LUMIX G9 x Dynamic High Contrast Monochrome grainy JPEG:

For example the joy of just going to ALDI and knowing… there is just *ONE* type of spicy mustard to get… instead of the stress and headache and ‘paralysis by analysis’ when going to Whole Foods, etc.

Also, the joy of getting 100% grass-fed ground beef at ALDI and know that you’re getting a ‘fair’ (bottom) price. You don’t gotta think twice before buying it!

For example, if you just cook up burger patties, how many pounds of meat, pounds of burger patties can you eat, consuming it with nothing else but spicy mustard?

Curiosity–

What is the world record for a hamburger (only the meat) eating contest?

First, the optimism for new gyms, new gym equipment, new modes of weight lifting, and new PR [personal record] attempts!

Second, optimism for technology. If you wait long enough, all this new technology will always be way better!

Also more meat!

Maybe me being pissed off, or annoyed, is a good positive motivator.

For example, I am much more efficient and save much more time when working out in a small gym when compared to a big gym.

Strong versus weak curiosity.

That which you are strongly curious about, insanely curious about, pursue it. When it comes to weak curiosity, don’t pursue it

. Barbell your curiosity.

by saving time, you’re saving life! Also, you can just do more and achieve more in a single given day or and in life.

Specifically, my record is six plates in a 2.5 on each side.

Besides trying to be macho, and just doing what everyone else is doing, is there really a good reason to do a bench press or floor bench press?

The first thought is it is just a fun thing to do is to kill time when you have already done a one rep max rack pull or atlas lift the other day.

Also assuming that you do a crazy arch, I think it is a good thing to strengthen your spine and flexibility, and also your leg Drive. Therefore for the sake of strengthening your back and your spine, and making yourself more flexible, in your back, and your arch, I think it is worth it!

Especially with gyms and gym equipment.

Perhaps this is the seed of innovation.

When should you switch up the facility? When you really truly have hit a hard cap. Like maxing out the bar.

Vlog

Lasting Long

I was randomly playing some songs from Jay Z‘s album 4:44 in my head today, and some thoughts:

Will this song, and this album last, or not?

Probably not. Why?

Jay Z‘s 444 album was kind of a strange album, part apology album for Jay Z continually cheating on Beyoncé, and also, I think Jay Z just wanted to put out an album for the sake of putting out an album, maybe in order to make money, etc.

Why last?

Nietzsche once said that durability was one of the highest human goods, or things on planet earth. Durability.

Merino wool?

I used to be a huge proponent of merino, especially for traveling, living in hot and humid climates like living in Vietnam, Cambodia, etc. I still think that merino wool is phenomenal, for example the outlier.nyc merino wool tshirt was insanely great (the ramie, ramielust t shirt is interesting to me for travel this summer to Korea and Vietnam). However, this is by far the biggest issue of merino wool:

It just doesn’t last.

For example, I have at least three or four outlier.nyc merino wool T-shirts, which have essentially been torn to shreds, through over-wear and tear over the years. They are all just sitting in a drawer now.

This is a tricky thing, because, the thought:

Does durability matter, if, your goal is to have the most apex thing?

For example, let us say that you are traveling in the hot and humid climate for the summer, and you want the best possible T-shirt, or material to travel with. You can only bring one or two. Then certainly you will choose the best thing, which is 100% merino wool, in lieu of knowing that it may only last a year or two tops.

Maybe the same analogy with road bikes, or racing bicycles, let us assume that the chassis is 100% carbon fiber. If you are doing a race, and you need every last advantage, certainly having a chassis which is 100% carbon fiber is best, although it is more prone to breaking, and it will not last as long as an aluminum or steel chassis.

Having to replace things is just annoying

Are currently speaking, I have a conundrum; I love the record your digital cameras, however they keep breaking on me. For example, my Rico GR 3X, which I might have only bought a year or two ago, has already went kaput, it doesn’t even charge or turn on anymore.

Or, my previous Ricoh GRIII, which has this perpetual lens error issue.

I contacted Ricoh to send me a new one, however, they just told me to repair it. To send it in, and pay around $340 to fix it. I can’t be fucked doing this.

Therefore, trying to think long, I was thinking:

What is a camera that I could purchase, which I know will be reliable, durable, and will last a very long time, and also is very compact, which won’t break on me?

Retractable lenses are bad

First note from a design perspective; cameras which have retractable lenses, seem like a good idea because it makes the camera more compact and slim, but are horrible because it leads to more parts which will lead to breaking.

Thus, the best camera in the best lens is a lens which is non-retractable. This means all Ricoh GR cameras are out.

Leica camera is interesting, because at least, their cameras either have fixed lenses, like on their Leica Q series cameras, or, interchangeable lenses, like on their Leica M cameras.

However a big downside of this is that the cameras are insanely big and bulky. Don’t be fooled, the Leica M digital rangefinder camera is still a very big and bulky camera, not that much lighter than turning around a DSLR camera.

From a design perspective, the Leica Q camera is very cool, I reviewed the Leica Q2 a few years ago and I liked it, but the big issue with the Leica Q camera:

I can’t stop help thinking that it is just a really expensive Panasonic Lumix camera.

Also, the big issue with the Leica Q camera is that it is also like having a very very expensive iPhone. Why? Can you imagine as if you spent $6000 on a iPhone 6s, do you imagine that you’ll still be using it today?

Likewise, even if you have the newest Leica camera, Leica Q2 camera, I think the longevity on it will be quite poor.

Also, I am sure there is already a Leica Q3 in the works — just hold out.

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Just buy what is newest?

From a longevity perspective, it seems that a good strategy is to just buy what is the newest. That is, which was released in the current year.

For example, as I voice dictate these words on my iPad Pro M1 chip, only buy a new digital camera which has been released in the year 2023, or within the last few months.

Also the same thing goes with devices, smartphones, iPhones, etc.

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Cars

For example, the good thing of lagging behind, and being a late adopter is many-fold:

For example, let us say that you were an unfortunate purchaser of an early model Tesla model S, or Tesla model 3. Very quickly, your car got outdated. For example, to my understanding the touchscreens of the older Tesla model S cars are very slow, unresponsive and laggy. Or, to my understanding the brand new Tesla model 3 has a different type of battery, battery architecture from the older Tessa model 3 with the chrome trimmings.

Or, now that the all black everything aesthetic is becoming more mainstream, even the misfortune of owning an older Tesla car, with chrome trim instead of just simple black trim.

The difficult and tricky thing with purchasing a new car, electric car, or a Tesla car is this:

The battery technology in cars and electric cars is evolving so quickly, it seems on wise to actually purchased or on a brand new electric car, because within a year or two, or two or three years, it will probably already get outdated.

Or let us consider how everyone is excited and waiting for the cybertruck to come out. Once the cyber truck comes out, everyone will want to get rid of their Tesla model three cars, their Tesla model Y cars, they’re a Tesla model X cars, and their Tesla model S cars.

Or, when the Tesla roadster finally comes out, everyone will want to get rid of their Tesla model S plaid cars.

iPhone Pro?

The reason why it seems wise to always delay and lag in regards to buying a new phone or iPhone is this:

There will always be a new new iPhone.

For example, it seems that the iPhone 11 Pro, 12 Pro, 13 Pro, and 14 Pro has evolved very quickly. As I write these words, iPhone 14 Pro is already dated. I’m sure that the iPhone 15 Pro is already in the works.

As a consequence, imagine that you bought an iPhone 14 pro just a few months ago, imagine your extreme dismay and frustration when the new iPhone 15 pro comes out.

So in regards to phones, or iPhones, what is the best strategy?

What I have personally discovered is just buy the cheapest, newest iPhone. Currently speaking that is the iPhone SE. Even though I don’t really like it that much, at least it is cheap, and the processor is actually quite new, and I don’t feel like I am married to it.

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Invest in the new

It seems that the best strategy is to just buy what is new, newest. Why?

First of all, technology moves so quickly. By buying or investing in what is new, typically speaking there is a higher likelihood of longevity. Even buying a technological thing, whether phone, tablet, laptop, car, electric car, Tesla, digital camera etc … even something first released 1 year ago, or 2 years ago is too old.

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How to have you last?

In regards to “dedication”, what does this really mean?

Check out the specs page:

It seems in life, ultimately when it comes down to it, the question you must ask yourself is this; how bad or how badly do you want it?

For the new Leica M11 Monochrom, some design critiques:

1. Leica should have went all in, and also blacked or grayed out the function text, up down left right arrows on the back.
2. Leica should get rid of that random top right button, I think which is for video. My thought is that the Leica M rangefinder camera is not for video, only still photos.
3. Similarly speaking, Leica should get rid of that random “thumbs up” design in the top right back corner, with that dial knob.
4. It should become as clean, pure, and flush as possible.

First, no viewfinder whether electronic viewfinder or analogue viewfinder. Only LCD back, like a point and shoot.

Second, no annoying branding or logos.

Third, minimal hand grip.

Forth, a bias towards photography, not video.

The Uber human

Digital nomad manual

Don’t compromise.

Simply refuel on the go?

Perhaps the ideal some sort of rapid charging thing at your home, so you could always just charge your car overnight.

If I could design a diet, a workout plan, an ideal gym, for Elon Musk or Kanye West, what would it look like?

First, the ideal gym. For high profile billionaire entrepreneurs, it doesn’t really have to do with aesthetics, but rather, designing a type of workout and weightlifting concept that helps maximize their entrepreneurship activities. This means, disregard for chest pressing exercises, or overhead or shoulder pressing exercises.

I say one rep max rack pull, atlas lift, farmers carries. The only exercises which are interesting involves picking things up, or holding things on your shoulder.

For diet, intermittent fasting, no breakfast no lunch, only one massive dinner before you sleep. Hundred percent carnivore diet, with the finest cuts of meat.

For coffee, the finest robusta beans, because it has a stronger caffeine content.

In praise of Elon Musk, the new believe in a great man.

I fancy myself like him.

Health for the sake of future conquest?

Theory; the only reason why sugar, starches, and sweet things are bad is that it causes your body metabolic damage, and causes your body to over store fat, adipose tissue.

Then, adipose fat tissue is simply a sign of unhealth?

Typically we think of fat, adipose tissue, being overfat is simply bad from aesthetics perspective. However, maybe the better thought is that when you see a person with too much fat, adipose tissue, it is simply a sign that they are unwell or unhealthy.

Therefore, what we desire to see is healthy humans, not necessarily people without fat?

Then it is time to just move on.

Or any boring car.

First of all, I think it has to deal with the issue of releasing the accelerator, and the car automatically braking. To me, this feels insanely weird and bizarre, and kills the enjoyment of driving for me.

Things I have yet done, which are on my chopping block include test driving a Tesla model three performance, and also a Tesla model S plaid.

Disable all notifications on your phone, including text messages.

Also, don’t drive listening to music or podcasts.

Also, I believe the best way to become a more focused driver is to drive a car with a manual transmission.

Looks cool!

Note the new Sony ZV cameras optimized for vlogging!

Sexy bodies— the goal.

The funny hilarity is that a lot of these guys, who are into bodybuilding and weightlifting typically think:

“If I have a massive chest, biceps, and shoulders, and a six pack, all of these sexy girls will flock to me.”

However, is this true? No.

What men want, and what women want?

Contrary to popular belief, women don’t really actually care for male physique that much. It seems that only men do.

For example, if you end up building a really big chest, biceps, shoulders, etc., you’re only really impressing other men, not women.

The fight club Brad Pitt aesthetic

Do you remember the infamous aesthetic of Brad Pitt in the movie fight club? Shredded, very visible abs, and relatively lean and muscular? It actually seems that women most value this aesthetic.

Where does this new modern day, steroid, Incredible Hulk, Orc aesthetic come from?

Certainly the Mr. Olympia, bodybuilding phenomenon, rope with steroids, testosterone injections, and all of this weird stuff.

For example, don’t trust ripple, XRP because their marketing material mentions that it is “green”?

And why not? My thought is when some thing or a company mentions that it is “green“, what they are really trying to say is …

“ Sure, we may not be the best, but at least we are green!”

Green is bad. Nobody cares for green. But we care for is money, power, glamour, and prestige. The reason you buy a Tesla car is not for the “green“, but because it is sexy.

Note Peter Thiel ZERO TO ONE book thoughts on “green” technologies.

The joy of having a portfolio which is 100% bitcoin; it will always be the highest, in terms of market cap.

The promise is not the current thing, but, the futurity, the promise of a future thing.

Once the cybertruck comes out, things will go bananas.

One interesting trend I am seeing in regards to marketing, marketing materials, images, etc. is this:

Companies produce marketing material, images, and things which purport a certain type of equity, diversity and inclusion, but however, do not actually target their ideal target demographic.

For example, it seems a little bit disingenuous or forced, when companies randomly seem to add “racial diversity“, or “gender diversity”, into their marketing images and materials.

What does EK think about it?

M11 MONOCHROM just came out — some thoughts:

“A symphony of light and shadow”— this is an insanely bizarre tagline. I have no idea what this means.

“Creating images with only light and shadow”— weak marketing material and language, not compelling.

Too verbose?

I have no idea who is currently the head of marketing at Leica Camera, especially in the PR department. This is really bad language: too verbose.

Don’t mention the CMOS?

The funny thing with us like a fanboys is that we have a higher regard for the old-school legendary CCD sensor over the CMOS sensor. The CMOS sensor has a bad rap, because it is the same type of sensor in the 5D Mark two camera and beyond. What like that camera should do is to try to distinguish themselves away from the crowd. So in this regard, they should actually not mention even the notion or the idea or the concept of “CMOS”.

Just make them keep scrolling?

One new bizarre trend I see in a lot of websites, especially for marketing materials is that you have to keep clicking around. I believe that the product page for the Leica monochrome should just be one massive scrolling page.

Who is the target demographic for the Leica M11 monochrome?

It seems,

Rich people in the UAE, Dubai, Saudi, the Middle East?

Who *should* be the target demographic for the M11 monochrom? My personal thought is that it should be for the rich “tech bros” of Silicon Valley. Or for the guys who collect and race Porsche 911, 911 GT3RS cars, etc.

OK OK – KANYE

My ideal car —

The chassis of the car lasts one million miles.

My ideal camera —

The camera can last me at least 10, 20, 30 years.

My ideal clothes

My wardrobe, clothing items can last me at least 10 or 20 years.

I think we humans don’t have a good aptitude for processing too much data or information. The upside of single column, single column design is we can better focus, and process things.

Strength for the sake of what?

BOSS THOUGHTS.

LiDAR x Polycam x iPad Pro:

The privilege to attempt more vlog

Having this website and blog since 2009-2010-2011 until now (2023)— around 11, 12, 13 years… what have I learned?

Podcast

1. Text lasts

Looking back at my old blog posts, even some from 2017, about five years ago, the text has remained, and to me, is still very relevant. However what ultimately breaks and gets messed up is the images. Why? As an attempt to curb the total number of files in my server, which has a hard cap of 1 million images, I have to delete all the images. As a consequence, I inadvertently delete old images images.

2. Photos which last?

I feel that every once in a while, it is a good idea to re-curate your images. That is, to review all of your old images in your portfolio, and curate, and re-curate them, and to publish and re-publish them.

The goal—

Striving to make photos which will last at least 300 years.

3. Devices which last

iPad Pro actually seems to have very good longevity. iPhone… not as much.

4. Music, musical albums which last?

YEEZUS — by Kanye West. I am still amazed by how good this longevity has been. Even when I talk to fellow Kanye West fans, this is the album that everyone quotes.

My theory —

When Jesus came out, it was so insanely confusing to so many people, it was so I had a good time. So maybe, if you want to creeping with work, you have to try to be stored in 10 minutes ahead of your time, and then maybe a decade or two later, everyone will catch up.

5. Videos last

Funny enough, even though in theory, videos, and video files seem like they are much more cumbersome, fat and bloated than photos and images, it seems that videos, at least on my blog, and website and in general have lasted far better. Even it is quite impressive for us to think about YouTube; the YouTube videos of the past have still remained! Even the really old 480p videos of the past!

6. Passion lasts?

My theory:

If you create things out of a spirit of passion, and you create them, simply because you care, then it is far more likely to last!

When I think of artwork, or, musical albums, songs, creations, books, etc… the question —

What lasts? What doesn’t?

It seems that the best strategy is assume that you will forget, and as a consequence, just don’t manipulate, change, or touch or do things, which may cause you to forget.

For example, after wearing the lululemon vital Drive half legging compression tights for so long, and then switching back to my old Uniqlo Heattech leggings, the Heattech leggings feel 1000 times a step backwards.

For example, I really love the new safari compact tab design on top. Much more sublime design.

What is the true privilege here? The true privilege is having the privilege to attempt more, not necessarily being entitled to more, but, having the privilege to simply attempt it.

Therapy, therapist just means “to talk”.

I don’t “need” anything, nor do I want anything?