Lighter websites, lighter apps, lighter souls.

Lighter cars, lighter clothes, lighter bags. Lighter travel, lighter living.

Designing your body is the goal.

Weights, meat and sleep are the tools.

The most entertaining will win.

If you care for your freedom, you must join the military, or once has been enlisted.

There needs to be some sort of personal downside, risk exposure, or skin in the game for freedom.

We are not sleeping or napping though, and also not eating enough meat (aim for at least 3 pounds a day).

The goal, to become a full-stack man, a full stack human. Master of all, like a Voltaire, but can deadlift at least 500 pounds.

Master of the physical (physical strength, powerlifting, muscle), master of the artistic and creative, and master of commerce/business/marketing/entrepreneurship.

My personal desire to increase the amount of meat I can eat in a single sitting!

Don’t engage with someone, if there is a high likelihood you might have an unpleasant interaction with them.

NOMAD SCULPT as the new killer app:

Just play with it and have fun with it!

For your own personal and private enjoyment.

Amberjack fish– with the head and collar. Might have been one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten.

Eat it clean! Eyeballs and all!

PODCAST

Infinite strength is the goal:

I’ve found that the front facing LCD’s of things are insanely distracting. On GoPro Hero 10, turning it off as a massive benefit.

When there is no front facing LCD screen, or blinking thing, you can focus better!

For the things you really really care for, they will get done. For everything else, leave it undone!

Great. I highly recommend anyone and everyone to have one!

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The eternal re-run of photo reality:

Flexing as a form of self discovery.

Go max, and if you fail, just scale back a bit, and try again!

Dear friends, a thought this morning: perhaps the point isn’t the best, but the strongest. Why? That which is strongest is objective, whereas the best is subjective.

For example, perhaps the best fabric is the strongest fabric. The most supreme person at the gym is the strongest person (The person with the biggest deadlift or squat). The best car is the strongest one, which means the fastest 0 to 60 acceleration, which is currently the Tesla model S plaid.

Also, when it comes to computers, the best is the strongest. Strongest as subjective for you whether processing power, battery life, etc.

Will it make you stronger or not?

That which attempts to destroy me will only make me stronger (in the long run). -my take on the Nietzsche quote

When it comes to making certain life decisions, or living, or life, a thought to consider: will it make you stronger or not?

For example, sun exposure. Being in the direct sun will make you stronger. Not using sunblock or sunglasses will make your skin and eyes stronger. But of course, up to a certain point. If you’re in the sub Saharan desert in 140 degree heat, topless for an entire day— perhaps not a good idea.

Or when we go to the gym, and we see you guys with the biggest muscles. Our basic minds believe that he with the biggest muscles is in fact, the physically strongest. But, this is often not true. Often the guys at the gym with the biggest arms and upper body, have the weakest legs. And also, the skill of the bodybuilder is more about their endurance, determination, and ability to do hateful repetitions, rather than pure strength. This is where powerlifting is interesting to me, the purpose is to indefinitely increase your one repetition maximum for a given lift, in effect, ultimately how strong you are.

However the big downside of powerlifting is that I think what happens is people end up trying to game the system. Using steroids, performance-enhancing drugs, “natural“ testosterone supplements, etc. Also, all of the strange supplemental gear like lifting belts, straps, suits, etc.

Rather than thinking about powerlifting then, strength building is perhaps a more robust classification system.

What do you want from our artwork or photos?

Something interesting about architects; it seems that the game is every single architect is trying to one up one another, trying to flex their ingenuity, skill, and power. The name of the game is he or she who could create the most impressive building, which is the most resilient and defiant of gravity, and natural laws.

Then perhaps the purpose of us as artists is driving to become the strongest artist. The artist who could create the most impressive and strong artworks, whether sculpture, images, paintings, music, etc.

The strongest entrepreneurs

That which don’t kill me, only makes me stronger – Kanye via Nietzsche

Even with entrepreneurs, perhaps the best entrepreneur is the strongest. Consider Elon Musk, a titan in both the car industry and the international space technology industry— requires great strength. Or, consider how Jeff Bezos built up Amazon, the strongest logistics and delivery network, and supply chain technology. This is what people do not understand about Amazon; they think it is a store, or a platform that sells stuff, but in fact, their genius and ingenuity comes from their scrappiness, ruthless efficiency, and ability to make the lives of people more convenient. Also, one thing that nobody ever talks about is Amazon Web services, which seems to power most of the web. It seems to be the strongest web hosting platform.

Also, one of the great admirable things about Amazon is how low frills the benefits for their employees are. Perhaps this is good, as it keeps them lean and mean, and spurs them to ambition. Compare this with soft Google employees, who are like happy hens in a cage.

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Will it make your kids stronger or not?

Another thought is when it comes to child rearing, the point isn’t necessarily to make your kids happy; otherwise all you’re giving them is fruit juice, YouTube, annoying toys, and other things which pacify them and make them “happy”. Rather, the point is to strengthen them.

For example, not to baby them. When they fall down, let them cry, and don’t pick them up. Rather, teach them how to stand up again, and get on with their playing.

Also, when it comes to food and nutrition, optimize for meat consumption, as meat will make them stronger. Anything sweet, or with sugar, whether unnatural or natural, will just damage their insulation regulation hormonal system.

With activities, ideally playing outdoors in the sun. It seems that the most virtuous thing you could do with your kid is physical training; even Seneca at a young age, taking him to the park at least twice a day, having him practice going up and down structures, using his arms and legs, etc.

Stoicism

A thought:

Whenever you bite your tongue and hold in your anger, this makes you stronger, and whenever you give into your anger, it weakens you.

Nietzsche once said that anything which strengthens us is good, and anything which weakens us is bad. I think this is a good idea.

The duty of stoicism is to become more virtuous; if you’re a man, this means becoming more manly.

However, the important distinction we must make is stoicism out of strength, or stoicism out of weakness.

For example, if you practice stoicism out of weakness, perhaps turning the other cheek is rather an act of weakness, because the reason you’re not fighting back isn’t becomes you’re stronger, but in fact, you’re too afraid to fight back, and you use the excuse of turning the other cheek as your strength, whereas in reality, it isn’t.

Also, this is the root and genesis of the resentment morality. We feign strength, whereas in reality, you hold in your anger in order to resent the other person. It is like drinking poison, and hoping the other person dies.

One of the most important things I learned about relationships is that the number one root cause of divorce and or bad relationships is resentment. And what causes us to resent other person? The feeling that we’re not being respected, or maybe an inferiority bias towards other person.

Bitcoin as the strongest cryptocurrency

With crypto — it isn’t about the “best”, fastest, or the most scaleable network or blockchain. Perhaps the telos is the strongest cryptocurrency.

What is the strongest? That with the strongest brand-name. For example, I think the reason why people prefer Bitcoin as the apex digital cryptocurrency is because it has the strongest brand-name. Everyone now knows what bitcoin is, nobody knows what Ethereum is.

Also, I think bitcoin actually has the best logo, as it has the strongest color which is orange, the same color that Phil Knight put on Nike shoe boxes. Orange might be the strongest color because it is a combination of both red and yellow, two of the strongest colors. There is a reason why traffic cones are orange, the strongest color for maximum visibility, to prevent road workers from getting killed.

Then perhaps if you want the strongest car color, orange is your best bet.

The best coffee

The world’s strongest coffee — Death Wish Coffee.

Perhaps the reason why I was so powerful while living in Vietnam was in fact, Vietnam has some of the strongest coffee. Robusta has more caffeine content than arabica. And some of the best coffee that I had in Vietnam was a good blend between arabica and robusta. This is something that a lot of coffee snobs don’t understand in America and elsewhere; the best coffee is actually a blend of both arabica and robusta, not 100% arabica. People just aren’t strong enough for robusta.

Also, something that people also don’t understand is that often, the house espresso blend is actually superior than the single origin. Why? First of all, single origin isn’t ordered as frequently at the coffee shop, which often means that it is not well dialed in. Also, if the coffee shop does have a good espresso blend, they handpick the best of the best and all the different regions around the world, to make the best coffee blend. This is the same reason why mixed breed dogs are physiologically stronger than purebred dogs, which are often inbred, dumb, and sickly.

Even with humans, my theory is that mixed race kids have the potential to become physiologically stronger than if you only had kids within your own sub population.

Hybrids are stronger

Also, even though I love Elon Musk and Tesla and the ethos of electric cars, currently, it still seems the best car is a hybrid — a mix of both gas and electric. The best as a plug-in hybrid prime car — in theory, if you just commute a little bit from your house locally, you could always just run it off the electric engine, and charge at home. But if you go on long road trips, you know you’ll always have an easy and convenient gas station close by. Or if you go to the mall or somewhere with limited parking spots, you can always nab one of those electric charging vehicle only spots.

How to make stronger photos

We are photographers, and our unique mode of artistic creation and communication is photography and photos. Then, our purpose is to become a stronger photographer, in order to make stronger photos.

But what is a “stronger“ photo? What does this mean?

Some ways to think about it. First, to me, the strongest photo is the simplest one.

Then, the goal becomes to make the simplest photos possible. How does one do this? I say, just harness black-and-white, and high contrast, as high contrast strengthens the aesthetic of your photos.

If you prefer color, prefer high contrast, and highly saturated colors. This makes for a stronger, more powerful aesthetic.

The strongest photo

Similarly speaking, when you’re reviewing your photos, don’t think, what is my “best“ photo; think, what is my strongest photo?

Our personal ambition is to make photos which will outlive us. The same ethos of having kids; we will die, but our children will continue our legacy.

How to select your strongest photos

For me, I choose what I consider my strongest photos as a combination of these things: a photo which has a darker aesthetic, strong emotional feeling, and strong and minimal composition.

For example, what do we gain the strongest emotional response from? Humans. It is only human; as a human being, we should and must gain more admiration of a beautiful woman, instead of a “beautiful“ tree or landscape. This is also the thing I don’t like about the whole outdoor culture is that it drives to find more beauty in nature, than in human beings.

Even pornography; I think the confused notion is this; I think most men watch porn because they are striving to seek visual stimulation from beautiful women, not necessarily the sexual act and final ejaculation. If this is the case, perhaps looking at Playboy magazines is better; better to look at photos and videos of nude beautiful women, instead of them in the sexual act.

The gym

One of the things I really hate about the modern day gymnasium is that it is indoors. Indoors is bad for your health. In times of ancient Greece, the gymnasium was an open air space, where men lifted weights, performed physical exercises, philosophized, and socialized. Even in the beginning of Covid, and all of the gyms were closed, one of the best discoveries and windfalls of my life was discovering the local park, working out at the park, throwing around rocks, and actually socializing from guys from all different walks of life. It might’ve actually been one of the happiest periods of my life.

One of the coolest things I saw recently was a 24 hour fitness at the mall in San Diego, where there was this open air, fake turf grass area, where you could deadlift, squat, and exercise in the direct sun.

Being indoors is physiologically depressing, and I actually think it weakens you; I actually find it difficult to focus when I’m inside an indoor‘s dark gym. I feel stronger when it is well lit.

Anyways, on the road to becoming a stronger person, strengthen your legs first. Sumo deadlifts and squats.

Even a great new trend I see is that it is actually quite normal for women to lift weights at the gym now. And this is highly encouraged; a women who could squat more and deadlift more will build a more beautiful physique. I actually think that the whole new Kim Kardashian big butt physique notion is a good one; as it motivates women to lift weights. The women with the best physique at the gym are actually the ones who have the biggest deadlifts and squats.

Media which strengthens you, media which weakens you

When it comes to media, I believe the best way we could categorize it is a physiological one. For example, whenever I open up any magazine which has advertisements, I immediately feel a depressing and revolsive physiological reaction and aversion. Same goes with TV, the news, and almost all movies and tv shows.

For me, the only media which is worth experiencing is the one which strengthens you. For example, the movie 300, the first Iron Man movie, the matrix, or any movie which makes you aspire to become physically stronger, more intimidating, or mentally more elevated.

For example, do you remember when the movie 300 first came out, and everybody aspired to look like an insanely ripped Spartan? This was great.

Or, the movie Fight Club. I love the movie because it was like a wake up call for men; to have men to aspire to become more manly, rather than soft.

Strengthening is the goal.

Will it make you stronger or not?

This is the great thought: by thinking of your life as the simple decision making matrix, it changes a lot. For example, purchasing a home will not make you stronger. Purchasing a car won’t make you stronger. Even buying a faster, more menacing car will not make you stronger.

What will make you stronger? Purchasing and consuming more grass fed beef. For your young kids, goat milk. Or consuming more organ meats — beef liver, beef heart, beef intestines.

Tools which make us stronger

iPad Pro. This is the only Apple product I really love. Not worrying about battery life, it feels insanely good in the hand, and the design is perfect. Also, the ability to import, and review my photos. Also, being able to do voice dictation with IA WRITER. Also, the ability to walk around, and compute upright, on my two legs. No more need for a laptop and a standing desk.

For camera, Ricoh GR 3X.

If you want the most strong camera, Pentax 645Z.

What next?

1. Express yourself. Make a website blog via bluehost.com and install WordPress.org. This is the strongest platform.
2. To make stronger photos, upload to arsbeta.com for honest feedback and constructive critique.
3. To build a stronger mind — WHY APP
4. Read stoicism, Nietzsche.

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You pave the road.

Cut the liquid road! – Horace

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MAKE STRONGER PHOTOS

Become fearless at an ERIC KIM WORKSHOP.

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1. ERIC KIM NECK STRAP MARK II: For the fearless.
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Perhaps the point of life and existence is ever growing strength.

Thus the decision matrix:

Only do things or buy things which actually help contribute to your physical strength growth!

For example, sleep makes you stronger. Ideally 12 hours a night, after powerlifting.

Grass fed beef and ground beef makes you stronger. Or beef liver, beef heart, beef intestines. Meats and beef high in cholesterol as a natural steroid.

Coffee makes one stronger, but only in the morning and during the day.

Alcohol and weed weakens.

Then there are many things which don’t have any effect on our strength. These we are indifferent towards.

Even getting sick once in a while will make you stronger in the long run.

The best way to live life: love being at home, and also love being out and about.

Doesn’t matter if it is “0 cal“ or not. You cannot fool your body.

My theory: even 0 cal sweeteners causes your blood insulin to spike, thus causing you to gain adipose fat tissue.

We shouldn’t think about calories, rather, bodily hormonal responses.

Dear friends, a thought on my mind: how to reduce friction, both in our lives and in our photography.

Why friction?

This is the tricky thing about friction; some friction is good, some friction is bad. For example, if there was no friction, how could you ejaculate?

Also, fire is created via friction. No friction, no fire.

When it comes to movies and films, or stories, there needs to be some sort of central friction or else the story is not interesting.

When is friction bad?

There are other forms of friction which are bad, the friction which prevents us from doing what we desire to do. For example, we want to get fit, but there is too much friction to prevent us from getting started. Or, we want to do more photography, but there is some sort of blockage we have which prevents us.

I know personally speaking, much of the challenges that I personally faced has to do with challenges when it comes to photography. That the biggest issue that I had in my personal photography is the friction of just always having my camera with me, and making photos.

What is the big problems here?

First, a technological one. Typically speaking, the bigger, heavier, more bulky and frictionful a thing is, the less likely we are to do it.

For example, in the realm of photography; what is the worst thing you do for your photography? Use a DSLR or any big camera. Why? The desired outcome is to shoot more photos, but the ethos of using a DSLR or any other “professional“ camera is this:

But what if I see something really really good, and I shoot it with a subpar camera?

Therefore, the impetus to use more professional grade cameras is more of a FOMO thing (fear of missing out), than a positive and active one.

Digital is great

This is where Ricoh GR 3, and Ricoh GR 3X is our personal savior. Here technology is so great; finally in the year 2022, digital photography is in fact great. Greater than DSLR’s in the past, and now even greater than film cameras. I have lived through an interesting time; back in the day, even the ability to shoot ISO 1600 on a full frame Canon 5D was amazing. I think when I started photography, when I was around 18 years old, the technology actually did matter a lot. Digital cameras back then were actually quite poor; now, for the most part, all digital cameras are great.

No more Leica

I still have my film Leica MP camera at home, mostly for sentimental reasons. However, moving forward, I find no more interest in Leica cameras; the big upside back in the day of using a Leica M digital rangefinder was that for the size, it was awesome. Now, Ricoh is the new Leica — The Ricoh is 100 times smaller, more compact, and actually fits in your front pocket. The design is better; and the images look phenomenal. I actually think that the Ricoh GR 3X is sharper than any photo I’ve seen on any Leica digital camera; any Leica M digital camera with a Summicron, Summilux, or APO lens, or any Leica Q series camera, which I still consider a LUMIX camera.

Isn’t this great? A digital camera that you could buy, lens included, for only $999, which is 100 times superior to a camera that cost you at least $15,000, lens included?

RAW is the enemy

Another thing that I have personally discovered; raw is the enemy to creativity and photographic productivity. Why? The big issue of raw is that it adds too much creative friction to our photography and life. I know personally speaking, more megapixels, more problems. This is my mind on raw;

Oh man, if I shoot a lot of photos of this thing, it is going to be such a pain in the ass having to import all these photos, wait for Lightroom to render them, post process them, export them, back them up, etc.

JPEG is far superior. Why? Consider; all of these camera companies spend millions of dollars on research and development on their cameras, and the JPEG‘s they produce are optimized for the camera. This means, most likely, the black-and-white and color rendition you’ll get from your photos in JPEG in-camera is probably superior to the photos you could get from post processing your own RAW photos.

Why the preference for RAW?

Being knee-deep in the photo industry, this is what I have discovered; the reason why there is such a bias for raw is mostly an industrial one; back in the day, in the early days of digital photography, RAW was indeed the superior option, because back then, digital could not render beautiful images. Now it can. However, the old-school photographers who started with raw have stuck with it, instead of embracing new technology in an intelligent way.

Also, there are lots of people out there who sell their own patented RAW presets, and teach their post processing techniques. This is a lucrative one. Also, consider how Adobe wants to continue getting more photographers hooked on Lightroom, in order to “edit” their photos better. currently, Adobe Lightroom is the only really good software to process raw photos, and therefore, Adobe will soft promote shooting raw, in order for photographers to think that they need their software and services.

RAW is an elitism thing

Also, an elitism thing. A lot of photographers desire to feel superior, with a knowledge that they themselves are superior and technological wisdom, because they know how to shoot raw, and the advantages of shooting raw. However, the real practitioners shoot and prefer JPEG. Apparently even nowadays, Steve McCurry only shoots with a Nikon DSLR digital camera, in P program mode, in JPEG.

Even the most intelligent wedding and commercial photographer would shoot JPEG to expedite their workflow, and getting their photos to their clients as fast as humanly possible. I remember being shocked how when I was an undergraduate student at UCLA, one of my old coworkers, Gavin Holt, who was a very successful wedding photographer in Los Angeles, taught me how he only shot JPEG, and would use in-camera white balance for his flash photography, in order to save time. A lot of less experienced photographers think to themselves: I’ll just shoot in raw, and fix the photos later. But the huge downside of this is that it slows down your workflow.

Extra small JPEG

Make your photos as simple as possible, but not simpler. (Occam’s razor for photography)

What is the smallest minimum viable size for photos? I think about 2000 pixels wide. Beyond this, you don’t really need any additional megapixels, resolution or size. Even if you need to blow up a photo super super big, there are lots of advanced up resolution image algorithm softwares which allow this.

How will shooting extra small JPEG benefit you? One: you will shoot more, and think less. Also, in order to make a good photo, while you are clicking the shutter, you explore composition, and understand the scene better. This means:

You discover the ideal photo as you’re shooting it.

Anything that allows you to shoot more, and think less is good. Also, the upside of using autofocus, and P program mode.

Some lifestyle things

1. Coffee grinder: yeah yeah yeah we know all the virtues of using a manual grinder, and all this hipster nonsense. I say, better to be the brutal industrialist and prefer that which is more brutal, let us say using an automated mechanical machine grinder for coffee.
2. Having some routine is good: A life which is 100% automated is not a life worth living. However, having to wake up without any routine is bad. I say, having some routine is good. For example, waking up, taking a cold shower, and making lots of espresso‘s until you feel fully caffeinated. Also, just wearing the same outfit every single day. All black everything. Black merino wool shirt (Outlier.nyc), black shorts.

My current photo workflow

I am always seeking forever better, in terms of a more optimal photography workflow. This is what I have thus far:

1. RICOH GR IIIX, extra small JPEG, high contrast black and white.
2. Import photos via USB-C SD card reader into my iPad Pro (USB-C port).
3. Use Apple photos to favorite my photos, then upload my favorite photos to my WordPress media library for my blog.

Just blog it.

One of the greatest things I think about blogging is that when in doubt, just blog it. Sometimes you have files, images, and stuff you’re not quite sure what to do. Just post it to your blog.

The easiest way to get started is just make an account from wordpress.com. And you could blog directly from your iPhone, or android phone.

The better option is making your own website blog via bluehost.com, and installing WordPress.org

Google logins

I think a lot of people are naïvely anti-Google. I love Google. Especially the ability to login to services, or sign into new services, or register with new websites or services or apps just using my Google account.

For example arsbeta.com — my friend Kevin programmed it and built it, that to sign up for it, all you needed was a Google account. Why? No no no, not to “steal“ your information; rather, the Google cloud engine it is built with plays well. Building the website, and service platform with Google cloud backend, the system to allow photo uploads, and storage of comments and reviews of photos and critiques, using a Google database.

Make it easier for your end user

If anything, I think more developers just use Google to build things. For example, even though Gmail is not perfect, it’s still seems like the best email service for companies to use. Also, Google docs is 1 trillion times better than Microsoft Word. Also, Google sheets are great; 1 billion times better than Microsoft excel. Google slides is also great. Google calendar is also great.

Why the Apple App Store is so successful

This is the funny irony; a lot of app developers complain how Apple takes too much commissions. However, if Apple did not exist, there would be no app ecosystem to build on in the first place.

For example, my huge gratitude to PayPal. Ever since I started teaching workshops, in around 2010, I use the PayPal buy it now platform to process payments. I have zero problem with the 2.9% commission fee that PayPal charges; if it wasn’t for PayPal, I wouldn’t even be able to make online and Internet payments in the first place.

Car stuff

Another thought: if you’re stuck in the suburbs, or in an environment which makes you car dependent, have the car which allows you maximum freedom.

For example, as much as I love Elon Musk and Tesla, and the ethos of electric cars, if you desire maximal personal freedom, an electric car isn’t the way. Better to have a plug-in hybrid vehicle instead. Like the Lexus NX plugin hybrid, which gives you the best of both worlds: the convenience of gas, and the privilege of being able to use those electric car only charging parking spots.

For example, the last few weeks Cindy and I were housesitting for a friend in a house that did not have an electric charging port. In having to drive back home, it was so so so so so so so so much more convenient be able to just drive to the local gas station, and fill up on gas and drive back home, instead of the stress of having to find an electric supercharger close by, having to wait, before driving home.

Even having to wait 15 minutes is too long, especially when you got a kid. Filling up your tank might only take a minute.

Workout

If you really want to workout with zero friction, just buy a heavy kettlebell. Either 70 pounds, or 105 pounds. That there is zero friction; no need to go to a gym. You could literally just walk up to your kettle bell, swing it a few times, and get on with your day. The whole process will take you less than 30 seconds.

Even currently on my personal wishlist is a 200 pound kettlebell. If I just owned two of them (400 pounds in total), I would probably be set for a very long time.

Writing

Probably the biggest game changer I’ve discovered is just writing things by using my voice. There is far less friction to voice dictate something, than to write it out. I love using my iPad Pro, walking around, and standing upright in my front lawn or driveway, looking into the distance and being able to voice dictate my thoughts. This whole thing was voice dictated. I just use the built-in Apple voice dictation ability, on the bottom of the keyboard, which is phenomenal.

If anything, more writers who have writers block should just voice dictate stuff. The reason why a lot of people don’t use voice dictation I think it’s because people just don’t know it exists, and they don’t know how accurate it is. It works phenomenally great on iPhone and iPad!

What is the end?

Ultimately, the purpose isn’t to reduce friction for the sake of reducing friction. The ultimate goal is to reduce friction when it is undesirable, and to increase friction when it is desirable.

ERIC

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Seek the good friction

What is good friction? Travel and adventure. Why? This type of friction brings out your inner hero.

ERIC KIM ADVENTURES:

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA 2022

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Great thoughts

One thought is to seek to live the maximally great life, and the least lame life. what is lame? Owning a car. Owning a home. What is great? Deadlifting over 500 pounds and squatting over 400 pounds, and benching over 315 pounds. This is my new modus operandi:

Will it help me deadlift or squat more, or not?

If not, ignore.

Great films

1. 2001 Space Odyssey
2. Seven samurai
3. The Matrix
4. 300
5. John Wick

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If this sparked any interesting ideas within you, feel free to forward to a friend!

ERIC KIM NEWS

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Become less “respectful” for the preferences and desires of others.

EK LIFE PHOTO STREAM

Make your photos as simple as possible, but not simpler.

We are often told and taught that it is bad to be particular and choosy or picky. However, perhaps this is the best thing.

The upside of payment methods like PayPal, Apple Pay, Venmo, etc. is that it reduces friction for payment. For example, how seamless it is to order stuff on Amazon, as Amazon is now a very safe and trusted platform, which saves and stores all of your shipping and payment information.

A further thought when it comes to reducing friction in your life:

1. Less friction in your photography: Ricoh GR 3 or Ricoh GR 3X in your front right pocket. Always ready to make photos. No friction to take your camera out, you don’t think about it, and that your camera becomes an embedded an integrated part of your mind, body and soul.
2. Less friction for fitness: always wear the same outfit to the gym, and figure it once you get to the gym. Make it easy and seamless as possible to either walk or drive to the gym, and figure out your workout once you get there.
3. Seamless payment structure: figure out the simplest, most seamless way for customers to purchase things from your website. Accept Apple Pay, PayPal, or other forms of payment which make it very easy for people to pay.

If there is something that annoys you a lot, enough, just do something about it. Either, figure out whether money could solve the issue, or whether action can.

Or in other words be very wary of and don’t accept free things. Let alone “free” services!

Better upfront cost than hidden backdoor cost.

For example house sitting for a friend — keeping it clean, hidden things that break, garden infestations that have to be dealt with, etc. And cleaning it again once you leave.

Even getting a free car — having to keep it clean, maintain it, change the oil, shovel out the snow and get rid of ice in winter, etc.

Reveals the true preferences of people.

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Turbo legs and thighs over cars!

Color is too obvious, easy to decipher for the viewer:

When I’m not physically around them.

Just make sure you’re wearing something that you yourself feel good in.

Or another words, care less about your clothes.

Stick to the same approach and technique if it works fine for you!

For example conventional deadlift held me back, so I switched to sumo and mixed grip with chalk and it works well! Got me at least to 475 pounds. I should stick with it, instead of switching the bar (trap bar).

Only change it if there’s a super compelling reason to do so.

Assuming our purpose or telos to life is photography, then begs the question —

How can we become the most sublime photo machine of all time?

Some thoughts:

The most powerful, muscular body for photography

The naïve understanding we have for photography and art is that as long as one has a “spirited soul“, one can become a great photographer. I disagree. One cannot become a truly great artist or photographer without having great muscles, or without a great body.

For example, even Pablo Picasso, in his later years, you could see how great shape he was in, topless at the beach with his young wife.

Even the bodybuilder Kai, apparently he started a comic book series— I would only trust a comic book series with a highly muscular and powerful superhero, who has a physically formidable author.

Even the John Wick series: the reason why I trust it is that the Director Chad S — he himself is in great shape.

Study the artist, not the art

We also have a naïve understanding that somehow, we can separate the artist from his/her artwork. This is not possible. It is like trying to study the appearance of a child without first looking at the mother or father.

I say if you want to improve the condition of your photos, first improve your own personal physiology.

Don’t buy that new camera or lens

Instead, just buy a very heavy kettlebell. 70 pounds, 105 pounds, 200 pounds, etc.

Or just get a good gym membership somewhere close by and convenient.

Focus on strengthening your legs

I have a simple thought: if you deadlift over 500 pounds, or squat over 400 pounds, how can this not benefit your photography? As photographers, our Archimedes lever is our legs and our feet.

Consider, the stronger your legs are, the further you could walk, with less fatigue. Also, the greater ability you’ll have to squat down low to the ground to get better angles for your photos, or even sprint quickly to catch the photo opportunity.

Practice

Maybe it is a good idea to think about our photography like breathing. Or drinking coffee. Does a day go by in which you don’t breathe, or drink coffee? I think not.

Every time you click the shutter, you are practicing making a photo.

Pratikos in Ancient Greek — to do, to cross, to go over.

What is the end goal of our photography? To simply keep doing it. Mastery is a fluid and flux process, in which the end of your progress is your personal death.

One of the things I find very sad about athletes is when they have to retire. Either by choice, or without. For example, I don’t think people actually know that Michael Jordan is still alive. How sad it must be to just watch rising stars on the sidelines.

Note any actor, athlete, artist or individual as happy, as long as he or she is still practicing.

So the question about your photography:

Are you in practice, or out of practice?

The goal is to stay in practice, until you die.

Visual stimuli

At the end of the day, assuming that all you owned was a pair of shorts, and your camera, what is the use of all of your time and money? Simply to expose yourself to certain environments which are maximal conducive to finding inspiration and motivation to make new photos.

For example, if you desire to use your money to make new photos, use that money towards travel. It doesn’t need to be far, or expensive. You could spend your money on gas, charging your electric vehicle, or going on a flight. For accommodations, you could just do a day trip, or spend money at a cheap hotel or Airbnb.

This is also the funny thing: I’ve actually discovered that the most picturesque places are the worst place to go to make photos. For example, when I was in college it was my dream to backpack through Europe, and shoot street photography in Paris. However ironically enough, I found Paris as the least inspiring place to shoot street photography. Much more interesting to shoot street photography in Marseille than in Paris. Lesson —

The grittier the place is, and the less “fancy”, the better it is for photography.

Or another words, better to shoot street photography in Hanoi than in Singapore.

Also the upside—

If you want to maximize your photography potential, go to cheaper places.

Berlin, Prague, Saigon.

Insanely simple

RICOH GR IIIX, High contrast black-and-white, extra small JPEG. Use Apple photos to review and flag your photos, and upload them to your own personal website blog.

Our concern isn’t too much the photo itself, but the process of being infinitely inspired to make more new photos.

Or in other words, making perfect photos or even “good” photos isn’t the goal. Rather, it is to just always be shooting, and reviewing your photos, and delight in this “eternal return” in your photography.

ERIC

VENTURE ON!

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Food for thought

1. Twilight of the Idols by Nietzsche
2. The Odes of Anacreon
3. Lightning Network

MOAR

EK BLOG

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“ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS” (Art [will last a] long time, life is short) – Seneca

Perhaps BITCOIN & the Lightning Network may be the future for crypto payments (BitPay).

Maybe I prefer the notion of fungible photos over non-fungible photos (NFT).

The most complete and fully-formed photographer possible!