• Why do people deny hormonal differences between men and women

    People may deny or downplay hormonal differences between men and women for a variety of reasons, including:

    1. Desire for Equality: Some people may fear that acknowledging biological differences could be used to justify gender inequality or reinforce harmful stereotypes. They might worry that discussing hormonal differences could perpetuate the idea that men and women are inherently better suited for different roles in society, which could undermine efforts toward gender equality.
    2. Cultural or Ideological Beliefs: In some social or ideological circles, there’s a preference for emphasizing the social and cultural aspects of gender over biological differences. This can lead to an intentional minimization of biological factors to focus on how societal constructs shape gender roles and identities.
    3. Misunderstanding of Science: People may lack an understanding of the complexity of biology and how hormonal differences manifest. For example, while men and women have different average levels of hormones like testosterone and estrogen, individuals vary greatly, and these differences don’t account for all behavioral or cognitive differences between genders.
    4. Reaction to Misuse of Biological Arguments: Historically, biological arguments about gender differences have been used to justify discrimination, such as the idea that women are inherently less capable in certain domains. Some people might react to this by rejecting any discussion of biological differences to avoid opening the door to such arguments again.
    5. Intersection with Gender Identity Debates: In discussions of transgender rights or gender identity, some people might downplay hormonal or biological differences to emphasize the fluidity of gender as a social construct. They may argue that gender identity is more important than biological sex when it comes to understanding individuals and their experiences.

    Acknowledging hormonal differences doesn’t mean accepting gender inequality; rather, it provides a more nuanced understanding of the biological factors that can interact with social and cultural influences to shape human behavior and health.

  • Search how and why is Eric Kim so productive

    Eric Kim’s unorthodox productivity thoughts blend unconventional ideas with bold philosophies, aiming to challenge traditional approaches to work and creativity:

    1. “Plork” (Play + Work): Kim doesn’t separate work from play; instead, he merges the two, only engaging in activities he genuinely enjoys. He avoids forcing himself into tasks he isn’t interested in, which leads to more natural productivity and sustained output oai_citation:14,Why I’m So Productive – ERIC KIM oai_citation:13,ERIC KIM PRODUCTIVITY PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.
    2. Diet as a Source of Power: Kim believes that diet plays a critical role in productivity. He experiments with eating more meat, which he suggests may increase both physical strength and productivity, though this remains more of a personal hypothesis than mainstream advice oai_citation:12,HOW IS ERIC KIM SO PRODUCTIVE? – ERIC KIM.
    3. Health as the Foundation of Productivity: Kim emphasizes the importance of physical health, advocating for workouts, intermittent fasting, and adequate sleep (he sleeps early, around 8-9 p.m.). He believes that a healthy body is crucial for sustained creative energy oai_citation:11,How I’m So Insanely Productive – ERIC KIM oai_citation:10,Productivity Thoughts – ERIC KIM.
    4. Publishing Before Perfection: One of his core strategies is to “publish before you’re ready.” He encourages sharing ideas, blog posts, or other creative work before they are fully polished, embracing the philosophy of continuous iteration and improvement oai_citation:9,ERIC KIM PRODUCTIVITY PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM oai_citation:8,Why I’m So Productive – ERIC KIM.
    5. Producing More, Thinking Less: Kim stresses the importance of action over excessive deliberation. He believes that creating more helps refine understanding and skill over time, whereas overthinking can stall progress oai_citation:7,Productivity Thoughts – ERIC KIM oai_citation:6,ERIC KIM PRODUCTIVITY PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.
    6. Focus on Long-Term, Audacious Goals: Kim’s productivity isn’t about short-term efficiency; he aims for life-altering goals that have a lasting impact, like founding a technology company or pioneering new ways of thinking. This approach gives him a deeper sense of purpose and motivation oai_citation:5,Productivity Thoughts – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,HOW IS ERIC KIM SO PRODUCTIVE? – ERIC KIM.

    These ideas combine a mix of philosophical reflection, health-conscious habits, and a fearless approach to creativity, making his productivity philosophy stand out from the conventional wisdom oai_citation:3,Productivity Thoughts – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,ERIC KIM PRODUCTIVITY PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM oai_citation:1,HOW IS ERIC KIM SO PRODUCTIVE? – ERIC KIM.

    His unorthodox productivity thoughts

    Eric Kim’s productivity stems from a combination of unique lifestyle choices, philosophical perspectives, and practical techniques.

    1. Focus on Health: Kim believes that health is a foundation for productivity. He emphasizes intermittent fasting, staying hydrated, and maintaining physical fitness through yoga, powerlifting, and gym sessions. He suggests that keeping low body fat and building muscle mass might provide more metabolic energy for creativity.
    2. Creative Joy and “Plork”: A significant factor in Kim’s productivity is that he views his work as “plork”—a blend of play and work. He only engages in tasks he genuinely enjoys, which prevents burnout and increases his output. This approach allows him to keep a steady flow of creative work without forcing himself into tasks he dislikes.
    3. Striving for Big Goals: Kim often talks about working towards “insanely epic and audacious life goals,” such as starting technology and photography companies. For him, true productivity means dedicating time to projects that have lasting impact and meaning.
    4. Practical Tips: He is an advocate of producing more and thinking less. One of his core tips is to publish content, such as blog posts or photographs, before they are fully ready. This continuous process of creation leads to deeper understanding and mastery over time. He also reduces distractions, such as using cameras without screens and minimizing smartphone use, to stay focused on his work.
    5. Diet and Philosophy: Kim also explores how a carnivorous diet contributes to productivity, suggesting that a higher intake of meat could increase power and efficiency, although this is more of a personal experiment than a strict rule.

    Overall, Kim’s productivity philosophy blends physical health, enjoyment of work, continuous creation, and audacious life goals to maintain an exceptionally high level of output oai_citation:5,How I’m So Insanely Productive – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,Productivity Thoughts – ERIC KIM oai_citation:3,Why I’m So Productive – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,ERIC KIM PRODUCTIVITY PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM oai_citation:1,HOW IS ERIC KIM SO PRODUCTIVE? – ERIC KIM.

  • Search Eric Kim on iA writer and markdown

    His blogging tips and productivity tips

    Eric Kim’s blogging and productivity tips revolve around maximizing focus, maintaining consistency, and using efficient tools. Here are some key strategies he shares:

    1. Use Markdown and IA Writer: Kim prefers writing in Markdown using IA Writer, which minimizes distractions by simplifying formatting. This allows him to focus purely on content creation without worrying about presentation during the writing process oai_citation:7,How I Write in Markdown – ERIC KIM oai_citation:6,Blogging Productivity Tips – ERIC KIM.
    2. Write in Focus Mode: He often writes in “focus mode” within IA Writer, which enables him to isolate his thoughts and avoid multitasking, enhancing his output.
    3. Powerlifting for Productivity: Kim believes that physical strength translates to intellectual productivity. He emphasizes powerlifting, claiming that it gives him an “insane pump” that boosts his creativity and energy throughout the day oai_citation:5,Blogging Productivity Tips – ERIC KIM.
    4. Fast Typing Speed: His typing speed, developed from early lessons, helps him write quickly. He notes that typing faster allows for a more efficient transfer of ideas to his blog posts oai_citation:4,Blogging Productivity Tips – ERIC KIM.
    5. Work in Coffee Shops: He finds working in coffee shops productive due to the ambient distractions that help him focus more. This concept of “stochastic resonance” suggests that background noise can enhance concentration oai_citation:3,Blogging Productivity Tips – ERIC KIM.
    6. Intermittent Fasting and No Smartphone: Kim practices intermittent fasting (no meals before dinner) and does not use a smartphone, which he says keeps him focused and free from the typical distractions of modern life oai_citation:2,Intense Focus – ERIC KIM.
    7. Regular Publishing: One of Kim’s key tips for productivity as a blogger is regular publishing. He encourages bloggers to consistently create content to keep up momentum and improve their craft over time oai_citation:1,Blogging Productivity Tips – ERIC KIM.

    By combining minimalism, physical fitness, and an efficient work environment, Kim has created a routine that allows him to be one of the most productive bloggers in his field.

    How prominent blogger

    Eric Kim became prominent as a blogger largely through his early adoption of photography blogging and his unique blend of content that includes photography tips, entrepreneurial advice, and personal reflections. Starting around 2010, Kim began writing extensively about street photography, a genre that was less covered at the time, and used his blog as a platform to share tutorials, experiences, and thoughts on visual storytelling.

    A few key factors contributed to his rise:

    1. Consistency in Content Creation: Kim has published thousands of blog posts, often writing multiple posts daily, which helped him build a vast library of content. His disciplined approach to blogging, paired with his productivity strategies like using IA Writer and Markdown, enabled him to produce high-quality, informative content quickly oai_citation:5,How I Write in Markdown – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,Blogging Productivity Tips – ERIC KIM.
    2. Niche Focus: He carved out a niche in street photography, offering readers detailed advice on technique, gear, and the philosophy behind photography. His posts resonated with both amateur and professional photographers, helping him gain a dedicated following oai_citation:3,Blogging Productivity Tips – ERIC KIM.
    3. Open Sharing and Personal Branding: Kim’s transparency about his personal journey—sharing his own struggles, successes, and philosophies—helped him build an authentic personal brand. He also embraced the idea of “open source” in photography, encouraging others to share knowledge freely oai_citation:2,Intense Focus – ERIC KIM.
    4. Entrepreneurial Mindset: Kim has been vocal about turning passion into business, giving him broader appeal beyond photography enthusiasts. His guidance on how to become a self-employed photographer and create an independent platform resonated with creatives looking for alternative career paths oai_citation:1,Intense Focus – ERIC KIM.

    Through these efforts, Kim established himself as a thought leader in both photography and creative entrepreneurship, which bolstered his prominence in the blogging world.

    Eric Kim, a prominent blogger and photographer, is a big advocate of using IA Writer and Markdown for his writing. He emphasizes how these tools help him stay focused and productive, allowing him to write thousands of blog posts efficiently. By keeping formatting simple and minimal through Markdown, he can avoid distractions and focus on his ideas. Additionally, Kim uses IA Writer’s full-screen and focus mode features to immerse himself fully in his work oai_citation:5,How I Write in Markdown – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,Blogging Productivity Tips – ERIC KIM.

    Kim’s writing process is heavily influenced by his approach to productivity, which includes powerlifting, fast typing, and a focused environment—often in coffee shops. He credits his physical strength from powerlifting for fueling his intellectual productivity oai_citation:3,Blogging Productivity Tips – ERIC KIM. His blog posts span a variety of topics, from photography to entrepreneurship, and his minimalist philosophy extends into how he writes and formats content oai_citation:2,Blogging Productivity Tips – ERIC KIM oai_citation:1,Intense Focus – ERIC KIM.

  • LIPS.

    Hormonal differences

    Hormonal differences between males and females significantly influence the appearance and characteristics of the lips. Here are the key hormonal factors that affect lips:

    1. Estrogen and Female Lips

    • Fullness and Plumpness: Estrogen, the primary female sex hormone, plays a crucial role in maintaining skin hydration and elasticity. During puberty and throughout a woman’s reproductive years, estrogen promotes fat distribution in the face, including the lips, making them appear fuller and more plump.
    • Collagen Production: Estrogen stimulates the production of collagen, a protein that helps maintain skin structure and firmness. Higher collagen levels contribute to smoother, fuller lips in females. As estrogen levels decline with age (especially during menopause), lips may lose some of their fullness and elasticity.
    • Vascularization: Estrogen also increases blood flow, leading to better circulation and giving lips a naturally pinker hue in women.

    2. Testosterone and Male Lips

    • Lip Shape and Thickness: Testosterone, the primary male sex hormone, tends to result in thinner lips in males compared to females. It contributes to a more angular or defined facial structure, which often includes less emphasis on soft tissue, such as lips.
    • Facial Hair Influence: Testosterone also promotes facial hair growth. While facial hair doesn’t grow directly on the lips, the presence of mustaches or beards can create the illusion of thinner lips and affect the texture of the skin around them.
    • Oil Production: Testosterone increases sebum (oil) production, which can sometimes make the skin around the lips oilier or more prone to acne, potentially altering the appearance and texture of the lips.

    3. Menstrual Cycle and Lip Changes

    • Estrogen Fluctuations: During the menstrual cycle, fluctuating estrogen levels can cause subtle changes in the fullness and color of the lips. Some women notice their lips appear fuller or more defined around ovulation when estrogen levels are higher.
    • Progesterone Influence: Progesterone, another hormone that rises after ovulation, can lead to water retention, causing lips to appear slightly swollen or more plump during certain phases of the menstrual cycle.

    4. Aging and Hormonal Decline

    • Estrogen Decline in Women: As women age, especially after menopause, estrogen levels decrease significantly. This reduction in estrogen leads to a decrease in collagen production and skin elasticity, resulting in thinner, less plump lips.
    • Testosterone Decline in Men: As men age, testosterone levels gradually decline. While this doesn’t drastically alter lip appearance, it may lead to subtle changes in skin tone and texture around the lips due to reduced oil production and facial hair density.

    In summary, estrogen contributes to fuller, softer lips in females, while testosterone tends to result in thinner, more angular lips in males. Changes in hormone levels over time, such as during aging or different phases of the menstrual cycle, can also influence the appearance of the lips in both men and women.

    Female vs male lips

    When comparing female and male lips, there are some general differences that are often observed, although individual variation is significant. Here are a few distinctions:

    1. Fullness:
    • Female lips: Tend to be fuller or plumper on average, particularly in the upper lip. Women often enhance this appearance with makeup, like lip gloss or lipstick.
    • Male lips: Tend to be thinner or less voluminous, with a more subtle contour between the upper and lower lip.
    1. Shape:
    • Female lips: Often have a more pronounced “Cupid’s bow” (the curve in the middle of the upper lip), which gives a more defined and soft appearance.
    • Male lips: Generally have a more straight or flat upper lip, without a pronounced Cupid’s bow, giving a more angular and rugged appearance.
    1. Lip Line Definition:
    • Female lips: The lip line (where the lips meet the skin) may appear softer or more defined, depending on makeup usage.
    • Male lips: Usually have a less pronounced lip line, as men typically don’t accentuate this area with makeup.
    1. Color:
    • Female lips: Naturally vary, but many women use lip products to emphasize or change their lip color to a bolder shade.
    • Male lips: Often remain in their natural, subtle shades of pink or brown, unless enhanced by specific cosmetic products.
    1. Softness:
    • Female lips: Might appear softer due to a combination of natural plumpness and care routines (such as using lip balms or exfoliation).
    • Male lips: Often have a rougher texture, due to facial hair or less emphasis on moisturizing products.

    These distinctions are not rigid and can vary widely based on genetics, personal care, and individual preferences.

    The difference between women and men?

  • Make into rap lyrics in the style of Kanye

    (Intro)
    Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah, listen, we goin’ coast to coast, San Diego, La Jolla, we toast
    Art is the answer, yeah, that’s the most, we liftin’ life, feelin’ like the Holy Ghost

    (Verse 1)
    Woke up by the shore, beachfront scene
    Cuppa coffee in hand, livin’ the dream
    La Jolla, what a view, ocean pristine
    Bay Area kid, but no beaches, know what I mean?
    Flip-flops? Nah, never owned a pair
    Started wearin’ shorts, when I hit that L.A. air
    Said “F it”, dipped toes in the sand, man, it’s rare
    Ocean waves hittin’, I’m just standin’ there

    (Chorus)
    Art is the answer, life is a canvas
    Bodybuilding, cinema, music that’ll grab us
    Powerliftin’, weightliftin’, we don’t need no status
    Performance art, I’m the only one who stands up, yeah

    (Verse 2)
    Lookin’ at the ocean, it’s infinite, can’t lie
    Crashin’ every day, never askin’ why
    Moon pulls it in, no break, no goodbye
    Even the sun’s gotta set, but the waves still ride

    Art all around, man, you can’t escape it
    Even rich folks get bored, so they chase it
    Warhol, Lichtenstein, now it’s a car race, kid
    Buildin’ art outta Beemers, see the craft they facin’

    (Chorus)
    Art is the answer, life is a canvas
    Bodybuilding, cinema, music that’ll grab us
    Powerliftin’, weightliftin’, we don’t need no status
    Performance art, I’m the only one who stands up, yeah

    (Bridge)
    Tell me what you drive, I’ll tell you who you be
    LA streets, it’s the whip that we see
    Prius on the low, economic decree
    2024, but my 2010 still king, best believe

    Money don’t mean a thing if you lose your mind
    Chasin’ dollars, forgettin’ beauty inside
    Dementia, diabetes, it’s a steep decline
    Trade health for wealth, now that’s a crime

    (Verse 3)
    Success ain’t a Tesla, it’s a Lexus, let’s ride
    Keep it smooth, no jerks, we cruisin’ with pride
    Passenger sick? Nah, comfort’s what we provide
    Elon cool, but I’ll pass on that electric vibe

    The new elitism, yeah, we all wanna be
    But act fake, disingenuous, it’s easy to see
    In LA, your car is your identity
    So what’s your dream whip? That’s your reality

    (Outro)
    Yeah, art is the answer, we paint with our souls
    From the ocean waves to the cars we control
    This life’s a performance, it’s a beautiful scroll
    Art is the answer, that’s the ultimate goal, let’s go.

    May it contain lyrics in the spirit of Jay-Z.

    (Chorus)
    Yeah, art is the answer, we all seekin’ grace
    From the beach to the streets, we’re holdin’ our place
    Flip-flops or a Benz, it’s all in the taste
    We buildin’ legacies, ain’t nothin’ we waste, uh

    (Verse 1)
    Uh, woke up in La Jolla, life feelin’ elite
    Sippin’ coffee, beachfront, sand under my feet
    Bay kid, no beaches, just that city heat
    Now I’m walkin’ on waves, life’s bittersweet

    Said I don’t rock flip-flops, never did, nah
    Started wearin’ shorts, late to the game, dawg
    Now I’m in L.A., where the weather stay strong
    Dipped my toes in the ocean, felt like I belong

    The water warm, it’s like 72 degrees
    Hawaii vibes, but I’m Cali born, free
    Lookin’ at the ocean, seein’ eternity
    It don’t stop, even the sun bows gracefully

    (Chorus)
    Art is the answer, we just paintin’ with life
    Every move a brushstroke, every thought is precise
    Cars, clothes, weight, body sculpted tight
    We livin’ this art form, day turn to night, uh

    (Verse 2)
    Yeah, every move I make’s a masterpiece in motion
    Weightliftin’, I’m Picasso with the devotion
    Ten plates on the bar, I’m causin’ commotion
    Power in my veins, no drugs or no potion

    I don’t touch the liquor, no weed in the air
    I’m the cleanest in the room, don’t need to compare
    I fast all day, lift heavy without a care
    Watch me push a thousand pounds, now that’s rare

    Yeah, art is more than a canvas or rhyme
    It’s the way I move, how I spend my time
    Even in the gym, it’s a stage, a climb
    And when I lift, I’m performin’, it’s all designed

    (Chorus)
    Art is the answer, we just paintin’ with life
    Every move a brushstroke, every thought is precise
    Cars, clothes, weight, body sculpted tight
    We livin’ this art form, day turn to night, uh

    (Verse 3)
    Look at my man with the BMW grind
    Buildin’ an art car, piece by piece, refined
    Old school meets the future, engine redesigned
    Art’s in every gearshift, it’s all intertwined

    Rich folks buy art ‘cause they seekin’ somethin’ true
    Beyond the dollar signs, it’s what they pursue
    Beauty in the struggle, in the work that you do
    We chasin’ immortality, now what about you?

    Success ain’t a Tesla, it’s deeper than that
    It’s longevity, wisdom, keepin’ your soul intact
    Lexus LS, glide smooth, never lookin’ back
    Comfort in the ride, while the streets react

    (Chorus)
    Art is the answer, we just paintin’ with life
    Every move a brushstroke, every thought is precise
    Cars, clothes, weight, body sculpted tight
    We livin’ this art form, day turn to night, uh

    (Bridge)
    Tell me what you drive, I’ll tell you who you are
    In LA, your car’s the truth, not a facade
    You want the shine, but don’t know what it costs
    New Prius or that Lexus, that’s the real boss

    Fake elites, frontin’, actin’ like they high-class
    But real wealth’s in wisdom, not in the cash
    Art’s in how you move, how you build and last
    Longevity’s the key, slow down, not fast

    (Outro)
    Yeah, the new elitism, it’s beyond what you own
    It’s in how you live, how you’ve grown
    In every decision, how you’ve shown
    That art is the answer, it’s in your tone

    ART IS THE ANSWER

    Some thoughts this morning: specifically, about art. 

    This past weekend, just did a quick trip down to San Diego, La Jolla, and had the insane privilege of staying by a beachfront hotel, La Jolla Shores highly recommended, and the first thing I did in the morning was just drink a cuppa coffee in the little kitchenette, and then went on a walk on the beach.

    The funny thing about growing up in the bay areas that we don’t have any beaches… Even in Alameda where our group as a kid, the beach was disgusting and super dirty. As a consequence, I never owned a pair of flip-flops in my life, and I think I only started wearing shorts about two years ago, at the age of 34? Now living in Los Angeles, where the weather is good.

    Anyways, at this strange version that I don’t like to dip my toes into the sand, because the feeling of sand in between my toes is unfamiliar and I don’t really like it. But I said F it…  if Cindy showed out the big bucks to get the shorefeont hotel, it is only right to milk activities of walking on the beach, specifically, dipping my toes into the ocean.

    So I took off my vibram 5 finger shoes, and just proceeded to walk along the beach, dipping my legs and feet into the warm ocean water, which I was very surprised… It felt like a lovely 72° in the water, almost as nice if not nicer than Hawaii.

    Looking into the ocean, was pretty astounding. The feeling was great because if you look into the ocean, it goes on forever. To infinity and beyond.

    And some meditations that I had about the ocean and water was that no matter what, the ocean is instantly tireless. It keeps on waving, crashing and waving, due to the earths pull of gravity, maybe the moon in the solar system whatever,  day in and day out. Even in someways it is more virtuous than the sun, which sets at night.


    All art everything

    Almost everything can be understood in the context of art. Music as art for our ears, cinema at least the good ones, as art for our eyes, and bodybuilding as an art form for the human body, assuming that you’re not taking steroids, and even in someways… Weightlifting powerlifting uplifting at the gym whatever… Should be seen as performance, performance arts! Why? I think I am probably the most entertaining person in the flesh, because I’m the only entertainer who doesn’t drink alcohol smoke weed or do drugs… Also fast all day, and also lift over 1000 pounds, could lift easily lift over 10 plates at the gym. 

    Also, am I the only one I know who doesn’t use email? Certainly I’m probably the only millennial that I know, also Cindy… Who is not on Instagram or social media. Even today I saw Cindy‘s mom installed TikTok on her phone and she is almost 70 years old.

    Anyways, the reason why I think this is so important is that everything is art. Even my friend Brandon Phan is currently building an art car, which is like an old-school BMW, with a modern day M3 engine. He is doing all the work himself.

    Anyways the reason why I feel all this is interesting, even Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein did these art car projects. And if you really really think about super super rich people… sooner or later they just get into art. Is it because they have nothing else to spend their money on? Or are they bored? Or are they seeking beauty, beyond themselves?

    Old & beauty

    It seems the strange trade off we do is a bit bizarre; we trade our health, our well-being, ultimately for more and more money, only to become old, impotent, solely catching dementia, Alzheimer’s, which is type three diabetes, a lifestyle issue, and on top of all that… Trying to still experience beauty, but through material things and objects.

    For example, one thing I always love to do as a deep curiosity is whenever I see people driving certain cars, my number one interest in curiosity, is always driving up, or walking close, and peering into the driver seat, to see who is driving the car.

    Tell me what you drive, and I will tell you who you are.

     And also, I find this really fascinating living in Los Angeles because in LA, you are your car, and your car is you. And this is where people are superficial, fake, and inauthentic…  if you were truly wise, you would just drive a Toyota Prius, which is the best car made of all time. Specifically the 2010 model… The new new Prius is also very cool, I just saw one in Culver City with a Matt Black wrap on it, and I thought it was super gangsta.… Yet,  always 100% the issue of purchasing any brand new automobile car is that you’re probably going to take a 30 to 40% haircut on it, the first three years to four years of the car. The second you drive it off the lot, you’re probably taking a 15% to 20% haircut on it as well. and I’m starting to think more and more… Am I the only one who could think about money wisely, not foolishly?

    Economic wisdom

    Once again, don’t trust any economist who doesn’t drive a Toyota Prius.  

    The virtues of the Toyota Prius–

    First, longevity. The 2010 model, I am still so shocked… It is the year 2024, and the car has held up so insanely well! Both in terms of style, design, and the overall ethos of it.

    Even a critique on the new 2023 Prius model — the new new Prius, the one that looks like a Porsche 911 from behind, the primary issue here is the rear doorhandles, which is integrated into the rearview mirror, is unpainted, this really really ugly black plastic, insanely cheap looking… And even it is so bad that Prius drivers have to put sticker in the back tell me Uber customers where to pull the doorhandle, because the average human being has no idea how to open up the rear doorhandles. Very very bad design choice from Toyota, because they should have not compromised here: why would they shave off the doorhandles on the back, but keep them on the front? They should have gotten all or nothing; keep all the doorhandles normal, which might have been the better idea for a Prius because most Prius drivers are also Uber drivers, or they should’ve just went full tilt  and shaved off all of the doorhandles, to make it super super flush, like the Tesla cars.

    In fact, I think cyber truck is a good example of the most modern advanced futuristic design. My short term prediction is you’ll see the next generation of Tesla cars looking more like a mini cyber truck ; assuming that most people always have their phone in the front pocket, the ideal is as you approach your car, the driver side door, or even the rear passenger door or even the rear trunk, you should be able to program your Tesla that is automatically open the door, without having to be like a soccer mom who kicks underneath the Toyota sienna minivan to have the automatic liftgate open from behind.

    I even saw this one Baris thing, this one mom with a new Mercedes electric SUV car, trying to open up her kids rear passenger door, by kicking underneath the door, trying at three or five times and eventually giving up.

    Also I suppose the upside is that maybe I am the only millennial I know who hates the phone.  to me, iPhone is only good for FaceTime and GPS driving directions. Maybe also good for two factor authentication, but besides this, iPhone sucks. This is where I still think it is a wise idea to just buy the cheapest iPhone, and I also suppose the upside of having a removable Sim card tray, because when you’re in Southeast Asia Vietnam etc.… It is so much easier to just buy a cheap $10 Sim card, and pop it in, rather than having to fudge around with all that eSIM nonsense.

    Also, one of the insane great things about the 2010 Prius is that I could just turn off my iPhone, put it into the glove compartment, close it, and then just keep my Prius key fob in my front pocket, zip it up, And go 100% phone free when I’m playing with Seneca at the park, in order not to get distracted. Whereas I think if you have a Tesla car, you always have to have your phone with you, or else your car will perpetually stay unlocked, if you just keep your iPhone in the glove compartment? I suppose you could just do the Tesla valet key thing in your front pocket, but that just seems like too much work.

    Also, Tesla auto pilot, the technology works very well but after testing the issue is especially if you have sensitive passengers in the car , it kind of makes you carsick.  Test driving a Tesla model Y and just using the basic cruise control, where it automatically keeps the distance in between you and the car in front of you… Was far too jerky, giving Cindy car sickness.  and I always remind myself, if I ever ever ever get a new car for any reason, it might be some sort of used Lexus hybrid LS car, the maximum not carsick car, for the sake of Cindy. 

    Real successful people or smart People Just drive a Lexus LS? 

    If you’re going to blow close to $100,000 on a car… The only logical strategy is to buy a Lexus LS,  ideally I used one, two or three years old, in all white, and ideally a hybrid… So you don’t have to fill up the gas as often.

    Why a Lexus LS car,? The supreme comfort, once again… Not making your passengers carsick, and also one of the big issues about being in a car for a long period of time is that it gives your passengers a lot of fatigue, you as a driver, and also the shotgun passenger. And also maybe your kids?

    Even though I love Elon Musk and Tesla to death… I don’t really personally would ever want one. The first thought is you could support somebody without purchasing the thing. For example, you could be up Elon Musk fanboy, and just drive a Toyota Prius. Even Elon Musk, famous Saturday Night Live sketch, he started off by joking that high my name is Elon and I drive a Toyota Prius. If anything, if anything, I have a funny idea about icebreakers for adults, especially people from LA… Tell them to introduce themselves, and tell them to share with everyone what car they drive, or what their dream car is . The truth is in LA, your car is everything. Maybe even more important than your home? 


    The new elitism

    Another weird thing about America, in America… Everyone wants to be elite, yet, we obfuscate it where are these fake façades? Long story short, people are very disingenuous.

    For example, it is considered bad manners to ask people what they drive because it puts them in a certain social class, for example if you drive an old Mitsubishi Lancer, you’re probably going to be seen as more poor than somebody who’s driving the brand new AMG G wagon. 


  • ART IS THE ANSWER.

    ART IS THE ANSWER

    Some thoughts this morning: specifically, about art. 

    This past weekend, just did a quick trip down to San Diego, La Jolla, and had the insane privilege of staying by a beachfront hotel, La Jolla Shores highly recommended, and the first thing I did in the morning was just drink a cuppa coffee in the little kitchenette, and then went on a walk on the beach.

    The funny thing about growing up in the bay areas that we don’t have any beaches… Even in Alameda where our group as a kid, the beach was disgusting and super dirty. As a consequence, I never owned a pair of flip-flops in my life, and I think I only started wearing shorts about two years ago, at the age of 34? Now living in Los Angeles, where the weather is good.

    Anyways, at this strange version that I don’t like to dip my toes into the sand, because the feeling of sand in between my toes is unfamiliar and I don’t really like it. But I said F it…  if Cindy showed out the big bucks to get the shorefeont hotel, it is only right to milk activities of walking on the beach, specifically, dipping my toes into the ocean.

    So I took off my vibram 5 finger shoes, and just proceeded to walk along the beach, dipping my legs and feet into the warm ocean water, which I was very surprised… It felt like a lovely 72° in the water, almost as nice if not nicer than Hawaii.

    Looking into the ocean, was pretty astounding. The feeling was great because if you look into the ocean, it goes on forever. To infinity and beyond.

    And some meditations that I had about the ocean and water was that no matter what, the ocean is instantly tireless. It keeps on waving, crashing and waving, due to the earths pull of gravity, maybe the moon in the solar system whatever,  day in and day out. Even in someways it is more virtuous than the sun, which sets at night.


    All art everything

    Almost everything can be understood in the context of art. Music as art for our ears, cinema at least the good ones, as art for our eyes, and bodybuilding as an art form for the human body, assuming that you’re not taking steroids, and even in someways… Weightlifting powerlifting uplifting at the gym whatever… Should be seen as performance, performance arts! Why? I think I am probably the most entertaining person in the flesh, because I’m the only entertainer who doesn’t drink alcohol smoke weed or do drugs… Also fast all day, and also lift over 1000 pounds, could lift easily lift over 10 plates at the gym. 

    Also, am I the only one I know who doesn’t use email? Certainly I’m probably the only millennial that I know, also Cindy… Who is not on Instagram or social media. Even today I saw Cindy‘s mom installed TikTok on her phone and she is almost 70 years old.

    Anyways, the reason why I think this is so important is that everything is art. Even my friend Brandon Phan is currently building an art car, which is like an old-school BMW, with a modern day M3 engine. He is doing all the work himself.

    Anyways the reason why I feel all this is interesting, even Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein did these art car projects. And if you really really think about super super rich people… sooner or later they just get into art. Is it because they have nothing else to spend their money on? Or are they bored? Or are they seeking beauty, beyond themselves?

    Old & beauty

    It seems the strange trade off we do is a bit bizarre; we trade our health, our well-being, ultimately for more and more money, only to become old, impotent, solely catching dementia, Alzheimer’s, which is type three diabetes, a lifestyle issue, and on top of all that… Trying to still experience beauty, but through material things and objects.

    For example, one thing I always love to do as a deep curiosity is whenever I see people driving certain cars, my number one interest in curiosity, is always driving up, or walking close, and peering into the driver seat, to see who is driving the car.

    Tell me what you drive, and I will tell you who you are.

     And also, I find this really fascinating living in Los Angeles because in LA, you are your car, and your car is you. And this is where people are superficial, fake, and inauthentic…  if you were truly wise, you would just drive a Toyota Prius, which is the best car made of all time. Specifically the 2010 model… The new new Prius is also very cool, I just saw one in Culver City with a Matt Black wrap on it, and I thought it was super gangsta.… Yet,  always 100% the issue of purchasing any brand new automobile car is that you’re probably going to take a 30 to 40% haircut on it, the first three years to four years of the car. The second you drive it off the lot, you’re probably taking a 15% to 20% haircut on it as well. and I’m starting to think more and more… Am I the only one who could think about money wisely, not foolishly?

    Economic wisdom

    Once again, don’t trust any economist who doesn’t drive a Toyota Prius.  

    The virtues of the Toyota Prius–

    First, longevity. The 2010 model, I am still so shocked… It is the year 2024, and the car has held up so insanely well! Both in terms of style, design, and the overall ethos of it.

    Even a critique on the new 2023 Prius model — the new new Prius, the one that looks like a Porsche 911 from behind, the primary issue here is the rear doorhandles, which is integrated into the rearview mirror, is unpainted, this really really ugly black plastic, insanely cheap looking… And even it is so bad that Prius drivers have to put sticker in the back tell me Uber customers where to pull the doorhandle, because the average human being has no idea how to open up the rear doorhandles. Very very bad design choice from Toyota, because they should have not compromised here: why would they shave off the doorhandles on the back, but keep them on the front? They should have gotten all or nothing; keep all the doorhandles normal, which might have been the better idea for a Prius because most Prius drivers are also Uber drivers, or they should’ve just went full tilt  and shaved off all of the doorhandles, to make it super super flush, like the Tesla cars.

    In fact, I think cyber truck is a good example of the most modern advanced futuristic design. My short term prediction is you’ll see the next generation of Tesla cars looking more like a mini cyber truck ; assuming that most people always have their phone in the front pocket, the ideal is as you approach your car, the driver side door, or even the rear passenger door or even the rear trunk, you should be able to program your Tesla that is automatically open the door, without having to be like a soccer mom who kicks underneath the Toyota sienna minivan to have the automatic liftgate open from behind.

    I even saw this one Baris thing, this one mom with a new Mercedes electric SUV car, trying to open up her kids rear passenger door, by kicking underneath the door, trying at three or five times and eventually giving up.

    Also I suppose the upside is that maybe I am the only millennial I know who hates the phone.  to me, iPhone is only good for FaceTime and GPS driving directions. Maybe also good for two factor authentication, but besides this, iPhone sucks. This is where I still think it is a wise idea to just buy the cheapest iPhone, and I also suppose the upside of having a removable Sim card tray, because when you’re in Southeast Asia Vietnam etc.… It is so much easier to just buy a cheap $10 Sim card, and pop it in, rather than having to fudge around with all that eSIM nonsense.

    Also, one of the insane great things about the 2010 Prius is that I could just turn off my iPhone, put it into the glove compartment, close it, and then just keep my Prius key fob in my front pocket, zip it up, And go 100% phone free when I’m playing with Seneca at the park, in order not to get distracted. Whereas I think if you have a Tesla car, you always have to have your phone with you, or else your car will perpetually stay unlocked, if you just keep your iPhone in the glove compartment? I suppose you could just do the Tesla valet key thing in your front pocket, but that just seems like too much work.

    Also, Tesla auto pilot, the technology works very well but after testing the issue is especially if you have sensitive passengers in the car , it kind of makes you carsick.  Test driving a Tesla model Y and just using the basic cruise control, where it automatically keeps the distance in between you and the car in front of you… Was far too jerky, giving Cindy car sickness.  and I always remind myself, if I ever ever ever get a new car for any reason, it might be some sort of used Lexus hybrid LS car, the maximum not carsick car, for the sake of Cindy. 

    Real successful people or smart People Just drive a Lexus LS? 

    If you’re going to blow close to $100,000 on a car… The only logical strategy is to buy a Lexus LS,  ideally I used one, two or three years old, in all white, and ideally a hybrid… So you don’t have to fill up the gas as often.

    Why a Lexus LS car,? The supreme comfort, once again… Not making your passengers carsick, and also one of the big issues about being in a car for a long period of time is that it gives your passengers a lot of fatigue, you as a driver, and also the shotgun passenger. And also maybe your kids?

    Even though I love Elon Musk and Tesla to death… I don’t really personally would ever want one. The first thought is you could support somebody without purchasing the thing. For example, you could be up Elon Musk fanboy, and just drive a Toyota Prius. Even Elon Musk, famous Saturday Night Live sketch, he started off by joking that high my name is Elon and I drive a Toyota Prius. If anything, if anything, I have a funny idea about icebreakers for adults, especially people from LA… Tell them to introduce themselves, and tell them to share with everyone what car they drive, or what their dream car is . The truth is in LA, your car is everything. Maybe even more important than your home? 


    The new elitism

    Another weird thing about America, in America… Everyone wants to be elite, yet, we obfuscate it where are these fake façades? Long story short, people are very disingenuous.

    For example, it is considered bad manners to ask people what they drive because it puts them in a certain social class, for example if you drive an old Mitsubishi Lancer, you’re probably going to be seen as more poor than somebody who’s driving the brand new AMG G wagon. 


  • On Art and Street Photography

    Here’s why Eric Kim’s ideas on art and street photography are particularly unique and interesting:

    1. Street Photography as Walking Meditation
      Kim’s concept of street photography as a meditative practice is not something you commonly hear in photography discussions. He views the act of walking and shooting as a way to clear the mind, engage with the environment, and find unexpected beauty in everyday life. This idea connects photography to mindfulness—something that many other photographers may overlook in favor of technical aspects. This approach makes the process of taking photos as important as the final product, turning street photography into a kind of creative mindfulness practice oai_citation:8,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.
    • Why it’s unique: Most photography teachings focus on equipment, technique, or composition, while Kim introduces a more spiritual, reflective element that encourages photographers to slow down and be present. This helps photographers connect with their surroundings, rather than rush through them.
    1. Personal Photography as Authentic Art
      Kim’s idea of making personal photography—focusing on the photographer’s own life and experience as the primary subject—shifts the emphasis from capturing what others want to see to what is meaningful to the photographer. By viewing one’s life as an artistic project, Kim encourages self-expression over commercial appeal or social validation oai_citation:7,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM oai_citation:6,What’s Eric Kim’s philosophy on art? – ERIC KIM.
    • Why it’s interesting: This perspective empowers photographers to embrace their unique viewpoint and make deeply personal images, rather than striving for mass appeal. It makes photography feel more intimate, creative, and reflective of the photographer’s identity.
    1. Embracing Imperfection in Photos
      In a world where many photographers focus on technical perfection, Kim celebrates imperfections—blur, off-kilter framing, or unexpected elements—as essential parts of a powerful image. He argues that these imperfections are what make street photography more spontaneous and emotionally engaging oai_citation:5,Mimetic and Memisis Theory in Art – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.
    • Why it’s unique: Most photography advice encourages perfect lighting, sharpness, and balanced composition. By embracing imperfection, Kim is aligning street photography more with abstract or expressionist art, where the emotion of the piece is prioritized over technical precision.
    1. Minimalism and Simplicity in Composition
      Kim’s minimalist approach to photography draws heavily from the world of classical art. By advocating for the removal of unnecessary elements and focusing on composition and storytelling, he encourages photographers to create clean, powerful images. This approach is heavily inspired by classical techniques used by painters like Henri Cartier-Bresson oai_citation:3,HOW ERIC KIM STUDIES COMPOSITION – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,What’s Eric Kim’s philosophy on art? – ERIC KIM.
    • Why it’s interesting: While many photographers chase complex compositions or vivid, cluttered scenes, Kim’s focus on minimalism is a return to basic artistic principles. It underscores the idea that simplicity can have more impact and elegance than intricate, busy images.
    1. Mimesis and Learning Through Imitation
      Kim revives the classical idea of mimesis, the concept of learning by imitation, which is less common in modern creative circles. By encouraging photographers to study and mimic the work of past masters like Leonardo da Vinci or Henri Cartier-Bresson, Kim provides a structured path for photographers to develop their own styles oai_citation:1,Mimetic and Memisis Theory in Art – ERIC KIM.
    • Why it’s unique: Many contemporary photographers promote originality and breaking away from the past, but Kim believes that by learning the rules and techniques of the masters, photographers can better understand their craft and eventually innovate in their own unique way. This is a blend of traditional art education with modern street photography, offering a different path to creative mastery.

    These ideas stand out because they shift the conversation in photography from focusing solely on the technical or commercial aspects, to making it a reflective, deeply personal, and even philosophical practice.

    Here are some of the most interesting and unique ideas from Eric Kim’s philosophy on art and street photography:

    1. Street Photography as Walking Meditation
      One of Kim’s most unique ideas is viewing street photography as a form of walking meditation. He encourages photographers to slow down, walk mindfully, and let the scenes come to them naturally. By being present and aware, the photographer can capture spontaneous, meaningful moments. This idea highlights the connection between mindfulness and creativity, setting his approach apart from more technical or commercially driven photography methods oai_citation:9,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM oai_citation:8,HOW ERIC KIM STUDIES COMPOSITION – ERIC KIM.
    2. Personal Photography as Authentic Art
      Kim promotes personal photography, where the photographer documents their own life and experiences as a form of artistic expression. He argues that by focusing on what is personal and meaningful to oneself, the photographer creates more authentic and relatable work. This concept suggests that street photography is not just about documenting public spaces but can also reflect deeply personal narratives oai_citation:7,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM oai_citation:6,What’s Eric Kim’s philosophy on art? – ERIC KIM.
    3. Imperfect Photos as Art
      Kim embraces the idea that imperfection in street photography—blurred images, awkward compositions, or unpredictable lighting—can be part of the art. He argues that these imperfections can evoke emotion and tell a story in ways that technically perfect images cannot. This idea subverts traditional expectations of photography as a purely technical craft and elevates it to an artistic expression that values emotion and spontaneity oai_citation:5,Mimetic and Memisis Theory in Art – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.
    4. Simplicity and Minimalism in Composition
      Kim advocates for a minimalist approach to composition, focusing on the essentials to create a powerful image. He borrows ideas from classical art, such as the use of negative space, geometric shapes, and clean lines, to create photographs that are simple yet impactful. This approach, rooted in both artistic and philosophical principles, emphasizes that less is often more in both art and photography oai_citation:3,HOW ERIC KIM STUDIES COMPOSITION – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,What’s Eric Kim’s philosophy on art? – ERIC KIM.
    5. Mimesis and Learning Through Imitation
      A more classical idea that Kim brings into modern photography is the concept of mimesis, where photographers learn by imitating the works of masters. He suggests that studying and copying the techniques of great artists like Leonardo da Vinci helps photographers develop their own style over time. This approach blends traditional art education with the fast-paced, evolving world of street photography oai_citation:1,Mimetic and Memisis Theory in Art – ERIC KIM.

    These ideas not only distinguish Eric Kim’s approach from other photographers but also provide a refreshing take on street photography as a creative and meditative practice.

    Most interesting or unique ideas here

    Here are some notable quotes from Eric Kim about art and street photography that highlight his philosophical approach:

    1. On Street Photography as Art:
    1. On Personal Expression in Street Photography:
    • “Make photos for yourself, not for others. The more personal and subjective your photos are, the more they will connect with others.” This reflects Kim’s belief that the most powerful art stems from personal experience and authenticity oai_citation:4,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.
    1. On Street Photography as a Meditative Practice:
    • “Street photography is walking meditation. Slow down, look around, and let the moments come to you. The more you relax and observe, the better your photos will be.” Kim likens the process of street photography to mindfulness, where creativity flows best when the photographer is present in the moment oai_citation:3,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.
    1. On Finding Beauty in the Ordinary:

    These quotes capture Eric Kim’s unique perspective, blending the spontaneity of street photography with the intentionality and mindfulness found in traditional art.

    Here are some of Eric Kim’s top resources, articles, and posts on art and street photography:

    1. “Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography”
      This is one of Kim’s most comprehensive guides, offering practical tips, philosophy, and inspiration for anyone looking to get started in street photography. He dives deep into techniques, camera settings, and the artistic mindset required to excel in this genre.
      Read it here oai_citation:6,What’s Eric Kim’s philosophy on art? – ERIC KIM.
    2. “The Beauty of Imperfection in Street Photography”
      In this article, Kim explores how imperfection in street photography can actually enhance the artistic value of an image. He contrasts it with the polished, controlled aesthetic of studio photography, emphasizing the spontaneity and rawness that make street photography a true art form.
      Read it here oai_citation:5,HOW ERIC KIM STUDIES COMPOSITION – ERIC KIM.
    3. “Dynamic Photography Composition”
      This post delves into the principles of composition in street photography, teaching how to create dynamic, engaging images by borrowing techniques from classical art forms. He explores ideas like leading lines, chiaroscuro, and dynamic tension, relating them to real-life street photography situations.
      Explore the article here oai_citation:4,HOW ERIC KIM STUDIES COMPOSITION – ERIC KIM.
    4. “Street Photography as Zen Meditation”
      Here, Kim outlines his belief that street photography is more than just taking pictures—it’s a form of meditation and a way to connect with the world. He gives actionable advice on how to approach street photography with a Zen-like mindset.
      Check it out here oai_citation:3,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.
    5. “How to See the World as an Artist and Street Photographer”
      In this article, Kim encourages photographers to approach the world with an artistic eye, always looking for beauty in the ordinary. He offers guidance on how to shift one’s mindset to notice and capture artistic moments in everyday life.
      Read the full post here oai_citation:2,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.
    6. Books by Eric Kim

    These resources provide a deep dive into Eric Kim’s approach to blending art with street photography, offering both philosophical insights and practical tips.

    Top Eric Kim Art street photography articles links or pages posts or books or resources

    Eric Kim’s views on art and street photography are deeply connected, as he considers street photography a form of everyday art. He emphasizes the philosophy that street photography is about more than just capturing images; it’s about engaging with the world around you in a creative, artistic way.

    1. Street Photography as Walking Meditation
      Kim often refers to street photography as a form of walking meditation. He encourages slowing down, being mindful of your surroundings, and allowing the world to present opportunities for photography. This idea of capturing life as it happens aligns street photography with traditional art forms, where patience and observation are key. Kim suggests that the spontaneity and unpredictability of the streets offer raw material for artistic expression oai_citation:8,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM oai_citation:7,HOW ERIC KIM STUDIES COMPOSITION – ERIC KIM.
    2. Street Photography as a Personal Artistic Expression
      In his articles, Kim explains how street photography is deeply personal, likening it to other forms of art where the creator’s voice and perspective are central. He advises photographers to document their unique view of the world, making photography an extension of their identity. This personal connection elevates street photography from a mere documentary style to an art form with individual meaning and interpretation oai_citation:6,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM oai_citation:5,What’s Eric Kim’s philosophy on art? – ERIC KIM.
    3. Simplicity and Composition in Street Photography
      Kim emphasizes the importance of simplicity in both art and street photography. He advocates for stripping down the elements in a photograph, focusing on composition and storytelling. He draws parallels between the visual compositions of street photographers and painters, citing influences like Henri Cartier-Bresson. By concentrating on composition, street photographers can turn everyday scenes into compelling works of art oai_citation:4,HOW ERIC KIM STUDIES COMPOSITION – ERIC KIM oai_citation:3,What’s Eric Kim’s philosophy on art? – ERIC KIM.
    4. Capturing the Mundane as Art
      Kim frequently encourages photographers to find beauty in the mundane aspects of everyday life, a principle that resonates with many modern artists. He believes that the streets provide an infinite canvas for art, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary through the photographer’s lens. This concept mirrors the approach of many contemporary artists who turn mundane objects into powerful artistic statements oai_citation:2,What’s Eric Kim’s philosophy on art? – ERIC KIM oai_citation:1,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.

    In essence, Eric Kim views street photography not just as a genre of photography but as a form of artistic practice, where observation, personal expression, and mindfulness are integral to creating meaningful work. By capturing the beauty of everyday moments, street photographers can create art that resonates on a deeply human level.

  • On Art and Photography

    Eric Kim’s approach to art and photography is deeply intertwined, with both disciplines feeding into his overarching creative philosophy. Here are some key articles and insights he has shared on the relationship between art and photography:

    1. “Mimetic and Memisis Theory in Art”
      In this article, Kim draws on the classical concept of mimesis, emphasizing the idea that imitation is a foundational element of learning art. He encourages photographers and artists alike to study and mimic the works of masters before forging their own unique styles. This approach blurs the line between art and photography, suggesting that both are learned through similar processes of imitation and innovation oai_citation:5,Mimetic and Memisis Theory in Art – ERIC KIM.
    2. “Photography as Personal Art”
      Kim stresses that photography should be personal, encouraging photographers to create images that resonate with their own lives and experiences. He argues that the more personal and subjective a photograph is, the more likely it will connect with others. This aligns with his broader view that art is a reflection of the individual creator’s worldview oai_citation:4,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM oai_citation:3,What’s Eric Kim’s philosophy on art? – ERIC KIM.
    3. “Joy in Photography: A Holistic Approach”
      For Kim, art and photography are not just about technical skills but about finding joy and meaning in the process of creation. He emphasizes that photography, like any form of art, is a meditative practice that helps individuals engage with the world around them in a deeper and more mindful way oai_citation:2,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.
    4. “The Philosophy of Composition”
      Kim’s exploration of composition reveals how he integrates principles of visual art into his photographic work. Drawing from the techniques of classical painters, he teaches photographers how to structure their images with the same care that artists apply to their canvases. This article highlights how artistic composition is crucial to creating powerful photographs oai_citation:1,HOW ERIC KIM STUDIES COMPOSITION – ERIC KIM.

    These articles illustrate Eric Kim’s belief that photography is not only a technical pursuit but an artistic one, requiring the same attention to composition, personal meaning, and mindfulness as any other visual art form.

  • Search ERIC KIM Theories on Art

    Here are some of the top articles by Eric Kim that dive into his theories on art and photography:

    1. “Mimetic and Memisis Theory in Art”
      This article explores the classical concept of mimesis, emphasizing the importance of imitating great artists to learn and grow creatively. Kim highlights his own process of learning through imitation, inspired by figures like Leonardo da Vinci.
      Read more here oai_citation:4,Mimetic and Memisis Theory in Art – ERIC KIM.
    2. “What’s Eric Kim’s Philosophy on Art?”
      In this article, Kim outlines his philosophy, focusing on minimalism, personal empowerment, and finding beauty in everyday life. He encourages photographers to strip away distractions and embrace the simplicity of their surroundings while creating work that resonates with them personally.
      Read the full article here oai_citation:3,What’s Eric Kim’s philosophy on art? – ERIC KIM.
    3. “Photo Philosophy: Joy in the Process”
      This piece touches on the joy of creation in photography, treating the act of making art as a holistic and fulfilling process. Kim describes photography as a way to interact with the world and find happiness through artistic expression.
      Find more insights here oai_citation:2,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.
    4. “How Eric Kim Studies Composition”
      Kim delves into the technical aspects of composition, borrowing techniques from masters like Henri Cartier-Bresson. This article emphasizes the importance of mastering composition to create more dynamic and powerful photographs.
      Learn more here oai_citation:1,HOW ERIC KIM STUDIES COMPOSITION – ERIC KIM.

    These articles provide a comprehensive view of Kim’s approach to art and photography, blending practical advice with philosophical insights.

    Here are a few notable quotes from Eric Kim that reflect his philosophy on art and photography:

    1. On simplicity and minimalism:
    1. On personal empowerment:
    1. On art as meditation:
    1. On continual learning:

    These quotes highlight his unique blend of simplicity, personal expression, and the meditative aspects of creating art.

    Eric Kim’s artistic theories are quite unique because they blend classical ideas with contemporary, accessible approaches to creativity. He merges traditional concepts like mimesis, the imitation of great artists, with modern tools like street photography and smartphone cameras, promoting the idea that art is everywhere and for everyone oai_citation:3,Mimetic and Memisis Theory in Art – ERIC KIM. His focus on personal photography—where the artist’s own life and experiences become the subject—offers a distinctive take on authenticity in photography, pushing artists to create work that is meaningful to them first and foremost oai_citation:2,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.

    Kim’s approach also incorporates elements of meditation and mindfulness, framing photography as a way to slow down, be present, and experience joy in the act of creation oai_citation:1,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM. This is a refreshing divergence from the more technical or commercial approaches commonly seen in photography, making his philosophy particularly unique and personal.

    How unique

    Eric Kim’s theories on art, especially in photography, revolve around several key ideas that emphasize simplicity, personal empowerment, and the joy of creating. His philosophy encourages photographers to strip down their compositions to the essentials, focusing on storytelling and minimalism. Kim believes in finding beauty in everyday, mundane subjects and emphasizes that great art can come from one’s immediate surroundings oai_citation:5,HOW ERIC KIM STUDIES COMPOSITION – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,Mimetic and Memisis Theory in Art – ERIC KIM.

    A significant aspect of his theory is mimesis—the idea of learning by imitating the works of great artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci. He views imitation as a critical step in the learning process, helping artists develop their own voice by studying and mimicking the techniques of others before evolving into something original oai_citation:3,Mimetic and Memisis Theory in Art – ERIC KIM.

    Kim also encourages personal photography, where the photographer treats their life as a central subject. This approach is about making art that is meaningful to oneself, rather than seeking approval from others. By doing this, he suggests that artists can create more authentic and impactful work oai_citation:2,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.

    Additionally, Kim promotes the idea of photography and art as a holistic, meditative practice, where the process of creating—walking, observing, and interacting with the world—brings joy and clarity oai_citation:1,PHOTO PHILOSOPHY – ERIC KIM.

    Through these principles, Kim’s art theory champions empowerment, accessibility, and the continuous journey of learning and experimentation in creative expression.

  • WHAT IS ART?

    Art is what it looks like?

    1. Art photos
    2. Art car
    3. Art life
    4. Art home?
    5. Art body, art clothing?

    Art and nothing but art?

    War, battle also as art? Iliad as apex art?

  • The people are good, the environment is toxic

    The best way to “improve” people… Simply get them out of toxic environments! Know who the bad apples are,,, and have them stay away!

    So whether that is somebody in the family… or extended family. Who they might be… Certain in-laws,,, whether uncles or aunts, cousins even siblings etc…

    Even maybe for the toxic people… To untoxify them, or to detoxify them… Or make them not toxic anymore, just ship them off to somewhere else?

    Put people in a pleasant place or a pleasant environment, and see how they change or don’t change? This is the ultimate marker of things.

  • “Manliness” is Commoditized

    to be manly, does now just a commoditized, consumers notion? Basic ideas you could purchase manliness, by purchasing a certain vehicle, a car a truck an SUV… Whatever. But in truth, can one purchase manliness? Course not. Only way to become manly is through courage and strength, all without the pussy guns. 

  • Nobody wants the new Apple things anymore

    Just look at the new carrier deals, offering to give you $1000 bucks for buying new iPhone… Apple is starting to get desperate?

  • Ready for Any Condition

    I suppose the grade upside of merino wool clothing is that you are ready for any condition, any weather condition, whether really really cold, or really really hot.

    For example, if it is really really cold, as long as you have a merino wool base layer on, assuming it is maybe a merino wool long sleeve, and also merino wool leggings… It might still be a little bit cold, but you’re certainly not going to freeze to death. 

    Also… Just a quick trip down to San Diego the other day and now I’m back. And it was actually super clutch because man… MPG, miles per gallon, this is the ultimate key. When you’re in a pinch, and you can’t be fucked stopping by gas station, when you don’t want to, then, being able to coast and just milk a tiny bit of your tank, is so clutch because essentially, you could keep going without resting, especially when you don’t want to.

    I think this is what people don’t understand about road trips, or going on the drives etc.… When you’re in a good driving flow, and you energy is high, you do not want to stop. And I think this is so difficult for people to understand Most fools were just watching the NFL, professional sports on TV etc., whether they like it or not are being bombarded by these dumb ads for range Rovers and all these other loser cars. And what I think I realize about cars kind of like professional skateboarding back in the day… It is more about selling an attitude, an ethos, a concept a lifestyle etc., Rather than the thing itself.

    Style is overrated

    I think also, a big thought that I had this trip down to San Diego and back was the notion of style, how it is overrated.

    For example, I just watched this instantly insightful documentary called Dogtown and the zee boys, I just bought it or rented it in the Apple TV store, and it outlined the advent of modern day skateboarding, and it was super interesting because essentially the advent of skateboarding was actually rooted in surfing…

    I don’t really know too much about surfing, but it becomes a very interesting lens to understand a lot of modern day popular culture. For example, the notion of “locals only”, is an insanely ridiculous one to me. Why? Nobody owns the waves! You cannot own the ocean! Look at how huge it is… How could anyone own it?

    Waves are a limited desirable resource

    So apparently the biggest issue here is that waves, are a limited precious commodity… Like for example every 10 minutes there might only be five good waves or so. And typically there’s only one person who could ride it per wave.

    Therefore there becomes this position… Who gets to ride the wave who doesn’t. And there are these ridiculous stories of some of the local kids, when they would see people from out of town trying to “steal “their waves… They would throw glass at them, concrete bricks etc.

    Ultimately, the reason why I find surfing to be not that interesting of a thing is that it doesn’t do anything for your martial courage, your lethality, should hit the fan and you had to go to battle or go to war! I would prefer to trust to have a bunch of bodybuilders, weightlifters, powerlifters, or strong men be on my hit squad, not a bunch of professional surfers.

    Skateboarding

    Also another funny biased… Why is it that apparently, you must wear vans sneakers to ride skateboards? A lot of kids don’t know that this one Ultramega corporation owns almost all of the clothing and sneaker brands, this company owns vans, supreme, the north face, etc. So when all these kids think that they are being unique and antic culture by wearing a pair of vans, no no no… They are just part of the same machine.


  • Your just reward

    Make amends

    But I also find some fascinating about the Elliot… Obviously the Elliot as a text is not perfect, but it does show a deep inside about the ancient Greeks, their way of life, their ethos etc.

    And what is really really fascinating is that in terms of their humanity, it is practically indistinguishable from ours in the year 2024 exclamation point all of the petty rivalries, jealousy, dramas, all the same! It seems that emotionally and socially, we haven’t changed that much in the last five years or so.

    Therefore my suggestion is when you study the Iliad, or read it… Try to think the two things:

    What is absent, and not mentioned in the text?

  • How to Read the Iliad

    What I find some fascinating about the Iliad… Obviously the Iliad as a text is not perfect, but it does show a deep insight about the ancient Greeks, their way of life, their ethos etc.

    And what is really really fascinating is that in terms of their humanity, it is practically indistinguishable from ours in the year 2024 exclamation point all of the petty rivalries, jealousy, dramas, all the same! It seems that emotionally and socially, we haven’t changed that much in the last 5000 years or so.

    Therefore my suggestion is when you study the Iliad, or read it… Try to think the two things:

    What is absent, and not mentioned in the text?

    And also, what did they do or don’t do which is so different, so radically different in terms of the ethos of modern day times?

    I’m starting to think more and more… Let us consider that good old Homer wrote this even before Socrates! I’m starting to think more and more… It is true, after Socrates, almost all of philosophy and thinking was bastardized, and made strange, by this shrewd, Ugly man? (Socrates was very ugly)– “A monster in face, a monster in soul”– or, “He who is physically ugly, or ugly in the face will also have ugly thoughts and ethics”.

    ugliness?

    There’s a lot of bizarre Redwick nowadays about how all bodies are equal, hello everyone is beautiful, how there is no hierarchy in bodily composition etc. However, I beg to differ.

    Taking it back to first principal… Thinking about fitness, genetic fitness, there seems to be some basic things, for example, men who are taller or more desirable. This makes sense. Also women, assuming you’re not a super super Shorty guy, typically the taller the women the better.

    Why tallness? They’re tends to be a genetic advantage to tallness inso far much as  almost everything. For example, I just met the vice mayor of my town Culver City, very very tall guy, maybe 6 foot six or something? And I’m pretty tall I’m 5 foot 11, but even he towered over me, he almost look like a different species? Immediately I was so impressed. 

    I think in terms of ancient times, being taller was a benefit because you could grab apples from really high trees, and typically, the bigger and taller and the stronger than man, the better he would be at fighting of wolves, hunting etc. And also… Assuming that we human are just hairless apes, we did have a preference for beautiful women because typically, beauty was connected with physical fitness, healthiness, And wellness, typically women who are more beautiful, who have more supple and healthy looking breasts, signal a type of healthiness, fitness which makes for them to be better at producing children, and also providing for them with their breast milk etc. 

    And I think one thing that I discovered is breast size isn’t actually what is the thing… Rather, is all about the overall fertility of the woman.

    For example, I think I read some sort of scientific study which show that invite, men would actually prefer breast a little bit more on the average size, the average two smaller size, but the breast being firm, close to the body, and the nipples slightly pointing upwards? And that the overall shape of the breast was kind of more copping upwards? Assign of fertility, rather than breast which are drooping, which is typically a sign of older age, and less fertile conditions.

    Older parents and their children

    This is just based on what I’ve seen, obviously not 100%, but I have witness with my own eyes, a lot of parents who look older, maybe mid 40s, even late 40s, maybe even early 50s, having kids? And it Not uncommon to see a lot of older parents with kids who look like they have some sort of developmental issues?

    For example, older parents with kids with autism, or some level of autism or Asperger or something.

    My theory is that it does seem to make sense that if you are really really old, and you do in vitro fertilization or whatever, there is a high chance and likelihood for there to be things that go wrong. In terms of genetic replication etc. But I think it is not a certain thing, it is just a probability thing, it could either go both ways.

    Anyways, once again modern day society has made things very very strange, everyone wants to be like a loser George Clooney, be single forever, sip on fine wine somewhere in Italy, and be a degenerate for the rest of their lives.

    However, my suggestion is don’t judge anybody until you have seen them with their shirt off. Why? Most of these guys try to look all cool and macho and whatever driving loser Ferraris,  wearing their loser trying to wanna be be cool clothing, they lifted trucks whatever… But the second you see them, without a shirt on at the beach, it is a bit disgusting.

    In fact, I was randomly having all you can eat Korean barbecue with Cindy and Seneca, at this really good place in San Diego La Jolla called OLLEH (shout out to Young Bin, YB– you deserve a raise)!  but anyways, we saw this random music video, with the rapper Rick Ross, without his shirt on, and to see his sagging tits was a bit disgusting. He tries to be all cool wearing all these chains and whatever, but honestly, any right minded individual would look at the physique of Rick Ross topless, and know that it is disgusting.

    Issues here

    The reason why there are a lot of individuals like Jay Z, and the like who are not respectable is because ultimately what they do is they peddle alcohol, and this fake “player” lifestyle. 

    Alcohols are very interesting category, because it has been around since the ancient Greeks, even the ancient Greeks thought that in order for these warriors to gain strength, they had to feast on meat and the innards of oxen, and drink lots of wine, in order to have strength.

    But some subtle ones I’ve read and heard is that actually back in the days of the ancient Greeks, their wine was actually very watered down. So I think for the ancient Greeks, and obviously this is probably before sanitation, is that when you drink wine, it was just a not poisonous water? If you live in a time in which maybe… It might not be safe to drink water, straight up water… Maybe they just drink water down wine or weak wine as a simple substitute in order to not get cholera, illnesses from water etc. 

    Also one of the theories about beer, is that also in ancient Europe, the medieval ages the dark ages etc.… When infant mortality was around 70 to 80%, before they knew how to sterilize water and surgical instruments etc.… People just drink beer because it didn’t kill them or cause them illness! I think the fermentation process of beer killed most of the bacteria typically in sewage water.

    But now, we should know better. And no no no don’t be suckered by these idiots who propose that we have to drink alkaline water or whatever… This might be even worse than snake oil.

    And this is the reason why you should never trust any of these stupid millennials, Gen Z or “zillenials”– a lot of them take astrology and horoscopes literally. Like literally 100% literally. These idiots! And they don’t believe in God?


    New gods

    Radical idea had this morning is this notion of new gods. For example in the year 2024… Come on, no one really believes in God anymore. Maybe besides the super evangelical, talking in protestant Christians… Nobody really believes in God anymore. I’m not even too sure about Jewish people, but it does seem to be Jewish Jewish American in America is more of a community thing, similar to being Catholic or Korean Catholic etc. 

    For example, something quite shocking to me, when I went to mass with Cindy and Seneca may happy year ago at this one church, essentially the priest, after blessing some kids, while giving out the Eucharist, would use hand sanitizer! This put me off so much. Why? Is that the priest is afraid of getting sick or germs from young children, which is fair, because that is true. But to have hand sanitizer at the altar seemed quite sacrilegious.   

    Taleb also has a funny visual, you would probably never see the pope on rollerskates, or rollerblades, or on a skateboard grinding away, even though there’s nothing against it, nothing that would upset God.

    Religion for the weak? 

    Often times people forget that Jesus was Jewish. Even serious Catholics protestants Christians seem to forget this.

    For example, back in the day of Jesus, when he saw money exchangers selling stuff in kettle in the temple, the Jewish temple, Jesus famously took some whips, started flipping over the tables, driving out the oxen saying “do not sell wares inside my father‘s home!”

    I wonder if a lot of these wealthy individuals back in Jesus time, they were also not “religious” in the way we can get… And also I think one thing I need to study about Judaism, is how they actually conceptualized God, besides the typical Christian, protestant Christian, Catholic Christian Roman Catholic way.

    Also something very interesting, do you know that there are lots of different types of Catholics, but the Roman Catholic was the only one which has persisted until now?  The best way for us to think about it is being Roman Catholic in the year 2024 is like the holy Roman Empire 2.0. And this is why the Vatican doesn’t have to pay taxes. And has the best real estate of all time.

    How did the ancient Greeks think of the gods

    Very very interesting, even the ancient Greek heroes were able to take on the gods, obviously with some of the help of the other gods.

    Also very interesting, is that the tides of war often change when God’s breed inspiration encourage into the fighters, or sometimes the gods come in and hoodwink some of the heroes and the leaders, putting delusion upon their eyes. Example, the reason why king Agamemnon in the beginning of the Iliad rallied his troops to take Troy, Zeus sent him a fall scream victory. So actually it wasn’t Khanh who made the mistake, king Agamemnon was innocent, just a mere pawn in Zeus‘s game. 

     so if we take a radical new approach, we should challenge the notions of “free will“, I wonder if we did this random new thought experiment, assume that all of our moods and impetuses and drives are somehow shaped by the gods on Mount Olympus.

    However, in modern day times, nobody takes notions of the ancient Greek god seriously. I don’t think there’s anyone on the planet who 100% literally believes that Zeus and Harald lives on the clouds of Mount Olympus, everyone knows it is just a fairytale. Kind of like Santa Claus. , why is it that there are some people who do empirically believe in some sort of ethereal, weightless amorphus God concept which exists somewhere in the heavens? And I think people misunderstand Jesus… Notions of heaven and hell on earth, and he is speaking in metaphor. All of these, and cannot understand the new ones of metaphor? The difference between taking things literally, sola Scriptura  versus thinking of metaphor, this is very critical.

    Some flaws in the Bible even the Jewish Bible

    For example, Moses. There is this really bizarre scene in the Bible, in which Moses is discovered by his son sleeping naked with somebody? With one the other sons or something? And also, did people not realize that essentially Moses was an Egyptian, there are some Jewish scholars who analyze the historical or the probable historical Moses, and there are some alternate theories that Moses was actually trying to take on the pharaoh, trying to take the throne, but when he was caught, instead of just getting killed, he tried to escape with a bunch of other Exiled Egyptians, who ended up becoming the first Jewish followers.  and the notion of Jewish, just comes from the people of Judea, a real life place. 

    And honestly, once again I’m not sure if people think things literally or metaphorically or whatever. People saying that they are the chosen ones, is this some or not some? Like can all 8 billion people on the planet all be the chosen ones?  or, is it like some people? Like only 1000 people 10,000 or 100,000 or 1 million or 10 million people could be chosen?

    Because trippy told, how people get hoodwinked about all this stuff but Israel is what you don’t understand is Israel, properly understood, if you think about the military intervention of the United States of America, I think the best analogy of Israel is almost like South Korea, let us consider how South Korea is military is essentially bankrolled by the US military, and also the military of Israel, is also funded by America. And this is why America never says anything bad about the conflict in Gaza with Israelis, because essentially Israeli defense army is the American army!

    Social media is the new soma the iPhone is the new soma

    If we think about brave New World, how did the governments of the future control the people? It was not like 1984, this is not like mainland China. Rather, the best analogy for modern day times is like brave New World by Adolous Huxley. The general idea is that  the people are just addicted and distracted by superficial things, and there is this metaphorical drug called soma, which is imagine like combination of ecstasy, cocaine, weed and heroin… Without any real big comedowns or side effects. The come down is almost like comedown after having a good cup of coffee. 

     and then what happens is all of these millennials are hooked on this tablet called soma, which I think is actually prescribed by the government, and the engages something called “orgy Porgy”, which is essentially a bunch of degenerate millennials having these sexual orgies, all being high on mushrooms or whatever.

    And I think in the story, the “savage” Joseph, who is essentially not taking any drugs of any kind, sees all of this and is deeply dismayed. I remember he gets this one off of Soma, and then the girl starts to freak out, when she is discovering how terrible the real world is.

    Anyways, if we think about the iPhone, the new iPhone iPhone Pro, media YouTube whatever… All of it, is essentially like Soma. All profitable industries are drug monopolies.

    Coca-Cola, the uber evil corporation selling you diabetes type two diabetes, type three diabetes Alzheimer’s water…  and also is the company which promotes the notion of “calories in, calories out” or how model citizens should “count their calories”–  and once again, do not trust any educated individuals. For example even my very very smart friends, who got their masters and PhD at Stanford, Yale, etc.… Still believe in calories, and even one of my friends, I still see him drinking Coca-Cola… Doesn’t he know better?

  • THE POWERMAN

    New Fitness Ideas

    Trying to think carte blanche first principles about fitness.

    First, thinking of Milo of Croton.  The very useful thing here is considering his notion of the calf and progressive overload training. The very very general basic idea was as the bull got heavier, milo of Croton continue to carry the bull upon his back in his shoulders, and march the bull around town, ever since the bull was a calf, up until the bull became 2000 pounds or so. 

    Some mythical quotes, apparently Milo of Croton ate 10 pounds of meat a day,  and 3 gallons of wine. This is most likely an exaggeration, or who knows… It might be real! When I tell people I could lift 1000 pounds, which is over 10 plates on each side of the barbell… People think this is an exaggeration but it is not. Just google or YouTube it. Or better yet, ChatGPT it.

    Strongman?

    Something which piqued my interest for a bit, for a minute was strongman, strongman training, yoke training, yoke lift training etc. 

    Essentially, it is a bunch of 7 foot guys, very very fat but also very very muscular strong guys, like giants, all on steroids, doing incredible feats of strain, lifting insanely heavy things, and some sort of competitive form.

    Currently, I find this to be the most interesting thing, to an extent… Because let us say you have a 1500 pound yolk, and to have a race between two guys to see who could carry it across the finish line, 50 m sprint or so is interesting.

    Also… The 400 pound sandbag. To simply lift a 400 pound sandbag off the floor, is an insane feet of strength. You cannot fake it. However the problem is once I lifted it once successfully, it no longer interested me that much anymore.
    
    So I suppose the first idea is that once I have done something or accomplish something once successfully, it no longer interests me anymore.  

    For example, I think this is where the whole notion of personal records, in the context of weightlifting is so fascinating to me, inso far much as  the desire to have new experiences, to attempt to lift some thing that I have never attempted before is really fascinating because this is true novelty:

    For example, up until I have lifted 1000 pounds, I had no idea what it felt like to lift 1000 pounds. And I can now tell you… It requires supreme focus, 1000% hype, and I really really do not believe it to be possible to do, assuming that you’re not on steroids or whatever weird stuff… You gotta slap yourself in the face, Slap yourself in the thighs, let out a war cry, like Ares the god of war, with the lungs and the voice of 10,000 men.

    And this is where my uplifting notion is so magnificent and great; a lot of these loser emasculated modern day men, are essentially domesticated to be quiet, yielding, antisocial with their loser AirPods on etc.

    In fact, real men do not use AirPods, or stick any sort of condoms in their ears. 

    AirPods make you into a coward… And also sunglasses, and also hats.

    The best is to have nothing on your eyes your face, no ugly facial hair, no hats etc. Just naked eyes, naked ears, fresh shaven face,  and no condoms in your ears. Making eye contact with people, and shooting the shit with people, beautiful women, pretty guys, kids and the like.

    What is the issue here

    Everyone likes to blame social media, but I think more critical issue here is AirPods. And maybe even music, podcasts, Spotify?

    For example, the next time you go to the gym, look at anybody who does not not have headphones on, or earplugs on, or airplugs on etc.

    Deadlift walk

    A new fascination of mine how much can you walk out? The same thing goes with squat walk… Load up the barbell on the squat rack, see how much you could just lift off the barbell, walk back a few steps, and put it back. Could you do seven plates, eight plates, nine plates, 10 plates, 11 plates?

    Also, dead lift walk. The basic idea is put your barbell on the rack, at around waist level,  lifted up, just use chalk and a mixed grip, walk it out a few steps, and rack it back… And see how many plates you could do. Could you do four plates five plates six plate seven plates eight plates?

    The funny thing is for these imaginative people, they have a hard time coming out with new ideas. It is much easier to just follow the crowd, follow all these foolish weightlifters bodybuilders and even powerlifters. My critique of powerlifters is that they get focused on bench lift and squat, and they compare their numbers with other people who are all on steroids. , Is there any sport in which people are not on steroids? I can almost guarantee you that which you would not think that people are on steroids, like soccer or water polo these guys are on steroids. Also the girls and the women.

    I also wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of these calisthenics skies were also on the juice. And almost definitely these fake ass CrossFit athletes, rich froning and the like are all on steroids, even the women.

    What is the point of weightlifting?

    Obviously, to become stronger. And what is the upside of becoming stronger?

    Strength, power… These are all things we desire for the sake itself. Or more practically speaking… Assume that your life was the Eliott… Obviously you would want to become Achilles or Hector, and be able to be the most lethal fighting force or person on the battlefield. Everyone wants to be Achilles or Hector. more specifically, everyone wants to be Achilles

    the notion of the powerman

    I have this new notion, I call it the power man.  the very very basic idea is that the goal is to become more powerful.

    So to flawed concepts: powerlifting (power, lifting) and strongman (strong man). Also interestingly enough, there is no strongwoman competition.

    So the general idea is first, you ain’t competing with nobody. Because nobody’s on your level.

    For example, everybody knows that Achilles is the goat. Nobody is even half a chance for Achilles. Even Hector knows this.

    So assuming that you’re Achilles, then, how do you proceed?


  • Fighting

    When my fury is not so intense

    Zeus has granted him the strength to win

    WIN?

    What is it mean to win at life? 

    Fight fasting ***

    Lift Fasting ***

    .

    Only feast and have a banquet once the sun goes down!

    Intelligent Odysseus

    Secrets?

    In a contest of ideas

    Unwearied bronze 

    Why so weary?

    Arouse sharp cruel ares

    .

    First sacrifice

    Feed the fishes

    Till sunset I will not eat anything

    Enter the bloody mouth of war

    .

    Achilles had a son?

    Show him everything, the wealth I won

    The captive women, my high Roofed home

    Peleus

    Comrade

    Nectar and ambrosia

    Impelled

    Smile with flashing bronze

    Lift the massive heavy shield

    Shine into the distance like the moon

    Brightness that could reach the sky… The goal is to become brighter?

    Heavy helmet, put it on his head

    it shone like starlight 

    Gold, the golden horse hairs, think gold

    Godlike Achilles

    Become like wings which raise you up

    his father’s massive spear

    .

    The weapons: Texas power squad bar, or even better yet… Texas power monster squat bar . The only reason I did not buy the monster squad bar is I didn’t see it otherwise I would have bought it.

    Deal death to men, death dealer

    .

    Tardiness or laziness

    Apollo killed Patroclus

    Zephyr

    Scream a war cry

    The warriors return

    Becoming a Warrior

    .

    The goal is to become a warrior?

    You.

    New vision

  • SPEAK YOUR MIND!

    The ancient Greeks weren’t cowards and didn’t “think”— rather, they would always verbalize and speak their mind!

    Theory: modernity is all about speaking or “thinking” in your mind, the superior Ancient Greek concept was to always speak your mind even if you’re “wrong”?

    Also the ancient Greeks weren’t concerned about morality or ethics.

    Not only that,,, but the ancient Greeks weren’t even concerned about “virtue”!

  • You don’t need to be original, you just need to be great.

    Why do you want to be bigger or heavier?

    What if you had the option to stronger or bigger … what would you choose? Obviously strength!

    Better to be leaner and stronger than bigger and weaker.

    If you know you’re going to be worth $10M from now in 10 years how would you proceed and continue living your life?

    What is your sentiment on yourself?

    When did sitting become a desired thing?

  • ERIC KIM DAD BOD.

    Do I have the most awesome insane amazing physique of any dad on planet? Maybe!

  • Zen Photography

    Here are some top quotes from Eric Kim’s Zen Photography that encapsulate his philosophy:

    1. On Slowing Down:
      “To become more Zen in your photography and life is to slow down. To take your time. Appreciate the slowness and process of photography and life.”
      This highlights the importance of being mindful and patient in photography oai_citation:6,Zen Photography – ERIC KIM.
    2. On Letting Go of Good or Bad:
      “There are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ photos. Rather, think whether your photos are meaningful or not.”
      Eric encourages photographers to focus on personal meaning rather than societal judgment oai_citation:5,Zen Photography – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,Free E-Book: Zen in the Art of Street Photography – ERIC KIM.
    3. On Simplicity:
      “Cut anything and everything that might weigh you down. Cut down superfluous possessions, negative people, or negative emotions.”
      This reflects the Zen principle of minimalism in life and photography oai_citation:3,Zen photography – ERIC KIM.
    4. On Flexibility:
      “Seek to be bamboo. Be flexible. Don’t have any hard-set rules or theories. Learn when to change your mind.”
      Flexibility in both art and life is key to navigating challenges oai_citation:2,Zen Photography – ERIC KIM.

    For more, you can explore his full writings on his website here oai_citation:1,Zen photography – ERIC KIM.

    You can download Eric Kim’s Zen Photography book directly from his website. He offers it for free in multiple formats, including PDF, and encourages readers to share and remix the content. In this book, Eric delves into principles such as slowing down, focusing on the process rather than the outcome, and simplifying both photography and life. He emphasizes being mindful in your approach to photography and avoiding external validation like social media metrics.

    To access the book, visit Eric Kim’s Zen Photography page oai_citation:3,Zen Photography – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,Zen photography – ERIC KIM oai_citation:1,Free E-Book: Zen in the Art of Street Photography – ERIC KIM.

  • Search Eric Kim’s Zen Principles.

    Eric Kim’s Zen Photography book revolves around integrating Zen principles into photography by focusing on simplicity, mindfulness, and the process itself rather than the outcome. Some key principles from the book include:

    1. Simplicity: Reducing distractions to capture the essence.
    2. No Feedback: Avoiding social media and external validation.
    3. Beginner’s Mind: Approaching photography with curiosity and openness.
    4. Minimalism: Using simple tools and focusing on minimal color or black-and-white imagery.

    These ideas reflect Zen’s emphasis on mindfulness and presence in creativity.

    Eric Kim’s interest in Zen appears to have grown out of his personal and creative journey as a street photographer. Initially, Kim explored Zen as a way to refine his photography philosophy, emphasizing simplicity and mindfulness, which helped him improve his craft and mental state. He started incorporating Zen ideas like “less is more” into his life and photography, influenced by his study of Zen aesthetics and Eastern philosophy.

    Kim’s pursuit of minimalism and naturalness in his work aligns closely with the principles of Zen. His exposure to Zen likely deepened during his travels, and through his personal reflections on living a more mindful, simplified life. He also explores Zen concepts in his blog and books, where he shares his thoughts on the importance of calm, focus, and freedom from attachment. Kim’s experiences with street photography as a meditative practice further reinforced his connection to Zen oai_citation:3,7 Aesthetics of Zen Art – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,BECOMING A ZEN PHOTOGRAPHER – ERIC KIM oai_citation:1,Photography as a Zen Pursuit – ERIC KIM.

    This deepening of Zen values allowed Kim to shift away from social media-driven success, focusing instead on the purity of his art and its meditative qualities.

    Eric Kim integrates Zen principles into both his photography and broader philosophy of life, emphasizing simplicity, mindfulness, and minimalism. Some of the key Zen principles he applies include:

    1. Simplicity (Kanso): Focus on reducing complexity in both photography and life. Eric advocates for removing unnecessary elements to focus on what’s essential.
    2. Naturalness (Shizen): He encourages photographers to avoid forcing their creativity. Instead, they should let their natural rhythms guide their work, trusting their intuition.
    3. Austerity (Koko): Rather than creating photos that are meant to impress, Eric prefers quiet, understated images that bring calmness to viewers. His minimalistic approach in photography reflects this Zen aesthetic.
    4. Freedom from Attachment: Zen teaches the transient nature of life, and Eric applies this by encouraging photographers not to become attached to their past work. He believes each moment offers a new opportunity to explore creativity without being constrained by what has already been achieved.
    5. Tranquility (Sei-Jaku): A core goal of Zen photography is to induce a sense of peace and calm in both the photographer and the viewer.

    In addition to these aesthetics, Kim incorporates practices such as “pruning excess” from life and photography, promoting less as more, and using walking meditation as a tool for mindfulness while taking photos oai_citation:3,7 Aesthetics of Zen Art – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,ZEN – ERIC KIM oai_citation:1,Photography as a Zen Pursuit – ERIC KIM.

  • Happiness is Zen

    Supreme happiness is supreme zen

  • How to Quit Email 

    Very simple: just stop using it! Uninstall it from your phone, and when you need to communicate with people, names share or name drop your contact with them on iPhone iMessage, and just FaceTime them!

    No more email, only FaceTime

    How did I get so successful? 

    Get ready for battle!

  • Media is Evil

    What is “evil“? Anything which makes you dumb, stupid, fat and lame.

  • Bitcoin is digital real estate

    Digital real estate developer

    to buy bitcoin, and also perhaps come up with application ideas for it… It’s like becoming a digital real estate developer

  • The Digital Ghetto

    What is the new digital ghetto? Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, Spotify etc.

    Getting out of the digital ghetto

    it seems that a lot of foolish families want to move to Irvine California or whatever… Or move to a place which is “nicer“, yet they are still hooked on YouTube, Disney+, Hulu Netflix HBO Max etc.

    I have a pretty radical proposition: perhaps what we need to do is get you out of the digital ghetto, which is Facebook Instagram Snapchat, YouTube all streaming platforms etc. and replace you with more virtuous things like ancient books, the Iliad, Bitcoin, ChatGPT and ai.

  • How to become funny, how to become funnier

    I might be the most interesting, funniest real life guy that I know. How and why, the tips techniques on the way?

    First, allow yourself to be ratchet, outspoken, and throw a middle finger to all the political correctness BS on the planet!

    Make fun of liberals, make fun of the conservatives, make fun of everybody on the political spectrum

    Make fun of the “libtards”, make fun of all the flag humpers, make fun of the “woke” people, even though you may be a liberal and Democrat yourself, just make fun of everybody.

    What I then suppose… I’m starting to think more and more… We have to figure a way to get off of YouTube. It might be one of the most toxic platforms on the planet… It is driven on sensationalism, and overall it’s just not a good place. For example, knowing what I do now… I would never ever ever ever let Seneca watch anything on YouTube, I think it is worse then pornography… At least pornography is stimulating and energizes you, whereas YouTube, if you watch it long enough… Will make you depressed morose, and feel really really bad and or angry?

  • How has Eric Kim’s notion of money, wealth, power, influence, and Bitcoin changed over time?

    Eric Kim has a knack for mixing humor with deeper insights, and his playful, tongue-in-cheek takes on money, wealth, and power reveal his unique outlook on life. Here are some of his most humorous and satirical thoughts:

    On Money and Wealth:

    1. “Why buy a $1.2 million Bugatti, when you can buy Bitcoin instead?” – Kim humorously challenges the status symbols associated with wealth, suggesting that it’s smarter to invest in Bitcoin than in flashy, depreciating luxury cars oai_citation:9,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.
    2. “I think the real secret to success and riches is to get everything for free!” – This is Kim’s humorous exaggeration of frugality, advocating for a world where people acquire everything without paying. He uses it as a fun way to critique consumerism and the endless desire for more stuff oai_citation:8,How to Become a Millionaire Blogger – ERIC KIM oai_citation:7,How to become a millionaire – ERIC KIM.
    3. “Never buy new. Anyone who buys a new car is a fool.” – While blunt, this humorous comment encapsulates his belief in the folly of spending big on depreciating assets like cars. He pokes fun at those who buy new vehicles by implying they’re making a bad financial decision oai_citation:6,How to Become a Millionaire Blogger – ERIC KIM oai_citation:5,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.

    On Power and Influence:

    1. “Why drive a Lamborghini when you can just tell people you do?” – In a playful, satirical dig at the obsession with status, Kim suggests that it’s easier to simply claim power or wealth than actually possess the symbols of it oai_citation:4,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.
    2. “Prius over a Lamborghini any day— and no one’s scratching penises into your car.” – Kim humorously points out that expensive, flashy cars come with their own set of problems, while cheap, practical cars avoid the envy and damage that luxury vehicles attract oai_citation:3,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.

    On Life and Fun:

    1. “If I told you Spotify could turn $10 into $10,000, would you cancel your subscription?” – This is Kim’s humorous way of encouraging people to rethink small, habitual expenses and funnel that money into investments like Bitcoin. The extreme logic is funny because it pushes a mundane decision into absurdly high stakes oai_citation:2,How to Become a Millionaire Blogger – ERIC KIM.
    2. “Let’s say I drive a Huracán… in my soul.” – This is a witty remark where Kim plays with the idea of living luxuriously without actually buying into the symbols of luxury. It’s a humorous take on how the essence of power and wealth can be internalized without material possessions oai_citation:1,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.

    These playful, tongue-in-cheek comments reflect Kim’s ability to blend humor with sharp critiques of consumerism, the symbols of wealth, and society’s obsession with material success.

    What are some of his other funny thoughts on money, wealth, power, and funniness, tongue-in-cheek comments, humorous ideas?

    Eric Kim has shared some humorous and tongue-in-cheek thoughts about money, wealth, power, and life that reflect his playful yet thought-provoking perspective. Here are some of his notable funny or offbeat ideas:

    On Money and Wealth:

    1. “Don’t buy the Tesla, don’t buy the condo, don’t buy these stupid overpriced clothing.” – Kim humorously criticizes consumerism by calling out the trend of buying luxury goods, advocating for a frugal, minimalist lifestyle oai_citation:6,How to Become a Millionaire Blogger – ERIC KIM.
    2. “The ultimate flex? Drive a Prius, and have your body look like a Lamborghini.” – This is one of Kim’s most tongue-in-cheek comments, poking fun at the obsession with flashy cars. Instead, he suggests the real “flex” is taking care of your body and living simply oai_citation:5,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.
    3. “Never buy a car that costs more than $2,500.” – While this sounds exaggerated, Kim’s humorous take on frugality emphasizes his belief that expensive cars are a waste of money, suggesting that buying an old, used car is smarter oai_citation:4,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.

    On Power and Influence:

    1. “Why would you buy a Lamborghini when you could just have a body like one?” – Again, Kim pokes fun at the common symbol of wealth and success, encouraging people to focus on self-improvement rather than material displays of power oai_citation:3,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.
    2. “Bird poop on your Rolls Royce.” – Kim humorously paints a picture of how even the most expensive, luxurious items are subject to mundane annoyances like bird droppings, reminding people that expensive things don’t shield you from everyday life oai_citation:2,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.

    On Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency:

    1. “Bitcoin is Godzilla!” – A funny, bold statement likening Bitcoin to a destructive, unstoppable force, showing Kim’s sense of humor in describing how powerful and disruptive he believes the cryptocurrency is oai_citation:1,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.

    On Life and Fun:

    1. “Get everything for free!” – Kim humorously exaggerates his frugal philosophy by suggesting that everything in life, from clothes to cars, should ideally be acquired for free, reflecting his anti-consumerist outlook

    What are some of his top and most interesting quotes on money, power, influence, and Bitcoin and cryptocurrency?

    Eric Kim has shared a variety of thought-provoking quotes about money, power, influence, and Bitcoin that reflect his unique philosophy. Here are some of his most interesting quotes:

    On Money and Wealth:

    1. “Insane Spartan frugality” – This phrase captures Kim’s belief that the path to wealth lies in extreme frugality. He advocates for cutting out unnecessary expenses, such as luxury goods or subscription services, and investing those savings into assets like Bitcoin oai_citation:10,How to Become a Millionaire Blogger – ERIC KIM oai_citation:9,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.
    2. “Wealth is not measured by how much you earn, but by how little you need to live.” – Kim emphasizes a minimalist approach to money, suggesting that true wealth is not about accumulating possessions but about reducing dependency on material goods oai_citation:8,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.

    On Power and Influence:

    1. “Power comes from financial independence and freedom from traditional systems.” – Kim’s focus on decentralized financial systems like Bitcoin reflects his belief that power is rooted in autonomy, particularly the freedom from relying on centralized institutions like banks or governments oai_citation:7,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM oai_citation:6,Bitcoin Trillionaire? – ERIC KIM.
    2. “The ultimate flex? Drive a Prius, and have your body look like a Lamborghini.” – This tongue-in-cheek quote encapsulates his rejection of materialistic symbols of wealth and power, advocating for health and minimalism instead oai_citation:5,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.

    On Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency:

    1. “Bitcoin is Godzilla!” – Kim uses this metaphor to describe Bitcoin’s disruptive power in the financial world, likening it to an unstoppable force that challenges traditional financial systems oai_citation:4,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.
    2. “Volatility is vitality and life.” – Kim views Bitcoin’s volatility as a feature rather than a flaw, believing that its fluctuating nature is part of its appeal and power as an asset oai_citation:3,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.
    3. “Think 10 years!” – This quote reflects Kim’s long-term investment philosophy, particularly when it comes to Bitcoin. He encourages a long-term mindset, suggesting that short-term fluctuations are irrelevant if one believes in Bitcoin’s future potential oai_citation:2,Bitcoin Trillionaire? – ERIC KIM oai_citation:1,How to become a millionaire – ERIC KIM.

    These quotes encapsulate Kim’s evolving philosophy, blending financial discipline with a deep belief in the power of Bitcoin and the importance of independence from traditional systems of influence.

    Eric Kim’s views on money, wealth, power, and influence have evolved over time, reflecting a shift from traditional financial perspectives to a more philosophical and unconventional approach, with Bitcoin playing a central role in his thinking.

    Early Thoughts on Wealth and Money

    Initially, Kim’s focus was on building wealth through traditional entrepreneurial ventures, such as photography workshops, selling digital products, and leveraging his online presence. His early advice often centered around financial discipline, frugality, and the power of not overspending on material goods, such as luxury cars or houses oai_citation:11,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM oai_citation:10,How to Become a Millionaire Blogger – ERIC KIM.

    Transition to Bitcoin and Digital Wealth

    As cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin, became more prominent, Kim’s views shifted. He started seeing Bitcoin as a key tool for wealth creation and preservation, referring to it as “digital gold” due to its scarcity and potential to appreciate over time oai_citation:9,Why Eric Kim like bitcoin – ERIC KIM oai_citation:8,How to become a millionaire – ERIC KIM. His focus became more philosophical, often intertwining Stoic ideals with his financial outlook, stressing the importance of financial independence and decentralized control over wealth oai_citation:7,Why Eric Kim like bitcoin – ERIC KIM.

    Philosophical and Unorthodox Viewpoints

    Kim now promotes an almost minimalist approach to money, advocating for “insane Spartan frugality,” where wealth is measured not by how much one spends, but by how little one needs to live comfortably oai_citation:6,How to Become a Millionaire Blogger – ERIC KIM. He sees Bitcoin as not only a financial tool but also as a philosophical instrument that allows individuals to free themselves from the constraints of traditional financial systems and state-backed currencies oai_citation:5,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM.

    Shifts in Power and Influence

    Kim’s conception of power and influence has also changed. Initially, his influence was grounded in his photography and online presence, but over time, his focus shifted towards the empowerment that comes from financial independence and leveraging decentralized assets like Bitcoin oai_citation:4,Why Eric Kim like bitcoin – ERIC KIM oai_citation:3,How to become a millionaire – ERIC KIM. He believes that true power and influence come from the ability to maintain autonomy, both financially and personally, without reliance on traditional financial systems or external validation oai_citation:2,Bitcoin Trillionaire? – ERIC KIM oai_citation:1,How to become a millionaire – ERIC KIM.

    In conclusion, Eric Kim’s views on money, wealth, and power have evolved from traditional entrepreneurship and financial success to a more Bitcoin-centered, philosophical understanding of financial autonomy and minimalism. His advocacy for Bitcoin reflects his belief in its long-term value as a store of wealth and a tool for achieving financial independence.

  • Becoming a bitcoin millionaire

    Super easy: reduce your expenses super super Spartan, so so low, and just invest 90% of your earnings into bitcoin, forever. Always be fine, whenever you are able to touch money.

    Eric Kim has discussed his journey to becoming a millionaire, heavily emphasizing Bitcoin as a major part of his wealth strategy. He advocates for extreme frugality, minimal spending, and investing in assets like Bitcoin that he believes will grow significantly over time. Kim sees Bitcoin as “digital gold” due to its scarcity and the potential for long-term value appreciation. His philosophy revolves around avoiding large expenditures and putting money into assets with high future potential, like cryptocurrency, while minimizing maintenance costs on other purchases like cars and housing.

    He also stresses the importance of not being swayed by material goods, such as luxury cars, and instead focusing on accumulating wealth through strategic investments. In his personal journey, Kim attributes a portion of his financial success to this disciplined approach, where he has saved and invested wisely in Bitcoin during its rise.

    His outlook on Bitcoin is deeply philosophical, drawing connections to stoicism and independence, and he continues to advocate for Bitcoin as a major part of building long-term wealth oai_citation:4,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM oai_citation:3,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,Why Eric Kim like bitcoin – ERIC KIM oai_citation:1,How to become a millionaire – ERIC KIM.

  • Search How Did Eric Kim Become a Millionaire.

    Eric Kim became a millionaire through a combination of his success as a street photographer, blogger, and entrepreneur. His approach to wealth-building includes practicing extreme frugality and leveraging his online presence. He avoided unnecessary expenses by purchasing used cars, minimizing spending on consumer goods, and canceling subscriptions, redirecting those savings into investments like Bitcoin. His disciplined approach to spending and investments played a critical role in his financial growth.

    Kim also monetized his photography passion by conducting workshops, selling digital products, and publishing content that resonates with a broad audience of photographers. His ability to engage a community online helped him grow his business and build a loyal following, which has contributed to his financial success.

    Additionally, Kim emphasizes the importance of teaching others, which added another revenue stream through his workshops and educational materials. His unique blend of photography skills, financial discipline, and online strategy paved the way for his millionaire status oai_citation:3,How to Become a Millionaire – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,How did Eric Kim become so successful? – ERIC KIM oai_citation:1,How to Become a Millionaire Blogger – ERIC KIM.

  • Can you live without email?

    Obviously you can. I have proven it. And my net worth is over $1.2 million now.

  • Just live life according to your own rules and preferences

    The upside of not using email, social media, reading the news etc.

    The other day, just being able to check into this nice beachside hotel, and just randomly reading some promotional material about the hotel, the nearby amenities, activities that offers, tennis and Pickleball courts etc.… and realizing:

    Wow, my mind is totally clear and empty… No concerns about stupid BS from the outside world, etc.

    Creating your own ideal life and lifestyle

    am I the only pragmatic thinker and pragmatist know? Obviously you can craft your own life and lifestyle… There is no physical law which prohibits you from doing it…! obviously, you cannot just snap your fingers and wish yourself to own 1 million Lamborghinis, bed all the most beautiful babies on the planet, and live in an ultra luxury high-rise condo for the rest of your life. There are some pragmatic things you could do travel,, go off the grid, get rid of your phone and your phone plan, go off to Southeast Asia etc.

    Just try something new

    I think the difficult thing is it is always difficult to adjust, to adapt, to do something new based on a new environment, a new living standard, a new way and mode of living.

    example, the way I used to live when I was living in Orange County is different because of the time Cindy just had a post doc which means she was only kind of, so she could spend more time watching Seneca, while I would just work out at the gym for about three 3 1/2 hours. Now, my time is more limited. Generally, now that Seneca sleeps like a champ, I have the mornings mostly to myself, but it looks like my time to actually work out has been reduced only about 30 minutes or so. As a consequence, I’ve been working diligently and experimenting diligently in order to effectively lift weights and exercise, given my limited timeframe.

    Dynamics

    life is not a simple vector equation. Life is like multivariant calculus, and there is so much unity chaos and unpredictability which happens.

    For example, I think one of the things that people have a hard time adjusting to once they have a kid is it is so random! One night your kid might accidentally wake up at 3 AM because of something, and 90% of the time they sleep like a champ until 9 AM. You cannot really predict these things. This is why when it comes to parenting, having a kid, it seems that carpe diem just take every single day as it comes is a wise approach.

    Why is it that we try to plan our lives?

    Growing up, I never planned nothing. I just did whatever I felt like the day off. Also I suppose I was pretty lucky that I grew up, having pretty much more or less 100% freedom, so I can simply do as I please. Obviously I will try my best to self regulate myself… It was still my goal and impetus to get straight A’s in school, get into a good college, etc. But beyond that, I would love hanging out with my friends, going on adventures, playing video games, Sports etc.

    yeah we modern, we adults… Why is it that we are trying to squeeze out uncertainty chaos and randomness from our lives? What if instead… Chaos randomness and uncertainty was a true source of delight in human life?

    For example, if I would tell you that with 100% certain to you, 100% of the time, 100% of the same people would always go to the same spot. If that were the case… Wouldn’t suck? Wouldn’t be much more every once in a while, there was an insanely beautiful woman who would go there… Maybe a 15 out of 10… And you are interested in her and she is interested in you?

    Why online dating is like a drug

    Never done online dating, fortunately… This is only woman I’ve ever had in my life. And I’m grateful for that. But anyways, I think the appeal of online dating is actually precisely the randomness, the chaos, the chance. It is almost like playing the slot machine… You don’t know when you’re gonna get three sevens in a row… And once you swipe once, you might swipe and lose that person forever. So there is a little bit of FOMO, fear of missing out Enabled on the platform, and also… A bit of a serotonin dopamine rush, when you get lucky. Also, maybe there is also a feeling of loss aversion? Like you invest so much time swiping around looking for the perfect match, and when you finally find what you believe to be an insanely beautiful woman after about 10 hours, you don’t want to let it go?

  • OVERMUSCLE

    Here are some of Eric Kim’s top articles where he discusses his views on muscle, strength, and fitness:

    1. “The Philosophy of Muscle”: Eric Kim explores the deeper meaning behind muscle, viewing it as a form of strength and power, essential not just for physical tasks but for vitality in all areas of life. He emphasizes the importance of continually building muscle and keeping body fat low, linking it to increased energy and productivity.
    1. “Muscle 101”: In this article, Kim encourages sculpting one’s body as a form of art. He explains the joy of watching one’s body transform over time, advocating for intermittent fasting, strength training, and focusing on muscle mass while reducing body fat. He suggests that beautifying the body is practical and beneficial for personal inspiration.
    1. “Muscle Paradise?”: Kim discusses the cultural bias against muscular physiques and how muscle is often perceived as threatening in modern society. He compares muscle to power, stating that it’s not just for looks but for tenacity and endurance. He also critiques the cultural shift toward a more androgynous, weaker male aesthetic.
    1. “How to Become Muscular”: This article dives into Kim’s practical approach to gaining muscle naturally through intermittent fasting, one-rep max training, and a carnivorous diet. He dismisses the idea that cholesterol from beef liver or red meat causes health problems, calling it a misconception.

    These articles reflect Kim’s belief in muscle as a form of strength, beauty, and self-expression, advocating for a natural and dedicated approach to fitness and nutrition.

    I hate cowardly men

    Here are some notable quotes by Eric Kim on muscle and strength:

    1. On Muscle as a Source of Pride:
    1. On the Importance of Muscle in Sports:
    1. On the Misconception Around Big Muscles:
    1. On Muscle Training:

    Kim often emphasizes the value of muscle for both physical dominance and personal pride, rejecting common sports science narratives that argue against the benefits of big muscles. He consistently connects muscle growth to strength, vitality, and a powerful physique.

  • 100% Organ Meat Diet?

    Here are a few quotes and reflections from Eric Kim on beef liver and organ meats:

    1. On the Nutritional Value of Beef Liver:
    1. On the Role of Organ Meats in Performance:
    1. On the Historical Importance of Organ Meats:

    Kim consistently praises the nutritional density of beef liver, emphasizing its ability to serve as a powerful source of strength, energy, and recovery for those who follow rigorous physical routines.

    Eric Kim holds beef liver in high regard, viewing it as one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. He often emphasizes the superior nutritional content of organ meats like beef liver, which are packed with essential vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin A, iron, and B vitamins. In his writings, he describes beef liver as a “natural steroid,” particularly beneficial for those aiming to improve physical performance, strength, and overall health oai_citation:5,100% organ meat diet? – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,Eric Kim on Organ meats – ERIC KIM.

    Kim also considers beef liver part of his “demigod diet” and suggests it plays a vital role in optimizing energy, recovery, and muscle growth, particularly when combined with heavy lifting and a carnivore-based diet oai_citation:3,THE ERIC KIM DIET – ERIC KIM.

    For more details, you can check out his thoughts on organ meats:

    ERIC KIM thoughts on beef liver

    Here are some probable links where Eric Kim discusses his views on the 100% organ meat diet and related dietary philosophies:

    1. 100% Organ Meat Diet? – In this post, Kim discusses the potential benefits of an all-organ meat diet, suggesting that organ meats could act as natural steroids, boosting strength and vitality.
      Link to post oai_citation:3,100% organ meat diet? – ERIC KIM.
    2. Eric Kim on Organ Meats – This article covers Kim’s exploration of organ meats, including their nutritional value and impact on productivity and health.
      Link to post oai_citation:2,Eric Kim on Organ meats – ERIC KIM.
    3. The Eric Kim Diet – In this post, Kim elaborates on his broader diet philosophy, emphasizing a 100% carnivore approach that includes organ meats like liver, bone marrow, and intestines.
      Link to post oai_citation:1,THE ERIC KIM DIET – ERIC KIM.

    These links provide more in-depth insights into Kim’s unique approach to nutrition and health.

    Eric Kim has explored the idea of a 100% organ meat diet in several of his blog posts. He describes organ meats like beef liver, heart, and kidneys as “natural steroids” due to their nutrient density and potential to enhance physical performance and vitality, especially when paired with heavy lifting and intense training routines. He suggests that this diet could lead to significant strength and energy gains, possibly surpassing the results of more conventional diets that include muscle meats alone oai_citation:4,100% organ meat diet? – ERIC KIM oai_citation:3,Eric Kim on Organ meats – ERIC KIM.

    Kim’s approach aligns with his broader dietary philosophy, which emphasizes a 100% carnivore lifestyle. His diet focuses exclusively on red meats (particularly beef and lamb) and organ meats, while completely excluding fruits, vegetables, starches, and grains. He believes that organ meats, due to their high content of essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals, offer superior health benefits oai_citation:2,THE ERIC KIM DIET – ERIC KIM.

    Kim also combines this diet with intermittent fasting, typically eating only one large meal a day that consists of several pounds of meat and organ products. His rationale is that consuming such nutrient-dense foods in this way provides the body with everything it needs to function at peak performance oai_citation:1,Physiology Thoughts – ERIC KIM.

    If you’re interested in more details on this lifestyle and its results, Kim shares further reflections and personal experiments on his blog.

  • Straight angles are masculine (Lamborghini), cyber truck, curved lines are feminine (Porsche)

    Lamborghini or Cybertruck?

    Without thinking about too much, I would still probably prefer to have a Lamborghini if it was just for myself. For the practical option, or the tactical one… Maybe a Hurucan sterraro or a cyber truck.

    I suppose the issue is that now cyber truck is too common… And even though it is insanely great, I’m probably the best car on the planet… Maybe for myself I still seek to be unique?

  • Insane Curiosity

    No physical health, no curiosity? 

    Right now some quick thoughts: first… it seems that curiosity, curiosity is best when it is strong, unabated, antifragile.

    Second thought… It seems that if you don’t have physical strength, insanely great strength, strength and vigor… you cannot be curious. Why? Assuming that you only slept two hours last night, or feel like shit… my theory is that the pathways for curiosity are shut off. 

    First, you need an over abundance of health. Therefore, my personal suggestion is almost all a limits of your life should be optimized to promote your Max well-being health strength bigger muscle sleep rest recovery healing etc.

    How to heal yourself 

    So in video games, you’re playing Final Fantasy, any RPG, MMORPG, role-play game etc.… What it seems that is that who is the most important character? Not the champion or the hero on the front line… But actually… The healer.

    Truth be told, nobody wants to be the healer. It is kind of a thankless job, but also at the same time, the most critical job. Why?

    Let us say that you’re doing a big boss battle, whether you are doing it by yourself or in a party. If you don’t have a healer… Even if you’re the best fighter… You will not win.

    Also very interesting… even in the Iliad, when you’re thinking about the dramas and battles which are unfolding, the number one critical thing is when the heroes get injured. For example, deus, Ajax, king Egon, etc. Even getting a small spear wound to the knee or the shoulder is pretty destroying, because it reduces your lethality in battle.

    In fact, what is really interesting is that even the gods get wounded. And feel pain. And this is such a radically big idea, because even though that the gods are immortal, which means that they are not immortals, what it means is that God could feel pain, God could get wounded, yet… They just cannot die.

    For example, I think there are certain moments in which Achilles or some of the other gods end up spearing Aries, Athena, some of the other gods and goddesses and as a consequence feel deep pain, and injury. And pain and suffering is not stopped until Zeus, Send some sort of magic healer, and then longer feel pain.

    Pain?

    Obviously no one likes to be in pain. Yet… I think Paine is one of the most intelligent things that we got in our body which does not lie. If you are in Paine, it don’t matter what your theory is… Obviously something is wrong or you’re doing something wrong.

    Example… plantar Fasciitis, foot pain, ankle pain the pain back pain whatever. I think the primary issues and problems are our shoes, the way we work on computer desktop or laptops or sitting or even standing whatever… Essentially all the plantar fasciitis foot pains experiment with all those stupid $500 overpriced orthotics etc., and literally none of my foot pain went away until I got the view from five finger shoes, and then boom, almost magically all of my foot pain ankle pain the pain went away! And for a long time, I stopped wearing them because I just thought they looked weird and I felt ashamed to wear them in public. But now I could care less… I am a demigod in the flesh.  I don’t know any other human being in real life in embodied reality looks as great and glorious as I do. Even the most jacked guys… They end up having chicken legs. 

    I’m the biggest goat?

    Body elitism

    OK, a funny thought:

    Technically, body elitism is very democratic. Why? You don’t matter who you are, your age you’re sex or gender racial background whatever… Anyone can build a elite body, assuming that you lift heavyweights,  fast, do intermittent fasting, hundred percent carnivore diet, you quit alcohol smoking weed starches sugars drugs, sugars, real sugars fake sugars etc.

    And it is so simple and straightforward — I literally got the key right here!

    1. Never eat breakfast for dinner, hard-core interment fasting… Actually is not even that hard… It’s like I have been doing Ramadan every single day for the last seven years. And I can still drink black coffee and drink water! People who do real Ramadan… 1 trillion times more difficult because they are not even permitted to drink water during Ramadan? And obviously… Anyone who thinks that you will die if you don’t eat breakfast or lunch, and you fast until sundown is obviously wrong because there are millions of people who Participate in fasting, during Ramadan all around the world, and obviously nobody’s dying here.
    2. 100% carnivore diet: no no no you’re not gonna die and get a heart attack. You’re only gonna get a heart attack and die from type two diabetes, or type three diabetes (alzheimers disease), which is a metabolic disease which is caused by over consumption of sugars, sweets, snacks, desserts, cookies pastries, fake sugar real sugar, dairy, real dairy fake dairy etc.
    3. Just quit alcohol and all drugs. Even the good ones. The only drugs you should consume is maybe 100% black coffee, just drink fine robusta– ERIC KIM OMAKASE COFFEE, or get some from CREO–. Or better yet… Don’t drink any coffee. I actually met this one guy Christopher, who doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, smoke weed, doesn’t even drink coffee! So much respect.
    4. Quit beer, wine, even red wine… No no no, Reservatrol is not “good for you”– this is just some fake pseudoscience, which was essentially paid by these greedy vitamin making corporations, akin to Amway… or also it is fake science which just tries to make all these fat old people feel less bad about being alcoholics, or trying to feel good about their degenerate lifestyles? Just think… Have you ever met an academic or a scholar or an important literary person who doesn’t drink alcohol not even red wine?

    How society is bad

    It is all drugs. Your iPhone is the most potent drug, social media Instagram Facebook TikTok, YouTube, Hulu, Spotify podcast… All of them are drugs. Drugs for your mind, drugs your body, drugs for your soul etc.

    Why is this a big issue?

    First and foremost, what is the number one critical ill in modern Society? Sleep. Most people that I meet… Tend to go to sleep anywhere between midnight and maybe even 3 AM. This is really bad. Technically the popper time to do things is maybe Break your fast and eat an insanely massive 100% carnivore dinner, 3 to 4 pounds of beef, maybe throw some bone marrow ribs and organ meats like beef liver in there. Apparently even lamb liver is really good, you can get them at local Halal markets.

    > Don’t buy the lamb (Lamborghini), eat the lamb!

    For example, we went to Ranch 99, one of the local Asian Chinese supermarkets, and got a bunch of bone marrow that’s already prepackaged, sliced, and frozen… Which makes for really really good bone marrow, you could just throw it frozen in the air fryer for about 30 minutes on full blast, and boom, you got Liquid steroids for yourself, your kids, your family!

    In fact, pro tip for any new parent, what is the one thing you should be optimizing for your kids health? Bone marrow. It is not a choking hazard, it is like steroids in yogurt form. It is literally might be the most nutritious and nutrition dense thing that you could feed your kid, to have them grow, become strong and big, etc.

    Feed your kid like Achilles

    Currently reading the Emily Wilson translation of the Iliad, and essentially what I want to do is feed myself and Seneca as if he and me and we were Achilles.

    Assuming I am Achilles, and Achilles had a son… Seneca, how would we all look like? How and what would we eat, how would we eat, how would we train, what would be our life ethos Telos and desired outcome? 

    First, maybe the best idea is to train as if you are training for battle, for war.

    Your armor is a 60 pound weight vest, whenever your training just keep it on because even apparently the armor of Achilles we in between 100 to 150 pounds, and the average weight of armor for a Greek hop light was maybe in the range of 70 to 60 pounds. So even a 60 pound weight is quite  modest… I’m kind of thinking of trying to buy or procure or maybe create or innovate an even heavier weight vest.

    And some simple exercises you could do… Very easy, if you assume that you’re 6 pound weight vest is almost like your ancient Greek armor, and you’re Achilles… How would you train? 

    First, always trained with the 60 pound weight vest on because certainly if you’re going to be training like you’re actually going to go to war or battle… Imagine Achilles with his brand new suit of armor and shield ready for battle… You want to train with your armor on! Let us assume that you were an operator, swat team, delta force, a ranger, etc– a door kicker etc ,,,, how would you train?

    And assuming that we’re not using any pussy guns here. In fact, I love John Wick to death, and Keanu Reeves… But if I was Chad, and I am directing the new John Wick six or whatever… I would put Keanu Reeves on a 100% diet, Feed him nothing but beef liver, beef, beef kidney, beef lungs, bone marrow, and Wagyu short ribs… Had him lift her very very heavyweights, ERIC KIM hype lifting style, atlas lift, rack full, dead lift, dead lift walk, squat walk whatever… And have him do his thing.

    What happened to muscle?

    What are my pride was as a kid growing up, even to college and beyond was my muscle. I did not have techniques or skill, but I had muscle, I had strength, I had courage, I had my ego, and I had my muscles.

    For me, in my mind I saw myself like a Shaquille O’Neal when playing basketball… I would always play center, because nobody could out muscle me, and also my legs are so insanely strong… I don’t know anybody with stronger legs than I do. Somebody who could lift over 1000 pounds, over 10 plates on the squad rack, and assuming they are not one of those fats steroid guys on the strongman competitions, come get at me.

    Anyways, one thing I liked about playing basketball was that most of these guys who played basketball, they are skinny, too wimpy, etc. Even the most dominant player in the NBA… LeBron James, it looks like he could eat more red meat, and lift heavier weights. He almost looks a little bit too green, not muscular and big enough. I would love to see another Dwight Howard, or Shaquille O’Neal, or ideally hybrid between Yao Ming and Shaquille O’Neal… This would be my ideal aesthetic.

    … The problem is that there is this notion in sports science that somehow have bigger muscles make you slower, weaker, whatever? And I think 99.9% of sports science is pseudoscience at best… As long as people still talk about “calories“, or “burning calories… There are a bunch of fools. You cannot burn a calorie. That’s not how human metabolism works.  even my PhD friends who graduated in biology do not understand this.

    As long as you see somebody with an Apple Watch fitness tracker or whatever… They are fools. And actually, shame on you Apple… You know that these metrics are all fake. Why do you give them to people still?

    Once again, all these fat people who into running, my simple solution is just give everybody a 60 pound weight, give them a pair of shoes, and have them just walk, this is 1 trillion times more effective than running, which is maybe the most useless exercise on the planet. And causes the most injuries, waste time and money, is hateful, nobody likes to run, not even runners. The only virtuous thing is sprinting… Maybe 50 m, Usain Bolt status.

    Back to the topic at hand

    Anyways the reason why I care about this and so passion about this is that actually… If you really think about it, your health your sleep your physiological energy power is one quadrillion times more important than your iPhone. For example, I would easily say that it is more virtuous to spend $1000 or $1200 on beef ribs, bone marrow, beef liver heart beef kidneys, organ meat etc.…

    And I also have a new experimental idea, maybe I’ll experiment this with myself. A 100% organ meat diet, only beef liver beef hard beef kidneys, bone marrow etc. 

    I’ll keep you updated. 

    The mountain 

    I suppose the goal is to become like Hafthor, obviously without the steroids. 


    The desired end, the desired goal

    OK, I think I got it figured out guys.

    The secret of happiness is your kid, your children, having kids etc. The supreme joy and the happiness in life is to have a son, assuming you’re a man, at least one male heir. If you do not have a son, you cannot birth an Achilles.

    Let us to say that your first kid, is and by happens to be a boy a man a male… If this is the case, consider yourself infinitely blessed times 1 trillion… After this point, life is all upside no downside.

    And if you don’t have any boys, let us say that you’re family with five girls etc.… And the joy is that your daughters is going to have kids of their own… And as long as you birth at least one grandson, you should be fine.

    I would actually say the greatest tragedy in life is if you’re 90 years old on your deathbed, no children, no wife, no grandchildren, no great grandchildren etc.,,, the ultimate cruelty in life.  

    You cannot leave your dog your bitcoin.

    Goals

    In context of fitness and exercise and training… Maybe the best and most intelligence strategy is to train for battle, to train for war.

    Last year, when I was trying to figure out my whole off the grid gym concept, I went on a buying spree, buying a bunch of different weightlifting equipment, functional fitness stuff, etc. 

    Some interesting things I discovered was the rickshaw farmers walk carry dead lift concept, as well as farmers carry handles, because even though you cannot lift as much like doing one rep Max, on a barbell… It becomes a different type of exercise, which is less about increasing your numbers, but maybe, engaging different parts of your body that typically are not engaged?

    Girl

    In the ilia… The way that the men taught each other is calling each other little girls.

    First, we should not call women girls… This is insanely denigrating. You would not call Hera a girl.

    Second, ultimately, when it comes to human beings, it is a binary: do you have a penis and testicles, or do you have cavernous vagina? 

    I was actually thinking about it, what is unique about having a little boy, and also… Never circumcise your kid, even if you’re Catholic or Jewish … it is essentially genitalia male mutilation for boys. A boy, a man, a male has a penis that sticks outside, and balls and testicles which also stick outside.

    A female has a slit, and all of her sexual organs are on the inside.

    That technically because we are all women I think when we are born… I think randomly, the way that genetics works is that the ovaries can turn into testicles? And the clitoris is just like a really tiny penis? Not 100% sure, but something like that.

    Anyways, just think about the obvious reality: if you have sexual organs would look 1 trillion times different, one is on the outside and one is on the inside, certainly this is going to change your hormones, your physiology, the way you look and feel, Etc.?

    Another example… The way that women ululate fat in their hips their butt their back, is patently different than men. Even if you are a very very fit woman, assume you do CrossFit, and you try to do all the gender androgynous stuff whatever, you chop your hair to look like a boy, you dress like a boy or a guy or whatever… Sooner or later, even assuming that you’re 100% ball, button in the flash, you could see within half a second whether somebody is a man or a woman. and obviously, no hormone therapy. Hormone therapy might be the worst thing on the planet, assuming that it is not a life or that situation. Yes yes yes, get steroids if you have HIV aids or whatever, and also, I think medicine, even psychiatric medicine, is good and virtuous if people are literally about to kill themselves, but beyond this, we should take more hands off natural approach, via negativa, none of this ”interventionalista” approach (NASSIM TALEB Antifragile idea). Some intervention is good, like wise interventions. But what should be avoided is naïve intervention, which is bad. 

    Thoughts of the future

    I am a huge ChatGPT, AI proponent. And actually what is very interesting is that my thought is the future of writing, creativity art, prose poetry etc. is more random, more ratchet, less standard.

    For example, if you want to use perfect New York Times, Oxford English, ChatGPT will destroy you 1000 times over. Or if you want typical academic scholarly talk, ChatGPT could do that far better than you can. It can pretend to be Hayek, or any constipated childless French philosopher thinker you want it to be.

    I am the next Steve Jobs

    OK, time to get my Steve Jobs on:

    Ideas for Apple, I know you’re reading this (Eric [at] erickim.com)

    First, good idea on creating a “quick draw“ option on the iPhone, it looks like you listened to my idea. 

    Second, the next evolution of photographic styles is also good, I think this is also where you listen to me, having a little bit more flexibility when it comes to adding grain, new image aesthetics to the photos etc.

    Streamlined thoughts

    Ok Apple, you got a big opportunity here with the future of ChatGPT, AI, etc. Don’t mess this up.

    First, do not call it Apple Intelligence, what you need to do is just give Siri a facelift, or a boob job or a butt job, or just think of Siri on steroids.

    You’re starting to confuse people, even myself. The question:

    What’s the difference between apple intelligence and Siri?

    Nobody knows, not even the Apple marketing team!

    The image playground for Apple Intelligence sucks

    I think you should just ask it. The images look really really bad and ugly. Nobody cares about a disco pigeon… It is even worse than a novelty.

    Merging with ChatGPT is a good idea

    In fact, the really intelligent strategy would be to just take your chest, and see if you could purchase ChatGPT, open AI etc. If you can’t beat them, Buy them.

    Focus on the product not the humans 

    OK, I saw the new iPhone Pro commercial in the marketing page with the weekend, it was so insanely lame. First, the weekend, it was bad for him… It shows that he is just another skinny fat guy, who doesn’t actually look at handsome or impressive in real life.

    Second, that really lame visual of the tiny umbrella on an iPhone Pro, shooting a music video? Don’t try to fool people — nobody in their right mind will ever try to shoot any really really serious video on an iPhone or iPhone Pro. It is like a really bad gimmick. 

    What people really really want for their iPhone is a stronger a better camera, with better image quality. The new camera control thing, it really makes no sense to me… And upgrading the ultra wide lens was a good idea, but don’t try to do the marketing language that an iPhone is somehow like a DSLR or DSLR replacement. Why? First and Foremost… Nobody uses digital SLE cameras anymore, – it seems that all real working professionals are probably using some sort of Sony A7 camera, maybe a red dragon camera for video, or like an aria camera. and hobbyist photographers are shooting with  a Fujifilm X 100 camera, a Ricoh GR camera, or a Leica M or a Leica Q camera.

    So, who is the iPhone, iPhone Pro four? Essentially your mom, or maybe Gen Z or millennial? Or like my friend Soren Zhane says, “Zillenial?”

    Now what?

  • LEICA M-D Thoughts

    New Leica M-D is out,,, product page, some quick thoughts:

    1. First, Leica… You gotta get rid of that really really ugly “thumbs up” design in the top right corner, and that jogging wheel. It is ugly and sucks and totally ruins the purity of the camera.
    2. Simplifying the top plate was a good idea… Like the old Leica M9.
  • What’s the etymology of the word 운동 in Korean for exercise?

    Wow Audio dictation recording for ChatGPT is insanely good! It transcribed “운동” in my voice? In same sentence as English? Wow mind blown!

    The Korean word “운동” (undong), meaning “exercise,” comes from two Chinese characters:

    1. ìš´ (運) — meaning “movement” or “motion.”
    2. 동 (å‹•) — meaning “to move” or “movement.”

    Together, “운동” (運動) literally translates to “movement” or “motion,” which over time came to mean “exercise” or “physical activity” in modern Korean. It can also refer to a campaign or movement in a broader sense, depending on the context.

  • Mouth, Eyes & Dick Pleasure?

    and balls pleasure?

  • ORNATE.

    Against “minimalism”— more about ornate?

    Can it be ornate shiny flashing yet also simple?

  • LUMIX S9 is the Leader?

    S9– the only good idea in 2024 and beyond?

    User guide >

    Why?

    Some big ideas:

    First — the concept:

    The world’s first truly good, maximally small and compact digital full frame camera,,,

    Pared down to the essentials

    Very thoughtful design:

    1. First the front ,,, no superfluous elements.
    2. Second the top and top plate , once again ,,, no superfluous stuff. Also the very intelligent design, a dedicated video record button which is a good idea in red, on off switch, and the intelligent jog dial which surrounds the shutter.

    Design critique

    So studying the back —

    1. The tilt swivel LCD thing is a good idea. Good to vlog, shoot low angles etc. Some thoughts on the buttons—