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The Simple Path to Wealth

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Cool things to check out while I’m gone

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Jake in Maine

Jake the Wonder Dog

At his Maine vacation home visiting Venice, Amy and Bill

Please note:

Due to travels I will be away from the blog and unable to respond to comments/questions until after May 22. 

Meanwhile, here’s a collection of random cool stuff I’ve been collecting for you to enjoy.

Including these two recent interviews:

How scavenger can achieve financial independence

Master your money summit: The Simple Path to Wealth

Thanks to Hahna and Jay, my interviewers, I think they are two of the best so far. Hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed recording them!*

Ciao!

Worth remembering how unpredictable future predictions really are

starlings-and-they-dont-seem-to-mind-mixing-it-up-in-fact-starlings-are-famous-for-their-gregarious-nature-you-can-find-multiple-different-species-within-the-same-murmuration

murmurations

 

Sea gypies

Trisha Ray and the Myanmar Sea Gypsies

Meanwhile in Africa…

 phone on boat

african truck overload

bike and goat

ape with rifle

lions on car

We love these things. Crunchy on the outside, chewy in the middle.

african-renaissance-monument-96

Largest statue in Africa

And in Peru:

Weaving the Q’eswachaka Bridge, a short video

Children Playing (22)

Vintage photos of children playing

eagles, hunting with

Hunting in Mongolia with Eagles

Bently cartoon

catroon- not sex

 Cartoons to think about

Wait but Why diagrams to blow your mind:

Putting Time into Perspective

bridge, clapper

Clapper Bridges

motorbike loaded with kids

For my fellow It’s Better in the Wind riders, remember: Safety first!

I think Elon Musk and SpaceX are incredible and deserving of high praise, but…

 this clip is too cool

…not to include. Plus I’m sure they’ll get past it. Just another (dramatic) learning experience.

outlandish_facts_26

outlandish_facts_03outlandish_facts_11outlandish_facts_10outlandish_facts_16

Other strange facts 

The Rise of Humankind in one 5-minute video

Brit street - empty

This, and other deserted photos by Polly Tootal

“It was no different with my father. In fact, his death was even more unexpected. He was gone at age 27. He was young.  He was gone when I was young…I was 8 and half….

“Your dad asked me to give you this letter. He spent the whole week writing these, and he wants you read it. Be strong.” the nurse said, holding me.

“The envelope read WHEN I’M GONE.”

The rest of the letters

2009-12-Challenged

perfect-pictures-perfectionists-will-love-1

Photos for Perfectionists

sculputre odd

More bizarre sculptures

Vintage Celebrities Posing with Their Cadillacs (2)

Vintage photos of classic stars and their classic Cadillac cars

road to the moon

More fantasy and just plain strange paintings by Sergey Svistunov

Subject: High schooler Lenore Reday stops traffic while wearing bell bottomed jump suit. Newport Beach, California October 1969 Photographer- Arthur Schatz Time Inc Owned Merlin- 1201942

High School 1969

Finally, The Subtile Art of Subtile Not Giving a Fuck. Valuable advice and funny as hell. But not for you if the word “fuck” offends.

If the word “fuck” doesn’t offend you, here’s a video with me saying it repeatedly: The Position of Fuck You

*Here are some more: As Seen On

Updates from our friends at:

Tuft & Needle:

If you’ve read my review, you know I love my T&N mattress and the company itself. Cool people, cool ethics.

Several times I’ve had personal friends call and ask: “What’s the real deal? It can’t be as good as you say for such short money.” It can and it is. Just last night one of these guys Skyped me to say how much they love theirs.

One of the cool things about getting your own T&N is watching it “come to life” once you release it from its packaging. Now you can see it before you buy in this cool video they just sent me (you need to scroll down once you open the link).

Truth is, I still think it’s cooler to see in real life. But that’s just me.

 Republic Wireless:

If you’ve read my review, you know I been using RW for the last few years and most recently with the Moto X phone. Overall I love it and I still marvel at how cheap it is.

The biggest obstacle for some folks has always been with RW you have to use one of just a couple of Motorola phones they offer. As I could care less what phone I carry, as long as it works and my Moto X works just fine, this has never been an issue for me.

If it has been for you, you might be interested in knowing RW just announced an expanded list of leading Android M enabled devices that will now work:

  •         Moto X Pure Edition
  •         Google Nexus 6P by Huawei
  •         Google Nexus 5X by LG
  •         Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
  •         Samsung Galaxy S6
  •         Samsung Galaxy S7
  •         Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

You can buy these from RW or bring your own new or used version.

What I’ve been reading recently and recommend:

Trisha Ray is an old friend who very kindly created the original illustration that graces the cover of my book. Obviously, I love her work and her own book is filled with her wonderful water-colors. Each with a wonderfully well told story behind it. There are even pictures of and stories about me in it.

Shhhh. Don’t tell anybody.

Economics can be dry as dust. It can also provide deep insights into how our world really works. Mr Wheelin replaces the dry as dust aspect with a an engaging, even fun, read while delivering all those engaging insights. Especially worth reading at the moment with all the political campaign nonsense being spewed about.

We all know the Wright Brothers invented the airplane. But I, for one, had no idea how compelling a story theirs is. At least as told in this book by Mr. McCullough. Reads like a novel.

One in a series of novels and short stories recounting the adventures of Bertie Wooster and his “gentleman’s gentleman” Jeeves. If you’ve not read Wodehouse, do yourself a favor.

Aging boomers are urged to kill themselves to save the government money. A humorous cross between Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” and “House of Cards”

Interestingly, it references Bertie Wooster.

Southern missionary packs up his family and heads to the Congo. It doesn’t go well. Narrated in rotating chapters by his wife and four daughters. Compelling tale very well told. Amazing as the style and tone shifts between her narrators.

True story of a Mexican fisherman blown out into the Pacific Ocean and his survival as he drifts across for, well, 438 days. Reads like the great adventure it is. Amazing to note: All of his supplies are lost in the storm but he comes across enough garbage floating in the ocean to replenish them.

Predicting the future is risky business, but Ross makes an interesting case for how markets are changing and what industries are driving the change. Given the current political debate here in the US, I especially enjoyed his section: The Geography of Future Markets.

More books I’ve enjoyed

Important Resources

  • Credit Cards are like chain saws. Incredibly useful. Incredibly dangerous. Resolve to pay in full each month and never carry a balance. Do that and they can be great tools. Here are some of the very best for travel hacking, cash back and small business rewards.
  • Personal Capital is a free tool to manage and evaluate your investments. With great visuals you can track your net worth, asset allocation, and portfolio performance, including costs. At a glance you'll see what's working and what you might want to change. Here's my full review.
  • Tuft & Needle (T&N) helps me sleep at night. They are a very cool company with a great product. Here’s my review of what we are currently sleeping on: Our Walnut Frame and Mint Mattress.
  • Betterment is my recommendation for hands-off investors who prefer a DIFM (Do It For Me) approach. It is also a great tool for reaching short-term savings goals. Here is my Betterment Review
  • Republic Wireless is my $20 a month phone plan. My wife is also on the $20 plan and our daughter who uses more data is on the $25 plan. Monthly total for three phones and plans: $65. We all travel widely and we can talk to each other from wherever we are and for however long we please. My RW Review tells you how.
  • Vanguard.com

These are companies I have personally vetted and recommend.

YNAB and Tuft & Needle both support this site with paid ads. If you click on those ads it shows them the ads are working for them and that support will continue.

Personal Capital, Betterment and Republic Wireless are affiliate partners of this site. Should you click though to their site from this one and chose to do business with them, this blog will earn a small commission.

Vanguard is not an advertiser or affiliate but, Vanguard if you are listening, we’d love to have you!

Filed Under: Random cool things that catch my eye

Comments

  1. Collins, I have to say, the Fuck You stuff herein is my life’s mantra…and i really enjoy your performance of Goodman. You ought to send him a copy!…working on making the first half of my Fuck You money…i figure the second half should be easier…maybe more fun…either way…I am OUT after that…3 yr old house paid, rental single paid, just need my retirement spot/life. There is no real extra joy from Fuck You money or the Fuck You lifestyle..i have practiced that for decades…but thanks for sharing, as did I with others..Enjoy your vaca to Thailand or where-ever!!

    Reply

  3. Some genius and thought provoking stuff here. A good start to my day before the e-mails start pinging and the natives get increasingly restless in the office.

    Loved the link to future predictions and the reference to the Baltic Dry Index driving the global economy.
    Reminds me of our financial advisor who sat on our deck one sunny afternoon and proceeded to bring out a crisp set of papers from his shiny folio and spouted for what seemed an eternity on the importance of the said Dry Index. Needless to say, it was the last time he sat on our deck and hurried along our decision to part ways with his services. A defining moment on our financial journey…..

    Enjoy your travels, wherever it may take you.

    Reply

  5. Add “Big Game” James ( sounds so formal ) to the list of terms of endearment i.e. Godfather of FU/FI and Great Uncle Jim. What a great interview targeting the Millienial crowd ( like your lovely daughter pictured in the backdrop…appears to look like Mom? 😉 ) Regardless of the audience…it’s applicable to us all and a message that never gets old. Safe travels, good Sir!

    Addendum ( JLC style )
    * My favorite line during your intro ( other than your rhino wrestling expertise ) was…”became financially independent by 1989 in spite of his English Lit. degree 🙂 ! ( paraphrasing perhaps )

    Reply

    • Seems I’m collecting nick-names like smarter people collect degrees. 😉

      To me, the best compliments I get are along the lines of: “Thanks! For the first time ever this investing stuff is understandable to me!”

      Sometimes I wonder if my much maligned English degree doesn’t deserve some credit for that…. 🙂

      Reply

  8. JL, Steve from Lowell…I have to say, everytime I read your blog I go to your Gambler portrayal ..it always makes me laugh…and Think!!I have sent that blog with a link to that video over a half dozen times to ALL on my list…pleading them to force feed that book and now THAT VIDEO down their kids throats…bribe them at the beach, tie them up in a room with the audio..ANYTHING to show them their parents are STUPID for not being smart enough to figutre a way to manage their own money without having to give up 1.5%/year( X 30 yrs= 45%) of their entire hard-saved/worked for net worth….I hear it all the time…”I don’t have the time to learn this stuff”, “it’s too difficult..confusing..”..”i can’t be bothered…rather have an “expert”…..THESE quotes are from smart people who are tops in their fields., educated, learned, wise…but scared and lazy about money!! I will be willing to bet, with your voice..you will double your sales in audio version…maybe more..good luck…oh, also, keep riding..i know i’ll be doing the same in my old 64 ragtop…enjoy the summer!

    Reply

    • Thanks Steve…

      ..for the kind words and for spreading the message.

      Most will never get it, or care to try. But some will and that makes the effort worth it.

      What kind of ragtop is your ’64?

      Reply

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