One thing.

Bitcoin: digital cash.

All these loser companies simply copying Apple with the whole “Pro” notion? Even Apple has prostituted her own “Pro” label to her phones ,,, shamefully. Ain’t nothing Pro about a phone nor should it — just a short sighted cash grab.

Now Apple has shot herself in the foot — the hype over iPhone “Pro” is over — now where will the new source of revenue be? These subpar films and tv shows?

My passions as a teenager? And also philosophy?

Bad design is confusing and not intuitive?

As a kid ,,, my thoughts were most pure?

As a kid,, to imagine one day there would be self driving electric cars — beyond even my own wildest imagination?

Problems of Apple and Tesla:

Neither are modular, or modificable?

Happiness, joy?

Life affirming or nothing!

Wasting your time is to waste your life!

Doing returns and Amazon returns — not a good use of your time.

Eric Kim has shared several tips and insights on intermittent fasting, particularly emphasizing its benefits for productivity, mental clarity, and physical health. Here are some key takeaways from his approach:

1. Strict Fasting Schedule: Kim follows a strict intermittent fasting routine, typically avoiding breakfast and lunch, and only consuming a large meal in the evening. He finds that this approach boosts his energy levels and productivity during the day.
2. Caffeine as a Tool: To suppress hunger, he suggests drinking black coffee, tea, and plenty of water throughout the day. Caffeine, according to him, acts as a useful appetite suppressant.
3. Exercise and Distraction: When hunger strikes during the day, Kim recommends going to the gym and lifting weights as a way to channel that hunger into something productive. He also mentions distracting oneself with activities like watching movies or playing games.
4. Diet Composition: When breaking his fast, Kim advocates for a diet heavy in meats, eggs, and leafy greens, while avoiding starchy foods, sugars, and dairy to prevent weight gain. He prefers fatty cuts of meat and believes that the saturated fats and cholesterol in these meats can boost testosterone levels.
5. Fasting Mindset: Kim views fasting as a challenge and a game, encouraging others to push their limits but only if they find it enjoyable. He emphasizes that fasting should not be seen as self-torture but as a way to test personal strength and resilience.
6. Benefits: He lists numerous benefits of fasting, including enhanced mental focus, increased artistic productivity, reduced body fat, and more vigorous physical energy. Additionally, he notes that food tastes much better after a prolonged fast, enhancing the overall eating experience.

For more detailed insights and tips from Eric Kim on intermittent fasting, you can explore his blog posts here and here.

Video Podcast

Audio

Some more thoughts about economics and you:

---

Why economic immortality?

I think why this is such an important thing to think about and consider is that when it comes to money and economics, this affects any single and every single human being on the planet, all 8 billion of us.

There is no society on the planet that does not rely upon money in order for us to pay rent, purchase food, pay for electricity and Wi-Fi etc.

Now I think the bizarre carrot and stick we are fed in America is to get super super rich, in order to purchase certain things. For example, to one day be able to purchase a Lamborghini, Ferrari, whatever.

But the issue here is thinking about maintenance cost, and the productive half-life of something.

Half life of 3 years

So for example, let’s just say you buy the new Porsche Lamborghini or Ferrari whatever, I think initially… it will bring you a huge wave of exhilaration and excitement! Maybe the same feeling of the excitement of being able to bed and insanely beautiful woman!

But… the second that you bed her, and you blow your load, boom time to go to sleep. And let us say that you are with this insanely beautiful supermodel babe days weeks months and years… it seems that this playboy man, eventually his enthusiasm may change. 

Nothing is forever

I think thing with beauty, in the context of vehicles homes cars women etc.… man is ever fickle, he always seeks novelty. 

Now the unsustainable model is this guy just keeps working himself to death, attempting to stack his billions on billions, kind of like the Jay Z model, in order to purchase all these things he desires.

“I bought every V12 engine, I wish I could take it back to the beginning.” – JAY Z, THE LIFE OF OJ

In this line from the life of OJ, I find it a really fascinating thought… JAY Z says he has already amassed enough wealth to purchase every single automobile car with a V12 engine. So when he says that he wants to take it back to the beginning… what does he mean to say?

Does he mean to say that he wishes that he didn’t waste all that money on all these V12 engine vehicles, and had invested that money instead? Or, he wishes that he could take it back to the beginning before he was super rich and successful, in order for him to feel hungry and scrappy again like he was in the beginning? Or maybe both — a double entendre — what rappers are masters at?

Bitcoin over uploading your consciousness to the cloud

Regardless, there are some fools who seek biological life immortality, these weirdos and Silicon Valley guys who want to live 100,000 years or whatever by uploading their consciousness to the cloud whatever. I personally find this to be a very poor poor idea, and also very bizarre… I found a lot of men who does actually desire to do this, practically no women. 

Maybe women are more wise; they know that if they become 300 years old or whatever… no amount of plastic surgery, Botox, fillers, or cosmetic aesthetic surgery or whatever could make them forever look like a sexy 26-year-old babe or something. In fact, being here in LA, I see this a lot… women, who are still beautiful and sexy, but beyond their prime… maybe in their mid 40s, 50s, 60s… who might have had Botox or some sort of facial surgery somewhere in the past… it doesn’t age well…

Men and women

I’ve also noticed this issue with any sort of facial injections or Botox or plastic surgery; especially with Koreans, Korean women, and now even Korean men! If you see them in the flesh, in the direct sunlight… it really does look like plastic, and all that white stuff looks caked on… a little bit frightening almost like the joker? 

And what are you gonna do when you marry that BLACKPINK member, and you have a kid and a baby together… and your kid looks like something else?

This is why you should never judge anybody until you have met them in the flesh, face to face, standing next to them, in the direct sunlight, outside. The camera and video cameras lie.

Better for economic immortality, and be Spartan… than to live like a Persian slave? 

What is the ultimate asset that you have? Your attention, your time, your focus. If you wake up, with your iPhone charging next to you, and the first thing you do is check your email… you are a slave. Or, if by not taking your email you can get fired, you are also a digital slave.

Or, if you cannot delete your Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube channel, Twitter without economic impoverishment… you are not free.

What is economic immorality?

I think the general idea is for your capital to outlive you. That as time goes on, your pile of capital continues to accumulate indefinitely, kind of like a tree that ever grows taller and taller overtime, gradually but surely, and continues to expand her branches and leaves… Sprouting new seeds, propagating herself etc.

The reason why I like this metaphor is that the funny thought is perhaps we human beings… We’re not that different from trees. What we seek is dominance! Apparently in the rainforest… Only the tallest trees, that can outgrow the competition, and get to the highest height, can capture the sunlight, which allows it to produce seeds. If you’re in the rainforest, And you’re not tall enough, and you cannot access sunlight… You’re not going to produce any seeds.

Is the reason people don’t want to have kids because they’re not rich enough? 

I don’t think so. I think part of it is a strange brainwashing from these tree hugging childless liberals who seek to help serve “the planet”, over humanity.

For example, the bizarre thought that having kids is bad “for the planet”…  this is one of the most weird thoughts of all time… The question:

Are kids made for the planet… Or is the planet made for kids? 

You fools! Don’t you know, if suddenly every single human being on the planet stopped producing children, stopped having kids… Though within a generation or two the entire human race would go extinct?

If you had the scenario… What would you prefer–

1. The death of humanity

You are supreme dictator of the planet, and you force sterilize every single human being on the planet, which makes it impossible for any single human to give birth to a new child, and therefore it is guaranteed that no more children will be produced on the planet.

As a consequence, you have “saved” the planet and the earth and the environment – but within a generation or two, let us say 200 years, every single human being on the planet parishes, and the human race goes extinct. Then would you be happy?

2. “Carbon footprint”?

It is certain that humans burning coal and creating emissions is doing something to the planet, it is certainly changing it, my friend calls it “global weirding”. Weather patterns are becoming more and more weird. But the idea that one day the planet will become in inhabitable is false.  I believe is that more and more extremes will happen; maybe in Los Angeles, the summers will keep getting hotter and hotter, maybe eventually making it to the point that it is not uncommon to have whether in the 90s, mid 90s, even the hundreds, or the low hundreds kind of like Arizona or Nevada. And then in the winter, getting really really cold, like the 30s or something. Or maybe even the 20s?

I suppose here is we’re buying beachfront property is a desire or a strategy for some people, like purchasing property in Santa Monica, Venice, Venice Beach, Miami Beach etc. Even in Orange County, Newport Beach or Dana Point is the most highly sought after. Why? Maybe if in the next 50 years, the planet will keep getting hotter,  then being closer to the water and feeling the ocean breeze might be a good thing.

Certainly if the planet gets really really cold, this is also very very bad, but I suppose here is where humans are better adapted, if it is like 20° or 30° in LA, it sucks but at least you could buy a Canada goose jacket. If it is 120°, Like in Saudi Arabia or Dubai… At this point, is it literally impossible to just leave the house? Without air conditioning?

Simple ideas

If you think about thermodynamics, the simple strategy is to prevent heat loss. For example, if you think about the human body, technically we actually have enough heat in our body to keep us warm wherever we are or go.

So if we apply thermo dynamic principles to money and finances,  the similar principal applies: the goal is to prevent yourself from heat loss, or economic energy loss, or money loss, or financial loss.

A simple one is delete or unsubscribe from all of your subscriptions. All of your media streaming music services, your gym memberships etc. Get rid of Spotify.

Also as a simple filter, consume no media which is advertising supported, this includes Joe Rogan, or your favorite media personalities. Why, err regardless of how much you love them, as long as they are getting paid a check, to promote some sort of service or product, they and you are not 100% free.

In fact, even advice for people like Tim Ferriss, of who I am a big fan… Tim, you’re original, why don’t you just privately finance your podcast and books, you don’t have anything left to prove to anybody? You have already achieved all of the success you really need, Just give it away for free, without annoying advertisements, and just do a pro bono because it is your passion?

Creating new media hosting platforms 

OK something insanely annoying… My video press.com account, prevents me from uploading videos anymore. Maybe I’ll just start posting it myself, and providing direct links instead?

I suppose this is where it is useful that I got into the Internet in the 90s and the early 2000s… I have good knowledge about FTPs, and online storage. And websites.

I met a lot of aspiring filmmakers and creators, who still don’t have their own self hosted website, are they fools?

Simple:

1. Ionos.com or bluehost.com, and just sign up for the cheapest self hosted server plan, which gives you access to your own FTP server, in which you could directly upload your own video files or whatever, and provide direct download links for people.
2. Use WordPress.org we’re only trust open source things. Why? Open source lasts longer; because typically when people create open source stuff, they do it because it is their passion not because there is a financial motive. Therefore as a consequence, it typically lasts.

It is not guaranteed that a passion project will last, we have good duration, but, perhaps the true indicator is this:

If you were offered a financial incentive or motivation to publish somethunf with a publisher, but you refused and you gave it away for free instead… you are true.

100 Lessons From The Masters Of Street Photography — this will last forever.

Why bitcoin will last forever

Even if you think about this, ultimate generous act; to create something invent something, anonymously, to give it away for free and then disappear forever… Isn’t this the ultimate generous act?

Satoshi did this. It is probably doubtful that he is Japanese, his English is too good. Probably after some Caucasian American man, slightly anti-establishment, anti-beings, a programming whiz, really believed in this. Kind of like the founder of Linux, etc. 

This is where you should never put any faith in any sort of corporation, product, security, or crypto crypto acid which has had a general founder. Why? When the founder dies, and there is no more vision… The whole thing will probably go under.

Steve Jobs vision was to create a company imputed with so much creative passion that it would outlive him. It seems like he has won here. Procreate wasn’t invented or created yet when Steve Jobs was alive, and if you think about it… The true ultimate vision of Steve Jobs was to create iPad, no stupid stylist, no stupid keyboard. This is why if you are a true fanboy, a true acolyte of Steve Jobs, what you would do is just use the 11 inch iPad Pro, no stupid accessories. You are a true innovator this way.

A true and grand man with real vision?

To become a true visionary is to see beyond well, monetization, even your own financial well-being. A true visionary doesn’t really care for money; Elon Musk doesn’t care about money, Jeff Bezos doesn’t, Peter Thiel doesn’t, Steve Jobs didn’t.

Maybe this is where we have to ask Jay Z and Kanye from our economic minds; I think the pernicious thing in the African-American community is around money. Why? It makes sense; even in America, talking to my friend Ray.. racism is still alive and well, and I don’t think it’s necessarily gotten any better. Certainly there is more access, there is no more legal laws which prohibit a certain race a person to purchase property, but still, people are still going to be racist towards you towards the pigment of your skin, your morphology, your genetic heritage etc., assuming that you are not Anglo-Saxon protestant Caucasian man in America.

Even Jewish people, they are not white. They are closet white, or “white passing“, — as long as America never elect or votes for a Jewish American president, Jewish people in Jewish businessmen will always be at a disadvantage, lower on the totem pole.

Even a Donald Trump… Certainly he is not Christian or religious or whatever… But he is certainly not Jewish. 

Even Catholics, Catholicism… Besides John F. Kennedy, Catholicism and being Catholic is still the weird sub-sect.

so what are we to do?

First, stop the heat loss, stop the oxygen loss, stop the bleeding! The most critical thing to consider in regards to economic policy for yourself, is to stop all debt, stop bleeding, and don’t leverage any debt or bad things!

Mortgages?

If you live in California, the taxes will bleed your dry. Even if you live somewhere like Florida, which has a lower tax jurisdiction, there are still taxes!

Which means, with property, you never really own the property, you simply have a lease from the government to borrow it. Do you have more privileges like building stuff on top of it, but still, as long as you have to pay a forever home owner city tax, you don’t really own it. 

Perhaps this is where people get tempted by certain things like clothing or cars, if you purchase it in all cash, technically you do own it. 

Avoid the indoors like the plague 

A lot of people coughing now, indoors. Maybe then the wise ideas to avoid indoors like the play, kind of like early Covid days. And also, maybe starting to become wise again to wear a facemask when going anywhere indoors?

–> always live life like it is COVID?

Because the issue here is not even catching Covid is just getting sick! I don’t want to catch the common cold; which has no vaccine. 

Every day is different

Each and every day is different… Never planned the night before. Just do what you feel like morning of. 

Bitcoin is digital cash

I think Satoshi wrote this in the bitcoin white paper, and also this is interesting because the notion of cash, because the simple ideas with a home or property or whatever… Either 100% all cash offer or nothing.

If you have to finance it, just keep stacking your money until you do it all cash.

But also the issue… If you think like a real investor, and you think about 10, 100 X, 1000 X gains… There’s almost nothing worth purchasing.

For example, at this point I could technically purchase anything I want. As long as it is less than $1 million. But the thing is… There’s nothing worth purchasing, nothing I value purchasing considering if my bitcoin can 10x, 100x, 1000x or even 10,000x from here.

Never spend money on yourself only others

Besides purchasing some weightlifting equipment from Titan.fitness from my remaining PayPal balance, I haven’t spent money on anything perhaps the last year?

I think the big thing is not because I’m doing it out of a sense of virtuality, but instead, ethos is that there is just nothing worth it?

And also, I’m starting to understand that I like the idea of things rather than actually owning it. Even my friend Don Dillon told me this about his Porsche 911 GT3: maybe we like the idea of something more than actually owning it.

This is where I love marketing, marketing materials, marketing copy images videos etc.; it is also inspirational, motivational, and interesting to me! For example, I do not wish even my worst enemy to own a Ferrari, the maintenance costs on these things are insane; at least a Lamborghini is just an Audi or a Volkswagen with a body kit; so if you’re going to fix your Lamborghini Huracan V10 engine… You could presumably use Volkswagen or Audi parts. But with Ferrari… You’re screwed. Do you want to fix your suspension, or your engine? Say goodbye to $200,000. And even if you’re super rich… Even a billionaire… To spend $200,000 to fix your car is always going to be annoying. And will irk you in a bad way.

---

“Finance”?

So studying some etymology for the word finance, the general idea is that finance literally means to hold someone at ransom? 

Very bad apparently, 99.99% of people finance their homes, which means that they take out a 30 year mortgage or whatever. And also even worse, apparently talking to some guys at the Toyota dealership, most people also finance their cars. This is horrible idea for many reasons:

1. First, if you’re going to take any APR that is above 0%, you’re in the red. Even 1.99% APR… That is lost money.
2. If you have to do a down payment on a car, and finance it, that is money you could’ve put into bitcoin, and 1000x’d — a $5M mistake, assuming that the average down payment on a car is $5000 USD.

Even more foolish is to Lisa vehicles; because once again, after three years you have to give it back! So you have literally pissed your money down the drain.

How to know whether people are really rich or not rich?

1. If they have not paid off the mortgage on the house in full, then they are not rich.
2. If they drive a Tesla, they are not rich
3. If they have a job they are not rich

Richness, is absence. The absence of having to have a job, the absence of having to “work“.

Does it matter?

I’m more critical thing to consider, which is even beyond my personal scope: does it matter? 

For example, why do you care to see or know how rich somebody is, in comparison to you?

I don’t think it really matters.

Maybe it comes out of a sense of insecurity; do you have to always weigh yourself according to others, maybe it is simply lack of self-esteem? And also, is this a socialized thing?

Because for example, if you were Achilles, you would not care about how rich somebody wasn’t comparison to you. I’ll Achilles was weary of just conquering towns for the sake of king Agamemnon. He just wanted to take Breisis his prize, and just retire to his fertile lands. And of course, after Hector kills Patroclus, on accident, thinking that it was Achilles… Achilles’ sole objective was to enact revenge by killing Hector. He had no use for golden tripods, more cattle in the like. Even the whole period of time in which he is trying to get his revenge, he actually forces his self not to eat– and of course the gods infuse him with ambrosia so he won’t starve to death, but still technically… he is technically “intermittent fasting“ the whole time.

---

Live like Achilles

Maybe the secret to economic immortality is to just live like Achilles. Your only joy is through combat, physical valor, strength, muscle.

My very very simple suggestion is quit your gym membership cancel your gym membership, and use that money to buy your own barbell and weights. If you want to do it super cheap, just purchase a sandbag, and buy some cheap place and from Home Depot, only about five dollars for a 50 pound bag.

Also, armor. 60 pound weight vest from Titan.fitness. 

And then, your joy is just maximum time outside, in the direct elements, training, for life.

ERIC

Summary bullet points

Here’s a bullet-point list of key takeaways from the text on “Economic Immortality”:

• Universal Economic Impact:
• Economic issues affect every human being globally, making money essential for survival.
• Critique of Materialism:
• Material possessions, like luxury cars, provide fleeting joy and come with high maintenance costs.
• The pursuit of wealth for the sake of acquiring luxury items is unsustainable and often leads to dissatisfaction.
• Temporary Nature of Satisfaction:
• The concept of a “half-life” is used to describe how excitement and joy from material possessions diminish over time.
• Human nature often seeks novelty, leading to a constant cycle of acquisition and dissatisfaction.
• Questioning Wealth Accumulation:
• Figures like Jay Z express regret over spending on material goods, raising questions about the true value of wealth.
• Critique of Biological Immortality:
• The pursuit of biological immortality through technology is seen as bizarre and impractical, particularly in the context of aging and beauty.
• Problems with Cosmetic Enhancements:
• The use of plastic surgery and cosmetic enhancements often results in unnatural appearances and long-term consequences.
• Economic Independence and Digital Slavery:
• True freedom comes from economic independence, not being a slave to digital platforms or social media.
• Economic immortality involves ensuring that one’s capital outlives them, growing and propagating over time.
• Environmental and Childbirth Debate:
• The idea that having fewer children is beneficial for the planet is challenged, with the author arguing that the planet exists to serve humanity.
• Climate Change and Adaptation:
• Climate change is acknowledged as a reality, but human adaptability can mitigate some of its effects.
• Financial Thermodynamics:
• Applying thermodynamic principles to finance involves preventing economic energy loss by eliminating unnecessary expenses.
• Value of Open-Source and Self-Hosting:
• Open-source projects and self-hosting content are praised for their longevity and independence from third-party platforms.
• Enduring Legacy of Bitcoin:
• Bitcoin is highlighted as a model of economic immortality, designed to function without a central authority and embodying economic freedom.
• Visionaries and Economic Independence:
• True visionaries prioritize innovation and impact over personal financial gain.
• Critique of Wealth Focus in African-American Community:
• The focus on wealth within the African-American community is linked to historical challenges, but the author suggests moving beyond materialism to achieve true freedom.
• Practical Financial Advice:
• The author advises against taking on debt and emphasizes the importance of financial independence and avoiding consumer traps.
• Reality of Property Ownership:
• Property ownership is often illusory due to ongoing taxes, which prevent true ownership.
• Health Precautions Post-COVID:
• The cautious behavior adopted during COVID-19, like avoiding indoor spaces and wearing masks, is suggested as a continued practice for maintaining health.
• Day-to-Day Flexibility:
• The author advocates for a flexible approach to life, making decisions based on immediate circumstances rather than rigid plans.
• Ethos of Not Spending:
• The author practices not spending money on themselves, viewing most purchases as unnecessary and valuing the idea of things more than actual ownership.

---

Take the Ricoh GR camera, and armor it up. No retractable lens to make it more robust, and make it waterproof shockproof and add the flash again.

Make it bigger, beefier. Like the Lamborghini Hurucan Sterrato

Some more thoughts about economics, and you:

Economic immortality 

I think why this is such an important thing to think about and consider is that when it comes to money and economics, this affects any single and every single human being on the planet, all 8 billion of us.

There is no society on the planet that does not rely upon money in order for us to pay rent, purchase food, pay for electricity and Wi-Fi etc.

Now I think the bizarre carrot and stick we are fed in America is to get super super rich, in order to purchase certain things. For example, to one day be able to purchase a Lamborghini, Ferrari, whatever.

But the issue here is thinking about maintenance cost, and the productive half-life of something.

So for example, let’s just say you buy the new Porsche Lamborghini or Ferrari whatever, I think initially… It will bring you a huge wave of exhilaration and excitement! Maybe the same feeling of the excitement of being able to bed and insanely beautiful woman!

But… The second that you bet her, and you blow your load, boom time to go to sleep. And let us say that you are with this insanely beautiful supermodel babe days weeks months and years… It seems that this playboy man, eventually his enthusiasm may change. 

I think thing with beauty, in the context of vehicles homes cars women etc.… Man is ever fickle, he always seeks novelty. 

Now the unsustainable model is this guy just keeps working himself to death, attempting to stack his billions on billions, kind of like the Jay Z model, in order to purchase all these things he desires.

“I bought every V12 engine, I wish I could take it back to the beginning.” – JAY Z, THE LIFE OF OJ

In this line from the life of OJ, I find it a really fascinating thought… he says he has already amassed enough wealth to purchase every single automobile car with a V12 engine. So when he says that he wants to take it back to the beginning… What does he mean to say? Does he mean to say that he wishes that he didn’t waste all that money on all these V12 engine vehicles, and had invested that money instead? Or, he wishes that he could take it back to the beginning before he was super rich and successful, in order for him to feel hungry and scrappy again like he was in the beginning? Or maybe both — a double entendre — what rappers are masters at?

Regardless, there are some fools who seek biological life immortality, these weirdos and Silicon Valley guys who want to live 100,000 years or whatever by uploading their consciousness to the cloud whatever. I personally find this to be a very poor poor idea,  and also very bizarre… I found a lot of men who does actually do this, practically no women.  Maybe women are more wise; they know that if they become 300 years old or whatever… No amount of plastic surgery, Botox, fillers, or cosmetic aesthetic surgery or whatever could make them forever look like a sexy 26-year-old babe or something. In fact, being here in LA, I see this a lot… Women, who are still beautiful and sexy, but beyond their prime… Maybe in their mid 40s, 50s, 60s… Who might have had Botox or some sort of facial surgery somewhere in the past… And it doesn’t age well…

I’ve also noticed this issue with any sort of facial injections or Botox or plastic surgery; especially with Koreans, Korean women, and now even Korean men! If you see them in the flesh, in the dark sunlight… It really does look like plastic, and all that white stuff looks caked on… a little bit frightening almost like the joker? 

This is why you should never judge anybody until you have met them in the flesh, face to face, standing next to them, in the direct sunlight, outside. There’s only so much you could take behind an iPhone camera and selfie mode, with nice indoor lighting.

Better for economic immortality, and be Spartan… than to live like a Persian slave? 

What is the ultimate asset that you have? Your attention, your time, your focus. If you wake up, with your iPhone charging next to you, and the first thing you do is check your email… You are a slave. Or, if by not taking your email you can get fired… You are also a digital slave.

Or, if you cannot delete your Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube channel, Twitter without economic impoverishment… you are not free. 

What is economic immorality?

I think the general idea is for your capital to outlive you. That as time goes on, your pile of capital continues to accumulate indefinitely, kind of like a tree that ever grows taller and taller overtime, gradually but surely, and continues to expand her branches and leaves… Sprouting new seeds, propagating herself etc.

The reason why I like this metaphor is that the funny thought is perhaps we human beings… We’re not that different from trees. What we seek is dominance! Apparently in the rainforest… Only the tallest trees, that can outgrow the competition, and get to the highest height, can capture the sunlight, which allows it to produce seeds. If you’re in the rainforest, And you’re not tall enough, and you cannot access sunlight… You’re not going to produce any seeds.

Is the reason people don’t want to have kids because they’re not rich enough? 

I don’t think so. I think part of it is a strange brainwashing from these tree hugging childless liberals who seek to help serve “the planet”, over humanity.

For example, the bizarre thought that having kids is bad “for the planet”…  this is one of the most weird thoughts of all time… The question:

Are kids made for the planet… Or is the planet made for kids? 

You fools! Don’t you know, if suddenly every single human being on the planet stopped producing children, stopped having kids… Though within a generation or two the entire human race would go extinct?

If you had the scenario… What would you prefer–

1. The death of humanity

You are supreme dictator of the planet, and you force sterilize every single human being on the planet, which makes it impossible for any single human to give birth to a new child, and therefore it is guaranteed that no more children will be produced on the planet.

As a consequence, you have “saved” the planet and the earth and the environment – but within a generation or two, let us say 200 years, every single human being on the planet parishes, and the human race goes extinct. Then would you be happy?

2. “Carbon footprint”?

It is certain that humans burning coal and creating emissions is doing something to the planet, it is certainly changing it, my friend calls it “global weirding”. Weather patterns are becoming more and more weird. But the idea that one day the planet will become in inhabitable is false.  I believe is that more and more extremes will happen; maybe in Los Angeles, the summers will keep getting hotter and hotter, maybe eventually making it to the point that it is not uncommon to have whether in the 90s, mid 90s, even the hundreds, or the low hundreds kind of like Arizona or Nevada. And then in the winter, getting really really cold, like the 30s or something. Or maybe even the 20s?

I suppose here is we’re buying beachfront property is a desire or a strategy for some people, like purchasing property in Santa Monica, Venice, Venice Beach, Miami Beach etc. Even in Orange County, Newport Beach or Dana Point is the most highly sought after. Why? Maybe if in the next 50 years, the planet will keep getting hotter,  then being closer to the water and feeling the ocean breeze might be a good thing.

Certainly if the planet gets really really cold, this is also very very bad, but I suppose here is where humans are better adapted, if it is like 20° or 30° in LA, it sucks but at least you could buy a Canada goose jacket. If it is 120°, Like in Saudi Arabia or Dubai… At this point, is it literally impossible to just leave the house? Without air conditioning?

Simple ideas

If you think about thermodynamics, the simple strategy is to prevent heat loss. For example, if you think about the human body, technically we actually have enough heat in our body to keep us warm wherever we are or go.

So if we apply thermo dynamic principles to money and finances,  the similar principal applies: the goal is to prevent yourself from heat loss, or economic energy loss, or money loss, or financial loss.

A simple one is delete or unsubscribe from all of your subscriptions. All of your media streaming music services, your gym memberships etc. Get rid of Spotify.

Also as a simple filter, consume no media which is advertising supported, this includes Joe Rogan, or your favorite media personalities. Why, err regardless of how much you love them, as long as they are getting paid a check, to promote some sort of service or product, they and you are not 100% free.

In fact, even advice for people like Tim Ferriss, of who I am a big fan… Tim, you’re original, why don’t you just privately finance your podcast and books, you don’t have anything left to prove to anybody? You have already achieved all of the success you really need, Just give it away for free, without annoying advertisements, and just do a pro bono because it is your passion?

Creating new media hosting platforms 

OK something insanely annoying… My video press.com account, prevents me from uploading videos anymore. Maybe I’ll just start posting it myself, and providing direct links instead?

I suppose this is where it is useful that I got into the Internet in the 90s and the early 2000s… I have good knowledge about FTPs, and online storage. And websites.

I met a lot of aspiring filmmakers and creators, who still don’t have their own self hosted website, are they fools?

Simple:

1. Ionos.com or bluehost.com, and just sign up for the cheapest self hosted server plan, which gives you access to your own FTP server, in which you could directly upload your own video files or whatever, and provide direct download links for people.
2. Use WordPress.org we’re only trust open source things. Why? Open source lasts longer; because typically when people create open source stuff, they do it because it is their passion not because there is a financial motive. Therefore as a consequence, it typically lasts.

It is not guaranteed that a passion project will last, we have good duration, but, perhaps the true indicator is this:

If you were offered a financial incentive or motivation to publish somethunf with a publisher, but you refused and you gave it away for free instead… you are true.

100 Lessons From The Masters Of Street Photography — this will last forever.

Why bitcoin will last forever

Even if you think about this, ultimate generous act; to create something invent something, anonymously, to give it away for free and then disappear forever… Isn’t this the ultimate generous act?

Satoshi did this. It is probably doubtful that he is Japanese, his English is too good. Probably after some Caucasian American man, slightly anti-establishment, anti-beings, a programming whiz, really believed in this. Kind of like the founder of Linux, etc. 

This is where you should never put any faith in any sort of corporation, product, security, or crypto crypto acid which has had a general founder. Why? When the founder dies, and there is no more vision… The whole thing will probably go under.

Steve Jobs vision was to create a company imputed with so much creative passion that it would outlive him. It seems like he has won here. Procreate wasn’t invented or created yet when Steve Jobs was alive, and if you think about it… The true ultimate vision of Steve Jobs was to create iPad, no stupid stylist, no stupid keyboard. This is why if you are a true fanboy, a true acolyte of Steve Jobs, what you would do is just use the 11 inch iPad Pro, no stupid accessories. You are a true innovator this way.

A true and grand man with real vision?

To become a true visionary is to see beyond well, monetization, even your own financial well-being. A true visionary doesn’t really care for money; Elon Musk doesn’t care about money, Jeff Bezos doesn’t, Peter Thiel doesn’t, Steve Jobs didn’t.

Maybe this is where we have to ask Jay Z and Kanye from our economic minds; I think the pernicious thing in the African-American community is around money. Why? It makes sense; even in America, talking to my friend Ray.. racism is still alive and well, and I don’t think it’s necessarily gotten any better. Certainly there is more access, there is no more legal laws which prohibit a certain race a person to purchase property, but still, people are still going to be racist towards you towards the pigment of your skin, your morphology, your genetic heritage etc., assuming that you are not Anglo-Saxon protestant Caucasian man in America.

Even Jewish people, they are not white. They are closet white, or “white passing“, — as long as America never elect or votes for a Jewish American president, Jewish people in Jewish businessmen will always be at a disadvantage, lower on the totem pole.

Even a Donald Trump… Certainly he is not Christian or religious or whatever… But he is certainly not Jewish. 

Even Catholics, Catholicism… Besides John F. Kennedy, Catholicism and being Catholic is still the weird sub-sect.

so what are we to do?

First, stop the heat loss, stop the oxygen loss, stop the bleeding! The most critical thing to consider in regards to economic policy for yourself, is to stop all debt, stop bleeding, and don’t leverage any debt or bad things!

Mortgages?

If you live in California, the taxes will bleed your dry. Even if you live somewhere like Florida, which has a lower tax jurisdiction, there are still taxes!

Which means, with property, you never really own the property, you simply have a lease from the government to borrow it. Do you have more privileges like building stuff on top of it, but still, as long as you have to pay a forever home owner city tax, you don’t really own it. 

Perhaps this is where people get tempted by certain things like clothing or cars, if you purchase it in all cash, technically you do own it. 

Avoid the indoors like the plague 

A lot of people coughing now, indoors. Maybe then the wise ideas to avoid indoors like the play, kind of like early Covid days. And also, maybe starting to become wise again to wear a facemask when going anywhere indoors?

–> always live life like it is COVID?

Because the issue here is not even catching Covid is just getting sick! I don’t want to catch the common cold; which has no vaccine. 

Every day is different

Each and every day is different… Never planned the night before. Just do what you feel like morning of. 

Bitcoin is digital cash

I think Satoshi wrote this in the bitcoin white paper, and also this is interesting because the notion of cash, because the simple ideas with a home or property or whatever… Either 100% all cash offer or nothing.

If you have to finance it, just keep stacking your money until you do it all cash.

But also the issue… If you think like a real investor, and you think about 10, 100 X, 1000 X gains… There’s almost nothing worth purchasing.

For example, at this point I could technically purchase anything I want. As long as it is less than $1 million. But the thing is… There’s nothing worth purchasing, nothing I value purchasing considering if my bitcoin can 10x, 100x, 1000x or even 10,000x from here.

Never spend money on yourself only others

Besides purchasing some weightlifting equipment from Titan.fitness from my remaining PayPal balance, I haven’t spent money on anything perhaps the last year?

I think the big thing is not because I’m doing it out of a sense of virtuality, but instead, ethos is that there is just nothing worth it?

And also, I’m starting to understand that I like the idea of things rather than actually owning it. Even my friend Don Dillon told me this about his Porsche 911 GT3: maybe we like the idea of something more than actually owning it.

This is where I love marketing, marketing materials, marketing copy images videos etc.; it is also inspirational, motivational, and interesting to me! For example, I do not wish even my worst enemy to own a Ferrari, the maintenance costs on these things are insane; at least a Lamborghini is just an Audi or a Volkswagen with a body kit; so if you’re going to fix your Lamborghini Huracan V10 engine… You could presumably use Volkswagen or Audi parts. But with Ferrari… You’re screwed. Do you want to fix your suspension, or your engine? Say goodbye to $200,000. And even if you’re super rich… Even a billionaire… To spend $200,000 to fix your car is always going to be annoying. And will irk you in a bad way.

---

“Finance”?

So studying some etymology for the word finance, the general idea is that finance literally means to hold someone at ransom? 

Very bad apparently, 99.99% of people finance their homes, which means that they take out a 30 year mortgage or whatever. And also even worse, apparently talking to some guys at the Toyota dealership, most people also finance their cars. This is horrible idea for many reasons:

1. First, if you’re going to take any APR that is above 0%, you’re in the red. Even 1.99% APR… That is lost money.
2. If you have to do a down payment on a car, and finance it, that is money you could’ve put into bitcoin, and 1000x’d — a $5M mistake, assuming that the average down payment on a car is $5000 USD.

Even more foolish is to Lisa vehicles; because once again, after three years you have to give it back! So you have literally pissed your money down the drain.

How to know whether people are really rich or not rich?

1. If they have not paid off the mortgage on the house in full, then they are not rich.
2. If they drive a Tesla, they are not rich
3. If they have a job they are not rich

Richness, is absence. The absence of having to have a job, the absence of having to “work“.

Does it matter?

I’m more critical thing to consider, which is even beyond my personal scope: does it matter? 

For example, why do you care to see or know how rich somebody is, in comparison to you?

I don’t think it really matters.

Maybe it comes out of a sense of insecurity; do you have to always weigh yourself according to others, maybe it is simply lack of self-esteem? And also, is this a socialized thing?

Because for example, if you were Achilles, you would not care about how rich somebody wasn’t comparison to you. I’ll Achilles was weary of just conquering towns for the sake of king Agamemnon. He just wanted to take Breisis his prize, and just retire to his fertile lands. And of course, after Hector kills Patroclus, on accident, thinking that it was Achilles… Achilles’ sole objective was to enact revenge by killing Hector. He had no use for golden tripods, more cattle in the like. Even the whole period of time in which he is trying to get his revenge, he actually forces his self not to eat– and of course the gods infuse him with ambrosia so he won’t starve to death, but still technically… he is technically “intermittent fasting“ the whole time.

---

Live like Achilles

Maybe the secret to economic immortality is to just live like Achilles. Your only joy is through combat, physical valor, strength, muscle.

My very very simple suggestion is quit your gym membership cancel your gym membership, and use that money to buy your own barbell and weights. If you want to do it super cheap, just purchase a sandbag, and buy some cheap place and from Home Depot, only about five dollars for a 50 pound bag.

Also, armor. 60 pound weight vest from Titan.fitness. 

And then, your joy is just maximum time outside, in the direct elements, training, for life.

ERIC

---

I’m impressed; is your 2024… And the matrix, the notion of the matrix is still a great one! Maybe the film matrix is anti-fragile from as time goes on, the film actually becomes better and more pertinent to modern day life, rather than irrelevant.

Also, I think this is also where Blade Runner will age well, because now that we have the new ChatGPT 4o (paid premium)– with the ability to have natural voice conversations, even trying it out in Korean, the Korean voice sounds so real!

Anyways, the general thought I have is maybe the future elite kids, will have the privilege of not using AI, not using ChatGPT etc. 

K-12?

OK, if you want to live in America well, there are basic things you gotta learn, like how to read right, basic arithmetic math etc.

So then if you think about the whole schooling system, what is the point of it?

First, maybe the point is socialization, learning how to play well with other kids, and ride with other humans etc. And then maybe it is these fun extracurricular activities like sports etc. Or arts, music etc. Or it is just a free babysitting daycare that you could pull your kids out, in order for you to do other stuff while your kids are in school.

I think the best strategy to approach is assume that every single kid will have access to an iPhone pro, with the paid premium version of ChatGPT. If this is the case… Maybe some sort of real world training is useful.

For example, I ChatGPT really good at doing tedious things, even one of the best things in TurboTax recently is having tax connect to your bank account and credit card, and it automatically files all of your expenses, according to category. I used to have to do this manually, and it was so insanely tedious, this is what I actually hated most about doing taxes. Now, it is super easy!

Also, tea is good at simple rhyme, or it is like a targeted Google or Wikipedia search, that doesn’t require you to look at advertisements. In fact my suggestion is anytime you want to google something, just first ChatGPT it.

Also, the reason why I find ChatGPT should be such an amazing great thing is that it doesn’t take you down rabbit holes, like Wikipedia or Google. In fact, I love hyperlink, but often hyperlinks are a huge distraction, that take you down these bizarre rabbit holes. if you spend enough time on Wikipedia, sooner or later you’ll come across any conspiracy theory, the similar thing that happens on Google search or YouTube.

Get rid of Google, YouTube, Wikipedia

Obviously ChatGPT is flawed, but still, because it is a paid premium product, at least there is not a problematic financial incentive at play; the incentive of open AI and ChatGPT is to create the best possible product, to best assist humans and humanity, and it hopes that everyone will subscribe to their paid model for $20 a month, which is a real and a good sustainable business model. 

Compare this with Google, which I think when it comes down to it is an unethical company. Why? 99% of the revenue is through paid search, or display advertisements, or YouTube ads or whatever. And therefore the financial incentive for creators is to create things which have maximum Machach factor, in order to maximize eyeball exposure, which tends to be around extremes in terms of human fears, concerns, doubts, Things that make people angry.

In fact, the notion of “injustice “porn; when you spend enough time on Twitter Instagram Facebook TikTok podcast whatever… Sooner or later you will feel unjust about something and it will make you angry!

Anger is a great monetization strategy 

”Ownership” as a mental thing?

Taycan — a dud!

Video Podcast

If the goal is to become stronger, more muscular, more vascular, more beastlike— mixed grip deadlift is the way:

Them veins!

Strapping on a 60 pound weight vest almost akin to adding 60 pounds or pure iron/steel muscle to your body?

I think I’m 5 foot 11, around 160 pounds muscular and six pack— maybe 5% bodyfat? With my weight vest on, now I’m 220 pounds — pure muscle, still 5% bodyfat with a 6 pack? Nice.

Also with weight vest ,,,

Porsche cars are too slow

1.99 0-60 speeds or nothing (Model S Plaid)— go Elon, go America!

Tesla Full self driving mode — just watch the product video ,,, pure magic???

Why would you voluntarily become a debt slave or an indentured servant?

Don’t create the film, be a producer, writer etc ,,, create the platform itself? Create the Amazon, the Netflix, etc?

Maybe?

The history of home mortgages in America reflects the evolution of the housing market, government intervention, and financial innovation over centuries. Here’s an overview:

1. Colonial and Early America (1600s-1800s):

• In the colonial era, home financing was informal, often involving private loans from family, friends, or local lenders. There were no standardized mortgage systems.
• In the early 19th century, homeownership was still limited, with most people either renting or living on land they had cleared themselves. Land contracts, where buyers paid installments directly to sellers, were more common than mortgages.

2. The Birth of the Modern Mortgage (Late 1800s – Early 1900s):

• By the late 19th century, the U.S. saw the emergence of building and loan associations, which pooled resources from members to provide mortgages. These early mortgages typically required large down payments and had short repayment periods, often 3 to 5 years.
• The National Bank Act of 1863 and the subsequent establishment of a national banking system allowed for greater availability of credit, but mortgages were still largely local and unregulated.

3. The Great Depression and the New Deal (1930s):

• The Great Depression of the 1930s led to widespread mortgage defaults and foreclosures, revealing the instability of the housing finance system.
• In response, the federal government intervened. The Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) was established in 1933 to refinance existing home mortgages to prevent foreclosures.
• The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was created in 1934 to insure mortgages, making it easier for banks to lend to homebuyers. The FHA also introduced the long-term, fixed-rate mortgage, which became a standard.
• The Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) was established in 1938 to create a secondary mortgage market, buying mortgages from lenders to provide them with liquidity.

4. Post-War Boom and Suburbanization (1940s-1960s):

• The GI Bill, passed in 1944, offered veterans low-cost home loans, spurring a post-war housing boom and the development of suburban America.
• The FHA and VA (Veterans Administration) loans became popular, offering low down payments and long-term fixed-rate loans, making homeownership accessible to millions of Americans.
• The standard 30-year fixed-rate mortgage became the norm during this period.

5. The Rise of Securitization and Deregulation (1970s-1990s):

• In the 1970s, Fannie Mae was privatized, and the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) was created to promote mortgage-backed securities (MBS), which allowed banks to pool and sell mortgages to investors.
• The Savings and Loan Crisis of the 1980s, fueled by high interest rates and deregulation, led to a wave of bank failures and further changes in the mortgage industry.
• The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) of 1977 encouraged banks to lend in low-income neighborhoods, expanding access to credit.
• In the 1990s, the creation of Freddie Mac and the expansion of mortgage securitization led to the growth of a robust secondary market, making mortgage credit more widely available.

6. The Housing Bubble and Financial Crisis (2000s):

• The early 2000s saw a housing boom, fueled by low interest rates, subprime lending, and speculative investment.
• Risky mortgage products, like adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) and interest-only loans, became popular, often leading to loans being extended to borrowers with poor credit histories.
• The housing bubble burst in 2007-2008, leading to a global financial crisis. Widespread defaults on subprime mortgages led to the collapse of major financial institutions and a severe recession.
• In response, the government intervened with programs like TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) took control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

7. Post-Crisis Reforms and the Modern Mortgage Market (2010s-Present):

• The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 introduced stricter regulations on lending practices, including the establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to oversee mortgage lending.
• The Qualified Mortgage (QM) rule was introduced to ensure that lenders assess a borrower’s ability to repay a loan.
• The 2010s also saw the rise of fintech in the mortgage industry, with online platforms offering more streamlined application processes.
• Today, the mortgage market is a mix of traditional banks, online lenders, and government-backed programs, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage remaining the most popular product.

The history of home mortgages in America is marked by a series of innovations, crises, and reforms, reflecting broader economic trends and the evolving relationship between government and the private sector.

More about fixed rate 30 year mortgage history

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is one of the most common and popular mortgage products in the United States, providing stability and predictability in home financing. Here’s a closer look at the history and evolution of the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage:

1. Origins and Early Development (1930s-1940s):

• Great Depression and New Deal Interventions: The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage originated during the Great Depression. Before this period, home loans were typically short-term (3 to 5 years) and often required large balloon payments at the end of the term, which contributed to widespread defaults during the economic downturn.
• Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Creation: In response to the mortgage crisis, the federal government established the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in 1934. The FHA introduced the concept of a long-term, fully amortizing mortgage with a fixed interest rate to make homeownership more accessible and affordable.
• Standardization of the 30-Year Term: The FHA initially offered 15- and 20-year terms, but the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage became more widely adopted in the late 1940s, offering lower monthly payments over a longer period, which made homeownership more feasible for a broader segment of the population.

2. Post-War Boom and Popularization (1950s-1970s):

• GI Bill and Suburban Expansion: After World War II, the GI Bill provided returning veterans with low-interest home loans, which were often structured as 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. This contributed to the post-war housing boom and the development of suburban communities.
• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: The creation of Fannie Mae (in 1938) and Freddie Mac (in 1970) played a crucial role in popularizing the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. These government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) bought mortgages from lenders, pooled them, and sold them as mortgage-backed securities, which provided lenders with the liquidity needed to offer more long-term, fixed-rate loans.

3. Challenges and Evolution (1980s-1990s):

• Savings and Loan Crisis: In the 1980s, the U.S. experienced the Savings and Loan (S&L) crisis, partly due to the mismatch between the long-term fixed-rate mortgages held by S&Ls and the rising short-term interest rates. This crisis led to the failure of many S&Ls and prompted regulatory changes in the mortgage market.
• Introduction of Adjustable-Rate Mortgages (ARMs): In response to the challenges of the fixed-rate mortgage model during periods of high inflation and interest rate volatility, adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) gained popularity in the 1980s. However, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage remained a staple, particularly for risk-averse borrowers.

4. Housing Bubble and Financial Crisis (2000s):

• Subprime Lending and Mortgage Innovation: In the early 2000s, the mortgage market saw the proliferation of subprime loans and innovative mortgage products like ARMs with low introductory rates. Despite this, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage remained popular, especially among prime borrowers.
• Financial Crisis of 2007-2008: The housing bubble burst led to a global financial crisis, exposing the risks associated with non-traditional mortgage products. In the aftermath, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage regained prominence as borrowers sought the security of predictable payments.

5. Post-Crisis and Modern Era (2010s-Present):

• Regulatory Changes: The Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 introduced new regulations to protect consumers and ensure the stability of the mortgage market. The Qualified Mortgage (QM) rule emphasized the importance of assessing a borrower’s ability to repay and reinforced the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage as a prudent lending option.
• Continued Popularity: Despite the introduction of various mortgage products, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage remains the most popular choice among American homebuyers. It offers the advantage of predictable payments, which helps households plan their finances over the long term.
• Market Trends: In recent years, historically low interest rates have made the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage even more attractive. While the average rate fluctuates with economic conditions, the security of locking in a rate for three decades continues to appeal to many borrowers.

6. Impact and Legacy:

• Widespread Homeownership: The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has played a crucial role in expanding homeownership in the United States, particularly among the middle class. It has allowed millions of Americans to purchase homes with manageable monthly payments.
• Economic Stability: The predictability of the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has also contributed to economic stability by reducing the risk of payment shocks that could lead to defaults and foreclosures, especially during economic downturns.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is often seen as the cornerstone of the American housing market, balancing the needs of borrowers for affordable payments with the interests of lenders and investors for stable, predictable returns. Its enduring popularity is a testament to its effectiveness in meeting the long-term financial goals of homeowners.

What existed before

Before the widespread adoption of the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in the United States, home financing was much less standardized, and the available options were quite different from what is common today. Here’s a look at the types of home financing that existed before the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage became the norm:

1. Short-Term, Interest-Only Loans (Pre-1930s):

• Structure: Prior to the 1930s, home loans were typically short-term, often ranging from 3 to 10 years. These loans were usually interest-only, meaning borrowers paid only the interest on the loan each month, with the principal amount due in full at the end of the term.
• Balloon Payments: The final payment was a large “balloon” payment, which covered the entire principal. This often forced borrowers to refinance the loan when it came due, assuming they could qualify for a new loan.
• High Risk: These loans were risky for borrowers, especially during economic downturns when refinancing might not be possible. This contributed to widespread defaults during the Great Depression.

2. Building and Loan Associations (Late 1800s – Early 1900s):

• Cooperative Model: Building and loan associations (also known as building societies) were cooperative financial institutions that pooled members’ savings to provide loans to other members for home purchases.
• Straight-Line Amortization: Loans were often structured with straight-line amortization, meaning that payments gradually reduced the principal over time, but the terms were typically shorter (around 10-15 years) and required substantial down payments.
• Mutual Savings: These institutions were an early form of community-based lending, where borrowers and savers were often the same people, fostering local investment in homeownership.

3. Land Contracts and Installment Plans:

• Direct Seller Financing: Before the widespread availability of bank mortgages, many home purchases were made through land contracts (also known as contract for deed) or installment plans directly with the seller.
• Payment Structure: Under these agreements, the buyer would make monthly payments directly to the seller, and the seller retained the title to the property until the full price was paid. These contracts often spanned 5 to 10 years.
• Ownership Transfer: Ownership of the property would only transfer to the buyer after all payments were made. This arrangement was common in rural areas and among lower-income buyers who might not qualify for traditional loans.

4. Community Banks and Local Lenders:

• Local Lending Practices: In the absence of a national mortgage market, most home loans were made by small, local banks or individual lenders. These loans were often short-term, required large down payments (sometimes 50% or more), and had variable interest rates.
• Regional Variability: The terms and availability of loans varied greatly by region, depending on the local economy and the bank’s risk tolerance. Borrowing was often based on personal relationships and reputation.

5. Government and Institutional Loans (Limited Availability):

• Farm Loans: In some cases, government agencies or large institutions (like insurance companies) provided loans for specific purposes, such as agricultural development. These loans were typically longer-term than private loans but were not widely available to the general public.
• Limited Homeownership: Due to the restrictive nature of lending, homeownership was less common before the New Deal. Many Americans rented their homes or built them incrementally with savings, rather than through loans.

6. Impact of the Great Depression:

• The instability of these early forms of home financing became evident during the Great Depression when many borrowers could not meet balloon payments or refinance their loans, leading to widespread foreclosures.
• The mortgage crisis of the 1930s highlighted the need for a more stable and accessible home financing system, which eventually led to the creation of the FHA and the introduction of the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage.

Transition to the Modern Mortgage System:

The economic turmoil of the Great Depression prompted significant reforms in the American housing finance system. The federal government’s interventions through the FHA, the creation of Fannie Mae, and the establishment of standardized, long-term, fully amortizing mortgages represented a seismic shift from the more precarious, short-term, and locally varied lending practices that had previously dominated.

These changes laid the groundwork for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to become the standard in American home financing, providing a reliable path to homeownership for millions of Americans.

Vs a plot of earth or land or property in cyberspace which truly belongs to you?

If you own a plot of land in America, it technically belongs to the government, not you.

To simply do something is the goal!

How to live forever ,,, not necessarily how to be “rich” forever?

A lift a day keeps the doctor away!

OK, some random thoughts:

Time for me to go to war on these assholes, acting all tough in their cars, asshole smokers in public etc.

Nonconsensual exposure

Here is where ChatGPT really shines; its ability to quickly navigate thousands of pages of legal law, to find city ordinances, and laws in regards to smoking, smoking in public areas etc.

First, to evoke NASSIM TALEB, skin in the game, the general ethical idea is that laws are feeble, ethics are robust. It is very easy to gain legal laws, city ordinances etc.… typically for profit. 

Anyways, I’ve been thinking a lot about the ethics or the politics of smoking; first and foremost, I grew up, with my dad being a very very heavy smoker, and I think cigarette smoke might be one of my most hated things on the planet. I hate it 1 trillion times more than even politics. 

I think the primary ethical issue here is that it is nonconsensual exposure. For example, if I’m out walking in public, walking in the streets, by myself or with Seneca… I do not want to smell any secondhand smoke.

What some of these assholes try to do is that they tried to smoke in a corner, or really far away… Not thinking that in fact, secondhand smoke especially if you’re downwind from it, could almost travel up to one or two city blocks.

Now that I am the king of Culver City, the primary issue here is that whenever I randomly see people smoking on the sidewalk, crossing the street, in a corner,  at the intersection of a public street, etc.… Sometimes I don’t act quickly enough, or say anything quickly enough, because I think to myself:

Well —  it seems like I won’t be exposed to their smoke because they seem far away… Or maybe the wind is blowing the opposite direction?

But then… When I walked down a block or two… And I instantly smelled the smoke, I immediately get a headache, feel pain and become infuriated… And I am not willing to backtrack a block, once again smelling the secondhand smoke again, to tell them to stop.

Anti smoking rampage

OK, if you want to smoke in the comfort of your own home, inside your bedroom, give yourself cancer etc– so be it,,, but, the second you step outside your home, there becomes some ethical dilemmas for you.

Even a new new one; there are no robust laws which prevent people from smoking in their outdoor patio in multi level apartment complexes etc.

Because let us say that you’re addicted to smoking cigarettes, or even if you’re addicted to smoking marijuana, do you think that your secondhand smoke when you smoke on your patio doesn’t affect others… But it does.

Even another nuance; when you’re out in public, driving your car, and smoking with your windows down, assuming that I have my windows down, your secondhand smoke could come into my car!

Sometimes what I’ll do is just roll up the windows and turn on the air conditioning, because I don’t want to pick a fight. But then again… If I prefer to have my windows down, to get a fresh breeze, and your smoking with your windows down… Why should I have to roll up my windows, because you are polluting the communal air?

Is it worth it?

I think for a very very long time, I would just take it, I would just take it up the ass like a ventriloquist (Ye). But now… Now that I have Seneca, a young child, things change. Both when I am actually with him, walking with him in public, we’re also, when I’m just by myself…

Now I’m starting to think, to evoke children is unethical.  For example, to tell these asshole smokers in public to not smoke cigarettes because there are children around, or that it is “bad for the kids“… It is typically poor manners. Why? Because if you think it from the kids perspective… Technically you’re blaming the kids… Or the kids end up feeling guilty and culpable?

Obviously smoking is bad for kids, secondhand smoke is bad for kids… But these asshole smokers do it anyway, thinking that they could get away with it, or thinking that they are far enough that they are not harming anyone. But once again, the laws of physics and the wind, Even here in Culver City, because we are relatively close to Venice and the beach, we actually get a really nice breeze! And especially when you are in public areas, if I could smell the smell of smoke, I perk up like a wolf immediately, or even marijuana.

Don’t be a coward

If something is ethically wrong in the pit of your soul, you must stand up, speak out, even if you’re the asshole, even if you’re the bully, even if you are the unreasonable one.

Now, I think all smokers secretly know what they are doing is bad and shameful. And they should. Yet,,, once again, the average citizen never says anything, I’m starting to think that Angelino’s are a bunch of cowards and pussies.  The problem with the modern day American man is that he is a passive aggressive coward, who never says something to your face,  but instead, bitches and moans in private, on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, or complaints to friends and family and other people behind closed doors over dinner conversations.

Now, I’m just gonna think that I am a navy seal officer, I am a ranger, Delta force, that I am the mayor, the Supreme Court judge, the CHP, the police.

WE are taught all the stuff in k-12 education about Rosa Parks, refusing to stand up at the back of the bus whatever, but why is it that the modern day man is so cowardly?

Man vs woman?

I found out recently… I’m actually really good at yelling at other men, and being an asshole to other men… But when I see women who are as asshole drivers, who honk at me from behind for not moving half a millisecond forward, or even worse… when I was in a parking lot complex, and some asshole lady in a AMG wagon honk at me from behind because I’m simply trying to find a parking spot… Or even the other day I saw a lady smoking cigarette while crossing the public sidewalk street, … why do I hesitate to tell off women?

I suppose the issues here is that men are taught to treat women with more respect, to not be aggressive towards women etc. Typically I think this is good, but once again, when it comes to the public good, like smoking, or the public roads… This should not be tolerated.

> Zero tolerance

Every day politics of every day life

People often talk about  politics in the realm of the ephemeral digital world, of Donald Trump and international politics and international politics in the light. I find this very cowardly and superficial.

What is more critical here is to talk about politics every day life. For example, once again, face-to-face, flesh to flesh human interactions.

I’m starting to think the reason why people are such assholes wouldn’t come to cars is this asymmetry of power;

When somebody honk at you from behind, you cannot honk back because your horn is facing forward, there is no such thing as a backwards facing horn.

A simple suggestion could be installing a horn on your trunk which faces the opposite way, in which if some asshole honks at you from behind, you could honk back. 

What is the purpose of a horn?

Every automobile car is legally required to have a horn, and the purpose of a horn in a car is to prevent potential accidents. You only honk when it is a life or death situation, or when there might be an incoming accident. The purpose of a horn or to honk at somebody isn’t to tell them to hurry up when they are not moving in traffic. Simple suggestions; if a car in front of you is not moving, even when the light turns green… Just wait a few seconds! Who knows if that person simply has a kid in the car seat behind them, and the kid is asking them for food or something!

Here, those stickers that say kid on board is useful… But aesthetically I don’t want to put that sticker on the back of my automobile, because I find it unaesthetic.  But once again, there is an asymmetry here in which if somebody behind you doesn’t know that you have a kid on board, they might be more likely to be an asshole, but most people lack them or the knowledge that there are some people who drive cars who have kids on board, And therefore, when people aggressively drive behind you, cut you off without turning on their signal, I’m starting to think that we have to educate them.

When you observe dangerous behavior on the road, a simple thing you could do is highbeam them, either you could blink it twice, or just go behind them and blast your highbeams at full at them, to inform them that they did something wrong.  I personally do not believe in honking, because even I am sensitive to the sound of honking even if the honking is coming from my car.

Perhaps a simple weapon that we could put on our cars are those really really extremely bright LED high beams, you could just get them on Amazon for 30 bucks. And they are so bright that even in the Los Angeles sunlight, it reaches the eyeballs of the perpetrator.

Road rage is passive aggressive

The primary issue with road rage, is that it is passive aggressive. Let us realize that when you are driving a car, and you get road rage or aggressive on the road, you have a 3000 pound silver bullet. Not only can you kill yourself and your passengers on board, you could also kill other people on the road, their kids etc.

Once again, the false ethical thought that people have in regards to these crazy drivers is that they could kill themselves. But once again if they are driving on a public road, and there is at least one or two other cars around them… In theory they could cause a multi car accident, which could indirectly or directly harm you and your kid on board! This is starting to get so bad that I am even considering that by the time Seneca gets into school… Getting a part-time job as a California highway police officer, to start to serve justice,? Or at least become accredited to become a cop?  well at least become some sort of petty officer, or reserve officer somewhere in the American military? To At least get some sort of higher clearance,  or authority, or badge?

Think about it… If you were a California highway police officer, or even a cop, in your driving around in a cop car with some asshole honk at you from behind to hurry up? No! They will not dare to. So what makes these assholes think that they could bully the average civilian?

Another random solution I have is installing those super bright LED light bars, in the back of your car, to prevent assholes from tailgating you, or as a form of punishment you could just turn them on the second that people start honking at you from behind.

A random thought; you had one of those massive lifted trucks, a cyber truck, or a car that has spikes from behind, or some car that looks beautiful… Would it prevent people from tailgate, or honking at you like an asshole? Uncertain.

---

TANK

Certainly if you drove a tank on the streets, people would probably not honk at you from behind to hurry up. And also, if you’re walking around town with your 60 pound weight vest on… You’re kind of look like SWAT team, and I found that when people are on the streets and they see you with your 60 pound weight vest on, they either assume that you’re security, or that you have a bomb strapped to your chest. 

Regardless, when I do have my 60 pound weight vest strapped to my chest… It does make me feel tougher, stronger, more confident more brazen, and when I tell people off… I feel zero hesitation. Why? Two things, first, if I have my 60 pound weight vest on… It might be able to Prevent penetration even from a Glock pistol? 

Even I was chatting with a Culver City police officer, LAPD officer, and even they saw me with my weight vest and was impressed… And they told me that their bulletproof vest was around 20 pounds.

Also, I would certainly probably win in a fistfight, because I think anybody if they attempted to punch me with my weight vest on, they would definitely fracture their hand or fist. 

I suppose the difficulty is that it is easier for me to wear my 60 pound weight vest, walking around town by myself, but it becomes a little bit more difficult when I am with Seneca.

No more passive aggressive, only aggressive aggressive. 

One of the great things about being Culver City, is that I really do have a strong sense of ownership here, I feel like a valued member of the community, I know everybody here, and I suppose when I am the greater Los Angeles area, I might be a little bit more hesitant to tell people in public not to smoke whatever… But certainly here in Culver City I have zero qualms.

Once again with these asshole smokers, the cowardly thing to do is when you see somebody smoking in public is to simply take you and your kid, and try to go away. The problem is even when you are trying to retreat or run away from the smoker, The draft from a block or two down from there smoking your lungs, and the lungs of your kid!

Will they return?

Another thought: typically, if you see somebody smoking somewhere, they typically have their pre-designated smoking spots. What they do is they always come back to a certain spot, typically in a public place, and then they indignantly light up their cigarettes.

So I suppose the benefit of telling somebody off, to not smoke in public, or telling them not to smoke in our city, is that you might prevent them from future smoking in public, and I wonder… How much of trying to stop assholes from smoking in public has to deal with you versus other people their kids etc.?

The first thing; I love kids! I love all kids! All kids are pure, genuine, sweet, and adorable. Becoming a new father, I do sense and feel  I general sense of well-being, and affection for all kids, regardless whether they are mine or not. I’m not not sure why, it is just kind of like a gut feeling.

So certainly I do not want other random kids to get secondhand smoking or cancer or lung exposure.

Assuming that we humans are altruistic, and we care for the well-being of others, even other kids who don’t belong to us, if you really did care about humanity the human race altruism… Maybe you should say something.

Cars on the road?

Certainly trying to tell off every single human being on the planet or in Los Angeles to drive better is not really sustainable. Let us say that you are one human being, and there is 100,000 asshole drivers on the road, you cannot correct everyone.

However, you could create one person, or two people, or three people… This is enough to make a change!

ERIC

---

EK

I suppose the great difficulty with clothing businesses is you have to produce all these different sites, what do you do to products which do not sell an extra extra small or extra extra large?

Not every single glove fits every single hand, nor does every single spectacles fit every single man

The good thing with Cypher or digital goods is that they could be sold all across the planet and the universe? With no friction?

Maybe the next grade innovation will be like an Amazon, but only with cyber, digital goods? Bitcoin-based, or Satoshi based?

economic sacrifices

Recover, recovered

.

Only read books while you’re standing or walking?

.

Expand popular interest?

.

Photography ,, all of it

Time periods — issue with trying to sell winter clothes versus summer clothes

Clothing is not a good business? Because you’re too dependent on the weather and seasons?

Bitcoin is great, irregardless of the weather or this season!

Prime condition for slaughter

Time

Sustainable businesses

---

Good Businesses, Bad Businesses

Good businesses are digital; that exist on the Internet, you don’t have to pay rent, storage fees, monthly building mortgage payments, land leases etc.

For example, when I was starting off, in street photography… Started my blog etc.… Even up until now my server fee for my blog might be about 100 bucks, 200 bucks a month. But compare this to having to sign a lease on the building in which you are being held into the property, and you have to pay that lease indefinitely! Seems like a poor idea.

I think in the world of finance, art, there is this romanticization of the Parisian artist, with his private studio, his private bookstore or café… Etc. They should hear is a scale ability issue, and also, issue that you have to attend to the property!

For example, the problem is in regards to having to be there, maintain the toilets, etc.

For a moment, I was considering opening out my own gym, but then I realized, the headache of having to always be there, or higher staff, maintain the toiletsetc. A trillion headaches. 

Good businesses are digital; that exist on the Internet, you don’t have to pay rent, storage fees, monthly building mortgage payments, land leases etc.

For example, when I was starting off, in street photography… Started my blog etc.… Even up until now my server fee for my blog might be about 100 bucks, 200 bucks a month. But compare this to having to sign a lease on the building in which you are being held into the property, and you have to pay that lease indefinitely! Seems like a poor idea.

I think in the world of finance, art, there is this romanticization of the Parisian artist, with his private studio, his private bookstore or café… Etc. They should hear is a scale ability issue, and also, issue that you have to attend to the property!

For example, the problem is in regards to having to be there, maintain the toilets, etc.

For a moment, I was considering opening out my own gym, but then I realized, the headache of having to always be there, or higher staff, maintain the toiletsetc. A trillion headaches. 

The laws of physics

Currently, Amazon is the goat. There is no other business as dominant, impressive, and all encompassing than Amazon. If you want any sort of physical good, Amazon is almost always your best pet, especially if you have Amazon prime. Why? Speed. To get your products delivered to you, within a day, two days, or the day of same day… Speed wins.

But the funny thing is even for me, Amazon is too slow. When I want to buy something, I want to purchase it immediately, right now! So this is where I like to walk into the store and purchase something, because I like the immediate effect of something being instantaneous. Perhaps for me, there is a greater joy in instant, rather than even waiting a few hours.

Digital goods?

OK the biggest issue here is that there is still no such thing as a digital good. For example, e-books, digital products are not really digital… In the scarcity notion.

For example, let us say that I sell an e-book for $10. Follower may purchase it because they desire to support me, want immediate access to it, or cannot find a free version online. But beyond this… The second which you download a PDF file, you could replicate it indefinitely! If you download a PDF file of something, or even a EPUB file of an e-book,  you could replicate it 1 million times, send it to 1 million of your friends online, etc.

Non-replicable?

The closest thing we have so far is the notion of a non-fungible thing… NFT. For example, having some sort of proof on the block chain, backed by Ethereum which “proves” that you are indeed, the true “owner“ of something. But even for me as a bitcoin and crypto enthusiast, I have almost 0 interest in an NFT. Why? I don’t care for the ownership something… Or example if you made an NFT art of something, I could just screenshot it, and hold onto the image. don’t care whether I own it or not, I just like looking at the image!

Where Bitcoin becomes such a fascinating value proposition  is that you cannot replicated, even if you wanted to. Why? Proof of work, the idea that you must expend energy in order to mind a bitcoin, like putting human laborers to work for a bar of gold etc.

The foolish thing that people say is that bitcoin is bad for the environment or the planet or whatever… But they do not talk about how bad for the planet is to mine gold, Mine diamonds, precious metals for jewelry etc.

For example, if you’re a woman or man saying that bitcoin is bad for the planet. Yet you have ever purchased or received any gold object or jewelry, or if you want iPhone… Or a laptop or whatever… Or an automobile car… That’s bad for the planet! 

Even worse, gold, diamonds, etc.… Depends on slave labor. Even apparently to produce your lovely sneakers, whether they be Adidas Nike, cloud on whatever… There are some close to slavery like working conditions, somewhere in Indonesia Vietnam, to make your lovely athletic apparel. Same thing goes with Lululemon; All the brands.

There is no such thing as ethical fashion, ethical clothing, ethical iPhones or iPhone pros, ethical make up whatever.

Women vs men

When it comes down to it… Woman seeks to beautify herself, either with her thoughts, her words, her clothing her dress, her literature, her artworks etc. 

What does man seek? Man seek dominance, power, influence, women.

The way that we our desired goals through capitalism or consumerism is through purchasing, purchasing power.

For a man,  what is the significance of purchasing property or single-family home? The purpose is to build a citadel, build a fortress, a castle, a point of defense, a TROY, etc. Therefore the appeal of prosperous men who desire to purchase property on top of a hill or a mountain, overlooking his fiefdom, feeling high and mighty etc.

I think for a woman, the purpose of property, purchasing a home has to be more around a feeling of security. 

---

Being honest?

I think one of the most pernicious modern day lines of thinking has deal with the fact that somehow… Sexual differences don’t matter. It does matter if you are a man or a woman, whether you have testes or ovaries.

Why? If you have any menstrual cycle or hormonal cycle, certainly this will be very different than if you’re a man, with testicles, and you have greater sports aggression due to heightened cortisol or adrenaline levels.

For example, you would never put the top male UFC fighter against the top female UFC fighter. Why? This would simply be unethical and slaughter.

However, the top UFC female fighter certainly probably destroyed 99.9% of the male population. But if you took the top UFC female fighter versus the top UFC male fighter, no chance. I’m not sure… But even if you took the top female UFC fighter, versus even a middle male UFC fighter, or even a bottom tier male UFC fighter… I think the man would always win. This is why you never see Roger Federer versus Serena or Venus Williams, and this is why you will never see LeBron James versus any women’s NBA player.

Also, in the context of weightlifting, powerlifting, or strongman competitions; even if you took all the steroids in the world, I don’t think you will ever see a 501 kg lift from a woman. Or even see a woman lift 1000 pounds? Certainly not 2000 pounds.

gender versus sex

Gender is whatever you want. It is fluid. In this sense, to be a transgender or whatever is fine; ever since I was a kid, the notion of a tomboy, a drag queen, whatever is not a big deal. Even Kanye West putting on the pink polo… I remember in middle school high school, one of the cool African-American guys, sporting a pink polo, it was so shocking to everybody because pink was seen as only for women, but he did so confidently and everyone thought he was awesome.

Even now with Seneca, pink is his favorite color! And so is mine! I have this pink Brooks brother sweater I love which I always get compliments on, and also this cool pink bomber jacket ISSE , which I found for free in this donation pile, which I love. Other day one of the Toyota dealership guys thought Seneca was a girl because he wore pink shoes, which threw him off. 

Certain colors are socialized, also, behaviors and the way you decide to dress, this is all fluid! I’ve been seeing a lot of men, with facial hair, 3 o’clock shadows, dressing in skirts or dresses whatever. And that is fine.  even this one person at one of our favorite fried chicken takeout places, has facial hair, but the voice sounds like a girl, but the facial features look masculine… I have no idea. But typically, if you have facial hair, or a beard… You’re a man. 

I love the alphabet soup!

It don’t matter what you is, And also, I don’t know why people care what you are either. If you’re a man and you want to wear a sports bra, a crop top, a bikini, a skirt or dress, whatever… Why does it matter?

Also, I think the first rule is to just leave other people alone. If other people want to dress however they want, or act or talk the way they want to, or have sex or intercourse the way they want to, why do you care?

I think perhaps for me, the only annoying thing is when it comes to gender pronouns. If you have a beard, if you’re 7 foot tall with facial hair, I’m not going to call you a woman.

If you’re 6 foot seven, and you have a beard, and you want me to call you a woman, I will not. And this is where I find things nonsensical; it is not a hate crime to call somebody what they biologically are.  

Even the funny thing… To call somebody “bro” nowadays is not even gendered.  I even see young elementary or middle school kids calling their moms “bro” or “bruh”.

---

Back at the line of thought

So let us take a via negativa approach:  start off by axing and eliminating all the bad business ideas.

1. Based in the physical world, in which you have to pay rent, a mortgage, reoccurring physical space expenses.
2. High risk businesses, latest realize that the simple statistics here, never put yourself into a fragile position.

Day jobs are good

When I first started my blog, I had zero intention or thought that it would be commercially viable. My personal thought was that actually, to make money through photography was impossible.  The only way I was able to make it work was part by chance, part by luck, part with hard work and hustle. 

But the greatest benefit was I didn’t have any stress to monetize it. Why? I still have my day job, earning $40,000 a year in 2010 2011, so at least I could cover my rent, and basic expenses.

This is why my number one advice for any entrepreneur is the goal is not to get super rich from your passion, the goal is simply to be able to sustain yourself in a Spartan level and degree ; doing the absolute minimum, paying rent, and purchasing meat and coffee.

Spartan entrepreneurship

If you study any super super successful entrepreneur, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos in the light … They all started super scrappy.  Steve Jobs would just subsist on beans and rice, and filled the apple computer with Steve Wozniak, in his parents garage, with down jackets on, and space heaters. Elon Musk, in the early days, shared a single computer with his brother, and also, would just shower at the local YMCA, and I think he fed himself on two dollars a day on just spaghetti and hotdogs.

Also, Jeff Bezos; him just personally driving his beat up Honda accord to the local post office, to deliver books. Also the early days he would create tables for his workers, simple doors that he would buy at Home Depot.

So I think the primary mistake that a lot of these aspiring entrepreneurs make is that they think that somehow need a lot of funding, or a lot of money.

The truth is… Entrepreneurship is Spartan;  essentially, assume that you have zero resources, zero money, zero startup capital, and all you have is access to the Internet, your brain, and earning enough money to just pay for your website server bill.

Once again… The way that you leverage yourself 1 trillion X is to just start your own self hosted website, Ionos.com or bluehost.com with WordPress.org

And the simple way to propagate yourself is through free marketing, through free YouTube videos, free podcast, free files, etc. The path forward is through indirect monetization; you cannot make a sustainable living simply from advertising. You have to provide some sort of service or product.

Promotion?

Also, maybe you could indirectly get rich by promoting stuff, like for example… You become super famous for something, and let us say that you own a lot of bitcoin, maybe simply to educate people about bitcoin, the virtues, might be indirectly good for you; because you build a trust with your audience in an unrelated field, and you could use that as a platform to promote bitcoin or whatever… And as a consequence, your Bitcoin value goes up? 

Everyone knows ERIC KIM as the street photographer, philosopher, Stoic Spartan, now weightlifter and muscular guy, but bitcoin is a new identity.

The ethics of personal gain

Ethical question:  if you own bitcoin, a lot, and you tell everybody that you own bitcoin, and you are vested in it, you have at least $1 million of your wealth in it… Is it at the culture promote it, assuming that when you’re promoted, the value of your own personal bitcoin may go up to $10 million $100 million or $1 billion?

Yes. Why? You got skin in the game! I would say it is unethical to promote something that you’re not vested in; for example very very unethical for these early crypto influencers to promote FTX, when they in fact by themselves did not host their own assets on FTX, or that they did not purchase any FTX with their own tokens.

Even a bad thing that I saw with chain-link; they recently had a hackathon, and I think the offered like $100,000 worth of prizes. But shouldn’t the ethical thing be instead, to offer prizes with chain-link, not US dollars?

Michael Saylor

The reason why I really love Michael Saylor is that the whole time, in all of his 100+ interviews, he never once promotes his own company, or tells people to buy it.  instead, he tells people to buy the bitcoin itself, not shares in his company.

Some people think, wait, isn’t it bad for Michael Saylor to promote bitcoin if you will indirectly monetize from it? No! Because he has risk and exposure.

It would be unethical if he was promoting Ethereum, if he was given a $10 million check from Vitalik, but did not actually purchase any Ethereum himself.

And also, this is where all these corporations are evil; for example even Disney… Who owns Marvel, I see these Coca-Cola cans and bottles, with superheroes plastered all over it? Burn it down!

Also, unethical marketing, with beer and alcohol companies; name one athlete who drinks a beer or drinks vodka or Mezcal or tequila before playing a game. Zero.

Or, think about the ethics of a Toyota dealer who would prefer to drive an AMG wagon over a Toyota.

Or, a Lamborghini dealer selling Lamborghinis, but in private, he drives a Tesla instead.

This is where money in the game, soul in the game matters;  assuming that money is just economic energy, when you have economic energy and something, your opinion is true.

For example, if the evil Philip Morris company offered you $1 trillion to say that smoking cigarettes what’s good for your health, would you do it? Of course not. 

Trust nobody who uses advertising

I put zero faith in anybody who relies on advertising revenue, sponsorships, to make a living. Why? First and foremost ,,, I recall that there were some early crypto influencers or bitcoin guys who promoted Gemini as a trading platform, and that they trusted it and used it themselves etc. But now… Is it still around? Not certain.

The only reason I used Coinbase was at the time, it had the best aesthetic branding, simplicity, and was super easy. I suppose my benefit was before I bought bitcoin, I spent many years thinking about it, philosophizing about economics, field currency etc.… Rather than listening to any of these YouTube videos or podcasts.

Streaming slaves

Any artist who is dependent on streams, number of streams, is a slave.

Once again, if you want to appeal to the lowest common denominator, you just give everyone a sweetened Starbucks Frappuccino beverage, with five pumps of caramel and agave sugar and almond milk on top. Or coconut milk, or oat milk.

Also, you give all the kids kids, have them watch paw patrol, Bluey, Disney+, Disney films etc.

Also let us consider that 99.9% the population still watches television, TV shows, Netflix, HBO Max etc.

Trust nobody with a subscription to any media streaming service.

So now what?

My very simple thought is think local, think your own local city, city politics rather than international or international politics.

For example, I don’t really care what’s gonna happen this upcoming election cycle — I’m about 99.9% certain Donald Trump is going to win, even though I vote for Kamala Harris.

Be the change in which you wish to see in the world, and don’t do things that you don’t like 

For example, I hate it when people honked at me, and therefore I will never never honk at people, unless it might be a life or death situation.

I don’t like when people act low-key racist to me; so maybe I’ll try my best to not be low-key racist to other people.

Also, smile to strangers and wave at them!  it literally cost you nothing, and that worse, they frown at you back, or ignore you. I would say this:

Better to risk a kind hello smile and peace sign, and get ignored or snuffed, rather than not attempt it at all! 

Be magnanimous, be the great man!

ERIC

---

Pettiness, jealousy and envy are only for weak men.

Just think, “what would John Wick do“? Or what would King Leonidas do?

---

Or king? Emperor?

Eric Kim has written several blog posts about Jeff Bezos, reflecting on various lessons and ideas he finds inspiring from Bezos’s life and work. Here are some key insights from these posts:

1. Regret Minimization Framework: Eric Kim discusses the Regret Minimization Framework, a decision-making tool popularized by Jeff Bezos. This framework encourages making choices that you won’t regret when looking back on your life. Kim applies this concept to both photography and life, advocating for taking risks and pursuing what truly matters to avoid future regrets oai_citation:1,Eric Kim regret minimization framework – ERIC KIM.
2. Lessons from “Invent and Wander”: In his review of Jeff Bezos’s book Invent and Wander, Kim highlights Bezos’s resilience, particularly during the dot-com bubble, and his commitment to innovation. He also admires Bezos’s personal background, including the challenges his family faced, and the “Day One” philosophy, which emphasizes staying scrappy and hungry for innovation oai_citation:2,Lessons I’ve Learned from Jeff Bezos Invent and Wander Book – ERIC KIM oai_citation:3,INVENT AND WANDER NOTES AND THOUGHTS JEFF BEZOS – ERIC KIM.
3. Business and Innovation Lessons: Kim elaborates on various business principles inspired by Bezos, such as the importance of customer obsession, the idea of cannibalizing your own products to stay ahead, and the notion that it’s easier to invent the future than to predict it. These lessons are drawn from Bezos’s approach to building Amazon, where long-term thinking and relentless innovation are key oai_citation:4,7 Lessons Jeff Bezos Can Teach You – ERIC KIM oai_citation:5,7 Lessons Jeff Bezos Can Teach You – ERIC KIM.

These reflections show how Eric Kim draws inspiration from Bezos’s strategies and philosophies to apply them in his own life and work.

Or how to think like Jeff Bezos?

”Profit Prophet”? — Jeff Bezos

Think about the end, work your way backwards

1. Bitcoin Investing 101
2. Bitcoin for Street Photographers
3. Bitcoin Economics
4. Bitcoin Philosophy

1. War on smokers in public
2. War on bad drivers

Imperative? What are your personal imperatives in life?

---

Ethics and morals of this present and future

So some big thoughts I’ve been having lately; about imperatives, ethical and moral imperatives, thinking about what to do in life, what not to do in life, etc.

True imperatives is something that stirs you from within, something which you are not forced to do by anybody, but rather, it is “autotelic”; it feels like it is your own moral self impelled reason to do something, for the sake of it, not for the sake of virtue or whatever.

Where we go wrong

One of the things that I disdain about modern day education, is too much of it has to deal with morals and ethics. Yes yes yes, traditional K-12 education we have to learn basic things like how to write read basic rules of grammar etc.

Also, simple math, science, physics, fundamentals.

Yet beyond this — what is all this nonsense we are taught in schools? I think too much time is wasted in school teaching students how to shut up, be quiet, listen and obey to the teacher, and to kowtow to authority figures. In fact, if you critically assess the whole K through 12 industrial educational complex, it has to deal with suppression, authoritarianism:

I am the teacher, you are the student, I am superior and more dominant than you, do not challenge me.

What is the point of K-12 education anyways?  

First, free babysitting, or a free place to put your kids while you have to work your job, to pay the bills and rent/mortgage etc.

Second, not all parents, but some… I don’t think a lot of parents would actually prefer to be with their kids 24/7. I find this insanely bizarre.

Certainly everyone has the right to live their lives however they want, but I suppose this is just a class thing: 

Let the basic parents be basic, our goal is to be supreme. 

Why be basic?

This is where things become fun; everyone seeks some sort of individuality, moral or ethical supremacy, yet, people tend to trend towards being basic?

For example, the average person drinks Coca-Cola or sweetened beverages, whether 0 cal or real sugar or agave sugar or whatever, the average American is overfat, the average American man watches pornography in private,  the average person eats McDonald’s, eats three square meals a day, finances their car and has a monthly car payment, has a mortgage, walks less than 1000 steps a day, spends an hour commuting to work, or five hours a day on zoom, uses Google Chrome, reads the news, is on Facebook Instagram or Google news, watches YouTube, allows their kids to watch YouTube or YouTube YouTube kids etc.

Once again… Do you want to drive the Toyota Corolla, or the matte Black cyber truck?

“I’m the number one idea supplier!”

I think for myself, my number one passion skill, and talent is ideas. I never run out of them! In fact, as time goes on, my penchant for ideas is intensifying. I credit this to the fact that this is the most I’ve ever walked in my life, every morning I wake up, pound my espressos, toss on my 60 pound weight vest, and I go on my daily morning walk, in which I walk with my iPad Pro, voice dictate my thoughts, and come up with lots of ideas. 

Ideation

The ideas are in your legs!

There is talk about “creative ideation“ in Silicon Valley, the basic idea is this–

How do you come up with creative ideas?

My major critique is too many of these artists are too effeminate, weak, overly sensitive, lack access to sunlight and the great outdoors, super pale in the skin and lacks a tan, never goes out, never leaves their home apartment studio or cafe, doesn’t lift weights, or exercise, eats mostly “a plant-based diet” (trust no thinker who is mostly plant-based), and seeks their moral supremacy in their artwork through how obscure, strange, or anti-they are.

True art is not anti

The reason why a lot of thinkers and artists are very superficial is that they seek their uniqueness simply through being anti-.

It is extremely easy to be anti-. Easy to be anti-mainstream, anti-capitalist, anti-government whatever. In fact, I believe that it takes more more courage to be pro government, pro capitalism, pro consumerism etc.

And also, when it comes down to it, we are actually all far more similar than dissimilar. We all have to use the toilet, we all have friends family members and loved ones, we all have good memories and bad, we all similar ends, and have similar goals.

The major problem here is that we tend to vilify one another, and over-exaggerate our differences, rather than trying to intensify our similarities. 

How are they similar?

For example, when it comes to material or consumerism, we try to intensify how these things are different rather than similar.

But wouldn’t the wiser path be to consider, how these things are more similar than dissimilar? 

For example, we all speak the English language, anybody who speaks English or understands English is 80% more similar to you than dissimilar to you. 

We all care for money, whether we like to admit it or not.

We heterosexual men, we all care for beautiful women, we all have certain sexual preferences etc.

And also, everybody likes to be happy! Even good old Aristotle said how happiness might be one of the only human good in which we seek it for the sake of it; I don’t know anybody who doesn’t see happiness or who doesn’t like to be happy?

Why divide?

Here, the bad guys are not politicians, or even nation states, I really think that the bad guys here is the media, the news etc. Why do they care so much to differentiate us all, and to divide us all? The simple idea is that it is more profitable. The more division, the more you incite hate and anger, the more advertising clicks and revenue you get.

Hate is profitable

The simplest way to become happier is via negativa:

Quit the news!

What is the news? Anger porn, hate porn!

For example, the more you incite hate, violence, moral justice, moral virtuosity whatever… you stoke more advertising revenue!

Google is the bad guy?

This is where Google knows that it is in a bad position; they are desperate to indefinitely increase their revenue, advertising revenue, and how do they do this? They do this by inserting ads, sneakily into every part of your existence. The ad advertising in your Google Chrome newsfeed, the ad advertising inside your Google maps, I won’t be surprised if one day the ad advertisements within your Gmail in the future.

Also, Facebook, Instagram, the Meta corporation: once again, any business or company or corporation, tech company that earns revenue through advertising is unethical; the only way they could earn money is through stoking fear, uncertainty, doubt, racism, classism, etc.

Donald Trump is profitable for Google and Facebook and Twitter (X)

Let us consider, what is going to get more advertising clicks, Donald Trump saying something racist or sexist, or a story of a friendly boy helping a grandma across the street?

Duh!

---

Music

Also my critique on music, modern day music etc.; the very very simple thought is this:

> Don’t trust any music which is dependent by any publishing label.

Very very simple here guys, any musician, who is signed to any label… They are like puppets, the publishing label is like a ventriloquist.

“She going to take it up the ass like a ventriloquist!” – Ye, Carnival

For example, when you see all these rappers, talking about money clothes hoes, Lamborghinis chains etc., how do you know that they’re not just a muppet? With a hand up their ass, forcing them to just say whatever?

Music to trust?

Certain songs, albums which I find fascinating is in which an artist or musician is already independently wealthy, like Kanye when he still had his Adidas deal with his sneaker YEEZY brand,,, the albums he put out I think, are probably much more honest because he was already a billionaire, through his sneakers, and the music that he put out, he just really wanted to put it out because of the sake of it?

Indirect monetization

Or, another masterpiece; “a Written testimony“ by Jay Electronica, and Jay Z. Here, Jay Z is already rich, he don’t need to make music to make money. And this is where Jay Z actually throws down the gauntlet, and takes out all the big arms, and says:

“Time for me to actually rap well”.

And this is where I find the whole Jay Z the real Jay Z; the master vocalist, the master rapper, the sweetest flower. And also Jay Electronica, Jay Z almost becomes a patron saint for Jay electronica, allowing Jay electronica to also shine, because when you already have monetary backing from an independently wealthy person, the artwork creates doesn’t have to monetize itself. 

For example, this is the Sistine chapel; imagine how subpar the Sistine chapel would be if Michelangelo needed to somehow monetize it? 

Also, all the great artworks by Leonardo da Vinci, innovations etc.; because Leonardo da Vinci had the backing from the Medicis, he was able to just focus on his random thoughts and personal interests… Which allowed him to make great innovations!

Cool hair?

How to become more handsome, more beautiful, sexier? Very simple: via negativa!

For example, don’t use a loser baseball cap! I personally hate wearing a baseball cap, I’ve only been having to put it on because the sun is so strong, and giving me sunburn on my forehead and my nose, even putting on SPF 60 sunblock.

I still think that the best haircut to have is the Brad Pitt fury haircut; just get a wireless Wahl hair cutter clipper on Amazon, and just shave the sides to a zero, and let the top grow out and bang!

And then just get some “eco” olive oil hair gel on Amazon, and slick it back!

Better to have a Lamborghini haircut than to drive the loser Lamborghini 

That is consider, the second that you dropped $250,000 on a Lamborghini, that is money which is instantly evaporated from your bank account! And the problem is… You feel cool in your car when you’re driving it, and people are checking out, but the second that you park it, and you walk around in public… Nobody has any idea that you drive a Lamborghini, unless you’re insecure individual who has to wear a Lamborghini hat, to try to signal to people that you drive a Lamborghini.

But the thing is… the second you step into the gym, walk around in a public place, go to the local coffee shop, go to the local bookstore, ride the subway, go to a public event, go hiking, go to the mall etc.… Nobody has any idea what you drive!

So the funny thought; could you spend that $250,000, and purchase something that you could permanently bolt onto your body? 

This is where I think bitcoin is so wise; the second you spend $250,000 on a Lamborghini, the value of your Lamborghini will slowly depreciate overtime, you will slowly bleed yourself to death, and also, to pay for insurance, maintenance will bleed you dry.

The exact opposite; the bitcoin could always be with you, in your iPhone or in the cloud, and overtime, it does the exact opposite; it appreciates. There is no insurance, maintenance fees, laws of physics holding it back. It will just keep accumulating value, over time, forever.

CRYPTO BY KIM

Lose fat

If we consider fat like a biological battery, the genius is this:

If you have any margin of adipose tissue aka fat on your body… That is your metaphorical biological battery, your body is not like a gasoline powered car; you don’t need to put gas into it in order to drive.

Maybe it is better that, to think about your body like a Tesla, or an electric car, and the biological fat you have on your body is like the battery pack!

So for example, let us say that you are 6 foot tall, and you weigh 200 pounds, and you have a lot of body fat on you. Or let us say you don’t have a six pack.

Then I could estimate, perhaps 160 pounds of muscle, and 40 pounds of it might be body fat, adipose tissue. And how long can 40 pounds of adipose tissue last you? Probably at least 100,000 miles!

This is where metabolic disease, or metabolic dysfunction happens; you already have all this body fat on you, yet you still think you have to keep eating, in order to sustain your life?

No! Just start fasting! Fasting if you are over fat, fat, “overweight” or whatever — has zero consequences, zero side effects, and doesn’t cost you anything. The suggestion for people to start fasting is genius because it doesn’t require any equipment, any subscription, or any amount of money, and also technically… fasting or to fast doesn’t require you to do anything – to cook, prepare food, and eat it, or even ordering takeout from your phone, we’re ordering food is a positive action, simply choosing not to eat doesn’t require you to do anything!

Fasting is great for lazy people!

And technically, if you’re super super lazy, the genius of fasting is that it is the ultimate intelligent lazy person thing to do! Stop cooking, stop buying food, stop ordering food on your phone… You could just do nothing!

---

Posture

Something that I realize for myself, is that the whole time, I think I’ve had extremely poor posture. Always kind of hunched over, you see this happen to a lot of tech workers. My result is from too much time on the laptop, too much time standing or sitting, etc. Even if you have a standing desk or treadmill desk, it is bad for your posture. Why? The axis and the plane is only single directional — we tend to hunch forward, or if you think about a treadmill desk, you only walk forward.

The ideal, which I’ve been experimenting and doing myself, is simple: 


1. Don’t use an iPhone, all iPhones are bad
2. Use an iPad Pro, the 11 inch, without a loser keyboard case or pencil
3. For jotting down thoughts, walking around, in the direct sun, using the voice dictation built into the iOS, the little microphone button in the bottom left corner
4. Just walking around town

Why this could be so revolutionary

“Trust no thought that doesn’t come to you while you are walking outside in the great outdoors!” – Nietzsche 

I think one of my new modern day adaptations which is good is that whenever I sit, even for five minutes, my back and my lower back immediately starts to feel pain. As a consequence, I must stand up, walk around, be mobile. 

All of these fools, what they try to do instead is to just figure out a better table or desk or chair setup; in order to cause them to not have any sort of back pain. But the real idea should be

1. Get rid of the table, don’t use any tables, no desk, no sitting desk, no standing desk, no treadmill desks
2. Get rid of the chairs, no chairs. Chairs are for slaves

Anti chairs

What is the most unnatural position for a human being to be in? To sit.

Technically, a human being should be standing, or walking around, or, if a human being is tired, a human being should be lying on their back, sleeping or taking a nap.  

Either stand and walk around, or lie down on your back.

And this is where I’m starting to think… All chairs are bad. Being a pilot of a fighter jet, you’re still sitting on your butt on a chair. Or if you’re in the Lamborghini or McLaren… You’re just in a chair.

Wheel – chair?

The greatest tragedy, for a man, is to be beholden to a wheelchair, simply to navigate. 

Also, I think the reason why people want you to sit down, take a seat, is typically, when you have other sit down, you are putting people in a more submissive person than you. 

For example, even when you go to church or mass… And there is part of mass or church in which everyone has to sit down, the priest stands up and then give their speech. You never see a priest giving a homily while sitting.

Chairs?

Even a simple thing, when I am eating food, I prefer to stand! In fact, one of my ongoing theories is if you’re a competitive eater or whatever, or if you want to digest better, it is better to eat while standing, rather than sitting. Why? When you’re standing, I think technically your intestines or your digestion is in better physiological form.

Jobs which allow you to be outside, walk around, stand all day?

Apparently, meeting some guys at the local Toyota dealership, very impressive, one of the guys showed me their step counter on their phone, and showed me that on average, he walked about 20,000 steps a day! Very impressive.

Also, my old friend Jimmy the mailman, USPS worker, told me that on average he walked at least 40,000 steps a day?

Outside is the ultimate freedom

Also, apparently a job that I never considered was being a park ranger, in which technically you’re almost like a police officer, you have a gun, but your job is to create some sort of security at the national parks?

I was thinking about it, even a military duty… I feel bad for all the Navy officers and this men who had to just be stuck in aircraft carrier, or in these cramped indoor domiciles all day? 

Or even astronauts, I think the number one issue that most astronauts face is not having the freedom to move around, being stuck in the same old place?

This is where visions of the future astronaut is interesting when it has to deal with gravity, water, swimming in a pool etc.

If you were an astronaut, or stuck in a spaceship, assuming you could produce some sort of artificial gravity, being able to lift weights, swim in the water seems like a good idea! And also, artificial sunlight.

Innovate for the sake of what?

Michael Saylor has a good idea; that is simple life goal or a path is to upgrade the human race. I like this.

Because sooner or later… after years of studying philosophy, going off the grid, etc.… I think the philosopher innovator simply wants to serve human kind, benefit humankind, etc.

And I think this is the nice thing about humanity, the false commentary we get is that humans are naturally selfish, I don’t think so. I think naturally humans are actually very selfless, we think about the collective, the clan, and I think there is natural altruism within ourselves!

Why? A single human being by himself is useless. There is no human being that could collectively hunt cook procure resources, and do everything by himself, or herself. We all need each other.

Even for myself, I am so grateful for society, I’m glad that I don’t have to grow my own cattle, produce my own firewood, produce my own petroleum for my car, we have to figure out advanced technologies to create my own Internet.

The best way to scale yourself

It seems that a simple strategy is to embrace websites, blogs, the web, digital, cyberspace, maybe having a podcast, a video podcast, a YouTube channel, a self hosted email newsletter, your own self hosted blog etc.

Why? Because in theory, let us say that you publish a free PDF e-book on something… A single individual could downloaded it 1000 times, send it to 1000 of their friends, and 1000 of their friends could send it to another thousand of their friends.

Or, in theory, a single blog post could be read 1 billion times,, shared saved and downloaded etc.

Plain text

I’ve been having this annoying issue where I can no longer upload videos to my videopress.com, to my wordpress.org blog. I’m not 100% sure what’s the issue, but I don’t want to put forth the effort to fix it. I’m just like “fuck it”– no more videos.

I think also the biggest issue with videos is that it is not easily transportable, the file sizes are far too large, even assuming that you have a gigabit fiber Internet connection. And unfortunately 99.99% of the planet is running on some sort of super rudimentary, super slow, super low and bandwidth Internet. 

And as a consequence, the reason why I really like text, markdown, simple blog post with text is that it is the ultimate portable thing. You could just copy and paste the whole thing into ChatGPT, or to Google translate, whatever.

Even now, whenever I send out an email newsletter, I always make it a point to export all the text as a simple text based PDF, and I attach it, because if anyone wants to download it and read it later, share it with friends or family or whatever, it is so easy!

And in fact, the reason why I really like the idea of a PDF is that it is a digital book. Technically, a book only needs to have at least two pages, for it to be book. 

Don’t put any faith in all these oversensitive emo book nerds, who gave fellatio to the hardcover, printed book. 

---

The future of books?

The truth is 99.99% of books could just be really long blog posts.

But, why do they overinflate these boring ass books? Simple: to make money! It is difficult to monetize a single blog post, easy to take a 300 page book, hardcover it, and sell it for 40 bucks.

And the truth is, 99.99% of modern day books published within the last 10 years are not worth reading. 

The only modern day books that have read, which has had any consequence on me the last 10 years published was books by NASSIM TALEB, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, zero to one by Peter Thiel. That is pretty much it. 

As a consequence, this is where using the Internet archive, project Gutenberg for books is so wise; typically if a book is out of copyright, at least it has the test of time which might mean that it has a higher likelihood of being good.

For example economies, to study ancient books on economics, rather than any modern day ones.

For example, economics by Aristotle, or on money by Fernandinho Galliani.

---

Ancient media?

Maybe only watch movies which are at least 10 years old, or 20 years old, or 30 years old? Or even older than that?

And also the wisdom of reading ancient literature, anything by homer, the Iliad the Odyssey – even Virgil is no good. Virgil is too modern, the Aeneid was really boring. 

Think Greek

Even in ancient Greek times, the commentary was that the Greeks were already in a position of decline. For example, even homer in the Iliad talks about how the modern day Greeks of his time were already degenerate. Or weak. 

The reason why I like reading ancient literature is that it is so simple, so blunt, so great, yet so poetic and elegant. For example when you read the Iliad, thinking about “the dark beaked ships” does 1 billion times more for your creative imagination than any modern day boring book, and also do not trust the French writers, like Balzac they were all a bunch of degenerates addicted to drugs, smoking, narcotics etc.

Only trust sober artists.

Even Nietzsche was very anti alcohol, meth, and “uppers”– opiates of his time, etc.

---

The Spartan Street photographer

My new idea.

ERIC

---

The Multi modal approach?

A simple approach is when you create things and ideas, do a multimodal approach; audio, visual, text… Do it all! 

---

Creative ways to lower expenses? 

My new pursuit is via negativia– my Spartan economic approach.

First, don’t waste money at a car wash, which can get pretty expensive… Just hose it down and wash it yourself!

Second, unsubscribe from everything which has a recurring expense. This means all streaming services, all music platforms, etc.

Get rid of Disney+, Netflix, Spotify, HBO Max etc.

Also, if you’re clever enough, cancel or get rid of your gym membership. On killing multiple birds with one stone: 

1. No more reoccurring expenses, which in theory, last indefinitely
2. Opportunity cost, time saved not having to commute.
3. Also, time saved in regards to not having to find parking, waiting for the squat rack etc.
4. I also have an ongoing period that exercising in the great outdoors is far beneficial for your health, outside, even when it is very cold… Is better for your physiology than doing it indoors, which is just a breeding ground for Covid!

Anti COVID lifestyle?

How quickly we forget about Covid… Even now, there is currently a spike in Covid, which has me very nervous and anxious; I cannot afford to get sick, or catch Covid.

I’ve been taking Seneca to these great free events… But even playing with some of these kids, Lego camp, brick building etc.… All these activities are indoors! With no windows open or no ventilation on!

Maybe I’m going to recenter myself, and avoid all indoor places like the plague, as much as humanly possible.

Even another pragmatic reason to stop going to the gym or cancel your gym membership, even a 1% chance of getting sick, or catching Covid from some sort of anti-VAXxer?

---

Your kid?

Maybe I’ll start my own Montessori?

Issues:

1. If, your kid is forced to be inside a classroom all day… With all these other sick coughing kids, maybe none of it is worth it?
2. Also, these modern day kids, with all these weird media preferences, are a bad influence?

Certainly you cannot shield your kids forever, but if I think about it… the only good thing I got out of school K-12 is socialization skills, my friends etc. But still… now is a 36-year-old adult, I only truly care for two of my childhood friends, Grace and Justin, and also my college roommate Kevin. Besides this, I don’t really consider anyone else my friend.

When somebody calls you “my friend“… you’re not. 

---

Only invest in the best

The best or nothing!

ERIC

---

“Imma let you finish”

“Role models”?

All role models are flawed. Besides you.

EK

---

EK PHOTO SUPPLY

BECOME UNLIMITED >

---

WORKSHOPS

Incoming workshops in SF, LA, CAMBODIA:

ERIC KIM WORKSHOPS >

---

THE VAULT

1. Start Here
2. Books
3. News

And for the freshest ideas

EK BLOG

---

Better to live a glorious and happy volatile life, than a boring, predictable and stable one.

ERIC

---

More ideas on ERIC KIM PODCAST >

---

Eric Kim’s concept of “indirect monetization” revolves around generating income not directly from the immediate sale of artistic work but through leveraging the broader value and influence that work creates. He believes that artists and photographers can build a sustainable income by focusing on creating valuable content that attracts an audience, which in turn opens up various indirect revenue streams. These streams might include teaching workshops, selling related products, or even benefiting from brand partnerships.

Kim emphasizes that instead of aggressively monetizing every aspect of one’s work, creators should focus on building trust, providing value, and creating a strong personal brand. This approach often leads to more organic and sustainable forms of income, as the audience is more likely to support creators who they feel are authentic and provide meaningful content.

He also discusses the importance of using platforms like blogs to share knowledge and establish a presence, which can lead to opportunities for indirect monetization through things like speaking engagements, book deals, or affiliate marketing.

For more details on his approach to indirect monetization, you can explore his thoughts here and related strategies on his blog.

Eric Kim has openly discussed his reasons for quitting the news and other forms of media in several of his blog posts. His decision is driven by his belief that the news, in general, promotes fear and anxiety, often focusing on negative events to capture attention and generate profit. He argues that this can be detrimental to mental and physiological health, as it keeps people in a constant state of fear and dissatisfaction.

Kim also emphasizes the idea that much of what is presented in the news is not only unnecessary but can also lead to a skewed perception of reality. By constantly consuming negative and fear-driven content, people may develop a more pessimistic outlook on life. He advocates for “quitting the news” as a way to reduce unnecessary stress and focus on more positive and productive aspects of life.

In addition to the news, Kim also criticizes new media and social media for contributing to similar issues. He believes that these platforms encourage superficial engagement, comparison, and dissatisfaction, which can further detract from a person’s well-being.

To counteract this, Kim suggests reducing media consumption, focusing on personal well-being, and engaging in more meaningful, real-life interactions.

For more details, you can explore his thoughts directly on his blog here and here.

Eric Kim explores why people often overexaggerate differences over similarities, particularly in his writings on technology, culture, and human behavior. He suggests that this tendency is deeply rooted in cognitive biases and social influences.

Key Points from Eric Kim’s Perspective:

1. Cognitive Bias:

• Kim argues that humans have a natural tendency to notice differences more than similarities. This is partly because differences are often more immediately noticeable and can signal novelty or change, which grabs our attention.

1. Social and Cultural Influences:

• In modern society, marketing and advertising often amplify differences to create a sense of dissatisfaction and drive consumer behavior. This constant exposure can make people more attuned to what separates things or people rather than what they have in common.

1. Tribalism and Identity:

• Kim also touches on the idea of tribalism, where people exaggerate differences to reinforce group identity. For example, in the photography community, debates over camera brands often highlight small differences, even though the cameras are functionally very similar.

1. Practical Advice:

• Kim encourages a mental shift toward recognizing commonalities. He suggests that by focusing on similarities rather than differences, people can reduce unnecessary dissatisfaction and appreciate what they have, leading to a more content and connected life.

For a deeper dive into his thoughts on this topic, you can read his articles here and here.

Eric Kim links of Creative ideation

Eric Kim doesn’t have a specific section solely dedicated to “creative ideation,” but his ideas on creativity are interwoven throughout his blog and other platforms. Here are some direct links to relevant articles and resources that focus on creative thinking and ideation:

1. “How to Be Creative”:

• An article that delves into the nature of creativity, offering practical tips and philosophical insights.
• How to Be Creative

1. “The Art of Creative Thinking”:

• This piece explores different strategies for cultivating a creative mindset, inspired by various artistic and philosophical traditions.
• The Art of Creative Thinking

1. “10 Tips to Cultivate More Creativity in Your Life”:

• A straightforward guide to enhancing creativity, with actionable advice that can be applied across various disciplines.
• 10 Tips to Cultivate More Creativity in Your Life

1. “Creative Constraints: The Secret to Creativity”:

• An article discussing how imposing limits can actually boost creative output.
• Creative Constraints: The Secret to Creativity

1. “The Tao of Creativity”:

• A deeper philosophical exploration of creativity, drawing on Eastern philosophy and personal insights.
• The Tao of Creativity

These links should provide a solid foundation for exploring Eric Kim’s thoughts on creative ideation and how to apply them in various aspects of life and work.

Eric Kim on Creative ideation

Eric Kim’s approach to creative ideation often emphasizes the importance of minimalism, self-exploration, and intentionality. He draws heavily on his experiences in street photography, combining them with philosophical musings and personal anecdotes to inspire others to think creatively. Here’s a breakdown of his key concepts in creative ideation:

1. Simplicity and Minimalism:

• Focus on Essentials: Kim often advocates for reducing clutter, both mentally and physically, to focus on what truly matters. This means stripping down ideas to their core elements to find purity in thought and creativity.
• Less is More: He applies this principle to everything from his photography to his writing, suggesting that limiting choices and resources can actually foster more creative outcomes.

2. Intentionality:

• Purposeful Creation: Kim encourages creators to be intentional with their work. Every photograph, piece of writing, or idea should serve a purpose, whether it’s to provoke thought, evoke emotion, or tell a story.
• Mindful Practice: He advocates for mindfulness in the creative process, suggesting that creators should be fully present and engaged with their work.

3. Self-Exploration and Authenticity:

• Personal Vision: Kim stresses the importance of discovering and staying true to one’s own vision. He believes that the best creative work comes from a deep understanding of oneself.
• Embrace Uniqueness: Instead of following trends, Kim advises creators to embrace what makes them different. Authenticity, according to him, is key to creating work that resonates with others.

4. Constant Experimentation:

• Breaking Boundaries: Kim often speaks about the need to push boundaries and challenge conventions. Experimentation is a crucial part of his creative process, whether it’s trying new techniques in photography or exploring different writing styles.
• Iterative Process: He sees creativity as a continuous journey rather than a destination. Iteration, refinement, and willingness to adapt are central to his approach.

5. Philosophical Inspiration:

• Influence of Stoicism: Kim draws heavily from Stoic philosophy, particularly the ideas of focusing on what you can control and accepting what you cannot. This influences his approach to creative challenges and setbacks.
• Reflective Practice: He often integrates philosophical reflection into his creative ideation, using questions like “Why am I doing this?” or “What impact do I want to have?” as starting points for his work.

6. Community and Sharing:

• Collaborative Inspiration: Kim believes in the power of community for sparking creativity. He encourages collaboration and sharing of ideas, viewing the creative process as something that can be enriched by others’ perspectives.
• Teaching and Learning: Sharing knowledge and teaching others is a significant part of his creative philosophy. Kim sees the act of teaching as a way to deepen one’s own understanding and inspire new ideas.

Application in Creative Work:

• Photography: In his photography, Kim’s ideation often involves seeing the world in new ways, finding beauty in the mundane, and capturing moments that tell a story.
• Writing: His writing style is direct, reflective, and often challenges the reader to think differently about creativity and life.

By embracing these principles, Kim suggests that anyone can tap into their creative potential, regardless of their medium or experience level.

Eric Kim often explores the concept of “autotelic” in his work, emphasizing the importance of doing things for their own sake rather than for external rewards or recognition. He believes that living an autotelic life means engaging in activities purely out of genuine curiosity and self-driven passion. This approach can lead to greater creativity, productivity, and overall fulfillment.

For example, in photography, Eric Kim suggests that shooting photos should be motivated by personal interest and joy rather than the pursuit of likes, followers, or external validation. He argues that true creativity flourishes when we stop worrying about how our work is perceived by others and instead focus on our own intrinsic motivations oai_citation:1,Autotelic Photography – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,AUTOTELIC – ERIC KIM.

This philosophy can be applied broadly to other areas of life, where the key to a fulfilling existence is discovering and following your “true preferences”—those activities and goals that resonate deeply with you on a personal level, rather than those imposed by societal expectations or marketing oai_citation:3,True Preferences – ERIC KIM.

For more insights, you can explore Eric Kim’s thoughts on autotelic living here and here.

Assume your intuitions are right, … then “fucking c’est la vie!” And proceed!