T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 145

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #145!

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

Financial Independence/Work Life/Retirement Articles & Content

Cheap fruits and vegetables via loss leaders (Early Retirement Extreme) “As always the most important thing when it comes to saving money on food is learning how to cook. What ingredients can be left out, which can be substituted for others, etc. If you don’t know how to do this, you’re part of the reason why loss leaders work (from the seller’s point of view).“

What Percentage of Americans Own Stock? (Gallup)

Video

Can animals, specifically dogs, learn language?  My personal opinion leans towards a “yes” as my experience with the dog of my childhood had me convinced.  The dog my family had when I grew up knew over 75 words, and I counted them.  Everything from simple words like “good” and “bad” to “doggie doctor” (which terrified her), and “basketball” which prompted her to get ready to go the park.  And recently I read an amazing book called An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us (<– affiliate link).  What some animals and insects do is mind boggling.

What I’m Grateful For

My recent campsite on a beautiful lake, many fish were caught and many miles paddled.

Lyrically Speaking

If a man can’t change the world these days
I still believe a man can change his own destiny
But the price is high, that has got to be paid
For everyone who survives, there are many who fail
I’ve seen my friends caught out in that crossfire
All their dreams and hopes smashed on the funeral pyre

From “Spirit Of ’76” by The Alarm. 

The year was 1985 and U2 gave what I consider one of the best live performances ever at Live Aid.  To top it off, Bono’s mullet at the time was grand and majestic, like a good mullet should be.  But another band from across the pond was also up and coming at that time, with anthemic songs and a singer with an equally bad-ass mullet.  They were the Alarm, from Wales.  Their singer and main songwriter was Mike Peters and if you watch the video above he could have easily been mistaken for Bono.  The Alarm were arguably a bigger band than U2 in 1985, with their 1984 album Declaration having sold over 5 million copies.  I really latched on to them with their 1987 release Eye Of The Hurricane and the mega-hits “Rain in the Summertime” and “Rescue Me”.  The latter is still one of my favorite workout songs. 

Mike Peters of the Alarm died on April 29th after a long battle with cancer.  During his fight he did a massive amount of charity work for various cancer causes, including a hike to Mt. Everest base camp with other musicians from The Fixx, The Stray Cats, and Squeeze to raise money for cancer research.  By all accounts he was a really good dude, and he made some amazing music.  Mike influenced so many musicians, and Brandon Flowers of the Killers made this awesome tribute video after his passing. R.I.P. Mike, I will continue to workout to “Rescue Me” and thanks for the music. 

As for the lyrics above, they hit home late last year.  One of my old school friends from my Baltimore hood days died last October at the far-too-young age of 51.  He never escaped the Baltimore trap of drinking, drugs, gambling, and aimlessness.  I thankfully did.  

Miscellaneous

Move more, think sharper – “A brisk walk, a splash of water aerobics, or even a light jog around the block — if your heart rate goes up then so too will your brain health according to new research.”

The psychological importance of wasting time – “…the truth is, a life spent dutifully responding to emails is a dull one indeed. And “wasted” time is, in fact, highly fulfilling and necessary.

T. rex may have evolved in North America after all, scientists say – “T. rex was previously suspected to have evolved in Asia and migrated to North America, but new research shows that the direct ancestors of this iconic dinosaur may have been the one to make the journey instead.”