T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 90

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #90!

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

Financial Independence/Retirement Articles

Why Little Choices Matter (Budget Life List) – “The most expensive purchase I’ll ever make is my freedom.“

Autobiography is not Financial Advice (Retire Before Dad) – “Work is too big a thing to not take seriously. But it is too small a thing to take too seriously.“

Video

In the weeks after 9/11, in a city still crying and mourning, the “Concert For New York” was held to raise money for the families of the victims.  It was a star-studded show with huge names like McCartney, The Who, Elton John, and Billy Joel to name a few.  They all rocked it.  But I remember watching it live and Melissa Etheridge came out with just an acoustic 12-string guitar and broke into Springsteen’s “Born To Run” – to me one of the greatest rock songs ever.  Just her, her amazing voice, and a guitar.  No backing band, no electronic tricks, no auto-tune.  And she stepped up to the mic and fucking slayed it.  Her singing, her playing, just amazing.  Imagine being able to step up to a single mic with a simple guitar – millions watching and TV cameras in your face – and do this. 

The video is still not on YouTube but I found it on a site called Daily Motion and embedded below, I hope it stays up.  Enjoy.

Who’s Inspired Me

Jenny Abegg and Kaytlyn Gerbin. 

Last year Abegg and Gerbin completed a traverse, or “high route” of the entire Cascade Mountain Range in a single push.  Yes I’m highlighting another mountaineering accomplishment this episode, you can tell where my mind has been 🙂  In the lower 48 states the Cascade Mountains of Washington State are by far the most remote, untrammeled, and coldest range.  They have permanent glaciers, get plenty of snow in summer, and dangers galore.  To do what Abegg and Gerbin did requires a very diverse skillset of mountaineering, climbing, and endurance sports.  And you have to have the ability to suffer.  They did the whole thing in a staggering 19 hours and in the process set an FKT (fastest known time).  But it’s such a crazy thing to do it had only been done once before by people who didn’t even time themselves, so they really have the OKT (only known time). 

Massive accomplishments in the mountains like this inspire me and if you’re interested you can read a nice long account of their trip here.  Or watch a 17 minute documentary from the North Face on it here.

What I’m Grateful For

That I was able to escape to the Adirondacks recently to do some ice climbing. It’s the warmest winter in a long time the the D.C. area and I need a cold winter with snow to be happy.  The Daks delivered and I did some hard climbing for a few days with no injuries or close calls, that’s success in ice climbing 🙂

Lyrically Speaking

I got my pockets full of money
I’m gonna spend it all tonight
I got my pockets full of money
I’m gonna spend it all tonight
A whole month’s salary
Gonna set it to flames
On some girl I just met recently
I barely know her name

From “Pocketful Of Money” by Jens Lekman.

Jens Lekman is different, and not just because he’s Swedish.  His music is like no other, mainly due to his mercurial lyrics that are sometimes hilarious, often self-confessional, and always engaging.  Musically he incorporates elements of jazz, classical, electronica, and a potpourri of sounds to make his own thing.  And his voice straddles a weird line between a falsetto and crooning lounge singer, with just enough of a hint of foreign accent to add a twist.  Regular readers of this Lyrically Speaking section know I often highlight Americana and folk music.  Well, if you’re sick of that style then today might be your lucky day – Lekman is definitely not a folkie. 

You have to respect a guy that wrote a song about his female barber and how awesome it is when she cuts his hair.  And it’s kinda weird and good.  Lekman’s love songs are not your run of the mill stuff.  Check out “A Postcard To Nina” where Lekman is in love with Nina who happens to be a lesbian.  The song is set at a dinner table with Nina’s family where her father is questioning Lekman’s intents to his daughter.  The music is unique, the lyrics amazing and just fun, and it’s my favorite Lekman song. 

As for the lyrics above, so many Americans set their salaries to flames.  Maybe not on girls they just met recently (though that happens a-plenty), but more commonly on crap they don’t need.  And they think achieving financial independence is impossible, but I guess for them it is.

Miscellaneous

Starbucks’ union-busting tactics are facing the heat – “According to the judge, the Seattle-headquartered coffee chain illegally monitored, penalized, and even fired employees attempting to organize over 18 months of a unionizing campaign.“

Huge New Study Shows Why Exercise Should Be The First Choice in Treating Depression – “According to their investigation, exercise is 1.5 times more effective than counseling and top medications.” 

Do Trees Really Support Each Other through a Network of Fungi? – “Trees communicate and cooperate through a fungal web, according to a widespread idea. But not everyone is convinced.”