T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 7

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #7!

Here are some things I really like and that you might too. 

Finance Articles

Life After FIRE – “Retirement is a wonderful place to be, and life after FIRE is a worthy destination. However, it’s not worth sacrificing your entire life to get here.  Rather, just like in your college years, take some time to enjoy life while you’re in the midst of living it.” – A great post from Fritz here using the analogy of leaving college and going out in to the world.

Does SEO Create the Pop Songs of the Internet? (Part 1: Creative Psychology) – This is not necessarily a finance article but written by a PF blogger and the first of 3 posts on this wonderful topic.  I mostly hate SEO and the fact that it forces writers to be inauthentic and write to satisfy algorithms.  I’m notoriously critical of listicles, and deliberate tactics to clickbait.  Savvy History draws parallels to SEO and the world of pop songs, which (depending on what you consider a pop song) to me are also largely contrived, formulaic, unimaginative, and inauthentic.

 

Video

This video is pretty intense.  A great reminder that in your day to day interactions with people, you don’t know what they’re dealing with, you only see the surface.

 

Who’s Inspired Me

On October 12th Eliud Kipchoge became the first human being ever to run 26.2 miles in under two hours.  That requires a pace of a little under 4:35 per mile, for 26.2 miles.  Friggin’ bonkers. 

No it does not count as the official marathon record as he was drafted and paced by other world class runners, but he still proved the human body is capable of doing it.  After Roger Bannister proved it was possible to run a sub-4 minute mile, others repeated the feat quickly because he changed their mindset and proved it was possible.  Hopefully Kipchoge’s feat will do the same, and the elusive 2-hour marathon will finally be officially broken in a race. 

This video shows how he did it.

Kipchoge also holds the official marathon record time of 2:01:39 and this video shows how fast you have to run to accomplish this feat, it’s insane.

 

What I’m Grateful For

A mostly great 2019, and an amazing decade. In the 2010’s I became financially independent and semi-retired from my W2 in my mid-40’s. Defying age I got healthier and fitter every year, and adventured all over the world.  Some amazing new people entered my life and I started getting paid to write and make art. 

Onward and upward.

 

Lyrically Speaking

If we keep working we can make it out of this place,
I can keep on working for as long as it takes,
Cause I’ve got plans for you, ooooh.
I’ve got plans for you.
I’ve got such big plans for you

From “Plans”, by Twin Forks

The song is written from the perspective of the singer and his thoughts to his girlfriend while he’s playing on stage.  I’ll admit I’ve been guilty of this. When my old band played out at bars I’d often be singing to my girlfriend in the crowd.  Although while doing cover songs like “Breaking the Law” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” it didn’t have quite the same romantic overtones. 

I like these lines, especially “I can keep on working for as long as it takes”.  The singer is professing his intention to play the long game, to go the distance if necessary.  I think many seeking financial independence are in the same boat, but in reverse.  We’ll do whatever it takes to not keep working our W2 jobs forever. 

Because we’ve got big plans.

 

Miscellaneous

Cancer Seems to Have Trouble Spreading in Microgravity – “Our work has found that when placed in a microgravity environment, 80 to 90 percent of the cells in the four different cancer types we tested – ovarian, breast, nose and lung – were disabled.”  This is interesting and exciting.

Can A Machine Learn To Write For The New Yorker

I Stopped Working Out Daily. Here’s What Happened