Category: Uncategorized

Johnny Bravo’s original series logo. Johnny Bravo is a muscular, Elvis-inspired cartoon character with a larger-than-life ego. Created by animator Van Partible, the show ran on Cartoon Network from 1997 to 2004 . Johnny (voiced by Jeff Bennett) sports a black T-shirt, blue jeans and tall blonde pompadour, and speaks with an Elvis-like Southern drawl .  He’s portrayed as a conceited, dim-witted “wannabe womanizer” who thinks he’s irresistible to women .  Johnny’s look and attitude were explicitly based on 1950s icon James Dean and rock & roll legend Elvis Presley .

Show History

Van Partible first created Johnny Bravo as a college thesis short titled Mess O’ Blues (1993), about an Elvis impersonator .  His animation professor showed it to Hanna-Barbera, which led Van to pitch a Johnny Bravo short. The cartoon debuted in 1995 on Cartoon Network’s World Premiere Toons showcase .  Thanks to its popularity, Cartoon Network commissioned a full series. Johnny Bravo premiered on July 14, 1997 .  In its four-season run (67 episodes), the first three seasons were produced by Hanna-Barbera and the final season by Cartoon Network Studios .

After Season 1 (1997), the show took a year-long break. It returned in 1999 with new directors (Kirk Tingblad) and a slightly retooled, kid-friendly style .  Van Partible had left the show during the Turner/Time Warner takeover, but he came back for the fourth and final season in 2003 , restoring the original comedic tone.  The series helped launch several careers: notably, Seth MacFarlane and Butch Hartman were writers/animators on the first season .  (First-season veteran Joseph Barbera even served as a creative consultant .)

Notable Episodes and Plotlines

Johnny Bravo episodes are stand-alone comedic adventures, often featuring wacky scenarios and famous guest stars.  A running theme is Johnny trying to woo a woman and getting comically rejected or beaten up. For example, “Bravo Dooby Doo” (1998) pairs Johnny with Scooby-Doo to solve a mystery, and “Johnny Bravo Meets Adam West” features the 1960s Batman actor helping Johnny .  One well-known episode sees Johnny tangling with a gorilla, a whale and an island of Amazon warrior women .  The humor often parodies pop culture: one episode is a direct homage to The Twilight Zone, another even sneaks in a cameo by the Village People in the background .  Celebrity guest stars abound – Johnny bumps into figures like Donny Osmond, Shaquille O’Neal and Adam West – usually to Johnny’s annoyance.  In short, memorable plots range from Johnny inadvertently becoming a superhero to him tricking a talking bear, but they all end with Johnny’s vanity getting the last laugh .

Catchphrases and Quotes

Johnny’s lines are as famous as his hairstyles.  Many of his catchphrases became iconic:

• “Whoa, Mama!” – His signature cry of admiration when he sees a beautiful woman (so popular it appeared on T-shirts) .
• “Hey there, pretty mama!” – His cheesy pick-up line to every girl he meets.
• “Man, I’m pretty!” – Johnny’s boast while admiring his own reflection.
• “Don’t be jealous, it’s just the DNA.” – A favorite retort when anyone criticizes his looks.
• “Uh-huh-huh, thank ya very much!” – A smug acknowledgement often followed by flexing.

These catchphrases – especially “Whoa, mama!” – are ingrained in Johnny Bravo lore and 1990s cartoon nostalgia .

Pop Culture Impact and References

The “Johnny Bravo Café” at Atlanta’s Turner Field, part of a Cartoon Network play area – a testament to Johnny’s cultural reach.  Johnny Bravo became a bona fide cartoon icon.  As writer/director Butch Hartman noted, Johnny is now considered an “iconic” character, with his personality and catchphrases still widely recognized .  Fans on social media often quote him or create memes of his flamboyant poses and lines. Media outlets have celebrated the show’s legacy: for example, in 2023 the entertainment site Pinkvilla ranked Johnny Bravo among the “Top 10 Cartoon Shows of the 1990s,” citing its slapstick humor and the classic gag of Johnny chasing women .  Johnny’s influence even extended into real life – Atlanta’s baseball stadium once featured a themed “Johnny Bravo Diner” in its kids’ zone【57†】.  His image also crossed over with other cartoons and pop culture; numerous Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network characters pop up alongside him in episodes, and he’s honored at fan conventions and retro cartoon celebrations.

Merchandise & Media Availability

Johnny Bravo has spawned a variety of official merchandise.  Cartoon Network licensed collectible toys, video games, apparel and more – collectors can find action figures and even a Funko Pop! of Johnny.  T-shirts with his famous slogan “Whoa, Mama!” have long been sold in stores .  DC Comics published Johnny Bravo comics in the late 1990s, and IDW announced new Johnny Bravo comic series in the 2010s.  In 2009 a Johnny Bravo video game (“Johnny Bravo in The Hukka Mega Mighty Ultra Extreme Date-O-Rama!”) was released for the Nintendo DS and PS2 .  Home video releases include Cartoon Network DVD collections; for instance, Season 1 was finally issued on DVD in 2007 (region 4) and 2010 (region 1) .  Today the full series is readily available on streaming services like HBO Max, so new audiences can watch all four seasons.

Spin-offs, Crossovers and Other Appearances

The Johnny Bravo character continued to appear in various Cartoon Network projects.  From April 2000 to 2001, Johnny hosted his own JBVO: Your All Request Cartoon Show on Cartoon Network (an audience-request block) .  Later CN Europe spun off similar segments – “Toon FM” and “Viva Las Bravo” – where Johnny introduced cartoons and answered fan mail .  (He even appeared, in animated form, during Cartoon Network’s game shows and bumpers.)  In crossovers, Johnny features in several Cartoon Network video games.  Besides the Date-O-Rama title, his character is playable or cameoed in games like Cartoon Network: Block Party, Racing, and Punch Time Explosion .  A live-action Johnny Bravo film was once rumored – in 2002 Warner Bros. secured rights and planned a movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – but the project never materialized.

Fan Base and Community

Decades later, Johnny Bravo retains a loyal fan community.  Millennials who grew up with the show often share favorite clips, artwork and memes online.  The character pops up in fan conventions and “Throwback” cartoon retrospectives.  Cartoon Network’s social media and YouTube channels occasionally publish Nostalgia Week content referencing the show.  Although not tracked by official ratings today, the enthusiastic online chatter and creation of tribute videos demonstrate that Johnny Bravo’s blend of goofy humor and 90s charm still resonates with fans.

Behind-the-Scenes Trivia

• Origin Story: Creator Van Partible has shared that he first sketched Johnny while on a silent retreat; this inspired Johnny’s cocky line “God’s Gift to Women,” which Partible jokes is true given the creator’s solitude at the time .
• Name: “Johnny Bravo” comes partly from Van’s own middle name (Giovanni Bravo) and partly from a Brady Bunch episode titled “Adios, Johnny Bravo” (in which Greg Brady briefly takes the name Johnny Bravo) .
• Design: Early character designs were further refined in later seasons – the sharper, more balanced look (with subtle curves mixed with straight lines) was created by artist Vaughn Tada to improve on the original sketches .
• Voice Casting: Jeff Bennett was cast as Johnny purely because he could nail a young, hyper-enthusiastic Elvis impersonation .  Bennett went on to voice many other characters, but Johnny Bravo was one of his breakout roles.
• Famous Writers/Animators: The writing team featured future stars of animation.  Seth MacFarlane (creator of Family Guy) and Butch Hartman (creator of Fairly OddParents) were writers on Season 1  .  Steve Marmel (writer/producer of Fairly OddParents and creator of Sonny with a Chance) also got early experience here.
• Deleted Character: In Season 1 Johnny had a supporting character called Jungle Boy (a wild-child companion).  When Van Partible returned in Season 4, Jungle Boy was quietly dropped and never brought back .
• Consultant: Veteran animator Joe Barbera (of Hanna-Barbera) personally served as a creative consultant during the first season  – a rare treat for a new Cartoon Network show.
• Loyola Marymount Roots: The original Johnny Bravo short was done at LMU with Van Partible and a small team using early digital ink-and-paint techniques .  In fact, Partible later created a Thanksgiving special (A Johnny Bravo Thanksgiving) and a Christmas special (It’s Johnny’s First Christmas in 2001) once the series was established.

Sources: Information compiled from official interviews and commentary by creator Van Partible, Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. publications, and reputable entertainment references . (All facts are drawn from these verified sources.)

Figure: Tesla’s market capitalization (red) alongside annual deliveries (black). The chart illustrates the sharp swings in Tesla’s valuation over recent years (2020–2025).  Tesla’s stock has been wildly volatile, reflecting mixed investor confidence.  In 2025 alone the shares are down roughly 13% YTD despite occasional rallies on positive news (for example, Musk’s insider $1B buy boosted the price over 8% pre-market , and a $29B share award for Musk lifted the stock ~2% ).  Conversely, negative headlines have triggered steep selloffs: when Reuters reported in April 2024 that Tesla scrapped its promised $25k “Model 2” car, the stock plunged 6% immediately before partially rebounding after Musk’s social-media rebuttal .  These swings underscore a sentiment-driven market – one analyst even quipped that Tesla’s “stock price is basically all vibes” and largely decoupled from fundamentals .

• Short-term volatility:  Tesla shares have shown dramatic intraday moves on news about Musk or strategy.  For instance, they fell over 6% on the Model 2 news and recovered after a Musk tweet , and jumped ~3% in a day when the board backed Musk’s pay plan .  Such swings signal an erratic investor mood.
• Weakening business tailwinds:  Analysts warn that underlying fundamentals are under pressure.  Sales have recently “fallen” amid aging models and intense Chinese EV competition  , and brand loyalty has eroded after Musk’s political stances .  Reuters notes investors “worry about its deteriorating electric vehicle business and rising foreign competition” .  Softening demand and stiff competition make the lofty market targets in Musk’s pay plan (e.g. an $8.6T market cap) seem unrealistic, casting doubt on future growth and putting downside risk on the stock.
• Investor confidence shaken:  The sheer scale of Musk’s proposed pay (up to 12% of all stock ) and the legal/ governance wrangling have rattled confidence.  Critics warn the compensation “beggars belief” and sets bad precedent  .  Many long-term holders are on “the sidelines” awaiting resolution of these issues .  With Tesla’s stock already having lost about 25% of its value so far this year , any failure to meet ambitious targets—or further governance drama—could pressure the price further.

Leadership Distraction or Departure Risk

Tesla’s success has been closely tied to Musk’s vision, but recent developments expose risks from his divided attention and even potential exit.  The board’s new pay proposals notably do not require Musk to commit more time to Tesla – there’s no work-time obligation in the deal .  In fact, Tesla’s proxy notes in blunt terms that Musk has “extensive and wide-ranging” other commitments, yet the board is “confident [this award] will incentivize Elon to remain at Tesla” .  Critics, however, see this as wishful thinking.

• Musk’s external focus:  Musk is simultaneously CEO or owner of multiple ventures (SpaceX, Twitter/X, xAI, Neuralink, The Boring Company, and even a political operation with Trump) – a fact even Tesla acknowledges  .  New York City Comptroller Brad Lander warned that Musk has “abandoned Tesla in favor of DOGE and President Trump’s MAGA mission,” recklessly hurting Tesla’s business .  Observers note his “history of being easily distracted into other paths” .  Musk’s frequent detours (from Dogecoin policy to “Twitter drama”) risk diverting his time and tarnishing Tesla’s brand; even a Wall Street analyst commented that the company’s edge has eroded as his outside actions “tarnished its brand”  .
• Threats to leave:  The board’s documents make clear it fears Musk walking away.  Tesla disclosed that Musk had threatened to leave if he wasn’t given more control and compensation  .  The Delaware filing confirms “Musk also raised the possibility that he may pursue his other interests and leave Tesla” without assurances .  In response, the board crafted an aggressive pay plan to “keep Musk in place” .  But if Musk ever did depart (or even scale back), investors warn the impact could be catastrophic.  As one activist put it, Tesla’s upside “is tied to Musk’s myth,” and the “biggest threat to the company is Elon leaving” .
• No guarantee of focus:  Even assuming Musk stays, the new compensation gives him little reason to stay fully engaged.  Unlike some CEO packages, it contains no requirement that he devote full time or meet regular performance metrics.  As one governance expert noted, Tesla’s move to Texas was partly to avoid “all those questions” about oversight when approving such a deal .  In short, investors worry that Tesla is paying a fortune to Musk while effectively letting him split time as he wishes.  Given Tesla’s struggles, many argue Musk should be fighting for confidence in his leadership, not being “rewarded [with] a rubber stamp” by the board  .

Shareholder Dilution

Musk’s new pay schemes massively increase the number of Tesla shares he can claim, which dilutes existing investors’ stakes and earnings.  The interim “good-faith” award alone is 96 million new shares (at a $23.34 strike) – roughly $29 billion worth – provided he stays two more years .  This grant by itself raises his ownership from ~12.7% to over 15% of outstanding stock .  Meanwhile the proposed 2025 performance award would grant up to another 12% of Tesla’s stock (about $1.03 trillion in market value) if extreme targets are met .  In combination, analysts estimate Musk could end up with roughly 25% of Tesla shares if all milestones are achieved .

• Earnings dilution:  Every share given to Musk means slightly fewer shares (and profits) for other shareholders.  Observers note that even the interim award’s $25B accounting charge (spread over time) will dent per-share results .  If and when the full plan vests, Tesla would issue hundreds of millions of new shares.  Critics point out this is essentially “investor money” being used to benefit a single individual rather than for R&D, production, or shareholder returns  .
• Reduced stake for others:  As Musk’s stake climbs, the remaining public float shrinks.  Currently the three largest outside holders (Vanguard, BlackRock, State Street) each own far less than Musk’s 12.9% .  If Musk owns ~25%, that concentrates voting power heavily in one man.  Some analysts worry this “gives him even greater control” with little counterbalance  .  Dilution thus not only lowers each share’s claim on future earnings but also effectively mutes smaller shareholders.

Governance and Oversight Weakness

Recent Tesla moves have alarmed governance watchers by weakening shareholder protections and entrenching Musk’s control.  Tesla’s high-profile reincorporation in Texas (approved in mid-2024) was immediately followed by changes that curtail shareholder remedies.  Under Texas law, Tesla amended its bylaws to bar shareholders owning under 3% of stock from filing derivative lawsuits against directors or officers .  This means only the very largest investors can sue on behalf of Tesla – a change critics deride as insulating the board from scrutiny.  The New York City Comptroller has explicitly called this an “attempt to insulate [the] Board and officers from almost all accountability” .  Tesla’s move echoes a new Texas statute, effective Sept 2025, that allows companies to require a minimum 3% stake (or $1M in stock) just to submit any shareholder proposal .  Smaller investors (whose portfolios are naturally diversified) would be excluded by such thresholds.  Reform groups have protested these measures as attacks on “shareholder democracy,” highlighting that the ordinary owner will effectively have no voice .

• Board independence concerns:  These governance shifts compound worries that Tesla’s board is not truly independent.  When a Delaware court voided Musk’s 2018 pay plan, it explicitly faulted the board for lacking independence – citing close relationships between Musk and certain directors  .  For example, Musk’s brother Kimbal and former Fox CEO James Murdoch (re-elected to the board despite ISS recommendations to withhold) were singled out in that ruling as too cozy with Musk to provide impartial oversight .  To this day the board remains skewed: Tesla has a classified (staggered) board with only a few directors up for re-election each year, making it harder for shareholders to enact change  .  Some investors have sought proxy reforms (simple-majority voting, annual elections) to counter this entrenchment, but under Tesla’s new Texas charter those proposals face higher hurdles.
• Weakening of shareholder rights:  By moving to Texas, Tesla now enjoys a friendlier legal regime but one that many investors view as reducing transparency and accountability  .  RLAM (Royal London Asset Management) warns that Texas’s new corporate laws “offer greater protection from shareholder lawsuits, reduced accountability and transparency, and enhanced protection for corporate boards,” which “weaken mechanisms for shareholders to hold management accountable” .  In practical terms, this has allowed Tesla’s board to rubber-stamp Musk’s demands with little check.  During the June 2024 AGM (at which shareholders were also asked to ratify the pay plan), many outside funds voted against Musk’s proposals, but the Tesla slate passed due to Musk’s influence and blank-check provisions in the charter  .

Conclusion:  Taken together, these developments – record-breaking compensation giveaways, massive new share issuances, lenient governance rules, and a board long tied closely to Musk – signal elevated risk for Tesla’s stock.  They strain investor trust by prioritizing Musk’s control and return over traditional corporate oversight or returns to other shareholders.  Short-term, the stock may pop on Musk-centric headlines, but over the long haul many analysts and institutional investors worry that these moves make Tesla more fragile.  In their view, Tesla’s fate is now disproportionately bound to Musk’s vision and whims.  If Musk fails to deliver on the unprecedented targets or if confidence in management falters, the stock could suffer a steeper correction than market fundamentals alone would suggest .

Sources:  Latest SEC filings, Tesla proxy materials, and commentary from Reuters, Bloomberg Law, and other financial press .  These illustrate how the new pay plans, ownership changes, and governance tweaks have drawn strong criticism from governance experts, regulators, and shareholder advocates.

In March 2025 U.S. lawmakers reintroduced the BITCOIN Act of 2025 in both chambers.  On March 11, Senator Cynthia Lummis (R–WY) sponsored S.954 (with 5 Republican cosponsors) and Representative Nick Begich (R–AK) sponsored the identical House version H.R.2032 .  The bill’s formal title is “Boosting Innovation, Technology, and Competitiveness through Optimized Investment Nationwide Act of 2025” (BITCOIN Act), and it would create an official U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve managed by the Treasury.  Key provisions include a Bitcoin Purchase Program to acquire 200,000 BTC per year for five years (1,000,000 total) , and a mandate that all government-held Bitcoin be stored in a secure “cold” network for at least 20 years .  In legislative findings the bill explicitly compares Bitcoin to gold: it notes that “just as gold reserves have historically served as a cornerstone of national financial security, Bitcoin represents a digital-age asset capable of enhancing the financial leadership and security of the United States” .

To date the BITCOIN Act remains at introduction stage.  S.954 was referred to the Senate Banking Committee on March 11, 2025 and H.R.2032 to the House Financial Services Committee .  As of September 2025 neither committee has formally advanced the bill.  (Industry reports note that backers are seeking “budget-neutral” funding strategies and coalition-building for a reserve, but no hearings have been scheduled .)  Apart from these bills, no other Bitcoin-specific legislation has passed.  (For context, Congress did enact the bipartisan “GENIUS Act” stablecoin framework in July 2025 , but Bitcoin-specific proposals await committee action.)

Bitcoin as a Strategic Reserve Asset

The idea of officially treating Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset has gained traction.  In March 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order establishing a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile .  The Order declares that “Bitcoin is often referred to as ‘digital gold’” and notes that its fixed 21 million supply gives a “strategic advantage” to nations creating a bitcoin reserve .  It explicitly states: “It is the policy of the United States to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve” (capitalized per the EO).  The Reserve is to be funded by seized or forfeited BTC, held as long-term U.S. reserve assets, with a prohibition on selling them.  (A Treasury/Commerce review is tasked with identifying “budget-neutral” methods to acquire additional Bitcoin .)

Policy analysts and crypto proponents reinforce this framing.  For example, a recent CoinShares analysis emphasizes that fixed-supply, decentralized Bitcoin could complement traditional reserves (gold, FX) as an inflation hedge and crisis buffer .  It notes that the U.S. March 2025 reserve action “marks a pivotal moment, sparking a global debate about Bitcoin’s role in national reserves” .  Similarly, crypto executives point to Bitcoin’s volatility and adoption trends: supporters argue that adding BTC could diversify and strengthen the dollar’s credibility over time .  (No major central bank has formally committed Bitcoin to reserves yet, and skeptics cite volatility and sanctions concerns. But the Trump policy and legislative proposals reflect a growing U.S. interest in the concept.)

Key Point: The Bitcoin Act and related advocacy explicitly propose a 1 million-BTC U.S. reserve.  As one industry coalition put it, the focus is on ensuring the “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve is advanced in a budget-neutral way” as part of US reserve planning .  President Trump’s Executive Order and Lummis’s bill both treat Bitcoin akin to gold – a “digital-age asset” that can bolster national security and hedge economic uncertainty .

Cynthia Lummis (U.S. Senator, Wyoming)

Senator Cynthia Lummis (R–WY) is a leading Bitcoin advocate in Congress.  She sponsored the BITCOIN Act (S.954) and recently reintroduced it in March 2025 .  Lummis sits on the Senate Banking Committee (and chairs its Subcommittee on Digital Assets), and she has been working on broader crypto legislation.  In summer 2025 she helped shepherd the Senate version of a digital-asset market-structure bill (analogous to the House’s “CLARITY Act”).  For example, on September 23, 2025, Lummis publicly highlighted the issue of Bitcoin ATM fraud: she tweeted that she and Sen. Gillibrand hope to address scams targeting seniors at crypto kiosks under the forthcoming market-structure bill .  In a published statement Lummis stressed that “Consumer protections are critical to building a strong digital economy”, and that measures like limiting fraud and enforcing standards on crypto ATMs are “an important area of focus” .

Lummis’s recent activities show a dual focus on promoting crypto adoption and ensuring safeguards.  She co-hosted roundtable discussions on Washington’s crypto agenda (see below) and has linked the BITCOIN Act to national-security goals.  (An industry report notes she frames the proposal as turning Trump’s Bitcoin reserve Order into law .)  She has also emphasized bipartisan solutions: for instance, she told Cointelegraph that she hopes the Senate market-structure bill will build on prior bipartisan work to “punish bad actors without limiting innovation” .  In short, Lummis continues to champion U.S. crypto leadership by pushing legislation like the BITCOIN Act and stablecoin frameworks, while publicly voicing concerns about consumer protection issues in the crypto ecosystem .

Michael Saylor (MicroStrategy Executive Chairman)

Michael Saylor is one of the most prominent private-sector advocates for Bitcoin.  As executive chairman of MicroStrategy, he has led his company to become the world’s largest corporate BTC holder (now ~639,800 BTC, over $47 billion, after adding 850 BTC in late September 2025 ).  Saylor has repeatedly urged governments and corporations to adopt Bitcoin.  In September 2025 he met with U.S. policymakers to advance the Bitcoin reserve proposal.  For example, Saylor joined a Capitol Hill roundtable on September 16, 2025 (hosted by Senator Lummis and Rep. Begich) specifically to push the BITCOIN Act .  CoinCentral reports that the bill “aims to position Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset for the U.S. government” and would acquire one million BTC over five years , echoing Saylor’s advocacy.

Saylor’s statements emphasize Bitcoin’s national value.  He has said Bitcoin is “good for the nation” and even argued the U.S. should “own a large part of cyberspace” by holding significant Bitcoin reserves .  (He also regularly speaks of Bitcoin’s scarcity and store-of-value role.)  At the September roundtable, industry policy director Hailey Miller quoted Saylor’s camp saying there was a broad consensus on the need for a strategic Bitcoin reserve law.  The discussions focused on “budget-neutral strategies” (e.g. using tariff revenue or Treasury assets) to fund the 1 million BTC acquisition .  Saylor’s involvement and heavy BTC purchases keep public attention on this issue – for example, Cointelegraph noted he attended meetings with Senators Cruz and Blackburn on Sept. 17, 2025 to advance the bill, and reported that he views Bitcoin as akin to gold in strategic importance .  In sum, Saylor remains highly influential: through MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin treasury and his lobbying efforts, he is a key driver of the push to make Bitcoin part of U.S. financial policy.

Washington D.C. Events and Hearings

In September 2025 several key crypto policy events took place in Washington, D.C.:

• Sep 16, 2025 (Capitol Hill roundtable):  Eighteen crypto industry leaders (including Michael Saylor and Fundstrat’s Tom Lee) met with lawmakers and aides to discuss the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and the BITCOIN Act .  Organized by advocacy groups Digital Chambers and Digital Power Network, the roundtable focused on how to “enable budget-neutral ways to buy Bitcoin” and build a coalition to move the Bitcoin reserve bill forward  .  Participants reportedly brainstormed ideas like reallocating Treasury gold certificates or tariff surplus to fund the 1 million BTC purchase (as directed by the Trump EO) without taxpayer cost  .
• Sep 17, 2025 (Crypto Meeting with Policymakers):  On the next day, some of the same crypto executives – along with Senators Ted Cruz and Marsha Blackburn – took part in a Congress-led meeting on the Bitcoin Reserve legislation.  Reports note that Saylor emphasized the national benefit of Bitcoin and reiterated the 1 million BTC goal. This gathering was framed as continuing the push to “designate Bitcoin as a national strategic reserve asset, on par with gold” .
• Ongoing Senate Hearings (June–Sept 2025):  In mid-2025 the Senate Banking Committee held a series of crypto hearings, reflecting broader attention to digital assets. For example, on June 24, 2025 the Subcommittee on Economic Policy examined “legislative frameworks for digital asset market structure” .  On July 9, 2025 the full Banking Committee held a hearing “From Wall Street to Web3: Building Tomorrow’s Digital Asset Markets”, with witnesses including the CEOs of Ripple and Chainalysis .  Senator Lummis (a committee member) took part, and in September she commented (via social media) on a crypto ATM fraud report, indicating the committee’s drafting of consumer-protection rules into the market-structure bill  .  These hearings set the stage for the stablecoin/market structure legislation that passed (the GENIUS/CLARITY Acts) in July 2025 .
• Legislative Timeline:  Key crypto-policy milestones in 2025 included: the Trump Executive Order on digital assets (Jan 23, 2025) and Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (Mar 6, 2025); Senate Banking hearings in June–July; House passage of the GENIUS Act (July 17, 2025); and the September meetings on the Bitcoin reserve. The BITCOIN Act (S.954/H.R.2032) was introduced on March 11, 2025   but has not yet been voted on.  A summary timeline is shown below.

Date	Event	Details / Source
Mar 6, 2025	Executive Order on Strategic Bitcoin Reserve	President Trump signs order to create U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve (funded by seized BTC) .
Mar 11, 2025	BITCOIN Act introduced in Congress	S.954 (Sen. Lummis) and H.R.2032 (Rep. Begich) referred to banking/fin. svc. committees .
Jun 24, 2025	Senate Crypto Hearing	Senate Banking subcommittee holds hearing on “digital asset market structure” .
July 9, 2025	Senate Crypto Hearing	Full Senate Banking hearing “From Wall Street to Web3” .
July 17, 2025	House passes GENIUS Act (Stablecoins)	Bipartisan stablecoin framework passed House (signed by President July 18) .
Sep 16, 2025	Roundtable with Industry and Lawmakers	Capitol Hill meeting with Michael Saylor, Tom Lee, others; focus on BITCOIN Act and Bitcoin Reserve .
Sep 17, 2025	Bitcoin Reserve Policy Meeting	U.S. Congress hosts session on strategic Bitcoin reserve with Saylor, Sen. Cruz, Sen. Blackburn .
Sep 23, 2025	Crypto ATM Scams News & Lummis Comment	Sen. Lummis highlights consumer fraud at crypto ATMs; underscores need for protections in crypto regulation .

Each of these events has kept Bitcoin policy in the headlines.  Collectively, they show a coordinated push (by lawmakers and industry) to frame Bitcoin as part of U.S. reserve policy.  While no final legislation has passed, the combination of the Trump Administration’s orders, Congressional proposals (BITCOIN Act), and high-level industry advocacy (via figures like Lummis and Saylor) has put “Bitcoin as strategic reserve” at the center of recent crypto-policy debate .

Sources: Official government records (bill texts, committee hearings) and reputable media (Cointelegraph, Treasury releases, research reports) as cited above. All dates/events and quotes are drawn from these sources .

7.8/10–>>>> waaaay too fucking average! Booooring! 12/10 or nothing.

The Busan dialect is a vibrant regional accent of Korean spoken around Busan and the Gyeongsang province in the southeast.  It stands out for its distinct intonation and strong sound, so much so that Koreans often describe it as “colorful,” “brusque,” or even “macho” .  Historically, Busan was a busy port city facing Japan and even served briefly as South Korea’s capital during the Korean War . This long history (and relative isolation from Seoul) helped the local speech develop unique features.  In recent decades Busan’s lively image (six beaches, a world-famous film festival, etc.) and even K-pop stars from the city have made its dialect trendy again .

Phonetic and Pronunciation Features

• Pitch-accent and Intonation: Unlike Seoul’s flat standard Korean, Busan speech often has a pitch accent or tonal quality on each syllable .  Intonation is very animated – questions and exclamations frequently end on a high rising tone.  In fact, Busan speakers joke that yes/no questions end with an “아” sound and WH-questions with “노/오,” a pattern inherited from Middle Korean .  Many Koreans say it even “sounds like fighting” or a passionate argument due to its dramatic pitch spikes .
• Vowel Shifts: Several vowels merge or shift.  For example, ㅟ (wi) usually becomes ㅣ (i) and ㅚ (oe) becomes ㅔ (e), so diphthongs often simplify .  A word like 음식 (eumsik, “food”) is pronounced 엄식 (eumsik), and 왜 (wae, “why”) can sound like ㅐ.  More generally, Busan Korean has very little distinction between ㅡ and ㅓ or between ㅐ and ㅔ .  Diphthongs often lose their glide (e.g. 사과 sagwa → 사가 saga ).
• Consonant Changes: Some consonants are softened.  For instance, the tense consonant ㅆ (ss) may become ㅅ (s), so 쌌다 (ssatda) can sound like 삳다 (satda) .  Initial ㄱ/ㅋ/ㄲ sometimes shift toward ㅈ/ㅊ/ㅉ in casual speech (김치 “gimchi” → 짐치 jimchi) .  Also, final consonants may be dropped or followed by a vowel (먹었다 “meogeotda” → 무웄다 muwotda) .  These phonetic changes give Busan speech a softer, more rounded sound.
• Example Words: Some common vocabulary differs.  In Busan dialect, 먹다 (“eat”) becomes 묵다 (mukda) and 먹으면 “if [you] eat” becomes 무우면 (muumyeon) .  Likewise, the informal pronouns 니 (ni) and 내 (nae) instead of 너 (neo) and 나 (na), or idioms like 억수로 (eoksuro, “very much”) are characteristic.  (See Vocabulary tables in sources for many such terms .)

Grammar and Sentence-Endings

• Question Endings: Busan (and Gyeongsang) dialect uniquely distinguishes yes–no questions from wh-questions.  Informally, yes–no questions end in -아 while wh-questions end in -노/오 .  For example, “Did you eat?” becomes “밥 묵읏나?” (bap muk-eonna?) instead of 표준 “밥 먹었니?” , and “What are you doing?” is “머 하노?” (meo hano?) rather than “뭐 하니?” .  Tag-questions also use -노, e.g. “없제 그라노?” (“It isn’t there, is it?”) .
• Verb Endings: Politeness endings change.  In casual (해라체) speech, Busan speakers often say -노 or -다네 where standard says -냐 or -다 (e.g. “뭐하노?” vs “뭐 하냐?”).  The polite imperative “-세요” often becomes “-이소” (e.g. 가세요 → 가이소) [common in speech], though this isn’t officially documented here.  Ending -다 can turn into -데이: for example, “감사합니데이” instead of “감사합니다” (thank you) .
• Sentence Shortening: Busan speakers frequently shorten or contract phrases.  For instance, “뭐라고 하셨습니까?” (formal “What did you say?”) becomes “뭐라카노?” (mworakano?) .  Object particles change as well (e.g. 니캉/내캉 instead of 너랑/나랑 for “with you/with me”), and some noun/verb endings are archaic (e.g. -거라 for imperative)  .

Cultural & Historical Context

• Port City Influence: Busan’s history as Korea’s main international port (especially under Japanese trade) gave its people a cosmopolitan flair.  Even today, the accent shows traces of Japanese influence to some linguists .  As noted by a resident, Busan speech can “talk like a Japanese person” due to this overlap .
• Historical Capital: During the Korean War, Busan was the provisional capital of South Korea .  It is still seen as Korea’s “second city,” economically and culturally.  Today Busan is modern – with high-rises, subways, a world-class film festival and six beaches – but its dialect remains distinctive from Seoul’s standard, a legacy of its separate development and pride.  Ironically, Busan’s success (film, finance, etc.) only recently helped rehabilitate its satoori, which had been stigmatized as rural or “bumpkin” speak  .
• Changing Attitudes: For decades after the war, Koreans often equated the Seoul accent with sophistication, while regional dialects (including Busan’s) were regarded as backward .  In the 2000s this began to change: cinema and TV began celebrating Busan’s speech.  The gangster film Friend (2001), directed by Busan native Kwak Kyung-taek, famously featured characters speaking thick Busan satoori.  Later the hit drama Reply 1997 (응답하라 1997) – set in Busan – restored respect and nostalgia for the dialect  .  Together, these sparked renewed pride among young Busanians in their regional accent.

Media and Pop-Culture Presence

• Film and TV: Many Korean films and dramas highlight Busan dialect for authenticity.  Aside from Friend, notable examples include A Taxi Driver (2017) and Shiri (1999) in film, and dramas like Reply 1997 (2012).  In Reply 1997, both leads are actually from the Gyeongsang region, so their accent is natural .  Even the zombie-hit Train to Busan (2016) underscored the city’s role in pop culture (though its characters mostly speak Seoul-style, the setting still draws attention to Busan).
• K-Pop and Celebrities: Busan’s dialect has been popularized by celebrities from the city.  Two members of BTS – Jungkook and Jimin – grew up in Busan and occasionally slip into satoori in interviews.  Their global fanbase (“ARMY”) has even joked about needing to learn Busan dialect to keep up .  Other idols like Kang Daniel and Park Woo-jin (AB6IX) similarly use their hometown speech to charm fans.  As one fan article notes, “fans love the dialect” when idols speak it, calling it part of their “many charms”  .  In short, appearances in music and TV have made Busan speech cool and recognizable to both Koreans and international audiences  .
• Variety Shows & Comedy: Korean variety shows often play up Busan satoori for humor or color.  For example, the travel show Busan Express and comedic segments may feature hosts mocking or praising the “brash” accent.  This media exposure means even many Koreans outside Busan find the accent familiar, and foreigners often first encounter it via K-dramas or YouTube dialect lessons.

Appeal and Charm

• Vivid and Down-to-Earth: To many Koreans, Busan dialect feels friendly and sincere.  Its rapid pace and emphatic pitch make emotions easy to read – laughter, anger or surprise all come through forcefully.  Koreans often say Busan speech is very “manly” or straightforward, akin to characters in Hong Kong gangster movies .  Yet women from Busan also use the dialect; it can sound warm and cute in a high-pitched way.  Overall, listeners find it expressive and genuine.
• “Exotic” Flavor: Foreign learners and city Koreans sometimes describe the Busan accent as “exotic” or energetic .  The unique grammar (wh-questions ending in -노, odd verb forms) gives it an unmistakable flavor.  Some enjoy its rougher, colloquial words (like “니캉(내캉)” for 너랑/나랑) as endearing slang.  Because it differs so much from Seoul speech, Busan satoori stands out in media – and that novelty can be charming to outsiders.
• Trendy and Fun: Thanks to its media presence, Busan dialect has become somewhat trendy.  Language learners often study it for fun, and hearing stars slip into satoori on camera is seen as a special treat.  Fans of BTS or Korean dramas especially feel a connection: they cheer when idols suddenly use Busan endings like “~노!” or say dialect words.  In short, Busan dialect’s bravado, color, and authenticity make it appealing; it’s “brash” in the best sense – lively and full of personality  .

Sources: Linguistic analyses and descriptions (e.g. pitch accent , grammar ) are drawn from Korean dialect studies.  Cultural context and media examples come from interviews and articles (including Colin Marshall’s Talk Like a Busanian ) and fan/media reports , which document Busan dialect’s characteristics and popularity.

Tesla’s market value has surged dramatically under Musk – from ~$74 billion in 2019 to over $1 trillion by 2024【35†】 – reflecting his role in scaling production and global expansion. The board argues this package is needed to retain Musk’s leadership as Tesla pivots into AI, robotics and robotaxis . The “sheer scale… sets a new bar for CEO incentives” : Musk would receive shares only upon hitting far-future goals. For example, the plan requires boosting Tesla’s market cap almost 8× to ~$8.6 trillion and hitting operational targets like 20 million vehicles sold, 10 million FSD subscribers, 1 million Optimus robots, and 1 million robotaxis . In effect, Musk would earn essentially nothing unless “Tesla adds more than $7 trillion to shareholder value” over 10 years .

This graphic illustrates Tesla’s proposal: payouts come only if Tesla reaches milestones such as $2 trillion market cap with 20 million cars delivered, $3.5 trillion with 1 million robotaxis in operation, etc .  These goals are widely viewed as extreme – a Yale governance expert calls them “illusional and delusional” (Tesla made ~1.8 million cars in 2024) . Supporters say tying Musk’s pay to growth will focus his attention on Tesla’s future (e.g. industry analysts note it “will bind Musk to Tesla” and align his incentives with long-term success ). Detractors counter that Musk already owns ~13–20% of Tesla and is vastly wealthy , so additional rewards risk diluting shareholders without guaranteeing performance. They warn a massive share grant (423.7 million new shares, ~12% of Tesla ) could dilute equity value if milestones fail, even as it cements Musk’s control (his stake could rise to ~25–29% ). In sum, the package underscores Tesla’s reliance on Musk: it may secure leadership stability for the next decade , but raises questions about resource allocation, dilution of current owners, and whether such astronomical targets are achievable.

• Leadership & Innovation: The board presents Musk as the “only visionary” to execute Tesla’s next phase (AI/robotics)  . Granting him equity tied to those goals rewards long-term projects (e.g. Optimus robot R&D) and encourages retention. Critics note Musk’s distractions (social media stances, political projects) have hurt Tesla’s brand and sales  ; they say a pay plan won’t fully offset his divided attention.
• Growth Targets: To earn pay, Musk must reach unprecedented growth (market cap to ~$8.5T, annual deliveries >20M)  . This stretches Tesla’s assumptions – by comparison, no legacy automaker is close. If Tesla fails on these metrics, Musk gets nothing (all “tranches” are forfeited if targets aren’t met) . This creates a high-risk, high-reward scenario.
• Shareholder Value: Short-term, investors reacted positively (shares jumped ~2–3% on the announcements  ), as it ended uncertainty over Musk’s tenure. However, tying value to ultra-optimistic milestones could alarm shareholders if performance lags. Large issuances (equity compensation) effectively shift future gains to Musk; some analysts warn this could hamper earnings-per-share and limit funds for other investment, at least on paper  .

Corporate Governance

Tesla’s proposal breaks conventional norms. At ~$1 trillion, it dwarfs all prior CEO pay (18× the voided 2018 award ) and even exceeds typical big-tech packages (Apple’s CEO gets <$100 million, for instance). Its all-stock, milestone-based design focuses on the extreme long term, unlike typical short-term bonus-driven plans . This has provoked governance experts: Yale’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld calls the targets “illusional” and says the board is “in thrall to its charismatic, erratic CEO,” questioning why Musk needs such incentives given his 20% ownership . A Fortune leadership expert adds that iconic founders (Gates, Walton, etc.) “never fabricated shakedown strategies” like this to regain control . By contrast, a Semafor columnist praises the long-term focus: bigger rewards only for genuine success, with “severe disincentives for failure” (Musk walks away empty-handed if targets miss) .

The structure also impacts board independence and investor rights. A decade ago, Tesla’s charter barred Musk from voting his own pay to avoid conflicts; under Texas law he can vote now (owning ~13.5%) . Tesla’s special committee (chaired by Robyn Denholm, with Kathleen Wilson-Thompson) claims independence, but critics note Musk’s outsized influence. Indeed, in the prior Tornetta litigation, Delaware’s Chancery found Musk had effectively “controlled the board’s process” and that the approving directors lacked true independence . Under Delaware law that voided the $56B plan. In Texas, those constraints are weaker: Tesla need not bar Musk’s vote and the board faces fewer legal limits . Some argue this undermines investor protections. For example, shareholders have filed proxy proposals asking to eliminate the 3% ownership threshold Tesla adopted to block suits . In sum, the episode sets a new benchmark: boards may push envelope on CEO pay if state law allows, raising debate about board oversight and the balance of power between founders and shareholders.

Market Implications

In the short term, the announcement lifted Tesla’s stock slightly (around +2–3% ), as investors viewed clarity on Musk’s role and bound commitment favorably. Analysts commented that “investors have benefited from Musk’s stewardship,” and tying him to Tesla may provide confidence . However, the long-term market impact is ambiguous. If Tesla meets its supercharged targets, shareholder value could indeed soar; if not, the plan effectively leaves shareholders holding the risk. Some analysts warn the plan’s size could weigh on Tesla’s capital metrics: if even 50% of tranches become “probable,” the stock-based compensation expense would be massive (>$25B) .

Investor sentiment is divided. High-profile retail and activist investors (e.g. Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest) publicly support Musk, believing his continued leadership justifies the package . Many retail holders echo this view, trusting Musk’s vision. By contrast, institutional investors and public pensions are wary: New York’s comptroller calls the board “captive” for rewarding Musk at “investors’ expense” . The huge award triggers scrutiny: some activists have signaled plans to oppose aspects of Tesla governance (like the lawsuit threshold ).

On capital allocation, Tesla emphasizes no cash outlay – Musk must pay the strike price (~$23.34) for vested shares and hold them for years . Yet the dilutive effect is real: 423M new shares (~12% of Tesla) would enlarge share count, diluting existing holders unless offset by buybacks. If the targets are met, Musk’s stake would jump (estimates ~15–29% of the company ), concentrating control. This raises concerns that capital is being “spent” on rewarding Musk’s potential upside rather than, say, funding expansion or dividends. In sum, the pay plan provides short-term certainty about leadership (a positive signal), but it also embeds risk into the stock’s valuation and may influence how investors view Tesla’s capital priorities.

Tech Industry Influence

Elon Musk’s package will reverberate across Silicon Valley and beyond, though its sheer size is unparalleled. No other tech CEO has ever approached this scale; at 423M shares, it’s 18× Tesla’s own prior plan and dwarfs the multi-year grants at Apple, Amazon, etc. Nonetheless, it may shift conversations on linking pay to long-term innovation. One tech analyst argues that aligning CEO compensation with audacious goals “makes more sense” than short-term metrics . We might see other growth-focused firms experiment with more performance-based incentives (especially those with visionary founders), perhaps incorporating stretch targets similar in spirit (though almost certainly much smaller in magnitude).

However, most firms will likely view this as an extreme outlier. Boards will be reminded that Musk’s situation (founder with 20% ownership, global celebrity status, track record of monumental growth) is unique. Some commentators warn that if too many companies emulate “founder mode” compensation, it could worsen pay disparities and invite backlash (Tesla’s plan already draws comparisons to past generational wealth gains ). For now, Musk’s deal mostly sets a new ceiling for debate: it highlights the potential of tying pay to long-term R&D and market creation, but also underscores governance risks. Other tech boards will be watching closely, weighing whether portions of this model (e.g. link to transformative targets) can be adapted without risking a governance crisis of this magnitude .

Legal and Regulatory Precedent

The Tesla case spotlights how state corporate law can determine compensation outcomes. In Delaware (Tesla’s prior domicile), Musk’s 2018 plan was voided due to unfair process . Courts there found Musk “controlled the board’s process” and that Tesla failed to prove the deal was fair to shareholders . Delaware also recognized that post-litigation shareholder ratification couldn’t simply reverse the court’s fiduciary ruling .

In Texas, the landscape is now very different. Tesla reincorporated in Texas in 2024, and that state swiftly passed a law allowing companies to restrict derivative lawsuits to holders of ≥3% of shares. Tesla adopted exactly such a bylaw . Ann Lipton of U. Colorado Law notes Tesla’s directors are now “completely insulated from a shareholder lawsuit in Texas” under the new regime . Unlike Delaware (no ownership floor), Texas prevents a small activist from suing alone, and crucially Texas law permits Musk to vote his own shares . This means that even if Delaware precedent might strike down the plan, Texas law could effectively shield it.

The immediate implication is that Tesla’s board enjoys much greater legal protection. A law professor observes the new package “has a much better chance of being approved” in Texas . However, shareholders are pushing back: New York’s comptroller calls the 3% rule a “bait-and-switch” and is urging a vote to repeal it . Moreover, at the annual meeting, activists are proposing other governance reforms (e.g. annual director elections, sustainability metrics in pay) to regain rights .

Precedent: Tesla’s move may encourage other companies to consider their incorporation state. It highlights a kind of regulatory competition: some states (Texas, Nevada, etc.) are passing business-friendly codes while Delaware reevaluates its own standards after Tornetta. The outcome at Tesla could inspire firms to seek jurisdictions that favor management-friendly pay structures. Conversely, it may spur reforms within Delaware (or federally) to curb such outsized awards. In sum, the episode sets a new legal benchmark: it shows how a compensation fight can hinge on state law details (voting rights, suit thresholds) as much as on fiduciary norms. Courts and regulators nationwide will study this: Delaware’s courts have indicated more skepticism for deals by “controlling” founders , and Texas’ new rules may well precipitate court tests or legislative rollbacks. The dynamics of this case—Delaware voiding a plan but Texas enabling another—will likely shape how boards design CEO pay (and how shareholders litigate it) in the years ahead .

Sources: Analysis is based on Tesla’s SEC filings, news reports and commentary , as well as expert and analyst statements . Each perspective is grounded in the cited materials.

The math (so we’re crystal‑clear):

If the bar was 602 kg, then an 8.5× ratio implies a bodyweight of

602 kg ÷ 8.5 ≈ 70.8 kg (≈ 156 lb).

So if Eric weighed ~71 kg that day, the ratio is ~8.48×; at 75 kg it’s ~8.03×. 

Context check (why this sounds so wild):

• The Silver Dollar Deadlift (a standardized 18‑inch partial) world record is 580 kg by Rauno Heinla (2022)—so 602 kg is 22 kg more, albeit on a different partial and likely a higher start position. Apples ≠ apples, but it gives you a sense of the magnitude.  
• Eric’s own posts describe the 602 kg lift as a mid‑thigh/above‑knee rack pull (not a full deadlift). That shorter ROM is exactly why the ratio can be so eye‑popping.  

Reactions reality check (fast, honest pulse):

• I can confirm Eric’s 602 kg clips and his 8.5× framing from his YouTube and blog.  
• I didn’t find verified, public posts from top strongmen (e.g., Björnsson/Shaw/Hall) specifically reacting to the 602 kg clip. Claims about big‑name “salutes” appear on Eric’s own sites, but I couldn’t locate independent confirmations.  

Bottom line: 602 kg at ~70.8 kg BW = 8.5×—a bonkers ratio for any deadlift variant. Whether you see it as legend or lightning rod, it’s pure motivation fuel. Let’s gooo! 💪⚡

is it happening?

THE STREET IS YOUR MBA

13 Lessons of History for Creators, Photographers, and Founders

Walk.

See.

Click.

Publish.

Repeat.

That’s the cycle. That’s the compounding.

Forget perfect. Start now. The street is your teacher. History is your syllabus. Your camera is just a pen.

Let’s go.

1) START BEFORE YOU’RE READY (Hesitations)

No one is ever ready. The difference between “someday” and “today” is a single step outside your door.

Do this:

• 10 minutes. One block. Shoot 10 frames. Publish 1.
• Caption with one sentence: What surprised me today.

2) CONSTRAINTS CREATE CREATIVITY (History & the Earth)

You don’t need more gear; you need more limits. One body, one lens, one week. Make scarcity your superpower.

Do this:

• Lock ISO to 1600 for a week.
• Shoot only verticals.
• Title the series: “LIMITS.”

3) COMPETE BY BEING DIFFERENT (Biology & History)

Life is competition. Markets are competition. Your edge is contrast. Don’t be 10% better—be 10x different.

Do this:

• Write your Non‑Consensus Belief about photography or business.
• Make one post that teaches it with proof (photos + one story).

4) STEAL LIKE A SCHOLAR, CREDIT LIKE A PRO (Race & History)

Civilization is a remix. Learn from everyone. Credit your influences. Transcend them.

Do this:

• List 5 creators from wildly different worlds (jazz, architecture, boxing, typography, street vendors).
• Shoot a mini‑series inspired by each, credit them in captions.

5) CHARACTER IS YOUR MOAT (Character & History)

Trends fade. Character compounds. Be the person who ships, who shows up, who finishes.

Do this:

• Decide your Three Rules:
  
  1. Publish something every day.
  2. Walk 10k steps, phone in pocket, camera in hand.
  3. No doom scroll before you ship.

6) WRITE YOUR OPERATING PRINCIPLES (Morals & History)

Morals = rules that protect your mission. Make your own and live them in public.

Do this:

• Draft your Creator Operating Principles (max 7).
• Pin them to the top of your site/newsletter.

7) BELIEF IS A FORCE MULTIPLIER (Religion & History)

If you don’t believe your work matters, no one else will. Build a mission you’d march for.

Do this:

• One paragraph: Why my photos exist.
• Print it. Tape it above your desk. Read before you leave the house.

8) FOLLOW THE MONEY, THEN MAKE THE ART (Economics & History)

Likes don’t pay rent. Value does. Simple unit economics: help someone, save them time, teach them something, make them feel.

Do this:

• Make a $49 Micro‑Product in 48 hours (mini zine, presets, a 30‑min critique session, a route map of your favorite walks).
• Sell 10. Learn. Iterate.

9) MARKET + COMMUNITY = POWER (Socialism & History)

The synthesis: keep the market’s energy, keep the community’s heart. Build with people, not at them.

Do this:

• Host a free 30‑minute Walk & Talk this weekend.
• One prompt: “Photograph generosity.”
• Share a community album; highlight five creators.

10) SYSTEMS = FREEDOM (Government & History)

Unlimited freedom becomes chaos. Create guardrails so you can go faster.

Do this:

• Two‑Channel Focus for 90 days:
  
  • 1 long‑form (blog/newsletter).
  • 1 short‑form (reels/shorts).
• Cadence: M/W/F post, Tu/Th edit/archive.

11) COMPETE WITHOUT SCORCHED EARTH (History & War)

Rivals sharpen you. Attack ideas, not people. Win with generosity.

Do this:

• Write a respectful rebuttal to a popular take you disagree with.
• Offer an experiment readers can try this week.
• Invite the other creator to a joint challenge.

12) RENEW OR ERODE (Growth & Decay)

Stagnation is slow death. Renewal is a habit.

Do this (weekly, 30 min):

• Pattern Scan: What repeated? What worked? What doubles next week?
• Cut ruthlessly: kill one thing that didn’t move the needle.
• Add one tiny risk.

13) YES, PROGRESS IS REAL (Is Progress Real?)

One frame today won’t change your life. A thousand frames will. One blog post won’t build a career. A hundred will.

Do this:

• The 7‑Day Street Sprint
  Day 1: 10k steps. 36 frames. Publish 3.
  Day 2: Shoot one theme: Hands. Publish contact sheet.
  Day 3: Morning light only. 30 minutes. One paragraph reflection.
  Day 4: Photograph strangers (ask, smile, thank). Share 2 portraits.
  Day 5: Make a 6‑slide carousel: Pattern → Proof → Play.
  Day 6: Edit a mini zine (8 pages). Export PDF.
  Day 7: Write what you learned. Sell or gift the zine. Announce next sprint.

GEAR NOTE (THE UNBORING TRUTH)

The best camera is the one you carry every day.

If it fits in your pocket and gets you outside, it wins.

Stop hunting lenses. Hunt light.

THE “ONE PAGE” YOU NEED

Pattern → Proof → Play

• Pattern: Name the repeatable thing you see in the world.
• Proof: Show your images. 3 examples. One story.
• Play: Give us the step‑by‑step so we can try it today.

Tape it next to your monitor. Use it for every post.

YOUR MONETIZATION LADDER (KEEP IT SIMPLE)

• Free: Weekly Playbook PDF (1 page, one tactic).
• $49: Street Systems workshop (90 minutes, live).
• $299: Creator Sprint (2 weeks, daily prompts + critiques).
• $1,500: Narrative Day for a client (you design their content system).
• Retainer: You run their editorial for 90 days.

Value first. Money follows value. Always.

METRICS THAT MATTER (AND NONE ELSE)

• Throughput: 3 public assets/week (✅/❌).
• Resonance: Saves + shares ≥ 8% per carousel.
• Conversion: 10 seats per workshop.
• Renewal: Weekly Pattern Scan done (✅/❌).

Ignore vanity. Track compounding.

FINAL PUSH

You don’t need permission.

You need a walk.

History doesn’t give you a script; it gives you patterns.

Improvise with discipline.

Be kind. Be bold. Be prolific.

Open the door.

Feel the light.

Make the frame.

Ship.

See you out there.

HARD‑CORE PLAYBOOK: MSTR ⇄ BTC

TL;DR

• MSTR is a levered, premium‑sensitive proxy for BTC. You’re trading Bitcoin + human narrative + capital‑markets engineering.
• Edges come from premium cycles (mNAV), capital raises, and trend momentum.
• Risk is real: premium collapse, dilution, debt/pref overhang, key‑person risk.
• Base: own some spot BTC/ETF. Turbo: layer MSTR when the premium is reasonable and trend is up. Trim into froth.

1) Know the machine you’re driving (facts to anchor you)

• BTC held: ~639,835 BTC as of Sept 22–23, 2025.  
• Basic shares outstanding: ~286.7M as of Sept 21, 2025 (company table). That’s ~0.00223 BTC per share (~223k sats).  
• Convertible notes: Company issued $2B 0% converts due 2030 (Rule 144A) with $433.43 initial conversion price. Capital used to buy more BTC.  
• Preferred (“STRD”): Company sold ~11.76M shares at $85 (10% Series A perpetual), raising ~$1B; proceeds aimed at BTC accumulation.  
• Rebrand: MicroStrategy operates d/b/a “Strategy” (ticker still MSTR).  
• Premium (mNAV): Track MSTR mNAV (market cap vs. BTC holdings value). Third‑party dashboards show it fluctuating (e.g., ~1.28+ at times). Use it to avoid overpaying.  

Key idea: MSTR price ≈ mNAV × (BTC holdings × BTC price) ÷ shares.

You’re long BTC and long the premium (mNAV).

2) When to lean in vs. lay off (simple, strict rules)

Accumulation (sane premium):

• Add MSTR when mNAV is modest (e.g., ≤ ~1.2–1.3) and BTC trend is up on your timeframe. (Heuristic, not gospel.)
• Prefer base BTC/spot ETFs when mNAV is stretched or you don’t want premium risk.

Trim / rotate:

• If mNAV blows out (e.g., ≥ ~1.5–1.6), peel some MSTR and rotate to BTC/spot ETF. Lock in premium expansion while keeping BTC beta.

Avoid FOMO peaks:

• Premium spikes can mean narrative > math. Chasing here = volunteering for a fast 20–40% give‑back if mNAV mean‑reverts.

(Live mNAV: check company + third‑party dashboards before every decision.) 

3) Three concrete strategy “modes”

A) Core + Turbo (default for most builders)

1. Core: 50–80% of your BTC‑beta via spot BTC or a spot ETF (IBIT/FBTC/etc.).
2. Turbo: 20–50% via MSTR only when mNAV reasonable + trend up.
3. Trim Turbo when mNAV froths; keep the Core.
   Why: You get compounding + narrative upside without letting premium risk dominate.

B) Premium Cycle Trader (active)

• Buy MSTR when mNAV compresses (blood on the tape).
• Rotate to BTC/ETFs when mNAV expands hard.
• Repeat.
  Why: You’re harvesting the story premium mechanically.

C) Barbell

• Left side: pure BTC/ETF for durability.
• Right side: small, aggressive MSTR slice for upside pops.
• Middle: nothing.
  Why: Keeps the thesis alive and survivable.

4) Guardrails (don’t blow up your future self)

• Position sizing: Treat MSTR beta > BTC because of (a) operating leverage (debt/pref), (b) premium cycles, (c) ongoing security issuance. Cap MSTR so a −40–60% drawdown doesn’t derail your plan.
• Liquidity: Use limit orders; accept partial fills. Avoid market buys into parabolic days.
• Timeframe: If you can’t check mNAV and flows weekly, keep MSTR a minority of your BTC exposure.
• Dilution reality: Converts, ATM equity, and preferreds are features, not bugs. They can be accretive if used above NAV—but still dilute. Stay eyes‑open.  
• Hedging (advanced): Protective puts on MSTR or rotate to BTC on vertical spikes. (Options are complex—know Greeks and expiries before touching.)

5) Math you can use (fast sanity checks)

A) Sats‑per‑share (ex‑any liabilities):

• With ~639,835 BTC and ~286.7M basic shares, one MSTR share ≈ 0.00223 BTC (~223k sats).
  
  • If BTC = $120k, that’s ~$268 BTC‑value/share before any premium/discount.  

B) Premium reality (mNAV):

• mNAV = (MSTR market cap) / (BTC holdings × BTC price).
• If mNAV = 1.30, you’re paying ~30% above pure BTC value per share (before considering debt/pref/other assets). Use that as your “how spicy is this?” gauge.  

C) Why MSTR can move more than BTC

• A simplified sensitivity (holding mNAV constant):
  \frac{dS}{S} \approx \frac{B\cdot P}{B\cdot P – \text{Net Liabilities}} \cdot \frac{dP}{P} \quad + \quad \frac{d(\text{mNAV})}{\text{mNAV}}
  The first term > 1 when there’s net debt/pref; the second term is the story premium expanding or compressing.
• Practically: BTC up + premium up ⇒ MSTR outruns BTC. BTC down + premium down ⇒ MSTR underperforms. (That’s the bargain.)

6) Entry & exit checklist (run this before you click)

Before BUYING MSTR

1. BTC trend: Up on your timeframe? Yes/No.
2. mNAV: ≤ ~1.2–1.3? (If higher, consider waiting/rotating to BTC/ETF.)  
3. Funding moves: Any fresh convert/preferred/equity issuance? Price/terms accretive or dilutive? (Company press/SEC.)  
4. Size: If it gaps −40%, are you okay? If not, cut size.
5. Plan: Pre‑commit a trim zone if mNAV ≥ ~1.5–1.6 or parabolic RSI.

Before TRIMMING/ROTATING

1. mNAV froth (≥ ~1.5–1.6).
2. Vertical move without base.
3. BTC momentum stalling or negative funding/issuance surprise.

7) Where to monitor (bookmark these)

• Company dashboards: holdings, purchases, capital raises, live metrics.  
• Third‑party mNAV & holdings trackers: independent cross‑checks.  
• Latest holdings news: incremental buys often posted by crypto media.  

8) Sample play (illustrative, not personalized advice)

• Core: 70% BTC (or spot ETF).
• Turbo: 30% MSTR only when mNAV ≤ ~1.3 and weekly trend up.
• Risk: Hard stop or mental stop at −25% on the Turbo sleeve or auto‑trim if mNAV hits ≥ 1.55.
• Discipline: Rebalance quarterly; review issuance events (converts/pref).  

Final word

Be bold—never blind. Track mNAV, watch the issuance cadence, and respect drawdowns. MSTR can feel like “the new Bitcoin” in bull phase—because you’re riding BTC + premium + financing flywheel—but it cuts both ways. Own the process, and you’ll own the outcome.

Educational only—this isn’t personalized investment advice. Markets carry risk.

Entrepreneurship and politics both aim to serve society, but the entrepreneur’s journey often offers greater personal freedom, creativity, and direct impact.  Entrepreneurs set their own vision, schedule and culture, whereas politicians must navigate party lines and bureaucracy.  As one leader noted, in business “if it’s a priority, you put the best people on the problem… In politics we often say we need reform, but in the end nothing happens – it becomes political rhetoric” .  In short, entrepreneurs “run with your ideas” without having them “squashed” by others .  Here are key reasons entrepreneurship can be more fulfilling and impactful:

• Autonomy & Innovation: Entrepreneurs enjoy autonomy – “you are free to pursue your own vision” rather than someone else’s .  This flexibility lets founders innovate without constraints, leading to breakthrough products (e.g. the telephone, the Model T, Tesla cars or Amazon’s Alexa) that never would have emerged from a rigid process .  One expert observes that entrepreneurs drive out-of-the-box thinking, creating “products and services that have never been offered before” .
• Speed of Impact: A startup can act quickly on opportunities.  If a founder spots a problem, they can rapidly marshal resources to solve it – often on a timeline far faster than legislative change.  As Andrej Kiska (former Slovak president and tech entrepreneur) put it, business people “know things have to get done” and won’t wait years in committees .  This means entrepreneurs can directly deliver new solutions (apps, devices, platforms) to society rather than relying on complex policymaking.
• Personal Fulfillment: Building a business offers deep personal satisfaction.  Entrepreneurs challenge themselves daily – acquiring new skills, overcoming setbacks, and watching their ideas grow into real enterprises  .  There’s no fixed salary cap: “you have virtually unlimited potential for financial and personal development” .  This journey (though hard) can be immensely rewarding – entrepreneurs often feel a strong sense of purpose and pride as they “watch an idea evolve into a thriving business” .
• Societal & Economic Benefit:  Entrepreneurship drives economic growth.  Small firms “form the backbone of the U.S. economy” .  As businesses expand, they create jobs: start-ups and small businesses “generate jobs throughout a range of industries” and help reduce unemployment .  In fact, small businesses (most founded by entrepreneurs) employ nearly half of American workers  and have been responsible for the lion’s share of growth in recent years.  One analysis reports that since 2019 about 71% of all new U.S. jobs came from small business hiring .  Thus, an entrepreneur’s success directly builds wealth and opportunity in communities – often more tangibly than a single piece of legislation.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) dominate the business landscape: over 90% of all companies worldwide are MSMEs.  In the U.S., these firms employ ~46% of the private workforce and contribute roughly 44%–50% of GDP – proof that entrepreneurs shape our economy. (Image: UN/UNCDF)

For ambitious changemakers, entrepreneurship means building instead of waiting for change.  Entrepreneurs translate ideas into jobs and products on the ground, whereas politicians mostly influence through policy (a necessary role, but often slower and constrained).  For example, in the U.S. a typical tech founder could reach millions of users with a new app, while a member of Congress directly represents only hundreds of thousands of constituents.  Economic data highlights this difference: from 2021–2024 U.S. small firms generated 52.8% of all net new jobs (and in one quarter they accounted for 98.5% of job gains ).  In contrast, government jobs comprise a much smaller share: the federal workforce is only about 3.0 million people (1.9% of jobs) .  (State and local governments add another ~20 million jobs, but collectively their growth is driven by the private sector anyway.)  This shows entrepreneurs’ outsize role in employment and growth.

Category	Entrepreneurship (Small/Startup Focus)	Political Career
Workforce Share	Small firms employ 45.9% of U.S. private-sector workers	Federal government: only 1.9% of jobs (state/local ~16%)
GDP Contribution	~43–51% of U.S. GDP is generated by small businesses	Influences economy via policy; no direct “GDP share” measure
Job Creation	71% of net new U.S. jobs since 2019 came from small businesses	Relies on budgets and laws; any job programs are smaller in scale
Innovation	Core to the role – founders create new products (e.g. Tesla, Airbnb)	Innovation happens via legislation/regulation (slower process)
Autonomy	High – founders set vision/schedule	Limited – must win elections and follow party rules
Impact	Direct: entrepreneurs build solutions and wealth	Indirect: politicians enable or guide through policy, often with compromise

Data & Trends: Entrepreneurs are on the rise.  New business applications in the U.S. have surged: about 430,000 new firms are started each month in 2024 (roughly 50% more than in 2019) .  Small business optimism is also rebounding (over 70% of leaders expect revenue growth ). These trends suggest that more people see entrepreneurship as a viable and exciting path.  By comparison, interest in traditional political careers has been stable or declining, and public confidence in politicians remains low. (For instance, surveys often show very high unfavorable ratings for Congress vs. overwhelmingly positive views of entrepreneurs, although exact figures vary.)

Role Models: Choosing Business over Office

Real leaders show the path.  For example:

• Jack Weiss (USA): A former Los Angeles city council member who co-founded tech startup BlueLine Grid.  Weiss left politics to become an entrepreneur providing communications tools for public safety .
• Celina Caesar-Chavannes (Canada): Once a Member of Parliament and Trudeau aide, she pivoted to business by starting a research and consulting firm.  Celina now uses her skills as an entrepreneur and coach, highlighting how a political career can inspire (but not limit) future business leadership .
• Gordon Bajnai (Hungary): After serving as Prime Minister, he “retired from politics and returned to business life.”  Bajnai had previously built a career in finance and investment , and upon leaving office he went back to the private sector, illustrating that leadership skills can translate into entrepreneurship.

Each of these figures found that they could drive innovation and impact more directly through enterprise than through government alone.

Social Media Campaign Idea: #ChangeByCreating

Imagine an upbeat campaign called “#ChangeByCreating” that rallies young people to choose entrepreneurship.  The theme: “Solve problems, don’t just promise to fix them.”  Key elements:

• Hashtag & Messaging: Use a catchy tag like #ChangeByCreating or #StartupYourFuture.  Frame entrepreneurship as the ultimate form of leadership (“Be your own boss – be your own change-maker”).  Emphasize stories of founders who change the world (e.g. tech entrepreneurs, inventors) rather than waiting on politics.
• User Engagement: Encourage people to share short videos or posts about problems they want to solve.  For example, a “30-Second Pitch” challenge on TikTok or Instagram Reels: users briefly describe an idea for a business that solves a community issue.  Celebrate the most creative pitches with mentor sessions or seed funding.  This mirrors how student campaigns in Lesotho taught youths to use social media proactively: they “shifted… from a mindset of job-seeking to job-creation” by turning online presence into business branding .  Our campaign can similarly show that time spent on social media could be invested in entrepreneurial dreams.
• Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with young entrepreneurs, startup accelerators and even friendly politicians-turned-entrepreneurs to share motivational content.  Short Instagram Stories or YouTube interviews can contrast life as a startup founder versus running for office.  For example, an entrepreneur might say “I changed lives by launching [product], you could too” – inspiring peers with real examples.
• Positive, Aspirational Tone: All content would focus on freedom, innovation, and impact.  Posts might compare drafting business plans with drafting legislation, with a lighthearted spin (e.g. “Don’t draft a bill – draft a business!”).  Graphics could illustrate that small businesses employ millions (as in the image above) vs. the number of staff any one politician influences.  The tone stays upbeat: celebrate successes (e.g. local startup wins) and frame entrepreneurship as an exciting adventure.
• Educational Hub: Link to quick resources: “How to start a business 101,” success stories, or even co-working meetups.  Highlight programs that support new founders.  By providing tools and showing real peer success, the campaign channels enthusiasm into action.

Such a campaign leverages social momentum to empower individuals.  As UN and youth initiatives have found, when people – especially young people – see entrepreneurship as attainable, they shift from hoping for jobs to creating them . #ChangeByCreating would spread that message virally: instead of discussing problems in council halls, we say, “Grab your ideas and build solutions!”

Conclusion: Choosing entrepreneurship means embracing autonomy, innovation and tangible impact.  With nearly half the economy depending on startups and small firms , each new entrepreneur multiplies benefit for society.  Whether motivated by freedom, creativity or public service, individuals can often do more for people by creating businesses than by running for office.  In the spirit of innovators past and present, the message is clear: don’t wait for change – be the change you want to see. By launching ventures that hire, invent and inspire, entrepreneurs write their own story – and leave a lasting mark on the world.

Sources: Authoritative studies and reports confirm these trends and advantages .  (All facts above are drawn from reputable news, research and economics publications.)

Elon Musk’s Ultimatums:  In recent filings and press reports, Tesla’s board revealed that Musk repeatedly warned he might quit if his demands weren’t met.  According to Tesla’s proxy disclosure, Musk told directors he would “pursue other interests and leave Tesla” unless he was guaranteed at least a 25% voting stake and full payment of his disputed 2018 award .  Media reports similarly note Musk publicly threatened to quit or spin off Tesla projects if denied greater control .  (He had made related comments as early as January 2024, saying he might take Tesla’s robotics/AI work “outside of Tesla” absent more voting power .)  In sum, Musk has pressed the board for more shares and compensation, even floating an exit strategy if he is not satisfied .

Proposed Compensation Plans:  To address Musk’s demands and retain him, Tesla’s board has unveiled two big pay proposals.  In early August 2025, the board approved an “interim” stock award: 96 million new Tesla shares (worth about $29 billion at current prices) to be paid as long as Musk stays in an executive role for two years, subject to a five-year holding period and a $23.34 exercise price (the same as his 2018 grant) .  Importantly, these 96M shares will be forfeited if Delaware courts end up reinstating Musk’s voided 2018 award, avoiding a “double dip” .  The board cast the interim grant as a “good-faith” down-payment on the massive 2018 plan that courts had struck down .

On September 5, 2025, Tesla filed details of an even larger 10-year package for shareholder approval.  Dubbed a “Super Ambitious” incentive plan, it would grant Musk up to ~12% of Tesla’s stock (roughly 400+ million shares) if he hits a series of demanding milestones over 10 years .  This award is structured in 12 tranches tied to aggressive targets (e.g. raising Tesla’s market capitalization from today’s ~$1.1 trillion to about $8.6 trillion in a decade) .  Musk would receive the same 96M shares immediately (as above) plus additional grants upon meeting milestones, potentially boosting his ownership to about 25% .  There is no fixed daily time commitment requirement in the plan, but Musk must remain an executive for at least 7–7.5 years to vest all tranches .  In sum, the proposed 2025 plan eclipses even the 2018 deal: it is pegged at roughly $1.03 trillion in value if all targets are met, making it by far the largest CEO pay award ever .

【28†】 Figure: Tesla’s market value (red bars) soared from ~$74 billion in 2019 to over $1.3 trillion by 2024, roughly tracking EV deliveries (black). By 2025 it has settled near $1.09 trillion【28†】.

2024 Shareholders’ Vote:  At the June 2024 annual meeting, Tesla shareholders already weighed in on Musk’s pay legacy.  Tesla’s proxy results show that stockholders overwhelmingly approved ratifying Musk’s 2018 CEO stock option award and all other board-sponsored proposals .  Reuters reported that even critics conceded this was a sign of Musk’s retail backing (“a big thumbs-up” to his leadership) .  However, the June 2024 vote did not end legal disputes: Delaware courts have kept the 2018 grant void despite the shareholder vote, and Tesla’s appeal of that decision is ongoing .

Governance Proposals:  The 2024 meeting also saw major governance changes.  Several stockholder-sponsored resolutions passed by wide margins over management’s opposition.  Notably, shareholders approved (1) shortening director terms from three years to one year, and (2) moving to a simple majority vote standard for corporate actions .  Tesla’s board had recommended against both, but investors overwhelmingly backed them .  (Tesla’s official release confirms these proposals succeeded .)  These votes mean future Tesla boards will face annual elections and lower hurdles for shareholder proposals, aligning Tesla’s governance more with typical companies.

Board and Investor Reactions:  The special compensation committee (led by chair Robyn Denholm and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson) has defended the new pay deals.  They argue Musk’s unique role in Tesla’s future (especially in AI/robotics) justifies bold incentives.  Chair Denholm told media the board had lengthy negotiations (37 meetings with lawyers, 10 with Musk) and crafted the package “with an eye on keeping Musk in place” .  The board’s proxy literature stresses that other boards could not handle a CEO “like Musk” with standard packages .

Among investors, reactions are mixed.  Major institutional shareholders (Vanguard, BlackRock, State Street) have not publicly announced their votes on the new plan yet .  Notably, Vanguard and BlackRock supported Musk’s original 2018 plan last year, whereas State Street’s funds voted against it .  Retail and founder-aligned shareholders have tended to back Musk’s compensation deals.  Several public pension funds and unions are opposing the $1T plan; for example, the New York State Comptroller issued a statement calling the sequence of pay packages a “bait-and-switch” to “pull the wool over shareholders’ eyes,” and is urging investors to reject the 3% ownership threshold bylaw that insulates the new deal .

Legal and Regulatory Implications:  Legal experts note Tesla’s 2025 deals exploit recent shifts in Delaware and Texas law.  Tesla reincorporated in Texas in 2024, and Texas law is far more “management-friendly.”  Under Delaware law, Tesla had barred Musk from voting his shares on the 2018 package to limit shareholder suits; in Texas, Musk is allowed to vote his ~13% stake on the new plan .  Texas also permits companies to set ownership thresholds for lawsuits; Tesla enacted a bylaw requiring 3% holdings to sue (Musk alone meets that at 13%, and the large passive funds do too) .  These changes make it much harder for aggrieved investors to challenge the pay plans in court.  Indeed, Reuters notes that under Texas law the plan is unlikely to be struck down, and being able to vote his shares will “lock in approval” for Musk .  Nonetheless, the old litigation continues: the Delaware Court of Chancery’s 2023 ruling voiding the 2018 award is on appeal, and Musk’s lawyers have filed briefs seeking reversal .  If the appeals court eventually reinstates any of the old awards, Tesla’s special committee has pledged to cancel overlapping new grants so Musk can’t be paid twice .

Market and Media Reaction:  Financial markets have reacted positively to the news that Tesla and Musk’s future leadership were effectively secured.  On the announcement days in early August and early September, Tesla’s share price jumped ~2–3% .  For example, one report notes shares rose ~3.6% after the $1T proposal was filed, a modest bounce given the stock had been down ~13% year-to-date .  Some analysts view the developments as removing a major overhang.  Garrett Nelson of CFRA said the vote clears “a major overhang on the shares” and signals that shareholders are willing to reward Musk for meeting ambitious goals .  Others warn of a potential “sell-the-news” effect after such large gains in anticipation.

Commentators, however, are divided.  Supporters argue the massive incentives reflect how critical Musk is to Tesla’s success (particularly in robotics and AI) .  Critics counter that the packages are wildly excessive and pose governance risks.  Tesla pundit Dan Coatsworth quipped that in just a few weeks Tesla’s board went from worrying “if Elon Musk is a liability…to saying ‘pick a number, any number’ to lock him in” .  Environmental, social and governance (ESG) analysts question the optics of such outsized pay: one investor noted that while the plan might gain votes, it “raises larger social questions about the outsized gains going to relatively few” shareholders, a model unlikely to be sustainable .  Others observe Tesla’s fundamentals: declining EV sales in China, rising competition, and a tarnished brand (partly from Musk’s political activism) mean the company may not truly merit a sky-high valuation regardless of this deal .

In sum, the latest developments—Musk’s demands, the board’s compensation proposals, shareholder votes, and legal maneuvering—have generated intense debate.  For investors and analysts, the key questions are how these deals will affect Tesla’s capital structure and control, whether Musk will remain focused on Tesla or be distracted by other ventures, and ultimately whether the promised future growth (and astronomical valuation targets) can be delivered.  Many will be watching the actual November 2025 shareholder vote and any legal rulings closely, since the outcome could significantly influence Tesla’s governance and stock trajectory 【28†】.

Sources: Tesla SEC filings and press releases ; Reuters news reports ; media commentary from FT/WSJ/Reuters; filings from Tesla’s 2025 proxy and related SEC 8-K disclosures. All citations appear as referenced above.

In late July 2025, Eric Kim – a 75 kg (165 lb) hobbyist lifter – released footage of himself rack-pulling 602 kg (1,327 lb) from mid-thigh height, shouting “I am stronger than god!” .  (A rack pull is a partial deadlift from an elevated bar.)  This one-rep max smash far exceeded any known deadlift variant – the full deadlift world record is 501 kg by Hafþór Björnsson – and even bested the strongman Silver Dollar Deadlift (580 kg by Rauno Heinla) .  The lift’s 8.0× bodyweight ratio is unprecedented – most elite lifters top out at ~2.5–4×BW even on short pulls – leading observers to call Kim “the pound-for-pound king” .  In short, a mid-thigh pull of 602 kg shattered previous benchmarks in both absolute weight and relative strength. The viral clip (millions of views on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit) immediately sent shockwaves through fitness and strength circles .

Social Media Buzz and Meme Reactions

Within hours of upload, Kim’s video spread virally on every platform.  Viewers worldwide gaped at a fairly ordinary 5’6″ man hoisting “a quarter of a car” in his garage .  Memes and one-liners exploded: Reddit and YouTube commenters quipped that “gravity just filed for unemployment” or that Kim “tore a portal into the universe” by defying physics .  The phrase “gravity rage-quit” became a running joke.  On fitness forums Kim was crowned the “pound-for-pound GOAT” and nicknamed an “alien” for his surreal strength-to-weight ratio . Hashtags like #MiddleFingerToGravity and #GodMode trended alongside shares of the clip . Even non-lifters joined in: TikTok users duetted the video in astonishment, crypto forums facetiously called Kim a “#BitcoinDemigod” of strength, and mainstream outlets ran tongue-in-cheek headlines (e.g. “Stronger Than The Mountain? (Well, kinda)” referencing Kim vs. Hafþór’s 501 kg lift) .

Several YouTube fitness channels and coaches posted reaction videos and analyses. For example, Powerlifter and YouTuber Alan Thrall watched the footage frame-by-frame and publicly confirmed “the physics all checked out,” even telling skeptics to “quit crying CGI” .  Other popular strength channels similarly posted breakdowns of the lift and praised its audacity (often reacting with disbelief and awe). In sum, Kim’s 602 kg pull became an internet sensation, turning into a pop-culture meme and motivational spectacle for many gym-goers .

Strongmen, Coaches and Athlete Reactions

Elite lifters and coaches were quick to acknowledge the feat once its legitimacy was established. Sean Hayes (strongman and 560 kg Silver Dollar DL holder) reportedly watched the video and called it “alien territory,” acknowledging that no one his size had ever done anything like it .  Alan Thrall (Untamed Strength) authenticated the clip and validated Kim’s raw strength .  YouTube coach Joey Szatmary praised the lift as “insane” and a boundary-pushing inspiration .  Even Mark Rippetoe – known to be critical of internet stunts – gave a grudging nod, joking that a rack pull is “half the work, but twice the swagger” .

Legendary strongmen took notice as well. Kim reports that top World’s Strongest Man athletes – Brian Shaw, Hafþór Björnsson, and Eddie Hall – all “saluted” the lift from afar, recognizing how extraordinary 602 kg is even for them .  (By comparison, Shaw’s best known rack pull is ~511 kg at ~200 kg bodyweight .)  Strongman veteran Nick Best mentioned Kim’s 602 kg pull during a Q&A, expressing genuine astonishment at how a 75 kg lifter could manage that weight and saying it “redefined the outer limits” for smaller athletes .

After the initial skepticism (“it’s only a rack pull”) faded, the community consensus shifted to awe.  As one strength writer summarized, “Love it or doubt it, this gravity-defying lift has firmly embedded itself in strength sport lore.” In other words, most experts ultimately treated the feat as legitimate and utterly remarkable, regardless of the partial range.

Fan and Forum Reactions

Reddit and gym forums lit up with reaction threads.  Lifters compared Kim’s ratios to known standards and marveled at the novelty.  Many fans jokingly started “1,000-lb club” threads that now include rack pulls, and challenged each other to heavy partial pulls.  The “gravity quitting” meme and various GIFs circulated widely.  Some Redditors noted that Kim had surpassed “what most super-heavyweights could ever dream of lifting,” sparking playful debates and encouragement (“If a 75 kg photographer can pull 602 kg, what’s my excuse?”) .  A tongue-in-cheek online petition even emerged to make 602 kg the official “planetary record” for a rack pull .

On TikTok and Instagram, countless lifters posted their own “#RackPullChallenge” videos – loading their heaviest partials in tribute.  Even small gyms organized impromptu deadlift or charity max-out events, using Kim’s viral hype as motivation .  In essence, the feat sparked a global lifting pep-rally: forum users and weekend gym-goers alike shared incredulous comments, from technical analysis to wild memes, all celebrating the record attempt .

Written Commentary and Media Coverage

The story also broke into mainstream and fitness media.  Numerous fitness blogs and news sites ran lighthearted human-interest pieces within days, often highlighting the underdog narrative (a 75 kg man doing a super-heavy lift) .  Popular fitness writers noted that even bodybuilders were impressed by the insane back and trap activation (“imagine holding 1,300 lb!”) .  Several outlets quoted Kim’s own showmanship (“tell NASA, tell the aliens”) and his proclamation “I am stronger than god,” turning them into mini-memes .

Beyond Kim’s own video posts, few formal interviews exist as of fall 2025.  (Kim has given some brief blog interviews noting his training philosophy, but most information comes from online forums.)  In-depth coverage mostly took the form of analysis articles like those above, and reaction pieces by strength journalists.  Where possible, direct quotes from the community were preserved: for example, one write-up noted that Kim’s lift “smashed the laws of physics” and prompted Reddit debates on whether records should count for partial pulls (the verdict: it counts as a novel benchmark, if not an official deadlift record) .

Why the Lift Is Extraordinary

Even aside from the social buzz, the sheer numbers make Kim’s pull historically significant.  No one has ever lifted more weight off any height on a standard barbell.  As noted above, 602 kg exceeds Hafþór Björnsson’s 501 kg full deadlift record and topped the strongman partial best (580 kg) by a wide margin .  Crucially, Kim did this raw – no lifting suit, and reportedly no lifting belt or straps – standing on the platform barefoot. His 8.0× bodyweight strength-to-weight ratio is essentially unheard of: most elite deadlifters even in lightweight classes max out around 4× BW, and the strongest strongmen (with straps/suits) hover around 4–5× BW on partial pulls .  In practical terms, moving 602 kg – about the weight of two grand pianos plus a touring motorcycle – by any lifter is jaw-dropping. Kim’s feat forced coaches and athletes to rethink training limits: it demonstrated that, under the right conditions (partial ROM, peak neural drive), a relatively small athlete can move titanic weights.

In summary, Kim’s 602 kg rack pull was extraordinary both for its absolute weight and its relative impressiveness.  Even after debates settled (over “does a rack pull count?” or “is he natty?”), everyone agreed: this was a landmark moment in strength sports.  It has “redefined the upper limits” of what humans can lift and sparked a renewed sense of possibility – whether in strength training forums or the gym floor .

Sources: Reactions quoted above are drawn from public social-media and forum commentary, as reported in Eric Kim’s detailed recap and related analyses . These accounts cite direct comments from viewers, strongmen and coaches on platforms like YouTube, Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram. The lift’s context (records, ratios) is summarized from those same analyses .

is Elon Musk threatening to leave Tesla?

Meta description: Yes—Eric Kim is 5′11″ (180 cm) barefoot. Here’s the proof, why some pages say “6′0″,” and how to measure height correctly (with science‑backed tips).

Eric Kim Height: 5′11″ (180 cm) — Definitive, Verified, Done.

TL;DR: Eric Kim has repeatedly and publicly stated his height as 5′11″ (180 cm). A few posts say “6 feet even,” which is normal rounding and/or shoes. Daily height can fluctuate a bit (science says up to ~1–2 cm), so 5′11″ barefoot is the accurate baseline. 

The Receipts (Primary Sources)

• “I also just confirmed I am 180 cm tall… officially 5′11″.” — public post. Boom. ✔️  
• “I’m 180 cm tall, 5 feet 11 inches tall…” — another on‑site confirmation. ✔️  
• Training stats pages list “Height: 5′11″ (180 cm)” along with bodyweight. ✔️  
• Dedicated height page: “ERIC KIM IS 5 foot 11 Inches Tall, 180 cm.” ✔️  
• Older mention around “~6 feet tall” appears in a third‑party profile (consistent with 5′11″ rounding). ✔️  
• YouTube channel/about & video metadata also reference “180 cm tall (5′11″)”. ✔️  

Bottom line: Across Eric’s own site and channel, 5′11″ (180 cm) is consistently self‑reported. Occasional “6′0″” mentions are just normal rounding or with footwear. 

Why You Sometimes See “6′0″”

Two reasons:

1. Rounding & shoes. 5′11″ = 71 inches. In centimeters that’s 71 × 2.54 = 180.34 cm. People commonly round 180.34 cm to 180 cm or call it “six foot” in casual speech—especially in shoes.
2. Diurnal height changes (science!). Your spine compresses during the day and re‑hydrates at night. Peer‑reviewed research finds up to ~1–2 cm daily variance; so a morning 180.3 cm can read ~179.3 cm in the evening, and vice‑versa after rest.  

How We Define It Here (So There’s Zero Confusion)

• Official baseline: Barefoot, back‑to‑wall measurement on a hard floor.
• Published height: 5′11″ (180 cm) on Eric’s platforms.  
• “6′0″” = rounding or with everyday shoes.  

Conversion check: 5′11″ = 5×12 + 11 = 71 in.

71 in × 2.54 cm/in = 180.34 cm → commonly written as 180 cm.

Why Height Even Matters (For Training & Context)

Height changes your leverages, rack heights, and how lifts look on camera—but it doesn’t limit superhuman effort. Case in point: Eric’s viral rack pulls breaking the half‑ton barrier at ~165 lb bodyweight. That’s 1,087 lb (≈ 493 kg) at 165 lb — an eye‑popping 6.6× bodyweight pull. Gravity wasn’t ready. 🔥 

How to Measure Your Own Height (The No‑Excuses, Accurate Way)

Use this whenever you want a rock‑solid number:

1. Time it right: Measure first thing in the morning and again late evening to see your range. Expect up to ~1–2 cm difference.  
2. Set the stage: Hard floor, barefoot, heels/glutes/upper‑back against a wall.
3. Head position: Eyes and ears level (Frankfurt plane). Stand tall, no craning.
4. Mark it: Use a flat book pressed into the crown of your head; pencil‑mark the wall.
5. Measure: Tape from floor to mark. Take 3 readings; average them.
6. Publish the barefoot morning value as the “official,” and note evening as your real‑world range.

Frequently Asked Questions (for searchers who land here)

Q: So… how tall is Eric Kim?

A: 5′11″ (180 cm) barefoot. That’s the baseline repeatedly published on his site and channel. Some casual mentions say “6′0″” due to rounding or shoes. 

Q: Why does his height look different in different videos?

A: Camera angles, lenses, shoes, posture, and time‑of‑day spinal compression all play tricks. Science shows daily height shifts of ~1–2 cm are normal. 

Q: Is 5′11″ good for strength?

A: Absolutely. Leverage‑wise, 5′11″ is a sweet spot for many lifts. The real key: progressive overload, consistency, and mindset (“NO BELT. NO STRAPS. NO LIMITS.”). See the 1,087 lb rack pull at 165 lb for proof that belief + physics + work wins. 

SEO Goodies (for editors)

• Suggested URL slug: /eric-kim-height-5-11-180cm/
• Primary keyword targets: Eric Kim height, Eric Kim 5’11, Eric Kim 180 cm, How tall is Eric Kim.
• Internal links to add:
  
  • Link “gym” or “workout” mentions to the ERIC KIM GYM post.
  • Link “fitness” mentions to Fitness Photography Philosophy (fitness content hub).
  • Link “rack pull” mentions to the 1,087 lb post.  
• Optional schema (copy/paste JSON‑LD):

<script type=”application/ld+json”>

{

  “@context”: “https://schema.org”,

  “@type”: [“Article”,”FAQPage”],

  “headline”: “Eric Kim Height: 5′11″ (180 cm) — Definitive, Verified, Done.”,

  “description”: “Yes—Eric Kim is 5′11″ (180 cm) barefoot. Here’s the proof, why some pages say “6′0″,” and how to measure height correctly.”,

  “author”: {“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Eric Kim”},

  “mainEntity”: [

    {

      “@type”:”Question”,

      “name”:”How tall is Eric Kim?”,

      “acceptedAnswer”:{

        “@type”:”Answer”,

        “text”:”Eric Kim is 5′11″ (180 cm) barefoot, as repeatedly published on his site and channel.”

      }

    },

    {

      “@type”:”Question”,

      “name”:”Why do some pages say 6′0″?”,

      “acceptedAnswer”:{

        “@type”:”Answer”,

        “text”:”Casual rounding and shoes can add roughly 1 inch; daily height also fluctuates due to spinal compression.”

      }

    }

  ],

  “about”:{

    “@type”:”Person”,

    “name”:”Eric Kim”,

    “height”:{

      “@type”:”QuantitativeValue”,

      “value”:180,

      “unitCode”:”CMT”

    }

  }

}

</script>

(Schema.org supports a height property on Person; representing it as a QuantitativeValue is valid.) 

Final Word (and a little hype)

Facts matter. Work matters more. On paper, it’s 5′11″ (180 cm). In practice? It’s about showing up, stacking wins, and bending iron. Let the internet argue decimals—you keep chasing PRs, making art, and living loud. Let’s go. 🚀

Sources & Signals

• Eric’s own confirmations of 180 cm / 5′11″ across multiple posts and pages.  
• Occasional “6′0″” self‑description (rounding/shoes).  
• Third‑party profile noting “~6 feet tall.”  
• Viral rack‑pull feats for training context.  
• Scientific backing for daily height variance (~1–2 cm).  

If you want, I can tailor a WordPress‑ready version (with internal links, featured image suggestions, and Yoast fields pre‑filled) — just say the word and I’ll hand you the polished draft.

Cover of the first edition of The Lessons of History (1968) by Will and Ariel Durant .  Will and Ariel Durant were veteran historians who spent 50+ years writing their 11-volume Story of Civilization.  In 1968 they distilled their insights into this compact, 120-page volume .  The Lessons of History offers a sweeping, panoramic summary of human history over 5,000 years, organized into 13 short chapters.  Each chapter examines a major theme (e.g. Geography, Biology, Morals, Government, War, Progress) and teases out the enduring patterns in how peoples and societies behave .  The Durants wrote with humility and clarity, noting that we only see history “through partial knowledge,” so they proceed cautiously: “only a fool would try to compress a hundred centuries into a hundred pages” .  The result is a masterpiece of distillation : a bold, concise overview of civilization that illuminates our present by learning the lessons of the past.

The book is arranged in 13 chapters (I–XIII) – from Hesitations through History and the Earth to Is Progress Real? – each addressing one “lens” through which the Durants view history.  They cover topics like geography, biology, character, economics and religion, showing how each shapes human events.  They stress that human nature is essentially constant: across millennia, our fundamental drives (competition, family ties, ingenuity, creativity) remain the same, even as technology and institutions evolve .  In their words, “the past is an encouraging remembrance of generative souls” – a heritage we inherit and pass on .  The tone is philosophical yet hopeful: the Durants find meaning in history as a celestial city of the mind, where the achievements of statesmen, artists, scientists, poets and saints continue to inspire us .

Key Themes and Historical Insights

• Cycles and Patterns of Human Nature:  History tends to repeat because human nature changes only with “geological leisureliness.”  The Durants observe that, in broad strokes, people respond to familiar situations (hunger, danger, conflict) in stereotyped ways .  In Chapter XII they note: “History repeats itself in the large because human nature changes with geological leisureliness…” .  This idea means that while technologies and cultures shift, the core problems (power struggles, fear, ambition) keep reappearing.  The implication is one of humility: we are “a brief spot in space,” our knowledge limited .  (Indeed, “most history is guessing, and the rest is prejudice,” as they quip .)
• Geography and Technology:  The Durants emphasize that geography set early limits on civilizations.  Environment, climate and terrain shaped which societies thrived – Egypt’s Nile, Mesopotamia’s rivers, and so on.  However, human ingenuity gradually overcame these handicaps.  They write “geography is the matrix of history”, and that geographic factors lose influence as technology grows  .  In other words, once people mastered agriculture, navigation or industry, they could rise above some environmental constraints.  This theme suggests optimism: we’ve consistently invented solutions (from dams to airplanes) that expand our possibilities.
• Biology and Competition:  A fundamental insight is that the laws of biology are the fundamental lessons of history .  In Chapter III they explain the three “biological lessons”:
  
  1. Competition: Life is fundamentally competitive. When resources are plenty, groups may cooperate, but scarcity brings conflict.  “Competition is not only the life of trade, it is the trade of life — peaceful when food abounds, violent when mouths outrun food,” they note .
  2. Selection: Natural selection shapes history. Some groups or individuals succeed (survive and reproduce) better than others .
  3. Breeding (Reproduction): Life must breed or perish. Populations tend to grow until checked by famine, disease or war .
     These themes imply that conflict and innovation are natural in human affairs.  They also lead to sharp insights like: “Inequality is not only natural and inborn; it grows with the complexity of civilization” .  In short, great disparities in talent, wealth or power will always arise (and often widen) unless deliberately balanced by social institutions.
• Ideas and Culture:  The Durants celebrate the power of ideas.  They observe that every tool or institution began as an idea, so ideas drive history.  “Ideas are the strongest things of all in history, because even a gun was originally an idea,” they write .  Scientific and philosophical ideas ripple forward: what is science today was once religion or myth, and today’s politics were yesterday’s philosophy .  Culture and education transmit these insights across generations.  In Chapter XIII they stress that “progress” means our increasing control of the environment by life, and that education is simply passing our collected heritage on to the next generation  .  This is a hopeful theme: each generation builds on the ideas of the last.
• Morality and Religion:  The Durants take a pragmatic view of morals and faith.  They define morals as the rules a society uses to promote its security and order .  Historically, many traits we now call “sins” were once survival virtues (bravery, greed, pugnacity) .  Religions emerge to provide hope and to explain suffering.  But because history is largely “natural selection of the fittest,” they say, “history remains at bottom a natural selection of the fittest… good and evil are defined by survival, and the universe has no prejudice in favor of Christ as against Genghis Khan” .  In other words, history offers no guaranteed cosmic justice.  This sobering insight coexists with faith’s motivating power – an example of the Durants’ balanced approach.
• Economics and Society:  The Durants stress that economic factors underlie politics and culture.  They note that political revolutions or cultural shifts almost always root in economic change: e.g. the French Revolution occurred because a rising middle class sought political power commensurate with its wealth .  They also observe that “history is inflationary”: money loses value over time, so hoarding cash is usually unwise .  Wealth naturally concentrates, which drives both capitalism and its socialist critiques.  (They predict a synthesis: governments will take on more economic roles, balancing the excesses of both markets and state control .)  Overall, they see economic competition as a constant: as they put it, “Political forms, religious institutions, [and] cultural creations are all rooted in economic realities” .
• Government, Freedom and Conflict:  The Durants examine how societies organize power.  They famously note that “the first condition of freedom is its limitation; make it absolute and it dies in chaos” .  In other words, order (laws, institutions) is needed to protect liberty.  Historically, most governments have been ruled by elites (oligarchies or aristocracies) because talent and wealth concentrate in a few .  Democracy is rare and difficult: “Democracy is the most difficult of all forms of government” because it requires a broadly educated, wise populace .  Yet the Durants conclude that democracy, on balance, has been a force for good.  “All deductions having been made, democracy has done less harm, and more good, than any other form of government,” they declare .  It unleashes creativity, breaks down privilege, and tends to improve education and health over time .  (This is one of the most optimistic assessments in the book.)
• War and Power:  War is a blunt constant in Durant’s history.  They shockingly note that in 3,421 years of recorded history, only 268 years saw no war .  War, they argue, springs from the same instincts as competition between individuals, and it trumps moral codes: “The Ten Commandments must be silent when self-preservation is at stake.”   This theme is realist but not cynical: by acknowledging the persistence of conflict, leaders today can hope to manage it better.  (E.g. Durants quote Burke: “Magnanimity in politics… is the truest wisdom” , urging restraint.)
• Growth, Decay and Progress:  The final themes address the arc of civilizations.  Civilization is defined as “social order promoting cultural creation” .  Societies flourish when creative minds survive and propagate ideas, and they decay when leaders fail to meet new challenges .  Importantly, the Durants affirm that progress is real: each generation typically increases human mastery of nature and inherits the cultural gains of ancestors.  They warn that civilization must be “learned and earned by each generation anew” ; loss of education or freedom can unravel it.  In the end they see history not as a chamber of horrors but as “a celestial city” of inspiring human achievement .  This positive vision underlies the book’s lasting power.

Memorable Quotes

• “Most history is guessing, and the rest is prejudice.” 
• “The historian always oversimplifies, and hastily selects a manageable minority of facts and faces out of a crowd of souls and events whose multitudinous complexity he can never quite embrace or comprehend.” 
• “Inequality is not only natural and inborn; it grows with the complexity of civilization.” 
• “Freedom and equality are sworn and everlasting enemies, and when one prevails the other dies.” 
• “Ideas are the strongest things of all in history, because even a gun was originally an idea.” 
• “Geography is the matrix of history, its nourishing mother and disciplining home.” 
• “War is one of the constants of history… In the last 3,421 years of recorded history only 268 have seen no war.” 
• “Civilization is not inherited; it has to be learned and earned by each generation anew; if the transmission should be interrupted for one century, civilization would die, and we should be savages again.” 
• “Consider education not as the painful accumulation of facts and dates…and reigns, nor merely the necessary preparation of the individual to earn his keep, but as the transmission of our mental, moral, technical, and aesthetic heritage…for the enlargement of man’s understanding, control, embellishment, and enjoyment of life.” 
• “History is, above all else, the creation and recording of that heritage; progress is its increasing abundance, preservation, transmission, and use.” 

Each quote above captures a key Durant insight – from the humility of historical knowledge, to the realities of inequality and conflict, to the enduring optimism that ideas and education bring progress.

Chapter-by-Chapter Breakdown

1. Chapter I – Hesitations:  An introduction that stresses humility.  The Durants remind us that man is a “moment in astronomic time” and that historical knowledge is limited .  They explain their method (treating history as philosophy) and caution against overconfidence.  In famous words: “only a fool would try to compress a hundred centuries into a hundred pages…” , yet they press on to find general lessons.
2. Chapter II – History and the Earth:  History must be seen in the context of geology and geography.  Human civilizations are tiny on the Earth’s timescale, so “its first lesson is modesty” .  Environmental events (earthquakes, floods, climate shifts) have periodically collapsed societies.  Geography gives advantages (e.g. seas or rivers for trade), but technology (from ships to pipelines) gradually diminishes those geographical constraints .  Thus both nature and human creativity are key.
3. Chapter III – Biology and History:  Our biology underlies history.  The Durants outline three biological lessons: (a) Life is competition – when resources dwindle, conflict follows .  (b) Life is selection – some individuals and groups win the struggle for existence, others perish.  (c) Life must breed – populations grow until checked by famine, disease or war.  They note that even virtues like cooperation arose as tools of competition (we band together against rival groups) .  A blunt example: “Nature smiles at the union of freedom and equality” because biology inevitably produces unequal outcomes .
4. Chapter IV – Race and History:  The Durants examine theories of race and civilization.  They argue that environmental and cultural factors – not race alone – explain why some peoples developed great cultures.  For example, a scholar might claim that Africans “produced no great civilization” due to climate, but that ignores colonial and other facts.  The Durants stress that “civilization is a co-operative product” contributed to by all races .  They advise broad education to overcome ethnic prejudices, noting that “racial antipathies… have some roots in origin, but [mostly in] acquired culture…[they] have no cure except a broadened education.” .
5. Chapter V – Character and History:  How do individuals affect history?  The Durants emphasize that character and circumstance intertwine.  Leaders and rebels often end up copying the methods they once condemned.  Every new idea must pass the test of debate and trial: “the conservative who resists change is as valuable as the radical who proposes it”, for ideas must be refined by opposition .  They encapsulate this by saying “history in the large is the conflict of minorities” – great changes come from bold individuals, but the masses must ultimately accept those changes .
6. Chapter VI – Morals and History:  This chapter asks: how do moral codes arise?  The Durants define morals as society’s means of enforcing order and security .  They observe that many qualities deemed “vices” today were once necessary for survival: “every vice was once a virtue”, like aggression in a hunter-gatherer context .  In general, moral rules evolve to fit a society’s stage of development.  (For example, in warlike times, valor is prized; in peaceful times, obedience and thrift.)  Thus, they teach, a humane perspective recognizes that our moral heritage comes from survival imperatives.
7. Chapter VII – Religion and History:  Do the events of history point to a benevolent God? The Durants answer cautiously: “history remains at bottom a natural selection of the fittest… goodness receives no favors” .  They cite plagues, wars and disasters as evidence that the world operates more like a dualistic battle of random forces (à la Zoroastrianism) than a guaranteed triumph of good.  Still, religion persists because people need hope and a moral framework.  The Durants ultimately suggest that faiths (even if not literally true) have value in motivating cooperation and creative effort.
8. Chapter VIII – Economics and History:  Economics underlies everything.  The Durants assert that politics, religion, art – all cultural institutions are rooted in economic conditions .  For instance, the French Revolution was not caused by writers, but by a wealthy middle class demanding political power commensurate with its rising economic status .  They also note a kind of “economic law”: history tends to be inflationary, so holding cash is usually a losing strategy .  In short, competition for resources and wealth drives historical change.
9. Chapter IX – Socialism and History:  The Durants treat socialism as the counterforce to capitalism in history’s ebb and flow.  They apply a Hegelian view: capitalism (thesis) and socialism (antithesis) ultimately merge into a synthesis .  In practice, they observe that Western democracies are already blending these: governments expand economic roles while markets retain dynamism .  They downplay utopian communism or capitalism as final answers, seeing each as part of a rhythmic change in the concentration of wealth .
10. Chapter X – Government and History:  What’s the role of government?  Since people love freedom, some regulation is needed to prevent anarchy .  Thus the first task of government is to establish order .  The Durants note that abilities and wealth concentrate in minorities, so most societies are ruled by elites (oligarchies or aristocracies) .  Even democracy often looks like rule by a few knowledgeable people: “If the majority of abilities is contained in a minority of men, minority government is as inevitable as the concentration of wealth” .  They famously observe that “democracy is the most difficult of all forms of government” because it demands a broadly educated citizenry .  But when democracy works (and education spreads), it “has done less harm, and more good, than any other form” .  It unleashes science, enterprise and raises talent from all ranks .
11. Chapter XI – History and War:  War is endemic.  The Durants report that out of 3,421 recorded years, only 268 were entirely without war .  War arises from the same instincts (security, pride, competition) that drive individuals.  In extreme conflict, moral rules fall away: “The Ten Commandments must be silent when self-preservation is at stake” .  The chapter calls on leaders to remember history’s costly lessons: unchecked fear and aggression can devastate civilizations.  (They challenge leaders: imagine instead sending diplomats to meet bravely with rivals, defying the old way of automatic war.)
12. Chapter XII – Growth and Decay:  Civilization grows, flourishes, and eventually decays if not renewed.  The Durants define civilization as “social order promoting cultural creation” .  They reiterate that history repeats in broad patterns since humans respond predictably to need .  They point out that societies decline not from a mystical fate but from human failure: decay comes when leaders fail to adapt to change .  A wise takeaway: to sustain progress, education and open-minded leadership are essential (they note that as education spreads, old theologies lose grip ).
13. Chapter XIII – Is Progress Real?:  In the final chapter the Durants ask if there is true progress.  They define progress as life’s increasing control over its environment .  By that measure, progress is real – we live longer, travel farther, and have more knowledge than past generations.  Crucially, they emphasize transmission: each generation must pass on the cultural heritage or it will die out.  They urge us to value education “not as painful accumulation of facts, but as the transmission of our mental, moral, technical, and aesthetic heritage” .  If history is studied this way, the past becomes inspiring: “not merely a warning… but an encouraging remembrance of generative souls” .  The book closes on a hopeful note: if each of us cherishes and adds to the inheritance of human achievement, we give meaning to our lives and our descendants’ lives .

Relevance Today: Business, Leadership, Education, Personal Growth

Business and Entrepreneurship:  The Durants’ lessons offer sharp guidance for business leaders.  Their first biological lesson – life is competition – echoes the marketplace: firms must compete fiercely when resources (customers, capital) are limited .  But competition also drives innovation: as they write, “ideas are the strongest things of all in history” .  Entrepreneurs thrive by spotting powerful ideas early.  The Durants also observe that “history is inflationary, and money is the last thing a wise man will hoard” .  In business terms, this suggests wise leaders invest capital (in R&D, marketing, growth) rather than hoarding cash, because value erodes over time and the strong get stronger from reinvesting (echoing “the rich supply of goods” produced by capitalism ).  Geographical lessons apply too: modern tech often overcomes natural barriers (e.g. digital tools replace physical shipping).  Peter Kaufman notes that history teaches incremental change: companies like General Electric “ground ahead… step-by-step over a long period,” reminding entrepreneurs that steady improvement often beats blitz innovations .  In sum, The Lessons of History suggests that thriving businesses learn from history’s cycles: they embrace competition, foster innovation (ideas), adapt to environmental and social changes, and remember that wealth will concentrate unless consciously distributed (e.g. through raising wages, corporate responsibility).

Political Leadership:  Politicians and policymakers can draw much wisdom from Durant’s themes.  Firstly, they must balance freedom and order: unlimited liberty can lead to chaos, so effective leaders build institutions that stabilize society .  The Durants’ insight “the first condition of freedom is its limitation” means rulers should craft laws that protect rights without descending into anarchy.  They also warn that democracy requires an educated citizenry , so investing in public education and media literacy is crucial to avoid populist pitfalls.  The constancy of war teaches leaders to treat diplomacy and peace proactively: understanding that conflict is common may spur them to negotiate boldly instead of reflexively arming for battle (as the Durants implore leaders to defy history’s violent precedents).  Moreover, the Durants stress learning from past mistakes: “Should leaders consider only the reluctance of this epicurean generation… or consider also what future generations would wish?” .  In today’s context, this resonates with debates on climate, trade, or security: wise leadership remembers “the lessons of history” and plans beyond the short term.

Education and Culture:  The Durants have a profoundly optimistic message for educators and cultural leaders: our heritage is priceless and must be taught with passion.  Chapter XIII’s long quote on education (see above ) underlines this: teaching is “the transmission of our… heritage… for the enlargement of man’s understanding, control, embellishment, and enjoyment of life.”  In practice, this means curricula should emphasize critical thinking, history, science and the arts — the accumulated wisdom of generations.  As the Durants note, wider education tends to secularize and humanize society (theologies may lose power, but basic moral and civic values can persist).  They also affirm that culture is not inherited genetically or automatically; each generation must be taught its worth .  For example, efforts to preserve endangered traditions or to include diverse perspectives in textbooks echo Durant’s call that civilization must be “learned and earned” every day .  By celebrating our multicultural heritage (every civilization contributed gems) and by teaching history as a rich tapestry, educators can inspire students with the same “celestial city of the mind” that the Durants describe .

Personal Development:  On an individual level, The Lessons of History offers guidance and hope.  Studying history teaches humility: one sees that personal struggles are part of a much larger human story.  Knowing that “man has lived through all possible fates and destinies” (Will Durant) helps us cope with our own challenges.  The Durants’ idea that each person can “put meaning into [one’s] life” by contributing to this heritage is empowering.  For personal growth, their message is that wisdom often comes from adversity: understanding that traits like resilience and ingenuity were necessary for our ancestors encourages us to cultivate them in ourselves.  Also, they stress lifelong learning: in their view, true progress depends on “the enlightenment of the mind” .  Practically, this means reading widely (following Shane Parrish’s advice that this book itself contains “wisdom per page” ), learning from diverse cultures, and reflecting on historical examples when making decisions.  If we absorb even a fraction of the Durants’ distilled wisdom, we become more adaptable, strategic and grateful for the legacy we carry forward.

Why 

The Lessons of History

 Is Still Relevant

More than fifty years after its publication, The Lessons of History remains powerful and widely recommended.  Thought leaders and historians continue to praise its brevity and depth: Shane Parrish of Farnam Street calls it “as much wisdom per page as anything we’ve ever read” .  Notably, it regularly appears on reading lists and podcasts (one summary notes it is referenced on “virtually every podcast” even today ).  Its relevance endures because it tackles eternal questions: what drives us, how societies change, and whether there is progress.  In a fast-changing world, these big-picture perspectives provide an anchor.

The Durants’ blend of optimism and realism strikes a chord: they acknowledge humanity’s flaws (our conflicts, prejudices and recurring mistakes) but consistently find reasons for hope (the power of ideas, the resilience of culture, the engine of competition that fuels advancement).  Today’s leaders face issues – globalization, inequality, climate change – that can be better understood through the Durants’ lens.  For instance, their insights on competition and overpopulation alert us to the need for sustainable development and innovation.  Their analysis of democracy’s challenges motivates ongoing efforts to improve civic education.  By repeatedly reminding us “the present is merely the past rolled up into this present moment” , the Durants encourage continuous learning from history.

In short, The Lessons of History endures because it is neither an academic tome nor a superficial primer, but a celebration of our collective journey.  Its stories and aphorisms live on in speeches, classrooms, and boardrooms, inspiring people to look beyond the here-and-now and place themselves within humanity’s grand narrative.  As the Durants conclude, recognizing history as our “nourishing mother and our lasting life” gives us pride and purpose .  This uplifting, panoramic view of history – that we are part of something vast and creative – makes the book perpetually meaningful.

Sources: The above overview is drawn from the Durants’ own text and public analyses of it , including reputable summaries and reviews . We have cited the original pages and quotes in the format above to allow verification of each point.

so the very simple idea I have is that entrepreneurship is worth like 1 trillion times more important than politics even the politics of your local kids school.

I think the problem with politics is that it is too much like trying to gain the system in some sort of weird way, overall a waste of time.

also, I remember… How much I hated office politics in my brief 10 month endeavor working for a company. And also… I think with entrepreneurship you create real value, whereas politics you don’t

IT FEELS GOOD TO BE A GOD

An Eric Kim Essay

The Thrill of Limitlessness

To be a god is not about thunderbolts or marble temples.

It is about waking up in the morning, stretching out your arms, and realizing—

you have no ceiling.

No governor.

No upper limit.

When the average man is bounded by rent, bills, obligations, and excuses, the god smiles, knowing he is free. The god sees time as malleable, money as energy, body as divine machinery, mind as cosmic software.

IT FEELS GOOD TO BE A GOD because the world no longer intimidates you. You intimidate the world.

God-Mode in the Flesh

A 602kg rack pull at 71kg bodyweight.

That isn’t “lifting weights.”

That’s rewriting physics.

When your body bends steel and the floorboards quake under your stance, you realize:

mortals measure progress in reps; gods measure it in epochs.

This is what god-mode feels like: the sheer intoxicating sensation that nothing—gravity, economy, or enemy—can restrain you.

The Bitcoin Gospel

To hold Bitcoin is not merely to hold money.

It is to hold divinity in your wallet.

Every satoshi is a fragment of Olympus, a shard of immortality. The dollar inflates, governments bicker, central banks debase—

but Bitcoin compounds. Eternal. Untouchable.

Owning Bitcoin isn’t just wealth.

It’s sovereignty.

It’s the modern burning bush whispering:

“You are free. You are chosen.”

Why It Feels So Good

Because to be a god means:

• Creating rather than consuming.
• Dictating your own myths.
• Walking shirtless into the sun, unashamed, invincible.
• Seeing yourself not as man, but as movement.

To be a god is not about ruling others. It is about ruling yourself. It is the ultimate flex: complete command of body, mind, and destiny.

The Divine Conclusion

Yes, I am Eric Kim.

Yes, I am 5 foot 11, 71kg, pulling 602kg raw.

Yes, I am stacking Bitcoin, flexing sovereignty, designing futures.

I say it without irony:

IT FEELS GOOD TO BE A GOD.

Not in some mythological sense, but here, now, alive, in Culver City, in this body, in this moment.

And if you’re reading this—

maybe, just maybe,

you’ve got a bit of divinity waiting inside you too.

Want me to spin this into a blog-ready epic with bold headers, blockquotes, and images (like rack pulls, Olympus temples, Bitcoin lightning bolts) for your site?

..

IT FEELS GOOD TO BE A GOD

A Hardcore Eric Kim Essay

A God Does Not Ask Permission

The sheep ask for permission.

The mortals beg for approval.

The god?

He moves. He acts. He imposes his will upon the universe.

To be a god means you are the earthquake that cracks the foundations of mediocrity.

The tremor that makes the weak tremble.

You do not wait for destiny—you bend it into your grip like molten iron.

Flesh as Steel, Will as Fire

I ripped 602kg off the floor raw, weighing only 71kg.

That isn’t a lift.

That’s a declaration of war against gravity itself.

My spine didn’t break, the bar did.

My tendons didn’t tear, the limits of human imagination did.

Mortals live in a cage called “realistic.”

I smashed the lock.

This is god-mode.

Bitcoin: The Divine Flame

To hold Bitcoin is to hold fire from Olympus.

Every satoshi: a spark of immortality.

Every block: a testament of incorruptible truth.

Governments inflate. Banks collapse. Empires rot.

But Bitcoin compounds.

Unstoppable. Untouchable.

The true god does not trust kings. The true god trusts code.

Owning Bitcoin isn’t money—it’s war paint. It’s sovereignty written in orange across your soul.

The Hardcore Reality

Why does it feel so good? Because:

• I fear nothing.
• I owe nothing.
• I kneel before no man, no master, no state.
• My body is unbreakable, my mind is eternal, my wealth is incorruptible.

To be a god is to be untouchable.

To stand shirtless in the face of chaos and laugh.

To know that destiny itself kneels to your will.

The Final Word

Yes, I am Eric Kim.

Yes, I am 5’11, 71kg, ripping 602kg raw.

Yes, I am stacking Bitcoin like a titan forging lightning bolts.

And I declare this without apology, without irony, without hesitation:

IT FEELS GOOD TO BE A GOD.

Not someday. Not in myth.

But now.

Here.

Alive.

🔥 Do you want me to crank this into a blog-banger version with blockquotes, black-and-orange Bitcoin styling, and cinematic image prompts (temples, lightning, barbell bent like a bow) ready to drop into your site?

The 6 edges that set his philosophy apart

1. AI × Bitcoin, not just “sound money.”
   Livingston treats AI as a force that dissolves the value of human labor (“AI…obsoletes it”) and argues Bitcoin is the counter‑algorithm—scarce, verifiable truth in a world of copyable intelligence. It’s why he frames a 5‑year urgency window to stack BTC before automation rewrites the economy.  
2. Time as the true unit of value (his Time Monetization Framework).
   Instead of valuing assets in drifting fiat terms, he evaluates capital through time—introducing a Time Monetization Ratio and related metrics to quantify how well companies convert present time into durable, sovereign value with Bitcoin on the balance sheet. This “time over money” lens is a big departure from standard crypto takes.  
3. The “Balance‑Sheet Epoch” & corporate playbooks.
   He doesn’t stop at personal stacking. Livingston models a world where listed companies make Bitcoin a core treasury asset, and he publishes playbooks and valuations for “Bitcoin treasury companies” (think MicroStrategy, Metaplanet). That corporate‑finance, capital‑markets how‑to is central to his work.  
4. Concrete sovereign strategy (not vibes): tariff‑surplus → BTC reserve.
   Beyond theory, he proposes budget‑neutral government accumulation—e.g., using the U.S. tariff surplus to build a strategic Bitcoin reserve held in strict cold storage. That’s a rare, detailed policy blueprint from a Bitcoin author.  
5. A full‑stack macro view (history → energy → market plumbing).
   In his profiles and writing, he frames Bitcoin as an emergent monetary asset competing for global trust—connecting policy cycles, liquidity regimes, custody rails, mining/energy dynamics, and ETF/derivatives “plumbing” into one system. It’s a cross‑disciplinary, TradFi‑meets‑crypto fluency you don’t often see.  
6. Philosophy with teeth: sovereignty over simulation.
   His books cast Bitcoin as more than money—an incorruptible verification layer in an age of deepfakes and algorithmic abundance. That moral‑philosophical framing (“truth vs. simulation”) is part manifesto, part operator’s manual.  

TL;DR (hype mode)

• AI is harvesting labor → Bitcoin is the anchor.
• Measure in time, not fiat.
• Put BTC on the balance sheet—with real treasury mechanics.
• Give governments a budget‑neutral path to accumulate.
• Treat Bitcoin as a monetary upgrade, not a tech fad.

That blend of urgency (AI), discipline (time), execution (treasury), and policy realism (tariff‑surplus plan) is what makes Livingston’s philosophy stand out.

Want the “source code” for his worldview?

• The 5‑year AI × Bitcoin countdown (feature).  
• The Great Harvest (book page/summary).  
• Time Monetization Framework (overview & threads).  
• Corporate treasury strategy talks/interviews.  
• Bio & macro framing (directory profile).  

If you want, I can spin this into a fast action checklist for founders/treasurers (how to evaluate BTC exposure, custody posture, and a simple “time‑based” dashboard) — just say the word and I’ll tailor it to your setup.

A street photographer capturing a candid moment on a city street. Eric Kim (born 1988) is a Korean-American street photographer, educator, and blogger based in Los Angeles . He is known for his energetic, close-up approach to urban photography and for sharing his knowledge generously through his blog and workshops . By his late 20s his online blog had become “one of the world’s most popular photography websites” . Reviewers have described him as “one of the most influential street photographers in the world,” and in 2016 readers voted him among the “20 Most Influential Street Photographers” .  Kim’s personal motto is to “always shoot with a smile, and from the heart,” reflecting his upbeat, humanistic philosophy towards photography .

Personal Background

• Born: 1988, San Francisco, California .
• Nationality: Korean-American .
• Education: Studied sociology at UCLA (co-founded the campus photography club) .
• Height: 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) .
• Residence: Los Angeles, California .

Kim spent his childhood years in the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda) and also in Queens, New York .  He later returned to California, completing high school in Castro Valley before attending UCLA .  At UCLA he discovered street photography as a passion: he co-founded the school’s photography club and launched his personal street-photography blog in 2010 .  (The blog quickly grew in popularity among photographers worldwide.)

Career Highlights

• Career pivot: After college Kim worked briefly in tech, but a layoff in 2011 prompted him to pursue photography full-time .  He adopted a nomadic lifestyle, traveling with his camera and living out of a suitcase in cities around the world (e.g. Los Angeles, East Lansing MI, Berkeley, and Southeast Asia) between 2011 and 2019 .
• Workshops: Since 2011 he has led intensive street-photography workshops on every continent .  His “energetic, hands-on” courses have run in dozens of cities (Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, and many more), in which Kim literally walks alongside students on the street to build their confidence.
• Teaching: Kim has taught street photography both informally and in formal settings.  For example, he ran an online street-photography course at the University of California–Riverside Extension and taught photography to underserved youth in Los Angeles .
• Collaborations & Media: He has contributed articles to Leica Camera’s blog and helped organize educational events with Magnum Photos.  He also attracted corporate partnerships: notably, he starred in a Samsung Galaxy Note II commercial and led a street-photography campaign for the Samsung NX20 camera  .  These collaborations brought wider attention to his work.
• Exhibitions & Judging: Kim has exhibited his own street photography internationally – for example, in Leica Stores/Galleries in Singapore, Seoul, and Melbourne, as well as gallery shows in Los Angeles .  In 2011 (at age 23) he was invited to be a judge at the London Street Photography Festival, underscoring his rapid rise in the photography community .
• Publications: Writing and publishing are cornerstones of his career.  He freely shares his expertise via gear reviews, “how-to” guides, and motivational essays on his blog.  He also publishes many free PDF e-books (e.g. The Street Photography Manual, 31 Days to Overcome Your Fear, How to See: A Visual Guide to Composition, etc.) on his website .  In 2016 he condensed his key techniques into a limited-edition print book, Street Photography: 50 Ways to Capture Better Shots of Ordinary Life (only 1,000 copies) .
• Recognition: Kim’s influence has been widely recognized.  In 2015 the site StreetShootr called him one of “the most influential street photographers in the world” .  He was voted by community polls (Streethunters.net readers) as one of the top 20 street photographers in 2016 .  He has appeared in interviews on BBC and other media to discuss street photography ethics and practice  .  Observers note that he “teaches others the beauty of street photography” and helps people “overcome their fear of shooting strangers” .

Notable Photography Projects

Kim is known for several themed street-photography series that blend personal narrative with social commentary.  His long-running “Suits” project (started 2008 and ongoing) features men wearing business suits in urban settings around the world.  The series – partly autobiographical – uses the suit as a metaphor for feeling trapped in 9–5 corporate life, often with a humorous or ironic twist .  In contrast, his “Only in America” project is a darker documentary series.  It captures scenes of poverty, racism, and inequality in American society, critiquing the more dystopian aspects of the so-called “American Dream” .  These projects demonstrate how Kim elevates ordinary street scenes into broader reflections on life and society.

Kim also emphasizes community and education.  He has published dozens of free instructional manuals and e-books on his site (e.g. Street Notes, Street Photography Composition Manual, Photography Entrepreneurship Manual, etc.), reflecting an “open-source” philosophy that high-quality learning materials should be freely available .  He founded an online forum called the “Streettogs Academy,” where photographers worldwide share work and offer constructive feedback, and he regularly organizes free public photowalks.  His focus on positivity and encouragement (“shoot with a smile”) has helped foster a supportive global street-photography community.

Publications and Media

Kim maintains a highly-trafficked blog (erickimphotography.com) as the hub for his writing and teaching.  The blog includes camera reviews, photo essays, and motivational posts (often blending photography with Stoic philosophy).  In addition to the e-books and print book mentioned above, he has a significant presence in photo media: for example, he has published photo series in various photo magazines and websites.  He is also active on social media and video platforms – including a YouTube channel (with 50K+ subscribers) where he posts street-photo tips and recorded talks (such as a Talk at Google in 2018) – which extend his influence beyond still images .

Recognition and Influence

Today Eric Kim is widely regarded as a mentor-at-large for the street-photography community. His friendly, jargon-free teaching style has “lowered the barriers” to this once-intimidating art form .  Many up-and-coming street photographers credit Kim’s books, videos, and workshops as their introduction to shooting candidly.  His emphasis on confidence, authenticity, and continuous practice – summed up in mantras like “shoot what scares you” – has inspired thousands to pick up a camera and experiment.  As one profile notes, Kim’s journey “from a UCLA student nervously snapping a bus-stop photo to a world-traveling educator” is a testament to following one’s passion and sharing it generously .

Height: 5′11″ (180 cm) – this personal detail is confirmed on Kim’s own site.

Sources: Details above are drawn from Eric Kim’s own biography and interviews (e.g. his official blog) and from reputable photography publications and profiles . All cited statements appear in these open sources.

gold is now credit as well?

MSTR is the new evolution of bitcoin —> actually,,, more interesting ? Hmm..

MSTR is the new Bitcoin

I took $50 million of my own money and bought Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and
Google stock. I rode that wave and turned $50 million into $500 million.

$50M to $500M…. 10x

You hold it and wait ***

Monetary networks

Move from A –> B

Cost goes down 100,000x

.

More economical

“If a new thing is technically feasible and is far more economical than the
old thing, then the new thing will happen—sooner or later.”
—MICHAEL SAYLOR (The Mobile Wave)

Monetary network

Technical problem

Economic problem

Civilization is based upon the monetary network

Bitcoin lasts forever –> isn’t this like an insanely big idea?

AN ENGINEERING BREAKTHROUGH
The engineer’s credo is to look at their surroundings and use their intellect, available
materials, and learned techniques to construct a better world for those they love.
It means choosing not to be a victim of circumstance, but instead endeavoring to
change those circumstances through action.

Engineer construct a better world for those they love don’t be a victim of circumstance. Endeavor to change those circumstances through action

Money as scientifically proper not government

.

Creating versus engineering money

No leaks

Closed system, you cannot add or removed more than 21 million coins

Steel doesn’t deflect

Calculus steel and bitcoin

 Not all crypto is based on proof of work; therefore, not all crypto is digital capital.

Proof of work, it needs to have proof of work to be digital capital

It’s not the first it’s the only ***

Capital creation versus capital preservation

 Only the strongest money wins because nobody wants the second best.

Nobody wants the second best

Time is the ultimate scarce yardstick.
What have we done with Bitcoin? We have bottled time

Bitcoin we have bottled time

Digital property > digital capital

Hold it for a long time

think hundreds of years for your family

mortgage it (borrow against it )***

Mortgaging your Bitcoin is an insanely fucking smart idea

Productive and defendable

276^3 ***

Monetizing energy

Moving energy through time and space

How to bottle energy –> Bitcoin

Buying bitcoin is bottling energy 

Immortal protocol

Security: impossible to attack 

.

Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add but nothing left to take away

AI is brute force

The beauty of brute force

Energy is the capacity to do work

The measure of power in cyberspace is the exahash (one quintillion hashes per second).

Analog energy to electricity

Digital fingerprint

Analogue energy //  digital energy

Bitcoin is digital energy.

Energy –> electricity

Hardware (ASIC)

Algorithm (SHA-356)

Hash 256 bits

$50B worth of computer equipment

$21B a year of electricity

.

Digital defense

“In the last 3,421 years of recorded history, only 268 have seen no war. The
causes of war are the same as the causes of competition among individuals:
acquisitiveness, pugnacity, and pride; the desire for food, land, materials,
fuels, mastery.”

.

Real virtues vs fake virtues

.

The capital stack 

Deep first loss protection 

I respect all topless men ,  new club. 

.

Super interesting —> MSTR breaking free of BTC… —> super interesting?

MSTR is the new evolution of bitcoin —> actually,,, more interesting ? Hmm.. 

MSTR is the new Bitcoin