I’ve actually had the (dis)pleasure of driving in Russia and can attest to the reality of this video. The intersection depicted in the video is more the rule rather than the exception in Russian traffic design. I can still recall my astonishment at the lack of road signs, lane demarcations, and traffic signals. We tend to take these things for granted, while Russians prefer a more freewheeling, carefree approach to their road system. That may be an understatement. A more accurate description would be let the devil take the hindmost. Should you find yourself in the driver’s seat on a Moscovite road, just remember that traffic signals are only recommendations, which you can choose to obey at your own peril. Your fellow drivers are certainly thinking the same way.

A buddy in the ski helmet industry sent this clip from the extreme skiing world. I’ve always suspected that extreme skiiers miscalculate any number of times during a long run, but are usually saved by their extraordinary agility and can recover from precarious situations with grace. Of course, there are also some situations which afford no opportunity for recovery at all. The friend who forwarded me this video assures me that rider, Nick Greener, walked away from this crash and adds, with a well-deserved touch of pride, that he was wearing a helmet from my friend’s company.

Rinerhorn mountain near Davos, Switzerland. Perfect conditions. A light dusting of powder. Sun with occassional passing clouds. Not a soul on the mountain, save one. I am in ski nirvana.

For those considering a ski trip to the Swiss alps, there is no better time to come than at the tail end of the season. If the ski god is generous with the powder, January can also be a wonderful month, but you may have to contend with bitter cold. Consider the virtues of spring skiing instead. Around mid-March, the rest of the world conveniently forgets about skiing, as winter vacations come to an end and the novelty of powdery slopes fades. Did I mention that I had the Rinerhorn pretty much to myself for the first hour or so? It was enough to make me forget about the endless t-bar lifts this side Davos.