Using IA in political debates

The last debate between Biden and Trump exposed a tsunami of lies from Donald Trump in response to Joe Biden’s moribund performance. Trump could have dispensed with it, by letting his opponent struggle, then pity him for his senility. That would have sufficed, but “once a liar, always a liar”, it was the man’s nature to hit hard on his opponent with a deluge of lies as he couldn’t help it. 

This said, I would think that absent the moderators’ ability and a human watchdog focusing on misstatements or on pure lies, it should be technologically possible with a live recording filtered by IA, let’s say like Chat GPT, to permanently fact-check what is being said.

Instantly as a lie or a wrong statement would be uttered by either candidate, the IA device would flash a blinking “LIE” or “WRONG” on the screen, plus the number of occurrences per candidate, for the entire debate, for viewers to see. 

At the end of the debate a detailed count of infractions could be easily published for further analysis and discussion. Simple and doable, I think given the state of our technology. Can it be executed for the September debate, whoever debates Trump at that time? Does anyone has anything to say about this?

 Assuming Trump and Biden had both a valid pilot license and your spouse and yourself needed a 45 minute plane ride urgently to get to the hospital to treat a burst appendix, both of you valuing their lives, which pilot would you choose?

After what I saw two nights ago, the response is pretty obvious, I’d pick Trump, even though I hate the guy. I believe that Joe Biden’s performance as a candidate is not going to improve between now and November 5, 2024, quite the contrary. 

 He had a chance on October 27 to show the Country that he was fit to be our president for another 4 years and he clearly failed the test. So what are we to do? Convince him to stop his campaign as soon as possible, of course, but the man seems stubborn, set in his ways and I can only think of two initiatives. 

First having as many people flooding the White House’s website section titled “Share Your Thoughts with the President”, just type “other” on the first line and fill the rest of the questionnaire before you can say “Please stop your 2024 Campaign immediately, Mr. President, your legacy is well worth that sacrifice” or something like it. 

Another way is to suggest or convince several (not just one) major Opinion Polls to ask the US electorate how they would vote, first in a three person contest (Biden/Kennedy/Trump) and then in two extra configurations in which Biden would be replaced by say, Newsom and Whitman. The result might tell us a huge lot and could apply some real pressure to bear on Biden.

Short of that, welcome to the Trump dictatorship!

The horror show (a.k.a. first debate)

My wife and I were distraught, horrified, as we watched Joe Biden crash and burn last night. 

Biden pulled a RBG on us and it ended up like it should, in total failure. The only beneficiary of this horrible debate would be Kennedy. During the exchange, we could see his mind kind of wanting to control his body language and say coherent things but it just could not. 

His body looked clearly used up through wear and tear, four years on the job, his recent trouble with Hunter and his realization that he had gone one bridge too far. 

He must quit the race immediately, including Harris, leaving the DNC to make a choice between Whitmer and Newsom as individual candidates, perhaps pair them up (President/VP) or may be better yet - pair-up Cheney and Newsom, as a bi-partisan ticket to patch-up the Country’s division.

Le Pen and Trump

Coincidentally, it seems, America and France are falling in the same electoral quandary. In America, a stubborn Biden and a relentless Trump brought it upon us, while Macron’s lack of self-criticism and stupid decision of dissolving the French National Assembly inflicted a similar dilemma upon his folks. At the same time, the MAGA, or Trumpist movement, and the “Union Nationale” are political parties cut in the same cloth of lies, misrepresentation and plans for rolling out a form of ultra-right dictatorship into both countries. 

The similarities between Marine Le Pen and Donald Trump are hard to ignore. Like the US President, the far-right candidate for president of France is running a campaign fueled largely by immigrants’ dislike and fear of Muslims. Like Trump, she is positioned as an outsider who will upend a corrupt, inept system that has misled its populace for too long. 

Along the same lines, while Le Pen and Trump both position themselves as the voice of the “little guys”, neither have ever walked one single day in the shoes of the average person they’re targeting. Trump was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and got all from his Dad, while Le Pen grew up at a chateau’s bequeathed to her by her fascist father. Just like Trump, Le Pen and her father are said to have used financial tricks to avoid paying taxes, including allegedly under-reporting their fortune by 60 percent. 

Le Pen loves to draw a parallel between herself and the man who seized the presidency of the US in 2016. Shortly after the US election, she was spotted around Trump Tower looking for her new mentor, while Trump responded to her flattery by calling her the “strongest” French candidate. 

Both also love Putin. Le Pen holds him as well as his banks in the highest regard. Le Pen has met with Putin advocating views that help Russia at Europe’s expense. In the past, she vowed to pull France out of NATO, Earlier on, Le Pen also called for an end to the sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia for its annexation of Crimea, dubbing the sanctions “unfair and silly.” 

 The positive thing going for Marine is that she’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. She appears as a motherly “light” version of her Dad’s dictatorial demeanor and has passed as an inoffensive mother figure to my countrymen and women. Since we’ve lived four years under Trump’s thumb, plus six years of non-stop campaigning, we are well positioned to have watched the hatching of the Trump dictatorship that was about to take place on January 6, 2021. 

Marine has what it takes to do the same, but much more softly and successfully after watching some of Trump’s mistakes. My dear french friends, time is running out, you must now vote with your heads during the upcoming legislative elections!

“No soliciting”

It’s noon, we’re having lunch. The bell rings, I leave the table to see who it is. I open the door and see two boys around 15 to 17 years old, brandishing a tiny sticker. I ask: “Can I help you?” 

They answer: “We need money for a trip this summer and we’re selling these ‘No Soliciting’ signs that you can stick on your front door for just $10 a piece”. I look at the sign, and say: “I’ve no use for that sign, because in fact, I’m not opposed to soliciting; if I were, I wouldn’t have opened my door to you in the first place!” 

The two kids don’t seem to get it, so I continue, “You can only sell these stickers to people who don’t like solicitors like you, and I realize the quandary this puts you in, because these folks probably won’t open their door in the first place. If I were you, I'd try online or by mailing postcards…” 

They leave, I feel bad for both of them, as they assumed there were enough stupid people to buy into their scheme, but only those who opened their doors to them, were de facto disqualified to buy it. Ouch! Making money door to door isn’t that easy!

Showering too frequently?

For many years, French people suffered from the reputation of having poor bodily hygiene. This seems to originate from the Middle Ages and even into the 19th century, when access to clean water for bathing wasn't readily available, especially for the poor living in crowded cities. There were also medical beliefs and social norms that contributed to these views. 

With advancements in plumbing and sanitation in the late 19th and 20th centuries, bathing habits changed drastically in France to the point that showering has become, in some cases, obsessive and excessive. This is what led me to the recent findings about people showering too much when they do it daily.

Experts now suggest a more moderate approach for most people, because they claim that a daily shower can strip away natural oils from your skin, which can lead to dryness, irritation, and even eczema. These natural oils help maintain a healthy skin barrier that protects you from bacteria and keeps your skin hydrated. 

It’s also said to disrupts microbiome, a group of good bacteria, through over-washing, that can potentially lead to allergies or infections. Finally, daily showers use a significant amount of water, which humanity will soon cease being able to afford, as our water-supply will soon become our next environmental crisis. So the question remains, how often should you shower? 

As usual, it depends on certain factors. For instance, if one’s skin is oily, if one sweats a lot through exercise or hard labor or under hot and humid climates, showering every other day or daily is okay, but on average, we should be content with doing it twice weekly. 

Boy, I just saved myself a hell of a lot of time!

An exceptional octogenarian…

We recently saw the Rolling Stones 2024 Concert that took place at the Mile-High Stadium in Denver, filled with more than 80,000 screaming fans. While the music sounded okay, the spectacle was clearly centered on Mick Jagger, who is going to turn 81 on July 26, and whose energy is that of a 30 year old. 

He manages to transfer that enormous energy contagiously to an audience that ends up dancing and singing together with the group. I wouldn’t be surprised that during the concert’s 2 hours, Mike covers 5 to 7 miles running, walking, jumping and dancing. 

The concert began with “Start me up” and ended with “Satisfaction” (watch the video). Emulated by their lead singer, Keith Richard (80) and Ronny Wood (77) are still hanging in there pretty well. How can Mick do it at his age? He doesn’t sit on his butt. Instead, he follows an intensive workout regime more in line with that of an Olympic caliber athlete, by working out three hours a day, six days a week. 

I then compare him to Joe Biden, our dear President, who is just 6 month older and realize there’s a huge physical and cognitive difference between the two men that are virtually the same age. That’s when I tell myself, if our health is decent and we are not ill, we have a duty to fight old age and remain filled with vitality until our very last breath. 

Mick Jagger is admirable, and should serve us all as a North Star when it comes to resisting old age. Let him not remain an exception; we can all do much better! 

Hello, disinformation!

With the prevalence of smartphones and tablets, we rely more are more on news feed from social media and news aggregators that are collecting information from various feeds and news sources for display on a single platform. 

Using social media as a news outlet is the lazy way to get information as it helps us relieve the hardships of navigating through several websites and articles to find information, but it’s chock full of misinformation coming from Putin, Xi, lying politicians and a bunch of conspiracy theorists. 

A better way is to use news aggregators like Google News, Apple News or smaller ones like Smartnews, but even with these, we’re faced with news and information that often contradict each others and make it hard to sort out truth from lies, as well as the ideological orientation of the aggregator. Obviously, not all news aggregators are neutral. 

Algorithmic bias is used by news aggregators like Google News or Apple News, through algorithms to personalize content based on user behavior and search history. This can lead to "filter bubbles" where users are primarily exposed to news they like and that confirms their existing beliefs.

Then we’ve got “curated content”, like SmartNews, that incorporates human editors alongside algorithms to impact news stories. This is meant to ensure a wider range of viewpoints, but the editorial team's own biases might still influence the selection. 

There are ideologically motivated aggregators with platforms designed to cater to specific political viewpoints, ideologies and promote news stories that align with their agenda. Examples include some right-wing (Breitbart, Fox News) or left-wing (Move On, Daily Kos) sources. 

To use news aggregators more critically, it’s important to keep in mind that even those that claim neutrality, might still have some bias in their selection or presentation. Rely on more than one news aggregator representing different viewpoints, to get a well-rounded picture of current events and don’t just trust sensational headlines as they’re often misleading. 

Above all, always check the source to make sure it originates from reputable news organizations, and if still in doubt, fact-check it by using resources like Media Bias/Fact Check.

Magpies’ flying school

Magpies are our local birds, from early January through December, they keep us company, survive a tough winter and are part and parcel of our daily lives. In the late spring, they have their offspring, and in June these little ones must fly out of the nest, like it or not. 

The following short video attempts to show how hard it is to let go and glide on brand new wings. While it takes about 18 months for a US air force pilot to earn their wings before ever flying a fighter, it takes about 6 months, minimum, to learn to fly and fight the fighter the pilot is assigned. 

Young magpies in my backyard don’t have this luxury and their trainers are neither as dedicated nor patient as our military pilots. First, a certain amount of patience is required as no birds can fly as thy hatch. They don’t have feathers. It takes about 2–3 weeks in the nest, after hatching, for magpies to develop the feathers needed for flight. 

Then, they attempt to leave the nest (generally a less than controlled fall to the ground) and spend 3–6 days there (below or near the nest where I shot that video) still being fed by the adults, while they further develop the muscles and skills for their first real flights. Like all young birds, magpies learn to fly through trial and error. 

They'll make short, clumsy flights at first, gradually increasing their distance and control with practice. As their skills improve, fledglings become more adventurous, venturing further from the nest on their own, to explore and find food. Parents may continue to provide guidance and support during this process. That’s why we see young magpies seemingly unable to fly, stuck on the ground. 

Yet, if they appear healthy and their parents are nearby, it's usually best to leave them alone. The parents will guide them back to safety or the fledglings will eventually find their way back to the nest or a safe perch. Very soon, they’ll fly like seasoned pilots! 

Shrinking days are back!

Somehow, I missed yesterday summer solstice. I’m so conditioned in thinking it happens on June 21, that my persuasion blinded me once more. I’ve added a calendar to illustrate my recurrent mistake. 

Most of us know that the summer solstice happens when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). 

For those of us who live up north, the summer solstice is the day with the longest period of daylight and shortest night of the year, when the sun is at its zenith. 

This also means a continuous daylight at either pole on that very day. The opposite is obviously the winter solstice, which we’ll discuss before Christmas. Now, the summer solstice holds a variety of meanings across cultures and history. For us, in the North, it marks the day with the longest period of sunlight. It's the official start of our summer, a time of warmth, growth, and abundance. 

Many cultures view it as the triumph of light over darkness. As days begin to shorten after the solstice, it’s also a reminder that summer's light won't last forever. In Europe it’s time for Bonfires, feasting, and maypole dancing. In Peru it’s time for ancient Inca festival honoring the sun god Inti and celebrating the agricultural year's midpoint. 

It’s also Litha in pagan traditions celebrating the sun's strength and the abundance of summer. For me it’s time to work on the family skis, repair their scratched bases, sharpen their dull edges and wax them with tender, loving care!

Park City’s view of fire danger

On Tuesday, we had the visit of Cherie Wellmon. She is the Park City Fire Marshal and as such, is responsible for the administration and inspections of the Park City Wildland Urban Interface Code, Operational Fire Permits, and Main Street annual fire inspections. 

I wrote previously that I’d keep you posted about her visit. She took a look at our neighbors’ properties, then walked around our house and said that all was fine and we were okay in terms of fire security. What we learned from her is that our City doesn’t want to intrude too much into its residents’ freedom of doing little or nothing about clear and present fire danger. 

To get to that point, we ought to get the City Council to change its municipal code, so for the time being, we’ll need to keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. As always, things may evolve when we have a catastrophe. 

We also learned that our local fire fighters will triage the houses or buildings that are worth saving based on their quality and surroundings which was a reassuring comment towards our own home that is both recent and well maintained. That wasn’t exactly what we wanted to hear, but again, "You can’t always get what you want" as the famous Rolling Stones’ song goes...

Seeking a long life?

Some wonder if good and regular meditation as well as mindfulness practice help in their longevity and while there’s no certainty about it, research suggests that regular meditation and mindfulness practices may contribute to longevity in several ways. 

That sounds like a good deal, if we also manage to stay healthy as we age. For one thing, chronic stress can be reduced by meditation and mindfulness as they promote relaxation, potentially leading to better overall health and potentially a longer life. Stress can also weaken the immune system and meditation may indirectly help the immune system function more effectively, thus aiding in fighting off illness. 

Then, meditation is said to improve Telomere length; telomeres are the caps on chromosomes that shorten with cell division. Some studies suggest that meditation may be associated with slower telomere shortening, potentially indicating a slower aging process at the cellular level. 

It's also recognized that folks who practice meditation regularly may be more likely to embrace healthy habits like regular exercise and a balanced diet, that are contributors to longevity. Finally, meditation may help reduce inflammation in the body, potentially contributing to better health outcomes and potentially, further add to one’s lifespan. 

All these good things seem to suggest that meditation and mindfulness bring a combination of factors that contribute to longevity. This said, don’t forget to visit your doctor once in a while!

Post-mortem choices?

Sunday, I was talking to one of my good friends in France. He asked me: “As for your death, what have you chosen to do?” I said: “What do you mean?” He went, “Will you be buried or cremated?” To his surprise, I answered: “Neither. Since I’ve always feared that no one would attend my burial, I’m gonna give my body to science!” 

He was surprised but still appreciative. Of course, I told him that my next of kin would get the ashes when the medical students would be done with my body, but I guessed, this was an eye-opening conversation for him. I also explained that the money spent on traditional funerals and burial would fund a joyful party celebrating my life with my friends on this earth. 

I must also admit that I’m not a fan of funeral directors that prey on grief-stricken family members. First and foremost, it’s obvious that donating a body goes a long way in training future doctors and surgeons that can practice anatomy, surgical procedures, and refine their skills realistically, for better patient care down the road. If anything, it’s also good to know that my body will be useful for once!. 

Sure there’s the emotional issue involved in skipping an official funeral as the body will be taken right away to be used for medical education. Some, especially the next of kin, can find the logistics emotionally hard to take, but we plan to explore this aspect a bit further before solidifying our decision… 

We’ll carefully imagine what the process could be like, weigh the pros and cons, discuss our choice with our family in advance and make a decision we feel good about...

My engineer neighbor

My neighbor graduated as an engineer and today in his mid-forties is a man of many talents. What I’m not excited about is that he plans to build a small house, called a “casita”, that he plans to rent out. It will be located between his and ours, be just one-floor, its living area no more than 1,000 square feet, with no more than two bedrooms and 18’ in height. 

As a public hearing has been set up and a sign posted in my neighbor’s yard, I asked him to send me the plans, since I’m the neighbor most impacted by his project and will have an opportunity to address my comments during a public presentation before the City Council. 

He hasn’t sent me the floor plans yet, but just a positioning sketch showing where the planned dwelling will sit. Even though I’m not quite an engineer I spotted a few egregious mistakes that made me feel good about my technical knowledge compared to someone who ought to be more skilled than me. 

It might also suggest that today’s degrees aren’t quite worth the paper they’re printed on...

Ready for the wildfire season?

Utah is famous for its beautiful summers, its bone-dry air and with that, fire danger is never far away. 

The other day, we received a brochure from our municipality asking us to prepare ourselves against a looming fire season. It’s true that our block is saturated with trees, of which too many of them are sap saturated evergreens, some of them “standing dead”, a clear and present fire danger. 

When we built our home (blue dot on the photo below) over ten years ago, we only had to plant two trees in the front (that were both eaten up last year by the deer), the rest was already planted, alongside our adjacent neighbors’ properties, encroaching upon ours in many instances. 

Over the years, landscaping companies have been selling far too many trees in too many species (many not adapted to our climate) and planted them far too densely and close to homes, forgetting - no probably ignoring - that trees eventually grow big and tall and here we are, three decades later. in the middle of an urban forest which has become a tinderbox! 

In fact our main problem is not our home, it’s the neighbors’ trees that are choking us, and this is why we requested an assessment of our fire danger by an official from the City who will have to look outside of our own property for effective solutions! We’ll let you know what comes out of that visit...

Duty to exercise…

For a long time, probably as long as I’ve lived in the United States, I have always felt that an able body had a DUTY to exercise, instead of falling prey to sedentary life, adding pounds to its weight and becominh unable to move swiftly. 

This was in consideration of all of those humans, who because of a handicap, an accident, a sickness, would have loved to exercise as much or even more as we did, but couldn’t, at least to the extent a healthy person would. 

I was reminded of this, yesterday morning as we were on our morning walk and saw that legless man riding by us on a racing handcycle wheelchair. He first was doing laps by us and later on, we caught up with him on a fairly steep section of our course where he was visibly struggling.

We both wondered what had caused his ailment, an accident, a genetic malformation, a sickness? We had no chance to interact with him as he was using the opposite side of the road and was trying very hard to stay ahead of us.

Eventually, he got to the top of the grade and flew down the hill. Once more, we said to each other: “How lucky are we!”

Macron’s knee-jerk reaction

Last Sunday, we listened to the European election results on the French radio and were kind of shocked when we heard Emmanuel Macron dissolve the National Assembly right here and then. I thought this macho guy wanted to show who was in charge in the country, as a last marking point of his presidency.

Perhaps he was pissed of at seeing his centrist party crushed by Le Pen’s extreme right and decided to cut his nose despite his face or something of the sort. He realized then and there that he had failed at communicating and that showed his lack of political experience (he’s only been elected president in his entire public office career) and his inability at “reading” people. 

All this in spite of doing a pretty good job. He could have waited a few day, or better yet a few weeks, in order not to risk the upcoming Olympics and seeing a new government going to mess them up, but that’s just me thinking. 

With more time on his side, he might also have engineered a network of alliances, in which he stood a chance to win some instead of being badly crushed, with still the option of doing nothing at all. In the end, he might have bet that the “Rassemblement National” would mess up and prove to be woefully unable to govern and could, again, dissolve the Assembly, one year from now. 

But this is pure conjecture, who really knows, and does he even know? At any rate, he’s created a big splash and not of the best kind...

Goodbye, Françoise!

Yesterday began with some very sad news as I learned that Françoise Hardy, my favorite French female singer had passed.

It was not a total surprise as I knew she had been sick for a long time and was ready for the jump “to the other side”, but still I was profoundly distraught. 

True, her melodies accompanied my uncertain teenage years and if I didn’t fall in love with her, like Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan did, it's because I had my young girlfriend Annie Lenzner at that time, but it was close. 

I still play her songs with total pleasure today and this, in a precious way, keeps her alive and still within my reach. I'll listen to you soon, Françoise!

Getting the most out of my allotted time!

I don’t know about you, but I have the utmost respect for my time, at least for whatever time I have left on this plane, and I do everything I possibly can to put it to good use. At least, that’s my intention as well as my desire! 

Time in fact, all things being equal, is all we’ve got equally in life whether we’re rich or poor, and the more time moves on, the more we realize how little of that precious commodity remains available to us. 

While I’m not a fan of multitasking, I will do it whenever the task will allow it to maximize my time and get two things done instead of just one. This said, whatever I do, in that limited time of mine has to be focused on quality and fulfillment.

There’s the importance of doing what reality counts the most, in other words, my priorities. The activities or endeavors that bring me joy and a sense of purpose are the ones that truly matter and guide me for allocating my time. 

For instance, physical activity takes a huge portion of my free time, like walking, hiking and skiing in winter. I consider it crucial for both my physical and mental health as it gives me the energy and the appetite I need for the rest of the things I enjoy, like writing, reading, gardening, traveling and doing things around the house. 

I also get a healthy diet and a beneficial dose of sleep, both essential for my physical and cognitive health. Finally, I’m never afraid to say NO and politely decline commitments that don't align with my priorities. It frees up time and energy for what truly matters to me. 

And since time is so precious to me, that will be all for today!

Navigating a tsunami of news

I’ve already complained about the huge quantity of bad or “fake” news that are hitting us on a daily basis, adding up to the huge variety and abundance of all kinds of news, false or real, small or big, trivial or hugely important. 

How do we sort out all of this? This constant flow of information can be overwhelming and it’s key to have some strategies in place in order to navigate this "tsunami of news". For me, rule number one, of course, is to make it a habit to identify reliable sources of news and to stay away from social media and “news aggregators”. 

Instead, I try to stick to well-established news outlets with a reputation for fact-checking and unbiased reporting. I always look for outlets that cite their sources and I avoid those known for spreading misinformation. Of course, every source has some bias and it’s essential to know what it is, in order to get a more accurate picture of a story.

As far as news feeds or “news aggregators” are concerned, I only follow journalists and news organizations that can be trusted on social media or subscribe to their newsletters. If I cannot avoid it, I’m always on alert with social media as it’s often a breeding ground for rumors and sensationalized headlines. 

In addition, I don't just skim headlines as they’re often misleading. I read past them to understand the full story and context. Even more work consists in prioritizing in-depth articles that provide analysis and background information. 

Finally, I try to take breaks in consuming news, never jump when a phone alert grabs my attention, set aside specific times to check the news, avoid a constant stream throughout the day and I never forget to make room for activities that help relax and de-stress like working in the garden, editing a video or changing oil on the snow-blower!

Sundance’s growing pains

Sundance Resort had, until now, always been a favorite of ours, so this Sunday afternoon, as temperatures were up and we had nothing better to do, we decided to drive over and see what was up with this pristine mountain spot. The 35 miles scenic drive only takes 45 minutes from our Park City home, so we did just that, passed two reservoirs filled with weekend crowds enjoying the sunny day and finally got to our destination. 

I must say that, before we even got there, I was fearing that parking might be a challenge, but that was without counting on “Take 2” a major construction project that will house a sixty-five-room inn, developed with help for funding from Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA). Suffice to say that I was right and that we had to park, up the hill, ½ mile away. 

Since we didn’t see any sign for shuttle transportation we walked down to the resort, and realized after the fact that there was in fact a shuttle service available. Just no good signage. Why in the world weren’t there any decent indications of that shuttle service? 

The place was mobbed, but we hoped to get an ice cream for moral comfort. Even though the temperature was close to 90 degrees there, the cafe served everything but ice-cream. After investigating, we were told to try the Owl bar in case they had ice-cream. We were told “Yes we do but you must wait till 5 pm, when the restaurant starts serving!” It was just 2:30 pm. Of course, there were no other businesses open but this cafe and that bar. 

The place is woefully under-equipped to cater to small crowds and need to beef-up its food and beverage offering. Profoundly disappointed, we sat for a while, watch a crowd of despondent folks ambling around (just like us) probably looking for… ice-cream! 

We drove back home, I posted this commentary on Google, then we had a delicious gelato on our deck looking at Jupiter Peak. Nothing beats Park City!

Never too late !

Today is a beautiful one in Park City, I feel great as I wake up and ready to take on the world! What could I sink my teeth into this day? Unlike what we too often believe, our quest for perfection is not a deed limited in time and I’m convinced that it’s never too late to undertake anything that can lift us or lift others up. 

I can think of a project I began just over four years ago and, to my surprise, has now come to fruition, and that’s been exceeding my expectations. Achievements like this one encourage me to get even more involved in starting something new. For one thing, our brains are capable of incredible growth and adaptation throughout our lives. 

By not delaying and starting something new, we can keep our minds on a roll, sharp and keep on growing at a personal level. It’s also never too late to revisit dreams and desires that we’ve pushed aside over time, for various reasons.

By taking that leap as we now have more experience under our belts and more tools to reach these goals, we can now discover or unlock a hidden talent or a passion we had never even thought we had. There’s also the intriguing appeal of new experiences that will enrich our lives. 

If it's for a new hobby, an extra skill, or even a career change, starting something new opens doors to a world of possibility. Finally, never forget that time is relative; the same amount of time will flow away anyway, if we start something new or not. 

Whether we’re 19 or 91, wouldn't it be better not to let that precious time go to waste and spend it growing and learning?

Thoughts about Portillo 1966

The other day as I was looking if snow had made it yet to the southern hemisphere, after observing barren ski runs both in Australia and New Zealand, I was elated to see some natural snow on the ground at Bariloches (Argentina) and Portillo (Chile), a one-hotel ski resort located a stone-throw from that same Argentinian border. 

I’ve always been fascinated by that place, but never had a chance to bring my skis to this part of the world, at least for the time being. What had always captured my imagination was that the 1966 Ski World Championships, the first and only one to take place in the southern hemisphere. What had marked me the most was Jean-Claude Killy’s stunning victory on a treeless downhill course (there is another course without trees in Zermatt-Cervinia, that has yet to be raced on). 

This Chilean one, named “Juncalillo” is famous for its steep and long start area and rolling middle section. The race took place on August 7, 1966 under great weather conditions. The course started about 165 feet (50 meters) above the arrival platform of the Roca Jack lift and came down through the Juncalillo run, passing over the two tunnels of the International Road, linking Chile to Argentina with its steep schuss preceding a finish line next to the Juncalillo chair. 

In these times, some critics have said this downhill was a glorified giant slalom, yet it had all the ingredients needed in that speed even and was appropriate for a world championship. Yet, its top 4 to 5 turns on a very steep pitch made all the difference, as they required a perfect carving that Schranz, Nenning or Brugmann, the big favorites of the day, just couldn’t deliver, while Killy in Honoré Bonnet’s own words was “Cutting into the course without spraying any snow…” as the famous French ski team director was observing from mid-course. 

Killy won in 1 minute 35 seconds and 16/100th at an average speed of 62.5 mph (100.51 km/h) before his countryman Léo Lacroix and Germany’s Franz Vogler. Today, that downhill course is mostly used by the US and some Canadian and European ski team for their downhill summer training… 

The power of regularity…

Just like a river can wreak havoc on its banks by relentless assaults, the benefits that regularity can earn us have a powerful impact on most aspects of our lives. I was reminded of this when I saw a health show on Swiss TV, explaining the important of regular physical exercise and asserting that if 30 minutes of daily activity is highly desirable, it’s got to be EVERY DAY, that’s right, 30 minute daily, not 1 hour et 45 minutes on Saturday and on Sunday! 

It’s true that big bursts of effort can be impressive, but consistent, regular action leads to more sustainable progress. Whether it's exercise, studying a language, or working on a creative project, small, regular steps add up over time, just like compounded interests build fortunes. Regularity is also the bedrock of habit formation. By repeating an action consistently, we’ll train our brain to automate it and make it easier to stick in the long-term.

Same story with learning or improving skills. The more consistently we can engage in an activity, the more we’ll refine our technique and the deeper our understanding will become. Then there’s the momentum that’s gained from regularity. Sticking to a routine can be motivating in itself, as we see the progress we make and feel a sense of accomplishment. 

This can create a virtuous cycle in our desire to keep going. Obviously, regularity requires discipline. Sticking to a routine, even when we don't feel like it, builds self-control and willpower, which are valuable assets in all areas of life. So, while sudden and intense bursts of activity are okay, it's the steady drumbeat of regularity that truly drives long-term success and achievement.

Disagreeing agreeably?

Someone we know in France with whom we occasionally communicate emailed me one of these typical propaganda videos in French, just a few days ago, featuring a Frenchman criticizing NATO, the United States and the world community for harassing the Russian nation and Putin, its leader. 

I researched who that man was and found out that it was a former member of the French military as well as a businessman trading with Russia, but better known as a Kremlin propagandist spreading disinformation about the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and standing as a staunch supporter of Putin. 

I then answered my friend’s message like so: “Thank you for sharing this video. I hope your entire family is doing well. In these times, I always check the sources of information that happens to reach me. In case you don't know this, the author of the piece you sent me is…” I went on to say that his ideas weren’t my cup of tea. Unrelenting, she then responded to me that NATO and America were “shit” and putting the world in harm’s way.

At that point I could have responded “We each have our opinions, and perhaps, let’s both agree to disagree and life will go on smoothly for the both of us.” I chose instead to put a stop to an exchange that I deemed totally unproductive and a waste of my precious time. Would you have done the same or if not, how would you have handled the whole thing?

Overpopulation leads to dirty air

After spending 39 years in Park City and as many winter season, I’m also a keen observer of nature and have observed how faster and faster our snow melts in the spring. Sure, I have also seen our average year-round temperatures creep up as well during these almost four decades living in Utah. But in addition to global warming, and as the world population increases, air pollution caused by particles and a myriad of other pollutant materials floating in the air poses a significant threat. 

I believe that a growing world population is likely to worsen our air quality and the health as well as environmental consequences we’re facing. It’s obvious that more people lead to more activity: A larger world population means more cars on the road, more industrial activity, more energy consumption and an exponential volume of trash that ends up on the ground in the oceans and in the air. 

This isn’t counting mineral dust blown from the Sahara in Europe or from the southern California and Arizona deserts where I live. All that stuff eventually lends somewhere and obviously on our snow covered mountain as well as polar caps where snow and glaciers melt at a much accelerated pace. This results in the albedo effect, where the reflective surface of ice and snow in the polar regions reflects sunlight back into space, helping to maintain cooler temperatures. Interestingly, polar caps warm up faster than lower latitudes due to a phenomenon known as polar amplification. 

This occurs because of positive feedback mechanisms that amplify the effects of warming in polar regions. As temperatures rise and ice melts, more heat is absorbed by the exposed darker surfaces, leading to further warming and much less water conservation throughout the year, negatively affecting culinary water supply, agriculture, and why not, snowmaking. 

To make matters worse, as ice melts, it releases more greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, which further contribute to warming. Changes in ocean circulation patterns and atmospheric circulation can also play a role in amplifying warming in polar regions. All this to say that our planet was never meant for a human population over two billions and where everyone is actively consuming and polluting. 

This needs to be turned around sooner than later, but since too few broach the subject, it’s probably already to late!

Nature vs. Nurture

This subject isn’t new, it’s been debated for years. Modern scientific understanding emphasizes that nature and nurture interact throughout our lifespan. Nature vs. nurture? Are we responsible for our genetic traits and subsequent flaws? Let’s do the easy part first, our environment or the “Nurture” component. 

The way and the environment we were brought up play a significant role in shaping who we are. Our prenatal experiences, upbringing, education, social interaction, culture, life experiences, relationships, and surroundings have a critical influence upon our behavior, beliefs, and values. Environment can also influence one’s genetic expression; for instance, certain environmental factors, like nutrition or stress, can turn genes on or off, affecting their impact on our traits. 

While we may not have had control over our upbringing, we can still choose to reflect on and learn from our past experiences, and make conscious adjustments and decisions about how we want to live our lives moving forward.

Where it gets complicated is when we address our genetic blueprint, or the “Nature” part of the equation. The genes each one of us is born with are the basic units of heredity that carry instructions for building and maintaining our bodies and also playing a role in shaping as to who we are as individuals. This could include eye color, height, susceptibility to certain diseases, behavior, feelings, thoughts and overall attitudes. 

While these genetic traits are inherited from our parents and are beyond our control, it’s how we choose to respond to and manage these traits that might give us a leg up on life or just a miserable one. Genes influence how we respond to our environment: For example, a genetic predisposition to anxiety might lead someone to be more affected by stressful life events. 

Conventional wisdom will say over and over that while we cannot control the genetic traits we’re born with, we have to take responsibility for how we deal with them, something much easier said than done as one’s must first identify and understand the underlying issues as well as perceive the solution to overcome these and somehow be made aware of the option of changing. 

Ultimately, while we may not be responsible for our genetic traits and flaws, we’re held responsible for how we respond to them no matter the circumstances or the environment. Only by acknowledging and accepting our genetic predispositions and past experiences, can we take steps to overcome challenges and strive towards personal growth and self-improvement. 

A toll order, in my opinion!

I see a future world of robots...

If things continue to progress the way they are, and with the rise of AI and continued growth in data processing power as well as the increasing role played by drones in war, self-driving cars, etc., can we envision a future filled with robots, doing menial task, playing the roles of warriors, teachers, doctors firemen, farmers, cosmonauts and even CEOs? 

At that point, would the majority of humanity become relegated to the sidelines, collecting some kind of universal basic income and basking in leisure, education, social engagement and other interests? On the other side of that blissful coin, there could also be a multitude of concerns and challenges associated with my vision of the future.

We should also question how wealth could and should be distributed and how humanity will resist falling into an even more unequal society. Mental welfare should also be carefully considered as the absence of mandatory work and all kinds of activities might lead to boredom, depression and other ills. 

This is even before one considers the dark side of rogue AI and malevolent robots, plus all the problems linked to environment and climate change. But before we even begin tackling these subjects, how does my vision make you feel?

A time to sow…

On Thursday, I began sowing my lettuce, always a delicate and tricky job. So before I went to work, I wondered if there was a good technique that I still ignored for sowing small seeds, well spaced, without having too many stuck together in clumps. That’s how I embarked upon my own research and have summarized the result for you should you ever be interested in doing the same. If I could categorize my findings, it would go like this: 

First, there’s seed mixing, presented as a common and inexpensive method. I must mix my tiny seeds with a dry, fine substance like sand, vermiculite, or even cornmeal. A starting point would be a pinch of seeds to a tablespoon of the filler. Once mixed, I should transfer the mixture into a salt shaker to allow for uniform distribution as I sprinkle the seeds, and then gently press them down with a flat tool or my over-sized hand to ensure good soil contact and germination. 

Then there’s the toilet paper method that consists of ripping off a strip of toilet paper to a desired length, moisten the paper slightly with a spray bottle. On it, I’d lay the seeds with tweezers on the damp toilet paper with the desired spacing, before folding the toilet paper lengthwise to enclose the seeds, place the V-shaped paper strip directly into a shallow trench in the soil and cover it lightly with soil. Finally, there are always mechanical tools available like seed spreaders whether manual or electric. 

Even though I liked the toilet paper idea, I found it too tedious and time consuming and didn’t follow any of these recommendations, I did it as I did it before, that is, pinching a small quantity of seeds between my thumb and my index finger and very carefully released them (almost) one seed at a time. 

I took my time, felt good about my work and after sowing so diligently we’ll see what we can reap!

Janek “Yan” Kunczynski, 1944-2024

Janek Kunczynski was a Polish immigrant and former ski racer who initially worked with Jean Pomagalski at Poma, in France. He left Poma in 1965 and founded the company Lift Engineering to build his own ski lifts. One of his first customers was Squaw Valley. The name "Yan" is the English spelling of his first name, and the brand under which Kunczynski sold his lifts. 

“Yan”, as Janek was also called, was famous for dining with prospective clients (après-ski) instead of just negotiating the usual way, and would sketch plans out on paper napkins. 

Besides creating sleek designs that were easy to operate and maintain, another attractive feature to buyers was the price that was significantly below those of larger manufacturers. 

Sold mostly in North America, the lifts have been sold in France (Val d’Isère), Spain and Iran among other countries. For a while, Yan was a major ski lift manufacturer in North America. Based in Carson City, Nevada, the company built at least 200 fixed-grip chairlifts, as well as 31 high-speed quads. 

Mostly through the introduction of these later lifts between 1987 and 1995, the company has been unfortunately involved in the deaths of five people and the injury of at least 70, the worst record of any ski-lift maker operating in North America. This led Lift Engineering to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy-court protection in the District of Nevada. 

In Park City, there are still two Yan fixed-grip double chairs (Jupiter and Thaynes) in operation and at least one triple in Deer Valley; a detachable chair remains still in use in Iran. With Yan passing this March at age 80, according to liftblog.com’s Peter Landsman, another page is turned in the history of the ski business...