When a person experiences anger, the body activates its “fight or flight†response, leading to the release of several stress hormones. In men (as well as in women), the primary stress hormones secreted during anger include:
1. Adrenaline (Epinephrine): Produced by the adrenal glands, adrenaline increases heart rate, elevates blood pressure, and boosts energy supplies. It prepares the body for immediate physical action.
2. Noradrenaline (Norepinephrine): Also released by the adrenal glands, noradrenaline works alongside adrenaline to increase alertness and arousal. It helps redirect blood flow to essential organs and muscles.
3. Cortisol: Known as the primary stress hormone, cortisol is produced by the adrenal cortex. It increases glucose availability in the bloodstream and enhances the brain’s use of glucose. Cortisol also suppresses non-essential bodily functions to prioritize dealing with the stressor.
These hormones collectively prepare the body to respond quickly to perceived threats or challenges. While this response can be beneficial in short-term situations, chronic anger and prolonged exposure to stress hormones may have negative health effects, such as increased risk of heart disease, weakened immune function, and mental health issues.
If you’re concerned about managing anger or stress, it might be helpful to consult a healthcare professional or mental health specialist for personalized strategies.
Something I have been meaning to write or create or do is like some sort of book, ebook, pamphlet, or introductory primer to stoicism. I really think that stoicism is probably one of the most useful and philosophical models to live normal every day real life. Yet, I haven’t really found a good instructional guide on it, especially when I was self teaching it to myself.
Consider this a practical primer, cutting through the BS:
What does stoicism mean? 
Stoicism, stoic, the stoa in ancient Greece– essentially the stoa was like some sort of portico, patio, pillar, outside, essentially a spot where guys would just hang out, talk shop, talk philosophy, etc.  
I think about the show “Hey Arnold†in which I was raised with… the notion of “stoop kid“, the notion of a stoop is that in a lot of cities, especially the east coast in New York, you have this little stoop or porch, stairs that go outside your front door… and you could just hang out there, engage in social and neighborhood life etc.
The new stoa? 
One of my happiest moments was when I was living in Providence Rhode Island, and then COVID-19 hit. Everything was closed, besides the park. I can still go to the park, hang out, workout, do chin ups– I learned how to do muscle ups, more bodyweight calisthenics stuff, and also… I had a lot of fun with this “rock toss“ challenge and workout… in the middle of the park was a huge ass rock and huge ass stone, and every single day I would go there pick it up, and then eventually work out with it; throwing it around for fun, doing overhead presses with it, clean and jerks, squats, and eventually I would just throw it around for fun. Funny enough it might have been the most fit I was in my life… this was the true “functional†fitness.
The inspiration — Hector lifting an insanely massive stone (barely 2 strong men could lift it)… using it to break down the door of the ships of the other side.
Open air, open sun concept
Anyways, the reason why that period of covid was so good is that it was in the middle of beautiful Providence Rhode Island summer, so nice and bright and warm and lovely… and one of the good things was going to the park was like an open forum, a new anatheum for a lot of really cool guys to come, hang out, talk shop, go topless and shirtless, workout and hang out.
I met some really interesting people during that period of time. I met some guys who were really cool. For example, one guy I met was in the US military Navy, I think he was training to be a Navy seal or Delta force or something. Another guy in some sort of ROTC training, another cool guy from the hood, and also I would say I probably met half a dozen friendly drug dealers there. And of course a lot of people who believed in conspiracy theories; really friendly, a little weird, but overall good guys.
Anyways, one of the biggest benefits of hanging out at that outdoor park, open air, nothing but green grass, the beautiful sun and the fitness equipment was that I think having this sort of open air environment is actually very conducive to socializing, thinking and thought, and pro social behavior. My theory about a lot of modern day antisocial behavior has to do with the structures which enclose us. For example, almost universally most guys at the gym are extremely antisocial. Why? My theory is that because most gyms have closed, cramped narrow ceilings, and do not have access to natural light, or outside space.
The only good gym I went to which was interesting was the golds gym in Venice, which has this really big outdoor workout area. I think this is much more natural and more fun and better; to be able to work out directly outside outdoors, with your shirt off.
Who is this philosophy for?
Stoics, stoicism — it was originally I think codified by this guy named Zeno, and over time he picked up some followers. Essentially the whole thing happened organically; Zeno would first share his thinking on philosophy ethics and pragmatic ways to deal with other people and the downsides of life, he built a following, and then his followers would propagate the thoughts and start their own little schools of thoughts, their own little stoic clubs.
What is “real†stoicism?
Would I like about stoicism is how loosey goosey it is. It is kind of like zen, or taoism… it is not really quantified as a religion, or a strict moral order. In fact, a lot of the ancients stoics would meditate on random stuff like cosmology, natural sciences like Seneca, how volcanoes worked or whatever. I think nowadays in today’s world, we focus primarily on the pragmatic side; how to deal with fear, uncertainty, downsides etc.
So how did I discover stoicism?
I think I might’ve first learned about stoicism from Nassim Taleb and his ANTIFRAGILE book. I was curious, and my curiosity went to deep. To quote NASSIM TALEB and the Venetian saying “The ocean goes deeper, the deeper you wade into it.â€
I literally consumed every single book I could find on stoicism, even the obscure ones. Funny enough, a lot of the stoic thinkers tried to claim other philosophers as being stoic, like Seneca did with Diogenes the cynic. 
Cynic, cynicism, actually comes from the word canine, the dog. Diogenes was considered the “dog†philosopher, first used as a pejorative, but ultimately Diogenes reappropriated that title for fun! He saw dogs as tough, almost like wild wolves, rather than seeing them as a negative thing.
Even Achilles when he was raging against king Agamemnon, he called him “dog faced“ as a heaping insult.
Who is worth reading?
First, Seneca. Seneca the younger, his dad was called Seneca the elder.
In fact, this is such a big deal because Cindy and I named our first son, Seneca, directly after the stoic philosopher. This is true soul in the game; if you name your kid after your favorite philosopher, certainly it is a sign that you really liked that philosopher, or found them impactful.
The reason why I really like Seneca the stoic philosopher is because he had real connections to real reality. What that means is he wasn’t just on the sidelines; he actually existed in the real world, engaged in real politics, was even advisor to the emperor Nero, the bad one, who eventually low-key coerced Seneca to commit suicide, in a manly, dignified manner.
I think this was because maybe… there was actually a plan to overthrow Nero, and essentially Nero found out. 
What makes Seneca so good?
I really like Seneca because his writing is accessible, practical and pragmatic, and interesting.
A lot of thinkers tend to lack connections to real reality, I have no tolerance for boring philosophers to talk about metaphysics, which is things which are not physical. Like thoughts ideas, the universe, electricity and energy, strange phenomenon and conspiracy theories on ghosts, “energy†whatever.
For a long time, I would hear the term “metaphysics†being thrown around, and I had zero idea what it actually meant. 
Meta– on top of. Or nestled within.
Physics — the physical, physical phenomenon like gravity, first principles.
The reason why metaphysics philosophers tend to be a bunch of losers is that they are all weak and anemic, nerds or geeks or weaklings who seem to have some sort of physiological degeneracy, which encourages them to opine or talk or think about impractical things, superficial things.
Personally speaking, I think philosophy must be practical. 
Practical, praxis, practice — to do!
The Spartan, Zen Stoic, demigod ideal
I have a very funny ideal; the general idea is that your body looks like a demigod, and your physiology is out of control. The general idea is one must be tall, strong, highly muscular, low body fat percentage, I’m not exactly sure what my body fat percentage is, but maybe it’s around 5%.
Also, physical fitness is critical to any stoic. My ideal is to walk 50 miles a day, eat 20 pounds of meat like Milo of Croton a day. And also, abstinence from silly things like media, alcohol, drugs, marijuana etc.
Trust no thinker who does drugs!
Even our best friend Nietzsche said that coffee was bad, because it would make people dark and gloomy. He encouraged 100% cocoa powder instead. 
You let the drugs talk I let my soul talk ayy! – Kendrick Lamar
Simple technique:
First, look at a picture or a portrait or a full body shot, ideally topless of the artist, philosopher or thinker or individual… then judge their thoughts later.
Why? My theory is this: the thoughts of an individual is hugely affected by their bodily physiology.
For example, an extreme example: if somebody is locked inside a solitary confinement cell, and not permitted to go outside for years, but, he had a pen and pad and would jot down some thoughts… Would be the quality of these thoughts? Certainly dark and morose.
In today’s world, why does it matter, what is the significance of stoicism, etc.?
First and foremost, I think we are living in a troubling time, especially with the advent of modern day internet based media and advertising. I think 99% of what is propagated on the internet is fear mongering, and what is hate? Hate is just fear.
The first thought on stoicism is that it is just fear conquering. What I discovered about street photography, is that 99% of it is conquering your fears. Conquering your fears of upsetting other people, getting in some sort of verbal or physical altercation etc. In fact my bread and butter workshop is my conquering your fears and street photography workshop, the workshop which is still interesting to me even after a decade.
Why is this so important? I think it is rooted in almost everything; conquering your fears is rooted in entrepreneurship, innovation, risktaking and real life.
Even my speculation in crypto. 99.9% of crypto speculation is just balls. Having the balls to make big bets, and when things go south, knowing how to master your emotions.
A simple extra I have is this: just imagine it will all go down to zero.
It was useful because when I was in college, my sophomore year I got really into trading stocks, and I eventually lost my whole life savings, maybe around $3500 USD, and some bad penny stock which I actually misread the financials… the whole time I thought the company was making a profit, but actually it was taking a loss. I actually didn’t know that if profits are written in parentheses, it means a loss.
It was funny because my initial start as an investor was back in high school, I bought some Adobe stock when I was a high school junior, and also some mutual funds, which both went up after about 4-5 years.
Also I remember in elementary school computer class, when I was in the sixth grade in Bayside Queens, there was some sort of stock stimulation trading game, and actually it was funny… the kids who made the most money and were the most successful just put 100% of everything into Apple, note this is when we were only 12 years old, and I was born in 1988.
Stoicism and capitalism?
Funny enough, it seems that stoicism actually plays well with capitalism. Why? According to modern day capitalist thinking, the best way to approach life is to be objective, strong, stoic, unemotional, logical and rational.
Also, with modern day media there is so much fear mongering in the news, about some sort of global armageddon, global financial ruin, etc. I call it “fear pornâ€.
Therefore stoicism as a mindset is useful to think and position your mind in such a way that you could consider that life is all upside, no downside.
In fact, if I could summarize stoicism in one sentence, it is that life is all upside, no downside. Inspired by NASSIM TALEB.
Sex and Stoicism
So, is stoicism useful to you if you’re a man or a woman? Does it matter?
The good thing is I think it could apply to both sexes. Conquering sexism and social pressures is useful if you’re woman, and also if you’re a man.
Also, gender is social. Lot of the expectations set on us by society is socialized and gamed to a certain degree.
Stoic strategies 
First, we got to unchain ourselves from modern day ethics and morality. I believe that all modern day philosophy and thinking and ethics and religion is bad.
For example, the notion of turning the other cheek is a patently bad one. Why did Jesus turn his cheek? It is because he lacked on army.
Also, philosophically I think we should put no trust in Socrates. I thought which has puzzled me for a long time was this “Why was Socrates so ugly?
Monster in face, monster in soul.
I think Socrates was a degenerate, and he lacked any sort of real power. Therefore he turned logic and rationality into his terrorizing weapon (via Nietzsche). Back in the day, you didn’t need logic or rationality to have things your way, you simply was able to dictate that which you wanted to pause it, because you had a military force behind you. Just think about Machiavelli and IL PRINCIPE– the reality of being a mercurial prince, king, and military leader is hard, stoic, “immoralâ€. But ultimately it all comes down to war, conquest, the military.
Trust nobody who uses rationality or logic as their tyrannizing weapon. 
In fact, I believe that all should have the body and strength of some sort of super soldier. Essentially look like all the guys from the movie 300, this is our ideal.
Demigod physique. 
What has helped me
Allow yourself to be a bad, immortal, “evil†person. When you decide to adopt an unorthodox way of thinking and living, you’re going to rub some feathers the wrong way. And truth be told, even if you act in a strange vibrant way… At worse you’re only “mildly†annoying other people.
For good inspirations, I think the best stoic writers and thinkers include Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius and also the humor of the cynic philosopher Diogenes. I would even posit the idea that one could consider Alexander the Great as a stoic. Why? When you’re trying to create an empire, and you always have your life on the line, certainly this takes a stoic mindset. Also, let us think and consider that Alexander the Great had a copy of the Iliad by his bedstand, it was the only book he traveled with during his military tours.
Imagine the worst possible case scenario, and backtrack: Apparently even NASSIM TALEB would do this when he was a trader; every single day when he would go to his trading desk, he would assume that his investments would all go to zero, and if that wasn’t the case every single day, it was just upside. Therefore for myself, I just think to myself very simple; imagine like I got zero dollars, zero money, and literally all I need is meat, a Wi-Fi connection and I’m good. 
Live like a poor person: The notion of “debasing“ the coin or the currency is the general idea that you are not a coward in regards to money. The best way to think about money is like a social tool; I think money is actually just codified labor. If you want people to clean bathrooms, run the cashiers stand, you have to promise them money. Even Seneca said the upsides of simulated poverty; essentially living like a poor person, or even a homeless person when you don’t need to… is the ultimate position to be in. Why? True freedom of spirit and soul; as a philosopher thinker writer or whatever… you cannot be “canceledâ€, because there is nothing to cancel. As long as you could pay your rent, buy meat at Costco, and publish your thoughts to your own self hosted website blog, and pay your server fee, you have 100% freedom. And also, still… America is the best place to be because there is true freedom of speech and expression, you don’t want to be a trillionaire but not be able to say what’s really on your mind. And I think this is the big issue with entertainers, actors, media people… as long as you’re signed to a contract, you don’t run your own production company, or, you’re still a slave to money… you’re not really going to see what’s really on your mind. Why is it that the Rock cannot say anything bad about China, or Tibet? Because he is still enslaved by the media corporation. New slaves by Kanye West.
And this is the true courage of Kanye West; he literally put everything on the line, and even lost his spouse and I think maybe his kids? All for the sake of revealing inequities. 
“I throw these Maybach keys fucking c’est la vie! I know that we the new slaves.â€ï¿¼- Ye
Stoic training
The fun thing about stoicism is that you could just make it up as you go, devise your own strategies and whatever.
“Fucking c’est la vie!†My favorite Kanye West line.
Essentially the general idea is that in life, one should not take things too seriously. Laughter is golden, I forget the philosopher who was called the laughing philosopher… Democritus?; better to laugh about the follies of human beings rather than to be dark and morose about it.
Also, thoughts from the Odyssey; if you look far enough  into the future, everything becomes comedic and hilarious.
So when you’re in some sort of bad situation, just think to yourself “Perhaps one day, 20 or 30 years from now… I will look back at this and just laugh!†It will just be humorous.
Honestly, laughter, and kind of being able to joke about things might be the best way to live life and deal with setbacks. 
Modern day ailments
Problems in modern day life:
Too much time spent indoors, not enough time out in the sun. Perhaps it is better to be out outside all day, and joyful, even with the risk of getting skin cancer or whatever… rather than to be indoors, scared, weak and anemic. Differences between if you’re a man or a woman, but still… the most beautiful skin has a sunkissed, olive color tone; the true privilege is having a full body tan. 
Get chatGPT, the paid premium one. And use the image generation AI art tool DALL-E. People pay therapists to just speak their mind, and get some sort of sounding board. I actually think it’s much better to chat with AI instead; because it will not judge you, and ultimately what is a therapist anyways? A therapist is just a mirror, a sounding board for you to verbalize and flesh out your thoughts. Often when we talk about our problems, 90% of the issues go away because once we verbalize it, we feel much better about ourselves. The next thing I’m going to do is build some sort of therapy bot. 
Not enough walking: I have never met anybody who walks 30,000 steps a day and is depressed. Even my friend Jimmy, who works as a US postal worker delivering the mail, he walks around 30,000 steps a day and is always bright cherry and jovial. I think this is also where people who hike a lot or walk a lot in nature are so happy; when you’re able to walk around a lot, and zen out… you just feel much better. My simple suggestion is when you go on a hike or a walk in nature or even in the city… leave your phone at home, or locked inside your glove compartment, and don’t bring any headphones or speakers or Apple watches or whatever. Just bring along your camera, and enjoy. My personal ideal is the bear lifestyle; walking 50 miles a day. 
Real stoics don’t call themselves Stoics?
A funny thing I have learned is that when you call something something, it isn’t that.
For example, if someone calls something a “luxury carâ€, it ain’t. For example, a true modern day luxury car is maybe a Tesla, but Tesla never calls itself a luxury car. Also the ultimate luxury technology company is probably Apple… but Apple is very intelligent and not calling themselves a luxury brand.
A pro tip is when it comes to websites, read the alternative text, the header text, the stuff that shows up in the tab of your browser window. If the website, the automotive retailer tries to market themselves as a “luxury†brand, typically it is actually a sign that it isn’t a luxury brand it isn’t luxury brand.
Thought: what are some good examples of true luxury brands which don’t overly calls itself luxury? 
In someways, we can think and consider stoicism as our new luxury. In fact, having luxury, luxury of mind and soul… and luxury of freedom of speech, isn’t this the ultimate luxury?
When somebody asked Diogenes the cynic; “What is the best human goodâ€? He said “Freedom of speech, speaking your mind, having the power to see whatever is on your mind.â€
In fact, my current joy is becoming more and more free talking, and free riding. What that means is this; I’m ain’t going to censor myself no more, even if I might be politically incorrect insensitive or whatever. 
Also, I would prefer to speak my mind and seriously hurt the feelings of others, rather than soften it for the sake of the other person.   Similarly speaking, when people call themselves “influencersâ€, they are not influencers.
Stoicism as a technique and tool, not the end
Ultimately I think we should think of stoicism just like having another tool inside our tool kit. For example, if you’re a chef, you’re going to have different knives for different purposes. If you’re going to cut a big piece of meat, you probably want a big ass meat cutting knife, not something you would use to slice an apple with. Similarly speaking, if you’re going to scoop out the insides of an avocado, better to use a spoon rather than using a fork, or a knife. 
I think the problem is when some people get too into stoicism (I prefer writing stoicism with a lowercase), they think that everything needs to be consistent, and must fit into this nice little neat box of what is considered “stoicism“. This is a bad line of thinking… let us consider that Marcus Aurelius never even mentioned stoicism in his writings, his collections of thoughts, which we moderns call THE MEDITATIONS… it was just essentially his personal diary, to help him conquer his own personal fears and thoughts, I don’t think he ever intended it to be published publicly. I think he just wrote it to himself as self therapy. And I think the only stoic philosopher he even mentions is maybe Epictetus.
The future of stoicism?
For myself, I just come out with certain to work out thoughts and techniques because it helps me, and when I find these tricks or techniques or secret hacks or cheat codes… My passion is to simply share it with others. 
And ultimately, things are ever in flux and evolving and changing and adapting.
For example, I’ve discovered the quality of my thinking is different when I am in Culver City Los Angeles, compared to being in the boring suburbs of Orange County.
Also depending on my social environments… my stoic thoughts are different when I am in a gym, vs just working out by myself in my parking spot in the back of my apartment.
Also, the quality of my thoughts is different when living with family members or other people versus just living with myself Cindy and Seneca.
Stoicism is all about living with other people
Assuming you’re not growing your own vegetables and living in the middle of nowhere… you probably have some interaction with other human beings. As long as you have an iPhone, an Android phone, a smartphone, a 4G or 5G internet connection, wifi, a laptop, have to buy groceries somewhere… you’re still going to have to interact with other human beings.
And this is good. There is no other greater joy than other human beings.
In fact, modern-day society is strange because in someways, the ethos is to be antisocial and to be cowardly. But in fact, the best way to think about things is that real life is interaction with other human beings, and social conquest. One can imagine a lot of modern day entrepreneurship as simply a big dick swinging contest. He who is the most masculine confident tall and strong and stoic shall win.
More ideas
Assume that everyone is mentally insane: Have you ever been out in public, and you see some sort of crackhead or strange homeless person who acts radically, smells terrible, and is obviously mentally ill? Do you hate them for it? When they say something weird to you… do you take it personally? No. Why? They are crazy. Perhaps we should just adopt this stoic mindset towards other people; some people are actually physiologically ill, mentally unwell… don’t trust the opinion of nobody.
A lot of people are trying to actually deal with their own inner demons: For example, becoming the successful photographer and street photographer I am today… I’ve dealt with some individuals who would say anonymous bad things about me, and later I found out that their mom just died or something. I cannot imagine what it feels like losing a mother… therefore if somebody spew some hate on me because something bad happened to them, I’m not gonna take it personally.
Self-flagellation: I think a lot of people who are sick, mentally or physiologically self flagellate themselves. Essentially the way that they deal with other people or themselves is some sort of metaphorical self-flagellation.
For example… you know those strange individuals who have the whip and whip themselves, and inflict pain on themselves? I think some people do this metaphorically to themselves and others.
You just want to stay away from them.
Why so scared?
My personal theory on fear is that a lot of it is tied to morality and ethics. I think the general idea is not necessarily that we are afraid of anything… I think the true fear is that we’re afraid that we are some sort of bad evil unethical immoral person.
For example in street photography, the general ethical thought is that it is immoral to take a photo of somebody without their permission, because there is some sort of it inherent evil behind it. Is this true? No. Taking photos and not really a big deal.
Why do people make such a big deal out of small things?
I think it is because some people are just overly sensitive, which once again comes from some sort of physiological weakness.
For example, if you’re a weightlifter who could lift 1000 pounds, assuming you’re not taking any steroids or anything… are small things going to bother you? No. But let us assume that you are a skinny fat man, all you do is drink alcohol and smoke marijuana and watch Netflix, and you spent too much time on Reddit… you are 40% body fat, and have never lifted in your life. And also your testosterone is low and you never go outside. Certainly the quality of your thoughts is going to be different than if you’re a happy gay monster, lifting weights outside in the direct sun, laughing and having fun. 
In fact, I’ve actually personally discovered that the reason why a lot of people hate me is because I am so happy jovial and gay. They are secretly suspicious or envious of me? 
Weather and mood
Probably one of my worst experiences was this jarring transition; I was super happy insanely happy being in Vietnam in 2017; with a beautiful weather, the beautiful light, the happy people the great amenities etc.… and then that winter Cindy and I went to Europe, in Marseille Berlin and Prague, and maybe London… seriously the worst winter of my life. Why? I wonder if so much miserable feelings and thoughts simply comes from the darkness and lack of light. a lot of Europe is actually quite miserable; dark, unhygienic, morose.
Even Nietzsche had a thought about Schopenhauer; How much of these emo European philosophers came from the fact that it was just complaining about the cold weather in Germany etc.?  For myself, my ideal weather is Southeast Asia; I love being in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Vietnam etc. In the states, am I the only one who loves living in Los Angeles? Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar said that LA was the best for women weed and weather… I would definitely say the biggest upside of living in Los Angeles is the light, the sunlight. It actually does get quite cold here, but usually most reliably even in December during the winter time, the sun will always come up. As long as there is bright sunny light, I will be happy. And I think maybe for myself, considering that I am a photographer, and photography means painting with light… light for me is critical.
I also wonder how much of it is a physiological thing and a genetic trait; for example I could even recall being a young child, and my mom telling me that the most critical thing in finding a home or an apartment was light and natural light. Even now… 90% of my happiness comes from being able to have access to natural light, ideally floor to ceiling windows facing directly the sun, having some sort of modern temperature regulated apartment and home. Even living in our tiny studio minimalistic luxury apartment in Providence Rhode Island, where it was always 75° warm and cozy, and not frigid and damp and cold and dark and humid… I was always good. But moving to an older house, where it always felt damp and cold… this literally lowered my happiness by 1000%.
Therefore, if you’re feeling miserable sad or whatever… I say spend three months living in Hanoi or Saigon in Vietnam, or go to Phnom Penh Cambodia. I wonder if 90% of peoples misery is simply due to the weather.
Stoic assignments
â€Better to be a gay monster than a sentimental bore!†– Fernandino Galliani, via Nietzsche
My stoic ideal is somebody who is happy, gay, smiling, no headphones or AirPods on, no sunglasses on, no hat, no facial hair, no baggy oversized clothing, no tint in their car. Somebody who makes great eye contact, laughs, stands up upright, jokes, and fools around. Like an overgrown child.
Also, lift weights at least once every day, ideally in the direct sun. Just buy some weightlifting equipment on Titan.fitness, I like the farmers carry handles, the Olympic loadable dumbbell, and also the Texas power squat bar. Just buy some cheap weights, and or buy a heavy 400 pound sandbag, and just have fun throwing it around.
True stoics are masculine
A true stoic should look something like Hercules or Achilles. Or like ERIC KIM; I have the aesthetic and the physique of Brad Pitt in FIGHT CLUB except with a lot more muscle. Like my friend Soren says, the Adonis physique and proportions.
A real stoic is sexy
I think a real stoic is sexy, happy and fun. Who doesn’t take life too seriously; and think of everything like a fun game. A real stoic would be joyful and cheery like three-year-old child without any adulteration from the outside world.
Why do adults become so dark and morose?
I don’t like talking with or hanging out with adults, uninteresting.
At what point or age do people become so emo?
Typically, highschoolers are very optimistic. Even college students. But I think at least in maybe college in high school nowadays… the bad trend is towards “over concernâ€, about the world the planet ethics animals etc.
I find a lot of this thinking superficial, performative, and uncritical. I think “animal rights“, “saving the planet†is this new pseudo world religion; which is just capitalism 3.0. I find the whole pet industry the whole dog industry to be insanely bizarre, and I trust nobody who talks about “saving the planet“ who owns an iPhone, owns any sort of car, or has an Amazon prime subscription. Certainly not any vegans.
A real stoic is a carnivore 
Animals are animals. They are lower on the hierarchy and totem pole on earth. Man is the apex predator, the apex bully and the apex tyrant.
Should we care for animals or “animal rights� No. Animals are our slaves.
If you consider even dogs and pets… they are essentially our emotional slaves. People talk a lot about the virtuosity of dogs being loyal or whatever… and giving you unconditional love. This seems like some sort of emotional slavery.
The only dogs I respect are some sort of canine dogs, some sort of attack or defense dogs, or hunting dogs. For example, John Wick 3; Halle Barry and her dogs. An animal should either be a weapon, or nothing.
Why do people care about animals so much?
Essentially it looks like men no longer have a backbone. No more spine.
I trust nobody who owns a dog.
Let us not forget; they call it dog ownership, or “owning a petâ€. There is no more concept of “human ownership, or “owning a human.â€ï¿¼ï¿¼ï¿¼
End goals 
What is the end goal of humanity? To me it is towards entrepreneurship, innovation, art and aesthetics, philosophy etc. Design.
Stoicism should be considered a tool which could aid you in these things.
For example, I think 99% of entrepreneurship is courage. Stoicism could help you with that.
I also think with design, great design is also 99% courage, having the courage to attempt something that won’t sell or be received well… stoicism is all about practical courage. The only designers with courage include Steve Jobs, Jony Ive, Elon Musk, Kanye West. 
Also, weightlifting. To attempt to lift a certain weight you have never attempted before takes great courage. For example, me atlas lifting 1000 pounds; that is 10 plates and a 25 on each side, this is true stoic training. Why? The fear of injury is what holds most people back; if you had successfully conquered this fear and not injured yourself, this is pure stoic bliss.
The physical
I think the only and the only proper way to lift weights is one repetition maximum training. That is; what is the maximum amount of weight you’re able to successfully lift or move, even half an inch?
To me, the courage is the success. Even if you had the courage to attempt it… that is what is considered success. 
Simple exercises to do include the atlas lift, innovated by ERIC KIM, or a one repetition max rack pull.
Or, a high trap bar deadlift, heavy Farmer’s walks, or heavy sandbag carries. Or even a simple thing you could do is go to the park or to the local nature center, find the biggest rock there and just see if you could pick it up.
Now what?
If you’re interested in stoicism, and have had some interesting thoughts on stoicism, one of the most noble things you could do is start your own blog. I think blogs are 1000 times more effective than publishing some sort of static printed book; I think the problem in today’s world is that everyone is seeking some sort of legitimacy by being picked up by some sort of legitimate publisher and getting “published“, and seeing your printed book at Barnes & Noble whatever.
I say it is better to be open source, free and permissionless, decentralized. Just publish your thoughts and book as a free PDF, and just host it on dropbox, Google Drive, or your own web server. Share the link freely, and also just publish the raw text as a big blog post. 
Even Sam Bankman-Fried wisely thought; 99.9% of books could just be summarized as big blog posts.
Don’t trust any modern day published book which isn’t free, because… there is some sort of hidden clout chasing somewhere. 
Even one of the worst compromises that led to the demise of Ray Dalio was the fact that he took his Principles book, which was essentially a free ebook PDF on his website, and then took it off, because I think he got a book deal with Simon and Schuster. After he did that, he lost my respect.
If you’re already independently wealthy, and you don’t crowd source your self-esteem… why would you need to externally validate yourself by getting some sort of constipated publisher and annoying editor?
Editors are bad.
Now what?
Start your own blog and start blogging your own thoughts on stoic philosophy, and even start a YouTube channel and start vlogging on it. My generalized thought is simple: if your thought your idea your blog post your video or whatever could even impact the life of one other human being on planet earth… it is worth it.
ERIC
What is the secret to the maximum amount of happiness in life? The maximum amount of danger. (Nietzsche).
Certainly as an individual or corporation, you have a vested interest to reduce your taxable income or whatever. But my advice is, whatever you do just do, just do it honestly!
It is both a moral and ethical obligation to pay your taxes!
The Wash Sale Rule is an IRS regulation that prevents taxpayers from claiming a tax deduction for a loss on a security if they purchase a “substantially identical†security within a specific time frame. This rule is designed to prevent investors from creating artificial losses solely for the purpose of reducing their tax liability.
Key Points of the Wash Sale Rule:
1. Time Frame: The rule applies to transactions occurring within a 61-day window—that is, 30 days before and 30 days after the sale of the security at a loss.
2. Substantially Identical Securities: Purchasing the same or substantially identical stock or securities triggers the rule. This includes options, contracts, or any derivatives related to the security sold.
3. Disallowed Losses: If a wash sale occurs, the loss from the sale cannot be deducted for tax purposes in that year.
4. Adjusted Cost Basis: The disallowed loss is added to the cost basis of the newly purchased security. This adjustment defers the loss recognition until the new security is sold.
5. Holding Period: The holding period of the original security is added to the holding period of the new security, affecting whether future gains or losses are considered short-term or long-term.
Example:
• Initial Purchase: You buy 100 shares of XYZ Corp at $50 per share.
• Sale at a Loss: The stock price drops to $40, and you sell all 100 shares, realizing a $1,000 loss.
• Repurchase: Within 30 days, you repurchase 100 shares of XYZ Corp at $42 per share.
• Tax Implication: Under the Wash Sale Rule, the $1,000 loss is disallowed for the current tax year. Instead, this loss is added to the cost basis of the new shares, making the adjusted cost basis $52 per share ($42 purchase price + $10 loss per share).
• Future Sale: When you eventually sell the new shares, the adjusted cost basis will be used to calculate gain or loss, allowing you to recognize the deferred loss.
Exceptions and Considerations:
• Different Accounts: The Wash Sale Rule applies even if the repurchase is made in a different account, including IRAs or other retirement accounts.
• Gifts and Inheritances: Transferring securities to a spouse or related party to avoid the rule is disallowed.
• Mutual Funds and ETFs: Purchasing mutual funds or ETFs that hold the same or similar securities may trigger the rule if they are substantially identical.
Purpose of the Rule:
The IRS implemented the Wash Sale Rule to prevent taxpayers from claiming artificial losses. By disallowing the immediate deduction of the loss and adjusting the cost basis of the new purchase, the rule ensures that the loss is eventually recognized but not prematurely.
Note: Always consult a tax professional or financial advisor to understand how the Wash Sale Rule may apply to your specific circumstances.
..
The “wash sale rule†is a regulation set by the IRS in the United States to prevent taxpayers from claiming a tax deduction for a loss on a security sale while still holding an interest in the same or a substantially identical security.
Here’s how it works:
Wash Sale Rule Definition:
A “wash sale†occurs when you sell a stock or other security at a loss and then repurchase the same or a “substantially identical†security within 30 days before or after the sale. If a wash sale happens, the IRS disallows the deduction for the loss.
Key Points:
1. 30-Day Window: The rule applies to any purchase of the same or substantially identical security 30 days before or after the sale of the original stock.
2. Disallowed Loss: If a wash sale occurs, you cannot claim the capital loss for tax purposes immediately. Instead, the loss is added to the cost basis of the new securities you acquired, and you defer the tax benefit until you sell those replacement securities.
3. Substantially Identical Securities: The rule applies not only to stocks but also to bonds, mutual funds, options, and even short sales. The IRS does not provide a precise definition of “substantially identical,†so it generally applies to cases where the securities are nearly the same, like different classes of the same company’s stock.
4. Brokerages Don’t Enforce It: While many brokerages do notify investors about potential wash sales, it’s up to the investor to ensure compliance on their tax return.
Example:
• If you sell 100 shares of XYZ stock at a loss and then buy back 100 shares of XYZ stock within 30 days, the IRS will disallow the loss, and the wash sale rule applies.
Exceptions:
• Non-Taxable Accounts: The rule does not apply to transactions in IRAs or other tax-deferred accounts.
• Different Securities: Buying a different stock, even if it’s in the same sector or industry, would not trigger the wash sale rule as long as they are not considered “substantially identical.â€
The purpose of the rule is to prevent investors from creating artificial tax losses by selling and then immediately repurchasing the same stock to take advantage of tax deductions.
Because now I am managing investments not just for myself but for Seneca Cindy and also my mom to live the next 30 years!
And also a double dipping strategies; spending money for experiences that leverage your mom to have great experiences but also while spending time with your kid!
That means don’t invest money for your mom to just have fun with her friends and random strangers, but… It must be with family, Seneca.
 Only ever use money on your mom that she can spend with her grandkid!
So, we are all photographers, thinkers entrepreneurs visionaries etc. To focus, I think at the end of the day, does seem to be a virtue.
First, the ethics of focus, the first big idea is that things which distract us, or rob us of our focus, are third-party distractions, which often have some sort of advertising or marketing or product selling motive.
For example, let us consider all of the ills of modern day life, which is modern media. Essentially anything which is supported by advertising is bad evil and should not be trusted.
For example, anything on YouTube which has advertising or product placements or selling services are bad. Any podcast, Joe Rogan, anybody out there with subscribers, likes, comments, memberships, anyone who has some sort of monetary incentive behind things.
Currently I am promoting bitcoin as a promise that it could solve at least 50% of the world’s problems; that is consider poverty injustice, high cost of living and rent… I actually do believe that these problems could be solved with bitcoin.
For example, even poor spending habits, the issue with inflation is that even if I’m making $20 an hour working at McDonald’s, and the price of everything keeps going up… There is zero too little incentive to save. If my rent cost $3000 a month, and because of inflation in a few years it’ll be worth $4000 a month, incentive is to buy all the capitalistic consumer stuff while I could still afford it, Whether Nike or Jordan sneakers, certain cars, clothes etc.
Also this is where Apple has been intelligent with iPhone; let us say that the iPhone Pro is $1000, or $999. This has been really relatively resistant to inflation; even though minimum wage keeps going up, essentially the price of the iPhone is not changing. Therefore if I am a typical working class poor person, and I’m being paid 16 or $20 an hour, incentive is to go out and purchase the iPhone Pro while I still can; because assuming the inflation keeps going up, in the near future I will no longer be able to afford that new iPhone Pro.
Low prices?
I think for the most part, a lot of the evils and ill society are issues with money, gambling, etc. At least this was the case in my family; my dad just sent you not having a job since I was two years old, gambling away the rent money etc. Assuming that my dad didn’t gamble away the rent money, like he was just a parasite but all he did was smoke cigarettes, watch television and movies, chill out the house… Assuming that were the case, at least he would be kind of a neutral party; but him having to threaten my mom with physical or mental or family violence, holding her at hostage or ransom, Forcing her to give him the rent money with physical force, saying that he was going to pay it himself, and then in the middle of the night driving off to Reno and gambling it away, which means my mom is already three months behind on rent… Certainly this is an evil that happened because of gambling and of course his own problems.
the bad guy?
Ultimately, one cannot point the finger at institution which is the casinos or whatever. Even now as a sober adult, haven’t gone to Vegas a few times, I find it to be very fun! I love going to wicked spoon, and having to all you can eat bone marrow, and all the great foods. But, I don’t have a gambling bone in my body; nor do I have a bone for smoking; essentially seeing all the bad stuff that my dad did, turned me off forever. This is where I have kind of a moralistic and ethical imperative against cigarettes, there’s nothing I hit more than cigarette smoke on the planet; The ultimate evil.
What does focus mean?
So focus, focusing… Assume you have a magnifying glass you could take the raise the sun, pinpointed to one point, and you could burn a hole through paper. Assuming you have a big enough magnifying glass, I wonder if you could even take the sun’s power and even make a hole through steel! Just think about all these James Bond’s movies.
Anyways, I think maybe the focus in society in life should be similar; I am kind of OK fine mediocre and a lot of stuff, but assuming that life is finite, a hard cap of at least 122 years, then what that means is if I know with 100% precision that I will die before 122 years, Then the ethical imperative;
How should I and how must I spend my life in a meaningful way?
Assuming that practically almost all 8 billion of us on the planet have a phone, then what that means is everyone is a photographer because they make photos. Even my new friend Alexey show me an interesting street photo he shot in the hood, somebody who overdosed on fentanyl, ar a bus stop. Somewhere in South Central.
And this is kind of a big deal because assuming that most of us live in cities, or assuming we all live in Los Angeles, anybody with an iPhone is a photographer, a street photographer.
In fact, everything in the haptic shop is open source, free to download share remix four to your buddies or store on unlimited devices. For me this became an ethical imperative; because honestly, 99% of the roadblocks we face in photography has to do with some sort of penis envy for some sort of camera equipment; do you think the day that you could afford to buy the Leica, finally you will have a motivation to shoot or make great photos blah blah blah. Same goes with the iPhone Pro, which is actually, not that great.
Also, objectively … Leica, Leica camera, is an inferior product and tool.  it is true that the craftsmanship is superior, but the overall product is inferior when you compare it to a Panasonic Lumix, or even a Fujifilm camera.
I think what Germany has going for it is good marketing and brand. But everyone knows that any German car whether it be a BMW, Mercedes, Rolls-Royce, which is owned by BMW… maybach which is essentially a Mercedes with a body kit, is probably 1000 X inferior to any Japanese luxury car like Lexus or Toyota. In fact, a Lamborghini is just a Volkswagen Passat on steroids. A Lamborghini Urus SUV is just a Volkswagen touring on steroids. And a Porsche 911, 911 GT three RS is just like a Volkswagen beetle on steroids and a body kit.
I’m currently using the full frame lumix S9 camera, been shooting some video on it… But actually a critical issue right now I’ve been discovering is the reason why micro 4/3, even maybe APSC sensors; or a smaller crop sensors might be superior is because you could focus far closer! Full frame cameras are very very difficult to focus especially up close and personal, and also the bigger issue is that the lenses become bigger heavier, more obtrusive, bulkier, harder to use.
In fact, if you are a filmmaker, still… Getting some sort of micro 4/3 camera some sort of Panasonic lumix GH camera might be your best bet, because you can get the best lenses, with the best close focusing capabilities, the maximum aperture for the minimum amount of weight. And ultimately this is what matters the most; ultimately if you are a videographer photographer or cameraman, it comes down to weight and ease. In fact I think even most videographers especially aspiring filmmakers, maybe they should just get some sort of GoPro creator set up; just set it and forget it!
Because 99.9% of the hurdle that creators face especially new ones is the technical hurdles, the technological issues. Even here may be an iPhone pro without any external accessories might be good for making films. Especially short ones. Anything that is not going to be a Hollywood blockbuster film. This is why I think Apple is trying to do all this marketing that you could shoot cinema on your iPhone Pro is kind of ridiculous; any real professional  Would use some sort of red dragon camera.
I also feel bad perhaps the biggest issue here is everyone is trying to posture and look “pro� But why?
My thought is everyone has some sort of insecurity bias, a small man complex. Certainly everyone wants to feel big mighty and strong and successful whatever, but I also find this to be a little bit pointless because success, wealth and power, are not zero some; which means that assuming that capital is infinite, not a closed system, then that means that in theory, Anyone and everyone could become a billionaire, assuming that the global market multiplies by 1 trillion.
And also,  because a lot of money is economic fictions, computer code, which means that any nerd with a computer could click a button and inject $1 trillion into the economy, what that then means is the upside for money is infinite!
Certainly there are things which are scarce, like human time, labor, and bitcoin, but everything else… Has an infinite upside in theory?
Why focus?
I just think that it is an intelligent way to strategize life.
I think the number one issue that a lot of people have, especially young folks that we don’t know what we should devote our lives to. As a consequence we just throw our interest at random in a bunch of Market Basket stuff, hoping that one will stick.
But, to diversify our interest, is perhaps not a good idea. For example, if assuming you had a Mozart in your classroom, would you have your student waste his or her time learning Spanish or stuff that he or she would never really use? No! You would put them in one of those funny musical prodigy classes, have them devote 100% of their energy towards music, to become the next prodigy.
I was also doing some research which is kind of funny that the whole idea of homeschooling was essentially invented because you had a lot of these young athletes students, getting ready for the Olympics, and they did not want to waste their time being stuck in the classroom. So the whole ethos was trying to devote most of the kids time and attention to maximize their sports performance, kind of what mainland China does, she is much more shameless than America. And also maybe be more successful.
I think also that is why you see more record breaking Chinese Olympic weightlifters, because there is no stigma about taking steroids, performance enhancing drugs, and also, they don’t really have a egalitarian schooling system like we do in America.
Anyways, I think to focus means to just value your life, your effort, your soul.
Assuming that we believe in immortal soul, which means that once you die, your soul also dies… Why would you waste your life in anything superficial?
How to Make Free Money
Assuming you have a pool of, some money to lever, the strategy is simple– buy microstrategy stock, which is 150% levered long bitcoin, which means that you take on a little bit more risk, would you take on greater yield! And then afterwards what you do then is when micro strategy trades up, and bitcoin is a bit low, you buy the bitcoin.
Therefore my investing thesis is simple; the ultimate purpose is to accumulate as many bitcoins as humanly possible, bitcoin is the end goal. And microstrategy is the vehicle or the channel or the transmission wire to get you there?
How and Why I Have Skin in the Game
Because now I am managing investments not just for myself but for Seneca Cindy and also my mom to live the next 30 years!
And also a double dipping strategies; spending money for experiences that leverage your mom to have great experiences but also while spending time with your kid!
That means don’t invest money for your mom to just have fun with her friends and random strangers, but… It must be with family, Seneca.
 Only ever use money on your mom that she can spend with her grandkid!
Essentially the razor is simple; only invest in people and individuals in which you actually like and desire to emulate!
For example, if you’re a fan of spacex and Tesla, you’re a fan of Elon Musk!
if you like or love Apple, you should also be a fan and lover of Steve Jobs!
If you wear Yeezy sneakers, you are a fan of Kanye West.
if you buy bitcoin, you are a fan of Michael Saylor!
Essentially, only follow those individuals you desire to emulate, not the other losers, even if it might make you rich?
For example, everyone wants to get rich like Warren Buffett, but no one wants to look like him or become him. Similar speaking, everyone always gives fellatio to Bill Gates for being super rich, but nobody in the right mind would actually want to be Bill Gates.
Just read Walter Isaacson‘s biography on Steve Jobs.Steve Jobs… even when he was still alive he knew that all Bill Gates cared for was money. And now that Bill Gates is in bed with mainland China, we know that he only cares for money.
I am a great first person use case; I think that single-family homes are a scam, and I put zero faith in the traditional markets, and also, for the most part I think a lot of economy and the government is a big scam. The consequence, I will only invest in things that I personally care for or believe in;
First, the appeal of open source. If you are a techie, and you believe in the whole open source ethos, there is zero reason why you should not like or love bitcoin. It is the only 100% transparent digital asset on the planet; Not Ethereum or anything else, which is just another strange crypto anarchy Society. Ethereum is not open source it is closed source. I do not trust Vitalik for half a second, look at him, he is the ultimate furry nerd!
Assuming you have a pool of capital or, some money to lever, the strategy is simple– buy microstrategy stock (MSTR), which is 150% levered long bitcoin, which means that you take on a little bit more risk, would you take on greater yield! And then afterwards what you do then is when microstrategy trades up, and bitcoin is a bit low, you buy the bitcoin.
Sell microstrategy when it is high, buy bitcoin when it is low.
Therefore my investing thesis is simple; the ultimate purpose is to accumulate as many bitcoins as humanly possible, bitcoin is the end goal. And microstrategy is the vehicle or the channel or the transmission wire to get you there?
The reason why I like the strategy is that it is open, transparent, and honest. Michael Saylor is not playing any tricks here; he is 100% committed, 100% transparent about his approach, his ethos, and his ethics about the whole strategy. Everybody on the planet knows the microlstrategy strategy; the only reason you wouldn’t buy into it right now is because maybe you don’t have access to enough capital?
maybe the reason why we millennials know best is because we are skeptical about traditional metrics of success, and also, we don’t like traditional markets, also… We do not like notions of proprietary. We don’t really want to buy homes, we prefer to buy bitcoin instead!
Never looks as prices, but simply, spends a lot of time thinking, contemplating,,, and only ever looks at prices if he actually plans to sell or buy or trade?
to study the fundamentals of a company, is to study analyze and look at the charismatic leader, the CEO the founder or the head honcho of the company. Start to understand their motives, their ethos, their thinking… psycho analyze them, and rate their genuiniity. Do they seem genuine, or ingenuine?
For example, maybe half a year of watching Michael Saylor interviews, all of them, and reading all the literature by him, including his book the mobile wave… before I decided to go all in on microstrategy stock for my whole family — Cindy and Seneca both included. Also in Bitcoin .,, my mom’s inheritance money.
Once you know something is a safe bet, and super obvious, there is no fear no concern no noise.
Just seeing a base Lexus IS 300 car, With white pearl sparkling paint ,,, freshly washed and waxed, looks insanely beautiful? 1000x more beautiful than anything I have ever seen in real life in the flesh with my own two eyeballs.
I am perhaps the least worrisome person that I know; the most calm collected stoic person that I know. And as a consequence, assuming you want superior yield, or either a semi short or semi long duration, I would probably be a better money manager for you.
Maybe the idea of being a money manager, running your own fund or hedge fund or whatever… Is that you’re essentially offloading care worry and anxiety to another individual?
Have me worry for you, I’ll be your worry scape goat!
I have the time for it
most people simply don’t have the time to research the markets, then and Flossies, listen to every single Michael sailor interview, read books, analyze and synthesize things, and also the biggest thing; ignoring market noise, and click bait on the Internet.
So maybe the benefit of an ERIC KIM is I am an insanely focus, not distracted investor?
Am I the only investor I know that doesn’t even use or check email and or text messages? Also not on any social media Instagram Facebook etc.?
I think I might have listened to every single Michael Saylor interview he has ever done, and also his great what is money series with Robert Breedlove.
Essentially, I really do think that Michael Saylor has real soul in the game; it was actually very very interesting in the recent Markets with Madison Part 2, see Part 1, … in the second part of the interview at the very end when talking about legacy and stuff, she revealed the fact that he’s a single guy, presumably not married, no kids etc.… And his whole legacy is kind of centered around the idea of trying to help solve and or fix the economic issue at hand — toxic, dirty money and capital.
Why I trust Michael Saylor
What is super fascinating is literally the last four years, when you listen to all the Michael Saylor interviews, he never once mentioned his own company, micro strategy. I only obliquely discovered what it was, because sooner or later all these commentators ask him about it.
Even for myself, when I first went to their company website, and the word microstrategy,— it definitely sounds like a very antiquated term, like the 90s, Bill Gates, windows 95 era. But anyways, I think that Michael sailor is probably 90% technology and history of science philosopher, and real life entrepreneur businessman, who is insanely intelligent, and kind of destroys anyone else he combats, for example just watch the debate about gold with Frank Giustra, it was the most hilarious and beautiful roast of all time!
Hope
I think for millennials like myself, in which the world seems a bit implausible; for example, trying to afford a $3.2 million home in Culver City? Even a modest $1.5 million home here, the mortgage on it is almost close to $9000 USD a month? This is insane.
Also, interest rates and the such. And inflation is getting out of control. My insane shock of seeing minimum wage for our fast food workers go from $16 an hour to $20 an hour, literally overnight! And seeing the sad demise of my favorite Shake shack with Seneca in Culver City, I think the whole idea of raising minimum wage was seen as a good idea, to help poor people, but ultimately it became an insanely terrible idea because as a consequence, the whole restaurant just shut down! And I am sure that the reason why I shut down is because shake shack is a publicly traded corporation, and when you increase the minimum wage for workers, you essentially deprive them of jobs because the corporation can no longer be profitable, and as a consequence either lays off staff, reduces hours, or close down certain branches which are not as profitable.
anyways, assuming that bitcoin is gonna go to $30 million a bitcoin, we’re in my extremely bush case, $56 million bitcoin, it is real hope for the future! He started to think more intelligently about the future, because you are leopard long; real incentive to try to invest You don’t want to blow $1000 on an iPhone because that iPhone 30 years from now can be worth potentially $500,000 USD? Or who knows $1 million?
For example if I could tell you right now, with 100% certainty, in 30 years, if you invest $1000 into bitcoin, it would become $1 million, wouldn’t you live your life differently?
IF you are stuck in the traditional markets, the only thing worth purchasing is microstrategy stock, MSTR, because he is the only visionary left, and the only individual who thinks more about the real world, not Mars like Elon Musk.
talking to my godson’s father, about his economic advisor, who is totally a dick but a genius, and will probably win the Nobel peace prize in economics.
it’s interesting… Whether we like it or not, Dick’s and assholes tend to be more respected feared and secretly loved in society, rather than the nice guys.
Why? No one is afraid of a nice guy; it does seem that the unfortunate truth is that fear is a stronger emotion than love. Machiavelli discovered this a long time ago in the prince.
the tricky thing is in America and the west, too much of our ethics and morality is still centered around Judeo-Christian Jesus ethics and morality. It is all about being humble, being close to the floor, not bragging or showing off, not talking about money power wealth and influence even though everyone really wants it.
Therefore, we create a generation of confused, angsty people— because, they are not certain what to strive for? As a consequence they get suckered by the environment, the world is ending Christ, social justice and inequality etc.
But in today’s world, to be anti-meat, pro animals or whatever, takes zero courage. It is the majority now. Nobody in America is pro meat, anti plants, anti vegetarian or vegan, etc.
Being or becoming a dick
the truth of the matter of the fact is that this new generation, my generation included, the millennials, or a bunch of cowards, a bunch of aggressive cowards, will never talk smack to your face, but always do it behind a screen a keyboard or their phone. Nobody has ever said anything bad to me in my face, a lot of people have done it in secret behind closed doors.
in fact, it does seem that the truth is everyone universally loves me! Whether they know it or not; my audaciousness, my outspokenness… Is secretly loved admired by others, even though it doesn’t make them feel uncomfortable.
What a lot of fools don’t understand; we don’t talk about things we don’t like. So anybody who is talking about Donald Trump, whether good or bad… Secretly likes him?
I don’t really have an opinion
Also, I think the truth of the matter is if you really really don’t like somebody, just don’t say their name! Don’t mention them, don’t think about them etc.
Zen practice
secretly there are lots of things we don’t like, but, you don’t ever want to give them free marketing or advertisement. Just don’t invoke it, their name, their concept! For example, anyone who is anti-Tom Cruise in Scientology… The more you talk about it, the more free publicity you give Scientology, which is a bad thing? Just don’t mention it.
Why bitcoin detractors are good
Maybe all this press about the point being bad for the environment and planet was a good thing; it gave more mainstream media coverage and attention to bitcoin, which at least embedded itself in its consciousness in the public? And this is a good thing.
it is true that all marketing is good marketing; the more fire you give something, whether good or bad, the more it grows! Like throwing gasoline on a fire; good for it.
“I ain’t afraid they’re going to say something, I’m afraid that they’re going to say nothingâ€â€” Kanye
In fact, your biggest detractors, those who hate on you the most, are actually secretly your biggest lovers and admirers? I think what people don’t understand is what got Trump elected in the first election cycle was not the conservatives, but the liberals and Democrats who essentially gave him $1 trillion worth of free advertising! And anyone who tried to suppress his voice, he simply got more powerful and influential? Because any sort of corporation like Google Twitter or whatever that tried to suppress him, sooner or later the truth will come out, and actually, will paint somebody more like a hero or a Messiah. Anyone who speaks their own truth, whether good or bad evil immoral etc.… Will be lauded as a hero.
So, we are all photographers, thinkers entrepreneurs visionaries etc. To focus, I think at the end of the day, does seem to be a virtue.
First, the ethics of focus, the first big idea is that things which distract us, or rob us of our focus, are third-party distractions, which often have some sort of advertising or marketing or product selling motive.
For example, let us consider all of the ills of modern day life, which is modern media. Essentially anything which is supported by advertising is bad evil and should not be trusted.
For example, anything on YouTube which has advertising or product placements or selling services are bad. Any podcast, Joe Rogan, anybody out there with subscribers, likes, comments, memberships, anyone who has some sort of monetary incentive behind things.
Currently I am promoting bitcoin as a promise that it could solve at least 50% of the world’s problems; that is consider poverty injustice, high cost of living and rent… I actually do believe that these problems could be solved with bitcoin.
For example, even poor spending habits, the issue with inflation is that even if I’m making $20 an hour working at McDonald’s, and the price of everything keeps going up… There is zero too little incentive to save. If my rent cost $3000 a month, and because of inflation in a few years it’ll be worth $4000 a month, incentive is to buy all the capitalistic consumer stuff while I could still afford it, Whether Nike or Jordan sneakers, certain cars, clothes etc.
Also this is where Apple has been intelligent with iPhone; let us say that the iPhone Pro is $1000, or $999. This has been really relatively resistant to inflation; even though minimum wage keeps going up, essentially the price of the iPhone is not changing. Therefore if I am a typical working class poor person, and I’m being paid 16 or $20 an hour, incentive is to go out and purchase the iPhone Pro while I still can; because assuming the inflation keeps going up, in the near future I will no longer be able to afford that new iPhone Pro.
Low prices?
I think for the most part, a lot of the evils and ill society are issues with money, gambling, etc. At least this was the case in my family; my dad just sent you not having a job since I was two years old, gambling away the rent money etc. Assuming that my dad didn’t gamble away the rent money, like he was just a parasite but all he did was smoke cigarettes, watch television and movies, chill out the house… Assuming that were the case, at least he would be kind of a neutral party; but him having to threaten my mom with physical or mental or family violence, holding her at hostage or ransom, Forcing her to give him the rent money with physical force, saying that he was going to pay it himself, and then in the middle of the night driving off to Reno and gambling it away, which means my mom is already three months behind on rent… Certainly this is an evil that happened because of gambling and of course his own problems.
the bad guy?
Ultimately, one cannot point the finger at institution which is the casinos or whatever. Even now as a sober adult, haven’t gone to Vegas a few times, I find it to be very fun! I love going to wicked spoon, and having to all you can eat bone marrow, and all the great foods. But, I don’t have a gambling bone in my body; nor do I have a bone for smoking; essentially seeing all the bad stuff that my dad did, turned me off forever. This is where I have kind of a moralistic and ethical imperative against cigarettes, there’s nothing I hit more than cigarette smoke on the planet; The ultimate evil.
What does focus mean?
So focus, focusing… Assume you have a magnifying glass you could take the raise the sun, pinpointed to one point, and you could burn a hole through paper. Assuming you have a big enough magnifying glass, I wonder if you could even take the sun’s power and even make a hole through steel! Just think about all these James Bond’s movies.
Anyways, I think maybe the focus in society in life should be similar; I am kind of OK fine mediocre and a lot of stuff, but assuming that life is finite, a hard cap of at least 122 years, then what that means is if I know with 100% precision that I will die before 122 years, Then the ethical imperative;
How should I and how must I spend my life in a meaningful way?
Assuming that practically almost all 8 billion of us on the planet have a phone, then what that means is everyone is a photographer because they make photos. Even my new friend Alexey show me an interesting street photo he shot in the hood, somebody who overdosed on fentanyl, ar a bus stop. Somewhere in South Central.
And this is kind of a big deal because assuming that most of us live in cities, or assuming we all live in Los Angeles, anybody with an iPhone is a photographer, a street photographer.
In fact, everything in the haptic shop is open source, free to download share remix four to your buddies or store on unlimited devices. For me this became an ethical imperative; because honestly, 99% of the roadblocks we face in photography has to do with some sort of penis envy for some sort of camera equipment; do you think the day that you could afford to buy the Leica, finally you will have a motivation to shoot or make great photos blah blah blah. Same goes with the iPhone Pro, which is actually, not that great.
Also, objectively … Leica, Leica camera, is an inferior product and tool.  it is true that the craftsmanship is superior, but the overall product is inferior when you compare it to a Panasonic Lumix, or even a Fujifilm camera.
I think what Germany has going for it is good marketing and brand. But everyone knows that any German car whether it be a BMW, Mercedes, Rolls-Royce, which is owned by BMW… maybach which is essentially a Mercedes with a body kit, is probably 1000 X inferior to any Japanese luxury car like Lexus or Toyota. In fact, a Lamborghini is just a Volkswagen Passat on steroids. A Lamborghini Urus SUV is just a Volkswagen touring on steroids. And a Porsche 911, 911 GT three RS is just like a Volkswagen beetle on steroids and a body kit.
I’m currently using the full frame lumix S9 camera, been shooting some video on it… But actually a critical issue right now I’ve been discovering is the reason why micro 4/3, even maybe APSC sensors; or a smaller crop sensors might be superior is because you could focus far closer! Full frame cameras are very very difficult to focus especially up close and personal, and also the bigger issue is that the lenses become bigger heavier, more obtrusive, bulkier, harder to use.
In fact, if you are a filmmaker, still… Getting some sort of micro 4/3 camera some sort of Panasonic lumix GH camera might be your best bet, because you can get the best lenses, with the best close focusing capabilities, the maximum aperture for the minimum amount of weight. And ultimately this is what matters the most; ultimately if you are a videographer photographer or cameraman, it comes down to weight and ease. In fact I think even most videographers especially aspiring filmmakers, maybe they should just get some sort of GoPro creator set up; just set it and forget it!
Because 99.9% of the hurdle that creators face especially new ones is the technical hurdles, the technological issues. Even here may be an iPhone pro without any external accessories might be good for making films. Especially short ones. Anything that is not going to be a Hollywood blockbuster film. This is why I think Apple is trying to do all this marketing that you could shoot cinema on your iPhone Pro is kind of ridiculous; any real professional  Would use some sort of red dragon camera.
I also feel bad perhaps the biggest issue here is everyone is trying to posture and look “pro� But why?
My thought is everyone has some sort of insecurity bias, a small man complex. Certainly everyone wants to feel big mighty and strong and successful whatever, but I also find this to be a little bit pointless because success, wealth and power, are not zero some; which means that assuming that capital is infinite, not a closed system, then that means that in theory, Anyone and everyone could become a billionaire, assuming that the global market multiplies by 1 trillion.
And also,  because a lot of money is economic fictions, computer code, which means that any nerd with a computer could click a button and inject $1 trillion into the economy, what that then means is the upside for money is infinite!
Certainly there are things which are scarce, like human time, labor, and bitcoin, but everything else… Has an infinite upside in theory?
Why focus?
I just think that it is an intelligent way to strategize life.
I think the number one issue that a lot of people have, especially young folks that we don’t know what we should devote our lives to. As a consequence we just throw our interest at random in a bunch of Market Basket stuff, hoping that one will stick.
But, to diversify our interest, is perhaps not a good idea. For example, if assuming you had a Mozart in your classroom, would you have your student waste his or her time learning Spanish or stuff that he or she would never really use? No! You would put them in one of those funny musical prodigy classes, have them devote 100% of their energy towards music, to become the next prodigy.
I was also doing some research which is kind of funny that the whole idea of homeschooling was essentially invented because you had a lot of these young athletes students, getting ready for the Olympics, and they did not want to waste their time being stuck in the classroom. So the whole ethos was trying to devote most of the kids time and attention to maximize their sports performance, kind of what mainland China does, she is much more shameless than America. And also maybe be more successful.
I think also that is why you see more record breaking Chinese Olympic weightlifters, because there is no stigma about taking steroids, performance enhancing drugs, and also, they don’t really have a egalitarian schooling system like we do in America.
Anyways, I think to focus means to just value your life, your effort, your soul.
Assuming that we believe in immortal soul, which means that once you die, your soul also dies… Why would you waste your life in anything superficial?
Kind of accurate translation, but I actually planned to become a doctor:
…
Here’s the full translation of the article:
Headline:
“Castro Valley High School -> Admission to UCLA, Kim Sang-jin becomes an Eagle Scout.â€
Main Headline:
“Selected as an Eagle Scout, the highest honor in Boy Scouts.â€
Article:
Sang-jin (English name Eric, in the photo) visited Korea last summer. It wasn’t a relaxing vacation with time off; instead, he spent his time doing part-time work. Although no one asked him to do it, he voluntarily helped others.
Boy Scout Sang-jin, who knows the value of service, returned to America and took the spotlight in a meaningful ceremony. Last Saturday afternoon, at 4:00 PM, at Castro Valley, he became the main character in a special Boy Scout Eagle Award ceremony. He was selected as an Eagle Scout, the highest honor in Boy Scouts. This is an achievement that Kim Sang-jin’s family and friends are incredibly proud of, marking his entry into the ranks of those who have reached the highest level of Boy Scouts.
The Eagle Scout rank is only given to those who complete rigorous requirements, which include earning 21 merit badges (12 of which are required), passing various tests, and successfully leading a community service project. Sang-jin also fulfilled all these requirements and was proudly awarded this top-level rank.
During the ceremony, his mother (51, surname Jeong) expressed her pride, saying, “I am truly grateful and so happy. Even though it was difficult to support him through his busy scouting and school life, my son’s achievement makes it all worthwhile.â€
Kim Sang-jin’s next goal is to become a doctor. He will enter UCLA this year and is currently living in a UCLA dormitory. He expressed his gratitude to his family and the people who supported him by saying, “Thanks to my family, I’ve been able to come this far, and I’m thankful to all my teachers and scout leaders who guided me. I will continue to strive to live up to the name of an Eagle Scout, both in my studies and in my service to the community.â€
This is the full translation of the article. Let me know if you need any further details!
***
Here is the full translation of the Korean text in the image:
Castro Valley High School → UCLA Enrolled: Kim Sang Jin
Selected as Eagle Scout in the Highest Honor of Boy Scouts
Sang Jin Kim (photo on the right) was selected as an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts, in April, after four years of effort. Eagle Scout is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts and is given to those who have achieved the highest level of leadership, responsibility, and community service. The rank is given to only 1% of all Boy Scouts worldwide, making it a significant achievement.
Sang Jin Kim, a graduate of Castro Valley High School, successfully completed his Eagle Scout project in April, which was the final requirement to earn the rank. His project involved leading the construction of benches and tables for the San Leandro library, thereby improving the community facilities for library visitors. He organized and supervised volunteers for this project, further demonstrating his leadership abilities.
Sang Jin, who has been involved in scouting for several years, expressed his gratitude to his family and fellow scouts for their continued support throughout his journey to becoming an Eagle Scout. He shared that this achievement is not just a personal accomplishment but also a tribute to everyone who has helped him along the way.
Now enrolled at UCLA, Sang Jin Kim plans to major in economics. He hopes to use the skills and experiences he gained from scouting, such as leadership and community service, to further his education and career. In the future, Sang Jin aims to give back to the community in meaningful ways, whether it be through volunteer work or professional endeavors.
Sang Jin’s parents expressed their pride in their son’s accomplishments. His father noted that Sang Jin always strived to do his best, even when faced with challenges, and that his dedication has clearly paid off. His mother emphasized that Sang Jin’s achievement was a reflection of his hard work, persistence, and a desire to serve others.
Both his parents expressed their hopes for Sang Jin’s continued success in his future endeavors, including his studies at UCLA and beyond.
I like this idea of light living; then lightweight, a light heart, lightweight heart, lightweight cares etc. A world which is anti-atlas; no no no, you’re not holding the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Why heavy?
I have an interesting idea; I like white heart, a lightweight soul… And on the converse, heavy weights, heavy barbells?
Never buy anything with loses value and gives you a negative yield — expensive premium gasoline, expensive electric cars, expensive iPhone Pros, gas guzzlers … things cars vehicles Ferraris Porsches Lamborghinis which cost a small fortune to just even maintain? Same for single family homes!
Avoid —
purchasing a superficial static device which just starts to immediately *LOSE* value — negative yield , negative yielding products and things?
Investing is actually an ethical imperative… As it encourages you to plan anything for the future? To live more economically frugally, because you have more joy investing in the market, seeing things go up! Rather than purchasing a superficial static device which just starts to immediately *LOSE* value — negative yield , negative yielding products and things?
Perhaps the body to strive for, is the body in which you feel glorious about your body, and you don’t really feel like you need to “improveâ€, yet you still do it because you enjoy it, it is just fun and play for you?
My new goals, my new physical goals is maybe doing some sort of farmers carry exercises and exercise exercises in order to build my arm bicep strength to just carry around Seneca all day?
virtual vanity has anything to do with beautifying your body, your physical strength your power of your physical appearance, assuming you’re naked, not taking any steroids or doing any sort of surgeries or injections.
Shameful Vanity has to deal with social media, social media numbers, money monetary values of things, the car you drive your clothes your fashion accessories etc.
Shameful to drive a Ferrari Lamborghini or Porsche 911 GT 3 RS, Virtual is to flex your muscles topless in the flesh!
• The term “trauma†(Ï„Ïαῦμα) originates from Ancient Greek, where it literally means “wound†or “injury.â€
• In ancient texts, it was used exclusively to refer to physical injuries inflicted on the body, often in the context of battle wounds or accidents.
Adoption into Latin and Other Languages:
• The word was adopted into Latin as “trauma,†retaining its original meaning of a physical wound.
• From Latin, it entered medical terminology in various European languages, including English, still primarily referring to physical injuries.
Transition to Psychological Meaning:
19th Century Developments:
• Industrial Accidents:
• The Industrial Revolution brought about a rise in severe accidents, leading to what was termed “railway spine†or “traumatic neurosisâ€â€”conditions where individuals exhibited psychological symptoms after physical injuries.
• Medical Observations:
• Physicians began noticing that some patients displayed lasting psychological effects after traumatic physical events, even when physical healing had occurred.
• This led to the concept that trauma could have both physical and psychological components.
Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis:
• Freud’s Theories:
• In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Sigmund Freud and Josef Breuer explored the idea of psychological trauma in their work on hysteria.
• They proposed that repressed traumatic memories could lead to neuroses and other psychological disorders.
• Key Publications:
• “Studies on Hysteria†(1895) by Freud and Breuer discussed cases where patients’ symptoms were linked to traumatic experiences rather than physical injuries.
• Freud introduced the concept of “psychic trauma,†emphasizing that emotional shock could have profound effects on mental health.
Influence of World Wars:
World War I:
• Shell Shock:
• Soldiers exposed to the horrors of trench warfare exhibited symptoms like anxiety, nightmares, and paralysis without obvious physical causes.
• The term “shell shock†was coined to describe these psychological responses to extreme stress and trauma.
• Medical Recognition:
• The medical community began to recognize that exposure to traumatic events could result in significant psychological disorders.
World War II and Aftermath:
• Combat Stress Reaction:
• Similar observations were made during WWII, with terms like “battle fatigue†or “combat stress reaction†used.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):
• The Vietnam War further highlighted the long-term psychological effects of trauma.
• In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association officially included PTSD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III), acknowledging trauma’s impact on mental health.
Modern Understanding of Trauma:
Psychological Trauma:
• Definition Expansion:
• Today, “trauma†encompasses experiences that cause overwhelming stress and exceed an individual’s ability to cope.
• It includes not only combat exposure but also events like natural disasters, abuse, accidents, and witnessing violence.
• Symptoms:
• Psychological trauma can lead to a range of symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, flashbacks, and emotional numbness.
Neuroscience and Trauma:
• Brain Research:
• Advances in neuroscience have shown that traumatic experiences can alter brain function and structure.
• Studies reveal changes in areas responsible for memory, fear response, and emotional regulation.
Summary of Evolution:
1. Ancient Usage:
• Physical Injury: “Trauma†used exclusively for physical wounds in Ancient Greek and early medical texts.
2. 19th Century Shift:
• Linking Mind and Body: Observations of psychological symptoms following physical injuries led to the idea of trauma affecting mental health.
3. Psychological Recognition:
• Freud’s Influence: Introduction of concepts like “psychic trauma†and exploration of the unconscious mind’s role in processing traumatic events.
4. Global Conflicts:
• World Wars’ Impact: Widespread psychological effects among soldiers brought attention to trauma-induced mental disorders.
5. Modern Definition:
• Inclusive Understanding: Trauma now refers to both physical injuries and psychological harm resulting from distressing experiences.
Conclusion:
The evolution of the word “trauma†reflects a growing understanding of the intricate connection between the physical and psychological aspects of human health. Originally describing physical wounds, “trauma†has expanded to encompass the profound psychological impacts that adverse experiences can have on individuals. This shift underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing mental health needs resulting from traumatic events.
References:
• Freud, S., & Breuer, J. (1895). Studies on Hysteria.
• van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma.
• American Psychiatric Association. (1980). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed.).
The word “injury†originates from the Latin term “injuria,†which initially meant “a wrong,†“injustice,†or “illegal act.†This broad concept encompassed any violation of rights, whether legal, moral, or social. In medieval and early modern English, “injury†was used to describe various forms of wrongdoing or harm inflicted upon a person, including damage to reputation, property, or legal rights.
Over time, as legal systems and societal norms evolved, there was a need to categorize different types of wrongs more specifically. Physical harm to a person’s body was one of the most tangible and grievous forms of injustice, often requiring immediate redress. As a result, the term “injury†began to be closely associated with physical harm or damage. This shift was gradual and influenced by legal language, where “injury†became a standard term for bodily harm in both civil and criminal contexts.
The evolution can be attributed to:
1. Legal Usage: Courts and legal documents started specifying “injury†to mean physical harm, distinguishing it from other forms of wrongs like defamation or breach of contract.
2. Common Parlance: As legal terms permeated everyday language, people began using “injury†predominantly to refer to physical wounds or damage.
3. Medical Contexts: With advances in medicine, there was a greater focus on diagnosing and treating physical injuries, further cementing the term’s association with bodily harm.
Terms for Physical Injuries in Ancient Greek and Latin:
In both Latin and Ancient Greek, specific terms were used to denote physical injuries, distinct from words meaning general injustice or wrongdoing.
Latin Terms:
1. Vulnus (plural: Vulnera):
• Meaning: “Wound†or “physical injury.â€
• Usage: Used to describe any physical wound or lesion inflicted by an external force.
• Example: In Virgil’s Aeneid, the term is used to describe the wounds of warriors in battle.
2. Laesio (plural: Laesiones):
• Meaning: “Harm,†“hurt,†or “physical damage.â€
• Usage: Often used in medical or legal texts to refer to physical harm or impairment.
• Derivative: The term “lesion†in modern English medical terminology comes from this word.
3. Noxa:
• Meaning: “Harm†or “injury,†sometimes with a connotation of fault or liability.
• Usage: Used in legal contexts, particularly in Roman law regarding personal injury and liability.
Ancient Greek Terms:
1. Ï„Ïαῦμα (Trauma):
• Meaning: “Wound†or “physical injury.â€
• Usage: Referred to physical wounds, especially those suffered in battle or accidents.
• Derivative: The English word “trauma,†used in medical and psychological contexts, is derived from this term.
2. βλάβη (Blábē):
• Meaning: “Harm,†“damage,†or “injury.â€
• Usage: Could refer to physical harm or more abstract forms of damage.
• Context: Used in philosophical texts to discuss harm to the body or soul.
• Meaning: “Strike,†“blow,†or “wound.â€
• Usage: Often used to describe the act of being struck and the resulting injury.
• Derivative: The term “paraplegia†in modern medical terminology stems from this word.
Summary:
While “injuria†in Latin and its early English counterpart “injury†initially referred to general injustice or legal wrongs, the specific and tangible nature of physical harm led to a semantic narrowing. The need to address and remedy bodily harm in both legal and medical contexts made “injury†the prevalent term for physical wounds. In ancient languages, distinct words like “vulnus†and “trauma†were used to specifically denote physical injuries, highlighting the importance of precise terminology in addressing different forms of harm.
How and why did the word injury evolve then to talk about physical injuries, comma, then when it talks about physical injuries in ancient Greek, Latin, what is it?
The word “injury†originates from the Latin term injuria, which means “wrong†or “injustice.†This Latin word is a combination of in-, meaning “not,†and jus, meaning “right†or “law.†So, injuria literally translates to “not right†or “unlawful act.â€
The term was adopted into Old French as injurie, retaining its original meaning related to injustice or wrongful action. When it entered the English language in the Middle Ages, it began to take on the additional sense of physical harm or damage resulting from a wrongful act. Over time, “injury†came to primarily denote physical harm, although it still carries connotations of wrongdoing or violation of rights.
About to change the oil on my 2010 Prius, I haven’t done this in a while since I was maybe 18… Or 16, maybe in the past it was because I didn’t have money to afford to pay somebody to do it for me, but now that I have the money, owrhaps the virtue of doing stuff yourself like changing your own oil is that first, a point of pride, second, demystifying the process which is very motivational and empowering, and third, annoyance and time?
I think the annoyance and time thing is the biggest one; whenever you go to a place to get your oil change, you always have to wait in line, and you always feel stupid because you always feel like you overpaid? And the funny thing is it doesn’t really matter whether you’re rich or not, you’ll always feel ripped off?
The feeling of getting a “good deal�
Sometimes and often times when the labor yourself could be a little bit foolish, but assume that you do it safely, don’t hurt yourself, and it just works out fine… Then maybe just doing stuff yourself is virtuous?
And the feeling of pride; knowing that you use the top shelf oil, mobile one synthetic, in which you have this funny mental cactus that you feel like you’re getting superior performance and miles per gallon, even reality it might not make much of a difference ,,, but perhaps the thought and *perception* is what makes it all worth it!
Pride
Let it say you buy a new Ferrari or Lamborghini or whatever… Certainly if you drive it around you will feel a sense of pride?
However, wouldn’t it be much more economical wise smart and more effective and efficient to instead, drive around your 2010 Prius, which you essentially got for free, and feel that same sense of pride, maybe even a superior sense of pride, without having to spend $500,000?
Feeling *superior* pride?
Once again, let me never forget… Then saying sense of pride and joy I had, buying my own car, my dream car… 1991 Nissan Sentra SE-R, two door coupe stick shift 5 speed manual, and having the pride that I paid for it myself, modified it myself, did all the labor myself, and also the insane pride that it wasn’t manual transmission not a automatic (auto-tragic haha)!
It must have manual
Even Seneca and I joke; whenever you see a race car or a sports car that has buttons or is automatic, which doesn’t have a manual transmission… It is a fake race car or a fake sports car! McLaren, Lamborghini most Porsche 911 GT3 RS’, Ferraris etc.
Better to have a civic type R in stick shift, or even a GR Corolla, stick shift, instead of any of these other loser cars?
Changing the oil in your 2010 Toyota Prius is a manageable task you can perform at home with the right tools and precautions. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you through the process.
Materials Needed:
• Engine Oil: Approximately 4.4 quarts of 0W-20 synthetic motor oil
• Oil Filter: New oil filter compatible with a 2010 Prius
• Drain Pan: To catch the old oil
• Wrenches:
• 14mm socket wrench for the drain plug
• Oil filter wrench
• Funnel: For adding new oil
• Jack and Jack Stands or Ramps: To lift and secure the vehicle
• Protective Gear: Gloves and safety glasses
• Rags or Paper Towels: For cleaning spills
Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Prepare the Vehicle:
• Park on a level surface and turn off the engine.
• Engage the parking brake to prevent the car from moving.
• Open the hood and remove the oil filler cap to allow air to circulate.
2. Warm Up the Engine (Optional):
• Start the engine and let it run for about 5 minutes to warm the oil, making it easier to drain.
• Turn off the engine before proceeding.
3. Lift the Vehicle:
• Use a jack to lift the front of the car and place it securely on jack stands. Alternatively, drive the car onto ramps.
• Ensure the vehicle is stable before getting underneath.
4. Locate the Oil Drain Plug and Filter:
• Crawl under the vehicle and find the oil pan at the bottom of the engine.
• The drain plug is a bolt on the oil pan’s bottom edge.
• The oil filter is located nearby; consult your owner’s manual if needed.
5. Drain the Old Oil:
• Place the drain pan beneath the drain plug.
• Use the 14mm socket wrench to carefully loosen and remove the drain plug.
• Allow the oil to drain completely into the pan (this may take several minutes).
• Inspect the drain plug washer for damage; replace it if necessary.
• Reinstall the drain plug and tighten securely (do not over-tighten).
6. Replace the Oil Filter:
• Position the drain pan under the oil filter to catch any residual oil.
• Use the oil filter wrench to loosen and remove the old filter.
• Prepare the new filter by applying a thin layer of new oil to the rubber gasket.
• Install the new filter by hand, turning it until it’s snug. Do not over-tighten.
7. Lower the Vehicle:
• Safely remove the jack stands and lower the car back to the ground.
8. Add New Oil:
• Insert the funnel into the oil filler hole.
• Pour in approximately 4.4 quarts of the 0W-20 synthetic motor oil.
• Replace the oil filler cap securely.
9. Check the Oil Level:
• Start the engine and let it run for a minute to circulate the new oil.
• Turn off the engine and wait a few minutes.
• Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, reinsert it fully, and then pull it out again to check the oil level.
• Ensure the oil level is between the “Min†and “Max†marks on the dipstick. Add more oil if necessary.
10. Clean Up and Dispose of Old Oil:
• Wipe down any spilled oil from the engine and surrounding areas.
• Pour the used oil into a seal-able container.
• Recycle the old oil and filter at an authorized collection center or auto parts store.
Safety Tips:
• Never work under a vehicle supported only by a jack; always use jack stands.
• Wear protective gear to prevent skin contact with used oil.
• Dispose of used oil properly to protect the environment.
Additional Information:
• Maintenance Schedule: Toyota recommends changing the oil every 5,000 to 10,000 miles or every 6 to 12 months, depending on driving conditions.
• Owner’s Manual: Always refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual for specific details and torque specifications.
• Warning Signs: If you notice oil leaks or a drop in oil level between changes, consult a professional mechanic.
If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask!
….
Changing the oil in a 2010 Toyota Prius is a fairly straightforward process, and you can do it at home with the right tools and precautions. Here’s an overview of the key steps involved:
Tools & Supplies:
• 14mm socket for the oil drain plug.
• 64mm oil filter wrench with 14 flutes.
• Torque wrench (for tightening the drain plug and oil filter).
• A new oil filter (e.g., Toyota 04152-YZZA6).
• Crush washer for the drain plug.
• 0W-20 synthetic oil (typically around 4 quarts).
• Jack, jack stands, and an oil catch pan.
Steps:
1. Warm up the engine by running it for about 10 minutes to help the oil drain more easily.
2. Lift the vehicle using a jack and support it securely with jack stands. Make sure you’re working on a flat, stable surface. Engage the emergency brake and block the rear wheels for added safety.
3. Remove the service panel: Underneath the front passenger side, you’ll find a small access panel (marked “For Serviceâ€). Remove the fasteners to open it and access the oil drain bolt and filter .
4. Drain the oil: Position your oil catch pan under the oil pan. Use the 14mm socket to remove the drain bolt and let the oil drain out completely. Replace the crush washer on the drain bolt before reinstalling it and torque it to around 28 ft-lbs .
5. Replace the oil filter: Use the 64mm oil filter wrench to remove the oil filter cap. Replace the filter and the O-ring, lubricating the new O-ring with some fresh oil. Tighten the oil filter cap to about 18 ft-lbs .
6. Refill with oil: After lowering the car, pour in about 4 quarts of 0W-20 synthetic oil into the engine. Reinsert the oil filler cap and check the dipstick to ensure proper oil levels .
7. Check for leaks: Start the engine and let it run for a few minutes. Check underneath for any leaks around the drain plug and oil filter.
Lastly, dispose of the used oil properly by taking it to a recycling facility.
This process takes about 30-45 minutes if you’re familiar with basic car maintenance. Be sure to follow all safety precautions, especially when jacking up the car .
Another big idea on my mind; the idea of evolution.
So, the question is… Do you want to remain a Charmander, or level one forever, or do you want to become the Charizard, get the Firestone, and level up to 99, level 255 and beyond?
Another paradigm shift; do you remember when we were kids we were used to watch the who wants to be a millionaire, and the goal was to become a millionaire. But now if you’re a millionaire, you might be able to buy half of a decent condo somewhere in LA. Even nowadays, it is not uncommon to see single-family homes in Culver City sell for $3.2 million.
And also I was shocked; I think Elon Musk is currently worth $270 billion? Even a decade ago, the idea that somebody could become a billionaire seems impossible, but now… A centi billionaire? I wouldn’t be shocked if in a decade he becomes a trillionaire. 
Paradigm shift
I recall when I was in Vietnam, around 2017… I started to first track bitcoin, windows around $300 a bitcoin. At the time, maybe the reason I didn’t buy it or invest in it because I didn’t really have a good reason to. I had already achieved my financial independence, And retired at the ripe age of 28 years old.
In fact, she found that when I’m talking to people in LA, the greatest sign of success actually is just half jokingly tell people that I’ve been retired since I was 20 years old? And that I’m 36 years old right now and I’m still retired?
I think typically, maybe the general idea of being retired is the point in which you no longer concern yourself with money, and that making money is an optional thing, maybe like a pastime game a hobby… But not an imperative; which means you don’t need to work in order to pay the rent or the bills or the mortgage. 
Anyways, now that bitcoin is trading at around $66,000 a bitcoin, even when I first got into the game in around 2018 at around six to $7000 a bitcoin, I’ve already gone through them multiple roller coaster the emotional roller coaster many times over. And as a consequence, I’m not really concerned about prices anymore. Why? Because I’m playing the long game; 10 20, 30 years from now.
Seeing my mom become a great grandmother?
A new random life trajectory and goal; maybe wanting to have my mom live until my son Seneca gets married, and has a kid of his own?
That would be wild, my mom is currently around 70, and assuming that even on the aggressive case, he might have a kid at the age of 33… My mom has to live at least another 30 years, ideally healthy and full of physical figure and mental consciousness.
Than 30 years from now, I will be 66 years old… Still in my prime period and Seneca will be 33 years old.
30 year cycles?
Maybe this becomes interesting to me because a generation is 30 years. Cindy and I got married on paper when we were 24… And now that this upcoming December I guess we are celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary! Pretty wild.
Anyways, then thinking about your kid and their future becomes quite easy and straightforward. I think maybe a lot of the modern day malaise that people suffer is that they have nothing to live for; because they are not married, they don’t have kids, nor do they intend to have kids.
I get it, some people never find the right partner, some people with good hearts end up going through bad marriages and getting divorced two or three times, some people might physiologically be too old to bear children. But assuming that you are a healthy able bodied person, I almost feel like there’s no reason to not have a kid.
I think the big secret is raising a kid is actually honestly not that hard. Certainly in the early years, the first six months, is very physical psychologically painful, but then again, I would imagine that navy seal training might be 100 times harder.
And for everyone who’s concerned that their kid is going to end up being screwed up or whatever… No. Why? Because you yourself are well adjusted, you yourself have good morals and ethics, which means that your kid will be fine.
Also… Maybe something I need to rally against is this alarmism, like the world is going to melt or whatever. A decade ago they called this global warming, and now they call climate change or now they talk about the carbon footprint or something? The verbiage in the lingo always changes, but the general idea of the world going to overpopulate and exploit has been going on for millennia; The Malthus fallacy.
I think what a lot of these fools and goody two shoers don’t understand is that technology, human ingenuity is not linear or scalar, which means, the planet is not zero sum.
For example, people talk about the carbon footprint blah blah blah but they never actually critically give it any thought. Now that we have ChatGPT at our hands and we can search this information in real time, what I discovered is the concentration of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere is currently .0421%, in 30 years ago in 1993 it was approximately .0357%,,, which means that the percentage point increase of carbon dioxide levels in the last 30 year was was only .0064% percentage points? 
The current concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere is 0.0421%, and 30 years ago, in 1993, it was approximately 0.0357%. This represents a 0.0064 percentage point increase in CO₂ levels over the past 30 years
Honestly, all of this hysteria about the carbon footprint, I think it is just another way for these vegan solar power plant corporations to make a quick buck.  or even worse, politicians to sign certain things to enrich in themselves and their buddies, behind back doors.
In fact, if I could tell you with 100% certainty that 5000 years from now, the planet will be fine, it might be 20% worse than it is right now, 20% better, or about the same as it is in the year 2024… Would that change how you live your life?
what is in our control, what is not in our control?
I think the first thing to consider is things like climate change or plan change or whatever is certainly not really in our locus of control. Certainly things you could do  is like thinking about tailpipe mission; if you have ever smelled a car without a catalytic converter attached, you know how toxic it is. Or the secondhand cigarette smell smoke, also very toxic. Or secondhand marijuana smoke, which I also hate.
Anyways, I think the big idea here is try to just focus on things which you could control, where you could actually make a meaningful impact, rather than trying to save the whole “planet“? Which seems to be kind of a ridiculous goal? 
