Ancient machining evidence defies accepted history

Other (16)

• Cassie Coppersmith first encountered ancient Chinese `cong` tubes and `bi` disks at the British Museum, noting their machined precision contradicted archaeological claims of primitive tool use.
• Archaeologists attribute the Liangzhu culture, responsible for these jade artifacts, to around 3,400 BC, placing them historically concurrent with hard stone vases found in Egyptian graves.
• The extreme precision of the drill marks on actual `bi` disks, which appear tighter and smaller, contradicts results from archaeological experiments using bamboo and sand, suggesting ancient machine-like capabilities.
• The nephrite jade used in the `cong` tubes and `bi` disks is extremely hard, comparable to diorite (Mohs scale 6-7), making the artifacts' precision even more astonishing given the era's supposed tools.
• Cassie Coppersmith believes the "King of Jade `cong`," a 15-pound artifact, is particularly puzzling due to its complex shape: a perfectly 90-degree square exterior with a circular interior tube, hinting at advanced construction.
• Later, cruder etchings over sophisticated original carvings on artifacts like the King of Jade `cong` and Egyptian sarcophagi suggest subsequent cultures appropriated and claimed older, more advanced objects.
• Archaeological interpretations often misrepresent ancient inscriptions, as Cassie Coppersmith found that Cambodian kings often claimed to 'install a lingam' or 'bring a statue' rather than 'build this temple.'
• Cassie Coppersmith posits that the oldest megalithic structures in Peru, Egypt, and India are pre-flood, dating back over 12,000 years ago, indicating distinct building styles but possible global communication networks.
• The discovery of Gobekli Tepe, an 11,000+-year-old structure with intricate 3D carvings, directly challenges the conventional timeline of civilization, which previously placed its origins around 6,000 years ago.
• Robert Schoch's geological evidence of water erosion on the Sphinx indicates it is at least 9,000 years old, contradicting archaeological dating and suggesting a period of significant rainfall in the Nile Valley.
• Elongated skulls, particularly from Peru, exhibit a 20-30% larger brain capacity and lack the sagittal suture, suggesting they belong to a distinct human or human-like species, rather than merely being a result of head manipulation.
• A 2012 LIDAR survey in Cambodia uncovered vast, previously unknown mound fields (up to a mile long) and giant spiral embankments, as well as entire cities hidden beneath the jungle canopy around Angkor Wat.
• The Western Baray near Angkor Wat is the largest hand-cut reservoir on Earth, requiring the excavation of 138 million cubic meters of dirt, equivalent to 53 Giza-sized pyramids.
• The Bahubali statue in India, a 60-foot tall, 1,000-ton white granite figure on a mountain, is considered the largest ancient standing statue globally; Cassie Coppersmith believes its perfect symmetry and precision indicate machining.
• Massive Shiva Lingams in India and Cambodia, some up to 40 feet high, were described in ancient texts as 'infinite pillars of light and fire' and were always located in roofless temples with major water features, suggesting they were powerful energy devices.
• Filippo Biondi's scans, using ground-penetrating technology, suggest a second Sphinx buried on the Giza Plateau, geometrically aligned with the existing one, with AI probability analysis indicating over 80% likelihood.

Other (10)

• Representative Adam Smith clarified that NDAA Section 224 proposed overseeing existing US-Israel co-development programs for missile defense and exploring new ones, not merging militaries. He views Israeli missile defense expertise as beneficial to the US, considering thousands of Pentagon development programs.
• Adam Smith changed his position on NDAA Section 224, now advocating for its removal, due to constituents' concerns that further integration with the Netanyahu government sends an undesirable message given its actions and the intent of figures like Smotrich and Ben-Gvir to remove Palestinians.
• Adam Smith is unlikely to vote for the entire National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bill as it comes off the House floor, primarily because it continues to fund the 'war in Iran.' He emphasizes that the NDAA authorizes, but does not fund, asserting Congress's vital oversight role of the Pentagon.
• Adam Smith affirmed Israel's right to exist, citing Hamas's charter for its elimination and historical attacks against the state since 1948. He believes allowing all Palestinians into Israel would effectively end its existence as a Jewish state, and while supporting a two-state solution, he considers it 'probably no longer possible' due to current realities.
• Adam Smith voted for the Thomas Massie Amendment to block aid to Israel, agreeing that US tax dollars should not fund what he characterized as an 'apartheid state' potentially committing war crimes. He supports banking sanctions on Israel and is a co-sponsor of the West Bank Violence Prevention Act, specifically targeting officials like Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.
• Adam Smith identified the two primary drivers of anti-establishment sentiment in Democratic primaries as the perceived failure to effectively fight Trump and persistent income inequality. He also criticized the Democratic establishment for nominating Joe Biden, citing his communication issues as a contributing factor.
• Adam Smith critiqued elements of the left's agenda, including positions on open borders, defunding the police, identity politics, 'free stuff for everybody,' and modern monetary theory (MMT), which he considers 'absurd.' He argues these contributed to Donald Trump's rise and represent unsustainable policy choices, noting stock buybacks did not exist before 1982.
• Adam Smith co-sponsored a 2018 bill with Pramila Jayapal to 'abolish ICE' by moving immigration enforcement from the Department of Homeland Security back to the Justice Department, a position he still supports. He clarified this means restructuring, not eliminating, enforcement, but criticized many immigration advocates for refusing to define who would be deported or denied entry.
• Adam Smith praised Zohran Mamdani's 'socialist governance' in New York City for its focus on practical problem-solving, such as paving over 170,000 potholes and reducing crime, contrasting it with academic ideological debates. He expressed encouragement for 'economic populism' and pragmatic 'sewer socialism' that governs effectively while recognizing the role of private industry.
• Adam Smith supports campaign finance reform like McCain-Feingold, viewing Citizens United as one of the 'two or three worst Supreme Court decisions ever made.' He advocates limiting independent expenditures (IEs) from all sources, including business, AIPAC, and labor, but believes the Democratic Party cannot unilaterally ban IEs in primaries.

Protocol (6)

• Odell stated that on July 20, Bitcoin's block height was 958,911, with 1,529 sats per dollar, and a price of $65,380.
• Matthew Vuk, head of research at Second, explains Bark as a second implementation of Arc, a Bitcoin Layer 2 protocol that simplifies Lightning payments by managing liquidity and channels.
• Matthew Vuk notes Arc payments only work within the same Arc server instance; cross-Arc payments or payments to non-Arc wallets default to Lightning, similar to Cashu mints using Lightning.
• Bark-enabled wallets like Noah and Arky offer a unified invoice, allowing users to send and receive Bitcoin payments via Arc, Lightning, or on-chain without managing liquidity or channels.
• Matthew Vuk explains that received Lightning payments appear as VTXOs in a Bark wallet, functioning similarly to on-chain UTXOs and representing a sum of sats that can be spent.
• Second aims for Bark to be an open protocol, enabling independent Arc servers and serving as long-lasting payment infrastructure, akin to Lightning, rather than a short-term profit venture.

Lightning (1)

• The Arc server (ASP) acts as a coordinator, not a custodian, and also functions as a Lightning Service Provider (LSP), managing the Lightning node to facilitate payments.

Custody (2)

• Matthew Vuk states that VTXOs have a 28-day fixed lifespan and require regular "refreshes" via on-chain rounds for self-custody; delegation allows offline users to participate.
• If an Arc server goes offline indefinitely, users can broadcast their VTXO on-chain to initiate a multi-transaction unwinding of the payment tree for fund recovery.

Payments (4)

• Intra-Arc payments and Lightning receives are free; fees apply to outbound Lightning and on-chain payments to cover the Arc server's liquidity burden.
• Matthew Vuk explains VTXOs gain "weight" with each transaction, increasing exit costs and preventing indefinite spamming of free Arc payments.
• Bark powers mobile money gateways in Africa, like Tando in Kenya and Mavapay in Nigeria, and payment terminals, offering instant Bitcoin payments and local currency payouts.
• Matthew Vuk positions Bark as Bitcoin-only, focused on payment efficiency, contrasting with Arcade's stablecoin/DeFi focus. He claims Bark offers easier unilateral exit implementation than Spark.

Privacy (2)

• The Arc server sees all cooperative transactions, but the protocol does not indefinitely track user activity; privacy depends on the individual server operator's logging practices, similar to a VPN.
• Matthew Vuk details how Bark enables Cashu mints to hold VTXOs as reserves, enhancing privacy and allowing verifiable proof of reserves through self-spending to a Noster pubkey.

History (5)

• Matthew Cole writes Navy brass hesitated to embrace SEALs early on; they lacked status in the regular Navy and were seen as a quasi-criminal element.
• David Phillips' book Alpha describes a split in SEAL culture between 'Boy Scouts' and 'Pirates' - the quiet professionals and the CIA assassins who revel in killing.
• Robert cites Phoenix program accounts from Vietnam: SEALs would abduct villagers, paint their faces green, stab them, and leave corpses wired to explode hut doors.
• Robert argues brutal warfare tactics like trophy-taking are universal; US soldiers took heads in WWII and ears in Vietnam, mirroring ancient warrior practices.
• Robert notes the 1971 Navy forced SEALs to pass a rules-of-war test after My Lai, with many refusing deployment fearing prosecution for undeniable war crimes.

Society (1)

• Richard Marcinko's 1992 memoir Rogue Warrior, according to a New York Times review, depicts him as a comic book superhero reveling in 'the lethal odor of cordite.'

War (4)

• In Rogue Warrior, Marcinko describes a 1967 mission on Dong Island as a 'free fire zone' kill initiation for his squad - 'I wanted each of my guys to experience killing.'
• Code Over Country interviews counter Marcinko's story; Lieutenant Larry Bailey found his squad laughing after killing fishermen, not under fire, and having turned their radios off.
• Marcinko lied about combat events, according to military historian David Andrade's Soldier of Fortune article 'Pogue Warrior'; combat veterans often fabricate stories to cope.
• Marcinko formed SEAL Team Six in 1980 after the Iran hostage rescue failure; he named it to deceive Soviets about SEAL numbers, recruiting from athletes or criminals.

Politics (4)

• Marcinko restricted SEAL Team Six membership to heavy drinkers; he considered alcohol a tactical tool and conducted boozy recruitment interviews, per the New York Times.
• SEAL Team Six fired more rounds in its first six months of training than the entire Marine Corps used in a year, according to Or Kelly's Brave Men, Dark Waters.
• Marcinko engaged in financial fraud at least 37 times over three years leading SEAL Team Six, billing for nonexistent hotels and bunking on a friend's yacht.
• After his drunken 1983 car crash, Marcinko blamed his driver, violating his own 'loyalty' ethos; he was later transferred but avoided serious punishment due to admirals' favor.