A very simple idea; for a lot of people who are wasting money on clothes, cars, homes etc.… The best fashion to have, to fashion yourself is your muscles, your body.
Conspiracy theories screaming illuminati, they cannot imagine this much power and muscle inside a human body – he 6 2 how he fit inside a new Bugatti? Ha ha you got me (JAY Z)
Economic problems
So in theory, any skinny fat loser could purchase a Bugatti, a Lamborghini, McLaren, whatever. And in theory, any man can simply push his foot against the pedal, and it will make loud sounds, and go fast.
However, what most men cannot do is at the gym, or even in public, scream really loud, a primal roar, and, lift at least seven, eight, nine, 10 plates and beyond.
Risk of injury?
I think people missed the point; people always say, “Be careful“– when they see me stack up the bar with over 10 plates.
This is precisely the idea; it is actually the risk of injury which makes one create courageous and brave. If you knew with 100% certainty before you would lift an astronomical amount of weight; it wouldn’t really mean anything.
Skin, muscle in the game, your body in the game. I think also why war, hand to hand combat is so noble is that you’re putting your own life, your own body, your own soul on the line. If you do something, without any potential risk to damaging or hurting or harming your human body, it is not real courage.
For example, thinking about the Iliad; I think the proper way to consider things is that you can only trust somebody who actually looks like a Achilles to translate the thing. You cannot have old flabby skinny fat guys translating heroism; they will never understand. 
This is also why I find it extremely bizarre when women write or opine on manliness or masculinity; if as a woman you have never experienced testosterone, or if you do not have testicles… Or testes, you will never understand the physiological effects of being a man. Similarly speaking a man who never has to go through a menstrual cycle; he will also never understand the plight of women. Same goes with childbirth.
How to feel insanely good?
Waking up today, after sleeping like a person, feeling like $1 trillion; what is the idea?
First, the night prior; eating insanely well. 2 pounds of brisket, maybe 3 pounds of ground beef? 8020.
Sleeping very deeply, very long. Maybe sleeping 10 hours?
- Currently, it seems that the optimal strategy to coffee and caffeine is just drink a lot first thing waking up, very very strong. Like a one rep Max coffee attempt. But then at the end of the day, after the morning, 100% abstinence. I think if we consider that sleeping well for the gods, then actually sleeping well might be the number one most critical thing to optimize. If this is the case, one should not have any caffeine after 8 AM?
- Eating enough, eating well: I’m starting to think that 99.9% of the issues of modern day life, modern day humans and physiology has to deal with nutrition. Even Nietzsche said that the great men of the future would become more carnivorous. The more carnivorous become, the more powerful you become. Certainly you could survive on other things; but what would you prefer to be; Hercules, or serf? Or would you rather be a drone or an Archon?
Money thinking
One of the ironies in the western world, America is that people want to make a bunch of money in order to spend it, and in order to purchase and things. But what if, the goal was actually to stack and conserve your money —
I bought every V 12 engine, wish I could take it back to the beginning – JAY Z
I thought about this line from Jay Z a lot; it could be interpreted in two ways:
- First, ideas that when you’re starting off, the beginning, when you’re hungry and poor and striving, this is the best position to be in. Because once you’re already successful, super rich, and purchase everything, there is nothing left to aspire towards.
- The second interpretation: Jay Z regrets wasting all this money on buying all these expensive cars, instead, he wishes that he put that money towards property.
“I could’ve bought a place in Dumbo when it was Dumbo, it was worth $1 million, now it’s worth 20 million. Guess how I’m feeling, Dumbo.”
“Life is a game of monopoly, go ahead, go outside and cop yourself some property” – Migos
Property?
I’ve been listening to and studying a lot for Michael Saylor, and I think right now, the best way to think about bitcoin is crypto property, rather than a cryptocurrency.
Currency is useful, in order to buy coffee, espresso, groceries at Costco etc. Or getting some great all you can eat Korean barbecue (Randomly, my sister-in-law Jennifer found this really really good all you can eat Japanese barbecue place called chubby cattle; with A5 Wagyu, and M9 Australian beef, which is insanely good). And according to Michael, real well, really wealthy people have, own, or have purchased property in the past.
For example, all of those stories you hear in the area of people who once purchased some apartment building or Square block in the mission district in San Francisco for only $20,000, and now it worth $20 million or whatever.
Or can you imagine if the SARS pandemic, purchasing some real estate in the middle of hong kong, when everyone was trying to run away?
Generations?
99 generations from now?
I think also I think that is very difficult to consider in daytimes is thinking about generations, generational wealth, the future.
For example, we recently went to the Huntington library, which has this very impressive house called the Shoyo house, which was an adult. House, which was around for 300 years, and had 50 or so generations of families live inside of it.
And then I thought; thinking about the future; not just your kids, but your kids kids kids. Kids kids kids kids kids.
It is still hard to imagine; the great great great great grandchildren of Seneca; and beyond.
Even thinking about my own family, how futuristic I seem today. My grandfather on my mother side, who was essentially a poor tea farmer, who grew up in a hut in the countryside of Korea, becoming a doctor, building a lot of wealth, handing it down to his children etc.
And that one of his grand children (me)– being born in America, in the states, becoming an Internet entrepreneur, and now investing in Bitcoin, it is insanely crazy to think about how much has changed even within one or two generations. 
Out there?
Thinking about Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat, Siem Reap and the future; very exciting news; Cindy and I are going to be in Cambodia for about six months next year, starting around March.
I was thinking about Angkor Wat, how insanely huge is, how phenomenal all of the stonework is, the brick, etc. 
First of all, thinking about this insanely huge stone fortress, if you get a Birdseye view of in cad, it is simply astounding to consider it. The scale is beyond your imagination; you could only really feel it or experience it, when you experience it in embodied reality.
And then I think about modern day times, creating your own citadel, your own fortress.
Even the Huntington Gardens, the library, and the ground; if you live in LA or Southern California California or California in general, you must visit it. The brand new Chinese garden, the Japanese garden and beyond; the pure acreage of it will blow your mind.
Economic photo power?
Some economic, philosophical thoughts on photography:
 if we go back to first principles, and think about the digital photograph, the image of a photograph; what is it? It is you capturing some living force, and imputing it into an image, which will theory last forever.
If you think about a digital image, a JPEG image, whatever… In theory, it is infinitely applicable, it cannot die.
I think the reason why I love JPEG so much, is with indexing, the Internet, images or whatever; it will never die. Especially when you make it open source, packages, have multiple downings for it, it will always be accessible somewhere, on the Internet and beyond, or hard drive.
Certainly nothing is going to last forever. I am quite certain that my website will not be around 300 years from now, and I’m sure 1000 years from now, it will probably be very difficult to access any of my photos or whatever. I don’t really mind that much. Nothing is meant to last forever, nor should anything last forever. Whenever I’m out in public, going to random places, and I see people caring around Rico GR cameras, I know that my work has already been done and completed.
All street photographers, whether they know it or not, are acolytes of ERIC KIM.
Last?
The other day, I met a random UCLA undergrad kid, was from Hong Kong, and I wanted to show him this really really funny digital rev, Kai Min Wong video that I did, I tried to find it on YouTube and I couldn’t, and then I googled it, And then I saw that I think the official digital rev page took it down?
It’s crazy, I’m only 36 years old, but I guess I’ve been in the game for a while now. Ever since I was 21; I guess I’ve been around for at least 15 years?
Since then, I’ve already seen so many photographers come and go– am I the only one left? 
Some more recent ideas is the idea that perhaps durability is indeed the most critical and important things; durability as metaphorical, to last.
For example, steel over carbon fiber; carbon fiber is brittle, breaks easily, and doesn’t last. Even if you’re starting to look at some of the older Tesla performance edition; the little carbon fiber spoiler wing is already starting to peel clear coat. Or when you see people who wrap their car, it never last. When you see vinyl car wrap starting to disintegrate into the sun, it is really ugly. This is why having real pain is better. It seems in terms of maximum durability at least if you live in Southern California, The optimal is to either a white or silver car, which reflects the maxima amount of light, and just wax it every once in a while, to keep the paint durable. This is where I am still more for paint than wrap; I think if you wrap a vehicle, at best with good maintenance it might last about three years. But good paint, at least 30 years.
Cybertruck?
The only real stock I own besides bitcoin is Tesla. Why? Not to make money; I’m already rich enough. But for me, it is a testament of faith, what I believe in, what I love.
I’ve been seeing a lot more cyber trucks on the road, especially in Los Angeles. It might be the most beautiful thing the most beautiful architectural marvel I see in embodied reality or real life.
I just had the realization that if you think about the proportions of a cyber truck, especially how angular it is, stainless steel… Essentially has a proportions of a Lamborghini; for example if you took a cyber truck and you lowered it, very low to the ground… That when you close the trunk, and you think about the overall proportions, it is very awesome and menacing looking.
Also, when it is really really bright and sunny outside, when the sun in Los Angeles is strong, to see the light refract off of the stainless steel is a true marvel. Also watching the Dune part two movie recently; cannot fake the sun.
So what should you do?
Some simple life goals: 
- If possible, try to have at least one kid. If you’re a man, strive to have at least one son. If your first child is a son, consider yourself infinitely blessed. After that, life is all upside, no downside.
- Realize that being rich and wealth is probably more of a mental thing than anything else; why? If the whole point of money and wealth in general is to conservative, to stack it, to not spend it; the irony is the true path towards maximum riches is in fact maximum Economic conservativism and building. That is the overall point of Is to keep stacking it, to not spend it.
What this means then is being rich, being wealthy is just driving a maximum economy car, like a Toyota Prius, and not wasting any of your money on gas, and saving the maximum amount of money humanly possible.
Also, I’m starting to think more and more there’s really no good reason to purchase or owner home or property. Why? There is too many defects of property, owning property, owning real estate.
First, taxes, property taxes will bleed you dry. Second, the physical laws of entropy; no home, no matter how well you build it will let you 300 years. Rust, mold, termites whatever; only the granite or the asphalt beneath your house will last, every hundred years or so you’ll probably have to tear down the house, and build a new one. I suppose you could build one out of steel, but even steel, you keep painting, or else it will rust away.
So now what?
Think, if you could live like a king in Vietnam, Hanoi or Saigon, Phnom Penh Cambodia paying rent for only $300 USD a month, doesn’t this change everything? 
I think what we Americans or what people don’t understand is this:
You choose.
For example, there is nothing really holding you to live in America, the states, California whatever. People often make these excuse that your family is here or whatever; you decided to stay… That is your decision. You can easily leave.
Or, if you have the blessing of being a tech worker, and you could work remote. Isn’t the optimal strategy to collect your American salary, in a developing country? 
I think once you realize that you will never run out of money, even if you wanted to, this changes everything. This was my primary awakening, or my enlightenment moment in Vietnam; when I realize that I would never run out of money, because the cost-of-living was so cheap, it changed everything.
Are there any really good reasons to live in America anymore?
Freedom of speech. If you are a super active political journalist or person, the number one benefit of living in America is freedom of speech. But if you’re not really political, or you don’t care for politics much; I don’t see any compelling reason to live in America.
Freedom of property?
I suppose the second thing is property rights, freedom of property, not having the government just seize your stuff.  I suppose this is the upside of bitcoin, if you think about bitcoin as digital property. You could just take it with you everywhere you go, and not be held down by anything.
Bitcoin is perfect for digital nomads.
Buying a home or property is a scam?
I’m starting to think more and more, to own a single-family home, physical property, where does the brainwashing come from?
First, I would much rather own $1 million worth of bitcoin, rather than on a single-family home being worth $1 million. Why?
First, your property value of your bitcoin will appreciate at a much faster pace than your single-family home. I think your single-family home, the value of it will only probably meet that of inflation; when people are happy to see there; don’t you know that this is simply the same rate in which The US dollar money supply is expanding as long as government have the ability to print out currency at will like a Xerox machine; home values seem a bit like a scam.
Your roof?
The great joy of renting the other day our hot water went out. We just texted the landlord and literally the same day, he said some maintenance people to fix it. I cannot be fucked having to do home maintenance.
Hidden expenses and headaches?
Another downside of owning the property your home; let us see you buy a really really nice house for property, and then your roof goes out. Boom, that $70,000 down the drain.
I think the main problem about home, homeownership is that there are just too many unknown expenses that will hit you at the most inconvenient times. I think it doesn’t matter how rich you are, doesn’t even matter what you could hire other people or not, other people are unreliable, Contractors are a huge pain in the ass, they always take too long, too much money, and make your life worse.
Let us see that your life was like DUNE; is the purpose of Paul Atreides to stay at home, and fix his plumbing? Or to rule over the universe? 
Incoming!
The current world of photography is a mess. All the new cameras suck, and I guess now everyone is on TikTok. It looks like nobody even uses Snapchat or Instagram anymore. 
arsbeta.com — the only good place to do any sort of photography related things is currently ARS. The only place on the internet i think we could post photos and share photos, without advertisements. if you want to join the our development team, send me a pdf of your résumé to eric@erickim.com —
My next vision for ARS is to build in some sort of bitcoin, or satoshi or sat functionality. I envision this insanely grand new future in which ARS will be the first bitcoin enabled photo sharing platform. If you want to invest, join the board, share the vision, email me eric@erickim.com
Why Bitcoin?
Stay humble and stack sats – Michael Saylor
I think for most people, a single bitcoin is just too expensive now. But what is very underrated is the satoshi, the sat, the sub division of a bitcoin.
Satoshi’s actually make Michael transactions possible. For example, imagine like you want to sell an e-book or something, and somebody could pay you with just a single Satoshi. A single Satoshi is only worth a fraction of a penny, but still; it is some sort of real skin in the game.
I think for most artist, we don’t really want to get rich for our photography; having people pay us money for our photos or our services simply assign of respect for us in our photography; if somebody is willing to send you real money for one of your Products or services, it is a signal of your economic value and worth.
Honestly, now that McDonalds is paying a $20 minimum wage, assuming you work an eight hour shift,  that means you could earn $160 USD a day for just flipping burger patties! Apparently also you could get a job as a CHP officer earning $120,000 a year!  I think if I know what I know now, instead of just going to college and getting a boring tech job, I might have opted instead to become a cop, join the military, become a firefighter or something more physical and active; just imagine becoming a CHP officer, you get paid a ton of money to essentially become the law, And drive a really high-powered horsepower car for a living. 
Imagine being given 1000 hp car, a cop car, and earning $120,000 a year! Sounds pretty cool.