Month: August 2022

For adapters, I prefer to just have the Apple thing.

Everybody in Cambodia uses telegram. Also, because telegram is privately owned and held, they have more power and control.

Or nowadays, Vietnam.

Being economical is boring. Pure performance or nothing.

Also, when you attempt a one-rep max of the gym where either deadlift or squat, it is a bit of a show and performance. Far more entertaining than just turning out reps (repetitions).

Go big or stay home:

Each side— 100kg+5kg (105kg) *2=(210kg). Bar is 25kg. Total 235KG (518 pounds) deadlift.

Either yea or no. With deadlift it’s a binary:

You can either lift it off the ground or not.

Love or hate. Either man or woman. Gay or straight. Either passionate or not.

Perhaps more bodybuilders should use this technique

To me, the only act of real courage is physical courage. The type of courage in the gym for attempting a new one rep max.

Also perhaps in hand to hand combat. Not with guns. This is where I am more about the Spartan 300 than puny John Wick; guns are democratizing, because even a skinny fat loser can kill you with a gun. Even the world gun champion looks very obese.

Even if you’re were the richest person on earth, nobody wants to live in a polluted city. This is why all of the very rich mainland Chinese love to go to Vancouver; for the fresh air, and nature.

And this is the great tragedy of China; they produce much of their wealth through production, via coal and polluting means. Yet after they establish their riches, they still gotta live somewhere.

The same is happening in Vietnam. The pollution in Hanoi can often be unbearable.

Maybe this is why everyone wants to live in California; even though the emission laws are annoying, it looks like California has been able to curb their pollution.

Also, this is why Tesla and electric cars are such a good future investment; once we could really use solar power, they will lessen the world emissions.

If things are already 90% optimal, just stick with it.

The reason why I am so addicted to deadlifts; during one rep max attempt, whether successes our failures, I go blank for about half a second. The ultimate out of body experience.

The downside of competition; we must abide by the “rules” of the competition. Rules, conventions, and what is standard and proper hold us back.

For example, the only reason I don’t see more people using a trap bar for deadlift is because of powerlifting competitions. I believe if strong guys would just use the trap bar, or hex bar, men would be able to deadlift a lot more.

Also, competition encourages cheating. It encourages people to start using strange hormones, and drugs, in order to enhance performance. This is bad.

What is the successful “we lifting anyways? To me, simply muscular activation, increased blood flow, and hype.

“Question religion, question it all“ – JAY Z

Become a heretic. Just like Jay Z.

Also, perhaps this is how the ethos of mainland Chinese so interesting to me; their culture is carte blanche, and they do not follow typical societal rules or traditions. This is why everyone seems to despise them; they don’t follow normal orders of “properness“.

Cheating, lying, copying. These are all considered sins or vices in American culture. Yet, the Chinese will do anything to win; quite smart.

No more religion, or Confucianism holding the Chinese back.

Also unlike Americans, the Chinese do not complain. They just do.

Also, luxury is not considered a vice. Note in America, the west, and in the UK, they don’t call it luxury, they call it “fancy”. Even the word “luxury” is seen with distaste.

Yet, the Chinese indulge in luxury without any remorse; also what is interesting is that it is generally accepted that one only buys luxury goods if you can afford it. Compare this to the fake rich people of America, who overstretch their budget to buy luxury goods.

Maybe perhaps in the long run, China will indeed become the dominant power force on the planet.

With weightlifting, just use a neutral grip. Neutral grip for chin ups, deadlift (use a hex bar, or trap bar). For bench press, use dumbbells with a neutral grip. Also with push-ups, using push-up bars allows for a neutral grip for push-ups.

Design, and product design should look more at natural human anatomy.

My no stress approach to powerlifting.

After the departure of Jony Ive, Apple products and colors have becoming incredibly lame. Perhaps the second coming back of Jony Ive will be akin to the second coming of Steve Jobs.

Apple and the Board of Directors should give Jony equal power to Tim Cook. This seems to be the only way to ensure the future of Apple.

How so? The best gym (Monkifit), the best city, the most hospitable people, also the most zen for a major city.

Also, the best weather. Nice and bright, not that hot or humid.

RAW LIVING

RAW LIFESTYLE

No superfluous straps or accessories when lifting weights. No superfluous accessories. no AirPods. No headphones. No music, no podcast, no distractions.

Reduced, raw.

Raw text, plain text.

Similarly speaking, walk more to photograph more.

Also, IA WRITER is the goat! The killer app for macOS, iPad, and iPhone. The reason why you should never ever buy a Samsung, android, or Google pixel device ever again.

The ideal hyper car has no air conditioning, no power steering, no radio, no screens. No distractions.

Also, the seat has no reclining option, is reduced and raw to just a carbon fiber hard seat. No comfort.

Think McLaren senna. Not road legal.

No need to be rational, make sense, abide by any rules or heuristics.

Each and every moment is unique and different. Each and every new day is different.

Also, driven by personal desire!

Street photography to maximize your photo productivity.

Unhurried. Slow. Not productive. Two phones. No case. Doesn’t even see productivity as a goal.

Perhaps it is because labor here is so much cheaper, and custodial staff are more industrious here. The bathrooms are 1 trillion times cleaner than any American bathroom.

Also in Asia, no labor shortages.

Ultimately, I believe what drives consumerism and to some extent capitalism is the desire for uniqueness. For example with fashion, we strive to get that one outfit which sets us apart, that nobody else has. The same goes with cars, devices, watches and things.

However at a certain point, we all have the same stuff. For example, we all have an iPhone, we all have an iPad, we all have a MacBook laptop. With cars, we all have the same cars too.

With photography, and art, we all strive for distinction. Yet, maybe it is fine that we all use the same camera equipment, and also when it comes to our aesthetic style, maybe it isn’t a big deal that we are super same or different. Perhaps what matters most is whether we just are having fun or not.

Being here in Phnom Penh, the price points for H&M products are actually affordable and in reach for local, up-and-coming middle-class Cambodians.

Why are people so anti-fast fashion? My theory: it is an elitism thing. People don’t like the idea that anyone and everyone can look cool, with cool styles.

For example, Zara is often critiqued for “stealing” the newest styles. However, all of the clothes I bought a Zara, either brand new or secondhand have lasted until now!

Clothes don’t fall apart anymore

Whoever says that the “quality“ of H&M, Zara, and other products isn’t good is misguided. What do you really mean? The clothes don’t fall apart. They last forever.

The only critique should be that people get easily bored of their old clothes, old fashion, and purchase new clothes to follow the new trends. And this happens anywhere and everywhere, irrespective of how fast or “slow” the fashion is.

And nobody throws away their clothes; rather, for most Americans, the clothes keep piling up in their closets, with no end.

Therefore, the only big problem can be a production thing; producing new clothes causes environmental damage. This should be the focus of “sustainable“ fashion.

For example, stainless steel components, titanium, YKK zippers, etc. Brass.

The beautiful brass components in haptic industries products.

The problem with America is that it is too old. Too many old people, far outweigh the number of young people. Also, intelligent and rich people are no longer having children anymore. They would prefer to have dogs instead and to live out their “individualistic“ lives.

Also, if you look at all the infrastructure of America it is far too old. The same goes with Japan. I suppose one of the benefits of being here in Southeast Asia, like in Phnom Penh, or Vietnam is that because the population is so young, greater innovation, and infrastructure being built carte blanche.

One of the hardest things is to stay productive, while having a kid. Especially, a young kid.

Some thoughts:

First of all, Siri voice dictation and commands. Practice saying “Hey Siri”— “take a note”, etc.

Also, use an iPhone mini or an iPhone SE. When you got a kid, you will never have both hands free. Therefore, a phone you can comfortably use with one hand in the future.

Also, set up your iPhone keyboard in the one-handed mode.

Sleep when your kid sleeps

The best piece of advice I got is this: sleep when your kids sleep. Sleep when your kid goes to sleep in the evening, and also nap when your kid naps. The number one key to productivity is sleep.

The worst thing to do is try to be “productive“ when your kid is sleeping or napping. Do not be a fool. Sleep more, become more productive.

Innovate your work

Nowadays, I never touch my laptop. All the work I either do it on my phone or my iPad.

Ironically enough, one of the greatest things of having a kid is that it forces you to be more clever and innovative with your work approaches, out of pure necessity. For example, I discovered using voice dictation instead of typing— both on my phone, and the iPad, and it works insanely well.

Filter your priorities

Also one of the greatest benefits of having a kid is that because your time and physiological energy becomes sol limited, it becomes a natural filter. For example, a natural filter of your relationships, and what you do. Once you become a parent, the wisest thing to do is to renounce many things. To leave many things undone.

Therefore, with productivity, it isn’t to do more, it is to ruthlessly prune and cut out all the superfluous things in your life, and instead, to channel all of your energy into things which really really really really matter to you.

Like Jay said, you gotta keep it moving. Both physically and metaphorically.

For example, my great joy of innovating this notion of blogging while walking, just using Siri voice dictate.

Also, how does one stay productive while having a young kid? Simple: just walk around with your kid in the ergo baby carrier, keep moving. You could shoot photos this way too!

Cool to see Brad Pitt in the new bullet train movie, yet, he looks really really old. Not in a good way.

Funny enough, even Tom Cruise looks younger. Granted that Tom Cruise probably has more things injected into his face.

Just try to make the sequel really really good. Attempt to make it better than the original.

The richer one becomes, the fatter one becomes.

Vertical screens and tvs?

The #1 screen to optimize for now is an iPhone or smartphone screen.

Insanely strong legs?