Well, this isn’t exactly a great place to party, unless you count “staying alive” as a party. After we went to a big festival where we almost got killed, we went to a remote village where we almost got killed. It didn’t help that Choppy was there and she began an attack to try to intimidate them. But, they were definitely thinkin’, “Man this white chick is CRAZY!” …so, she may have just saved our lives.
Today, I have a new video that shows off the new Luminar AI if you are a Passport Member! You can get it now via that link for a pre-order and it’s released in just a few days. I think you are really going to like it!
Sunday: Mountains on top of Mountains
Today’s video will entertain you with a quick tour-de-force all around the new Luminar AI. I start off with a rather silly example of how you can add mountains on top of mountains… Hey, I would not doctor a photo quite that much, but it’s kind of cool how easy it is. Besides that quirky feature, I show off a lot more that are more practical.
While at the festival, we would visit 20-30 different tribes. They all had their unique outfits and singing patterns. There’s a big competition with which tribes have the coolest outfits and the coolest song & dance routine. I think the contest is pretty unofficial, but it’s still quite competitve. In fact, it can turn quite violent and the military has to come in with tear gas and stuff. When that happens, it’s time to leave the scene quickly!
I have a new podcast that is in production now called “Molecules I’ve Ingested” that should be something quite unexpected, hilarious, and educational. Each episode features a crazy story about different molecules I’ve tried, from legal to illegal. Mostly the latter. Anyway, episode 1 is: “Amazonian Giant Monkey Frog Poison aka The Cambo Ceremony” and it’s an absolute riot. Wait till you hear what Sprinkles and I get up to. If you’re a Passport Member then you get the first listen to this as it goes into production.
Sunday: Early cut of Episode 1
Hey y’all! I think you’re gonna enjoy this. It’s not finished… what you’re about to hear is the raw recording of Episode 1. You’ll hear all my gaffs and mistakes and some behind the scene stuff. You’ll also come to appreciate Stu and all the hard work he has to do turn this into a sequence that is relatively flawless and feels right. We have some music coming and other things that will make more sense when you hear the final version. At the end of this, you’ll hear little things that we’re going to insert into the middle of the longer story. Enjoy!
Daily Photo – In the Jungle where the Frog Poison Resides
This picture really has nothing to do with the actual podcast, other than that this boy lives in a jungle. I haven’t actually seen an Amazonian Giant Monkey Frog in the wild, nor have I milked it for its poison. Also, there’s very little chance this kid has seen that particular frog since he lives in Papua New Guinea. It makes me wonder what kind of interesting molecules are in PNG.
I should really go back to PNG! I only spent a very small amount of time there, but I got so many interesting photos. I can’t say there is any place like it anywhere else in the world. The tribes and all their crazy costumes made it feel a lot like Burning Man. Well, a Burning Man where they will cut off your head instead of give you a hug… so I guess it’s a BIT different.
While I was on my 80 Stays around the World tour with the Ritz-Carlton, this article came out about some of the various destinations. I hope you enjoy!
Daily Photo – Choppy Deep in Papua New Guinea
My first time in Papua New Guinea could not have been more crazy, and that’s saying a lot after leaving a week at Burning Man. I think the thing that made it the craziest was having Choppy there. I’m not exactly sure, but she seems to somehow inject a level of insanity into every situation. And I love it! I’ve figured out one simple thing I like from my friends… to surprise me! And she always does that! 🙂
EPISODE NOTES
00:13 — Kevin talks natural UVB supplementation
00:39 — Who is Trey Ratcliff?
00:53 — Trey’s short film, Life From Above, and Beyond, with words from Alan Watts
00:59 — Who is Alan Watts?
01:30 — Intro to Trey
03:23 — Kevin on Trey’s 360 Podcast
03:27 — Interview begins
04:12 — Trey’s 360 Podcast
04:37 — Insta 360 One X
05:43 — Trey’s podcast topics & release info
06:11 — Walking & talking
06:28 — Nature & calm
07:00 — Forest bathing
07:30 — Japan, wind chime garden
07:51 — Japan, puppet town
08:41 — Japan, fishy ice skating rink
09:22 — Travel in extremes, embracing new experiences, travel & connection
11:07 — Trey’s family move to New Zealand & travel ‘round the world
11:35 — Trey’s family tour of world religions
13:21 — Trey’s professional roots, finding photography as an adult
15:07 — Trey’s “moment” with nature photography & digging in
16:15 — Coding for better photos
17:16 — Retinex
17:28 — Trey’s blog
17:49 — Trey on Creative Commons, free tutorials
19:13 — Trey’s evolution – passion into business
20:13 — Collectors & limited edition prints
21:13 — Book, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark
21:38 — “…people want what is rare…”
22:18 — Pricing collectible art, swapping art, & smaller collector prints
26:21 — Trey’s new book, Under the Influence – How To Fake Your Way Into Getting Rich on Instagram: Influencer Fraud, Selfies, Anxiety, Ego and Mass Delusional Behavior
29:27 — Brand-building from a place of authenticity
31:25 — Buying followers, influencer marketing fraud, & fake account anecdotes
35:08 — Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari
36:12 — “Maybe this is the year of fake followers…”
37:42 — Kevin Kelly, Wired
39:23 — Legitimate tactics & tools to grow a following
40:20 — Stephen Tobolowsky, EG Conference
40:25 — Storytelling, anxiety, mass delusional behavior, Dunbar’s 150
42:28 — “Podding” on Instagram
46:04 — Instagram security, pod detection, Digg security anecdote
49:22 — Practical jokes, buying followers, custom comments
50:19 — Back to the book, how to differentiate & build a following
51:30 — Trey’s best advice on life – true self, storytelling, honesty
53:58 — Exploring life, finding what’s exciting, childlike mindset
56:12 — Psychedelics & sense of self, creativity
57:35 — Alcohol & drugs, Trey’s family
59:17 — Burning Man, mushrooms, removing filters & intellectual stimulation
1:00:55 — Trey on what psychedelics & hallucinogens do for him, meditation practice
1:05:11 — Sharing consciousness with others
1:06:12 — “I think it’s up to artists & creatives to save the world.”
1:06:23 — Clinical trials, benefits, & uses of mushrooms; childlike wonder
1:10:46 — Michael Pollan on The Kevin Rose Show, How To Change Your Mind, by Michael Pollan
1:11:52 — Institutional anxiety about psychedelics & resurgence in intellectual community
1:13:39 — Opioid, benzo addiction & natural compound psychedelic treatments
1:15:14 — Psychedelic work with reputable counselor, family anecdote
1:16:20 — Closing & Trey’s hope for his work going forward
Daily Photo – Tribal Boy in Papua New Guinea
Check out this little badass! I think he probably could have killed me with his bow and arrow if he wanted to. However, he seemed to like me. After I took the photo I showed it to him and he gave me some sign like a thumbs up. It also could have been a fuck you, but I didn’t get that vibe.
I only spent a week in this country, but I’m just going to go ahead and assume it’s always blazing hot. While I was there I met this tribesman and we had a hard time having a discussion. Initially, I told him I thought he looked awesome and I liked all the decor. He sort of nodded as if he understood what I was saying. And then I said he looked pretty fit and asked him if he worked out…He was a bit more confused by this question.
Remember that this blog has different categories for different spots all around the world. Some of my craziest pictures are from Papua New Guinea, so search that category now! And remember at the bottom you can click “Next” to go to the next page full.
Daily Photo – And I thought I was hot at Burning Man
Okay, I saw a lot of crazy outfits here in Papua New Guinea, but none as cumbersome as this. It must have been 100 degrees outside, and all of a sudden, I saw this tribe emerge, all wearing this outfit. I don’t know what to call it. I suppose if Chewbacca had an afro, it would look like this? I don’t know if that is an apt way of putting it, but you get the idea. I really doubt these things “breathed” like a thin layer of Marino wool, either.
I have been listening, on the advice of my friend Cliff Baise, to this deep trance meditation music. It’s amazing! There are a ton to choose from on YouTube. Here’s the one I’m listening to as I write this post.
Daily Photo – Pre-teen Angst in Papua New Guinea
I’d really enjoy going back to PNG (that’s what ppl call it) and spend more time taking photos of the kids. They dress and and are made up the same way as everyone else in the tribe… so they are like miniature versions of the adults. One thing is for sure. All these kids looked tough as nails.
I came across this amazing List of Rooftop Bars in Hong Kong. I marked most of them on my personal map and will see how many I can visit and photograph while there. If you like city-photography, these are often some of the best places to go take photos!
There’s a game called Bar Golf where you go out with your friends and have a golf-scorecard. You start at Bar #1 and the oldest person picks the first drink for everyone (like Champagne, for example). The number of sips it takes you to finish is your score for that hole. Then you go to Bar #2 (Hole #2) and the next oldest person chooses the next drink. And then I assume you see how the rest of the golf game plays out. I’ve never tried it, I can’t imagine finishing the front 9.
Daily Photo – Papua New Guinea Face Paint
Speaking of rooftop bars in Hong Kong, here is a gentleman from Papua New Guinea. I’d love to get back there with my new Sony setup. I think I could be even more productive. If I recall, I was using a Leica lens here which required a bit of manual focus time. I’m pretty fast, but not nearly as fast as Auto-focus. I missed a few little expressions here and there that I would have liked to nab.
