Addicted To Distractions

Posted on January 16, 2026 by Tom Trimbath

How does that line go? “The first step to fixing a problem is admitting that you have one?” No worries. This isn’t some big reveal of a deep and dangerous situation, except it is, in a way. I just had five days (four nights) at Kalaloch Lodge, an oceanside lodge on a bluff in Olympic National Park. The main building has many modern amenities. The cabins, where I stayed, were comfortable, but they lacked the modern marvel of wi-fi. I’ve had to reassess my romanticized images of a life of seclusion. I learned that I’m more addicted to electrons than I expected. Oops.

The Lodge is around the corner. My car and cabin are on the right.
On the left is where ten cabins were, until the Pacific decided to not be pacific.

I’ve quietly prided myself (there’s the first clue that something was amiss) on my ignorance of current sitcoms and network news. I spend a lot of time doing what I’m doing now, typing while sitting in my quiet tiny house. (MyTinyExperiment.net) I know that I have my favorite YouTube channels, stream a few movies a month (a week?), and am glad I can scroll through Nebula videos ad-free because I paid for the privilege. But, I’m not addicted like some folks who memorize TV schedules and live lives eyeballs to screen.

I’m not as scared as some at quiet time in a tent, or riding for hours on a bicycle, or (when my knees let me) hiking miles in wilderness. For a few years, friends and I rented cabins in winter that we’d ski to for overnight stays. Luxury was a cord of wood and fuel for lighting. Cut off from civilization? Fine!

But this week was different. Maybe it’s because I celebrated yet another birthday. Yay. Maybe it’s because my knee ache means less aerobics. It couldn’t be that it was winter. Those ski trips were on snow. Duh. But, alone, in a rented cabin, I missed the distraction of entertainment. Books are great, but I’ve been relying on quiet videos playing while I’ve tried to sleep. Music helped, but it wasn’t the same. 

Kalaloch Beach is serene. I even saw a young woman dancing in the surf. I couldn’t tell if her movements were forced or free; she was a speck on the edge of the tide line, a fraction of a mile away. In summer, it would be easier imagining doing something similar, though less artistic. The air is warmer. The light lasts longer. In the dark, it was revealing to see how hard it can be to relax and enjoy when the options were limited to reading, sitting, and stretching.

What does this have to do with personal finance?

Unreachable goals are easy to romanticize. Could I live in a cabin on my own? I think so, but that’s because there’d be so much to do. At the lodge, there was little I was allowed to do except exist, read, and all of the functions associated with food – except growing it.

I’ve been alive for decades, so I’ve taken many such vacations; but, now that videos are on-demand, I’ve become accustomed to distracting myself from my surroundings by concentrating on a laptop screen like the one I’m using now. The infinite curiosity machine can occupy any gap in reality, it seems.

So, I’m addicted, and I admit it. I doubt that I’d be a healthy hermit unless I could type (which, with my machine, relies on the internet), had just the right number of projects to keep me occupied, or could contact other people (which invalidates the concept of being a hermit.)

(AI note: While typing this post, Google Docs suddenly started ‘suggesting’ changes. I can understand it if a new version was updated between creating two files, but this was an already open file. AI doesn’t have to be sentient to take over. I worry about AI wanting to ‘help’ and getting in the way at a level far beyond messing up one writing session. About being a hermit…)

Let’s see. Where was I? Ah, yes. My addiction.

I doubt that it is specified in any philosophical text, or style guide, or system description, but our society is partly defined by its distractions. Ads, of course. Theater, obviously. Sports are more likely to be watched than played. Music is also something to listen to instead of make. 

Ah, and here I accidentally come around to personal finance. Many of our distractions are based on businesses and control. Root for this, and buy the tickets and the gear. By this brand, and show it off, and thanks for advertising our product. Watch these actors’ lives, real and fictional, to see ads or to emulate, rather than ask yourself what your self needs and wants. 

I feel that I witnessed my crossing of a line, but not so far that I can’t see it from here. I have friends who don’t follow sports, or TV (or YouTube), or many massively organized activities. I think they lead more interesting and fulfilling lives. They have personal interests instead of miming interest in a trend. They aren’t measuring themselves on others but on their personal goals. They aren’t perfect, either, but if they post on social media, it is more likely to be about something they did, not a copy/paste of what someone else said to say. They can be radical too, but they do so in their words.

I’ve also noticed that they tend to spend less, because no one knows what to sell them, and they’re fine with that. Some of the more creative create what they need, and have more stories to tell.

The emphasis on a lot of personal finance is on the finance, on the money. I think it is healthier to put the focus on the person first, then find finances to match. 

I am glad that my distractions don’t cost me much. I don’t need season tickets to my kitchen. My gear doesn’t have to be branded, or even new. But I have let my distractions distract me from my life, which is a precious commodity that I should treat with more respect, and hopefully, joy. 

And next time, I’ll get a room that has wi-fi. I’m about to embark on several trips that will lead to yet another book, and, while wi-fi can be distracting, accessing the internet will make making the book much easier. Stay tuned.

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Living Offline

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Tom Trimbath

Going Offline

Going offline. That was the norm until wi-fi was born. Now, going offline is a digital detox, an Amish adventure, a noble struggle. The real world is offline. A minority of the humans are online. For many of them, the real world is abstract and academic. I prefer to live in the real world and visit the other. Some have no choice.

As usual, I didn’t intend to write about this. The way I write these posts is to set a wobbly deadline of ‘sometime Friday, preferably the afternoon, but over the weekend is fine’. I have a file of pages of ideas, and rarely open it because something usually inspires – no, not inspires – usually is what I’ve been thinking about. Today, I’m helping organize a podcast about finding housing for humans. For a variety of reasons, I’m sitting in an almost-enclosed outdoor pavilion at a Cidery. (FinnriverCidery.com)

It is January. There’s snow in the hills. The pavilion has power, but that’s for the lights and the sound system. (There will be dancing to a jazz jam session later.) There’s propane pumping out heat. That’s not the only civilization. The floor is concrete. The ceiling and posts seem strong enough to house a house. The walls are heavy sheets of clear plastic and beige canvas. They keep out the wind, but don’t have much insulating value. All of those things are civilized.

It is comfortably rustic for this guy who was raised with blue-collar frugality.

As I type this, I realize this would be luxury for the homeless that are living and sleeping outdoors in tents, or under tarps, or huddled up to trees. And I know it wouldn’t be considered prudent to make the space available to them for insurance reasons, and also for the practical reason that someone using the facility would prove why, while most folks would be respectful, some would prove why we can’t have nice things.

It looks like it takes so little, and it does, but this building and its land probably costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, and few governments can blithely build something like this. The public debate over building it would be contentious, take months or years, or may never finish. Other things are easier to fund.

In the meantime, every night, people fight to stay warm and dry. Healthy and fed comes later. 

In the meantime, housing humans is considered secondary to ‘maintaining rural character’ and ‘preserving cultural norms’.

Ask a homeless person how they’d be willing to be housed and find that most have a fairly frugal solution in mind, but permitting processes don’t permit them to house themselves. Land costs money. Utilities, even just the basics like water and sanitation, must be managed to keep from negatively impacting the neighbors. Even if all of that is provided, they may not be allowed to live in a van, or a permanent tent, or a yurt, or aboard a boat, or in a cobb house, or… They aren’t permitted to be allowed to live within their means.

I haven’t been homeless, but my situation was dire enough that it was days away at one time. I made it through. Thank you to everyone who helped. I’m doing much better now. (See Muddling By for details.)

I sold my house, then bought a tiny house in a county that doesn’t fight tiny houses. I think they gave up because the fight costs time and money and made very little sense when compared to roads, schools, sewer districts, etc. Being mortgage-less makes life easier. I miss being able to have parties, but my cash reserves are estimated at lasting years instead of months.

Affordable housing has been hitting the news for long enough that we can celebrate every shared housing, protected apartment complex, and alternative to a mobile home park. Note the word: affordable. A multi-million dollar mansion is affordable to someone. We could use a better word. 

I’m a fan of housing humans who want to be housed. What do we have to do to do that?

Politicians and pundits easily fall into the sound-bitey phrases that lead to real estate deals, permits, construction projects, more real estate deals, and how to manage the Not-In-My-BackYard rebukes. Corporations can build bigger profits with bigger projects, especially to people who can readily afford them.

It is harder to build that story from the other side, from the side of the folks who can’t afford those affordable houses. Does that mean as a society we’ve implicitly decided that they can’t afford to live? Is there no value to their life? If you lost your home would you suddenly be valueless?

My apologies for not having the links to the various articles, experiments, and projects that proved it is cheaper to house the homeless than it is to continually manage the homeless. It is easier to justify a budget that pays for police than it is to truly protect people. Power sells better than compassion. We have nice churches, though. Nice stadiums. Nice luxuries that we decide to afford to buy before we’ve managed all of everyone’s necessities. 

And even if I won the lottery, I wouldn’t know how to build a sustainable and defendable housing solution. Solving housing isn’t easy. The successes we’ve created are worth celebrating. Sadly, I suspect the answer is fundamental. Why do we need to convince so much of society that we are all responsible for all of us, and that managing that responsibility should be resolved before we allow the luxuries of extreme wealth?

I ramble. The folks here lit one of the heaters by me. I can still see my breath, but I can at least feel my fingers typing. Maybe the (hot-now-cold) tea helps. 

Roughing it? Everything is relative. I have the time to type, the laptop to type on, a place to do the typing, and a warm and dry house to return to. Maybe the podcast will happen, maybe not. The issue won’t go away. But imagine what we can do as a society for all of us, and then build the stadiums and the malls and the mansions and the unapologetic joy of having more than enough, and not just for those who can afford it and hoard it.

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Knee News And Good Options

Posted on January 5, 2026 by Tom Trimbath

(Note: I’m not a medical professional; these are simply my choices.)

I guess the good news is that the bad news isn’t as bad as the bad news could’ve been. Is that a rationalization, reality, or a bit of both? I have had knee problems. So what? Everyone has problems. At my age (66 going on 67), the word from the doctor is rarely not to worry, but instead is more like, worry about this, but not that long list of other things. I finally had my knee x-rayed. Two weeks (?) later, I finally got to hear the results. Yes, there is bone-to-bone contact. (Eep! Ugh!) But there’s no need for surgery. (Whew.) But there’s going to be pain. Hey, considering the rest of the world, that’s manageable.

I post this, not because I am self-centered, but because more than a few people have asked to know how it goes. Some friends have known me for decades and are familiar with my feet-based feats like walking across Scotland (Walking Thinking Drinking Across Scotland), as well as books about bicycling, hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing. More recent friends know me because of dancing. (I wonder if I can find that old graphic where I was on the dance poster.) And, of course, I am curious because it’s my body and it’s been hurting. 

What made the pain arrive? How bad is it? How much is it going to cost?

The pain showed up because I used my joints. OK, maybe I used them more than most, but as I type this, I recall a semi-motto I used decades ago. “I’d rather have achy joints and a healthy heart, than an achy heart and unused joints.” Picking priorities. 

The medical legalese was confusing enough that I gave up and trusted my doctor’s interpretation. I know some folks who enjoy diving into medical research. I’m more likely to misread, overreact, and misinterpret the reams of data and analyses, and spend hours doing it. My doctor summarized the situation and my options in thirty minutes. Yes, the issue is wear, but it isn’t the issues I worried about more, like damage or frailty. Age happens. Congratulations, I’m living a life. This isn’t a surgery thing, but some other exercises and maybe some injections may make the joints work better. Arthritis happens, too.

No surgery means the big ticket item is off the list. (Yay!) Injections aren’t always cheap, but they’re outpatient, with quicker recoveries, though may require regular updates. And yet, surgery costs money and time, and lately I have become more aware of the preciousness of time. 

I haven’t had the injections. I haven’t restarted the exercises. And I am more likely to continue and advance the course I set that was working. It was working slowly, and I worried about being limited to some ceiling, but now I know that total recovery is unlikely, but because it has been getting better for the last four years, it will probably continue to get better.

What’s the point? Why post this? 

Personal finance is more than a person’s net worth. ‘Worth’ is more than money. A painful knee seems singular, as if it is an isolated issue, but knee pain affects almost every activity. It’s obvious when I dance, for folks who notice the lead instead of the follow. It isn’t as obvious in my karate training, which I do in private. Bicycling doesn’t reveal it to be an issue, as I semi-regularly ride twenty miles without an incident. It is most obvious to me when I stumble around the house. But hey, I’m walking faster than some of the window-shopping tourists.

A knee can affect a long list of medical issues: cardio-, pulmonary, aerobic, stretching, strengthening, metabolism, etc. I haven’t been able to hike or snowshoe or ski as much as I’d like. I apologize and decline offers to go for a walk. Fortunately, when I dance, the follow does most of the work. I simply have to be there to help. For a few years, I’ve wondered if something like a muscle had disconnected or some membrane had torn, so I was tender with it. The worst worries are gone, and the prognosis is encouraging, or at least not discouraging.

Medicine in America is expensive. I can afford the price of more sophisticated procedures, but arranging health care costs time, money, and months of patience. I can see why many fall into jumping to surgery because it can be easier to understand and visualize. I’m relying on my body and its chemistry to reduce inflammation and hopefully recover as it can. Surgery can take months to recover, but the end might be a fully-functional knee – or not. Injections, exercise, and massage have less recovery time, but may never eradicate the fundamental issue. Bone-on-bone may not grow back, especially when what has to grow back is supporting tissue. It is a personal trade-off, which means that one answer does not work for everyone.

My apologies to those who expected a more concise description. If we meet and you’re still curious, we can talk and share your insight, too. 

Life is providing options that may cost less time and less money, but with a lower likelihood of complete success. I’m aiming to take that route because I am less worried about damaging a damaged knee and more encouraged about strengthening a knee that’s been strong and that can be made at least somewhat stronger than it is now.

Your choices might be different. I’d be surprised if they weren’t. But if it feels like an overwhelming situation, know that a good doctor, some good doctoring, and some good self-care can create a good foundation to build from. 

OK. Enough about all of that. I’m not a medical professional; these are simply my choices.

I certainly look forward to being able to dance those dance moves, hike those trails, practice those katas, and not stumble around the house. Now, stand up and walk around you silly human. Move it! And publish it a bit later.

Now, about my teeth and such…

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Popular Posts 2025

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Tom Trimbath

Whew. We made it through 2025. Good. Bad. Weird. That may be the summary of a year defined by politics, but behind the headlines were stories, public, personal, and private that progressed regardless of political posturing. The planet continues to warm. We continue to see more of the universe. Injustices are easier to see, yet remain hard to eradicate. Personal choice and personal frugality may be the best choice for action. Oh yeah, and artificial intelligence is spreading, learning, and being given more control. 2026? I suspect politicians and oligarchs will continue to fight amongst themselves. Time to review those personal emergency preparedness actions and plans.

Here’s the ten most popular posts so far on this blog since its beginning (November 2008).

That’s almost a copy/paste from last year. MVIS continues to rule, despite being a yearly poot performer. Someday. Someday. The new entrant is a favorite from 2016, an invention for generating electricity from tides that does not require putting anything new into the water. The interest in it is a bit of hope. Maybe someone is developing it. I’ve even restarted my research and may test something in 2026.

The list might be more intriguing if I removed the old MVIS posts; maybe after 2026. Surely MVIS will finally do something beyond existing.

Here’s the list of the ten most popular posts from 2025.

There’s that Fresh Idea again. Some notes on frugality. Some commentary on politics and activism. Drewslist is as popular as ever, which is probably a sign that they haven’t extended their online presence so folks find my post instead. Alan Beckley’s guest post was a surprise. Cool. Moving from one tourist town to another was big news. And the biggest personal finance news for my personal finances was QBTS being a temporary ten-bagger, which at that time had risen from ~$1 to ~$10, and retreated to ~$8. Now, QBTS hit a high >$46, and is at ~$26. Nice, and very handy. (Come on MVIS, there’s a role model for you to follow.)

Conversations about 2026 seem to be concentrating on politics. Politics will continue to be obvious, but my guess is that AI will dominate the news soon; maybe in 2026, even more likely in 2027. Change is accelerating and I believe technology can change more rapidly and significantly than our society’s maturation.

Stay tuned. This isn’t going to be a dull year.

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Semi-Annual Exercise – EOY 2025

Posted on December 31, 2025 by Tom Trimbath

Let’s see. The simplest review is: in the most recent six months:

GERN is down 6%
LCTX is up 83%
MVIS is down 27%
GMGMF is up 276%
SLDP is up 94%
QBTS is up 78%
LUNR is up 49%

and my net worth is up 130%, and that’s after expenses and taxes and such.

Not going to complain.

Going to keep worrying. 

There are good reasons for the growth in these companies, particularly in quantum computing (QBTS), lunar industry development (LUNR), and solid-state batteries (GMGMF and SLDP). Biotechs are as squirrely as ever (GERN and LCTX). MVIS is as encouraging and disappointing as ever.

In terms of personal finances, life is good. My house price hasn’t changed much since I bought and moved into a tiny house. Evidently, even though I am feeling spendy, I continue to live reasonably frugally, though now that is by choice instead of necessity. My income is dominated by Social Security because it has been over a year since I’ve had a job. I continue to write and produce books and photos, but they’re sales have been slow, possibly as I rush-wrote my book about my roller-coaster ride through America’s wealth classes, Muddling By. While I watch my stocks every day, I think I only made one sale this year, of which a big chunk was re-invested, a chunk went to paying off personal and emotional debts and thanks, and the rest resides as a cash buffer to ease money anxieties. 

So, that was 2025.

I’m staring at 2026. I think change is accelerating, as is to be expected in a singularity, that the changes will mostly be unsurprising, and that a few changes will surprise almost everyone. Someone will get lucky and guess right, but they’ll probably claim it as foresight. Singularities are unpredictable, almost by definition.

I’m staring at 2026 because I: 1) know that most days are like the previous days, and 2) change is changing and fundamental assumptions may prove to be good ideas but not natural laws.

Aside from aliens and such, AI can be the biggest swinger in the world order. Climate change is happening. Politics is eating itself. Injustices are harder to hide, yet remain too-intractable. We are an immature species pretending that we know what we’re doing. We’re smarter than before, but a few generations from now we will be seen as silly and stupid.

So, in terms of personal finance, I’m trying to decide on what I should do with what I have. 

Money is one issue because the investment community has been changing for decades, computers accelerated those changes, and AI may overwhelm any of those trends. AI may invest, but even if it doesn’t industries will be challenged, which means stocks will be challenged, which means I shouldn’t expect things to stay the same.

I’ve been investing since 1977 and have seen several bubbles, corrections, and recoveries. I started this post with some impressive numbers, of which I am glad, but those numbers are large enough that it seems like yet another bubble. And yet, crashes have not been complete, some stocks go up as others go down, fear is the enemy but prudence suggests being ready to move based on reality.

I think AI may pop, which is one reason to not be invested in it, and yet, quantum computing may survive and thrive because: 1) it may be the next evolutionary step in our technological society, and 2) quantum computing may may may produce or provide a more energy and resource efficient infrastructure for many technology requirements and advances. 

I wrote Firewatcher, a sci-fi novel about people escaping Earth to escape an AI, partly because I heard projections of AI advancements happening in 2100, if ever, and produced my estimate of 2040. As I started writing the book in the 2010s, I realized that AI was maturing faster than that. I’m glad I finished it in time. 2030 wouldn’t be a surprise to me, and neither would ‘any day now’.

At least for now, I will continue to be mostly invested in the stock market because:1) if I’m wrong, stocks will still be investments, 2) I think my stocks are well-positioned for such change, and 3) I’m not so worried that I’m going to go all prepper and head out to the hills (which are right up the road, but I don’t have enough cash to buy a good piece of land with a house, and have comfortable income too.)

And, I consider climate change, regime change, societal change, and whatever change because those changes aren’t going to stop while AI blows by or blows up. I think AI could solve those issues, but I think we’ll go through a period of it and us confusing us. We may be years from resolving most of those issues, and the world may require years for the global changes.

Whew. So much for this post just being about my investments and personal finance. And yet, of all the years that I’ve done this twice-yearly exercise, now seems to be closest to the beginning of a crucial era in our civilization’s development.

I suspect 2026 will be a news-heavy year, a time of significant changes, and a time to be glad of the frugal, practical, creative, and pragmatic people I know because they may be the examples that people scoff at now and soon find they have to listen to intently.

Wish us all good luck for the new year, and if it is a happy one that will be a bonus.

And, I still buy lottery tickets.

Read on for my stock synopses. And good luck.

INTRO Here’s my semi-annual exercise to see if I remember why I own the stocks I own, and so I can check back and see if their stories have changed. I post in case it helps others too.

(I’ve also collected links to the other discussion boards and my other stocks over on my blog. https://trimbathcreative.net/ & from my One Company One Story series on YouTube https://youtu.be/su1AMjPEkLI )

Geron

GERN (market cap is $0.855B was $0.870B)

Geron (GERN) is a biotech that recently received FDA approval for their blood disorder treatment. Their product works on blood-related cancers, and may extend to other cancers.

Geron is a biotech, but seems a bit withered. I’ve held the stock since circa 1999. Then, they were leading edge, a major innovator, had grand plans for dramatically expanding human lifespans; and had a management team and philosophy that impressed me with their wisdom and insights into public reactions.

Delays inspired and required the sale of much of their intellectual property and divisions, which leaves them with the telomerase-related treatments. They may be more than good enough for the company to become impressively useful and profitable. Sadly, subsequent management teams seem to have lost the startup vigor, and the long term grand plan for revolutionizing medical care. Now, management seems like, well, managers, managers who are executing a plan but not a vision.

As I understand it, managing cell telomeres can manage to treat cell death by encouraging some cells to die (cancer) and discouraging others from dying prematurely (auto-immune diseases). Those two general applications cover a broad swath of medical issues, some of which have few or poor treatment options. Whether management recognizes the potential is highly uncertain.

DISCLOSURE LTBH since 1999 and continuing to hold, but do not plan on buying more unless I see significant positive changes at the company. I continue to hold because selling so low has little benefit and I am an optimist.

​Graphene Manufacturing Group

GMGMF (market cap is $0.239B was $0.064B)

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMGMF) is a startup with a few released and potential products based on the use of graphene. My primary interest is in their battery work, but they also sell lubrication and cooling additives.

​I suspect we are about to reach the next plateau in battery development. Particularly, GMGMF recently announced a solid state battery that will recharge in 6 minutes. Insert exclamation mark. (!)  I recall whatever came before alkaline, then rechargeables, now, lithium-ion. Graphene allows batteries that are safer, thinner, and recharge quicker. Such advantages could lead to greater adoption of electric vehicles and other devices, both large markets.

I am a fan of graphene, and believe a next generation battery is due. Whether it is GMGMF or someone else will be determined by market conditions. Unfortunately, I can’t invest in all of those publicly-traded companies, so I picked two: GMGMF and SLDP. Both may be years away from profitability, though the stocks may move in anticipation instead of reaction to news.

​DISCLOSURE I tend to LTBH, and have held shares since 2024.

Lineage Cell Therapeutics

LCTX (market cap is $0.368B was $0.210B)

Lineage Cell Therapeutics (LCTX) is a startup biotech diversified across several technologies, though I follow them, and own stock, because of their work in using stem cells to treat nerve damage and vision-related maladies (macular degeneration).

Stem cell-based treatments are innovative enough that the FDA approval process can become more difficult. The treatments may not have current approved competition that could guide the FDA, and trial sizes tend to be smaller. Conventional approaches may have much larger groups, and therefore, larger and statistically more significant results. The fewer the folks, the greater likelihood of a result being seen as a fluke rather than a result. LCTX’s treatments are further from approval than I expected. Compassionate care would suggest their use when no other treatment is available.

​Their early results are encouraging, and similar to what they said they expected to achieve. Vision improvements rely on data because they are harder to verify than the objectively visible improvement of turning a quadriplegic to a paraplegic.

Approval is likely a few years away, but they’ve been working on the treatments for years, so it may not take much more time, relatively.

​DISCLOSURE LTBH by habit, but having to remember that my LCTX/BTX holdings came from AST (2014), which was spun off from GERN (which I’ve held since 1999). I hear patience pays, but it is easy to have doubts after twenty years of waiting.

Intuitive Machines

LUNR (market cap is $2.87B was $1.94B)

Intuitive Machines (with the more appropriately named symbol LUNR) is an aerospace company largely focused on delivering aerospace products and services into the lunar industry, economy, and exploration. Recent acquisitions may diversify them into more general space-related endeavors. They are a relatively young company in a relatively young industry.

LUNR is probably mostly known for having both lunar landers land on the moon (good) then fall over (bad). While those are publicly perceived failures, the stock seems buoyed by the fact that the company met 85% of the mission goals, and were paid for them.

They are not alone. Many companies are addressing the lunar market and having varied successes. Anything involving rockets is risky. Going farther than low-earth orbit is rare and relatively unexplored territory, but the potential demand and market is enormous – and largely ill-defined. The discovery of lunar water has been a great enabler that wasn’t as important in the Apollo era.

LUNR’s diversification is a plus. LUNR’s overlooked successes, regardless of tipped landers, may suggest an undervaluation. Rockets also involve governments, and industrial risks. Such worries can constrain the stock.

The lunar market could be our species’ first extra-planetary industry and economy, in which case, this could be a ground-floor opportunity (for a redefinition of ‘ground’).

If the next lander lands successfully, the company may gain a significant legitimacy, and commensurate stock price. If. If. If.

DISCLOSURE LTBH since 2024. Bought more, recently.

MicroVision

MVIS (market cap is $0.259B was $0.283B)

Oh dear. Am I doing this again? Is the company doing this again, a new CEO which means yet again a new direction? Sigh. Read on, and hope. For years, I’ve copied and pasted the previous post. Let’s start fresh.

Microvision (MVIS) is a (perpetual) startup based on the technology that is an oscillating mirror on a chip. Shine light on the mirror and the oscillations can produce an image. Let the mirror reflect what it sees, and it becomes a sensor. Shine light on it and receive that reflected light, and it is effectively LiDAR. The market potential for the projector is roughly the same as the smartphone market because a projector has already been produced that fits in a smartphone. As a bar code sensor, it has been demonstrated for reading barcodes as well as helping industrial automation. As a LiDAR unit, it can enable autonomous vehicles. Lots of potential.

​Lots of potential, but each CEO has departed without their initiative becoming successful. Arguably, some of those ideas may have and could be profitable, but they were set aside as new managers arrived. This has been going on since at least 1999. The company has survived through dilution, which means my original stake has been diminished significantly. I believe in the potential based on market needs, not personal emotions. I am also saddened by the correlation of shifting development directions with each new management shift. The ideas that have been abandoned have rarely been explained in terms of market conditions and are replaced with the prospects of the next shiny option, and yet, I suspect some of those earlier ideas may be valid if they’d pursued them or returned to them.

​DISCLOSURE LTBH since 1999 (though the very first shares are gone). I continue to hold because the price is so low that the only benefit to a sale may be for tax losses, and because, if only by luck, I think the company may be profitable because a customer wants the product regardless of what management has in mind.

Dilution means that I no longer have more than enough if the company finally succeeds and the stock reaches the heights I think are possible. Some day, some day…

D-Wave Quantum

QBTS (market cap is $9.19B was $4.56B)

D-Wave Quantum (which has the much cooler symbol QBTS) is a leading edge quantum computer company that is delivering products and services to an industry that is a large unknown with large potential. Quantum Computing can also be 1) relatively easy to describe as a computer with bits that are 1s and 0s, and 2) can be ridiculously difficult to explain in terms of operations.

Quantum computing had been a lab tech possibility for so long that I think QBTS and others were overlooked. Now, the market is realizing they are real, and the market is confused, excited, and worried about how to value the technology and the individual players. As the actual computers find uses, there is an additional difficulty in understanding the nuances that delineate and define a variety of hardware and software approaches.

Within the recent 18 months, the stock has risen from ~$1 to ~$46 and settled back to ~$30. Optimists can say it is up 2,000%. Pessimists can say it is down 33%. Both are right. What happens next is a gamble. I doubt there were many investors who recognized how large Intel, et al could become. Now that we’re seen the phenomenal growth in new technology, the rush is on to not miss out on quantum computing, just in case. That also means the stock price is driven by hope more than fundamentals, at least for now.

QBTS is not alone, however. Their early success is more than encouraging, but innovative technologies are known for disruptions from unexpected innovations – or maybe QBTS is the unexpected and therefore profitable innovation.

DISCLOSURE LTBH since 2024. Sold some shares to cover my investment. Sold some shares to realize a profit. Holding the rest because 1) they’re all profit, and 2) if QBTS succeeds as much as it could, these shares could look cheap, maybe.

​Solid Power

SLDP (market cap is $0.817B was $0.398B)

​Solid Power (SLDP) is a startup working on solid-state batteries.

​I suspect we are about to reach the next plateau in battery development. I recall whatever came before alkaline, then rechargeables, now, lithium-ion. Graphene allows batteries that are safer, thinner, and recharge quicker. Such advantages could lead to greater adoption of electric vehicles and other devices, both large markets.

Solid state batteries are, ideally, safer than lithium-ion. That alone is sufficient to encourage their adoption, and if they charge faster or have greater density, the adoption and profitability can increase.

​I believe a next generation battery is due. Whether it is SLDP or someone else will be determined by market conditions. Unfortunately, I can’t invest in all of those publicly-traded companies, so I picked two: GMGMF and SLDP. Both may be years away from profitability, though the stocks may move in anticipation instead of reaction.

DISCLOSURE LTBH since 2024.

For more details about the stocks, here are links to various discussion boards where you can find my synopses, as well as others’ points of view. For more details about how I do what I do, there’s a book that I wrote at the request of several friends: Dream. Invest. Live. Maybe you can help my personal finances by buying a copy – though the frugal part of me recommends checking one out from a library.

Many of the independent investors who contribute to the discussions provide in-depth analyses that either aren’t available elsewhere, or would cost too much to buy. The other advantage is the diversity of perspectives. Unfortunately, I don’t engage as much as I did before. Some discussions have degraded due to lack of moderators, or overly zealous moderators (immoderate moderators, an oxymoron), or have too many immoderate voices. Some boards are effectively ghost towns, or feel like cavernous empty warehouses. 

“Gold mines produce far more rubble than gold.
It is easy to complain about the rubble.
Ignore the rubble.
Pay attention to the gold.”

Regardless, here are the sites I continue to visit, even if it is only to lurk and listen. 

I encourage you to tune in, because more voices (as long as they’re mature) make for a better conversation. Maybe I’ll read you there.  

Investor Village (widest range of boards, could benefit from more traffic)

LCTX

GERN

MVIS

SLDP

LUNR

QBTS

GMGMF

Silicon Investor (Relatively older boards, less trafficked, but populated with informed investors)

GERN

MVIS

LUNR

Reddit (Many will cringe, but there’s impressive quality within the impressive quantity of posts and voices. I lurk more than post.)

LCTX

MVIS

SLDP

QBTS

GERN

Intuitive Machines (LUNR)

GMGMF

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Spending With Age

Posted on December 27, 2025 by Tom Trimbath

“Well, we gotta get the kids those toys. They’ve seen the ads. They’ll cry if they don’t get them.”

“Hey, the kid’s launching into the world. They don’t have much and don’t realize what they’ll need. Get them some household stuff, even if they don’t have a house, yet.”

“Either they’re married, have kids, or at least one of those, or want some of that. Time to get them stuff for their kids, or for their house, or so they can have some of that. Ask them what they need, because they may not have time for what they want.”

“If they’re in a career, they’re getting what they want. Cool. Give them more of that. If money’s tight, don’t be tight about money. That may be what they need and want.”

“Kids are graduated. careers are shifting. They may be downsizing houses, cars instead of vans, maybe some nice high-end niceties that don’t take up much space. Luxuries can happen and be appreciated.”

“About that retirement, skip the socks and give them something they want because at this point, all gifts are doing is filling in the gaps, but may also be filling garages and storage units.”

“No more stuff! They’re trying to get rid of things they thought were heirlooms. Sure, some have become classics, and vinyl has come back (for a while), but consumables may be best. People still have to eat. Candles and such are nice. A bottle of a beverage works too.”

“Stuff? Ask them. They may want something that’s harder to wrap, like time. And no, that does not mean a clock. A phone call or a visit can be more meaningful than yet another trinket. Sure, it doesn’t cost as much, but time is more precious than money, isn’t it?”

I sit here, a senior citizen by government definition. I’m in a tiny house, so there’s no tree. There are lights, but hopefully a tasteful set. Gifts have been mostly fruits and chocolates. Very little wrapping paper. Things to share, because sharing is a gift, too.

I’m doing stuff, not stuff that can be stuffed into a box, but stuff that can fill a calendar. Visiting friends, sitting in place with good tea just to sit and relax, dancing of course, and walks and bike rides and playing in the snow as weather and conditions permit.

Pardon me as I sip my tea.

I’ve gifted myself a few things that wouldn’t make sense to expect from anyone. Winter bicycling gloves and a new floor bike pump make it easier to ride. New glasses aren’t going to come from someone else. I don’t need new ones, but the screws on the old ones get loose too easily. I made a few trips to the food co-op and the local market to get things like the better bacon and butter, a bottle of mead, some roasts for later, and soap made by locals – consumables.

I tried to give myself more time to sit and think, and learned that it is possible to have too much of a good thing. I’ve spent more time helping out (with details held for privacy) and giving. I’d give more of my stuff, but most of that is gone as I moved into my tiny house. I’m looking forward to giving myself more time to write, because I’ve reached the point where writing can be more engaging than watching.

Sip.

I could use a new chair, a new desk, a new fridge, a new range, and some other household things that eventually wear out, but there’s a new year coming and time for that. Besides, for some reason, I think I might move by this time next year. In that case, furniture and furnishings will get redefined then. I like my tiny house, but I do miss being able to readily hold parties. Still working on that. Pardon me as my brain thinks of some other ways to do that besides buying a bigger place.

Sip.

There is no one Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Years. I’m glad. It is nice to see so many different celebrations. The ads can make it seem as if there’s only one formula, but it’s a stereotype that deviates from most true wishes. I spent years (decades?) conforming to that model. It is understandable considering the incessant supply of packaged ads proclaiming the ‘right’ way to celebrate the season. Cheers to all who celebrate as they wish and as they can (within legal and moral guidelines, of course.) Be yourself, even if your gift is finding who you really are. Celebrate with others, because there’s always someone to celebrate with. And thank you for being you and doing what you do (again within legal and moral guidelines, or course, but thankfully, there are few that need to be reminded of such things.)

Sip, and a toast.

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Six Minute Recharge – GMGMF

Posted on December 18, 2025 by Tom Trimbath

(Reid, thanks for inspiring my trip to Better Living Through Coffee in Port Townsend.)

The short story: I bought more GMGMF. The slightly longer story: GMGMF announced a solid-state battery that recharges in 6 minutes, which seems like an idea worth investing in. The longer story: I’m glad I’ve been investing long enough that I know that the closest thing to an absolute is saying that there are no absolutes. It’s all a guess.

If you haven’t heard, or if you’re reading this somewhere outside the region of the Salish Sea, or some time after a series of atmospheric rivers have uprooted much of civilized life in the area, reality can get messy. Rivers have carved new channels regardless of where we want roads and such. Hills are sliding. Valleys are flooded. I’m glad I live near Port Townsend, 115 feet above sea level and far from a river.

The coffeeshop where I might meet a friend, Better Living Through Coffee in Port Townsend, is such an authentic seaside cafe that a view out the window could be seeing through a wave that splashed against its foundation. After about the third hit, most folks felt confident enough in the strength of the glass to sit beside waves that would otherwise knock them over. Whether the building is damaged – well – that’s life in a historic seaside town.

I decided to write about GMGMF’s announcement and to be open about the fact that I bought some more stock, but two people at the next table became more of a story.

They were talking so loudly that it was hard to concentrate on anything else, even as waves bashed the building. One was pontificating about their investing strategy. The other was politely listening and asking questions. Note: Only one of the two asked questions. The other spoke with certainty and authority about how to make money. After about ten minutes, I realized that anyone speaking with that much certainty either has little experience in investing, has always been lucky, is trying to sell something to someone else, thinks they have nothing to learn, or some likely combination of those possibilities.

Maybe it was a quiet client listening to a potential financial adviser – who was talking without a care about the conversation happening in public where there’s no privacy.

And a wave hit the window.

And I saw a connection, or at least a personal lesson.

It may not be apparent, but I tend to disobey one of the central pieces of writing advice I’ve heard: speak in clear tones, without equivocation, be confident, and make it dramatic if possible. I at least intend to include the upside, the downside, and where I think things may settle out in the middle. I know how assumptions can be false, or at least incorrect. I won’t list the times I’ve been wrong based on assumptions I’ve made. This blog has about 15 years of examples. Browse at will.

The waves continued to hit the window. Don’t worry, there won’t be a dramatic moment (as I type) because the window held. Of course, the staff shoved some towels against the bottom because the water was getting through, but hey, we are all warm and dry and could keep doing what we were doing.

Investing includes the possibility of risk. See My Triple Whammy for how assumptions I made about the SEC, the FDA, and my reliance on data led to me losing 80% then 98% of my net worth. I’m feeling much better, now; thank you.

In the short time I listened (whether I wanted to or not), I never heard a moment of caution. Maybe they’re brilliant and their method always works. Maybe, folks who have it don’t need to talk about it. If they’re talking about it, it’s probably because they still need it – or the attention.

People also hear what they want to hear. It is difficult to listen to both sides of a story. MVIS is a great story with great potential, but too many have suffered by the interminably long time its progress has been delayed. (How can they Not make money after having developed a projector that fits in a phone?)

GMGMF has a broad portfolio of products that rely on utilizing graphene. See wikipedia for a description. To many, it is a wonder material that can revolutionize the world, ala plastic (I guess). To most, graphene = huh? Plastic probably sounded irrelevant, too, at the start.

One of GMGMF’s products in development has been a solid-state battery. No lithium-ion. Lithium-ion batteries have enabled electric vehicles and much more. Lithium batteries, however, are politically sensitive, expensive, have acceptable but not phenomal range, and are dangerous because they are hard to extinguish when they catch fire. Entire cargo ships have been lost because a car battery caught fire.

GMGMF’s new battery doesn’t use lithium, so its materials are more readily available, is less prone to fire, can be cheaper, can be smaller – and they’ve made on that can recharge in six minutes. The potential (see, there’s that hesitancy) is that such batteries can be the next generation in batteries that further enables electric vehicles, and a greater adoption of other products, too.

Six minutes. Not an hour, not overnight. Six minutes. Cool. And maybe not six minutes, but ten would be acceptable. Maybe not GMGMF. Sure, they developed this one, but there’s competition, all of which may exceed lithium-ion’s capabilities. Maybe they’ll have a production line in place for 2027, but stay tuned. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.

But.

I buy stocks in small companies that I think have big potential. I believe, but don’t know, that lithium-ion will eventually be supplanted by something better. This could, could, be it. And then it will get supplanted. So goes technology.

Within my investing strategy, I have a few buffers and constraints. I tend to limit the number of shares I own as a hedge against chasing penny stocks too far. I also tend to limit my initial investment. Those are guidelines. I decided to exceed both to buy a bit more, and may buy more again. In this case, my extra purchases only increase my investment and the number of shares by less than half.

Investing can always be optimized. There are always better stocks, which are only apparent in retrospect. I choose to optimize time, too. It would take time to possibly find a better investment, but here is a technology, company, and stock that I am familiar with. By buying a bit more now, I may make a good enough investment.

Stocks are also not lifetime commitments. I can sell as many of my shares as I want, or not. Maybe next year I’ll sell enough to get back under that arbitrary limit. Maybe I’ll buy more. I don’t have to know today. That’s next year.

I like life around the Salish Sea. The weather is usually temperate, until it isn’t, then it’s dramatic, and hopefully the power stays on and the ground stays stable. I also like the fact that I can’t think of a financial conversation I’ve had where the people were wearing formal wear. Camo and REI are more common choices, even if the wearers aren’t in the military or heading out on a hike.

The seaside is real. Nature tests our assumptions. I’m glad our society has developed strong enough glass that we can blithely ignore its assaults, usually. Nature is also a reminder that assumptions have limits, and our society continues to generate innovations that allow better lives than our ancestors could imagine.

And I’m glad my seat was a few extra feet back from the windows. Assumptions are great, but prudence has a value, too.

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Affording The Holidays

Posted on December 12, 2025 by Tom Trimbath

Medieval peasants knew about affording the holidays. I see modern ads about affording the holidays by credit card companies. The peasants were smarter. What they did, we can do, no plastic required.

Go ahead and romanticize medieval times. They were tough, at least measured against modern healthcare and technology. But fun has not been a modern invention. Peasants had fun. Sure, they had dramas and traumas, but they didn’t have to go into debt to produce a feast, take time off, get together with friends and family, and be thankful for what they had.

Affording the holidays is a modern invention. Our consumer economy doesn’t demand it, but the companies greatly encourage it. I even sell during the holidays, but I don’t want anyone to buy my books or photos by using credit they can’t afford. Luxuries do make nice gifts, but luxuries are not necessities in many ways.

Pardon the repetition, but I’ll tell you about one of my most memorable gifts: a Nerf ball.

I can’t recall many of my gifts, and I can’t recall who gave and who got the Nerf ball, but it was something between my Dad and me. I wasn’t a kid. I was 25. In retrospect, I was still maturing, but I was also becoming aware that expensive did not equate to appreciated. I was visiting home in Pittsburgh from my new home outside Seattle. It was only Mom, Dad, and me. We sat in the living room, beside the tree covered in white twinkle lights. (My Dad preferred old, warm, colored lights, but without me there, he lost that battle.) One of us opened a very light box, pulled out a Nerf ball, and laughed. My Mom, who appreciated but couldn’t afford the very nice things, was taken aback and wondered why we’d gift a Nerf ball. My Dad and I looked at each other, and bounced the ball off each other’s foreheads. We threw it back and forth – and laughed. My Mom was confused. My Dad and I had fun. I remember that gift from over forty years ago.

There are a few other memorable gifts from the recent decades: a particular mug that I relied on at work because it held so much, ski boots that almost fit but I used for years, – and I pause as nothing else comes to mind. I’m sure I enjoyed gifts every year. I know I enjoyed the time I spent with people. I know I enjoyed a good, basic feast. I know I enjoyed time to relax. I know that there has been almost no correlation between the price of the gift and the enjoyment I received.

Peasants couldn’t afford luxurious gifts, unless they made them. Feasts couldn’t be expensive, but they had a chance at producing quantity, and maybe roasting that goose or making that sweet dessert. They could make music and dance, tell stories and laugh, and care for each other. And undoubtedly, there were arguments and disagreements and slighted emotions because the romanticized notion wasn’t real. But they didn’t have to wonder how they were going to afford the holidays.

Medieval peasants weren’t coerced by ads to buy things they couldn’t afford. They didn’t have Black Friday and Cyber Monday. No batteries were required. There were no returns, though a few days later, there may be exchanges. They weren’t told that the economy required them to spend for the sake of the economy.

Medieval peasants had lives that were tough enough that few of us could survive them as well as they did. But, they knew what to do with holidays and holy days. Enjoy them. Celebrate them. No credit cards required. No monthly payments. No piles of wrapping paper and cardboard boxes. And then, back to work. And then, enjoy the next celebration.

This year will probably be a quiet one for me. Most of my friends are my age, and most are trying to get rid of things, not get more things. Many are so minimalist that I look like a massive consumer, and I expect to not give or get much, which is fine. There are dances on the calendar. Soon, I’ll stock my kitchen with food for the feast. Some drinking may be involved, but no drinking and driving means managing which dances to attend.

I am fortunate enough to be able to buy a few things, mostly consumables. I intend to buy myself a few things that I’ll appreciate and that I wouldn’t want anyone else to buy for me (a standing desk?, a new radio for the Jeep?, a new fridge?). I will surprise me because I don’t know what I’ll buy, and I don’t know how my stocks will perform.

I intend to give out hugs, wrap my arms around friends instead of paper around packages, and sit and sip and appreciate how good my life is. I like that. Besides, the cleanup is much easier, except for the feasts, but that’s good too. I can afford that.

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Gifts Change

Posted on December 3, 2025 by Tom Trimbath

December. December is so different, now. Before I was a teenager, it was about Normal Rockwell moments, gifts, Santa, food, and how about some more gifts. As a teenager, it probably should’ve been about hormones and recklessness, but I remember family, gifts, and enjoying wrapping gifts as much as I did opening them. My twenties, on my own, living frugally and away from ‘home’, so the celebrations were more sedate. Got married, and things shifted to include another’s traditions. After the divorce, I was old enough to reassess what I wanted and needed. Then frugality by necessity hit, gifts were baked, and I was glad to find roadside scrap trees. Now, I can afford a tree, but it and me won’t fit in my tiny house at the same time. What am I left with? What do I want? Things do change.

Congratulations on making it through an overly-long front paragraph, but it proved a point to me, at least. Christmas changed for me as I have changed. Many traditions were passed along, fed to me by media, and shared with friends and family. For much of the time, the main effort was consumerism, ideally reflecting relationships and connections, but frequently, inevitably, temporary. As the people I know age, a core set of traditions remains, and buying and selling have become less important than listening and sharing.

A lot has changed in the world, too. Toys have gone from Red Flyer wagons (though I never saw that specific brand – I think) to mega-brands pushed by massive marketing campaigns. My favorite toy was a Nerf ball when I was in my twenties because it was simple, frivolous, and fun. Movies that were relatively new then are classics now, and can be streamed. Foods have been analyzed to such an extent that the brand name is less important than the labels like GF for gluten-free, or organic, or free-trade. Each such gift gets scrutinized rather than simply shoved in the mouth. We’re more aware of the rest of the world, and the corporations are more aware of each of us.

I’m old enough that there’s little extra I want, and what I want can be so specific that I doubt anyone could guess what it might be. Age, really experience and introspection, has left me with an understanding of what I want, what I need, and what I consider extraneous. Hmm. As I write this, I realize that awareness is a gift I’ve been giving myself for years.

For many people my age, consumables make more sense. Shopping local means more (for local folks). Thrift stores can get so many unfashionable and archaic offerings that they turn away items no one needs or wants. As a kid, I’d lie down on the carpet in front of the family’s six-foot-long stereo as I listened to the radio or music. Now, they represent phenomenal spent resources that are deteriorating in some landfill, piled in with other discarded gear. Meanwhile, food and drink are something everyone uses every day.

A core gift that was never wrapped and not considered a gift was time. Time with each other. Unfettered time alone. Time to think, feel, maybe feed and drink, and to inevitably nap. I can’t remember most of the gifts, but I know there were naps in there, and a desire to spend more time with friends and family.
And friends and family aren’t there always. Sorry for bursting a romantic bubble, but friends and family are people. People age. As a kid, the fact that grandma might not be there was, at best, abstract. At my age, everyone I know is a limited-time opportunity, and therefore, precious. Pardon me as I ponder that while I pause typing.

…

Yep.

I’ve already started sending out cards. I’d like to think that I’ll do that throughout the year. Maybe. Maybe.

I won’t be shopping much, mostly because folks my age have had a lifetime to buy what they want. Some will appreciate some consumables, though.

I will maintain my traditions that fit with my lifestyle. Life in a tiny house means no tree; sigh. But the baking is about to begin, and I’m already planning Christmas dinner. I miss not being able to have a party.

I miss being able to share the meal with friends. There just isn’t enough room. Some decorations will go up, but the majority of them will stay in storage for yet another year. I’ll watch my traditional movies (at least White Christmas on the day and Love Actually for New Year’s).

There will be other things I do that don’t come to mind as I type because I am more likely to let things happen as they will. Sticking to a rigid arrangement misses the opportunity for pleasant reminders and surprises.

The two biggest parts of the season will probably be dancing with friends, and time for myself. Many other things will be appreciated during the holidays, but time and people are most likely to be the most memorable and enjoyed.

Spend time with family, friends, and most important, spend time with your self. Nothing is more precious than time with people, and you are people, too.

Sigh. I guess I’ll add a link to my books on Amazon. Yes. I see the irony. Besides, it gives me an opportunity to realize that, while I’m not giving many gifts, others might want to pass my words along. Thanks for reading.

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Shop Local Or Not

Posted on November 29, 2025 by Tom Trimbath

How do I spell that sound I make when I settle into a comfy chair days after a feast? Erf? Ugh? Whew? Whew will have to do, but the sound is more like a balloon slightly deflating, but not a whoppie cushion, thankfully. I’m glad I recently bought a new pair of sweatpants. I’m also glad I’m not driving to a mall, hunting for parking, jostling with crowds, and trying to find which brand to buy from. I’m shopping local, of course. I’m also mostly not shopping. And yes, sometimes shopping local isn’t an option. Reality, eh?

Elastic. What a wonder. Thanksgiving dinner was duck, wild rice, brussels sprouts, butternut squash pudding, and Finnriver cider. Pardon me as I pay attention to my overworked digestive system. I’m past burping, and I won’t describe what’s happening now. Jeans aren’t forgiving. Carhartt bibs are sturdy and don’t bind at the waist, but they’re meant for standing while working, not sitting in a chair while typing. Sweats exist for a reason, frequently not involving sweating. Gotta work on that later. 

Buying sweats is not shopping local, alas. But most of dinner was grown near my house. Nice. Friends benefited. Local businesses benefited, which also benefited locals I have yet to meet. Money stayed in the area, and if they shop local, then the money benefits more of us. Inevitably, some of that money will leak out into the larger economy. Taxes. Yep. But also, things that aren’t made in local communities. Globalization increased efficiencies, but not necessarily resilience. Definitely not community.

Last night’s dance and this evening’s dance will help me work off some of the accumulated calories. The place was packed last night. At the start, kids outnumbered adults. Finnriver Cidery hosts live bands and doesn’t complain when we decide to dance. The adults have fun (and some embarrassment) showing what they’ve learned. The kids didn’t need to be taught. They moved because it was fun to move. Finnriver also sells cider. 

That’s actually why they are there, as a cidery. I thought cider was cider. I guess it is, like wine is wine, but wine also gets much pickier than white versus red. And there are lots of types of apples, and probably many ways to harvest and process them. Sadly, my doctor effectively wags a finger at me about such beverages. 

(One consequence of small town versus big city life is that my doctor visits the cidery too, so I decide not to drink so I don’t have to hide it. Besides, my doctor probably has good health-like reasons for me avoiding such a fine beverage. I’ll still dance there, though. Besides, they have nice teas.)

I can’t drink it, but I can buy it and ship it. And they’re not the only option. Many farms ship food, as long as it keeps well. Locals also make stuff, including stuff that is elevated above stuff and is called art. Good luck finding the borders between stuff, craft, and art. It is local, but it is also more personal. I’m more likely to know the person, but whoever receives my gift also gets a story that is far more personal than yet another shrink-wrapped, branded trinket shipped from an overseas factory. There’s more to talk about when they unwrap it. That’s a bonus.

I am also shopping less. Yesterday was Black Friday, but I went to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park to get some nature photos. (Hey, the road was open – thought icy – and the snow on the ridges was fresh and pretty.) Today, I’m sitting here, typing this, maybe going for a bike ride before going dancing again. I have the time because I have less to buy. 

We are all aging, but most folks I know have aged enough and shopped enough and been given enough stuff that they don’t need or want anything more. The Baby Boom houses that bulged with families also bulged with furniture and things that the next generation doesn’t want, and the current residents no longer need. More has been replaced with less, which has been replaced with “help me get rid of some of this stuff. I don’t want to have to move it because I’m downsizing.” 

Consumables are more popular. Beverages? Sure. Candles? OK. Smoked salmon, cured meats, spices, teas, cheeses, all things that can be used and used up. And, they are things that can be shared. 
Sharing gifts is more than exchanging gifts. Sharing a gift is an excuse to socialize. It is possible to visit, have fun, and to at least temporarily put aside politics. 

It is trite, but visiting someone has become less common, and therefore more precious. Treating each other with friendship shouldn’t seem rare, but to me, that’s one of the best gifts I’ve received.

Another gift to buy is too easy to overlook. Charity and philanthropy are too tightly associated with tax credits and formality. Definitely give, if you can. I find it more fun to give locally, really locally like person-to-person. It is like shopping local, but can reach further. Look around. Listen. You’ll probably hear or see people who have legitimate needs. They may appreciate it more than you can know.

One twist on giving is to give to yourself. Sure, send that thousand-dollar donation to a charity; but how about taking your life up a notch by buying local things for yourself? Bacon costs ~$9 per pound? Yep. But a local ranch produces an excellent local bacon at $24 a pound. That’s pricy, but I get bacon, they get a sale, the money stays in the area, and the only paperwork is the receipt. Need a bowl? Find a local potter. Need a card? Visit your local printer. Get the idea, or do I need to belabor the point? It is easy. Get past any guilt and treat yourself. You may miss out on a tax benefit, but then they’re less likely to need the benefits from the government. And then if they shop local, and if they shop local, and if…

I don’t expect to recognize you on the dance floor. I’ll be paying attention to my dance partner, but I’ll also be watching for everyone else. I don’t get into mall parking lot traffic jams, but crowded dance floors are far more chaotic, and fun. I’ll just try to keep the bumped elbows and stubbed toes to a minimum.
Let’s see, tonight’s event at Finnriver is Holy Carp (Rock / Pop / Jazz / Americana – whatever it is, I’ll dance to it). Music starts at 5PM. I think $5 is typical, but I tend to give a bit more. (5PM? Hey, it gets dark early here. Why wait? There might even be time for dining and socializing after.)

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