T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 25

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #25!

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

 

Finance Articles

“Won’t You be Bored?” Why Creatives Thrive in Financial Independence  (Minafi) – “Some people claim they’d be bored if they retired. Others have enough activities to be content for a lifetime. What have some people figured out?”

In the Eye of the Beholder (Of Dollars And Data)Ultimately, all that matters is that you find what works for you. Not what works for your neighbors, not what works for your colleagues, and not what works for your peers.”

 

Video

This kids reaction after seeing two humpback whales put on a show right in front of their boat is priceless. He almost hyperventilates.

 

Who’s Inspired Me

Austin Shirley.

After leaving the Navy Austin Shirley was lost and directionless.  He decided to sell everything he owned and walk across the country with his dog to support Wounded Wear, a charity who’s mission is to provide fashionable clothing and clothing modifications to America’s wounded warriors.  In the end Shirley raised $62,500 and walked from Jacksonville Florida to San Diego California in 9 and a half months.   Pretty epic.

 

What I’m Grateful For

Shenandoah National Park.  We here in the D.C. region have one of the true gems of the national park system only an hour and a half away.  I’ve rock climbed, mountain climbed, biked, rafted, skinny dipped, kayaked, hiked, and camped in Shenandoah many times, and I’ll be visiting this fall and winter whenever possible.

 

Lyrically Speaking

Going down in the same old town down the same street to the same bar
And the same old faces saying hi and I don’t care
Going down in the same old bar and you know I don’t even order anymore

From “Hockey Skates“, by Kathleen Edwards 

Yes I know I just posted about Kathleen Edwards on Tuesday, so I thought I’d follow up with one of my favorite songs of hers.  Those three opening lines starkly expose the person I was in my functional alcoholic days.  When I hear the song now I get a tinge of sadness, but it mostly lifts me up with pride that I emerged better and stronger.  

 

Miscellaneous

Fruits and Vegetables Are Trying to Kill You“Eating food from plants that have struggled to survive toughens us up as well.” 

Volcanic Rock Discovery Calls Theories About Life’s Origins Into Question“Animals may have emerged under very different conditions.”

Exercise improves memory, boosts blood flow to brain – “Study: 1-year workout program shows benefits for older people at risk of dementia”

Higher body mass index (BMI) linked to lower blood supply to the brain in large neuroimaging study (companion piece to the previous article)

 

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Dave @ Accidental FIRE

I reached financial independence and semi-retired in my mid-40's through hard work, smart living, and investing. This blog chronicles my journey and explores many aspects of personal finance including the psychological and behavioral factors that drive our habits.

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13 Responses

  1. i really enjoyed that eye of the beholder piece. i even went down the rabbit hole of that quantitative hedge fund the author mentions. how did they ever get those fantastic world beating returns without all the typical MBA jargon? is there really more than one way to defeat a problem? i think so.

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      Figured you’d like that one, there’s a bazillion stock picker blogs out there and I’m sure you have a list that you follow. That blog is pretty good.

  2. RE@54 says:

    I second the “Eye of the Beholder” piece. Now if I only could get people to do things my way…Ha ha.

  3. Chris Mamula says:

    Interesting collection as always. Not much I miss about the mid-Atlantic outdoors compared to the mountain west, but we made an annual drive down to hike Old Rag in Shenandoah every fall when the leaves were turning and that is definitely one. Enjoy!

  4. drmcfrugal says:

    Interesting article on fruits and vegetables! I guess what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right?

    Also, high BMI is correlated with reduced blood supply to not just the brain, but too… other vital organs! That’s why it’s best to get some exercise and maintain a healthy weight 🙂

  5. DenverOutdoorsGal says:

    I was also intrigued by the article “won’t you be bored?” before your post. The short answer is a “no”. COVID was a test run after months of WFH and goofing off!

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      Yep, my answer is a strong and emphatic “no”. I actually went paddleboarding today, and did some fishing off the board too 🙂

  6. Thanks for the mention! As DenverOutdoorsGal mentioned, these last months have been a good test for how people will deal with spending time at home. Just like with retirement, the first months are hardest to adjust to, but it gets easier from there. From what I’m sensing from most people, there’s a lot _more_ enthusiasm about leaving jobs since COVID as people get a taste of staying at home (and also the extra stress of everything going on today -_-).

    • Dave @ Accidental FIRE says:

      I’m getting a sense of that too Adam, so many people are realizing how much their commute sucks and is expensive. I just hope when the pandemic is over and companies want people to come back that these new converts stand up for themselves and fight back. They have to have talks w/their bosses and show how they’ve been productive, then fight to keep at least some WFH privileges. We’ll see.

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