Low energy times ahead? (Part one)

As I grow old, I can now notice that my energy seems to be decreasing. Even though the step down I felt this year was noticeable, I assume this follows pretty much a declining VO2Max. 

In fact it has to correlate with a decline in physiological capacity, something that could be expressed in watts to give us a tangible, almost mechanical lens on human vitality. While VO₂ max is the gold standard for aerobic capacity, power output in watts—especially in cycling—gives a direct measure of how much work the body can do. 

When we look at the relation between Age vs. Power output express in Watts, most of the available data comes from cycling performance, particularly “Functional Threshold Power” (FTP), which is the maximum wattage a person can sustain for about an hour. The study I’ve been looking at seems unfortunately based on male subjects only. 

Our peak power output typically occurs between ages 25–35, after that, there's a gradual decline, roughly in the amount of 1–2% per year after age 40. As we might expect, this trend picks up speed slightly after age 60, depending on the individual’s training status. The table illustrating this takes us all the way up to 99 years of age and gives us a sobering view of what to expect as we navigate the 70 to 80 threshold and beyond. 

Tomorrow we’ll try to examine how that somber reality translate as we become “more mature”...

Death of an auto

Remember the story of my friend Charlie? It happened in 2022, so if you don’t, you can read it here. 

Some time ago, Charlie had an extra car in his garage that he decided to sell to Carmax, an American chain that specializes in buying and selling used car. Their store is 45 minutes drive away from Park City. 

So he called the company, got a price for the car, a 2007 Mini Cooper, set up a date for bringing it to the dealership and before he drove it there, had a 20 minute test drive to check if everything was okay a few hours before leaving his home. 

He got ready for the 2 pm appointment, took his wife along as the 2 owners signatures were required, stopped on his way to run a quick errand at a store and continued the journey. As he got 5 miles away from his destination, as he stopped at a red light, white smoke suddenly engulfed the inside and of the car and the exterior area of the hood. 

The engine stopped and even after a repeated attempts he couldn’t restart it. This was a busy seven lane highway and yet the drivers behind them remained remarkably calm. Soon a group of three youngsters came and offered to push the car off its precarious stop and got it on the uphill side of the crossing where it was finally parked on a wide shoulder. 

Clearly it appeared that the car engine (a joint BMW and Peugeot product) was shot following a coolant failure. Problems with the thermostat housing and water pump on this car are quite notorious. Made of plastic and located very close to the engine, these vital components crack and fail with age, which is what just happened to the hapless car. 

Charlie then proceeded to thank his saviors, the guys that pushed out of trouble, and called Carmax, that told him calling a tow truck was the only option. 

The tough part was the wait that ended up being almost two hours, and when the car was loaded on its flatbed, a short ride to the dealership where the truck driver dropped the car, not before offering to buy it for $500, which Charlie considered and said he’d let him know upon knowing was Carmax was up to. 

That decision didn’t take long, 15 minutes later someone came and offered half the price originally agreed upon based on a running vehicle and more than three times more than what the truck driver offered! Charlie was expecting less than half that amount and was delighted. 

Fifteen minutes later the sale was closed and Charlie and his wife were sent back home by taxi, courtesy of Carmax. Impressive service and customer care from this company and a tale about certain events repeating themselves! 

New doctor at the White House

If we needed an expert on immigration, inflation, war prosecution, conflicts cessation or tariffs, there was Donald J. Trump. Now if you wonder about what causes flat feet, lactic acid or autism, we now have Trump 2.0. 

This new doctor that replaces the usual Surgeon General in admonishing sick free medical advice that can literally change your life! Just recently with Secretary Kennedy in tow, he advised US pregnant women not to use the pain reliever paracetamol (known in the US as Tylenol) citing a link between the drug and autism. 

Instead, pregnant women should "fight like hell" to only take it in cases of extreme fever. That’s not what the medical community and experts worldwide believe, with some calling the president's comments dangerous. 

If I were Trump I wouldn’t go as far as playing doctor and would fear for his overall credibility that isn’t already too good and might begin to crumble with his base. 

Again, when you feel you’re as infallible as the average Pope, why not say anything that comes to your mind and mouth!

Portillo’s short ski season

A weekend ago, at the end of Austral winter, on September 21, the Portillo ski resort in Chile was shutting down its three month season (It opened up on June 21). This in the Northern Hemisphere would be the equivalent of a brief snow season spanning from December 21 through March 21. 

Is this a sign for things to come everywhere? Quite possibly. For that season the South American resort recorded a cumulative snowfall of 196” (440 cm) while 22” (50 cm) were still measured at the hotel, 48” (108 cm) at the Plateau and 15” (34 cm) at Juncalillo. 

What’s interesting is that about a month ago, the entire section of Roca Jack, an avalanche-prone terrain, slid down, closing one its the iconic 5 passenger “va-et-vient” surface lift for the season. 

These lifts were especially built by Poma to access steep terrain where regular chairlift towers can't be installed. 

Sixty years ago, on August 11, 1965, a similar avalanche was already triggered on that same Roca Jack slope, killing five ski patrolmen. So these kinds of incidents always find a way to recur. 

As of today we hope for a good off-season through the Andes and can’t wait for its southern winter to return!

Life energy

Quite often, I wonder how our personal energy level, call it motivation, drive, etc., can vary so widely. Where does that "life energy" come from? Is it self-induced or channeled through our bodies by cosmic energy or something similar and do we have any control upon it? 

That's a pretty heavy question bridging science, philosophy, and spirituality. If we look at it from the standpoint of psychology. Neuroscience, and motivation, we’re in part dealing with brain chemistry as dopamine fuels our motivation. It’s released not just when we achieve something, but in anticipation of reward, propelling us to act. 

Of course there are our basic drives, like hunger, thirst, safety, and reproduction that are primal motivators rooted in our own evolution. Our beliefs, goals, and values also direct what we pursue and how much energy we invest. Then, there’s the emotional arsenal of feelings like love, passion, hope, as well as fear and anger, that can either energize or deplete us. 

This would suggest that we’ve got some control, but probably not total dominion over that energy. Still there are the unconscious forces and biological rhythms that open the door to spiritual and metaphysical views. As many know, spiritual traditions propose that life energy, often called chi, prana, or vital force flows through us from the universe.

This is a view I also happen to share. Eastern philosophies (like Taoism, Hinduism) suggest this energy is universal and can be cultivated through practices like meditation, breath-work, and movement (yoga or tai chi). While these ideas aren’t empirically proven in the scientific sense, many people trained to channel them report feeling more energized and aligned when they engage in such practices. 

So in conclusion, what control do we have if any? This might start in the way we shape our internal environment through routines, goals, relationships, and self-talk. We can also influence our external environment: by choosing activities, spaces and people that uplift us. 

As I believe, we can tap into deeper sources: like purpose, meaning, and connection through meditation techniques, which often fuel sustained motivation more than fleeting rewards. Finally, let’s not forget rest, reflection, or even surrender that could be the cherry on that cake!

Do you have metatarsalagia?

Sounds to me a bit like “nostalgia” right? Well, not quite. If nostalgia resides most often, when diagnosed, inside one’s head, “metatarsolagia” reside at the opposite end of the body, namely right next to the toes… At the end of last winter, I began to feel that “pebble-in-the-shoe” sensation or rather a lingering forefoot or toe pain, couldn’t spot any inflammation in the area and has been suffering almost every day since, until it was time for my annual check up early this week. 

Besides measuring now 1.5” less now than during my “peak period”, I explained my foot pain to our doctor. He said that it could on only be metatarsalgia, a condition that causes pain and inflammation in the ball of one’s foot, specifically around the metatarsal bones—the long bones just behind your toes.

This isn’t a disease, but just a symptom from excess pressure on the forefoot. It usually is quite common in runners, people who wear tight or unsupportive shoes, or those with foot deformities like hammertoes or high arches. 

It’s also, as my doctor knows, a recurrent problem with skiers that cram their feet in ski boots too narrow and which in turn promote that condition. In my case I suspect 2 pairs of Nike excessively narrow in the toe box area that I wore for one year or 2,000 miles. I tested that assumption on a new pair of running shoes with a much wider toe-box, and it seems to be right. 

Again, as we saw earlier the symptoms are a sharp, aching, or burning pain in the second and third toe and not so much in the ball of the foot. That pain worsened with walking, running, or standing, especially barefoot on hard surfaces (I use a stand-up desk) creating tingling, pain or numbness in the toes, sometimes feeling as if we had stepped on a pebble. 

Now, I finally understand...

Kohler, a great company?

I can’t even remember why we got all of our faucets from Kohler when we built our current home 13 years ago, but over the years, I’ve been impressed by the company’s responsiveness in terms of customer service support. 

In fact, much more so than any other, American or European consumer product firms. In digging deeper when I hear good things about that Kohler brand, it's typically based on a combination of the company's long-standing reputation, product quality, and market position. For one thing, it’s been around since 1873 and has been a leader in the kitchen and bath industry ever since. Its long history gives the brand a sense of stability and reliability. 

Further, its faucets are widely praised for their quality as they’re made with durable materials that resist corrosion and normal wear and tear. While some components may include plastic, the core structure is quite robust, leading to a long-lasting product as acknowledged by plumbers whose sole criticism might be that some specific models can be harder to install or repair than competitors. 

Kohler is also considered an industry leader in design. Their styles are widely varied and fit any decor while also standing at the forefront of innovation. Then there’s the Kohler warranty that’s hard to beat and so easy to use. It’s also a strong reason for the trust the brand enjoys. About 6 years ago, I had a shower water mixer that stopped working. I contacted customer service that sent me a replacement mixer with easy instructions on how to install it, and since it was easy to implement the switch was a cinch!

A couple of years ago it was a frayed pull out faucet flexible tube that they replaced. Recently, our 12 year old kitchen pull-down faucet began to stick, I found the Kohler video showing me how to repair it (watch it below, its quality and simplicity shows the consideration this company has for its users), it looked so simple that I couldn’t wait to order the free replacement kit and that was it. 

Sure when I got it, I discovered other problems that negated the ease of the video, but nonetheless, Kohler stood head and shoulder not just over its competitor, but largely ahead of major household name companies that have yet to learn, understand and apply what exemplary customer service 

is!

Compassion ? Empathy ?

If someone were to ask me to tell the difference between empathy and compassion, I'm  not so sure what I would say, as I often use one instead of the other. Perhaps, I'd just say that empathy is taking interest in others’ problems and suffering and that compassion is just dialing it up. I bet I’m not alone in mixing those two. 

Empathy and compassion often walk hand in hand, but they’re not interchangeable. In looking at it closely, empathy is feeling for someone, with the ability to understand and share that person’s emotional experience.

By doing that, we mentally or emotionally step into these people’s shoes, whether it’s for grief, joy, anxiety, or anger. It can be emotional (we feel their pain) or cognitive (we intellectually grasp what they’re going through). 

One could say “I feel what you feel.” On the other hand, compassion is acting for someone. It does include empathy, but it goes further as my own definition alluded to above. It adds one big step, which is the desire to alleviate suffering, in helping, comforting, or supporting. 

One could say that compassion is empathy in motion. It’s what moves us to bring soup, make a call, or simply sit beside someone in silence. This time we could say “I feel what you feel and I want to help.” In searching that question, I’ve read somewhere that empathy is the spark, compassion is the flame, in the sense that empathy ignites awareness while compassion sustains action. 

More often than not, our instinct to support grieving loved ones, draft comforting messages, and reflect deeply on others’ pain is true compassion. Look at it as empathy with sleeves rolled up!

My problem with songs

Music is important in my life, and particularly songs. I listen to songs mostly in English and French and what irritates me is that, most of the time, the musical arrangement, either through its volume, composition or production makes it very hard to understand the words that are sung. 

Of course, I’m wondering if it’s just me that thinks this way and if lyric comprehension is so important or just a small part of the overall experience, something I should accept or if there are better ways to listen to songs. If you happen to agree with me, I won’t feel so alone, and I’m certain I’m taking you into a rich debate that involves a mixture of music theory, cultural norms, and even neuroscience. I feel that lyrics are extremely important, because of their emotional power as they convey the artist’s intent, mood, and message. They’re the bridge between melody and meaning. 

John Lennon Lyrics 'A Day In The Life'

Whether it’s a protest song or a love ballad, lyrics shape the narrative of a song by reflecting societal values, struggles, and transformations, specially in specific genres like folk, rap, and chanson française. 

So I feel that my irritation isn’t just aesthetic, it’s a desire for hearing a story that connects well. When arrangements drown out the words, like it’s often the case with modern pop songs, it feels like the soul of the song isn’t there. This happens often because some producers favor rhythm, loudness and texture over vocal clarity, especially in pop, electronic dance music and rap. 

Also when lyrics use poetic phrasing, they can be much harder to grasp when they’re sung quickly or softly. Also today, when a song is streamed on Spotify or YouTube, it can often tend to flatten vocal dynamics, making lyrics harder to catch. 

I’m of the opinion that many listeners, especially those who value emotional resonance or linguistic nuance, crave lyric clarity. In fact, some artists (like for instance Stromae or Leonard Cohen) are revered precisely because their lyrics are foregrounded and intelligible. 

Unfortunately many others treat lyrics as textural elements, like the other instruments they’re blended with. In those cases, the words are meant to evoke feeling more than convey meaning. So what can we do? Some suggest trying lossless audio platforms (like Tidal or Apple Music HiFi) for better vocal clarity or to use lyrics-synced apps (like Musixmatch) to follow along in real time. I’ve not tried those, have you? 

Sometimes acoustic or live versions strip back the arrangement and make the lyric easier to discover and understand. Obviously the best is always to seek out lyric-forward genres: French chanson, folk, singer-songwriter, and conscious rap. If you have more ideas on the subject, please share them! In the meantime, good luck in improving your listening satisfaction! . 

Unexpected post-cruise bonus?

Upon returning from our recent cruise my wife and I just came up with terrible head colds that lasted for a full week. Talk about a letdown after was meant to be a good time! 

Since cruises are an economic lagging indicator, there have been so many people cruising in America with a record 19 million expected for 2025, problems like this should be expected. Respiratory illnesses like colds and flu are fairly common on cruise ships, especially larger ones like our sold-out 4,002-passenger vessel. Indeed, illnesses spread easily on cruises. 

It begins with their close quarters, with shared dining areas, theaters, elevators, and corridors that promote lots of face-to-face exposure. In addition diversity isn’t that good, with passengers and crew coming from all over, bringing as premium diverse viral strains. Then, there’s the recirculated air. While many ships now use HEPA (high-efficiency mechanical air filters that capture 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns in size), enclosed environments still pose risks for airborne transmission. 

Do I need to also mention everything we touch like handrails, elevator buttons, buffet utensils as germs love any kind of exposed surfaces. It’s also true that fatigue and lowered immunity, caused by travel stress, altered sleep, and indulgent eating can combine to weaken our defenses. What we think we got was a respiratory infection like a fierce head cold. 

We immediately took a Covid test that was negative. Left are RSV, gastrointestinal bugs like norovirus that are frequently circulating on cruises. Sure, frequent hand washing would help as well as avoiding crowded indoor events when possible. Staying hydrated would also help, but there always is a fatalistic side in all of us. 

The best thing is to stay away from these kinds of environments, so that's why I just deleted the cruise’s app from my phone!

Monovision and cataract (part two)

As we grow older, many of us have to consider cataract surgery. At my last checkup, my eye-doctor told me that I might not need it for 10 more years which prompted me to say, “Provided I’m still alive!” 

Some of us aren’t so lucky and have to consider that procedure earlier in life and the question is can we keep monovision following cataract surgery. When and if that time comes, patients are given options for intraocular lenses (IOLs). 

My doctor reassured me by telling me that monovision could absolutely be replicated with IOLs. Specifically one eye would get a lens for distance while the other would get a lens for near vision. This might work well for me, because I’m already adapted to monovision, as studies show high success rates (90–95%) for patients who previously used monovision with contacts. 

Obviously this would help maintain my independence from glasses post-surgery. There are important things to consider and keep in mind though, cataract surgery is permanent—so testing monovision with contacts again now (as I’m doing) is a good way to confirm my comfort with that system. Sure, multifocal or accommodating IOLs are alternatives, but they come with their own trade-offs like glare or halos. 

So, if you didn’t know all that before, or your understanding of it was a bit cloudy (pun intended), now you’re an expert too!

Monovision, what’s that? (part one)

I'm a contact lens wearer since 1987 and have thoroughly enjoyed the system (I use soft lenses I change every 2 weeks). For about 15 years, I used them in "monovision" see far with my director's eye and close with the other. As I grow older and my eyes keep on changing, that ability has deteriorated and I recently had to use reading glasses, but following my last eye-doctor visit, I have returned to mono-vision. 

For those who don’t know, monovision is having one eye corrected for distance vision (typically the dominant eye) while the other eye is corrected for near vision (reading or close-up tasks). 

This setup allows our brain to blend the two inputs, giving us functional vision across distances without needing bifocals or progressive lenses. It’s commonly achieved through either contact lenses (as I’ve done), LASIK or other refractive surgeries, or intraocular lenses during cataract surgery. 

The greatest benefit of monovision is that it allows me to live without reading glasses (my situation for about 15 years). It’s of course super convenient for active lifestyles (skiing, biking, running, etc). It’s also very much appreciated by folks who dislike switching between glasses or wearing bifocals. Then in my case there’s also familiarity with it as my brain has long been trained to adapt to it. 

It can also be tailored to my dominant eye and visual needs. It also comes with some downsides, like loss of depth perception, as each eye is focused differently, depth perception may be slightly compromised (not seeing the edge of a sidewalk is I think the most typical situation). For some, it’s also hard to adapt to, I can’t really remember what my particular getting used to it was. 

There’s also some reduced clarity in low light, in particular night driving or dim environments may feel more challenging. Again, it might not be perfect for all tasks: One might still need reading glasses for very fine print or prolonged close work. Tomorrow we’ll see how it might work after cataract surgery, so older folks, please stay tuned!

What happened 2 days ago?

Two days ago was September 16, 2025. 

Unless you are a mathematician, chances are you were not aware of the special character of that day. I, myself, heard on NPR that very day was a mathematically rare gem—a once-in-a-century date known as Pythagorean Triple Square Day. 

Here’s why it’s special, each number in the date was a perfect square: 9 = 3², 16 = 4² and 25 = 5² 9 = 3², 16 = 4² and 25 = 5² Those square roots—3, 4, and 5—form a Pythagorean triple, meaning: 3² + 4² + 5² or 9 + 16 + 25 

This aligns with the Pythagorean Theorem: a² + b² = c² That describes the relationship between the sides of a right triangle. What makes this date even more poetic, is that it’s the only date in the 21st century where all three components are perfect squares from a Pythagorean triple. 

Even the year—2025—is a perfect square: 45² Some math lovers celebrated with rectangular cakes sliced diagonally into right triangles, inscribed with the date in icing. A sweet tribute to hidden harmony. Just try to walk back into time (it's only 2 days, no one will ever know) as if you were there when that happened, especially since it won’t happen again for another century! 

Average and Median?

Average and Median values are used all the time, and frankly, if I thought I had some notion of what their respective meaning was, I would have been woefully incapable of giving a simple and clear explanation. 

So, I’ve decided to research that subject here’s what I’ve dug out in the process. If we begin with the definitions, the Average (also called Mean) is obtained by adding up all the numbers in a set, then dividing them by their quantity, for example if our last five test scores are 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100, our average score is: (80+85+90+95+100)÷5=90. 

The Median, on the other hand, is the middle value when the numbers are arranged in order. For the same test scores (80, 85, 90, 95, 100), the Median is 90, because it is the number in the middle of the list. If there's an even number of values, take the average of the two middle ones. The key difference between Average and Median, is how they are affected by outliers (extreme values). The Average is highly sensitive to outliers. A single very high or very low number can drastically pull the average up or down. 

The Median is not affected by outliers. It only cares about the number in the middle, so extreme values at either end do not change it. In fact the visual is the best way to remember which one is which and the difference between the two! The most interesting aspect however is how these measurements can be used and “spun”. Both the average and the median are used to describe a data set, but a person can choose which one to use to influence how the information is perceived. If we look at Average used for spinning information, it’s a great tool for data that’s fairly consistent and doesn't have extreme highs or lows, such as average age of a population or average temperature over a month.

However, because it is sensitive to outliers, the Average can be used to make things look better or worse than they are. For instance, if we want to make things look better, a company with 10 employees, where 9 people make $50,000 and the CEO makes $1 million, could report an "average salary" of over $140,000. This makes it look like everyone is earning a great salary, even though the typical employee makes far less. 

To make things look worse, a labor union leader might report the average salary of a specific group of workers to include some very low outliers, making the overall pay look worse to argue for a raise. When it’s the Median that’s used for spinning information, it’s by far the preferred tool for data sets that have extreme outliers, like income or housing prices. It gives a much more accurate picture of what a "typical" value is for that group. To that effect, the Median is often used to counteract the "spin" of the Average. 

A journalist, for example, would report the median income to show what a typical family earns, as it is a more honest representation. However, it can also be used in its own way, like if a community is very wealthy but has a few very poor residents, a report focused on the "median income" might understate the overall wealth and resources of the community as a whole. 

In summary, a company might say, “Our Average salary is $120,000,” but if a few execs earn millions, the Median might be only $65,000 — a more accurate picture of what most employees earn. Politicians might cite Average income to show growth, while critics use Median income to highlight stagnation for the majority. So depending on the story someone wants to tell, they’ll choose the measure that best supports their narrative. It’s a classic case of “truthful but misleading”, so watch out next time you see Average and Median, remember the true meaning of both!

Godspeed Robert Redford!

Last night, my wife and I watched the Netflix romance “Our Souls at Night” one of the last pair of Robert Redford’s movies (2017) featuring Jane Fonda, not knowing that one of our favorite actors had just died early that morning at his Sundance ranch, 45 minutes away from Park City. 

In recent years, Redford became my new hero, kicking out Killy after he became a vocal and fiery Putin supporter in 2014. First, just like us, Robert Redford fell in love with Utah, was a skier and was involved in the ski industry, but was an environmental activist in addition to being a successful actor and film director. 

Did I mention that he was behind the Sundance Film Festival and Institute that made its home in Park City for so many years? My wife had the privilege of meeting him several times. I didn’t. He probably doesn’t need my “godspeed” wish as I’m sure he long knew that the “here and now” is the only unit worth considering in our human life experience! 

Easing traffic in Park City

In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to navigate our little town of Park City and regardless of the season, traffic keeps on getting denser. A few examples. We’ve live in Park Meadows for more than 40 years and even during its busiest building period. Would I even suggest how this growing problem could cause havoc in the event of an emergency evacuation? 

Now that the town is built out, remodeling and tear-down projects seems to bring many more workers cars on site, almost always one person in one car, creating a real traffic and parking nightmare. Between these vehicles and those of landscapers or other trades pulling enormously wide and long trailers, locals have to slalom through cars parked on either sides of the streets and there appear no way this trend is going down.

Just look at the above picture... So the issue is that it’s time to stop that trend and begin seriously controlling who gets into town. What I’m proposing is a bunch of ideas that our City should be considering and seriously discussing. Here are a few of them as mixed sampling: Just a steadily growing and concerning vehicle traffic on SR 224 and 248. 

Why? Too many workers (one per car) insisting on coming right to their place of work in the own car. Make people (except those living in PC school district to enter Park City) via electronic (RFID) tags. The entry fee could be adjusted dynamically and be free between 6pm and 6am. Visitor who rent cars are the airport would get temporary tags that Rental Companies would pay for during the stay. 

Parking lots and bus service at Park and Ride areas at the entrance to the City or PC School District A limited number of vehicles should be permitted to park near a project (maintenance, remodeling, tear down and reconstruction). Passed that, standing vehicles would be fined. Workers coming outside of say, the Park City School District (PC addresses) or perhaps Summit County should carpool at the entrances to the main activity centers (i.e. Kimball Junction and Queen Junction or at some additional “Park and Ride” areas). 

In our City subdivisions, all vehicles should be parked on one side of the street using even and odd house numbers to match the daily date. That would eliminate having to dodge cars as we literally have to slalom through them. There maybe many a multitude of extra ideas, but the above ones should be seriously explored, discussed and decided upon before total gridlock is reached.

Who made Trump so bad?

In his second term, Trump has confirmed to us that he’s behaving abnormally and that he is mentally deranged. Not only is he acting like a bully, a mafioso and a dictator, plus exhibits terrible judgment, but he’s also shown his racist, cruelty and seems only capable of negative language, deeds and behavior. 

Did I mention that he surpassed Pinocchio with his lies? So the fair question might be: Who is responsible for the way he is? His Dad (in that case Geppetto? Fred Trump?), his Mom, the Blue Fairy, the school he went to or the NYC mafia that was a bit too close to him and his dad as he grew up? 

Psychologists say that personality is shaped by a mix of genetic temperament, early family dynamics, social modeling as well as cultural and environmental reinforcement What’s certain is that his Dad Fred was a highly ambitious real estate developer who built a fortune in New York’s outer boroughs. Ruthless, he emphasized responding to blows by returning them with twice their intensity and was emotionally distant. 

Donald often sought his approval and modeled his competitive drive after him. Fred’s business practices including allegations of racial discrimination in housing probably shaped Donald’s approach to controversy and confrontation. His mother Mary Anne was a Scottish immigrant and homemaker and less publicly influential in Donald’s upbringing, yet some accounts suggest she was loving but dominated by her husband Fred. 

When Donald attended New York Military Academy at age 13 due to behavioral issues, Trump reportedly thrived in the regimented environment, rising to student captain. While the academy instilled discipline and leadership in him, it also reinforced his aggressive competitiveness and a hierarchical worldview. Finally, growing up in Queens and later working in Manhattan, Trump was exposed to the gritty, transactional underbelly of NYC real estate. 

While direct mafia involvement is always hard to pinpoint, the industry at the time was known for its entanglements with unions, contractors, and of course, organized crime. Some speculate this shaped his combative and coercive negotiating style. Many psychologists suggest that in Trump’s case, traits like dominance, impulsivity, and a need for admiration may have been reinforced by his upbringing, schooling, and career path. 

Of course, there will be the religiously inclined who think that Trump is the perfect opposite to Jesus in suggesting that the devil must have impregnated Mary Ann to create DJT, the anti-Christ, but I’m not religious enough to buy that. 

Do you agree, have a better idea or still believe it’s Geppetto’s fault?

Cruising to Alaska (day 8)

Our ship returned to Seattle early, around 6:00 am. We grabbed a last breakfast, vacated our cabin and began the tedious disembarkation of 4,000 passengers. We were broken into groups and had to wait in one of the public lounges until our luggage tag color was called. 

Overall, we enjoyed the experience, but were disappointed by what we didn’t see when the Captain decided to turn around on day 4 without any good reason or credit! In truth we realized that we didn't get what we came for, namely seeing beautiful Alaska landscapes. We came to the conclusion that these cruises are more hype than picturesque itineraries. 

We felt that cruises are on a mission to separate the guests from their money (excursion and drinks are excessively priced), create an addiction for this form of leisure travel, and inserting all kinds of opportunities to spend more money in their casino, their huge jewelry and watch stores and in their art gallery. 

This amounts to huge sums of money, consider this, while the global cruise industry will be getting close to the 60 billion dollar mark in 2025 : for the full year 2024, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. reported record revenue of $9.48 billion (up 11% from 2023) and a GAAP net income of $910.3 million (up 448% from 2023). 

The company also saw a strong increase in its Adjusted EBITDA, which grew 32% to a record $2.45 billion, and significantly improved its Net Leverage to 5.3 times. Definitely not your favorite charity! All this to say that one experience was fine, but we don’t feel the urge to do it again… 

We then boarded a shuttle to Seattle airport in Tacoma, left 30 minutes late, flew by Mt. Rainier and landed in Salt Lake at the remote Alaska Air concourse where it took us 30 minutes to walk back to the curb and catch a cab home. At long last, we were done with the cruise, its routine, its claustrophobic ambiance and ready and happy to reclaim our home!

Cruising to Alaska (day 7)

Just the day before, the sea turned rougher and we could hear the ship creak everywhere, it move a bit more, but not excessively. We had begun to sail into the wide open Pacific Ocean and we could feel it. That day would be sailing until we reach our destination, Victoria in British Columbia, Canada.  

As we were having breakfast, my wife mused about the kind of people that surrounded us. It makes sense as 74% of Americans are classified as being obese or overweight. As you might have expected, we were wondering what that ratio was on cruise ships, but there was apparently no study conducted on that category of people. 

Suffice simply to say as my wife offered, that a cruise ship gives us a glimpse into what could be the picture of a luxury version of a seniors’ long term care facility! Interestingly enough, we attended a presentation on the theme, and were served stats about 10,000 meals served and 550 baguette baked daily. The afternoon we were treated to yet another “fake” Beatles show under the Beatlemania theme. 

We both thought, they were pretty good, but perhaps were we now getting convinced by repeated exposure to their quality? That evening we had an excellent dinner at La Cucina, another excellent specialty restaurant and around 8pm the ship was anchored in Victoria, Canada until about midnight, that gave us a chance to walk into a part of Trump’s 51st state of the USA  from 8:00 pm to close to midnight.

The city, that’s also the capital of British Columbia is compact, well-lit, and beautifully walkable, especially around the Inner Harbour. We walked from cruise terminal at Ogden Point, walked along the Dallas Road waterfront trail toward the Inner Harbour, enjoyed views of the Olympic Mountains and passing ferries. 

Then we passed through James Bay, strolled through this quiet, historic neighborhood with charming homes and gardens and arrived at the Inner Harbour. 

There, we could admire the Fairmont Empress Hotel, lit up at night, walk past the British Columbia Parliament Buildings, glowing with thousands of lights and then ventured into the heart of the city at night, we watched street performers and musicians, crossed the Johnson Street Bridge for views of the harbor, then loop back via Government Street, lined with boutiques and pubs. 

We got a great taste of Victoria’s elegance, history, and coastal charm, and were ready to return to the ship…

Cruising to Alaska (day 6)

If you don’t like rain, don’t come to Ketchikan! In fact rain was pouring that day, so we weren’t so sure at first if it was worth our while to walk out of the cruise ship. 

After enough hesitations we poke our noses out and after going through the gangway that took us to “terra firma” we ended up in an old sawmill turned into a Native’s shopping mal where all the stuff shown was not only priced attractively, but was discounted 50% as the end of the season was around the corner. 

After buying a few hats for ourselves, we even bravely decided to board the shuttle bus to town under a heavy rain. The town of Ketchikan didn’t look that much and the beating rain did make it look much better so we decided to return with plenty of time left before lunchtime. 

The rain stopped as we left Ketchikan (of course) and the afternoon was a rather boring navigation between islands with strictly nothing exciting to see. 

At night, we treated ourselves to “Jersey Boys” a fabulous show about the life, success and tribulation of Frankie Valla and The Four Seasons a well-written and beautifully choreographed Broadway Production. 

Just perfect! Following that, we had a light dinner in the otherwise super large Manhattan restaurant that can seat more than one thousand people.

The largest dining room we’ve ever experienced…

Cruising to Alaska (day 5)

That rainy day took us to Icy Straight Point Icy Strait Point, a  cruise port created to bring some revenue to the local Natives and offer a variety of activities, mostly accessible through a pair of gondolas. 

We chose a  guided whale watching tour that forced us out of bed at 5:30 am and under a ferocious rain got us inside a small boat to watch whales in the wild. 

The first hour was pretty much devoid of sights and it’s only in the second half of the trip that our boat was surrounded by 15 to 20 humpback whales blowing water and slapping their tails as they dived to fish. A sickening ride in rough sea, but we soldiered on!  

Mid-morning, we disembarked from the cruise ship to explore around Ice Strait Point and got on a 8 passenger gondola like the one we’ve got in Park City to get to the Native’s cannery and village on the other side of the hill where our ship was berthing. 

A scenic, treetop ride took us to the historic Hoonah Co. building that was turned into a museum and tourist shop. We then went on to the village bordering a quiet bay overlooked by a large Orca statue. We chose to walk back to the fish through the forest trail. 

At night we had a delectable dinner at The Bistro, the ship’s French restaurant, and went to hear the “Abbey Road” album songs by the Argentinian Beatles tribute band that either performed better than the night before, or perhaps had become fully validated and accepted by our discriminating ears!

Cruising to Alaska (day 4)

We didn’t have much time as we hit Juneau at 6:30 am and had to be back in the ship by 1:30pm. Further, we kind of woke up late under threatening skies, so we contented ourselves with a visit of Alaska’s capital.

Local merchants had just started the end of season’s sale and stores were busy with everything at 50% off. We managed to walk from the ship and return, and went all the way to the nondescript looking capitol building, conspicuously sans dome, in a city with a multitude of street moving straight up into the mountain. 

We found a series of interesting totem poles, all with a story and a complete explanation of what we were looking at. We didn’t have time for an excursion to Mendenhall Glacier. We had planned for helicopter or seaplane tout but the weather wasn’t making it worth the money asked by the various operators, so we returned to the ship for a late lunch. 

Later, that afternoon, we were supposed to explore the Endicott Arm, a fjord with cascading glacier, but half-way into it, the ship’s Captain decided to turn around as the abundant floating ice was, in his judgment to dangerous for venturing deeper into the gorge. Too bad. 

At night, we went to see a tribute Beatles band called “The Beatles Experience” from Argentina, that was just okay, including a low-key, right-handed Paul McCartney that had a tough time assuming that role…

Cruising to Alaska (day 3)

At about 10:30 am as our ship stopped in Sikta, Alaska, where we had just stopped half a hour before. The weather was overcast and after waiting in a long, meandering line, we boarded a bus to town, 15 minutes away.

We got there around 11:30 am and had a chance to visit the area until about 5:30 pm, that day. Our first walk along the fishing port took us to  Sitka National Historical Park and Totem Park where we could immerse ourselves in the rich Tlingit history and culture by walking among the collection of totem poles, exploring the museum exhibits with plenty of old photos and artifacts. 

This was followed by a walk into the nearby scenic trails through the Tongass National Forest. We also walked past a hatchery where the workers were killing salmons that were returning by climbing a “ladder” to their place of birth thus completing the 2 year life cycle before being separated from their eggs. 

Around noon we returned to town to eat lunch as we grew hungry, couldn’t find any place we liked to eat and settled for a small, busy Chinese eatery where we could only find some fish and chips to soothe our big hunger. All along the rain was threatening but never really fall hard enough to bother us. 

Then, in the afternoon, we had booked a tour to visit the so-called, Fortress of the Bear, a place were we were guaranteed to see these big guys in what really was a bear rescue facility where you we saw brown and black bears in their natural environment from a covered viewing platform. It was a bit further out from downtown, but worth the trip. 

Then our guide took us to see a river filled with salmons swimming  upstream to spawn and that was quite a spectacle for us to observe! We concluded our very busy day with an excellent Asian food dinner and “Icons”, a great show showcasing hits of 80s and an excellent choreography! 

Cruising to Alaska (day 2)

Today was a day totally at sea, under gray skies and with very little to see outside. We attended a presentation about Alaska and what we were going going to see during the next days, then the captain and two of his officers talked about the ship and about their work. 

The afternoon we toured the ship from top to bottom and realized that the main activity, a day like today was for the passengers (most of them overweight) was to drink,  eat and accomplish very little to try to balance their calories intake trough physical activities. 

At least we climbed the stairs from floor 6  to 17 a couple of time! In the evening, for the first time, the main floors where restaurants and entertainment are situated felt a bit crowded, but that was okay. As I mentioned, the ship crew is 1,700 people strong with very few Americans on board. 

Most of the officers are Europeans or Latino and 85% of the staff is Filipino. This clearly brings up the gap between the haves and the haves not, masters and servants, something we found awkward to say the least. 

Since we notice that the majority of the passengers were white, with a fair number of blacks and Asians, it would be ideal to have a crew mirroring the ethnic groups of the passengers. 

This left us with the impression that the Filipinos are exploited and are forced to be very nice, etc, and this made us very uncomfortable. 

Later in the day, we wanted to see a Beatle’s re-enactment show but it was mobbed and instead we watch the band Siglo performing in a common open area… 

Cruising to Alaska (day 1)

This would be our first cruise on a huge ship (4002 passengers plus 1700 crew members), so there was some palpable excitement when we saw it as the bus took us from the Seattle airport to the port of that city where the ship was berthing. 

Built in Germany and started in 2018, the ship took 4 years to be completed at a cost of of $1 billion (today’s similar boats will run over $2 billion!) 

There might be a dozen ships larger than that one in the world. As we got onboard, we spend the rest of the afternoon exploring a few of the many areas areas of the behemoth, got a tiny bit familiarize with its systems and other idiosyncrasies that consumed both my wife and I. 

We were pooped when we fell asleep!

Doing things better starting today…

The day gone by is over with its mistakes, its misses and its resulting teachings. So what is left for the next day? Just do it better! Sounds simple, and it is. Basic and it also is, but if we were to stuff that thinking inside our cranium, things would change geometrically for the better.

As my mom would over and over admonish me to do: “You can do better, much better!” Do a better job at work, be more efficient, more focused, more collaborative. Be better in our relations, say “good morning” and truly mean it. Look at people, compliment them on their smile, their new outfit, their better way of getting things done…

Be a better, more attentive driver, be a more courteous citizen, perform an anonymous good deed daily, pick up a paper on the street, and the list goes on and on… Not rocket science, just humanly possible good judgment. Let’s try it for a day, continue the following one and before we know it we might all have picked a hell of new great habit!

Moais vs. Garden Gnomes

Recently, a friend of mine messaged me about an alleged transfer of sales in a large DIY store in France where the traditional garden gnomes are losing market share the Moais (those Easter Island standing faces). This was something I didn’t know and that instantly got my undivided attention. 

Right, I’m talking about a market place clash between stern-looking Moai statues against more jovial and good nature garden gnomes, a meme-worthy juxtaposition that’s also has become internet folklore in America. While there’s no single origin story, the humor stems from these characters wildly different vibes and the absurdity of imagining them as rivals or interchangeable icons. 

For those who don’t quite remember, the stoic Moai statues of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) are monumental stone figures carved by the island’s Polynesian inhabitants between 1250 and 1500. They symbolize ancestral power, spiritual protection, and cultural legacy. Online, the Moai emoji took on a life of its own—used to express deadpan emotion, existential dread, or ironic detachment. Its popularity surged through platforms like Reddit and Instagram, often paired with surreal or absurdist humor. 

As for our more traditional Garden Gnomes, they’re whimsical, cheeky, and mass-produced. They can be tracked to the 19th-century Germany as decorative figures meant to bring luck and protect gardens. It’s true that they’re also often portrayed as mischievous, jolly, and slightly ridiculous. In pop culture, gnomes are associated with kitsch, fantasy tropes, and playful pranks.

           Garden Gnome           GardenMoai               Moai emoji

The pictured gray Moai and Gnome were taken in two houses 330 ft apart from each other and half a mile from my home. Obviously, the humor found in comparing Moais to garden gnomes lies in their stylistic and symbolic contrast, so, when someone jokes about replacing garden gnomes with Moais—or vice versa—it’s a tongue-in-cheek way of mocking aesthetic extremes: solemn vs. silly, ancient vs. kitsch, sacred vs. suburban. 

Now you too know the whole story!

Recycling our mistakes

We all make mistakes, some of us more than others, but in the end, there’s always a lot to gain from them as they leave a strong impression on us and, more so than our successes, are the true building blocks to our experience and wisdom. 

Only those of us who don’t do much or function in “survival mode” are spared most mistakes, but if we happen to be active, relentless, adventurous or love experimenting, we’re on the receiving end of all kinds of mishaps, many of them totally unknown, unimaginable and, this is where it becomes interesting, unforgettable! 

As a friend once told me: “Mistakes are like manure, messy, unpleasant, and they stink. But given time, reflection, and the right conditions, they become fertile ground for growth. The richer the fertilizer, the stronger the roots of future wisdom." As mistakes happen, they hurt us a lot and never fail to occupy, even temporarily, a huge space into our head, our thoughts and our daily lives. 

Sometime, they badly affect our mood, our self-esteem and make us want to punish ourselves and dissolve into think air! Without going to that extreme, I hold the belief that each mistake is highly recyclable, is worth its weight in teaching, and should, first and foremost, make a lasting imprint into our memory. 

The emotional residue of a mistake whether it’s shame, regret or frustration, is often more corrosive than the mistake itself. We must learn how to name those feelings, sit with them briefly, and then release them as part of the recycling process. We don’t just learn from what went wrong, we also learn from how we respond to it. 

If we can remember our own errors, we will have a good chance not to repeat them. In the process they can be the seed to new behaviors, better habits, checks and balances, new ways of approaching future similar situations without falling into the same trap. Mistakes should also be used to balance our other successes or offset some past good deeds we’ve accrued as credit. 

Most of all, their length of stay in our mind should be short, so they don’t poison our lives on a quasi-permanent basis. We should quickly resolve them by defining clears ways to counteract them in the future, lessen their impact on us, and to fortify ourselves against repeat performance. 

Perhaps, one way to recycle a mistake is to write it down. Not as a confession, but as a blueprint. What happened? What was I feeling? What would I do differently next time? This turns the mistake into a tool, not a torment. By absolutely no means, should we ever allow them to beat ourselves to death and hurt our self-confidence. 

This could be the worth mistake we could bring upon ourselves. In the end, mistakes are proof that we were trying, stretching, daring. They’re the fingerprints of a life well lived with curiosity and courage. So, in conclusion, long live an army of errors that are our foot soldiers in building the rich experience we all can use!

Leaving room for audacity

All my life, some audacity served me much better and many more times than cowardice, even though without some of the latter I might not be alive today! Still audacity has opened many doors to me and, on two occasions, broken seven of my own ribs, still I love it and when no one sees it, I’m not against going for more! 

Perhaps nothing is more paradoxical than audacity with its power to elevate and its potential to bruise. In fact, audacity isn’t recklessness, it’s simply the refusal to let fear dictate the terms of one’s life. It’s the relentless little voice that says, ‘Why not?’ when the world whispers, ‘Don’t!’”

This is what distinguishes audacity from mere bravado, and aligns with my innate, intentional approach to risk. Philosophically, cowardice may have kept me alive, but audacity is by far what has made me feel the most alive. 

The trick, I’ve learned, is knowing when to lean into each, just like a sailor reading the wind, adjusting the sails, but never dropping anchor out of fear. I would simply add this: “Sure, it cost me seven ribs—but I’d trade a few bones for the stories they gave me. After all, scars are just punctuation marks in a life well-experienced.” 

This is why, when all is said and done, I always leave room for some audacity, not as a reckless guest, but as a trusted companion. And when no one’s watching, I still let it take the wheel now and then!

The 50 year knot!

It’s hard to believe that Evelyne and I tied the knot half a century ago today. I guess heartfelt congratulations are “de rigueur” especially when we did it in my hometown back in France! 

In retrospective it doesn’t seem like a long time ago, but the sense of duration also falls victim of inflation, especially as we reach an advanced stage in life. 

At that moment, I didn’t have a clear path in my mind as to how my life would unfold, except that the next day, in lieu of a honeymoon, we both would be driving to Nevers, smack in the middle of France, where I had been promoted to a brand new job at Look bindings. 

So instead of a well-defined plan, we were thrown into another adventure in the unknown! This said, Evelyne was instrumental in grounding me and giving me a healthy dose of common sense that, over these many years, helped me cement the kind of judgment that would serve me so well. So, here we are 50 years later. 

Beside our sheer longevity, what would make our union last, while many often dissolved over time? It’s hard to make a hard list, so perhaps it’s the quiet accumulation of grace, those many moments when one chooses patience over pride, kindness over correctness, and presence over distraction. 

It’s not just shared joys, but weathered storms, the ability to forgive without forgetting, and to grow without growing apart. Resilience in a marriage isn’t built on grand gestures, but on the daily decision to keep showing up, to keep listening, and to keep loving—even when love looks less like fireworks and more like doing domestic chores together in silence. 

After fifty years, I’ve come to believe that what lasts isn’t perfection—it’s commitment, curiosity, and the gentle art of staying interested in each other’s unfolding story. It’s also a melding of views about about life, the world, neighbors friends and family, but not so tight that there isn’t any breathing and wiggle room left between the two… 

Happy Anniversary to both of us!