not my middle--it's growing nicely in my old age. Nope that middle that it seems both of our political parties are oh so worried about. The middle class. But that is not exactly what this post is about.
I didn't read, but had quoted to me ad nauseum the book Good to Great, but why do we need to be great at everything. Can't being good be good enough?
The adulation heaped on employees in Silicon Valley working 100 hour weeks (my generation's investment bankers), gives me the the creeps. And I know employee's productivity becomes negative above 55 hours a week and I wonder why we celebrate this assine approach.
I see very few average physical performances in Aspen. Everyone is either skinning up some 14er, cycling like a tour rider wannabe, or performing some other ridiculous physical feat. What happened to the guys who skied intermediate and advanced ski runs? Did they all either retire or become X game athletes. Why do I have to do yoga better today than yesterday? Why should my down dog be a competition against myself or others?
Why do we expect our kids athletic pursuits to put them in line for a college scholarship. And if not they shouldn't distract from those who are. My son wanted to swim for exercise, but his choices are learn to swim (after 3 years of swim team he can swim pretty good) or swim 7 times a week, which he has no interest in. Similar issues with skiing where he wants to grow and improve his skills, but it's either learn to ski (uh he can ski) or a ski team. In this case we managed to find a junior ski team, but we have no expectation that he will even bother to compete. He just wants to ski hard stuff better. And maybe make a new friend or two. Is he crazy for wanting that?
And what about middle of the road housing. Housing is obviously a huge issue in Aspen. But back in the 70s many of the houses being built were 2500-3500 square feet. That is a fine size house for a family of 4 to call home. But the affordable housing built for families of 4-5 out here is often less than 2k square feet. And guess what, after 4-5 years of cramped quarters many families leave. Cause its too dang small. If we want people to form families and teach at Aspen schools for 25 years we need to give them a home that they can and want to live in for 25 years not just a shelter they can survive in.
One of the nice things about being a worldly philosopher living in Aspen is it makes many issues very clear because it is so extreme. Living in the land of 3 houses or 3 jobs, world class athletes, with 60% of the town living in subsidized housing while building 20,000 square foot homes clarifies stuff. And what we don't have is enough middle. In an effort to rectify that I am going to have a donut, and go on a slow bike ride up to Ashcroft. I will be the guy with crumbs on my face a huge grin and an expanding midsection.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Friday, September 22, 2017
ill get political at some point but first some quick hits
Being Jewish in Aspen ain't like being Jewish in Chicago or NYC. Not only do the kids have school, but they even tests on the high holidays. Teachers who go to temple get charge with a day off (even if they are using most of their days off to visit a sick dad who is out of town). The Aspen Science center where I am on the board runs a science of cooking class on a high holiday and AVSC runs a fund raiser on a high holiday. NYC this ain't.
A couple of days ago I saw a couple of kids driving a Tesla X just out of Aspen heading up towards independence pass. They tossed a bag full of garbage out of the window. I guess they own the Tesla cause it's cool, not cause they give a shit about the environment. (side note my son who is very green would be the first to tell you that the Tesla ain't so green. Feel free to call him for the lecture).
I've been walking the dogs up Smuggler a lot lately. There are tons of signs reminding you to pick up your dog poop. There are poop bag dispensers. There are poop trash cans. Yesterday I saw a massive dog poop right in front of a poop bag dispenser and trash can. I think there are two types of people, those that scoop their dog's' poops and don't need signage to enforce that habit. And then you got people who will never pick up their dog's poop regardless of signs and bags and cans.
So maybe we should take down the signs. They are a waste, and kinda off putting. If we really want to eliminate dog waste in the wild west how about we just let citizens defend the environment by shooting dogs and people who don't scoop their poop.
Wait. No. I gotta delete that.
A couple of days ago I saw a couple of kids driving a Tesla X just out of Aspen heading up towards independence pass. They tossed a bag full of garbage out of the window. I guess they own the Tesla cause it's cool, not cause they give a shit about the environment. (side note my son who is very green would be the first to tell you that the Tesla ain't so green. Feel free to call him for the lecture).
I've been walking the dogs up Smuggler a lot lately. There are tons of signs reminding you to pick up your dog poop. There are poop bag dispensers. There are poop trash cans. Yesterday I saw a massive dog poop right in front of a poop bag dispenser and trash can. I think there are two types of people, those that scoop their dog's' poops and don't need signage to enforce that habit. And then you got people who will never pick up their dog's poop regardless of signs and bags and cans.
So maybe we should take down the signs. They are a waste, and kinda off putting. If we really want to eliminate dog waste in the wild west how about we just let citizens defend the environment by shooting dogs and people who don't scoop their poop.
Wait. No. I gotta delete that.
Monday, September 18, 2017
turned 50 yesterday
OMG
Its official I am really old. My kids and wife are kind enough to remind me of this fact every day. Why anyone would think getting a 20 something year old girlfriend would make them feel younger is beyond me. I think it would just make me feel even older and pathetic. And yet I see many gentlemen in Aspen of a certain age with wives and girlfriends who are 20-30 years younger. I see that and think... Expensive.
My wife got me a card that had some highlights from 1967. These include:
The US Supreme Court ruled that state laws forbidding mixed race marriages are unconstitutional.
The first Rolling Stone was published.
Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing to be drafted into the Army.
Tim Leary encourages everyone to 'tune in, turn on and drop out' LSD baby.
Today we have no draft, Rolling Stone is being sold to a large corporation, we have an opioid crisis, and we have had a black president who was the product of a mixed race marriage. Times sure have changed, and mostly for the better. It seems that sometimes we (as a country) forget how far we have come and how lucky we are. Big birthdays are good for giving big perspective. I would encourage many of our very angry pols to take a step back and enjoy the progress.
Warning--much of the rest of this week will have a heavy political bent. Obviously feel free to ignore me or at least not take it too seriously.
Its official I am really old. My kids and wife are kind enough to remind me of this fact every day. Why anyone would think getting a 20 something year old girlfriend would make them feel younger is beyond me. I think it would just make me feel even older and pathetic. And yet I see many gentlemen in Aspen of a certain age with wives and girlfriends who are 20-30 years younger. I see that and think... Expensive.
My wife got me a card that had some highlights from 1967. These include:
The US Supreme Court ruled that state laws forbidding mixed race marriages are unconstitutional.
The first Rolling Stone was published.
Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing to be drafted into the Army.
Tim Leary encourages everyone to 'tune in, turn on and drop out' LSD baby.
Today we have no draft, Rolling Stone is being sold to a large corporation, we have an opioid crisis, and we have had a black president who was the product of a mixed race marriage. Times sure have changed, and mostly for the better. It seems that sometimes we (as a country) forget how far we have come and how lucky we are. Big birthdays are good for giving big perspective. I would encourage many of our very angry pols to take a step back and enjoy the progress.
Warning--much of the rest of this week will have a heavy political bent. Obviously feel free to ignore me or at least not take it too seriously.
Saturday, September 16, 2017
dumb house
Does anyone want to hire me to review their plans for the super lux home they plan on building? I will save you money and make sure you think about the consequences of materials, systems, and layout.
We have a pool room in our house. Sadly the room isn't big enough. What architect designed a room strictly for playing pool that is two feet to short (both length and width). And it's not a full sized table, so you can't really solve the problem by getting a 3 1/2 by 7 or even a 3 by 6 table. Nope these guys wasted 250k on a room that you just can't use. Meanwhile, they have a 450 square foot garage. Take that 200 square feet they used to make an unusable billiard room and stick it in the garage. Idiots.
And it looks like they are going to rip out the lighting system and go with something simpler. Swapping the lighting system is estimated to cost 30k. That is after the 200k AV bill on the install.
And did I mention that the nearest place to hang a towel in the master bath is 8 feet away from the shower door.
These things should be caught in the design phase of the project, and often are super easy to fix. Or at least you ought to be aware that you are designing a billiard room that is too small to play pool in. (I do love saying billiard room---sounds so fancy----and there are those of you who remember the only reason I have my most excellent wife is my pool table in NYC). But going near the billiard room just makes me sad---I would love to play but you just can't.
In other news the boy survived 8th grade outdoor ed, and his hair thrived.
We have a pool room in our house. Sadly the room isn't big enough. What architect designed a room strictly for playing pool that is two feet to short (both length and width). And it's not a full sized table, so you can't really solve the problem by getting a 3 1/2 by 7 or even a 3 by 6 table. Nope these guys wasted 250k on a room that you just can't use. Meanwhile, they have a 450 square foot garage. Take that 200 square feet they used to make an unusable billiard room and stick it in the garage. Idiots.
And it looks like they are going to rip out the lighting system and go with something simpler. Swapping the lighting system is estimated to cost 30k. That is after the 200k AV bill on the install.
And did I mention that the nearest place to hang a towel in the master bath is 8 feet away from the shower door.
These things should be caught in the design phase of the project, and often are super easy to fix. Or at least you ought to be aware that you are designing a billiard room that is too small to play pool in. (I do love saying billiard room---sounds so fancy----and there are those of you who remember the only reason I have my most excellent wife is my pool table in NYC). But going near the billiard room just makes me sad---I would love to play but you just can't.
In other news the boy survived 8th grade outdoor ed, and his hair thrived.
Friday, September 8, 2017
Another reason to live in Aspen
Many friends, folks and even strangers ask me why I live in Aspen. One big reason is it's a great place to raise kids. My daughter road her bike to school today. About 3.5 mostly flat miles on roads with speed limits of 20-25 mph and bike paths and views of 3 ski mountains. My son is getting to take aviation classes as an elective. If it sticks with it through senior year he can have a twin engine commercial pilots license. I don't have to be a helicopter parent to ensure their safety. There are no gangs. No one is getting shot. The bears aren't even mauling anyone aside from kitchens. Yes there are drugs and booze but show me a place that doesn't (while you are at it find me a middle ager who doesn't laugh knowingly at the excellent movie Dazed and Confused).
And then there is outdoor education. This is the 50th year of 8th grade ODE. 50 years ago it was a kinda haphazard program put together by bare chested teachers with some rope. Today it involves a 3-4 day trip into the woods (carrying a 40-60 lb pack) for 25 miles or so and 4k vertical feet of gain in patrols of 8 or less taking a variety of routes to avoid congestion in the wilderness. During that period the 8th graders also experience a solo camp out (a night alone in the wilderness). Then they all meet at base camp for another 3 days with everything from conquering a 14 foot wall to 100 foot rappels. (There is a great movie celebrating 50 years of 8th grade ODE and if-when they publish it I will post a link.)
Remember this is a public school. Most of the best private schools in the country can't touch this experience or even try, and NO public school in the country comes close. If you need equipment and can't afford to buy it the school will find some for you. This is a town of 3 homes or 3 jobs--the tremendous economic diversity is fully represented and neutralized on ODE. Cool.
What an opportunity to test yourself, build confidence, and grow emotionally just as you are preparing for high school. Reading Return of the Native is great (well actually I thought it sucked), but getting to go native with your classmates will stick with your forever.
8th grade ODE proved infectious. While it is the BIG trip, 5th graders go hiking and camping, 6th grades do a cross country ski from hut to hut, and 7th graders paddle the rivers to various camp sites. It has also infected the lower school with shorter trips and high school with Ex Ed (paddling in the San Juans or visiting aerospace companies in LA anyone?).
Again this is all available at the public school (not a magnet school ). In a town where more than half the locals live in some form of subsidized housing. And yes, you are expected to do some volunteer work to support this. My wife packed up all the meals on Tuesday. I was a sherpa on Thursday (transport kids to a trailhead, pack out the trash from the first day's lunch, and as it turned out hike out an injured student). Or I could be paying $35k a year for private school in Chicago and getting to work the student drop off zone for a week in February.
Why do I live in Aspen? Why don't you?
PS the wicked low property taxes in Aspen don't quite cover all of this. If you want to support the program you can make a donation at the Aspen Education Foundation.
AEF
PPS or you could just support a slightly higher property tax here in Aspen. Our property taxes are so low and with property values so high a small increase would easily fund the school's needs, and maybe leave some room to raise teachers salaries to the national average. Or so it would seem, there might be some rule not allowing us to better fund our school. Grumble.
And then there is outdoor education. This is the 50th year of 8th grade ODE. 50 years ago it was a kinda haphazard program put together by bare chested teachers with some rope. Today it involves a 3-4 day trip into the woods (carrying a 40-60 lb pack) for 25 miles or so and 4k vertical feet of gain in patrols of 8 or less taking a variety of routes to avoid congestion in the wilderness. During that period the 8th graders also experience a solo camp out (a night alone in the wilderness). Then they all meet at base camp for another 3 days with everything from conquering a 14 foot wall to 100 foot rappels. (There is a great movie celebrating 50 years of 8th grade ODE and if-when they publish it I will post a link.)
Remember this is a public school. Most of the best private schools in the country can't touch this experience or even try, and NO public school in the country comes close. If you need equipment and can't afford to buy it the school will find some for you. This is a town of 3 homes or 3 jobs--the tremendous economic diversity is fully represented and neutralized on ODE. Cool.
What an opportunity to test yourself, build confidence, and grow emotionally just as you are preparing for high school. Reading Return of the Native is great (well actually I thought it sucked), but getting to go native with your classmates will stick with your forever.
8th grade ODE proved infectious. While it is the BIG trip, 5th graders go hiking and camping, 6th grades do a cross country ski from hut to hut, and 7th graders paddle the rivers to various camp sites. It has also infected the lower school with shorter trips and high school with Ex Ed (paddling in the San Juans or visiting aerospace companies in LA anyone?).
Again this is all available at the public school (not a magnet school ). In a town where more than half the locals live in some form of subsidized housing. And yes, you are expected to do some volunteer work to support this. My wife packed up all the meals on Tuesday. I was a sherpa on Thursday (transport kids to a trailhead, pack out the trash from the first day's lunch, and as it turned out hike out an injured student). Or I could be paying $35k a year for private school in Chicago and getting to work the student drop off zone for a week in February.
Why do I live in Aspen? Why don't you?
PS the wicked low property taxes in Aspen don't quite cover all of this. If you want to support the program you can make a donation at the Aspen Education Foundation.
AEF
PPS or you could just support a slightly higher property tax here in Aspen. Our property taxes are so low and with property values so high a small increase would easily fund the school's needs, and maybe leave some room to raise teachers salaries to the national average. Or so it would seem, there might be some rule not allowing us to better fund our school. Grumble.
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
why it's great to be surrounded by forests
at night showing off clear firing chamber
and some super slow mo---the taters are flying about 375 feet --if we did this in Chicago I fear a SWAT raid and lots of upset Jewish mothers.
Lovin Aspen.
Dumb smart house
Our new rental house is lovely. Its big. It's in Aspen. It has a great kitchen and amazing views. Please come stay with us.
It also is new and has lots of the new bells and whistles that people think they want. You don't want most of these bright shiney things. Trust me.
Like what? Well we have a wine cellar that is also hooked up to the cooling system for the AV. Yes the AV requires AC (I've been dying to use that line). Oh yea and our house on 3 floors has 16 different HVAC zones. 16. And the lighting system is really cool. Well actually I am sure it's kinda hot cause each light switch panel uses about 5 millivolts per day of electricity and there are about 70 switches. There are 3 closets with master switches that look like this (all on you might note).
I can't figure out how to turn off half the lights half the time. Sometimes lights go off on their own. Other times they don't turn on. And often certain lights won't turn off. And anything with software needs both updates and reboots. These lights seem to require a technician 3-4 times a year. Please give me an old school light switch. They never needed a software upgrade.
And about that AV system----do you know how fast technology is changing in AV. The owners spent upwards of $200k on an AV, lighting, heating and security system that 8 years later that is way out of date and kinda sucks. Everything is hardwired and slow. Streaming TVs. I think not. Paying for 9 cable boxes is so 2000. Its slow, hot, sounds like crap and is running technology that is screaming for an update but the owners don't want to spend 50-100k more to bring it up to date.
And I wouldn't want to spend that money either. I have found that my old stereo blows away anything I have found in these fancy new homes AV systems. Buy a TV that is easy to replace because in 4-5 years it's gonna look like its 100 years old. Don't get talked into spending a ton of money on AV. Please.
If you are building a new home be smart about smart. New technology can be great, but it can be expensive to buy, install, maintain, and run. A mercury thermostat never fails. It doesn't require electricity or batteries. And has never ever needed a software update. Our provider is control4 and all I can say is if you want to spend a ton of money this is the way to go. I think my monthly electric bill will top 700 bucks and that is with pretty much no AC. It might be a 'smart' home but it's dumb in a lot of ways and sure ain't green.
It also is new and has lots of the new bells and whistles that people think they want. You don't want most of these bright shiney things. Trust me.
Like what? Well we have a wine cellar that is also hooked up to the cooling system for the AV. Yes the AV requires AC (I've been dying to use that line). Oh yea and our house on 3 floors has 16 different HVAC zones. 16. And the lighting system is really cool. Well actually I am sure it's kinda hot cause each light switch panel uses about 5 millivolts per day of electricity and there are about 70 switches. There are 3 closets with master switches that look like this (all on you might note).
I can't figure out how to turn off half the lights half the time. Sometimes lights go off on their own. Other times they don't turn on. And often certain lights won't turn off. And anything with software needs both updates and reboots. These lights seem to require a technician 3-4 times a year. Please give me an old school light switch. They never needed a software upgrade.
And about that AV system----do you know how fast technology is changing in AV. The owners spent upwards of $200k on an AV, lighting, heating and security system that 8 years later that is way out of date and kinda sucks. Everything is hardwired and slow. Streaming TVs. I think not. Paying for 9 cable boxes is so 2000. Its slow, hot, sounds like crap and is running technology that is screaming for an update but the owners don't want to spend 50-100k more to bring it up to date.
And I wouldn't want to spend that money either. I have found that my old stereo blows away anything I have found in these fancy new homes AV systems. Buy a TV that is easy to replace because in 4-5 years it's gonna look like its 100 years old. Don't get talked into spending a ton of money on AV. Please.
If you are building a new home be smart about smart. New technology can be great, but it can be expensive to buy, install, maintain, and run. A mercury thermostat never fails. It doesn't require electricity or batteries. And has never ever needed a software update. Our provider is control4 and all I can say is if you want to spend a ton of money this is the way to go. I think my monthly electric bill will top 700 bucks and that is with pretty much no AC. It might be a 'smart' home but it's dumb in a lot of ways and sure ain't green.
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