Boris Rarden

Checkout Bitcoinduit.org -- a bitcoin based ponzi game

What are you talking about ? This is great!

"Your heirarchy depends on one thing only: Get more suckers to give up their money so the first people who joined can acquire more. It is not sustainable in the long term, it will collapse." Not if the money pool willbe switched to purchase a real business and pay dividends as the percentages.

Should the answer be: "I hope that you never find out" ?

What is your take on this ? http://www.alternet.org/rights/69748/ The workers have no rights to work anywhere else and they are abused. Are we to blame the government for not giving them work visa because they jumped the fence ?

JASKN: We can start a new country if we do it in a place no body wants to live in. Like Sahara desert. Noboby will bother us for a while, until we gonna have something really good that everybody wants. We would not have a way to protect it, but we will need to create a copy of every technological innovation and store it as a backup somewhere remote. When someone would try to take our work away from us, we will threaten them that we will destroy it. We would send a message. And while we build the Galts Gulch, we have to also build a presence in the real world, so that if we loose our creation, we have something to bounce on for a rebound. By that I mean, real estate, and bank accounts spread out around the world. We can continue doing that generation after generation, until the right message will reach the general public. As our immediate need we have to select an unlivable place -- too hot, or too cold, and then think of an energy source, and pull our money together for doing it. In our global economy and easily accessible information it is doable.

Why not think of it as a money pool -- a bank, building itself up in a hierarchical structure ? Those who recruit more people, manage them, and in a sense get a job as an administrator for that group. When the system stops growing at a high rate, the percentages will fall, but the management structure in this "bank" will remain -- this hierarchy has proven itself in action -- the people at key positions have shown that they can be responsible enough and efficient to manage their "branch". This kind of structure can be now thought of a company Xyz, that can buy a real product, factory or service, and manage it. For example, if the company buys a service business, then all members of the pyramid can work on that business. If it buys an Oil Rig, then all members become private share-holders. Last, but not least, a pyramid like this can crash the dollar and the Federal Reserve, and bring back the gold standard. It will accelerate the inflation inherent in our modern banking system, and will force people to re-evaluate what is going on.

I think my immediate goal is to have a sandbox playground, as a stepping stone. I don't own any land on which I can be Francisco to make a waterwheel. I can only do that now in a virtual world of computers. Best thing is to start tinkering with something and call it a hobby, and the unique ideas will follow. I'm sure that I will stumble on something that I could sell. The open-source hardware project and Fab Lab concept is a way to learn new skills that will enable creativity down the road. I found really cheap land right across the USA border, which is convenient for me since I live in Vancouver, Canada. So I will buy it there and will have no problem to commute. I am planning to buy a cargo container ($3000) inside which I will have the workshop, and which I will lock when I am away. The biggest issue is how to protect myself from theft, hence the cargo container. I am also going to install hidden GPS trackers in all my equipment.

I wrote this, and wanted to share: http://rarden.blogspot.ca/2012/04/it-is-ridiculous.html

It is a Ponzi-Scheme, openly, by definition. How is it at scam, if people understand how it works, and take a chance, as they do in casino. Is casino immoral ?

Well, as I mentioned in my post, I like this thing: http://opensourceecology.org/ -- we could build it, and start selling either complete products, or organize workshops for other enthusiats to build them. Take a look at the list of machines: http://opensourceecology.org/gvcs.php One of them is a Linear Solar Concentrator, which on its own, even without all the others, is very interesting alternative energy for those who need to be off grid (remote areas). I think they have a pontential, because they are really cheap compared to solar panels. I'm not 100% stuck here in Vancouver, Canada, I could fly also, if this is gonna be once or twice a year type of thing, is a solid block, like a month each time. Boris

Hi Richard, I heard stories that businesses and properties in Costa Rica put a barb-wire fence around. Are you doing this for your business location ? Are you putting electricity in the fence ? I am considering buying some remote land in USA, which I will be able to visit only occasionally, and I wonder how to secure it. Do you think an electric fence will stop people from stealing stuff inside ? Would a hangar with lock stop people ? What are your experience or maybe you heard of some people in Costa Rica with similar problem? I was also considering to buy land in the Negev Desert in Israel, but it is known that beduins steal everything in the teritorry and I would have to pay 24/7 security to watch over it. I imagine situation in other places is not so xtreme. How is it in Costa Rica ? Thanks, Boris

I don't know much about Australia, except these things 1) it is very beautiful, the beaches are amazing clean -- it is really a paradise (I spend three months there) 2) people are friendly and love sport. 3) Australia was the only country that was able to kick out Sharia 4) it is kind of socialist, like Canada Is my estimation correct ? How are points 1,2,3 achieved if as you mention that Govt treats the population as babies / sheep ? Why it is so nice there that it makes people happy ?

Hi, There is a lot of cheap land on sale today. You can get 40 acres for under 20,000$, or 2 acres for under $5000. Just search for "land" on eBay! Here's one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oregon-Mountain-Land-48-acres-Klamath-County?item=320874231090&cmd=ViewItem However, the land at such low prices will be far from a big city (1 day-s drive). If I buy such land, I wouldn't be able to be there on "weekends", but it will be a month a year type of thing. On this land I could build a factory that produces a product. I could build the DIY machines according to http://opensourceecology.org/ Eventually, whatever I do build on that land will have a value, and the product I make could sell to make profit. Perhaps, if it is successful, we could attract more people, and slowly grow a little factory town. Alternatively, we can organize a base-camp once a year to bring objectivists together, and/or hobbyist to build DIY stuff. We won't be able to absolutely hide ourselves from the "moochers" and the "looters", but the remoteness will help. What I am looking for: - someone who wants to have a physical sandbox to be creative in. (The physical analog of what a computer provides to hobby programmers). - someone to develop the plan with of where to buy the land startegically, and the options what to do with it. - design it so that it is not a burden but free of insane costs (example: if there is a high property tax, it should be split among enough members so that it is not hard to pay). Boris

This is a cross post from here: https://bitcointalk....p?topic=75591.0 Reactions are all negative, as you can see in the thread. Some guy by nickname Variable said this: To which I have replied this: Anyways, I wasn't able to get through to them.

Hello Objectivists, If you haven't heard yet, there is a very big Ponzi Scheme pyramid called MMM, http://i-mmm.com . It now has 20 million members (unverified). Unlike other Ponzi Schemes, this system doesn't have any product to sell, it sells itself as a sort-of bank. You deposit money, and get it out at 30% interest after a month, or three. There are different plans. Where does it get the money ? From advertising inself and getting more recruits. Its biggest users are the elderly people who were robbed of their pension in Russia and Former Soviet Union, and who are now able to have a decent living. However, many other people joined in, from other countries and are investing fairly large sums, $10,000 and up. The MMM "bank" has a, like a real bank, some money in the system, and some money coming and coming out. You can imagine that there is a net amount of money that is stable, for example, 1 billion, and can be invested into a real product, for example an Oil Refinery, which would bring in real dividents from products, rather than new people joining. So eventually the really exciting interest rates of 30% are going to fall to match the inflow of people and the means to make money from different products. So now we have this "bank". It was built by people puting in money for two reasons: - great interest - the philosophical idea of helping others, by pooling money together. And this was done at the expense of risk, because nobody knows if the system will survive another day (less people will reinvest than outgoing payments are due). So in a way MMM is like a gambling game. Moreover, the system is based on trust, nothing is stopping a member to run off with the money. (To understand this last statement, please note that the money is distributed in member's accounts, rather in one big account, and they are supposed to transfer the balances on command to appropriate destinations). What do you think about the moral implications of such a system ? Is this capitalism on socialism ? The official statement of the creator is that he wants to crash the current economic system where money is printed by the Reserve Bank and robbing people. Here I agree. He says that because the system of ever-increasing debt and money printing is a sort of pyramid, then the only way to beat it, is with another pyramid. However, the inclinations of the creator of MMM are socialistic -- he claims that banks are robing its clients by giving a smaller percentage than they could. From what I could gather he doesn't really believe in laissez-faire capitalism (although he never states this). He wants to build some kind of new way, once the current system is crashed. However, putting the ideas of the creator aside, and looking at the outcome -- can we say it is a bad thing ? A good thing ? Finally, suppose that we conclude that it is a bad thing, because it promotes socialism. (I leave that discussion open). Is it moral to still invest money into the system, for the following purpose: - Whatever money I make, I will return to those who will be in the end ripped off (who risked and invested, but didn't get their money back because the system collapsed). - I want to return that money in the form of Bitcoin. All those people participated in the MMM system, which is really defining its own currency, based on the weakness of conventional currency $. Because the BitCoin project is exactly that, if I return them their money in BitCoin, in a sense I'm putting their money to the good use. I tricked them into buying Bitcoin. - I plan to withhold a percentage of the balance for my work. So they won't get all 100% back of what I made on MMM, but a bit less. Say 90%. I hope I was clear enough, and looking forward to hear what you think.

I started reading your online book, and had an idea that I had to immediately share before I forget. It is about freedom of speech in science. There is a project called FreeNet: https://freenetproject.org/ . The idea is to have a purely anonymous medium of publishing, that can't be linked to the individual technically. Maybe you and your colleagues can publish their work on this system. There is a similar one called I2P that works an on a different principle, but it is the same idea.

Hello Ludwik, I'm looking for a mentor to guide me along in physics. I went through 1st volume of Feynman about 10 years ago, and half of the 2nd volume of Feynman last year. My main motivation are non-orthodox theories that I want to check. People like Towsend, Tesla, Laithwaite, Podkletnov, Hutshinson, Randell Mills (hydrinos), and finally E-Cat guy. Any of related inventions would be so exciting that I want to spend a lot of time tinkering and testing this stuff. I realize that I need to gain a inordinate amount of background knowledge to be able to orient myself in all these theories. I guess, my question to you is, how can I make it as accessible and fun as tinkering with computers is (programming etc). Is it possible ? Is there an incremental method that I can go on to one day find myself in a midst of a community of like minded? Can we create something like open-source physics ? Thanks, Boris

Hi, I have started a new meetup group for any objectivists in Vancouver. It is: http://www.meetup.com/objectivism-vancouver/ If you are in Vancouver you are welcome to join. Boris

According to Peikoff, you shouldn't expose yourself at an interview. http://www.peikoff.c...H69-9Nmsw.gmail What do you think ?

The link is broken, I mean there is no lecture there. How can I get a hold of it?

Just discovered this website, debate.org. Here's a sample of a debate: http://www.debate.org/debates/Israel-is-justified-in-attacking-gaza/2/ I think many of you would like to try your skills there. (p.s. I am not affiliated with this site)

I wrote an article titled "Self-Image of Linux Developers." In a few words, linux developers (open-source developers etc.) present themselves as geeks, or freaks. Full article: http://rarden.blogspot.com/2011/12/self-image-of-linux-developers.html

Hi, I have enjoyed listening to Dan Carlin's history podcast on iTunes. His website is dancarlin.com I wonder if any of you have listened to those talks and can discuss those historical events of which he tells from objectivism persepective. Boris

Michelle: that's not a working solution. The closest I found is skypro.com I do mean to have something like a spiderman with windex. The challenge is delivering the water.