Epic hiking is like something you do in a video game.
Transform your body: Let us assume that real life is like Diablo II — certainly you want to become like a Paladin, Barbarian, or Elden Ring, Assasin’s creed, HALO, etc — you want to become the most muscular, imposing, and heroic body. High muscle, physical strength, courage.
Technically all you can carry is what is in your inventory (your backpack).
LINK (the hero of Zelda) — doesn’t own a ‘car’. He has a horse. This seems to be a trend. Thus perhaps you should see your car less as a fashion accessory — but more like a tank or as a vehicle to go further distances in less time.
It seems the closest way to live real life like a video game is a nomadic life, traveling, etc.
The purpose isn’t to become the richest player in the game, but the most powerful, the strongest, the best PVP (player vs player) with the highest stats (for strength, vitality, abilities, etc) with all the best weapons (the best armor, the best attack weapons). Compare this to real life, in which the name of the game is to become the richest billionaire on planet earth.
Invest in things and items which are robust to time and money. White Tesla Model 3 (uber-base model, black interior, no options or enhanced autopilot) as robust to time.
The game changer, especially for getting beef, eggs, and other meat items.
You can access it, even if you just have a normal Costco membership.
Or get a Costco gift card as a “golden ticket†to entry. If you don’t have a Costco membership but have a friend or family member who does, ask them to buy you a Costco gift card, and you can use it to enter a Costco. And pay the remaining balance with cash or debit card.
Before working out, have as much of a dynamic warm-up as possible. Push-ups, bodyweight squats, Burpee‘s, pistol squats, dive bombers, One arm dive bombers, hip openers with kettlebell, kettlebell swings, Turkish get up, etc.
For shoulders and joints, chin ups, mixing up your grip. Also the broomstick stretch.
To advertise my upcoming new ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY CREATIVITY WORKSHOP, I wanted to share some quick thoughts with you on photography, art, and creativity:
1. Photography as the ‘Occam’s razor’ of artistic creativity
I like the notion of Occam’s razor (as simple as possible, nothing superfluous). Digital photography is this. What I mean is that with photography, you can most directly create art objects (your photos), with as little effort and mess as possible.
There is no other form of art which is as simple and direct as photography.
Even nowadays, I believe the RICOH GR IIIX as the supreme camera. And the upside of digital over film is that digital is 1000000x more cheap, convenient, and fast than film.
I feel that COVID-19 might have been the final nail in the coffin for film. Even though I love film, the aesthetics, the process, and the zen associated with it, film is now dead to me. Long live digital.
With RICOH GR IIIX, somehow they made the optics even more superior to Ricoh GR III. And I’ve actually discovered I actually really like the 40mm perspective. Now, I no longer think about the focal length — I just see, point and shoot.
2. Extra Small JPEG (high contrast black and white)
Assuming we create a ‘full stack’ digital photography solution, and assuming we won’t print our photos super big, then it seems that extra small JPEG (around 2000px wide) is ideal. Why? Even on a 13” MacBook Pro (or perhaps even the new 14”), your JPEG photos full-screen are big enough for your laptop wallpaper.
Also, the upside of extra small JPEG is that you can shoot more, more freely, with less risk. Why?
With extra small JPEG, you don’t need to think twice. It won’t take up much space, the photos will import super fast, and also upload super fast. In fact, shooting extra small jpeg on my RICOH GR IIIX has made my photographic workflow probably at least 10x as efficient even when compared to shooting ‘normal small’ JPEG.
Also, after extensive testing of the iPhone Pro, I’ve discovered the optimal is to just get the new iPhone SE (just use the iPhone as a phone), and optimize your photography with RICOH GR IIIX. As much as the new iPhone Pro seems to be the ultimate photo solution, it isn’t. In fact, I think that only lemmings will get the iPhone Pro. Even now when I observe people who have an iPhone Pro, they tend to be millennials (or zillenials, or gen-Z) Instagram-addicted folks who want to become ‘influencers’ or go to ‘festivals’, and simply want the best internet-connected camera/phone to flex their festival-centric lifestyle.
If your true goal is to focus on photography, just have a ‘standalone’ digital camera. RICOH GR IIIX.
3. New ways to share and publish your work
Something I learned from Cindy and her students is how well they use new technologies like Google Slides (it is like the new version of making a linkable website), Canva (the new ‘Photoshop killer’), Google Docs, etc to publish and share their artwork and ideas.
For example, you can easily make a photo book designed in Google Slides (export as PDF) or even using Apple Keynote to make a digital photo book.
Affinity Publisher is also a great solution for us when using our Mac (MacBook laptop) to publish digital works of art (beautiful e-books). I truly believe PDF is the future.
4. Retire Adobe products
I’ve been a hardcore Adobe Lightroom user ever since I was in college, but now, I just use Apple Photos (the default one baked into MacBook laptops, and also your iPhone/iPad). Why? Deeper integration. I love how Apple Photos easily syncs everything — the Adobe ‘Cloud’ is clunky.
For us photographers, assuming you just stick to JPEG, you can just cancel your Adobe Cloud service, and just stick to Apple Photos which is free. Of course you’re locked into the Apple Ecosystem, but we all already are anyways, so it isn’t a big deal. For me personally, I don’t pay for any subscription services (no Spotify, no Netflix, no Adobe cloud, etc) — only YouTube premium (for my family, so I don’t overhear annoying advertisements) and Dropbox Pro (and also pay for extra cloud storage for Google Drive and Apple iCloud). The fewer subscriptions you gotta pay, the better.
5. Use more of your money on experiences which will expose you to making new photos
Even beyond photo books— the best money you can invest in your photography is experiences. For example, use your money to travel (either domestically or internationally), use your money on hotels/airbnb, use your money for a cruise, or gas for a road trip.
In fact, I am becoming less price-sensitive when it comes to paying for AirBnb, or even Hotels, because I know in that kind of scenario, it will motivate me to make more new photos.
Some recent trips I did which I loved:
Socal to NorCal (Berkeley) road trip // stopped by Sacramento which I thought was actually very cool (Sacramento x Berkeley Road Trip 2022) also Morrow Bay
With Crypto, you don’t feel tied down, or tied to a bank or banking institution. More freedom to move your money, store it, or have the joy in speculation or seeing it go up (or down).
Typically, whenever I see Bitcoin go down, I see it as a ripe opportunity to acquire MORE Bitcoin. I like the notion of the 10+ Bitcoin club.
Any car that requires oil changes (hybrid, gas, automatic, manual transmission cars). Or you gotta figure out where to park it (even a Tesla) or pay insurance for (electric, all cars).
Leaning up against a counter top, putting one leg on top of a high chair/stool, and putting the laptop on top of one of your knees while typing and working on your laptop.
The upside of this (even when compared to a standing desk):
Much more dynamic movement in your body, joints, hands and keyboard/computer.
Your own moral code, your own inner code of ethics, your own personal conscience as the ultimate rule. This is far more robust than any legal system, which can be gamed. Or in other words:
There are things you can do legally (which conflict with your own inner code of ethics).
Avoid these types of ‘legal’ transactions.
Takeaway point:
If you can sleep at night, you’re doing the right thing.
I think other forms of greed is fine, but not greed for your stomach. This will lead to really bad indigestion, stomach pains, which is one of the worst type of pains.
Also, getting fat, and a myriad of other health issues and pains.
Even though you keep going to the same place, over and over again, it is always different. Why? Because things always change suddenly a little bit differently, and you also change.
For example, me and Cindy could keep going to the same restaurant over and over again, but it will always be different. Why? Because Seneca is always growing, and the interactions, and experience will always change.
Therefore, novelty seeking for the sake of novelty seems to be not a good use of time or effort.
Beef liver as one of the most unknown and underrated, cuts of organ meat, which is like a natural steroid and testosterone booster. Why? It is extremely high in cholesterol, which is a natural steroid.
Google how old school bodybuilders used to use liver. Also when predators like wolves kill their prey, the first thing they do is eat the heart, liver, organ meets, and they leave the rest of the lean flesh meats for the vultures.
Yesterday I went to all you can you eat Korean barbecue, and actually, the beef liver was the best. The most soft, tasted like pate, and felt the most nutritious. Also the softest. I rate it at least 100 times better than brisket.
Same goes with “calisthenics†guys/girls, CrossFit folks, or anyone who uses their physical strength or physical image to make a living, or their pride. Why? Personal incentive to “cheat†by using steroids, artificial growth hormones, “natural†growth hormones, testosterone or other strange things to enhance themselves.
I think we humans have an interest in faces, and when we cannot see the face, we become *MORE* intrigued. Thus why we are so interested in the ‘man behind the mask’, or even by people with sunglasses — not being able to see their whole face. Also the new ‘ski mask’ fashion trend (Maison Margeila mask).
John Wick — fresh new story. Batman; we keep recycling the same old story, and just re-articulate it. John Wick is more interesting and fun, because it is totally a ‘carte blanche’ story, so more opportunities for innovation in the story line. I actually *like* the sequels, as it builds upon a totally new storyline and universe, and *builds upon* this brand new John Wick universe.
Also, John Wick is more ‘realistic’ in some sense. Blood-thirsty revenge, and killing people is no concern. Whereas Batman is too moralized, John Wick seems like a more interesting or ‘relatable’ person.
For example, in the first John Wick film, perhaps at least 300 people are killed in the first 30 minutes. With Batman, none.
Also as much as I loved the new BATMAN film, it seems that the new Batman is more anaemic, less ‘buff’, and not as physically strong or imposing as even the Christian Bale Batman.
Also, John Wick is great because Chad S (Keanu’s former stuntman) is both stunt man *AND* director– one of the most unique combinations.
Also, Batman has too much “daddy issues†and inner conflict and drama. John Wick doesn’t — he just wants bloodthirsty revenge, then survival, then revenge (again).
