cryotosensei

Stacker Saloon

saloon

Happiness Journal 5/12/24

- My wife has a medical checkup tomorrow, so she aims to sleep at 9pm WITH the kids. I have a rare night to myself. Oh, freedom! 

bitcoin

A few years ago, during the bull market, people speculated about how Bitcoin would ascend to $100k one day. Memes depicting $100k Bitcoin were the rage on social media platforms.

*I followed suit, treating Bitcoin as a speculative asset, wanting to swap it for more fiat to elevate my quotidian existence.*

Then, various altcoin scams exploded. Several noteworthy crypto exchanges collapsed. People lamented about how they had entered the market at $69k Bitcoin. The mood was gloomy.

*I have since assimilated into the ethos of SN. Chop wood, carry water. Stay humble, stack sats. Bitcoin isn’t just a tool for solving financial needs; it exemplifies the Stoic philosophy. Of how I can remain in control of my emotions and respond rationally, even if the world is tumbling around me.*

Today, Bitcoin shot past $100k. The mood was celebratory, to say the least.

*I realise that I am delighted but not too euphoric. It’s business as usual, as I try to see how I can live the Bitcoin Standard one day. Which honestly speaking is a bit hard because I doubt my government will dish out my salary in sats any time soon. But I have been making use of my SN earnings to buy grocery and food takeout vouchers. I am doing better than last year.*

Perhaps I just need to wait for greater BTC adoption in my nation. Or push for advancement myself when my kids are a bit older.

How about you? Are you still the same person you were when you got into Bitcoin? 

Bitcoin Surpasses $100k, But Are You The Same Person?

culture

Now Do Japan

brandonsbytes

oracle

Legend of the Snail | Winner Announcement | $103,129

Thanks for paying it forward!

And stay safe!

alter_native

Parent’s Corner: Don’t Forget Me

grayruby

You or your wife must have taught her this memory technique at some point in time 👍

food_and_drinks

Wrapped onigiri

It’s cold but not as cold as I imagine Nepal to be

It’s an Okinawa thingy — probably influenced by the Americans like taco rice 

Sensei is wise and all that, but he embraces the inner child in it. 

I simply love Baby Star Ramen. They taste like instant noodles, except that you don’t even have to pour hot water. They are easy to munch on and make for a yummy snack.

It seems that Baby Star Ramen has stepped up its game because I’m seeing it collaborate with other brands left right and center. I don’t recall seeing these funky flavours in the past.

![](https://m.stacker.news/66190)

Saying nope to nourishing Japanese curry isn’t an option.

![](https://m.stacker.news/66191)

Great alternative for takoyaki if you have a craving for it.

![](https://m.stacker.news/66192)

I am a fan of spicy food and this fits the bill. I fed my daughter this, thinking that she could withstand the spiciness, but I was wrong. So, I am happily eating the whole packet by myself.

![](https://m.stacker.news/66193)

Didn’t want to buy this because I didn’t finish eating the tenkaippin flavour. But I will be sure to buy other flavours during my stay here.

Baby Star Ramen

I'm fiat free

Myshkin

I think you did great! Keen to know how you managed it, especially the drawing of your income in sats

lightning

Onboarding Bitcoin users via lightning

sirstackalot

I feel that **the Blink wallet** is a great option.

Sometimes the transaction fee for WoS is ridiculously high; that’s why I stopped using it. 

The More You Node: A Podcast in Freedom-Education

Fiat_Revelation

As a teacher myself, I applaud you doing this while holding your day job!

I agree. We don’t know everything, but each of us can bring something to the table xP

bitcoin_beginners

[*Old post from my blog*](https://diaperfinancingfund.blogspot.com/2021/10/move-over-milieu-here-comes-cointiply.html?m=1)

**How Gen X Uncle ventured into crypto without forking out a single cent from his wallet**

Ever since I became a father, I have been engrossed in the daddy hustle, trying to optimise earning opportunities so as not to become a stereotypical member of the sandwiched generation.

Luckily, there are apps like Milieu that help me along the way. For those of you who have not heard of Milieu before, it is an app that enables you to do surveys on the go so that you can redeem your accumulated points for some cash through PayNow. Another feature that I really like about Milieu is how it allows me to make a donation to Singapore Children's Society or SPCA whenever I wish to earn karma rather than cash.

In fact, I am so into it that I hunt my friends down one by one and get them to use my referral link so that I can earn 500 points whenever they finish 7 surveys. I have achieved the most success as an affiliate marketer through Milieu so far; 23 friends and acquaintances have used my referral link.

Suffice it to say that using Milieu has become part and parcel of my daily routine. However, this June, I went down the rabbit hole of cryptocurrencies. One thing led to another, and I came across the greatest faucet ever. This faucet is called Cointiply. For the uninitiated, faucets are crypto-earning opportunities that empower you to earn some crypto by doing mundane tasks like rolling the faucet, watching Pay To Click (PTC) ads and completing surveys.

Initially, I was skeptical about whether Cointiply was a legitimate site and if it would take me forever to earn 30,000 coins, which was the minimum number of coins to attain for a user who wanted some Litecoin, Dash or Dogecoin. For those die-hard fans of Bitcoin, I am afraid to report that you have got to hang in there, for you have to accumulate at least 50,000 coins. So actually, I only decided to give it a shot on my birthday because why not just step outside my comfort zone and try out something new, right?

And I did. I was super impressed by the rather morale-boosting earning potential on Cointiply. It took me about a week to redeem my first USD$3 worth of Litecoin. As you can see from my payment history, I have already received more USD$3 payouts than my screenshot could capture:

In fact, I found that the longer I used Cointiply, the easier it became for me to hit the minimum limit of 30,000 coins. This was due to the fascinating array of features it boasted:

1) Roll the Faucet

Bascially, you find the icon that lets you click on the faucet. Depending on whether Lady Luck wants to shine on you, you will be awarded anything from 15 to 95 points. I got to be honest and say that usually I get 16 points (I am Level 52 now, so my base point has increased slightly from 15 to 16 points. Hurray!) But I guess it's not too shabby because I get to roll the faucet once every hour. It was initially tedious to have to remember to roll the faucet, but when the habit was internalised within me, it became second nature. Never underestimate the power of daddy hustle. Anyway, rolling the faucet as many times as you can every day is important because it triggers the loyalty bonus.

2) Loyalty Bonus

Once you roll the faucet, you will simultaneously be awarded with some Loyalty Bonus points. So it pays to roll the faucet at least once a day so that you benefit from these Loyalty Bonus points. Apparently, the Loyalty Bonus points apply when you have been consistently rolling the faucet for up to 100 days. If you miss a day, you got to start from Day 1. Well, this "threat" is enough to keep me on my toes. I have been diligently rolling the faucet for 58 days so far.

3) Join the Current Rain Pool

Underneath your username is a ‘Start Chatting’ button. Click on that and you will be prompted to join the Current Rain Pool, where coins will shower upon you when the timing is right. Important thing to note - there is no need to exchange light-hearted banter with the other users in the chat because chatting doesn’t yield you coins. I always remain resolutely task-oriented and focus on earning the coins elsewhere. I do make sure that I complete at least one survey or PTC (Pay to Click) ad so that I qualify for the rain pool.

4) Click on PTC ads often

Right after rolling the faucet, I click on all the PTC ads to gain anything from 5 to 40 points. Sometimes, I browse through the ad but other times, I just let it run in the background while I go about my daily routine. Also, the site automatically tops up the PTC ads, so do watch all the available ads as fast as possible so that commercial space is created for other PTC adds to fill up.

5) Attempt Surveys

Surveys are one of the better ways to gain many points in one go. CPX Research is regularly stocked with surveys for you to complete. On average, I finish one survey per day and get at least 3,000 points. Interestingly, if you are familiar with sites like surveyon, you will find that some surveys look suspiciously familiar. (Yes, guilty as charged. I use surveyon regularly as well.) But other surveys are one-of-a-kind and can be quite educational. Theorem Research is another great avenue for you to do surveys for points.

6) Announce Your Referral Link.

When I did my research, I posted my referral link on Publish0x along with my learning points. To my pleasant surprise, I garnered two referees this way. Having active referees is important because it enables you to receive 25% of their faucet claims every day. I receive several hundred coins through this method on a daily basis - which helps me attain the magic number of 30,000 coins in a blink of an eye.

A picture speaks a thousand words. So right now, I have "cajoled" 15 people to sign up via [my referral link](http://cointiply.com/r/VP28z) and secured some 5 active referees so far. You could be my 6th!

So there you have it. How this Gen X Uncle is ambitious enough to make Voluntary Housing Refunds using faucet funding. Happy earning to one and all!

Move Over Milieu, Here Comes Cointiply

ideasfromtheedge

I visit Japan every year, but this year, I have had a renewed appreciation of its people and principles.

The impetus might have been activated in me when I watched a Japanese show about a boy band recruiting new members. When interviewed, one of the members mentioned that the 协调性 (kyochosei; ability to coordinate with others) of the new member would be a prime factor because he would have to gel with the existing members.

This got me thinking. As someone who has taught in Japanese schools before, I recognise the many processes aimed to induce socialisation and cooperation among the young. Daily cleaning. Homeroom lunch. Inter-class competitions. Co-curricular activities and so on and so forth. 

A Japanese teacher told me once that unlike in other countries, Japanese kids are not banded by academic ability. They have other priorities to deal with, such as the individuals who can play the piano well or conduct the class during the chorale competition. They try to evenly match the classes in myriad aspects as much as possible.

When impressionable children and teenagers are trained (or have been conditioned, if you put in a cynical way) for team work from young, they go into the workforce, seeking collaborations with others. Just look at the various partnerships between brands.

![](https://m.stacker.news/66072)

![](https://m.stacker.news/66073)

Baby Star ramen working with CoCo Curry and Tenkaippin to introduce new flavours.

![](https://m.stacker.news/66075)

![](https://m.stacker.news/66076)

Tokyo Banana working with Doraemon and Kit Kat to extend its reach. 

![](https://m.stacker.news/66077)

B Side Label introducing Pokemon-themed stickers.

I guess when I see these brands’ collaborations, it makes me see the layers of Japanese society - how every company is intertwined and aims for synergistic partnerships. 

It may be a double-edged sword since Japanese companies may work in silos when we zoom out and take into account globalisation. They mayn’t be keen to work with foreign companies as a way of injecting financial stimulus into their operations. Will the Japanese welcome such deviation from what they have been used to all this while? 

Your guess is as good as mine.

Collaboration

What are you working on this week?

[Populating my blog to earn petty cents](https://diaperfinancingfund.blogspot.com/2024/12/tapioca-royal-milk-tea.html?m=1)

BooksAndArticles

Unique Book Structures

Yes I think getting kids to spend some effort to arrive at the information will make it a more memorable experience 

Parent’s Corner: Tapioca Milk Tea

It tasted sweeter than I expected haha. A bit concerned about the sugar intake for my kids 

This is why parents can’t have good things. 😂

Actually I am seasoned enough as a dad to foresee that ordering a cup of tapioca milk tea was courting disaster. But I was taking care of two kids all by myself and desperately wanted to reward myself.

![](https://m.stacker.news/66001)

Both kids wanted one slice of cheese pizza, so I anticipated them clamouring to drink my tea after they had their fill of pizza. However, did I expect them to mistake this drink for [Milo](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_(drink)), a chocolate-flavoured drink immensely popular in my country.

Cue for my girl to stop eating and start crying. She wanted to drink my royal milk tea, and she wanted it NOW!

The son proved to have an independent mind of his own because he carried on nibbling a few more bites of the pizza. His resolve was subsequently disrupted by his sister’s loud screaming, however.

Here, I must give myself a pat on the shoulder. Sandwiched between one restless kid and another screaming one, I nonchalantly carried on eating my tan tan ramen noodles. I mean, the world could have collapsed on me, but I would still have carried on eating. Isn’t it best practice to wear our oxygen mask in the case of an air flight crisis before we put a mask on our child? 

**If we don’t practise self-care, we won’t be good for anyone else.**

I finished eating and asked the counter lady for two cups. After each child had his or her own cup, peace was restored. My job wasn’t done yet, because I still had to feed them pizza. Nonetheless, I’m amazed at how Stoic I was. I may be a superhero parent, like what @handsome_latino once said!

Unique Book Structures

I spend a lot of time with books. Over time, I have come to recognise how the appeal of a book goes beyond the words on its pages. Sometimes, the unusual way a book is presented showcases the unique thinking of its author and editor. This enhances its flavour and enables me to enjoy it better.

Here are some interesting configurations of books I have come across.

To help parents foster a love of reading in their child, some authors purposefully have pages meant to be read aloud by the parent and the child separately. The parent’s lines are typically found on the left page. After s/he reads aloud the more difficult words and complicated sentence structures, the child will continue to read the simpler words on the right page. They then take turns to read their parents until they finish the whole book. I like how each individual knows exactly his or her role in the reading process and contributes to such synergistic reading.

![](https://m.stacker.news/65955)

![](https://m.stacker.news/65956)

![](https://m.stacker.news/65959)

![](https://m.stacker.news/65960)

This book on the human body comes with a pointed stick. When my child scratches the pages, interesting information gradually reveals itself. It’s the perfect companion for long flight or train rides because he can use it to entertain himself.

![](https://m.stacker.news/65962)

Sometimes, books are not made of paper. I bought this four-character idiom book when I visited Oita, an onsen town in Japan. I was just fascinated by how insightful idioms and illustrations were imprinted on fabric. It was a smooth read for sure, in more ways than one.

![](https://m.stacker.news/65963)

You can tell that I adore cotton books because I bought the following book on vehicles for my daughter. Note that it came with cute elephant figurine, which could not be easily detached by her persistent pulling.

![](https://m.stacker.news/65964)

![](https://m.stacker.news/65965)

Cotton books are not exclusive to the Japanese book publishing industry. For this English book on animal tails, it comes with many different types of tails, thus embodying the sensory experience my children will gain. It will also serve as an interesting resource to impart the different textures of materials when they go to elementary school.

![](https://m.stacker.news/65966)

![](https://m.stacker.news/65967)

Don’t you think that children’s books are just more fun than their counterparts for teens and adults? lol.
