T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 92
Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #92!
Here are some things I really like and that you might too.
Financial Independence/Retirement Articles
Four Years of FIRE: The Drawdown Strategy (Stop Ironing Shirts) – “ The portfolio has one goal at this point, fund our lifestyle for the next forty years without having to return to full time work.“
Conquering Fear: How to Ask Someone to Be Your Mentor (Rich Life Habits) – “…it’s important to be clear about what you want to achieve and who can help you get there.“
Video
At 8000 meters under the ocean the water pressure measures 80 megapascals. That’s 800 times greater than the amount at the surface of the ocean. Most objects would be crushed instantly at that depth. But scientists recently discovered snailfish chilling out at 8336 meters below sea level, setting a new record. Life figures out a way!
Who’s Inspired Me
The lady I see out running every Monday.
I tend to run on Mondays instead of ride my bike. To me running is harder than riding and I like to start the week with the hardest thing. Since about last fall I often see the same lady also out running. When I first noticed her last year she was struggling and once I even saw her trail-side looking very sad and overwhelmed. I think she had bit off more miles than she could chew. Bottom line, she’s an obese woman and that’s why I took notice. Every time I’d see her I’d think “Hell yeah, she’s out here doing the work to change her life, like I did”. I had missed her for a few weeks recently but saw her this past Monday – she’s noticeably thinner. She’s getting there. The woman’s got discipline and drive. She’s always wearing headphones and I’d never want to approach her and interrupt her run, but it’d be great to let her know that she’s inspiring.
What I’m Grateful For
The opportunity to teach my buddies’ kids how to rock climb and rappel. And I don’t even need liability insurance 🙂
Lyrically Speaking
Hours of phrases I’ve memorized
Thousands of lines on the page
All of my notes in a desolate pile
I haven’t touched in an age
From “Expert In A Dying Field” by The Beths.
The Beths are just plain fun. The New Zealand band has seen their star rise fast in the past two years, at least in the world of indie music. They’re a straight-up 4-piece rock band with two guitars and a female lead singer. Sometimes punkish, sometimes pop-rock-ish, they have a knack for quick catchy melodies and memorable hooks. Think Green Day having a child with Blondie and the Pretenders and you have a rough staring point. “Expert In A Dying Field” is from their 2022 album of the same name and they have a few full-length releases prior to that. Check them out on Bandcamp.
As for the lyrics above, every time I hear them I think of the expertise I developed in my field and career. And how there’s so much of that stuff – the lingo, the inside knowledge – that I haven’t touched in a while. I’ve been slow to come to terms with that, but it’s getting better every day.
Miscellaneous
Obesity More Deadly than Previously Believed – “A new study suggests that obesity is a greater health threat than previously thought.”
Can cocoa help prevent cardiovascular death? – “A recent study explored whether supplementation with the beneficial compounds in cocoa could have a clinically-relevant effect on ASCVD.”
As glaciers retreat, new streams for salmon – “Glaciers are transient. Climate is changing. Some streams are drying up. Others are forming.”
I liked the article about how deadly obesity is. I have been reading a lot about diet and how to eat better lately. I’m a very active person and stayed at the same weight for years (I was at a healthy weight according to bmi). A few months ago me and my family started eating and cooking with mostly whole food (foods with one ingredient) increasing our fiber intake (both soluble and insoluble) and greatly reducing our simple carb and sugar intake. It took about 6 weeks and I got my six pack back for the first time in a long time. While maintaining the same level of physical activity.
The one thing I disagree with in this article is at the end where they recommend reducing fat intake. I essentially replaced the calories from carbs with mostly plant based fat and I lost body fat. I agree decreasing caloric intake will help with losing weight but good fats will satiate your hunger and hopefully reduce the temptation to eat more often.
Diet is a tough one. I could go on and on about all the nuances of what’s working for us but I’ll just leave it at that 😬
As a person who was obese as a child and into my early 30’s, I have my experience but as you say we are all different. I think we can all agree that science has deceived us (obey the science!! … ok sure look where that got us) and it’s now pretty clear that making fat the boogey man only pumped more sugar into foods and made us vastly more obese and unhealthy. The literal conspiracy about fat being bad from Ancel Keys and others funded by the sugar industry is documented and real, and with 43% obesity in America we’re living with the consequences. That said, fat can still have risks, it’s all about balance and science is still trying to learn. I wrote about my diet in a post a while back and not too much has changed. I have found that lowering my carbs and upping my fat and protein has made me healthier and a better athlete. But I also know that might not work for others so I’m not dogmatic about it.
I’m a male so maybe the female readers will disagree but I think you should absolutely interrupt her to pay a genuine compliment. “I admire your consistency!” or something non-creepy. Compliments are so ridiculously rare these days that a few kind words from a stranger might “fuel” her next 6 months of running.
I might do that one day, but the point you made about women is very germane, I just don’t know if i’s a wise idea.
i consider myself an expert in a dying field. nobody wants a regular chemist any more, only specialists. that’s ok too. happy friday!
I guess that’s true, never thought of that and I’m pretty sure you’re the only chemist I’ve ever met. The same is happening in the tech world, being a “coder” used to be a thing, now with a bazillion languages and ways to go it’s about specialization.
I actually love running, but plyo days are the worst with burpees and all those fitness punishments, so I do that on Thursdays as motivation that Friday off day is coming up! Enjoy your Easter weekend.
Burpees suck, but I hate Turkish get-ups even more. I dread them
I stumbled across Expert in a Dying Field a few months ago. Pop perfection. Thanks as always for a great post.
Their previous records are great too, thanks for stopping by!
As a woman, I think you absolutely should tell that jogger she has been an inspiration. The trick is to keep it short and then keep moving, preferably in the opposite direction so it does not have a creepy feel.
I retired last year and recently found all the great free senior exercise classes at our community center. There are a couple women in their mid 90s whose balance is as good as mine! When I told them what an inspiration they are, they patted my arm and said “keep it up, dearie and you’ll be as good as us!”
Love your posts!
Thanks for the advice Josie, I’ll definitely consider that approach for sure. And thanks for the kind words!