Category: Uncategorized

Below is a curated roster of the Bitcoin-focused websites that longtime users, developers and analysts consistently treat as “must-bookmarks.”  I’ve grouped them by what you’re most likely to use them for and—because you asked to avoid click-bait and noisy ad inventory—flagged any commercial footprint you should be aware of.

1. Core protocol & technical documentation

Site	What it offers	Why it matters	Ad/ tracking footprint
Bitcoin.org	Beginner guides, white-paper, wallet directory	The original community-run portal (registered by Satoshi & Martti Malmi in 2009) and still the quickest “first stop” for new users.	None; static Jekyll site
bitcoincore.org / GitHub	Source code, release notes, build instructions	Canonical reference for Bitcoin Core, the software that defines consensus. Public review and signed reproducible releases keep it trustworthy.	No ads; only GitHub telemetry
Bitcoin Wiki (en.bitcoin.it)	Deep protocol explainer, BIPs, wallet taxonomy	Crowdsourced but heavily watched by devs; where many BIP drafts first appear.	No ads; MediaWiki cookies only
Satoshi Nakamoto Institute	Archive of every Satoshi post + classic essays	Essential historical context and academic citations; run as a non-profit.	None
LearnMeABitcoin.com	Plain-English diagrams and code walk-throughs	Solo project by Greg Walker; praised for zero jargon and zero hype.	None
Lightning.network	Specs, papers and FAQs for the Lightning Network	Official entry point for Bitcoin’s key L2 payment protocol.	None
Bitcoin Optech	Weekly newsletter & documented best-practices	Curated by volunteer engineers; distills Core-dev mailing-list traffic into digestible prose.	Donation-funded, no ads

2. News & analysis (minimal click-bait)

Site	Strengths	Caveats
Bitcoin Magazine	Oldest print/online outlet dedicated solely to Bitcoin (founded 2012); good long-form features.	Some banner ads but low sensationalism
CoinDesk	Largest newsroom, global reporters, audited editorial code-of-conduct.	Pop-up paywall after a few articles; ad slots are present but not intrusive
No Bullshit Bitcoin	“Value-for-value” feed—short, link-only headlines, zero sponsors, zero ads. Great for signal-only updates.	Pure text; no deep dives

(For highly technical change-logs, the Bitcoin Optech newsletter above doubles as a news source.)

3. Blockchain explorers & on-chain analytics

Site	Highlights	Footprint
mempool.space	Fully open-source; can self-host. Live mempool fee heat-map & RBF visibility.	None; even supports Tor
Blockstream.info	Operated by Core contributors; covers Bitcoin mainnet, Testnet and Liquid side-chain; Tor mirror.	No third-party ads
OXT.me	Advanced clustering and privacy analytics tools for researchers.	Analytics-heavy but ad-free
Blockchair.com	Multi-chain search, large open API dumps; good for data science.	One sponsored banner per page—easy to ignore

4. Exchanges you can cite in a compliance memo

(All four are known for full-reserve attestations and clear regulatory licenses; none run naggy display ads.)

Exchange	Notes	Proof
Kraken	US-founded 2011; FCA-registered in UK; SOC 2 audited; publishes Proof-of-Reserves.
Bitstamp	Oldest euro-on-ramp (2011); MiCA CASP-licensed and NY DFS BitLicense.
River Financial	Bitcoin-only, FDIC-insured cash accounts; no alt-coin distractions.
Bisq (decentralized desktop DEX)	Peer-to-peer, open-source, no KYC; ideal for privacy-first users.

5. Community, help & developer discourse

Venue	Role in the ecosystem	Source
Bitcointalk.org	The original forum started by Satoshi (Nov 22 2009); still hosts wallet & miner announcements.
r/Bitcoin (Reddit)	7.9 million subscribers; quick crowd-sourced troubleshooting and memes.
Bitcoin Stack Exchange	High-signal Q&A; reputation system rewards technically correct answers.
bitcoin-dev mailing list	Where consensus-level changes (Taproot, OP_CTV, etc.) are first proposed and debated.

How to use this list

• Bookmark by task – If you’re running a node or writing code, have the Core docs, Wiki, and Optech open.
• Cross-reference explorers – Before trusting any one explorer’s output, pull the same TX in mempool.space and Blockstream.info to rule out backend glitches.
• Treat news hierarchically – Start with ad-free No Bullshit Bitcoin for raw headlines, then dive into longer analysis on Bitcoin Magazine or CoinDesk if you need context.
• Mind jurisdiction – For exchange accounts, pick the venue whose license aligns with where you pay taxes (Kraken for UK/US, Bitstamp for EU, etc.). For non-custodial swaps, Bisq removes that headache entirely.

Sticking to these resources will keep you close to the source code, primary data and peer-reviewed commentary—while sparing you the sensationalism and ad sludge that still plagues much of crypto media.

Can you search videos?

Here are the quickest-to-watch video sources of Eric Kim’s newest rack-pull feats, arranged from most recent to earlier milestones:

Date (2025)	Video title & link	Key details
May 20	“1,016 LB POUND (461 KG) RACK PULL – SINISTER DEMIGOD LIFTS” – 7-sec clip on Eric Kim’s YouTube channel ➜ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzfVvHpJHhQ	Filmed in his garage rack, below-knee start, mixed grip straps, full lock-out held ~2 s. This is the lift that pushed him past the 1-ton barrier at ~165 lb body-weight.
May 20 (blog mirror)	Blog post “1,016 LB (461 KG) RACK PULL: SINISTER DEMIGOD LIFTS” – embeds the same clip ➜ https://erickimphotography.com/1016-lb-pound-461-kg-rack-pull-sinister-demigod-lifts-eric-kim-100-natty/	Useful if you want commentary, screenshots, and plate breakdown; same footage as above.
≈ May 13	“NEW PR ALERT! 461 kg / 1,016 LBS RACK PULL” – 18-min vlog ➜ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDnDMfa6kdQ	Longer format: warm-ups, angle-changes, post-set analysis, plus rep shown in real time and slow-mo.
Mar 13	“1005 POUND RACK PULL” – 0:15 clip ➜ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUbo1xRMf_E	First time he cracked four digits; useful comparison to see bar height, stance, and lock-out speed.
late Apr (?)	“NEW PR (PERSONAL RECORD): 466 kg / 1,027 LB RACK PULL” – 0:08 clip ➜ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Blsd0JUcZK8	A short-lived PR filmed a couple of weeks before the 1,016-lb lift; bar height appears 1–2 cm higher, which may explain why he later counted 1,016 lb as the “real” below-knee record.

How to keep tabs on future uploads

Option	What to do
YouTube channel	Subscribe to Eric Kim (https://www.youtube.com/erickimphotography) and hit the bell; he tends to drop raw clips within 24 h of a PR attempt.
Blog RSS	Add https://erickimphotography.com/feed/ to your reader; every strength post embeds the matching video.
X / Twitter	Follow @erickimphoto; he usually tweets a 5-sec phone clip moments after lifting.

Feel free to let me know if you’d like form breakdowns, timestamps of the heavy singles within the longer vlogs, or guidance on replicating his below-knee setup at your own rack.
.

Pain tolerance?

1,016 lb / 461 kg rack-pull

 matters

Why Eric Kim’s new 

1,016 lb / 461 kg rack-pull

 matters

Perspective	Numbers	What it shows	Why it turns heads
Body-weight ratio	Kim ≈ 165 lb → 6.1 × BW	Even the lightest elite powerlifters rarely exceed 5× on a full deadlift. Strong-men like Brian Shaw (≈ 440 lb) have done 1,128 lb rack pulls—only 2.6× BW.
Absolute load milestone	The “four-digit” barrier (1,000 lb)	Only a handful of people—almost all 300-450 lb strong-men—have filmed a clean 1,000 lb+ partial from below-knee. Kim is the first sub-200 lb lifter on record to do it.
Lift height & difficulty	Bar starts just 1–2 in / 3–5 cm below the patella	Lower than the 18-inch “silver-dollar” setup used for strong-man world records (e.g., 1,235 lb by Sean Hayes). A lower start = worse leverage, making Kim’s weight more impressive per inch moved.
Training context	Garage gym, power rack, mixed grip; sometimes straps	No monolift, squat suit, or calibrated plates. Shows that supra-max pulls can be chased outside competition settings, inspiring home lifters.
Progression speed	1,005 lb → 1,016 lb in 10 weeks	+11 lb when most lifters stall for months above 900 lb. Indicates that ultra-heavy partials can still progress with micro-loading and specificity.
Average-guy comparison	Male intermediate 1 RM rack pull ≈ 420 lb	Kim is pulling 2.4× the intermediate standard and 8-10× what most gym-goers ever attempt, highlighting the gulf between “strong” and “freakish”.

The biomechanics in plain English

• Short ROM, monstrous load. A below-knee rack pull eliminates the hardest 6–8 in of the deadlift, letting you handle ~20-40 % more weight than your full deadlift max. But the spine, traps, and hips still absorb the entire axial load—at 1,016 lb that’s ~4½ tons of compressive force on each vertebral disc.
• Neural adaptation > muscle size. Kim’s frame (≈ 165 lb at 5 % BF) shows that huge partial pulls are more about connective-tissue density, intramuscular coordination, and pain tolerance than sheer muscle mass.
• Psychological optics. The sound of twelve 45-lb plates rattling, the fact the bar visibly bends into an arc, and the magic “1-0-0-0” on the plate calculator create a spectacle far beyond a numerically smaller but technically harder full deadlift.

Is it an official “world record”?

No—rack pulls aren’t standardized in power-lifting rulebooks. Heights, equipment, and judging vary. The lift is best described as a documented personal feat rather than a federation record. Still, because the footage is public and the load is unprecedented for his body weight, the strength community treats it as a notable outlier.

Take-aways for regular lifters

1. Partial pulls can unlock overload without wrecking your CNS on full-range maxes every week.
2. Load management matters: Kim micro-loads (1–5 lb jumps) and uses long warm-up ladders.
3. Don’t chase numbers blindly. A 1,000 lb rack pull doesn’t guarantee a proportionally big conventional deadlift; treat it as a specialized tool for lock-out strength, grip, and confidence under extreme weight.

In short, breaking 1,000 lb at 165 lb BW from a below-knee start rewrites the pound-for-pound expectations for partial deadlifting—hence the buzz.

Newest rack pull records 

Eric Kim – latest rack-pull milestones (2025)

Date (2025)	Weight	Status	Notes
May 20	1,016 lb / 461 kg	NEW personal record	Blog + YouTube post titled “1,016 LB (461 KG) Rack Pull – Sinister Demigod Lifts” – video shows a strapped, above-knee pull held for ~2 s.
May 5	1,010 lb / 459 kg	Broke the “comma-club”	Post “Why Eric Kim’s 1,010-lb rack-pull matters” details the lift and its 6.1×-body-weight ratio.
Mar 13	1,005 lb / 456 kg	First four-digit pull	“1005 lb Rack Pull One-Rep-Max Personal Record” – garage rack, mixed grip.
Feb 20	920 lb / 417 kg	Heavy attempt (no full lock-out)	Labeled “elevated deadlift attempt”; bar breaks from pins but isn’t held.

Quick take-aways

• Current best: 1,016 lb (May 20 2025) – a 56-lb jump in just ten weeks.
• All lifts are partials from just below the knee (classic “supra-max” rack pull).
• Records are self-reported and self-filmed (not federation-judged), but each blog post embeds footage for verification.

Let me know if you’d like direct links to the videos, form breakdowns, or background on his programming approach.

Eric Kim – documented (or self-reported) 1-RM lifts

(sorted by lift type, heaviest confirmed first; “attempt” = no clear evidence the rep was fully locked out)

Lift / Range of Motion	Weight	Date / Post Title	Notes	Source
Rack-pull (below knee)	1005 lb / 456 kg	13 Mar 2025 – “1005 lb rack-pull one-rep max”	Mixed-grip, bar on safety pins just under the knee
Rack-pull (below knee)	770 lb / 349 kg	19 Apr 2023 – “Rack Pull > Deadlift” manifesto	Demo inside long essay on partials
Rack-pull (below knee)	695 lb / 315 kg	5–6 Feb 2023 – “695 lb Rack Pull PR”	Seven 45-lb plates + a 10 each side
Atlas lift / squat walk-out (static pick)	1000 lb / 454 kg	21 Mar 2025 – “Atlas lift”	Bar un-racked, isometric hold for a few seconds
Atlas lift (walk-out hold)	765 lb / 347 kg	list entry  (link caption “8-plate Atlas lift”)	Earlier milestone before the 1000 lb pick
Conventional deadlift	551 lb / 250 kg	13 Sep 2022 – “Deadlift PR (250 kg)”	Full lock-out shown in blog photos
Conventional deadlift — attempt	562 lb / 255 kg	9 Sep 2022 – “255 kg Deadlift Attempt”	Video shows bar break from floor but no full lock-out
Sumo deadlift	475 lb / 215 kg	23 Jan 2021 – “475 lb Sumo Deadlift 1RM”	Clean rep, mixed grip
Sumo deadlift (earlier PR)	465 lb / 211 kg	2 Nov 2020 – “How to 1-RM Powerlifting”	Referenced as previous best
Squat (cheat / half depth)	464 lb / 210 kg	13 Aug 2022 – “Cheating Squat (464 lb)”	High-bar, shallow range; Kim argues ROM = optional
Squat (full-depth video) — attempt	385 lb / 175 kg	YouTube title “Squat 1RM PR Attempt”	Bar stalls just above parallel
“4-plate” squat (est. ≈ 405 lb)	blog post 28 Aug 2022	No weight called out beyond “4 plates”; included for completeness
Squat walk-out / liftoff	775 lb / 352 kg	YouTube “8-plate 775 lb Squat Liftoff”	Un-racks, stands 3-sec, no descent
Floor bench press	315 lb / 143 kg	28 Jan 2023 – “3-plate Floor Bench Press”	Successful lock-out from floor start
Floor bench — attempts	385 lb (5 Feb 2023) / 595 lb (21 Apr 2023)	Both labelled “attempt”; videos show bar motion but no lock-out
Renegade row (single-DB)	150 lb / 68 kg	9 Feb 2023 – “150 lb One-rep Renegade Row”	One-arm plank row, shown on GoPro POV
Dumbbell deadlift (single-DB) — attempt	150 lb / 68 kg	7 Jan 2023 – “150 lb Dumbbell Deadlift Attempt”	Grip-training stunt, not full stand-up
Kettlebell floor press	105 lb / 48 kg	21 Feb 2022 – “105 lb Floor KB Press”	One-arm press from supine

How Eric Kim defines “record”

• Only singles (“one-rep-max style”).
• Partial-range lifts (rack-pulls, Atlas picks, squat walk-outs) count as separate events, not substitutes for the classical lifts.
• He self-films every milestone; the blog titles usually indicate whether the rep was locked out (“PR”) or merely an “attempt.”

Reading the numbers

• Bold weights are the heaviest reps with video/photo evidence of a clean completion.
• Entries marked attempt reached the concentric break but never locked out; Kim still logs them as part of his progressive-overload narrative.
• Because many posts are self-hosted digests rather than third-party competition results, treat the figures as self-reported rather than federation-verified.

That’s the complete paper-trail of Eric Kim’s unorthodox one-rep efforts up to May 22 2025—use it as a reference if you’re tracking his ever-escalating PRs or planning to test a few “partial monsters” of your own.

Eric Kim’s development into a divergent thinker—a person who generates creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions—can be attributed to a confluence of his educational background, personal philosophy, artistic influences, and unconventional lifestyle.

1. 

Sociological Foundations and Human Observation

Kim’s academic background in sociology from UCLA laid the groundwork for his deep interest in human behavior and societal structures. This education fostered a habit of questioning norms and seeking multiple perspectives, which are essential components of divergent thinking. His studies encouraged him to view photography not just as an art form but as a means to explore and understand the human condition. 

2. 

Philosophical Approach to Photography

Kim perceives photography as a philosophical tool to grapple with existential themes like life and death. He believes that photography is a meditation on mortality and a way to seek immortality through images. This reflective approach pushes him to think beyond conventional boundaries and explore deeper meanings in his work. 

3. 

Embracing Unconventional Methods and Tools

Kim advocates for a minimalist approach to photography, often using simple equipment like smartphones to capture compelling images. He emphasizes that powerful photography doesn’t require expensive gear but rather a unique perspective and willingness to experiment. This mindset encourages breaking away from traditional methods and fosters innovative thinking.

4. 

Integration of Diverse Artistic Influences

Kim draws inspiration from various art forms, including hip-hop and rap music. He has expressed admiration for artists like Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar, whose work embodies creativity and challenges norms. This cross-pollination of artistic influences enriches his perspective and contributes to his divergent thinking by allowing him to draw connections between disparate ideas. 

5. 

Educational Initiatives and Community Engagement

Through his blog and workshops, Kim encourages others to explore street photography as a means of personal expression and societal observation. He promotes exercises that challenge photographers to step out of their comfort zones, such as shooting in unfamiliar environments or engaging with strangers. These practices not only enhance creativity but also cultivate the ability to view situations from multiple angles. 

6. 

Lifestyle Choices that Foster Creativity

Kim’s lifestyle choices, including intermittent fasting and minimalist living, reflect his commitment to self-discipline and focus. He believes that simplifying one’s life can lead to greater clarity and creativity. By removing distractions and adhering to a disciplined routine, he creates mental space for innovative thinking and exploration. 

In summary, Eric Kim’s evolution into a divergent thinker is the result of his sociological insights, philosophical approach to art, embrace of unconventional methods, integration of diverse influences, commitment to education, and disciplined lifestyle. These elements combine to form a mindset that consistently seeks new perspectives and challenges established norms.

For a deeper understanding of his philosophy, you might find this video insightful:

Pork jowl is steroids, comma—well, not literally Dianabol-in-a-skillet—but bite for bite it’s the most street-legal, camera-friendly, cast-iron anabolic hack I sling into my one-meal-a-day, period.

1. Cholesterol ≈ Molecular Plate Loader

Steroid hormones are sculpted from cholesterol the way a 45-lb plate is forged from iron, comma, and jowl is a cholesterol quarry. Think of each crispy cube as a micro-ingot your Leydig cells melt down into testosterone while you sleep on blackout curtains.

2. Low-Melt Fat = Hormone Lubricant

Jowl fat oozes at body temp—oleic-rich, satin-textured—slipping straight into cell membranes, keeping the endocrine assembly line greased, commas everywhere, no friction, no squeak. Contrast that with chicken breast: dry, polite, low-octane carburetor fluid.

3. Calorie Blast That Hides in a Few Bites

650 kilocalories per 100 grams—like strapping extra 10-lb plates to the bar when your training partner isn’t looking. Surplus energy drives mTOR and glycogen reloads; call it “bulking in stealth mode.”

4. Collagen-Gelatin Fusion = Joint Armor

Slow-cook jowl, watch collagen drip into gelatin—ligament lacquer for elbows that just survived a 405-lb floor press. Steroids grow muscle, sure; gelatin keeps the scaffolding from snapping, comma, the yin of structural integrity.

5. Micronutrient Ensemble Cast

B-vitamins, selenium, a cameo of zinc—trace minerals function like assistant directors yelling, “More testosterone, more recovery, wrap the scene before sunrise.”

How I roll it into the cycle

• Dice 100 g jowl → pan-render on low → drain liquid gold over jasmine rice.
• Reserve crust shards → fold into eggs post-lift → cholesterol tsunami meets leucine avalanche.
• Twice a week, no more—respect the lipid panel, photo-walk off the excess, repeat.

Reality check, disclosure page, small print

No, pork jowl is not synthetic steroids. It’s simply raw material—brick and mortar—for your endocrine architecture. Abuse it without training and you’ll gain nothing but chin HDR. Pair it with 3 × 3 rack-pulls at 90 % 1RM, eight-hour sleep blocks, and cycles of brutal curiosity—then watch the testosterone histogram shift right.

Bottom line, period: pork jowl is the culinary equivalent of sneaking weighted plates into your bloodstream—fat-marbled, flavor-obscene, natural precursor fuel that lets your body brew its own gear. Eat crisp, lift heavy, shoot bold, comma.

(Eric Kim voice: commas clanging, barbell humming, street-photographer’s eye on the skillet)

1.  Cholesterol = Steroid Raw Material

Leydig cells forge testosterone out of cholesterol, full stop. A three-ounce (85 g) slab of smoked jowl carries ± 80 mg cholesterol—double what the same weight of chicken breast offers.    Cohort and meta-data show that lower-fat, low-cholesterol diets depress serum T, while higher dietary cholesterol nudges it upward. 

Take-home: jowl supplies the bricks the body needs to stack anabolic hormones.

2.  Saturated + Mono-Unsat Fat Keep T High

Per 100 g raw jowl you get ≈ 7 g saturated fat and ≈ 9 g MUFA—exactly the combo studies tie to healthier testosterone ranges; excessive PUFA does the opposite. 

Fat profile = “open aperture” for hormone synthesis. Low-fat lens cap on the diet?—darker hormonal exposure.

3.  Calorie Density = Bulking Jet Fuel

At ~650 kcal per 100 g, jowl is a caloric deadlift—easy surplus without stomach bulk. Caloric surplus + heavy training drives mTOR and glycogen replenishment, letting muscles repair bigger. 

Eat clean? Sure. But eat enough or the bar will laugh at you.

4.  Moderate Protein + Collagen Support

Jowl isn’t a chicken-breast protein bomb (≈ 17–19 g /100 g)  , yet that blend of myofibrillar protein plus glycine-rich collagen feeds both muscle fibers and connective tissue—helpful when rack pulls flirt with 1000 lb.

5.  Micronutrient Side-Kicks

Pork jowl delivers B-vitamins, selenium and a whisper of zinc—the trace-element triad for testosterone production, red-blood-cell turnover and recovery. 

Putting it in the Program

Goal	How to deploy jowl
Mass phase	2–3 oz diced jowl stirred into post-session rice or pasta; instant calorie bump.
Carb cycling	Use jowl on high-carb training days so insulin + fat-derived cholesterol hit the testes together.
Joint care block	Slow-braise jowl; sip the gelatin-rich broth—glycine for tendons, fat for hormones.

Cycle it. Twice a week is plenty; balance with lean protein, veggies, omega-3 fish, and you avoid the lipid blood-panel horror show.

Bottom click

Pork jowl is the culinary equivalent of a heavy partial: concentrated, efficient, a little outrageous—but precisely what nudges testosterone up and feeds muscle repair when your program lives in the 90 %-of-1RM zone. Eat with intention, lift with fury, and let the melted-fat grin power the next PR.

HYBRIDIZE — field manual

(Eric-Kim-style: punchy, no fluff, period.)

1. Choose Your Two DNA Strands

1. Core Skill (A): what you already own—street photography, Python scripts, fashion sketches.
2. Wildcard (B): a domain that feels alien—modular synths, urban farming, spoken-word theater.

Rule: if it feels “wrong” for you, it’s right. Period.

2. Fuse on the Table

Step	Action	Time-box
Collect	Grab 5 artifacts from A + 5 from B (photos, sounds, words, objects).	30 min
Mash	Pair each A with a random B—no judgment.	15 min
Prototype	Pick the weirdest pair and make a 1-page/1-minute demo.	2 hr
Ship	Publish to a friend, Discord, or micro-blog.	Same day

Constraints = catalyst. One take. No polish.

3. Case Studies

• Kanye (Yeezus): Industrial noise (Nine Inch Nails) × Soul samples (Nina Simone) = Punk-rap gospel.
• Bit God Rap: Bitcoin jargon × Eric Kim minimal-street-philosophy = fresh myth.
• You: Example: Street portraits × Solidity smart-contracts → NFT contact sheets that transfer model royalties automatically.

4. Toolkit

• Randomizer: Shuffle board of verbs/nouns from each domain—forces odd pairs.
• Cross-Crit Crew: Partner with someone fluent in B to roast your draft.
• One-Day Rule: If it takes longer than 24 hours to see a first result, you’re overthinking.

5. Mindset Mantras

1. Frankenstein > Purebred. Mutts survive, pedigrees get brittle.
2. Friction Sparks. Discomfort means energy—ride it.
3. Delete the Meh. Keep the glitch, scrap the polite middle.
4. Iterate in Public. Audience reaction is lab data—use it.

6. Next 24 Hours Challenge

1. List your A & B.
2. Mash, prototype, publish by midnight.
3. Tweet/IG with tag #HybridizePeriod so others can riff.

Go splice.

Break genres.

Own the mutation.

Period.

Glitches

How 

Yeezus

 Can Charge Your Creative Battery

Yeezus

 Can Charge Your Creative Battery

(spoken in that punchy Eric Kim cadence—clean lines, no filler, period.)

1. Permission-less Mind-Set.
   Kanye projected “New Slaves” on city walls without sign-offs.
   Translation: stop waiting. Publish the zine, mint the code, drop the track. Period.
2. Radical Edit.
   Rick Rubin deleted layers until the song felt like a fist.
   You? Cut 80 % of your draft. Let the remaining 20 % scream.
3. Embrace Noise.
   On Yeezus distortion isn’t a flaw; it’s the hook.
   Keep your glitches, your shaky street photos, the stutter in your voice memo—authentic beats perfect.
4. Product = Packaging.
   Bare CD, red tape. The sleeve was the statement.
   Design your résumé, your GitHub readme, your email footer to echo your work’s soul.
5. Iterative Courage.
   Kanye finished mixes hours before upload.
   Ship v1 now, refine in public. Momentum > mastery.
6. Fusion Fuel.
   Industrial drums + Nina Simone sample = new genre.
   Cross-pollinate: pair your software skills with analog film, your finance day-job with graffiti nights. Hybridize.
7. Kill the Previous You.
   He left the lush orchestra of MBTDF to make metallic minimalism.
   If last year’s portfolio feels safe, torch it. Rise sharper.
8. Fear as GPS.
   The tracks that scared listeners most built the legend.
   When a project terrifies you, double down—that’s the frontier.
9. Performance as Installation.
   Yeezus Tour = mountain, masks, dancers.
   Present your next slideshow like a gallery show. Light, sound, narrative—they’re part of the file.
10. Scarcity = Value.
    10 tracks, 40 minutes—lean album, heavy impact.
    Publish less, punch harder. Let absence amplify demand.

Action Prompt:

Grab your current project. Delete what’s “nice.” Push one element into the red—louder, brighter, more honest. Then release it today. Period.

Brutal & essential

Hyper pop fracture

1. Radical Minimalism.
   Kanye ripped away the polish, left the raw grain. Like shooting JPEG instead of RAW—no safety net, pure intention.
2. Fear-Crushing Experiment.
   Industrial noise. Screaming 808s. He risked ridicule to find truth. Great art is made on the edge of embarrassment—embrace that edge.
3. Blueprint for Future Creators.
   Without Yeezus, there’s no Travis Scott arena punk-rap, no hyper-pop fracture. Kanye opened a door; everyone else walked through.
4. Marketing as Street Photography.
   Projecting “New Slaves” on 66 buildings was a living contact sheet—art meets public space, zero permission. Show, don’t advertise.
5. Form Follows Emotion.
   Bare CD case, red tape, no cover. Design echoes sound: brutal, essential. When medium and message align, viewers feel it in their spine.
6. Template for Personal Reinvention.
   From lush baroque (MBTDF) to stark iron (Yeezus), Kanye proved you can kill your last masterpiece to birth the next. Creativity is self-destruction followed by resurrection.
7. Permission-less Freedom.
   Decentralize your art the way Bitcoin decentralizes money. Stop asking gatekeepers. Ship. Period.

Shoot fear in the face. Make the bold thing. Leave the comfort zone empty.

Yeezus is proof that minimal doesn’t mean small—minimal means focused.

That’s why it matters. Period.

drill shares , minimalist architecture

Industrial textures

Strip away musical excess in pursuit of disruptive design

.

Rick Rubin… Strip the music down to bare essentials

.

bare essential men clothing
.

Steve Jobs strip away!

Comprehensive Deep-Dive: 

Kanye West – Yeezus (2013)

1. Background & Run-Up

Yeezus arrived three years after the luxuriant My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.  In a June 2013 New York Times interview West framed the new album as a radical pivot, calling himself “the successor to Steve Jobs” and pledging to strip away musical “excess” in pursuit of disruptive design .  Days before release he was still revising tracks and summoned Rick Rubin for “last-minute production and recording” .

2. Recording & Production

Key collaborators	Role/notes
Rick Rubin	Executive producer, brought in 15 days before deadline to “strip [the music] down” to bare essentials
Daft Punk	Co-produced “On Sight,” “Black Skinhead,” “I Am a God”
Hudson Mohawke & Lunice (TNGHT), Arca, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Travis Scott	Sound-design and additional production

Sessions bounced between Paris hotel rooms, Malibu’s Shangri-La and Jamaican villas.  West’s Paris loft had poor acoustics, so he kept arrangements “simple… to hear the tracks more clearly” .  Industrial textures, Chicago house drum patterns and drill snares dominate, reflecting West’s deep dive into minimalist architecture (Le Corbusier lamps were a stated inspiration) .

3. Music & Sonic Palette

• Genres blended: industrial rap, acid-house, punk-rap, electronic and experimental hip-hop .
• Signature techniques:
  
  • Over-driven 808s and clipped vocals (“On Sight,” “I’m In It”)
  • Abrupt drop-outs that expose raw vocal takes (“New Slaves”)
  • High-contrast sampling—e.g., Nina Simone’s “Strange Fruit” inside the trap-styled “Blood on the Leaves” .

Lou Reed praised the result: “Holy shit, it’s so gorgeous rhythmically… it brings tears to my eyes” .

4. Lyrical Themes

Track	Core motifs
“Black Skinhead”	Rage against racial commodification, power, surveillance
“New Slaves”	Consumerism, private-prison capitalism, modern servitude
“I Am a God”	Deified ego masking deep anxiety
“Blood on the Leaves”	Betrayal, fame-fueled excess juxtaposed with lynching imagery

Across 10 songs West toggles between political fury, erotic excess and spiritual self-mythology, presenting what Pitchfork called “his most lewd and heart-crushing tales yet” .

5. Promotion & Release Strategy

Yeezus had virtually no traditional singles, cover art was a bare jewel case with a strip of red tape .  The campaign centred on DONDA’s guerrilla projections: the New Slaves video was blasted onto 66 buildings in 10 countries the night before West’s SNL performance —a stunt that artists like Kendrick Lamar later cited as marketing inspiration .

6. Commercial Performance

• Debut: #1 US Billboard 200, 327 000 first-week units
• Second-week drop: −80 % (one of the steepest for a #1 debut of the SoundScan era)
• Topped charts in UK, Canada, Australia, Denmark and NZ
• RIAA 2× Platinum (US) and placed #269 on Rolling Stone’s 2020 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

7. Critical & Public Reception

Source	Contemporary verdict
Pitchfork 9.5/10 – “Best New Music”: a “blunt break” from lush maximalism
The Guardian ★★★★★: “Harsh rhythms crash… soul samples grate”

Initial fan reaction was “mixed and divisive,” with many listeners “confused and not sure what to think”—sentiment that only softened several years later .  Yet retrospectives now hail it as “a daring contribution from a troubled mind” at its 10-year anniversary .

8. Cultural Impact

• The Yeezus Tour (2013-14): avant-garde set pieces, a 50-foot mountain and Maison Margiela crystal-and-gauze masks that spilled into streetwear trends .
• Minimalist CD packaging presaged the streaming-era fade of physical artwork.
• Performance art ethos: The tour’s collaboration with visual artist Vanessa Beecroft blurred rap concert and gallery installation .

9. Influence on Music & Pop Culture

• Sparked the mainstream rise of industrial / punk-rap aesthetics adopted by acts like Death Grips, clipping., and Cities Aviv  .
• Direct blueprint for Travis Scott’s Utopia (2023)—Scott publicly stated “There is no Utopia without Kanye West”  ; reviewers called the album a “Yeezus clone”  .
• Reverberations heard in hyper-pop and experimental pop (Charli XCX, 100 gecs) as noted by fan-communities tracking Yeezus-inspired records  .

10. Position in Kanye’s Discography

Before	My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010): maximal, orchestral hip-hop
Yeezus	40-minute shock-therapy: minimal, abrasive, confrontational
After	The Life of Pablo (2016): hybrid gospel / rap, iterative streaming edits

Critics often call Yeezus the “pivot point” between “Classic Kanye” perfectionism and the era of perpetual-beta releases and headline-driven art .

11. Legacy

A decade later, Yeezus stands as a case study in risk: creatively lauded, commercially solid yet intentionally anti-pop.  Its fusion of high-fashion iconography, guerrilla marketing and sonic extremism reshaped the playbook for superstar album roll-outs and widened the lanes for experimental rap genres still flourishing today.

Follow BTC price live

Apple in the crosshairs

Just get rid of that dot punch in the center!

As a young kid, as a teenager ,,, as a college student?

The zen of being the best, of the best?

I feel good!

Audio

THE KING OF THE STREETS IS BACK! POWERED BY BITCOIN!

Podcast

RICH KIM:

Audio

Eric Kim’s contemporary Bitcoin philosophy intertwines minimalism, Stoicism, and a deep commitment to personal sovereignty. Here’s a distilled overview of his current perspectives:

Eric Kim’s Bitcoin Philosophy

1. Bitcoin as Ethical Money

• Kim views Bitcoin as “ethical money”—decentralized, leaderless, and free from marketing hype.
• He contrasts it with other cryptocurrencies, emphasizing Bitcoin’s purity and resistance to manipulation. 

2. Bitcoin Equals Happiness

• He equates Bitcoin ownership with happiness, suggesting it offers ultimate freedom and security.
• Kim advocates for using Bitcoin to achieve financial independence and a joyful life.

3. Bitcoin as Immortal Capital

• Kim describes Bitcoin as “immortal capital,” advising against selling it.
• He likens it to prime real estate, emphasizing its enduring value and potential for long-term growth. 

4. Bitcoin as a Tool for Liberation

• He believes Bitcoin is a means to escape economic constraints and achieve personal freedom.
• Kim encourages embracing Bitcoin to break free from traditional financial systems.

5. Bitcoin as the New iPhone

• Kim compares Bitcoin’s current state to the early days of the iPhone, suggesting it’s the beginning of a massive financial revolution.
• He predicts a significant aftermarket boom, similar to the proliferation of iPhone accessories. 

For a deeper dive into Eric Kim’s thoughts on Bitcoin, you can explore his blog posts and podcasts:

• Bitcoin is Happiness
• My Ethical Imperative Behind Bitcoin
• Bitcoin Vision

These resources offer a comprehensive look at how Kim integrates Bitcoin into his broader philosophy of life, emphasizing ethics, happiness, and personal freedom.

Here’s a version of the First Principles of Bitcoin expressed in the distilled, punchy, and personal style of Eric Kim — minimalist, philosophical, and direct:

First Principles of Bitcoin (Eric Kim voice)

1. 

Scarcity

• Only 21 million.
• No printing. No bailout. No inflation.
• Digital gold, but weightless.
• Scarcity builds value. Value builds belief.

2. 

Decentralization

• No king. No bank. No master.
• Trust the math. Trust the code.
• Power to the nodes. Power to the people.

3. 

Self-Sovereignty

• Your keys, your coins.
• Don’t trust. Verify.
• Censorship resistance is freedom insurance.

4. 

Proof-of-Work

• Energy = security.
• You must work to write history.
• No shortcuts. No cheating.

5. 

Immutability

• Time is sealed.
• Once in the chain, it’s forever.
• The past can’t be rewritten. That’s justice.

6. 

Open Source

• Bitcoin belongs to no one. So it belongs to all.
• Anyone can read, run, fork, or build.
• Permissionless innovation = creative anarchy.

7. 

Incentives

• Miners mine not for ideology, but reward.
• Game theory at scale.
• Align greed with truth.

8. 

Global

• No passport needed.
• A borderless bank in your brain.
• Send money like sending an email.

9. 

Anti-Fragile

• Attacks make it stronger.
• FUD feeds the fire.
• What doesn’t kill Bitcoin makes it more inevitable.

10. 

Philosophy of Power

• Bitcoin doesn’t ask. It just is.
• Like the sun or gravity.
• Not revolution. Evolution.

Bottom Line:

Bitcoin is digital Stoicism — hard limits, no compromise, pure sovereignty.

It is not just money. It is resistance, encoded.

Want more in this style? Happy to riff further.

First Principles of Bitcoin

Bitcoin was introduced in 2008 as a “peer-to-peer electronic cash” system that enables value transfer without trusted intermediaries .  Its design embodies several foundational principles across philosophy, economics, and technology:

Philosophical and Economic Foundations

• Scarcity and Fixed Supply:  Bitcoin’s protocol enforces a hard cap of 21 million coins, creating built-in digital scarcity .  Every 4 years (“halving”), the reward for mining a new block is cut in half, slowing new issuance and mimicking the extraction of a finite resource .  This deflationary issuance schedule is often likened to “digital gold” – it limits inflation and means each Bitcoin is intrinsically scarce .
• Decentralization and Trust Minimization:  Unlike fiat currencies issued by central banks, Bitcoin is maintained by a global network of nodes and miners.  No single entity controls it .  Consensus is achieved through cryptographic proof (Proof-of-Work) rather than trust in a central authority .  In Satoshi Nakamoto’s words, Bitcoin allows “online payments to be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution” .  This trust-minimized design means users need not rely on banks or governments for transaction validation; they trust the code and network rules instead of any individual.
• Separation of Money and State:  Bitcoin constitutionally prevents arbitrary money printing by governments.  Once deployed, its supply schedule is immutable, so states cannot inflate the money supply at will.  As one analysis puts it, Bitcoin “divorces money from the state,” potentially ending the era of government-driven inflation and boom-bust cycles .  In effect, its monetary policy is set by software, not politicians, aiming to give people an alternative to fiat currencies subject to central-bank control .
• Individual Sovereignty and Censorship Resistance:  Because users control their private keys, they have full custody of their funds and can transact freely.  Bitcoin’s decentralized architecture makes it extremely hard for any government or institution to censor transactions or seize funds.  As one commentary notes, Bitcoin “guarantees total monetary sovereignty, protecting users from censorship” and confiscation .  The network’s immutability and peer-to-peer verification ensure transactions cannot be rolled back or arbitrarily blocked, preserving individual financial autonomy .

Technical Architecture

• Blockchain as an Immutable Ledger:  Bitcoin’s core data structure is a blockchain – a shared, cryptographically linked ledger.  Each block contains a batch of transactions whose data is hashed and chained to the previous block.  This makes the ledger tamper-resistant: altering a past block would require redoing the proof-of-work for that block and all following blocks.  In practice, once transactions are confirmed, they are “permanently recorded” and viewable by anyone .  In other words, Bitcoin’s blockchain is a decentralized, transparent ledger that cannot be changed without overwhelming computational effort .
• Proof-of-Work Consensus Mechanism:  Bitcoin secures consensus through Proof-of-Work (PoW).  Miners repeatedly hash block data (with a changing nonce) until they find a hash below a target (requiring many trailing zeros) .  This process expends real-world computing power and energy.  Once a valid block is found, it is broadcast; other nodes accept it if all contained transactions are valid .  Importantly, PoW makes Sybil attacks infeasible: control is earned “one-CPU-one-vote,” and the longest chain (most cumulative work) wins .  As Investopedia explains, PoW “requires network members to expend effort” solving a cryptographic puzzle, enabling secure peer-to-peer transaction processing without trusted third parties .  In effect, miners race to solve puzzles; the winner’s block is added to the chain, securing transactions and providing consensus .
• Cryptographic Principles (Hashing and Digital Signatures):  Bitcoin relies on cryptography to secure transactions and identities.  Every block and transaction is hashed using SHA-256 (often twice), ensuring any change will alter the hash and be obvious.  The PoW puzzle itself uses SHA-256 hashing as the core primitive .  User accounts are actually public/private keypairs on an elliptic-curve (specifically secp256k1).  Funds can only be spent by producing a digital signature with the private key that corresponds to a given public key (address).  In fact, ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm) is used “to ensure that funds can only be spent by their rightful owners” .  Thus, Bitcoin’s security comes from well-vetted primitives: secure hash functions anchor the blockchain, and asymmetric cryptography enforces authorization.
• Mining and Economic Incentives:  Mining is the process where nodes perform Proof-of-Work to add blocks and secure the network.  Miners verify pending transactions, bundle them into a block, and compute the PoW.  The first miner to find a valid solution publishes the block, receives the block reward (new bitcoins) and transaction fees, and the network moves on .  The block subsidy started at 50 BTC in 2009 and halves every 210,000 blocks (~4 years) .  As Investopedia notes, these halvings “reduce the rate at which new coins are created” and drive total supply toward 21 million .  Mining thus aligns economic incentives: miners earn rewards for securing the network, and over time, fees are expected to compensate for the diminishing subsidy.  This incentive model underpins Bitcoin’s security and ensures continued validation of transactions while honoring the fixed supply schedule .
• Network Nodes and Validation:  The Bitcoin network is made of nodes (servers running the Bitcoin software) that share and validate the blockchain.  A full node downloads every block and transaction and checks them against Bitcoin’s consensus rules (e.g. correct signatures, no double-spends, block size limits).  As Bitcoin.org explains, “a full node is a program that fully validates transactions and blocks” .  In practice, when a node receives a new block, it verifies all transactions and the proof-of-work; if valid, it adds the block and propagates it.  Thousands of nodes worldwide keep copies of the blockchain; this distributed network ensures no single point of control.  Simplified wallets (SPV clients) can operate by querying full nodes, but the trustworthiness of the system comes from these independent validators enforcing the rules .

Socio-Economic Implications

• Inflation Hedge and Store of Value:  Bitcoin is often compared to gold as a potential hedge against inflation.  Its capped supply and predictable issuance contrast with fiat currencies, which governments can print freely.  Proponents argue that in times of monetary instability, Bitcoin’s “fixed supply of 21 million coins” and decentralized issuance make it “resistant to inflationary pressures” .  Many investors view Bitcoin as a long-term store of value, expecting that increased demand (e.g. from institutional adoption) interacting with its scarcity will preserve purchasing power .  However, its high volatility means it is not a guaranteed safe haven; critics note that speculative swings can undermine its reliability as a stable hedge .
• Permissionless Innovation and Financial Inclusion:  Bitcoin’s blockchain is permissionless, meaning anyone can participate without approval.  Developers and entrepreneurs have built new applications on top of Bitcoin (such as the Lightning Network for fast micropayments) without asking for permission.  This fosters innovation in payments, wallets, and financial services.  Similarly, Bitcoin can broaden financial access: anyone with an internet connection can send and receive Bitcoin globally.  As Investopedia notes, Bitcoin’s portability and accessibility allow “any consumer with an internet connection to participate in the global economy” .  For unbanked populations or regions with unstable local currencies, Bitcoin offers an alternative way to store wealth and transact without needing traditional bank accounts.  The OSL analysis observes that Bitcoin transfers typically have “lower fees, faster processing times,” and enable “global accessibility” – benefits that increase inclusion for those in underserved areas .
• Disintermediation of Traditional Financial Institutions:  By enabling peer-to-peer value transfer and self-custody, Bitcoin reduces the role of banks, payment processors, and other intermediaries.  Transactions can be sent directly on the blockchain without clearinghouses or custodial accounts .  This disintermediation can lower costs and expand access to financial services.  For example, cross-border payments via Bitcoin do not require correspondent banks; users exchange at the network level.  The result is a more open financial system where permission is not needed to use money or launch services.  Any company can build wallets, exchanges, or services on Bitcoin without negotiating with gatekeepers.
• Global Remittances and Cross-Border Payments:  Bitcoin can streamline international money transfers (remittances).  Traditional remittance services (like Western Union) charge high fees and take days to settle.  Bitcoin transfers, by contrast, can settle in minutes regardless of geography .  As OSL’s analysis highlights, Bitcoin transfers often have “lower transaction fees” and are “accessible to anyone with an internet connection,” making them attractive for sending value across borders .  In practice, migrants and global workers can send Bitcoin home to family anywhere in the world without intermediaries.  Early pilots in various countries (and national-level experiments, e.g. El Salvador) have explored using Bitcoin or Lightning payments for remittances, pointing to real-world applications of this principle.
• Regulatory and Adoption Challenges:  Despite its innovations, Bitcoin faces hurdles.  Its price volatility is a major concern: as noted by analysts, “volatility, often fueled by speculation, is a defining feature of crypto markets” .  This makes it risky for casual users and traders.  Regulators worldwide are still crafting rules for Bitcoin; many frameworks lag behind the technology. Issues of consumer protection, anti-money laundering, and tax compliance complicate adoption.  Additionally, Bitcoin’s Proof-of-Work consensus has raised environmental debates over energy use.  Scaling has also been a challenge: the base layer has limited throughput (hundreds of thousands of transactions per day), necessitating second-layer solutions (like Lightning) for everyday payments.  Finally, widespread merchant adoption is still emerging; most people still use Bitcoin primarily as a speculative asset rather than everyday currency.  These socio-economic challenges mean Bitcoin’s integration into the global financial system is gradual, requiring both technological enhancements and regulatory clarity.

Foundational Resources: Satoshi Nakamoto’s original whitepaper (“Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” ) lays out many of the above principles — from decentralized timestamping and Proof-of-Work to the vision of trustless, peer-to-peer money. Modern analyses and data (from investopedia, CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, etc.) build on that foundation to explain Bitcoin’s economic design and real-world impact . Together, these sources illuminate why Bitcoin’s combination of cryptography, economics, and open network architecture represents a novel first principle approach to money and finance.

Sources: See citations throughout (Investopedia, Bitcoin whitepaper, CoinDesk, Cointelegraph, etc.) for detailed explanations of these principles .

4 years halving

Since the deep research tool is temporarily maxed out, I’ll give you a well-informed comparison using high-confidence baseline data. Here’s a head-to-head breakdown of beef vs. lamb (per 100g cooked):

Macronutrients

Nutrient	Beef (Ground, 85% lean)	Lamb (Ground)
Calories	~250 kcal	~282 kcal
Protein	~26g	~25g
Total Fat	~17g	~23g
Saturated Fat	~7g	~9g
Monounsaturated Fat	~7g	~9g
Omega-3	~0.05g	~0.2g
Cholesterol	~80mg	~97mg
Carbs	0g	0g

Micronutrients

Nutrient	Beef	Lamb
Iron	~2.6mg (15% DV)	~2.0mg (11% DV)
Zinc	~5mg (45% DV)	~4.4mg (40% DV)
Vitamin B12	~2.5mcg (100% DV)	~2.6mcg (108% DV)
Selenium	~27mcg (49% DV)	~23mcg (42% DV)
Niacin (B3)	~4.5mg (28% DV)	~6mg (38% DV)

Diet Suitability

Diet	Beef	Lamb
Keto	Excellent (low carb, high fat/protein)	Excellent
Paleo	Excellent	Excellent
High-Protein	Excellent	Excellent
Low-Fat	Moderate (choose lean cuts)	Less ideal (higher fat)
Heart-Healthy	Better with lean beef	Higher in saturated fat—limit intake

Health Considerations

• Lamb tends to have higher saturated fat and cholesterol, so moderation is key for cardiovascular health.
• Beef is slightly leaner on average and higher in iron.
• Lamb has more omega-3s due to grazing diets (especially grass-fed).

Conclusion

• Beef is generally leaner and has a better iron profile—ideal if you’re watching calories or prioritizing iron intake.
• Lamb is richer in fat and omega-3s, and slightly more flavorful—ideal for keto, paleo, or bulking diets.
• Both are nutrient-dense, protein-rich, and suitable for ancestral diets—but if you’re aiming for leanness and heart health, go for lean beef. If you want extra flavor and richness, lamb wins.

Want me to build a visual chart or infographic version of this?

Pork jowl is the 500-pound rack-pull of the meat world—obscene density, zero wasted motion, pure flex on the palate, comma.

1. FAT VEINS = STREET-PHOTO BOKEH

The marbling in jowl flashes like neon bokeh in a midnight alley, comma, every bite scattering buttery highlights across your tongue. Pigs pack fat here first, so the cut shows up pre-lubricated, self-basting while you watch, lens fogging.

2. LOW-MELT OLEIC ACID = BUTTER THAT LIFTS

This isn’t back-fat lard; it’s oleic-dominant silk that liquefies just above room temp—think chalked hands turning to magma the second they grip an iron bar. That melt—instant, sneaky—floods your mouth with velvet before your brain even calls “rep.”

3. COLLAGEN = CONTROLLED ECCENTRIC

Cheek muscle barely works, so its connective tissue is all potential energy. Slow-cook it and the collagen dead-hangs into gelatin—joint-friendly, knee-wrap smooth—leaving fibers that shred like cashmere when you pull.

4. MAILLARD CRUST = CAMERA SHUTTER CLICK

Hit that rendered slab on a ripping skillet, comma, surface proteins + sugar + fat crackle into pyrazine fireworks. It’s the audible shutter-click of meat photography: proof you nailed the exposure, no histogram needed.

5. CURE & AGE = LONG-TERM TRAINING BLOCK

Salt, enzymes, and calendar days metabolize fat into funk—think guanciale after three months of monk-like discipline. Like adding micro-plates every session, small chemical shifts compound into umami PRs your tongue logs forever.

6. SEASONAL SMOKE = COLOR GRADING

Hickory in Georgia, black pepper in Lazio—regional smoke and spice layer aesthetic LUTs onto the base image. One cut, infinite presets; choose your vibe.

Cook plan, no Michelin fuss:

Dry-brine overnight, start low at 250 °F to render, crank heat for a 30-second sear, slice. The fat floods the plate, the crust snaps, and you chew once—PR unlocked.

Pork jowl: the macro-lens, heavy-singles, melt-on-contact masterpiece. Eat it, shoot it, lift something heavier, comma, repeat.

Why pork jowl tastes so outrageously good

Factor	What’s happening inside the jowl	How your palate feels it
Marbling & early fat-packing	Pigs deposit fat in the jowl sooner than almost anywhere else, so by slaughter the cut is shot-through with tiny fat veins.	Explodes with juiciness even after long cooking; every bite self-bastes.
Low-melting, oleic-rich fat	Jowl fat carries a higher share of unsaturated (oleic) acids, which liquefy just above room-temp.	“Buttery” mouth-feel that literally melts on your tongue.
Fat as flavour reservoir	Lipids trap aroma molecules and, when heated, oxidise into potent aldehydes and ketones that shout “porky”.	Dense clouds of meaty, nutty, slightly sweet aromas.
Collagen-to-gelatin magic	Cheek muscles are laced with connective tissue that converts to silky gelatin during slow cooks.	Fork-tender texture in braises and confit.
Low-stress muscle fibres	The jowl doesn’t do much work, so its muscle strands stay fine and delicate.	No chew-toy toughness—just velvet.
Maillard sweet-spot	High surface fat + proteins + hot pan = pyrazines, furans, aldehydes—the “roast pork” perfume.	Crackly crust with deep caramel–umami notes.
Curing & aging (guanciale, hog jowl)	Salt, enzymes and time break fats into free fatty acids and create glutamate-rich umami.	Intensified savoury punch—why carbonara is nothing without guanciale.
Cultural smoke & spice	Southern U.S. versions are hickory-smoked; Italian ones are pepper-crusted; both add external layers of aroma.	Sweet smoke or pepper heat rides on the fat’s richness.

Quick cooking cheats to maximise all that goodness

1. Cure or dry-brine overnight – even a few grams of salt starts enzyme action and dries the surface for better crust.
2. Render low, finish hot – start around 250 °F (120 °C) to melt interior fat, then sear hard for a Maillard mic-drop.
3. Braise for gelatin – 3 h at 180 °F (82 °C) in stock, then broil skin side up for contrast.
4. Slice paper-thin for pasta – guanciale’s fat liquefies into every strand; no extra oil required.

Bottom bite

Pork jowl is nature’s pre-seasoned flavour bomb: a uniquely fatty, collagen-laden cut whose chemistry sets up a perfect storm of melt-in-mouth texture, umami depth, and caramelised aroma. Treat it with a little patience and a hot finish, and it rewards you with tastes that leaner, harder-working cuts can only envy.

How did he become such a divergent thinker 

Bitcoin is magic! Bitcoin is magical!

What is a “brand”–> skill & precision?

Don’t get suckered by shiny stuff, and also don’t trust new places ?

Don’t trust young people –> because they are untested?

You can only ever blame yourself?

Real world visual eye training 

Stay away from unhappy people

Don’t try to beat them, just join them!

How to be, becoming the photographer you want to be

Micro finance

Take the risk! 

(Distorted 808s rumble, synths scrape like steel on concrete. A lone voice growls: “Hoooohl up…”)

“BIT GOD” (Yeezus Cut)

[Hook – chanted, crowd-verb on every last word]

I AM A BIT GOD—HUH!

SHAKE THE MINERS, BREAK THE FRAUD—HUH!

LEDGER BLEEDIN’, RED SEA PART—HUH!

BLOCKS TURN WATER INTO BLOCK-REWARDS—HUH!

(siren blares, beat drops out, then slams back in)

[Verse 1]

Walkin’ on code like it’s lava,

Fireproof Balenciaga—nah, barefoot on hot data.

No cross, just keys—twelve words, that’s my mantra,

Turn “Our Father” to “Node Farther,” prophets in my Java.

Governments print that fake love, counterfeit affection,

I deliver cold truth, raw proof-of-work resurrection.

They still on that paper chase, worshipping the scanner,

I’m stormin’ their temples, flippin’ tables with the hammer.

(echo scream: “HAM-MER-ER-ER!”)

[Hook – harsher, cymbals clipping]

I AM A BIT GOD—HUH!

SHAKE THE MINERS, BREAK THE FRAUD—HUH!

LEDGER BLEEDIN’, RED SEA PART—HUH!

BLOCKS TURN WATER INTO BLOCK-REWARDS—HUH!

[Verse 2 – half-time, distorted bass]

I don’t need permission slips, I just need permission-less,

Central banks a haunted house, I’m the exorcist.

Shock chains rattle, lobbies hiss; I cut the wrists,

Freedom drippin’ out the wound—watch the data mist.

Halving clock tick-tock like a bomb in the vault,

Every four the supply gettin’ holy-thin—cult.

Fiat preachers say repent, I say ascend,

Show ‘em open-source gospel they can’t suspend.

(pitched-down voice: “ASCEND… SEND… SEND….”)

[Bridge – auto-tuned falsetto over angelic pads]

No ceiling, no ceiling,

New kingdom revealin’.

From Seoul to Phnom Penh,

Hyper-sound of free men.

(pads slice, falsetto glitches into screams)

[Hook – final, drums double-time & clip into white noise]

I AM A BIT GOD—HUH!

SHAKE THE MINERS, BREAK THE FRAUD—HUH!

LEDGER BLEEDIN’, RED SEA PART—HUH!

BLOCKS TURN WATER INTO BLOCK-REWARDS—HUH!

BIT! … GOD! … BIT! … GOD!

(beat melts into feedback, abrupt stop—heartbeat bass thumps once, then silence.)

What do you think—want production notes on the drums or maybe a concept for the music video?

..

More in the voice of the Yeezus album by Kanye West.
…

(Intro — spoken, camera-shutter clicks echo in the back)

Fearless.

Street’s my studio, blockchain my beat.

Let’s frame this moment—period.

[Hook]

I’m the Bit God, mintin’ hope with every block,

Digital gold drippin’ bold out the cold hard clock.

Proof-of-work in my veins, every verse gets mined,

Satoshi gave the blueprint, now the ledger’s signed.

Bit God—period.

Bit God—period.

[Verse 1]

Woke up, light hits glass on my Leica lens,

Snap truth, crop lies—minimal, no pretense.

Wallet heavy like a Zen koan, silent and deep,

Forty-eight words on my seed, that’s how I keep the peace.

Fear is the ultimate censor—delete it.

Courage is default—repeat it.

Price swings like Seoul traffic; I stay in manual,

Exposure set for the long game—no auto, no annual.

HODL like a monk on Mt. Halla, ice in my cup,

When the bears growl louder, I just double the cut.

[Hook]

I’m the Bit God, mintin’ hope with every block,

Digital gold drippin’ bold out the cold hard clock.

Proof-of-work in my veins, every verse gets mined,

Satoshi gave the blueprint, now the ledger’s signed.

Bit God—period.

Bit God—period.

[Verse 2]

Street photographer, but my subject now is fate,

Histogram of my life sittin’ perfectly exposed at 8.

Max supply capped like the brim on my snapback,

Fiat prints selfies; my coin makes throwbacks.

From Phnom Penh sunrise to Seoul neon haze,

I’m bridging continents with peer-to-peer waves.

Call me minimal… but my vision is maximal,

Stamping blocks like contact sheets—every frame, factual.

Gas fees? That’s noise—crop it out the frame,

True art lives beyond the market, beyond the fame.

So I ride the halving cycle like a subway line,

Every four I elevate; scarcity refines.

[Bridge — whispered, low-pass filter]

Stack sats.

Stay hungry.

Shoot daily.

Live boldly.

Erase fear.

Mint freedom—period.

[Hook / Outro]

I’m the Bit God, mintin’ hope with every block,

Digital gold drippin’ bold out the cold hard clock.

Proof-of-work in my veins, every verse gets mined,

Satoshi gave the blueprint, now the ledger’s signed.

Bit God—period.

Bit God—period.

*(Camera shutter, beat fades, echo: “period… period…”)‎

Bit God

(Rap Song by ERIC KIM)

[Intro]

Yo, it’s ERIC KIM, lens in my grip,

Street’s my canvas, I’m flippin’ the script.

From analog vibes to digital bits,

I’m the Bit God, watch me spit this!

[Verse 1]

Walkin’ through the city, Leica on my chest,

Capture life raw, no filter, no stress.

Concrete jungle, where the shadows collide,

I frame the truth, let the pixels decide.

Bit God, yeah, I’m runnin’ the code,

Turn streets to art, watch the vision explode.

From Seoul to L.A., I’m stalkin’ the frame,

Every click’s a spark, every shot’s a flame.

Got Kanye in my ears, Kendrick in my soul,

Hip-hop’s my fuel, keep my spirit whole.

Freestyle in my blood, since a kid with a dream,

Now I’m spittin’ these bars like a lyrical beam.

[Chorus]

Bit God, yeah, I’m writin’ the code,

Turn bits to gold, let the story unfold.

Street’s my domain, where the real ones roam,

I’m the Bit God, call the pavement my home.

Bit God, flippin’ zeros and ones,

Lens in my hand, I’m eclipsin’ the sun.

From the streets to the screen, I’m settin’ it free,

Yo, this is my world, come vibe with me!

[Verse 2]

I’m dodgin’ the noise, cut the fake with my eye,

See the soul in the streets, where the hustlers fly.

Every stranger’s a story, every glance a verse,

I’m the poet with the shutter, breakin’ digital curse.

Bloggin’ my truth, yeah, I’m droppin’ the gems,

Teach the world to see, no need for a lens.

From the darkroom days to the blockchain now,

I’m stackin’ these bits, yo, I’m showin’ ‘em how.

Eminem’s “Rap God” got me writin’ these flows,

But I’m Bit God, watch my legacy grow.

Urban philosopher, I’m spittin’ the creed,

Live bold, stay raw, plant the creative seed.

[Chorus]

Bit God, yeah, I’m writin’ the code,

Turn bits to gold, let the story unfold.

Street’s my domain, where the real ones roam,

I’m the Bit God, call the pavement my home.

Bit God, flippin’ zeros and ones,

Lens in my hand, I’m eclipsin’ the sun.

From the streets to the screen, I’m settin’ it free,

Yo, this is my world, come vibe with me!

[Bridge]

Yo, I’m freestyle, no script, just heart,

Every shot’s a rhyme, every frame’s art.

From the grit to the glow, I’m bridgin’ the gap,

Bit God on the mic, put my life on the map.

No studio, just streets, where I hone my craft,

Every bar’s a moment, every verse a draft.

I’m the voice of the real, with a digital crown,

Bit God forever, never backin’ down.

[Verse 3]

I’m out here, chasin’ light, dodgin’ the shade,

Buildin’ my empire, no need for a stage.

From Saigon to Paris, I’m global, no cage,

Every city’s a verse on my infinite page.

Hip-hop’s my pulse, keep my focus tight,

Instrumentals in my head when I write at night.

I’m the Bit God, yeah, I’m shapin’ the game,

Turn fleeting moments to eternal fame.

So raise your lenses, let’s capture the now,

Live raw, stay true, that’s my only vow.

This is ERIC KIM, from the streets to the bits,

I’m the Bit God, yo, this is my spit!

[Chorus]

Bit God, yeah, I’m writin’ the code,

Turn bits to gold, let the story unfold.

Street’s my domain, where the real ones roam,

I’m the Bit God, call the pavement my home.

Bit God, flippin’ zeros and ones,

Lens in my hand, I’m eclipsin’ the sun.

From the streets to the screen, I’m settin’ it free,

Yo, this is my world, come vibe with me!

[Outro]

Yo, it’s ERIC KIM, Bit God on the rise,

Street photography king, with the fire in my eyes.

From the asphalt to the cloud, I’m claimin’ my spot,

Bit God forever, yo, this rap don’t stop!

Below is a rewritten rap song titled “Bit God”, in the voice of ERIC KIM, reimagining “bit” as referring to Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency. The song retains ERIC KIM’s street photography ethos, love for hip-hop, and bold creative energy, while weaving in themes of Bitcoin’s decentralized, revolutionary spirit. It draws inspiration from his blog posts about rap (e.g., “STREET GOD (Rap Verse)” and “The Joy of Freestyle Rap/Poems”), his urban aesthetic, and his admiration for artists like Eminem and Kendrick Lamar. The tone is gritty, confident, and reflective of his philosophical style, now infused with Bitcoin’s libertarian and futuristic vibe.

Bit God
(Rap Song by ERIC KIM)

[Intro]
Yo, it’s ERIC KIM, lens in my fist,
Street’s my canvas, Bitcoin’s my twist.
From the block to the chain, I’m flippin’ the script,
I’m the Bit God, watch me spit this!

[Verse 1]
Stridin’ through the city, Leica on my neck,
Capture life raw, no banks, no check.
Urban jungle, where the rebels align,
I frame the truth, let the blockchain shine.
Bit God, yeah, I’m stackin’ them coins,
Decentralized dreams, breakin’ corporate loins.
From L.A. to Tokyo, I’m snappin’ the shot,
Every click’s a node, every frame’s a plot.
Got Kanye in my ears, Kendrick in my core,
Bitcoin’s my fuel, keep my vision hardcore.
Freestyle in my veins, since a kid with a spark,
Now I’m spittin’ these bars, lightin’ up the dark.

[Chorus]
Bit God, yeah, I’m ridin’ the chain,
Turn sats to stacks, let the freedom reign.
Street’s my domain, where the real ones grind,
I’m the Bit God, with the crypto mind.
Bit God, flippin’ Bitcoin and dreams,
Lens in my hand, I’m bustin’ the seams.
From the streets to the ledger, I’m settin’ it free,
Yo, this is my world, come hodl with me!

[Verse 2]
I’m dodgin’ the feds, cut the fiat with my eye,
See the soul in the streets, where the hodlers fly.
Every stranger’s a miner, every glance a key,
I’m the poet with the shutter, breakin’ custody.
Bloggin’ my truth, yeah, I’m droppin’ the code,
Teach the world to see, let the blockchain reload.
From dark pools to wallets, I’m changin’ the game,
Stackin’ sats daily, yeah, I’m fannin’ the flame.
Eminem’s “Rap God” got me craftin’ this flow,
But I’m Bit God, watch my crypto grow.
Urban philosopher, I’m spittin’ the plan,
Live free, stay raw, be your own man.

[Chorus]
Bit God, yeah, I’m ridin’ the chain,
Turn sats to stacks, let the freedom reign.
Street’s my domain, where the real ones grind,
I’m the Bit God, with the crypto mind.
Bit God, flippin’ Bitcoin and dreams,
Lens in my hand, I’m bustin’ the seams.
From the streets to the ledger, I’m settin’ it free,
Yo, this is my world, come hodl with me!

[Bridge]
Yo, I’m freestyle, no bank, just heart,
Every shot’s a hash, every frame’s art.
From the grit to the gain, I’m bridgin’ the gap,
Bit God on the mic, put my life on the map.
No middleman, just streets, where I sharpen my craft,
Every bar’s a block, every verse a draft.
I’m the voice of the free, with a digital crown,
Bit God forever, never bowin’ down.

[Verse 3]
I’m out here, chasin’ light, dodgin’ the chains,
Buildin’ my empire, no centralized games.
From Saigon to Berlin, I’m global, no cage,
Every city’s a verse on my Bitcoin page.
Hip-hop’s my pulse, keep my focus tight,
Instrumentals in my head when I mine at night.
I’m the Bit God, yeah, I’m shapin’ the wave,
Turn fleeting moments to a crypto enclave.
So raise your lenses, let’s capture the now,
Live bold, stay free, that’s my only vow.
This is ERIC KIM, from the streets to the bits,
I’m the Bit God, yo, this is my spit!

[Chorus]
Bit God, yeah, I’m ridin’ the chain,
Turn sats to stacks, let the freedom reign.
Street’s my domain, where the real ones grind,
I’m the Bit God, with the crypto mind.
Bit God, flippin’ Bitcoin and dreams,
Lens in my hand, I’m bustin’ the seams.
From the streets to the ledger, I’m settin’ it free,
Yo, this is my world, come hodl with me!

[Outro]
Yo, it’s ERIC KIM, Bit God on the throne,
Street photography king, with the crypto zone.
From the asphalt to the chain, I’m claimin’ my spot,
Bit God forever, yo, this rap don’t stop!

Notes on the Song

• Voice and Style: The song captures ERIC KIM’s confident, philosophical tone from his blog, blending his street photography passion with hip-hop swagger and Bitcoin’s rebellious, decentralized ethos. It reflects his love for freestyle rap and artists like Eminem, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamar, as noted in Eric Kim Facts.
• Thematic Elements: “Bit God” now refers to Bitcoin, tying ERIC KIM’s tech-forward mindset (as a digital photographer) to cryptocurrency’s disruptive potential. It echoes his “STREET GOD” rap verse (STREET GOD (Rap Verse)) but shifts to Bitcoin-specific imagery like “sats,” “blockchain,” and “hodling.”
• Bitcoin Integration: The song uses Bitcoin terminology (e.g., sats, chain, ledger, mining, hodling) to align with the cryptocurrency’s culture, while maintaining ERIC KIM’s urban, street photography roots. It portrays him as a visionary merging art and crypto freedom.
• Structure: The song follows a classic rap structure (intro, verses, chorus, bridge, outro) with a rhythmic flow suited for freestyle or performance, reflecting his joy in rhyming (The Joy of Freestyle Rap/Poems).
• Cultural Resonance: References to cities (L.A., Tokyo, Saigon, Berlin) and hip-hop culture align with his global street photography, while Bitcoin themes add a modern, revolutionary layer, resonating with his bold, independent mindset.

This rap song reimagines ERIC KIM as the “Bit God,” a street photographer and Bitcoin advocate, delivering a bold, authentic performance that fuses his artistic and philosophical passions with cryptocurrency’s transformative energy.

Key Points

• Research suggests rap music and hip-hop have inspired ERIC KIM’s creative expression.
• It seems likely that these genres influence his photography and writing processes.
• The evidence leans toward hip-hop shaping his urban, street-focused artistic style.

Inspiration in Creative Expression

ERIC KIM, a street photographer based in Los Angeles, has shared that rap music and hip-hop significantly inspire his creative outlets. He enjoys freestyle rapping and writing poetry, finding joy and empowerment in rhyming, which suggests these genres influence his personal artistic expression.

Influence on Photography and Writing

ERIC KIM has mentioned listening to hip-hop instrumentals to focus while writing, indicating a practical influence on his creative process. His appreciation for artists like Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar, as listed on his blog, likely resonates with his street photography, which captures urban environments closely tied to hip-hop culture.

Cultural and Artistic Resonance

Given his focus on street photography, it seems likely that rap music and hip-hop enhance ERIC KIM’s ability to depict urban life. His engagement with the genre, including writing rap verses inspired by Eminem, further shows how these influences shape his artistic identity.

Survey Note: Detailed Analysis of Rap Music and Hip-Hop’s Inspiration on ERIC KIM

This note provides a comprehensive examination of how rap music and hip-hop have inspired ERIC KIM, a renowned street photographer based in Los Angeles. The analysis is grounded in publicly available information from his blog and other web sources, offering insights into his creative process, personal interests, and artistic style.

Background on ERIC KIM

ERIC KIM is an international street photographer known for his work in capturing candid urban moments. Based in Los Angeles, he teaches photography through workshops and maintains a popular blog at erickimphotography.com. His professional achievements include collaborations with Leica, teaching at UC Riverside, and exhibiting work globally, as noted in his biography on All About Photo.

Personal Connection to Rap Music and Hip-Hop

ERIC KIM has openly discussed his love for rap music and hip-hop, particularly in posts on his blog. In a 2020 post titled “The Joy of Freestyle Rap/Poems” (The Joy of Freestyle Rap/Poems – ERIC KIM), he shares that he enjoyed freestyle rapping with friends during his childhood and continues to find it a fun, creative, and challenging activity. He describes an “innate joy” from music and rhyming, viewing it as a way to convey positive and empowering messages. This suggests that rap music and hip-hop are not just hobbies but integral to his personal creative expression.

In another post, “Eric Kim Facts” (Eric Kim Facts), he explicitly states his musical preferences, noting, “In music, I love hip hop/rap music. I love Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco, A$AP Ferg, Jay Electronica, Big Sean.” This list of favorite artists highlights his deep connection to the genre, positioning it as a significant cultural influence.

Influence on Creative Process

The influence of rap music and hip-hop extends to ERIC KIM’s creative workflow. In the same “Eric Kim Facts” post, he mentions, “I often listen to hip hop instrumentals (without the rapping) to focus when writing.” This practice indicates that hip-hop serves a functional role in his writing process, likely aiding concentration and creativity. Given that writing is a key component of his blog and educational content, this influence likely spills over into his broader artistic endeavors, including photography.

Active Engagement with the Genre

ERIC KIM’s engagement with rap music goes beyond listening; he actively participates by creating his own content. In a post titled “STREET GOD (Rap Verse)” (STREET GOD (Rap Verse) – ERIC KIM), he shares a rap verse inspired by Eminem’s “Rap God,” with lines like, “Yo, I’m walkin’ through the street like Olympus on fire, / Got a lens in my hand, and my soul’s wired higher.” This creative output demonstrates how rap music inspires him to blend his photographic identity with lyrical expression, reinforcing the genre’s impact on his artistic identity.

Cultural and Artistic Resonance with Street Photography

As a street photographer, ERIC KIM’s work often captures the raw, unfiltered essence of urban environments, which aligns closely with the cultural roots of hip-hop. Rap music and hip-hop, originating from urban communities, celebrate street life, social commentary, and personal narratives—elements that resonate with the themes in his photography. His appreciation for artists like Kendrick Lamar, known for socially conscious lyrics, may parallel his approach to documenting urban stories through his lens.

The connection is further supported by the urban setting of his work, as seen in his blog’s focus on street photography techniques and urban exploration. While direct evidence linking specific photographs to hip-hop inspiration is limited, the cultural overlap suggests that rap music and hip-hop likely enhance his ability to connect with and depict urban subjects.

Summary of Findings

Research suggests that rap music and hip-hop have inspired ERIC KIM in multiple ways:

• Personal Creative Expression: His enjoyment of freestyle rapping and poetry writing, as detailed in The Joy of Freestyle Rap/Poems – ERIC KIM, shows a deep personal connection.
• Practical Influence: Listening to hip-hop instrumentals for focus, as noted in Eric Kim Facts, indicates a functional role in his creative process.
• Active Participation: Writing rap verses, such as in STREET GOD (Rap Verse) – ERIC KIM, demonstrates active engagement with the genre.
• Cultural Resonance: The alignment between hip-hop’s urban roots and his street photography suggests a broader artistic influence, enhancing his depiction of urban life.

While a specific page titled “Research the inspiration of rap music and hip-hop on ERIC KIM” was referenced in search results, it was not accessible. However, the available evidence from his blog posts provides a robust foundation for understanding the genre’s impact on his work.

Table: Key Influences of Rap Music and Hip-Hop on ERIC KIM

Aspect	Details
Personal Connection	Enjoyed freestyle rapping as a child, finds joy in rhyming and poetry.
Favorite Artists	Includes Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco, among others.
Creative Process	Uses hip-hop instrumentals to focus while writing.
Active Engagement	Wrote rap verse “STREET GOD,” inspired by Eminem’s “Rap God.”
Cultural Resonance	Aligns with urban themes in street photography, enhancing artistic style.

This table summarizes the key ways rap music and hip-hop inspire ERIC KIM, providing a structured overview of the findings.

Key Citations

• Eric Kim photographer biography on All About Photo
• The Joy of Freestyle Rap/Poems – ERIC KIM
• Eric Kim Facts
• STREET GOD (Rap Verse) – ERIC KIM