Well, you're in the secular foxhole today with Blair and Martin. Today it's October 7 and late afternoon for me and early or late evening perhaps for Martin. And today we're going to cover a few things. We have a news sandwich which we always tip our hat to Amy Peak Off, who originated the idea that some good news sandwiched over some bad news. And we're going to talk today, Martin, about some value for value.
We're going to throw some bitcoin in there and we're going to talk about some books I'm reading and some new stories. And we're going to go over some stats for the Secular Foxhole podcast, which are pretty cool.
Yeah.
Martin, how are you?
I'm fine. I'm falling forward in the autumn.
Yeah, I bet. It's probably late this month or early next month. We're going to do a time change again. I don't know why people dislike them. I think it's a great idea, but I'm obviously in a smaller minority every year when these things occur.
But it's a reminder and we can think about it. When you think about it, it has to do with nature and the moon and equinox and secular things. So in a way it's a good reminder. We have talked about that before, about different season, different flows. Then of course, you could say if somebody as we are talking also if the Big Brother is deciding they should do this or that or whatnot, then maybe it's not a good idea. But it is a natural thing to change the clock. In a way.
I agree. Let's see here. I'm looking at our folks will have to forgive me. I'm sort of under the weather. I'm not really doing too well today.
Take care of that.
But I'm going to try to power through this because Martin and I scheduled this time for podcasts and want to try to power through it.
But we are the dropbox paper.
Yes, we have a dropbox paper that we keep notes on for the show, for each show and actually was contributed to one for one instead of using email.
It's all good.
Yes, it is. You have a funny good story, I guess when we jump into the news sandwich, which you said, quote, sort of good news.
Yeah.
Okay, go ahead.
After abortion bans and I found that on the source called interesting service there. And as we are we believe in recent yeah. And we don't see any relation with this satanic cult, people cult or whatever.
But it's interesting how in a way doing a sort of good thing when we're pointing out with that temple about Bel Sibobo or what is called a creature that I have done a statue of because it's like counterattack or reaction to Christians that are trying to draw crosses in the public square or whatnot. I mean, they could do whatever they want in private, in their homes or private churches or so on, but don't put it in the so called public square.
So that's why in reaction and it's located, I think, around your area in New England, in Massachusetts. But now we have done a thing regarding bands in two states, southern states.
I think more than likely southern states.
So that's the whole thing. So we will link to that. But I think it's interesting that this so called fringe group is finding a way of demonstrating what's going on with this abortion ban. And it is a layered issue and topic. We have talked about that before with James Valiant and others. So we will come back to that.
But it's interesting how they could demonstrate and put this on agenda again because some dark forces are trying to really close down the opportunity and a woman decides to grow lives. So I thought that was sort of good news. Maybe I would prefer somebody else, you know, demonstrating this, but maybe there are so we are all for that, but it's also that some of us could cringe a bit and that may be a good wake up call also. So that's, I think, the first sort of good news.
Yeah, I'll just say my particular view is that a woman as a human being, she has back to individual rights, which this nation was founded upon and which has all but been obliterated from the national consciousness due to 100 years of progressive education. She has a right to choose that.
Pro choice is pro life.
Yes, that's correct. So, in short but now, let's see, when you showed me this, it's been a week or so since you sent me this UN headline. So you want to read that one. This is the beginning of the bad news segment.
Yes. And it is linked to source that I think Wine was talking about. It's called? What's up with that? And it's not what it is. Watts how do you say that's? An electrical thing, right? Play with words. I think it's a guy in Australia, vinay was referring to that when he was returning guests. So they say now and again you have to double check. So it's really it sounds very scary, but it's very blunt and out there.
So this has been, if I get it right, somewhere in a public forum like World Economic Forum or some other gathering with this. And they say, UN official says at World Economic Forum, we own this science and we think that the world should know it. So we partnered with Google to ensure only UN climate results appear. And then you wonder, is that possible? And in a way it's not.
But on the other hand, Google is the big player, so they could with algorithms and others downplay, downgrade, whatever, and push their own agenda. They're doing that as a private company. If you search, for example, and I'm not expert on search engine optimization, but if they are part of it, like if you search for a trip or travel or a hotel if they have some partnership with companies in that industry, I think that kind of results is showing up first.
Back in the day you as an independent blogger could show up and so on, but now it's harder. But now it's like a filtered thing agenda here that only the UN official stuff would come up. If you search, for example, search for fossil future or Alex Epstein, the whole world with climate crisis, is it a crisis or not or what is it? So this will be hard in the future but then of course it's alternative to such engines out there.
But I thought it was pretty scary and how outspoken they were because they are so called right and the right, the Pravda as you say in Russia, you know the truth, the true bulletin or the true magazine has to show up so you don't get confused, so to speak.
Yeah, just out of this too, Martin, if I may intercede this type of thing where elites think they know better than the common man, which we've spoken together about a great article that we're having, the author of that article on this later this month about it's basically protecting the institutions of liberalism that have been established here in America and throughout the western world, if you will.
And there are certain experts that should be listened to or at least with a critical eye, if you will, or critical ear, but to just blanket statement we know the science and we own the science and we're going to tell you what you should think. There's a difference between that and then respecting an expert's opinion, I think. So I look forward to that discussion with our future guests. I won't announce that yet because it has been finalized, but that should be later this month anyhow.
But is that the one piece of bad news that we want to talk about?
Yeah, last time we talked you had lots of.
More than enough.
Yeah, so we keep that. But we want to focus on the positive and life affirming things. But of course we are gladly receiving or sending us tips on things like this. So please send them to us or tweet to us and we will come back to that also. So but I think that's enough for now. If you don't have anything, I know that you have lots of in local bad stuff going on. We don't use prayers, but we think about you in Florida, for example. But it's very interesting how this politics is playing around.
Biden is going there, showing up. Maybe the runner up for future president thing, DeSantis is there. I don't know if Trump has said anything, but you never know because isn't he located there?
Apparently he's still in Florida.
Yeah, so you see that. But also other things that we have for future plans. But we have to take step by step here but I think that's enough for now with that stuff. So maybe ending with a new sandwich segment with a good thing. That's really interesting.
Yeah. We both have come across this author in a book that he just released, and I like your headline, make Economics Great Again. And I'm going to say peer byland.
Pair in Swedish, but Pierre okay.
How to think about the economy, a primer.
Paul bilond economist.
Okay. And he's a professor here in the United States.
Yeah.
I think that's correct, if memory serves, which is kind of blurry right now, as I said, I'm not no.
It'S all good, but this is the rabbit hole here. It's interesting. Thank you. But you gave me information and tips about podcast on Bitcoin and all these kind of things. One thing led to another and if you use, like a new podcast app like Fountain, you get that kind of suggestions. When you start listening to one podcast about Bitcoin, you could get others and they're pretty popular. So then I saw Steven luke.
I think that's pretty close. Yeah.
And he interviewed Fair beyond. And then I asked you about that. You said I've read this article and that's American Institute of Economic Economic Research. This is a bit of that. We have a plan and see if we could have a chat. And also to be pretty chewing on this thing about Austrian economics of the School of the Austrian School of Economics, and also how it differs from our views, so to speak, but also how it's related and also if it could work together.
What I like is the initiative to do a primer, a short introduction like Economics in one lesson. And you need that. I remember how it was in at the university for me when I talked about my teacher, because when it was this split between microeconomics and macroeconomics, and I was asking about that. Why is that happening? Why would I have two courses? Anyway, I asked my teacher, when will we talk
about Austrian economics? And then he counted and said, yeah, I think we should talk about more Communists. But then at the same time, it was all for that. We started Economics and Finance Club and also went to Wall Street and I went to the Stock Exchange and we had this kind of simulation with Stock Game that was good. But it's interesting how going back to the postmodernism with Stephen Hicks, also how some of the schools are getting in the closet or somebody is not talking about it anymore.
So this one, if that, could get into academia again. And also by so called, as you said, common people, average Joe, because economics shouldn't be complicated like that. So I think you have a very fresh approach. We will talk more about that. So I think that's really good news.
Yes, it is. Yeah. I'm scrolling down the dropbox page we have, and I appreciate the fact that you keep track of the stuff for us. At the beginning I mentioned value for value. Do you want to go into that with the numbers?
Yes. So the value for value, what you think is value for you to listen to this and also we are crafting on this intro and outrun call to action. We will do it our way. But that's the thing with the stats. But you could say that as how do you say like notabienna so if you have like we don't know exactly how many listeners, but if it's one thinking individual, we are happy, but we know approximately how many listen at when we publish a new episode and so on.
And we have some stats here, but Adam Curry has talked about this on value four with the number four value info, it's about roughly about 4% of your audience that will support you monetarily. Then of course you could support with time and talent also you could spread the good word, you could help in the podcast workflow, you could do all kind of things. So that's something to be realistic about.
So when I not talked about our stats, then you could figure out how where you know who you are, how you have supported us in a good way. So we want to grow our podcast, of course, but we are happy as it is now. Also you're always from zero. Yes, that's the thing. So stats from captivate here. So I could do this citation from a value for value and you could talk more about your thoughts about it.
I think it's talking about the primary is very good introduction to this value for value model and podcasting 20. But here is the quote from the numbers here only 4% of people give value back and that's okay. Some will give little, some will give a lot. That's just the way it seems to be somehow. However, it all works out in the end and hopefully we'll go on. So it will not end some Sunday. It will end when it's game over. But stats from the captivate them all time unique listeners to our show.
To our show. Yes, 3220. So that's calculated by captivate and they have some algorithms, check the IP and whatnot. Of course if you have VPN or several devices and other things, that could be hard. But roughly 3000 unique listeners out there over time, over 57 episodes so far, all time downloads 6159, that's pretty. And then download average per day. We are still there at around eight.
So I see it like this decimal thing, you have eight and then you have 80 and we have 808,000, et cetera and so on. It will take time, but over time then lately it's interesting. The latest episode so far it's already downloaded Stephen Hicks 65 times.
That's great.
And also the latest 28 days if you look there fountain app that we've talked about and Customatic that is also a podcasting 2.0 app, new podcast app are found in Listen using last 28 days. So around Syria, 5% are using these new podcast apps. So that's really interesting. And then we have been listened to in 82 countries so far.
I think that's incredible.
Yeah, it is at all times. So United States, India, Sweden for some reason Canada, united Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, Argentina and Uruguay. That's the top ten list so far, all time, the last 28 days. United States, Sweden, Singapore and a shout out to Heartland user Kai Lin that started to use this fountain app and started listening. I think that's my best.
Thank you Kai. Thank you Kai.
Netherlands, United Kingdom, Canada, India, Australia, Spain. And I think it's a shout out to roll on Horvit that's originally from Hungary and now located in Spain and Norway. So we have some not control, but we know some listeners out there and we want to have more of your individuals out there.
Keep saying the word.
Yeah. So any reflections about Value for Value site or the stats?
Well, I'm going to explore the Valueforvalue info site further and I encourage our listeners to do that. And then really the statistics, I think they're getting better each month, or at least they've maintained a solid number each month. And I think though, as far as the download average per day, didn't you say something about ten would be like a landmark?
Yeah, if you take ten and then 30 days when you have 300 and we have approximately two episodes per month, so then it's 150 and then we are so called Average average Joe. Of all the podcasts out there, 4 million podcasts, we could debate and discuss how many are active. My guess is around 500,000 or something like that, depending on how you count. But still we are. And that's again, starting from scratch, starting from zero.
And numbers in a way is important, but on the other hand, it's not important. But it's fun to see the growth and see the trend and see the milestones now and here. And if everyone of you listeners out there will suggest it to a friend or whatnot, so then we will double that's correct. So with that, do you want to have some in our so called Boosted Ground Corner? But some say and some say boosted Ground lounge.
We have to get some talk with Jean Johnson maybe and get some bumper or jingle or some sound effects about this. That's right, we want to have it reward so you could put lots of energy and time on this kind of thing. So shout out to Kyron Down of Mirmors Podcast and also for Value Podcast series. He's soon taking a break for the semester, so to speak, and thinking of what he will do for next season about Value for Value. And we have been reviewed there once, so he did that at the end.
Here a special episode and did a split for everyone, every podcast and every coast and every participant in this series. So he did, I think, 24, 25 splits without breaking the whole system. That's pretty impressive. So have you seen how many you got on your end?
I have to look at that. Let me look at that right now.
Yeah, if you have time, you could look at that. I see that about value for value. Speed earned 800 sets around that. But I think the separate part is like 300. But then it's other supporters that have supported this episode that he split it with all the podcasts that have reviewed. So it's adding up here.
I see that now. Yeah, I see where? In the fountain up under your wallet in the past 30 days.
Yes.
It says 23 37 SATS earned.
Yeah. Great.
Excuse me. That's under the secular foxhole and under Value for Value, it's 1213 sets.
Great. Yeah, when you got that. So what we have got separately directly from Kirondown is 2381 sets. September 17. And that was when we were talking about Time Talent and Treasure episode. He said September 17. He said approaching bitcoin with skepticism is a healthy approach. I believe it takes most people a couple of tries to become convinced of its value because with only a quick glance, it seems like a scam or stupid idea. And then we could, of course, maybe some other time.
But like for the record, say that philosophically meaning of skepticism versus to be critical in a rational sense, it's all okay, but that's why I pulled your leg a bite, Blair, when you said be skeptical because we think of it in a philosophical term, that's one thing, but it's lots of scams out there with crypto and all these things. But now, thanks to you, you introduced me to Swan Bitcoin and other things. I am so called orange pill, but I'm not a maximalist or whatnot or doing this 24/7.
That's not my lifestyle. But it's fascinating when you get and I think going back to Parano's book, when you really get it, because I have been thinking, okay, this Austrian school, how is that compatible with RAN's view of capitalists and so on. And also how she had huge, how do you say, reviews of Ludicronces, for example.
Right.
And also what I studied the early is economics, like Carl Manger and Bermark and so on back in the day.
Back in the day.
Wow. Yeah, but I'm not a scholar in this thing. But it's interesting how we could learn. And that's why I like this comment by Karen so much.
It was great. Well, the orange pill, I appreciate that. I just thought when I heard of he was actually again, I'm going to shout out to Jack Spearcrow and the Survivor podcast for having and of course, I forget his name. I think it's Greg Swan of Swan Bitcoin on his show that convinced me to look his side over. And so I did that and then further research by someone else I trust, someone named Lynn Alden, young and brilliant economist.
She wrote this fabulous article about swan bitcoin and that sort of cemented my thoughts onward and upward with swan bitcoin, at least for me, as far as obtaining bitcoin.
Yeah, that's great.
Yes. And what else we got, I want you to mention.
And that's a habit also. So again, thanks to Kai in Indonesia, she has a challenge on Heartland Barrier, how to create a new habit. It is that we talk about that and also if you save bitcoin or if you're doing it on a daily or monthly or weekly or whatever basis, so that's something to think about. And also to use a new podcast app and stream, you could earn them of bitcoin and also send bitcoins bit of bitcoins to podcasters. So that also I think Chiron did a couple of hundreds of stats.
There often people talking about the booster grams. But I think the crucial thing over time could be that people do create a new habit and say I want to spend this and that every month on independent podcasters. So I will start listening and then stream satoshis during the time. And that could be applicable to music, to books, to all kind of things. So this is really fascinating.
Yes, it's something that if it keeps growing as it seems to, it's going to be a really wonderful thing. But I do want you to talk about the poster that you recently received.
Yes, it's a nice print and pretty big. I was thinking it was smaller, but it is a big original print, limited numbered copies of 100 signed by Bosch Pastryn. But we have had returning guest also and I saw on his and that's also doing this, ask if you are in a certain situation. And he said he had been on Facebook, something with a car accident and somebody that ran away and didn't have insurance and he was branded there and his car was towed.
So he was in a really hard situation and he said now it's a good time if you want no sacrifice, no, you don't have to new duty, but if you want, here's my webshop and here are my work. And it rang a bell for me and I said, oh, could I do it when I should do it now? So I did it. I order a print of September 2 and we will talk about this in the future. I have a plan for this for next year to create a new boosted gram number of 92194 six.
And if you want, you could tell otherwise it will be a so called secret. It's not really a secret anyway. So September 2 print and I order it. And I got it now from America to Sweden in a very good condition. It was packed in a very well way, but you never know, with postal office and other things like that. And then I had to pay customs and VAT and postal fee. So in total, I think it cost roughly maybe around 100.
But if you're in America, it's about half that because it's not so much freight and shipping and handling and no customs, what I know about. But it's an art of work and it's so inspiring and it's glowing, really. And do you want to say anything about the importance of this date? I mean, we don't want to do any spoiler about this book.
Of course we do. Well, September 2 is a prominent date in Iron novel Atlas Shrugged, which, as I said on this podcast many times, and we'll continue to say it, it's the greatest novel written in human history. So I think it's a beautiful poster, and I probably end up getting one myself as soon as possible, so shout out to Bosh for that. But Atlas shrug, if you haven't read it, please put it on your list to read. If you read it 20 years ago, you should reread it today.
You'd be amazed at the impact it would have again on you. But that's the significance of the September 2 poster.
Yep. So we are planning to try to add that to the number page boost gram in the future. So then you could then boost send 92194 six satoshis around roughly today, $181. So that would be a nice contribution or donation or whatever you want to call it to support. And I will read also because I tweeted this and I posted on Facebook and LinkedIn and Instagram and from Bosh Fostern's blog post here and tweeted, he said, I'm now making my 2009 drawing available as a print.
Rand began writing her Magnum oprah's atlas rag on September 2, 1946. September 2 is also the day of the year on which the story opens and the date, which is noted several times throughout the novel. So from a novel, a white rectangle hung over the city, imparting the date to the men in the streets below in the rust delight of his evening's sunset. The rectangle said September 2. And that's true. It's eleven times 17, signed and numbered by me for a limited run of 100 prints.
Yes, eleven by 17. And that arrived in Sweden relatively unscathed.
Yes.
I hope our post and service will knock on wood. Yeah, I won't hold my breath, but hey, you never know. And I wanted to just as we're nearing the end here of our notes and things, I just wanted to throw out a few books that I'm reading that I think deserve a wider audience. This was recommended to a lot of people by Alex Epstein, which we hope to have as a future guest. He is the author of Fossil Future, which is a novel, or not a novel, but a work about climate that is gaining great audience.
But he recommended a novel called I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes. Now, Terry Hayes is most famous for some of the Mad Max books and movie scripts. This particular novel is a highly intelligent, very gripping and grim story about an Xcia Man who turned police officer, and I'll just leave it at that. It's very compelling, very intelligently written and worth your time. Called? I am Pilgrim. And the next couple of well, the next three are nonfiction books.
This one has just been released this month called Why Johnny Still Can't Read or Write or Understand Math and What We Can Do About It by Andrew Bernstein. This is a commentary on Americans pathetic education system and some avenues on the way to getting some of this stuff corrected. And Andy has already agreed to be on our show in November about the book, so we're looking forward to that. Great. Why Johnny still can't read or write or understand math.
I think both the paperback and the Kindle version are 999, and I recommend that. And I've known of this gentleman, John Robb, robb for probably ten years, maybe a little longer. In 2007, he wrote a book called Brave New War the Next Stage of Terrorism and the End of Globalization. Even though it was written, what, 15 years ago, it's fairly relevant today. And he talks about the gist of the book. Is terrorist networks against nation state versus nation state. A harrowing topic.
I think harrowing might be the right word. It's certainly compelling. The last book I want to recommend is Your Ego, it's Your Salvation, Not Your Original Sin by Ken West, also a future guest, hopefully later this month or early next month. About this book. Your ego is basically yourself and why throughout the ages, yourself is criticized or held up as something to ignore or denigrate. And he and Ms. Rand are saying, no, wait a second. Your ego is you. It's all you have.
It's your basic being, and it needs to be defended. So those are the four books I'm reading at the same time. I'm sure some readers love books, are like me, they read several books at once.
Do you have a good reads account?
I do, but I don't. It's just one of the many things.
Same here. I'm not active there. But that's great. That's also a circle back then to the word ego. My first blog, Egoist, and also first podcast, Ego Net Cost and talk about the individual, I think, here at the future as one topic, what's going on now in Iran and the future freedom of Persia. And one of my earlier interviewed and also vegan interview at Radio Farada, Radio Liberty in that part of the world. And she was now I think she's a BBC.
And that would be interesting if I could get in touch with her and see if we could have as a guest with the insight of what's really going on in Iran right now.
Currently, the young. Women of Iran are showing the finger to.
They need to get more support here and also support in other ways. But it's interesting to see. And there I did a note to myself about Jan Cox and the Irans and I think that's how she contacted me, because I spread it and talked about it and then it showed up at demonstrations in Iran by Jean Cox and Ellen Forkham. These cartoons, and we'll see if Margolis and Cox are doing some cartoons there nowadays about this situation because that has a power. So I'm interested in talking about podcasting.
Could you reach out that's why Europe or doing great warfare, positive propaganda, you could say.
Yeah, those young women deserve our support and we shout out to them. And unless you've got anything else, I think that's a wrap.
Yeah, it is. And thanks for mentioning Ken. And we have Rob Van and we have Brian and Leopold as future guests and we'll see how it's going there, but it will happen sooner or later. And then also I will include in a tweet from somebody that is doing a podcast about cults and so on. And he gave some recommendation about episodes, but we could listen to material for our podcast. So that was interesting. He started following me and so I then asked if he had any recommendations.
So that was a great offer. So I think that's a wrap. Blair, take care and talk to you soon again.
All right, Martin, thanks a lot. Cheers. This is Martin and Blair Manning. The foxhole. Take care. Yeah, bye bye.
Take care. Bye bye bye. Video you.