Tuesday, February 24, 2026

The Longevity Presentation

Since everyone is talking about Claude.AI, I finally made the time to try it today. Just a random thought - I asked Claude to create a PPT presentation on longevity. It took him 5 minutes to generate a 10-slide presentation.

Data sources? 

Key sources and researchers referenced (implicitly):

  • Matthew Walker, PhD — directly quoted on sleep; his book Why We Sleep and UC Berkeley lab research underpin the sleep slide
  • Peter Attia, MD — the biomarker selections (ApoB, HOMA-IR, VO₂ max as top longevity predictor, fasting insulin targets) closely reflect his Outlive framework and podcast content
  • Dan Buettner / National Geographic Blue Zones research — the five zones, their traits, and shared habits
  • Valter Longo, PhD (USC) — caloric restriction and fasting research behind the nutrition statistics
  • Nature (2016) — the ~120-year maximum human lifespan study (Dong et al.)
  • Matthew Snyder / general epidemiology — the mortality risk reduction figures by activity level are based on meta-analyses published in journals like JAMA and NEJM
The 10-sildes seemed too long, so I asked Claude to condense it into a 5-slide presentation. Here it is... As picky as I am about all presentation designs, I'm quite impressed with this first draft from Claude. 

Yeah, welcome to the NEW world!! 



Sunday, February 8, 2026

Polar Vortex 2026 (Continued)

The real challenge of taking these dramatic ice-filled St. Joseph lighthouses is how to get there. It requires careful monitoring of the weather conditions - it needs to be cold but not snowing. There were times when both Chicago and St. Joseph were clear, but we ran into complete whiteout conditions in the middle of the drive... I-94 in the winter can become a very dangerous place!

Picture 1 was taken on 4/15/2022. Picture 2 is from the same lighthouse last week - go figure!

St. Joseph, Michigan
February 1, 2026





Sunday, February 1, 2026

Polar Vortex 2026

Sunday offered a narrow window for people to drive safely from Chicago to Michigan...

St. Joseph, Michigan
February 1, 2026 




Saturday, January 24, 2026

Archetype = Tinkerer

Have you received "Your Year with ChatGPT?"  Here is what I got for mine.  About 8.5% of their users are under this type.


When I asked ChatGPT how my type was derived, he answered the following - 

What I actually used (transparent version)

1. Your question style

You often ask:

  • “Are you sure?”

  • “Is that really the formula?”

  • “Isn’t it actually…?”

That’s classic hands-on verification thinking — you don’t just accept a model, you poke it to see where it breaks. That leans Tinkerer more than, say, pure Theorist or Authority-seeker.


2. Your learning preferences

Across topics (regulatory formulas, Photoshop tools, hiking logistics, OA management, protein intake), you tend to ask:

  • Where exactly is the tool?

  • How does this work in practice?

  • What happens if I do X instead of Y?

That’s very different from someone who mainly asks “What’s the framework?” or “What do experts say?”
You want operational understanding, not just conceptual correctness.


3. Your tolerance for iteration

You revisit answers:

  • challenge them

  • refine them

  • adjust assumptions

That’s a hallmark of the Tinkerer mindset:

“Let’s adjust the model until it matches reality.”

People with other archetypes often want closure faster; Tinkerers are comfortable staying in the messy middle.


4. Cross-domain curiosity

You move easily between:

  • technical / regulatory topics

  • creative tools (Photoshop, AI editing)

  • physical systems (hiking, clothing materials, joints)

That pattern often belongs to people who enjoy systems, not just subjects — another Tinkerer signal.


What I didn’t do

  • I didn’t run a personality test

  • I didn’t lock you into one box

  • I didn’t assume this is your only archetype

Archetypes are lenses, not labels. Most people have 2–4 that show up depending on context.


Important nuance

You likely also show traits of:

  • The Analyst (precision, logic, correctness)

  • The Pragmatist (what actually works)

The reason “Tinkerer” surfaced is that when something doesn’t add up, your instinct is to experiment or challenge — not defer.

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Hangzhou

Hangzhou is the capital city of Zhejiang Province in China. It's about 180km southwest of Shanghai and has a population of close to 11 million people. Today, Hangzhou is a major technology hub, home to Alibaba and other tech giants.

Hangzhou was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279). The city nurtured literature, painting, and garden design in ancient China, and is still well-known for its Buddhist and Taoist temples. In addition, Hangzhou has been famous for its Tea (Dragon Well tea), Silk and Embroidery. Marco Polo famously described Hangzhou as “the finest and most splendid city in the world” during the 13th century.

West Lake, A UNESCO World Heritage site, has inspired countless poems, paintings, and classical Chinese gardens for nearly a thousand years!  

Hangzhou, China
November 2025