T.G.I.F. Friday: Volume 157

Welcome to “Thank God I’m FI” Friday, Volume #157

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

Financial Independence/Work Life/Retirement Articles & Content

Nearly 1 in 5 People Who Took Financial Advice From AI Lost at Least $100 Doing So, Survey Finds (Investopedia) “Chatbots can hallucinate data or cite sources that don’t reflect the latest policy changes.“

Objects in the Mirror are Closer then they Appear: Health Addition (Vader On FIRE) “Money does no good if you can’t walk up a flight of stairs, travel to exotic places, go on hikes, or just play with kids or grandkids.“

Video

Modern tech has created endless opportunities for new side hustles and full-fledged businesses.  Case in point, the YouTube Channel called “The Malibu Artist”.  The guy running the channel uses drones to track and shoot video of mostly sharks in California, and often big ones.  Check out the video below of a monster 15-foot great white as it calmly checks out a kayaker.  I started the clip at 4 minutes in when the action heats up but if you have the time the full video is interesting.

Holy shit that thing is huge and looks like it could possibly swallow the whole kayak if it wanted!  So drones, YouTube, some video-cutting skills and a lot of hustle.  Every day new side hustle opportunities are being created.  This guy has over 284,000 subscribers to his channel and from estimates online and done by AI probably makes well over $10,000 a year doing something very very cool!

What I’m Grateful For

That my house’s value keeps going up despite market turbulence, interest rates, and whatever else is going on in the world that affects markets.  An identical house just sold on my street for another record amount, and the price they got made my eyes bulge a bit.

Lyrically Speaking

So answer, please, get on your knees
There are no bills, there are no fees

From “Calling Dr. Love” by Kiss

My parents had me very late in age, especially for the times, they were 40 and 41.  Culture was changing so fast in the 1960’s their heads must’ve been spinning.  They were much more children of the 40’s and 50’s than the 60’s.  Musically they were Sinatra and Glenn Miller, not Dylan and the Beatles.  The latter were for the youth, and dangerous.  So I give them extra credit – mainly to my Mom – when she bought me the Love Gun album from Kiss in 1978.  Kiss were an international sensation right from the start with their over-the-top makeup and dress.  They were theatrics, danger, mystery, sexuality, and chaos all wrapped in 3 minute songs.  Just look at the cover of Love Gun and imagine being a mother who grew up on Judy Garland buying it for your kid.

But I really wanted it and she bought it for me, at Kmart.  Kiss were that huge in the late 70’s and if you weren’t a fan you were pretty much an outcast, especially as a boy.  Ace Frehley, Kiss’s original and longtime guitarist, died last week at 74.  For music purists Kiss were a marketing novelty and not serious musicians.  This was especially true in the 70’s when the sophistication and musical complexity of prog rock was in it’s heyday.  But Frehley was damned good.  He wasn’t Eddie Van Halen or even Keith Richards, but he was a deceptively good player and put down some incredibly melodic solos and riffs. 

As for the lyrics above, this was Kiss after all and sexual innuendo was built into almost every song.  But seeking out no bills and fees helped get me to financial independence.  R.I.P. Mr. Frehley and thanks for the music. 

Miscellaneous

How just minutes of running can supercharge your health – “Interval running condenses the powerful effects of regular running into shorter, high-intensity bursts. Research shows it can improve cardiovascular health, regulate blood sugar, and reduce body fat more effectively than longer steady runs.”

The rise of the AI ‘algorithmic boss’ — and how companies are quietly automating management – “Workplace experts say new ‘”auto bosses” are likely to impact companies in key areas like logistics, retail, and customer service.” Dave’s Comment: Modern AI’s could have likely done about 40 – 50% of the bureaucratic and mundane crap that I had to do daily at my miserable management job. I hope they rescue the poor sap who has that horrible job now, haha”

Lead Poisoning May Have Helped Modern Humans Triumph Over Neanderthals – “We think of lead poisoning as just damaging, but a new study suggests that periodic lead exposure might have given our ancient ancestors an advantage over Neanderthals.“