The other side of the Wright/Satoshi matter

Craig Wright claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto. He hasn't proven that claim. He tried to pass off an old Satoshi transaction signature as "proof" in 2016, but got caught.

That doesn't prove Wright isn't Satoshi. All it proves is that Wright hasn't proven he's Satoshi. Perhaps Satoshi lost his wallet keys, etc., and simply has no way of proving his identity.

If Wright is not Satoshi, and if Satoshi does still have control of his wallets, there's a way for Satoshi to prove that Wright isn't Satoshi without exposing Satoshi's true identity.

That way is this:

1. Pick a time when Wright is in public, on camera, observable to the public, and visibly not using a phone or computer.
2. Send BTC -- any amount will do -- from Satoshi's wallet to some other wallet during that time.

That wouldn't settle the question of who Satoshi is, but it would eliminate one suspect/claimant.

Rate My Bit #1: My Acting Career

No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to record stand-up material (or a speech, or whatever) at a desk and have it sound the way it sounds on a stage. It sounds more like what it is, me at my desk doing a read.

But I have to sit at my desk and do a read, and I have to record it by way of rehearsal (repetition, playing with the timing, tweaking the content, etc.), so I might as well share it with y'all and see what you think. Here's one I'm working on at the moment. Be gentle. Or not.

What a Country!

In any other context, publicly calling for charges to be filed against someone would preclude you from serving on the jury if they were. But when it comes to this ...

Kamala Harris joins Elizabeth Warren in advocating for President Trump's impeachment

US Government Murders 30,000 Americans Per Year

That's the more sensation, but just as accurate, takeaway from this column by Hans Bader at FEE.

New Resume Item

Did my first stand-up comedy set last night. Or my first stand-up comedy set in front of a live audience composed of people outside my immediate household, anyway.

Of the three minute set, only 13 words were even remotely political. The rest was about dogs and sex. But not like that.

People laughed, and they did so at the points where I had hoped they would, so hopefully I did OK.

It was supposed to be three minutes anyway. I don't know if I ran long, went short, or nailed the time. I was the show closer (it was "established local comedians first, short set open mic after"), so I probably got a bit of leniency on the time limit if I needed it. The guy running the pre-show workshop for beginners told me "those two bits you tested out on us, plus one more, should get you to three minutes if you don't rush it." I wasn't happy enough with anything else I had been working on to show it off just yet, so I came up with a couple of one-liners contextual to the specific show, while watching it, and threw them in. They got laughs too, so I guess it all worked out.

There was also supposed to be video -- for me to watch/self-evaluate with, and to share if I decided it was good enough -- but something went wrong on that end of things.

But Seriously, Folks ...

Ben Shapiro: "[Ilhan Omar] has a long history of not taking terrorism particularly seriously ..."

Unlike Shapiro, who took 9/11 so seriously that he spent the next several years yelling for war (from as far away as it was humanly possible to stay from military recruiting offices).

The Finest One-Sentence Description I've Read of the Establishment Media Response to the Mueller Report

"It was like the last scene of the Sopranos."

As a Resident of a "Sanctuary County" ...

I fully support US president Donald Trump's proposal to send abducted migrants here.

I'd rather they weren't abducted in the first place and simply left unmolested in their right to travel where they damn well please.

But if not, sure, send them our way in Alachua County, Florida. By the truck load. By the plane load.  As many as you please, as many as possible.

Immigration benefits its destinations and the people living in those destinations. It boosts their economies and lowers their crime rates.

Let cities, counties, and states where the governments and  large segments of the people perpetually bellyache about "illegal immigration" while enjoying its benefits be relieved of those benefits, and see how they like it.

I'm guessing they'll respond the same way Chicago's politicians respond to the failures of their victim disarmament ("gun control") schemes.

They won't blame themselves for denying themselves the benefits (of gun rights or of immigration).

They'll blame the cities, counties, and states that accept the benefits for the problems that come with not accepting the benefits, rather than deigning to accept the benefits themselves.

A Quick Quiz to Make a Point

Not everyone's a history buff. Not everyone's even heard of the Dreyfuss affair of 1894-1906.

But of those who have heard of the Dreyfuss affair, most can probably identify at least one of two, and perhaps both, figures involved.

Figure One: Albert Dreyfuss, the French soldier accused of spying for Germany; and

Figure Two: Emile Zola, a French writer who was prosecuted for "defamation of a public authority" over his open  letter on the matter (J'Accuse ... !)

Quiz: Name any of the Presidents of the Council of Ministers of France (the rough equivalent, at the time, of Prime Ministers in parliamentary systems or presidents in the US system) during the period.

Offhand, I was able to name a grand total of one of them, out of several. But that one came to the position at the very end of the affair, and was previously Zola's publisher and co-defendant, Georges Clemenceau.

The Point: 120 years from now, it may be that not a whole lot of people will know much about the Manning affair. But of those who do, I bet more people will be able to name Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange, the equivalents of Dreyfuss and Zola, than will be able to name any of the US presidents in office at the times of their persecutions.

Yes, I Think USC 18 § 241 / § 242 Apply

18 U.S. Code § 241. Conspiracy against rights

If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or

If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—


They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.

18 U.S. Code § 242. Deprivation of rights under color of law

Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or to different punishments, pains, or penalties, on account of such person being an alien, or by reason of his color, or race, than are prescribed for the punishment of citizens, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.


While Julian Assange is not an inhabitant of the United States, or a person in the United States, yet, prosecutors in the US are clearly conspiring to make him an inhabitant of the United States and a person in the United States, by asking the British police to kidnap him and turn him over to the United States.

After which, they intend to injure/oppress him (§ 241), and deprive him of his rights under color of law (§ 242), for his exercise and enjoyment of rights guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.

So prosecution of the criminals who are after Assange -- or pre-prosecution intervention in defense of Assange -- on violation of  § 241 and § 242 is clearly warranted. The conspiracy to kidnap Assange is probable cause to suspect the rest of the elements.

The code provisions themselves provide for capital punishment where kidnapping is involved, so I see no problem at all with the pre-prosecution intervention involving summary execution of the perpetrators if they resist arrest.

Including arrest by citizens.

Yes, I am advocating precisely what it sounds like I'm advocating.

I Just Made My First Presidential Campaign Contribution for 2020 ...

... and it was to a Democrat. I don't think I've nominated to a partisan candidate who wasn't a Libertarian since prior to 1996.

Mike Gravel is trying to get 65,000 donations to qualify for participation in the Democratic Party's presidential nomination debates.

If you're a partisan Libertarian, you may remember that the former Senator sought our party's presidential nomination in 2008.

I did not support Gravel for the nomination (I was a Kubby and Ruwart guy), but I did like him (I got to spend some time with him in multi-campaign "how do we stop Barr" strategy sessions) and his campaign staff (at least one of whom, Christopher Thrasher, has been a valuable LP activist ever since).

And let's face it, Gravel was a better candidate, by at least a full order of magnitude, than the screw-job fakeatarians we chose for both slots on the ticket that year (Bob Barr and Wayne Allyn Root).

So I threw five bucks his way specifically to help him get into those debates, where he plans to pitch a non-interventionist foreign policy.

Any donation, any amount, will help him reach that goal (I think he's about a quarter of the way there). I hope you'll shake loose a couple of bucks for him, too.

The Porn Ransom Email Thing ...

From my inbox, in an email supposedly from one of my own addresses ...

This account has been infected! Renew your pswd this time!
You might not know me me and you are probably wanting to know why you're receiving this e-mail, is it right?
I am ahacker who burstyour emailand devicesnot so long ago.
It will be a time wasting to try out to msg me or alternatively try to find me, in fact it's not possible, considering that I directed you an email from YOUR own hacked account.

Yes, because it's SO complicated to make it look like a message originating from pburin@vhsolucoes.com.br is actually from another address. Didn't even do a very good job of covering your tracks.

I have installed malware soft on the adult videos (porn) website and suppose that you have enjoyed this website to have fun (you understand what I mean).
When you have been keeping an eye on content, your internet browser started out functioning as a RDP (Remote Control) with a keylogger that granted me access to your monitor and web camera.
Consequently, my softwareaquiredall information.
You wrote passcodes on the web services you visited, and I caught them.
Needless to say, it's possible to modify them, or perhaps already modified them.
But it really doesn't matter, my spyware renews it regularly.
What I have done?
I generated a reserve copy of your system. Of all files and contact lists.
I got a dual-screen movie. The first screen shows the film that you were observing (you've an interesting preferences, wow...), the second screen reveals the recording from your web camera.
What do you have to do?
Clearly, in my view, 1000 USD is basically a inexpensive amount of money for this little riddle. You will make your deposit by bitcoins (if you do not know this, try to find “how to purchase bitcoin” in any search engine).
My bitcoin wallet address:
1FUieDeAPMpTpz67aKfr1jsWXmJfvQ6V8w
(It is cAsE sensitive, so copy and paste it).
Important:
You have 2 days in order to make the payment. (I built in an unique pixel to this email, and at this moment I know that you have read this email).
To monitorthe reading of a messageand the activityin it, I set upa Facebook pixel. Thanks to them. (The stuff thatis appliedfor the authorities can helpus.)

In the event I fail to get bitcoins, I'll immediately send your recording to each of your contacts, along with family members, co-workers, etcetera?

The sad part ... looks like this idiot has received three bites on the scam and knocked down about $4,000 US.

Of course, I don't have a web cam, and I don't really care if someone finds out my porn preferences anyway.  But if you receive one of these emails, rest assured it's completely fake. The nitwit didn't hack your computer. The nitwit doesn't have your files, your history, or footage from your webcam. All he has is your email address.

Wow, I See a Long Ago Promise Unkept

When I initially offered the World's Smallest Political Platform, I also promised to write a Statement of Principles in limerick form. That was 13 years ago, and I forgot all about it until the subject of the WSPP came up in a F******k thread. So:


The reason this party's in session
Is to advocate for non-aggression
That may sound a bit dry
But we won't tell a lie
It's our purest, most perfect confession

Well, That Was Quite a Night

Scored free tickets to catch a Grateful Dead tribute act at my favorite local venue.

Headed for the show, right after dropping my last lovingly hoarded hit of blotter, and ...

Ended up watching a flautist and pianist at Gainesville's premier LGBTQ-friendly bar then coming home and listening to some Jethro Tull.

Not bad, I guess, but not exactly what I was expecting of the evening either and kind of a waste of decent acid.

Interesting

So the tweet embedded below is a "re-tweet for entry in a drawing for free tickets" thing. Cool. I'm going to the show. So I re-tweeted.

Then I looked at the other re-tweets. Looks like all or almost all of them are people who just scan Twitter for "this is a giveaway, re-tweet to enter" stuff, even if they don't live anywhere in the neighborhood.

I wonder if the giveaway folks for local gigs look at that when drawing?

Looks like it's gonna be a good show. Even if I have to pay to get in.

Update: W00T! Winner winner chicken dinner! See y'all at the show if you're cool like that.

TICKET GIVEAWAY! TONIGHT! 4/5 Unlimited Devotion - Celebrating the GRATEFUL DEAD - at High Dive! TWO FULL SETS!

Retweet us for a chance to WIN 2 TICKETS to the show!

Winner will be announced at 6PM!@GloryDaysGNV @udsouthflorida pic.twitter.com/hkS2YbPRdu

— High Dive (@HighDiveGville) April 5, 2019

Things Progressives Hate

There's a pretty cool progressive site that publishes almost all of my Garrison columns. Just not the ones that pick at modern American progressivism's conservatism.

Commenting: Everything Old is New Again

Quite some time ago -- maybe as long ago as the late 1990s, but I don't remember for sure -- I came across several sites/browser plug-ins/apps that amounted to "universal commenting." That is, you could go to any web page, click a bookmarklet or browser button, and comment "on" (actually, about) that page, without the owners of the page itself having any say in the matter.

I thought the idea was really cool, but it never caught on. Site commenting got done in-house or via third-party commenting providers that gave site owners moderation control, if it got done at all.

Gab's new site/app/browser extension set, Dissenter, brings back that old idea and seems to be doing better than the old similar models because it's leveraging the same user base that powers Gab itself: People who want to say what they want to say at any site without the site owner being able to set guidelines or just stop them entirely.

Pretty cool.

The next step, which I'm not seeing yet but which seems pretty simple, is a tool set (e.g. Wordpress plug-in) that lets site owners themselves easily opt in by making Dissenter their sites' "official" commenting system. That should already be doable with template edits or whatever. It's just a matter of making it easier.

Five Items of Clothing I Never Find at Thrift Stores

Yes, I do most of my clothes shopping at thrift stores. They have lots of nearly new -- or sometimes, really old and cool -- stuff at a fraction of the price you'd pay elsewhere.

Both of my suits (one a standard light/summer business/wedding/funeral suit, the other a vintage linen suit that a freaking fashion reporter asked me about at the 2016 Libertarian National Convention)  fit like they were tailored for me. Each of them cost less less than ten bucks. They cost to buy less than they cost to have dry-cleaned.

I keep a couple of pairs of "bought new" shoes around, but pick up old Nikes and such when I see them really cheap at the thrift stores. They're for wearing when I mow the yard or lounge around the house or whatever. The "new" stuff is for going out or, occasionally, when I get the "get in shape" bug and don't want to destroy my feet walking or biking.

I buy cheap or cool shirts for a buck or three apiece and don't worry about wearing them out. In fact, once I get too many, I impose a "cut up two for rags for every one you buy" rule so that my wardrobe doesn't get out of control (Tamara always has enough clothing on hand to cover a mid-size city of petite women -- a city I'd very much like to visit).

But here are five things I never seem to find at thrift stores:

1. Levi Strauss 501 button fly jeans. 550 zipper fly Levis I can find all day long. Dockers? Whole racks of them in every size. 501s, no dice. And have you seen what they cost new these days? Back when I worked for Tracker Boats, I got a 20% discount at Bass Pro Shops and the 501s were less than $20 before the discount. Nowadays you're talking $50 or more. Screw that. I got lucky a little while back and found a pair of 501s at a garage sale. My size. New! They hadn't even been washed yet, the store tags were still on them. One. Freakin'. Dollar. SCORE.
2. String ties, bolo ties, and bow ties. I don't like regular neckties very much. I don't like tying them, I don't like wearing them, and I don't like looking like every other dick in a suit wherever I'm going that I need to wear a suit. I usually have to get online to find those things, although I did pick up a cool little brass alligator bolo at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago.
3. White, "buff," or ivory dress shoes. I've been looking for a pair to go with the aforementioned linen suit. I'm simply not willing to spend ten times as much on the shoes as I spent on the suit.
4. Band/concert shirts. It's easy to understand why. People collect those and either wear them until they rot (that's me) or carefully preserve them in boxes (that's not me). If I ever come across, say, a 1993 Grateful Dead at [insert venue here] concert shirt at a thrift store, and I never have, I'll know that either a hippie died or it's a Walmart reproduction.
5. Men's belts that actually fit. If I see a men's belt at a thrift store, chances are it's either for a guy with a 70" waist or a guy with a 24" waist. My theory is that the guys with 70" waists keeled over in the Golden Corral buffet line and their families donated the stuff (there's always plenty of Very Very Large pants and shirts, too), and that the guys with 24" waists gained weight. All the belt sizes in between get worn out, not donated to thrift stores. I finally gave in and paid Amazon $12 for two decent belts recently (I often wear suspenders, and there are always plenty of those at thrift stores).