Big thanks to the multiple dozens of supporters who came out from as far away as Nevada today to attend my sentencing for the Crypto Six case in federal court in Concord, NH. Surprisingly, the judge was only able to get through part of the sentencing and postponed it three more weeks until my attorneys have a chance to argue why he shouldn’t order restitution. Of course, one major reason is none of my “crimes” had a victim, but that’s not stopping the prosecution from pushing for me to pay the price for what scam artists did to elderly victims.
It’s worth noting that, as we learned at trial from their own witnesses, the feds never bothered to investigate the scammers at all. Instead they disingenuously got some of the scam victims to believe that *I* was somehow behind the scams, which is absolutely absurd and backed by zero evidence. However, the poor victims clearly want to blame someone and for someone to be punished for what was done to them, and I’m apparently the scapegoat.
My attorneys, Mark Sisti and Richard Guerriero, have two weeks to file their arguments. Meanwhile, I’m still out on bail restrictions. Prosecutors are pushing for a maximum sentence of 20 years, and $20.5 million in “forfeiture”, and more in “restitution”. All for selling bitcoin without asking government permission.
If you’re able to come out for the second and presumably the final sentencing date, I would appreciate it! The next date is October 2nd at 10am, at 55 Pleasant St. in Concord, New Hampshire. You will need an ID to get into the federal courthouse, and recording devices are not allowed.
Here is some media coverage from today:
Associated Press report, which kindly mentioned the awesome standing ovation I received upon entering the courtroom.
In case you missed it, Aria has been blogging from prison on her website and Free Keene. She’s now got two blogs up for you to read.
Also, quick update on my sentencing date for the Crypto Six case. It’s been moved from August 17th to September 11th, no time announced as of yet. Stay tuned for updates. That means if you’ve been procrastinating on sending a letter to the judge on my behalf, you still have time! Please and thank you!
Earlier in July, I made a big announcement about our weekday shows shifting to include some of the top libertarian podcasters in the new “Free Talk Live Network“. I already announced that longtime LRN.FM morning show host Ernest Hancock’s “Declare Your Independence” will be helming Monday nights. Please also welcome our new shows on Tuesday and Friday nights, “Liberty at Night” and “Raines and Edge”, respectively.
“Liberty at Night” is hosted by Nate and Charlie of the daily libertarian podcast, “Good Morning Liberty“. They have a great sense of humor and have been producing a daily podcast for several years now, so they were a natural fit for Free Talk Live’s network of shows. You’ll hear them on Tuesday nights.
“Raines and Edge” is a show where Free Talk Live’s Mark Edge teams up with his old boss from the comic book store, Henry Raines, who self-describes as a progressive. Will they agree on anything? Tune in Friday nights to find out.
Of course, in addition to airing fresh on our audio streams from 7-10pm Eastern, all our new shows are also being included in our main RSS podcast feed. For more information about our new shows, please visit this page. I hope you enjoy them!
Effective tonight, we’ve pulled the trigger on a major change to Free Talk Live, especially on the radio. Tonight, Ernest Hancock’s “Declare Your Independence” took over our Monday night show. Why? Frankly, I’ve been considering ending our live weekday radio show for years, since prior to COVID. When I created Free Talk Live in 2002, I wanted an open phones radio show where anyone could call in to express their opinion. We did that for many years and it was a lot of fun.
However in recent years, the format has gone stale. It’s the same handful of regulars calling every night. Perhaps national radio exposure doesn’t have the same appeal it did fifteen years ago, but for whatever reason, we’re just not getting the level of participation to keep the show interesting for me, and I’ve always tried to do the show I’d want to listen to. Rather than canceling the weekday radio show entirely, in order to continue serving our radio listeners and stations with pro-liberty content, Mark suggested we invite some of the top libertarian podcasters to expand their reach.
We’re calling it “The Free Talk Live Network” on-air and are starting off with the hardest working man in liberty radio, Ernest Hancock and his show, “Declare Your Independence” which for more than a decade has been the reigning morning show on LRN.FM, the Liberty Radio Network. He’ll be holding down Monday nights. More shows to be announced.
Free Talk Live will continue as an open phones radio show on its nights, which for now will definitely be on weekends and some weeknights. We may also do more “Freer Talk Live” internet-only episodes on weeknights when we want to, and for as long as we want, which is a nice feature of no longer being tied to a radio broadcast schedule – more creative and production freedom.
The full transcripts from my jury trial for victimless “crimes” involving the sale of Bitcoin without government permission are now available for public download. Grab them here from Free Keene. I hope you can find some interesting excerpts to share. Thank you for your support! Here’s how you can support Aria in prison.
What’s on your mind? Unlike those right-wing or left-liberal extremist shows, Free Talk Live is libertarian talk radio that ANYONE can take control of. Yes, even you. Free Talk Live is the next generation of issues-oriented talk. What is the meaning of freedom? This show is about Liberty with a capital L.
FTLDigest2025-05-25
byFree Talk Live
Roger Ver, early adopter of Bitcoin, update on case :: Did Roger Ver’s speech cause him to be targeted by the gov? :: Judge bans facial expressions in court :: Polish onion moments, a lesson in history :: Waking up to the systemic issue of police violence :: FreeIanNow.org :: Taxation is extortion :: If you don’t like the US you cannot just leave :: Are kings ordained by God? :: How cults get started :: A fungus that could become the next covid :: Global warming is a scare tactic :: Reptilians on God TV :: Sarah answers prayers and is psychic :: Amazonian tribe smeared as porn addicts :: 2025-05-25 Hosts: Bonnie, Rich E Rich, Riley
AI vs. Human Ego: Why Artists Aren’t Special | Free Talk Cast #39
byLRN.FM
So I’ve been deplatformed (again) from Facebook. If you want to stay up-to-date and chat with us, join our Discord server!
In this provocative episode, Aria dismantles the myth of human creative superiority and challenges the widespread belief that AI is ‘stealing’ from artists. Starting with a brutal truth—that AI is mostly replacing commodity creative work, not masterpieces—she explores why the resistance to AI art reveals more about human ego than artistic integrity.
Through personal examples of using AI for podcast thumbnails while hiring human designers for strategic branding, Aria demonstrates the natural market segmentation already occurring between routine creative tasks and genuine artistic value. She tackles the uncomfortable reality that artists don’t inherently ‘deserve’ to make a living any more than workers in other industries displaced by technology.
The episode draws fascinating parallels between human and AI learning processes, from Renaissance workshops to modern chess championships, exposing the double standards in how we judge creativity. Aria doesn’t shy away from hard truths about iteration problems with human artists, the economic realities of technological displacement, and why nearly everyone—including podcasters—will eventually face AI competition.
This isn’t just about art—it’s about human ego, technological progress, and the democratization of creative tools. Whether you’re an artist worried about AI, a tech enthusiast, or someone interested in how ego shapes our relationship with innovation, this episode offers an unflinching look at creativity in the age of artificial intelligence.
