Survival strategies

Improve Your Child’s Mental Health and Academic Performance!

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Results  This study included 5515 adolescent participants (2640 [47.9%] female; mean [SD] age 11.93 [0.65] years) using step counters. Higher step count was associated with lower total mental health problems (B [SE], −0.080 [0.015]; t = −5.497; P < .001) and greater cortical thickness in the paracentral (B [SE], 0.057 [0.016]; t = 3.621; P < .001) and rostral anterior cingulate (B[SE], 0.052 [0.016]; t = 3.319; P = .001) regions. Further analyses showed a significant dose-response association, with progressively lower mental health problems across higher step categories compared with the under 5000-step group. Mediation analyses revealed that greater paracentral thickness statistically mediated the association between higher daily step count and fewer mental health problems 1 year later.

Conclusions and Relevance  In this cohort study, higher daily step counts were associated with structural differences in the brains of adolescents, which were in turn associated with better mental outcomes prospectively. Beneficial associations for mental health appeared to accrue continuously across the observed range, with no evidence of a threshold or plateau, highlighting that every step counts and the potential value of promoting daily steps in adolescents. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2854698

Li Q, Paluch A, Rakesh D. Physical Activity and Adolescent Brain Structure, Mental Health, and Academic Outcomes. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(10):e2636973. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.36973

Greater cortical thickness too!

WOOHOO.

Scary Charts – 09.25.26

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De La Paz has $96 deducted from her paycheck every month for her employee lodging, which covers her bed in a dorm room she shares with up to two roommates, as well as Wi-Fi and utilities. Dorm living comes with a communal bathroom, laundry facilities, common areas and social events.

Source: She pays $96 a month to live in Yellowstone National Park: ‘Being here has changed my life’ – https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/19/living-in-yellowstone-for-96-dollars-a-month.html

I was thinking about how to stretch our finances in retirement.

This creative young woman sews for a living.

My extremely significant other has a sewing machine…

Scary Charts – 09.24.26

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It’s as simple as this: as long-term interest rates continue moving higher, virtually every important piece of financial math gets worse, all at the same time.

The discount rate used to value stocks rises, which makes future earnings worth less today. Mortgages get more expensive. Corporate borrowing gets more expensive. Private equity deals and private credit…much of which is already FUBAR but not showing it yet…become harder to finance. Leveraged companies have to refinance debt at higher rates. Consumers pay more to borrow and the federal government pays more to service its enormous pile of debt.

Source: https://quoththeraven.substack.com/p/bonds-are-about-to-crash-the-stock?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Yikes.

Stuck in Oklahoma

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Cost of living continues to be one of the most powerful forces shaping where Americans choose to move. In 2025, the relationship between affordability and migration was especially clear: states that offered lower everyday expenses consistently attracted more new residents on a per-capita basis. Oklahoma, Mississippi, and West Virginia rank as the three least expensive states to live in, and all three landed within the top 15 states for net migration per 10,000 residents. Their performance reinforces the idea that when housing, utilities, and daily necessities remain accessible, people are far more willing to relocate. The 2026 HireAHelper Moving Migration Report – https://www.hireahelper.com/moving-statistics/migration-report/2026/

Best Big Cities to Live in the U.S. in 2026-2027 – https://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-large-cities

Midwest City Known as ‘Niceville USA’ Leads the Nation in Homebuilding and Affordability – https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/homebuilding-affordability-des-moines-iowa-2026-report-card/

I’m stuck here.

Scary Pictures – 09.12.26

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Source:

The consumer price index rose 3.4% last month compared with a year ago, the Labor Department said Friday, the same as in July. But on a monthly basis, inflation quickened, as costs jumped 0.4% from July to August, up from an increase of just 0.1% the previous month. U.S. inflation accelerated last month as gas prices spiked, squeezing Americans’ finances – https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/u-s-inflation-accelerated-last-month-as-gas-prices-spiked-squeezing-americans-finances

Yikes.

I Hope My Perivascular Fat Attenuation Index (FAI) Score is Low

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New research continues to affirm the prognostic utility of the coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA)-derived perivascular fat attenuation index (FAI) score in assessing cardiovascular risks for patients without common risk factors such as smoking history, obesity, hypertension and diabetes. What CCTA-Based AI Detection of Coronary Inflammation May Reveal About Patients with No Traditional CV Risk Factors – https://www.diagnosticimaging.com/view/ccta-based-ai-detection-coronary-inflammation-patients-with-no-traditional-cv-risk-factors

Image Source: The Coronary Artery Inflammation Controversy – https://erictopol.substack.com/p/the-coronary-artery-inflammation

Dr. Topel has an extensive analysis of this new diagnostic tool.

But I’m pretty sure the $49.00 heart scan at https://www.okheart.com/services/heartview-ct-heart-scan/ won’t tell me my FAI score.

Scary Charts – 08.16.26

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Drawing on a nationally representative survey of 1,591 U.S. adults ages 22–75, this research uncovers a five-year difference between when current retirees, on average, actually left the workforce (age 57) and when future retirees expect to retire (age 62), with half of those planning to retire anticipating they’ll need to delay even further. Future retirees are shifting away from traditional income sources like Social Security and pensions, planning instead to rely more heavily on personal savings and continued employment. Career interruptions remain a significant but underappreciated threat to retirement security, as half of U.S. adults have left the workforce for more than a year.

The entire study Bridging retirement expectation gaps New evidence and insights can be downloaded here:

https://www.tiaa.org/public/institute/publication/2026/bridging-the-gaps-in-retirement-expectations

Remember my earlier post The Fear Shared By Most (Not Just Another Random Thought on Retirement) describes the greatest fear in retirement is outliving your savings. And Economist Teresa Ghilarducci is of the opinion working longer is not a plan but an illusion.

Yikes.

Get FIT!

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide.

In this retrospective, population-based, descriptive cohort study, organized FIT-based screening was associated with a sustained decline in CRC mortality, particularly among individuals aged 50 to 69 years. Colorectal Cancer Mortality Following an Organized Fecal Immunochemical Test–Based Screening Program – https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2852451

A Brief History of Tiny Houses

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​Beyond their versatility, tiny homes typically have multifunctional furniture, including fold-down tables, convertible sofas, and Murphy beds. Because of the small space, tiny homes are commonly built vertically, with sleeping areas accessible by built-in ladders or stairs.

How Tiny Homes Became Big Business—Evolving From DIY Off-Grid Shacks to the Design Darling of Social Media – https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/tiny-home-history-evolution-social-media-off-grid-shack/

The verticality is definitely not senior friendly. Where’s the bathroom? But despite the obvious disadvantages for a person of my vintage, serious downsizing remains highly attractive. All I’m trying to do is make our retirement income last as long as we last. Hon, what do you think?

Rejected. Again.

Previous tiny posts here:

https://lifeunderwriter.net/tag/tiny-houses

But Hon, I found one I like…

https://incredibletinyhomes.com/models/black-ace/