In 2018 I traveled around Iran This is a photo I took of the main square in Isfahan, which was my favorite city there. It was also one of the cities targeted by Israeli airstrikes yesterday My trip was tightly controlled--I literally had a government agent with me at all times as a condition of my visa. But there were stolen moments with everyday people that made a really deep impression on me. Everyone seemed aware that Iran & the US were supposed to be enemies and everyone, literally everyone, went out of their way to tell me that wasn't the case and I should feel welcome and comfortable The people in Iran are NOT your enemy The politicians that want you to believe that--they are our enemy NO WAR

Good morning from El Salvador!

Good morning from El Salvador We are now in DAY 119 since the government rescinded Bitcoin as legal tender, at the request of the IMF (effective since 30 April) Yesterday the IMF released it's first staff-level review of the agreement which says El Salvador is following through on its commitments. Regarding Bitcoin it only mentioned the prohibition of the state accumulating new bitcoin and the pending sale of Chivo (the govt bitcoin wallet). A link to the full review is in the comments This should serve as a reminder of how long the IMF loan process is and how early we are in that process. There have been some effects on the ground already--for example since earlier this month the govt can no longer accept bitcoin--but most effects are still to come. The IMF will have inside access to all things relating to the terms on the agreement and will regularly review compliance for years. Also, there remain many deadlines pending over the next months (such as the sale of Chivo)