Podcast #61 – Are You Laboring?


The bums are back for the last podcast of the summer! Our favorite time of year is just around the corner and now we’re just checking in you to make sure you’ve got all your pre-season shopping done? What, it’s not? You’ve got a week and the bums are here to help you get on track.

Weekly Flavor

Frank’s Bean of the Week!

Ski News

  • NOAA’s Official Fall & Early Winter Outlook for USA

    NOAA just released their latest weather predictions for the fall & early winter in the USA. Meteorologic fall begins in September 1st and meteorologic winter starts on December 1st.

    NOAA is calling for a 55-60% chance of La Nina this fall/winter and this outlook follows a La Nina pattern. La Nina generally drops above average snow in the Pacific Northwest and that’s what NOAA is calling for this fall and early winter.

     

  • New Canadaian Resort Approved: Will Have Biggest Vert. Drop in North America

    According to a press release from Valemount Glacier Destinations Ltd., the company received its Master Plan approval yesterday from the B.C. government.

    The company plans to open a new resort that will become a major year-round skiing destination and will provide lift access to the summit of Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau. The new resort will have 6,726 feet of vertical drop—the most vertical of any resort in North America.

    Unlike the Jumbo Glacier Resort project, this project did not face a lot of opposition in the community.

    “The project embodies the best of B.C. – environmentally sustainable design coupled with some of the best vistas and mountain experiences in the world,” says Tommaso Oberti of Oberti Resort Design and the Pheidias Group in the press release.

    Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2017, with an ultimate opening in December 2017.

     

  • Amtrak Winter Park Express Ski Train Returns for 2016-2017

    The Amtrak Winter Park Express will be fully operational for the 2016-2017 ski season after a seven-year hiatus. According to the press release, the weekend passenger train service from Denver Union Station to the slopes of Winter Park is back, with Amtrak, Winter Park Resort and Union Pacific Railroad having reached agreement to operate the trains from January 7th through March 26th, 2017.

    “This is the culmination of a long but rewarding process and we couldn’t be more excited to have passenger rail service return to the doorstep of Winter Park Resort,” said Gary DeFrange, Winter Park Resort President. “We know there’s incredible demand for a viable transportation alternative to I-70 and we’re deeply appreciative to Amtrak, Union Pacific, CDOT, City of Denver, and the Town of Winter Park for helping to make this long-standing dream a reality.”

    The round-trips will run on Saturdays and Sundays, with an additional round-trip on Martin Luther King Day and Presidents Day. Winter Park Express trains will give skiers and riders the option to skip heavy I-70 traffic, while enjoying a comfortable and scenic two-hour ride on the historic route through Moffat Tunnel.

     

  • Own a Piece of the Powder Highway – Invest in Red Mountain

    Red Mountain is looking to switch to community ownership in the near future. They’re currently gauging interest to see how many people may be willing in investing in Red Mountain to keep it the way it is: cool, funky, rad, mellow, and legendary.

    Red Mountain’s CEO Howard Katkov wants to keep the mountain running and avoid being crushed by the big guys or being taken over and becoming a mega resort. He want the place to stay “cool and funky” as Rasta Stevie put it.

     

  • Most and Least Liveable Ski Towns in the U.S.

    Least

    • Aspen, CO
    • Jackson, WY
    • Stowe, VT
    • Ketchum, ID
    • Park City, UT

    Most

    • Ogden, UT
    • South Lake Tahoe, CA
    • Leavenworth, WA
    • Durango, CO
    • Ludlow, VT

     

Main Topic - Are You Laboring? !

Under the Ropes

  • Inside the Crazy ‘Sport’ Where Rich Kids Drift and Crash SUVs

    The rules of hajwalah are easy to understand, if not execute. First, get your SUV up to 100 mph or so. Then jerk the steering wheel back and forth to get your ride rocking. Do it right and you’ll end up on two wheels, and if you’re really good, you’ll see smoke pouring from the tires. Be sure to hold your hand out of the window, using your fingers to indicate which gear you’re in. Hit fifth and you just might win.

    If this sounds remarkably dangerous, that’s exactly the point. “The more reckless you are, the better—as long as you don’t crash,” says Peter Garritano. He spent a week in the United Arab Emirates last year photographing this madess for his series Hajwalah.

    Hajwalah began on the streets of Saudi Arabia in the 1970s. As it gained notoriety, it spread to the UAE, Qatar, and Oman. So did the fatalities. Wealthy teenagers killing innocent bystanders while behaving like hooligans tends to bring bad press, which prompted the government to crack down. But every once in awhile, things would still get out of hand. Three years ago, a Saudi hajwalah driver was sentenced to death after killing two people.

     

  • Researchers Have Developed Edible Food Packaging Made of Milk

    Back in 1967, when Mike Nichols made the film The Graduate, plastics were the way of the future. Today, although much of our food is in fact wrapped in plastic films, we now know better. Plastics are most decidedly not the way of the future for several reasons: They create a massive amount of waste, they’re not actually that great at preventing spoilage, and they may very well be lousy for your health.

    Luckily, a team at the US Department of Agriculture just announced at the National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society that they are developing an environmentally friendly and good-for-you film that is also up to 500 times better at keeping oxygen away from food. This wonder film is made out of the milk protein known as casein.

    Henceforth, we all may be eating the wrapping that our food comes in, because the new casein-based film is biodegradable, sustainable, and edible—and full of protein to boot. Casein is the name for the family of proteins found in cow’s milk.

     

  • Going to Burning Man? Here are 10 Things You Will Absolutely Need

    1. Printed directions to Black Rock City (Burning Man) – There are long stretches on the way where cell reception is nonexistent, so don’t rely on directions from your phone.

    Pro tip: Fill up on gas frequently and consider bringing a small gas can. There are very few gas stations on the 90-mile stretch between Fernley and Black Rock City.

    2. Face mask – Major dust storms are a major issue during Burning Man, and minor ones happen daily. You will absolutely need nose and mouth protection.

    Pro tip: No need to be elaborate here; just go to a hardware store and get one of the masks workers wear when they’re sanding. The elastic straps make it easy for you to get it on and off and keep around your neck when off.

    3. Goggles – Again: Sandstorms. They’re serious. Plus, even without storms it’s easy for the very fine dust to get into your eyes, which can be painful, annoying, and dangerous. Goggles are a must.

    Pro tip: Consider looking on eBay for used military goggles.

    4. Adjustable headlamp with red light – A lot of the coolest stuff at Burning Man happens at night. It will be very dark, and you’ll want to both see and be seen on the Playa. (This is partly for safety; art cars roam the Playa and have been known to hit pedestrians.)

    A headlamp that emits red light and allows you to point it down is the smart choice. It frees your hands, red light is easier on the human eye than white, and by pointing it down you’ll politely not blind people when in conversation.

    Pro tip: Don’t skip this. You will need personal light, and it’s best for it to be hands-free.

    5. Closed-toed shoes and vinegar – Wearing flip flops at Burning Man is a rookie mistake. You could easily contract “Playa foot” — an unsightly and painful condition caused by a chemical burn from the alkali dust (remember that desert “dust” at Burning Man is actually the remains of an alkaline lake bed). The common cause of Playa foot? Not wearing socks and closed-toed shoes.

    Bring vinegar to keep your feet clean and dust-free. Vinegar cuts the dust better than water, because its acidity counteracts the dust’s alkalinity.

    Pro tip: Have two pairs of clean socks for each day (one for day, one for night), stored in an oversized ziplock bag. Also bring a large tub to wash feet daily in, in a mix of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Immediately don socks and shoes.

    6. Sunblock and chapstick with SPF – Another rookie mistake: Getting fried the first day and spending the week trying to recover. Be sure to bring hats, and heavy-duty sunblock for both your skin and lips (zinc is great).

    Pro tip: Burning Man functions on the gift economy. Consider bringing 10 extra chapsticks with SPF and gifting them to others. They’re small, lightweight, and have the potential to make someone’s day (or entire festival).

    7. Hand sanitizer – You’ll eat, drink, and use porta-potties shared by a number of other people (on all kinds of substances). Make it easy to keep your hands clean.

    Pro tip: Ditto on bringing small bottles of this as gifts.

    8. A bike – The city grid extends half a mile out from the inner playa, which is already almost a mile in diameter. A bike helps you explore the deep playa and see more than you ever could on foot. To truly experience all of Burning Man, a bike isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have.

    Pro tip: Don’t bring a nice bike. The alkali dust corrodes metal and can wreak havoc on bike parts. Buy a beater.

    9. Layers – You need clothes that’ll work for when it’s very hot and very cold. Temperatures have been cooler this year near Black Rock and there’s a good chance they won’t get above 90 during the day, which is good. However, they’re also likely to drop into the 40s or below at night.

    Pro tip: Make sure to bring both a warm coat and quality sleeping bag.

    10. A CamelBak – To stay hydrated, you’ve got to drink an entire gallon of water a day at Burning Man. Symptoms of dehydration and heat stroke include chills, stomach pain and headaches. Avoid them. Because you’ll spend long days out on the Playa, it’s best to bring water with you in a hands-free way.

    Pro tip: This is quite possibly the most important item of all.

     

  • The World’s Largest Aircraft Just Crashed During Its 2nd Test Flight

    The world’s largest aircraft is the Airlander 10. Notably, it can carry more load than airplanes— up to ten tonnes (11 tons)-and it does so while using less fuel. In fact, when it moves, it uses only a third of the fuel of regular planes. True, it does move pretty slowly. But down the road, it could help us enter into a new era of commercial transport. And to that end, it finally went airborne just last week.

    Unfortunately, it seems that it has already had a bit of a mishap

    Unlike earlier zeppelins, the Airlander 10 uses non-flammable gas. This is notable because the Hindenburg, which crashed and killed 35 people in 1937, immediately comes to mind. Airlander 10 sustains its lift with helium, which is not flammable like the hydrogen that powered the Hindenburg.

    Here’s the link since they won’t let us embed

     

  • Silver Underwear Developed by NASA

    Silver is naturally thermo-regulating and antimicrobial. Pima cotton is the softest in the world. The combination keeps you comfortable, cool and fresh, always.

     

  • Nearly 200 Miles of Yellowstone River Closed as Parasite Threatens Wildlife

    Montana officials have taken the extraordinary step of closing large parts of a popular river during the busy summer tourist season amid an effort to root out a parasite that has killed scores of whitefish.

     






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