The “Swipe” culture

When I was growing up, the verb “swipe” meant to steal something. And maybe it still does in some remote way. Potentially, you can steal a heart or even some’s self-confidence, depending on the direction you swipe. It seems that we can get just about anything we want nowadays by clicking on an app. It’s…
Reflections on turning 75

The former American statesman Bernard Baruch once said, “To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am.” With that in mind, I refuse to be pessimistic or depressed about aging. I’m going to continue to soldier on with my life and adventures and not call it a day until the fat lady…
Your dash

I recently re-read one of my favorite poems about life. Despite having read it many times, I confess that I didn’t give it much deep thought. It was a lovely poem, and that was that. But with my 75th birthday just two weeks away, re-reading it prompted me to reflect on my life (so far). “The…
Once upon a time in China – part two

After a reasonably short flight from Kunming, we arrived in the fantastic city of Guilin, which is situated on the beautiful Li River. Once we found a hotel, we set off for a day cruise down this spectacular river that winds its way through tens of thousands of karst mountains created by millions of years…
Once upon a time in China – part one

It was 1989 or 1990; I can’t say for sure. My older son (actually, my only son at the time) and I were traveling around China to visit a Wushu and Tai Chi coach who had spent time in Sweden coaching us. We had been studying Wushu (a.k.a Kung Fu in the West) for years,…
Harnessing the power of your mind

If you know me, have attended my talks, read my books or followed my blog, you’re familiar with my favorite quote: “You are what you believe you are!” I recently listened to the Huberman Lab Podcast featuring Dr. Alia Crum, a tenured professor of psychology at Stanford University and Founder and Director of the Stanford…
Super pill for soldiers

Real-life super soldiers might be coming faster than you think. Our on-screen superheroes might soon have competition from various militaries around the world. If you follow my blog, you know that I’m fascinated by human performance and anything that can enhance it. It seems there’s a powerful pill – one that can help our troops…
LOOKING FOR ADVENTURE “No time for pondering why I’m wandering.”

I first became interested in The Running of The Bulls (Festival of San Fermin) after reading an account of the event written by American author and all-around “badass” Ernest Hemmingway, in his 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises.” Hemmingway made it sound like the ultimate challenge for a male. I wrote “male” because up until…
Hypocrisy, kleptocracy and energy

The hypocrisy of the kleptocracy that is Russia is mind-boggling. They are not alone, however (more on that toward the end of this post). But let’s examine Russia first. The children of the hypocrites that steer the Russian kleptocracy (Putin, his homies and oligarchs) range far and wide, enjoying all the luxury and glamor that…
Covid, Neanderthals and me

I’m sure you’re wondering what the heck Neanderthals and Covid-19 have to do with each other. I’ll get to that in a minute, but first, I want to point out that I usually avoid writing about Covid-19 like the plague (pun intended). No matter what you write, you’re bound to piss off at least half…