An important lesson from pain

We learn more from pain than from pleasure. As people suffer all around us, it's impossible for most of us who are healthy, and not in pain, to imagine how it feels like and be a step closer to become truly compassionate.

This is probably why we should always cherish the few opportunities we have to feel pain, whichever form it takes, and do our very best to experience it fully by observing, sensing, analyzing and measuring what goes through our minds and bodies in these moments.

We must then remember this measure we took and keep it in memory so we can remember it the next time we see other folks in the throes of suffering.

Unlike what we often say, we sure can't put ourselves in the place of those in pain but can move just a tiny bit closer to their situation by remembering some of our own encounters with anything that's unpleasant...

Prepped for discharge

My broken-rib, hospital stay was only for one day, but the establishment made sure I would come out of their place in top shape by giving me their entire pharmacy to boost me up!

Upon discharge, I had become a totally different man, seemingly smiling, buzzing with energy, unrestrained and totally pain-free.

Of course, when I returned home, I realized that the drug prescription I was given was far less potent than the turbo-charged treatment I received while at the hospital.

Today, with a reasonable dosage, my pain level had gone up significantly and I have taken a substantial step backward, physically. I'll just have to adapt, feel more pain, go slowly and return to reality as I'm now back to the real world!

Opioids anyone?

When I came to the hospital for my broken ribs, I was suffering horribly and what saved the day were the potent pain-killers I received.

Obviously, I got a good dose of opioids, both during my short stay there and in my prescription, after I was discharged.

At no time did the hospital staff asked me if I was okay with receiving opioids, they just warned me about their dangers and assumed - I guess - this was the sole option fit for my condition.

I would have expected and preferred to be offered some safer, less addictive alternative, but it didn't happen. I guess, doctors prioritize effectiveness over any danger...

Terrestrial “black-holes”

This black-hole story is no space adventure, but rather a simple reminder to remain extremely careful at all times everytime we ride our bicycle.

First, just picture a bike path that narrows into a tight road under-path, shared with a small creek. Like any underpass, even with some light, it's quite dark, making visibility quite challenging especially on a bright, sunny day.

That's where I got my wife and me into, this past Friday as we were getting back into the saddle for the first time, this season. As it narrows to about 4 foot wide at the entrance to the tunnel, the path is now covered with wood planking, with the tunnel wall on the right-hand side and a 4-foot concrete fence on the rider's left.

This is how I entered the underground passage, without much visibility, and failing to see that the creek had overflowedm, covered the narrow boardwalk with 6 inches of water.

I almost instantly felt my bike slipping from underneath me, my right shoulder hitting hard the concrete wall to the right,  bouncing me even harder  to the left, while getting me off my bike before I hit my rear chest with full force  the cement fence to my left.

The end result when that flying prowess was over amounted to 4 broken ribs, which was consistent with the 4-foot wide path and the 4-foot concrete parapet. Ouch!

The many dangers of biking

Biking can be fun, exhilarating and a wonderful way to achieve fitness. Besides, pedal-power doesn't pollute!

This said, cycling isn't always for the faint of heart, as the contact area with the pavement, also known as “Contact Patch” isn't that generous on road-bikes, when compared to say, mountain-bikes.

This means that road-bikes offer a far less stable platform, much more exposed to obstacles, potholes and irregularities of the road. All this makes biking more dangerous than car driving.

So when combined with apprehension, fear or previous bad experience, the already thin safety margin that biking offers is even less. Tomorrow we'll try to see what else can happen...

Tickled to death!

A few days ago, we were strolling through the Park City cemetery and a crowd of busy workers was busy making the place nice for the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend.

I said to my wife: “I would hate to be among the dead and have to hear all this awful noise from all of these lawn maintenance machines. It probably would wake me up and I'd roll in my grave”.

Then as we move past a fellow running his trimmer, my wife responded: “Don't you fear this machine might be tickling the folks resting underground too?”

I blurted: “Not for a minute; they're all tickled to death!”

Why Trump shouldn't be impeached

To the many who suggest that Trump should be impeached, I say “No!”

Why? Just because of Vice-President Pence.

This man is not just “a “political dummy” as a North Korean official had referred to him after he so wisely said that Mr. Kim could meet the same fate as Libya’s leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, but he is a dangerous zealot that makes Trump look, even under the worst scenario, quite wonderful, which is saying a lot.

Good Lord, please keep the Donald healthy, alive and in power until January 2021!

Apple's nasty business practices

I've never been a fan of Apple and have just been the owner of one iPod. My wife, however, is on her second iPad and bought it because it first came on the market ahead of the other tablets. The first iPad she owned died when its battery failed to recharge.

We didn't throw it away as we were under the impression that Apple would replace it for about $100, but since my wife didn't want to wait for that, she purchased a replacement one. Recently, we finally contacted the Apple Store, and after a rather convoluted protocol, we ended up having to make an appointment at their nearest store to carry on that battery replacement.

We were bounced from one associate to the next and after about 15 minutes past our stated appointment, we were told that Apple didn't change batteries in its iPads and that we would be “given” the option to purchase a new replacement one for $300.

All told, another half day totally wasted! Nowhere during the time I booked the appointment was I told about our lack of options, even though we had to give both the model serial number and date of purchase.

If this sounds like highway robbery, it certainly is and we won't buy another Apple product anytime soon. What I will though, buy a battery replacement kit, including one new battery, the tools to handle it and the video for installing it.

Then, our next tablet is more likely to be branded Samsung or Asus...

Educated?

Educated is this new, best-seller book by Tara Westover, a Mormon girl born to survivalists in Idaho, who claims she never went to school, and instead helped her mother in her medicinal herbs business and helped her father in his junkyard.

Eventually, and out of sheer determination, she went to BYU Universisty in Provo, Utah, then to Harvard and to Cambridge.

In between, she gives an account of her struggle between the strict upbringing she received and her aspirations.

In my opinion, her story might be somewhat dramatized, if not exaggerated, but it poses the problem of imposing irrational and absurd beliefs and religious doctrine on children, that will have irreparable consequences on their mental development and on the rest of their lives.

In other words, it indirectly questions the ethics, or lack thereof, of educating children religiously and thus creating havoc with their normal self-development.

Is it time to ban schools?

If thoughts, prayers and minutes of silence remain ineffective, if no politician has the back-bone to stand up to the NRA and sensibly regulate gun ownership, may be it's now time to ban schools altogether; purely and simply.

They've simply become too dangerous to our kids.
That way, more people will stay ignorant, manipulable and fully willing to believe in irrational stuff, like religion, creationism, the Easter Bunny and the 2nd Amendment.

Royal Weddings and me

I remember watching the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Di, on Wednesday 29 July 1981. It was easy for us and not too early then, because we lived in Chappaqua, on the East Coast, and the viewing hours were decent.

We saw the all thing on our small TV with Nadine and Michel Duret who had come to visit us from France. For some reasons, we missed the wedding of Prince Williams in 2011, but I wanted to make up by watching Harry and Meghan's, which we did last night on YouTube.

I liked the bride, the song “Stand by me” and the preacher. I found the rest of the Windsor family rather boring. We fast-forwarded a lot and the whole thing was screened in 15 minutes.

I felt somewhat stupid to be among the billions who watched that celebrity slice-of-life, but what got my attention was the $45 million this extravaganza cost the Queen, Prince Charles and the British taxpayers.

There's no question this money would have be better spent elsewhere (I'm thinking to care for the wounded and starving Yemenis for instance) even though some sources assert that it brought in $750 million worth of tourism activity and sale of miscellaneous trinkets.

As for me, this may be my last Royal Wedding for a very long time, unless monarchy gets abolish pretty soon, but I'm not holding my breath on that one!

Snowbird's late season skiing is over!

It used to be common for Snowbird to stay open for skiing well into, and beyond Memorial Day.

In spite of some less than generous snow cover this season, the resort could have offered late May skiing, but this is no longer in the cards under the Cummings/Powdr new controlling ownership and a desire to tighten the screws, every possible way.

In fact, the Little Cottonwood resort ended its winter season a weekend ago on May 13. I was sorry when I learned it, as I had planned to go out a few more time on the snow before calling an end to my ski season.

I'm disappointed, but can understand the dollars and cents implications, as most skiers are season's pass holder anyway and don't bring anything, anymore to the resort.

Perhaps, this will put a nail in the Snowbird Spring Pass coffin and lessen the resort's reputation for Utah's “longest ski season.”

A reluctant contestant

Sixty years ago, Monsieur Losserand, my schoolmaster in the one-room, eight-class, elementary boys-only school, at my hometown of Montriond, France, had enough faith in my talents to enroll me in a national contest sponsored by the national soap suppliers association.

I was good at drawing and he asked me to put together the illustrated story of a little boy, that used to be very dirty and, through a series of transformative events, discovered the benefits of personal hygiene.

From what I can remember, I wasn't motivated to do the assignment, got dragged into it, could never see the end of it, but was delighted when it finally was over and my entry sent out.

I never, for a minute, worried one bit about the outcome (to be continued...)

Fully learning from experience

Yesterday, we attendeded a certain event, something we've have done several time with varying degree of success.

If this last experience wasn't a full success either, my take-away was to write down what we learned, so we could re-use it, next time a similar opportunity represents itself, without having to re-invent the wheel, forget about key elements that we learned along the way and, in one short sentence, incrementally improve our strategy for that next time.

Another way to put it, is that we should always dwell on, and analyze, any outcome – good or bad – so we always turn it into a teachable moment and grow with it.

Is Hell still open for business?

I personally don't believe in Hell, nor in Heaven for that matter.

My own interpretation is that both places – Heaven and Hell – are to be found in the here and now, and when our lives are over, there's none of these places waiting for us to hang out.

I say this, because a few days ago, as I was revisiting William Shakespeare's quotes, I also found that one: “Hell is empty and all the devils are here”.

I thought that it perfectly matched my personal views. As for the devils, I'm totally satisfied with the selection shown below...

History lesson?

On Monday, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, was interviewed by Steve Inskeep about the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, and most particularly about “the historical beginnings of Israel and the U.N.'s vision in the 1940s of Jerusalem as an international city...”

Here is the response that the Amabassador gave:

“Well, first of all, I would take issue with beginning the history lesson in 1947. Go back another 3,500 years, go back to the Bible. I'll tell you an interesting story. One of the great commentators on the Bible, his name was Rashi, and he said the reason that the Bible begins with the creation of the world is to create the chain of title from God directly to the Jewish people for the land of Israel, so that if the nations of the world say the Jewish people don't own the land of Israel, they would point to the fact that God created the world and gave it to them.”

This, to me is an absurd answer to a fair question, because it's not based on facts, but instead a religious statement, that, of course, can't be proved and is totally irrational. Since which time has the bible becomes a reliable repository of historical facts?

 The second and other point I'd like to make about Friedman's statement is that, if his reasoning holds, we Americans, ought to be concerned and start packing our bags, before we give their land back to the Amerindians, the original owners.

Some property that was theirs for 15,000 years and we just grabbed it away from them some 500 years ago!

Enlightening chocolates

Our daughter knows we have a sweet tooth, and on special occasions, sends us a generous supply of Baci chocolates.

These delectable treats are made in Perugia, a medieval city in the heart of Italy. It all began in 1922 when Luisa Spagnoli, a young chocolate maker, created a special confection for her beloved.

Its shape was meant to represent a fist (called cazzotto in Italian which stands for punch) because it's wrapped inside a love note. Everything about it was perfect but the name, that why it's been changed to “bacio” or kiss, in Italian.

Then, inside each Bacio is a love note, or at least a message somehow related to love and attributed to someone more or less famous.

Those are usually plain and boring, but last night I got one with a citation from William Shakespeare that said: “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” I found it to be a wonderful precept and decided to live the rest of my life by this wise advice from the Bard of Avon.

Still looking for inspiration, enlightenment or passion? Time perhaps to buy some Bacio from Perugina!

How to tell a good story

Whether it's the book you read, the song or the joke you hear or the movie you watch, your experience will be the direct result of quality of the story told and how it's been told.

Quite by accident, I fell on a good article written by Aimée Lutkin, on what makes a good story and wanted to share it with you.

She starts by underlining the difference between knowing a story “by heart” instead of just memorizing it. That is, you must feel it deeply and it has to be part of your emotional fabric, not be a mere recitation, to connect with your audience.

Next your story need to grab people's attention with a strong opener that tell them it's worth following, I guess, and that it's important to you or I would say, to the audience.

Of course, keep it a concise as possible by refraining from making a “short story long” just to fill up space, and do your best to be as clear as possible.

Adding some dialogue into a story is a good way to give more texture and liveliness to the story, just like by quoting: “And then Charlies said... etc.”

Also, make sure the end or the conclusion of your story delivers the punch that your audience deserve. Don't make the story fizzle-out with a weak or watered-down ending.

 A strong ending will make your story something your audience will remember it (or yourself for that matter) a much longer time.

Finally, get out, live you life and experience as much as you can; in the process, you'll be able to uncover an endless supply of great stories!

Trump's enablers

It's no secret that intelligent people could see from the very beginning that Donald Trump was a bully, an egomaniac, a demagogue and a liar.

What is even more terrible is that the people who voted for the man where either totally stupid (a few) or could identify with all of Trumps evil's traits (many) and saw the man as a validation of their own darkest nature.

As a result, and by voting for him, they all became his “enablers.” If you have forgotten the definition of enabler, it's just an individual that enables another to persist in self-destructive behavior (such as the ones listed above) by providing excuses or by making it possible for that person to avoid the consequences of such behavior.

Nice folks indeed!

Ski Biz: Where's the growth?

The National Ski Area Association (NSAA) seems satisfied from its lackluster numbers as it tallies its skier visits for the 2017-2018 ski season, with an estimated 53.3 million skier and snowboarder visits, down 2.8 percent from last season’s 54.8 million total.

While both the Midwest and the Southeast regions experienced an impressive rebound, as skier visits respectively grew by 17 and 4 percent from 2016-17.

The Northeast region held steady while the entire Western regions were down, ranging between -5 and -14 percent.

In fact, only the Northern Western regions did well in places like Whitefish and Bridger Bowl in Montana; Stevens Pass in Washington; Jackson Hole in Wyoming; and Schweitzer Mountain in Idaho.

In contrast, California, Utah and Colorado were down significantly.

What does that mean?

Even if we acknowledge that snow remains the magic element that makes or break a season, over almost a quarter century, the number of skiers has stagnated in the USA and that unless the beefed-up Epic and Ikon pass stimulate the business, growth will have to come from abroad, from places like Australia and parts of Asia including, of course, China.

Have we started yet to even market to the Chinese?

One white-knuckle airport...

When we visited Telluride last week, I made sure to take my wife check the Telluride Regional Airport out.

I've only flown in and out of that impressive aerie once before in the summer of 2001, and wasn't saying much during the entire approach and landing procedures.

Perched at 9,070 feet over its name-sake ski resort, it is the highest-elevation commercial airport in America. Located on a mesa, with both ends of its runway interrupted by 1,000-foot drop and frequent strong vertical turbulence caused by the mountain winds are excellent reasons for pilots to pay attention.

The next best thing to flying into that airport, is to go up there and observe the rare take-offs and landings that take place during the day.

As the Telluride Regional Airport says in its notice to pilots: “Nothing you want to do tomorrow is worth risking your life and the lives of your passengers today!”

LDS, DNA and reality

Like most holy books, the Book of Mormon is a pretty creative fable, at least from my perspective.

Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism and the originator of the books of scripture behind the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), tells his flock about certain groups of people.

The Book of Mormon gives an account of ancient prophets who lived in the Americas, covering eventes that occurred from about 600 B.C. to 400 A.D. According to the book, some Jews came to America to avoid persecution in Jerusalem. They were divided into two enemy groups, the Nephites and the Lamanites.

In 428 A.D., the Nephites were defeated by the Lamanites who were no other than today's American Indians. Even though Joseph Smith revelations happened in 1830, there's generally no support among mainstream historians and archaeologists for the historical truth of the Book of Mormon that was written as a result of these revelations.

Worst yet, with the advent of the human genome, it's been found that Native Americans have very distinctive DNA markers, and some of them are most similar, among old world populations, to the DNA of people originating from central Asia, not the Middle East.

This conclusion supports the evidence that the ancestors of the American Indians came across the Bering Sea from Asia, with no traces of Middle Eastern ancestry. Of course, Mormon leaders are pushing back at that truth and are putting their own spin to preserve the credibility of their faith...

Tricks ski resorts have up their sleeves...

We usually purchase the Epic Pass from Vail Resorts and wait for the last minute to pay for it. Well not quite the last minute.

If we buy it now, we get 2 buddy passes at $97 each (ha, ha! what a discount) and we're allowed to ride the lifts that are open for free, during summer. Besides, we only have to pay $49 now and the balance is only due by early September.

What Vail Resorts infers, though, is that we shouldn't wait and should commit now, when in fact the real cut off date for that deal is on May 28.

Of course, that date it's not published and nowhere to be found on their website, which goes a long way in showing how manipulative these resorts really are.

That I expected!

Bed & Breakfast anyone?

While in Aspen, I decided, against my intuition, to try a stay in a small bed and breakfast, called the Snow Queen Lodge.

When I booked, the pictures I saw online looked okay and the satisfaction index from previous guests encouraging enough for me to take the plunge.

When we arrived, the lodge looked quite charming from the outside and since nobody was present we picked up the instructions posted on the door to complete our own check-in. The room we got barely locked and was tiny, not to mention the bathroom designed for Lilliputians.

Later, we met the innkeeper who – as Trump says – was all talk, no action. When we returned to our room after diner, its smelled kind of stuffy. We tried to open a window. One was broken and the other one was stuck and hard to slide up.

Lighting, room amenities and mattress comfort were lamentable, but what did it to us was when on five occasions during the entire night we were awoken by a rumbling, earthquake-like noise from the heating furnace that sat in the basement just below us. What a nightmarish night!
 
The next morning, we tried to let the innkeeper and the 92 years old owner know, but that didn't seem to phase them a bit. I guess charm comes with a very steep price; one we aren't willing to pay again!

The tale of three ski towns

Following our short visits to Aspen and Telluride, I couldn't help but think how they compared to Park City and each one filled a specific place inside that trio of renowned ski towns, that also share a similar mining origin.

If we start with Aspen, not just because of alphabetical order, but also because of sheer seniority in the specialty, Aspen has broken the limits of sophistication and has started to lose its soul by becoming to famous, too rich, too exclusive, too snob and so hard to relate to. Gone are the days of conviviality and simple fun it seems. The place feel cold, distant and unattractive. An example to avoid at all cost by other wannabee ski resorts!

As for Park City, its evolution is very concerning as it is now moving in the direction of Aspen's sophistication and snob-appeal. There are still some good bones left in good Park City, but its citizens must remain alert and do everything in their power to present any further “Aspenization”. This will be difficult to contain that ugly genie half-inside the bottle, but there might still be hope!

Finally, Telluride without its ugly and out-of-place “Mountain Village” development is still genuine and still offers a good, reassuring vibe. Its citizens will have to remain vigilant though in keeping its old town section true to itself and not allow the silly architecture that has contaminated Aspen. This will be a tough act to follow!

The desert of Aspen, Colorado

The last time I visited Aspen, I got food poisoning in some restaurant, near the famous Hotel Jerome where I stayed and thought I was going to die.

Today, a dozen years later, I can't recognize Ute City, aka Aspen, Colorado! The buildings have become larger and have lost their 19th century's charm.

The tiny Victorian houses are dwarfed by these huge constructions (with still more going on) and appear less visible than in the past. Luxury brand stores are so common place that the “little, local guys” seem to have been displaced forever.

To make matter worse, everyone we saw was lamenting the lack of people and activity in town on this early Saturday evening of “Cinco de Mayo”.

True, the town fell like a desert. An expensive, pretentious and unwelcoming desert at that. Too bad!

Telluride 30 years later

It's been about three decades since we first set foot at Telluride, Colorado.

Back in these days, and just like our own Park City, the town wasn't much at all. Today, it has grown a lot while its real estate prices have spiraled much, much higher, with its cute, renovated little houses, even more so than in Utah.

In contrast, though, the main street has remained very traditional and has kept its obsolete businesses and mom & pop stores, more so than its Park City counterpart, even if its buildings are no way near as well maintained.

This however is called “charm” and makes the place that much more endearing.

What was the frosting on the cake though was the re-discovery of the “license-plate shack” we had photographed back in these early days. Much more crowded, but still standing and unlike us, not aged a bit!

See Moab's Arches while they hold up!

Today, we went to Arches National Park, in Moab, and didn't have big enough eyes, to absorb all of its stunning mineral beauty.

Not just its natural arches of course, but the rest of its enchanting landscape. Even that early in May, the place was overflowing with visitors.

Between the crowds of tourists trampling the place from all over the planet, the erosion and an always possible earthquake, don't wait to much before you visit that National Park for the first time, or get back to it as many time as we've done already, before these graceful arches hit the ground into a pile of broken rocks.

We all get old and decrepit and so does nature!

Alternative reality?

For folks who can't accept the harsh realities of life, there's always the option of turning to some alternative (and false) reality. One widely available alternative is religion, a solution that, just like a Swiss Army knife, fulfills many needs.

Social need is one of them, like being part of a “club” or system in which there's a sense of community, that promotes encounters and activity keeps people busy and feeling more connected.

Then, there's the need of miracles, superstition or magical solutions in an attempt to resolve complex or unexplained problems that religion masters so well by offering its array of mystical powers.

Call this a source of miracle in all shape or form if you want. For those wanting more magic tools, there are things like confession that offer moral laundry services, prayer that are guaranteed to control all kinds of elements lowly humans have no control upon.

Finally, there is the lure of eternal life that beats forever death, the spooky alternative.

All of these good reasons sure beat a grim daily reality and offer a simple, no-question-asked escapism. So, if you don't quite like real life has to offer, why don't you try religion!

What Benjamin Netanyahu didn't say...

In the past, Israel has rejected as “flawed and hypocritical” its signing of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NTP) that would, among others obligations, make its atomic facilities subject to U.N. Inspections.

It's no secret that Israel has a sizable nuclear arsenal but remains the only Middle East state that, unlike Iran, has not signed the NPT, just like the rogue nuclear nations of India, Pakistan and North Korea. In all, 189 nations are parties to the NPT, including the United States.

Now, explain to me why Netanyahu musters the hypocrisy to accuse Iran the way he did in his recent “Power-Point” presentation? The man is a blatant fraud who clearly wants America to start a proxy war against Iran at U.S. Taxpayers expense.

Trying to remember May of 1968

To many young French people of my generation, May of 1968 was a big deal. For me that wasn't the case. I was held against my will inside the French Air Force, with still ten more months of meaningless, compulsory service to go.

I just ended a frustrating winter during which my ski days had been scarce and felt mediocre, only during my weekend leaves, punctuated with a few frustrating nights out at l'Isba, the main Morzine disco, looking to hookup with some elusive girlfriend.

That's when the riots and the strikes fell on us and literally kept us firmly blocked inside the Base as the social situation was rapidly deteriorating.

That was enough to make us feel alienated from this youth movement and totally unsympathetic to it. For me, as a prisoner of that military institution, the outside world was fine and I didn't see the point in trying to disrupt it.

To this day, I never understood May 68, as my countrymen called that period, and never felt part of it.