T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 45

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #45!

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

Finance Articles

Unicorns And Keynesian Economics (Happily Disengaged) – “We don’t have to worry about the masses one day all deciding to pursue FIRE with high savings rates. Why? Because FIRE is damn hard to do.”

Who else is working from home or quitting? (Financial Chain Breakers) – “Life is too short to work in an office if you hate it.  So why would you?”

Video

So this film clip is from 1940.  It starts slow and kind of cheesy.  After about 1:30 you can see these kids are good tap dancers.  At 2:30 you see they’re really good tap dancers.  Then by 3:00 you realize you’re watching some next level shit.  And they do it all with big-ass smiles and in tuxedos.  Amazing.

Who’s Inspired Me

Hillary Allen. 

Allen is a neuroscientist and professional runner, specializing in ultra running and skyrunning.  In 2017 during a race in Norway she took an errant step on dangerous terrain and fell off a cliff, sustaining life threatening injuries.  Being the tough ultra runner she is, she immediately started her comeback. I’ve heard her on numerous podcasts since her accident, and what I admire about her is her vulnerability and openness in detailing not only her physical but her mental struggles throughout her accident and recovery.  She defines toughness and perseverance, but isn’t afraid to admit weakness and humanity.

Allen details her journey and remarkable road to recovery and racing in her new book called Out and Back (<–affiliate link).  You can also hear her story on the Science of Ultra Podcast.

What I’m Grateful For

The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States.  It’s the healthiest it’s been in over 30 years due to a series of clean up measures over the past few decades.  And to me it’s one ginormous playground to paddle my SUP, my kayak, to fish, and to swim. 

Lyrically Speaking

So, all in all I’ve been feeling down and out
But I keep you around
Yeah I keep you around
Cause you can’t make new old friends

From “You Can’t Make New Old Friends” by Dolour

This edition I’m back to highlighting an obscure artist, one who should be way more famous if you ask me.  The band Dolour isn’t really a band per se but one of the monikers that Shane Tutmarc publishes music under.  I discovered Dolour in 2004 with the album New Old Friends and it quickly became a favorite.  The album is full of melodic rock with a pop sensibility and really great songwriting.  Think a mix of ELO and Cheap Trick, with some Beatles thrown in.  Tutmarc put Dolour on hold after 2006’s Storm & Stress and started producing records under his own name, which are good but not as good as his Dolour stylings.  To my joy he brought Dolour back in 2020 with The Royal We and released another this year called Televangelist.  The guy is a master of hummable melodies.  Check out his full catalog on Bandcamp. 

I picked those four lines out above and thought they related to money from a time perspective.  Just as you can’t make “new old friends” because it would require you to go back in time, you also can’t go back in time and start saving and investing when you should have started.  In other words you can’t make new old compound interest, but you can start now and build for the future.

Miscellaneous

Regular Exercise May Help Protect Against Severe Covid (possible paywall) – “People who tend to be sedentary were far more likely to be hospitalized, and to die, from Covid than those who exercised regularly” (Dave’s comment: “duh…”)

How To Teach Your Brain Something It Won’t Forget A Week Later – “Cramming got you through college, but it’s probably paying diminishing returns in your career. Here’s the reason why.”

Could We Live Under the Sea?
*This article contains affiliate links. Using those links throws some change in my pocket at no additional cost to you. Here’s my disclosure.