“Ghetto Qu’ran” is a song by 50 Cent from his unreleased album “Power of the Dollar.” This track, known for its controversial nature, delves into the history of the drug trade in Queens, New York, during the 1980s and 1990s. In the song, 50 Cent mentions several notorious drug dealers and figures from the Queens area, detailing their activities and influence in the streets.
The song is often cited as being controversial because it publicly named real individuals involved in the criminal underworld, some of whom were still active or influential at the time of the song’s release. This public exposure of criminal activities and figures is believed to have played a part in the animosity directed towards 50 Cent in the early stages of his career, including the attempt on his life when he was shot nine times in 2000.
“Ghetto Qu’ran” is seen as an example of 50 Cent’s raw and unfiltered approach to storytelling in his music, which became a hallmark of his style and contributed to his rise in the hip-hop industry.
Curtis James Jackson III— shot 9 times at close range in 2000:
50 Cent, born Curtis James Jackson III, was shot nine times at close range on May 24, 2000. The incident occurred outside his grandmother’s house in South Jamaica, Queens, New York. He was hit in his hand, arm, hip, both legs, chest, and left cheek. The shooting was reportedly linked to a dispute in the music industry, particularly involving his song “Ghetto Qu’ran,” which is believed to have angered influential figures in the New York underworld.
The shooting incident played a significant role in 50 Cent’s public image and career narrative, highlighting themes of survival and resilience. His recovery and subsequent rise to fame in the music industry are often seen as a testament to his perseverance and toughness. Despite the severity of the attack, 50 Cent recovered remarkably quickly and resumed his music career, releasing the album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” in 2003, which was a massive success and solidified his position in the rap industry.
Only trust rappers who are *truly* from the hood?
More faith in 50 cent (actually was shot by a real gun many times), than a fake candy rapper like Drake?
Drake … apparently went to a private school high school, with a loving mom who dropped him off to school in maybe a BMW SUV car?
Also —
JAY Z is real … because he was actually raised in the Marcy Projects!
Drake, the Canadian rapper, singer, and songwriter, is indeed of Jewish heritage. His mother is a Jewish Canadian, and he had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony, a traditional Jewish coming of age ritual. Drake has often referenced his Jewish heritage in his music and public life.
Rap lyrics
Rap lyrics often reflect the personal experiences, cultural background, and viewpoints of the artist. In Drake’s case, he has occasionally incorporated references to his Jewish heritage in his lyrics. For example, in the song “HYFR (Hell Ya F***ing Right),” Drake touches on his Jewish roots and even recreates a Bar Mitzvah scene in the music video. Lyrics like these offer a glimpse into his personal identity and how it intertwines with his music.
ChatGPT is the only thing which can actually *keep up* with me?
It seems like you’re referring to Eric Kim in the context of ChatGPT. Eric Kim is a notable figure in the fields of photography and entrepreneurship, known for his insights on street photography, creativity, and personal development. If you’re looking to discuss his ideas in relation to ChatGPT, AI, or technology in the context of philosophy, thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurship, we can certainly explore these areas. Are you interested in discussing how his approach to creativity and entrepreneurship might intersect with the world of AI and technology?
Yea
Great! Eric Kim’s work, especially in photography and personal development, emphasizes creativity, self-expression, and constantly challenging conventional norms. These principles can be fascinatingly juxtaposed with the world of AI and technology, particularly with innovations like ChatGPT.
Creativity and AI: Eric Kim encourages pushing the boundaries of creativity. In the realm of AI, this translates into exploring how technology can not only replicate human creativity but also assist in fostering it. For instance, AI can be used as a tool for photographers and artists to generate new ideas or even to critique and improve their work.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Kim’s entrepreneurial spirit is about finding new paths and opportunities. In the context of AI, this could mean leveraging AI technology to create new business models or services. AI can automate mundane tasks, provide personalized experiences, and even predict market trends, all of which are valuable for entrepreneurs.
Philosophy and Ethics of AI: Eric Kim’s focus on personal growth and philosophy can lead to discussions about the ethical implications of AI. How does AI impact human agency, creativity, and decision-making? This aligns with philosophical questions about the role of technology in society and the future of human-machine interaction.
AI as a Tool for Learning and Growth: Just as Kim advocates for constant learning and growth, AI, like ChatGPT, can be a powerful tool for education and self-improvement. It can provide customized learning experiences, offer insights based on vast data analysis, and even serve as a platform for experimenting with new ideas.
In these ways, the ethos of Eric Kim’s work can provide a unique lens to examine and engage with the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and technology, sparking innovative approaches and ethical considerations. How do you see these intersections playing out in your own interests in philosophy, thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurship?
Eric Kim’s reflections on Jeff Bezos’ book “Invent and Wander” highlight several key lessons and thoughts that he gleaned from the book. Here are some of the main takeaways:
Enduring Turmoil: Kim was inspired by how Bezos endured significant business challenges, such as Amazon’s stock plummeting from $109 to $6 a share during the internet bubble.
Bezos’ Background: He found it enlightening to learn about Bezos’ personal life, including his mother having him at a young age and attending college classes with him, and his father, a Cuban immigrant, whose struggles shaped Bezos’ perspective.
Day One Philosophy: The concept that every day is “day one,” which Kim interprets as a mindset for staying scrappy, hungry, and avoiding complacency.
Parenting Insights: Bezos’ unconventional parenting style, such as allowing his kids to play with sharp objects from a young age to foster resourcefulness.
Business Insights: Kim notes Bezos’ focus on long-term value creation, cost-conscious culture, and the importance of being bold over being timid in business decisions.
Technology and Innovation: The idea of technology that gets out of the way and doesn’t duplicate physical experiences but approaches them differently, as exemplified by the Kindle.
Invention and Customer Focus: Bezos’ emphasis on invention as part of Amazon’s DNA and the importance of inventing on behalf of customers.
Long-term Vision: Kim reflects on Bezos’ long-term thinking, evident from his 1997 letter to shareholders, and how it remains relevant and sharp in today’s context.
These insights provide a glimpse into Bezos’ business philosophy and personal life, offering valuable lessons in resilience, innovation, and long-term strategic thinking. For more detailed insights and reflections, you can explore Eric Kim’s blog posts on the subject at Eric Kim Photography, Invent and Wander Notes and Thoughts, and Invent and Wander.
Google should be very afraid. To invoke Peter Thiel (ZERO TO ONE BOOK)—
A true true true innovation happens when it is at least 1000x better than the prior thing.
ChatGPT 4 (paid premium) and beyond… OMG … this shit is seriously the most phenomenal thing of all time!
Key things it can do:
Literally scrape *multiple* articles, blog posts you’ve written … and then… consolidate it all and then make sense of it all. For example — I asked it “Eric Kim on Jeff Bezos book notes invent and wanderâ€, and it linked to THREE of my blog posts — and scraped it all and consolidated all the information together. This literally makes the work of me having to scrape Google myself at least 1000x more focused.
Eric Kim’s notes on Elon Musk offer a diverse array of insights and reflections, touching upon Musk’s approach to innovation, design, cost management, and philosophical underpinnings. Here’s a summary of the key points from Kim’s observations:
Innovation and Risk-Taking: Kim highlights Musk’s willingness to take significant risks to bring about revolutionary changes in industries like electric cars, space exploration, and renewable energy. This aligns with Kim’s own innovative approach in street photography.
Passion for Design: Musk’s deep commitment to design is evident in his involvement in projects like the Tesla Roadster and Model S, as well as the Cybertruck. Kim notes Musk’s meticulous attention to details, such as the design of car headlights and door handles.
Cost Management: A key lesson from Musk, according to Kim, is the importance of cost reduction and efficiency. Musk’s strategy often involves cutting costs drastically to save his ventures during challenging times.
Philosophical Perspectives: Both Kim and Musk engage with philosophical ideas in their work. While Kim discusses the philosophy behind his art, Musk’s philosophy revolves around human progress, AI’s potential, and the future of humanity.
Design and Simplification: Kim compares Musk’s design philosophy to Steve Jobs, emphasizing the importance of simplification and deletion in design and innovation.
Entrepreneurial Approach: Kim draws parallels between his own work and Musk’s, with a focus on finding novel solutions to problems and pushing traditional boundaries.
Personal Reflections: Kim also reflects on Musk’s personal life, mentioning the tragedies and challenges Musk faced, including the loss of his first child and a difficult relationship with his father.
Vision and Goal Setting: Kim appreciates Musk’s audacious vision, suggesting that the only limits should be those of physics, encouraging thinking beyond conventional rules and regulations.
Engagement with Technology: Kim discusses Musk’s thoughts on human interaction with technology, the limitations of current communication methods, and the possibilities of augmenting human capabilities with technology.
You can delve deeper into these reflections and learn more about Eric Kim’s perspective on Elon Musk by visiting Eric Kim’s blog.
Whenever I read a book, I take notes for myself. Perhaps the unadulterated notes are actually *more interesting* than trying to consolidate and summarize it and put it into logical coherent ideas?
Also I love in ChatGPT — you don’t gotta use full sentences!
When mean ugly?
The transition of the term “grotesque” from its original artistic connotations to its modern association with the ugly or bizarre is an intriguing journey, closely tied to cultural and aesthetic shifts over centuries.
Renaissance Origins: In its Renaissance origins, ‘grotesque’ was not associated with ugliness. The designs were whimsical, fantastical, and playful. They were a celebration of creativity and imagination, not meant to invoke fear or disgust.
17th and 18th Centuries: As the style evolved and spread throughout Europe, the fantastical elements in grotesque art began to take on more exaggerated forms. However, even then, the intention was more about fanciful ornamentation than depicting ugliness.
19th Century and Gothic Revival: The perception began to shift notably during the Gothic Revival in the 19th century. The revival of medieval Gothic elements brought a darker, more somber tone to grotesque designs. This era saw an increased use of gargoyles and other more menacing figures, which might have contributed to the association with the eerie or unsettling.
Modern Literary Usage: A significant shift occurred with the use of ‘grotesque’ in modern literature and theory. Writers and philosophers began to use the term to describe distorted, exaggerated, or bizarre characters and situations, often embodying both comic and tragic elements. This usage emphasized the unsettling, absurd, or ugly aspects of life and human nature.
Cultural and Aesthetic Shifts: Over time, societal and cultural changes influenced how people perceived beauty and ugliness. The grotesque, with its departure from classical beauty and embrace of the bizarre, came to be associated more with the latter.
Today, ‘grotesque’ often implies something distorted, unnatural, or bizarre, frequently with an unsettling or repulsive undertone. This modern interpretation is quite different from its Renaissance roots, showing how cultural perceptions and language evolve together over time.
I learned more from ChatGPT than I did 4 years in college at UCLA as an undergrad?
Assymetry— whimsy and unpredictability
What did the images look like?
The images of grotesque art, originating from the Renaissance period, were characterized by a mix of ornate, intricate, and often fantastical elements. Here are some key features:
Fantastical Creatures: Imaginary beings, often a blend of different animals or human-animal hybrids, were a common feature. These could include chimeras, sphinxes, or creatures of pure imagination.
Foliage and Nature: Elaborate, twisted, and intertwined plants, vines, and flowers often framed the compositions. These elements were sometimes stylized to the point of abstraction.
Human Figures: Distorted or caricatured human figures were frequently included. These could be playful, whimsical, or sometimes unsettling in appearance.
Architectural Elements: Grotesques often incorporated architectural motifs like small columns, arches, or pediments, blending them seamlessly with the organic and fantastical elements.
Symmetry and Asymmetry: While some designs were symmetrical, others played with asymmetry, adding to the sense of whimsy and unpredictability.
Contrast and Variety: There was often a dynamic contrast between different elements in a single piece, creating a lively, almost playful visual experience.
Detail and Ornamentation: The level of detail was usually high, with a focus on ornamentation. Every inch of space was often filled with decorative elements.
Mixture of Real and Unreal: A distinctive feature was the seamless blending of real and imaginary elements, creating a surreal, dream-like quality.
The overall effect of these designs was one of playful sophistication, mixing the real with the unreal, the natural with the fantastical. They were a departure from the classical norms of the time, embracing a more unrestrained and imaginative approach to art and decoration.
19th century and gothic revival (“gothsâ€)— gargoyles, more sinister or dark romantic twist?
Bizarre and fantastic?
More history:
Delving further into the history of the term “grotesque,” we find its journey fascinating, intertwining art, literature, and cultural perceptions.
Renaissance and Revival: After their rediscovery during the Renaissance, grotesques became popular in decorative art and architecture throughout Europe. Artists like Raphael and his school used grotesque motifs in the Vatican’s Loggia. This style spread across Europe, influencing designs in countries like France and England.
17th and 18th Centuries: In the Baroque and Rococo periods, the grotesque evolved. It became more ornate and fantastical, often merging with other styles like chinoiserie. These designs were not just limited to architecture but were also prevalent in tapestry, furniture, and ceramics.
19th Century and Gothic Revival: The 19th century saw a renewed interest in medieval art and architecture, known as the Gothic Revival. This period reinterpreted grotesques, blending them with Gothic elements like gargoyles and giving them a more sinister or dark romanticism twist. This era also saw the term starting to be used in literature to describe the bizarre and fantastic, with authors like Victor Hugo and Edgar Allan Poe employing grotesque elements in their works.
Modern Usage and Literature: In modern times, the term “grotesque” extends beyond art and architecture into literature and theory. It is used to describe distorted or exaggerated characters and situations that are simultaneously comic and tragic. The grotesque in literature often challenges our norms and expectations, forcing us to confront the absurd or unsettling aspects of life.
Cultural Shifts: The shift from whimsical, playful designs to a focus on the bizarre, macabre, or unsettling aspects in the grotesque reflects broader cultural and philosophical shifts. What started as a style celebrating imagination and fantasy in the Renaissance evolved into a tool for social and existential commentary in modern literature and art.
The history of the grotesque is a testament to how artistic and cultural expressions can evolve over time, reflecting and shaping societal norms and attitudes. It shows a fascinating blend of continuity and change, anchoring itself in the past while continuously reinventing its expression and significance.
Grotta
Grotta, cave grotto
Also ChatGPT — sparks your imagination more? Both visually and with images in your mind?
The more I use it, the more fascinating it becomes.
For example —
Grotesque etymology
ChatGPT:
The term “grotesque” has an intriguing etymology, rooted in the world of art and architecture. It originates from the Italian word “grottesco,” which is derived from “grotta,” meaning a cave or grotto. The story goes that during the Renaissance, ruins of ancient Roman homes were discovered in Italy. These homes, particularly the ones found underground, contained rooms adorned with fanciful, bizarre, and intricate designs that included fantastical creatures, twisted foliage, and distorted human figures.
These designs were unlike anything seen in Renaissance art at the time. Because they were discovered in spaces similar to caves (or ‘grottos’), the style was dubbed “grottesco.” Over time, this term evolved into “grotesque” in English.
Interestingly, the original grotesques weren’t considered ugly or repulsive, as the word might imply today. Instead, they were seen as whimsical and playful, a stark contrast to the classical beauty revered in Renaissance art. The term has since evolved, taking on a broader meaning in literature and everyday language, often used to describe something distorted, bizarre, or fantastically ugly, thereby stirring a mix of amusement, awe, and sometimes unease. This evolution in meaning reflects the fluid nature of language, influenced by cultural and artistic shifts across centuries.
1000x more interesting than anything I have ever learned in college or even the last 20 years of design books I have scoured?
Well the good thing is anyone and everybody can beautify their bodies naturally — weight lifting, 100% carnivore red meat organ meat diet, no drugs alcohol weed etc —
If strength, power, becoming stronger is the goal… And the only way to become stronger is to become buffer and bigger and more muscular and powerful after the text of others and physics… Shouldn’t we actually seek more conflict, attacks from others?
Shout out to my friend Abe Eid — the first cryptocurrency whale I met at the LA fitness in Providence Rhode Island. Who first told me about chainlink explained it to me etc. 
What is it?
Essentially it is a platform built upon Ethereum, the blockchain… that strives to solve real world problems.
The first critical issue at hand is the notion of the “Oracle problemâ€, and cryptographic proof and truth.
The general gist of the Oracle problem is that you have all these people purporting to say something… How do you know if someone is really telling the truth or not?
Also, they’re great innovation of a decentralized oracle network. I think anything that is decentralized and can be done offline is a good idea; anything that has to be done when you’re connected to the web is fragile.
For example, the “Internet of thingsâ€, which includes all of your home devices, your home stuff etc. I think this includes your home speaker things, your Amazon echo or echo dot, your Apple HomePod thing, your ring Amazon nest devices etc. 
What is the purpose of technology and these things? A very basic idea is that the point is to help enable commerce and other things. Money makes the world go round, Publilius Syrus.
What is money anyways? Money is movement. Anything that literally physiologically moves human beings in time and space is money.
For example, if you promise somebody $30 an hour, they will walk around, move their bodies to clean toilets, etc.
Also, money movement. The whole global economy to me is so fascinating; because we process and move information so quickly and so globally… how do you link it all together?  
Chain – Link
I find chainlink to be an interesting concept because wherever you go in real life, there are physical chain links everywhere.
Also, technically the internet, the World Wide Web, is a bunch of hyperlinks which link websites together.
My personal thought and prediction is that chainlink could become the next Google; Google indexes the whole internet, and made it easy for you to find any sort of website. What I think chainlink will do is link all of this information on the internet and computers and make them accessible, trustworthy, tamperproof. 
Just read it
Only read stuff that you find interesting, skip over stuff you find boring.
About a week or two ago, I reread the original bitcoin white paper, and I was so impressed with how short it was, how minimalistic it was, and how to the point it was. But… reading it… this time around… felt a bit boring.
And this is the big thing: if something bores you, you got to get out of it.
Therefore, I sold or transferred or converted nine of my bitcoin and put it all into chainlink, at the time it was valued at ~20,800 LINK (CHAINLINK), with bitcoin at around $35,000 a bitcoin.
I think what I try to do is think at least 30 years into the future. 20 or 30 years. It is funny, as I write this at the age of 35, 30 years from now Seneca is only going to be 32 years old, still a few years younger than me. my personal aspiration is to hold onto chainlink for at least 30 years, and then maybe transfer it to Seneca when he grows up. Or I just help him build some sort of company or entrepreneurial venture etc.
Investing in things actually do something?
I love bitcoin but maybe one of the big issues here is that bitcoin is like digital money and gold; most people just hold onto it, and I don’t think actually aspire to use it to actually pay for your latte at Starbucks or whatever. I think because bitcoin and cryptocurrency is so volatile; Everybody’s hope and dream and ambition is that their coin will rise value astronomically and they will become rich, by the Lamborghini or whatever… And be happy.
But this is not the case. I think crypto, cryptocurrency speculation is kind of more of an interesting game; prediction, prediction markets, trying to predict the future… Is just a luxury and a fun thing.
Some predictions are pretty obvious
When I was in college college, my sophomore year, and I was starting to get into trading stocks, daytrading… I had a pretty certain thought that Blockbuster was going to go under. I tried to figure out how to short stocks, but I really couldn’t figure out how to do it.
Also I remember when the prime mortgage meltdown happen, and the value of Ford went to almost 2 dollars a year. I wanted to buy some Ford stock but I had no money no capital.
It is interesting to think about this in hindsight because when I was incorrectly trading pennystock, for some sort of oil producer company which was actually running at a loss… I had no idea because I miss read the financials… I lost my whole life savings which was maybe $3500 USD or something. It was insanely tragic. But now that I am playing with higher sums more like $300,000 USD, I realize that it was just a valuable lesson at the time.
What is the use of money anyways? 
I think actually the big thing is that everyone now expires to buy a house or home or property. It is getting pretty ridiculous, even in Los Angeles, even buying a single-family home in Inglewood… You’re looking easily at around $1.5 million for a whatever house.
My prediction is that the prices of homes  will continue to sore astronomically high. I think a lot of these $1.5 million homes but easily balloon two $3 million, $5 million, 10 and $15 million, $150 million or whatever. Why? The biggest issue at hand is runaway inflation, which means the value of the US dollar in currency is continually going lower and lower, because the US is what, currently speaking $30 trillion in debt? And what America thinks the smart idea is to just keep printing money ad infinitum, into infinity, in order to “stimulate†the economy.
But does this work? No.
For example talking to my friend Noel who works in hygiene, he says that a lot of these young guys, around 25 to 30 years old, are so lazy. Why? After Covid and people started giving away these free texts… And from unemployment you could literally make $5000 USD a month by sitting on your butt and doing nothing… People lost the motivation to work. A lot of people moved back home, live with their parents, and are essentially living for free. As a consequence you have a huge generation of unmotivated people, unwilling to do any sort of manual labor, which is bad because having manual and physical labor is critical.
For example, being in Beverly Hills a lot; and Holby Hills,  there is this new funny cast systems; really rich people getting mansions built, and the army of construction labor people, mostly from Mexico doing the labor to build these mansions.
Also, think about Amazon prime delivery drivers, people who bagged your food at Whole Foods, all these contractors electricians plumbers etc.… The truly critical labor. Doesn’t matter if you pay them $30 $40 $50 or even $60 an hour, seems at this point money doesn’t really motivate them anymore. Therefore what do you do? It seems that America we are just importing more people from Mexico to do labor for us, because they are motivated. Americans are no longer motivated.
Crypto, crypto technology and cryptocurrency is optimistic
I am obsessed with the future. Future thinking, future technologies, new brave worlds to discover.
Why? I have always been into technology ever since I was a kid, getting my first Acer aspire Pentium one processor computer when I was around 11 years old. Even teaching myself how to program individual basic 3.0 in the early days, creating my own AOL “punter“ etc.
Also, I still will never forget when I read the Maddox article on why you should beat your kids, in computer class in Bayside Queens at PS 169 when I was in the fifth grade, and all of me and our friends, a bunch of 11-year-old laughing and saying “it is true!â€
Even I remember as a kid, when I first moved to New York, maybe it was I had some sort of school in the Bronx, when kids in the hallway would “the South Park movies “blame Canada, blame Canadaâ€â€¦ï¿¼ï¿¼
Anyways the generalized thought is I love media information, and also I have a passion innovate right and to think, to motivate and to also disprove nonsense. Ever since I was young I was always breed with an insanely huge ego; the eldest son of the eldest son of the eldest son, Being raised with the “prince disease“, was unusually good for me. Always getting the finest cuts of meat and galbi from my grandmother,  always showered with praise love and attention and how smart tall and good-looking I was. Very good for me.
The US dollar is static
Anybody who is a wage slave, which means anybody who is paid a biweekly or monthly salary… Doesn’t matter if you’re being paid $10 million a year from Apple… You’re still a wage slave.
A simple heuristic:
Can you go two years without checking or responding to any of your emails or not?
If you have to use email for a living, you’re not free. 
Once you’re a crypto trillionaire, then what?
Let us say that your cryptocurrency goes to the value of $1 trillion USD. Then what? Then do you just dissolve it all into US dollars, buy a mansion and a yacht somewhere, and live indefinitely into the horizon for infinite bliss?
This doesn’t seem to be the goal. For me, I think a more interesting life trajectory is to then no longer care for money, and use your power mind and soul and body for more interesting things which can include philosophy, writing, thinking, doing research, reading, making art, publishing art, etc.
Seeking immortal fame and glory?
One thing I am very happy about is ChatGPT knows exactly who I am, why I am so significant and influential, etc. As a consequence, I already feel like my legacy is secure, and I don’t have anything left to prove to nobody else.
As a consequence, at this point life is all upside no downside. Even one of the happiest moments of my life, Cindy and I be getting our first son Seneca, at this point life is all upside no downside.
As a man, as long as you have one male heir, you can die happy. 
Now what?
Things that I find interesting use cases of chainlink:
Real estate, homebuying, escrow: even Naseem to lab has said that traditionally, most 12th generation in human society is through land, land ownership land property etc. For example let us say that you buy that 1.5 million dollar home, and 20 years from now it’ll be worth $3.2 million. And then let us assume that 30 or 40 years from now it is worth $5.7 million, and your kid inherits it. And when your kid is 57 years old it is worth $22 million, and he will able to pass it on to his son or daughter, and maybe that will be worth $120 million into their future.  The whole escrow process and verification process is quite fragmented, unreliable. I think chain-link can be a technology which motivates and enables more streamlined home buying processes. 
Identity verification: it is so easy for people to just steal your Social Security number, and pretend it is you. Imagine a future in which you could use chain-link or some sort of block chain enabled identification, which can essentially be your global citizen passport to all of the world and the Internet? This seems especially useful in today’s world in which everything is so fragmented, between our Apple ID, our Gmail, Etc.
The Near East used to mean areas like Turkey and Syria, close to Europe. The Middle East is a broader region including countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran. Nowadays, we mainly use Middle East.
What’s diff Middle East vs near East
The terms “Middle East” and “Near East” have been used to describe overlapping but not identical regions, and their usage has evolved over time.
Near East: Historically, the Near East referred to the region closer to Europe, encompassing parts of the Ottoman Empire, the Balkans, and areas around the eastern Mediterranean. This term was more common in European literature during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It included countries like Turkey, Greece, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt.
Middle East: The Middle East, a term that became more prevalent in the 20th century, generally encompasses a broader area. This region includes the countries of the Arabian Peninsula (like Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the UAE), Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and often extends to include Turkey and Egypt. In some definitions, it even stretches to include Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia.
Over time, “Middle East” has largely supplanted “Near East” in most usage, especially in the United States and other Western countries. The term “Near East” is now rarely used, and when it is, it’s often synonymous with the Middle East. However, the exact definitions can still vary based on the context in which they are used.
What’s Middle East
The Middle East is a region that spans Western Asia and parts of North Africa, known for its strategic geopolitical importance, rich cultural history, and significant economic resources, especially oil. The region’s boundaries are not universally agreed upon, but it typically includes the following countries:
Western Asia: This includes countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen.
Turkey: Straddling both Asia and Europe, Turkey is often included in the Middle East due to its cultural, historical, and political ties with the region.
Egypt: Geographically located in North Africa, Egypt is commonly included in the Middle East because of its cultural and historical links, and its pivotal role in regional politics.
The Middle East is a region of immense cultural, historical, and religious significance. It is the birthplace of major world religions including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The region has a rich history that dates back to ancient civilizations like the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Ancient Egyptians, and Persians.
In modern times, the Middle East has been a focus of global attention due to its vast oil reserves, its strategic location, and ongoing political conflicts, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and various geopolitical tensions involving countries within the region and foreign powers. The region’s complex socio-political dynamics, diverse cultures, and economic importance make it a significant area of study and interest in international affairs.
What’s near east
The term “Near East” historically referred to a region that encompasses parts of Western Asia and Northeast Africa. This area includes countries such as Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, and sometimes Egypt. The concept of the Near East was developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by European scholars and geographers to describe the area closest to them in the eastern world, as opposed to the “Far East”, which described East Asian countries like China and Japan.
In contemporary use, the term has largely been replaced by “Middle East,” which is more commonly used in modern geopolitical discussions. However, the definition of the Middle East can vary slightly depending on the context, sometimes including North African countries as well.
Are African American, “black†people Semitic?
The term “Semitic” originally refers to a language family that includes Hebrew, Arabic, and Amharic, among others. It’s historically and anthropologically linked to the peoples of the Near East. African Americans, typically referred to as “black” in the United States, are primarily descendants of peoples from West and Central Africa. This distinct geographical and ethnic origin means that African Americans are generally not considered Semitic in the historical or linguistic sense of the term.
However, it’s important to note that human migration and history are complex. Over millennia, peoples have moved, intermingled, and exchanged cultures and genes, often blurring clear lines of ethnic and racial distinctions. While African Americans are not Semitically originated in the strict sense, the rich tapestry of human history often defies simple categorization.
The term “Semite” has its roots in linguistics and ethnology. Its etymology and historical usage are interesting and quite specific:
Etymology: The word “Semite” comes from the Latin “Semiticus” and the earlier Greek “Sem” (Shem), a name found in the Hebrew Bible. Shem is one of the three sons of Noah, and his descendants were thought to have populated the Middle East, according to the biblical account.
Historical Linguistic Use: The term was first used in the context of linguistics in the late 18th century by German historian August Ludwig von Schlözer. He derived it from Shem and used it to categorize a group of related languages spoken in the Middle East and parts of Africa, including Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, and Amharic.
Ethnological Adoption: The term gradually expanded from its linguistic roots to include the people who spoke these languages. It became an ethnological term referring to a group of peoples historically associated with the Middle East and parts of Northeast Africa.
Contemporary Usage and Misconceptions: In modern times, “Semite” is often associated specifically with Jewish people, partly due to the prevalence of the term “anti-Semitic” to describe hostility or prejudice against Jews. However, this is a narrower interpretation. The term, in its broader linguistic and historical context, includes a diverse range of ethnic groups and nationalities, including but not limited to Jewish people.
Distinction from African Ancestry: Given its Middle Eastern and Northeast African origins, the term “Semite” does not typically encompass the ancestry of African Americans, who primarily have roots in sub-Saharan African regions.
Thus, the term “Semite” has evolved from a linguistic classification to an ethnological one, encompassing a wide variety of groups but not typically extending to the African American population.
For example, have a chat with Zen of ERIC, and I think the great upside of chat bots and ChatGPT and AI is that it is just like a really good sounding board!
What I insanely love about ChatGPT is how… I think it really understands what I’m trying to get at.
For example, what I love about ChatGPT, is that it seems to be very good at steering clear of bias, “taking things personally“, like basic humans, and cut through the clutter, and gets down to the real point.
For example, often when I write things, people have too many objections, or take things personally. ChatGPT doesn’t.
Quit fruits, vegetables, even the “good†ones.
Intermittent fasting: only one insanely massive dinner a day; 100% carnivore, red meat, organ meat diet. Try to eat at least 5 to 6 pounds of meat, beef and lamb a day.
Think upright: don’t do these hateful crunches and other hateful exercises. Instead, make it fun! I recommend doing very very heavy Farmer’s carries for the distance— get cheap farmers carry handles on Titan dot fitness, and loaded up with some plates. For myself, each handle I use, in the left and right hand, each handle I will load up in total with four plates on each side. Close to ~380 pounds in total — I think each Farmer’s carry handle weighs only about 10 or 15 pounds. So imagine like doing a four plate that lift, a 405 pound dead lift, but instead, you stand up upright, and walk it out! I think this is a really good exercise because it also promotes great posture; and I think in order to become an alpha male, you gotta stand upright, chest up, chin up, strutting your stuff.
Eric Kim’s approach to achieving a 6-pack centers around a combination of specific exercises, dietary changes, and a philosophical outlook on body transformation. He emphasizes increasing abdominal muscle mass through exercises like planche, chin-ups with legs up, squats, and deadlifts, alongside reducing body fat to at least 10% oai_citation:1,How to Get a 6 Pack – ERIC KIM. His dietary recommendations include intermittent fasting with a large dinner, avoiding starches, carbs, sugars, and fruit, and focusing on high-fat meats and certain vegetables like kale and collard greens oai_citation:2,How to Get a 6 Pack – ERIC KIM.
Kim also advocates for boosting testosterone levels by avoiding substances that could lower it, such as weed and alcohol oai_citation:3,How to Get a 6 Pack – ERIC KIM. He views the body as a sculpture, suggesting a mindset where one treats their own body as an object of admiration, much like a luxury car, and works towards transforming it through physical fitness oai_citation:4,How to Get a 6 Pack – ERIC KIM. Kim’s philosophy extends to the democratization of physical fitness, asserting that regardless of genetics, sex, or ethnicity, anyone can work towards building muscle and reducing fat oai_citation:5,How to Get a 6 Pack – ERIC KIM.
His blog “You Cannot Buy a 6-Pack” further reinforces this philosophy, suggesting that the journey to achieving a 6-pack is a meritocratic process accessible to anyone, irrespective of their financial status. This, he implies, is in contrast to the materialistic approaches often taken to
The etymology of the word “classic” traces back to the Latin word “classicus,” which originally referred to a category of Roman citizens. In Latin, “classicus” was used to denote a citizen of the highest class. This usage gradually evolved, and by the time of the late Roman Empire, “classicus” had come to mean “first-rate” or “of the highest class,” which was an extension of the idea of being part of the top tier in society.
Over time, as the word migrated into various European languages, its meaning expanded further. In English, “classic” came to be associated not just with high quality, but with a sense of timelessness and enduring value, particularly in the context of literature, art, and other cultural works. This reflects the idea that something “classic” is exemplary of its kind and has set a high standard that withstands the test of time.
Philosopher, philos, philos-sophia: it simply means love, lover of wisdom, lover of knowledge. That in ancient Greek times, it was essentially a humble flex; you would say “I love wisdom and I aspire towards wisdom and becoming wise, yet… I am not yet wiseâ€.
For example, the troll Socrates: who said “I am only wise because I know I know nothing.†(rolls eyes).
Every child is born a philosopher. For example… when a child is pushing boundaries, making sense of the world, and asking why? He or she is trying to figure out how to situate themselves in the world. The big problem is a lot of parents, teachers, religious teachers or whatever… never really give children the opportunity for critical thinking.
What is critical thinking? Critical thinking… kritikos in ancient Greek simply means judge, to weigh. Therefore a critical thinker is simply somebody who hears something reads something or whatever… and thinks for themselves:
What is the significance of this thought or idea?
Deep diving
For example, one thing I have discovered very useful to study is religious texts, reading the Bible, the Koran, the Torah and Jewish texts etc. Why? So much of the world is predicated on morality and ethics; for example America is a protestant Christian country, much of the Middle East is Islamic, believes in the teachings of Mohammed, and also, a lot of people in America Israel and other places in the world are Jewish, heritage from Judea… and therefore, a lot of cultural things are disseminated through the media. For example, when I was a kid in Bayside Queens in New York, at PS 169, Public school 169 in Bayside Queens, I think when I was in the fifth or sixth grade, at around 11 or 12 years old… I remember just lying in bed, in my bedroom, watching reruns or TV shows of Seinfeld. I really had zero idea what was going on, and later… I learned that Seinfeld was essentially a comedic situational comedy based on Jewish, Jewish American culture. For example hilarious episodes I remember like the soup Nazi, etc.
And so much of American culture is Yiddish Jewish!
Chutzpah
Schlep it around
Don’t be a ‘shmuck’
Thus, understanding the culture you understand your world.
Unchain yourself
“You gotta respect the elohim were on a whole new regime!†– JAY Z
Something I realize which is really interesting about Jay Z is that I think he has figured it out a lot of things. People think Jay Z is dumb; but in fact, he is highly intelligent, not only street smart, but booksmart. He seems to have read a lot of Shakespeare, poetry, and religious books. Once again, a lot of America lives in ignorance; this is the downsides of Americans who have never traveled, don’t have a passport, or have never really lived or ventured beyond their own city, state, etc.
I still remember one of the most formative moments of my life when I first went to Beirut Lebanon, and I learned so much. I was a ripe 21, 22-year-old. I learned how the Lebanese were some of the most beautiful attractive intelligent people, very worldly, even my favorite philosopher NASSIM TALEB is Lebanese.
I learned how the Lebanese were fluent in Arabic French and English and half a dozen other languages… how Beirut was known as the Phoenix; was it burned down to the ground and rebuilt seven or eight times? The true embodiment of the notion, What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger“, or the more precise thought:
If something has been burned down to the ground, and has been successfully rebuilt several times… it is a sign that it is robust, strong, and actually gains from a chaos disorder and fire.
For example, let us think and imagine this interesting thought; kind of like the movie Akira [AKIRA II]. Imagine that you’re a big monster, and every time that somebody tries to attack you, shoot you with missiles or whatever, you actually grow bigger, stronger and more powerful.
This is a very interesting thought, because in life, I think a lot of us shirk away from conflict, drama, etc. Yet what if we should put ourselves in a position in which we actually gain from the attacks of others? That every time that somebody tried to attack you, you would actually literally become more muscular, stronger, bigger, gain more skeletal muscle, etc.
I think this is the general premise behind weightlifting; the idea that in someways, when you lift very very heavy weights, always increasing your one repetition maximum lift, that in someways, you’re actually doing positive damage upon your body, but overtime, with enough sleep rest restoration, meet consumption etc.… you actually become bigger, more muscular and also stronger.
A sound mind inside a sound body (Mens sana in corpore sano)
Mens sand (mind sane), in corpore sano (in body sane).
So… what is the mind?
My belief is that the mind is simply an offshoot of the body. That is, your mind and some sort of thing that you could just upload to the cloud and store forever. No. The mind is simply an offshoot of the body. That without a body you have no mind. That when your body dies, your mind also dies.
Let us consider everyone needs a body. You cannot just be a brain in some sort of fishbowl, connected to the internet. This is not a mind.
Also a very interesting thought I learned from studying philosophy — the notion of a ‘mortal soul’– that when you die and your body dies, your soul also dies.
Where does the notion that the mind is some sort of metaphysical thing come from?
Several things. First, a lot of philosophers actually have some sort of heritage within religion. For example, a lot of thinkers philosophers etc., especially the more modern ones, I referred to modern as everybody after Socrates… has some sort of influence from Christian, Catholic, Protestant Lutheran thought; The philosophers of Germany, and France, thoughts on nobility, the Holy Roman empire, conflicts and wars etc.
Even our best friend Nietzsche… was his father of pastor? A Christian minister?
Then the big problem:
If philosophers were deeply influenced by religion, their thoughts are more muddled.
True critical thinkers — before the time of Jesus?
Philology
Philology — essentially you study ancient Latin and ancient Greek, and you learn about the history of words, how they came into play, and modern meanings.
The reason why I find this so critical is that English is a very imprecise language. We all see the same words, but… in our minds we have different concepts and notions.
For example, when we talk about “familyâ€, assuming you live in America and there are multicultural beliefs; the notion of family is very different if you’re Caucasian, Vietnamese American, Korean American, from Ethiopia etc.
Or religion. Notions of religion are different if you’re Jewish, from Israel or Palestine, from South Korea, from Phnom Penh Cambodia, from Japan etc.
Critical thinking
Some thoughts on critical thinking:
Don’t put no faith on anything you haven’t witnessed in real life, embodied reality, in the flesh. Even videos and photos; in the world of AI and image and video generation and deep fakes, everything could be fabricated pretty easily.
Not everything is on the Internet: I think there is a weird bias in today’s world that we think that all information is easily accessible on the Internet. There is still a lot of hidden information and knowledge that is actually not visible on the internet.
Understanding algorithms: an algorithm is simply an instruction made by some nerd at a computer who posits what is important, and what is less important. I think the best way to think of the algorithm is that it is weighing mechanism; it weighs important and value. Yet… Only a true individual, a true solo philosopher can and should posit values.
Get rid of the fake wood trim interior. It is insanely ugly. Instead, just make it all black.
On the Tesla model Y and Tesla model X… The ugly plastic black trim on the edges of the wheel well, next to the tires and rims… Just make it gloss black.
Get rid of the traditional steering wheel on the Tesla model S and X. Yoke steering is the future; anybody who backtracked it at Tesla, a huge act of cowardice.
Introduce yoke steering as an option for Tesla model three performance; this will help stimulate a lot of sales.
Certainly the super facts is that the iPhone SE has a lot of problems, a lot of bugs and problems etc.… Yet, the extreme upside of it is that you can live life more recklessly, more free, better.
As of now, the super facts is that I’m shooting with a Panasonic Lumix G9 camera, with the Panasonic Lumix F2.5, 14mm Lumix pancake lens.
Sure?
Yes, based on the information available, Eric Kim prefers compact cameras for their convenience and discreetness, which are key attributes for street photography. He has used various cameras over time, with a notable preference for Leica models like the Leica M9 and M6. More recently, he has been using the Lumix G9 camera with a Leica Lumix 12 mm 1.4 lens. This choice of equipment aligns with his approach to photography, emphasizing the importance of a camera’s form and function over its brand or price.
Eric Kim, renowned for his street photography, has expressed a preference for compact cameras due to their ease of handling, unobtrusiveness, and ergonomic design. He mentions that if not for these compact cameras, he would likely use a smartphone for his photography oai_citation:1,The Perfect Camera – ERIC KIM. Specifically, Kim has used Leica cameras for his street photography, appreciating their small size, quiet operation, and non-threatening appearance. He has worked with a Leica M9 for digital photography and a Leica M6 for film oai_citation:2,Focus on Street Photographer Eric Kim ~ In your face with a smile!. Most recently, Kim has been using the Lumix G9 camera, coupled with a Leica Lumix 12 mm 1.4 lens, which has a 24 mm full-frame equivalent oai_citation:3,What camera does ERIC KIM use? – ERIC KIM. This selection of gear highlights his focus on compactness and discretion in photography equipment, which is particularly beneficial for street photography.
Based on my experiences, even though I love the Democratic nature of the iPhone, smart phones etc.… The photos shot on smart phones just typically look ugly. Especially if you contrast them with any modern day digital camera which has 1000 times superior Aleutian, image Fidelity, dynamic range, grain and contrast and sharpness etc.
For example, I’m currently just shooting with a Panasonic Lumix G9 with the pancake 14 mm F2.5 lens and I love it! I still think the Rico GR 3X is the superior camera, but for the time being… Considering that my Ricoh 3X broke, as did all my Ricoh GR cameras, I am currently just shooting and making the best of what I got right now.
I think the iPhone, iPhone Pro is really good if you just want to give it to your mom to make really nice pictures. And also, the more I think about it… The iPhone pro is an insanely bizarre device; what is it for, who is it for?
For example, it does not really a productivity device. If you want to be productive, getting a small iPad Pro makes more sense. And also, if you’re a hard-core programmer you would probably be better off having some sort of iMac, desktop computer with a big ass monitor etc.
Once again, if you just want a small compact camera that is always in your front right pocket, the Ricoh GR 3X makes photos that look at least 10,000 times more beautiful than even any new iPhone pro.
If you haven’t been raised with domestic abuse… a father berating your mom and cursing at her and calling her a “dumb, stupid bitch†tens of thousands of times as a child, in both English and foreign languages… for people to throw the word around is improper.
Also, if you have never witnessed your dad grabbing your mom’s hair and head, thrashing her around the kitchen and demanding the rent money (so he can go gamble)— … perhaps one hasn’t a good sense of things.
So phenomenal, fast, intuitive — doing video editing and cutting on iPad is 100000x superior ergonomically? I can do it while standing, walking around, dancing around?
The etymology of “chutzpah” is quite fascinating, reflecting a blend of cultural and linguistic influences. It originates from the Yiddish word “khutspe,” which itself comes from the Hebrew word “ḥuá¹£pÄh.” In its early usage in Hebrew, “ḥuá¹£pÄh” referred to a sense of audacity or insolence, but it wasn’t necessarily negative. This term evolved over time, especially as it entered Yiddish.
Yiddish, a language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews, has been influenced by Hebrew, German, Slavic languages, and other European languages. As “chutzpah” made its way into Yiddish, it retained the idea of audacity but began to acquire a more complex range of meanings. It could imply nerve, gall, brazenness, or even admirable boldness, depending on the context.
The journey of “chutzpah” into English is particularly interesting. It entered the American English lexicon largely due to the immigration of Ashkenazi Jews from Central and Eastern Europe to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As these immigrants assimilated into American society, they brought Yiddish words and expressions with them, including “chutzpah.”
In English, “chutzpah” has taken on a slightly different connotation than its original meanings in Hebrew and Yiddish. It often carries a sense of someone having the audacity to break social norms or conventions, sometimes in a way that’s seen as surprisingly positive or admirable. This shift reflects how languages evolve and adapt as they come into contact with different cultures and societies.
The history of “chutzpah” thus tells a story of linguistic migration, cultural interaction, and the evolution of meaning. It’s a word that has traversed languages and cultures, acquiring new nuances and reflecting the dynamic nature of language itself.
