When obscurantism triumphs

Today is a very sad day indeed for America and for the entire planet. Trump’s reelection is a mirror of obscurantism winning over intelligence, of return to the Middle-Ages instead of continued progress, the embodiment of bad versus good. 

I have no other choice, but accept the results of that bruising defeat of light and reason, and the fact the United States has officially entered an era of darkness and decline. I’m just comforted by the way Park City and our County, as a community, rejected that idea. 

We now need to move on, adapt and resist the savage form of leadership that will be imposed upon us. Life will go on and we will have to make the best of everyday until that reactionary way of thinking and leadership style runs out of juice, can’t satisfy its people and is ultimately defeated.

At long last, a family visit!

Only my Dad and Mom came to see us in the United States in the 47 years we’ve lived here. My Dad and Mon once in New York, and my mother twice in Park City. They were our only direct family members who made the effort to come and see us. 

That was until my nephew Yves decided to pay us a visit last week with his wife Anne-Lise and their daughter Victoria, following a whirlwind trip through Florida, then to Las Vegas and our southern Utah National Parks.

After dining with our son and his family in the Salt Lake Valley on Halloween night, we tried to show them as much of Park City as we could in the two days they stayed with us. 

We had a wonderful time together, we convinced them of Park City’s uniqueness and from what we could detect, they’ll probably return and settle for good in our town!

Time for new skis…

On Saturday, upon our guests departure, I dropped by the annual Park City Ski Swap, which on an early afternoon seemed to me to be devoid of attendees. 

Quite a big surprise, in fact. Are the kind of people that flock to these events economically hurting this year? Sticker-shock all around might explain it. Most skis were priced upward of $500, which isn’t exactly cheap. 

Since I’m a Dynastar fan, I checked that brand closely and my eyes went to its M-Pro 85, an all-mountain ski that I thought might work for me.

Designed for short-to-medium radius turns, it has a hybrid core that combines a lightweight poplar core with a density of 450 g/m3, offering an excellent balance of liveliness, resistance, and weight. 

This central element is also wrapped into a fiberglass frame and Titanal sheets that are said to make the M-Pro very smooth and forgiving with a decent edge grip, but still easy to maneuver. 

I said “I buy it!” and only had to fork out less than $370 including my $16 entry fee...

No Halloween in Park City!

Even though we got some snow on the ground this year, we couldn’t stay home for Halloween and distribute the goodies we had stocked up for the occasion. 

So there won’t be any stats to review! My nephew, his wife and daughter were visiting and we all had dinner at night at our son’s home near Salt Lake City. 

We sure didn’t totally missed out on the festivities, as we took a stroll in my son’s neighboring streets where we saw Halloween creativity and action in full display. 

Celebrating in Park City has been rescheduled for next year!

 

Dealing with electoral uncertainty

This election season has been long, unpleasant and anxiety ridden. According to an article I read in the Atlantic magazine, that politics was the leading cause of stress for seven out of 10 adults across party lines. 

In a poll, a the same time, from a mental-health-care company, 79 percent of respondents reported that the presidential election made them feel very anxious. Now that we’re only a few days away from that election it’s only fair to assume that Americans’ anxiety is even higher… 

How can we best deal with this kind of stress depends on each individual, but we should remember to focus on what we can control and on the positive actions we take, like voting and helping candidates we support.

We need to ration the amount of political news we get exposed to. In theory, we should also try to separate the people from their viewpoints. That’s hard, I personally cannot do it, especially when normal looking folks are supporting a serial-liar like Trump. 

Of course, before beginning a discussion or a debate with someone holding an opposite opinion, we might want to think twice. Are we intent on changing their mind and getting them to admit that we’re right? Is it so important that we need to tell them what’s on our mind even if it’s just to maintain our own self respect? 

As always, it helps to acknowledge and validate our fears, anxieties and anger. It can feel scary if we believe our rights might be taken away, our values are being trampled on, or that our chances for a successful future might be damaged. It is always okay to feel angry in the face of what we perceive to be injustice and unfairness.

Winter’s early visit…

On Monday October 28, Mr. Winter made an impromptu visit, for a second time this season, to Park City. 

While an earlier first snow fall around the middle month didn’t last long, this one might be more serious and perhaps be “for good”, as the weather forecast that I’ve seen for the next couple of weeks calls for a string of snowy days. 

It’s rare that our snow season starts that early, but we’ve seen it before. Just let’s hope that it sets the stage for a snowy, powdery ski season. Our local ski resorts got the message and began blowing snow the very next day!

How to curb greed?

In Okinawa, Japan, many practice a dietary habit of eating until they're 80% full. This is one of the key principles of the local diet, which is often credited for the longevity of the Okinawan people. 

This concept, called "Hara Hachi Bu," translates into eating until one is 80% full, a cornerstone of the Okinawan diet. Scientists believe this practice helps prevent overeating, maintains a healthy weight, and improves overall well-being. 

If we can agree with that view, and I personally do, we can extend it easily to other aspects of our lives, like wealth and asset accumulation, a hallmark of modern capitalistic society in which there seems to be plenty of room for improvement! 

While "Hara Hachi Bu" might not be directly applicable in the same way as it is to food consumption, the core idea of moderation and mindful consumption can be adapted. For instance, it could be applied to the way we spend money. We ought to be more mindful about it and start by prioritizing needs over wants by focusing on essential expenses and avoiding impulsive purchases. 

Also, by systematically delaying gratification, resist it in the moment and instead, save for long-term goals. Creating a budget and sticking to it to track our income and expenses would be another way towards that 80% goal of moderation. The same could be said about diversifying our investments by spreading our risks instead of putting all our eggs in one basket. 

At the corporate level, our governments must reform their tax system to the point that dangerous individuals like Musk, Dimon (Chase) or Bezos (Amazon) can no longer purchase everything within their reach to control us and the world at their pleasure. Same consideration for our poor planet (emissions, overpopulation, etc.) 

It’s about time to curb and stop that Gilded Age 2.0!