T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 182

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #182

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

Financial Independence/Work Life/Retirement Articles & Content

Playing the Wrong Game (Of Dollars And Data)  “The problem with being ultra-focused on your career/content is that the upsides are clear: money, success, and influence. But the downsides aren’t readily apparent.“

How to hide your spending habits from retailers (so you don’t get ripped off) (NPR)  “Over the past decade, companies have changed the way they price their products — and shoppers are getting deliberately overcharged.“

Video

I’m a total weather nerd and for a while considered switching my college major to meteorology.  Enjoy this mesmerizing video of time lapses of lightning storms. At first I thought it might be AI generated but it’s a 10 year old video, so it’s real. Sad that we have to check these things now.

What I’m Grateful For

A second place finish in my big targeted race for 2026.  I didn’t have my best day and was fighting a mild chest cold that I picked up traveling back from France, but I left it all out on the road and am grateful for another podium 🙂

Lyrically Speaking

Last night I had such a good time
But there’s a price to pay
A night full of kicks, now the sun’s in my eyes
And I feel so weary today

From “Close My Eyes” by Ride

I’m not generally a fan of subgenre labels in rock music or most popular music.  Some are legit and when applied accurately help weed out things I don’t want to hear, like death metal.  But others are just plain illogical.  Take “Brit Rock”, or “Brit Pop”.  This describes where the artist is from, not anything about the style of music. If that’s how we’re supposed to do it then why aren’t all American bands called “U.S. Rock”?  Or maybe break it down by states and we can call Prince “Minnesota Rock”. Anyway, I can do without many subgenre’s, but they can sometimes relay certain qualities of music if applied carefully. 

Enter “Shoegaze”.  The English band Ride are considered one of the early pioneers of the shoegaze subgenre.  Wikipedia describes shoegaze as “a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by ethereal soundscapes, obscured vocals, and extensive use of guitar effects and distortion.”  This describes some of the music from Ride, but surely not all of it.  Ride formed in the late 1980’s and were active until their breakup in 1996, making 4 studio albums in that period.  They reunited in 2014 and started releasing new music in 2017, with three more studio albums to date. 

I love the first 4 Ride albums, especially because they were making music that strayed far from the sounds of the time.  If you like what wikipedia calls shoegaze then you should check out some modern bands like Airiel and Velveteen.  Though purveyors of endless subgenres that lose meaning call these modern shoegaze bands things like “dreamgaze” and “nu-gaze”, but I digress….. 

As for the lyrics above, those went through my brain hundreds (maybe thousands) of times in my former life as a functional alcoholic.  Now the only price I have to pay is for healthy food, which is kind of expensive these days.

Miscellaneous

Ultra-processed foods linked to hidden muscle fat that may threaten your knees – “Eating more ultra-processed foods was linked to greater fat buildup inside thigh muscles, according to MRI scans of 615 adults at risk for knee osteoarthritis.”

Don’t use the ‘C-word’ – “A cancer diagnosis carries with it fear and upheaval. For many patients the cellular changes do not warrant the label.”

AI was supposed to hit new grads hard. So far, unemployment data says otherwise. – “There is no evidence of any significant, widespread displacement or reduction in hiring.”

**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%