Joan Piretz

Another Erasmus comes to an end. Maybe it’s just me, but I truly love my students, even when they get a little mischievous. They’ve been amazing: working with passion and dedication. It’s that connection with them that keeps me alive and makes me love being a teacher. Thank you, guys, you’re the best! And thnak you #Velence - #Hungary for the warm hospitality! Your people might be a bit reserved, but they're super welcoming and wow, do they know how to party at night. Even with those somewhat restrictive, sovereignist policies, along with the anti-crypto stance, there's also a noticeable lack of support for anti-prohibition efforts and limited protection of diversity and minority rights. It’s a reminder of why financial freedom, privacy, and open dialogue matter so much today. #Erasmus #travellimg #Europe #teacher

I’ve always loved Spotify Wrapped, and this year they’re really pushing it hard! It’s a perfect example of the pros and cons of centralization. Spotify is awesom, super convenient, endless music at your fingertips. But sometimes it feels like they’re abusing their monopoly, shaping and twisting the market to their own game. That’s why I have endless respect and support for NOSTR developers and the open source community. Building apps and platforms as useful and smooth as Spotify, but in a transparent, value-for-value ecosystem, is vital. We, the users, must step up our game and contribute more to open source development. Freedom, privacy, and true innovation thrive when power isn’t concentrated in one place. Let’s keep pushing for that!

I often daydream of a united, prosperous Europe, a global powerhouse of freedom and human rights. That was the vision of pioneers like my fellow countryman Alcide De Gasperi after the nightmare of WWII. But today, I see that dream drowning in absurd bureaucracy, top-down regulations, and chilling economic policies. Bitcoin, NOSTR, and open source teach us a better way: a borderless, open world where human potential flourishes in harmony. Let's build that. Freedom is power.

Back in Hungary for the Erasmus project with the students—my absolute fave! Handing over from a colleague, but bad news: these kids are turning into proper little rascals (Italian-style "monelli" on the loose). Grabbing a glorious bacon & cheese Lángos to fuel up first, then off to wrangle them on a Danube cruise. Playing the stern pro? Yeah, right—who am I kidding? Let's see what chaos awaits... #Budapest #Làngos #Danube #Cruise #Teacher #Erasmus

The knowledge of the English language is crucial nowadays and has become almost indispensable in the tech world, especially in the Bitcoin space. As a native Italian living in Italy, I really feel this need. I can understand written English fairly well, but when it comes to having a real conversation, that’s where the problems start, and the same happens when I watch a series or listen to a podcast. To stay informed and practice at the same time, I listen to podcasts, often slowing the playback down to 0.75x so I can follow more easily. Among the many I’ve tried, "Once Bitten!" di nostr:nprofile1qy3hwumn8ghj7mtgwqer2wr6wfcxj6thdchxxmr0wfjkxmr0w4jzumn9wshszrnhwden5te0dehhxtnvdakz7qpqhghnjjpnvkz8t6gkszuf37d7puwc2qtxc65rnklqsngzv6kkug9q9v3424 is definitely one of the shows I find easiest to understand, and I recommend it to anyone who, like me, wants to improve their English but doesn’t have daily opportunities to practice. This episode about the Op-Return debate is one I really, really enjoyed! https://fountain.fm/episode/Hfa2SvBEc8CHGqgAy742 I’d like to thank the host and the guest for expressing themselves so clearly. #LearnEnglish #BitcoinPodcast #Education #Italia

I've always adored Bowie, ever since I was a kid. I've always considered him one of the smartest, most visionary, and prophetic artists in the world. This album, The Man Who Sold The World (which gave its name to the song famously covered by Nirvana in their final MTV live) contains an absolute gem that, when listened to through the lens of generative AI and large language models, hits differently. The Saviour Machine: check the lyrics.. Damn, how much I miss Bowie... #DavidBowie #TheManWhoSoldTheWorld #AI #GenerativeAI #LLM https://song.link/s/1LsDrUgiusxXHCoaSDvYDX *Thanks to the guys at digitalia.fm who, in the latest episode of their awesome Italian podcast, introduced me to this online tool that allows you to share music links universally, without having to link the song to a specific distribution platform.

Sats freschi di deposito e pronti per voi e per il BIP show, due fari di autenticità nel mondo sempre più oscuro dell'informazione (in) dipendente! https://fountain.fm/show/tzdAPrPsEUeDeJZbUDz5 nostr:nevent1qvzqqqpxquqzq9d046rlee7vrs8w5y5l49pf85wk7j80r2dc7tqu8y0kd40av3vphnlvxy

Big shoutout to nostr:nprofile1qy2hwumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgqgdwaehxw309ahx7uewd3hkcqpqwej5x7m85ush2wapzwp2dj3map5gpgkjw4dn7fkcg5dwkvr5yg0s33ewfh and his Orangepill App, such a clean, focused way to help Bitcoiners connect worldwide. Been using it for a couple of years now, and it’s amazing to see how much it’s grown. Sure, you can use TG or other “free” tools to get similar results, but that small subscription fee is totally worth it for the quality, signal, and overall experience. Sometimes I wonder if NOSTR should evolve in a similar direction, maybe through dedicated relays where a few sats of subscription could keep the space clean from bots and scammers. I’m no NOSTR expert, but it feels right that relay maintainers should be paid directly by users in a true value-for-value model, instead of relying on forced or indirect monetization.

Taking an AI course for high school teachers right now, and while learning the tools is intense, the part that really hit me is student responsibility: it’s not just about using AI, it’s about using it right. Fun twist: ChatGPT actually suggested adding a hands-on module where students explore NOSTR and other social tools to boost privacy and security. Not sure if it knows how much I love NOSTR, but I jumped on it and sparked an awesome discussion! I'll get deep in it! #NOSTR #education #AI #ChatGPT

GM NOSTR ⚡️ Flying from Bergamo 🇮🇹 (BGY) to Budapest 🇭🇺 for an Erasmus project with the school where I teach. The journey’s focus: a fascinating training course on AI in education 🤖 I’m really looking forward to exploring the tools we’ll discover and to keeping the values of privacy, decentralization, and open knowledge at the center of the discussion. 🧭 In my city, I know only one middle school that uses Linux to teach computer science, the rest are still locked into the Microsoft ecosystem and centralized cloud platforms. I dream of a school where Linux is the standard environment and every class maintains its own NOSTR relay for learning and collaboration. Step by step, I’m working toward that vision ⚙️🌍⚡️

NOSTR is still a baby. He’s a cypherpunk’s child, forged in privacy, cryptography, and defiance. Too often, our social layer loops on the same four topics: Bitcoin, privacy, Austrian econ, rinse and repeat. Guilty as charged; scroll my npub and you’ll see. Today, let’s try something different: a small slice of culture from Northern Italy: Saint Martin’s Summer. Legend says Saint Martin, a Roman soldier, met a freezing beggar near Amiens, cut his cloak in two and shared it. The skies cleared, warmth returned, and ever since mid-November’s mild spell is called “Saint Martin’s Summer” (aka Indian Summer). It marks a brief, hopeful pause of light before winter, born from a simple act of generosity. Read more in English: Why Italy celebrates Saint Martin’s Summer: wantedinrome.com/news/italys-summer-of-san-martino-on-11-november/ A clear legend recap: suedtirol.info/en/experiences-and-events/plp/experiences/events/a/the-legend-of-st-martin Thanks, friends ⚡🙏 "I'll leave you with this photo of a warm autumn sunset in the stunning Valle Seriana. It was this very sunset that inspired me! If you like this, let’s post more beyond the usual hot takes :local stories, art, and human moments. #sunset #italy #valleseriana #saintmartin #indiansummer #nature #legend #NOSTR

Just finished binge-watching “Il Mostro” on Netflix — a gripping take on one of Italy’s most famous and controversial true-crime cases. It stirred the uneasy fascination felt as a kid hearing about those murders. Highly recommended if you want a window into Italy’s late ’60s and ’70s: the ’68 upheaval, women’s emancipation, and the birth of modern society. Production design is outstanding, with meticulous, handcrafted detail. Really loved it.! Official trailer: https://youtu.be/T6-TRg5GXzs?si=ksyQm6v4gnLtLPWU #ilmostro #Netflix #truecrime #crime #history #Italy

It is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain sats privately. I believe those interested in stopping Bitcoin, having understood that the protocol is unstoppable and immutable, are trying to make direct and private access ever harder. If they cannot stop it, they will at least choose to control it.It is our destiny, a game of cat and mouse: freedom has a price, and that price is the effort and study required to stay updated, understand, and master new technologies... It is a power play: control, knowledge, freedom.

"C'est dans l'angoisse que l'homme prend conscience de sa liberté…" Sartre. "It is in anguish that man becomes aware of his freedom..." Freedom isn’t given. It weighs heavy. Like mastering Bitcoin and NOSTR, radical freedom, protocol-ensured. Few understand. Family, friends don’t get it. You pay the price in solitude and effort. Maybe this anguish is why so many religious-like impulses grow in this space: the need to polarize, to form tribes. Sometimes aggression and rudeness are just shadows of that anguish Still, even if we are few and somewhat suffering, we are on the right path. Embrace the struggle. Own your freedom. #Bitcoin #NOSTR #Freedom #philosophy

Il Post o non Il Post, questo è il dilemma! Di sicuro alto livello, ma come Digitalia, nessuno 😉 https://fountain.fm/episode/tgwEDn5VkWprYiilzS4Y nostr:nevent1qvzqqqpxquqzq8ql9qrlz4yfk67hyfwa27elejg60z9aztpsh0yhh00smfhqe7nwqaqty8

Just read France is pushing to add BTC as a national reserve asset 🇫🇷. I love our cousins across the border, but as a proud Italian, that friendly rivalry stings a bit 😏. They’re not just holding seized coins—they plan to **mine new ones** with their nuclear surplus (a sector where they lap us, no contest). Meanwhile, Italy—like so many “old inside” nations—keeps slamming the brakes on innovation, blind to progress, stuck in rigid, aging stagnation. But I’m not quitting. I’ll keep spreading freedom, Bitcoin, and open source—hoping one day we wake up. 🧡 #Bitcoin #NOSTR

What really matters… is the label, but not the fashion kind 😎 I never cared for brands, but Bitcoin made me fall in love with labeling. ✅ Label every transaction, in, out, and especially your change UTXOs. It keeps your on-chain (and lightning) history clean and traceable. Most wallets let you export labels, do it monthly, back them up. Otherwise, if you change wallet or device, you might lose them. Stay organized 🗃️ And if you’re feeling fancy, use OP-RETURN for an immutable and ultra public record… ...just don’t annoy the Spam War purists 🤣 Bitcoin proves it: sometimes, the label does matter. 🧡