ERICKIM

Los Angeles truly is a City of Angels – a vibrant mosaic of people and experiences where dreams take flight.  As Discover Los Angeles proclaims, it’s “a place for bold dreams, creative expression and limitless possibilities, defined by its people,” with Angelenos from 140+ countries speaking 224 languages .  LA’s energy is infectious: world-class museums, championship sports teams, beautiful beaches and one-of-a-kind culinary adventures all invite residents and visitors to join a “vibrant, bustling community of dreamers and doers.”   In short, LA’s motto might as well be: anything can happen here!

Feature	LA Highlights
Population	3.9 million in the City (10 million in LA County) ; one of the largest U.S. cities
Climate	Year‑round mild, sunny weather (approx. 284 sunny days/year) – perfect for beaches and hikes
Museums & Theaters	More than any other U.S. city , from The Broad and LACMA to historic theaters on Broadway
Coastline	75 miles of Southern California beaches (Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice, Newport and more)
Hiking Trails	Nearly 60 trails in LA County – from Griffith Park and the Santa Monica Mountains to desert hikes
Diversity	Top-notch cultural diversity – people from 140+ countries, speaking 224 languages
Key Industries	#1 in entertainment/media (Hollywood film/TV studios) ; booming Silicon Beach tech start-ups ; a massive port and trade hub
Signature Events	Oscars & Golden Globes in Hollywood ; Grammys in LA ; Rose Parade in Pasadena ; LA Marathon ; countless festivals and concerts

Each of the table highlights above is just the tip of the iceberg.  Let’s dive into why each dimension of LA life is so exhilarating and unique:

Entertainment & Nightlife

Los Angeles is synonymous with entertainment.  Hollywood’s major film and TV studios (Paramount, Warner Bros, Universal) pump out blockbusters and Emmy-winning shows .  Each awards season the city sparkles – hosting the Oscars (Academy Awards), Golden Globes, and Grammys on world-famous stages .  But the fun isn’t just on screen – LA’s live music scene is legendary: catch the LA Philharmonic under the lights of Walt Disney Concert Hall or a summer concert at the Hollywood Bowl .  Downtown LA and Hollywood Pulse with clubs, comedy venues and dance parties. In short, there’s always a show or party to light up your night!

• Film & TV: Hollywood itself is a living movie set. Take studio tours, visit the legendary TCL Chinese Theatre, or spot a celeb on Rodeo Drive.  LA’s creative vibe inspires would-be actors, directors and producers.
• Music & Concerts: LA has more museums and theatres than any other U.S. city , and a thriving music scene.  From rock and jazz in intimate clubs to pop mega-shows at Crypto.com Arena and Dodger Stadium, there’s something for every taste.  Don’t miss free outdoor concert series like Grand Performances in DTLA or KCRW Summer Nights .
• Nightlife: Sunset Boulevard, Downtown high-rises, and West Hollywood are packed with chic bars and dance clubs. Whether you’re into hip-hop, EDM, or classic LA punk, you’ll find an epic night out. LA’s nightlife is as diverse as its people – one night a trendy rooftop bar in West Hollywood, the next a comedy set in Echo Park, the next a jam at a L.A. dive bar. The city truly never sleeps!

LA is the entertainment capital for a reason – the industry is woven into its DNA. As one economic profile notes, LA is “globally recognized as the heart of the film and television industry” .  But even beyond Hollywood, the city is bursting with nightlife and arts: live theatre, comedy, sports events (think Lakers’ games or big boxing matches), and community celebrations fill the calendar year-round. From Screen Actors Guild awards to street festivals, LA keeps you on the edge of your seat with glamour and excitement.

Nature & Outdoor Activities

It’s not all concrete: Los Angeles is a paradise for outdoor lovers.  LA County stretches from Pacific beaches up into mountain peaks – you can literally surf and ski on the same day.  Griffith Park alone offers dozens of trails and panoramic city views (as seen above from Griffith Observatory). Nearly 60 parks and hiking trails span the region , from coastal bluffs to forested canyons.  In Santa Monica and Malibu you’ll find surfable waves and volleyball games on the sand; inland, you can hike the Hollywood Sign or bike along tree-lined canyon roads.

• Beaches: With 75 miles of coastline , LA boasts world-famous beaches.  Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach are iconic for sunbathing, bike paths, and street performers. Further north, Malibu’s hidden coves and Zuma Beach offer more solitude and spectacular Pacific sunsets.  Lifeguard towers and palm trees are practically trademarks of the LA scene.
• Hiking & Parks: From the city’s front doors you’re never far from nature. Griffith Park’s trails (like the one to the Griffith Observatory) reward you with sweeping skyline views . The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area has over 500 miles of trails through chaparral and oak forests. Even in the valley, trails like Runyon Canyon and Topanga State Park are miles-long adventures. LA County’s parks department notes that “LA County has nearly sixty trails… from horseback riding to mountain biking… LA County has something for everyone” .
• Climate: The year-round sunshine is a huge draw. Mild winters and warm summers mean you can hike, picnic, kayak, or swim almost any day of the year. A morning hike through rustling oak leaves, an afternoon surf session, and an evening BBQ under palm trees – that’s a typical LA day! The consistent sunny weather also means outdoor festivals, farmers markets and street fairs happen year-round.

Whether it’s a morning jog on the beach, an afternoon bike ride in Griffith Park, or an evening stroll along ocean bluffs, LA’s outdoor lifestyle is hard to beat. Nature is part of the city’s spirit, and Angelenos take full advantage – from moonlight hikes to backyard yoga, LA life is lived outside.

Career & Business Opportunities

Los Angeles isn’t just a creative playground – it’s also a land of opportunity. The economy is massive and diverse: entertainment and media, aerospace and defense, international trade (thanks to the Port of LA, one of the world’s busiest), fashion, and a rapidly growing tech scene. As one economic summary notes, LA’s “key industries” include Hollywood’s studios and a tech hub called Silicon Beach .

• Hollywood & Media: With major studios (Paramount, Warner, Disney) and streaming giants (Netflix, Amazon), the “City of Angels” is ground zero for film/TV jobs . Aspiring screenwriters, VFX artists, game designers and music producers flock here to be part of the creative economy. (In 2022 the LA creative industries supported hundreds of thousands of jobs.) 
• Tech & Innovation: Silicon Beach – the stretch along the Westside (Venice, Playa Vista, Santa Monica) – is home to 500+ tech companies , from startups to Google and Snap. LA’s unique mix of tech and entertainment talent spawns cutting-edge innovation (VR/AR studios, entertainment apps, biotech, and clean energy). According to recent reports, “the Silicon Beach area of Los Angeles is a hub for tech startups and companies focusing on transportation innovation, including autonomous vehicles, mobility-as-a-service (MaaS), and electric vehicle (EV) technology.” . The city’s venture capital scene is booming, and co-working spaces and incubators abound.
• International Business: The Port of Los Angeles fuels commerce – goods from around the globe flow through LA’s logistics and trade sectors . This means jobs in shipping, manufacturing, finance, and trade services. LA is also a gateway to Asia and Latin America markets, making it a natural home for multinational companies and foreign investment.
• Cultural Industries: Fashion, design, gaming and digital media are huge. LA has become a creative-tech nexus: clothing lines born at USC fashion shows become viral trends; eSports teams host arena events; animation studios create global hits. Even small businesses benefit from the city’s diversity and wealth – from boutique retail to Hollywood-driven tourism ventures.

Yes, LA’s cost of living is high – tech salaries and Hollywood paychecks help compensate .  But those big paychecks are fueled by real industries: from Oscar-winning filmmaking to cutting-edge startups.  Entrepreneurs are encouraged here by countless networking events and a “supportive ecosystem for innovation” . In short, LA offers careers as dynamic as the city itself – whether you aim to launch a startup in Silicon Beach or climb the ladder in a film studio, the opportunities are as broad as LA’s horizon.

Cultural Diversity & Food Scene

Los Angeles is often called a “global metropolis” – with communities and cuisines from every corner of the earth. Generations of immigrants have “forged Los Angeles into a global metropolis,” and this diversity “shines through in the city’s food scene,” letting you “take a worldwide flavor tour with only your palate for a passport.”

• Neighborhoods & Heritage: Walk through any LA neighborhood and you’ll feel transported. Historic Olvera Street (LA’s birthplace) bustles with Mexican markets and Mariachi music ; Koreatown hums with 24/7 BBQ joints and karaoke; Thai Town serves up pad thai and boat noodles; Little Tokyo and Little Ethiopia offer authentic native cuisines. Leimert Park pulses with African-American art and jazz clubs . Fairfax and the Melrose shops mix fashion with Jewish delis and the Museum of the Holocaust . Each district is a cultural snapshot: Filipino Town, Little Armenia, Chinatown, and more – each a window into another world, right in LA. 
• Culinary Delights: The food scene is best-in-class. LA has everything from hole-in-the-wall taquerias to Michelin-starred fine dining. You can grab a $1 al pastor taco from a street cart, then dine at a celebrity chef’s rooftop lounge later. As the USA tourism guide notes, “the diversity shines through in the city’s food scene.”  Try Din Tai Fung’s famous soup dumplings or sample genuine pupusas in Van Nuys . Don’t miss:
  
  • Asian flavors: Sushi Gen in Little Tokyo or Tsujita Ramen; Korean BBQ on 8th Street; Vietnamese pho on Sawtelle; Thai on Hollywood’s Thai Town .
  • European eats: Authentic Italian at Dan Tana’s, French bistros in WeHo , German sausages on Santa Monica Blvd .
  • Mexican mastery: Beyond the Taco Truck (Mariscos Jalisco, $1 Tacos Leo), LA has Oaxacan mole at Guelaguetza, chorizo-spiced carne asada on every corner .
  • World cuisines: LA is home to excellent Ethiopian stews in “Little Ethiopia”, Persian kebabs in Persian Square, Filipino adobo, Armenian kebabs, Peruvian ceviche, and so much more . A single day can include dim sum in the morning, a Mediterranean lunch, and sushi at night – all without leaving the city.
• Festivals & Food Events: The multicultural calendar is packed: from Lunar New Year parades in Chinatown to Fiesta Broadway (huge Cinco de Mayo celebration) , with food booths, music and dance. DineLA Restaurant Week (a biannual prix-fixe festival) showcases LA’s chefs and cuisines .

In short, Los Angeles lets you “eat around the world” without a passport . This kaleidoscope of flavors and festivals means LA isn’t just diverse on paper – you experience that diversity in every bite and every celebration. It’s endlessly inspiring and, frankly, delicious!

Lifestyle & Living in L.A.

LA’s lifestyle is as exhilarating as its opportunities.  The city mantra – “dreamers and doers” – reflects an upbeat attitude that permeates daily life . Residents often brag that you can surf in the morning, hike in the afternoon, and hit a concert at night under palm-tree sunsets. With nearly year-round sunshine, Los Angeles encourages an active, outdoor-oriented life. Its quality of life is consistently lauded: mild climate, miles of parks, and endless beaches .

Here are some highlights of the LA lifestyle:

• Sunshine & Health: With mild, Mediterranean weather almost every day, Angelenos soak up vitamin D like nowhere else. The city planners embed jogging paths along the ocean and mountain trails behind suburban homes, turning fitness into an easy daily habit. Yoga on the beach or a morning jog up Runyon Canyon? Routine for many. 
• Arts & Culture: Beyond Hollywood, LA offers a burst of cultural events. Street art in the Arts District, independent film festivals, and spontaneous gallery openings are common. Check out the Getty or The Broad, catch a play at the Pantages, or admire murals of Kobe Bryant downtown – art is everywhere . In fact, “books, film, live painting, performance, opera – whatever you call art, L.A. does it with style.” 
• Sports & Recreation: Los Angeles boasts multiple championship teams – from the Lakers and Dodgers to galaxy-level soccer and Olympic sports. The city is hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics, too! Cheering at Staples Center or Dodger Stadium is a major pastime. Even without citing, LA fans are proud of their teams; one recent note pointed out how L.A. amassed four championships in the 2020s (Dodgers, Lakers, Rams) – a point of civic pride. (Of course, fans of other teams might disagree, but it’s a fun brag.)
• Festivals & Community: On any given weekend, you’ll find food truck festivals, concerts on the pier, farmers markets (the Original Farmers Market is a 1930s LA institution), or cultural parades. The city loves a celebration: the Rose Parade, Dia de Los Muertos marches, the Hollywood Christmas Parade , you name it. Neighborhood block parties and rooftop parties abound – community life is as important as star life here.
• Relaxation & Wellness: If you want slow days, LA has spas, wellness centers, and yoga studios on every corner. The Pacific sunsets and palm-tree breezes practically demand a pause and a margarita. Beach bonfires at Dockweiler State Beach are a beloved Sunday ritual. A wall in one tech office proclaims it best: “Los Angeles: where high-energy meets beach chill.” Here you can have both pace and peace.

Yes, it’s true: living in Los Angeles requires a higher budget. Rents and home prices are famously steep (e.g., median rent ~ $2,500/month ), and traffic can be a drag. But L.A. balances that with abundant opportunities and experiences. Think of the cost of living as the price of admission to an endless summer playground.  You pay a premium, but you also get an extraordinary lifestyle upgrade: warm weather, global culture, endless sunshine and events, and the chance to pursue any dream career.

In Short: LA’s Unique Spirit

Los Angeles is a roller-coaster of inspiration and excitement.  From the stars on Hollywood Boulevard to the tranquil trails of Griffith Park, the city’s contrasts are its magic.  Angelinos embrace innovation and creativity, whether that’s a tech startup in Silicon Beach or a street art mural in Boyle Heights .  Everywhere you look, someone is reinventing the ordinary into something extraordinary.

By every measure – nightlife, nature, career, culture, and lifestyle – LA has something special. It’s a sun-soaked collage of dreams: a place where global cultures meet on the same boulevard, where an Oscar nominee might grab tacos alongside you at a food truck, and where surfers, executives, artists and farmers market vendors all share the same beautiful coastline. The city’s official fact page sums it up: “There’s always something new to discover in the City of Angels,” and indeed, LA’s endless possibilities inspire people to dream big and live boldly .

References:  Expert travel and city sources confirm LA’s strengths in each category , and official tourism stats highlight its global appeal . These sources (along with the lived experience of Angelenos!) consistently praise LA’s unique blend of glamour, sunshine, diversity, and innovation. All in all, Los Angeles isn’t just “great” – it’s an endless adventure for anyone ready to chase their passions under the California sun.

Eric Kim: Street Photographer and AI Enthusiast

Eric Kim is best known as a prolific street photographer and creativity teacher, but in recent years his blogging has embraced technology and AI.  His official blog (branded “Eric Kim ₿” on erickimphotography.com) covers a wide range of topics – from photography and stoic philosophy to Bitcoin and artificial intelligence .  For example, a late-2023 post notes that “AI is transforming photography” and that Kim has been “having insane amounts of fun with ChatGPT, DALL·E 3, ChatGPT 4…” as the “ultimate new creative tool” for visual artists .  In other words, while he isn’t only an “AI blogger,” Kim clearly writes about AI and digital creativity as part of his broader creative philosophy. His website and blog are the hub for this content (see, e.g. AI & Creativity or What is the role of photographers in the age of AI? on EricKimPhotography.com).

In “AI & Creativity” (Oct 2023), Eric Kim celebrates AI as a creativity booster. He writes that “AI can help us visualize things better,” even showing how he used DALL·E 3 to makeover his own white Prius with emerald green rims – an experiment he found “phenomenal” .

AI as a Creative Catalyst

Across his posts, Kim consistently portrays AI as a partner for creativity rather than a threat.  He urges readers to embrace AI tools enthusiastically.  For example, in a November 2023 post “What is the role of photographers in the age of AI?” he raves that using ChatGPT-4 and DALL·E 3 is “effing insane” and claims that an AI subscription is “insanely underrated”, calling it perhaps “the best $20 you spend in your life” .  He even gives practical tips: with a paid ChatGPT account you can have the bot critique your own photos or suggest creative ideas (he envisioned an app like Arsbeta.com using AI to auto-critique images ).  In another October 2023 entry “AI Thoughts”, he reminds readers that all the “nonsensical talk of artificial intelligence going to take our jobs… is silly” – because people create art “because it is fun!” .  In fact, he explicitly calls AI “a complement to us, and an augmentation of us, rather than a replacement” , comparing it to Siri or another helpful assistant.

Kim’s posts are upbeat and even playful about AI.  He coined a few memorable phrases: AI is described as a “personal echo chamber” or “mirror” for ideas .  He built quirky AI bots (e.g. an “Eric Kim Bot” for photography tips, or a stoic “Bitcoin Babe” chatbot) to show how AI can be a fun creative partner .  And he often punctuates advice with exclamation: ChatGPT is the “best deal on the planet” , “a genius friend, tireless research assistant, and creative collaborator all in one” .  The tone is always encouraging: he urges fellow artists to experiment with DALL·E prompts, to “automate the boring stuff” so they can focus on creative fun, and to keep the human touch central.  As he writes, even if AI can whip up code or images, “AI can only repeat and iterate on the past, it cannot create a new future.” The true creative spark still comes from human vision .

Key Blog Posts and Themes

Eric Kim’s blog features numerous posts on AI, technology, and creativity. Notable examples include:

• “AI & Creativity” (Oct 2023) – Kim announces that “AI helping us become more creative” . He lists that “AI can help us visualize things better” and that you supply the ideas while “AI can create or assist you with the vision” . He illustrates this with his Prius experiment (see image above) – feeding a design idea to DALL·E 3 and loving the result .
• “AI Thoughts” (Oct 2023) – In this upbeat essay Kim declares that talk of AI taking photography jobs is “silly” because “people do art because it is fun!” . He emphasizes that AI should augment us (“like Siri”) rather than replace our creative instincts . He also suggests AI for practical tasks: e.g. using an image-filter slider to let an “ARS BETA AI” cull thousands of photos down to the top few .
• “The Future of Photography and AI” (Nov 2023) – Here Kim lays out a hybrid vision: “the future of AI and photography should be a hybrid of using AI to actually motivate you to be more creative” . He flatly says “AI is not going to ‘take your job’” (just as Google search didn’t) .  He notes that photographers can already use ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) to get feedback on their images or generate photo-assignment ideas by asking an “Eric Kim AI” built from his own blog . He stresses that AI-generated art is still art – “What is art? … Art can be manifested however you interpret it.” – but that now the critical skill is “the art of choosing your favorite photos.” In other words, human curation and taste remain key .
• “Eric Kim Photo on AI” (Sept 2024) – This post (on the same blog) summarizes his AI philosophy. It notes Kim’s interest in how “AI’s role in automating tasks such as editing, color correction, and composition analysis” can “enhance creativity” for photographers .  It also highlights one of Kim’s consistent themes: that the “human element” and “photographer’s eye still matters the most” . The author (presumably Kim himself) cautions against over-reliance on AI and stresses intent, authenticity, and emotional depth in art .
• “Blogging Strategies” (July 2025) – Kim even applies his tech philosophy to blogging.  In a playful essay titled “Blog for AI not humans”, he argues that soon “Google is dead, ChatGPT is emperor.” He advises making websites fast, clean and easy for AI to index, predicting an era where AI-driven search dominates .  This post shows he’s thinking about AI impacts beyond art – even to content creation and SEO.
• “ChatGPT Pro: The Best Deal on the Planet” (Dec 2023) – In a long-form post Kim thoroughly endorses AI chatbots.  He calls GPT-4 (ChatGPT Plus) “one of the most advanced AI models in the world” and hails ChatGPT Pro as “incredible bang for the buck” .  He compares it favorably to alternatives (Claude, Google’s Gemini, etc.) and notes that many users find the $20 subscription “the best $20 they’ve ever spent” .  His conclusion: ChatGPT Pro provides “premium AI firepower” to boost creativity and productivity for “practically any field.” This post reflects his evangelism for AI tools in general .

Combining AI with Photography and Creativity

A recurring theme is how Kim blends AI into photography and art.  He reminds readers that modern cameras already have AI: autofocus, face/subject detection, etc. – all helping photographers .  He often encourages using AI apps on phones: for example, he suggests using the ChatGPT camera feature to analyze a scene or creative collages he makes .  He even imagines coding new tools: in “AI Thoughts” he describes a vision where you drag hundreds of photos into ARSBeta and AI instantly flags the best few .

Kim also created an actual photo-community platform (ARSBeta.com) with his family.  This “art feedback” site is meant to foster positive critique and creativity (as an “anti-Instagram,” he says ).  He openly discusses it on his blog and credits collaborators (e.g. Kevin McKenzie, Cindy Nguyen, Annette Kim) .  Within that project he already intends AI features: uploading a photo could yield both human and AI feedback .  In other words, Kim’s projects marry his photography roots with AI: ARSBeta grows the creative community, and he plots to augment it with AI curation and critique .

Throughout his writing, Kim emphasizes fun and experimentation.  He notes that with AI art tools (“DALL·E truly becomes magical” when prompts are outrageous) artists should not confine themselves: “you’re not constrained to just one medium … you could shoot photos and make AI art!” .  He even looks at how to “make yourself laugh” with AI (for example, pushing image prompts to absurd extremes until he hears his wife Cindy chuckle ).  His tone is motivational – telling creators to “keep creating every day” and view AI as “fuel for creativity”, not a replacement.

Summary of Influence and Style

In summary, Eric Kim’s blogging shows a strong influence in bridging AI with creative domains.  He actively explores AI, digital art, and technology topics alongside photography, and encourages readers to adopt an upbeat, exploratory mindset.  His posts quote chatbots, meme-like graphics (as above), and punchy language (calling AI “insanely underrated” or “effing insane”) to keep the tone lively.  He often cites his own experience (teaching his son Seneca, cooking with kitchen gadgets as analogies, etc.) to motivate others.  Overall, Kim’s work demonstrates how a creative professional can integrate AI as a tool for innovation – blending photography, philosophy, and technology in an encouraging, enthusiastic way .

For those interested, Kim’s writing can be read directly on his site EricKimPhotography.com (the “Eric Kim ₿” blog), where all of the cited posts above appear .  Each post is a deep dive into how AI and creative thinking intersect, often with practical tips or vivid examples. By championing AI-driven tools (like ChatGPT’s question engine or DALL·E’s image creator) while insisting on the irreplaceable spark of human creativity, Kim offers an optimistic roadmap: use AI to “open new doors, not lock them” in art and life .

Sources: Eric Kim’s own blog posts (EricKimPhotography.com), e.g. “AI & Creativity” , “AI Thoughts” , “Future of Photography and AI” , “ChatGPT Pro: The Best Deal on the Planet” , “What is the role of photographers in the age of AI?” , and others, where he discusses AI’s role in creativity and photography in an upbeat, motivational style.

One interesting thing that I’ve learned about bitcoin just things and life in general is that you only really really discover something or take full heart to it when you actually really have a need for it.

For example, the story of Michael Saylor microstrategy and bitcoin; the only reason that Michael Saylor really took it was because he had a real need for it; 500 million in cash, in kind of stagnant company– he needed to add vitality back to life to his company and corporation.

Necessity is the true mother of all innovation

Similarly speaking, myself, moving here to LA, staring at this ridiculous high cost of living, and trying to find innovative ways to approach money, productivity time etc. I found bitcoin as almost a salvation for me, Cindy, my aging mom, Seneca, and my future family!

How and why bitcoin has changed my life

So I think traditionally, most of us are stuck into the work cycle. It is a simple mathematical equation: a simple vector equation;  in goes your effort, time, and labor, outcomes money and income.

So for most people, there is directly proportional effect:

You labor harder, more, and you yield more US dollars, and you work hard, put out new innovative product services etc., a lot of hard work and time, heavily market the thing, through genuine and effort full channels, and then wait diligently for somebody to purchase your products services workshops etc., hope they pay, and then when that dust settles within a month two or three, then you could withdraw that money from your PayPal or digital broker, and then deposited into your checking account, finally logging in and securing your “gain”,

“Income”

So this is where things become funny: the notion of “income”.

Once again, I’m still relatively new to all of this, in the sense that the average time labor, we have a hard time thinking like an investor. For example, to think that you just have $2 million in capital, you have some deep insight and intuition about something,  and then you invest that money into the thing, and then over the course of a few days weeks months, two months, three months, four months five months, a year, 4 to 5 years, the number magically goes up!

To me, this is still like wizardry, like pure magic!

And I still think this is where it is difficult to understand; to those who have access to capital, you essentially have an economic lever to lever up, and leverage that, which is just economic power and energy, to be even more more energy, more power.

The Spartan investor

So we hear stories of Warren Buffett, living the same old house, driving the old same Honda Accord whatever, and then just spending all day reading the newspaper investing in the markets, and then becoming like the third world’s richest man, all at the age of 80 or 90 years old, But your old sick fat and tired, still eating McDonald’s and drinking Coca-Colas.

Warren Buffett is not a good example. Even he was a skeptic and critic of bitcoin.

I think the hard thing is everyone uses Warren Buffet as an example, but for my general sense, given the fact that he has invested heavily into Coca-Cola, he is no better than people who invest in fill up Morris evil cigarette and now vaping corporation, to spin a certain profit.

Tell me that, everyone wants to be as rich as Warren Buffett but nobody actually wants to become Warren Buffett. Do you know anybody in the given universe who wants to be that old fat sick and unshapely? 

Instead, I’m much better idea is to be as jacked as King Leonidas, Gerald Butler in the movie 300, all while being a billionaire. My vision is essentially having the hard spartan body, naked and super fucking jacked, and also… This is the critical one; insanely Spartan and frugal, surprising everyone that you drive a Toyota Prius, even though you could afford like 20 cyber trucks.

I think what I have discovered finally at the age of 36, is that with bitcoin, this changes everything. Why? Before bitcoin has finally hit mass adoption, and now that starting next year January 2025 will be a year one of bitcoin institutional adoption,  what that means is having a bitcoin is like having a cyber truck or Lamborghini on steroids, but on a digital wheel. 

This is my visual: I was at the park yesterday with Seneca, playing with him at night, just having the house key in my front pocket, no phone no nothing not even my camera, and we’re just playing around in the tot lot, kicking around some bark, and I had the funny thoughts; would I trade a bitcoin for a Tesla? Maybe a cyber truck? But actually the other day I jumped into a cyber truck and I was a little bit underwhelmed; the funny thing about the cyber truck is that it looks so flashy and awesome from the outside, put on the inside once you actually step into it, it is a bit underwhelming; it doesn’t really feel that different from sitting inside a Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry. Maybe it would be different if you were homeless and just owned a cyber truck and just slept in the trunk bed, but beyond this, I think cyber truck is one of those funny things that you could just admire it from the outside, without actually having to own it.  and if anything, the real thing to just wait for or save up for is the cyber taxi, which could just shuttle your kid to baseball practice, or take your wife directly to campus or work through the grueling 405 morning commute traffic.

Anyways, now, my calculus is simple; I think of everything in context to bitcoin.

For example, whenever I critically look and asses these things, I think to myself,

How many bitcoins could I buy with this thing? 

For example I was just trolling around with the finance calculator for the Tesla website, and still the cheapest Tesla model three, base edition, after taxes and even after the federal rebate, will still run you around $40-$45,000 at the door. And no this is the cheapest version! This is like half a bitcoin or a third of a bitcoin. I’d rather take the bitcoin which is going to $13 million, rather than the Tesla car which is going to zero.

Accretive or dilutive? 

A new line of thinking I’ve also been thinking about is this general idea of accretive vs dilutive;  that means, is this thing that I’m interested, will it increase value, a.k.a. go up in value, or go down in value?

So I think now that Trump is president, bitcoin at this point is in my mind, practically 100% cemented and certain to go up forever. However as I mentioned in my prior essay, the philosophy of volatility, to reach higher highs you gotta reach lower lows? 

So assuming that you just took snapshots every year, at random high points year over year, you will find that bitcoin is the insanely obvious choice. With enough hindsight, with enough 2020 you can see and determine and ascertain that in fact, bitcoin is by far the winning bet, nearly a trillion-fold obvious decision!  it has insane volatility which means it goes up and down a lot, constantly, but the cool thing is that it will essentially go up forever!

And this is like volatility, it is like having a hyper charger or a supercharger in your engine; more power or more velocity, more extremes to reach higher performance.

For example if you think about the velocity of a roller coaster; what makes it fun is precisely the highs and lows. If you take one of those boring kid ones, which is pretty much steady, it is insanely boring. Why? The thrills of the roller coaster– once again we are the adrenaline junkies!

Practical strategies

OK… if you want the ultimate blend of safety with high-yield, my suggestion is 90% of your capital into bitcoin,  and 10% into microstrategy stock (MSTR). This is what I personally do.

Why? Essentially you could treat Marco strategy stock like your cash; it keeps going up in value, and actually in fact goes up quicker than bitcoin; although it is a Security, a stock that you don’t really own, like bitcoin which is digital property. I love Michael Saylor and microstrategy to death, I have like literally watched and listen to every single Michael Saylor podcast interview available out there, I also read his book the mobile wave, and I’ve tried to consume every single piece of literature or thing that Michael Saylor has put out there. I also watched his recent earnings call, and watching it all in all, almost like watching a rockstar.

However at the end of the day once again, the name of the game is to accumulate and acquire more bitcoins. He or she with the most bitcoins, or the entity with the most bitcoins shall win.

America bitcoin first strategy

So a simple thought to the Trump bitcoin administration and beyond;

First, America must be the bitcoin leader. We must be the nation with the most bitcoin in our treasury reserves.

Sent you the basic ideas like we are creating the next bitcoin Fort Knox; we must dominate every other nation in terms of the number of our bitcoin holdings, kind of like imagine military power, but bitcoin as cyber power.

For example let us assume that the US Navy has strategic military dominance over the planet. And let us assume that our military power is at least 10,000 X to that mainland China.

So in theory in terms of numbers, America must supersede mainland China in our bitcoin holdings. By at least a factor of 10,000X.

I think even Donald Trump joked that maybe we could even use some of our bitcoin to pay back our national debt?

I think actually the more interesting strategy is we hoard our bitcoins forever, until the end of time, and instead, I don’t know… Someone with some good economic wizardry could figure out how we could leverage our debt in intelligent ways so we could actually pay back our debt without having to sell bitcoin.

And once again… I think this is the main idea on my mind right now — we can continue to accumulate bitcoin, stack bitcoin, etc.,  and figure out how we leverage borrowing cheap money or debt from other banks entities, to make money?

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Being positively polarized to capital 

My has enjoy an interest; give me all your capital, and I will invest it and grow it for you!

Eric@erickim.com

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Cyber Capital

So the reason why I think this is such a big deal is that finally, with bitcoin, we have finally crossed the chasm. What this means is finally, in the year 2024 and beyond, capital is finally cyber. What this means is next frontier of capital is practically infinite. 

Let me explicate this a bit more on why this is such a big deal:

So it looks like traditionally, the last frontier of making money and wealth was companies. Why? With technology, finally you were able to break free a little bit of physical limitations. For example, with Google Amazon Facebook etc., you were able to finally cross the digital divide which means that you could actually Feel all things in assets digitally, like digital advertisements digital value etc. Yet the different nuance is still… Capital was not yet in the digital realm. For example even though Amazon Facebook Google and the big tech companies could create value digitally through cyber space in cyber networks, there was no Internet native money or capital in which they could store their value.

For example all the big companies, we’re still reliant on JP Morgan Chase to custody their US dollars and field currency the treasury reserve assets etc.

But starting January of next year 2025… This will all change.

ERIC

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I suppose one of the good things about Asian Confucian culture, and also being Korean Korean American is the focus and ethos of respect, and also more importantly, disrespect. For example, I find the ethics the morality that ethos of Achilles in the Iliad so refreshing; There seems to be more truth in his approach, rather than our emasculated, castrated notions of honor and respect in today’s times. For example, there is nothing that provokes my wrath more than disrespect.

Disrespect can take lots of different forms. When people don’t greet you, treat you with respect, or acknowledge you or your kids. In Korean culture, to simply “een-ssa” somebody is one of the most chief virtues. And it is super simple; to greet somebody, when they come and go etc.

Are there certain individuals who deserve more respect than others? 

In the grand comedy of life, yes. The first thought I have is this whole notion of Confucian respect for elders, and also, filial piety to be quite base.  For example, if you think about Achilles, all he thought was his own personal glory, and had no cares or concerns for all these other superficial things. He didn’t really care about his father in the far away land, and even Achilles didn’t really care about the well-being of his own blood son, Who was far away. In fact I found this really interesting, I actually didn’t know that Achilles had his son! Changes everything; I’m just going to be and become a modern day version of Achilles, and think of Seneca like my heir. Or just son.

Kleos

So if I did it all over again, went back to college University or whatever, I might have just studied ancient Greek literature and the Classics, maybe also barbelling it with computer science.  I think sociology was great, but sociology after you run its course, becomes a bit flaccid; you could probably learn the fundamentals of all of sociology and just like six months, whereas the wisdom of ancient Greek literature can span millennia.

Why?

Typically, when things have been around and lasted a very long time, there is a reason.

“Everything lasts for a reason” – TALEB

For example, when we superficially look at people who have been around for a very very long time, and somehow we think they are “cheating”, or illegitimate… We got a pause and think; what are their cheap virtues which allow them to have such grand longevity?

For example, one nefarious character seems to be Tony Robbins, but it looks like he’s been in the game for a very very long time. As a consequence, he’s probably doing something right. And also this goes with the rich dad poor dad guy, and some other modern day business entrepreneurs. And also the same thing with Donald Trump; he’s pretty old now, 70s… But the fact that he’s been around this long in politics business etc., probably means he’s doing something right, even though he might be a morally bad or evil person.

Who lasts?

Even right now, the reason why I consider maybe Kanye West to be the most ANTIFRAGILE individual of them all, even surpassing Jay-Z is because Kanye West has spoken his mind about everything, and he’s still in the game! He’s still making music, he’s still making art, and apparently his new Yeezy sock sneakers came out!

And I think it should be admired, who last and who doesn’t last, because durability in the words of Nietzsche is essentially the chief good on the planet. 

Why?

So it looks like durability has fallen out of vote. Why? Because durability does not sell. For example, honestly I think we are all always itching for a reason to buy something new, to sell something new, etc. And the reason why this is so annoying is that you’re kind of secretly hoping for things to break, in order to “upgrade“ to that new new thing. And this is honestly the psychology behind upgrading to the new iPhone, or buying a new camera or digital camera or car whatever; we quickly tire of the old, we desire the new.

This is where reading the Elliot has been so refreshing; in a world before capitalism in consumerism was even invented, I think you start to see a little bit more honest approaches in which humans go out and do things. For example, everybody already knows that the armor of Achilles is by far the most supreme on the planet. And also what is it is if we think about the Iliad , essentially obviously everyone knows that the Earth is big, but the whole drama is just centered around the super super tiny part of Troy, which becomes a whole microcosm in itself. This is great because we tend to think about global politics too much; international affairs. But rather, I think we should think super super local, super super specialized. Like local city politics over national ones or even international ones.

And this is my thought on America, rather than over extending ourselves and meddling in the affairs of other places, we should just fortify ourselves, we should become the next Sparta, the next Troy, the new ancient Greeks.

Morals of the story

So I just finished reading the Emily Wilson translation of the Iliad, A+ plus.  and what is super interesting is the end of the Elliot, is actually quite anti-climatic; King Priam gets the body of Hector back,  and also, Achilles finally is able to go back to bed with Breisis,,, his prize and trophy, the original quarrel with King Aggamenon.

And the reason why this is also important is that it teaches us a lot about war, revenge etc. Essentially I think one of the soft morals of the stories that even though you get your revenge, your heart will not be settled. For example, even after Achilles kills Hector, pierces his ankles and drags him around The city gates of Troy several times, even around his own Greek encampment, his heart is still not soothed. He still mourns the death of Patroclus,,, and no matter what he does, he cannot bring his best friend back from the dead.

I think a very simple idea is as long as you have a beautiful woman, a beautiful wife to go back to bed with, to literally sleep in the same bed with, you should consider yourself 100% supremely happy and joyful. And especially if your wife has birthed you a son, you should be forever grateful, even the adage “never go to sleep angry“ is a good one. 

Another thing that I learned about the morals and ethics of the Iliad and Achilles; just speak your damn mind! I think to not speak your mind is cowardice. 

I think one of the bad things about stores is that often more than not, it is too centered around “forgiveness“, and just being quiet. And the reason why this is such a bad strategy is that this ends up leading to pent up anger frustration and also, Pettiness. A real man has iron lungs and speaks his truth, no matter how bad it may seem, but instead most mortals hold petty anger jealousy and spite in their hearts forever until their grave. 

I also think what is so interesting about the Iliad and the ancient Greeks is how they were oratory, oral culture. Which means that everything was said out loud, nothing was held silent. 

 in fact, my personal thought is maybe the worst bad thing that has happened to modern Day Society, the reason why people are so strange and antisocial is actually not the iPhone, but actually, AirPods, AirPods pros, headphones, noise canceling headphones etc. Because the truth is, your ears might be 1 trillion times more sensitive than your eyes; Even though I personally love my vision and photography, actually music, rhythm, souls and beats gets me more energized than the visual. 

And I think maybe the reason why this is so important is because audio audio things are still quite critical; for example, after listening to almost every single Michael sailor talk and interview, and putting pretty much 100% of my traditional Roth IRA and IRA into micro strategies stock, There is more veracity in words and the human voice, rather than just images, Talking Heads, as well as text.

In fact, one of the funniest things that I listen to was hearing Donald Trump talk to the bitcoin conference, I realize, I actually never really heard him talk out loud, maybe besides the debate he had about four years ago with Joe Biden.

I feel like maybe in the future, the skills of the oral culture will be critical; teaching people to be a postmaster or public speaker, well actually ironically in the future become more and more important!

And also my personal thought, I thought this back in Providence Rhode Island even before Seneca was born, was that Social skills or the future will be the future, because ultimately, in some ways technology is a bit overrated, more important than technology is the social. I suppose this is outside of studying sociology, it taught me how Sociology and social things interactions are so critical; because everything comes down to the Social, after a long enough timespan.

For example, everyone wants the Lamborghini, but actually it’s not the Lamborghini that we want, we want the Lamborghini to be flashy and to flex our manliness ego and attitude, and in the hope of somehow attracting really really hot and beautiful women, and the hope is being able to Bed these bimbos, and to maximize our sexual pleasure and ejaculate in them on them all around them,  to face all of their openings closings and orifices, to defile all of their body parts breast butt waist face mouth vagina butthole hands whatever, I think this is the whole ethos behind porn pornography.

But, this is a very misguided approach. I think we gotta make combat, man-to-man combat cool again.

Guns are for guys with small dicks

The bigger your gun, the smaller your dick size. 

Honestly, anyone who has a gun or owns a gun, who is not military or ex military or police is a pussy with a small dick.

Why?

Maybe my thoughts is the big problem, even being here in California, is asymmetric warfare; now that I have a son to live for, even if there is a one percent chance or even a .5% chance that the other party might have a gun, I will always err on the side of caution. Why? Because, even though I look like a god in the flesh, any skinny fat loser with a small dick, with a gun can pop me and boom I’m dead. 

No the reason why this is so problematic is once again, you could be like the midget in Austin Powers, even have a small and modest pistol and kill somebody who looks like John Cena with just the flick of your finger.

I think what was so refreshing in ancient Greek times, was that battle, or was much more honest. Even back in the Iliad in ancient Greek times, everyone knew that the archers with bow and arrows ruler bunch of pussies. Why? Asymmetric warfare; you could hide behind a wall and shoot arrows at me which can kill me, And you yourself are not exposed to danger. And this is where I think that there needs to be more flesh in the game ; no knives, no guns, no pistols, only hands.

Actually if anything, maybe even if you have some teenage adolescent boys, and they are having some sort of argument, just have them put on some boxing gloves and protective helmets and gear and just have them sparred out. It might lead to faster conflict resolution than these sissy approaches of just “talking about your feelings“.

And actually, the critical issue here is that there’s a difference if you are male versus female. The strange modern day trend of trying to equivalize the both I think is actually properly detrimental to society and beyond. 

No suppose this is where maybe all boys Catholic schools might still be a good idea; honestly how much of my education was wasted because I’ll just distracted by all these pretty girl at school, wearing super super mini skirts in class?

What’s the point of education anyways?

I suppose the real critical issue here is in regards to the purpose of school and education. In ancient Sparta, I think young boys were with their mothers, until they became seven years old, and then they entered the “karneia”– which was essentially SWAT training for young Spartan boys, to breed them to become the next generations of Warriors.

And the reason I also find this important is that true courage must also go lock and lock and hand in hand with physical courage. Once again, you cannot have courage by being the fat world of Warcraft to dude on South Park, being a keyboard warrior. And actually the issue of the Internet now, is I think the safe bet is to assume that 100% of the toxic comments and arguments on the Internet or just bots, none of them are real life humans.

And this is where I think the wise strategy, is to disable all comments, all metrics whatever;  even views could be Game of Thrones so easily; just hire a corporation in India to spin up 1 trillion fake bots, to inflate your view numbers, in order for you to get some sort of sponsorship or whatever.

In fact, I think if you just pay 100 bucks or 200 bucks, you could pay some sort of outsourcing Indian corporation to give your video 10 or even 100 million views!

And also, maybe if you pay 300 bucks or so, you could easily get 1 million fake subscribers to your YouTube Instagram whatever.

And the reason why we should not even discuss TikTok is that TikTok is the enemy, come on, it is mainland China in the flesh! In some ways I think we have to adopt an anti-mainland Chinese approach again ;; even something interesting that I learned from Peter Thiel was the original notion of being politically corrected was that you sent you were a devout follower of Stalin and Lennon, communism is bad. And truth be told it seems like 95% of higher education university professors are essentially low-key communists, anarchist, and would prefer that America burn to the ground.
…

Why is this important? Even Apple, Apple corporation should not be trusted; because she is in bed with me! As long as foxconn exists, as long as iPhones and Apple products are made in mainland China, Apple should almost be seen as a low-key connection to the enemy;; any time any corporation gets into bed with mainly in China pick government there etc., they should not be trusted.

And truth be told,  the reason why all publicly traded corporations are unethical is that it is their moral and ethical imperative to increase profits and potential future profits at any cost. Thus, the drive towards sensationalism with Google, anger porn, and insane news reporting to maximize advertising revenue. Don’t trust any mainstream media or news even the good ones. And don’t even trust NPR and Al Jazeera etc.; they are all bad. The left the right the middle the conservative the Republicans of the Democrats, the fake woke liberals, the small dick flag Humpers on the right Donald Trump supporters etc.; everyone is bad.

Also did you know, that our savior and Messiah Obama actually increased deportations and incarceration during his administration, more so than any other politician? Everyone is bad and evil, this is reality; let us not try to embellish anything.

Democrats are bad, libertarians are bad, Republicans are bad, conservatives moderates in their rules everyone is bad; anyone who is on the political spectrum, is bad.

Now I suppose the question is once you have acknowledged and understood that anything everyone and everything is bad; then what?

Optimistic fatalism

So my critique about the Russians and the eastern Europeans, post USSR, people from Bulgaria Hungary, the Polish the old Soviet bloc; is they are too fatalistic. Their ethos is everything is bad evil and not worth looking for so let us simply trudge through this miserable life with a minimum amount of misery, knowing that the past present and future will be bad and always remain to be bad, might even get worse.

In America, we also see a similar trend. Essentially we should consider most of the media, social media Facebook Instagram Snapchat Twitter and like to just be channels of misinformation, Sunsational for advertising revenue, Google here is the bad guys; as long as Google ad sense exists, Everything will always become hyper sensationalized, in order to boost the lagging profits of Google.

And funny enough here is where Apple is still a little bit more ethical than Google; Apple is trying to sell you iPhones, iPhone pros, and her new subscription services, at least this is more honest and transparent than Google who is trying to offer you all this great “free stuff“, but to inundate you with click baity advertisements, insanity on YouTube, and conspiracy theories.

One of my grand ideas is simple; the best strategy in life is to assume that 100% of the conspiracy theories are all false,. Even the true ones.

Why? This is much more of a optimistic positive and good approach; obviously we know everything is bad and evil and corrupt, but so what? Better to be the gleeful dark grim and humorous spartan, laughing while the enemy puts them with arrows, “fighting in the shade“, shout out to Zack Snyder the best director of all time. This movie has dictated all of my manly ethos, ever since I was a teenager in high school, when I first watched the movie 300 in theaters. Now, manliness has fallen out of Vogue; all of these guys in LA are a bunch of cowardly antisocial skinny fat weaklings, who might drive a base level Porsche or Audi; work at Google in secret, or stuck on zoom calls all day; super antisocial yet binge on ironic HBO comedies at night, make a big income but have no kids, not getting married, maybe they own some sort of wimpy rescue dog.

Is it OK to be mean?

In the area there is a scene in which one of the Greeks is beating Odysseus, and Odysseus gets pissed off, takes his scepter and starts beating him up until welts raise on his back and the Greek comrade is weeping. All the while the other Greeks in the camp are just laughing.

Laughter is divine and godlike. Even my friend Sara Lando, one of the greatest fine art photographers of all time, shout out, who studied ancient Greek, taught me that the word enthusiasm actually just literally meant a god dwelling within you; and the idea of passion was actually a bit misguided, passion  is more like passionate of the Christ, like pain and suffering is virtuous. And the reason why I think this line of thinking is so dangerous is that also, I see a lot of these modern fake ass woke liberals, especially trying to nail themselves to the cross.

Martyrdom is never worth it– anybody who is a martyr or seeks to become a martyr is secretly just trying to commit suicide with a good conscience. 

Even Jesus, my personal read is obviously Jesus wanted to keep living! But I guess he had real balls, rather than renounce his things, he decided to stick to them; if we think about Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth as a real life flesh bound human being, assuming we trip away the hocus-pocus, read the Jefferson Bible, then, we can make some progress?

Stop buying them Ricoh, start buying those iPhone Pros!

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Watch the vlog

Direct video download to vlog on why iPhone pro is future for street photography >

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Tim Cook is great!

The really really big issue here right now is supply chain issues. So this is where I am very very admiring of Tim Cook—the master of supply chain and logistics.

Problems with Ricoh, Fujifilm & these Japanese companies

So it seems the real critical issue here is supply chain issues. For example, I actually wanted to buy a new Fujifilm X100 VI, and also a new Ricoh GR III HDF… but the problem is they are all out of stock, all backordered… even if you want to buy it, you cannot.

Therefore, the critical issue here is availability. I want to buy it, I have the money for it, but I can’t buy it! Super annoying.

iPhone Pro thoughts

Looks like Apple listened to me, my idea for a “quick draw” idea… made available via the new camera control thing in the bottom right corner. It is a good idea because it makes it very very quick and easy and available to quickly quickly quickly take a picture, without delay. All those other strange touch-enabled exposure control stuff seems more like a gimmick, because it kind of looks like what a Samsung phone would do… Anyways, better than nothing. And also having it in the bottom right corner is a good idea because these damn iPhones are so big now… And also the ability to just make all of your apps sit at the bottom of your screen is an insanely great idea because most people have pretty small hands, their thumbs cannot reach all the way to the top.

NEW ERIC KIM APPLE TV+ SERIES: “Mastering the Art of Street Photography”

So I have this pitch idea for Apple TV+ (eric@erickim.com)—and the general idea is how can you use an iPhone, iPhone Pro, etc., to travel the world, be like ERIC KIM or Henri Cartier-Bresson, and make really awesome photos?

And also there would be a cool tie-in with the iPad Pro… The new M4 one… because I might be the only one I know, the only perhaps influential serious photographer on the planet who only uses an iPad Pro… I haven’t touched my laptop in about two years.

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Learn on

To read some more in-depth thoughts on this subscribe to my podcast on Apple podcast here

More podcast stuff here. 

Also you could subscribe to me for free on Spotify here.

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Full post

Also audio vlog > 

Learn more here.

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Why is this such a big deal? 

I suppose this is a big deal because iPhone 16 Pro I think is finally probably good enough to replace the RICOH GR? 

Granted the truth is in terms of image quality and workflow… The Ricoh GR III, Ricoh GR IIIx, now the HDF’s… aesthetically probably look way better, but maybe from a innovation perspective it makes more sense for us to just burn the ships behind us, and buy some thing which has an interesting double dipping ability – AI, ChatGPT as well as photography?

Still artistic photography is the future

I really thought that the iPhone commercial with the weekend was very lame.  Apple is taking the wrong direction here… Come on… Your mom is going to have zero inspiration or motivation to use the iPhone pro to shoot a commercial or to shoot cinema. Apple going to whole cinematic route with iPhone is a very bad idea. A better strategy is instead… To focus on the still photography aspect. 

For example it looks like the new update on the photo styles is actually a super smart idea. No more needing to use loser Instagram or third-party apps — and actually… When are the things which inspired me to purchase some Apple stock at least with my Roth Ira accounts ,,,was the new iOS 18 is insanely great! And hats off to the apples photos team… It looks like what Apple is trying to do here is trying to cut out Instagram from the equation… And do the more smart strategy of making Apple photos look like it’s on social media platform?

I don’t think Instagram Facebook Metais a sustainable model. Sooner or later people are going to get sick of the ads, and want to bail and jump ship. I also think the same thing will happen with Google… There’s going to be a point where everything is this going to ChatGPT everything or searchgpt everything — no more lower click bait Google and YouTube videos — nobody likes ads! Especially kids, they hate ads!

Also a funny thought… Most google employees I know… Or IT tech workers, almost all universally have ad blockers on all of their devices. And almost all of them pirate stuff on VPNs and pirate bay etc. So it is a little bit ironic that Google is trying to crack down on AdBlockers now. My better suggestion is just try to make the YouTube premium app so so good on iPhone and Google devices… That you will actually make people happy to pay the $10 a month or whatever for YouTube premium! And also googles idea to monetize the pro version of Gemini AI is good idea. 

I think about Google will certainly find very very soon, I think she already knows… Is advertising on the Internet is not a sustainable business model. Rather I think subscriptions and to pay for things is the way forward!

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Just buy it then return it?

Maybe the good idea is just buy the new iPhone Pro and return it if you don’t like it ,,,? And just test it out?

OWN YOUR CONTENT

If you live long enough, you’re going to wish you didn’t sell the rights to your content to some third-party.

Same to owning your own platform!

Create for 30 years from now!

PHOTOGRAPHY ENTREPRENEURSHIP 101: How to Become a Photography Entrepreneur >

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Create your future!

“I bought every V12 engine, wish I could take it back to the beginning” – JAY Z

Also–

Subscribe to the $20 a month ChatGPT pro,,, and experiment with the new ChatGPT o1 preview — your mind will be blown!

AI ALL THE WAY!

ERIC

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More AI thoughts here:

erickim.ai

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Forward the turbo!

EK NEWS SUPPLY >

Also whenever in doubt,

START HERE >

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Tell me your goals, what your life goals are and I will tell you who you are.

So there is a double edged sword of goals, life goals etc. The problems here is that you could hit and achieve all of your life goals, and once that you have achieved them… Truth be told it is pretty anti-climactic. For example, even my insanely audition goal of lifting 1000 pounds, I was very very happy and pleased with it… But once again, at least to me it felt like another day at the gym. To me the difference between lifting 995 pounds, and 1000 pounds, was just a number in my mind. 

Funny thought… Numbers and round numbers, there’s this weird psychology behind it.

Example, I’m currently eyeing on purchasing some new weights because I’m maxed up my current set up. Yet for me… To pay 550 or $560 seems like too much… But to pay 500, like 450, or 490 seems much more palatable.

This is why… To charge $999, at least for the sticker price on an iPhone pro is insanely intelligent because once you break the thousand dollar mark, in the mind of people… It is almost too much. Also then intelligence of Elon… To essentially make the model 3 and Y, at least the sticker price is $29,999 a dollar under the $30,000 mark is genius. I think one of the things that I learned is that we humans are funny… We are often sucker by these superficial number differences.

Think kilograms

A big innovation I discovered while in Cambodia Asia we lifting there… Is everyone uses kilograms, not pounds. And this was the impetus to help me break beyond my mental barriers, at least when it came to traditional pounds and weights.

For example, the traditional American plate is 45 pounds… But when it comes to kilograms, the red plate is 25 kg, which is more close to about 52 pounds.

As a consequence… As an American weightlifter or powerlifters, let us see the deadlift, in which the traditional marker of strength is being able to do at least a four plate to dead lift, which is 405 pounds in total. Yet if you took the metric kilogram approach… Four plates, assuming that it was in 25 kg increments, would technically be a lot more.

Steel over iron?

This is where steel is better than iron… Steel is more expensive, but should last a lot longer than iron. And this is where I think buying calibrated steel weightlifting plates is a good idea… In theory if you keep good condition of it, you should be able to hand it down to your Kids.

And this is where things become fun… now that you have a son, or at least I do… Life is so insanely great because I’m so excited the day that I get going to weightlifting, and I could hand down my legendary Texas power squat bar to him, and also he will inherit all my weight lifting equipment and plates etc.

Think about your kids kids kids

I think this is the reason why it is difficult for people who have never had a kid or child to imagine the future. Why? If you are the typical single millennial, or let us say if you have a dog or whatever…  it is actually very difficult to think about the future. Why why? Your life strategy becomes about hedonism maximization, which is in the context of eating good sushi, traveling to Japan, etc. But like Cindy famously said… You can only go to burning man so many times. And also, you can only go to Japan so many times, and eat good or omakase sushi so many times before it loses its appeal. 

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I bought every V12 engine wish I could take it back to the beginning - JAY Z

Last night, this morning, playing around with the new ChatGPT 1o– and read the blog post on it on the open AI website, and the thought which was interesting… Taking things back to first principles, taking it back to the beginning.

So the first thing that is super interesting about the new ChatGPT model is that it scores much higher, in math science and really really advanced things like coding. And what it does which is interesting is that it spends more time thinking, before spitting out a response. 

Applied to humans

When I was going super super deep into philosophy, around 2017, 2018… I penned an essay titled “Why Think?”. Some people thought it was a ridiculous idea, but… It might be the most critical one in modern day times.

First thought: one can only think while walking, in the outdoors, experiencing gravity, reality, friction, changes in temperature humidity etc.

Also, one cannot think while being sedentary on one’s butt.

Butt thoughts

Let us consider… No great thought has arisen from a butt. Great thoughts can only arise from legs. 

The cult of sitting has been around since ancient Greek times, it was typically seen as an honor thing; you would sit, or others would sit around you, when it came to the king, the gods, processions etc. To sit was more of a social, sociological thing.

But now… Things are really weird. It does seem that nowadays, there seems to be a stronger connection between making money, and sitting on your butt. Typically, the more and the longer you sit on your butt, is correlated with how much money you will earn. 

For example, the modern day programmer, either sitting on their butt all day, or maybe standing all day, or a little bit less worse… Standing walking treadmill while programming. But I think a lot of people have a hard time walking and programming at the same time — I think most people need to be sedentary, or at least not moving to be productive.

Or let us consider… What is being sold to us? I figure it out… A Lamborghini Ferrari Porsche McLaren or whatever… are for weaklings, wimps,  and typically skinny fat or fat people, or Shorty guys.

Let us consider, the greatest position for a man to be in is standing. Not sitting.

For example, I am pretty tall, around 5 foot 11. And now that I wear my 60 pound weight vest every morning, my posture has also improved. As a consequence having a greater posture, I actually appear to be taller, more dominant.

Also, I find that women don’t like it when I stand next to them because they see how much taller, stronger, or dominant and powerful I am than them. Same goes with men. Especially the shorty guys. 

In fact, whenever someone says some thing which is unpleasant to me, the simple strategy is to take a step towards them, just like how we linebackers do it in American football.

When in doubt, take a step forward! (The first thing I learned playing linebacker, middle linebacker in high school, sophomore and junior year).

The reason why this is so unnatural is that typically, when it comes to natural things… You take a step back. For example if you’re playing football… And you’re on defense and the other side the ball, and the place starts… You have all these raging hormone teenage boys, full of muscle and armor padding, coming at you… The natural response is actually too kind of take a step back and run away. But we had to first learn as a technique, as middle linebacker, even when you thought that they were going for a pass, to always take a step forward, and then take a step back later.

Why this is such a good idea 

I almost wonder… When it comes to uncertainty or doubt, it always makes sense to take a step closer to people.
First, vision. Maybe if you’re too far away, you might have just seen something incorrectly. You might have mis-seen the situation, and you might just need a simpler look. 

For example, I have myopia, a.k.a. I need to wear glasses. Without my glasses I can’t see anything. I’m blind as a bat.

Therefore as a consequence, I almost wonder if we should take this metaphor to real life. That is, in real life we also have myopia of reality in general. That we cannot really understand it until we are there very very close, face-to-face. 

my favorite entertainment

Something that I learned how to do, especially now that myself confidence is out of control… Is when I’m at the gym or I see people weightlifting… I’ll get super super close to them, and watch them go for their powerlifting, one rep maximum lift.

And I will compliment guys, and also help hype them up.

This is very interesting because truth be told… Nobody ever guesses that I am essentially a demigod and strength, that I have gone viral twice over, at golds gym and Venice Beach, and also I think those are random video of me lifting seven plates on, which also went viral, which got millions of views, unbeknownst to me.  after that video went viral, all these people started to see me differently at the gym, a little bit shocked and amazed that me, and also a little bit intimidated of me?

Anyways, one of the guys told me what my Instagram was, that I should capitalize on all these views. I told him I didn’t have Instagram I was not interested. I suppose this is the upside of becoming already super super famous in a different domain, street photography and photography in general. And I suppose this is the upside:

Trust no weightlifter, power lifter, athlete fitness person who is on Instagram TikTok or social media, even YouTube.

Why? The critical issue here is that if your weightlifting numbers or your physique or whatever is correlated to likes on social media, then… Sooner or later, said individual will try to maximize this by taking steroids or other weird stuff.

Also, even worse as people who get sponsored… Now you become a slave to the sponsored brand because now your performance your body your physique your numbers have some sort of potential money making scheme attached to it. 

Don’t be jealous

I also suppose I am really really intelligent and wise now, because now at the age of 36, being married and having a beautiful child, probably the most wonderful child of all time, I don’t really have nothing to prove to anybody anymore.

I’ve reached all the hallmarks of modern day success, fame, riches, wealth, money, traveling the planet and the globe, mastering the physical domain (lifting over 10 plates at the gym, my thousand pound atlas lift), getting an insanely jacked physique and 6 pack (more recently being here in LA, my glorious full body tan, gleaming and bronze), and pretty much everything.

Anyways, now I suppose the grand upside is I could really really now, just speak frankly, without any fear, or concern about anything.

How ERIC KIM became “uncancellable”

First, I mentally retired in 2017, when I realized that I would never run out of money. Living in Hanoi, $320 a month for rent, and eating out all my meals and just drinking coffee all day… Maybe paying $500 a month, between Cindy and I? and even our passive income surpassing that. 

Second big realization, quitting email. Essentially realizing that almost 0 fiduciary opportunities or things ever came from email. Like literally. The only way I ever have made money, via workshops with the Internet was through my own imperative… Planning and conducting my own workshops, etc. And also creating and promoting and selling my own haptic industries products. With Cindy.

Why sponsorships are a scam

 Reminiscing with Cindy… Thinking about our 20s, essentially the problem of being in your 20s even 30s, is everyone is trying to chase some sort of legitimacy.

“ I’ve been awoken from a enlightened man stream checking Instagram comments to crowdsource my self-esteem” – Kanye West

The reason why me deleting my Instagram in 2017 with 65,000 followers was the most influential photographer thing of all time is that I had the intelligence and the wisdom  that this was a trap!

Real courage, real balls?

I think maybe the most courageous thing you could do as an individual in two days world is when you have a certain ethical feeling or idea… To be able to sacrifice potential money fame power and influence, in order to follow your own gut, and what you believe in?  And also more specifically… What you don’t believe in? 

“I’m so anti-I’m so I’m so anti-” – Cyhi da Prynce

Very interesting… You can better get to know people based on what they are anti rather than what they are for.

For example, let us say that you’re doing a dating profile or whatever… ask people what they are not for, rather than what they are for. 

Your anti preferences, or your pet peeves. Also… When it comes to rules and regulations, don’t ask people what you should do, ask people what you should not do, the NASSIM TALEB via negativa principle.

Are you permitted to be anti anymore? 

I almost feel like in today’s world, it takes more courage to be anti something, rather than for something. To be anti mainstream — or anti mainstream thoughts take much courage.

The soft idea I have is that whenever it comes to any sort of rhetoric, which seems to be pretty popular or universal, always choose and opt for what is less standard. 

Do you have the courage or the right to be anti-something?

For example, am I permitted to anti plants? Or anti dogs? Or anti hormone therapy beyond the life or death situations? Or am I allowed to be anti sex changing via hormonal therapy?

People tell you to keep an open mind for yourself, to be different etc … , and to be open minded until you don’t?

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What are we not permitted to do in today’s world? To strike. 
I’ll give you some examples:

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The right to strike first?

First, everything is about defense, self-defense etc. For example… You can never strike first, or hit first.

For example, in Star Wars… The whole issue with Han Solo was,

Are you allowed to shoot first?

So for example… Let us say that if you think about the art of war, Machiavelli’s ethics – according to them… Striking first can be virtuous, and the smart strategy… If you knew with 100% foresight that if you waited too long, the other person would shoot you. 

For example, let us think about the ethics of guns and gun defense. Let us say that once again, you knew with 100% certainty that in 30 seconds, the guy would pop out a pistol and shoot and kill you. And let us assume that you also have a pistol Concealed… And you have an option to shoot and kill or maim him first…  or at least shoot him in the balls. Before he kills you.

Now the issue here is when you are in such a high adrenaline situation… Human actors we are not rational. And this is where you hear all the stories of these people first shooting an African-American kid, who just had a Coca-Cola can in his pocket or whatever.

Guns are for pussies

Now, some issues:  

First, anybody who owns a gun, a “self-defense” weapon… Truth be told, I think they are secretly itching to use it. They’re almost looking for a reason to use it.

I’ll give example… Let us see that you are the police, and you live in Irvine California. Come on… You’re just looking for a reason to use all of your high-powered weaponry.

I’ll give you another ridiculous example… A few weeks ago, I was in Santa Monica… And I saw this maybe 16-year-old Latino kid was sagging pants, running away from about a highly muscular 6 foot two police officer, and after they tackled the kid, handcuff him, there’s about five or six police SUVs that pull up?

I suppose in Santa Monica… It is not very dangerous. I’m not sure if this kid pickpocketed somebody, or did something… But, the response was very overcompensation, unnecessarily heavy-handed.

When in doubt, don’t be a coward

OK… Some unorthodox ethics.

First, I think there needs to be engaged thing. Like for example if the kids are young teenagers, or obviously maybe sub 21 years old… You give them a free pass.

I think the issue is it looks like the man is in his 30s or 40s… This is where you give them no mercy?

I think men do not understand is that no death of their child is ever justified… Even if the child was in the wrong.

I think the issue is with pistols, firearms, and 9 mm guns, Glocks, whatever…  there is an asymmetry. For example you could be a 99 pound skinny fat loser, with even a basic pistol, and immediately killed somebody who is 6 foot two and looks like Thor. Assuming that the other guy doesn’t have a gun.

And I suppose the difficult ethics here is it is kind of impossible to ascertain whether someone else has a gun or not.

Now some issues:

First, there are some people who have guns, some people who do not have guns. How do you know? 

First, think about the neighborhood. If you’re driving through Compton, Watts, Inglewood, South Central LA… Assume that everyone has a gun. However, if you are in Beverly Hills, Brentwood or even Culver City… Assume that nobody has a gun.

At least in America, typically rich people do not really carry guns or self-defense weapons. I find that from a sociological perspective, gun owners tend to be from lower class, middle America, strange people in the Midwest, who “homestead”, listen to Fox News, and too much Donald Trump rhetoric. Typically liberals, left-leaning people, rich people… Don’t even think about guns? I suppose the nuances if you are rich “white-sican” in Mexico City driving the convertible Lamborghini… They probably have a self-defense gun.

Other countries

I suppose the upside of a Japan or South Korea is that nobody has guns, I think even knives are rare.

The upside is whenever you watch these South Korean or maybe even Japanese yakuza movies… Typically they don’t have guns, but samurai blades and swords, sashimi blades etc. 

I would actually prefer a world in which we assumed with 100% certainty that nobody had any guns, knives, and weapons, and if you ever gone to an argument with somebody, it would come down to like a UFC, MMA, boxing style thing…

You solve it, with your fists, your legs, your naked body.

Why did the ancient Greeks wrestle naked?

Theory… Maybe it was all about confirming that the other person did not have a weapon on them?

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Assuming no weapons

Once again… I think that ethical thing here is–

Weapons are unethical because they give you an asymmetric advantage, whereas defense or armor is virtuous.

 For example, don’t be a pussy and try to get yourself a gun. My better suggestion is if you really are concerned about your life… Buy a bulletproof vest or Kevlar equipment instead.

60 pound weight vest as a modern day body armor? 

I think one of the great things I am very proud about my 60 pound weight vest, is that certainly at least in a fistfight… I will win. If somebody tries to punch me in the chest, it will likely shatter their hand. 

Also… It might repel, or at least reduce the impact, if somebody shot me with a gun, assuming that the bullet did not go through the in-between areas?

Bulletproof car? 

Funny enough, if you were a drug dealer or you lived in a very dangerous neighborhood or whatever, funny enough it seems that cyber truck might be your best bet. It might be the only mainstream bulletproof armored vehicle?

I mean the real optimal strategy is just don’t live in a dangerous area. But then again at the same time, you don’t want to live in Irvine California. The castrated society. 

What is it that we seek? 

I think we men… Perhaps what we men desire is to become a champion, some sort of hero. 

But wouldn’t it be a better idea that you become a hero, just with your fists, and your body? And your legs?

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Think American football 

I’ve met a lot of people who play American football, or played American football, and 0% of the time they ever think or wonder whether I played or not. I think it is just a low-key racism… We assume that Asian guys are weak and effeminate, and we never see Asian American guys in the NFL, and as a consequence… we think of Asian guys as the weaker race.

Backhanded compliments

Whenever somebody calls me Bruce Lee, I appreciate it and take the compliment, but the same time, I get a bit annoyed… Because truth be told, I don’t really care for Bruce Lee at all. I didn’t grow up to Bruce Lee movies, I grew up to Arnold Schwarzenegger! I grew up to Terminator, Rocky, Rambo etc.

The problem with Bruce Lee was he was too skinny, not enough muscle. And it seems that Bruce Lee… he was more of a magician, witchcraft and voodoo.

My critique about martial arts, karate, stuff like that is if he comes almost like a secret weapon, some sort of strange mistresses, rather than raw, pure power, pure muscle.

What do you want to look like?

For me… I would prefer to look like Arnold in his prime. Yet, he was on steroids and openly admits it.

Therefore, the biggest issue we have been is here or all these guys on steroids, propagating a false vision of reality, and you have all these young impressionable teenagers, striving to become like Arnold?

Becoming yourself?

I think the strange thought is we are always taught that to become someone else’s virtuous, and to become yourself is viceful or a sin?

For example, we are always told to become like Jesus… But why is Ever says that you should become yourself? We are taught that being evil, bad,, but don’t realize that Jesus was a bad ass… And often aggressive, like when he busted out the whips, and whipped out the oxen from the Jewish temple, and said out loud “ do not sell wares inside my father home!”

Thinking of Jesus as a flesh bound human being

Pontius Pilate was a real historical figure, and Jesus of Nazareth also was. I told you with 100%  certainty that in fact, Jesus was a real human being, a real man, 100% real… A real flesh bound, physics space, biological human being man… That is assume that all the stories in his miracles were metaphors. In fact, the good thing about being Roman Catholic is that we believe in metaphor, not literals– this is where the protestants and “sola scriptura” get it wrong.

Even Catholics, we think of God as more of a metaphorical figure. Not a literal one.

We also look at the miracles of Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, Almost from a more secular perspective. Also con substantiation, Eucharist, tribute told everyone knows it is a bit of a metaphor. I don’t think anyone really really really 100% think that when the priest rings the bell, and puts his hands over the unleavened bread, that is actually really does literally and physically become the flesh of Jesus Christ. Any stories about the Eucharist turning into blood, do not trust people without sound judgment.

Anyways, I think Jesus Christ is an interesting individual because his morals and ethics were so radical and revolutionary at the time — to turn the other cheek  a bit of a nonsense.   But my suspicion; if we think about Jesus like Gondi or whatever… How much of Jesus is teaching were based on the fact that he did not have an army that could overtake the Roman Empire, if we magically gave Jesus 1000,000 centurions, would he have behaved or acted differently?

The crucifixion of Jesus 

The reason why it is not good to watch any Disney movies, or Marvel movies, Batman or Superman, or the like is most of these stories and concepts, alter ego etc.… Either come from Stan Lee, or other guys who were either raised Jewish American, protestant, Christian, certainly American… Which has strange notions of a savior complex.

For example even the movie at this, saying that you are “the special”– if you think about all traditional movies in America they are all seeking a Jesus figure, like Neo from the matrix, etc. And let us not forget that Warner brothers discovery which owns all the intellectual property of the matrix and beyond,  they just keep rehashing the same concept, ad Infinitum.

Why?

I think humans, we have a difficult time dealing with complexity, we want simple straightforward answers. Poison example, if you’re Christian in America, the goal is to be like Jesus. But why would you be like Jesus and you own a gun?  Would Jesus have owned a gun? No! He didn’t even have armor!

Americans don’t really care about guns 

I’ll give you an example… John Wick. Everyone universally likes John Wick, even women, even people who are anti-guns. Even I love John Wick!

Yet, in real life,  I am very anti-gun. Not out of any sort of virtue signaling, but rather, I just really think it is the cowardly, weakling, pussy strategy. I really think that the true manly thing to do is once again, fist fights. Not even knives, or having a nail file.

Maybe this is where boxing, Wrestling, or MMA, the UFC is virtuous.? Even American football? Or rugby? But once again… The reason why I advise against any sort of high school or collegiate sports is that there will be at least one or two guys on steroids, without anyone knowing it. or they having low-key steroids, which is “cortisol shots “, to “heal” “injuries” . Anabolic steroids, are often prescribed to heal an injury, and this is how they are fake Weaponized.

assume everyone else is on steroids?

Your favorite CrossFitter, your favorite  calisthenics guy, your favorite water polo player, whatever. Assume that 100% of people are on steroids, whether real or fake steroids.

I think I figured it out… The whole issue is about records, world records, or personal records. If there is a drive to shatter records,  there will eventually be some sort of steroid or fake steroid use. Because biologically, if you want somebody to deadlift 2000 pounds or whatever,  I doubt it is physically possible, unless you inject your asshole with all the steroids on the planet.

So whenever you’re walking around you see a dude who is much buffer than you, assume that he is just on steroids. And as a consequence you don’t really complain about it or feel bad about it… If they want to become impotent and not have kids and have their balls become marshmallows, so be it.

“Balls,,, fuck em,,, who needs them anyways”?

So I think the critical issue here is once again… Everyone is about show, performance, the real world etc.

However, if we think about Achilles and the like…  it wasn’t about competition that they sought, simply, revenge. 

Assume that everyone is lying? 

A simple way not to get scammed in Los Angeles: assume that everyone is lying and bullshitting. Because you might be  right, 1 out of 99 times, and it might save your life? 

So also I thought about life… To play defense — is to be maximally critical and suspicious of everybody. But obviously do it in the spirit of Jesus! 

As long as you are employed, you are not permitted to really speak your mind. 

Trust nobody who is employed, doesn’t matter if they are employed by YouTube, Apple Amazon Facebook etc.… As long as they are not self owned, a sole proprietor, or independently wealthy… They cannot really speak their mind. 

Also, the reason you should not trust people on YouTube is that as long as they get advertising revenue from the videos, they also cannot really speak their minds.

Telos

So I’m starting to think… Rather than thinking about goals, life goals etc.… Perhaps a better way to approach life is to think about your life like a telos, a certain purpose life direction etc. 

For example… It was my life goal to atlas lift 1000 pounds. But now that I achieved it and hit it, then… Now, I no longer have a drive to do this anymore?

And also truth be told, I’m a type of person that I want to please everybody. I think I get it from my mom.

But anyways, trying to please other people, or to live a life in which you never offend anybody… Not possible. Especially if you want to be successful.

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The photographer as capitalist:

Some big ideas:

Incoming!

It looks like I was very wise, the idea of making all my photos open source, full free resolution JPEG images, without any stupid signatures, watermarks, etc.

Open source is the key

Why? What it seems is the secret to winning, is to win long-term.

What that means is on in today’s world, the number one issue is that nobody cares to look at your photos. It even seems difficult now to pay money for people to see your photos! Also in the world of writing, now that I live in Culver City, and I have met a lot of writers, is that the number one critical difficulty is getting anyone to even read your draft!

The new economy?

What I think writers, artist, creators, photographers,  videographers etc.… The number one critical thing is having anyone look at your stuff!

Why do you care what Alex Webb or Bruce Gilden thinks of your photos?

Honestly, my honest thought is a lot of photographers who end up doing magnum photos workshops is because they just want the chance of the opportunity to show their photos and their portfolio to a really famous notable photographer, and they secretly want praise admiration confirmation or acknowledgment that their photos are in fact good!

This is where the whole portfolio review thing is a bit of a scam; why do you care what other people think about your photos? Why don’t you just review your own photos, portfolio review yourself? 

What Satoki Nagata taught me:

First, care about what you think about your own photos.

Photographers also need to pay their rent 

It also seems that a lot of photographers, famous older photographers, do workshops or review photos begrudgingly… In fact, I wonder if Magnum photos actually copied me in doing workshops, and street workshops… because before ERIC KIM, nobody did any street photography workshops, it wasn’t a thing. And therefore whenever I witness anyone who brands a street workshop, certainly they were inspired by ERIC KIM.

ERIC KIM was the first to ever do a street photography workshop, with Thomas Leuthard?

Think JPEG and PDF

Anyways, I still think that JPEG, open source free source, or any sort of file types which are open source are the future. 

For example, I think PDF is actually still very underrated. Why? To make a digital portfolio in a PDF, looks legitimate, and is very easy to transport and share! Also, assuming you have an iPhone or an iPad… To AirDrop your photos via PDF to someone else via airdrop is very easy, and also… to just store your PDF portfolios and photos in your iCloud Books library is very good!

Use Apple Books!

Never sell your rights

Own your own intellectual property

The number one critical mistake that anyone, any artist ever does is sell their rights, they often sell their rights to their intellectual property whether it be books, movies cinema, concepts ideas etc., and it seems that in the long run, intellectual property, creative property is the most valuable asset? 

Why did they sell the Matrix concept?

For example, the Wachowski’s who I think essentially sold their Matrix concept to Warner Bros. discovery, … maybe they did the wrong trade. The Matrix might be the best concept the last 20 years, if the wochowskis owned the rights to the matrix concept, they would probably be billionaires now. But now, they are nobodies. 

Writers

So one critical mistake that a lot of people do in the world of writing, is they try so hard to be successful, and finally they sell their script for let’s say $100,000 or $200,000 or whatever… and then the concept becomes a screaming win, and after they put a down payment on a humble condo, they got nothing.

This is where it is wise to think long-term. I would rather be a long-term billionaire or millionaire, rather than a short term $500,000naie.

Never sell the rights!

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I promise, I’m so self conscious

100% of everybody cares about what other people think about them. It is human nature! If you 0% don’t care about what other people think, either you have Asperger’s or autism. 

In fact, typically people who get diagnosed with Asperger, or low-key autism, end up becoming the insanely successful entrepreneurs. Why? They don’t care about others, what others think about them etc.!

Even Elon Musk, when he did his Saturday night life gig, said that he was the first person to present, who had Asperger, or at least admitted it!

But anyways, the useful thing to consider is that everybody cares about what other people think about them. And it is a good thing. Because everything is judged based on human sociological comparison and weighing.

So for example we photographers, obviously we care about what other people think about our photos, but why? Towards what ends? And what are we trying to prove to who?

ERIC

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In praise of Fujifilm:

At the age of 36, after my world travels, my domination of the street sphere, a little time to think and meditate, compile my thoughts etc.… I really do believe now that Fujifilm is the way.

Truth be told, I have nothing but good things to say about Fujifilm. They have always treated me well, and I respect all of the people in the Fujifilm sphere. My recent workshop in Hanoi and Saigon with Chu Viet Ha, and all of the Fujifilm global events I went to.

Why

OK… I’m starting to think about a good analogy between car companies.

First, we all know that Toyota is the best. There is no second best. Certainly Tesla is the coolest and sexiest, the most innovative, the most radical, the most forethink car, but in terms of the best car, it is bar none Toyota.

Even I was thinking about the new Toyota crown signia, I saw a brand new one in white, on the dealership lot in Culver City, and I was blown away! The design is so forward thinking, so innovative… Tribute told if I had to purchase a brand new automobile in 2024, that would definitely be the car I would want, because it is really one of a kind, you bought it, you would never see anybody else on the road with it!

Anyways back to photography — my thought about the desire for a Leica M rangefinder  is like the desire for a Porsche 911 car. But I have personally discovered is that anybody who drives a Porsche 911 car, they are all insecure Shorty guys, who don’t really really have anything else going for them.

And this is what is so funny; anybody who drives a Porsche 911 thinks that they are so cool, but not really. They are just another Shorty guy drone.

The same thing with the world of photography;  it seems that everyone always has penis envy with the guy who owns the newest Leica M camera. And after critically engaging with the whole photography world from age 21 to 36, nearly 15 years ,,, what I have come to realize is that so much of the photography industry is based on insecurity, everybody trying to “prove themselves”, to some sort of random authority figure?

First, Henri Cartier Bresson is out. He was and is now a lame duck. 

I think the sneaky thing is that what Leica is trying to do is to essentially prostitute the image the legacy or the concept of the romantic Henri Cartier-Bresson; the ideas that we live off the grid, travel the world and planet, prince around with our little Leica M rangefinder camera, the romantic narrow streets of Paris, etc.

Probably one of the greatest benefits that I’ve learned studying philosophy was that essentially, the whole French romantic movement, who are essentially a bunch of degenerates. As an American, growing up… The notion of romance, being “romantic“, I never really double thought about it. it was always seen as a good thing. To be romantic, was always as a positive notion.

But what I discovered is that romanticism is essentially an escape from reality; we create these fictitious fake false fantasy landscapes and realities, to seek some sort of alternative Utopia to our miserable daily grind of remote work, zoom calls, emails, PowerPoint presentations, etc.

“I promise, I’m so self-conscious”

A funny thing that I experienced when traveling the world, attending these fancy photography shells and exhibitions etc. was that typically…  the real Farmer’s, the real stars of the show would just show up wearing some sort of shabby outfit, and not even bring their camera with them. On the other hand, the would be photographers would show up, full suit and regalia,  sporting the newest most expensive Leica M camera, proudly wearing it around their neck,  trying to signal that they were in in fact “serious” photographers.

I think the truth of the matter is that all these photographers tend to be a bunch of insecure skinny fat anemic individuals, who are overly sensitive, overly romantic, I don’t think any of them even lift weights.

I came to break the chain

 I think my entire ethos has always been disruptive. In the early days, when my blog first started to pick up steam, it seems that a lot of people were either jealous or envious of my success, because I was the first and only person who was effectively able to become a productive entrepreneur in the field of photography, who was actually able to make a living from it.

And my honest assessment is that typically, we tend to hate, or to debate the success of others, when we are envious or jealous of them. I actually catch myself… Whenever somebody mentioned somebody else, who is maybe adjacent to my field, I always try to give them praise, even though I might think that they are a dicey personality. Because if somebody is successful, But it seems a little bit shady or uncertain to me, the thought I have is “they must certainly be doing something right… Maybe something I am unaware of.”

Hate is good

I think my greatest joy of being the most hated photographer alive is that hate typically signals relevance. 

For example, you would never hit anybody who is irrelevant.

In fact, the second people start to hit you, it is an insanely good sign that you are becoming relevant and successful. The second you stop being hated on… Is a kiss of death; to not be hated on is a sign or a signal that you are no longer relevant.

Think about the youth. As long as you are still cool or relevant to teenagers, 12-year-olds, 18-year-old kids on YouTube… Very good sign.

Photography today

Also some sneaky things I’ve learned about photography book publishers: 

First, it is kind of a modern day depotism. I will not name any names, but, in trying to be friendly and cordial, make some good introductions etc.… I was responded with some of the most hateful, pernicious, toxic language that made me super angry? From an individual who was very short, very fat and ugly. It was funny —  I met this individual and was super friendly introduced myself, and she told me “I know who you are”. And I did not know who she was.

Anyways, I think in the world of photography and art, it is essentially a grand fellatio giving contest. You are trying to give metaphorical head to all of these so-called individuals in power; publishers, who in fact, inherited the whole publishing empire from their grandparents grandparents, and that is why the whole publishing industry is a total scam and a sham; we think it is built on egalitarian notions of merit, but no. It is modern day depotism, currying for favors, etc. 

Honestly, the whole world of photography and art is a scam. The only way that these are galleries, art things get created is not through art… But instead… Another business, and as a family considers their future, they want to get into the fine art market, in order to funnel the family money to keep the trust fund alive. 

Have you ever wondered… Going into a random town, seeing a fine art gallery or a fine art photography studio or space… And wondering… How do they pay the rent or keep this thing afloat? I can almost guarantee you that the money is not coming from the photography or art, but somewhere else. 

Instagram is not the way

Insta-slavery; would you sign yourself up to become a digital slave? Obviously no! But this is what Instagram, Facebook is. Essentially you are selling your self-esteem for likes, which is essentially in theory… A bunch of bots.

For example, a thought experiment: let us say that you have 100,000 followers, and every time you upload an image, you got 10,000 likes. You feel good about yourself. But what if I snap my fingers, waved a magic wand, and revealed to you that all of these followers you have, were all bots? And every single like that you got in your life, was from a bot. With this change how you feel? 

Why Fujifilm

OK… let us consider, Fujifilm is probably superior in every single shape form and way.

First, it is stronger, more robust. The problem with any Leica camera — it is so fragile and weak! You would never let your kid play with the $7000 body, and a $3000 lens. Even if your kid is a genius… If he accidentally trips, boom, $10,000 down the drain.

And it doesn’t matter if you’re a billionaire or whatever… Foolish mistake that a lot of people make is that you think that you’re rich, you don’t care. Not true! The reason people become rich is because they do care! 

The ultimate point of a camera is something you could use and abuse, throw around, drop on the concrete from waist level, a camera you could teach your kid to use, with zero ounces of fear. 

The best camera in 2024

If I critically think about it, my own opinion… No alliances, and this is why you should trust ERIC KIM… Is that I speak my honest truth, without any sneaky sponsorships, now that I am independent bitcoin millionaire. 
I believe the Fujifilm X100 VI (6, sixth generation) to currently be the best camera on the market.

The Ricoh GR HDF is apparently out, and seems like a great value proposition. But I think it is not really available, or sold out or backordered or something. 

And also… The critical flaw of the Ricoh GR digital camera  is that they just don’t last. Now as a young parent, if I had the option of having an unreliable Lamborghini or a reliable Prius, I would take a Prius in a heartbeat! And also the other day… Because the Prius is so narrow and skinny, I was able to find a super clutch parking spot at the La Paloma market in LA!  I was so happy, and so overjoyed because if I had a loser SUV or even a minivan… Or any car that was even marginally bigger than a Prius… I would not be able to fit it in that spot, and have to hunt for a parking spot For hours!

Once again guys, don’t be a fool; if you live in LA, assuming you ever want to do anything, and you’re a billionaire whatever… Always the correct strategy is to have the maximally small compact car.

Even if you have the option, perhaps the optimal strategy is to have a Tesla model 3 over a Tesla model Y, my friend Kevin has three kids, and he could fit them all in the backseat of his Tesla model three! Don’t get the Tesla model Y.

Also, I recently saw the brand new Tesla model three performance in Quicksilver at the Century city mall, and it is flawless! I think I actually prefer it over cybertruck!

Cyber truck is still probably the coolest car on the road, but still… When it comes to parking… It is bad.

Park it.

Digital technology

The reason why purchasing any digital Leica is very foolish decision is that it will be outdated in a year or two; you’re automatically pissing down at least $2000-$3000 down the drain. 

Only that… But the cameras aren’t even that good. Although this fake marketing about manual focus whatever… Kind of a gimmick.

No Leica Q camera — which is essentially a Panasonic Lumix camera with a body kit.

No Leica SL camera… Which is once again, I think Panasonic Lumix S series camera rebranded. 

All of these photographers are muppets

All these other people… They are just puppets Muppets. None of them own their own opinion, because none of them are independent, self owned, and all of them are on Instagram.

Very very simple heuristic: Better to think about Instagram like McDonald’s. Would you brag about how many hamburgers that McDonald’s sells a day? No. So why would you brag about how many followers you have? Or how many likes you get? Because once again, the critical bad thing here is that as long as you are in the dirty sewer water, feeding your kid dirty sewer water (Michael Saylor)– infant mortality rates are gonna be 70% you’re going to get dysentery and cholera etc.

Instagram is the new sewer water. Would you drink sewer water? Of course not! 

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The path forward

Very very simple… The future is digital publishing, digital books, cyber books, open source free permission list, PDF etc.

I’m starting to get super annoyed, come on… Why are you hiding your books behind a pay wall. There is no downside to make it open, free, direct download, open source, open access etc. 

Don’t be a fool… Money and success are not equated… Which means just because you sell your stuff for a lot of money doesn’t mean that you’re more successful.

What is true success as a photographer? To be self owned, self independent, not to have an Instagram, to have a self hosted website and blog, a self hosted email newsletter (sendy.co), to shoot small JPEG, to shoot all day every day… Without thinking twice.

Infinite motivation on EK BLOG

Start Here

1. Books
2. Products
3. Workshops

Forward the power!

Upload your best photos to arsbeta.com, delete your Instagram if you need a friend with inspiration, for this to them!

And also note… All of these email newsletters are always open source; feel free to copy and paste this anywhere, translate it to your language on Google translate or ChatGPT etc.

Spread the love!

EK NEWS >

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Now what?

Stop buying those Leicas– real streettogs shoot with Ricoh or Fujifilm!

Leica is for loooooosers! (besides the film ones)

ERIC

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