Monday, July 31, 2023

Painting the skiing experience

Recently, I picked up a coffee-table, picture book revealing over 30 years of painting work by James Niehues. 

He is a Colorado artist that created many maps that have been the companions of millions of skiers and snowboarders at resorts and mountains across the globe, but mostly here in North America. 

That heavy, 5 lbs book, titled “The Man Behind the Maps”, displays more than 200 individual trail maps Niehus has hand-drawn and painted. 

It has also became the number one Art-Illustration Kickstarter campaign of all time and is loved by skiers and snowboarders who have been familiar with his artsy as well as unique trail maps.

I personally agree than they’re much better than computer-generated map and compared favorably when put side by side with those (see Telluride vs. Morzine-Les Gets) and constitute a very effective blend of artistry and a complex creative license to fit complex mountain reliefs into a flat map and for rendering a pretty realistic experience of what’s in store for the user. 

Great job! I almost wish I had pick James Niehues’ job as a career...

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Breaking up with Twitter, sorry, X

Yesterday, I pulled the plug on my relationship with Twitter, recently renamed “X” by its owner. 

X reminds me of “X-rated” that was generously applied to the porn entertainment industry, and in fact it’s a just way to categorize the social media after it has become the official cesspool of the Republican Party where Kevin McCarthy, Marjorie Taylor Greene and their accomplices can spread their misinformation and other lies to the delight of their blind followers. 

I first became concerned with Twitter when Elon Musk purchased it and the social media has been going downhill from there. First, when he told everyone that we should vote Republican in the last election, then when he got rid of the little cute bird for the negative and forbidding “X”. 

Today, I feel as good as I did when I exited Facebook 5 years ago, already.

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Growing one’s patience

When I was a kid, I was never told that I could train my patience to become more reliable and more resilient. I was just told that “I had to be patient”, like this, out of the blue. I couldn’t understand that patience, like many other traits, could be nurtured, developed and expanded in my best interest and to help me successfully navigate life. 

So, as a result, my youth and a long portion of my adulthood have been marred by some very bad cases of impatience. As I’ve aged, impatience gradually lost its sharp angles and its fiery intensity. Today it’s much milder, but still exists, hiding in the many corners of my mind. It’s not that over the years, I haven’t done anything about it. 

For instance, delayed gratification has constantly made myself stronger and capable of waiting for things I wanted and ultimately. increased my happiness. But today there are still other steps that I must take to become more patient, like biding my time when I’m stuck in traffic, eating more slowly to appreciate my food, always seeking challenging tasks or not objecting to re-doing certain boring jobs. 

When I remember to do it, I try to be more patient with others, listen more actively and be more compassionate. I always need to remember that any new task comes with a definite learning curve and I must never forget to abide by it. I’m also better at accepting uncertainty as part of my life. Tending a veggie garden has also helped me a great deal in harnessing my patience. 

I simply need to go with the flow and wait for my salads to grow, regardless of my unreasonable wishes! Meditating daily has also helped me greatly in becoming more patient. So when all is said and done, patience is a growth strategy, so I remain patiently optimistic about my ability to wait to becoming more patient, while keeping a big smile on my face!

Friday, July 28, 2023

Did I sign-up for this?

When I was young, the idea that a day, I would also turn into an old person never, ever crossed my mind. This was totally unimaginable and didn’t belong to any reality, including my very own. 

As I have grown up, matured a little and even began to age more, lost my hair and whatever made some of my physical beauty, the concern about old age never took roots in me. 

It took me to get comfortably set into the middle of my seventh decade to realize that such a foreign and totally incongruous idea was creeping up on me and morphing into an inescapable reality.

This is what prompted me to wonder: Did I ever sign-up for old age and if so, who is the idiot who forced my hand into doing it. 

Of course, when I try to reason myself, I kind of pretend that growing old is a natural process that happens to everyone, but I’m still unsure it applies to me. 

Real or not, this clearly is like an unfortunate turn of events and I still wonder who pushed me into it?

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Customer service’s Achilles heel

In my house we have a few clad sliding doors made by Windsor the same company that manufactured the windows. 

Of these doors, the one we use most opens from the kitchen out to our outdoor deck. One day my wife found a weeny, tiny screw sitting on the desk and it came from the lock assembly of that door. 

I tried to replace it, but its thread was stripped. After a crazy amount time researching what kind of part it was and after trying to contact in vain the manufacturer, I only could reach out to its reseller in Salt Lake City that was woefully unable to get me that replacement screw, even after I made a pest of myself in insisting about my query. 

Eventually I went to the Park City hardware store that has not been killed yet by Walmart or Home Depot, and had someone quick and knowledgeable to find me the right replacement screw. 

Will I ever recommend Windsor windows and doors in the future? Don’t even think of it!

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

To fence or not to fence?

After struggling in searching for solutions for protecting my veggie from hungry deer, I have suddenly and surprisingly returned to a solution that had once crossed my mind in the early days of owning our new home. 

Instead of building a fence around my yard, I could surround my entire backyard with a fence that would then prevent any large, four legged creature, to venture inside its perimeter.

It would need to be tall enough though, as I’m thinking around 6 feet, and perhaps removable in parts to avoid being crushed from the snow sliding from our metal roof. 

It could either be solid or airy, meaning that it wouldn’t block sight, but just access. There are also issues dealing with our neighbors and the municipal building code, but those are just technicalities as I intend to graciously follow the rules. Finally it should look great while remaining affordable. 

So quite a few things to think about before I go ahead with that project if we find it worthwhile.

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Park City’s workers quandary

I read recently that our little town of Park City, with its population just under 8,500 has, according to the local Housing Resource Center has a housing inventory of 10,440 units (real individual homes, condos and hotel rooms) while just 3,399 are occupied and the rest (7,041) vacant. 

That vacant inventory is made of second and recreational homes. Out of the 3,399 occupied homes, 2,230 are owner occupied while 1,169 are rental units. This lopsided situation is exacerbated by the fact that Park City is the only place in Utah where workers outnumber the population. There are in fact 11,000 workers for just 8,500 residents, which shows the dire need for housing. 

This also means that over 85% of Park City’s workforce must commute to town for work. This means transportation challenges and affects the overall quality of life. To add insult to injury, the cost of living in Summit County, where Park City is located, is nearly 35% higher than the national average, making it increasingly difficult for families to make ends meet. In fact, the starting home price in Park City alone exceeds a staggering $2 million.

While the area median income for a family of four is reported at $134,700, these numbers can be misinformed, as the wages earned by the workforce in Park City and Summit County are at $64,000, $4,000 lower than for the state of Utah and $10,000 less than the national average, showing the financial difficulties faced by the local workforce. 

This makes the housing crisis in Park City and Summit County a pressing issue that demands attention. With skyrocketing home prices, low owner-occupancy rates, and a significant wage gap, urgent action is necessary to create more equitable opportunities for the workforce.

Monday, July 24, 2023

Après Tour de France

As it ended yesterday, we really enjoyed this year’s Tour de France. 

We watched all the stages (we picked and chose segments of interest for each one of them, always including the finish) and really enjoyed the cliff-hanger rivalry between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar.

It’s regrettable in a way that no one else came close enough to these two, because it would have made the race even more interesting. We also missed more stellar performances from American and French riders too, but there’s always a next Tour for this! 

There were plenty of surprising wins of stages along the way, some terrible and bloody falls that seemed to become more gruesome and frequent as the average speed increases, and finally there were these unruly crowds at the top of the climbs that, at times, were the biggest danger competitors had to contend with. 

All in all, some fabulous sports entertainment that will find us glued back to our TV screen for a new show next year!

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Anti-deer strategy

The deer that squatted around our backyard all winter long have not completely left us to pursue greener fields and tasty bushes up in the mountains. 

Some of them are still around, though, and don’t miss a chance to patrol our property, still looking for tasty buds and other delicacies. 

So we’ve had visits focusing mostly on our veggie garden and its nascent salads. 

Recently, I invested into some magic eyes that – as I feared all along – came very short from my expectations. This led me to this final solution and, in followed Trump’s idea, I built a… wall around it!

The difference is that mine is as cheap as it is flimsy and I need to tell the deer to be gentle with its fragile structure, or better yet, avoid it altogether (the thin net is invisible on the photo!)

As for funding it, also just like Donald Trump, I’m absolutely certain that Mexico will pay the bill!

Saturday, July 22, 2023

Utah skiing keeps on growing...

As I do each year upon hearing the final ski visitation numbers in the state of Utah, I resort to my best guess to figure out the contribution for each ski resort. 

This time though, I submitted a rough draft to the President of Ski Utah who took a glance at it, and short of giving me the real numbers, provided me some slight guidance. 

So, I went back to the drawing board and came up with these numbers that should be closer to reality. 

Don’t bank on them, though!

Friday, July 21, 2023

A terrible way to garner feedback

On Wednesday afternoon, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, our Park City municipality conducted a study aimed at defining the future development character and opportunities for a 5-acre site owned by the city within a busy area of town next to major road arteries.

The idea behind this community-led effort would be to create a vision for the site that reflects the desires of Park City residents, businesses, and stakeholders, while supportive the existing neighborhood character of the area. In addition, Park City is developing a Small Area Plan for an area near these 5-acre site address the planning needs and policy goals of residents, business owners, and stakeholders.

Both proposal are difficult to explain and comprehend, so the public should have been much better prepared prior to that session. The study was conducted by MKSK, a company made of planners, urban designers, and landscape architects, along with 3 other entities involved with studies and research. You get my rift, modern-days technocrats!

A presentation-survey was set up in a hotel meeting room circled with tables that were stations attempting to explain what was going on, staff members answering questions and practical tools for the audience to interact with stickers, block and other means.

There were even raffle tickets to reward us (one arriving at 5:30pm had to be present at 7:30pm to know if they had won!).

Obviously, there was no easy explanations of what going on for both project and a huge crowd showed up along with a ton of questions that created a literal gridlock at the various tables. The wait time was incredible. I thought the process would take me 15 to 20 minutes, it took me 45 to get through it and still having no clear idea or understanding about these two projects.

This could have been easily avoided by having good, explicit videos on the website the city put up for the occasion, explaining clearly the whats, whys, whens as well as potential hows, behind these projects.

Instead, the City served us a real zoo that I’m sure cost a lot to all of us, the tax payers. Another wasted opportunity and many dollars under the drain!

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Too much mustard?

We love good mustard, and when we first came to America, such a product was hard to find at a decent price. 

This is how we became delighted when Grey Poupon (a French company started in 1866) came on the market and have tried to remain loyal to that brand. Even before supply chain problems related to the pandemic, we had problem getting it year round, so we began hoarding it. 

For the past three years, our supply has not dwindled a bit, so I’m puzzled as to what wen wrong and I even wonder if the jars we have aren’t making babies. 

This over-stock mystery is probably something I’ll have to elucidate some other day…

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Trump supporters’ moral burden

What’s the moral burden when someone supports a terrible person, bent on lying, cheating, breaking the rules, never admitting he/she is wrong and is totally capable of bringing irreversible change leading to coups, riots, authoritarian rule, etc. Is that person morally justified to lend their support? 

These are the question I was posing yesterday, but the typical “intellectual” answer I got was “It depends” or something along these lines. 

Another way to pose the same question would be to change the subject and say: “If your spouse or your kids were behaving that way, would you still support them?” 

Even from folks who aren't the brightest, the answer would be: “Hell, no!” I am not saying would you stop loving them, but “would you SUPPORT their behavior or their actions?” 

To me, it’s a matter of basic common sense and also to work along the lines of the overall accepted social mores. Not more, not less. This means specific socially constructed idea or ideas that defines morally acceptable behavior. 

Social mores are informed by culture, which is used to share important behaviors and values, as well as enforce them through negative consequences for being in violation of these behaviors. One thing supporters of Trump ought to familiarize themselves with...

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Are Trump supporters as criminal as he is?

Since 2015, I’ve said that Trump supporters fell into four categories. The first one being of mean, evil humans, bent on exploiting others. The second was made of pure imbeciles. The third one of gullible (mostly folks that are deeply religious), finally a mixture of these three traits. 

My feeling is that if Trump is as criminal as his past deeds and behavior have shown us all, and has no regard for rule of law, what can be said of those who supported him and still want him to be president of the USA? 

Are they as morally corrupt or are they ignoring the meaning of their blind faith in that man? I would say yes. At the same time, I’m told by some “smart and reasonable” individuals (in fact very naïve ones) that people have diverse reasons for supporting a political figure and their decisions may not solely be based on an evaluation of their character or their adherence to the rule of law. 

While some individuals may still support Trump despite allegations of criminal behavior, it doesn't automatically mean that they share the same viewpoints or disregard for the rule of law. This to me sounds wrong. They’ll go as far as saying that his electorate can be accommodating enough to tolerate any leader as long as their personal issues are handled to their satisfaction. 

This, in my book, is called hypocrisy. I realize that people's political beliefs and support for a particular candidate can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as policy positions, ideology, party affiliation, personal experiences, or a desire for certain outcomes, but it remains essential that these issues fall within the limits of contemporary law and generally accepted social behavior. 

While it remains essential to engage in respectful and open dialogue to understand different perspectives and address concerns constructively, one can’t accept values that run contrary to current culture and rule of law. 

I realize that it’s difficult to make assumptions about people who supported Trump, but it remains crystal clear that two-thirds of Republicans, 70 percent of voters who supported his 2020 campaign and a little more than half of white evangelical Christians want Trump to run again. Such a nice group... 

Poor America!

Monday, July 17, 2023

Why are some people bent on destroying?

I hate folks who have a demolishing instinct. 

It takes so long to imagine, design and build that any act of destruction makes me cringe. It’s as wasteful as it is unnecessary. Building, for the most part, is what distinguishes us from animals, and yet, it so easy to vandalize, damage or destroy others’ work that it discourages me as it runs so contrary to any positive achievement.

Putin is the "poster boy" for this kind of individuals. I guess some of these destructive folks might respond to various forms of fear (the unknown, humiliation or powerlessness), yet sometimes, their actions seems calculated, willful and even joyful. 

This, of course, suggest many problems these destroyers have. The most obvious are mental issues, as they could be dealing with intense emotional problems, frustration, or anger that trigger destructive behavior as a way to cope with, or express their true feelings. 

There are also those who are on some kind of a mission, holding extreme ideologies or convictions, that could justify or suggest destruction to achieve extremist goals, whether political or religious. 

Others might fall victim of socioeconomic conditions, like poverty, marginalization or lack of opportunities can may also fuel frustration and resentment leading to destructive acts. 

Finally peer influence is always lurking the corners of group settings, where destructive behavior is seen acceptable or even encouraged. 

There might be others reasons involved, that’s why understanding the complexity of human behavior isn’t easy and often requires a case-by-case analysis to truly comprehend the motivations behind certain destructive actions.

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Back home to France, in minutes!

Yesterday, I enjoyed watching the 14th stage of the Tour de France, that happened to end up in my home valley, nestled in the French Alps, right next to the Swiss border. 

This was the 22nd time Morzine was chosen as stage city for this prestigious cycling competition. The battle between the two contenders for that big event was nothing short of epic and kept me on the edge of my seat. 

Since I had not been in Morzine since 2019, I was also equally impressed, if not shocked, by the enormous surge in construction that has been filling the few available open spaces since that time.

What used to be a bucolic community has now become wall-to-wall concrete and asphalt. According to my friends, construction isn’t going to stop anytime soon as money remains the name of the game.

This makes me profoundly sad, yet at the same time, I’m happy that Park City has good zoning laws in place and an aggressive open space purchasing policy to keep unbridled growth at bay!

Saturday, July 15, 2023

Mogul skiers: a cheap way to train!

I recently came across of that video going back to 2009, from Jonny Moseley dryland training, I assume near his home in California. 

For those who don’t recall, Moseley is an American freestyle skier and television presenter. He is the first person born in Puerto Rico to become a member of the U.S. Ski Team. 

He is also known for hosting three seasons of MTV's The Challenge, among other reality shows. Jonny Moseley won an Olympic Gold Medal in moguls at Nagano in 1998, plus multiple wins on the freestyle tour. 

This video showed how the athlete used to train – I assume near his home – on a dirt slope that he constructed himself. Not very good for one’s knees perhaps, but a good simulation of a mogul run for sure. 

So if you are into competitive moguls, don’t have the money to travel to the southern hemisphere to fine tune your training, nothing prevents you from doing what Moseley apparently did in his own backyard! 

Friday, July 14, 2023

Perseverance

Without dwelling too much on the idea, I’ve come to the conclusion that perseverance might be THE trait that defines me most. It is defined by persisting with determination and tenacity towards a goal or an objective, in spite of difficulties, challenges, or setbacks along the way. 

It’s also the ability to stay committed and dedicated, plus maintaining a positive attitude and mindset even in the face of obstacles and difficulties. Obviously that quality demands some clear goals, a love for effort and practice, a tough skin, a great deal of self-discipline and good support all around. 

Over time, perseverance has brought me so many benefits that I can even name them all, like getting (almost) where I wanted most of the time, personal growth, lots of resilience and it has kept me both motivated and driven. 

Yet, I’ve never thought of it that much and never really felt it was as important as it really is. 

It reminds me of another “Perseverance” a well-named ski run at Deer Valley, that almost embodies most of the above. 

As I keep on persevering, I hope you you’ll do the same, and by the way, happy Bastille Day!

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Need an education? Go shopping!

The past couple of days were Amazon “Prime Day”, the now traditional sale from the online merchant, that is also echoed by other merchants, whether internet based or mortar and brick retailers. 

I usually wait for this event to purchase any tech gear that I might need even though its not all limited to that and also include all kinds of items from clothing to tools to household goods. 

This time, I wanted to replace my smaller (24”) seven-year old computer monitor which speakers and audio input no longer work. My current Dell is mediocre at best, but like the computer has held up pretty well over time (in fact, I’ve never owned a computer that long). 

To purchase with that promotion, Prime membership is needed, but that’s not where the difficulty resides. 

I was looking for a 24 or 27” monitor with speakers and what I was looking at were prices ranging from $120 to $500 and it was difficult to make a choice, not to mention its shape, curved or flat, its resolution, pixel pitch, refresh speed, consumption and heat dissipation, among other issues. I hesitated for days on end, before I settled on a Philips monitor...

What a waste of time, energy for so little gained in education!

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Is Prana more tangible and rational than religion?

Since I began meditating two and a half years ago, I stumbled upon Prana. It’s part of Indian spiritual traditions and Hinduism, and it refers to the life force or vital energy that permeates us all. 

Obviously, it’s an abstract concept that with some training and can be felt by some, but is not physically measured or observed. It hasn’t much to do with religion or any sets of beliefs, practices, and rituals that are often centered around the worship of a higher power or powers. 

Religion can encompass a wide range of beliefs and practices, and its tangibility and rationality is said to vary vastly from one religion to another. I see neither tangible or rational elements in religion and I’m totally convinced that all religions are irrational while some are just absurd. Ultimately, the tangibility and rationality of religion has to depend on an individual's beliefs and perspective. 

I personally find the concept of Prana to be tangible and rational based on my spiritual experiences and the sensations I have felt as a result. In my religious experience, I have never encountered concrete signs in the area tangibility based on the teachings, doctrines, and interpretations that were presented to me. 

This is why discovering and feeling that form of life force has been a game-changer for me. I use it as a way to recharge my “batteries” so to speak, and as time goes by, I will be able to share if it’s been as effective a form of meditation as I suspect it is. Just stay tuned!

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Following one’s passion, or not?

These day, it’s become the norm to tell young people "follow your bliss, follow your passion!" This is all well and good and certainly beats the “You’ll never amount to anything” that many of us have heard when we were young, so let’s welcome this new, positive message of support. 

Yet, let’s never forget that it should come with a bunch of caveats that are commensurate with the height of the goal that has been picked. For instance if one’s avocation is to become a waiter, an average car salesperson, or any kind of a journeyman, the cost of entry will be low enough and easing into the job won’t be too hard. 

Getting to become an expert in that seemingly easy job, won’t be easy, though. If on the contrary the plan is to become a rock-and-roll star, a brain surgeon or a cosmonaut, the price tag will be huge with untold quantity of work, adversity, pitfalls and plenty of super good luck. So, while it’s crucial to encourage young people to pursue their passions, it is equally important to emphasize that achieving significant goals often requires hard work, perseverance, and resilience. 

Setting higher ambitions can lead to encountering more challenges, adversity, and setbacks along the way. In addition to encouraging aiming high, it’s therefore even more important to prepare and support young people to navigate through these obstacles, help them build an unbreakable self-confidence, and develop the necessary skills, determination and most of all, infinite patience, to overcome them. 

Following one’s passion is a long marathon indeed and is not for the faint of heart. It’s way over a cool and fashionable goal most of us often hear! 7-11 Follow one’s calling, or not? These day, it’s become the norm to tell young people "follow your bliss, follow your passion!" This is all well and good and certainly beats the “You’ll never amount to anything” that many of us have heard when we were young, so let’s welcome this new, positive message of support. 

Yet, let’s never forget that it should come with a bunch of caveats that are commensurate with the height of the goal that has been picked. For instance if one’s avocation is to become a waiter, an average car salesperson, or any kind of a journeyman, the cost of entry will be low enough and easing into the job won’t be too hard. 

Getting to become an expert in that seemingly easy job, won’t be easy, though. If on the contrary the plan is to become a rock-and-roll star, a brain surgeon or a cosmonaut, the price tag will be huge with untold quantity of work, adversity, pitfalls and plenty of super good luck. So, while it’s crucial to encourage young people to pursue their passions, it is equally important to emphasize that achieving significant goals often requires hard work, perseverance, and resilience. 

Setting higher goals can lead to encountering more challenges, adversity, and setbacks along the way. In addition to encouraging aiming high, it’s therefore even more important to prepare and support young people to navigate through these obstacles, help them build an unbreakable self-confidence, and develop the necessary skills, determination and most of all, infinite patience, to overcome them. 

Following one’s passion is a long marathon indeed and is not for the faint of heart. It’s way over a cool and fashionable goal most of us often hear!

Monday, July 10, 2023

What if the moon fell on us?

Unable to fall back to sleep a few nights ago, while a timid moonshine ray was filtering into the bedroom, I was wondering if it might be at all possible that the moon – one day – change its mind and either looses it orbit elevation and crash back on to earth.

I thought about it, because I knew it could potentially happen to artificial satellites. This certainly does, because of some amount of atmospheric drag that could gradually slow down the satellite and cause its orbit to change. 

As the satellite loses altitude, it may eventually reenter Earth's atmosphere and burn up or crash. That could also be caused from solar radiation pressure on large, lightweight satellites that can cause them to gradually drift away from their intended orbit. 

Mechanical or technical failures can also create similar problems and so can collisions with space debris. As a result, satellite operators have to perform regular orbit maintenance maneuvers, using onboard propulsion systems, to counteract any drag or drift. 

So when I researched the likelihood of the moon crashing on us, I learned that our natural satellite is relatively stable and does not typically change drastically. It is thus highly unlikely that our moon will crash on us, or conversely, escape its gravitational attraction without external influences. 

This might however, happen in the very long term, under gravitational influence of other celestial bodies, tidal forces from the Sun, or a gradual transfer of angular momentum from the Earth to the Moon due to tidal interactions. 

We’re talking there about very slow changes in the moon's orbit, I’m told, as we are talking about millions to billions of years. So, I won’t worry too much for me, my kids and their posterity, and that probably is why I quickly returned to sleep after that almost lunatic thought (pun intended) crossed my mind!

Sunday, July 9, 2023

My white cap…

A year or so ago, I found this beautiful white cap while walking around my neighborhood. At the time, I assumed it had fallen off a truck or some open vehicle. Since I thought it looked rather good, I have worn it from time to time since that time. 

I’ve also tried to decipher what was scribbled on it without much success and settled on some probable initials like NW. I even tried Google Lens, an app used to identify objects and it could only return that it might be a “William Murray golf hat” which of course wasn’t even close. 

That was until last night, during our after-dinner walk, when I happened to have that special white hat on. We came across a couple walking in the opposite side of the road towards us. We greeted each others and the man said “Where did you get that hat?” I answered “That’s a very long story…” which it truly was. 

The man replied: “That’s my company, ‘Mark Wintzer’ is the name!” I answered: “If is as stunning as the hat is, it must be a hell of a great company!”

Saturday, July 8, 2023

My views on electric bikes

Like everywhere else, electric bikes have been taking us by storm. 

Was it inevitable? Presumably, as our local governments were woefully unprepared in imagining the mess it would create. 

For me, an E-bike, except for its lack of emissions, is a motorized bike and very close in the way it behaves, to mopeds or scooters such as Vespa. 

The problem is that very young kids are let to ride them without preparation, education and abilities to reign in their power and significant mass. 

Further, while I see multi use paths shareable by pedestrians, pet owners, baby-carriages, and reasonably-behaved cyclists, adding E-bikes into the mix is inviting unpleasant experiences, frightening close-calls. and very bad accidents. 

This is why I’m not of the opinion that they should be allowed on paths that were designed and built for much slower traffic, with blind curves and bottlenecks, and also significantly lighter and slower two-wheeler. 

I believe they’re incompatible with the concept of quietness and immersion into nature these paths were designed for in the first place, and for many, are ruining the experience. 

E-bikes should only be used on roadways and trails built to be accessed by motorized vehicles.

Friday, July 7, 2023

How hard is it to be patriotic ?

As a dual citizen of France and the United States, I found it hard for me to be patriotic and particularly to lean more towards one of these two countries. This comes at a seasonal time when both countries are celebrating their National Holidays. 

Of course, I’m concerned by what happens in my place of residence, but it’s become more circumstantial than deliberately chosen. Our small extended family lives here, so I’m attached to that place for that reason and because I appreciate my geographic situation.

Yet, I’d say that first and foremost, I feel more like a global citizen than French or American. It’s absolutely true that my background, my varied professional experience and my extensive international travel have contributed to blur the tribal borders that are so important in form a visceral belonging to one specific camp. 

Another reason is my lack of respect for politicians that use and abuse the notion of patriotism for polarizing the population into society’s well defined and opposite corners, to better leverage for personal gains. 

Then, there’s the ocean of hypocrisy that floods the American culture, from American exceptionalism to God’s favorite country, no mention stolen land and lives from native or massive kidnapping of African for slave labor, and on the other side of the Ocean, a similar acceptance of social injustice and a de facto ignorance of the ill-effects of colonialism. 

Adding a global perspective to that picture totally cancels the rationale for patriotism. Seen from space, there are no visible frontier on earth. We all share a sick planet and this alone should be enough to deal a deadly blow to patriotism. 

So, wherever you may be domiciled, have a very happy… Earth Day!

Thursday, July 6, 2023

Utah, the Theocratic State

I’ve long complained that Utah, just like Iran or Israel, was a perfect theocracy. Most of my readers never quite believe me. 

Today, I hold the proofs for all of you to see and read. Both a tweet and its attached State Declaration, stating an indisputable correlation between prayer and atmospheric precipitations. 

Our new Governor Cox began his promotional effort for prayer on June 3, 2021, when he asked Utah citizens to pray for rain the following weekend to relieve the state from its drought, in releasing a statement calling on all of us to pray for “divine intervention” as an excessive heat warning has been issued at the time. 

Last week, he tweeted all of us to join him last Sunday for “prayer and thanksgiving” and also issue a proclamation (see illustrations below). Clearly, Governor Spencer Cox must have had access to the scientific facts that prayer’s effectiveness is proven to work. 

Likewise, he probably never read the Constitution since, as our Governor, he blatantly ignores the Establishment Clause, a provision in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution stating that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." 

This clause essentially ensures the separation of church and state and protects the freedom of (and from) religion for individuals. 

Further, the effectiveness of prayer is a controversial subject in of itself. From a scientific standpoint, the direct impact of prayer on specific outcomes is not proven at all. 

Maybe our Governor knows something we don’t. Based on his conclusions he should recommend our local ski resorts to sell their snow-making equipment and begin fervent prayers for atmospheric avalanches of snow, that’d be good for our collective carbon footprint!

Wednesday, July 5, 2023

...Must be America’s fault!

A few days ago I called what of my many French friends and as we talked about a bunch of subjects, we also discussed the recent youth riots that have shaken communities all over that country.

That’s when that friend said on a couple of occasions that what happened was the fault of America, or more precisely, that of Americans. He was specifically mentioning a culture of permissiveness and incivility on the part of France’s youth as well as the devastating role of Social Media (an other American “invention”). 

Needless to say that these comments took me aback, especially coming from someone I considered as a close friend. That was enough to force me to respond. 

First, regarding the way kids are educated, I said that developed nations generally embraced American culture and approach to general education and adopted it without having much idea as to what it would lead to down the road. 

Then, as far as social media were concerned, they had been overwhelmingly adopted by the entire world because of their addictive, corrosive and voyeuristic properties, meaning that everyone of us is also free to chose and reject them, so, putting the blame on America for everything wasn’t fair at all! 

Happily, we nicely concluded our telephone call, but I still can’t believe that this highly educated person my friend is, could be as insensitive as I perceived him to be...

Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Meditation, which benefits?

Many say they practice meditation or at least claim to do so, but what’s often less clear is how they meditate, who taught them it and how well do they do it. 

This suggests there could be as may ways of doing it as they are different individuals. There are no firm and factual scientific conclusion either as to what the real benefits of meditation are. 

Just out of conventional wisdom, hearsay, and based on some vague conclusions, the following benefit seem to emerge :

1. Stress reduction, better relaxation response and reduced production of cortisol. 

2. Improved mental well-being, reduced anxiety and depression, increased self-awareness, and improved mood. 

3. Cognitive benefits, like improved attention, concentration, and working memory. 

4. Physical health benefits like reduced blood pressure, enhanced immune functions, and better sleep. 

5. Brain changes, both structural and functional changes in areas like attention, emotional regulation, and self-awareness. 

As a person who regularly meditate, I hope this is all true and until it’s proven without the shadow of a doubt, I’ll be inclined to believe it, but that’s right, you’ve read it correctly: “just inclined!”

Monday, July 3, 2023

What happened to our rabbits?

After a long and severe winter, most animals wintering among us came back in about the same numbers as we were used to see before. 

Deer, moose, magpies, ducks or squirrels resumed their daily spring and summer activities around our Park City home as they used to, or close to it. I’m not talking about migratory birds that transit through town or come just for the summer. Those have returned as expected. 

There was however, on notable absent species and it was the cottontail rabbit that, over recent years, had seen its population skyrocket in our mountain town. This year, I have yet to see a single one. I saw a few tracks on the snow when I was skiing, but it seems to me that the occurrences faded away as the season went on.

That led me to theorize that because of the deep, heavy snow, rabbits, just like many deer had been starving to death, even suffering temporary extinction. I haven’t been able to verify my stark conclusion. 

The only information getting close to that came from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, in an article dated June 23, that said that rabbit population was hit by some hemorrhagic disease, the virus serotype 2 (RHDV-2), a foreign animal disease in the US. 

This is not related to COVID-19. Both domestic and wild rabbits, as well as pikas, are susceptible to the disease, and infection results in 80 to 100% mortality. Rabbits may become sick one to five days after exposure and have symptoms of fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, difficulty breathing and frothy blood coming from their nose just prior to death. 

The virus causes liver inflammation that prevents blood from clotting and eventually the rabbit dies from internal hemorrhage. Sadly, there’s no treatment for it. The disease first identified with domestic rabbits in Europe, has been detected in multiple southwestern states and northern Mexico in early 2020. 

On June 22, 2020, the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food confirmed that a private farm with domestic rabbits in southern Utah had rabbits that tested positive for the disease. Infected wild rabbits may be lethargic and not flee when approached. 

Knowing this, I will have to admit that my initial theory was a product of my overflowing imagination!

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Biden’s audacity in forgiving student loans!

We’ve never been in favor of Joe Biden electoral promise to cancel or reduce federal student loan debts that was killed by the Republican leaning Supreme Court last Friday. 

We had two children and paid most of their college education to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars, both of our them took additional loans for them and their spouse and repaid them as they should have. 

We felt it wasn’t right and justifiable to make a gift to some, while others just paid their contractual obligation, even if that was made under the guise of further softening the effects of the pandemic on that particular group of people. 

In fact, there’s never been a better time for college educated youngsters to get a good paying job, if they feel like working. The cost of the loan forgiveness, $400 billion we don’t even have, was gigantic and would have set a precedent making a mockery of the obligation represented by this kind of debt. 

Biden can now claim that he is unhappy with the ruling, but still looks like the “good guy” and won’t see any negative consequences on his reelection, while the results are not so pretty for the right as the 2024 election looms large.

While it’s hard to remove the politics from its decision, the Supreme Court maintained that the administration needed Congress’ approval before undertaking such a costly program and rejected the arguments that a bipartisan 2003 law dealing with national emergencies, known as the HEROES Act, gave Biden the power he claimed.

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Cool June for the records…

As June is now over, we’re ready to step into some real summer weather. 

Overall, we had 16 days with some kind of rain during this past month, leaving just 14 days without precipitations, but no balmy temperatures either. 

Since 2007, when I began to keep a daily track of the weather at our Park City home, this arguably is one of the coolest and wettest June that we can remember. 

The one trend I can clearly observe is that our nightly temperatures are on average moving up as years are passing, and that is probably the true and inexorable measure that global warming is not taking any break, even when the weather is apparently cool!