unimpressed. 

“What are you doing here, Miguel?”

“Who was that at the bar?”

You sigh, leaning against your counter and rubbing your temples. “We’re not together, Miguel. You shouldn’t even be here.”

He steps closer to you, fists clenched at his sides. His dark eyes narrow on you, eyeing you from head to toe. “Answer the question.”

“Jesus—just some guy, okay? Why is it any of your business?”

You’re playing a dangerous game, like running across thin ice and expecting not to fall through. You avoid looking at him—you can feel the tension in the air. 

And then Miguel laughs. Really laughs. You stay perfectly still, clenching your hands on the counter. Heavy footsteps approach you until you can feel him standing behind you, hard breathing echoing in your ears. 

His hands grasp your hips, sharp nails digging into your sides. He tugs you back to him, holding your hips flush against his. “It’s always my business,” he growls. “You can pretend all you want, dear, but you will always be mine.”

His words have your breath catching in your throat, heat flooding your entire body. You squirm under his touch with no real intention of getting away, body fully submitting to him just from his touch. 

“See?” He rubs his hands up your sides, roughly cupping your chest and squeezing hard. “You like to play pretend and tease and run away, but you come back to me. Every. Single. Time.”

He squeezes again, hovering his lips over the base of your throat. A gasp falls from your lips. You can feel his fangs grazing your throat, sharp teeth brushing the sensitive skin. You close your eyes, bracing yourself on the counter in front of you. 

He pushes his hand under your shirt, cold fingers ghosting over your sensitive skin. You shiver from his touch, throwing your head back against his chest. His other hand snakes around your throat, holding you still so he can sink his fangs into your neck. 

The puncture stings as always, blood rushing to the sensitive vein he just bit into. Miguel manages to balance the pain with pleasure—rolling your nipples between his fingers, alternating between gently rubbing and harshly tugging at them. 

He moans at the taste of you, hot blood flooding his mouth. You’ve always tasted delectable, and he’s never been able to get enough. You shake in his arms, whimpering from the feeling. He can smell your arousal in the air, flooding his senses. 

He releases your neck and drops his hand from his shirt, lifting you up and tossing you onto the counter. He towers over you, broad form engulfing the kitchen light. He rips off your shirt, practically shredding the flimsy fabric to pieces. 

“M-miguel!” 

He rolls his eyes at your antics, pulling so the edge of your thighs rest on the counter. He pulls your pants off in one, swift motion, leaving you naked and shivering on the marble countertop. 

The smell of you only gets stronger, sending the blood rushing straight to his groin. You look so pretty like this, so weak. His for the taking—not that you’d ever protest. 

Sharp teeth graze the plush skin of your thighs as he plants kisses up to your heat. The feeling of his breath just above where you need him most has you arching your back, pushing your hips into his face. 

Miguel takes that in stride, wrapping his hands around your thighs to hold you in place and forcing you down to his mouth. The first touch of his tongue against your swollen clit has your eyes rolling back, pleas for more filling the air. 

You reach down to tug on his hair, dark curls falling through your fingers like silk. The feeling of you pulling on his hair and shoving your hips into his face only makes Miguel hungrier for you. He slips a finger inside of you, working you open. His fingers are so long and so thick, they stretch you open better than when you do it yourself. 

He pushes another finger inside of you, pulling his mouth away so he can watch your drooling hole open up around his knuckles. “As if any other man can make you feel like this,” he growls. 

He dives back into your pussy, burying his face between your legs. The added contact has your legs shaking, muscles quivering around his face. He slips one more finger in, reaching that spot that he knows drives you crazy. 

It only takes another second before you’re being thrown over the edge, crying out for more while trying to pull away from him. Miguel keeps a tight grip on your legs, holding you against his face while you ride out your orgasm. 

He pulls away, a twisted grin on his face. “Look at you,” he shakes his head, tugging off his pants to reveal his hard cock. 

He strokes it with one hand, using the other to trail up and down your shaking body. You’re looking at him with those needy, desperate eyes. It’s like you’re begging him to take you. 

He lands a slap to your pussy, laughing at the way you whine and try to close your legs around his hand. He spreads your legs apart, positioning himself between them so all you can do is wrap your legs around his hips. 

He shoves his way inside of you, your walls straining to take him after all this time. He’s so big, so much bigger than you, it’s a struggle. You close your eyes and whine, reaching desperately for his shoulders. For anything to ground yourself. 

Miguel settles into a steady pace, slamming his hips into yours, bottoming out with every thrust. He’s so deep inside of you, stretching out every part of you. 

With every thrust he admires the fucked out look on your face. Your whines and whimpers and pleas for him to keep going only drive him further, speeding up his pace just so he can keep hearing you whine like that. 

You claw at the skin of his back, each thrust pushing you farther across the counter before Miguel tugs you back to him and thrusts again. You slide your hands from his shoulder to his arms, gripping at the muscles of his forearms. 

His muscles flex with every thrust, tugging you even further against him. He watches how desperate you are, how badly you need to finish. He knows if he keeps up this pace, you won’t last long. 

So he stops, leaving just the tip of his cock inside of you. 

You whine in protest, opening your eyes to reveal tears starting to form. “W-why’d you stop?”

“Admit you’re mine,” he emphasizes his words with a thrust before holding still, “or you don’t get to cum again.”

“M-miguel, please,” you whine, looking up at him with those desperate eyes. 

He stares at you unimpressed, trying to resist the urge to keep going so he can finish too. But he won’t. Not until you say it. 

You try to thrust your hips against his but he holds you still, and he’s so much stronger than you that there’s no chance of moving. 

You sigh. You didn’t want to be put in this position again, but he’s so sexy and you’re so hot and wet and all you want is to cum, and his big cock is just sitting there inside of you. You clench around him, whining. 

“I-I’m all yours.” You whine, trying to pull him back to you, “only yours.”

He grins, immediately thrusting back into you. His pace is faster now, more frantic. Desperate. 

He wipes a few tears from your face, “isn’t it just so much easier when you submit to me? Don’t you love it when you don’t have to think about anything other than being my slut?”

His words make you drool and clench around him, wrapping your legs around his waist to force him deeper. Miguel gets the hint, throwing one of your legs over his shoulder and fucking into you even harder. 

He’s so close, but he refuses to finish until you do. He leans in, leaving gentle bites up and down your neck and collarbone. The slight pain is enough to finish you off, your orgasm washing over you in intense waves. 

As soon as he feels your legs shaking, your muscles relaxing, Miguel knows he can let go. He pounds into you a few more times before bottoming out and letting wave after wave of cum flood your insides. 

The hot feeling has you moaning, lazily rolling your hips into his while he pumps his cum inside of you. Miguel pulls out, admiring the sight of you on the counter with his cum leaking out of you. 

He pulls on his clothes and leans in to kiss you. “This is how it should be,” he says. “You better be ready for me next time, no nonsense.”

“Yes, sir.”

He smirks at your submission. “Good girl,” he says, and disappears into the night. 

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Biden wants to ban ripoff “financial advisors”

I'll be at the Studio City branch of the LA Public Library on Monday, November 13 at 1830hPT to launch my new novel, The Lost Cause. There'll be a reading, a talk, a surprise guest (!!) and a signing, with books on sale. Tell your friends! Come on down!

Once, American workers had "defined benefits pensions," where their employers promised to pay them a certain amount every year from their retirement to their death. Jimmy Carter swapped that out for 401(k)s, "market" pensions where you have to guess which stocks will be valuable or starve in your old age:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/07/25/derechos-humanos/#are-there-no-poorhouses

The initial 401(k) rollout had all kinds of pot-sweeteners that made them seem like a good deal, like heavy employer matching that doubled or even tripled the value of every dollar you put into the market for your retirement. But over the years, as Reaganomics took hold and workers' power ebbed away, all these goodies were clawed back. In the end, the market-based pension makes you the sucker at the poker table, flushing your savings into a rigged casino that is firmly tilted in favor of finance barons and other eminently guillotineable plutocrats.

Neoliberalism is many things, but most of all it is a cult of individualism. The fact that three generations of workers are nows facing down retirement without pensions that will provide them with secure housing and food – let alone money to see the odd movie, buy birthday gifts for their grandkids, or enjoy a meal out now and then – is framed as millions of individual failures, not a systemic one.

In other words, if you are facing food insecurity and homelessness after a lifetime of hard work, it's because you saved wrong. Perhaps you didn't save enough (through a 40-year run of wage stagnation and skyrocketing housing, health and education costs). Or perhaps you saved wrong, making the wrong bets on the stock market. If you can't afford to run your air conditioner during a heat dome, that's on you: you should have been better at stocks.

Apologists for this system will say that you don't have to be good at stocks – you just have to pay an Independent Financial Advisor to pick the stocks for you and you'll be fine. But IFAs don't work for free! What if you can't afford one?

Enter "predatory inclusion" – the practice of offering scammy, overpriced and substandard products to poor people and declaring it to be a good deed, because otherwise, those poor people would have to do without. The crypto bubble relied heavily on this: think of Spike Lee and others shilling for pump-and-dump scams as a way of "building Black wealth":

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/business/media/cryptocurrency-seeks-the-spotlight-with-spike-lees-help.html

More recently, Intuit and other scammy tax-prep services have argued against the IRS's plan to offer free tax preparation as bad for Black and brown people, because it will deny them the chance to be deceived and ripped off with TurboTax:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/27/predatory-inclusion/#equal-opportunity-scammers

Back in 2018, Trump won the predatory inclusion Olympics, when his Department of Labor let the Fifth Circuit abolish the "Fiduciary Rule" for Independent Financial Advisors:

https://www.investopedia.com/updates/dol-fiduciary-rule/

What was the Fiduciary Rule? It said that your IFN had to put your interests ahead of their own. Like, if there were two different funds you could bet on, and one would pay your IFN a big commission, while the other would be a better bet for you, the IFN couldn't put your retirement savings into the fund that offered them a bribe.

When Trump killed the Fiduciary Rule, he proclaimed it a victory for poor people, especially Black and brown people. After all, if IFNs weren't allowed to accept bribes for giving you bad financial advice, then they would have to make up the difference by charging you for good advice. If you couldn't afford that advice, well, you'd have to make bad retirement investments on your own, without the benefit of their sleazy self-dealing.

The Biden Administration wants to change that. Biden's Acting Labor Secretary is Julie Su, and she's very good at her job. Last spring, she forced west coast dockworkers' bosses to cough up the contract they'd stalled on for a year, with 8-10% raises for every worker, owed retroactively:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/16/that-boy-aint-right/#dinos-rinos-and-dunnos

Su has proposed a way to reinstate the Fiduciary Rule, as part of the Biden Administration's war on junk fees, estimating that this will increase retirees' net savings by 20%:

https://prospect.org/labor/2023-11-07-julie-su-labor-retirement-savers/

The new rule will force advisors who cheat their clients to pay restitution, and will require them to deliver all their advice in writing so that this cheating can be detected and punished.

The industry is furious, of course. They claim that "The Market (TM)" will solve this: if you get bad retirement savings advice and end up homeless and starving, then you will choose a different advisor in your next life, after you are reincarnated (I guess?).

And of course, they're also claiming that forcing IFNs to stop cheating their clients will deny poor people access to expert (bad) advice. As the Financial Services Institute's Dale Brown says, this will have a "negative impact on Main Street Americans’ access to financial advice":

https://www.fa-mag.com/news/legal-challenge-predicted-for-new-dol-fiduciary-proposal-75257.html

Here's that rule – read it for yourself, then submit a comment expressing your views on it. The government wants to hear from you, and administrative law requires them to act on the comments they receive:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/03/2023-23782/proposed-amendment-to-prohibited-transaction-exemptions-75-1-77-4-80-83-83-1-and-86-128

Su is part of a wave of progressive, technically skilled regulators in the Biden administration that resulted from a horse-trading exercise called the Unity Task Force, which divvied up access to top appointments among the progressive wing and the finance wing of the Democratic Party. The progressive appointments are nothing short of incredible – the most competent and principled agency leaders America has seen in half a century:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/23/getting-stuff-done/#praxis

But then there's the finance wing's appointments, like Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, who ruled against Lina Khan's attempt to block the rotten Microsoft/Activision merger (don't worry, Khan's appealing):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/14/making-good-trouble/#the-peoples-champion

Perhaps the worst, though, is Biden's Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, a private equity ghoul who did a stint for the notorious wreckers Bain Capital before founding her own firm. Raimondo has stuffed her department full of Goldman Sachs alums, and has sidelined labor and civil society groups as she sets out to administer everything from the CHIPS Act to regulating ChatGPT.

As Henry Burke writes for the Revolving Door Project and The American Prospect, Raimondo's history as a corporate raider, her deference to the finance sector, and she and her husband's conflicts of interest from their massive stakes in companies she's regulating all serve to undermine Biden's agenda:

https://prospect.org/economy/2023-11-08-commerce-secretary-gina-raimondo-undercutting-bidenomics/

When the administration inevitably complains that its popular economic programs aren’t breaking through the media coverage, they’ll have no one to blame but themselves.

The Unity Task Force gave us generationally important policymakers, but ultimately, it's a classic "pizzaburger." If half your family wants pizza, and the other half wants burgers, and you serve them something halfway in between that makes none of them happy, you haven't made a wise compromise – you've just made an inedible mess:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/17/pizzaburgers/

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/08/fiduciaries/#but-muh-freedumbs

[mariacallous]

Anyone who has spent even 15 minutes on TikTok over the past two months will have stumbled across more than one creator talking about Project 2025, a nearly thousand-page policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation that outlines a radical overhaul of the government under a second Trump administration. Some of the plan’s most alarming elements—including severely restricting abortion and rolling back the rights of LGBTQ+ people—have already become major talking points in the presidential race.

But according to a new analysis from the Technology Oversight Project, Project 2025 includes hefty handouts and deregulation for big business, and the tech industry is no exception. The plan would roll back environmental regulation to the benefit of the AI and crypto industries, quash labor rights, and scrap whole regulatory agencies, handing a massive win to big companies and billionaires—including many of Trump’s own supporters in tech and Silicon Valley.

“Their desire to eliminate whole agencies that are the enforcers of antitrust, of consumer protection is a huge, huge gift to the tech industry in general,” says Sacha Haworth, executive director at the Tech Oversight Project.

One of the most drastic proposals in Project 2025 suggests abolishing the Federal Reserve altogether, which would allow banks to back their money using cryptocurrencies, if they so choose. And though some conservatives have railed against the dominance of Big Tech, Project 2025 also suggests that a second Trump administration could abolish the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which currently has the power to enforce antitrust laws.

Project 2025 would also drastically shrink the role of the National Labor Relations Board, the independent agency that protects employees’ ability to organize and enforces fair labor practices. This could have a major knock on effect for tech companies: In January, Musk’s SpaceX filed a lawsuit in a Texas federal court claiming that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) was unconstitutional after the agency said the company had illegally fired eight employees who sent a letter to the company’s board saying that Musk was a “distraction and embarrassment.” Last week, a Texas judge ruled that the structure of the NLRB—which includes a director that can’t be fired by the president—was unconstitutional, and experts believe the case may wind its way to the Supreme Court.

This proposal from Project 2025 could help quash the nascent unionization efforts within the tech sector, says Darrell West, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Technology Innovation. “Tech, of course, relies a lot on independent contractors,” says West. “They have a lot of jobs that don't offer benefits. It's really an important part of the tech sector. And this document seems to reward those types of business.”

For emerging technologies like AI and crypto, a rollback in environmental regulations proposed by Project 2025 would mean that companies would not be accountable for the massive energy and environmental costs associated with bitcoin mining and running and cooling the data centers that make AI possible. “The tech industry can then backtrack on emission pledges, especially given that they are all in on developing AI technology,” says Haworth.

The Republican Party’s official platform for the 2024 elections is even more explicit, promising to roll back the Biden administration’s early efforts to ensure AI safety and “defend the right to mine Bitcoin.”

All of these changes would conveniently benefit some of Trump’s most vocal and important backers in Silicon Valley. Trump’s running mate, Republican senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, has long had connections to the tech industry, particularly through his former employer, billionaire founder of Palantir and longtime Trump backer Peter Thiel. (Thiel’s venture capital firm, Founder’s Fund, invested $200 million in crypto earlier this year.)

Thiel is one of several other Silicon Valley heavyweights who have recently thrown their support behind Trump. In the past month, Elon Musk and David Sacks have both been vocal about backing the former president. Venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, whose firm a16z has invested in several crypto and AI startups, have also said they will be donating to the Trump campaign.

“They see this as their chance to prevent future regulation,” says Haworth. “They are buying the ability to avoid oversight.”

Reporting from Bloomberg found that sections of Project 2025 were written by people who have worked or lobbied for companies like Meta, Amazon, and undisclosed bitcoin companies. Both Trump and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have courted donors in the crypto space, and in May, the Trump campaign announced it would accept donations in cryptocurrency.

But Project 2025 wouldn’t necessarily favor all tech companies. In the document, the authors accuse Big Tech companies of attempting “to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” The plan supports legislation that would eliminate the immunities granted to social media platforms by Section 230, which protects companies from being legally held responsible for user-generated content on their sites, and pushes for “anti-discrimination” policies that “prohibit discrimination against core political viewpoints.”

It would also seek to impose transparency rules on social platforms, saying that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) “could require these platforms to provide greater specificity regarding their terms of service, and it could hold them accountable by prohibiting actions that are inconsistent with those plain and particular terms.”

And despite Trump’s own promise to bring back TikTok, Project 2025 suggests the administration “ban all Chinese social media apps such as TikTok and WeChat, which pose significant national security risks and expose American consumers to data and identity theft.”

West says the plan is full of contradictions when it comes to its approach to regulation. It’s also, he says, notably soft on industries where tech billionaires and venture capitalists have put a significant amount of money, namely AI and cryptocurrency. “Project 2025 is not just to be a policy statement, but to be a fundraising vehicle,” he says. “So, I think the money angle is important in terms of helping to resolve some of the seemingly inconsistencies in the regulatory approach.”

It remains to be seen how impactful Project 2025 could be on a future Republican administration. On Tuesday, Paul Dans, the director of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, stepped down. Though Trump himself has sought to distance himself from the plan, reporting from the Wall Street Journal indicates that while the project may be lower profile, it’s not going away. Instead, the Heritage Foundation is shifting its focus to making a list of conservative personnel who could be hired into a Republican administration to execute the party’s vision.

[sexisdisgusting]

Hello I'm Lenka Stojanovic, welcome to my blog

i'm a balkan ex-muslim lesbian woman in my 20s and a big scary radfem. if that threatens you, block me. my blog is crypto safe (if you're crypto, follow only if you want—your safety is my priority).

this is mainly a radfem blog, but i also post funnies and things i find pretty/cool. if you're wondering why i followed you and you're not a radfem blog, that's why.

i LOVE being spammed with reblogs and likes, so please don't feel afraid to do so!!

i identified as "trans/nonbinary" for years before reclaiming my womanhood, and i'm so happy i did (it's never too late). there's no "right" or "wrong" way to be a woman. i was a huge trans activist for years before realizing it doesn't and will never benefit me despite their lies. i don't argue with tras—go kick rocks and debate with the mirror, loser.

i post free pdfs, resources, graphics, and everything else of the sort on this blog. feel free to explore and read—it's not illegal despite what you've been made to think (#useful).

any designs i create and post on this blog are entirely free for personal and commercial use. i don't want or require credit—do whatever your heart desires with them (create pins, t-shirts, print them out, sell them, anything!! idc!) (#my designs).

though i do have some hashtags i regularly use to keep things somewhat organized, in general, i don't use tags a lot, if ever.

my blog is open to any and all women, even the trans-identified ones. you are all welcome here and i love you (in other terms, my blog is open to all "afabs," even "transmen" and those who are "nonbinary"). if you're on the fence or reconsidering things, you're safe here, i promise.

also, i don't live in america, so my perspective might be different from what you're used to.

it sometimes takes me a while to reply (i.e. days, weeks...) to my messages because my life can get busy at times, but rest assured i will get back to you, and love chatting!! (i sometimes also just come on here to feverishly reblog but don't have the energy to converse, i hope you understand). i don't always reply to every reply on my posts because sometimes there's nothing else left to say! you've summed it up perfectly! but i LOVE reading all replies!!!

my messages are only on for mutuals, and asks are completely off. sometimes i'll turn on asks for an hour or two before turning them back off. on that note, any of my beloved regular anonitas i had, i implore thee to make side accounts so we can chat because i really miss you all, though my asks aren't coming back full time any time soon.

there are more trans activists/trans people turned radfems than there are radfems turned trans activists/trans people—think about why that is.

you're not the only one who thinks these thoughts, i promise you there are SO many women who think the same as you. you just haven't found them yet, or they're in hiding.

i love you! mua!! xx

i also have a sideblog in case things go awry (i get banned for being too wild) and that side blog is: sexisforeverdisgusting

[visionofvoid]

Messy Bed Sheets - PG10

Summary: “rule number four.”

Warnings: suggested and implied sex, implied female and male oral, implied p in v, protected sexW

Pairings: pierre gasly x oc

Word Count: 1205

PART TWO PART THREE

Before it began, they laid out some ground rules;

No soliciting the night before a race day, unless Pierre explicitly asks for it;

Pierre was in charge of making all the arrangements due to his busy schedule;

Pierre was to ignore all contact from Serena when it was her cycle, and finally;

Don’t fall in love

It seemed easy enough to follow. 

Serena recalled matching with Pierre on Tinder, she remembered thinking it was just another crypto king traveling the world that enjoyed race cars but she never imagined he would actually be a racecar driver with millions of fans. Pierre enjoyed the fact that Serena never really cared for Pierre Gasly, but instead enjoyed the late night conversations and the hushed breaths and moans on expensive silk bedding in hotels all over the world. He knew he was going above and beyond, paying for her to travel across Europe for a night or two, but he didn’t mind if it meant an expensive dinner and night in with $1000 wine with a beautiful girl that wanted nothing more than to earn her degree and just live. 

Pierre’s head rested on the soft pillows, his back slighting sitting up whilst he played aimlessly with Serena’s hair. The two both had a sweaty sheen on them, the bed sheets covering their naked bodies, though his chest was on full display. The past few months the two had explored all their fantasies, kinks and each other’s bodies. You could say they are quite in tune with one another on a more intimate level. 

“Something on your mind?” Serena questioned, turning her head slightly to rest on her hand that lay flat on Pierre’s exposed chest. Usually Pierre would clean up after they just had sex and the two would cuddle all the way into the night until Serena had to get ready and head home the next day, however the atmosphere felt significantly different this time. Something had changed. Serena watched Pierre’s cheekbones harden slightly, knowing that he was having an internal battle with himself. “Pierre, you can tell me.” Her fingers moved slightly, the movement warming up Pierre internally. 

“That was the last time.” He mumbled, looking everywhere but at Serena directly. He was always incredible at eye contact, something that Serena had only just started getting comfortable with. He saw from his peripheral the confusion on her face. This arrangement was good, and she genuinely cared. Just perhaps not in the way that Pierre wished for her to. “This, whatever this is, it ends tonight.” He reaffirmed, again keeping his gaze from Serena. 

“Can you tell me why?” Serena questioned. She could tell he was avoiding her face so she resorted to pulling back from him, wanting to give him space and ensure he was comfortable. If he was calling off the arrangement, she could only think of a handful of reasons why. The main reason was that he met someone else. Serena always knew that this was strictly a friends with benefits situation and despite the feelings she had developed for him over time, she valued his friendship more than anything to ruin it by speaking up, plus the sex was amazing. How often did you get amazing sex and a man that genuinely cared about female pleasure?

“I just- this ends tonight.” Pierre sighed, finally looking at Serena, catching her eyes staring up at his. He recalled the first time he saw them staring up at him, filled with absolute ecstasy, rolling into the back of her head as he glanced up from his position near her core just months prior, before the arrangement began. 

“Pierre, please. You can tell me anything.” Serena reassured, moving herself to match his position in the bed, one arm awkwardly nudging her way onto the pillow and the other holding onto the sheet to give her some discretion though it wasn’t like Pierre was a stranger to her naked body. Once again he refused to look at her, actually look at her and give his full undivided attention. 

The silence lasted a few more minutes, the air growing colder as they both started to breathe a little normally. Serena decided to stop pestering Pierre, no matter how nosy she was and how much she wanted to try and convince Pierre that it was a safe space. He obviously didn’t want to talk and she wouldn’t push that. She pushed herself to the side of the bed, letting the sheet fall where she once lay. She swung her legs over the side of the plus mattress, bending down to pick up her unmatching bra and panties. 

“What are you doing?” Pierre questioned as she put on her bra expertly, something he was always so fascinated by.

“I’ll go to sleep in the other room.” Serena grabbed her baggy shirt, throwing it over her chubby torso and turned to quickly look at him. “You said that was the last time. I’ll be gone in the morning.” The air was much different now. What was once a warm atmosphere with a hint of musk and champagne in the air was now cold and the scent of stale sex lingered. The atmosphere had changed between the two within minutes. Serena knew herself and knew that if she tried to convince Pierre to keep up with the arrangement that she would blurt out her feelings. 

Pierre was lost for words. He wasn’t too sure how to go about it, about his feelings. He was certain that this was just sex and an obligation of talking with Serena. He was certain that he was also falling for Serena. He knew that if he kept up with the arrangements he would only be damaging his feelings more than anything else.

The bed was big enough to sleep the two of them, even with space in between so they didn’t have to touch one another, it would be like your own bed. Pierre wanted to protest, he wanted to argue with Serena and beg for her to come back, that he was just joking. But instead he pushed his feelings aside and watched as she gathered her phone and handbag. How was it that she looked absolutely gorgeous in just a baggy shirt? Her hair knotted as it pooled down the back of the shirt, the middle of the shirt getting caught between her bra and skin, her thighs peeking out from the hem. She was the epitome of beauty. 

Serena opened the door leading into the conjoined room that Pierre always booked out of respect in case she wanted her own space and paused when she heard Pierre mumble. She stopped for a moment, her head turning slightly in the hopes he would repeat himself a little louder this time. When he finally did and her mind processed it, she was shocked. There was no way he could have known. 

Pierre took the pause and then eventual disappearance into the other room as evidence enough that his feelings were one sided. 

“Rule number four.”

[collapsedsquid]

I’ll conclude by returning to a theme I brought up earlier: the shrunken time horizon of the US ruling class. The current motley crew looks nothing like the set who planned the post-World War II order. They emerged from—or recruits were assimilated to—an ethnically and socially homogenous WASP aristocracy who felt themselves above quotidian distractions and rank commercial temptations. Of course, it was all in the interest of long-term accumulation under US guidance, but it was all successfully planned and executed (at least until things started slipping some in the 1970s). Now with the US in a long process of imperial decline, our planning elite seems fragmented and lost. You have Republicans criticizing Biden for not having shot down the Chinese balloon quickly enough, and Democrats acting as if it was an act of heroism. Our rulers don’t act like they have any good idea about coping with the rise of China, except with bellicose and one hopes ineffectual gestures, because God knows, we don’t want bellicose gestures to lead to an actual war.

And we have a capitalist class that has apparently given up on the future—incapable of dealing with the climate crisis, a truly dire threat, but also consuming capital rather than investing it. Net investment—net, that is, of depreciation—by both business and government—has been falling relative to GDP for decades. The vast flow of free money and 0% interest rates from the Federal Reserve has been channeled into an impressive set of bubbles: the most extended valuations of stocks in US history, crypto, unicorns, housing. It used to be normal to have one particular asset lead the way in a speculative orgy, whether it was stocks in the late 1990s or housing in the following decade. Now we’ve got multiple and serial bubbles that have only been partly deflated by the Fed’s tightening moves of the last year. And Wall Street is dearly hoping the central bank will reverse those moves in a few months and resume the cheap money flow. The bond vigilantes of the 1980s and 1990s, always on the lookout for an inflation that needs to be crushed, have largely disappeared.

I’ll give the last word to Etienne Balibar, who has diagnosed the affliction precisely. “We realize now that our ruling class is no longer a bourgeoisie in the historical sense of the word. It does not have a project of intellectual hegemony nor an artistic point of honor. It needs (or so it thinks) only cost-benefit analyses, “cognitive” educational programs, and committees of experts. That is why, with the help of the pandemic and the internet revolution, the same ruling class is preparing the demise of the social sciences, humanities and even the theoretical sciences.” The bourgeoisie no longer has any civilizational project, national or otherwise. Live for today, and if the water rises, they can just move inland. Or to their underground bunkers.

post-nationalism

[salted-caramel-tea]

ok lets get into the creator league stuff (local essay andy is back)

I mean first and foremost what Is the creator league

its an esports tournament ran by eFuse and presented by Mr Beast. its designed as this kind of interactive league allowing fans to play with and for their favourite creators. their trailers on instagram claim that theres gonna be a full years worth of content, however Mr Beasts recent video claims the event will happen across a 10 month time frame.

so the ting that makes this event 'special' is that the creators are not listed as players in the event but as 'team managers'- which is where the creator pass comes in. Each creator has a 'pass' that allows you as a fan and viewer to join their team and participate in the league events. Each pass costs around $20 and from what ive read I believe you can only sign up to participate on behalf of one player.

obviously for reasons of fairness, not everyone who buys a pass will be able to officially compete- there is a limited number of spaces on each team and the places are won via an open qualifier Fortnite tournament where they will also be competing for a $50 k prize- although im yet to find any comment from creator league or any articles on how this money is split. But don't worry even if you don't qualify youre still entitled to a free box of mr beasts chocolate should you buy a pass before September 9th. yey.

so what's the problem with this.

I mean first of all. creators arent even required to play. they can fully just let their team do all the work in every event which might work for people like Vinnie Hacker I guess. This might be a way to try and 'even the playing field' by not giving creators with gaming backgrounds any advantage, however it makes the marketing of 'playing with your favourite creator' a little meh. also as a viewer, id be more interested in watching an event that my creator was an active participant in than just watching my streamer watch other people play on their behalf.

the other huge thing that everyone is really waiting to hear about in this post is the nft situation. so recently the narrator of the creator league announcement video, brycent, conformed that the passes are nfts to be minted on the blockchain operating system Near Protocol. so obviously people are extremely concerned about this discovered involvement in NFTs and crypto currency.

so I went to investigate the website to see what its looks like when you purchase a creator pass and unsurprisingly there is no mention on nfts anywhere. The passes are sold on mynt.gg , which according to their faqs is a 'first of its kind marketplace looking to evaluate esports through community' just have a look actually

so no mention of the passes actually being nft purchase here's . if we go to the check out as well this is what we see for the descriptors

so . people who are purchasing this have no way of actually knowing they are purchasing an nft. you also need an account to add a pass to your basket and im not willing to make an account so im unaware if at any time during the payment process people are made aware of what they are purchasing. its listed and discussed more like a membership than anything, and in a way it is there are benefits to it, however with no information as to what people are actually buying its extremely sketchy and a literally misleading purchase perhaps a scam even . since the fact that they've just purchased an not isn't listed anywhere on mynt.gg prior to purchase. and after going through a few more articles .

so theyre definitely trying to hide it from you. as mentioned you need an account to purchase anything. and you only get to know what youre purchasing if you go through the TOC, which most people don't read lets be real.

it's worth noting as well creator league is the only collection available on mynt.gg at the minute, it seems like this entire business was started FOR creator league.

after reading through the faqs again I want to correct myself and say that yes you can buy more than one pass, but only for one creator. so this seems to me like a pay to win scheme.

im not going to go super in depth into this bit bc its a topic that has already been discussed in detail but obviously a lot of people are not happy with the inclusion of nfts because of their environmental impact, the secrecy and dedication to hiding this fact that the company is involving crypto in the event itself is a little weird if u ask me. oh yeah theres been reports on twitter too that they have been blocking and deleting replies to their posts that accuse them on using crypto.

so theyre lying to you as the viewer about what they are and what youre purchasing. but it seems like theyre lying to the creators too.

again. crypto and nfts is not mentioned anywhere at all. not in the trailer, not on the website not in any announcements . only discovered when people were paying for passes bc they wanted to support their fave creators.

recently one of the listed creators Connor CDawgVA released a twitter statement conforming that he was completely blindsided by the fact that there was cryptocurrency involved in the event- if u haven't seen his tweet here

so this raises the question were creators told about their involvement with Near, or was it written using jargon that people unfamiliar with crypto would not pick up on.

CEO of TAMU Esports Dylan Liu also weighed in on the creator league misleading their creators as well here's his statements too

this isn't everything Dylan has had to say hes done a lot of discussions with people on blockchains and of the event itself as someone who has known about the event for a while, id recommend checking out his twitter if you have time he goes into depth about how much funding theyre getting from near and way more issues with creator league than I have time to explore rn .

but it really does seem that the Creator League and eFuse have gone out of their way to try and hide the fact that they are using cryptocurrency from everyone possible. This is a marketing scheme to try and trick people into buying into their market- and if you google Near Protocol right now you see that they are declining so they actively need more people to buy into their schemes.

investors are leaving Near right now. Theyre tricking people into buying into their organisation. At least thats my understanding of it im not hugely knowledgeable about crypto.

I have a headache lets just wrap this up

this is super sketchy . as of right now CDawgVA is the only creator to have withdrawn from the event, but I hope a lot of creators follow suit. its unknown to us the details of their contracts but from what we know of the event they have done everything to hide the genuine content of creator pass purchases from the viewers- making a lot of people rightfully angry that the event is trying to pull the wool over fans eyes. hiding tweets and refusing to acknowledge their involvement in crypto programmes to the point where its unclear if people like Mr Beast and any of the participating creators are aware of it is super suspicious activity. Especially with how vague their promotions have been on the event, very little information has been available on their instagram and I think it was yesterday that we actually got some kind of timeline of the event. its supposed to start like next week and so many people are still so unsure of what is actually happening in the event or what prizes theyre actually getting if they participate. there has been no redeeming quality in the way that this event has been conceived and executed and I really do hope to see that the event is cancelled or that creators start to speak out against the way that the event is being run and support the fans who feel cheated and blindsided by the organisers . I will say I do not believe any of the creators willingly involved themselves in a cryptocurrency scheme, it's all just too sketchy . and no I did not proofread this nor can I be bothered to .

[mllemaenad]

The Magnus Protocol: Futures

Lena The world is full of opposing forces, some benevolent, most not. In order for the wheels to keep on turning, all these forces need to be monitored and balanced. That is where we come in. Gwen That doesn’t mean anything. Lena And yet it is the only explanation you’re going to get for now. Gwen So what? We’re the bad guys? Lena We are… managing the “bad guys”. – The Magnus Protocol: Futures

Do they now? Do they really? At least in The Magnus Archives it was more that the various forces just were balanced, whether you wanted them to be or not. Oh, sure, there was all the business with Robert Smirke and architecture, and the tunnels beneath The Magnus Institute – but that seemed to be more a matter of accurately observing a phenomenon than of creating one.

John/Jonah Magnus You see, the thing about the Fears is that they can never be truly separated from each other. When does the fear of sudden violence transition into the fear of hunted prey? When does the mask of the Stranger become the deception of the Spiral? Even those that seem to exist in direct opposition rely on each other for their definition as much as up relies on down. To try and create a world with only the Buried makes as much sense as trying to conceive a world with only down. – The Magnus Archives: The Eye Opens

You can't bring one entity into the world; it has to be all of them. If you kick one entity out of the world, the rest must follow. It isn't even entirely clear that they actually are separate beings.

Attempting to use the concept of "balance" to control and empower himself did not work out all that well for Robert Smirke. Frankly, even with all his extra knowledge and study, it did not work out all that well for Jonah Magnus either, in the long run.

But of course, this particular bit of dialogue is immediately followed by a case about the illusion of control. In a lot of ways, Darrien feels like the brother of the gambler from Rolling With It. There is a lot of similarity – except that the gambler had a better understanding of what was happening.

Chester/Statement Giver The thing is though I still don’t really know if they ever made me roll them. I mean, I did. A lot. And I knew that the risks probably outweighed the rewards but I don’t think I ever felt them like “calling” to me or anything y’know? It always felt like my choice. Even if it was a shitty choice. Besides, I've never gotten anything good in my life except by blind chance, so why should this be any different? – The Magnus Protocol: Rolling With It

He knew he was gambling. Yes, there was a "system" but he recognised that it was never going to be perfect. And over time, he got more caught up in the allure of being a mysterious agent of fate than in the benefits he got from actually rolling the dice. The gambler's mistake wasn't in failing to recognise the peril in the act of gambling, it was in underestimating the hold it had over him.

But Darrien – this poor idiot thinks he's in control.

Darrien I took my entire student loan out and got straight to shorting using your app. This was back when it had only just launched. I struggled through your first janky interface, your weird background checks, all those damn glitches but I stuck with it because unlimited Margins and Deposits was pretty sweet. Made some quick cash shorting failing startups then used that to broaden into Crypto, leveraged some EM ETFS, scraped up a few pennies then started to go long on a few obvious winners like Omni and Sparkhub for some hedging. Easy peasy. – The Magnus Protocol: Futures

Shorting is a very high-risk strategy, meaning that Darrien is effectively gambling just as much as the guy with the dice was. But he doesn't think of it like that: to him it's "the plan", and when it transitions to destroying his own life in order to "earn bank" it's "the loophole".

Except ... well, except. He's pretty obviously not gambling, or investing, or anything else within his control. Darrien is being lured. He has only ever invested using Zorrotrade, which had perks that drew him in ... and almost certainly ensured his success, and the eventual failures that led him to the Personal Projection Short Selling settings. He was set up, but is too arrogant to see it – right up to the end.

It's interesting. Looking back at The Magnus Archives, altruism, personal gain, or most often some combination of the two, were perfectly acceptable as entry points for most of the people who got tangled up with supernatural entities. John plied his questioning powers, largely in seasons three and four, to attempt to stop rituals. Oliver Banks attempted to warn people of their impending deaths. Trevor Herbert started out from the perfectly reasonable position of killing vampires who were eating people right in front of him.

That's logical. People in these stories may not be wholly moral but – "Hey, why don't you serve an eldritch god that will eat up your life and strip you of your humanity?" isn't exactly a winning argument. It makes sense that there's a reason. That a person could think doing this could, conceivably, be for the best.

But eventually, you are supposed to stop caring about helping others, or even your own wellbeing, and just give yourself over.

Jude Perry I know now they were simply guiding me upon the path to my true epiphany. All this time I was serving my god, but only for my own glory. But with each new gift, each renewal of the fire, I saw how lifeless and hollow it was, how grey and ashen my existence had become. It became clear that, where once I had destroyed to fuel my life, I now lived for the pain that I caused. And for Agnes. My sweet, hopeless Agnes. – The Magnus Archives: Twice as Bright

And here you have the gambler, who perhaps had the temperament for this business: the sense of drama, the deep addiction to the dice rolls – but ultimately not the stomach for it. And Darrien. Well, he's got the stomach for it: an amputated limb, a coma and a dozen other serious injuries and he's still not fazed. But he was never ever going to give up the self interest. He clung to the illusion of control, the idea that he could demand his "goddamn money" right up until something consumed him.

You can see hints here, of Sam and Gwen and even Celia. Sam the underachieving gifted kid, desperate to find something in The Magnus Institute to explain his circumstances; Gwen the rich woman in the crap job trying to get "in" on the big secret; Sam and Celia together, trying to take control of their odd relationship by putting all their cards on the table – but both clearly hiding a couple of doozies up their sleeves.

Mostly, though, it seems to be a commentary on Lena. She says that there are benevolent forces out there, and that balance is necessary. And sure, maybe. New universe, new rules. Anything's possible. But it would be a new thing, and there's been little evidence of it so far. If you tell yourself these things, though, you can feel like you're in control. So who is she kidding – Gwen, or herself?

And ye gods there is something very wrong with the tech in this world. The Magnus Archives had its haunted tape recorders, sure, but that was a single point of weirdness in a world where the technology largely behaved as expected. But here?

Someone or something seems to be able to listen through virtually any device that has a microphone

Making Adjustments involved streaming inking someone with a cursed tattoo to the world

Personal Screening had an obviously evil website, and closed with a cursed film

Needles and the threatening call to emergency services

Mr Bonzo, who is summoned by recordings of his theme song

... and now the cursed investment app

And Freddy, of course. Can't forget Freddy. It's not every case, but it's enough cases that I'm sure there's a pattern. I am more certain that The Magnus Protocol refers at least in part to network protocols – and that Colin has largely been kept quiet because he could say too many useful things. Colin is stressed, in part, because somebody wants an app.

Yeah. I don't think an app would improve anything about this situation.

Meanwhile, there is Alice's small tragedy. Of course, it was clear even from the trailer that she recommended Sam for the job. But this:

Sam I had a breakdown. Stress. There was an… incident at work. I… freaked out during a presentation. After that they “encouraged” me to move on and I did. Six unemployed months later and I took a job at the O.I.A.R. Celia (slightly cautious) Alice hooked you up? Sam (noticing) Yeah. Full disclosure, we dated at uni and stayed in contact after. I did my best to help her though her parents’ deaths, but… after that we pretty much dropped out of touch. According to her, she dropped me a line about the job after “the most pathetic vague-post she had ever seen.” – The Magnus Protocol: Futures

That Sam had a breakdown and Alice, unprompted, invited him into the OIAR. He didn't reach out to her. They didn't reconnect for other reasons and it just came up. She made that move. Alice who knows her workplace is sinister and advises everyone not to look to closely at the cases – and is suspicious of anyone who does. Alice who clearly still has feelings for Sam. She can chide Sam all she wants about his poking around The Magnus Institute, but she brought him here.

I keep thinking about Tim, and the way he blamed John for trapping him in the archives. John had his share of screw ups, of course, but that one always felt a bit unfair. There was no way John could have known the archives job was extra evil. But this time? If something does happen to Sam – whether that be physical danger or mental distress, or even a descent into evil – Alice can't say her hands are clean. Some of it will be her fault.

[aeltri]

Choose Greek Love

I just stumbled upon something pretty shocking which paints Wanda Ventham in an even more unflattering light. I tried to give her and Tim the benefit of the doubt because Ben has spoken well of them. However, it's become clear to me that he's excusing the inexcusable because he was made to feel responsible for what happened to him. I remember something odd he said about a vacation home in Greece...

Except it's not his, it's Wanda's. I'm also willing to bet that it's in or around Thessaloniki for a rather sinister reason. Along with Tim's Freemasonic ties to Izmir it's an even more direct link to the Dönme Sabbatean sect. See, the foundations of Sabbatean-Frankism were first laid in Thessaloniki/Salonika in the late 17th century. It's unlikely that Ben's family are Cryptos otherwise the Sabbatean-Frankists wouldn't have called him a donkey (חמור) but they are multigenerational Shabbos Goys. They're indentured cult servants and Ben got stuck with the ancestral bill. This explains the nonsensical cover stories about getting hurt "down there", he was being molested even while on vacation.

Another thing that's odd is the fact that Wanda and Tim moved to that cottage on Moss' estate as soon as Ben was shipped off to Harrow. Said they sold the 3 bedroom flat in Kensington (not Kentish Town) which doesn't exactly scream financial hardship. We know that Ben got a scholarship and that Tim also got an inheritance that he probably invested in his son's education. Did Wanda get a cult promotion for handing Ben over to Andrew Birkin? As a Handler? Because this mirrors what Anneke Lucas, another SRA survivor reported. Her mom began to move up socially and financially once she too pimped her daughter out. This means that Wanda didn't put her career on hold because she loved her family. The reality was that she was a mid actress who was busy breaking kids in for MKUltra programming. She found her niche and made better money that way. "My parents loved the f*****g life out of me, so I felt confident about the world." So much so that they helped ruin it along with your sanity, Ben? Because the definition of "love" that my parents taught me is rather different. Then again, they don't belong to an evil cult that demanded that they hand over their firstborn!

[ecosmining]

What Equipment to Use for Mining Bitcoin Profitably After the Halving?

In April 2024, the next Bitcoin halving took place. The reward for mining one block was reduced by 50% and is now 3.125 BTC. Due to this, some may begin to doubt mining — will this activity continue to bring in a decent income? Based on our extensive experience, we can confidently say that mining can and should remain profitable even after the halving. In this article, we will discuss how to organize Bitcoin mining most rationally and what equipment to choose for this.

Bitcoin Price Will Definitely Rise After the Halving

Since the launch of the first cryptocurrency, its halving has occurred approximately every four years. In 2024, this happened for the fifth time. Throughout all these years, the price of BTC, its market capitalization, and audience have steadily increased. The popularity of mining is also growing, and new technologies are being developed to increase its efficiency.

The person or team behind Bitcoin came up with halving to control inflation and maintain demand for the coin. Halving benefits Bitcoin and in no way deprives miners of their well-deserved reward. The rarer the asset, the higher its value — this rule works after each halving. That’s why starting mining right now is an excellent idea.

Three Secrets to Keep Mining Profitable

To make money mining BTC after its halving in 2024, you need to:

Buy or rent the latest generation equipment

Reduce expenses

Find a reliable hosting provider

Let’s take a closer look at all these points.

Today, one of the best ASICs for mining Bitcoin is the Antminer 21 series. It stands out for its high hashing power combined with relatively modest energy consumption. The Antminer 21 significantly outperforms miners of previous generations. The manufacturer of this series, Bitmain, is one of the most well-known in the industry. This is a reliable brand with a very strong team, extremely popular among crypto professionals.

To increase revenue, you can purchase multiple devices and combine them into a mining farm. However, this may require too high initial costs. Additionally, you will need to find a place to host the equipment. It not only consumes a lot of energy but also makes a lot of noise. To reduce the noise level, you can buy ASICs with a water cooling system — but they are more expensive than regular ones.

To cut costs, you can rent a miner instead of buying it. Remote providers can afford the most modern ASICs. You will be able to choose one or several machines with suitable characteristics. The provider will take care of the installation, maintenance, and repair of the equipment. Their staff has all the necessary knowledge and skills. Your involvement in mining will be minimal, and you will be able to receive truly passive income.

Another option is to try cloud mining, a more modern and accessible alternative. You will be renting not an ASIC but hashing power. First, you will purchase a contract on the most comfortable terms for you. After that, your task will be reduced to regularly transferring the commission to the provider — and they will take care of everything else. You will start receiving income on the rise in the price of Bitcoin. If you want to increase your profits, you can buy multiple contracts.

Each halving forces mining providers to rethink their strategies and optimize their activities. Some of those who cannot cope with these tasks close down. That’s why it’s important to check the provider’s history — the longer they have been in business, the better.

The second important parameter is customer reviews. It’s not a problem if some of them are negative — the main thing is that the majority are positive. The contract terms of a good provider are detailed and transparent. The support service is polite, informed, and responds promptly to customer inquiries.

ECOS meets all the criteria of a first-class provider for remote mining. This company is located in the free economic zone of Armenia, where cryptocurrencies are legal, and miners are exempt from taxes for 25 years. The Razdan power plant provides stable access to cheap energy. The security of the territory where the equipment is located is guaranteed by armed guards. The equipment downtime is close to zero. If an ASIC breaks down, it will be promptly repaired on-site, without wasting time sending it to the manufacturer’s service center.

ECOS clients can choose a cloud mining contract from existing options or create their own, individual one. The selection of equipment rental or purchase options is also very large. Clients appreciate ECOS for its transparent terms, reasonable prices, and quality service. This is an ideal provider for beginner miners who are just taking their first steps in the industry. Experienced miners note the exceptional reliability of ECOS, honesty, and timely payment of rewards.

ECOS Client Case

To confirm the above theory, let’s consider a real case of one of the ECOS clients. Let’s denote him by the nickname anto******duate.org.

Immediately after the previous halving in 2020, he bought an Antminer T17 for $699. The hashing speed of this miner was 38 terahashes per second. Four years ago, this model was considered advanced, one of the best on the market.

From November 25, 2020, to November 1, 2021, anto******duate.org earned 0.08026213 BTC with his Antminer T17, which in fiat currency amounted to $5,327. Hosting and miner maintenance costs were only $1,080. The client received a net profit of $3,548. Mining turned out to be a more profitable activity for him than buying bitcoins. If he had bought bitcoins, his profit would have been only $2,900.

To estimate your upcoming expenses and profits, you can use the calculator on the ECOS website. We hope that with the help of this tool, you will see that mining BTC can still be profitable even after the halving!

[warsofasoiaf]

Is there any evidence FDR was just a Communist and thats why he was so keen to go along with Stalin and the USSR, or is that too much of a simplification? I had seen this from press critical of FDR and the new deal from that time period but no idea how real vs propaganda it might be. Some of the westerners were really dupped by the Russians early on, and some not so early. Its really embarrassing then and now, kids walking around with hammer and sickles where I work etc etc rant rant, monumentally ignorant.  

No, in fact all the evidence points to that FDR was not very fond of the ideology and saw it as deeply destructive - he even used the term “un-American.” His public speeches said as much, and his private documents do not really offer a contrasting opinion. He and the New Deal were variously described as communist and socialist, along with authoritarian and fascist, depending on who you talked to or what news publication was writing the article. At various points, communist groups supported and opposed FDR. Early on, the CPUSA despised the New Deal, but changed their opinion later on. After the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the CPUSA was harshly critical toward Roosevelt’s Lend-Lease policy to Britain and actively campaigned in support of Nazi Germany. This changed in a heartbeat after Barbarossa, and previous pro-fascist articles and posters were suppressed and thrown down the memory hole.

The explanations why FDR was so accommodating to Stalin vary greatly. Most FDR supporters explain it as pragmatism in pursuit of his ultimate mission to stop Nazi Germany - FDR knew the Soviets were fighting the Nazis and supported them in pursuit of that end. That doesn’t really pass muster with me, largely due to FDR’s pro-Soviet foreign policy starting in 1933. Other supporters suggest realpolitik as the answer, that the Soviets by that point were there to stay and it was in the national interest to recognize them, as evidenced by the trade deals that were signed. The issue with that is that those trade deals didn’t muster out, but they were continued despite businesses complaining that there was no benefit for them or for the US as a whole. Of course, opponents suggest that it was because he was a crypto-communist or that he wished a stronger relationship to dismantle capital, which also doesn’t really muster out because FDR maintained strong relationships with the British and French empires. 

For my part, I used to believe in the realpolitik position, but I’ve changed my mind after researching more about FDR. These days, I believe it’s due to his overriding desire to complete his United Nations project, and fear that if Soviet practices were exposed it would cost him significantly in the political sphere. I believe that FDR believed he needed Soviet (and British) buy-in for the UN, and while the British would largely be on board with the project, FDR needed to ensure that the Soviets were willing to sign on, Stalin recognized this and exacted a pretty penny. Then, whether it’s a case of sunk cost fallacy or because FDR earnestly believed he could change Stalin’s mind (FDR and Stalin were noted to have had a strong working relationship, and spoke well of each other even privately), he kept rolling over for Stalin and giving him everything he wanted. As for the latter reason, one of the conditions of the diplomatic recognition of the Soviet Union was stopping espionage attempts and funding subversive groups that committed crime in the United States. This never really stopped after the diplomatic recognition, but if FDR admitted it, he’d be forced to admit that he was wrong about the Soviets, and that was something he couldn’t abide. So instead, he directed his White House to help cover up Soviet espionage and actively sought to squash counter-intelligence investigations or informants like Whittaker Chambers. Unlike with something like the Air Mail scandal, FDR wouldn’t have had a fall guy to pin the blame on, so he and the party would suffer significantly if it came to light. 

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[unpluggedfinancial]

The Power of Consistency: Always Moving Forward

Imagine your life as a garden. Some plants grow quickly, others take years to bloom, but the key to a thriving garden isn’t just planting seeds—it’s the consistent care you give them. Watering, weeding, nurturing, day in and day out. The same goes for your goals, your investments, and your growth. Success isn’t built on fleeting bursts of effort but on the relentless pursuit of progress, no matter how slow or challenging the journey may be.

Staying consistent is the secret weapon of the successful. It’s the slow drip that carves canyons, the steady climb that conquers mountains. Whether you’re working on personal growth, building a career, or investing in your financial future, the principle remains the same: consistency is key. In this post, we’ll explore why staying the course is so powerful, how to keep moving forward even when the going gets tough, and why this mindset is essential for anyone committed to achieving long-term success—especially in a world as volatile as ours.

Why Consistency Matters

Consistency is often underestimated in a world that glorifies quick wins and overnight success stories. But let’s be real: those stories are the exception, not the rule. Most success is the result of years—sometimes decades—of consistent effort.

Consider the concept of compounding. In finance, compounding is the process where the value of an investment increases because the earnings on an investment, both capital gains and interest, earn interest as time passes. The same principle applies to your actions and habits. Every small, consistent effort you make is like a deposit into the bank of your future. Over time, these deposits grow, building up momentum and eventually leading to significant results.

But here’s the catch: consistency isn’t about perfection. It’s about persistence. It’s showing up day after day, even when you don’t feel like it, even when progress seems invisible. It’s the difference between someone who sprints and burns out and someone who paces themselves and finishes strong.

Moving Forward—Even When It’s Tough

Let’s face it: staying consistent is hard. Life throws curveballs. Motivation wanes. Setbacks happen. But these challenges aren’t roadblocks; they’re part of the journey. The key is learning how to move forward, no matter what.

Resilience is your greatest ally here. It’s the ability to bounce back, to keep pushing, to adapt when things don’t go as planned. One way to build resilience is to set small, manageable goals. Instead of focusing on the overwhelming mountain ahead, break it down into smaller, more achievable steps. Celebrate each milestone, no matter how small. Each step forward is progress, and progress is what keeps you moving.

Another powerful strategy is tracking your progress. Whether it’s through a journal, an app, or a simple checklist, seeing how far you’ve come can be incredibly motivating. It reminds you that even when you feel stuck, you’re still moving forward.

The Role of Consistency in Bitcoin and Financial Freedom

Let’s talk about Bitcoin. The crypto world is notorious for its volatility. Prices soar one day and plummet the next. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype or panic in the downturns. But those who’ve truly benefited from Bitcoin know one thing: consistency is crucial.

Take Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA) as an example. DCA involves investing a fixed amount of money into Bitcoin at regular intervals, regardless of its price. This strategy smooths out the effects of volatility and ensures that you’re not trying to time the market—something even seasoned investors struggle to do. By staying consistent with your investments, you reduce risk and increase your chances of long-term success.

This approach applies to more than just Bitcoin. Whether you’re saving for retirement, building a business, or working on personal growth, consistency is your best bet. It’s about playing the long game, keeping your eyes on the prize, and not getting distracted by short-term noise.

Practical Tips for Staying Consistent

So, how do you stay consistent, especially when life gets in the way? Here are a few tips to keep you on track:

1. Create a Routine: Habits are powerful because they put consistency on autopilot. Create a daily or weekly routine that supports your goals. Whether it’s setting aside time for learning, investing, or personal reflection, a routine helps you stay focused and disciplined.

2. Accountability: Find an accountability partner or join a community of like-minded individuals. When others are counting on you, you’re more likely to stay committed. Accountability turns consistency from a solitary pursuit into a shared journey.

3. Mindset Shift: View setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures. Each challenge you face is a chance to grow stronger and smarter. By reframing difficulties, you’ll be less likely to give up and more likely to keep moving forward.

Conclusion

Consistency isn’t glamorous. It’s not flashy, and it doesn’t always provide immediate gratification. But it’s the bedrock of success. It’s the slow, steady grind that, over time, leads to extraordinary results. Whether you’re investing in Bitcoin, building a career, or striving for personal growth, staying consistent is the best way to ensure you reach your goals.

So, ask yourself: where can you commit to being more consistent today? Identify that one area, take the first step, and keep moving forward. Remember, it’s not about perfection; it’s about persistence. And with persistence, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

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[nobotderiz]

Facioposit

Burn and watch... Holy cows might give no milk!

Lots of pain in the last week eh? Lots of lessons to learn from a burn through. Can try to point blame, poor you... No one would have taken seriously an evacuation plan in Hawaii.

Nature gonna fix you all.

These will work until Elon find an excuse or decides for you. Me all I know is that if I can think about it, someone else probably did already. The prize to win was great for a gambler eh? Me I do not gamble.

Started at zero, now at one... Do I have to explain it all or you can use computers to figure it out? How would you create an undetectable signal on a large amplitude modulation?

You need an analogic device, chumps. The goal is to create an imprint in a neural without it being seen as such.

It seeds nothing else than confusion in one: Rare disease, underlying sickness, cancer... A trigger.

Fantastic realm? Look at em trends. Figure out who is trying to not be pinpointed and for what reason. Question is, who wants to keep at it and for what benefit, if ever?

You do know about the flotilla of floating objects packed with tech gear and mirrors eh? Still no news as to who is the owner. Is that a 'Shut, can't say...'?

Anyone figured out what can measure conjectures in time? You know that many of you carry a big powered inductance in your pockets eh.

You used it to pretend doing something doing what in fact?

Tiny Acid Circumcised sausages in a can. You know it's alright to keep secrets, but profiteering and abusing from them it's not.

Anyone heard about Tiny Inbred Cojacents? They look like sum larvae but they good ITY.

'Do not destroy what you do not understand'; for my part I do not understand why fascism and defrauding is normal, should these be allowed?

Define parasites, baitswill. There is no beneficial relation in paraZiting. If a strain that lead can be removed or attenuated, it shall.

This one's in for your souls.

You gonna be full scanalyzer.

Chumps, you agreed to give a break to who first?

'Save money first' Then what? Billions defrauded, fake businesses billions spent for business started on presumptions; businesses who never had a shot at making a cent without creating inflation in the overhead... Ben oui, vous êtes tous à plusieurs dedans... All useless from the reality point of view.

All these people who defrauded society while people were sick, what would they do if no fraud available for them? Ask raelitz what it think between two back scratching session while on coke. For who on this planet is all a show to profit from really? The fucking cream?

Chumps, I really do not think that Ai can be owned. You think of anyone and say you trust them to be in control of it.

Wanna know why crypto is nullified? It's because it's not encryption, it's a ponzi.

You flick switch and stay mute, think you are intelligent. Flick switches, to prevent what? If at least it was to prevent the worst...

Anyways, lots of têtes de marde.

'Bait a wit... Bait a wit..'

You crypto clowns got real greedy with them dummies, and mean with the rest... Like them aphorisms that leads to de factos?

Pas d'excuses pour les riches qui savaient. Tous ceux qui ont compris que le tout est oppressé par les mêmes...

Figured it out yet? Not supposed to? Les yeux sont le reflet de l'âme.

Oh lé rabats joie. America, do you hear the sound of the tiny flûte in your head yet? You know the best way to get away with treason is to do it as if casual.

You do what you want, it's now proven that yes it can be done. As soon as the quantum codex got initialized, it started to fix what was wrong. How much fix gets done is up to not you really. It can be paused indefinitely but not stopped. The earth is round, intelligence on it will end up at same point; pause or run.

Ça commence à bien faire le calisse de taponiaisage. When will be the constat that resume that psychiatry is a pseudo science? When psychorats run out of pills to give?

Ground truth until it's sneeze powder.

Cook brain of sneezer once powder sneezed.

Imprint a disinfect

'...Sorry, I can't quack still...'

'Faut pas enlever le couvercle du crockpot qui siffle'

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