T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 168

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #168

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

**Note To My Readers – I sometimes get complaints about ads on my blog (too many).  I’m kind of astonished that anyone browses the internet without an ad-blocker.  I haven’t seen ads in over a decade, and you shouldn’t either.  Please use an ad blocker, your life will improve 500%

Financial Independence/Work Life/Retirement Articles & Content

What Role Should Worst-Case Scenarios Play in Retirement Planning? (Can I Retire Yet?) “It is prudent to understand your retirement plan, including considering what you would do in a worst-case scenario. However, if you are overly focused on planning for worst-case scenarios, that may be a strong indicator that a disproportionate level of anxiety is driving your money decisions.

Warning: AI Is Coming For Your 401(k) (Forbes) “Take a close look at your allocation to equities. Whether you believe Citrini Research’s AI doomsday scenario or are more optimistic, it might be time to buy some inflation-proof bonds.”

Video

I haven’t posted nature-porn this year yet so now I will…. Enjoy this 8k short film of Flathead National Forest in Montana.  I’ve spent some quality time traipsing through Flathead but it’s been a long long time, I’d love to get back.  As always watch this on a big screen, it deserves it!

What I’m Grateful For

That no one made fun of or mocked my music release last week (at least online).  I now wish I could go back and tweak some things in the two songs I released since I’ve already learned more in the last week about production but whatever.  Doing this in real time and putting out amateurish work is all part of the learning and growth process. 

Lyrically Speaking

And it’s hard to buy the things it takes to make you smile
And this home is simply not enough, so cut me up

From “Piglet” by The Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s

When Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s released their first full-length album in 2006, The Dust Of Retreat, they were already an underground sensation with the often snobbish indie music press.  Their 2004 independent release Astronaut and reputation for amazing live performances garnered them attention.  The Indianapolis group sometimes sported 8 members and included orchestral sounds and lots of layers.  The first time I heard Dust I became a fan, it’s an incredible album.  Richard Edwards’ songwriting stood out, with literate, sardonic, and sometimes mercurial lyrics that you had to figure out.  Themes often centered on the dark side of life and lyrics often got ‘druggy’. 

The band released 6 full length albums before Edwards started releasing albums as a solo artist.  I have yet to get any of his solo material but while writing this section I listened to some songs and have to say I’m gonna buy them.  I love the guys voice and his songwriting is just top-notch.  Support him on Bandcamp where he has both Margot material and his own together.

As for the lyrics above, I’m just glad it’s not hard to buy things for anyone and my home, as small and humble as it is, is more than plenty for me.  

Miscellaneous

Ultra-processed foods linked to 67% higher risk of heart attack and stroke – “The more ultra-processed food you eat, the higher your heart risk climbs.

The next AI fight: Do the chatbots have First Amendment rights? – “The standoff between Anthropic and the Pentagon is even bigger than it looks. And it’s even stranger than it seems.

The world’s oldest known vertebrates had two pairs of eyes – “The earliest ancestors of all backboned animals, including humans, may have viewed the world with four eyes, not just two.“