T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 153

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #153

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

Financial Independence/Work Life/Retirement Articles & Content

Diversification through Dubious Pragmatism (Escaping Avalon) “Investments-make money when things go right. Job-makes money when shit goes wrong.”

Average (Life In Fire) “I’m the average of the FI friends around me.“

Video

Time for nature porn! I’m not a fan of flat as compared to mountains. I will never be living in Florida, ever.  But I do love trees and woods, and I love the water.  So this video of Ocala National Forest surprised me with it’s stunning beauty.  Perhaps a paddling and hiking trip to Ocala could be in my future…

What I’m Grateful For

A trip out west to the big mountains that filled my brain, body, and soul with mega-doses of vitamin nature.  I hiked, I climbed, I did some high-altitude mountaineering, and I loved every darn second of it.

Lyrically Speaking

You come from parents wanton
A childhood rough and rotten
I come from wealth and beauty
Untouched by work or duty

From “We Both Go Down Together” by The Decemberists

Yay no major artist from rock history died in the past 2 weeks!  So let’s talk about the Decemberists.  If ever there was a band who could be portrayed as dripping with elitist smuggery it’s the Decemberists.  Over the past 24 years they’ve weaved baroque pop/rock with tales of ancient seafaring disasters and other assorted folklore into often catchy 4 minute songs. Frontman Colin Meloy’s voice is reedy and unique, and his over-the-top hipster qualities likely rub many the wrong way.  They incorporate orchestral sounds and accordian – yes lots of accordian – that when done right make you think vaudeville and rock might have gotten along if they were contemporaries.  Their music comes off as brainy and literary, and more than a bit eccentric.  I like them overall, though I admit I cannot listen to them too long until I need a break.  My favorite Decemberists song by far is “Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect“.  Meloy’s vocal on that song weaves the incredible lyrics in a hypnotizing way that just gets me every time.  How many other songwriters out there can fit the word “balustrade” into a song and make it work?

As for the lyrics above, I once dated a girl who came from big-time wealth.  As a Princeton graduate and a successful businesswoman she wasn’t really “untouched by work or duty” but much of her family was.  Me, regular readers know I don’t have that problem.

Miscellaneous

How much damage are ultraprocessed foods really doing to your health? – “Many foods we consume today are ultraprocessed, packed with unhealthy ingredients, and linked to major health risks. As consumption of these foods rises, so do chronic health issues.”

Do fat cells “remember” obesity even after weight loss? – “New evidence suggests they might, although we still have much to learn about the practical implications.”  Dave’s Comment – As a former obese guy who is now a healthy weight but still fluctuates I can say unequivocally fat cells do have a memory.”

OpenAI, Altman sued over ChatGPT’s role in California teen’s suicide – “The parents of a teen who died by suicide after ChatGPT coached him on methods of self harm sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday, saying the company knowingly put profit above safety when it launched the GPT-4o version of its artificial intelligence chatbot last year.” Dave’s Comment – “Your Undivided Attention” is one of the leading podcasts covering AI, here’s their episode about this case, it’s disturbing.