Keene Solidifies Position as Global Leader in Cryptocurrency Acceptance with Three More Businesses Onboard in January!

Keene on Anypay's Hot Map

Anypaymap.com shows the most active crypto-accepting businesses in the area.

Big news from the Monadnock Crypto blog! The Keene area now has three additional local businesses that are accepting cryptocurrency for their services. All three are mobile businesses and will travel to their customers and were all added to the local Coinmap in the last month. That brings the already very high concentration of businesses accepting crypto to an all new level, keeping Keene in the top tier of cities globally that are high in crypto-acceptance-per-capita. In fact, both Forbes and Bitcoin.com have called Keene, “Crypto Mecca”.

With her new business, “EuPHOria”, the founding chef of Keene’s “Pho Keene Great”, Isabelle Rose, has struck out on her own and is now regularly meeting customers in Keene with hot Vietnamese food cooked-to-order. Another recent addition is Pure Bliss Clean, a professional cleaning service that handles home and small businesses. Also, Kenzy Dietz of “KD Prestige Detailing” recently won Monadnock Crypto’s radio giveaway contest on 92.7 Bratt FM and decided to set up Anypay Cash Register shortly thereafter. Dietz had already been introduced to cryptocurrency by someone close to her and was elated to be the winner of the $500-worth-of-crypto giveaway. When asked what her reasons were for accepting cryptocurrency at her car detailing business, Dietz said, “Cryptocurrency is the currency of the future, so I am delighted to be a local business that accepts it as payment. Not only is it easy to accept, but it’s a great way to broaden my businesses acceptance of alternatives to paying with just cash, checks, or debit. The future is coming.”

You can read the full article over on the Monadnock Crypto blog here.

The Fourth Annual Forkfest 2020 to Include Independence Day! Jun 29th – Jul 5th

Forkfest Logo

Unofficial Forkfest Logo

Have you been to Forkfest yet?  If you have, you already know how great it was and are likely planning to return.  If you haven’t been yet, you won’t want to miss Forkfest 2020.  Forkfest is a libertarian decentralized camping festival, with no board of directors or organizer, so there’s nothing official about it in any way, but this week, Rogers Campground‘s owner Crosby Peck has “officially” welcomed Forkfesters back for the fourth annual festival happening in 2020 from June 29th through July 5th.

Of course, those are just some arbitrary dates chosen by some Forkfest old timers, who this year decided that Forkfest 2020 would move and expand to the entire week after the Porcupine Freedom Festival. Though Porcfest has yet to officially announce their dates, we have no reason to wait. For the first time ever, Forkfest will coincide with Independence Day weekend!

Rogers Campground for decades has been known for having a well-attended Indpendence Day weekend, complete with a fireworks show.  Rumor is the fireworks professional Rogers has hired for years is retiring soon, but there’s a good chance Crosby will be hiring someone else to keep the longstanding tradition going. Whatever happens with the campground’s fireworks show, Forkfest will surely be a perfect event to happen during that timeframe. Many Forkfest attendees are big secession fans who love the idea of New Hampshire independence.

Given the point of Forkfest is that attendees create the event they want without asking permission, it should be interesting to see the variety of ways independence will be celebrated across the week, leading up to Independence Day that Saturday July 4th, which happens to also be the final night of Forkfest 2020.

Pirates’ Big Gay Somalian Road Builders Disco 2019

Pirates’ Big Gay Somalian Road Builders Disco at Forkfest 2019

Something else Forkfest attendees seemed highly interested in this year was cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, DASH, and Bitcoin Cash. All the food vendors at Forkfest this year were offering their wares for those three cryptos, at least. As a result, this year’s Forkfest felt like a libertarian crypto festival, held in the woods. At one time, Porcfest felt similarly, when people like Roger Ver, Charlie Shrem, and Erik Voorhees all attending the event during Bitcoin’s earlier years. I don’t like predictions, but think it’s safe to say the crypto aspect of the event will continue and perhaps even grow stronger at Forkfest 2020.

If you want to attend, keep in mind that the demand for camping, RV sites, and hotel rooms will likely be even higher in 2020, not just because Forkfest grew significantly on its own from 2018 to 2019, but also because in 2020 we’ll be mixing with the regular Independence Day weekend campers.  Plus, since Forkfest will be following Porcfest in 2020 and it was heavily marketed to Porcfesters this year, you can expect more people to stay on if they were already attending Porcfest. Make sure you lock-in your reservations for June 29th through July 5th as soon as possible. You can visit Rogers Campground’s website and call them at 603-788-4885.

Want an excuse to stay in the Shire even longer? The long-running Porcupine Freedom Festival aka Porcfest will be happening before Forkfest in 2020, though you do have to buy a ticket to attend Porcfest, while there is no ticket required or even available for Forkfest, as there’s no organization to support. Forkfest is New Hampshire’s decentralized libertarian camping festival.  No one is in charge, so everyone is.  Hope to see you at Forkfest 2020!

Meanwhile, you may also want to connect with other past and future Forkfest attendees. It’s easy to do that with the popular unofficial Forkfest Telegram channel and also the Forkfest forum at the Shire Forums.  Want to show the world you are planning to attend?  RSVP on the Liberty.menu event here and then share it on your favorite social media!

Unofficial Forkfest Wide Logo

Unofficial Forkfest Wide Logo

Nobody Interviewed on WKBK’s Morning Show + Pro-Liberty Trans City Council Candidate on Cheshire TV!

Just days after appearing on the morning show on the college radio station and announcing the 10th anniversary of the 420 rallies, Keene mayoral candidate Nobody was interviewed for most of an hour at WKBK-AM/FM. He and host Dan Mitchell covered various issues including the insane war on drugs and even took phone calls, which included one local asking about secession:

(Nobody’s interview is also archived here.)

However, Nobody isn’t the only pro-liberty candidate on the ballot this year in Keene who is getting media attention. Aria DiMezzo is running for city council Ward 2 in a competitive and unprecedented four-way primary. You may recall that last year she became the first trans candidate for sheriff, likely in history. Here is her appearance on the Cheshire TV “Spotlight on the Candidates” series, where each candidate is invited to CTV for a five minute statement video that runs in rotation through the primary election on October 8th:

I’m also running for city council, in the at-large race. Here’s my 5-minute “Spotlight on the Candidates” video: (more…)

Ian Freeman for City Council At-Large

Vote Freeman for City Council At Large on Oct. 8th

Vote Freeman for City Council At Large on Oct. 8th

This year, I’ve thrown my hat in the ring for the Keene at-large city council election. The city clerk’s office requested a candidate statement, so I’ve sent them an essay that you can find here on my campaign website at ianfreeman.nhliberty.info. In short, I’d like to get rid of the BEARCAT armored tank the police acquired against the will of the people, end enforcement of victimless crimes, abolish useless and counterproductive city bureaucracy like the Parking Enforcement and Zoning and Code Enforcement departments, and make taxation voluntary.

You can read my full statement here.

Please come out to the primary election on October 8th and vote for me and other pro-freedom candidates like Nobody for Mayor, Aria DiMezzo for Ward 2 Council, Robert Call for Ward 4, and Conan Salada for the Ward 4 special election. Then mark your calendar for general election on November 5th, and “remember, remember” to come vote for any of us that made it through the primary!

My Interview on CoinSpice’s Podcast

Really old picture of me and Mark Edge

Really old picture of me and Mark Edge

Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed on the CoinSpice Podcast with host C. Edward Kelso. We discussed my path to cryptocurrency and the benefits of pro-liberty crypto people migrating to New Hampshire, specifically the Crypto Mecca of Keene.

You can listen to the full interview here.

Thanks to C. Edward Kelso for the opportunity and check out CoinSpice for crypto news with a focus on the currency aspect of cryptocurrency.