Dreams: Riding bikes in reverse

When it comes to my dreams, my ability to remember them varies a whole lot. The ones that wake me up brutally and for good, I vividly remember them. The others that I kind of recall in a figment of consciousness, if I live them almost consciously when they occur, I can guarantee you that, the next morning, I still remember having had some dreams, but I’m woefully unable to tell what they were about! 

This is pretty much the essence of dream memory, and these are the few conclusions I’ve drawn about them: 

• Abrupt awakenings preserve dreams, 
• Smooth transitions erase them, 
• Awareness doesn’t guarantee recall, 
• REM is vivid but poorly stored. 

So just to illustrate my above stream of consciousness, here is a recent dream of mine. I believe it was inspired by what I see all along the winter season on the slopes with skiers going backwards.

I just saw in my dream three cyclists deciding to ride backwards, against traffic on a steep road, something I would never attempt in my wildest dream (I guess I’m wrong on that account!) I thought to myself “This is crazy, this practice should be forbidden!” I just hope you won’t disagree with me, as it will largely compensate me for waking up…

Update Portillo

 

After being closed for 25 days, as of Sunday, August 9, 2026, the Chilean side of the road to Portillo has been cleared. Authorities have established controlled traffic specifically for people with reservations at the Portillo ski resort for the weekend. 

The Paso Los Libertadores and the international Route 60-CH to Mendoza, Argentina, is still officially closed. While the Chilean side has been cleared, the Argentine side remains the bottleneck, with snow-clearing work still underway. Today’s report says that the international crossing could open during the coming week, but there is still no official reopening date.

The resort hotel had planned its 2026 winter season from June 27 through September 27, but had to delay its partial opening to July 4. If we add to it more than 3 weeks of forced closure, the operators have lost a tremendous portion of its earning potential. This sadly illustrates too well the challenges of the ski business. 

On Saturday, I pieced together the video that’s available below, from Portillo’s outstanding network of webcams, to give a good sense of what’s happening on the slopes. The video is best viewed on a tablet or a computer screen as visible skiers are tiny creatures! 

Preparing for the big 8.0.! (Part Two)

Most 80‑year‑olds I have observed or spoken to describe reaching that milestone as a mixed physical and psychological transition — not a sudden cliff, but a shift in identity, priorities, and bodily realities. And yes, there is solid research on how people typically think and feel at 80. What follows is a clear, structured summary of what I found, grounded in my observations and in studies from gerontology, psychology, and aging research. 

Turning 80 tends to sharpen awareness of physical limits, deepen emotional resilience, and shift priorities toward meaning, relationships, and simplicity. Research consistently shows that many 80‑year‑olds are mentally stronger than stereotypes suggest, even as physical decline becomes more noticeable. 

Typically, what 80‑year‑olds commonly think and feel are thoughts like “My body is changing faster now” and they mention slower mobility, reduced strength, sometimes more fatigue and more time spent on making and keeping medical appointments. There’s also the fear of falls, the subtle awareness of cognitive slowing (but not necessarily dementia) that’s not usually framed as panic, but more as acceptance mixed with frustration. 

Other will say: “I’m still me — just older”, that psychologists call identity continuity. Even with some physical decline, many 80‑year‑olds feel mentally intact, stable, and emotionally mature. When it comes to time, “It feels more precious” as the octogenarians shift their focus toward the present‑moment, appreciating small pleasures with less interest in long-term planning but more focus on legacy, family, and meaning. 

The good news is that older people “Don’t worry about the same things anymore” as there’s less anxiety, less social comparison, more emotional stability, gratitude and far less tolerance for superficial relationships. It’s also true that most 80‑year‑olds think about death more often, but their fear decreases as their acceptance increases and what really counts becomes dignity, autonomy, and relationships. 

In fact, many octogenarians experience a psychological renaissance with less pressure, more authenticity, more emotional stability, and a clearer sense of what matters. This is perhaps one of the most consistent findings in aging research — and it contradicts cultural stereotypes, so please, keep smiling!

Preparing for the big 8.0.! (Part One)

In a little over one year, god willing, I’ll be reaching the ripe old age of 80 and like many people my age, I see this as a significant milestone in my life. 

Finally getting there brings mixed thoughts about our own physical decline, mental reflection, and daily limits. From what I’ve been able to see from folks I know, I am liable to experience accelerated change in my physical body, mental outlook, and social ties. Maybe small things initially when everything else is fine like feeling slower, having less energy, and dealing with joint pain or weak muscles. 

Then there will be all the unavoidable health care developments with simple things like managing more daily medicines and frequent doctor visits to stay reassured, safe and healthy. Mobility issues might also rear their not-so-kind heads, like having to use much more prudence when walking on snow or slippery ground, or down the road resorting to the use of canes or walkers, and worrying about falling down. 

On the mental and emotional side of the valley of being 80 something, there will be plenty of opportunities to review a lifetime of past choices, including career high points and struggles, as well as family milestones with hopefully deep pride and satisfaction. At the same time, acceptance will become a welcome quantity when we’re forced to find peace with aging while facing the loss of close friends or family members. 

The key is to value each present day and moment while focusing more on peaceful views and good news than over future worries. Tomorrow we’ll explore ways to support a soon to be 80-year-old’s mental health with plenty of tips for safe physical activity and keeping an optimistic outlook past that monumental milestone!

A smoother path to eternity…

As the regular readers of this blog know, the Park City cemetery is an important section that we cross everyday during our morning walk. 

For years, the asphalted pathway have been showing its age, being summarily but poorly repaired, and it’s only last week that a new, thick and smooth coat of asphalt was finally laid down to rest, yes, to make our crossing much more enjoyable. 

Not only has the walking sensation greatly enhanced as it’s become like walking on carpet, but it’s also far less noisy for the residents that can now enjoy a hushed silence when someone (human or wildlife) ambles around. 

In many ways it now look like a pathway to eternity and offers a much more encouraging perspective to anyone whether planning a very long stay or just stroll...

A rare full month of vacation!

Fifty years ago, I was still working for Look ski bindings in France and for the second and last time in my working life, I would enjoy my second and last full month of annual vacation I would earn during my professional life. This is a perk French people find quite normal and cherish so much. 

I also remember that time because of that summer’s severe heatwave, particularly in August. I remember working in July at Look, with the our US distributor visiting staff on a technical manual for ski mechanics in a sweltering heat. Just like me, both Peter Juen and Ted Travis were sweating bullets and couldn’t not quite understand why there was no air conditioning in the brand new facility just built by Look’s owners. 

Still the 1976 heat wave couldn’t even come close to this summer’s. Even though it’s not quite over yet, the 2026 heatwave has been significantly more intense, hotter, more widespread, and more exceptional than the 1976 event—even though the latter remains memorable in the public consciousness due to its extreme drought and socioeconomic impact.

In terms of thermal intensity, 2026 holds a massive lead with a national peak intensity of 30°C against 25.5°C in 1976 (24-hour thermal index). In terms of geographic coverage, 1976 intense heat was primarily in the North, West, and Center of France while the South was less affected. In contrast 2026: extreme heat was felt across more than 40% of the country, with all-time records exceeding 40°C in many regions (Strasbourg 40.4°C, Noirmoutier 40.1°C). 

The nights are much hotter than in 1976, while 2026 has commonly seen nights above 20°C across 75% of the territory; up to 10 consecutive warm nights in Paris. These tropical nights significantly exacerbated the health of my countrymen. 

Finally, the 1976 drought was exceptional with dried-up rivers, a rainfall deficit of 50–70% and a major agricultural crisis that amplified tensions between President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and his Prime Minister, Jacques Chirac. The handling of the 1976 crisis exacerbated disagreements over economic policy, on how to manage the agricultural crisis plus growing personal and political rivalry. The heatwave was not the sole cause, but it brought a latent conflict to a head that materialized into Chirac’s resignation. 

We don’t know yet the 2026’s political aftermath, but expect something to hear it in the coming months. There was some drought still present this summer but perhaps less extreme, the dominant factor being heat, not water scarcity even though the Dranse creek in my hometown has been running dry in some sections, something never seen before. 

In conclusion, the 1976 heatwave was a major event, primarily due to its drought conditions and political impact. The good news was that 1976 was generally considered a banner year for French wines, depending on the region—despite (or thanks to) the extreme summer drought. 

However, the 2026 heatwave is clearly more severe in terms of temperature, featuring all-time records, unprecedented tropical nights, and an intensity unmatched by 20th-century episodes, not to mention a record breaking and violent wildfire season.

Fighting climate change (Part Two)

Yesterday, we open our toolbox and looked at the tool we could use to “significantly“ more the needle and see which methods are most effective. Today, we’ll try to rank them by their long-term impact. So let’s get started. 

1. Education and scientific literacy, even though their impact is in the long-term, are a necessary step that must become the backdrop to our effort to rein in climate change. 
2. Economic incentives that reward cleaner choices, like tax credit, rebates for renewable energies or devices using them. Technological innovation that can range from cold fusion, thermal energies all the way to turning dangerous materials into new sources of energy. 
3. Government policies and international cooperation. This is super important as individual countries’ action are meaningless and ineffective when the entire world must play from the same sheet of music. Short of a unanimous movement, nothing will ever work. 
4. Leading by example works very well for families and it should also work at the planetary level. Shaming bad actors should be part of the toolkit too. 
5. Consumer pressure and boycotts can work if they are well explained, fully understood and well followed. Continued peaceful public activism instead of violent revolt, that has little evidence of producing durable environmental progress and often causes additional social harm. 

Climate change presents a classic collective-action problem. Every nation benefits if everyone acts, but each has either a temptation or an incentive to let others bear more of the cost. Overcoming that dilemma requires making climate action not merely a moral obligation but also an economic and political advantage. 

History suggests that societies change most rapidly when environmental responsibility aligns with prosperity, security, and technological progress rather than relying on moral persuasion alone. Ultimately this issue is about human nature as much as climate science: How do we persuade billions of people and hundreds of governments to cooperate for the common good? 

There is no single answer, but the evidence suggests that the greatest progress occurs when education, innovation, sound economic policy, and effective leadership reinforce one another rather than acting in isolation.

Fighting climate change (Part One)

There is only one planet, yet more than 200 nations share responsibility for its future. Although nearly all governments acknowledge the importance of protecting the environment, they differ greatly in their willingness and ability to act. Some place economic growth, national security, or political considerations ahead of climate policies, while others simply lack the financial resources to make the necessary transition. 

The challenge is therefore not only scientific but also political, economic, and moral. So the question is, what actually can move the needle? History tells us that no single approach is sufficient. Progress usually comes from a combination of forces.

On paper, education is probably the most powerful long-term tool. It changes how future generations think, vote, consume, and innovate, unfortunately, it works very slowly. Leading by example can be surprisingly influential. When one country, city, or company demonstrates that reducing emissions can coincide with economic prosperity, others are more likely to follow. 

The dramatic fall in the cost of solar panels and wind power is partly the result of countries investing early and proving these new technologies can surprisingly work well at scale. This said, economic incentives are often more effective than moral appeals. Businesses and consumers respond to prices. Carbon taxes, emissions trading systems, tax credits for clean technologies, and subsidies for renewable energy have generally produced measurable changes because they align environmental goals with financial interests. 

It’s true that consumer pressure and boycotts can influence corporate behavior, especially when large numbers of people participate. Companies often react faster to changing customer preferences than governments do. However, boycotts are usually effective only when they are sustained and widely supported which need to be well explained and perfectly understood. 

In theory, international agreements like the Paris Agreement help establish common goals and encourage transparency, but they rely largely on voluntary commitments and peer pressure rather than enforcement. One big hope, held as a “Hail Mary”, is technological innovation that should ultimately be one of the strongest drivers. New technologies become attractive when they are cleaner and cheaper. 

The rapid adoption of electric vehicles, improved batteries, and renewable energy illustrates how innovation can change markets without requiring everyone to make sacrifices. Finally to end that list of tools, there’s always public protest and civil disobedience have historically drawn attention to important issues and sometimes accelerated policy changes. 

Their effectiveness depends on maintaining public support. Peaceful movements tend to have a stronger long-term record than violent revolts, which often polarize societies and distract from the underlying issue. 

Tomorrow, we’ll try to see, which of tools seem the most potent...

Altitude and temperature

Being both a mountain dweller and a skier, I’ve always thought that the rule for temperature change in relation to altitude was 3° Fahrenheit per 1,000 feet (or 6°C per 1,000 meters), but I wasn’t too sure and decided to dig a little deeper into a subject that’s becoming more important as we get into full global warming. 

Here’s what I’ve found, starting with what causes that change. Temperatures drop as we gain elevation simply simply because atmospheric pressure decreases and the air expands and cools. Now, let’s talk numbers for what’s called the Standard Lapse Rate.

In Fahrenheit, temperature drops approximately 3.5°F per 1,000 feet of elevation gain (or roughly 5°F per 1,000 meters). In Celsius, temperature drops approximately 6.5°C per 1,000 meters of elevation gain (or roughly 2°C per 1,000 feet). For example, if we climb a mountain 2,000 feet higher up, we can generally expect the temperature to be around 7°F cooler at the top than at the base.) Of course, while 3.5°F per 1,000 feet is the standard average, real-world conditions frequently break this rule. 

Let’s start with humidity and moisture. If the air is dry, it cools faster as it rises, at a rate that’s about 5.4°F per 1,000 feet (9.8°C per 1,000 meters). If, on the other hand, the air cools to its dew point and moisture condenses into clouds or fog, latent heat is released into the surrounding air. This slows the cooling rate down to roughly 3.0°F per 1,000 feet (5°C per 1,000 meters). 

Then we’ve got the temperature inversions, in which if temperature always decreases with height, during an inversion, the opposite happens as warmer air sits over a pool of cold air. This is very common in mountain valleys (Salt Lake City) during winter or clear, windless nights, where cold heavy air sinks into the valley floor while Park City’s higher elevation stays significantly warmer. 

Finally the terrain topography and wind also influence the system. Dark rock faces and exposed alpine terrain can heat up significantly under direct sunlight, creating warm microclimates high up that defy the surrounding free-air lapse rate. Conversely, strong alpine winds can pull down cold air masses (these are called katabatic winds) or enhance wind chill, making it feel far colder than the ambient lapse rate suggests. 

Now you know all the details about the whole altitude and temperature relationship!

Mistakes are the bricks that build wisdom

A friend recently reminded me of this when I shared a cartoon about getting older and wiser. He said, “I still make lots of mistakes,” and it struck me that wisdom isn’t what happens after mistakes — it’s what happens through them. 

Without mistakes, wisdom has nothing to grow from. Every misstep gives us another piece of insight, another angle on ourselves, another chance to understand the world a little better. 

Wisdom isn’t a fixed quantity or a final destination; it’s a structure we’re always building, one imperfect brick at a time. So rather than fearing mistakes, we can welcome them as part of the ongoing work of becoming wiser. 

Not because mistakes are fun, but because they’re fertile. They keep us learning, adjusting, and alive to the world. In that sense, wisdom is never finished — and that’s exactly what makes life interesting.

The hardest fear to overcome?

We all fear different things. What frightens one person may hardly concern another because each of us has a different tolerance for uncertainty and risk. Some people—even professional risk-takers—become so accustomed to danger that what once seemed intimidating eventually feels routine. 

As we grow older, experience often teaches us to accept that many events lie beyond our control. Yet logic alone does not erase fear, and many anxieties remain with us throughout life. Among these fears, one stands out as particularly powerful. It’s not the fear of dying, but the fear of being wrong.

Admitting that we have made a mistake, exercised poor judgment, or held a false belief can be extraordinarily difficult because doing so challenges our pride, our self-image, and sometimes even our identity. Perhaps this is one of the greatest psychological hurdles we face. 

While some people learn to acknowledge their mistakes with humility, many spend a lifetime defending opinions they know, deep down, may no longer be true. 

Ironically, the willingness to admit we are wrong is not a sign of weakness but one of the clearest marks of wisdom and personal growth.

Thank you Exxon-Mobil!

We are currently experiencing a hot weather spell in Park City, and while the temperatures are far from excruciating compared to those experienced in the Salt Lake Valley and many other places, we’ve been blessed, so far, without much smoke in the air except for 2 or 3 days in June. 

But when one look at the climatic devastation around the world, from the gigantic forest fires in Europe to the flooding in many places, global warming remains more than ever the humongous elephant in the room. 

Of course, no one is talking about what currently ails the planet and is going to be humanity downfall as the eyes are turned towards wars everywhere and politician’s eccentricities but chickens always come home to roost, which clearly means that meaning that past actions, particularly humanity’s wanton plundering of our planet will eventually catch up with all of us and what we experience is just a sampling. 

This is in spite of the fact that for decades, many members of the fossil fuel industry have tried to convince us that a causative link between fossil fuel use and climate warming couldn’t be made because the models used to project warming were too uncertain.

Recently, it’s been showed that one of these fossil fuel companies, ExxonMobil, had their own internal models that projected warming trajectories consistent with those forecast by the independent academic and government models. What they understood about climate models thus contradicted what they led all of us to believe. 

This is why I’ve decided to say every time I greet someone during our morning walk, if they happen to answer “It’s gonna be another hot one” I always use my follow up answer “Thanks to Exxon-Mobil!” 

Neighbor relations...

My neighbor seems like a nice guy, but like many people likes to have things “His way”. The other day he had visiting guests at his home. The weather was warm and they had dinner on their outdoor deck that is less than 30 feet from our bedroom. 

All the diners were loud and when we went to bed at 9pm we could hear them pretty clearly. We were hoping that at 10pm everyone would all retire inside the house, but they kept their loud encounter going until about 11:30pm. I was so mad that I couldn’t sleep. 

The following night the same thing happened and fearing a repeat of the previous evening, right after 10:30pm, I texted my dear neighbor asking him to “please tell your guests to tone it down, thanks” A few minutes later they all quieted down but my neighbor never answered my text, as he probably felt too embarrassed to respond. 

I felt good about the way I handled the incident. Would you have responded differently and if so, how?

The Wooden Nickel, Jackson Hole

In July of 1984, as I was working with Lange and wasn’t quite happy with my stage in life and career, my interest had been perked up by a tiny ad I found in the “Business Opportunities” section of the serious Wall Street Journal. 

In it, a fashion clothing store was adverised for sale in the mountain resort town of Jackson Hole in Wyoming. I called the ad, talked to the store owner and found out that the asking price for the business (not including the building, of course) was around $120,000 (just under $400,000 in today’s dollars). 

The name of the business was the “Wooden Nickel” which, right in Jackson Hole, stood for western heritage, unique goods, honest value and rustic charm, a playful nod to frontier culture. So around that time, while on a business trip passing through Denver, I flew to Jackson to see the place. 

I had never been there and I loved it! The seller picked me up at the airport and showed me his business. I kind of liked it, but wasn’t too sure about that venture, so I said, I’ll think about it and I’ll talk about it to my wife. 

Work and daily life then flew by and later that year I began developing plans that would lead to my move to Utah in 1985. My western dream was getting on tracks and would become the game-changer it has been!

Weather predictions for next winter…

The latest outlook from the NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center just came out and covers pretty much the upcoming snow season including January, February and March 2027. 

It shows a recognizable El Niño pattern beginning to emerge with wetter conditions across much of the southern United States, drier weather across portions of the northern Rockies and increased odds of above-normal temperatures across large sections of the country.

These maps do not predict exact snowfall totals or individual winter storms. However, they provide what should be a good early indication of where the storm track may favor wetter, drier, warmer or cooler conditions during the 2026–2027 winter. 

As far as Park City is concerned you can see it for yourself: Temperatures trending higher and precipitation the same as normal. We’ll see, as always time will tell, and come early April, we’ll compare predictions against realities to see if any came close to what NOAA predicted….

Too much of a good thing

Portillo, the Chilean ski resort was supposed to open for skiing on June 27. It couldn’t as snow was not there on time. It did the weekend later with snow making on its Plateau ski runs, but on July 14 the access road was closed as a massive snowstorm began on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

Over 5 meters (16+ feet) of total snow has piled up across the resort area since the system hit. Ski Portillo has remained closed and isolated due to the high volume of snow and safety precautions. 

Unofficial local forecasts and resort communications suggest that the closure could realistically impact travel until the first few days of August 2026. The Chilean Highway Department and Guardia Vieja local authorities manage Route 60 (the highway to Portillo). 

Clearing the road will require an immense amount of time to dig through the deep snowpack, clear stranded freight trucks, and complete extensive avalanche mitigation work. 

Ski Portillo's management said that once a safe weather window finally opens, they will first attempt to transport stranded guests to and from the resort via helicopter before the highway is fully cleared for public vehicles. 

While some central Chilean resorts like Valle Nevado have managed restricted 4x4-only openings for residents and staff with bookings, the severe high-mountain corridor leading to Portillo remains strictly impassable. 

Be careful of what you wish for!

The difference between mentors and catalysts

When I take the time to think about it, I don’t think I was ever fortunate to have a mentor, spotting me, guiding me, imparting their knowledge and watching me grow. At the very least, what I’ve often thought were “mentors”, were just encounters that deflected on my trajectory and made it somehow think. To borrow into the present fad, “influencers” might be a better word for what these people did to me. 

I could also say catalysts, which might be a more appropriate term. In fact, what I’m describing is more common than the classic “mentor–mentee” narrative we’re all taught to expect. Perhaps, the distinction I’m making between mentors and catalysts is something most of us never articulate, but many end up experiencing. 

Again, if a mentor is someone who walks alongside us, a catalyst is someone who bumps into us and changes our direction. In reality, most people have far more catalysts than mentors — but we often mislabel them as mentors because “mentor” is the socially approved story.

True mentors have three characteristics: They are there for the duration, they actively invest in our growth and they offer guidance, not just influence. They’re relational, present and committed. They’re the people who say, “I see where you’re going — let me help you get there.” 

Most people have very few of these, sometimes none. On the other hand, catalysts are very different: They appear briefly enough to disrupt our thinking, shift our trajectory and don’t stay around to watch what happens next. Catalysts are not mentors, they’re just inflection points. For instance, they’re the professor who said one sentence that stuck, the colleague who challenged our assumptions, the stranger whose comment re-framed our worldview or sometimes the book that jolted us awake. 

Catalysts don’t guide us — they ignite us. We generally confuse the two because our cultural narrative around growth is built around mentorship and we’re told that successful people have mentors. We’re also told that guidance is the noble path and this wisdom can only be passed down through relationships. 

Many of us never have a true mentor not because they’re unlucky, but because mentorship requires relationships, resources, time, alignment, mutual commitment and a shared sense of purpose. Catalysts, however, can be everywhere as life is full of collisions, not apprenticeships. 

Finally, if some people thrive under mentorship, others, like me perhaps who tend to be independent thinkers, self-directed learners, and people who value autonomy — grow more through catalytic encounters. Maybe I could say for people like me, catalysts often are the real mentors — just in a different form.

Forgot to do what I preach?

The other day, I was on the phone with a friend of mine who recently moved to France with her husband and explained that she was overwhelmed with a large make-over in the older house she just moved into. 

I suggested that she attempt to parcel out the tasks in trying to break up the work and then I realized I should tell her what my approach is when I’m faced with projects or challenges much larger than what I can handle. 

I told her to look at that undertaking with all of our competitive might and see in it a challenge that she had deliberately chosen to measure herself to the sea of average, mediocre human beings. She thought it was a cool idea… 

Then a few days later, as I’m now struggling to tackle a big project that doesn’t appeal to me at all, I suddenly remembered what I admonished that young lady to do and realized that the cobbler had no shoes and I better should tell myself the same set of admonitions. 

I did, and suddenly that ugly task of mine became sexy again and appealing to me. Amazing how our brain loves to forget or overlook what’s good for its own survival, health and pleasure! 

Should we stay with Prime?

If you are not familiar with Amazon Prime. it’s the company’s paid subscription service that offers members fast, free shipping, video streaming, and exclusive discounts. It offers cost-free two-day, one-day, or same-day delivery on millions of eligible items. No minimum order is required. 

Likewise, it also gives access to free delivery on qualifying orders from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods stores. In addition there’s free access to stream movies, TV shows, and live sports which we’ve never used much. There’s also a selection of music and podcasts which we’ve never accessed either. Cost for the service is $139 per year or $14.99 per month plus taxes. 

However, non-Prime members qualify for free standard shipping on orders of $35 or more on Amazon. Today, since I’m no friend with Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, we’re reevaluating if Amazon Prime is worth it based on how often we shop and the fixed cost involved. After doing my own survey, it seems that if I place less than 20 or 30 orders per year, Prime is probably not worth it, especially if we often buy items that already have free shipping without Prime or batch many items together to get to $35. 

We might only go above these numbers yearly if we purchased lots of small, inexpensive items. We should also consider the following hidden factors people forget as Prime influences us to buy more frequently, buy smaller items, choose Amazon even when alternatives are cheaper and value convenience over price comparison 

Without Prime I need to meet the order minimum of over $35 of eligible items (those "fulfilled by Amazon") or any items marked "FREE Shipping" on the product page. If I want to reduce my Amazon addiction, canceling Prime is one of my strongest levers. Since my renewal is up soon, I’ll try this: Cancel and for the foreseeable future and keep track of the shipping fees actually paid, any inconvenience from waiting and any purchases I postpone to reach the free-shipping minimum. 

This way, I'll have real data instead of guessing. This way I shouldn’t have to renew, unless I’m ordering from Amazon very frequently or I know for sure that I’ll save more than $139 a year in shipping. People who place few orders find they can avoid most shipping charges by combining purchases or meeting Amazon's free-shipping minimum. I’ll let you know how that goes!

Soccer World Cup post-mortem

It’s with increasing pleasure and excitement that we have watched the 2026 Soccer World Cup. Without adding to what all of you have seen, read or thought, I just wanted to share my impression that might shine some new light or show a different view on the whole series of events. 

First, it took us some time to get in the mood and catch a certain rhythm as we are notoriously poor team sport spectators. We hardly see any, whether it’s NFL football, basketball, hockey or baseball. We’d rather do the sport than watch it! 

Next, we were shocked at the players’ rough behavior on the field. It seemed to us that it was perceived by players as worth taking a chance the referee wouldn’t see the fault, which confirmed itself as a fair probability. As spectators, we can see fault very easily and quite clearly because of the 3-D view the camera affords us, while the referee is far from enjoying the same visual luxury! 

Of course, we rooted both for the US and France, and while the former was a victim of Trump’s trickery, the latter disappointed us as the going got tough and the opponents harder to beat. 

As a French exiled from my home country since 1977, I had a tough time squaring up with a national team composed in its vast majority of players of African origin. Both England and Spain had teams that looked more representative of their respective population. 

Maybe it’s a sign that I’m overdue to return to France for a visit… Finally, we were delighted that Spain won. "¡Viva España!"