Financial reality
- Cost-conscious — $0.10–0.30/month for Open Brain is compelling
- Ghost dual-site at $15–30/month is the ceiling for publishing infrastructure
- Filen at $10–15/year beats Dropbox/Google Drive on both cost and sovereignty
---
financial_reality
2026-03-19
Privacy non-negotiables
- Client PHI never in cloud AI systems unencrypted — de-identify before Claude Projects
- Self-hosted > SaaS whenever reasonably possible
- Proton for email, Signal for messaging, Tailscale for remote access
- No Google, no Microsoft cloud dependencies where avoidable
privacy_non-negotiables
2026-03-19
Communication style preferences
- Direct, no-BS. No corporate speak.
- Step-by-step with clear reasoning when technical
- Patience for complex multi-step processes when they serve larger goals
- Authentic vulnerability is a strength, not weakness (see Atlas email approach)
- Emoji use is contextually appropriate — matches the audience/platform
communication_style_preferences
2026-03-19
Technical
- Immutable Linux systems (Bazzite/Aurora) require Homebrew or Flatpak for most software installs — not standard apt/dnf
- Python: Use 3.11 via Homebrew, not system Python (3.14 breaks spotDL and others)
- Podman on Aurora requires SELinux relabeling: `chcon -Rt container_file_t` for container volumes
- SSH key-based auth preferred over passwords across all machines
- No Windows — fully migrated
technical
2026-03-19
KEY PEOPLE
- **Heather** — Personal connection, Jyotish chart work together
- **Jake Kocherhans** — Atlas Functional Wellness, Acid Reflux Rescue program, potential co-coach role
- **LinkedIn:** linkedin.com/in/kylemcd72
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key_people
2026-03-19
ACTIVE PROJECTS & STATUS (as of March 2026)
| Project | Status | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| Open Brain / vector memory system | Planning | Build on Bastion Docker |
| FTR 7-episode digital sovereignty series | Content planned | Infrastructure first |
| Ghost dual-site publishing stack | Architecture designed | VPS selection + setup |
| FDN coaching AI workflow (Claude Projects) | Partially built | Formalize knowledge base |
| Mercy Medical Center — Mobility Technician-2 | Interview completed | Awaiting decision |
| Atlas Health — Acid Reflux Rescue co-coach | Follow-up sent | Awaiting Jake Kocherhans response |
| KalaVira personal site | Named | Post-FTR/SSH infrastructure |
| Jyotish daily chart summaries (self + Heather) | Started | Resume in Claude project |
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active_projects_&_status_(as_of_march_2026)
2026-03-19
Content Philosophy
- People who only want health tips will leave. Good. They're not your people.
- People who see it's all connected become raving fans.
- Depth over frequency. One solid piece of content a week > 5 Instagram posts a day.
- Own the infrastructure. Email list is the actual audience.
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content_philosophy
2026-03-19
AI & Digital Sovereignty Philosophy
- Platform memory = lock-in by design. Corporate strategy to trap you with accumulated context.
- MCP + self-hosted Postgres = the escape valve. Your knowledge is not a hostage.
- Shifted from complex knowledge management (second brain obsession) → direct application and execution
- Obsidian = glorified .md editor, not a second brain system
- Information scarcity is no longer a competitive advantage — application and execution are
ai_&_digital_sovereignty_philosophy
2026-03-19
Psychology of Control Framework
- Lifton's eight criteria (milieu control, mystical manipulation, demand for purity, confession, sacred science, loading the language, doctrine over person, dispensing of existence) apply at BOTH macro (institutional) AND micro (interpersonal/narcissistic abuse) levels
- This connects directly to client work: chronic nervous system dysregulation sometimes has unresolvable relational stress components
- Dark triad interpersonal dynamics = micro-level Lifton criteria in action
psychology_of_control_framework
2026-03-19
Core Lens: Conspiracy Realist
- Not conspiracy theorist — conspiracy realist. Focused on exposing documented institutional deception.
- Surveillance capitalism as parallel to health sovereignty violations — both are about institutional control over individual autonomy
- Digital sovereignty and health sovereignty are the same fight at different levels
- Reference works: Buck Sexton's *Manufacturing Delusion*, Robert Jay Lifton's eight criteria of thought reform, Mattias Desmet, Jacques Ellul
- The Epstein files, institutional capture, media manipulation — all documented, not speculation
core_lens:_conspiracy_realist
2026-03-19
Content Production Stack
- **Audio:** Reaper DAW + LSP Plugins (professional grade, studio/mastering experience)
- **Video:** Kdenlive
- **Streaming:** OBS + Restream
- **Previous audio experience:** Audacity through Ableton, live studio recording and mastering
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content_production_stack
2026-03-19
Liberated Services
- **Music:** 129 Audible audiobooks extracted via audible-cli. Spotify library extracted via spotDL (Python 3.11 via Homebrew — not system Python)
- **Streaming via:** Navidrome + Audiobookshelf on Bastion
liberated_services
2026-03-19
Security & Privacy
- **VPN:** Tailscale mesh network across all machines
- **Browser:** Brave
- **Auth:** Ente Auth (2FA), Bitwarden (passwords)
- **Email:** kylemcdonough@proton.me
- **Messaging:** Signal
- **File transfer:** LocalSend
security_&_privacy
2026-03-19
Bastion Server Stack (Docker)
- **Immich** — Photo management (self-hosted Google Photos replacement)
- **Navidrome** — Music streaming (self-hosted Spotify replacement)
- **Audiobookshelf** — Audiobook library (129 titles liberated from Audible via audible-cli, activation bytes: 278dd338)
- **SearXNG** — Private search engine
- **Uptime Kuma** — Service monitoring
- **Network:** All accessible via Tailscale mesh + clean cyclesage.life subdomains
bastion_server_stack_(docker)
2026-03-19
Coaching Philosophy
- Health sovereignty parallels digital sovereignty — both are about escaping institutional control
- Chronic stress → nervous system dysregulation → metabolic dysfunction. These are connected.
- Some clients with unresolvable metabolic issues have relational stress components (Lifton criteria apply at micro level)
- Premium positioning: rare offering, not competing with Instagram coaches on price
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coaching_philosophy
2026-03-19
Core Methodology
- **Primary framework:** DRESS Protocol (Diet, Rest, Exercise, Stress reduction, Supplementation)
- **Philosophy:** Terrain theory over germ theory. "Healing opportunities" not "root cause" (aligns with FDN methodology, not germ theory language)
- **Integrated modalities:** Motivational Interviewing (MI), ACT, IFS, Polyvagal Theory
- **Lab focus:** GI MAP, HTMA, cortisol panels, standard bloodwork with FDN interpretation lens
- **Client communication:** Evidence-based, empathetic, sovereignty-oriented. Explain without dumbing down.