Filling the Day

[Tekward]

Mostly FIRE and finding a new balance. Three things I have noticed and appreciated:

• I have much more time for fitness, probably >20 hours a week, resulting in my best Blood Pressure and lowest weight in years (within 20 pounds of my boot camp weight) .
• I spend much less time on politics and current events, with zero regrets
• I have more time to explore ideas. Recently Jordan Peterson and Stoicism have been of interest.

I'm wondering if many people have gained an appreciation of Seneca:

“Nothing, to my way of thinking, is a better proof of a well ordered mind than a man’s ability to stop just where he is and pass some time in his own company.”

 

[audreyh1]

Seneca was born in Códoba, Spain FWIW. Saw his statue there recently. Given the option by Nero of public execution or suicide in private he chose the latter....

 

[Pellice]

I found Marcus Aurelius very helpful in traffic jams - yes, I did:

"Today I shall meet with stupidity and ignorance. But, WTH, I'm part of it all too, although I strive to be above it."

For other takes, see:
"https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/comments/324lwe/today_i_shall_be_meeting_with_interference/

cf the imitable Bud Dry advertising campaign from long ago:

"Why ask why? Try Bud Dry."

 

[Bir48die]

Ah, Bach!

 

[brewer12345]

Lately I have been going with this:

 

[CoolRich59]

I spend much less time on politics and current events, with zero regrets

Agreed. One of the first things I did when I FIRE'd was to subscribe to the newspaper. I had visions of lazy mornings, drinking coffee and reading the paper from cover to cover. Instead I quickly realized that I no longer cared about news, politics, etc. I canceled the paper after a month.

I have more time to explore ideas. Recently Jordan Peterson and Stoicism have been of interest.

I tried reading Peterson's '12 Rules', but just could not get into it.

Stoicism, on the other hand, I really enjoy. Currently working on 'Meditations'. To be followed by Seneca's 'Letters from a Stoic' and Epictetus's 'Discourses'.

 

[MRG]

Lately I have been going with this:

Wow, just wow.

Growing up around logging and sawmills that makes my legs crawl. I've seen things about that stupid, probably have done many as bad or worse. I'm glad today to say I have all my fingers and body parts.

 

[brewer12345]

Wow, just wow.

Growing up around logging and sawmills that makes my legs crawl. I've seen things about that stupid, probably have done many as bad or worse. I'm glad today to say I have all my fingers and body parts.

Heh, then you will love this:

 

[Kickernick]

My Dad's advice: If you are done working, your job is your health.

 

[Dtail]

We actually watch more cable news now, but probably due to you can't make this stuff up.

 

[John Galt III]

We actually watch more cable news now, but probably due to you can't make this stuff up.

I don't see very much of interest on cable news these days with the exception of 'France 24' which is a new station that popped up recently, which has world news. I get much more varied and interesting and relevant news from Youtube, which allows me to decide what news to see. I can spend hours on Youtube getting news the mainstream TV outlets don't offer.

 

[Music Lover]

We actually watch more cable news now, but probably due to you can't make this stuff up.

Actually, all they do is make things up. I used to wonder when people would catch on to the non-stop lies and get annoyed, but it seems that many would rather pretend that lies are facts instead of choosing to be informed.

I still watch the local news a few minutes a day, but have given up on the "big" players, and instead get my world news from a variety of other sources.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

One of the fantastic things I LOVE about being retired is that amount of reading I get to do. I have always been a big reader, but when w*rking, sometimes it was difficult to fit it in to the day. Today, I have about 7 different books going at the same time, and it's been great. After retiring, I went and did the law school thing (long story) and I generally enjoyed all the reading that was required. Of course, most of the other students didn't agree with me, but my motivation for going to law school was much different than most peoples.

And the news? Or TV in general? Not much a fan of either....

 

[ERD50]

Actually, all they do is make things up. I used to wonder when people would catch on to the non-stop lies and get annoyed, but it seems that many would rather pretend that lies are facts instead of choosing to be informed.

I still watch the local news a few minutes a day, but have given up on the "big" players, and instead get my world news from a variety of other sources.

Actually, if you research some polls that have been done on the subject, many people have caught on (or always were aware) of what a bad job the media does.

But I guess many media outlets feel they can do better (and do it easier and cheaper?) by feeding a subset of their potential audience what they want to hear, and hold on to that subset? Why put forth the effort to get both sides of the story, when your audience only wants one side anyhow?

My approach has been to listen to a variety of sources to see/hear what they are talking about (not what they say about it). If any of it seems like something I'd want to know about, I try to dig up the source info (a surprising amount is on youtube, gotta find the unedited segments). It doesn't take long to see the spin (or sometimes just laziness or incompetence) that comes between the actual info, and the presentation of that info.

-ERD50

 

[Dtail]

Actually, all they do is make things up. I used to wonder when people would catch on to the non-stop lies and get annoyed, but it seems that many would rather pretend that lies are facts instead of choosing to be informed.

I still watch the local news a few minutes a day, but have given up on the "big" players, and instead get my world news from a variety of other sources.

I would be curious as to which cable network is your reference, but then we would be getting political.

 

[ERD50]

I would be curious as to which cable network is your reference, but then we would be getting political.

Yes, please don't it will get the thread shut down.

But a simple answer is "All of them, take your pick". Go compare some source info to the reported info. Finding the bias/laziness/spin is like shooting fish in a barrel for most news outlets.

As a non-political example, just look at some of the articles talked about that are health or financial related. Just a bunch of numbers with no context and suggested outcomes with no basis in many cases.

-ERD50

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Yes, please don't it will get the thread shut down.

But a simple answer is "All of them, take your pick". Go compare some source info to the reported info. Finding the bias/laziness/spin is like shooting fish in a barrel for most news outlets.

As a non-political example, just look at some of the articles talked about that are health or financial related. Just a bunch of numbers with no context and suggested outcomes with no basis in many cases.

-ERD50

To your point, think about the subjects that you have detailed knowledge of. For me, it's aviation. Then think about when the news covers that area that you are quite familiar with. Odds are they mess it up royally...they sure do in the areas that I have some "expertise" in. So, if they mess up that stuff (and some of it is just plain painful to hear) you can assume they mess up just about everything else.

A perfect example is the company my DW w*rks for. Not too long ago, a customer demanded a lot of crazy things and well....is/was just CRAZY. Eventually, she went to the local news and reported all the inhumane things this company was doing. The media outlet did call DW's company and they gave them the entire story...but guess what was reported? The salacious but unfounded BS the customer was preaching. The only "rebuttal" was a 4 second graphic from the company saying something to the effect of "We are working to get this figured out". ALL LIES.

 

[Music Lover]

I would be curious as to which cable network is your reference, but then we would be getting political.

Yup

I don't follow "regular" media. I get my news from various sources, many of which will have video/audio transcripts or links that confirm what was reported.

Few people read any deeper than a headline and that works in favour of the the regular media that will often just cherry pick a quote leaving out important information or context that is relevant. As a result, people are misled...which was the intent all along.

 

[RAE]

My Dad's advice: If you are done working, your job is your health.

Your dad was a smart man - I agree completely.

 

[davebarnes]

Day? Fill?

see http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/legalized-marijuana-tourism-boost-92490.html

see http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/what-is-your-pet-peeve-of-the-day-71670-34.html

see http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/cooking-hard-boiled-eggs-92545.html#post2069151

see http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/front-load-washing-machines-92530.html

 

[Al in Ohio]

I just prefer local news and the National network news.

 

[Winemaker]

To your point, think about the subjects that you have detailed knowledge of. For me, it's aviation. Then think about when the news covers that area that you are quite familiar with. Odds are they mess it up royally...they sure do in the areas that I have some "expertise" in. So, if they mess up that stuff (and some of it is just plain painful to hear) you can assume they mess up just about everything else.

A perfect example is the company my DW w*rks for. Not too long ago, a customer demanded a lot of crazy things and well....is/was just CRAZY. Eventually, she went to the local news and reported all the inhumane things this company was doing. The media outlet did call DW's company and they gave them the entire story...but guess what was reported? The salacious but unfounded BS the customer was preaching. The only "rebuttal" was a 4 second graphic from the company saying something to the effect of "We are working to get this figured out". ALL LIES.

As some of you forum members know that I was employed as coal mine management, and some of those years were spent as a mine rescue team member. And of course, any time there was a issue at a coal mine, we were all kept abreast of the situations, just in case we were called upon. The lies, misrepresentations, fake news used by the media since the late '80's in mining stories was atrocious. I recognized then that that there was an agenda, and this was decades before the current situation.

The freedom of the press in the US is tragically getting destroyed by the very same people who are there to protect it and make sure it works.