A morning truly begins when you encounter Derek Ross and his iconic greeting: "Good morning and pura vida, Nostr! It's time to create notes and send zaps! 🫂🤙🏻💜." Derek has been a pivotal figure in fostering relationships within the Nostr community, and while he may not hold the title of CEO, we all regard him as our unofficial leader.

In this episode, we dive into a lightning round of questions, where I aim to cover as much ground as possible in just one hour. Our conversation flows from culinary delights to deeper self-reflection, revealing the multifaceted nature of Derek's insights.

As my final interview of 2024, I couldn't think of a more fitting guest. Derek has consistently supported everyone in the Nostr community, embodying the spirit of a true advocate for freedom technology. Join us as we celebrate his contributions and explore his journey!

Zap.Cooking is a decentralized recipe database/app built on the Nostr protocol that allows users to share and discover recipes in a community-driven environment. It features a very simple interface that is user-friendly and free from ads and spam, providing a clean experience for users. A unique aspect of Zap.Cooking is the ability to "zap," which allows users to send small amounts of Bitcoin via the Lightning Network as a form of appreciation or tip to recipe creators, fostering community engagement and support for contributors.

(*episode correction: Seth was kind enough to move his airing and be the 4th episode for Amber Sweeney's episode! He is a great boss and a friend)

In this episode, Sarah from SoupBox interviews the talented musician Amber Sweeney, whose captivating performance at Nostrville 2.0 in Nashville caught her attention. After discovering Amber at Bitcoin Park, they connected on the Nostr protocol to discuss her music, culinary interests, and commitment to fostering dogs through the Nashville chapter of Wags and Walks, an organization dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating animals. The conversation explores Amber's musical journey, featuring live performances, as well as her enthusiasm for Zap.Cooking - a Nostr Recipe App.

For more information on Wags and Walks, visit https://www.wagsandwalks.org/adopt-nashville.

For more information about Amber Sweeney, including her music, custom song services, and upcoming events, visit her official website at https://ww.theambersweeney.com.

After speaking on a panel at Nostr Valley, I had the pleasure to chat with the people on the art panel, and one of the speakers was kind enough to sit down with me for the second episode of SoupBox.

I grew up in a very artistic household. My dad was a watercolor painter, and would let me help him with his paintings, then when he sold the painting, he would get the buyer to guess which part of the painting was done by a kid.

My mom is a crafter and taught me how to cross-stitch when I was really young, and I loved working on projects with her.

I went to school to get a degree in graphic design, and I really enjoy logo design, as well as drawing and painting. I also sew roll-up holders for pens, brushes, etc and do those to-order.

I designed a logo with my son and am getting the first line of shirts printed in 2 weeks. They’ll be black shirts with a white logo of a German Shepherd in a camo shirt driving a Jeep. The name of this new business is called Xavier’s Craftwork & Design.

https://zap.cooking/recipe/naddr1qqwk66tww3u79qyewvkk6ctjwejkcmm4wvkk66tvddekscttv5pzplcczed0mcqg2t2f5nsnzmycr3a0q9jvrqgvp0q0uswnv8wheflsqvzqqqr4guus7lc8

After traveling over 9 hours to arrive at Nostr Valley, for a gathering of Nostr enthusiasts, Sarah had the opportunity to sit down and have her first conversation on air with a complete stranger, one of the attendees. Originally the chat was supposed to last fifteen minutes, yet forty-five minutes flew by. Welcome to the one-on-one conversation on our "soupbox".