Beautiful Barley Days

Honey, I've been seeing another blockchain.

In hindsight

Another year almost comes to an end. Last week my fellow Grumpy Men and I already celebrated the new solar year. Beer taste evening at my place. Snacks, beer, and good music. For this special occasion I also got us some 'oliebollen', on which the donut was inspired. If I'm correct the translation for 'oliebol' is 'doughnut'. So it kind of makes sense. Really was not looking forward to them festive days. Actually I've been feeling down on and off. Let it be January the 2nd 2025, somehow. Too many bad thoughts, memories, shait going on in real life. What? Are people still going to war? And stop tinkering with the weather allready! Geo-Engineer your own freaking ass, creeps! Thoughts, they don't stop. It's been too dark and cloudy for too long, it is getting to me. This is abnormal. Or am I just becoming this certain age...?

Maybe you get this: "Why doesn't it just work right out off the freaking box!!!" There was a time when I would try, try and try until I got things working. Recently tried to install Python (a programming language) on the laptop I got from my brother. Installed Linux on it, done in a jiffy. And I wanted to keep it as basic as possible. Only installing the Lubuntu system, no applications right away. Cannot tell you all the curses I've let out shortly after. And I wanted to do some blockchain stuff, Python is quite straightforward to do that. Well, if it functions, that is. No worries, I'm not going to put you through all of the frustrations. Simply put, I've powered the laptop down. Let's leave it at that.

Somehow it has become a thing. And I lose my temper pretty easily the last couple of months. My stomach is telling me that I should be chillaxing more. So I decided to open a present I got on Xmass Eve. A beautiful barley product, known as Scottish Whisky. Speyside Glenlivet's Tomintoul it is. And I really like the taste of it. Very different from my favorite Islay one known as Laphroaig. And because I'm not really feeling the holiday spirit, I'm putting in some spirit from the outside. It's Yule time for Peet's sake! Now where's my whisky glass. Let's drink to something good, like peace on earth. Who knows, this time it might even work out. And if not then I've at least enjoyed some nice drinks. It ain't half bad.

Them days

On Steem there was this vibe. Early days of SteemIt. The blockchain started on March the 23rd and I got this account on the 26th of May. It was new and exciting. The first payout was supposed to be on the 4th of July. So much creativity, it was buzzing, it was inspiring. Somehow it feels like that changed when Steem was sold out. In what I called a Reversed Sybil Attack. In this variant a few über wealthy accounts do a hostile takeover. And I moved over with Hive, but it felt like something stayed behind. That special feeling, the vibe, the extraordinary experience. Hive became its own kind, it evolved and technically it kept improving. But somehow the special feeling had gone for me. Or maybe it was just me that changed? Yes, I'm not ruling that out.

And I recall buying my first Bitcoin, somewhere at a whooping 700 Euro! How I hesitated to use some of my Steem earnings for that. What if it would drop down to worthlessness? And then Doge. When I scroll through all the transactions I did using Dogecoin, with current prices, those amounts look insane! Well, I suck at fortune telling, I can tell you that for sure. On SteemIt I suggested to create a Chainbook, or something in line with that. It would start with a story and then others would continue it. It did not really take of like that. But I remember how the Aristocrat Boomy storyline got extended every Thursday. Do you remember the last line every of those stories ended with? From that Chainbook idea I made a spinoff which came to be known as the Coop Files. Really, I miss those days. But then again, I'm already a Grumpy Man.

Another one

What got me into Steem was my Geek nature. The technology begind it was just amazing. Hah, I want to see an UTXO blockchain like Bitcoin do that! Okay, inscriptions, I hear ya, but it's just not the same. On Hive I can publish (practically) instantly. No way you're going to be able to do that on the Litecoin blockchain. And also them EVM blockchains cannot do it. And not to forget about the costs of the transactions on those. Running a publication platform on one of those, would that really be possible on chain? In the meantime all those Fun 'n Meme Token Coins pop up. Did you see that thing 'Fart Coin'? Really, close to one dollar, a Token on some EVM blockchain? Yes, I'm definitely becoming an old fart.

The Geek freak in me needed something new and exciting. As I did not get the spirit again to publish regularly on Hive somehow. Somewhere from early 2012, I think, I've been exploring several blockchains, like NXT for instance. The promise that it would be possible to create your own Token Coin looked interesting. Unfortunately it did not really take off on that blockchain. Steem promised Smart Coins and that could still be done on the Hive blockchain directly. Yes, there are second layer solutions. A lot has been build on top of Hive, I know. But I'm not locked in one blockchain, guess I'm polychain instead of monochai n. And I also Aped again by buying Dogen on Polygon. Even a rug pull experience has not kept from doing so. Last year I came across DeSo and it has some nice features that make it quite unique. The Geek in me lit up and got quite a lot to have fun with.

Still around

Guess that I'm still around, that what I kept as Hive Power is still there. And a good friend delegated some more to double it. Yes, I still miss those early Steem days. Great times, good memories and I will be publishing now and then I think. For old times sake? Who knows.

This time the payout of this publication will go to three accounts that are special to me, in one way or the other.

My third glass of TominToul is almost finished. And yes, I think I will rename these days to Beautiful Barley days.

Wishing you already a prosperous new year!

Have a great one!

I never use steem or medium, nor do I have any account there but yes i observe many people from hive are also on steem or other Blockchain too..... Enjoy your barley and Happy New year 🎈

!LUV

Steem was really what made Hive possible. Almost everyone that had an account on Steem got one on Hive. Because Hive was basically a digital copy of Steem. And after that the Hive blockchain moved on in its own unique path. And I knew right away that I'd move on with Hive.

Guess I'm a polychainer, although there's only two really that I tend to use. One is DeSo and the other is Hive. It can become overwhelming though. And there's Arweave, but that's more for ('permanent') Data storage.

The Barley drink known as Whisky was nice, I slept well, thanks. And I wish you a happy new year! 🥳

And thanks for the LUV!

Ohhh so people came from steem to hive, as i came from noise cash to hive. I see many people drop their post link in noisecash and I also start interest in it.

Currently I'm using only a single Blockchain which is hive and here we are 😉

Greetings Hive account@oaldamster ,

Lovely to see you here at Hive and hear how you are doing.

Don't let it get to you....you are still you...it is just the body that is telling you different.

You don't mean Ivy do you? She is missed and so I tell her when she has time.

She would wish for me to send you her regards. ^__

Those were heady times in the first days and such a team we all were....or so I thought. Yes Mr Boom's posts....I enjoyed very much...especially the stick figures, yes the cooking ones as well..and the Beer reviews....all quite fun.

I have not seen that kind of camaraderie here yet....maybe one day.

Wishing you a Happy Christ-mas and a Prosperous New Year.

Bleujay

Bonjour Hive account@bleujay,

Thank you for your kind words.

And yes, it is about acceptance I think. Even though I know that the only certainty we have is that everything constantly changes, it's my feelings that sometimes have a hard time to cope with that fact.

When autumn comes I tend to reflect on the inside. At the end of the year looking back. Next looking forward, how to move on from here. It's pretty much being and living ones live with all talents and challenges one has.

Indeed, Ivy has delegated Hive Power to me. Which would serve her better, as she was really active. Interacting with a lot of others here. It is something I find amazing about her and others on Hive. Buzzing with energy, reading posts, replying, publishing, being creative.

Thanks for the regards, it would be nice if she could go back to blogging again. Who knows, we cannot foresee what the future holds.

Them early Steem days, there was something about that. With a smile on my face going for it! Creativity all around, people inspiring each other, projects that were helping others.

And on Thursday I was looking forward to "Gentleman don't tell"... Grim, unreal and funny. Somehow it took me to Victorian settings in my imagination. Book worthy material.

And you share wise thoughts with us, accompanied by great photography and real artwork. That's truly a gift.

Maybe the camaraderie is something that can evolve. Like Hive evolved from Steem. Hive is different and it feels so much larger, as if our little village Steemit turned into a big city Hive.

Yet, in big cities there are these areas where people still know each other. Without knowing everyone in the Big Hive. Nor is that necessary.

Hope you had a nice couple of Christmas days and I wish you a happy new year!

Abientotlater

Aw, Ivy! I hope she is well whatever she is doing.

You are right about the vibe, maybe being off a tad or because of the leaving. In a way I think that it is now that the Blockchain blogging thing was so new that after a while and the forks and the splitting some of the polish food get a bit lost.

I like to think there is still some magic around but with growing up comes less of that crazy wild west'ness.

Getting old sucks eh?

Gets to you and I hope some of that Scottish gold fires you up a tad 😃😃

The spirit moved from the bottle into me. This particular Scottish gold is a blessing. A sweet aftertaste, packs a little punch and warms the ears, for some reason unknown to me. 😄

Putting things in perspective, like in a blog, helps. And the experience on Hive is different, also it makes sense. Like you describe, Steem was new and exciting. Almost humming on the background, the sound of it was magical.

And after I finished publishing this evening I can confirm that it still has some mystical effect. It is very special. Publishing on something known as a blockchain. Who would have thought that would be a thing 10 years ago?

Becoming a Grump has its advantages and downsides for sure. And there are days where I'd love to be 25 again. At least I can blog about it.

And it does sometimes feel shait. But luckily there's the Beautiful Barley days and good people.

It would be nice if Ivy returned, as I know she really likes to blog. But she's a very busy bee though.

Cheers Mate, thanks for the heads up!

Spirit can be a spiritual thing at times.

I was thinking how weird it was the idea of blogging/writing on a blockcjain for so long, I mean it is a kick in the chuff off of ten years! Who would have thought that the chain itself would have lasted this long and not just been another IT style fad.

I have been feeling the grump myself, especially the fact that nothing is simple anymore, websites designed to confuse. Things to be built no longer making sense. Madness and annoying!

If you ever see Miss Ivyh let her know I was asking after her :O)

Cheers mate!

There are worse things to take in than spirit loaded water. 😁 And it can even become a spiritual experience, to a point where I can speak a mystical language that even I do not understand! It is just before that moment when the room starts to spin. And the next thing you know you'll get rid of bad stomache content. How can such a thing be considered wrong, you're just in a deeper shade of soul cleansing process. 😂

Anyways, new year's eve is another beautiful Barley day ahead. 🥳

Blogging on a Blockchain, it's magnificent. Not one-sided media, just sending out views, but individual expressions of thoughts and experiences. No need to shout at some table discussion amongst 'famous' on TV. But real interaction with others on the same platform.

To me that seems to be a good reason to keep it going. This is so much more fun than just reading a magazine and it triggers something but you can only talk to your cat about it. Which in turn walks away after showing you a big yawn and then finds a place to sleep.

But seriously, to me blockchain publishing is one of the most exciting innovations that came forth from the internet. Even more than any Fart coin, because it has real utility to it.

(Could not resist though to mint my own 'Wet Fart' DAO Token on DeSo. 😂)

About the Grump life; Things have become much more complex to use indeed. Or at least I do also experience it like that. Seems almost like done on purpose, so one needs to waste a lot of time to even get started. And things break already just by looking at them! Had this with hiking shoes, for instance, when I got back to the store I was asked what I've been using them for. "Eurm hiking miss", getting told that they were actually not meant for long hiking trips. And if I wanted a new pair or a money return... 🤯

Okay, I have to think about my stomach. Pfff, think I'm going out for a walk. 😅

And I have let her know. 😎👍

Now, I need to get something done over here. No leprechaun to be seen anywhere, so have to fix it myself.