https://ninocugtas.com/ Essays on senior living, personal growth, technology, and living well, by Nino Yap Cugtas. en-us Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:08:19 +0000 https://ninocugtas.com/things-ive-come-across-may-28-2026/ https://ninocugtas.com/things-ive-come-across-may-28-2026/ Fri, 29 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000 My new weekly running list of what is actually happening in the world — twenty stories from AI, medicine, senior care, money, and the bigger picture that caught my attention the week of May 28, 2026. personal-growth technology https://ninocugtas.com/things-ive-come-across-may-2026/ https://ninocugtas.com/things-ive-come-across-may-2026/ Tue, 19 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000 A running list of what is actually going on in the world right now — twenty stories from tech, AI, medicine, and senior care that caught my attention in April and May 2026. personal-growth technology https://ninocugtas.com/steve-jobs-by-walter-isaacson/ https://ninocugtas.com/steve-jobs-by-walter-isaacson/ Sun, 17 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000 I am rereading Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs. The first time was in 2011, fast, slightly stunned. This time, in my forties, with a pen. These are my notes — on focus, on sacrifice, on the cost of greatness, and on what I will and will not take from a life that changed the shape of the world. personal-growth https://ninocugtas.com/our-deepest-fear/ https://ninocugtas.com/our-deepest-fear/ Fri, 08 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Marianne Williamson wrote that our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. I first heard the line in a movie. It took me twenty years to begin to understand it. personal-growth https://ninocugtas.com/colby-wan-kenobi/ https://ninocugtas.com/colby-wan-kenobi/ Mon, 04 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000 May the 4th calls for a tribute. Erin has a new bunny named Colby, so naturally he had to be inducted into the Jedi Order. personal-stories https://ninocugtas.com/things-ive-come-across-about-getting-older/ https://ninocugtas.com/things-ive-come-across-about-getting-older/ Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000 A roundup of what I have been reading about aging, senior care, Alzheimer's research, caregiver burnout, and why a 100-year-old woman celebrating her birthday at the gym might be the most important story of the year. senior-living health-and-wellness https://ninocugtas.com/papa/ https://ninocugtas.com/papa/ Fri, 06 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000 He was just Papa. Always had some house project going on. Always heading to the market after a full day of work. He taught me how to cook, how to show up, and how to be present in a way I did not understand until it was too late. personal-stories https://ninocugtas.com/what-nobody-tells-you-about-running-a-memory-care-home/ https://ninocugtas.com/what-nobody-tells-you-about-running-a-memory-care-home/ Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Eight years running memory care homes in Michigan. The emotional toll nobody warns you about, and why that devastation is exactly what makes it worth it. senior-living https://ninocugtas.com/the-process-is-the-reward/ https://ninocugtas.com/the-process-is-the-reward/ Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Dr. Andrew Huberman's research changed how I understand motivation — dopamine rewards the pursuit, not the finish line. The process is not something to endure. personal-growth https://ninocugtas.com/the-books-that-changed-how-i-think/ https://ninocugtas.com/the-books-that-changed-how-i-think/ Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000 These books arrived at the right moments in my life and changed how I see the world. Not a listicle — a story about how reading rebuilt me. personal-growth https://ninocugtas.com/what-running-a-memory-care-home-taught-me-about-patience/ https://ninocugtas.com/what-running-a-memory-care-home-taught-me-about-patience/ Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000 Patience in memory care is not passive waiting. It is one of the most active, most deliberate forms of love I have ever practiced. senior-living https://ninocugtas.com/energy-management-over-time-management/ https://ninocugtas.com/energy-management-over-time-management/ Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000 I used to be proud of how many hours I worked. Then I discovered that the real currency of high performance is not time — it is energy. personal-growth https://ninocugtas.com/why-i-read-40-books-a-year/ https://ninocugtas.com/why-i-read-40-books-a-year/ Sat, 21 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0000 It started with a reading competition in elementary school and a stack of books I was not supposed to finish that fast. It never stopped. personal-growth https://ninocugtas.com/google-has-everything-and-none-of-it-talks-to-each-other/ https://ninocugtas.com/google-has-everything-and-none-of-it-talks-to-each-other/ Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 I tried to go all-in on Google Cloud for my AI system. What I found was a tech giant with world-class tools that don't know the other exists. technology https://ninocugtas.com/building-my-own-jarvis/ https://ninocugtas.com/building-my-own-jarvis/ Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 How I built a local RAG AI system on a MacBook Pro to run my senior care business — $191 a year, zero cloud costs, complete data privacy. technology https://ninocugtas.com/what-gives-me-energy-secret-to-time-management/ https://ninocugtas.com/what-gives-me-energy-secret-to-time-management/ Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000 The ultimate life hack: Energy Management instead of time management. Stay on tasks and activities that give you energy instead of draining it. personal-growth https://ninocugtas.com/5-game-changing-innovations-in-senior-healthcare/ https://ninocugtas.com/5-game-changing-innovations-in-senior-healthcare/ Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000 The convergence of technology and compassionate care is creating unprecedented opportunities to enhance the lives of our residents. senior-living https://ninocugtas.com/model-context-protocol-mcp-the-usb-c-port-for-ai-memory/ https://ninocugtas.com/model-context-protocol-mcp-the-usb-c-port-for-ai-memory/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 Why a tiny rulebook lets ChatGPT-style models remember what matters, plug into your data, and power real-world agents. technology https://ninocugtas.com/the-basics-of-a-productivity-system/ https://ninocugtas.com/the-basics-of-a-productivity-system/ Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000 A summary of the Ultimate Productivity System inspired by Ali Abdaal. Get everything off your brain so it can be free to be creative. personal-growth https://ninocugtas.com/those-who-stay-will-be-champions/ https://ninocugtas.com/those-who-stay-will-be-champions/ Fri, 05 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000 The Michigan Wolverines' motto transcends athletics. It's about grit, perseverance, and staying the course even in extreme adversity. personal-growth