2034 Olympics in Utah: Where’s the Plan?

As we heard yesterday, Salt Lake City was just named “preferred host” for the 2034 Winter Games. This terms means that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) acknowledges that Salt Lake 2034 is its preferred host city for the 2034 Winter Olympic Games barring a catastrophe. 

The organizing committee can therefore finalize agreements, ensure it has government backing, and then formally sign at the Paris Games this summer. Good enough. 

Now, do we need or want the Games? The answer is probably “Want”, because I personally don’t have much love for the IOC and don’t believe we need more people in our already overcrowded and trampled mountains, including my Park City hometown.

The only justification in favor of this event, and for Park City in particular, is to get Federally funded infrastructure to improve transit within our town as well as in and out. 

For that though, wouldn't it be nice to work on a comprehensive plan, then see one, along with a budget and some contingency plans, including of course a list of “legacy objectives” that would leave our venues in some much better conditions than the 2034 Games might find them, well before the deal is inked in Paris? 

Are we going to see this? Is that too much to ask?

This precious experience…

One of the great benefits of growing old is the wealth of experience we can accumulate as time goes by. It is almost as if what we may lose in flexibility and in physical strength is transmuted at an even higher ratio under the form of usable experience that we can use every single day. 

Of course, experience, just like a raw piece of metal, needs to be worked into something useful and infinitely reusable. I’ve read somewhere that experience is like a master key that unlocks a multitude of qualities and insights. It is shaped by our encounters, the lessons we’ve learned through mistakes, among other life events, and the resulting wisdom that we gain.

We just need to make certain that we remember these lessons learned! With experience the quality of our judgment strengthens, we become better problem-solvers and we gain expertise in a large number of subjects. 

Beyond our capacity to reflect and learn from those encounters, we also build resilience, develop empathy, and often grow a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. Sure, experience is not always synonymous with wisdom. 

If we don’t pay attention, we can accumulate experiences without reaping meaningful insights or learning from them. It's the reflection and introspection upon those experiences that truly give them value.

Not Gaza and not Ukraine!

Imagine it’s the middle of the night and suddenly you hear a loud beep that keeps on repeating itself every 30 seconds? You reluctantly get up, try to find your bearing and most importantly, look for a solution to silence the source of noise. 

Yes, it’s was one of my combo carbon-monoxide/smoke detector that is perched on top of our 14’ ceiling in the living room, so I needed to fetch the biggest ladder I had inside our garage, carry it to right spot, unfold it, climb it, study the reasons for the problem and try to experiment with whatever tools and ideas I could come up that early in the morning. 

This is not the first time I’ve been faced with this situation! A first solution seemed to work, so I went back to bed, but after 15 minutes it began beeping again. At that point, I struggled for another 30 minutes before finding a way to disconnect and silence the whole system so we could catch a few more hours of sleep. 

The next day I called the manufacturer to find out that the unit was dead. I had a pretty bad night, but nothing in comparison to the nights some people have these days in Gaza or in Ukraine. When I reached that conclusion, I became grateful for my low-intensity, first-world “problems...”

Back into winter mode

For each new snow season, it’s always hard to remember when winter really begins, that is when snow sticks to the ground and stays with us for good. 

On that basis, and for us, winter began on November 24 this year, and we have now switched to living in “winter mode”. Snow tires on the car, shoes with better traction, snow shovel ready for action by the front door and snowblower fully prepared in the garage.

We’re entering a totally different mindset and changing the way we operate. Huge change in clothing too! Big winter parkas, extra layers underneath, warm hats and good gloves reclaim the closets for daily use again. 

If we have a normal winter, this new lifestyle should last well into April with much more light at night and in the morning, much longer evenings and more time indoors as we gradually get used to cold temperatures. 

This is winter in the mountains, in case you had forgotten!

Should Trump be exorcised?

This very good question came to my mind after I watched a Swiss TV news-broadcast (it’s 45 minutes long and it’s in French) dealing with demonic possession and how the Catholic and Evangelical Churches seem to address that condition. 

Since I’m not a religious person, I would naturally dismiss the theory of Satanic possession, but in the case of Donald Trump, I would grant myself an exception. If the man is not totally stupid, idiot or mentally sick, the only condition left for his pathology might be demonic possession. 

The problem is that exorcism should be desired by the possessed individual, and the evident follow-up question is if Trump suffers from his bizarre behavior, does he want to get rid of it?

So short of kidnapping Trump, firmly restraining him on a gurney and finding a qualified exorcist that doesn’t fear for his job, as most GOP politicians do, we won’t get the huge demon out of him. 

Even tough Trump's oversized anus should allow for natural delivery, the demon might be so large that there might be no other choice than conduct a C-section to bring the man back to normalcy!

A new Beatles song, seriously?

After the Beatles broke up, the four members of the band pursued different individual careers and after the tragic death of John Lennon in 1980, any hope of reunifying the band vanished. After the early 1970s, and to this day, I have been a staunch fan of the “Fab Four” and like millions, kept on regretting that they had disbanded. 

In 1994, the release of the Beatles Anthology in 1994 gave access to the Beatles' personal archives, including previously unreleased recordings, photographs, and film footage. This allowed the filmmakers to tell the Beatles' story from their own perspective, rather than through the lens of the media and dig out three songs, created by John Lennon in the late 70s, two of which were remastered and re-recorded along with the three surviving musicians. 

What it Beatles music? Not really, in my opinion it was John’s, very consistent with his solo career’s style. Likewise, the recent release of “Now and Then” falls in the same category of pseudo-Beatles music and is more a commercial operation than a way of bringing back that song into the Beatles discography and cosmology. To me that really is a flimsy stretch... 

A laborious start to winter?

 

So far, our early winter pales in comparison with last year’s. Okay, we got some snow yesterday, but it’s not that much and we certainly were so spoiled in late 2022 that we can’t be fully satisfied with what we’ve got now! 

Now that I’m retired, I feel less anxious about snow that fails to show up on time, but I must confess that it’s been the case for all of my working life in the ski industry. Being under the whims of a weather we don’t control is a sure recipe for continued stress and it certainly did affect me almost every single season. 

Winters with absolutely no snow are extremely rare, but this common 60th birthday for Avoriaz (my old stomping ground) and Park City is a stark reminder that the 1963-64 season was a catastrophe all over the Alps. Those of us old enough to remember that season could add that modern snow-making wasn’t there to save the day. 

Hopefully an exceptional winter like this one isn’t in the offing, but with climate change, who knows?

The US Federal Budget

If there’s a cliffhanger in economic American life, it’s the US Federal Budget. 

To date, we’ve managed to accumulate a debt of $33.7 trillion, due in part to Reagan’s tax cuts in the 80s, the Afghanistan and Iraq war and the 2008 financial crisis under Bush, the Covid-19 subsidies, Trump’s tax cuts and the recent Biden’s infrastructure and green policies. 

At the same time, the Republican party has demonized taxes, gutted the IRS and promised that they would be budget hawks while just acting the opposite way. 

With a budget deficit under $2 trillion last year, we are guaranteed to do even worse next year as interest rates to finance our huge debt reach staggering amounts. They were $749 billion last year, which gets them almost at par with our $782 billion defense budget and in the current year, they’ll be on track to surpass $800 billion, more than double their 2021's $352 billion figure.

Faced with this catastrophic outlook our Congress remains unmoved. The Republicans say “Cut the spending” while their Democrat counterparts suggest “Raise the taxes”. 

Both the truth and the remedy, obviously lie somewhere in between these two assertions, but the more we wait, the more painful tightening our belts will become. This will hurt really, really, badly!

Where do I stand with religion?

It’s a bit of a stretch to say that I’m just a spiritual person, but I’m definitely not part of any man-made, organized religion as we know them. I appreciate and I am in awe of Nature and the Universe, as I see as a representation of God in my own manner. 

I never cease to admire the miracle of life everywhere and while I can’t understand how and why it all got started, I put more stock in astrophysics than in Genesis. 

Little by little, science will tell humanity where the universe comes from and about the life force that’s behind it. 

And talking about life force, unless I can hitch a ride on this fabulous source of power when I depart life, I don’t know where else I could go. My idea of eternal life is already answered by the bits of DNA I passed on to my children and this satisfies me greatly. I consider that being born is already a huge privilege that I received and I cherish this constantly. 

Heaven has been here on earth for me and I was lucky to experience very little Hell during most of my life. I hope it stays that way and I’ll remain always grateful for all the wonders I’ve experienced. This is how I define my religion.

Does Israel need an extra $15 billion?

Not if I could help it as a taxpayer. Israel, the de-facto occupier of Palestine has brought the October 7 attack upon itself by humiliating and parking the Palestinian people into submission. Now that Israeli lives are worth 10 times those of Palestinians by the latest casualty numbers, why should US taxpayers almost fork up an extra $15 billion in addition to the $3 billion it already gives to the Jewish state? 

Apparently, this enormous amount of money is to support military capabilities, particularly its air and missile defense systems, including the Iron Dome, that counter-rocket and counter-artillery system that has been instrumental in protecting Israel from rocket attacks from Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza. 

Obviously, this comes in addition to the US long history of providing military aid to Israel. and is a way to reaffirm the US commitment to Israel's security. In the past, the US has also provided Israel with economic aid, but aid would specifically be for military assistance. This huge sum is still under consideration by Congress, and it is unclear whether it will be approved. I simply hope it’s not.

From what I know, here is a breakdown of how the $14.5 billion in additional assistance is expected to be used in parts: 

• $4 billion for procurement of Israel's Iron Dome and David's Sling defense systems 
• $1 billion for co-production of the Arrow 3 missile defense system 
• $3 billion for training and exercises 
• $3 billion for intelligence cooperation 
• $3 billion for other military assistance 

As you can see, these monies are not to educate, heal or build anyone or anything, but just to kill, maim and destroy. Can it ever build peace with the Palestinians? You’ve got to be kidding me! In view of these numbers for lethal and destructive equipment, 

I’m still wondering who will pay for rebuilding Gaza? The stupid US or Western donors or the Jewish State?

My takeaway after reviewing religions?

After running this humorous, yet complete review of religions, where they come from, what they entail and what they promise, I’m even more skeptical about the whole story and not surprised that they are losing ground very fast in most educated countries. 

What religions should have done in the beginning of the 20th century, was at least for monotheist faith, get their act together, embrace more ecumenism and break into their staunch traditions and huge egos, to at least tell the world that their God is the same, which is still unclear at this point in time. Also, find an elegant way to explain that holy books cannot be taken too much textually. 

The afterlife portion would have been another huge challenge, but suffice to say that when one begins with improbable and caricaturist material, it’s hard or rather impossible to unify views. So, for me, this reinforces the fact that organized religions are looking less credible as time goes by, science progresses and education’s reach widens. 

In order to keep their faith alive, organized religion can only act on three levers: Revert to ancient times, ignore science, suppress education through a variety of tools including social-media propagated lies. Not a pretty picture and a huge black eye on all religions, especially as this Israeli-Palestinian war rages on.

Can pets accompany their masters after death?

Last, but not least, many folks believe resurrection isn’t worth the effort if they’re not in the company of their pets, so another question is whether domestic animals can be resurrected with their owners or can wait for them in Heaven or Hell? 

In several animistic and totemic cultures, animals are considered spiritual beings with distinct personalities and talents. These cultures often believe that animals can communicate with humans and play a large role in their lives. In some cases, they can even hold beliefs about animal resurrection or reincarnation, so let’s explore this a bit further. 

For instance, in some Inuit traditions, a hunter's spirit is believed to accompany their game, such as bear or seal, into the afterlife. Similarly, in some Native American cultures, animal totems are seen as embodiments of spiritual guides or protectors, and there may be beliefs about the spirit of the totem animal being reborn in another animal or even a human. On the other side of the Pacific, in Hinduism and Jainism, the concept of reincarnation, or samsara, is central to the populations’ belief systems. 

According to these traditions, all living beings, including animals, undergo a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, determined by their Karma, the law of cause and effect. In Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita states that those who have done good deeds may be reborn as deities, humans, or animals, while those who have committed wrongdoings may be reborn as plants, insects, or even inanimate objects. 

Jainism, on the other hand, emphasizes non-violence and compassion towards all living beings, including animals. Jains believe that the soul, or jiva, can be reborn into humans, animals, insects, and plants, and that liberation from the cycle of reincarnation is done through spiritual purification and acceptance of ethical principles. 

Buddhism that does not talk about animal reincarnation, also sees the interconnectedness of all living beings as it relates to Karma. So, according to Buddhist teachings, the cycle of rebirth applies to all sentient beings, including humans and animals. In the Tibetan Book of the Dead, different realms of existence are mentioned, including those inhabited by animals. It suggests that the type of rebirth is determined by a being's Karma and their mental state at the time of death. 

That leaves us with New Age spiritual movements, where it’s believed that animal souls can reincarnate or communicate with humans. These beliefs often emphasize the interconnectedness of all living beings and the importance of compassion and respect for all life forms. 

So, pet owners who aren't Christians, rejoice! While the concept of animal resurrection or reincarnation may not be explicitly defined in all religions or spiritual traditions, the belief that all living beings are related and the spiritual power transcends physical limitations is common across many spiritual practices, so don’t be surprised if Fido or Felix will be there waiting for you at the Pearly Gates or any afterlife entrance you deserve!

Locating heaven, hell, and reincarnating…

If I were in the market for religion, I’d be asking is where heaven and hell are located in the various belief systems so I could best select my eternal residence. 

Sure, I know the Christian story, where heaven is described as a place of eternal bliss and joy in God’s presence. It’s often depicted as a celestial city with streets of gold and pearl (I’m not sure that’s my cup of tea), and where there is no pain, sorrow, or death. Some believe it’s “above” the Earth. Hell, on the other hand, is seen as a place of eternal punishment and torment, where the souls of the wicked go after death. It’s often described as a fiery inferno or a dark and desolate place. As you might guess, 

Hell is often thought to be located below or deep into the Earth. While the two places are located pretty much the same way, Muslims believe in staggering everything; their Heaven is said to have seven levels, each more beautiful than the last, but you must be a prophet or a martyr to get to Jannat, the highest level. In Islam Hell is called Jahannam, and it’s described as a place of eternal torment and suffering. It also has seven gates, and each one leads to a different level of punishment. The lowest and worst level of Jahannam is called Hawiyah, and it is said to be the abode of Satan a.k.a. Iblis. 

If Judaism thinks along the lines of Christianity, Eastern religions take a different take from their Abrahamic counterparts in the fact that instead of designating fixed locations, afterlife is expressed in terms of states of being. In Hinduism, Heaven, or Svarga, is a state of perfect happiness and peace, while hell, or Naraka, is a state of suffering and torment. Buddhism is all about Karma, the principle that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This means that our thoughts, words, and deeds have consequences, and that we’ll eventually experience the results of our actions. Heaven, or Devaloka, is a state of happiness that arises from positive Karma. 

It offers peace, joy, and abundance. Devas, or celestial beings, are said to live in Devaloka; they enjoy long lives, beauty, and supernatural powers but are not free from suffering. They are still subject to the cycle of rebirth, and they eventually experience the results of their negative karma. Hell, or Naraka, is a state of suffering triggered from negative karma. It’s characterized by fear, anger, and violence. Narakas, or hell realms, are said to be located on lower planes of existence. They are filled with fire, torture, and plenty of suffering. 

The good news is that stays in Naraka don’t last forever. People eventually exhaust their negative karma and are reborn into a higher state of existence. This of course, brings me to re-incarnation, the belief that a soul is reborn after death into a new body. 

This is part of many religions, like Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, to cite the major ones. In certain of these religions, one can be reincarnated into an animal, a bird, an insect, or an inanimate object. 

This is known as metempsychosis or transmigration. Hinduism believes that the soul can transmigrate through a vast range of life forms, from the highest gods and humans to the lowest animals and plants or even under the form of rocks and stones. Jainism limits the options to living creatures, including humans, animals, insects, and plants. In Tibetan Buddhism, it’s believed that the soul can be reborn into the realms of the gods, humans, animals, asuras (demons), or pretas (hungry ghosts). 

Tomorrow, we’ll talk about of life after death as it applies to domestic animals...

Let the ski season begin!

Friday, December 17th was the first day of my ski season at Park City Mountain, and since I don’t usually miss any season opening, I was there. 

This is the 60th opening for Park City Mountain (it actually began operations on December 21, 1963) and the beginning of my 71st ski season. I was amazed by all the snow that was made in the middle of… nothing! 

Yet, the snow was a bit slushy and icy in parts, plus I made the error of not using my best skis, so it wasn’t really enjoyable. 

This said, I took my 10 runs on a narrow Payday run, that first expensive day (as always) cost me the price of my season pass and I thought that the future of skiing wasn’t looking promising with temperatures in the low 50s. 

We’ll see how things develops… 

View from the base of the Payday lift by end of afternoon

Crowded and bored into eternity

Unlike what the average believer might think, the concept of an eternal afterlife, such as Heaven and Hell, varies significantly across different religions. 

This means that details on the representation of the afterlife will differ greatly, and it would be smart for believers to “shop” different religions for the best or the preferred “package” offered. In addition, some faiths claim that only the righteous individuals will enter Heaven, while others believe in the possibility of redemption for everyone, even bypassing Hell. 

Jews, for instance, don’t believe in Hell, and have a nuanced view of the afterlife. Personally, I’d fear that eternal bliss might eventually fade and after a short eternity, become quite boring. Of course, we've learned that the bliss experienced in the afterlife is beyond human comprehension and limitless, so I guess my worries are misplaced. 

Still, eternal sounds like a long, long time, but I’m told by some that it would provide me with infinite opportunities for growth, experiences, and the pursuit of deeper understanding and meaning. However, it's important to note that the duration of a stage, whether eternal or finite, is subjective and dependent on individual perspectives. 

Some may find meaning and purpose in a stage that lasts for a few hundred years, while others may never get enough and will have an appetite for eternity. Just like my mom, I’m concerned about population control in a popular place like Heaven, but am told that God is so smart that it won’t be a problem for him to track not just everyone, but also their thoughts, actions, and needs quite effortlessly and on a one-to-one basis. Talk about multitasking! 

Finally, I’d like to know if I die today, will I come to Heaven as a 75 or a 25 year old, ideally better looking and much smarter, with a new set of teeth instead of my implants? Here again, the answer depends on cultural, religious, and personal perspectives. In many religious traditions, it’s believed that the nature of the afterlife will be different from our earthly existence, some individuals experiencing a spiritual form or consciousness separate from their physical bodies and the limitations of age and health. 

Others say that the afterlife offers an opportunity for rejuvenation and restoration, where individuals may experience a state of wholeness and vitality. This could mean having a body and mind free from the limitations and ailments that might have existed in life. Will there be good food, wine or skiing? So, at the end of the day, if we look forward to some kind of afterlife, we might be well advised to study carefully the different options available to us in a variety of religious and spiritual traditions. 

In fact, religions aren’t very clear as to what happens after death, for very obvious reasons ; they just don’t know. In the next blog, we’ll discuss where these places will be located as well as re-incarnation. Just stay tuned!

Why did religions promise life after death?

The possibility of not ending one’s life, after death, is another fascinating human assumption that has never shocked me as much as I’m getting a little bit closer everyday to depart this existence. If I can say one thing, 

I certainly am not at all looking forward to that moment! But why in the world have humans and their religions encoded that promise in their dogma? For one thing, I agree that death has absolutely no appeal to me, even though it’s a natural part of life, or if you prefer the expiration date of everyone’s living permit on this earth. 

It could be that the promise of life after death was devised to lessen these fears and provide some comfort to those who were grieving. Another reason might have been a tool to guarantee moral order and ethical lives by telling people they’d be judged based on their actions during their earthly life, the good ones being rewarded with paradise, and the bad punished with hell. 

I like to think that builders of cathedrals in the middle ages that could be killed on the job or didn’t get paid much, if at all, were compensated by an easy promise of eternal after-life as an IOU… A powerful motivator indeed! 

Then, there’s the question of evil and suffering. Many people can’t understand why God, who is supposed to be good and benevolent would allow such things to happen. The promise of life after death suggests a compensation for all that suffering and injustice. 

For those of us who are scratching their heads and wondering what the purpose of their existence on this planet is, an after-life would answer that question. That promise also suggests that our lives are part of a larger, more meaningful story. As I see them, these are just some possible explanations for why religions had to promise life after death

 for a variety of reasons depending on the religion. This said, it seems clear to me that the concept of eternal life was an answer to human’s greed that couldn’t be satisfied with another one or five hundred extra years in heaven and didn’t leave much room to ponder the consequences of eternity and celestial overcrowding. 

We’ll cover this in the next blog…

Does humanity still need god?

In my view, god was invented to address a number of problems that evolving human beings had a hard time coping with. First, god or gods explained the mysteries of the natural world. 

Before science appeared, humans had no way to explain the natural phenomena they observed, such as thunder, lightning, and earthquakes. Inventing a variety of gods was a way to make sense of these things and to feel a little bit of control over them.

There was also a need for reassurance and comfort in times of difficulty and when faced with the unknown. Inventing a god might have also contributed to create a sense of community, or belonging and unified early tribes. 

The most important reason though, in my opinion, was to control people and society. By imposing a moral order and without much governance religion played an important role in imposing and maintaining social order. It also provided our ancestors with a clear sense of right and wrong and attempted to deter crime and other forms of antisocial behaviors. 

Since that time, science and education have both addressed these issues and would suggest that without a man-made-God, humanity would be just fine, or at the very least much better than the horror that is going on in the overly religious Middle-East. 

This is at least my humble opinion. Next, we’ll talk of the need for life after death!

One door closes, another opens…

It's apparently, Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote’s author, who first wrote in 1605: "When one door is shut, another is opened." 

This phrase is often used to express the idea that change, while difficult, can also lead to new and unexpected opportunities. It’s a reminder that even when things don't go as planned, there is always hope for the future.

I have experienced it many times during my life in spite of the fact that I rarely expect any better solution to spring up and advantageously replace my previous, more comfortable situation. This message of hope and encouragement, suggests that even when things unexpectedly go south there are still paths forward. 

This could be a job loss, a personal breakup, an illness or the end of a significant chapter in one’s life. The opening of a door means new possibilities, new paths to discover, and new experiences to explore. It's also an invitation to step out of our comfort zones and venture into the unknown, where we may discover that we have hidden talents, can pursue untapped passions, and forge brand new connections. 

t also underscores the importance of maintaining a positive outlook and keeping an open mind in the face of change. Instead of dwelling on the closed door, we should shift our focus towards the doors that are likely to open up, appreciating the good surprise it offers us and embracing whatever comes with some new beginnings. 

Even though I’m now older and have fewer doors that can be slammed shut in my face, I tend to forget this truth and I would be well advised to plant it into my mind!

Ullr's revenge

This past weekend, up in Zermatt, on the “Gran Becca” run, the FIS was again proven wrong by Ullr, the god of skiing from Norse mythology.

Once more, the men’s World Cup downhill in Zermatt-Cervinia was canceled on Sunday due to heavy snowfall that began early in the morning, strong winds and an unfavorable forecast throughout the day. It completed a weekend of harsh weather conditions, forcing the of the planned season-opening downhill, the first one to ever cross an international border. 

Running a downhill race in early November on a glacier was a challenge, I would even say a foolish one, but the undeterred organizers pushed against the critics who weren’t excited by the off-season downhill event. 

I asked Ullr what he thought of the situation and that’s what he had to say: 

“In the old days, of course, we didn’t even have ski lifts to get us on top of the hills, so that was real sport when we skied. Today, more than half the work is already done when it’s time to point’ em down. We also skied when there was enough snow on the ground to do our sport. 

We didn’t travel the world over to find it in summer, or began cutting into century old glaciers to make a convenient ski path and hasten their meltdown! What’s possesses man in wanting to control nature? From what I’ve heard, man has already done grave damage to his planet; will he ever learn?” 

Thank you Ullr for your continued wisdom and your well thought out comments. Have a fun ski season wherever you officiate these days!

Biden’s rough navigating

The Israeli-Gaza war has been a tough Challenge for Biden. Our President has no lost-love for Netanyahu and is forced to support Israel's Palestinian genocide if he wants to prevent Trump from returning to the White House. 

Clearly, the United States’ position looks very bad on the international scene, but Joe Biden has not much of a choice; It’s either looking bad or enabling Trump to return to power as a vengeful and hard-core dictator. Progressively, Netanyahu will become an international pariah as he graduates to full-fledged war criminal.

But the tail is still wagging the dog, with less than 2.5 % of the Jewish population in America with a disproportionate influence on world politics. 

Yet that loud minority might have to tone its voice and destructive influence sooner than later, in light of the attempted annihilation of the Palestinian people and the stealing of the rest of their territory...

What is degrowth?

We don’t hear the word “degrowth” much in America. More so in Europe, though these days, but what does it mean? Degrowth is a planned reduction of energy and resource use designed to bring the economy back into balance with the living world, in ways that reduce inequality and improve human well-being. 

Not really a pro-capitalism movement as we know it, but it was the theme of a debate organized by Le Figaro, a French newspaper, and moderated by Eugénie Bastié, a French journalist, between Bernard Piccard, a Swiss psychiatrist, explorer et environmentalist and Jean-Marc Jancovici, French engineer and college professor. 

Both were debating whether our thermo-industrial civilization was doomed to disappear, and in an effort to save the planet, should we sacrifice our freedoms? They also attempted to answer if democracy was an obstacle to the fight against climate change. 

I must say that I’ve seen several conferences or presentations by Jancovici. He makes some great points about the environment, but they generally are ominous, instill fear and are not really “warm and fuzzy”. In other words he knows what he’s talking about but has a tendency of showing the glass more half-empty than half-full. 

Piccard on the other end is the consummate Swiss guy who exudes positiveness and definitely can only see a half-full glass. He leaves no stone unturned, makes lemonade out of lemon and has a much upbeat and hopeful message. Both of these individuals have their place in a debate, but Piccard is by far a more pleasant and optimistic story-teller. 

Now watch that 52 minute video (sorry it’s only in French) and be the judge! 

Trump’s opponents getting no traction

Once more, I sacrificed my precious time, watching the third primary debate between the remaining five debaters and wasn’t impressed. Sure, Trump was still missing in action, but these days, courts of law are the places he really belongs before he does some deserved prison time.

Of the five the one I disliked the most was Ramaswamy who pretty much sealed his fate by attacking Haley’s high heels. I also disliked Scott, whose sole program is a christian revival. 

De Santis seemed lost and unable to anchor himself during that meeting, while Haley was the only one who could speak eloquently (for a Republican) about abortion and women’s issues. Finally Christie remained the more grounded of the five, but among extremist Republicans, he’s got no chance of gaining traction. 

Since none of these five has the guts to attack Trump, they are in fact legitimizing the frustrated, would-be-dictator who must be quite satisfied of their collective mediocrity. 

What was missing was one of the five saying: “Yesterday, our Party lost ground again in the various elections that took place throughout the Nation. This downtrend that we’ve observed since the mid-term election will continue and amplify into 2024. We’ll be losing big if we don’t get out of Trumpism, MAGA and the dead end path these ideologies are leading us into!” 

But no, fear of Trump remained too strong to allow for that...

Limits to Fear and Audacity?

Recently, I was lauding the superiority of audacity over fear, but didn’t leave enough room to underscore the importance of fear under certain circumstances and likewise, the pitfalls of limitless audacity. 

It’s clear that when we’re in survival situations some of the fear we experience cannot be discounted altogether as it often is salutary. That’s right, fear sometimes comes to the rescue for our own good and we must listen to it if we value our life, our health or comfort. If we take a few moments, it’s fairly easy to see when fear is totally warranted and that’s when it deserves our full attention and total respect. 

The same is true with fearlessness or audacity. That trait goes in the opposite direction, feeds on adrenaline and can very rapidly take on an addictive nature that can make us believe in our own invulnerability and eternity. 

That deviance is much harder to seize and to control than fear, as humans tend to easily believe in their own hubris, or BS, if they fail to pay close attention. So we must always remember that a healthy dose of personal humility always goes a long way to save the day.

I believe that keeping these guard-rails in mind at all times can save ourselves from some big, ugly trouble!

Fired from the Ski School!

The concise letter illustrating this blog was written just 50 years ago and mailed to me the following day. Bad luck, though, I didn’t get a chance to open it up as I had already left for Tübingen, Germany, south of Stuttgart, where I had traveled to take an intensive German course from November 5 to December 14, 1973. 

It was an official announcement that I was fired from the Avoriaz Ski School, along with two friends and colleagues, Henri Marullaz and Xavier Guiot. I don’t recall who reach me in Germany to gave me the bad news as phone contact wasn't easy at the school where I was studying. I don’t remember either how I took this rather bad piece of news. 

To this day, I don’t know what went into Pernet’s head to make that dumb decision. Perhaps his machismo got the best of him; his off-season job was to drive a huge bulldozer to cut the ski runs, so he must have preferred forceful action to negotiation. His tastes were a bit Teutonic too, as his favorite cars were BMW's, his skis Fischer and his boots Humanic. 

Was I angry at Claude Pernet for firing us without due process? I can’t seem to remember. What is sure is that, for a few years, I remained pretty pissed off at the man, but since then, I have forgiven, but not forgotten his brutal behavior. This said, Pernet’s decision was reversed by a vote of the ski school’s general assembly shortly before I returned from Germany. That episode was the first blow in my ski instructing career. 

My activism wasn’t worth the discomfort it brought me, and I began to consider an alternative to my “selling turns”. In retrospect, this firing might have been for the very best!

A good definition of happiness

I just finished reading a book by Paul Zane Pilzer, who has written many “rag to riches” books before that one and had a fascinating business career as well as an interesting life story. He also happens to live in Park City. 

In his book, “Becoming an Entrepreneur”, he introduces at some point what I find to be a very astute and valid concept, that is an equation about Happiness. It goes like this: “Happiness = Reality minus expectations.” While it may sound simplistic, if not limiting, this equation suggests that happiness is determined by the extent to which our stage in life stacks up against our own expectations. In other words, if we fall short of our goals, our happiness won’t be as great. 

This equation reflects the idea that having realistic expectations can contribute to one's overall happiness. Unrealistic or excessively high expectations can lead to disappointment and dissatisfaction when reality isn’t able to quite meet them. On the other hand, having lower or more achievable expectations may make it easier to find happiness in everyday experiences. It’s true that most of our expectations are not always realistic, whether they are about what we can achieve or what life should be like.

When our expectations are unrealistic, we are more likely to be disappointed and unhappy. It’s also true that our expectations can change as they are influenced by our experiences, our values, and our social environment. As we grow and change, our expectations may also change. Yet, we can control our expectations to some extent. 

Overall, I see the equation "Happiness = Reality minus Expectations" as a useful reminder we’re masters of our happiness barring some huge streaks of bad luck. In conclusion, happiness as it’s defined by that equation, is all in the way we set our expectations; they need to be realistic, focus on elements we can control and also need to remain flexible, adaptable and open to new experiences. 

By following these tips, we’ll get a bit closer to happiness by creating a more balanced and fulfilling life for us.

Ways to reduce traffic into Park City (continued)

Yesterday, I submitted an idea to cut down on traffic in my hometown of Park City, but that actually would apply to all major ski towns (in the US, Canada, Europe and everywhere else, in fact). The goal would be to reduce car traffic, improve air quality, ease congestion and make parking easier. 

A subset of goals would be to encourage folks to carpool, take public transit, walk instead of driving (biking is a bit more iffy on snow and after dark) and come outside of peak hours. For that I propose a very simple RFID system that can be stuck to the windshield, along with a smartphone app to know how traffic conditions vary and affect the need for and the amount of payment if so required.

Yes, I would envision a variable toll from zero to a level to be determined that would vary with some algorithm linked to traffic congestion at a certain point in time. There would be no fee for local, full-time residents, essential workers, local school students and teachers. County residents would be able to access at discounted rates when there’s a charge for entry. 

There would be multiple entry-passes for contractors, tradespeople, non-essential employees, one free entry for second homeowners and overnight visitors, but day visitor would have to pay. If motorized visitors can’t or don’t want to pay they will be given options for free parking lots located at the town entrance and can ride free transportation to town and back. 

This is my rough concept at this stage. Needless to say that this plan would be hotly debated as it would be less convenient, curtain flexibility and freedom and would require sacrifices, but I’m utterly convinced that if given a chance, it would work. 

What do you think?

Smart way to reduce traffic into Park City

As we prepare to vote for three new members of the Park City council in November and are reviewing their platform, each candidate acknowledges that we ought to do something about traffic, yet no one is able to articulate a tangible strategy that would tangibly affect that particular problem that paralyses Park City during its peak visitation periods. 

This made me immediately think about congestion pricing. If you haven’t heard of it, the system consists at charging users of public goods and services that are subject to congestion through excess demand, to have access. It could apply to use of public transit, electricity, telephones and of course, road access, among other things. 

Since we’re looking to reduce traffic congestion in Park City, this strategy could manage congestion by regulating demand without increasing supply (adding roadways or parking spots). The idea isn’t new. Back in 1975, Singapore was the first country to introduce congestion pricing on its roads. 

Since then, the practice has spread to cities around the world, including London, Stockholm, Milan, and Gothenburg, Sweden, and even smaller towns, like Durham, England; Znojmo, Czech Republic; and Valletta, Malta.

 It’s also been proposed in New York City and San Francisco. Four general types of systems are available: a cordon area around a city center, with charges for passing the cordon line; area wide pricing, that charges for being inside that area; city center toll ring, with toll collection surrounding the city; and corridor or single facility pricing, where access to a lane or a facility is controlled. 

Congestion pricing can be fixed (the same at all times of day and days of the week), variable (set in advance to be higher at typically high-traffic times), or dynamic (varying according to actual conditions). 

The municipal limits of Park City define where most of the action is (access and egress to and from Main Street, Deer Valley and Park City, there would only be two gates needed in winter, on both routes 224 and 248. 

A toll amount would have to be set and rules established. I’m thinking of rules for City residents, key personnel (teachers, police, firefighters, medical staff) business tenants and their employees, support service personnel, week-end visitors, destination tourists, etc. 

In a future blogs I will attempt to tackle the details of that plan. Just stay tuned…

The switch from fear to audacity

As an individual, I’m very much aware of the power of fear and its devastating impact on certain people’s lives. When I was a small kid, my life revolved around fear, for many different reasons. 

Primarily from my parents, probably based upon the manner they were reared. They instilled in me a strong fear of authority, beginning of course with them. I never dared challenging my parents and this fear of their authority lasted well into my early twenties. 

In addition to that fear, was the kind of oppression the Catholic religion I was brought up into, added to that by turning everything pleasurable into something undesirable and with it an ironclad guarantee to end up in hell. While I didn’t necessarily believe in the existence of a God, I was almost convinced of a permanent dark force out there intent to get me by all possible means. 

To add to that rather bleak picture, my parents would relish in telling me stories about devilish acts of witchcraft that were quite common in the remote mountain village where we lived. As a result, I was saturated by fear as a kid, particularly at night, when I heard voices, or all kinds of rhythmic noises that frequently were eerily amplified and many of my nights turned into something more nightmarish than peaceful. 

I must admit that I didn’t get out this rut of fear by myself through reading and educating myself, but more so by finding myself surrounded by fearless individuals that gradually showed me that life was not just possible, but passionately enjoyable out of the jaws of fear and, through imitation, I got out of the world of fright to wet my toes into that of limitless possibilities. 

In retrospect, I have many times been angry about all these years lost in oppression and darkness. That wasted time, had it not existed, would have made a huge difference during my formative years, but I console myself by having lived a much more audacious live ever since and have probably leapfrogged these long lost years. 

As a trait that surrounds us all the time, fear is a natural response to the unfamiliar and a protection against certain dangers, but it should never overwhelm our lives to the point it has to dictate each and everyone of our actions. 

In addition to opening up the door to risk-taking, audacity allows us to confront our fears head-on, pushing us to step outside our comfort zones, exceed our expectations and dare us conquer the obstacles that are in our way. A life well lived often lies on the other side of fear.

How Trump leveraged fear of change

Change already hard on many, has intensified in recent years and will keep on accelerating as time goes on, making it increasingly unbearable for a larger number of individuals that can no longer absorb and accept new ideas or concepts. 

These folks balk at moving forward, feel anxious, even fearful about change and progress and appear only receptive to going backward to the "good old day" or at the very least to stand still and refuse to advance. Furthermore, research suggests that individuals with a greater fear of change are more likely to hold conservative beliefs and exhibit conservative behavior. 

This connection can be explained through the psychological concept of "openness to experience," one of the “Big Five” personality traits. People who score low on openness to experience tend to be more resistant to change and new experiences, and therefore, may be attracted towards conservative ideologies that emphasize tradition, stability, and resistance to change. 

This deep aversion to change is found in people's reluctance to adopt electric cars and adapt to their idiosyncrasies, difficulties in accepting societal change, gender identity issues, immigration, different set of religious beliefs or absence thereof, varying ideologies, artificial intelligence and globalization among many others. 

Overwhelmed by a fast changing environment and eager to remove complexity from their lives, people who feel pressured by too much change of that nature fall prey to messages aimed at “simplifying” their lives and returning to the past, an entity they’re familiar with and feel much more comfortable about. 

This is an opportunity that Trump and his advisors have long recognized and are exploiting it with a large modicum of success. 

For his supporters and any group of people who find resonance in what Trump says, “Fear of Change” can best be counteracted with a total rejection of any kind of forward evolution and by taking refuge into the values and lifestyles of the past that are promised by MAGA politicians.

Halloween’s unexpected rebound

In recent years and mostly because of the pandemic, our visitation by treat-or-trickers had been dismal and even got down, and after we’d moved into a new home, failed to rise to the level it enjoyed until 2013 (see table). 

So it’s with a huge surprise that two nights ago, we witnessed a huge rebound in the numbers of kids coming to our home on Halloween night. In fact, we broke the record for our new home with an increase over 140%! 

We were elated and attributed that success to factors that had absolutely nothing to do with my marketing genius of yesteryear. First, it takes time for a new venue (our home was completed in 2014) as it does for a fledgling restaurant or place of business to get traction and attract a steady flow of accustomed visitors. 

Then, with so many newcomers to Park City, there are more kids and the town is getting a healthy second-wind with a fresh new generation of kids. All great news in a very sad world that doesn’t seem to know how to make us smile anymore...

The impact of man-made snow

As our local resorts are now taking advantage of very cold weather to make snow, it’s a good time to ponder the ecological impact of snow-making on our environment. Since snow guns work best at night, folks living near the slopes must put up with relentless noise that also negatively affects wildlife! 

Then, there’s the question of water availability, particularly in winter, when mountain streams are low, making it often necessary to transport the water or have it stored on site through man-made ponds. While adjuvants (ice nucleation-active proteins from bacteria) are no longer added in Europe they still are in America. These serve as nuclei to induce the formation of ice crystals at relatively high temperatures. 

Once produced, artificial snow is 50 times harder and 4 times denser than its natural version; it also tends to waterproof the soil it covers and contributes to gullying and erosion. Slower to disappear, it tends to extend the seasonality of melting. Snow guns generally require between 3,000 and 4,000 cubic meters of water per hectare of slope covered, which suggests a thickness of one foot or 30 cm. 

Accordingly, it takes approximately 106 gallons (400 litres) of water to produce one cubic meter of snow, a significant amount of this water is lost due to evaporation, and thus is not returned to the water table. Furthermore, since it takes approximately 3.5 to 4.3 kWh of energy to produce one cubic meter of snow it would represent around 17,500 kWh of electricity. Power costs vary wildly and are half in the US of they are in Europe. 

In France, producing one cubic meter of snow costs $2,5 which includes water, power, investment amortization and labor costs but not grooming expenses. As a country, France also uses around fifteen million cubic meters of water per season to make snow, and this activity cost the largest ski areas in America and Europe around 1 to 2 million dollars per season depending on their infrastructure, not counting labor, infrastructure cost and grooming expenses. 

Obviously, the high cost of man-made snow is passed on to the end-user under the form of more expensive lift tickets. Without making snow, US ski resorts would lose over $1 billion annually and skiing would quickly lose its attraction, especially in view of an accelerating climate change!

Remembering a former colleague

While I was in France, I went to visit the Montriond cemetery where my parents are buried and also the special section where the ashes of my brother ans sister in law have been placed. 

A few days later we stopped by the Morzine cemetery where I wanted to see the spot where my former colleague, Dominique Mollaret, had been buried following his tragic death on the Mont-Blanc mountain. 

I remember that along with the late Henri Marullaz we drove on his jeep to nearby Taninges in order to retrieve the pieces of rock that would constitute the stone work built to honor Dominique. 

That was around October of 1972, some 51 years ago…