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So something which is super interesting and important to me is ethics. And honestly it is something that is so elusive because there is no codified hard set rules of ethics which applied to everybody, for eternity.

Also, I think is super interesting because I actually tired in ethics with certain moralistic imperative; I sent you when it comes down to it… Your personal ethics your ethos of things dictates almost everything.

I’m almost starting to think instead… Rather than thinking about goals, veteran instead to think about ethics and ethos and your imperatives and philosophies behind things.

The ethics of Bitcoin & money

Is bitcoin actually the most virtuous money?

So what is super interesting to me is that from a philosophical perspective, if you invoke the Austrian economics, like Karl Menger and the like .,, Property, what is property?

Property is something that you own, that belongs to you, which legally that nobody could seize against your own will.

So for example, I can own a watch, a camera, a car whatever… Legally nobody could just come up to me and steal it from me without any sort of negative repercussion.

Taxes?

Cindy’s mom and my brother-in-law Gabe both said it; when your own property, like real estate or whatever… Assuming there is a tax rate which is above 0%, that means that you don’t really “own “the property… You just borrowing it or renting it from the government.

Because this issue is with taxes, in theory, that is money that you’ll never see touch or witness, and it is essentially like you’re bleeding capital.

So for example, I was shocked, doing the math on even a $1.6 million home, I had a very low interest rate, you’re still bleeding around $1800 a month … close to $2000 a month, essentially money that is just going into thin air and vapor?

Even if you’re a savvy investor like myself, my personal thought is I would prefer to take that $2000 a month and just buy bitcoin instead, which is gonna go to $13 million or $22 million a bitcoin.

Homes

OK so currently… This is my thought:

Single family home or nothing.

I think the fragile position to be in is only a condo because the price of him might slightly go up, but… It might not even be able to keep in pace or up to pace with inflation. What that means is let us say you buy a condo for $1 million, and you sell it a deck for $1.2 million, you might’ve thought that you realized a $200,000 gain but you did not, because of inflation, you might’ve actually lost money?

Another thing… Even owning a single-family home, property whatever, once again if you factor in property taxes and stuff, you’re not really making money.

So I heard that is to own a single-family home is kind of more of like a trophy acid like bragging rights for owning a Ferrari or Lamborghini whatever.

I suppose the nuance in difference is you could actually live in the thing, the single-family home. And you could brag to all your millennial friends that you own a single-family home.

I think where the calculus gets a little bit confusing is assuming that you’re married you have a wife and kids or more kids on the way etc. So then the home becomes a symbolic thing. But for me still… My hard school of thought is that a home is not an investment, it is just somewhere where you live.

And essentially, once again, just do the math, assuming that bitcoin is currently around $65,000 of bitcoin and is going up to 13 million, there is at least a 200X potential gain in front of you.

So let us say that your down payment is $300,000 or whatever, that is $60M. So the question is… Are you willing to sacrifice $60 million for the potential upside of buying a certain house you like? For you and your family?

Decisions

I think your life, the wise thing to think about, is that decisions, nothing is ever forever, nor should anything before ever, and even from a Zen and Taoist principal, nothing ever remains the same even if you want it to.

Also, your ethics change. Your ethical framework as a two-year-old versus 12-year-old versus high schooler versus college student versus 36 year old man with a kid is going to be different. Your ethics and morality as a degenerate single person is going to be different than your ethics and your morality once you have a kid. Or several.

Or your ethics before getting married and after getting married.

Where philosophers fail

It really really big problem is a lot of these philosophers try to create some sort of ultimate at the cold framework which can never be changed or modified. They strive in vain for 30 years, seeking some sort of ultimate truth of everything, which could last 1000 years or whatever. If you think about it then, this is what religion is. The religion of Mohammad, Saint Paul, the religion of Judea – these religions have lasted for thousands of years. So I guess the founders did a good job.

Endowments for private schools like Harvard or Yale; their endowments last forever. So it looks like they’re doing something right.

The ethics of smoking

So for this conversation I’m just going to talk about secondhand smoke.

So some critical issues here; the ethics.

First, I think smoking cigarettes in a public space which is not your house, in which your secondhand could fuck up the lungs of other people, especially for people like myself with sensitive lungs, is unethical.

First, legally it might be allowed, but ethically, it is not.

The first rule is first do no harm onto others. If you are on a sidewalk, and you have a certain walking path every single morning, and there’s always somebody smoking on that path, and they don’t know it, but there’s secondhand smoke goes down half a block, And it attacks your lungs, they are doing harm on you, whether you know it or not.

So it is unethical.

Ident suppose, what can and what should you do about it?

For example I met a dude named Scott, who is always smoking this one spot in Culver City, wearing his red vest, he claims he works there but he looks homeless and dirty? Not sure I talked with him, and he seemed kind of normal, but slightly a little weird? Anyways, I asked him nicely to not smoke there on the main street because it gets into my lungs whatever, but then he told me to not walk on the sidewalk. Or to walk on the other side?

Or he told me to keep walking?

First, I think the major issue here is repeated exposure. Maybe if I was in Venice Beach or whatever, in which I’ll never see the person again this is different, but because I see him almost every single day or every other day, this is very annoying and upsetting to me.

So obviously the first idea is to have a conversation with him. He had the audacity to tell me “If you don’t like it keep walking”.

So some several issues here.

First, once again, no I will not keep walking. Because the issue is the regularity and the continued exposure. Once again if you’re in Santa Monica, and you see a homeless guy smoking a cigarette, or looking like he is cracked out, often in that situation the best strategy is don’t engage with crazy drugged out homeless people.

However, if the person looks like an irrational human being, mentally there, then isn’t having an intelligent conversation with somebody worth it?

Second I guess the big thing is I always saw it and I pointed out to him, that there’s literally a sign there that says no smoking. Like the big cigarette icon with the big red circle and the strike through it. I pointed out to him and he said that “oh, I never saw that.”

I also suppose there’s a difference, if the person is homeless or a squatter versus they actually work there?

Legality?

Then at this point, let’s assume that is private property, but the property owner put a do not smoke sign out. Then according to the rules of the private property, you can and should enforce it. Is that what you do is you talk to Security, or you called the property manager etc. And you report them.

But let us say that it is a more of a grey zone; like they are smoking a cigarette kind of close to a restaurant which is actually illegal in Los Angeles and most of California I believe. In this case, what do you do, call the cops on the person?

Or… Let us say that you approach somebody and you try to talk to them rationally, and then they threaten you with some sort of physical violence, or they do physically assault you? Then I suppose what you could do is bust out your iPhone camera, Start recording them, and then you could get them arrested?

I suppose the only thing you don’t want to get done to you is to get stabbed or shot with a gun, you don’t want to die.

I mean I suppose for myself, I could take a hit or an injury, I just don’t want to die.

So maybe, just be careful if you think they might have a gun?

Not being a pushover

So I think the problem with most people nowadays, especially people my age the millennial generation I was born in 1988, we are a very non-confrontational generation. And honestly most people are.

The first thing is don’t let nobody push you around, don’t be a pushover. If there’s something you don’t like you had to speak up, and it is a good idea to make a fuss out of it even bit may seem trivial.

So for me, the only thing I really hit on the planet is cigarette smoke, secondhand smoke. Especially having a father who was a heavy smoker, I hate the smell of secondhand cigarette more than the devil.

And also, a big issue here is that I have a kid now, and me and Seneca often walk down that street and we smelled the secondhand smoke. So once again, you’re not just standing up for yourself but for your kid.

I think the tricky thing with ethics is we should not invoke children because if you’re talking about kids you’re just kind of blaming them. Or you’re putting them in the crossfire. You should never make your kid apologize for nothing, it is your role as the guardian, The father to essentially have a spine and not be a pussy.

What is a hero?

I Also suppose the issue at hand is things that upset you, versus things that could actually damage your harm others, whether it be your family, your kid, your kids etc.?

I think the first practical thought is not to be a social justice warrior for all of society, this is too fake. First just protect your wife and your kid, the most difficult thing.

Then after that your clan, your best friends, your squad.

Treat others you would like to be treated?

The golden rule, treating other people that way you would like to be treated, not perfect but still kind of a good rule.

Digital Capital

Brave New World of digital capital,

So it looks like microstrategy, MSTR stock is gonna hit $300 this year soon; earnings report incoming October 30th.

And some big news, the FASB.org financial accounting standards board, they updated their accounting standards to include bitcoin and crypto, which is an insanely big deal because starting January 2025, essentially companies corporations like Apple can start to add bitcoin to their balance sheet, being able to accurately mark their assets and capital in bitcoin, openly transparently, fair accounting.

Anyways, the reason why this is such a big deal is that for a long time, especially thinking about bitcoin pizza day, in which a guy bought two medium sized Domino’s pizzas with about 100,000 bitcoins, maybe worth about $200 million today, back when it was worth nothing, round 2009, my junior year of college.

Anyways, back in the day actually whether it was our sophomore or junior year, I still will never forget how my roommate Kevin told me that we should’ve bought some bitcoins, like 100 or so, Windows trading for pennies. At first I dismissed him saying that it would be a scam;

In the past I regretted this, but now… No, I am even more convinced. 100% of my assets into bitcoin, the first and true digital capital, this is like the early days of the Internet!

And also, for Roth IRA, IRA and retirement, the traditional market, literally micro strategies only safe to invest in; my critical thinking and understanding is there is too many risk factors for all these other corporations, even Apple, which seems like the safest bet, it might be the other and only “safe” Investment out there which will last 30 years, but my bearish view is that within 30 years, Apple might be bleeding and dying a slow slow death.

In fact, my unorthodox view is that actually, not investing in bitcoin is the risky idea?

Excitement optimism and joy!

A random thought this morning was actually, maybe investing in apple is actually the unethical thing to do; think about all the mainland Chinese workers that fox con exploits, and as long as mainland China is doing acts of genocide all around the planet, and Apple is OK with that… Because Fox con should also be understood as essentially just another puppet or arm of the mainland Chinese corporation government, then, in theory to invest in Apple is to low-key accept all the human rights violations that mainland China does around the globe.

Everyone loves to talk about how climate change is so bad, racism is so bad, eating animals is bad blah blah blah, but yet nobody talks about how mainland China, is committing genocide all around the planet? And everybody knows it; and yet everyone still feels OK buying new iPhones?

Once again, if you are some sort of plant-based, anti-meat eating, pro environment person, yet you have an Instagram a Snapchat a Facebook a YouTube a TikTok whatever… No, this is not ethical.

why bitcoin is ethical.

To anybody who says that bitcoin is bad for the environment or the planet blah blah blah, essentially they were suckered by Sam Bankman-Fried and these evil corners, who sent she made air tokens which means fake value out of fakeness.

So, question… Do you think that air conditioning is bad for the planet? How about iPhones? How about the Internet? How about your hybrid Prius, your Tesla car, public transportation?

How about heaters?

How about washers and dryers?

So washers and dryers and air conditioning currently wastes about 20% of the world’s electricity – do you think the trade-off is worth it? If you have ever lived in Southeast Asia, Texas and the like, obviously!

What is commonly misunderstood about bitcoin is that it actually might be the most ethical energy use; actually, the economics of bitcoin mining is that it actually makes more sense to invest in energy efficient bitcoin mining rigs, near stranded energy sources like ideally building it at the edges of the grid, next to hydroelectric power plants etc.

What is actually very very interesting is that once you create a bitcoin, it lasts forever! The maintenance cost of bitcoin is practically 0%; whereas even gold, the world second best asset, bleeds at around 2% a year; which means that in about 60 years your value goes down by half.

Economic immortality?

So everyone is trying to become immortal in Silicon Valley or whatever… But instead, maybe what if economic immortality were more interesting?

This means, building up a war chest for your kids kids kids. So when your kids kids kids have kids they will be able to do great things on the planet!

No no no, the world is not going to melt. Ignore Al Gore and all these fake fear porn people; who essentially profit off of your fear! This includes Google, who makes more ad revenue The more people click on climate change articles.

Bitcoin is hope, bitcoin is a promise for a more glorious future!

Why do I care?

For me, considering the fact that I grew up poor, essentially I think of bitcoin like unethical imperative. The idea of saving up money for the future, building up capital for the future, and also my belief in open source; to me… Bitcoin might be the most ethical thing on the planet? That is censorship resistant, open source, and also… A political, which means that America doesn’t need to keep committing war atrocities in order to support the value of the US dollar.

What is interesting is that all of these weird conspiracy theory people in America, the ones that tell you that the Rothschild in these Jewish bank organizations run the planet blah blah blah, that Israel is evil blah blah blah, actually the real bad guy is America, The US government, the American military, which essentially bankrolls Israel.

I think the best way to think about Israel is that essentially it is just like another military outpost for America, to maintain control over the region, kind of like South Korea, to have a strategic position against North Korea mainland China etc.

Koreans, South Korean don’t want to accept or think is that essentially South Korea is a neocolony of America, a new colony of America. As long as American military support South Korea and maintaining the 38th parallel, South Korea is essentially forever indebted to America.

Also let us not forget that Israel, was essentially established, with the guiding hand of America. Without America, Israel as a state would not exist.

So rather than pointing the finger at Israel, which actually does seem that the Prime Minister of Israel has done really terrible things, especially to the Palestinians, Hamas also seems like the bad guys, the innocent people are the civilians women and children. But really really really, the real bad guy is America, and the sad truth is without American military dominance on the planet, the US dollar supremacy would not exist.

Even if you are a liberal Democrat, anti-war; assuming that you have US dollars in your bank account, you have a JP Morgan Chase or Fidelity or Citibank, or Bank of America… assuming that your salary is being paid in US dollars, and let us remember that almost all the currencies on the planet, even the Chinese yuan are essentially pegged to the US dollar, without the Fed printing more money to pay military contractors for the US defense government, the US dollar would not have any value.

So what is the solution? Super simple buy bitcoin. In theory, buying bitcoin not the US dollar, could help solve violence that destruction and genocide on the planet, and solve at least 50% of the world issues; considering that about 50% of the world’s issues are about money. If you’re from a broken family, or if there has ever been any debt or bankruptcy or credit card debt, or gambling in your family, lot of it is actually embedded in financial issues.

Think first principles

Actually, the best way to think about bitcoin is not to listen to your favorite YouTuber or podcaster, but to think first principles, and going back to the source.

For myself, the most interesting book on economics I have ever read is DELLA MONETA bye the Italian Fernand Galliani, who surprisingly wrote the whole treaty when he was only 21 years old, masquerading as a six-year-old man. Essentially I discovered Galliani via Frederich Nietzsche, who quotes Galliani all the time; like some of my favorite quotes include from Galliani “better to be a gay monster than a sentimental bore”, or the idea that Eagles fly solo.

Anyways, Galliani talks about money and why it has value; and talk specifically about gold and silver and how in America at the time… The Quakers would actually trade paper money which was considered insane at the time.

To summarize, Galliani said that gold was the most valuable asset and money because it was both beautiful, used for decorations and jewelry, like making your child beautiful by giving them cold jewelry, and also… The fact that it was resistant and robust against the elements, it lasted a long time, and was also rare on the planet difficult to find. And also, how the color in itself is the most beautiful as it shines like the sun. Have a theory the reason why he was like is that in fact, we love this golden yellow color because it simulates the sun and the light, Let us not forget that most of the ancient world they praise the sun God.

But then again Galli mentions wisely how inflation happens and how money is valued, like when the Spanish conquistadors discovered gold in the New World, and brought it back to Europe, the value of gold plummeted because it became less rare. And also in history, there were many places on the planet in which silver was actually more rare than gold, and therefore in some parts of the world silver was actually more prized!

Essentially the moral the story is that money is a man-made concept; and even the notion of capital comes from the notion cap, head, Kaputt, caput– like literally the head of oxen. Even in the Iliad, a hectic comb is the sacrifice of 100 oxen, to appease Zeus and the gods. Even in today’s world, in which an adult oxen could cost you $1000, can you imagine sacrificing 100 oxen to appease the gods? it’s like almost burning $100,000, to get the gods to not get angry at you; very expensive. Like a single cyber truck!

What’s the point of capital?

There are some simple things, like paying rent and groceries. But beyond this, what is the point of money and capital?

At this point, I’m starting to think of capital and accumulation like the most interesting fun game! 1, trillion times more interesting that any video game out there because it actually has to deal with reality; the problem with all the video games is none of them are actually based in physics or the real world; even professional sports which is essentially a prostitution of the body, is beridden with steroids and drugs and all this bad stuff. The only useful professional sports seems to be the UFC or mixed martial arts, as it might benefit you in a street fight, everything else seems quite useless.

Also a lot of guys were interested, a lot of fools make that analogy that thinking that some sort of chess grandmaster would be a great military strategist, but this is not the case. Because to sacrifice upon is very different than sacrificing the life of a human being. And also… The real world is 1 trillion times more messy than chess, Which has strict rules.

And also in theory… Any skinny fat loser could be really really good at chess, like number one on the planet. But how would he do in a street fight, or player versus player combat? Let us not forget our manly virtues; ultimately… It don’t matter how rich you are or how smart or successful you are, if you do not have physical valor and strength, you got nothing.

Good role models

I think having a good role model is critical. Like a Steve Jobs, except he is dead now. In fact, Apple today is kind of a former shell of Steve Jobs original vision; now that Jony Ive has left Apple, Apple is like the new Microsoft. There is no more sex in Apple.

Even Elon Musk has a joke that failed Tesla or SpaceX engineers go to Apple; much more difficult to design a self driving car or a spaceship or a rocketship rather than the next mediocre iPhone.

Michael Saylor, also talks about risks of most securities, like a simple one; how do you know that the iPhone 55 pro will be any good or not? And how do you know if one day… Mainly China closes the doors to international traded manufacturing, if Apple no longer can create iPhones in mainland China with Foxconn, then what? Certainly Apple cannot maintain her monopoly profits if she produced iPhones in Nebraska or in the Midwest, maybe Vietnam but even Vietnam is kind of in bed with mainland China, so if overnight, Vietnam closes her borders to America, Apple would be in big trouble.

I wonder if mainland China’s long-term vision is to continue to steal and help her trade secrets with Apple and American corporations like Microsoft and Bill Gates, and then eventually just close her borders to America, and hoping that Huawei could take over the planet? Currently the fact that TikTok is dominating America, maybe her plan is working?

Back to us

So taking things back to us;

First, it seems the interesting idea here is that maybe we should not worry too much about macro economics, like solving global poverty issues here etc., but just starting with ourselves and our own family.

The first one I think is that the simplest way to become rich is to just not get poor, which means don’t buy the new iPhone Pro, don’t buy a new car or Tesla, don’t buy a single-family home even if you could afford it, better to rent indefinitely and put your money into bitcoin, which will go out forever without any maintenance costs, whereas I think if you think about investing in a single-family home… It seems like a good investment idea, but because of the mortgage interest rates, assuming that your mortgage is above 0%, you’re essentially bleeding yourself dry, I almost wonder how much of modern day economics is about buying a single family at home and a mortgage, because the banks want to just profit off of this idea?

Once again even if you had a very very low interest rate, even if you’re paying about 2%, sooner or later, the interest itself will kill you. And right now the interest rate is around 7 to 8%; too expensive!

And also once again, even if the asset of your home goes up in value, after the cost of maintenance, fixing your roof and water heater and 1 trillion other things which could break, but that means your acid value goes down infinitely because you bleed yourself dry doing maintenance and renovations etc.

And also, I think a big thing is once you buy a single-family home or even a condo… Every time you come home, you’ll think to yourself, all of the upgrades and maintenance that you have not yet done, that you need to do. Even for me right now, I’ve been putting off changing the oil in my 2010 Prius for over a month, barely finding time to even do that! Whether I do it myself or go to a dude, I don’t think homeownership is right for me, or most millennials because we have no skills for home maintenance?

The best lifestyle is a zero maintenance lifestyle

You don’t want a high maintenance girlfriend wife spouse partner, dog, or negative yielding asset like a Ferrari Lamborghini Porsche etc.

The more maintenance, the worse your life, the more headaches the more stress, the more misery.

I think the sucker of capitalism is that we think that if we purchase these high-yielding stuff, we think we will be happy. But no. If you are happy paying for $1,000 oil changes in your Lamborghini or Ferrari or Porsche 911 GT 3 RS, yes! And I think what I discovered is it doesn’t matter how rich or poor you are; nobody likes to pay for these things.

I think the peel of having a Tesla is you never have to get another oil change again. But then again the issue here is that the battery is not designed to last forever, let alone 30 years.

At least your Toyota Prius might last you 30 years, I don’t think any Tesla or electric car will.

Go long

On a long enough time span, thinking 30 years, things become simple. You don’t need to overthink things too much.

How to make free money

Currently the infinite money hack and trick I discovered is this:

Purchase microstrategy stock with your traditional account, ride it up, and when the value is high, sell the pure profit, and then use that money to purchase bitcoin! And essentially ride it up forever.

Ideally purchase the bitcoin when microstrategy stock is high, and buy bitcoin when it is a bit low. but either way, the ultimate goal is to acquire as many bitcoins as humanly possible, he or she with the most bitcoin shall win.

Even Michael Saylor revealed in an interview with Maddy Reid, the reporter from New Zealand, that his and micro strategies goal was to acquire the mythical Nakamoto, which is 1 million bitcoins, the same number of bitcoins in the wallet of Satoshi Nakamoto, the founder of bitcoin. Also what is a big deal is that since Satoshi was born, he has never touched his bitcoins, or moved them. And also what is interesting is that Satoshi disappeared, the immaculate conception of bitcoin.

Also another reason I believe in it is that there was only first one bitcoin version, no version two. This is the reason why I ended up ditching chain-link when they released the second white paper, and also Ethereum is bad because of all the hard forks, And different versions.

Day trader?

I don’t know if this is just a trend, or somehow… When people ask me what I do for a living, I’ve actually been getting “day trader” a lot.

I suppose in some ways I kind of am because I’m watching bitcoin and micro strategy like a hawk, and I consume every single Michael sailor interview that comes out. I think I have literally watched every single interview he has ever done, from four years ago up until now. And he has been consistent and wise and insightful the whole time; and also what is very meaningful is that the last four years, he has never once advertised his own company, I didn’t even know what MicroStrategy was up until maybe six months ago?

The 30 Year Body

Think 30 Years Ahead

The 30 Year Body

My interesting funny idea:

Think 30 years ahead

Podcast

So, how is this manifested?

First, I think at least 30 years ahead; for example, Seneca is currently 3 1/2 years old, my mom is 70, I am 36; so 130 years, Seneca will be 33, I will be 66, my mom will be 100. Hopefully 30 years Seneca will have his own kid.

The reason I like 30 years that it cuts through a lot of nonsense, and the truth is… If you want to build anything really great, it takes a long time. You cannot build Rome overnight.

Even Jeff Bezos his insanely genius concept; he’s been building up Amazon since the 90s, he had at least a 30 year plus vision.

Why 30 years?

So in terms of working out weight lifting etc.; Michael is to have a six pack even at the age of 66!

Then what that means is you could take your time. You can miss the work out here and there, enjoy a few off days and bad days because in the midst of a 30 year horizon, you can lift more strategically, more intelligently.

Also, a lot of these folks who take steroids and whatever… They are seeking success right now, or maybe in the 5 to 10 year span. But once you’re Ronnie Coleman, and essentially a cripple, none of it is worth it.

Even a good thing about Arnold, he was able to get out of the game had a good time, so he did not become a cripple. I have a theory about Arnold Schwarzenegger, he probably knew that steroids and bodybuilding was not sustainable, so he got out of the game at his peak, knowing that taking steroids long-term was probably not a good idea.

People talk about the good old golden days of bodybuilding… But everyone was on steroids! Even then.

The reason why this matters is because I even hear stories of young guys, in their 20s, we have taken so many steroids that they are no longer able to beget children? The ultimate tragedy. It is almost like involuntary sterilization; even Nietzsche said that in the future, the most cruel thing one could do is force a certain population not to procreate.

Thou shalt not procreate! – The ultimate evil edict.

Investing

Everyone wants to make the quick gains, buy the loser Lamborghini whatever. Yet the real intelligence strategy is to think about building an empire for your kids kids kids.

“Generational wealth that’s the key, I started with shit so that shift started with me” — JAY Z

This is where I think it is critical for any serious thinker philosopher entrepreneur innovator to have kids. Having kids, a wife, being married actually makes you a better investor because you no longer think for yourself, do you think for your family unit, the family business.

Even Aristotle when he talks about economics (oecanomia)– essentially economics literally means management of household affairs; how you manage your slaves, your home finances labor accounting etc. Also funny thing back in the day… the slaves were the accountants.

Ultimately I’m a realist and a pragmatic person. I’m not interested in any sort of abstruse Macro economic theories; I’m interested in the now, the practical the day. Simple questions like how do I make money how do I retain how do I grow my capital, what is money etc.

I also suppose what makes my approach unique is that I did not study economics in school, I studied sociology and later on self teaching myself philosophy, and currently self teaching myself economics through the Austrian economists like Karl Menger, and also practical economic thoughts from NASSIM TALEB (Antifragile), in my own personal crypto and bitcoin ideas, and also economic theories from Michael Saylor, the patron saint of bitcoin.

Creating a legacy

A legacy just means to build to me that will outlast you.

An ancient Greek, kleos (forever glory, forever fame). The general idea is through a road act or deed, your name and your fame would last forever, kind of like King Leonidas and his valiant 300; we will remember them forever.

I think the superficial thing that people try to do is they try to force a legacy by buying it; plus through your name on a urinal in the university of Southern California USC, urinal in the business school (true story) or putting your name on some sort of business school building.

To me this is superficial at best; better to earn your name your legacy your KLEOS and immortal fame and glory through your heroic and valiant acts!

For example, we will forever remember Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and the like, we will forget Bill Gates, who only cares for money, and his physique that kills boners (Elon Musk tweet). I think also… For better or worse Donald Trump will be remembered, as well as Elon Musk, Jay-Z etc.

Also Michael Saylor.

Can you force a legacy?

No. Just like trying to force kid to eat vegetables.

I think maybe thinking about the 30 year body is an interesting idea because you essentially ideally want your physique your health in 30 years to be supreme! A thought and a theory;

Is it possible to have a superior physique at the age of 66, compared to the age of 36?

Certainly I’m going to have more wrinkles in my face and whatever at the age of 66, but I actually wonder… Is it possible that I could train today and eat enough meat today, and get my testosterone up that in 30 years, I will actually be higher than now?

I mean even at the age of 36, I’m 1 trillion times stronger and more handsome and I have a superior body and testosterone than I did when I was 26, and also compared to when I was 16.

20 years, I am superior at the age of 36 then I was at the age of 16… In terms of my muscles my body everything.

Certainly at the age of 120, I’m probably not gonna be as good as I am today, but with enough foresight, I could start strategizing today!

30 years or nothing!

ERIC

Why I Love Michael Saylor

I think I might have listened to every single Michael Saylor interview he has ever done, and also his great what is money series with Robert Breedlove.

Essentially, I really do think that Michael Saylor has real soul in the game; it was actually very very interesting in the recent Markets with Madison Part 2, see Part 1, … in the second part of the interview at the very end when talking about legacy and stuff, she revealed the fact that he’s a single guy, presumably not married, no kids etc.… And his whole legacy is kind of centered around the idea of trying to help solve and or fix the economic issue at hand — toxic, dirty money and capital.

Why I trust Michael Saylor

What is super fascinating is literally the last four years, when you listen to all the Michael Saylor interviews, he never once mentioned his own company, micro strategy. I only obliquely discovered what it was, because sooner or later all these commentators ask him about it.

Even for myself, when I first went to their company website, and the word microstrategy,— it definitely sounds like a very antiquated term, like the 90s, Bill Gates, windows 95 era. But anyways, I think that Michael sailor is probably 90% technology and history of science philosopher, and real life entrepreneur businessman, who is insanely intelligent, and kind of destroys anyone else he combats, for example just watch the debate about gold with Frank Giustra, it was the most hilarious and beautiful roast of all time!

Hope

I think for millennials like myself, in which the world seems a bit implausible; for example, trying to afford a $3.2 million home in Culver City? Even a modest $1.5 million home here, the mortgage on it is almost close to $9000 USD a month? This is insane.

Also, interest rates and the such. And inflation is getting out of control. My insane shock of seeing minimum wage for our fast food workers go from $16 an hour to $20 an hour, literally overnight! And seeing the sad demise of my favorite Shake shack with Seneca in Culver City, I think the whole idea of raising minimum wage was seen as a good idea, to help poor people, but ultimately it became an insanely terrible idea because as a consequence, the whole restaurant just shut down! And I am sure that the reason why I shut down is because shake shack is a publicly traded corporation, and when you increase the minimum wage for workers, you essentially deprive them of jobs because the corporation can no longer be profitable, and as a consequence either lays off staff, reduces hours, or close down certain branches which are not as profitable.

anyways, assuming that bitcoin is gonna go to $30 million a bitcoin, we’re in my extremely bush case, $56 million bitcoin, it is real hope for the future! He started to think more intelligently about the future, because you are leopard long; real incentive to try to invest You don’t want to blow $1000 on an iPhone because that iPhone 30 years from now can be worth potentially $500,000 USD? Or who knows $1 million?

For example if I could tell you right now, with 100% certainty, in 30 years, if you invest $1000 into bitcoin, it would become $1 million, wouldn’t you live your life differently?

FOCUS.

The philosophy of focus:

So, we are all photographers, thinkers entrepreneurs visionaries etc. To focus, I think at the end of the day, does seem to be a virtue.

First, the ethics of focus, the first big idea is that things which distract us, or rob us of our focus, are third-party distractions, which often have some sort of advertising or marketing or product selling motive.

For example, let us consider all of the ills of modern day life, which is modern media. Essentially anything which is supported by advertising is bad evil and should not be trusted.

For example, anything on YouTube which has advertising or product placements or selling services are bad. Any podcast, Joe Rogan, anybody out there with subscribers, likes, comments, memberships, anyone who has some sort of monetary incentive behind things.

Currently I am promoting bitcoin as a promise that it could solve at least 50% of the world’s problems; that is consider poverty injustice, high cost of living and rent… I actually do believe that these problems could be solved with bitcoin.

For example, even poor spending habits, the issue with inflation is that even if I’m making $20 an hour working at McDonald’s, and the price of everything keeps going up… There is zero too little incentive to save. If my rent cost $3000 a month, and because of inflation in a few years it’ll be worth $4000 a month, incentive is to buy all the capitalistic consumer stuff while I could still afford it, Whether Nike or Jordan sneakers, certain cars, clothes etc.

Also this is where Apple has been intelligent with iPhone; let us say that the iPhone Pro is $1000, or $999. This has been really relatively resistant to inflation; even though minimum wage keeps going up, essentially the price of the iPhone is not changing. Therefore if I am a typical working class poor person, and I’m being paid 16 or $20 an hour, incentive is to go out and purchase the iPhone Pro while I still can; because assuming the inflation keeps going up, in the near future I will no longer be able to afford that new iPhone Pro.

Low prices?

I think for the most part, a lot of the evils and ill society are issues with money, gambling, etc. At least this was the case in my family; my dad just sent you not having a job since I was two years old, gambling away the rent money etc. Assuming that my dad didn’t gamble away the rent money, like he was just a parasite but all he did was smoke cigarettes, watch television and movies, chill out the house… Assuming that were the case, at least he would be kind of a neutral party; but him having to threaten my mom with physical or mental or family violence, holding her at hostage or ransom, Forcing her to give him the rent money with physical force, saying that he was going to pay it himself, and then in the middle of the night driving off to Reno and gambling it away, which means my mom is already three months behind on rent… Certainly this is an evil that happened because of gambling and of course his own problems.

the bad guy?

Ultimately, one cannot point the finger at institution which is the casinos or whatever. Even now as a sober adult, haven’t gone to Vegas a few times, I find it to be very fun! I love going to wicked spoon, and having to all you can eat bone marrow, and all the great foods. But, I don’t have a gambling bone in my body; nor do I have a bone for smoking; essentially seeing all the bad stuff that my dad did, turned me off forever. This is where I have kind of a moralistic and ethical imperative against cigarettes, there’s nothing I hit more than cigarette smoke on the planet; The ultimate evil.

What does focus mean?

So focus, focusing… Assume you have a magnifying glass you could take the raise the sun, pinpointed to one point, and you could burn a hole through paper. Assuming you have a big enough magnifying glass, I wonder if you could even take the sun’s power and even make a hole through steel! Just think about all these James Bond’s movies.

Anyways, I think maybe the focus in society in life should be similar; I am kind of OK fine mediocre and a lot of stuff, but assuming that life is finite, a hard cap of at least 122 years, then what that means is if I know with 100% precision that I will die before 122 years, Then the ethical imperative;

How should I and how must I spend my life in a meaningful way?

Assuming that practically almost all 8 billion of us on the planet have a phone, then what that means is everyone is a photographer because they make photos. Even my new friend Alexey show me an interesting street photo he shot in the hood, somebody who overdosed on fentanyl, ar a bus stop. Somewhere in South Central.

And this is kind of a big deal because assuming that most of us live in cities, or assuming we all live in Los Angeles, anybody with an iPhone is a photographer, a street photographer.

In fact, everything in the haptic shop is open source, free to download share remix four to your buddies or store on unlimited devices. For me this became an ethical imperative; because honestly, 99% of the roadblocks we face in photography has to do with some sort of penis envy for some sort of camera equipment; do you think the day that you could afford to buy the Leica, finally you will have a motivation to shoot or make great photos blah blah blah. Same goes with the iPhone Pro, which is actually, not that great.

Also, objectively … Leica, Leica camera, is an inferior product and tool. it is true that the craftsmanship is superior, but the overall product is inferior when you compare it to a Panasonic Lumix, or even a Fujifilm camera.

I think what Germany has going for it is good marketing and brand. But everyone knows that any German car whether it be a BMW, Mercedes, Rolls-Royce, which is owned by BMW… maybach which is essentially a Mercedes with a body kit, is probably 1000 X inferior to any Japanese luxury car like Lexus or Toyota. In fact, a Lamborghini is just a Volkswagen Passat on steroids. A Lamborghini Urus SUV is just a Volkswagen touring on steroids. And a Porsche 911, 911 GT three RS is just like a Volkswagen beetle on steroids and a body kit.

I’m currently using the full frame lumix S9 camera, been shooting some video on it… But actually a critical issue right now I’ve been discovering is the reason why micro 4/3, even maybe APSC sensors; or a smaller crop sensors might be superior is because you could focus far closer! Full frame cameras are very very difficult to focus especially up close and personal, and also the bigger issue is that the lenses become bigger heavier, more obtrusive, bulkier, harder to use.

In fact, if you are a filmmaker, still… Getting some sort of micro 4/3 camera some sort of Panasonic lumix GH camera might be your best bet, because you can get the best lenses, with the best close focusing capabilities, the maximum aperture for the minimum amount of weight. And ultimately this is what matters the most; ultimately if you are a videographer photographer or cameraman, it comes down to weight and ease. In fact I think even most videographers especially aspiring filmmakers, maybe they should just get some sort of GoPro creator set up; just set it and forget it!

Because 99.9% of the hurdle that creators face especially new ones is the technical hurdles, the technological issues. Even here may be an iPhone pro without any external accessories might be good for making films. Especially short ones. Anything that is not going to be a Hollywood blockbuster film. This is why I think Apple is trying to do all this marketing that you could shoot cinema on your iPhone Pro is kind of ridiculous; any real professional Would use some sort of red dragon camera.

I also feel bad perhaps the biggest issue here is everyone is trying to posture and look “pro”? But why?

My thought is everyone has some sort of insecurity bias, a small man complex. Certainly everyone wants to feel big mighty and strong and successful whatever, but I also find this to be a little bit pointless because success, wealth and power, are not zero some; which means that assuming that capital is infinite, not a closed system, then that means that in theory, Anyone and everyone could become a billionaire, assuming that the global market multiplies by 1 trillion.

And also, because a lot of money is economic fictions, computer code, which means that any nerd with a computer could click a button and inject $1 trillion into the economy, what that then means is the upside for money is infinite!

Certainly there are things which are scarce, like human time, labor, and bitcoin, but everything else… Has an infinite upside in theory?

Why focus?

I just think that it is an intelligent way to strategize life.

I think the number one issue that a lot of people have, especially young folks that we don’t know what we should devote our lives to. As a consequence we just throw our interest at random in a bunch of Market Basket stuff, hoping that one will stick.

But, to diversify our interest, is perhaps not a good idea. For example, if assuming you had a Mozart in your classroom, would you have your student waste his or her time learning Spanish or stuff that he or she would never really use? No! You would put them in one of those funny musical prodigy classes, have them devote 100% of their energy towards music, to become the next prodigy.

I was also doing some research which is kind of funny that the whole idea of homeschooling was essentially invented because you had a lot of these young athletes students, getting ready for the Olympics, and they did not want to waste their time being stuck in the classroom. So the whole ethos was trying to devote most of the kids time and attention to maximize their sports performance, kind of what mainland China does, she is much more shameless than America. And also maybe be more successful.

I think also that is why you see more record breaking Chinese Olympic weightlifters, because there is no stigma about taking steroids, performance enhancing drugs, and also, they don’t really have a egalitarian schooling system like we do in America.

Anyways, I think to focus means to just value your life, your effort, your soul.

Assuming that we believe in immortal soul, which means that once you die, your soul also dies… Why would you waste your life in anything superficial?

The New Digital Slumlords

Facebook, Amazon, Twitter Instagram Meta, TikTok YouTube etc.?

Essentially any sort of digital hosting platform which is “free“, they are the new digital slumlords?

Everyone loves to hate and complaining about these slumlords, who rent us a really terrible apartment, at unreasonable prices, never fix anything, and are essentially bad and evil people. Yet nobody ever points the finger at the big tech companies? Why? Because they offer you “free” marketing platforms… I wonder, what are more freedom ways we could market ourselves which do not require us to use these toxic platforms to simply get our message across?

The first most simple one is just your website, your blog. A website and a blog is essentially the same thing at this point. A digital domain, it’s almost like having a digital house or a digital business or a digital property in cyberspace? Like having your own address.

No YouTube?

A big one to disrupt his YouTube. I suppose TikTok and to some extent Instagram and Instagram stories, and now Twitter is doing the same, but still… YouTube is by far the dominant platform. Why? Having YouTube at this point is almost like having access to free flowing water or electricity; we cannot imagine the world without it.

But, I guess now that I’m stupid rich, I don’t technically need to anymore. And also in terms of getting my message across, I suppose I’ve already done it really well?

I think they’ll lure of YouTube in these platforms is that it will make getting our message across more effective, to maximize our impact?

But I suppose the nuance is; if you have to use toxicity, to maximize our desired outcome, perhaps it is not worth it?

For example, if in fact, using a toxic platform could leverage your impact by 10 X, would it be worth it? Maybe not. Even 1000 X or 10,000 X? Maybe not.

So I wonder… If it is better, more profound to just make an insanely massive impact, on your own small audience, your own sport in 300, rather than try to convert the whole planet, all 8 billion of us to believe what you believe? # The New Digital Slumlords

Facebook, Amazon, Twitter Instagram Meta, TikTok YouTube etc.?

Essentially any sort of digital hosting platform which is “free“, they are the new digital slumlords?

No YouTube?

But, I guess now that I’m stupid rich, I don’t technically need to anymore. And also in terms of getting my message across, I suppose I’ve already done it really well?

I think they’ll lure of YouTube in these platforms is that it will make getting our message across more effective, to maximize our impact?

But I suppose the nuance is; if you have to use toxicity, to maximize our desired outcome, perhaps it is not worth it?

For example, if in fact, using a toxic platform could leverage your impact by 10 X, would it be worth it? Maybe not. Even 1000 X or 10,000 X? Maybe not.

So I wonder… If it is better, more profound to just make an insanely massive impact, on your own small audience, your own Spartan 300, rather than try to convert the whole planet, all 8 billion of us to believe what you believe?

The Philosophy of Art

So just went to the Mr. brainwash art gallery in Beverly Hills, and I am blown away; it was the most fun, enjoyable, uplifting, playful, inspirational and motivational art exhibit of all time.

why this matters

This is a big deal. Why this is a big deal.

First, life without art would be a mistake. Life without art is not a life worth living.

For example, if you think about all of capitalism and consumerism, I think much of it is predicated on art.

For example, what is clothing in fashion? It is essentially art fabric sculptures for your body, your human body!

What is a car? Moving sculpture, a metal steel based thing which is secondly a piece of transportation.

Has nobody figured out how insanely important cyber truck is; essentially it is the ultimate modernist expression of moving sculpture?

I actually have a vision; gloss red cyber truck, with yellow calipers, or yellow rims… Essentially imagine looking at like a fake Ferrari, but cyber truck.

the best art

A lot of people say art for art sake, but following in the footsteps of Nietzsche, I think actually the purpose of art isn’t art for art say, rather, it is art for the sake of happiness joy, the great stimulus to life!

In fact, I have a theory… When a lot of people become emo, sad dark and rose, is this issue here they are simply not having enough great art in their life?

Even being at the Mr. brainwashing exhibition, they were just playing some great OG classical music on the speakers, and even hearing the great classical music put me in such good mood!

Maybe I’ll start to listen to more classical music?

The best

Classicus,,, the ancient Romans, typically when we think about the word classic we tend to think about old school. But actually… In ancient Rome classicus, the elite class,,, “classicus” or “classic” simply meant “the best”.

So then, what life then becomes about isn’t seeking the old school for the sake of the old school, but rather, seeking the best?

Why the best?

Why not?

Joy!

I think nowadays, to be joyful unhappy in today’s world is a great act of courage? It is easy to be emailed depressed, sad, to opine about how the world is going to explode whatever. It takes much more courage to be joyful, happy and gleeful, to be the gay monster admits all of the emoness?

Choose Joy

I prefer the word joy over happiness. Why? I think happiness is too much of a consumerist merchandised concept now. Troy is a lot simpler, like joy to the world!

Music, what is music? Joy to our ears and to our soul.

What is art, photography, paintings images and sculpture? Joy to our visual brain senses?

Participatory art

I think what is so amazing and what was so fun at the Mr. brainwash art exhibit was how almost all the exhibitions, you could interact with it! And also you are encouraged to photograph and video everything!

A lot of modern art exhibitions and museums is that they are cold and sterile, and it feels like you’re not allowed to photograph or shoot stuff?

In fact, I’m even thinking about doing a photograph workshop in Beverly Hills, maybe we could all go to the Mr. brainwash art museum together, have fun like a bunch of kids, and be inspired together?

My vision of art: my vision is that art should be open to everybody, accessible to everybody, and also, fun for everybody! It should be no, not pretentious, not fake. Also, it should be free, open to the public, accessible to anybody, doesn’t matter if you’re 70 years old or three years old;

I killed that art might be able to solve 50% of the world’s problems, maybe the other 50% can be bitcoin.

Or even a more radical idea; if you combine bitcoin and art, 50% +50% is 100%. Then… Can bitcoin art be the solution to the maladies of the planet?

Maybe! Perhaps I’ll try and pioneer this!

Bitcoin art is the way

Great artist steal.

Also, great artist “up cycle”, recycle, sample, remix, and parody the classics!

This is where our source is so appealing to me; I hate restrictions, I hate copyright in laws; I prefer freedom.

In fact in two days brave new digital world, I’ve ChatGPT and AI… The whole copyright model is broken.

For example, certainly creators need to make money and a profit, but the big issue here is that all the craters are essentially slaves to corporations, and looks like a lot of these new digital slumlords, who control the “content“ of its creators… What they are essentially seeking is a mini of control, within a small mileau, trying to assert control and power in their very small domain?

Nvidia is close to a $4T company??

I was shocked, apparently now that the number two most world’s important company is Nvidia, right after Apple?

In fact, I actually wonder if Nvidia is more valuable than Apple. The only reason why Apple is valuable is because they have the iPhone, but if and when Nvidia creates their own phone, that doesn’t require an iPhone, this will be a big deal?

How to art

There are so many ways you could art.

So one funny idea I have is just taking famous artworks of the past, and copy pasting bitcoin icons on top of it. This is essentially the hilarious parody that Mr. brainwashed with a lot of these classical paintings, and also Banksky, the art of uncovering BS?

the problem about the art world

I think the biggest problem about the art world is everyone is using irony sarcasm and fake big talk to try to inflate their fragile egos, and into control running their mini fiefdoms?

A writer and thinker that I’m kind of into right now is Saifedean — who wrote the bitcoin standard and the fiat standard. I first read his books because I was curious about bitcoin, but what I found very very fascinating was his critiques about art, the art world, and modernism and modern architecture? He’s kind of like NASSIM TALEB in that way (both Lebanese, Lebanese-American) — very outspoken, calls out BS.

If you have ever been to a modern art exhibit, and you see a piece of white paper with a hole in it, and it’s worth $1 million, and you’re scratching your head, I’m with you.

Honestly, more or less all of modern day art is a scam, but that’s OK. You don’t have to participate if you don’t want to! Nobody is strong arming you to do so!

The new art

My personal vision is that I want to disrupt the art world. I certainly have done it for the world of street photography; essentially I killed all of these loser skinny fat anemic notions in street photography of what is considered good or bad, essentially the funny thing with photography is that while it should on paper be the most democratic open and egalitarian form of photography, as the streets are public and should be public and accessible to everybody… Once again, all of these ridiculous ivory towers?

Now what?

Maybe now I have some sort of moral or ethical imperative to make a difference?

ERIC

The Philosophy of Investing

Ultimately when people study Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger etc ,,, what all these guys are searching for is wisdom.

I think this is good and important because principles wisdom, is resistant to time and technology, but at least for myself, I was born in 1988, searching for practical wisdom has always remained elusive for me.

I think difficult thing is that my circumstances were unique. I was born in the states, yet grew up poor; my definition of poor is not being sure whether you would be homeless next month because your dad just gambled away the rent money again, going off to Reno in the middle of the night.

The upside of poverty

I think on two fronts this was useful to me:

First, it taught me self independence at a very young age. I knew that if I wanted anything, I had to work for it. This motivated me to pick up lots of part-time jobs when I was like 13, 14 or 15, tutoring English, through my honors program at school, working at the local community center, getting a $200 a month stipend etc.

In fact, my biggest personal pride and joy; essentially, purchasing my first car with my own money! At the age of 15, getting my drivers permit in California, $1000 or maybe $1200 1991 Sentra XE, 5 door sedan, 5 speed manual transmission car — it didn’t even have a tachometer! I learned how to shift gears simply by hearing and feeling the engine? This began my first love affair with manual transmission cars;

In fact, another point of pride, every car I have purchased my own money has always been a used manual transmission car, never exceeding $2500 USD. In fact, the last car I purchased one in Providence Rhode Island before Seneca was born was a 2002 Subaru outback, five speed manual transmission, listed on craigslist for 1000 bucks, was able to negotiate down to $900, then $800 in cash! Lying out those eight $100 bills was the most obvious decision I’ve made in my life.

Obvious decisions are obvious

In terms of my decision-making philosophy, my unorthodox beliefs; obvious decisions are obvious.

What that means is before making any sort of decision life decision etc., you don’t need to think about it too much.

Obvious decisions are staring you right at the face, and whenever you have to hesitate before making a certain decision, don’t do it. Why? Your brain is still working out the details, whether or not you should do the thing or not.

Obvious trades, obvious financial decisions, obvious investments

For example, buying microstrategy stock, MSTR, to me is a 100% obvious decision. For the traditional markets, it’s literally the only asset worth purchasing.

Why? Essentially they have discovered a free money hack or infinite money hack, which they could leverage their 30-year-old business, which is regulated, and mainstream… And leverage their position, borrowing money at less than one percent to buy bitcoin, which is accretive forever, and continuing the virtuous cycle.

Now is your time to purchase a piece of cyber Manhattan

Bitcoin is cyber manhattan: 256^3

I think the idea of a cyber Manhattan, cyber real estate company is fascinating to me. And the difference between bitcoin, cyber real estate and Cyberman Manhattan is that it is actually backed by real electricity and power. For example, the problems with all these fake virtual worlds is that it is just powered by a computer code, one and zeros, Any nerd can click a button and create a skyscraper in Sim city.

But what if, if you wanted to build a skyscraper in Sim city, you actually had to expand $1 billion of real capital in the real world, before transferring it and transporting it to cyberspace? This is the 1000% paradigm shift;

The bridge between the physical, embodied reality, physical world and realm, to the digital cyber realm… Which is still backed with physical electricity?

It’s a bug, not a feature!

Or it’s a feature, not a bug?

I think what a lot of these goody two shoers don’t get or understand is about real life physics in the game, skin in the game, energy in the game. Everyone wants some sort of hidden upside without any real life downside?

I’ll give you example, everyone wants to rid the world of suffering pain injustice and the like. However, a life without suffering pain injustice and overcoming is not a life worth living.

You cannot have happiness without pain and suffering, nor can you have joy with without sorrow and misery. If we think about this from a Taoist perspective, I think about yin and Yang, you cannot have the good without the bad. You cannot have the virtuous without the evil.

The upsides of downsides

For example, obviously being in poor health sucks, and bad weather also sucks. But, when things get much better, you are 1000 times more joyful grateful and happy when things shift!

This is why funny enough, I think people on the East Coast, New England, Providence Rhode Island are happier than people in LA because the weather shifts are more extreme.

For example, when you’re suffering in the winter time for months on end, no sunshine whatever, and then boom, one day the sun comes out, everyone is overjoyed! It is still 55° and cold, but at least it is sunny; everyone runs out and gets their picnic blankets, And the joy of the sunlight is 1000 times more extreme than in Los Angeles where everyone is trying to hide from the sun, even though they love it?

My simple analogy is everyone in LA is like a solid 7.2 out of 10, in terms of happiness, whereas in the East coast, your happiness goes from a -10 to a +500% when the weather is good!

So I suppose, the philosophical question them becomes, is it better or more favorable to have a steady mediocre thing forever, or more extreme highs and lows, which will be a benefit to your happiness?

Then a simple thought, the reason why I love bitcoin is because of the extremes; I would prefer an extreme life to a steady and boring one.

In search of yield

I think for me my number one principle in investing is yield. I think what a lot of people think is what they’re trying to do with their money is they are trying to securitize it, and make it safe, stored in really really safe assets like treasury bills, bonds, or “safe” investments like Apple Amazon Facebook Google and like.

But, my personal thought is life should not be conservative; the point of life isn’t to just conserve your wealth, but rather, to grow it!

Even the story of Jesus, you don’t just take your wealth and hide it and bury your talents, your gold talents in the ground because you’re afraid of losing it. No, the virtuous thing is to go out and multiply it!

And I also think the same thing is with wealth; the virtuous calling is to multiply it to grow it, not to just bury it, with the fear that it might go down.

How to gain more emotional armor for investing

OK, a lot of these fools, they want quick gains in order to go out and buy the Lamborghini or whatever. But once you find out that only small dick losers drive Lamborghinis, and also, that the useful lifetime value of a Lamborghini might only be three or four years, that is the point in which the maintenance costs and the insurance costs and fixing it up will destroy the price of it in just three or four years, then it becomes obvious; you wish the Lamborghini onto your worst enemy, you don’t desire one for yourself.

My simple thought is take a stoic spartan approach; essentially live like a super super poor person, the only thing you should ever spend money on is weights barbells and weightlifting equipment, and meet… Everything else should be essentially free.

Tips to NOT go broke

This means,

Never eat out: nothing is worth it, not even all you can eat Korean barbecue! My current favorite joint is chubby cattle, but still… The 90 minute time sitting is a bit restrictive.
No weed, no alcohol
Don’t go out for coffee, just brew it and drink it at home. I actually have a new hack; I only drink a lot of coffee at the house first thing in the morning when I wake up, but after the morning, 100% abstinence for the rest of the day. I get the upside of getting a good caffeine buzz first thing in the morning to get me going, without the downside of having it affect my sleep.
Never buy anything, and also… The only “computer“ or device I find worth it is an iPad Pro;
Always buy the cheapest iPhone on the market; only poor people buy iPhone Pros
For camera or digital camera, I recommend getting the most compact, capable Panasonic camera, and the cheapest, most compact pancake lens. Currently the Lumix S9 ($1500) and 26 mm F8 pancake lens ($200). Never buy a loser Leica which is essentially a Panasonic Lumix with a body kit. Especially the Panasonic Lumix Leica Q Cameras. If you want a digital rangefinder just buy a used Leica M9.
Don’t shoot film: I think about a decade ago in 2014 2015, it was affordable, but now it is too expensive. Save your money and buy Bitcoin instead!
Never buy a new car under any circumstances. This is immediately like taking a 30% haircut; the second you drive it off the lot, boom, you’ve already lost 30% of its value. And also, don’t buy electric vehicles, no matter how appealing. It is like purchasing a really really expensive iPhone Pro with wheels; it might be only good for 3 to 5 years, maybe seven years tops… Then after that, a slow degrading. Real rich people buy old used Priuses and drive them– 2010 Prius is the best rich person car.
Stop buying clothes: you probably have enough clothes to last you two lifetimes already in your closet. My suggestion is if you want novelty, just take some scissors and turn your jeans into shorts, or cut off the sleeves off of your shirts to make them sleeve or if you’re cold, just layer up. Only poor people buy clothes.

Essentially, the easiest way to become rich is not go broke.

Einstein’s rule of money

So essentially, I’ve literally I think watch every single Michael Saylor interview that he’s ever done everything that he posted to Twitter or YouTube etc. Maybe about 100 of them.

Anyways, probably the most fascinating thing that I’ve learned about the value of an asset is the value of an asset is essentially the cost of something or the value is something divided by the maintenance cost.

Now I think this is something that people don’t really think about — the maintenance cost.

So for example, now that all of my millennial friends are growing up, I’m 36 now, in four years, I’m gonna be 40 years old, everyone’s trying to think about the future buying a single-family home or a condo or property or whatever. And what beguiles a lot of people or shocks people is when they buy a house, all the maintenance costs! Even talking to my friend Anton (congrats on your new kid!) he told me a story while we were in downtown LA about how he bought a house, but the water heater went out, and him having to fix it, and what a nightmare it was.

Also simple things that we millennials never think about… You need a new roof and boom, that’s $50,000. That’s $50,000 I would rather put into bitcoin.

There are so many things that exist on the planet, in real world, in embody reality which cost a premium in terms of insurance, maintenance, etc. Once again, almost nothing in the physical realm is ever worth it.

If you want a new car, just download some racing game to your iPad, or even PlayStation or whatever; better to spend 50 bucks on a virtual car then drop $50,000 or more on a new one!

Or, just buy an oculus quest, play some racing game, at least this way you want to kill yourself, or another family in a car with two kids or more.

–> The worst thing in life isn’t dying or killing yourself, but it is accidentally killing another family, accidentally killing kids in the car seat of another car, and you having to live with the guilt for the rest of your life.

“But it isn’t real!”

Bitcoin is not real, but, if it costs $800 billion to produce, it’s real!

Let’s again, things must have a stake in the physical realm, if it doesn’t, it is just air coin, or the foundation is just built on cotton candy.

I think we must avoid these fake environmentalists, a bunch of vegan losers. Essentially, if I psychoanalyze a lot of these fake environmentalists; essentially everyone is seeking a new religion, a new godhead which is the “environment“, but ultimately my critical thought is that once again it just comes down to money;

Vegan and plant based stuff is insanely profitable

For example, Al Gore, I wonder… How much money has he collected from doing his talks on an inconvenient truth, ultimately being funded by taxpayer money?

And also, James Cameron, and also Arnold, how much money they have collected from the vegan pea protein powder plant factory, just follow the money. Much more profitable to sell a $50 container of vegan protein powder, than a meat company to sell beef rib or beef liver.

Also a random aside; if you really wanted to be a real environmentalist, you would actually have a 100% organ meat diet, only beef heart beef liver beef kidneys and intestines, because these parts are typically thrown away.

Rich vegans

“Being naked is the ultimate sustainable option. We’re number two.” – Reformation marketing copy

The truth is environmentalism is very profitable. For example a lot of these clothing companies, I think also like the new one “Reformation“, a female clothing company, they talk about sustainability and blah blah blah, but once again, is it just another marketing tactic to sell their mediocre clothes.

For example, people talk that leather in animal products are evil blah blah blah. Yet the truth is, you’re cheap vegan leather jacket which is made out of petroleum is probably 1 trillion times worse for the planet than a fashionable one made out of 100% real leather. A pleather vegan jacket might only last you a few years, a good leather jacket can you last you 50 or beyond.

Because if you critically think about it, things which last, are better for the “environment”. And typically animal products last.

I love leather!

Also nowadays, people talk about Native Americans and stuff like that, don’t you know that historically the way that natives lived off the land was in harmony with animals, like can you imagine a Native American who didn’t use animal power, ride on horses, or eat meat and bison?

Besides maybe virtue signaling America, there is no great civilization that has ever existed without animal products whether food labor etc.

I love risk

Once again I think the biggest issue is in today’s world, nobody likes risk anymore. Risk is seen as something which is dangerous bad and to be avoided.

For example anybody who buys a Mercedes car an Audi, a Porsche a Lamborghini whatever… It is ultimately a risk free option in the sense that no one’s gonna make fun of you for owning those type of cars. So in some ways it is a cowardly act;

For example everyone thinks a Porsche 911 is cool, a Lamborghini is cool, a Mercedes or an Audi is cool. Yet maybe I’m the only one with the big dick in the room, I brag that I drive a Toyota Prius? Everyone is always so shocked and impressed.

Real investors and economists must and should drive a Prius!

Real economics

OK, whenever I discover anybody who’s a professor, who teaches in a business school, is an economist, academic or scholar or whatever… Yet just puts all of their money in a boring mutual fund… Or index fund… It is a signal that they are not a real economist, and they are actually not really connected to reality.

Risk = Happiness

We need some sort of risk exposure to the real world. For example, easy to be the typical fat American who is drinking beer or wine watching sports and American football, giving their opinion on sports teams and players yet they are not actually exposed to the risk of playing real tackle football?

And once again… The more I think about it the more bizarre it is. To watch UFC or mixed martial arts, to watch any sport that you have not yourself played… It kind of like mental masturbation? To sports?

Sports is masculine physical sports masturbation pornography?

Just think about it the average person eats nachos french fries drink beer or alcohol smoke marijuana before watching the big game. But what a athlete who is actually participating in the sport down a beer really quick before putting on their armor and hitting the field? Obviously not!

So why is it that alcohol food beverages is marketed to these individuals, for watching a sport?

It is the new risk free premium hedonism; the joy of seeing people get murdered on a field, or in our arena without any real exposure.

Don’t hate me because I’m so much more physically dominant than you!

People are always so surprised that I played real football real American tackle football in high school, they are shocked to hear that I was linebacker, first outside linebacker then inside linebacker.

I think it is actually racism; you never expect an Asian guy to play linebacker because we are not seen as masculine or aggressive enough. But if I were African-American or black, even though I am on the more lean side — you probably would not be shocked, because in America, athletes are always seen as being African-American, never Asian. Even an Asian professional sports athlete is almost seen as a glitch in the system, not the real deal.

Even when first deadlifted 465 pounds, sumo style off the floor, and everyone was so shocked, I was talking to my friend Jemal and I asked him — “If I was African-American or black, but people will be asshocked or surprised?” He laughed and said no!

So what should we do about things

So I think the first thing you have to think philosophically is what are you really searching for, and why?

My very simple thought is think 300 years ahead, your kids kids kids.

The New Hedonism

The current lifestyle is like the Persian slave lifestyle?

I think the issue we are facing today in today’s world is hedonism — the new hedonism. We seek companionship through humans or dogs, yet we don’t want to have children, we want to preserve our freedom travel the world go to Japan eat good sushi whatever.

But, your dog cannot inherit your bitcoin.

I think maybe in the past life was actually easier and more straightforward people. You got married, you built up a family legacy and empire; this was actually a pretty good strategy in life. And I think people were actually much happier, productive, and joyful!

Think about all the modern day melodies of depression anxiety whatever, they are all modern day sociological ills.

In fact, the ancient Greeks, thinking about the Iliad; certainly things are natural like courage, cowardice, and fear… But depression anxiety was not.

My sociological theory on why so many people are so depressed and anxious is because of YouTube, Spotify, podcast, TikTok Facebook Instagram, Twitter, news, fear porn.

The joy of growth or death & destruction?

Have a theory; a lot of people are secretly waiting and twiddling their thumbs, they actually want to see the world burn to the floor, to be able to have the indignant feeling; “I told you… I was right all along!”

For example, all these people, are during Covid and pre-Covid and post Covid whatever, thought that there was gonna be food riots and blah blah blah, none of it happened. Humans are 1 trillion times more resilient than we make them out to be.

This is where also, philosophically I don’t really believe in short selling; even if you could cop a massive profit.

For example there are certain things that I am certain which will go down to zero, like Ada Cardano and the like because it is fake. But rather than hoping that something is going to burn the floor, better to just bet on things that you think that will go to Mars!

For example, everyone hates Elon Musk, and they are secretly waiting and plotting for him to fail. Yet doesn’t it take more courage to wish and hope and desire to see people succeed?

Even I remember the Tesla model 3; everyone thought it would be impossible, but now, it is certainly the new Ford model T; the coolest, most desirable, most futuristic and affordable car on the road. I personally plan on driving my Toyota Prius until it dies at 1,000,000 miles, but if for one reason or another I was forced to purchase a brand new car, it would definitely be a Tesla, maybe the robotaxi?

Disruption

The reason why I encourage everyone to watch the Robo taxi, Robo van announcement is that it is the ultimate disruptor.

For example, the Robo van, the two door coupe, insanely awesome design, with the butterfly McLaren doors… I find like there is no more reason to ever even want to buy a loser Lamborghini, or McLaren or whatever. And I really really love that rose gold, MATTE Rose gold Color on the Robo taxi, and also the rims look awesome!

Why doesn’t the future look like the future?

Once again, assuming that you’re a futurist like myself, the trillion dollar questions “why doesn’t the future actually look like the future?“

For example, if you really do believe in the digital transformation of things, like you care about Apple Tesla Amazon Facebook digital media whatever… Why would you ever buy analog property like a single-family home or whatever? Wouldn’t you prefer to buy digital property which is bitcoin?

And also, issues with tax, property tax. Also assuming that you’re a libertarian, or some sort of anti-government person, bitcoin makes sense because it is like digital or cyber real estate that can’t be taxed!

And I think the truth is that real rich people, know how to do tax deferment, or to avoid taxes, this is a real reason they become and stay rich.

“My accountant so good I’m practically living tax-free!” – JAY Z

Never buy property in California (you will get murdered from property taxes)

For example, even if you live in the lowest tax jurisdiction place which is Florida, and nobody wants to live in Florida, still… Under a base case scenario you’re still playing at least 1.1% in taxes. And that means then, the life of your asset is only 70 years; within 70 years Assuming you buy a $1 million property, you’re gonna pay $1 million in taxes in 70 years.

Then, if you own a single-family home or whatever, or property the coal is actually trying to rent out your property at a premium, but two people who have never really had experience with property property management… It is a fucking nightmare and headache. Finding good tenants and keeping them; the holy Grail. Too much counterparty risk with properties; people who fuck up your property, end up not paying rent in squatting your place, people who start to grow marijuana inside your property, people who turn your property into a brothel (true story), or just physical wear and tear and decay. Anything in the physical realm in my opinion has too much risk.
And this is where still… In my eyes, Tesla is too much of a risk. Why? Having to build all those cyber trucks, Robo taxis, is just in my opinion, too much of a gargantuan physical task. Even if you automate the whole thing with robots, still, extracting lithium from the Earth, making the cars, delivering the cars, my personal estimate is you won’t see Robo taxis on the road for at least another five or seven years? To me that is too long.

Real world investing

I think the best investment is something that you have a 100% certainty will go up in 30 years, and you just ignore the volatility and the noise on a day-to-day level.

Can it keep going on up forever?

Yes especially if it is digital!

Think the classics

Also the funny thing is; bitcoin was the classic the first only immaculate conception; technically Ethereum from Vitalik was just a bitcoin copycat.

My very very basic suggestion is just download Coinbase to your phone, buy bitcoin from your traditional bank account, and once you’re done buying it, delete the Coinbase app from your phone, and never check prices. And what you doing instead it’s just go to michael.com, watch all the Michael sailor interviews, and read books on economic theory philosophy etc.

I personally believe that the best wisdom is in the past; read Aristotle on economics, Fernandinho Galiani on money Della moneta, the principles of economic theory from Karl Menger etc. you should be able to find free PDFs of all these online, just read it on your iPad.

***

Now what?

Download Coinbase to your phone, start buying those bitcoins
If you have a second car or some sort of asset that you’re not really doing anything with that you really don’t need, sell it, and use the proceeds to buy bitcoin
If you’re stuck in the traditional markets, Ira or Roth IRA, retirement whatever… Very very simple just buy micro strategy stock, MSTR– I think it’s going to 10 X from here. My price target for Michael strategy is $2000 a share. Currently trading at around low $200s.
Do an experiment that the next month, just cook all your food at home, buy meat at Costco whatever… Amazon prime or Amazon fresh food, anything that is cheap; quit alcohol and weed for a month, quit eating out and going out for a month, and just put 100% of that into bitcoin!

so should I buy bitcoin or micro strategy?

You buy the bitcoin, and you never sell it, just keep buying it until you die, and the idea is just give it to your kids kids kids.

And you’re a supreme happiness and joy is through weightlifting, one red maxing, and seeing the numbers go up!

My suggestion is never ever ever sell the bitcoin, for anything. If you need spare cash for living or whatever, better to borrow the money at 7% interest or lower, assuming that bitcoin is going to go up 21% year over a year, compounded rate forever.

I would say only by microstrategy MSTR if you just cannot get access to capital to buy bitcoin directly.

At the end of your life, he or she with the most bitcoin is going to be the winner. Or the corporate entity like micro strategy, who owns the most bitcoin.

The goal is a Nakamoto, which is the mythical 1 million bitcoins. The same amount of bitcoins in Satoshi‘s wallet, which he hasn’t touched. This is currently $60 billion!

What else?

honestly because I live like a poor person, for me, at this point investing is just a new passion, almost like a new hobby. Still for me my critical passion is photography, blogging and like.

So the simple thought; know that investing in money is a means to an end not the in itself.

ERIC

***

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so should I buy bitcoin or micro strategy?