Trump’s mental decline

After watching the aftermath of the US-Israeli war against Iran, it has become quite clear to me that Trump bit more than he could chew by attacking the Iranian and had absolutely no clue what his move would entail. 

Now, he found himself stuck with having discovered that the Iranian rulers could mess up the global oil and gas supply, considering they had won the conflict and remained much more resilient than his white-supremacist view had led him to believe.

Further, he’s also caught with what to do with a large supply of enriched uranium that he said has “buried” during his first bombing, but no one is certain about its exact current location. Finally he’s been zigzagging so much about the state of negotiation with Iran. that he’s now lost any credibility he never had to start with. 

 

To me, this erratic reasoning is a clear indication of Trump’s mental decline and it now makes him a dangerous individual on account of the US nuclear arsenal that is left at his fingertips.

A resurrected 2cv?

After reminiscing about my 2cv years, a former schoolmate and a friend teased me with the news that an EV version of my beloved car from yesteryear might be coming back, at least in Europe! I checked, and the rumor seemed true as Citroën’s CEO Thierry Koskas had recently hinted at the return of the minimalist car, citing the model's global recognition as a marketing advantage not to be missed. 

This move that stands as a reversal in Citroën's position appears to have been prompted by the remarkable success of the retro-inspired Renault 5 electric hatchback. The R5 has become an immediate hit in France, with nearly 10,000 units sold in its first full month on sale, showing strong market demand for affordable electric vehicles with nostalgic appeal.

According to automotive sources, the electric 2cv is expected to more closely mirror its classic counterpart's distinctive design by borrowing several design cues from the original 2cv, including its distinctive headlights and vent-like indentations across the wings. 

While the original 2cv was designed as the minimum viable product required to bring mobility to rural post-war France, this ethos of simplicity and affordability will be central to the new model's development, particularly relevant as rising EV prices have pushed electric mobility beyond the reach of many buyers. 

To achieve competitive pricing, the new 2cv would likely use Stellantis's cost-cutting Smart Car platform, which currently underpins the ë-C3, Fiat Grande Panda, and Vauxhall Frontera. Its electric power-train is expected to prioritize efficiency over performance, enabling the use of a smaller, more affordable battery pack. 

While no official launch date has been announced, industry analysts think a typical four-year development cycle would put the electric 2cv on track for a 2028 debut -coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the original car's unveiling at the Paris motor show. We’ll see...

Bringing AI to the rescue

Recently, my solar panel system stopped producing. The cause was its inverter that turns AC into DC current which broke down. I contacted the installer, someone was sent at my house to find the inverter faulty but still under warranty and requested a return authorization. Ten days later they came to install a replacement one and everything was back to normal. 

It’s only another week later that I received and invoice for $670. At first they sent me just the amount, then as I requested an itemized bill, I realized that I was charged for elements that should have been free under warranty, so after reading again the contract I had signed 6 years ago, I realized that under warranty, the charges were questionable. 

That’s when I sent a clear explanation of the situation along with a PDF copy of my contract to AI and in 2 or 3 seconds received a complete analysis and a detailed course of action, including a letter to the installer spelling that I was requesting the annulment of the invoice. 

It took a few more back and forth with that AI and then another one, mostly to make sure I was on solid ground, until the installer agreed to cancel the bill. 

Had I asked an attorney to do that work, I would have received less quality help and been charged $2,000. Thank you AI!

Accidental death of a potgut

For those not familiar with the Rocky Mountains region, what's called a “potgut” is a rodent with a popular name derived from their apparent fat looking belly. a so-called ground squiirel. In fact, they are known in scientific circles as Uinta ground squirrels, are primarily herbivorous, and mostly eat grass, seeds, and leaves.

They disappear from view in August and return in April or May. In between, they are supposed to hibernate. Not a bad life! Their only problem is that they’re close to the ground and even though they can stand up on their hind-legs to see a bit farther, crossing a road can be a dangerous endeavor. Many get ran over that way. 

So yesterday, as we were walking, we saw one laying flattened in the gutter. A sad story that made me think “Do potguts go to Heaven?” So, I imagined our flat little fellow, showing up at the Pearly Gates and welcomed by Saint Peter. 

• St. Peter: Hi, who are you? 
• Potgut: I’m what they call a Potgut in Utah 
• St. Peter: Never heard of that… 
• Potgout: Do you speak Latin? 
• St. Peter: Yeah, I used to live in Rome… 
• Potgut: I’m a Urocitellus armatus 
• St. Peter: What happened to you? 
• Potgut: I got ran over by a Tesla driven well over the speed limit! 
• St. Peter: I see, that’s too bad, next time pay attention! Wait a second and let me see what I can do for you… I could put you upstairs, it’s the comfy version of Eternity… Here you go, there’s a tiny vacant corner available for you. 
• Potgut: I need a lot of sleep, is there a good bed there? 
• St. Peter: Well the company that dwells upstairs is pretty boring. not fun at all, so sleeping is a great option! 
• Potgut: Can I do it eternally? 
• St. Peter: Just tell the chambermaid when you get there and she’ll set you up! Let me get you your key...

From septuagenarian to octogenarian (Par Two)

While I agree with most of the general points discussed in my previous blog, my outlook to the transition from septuagenarian to octogenarian years is different in the way it adds to these steps. First, I remain acutely aware that the time left for me is disappearing quickly and becomes increasingly precious. Therefore I cannot waste it unproductively. 

This doesn’t mean that I plan to return to work, but each of my actions, even the ones seemingly unproductive, like meditating, sleeping well, or deep thinking are extremely valuable to me. This forces me to get many things done and by treating the use of my time as so precious, it turns into a skilled game from which I get mentally rewarded from it like all players do. 

Then, there is my view of the inexorable physical decline that is beyond my control and just a function of aging. While I don’t like this evolution I’m learning to accept it and transmute it into something positive. 

As a result, I recently decided to turn it on its head and aim for placing the rest of my life on a trajectory in “crescendo” until everything stops, so I’m not disappearing vanquished, but up into a rewarding kind of glory. Why? Because I see that remaining time like a chance to repair all that’s wrong or not so nice in myself. 

From turning fear into love, to learning skills that I still could use, from being a much better person to the people I come in contact with, either daily or occasionally. I keep busy filling the “negative holes” in my life with positive traits and still trying to get better at so many things that are leaving room for improvement. 

Expending this effort is not really hard, because I’ve long seen any obstacle as a hurdle challenging me to overcome it, and in the process, get better and learn something from these efforts that are a continuation of my competitive make-up. All this keeps me enormously busy and constantly behind the eight ball in a stimulating way. 

In conclusion, this outlook—gained over the years through mindfulness and disciplined meditation—keeps me going, making me wish that I will die one day filled with happiness and as healthy as possible for my age, physically, mentally and cognitively. So now, you’ve got the full program!

From septuagenarian to octogenarian (Part One)

In a few days my hometown friends that are my age will get together to share a big lunch at a restaurant located on the East shore of the lake of Montriond to reflect on their fleeting seventies (all of them were born in 1947 – a great year for wine – but many have already turned seventy-nine. That means one last year before turning eighty. 

Wow! While most of us never believed this would happen, that transition from septuagenarian to octogenarian is a profound milestone. It marks an official entry into late-stage adulthood where physiological shifts intersect with noticeable social change and deep emotional resilience, offering a unique blend of wisdom, slower pacing, and personal liberation if we only focus on the good sides of that life stage. 

Of course, it’s hard to accept and see the gradual decline experienced by our bodies in muscle mass and bone density, bringing a heightened emphasis on fall prevention, mobility support, and nutrition. Not just that, but our metabolism slows down, making the conservation of energy and regular, low-impact exercise more important than ever.

True, multiple studies show octogenarians reporting less worry, lower stress, and greater emotional stability than everyone younger than us. Years of fun, sometimes suffering and accumulated life experience create a natural aptitude for emotional regulation, mental stability and a more realistic view of how we see our changed situations. 

Gradually, many of us begin to develop a sharper appreciation for simple, everyday joys, prioritizing peace, appreciation over performance and perfection. Still, our available time is shrinking daily in ways that are so visible that it can be scary at times, as well as a similar shrinkage in our social circles because of natural loss or declining health limitations. 

Now, our connections become highly intentional. Octogenarians often favor deep, meaningful conversations over seeing a quantity of people. It’s also true that both retirement and reduced societal expectations provide the ultimate permission to pursue personal passions, self-discovery, hobbies, and community engagement at one's own pace and this to us also mean a healthy switch to quality over quantity. 

Tomorrow, I’ll try to explain how I prepare for that transition a bit differently...

Flying the American flag upside down

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito made himself infamous by flying the US flag upside down at his property in association with Trump’s "Stop the Steal" movement. Today, one of my neighbors did the same to protest the illegal action of our demented president, so this begs the question about the origin and meaning of such an action. 

Flying the American flag upside down has two primary meanings: it used to be officially a distress signal for extreme danger to life or property, but has now evolved into becoming a popular symbol of political protest. Indeed, under the US Flag Code, flying the flag upside down is a recognized signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property. 

Historically, this originated as a maritime distress signal, functioning similarly to an "SOS." However today, it has mostly morphed into a symbol of political protest. In recent years, the inverted flag has been widely adopted by individuals across the political spectrum to signal that they believe the country is in crisis, or to protest the actions or direction of the government. 

Because the intended meaning depends entirely on my neighbor's context, the safest way to determine why he flies his flag upside-down is to simply ask him, which I have yet to do. I guess I’m not concerned about his immediate safety, so I won’t be checking in to make sure he’s not experiencing an emergency. 

From what I know of him, he must simply be extremely mad at Trump and exhausted by his behavior. As for me, you might wonder how I fly my US flag? Simple, I don’t have one, I’m considering myself a citizen of the world. That’s all!