First Elon, now Zuck switching to a pro free speech stance. This is good in the short term, but people will eventually realize that the benevolent dictator model isn’t the right one for social media platforms, even if that benevolent dictator is generally pro free speech. Nostr fixes this.

Last year I taught myself decent conversational Italian fairly quickly before a trip to Italy. Inspired by @jack recently sharing Language Transfer, here are a few thoughts on what works and what doesn't. 1. Your goal should be to establish some baseline in the language using apps/tools, and then focus on just getting as much exposure as possible. 2. Spaced repetition is a superpower. It's by far the most effective way to acquire new vocabulary, so you should focus on apps/tools that make use of spaced repetition. It works with your brain to help you introduce new words/phrases and then actually remember them. 3. Studying formal grammar is mostly a waste of time. Your brain will naturally fill in/learn the grammar rules once you have enough exposure. Don't waste time trying to memorize them. 4. Look up Stephen Krashen and his theory of language acquisition via comprehensible input. He believes (correctly, I think) that humans all have a natural ability to acquire language, and it comes via comprehensible input. Meaning we need regular exposure to the language at a level that allows us to decipher meaning as we're exposed to it. If you do this enough, you *will* learn the language. This is how all of us learned our first language, and it's how people most effectively learn second languages. 5. Forget about Duolingo. It's basically a game larping as a language tool. It's not very effective. Apps that do work: - Pimsleur (30 minute daily audio lessons that make use of spaced repetition and are good for building a baseline) - Language Transfer (an amazing free resource that builds on the famous Michel Thomas method with some improvements) - Lingvist (great for learning tons of new vocab via spaced repetition) - Memrise (also great for vocab) - Clozemaster (once you've established some basic knowledge, this is a great gamified way to improve) Use those regularly for a few months and you'll build up a solid foundation. Once you have that, focus entirely on getting tons of exposure with comprehensible input via books, TV, podcasts, etc. There are even some tools/books that are built around this concept specifically, and they're very effective. And if you're really committed, go live somewhere that your intended language is spoken and do a full immersion. You'll be astounded at the progress you make.

@paul keating if you’re onboarding someone onto Nostr, do you have a preferred getting started guide of some sort? Would love any links I could share! If not I’ll make one.

Made bobó de camarão last night with my buddy Felipe. I had this dish 5 years ago in Brazil and I’ve been wanting to recreate it ever since. Incredible Brazilian stew made with shrimp, cassava, and red palm oil.

There’s a guy at my farmer’s market who sells dog treats made from excess cow parts. Been buying increasingly ridiculous ones for my dog each week. Today she got a full hoof.

It's crazy how warped our communication has become by existing social media platforms. You're often appealing to the algorithm and self-censoring, even if it happens at a subconscious level. You start to notice this when you come to Nostr and can just straight up speak your mind.

100%. Brands I like: - Ryker - Jungmaven - Sol Dept - Paka - Regenaissance View quoted note →

Been thinking about this myself. I’ve been doing things in the “creator economy” for several years with cooking content. Mostly through Substack and occasional digital products and courses. Wondering what might be cool to do natively on Nostr. Lmk if you have ideas! View quoted note →

The raw carrot salad popularized by Dr. Ray Peat is the real deal. Helps detoxify the gut, improves digestion and hormonal health, and tastes amazing. I really feel better eating this several times per week. Just shred raw carrots lengthwise using a peeler, then season with salt, vinegar, and either olive oil or coconut oil. I used this Noma aged pumpkin vinegar today and it was fantastic.

Braised meat should be a staple in everyone’s home cooking repertoire. An easy, repeatable method that offers room for infinite customization. Take any slow-cooking cut. Sear it on the outside, cover it with a braising liquid, and slow cook. You can experiment with different braising liquids (water, broth, wine, dashi, etc) plus different additions to the braising liquid (tomatoes, chiles, etc), different cuts of meat, different aromatics and vegetables. For this one I did beef shanks with beef broth, chojang, and ssamjang.

This was the first book I read in 2024 and my favorite book I read all year. Please give me a recommendation for an equally incredible book I can start 2025 with.

Currently reading my first Murakami novel. Can’t believe it took me this long— he’s an amazing writer.

Did you know that sourdough pasta exists? I used to make this myself with a sourdough starter (it’s actually quite easy), but recently found this brand that sells it in dried form with high-quality organic Italian wheat. Delicious, and noticeably more digestible. Made this with roasted red pepper sauce, sautéed greens, chicken sausage, basil, and ricotta.

Nostr is still lacking in *content* compared to other social networks (we gotta get more people on here), but in terms of protocol features is has everything you would want in an ideal social network— user control, no censorship, feed customization, algorithm optionality, native money…the list goes on. And now the UX is finally getting to the point where it’s closer to normie-friendly. I’m optimistic about Nostr in 2025.

If you are a serious coffee appreciator like me, I highly recommend getting one of these double walled glass mugs. Beautiful design, keeps the coffee hot, and (unlike some metal or ceramic mugs) glass doesn’t impart any flavor.

Been making a lot of Persian inspired crispy rice lately.

Easy everything sauce. Served this last night with ribeyes and green beans. - 1 handful pistachios (any nut works here) - 4-5 roasted red peppers (piquillo are my favorite) - dash of smoked paprika - pinch of salt - splash of sherry vinegar - enough olive oil to get a good texture Add everything to a food processor or blender and blitz until you like the texture. Taste and adjust as needed with more salt, vinegar, and paprika. Use on everything.

Thai-style crispy rice inspired by Persian tahdig. Cooked white rice in coconut milk with a bunch of yellow curry paste. Once it had cooked and cooled slightly, I heated up a big pan with coconut oil, added the rice, pressed it down, and made some holes for steam to come through. Cooked 5 min or so until it was nice and crispy on the outside. Served that with a Thai steak salad— lettuce, carrot, cucumber, chiles, pickled shallots, fish sauce dressing, and peanuts. Plus a sambal aioli on the side. Beautiful mix of textures and flavors.

Christmas roast came out nice.

Language Transfer is an incredible tool. I’ve tried pretty much every language learning app/program out there and this is up there with the best. View quoted note →