Cody Hall

What I'm reading, writing, and thinking about.

What I’m Crunching — August 10, 2025

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Books I’m Reading

Dark Age (Red Rising Saga #5)

I picked back up on Red Rising book #5 this week after my hold on Libby arrived.

I’ll eventually finish the Red Rising series from Pierce Brown but it’ll take a while! From the Goodreads summary:

For a decade Darrow led a revolution against the corrupt color-coded Society. Now, outlawed by the very Republic he founded, he wages a rogue war on Mercury in hopes that he can still salvage the dream of Eo. But as he leaves death and destruction in his wake, is he still the hero who broke the chains? Or will another legend rise to take his place? Lysander au Lune, the heir in exile, has returned to the Core.

Determined to bring peace back to mankind at the edge of his sword, he must overcome or unite the treacherous Gold families of the Core and face down Darrow over the skies of war-torn Mercury. But theirs are not the only fates hanging in the balance. On Luna, Mustang, Sovereign of the Republic, campaigns to unite the Republic behind her husband. Beset by political and criminal enemies, can she outwit her opponents in time to save him? Once a Red refugee, young Lyria now stands accused of treason, and her only hope is a desperate escape with unlikely new allies.

Abducted by a new threat to the Republic, Pax and Electra, the children of Darrow and Sevro, must trust in Ephraim, a thief, for their salvation-and Ephraim must look to them for his chance at redemption. As alliances shift, break, and re-form-and power is seized, lost, and reclaimed-every player is at risk in a game of conquest that could turn the Rising into a new Dark Age.

On Bitcoin

This is a bit of a tough conversation to listen to, but I agree with most of what Peter McCormack is saying. We certainly don’t align in many areas, but on these we do:

  1. “Bitcoin fixes this” is an oft-repeated mantra. I’ve said it myself. But the truth is: Bitcoin doesn’t fix things, people do. One approach is easy (all you’re doing is saying a trope), the other difficult (because it requires action). But only one approch actually results in real-world impact.
  2. It is selfish to be right about something big, make a lot of money, and then disappear and consume. It may be easier to do so, but it’s the wrong choice. Love and compassion should drive us to act with our new-found wealth.

One point that Peter doesn’t yet understand: working hard toward what you see as good and moral (and what may very well be good and moral) means nothing apart from a relationship with Christ. Jesus is clear in Matthew 7:21-23:

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Without abiding in Jesus, the work we do will ultimately be devoid of spiritual impact:

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Tweets I’m Reading

If you have feedback for me, if something resonates and you want to see more of it, reply in the comments below. You can also tweet at me on Twitter @the_cody_hall.

I look forward to hearing from you!

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