T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 184

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #184

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

NEW MUSIC DAY!

It’s music release day!  I have a new 2-song release on Bandcamp.  The first song, “Cut, Scarred”, is different from my previous songs in that it’s a full-on guitar-rocker (woo-hoo!).  One of my friends thinks it has 1990’s grunge-vibes which I can see.  But it has cellos too and I’m pretty sure not many grunge songs had those.  Anyway it was fun to write and record and I got to jam out on my guitar.  I also sing (gulp) on the song though it’s very short and I double-tracked the vocals and put some effects on them because my singing voice sucks. 

The second song called “Pulse” is a digital rocker that I wrote because my best buddy heard my full album from June and said “Can you write something that I can run to?”. It was a nice way of saying “your stuff is too boring and slow, try again”, lol. But friends can do that 🙂  I think it’s a runnable song but you tell me. 

I’m still learning this music creation thing and it’s a struggle but also fun.  It’s like the dreaded “blinking cursor” in writing.  Sometimes I look at my barely-started songs and have no clue where to go with them, for days on end.  But things that are worth doing require struggle.  I could just go to one of these AI sites and write a short prompt and get a song, but where’s the reward or learning in that?  Anyhoooo, I hope you like my songs.  As always if you don’t that’s ok, just please refrain from making fun of me.

Lastly this is Bandcamp Friday where Bandcamp waives it’s share of revenue from any sales and gives it to the artists.  So even if you are not moved to buy any of my songs please consider supporting an artist you love on Bandcamp today – they will appreciate it!

Financial Independence/Work Life/Retirement Articles & Content

Why Some Investors Are Better Off When They Stop Chasing Perfection (Morningstar)  “Christine Benz makes the case for a ‘good enough’ portfolio.” Dave’s Comment: I love this article. I posted years ago about how my laziness or aloofness sometimes costs me some money by not being optimized, but I’m good with that. I also posted about Maximizers vs Satisficers way way back in 2021, Christine Benz is far from catching up to me!

Consumerism, Chronic Disease, and Why Financial Independence Is a Public Health Issue (The White Coat Investor)  “Diseases that were rare or essentially nonexistent among hunter-gatherers are now commonplace. In the United States, 90% of the nation’s $5.3 trillion in annual healthcare expenditures go toward people with chronic health conditions.”

Video

One of my most vivid memories of being in nature was off the coast of Hilo in Hawaii.  I rented a kayak and went out for a nice quiet paddling experience with no one around.  Then out of nowhere and with no warning a single spinner dolphin flew out of the water, twirling like a figure skater, and went back in. It was probably 30 yards from me.  I sat there, stunned.  I waited for the dolphin to surface or jump again but no mas, nothing.  It was as if she just wanted to say hi and then be on her way.  Enjoy this short video of spinner dolphins that includes a spying tuna fish complete with camera!

What I’m Grateful For

My new 2-song release!  I’m so blessed to have tons of time to pursue visual art and music, and I don’t take it for granted.  Public reception for my graphic designs has been great for over 10 years now as I’ve made lots of sales and income and also more than 50 custom logos for peoples businesses.  I can’t say the same for my music, but I’m trying 🙂

Lyrically Speaking

Standing in line, marking time
Waiting for the welfare dime
‘Cause they can’t buy a job
A man in a silk suit hurries by
As he catches the poor old ladies’ eyes
Just for fun he says, “Get a job”

From “The Way It Is” by Bruce Hornsby & The Range

I usually highlight unknown or obscure artists in this section but now and then I focus on the big dogs.  Bruce Hornsby is one of my favorite music artists of all time.  The guy has more natural talent in half of his left pinky than most artists will ever have.  His story is one of a working musician who made it big.  He played clubs and bars in his hometown of Williamsburg VA after graduating college and then like all talented musicians at the time moved to LA. After writing some music for small films, he landed a gig with Sheena Easton’s touring band.  For you young folks, Sheena Easton was a very big deal in 1984 and became a music video darling with songs like “Strut“. Your humble blogger had a massive crush on her. 

Hornsby then formed The Range in 1984 and released a massive selling debut album in 1986 that made him an instant star.  The song quoted above was a #1 hit and I still get taken back immediately to 1986 when I hear it.  Looking back, his first two albums stand as some of the best music that came out of the 1980’s.  Hornsby is still going strong and has a knack for never repeating himself and exploring the edges of modern music.  His last four albums especially have seen him collaborating with Bon Iver, Ezra Koenig, and yMusic among others. 

As for the lyrics above, when I lived in Baltimore I passed homeless people on the street every day, many times a day. You just get used to it.  I never said “get a job” though. Heck, they should be barking that at me.

Miscellaneous

Even moderate drinking linked to cancer and early death, major study finds – “A major new study challenges the idea that moderate drinking is safe, finding that even relatively small amounts of alcohol increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, and premature death.” Dave’s Comment: Oh boy… this one scares me. The sheer volume of alcohol I consumed starting from the age of 15 is incalculable. My life as a functional alcoholic is thankfully over and I’ve given up the sauce, for the most part. I’ll now have a drink if the situation warrants, which is rare. Like getting on the podium of a bike race. I just hope my body has healed the damage.

Fujifilm to boost tape production 5x as AI fuels archiving demand – “Given the sophistication of cyberattacks, magnetic tape is attracting increasing attention as a means of protecting data from threats such as ransomware.” Dave’s Comment: Keep all digital files you care about backed up on a drive/system not connected to the internet. It’s more important than ever

Has there ever been a mountain taller than Everest? – “Mount Everest may be the king of the planet today, but has Earth ever thrust a larger mountain from its surface?.”

**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%