The Book Nook, a Massive ETH Hack, and a Looming Decision
The Book Nook is now officially "Open for Business"!
After a total of about five hours of work over the last week I’m happy to report the book nook is officially done! This will make a nice addition to the office, perched up on the bookshelf. I just read that it’s a model of the real bookstore in Paris, Shakespeare and Company.
I think I’ll be adding this Paris bookstore to my travel bucket list. : )
ByBit Hack
It’s absolutely mind-blowing that hackers managed to steal $1.5 billion worth of ETH yesterday. Even more surprising? The crypto market has remained relatively stable. This signals two things: institutional investors are now anchoring the market with their massive stakes, and—just maybe—retail investors are becoming less reactionary to these kinds of shocks.
That said, all eyes are on Vitalik and the Ethereum team. Rumors are swirling about a potential hard fork or even a blockchain rollback. Either option comes with serious implications for ETH’s integrity and investor confidence. The world is watching, and I, for one, am relieved I don’t own any ETH right now. I just discovered there's a $140M bounty to find the ByBit perps, the largest crypto bounty ever.
On a brighter note, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re on the verge of a decent run-up—maybe even as soon as next week. Then again, predicting these moves isn’t as easy as it used to be. Time will tell.
Dog or No Dog, That is the Question
We lost our beloved beagle, Amstel, in January 2023, and for over two years now, our home has been puppy-less. But with warmer weather on the horizon, the thought of welcoming a new four-legged family member is starting to creep in.
I still miss Amstel deeply. Looking back on our years together (2008–2023), life felt fuller—more joyful, more adventurous. But now, the dog or no dog debate feels more complicated. Bringing a puppy home isn’t just a heartwarming decision—it’s a 15-year commitment, one that would reshape our lives, especially our freedom to travel. And let’s be honest, a beagle is basically a toddler who never grows up.
This is one of those life-decisions where there’s never a perfect time. It all comes down to whether you listen to your heart or your head. I feel like my heart already knows the answer but my head is getting in the way.
What would you do?
Be well, make the most of this day. Thank you for reading!
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Didn't know that news. However, I don't have much ETH in my portfolio :)
It's crazy. They're saying it was the North Korean hacker group, Lazarus. I don't think there are many good choices for the ETH team at this point but it'll be interesting to see how they deal with it. Very sad!
You should pay attention to gold, there are surprises in the short term.
Gold has done really well these past few years!
Watch out for surprises related to the global economy and gold... Watch out for the Bank of England.
https://peakd.com/hive-126152/@amigoponc/-hg-kh9
I sure will. Thanks for the link!
The anonymity of the blockchain will make it harder to catch the hackers, in that case the $140m bounty will do no good. Bybit just needs to make the funds on their platform more secure. I wish you find a good puppy to replace the four-legged friend you lost.
Yes, it'll be very interesting to see how this is resolved! ByBit has already opened withdrawals, which is very impressive. Thank you! I hope we're half as lucky with this new dog as we were with Amstel.
Now that you mention it... We went there once, but it was incredibly crowded so it wasn't such a great experience... too much of a tourist attraction. Many wonderful bookstores are a tourist magnet these days and most of them come only to snap a couple of pictures for their Instagram... sad..
I'm hearing Paris is especially bad for this when it comes to the well-known places/attractions. It is sad. That's the fate of so many tourist destinations.
I think a lot of it depends on the type of travel you want to do. If you are still leaning towards the van life, I think it could be manageable for you. If you plan on doing extensive international travel, then it gets a bit more dicey. That's just my opinion. Multi week vacations wouldn't be a huge issue as long as you have a place you can trust to board or someone you can trust to house sit with the little one. I'm surprised at how little impact the hack had on the markets as well. I think two years ago this would have been major wreckage.
I'd really like to resume international travel so that's the real quagmire for me. We learned from our previous trips that it makes so much more sense to stay in Europe 4-5 weeks and see a lot of countries vs. making the transatlantic flight several times. Luckily, we have our son who could dog sit for short stints. It would be a lot of fun to travel the US with a pup! I've been really impressed by the market stability too. On the flip side, it seems like we've missed out in some huge gains because of the lack of volatility we saw in past market cycles. Wall Street can't suppress it forever though.
Yeah, I hope that last part is true. I am really looking forward to taking some decent gains this time around. That makes a lot of sense about the traveling too.
The way Bybit was hacked was hilarious. The second biggest exchange in the world got hacked like a 15 year old amateur.
It's a crazy story! Hopefully these exchanges learn from this incident.
I vote for dog :)
I'm leaning in that direction too. : )
Fabulous that the Book Nook is finally open, must say you did very well! But no photo of you sitting inside?
I say do it! Will be a nice addition to the family, is a responsibility but I'm sure you have a doggie hotel or get a doggie sitter when you travel?
Have a good weekend further, Eric!
I'll need to do much more yoga to get flexible enough to sit in that chair! Lol. I'm really leaning in that direction, Lizelle. I think I just have a case of the jitters about it. Thanks and I hope you're enjoying your weekend!
You would love Shakespeare and Company, I guarantee it. Watch out for seeing it in high tourist seasons, though. Last time we were there it was July, the line went way around the corner.
Hadn't heard about the ETH thing. That's worrying. (Though I hope you're right about being on the verge of something)
also indeed, it's a big question. Personally, of what I know of you, it seems to me another dog would be a good choice. Maybe wait until after you wrap up whatever travel plans are in your immediate future and go for it? It wouldn't mean no traveling - where there's a will, there's usually a way.
Sounds a bit like it. :)
That's good advice. We watch the Les Frenchies on YouTube and I'm really getting the urge to see Paris and some other French cities (Lyon especially). I'd be all for traveling there during off-peak times.
Yeah, what's even more troubling is how the "hack" happened. I'm worried that it'll be a catalyst for governments to impose more regs in the industry and we all know those regs made under the guise of "consumer protection" are usually not in our favor.
I'd like one more whirlwind European trip of like 4-6 weeks. I think that would satisfy my wanderlust for the time being and then we could get a dog. I have my eye on the Christmas Market river cruise too. I think that might be a good way to experience a bunch of them in one fell swoop.
I would definitely get a dog. In fact, I did get a dog, and just when things were getting especially tough. She got me through. Get a dog. You will miss Amstel a little less, and remember him even more fondly.
They're a great comfort, aren't they? They make it so easy to love them. I have a feeling we'll be hearing those paws on the floor by summertime. What kind of pup did you get?
A mini Australian Shepherd. She's wonderful. Very smart and easy to train, super loving and cuddly, 25 pounds so I can pick her up when needed, adapted to my daily rhythms nicely, loves to run but can go without and behave well on low activity days. doesn't shed, doesn't chew shoes, doesn't destroy anything. The perfect dog for me.
I'm glad you've found one that's a good fit for you! The working dogs are incredibly smart. I'm so glad we decided on a working (hunting) beagle vs. a show beagle. That's really the key to happy dog ownership -- matching the breed to your personality, lifestyle, and activity level.
Beagles are my favorite. You will not regret it if you get another dog. After our last one passed my husband said no more. Then our granddaughter asked if we would keep her dog until she could get a place for it, that was 4 years ago, and two years ago we took in our son's dog. We enjoy having them.
Mine too @myjob. Beagles are the perfect breed for my energy level. They require lots of walks and activity (and so do I). I was also looking at Staffordshire terriers but they're a bigger dog and that would make road trips and such a little more complicated. Life definitely feels empty without a dog.
I was also shocked to hear about the massive hack that happens for bybit. I was actually wondering could it be because of their tweet about Pi
I haven't heard about the Pi tweet!
https://x.com/lee19389/status/1893766828972802187
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