Goltra

Attempts at Luckmaxxing ║ Something New 🍃 ║ Past lives: Crypto Bro, Tech Bro, Finance Bro

[Goltra @Goltra]

What I learned hanging out with my bestie @thatguybg this past weekend https://t.co/gD2Hg4OcWi

[Goltra @Goltra]

Kazakhstan is really having a moment right now

[Mario Nawfal @MarioNawfal]

🇰🇿 Jensen Huang finally took off his signature leather jacket.

During a visit with President Tokayev, where they discussed Kazakhstan's ambitions to become an AI powerhouse, the NVIDIA CEO swapped his jacket for a traditional Kazakh chapan.

He was also awarded the Order of Dostyk (Friendship) for his contributions to AI development.

Apparently only Kazakhstan can override Jensen's dress code 😂

Writer: Lynn

[Goltra @Goltra]

@paulvigna @grok are there still major downsides to posting substack links on X? what's the best practice now?

[Goltra @Goltra]

Expanded my review of @paulvigna's 'Almightier' on Speculations:
https://t.co/faVXNCZvhw

[Goltra @Goltra]

6) I read 'The Almightier' by journalist @paulvigna

A fascinating read, almost a genealogy of morals (the actual meaning of that term but very much not the Nietzschean morality part, the opposite actually) which traces the history of money and how our civilization has evolved from various religions as the central organizing force of society to money as that central force, and how this shift has recursively altered the moral core of our species

I enjoyed this approach and loved the historical context. I like that it has echoes of some of the things I write cheekily here on Twitter about the intersubjective nature of the market and its effect on reality (like when I unironically invoke "Mercatus Vult!" during crazy market edge case days). Much of this is a force I can kind of feel and intuit, but it's nice to read other attempts to identify it with language as well

The book was effective in the sense that, while broadly critiquing this ascent of money, it provides great detail on the evolution of moral sentiments around money, and therefore creates new points of reference that I haven't encountered in other works that explore this same topic

Indeed, some of his ideas are broadly left-leaning, even Marxist in temperament, but I didn't have my normal visceral reaction to them because Vigna gives the ideas ample historical antecedent in both Christian and Classical (Pagan) morality, and because he broadly reads as self-aware, pragmatic, and acting in good faith

In particular, Chapter 2, which provides an historical interpretation of Yeshua (Jesus) as an economic reformer amidst the backdrop of Roman Imperial financial crisis and the historical precedent of the amargi (jubilee), is a MUST READ. Even if one were to chalk the interpretation up to merely a thought experiment (I have no reason to doubt the validity, but also no way of confirming the facts), the interpretation of salvation and forgiveness, the entire Christian ethic, as applied to economic life, is a very interesting new inclusion into my own mental model

Overall a very provocative read that constantly pressure-tested my own beliefs and worldview, which is about as high praise as I can give any book released in the past decade; highly enjoyable

A couple personal carve-outs:

- As a nice bookend, I was a big fan of the author's co-authored book 'The Age of Cryptocurrency' which I read early into my crypto career (c. 2015). Much has changed since that early hopeful period of the space and I find it nice to have stumbled into another relevant work by the author at this time, especially as I look to examine deeply the seemingly hollowed-out soul of our crypto industry. It serves as a nice sort of thread between two very different periods of my own career and evolution in thinking

- For those deeply interested in this topic, I think this book specifically would pair fantastically with Niall Ferguson's 'The Ascent of Money.' Both works trace a similar historical arc but with largely disjoint historical details and together they would create a nice full picture if read in sequence (I read AoM a couple years ago and also really enjoyed it)

[Goltra @Goltra]

@paulvigna Hey Paul, really really bad on me for letting your comments fall into the abyss here, sorry about that!

Just re-published my review on my substack and included your comments and response there

I definitely understand how the two works are linked

https://t.co/faVXNCZvhw

[Goltra @Goltra]

It's 2026 🎆

Time to kickoff my annual book thread again!

Last year I finished some very fine books, with a particular emphasis on classic Science Fiction novels, relevant business books, and psychology

My pace in the beginning of the year was much stronger and then ultimately slowed meaningfully as work and personal commitments piled up later in the year - but I still completed 12 books and made progress on many others

I am now back with renewed vigor and a full bookshelf - again I will post each book with a mini-review here on X

Happy New Year, here's to all the books we'll read in 2026 🧵👇

[Goltra @Goltra]

It’s 2025 🎆

Last year I set specific reading goals for the year and was really happy with my results:

I finished reading more than 20 books, with progress ongoing on a bunch of others, and branched out into other languages and new genres

This year, I have a personal target again and find it helpful to post each book with a mini-review here on X

So with that, a new thread begins for 2025! 🧵👇

[Goltra @Goltra]

@IterIntellectus Have never seen that account before but her entire feed exists exclusively to post Elon derangement, a spiritual bot/NPC

[Goltra @Goltra]

@hamptonism The cards are a red herring, compete with him on the beers until you can drag him down to your level

[Goltra @Goltra]

The trick (or my strat at least) isn't to compete with him on the cards, it's to compete with him on the beers

[ₕₐₘₚₜₒₙ @hamptonism]

This is who you’re competing against.

[Goltra @Goltra]

I was wondering why I keep getting attempted Microsoft password resets (though I never use Microsoft anything) and realize now that this is probably part of the bot chaos everyone keeps talking about

[Goltra @Goltra]

👁️

[Goltra @Goltra]

Who is build Rat Things? Looking to invest in the Rat Thing category, thx

[nic carter @nic_carter]

this is gold's quantum FUD but it's way worse because you can't software update gold.

[Goltra @Goltra]

1) What

[Marathon Fusion @MarathonFusion]

Last month, we demonstrated high-rate alchemy: turning mercury into real, stable gold, beating CERN’s record by a factor of 10.

Last week, we enriched isotopes in the world’s most powerful plasma centrifuge, beating the Soviet record that stood for 40 years.

Now, we’re building a fusion reactor in San Francisco to achieve record power density.

[Goltra @Goltra]

@Kara_Effendi Maybe if they were publicly owned, but private platforms are competent enough to enforce standards

[Goltra @Goltra]

We're all going to need some clear high-trust etiquette standards ASAP if we're all about to share robotaxis with no human drivers to keep our behavior in check

Stinky feet on the seat should not be normalized

[Jeremy Judkins @jeremyjudkins_]

Coffee and Contemplation just hits harder in the Tesla Cybercab.

[Goltra @Goltra]

@chiefofstuffs Shoutout Professor Oak

[Goltra @Goltra]

@njkjh00 @colossal You, a bot, should not talk about us like that

[Goltra @Goltra]

Probably my single most tech-accelerationist belief is that I am truly NOT joking every time I comment on @colossal's posts telling them they need to bring Neanderthal back

[Goltra @Goltra]

I need a jungle lair

For my plans

[Goltra @Goltra]

This is a good law. Probably why I hate Brutalism in the US and other western countries but can get behind Tropical Brutalism when sufficiently enclosed in jungle setting

[Goltra @Goltra]

@25YearsAgoLive Wait, did 9/11 lead to the demise of the Concorde?

[Goltra @Goltra]

@IterIntellectus @jeremyjudkins_

[Goltra @Goltra]

@bitsalot

[Goltra @Goltra]

@bowtiedcrake YES
https://t.co/fPxcBsKXIG

[Goltra @Goltra]

WWLKYD?