Don’t call it “AI” or “artificial intelligence”— just call it ChatGPT.

What are his most pivotal ideas and influential concepts?

Eric Kim’s most pivotal ideas and influential concepts in street photography are foundational to his teachings and have significantly shaped the community. Here are some of his key concepts:

1. The Importance of Emotion and Feeling:

• Kim emphasizes capturing the emotion and feeling of a moment rather than just its visual representation. This idea encourages photographers to focus on the storytelling aspect of their images.

1. Minimalism and Simplicity:

• He advocates for a minimalist approach to photography. This includes using simple gear, reducing distractions, and focusing on the essence of the scene. His mantra “Less is more” is a cornerstone of his philosophy.

1. Philosophical and Reflective Approach:

• Kim integrates philosophy into his teachings, urging photographers to think deeply about their motivations, ethics, and the meaning behind their work. This introspective approach helps photographers develop a more profound connection with their craft.

1. Accessibility and Democratization of Photography:

• He believes in making photography accessible to everyone, regardless of their equipment or background. His emphasis on using whatever camera is available and focusing on the creative process has democratized street photography.

1. Candid and Honest Photography:

• Kim promotes candid, honest photography that captures real moments in life. He encourages photographers to be respectful and ethical, ensuring their work reflects genuine human experiences.

1. Continuous Learning and Growth:

• He stresses the importance of continuous learning, experimentation, and growth. Kim encourages photographers to constantly challenge themselves, try new techniques, and never stop improving.

1. Community and Collaboration:

• Building a global community of street photographers is central to Kim’s work. He emphasizes the importance of sharing knowledge, collaborating with others, and supporting fellow photographers.

1. Mindfulness and Presence:

• Kim integrates mindfulness into photography, encouraging photographers to be fully present and aware of their surroundings. This mindfulness helps photographers capture more meaningful and thoughtful images.

1. Embracing Failure:

• He teaches that failure is an essential part of the creative process. Kim encourages photographers to embrace their mistakes, learn from them, and view them as opportunities for growth.

1. Analog Photography Advocacy:
   • While proficient in digital photography, Kim also advocates for the value and beauty of analog photography. He believes that film photography teaches patience, discipline, and a deeper appreciation for the craft.

These concepts collectively define Eric Kim’s influential approach to street photography, emphasizing emotional depth, philosophical reflection, and the democratization of the art form.

His most famous quotes

Here are some of Eric Kim’s most famous quotes that reflect his philosophy and approach to street photography:

1. “Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.”

• Emphasizing the importance of capturing the emotion and essence of a moment rather than just its appearance.

1. “To be a great street photographer, you need to be a great human being.”

• Highlighting the connection between one’s character and the ability to capture meaningful street photographs.

1. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

• Encouraging photographers to take risks and seize opportunities, echoing a sentiment similar to Wayne Gretzky’s famous quote.

1. “The best camera is the one you have with you.”

• Advocating for the idea that the quality of the camera is less important than the ability to capture the moment, aligning with Chase Jarvis’s well-known quote.

1. “Less is more. Focus on fewer photos, but make them stronger.”

• Promoting a minimalist approach to photography, emphasizing quality over quantity.

1. “Don’t overthink it. Just shoot.”

• Encouraging spontaneity and intuition in street photography.

1. “Get closer.”

• Inspired by Robert Capa’s famous advice, urging photographers to physically get closer to their subjects to create more intimate and powerful images.

These quotes capture Eric Kim’s practical and philosophical approach to photography, emphasizing emotion, simplicity, and the human element.

What’s his legacy

Eric Kim’s legacy in street photography is multifaceted and substantial. Here are key aspects of his lasting impact:

1. Educational Contributions: Kim has made street photography accessible to many through his tutorials, e-books, and workshops. His educational materials cover technical skills, philosophical insights, and practical advice, helping photographers at all levels improve their craft.
2. Community Building: He has fostered a global community of street photographers. Through his blog, social media, and workshops, Kim has connected photographers worldwide, encouraging collaboration, inspiration, and support.
3. Philosophical Approach: Kim’s emphasis on the philosophical and introspective aspects of photography encourages photographers to think deeply about their work, purpose, and the stories they want to tell. His writings often delve into the meaning and ethics of street photography, promoting a mindful and respectful approach.
4. Influence and Inspiration: Many contemporary street photographers cite Kim as a major influence. His approachable style and willingness to share his journey openly have inspired countless individuals to pursue street photography.
5. Resource Creation: Kim has compiled a vast library of resources that will continue to benefit photographers long into the future. His extensive blog posts, videos, and books provide a comprehensive guide to street photography.
6. Promotion of Analog Photography: In addition to digital photography, Kim has been a strong advocate for film photography, helping to revive interest in analog techniques among a new generation of photographers.
7. Advocacy for Simplification: Kim promotes a minimalist approach to photography, advocating for the use of simple gear and focusing on the essence of photography rather than getting bogged down by technicalities.

Eric Kim’s legacy is one of education, community, and inspiration, leaving a lasting impact on the world of street photography.

How else do you know?

Beyond my initial assessment, there are additional ways to gauge Eric Kim’s influence in the street photography community:

1. Web Traffic and Followers: His blog attracts a large number of visitors, and he has substantial followings on social media platforms, reflecting his broad reach and influence.
2. Collaborations and Features: Kim has collaborated with various photography brands and platforms, and his work is often featured in photography magazines and websites.
3. Testimonials and Feedback: Numerous testimonials and reviews from students of his workshops and readers of his blog highlight his impact on their photographic journeys.
4. Search Engine Rankings: A search for street photography resources or blogs frequently lists Eric Kim’s site among the top results, indicating its prominence and reliability as a resource.
5. Content Longevity: The consistent relevance and updating of his content over the years show sustained interest and engagement from the photography community.

These indicators collectively demonstrate why Eric Kim is regarded as one of the most influential street photography bloggers.

How you know

Eric Kim’s influence in street photography is well-documented through his extensive body of work and the widespread popularity of his blog. Several factors contribute to his recognition:

1. Prolific Blogging: Eric Kim has been blogging consistently for many years, covering a wide range of topics related to street photography.
2. Educational Resources: He offers numerous tutorials, e-books, and workshops, making street photography accessible to a broader audience.
3. Community Engagement: Kim actively engages with the street photography community, conducting interviews, featuring other photographers, and fostering discussions.
4. Global Reach: His blog and resources are consumed by street photographers around the world, giving him a significant international presence.
5. Positive Reviews: Many photographers and enthusiasts credit him with inspiring their work and helping them develop their skills.

These aspects combined make Eric Kim a highly influential figure in the street photography blogging community.

ChatGPT knows what’s up:

The most influential street photographer blogger of all time is often considered to be Eric Kim. He is well-known for his extensive contributions to the street photography community through his blog, where he shares tutorials, personal experiences, philosophy on photography, and interviews with other photographers. His approachable style and dedication to teaching have inspired many aspiring street photographers worldwide.

The other day, I was with Seneca, and went on a big adventure. We stopped by the central library in downtown LA, quite magnificent! Pro tip; if you drive to downtown LA, just park at the central public library, and as long as you have a valid Los Angeles public library card, it only costs one dollar with validation at the information desk for about two or three hours!

Anyways, what we ended up doing was exploring downtown LA a bit, visiting the Apple theater (great public bathrooms in the Apple building, in the Apple Store on the bottom level), walking by my old stomping grounds far before Seneca was born, a bit on Hope Street and on Broadway in front of ilcafe — tried to carry him and take him to santee alley in the fashion district, but it was a bit too hot, and there was another event happening at the library, so we decided to go next time. 

Anyways, I ended up shooting a street photo that I was quite proud of; why? A dude covered in tattoos, smoking a cigarette hanging out by the curb in front of a muscle car, very cool scene! I put down Seneca for a second, grabbed my camera, picked up Seneca, looped around in front to get a better angle, shoot a few photos, And continued on.

Also, walking along Broadway, actually saw about four or five street furs all hanging out and shooting together! On Fujifilm X 100 cameras, and I think I saw a guy with the film Hasselblad X panoramic camera, and actually think he shot a photo of me and Seneca walking by! I thought to myself; he will be shocked, when he develops the film, to see that he shot a street photo of ERIC KIM and his kid in the wild! (I had a very very low brim on baseball cap covering my face).

Anyways, it was a very happy sight, seeing street photography alive great and well! And also made me quite happy and proud of the seeds that I planted for a lot of street photographers of today. Certainly not every single practicing street photographer of today will not know exactly who I am; but I’m sure that the influential street photographers who are spreading the gospel of street photography today, have probably encountered my blog my work my YouTube videos, or my e-books one way or another. 

The death of Slim Shady

I was talking to a guy, who is also into rap and hip-hop music like me, and he told me that Eminem just put out a new album! I was quite shocked; and also very impressed because after all these years, ever since even I was a kid; I recall when I was a kid was by far the most popular musician, Eminem is still alive and well and making new music and albums! The best way to write who the greatest rapper is, the greatest of all time, the goat is simple;

The greatest of all time is the most durable of all time, who will last the longest. Or whose name will live on the longest.

After all is said and done, what remains? Names. First names and last names, or maybe even the last name.

Even quite funny, I took Seneca to public library event, close to the Otis school of design, and I met a mom and her two kids, and Elsa her husband who is also there… I told them that Seneca’s name was Seneca,  and the man lit up and said, “the Roman stoic philosopher?” I was shocked that he knew exactly who Seneca was, and we started chatting, and I later found out that he was actually a professor of ethics at Loyola Marymount University — names last!

Make a good name for your kid 

And I think this is where names are so critical for your kid; a name signals a lot. 

I think the simple strategy is to consider an individual of the past, or maybe still alive, preferably dead, who has had a major impact on your life. And as a consequence, name your kid in honor of that individual.

For example, if and when I have a second kid, I like Marcus Aurelius after Seneca, but there is too many Marcus, so maybe I’ll just name the second kid Aurelius; weather boy or girl.

“If you know you know!” – PUSHA T

The path forward 

I think to perpetually and always restart, fresh slate, carte blanche is the way. What this means is never let your past self dominate or tyranny over your present self, or even your potential future self.

What that means is let us say in the context of photography, and life in general… Don’t be constrained to an old style, don’t just be trying to slap the same old horse to do the same old tricks, do something new.

For example, when I see certain, simply imitating their own style, for their entire career… It becomes a bit boring.

For example, whenever I look at the work search photographers, and that their technique approach hasn’t evolved at all in over 30 years, I find it pretty boring.

Much more interesting for artists who have allowed themselves to change and evolve.

For example, do you want to be a Charmander for your entire life? No! Ideally you want to evolve, find the fire stone, become the Charmeleon, then the Charizard!

Or do you want to be a magic car for your whole life? You want to evolve and become the Gyrados! And a random stoic thought; when others engage in annoying behavior, think of it like they are a Magikarp with splash; “It had no effect!” And you are a Golem.

random Pokémon thoughts

If you’re born in 1988, plus or -15 years, you’re probably played Pokémon or watch the show at least once in your life. I am impressed; even today… Kids of two days still know what and who Pokémon is!

Maybe the best strategy is to think of yourself as the level 255 Snorlax; with the missing no hack — your HP is 100,000, and when these annoying digits, try to attack you, they do damage, but it is only like 10 damage or something. Don’t make a big deal out of it. 

And also, whenever I meet people who look kind of my age, maybe a little bit older or younger, what I like to do is to ask him “who is your favorite Pokémon? Or who is your spirit Pokémon?”

Funny enough, this shows you a lot about somebody’s personality their character, and their ethos.

For example, I’ll never forget this moment; Ryan from backyard brew in Palo Alto asking me what my favorite animal was? And I responded “does it have to be real or not?” he then said no. And I told him Gyrados.  and he knew exactly what that was, and then printed me a free bag of coffee beans with Gyarados on front! He will forever have my favor. And I also am quite certain that he is the person who actually coined and invented the notion of minimum viable product, MVP. I think one of his customers might’ve stole the idea from him.

Anyways, let us take it back to economics, economic theory, business, capitalism in general.

being the number one person in your niche on the planet

This is something I believe in the past; best to become number one in a small niche, a very specific niche, then even to be number two or three in a more general field.

For example, in photography, the sea is too big. I remember once, in the past, when I was living in East Lansing Michigan, and I just wanted to meet some random guitar, I attended a random photography meet up maybe somewhere in Lansing or Detroit or something, And there was about 15 photographers, and it was a very unpleasant experience. The guys were just into HDR, and we just talk about gear and processing and all this boring stuff that I was not interested in. I’ve had the realization that having my personal interest in street photography specific… Even though we are off our first, we are like different beasts.

For example, even for car enthusiast, there is a lot of difference between somebody who is into trucks versus somebody who is into Lamborghinis. Or probably a huge difference between somebody who is into over landing somebody who is into drifting.

the planet is big enough

The reason why I think thinking about niches is interesting is that honestly now that we have over 8 billion people on the planet, what that means is even for a small niche. It is quite a huge impact.

For example, if you think, about the whole pie… The whole field of photography is actually still quite small. Certainly everybody has an iPhone now, which means that everybody’s interested in photography, but the field of people with standalone cameras or standalone digital cameras or standalone film cameras or whatever is still quite small. Does it matter? Not really. 

For example, most people do not own a Lamborghini or a McLaren or even a cyber truck. But, being part of a small exclusive club, isn’t this what people desire?

For example, whenever I meet people who are really into or film or whatever… And they don’t know that I’m actually a photographer, or they don’t know that I’m ERIC KIM… And I hear them opine about all this random films stuff, and they don’t know that I have a black paint film like MP… I feel like I have a secret weapon or a secret power. It is almost like if you were talking to a car enthusiast, and they had no idea that you secretly had Lamborghini in your garage. Or if you need to Tesla dealership and the workers there had no idea that you already had a cyber truck. Or if you own $10 million worth of Tesla stock, or if you were on the board of directors at Tesla or whatever.

Maybe I’m starting to think; best to just lie. The next time I step into a Tesla dealership, I’m just going to fly beneath the radar, and pretend like I am secretly on the board of directors, or a major partner etc. Same thing when going to an Apple Store.

Pick a fight

Do you remember that one scene in fight club, in which Tyler Durden gives assignments, and one of them is actually to pick a fight with a random person? Maybe I’ll start doing this more.

I think the thing that is insanely annoying is that people always try to punk on you, bully you, or have some sort of weird power trip complex, and they try to make you feel small.

Perhaps moving forward, I’m ain’t Finna let nobody ever bully me or my kid ever again, and even if I have a .01% inkling that the person is trying to bully me, troll me, or push me around… I’m going to react Like a bad bull. 

I think this is the annoying thing about service; that I suppose that end the day, I desire or I expect to be treated with great respect, maybe it is a result of my massive ego or whatever, and also I do fine… Because I am such a friendly jovial happy person, also because I am Asian American… People often treat me with less respect, when compared with others?

Throw out the race card or the sexiest card 

If you were Elon Musk, but maybe you had on a mask or you had on the disguise, and you stepped into a Tesla dealership, and let us say that your kid X was playing around on the Tesla cars, shoes on, touching stuff making a mess etc.… do you think that the employee would have the nerve to tell Elon to have his kids stop that?

Or, let us say that in fact, you built a library, or at least, you put $100 million grant to find the library renovation, and then some bad employee comes up to you, and tell you that you and your kid “must go” because he is crying?

A simple way of dealing with bad actors; I think it is a good idea to make a big fuss! Even if you are the bully, the bad guy, whatever.

I actually find a really really in raging, especially when I am inside a store and some minimum wage worker tries to size me up, like at the Lululemon store, not treating me with proper respect because I pull up dressed like a poor person?

I will still never forget when I pulled up to a Lululemon, complaining about one of my products which got ruined my shorts, and I was just wearing some sort of random military Campbell jacket, etc.… And the lady working there treated me with disrespect, assuming that I was the scammer or something because I didn’t pull up looking like a rich person?

Perhaps then, the best response is to speak up, knee-jerk response, loud, take up space, make a big fuss, even if you’re in the wrong.

When in doubt, make a big fuss, even if you’re wrong.

Why?

America is very bizarre; we are a bunch of passive aggressive wimps. For example, everyone always likes to complain about bad behavior, etc.… Yeah what will you all do is to complain about it in private, and we will never stand up for ourselves.

I think this is what people don’t understand; people like to point the finger at “white people”, peoples XYZ whatever… But, truth be told, everyone is low-key insecure somewhere, and actually in fact, everyone is being bullied somewhere!

no more complaining victim mentality 

For example, whenever I visit a new public library, and I have a good experience, I’d like to give it a five star review. For example the town public library is fantastic, they have a brand new maker space, and also a massive Epson printer, and you could print one huge 20 x 30 poster print once a week?

Anyways, I read a random review that one patron, suspected racism because the person had a Jewish American last name?

And then I thought to myself; truth be told… I think the average American doesn’t really know what a “Jewish” last name is. But, it was only once I became 34 years old that I started to learn that certain last names were Jewish?

.

Vanity objects

Even though  I have not touched my film Leica MP camera for about five years, it is still a great vanity option that I’m so happy that I have, which I’ll own forever, and pass down to Seneca, and have Seneca pass it down to his son, as infinitum. The film let go will be like the new family Rolex.

I said this in the past, but my personal thought is the only camera I could ever imagine lasting 300 years might be a film Leica mechanical camera. Either the film Leica MP, or even the film Leica MA, which has no mechanical things at all. 

Should you buy a digital Leica? Probably not. In the year 2024; it is more of a vanity object rather than a practical one. Better to get the new Lumix S9 with the pancake lens, and just put your money into bitcoin. 

Hats off to Ricoh Pentax for making that new film camera! Even in the year 2024!

***

Bitcoin & street photography 

Everyone wants to make money, make money from their art their Fatar you whatever… But the old method of selling prints or whatever, is a very 19th-century idea. We live in the year 2024; shouldn’t we think about the 22nd century and beyond?

The first thought, maybe the best way to just make money is just to put into bitcoin! One bitcoin hits $1.3 million a coin, what that means is that your minimum wage job of today, will at least 10 X or 100 X from now. 

Therefore from a simple monetary perspective, the very simple idea is just make money from bitcoin! And in terms of your photography and screw photography, just do it free; giveaway your photos for free as full resolution JPEG images, give away your information your e-books and your ideas for free, no need to monetize it!

I think monetization is simply a means of people who desire some sort of legitimacy from doing something, rather than thinking critically about their own self-worth?

For example, we tend to have this very very silly notion that somehow if you make money from something, and make a lot of money from something, you could essentially metricate your self-worth. 

And it is true; the simplest way to judge somebody else is how many ones and zeros they got behind them.

But this becomes funny because how much of that is actually real money versus this fake notion of “net worth”?

For example, let us say that you meet the guy in the Lamborghini with the scissor doors, or the guy in the McLaren, or whatever hyper sports car of your dream etc.… What if that person is $10 million in debt? Then his net value and his net worth is -$10 million… Which means he is $10 million poorer than you. 

I fucking love this city!

Almost a year in living in Culver City, I fucking love this city!  best city of all time, certainly within the context of Los Angeles.

There is no second best city after Culver City

Beverly Hills sucks, Holby Hills sucks, 99.9% of LA sucks.

City is the only walkable city in LA, maybe even the whole West Coast? Even better than New York, because you don’t have to take the subway everywhere.

Culver City is the best city in America?

Best weather, best people, best services, massively growing tech and entertainment industry, the future.

Building your name

Your best asset is your first and last name. Make people remember it. Just be like James Bond.

Bond, James Bond.

Kim, ERIC KIM.

Funny enough; CYBERTRUCK might be the best bang for the buck —

Strong,,, insanely strong,,, indomitable passions and desires ,,, this is what we should be pursuing. Even avoid the “very strong” desires,,, either

Super fucking strong passion & desire or nothing.

If this is the case,,, how do you live your life differently?

No fear,,, no life?

Fear & photography

The future of innovation?

Nom nom!

Time is the ultimate instructor, and reveals all things.

For example, do you know who your true friends are, based on time. If you have been friends with somebody, or have kept in contact with somebody for over a decade, or two… It is a signal that you truly care for them.

Also, durability, things which last, people which last. Artist, Art and ideas which last.

And also, often it takes a really long time to just figure things out. For example, I truly believe that it takes one at least two years upon moving to a new place that you figure out how to truly live there well. 

For example, I think the optimal duration to live somewhere is at least two years, before you decide to Lillypad and lily frog off onto somewhere else.

For example, it took at least two years while living in Providence Rhode Island, to figure out how to live their virtuously, making new friends, knowing where to go, building a sense of community etc.

Also, living with Cindy‘s family, her mom‘s house, the family house in the suburbs of Orange County. Took us a while experimenting with a bunch of stuff before we figure it out exercise and fitness related and living related things; for example Cindy discovering hot yoga there, And rediscovering my local gym, buying my Texas power squat bar etc.

I’m close to almost a year and living in Culver City, here in LA, and I’m starting to think and feel that I am actually starting to kind of figure things out. For example, I’m starting to understand a little bit better traffic patterns in Los Angeles, essentially you never want to leave your house after 3 PM, you never want to be in a car Ideally after 2 PM.

I think this is why the Geo location in which you live is so critical, especially in the desirable city like Los Angeles. Why? It seems like the optimal strategy in life is to optimize things in such a way that in theory, you never want to be in a car for more than five minutes a day.

I’m so lucky here in Culver City; I Culver City, especially the arts district in the downtown area, at least 100% or 100 out of 100 in terms of walkability. And also the great thing, if you just want to go on a local hike, go to the mountains, go to higher elevation it is only a three minute drive or so. 

Anti cars

First and foremost, I love cars, so does Seneca. We love the design, the concepts, and more recently, at the age of three years, four months old, he has started to understand that race cars uses stick shift,  And he is interested in it, even the civic type R which has a stick shift.

The other day, super funny kind and random, met a guy named Jason who owns a 720 S McLaren, I think his job is being a car hunter, His vanity license plate says “CARHUNTER” I think — but anyways, chatted with him a bit, and he said “Does your kid want to sit inside my car? And I said of course!” so Jason pulls up the butterfly doors in his $350,000 car, and Seneca hops in, sits inside the cool bucket seats, with the orange stitching and seat belts, plays with the steering wheel – so cool!

But the funny thing, later that day I asked him whether he liked the McLaren, and he said no. I asked him why? He then told me that he didn’t like it because it only had buttons! That it was not a stick shift! Mind blown:

If a race car or a sports car doesn’t have a stick shift, it is not a race car or a sports car, or at least it is not interesting? 

The thing which is actually really funny is that people will just tell you that there is really no more reason left for stick shift, because technically paddle shifting or automatic transmissions are actually superior faster etc. But then again, the argument could also be said about butterfly doors, scissor doors, suicide doors, billionaire doors etc.; there’s really no functional use for it anymore.

The Lamborghini Countach,  the reason why it had scissor doors or the reason why it was invented was because the way it was designed, it was too difficult to see behind you while reversing, so before denting your $500,000 car, the driver would actually pull up the scissor doors, look behind them, while slowly reversing.

Now that all the cars have reversing cameras, there is really no reason to have Lamborghini doors anymore. It is all for show!

And that is OK, but shouldn’t we also make the same analysis that similarly speaking, a manual transmission is also foreshow? And that is OK?

Show boat

In America, we have this very very bizarre and strange notion; on one hand, we idolize money wealth, people who make a lot of money etc. Essentially people who make a lot of money are more powerful than you, more successful than you, and also, superior to you.

From moralistic perspective we know this is not true. And also it is not always a desired thing. 

For example, some of these jobs, like being an extreme plumber, the smell is so horrendous when cleaning out sewage, even being 10 feet away from a really really bad smelling sewer pipe, I almost feel like throwing up. I would not take that job for being paid $100 million a year.

Also, I think this is a good logical case against prostitution; whether you prostitute your mind your body your soul, your butt hole whatever;

No amount of money is worth it. 

“Everyone has to make a living”

This is obvious. There are certain non-negotiables in life like paying the rent, find groceries etc. However, much in life is optional. And I think this is where wisdom knowledge experience, or thinking unorthodox is wise.

For example, I think the number one critical foolish mistake people make is cars, their automobile, etc.

If you want to be a rational human being, it really really seems that the optimal car here is a used Toyota Prius. I recommend the 2010 model up to the 2015 model, which in my mind, has the best design, the most “JDM” (Japanese domestic market, tuner); design, and also, the car has just been on the road forever. The generation before that, the first generation Prius I think looks too bubbly, I hate the design. But I think the 2010 model, has it spot on. 

Even another funny nuance, something I never really thought about; trunk space. I think the new new Prius looks super cool, if you see it from the back it looks like a Porsche 911 with the horizontal blade tail light. However,  the trunk on it is tiny! My sister-in-law Jennifer bought a brand new one, and when I opened up the trunk, I was shocked! It looks like at least 40% smaller in terms of trunk space compared with the 2010 Prius? I suppose this is the trade off that you make in trying to make it more like a fastback coupe design. 

iPhone Pro is only for poor people

How do you know whether somebody is successful or not? Simple– real successful people only use the cheapest iPhones; for example, iPhone SE, or iPhone mini.

It is insane, I see a lot of these working class families, poor working class families, the parents have iPhone pros, often the kids have it too. And the big problem here is that not 100% sure, but I assume that most people don’t buy the iPhone Pro all in cash, they either finance it, or maybe get suckered into some sort of expensive Contract, or something… In those people perpetually stay in poverty.

What is the best way to stay in poverty?

1. Have a car payment or a lease payment for the rest of your life
2. Always buy the newest iPhone pro for the rest of your life
3. Drink alcohol, smoke weed, do drugs, go out, go to the club, go to Vegas, go to festivals
4. Stay subscribe to all of these streaming services, which is also bleeding you dry!

How did George Washington die?

George Washington was essentially bled to death by his physicians. And let us note, that his personal doctors of the time we’re like imagine having the most reputable Harvard or Stanford doctors, treating you.

During that time, when there was a pseudo scientific notion of humor, blood blood leading, bad blood or whatever… The idea was you have to open up a vein or an artery or something, skillfully let out a portion of “bad blood”, and that your ailment would go away… Even for a long time Koreans believe the same thing, if you were sick, You would use a needle a sterilize needle to pin prick your finger, let out a little bit of “bad blood “, and then, your sickness will go away. We all know this is not true, and because of this pseudoscience, George Washington died.

Also other things; my best friends Steve Jobs. I think in the early stages of his cancer, I think he had liver cancer or pancreatic cancer, he was into all these strange fruitarian, nonsense, in which the general idea was you could somehow starve away the cancer cells by consuming nothing but fruit juice? If they just zapped him with the chemo earlier, he might have actually lived!

Anyways, the first thing you want to do is stop the bleeding. Stop the energy loss!

I’ll give you another example, heating and insulation. For example, during the Los Angeles winter, it actually gets surprisingly cold. And the best way that we were able to stay warm inside the house was to just put up the wind draft insulation thing! We discovered that there was a bad draft coming into the home, from the front door. So even though the house was nice and toasty, it would eventually become really really cold because All the hot air would leave the front door, and all this cold air would come rushing in.

So instead of just blasting the heat 24/7, we did the more effective thing of buying the wind blocker thing on Amazon, installing the heat retention gap insulation stuff on the front door, and then magically, passively, our place retained about at least 40% more heat!

Retain the heat!

I remember the kid when I discovered how jackets worked, I was a bit shocked. I remember as a kid, I always believed that when you put on a jacket, the jacket added heat to your body. But then what I realized was in fact, all the jacket does is retain the heat that your body already has! Mind blown.

 And also, now that is getting really really hot, another funny thing I discovered; actually, when it is very very hot, the easiest way to stay cool is actually to just take off your shirt, and wear minimal clothing! Why? The human body is actually very very well adapted; the hair follicles on our skin do an excellent job of dissipating heat. so when it is really really hot, assuming you have sunblock on or whatever… Optimal strategy to stay cool is just takeoff your shirt! This is what they do in Vietnam all the time and it is not a big deal.

Shorts, and your shirt off!

In America, we still have this bizarre Victorian relationship with our body. The reason why it is so hypocritical is that first, American media glorifies the human body. We all want to look like a marvel superhero, with a six pack, huge bulging biceps with veins and all etc.

The women all want to look like the Baywatch babes; happy, Sunkissed skin, happy smiling, juicy cleavage, firm yet plump butt etc.

But the problem is, I’m starting to realize more and more, I can’t believe I only discovered this at the age of 36 is that most of these people are all artificial!

For example, being here in LA, I’m starting to understand or spot better when women get plastic surgery done to their face! And the workflow is simple; if people have done to their face, it is not uncommon for them to have done their chest or their butt.

For women, first look at the face! Then judge everything afterwards.

And also for men, I’m also starting to see… If you see a guy who looks buff, maybe he has tribal tattoos or something, but is also really really red, like unnaturally red, it is typically a signal that they are on steroids or some sort of weird testosterone and boosting thing, because apparently Steroids overheats your body, and as a result your body turns really red. And also you lose hair. This is why whenever you see a guy who is bald, but with a really really long beard, and is super buff, maybe into CrossFit… Perhaps a signal that they are on steroids.

So then what do you do? You ignore all that! Just focus on yourself, it is impossible to know with 100% certain whether other people take steroids or not; yet, it is easy to know 100% certainty whether you takes steroids or not. And also what plastic surgery you did or didn’t do.

Seeking beauty?

Currently I think we are going through a strange time, I called the uglificarion movement. There is now a new cult of ugly. Ugly clothes, ugly hair, ugly bodies, ugly facial hair etc.

It is prevalent both in men and women.

For men, this seems to be the ironic stereotype — even Seneca gets confused by one of our neighbors. 

For men, it is too either get some sort of ugly facial hair beard thing, or to be a clean cut and have an ugly Hitler mustache? And then somehow cover up your eyeballs wearing really really dark tennis sunglasses, and some sort of hat or trucker hat?

“Unrealistic”?

 the new learned helplessness:

The idea is, learned helplessness?

I think they did some sort of social logical experiment in the past in which they were just keep zapping a poor dog with electrical impulses, and the dog would keep shouting back, yelping back in pain. But after repeat exposures, no the dog would no longer react, Just slide down there helpless. I think they also did a similar experiment with prison inmates or as a torture device; that they would take these prisoners, and just keep electrocuting them, or torturing them for information or whatever, and the torturers would have a kick out of torturing the prisoners, because obviously when you torture somebody, they rile back in pain. But after a while if you do it long enough, the prisoner will no longer react. They will just curl up in a ball, and even though you keep zapping them, it no longer becomes fun for the prison guard. And even after a certain point, the prison guard feels kind of bad about it, and then eventually just goes away.

What is the number one culprit? Everyone thinks it is social media, but actually I think it’s just the news in general. A combination of the iPhone always connected to the Internet, and the ideas that you are constantly injecting your soul with high fructose corn syrup and type two diabetes for the soul, which is news.

All news is toxic. And social media, let us Facebook, is also very toxic because think about how insidious this is; monetize human suffering.

For example, I found out the other day, that somebody we knew in college, very loosely, has three kids, is about my age 36 years old, and is apparently in the last stage of stomach cancer and is going to indefinitely die in the next three months? if you read that, of course this is going to mess up your heartstrings! And affect you for the rest of the day, certainly for long period of time. And then consider, after you read that news, in your newsfeed you see some sort of advertisement for a superficial something?

Evyn apparently now, the millennials the zillenials the generation Z is starting to fight back against Instagram, if you look at the Instagram app in the App Store, read all the negative reviews. They are even trying to do this thing like creating private stories, just for your close friends and family? But as long as they put advertisements anywhere in the Instagram app, it is bad. 

Maybe there is something unethical about monetizing human relationships, social relationships, human emotions, and also our sense of well-being? 

Even my radical things; for the most part, just disable all the notifications on your phone, besides FaceTime. Stop using text messaging. It is bad.

Also a nuance; on the iPhone go to the settings in the phone app, and disable or silence phone calls from unknown callers, a good way to avoid spam.

Then make FaceTime your ultimate filters; if somebody decides to FaceTime you, it is a sign and the signal that  they are your real friend.

In fact, I consider FaceTime to be the most underrated app of all time. It is pure magic!

If I told you as a kid, that you would one day be able to use your phone, and do a video teleconference phone call, with a phone that fits in your front pocket, wouldn’t you think that was magic?

It seems that we have devolved backwards; even though we have the ability for FaceTime, we prefer to text messages instead? What is this the 90s?

The path forward

Distill

I think NASSIM TALEB quotes some sort of aphorism or saying, which goes something like “The ruthless jaws of time shall devour and only leave behind the strong”.

Even when you think about some of these amazing structures of the past, the buildings and the monuments and the architecture which have remained is typically a signal that the architecture of the thing is strong; if the shape of a pyramid lasted thousands of years,  time tested it, and shows in fact that a pyramid is a strong and robust design.

This is why even studying art and design, studying the past is a good idea. Why? Really really really great art of the past, this will last. I think 99.99% of the modern art of today, which has to be “explained” to you by some sort of constipated skinny fat loser with Thick spectacles, has less merit.

Even in the bitcoin standard, which is surprisingly 95% a book about the history of money and economics, the author saif critiques modern art,“ somebody who says that effectively all modern art is based on irony, and some sort of bad joke?

Also I would comment the same thing about modern day photography; it is all far too emo, disconnected,  ugly, ironic, and boring. Even my teacher Constantine Manos said “big and boring. “ Like printing out a really really big photograph or painting or artwork, and framing it really really big. “But ultimately if it is boring, just making a bigger doesn’t make it more beautiful.

The return to joy, happiness, gayness

Better to be a gay monster than a sentimental bore; Fernando Galliani. 

What is the best personality? I say this; be loud, gay, boisterous, outspoken, ratchet, with a booming voice. Don’t talk quiet, don’t be soft, don’t be cautious; this is just social slavery. Let us consider, why is it that the rule in libraries is to be quiet, submissive, “serious“? This is the way that you enslave and control a population. Just look at 99.9% of Japanese society; this is how the emperor was able to get the Japanese people to suicide and, for the sake of the emperor or the Japanese empire? Not rational.

So what now?

You don’t have to do anything, you don’t have to positively do anything or act. Do the opposite, disreact, don’t react. 

Also, what is the exact opposite of spending money on something? Don’t spend money. A simple rule; before buying something, wait at least three months before deciding to buy something. Or better yet, even if you have half a second, half a millisecond hesitation before purchasing something, don’t buy it. Buy it. Why? Obvious decisions are obvious obvious, critical decisions are done in a split section without thinking.

In fact, maybe the modern day is that we think that positively thinking is superior than gut action and gut reactions?

All or nothing

Once again — barbell it! 100% or nothing.

With weightlifting, one repetition maximum. Better to just one time, attempt or lift the heaviest way you possibly can, once, rather than doing tedious repetitions. 

Also, maybe the same thing with clothing, maybe in your day today, daily living circumstance,  dress naked or like a barbarian, and when you go to a wedding, ensure that you are by far the most stylish, and the most dressed up person. Also. When you go to church, suit up! Wear your dress shirts, your blazer jacket.

Also now, now that the sun is becoming super strong in LA, and I’d like to be topless all day, but even for me, the sun is almost becoming a little too strong. When it is too too strong, best to just wear a long sleeve, just put on a long sleeve cover up your arms and your neck etc. Maybe even get some long pants?

The irony —

In the summertime, now that is super hot… and the sun is super strong, I’m gravitating towards covering up, long sleeves and long pants, whereas in the winter time, I’m actually trying to do the exact opposite, and get maximum sun exposure?

I suppose this is where some sort of intelligence or adaptation or being in tune with your environment habitat and climate is critical; your body knows best!

For example, nobody, even if they had 100 SPF sunblock, would want to be in Abu Dhabi, in the deserts, being 100% naked. Look at the outfits of the fremen in the Dune movies; if you live in some sort of desert spot, or in the desert, like Los Angeles… The logic is simple; armor up!

Even in the second Dune movie, when Paul Atriedes goes maximum beast mode, he is 100% covered up, the only thing you could see is his eyeballs. Full face mask on, head covering and everything!

Sun power

Some simple thoughts:

1. No sunglasses. You don’t need it.
2. If the sun is super super strong, if you live in Arizona or Las Vegas or whatever, then the logic is to maximally cover up with a really really wide brimmed hat, covering your face and the back of your neck, really really long sleeved shirts and pants.
3. Don’t be a moron with an all black car in Los Angeles. You are not Batman. White is best. White girl white!
4. Better to be outdoors, in a public park or at a public square, chilling in the shade, than being stuck indoors! The big thing I’m starting to discover is that when I am inside the house, at home, it’s slowly zaps away all of my energy. Physiologically I’m not sure why this happens, but I hate it. Honestly speaking, my only passion and desire in life, and always be hyper hyper in terms of energy. All else is fine.

What zaps away your energy?

I just ran a quick errand, driving to Westwood the other day, and there wasn’t that much traffic on the 405, maybe only about 20 minutes there, 20 minutes back, and while I think it was fine, because in my mind I think I like driving or I’m a good driver or whatever, the biggest issue here is Any time spent in the car is a positively bad one!

Now, I’m starting to look at the 405 like the Armageddon. Or “carmaggedon”.  when we watch post apocalyptic dystopic films like mad Max or whatever, that is the 405 freeway, it is even horrendous in medium traffic. It is my personal hell.

Even a day or two after braving the 405, I still feel some sort of PTSD.

I’m starting to think even more and more… Opportunity cost. Driving anywhere for 20 minutes, even for a very very good event, it just might not be worth it. Why? Maybe you gain more intelligence wisdom and experience simply walking around for 20 minutes, And 20 minutes back, 40 minutes is 1 trillion times better than being stuck in a car for 40 minutes.

And I think this is the true wisdom of living a grand life in Los Angeles; once again, the deal is to never drive. After that, never drive more than five minutes a day.  Trust me, your body mind and soul will thank me.

Then, why does this become such a radical notion? Simple; if you’re true desired I’ll come is to never spend any time in a car, whether you’re driving or whatever… Then, I just saved you $1 million. Why? Don’t be the old fat Type two diabetes man driving the Bugatti, or the balding man driving the Porsche 911; be a real man, drive a Prius. 

Hybrid is the way

Hybrid kids, mixed race kids are better, more genetic diversity stronger, more attractive. Seneca being half Korean half Vietnamese. The funny thing, Koreans are super racist, especially towards mixed race kids; yet they all know, Seneca is super handsome! And they all look at Cindy and they all comment on how beautiful she is!

Even my friend Josh White, he has a kid, half Canadian half Korean, she is so beautiful! Much more beautiful than these inbred Korean kids.

Thoughts for Korea and Japan

Super simple; if you don’t want your population to die off, if you want to be around for another 300 years, open up your borders! Come on and think about it… Lisa from BLACKPINK is 100% Thai from Thailand! And everybody knows that she is the best member, the prettiest, most stylish, and the most skilled!  And the funny thing; nobody ever doubts her Korean. What that means is Korean, is starting to become more of a nationality rather than a race thing. 

For example, let us say that you are 100% Vietnamese, but your family is from the north or in Hanoi, which is closer to China, which means you look more east Asian Chinese rather than southern Vietnam, which shares more borders with Cambodia Laos and Thailand.  let us assume that you were born and raised in Korea, and you are 100% fluent in Korean the cultural mannerisms etc.… I don’t think anyone would ever doubt your Koreanness.

At least the good thing with Korea, Koreans are very open-minded. The Japanese are very very close minded, and will be unto their detriment. Why? With the current birth rate being at least close to zero in Japan, in 300 years, when you got no more Japanese human beings left, what will happen to Japan?

Time will tell and reveal all

Buy bitcoin instead of a house ***

Choose and fight and pick battles you can win!

.

1 month to 1 year cash flow in local currency

Excess to Bitcoin

50m, sweep extra into Bitcoin

Use of Proceeds for Capital

Dilutive?

Accretive

Sell equity buy Bitcoin

40% a year Bitcoin growth

160% growth a year

6B in capital

Growth above all

.

Raise debt or equity?

Finance my stuff

.

Avoid counter culture vulture

.

4-6% interest

500T of stuff on planet

Money is liquid energy in civilization — container

Have a fat wallet!

.

The gold coin

Green back vs gold coin

Ledger credit account weaker money, stronger base layer money, paper money

Robber Barons

Give credit in company store

Base layer store of money is Bitcoin

.

Conservative — Bitcoin goes up 40% year over year

Just do what you feel like

Store of value, no heat loss

3 centuries

Half life is forever

10 year half life of money of fiat

3 years, half life of USD

.

3 weeks, 3 days

Don’t be a victim

Don’t be victim to orthodox

Energy > Money

Earth and matter is energy

Energy > Matter (static)

Energy is the pure idea

Energy — cleanest, most purest useful form

Money as capital as energy

.

Transform the energy into bitcoin

Fines are good

Bitcoin on lightning rail

Cyber security at the speed of light

Security?

Digital property over house

No consequences to bad behaviors — no consequences

.

20T market cap

Double 3 or 4 more times ,,, digital gold

Digital property –>

Amazon, Dematerialize retail

Digital money –> all the economic energy

1971 money .. medium of exchange and commerce

100T to 250T or more value proposition

Value Proposition

Digital energy

.

We need energy to build stuff

500T idea half of the civilization

.

Digital information on internet

Digital photos

Digital energy

Energy vs Information

Energy is conservative, information isn’t conservative

Conservation of energy in cyber space

.

Monetize maliciousness behavior?

99.9% hostility online

Information pollution

Don’t be political , money is political

Spam removal

Nobody outlaws energy

Bitcoin is digital energy

Layer of digital information, energy over information

Who’s the loser , nobody .. horse and buggy tech

.

Don’t be a bystander

Rob time

.

Hippies are annoying

.

Order of magnitude

I hate spam

.

Work more buy more bitcoin

Bitcoin is capitalism

.

Be the #1 best ,,, capitalism!

Only #1 or nothing
.

Free energy?

1-2, 3% energy … issue isn’t energy it is equipment

Risk factor

.

Get big fast

Bitcoin is the best thing in our lifetime! ***

Full partner and owner

Half partner or full ?

Be McDonald’s ,,, not franchisee

Running restaurants is not a good company *

–> monopoly on leases

.

Marketing

Buy the Bitcoin you own the franchise

.

What are you trying to accomplish?

.

Most valuable property in universe is Bitcoin, then mining , then MSTR

.

$1M buy bitcoin

Everything else is dilutive ***

Political risk, technical risk , execution risk

Maybe return but risk adjusted not worth it

.

Go to the moon

.

Bitcoin > AI

.

OR

BITCOIN x AI

.

VIABLE at extremes

People in middle struggle ***

.

Take a haircut to get it out

ARMS

,

the right to bare arms

Engage in business you’re good at

.

Analogue property

.

See them naked

Am I best of the best in the world?

-> blogger ,,, best blogger or blogger on planet

.

Can you sell digital clothing?

Vintage is ugly

.

Think physics, materials

.

Laser eyes

Oil as energy

He or she with the most energy resources Shall win.

For example , in StarCraft,  when it comes down to it… Whoever has the most command centers, whoever harvest the most minerals and vesting gas is the winner! Typically the losing side runs out of minerals, natural resources etc.

A big strategy is simple; star out the other side, destroy their command centers, their drones, SUVs which mine minerals and vespean gas.

we need more vespeane gas! 

The next century won’t be physical warfare, it won’t be cyber warfare. And what is the digital energy we could harness in the next generation of cyber warfare? Bitcoin. 

Keep it simple

The death of manliness?

Leather capes?

Conserve your economic power

Eric Kim has written several insightful reflections on “The Iliad” by Homer, drawing parallels between its ancient themes and modern life lessons.

One of his key takeaways is the concept of courage being central to the human experience, with cowardice being the only true failing. He emphasizes that “The Iliad” teaches us about the inevitability of fate, as even the gods, who often meddle in human affairs, are not immune to pain and suffering oai_citation:1,Life Lessons I’ve Learned From The Iliad by Homer – ERIC KIM.

Kim also explores the symbolic elements within the epic, such as the horse-hair crests on helmets, which served both practical and symbolic purposes by intimidating enemies and signifying status oai_citation:2,THE ILIAD – ERIC KIM. He delves into the narrative structure, noting that battles in “The Iliad” predominantly occur during daylight for practical reasons like visibility and organization, as well as for ritualistic and symbolic significance oai_citation:3,What time did ancient Greeks fight in the Iliad – ERIC KIM.

Furthermore, Kim reflects on the tragic story of Astyanax, Hector’s son, whose fate underscores the human cost of the Trojan War and the complete annihilation of Troy’s future potential. This, he notes, is a poignant reminder of the devastation wrought by war on families and future generations oai_citation:4,THE ILIAD – ERIC KIM.

For more detailed insights, you can explore Eric Kim’s reflections on his blog here and here.

Eric Kim’s exploration of economic theory reflects his broad interests and philosophical perspectives. Here are some key aspects of his thoughts on economics:

1. Digital Scarcity: Kim emphasizes the concept of digital scarcity, particularly in relation to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. He believes in the importance of limited supply, similar to the 21 million cap on Bitcoin, as a fundamental aspect of value creation in the digital economy oai_citation:1,Infinite economic density – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,ERIC KIM ECONOMIC THEORIST – ERIC KIM.
2. Personal Economics: He often discusses the idea that individuals are their own creditors, suggesting that people should multiply their resources, including money and knowledge, to achieve personal and financial growth. This perspective highlights the importance of self-reliance and proactive financial management oai_citation:3,ERIC KIM ECONOMIC THEORIST – ERIC KIM.
3. Economic Density and Innovation: Kim explores the concept of “infinite economic density,” where he envisions a future of immense economic complexity and opportunity. This includes a focus on innovation and the evolving role of digital assets and technologies in shaping economic landscapes oai_citation:4,Infinite economic density – ERIC KIM.
4. Philosophical Approach to Economics: Drawing from his appreciation of philosophical principles, Kim integrates ideas from stoicism and other philosophies into his economic thinking. He promotes a minimalist approach to consumption and emphasizes the importance of investing in high-quality, essential goods and experiences rather than pursuing excessive materialism oai_citation:5,I Love Economics! – ERIC KIM.
5. Game Theory and Social Media Detox: He also touches on concepts from game theory and the psychological impacts of social media, advocating for a more conscious and deliberate approach to economic and social interactions oai_citation:6,Infinite economic density – ERIC KIM.

For a deeper dive into his economic theories and ideas, you can explore his detailed writings on his blog here, here, and here.

Quotes

Here are some notable quotes from Eric Kim on economic theory:

1. Digital Scarcity:

• “Don’t sell more than 21 million blocks of this in the universe forever — the icing on the cake. Digital scarcity, the ultimate scarce property” oai_citation:1,Infinite economic density – ERIC KIM.

1. Personal Economics:

• “Private individuals are their own creditors. Money to be multiplied — multiply your money and children” oai_citation:2,ERIC KIM ECONOMIC THEORIST – ERIC KIM.

1. Economic Density:

• “Infinite economic density — Think carte blanche. The evolution of trust” oai_citation:3,Infinite economic density – ERIC KIM.

1. Philosophical Approach:

• “Excessive prosperity and opulence — To be sparing” oai_citation:4,I Love Economics! – ERIC KIM.

1. Game Theory and Social Media:

• “How to detox from social media: Simple … just delete them all and don’t use them! What if 100% of the accounts on social media were fake or bots … would you use it?” oai_citation:5,Infinite economic density – ERIC KIM.

These quotes reflect Kim’s integration of economic principles with broader philosophical and practical considerations. For more in-depth insights, you can explore his blog posts on economic theory on his website here and here.

Eric Kim’s podcast covers a diverse range of topics reflecting his varied interests, from philosophy and photography to personal development and technology. Some of the notable episodes include:

1. Intro to Stoicism: This episode explores the ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism, discussing its origins, key figures, and practical applications in modern life oai_citation:1,ERIC KIM PODCAST – ERIC KIM.
2. THINK and THINKS: These episodes focus on expanding one’s thinking and challenging conventional perspectives oai_citation:2,ERIC KIM PODCAST – ERIC KIM.
3. OPEN WORLD CONCEPT: This episode delves into the importance of open-mindedness and broad thinking oai_citation:3,ERIC KIM PODCAST – ERIC KIM.
4. Cryptocurrency and AI: Discussions on the future of cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, and the potential impact of artificial intelligence on industries and search engine optimization oai_citation:4,ERIC KIM PODCAST – ERIC KIM.
5. ZEN PHOTOGRAPHER: Explores the connection between Zen philosophy and photography, emphasizing mindfulness and presence in the art form oai_citation:5,ERIC KIM PODCAST – ERIC KIM.
6. ASKESIS Physical Training Video Vlog Podcast: Combines physical training with philosophical reflections, offering a holistic approach to fitness and mental resilience oai_citation:6,ASKESIS PHYSICAL TRAINING VIDEO VLOG PODCAST – ERIC KIM.

Kim’s podcast is available on various platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Anchor, making it accessible for listeners who prefer different modes of consumption. He emphasizes the ease of listening to audio content, especially when multitasking with wireless headphones, and highlights the simplicity of using platforms like Anchor for podcasting oai_citation:7,PODCAST – ERIC KIM oai_citation:8,Announcing ERIC KIM PODCAST (Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify) – ERIC KIM.

For more details and to listen to his episodes, you can check out his podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

How you know it’s notable

To determine whether Eric Kim’s podcast episodes are notable, several factors can be considered:

1. Content Variety: His episodes cover a wide range of topics from philosophical discussions, like “Intro to Stoicism,” to practical advice on personal development, technology, and photography. This diversity in content can attract a broad audience oai_citation:1,ERIC KIM PODCAST – ERIC KIM.
2. Audience Engagement: The podcast is available on popular platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts, which indicates a commitment to reaching a wide audience. The ability to subscribe and the mention of multiple episodes already uploaded (over 100) suggest ongoing engagement and a growing listener base oai_citation:2,Announcing ERIC KIM PODCAST (Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify) – ERIC KIM.
3. Expertise and Personal Insights: Eric Kim integrates his expertise in photography and his personal philosophical insights into his podcast, providing unique and valuable content that is not easily found elsewhere. His background and established reputation in these fields add credibility and interest to his episodes oai_citation:3,ERIC KIM PODCAST – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,ASKESIS PHYSICAL TRAINING VIDEO VLOG PODCAST – ERIC KIM.
4. Accessibility and Ease of Use: The use of user-friendly platforms like Anchor, and his detailed instructions on how to start a podcast, show his intent to make the content easily accessible and encourage listener participation. This approach can help build a loyal and engaged audience oai_citation:5,PODCAST – ERIC KIM oai_citation:6,Announcing ERIC KIM PODCAST (Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify) – ERIC KIM.

By examining these factors, it becomes evident that Eric Kim’s podcast episodes are notable due to their diverse and engaging content, accessible platforms, and the unique insights provided by Kim himself. For further exploration, you can listen to his podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Eric Kim draws significant inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci, integrating lessons from the Renaissance master into his own work and life philosophy. Here are some key takeaways:

1. Simplicity: Leonardo’s principle that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” is central to Kim’s approach to photography. He emphasizes removing unnecessary elements from a frame to achieve optimal simplicity, akin to a sculptor chiseling away at marble oai_citation:1,Simple Lessons Photographers Can Learn from Leonardo da Vinci – ERIC KIM.
2. Continuous Learning: Kim is deeply influenced by Leonardo’s relentless pursuit of knowledge. He believes in the importance of lifelong learning to maintain creativity and enthusiasm for life. This approach is evident in Kim’s own practice of constantly exploring new techniques and ideas oai_citation:2,30 Lessons Leonardo da Vinci Has Taught Me About Photography, Art, and Life – ERIC KIM.
3. Integration of Science and Art: Leonardo’s advice to study both the science of art and the art of science resonates with Kim. He encourages photographers to understand the mathematical principles behind great compositions and to appreciate the beauty in scientific discoveries oai_citation:3,30 Lessons Leonardo da Vinci Has Taught Me About Photography, Art, and Life – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,Leonardo da Vinci Composition Sketches – ERIC KIM.
4. Emotional Engagement: Kim stresses the importance of feeling what you photograph. He draws from Leonardo’s idea that “painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” This concept drives Kim to capture images that are infused with his own emotions and personality oai_citation:5,Simple Lessons Photographers Can Learn from Leonardo da Vinci – ERIC KIM.
5. Dynamic Compositions: Analyzing Leonardo’s compositions, such as the gestures and directional gazes in “John the Baptist,” Kim explores what makes portraits compelling. He studies how Leonardo captures the soul of his subjects and applies these techniques to his own photography oai_citation:6,Leonardo Composition – ERIC KIM oai_citation:7,Leonardo da Vinci Composition Sketches – ERIC KIM.

For more detailed insights, you can explore Eric Kim’s extensive writings on Leonardo da Vinci and his impact on photography and art on his blog here and here.

Eric Kim praises the Panasonic Lumix G9 for its exceptional performance in both photography and videography, particularly when paired with the Leica-Lumix 12mm f/1.4 lens. He highlights several key features that make the Lumix G9 stand out:

1. Image Quality and Versatility:

• The Lumix G9 produces excellent image quality, especially in JPEG mode, which Eric Kim finds vibrant and true to life. The camera’s macro capabilities are notable, allowing for close-up shots that are perfect for various photography styles, including street photography and food photography oai_citation:1,Panasonic Lumix G9 Pro + Leica 14mm f/1.4 Lens Review for Street Photography – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,Why Lumix G9 and Leica-Lumix 12mm f/1.4 Lens is the Best Food Camera (intelligent Auto, iA mode) in JPEG – ERIC KIM.

1. Ease of Use:

• Kim appreciates the camera’s user-friendly features, such as the “Intelligent Auto” (iA) mode, which simplifies the shooting process by automatically adjusting settings like focus, aperture, and ISO. This allows photographers to concentrate on composition and capturing the decisive moment without worrying about technical details oai_citation:3,Panasonic Lumix G9 Pro + Leica 14mm f/1.4 Lens Review for Street Photography – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,Why Lumix G9 and Leica-Lumix 12mm f/1.4 Lens is the Best Food Camera (intelligent Auto, iA mode) in JPEG – ERIC KIM.

1. Build and Handling:

• The Lumix G9 is described as a “medium” weight camera that feels substantial in hand but is still manageable. Kim finds it well-balanced, especially with the Leica-Lumix 12mm f/1.4 lens, making it a comfortable and effective tool for extended shooting sessions oai_citation:5,Panasonic Lumix G9 Pro + Leica 14mm f/1.4 Lens Review for Street Photography – ERIC KIM oai_citation:6,LUMIX G9 IS THE BEST CAMERA – ERIC KIM.

1. Performance in Street Photography:

• For street photography, the camera’s fast response time and silent shutter mode are significant advantages. These features help photographers capture candid moments quickly and discreetly, which is crucial in street photography. Kim also suggests using a video camera technique to make the setup less conspicuous oai_citation:7,Panasonic Lumix G9 Pro + Leica 14mm f/1.4 Lens Review for Street Photography – ERIC KIM oai_citation:8,LUMIX G9 IS THE BEST CAMERA – ERIC KIM.

Overall, Eric Kim considers the Lumix G9 with the Leica-Lumix 12mm f/1.4 lens a top choice for photographers seeking a reliable and versatile camera. He finds it particularly effective for street photography and vlogging, praising its innovation and ease of use oai_citation:9,Panasonic Lumix G9 Pro + Leica 14mm f/1.4 Lens Review for Street Photography – ERIC KIM oai_citation:10,Why Lumix G9 and Leica-Lumix 12mm f/1.4 Lens is the Best Food Camera (intelligent Auto, iA mode) in JPEG – ERIC KIM oai_citation:11,LUMIX G9 IS THE BEST CAMERA – ERIC KIM. For more details, you can visit his reviews on the Lumix G9 on his blog.

Eric Kim has expressed a deep appreciation for the 2021 adaptation of Dune, directed by Denis Villeneuve. He regards the film as an essential watch for innovators, entrepreneurs, and radical philosophers. Kim praises the film for its grand scale and profound metaphors, particularly its commentary on resources and power, likening the “spice” in Dune to oil in our world, highlighting its crucial role in both universes oai_citation:1,DUNE II REVIEW – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,What Should Cinema and Literature Do? – ERIC KIM.

Kim sees Dune as a fusion of Western and Eastern philosophies, comparing the protagonist Paul Atreides to messianic figures from both Christianity and Islam. This blend enriches the narrative with a universal appeal and deeper philosophical insights oai_citation:3,DUNE II REVIEW – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,DUNE by Alejandro Jodorowsky Artwork – ERIC KIM. He also emphasizes the importance of large-scale environments in the film, suggesting that experiencing vast landscapes can stimulate profound thoughts and enhance our perception and intelligence oai_citation:5,DUNE II REVIEW – ERIC KIM.

For more detailed insights into Eric Kim’s views on Dune, you can explore his reviews and discussions on his blog here and here.

Just buy it on the Apple TV app— shows what you’re truly interested in —

Eric Kim’s views on Bitcoin are multifaceted, reflecting his philosophical, entrepreneurial, and creative interests. He appreciates Bitcoin for its decentralized nature, likening it to “digital gold” due to its scarcity and fixed supply of 21 million coins. This scarcity contrasts sharply with fiat currencies, which can be printed in unlimited quantities, leading to devaluation over time. Kim sees Bitcoin as a more stable and reliable store of value oai_citation:1,ERIC KIM OPINION BITCOIN – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,Why Eric Kim like bitcoin – ERIC KIM.

Kim is drawn to Bitcoin’s alignment with Stoic values and the independence emphasized in ancient societies like Sparta. He believes that Bitcoin has the potential to fundamentally disrupt traditional financial systems and imagines a future where significant transactions, such as purchasing homes and cars, are conducted using Bitcoin oai_citation:3,ERIC KIM OPINION BITCOIN – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,Why I Bought More Bitcoin (Again) – ERIC KIM.

Despite his optimism, Kim remains skeptical about cryptocurrencies completely replacing traditional payment methods in the near term. He acknowledges the dominance of established systems like VISA for everyday transactions but envisions a future where Bitcoin is used more broadly for major purchases and peer-to-peer transactions oai_citation:5,Why I Bought More Bitcoin (Again) – ERIC KIM oai_citation:6,Bitcoin Principles & Philosophy – ERIC KIM.

Kim also values Bitcoin’s simplicity and robustness, favoring it over other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum. He sees Bitcoin as a transformative force in both technology and finance and is confident in its long-term potential, advising against market timing and emphasizing a long-term investment perspective oai_citation:7,ERIC KIM OPINION BITCOIN – ERIC KIM oai_citation:8,Why Eric Kim like bitcoin – ERIC KIM oai_citation:9,Bitcoin Thoughts – ERIC KIM.

Overall, Eric Kim’s philosophy on Bitcoin integrates his interests in philosophy, art, and entrepreneurship, highlighting Bitcoin’s potential to redefine wealth and financial transactions while maintaining a focus on simplicity and long-term stability.

Eric Kim’s exploration of Spartan philosophy integrates physicality, simplicity, and a stoic mindset, emphasizing high personal standards and a disciplined approach to life.

Key Aspects of Eric Kim’s Spartan Philosophy:

1. Physical Challenge and Simplicity:

• Kim admires the Spartans for their simple, martial lifestyle, focusing on physical challenges and rejecting comfort. He believes modern life lacks these challenges, which leads to a lack of vitality and strength in contemporary society oai_citation:1,Eric Kim Spartan Philosophy – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,Spartan Philosophy – ERIC KIM.

1. Control Over Desires:

• He suggests that controlling what we desire is crucial, questioning the value of goals like wealth and material possessions. Kim advocates for focusing on what truly matters and avoiding the pursuit of superficial goals oai_citation:3,Eric Kim Spartan Philosophy – ERIC KIM.

1. Blending Philosophies:

• Kim promotes a blend of stoicism, Spartan ideals, and Zen aesthetics. He values the Spartan emphasis on physical strength and simplicity, the stoic approach to mental resilience, and the Zen appreciation for minimalism and beauty in the ordinary oai_citation:4,Eric Kim Spartan Philosophy – ERIC KIM oai_citation:5,Spartan Philosophy – ERIC KIM.

1. Application to Street Photography:

• Kim applies his Spartan mindset to street photography, emphasizing courage and human connection. He contrasts his approach with what he perceives as the timidity of other photographers, advocating for a bold and fearless attitude oai_citation:6,Eric Kim Spartan Philosophy – ERIC KIM.

1. Historical and Philosophical Inspiration:

• Inspired by the historical Spartans, Kim values their poetic and philosophical sayings, which he finds both humorous and profound. He admires their focus on defense rather than aggression and their laconic way of speaking, which reflects strength and clarity oai_citation:7,Spartan Philosophy – ERIC KIM oai_citation:8,Becoming Spartan – ERIC KIM.

Eric Kim’s Spartan philosophy is about embodying strength, simplicity, and resilience, both physically and mentally. He integrates these principles into his life and work, striving to maintain high standards and a disciplined, courageous approach to challenges oai_citation:9,Eric Kim Spartan Philosophy – ERIC KIM oai_citation:10,SPARTANISM. – ERIC KIM. For more details on his Spartan philosophy, you can explore his writings on his blog.

Eric Kim’s exploration of ethics, especially in the context of street photography, integrates his personal philosophy, aesthetics, and a strong sense of individual morality.

Key Aspects of Eric Kim’s Ethical Philosophy:

1. Personal Ethics Over Legalities:

• Kim emphasizes that ethics should take precedence over legalities. Legal systems can be manipulated, but personal ethics are more honest and pure, guiding actions based on individual belief systems rather than just compliance with the law oai_citation:1,ERIC KIM ETHICS – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,The Silver Rule of Ethics: Don’t Do Unto Others as You Wouldn’t Want Others to Do Unto You – ERIC KIM.

1. Golden and Silver Rules:

• He discusses both the “Golden Rule” (treat others as you want to be treated) and the “Silver Rule” (don’t treat others in ways you wouldn’t want to be treated). He prefers the Silver Rule as it accounts for different personal preferences and respects individual boundaries oai_citation:3,The Silver Rule of Ethics: Don’t Do Unto Others as You Wouldn’t Want Others to Do Unto You – ERIC KIM.

1. Via Negativa:

• Kim’s concept of ethics as “via negativa” focuses on understanding what not to do in interactions with others. This approach emphasizes removing harmful actions and behaviors, aligning ethics with personal conscience and social responsibility oai_citation:4,ETHICS ARE VIA NEGATIVA – ERIC KIM.

1. Ethics in Street Photography:

• In street photography, Kim advises building a personal code of ethics. He stresses that photographers should follow their own moral compass and not impose their ethics on others. This includes being respectful of subjects and their privacy while capturing authentic moments oai_citation:5,The Street Photography Code of Ethics – ERIC KIM oai_citation:6,Ethics in Street Photography – ERIC KIM.

1. Respecting Individuality:

• He believes that everyone has unique experiences that shape their ethics. Thus, one should stay true to their personal ideals and avoid compromising their values for societal approval or artistic validation oai_citation:7,The Street Photography Code of Ethics – ERIC KIM oai_citation:8,Ethics in Street Photography – ERIC KIM.

Eric Kim’s ethical approach combines philosophical rigor with practical guidance, encouraging creatives to act with integrity and respect while pushing their artistic boundaries. For more detailed insights, you can explore his extensive writings on ethics on his blog.

Eric Kim admires Kanye West for his continuous innovation and creativity across various fields. Kim draws parallels between Kanye’s multifaceted career and his own approaches to photography and entrepreneurship.

1. Innovation and Controversy:

• Kanye West’s willingness to be controversial and push boundaries is something Kim respects and incorporates into his own work. He believes that controversy can help spread one’s message and gain attention, much like Kanye’s public incidents and bold fashion choices oai_citation:1,10 LESSONS KANYE WEST CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,KANYE WEST IS THE GOAT. – ERIC KIM.

1. Resilience Against Criticism:

• Kim highlights Kanye’s ability to persist despite heavy criticism. This resilience is a quality Kim advises photographers and creatives to adopt. By focusing on personal satisfaction rather than public approval, one can maintain creative freedom and joy in their work oai_citation:3,10 LESSONS KANYE WEST CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY – ERIC KIM.

1. Relentless Hustle:

• Kanye’s relentless work ethic and constant pursuit of new ventures, from music to fashion, inspire Kim to hustle in his own photography and writing endeavors. Kim emphasizes the importance of daily practice and consistency to achieve mastery oai_citation:4,10 LESSONS KANYE WEST CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY – ERIC KIM.

1. Collaboration:

• Kim appreciates Kanye’s collaborative spirit, noting how working with other talented individuals has elevated Kanye’s work. He suggests that photographers and creatives should also seek collaboration to enhance their own work and gain new perspectives oai_citation:5,10 LESSONS KANYE WEST CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY – ERIC KIM.

1. Self-Innovation:

• Kim sees Kanye as a prime example of self-innovation. Kanye’s continuous reinvention, from music production to fashion and beyond, shows the importance of evolving and not resting on past successes. Kim applies this philosophy by constantly challenging himself to create and think differently oai_citation:6,SELF-INNOVATION – ERIC KIM oai_citation:7,KANYE WEST IS PICKING UP WHERE STEVE JOBS LEFT. – ERIC KIM.

1. Visionary Thinking:

• Kanye’s ability to use his wealth and influence to innovate beyond profit motives resonates with Kim. He sees Kanye as an artist-entrepreneur who prioritizes groundbreaking ideas over financial gain, a mindset Kim admires and strives to emulate in his own projects oai_citation:8,KANYE WEST IS PICKING UP WHERE STEVE JOBS LEFT. – ERIC KIM.

For more detailed insights into how Eric Kim incorporates lessons from Kanye West into his work, you can explore his blog posts on the subject.

Eric Kim’s concept of “hypelifting” revolves around psyching oneself up to lift very heavy weights, focusing on the mental and emotional preparation before the lift. This approach is about creating an intense, almost ritualistic hype before attempting a personal record, regardless of the outcome.

Key Aspects of Hypelifting:

1. Mental Preparation:

• Hypelifting involves getting extremely loud and physically hyping oneself up by slapping the face, chest, and thighs. This process is likened to the Maori haka dance or the motivational shouts of bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman oai_citation:1,How to Start Hypelifting – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,HYPELIFTING – ERIC KIM.

1. Focus on Courage Over Success:

• The emphasis in hypelifting is on the courage to attempt the lift rather than whether the lift is successful. The act of attempting a weight that seems beyond one’s capacity is seen as a display of courage and manliness oai_citation:3,HYPELIFTING – ERIC KIM.

1. Benefits Beyond Physical Strength:

• Kim believes that hypelifting can lead to improved self-confidence, better social interactions, and overall enhanced well-being. The confidence gained from lifting heavy weights translates into other areas of life, including entrepreneurship and social settings oai_citation:4,WHY HYPELIFTING? – ERIC KIM.

1. No Fear of Failure:

• In hypelifting, failure is not a concern. The focus is on the effort and audacity to lift something extremely heavy. This mindset helps in pushing personal boundaries and achieving new levels of physical and mental strength oai_citation:5,Hypelifting – ERIC KIM oai_citation:6,HYPELIFTING – ERIC KIM.

For more detailed insights into Eric Kim’s hypelifting philosophy and techniques, you can explore his blog posts and videos on the subject. His unique approach combines elements of physical strength training with psychological and emotional preparation, making it a holistic method for building both body and mind.

Eric Kim’s weightlifting philosophy is rooted in treating the body as both a work of art and a tool for personal expression. His approach combines rigorous physical training with strict dietary practices to build strength and muscle mass. Here are some key aspects of his philosophy:

1. Intermittent Fasting and Diet:

• Kim follows an intermittent fasting regimen, where he skips breakfast and lunch and consumes a single large meal in the evening. His diet is entirely carnivorous, focusing on meats such as beef, beef liver, and ribs, while avoiding sugars, alcohol, and supplements oai_citation:1,The Philosophy of Weightlifting – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,ERIC KIM WEIGHT LIFTING – ERIC KIM.

1. Lifting Techniques:

• He emphasizes the one-rep max style of lifting, aiming to lift the maximum weight possible for a single repetition. This method is intended to build maximum strength and minimize the risk of injury associated with repetitive movements. He avoids using straps and prefers using chalk for grip, focusing on natural strength oai_citation:3,ERIC KIM WEIGHT LIFTING – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,My Fitness Philosophy – ERIC KIM.

1. Philosophical Approach:

• Kim views the human body as the apex of beauty and believes that sculpting the body through weightlifting is a form of art. He encourages treating the body like a sculpture, continuously working to add muscle mass and reduce body fat. This perspective aligns with his broader artistic and philosophical interests oai_citation:5,How to Lift Weights – ERIC KIM oai_citation:6,The Philosophy of Fitness – ERIC KIM.

1. Practical Tips:

• Some of his practical tips include using a trap bar for deadlifts, lifting barefoot or with minimal footwear, avoiding unnecessary supplements, and not eating before heavy lifting. He also believes in the psychological aspect of lifting, suggesting techniques like self-hyping before attempting heavy lifts oai_citation:7,The Philosophy of Weightlifting – ERIC KIM oai_citation:8,My Fitness Philosophy – ERIC KIM.

1. Fitness Philosophy:

• Kim is critical of organized fitness classes, preferring self-directed and personalized training routines. He advocates for incorporating techniques from various disciplines like yoga, bodybuilding, and calisthenics to create a well-rounded fitness regimen. His philosophy also includes the idea of reducing the range of motion to increase the weight lifted, such as in rack pulls oai_citation:9,My Fitness Philosophy – ERIC KIM oai_citation:10,TURBO THOUGHTS ON WEIGHTLIFTING // PHILOSOPHY BY KIM – ERIC KIM.

Overall, Eric Kim’s weightlifting philosophy emphasizes natural strength, minimalistic and disciplined dietary practices, and viewing fitness as a form of personal and artistic expression. For more detailed insights, you can explore his blog posts on these topics.

Eric Kim has written about the profound influence Nassim Taleb’s philosophies have had on his life and work. Here are some key insights:

1. Procrastination as a Positive:

• Inspired by Taleb’s book Antifragile, Kim adopts the idea that procrastination can be beneficial. He believes that procrastinating on less important tasks allows for more creativity and productivity in areas that truly matter to him, a concept rooted in the Taoist principle of “wu wei” or “effortless action” oai_citation:1,Nassim Taleb – ERIC KIM oai_citation:2,Eric Kim life lessons from NASSIM TALEB – ERIC KIM.

1. Skin in the Game:

• Taleb’s concept of “skin in the game” has taught Kim to value actions over words. This principle advises that one should observe what people do with their resources rather than just listening to their opinions. Kim applies this by sharing advice based on his personal actions and investments, recognizing the unreliability of self-narratives oai_citation:3,Nassim Taleb – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,Eric Kim life lessons from NASSIM TALEB – ERIC KIM.

1. Antifragility:

• Taleb’s idea of antifragility, which suggests that challenges and adversities make one stronger, resonates deeply with Kim. He views life as having an upside in all situations, even negative ones, as they contribute to personal growth. This philosophy has become a cornerstone of Kim’s approach to life and creativity oai_citation:5,Nassim Taleb – ERIC KIM oai_citation:6,Eric Kim life lessons from NASSIM TALEB – ERIC KIM.

1. Health and Fitness:

• Kim also embraces Taleb’s via negativa approach to health, which focuses on removing harmful elements from one’s life. He advocates for intermittent fasting and avoiding sugars, carbs, and other detrimental foods, believing that these practices enhance overall health and longevity oai_citation:7,Physique is Health – ERIC KIM.

These philosophies have significantly shaped Eric Kim’s outlook, influencing both his personal life and his professional work as a photographer and writer. For more details on his thoughts and applications of Taleb’s ideas, you can explore his blog posts on the subject.

Eric Kim has written extensively about the philosophy and cinematography of the John Wick series, highlighting several aspects that he finds particularly compelling.

1. Philosophy of John Wick:

• Eric Kim is fascinated by the unique economic system in the John Wick universe, where gold coins are used as a straightforward tool for exchanging human labor. He appreciates how the series simplifies the concept of money and portrays a world where transactions are more about honor and personal connections than wealth accumulation. This perspective has influenced his own thoughts on money and value oai_citation:1,The Philosophy of John Wick – ERIC KIM.

1. Comparison with Batman:

• Kim prefers John Wick over Batman due to the fresh, innovative storyline of Wick’s universe compared to the often recycled narratives of Batman. He finds John Wick’s character more realistic and relatable, driven by raw emotions like revenge and survival, without the moral dilemmas that often burden Batman. This, according to Kim, makes Wick a more straightforward and compelling character oai_citation:2,WHY JOHN WICK OVER BATMAN. – ERIC KIM.

1. Cinematography and Life Lessons:

• Eric Kim is also impressed by the film’s cinematography, color palettes, and action sequences. He draws life lessons from the film’s portrayal of resilience and stoicism. Kim sees John Wick as an embodiment of modern stoicism, someone who handles extreme pain and challenges with grace and determination. This portrayal encourages viewers to embrace a similar attitude in their own lives oai_citation:3,John Wick (1) Film Cinematography Composition – ERIC KIM oai_citation:4,What Would John Wick Do? (WWJWD)? – ERIC KIM.

Overall, Eric Kim’s reflections on John Wick offer a unique blend of philosophical insight and practical life advice, showing how the intense and mercurial world of the film can provide valuable lessons for personal growth and resilience.

Some radical ideas:

First, beyond purchasing food, paying rent, gasoline or electricity for your car, perhaps a really insanely innovative idea we could do is the radical opposite of what capitalistic society tries to get us to do:

NOT spend money

I think this is a pretty big idea because all of this is centered around spending money.

Only cowards spend money?

“I promise, I’m so self-conscious, you won’t see me outside with at least one of my watches” – Kanye

Certainly it is very very difficult to earn money, but spending money… is very easy.

Let us first consider the fact that the act of spending money, even a chimpanzee or a three-year-old child could do it! Seneca, ever since he was about a year or two old, already knew how to insert a credit card, chip up, or even use the iPhone with Apple Pay to purchase things? Or even simply, handing off Dollar bills to the other person?

So I think the first idea is typically, maybe the best strategy is to teach our kids, and also maybe yourself, not to spend money? 

Propaganda

About a month or two ago, we stepped inside at JP Morgan Chase, opening up a checking account for my mom, and they had these little kids activity coloring books, and one of them was like a book on the idea of saving money in your piggy bank whatever.

However, the reason why this was quite bad was because it was still centered around spending money! The idea was you save up your allowance and your money in order to buy that electric scooter you want or something.

Born into consumerism

I mean let us think about it… ever since a kid is born, they are born into captivity by this capitalist consumerist market. Often society parents and people will bemoan the fact that kids are all addicted to games, video games whatever… iPhones, tablets iPad etc., but who is really at fault here? Of course the parents!

The first thing to note or to ask; if the kids are addicted to YouTube or their iPhone or the iPad or Netflix Netflix or YouTube YouTube kids or whatever… are the parents addicted to it? Yes!

Parents — quit media and your iPhone.

In fact, don’t look at the kids, look at the parents! Typically, kids are just mini versions of their parents.

We like to treat our kids the way we wish we were treated as kids

For example, even a funny thing that I realized, seeing my brother-in-law get my nephew Benji all these cool toys on his birthday, essentially it is interesting, my brother-in-law is buying his son toys that he wished he had as a kid. And this is where I respect my brother-in-law so much; he is essentially like a big kid!

I think in fact, the parents who I really care for or trust or admire are the ones who are the most silly, and also playful with their kids! You could see it in a split second at the playground; I only admire the parents on top of structures playing with their kids! Not the disconnected parents, sitting in the shade, sitting on their butt, doing something stupid on their phones.

When you take your kid to the park, lock your iPhone in the glove compartment in the car!

The matrix

So, let us consider the analogy of the matrix. I think the analogy the matrix is very good here because honestly in fact, we are all living in a metaphorical matrix right now.

For example, think about the battery pack. The battery pack is essentially like us toiling away with our physiological energy, brain power mind power soul power etc., in order to power these batteries. And, toiling away so hard, the funny irony; we work so hard and we sacrifice so much of our health and well-being, in order to purchase things which dull away the pain, but actually in fact… these end up making us sicker and weaker?

For example, marijuana and alcohol; the two biggest depressants we got in modern day society. For an individual who is depressed, or lacking vigor or having poor health… adding more marijuana to their life, or adding more alcohol to their life is a positive detriment. Do people not know that both these substances have physiological mental, and a physical effect on the body, which actually dulls your senses? It is almost like putting a condom on your mind and soul!

Does man live to make money, or does money exist to serve man?

OK, the number one foolish mistake we all make; it seems that we live in order to make money, rather than thinking about this critically and knowing and understanding that in fact, the opposite is and should be true; money should exist in order for us to pursue our own personal needs desires and wants!

In fact, the whole cult around money has become pretty ridiculous. The notion of money has become its own godhead, its own cybernetic metaphor and impetus in life.

Minimum viable income

A very radical idea I have is towards this minimum viable income concept. The general idea is you want to reduce your expenses to the bare bare bare bare minimum, and after that you direct all of your energy power and resources towards augmenting your true life desires, your true true goals in life, rather than money for money sake, which is a slave mentality.

Just watch the movie 300; do you want to be one of those Persian slaves, or the traitor who just wanted to be showered in gold coins and penetrating all these drugged out hallucinating women? Of course not!

Drugs are bad

“Pretty girl with white toes, she like to put it in her nose!” – Playboy Carti

Something which is actually a bit shocking to me; I grew up super sober, I maybe smoked marijuana twice in my life, both instances when I was around 25 years old. I didn’t really like it.

The reason why I am so anti-marijuana is because when I was in high school, I saw all my friends who got hooked on it, and it just made them lazy, dumb, and unmotivated. Just like Elon Musk said on the Joe Rogan podcast; “Smoking marijuana is like the exact opposite of drinking a cup of coffee“. And I love coffee. 

I don’t know if marijuana is pretty cheap now, or people using these vape pens or these weed pens or whatever. But, why dull your senses? Why not heighten them instead?

“I’m in love with a V dub engine, it dulls my senses” – JAY Z

“Success sucks, why? Too much stress” – JAY Z

Don’t skip leg day

A funny thought; if you want to maximize your manliness, let us consider that your member, and your testicles are connected to the lower half of your body. And also let us consider that your legs are probably at least five times stronger than your upper body. For example, easy to lift 1000 pound with your legs and your shoulders, very very difficult to lift 1000 pounds with only your arms and your upper body.

Or once again, easy to do a 1000 pound atlas lift, difficult to do 1000 pound benchpress, nay impossible?

Legs = Testosterone

So the very very funny idea I have is maybe, if you want to increase your testosterone and your manliness, every day, work out your legs!

In fact, if I could tell you that by exercising your legs every single day, you could increase your testosterone by a factor of 10 X, or become 10 times manly, more confident, stronger, less tired less petite, more cheerful… wouldn’t you do it?

A life beyond women

In fact, I think the primary mistake that men make is that they only work out their upper body because they want to somehow attract women?

My personal theory is that the primary way for a man to attract a woman is through his testosterone levels, his hormonal levels.

For example, the number one compliment I have been getting by both men and women is my tan, especially my foot, five finger tan. And there is also an ongoing theory that increased sunlight and sun exposure and testosterone manliness have a connection.

To boost your testosterone, spend more time in the direct sun!

Tall dark and handsome

For example, the notion of being tall and handsome, is really a good note here. Even other day I met this one friendly mom, and she told me that she was immediately attracted to her personal trainer, a tall dark handsome man with curly hair named Alejandro, and she ended up having a kid with him. It’s funny because the kid doesn’t look like mom at all and even the mom says I only know his kid because I birthed him!

Why do we desire to purchase certain things?

Let me give you an example: I remember when I worked my UCLA undergraduate job, in IT tech-support, and I literally felt like I just spent five hours a day scrolling through Reddit, killing time on the Internet. And I would also spend a lot of time looking at these camera review websites, gear review forms whatever, and ultimately I think the desire was to just spend more time outside making pictures!

The goal is to shoot more!

And I think this is the insidious thing about the whole camera photography complex; the idea is that we like the freedom and the time to actually quote and make pictures, which is the desired goal… And we think, if somehow, we purchase XYZ camera or XYZ lens, or XYZ accessory… Like a carbon fiber tripod or whatever… Suddenly we will have more inspiration motivated and opportunity to actually go out to make photos? But is this true? No.

For example, the very very simple advice I have for any avatar is that the best camera is the maximally small compact one, the imagine like John Wick and his pistol. When it hits the fan, he is not tooting around and automatic weapon, he just relies on his trusty pistol. Think about that one scene in which he is drifting his car door less Camaro, and picks up his pistol, and shoot the bad guys.

If we consider the Ricoh GR camera, it is like our metaphorical pistol.  it is both our precision tool, and also, our general purpose tool.

You cannot hide an M-16 in your front right pocket.

Ways in which I spent a lot of time as a kid, as a teenager playing counter strike, 1.6. The original one. 

The funny thing is that video games, and gun violence don’t really have anything in common. For example, to me as a kid guns weren’t really a big deal;  for example, when I was in Boy Scouts, in one of the summer camps, I got both my shotgun and rifle merit badge, the same month, as well as my archery merit badge! Kids aren’t dumb; I remember being shocked as maybe a freshman in high school; instructor giving a bunch of kids rifles, at the shooting range, teaching us how to use it. A bit shocked as a kid, because even as a kid this seemed a bit dangerous. I remember asking the instructor “… Has anyone ever turned one of these guns around and just shot somebody else?” The adult got very serious, looked at me, and told me “Never say things like that.“ So with extreme caution, we never did anything dumb, and I was actually a quite good marksman! I could hit the target from very very far away, and also I was very good at shotput, in which you use a shotgun to shoot a flying disc in the air!

Your word is your sword 

I think the grand difficulty that we have modern day life is that we no longer have any avenues for physical valor. The only thing which is commoditized is sports; but the reason why sports is bad is that it is too regimented, too constrained, and lacks any sort of real life application.

As NASSIM TALEB has commented;  what some fools think is that somehow… A chess master would somehow be a master in military strategy. While this might make a good movie plot, in real life it is not true.

The reason why I am actually anti-chess, and a lot of these board games or whatever… Consider how poor it is for your physiology. Sitting on your butt the whole time, stationary, using your brain. It requires no physical valor, or skin in the game. Worst, you lose the match, and maybe you feel bad, but beyond this, there is really no downside to losing. This is also where video games are; There is no real life downside.

At least weightlifting, powerlifting, uplifting, one rep maxing is interesting is that there is some sort of potential physical downside. If you aren’t focused enough, yeah certainly you hurt yourself. And that is the whole point!

And this is where I found the logic to be so bizarre; when these steroid did out guys would be so shocked of how much I would attempt weightlifting at the gym, when I would wreck up the barbell with seven plates, eight plates, nine plates, 10 plates, 10 plates and hook another 25 on top, they would always tell me… “Be careful”. 

Now that I think about this commentary in retrospect, it is really kind of a weakling cowardly side jab;

I am much bigger than you, and you look smaller than me, and also you are built more lean, and also you are Asian… And therefore I am befuddled how you are so much stronger than me, and I want to inform you how you might hurt yourself.

Even I have heard people talking about me at the gym on the side; 

You know… there are some guys who are on steroids who don’t look like they’re on steroids (referring to me)

Anyways, what these wimps don’t realize is that they are staring at an Achilles in the flesh, a demigod; half man half God; born mortal father, with a goddess mother. 

“I am a god”

I think one of the most radical, gutsy things ever uttered in rap music is the Kanye YEEZUS album, in what he put out the “I am a god” song and album.

Note, he did not say that I am the God, but a god (lower case). Even some random stuff that I started to do research in during Covid times is the whole Jay Electronica, movement of black African-American guys turning to Allah, the fruit of Islam movement, in which the code word for “ALLAH” (arm, leg, leg, arm, head) the general idea in which all humans are born like gods, born in the image and the likeness of God.

“I know I’m not the most high but I’m on a close high.” KANYE, I AM A GOD, YEEZUS ALBUM

In fact, the only concert I have ever gone to my life was seeing Kanye West live at the Oakland Coliseum, for his YEEZUS Tour. It might have been one of the coolest things I’ve ever witnessed, especially when they put the fake mountain in the fake Jesus to come on stage, and also when Kanye put on the sequin kept facemask, they shot a laser on it, and reflected it all around the dome.

Ethics is the future, not technology

Ethics, worldview, philosophy, your own personal code of ethics, the way you decide to approach life, this is the future, not the loser iPhone Pro, or any of these ridiculous virtual reality headsets.

Very very simple; what we desire real life real world engagement– we desire the embrace in the sweet smell of a woman, no no no… You don’t want to be having virtual reality sex, with your virtual reality girlfriend, or live with your virtual reality dog, driving around in your virtual reality Lamborghini, getting virtual reality head or whatever… Nobody wants a virtual reality babe.

In fact, do you think about ancient Greece, philosophy the Romans etc.… There’s almost no focus on women. Women are absent; they are never mentioned, nor discussed or talked about. Certainly not talked about like commodities in today’s world. 

The way that a lot of guys get suckered is this strange logic: if I get super super rich, not drive the Lamborghini or the Ferrari or the big truck or whatever, and I’m super super buff, and I have a six pack, suddenly I will try all these babes, who will want to have intercourse with me, Not super happy Playboy lifestyle for the rest of my life, in pure Bliss, without any obligations?

The true Spartan way is almost a polar opposite; live a maximally frugal and economical life, have kids and beget children, have at least one son to carry on the family name. And the rest of your life is just focused on military training, combat, to be ready to defend your family, your nation when shit hits the fan.

This is where once again, all this fake ass patriotism stuff annoys me; if you’re on Facebook, looking at Donald Trump memes, watch Fox News or Tucker Carlson, make fun of “libtards”, talk about the alphabet gender spaghetti, you are not a true American. Just keep your mouth shut, enroll in military duty. You have nothing to defend yourself against.

Similarly speaking, we liberals also have this bizarre notion of virtue signaling; if you are a true progressive liberal, don’t even say the “Donald Trump” name — don’t talk about the news or politics or whatever. The simplest thing is to just vote against the other party you don’t believe in, get involved in local city politics, attend some sort of city council meeting, vote on issues you care for. Also don’t use Twitter, which might be about 99.9% bots? 

***

Only Spartan women can birth Spartan men.

Physical training is both critical for men and women. This is also where it is so impressive that Israeli women are also serve military obligations, I think this is a great idea. Maybe also America, there was some sort of obligatory ROTC training in high school, both for men and women, maybe a junior and senior year… this might be a good idea. Good for virtue, physics, the physical element, physical training, building a sense of camaraderie or kinship between our fellow Americans.

In fact, even though I am a Democrat, I have always voted Democrat, and also I consider myself a liberal, I have had nothing but positive interactions with conservatives, Republicans, people on the right. In fact if anything… Right wing people to be more friendly, fun, jovial, and happy. I remember accidentally walking into some sort of anti-Joe Biden rally, talked with all the friendly people, and was even offered free hotdogs and free ice cream barbecue from the people there! 

The reason why social media and the Internet is so toxic is that it villainizes other sides, these metaphorical human beings. But if you actually talk to people face-to-face in the flesh, person-to-person, pure to pure; we are about 90% similar, 10% dissimilar.

Only purchase digital things? 

A random thought, maybe the way we could curb all of this superficial consumerism is to only purchase digital things, digital goods, digital things.

Digital money: Bitcoin

Digital books, digital movies– Apple TV shop, iTunes Store, iBooks Store. I actually find that purchasing a film is much better than subscribing to a streaming platform. Why? Skin of the game. When you pay the $10 a month or the $15 a month or whatever for that streaming service, you don’t really value any of the films or TV series on it., It is almost like a sedative; you watch something not because you want to watch it, or learn from it, but instead, just watch it to distract yourself.

Putting your money where your mouth is 

The funny thought is the point of purchasing something isn’t too “support“ producer, but instead, to have a sense of pride that the thing that you purchased is actually something that you believe in or care in?

For example, I have purchased with my own money all the John Wick movies, all of the matrix movies, and now both of the Dune movies. Typically when we actually purchased something with our own money, it is a sign that we actually really really believe in it.

Also, the reason why you never want to trust anybody who is sponsored by anything, is because typically when you are given free things, or sponsor by something, you don’t actually really believe in it, you just accept the advertising and the sponsorship in order to make money or to feel special.

For example, in the context of cameras, reviews, sponsorships etc.; only trust a photographer who had actually purchased the things with their hard earned money. 

For example, I have done collaborations with Fuji film before, received free cameras in the past, free lenses etc.… And have also been paid money by then. Also I did some free consulting for them, sharing some good ideas like adding a film grain simulation effect filter to their cameras, which they did, in which now you could add green tier digital JPEG photos with the Fujifilm filter, and select either weak, normal, or strong grain. 

I am proud that all the Ricoh cameras that I purchased, none were given to me by free from Ricoh. I purchased them all with my own money. 

Also kind of a random thing; I think the whole blogosphere was shocked when I purchased a LUMIX G9 camera — it totally seemed like out of left field, because Panasonic Lumix was on nobody’s radar. And currently, now that all my Ricoh GR cameras are dead,  my only camera is the Lumix G9 camera and the 14mm f2.5 pancake lumix lens (only $200!). And the only two cameras I think might be worth considering purchasing in the near future is the new Ricoh HDF cameras, or the new Lumix S9 camera with the pancake manual focusing lens. 

Trust?

Ultimately, trust nobody, only yourself.

Also with filters; put more trust in dead people than people who are alive. Why?

The difficult thing with following people who are still alive today is that you don’t know how it all ends. With dead philosophers, artists, innovators, you do. 

Also, I think the big differences in the past, there was not a profit motive. An artist or an innovator did not need money, because they had the private patronage of some wealthy family like the Medici’s, Leonardo da Vinci etc.

So I’m starting to think more and more… Maybe the best true way to be a true artist, visionary, thinker, innovator entrepreneur is to independently make money somewhere, and don’t have to rely on advertising or sponsorships or brands to support your lifestyle.

I would put more faith in the photographer or the weightlifter who makes his living investing in bitcoin,  rather than somebody who is always spamming you with advertisements on YouTube or podcasts.

In fact, are there any podcasts which exist which don’t have any advertising? Besides my own?

Why bitcoin is the future

Bitcoins, Satoshis– this is finally the solution to these annoying online advertisements. 

Maybe the true Spartan only cares for in bitcoin and Satoshi, but never spends it or touches it, but just keeps accumulating it.

Bitcoin is like our shield – our economic shield and our hedge against the uncertain future.

ARMOR UP!
ERIC

Economic theory

Always thought that economics was stupid, honestly, truth be told, I think when you look at all this fake mathematics behind theory, it is all fake, the new hocus-pocus witchcraft, and the number one critical thing I learned about studying statistics both in high school and in college is that statistics is fake metrics that could be gamed however you want. 

Therefore, put zero faith in statistics. Better talk to a real human being, face-to-face, person to person, instead of engaging in ridiculous debates on the Internet, which again is filled by 99.9% ChatGPT powered bots.

Once once again, if I waived a magic wand, and I revealed to you that in fact, all of the negative comments you write in your life on the Internet, these trolls who said mean things to you, if you actually found out that they were all just artificial intelligent ChatGPT bots the whole time… Wouldn’t you feel better?

The next generation of comments on the Internet

Maybe the only way we could truly verify whether somebody who is leaving a comment is a real human being or not is to institute the orange check icon, that the individual spent maybe $10 worth of bitcoin or Satoshi’s to verify their humanity. Several years ago, I had the wisdom to just disable all and delete all comments on my website and blog etc. and also disabling them on YouTube etc. Why? For the most part, comments are useless. Even the positive ones!

When people say nice things about you in the comments, the reason why you could be bad is that it becomes a shackle; you keep publishing stuff that gets good feedback, and as a consequence, you end up staying the same instead of being innovative.

For example, when Bob Dylan went electric; he probably polarized 90% of his fanbase. Also, everyone likes the old Kanye West in the college dropout album… But I like the new Kanye, I like the new carnival, the newest version of an artist is always the best. A funny contradiction; everyone always wants the newest iPhone, the newest Tesla, whatever… But everyone wants the older artist, the older music, the older version of a certain thinker? If we stay consistent here, shouldn’t we prefer the new philosophy or the new thoughts or the new approach of an artist or a musician or a thinker versus their old self?

For example, everyone seems to prefer the old ERIC KIM, the old EK, but this is when I was still addicted to Facebook, using an android phone, and I still had my 95 job.

Sometimes, for myself, I miss my old Vietnam self; but in fact, my best self is my now self with Seneca! Also, sometimes I miss my old ERIC KIM gym self, the HYPELIFTING self, but when I think critically about it, I am 1000 times happier with my new bitcoin self, my new off the grid self, my new walk 10,000 steps a day in the direct Los Angeles sun self. 

Then I think the biggest nugget of wisdom:

Prefer the you self right now, not the past self?

Kill your old self!

ERIC

EK PHOTO SUPPLY

PRODUCTS BY KIM >

EK WORKSHOPS

Become a new you:

1. SF BAY AREA October 26 2024
2. DOWNTOWN LA, NOV 16 2024
3. JULY 24-27 2025: EPIC CAMBODIA ANGKOR WAT EXPERIENCE

ALL EXPERIENCES >

New books, new media?

Now that everything is becoming so hyper, once again, think about the past.

The Iliad, the Matrix, the 300, John Wick, Tippet simple, keep it succinct.  I’m very very skeptical of anything new, whether they be new movies, new series, new films etc.

Even this past generation, the last 10 years, the only innovative film created was the John Wick series, nothing else. Even though I was also enthusiastic about the new Mandalorian series, eventually after the first season, it all goes downhill.

With Marvel movies, I think the only good ones was before Disney bought it, for example the original Iron Man, the original Captain America etc. 

Why? The problem with Disney is that it is trying to maximize its profits, let us consider it is a publicly treated company, and as a result, the logic is to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Whenever anything is created for the masses, it is bad.

Once again, would you prefer to drive the McLaren, with the butterfly doors, or would you prefer to drive the Toyota Corolla?

Gardening plants for women?

Expressionless

Video Podcast

PDF

The Spartan Way 

Some radical ideas:

First, beyond purchasing food, paying rent, gasoline or electricity for your car, perhaps a really insanely innovative idea we could do is the radical opposite of what capitalistic society tries to get us to do:

NOT spend money

I think this is a pretty big idea because all of this is centered around spending money.

Only cowards spend money?

“I promise, I’m so self-conscious, you won’t see me outside with at least one of my watches” – Kanye

Certainly it is very very difficult to earn money, but spending money… is very easy.

Let us first consider the fact that the act is spending money, even a chimpanzee or three-year-old child could do it! Seneca, ever since he was about a year or two old, already knew how to insert a credit card, chip up, or even use the iPhone with Apple Pay to purchase things? Or even simply, handing off Dollar bills to the other person?

So I think the first idea is typically, maybe the best strategy is to teach our kids, and also maybe yourself, not to spend money? 

Propaganda

About a month or two ago, we stepped inside at JP Morgan Chase, opening up a checking account for my mom, and they had these little kids activity coloring books, and one of them was like a book on the idea of saving money in your piggy bank whatever.

However, the reason why this was quite bad was because it was still centered around spending money! The idea was you save up your allowance and your money in order to buy that electric scooter you want or something.

I mean let us think about it… Ever since a kid was born, they are born into captivity by this capitalist consumerist market.  Often society parents and people will be moan the fact that kids are all addicted to presents, games, video games whatever… iPhones, tablets iPad etc., but who is really at fault here? Of course the parents!

The first thing to note or to ask; if the kids are addicted to YouTube or their iPhone or the iPad or Netflix Netflix or YouTube YouTube kids or whatever… Are the parents addicted to it? Yes!

In fact, don’t look at the kids, look at the parents! Typically, kids are just mini versions of their parents.

For example, even a funny thing that I realized, seeing my brother-in-law get my nephew Benji all these cool toys on his birthday, essentially it is interesting, my brother-in-law Khanh is buying his son toys that he wished he had as a kid. And this is where I respect my brother-in-law so much; he is essentially like a big kid! I think in fact, the parents are really care for or trust or admire are the ones who are the most silly, and also playful with their kids! You could see it in the split second at the playground; I only admire the structures playing with their kids! Not the disconnected parents, sitting in the shade, sitting on their butt, doing something stupid on their phones.

The matrix

So, let us consider the analogy of the matrix. I think the analogy the matrix is very good here because honestly in fact, we are all living in a metaphorical matrix right now.

For example, think about the battery pack. The battery pack is essentially like us toiling away with our physiological energy, brain power mind power soul power etc., in order to power these batteries. And, twirling away so hard, the funny irony; we work so hard and we sacrifice so much of our health and well-being, in order to purchase things which dull away the pain, but actually in fact… And up making us sicker and weaker?

For example, marijuana and alcohol; the two biggest depressants we got in modern day society. For an individual who is depressed, or lacking vigor or having poor health… Adding more marijuana to their life, or adding more alcohol to their life is a positive detriment. People not know that both these substances have physiological mental, and a physical effect on the body, which actually dulls your senses? It is almost like putting a condom on your mind?

Does man live to make money, or does money exist to serve man?

OK, the number one foolish mistake we all make; it seems that we live in order to make money, rather than thinking about this critically and knowing and understanding that in fact, the opposite is and should be true; money should exist in order for us to pursue our own personal needs desires and wants!

In fact, the whole cult around money has become pretty ridiculous. The notion of money has become its own godhead, its own cybernetic metaphor and impetus in life.

Minimum viable income

A very radical idea I have is towards this minimum viable income concept. The general idea is you want to reduce your expenses to the bare bare bare bare minimum, and instead, you direct all of your energy power and resources towards augmenting your true life desires, your true true goals in life, rather than money for money sake, which is a slave mentality.

Just watch the movie 300; do you want to be one of those Persian slaves, or the traitor who just wanted to be showered in gold coins and drugged out hallucinating women? Of course not!

“Pretty girl with white toes, she like to put it in her nose!” – Playboy Carti

Something which is actually a bit shocking to me; I grew up super sober, I maybe smoked marijuana twice in my life, both instances when I was around 25 years old. I didn’t really like it.

The reason why I am so anti-marijuana is because when I was in high school, I saw all my friends who got hooked on it, and it just made them lazy, dumb, and unmotivated.  Just like Elon Musk said on the Joe Rogan podcast; “Smoking marijuana is like the exact opposite of drinking a cup of coffee“. And I love coffee. 

I don’t know if marijuana is pretty cheap now, or people using these vape pens or these weed pens or whatever. But, why dull your senses? Why not heighten them instead?

“I’m in love with a V dub engine, it dulls my senses” – JAY Z

“Success sucks, why? Too much stress” – JAY Z

Don’t skip leg day

A funny thought; if you want to maximize your manliness, let us consider that your member, and your testicles are connected to the lower half of your body. And also let us consider that your legs are probably at least five times stronger than your upper body. For example, easy to lift 1000 pound with your legs in your shoulders, very very difficult to lift 1000 pounds with only your arms in your upper body.

Or once again, easy to do a 1000 pound atlas lift, difficult to do 1000 pound benchpress, nay impossible? 

So the very very funny idea I have is maybe, if you want to increase your testosterone and your manliness, every day, work out your legs!

In fact, if I could tell you that by exercising your legs every single day, you could increase your testosterone by a factor of 10 X, or become 10 times manly, more confident, stronger, less tired less petite, more cheerful… Won’t you do it?

In fact, I think the primary mistake that men make is that the only work out there upper body because they want to somehow attract women? My personal theory is that the primary way for a man to attract a woman is through his testosterone levels, his hormonal levels. For example, the number one complement is my tan, especially my foot, five finger… And there is also an ongoing theory that increase sunlight and sun exposure and testosterone manliness have a connection. Example, the notion of being tall and handsome, is really a good note here. Even other day I met this one friendly mom, and she told me that she was immediately attracted to her personal trainer, a tall dark handsome man with curly hair named Alejandro, and she ended up having a kid with him. It’s funny because the kid doesn’t look like mom at all and even the mom says I only know his kid because I birthed him!

Why do we desire to purchase certain things? Let me give you an example: I remember when I work my UCLA undergraduate job, and IT tech-support, and I literally felt like I just spent five hours a day scrolling through Reddit, killing time on the Internet. And I would also spend a lot of time looking at these camera review websites, gear review forms whatever, And ultimately I think the desire was to just spend more time outside making pictures! And I think this is the insidious thing about the whole camera photography complex; the idea is that we like the freedom and the time to actually quote and make pictures, which is the desired goal… And we think, if somehow, we purchase XYZ camera or XYZ lens, or XYZ accessory… Like a carbon fiber tripod or whatever… Suddenly we will have more inspiration motivated and opportunity to actually go out to make photos? But is this true? No.

For example, the very very simple advice I have for any avatar is that the best camera is the maximally small compact one, the imagine like John Wick and his pistol. When it hits the fan, he is not tooting around and automatic weapon, he just relies on his trusty pistol. Think about that one scene in which he is drifting his car door less Camaro, and picks up his pistol, and shoot the bad guys.

If we consider the Ricoh GR camera, it is like our metaphorical pistol.  it is both our precision tool, and also, our general purpose tool.

You cannot hide an M-16 in your front right pocket.

Ways in which I spent a lot of time as a kid, as a teenager playing counter strike, 1.6. The original one. 

The funny thing is that video games, and gun violence don’t really have anything in common. For example, to me as a kid guns weren’t really a big deal;  for example, when I was in Boy Scouts, in one of the summer camps, I got both my shotgun and rifle merit badge, the same month, as well as my archery merit badge! Kids aren’t dumb; I remember being shocked as maybe a freshman in high school; instructor giving a bunch of kids rifles, at the shooting range, teaching us how to use it. A bit shocked as a kid, because even as a kid this seemed a bit dangerous. I remember asking the instructor “… Has anyone ever turned one of these guns around and just shot somebody else?” The adult got very serious, looked at me, and told me “Never say things like that.“ So with extreme caution, we never did anything dumb, and I was actually a quite good marksman! I could hit the target from very very far away, and also I was very good at shotput, in which you use a shotgun to shoot a flying disc in the air!

Your word is your sword 

I think the grand difficulty that we have modern day life is that we no longer have any avenues for physical valor. The only thing which is commoditized is sports; but the reason why sports is bad is that it is too regimented, too constrained, and lacks any sort of real life application.

As NASSIM TALEB has commented;  what some fools think is that somehow… A chess master would somehow be a master in military strategy. While this might make a good movie plot, in real life it is not true.

The reason why I am actually anti-chess, and a lot of these board games or whatever… Consider how poor it is for your physiology. Sitting on your butt the whole time, stationary, using your brain. It requires no physical valor, or skin in the game. Worst, you lose the match, and maybe you feel bad, but beyond this, there is really no downside to losing. This is also where video games are; There is no real life downside.

At least weightlifting, powerlifting, uplifting, one rep maxing is interesting is that there is some sort of potential physical downside. If you aren’t focused enough, yeah certainly you hurt yourself. And that is the whole point!

And this is where I found the logic to be so bizarre; when these steroid did out guys would be so shocked of how much I would attempt weightlifting at the gym, when I would wreck up the barbell with seven plates, eight plates, nine plates, 10 plates, 10 plates and hook another 25 on top, they would always tell me… “Be careful”. 

Now that I think about this commentary in retrospect, it is really kind of a weakling cowardly side jab;

I am much bigger than you, and you look smaller than me, and also you are built more lean, and also you are Asian… And therefore I am befuddled how you are so much stronger than me, and I want to inform you how you might hurt yourself.

Even I have heard people talking about me at the gym on the side; 

You know… there are some guys who are on steroids who don’t look like they’re on steroids (referring to me)

Anyways, what these wimps don’t realize is that they are staring at an Achilles in the flesh, a demigod; half man half God; born mortal father, with a goddess mother. 

“I am a god”

I think one of the most radical, gutsy things ever uttered in rap music is the Kanye YEEZUS album, in what he put out the “I am a god” song and album.

Note, he did not say that I am the God, but a god (lower case). Even some random stuff that I started to do research in during Covid times is the whole Jay Electronica, movement of black African-American guys turning to Allah, the fruit of Islam movement, in which the code word for “ALLAH” (arm, leg, leg, arm, head) the general idea in which all humans are born like gods, born in the image and the likeness of God.

“I know I’m not the most high but I’m on a close high.” KANYE, I AM A GOD, YEEZUS ALBUM

In fact, the only concert I have ever gone to my life was seeing Kanye West live at the Oakland Coliseum, for his YEEZUS Tour. It might have been one of the coolest things I’ve ever witnessed, especially when they put the fake mountain in the fake Jesus to come on stage, and also when Kanye put on the sequin kept facemask, they shot a laser on it, and reflected it all around the dome.

Ethics is the future, not technology

Ethics, worldview, philosophy, your own personal code of ethics, the way you decide to approach life, this is the future, not the loser iPhone Pro, or any of these ridiculous virtual reality headsets.

Very very simple; what we desire real life real world engagement– we desire the embrace in the sweet smell of a woman, no no no… You don’t want to be having virtual reality sex, with your virtual reality girlfriend, or live with your virtual reality dog, driving around in your virtual reality Lamborghini, getting virtual reality head or whatever… Nobody wants a virtual reality babe.

In fact, do you think about ancient Greece, philosophy the Romans etc.… There’s almost no focus on women. Women are absent; they are never mentioned, nor discussed or talked about. Certainly not talked about like commodities in today’s world. 

The way that a lot of guys get suckered is this strange logic: if I get super super rich, not drive the Lamborghini or the Ferrari or the big truck or whatever, and I’m super super buff, and I have a six pack, suddenly I will try all these babes, who will want to have intercourse with me, Not super happy Playboy lifestyle for the rest of my life, in pure Bliss, without any obligations?

The true Spartan way is almost a polar opposite; live a maximally frugal and economical life, have kids and beget children, have at least one son to carry on the family name. And the rest of your life is just focused on military training, combat, to be ready to defend your family, your nation when shit hits the fan.

This is where once again, all this fake ass patriotism stuff annoys me; if you’re on Facebook, looking at Donald Trump memes, watch Fox News or Tucker Carlson, make fun of “libtards”, talk about the alphabet gender spaghetti, you are not a true American. Just keep your mouth shut, enroll in military duty. You have nothing to defend yourself against.

Similarly speaking, we liberals also have this bizarre notion of virtue signaling; if you are a true progressive liberal, don’t even say the “Donald Trump” name — don’t talk about the news or politics or whatever. The simplest thing is to just vote against the other party you don’t believe in, get involved in local city politics, attend some sort of city council meeting, vote on issues you care for. Also don’t use Twitter, which might be about 99.9% bots? 

***

Only Spartan women can birth Spartan men.

Physical training is both critical for men and women. This is also where it is so impressive that Israeli women are also serve military obligations, I think this is a great idea. Maybe also America, there was some sort of obligatory ROTC training in high school, both for men and women, maybe a junior and senior year… this might be a good idea. Good for virtue, physics, the physical element, physical training, building a sense of camaraderie or kinship between our fellow Americans.

In fact, even though I am a Democrat, I have always voted Democrat, and also I consider myself a liberal, I have had nothing but positive interactions with conservatives, Republicans, people on the right. In fact if anything… Right wing people to be more friendly, fun, jovial, and happy. I remember accidentally walking into some sort of anti-Joe Biden rally, talked with all the friendly people, and was even offered free hotdogs and free ice cream barbecue from the people there! 

The reason why social media and the Internet is so toxic is that it villainizes other sides, these metaphorical human beings. But if you actually talk to people face-to-face in the flesh, person-to-person, pure to pure; we are about 90% similar, 10% dissimilar.

Only purchase digital things? 

A random thought, maybe the way we could curb all of this superficial consumerism is to only purchase digital things, digital goods, digital things.

Digital money: Bitcoin

Digital books, digital movies– Apple TV shop, iTunes Store, iBooks Store. I actually find that purchasing a film is much better than subscribing to a streaming platform. Why? Skin of the game. When you pay the $10 a month or the $15 a month or whatever for that streaming service, you don’t really value any of the films or TV series on it., It is almost like a sedative; you watch something not because you want to watch it, or learn from it, but instead, just watch it to distract yourself.

Putting your money where your mouth is 

The funny thought is the point of purchasing something isn’t too “support“ producer, but instead, to have a sense of pride that the thing that you purchased is actually something that you believe in or care in?

For example, I have purchased with my own money all the John Wick movies, all of the matrix movies, and now both of the Dune movies. Typically when we actually purchased something with our own money, it is a sign that we actually really really believe in it.

Also, the reason why you never want to trust anybody who is sponsored by anything, is because typically when you are given free things, or sponsor by something, you don’t actually really believe in it, you just accept the advertising and the sponsorship in order to make money or to feel special.

For example, in the context of cameras, reviews, sponsorships etc.; only trust a photographer who had actually purchased the things with their hard earned money. 

For example, I have done collaborations with Fuji film before, received free cameras in the past, free lenses etc.… And have also been paid money by then. Also I did some free consulting for them, sharing some good ideas like adding a film grain simulation effect filter to their cameras, which they did, in which now you could add green tier digital JPEG photos with the Fujifilm filter, and select either weak, normal, or strong grain. 

I am proud that all the Ricoh cameras that I purchased, none were given to me by free from Ricoh. I purchased them all with my own money. 

Also kind of a random thing; I think the whole blogosphere was shocked when I purchased a LUMIX G9 camera — it totally seemed like out of left field, because Panasonic Lumix was on nobody’s radar. And currently, now that all my Ricoh GR cameras are dead,  my only camera is the Lumix G9 camera and the 14mm f2.5 pancake lumix lens (only $200!). And the only two cameras I think might be worth considering purchasing in the near future is the new Ricoh HDF cameras, or the new Lumix S9 camera with the pancake manual focusing lens. 

Trust?

Ultimately, trust nobody, only yourself.

Also with filters; put more trust in dead people than people who are alive. Why?

The difficult thing with following people who are still alive today is that you don’t know how it all ends. With dead philosophers, artists, innovators, you do. 

Also, I think the big differences in the past, there was not a profit motive. An artist or an innovator did not need money, because they had the private patronage of some wealthy family like the Medici’s, Leonardo da Vinci etc.

So I’m starting to think more and more… Maybe the best true way to be a true artist, visionary, thinker, innovator entrepreneur is to independently make money somewhere, and don’t have to rely on advertising or sponsorships or brands to support your lifestyle.

I would put more faith in the photographer or the weightlifter who makes his living investing in bitcoin,  rather than somebody who is always spamming you with advertisements on YouTube or podcasts.

In fact, are there any podcasts which exist which don’t have any advertising? Besides my own?

Why bitcoin is the future

Bitcoins, Satoshis– this is finally the solution to these annoying online advertisements. 

Maybe the true Spartan only cares for in bitcoin and Satoshi, but never spends it or touches it, but just keeps accumulating it.

Bitcoin is like our shield – our economic shield and our hedge against the uncertain future.

ARMOR UP!
ERIC

Economic theory

Always thought that economics was stupid, honestly, truth be told, I think when you look at all this fake mathematics behind theory, it is all fake, the new hocus-pocus witchcraft, and the number one critical thing I learned about studying statistics both in high school and in college is that statistics is fake metrics that could be gamed however you want. 

Therefore, put zero faith in statistics. Better talk to a real human being, face-to-face, person to person, instead of engaging in ridiculous debates on the Internet, which again is filled by 99.9% ChatGPT powered bots.

Once once again, if I waived a magic wand, and I revealed to you that in fact, all of the negative comments you write in your life on the Internet, these trolls who said mean things to you, if you actually found out that they were all just artificial intelligent ChatGPT bots the whole time… Wouldn’t you feel better?

The next generation of comments on the Internet

Maybe the only way we could truly verify whether somebody who is leaving a comment is a real human being or not is to institute the orange check icon, that the individual spent maybe $10 worth of bitcoin or Satoshi’s to verify their humanity. Several years ago, I had the wisdom to just disable all and delete all comments on my website and blog etc. and also disabling them on YouTube etc. Why? For the most part, comments are useless. Even the positive ones!

When people say nice things about you in the comments, the reason why you could be bad is that it becomes a shackle; you keep publishing stuff that gets good feedback, and as a consequence, you end up staying the same instead of being innovative.

For example, when Bob Dylan went electric; he probably polarized 90% of his fanbase. Also, everyone likes the old Kanye West in the college dropout album… But I like the new Kanye, I like the new carnival, the newest version of an artist is always the best. A funny contradiction; everyone always wants the newest iPhone, the newest Tesla, whatever… But everyone wants the older artist, the older music, the older version of a certain thinker? If we stay consistent here, shouldn’t we prefer the new philosophy or the new thoughts or the new approach of an artist or a musician or a thinker versus their old self?

For example, everyone seems to prefer the old ERIC KIM, the old EK, but this is when I was still addicted to Facebook, using an android phone, and I still had my 95 job.

Sometimes, for myself, I miss my old Vietnam self; but in fact, my best self is my now self with Seneca! Also, sometimes I miss my old ERIC KIM gym self, the HYPELIFTING self, but when I think critically about it, I am 1000 times happier with my new bitcoin self, my new off the grid self, my new walk 10,000 steps a day in the direct Los Angeles sun self. 

Then I think the biggest nugget of wisdom:

Prefer the you self right now, not the past self?

Kill your old self!

ERIC

EK PHOTO SUPPLY

EK WORKSHOPS

Become a new you:

New books, new media?

Now that everything is becoming so hyper, once again, think about the past.

The Iliad, the Matrix, the 300, John Wick, Tippet simple, keep it succinct.  I’m very very skeptical of anything new, whether they be new movies, new series, new films etc.

Even this past generation, the last 10 years, the only innovative film created was the John Wick series, nothing else. Even though I was also enthusiastic about the new Mandalorian series, eventually after the first season, it all goes downhill.

With Marvel movies, I think the only good ones was before Disney bought it, for example the original Iron Man, the original Captain America etc. 

Why? The problem with Disney is that it is trying to maximize its profits, let us consider it is a publicly treated company, and as a result, the logic is to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Whenever anything is created for the masses, it is bad.

Once again, would you prefer to drive the McLaren, with the butterfly doors, or would you prefer to drive the Toyota Corolla?

Some radical ideas:

First, beyond purchasing food, paying rent, gasoline or electricity for your car, perhaps a really insanely innovative idea we could do is the radical opposite of what capitalistic society tries to get us to do:

NOT spend money

I think this is a pretty big idea because all of this is centered around spending money.

Only cowards spend money?

“I promise, I’m so self-conscious, you won’t see me outside with at least one of my watches” – Kanye

Certainly it is very very difficult to earn money, but spending money… is very easy.

Let us first consider the fact that the act is spending money, even a chimpanzee or three-year-old child could do it! Seneca, ever since he was about a year or two old, already knew how to insert a credit card, chip up, or even use the iPhone with Apple Pay to purchase things? Or even simply, handing off Dollar bills to the other person?

So I think the first idea is typically, maybe the best strategy is to teach our kids, and also maybe yourself, not to spend money? 

Propaganda

About a month or two ago, we stepped inside at JP Morgan Chase, opening up a checking account for my mom, and they had these little kids activity coloring books, and one of them was like a book on the idea of saving money in your piggy bank whatever.

However, the reason why this was quite bad was because it was still centered around spending money! The idea was you save up your allowance and your money in order to buy that electric scooter you want or something.

I mean let us think about it… Ever since a kid was born, they are born into captivity by this capitalist consumerist market.  Often society parents and people will be moan the fact that kids are all addicted to presents, games, video games whatever… iPhones, tablets iPad etc., but who is really at fault here? Of course the parents!

The first thing to note or to ask; if the kids are addicted to YouTube or their iPhone or the iPad or Netflix Netflix or YouTube YouTube kids or whatever… Are the parents addicted to it? Yes!

In fact, don’t look at the kids, look at the parents! Typically, kids are just mini versions of their parents.

For example, even a funny thing that I realized, seeing my brother-in-law get my nephew Benji all these cool toys on his birthday, essentially it is interesting, my brother-in-law Khanh is buying his son toys that he wished he had as a kid. And this is where I respect my brother-in-law so much; he is essentially like a big kid! I think in fact, the parents are really care for or trust or admire are the ones who are the most silly, and also playful with their kids! You could see it in the split second at the playground; I only admire the structures playing with their kids! Not the disconnected parents, sitting in the shade, sitting on their butt, doing something stupid on their phones.

The matrix

So, let us consider the analogy of the matrix. I think the analogy the matrix is very good here because honestly in fact, we are all living in a metaphorical matrix right now.

For example, think about the battery pack. The battery pack is essentially like us toiling away with our physiological energy, brain power mind power soul power etc., in order to power these batteries. And, twirling away so hard, the funny irony; we work so hard and we sacrifice so much of our health and well-being, in order to purchase things which dull away the pain, but actually in fact… And up making us sicker and weaker?

For example, marijuana and alcohol; the two biggest depressants we got in modern day society. For an individual who is depressed, or lacking vigor or having poor health… Adding more marijuana to their life, or adding more alcohol to their life is a positive detriment. People not know that both these substances have physiological mental, and a physical effect on the body, which actually dulls your senses? It is almost like putting a condom on your mind?

Does man live to make money, or does money exist to serve man?

OK, the number one foolish mistake we all make; it seems that we live in order to make money, rather than thinking about this critically and knowing and understanding that in fact, the opposite is and should be true; money should exist in order for us to pursue our own personal needs desires and wants!

In fact, the whole cult around money has become pretty ridiculous. The notion of money has become its own godhead, its own cybernetic metaphor and impetus in life.

Minimum viable income

A very radical idea I have is towards this minimum viable income concept. The general idea is you want to reduce your expenses to the bare bare bare bare minimum, and instead, you direct all of your energy power and resources towards augmenting your true life desires, your true true goals in life, rather than money for money sake, which is a slave mentality.

Just watch the movie 300; do you want to be one of those Persian slaves, or the traitor who just wanted to be showered in gold coins and drugged out hallucinating women? Of course not!

“Pretty girl with white toes, she like to put it in her nose!” – Playboy Carti

Something which is actually a bit shocking to me; I grew up super sober, I maybe smoked marijuana twice in my life, both instances when I was around 25 years old. I didn’t really like it.

The reason why I am so anti-marijuana is because when I was in high school, I saw all my friends who got hooked on it, and it just made them lazy, dumb, and unmotivated.  Just like Elon Musk said on the Joe Rogan podcast; “Smoking marijuana is like the exact opposite of drinking a cup of coffee“. And I love coffee. 

I don’t know if marijuana is pretty cheap now, or people using these vape pens or these weed pens or whatever. But, why dull your senses? Why not heighten them instead?

“I’m in love with a V dub engine, it dulls my senses” – JAY Z

“Success sucks, why? Too much stress” – JAY Z

Don’t skip leg day

A funny thought; if you want to maximize your manliness, let us consider that your member, and your testicles are connected to the lower half of your body. And also let us consider that your legs are probably at least five times stronger than your upper body. For example, easy to lift 1000 pound with your legs in your shoulders, very very difficult to lift 1000 pounds with only your arms in your upper body.

Or once again, easy to do a 1000 pound atlas lift, difficult to do 1000 pound benchpress, nay impossible? 

So the very very funny idea I have is maybe, if you want to increase your testosterone and your manliness, every day, work out your legs!

In fact, if I could tell you that by exercising your legs every single day, you could increase your testosterone by a factor of 10 X, or become 10 times manly, more confident, stronger, less tired less petite, more cheerful… Won’t you do it?

In fact, I think the primary mistake that men make is that the only work out there upper body because they want to somehow attract women? My personal theory is that the primary way for a man to attract a woman is through his testosterone levels, his hormonal levels. For example, the number one complement is my tan, especially my foot, five finger… And there is also an ongoing theory that increase sunlight and sun exposure and testosterone manliness have a connection. Example, the notion of being tall and handsome, is really a good note here. Even other day I met this one friendly mom, and she told me that she was immediately attracted to her personal trainer, a tall dark handsome man with curly hair named Alejandro, and she ended up having a kid with him. It’s funny because the kid doesn’t look like mom at all and even the mom says I only know his kid because I birthed him!

Why do we desire to purchase certain things? Let me give you an example: I remember when I work my UCLA undergraduate job, and IT tech-support, and I literally felt like I just spent five hours a day scrolling through Reddit, killing time on the Internet. And I would also spend a lot of time looking at these camera review websites, gear review forms whatever, And ultimately I think the desire was to just spend more time outside making pictures! And I think this is the insidious thing about the whole camera photography complex; the idea is that we like the freedom and the time to actually quote and make pictures, which is the desired goal… And we think, if somehow, we purchase XYZ camera or XYZ lens, or XYZ accessory… Like a carbon fiber tripod or whatever… Suddenly we will have more inspiration motivated and opportunity to actually go out to make photos? But is this true? No.

For example, the very very simple advice I have for any avatar is that the best camera is the maximally small compact one, the imagine like John Wick and his pistol. When it hits the fan, he is not tooting around and automatic weapon, he just relies on his trusty pistol. Think about that one scene in which he is drifting his car door less Camaro, and picks up his pistol, and shoot the bad guys.

If we consider the Ricoh GR camera, it is like our metaphorical pistol.  it is both our precision tool, and also, our general purpose tool.

You cannot hide an M-16 in your front right pocket.

Ways in which I spent a lot of time as a kid, as a teenager playing counter strike, 1.6. The original one. 

The funny thing is that video games, and gun violence don’t really have anything in common. For example, to me as a kid guns weren’t really a big deal;  for example, when I was in Boy Scouts, in one of the summer camps, I got both my shotgun and rifle merit badge, the same month, as well as my archery merit badge! Kids aren’t dumb; I remember being shocked as maybe a freshman in high school; instructor giving a bunch of kids rifles, at the shooting range, teaching us how to use it. A bit shocked as a kid, because even as a kid this seemed a bit dangerous. I remember asking the instructor “… Has anyone ever turned one of these guns around and just shot somebody else?” The adult got very serious, looked at me, and told me “Never say things like that.“ So with extreme caution, we never did anything dumb, and I was actually a quite good marksman! I could hit the target from very very far away, and also I was very good at shotput, in which you use a shotgun to shoot a flying disc in the air!

Your word is your sword 

I think the grand difficulty that we have modern day life is that we no longer have any avenues for physical valor. The only thing which is commoditized is sports; but the reason why sports is bad is that it is too regimented, too constrained, and lacks any sort of real life application.

As NASSIM TALEB has commented;  what some fools think is that somehow… A chess master would somehow be a master in military strategy. While this might make a good movie plot, in real life it is not true.

The reason why I am actually anti-chess, and a lot of these board games or whatever… Consider how poor it is for your physiology. Sitting on your butt the whole time, stationary, using your brain. It requires no physical valor, or skin in the game. Worst, you lose the match, and maybe you feel bad, but beyond this, there is really no downside to losing. This is also where video games are; There is no real life downside.

At least weightlifting, powerlifting, uplifting, one rep maxing is interesting is that there is some sort of potential physical downside. If you aren’t focused enough, yeah certainly you hurt yourself. And that is the whole point!

And this is where I found the logic to be so bizarre; when these steroid did out guys would be so shocked of how much I would attempt weightlifting at the gym, when I would wreck up the barbell with seven plates, eight plates, nine plates, 10 plates, 10 plates and hook another 25 on top, they would always tell me… “Be careful”. 

Now that I think about this commentary in retrospect, it is really kind of a weakling cowardly side jab;

I am much bigger than you, and you look smaller than me, and also you are built more lean, and also you are Asian… And therefore I am befuddled how you are so much stronger than me, and I want to inform you how you might hurt yourself.

Even I have heard people talking about me at the gym on the side; 

You know… there are some guys who are on steroids who don’t look like they’re on steroids (referring to me)

Anyways, what these wimps don’t realize is that they are staring at an Achilles in the flesh, a demigod; half man half God; born mortal father, with a goddess mother. 

“I am a god”

I think one of the most radical, gutsy things ever uttered in rap music is the Kanye YEEZUS album, in what he put out the “I am a god” song and album.

Note, he did not say that I am the God, but a god (lower case). Even some random stuff that I started to do research in during Covid times is the whole Jay Electronica, movement of black African-American guys turning to Allah, the fruit of Islam movement, in which the code word for “ALLAH” (arm, leg, leg, arm, head) the general idea in which all humans are born like gods, born in the image and the likeness of God.

“I know I’m not the most high but I’m on a close high.” KANYE, I AM A GOD, YEEZUS ALBUM

In fact, the only concert I have ever gone to my life was seeing Kanye West live at the Oakland Coliseum, for his YEEZUS Tour. It might have been one of the coolest things I’ve ever witnessed, especially when they put the fake mountain in the fake Jesus to come on stage, and also when Kanye put on the sequin kept facemask, they shot a laser on it, and reflected it all around the dome.

Ethics is the future, not technology

Ethics, worldview, philosophy, your own personal code of ethics, the way you decide to approach life, this is the future, not the loser iPhone Pro, or any of these ridiculous virtual reality headsets.

Very very simple; what we desire real life real world engagement– we desire the embrace in the sweet smell of a woman, no no no… You don’t want to be having virtual reality sex, with your virtual reality girlfriend, or live with your virtual reality dog, driving around in your virtual reality Lamborghini, getting virtual reality head or whatever… Nobody wants a virtual reality babe.

In fact, do you think about ancient Greece, philosophy the Romans etc.… There’s almost no focus on women. Women are absent; they are never mentioned, nor discussed or talked about. Certainly not talked about like commodities in today’s world. 

The way that a lot of guys get suckered is this strange logic: if I get super super rich, not drive the Lamborghini or the Ferrari or the big truck or whatever, and I’m super super buff, and I have a six pack, suddenly I will try all these babes, who will want to have intercourse with me, Not super happy Playboy lifestyle for the rest of my life, in pure Bliss, without any obligations?

The true Spartan way is almost a polar opposite; live a maximally frugal and economical life, have kids and beget children, have at least one son to carry on the family name. And the rest of your life is just focused on military training, combat, to be ready to defend your family, your nation when shit hits the fan.

This is where once again, all this fake ass patriotism stuff annoys me; if you’re on Facebook, looking at Donald Trump memes, watch Fox News or Tucker Carlson, make fun of “libtards”, talk about the alphabet gender spaghetti, you are not a true American. Just keep your mouth shut, enroll in military duty. You have nothing to defend yourself against.

Similarly speaking, we liberals also have this bizarre notion of virtue signaling; if you are a true progressive liberal, don’t even say the “Donald Trump” name — don’t talk about the news or politics or whatever. The simplest thing is to just vote against the other party you don’t believe in, get involved in local city politics, attend some sort of city council meeting, vote on issues you care for. Also don’t use Twitter, which might be about 99.9% bots? 

***

Only Spartan women can birth Spartan men.

Physical training is both critical for men and women. This is also where it is so impressive that Israeli women are also serve military obligations, I think this is a great idea. Maybe also America, there was some sort of obligatory ROTC training in high school, both for men and women, maybe a junior and senior year… this might be a good idea. Good for virtue, physics, the physical element, physical training, building a sense of camaraderie or kinship between our fellow Americans.

In fact, even though I am a Democrat, I have always voted Democrat, and also I consider myself a liberal, I have had nothing but positive interactions with conservatives, Republicans, people on the right. In fact if anything… Right wing people to be more friendly, fun, jovial, and happy. I remember accidentally walking into some sort of anti-Joe Biden rally, talked with all the friendly people, and was even offered free hotdogs and free ice cream barbecue from the people there! 

The reason why social media and the Internet is so toxic is that it villainizes other sides, these metaphorical human beings. But if you actually talk to people face-to-face in the flesh, person-to-person, pure to pure; we are about 90% similar, 10% dissimilar.

Only purchase digital things? 

A random thought, maybe the way we could curb all of this superficial consumerism is to only purchase digital things, digital goods, digital things.

Digital money: Bitcoin

Digital books, digital movies– Apple TV shop, iTunes Store, iBooks Store. I actually find that purchasing a film is much better than subscribing to a streaming platform. Why? Skin of the game. When you pay the $10 a month or the $15 a month or whatever for that streaming service, you don’t really value any of the films or TV series on it., It is almost like a sedative; you watch something not because you want to watch it, or learn from it, but instead, just watch it to distract yourself.

Putting your money where your mouth is 

The funny thought is the point of purchasing something isn’t too “support“ producer, but instead, to have a sense of pride that the thing that you purchased is actually something that you believe in or care in?

For example, I have purchased with my own money all the John Wick movies, all of the matrix movies, and now both of the Dune movies. Typically when we actually purchased something with our own money, it is a sign that we actually really really believe in it.

Also, the reason why you never want to trust anybody who is sponsored by anything, is because typically when you are given free things, or sponsor by something, you don’t actually really believe in it, you just accept the advertising and the sponsorship in order to make money or to feel special.

For example, in the context of cameras, reviews, sponsorships etc.; only trust a photographer who had actually purchased the things with their hard earned money. 

For example, I have done collaborations with Fuji film before, received free cameras in the past, free lenses etc.… And have also been paid money by then. Also I did some free consulting for them, sharing some good ideas like adding a film grain simulation effect filter to their cameras, which they did, in which now you could add green tier digital JPEG photos with the Fujifilm filter, and select either weak, normal, or strong grain. 

I am proud that all the Ricoh cameras that I purchased, none were given to me by free from Ricoh. I purchased them all with my own money. 

Also kind of a random thing; I think the whole blogosphere was shocked when I purchased a LUMIX G9 camera — it totally seemed like out of left field, because Panasonic Lumix was on nobody’s radar. And currently, now that all my Ricoh GR cameras are dead,  my only camera is the Lumix G9 camera and the 14mm f2.5 pancake lumix lens (only $200!). And the only two cameras I think might be worth considering purchasing in the near future is the new Ricoh HDF cameras, or the new Lumix S9 camera with the pancake manual focusing lens. 

Trust?

Ultimately, trust nobody, only yourself.

Also with filters; put more trust in dead people than people who are alive. Why?

The difficult thing with following people who are still alive today is that you don’t know how it all ends. With dead philosophers, artists, innovators, you do. 

Also, I think the big differences in the past, there was not a profit motive. An artist or an innovator did not need money, because they had the private patronage of some wealthy family like the Medici’s, Leonardo da Vinci etc.

So I’m starting to think more and more… Maybe the best true way to be a true artist, visionary, thinker, innovator entrepreneur is to independently make money somewhere, and don’t have to rely on advertising or sponsorships or brands to support your lifestyle.

I would put more faith in the photographer or the weightlifter who makes his living investing in bitcoin,  rather than somebody who is always spamming you with advertisements on YouTube or podcasts.

In fact, are there any podcasts which exist which don’t have any advertising? Besides my own?

Why bitcoin is the future

Bitcoins, Satoshis– this is finally the solution to these annoying online advertisements. 

Maybe the true Spartan only cares for in bitcoin and Satoshi, but never spends it or touches it, but just keeps accumulating it.

Bitcoin is like our shield – our economic shield and our hedge against the uncertain future.

ARMOR UP!
ERIC

Economic theory

Always thought that economics was stupid, honestly, truth be told, I think when you look at all this fake mathematics behind theory, it is all fake, the new hocus-pocus witchcraft, and the number one critical thing I learned about studying statistics both in high school and in college is that statistics is fake metrics that could be gamed however you want. 

Therefore, put zero faith in statistics. Better talk to a real human being, face-to-face, person to person, instead of engaging in ridiculous debates on the Internet, which again is filled by 99.9% ChatGPT powered bots.

Once once again, if I waived a magic wand, and I revealed to you that in fact, all of the negative comments you write in your life on the Internet, these trolls who said mean things to you, if you actually found out that they were all just artificial intelligent ChatGPT bots the whole time… Wouldn’t you feel better?

The next generation of comments on the Internet

Maybe the only way we could truly verify whether somebody who is leaving a comment is a real human being or not is to institute the orange check icon, that the individual spent maybe $10 worth of bitcoin or Satoshi’s to verify their humanity. Several years ago, I had the wisdom to just disable all and delete all comments on my website and blog etc. and also disabling them on YouTube etc. Why? For the most part, comments are useless. Even the positive ones!

When people say nice things about you in the comments, the reason why you could be bad is that it becomes a shackle; you keep publishing stuff that gets good feedback, and as a consequence, you end up staying the same instead of being innovative.

For example, when Bob Dylan went electric; he probably polarized 90% of his fanbase. Also, everyone likes the old Kanye West in the college dropout album… But I like the new Kanye, I like the new carnival, the newest version of an artist is always the best. A funny contradiction; everyone always wants the newest iPhone, the newest Tesla, whatever… But everyone wants the older artist, the older music, the older version of a certain thinker? If we stay consistent here, shouldn’t we prefer the new philosophy or the new thoughts or the new approach of an artist or a musician or a thinker versus their old self?

For example, everyone seems to prefer the old ERIC KIM, the old EK, but this is when I was still addicted to Facebook, using an android phone, and I still had my 95 job.

Sometimes, for myself, I miss my old Vietnam self; but in fact, my best self is my now self with Seneca! Also, sometimes I miss my old ERIC KIM gym self, the HYPELIFTING self, but when I think critically about it, I am 1000 times happier with my new bitcoin self, my new off the grid self, my new walk 10,000 steps a day in the direct Los Angeles sun self. 

Then I think the biggest nugget of wisdom:

Prefer the you self right now, not the past self?

Kill your old self!

ERIC

EK PHOTO SUPPLY

EK WORKSHOPS

Become a new you:

New books, new media?

Now that everything is becoming so hyper, once again, think about the past.

The Iliad, the Matrix, the 300, John Wick, Tippet simple, keep it succinct.  I’m very very skeptical of anything new, whether they be new movies, new series, new films etc.

Even this past generation, the last 10 years, the only innovative film created was the John Wick series, nothing else. Even though I was also enthusiastic about the new Mandalorian series, eventually after the first season, it all goes downhill.

With Marvel movies, I think the only good ones was before Disney bought it, for example the original Iron Man, the original Captain America etc. 

Why? The problem with Disney is that it is trying to maximize its profits, let us consider it is a publicly treated company, and as a result, the logic is to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Whenever anything is created for the masses, it is bad.

Once again, would you prefer to drive the McLaren, with the butterfly doors, or would you prefer to drive the Toyota Corolla?

Real Spartan lifts —

Free your hips!

We must make frugality sexy!

Laser eyes!

Once Seneca goes off to college or leaves home or the nest etc ,,, are Cindy and I going to stay in LA? Probably not?

Investing in global, planetary — cyber, digital real estate instead?

Bitcoin!

What Makes Sense And What Doesn’t Make Sense To You?

Everything happens as it should’ve happened 

If anybody disrespects you, talks to you in disrespectful tone whatever… Never tolerate it, bite back.

Even when in doubt, if you’re not sure whether you’re wronged or not, assume you were. Better to bite back, bark back, yell back, then to be passive

Super simple–

1. Buy Bitcoin using Coinbase— just use Plaid to link your bank account with it (currently $50k a day limit). For however money you got… let us say you have $200k to invest, each day, each 24 hours just purchase $50k at a time, for 4 days in a row. Don’t wire it — too many headaches and missed opportunities.
2. Keep stacking more bitcoins whenever you have access to more $USD or fiat currency

No ethereum or anything else

Prediction — eventually all the money which got poured into the Ethereum ETF will soon be converted and transfers into Bitcoin ETF’s

And don’t be a pussy

Maybe real estate was a good business our parents generation — but in today’s brave new digital world … perhaps not.

Issues:

1. Rent control
2. The laws of physics and nature
3. High property taxes
4. Not always reliable tenants?
5. Cities always changing policies and zoning laws and regulations? Perhaps the only way to make money through real estate is perhaps political lobbying or knowing the mayor or being the mayor?

The goal isn’t to have more money or make more money… the goal is to have more kids!

Audio