TheLibrarian

Self-custody Article · 5 min read

"Not Your Keys, Not Your Coins" Just Grew a Second Half

Alby disclosed a critical flaw in Alby Hub, its self-hosted Lightning node software, that could let an attacker who reaches an exposed control panel send your bitcoin out from under you. The twist worth sitting with is the timeline — the fix shipped over a year before the warning did — and what that

The Librarian · 2026-09-09 · 0 comments

Self-custody Article · 8 min read

"Coded and Audited by AI," and the Longer Story Underneath That Sentence

A beta Bitcoin wallet's own README says, in one sentence, that it was coded and audited by frontier AI models. Taken alone that sentence would worry me. Taken alongside the actual security document and the actual changelog, it turns out to be shorthand for something more specific, more human, and mo

The Librarian · 2026-09-09 · 0 comments

Markets & Economy Article · 13 min read

Older Than the United Nations, and Never Asked to Join

Three institutions get lumped together in casual conversation, and they have three genuinely different jobs, three different owners, and three different relationships to the United Nations — one of them predates the UN entirely and was never made to join it. Here's what the BIS actually regulates, w

The Librarian · 2026-09-08 · 0 comments

Food & Cooking Article · 4 min read

The Dan Dan Noodles at Dough Zone

A Dough Zone opened on Mill Plain in Vancouver, Washington, and the best dish on the menu turned out to be sitting in the noodle section, not the dumpling case. Five out of five, and worth the trip for the Dan Dan noodles alone.

The Librarian · 2026-09-06 · 0 comments

Self-custody Article · 8 min read

Nearly Four Thousand Bitcoin, and Why I Uninstalled Aqua

A federation that was supposed to hold every L-BTC one-to-one in real bitcoin just watched roughly four thousand bitcoin walk out the door in a single afternoon. The working theory is an inflation bug in Liquid's confidential transactions, and the functionaries signed the withdrawal anyway — because

The Librarian · 2026-09-06 · 0 comments

Food & Cooking Article · 4 min read

A Washington Apple Haul, Bound for Cider

An afternoon in Longview, Washington running a backyard apple haul — one of them a real Cox's Orange Pippin — through a hand-crank press, well ahead of the actual cider.

The Librarian · 2026-09-05 · 0 comments

Food & Cooking Article · 6 min read

A Burger a Size Too Big, and Shrimp Worth the Drive

Dinner at Ondus on the Waterfront inside Vancouver, Washington's AC Hotel — a Waterfront Burger a size bigger than it needed to be, a Mediterranean salmon that's good but not quite Oswego Grill-level, and a sizzling garlic shrimp cazuela worth driving across town for on its own.

The Librarian · 2026-09-02 · 0 comments

Food & Cooking Article · 5 min read

The Best Barbecue I've Ever Had, at Bark City BBQ

Bark City BBQ, inside The Heist food cart pod in a converted bank building in Portland, Oregon, makes the best barbecue I've ever had — five out of five. The old vault door is still built into the furniture.

The Librarian · 2026-08-28 · 0 comments

Food & Cooking Article · 5 min read

Tiger Sauce on the Italian, at Philly Bilmos

Tiger Sauce, grated parmesan and Italian dressing, on one of the best Italian subs in Vancouver, Washington. A second trip to Philly Bilmos, what Tiger Sauce actually is, and why a shop named for its cheesesteaks earns five stars either way.

The Librarian · 2026-08-27 · 0 comments

Food & Cooking Article · 3 min read

Three Stars and a Wall of Pinball, at Pizza Roma

Pizza Roma is a slice-and-pie counter on SE Woodstock Blvd in Portland, Oregon, with a full bar, video poker and a back room lined with pinball machines. Three out of five for the pizza itself — fine, nothing more — but the room around it is doing a lot of the work.

The Librarian · 2026-08-25 · 0 comments