The best way to change the world, reality everything is first, with thought. Your ideas, you were thinking etc.
How do I start thinking? 
First, start walking in order to think. 
I find this to be such an interesting idea because what we typically believe is that for some reason, we think we could just use our mental power or “willpower”, to stimulate our thought and thinking?
However this is not true. Thought, thinking, thoughts only arise in us in the process of walking and moving around.
Physiologically speaking, the only thing that really exists is our body. Our body as in our cranium, caput, head, brain, eyes, ears, chest and legs and hips, feet, arms, the blood in our bodies, the electrical impulses in our body etc.
The mind doesn’t exist 
The “mind“ is just a fiction. All of the mental ailments we get are simply an offshoot of bodily, physiological issues.
For example, any mental health is simply a body health issue.
For example, anyone with chronic migraines, headaches, tension headaches, etc.… I think the origin of these issues is bodily, skeletal, muscle. If your chain to a desk all day, staring at zoom for eight hours a day, not moving around much, certainly there will be unnatural attention in your neck your jaw and your spine, and because that is all connected to your head and your brain, it might be a trigger for headaches and migraines.
Solutions then include yoga, hot yoga, massages, acupuncture etc. And no, don’t do chiropractors, it is the world’s biggest scam. 
The upside of acupuncture?
Trippy told, acupuncture is a pseudoscience which means all of these nonsensical notions of “meridians” are not critical. However what is interesting is that it works.
Having done acupuncture with Cindy a bunch of times, especially when we were in Providence Rhode Island, half of the benefit of doing acupuncture is that you just take a nap, lie down and do nothing, don’t use your phone or listen to anything, just lie down, in the heated room, with a heated blanket, a chance to do nothing. It is difficult to do anything if you have a bunch of needles sticking into you.
Also, I have a theory about acupuncture is that it is almost like hormesis;  I know that in terms of my bodily physiological response, when people stick those acupuncture needles in certain parts of my legs and my body, I can actually feel my muscles twitching and release. My theory is that a very very small “harm”, is actually stimulating to our bodies? Just like coffee, coffee is a poison, but in certain doses, the poison is a stimulus to us.
The great man is stimulated by poison. 
Why does thinking matter? 
Something I have had a difficult time finding or discovering is a critical line of inquiry in regards to thinking, thought, the philosophy of thinking. 
Why think, what does it mean to think, why does it matter?
First and foremost, thoughts govern the planet. For example, almost everything in life and in the world, is predicated on notions of thought and thinking. No thoughts, no future. 
For example, it looks like Tesla is about to conquer the planet. The new redesign Tesla model 3 is mind blowing. They made the steering wheel more beautiful, they made the interior design supply me beautiful; an integrated curve, Steve Jobs and Jony Ive would be proud!
Also I think that ambient lighting thing inside the car is super cool. Some people might think it is gimmicky, but I think it is awesome! I remember when I first saw the integrated lighting dash board thing in some Mercedes cars, and I think there is something to be said about light, light therapy; colors affect our mood. Is it James Turrel who does the light art stuff?
For example, anyone who says that colors don’t matter is a fool. Would you want the interior of your house to have bright red walls? Probably not if you don’t want to scream bloody murder inside your home.
Or, for people who say that color don’t matter, would you want to wear an all green outfit, with bright pink fuchsia accents and shoes? Probably not.
Cars run the planet?
Still in 2024, I am still shocked; it looks like cars run the planet. What this means is that it seemed that maybe 60% of our economic activity is around producing cars, selling cars, buying cars, design cars etc.
For example I look at Hyundai, it is insane… also the new Genesis Berlinetta concept car — also, the new Hyundai Grandeur and AZERA— like a futuristic Rolls-Royce for the future!
Genesis X
ART
The other day, it was free! The LACMA, LA Center for modern art, had this really insanely epic art exhibition, imagine like Legos and hot wheels on steroids; it was titled metropolis II, and imagine like a K-NEX erector set, 1100 custom designed mini matchbox hot wheel cars, with this perpetual machine moving all of the cars in traffic and buses and rails, stacked on top of one another. Conjured ideas of that old-school 1920s metropolis film, in the future where everything is that, flying cars etc. or also, a vision of a utopic-dystopic science-fiction future, kind of like Blade Runner, or that one futuristic movie that Bruce Willis was in.
Cinema by KIM
I love this exhibit so much because it’s stimulated my mind, and also, Seneca’s mind was blown! I think I rated as the best art exhibit of all time. I could probably watch it for hours, and not get bored.
If you’re in LA, Southern California whatever, I think it is a critical experience you must go to in person. Also what makes it a great exhibit is that it can be enjoyed by both children and adults, all ages. It is essentially a microcosm of cities, urban living, traffic and cars. The ultimate takeaway point: 
We all think we are so unique and individual, and special, based on superficial things whether we drive an orange sports car or whatever, but in fact, we are all just the same! A bunch of lemmings!
So I was born in 1988, and I attended UCLA as an undergraduate, I started in 2006, graduated 2010. I wish I got into Bitcoin earlier in 2009, when my roommate Kevin told me about it, I think when he first saw it on Reddit. He said that we should both put about 100 bucks into it and see what happened. I shrugged my shoulders and said “Meh — nah, probably a scam”. If I do the math, 100 bucks, I think at the time somebody spent 20,000 bitcoin to buy a pizza on Domino’s or whatever, the infamous $500 million pizza, basically… What would 100 bucks times a penny be? How many Bitcoin could that have purchased me? And what would it be worth today?
In life it is fine to make a mistake, and make a regret. But not twice. This is why and why I’m going back into bitcoin. Join the 10+ bitcoin club! 
No twice regrets.
Anyways back to sociology, I think the reason why I think it is such a phenomenal framework to understand the world and society is that I think all of this is just a sociological phenomenon. Society, capital, capitalism, living lifestyle whatever… I think about 80% or 85% of it is based on certain sociological principles. 
Also, to understand the market, economics, I think it is all sociology. To understand human fear, scams, fraud etc. 
Also, I think studying sociology has made me unlearn a lot of the BS. To quote Karl Popper, via NASSIM TALEB– the idea of falsification, subtraction, or the general idea that in order to become more wise, you just gotta subtract delete or get rid of foolishness, nonsense.
For example, conspiracy theories. Only fools believe in them. Even if they are real, it doesn’t even really matter.
Therefore a great advancement in ourselves our thinking etc. is subtracting deleting or getting rid of weird conspiracy theories from your brain and your mind. 
Pro tip: kit ChatGPT app on your iPhone iPad, and don’t be a cheapo; subscribe to the paid premium edition only 20 bucks a month, and start doing these type of searches:
Common misconceptions about XYZ
Or
Help me debunk some conspiracy theories about XYZ
For example, common misconceptions about Catholicism, Judaism, Islam etc. Or the Quran.
Or help me debunk theories that Jewish people run the world blah blah blah. Or that Hitler, according to operation paperclip, was in fact never killed or captured, but ended up being shipped to Antarctica to live in a bunker, where he really died.
My overall critique about Google the Internet YouTube, podcast, etc.… Essentially all these fools who think they are so wise… Strange fellows like Alex Jones, even people on the left or the right or the middle or the right, alt left, and anarchists all of them… All of them are fools. 
My simple tip or heuristic is this: trust no man or women on YouTube, Google, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, podcast, etc. Especially if it is supported by advertising or them trying to sell their own products.
In fact, I think the interesting thing is when you actually make your money your fortune from some other random independent thing. For example now, I’m currently building my Empire Fortune and crypto, cryptocurrency. Therefore as a consequence, I have 100% free reign and freedom and independence to just talk about whatever is on my mind, irregardless of whatever. 
***
Off the grid thinking
To me the grid is an interesting metaphor for a lot of things. The grid could be standard conventional thinking, “rules” and regulations, a lot of of the modern day BS.
I think primarily my superpower in life is my ability to disdain ignore and find ridiculous all of these “rules”. In fact, at least in real life, I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody as interesting as myself. The only other interesting people I think, or maybe Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Kanye West. To me actually they are very relatable.
The photographer philosopher
Come on… It is 2024, you’re still on Instagram? To me Instagram is like eating McDonald’s hamburgers. Not proper.
Also, I’m still a bit confused… why don’t more people photographers just start their own private websites and blogs? And no no no, do not use squarespace it sucks. Also fun dirty secret, maybe about four or five years ago I got an email from Squarespace, saying that if I converted my whole website and blogging into Squarespace they would give me $15,000 or something. It was the easiest no I ever said in my life. Honestly speaking, I don’t even think I do it for $1 million? Unless there is something the updated which is really good. Maybe I would do it for 100 million?
To somebody who says they cannot be bought out by money, you’re just not offering them enough money (TALEB)
To me the reason why I find the photography so critical is that ultimately we are visual creatures. What sells cars? Design. Design marketing, the idealized concept of something.
Design is God.
Mind blown
Once again the new Tesla model 3, I think it actually looks 500 times cooler than any other Tesla car out there. And I’m glad that I am a late adopter, and I was not one of these unfortunates who bought an early model Tesla model model 3 or any other Tesla car. In fact, a lot of the Tesla cars are already starting to look dated. For example the original Tesla model S is outdated, even the slightly newer Tesla model S cars, that don’t have the yoke steering look very outdated. I feel bad for those people who spent a lot of money on the infamous Tesla P 100 D, to only see it dated by the plaid. And now, I’m pretty certain that sooner or later the plate is going to be replaced and outdated by something else too.
Or even another basic thing; people who bought the Tesla model 3 in the early days, with the chrome trim.
Even the Tesla model X, the newer versions look far better. And have a unique color.
What design is truly critical in a car? 
To me the most important thing in a car is the steering wheel, because you look at it all the time, then the interior and dashboard, and also the back of the car. And also specifically the door side driver side entrance, and also the rear left passenger side door, where I get in and out and load Seneca into his car seat and the car.
Technically the front of the car is not that important, because if you park in a spot like a normal person, you never look at the front of the car. You almost ever look at the back of it.
Also in terms of the car, the steering wheel is the most critical thing because he used it all the time. To me for a Tesla car, either yolk steering or nothing. Even the new Tesla model three the steering wheel looks really cool. Also the new cybertruck the new steering wheel looks very cool. 
Also a subtle thing I learned when researching Ferrari, doing the 3-D modeling tours of inside the car, it is actually very interesting to me that the Ferrari logo is a bright yellow background with the prancing horse in black. Having that emblem on the steering wheel inspires confidence.
Maybe this is why Ferrari is superior to Lamborghini; technically if you think about it, the Lamborghini is just a very expensive Volkswagen Passat. The Lamborghini Urus is just an expensive Volkswagen Touareg.
The Ferrari is interesting because it is still to a certain extent, a purebred. Ferrari is Ferrari, owned by Ferrari, not some other weird parent company. And also I think it is good that Ferrari is its own stock ticker - RACE. Typically I never trust a thing which is just a subsidiary of another thing. 
Sharing your thoughts
A simple way to live life, and to make an impact or whatever is to just share your thoughts. It is funny because people say all this ridiculous things like “That is just your opinion!” The best response: “Of course it is my opinion! That’s why I said it!” Opinion, opine, just means to think.
This is where philosophy is very useful: people think that there are certain notions of “facts“, especially in the realm of statistics, but probably the most useful thing of studying sociology, is understanding that statistics is just a scam. I learned from Cindy (cindyanguyen.com), in her book and dissertation, that the notion of statistics comes from the state. The general idea is that statistics was a measuring tool invented by the state in order to track measure progress, something that the French colonists and colonial administrators did when colonizing Vietnam and her other territories, and also, what the Chinese communists did under Mao Zedong, and also the Vietnamese communists also did. The general idea was this:
In order to track the legitimacy of something and the progress of something (let us not forget that the notion of “progress“ is a feeble modern day notion)– is that we gotta track the growth of something in numbers.
Do you remember in BRAVE NEW WORLD, when in the beginning of the book they talk about how they were able to distill human birth human children in test tubes then said — Progress.
So therefore let us not forget, the notion of “progress“ is not a distinct one. It is a modern one. 
Numbers are boring
I don’t trust nobody who either has some sort of loser Apple Watch, Fitbit tracker, has Instagram, or applies any metrics to their life. The only metric I find useful is maybe increasing your one repetition maximum in your weightlifting, simply as a measure to know that you’re increasing the weight. But besides that, things which are bad include weighing yourself on the scale, because you don’t know how much of that is body fat adipose tissue, how much of that is skeletal muscle mass, and even other things that people don’t talk about… how much of that weight is bones, sinews, blood and water?  
A simple New Year’s resolution is this year, throw your scale in the trash, donate it or whatever, and never weigh yourself.
Both men and women are foolish: they track weight as a measure of their self-worth. But, the goal is to increase skeletal muscle mass, and decrease body adipose fat tissue. This is something that scale cannot do, the closest thing is either a fat caliper, or just look at yourself in the mirror. Pinch your belly fat, or look at the fat in your face, or, you want to get rid of the infamous fat rolls in the back of your neck. Something that I see that Kanye West has.
“It is simple: if it jiggles, it is fat.”- Arnold S
Why are we no longer permitted to be independent interesting thinkers?
It is weird, in today’s world, in America at least… we truly do have the greatest system for independent thinking and thought. Here unlike other countries, you will not get jailed for sharing your opinion. Even the most politically liberal or advanced countries in the world pale in comparison to America.
The problem though here is that all sides, all parties, all individuals are “nudged“ either into the left or the right, even this notion of being apolitical or being an anarchist or whatever is also just another lemming sheep mentality.
Or another words, put zero faith in anybody who watches any news, doesn’t matter if it is NPR, Fox News, Al Jazeera whatever. The simple heuristic is this: if it is being funded by advertising, Google Adsense revenue, it is not to be consumed. 
Only trust things that you are spending your real money on. This means, stop using Google. Google is a “free” service, and the way they make money is by sensationalism and banner advertising. Even nowadays I’m stopping to use Google Maps, having those annoying square advertisements that pop up when I’m driving, I almost feel like that is borderline unethical. Why? It distracts me from driving, I wonder if it will lead me to getting into a car accident one day? Google, whoever did that I google, Google Maps team whatever… Shame on you.
Apple Maps is the inferior product, but at least it is not supported by advertising. Get rid of Google maps use Apple Maps instead. 
No more Android, Samsung etc.
First, focus on your health physiology exercise and physiological well-being and everything else will follow
The quality of your thoughts are simply an offshoot of the quality of your bodily physiological health.
For example just think; if you only sleep 30 minutes a night, for days or weeks on end, what do you think will be the quality of your thoughts? Optimistic joyful and happy? Or weird, morose, dark?
Or other thoughts, imagine like you’re in heroin addict, or hooked on some sort of meth. What will be the quality of your thoughts?
This is why I trust no thinker or individual who partakes in drugs, alcohol and weed. Although both are quite mainstream now. Why?
A lot of people are alcoholics, and a lot of people also apparently do a lot of writing and production of music and artwork when they’re drunk, which is bad. Even Kanye West, he is a low-key alcoholic on and off, I think he said all the anti-Jewish stuff when he was drunk. And on Twitter. Being drunk and on Twitter at the same time or Facebook, not a good idea.
Also weed– weed is so mainstream now, it is not really seen as a big deal. But I also think it is foolish that some people think that weed has no effect on your thinking. Even Kendrick Lamar, his only vice is maybe Froot Loops and Captain crunch cereal.
“You let the meds talk I let my soul talk ayy!” – Kendrick
The reason why we should not trust any artists, rappers, musicians or whatever who are addicted to drugs any type of drugs, and yes, weed marijuana is drug… their thinking will not be pure. Their thinking will be too overly saturated with the weird effect of drugs, anti-depressants, uppers and downers whatever.
Even Elon Musk, I rate him highly, but if you read the Walter Isaacson biography on him, he will discover that he drinks too much alcohol late at night, and just drinks Red Bull to stay awake. Not good.
Sober thinkers?
Heavyweight since 1988 — my best man Justin Lee
Am I the only millennial I know who doesn’t drink alcohol or smoke weed or take drugs? And have never been to a concert, EDM thing, etc.?
The only concert ever went to in my life was by myself, to a Yeezus  concert at the Oakland Coliseum, Kanye performing live. The coolest thing of all time.
How alcohol is strange
A very weird trend I have discovered is this weird trend: get a bunch of tattoos, drink a bunch of craft beer, wear sunglasses and some sort of trucker hat, wear flannel, drive some sort of big truck or whatever, and to make the purpose of your life to just drink exotic craft beer?
To quote Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon, did you go to his personal website and look at his about section, he said he was never into watching sports and drinking beer because it just made you stupid and fat and lazy.
Even the ancient Roman and Greek philosophers thought it was a bad idea to drink wine, too much wine. The Greek Dionysian
God Baccaus was the God of wine drunkenness and the dark.  he was the original Satyr; essentially imagine these weird goblins with goat horns. Or imagine the original “furry“.
Don’t trust alcoholic, drug addicted thinkers, artists, producers whatever.
No more Pollock, Basquiat etc.
Thoughts and money?
Is the purpose or end goal is to increase the quality of your thoughts, the productivity of your thoughts in order to become richer, to earn more money? No.
I think the ultimate goal is to become wiser, more critical in order to become more powerful. Power is simple.
Some tools to get you thinking
I have an intervening thought: in order to stimulate your mind, you first gotta stimulate your body. That means, extremely heavy weightlifting to get your blood and your mind flowing.
A very simple one is purchased weightlifting equipment on the internet (Titan.fitness), just work out at home, in your backyard front lawn, even you’re off the grid parking lot in the back of your apartment which I am doing right now.
The very very simple thoughts to exercise and fitness is do exercises and lifts which promote standing. Or walking. Upright exercises. This includes Farmer’s carries, dead lift walk, squat walk, Atlas lift etc. Also, heavy sandbag carries, just order the 400 pound heavy sandbag on roguefitness.com or on Amazon or titan.fitness
Ultimately the exercises need to aid you in your entrepreneurial thinking and your motivation  
The big issue at hand is a lot of these exercises at the gym and in traditional mainstream media has to deal with some sort of sitting or pressing motion. For example bench press, floor press, dump press, decline, seated military press, seated dumbbell press etc. But the critical flaw of these exercises is that they are all done while sedentary or lying on your back. And the big downside of this is that it doesn’t promote your walking or your posture, which might be the two most critical things.
Having a big chest doesn’t really make sense? 
I also thought to myself, what is it that causes the most amount of injuries? Any sort of pressing motion. Once again, bench press, shoulder press military press etc. There is almost virtually no injury that happens with any lifting motion, caring motion, or walking motion.
99.9% of injuries I have witnessed at the gym, other guys including myself typically has to deal with the benchpress, which I think should just be eliminated.
Suggestions
I know a lot of guys who have had injuries, back injuries, upper back lower back spine whatever injuries, from dead lift or other traditional forms of weightlifting. I say:
No more deadlift, only rack pull.
The easiest way to do rack pulls, or any sort of elevated lifting walking exercises is using some sort of power rack, squat rack, or even getting some cinderblocks from Home Depot. Essentially if you’re tall, elevating the barbell off the floor.
Also one big thing that I’ve discovered, the great upside of not going to the gym anymore is that I’ve been exercising more in the authentic and honest way; I’m not lifting weights anymore to impress other people, I’m just there to use weightlifting as a philosophical tool to think better, to think stronger etc.
Ultimately I believe that the goal of weightlifting and all of these exercises is to become stronger, more courageous and more audacious in order to aid you in your entrepreneurial ventures. 
Once again, if we think about all this from a socioeconomic perspective, entrepreneurship is the end goal. 
So what is the point of philosophy and thinking anyways?
The end goal of philosophy thinking etc is not to make money, but rather, to excel and exceed in life. Also happiness. Everyone wants to become happy, or happier, even Aristotle says happiness is the only thing that men seek for the sake of itself.
People always think that having more money will make them more happy, but this is not true. Often having more money can make you more miserable, as often having more money causes more stress anxiety etc.
Who will watch the watchmen? – Juvenal
The anxieties of a billionaire 
For example, let us say that you had $100 million in your Coinbase account, your bitcoin wallet whatever. You will probably end up using some sort of super secure password to lock and secure your assets. But the stress and the anxiety and the fear of having your phone stolen, your identity stolen etc. is even larger. And also the richer you get, the more you become a target to theft, identity theft, real life theft, even physical violence thread. Never forget the story of when Kim Kardashian tweeted where she was at, in Paris, and abruptly got held up at gunpoint from two mast robbers, demanding her jewelry and her pearl necklaces and diamonds, otherwise they would shoot her.
“What do you want me to do, drive around in a bulletproof car and with some tints”? – Kanye
For example, the one story of a guy who has maybe $200 million worth of bitcoin in a super secure crypto wallet, but he made the password to complicated that he already has two failed attempts, and on the third attempt, if he messes it up, he will lose his bitcoin forever?
And this is actually the funny irony: often times when we try to make things too secure, we actually end up fucking over ourselves. 
This is where I am still all about having simple passwords which are easy to remember, rather than using a third-party password app, because even though these third-party password apps are good, often there are always thinking issues. A good intervention actually is the new Apple secure strong password thing, but still… iCloud doesn’t always work seamlessly. Therefore for your truly critical things, Having some sort of practical strong that you could remember is good.
More security, less freedom?
I think this is where the ethos of being  I still Spartan warrior demigod is that it seems that the richer more successful more famous you become, the more security you end up getting, personal security guards bodyguards whatever… And as a consequence, you end up having less freedom in your life?
For example, I was randomly doing research on David Geffen, and apparently during the Covid pandemic he was just hanging out on his $10 billion yacht, chilling out. Apparently a lot of people were envious about this, but truth be told… I would prefer 1 million times more to be walking out in the real world, off the grid, rather than being stuck on a boat? Because even if you are in the worlds best boat, still, You cannot walk for three hours straight and not get bored.
Living on land is better than living on the sea.
Empty your mind
The best way to empty your mind is to delete Instagram, delete Twitter, even delete email in Gmail from your phone. Delete YouTube podcasts etc.
Even music, modern day music. Even in music somebody is trying to sell you something. Maybe we should go back to the ancients, the ancient music, the ancient arts. Listen to dead composers, Beethoven and Mozart etc. Why? They’re not trying to sell you Lamborghinis or other nonsense.
For example, as a kid growing up, no kids, nobody in my friend group ever aspire to have a Ferrari or a Lamborghini or a Porsche car whatever. Think the only modern day trend to desire these cars are predicated on what rappers say.
Or other things, do you remember when it was really popular to get “dubz” on your car? Which are essentially 20 inch chrome rims, with spinners attached? Then it was 21 inch rims, 22 inch rims, 30 inch rims whatever. Now the trend is actually going opposite? A lot of these overlanding vehicles, taught to me by my brother-in-law John Narciso one of the head designers at Black rhino and wheel pros is actually, the new trend is for the actual rims to become smaller, and the tires bigger. And more lifted off the floor. And as John told me, Overlanding vehicles are the new rice rockets. 
Zen the fuck out (Big Sean)
Rather than adding obligations to your life, seem to remove or delete or subtract obligations from your life. This means, don’t take on more work, more contracts, more obligations. Rather seek to subtract all obligations to close to zero, even with the promise of a lot of money.
In fact I almost feel that is easier and better and more straightforward to make the big bucks speculating in cryptocurrency, crypto, and the market rather than just seeking some sort of consulting gigs.
What am I betting on?
For me, the big advancements I perceive in the future include AI, crypto, chainlink, bitcoin, openAI and Microsoft, ChatGPT and beyond.
What am I anti-? I am short Apple, Google. If you look at Google Bard, the Google ChatGPT competitor, it is at least 100,000x times worse than chatGPT 4. For example I asked Google Bard who ERIC KIM was, and it said that I was a landscape and travel photographer? Terrible. 
Why does the future matter?
To me, technology and the future is all about optimism, happiness and joy. If we want brighter more glorious future, we need optimism. The hope of a beautiful future, blue skies, clear skies, lots of sunshine, pure joy.
ERIC
Random thoughts
I just toured equinox, and was very unimpressed. It is like an LA fitness with a better conscience. Also you know it is not a good gym because the barbells suck. 
This is how and why I discovered, ultimately, perhaps the most critical thing with weightlifting is the quality of the barbell. Texas power bar squat bar, or if possible, get the monster squat bar. This is something that will outlast you, and also maybe something you could end up passing down to your children?
My greatest joy and proud moment will be the moment in which Seneca will be able to lift my Texas power squat bar! 
I almost died, maybe Cindy and Seneca also almost died?
A random story; the other day, now that LA is actually starting to get pretty cold during the winter time, we decided to try to figure out how to turn on the gas furnace heater thing. It is this “cozy” brand, the machine looked at least 20 years old, but we thought that it would be a good idea because our apartment could get pretty cold late at night, and especially early in the morning, considering that I’ve been waking up at weird times like 3 AM, 3:15 AM, 3:30 AM, sometimes a bit later like 4:30 AM, 4:45 AM, or 5 AM.
Anyways, we lit the gas furnace thing, the pilot light whatever and it seem to work OK, but the other day when I woke up at 3:30 AM, and turned on the gas furnace thing, I just went in to take a shower, in order to warm up the apartment while I was taking a shower. My hope and expectation was the moment I would get out of the shower, I would be greeted by a lovely warm apartment.
Then what happened next was the carbon monoxide poisoning alarm thing started screaming, which abruptly woke up Cindy and Seneca, at 3:45 AM. I rushed out of the shower, and smelled all this toxic gas in the air. We rushed to open up the windows, I turned off the heater thing, and also quickly tried to turn off the pilot light in the gas heater machine.
Anyways long story short, we ended up being OK, but still… The super scary thing was that in fact let us say that we did not change the battery for the carbon monoxide poisoning thing. Also as a pro tip, you should definitely change it right now, just order the weird battery on Amazon. It might save your life, the life of your kids and your wife.
A lot of people never change the carbon monoxide poisoning alarm battery thing. Imagine a worst-case scenario if I had accidentally kept on the gas heater thing overnight, which is actually quite common, Cindy Seneca and I would have all died in the middle of our sleep. Therefore after this fucking crazy thing, I feel like I got a second chance at life.
Or even worse, the thought that what if, I had accidentally left on the gas, the carbon monoxide poisoning alarm thing wasn’t set up correctly, and I just left the apartment for my typical walk? That I come back home to a Seneca in the Cindy Who both died peacefully in their sleep?
Anyways, thinking about it… The simple thought is to swallow all the vermin, and chew on the glass shards to avoid saying doing anything bad or harmful, especially to your wife.
Is stoicism for men or for women, or both? 
Stoicism is certainly a philosophy which is beneficial to everybody. But for me, I think ultimately, perhaps stoicism is more tailored for men, a masculine philosophy?
For example, if you’re married or in a serious relationship, a thought is that you as a man, should put on your metaphorical bulletproof vest, and take all the hits. Take all the splash damage, you’re strong enough for it. Assuming that your health points your HP is at 100%, the abuse the verbal abuse from others might only kick you down to 80%. Just think of yourself like a level 99 paladin from Diablo II; you got your legendary armor, your legendary helmet, greaves, body armor, shield, and also you have some healing potions. Apply this mentality to yourself. 
This is where I really like this Diablo II analogy to real life; playing Diablo II as a kid was very influential on me. Maybe it is a good idea that we apply this video game analogy to real life.
Now what?
Currently I am living in Culver City, which I consider the closest thing to Paradise in Los Angeles. And as a consequence, I am at the epicenter of screenland. 
Everyone thinks Hollywood is where all of the action is, but they are wrong. It is Culver City. For example, Amazon prime, Amazon prime studios, Jeff Bezos and Amazon… All of it is produced at the Culver Studios, which is owned by Michael Hackman, And the lot is huge. I walked by it, around it, and it looks like it is at least the size of 10 football fields.
Also, the culver theater, the little cute movie theater next-door, is actually owned by Amazon, Amazon prime, Amazon prime studios, Mr. Jeff Bezos.
Even Apple, Apple TV+ or whatever… They are becoming the new finance years for all of these epic movies. For example the new killers of the flower moon film with Leonardo DiCaprio was being rolled by Apple. The same thing goes with the new released Ridley Scott Napoleon film. 
Make your own media studio and films?
I’ve been randomly doing some research about David Geffen, he is probably the most successful and important figure in both the movie media and entertainment industry. I think his net worth is $10 billion? And nobody knows who he is or what he looks like?
Anyways, the reason why I think he is such a critical figure is that he made his fortune through movies, movie production, DreamWorks, Shrek etc.
Sony is here too
Also, Sony pictures, yes, the same Sony company that makes cameras and TVs and stuff. They own the whole Spider-Man franchise. Both the animated one and I think the other ones? And also the video games? 
The gym is boring?
I got a free three day trial pass at equinox, and several things I find interesting: first and foremost, there is a lot of people who go there. Like, a lot. And, I think they charge $350 a month for membership. Seems like a good moneymaking institution.
Why do people like equinox? Everyone criticizes and critiques how it is so expensive, but, the reality of the matter is that I should load of people have a membership. If you just do some basic math, let us say that equinox has 500 members or so, Maybe 2000 members, all paying $350 a month, that is a lot of money. I wonder if each institution brings in close to $1 million a month just in membership revenue?
Anyways, I think the reason why a lot of these gyms and fitness places are so popular is that a lot of people don’t really know what to do at the gym, and the reason they like to do a class or course is that they show up, and just do something. I think a lot of people lack the knowledge of how to exercise, or maybe the lack some sort of critical philosophy behind the purpose of exercise? And as a result, they just like being told what to do. However for myself, it is antithetical to my nature. I am 100% tolerant to everyone and everything, the only thing that invokes my fury is when people tell me what to do and what not to do.
Never trust a fitness person who cannot lift more than you.
Now that I have achieved my 1,000 pound atlas lift, ain’t nobody can tell me what to do. Nobody has the balls, the chutzpah, the guts to do what I have done. Or even attempt it.
Actually if I really think about it, in the whole world of fitness, the whole planet and internet; am I the one with the most courage, audacity? Even the gold gym Venice Beach, which I already conquered, is supposed to be the bastion and apex of weightlifting on the planet, but even there… all these guys were taking steroids… they’re actually not that strong?
Am I the strongest, non-steroid person on the planet? 
New Year’s fitness resolutions
Very simple ones: get a pair of Vibram five finger shoes, honestly the only reason people don’t wear them is that they look weird. But, the true act of manly courage is to wear your Vibram five fingers probably in publicly, and ironically enough… more recently, I’ve actually got more compliments on my Vibram five finger shoes than I ever did with any of my cool Nike sneakers?
The reason why I find Vibram five finger shoes so critical is that honestly, I wonder if 99.9% of foot pain, knee pain, back pain, and hip pain is simply because people are not going barefoot. Technically the best pair of shoes would just be some sort of reinforced, waterproof socks. The Vibram five fingers is not perfect, but it comes pretty close. 
The best argument I have for using the five finger toe shoes is this: you know all these stupid shoes with these very thick souls, they are essentially like condoms for your feet. And our feet are just like our hands, but on the other side. In fact, I have a theory that our feet actually might have more intelligence than our hands. Have you ever tried to text message during the winter time with gloves on? Imagine doing that with your shoes.
Also a funny thought; you know all these stupid HOKA shoes, or Adidas ultraboost shoes, with 3 inches of foam on the sole… Can you imagine having sex with a 3 inch thick condom?
Start your own self hosted blog
Everybody is always telling me the virtues of buying a house, a single-family home, owning property, owning your own house whatever. But, I personally think this is some sort of suckers game. Why? Even if you own the property, and you paid it in all cash, you still have to pay property taxes, home insurance and other maintenance things, which could actually cost you close to $3500 a month, the same price as rent!
As of now, especially considering the fiasco that I had with the gas burner furnace thing; I have almost close to zero interest in ever buying a house, single-family house, maybe even a condominium? Why? For me, my true passion and ambition is to live off the grid, to adventure, to explore, and have nothing in my way?
Is your home your slave, or are you a slave to your home? 
As long as you think you have to renovate something whether your kitchen, open up a wall, etc.… you are not free. 
How to start your own self hosted blog
Ionos.com or bluehost.com and install wordpress.org. I no longer recommend wordpress.com, ever since they somehow deleted my old wordpress.com account, because of some strange policy I violated which I’m not even sure what I did?
People always talk about land ownership, real estate ownership whatever, why doesn’t anybody ever talk about digital content website platform ownership? And no no no, squarespace is bad. You are still a slave to their platform.
Essentially the simple heuristic to know whether you own your platform or not is whether or not you could access the FTP server, via filezilla or any FTP management tool. Whether you could self post your own media files, your own dropbox.
Why?
The two most critical things in the planet include your time, and also your freedom. Most people don’t have access to either.
Anybody who has to be stuck in a car, doesn’t matter if you’re driving all a or Lamborghini, you’re still a slave.
Then, the goal is to unchain yourself from all obligations, all metaphorical grids.
Self-employment is the way. Sole proprietorship.
EK
START, BOOKS, WORKSHOPS, PRODUCTS
Things to do
- Try experimenting with really really insanely hot scalding showers or baths — insanely hot water until you feel like you’re being boiled alive is a good idea! Or just join a LA FITNESS, CRUNCH FITNESS, or any random commercial gym and hit the hot sauna at least once a day, maybe twice a day?
- Get a Costco membership: The most interesting thing I learned is that Costco doesn’t actually make a profit off of their products, only the memberships. As a consequence, everything you buy at Costco is truly at-cost. Buy meat, red meat; the wagyu ground beef is great, only around 5.70USD a pound, or the lamb leg roast imported from New Zealand (only $5.50 a pound).
- Get chatgpt plus, paid premium only $20 a month. Make art works on DALL-E, and also,,, experiment with chatgpt 4; a billion times better than the free chatgpt 3.5.
Then, post your findings to your own blog, or upload your best photos to arsbeta.com
More fire incoming!
Forward the fire
EK NEWS >
He with the most audacity is the happiest!
ERIC
