Random Chat, Thoughts, Posts, and/or Rants Thread

[MTF]

To contrast this, I would look at how much people spent on exercise, health, travel, sports, education, self-improvement etc. There is, of course, a large group of people who want to improve and enjoy life.

Which group is bigger? I couldn't say.
But both sides exist, so just focus on the people who do want help.

I thought that comparing Substack to OnlyFans was quite fitting as both are big platforms, with one focused purely on information and another purely on "entertainment." Perhaps Udemy vs OnlyFans would be a nice comparison as well so I checked it:

Udemy in 2021: $515.7m
OnlyFans: $4.8bn

Still a crazy difference. Even Substack and Udemy combined fail to get to even 20% of OnlyFans' revenue.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Trevor Kuntz]

I thought that comparing Substack to OnlyFans was quite fitting as both are big platforms, with one focused purely on information and another purely on "entertainment." Perhaps Udemy vs OnlyFans would be a nice comparison as well so I checked it:

Udemy in 2021: $515.7m
OnlyFans: $4.8bn

Still a crazy difference. Even Substack and Udemy combined fail to get to even 20% of OnlyFans' revenue.

It's kind of funny that the example chosen in that article was a Victorian fashion historian. Obviously, her approach was very tongue-in-cheek in playing off of Victorian taboos, and not really a porn account at all. I hope a lot more people like her start utilizing OF to make it something that isn't porn. I've been watching bonsai masters on Youtube, and given Youtube's creator experience, I see no reason why the best Youtube creators shouldn't migrate to OF or similar "creator-driven" platforms.

Substack is niche. To you and me, it isn't, but does my mom know what Substack is? No. Do my neighbors know what Substack is? Probably a few, but I'd guess no more than 10% even though they are the target demographic (middle/upper middle class). You and I know it because we are online and we like to read, hence, why we are on a forum during our downtime.

I'm sure my mom would prefer that she didn't know what OF is, but she does and so do many other people because that platform has gotten a ton of exposure in mainstream culture in the last few years.

Disclosure: I say this as someone who is not subscribed to either OF or Substack. There is already so much free, high level content available in both realms for me to want to pay for content

 

[MTF]

It's kind of funny that the example chosen in that article was a Victorian fashion historian. Obviously, her approach was very tongue-in-cheek in playing off of Victorian taboos, and not really a porn account at all. I hope a lot more people like her start utilizing OF to make it something that isn't porn. I've been watching bonsai masters on Youtube, and given Youtube's creator experience, I see no reason why the best Youtube creators shouldn't migrate to OF or similar "creator-driven" platforms.

Substack is niche. To you and me, it isn't, but does my mom know what Substack is? No. Do my neighbors know what Substack is? Probably a few, but I'd guess no more than 10% even though they are the target demographic (middle/upper middle class). You and I know it because we are online and we like to read, hence, why we are on a forum during our downtime.

I'm sure my mom would prefer that she didn't know what OF is, but she does and so do many other people because that platform has gotten a ton of exposure in mainstream culture in the last few years.

Disclosure: I say this as someone who is not subscribed to either OF or Substack. There is already so much free, high level content available in both realms for me to want to pay for content

Just to clarify, I posted screenshots from two different newsletters and they aren't related and weren't making the point I was making in my post.

 

[GPM]

My wife was looking for some toddler clothes in a second hand store and came across this gem! I'd love to have lots of classic posters like this in the theater room, complete with shelves of alien figurines and stuff. I am totally going to nerd out.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Kak]

My wife was looking for some toddler clothes in a second hand store and came across this gem! I'd love to have lots of classic posters like this in the theater room, complete with shelves of alien figurines and stuff. I am totally going to nerd out.
View attachment 45078

I remember playing with the bastard of a mount on that projector! Haha

 

[GPM]

I remember playing with the bastard of a mount on that projector! Haha

Your handywork remains to this day!

 

[MitchC]

@Kak

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Kak]

View attachment 45081
@Kak

A garbage library. Now I’ve seen everything. Everyone in that place is going to have the mystery fevers for 6 months.

 

[msufan]

A garbage library. Now I’ve seen everything. Everyone in that place is going to have the mystery fevers for 6 months.

Is it just me who sees posts like that and immediately doubts their credibility? I figure there's probably a much more complicated backstory than what the post would have you believe.

 

[Guest-5ty5s4]

Is it just me who sees posts like that and immediately doubts their credibility? I figure there's probably a much more complicated backstory than what the post would have you believe.

I think that about literally everything. You're not alone!

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Two Dog]

I think you're spot on with this. Many people dismiss symbolism but it really is powerful and drives our subconscious in weird ways.

With that in mind, it makes sense that ties pop up in so many situations where we're being "enslaved" or forced to follow someone else's script. Weddings, job interviews, graduations, court hearings, religious ceremonies, etc...

No doubt. I used to own ties. Then I gave them all to the thrift store and kept one "Just in case."
In case of what? What kind of "tie emergency" could possibly exist? Popup wedding? Amputation?

There's definitely a difference between wearing ties because it's expected by bankers to bless the loan papers while you're genuflecting vs. making a fashion statement or just impressing your friends with your casual coolness.

 

[Antifragile]

A city we are actively developing both industrial and residential has an election council candidate pitching Bitcoin mining! It's a little surprising to see it but I support the idea, except for tiny little detail - let it be private ventures and provide approvals for power use. I suspect the city staff are already busy enough. One thing I give him kudos on is that he's looking for a way to generate revenue for the city without looking to raise taxes.

VIDEO: Council candidate wants the City of Kelowna to mine for Bitcoin

Zach Sawatzky has invested in Bitcoin mining and believes the city should get into it too. The six-year Kelowna resident has thrown his hat int.

www.kelownanow.com

 

[Guest-5ty5s4]

A city we are actively developing both industrial and residential has an election council candidate pitching Bitcoin mining! It's a little surprising to see it but I support the idea, except for tiny little detail - let it be private ventures and provide approvals for power use. I suspect the city staff are already busy enough. One thing I give him kudos on is that he's looking for a way to generate revenue for the city without looking to raise taxes.

VIDEO: Council candidate wants the City of Kelowna to mine for Bitcoin

Zach Sawatzky has invested in Bitcoin mining and believes the city should get into it too. The six-year Kelowna resident has thrown his hat int.

www.kelownanow.com

Sounds like a great idea, just need somebody to make sure none of it winds up in his personal crypto wallet.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Guest-5ty5s4]

This just... I honestly... Do y'all find this as hilarious as I do?

 

[Boogie]

A city we are actively developing both industrial and residential has an election council candidate pitching Bitcoin mining! It's a little surprising to see it but I support the idea, except for tiny little detail - let it be private ventures and provide approvals for power use. I suspect the city staff are already busy enough. One thing I give him kudos on is that he's looking for a way to generate revenue for the city without looking to raise taxes.

They should be able to run it. Governments are good at Ponzi schemes (er taxes).

 

[MJ DeMarco]

View attachment 45071

View attachment 45072


Stuff like this makes me depressed. Why bother creating stuff that will help people and improve their lives when what they really want is self-destruction and indulgence.

This is an example showing that the "help people" mentality isn't always true. Imagine all the incredible value that's shared on Substack. Thousands of experts in various domains, including very lucrative ones like finance and business, often helping people make thousands with a single piece of advice. Yet, Substack generated 50x less revenue than OnlyFans which (arguably?) provides zero productive value to society and if anything, contributes to its destruction.

Then you have this crazy situation:

From the pure entrepreneurial perspective, why bother trying to improve the world where there's so much more money in appealing to the most basic, even if self-destructive, instincts?

@Andy Black and @MJ DeMarco, I'm curious about your thoughts.

Be right back, posting pics of my bare elbows to get some of that sweet OnlyFans moolah.

I totally understand your point. It is frustrating. You and I have some similarities and I think this relates to having a high "justice" value. When we see "injustice", it strikes us deeply.

You find it unjust when a Social Media Nobody shakes their a$$ and flaunts their cleavage and gets 1M followers.
You try to change lives, families, and you can barely scrape together 10K.

It's infuriating.

This is why we find it hard to operate in our culture, and view ourselves as outsiders. This is why we say "What's the point?" when it comes to social media. Fighting human behavior's "path of least resistance" is always gonna lead to frustration and disappointment.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Mammoth]

So this woman used to just cook outside over a flame (she still doesn't have a real stove) at their rancho in Michoacán, she's now moved inside to the kitchen.

Apparently for the longest time she didn't have the channel monetized and someone had to explain to her daughter how to turn it on for her.

I think it's awesome that someone can just make videos of cooking in the middle of nowhere and pull in an income (around 14kUSD/mo, which is a LOT for a local here, almost as much as the average person makes per year).

 

[GPM]

A city we are actively developing both industrial and residential has an election council candidate pitching Bitcoin mining! It's a little surprising to see it but I support the idea, except for tiny little detail - let it be private ventures and provide approvals for power use. I suspect the city staff are already busy enough. One thing I give him kudos on is that he's looking for a way to generate revenue for the city without looking to raise taxes.

VIDEO: Council candidate wants the City of Kelowna to mine for Bitcoin

Zach Sawatzky has invested in Bitcoin mining and believes the city should get into it too. The six-year Kelowna resident has thrown his hat int.

www.kelownanow.com

I just found out Hut8 is building a big GPU mining center in Kelowna! They are mining ethereum and have contingency in place to swap to data center uses. They will sell computing power to research institutions.

 

[GPM]

View attachment 45087

So this woman used to just cook outside over a flame (she still doesn't have a real stove) at their rancho in Michoacán, she's now moved inside to the kitchen.

Apparently for the longest time she didn't have the channel monetized and someone had to explain to her daughter how to turn it on for her.

I think it's awesome that someone can just make videos of cooking in the middle of nowhere and pull in an income (around 14kUSD/mo, which is a LOT for a local here, almost as much as the average person makes per year).

My mother in law is an old a$$ Mexican lady like that (haha, she won't ever read this), who makes the most bonkers good salsas and traditional Mexican food. I want to do videos of all her cooking recipes. Not for YouTube and monitization, but for preservation and for the family to enjoy when she (and her sisters) are no longer here.

I need to get on that. The ability to pass these things down through video would be amazing I think.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Two Dog]

A city we are actively developing both industrial and residential has an election council candidate pitching Bitcoin mining! It's a little surprising to see it but I support the idea, except for tiny little detail - let it be private ventures and provide approvals for power use. I suspect the city staff are already busy enough. One thing I give him kudos on is that he's looking for a way to generate revenue for the city without looking to raise taxes.

VIDEO: Council candidate wants the City of Kelowna to mine for Bitcoin

Zach Sawatzky has invested in Bitcoin mining and believes the city should get into it too. The six-year Kelowna resident has thrown his hat int.

www.kelownanow.com

I recall reading a year or two back that some counties / state governments were actively trying to ban Bitcoin mining entirely (or impose a punitive tax) because of excessive power consumption and the stress on the electrical distribution grid. They were freaking out about brownouts and regular people getting screwed for electricity because it's not an infinite resource.

Maybe upstate New York around Buffalo. These were big operations funded by private equity taking over defunct manufacturing plants and turning them into monster Bitcoin factories. Not someone with four computers in the basement.

Any of that sound familiar?

 

[Two Dog]

View attachment 45087

So this woman used to just cook outside over a flame (she still doesn't have a real stove) at their rancho in Michoacán, she's now moved inside to the kitchen.

Apparently for the longest time she didn't have the channel monetized and someone had to explain to her daughter how to turn it on for her.

I think it's awesome that someone can just make videos of cooking in the middle of nowhere and pull in an income (around 14kUSD/mo, which is a LOT for a local here, almost as much as the average person makes per year).

I really hope it lasts awhile for her. Maybe even a pathway to something more stable.

The internet is like a 14YO girl with what it likes and doesn't like for this kind of stuff.

 

[Bekit]

View attachment 45087

So this woman used to just cook outside over a flame (she still doesn't have a real stove) at their rancho in Michoacán, she's now moved inside to the kitchen.

Apparently for the longest time she didn't have the channel monetized and someone had to explain to her daughter how to turn it on for her.

I think it's awesome that someone can just make videos of cooking in the middle of nowhere and pull in an income (around 14kUSD/mo, which is a LOT for a local here, almost as much as the average person makes per year).

I have loved watching her channel over the past few years, and it has been so cool to be able to see her upgrade the stove... get some new clothes... get better kitchen knives, better dishes, nice little upgrades to the house. (She doesn't talk about these things, I've just seen new items appear in the videos, and it makes me smile to think of how this has allowed her to upgrade her lifestyle a bit.)

One of the things I love about her channel is that she is just adorable and genuine. She usually tastes a bit of the food at the end, and she just has such a genuine delight in how yummy it is.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Simon Angel]

Until yesterday, I hadn't watched a TV series in years. As much as I recoiled at the idea of spending ANY time on TV, I decided to give "Severance" a chance.

Wow. I didn't think I'd ever get excited about a TV series again - I was wrong. This is really special.

 

[StrikingViper69]

View attachment 45071

View attachment 45072


Stuff like this makes me depressed. Why bother creating stuff that will help people and improve their lives when what they really want is self-destruction and indulgence.

This is an example showing that the "help people" mentality isn't always true. Imagine all the incredible value that's shared on Substack. Thousands of experts in various domains, including very lucrative ones like finance and business, often helping people make thousands with a single piece of advice. Yet, Substack generated 50x less revenue than OnlyFans which (arguably?) provides zero productive value to society and if anything, contributes to its destruction.

Then you have this crazy situation:

From the pure entrepreneurial perspective, why bother trying to improve the world where there's so much more money in appealing to the most basic, even if self-destructive, instincts?

@Andy Black and @MJ DeMarco, I'm curious about your thoughts.

Be right back, posting pics of my bare elbows to get some of that sweet OnlyFans moolah.

I know that creating has to be financially viable, but for me the primary purpose of anything I create is to test my mind and my own enjoyment, secondarily I have to figure out how it can make money (or how I can support it by making money some other way).

Another perspective is that you are not interested in creating for the basement bound porn addicts, but you are creating for the small percentage of people who want to actively improve their lives. And you never know, some of those basement bound porn addicts might read some of your material and be inspired to change their lives.

I sometimes experience a similar sentiment when I listen to modern pop / rock music and lament and how terrible it is. Then put it out of my mind and focus on creating something I love that satisfies my standards, which I find rewarding.

That is a crazy statistic though. I wonder what the parallel statistic is for women?

 

[BizyDad]

Funny I never thought about this...

But I always viewed a TIE as a symbol of unwanted work and oppression. A symbol of the rat race. A symbol of obedience and suffocation. A symbol of cultural expectation, a piece of clothing that I would never wear if I had 100% free choice.

But I never thought about it much from there.

Then I thought: A tie wraps around your neck tight like a noose, and people wear this symbol on their person as an reflection of being at their workplace. When they're done with work, they loosen their tie, as if to symbolize, I'm done being enslaved for the day.

Perhaps this is why I saw a "tie" as a big source of anxiety for me, without ever actually knowing why.

I grew up wanting to wear three piece suits. I did it for a while, but slowly started dressing more casually. For the last decade, my work attire has been a polo and jeans.

Over the last couple of years, just to mix it up, I occasionally throw on a dress shirt and tie (still with jeans). I've got a lot of ties, seems a shame not to use them.

It is noticeable the change in people's reaction. I get called "sir" way more often. Also, people are more likely to get out of your way or let you cut the line at the grocery store...without needing to ask.

It is bizarre to me how many people defer to the guy in a tie.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[StrikingViper69]

My mother in law is an old a$$ Mexican lady like that (haha, she won't ever read this), who makes the most bonkers good salsas and traditional Mexican food. I want to do videos of all her cooking recipes. Not for YouTube and monitization, but for preservation and for the family to enjoy when she (and her sisters) are no longer here.

I need to get on that. The ability to pass these things down through video would be amazing I think.

Imagine a few 100 years in the future, when people can look back on their family tree via video and see and hear their ancestors.... now that's crazy.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Imagine a few 100 years in the future, when people can look back on their family tree via video and see and hear their ancestors.... now that's crazy.

It's amazing, was just talking about this...

Here's your 92 year old grandma in 4KHD when she was 22 years old and shaking her a$$ in the Maldives. I'm not being facetious, but serious. The ability to see your ancestors, in full HD, is not like something humans have ever experienced.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

My sincere condolences to my fellow Brits on the passing of Her Majesty.

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, dies aged 96

Death draws to a close Britain’s second Elizabethan era and heralds the reign of her son, King Charles III

www.theguardian.com

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Guest-5ty5s4]

It's amazing, was just talking about this...

Here's your 92 year old grandma in 4KHD when she was 22 years old and shaking her a$$ in the Maldives. I'm not being facetious, but serious. The ability to see your ancestors, in full HD, is not like something humans have ever experienced.

This is something I think about a lot. Forever in the future (barring a catastrophic, humanity-destroying event) family trees will be completely transparent and traceable. It will be unlike anything in history. Like you said - there will be videos, photos, status updates, you name it. Voice recordings of your great-great grandfather. Wow.

Everything before that is lost history in comparison.

 

[Kak]

I wonder if traditional phone numbers go the way of the landline eventually in favor of the countless apps people already started using to communicate and the many yet to surface.