1. ROBOTS ...Got to see Marshall Brain speak, he's the futurist who invented http://howstuffworks.com.

One of his soapbox items was: Our bodies are fragile, how long until we suck our brains out into a jar and let android bodies run around for us and just "feed" us the experience? The answer, never for most of us, but for some, it's already happening through video games, Facebook, and that stupid-ass Twitter fad. The Twits idea is good, it's just very few people are good at sound bytes.

2: TOURISM DOMINATION...Brain thinks that as our society becomes robotic, in a perfect world, everyone would have tons of time for tourism and therefore, that industry should thrive.

Should is the key word, because as the rich get richer and the rest of us get desperate, what are the chances this utopian world is going to trickle down? Not much at all. Sure, the rich will benefit, but a lifetime of leisure for all? Try and sell that to the Greedpublicans.

3: ANTI-NEPOTISM...Mountain Sports Media (SKI, Skiing, Warren Miller) hired out-of-mountain for their new publisher. The guy's got massive financial chops, but ski industry chops, hasn't earned 'em yet. Everyone hopes he can turn. Jacobs, Petrick, Wardlaw, Jarnot, Nyberg, those guys can spot weekend warrior.

Has Katz worked for Vail? Has Koenig? Did Mainzer, or White, or Aaron? The offworlders always bolt eventually, and there used to be a "Dead Pool" bet among a bunch of young ski industry turks to see how long these guys would last. Five years, three, four...?  

Why don't these positions go to those we've raised? Your opinions please.....