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Showing posts from September, 2017

Bitcoins and The Book of Life

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Never really understood bitcoins. 2 Years ago they were under $200 each. Now they are worth over $4,000 a digital piece, most of the time.  In total, all bitcoins in circulation are somewhat unbelievably valued at over $60 billion. But digital currencies are not regulated by governments. There is no taxation supporting them. No international laws, and tough luck if you own some and lose their details or they are stolen online. Some say they represent the future, a potential blueprint for a global currency. Others believe they are a fraud, open to manipulation and abuse, and will eventually collapse in value. I am sitting on the digital fence. So I sought guidance. What do the internet Rabbis say about bitcoins? Because there is no government behind bitcoins, there seems to be broad agreement that bitcoins are a commodity (like apples or goji berries) rather than currency. Very briefly (sneaky bit of Talmud), say David lends Jonathan 20 apples worth £10. A few months later, Jonathan i

Knights, Diversity and Cheap Beer

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Monday evening in June, browsing the latest updates on Facebook. I spotted a request on the Hendon Chess page from Mo looking for a player for the next night in a Summer Chess League. I responded in the affirmative (suffering from moderate withdrawal symptoms) , and found myself on Tuesday evening at Clapham Junction Station, before walking a couple of minutes to nearby Battersea Labour club. It turned out that this summer chess league comprised of 6 teams. http://www.summerchessleague.org.uk/about/    2 from Battersea (Volts and Amps), 2 from Hammersmith (Totally Hammered and Completely Hammered) and Streatham (Streetwise). All well established clubs. I would be playing for East London Kinights, the new kids on the block representing the British Bangla Chess Association (BBCA). http://britishbanglachess.com/   All very well organised. Digital clocks, cheap beer, warm summer evening. Perfect. I even won my game, contributing to a 4-2 win over Streetwise. Great stuff. Haven't