Last week, while Trump was visiting Japan, he couldn’t resist calling Joe Biden, former vice-president and candidate to the 2020 presidential election, “a fool of low IQ” and listed off a series of embarrassing moments in Biden’s life, like the time he fell asleep during a speech by Barack Obama in 2011, or when he admitted to plagiarizing in school, back in 1987.
On Sunday, the same Trump tweeted that he had “confidence” that Kim Jong Un had “smiled when he called Swampman Joe Biden a low IQ individual, and worse.” The next day, during a press conference, alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump re-served his diatribe, saying: “Kim Jong Un made a statement that Joe Biden is a low-IQ individual. He probably is, based on his record. I think I agree with him on that.”
It take a lot of guts, nastiness and a total lack of courtesy to endorse the North Korean murderer and dictator’s hateful insults of America’s former vice president, while standing next to the leader of a top American ally. Some people have said, “let Trump be Trump” or something of the sort, but we all should be outraged at this kind of behavior. I know, Americans are numbed by Trump misbehavior, but they have no excuse for it.
As for Biden, I don’t think he handle these nasty remark well by ignoring them. Had I been in his spot, I would have immediately called a press conference and ranted about the maniac that usurps his president’s role, and should have demanded that Trump immediately withdraw what he said and apologize to him.
Biden didn’t do it and this shows that he has no spine and won’t be able to joust against the Donald if he ever was to win the Democratic endorsement for president. He showed his total incompetence right there. There are many other reasons why I don’t support Biden, but this reason just happened to suddenly top my list.
Friday, May 31, 2019
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Time to get rid of the landline?
I’m now wondering, not if but when I’ll be able to say goodbye to our own traditional phone and that same number that we’ve used for almost 35 years. Things are changing pretty fast. Today, in the USA, about 40 percent of household make do with a wireless phone. With this in mind, here are a list of pros and cons I plan to consider before, literally “cutting the cord”.
Elements against:
- Cost of maintaining a landline. According to what I was able to gather, the average monthly cost for a landline is $15 to $30, which may not sound like much, but add up over a year and more. Sure, there are ways to keep them and use them with Google voice or even Skype, but it’s more complicated and you may have to let go of your old number.
- Landlines are source of spam. Back in 2003, the Federal Trade Commission launched a "Do Not Call List", allowing consumers to enroll so they wouldn’t receive phone calls from telemarketers. For a while it worked, but today, with robot-calls and the like, it’s become an abject failure.
- It could also cost more if your cable and internet are “bundled” with your landline, and dropping it might add to the cost of the remaining services.
Elements in favor:
- Sound quality is better. Even though some might disagree, there’s a likely consensus that landlines sound a little better and there are far fewer dropped calls with them.
- They could come in handy in emergencies. There are situations when cell phones can’t be located, are out of batteries or might not work for a variety of reasons.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
When competence and confidence clash
Some people say that confidence breeds competence and that is probably where the expression “fake it till you make it” finds its origin.
I’ve always been skeptical of people overly confident and through the course of my life, I’ve seen them, time and time again, over-promising a lot, but under-delivering by an even larger margin.
That was until I heard, I few days ago, on NPR, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, shine a different light on these two important traits. The discussion began on how confidence was defined; namely, was confidence the same as being charismatic or extroverted?
Chamorro-Premusic said that confidence had an external and internal face, in that the external face looked a lot like extroversion, a trait linked to charisma in our Western societies. This said, there are many good people who can be internally confident without projecting it to others.
Overly confident folks are often coming across as arrogant and even obnoxious. All the narcissists are excellent examples of this.
Since confident individuals tend to be more extroverted, and socially-skilled our society tends to put them on pedestal, not only that, but we tend to equate confidence with competence, and automatically assume that because of it, they’re are also more skilled or talented.
The expert went on to say that competent people are generally confident, but confident people are not necessarily competent. They’re just skilled at hiding their incompetence and their insecurities– mostly because they’re self-deceiving themselves, so they can think that they are much better than they are in reality.
This is also an excellent reason why, during quick interviews or evaluations, it’s very difficult to measure how competent people are, especially when they use confidence to fake competence, especially when we’re not experts in that field and can’t perceive the difference.
So, these people who interview really, really well look really good if you have no evidence or information on their actual talent or competence, and this might lead you to assume that they’re great.
Don’t fall into that trap and always look for a way of finding where their real competence stands and don’t just get blinded by their bravado!
I’ve always been skeptical of people overly confident and through the course of my life, I’ve seen them, time and time again, over-promising a lot, but under-delivering by an even larger margin.
That was until I heard, I few days ago, on NPR, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, shine a different light on these two important traits. The discussion began on how confidence was defined; namely, was confidence the same as being charismatic or extroverted?
Overly confident folks are often coming across as arrogant and even obnoxious. All the narcissists are excellent examples of this.
Since confident individuals tend to be more extroverted, and socially-skilled our society tends to put them on pedestal, not only that, but we tend to equate confidence with competence, and automatically assume that because of it, they’re are also more skilled or talented.
The expert went on to say that competent people are generally confident, but confident people are not necessarily competent. They’re just skilled at hiding their incompetence and their insecurities– mostly because they’re self-deceiving themselves, so they can think that they are much better than they are in reality.
This is also an excellent reason why, during quick interviews or evaluations, it’s very difficult to measure how competent people are, especially when they use confidence to fake competence, especially when we’re not experts in that field and can’t perceive the difference.
So, these people who interview really, really well look really good if you have no evidence or information on their actual talent or competence, and this might lead you to assume that they’re great.
Don’t fall into that trap and always look for a way of finding where their real competence stands and don’t just get blinded by their bravado!
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Have humans “lost it”?
It’s a climber named NirmalPurja who posted this photo on Facebook on May 23. Like the rest of us, I saw it all over the places.
While I agree that weather is fickle in that particular part of the world and that climbing “windows” are few and far between, I see more than a thick line of climbers ready to ascend the Hillary Step and then the top of Mt. Everest. I see human stupidity in partaking into both a dangerous and miserable experience.
No question that this foolish exercise is the result of bucket lists that must be fulfilled no matter what, of fabulous postings on Facebook, Instagram and the like, and finally money. Obscene amounts of it. Yes, the ride is a costly one.
I’m told that climbing that particular mountain can cost between $35,000 and $75,000 per person, depending on how much comfort is expected, how many oxygen bottles are desired and how strong the logistical support - mostly made of sherpas – is needed.
I admit that I have no desire to join this crowded bottleneck, but I’m also saddened by hordes of tourists trampling that mountain as if they “had to” do it before they die. Makes me sad about humanity...
No question that this foolish exercise is the result of bucket lists that must be fulfilled no matter what, of fabulous postings on Facebook, Instagram and the like, and finally money. Obscene amounts of it. Yes, the ride is a costly one.
I’m told that climbing that particular mountain can cost between $35,000 and $75,000 per person, depending on how much comfort is expected, how many oxygen bottles are desired and how strong the logistical support - mostly made of sherpas – is needed.
I admit that I have no desire to join this crowded bottleneck, but I’m also saddened by hordes of tourists trampling that mountain as if they “had to” do it before they die. Makes me sad about humanity...
Monday, May 27, 2019
Why aren't more Mormons driving Teslas?
As we do every Sunday, we walked by the Park City Mormon Church yesterday, and for once, I looked at the cars parked there.
They were fewer than usual, since it was Memorial Day weekend and the weather had been so bad that many of the faithful had decided to drive south in search for sun.
In looking at the cars parked, I could only see one Tesla S, two Porsche Panamera, Several Cayennes and a few Range Rover.
Still Tesla is an all-America car, so why this lack of patriotism? The reasons for so few Mormon being fans of Tesla might be that, as a group, they don't believe that being “green” is good and that global warming isn't going to do us in.
Of course, Mormons have already too many weird things to believe in, that they're not more room left for subscribing to an even weirder thing like climate change. Let's cut them some slack and wait till the Quorum of Twelve Apostles begin to boil inside their Salt Lake building and have a revelation!
They were fewer than usual, since it was Memorial Day weekend and the weather had been so bad that many of the faithful had decided to drive south in search for sun.
Still Tesla is an all-America car, so why this lack of patriotism? The reasons for so few Mormon being fans of Tesla might be that, as a group, they don't believe that being “green” is good and that global warming isn't going to do us in.
Of course, Mormons have already too many weird things to believe in, that they're not more room left for subscribing to an even weirder thing like climate change. Let's cut them some slack and wait till the Quorum of Twelve Apostles begin to boil inside their Salt Lake building and have a revelation!
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Park City's pelicans
Last week, as we were walking, I spotted some large, mostly white birds, by our neighborhood golf course and stopped to shot a video. I couldn't get too close, but could see that they had huge bills, like pelicans, which was quite unusual.
On Friday, we came across a smaller flock of the same birds, in flight, and they got closer to us, They confirmed what I saw previously, with their huge pelican yellow bill, with a bump on top, and a white plumage with a stripe of black.
As I returned home, I entered the description on Google and got the picture of an identical bird, the American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), a bird as large as the trumpeter swan. Its overall length can reach 70 inches (180 cm), including its huge beak that's around 11 to 15 inches long (280–390 mm) and a wingspan of about 95 to 120 inches (240–300 cm), making it the largest of any North American bird, after the California condor.
These giant birds nest in colonies in remote lakes of Canada's Alberta and its Northwest Territories. A small portion of their population uses Gunnison Island, in the Great Basin's Great Salt Lake as nesting ground while the southernmost colonies are found in southwestern Ontario and northeastern California.
They winter on the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts from central California, Florida south to Panama, and along the Mississippi River at least as far north as St. Louis, Missouri. In winter quarters, they're rarely found on the open seashore, as they prefer estuaries and lakes. They cross deserts and mountains to avoid the open ocean while migrating.
Now you know everything about these rare visitors to Park City. No, American white pelicans don't ski!
As I returned home, I entered the description on Google and got the picture of an identical bird, the American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), a bird as large as the trumpeter swan. Its overall length can reach 70 inches (180 cm), including its huge beak that's around 11 to 15 inches long (280–390 mm) and a wingspan of about 95 to 120 inches (240–300 cm), making it the largest of any North American bird, after the California condor.
These giant birds nest in colonies in remote lakes of Canada's Alberta and its Northwest Territories. A small portion of their population uses Gunnison Island, in the Great Basin's Great Salt Lake as nesting ground while the southernmost colonies are found in southwestern Ontario and northeastern California.
Now you know everything about these rare visitors to Park City. No, American white pelicans don't ski!
Saturday, May 25, 2019
My French friends and the telephone...
Since I was born and raised in France, and spent more than a quarter of century in that country, I still have many friends over there.
Yet, staying in touch with some of them is a challenge as they never answer their fixed line or their mobile phone. I'm not even talking about email and the rest. Are some of them afraid of the phone (phonophobia) as some fear answering a phone or hearing it ring? Others may perceive the caller as threatening, intimidating or the bearer of bad or upsetting news?
I can't say, but on the other hand, fear of making calls might be caused by concerns of finding the right time to call or the fear of bothering others. In both circumstances, that same fear could originate from anxiety about poor sound quality, misunderstanding, need for repetition, or other awkward, poor communication.
These fears are often linked to the absence of seeing the body language, and individuals fearing to lose control. Then, there are others that are so cheap that they'll never return my calls or simply call me on occasions, to just visit with me? I don't know what their real reasons are, but I find the experience really frustrating.
With apps like Skype and WhatsApp, it's easy and inexpensive to contact people, that it makes me wonder. But again, I wasn't born yesterday and so were my old buddies. We're all vintage folks and have not been raised with cell phones, let alone normal land lines, around us.
I was close to 20 when my parents had their home phone installed, so I'm not even suggesting that calling someone is second-nature. We must do it, because we have to, not because we naturally feel the urge or the sheer pleasure to...
I can't say, but on the other hand, fear of making calls might be caused by concerns of finding the right time to call or the fear of bothering others. In both circumstances, that same fear could originate from anxiety about poor sound quality, misunderstanding, need for repetition, or other awkward, poor communication.
These fears are often linked to the absence of seeing the body language, and individuals fearing to lose control. Then, there are others that are so cheap that they'll never return my calls or simply call me on occasions, to just visit with me? I don't know what their real reasons are, but I find the experience really frustrating.
With apps like Skype and WhatsApp, it's easy and inexpensive to contact people, that it makes me wonder. But again, I wasn't born yesterday and so were my old buddies. We're all vintage folks and have not been raised with cell phones, let alone normal land lines, around us.
I was close to 20 when my parents had their home phone installed, so I'm not even suggesting that calling someone is second-nature. We must do it, because we have to, not because we naturally feel the urge or the sheer pleasure to...
Friday, May 24, 2019
Utah's best and worst...
Today, I won't bore you with snow and skiing. We'll talk about economy, healthcare, environment and education as they all relate to our “Beehive State” as we nickname it. You will see that we're a state of sharp contrasts!
A week or so ago, U.S. News and World Report reported that Utah was ranked number 4 among our 50 states based on metrics like Healthcare, Economy, Infrastructure, Opportunities, Fiscal Stability, Crime, Environment and Education.
This in spite on ranking almost dead last (49th) on environment, because of the terrible inversion and high level of ozone that plague the entire Salt Lake metro area.
In that same report, education is ranked number 12, probably because of Utah's higher education, because from K to 12, our state is ranked dead last (51st), just behind Washington, DC, in education spending for each public school student.
At $7,179, the state maintained its usual last place, according to the 2017 data just published by the U.S. Census Bureau. Utah comes in at roughly half of the national average in per-pupil spending ($12,201) and less than one-third of what New York, the top state is spending ($23,091).
For 2016, Utah's spending was $6,953. Utah also earned last place for teacher salaries, last place for revenue from the federal government and second to last place for total funding. Of the $7,179 spent per student, the data shows that $2,759 of that goes to paying teachers in Utah.
As you can see, skiing and low taxes are much higher priorities in Utah than its cities environment or its kids education...
A week or so ago, U.S. News and World Report reported that Utah was ranked number 4 among our 50 states based on metrics like Healthcare, Economy, Infrastructure, Opportunities, Fiscal Stability, Crime, Environment and Education.
In that same report, education is ranked number 12, probably because of Utah's higher education, because from K to 12, our state is ranked dead last (51st), just behind Washington, DC, in education spending for each public school student.
At $7,179, the state maintained its usual last place, according to the 2017 data just published by the U.S. Census Bureau. Utah comes in at roughly half of the national average in per-pupil spending ($12,201) and less than one-third of what New York, the top state is spending ($23,091).
For 2016, Utah's spending was $6,953. Utah also earned last place for teacher salaries, last place for revenue from the federal government and second to last place for total funding. Of the $7,179 spent per student, the data shows that $2,759 of that goes to paying teachers in Utah.
As you can see, skiing and low taxes are much higher priorities in Utah than its cities environment or its kids education...
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Utah's record breaking ski numbers!
While the previous season tallied 4,145,321 skier days, the 2018-19 season broke all records, with a stunning 5,125,441 skier days, that is more than twice as much as when we came to Park City in 1985 and up 24% over the previous year.
According to Nathan Rafferty, president and CEO, one Ski Utah member - Solitude, I suspect - said that pass holder visits were up 40% this season. Abundant now was instrumental in making that possible and so was the onslaught of the Epic and Ikon pass helped push the numbers over the 5 million mark.
As always, the visitation numbers are just a total without disclosing which resort did what. To address this blind spot, I always try to reconstruct how they're spread among individual resorts.
As a destination, Park City and its two mountains (Park City and Deer Valley) now amount to the largest ski area in North America with well over 2,2 million visitors!
Of course, the Utah tally is still running, as Snowbird may stay open well into June or all the way to July 4, conditions permitting. An excellent reason for me to get there and add my own skier-day!
As always, the visitation numbers are just a total without disclosing which resort did what. To address this blind spot, I always try to reconstruct how they're spread among individual resorts.
As a destination, Park City and its two mountains (Park City and Deer Valley) now amount to the largest ski area in North America with well over 2,2 million visitors!
Of course, the Utah tally is still running, as Snowbird may stay open well into June or all the way to July 4, conditions permitting. An excellent reason for me to get there and add my own skier-day!
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Trump vs. Xi
Last night we watched Frontline, the news show on PBS, about Trump's trade war and its relationship with Xi Jinping.
The excellent piece included comments from Steve Bannon, who, aside from wearing too many shirts at the same time, was pushing the idea of “regime change” in China, which says a lot about the mental sanity of that clown!
The thing that wasn't articulated however, was a key difference between Trump and Xi. That difference is simply that Trump needs to work within the limitations imposed on him by democratic rules and that are tying his hands, compared to Xi, a leader for life, that now has total and unlimited control and can do what he wants when he has to.
So, no matter what happens, the Chinese dictator will prevail or will do everything to crush our “deal maker” from New York. This stupid challenge so poorly planned and executed bode very badly for American like us and will cost us a bundle.
Am I convinced that nationalism as preached by Trump will work in the end?
Not one bit. I remain a staunch globalist!
The excellent piece included comments from Steve Bannon, who, aside from wearing too many shirts at the same time, was pushing the idea of “regime change” in China, which says a lot about the mental sanity of that clown!
The thing that wasn't articulated however, was a key difference between Trump and Xi. That difference is simply that Trump needs to work within the limitations imposed on him by democratic rules and that are tying his hands, compared to Xi, a leader for life, that now has total and unlimited control and can do what he wants when he has to.
So, no matter what happens, the Chinese dictator will prevail or will do everything to crush our “deal maker” from New York. This stupid challenge so poorly planned and executed bode very badly for American like us and will cost us a bundle.
Am I convinced that nationalism as preached by Trump will work in the end?
Not one bit. I remain a staunch globalist!
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Is Eurovision still sounding good?
Last night we spent 18 minutes watching a recap of the Eurovision contest. I had not seen one since the 70s.
I noticed some change in the meantime, but none for the best. Well, the song contest was still good until the mid-seventies when Abba and Waterloo won, but now, all look sounds the same and the grotesque costumes or the fire, explosions and laser shows don't add much value to a rather poor performance.
Unique melodies and lyrics are what make a good song, not fancy dresses and stage effects. Beside, it seems to me that this event should be European, right? Then what are Israel and Australia doing there?
In conclusion, I'm glad I live in America so I don't have to waste time watching this kind of show.
I noticed some change in the meantime, but none for the best. Well, the song contest was still good until the mid-seventies when Abba and Waterloo won, but now, all look sounds the same and the grotesque costumes or the fire, explosions and laser shows don't add much value to a rather poor performance.
Unique melodies and lyrics are what make a good song, not fancy dresses and stage effects. Beside, it seems to me that this event should be European, right? Then what are Israel and Australia doing there?
In conclusion, I'm glad I live in America so I don't have to waste time watching this kind of show.
Monday, May 20, 2019
Navigating cell phone plans
Since Sunday was a dreary, rainy day and I wanted to update the family cell phone plans, I undertook to conduct a serious research in order to find the ideal plan, that is, the one that would offer the greatest value while meeting our specific needs. In fact, this awful exercise should be conducted quite regularly as prices and plans are changing faster the the skies above our heads.
All said, it took me a full day to compile the research, table it and made some choices. When that was done, I focused on other consumer reviews of my selection, only to find that some just didn't look reliable enough to take a chance with them.
At the end, a full day of research and analysis that might only justified for a retiree like me, as it represents a lot of precious time spent for a potentially small monthly saving from my current calling plans!
At the end, a full day of research and analysis that might only justified for a retiree like me, as it represents a lot of precious time spent for a potentially small monthly saving from my current calling plans!
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Traffic gridlock at ski resorts
Most resorts that have grown organically, and were not planned as places where cars were banned, are grappling with the idea of getting rid of the need for visitors to drive in, and so far, they've found no clear cut solutions or innovations that seem truly satisfying. Park City falls in that category and so do its neighboring ski resorts like Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude.
Same thing in my home valley of Morzine, France. Cars have become an evil that proves very hard to displace or replace. High capacity people-movers should be the solution but they all seem always too expensive, hard to locate, unsightly or a combination of these three flaws.
I'll try in the blog to examine the problem and propose some idea for uncongesting traffic at our ski resorts once and for all. At least I'll try, so stay tuned.
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Lining up for fun!
Yesterday my friend Dirk emailed me to ask if I were game for skiing at Snowbird this Saturday.
I didn't have to think and immediately said “yes!”
I knew the weather would be snowy but wasn't quite counting on 12 inches of new snow. Getting to the top was the problem, though.
At the resort base, the tram was out for maintenance and that left us with riding the Peruvian chair as our sole option.
Even though we arrived before 8 am when the lift was supposed to begin operation, we waited and waited until the ski patrol was done with avalanche control and soon a humongous line began to form stretching uphill making it a hard and demoralizing work for those who wanted to join in.
While I'd never would tolerate waiting in line for 5 minutes in winter, I couldn't believe that I accepted my fate, bid my time, stayed in line for 35 minutes, chatting patiently with my friend.
As amazing as it might sound, we repeated the same folly since the upper lifts were still not open as we got to the top of the chairlift, and had no choice but ski towards the base.
My change of attitude towards queues and my newborn patience were nothing short of a total metamorphosis, a true miracle, in fact.
So if you're no longer convinced of the healing powers of Lourdes, time perhaps, for you, to try Snowbird instead!
I knew the weather would be snowy but wasn't quite counting on 12 inches of new snow. Getting to the top was the problem, though.
At the resort base, the tram was out for maintenance and that left us with riding the Peruvian chair as our sole option.
Even though we arrived before 8 am when the lift was supposed to begin operation, we waited and waited until the ski patrol was done with avalanche control and soon a humongous line began to form stretching uphill making it a hard and demoralizing work for those who wanted to join in.
As amazing as it might sound, we repeated the same folly since the upper lifts were still not open as we got to the top of the chairlift, and had no choice but ski towards the base.
My change of attitude towards queues and my newborn patience were nothing short of a total metamorphosis, a true miracle, in fact.
So if you're no longer convinced of the healing powers of Lourdes, time perhaps, for you, to try Snowbird instead!
Friday, May 17, 2019
How great is Switzerland?
To many, Switzerland is a perfect country where each is paved with gold, but reality brushes a different picture. With a very low unemployment and a large GDP per capita (more than $62,000) life is as expensive as the country is small and many folks, even if they seem to earn good money, can't make ends meet.
The healthcare system resembles that of the United States even though, just like the French, Swiss folks spend about 12% of their GDP on healthcare costs compared to more than 17% in the USA. Remarkably, its Federal government runs a budget SURPLUS, compared with France and the U.S. that both spend like drunken sailors with deficits ranging from over 3% to 5%!
What's also notable, is that all retirees must pay full health insurance costs which is incredibly taxing in a country that is as egalitarian as France, with a Gini index of about 30, compared to a whopping 45 in the United States.
The only folks who do very well in that country are the “frontaliers”, those workers who live in Switzerland's surrounding countries, that can access Swiss high-paying jobs but enjoy their cushy social protection and low cost of living in their country of residence!
What's also notable, is that all retirees must pay full health insurance costs which is incredibly taxing in a country that is as egalitarian as France, with a Gini index of about 30, compared to a whopping 45 in the United States.
The only folks who do very well in that country are the “frontaliers”, those workers who live in Switzerland's surrounding countries, that can access Swiss high-paying jobs but enjoy their cushy social protection and low cost of living in their country of residence!
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Ready to make sacrifices?
When you add it all up, climate change, political gridlock, chronic government deficits, national debt, automation, stagnating salaries, income inequality and overpopulation to name just a few of the world's worst problems outside of armed conflicts, the list is overwhelming and the task at hand seems impossible to tackle.
The big thing is that resolving all of these issues demands sacrifices and that no one is willing to make them, unless of course there's some form of coercion that forces us to cut into our own comfort.
Further, when any measure is imposed upon us, not only they're never welcome, but they often are of the “too little, too late” kind, simply because government leaders don't have the gumption to administer strong medicine to their flock.
This, in my view, places humanity on a collision course with both itself and the planet. Call it an implosion if you prefer, knowing that our specie will lose while the planet will survive.
This may sound like dystopia, but I don't see much way out of this sneaky world crisis without more overt government actions forcing these changes upon their populations.
The big thing is that resolving all of these issues demands sacrifices and that no one is willing to make them, unless of course there's some form of coercion that forces us to cut into our own comfort.
Further, when any measure is imposed upon us, not only they're never welcome, but they often are of the “too little, too late” kind, simply because government leaders don't have the gumption to administer strong medicine to their flock.
This may sound like dystopia, but I don't see much way out of this sneaky world crisis without more overt government actions forcing these changes upon their populations.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
No e-scooters in Park City!
One thing that negatively impressed us while we were in San Diego, was the plethora of electric scooters both on the streets and scattered on the sidewalks.
This is a plague we won't have to deal with in Park City and Summit County anytime soon, thanks to a county-wide ban issued about one month ago.
Back in February, feedback was sought from the community about electric scooters through an online survey. More than 560 participated (I didn't, I wasn't aware of it) with most of them saying they didn't like the idea.
A majority felt the community would be better served with expanding the existing electric bike share program and the bus transit system.
I approve of the decision, because I value my life too much and don't want to end up under an e-scooter!
Back in February, feedback was sought from the community about electric scooters through an online survey. More than 560 participated (I didn't, I wasn't aware of it) with most of them saying they didn't like the idea.
A majority felt the community would be better served with expanding the existing electric bike share program and the bus transit system.
I approve of the decision, because I value my life too much and don't want to end up under an e-scooter!
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Sundance and the after-Redford
Later, I was thinking, that as star will turn 83 in August, he'll soon will have to think of doing something with that frozen-in-time mountain resort that is Sundance, and will he be able to extricate his film institute out of the tiny ski resort, or are the two irreversibly tied at the hip and destined to continue as a whole when the man who concocted their existence is no longer there to sheppard both?
Fair question, considering the fact that operating a low-altitude ski place like that one will increasingly become a challenge, and may be even more difficult to turn it into a viable business enterprise?
As the saying goes, “time will tell”, but this situation, when it develops will be an interesting one to watch...
Monday, May 13, 2019
Mother's Day's scattered dates
This past Sunday was Mother’s Day in America as it was in Switzerland, but France will celebrate it two weekend later.
According to what I've read on the subject, Mother’s Day has a long and complex history dating back to the Ancient Greeks and Romans who worshiped their Mother Goddesses during spring, while the name and holiday was created by Napoleon in the 1800’s.
Here, in the United States and Canada, Mother’s Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May and we're a huge majority (I counted 77 countries, the vast majority) celebrating just like us, and then you have a scatter of countries that can't do anything but stray from the norm.
I'm thinking of Argentina, that waits till October to honor its mothers. That's a bit late, amigos. Why can't you talk it over, make the right decision, regroup and do it as we do!
Here, in the United States and Canada, Mother’s Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May and we're a huge majority (I counted 77 countries, the vast majority) celebrating just like us, and then you have a scatter of countries that can't do anything but stray from the norm.
I'm thinking of Argentina, that waits till October to honor its mothers. That's a bit late, amigos. Why can't you talk it over, make the right decision, regroup and do it as we do!
Sunday, May 12, 2019
A foodie’s nightmare
In my opinion, Bucca di Beppo embodies the worst of American food and certainly an extreme example of mediocre American-Italian food.
I’ve only been there twice in my entire life. After my first experience, I promised myself never to return to that ungodly place, but a few nights ago, when we met friends for dinner, they insisted on eating in that “hole”, the literal translation of “bucca”.
First the smell seizes you, as one crosses the labyrinth-like space; a scent of bad Italian food that is. Then the decor is garish, heavy and simply too much. Finally as you get to the table and discover the menu, realizing what mass-quantity is.
One gargantuan portion will feed two people, easily, and we made the error of following the “dosage” indicated on the menu.
This means that we ordered for five people which was twice as much as we should have, and regreted it every bite of the way, except perhaps our guests who seemed to truly enjoy the fare. So much so I must say that they left home laden with “doggy bag” that I'm sure were capable of lasting them for a full week.
As for me I decided to say “ciao” forever to that dreaded place, but who am I to know, don't we say that that “three times is always a charm!”
I’ve only been there twice in my entire life. After my first experience, I promised myself never to return to that ungodly place, but a few nights ago, when we met friends for dinner, they insisted on eating in that “hole”, the literal translation of “bucca”.
One gargantuan portion will feed two people, easily, and we made the error of following the “dosage” indicated on the menu.
This means that we ordered for five people which was twice as much as we should have, and regreted it every bite of the way, except perhaps our guests who seemed to truly enjoy the fare. So much so I must say that they left home laden with “doggy bag” that I'm sure were capable of lasting them for a full week.
As for me I decided to say “ciao” forever to that dreaded place, but who am I to know, don't we say that that “three times is always a charm!”
Saturday, May 11, 2019
A generous tip
At a restaurant, the simple act of tipping the server for his or her work, always involves some basic arithmetic and this always is a welcome exercise, as it reconciles us with percentages and their magic.
That time, we just had some scrumptious tapas and when came time for the check, I looked at the bottom lines and quickly figured a twenty-percent tip. I kept it in my mind as I inserted my credit card into the holder, and when the printed forms returned I wrote that number down and added the two lines up.
That’s when the lines below, designed for those of us who have forgotten the rules of percentages, caught my attention.
There, a various sampling of tips - starting at 20 percent and going all the way up to skyrocketing tips - showed equivalent dollar amounts of which percentage translated to, and to my surprise, my 20 percent was dwarfed by the restaurant’s conception of that same percentage, as it suggested almost twice as much in actual dollar amount!
I crossed the cheat-sheet and wrote a loud “WRONG!” all over it. Hopefully the eatery’s I.T. person will catch it and review the place algorithms.
That’s when the lines below, designed for those of us who have forgotten the rules of percentages, caught my attention.
There, a various sampling of tips - starting at 20 percent and going all the way up to skyrocketing tips - showed equivalent dollar amounts of which percentage translated to, and to my surprise, my 20 percent was dwarfed by the restaurant’s conception of that same percentage, as it suggested almost twice as much in actual dollar amount!
I crossed the cheat-sheet and wrote a loud “WRONG!” all over it. Hopefully the eatery’s I.T. person will catch it and review the place algorithms.
Friday, May 10, 2019
Justifying a second-home?
We’re enjoying fully our visit to San Diego, and yet can’t justify a rationale for buying a second home in this little paradise.
Then the next logical question is: Why not? Well, we’ve been through that process before. It begun back in the days when we still had a home in France while we also owned one in the United States.
Having a second home far away from the primary residence is always very difficult to manage well and it also ties you to that place, to the point that it’s hard to go anywhere else.
Then, I also worked for a long while in the second-home property management business to realize that while second-home were with very few exception an emotional (thus irrational) purchase, they soon became a significant financial burden from taxes, utilities, maintenance, household items and furniture, common area charges, not to mention the never-ending list nasty surprises that pepper the life of any normal homeowner regardless whether the place is used as a primary or a secondary residence.
I’ve long believed that hotels or rental apartments weren’t created for nothing and served a real good purpose in the lives of traveler or vacationers. This buys me change, flexibility, freedom and guilt-free choice when it comes to picking any of my future getaways.
Then the next logical question is: Why not? Well, we’ve been through that process before. It begun back in the days when we still had a home in France while we also owned one in the United States.
Having a second home far away from the primary residence is always very difficult to manage well and it also ties you to that place, to the point that it’s hard to go anywhere else.
Then, I also worked for a long while in the second-home property management business to realize that while second-home were with very few exception an emotional (thus irrational) purchase, they soon became a significant financial burden from taxes, utilities, maintenance, household items and furniture, common area charges, not to mention the never-ending list nasty surprises that pepper the life of any normal homeowner regardless whether the place is used as a primary or a secondary residence.
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Aircraft carrier or Alibaba’s cavern?
We had visited the Midway aircraft carrier in San Diego some eleven years ago. At that time we were impressed by the floating community and infrastructure that hosted 4,500 people that kept it afloat and operating.
I had forgotten a lot about it and we re-did the whole thing, except that it felt like a much more complete and comprehensive visit than we thought we had accomplished in 2008. It’s simply amazing how we forget things unless we repeat them frequently.
It took us a full four hours to explore the behemoth and we were literally on our knees when the tour was over. Call this sensation overload and let’s hope this time that the memories stay in us for the rest of our lives!
I had forgotten a lot about it and we re-did the whole thing, except that it felt like a much more complete and comprehensive visit than we thought we had accomplished in 2008. It’s simply amazing how we forget things unless we repeat them frequently.
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Is San Diego the end of the rainbow?
It’s always been my opinion that San Diego was the best possible place to live, except for skiing, of course!
Each time I return to that City, I’m delighted by its mild climate, its natural beauty and its overall cleanliness.
To the question - would I live there ? - comes a more nuanced answer that includes a terrible traffic and a seemingly absence of seasonal change that would make the place a bit boring after a while.
I kind of strive on the season’s ups and down, plus I’m not really an urban rat, I’m not a water person and would feel out of place if I stayed permanently in that idyllic environment.
I guess, I’m not perfect and wasn’t created to live forever in an absolutely perfect world!
Each time I return to that City, I’m delighted by its mild climate, its natural beauty and its overall cleanliness.
To the question - would I live there ? - comes a more nuanced answer that includes a terrible traffic and a seemingly absence of seasonal change that would make the place a bit boring after a while.
I guess, I’m not perfect and wasn’t created to live forever in an absolutely perfect world!
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
The angst of traveling...
I used to travel a lot and loved every moment of it. Since I retired and suddenly quit traveling on a regular basis, I’ve progressively lost the craving for packing my bags and hitting the road.
In fact, I don’t look forward to it and when I have to leave home, it now creates enough apprehension in me to make me uncomfortable and almost reluctant to go on a trip.
Little details like booking a Lyft or Uber ride, new airline security or check-in protocol bug me and show me how opposed I’ve become to change. These days, change is not just a small part of our day-to-day life; it’s become the elephant in the room, invasive and overwhelming like never before as it seems to want to follow the pace of technology and leave aging guys like me in the dust.
True, I sincerely feel overtaken by our world in perpetual re-invention and once I finally decide to get going, I welcome a trip now and then, to let me appreciate that I should never allow change to make me to throw the towel.
Thank you travel for shaking me up!
In fact, I don’t look forward to it and when I have to leave home, it now creates enough apprehension in me to make me uncomfortable and almost reluctant to go on a trip.
Little details like booking a Lyft or Uber ride, new airline security or check-in protocol bug me and show me how opposed I’ve become to change. These days, change is not just a small part of our day-to-day life; it’s become the elephant in the room, invasive and overwhelming like never before as it seems to want to follow the pace of technology and leave aging guys like me in the dust.
Thank you travel for shaking me up!
Monday, May 6, 2019
Prepping the veggie garden...
I didn't give it much thought at the time, as I had just bought a brand new gasoline-powered tiller and was ready to run it through our tiny garden.
One of the problem I quickly ran into was that it pulverized the dirt instead of just “turning” it, and was also getting into the irrigation pipes that run into the space and caused me to spend time and money repairing what I had broken.
A big part of the plot is also a strawberry patch in which I couldn't do anything without tearing apart the plants.
So, last spring, I took my four-tine digging fork and proceeded to aerate the ground. It wasn't perfect, but it worked as we had a great harvest all summer long.
Comforted by the good results, I repeated the operation, this weekend, just even more thoroughly, and have decided to get rid of the barely used mechanical tiller, and perhaps get a more sophisticated U-fork or broadfork to do the job more efficiently next year.
In the meantime, we're looking forward to a wonderful growing season!
Sunday, May 5, 2019
What to do with so little time?
As we age, the time we've got left shrinks accordingly. So the question soon becomes, “How do we make the best use of it?”
The obvious answer is: “What do we (still) want to do?” But, right there resides the difficulty as wants as well as needs are generally dwindling as older folks are moving from growing or building, into a survival mode.
Based on these changing realities, the challenge becomes to identify what's still important enough to us to accomplish in the diminishing amount of time we have left, and what is going to leave us with the most satisfaction when we get to the end of our respective paths.
In it, there have to be elements we're passionate about, useful, answering questions, giving us happiness, peace of mind and bringing us memorable experiences.
A myriad of options within a little fragment of time that keeps on shriveling!
The obvious answer is: “What do we (still) want to do?” But, right there resides the difficulty as wants as well as needs are generally dwindling as older folks are moving from growing or building, into a survival mode.
Based on these changing realities, the challenge becomes to identify what's still important enough to us to accomplish in the diminishing amount of time we have left, and what is going to leave us with the most satisfaction when we get to the end of our respective paths.
A myriad of options within a little fragment of time that keeps on shriveling!
Saturday, May 4, 2019
Is Macron stuck?
With the yellow vests on one side and not much love from his countrymen on the other, not to mention very few tools left in his quiver, France's Emmanuel Macron appears to be stuck between the rock and the hard place.
No matter what he does, the yellow vests won't be satisfied, plus he now has completely exhausted his goody bag of presents and has no more euros to throw at the crisis.
While I have a lot of sympathy for the president of France, his twenty five per cent approval rating shows that he was woefully unprepared for the job he got, in spite of the fact that he made all the right moves in order to jump into a totally unforeseeable and lucky set of circumstances to get elected.
At two-fifth of his term, Macron will need to muster for a second time all of his intelligence and savvy that got him the position in order to be super-creative or bold enough take a big gamble, since he said he doesn't care about being re-elected into a second term.
The high-risk option seems obviously the best, by for instance, “nuking” the 35 hour week, the fifth week vacation, cutting into the number of public servants and shrinking some of France's social perks.
This said, time is running out for Emmanuel Macron and he can no longer afford to take measures that fall inot the “too little, to late” category...
No matter what he does, the yellow vests won't be satisfied, plus he now has completely exhausted his goody bag of presents and has no more euros to throw at the crisis.
At two-fifth of his term, Macron will need to muster for a second time all of his intelligence and savvy that got him the position in order to be super-creative or bold enough take a big gamble, since he said he doesn't care about being re-elected into a second term.
The high-risk option seems obviously the best, by for instance, “nuking” the 35 hour week, the fifth week vacation, cutting into the number of public servants and shrinking some of France's social perks.
This said, time is running out for Emmanuel Macron and he can no longer afford to take measures that fall inot the “too little, to late” category...
Friday, May 3, 2019
My season on Dynastar Legend 80X
Yesterday was a fabulous ski day for me and my wife at Snowbird. Cold temperatures, blue skies and excellent snow.
It was also my 112th time on ski this season and the 63rd on my Dynastar Legend 80X that have become my inseparable companions in all kinds of terrain, snow and places.
The ski is extremely light and this is why I picked it. It allow me to ski on long boards (180 cm) without any weight penalty and is perfect for the gnarly terrain I'm fond of (tree skiing especially) with their low moment of inertia.
Yet, they're still good carvers on hard pack (80 mm under foot) and still pretty stable. Sure, with such light skis, I have to pay attention of not over-correcting them to much in crud, cut tracks and heavy spring snow.
It's a marriage made in heaven and I hope to stay on skis very similar to these until I kick the proverbial bucket!
The ski is extremely light and this is why I picked it. It allow me to ski on long boards (180 cm) without any weight penalty and is perfect for the gnarly terrain I'm fond of (tree skiing especially) with their low moment of inertia.
Yet, they're still good carvers on hard pack (80 mm under foot) and still pretty stable. Sure, with such light skis, I have to pay attention of not over-correcting them to much in crud, cut tracks and heavy spring snow.
It's a marriage made in heaven and I hope to stay on skis very similar to these until I kick the proverbial bucket!
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Satisfied with 2018/19 US ski visits?
On Tuesday the National Ski Area Association (NSAA) announced the preliminary skier-visit numbers at U.S. Ski resorts for the 2018-19 winter season.
This year's visits are estimated at 59.1 million, up nearly 11 percent compared to the 2017-18 total of 53.3 million visits.
Yet, this happened during a record-breaking snow year (up 31% nationwide over the previous season), a turbo-charged economy and stock market, not to mention the newly synergies created by the multi-area Epic, Ikon, Mountain Collective, Powder Alliance and Powerpass, everything creating a perfect storm, but could only rank this season as the fourth with most total visits since NSAA began tracking visitations in 1978-79.
In fact, the United States couldn't break the 60 million visitors mark reached twice in 2007/08 and 2010/11, or even the third best number reached between the two, in 2009/10, all withing the worst of the devastating financial crisis.
What does this mean? Simply that once more, and over a 25 year period, the industry has been woefully incapable of generating new skiers, and it's not Vail's daily lift ticket at $209 a piece that is going to help creating a positive and endearing image for skiing.
More work is badly needed to get some truly creative solutions to a systemic stagnation!
Yet, this happened during a record-breaking snow year (up 31% nationwide over the previous season), a turbo-charged economy and stock market, not to mention the newly synergies created by the multi-area Epic, Ikon, Mountain Collective, Powder Alliance and Powerpass, everything creating a perfect storm, but could only rank this season as the fourth with most total visits since NSAA began tracking visitations in 1978-79.
In fact, the United States couldn't break the 60 million visitors mark reached twice in 2007/08 and 2010/11, or even the third best number reached between the two, in 2009/10, all withing the worst of the devastating financial crisis.
What does this mean? Simply that once more, and over a 25 year period, the industry has been woefully incapable of generating new skiers, and it's not Vail's daily lift ticket at $209 a piece that is going to help creating a positive and endearing image for skiing.
More work is badly needed to get some truly creative solutions to a systemic stagnation!
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Vail Resorts makes bank!
Also, keep in mind that year-to-year, inflation stayed at around 2.2% while Vail Resorts hiked its ski passes price by about 5%. With this in mind, lift tickets revenue increased by 9.3%, while ski-school went up by 6.5%, food and beverage 6.2% and retail sales some 6.2%.
Overall this was a very good year for the ski conglomerate.
Now, as we look into the future, will that bonanza continue? Well, to make it happen, we would need as good a snow year as this past one, a consumer still willing to buy the Epic pass in spite of its relentless price hikes (when is a lot becoming too much?), no defection from the Epic to the new Ikon pass, and finally, an economy that remains very strong.
A lot to ask, of course, and something increasingly hard to get...
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