Greetings!

Let’s jump right into it.

Japanese Kanji

I’m currently learning Japanese. The character-based Kanji writing system is difficult to learn, but it’s also delightfully intuitive. Here’s an example.

This is the character for grain/tree - 禾

And this is the character for fire - 火

Combined, they make a new character, which means Autumn - 秋

While the character for Autumn might be difficult to remember on its own, if I can remember the characters for tree and fire, I can see that together they make fire tree - meaning Autumn.

⛓️ Crypto Domains

After listening to David Perell’s podcast with Balaji Srinivasan, I set up my own crypto domain at isaaclien.crypto. A crypto domain is similar to a “.com” domain but has several benefits, including the ability to accept payments, be sent messages, and it should never go down since it is distributed on the blockchain. You can set up your own crypto domain here. (note: you’ll need this browser extension before being able to visit a crypto domain)

🧠 Personality Types

I discovered a website called 16Personalities, which gives the most in-depth and useful descriptions of Myers–Briggs personality types I’ve ever seen. I’ve been using the site to learn more about my personality type, INTJ. I highly recommend taking the test yourself and reading about your personality via their free resources.

🎳 I only drink root beer when I'm bowling

I LOVE root beer. I used to collect obscure and artisanal bottles of it. However, drinking soda is a horribly unhealthy habit. So, I made a decision: I would only drink root beer when I'm bowling. If I'm bowling, I can drink as much root beer as I want, free of guilt or shame. The funny thing is, I'm not a bowler and rarely ever go bowling. But I always know, if I want to enjoy some delicious root beer, the bowling alley is there waiting for me.

📚 Recent Reading

• The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous. This book makes a compelling case for Bitcoin, not Gold, as the ultimate reserve currency. I tend to agree with this thesis and look forward to seeing the future of cryptocurrency. Additionally, this book is a fascinating overview of the history of money.

• Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. I’ve been a huge fan of Tolkien’s Middle Earth since watching the Peter Jackson movies in my childhood. Just now, I’ve finally gotten around to reading the books on which these beloved movies were based. I can now honestly say the Lord of the Rings is my favorite fictional world, and one whose characters frequently inspire me.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!

Best,

Isaac