Poetry and Music. It is the Last Sunday of April. De Niro, Norton, & Brando. Answers Please. Grandfather Rules.
- Quote of the Week: “If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.” – Charles Darwin
An interesting quote from someone who spent most of his life immersed in the world of science, specifically biology. Charles Darwin gave the world an insight into the origin and diversity of life on Earth, known best for his Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. He based his widely accepted (but controversial with the Church) theory that individual organisms with the characteristics best suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. Darwin’s theory summed up in one sentence: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
I have not done a deep dive into Darwin’s life but I am assuming Darwin’s quote refers to some level of life balance. I also assume that Darwin spent the majority of his time expanding his knowledge and thoughts about evolution, a subject matter that is not always understood due to religious beliefs and inadequate scientific evidence.
The term ‘life balance’ is discussed by many, practiced by few. Mental health professionals have expressed their belief that life balance is crucial for fostering relationships, managing stress, promoting both physical and mental health, and in general good for our overall well-being. All of us have witnessed friends, family, and associates whose lack of balance with their personal and professional lives led to them going through burnout, emotional exhaustion, and poor job performance.
Life balance is a delicate balancing act, with some handling that balance well, and some not so much. Did Charles Darwin’s extensive research which led to his Theory of Evolution take a toll on him? His quote tells us yes.
For 2025 my focus has been on ‘BALANCE’ – trying every day to find a good level of balance with everything I do. Whether you like Jeff Bezos or not, his take on finding balance and energy is spot on.
Things I Think for the Last Sunday of April
- Is there a correlation with Elon Musk spending most of his time working on DOGE and Telsa’s poor quarterly and year-over-year financial performance? A 71% drop in profit from the same period last year is alarming. Or, did Tesla sales tank as the brand has become a symbol of the current Administration? Or are consumers more diligent with their electric vehicle (EV) purchase due to EV offerings from Ford, Rivian, and other EV manufacturers? Note: If you have a few minutes, Google Jeff Bezos’ new EV offering.
- Regarding Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), there is no doubt that the DOGE initiatives and directives have cut federal spending, but does anyone know if DOGE has significantly reduced the national debt? From Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell: “…reducing domestic discretionary spending will not solve America’s growing national debt problem.”
- Is there a chance that the next Pope will be an American? Most pundits point out that for the first time in history, fewer than half of those given a vote will be European. The voting process is known as the Conclave with one hundred twenty cardinals, all of whom must be under the age of eighty, submitting their vote. The voting process continues until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote. Could the new Pope come from Asia or Africa?
- Synthetic dyes used in food we eat could be banned. My thoughts for all of us: Over our lifetime, how many M&Ms, Lucky Charms, icing on cakes, Cheetos, Skittles, and Doritos have we consumed? Now I know why I am not 6′-2″ tall. 🙂
- Regarding the Question of the Week two weeks ago asking about Pete Hegseth and the Signal messages, many of you responded that due to “no harm, no foul”, Hegseth should keep his job as the Secretary of Defense. The issue bubbled up again last week due to a second Signal message sent to his wife, brother, and personal attorney. Does this second incident change anyone’s thoughts with Hegseth keeping his job?
- Factoid of the Week: Twenty billion. That is the number of videos uploaded to YouTube since the streaming platform began twenty years ago. Forbes reports that over one billion hours of YouTube content are watched each day.
- It is not a ‘must-watch’ but I did catch Robert De Niro in a movie he made twenty-four years ago. I had never seen “The Score” but once I noticed De Niro’s supporting cast, I carved out the two hours to watch the intriguing Marlon Brando, a fantastic Edward Norton, and the always beautiful Angela Bassett. A good story with De Niro playing an aging thief who specializes in safe cracking. Frank Oz is the director, and he once again does a great job with this 2001 movie. The dynamic between De Niro and Norton is worth the watch.
This scene from The Score, when De Niro and Norton first meet, sets the tone for the entire movie.
- Question of the Week: Last week’s question was in regards to your favorite Easter Sunday tradition. Here is how some of you answered:
Favorite Easter memory- my entire family, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors and family “strays” would all gather the day before and decorate Easter eggs. The adult men would hide them late at night and Then after church Easter Sunday would be a huge celebration and egg hunt!
My favorite memories of Easter:
In Lebanon we don’t do egg hunt but we compete cracking other kids eggs. If their egg cracks, I take it.
It was so much fun and the cheating by creating wooden eggs or fortified eggs with female nails polish was so much fun and if you get caught you are banned for life. We had a blast.
Easter memory: Grateful to attend the Cathedral in Nashville, TN with my wife, sons, and daughter-in-law one year after my son and daughters-in-law’s wedding there. Same priest and cantor. Brought back great memory in this most beautiful church.
Here is this week’s Question of the Week:
The recent mass shooting and tragedy that occurred at Florida State University (FSU) has many parents wondering how they would handle this type of incident with their children. The question: If your child were on a campus and an incident similar to the one at FSU occurred, what and how would you respond to your child? What words would or could you use to ensure your son or daughter could carry on without issues? Your answer is appreciated.
- Pure Talent. I like this video for many reasons: 1) Obviously, the talent and skills from both the grandfather and grandson are fantastic: 2) The grandfather playing with and passing on his gift to his grandson. 3) The smiles and joy from both are something special. Ten-year-old Olly and his grandfather are definitely Pure Talent.