Our UPS man…

If I’m impressed with a few American companies, United Parcel Service (UPS) is one of them. Devoted to delivering parcels for years, it was founded in 1907 as the American Messenger Company specializing in telegraphs.

Today, it has become the largest courier company in the world by revenue, with annual revenues around $85 billion in 2020, ahead of competitors like FedEx and DHL. Its trucks are well maintained, clean and its personnel stay forever with the company. 

We used to own a large home in Park City that we sold in 2002 and moved to a much smaller, more modest home, not as high up on the hill. When our UPS delivery man realized that, he told my spouse how sorry he felt that we had “lost” our great home. She definitely appreciated his heartfelt empathy but said that we just scaled down as we had become empty nester… 

This past Thursday I ran into the same man and his shining UPS truck and we greeted each other. Then he said “Do you know that I have your snowblower?” At first, I couldn’t understand what he was talking about, then he went on and said “Yeah, you know your old Honda, it’s me who picked it up, I fixed it and it works great!” 

It then dawned on me that I had abandoned the old, broken-down snow remover on the curb of the street, next to my home with a “FREE” sign on it. He was the one who had been smart and handy enough to fix the old machine and give it a new lease on life. 

His UPS culture of good work, perfect maintenance and presentation had equipped him with the necessary drive and skills to make it happen and just increased my appreciation for UPS and his people even more! 

Fifty years ago, rediscovering America!

Part of my new job at Look ski bindings was to assess the role and the effectiveness of its important and costly ski racing service. During the winter 1974-75, I had plenty of time to see and understand how the system worked within Europe and I found it to be pretty scattered, disorganized and highly inefficient. The missing part of that puzzle was the work done in North America. 

So, towards the end of the season I undertook to visit our respective racing servicemen in the USA and Canada, Denys Liboz and Jean-Louis Villiot. I had met them the previous Fall and saw Liboz several times with the US Team on the Alpine world cup circuit. This time, I flew from Geneva to New York JFK, then hopped on a TWA plane to Reno, where Liboz picked me up and took me to Mt. Rose where the Spring Series Races were going on. 

I was impressed by the 8 feet of snow still left at the resort and understood the complexity and the immensity of the job Denys was up against. I recall that we spent a couple of days around Lake Tahoe, I even skied and I had brought my old Trappeur boots and got them replaced by a brand new pair of Nordica Meteor the late Tony Hedgecock, then boot racer-chaser for Beconta, gave to me. 

Later on, Liboz drove me down to San Francisco and on the way down the valley I picked up a pair of cowboy boots and a Levi’s jeans. I then flew to Calgary, Canada. From there, I drove to Banff where I met Villiot. I remember seeing my very first moose half asleep on the sidewalk. We talked about the scope of Jean-Louis’s job and our limited budget to be able to run it as it should have, the size of the country and the complexity of being everywhere for everyone at the same time. 

From Calgary I flew to Montreal where I met with Nordsport’s Peter Kirby, our Canadian distributor a very pleasant fellow, then I caught a flight to New York La Guardia, where I think my friend Peter Juen picked me up and drove me to Beconta’s Elmsford office (our US distributor) where I me the principals, Jim Woolner and Karl Wallach. 

Both told me Look was wasting its money on a ruinous racing program and that instead the company would be better advised to develop good products for the masses in order to stop the onslaught of Salomon that was emerging as a formidable and hard to beat competitor. As short-term oriented merchants, both probably had a self-serving point, and obviously didn’t care about maintaining the company’ s strong racing image. 

Later on, a limo would take me to my Swissair flight at JFK as I was on my back to Geneva. I was quite pleased with my new ski boots, my whirlwind trip but quite confused about what to do next in order to achieve the best possible result for my employer... .

A strange looking magpie!

The Eurasian magpie (Pica pica) is a species from the corvids family (Corvidae). Magpies can be found over almost all of Europe and north-western parts of Africa. For a long time, the Eurasian Magpie and the American Black-billed Magpie were considered the same species (Pica pica). 

However, in 2000, based on their vocalizations and behavior, significant genetic divergence were found between the two, the American Ornithologists' Union officially recognized the Black-billed Magpie as a separate species (Pica hudsonia), which is the one abundantly found in Park City. While they look very similar with their black and white plumage and long tails, subtle differences exist. 

Some sources note differences in the gloss of their feathers and the amount of white on their plumage. Black-billed Magpies can also reach a slightly larger size, mainly due to a longer tail. Their calls are also distinctly different. Further, there are differences in their social behaviors and nesting habits as Black-billed Magpies sometimes nest in loose colonies, unlike the more spread-out nesting of Eurasian Magpies.

So that pretty long explanation serves as introducing the unusual encounter we had a few days ago, when we stumbled upon a white magpie, next to a normal one. My first reaction was to say “It must be a case of albinism!” 

But after checking it, I had to conclude it was a more common case of leucism instead (partial loss of pigmentation, leading to white or patchy feathers but normal-colored eyes, not pink). Albinism in birds is far less frequent (roughly 1 in every 10,000 to 30,000 birds in the wild) while leucism is a bit less rare as it appears in 1 for every 1,000 to 10,000 birds). 

According to what I’ve read, leucistic birds have normal eye color (not pink) and may have mixed white and normal feathers. Will we ever see that unique bird again? I’d love to, but I doubt it!

What’s good judgment?

Good or sound judgment is a crucial quality in any leader, and one badly missed within our current American government. In the past I’ve always defined “good judgment” as a balance between common sense, experience and an ability to project consequences into the future. 

Part of it is what we mean with common sense for instance. In it, there’s adaptability and what we also call “critical thinking”, that ability to evaluate facts objectively, avoiding biases, and questioning assumptions. Common sense also includes a good dose of integrity and ethics, that is, choosing what’s right, not just what’s easy or beneficial. 

While the experience is invaluable as it educates us by drawing from past lessons and relevant information, as is the ability to anticipate outcomes and the long-term effects of our decisions.

One element I didn’t include though, is emotional intelligence, namely understanding emotions of the various parties involved in judging a situation without letting this fickle set of elements cloud and affect our reasoning. 

This domain is often harder to master because few of us have been trained to identify emotions well enough and develop effective responses to them. Like any living skills our judgment can be improved constantly by seeking diverse perspectives, and avoiding “echo chambers”. 

Also and mostly by learning from our mistakes, by slowing down when our emotions run high, staying well informed and training ourselves to distinguish facts from opinions. 

Poor judgment, in contrast, is impulsive, biased, or self-serving and is perfectly exemplified by Trump and his accomplices.

Europeans living in the United States

If someone had asked me how many European Community citizens live in the United States, I would have said, “I have no idea”. I had a vague guess for the number of French people, maybe 2 to 300,000 but that would have been it. 

Estimating the number of European Union (EU) citizens living in the United States is not an easy task because the US Census doesn’t track immigration status by EU citizenship. However, I found that there might be up to 5 million EC and British citizens living in that country for the years 2023–2024 out of a total population of 340 million, namely less than 1.5% (see table). 

The UK, Germany, Italy, France, Poland, and Ireland have the largest expatriate populations. That number is a mix from the US Census and immigration data, the Embassy registrations and the Pew Research estimate. These people include both legal permanent residents (green card holders) and temporary visa holders (work, student, etc.). 

Dual citizens like me and members of my family, or any one who came and is staying in the United States for good, may inflate these numbers if their ancestry was reported, and this might amount to a significant number of people which I couldn’t begin to guess.

Getting older and compensating for it…

Intuitively, I believe that we can fight the physical decline due to old age by becoming intellectually sharper, if our mental and cognitive skills allow it. I certainly realize that the relationship between physical decline and cognitive sharpness during old age is a complex one, but the little research I’ve done suggests that maintaining strong mental and cognitive skills can indeed help mitigate some effects of aging, both mentally and physically. 

Even as we grow older, the brain retains some ability to rewire itself. We’ve all read or heard that engaging in challenging intellectual activities (learning, problem-solving, meditation) can strengthen neural connections and build cognitive reserve, which we hope may delay dementia and cognitive decline. 

Further, cognitive engagement can indirectly combat physical decline by promoting healthier habits (getting information on health for instance) and is also key to stimulating motivation and reducing stress. I am convince that all this mental activity more than compensate for our physical losses due to aging! This said, moving a lot through physical exercise remains critical—it boosts brain function and vice versa, creating a feedback loop.

I believe for instance that skiing in challenging conditions that mix mental and physical coordination works well for my cognitive and physical heath. We also all know that a sharp mind fosters adaptability when a variety of physical limitations plant hurdles in front of us. Finally, a positive attitude toward aging correlate with better physical health and longevity. 

While cognitive sharpness may compensate for some physical decline, it won’t fully reverse biological aging (like muscle loss, joint deterioration) but at the end of the day with all the wisdom we gain by remaining sharp and mentally active, the overall net result is positive. At least that’s what I believe!

Discovering an poorly known Extreme Skier

While many experienced skiers have heard of Sylvain Saudan, Patrick Vallençant, Anselme Baud, or Jean-Marc Boivin, few have heard of André "Dédé" Anzévui, a mountain guide and ski instructor from Arolla, Switzerland.

That said, comparing all these "extreme skiers" who fascinated us all during the three decades spanning from the 60s to the 80s is the normal thing to do, and the following table will give those who don't know these folks too well an idea of ​​each one's place in ski history. 

Dédé Anzévui became famous for making the first ski descent of the north ridge of the Matterhorn in 1989, a feat that has never been repeated since. This descent, made in a fuchsia-colored jumpsuit, very narrow 2-meter Lacroix skis, in fact, the uniform of the extreme skier of the 80s, was the result of meticulous preparation and a passion for melding skiing and mountaineering. 

The north face of the Matterhorn was steeper and less accessible than the east face descended by Boivin who had introduced the "ski-that-really-feels-scary" when he descended the east face of the same Matterhorn, in June 1980. Anzévui's descent included many technical sections with slopes reaching 55 degrees, making it extremely demanding. 

Unlike Boivin, Anzévui had been dropped off by helicopter. Before this, Dédé Anzévui had made the first ski descent of the Dent-Blanche in the 1980s. I really discovered Dédé in a Swiss documentary (narrated in French) that you can watch below.

The sorcerer's apprentice

Ever since he got elected in 2016, Trump has always boasted that he knew more than the generals, the economists, the financial gurus and the best scientists. Just before that time, Trump earned his US fame through his “Apprentice” TV reality series and as I was thinking about all this, and I made the logical connection with the Sorcerer's Apprentice’s story and its unintended consequences, especially today in view of the tariffs fiasco. 

In fact, the Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a tale about pretentious people getting over their heads when they don’t know what they’re doing, and it’s precisely the way Trump has acted with his cruel immigration policies, his obsession on tariffs, his beliefs that he knows international politic and science better than anyone, and in the process has created havoc both the US and the entire world. 

In Goethe’s poem, the sorcerer's apprentice is training under the supervision of a Sorcerer. One day the Sorcerer (the adult in the room) has to leave momentarily and now alone and impatient to test the power he thought he learned from his boss, the apprentice uses the little magic he knows to make his broom clean up for him, but since he doesn’t know about to control it, the broom soon gets out of hand causing huge problems that he is incapable to fix until the Sorcerer returns. 

The story tells us that it takes competence, knowledge and practice to do things well, and it’s a very bad idea to undertake big things without having the proper qualifications. One should always respect learning and experience, and should never meddle in something that you one doesn’t understand. In Goethe story, the sorcerer, very benevolently didn’t punish his apprentice because he knew that this was one lesson he had learned well!

Can I use AI as a shopping tool?

That’s a question I’ve been asking myself lately: can I really use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to shop for consumer products or services? Guess who I’ve asked? AI of course and a resounding “Yes!” is the answer I received.

Not only that, but doing so can make the process faster, smarter, and more personalized. Here’s how AI can help and some tools you can use, starting with AI powered resources like ChatGPT , Google’s Bard (Gemini), Amazon’s Alexa or Google’s Assistant. 

In addition, AI can monitor prices across websites and alert you when a product drops in price such as Honey (by PayPal), CamelCamelCamel or Keepa to track Amazon’s price drops. Now, if you’re looking for a loan, an insurance, or a travel deal, AI can compare options in seconds, with Kayak / Hopper for travel, Policygenius for insurance or Credit Karma for loans or credit. 

This said, not all AI tools are fully autonomous, some still require manual checkout. Obviously, if privacy is of concern to you, be aware that some engines will also track your shopping habits. You'll also need to remember that certain results won't be totally unbiased as AI may favor certain brands due to certain commercial partnerships. 

With these tips in mind, have fun shopping!

Quick entry and exit from ski boots

This past week, I continued shopping for ski boots with greater ease of entry and exit. Remember, as I’m getting older I have more challenges in getting into and out of my ski boots, to the point that it’s become a major headache of mine! 

Three models have since attracted my attention, like the Nordica HF series, the Rossignol Vizion and the K2 Revolve (old Flexon). The former looked to me a bit flimsy while the Vizion appeared just as gimmicky as Pat Quigley’s Lange “mid-entry” from the 80s. As for the K2, it looked very soft to me. 

Yet, when I was sitting trying on a pair of Head conventional four-buckle model, the shop owner came with his phone showing me a video of a tool called “Shuvvie” describing a tool to enter and exit a stiff boot with relative ease. 

The clip I saw was done well enough to appear convincing and that led me to searching for other similar devices aimed at achieving similar results. 

Another solution, but only to facilitate entry is to use a “boot horn” (see photograph), but for exit, you may have someone to help you out of your ski boots right on the parking lot… 

I plan to test the Shuvvie and will let you know how it holds up to its easy-to-use claim!

Will my meditation practice last?

A large number of people try to meditate, but few stick with the practice for a long period or even the rest of their life, so I was wondering what percentage stay with it in the long run. I wasn’t expecting precise statistics due to the scarcity and the variability in studies, how we define the "practice," and its data quality. 

This said I have researched it a bit in order to get a rough answer to my question. In reality, many begin meditation, but fewer can sustain the practice as their initial enthusiasm often wanes due to what they see as lack of time, difficulty focusing, or not seeing any immediate benefits. 

 Those who maintain a consistent practice for their entire lives only account for 1 to 5%. People who stick to it for a decade or more show a deeply ingrained habit and their percentage is still below 10% of those who initially started. Maintaining a practice for at least 5 years (my current case) shows a significant commitment and might involve around 10 to 20% of those who began. As for those dropping after a year, their percentage might be close to 50%.

When I first began meditating in 1969, I might have lasted one or two months at best. Staying with meditation for the longer term often involves having a teacher and finding meditation beneficial enough to justify pursuing it. That latter part is important and I credit it for still practicing it. 

There are other valid reasons to stay with it, like overcoming practical and mental obstacles to practice or having a higher sense of conscientiousness than most… Having friends, family, a community or participating in organized retreats will also increase adherence to meditation. If you have some experience, don’t hesitate to post a comment!

Discipline, rigor and personal success

It’s my belief that a good mix of discipline and rigor can bring more success into someone’s life, but is it really true? While it’s natural to assume that personal success is strongly correlated with discipline and rigor, it certainly is not the only determining factor and it’s true that other elements also contribute. Success won’t happen without the acquisition and the continued development of skills. 

Then, a plan is needed with goals along the way, to keep one’s eye on the ball at any time, and of course consistent efforts to make it happen. This brings the two ingredients I was questioning. Goal achievement demands rigor and maintained efforts require discipline, even when faced with obstacles or distractions. In the mix, add good time management to accomplish things effectively and prioritize tasks. 

It’s also true that discipline and rigor build resilience, allowing us to bounce back from setbacks and failures, and keep tasks in focus, preventing distraction along the way. Besides rigor and discipline, our natural abilities like creativity, social adaptability, intelligence and talents will give us a head start in multiple areas. 

Same thing with access to opportunities, like education, mentorship, and active networking. Finally, there are luck and circumstance that never fail to influence our lives, well beyond our control, like being in the right place at the right time. Still, all these elements can’t eclipse discipline and rigor as essential components of a broader success equation.

Watching the “Adolescence” series

Our daughter had recommended that we watched the limited series, Adolescence on Netflix. It’s a family drama roughly based on a true story that happened in the UK. Without giving away the plot of that four-part show, we’d say that it was very well acted, riveting and was both both painful and uneasy to watch. 

What’s different in that story is that it’s told by focusing on the perpetrator of a crime and his family, not the victim’s, as normally is the case. 

A parent’s worst nightmare, that made us question the culture and the environment that surround today’s youth today and the pressures they face from their peers, misogynistic influences, identity development, and most importantly, the number one poison, the nefarious impact the internet and social media on society. 

Watch it if you can. 

How dental crowns are now built…

In a few weeks, I'm scheduled to get a new dental crown. If you have ever had a crown put on, you remember the traditional impressions you went through. It involved some gooey material stuffed in your mouth to mold to the shape of your surrounding teeth. 

Today, as I just experienced, there’s a much better way to achieve this. Now, a digital scan allows a dentist to get the necessary information for creating the needed crown. The simple and quick procedure just generates a 3-D map of the area of your mouth on a computer screen that enables the dentist to view your entire set of teeth on the screen. 

The quality of these scans is better too, as there’s less room for error with totally digital information. Combined with X-rays, the crown can be placed in a perfect geometric position and the digital file is then used to design and fabricate the crown using CAD software and 3D printing or milling. 

As anyone could guess, these digitizing systems made by Dandy in the US and Imagoworks in South Korea aren’t cheap and can cost in the $50,000 range. When my crown will be installed, I’ll chime in to let you know how the installation process went ! 

Ski World Cup Finals, Val Gardena 1975

It happened 50 years ago, and I still vividly remember the event. March 23, 1975 will forever remain a historic event in my mind, like it will for Italian skiing as a whole. That day, I witnessed the most exciting finale in the history of the World Cup. 

The setting was the Ronc slope in Ortisei, where Gustavo Thöni, the champion from Trafoi was ready for the final parallel slalom of a World Cup that saw him, Ingemar Stenmark and Franz Klammer show up with the same number of points at the finals in an absolutely unparalleled event with over 40 thousand people in attendance and some twenty million Italians glued in front of their TV. 

Klammer, a downhiller, not a technical skier paired with Helmuth Schmalzl, went out immediately in the opening heat, while Thöni climbed quickly into a controversial quarter final against Poland’s Andrej Bachleda. Likewise, his Swedish opponent reached the semifinal against Fausto Radici and won it, while Thöni beat Switzerland’s Walter Tresch to arrive head to head with Stenmark for a super-charged intense final run of two legends. 

The Italians fans were not nice to the Swede as they pelted him with snowballs as he was riding the surface lift up to the start. In the last gates of the final run, Stenmark trying to recover after slipping away into the last two gates lost his momentum, while Thoeni crossed the finish line victorious while Stenmark stood frozen and incredulous on the edge of the run. 

“Ingo” as Italians nicknamed the Swede, would win the next three crystal globes and win the most World Cups until Shifrin beat his record, effectively putting an end to the domination of the “Valanga Azzurra” (the Italian avalanche) led by Mario Cotelli. For my part, not only was Thöni, the overall World Cup champion on Look bindings, but so was his Austrian female counterpart, Annemarie Moser Pröll! 

With all these festive feelings and an everlasting memory inside my head I drove home thinking I had witnessed an incredible moment in ski history and some bittersweet feelings as this would be a premonition marking the beginning of the end of my job as racing director… 

Vail Resorts still doesn’t get it!

Recently, Park City Mountain, that’s owned by Vail Resorts, sent me one of their customer surveys. I get two or three of these by winter. This time, I said once more that I wasn’t terribly satisfied with my experience. 

Good points: Removal of “whippers”, on a few ski runs. These plants growing on ski runs are both dangerous and unpleasant that have grown since Vail Resorts took over Park City Mountain ten years ago, yet many more still need to go. 

Negative points: Had lunch with family once this winter at “Cloud Dine”. It was messy, overcrowded, dirty with mediocre food, the experience was unpleasant. Then, you closed down most of your Canyons Village parking lot mid-March to build a new covered garage. Why didn’t you wait till mid April? 

This clearly shows the lack of importance of customers to you. Since Vail Resorts took over, that parking lot has been peppered with huge potholes that were a challenge to avoid. So to add insult to injury, you’ve plastered the chain-link fence that borders the construction site with stupid, arrogant signs making a mockery of its clients. 

Like “Your car alignment will thank us” or “Potholes, the ultimate speed bump, enjoy them while the last!”. Not funny, when it’s Park City Mountain that let that lot deteriorate to its terrible condition and should PAY for wheels alignment and damages to my car. It shows that Park City Mountain has no concept of customer service. 

I guess, like for the Aesop fable of the frog and the scorpion, bad customer treatment is in Vail Resorts’ nature!

A knee-friendly ski binding?

While ski release binding technology has stayed stagnant for half a century, I wonder what’s behind new ski bindings designs like Tyrolia Full Heel Release, Knee or Howell Binding. All allege protection of the ACL tear, that would show a marked improvement over traditional bindings, but are these claims backed up by some serious evidence or are they just hype? ACL protection is a complex and still misunderstood issue. 

While traditional ski bindings are primarily designed to protect against lower leg injuries, like tibia fractures, they’re useless against knee injuries, particularly ACL tears, which often occur from backwards twisting falls. 

Tyrolia claims that its “Full Heel Release” (FHR) is based on solid scientific research and development in collaboration with the University of Innsbruck. 

Its technology allows for lateral and vertical heel release, in hope to reduce the risk of knee injuries, including cruciate ligament tears (ACL). These studies are said to show that this heel piece can reduce knee stress by more than 50% during falls involving backward rotation, which today are among the most common causes of ski injuries to the knee. 

Knee (Kneebinding) claims that their own research has found that their binding with fast-release characteristics and pivot points positioned strategically can reduce strain on the ACL during falls. In one of their studies using a biomechanical knee model they claim that their bindings with dual pivot points (front and back) could sense twist loads more effectively, reducing the occurrence of ACL injuries. The company also claims KneeBindings reduced the risk of ACL injuries by 82.5% and all ski-related knee injuries by 75%. The proprietary research involved over 1600 participants across multiple ski resorts and seasons. 

Again, all of that is company controlled and difficult to believe. As for Howell, its founder that was previously involved with Knee, has presented his findings at orthopedic, biomechanical engineering, and sports science conferences over the past 20 years. Some of this research has been published in peer-reviewed journals like the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Like for new innovations in health and sport medicine, the proof is in the pudding and only one or two decades of widespread use of these designs will provide the ski public with more satisfactory and tangible results. 

To me, this “improvement” is mostly fictional, as there’s no mechanical nor electronic way to measure the stress applied to the knee as opposed to what a mechanical traditional binding senses at the level of the foot and ankle levels. Short of having a measurement tool to sense and measure that energy, all the rest is hocus-pocus! As with any new products, marketing often grossly amplifies the benefits of new ideas to attract consumer’s attention. 

I’ll be waiting a few more years to see if there is any figment of truth in these attractive claims...

A phone call to dream for?

These days my dreams have been rather tame, not to say boring. They’re definitely less stressful and I credit this to my meditation practice. This said, I have an original one to share with you. 

A few nights ago, I was in the middle of a dream in which I heard a persistent buzz, so after a significant while, I realized it might have been my phone buzzing. 

So, in my dream, I pulled my device out of my pocket and began to swipe its screen, swiped it and swiped it again and kept on swiping it to no avail until my vain efforts woke me up and I realized that the buzzing came out of my wife “buzzing” respiration (some less generous folks would call this “light snoring”!) 

So that this was the extent of my high-tech dream that realized itself into hard reality! It’s true that everyone wonders why it can be so hard to swipe a smartphone when taking a phone call? No one can deny that taking a phone call can be so difficult at times. It can be caused by touchscreen sensitivity, but most likely by slightly wet or cold fingers, perhaps a film to protect the screen, and some screens maybe more sensitive than others. 

The way we operate the swiping motion also requires precise swipe direction and speed, and may not register if not done right. Also Android and Apple handle calls answering slightly differently (Androids can be more finicky than iPhone’s) and, additionally, the specific implementation can vary between phone manufacturers and OS versions. 

There’s additionally the instance when we’re distracted or in a hurry that might make it harder to perform a correct swipe. Make sure the screen is clean and dry, swipe firmly and deliberately in the correct direction, don’t hesitate or don’t rush! If available, using a bluetooth headset can make answering calls much easier. 

By following these tips, we all could significantly improve our success rate when taking calls on smartphones or resolve complicated dreams like mine...

Fifty years ago, trip to Stans…

I still remember a trip I made fifty years ago, in March 1975 with Jean-Michel Lamy, sales director at Look. We flew from Charles de Gaulle to Zurich, Switzerland, to meet Gaston Haldemann, importer and distributor of Rossignol, Nordica, and Look in that country, and Kaspar Heutschi, his sales director. 

The meeting took place at Haldemann's offices in Stans, a small mountain town in the heart of Switzerland, in the canton of Niedwalden, an hour's drive south of Zurich. I knew the town because it was the home of the famous short-takeoff aircraft Pilatus Porter. 

Lamy, recruited from Peugeot in central France, had absolutely no idea about the ski industry and was a bit like a fish out of water, while Haldemann, who had devoted his entire life, energy, and passion to skiing, knew what he was talking about. 

An engineer by training, he was the inventor of the Rossignol Fiberglass, a hollow-core slalom ski that Adrien Duvillard had taken to America in 1963, where he scored some victories in the early days of the professional circuit. 

We had gone there to discuss the future of Look's racing program and its place within the company. Haldemann was neither impressed by the impact of ski racing on sales, nor enthralled by the way Look was run, particularly by the company's lack of innovation. 

The meeting had achieved little, but it had called into question the costly investment the company was making in its racing department. Clear-eyed, I realized that this cost would ultimately strangle the company's future, resulting in its takeover by Bernard Tapie in 1983 for one symbolic French franc.

Skiing and… falling!

This video made from videos from the 2024-2025 alpine racing ski season came to my attention and along with my wife, we managed to watch the full 24 minutes of its footage. 

That’s one reason why I decided to pass it on to you if you can stand the pain of watching excellent skiers take dismembering tumbles to keep you entertained! In addition, what I took away from this rough spectacle, is that it’s a learning lesson for all of us who ski, at any skill level, I should add. 

As for the rest of our lives’ moments, we learn significantly from our mistakes than our successes. For instance, as skiing goes, this clip shows that we all should avoid skiing too much on the inside ski, but everyone does it! 

We shouldn’t either initiate direction changes at the last fraction of second or lean too much forward. Another observation is that security fences aren’t not installed or created equally, as some still let skiers through them without slowing them down much. 

Well, in the end, I can only hope that these involuntary heroes are doing okay today, and won’t suffer too much as their bodies get older. 

Did I vote for Trump?

It appears to be so long that can’t really remember which president I voted for in 2024. I think I went for the loud candidate who promised to make America great again as I liked his red hat and his assured ways. He spoke a good game, and even as a very old guy, he looked more alive than his opponent who vaporized at the first debate. 

The loud candidate promised to eliminate illegal immigrants that were stealing our jobs and were for the most part criminals. I know, these folks were doing the work no “Anglo” would ever do, so that must be illegal! 

He also guaranteed to kill inflation, bring grocery prices back to pre-Biden levels, promised using tariffs to enrich the country and bring all manufacturing back home, balance the federal budget and cut taxes. 

He promised me miracles better than the ones expected in Lourdes, and that sounded good to me because I believe in things I like to hear, and I can see that he’s hyperactive and doing all kinds of big things all the time. 

He’s like a huge bull inside a tiny china shop, it’s full of action, it’s noisy, things fly around and it sounds just like he promised…

 

A day late and a dollar short?

The expression "a day late and a dollar short" simply means that something is both late and insufficient or inadequate, in other words it’s a way to describe a situation where an action or an effort is not only delayed in time but also lacks the necessary resources or quality to be effective. In fact, it’s “Too little, too late” backwards! 

This popular phrase is believed to have roots in African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and has gained popularity in the mid-20th century. Since the dollar had considerable purchasing power during that period in time, even a slight shortfall could have serious repercussions. 

The expression likely emerged as a poignant reflection of this era, emphasizing the importance of timely action and adequate resources. So, it’s better to write the important things you must do, down on yourr calendar, and be ready to offer something substantial enough when you feel compelled to do so. 

Anything past that prearranged time and its accompanying consideration, if it’s less than what’s expected, will make you look bad and will significantly aggravate your inexcusable time lag!

Turning imperfections or errors into gains!

Now and again, we unintentionally make mistakes and create imperfections, so is there a way we can turn these life blemishes into assets? I believe so, if we begin by recognizing that errors and imperfections are inevitable parts of life in general, and any process in particular. They’re in fact opportunities for learning and improvement. 

We just need to approach errors with curiosity rather than fear, identify their root causes, by digging a little deeper than usual, and asking questions like “What valuable insights did we learn from this experience and how can we prevent similar errors in the future?” 

That to me is the bare minimum of what we must do. We should also share these lessons with others to prevent them from reproducing the same mistakes and ask ourselves if there’s a way to turn them into innovations or product ideas. After all, many groundbreaking inventions and discoveries from Post-it notes to Penicillin have resulted from accidental errors or unexpected outcomes. 

We should also focus on solutions in using errors as feedback to refine our processes, products, or ideas. By changing our outlook and embracing imperfection instead of blaming ourselves or others, we’ll adopt a proactive approach to problems that will transform them from setbacks into powerful catalysts for growth and innovation. 

Let’s embrace "Happy Accidents" and let’s be open to serendipitous discoveries that may arise from our own mistakes!

When is the party over?

Sometimes, I wonder if there are stages in a man's life, let say between 60 and100 years where we observe critical degrading steps at specific intervals, or does it vary widely with individuals? It would be fun to know, wouldn’t it? 

Obviously, the trajectory of aging varies widely among individuals due to genetics, lifestyle, environment, and healthcare access play significant roles in determining the pace and nature of physical and cognitive changes as years go by. This said, some scientists have identified certain milestones of aging that are relatively typical. 

Around60-70 is a phase when visible signs of aging, like wrinkles, slower recovery times, reduced stamina, begin to increase. Muscle mass and bone density will decline if not actively countered through regular activity and proper nutrition. Some health issues, like heart disease or diabetes, may also become more pronounced. 

By the mid-70s, frailty becomes more common, and many begin to experience joint problems or mobility problems. Cognitive changes, such as mild memory lapses, can arise, without necessarily related to dementia. 

Age 80and beyond is when the risk of chronic illnesses and disabilities multiplies. Many of us require more support for daily activities. Cognitive decline begins showing up with some, and the risk of Alzheimer's or other dementia increases significantly. However, the luckiest of us remain cognitively and physically active. 

Again, there’s no universal rule. Some individuals in their 90s remain remarkably independent and active, while others may encounter significant challenges much earlier. Advances in medicine, technology, and an emphasis on preventive health measures are shifting these patterns, helping many of us maintain quality of life even into our later decades. 

So please, don’t despair, keep moving and hang in there!

Snow performance under sun and shade

For decades, I’ve been wondering how we can explain that, when alpine skiing in Utah during spring season, on days that are relatively warm (close to 50 F), the snow exposed to the sun becomes incredibly slow, but as soon as we traverses a shaded area, the acceleration is not just noticeable, it's impressive. This in comparison to similar dates and conditions in the Alps? 

As I just ran again into these conditions, I deepened my search and found a few more things. Do you really want to know what these are? Just read on… Sun angle and intensity seems to be the main reason. In central Rocky Mountain ski resorts like here, in Park City, Utah, the higher altitude and dryer air, compared to the Alps this means that the sun's rays are more intense, especially in the spring when the sun angle is higher. Latitude (lower in the Rockies 40 vs 46 degrees North in the Alps) also exacerbates that effect. 

There’s also less atmospheric filtering, as the drier Utah air allows more direct sunlight to reach the snow surface. In the Alps, there's often more humidity and cloud cover, which filters a great deal of the sun's energy. Utah's spring days often see large temperature swings. The sun heats the snow surface quickly, causing it to become wet and slushy. At night, or in shaded areas, the temperature drops, and the wet snow refreezes. 

This creates a very "sticky" snow surface in the sun. Snow moisture content, as I have claimed in the past, is very low in Utah. A drier snow-pack, while fantastic in the winter, means that when spring melt occurs, the snow suddenly turns very wet, heavy and sticky. That’s drastically different in the Alps, where the snow higher moisture keeps gliding okay and more consistently during spring time. Utah snow, when it melts, tends to hold onto water more than the wetter Alpine snow. 

This wetness creates a suction effect, slowing skis down considerably and creating that huge difference with skiing in the Alps. Apparently, a strong sun can also create a "sun crust" on the snow surface, which can be very slow when it's soft and sticky, but I’m not quite convinced. What I should do is wax for these warm and wet conditions, but that’s a whole different subject! 

One thing for certain is that “corn snow” in the central Rockies is never very good and doesn’t compare well with its Alpine equivalent! Then of course, there are the real conditions we all experience, like when skiing shaded areas where the snow remains colder and drier, or refrozen, retaining its faster glide. The slope orientation also plays a critical role in timing the process and that’s when savvy skiers know how to “follow the sun” during spring skiing. In summary, an intense sun on dry air, and rapid melt-freeze cycles in Colorado or Utah spring create unique snow conditions that can slow things to a crawl under sunny areas and dramatically faster in shaded sections. The Alps, with their higher moisture content and less intense sun, tend to have a more consistent snow behavior, even in the spring. 

As you can read, nothing new under an intense sun!

The extortionist

The definition of an extortionist is someone who practices extortion—the act of using violence, threats, intimidation, or pressure from one's authority to force someone to hand over money (or something else of value) or do something they don't want to do. The word extortioner means the same exact thing. 

Organized crime groups frequently employ extortion to control territories, businesses, or industries, and to extract money or other valuables from individuals or businesses. 

This can take the form of protection rackets, blackmail, and threats of violence or harm. It’s not uncommon for such organized crime groups to demand "protection" payments from businesses, extort individuals for money or property, or threaten to harm someone if they don't comply with demands. More specifically, the Mafia commonly uses extortion as a normal way of conducting its business. 

Now, let’s take a look at Trump’s style of doing business. Is he an outstanding businessman or just a “transactional” guy? Neither one to me, especially after menacing and cutting arms and intelligence support for a while to Ukraine or after launching his “Tariff Walz” with China, Canada, Mexico and Europe, not to mention the over-hanging “Primary” threat to congress people who don’t toe his line, he is the perfect extortionist I was describing previously.

Why does he take this path? Because it’s not necessary to have a valid or even a legal reason to ask someone to do as they’re told and there is no need to convince. It’s easy, fast and it works all the time! 

I guess his father’s and his own deep and varied experiences with the infamous New York City’s Mafia families are the reason for his defaulting to that mode of operation...

Do we have three lives?

We recently saw the recent biopic ” Joan Baez, I am a noise”, a very good documentary about the life and torments of the famous singer in which she’s heard introducing the concept of three distinct lives: Public, private and secret. 

This concept, often attributed to Gabriel García Márquez, was new to me as I knew about the two first lives, but thought that the “secrets” could fit in our private realm, when after thinking it over, it makes perfectly sense to be given a compartment of its own. This compelling idea reflects the complexities of our human existence. While it might not be a scientifically established fact, it can resonate with many people's experiences. 

Our public life is the image we show to the world. It's in fact how we interact with colleagues, acquaintances, and the broader community. It incorporates our professional activities, our social interactions, and the image we project, the whole being often shaped by social expectations and our desire to maintain a certain reputation. 

Our private life is the one shared with our loved ones, our family and to a certain extent, some of our friends. It’s the place where we’re seen as more authentic and vulnerable, and where we’ve got the opportunity to share our true thoughts and feelings. It’s in fact a reflection of our intimate relationships, personal values, and home life. 

As to our secret life, it is kept hidden from others, and sometimes even from ourselves. It’s a mixed bag of our deepest desires, fears, fantasies, and hidden aspects of our personality. It may involve thoughts, behaviors, or experiences that we might feel ashamed of or that we believe would be judged by others. This resonates with the different "masks" we can wear in different social situations to fit in or to protect ourselves.

We’re all complex and multifaceted, with different sides to our personalities, and we may not always express them all openly. In addition, a “secret life” gives us a sense of privacy and boundaries. We have a right to keep certain aspects of our lives, like certain thoughts, feelings, and fantasies that are a significant part of who we truly are, and can be kept private if we so desire. 

Sure, the boundaries between our "lives" are not always clear-cut. They can shift and change depending on the context and our relationships. Likewise, accepting all aspects of ourselves, including our "secret" selves, is essential for self-acceptance and personal growth as long as our “secret life” doesn’t involve harmful behavior. 

Without making a trite play on words, I certainly can “live” with my three lives to make enough room for the different aspects of my identity and figure out how we navigate our complicated social world!

Gallup’s happiness ranking (Part 2)

The study measured the following of seven categories: 

• GDP per capita is in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) adjusted to constant 2021 international dollars, taken from the World Development Indicators (WDI) by the World Bank 
• The time series for healthy life expectancy at birth are constructed based among others, on data from the World Health Organization (WHO) 
• Social support is the national average of the responses to the Gallup World Poll (GWP) question “If you were in trouble, do you have relatives or friends you can count on to help you whenever you need them, or not?” 
• Freedom to make life choices is the national average of responses to the GWP question “Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with your freedom to choose what you do with your life?” 
• Generosity is the residual from regressing the national average of GWP responses to the donation question “Have you donated money to a charity in the past month?” on log GDP per capita. 
• Perceptions of corruption is the average of answers to two GWP questions: “Is corruption widespread throughout the government or not?” and “Is corruption widespread within businesses or not?” Where data for government corruption are missing, the perception of business corruption is used as the overall corruption-perception measure. 
• Dystopia is kind of confusing as it stands for a hypothetical country, so named because it has values equal to the world’s lowest national averages for 2022–2024 for each of the six key variables

Following most northern Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, what’s amazing is that the United States only ranked 24th, just after the UK, and this before the chaotic new Trump regime! 

France got a dismal 33rd spot, just before Singapore, while Spain and Italy got respectively 38th and 40th. Japan was just 55th. Russia is only 66th, Greece 81st, most African countries are at the end of the ranking that has Afghanistan dead last. 

 

You now have enough information to select your next country of residence, if you’re up for it!

Gallup’s happiness ranking...

The recent Gallup poll ranking world countries by their happiness level, reminded me about the Happiness Equation that goes as follows: “Happiness = Reality minus Expectations.” This would mean that the top ranking, or happiest nations on earth either manage their expectations very well or get much more than they expect out of their day-to-day lives. 

At any rate, the 2024 World Happiness Report, a partnership among Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and the World Happiness Report's Editorial Board, has become a key resource for seeing how happiness in policy making are doing in the various world countries and how our politicians are true to what they represent. 

The report assesses the current state of happiness around the world and explores how happiness can vary on a global and national scale. The 2025 edition focuses on the effect that caring and sharing have on people's happiness, much more than the trite equation I was mentioning earlier, as caring and sharing are too often forgotten values in the crazy world we live in. 

Tomorrow, we ‘ll try to analyze the results, so for now, just be aware that Finland was #1 and Afghanistan, dead last.

Don’t miss “The taste of things!”

During her recent visit in Park City, our daughter suggested we watched “The Taste of Things” (La Passion de Dodin Bouffant, in French), based on the 1924 eponymous novel by Swiss author Marcel Rouff, a historical romantic drama movie written and directed by Trần Anh Hùng starring Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel. 

The story set in 1889, depicts a romance between a cook and the gourmet who employs her. The film premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, and was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in its main competition section, where Tran Anh Hung won the Best Director award. 

I loved the movie because of its cinematography, its composition and its positive tone, a wonderful break from the nefarious political chaos we’re currently served by Trump and his sycophants. If you haven’t seen this jewel of a film yet, stream it, rent it, but at any rate watch it now! 

Managing anger…

If current politics make you angry, you’re probably paying attention and please be reassured, you’re not alone. I, too, feel exactly the same. This said, how can we best manage that kind of anger and don’t let it poison our lives? Obviously, this kind of anger is a common and valid reaction, especially when we feel passionately about the issues at hand.

A proper way to manage anger, is to channel it into something constructive rather than letting it consume us. To begin, let’s take a moment to identify what’s triggering it. In the political realm, is it a particular policy, a leader's actions, the state of discourse or how it lines up with our values? If we can pinpoint the root cause of that anger that will go a long way in helping us focus our energy. 

Since I’m a fighter, I’m motivated to channel my frustration into action. I develop a creative, concise but impact-full message and use it to write or voice my position to my political representatives. More importantly, I ask my friends to do the same. When I do, I make sure to communicate assertively and respectfully rather than aggressively (my instinctual response). 

Since over-consuming political news will make my anger worse, I set limits for how much time I spend reading or watching political news. By all means, what’s critical is to learn how to identify all new sources that get to me! When I happen to share my thoughts with like-minded individuals or even those holding differing views, I try to aim for understanding rather than confronting. 

Constructive conversations and especially asking pointed questions can be enlightening, is what works best and is less emotionally draining. Finally, I focus on what I can control. Because so much is out of our hands, I concentrate on the areas where I can make a difference, whether it’s in my community or in my personal life.

Am I convincing you? (part 2)

Between factual correctness and emotional appeal, how can we hone our convincing skills? What can bridge these two? Perhaps focusing on blending the strength of ideas with an engaging style can do the trick? Let’s explore these options in order to effectively convince others. The most convincing traits in individuals often revolve around qualities that inspire trust, admiration, and respect. 

To fuel them, the person able to convince needs three key ingredients: Passion. Enthusiasm & Belief. These are also found in Charisma, that intangible charm or magnetism top salespeople (and persuaders exude).

It's often a blend of good communication, warmth, and energy. Being authentic also adds to that impression, as well as a touch of empathy and a display of self-confidence. Of course, if you’re the antithesis of Trump and his allies you want to add integrity to the package: Living by strong moral principles builds credibility. 

People who consistently act with honesty and fairness are hard not to trust. Then there are other traits that will further add to one’s ability to convince, like the strength to bounce back from adversity as well as the openness to new ideas and the ability to navigate change smoothly when the going gets rough and a never-ending eagerness to learn and understand, looking at the bright side of things however small, can be very motivating to others. 

Do any of these resonate with you and motivate you to sell others on your good ideas? If the answer is “Yes”, time to go for it!

Am I convincing you?

Often, I do my best to be convincing when I have to, and I place all of my focus into the subjects or the ideas I want to promote to others or defend when they’re being attacked. Yet, after thinking about it, convincing is more a matter of style and approach than it is about rightfulness of the element I’m promoting. 

In other words, I’m far too technical, when I should pay attention to the emotional angles of the issues. This raises a fascinating but counter-intuitive point, as being convincing often does rely more on how we present our ideas than on the inherent correctness or righteousness of them. This is because persuasion operates much more on emotional than logical levels.

While truth or rightness may appeal to logic, human connections, biases, and perceptions often respond more strongly to style, tone, and delivery. One way to explain this is to compare someone presenting an idea with confidence, empathy, and clarity that comes across as more credible, even with highly questionable arguments as we see it all the time with politicians. 

Conversely, a perfectly valid point might fall apart if it’s delivered in a hesitant or disorganized way. This doesn’t diminish the importance of promoting truthful, meaningful ideas—on the contrary, it shows how vital it is to pair substance with an attractive approach. 

Tomorrow, we’ll explore how we can achieve that…

How unique are we?

I sometime wonder what make us unique, and if that trait still can grow and get richer as we grow older? That’s a fair and fascinating question that touches on many aspects of our humanity. These days we all understand that it all begins with our DNA that maps out our physical traits and predispositions. Then, everyone’s journey is different, shaped by unique encounters, relationships, and events. 

These experiences form our perspectives, beliefs, and values. Even before that, my individual personality for example, has been shaped by my environment, my parents, my multiples occupations, travels experiences and evolving values which all influence how I’ve interact with the world. This I’ve also interpreted and understood based on my experiences and belief. 

Each time, I’ve changed job or tried to “re-invent” myself, I acquired new skills and talents that were developed through practice, learning, and my innate abilities. Over the years, my jobs and my moves, I’ve knit a network of relationships that has contributed to my sense of self and has shaped the way I’ve interacted with the world. 

Finally, aging and all the years I’ve been around the block have grown that capital of experiences, which further diversified my perspectives and enriched my understanding of the world. All the mistakes I’ve made have also gained me a deeper understanding of myself, my strengths, and of course, my weaknesses. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that aging as gained a more authentic and meaningful sense of self, greater wisdom and a more nuanced understanding of complex situations. Overall, while there may be some limitations, the potential for our uniqueness to grow and enrich as we age is significant. 

It's a process of ongoing development and self-discovery, so if we're interested in it, let’s all keep growing it!

Still having fun skiing!

As the ski season in Park City will be over over in less than a month, I’m already reflecting on it, and if this one won’t break any record in terms of day and vertical skied, it’s already been a wonderful one in terms of quality, in spite of a late start and an average snow cover. 

What I’m even more grateful for is that at the advanced age of 77 years, I still can ski fast, everywhere, in all kinds of snow conditions, and probably better and more efficiently than 51 years ago when I could have considered myself at the top of what I considered my heap. 

True, the equipment has evolved in the right direction, particularly with skis, but still, I remain dumbfounded and super-grateful about that reality. 

I’m so happy that 40 years ago, I set my mind to move to that paradise that Park City was, and in spite of too much growth, still is!

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional

I recently read in Haruki Murakami’s book "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" that "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional". It kind of made sense to me. Of course, I wondered, do we know if anyone, who said this? 

Well, I found that it was often attributed to the Buddhist tradition, though it's difficult to pinpoint a single originator. It echoes core Buddhist teachings, particularly those related to the Four Noble Truths and the nature of suffering. which emphasizes that while pain (physical or emotional) is a natural part of our lives, suffering is a choice that depends on how we process and react to that pain. 

For instance, someone might face hardship but choose to focus on growth and resilience, reducing the emotional toll. It's great a reminder that we can use our individual power of perspective and our human ability to find meaning or peace even in the most difficult circumstances. 

Something worth remembering when the going gets tough!

An expensive trip to Salt Lake City

On December 30, 2024, our local Firefighter ambulance company came to my home as I wasn’t feeling good, misdiagnosed me as having a heart attack and took me to the cardiac center of one of the main hospitals in Salt Lake, 33 miles down valley. 

Fifteen minutes into the ride, I was back to being myself and feeling good, but it was too late, the two paramedics on board and the driver were committed to take me there. 

I had just fell on my butt and hit a muscle that triggered a painful reaction from my sciatica nerve, but no one, from the medical guys in the ambulance to the specialists that told me I didn’t have a heart problem weren’t able to tell me that my sciatica nerve was the problem. 

I investigated the cause and found it myself. At the Fire Brigade’s request, I was asked for my insurance information in early January, gave it to them and my insurance paid them on February 12. Well, a few days ago, I received a bill asking me for $3,886.74! A pretty expensive trip to the hospital! 

Fortunately my insurance paid $979.65 of that and I only had to fork another $290 to satisfy our Fire Department. This said, the negotiated cost was only one quarter of what someone without insurance would have to pay. 

Once more, talk about highway robbery!

A very old down jacket!

My old Moncler down jacket is more than 50 years old (52 to be exact) and this week, my daughter wore it, as she needed something warm to ward off winter’s return. The origins of that garment and its name is worth mentioning. 

Moncler is in fact the abbreviation of Monestier-de-Clermont, a mountain village near Grenoble. Here in 1952, René Ramillon and André Vincent founded the company that created the now iconic down jacket that offered then high resistance and protection against the harshest climates and was tested in a variety of mountain expeditions. 

In 1954, Moncler’s down jackets were chosen to equip the Italian expedition to K2, in which Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli summited the world’s second highest summit. 

Successful through the 1980s, the brand began to lose ground and was acquired in 2003 by the Italian Remo Ruffini who turned the jacket into a luxury garment that sells today in the US for around $1,500. 

I purchased this one when I was a ski instructor in Avoriaz in fall of 1973 for significantly less, and it’s still almost like new. Talk about quality, then!

Hey, taxi!

When the next Winter Olympics return to Salt Lake City in 2034, I’ll be just 86 years old and might need a quick and easy commute to watch all the venues, so if you’ve seen these science-fiction schemes in which air-taxis help people hop from one place to the next, by taking to the skies instead of using a self-driving car (which I hope, might work perfectly by then), then air taxi will be the perfect mean of transportation! 

This past Tuesday, an agreement was signed by BETA Technologies, an electric aircraft manufacturer, and 47G | Utah Aerospace & Defense, to bring air taxi technology and charging stations to Utah. These new electric air taxis would have the ability to fly up to five passengers — or up to 1,250 pounds of cargo. According to BETA Technologies website, the taxis can reach a full charge in just under an hour and can travel over 350 miles per charge, reaching speeds of about 155 miles per hour. 

On November 13, BETA Technologies completed the first flight of an electric aircraft built on its scaled production line. Within a year, BETA set up shop in its 200,000 square foot manufacturing facility in South Burlington, Vermont, and fully installed tooling, an organized supply chain, and manufactured propulsion systems — to rolling an aircraft off its production line, getting a certificate of airworthiness by the FAA, and flying it. 

The air taxis, which garnered support from the Utah Department of Transportation and the Governor himself, are expected to run statewide in time for the 2034 Winter Olympic Games. By early 2026, the plan is for Utah to be moving cargo in them before transitioning to people. 

A spokesperson for BETA said that “From early next year onward we start with cargo, medical logistics, and then we move into passenger flights over the next years. By the end of the decade here we’re flying cargo, medical passenger, both in… conventional takeoff — landing airport to airport — and vertical takeoff, landing going from vertiport to vertiport in quiet, clean electric airplanes.” 

We’ll see if the plan develop in time for my using it, if and when I should reach my mid-eighties! 

Am I the result of adversity?

In recent years I’ve always maintained that a good dose of adversity can be salutary when it’s well distributed over one’s lifetime. Before starting the discussion, I need to stress that we’re talking about adversity, not trauma. 

With this in mind, I’m convinced that challenge makes us stronger, teaches us everything we need and in the end, makes us much happier. In looking back at my own experience, adversity has forced me to adapt and overcome challenges.

In the process it has built my resilience, enabling me to handle future difficulties more easily and teaching me that I was stronger than I thought, fostering a healthier self-confidence. From a more personal standpoint, it has led me to self-discovery, a deeper understanding of my strengths and weaknesses, prompted me to re-evaluate my priorities and values and helped me grow even further. 

A healthy dose of challenges has also helped me fully appreciate the good times and strengthen my sense of gratitude and joy. If it were not for all the hurdles along my way, I wouldn’t have learned the valuable life lessons that I’ve experienced. It also taught me wisdom and empathy, making me in turn more compassionate towards others. 

For competitive folks like me, adversity also acted as a strong motivator as overcoming obstacles gave a strong sense of accomplishment. Many psychological and philosophical views support my belief that well-balanced adversity can be beneficial. Sure, going over obstacles sometimes doesn’t always work as people have different responses based on factors like personality, support systems, vulnerability or coping mechanisms. 

As I mentioned above, "well-distributed" adversity is crucial, if it’s poorly timed or applies constant pressure and is too overwhelming, it won’t work at all. Still, if well dosed, it will build resilience, foster personal growth, and enhance our appreciation for life.