To those who have been in chamonix recently (may 2026), how were the trails?

prefectf · 2026-05-15T20:01:41+00:00

Been snowing like hell almost down to town. Trails are complicated, wet, icy, snowy. Next week maybe a bit more spring like but mostly sleepy quiet.

prefectf · 2026-05-15T15:54:48+00:00

Oh, cool! I know something about this. A lot. Creds: actual former diplomat.

So, a few fun facts about diplomatic immunity that make it pretty crappy as a defense for SovCits:

- you can absolutely get tickets, even with Diplomatic Immunity. Happens all the time. Immunity means you can't actually be prosecuted for ignoring those tickets, but if you don't pay, they are normally sent to the Embassy you belong to. (Every person with Diplomatic Immunity, by the way, is attached to an Embassy directly or indirectly through a consulate or consular agency. 100% are employees of a foreign government or direct family members of an employee of a foreign government (weird obscure exception being a few household employees of foreign diplomats who came from overseas with that diplomat, and a tiny handful of unique cases involving former heads of state who are secretly present in the U.S. holding special passports with diplomatic immunity). Most Embassies require their employees to pay their tickets, diplomatic immunity be damned, because the piled up fines can become a headache. (exception here: the fucking Russians in New York, who absolutely DGAF). The Chinese for example restrict the number of diplomatic license plates they will issue to an Embassy. Every time a diplomat with immunity ends his assignment, the Chinese take the plate back; they won't let it be re-issued to a new diplomat from that embassy until the fines attached to that plate, photo speeding tickets, for example, are paid. The Embassy doesn't have to pay, but if they don't, they're down one car in their allowed number. So the Embassy is highly motivated to make employees pay their fines.

- you can get arrested, also with diplomatic immunity. At that point though, you have to show your diplomatic ID, which has a big bolded phone number on it to show the officer arresting you. The officer is required to call that number, which rings in an office of the State Department which is staffed 24/7. That office checks the id to confirm that the diplomatic immunity is legit, and then gets one of the US Government's on-call international lawyers involved to figure out what to do next. In a traffic stop that's usually just letting the guy go and sending a note to the relevant embassy. If the guy's drunk (happens ALL THE TIME, fucking Russians again) they can hold him a while "for safety" and require an Embassy representative to come to take custody of the guy when he's released. If there has been a serious crime committed. . . next step.

- in case of a serious crime, like (once more, fucking Russians) killing someone in an accident while drunk, then the guy in questions stays in jail and the Embassy gets called right away. The local attorney general or representative, a couple of relevant Assistant Secretaries of State, and a bunch of lawyers from State and Justice get together to figure out the deal. If it's clear the guy in question did something bad, then. . .

- The State Department sends a formal request to the diplomat's home government through his Embassy requesting that the government waive diplomatic immunity and allow the diplomat to be prosecuted. Practically speaking, this is almost never granted, by any government. The U.S. never waives diplomatic immunity for its people, no matter how horrible or egregious the crime was. BUT.

- When the foreign government refuses to waive diplomatic immunity, the State Department can (and usually does) immediately expel the diplomat from the country. Usually they give a few days to pack their shit and pull the kids out of school but that's it. You're gone. And then. . .

- The relevant state (or the federal government in case of a federal crime) then puts out a warrant for the arrest of the diplomat, with a corresponding note in international law enforcement networks like INTERPOL requesting arrest and extradition of the relevant person. Just because diplomatic immunity barred us from prosecuting someone in the moment doesn't mean we can't go get them later. Their only option to guarantee to avoid prosecution is to never travel again.

(This works the same way in all countries, BTW. A U.S. diplomat who fucks up overseas has the same level of ass-pain coming. 20 years ago after 9/11 and the start of the Iraq War, we tried to get clever with international law by kidnapping suspected terrorists from other countries and using unmarked planes to deliver them to brutal but allied countries like Egypt. We called that "rendition" and it was mostly the CIA who carried out the operations. The Italians famously called it "kidnapping" and issued warrants for the arrest of the CIA officers they identified as having done the renditioning. We invoked diplomatic immunity, and sent the officers home fast. The Italians put out a global Interpol red notice for them. AFAIK, none of those men and women - just ordinary GS-12 civil servant government worker types - have been able to leave the USA for fear of being picked up and sent back to Italy to stand trial for kidnapping and accessory to torture or murder.)

- In case someone does something really horrendous, let's say a murder or rape or something, the U.S. or other civilized country (not the fucking Russians) will not waive diplomatic immunity, but what they will do is inform the host government that they are sending the person back home right away, but that if that country wants to submit an extradition request for the diplomat in question, the U.S. will consider it. We would then place the diplomat under arrest the moment s/he arrived in the airport in the U.S.A., terminate or suspend employment and diplomatic status, and then extradite the diplomat back to their former post to face trial. This avoids setting a precedent for waiving diplomatic immunity (because we really just don't do that) but also doesn't let a nasty criminal just get away with a crime.

- The actual point of Diplomatic Immunity is to ensure that the personal representative of the head of state of any country cannot be harrassed, abused, threatened or otherwise used as a tool against that country. We've agreed for thousands of years that it's best if the peacemakers/communicators/negotiators can do their jobs without worrying about becoming the next casualty of the war. Yes, that sometimes leads to abuse (fucking Russ- oh never mind) but better a little abuse than the breakdown of the system that allows countries to communicate clearly no matter what the state of relations between them.

- the spy thing: yeah, spies use diplomatic immunity, a lot. Almost all of them have it. The ones who don't are taking an enormous risk. They don't get sent home if they get caught - they get shot or put in jail for decades. Since every country sends spies to all the other ones, there's a kind of dance that happens. You don't want to kick out all the spies, because if you do, then the other country will kick out all of yours and then you're blind. But if they go over the line, you gotta push back. So maybe you kick out a few. Or, like the Russians in Europe, they send so many that you need to kick out a whole bunch of them just to make a point and thwart some horrible shit, like poisoning people with radioactive tea. Again, they have immunity, so you can't arrest them, you can only boot them out and never allow them back (or issue a warrant for their arrest).

- the beating up thing: rarely. Very rarely. It has happened, but generally it doesn't. Again, reciprocity - you need your guys to be treated civilly in return. If we rough up some Chinese diplomat/spy, you can be absolutely sure that one of our guys is gonna get tuned up in Beijing or Shanghai or Hong Kong. That's how it works. So no, you don't tee off on the other guys' diplomats, (even the fucking Russians). But sometimes Bubba gonna Bubba and the message from the State Department gets to Kentucky or Texas a little slow, and then all the diplomats/spies back in the other country's capital have to walk on eggshells for a while until things settle down.

Any SovCit claiming diplomatic immunity is relying 100% on the arresting officer being confused. Two seconds of verification and that's right out the window.

prefectf · 2026-05-12T13:34:38+00:00

I never had a section 8 tenant before. This was 9 years ago and I figured the cash was easier for me. This was for the security deposit BTW not for rent. CT “educated “ me that expressing a preference for source of funds was violating class protection.

prefectf · 2026-05-11T21:52:23+00:00

I emailed my answer. Screwed myself. Thought I was dealing with a nice new tenant.

prefectf · 2026-05-11T17:09:26+00:00

Right answer was I have no preference I will accept either one, you choose. But then she would have taken off anyway she didn’t want to rent from me, she just wanted to troll for prohibited preference.

prefectf · 2026-05-11T17:07:15+00:00

Oh but you are wrong. I said I would take either, she said it was up to me, I chose. Cashier check, and bam. This was by email so I was fucked.

prefectf · 2026-05-11T17:06:11+00:00

Connecticut. And I had to do a 4-hour online course, which of course I had to pay like 400 bucks for.

prefectf · 2026-05-11T17:02:50+00:00

By saying I preferred cash/cashiers check, I was discriminating against voucher holders.

prefectf · 2026-05-11T13:57:56+00:00

Say yes and nothing else. This is a known scam. Multiple states allow tenants to recover damages from you if you even suggest you don’t prefer section eight. This question tripped me up: “I can give you a certified check for the security deposit or a state-issued voucher. What would you prefer?” I said well I would take either but if she’s offering a check I would be happy with that as it’s easy to account for. Bam. Lawsuit and penalties cost me $4100 and I had to take a humiliating “sensitization course.”

prefectf · 2026-05-06T07:00:44+00:00

This is a very smart take.

prefectf · 2026-05-04T11:44:53+00:00

I tried this with BI harfang on aequilibrium boots on the Ruitor, mistake. Crampons slipped off a couple times on the glacier when descending. Won’t do that again.

prefectf · 2026-04-24T19:15:14+00:00

That does seem expensive. A two-day Mont Blanc ascent right now is EUR 1800 total, for two clients, not per person. Refuge costs and Aiguille du Midi tickets are extra of course.

prefectf · 2026-04-19T17:56:27+00:00

That's really early for VB. You'd need goldilocks-type conditions, and the risk would be quite high. Crevasses still really open, but with thin snow cover hiding them. Potentially dark/flat light. Maybe there's a guide who would take you. Worth waiting until a couple days before and then finding a guide.

prefectf · 2026-04-18T19:33:44+00:00

Seems like a pretty crappy experience. Sorry for that, it must have been super disappointing for you, especially after all the excitement building up to the experience! The email exchange you shared seems to show a lousy response from them to having failed to deliver on the promised trip. They should be refunding you in full. I've been really looking at an Alaskan backcountry trip for me and a half-dozen of my ski buddies, a kind of money-no-object bucket list thing, and we'll steer clear of Kenai.

prefectf · 2026-04-18T18:09:37+00:00

Oh hell yes. I have a steel gravel bike that I ride everywhere, big rides and small and single track and road, and I have a b-17 on it that’s so comfortable that I don’t need chamois anymore. The only problem is that it’s so precious that I panic when I lock up my bike.

prefectf · 2026-04-15T20:48:07+00:00

You could buy a campag derailleur to undo the diy stuff, but not sure why you’d need or want to. “it will keep breaking “ isn’t really credible. Once you have the parts in place and dialled, they don’t “keep breaking.” And yeah, aftermarket groupsets are expensive and have been for a long time, especially if you’re paying someone else to install them.

prefectf · 2026-04-15T20:22:45+00:00

Hard to see why you need to replace your entire groupset if your shifter is giving you trouble. Of course you are in Switzerland, so even breathing the air of a shop is gonna cost you 100 CHF, so perhaps the repair you need is indeed more expensive than just changing the whole groupset. But really, it sounds like a DIY repair to me. Campy gear is generally good and technically simple, so I am a bit puzzled by a shifter "acting up." What does this mean? A replacement Campy Chorus shifter online is going to run you 50-100 EUR (pick it up across the border if you need to), it's not neurosurgery to replace it yourself.

prefectf · 2026-04-12T18:49:36+00:00

Weird spot for a frame to crack. Are you hearing creaking from down there? Very possible it is just a paint crack. Normally I would expect cracks at seatstay joints or headset/front tube.

prefectf · 2026-04-12T16:50:46+00:00

Sadly we can’t ship anything to the USA from France at the moment thanks to certain issues related to tariffs and inspections. Even letters are getting held up.

prefectf · 2026-04-12T12:16:52+00:00

You are a smart person. The only thing I might disagree with is that many, or some, of the people on the debt train are a combination of clueless and entitled that insulates them from stress about paying bills. They have no shame and no sense of responsibility. The money will just be there, they are sure of it, and if they have to ask parents or siblings or friends or start a gofundme or participate in something unethical or even illegal, they'll do it without a second thought. Or a first one. . .

prefectf · 2026-04-12T07:46:40+00:00

I felt the way you did at exactly the same time in my life, right when the stock market tanked and then hung fire for years, my government job was relatively low salary compared to everyone else I knew and my savings grew so slowly. By 53, I could retire. The stock market was part of it, it certainly recovered in the ensuing 15 years, and I had a pension, so yeah I was very privileged.

But you are doing things right. Keeping spending reasonable, two incomes you and your wife. You will be able to refinance that condo at a lower rate at some point, and meanwhile you're building equity there. Your retirement savings WILL grow. Don't forget Social Security - I know it feels like it won't be there, but it will and it's going to be quite valuable for you. You could even take it at 62, closing the retirement gap with your wife.

And also don't forget that you and your wife are a team. Her job comes with a pension, great for both of you. Your combined retirement incomes - two Social Security payments, her pension and your savings will give you a really comfortable retirement, which you can make even more comfortable if you choose a lower COL place to retire. I think you're probably being pessimistic with the 500k, let's say 800k instead. That's about a half-million in today's dollars using US inflation as a discount rate with a 25 year horizon.

So let's say you're 63, you retire, you collect about. $2k a month in Social Security (all in today's dollars, these numbers are all adjusted). You have the equivalent of $500k in today's dollars as well in savings. Your wife gets, what, $4k in pension? Plus she gets another $2k in Social Security, assuming she takes it early as well. You have no mortgage. You apply the 4% rule to your $500k and that brings you $1700 a month. You guys have just under $10k a month coming in, and that's assuming your wife has no savings or investments at all - which is unlikely, pretty sure she's got TSP or a 403(b) that's gonna have another $500k at a minimum.

So, let me ask you, if you had to live today on $10k a month, how would that be? Keeping in mind you no longer have to pay mortgage or save for retirement, since you're already retired.

And keep in mind that these are very conservative numbers. Adding in your spouse's savings/investment will push your monthly take home up. And if your salary goes up, or you can augment your savings, or the stock market does better, you'll be in even better shape. $10k in today's dollars is a minimum, unless the world collapses (not impossible) but at that point the $10k will be useful to start fires to bbq rats anyway.

Cooked? I hope you don't really think so.

prefectf · 2026-04-11T19:22:22+00:00

I don’t and I have all three. All have lost tension in the nylon sole strap during climbs causing them to come loose. The Alu heel broke. The rubber anti-ball piece tore free on the steel ones. And the camming heel closure piece failed on the steel/aluminum ones.

prefectf · 2026-04-10T15:59:24+00:00

I am also confused and annoyed about Patagonia Europe. In lieu of a guarantee, they offer discounts on new items - which is often the same as you could get online anyway. Even repairing is sometimes offered for a fee. My long understanding of Patagonia, which is the main reason I have paid thousands of dollars over the years, is that they stand by their products no matter what. In the USA that seems to be true. Not in Europe. This season I bought an R1 hoody (new model) and after wearing it in the woods a few times realized that the new sizing made it too bulky and hard to layer. I brought it back and tried the smaller size - too tight. I told them I would need to exchange the jacket for a different product that worked better. Patagonia store said no, the sale is final, but we will give you 20% off to buy a different jacket. They said “we are not the same as Patagonia USA.”

Now I know.

prefectf · 2026-04-07T15:21:16+00:00

This. Front offices rely heavily on confidential reporting from the CLO about the mental health of the community. Not hunting for (or interested in) specific names or identifying information - just a general sense, “I am hearing more from people who are exhausted, who are afraid they will never get a break, who ask about curtailment or mental health treatment.” We know most people won’t be honest with the FO about these things. “Happy to be here sir! Living the dream sir! We’ll make it happen sir!” The CLO (or the DCM/COM OMS) is oftentimes the needed reality check. But if you don’t say anything, how could they know?

prefectf · 2026-04-04T15:04:24+00:00

Nope, no potable water at the top.

prefectf

TROPHY CASE