In photography, I see that a lot of photographers often hide behind their viewfinders. The only bad thing you could do in photography is be a coward.

FAVORITE– which photos do you *favor*?

Murdered murdered out in black convertibles — JAY Z

Leave other people alone, but also — the expectation is that they also leave you alone!

Don’t intrude on their lives, but also stoutly refuse them to intrude on your life!

At the end of the day, perhaps it is photography which is my Archimedes lever. I am just so insanely good at it, it is intuitive to me, and also, I am endlessly fascinated by it.

A random musing on my mind when I was just randomly driving, what is this:

It isn’t more money, more wealth that we desire, but more power.

For example, whenever you see somebody in some sort of really big SUV, the sports edition, let’s say a BMW X6M, what they are trying to really do is assert their power and dominance. However, does driving a powerful car make you more powerful? It might make you feel more powerful, but does it make you more powerful? No.

I think I got it figured out; the reason why Americans love cars so much is because they are democratic. A car is like your external avatar, and you could assume any sort of avatar you desire, as long as you’re willing to spend the money on it, whether it be purchasing it in all cash, financing it, leasing it, renting it, etc.

For example, when you see people in some sort of high end muscle car, what is it that they desire to assert? Their manliness, their dominance, etc. However, a fun activity I like to do is whenever I see some people driving a high end sports car, I’m always curious to see who the driver is. Typically, I see them trending to be kind of younger men, trying to look hard. Or sometimes old fat dudes.

The reason why I think cars are so cowardly is because typically, even if you drive a really really loud sports car, a hyper car, a Lamborghini, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, some sort of high-end muscle car, it looks like the trend is that everyone tints their front windows so dark, almost to limo. Therefore you cannot even see who the driver is. And they also tend to drive with sunglasses on, and often a hat. So you really cannot determine their identity.

I asked my friend Don Dillon, whether we are more interested in the car or the driver, and he laughed and told me, “of course the car!”

Be hidden or be seen?

Thus the strange paradox:

We want to show off, be loud, assert ourselves and our ego and our dominance, yet, we want our identity to be anonymous? And we don’t want other people to look us directly into the eyes?

Murdered out Teslas?

Another trend I’ve seen a lot in Southern California is people buying black on black on black Teslas. It could be a “murdered out“ Tesla Model Y, 3, X, S, etc. also a new trend with the black license plate with a yellow lettering, and also the trend for people to apply a matte black wrap to their cars, making it look like some sort of stealth bomber.

The hilarity is whenever I see people step out of their Teslas. I’ve actually seen a lot of men with murdered our Tesla model Y’s, complete with the black license plate and yellow lettering, typically they tend to be skinny fat Asian American men, often with a baby or some kids. And also I think it was my friend Elsa Morgan who told me that in the bay area and in Silicon Valley, a Tesla model X is essentially a glorified minivan for men, who still want to feel masculine, without the stigma of driving a minivan.

My funny thought is better to just fully lean into it; if I buy a new car, it will just be a white Honda Odyssey.

Back to photo

Let’s take it back to photography. What is it that we desire in photography, and out of our photos?

The first I think is we want more power and potency in our photos. The photos we make is our artwork. And what is our artwork? Or artwork or almost like our children; they are some sort of external manifestation of ourselves.

Show me your photos, and I can see who you are.

The aesthetic of the photographer is often a reflection of themselves

For example, my aesthetic. I much love extremely high contrast, black-and-white photos, complete with a lot of grit and grit. Perhaps this is some sort of reflection of my own personal mentality of things.

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Some pragmatics:

A good response to people.

White is just cleaner.

The art work of a kid! Seneca at age 2, 3 months. Some remixed of my images.

The ideal shirt when in hot and humid climates?

Therapy — talking about what makes me angry only makes me angrier?

Also, bringing up stuff from the past — not good.

For a month, don’t talk about any other human being — whether good or bad. Exceptions include talking about yourself, your wife, your kid etc.

What is the real upside of optimizing? Did Achilles need to “optimize” his war equipment? No.

Heavy equipment … our muscles are strong enough for it!

Maybe even 90%? Hyper-trophy simply means “over-nutrition”.

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1. Yoga
2. Weight lifting one rep max style
3. Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
4. Exercise at least once a day, perhaps a good idea even twice a day.
5. Every day, cold shower, and hot sauna.
6. Stop taking pain killers, smoking weed, drinking alcohol.
7. 100% carnivore diet, preferably 100% organ meat diet if possible.

Cooking meat in a Shabu Shabu pot *AND* grilling even additional meat concurrently?

The stoic way:

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The real stoic way.

Being indoors … stuffy, trapped and claustrophobic?

Not to see your life and lifestyle as separate things, but instead, to concurrently stack them all on top of one another.

Just flex it:

Become the beast:

Understanding that life is all upside, no downside:

For example, once you got a kid, a wife, and you don’t really have an interest anymore in external women, then, what is the purpose in the point of augmenting your masculinity?

The first thought then is, what is the purpose of virtue, or augmenting or increasing or virtue? Virtue means man, virtu. Man, manliness, masculinity; all the same thing.

Toxon— bow. Originally, toxicon— poison applied to the tips of arrows?

What is interesting is that when it comes to toxic things, it is seen as university bad. However, there are some toxins in certain dosages which are actually stimulating and give us more power.

For example, coffee and tea, green tea. The caffeine in coffee and tea is a natural pesticide, a toxin to prevent predators from eating it. But this toxin and poison is actually stimulating to humans.

Keep increasing my one rep max.

Keep growing my skeletal muscles.

Keep becoming more powerful and masculine.

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Epic poetry — manly and masculine? The closest we got is rap music.

Thought —

Is there any truly manly and masculine poetry … that isn’t emo?

TURBO FLEX

For example the reason why I hate bench press so much … being dependent on a spotter! I only want to do certain lifts which don’t require me needing a spotter or someone helping me.

Any Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini (Lamborghini is a German car, as it is owned by Volkswagen), BMW, Mercedes, AMG, rolls Royce (owned by BMW) is for losers.

The greatest benefit in modern day times, living in America, etc., is the insanely great opportunity for innovation!

How does one indefinitely grow their muscles, size and mass? Very simple; just keep lifting heavier weights, keep increasing your one rep max, and every day strive to eat more meat!

Health is for the privilege and elite.

A lot of people use design, design objects, clothes, hats, sunglasses, facial hair to cover up their ugliness. What I propose instead is we should strive to become more naked.

Also, don’t wear sunglasses or a hat. And don’t tint your car. Especially the front windows! Don’t hide behind design.