I LOVE my gigantic SUV.

The Lizard Brain is not just about marketting.   I'm telling you, google it, you'll see how profound and impact it has on your life.  Be aware that many decisions are not made by your reasoning powers.  They are rationalized/justified by your reasoning powers.  The Lizard Brain subconsciously made the decision for you, and since you don't want to look stupid and weak, the cortex gets involved in covering up what is really a knee-jerk reaction.

 

Seriously interesting stuff.

 

Rapaille has some interesting things to say.  Interestingly enough, most fortune 100 companies have employed the man.  This says as much about his credibility as it does about the actions of his employers.... are they really agreeing with him, or do they hire him to look like equals among their peers?

 

Both interpretations are supportive of the Lizard Brain theory, the second is the LB in operation.

You voluntarily attach slippery boards to your feet and risk all sorts of injury.  And enjoy the stimulation.  Lizards do not. 

 

As regards SUVs, since some argue that people like SUVs because of how great it feels to look down on others, does that mean sports car owners are masochists and signifying submission when they buy their Porsche?  A lot of the anti-SUV rhetoric sounds cool, until you think it through.  

Some people like big homes, for all sorts of reasons.  Some like big cars, some don't.  God bless.

There are about a million reasons folks ski, on of which is that it feels good.  Some folks love it SO much that they become couch surfers in the quest for a perfect run.....that's just not part of our rational mind.  That's pure lizard brain.

So is the notion of appearing strong, attractive and maybe even sexy in your ski gear.  Look at Richie-Rich wanting to dominate the mountain in his fearsome looking getup. Look at beginners on race skis -- just to look like one of the "elite" is a strongly competitive Lizard Brain activity.  No one wants to be slotted as a weak and ineffective skier.

It's all very primitive stuff. For sure there's not much higher reasoning happening.

The higher reasoning just goes along for the ride, explaining why you're doing it.

Sports cars have their own dominating characteristics -- speed and agility vs brute power.  That fight has been going on for thousands of years....

I find this stuff is very interesting. 

Cheers!


 

Are we going to go off in to the discussion about a negative correlation between size down there versus intelligence?  You know, that sociology stuff about folks came from historically cold and harsh places to live are smarter (because they needed to be more creative to survive) but less endowed below because they spend so much time struggling to survive?  And, folks that come from places where food and drink are easy to come by and shelter doesn't need to be that complicated either don't need to be so smart to survive and have more spare time for "other activities" and hence evolved as better endowed down there?

How might this apply to skiing?  Hey, might this have something to do with edge beveling?

Boy, I must be a freakin' genius!!!!!!!!!!!

"Small man syndrome" in skiing is revealed many different ways: FIS race stock skis on pretty much amyone, especially intermediates, crazy wide skis in shallow snow, stupidly long  skis anywhere, free-skiing SG or DH skis, full face helmets, body armour in-bounds.....

I'm sure the list is endless.

This guy Rapaille can't be too dumb -- He got paid by big companies to spew BS like cupholders = mothers' milk = safety.  The rest of us poor smucks actually have to work for a living.  The problem with the whole "lizard brain" stuff is that most of it is untestable.  Do people sometimes make "irrational" choices?  Sure.  Do they equate cupholders with mother's milk and thus safety?  Who the heck knows (other than Rapaille)?  This kind of stuff has been around for decades -- remember the book "Hidden Persuaders" from the 1960s?  Rapaille has just repackaged it into current psycho-babble.

BTW, I heard that in addition to his consulting gig, he plays the GEICO gecko for the TV commercials.     

Anyone else read Subliminal Seduction by Wilson Bryan Key"?  I asked a business school marketing professor (from the London Business School and UT Dallas) about it and he laughed for about 4 minutes.. "ahh ya, skulls in the ice cubes".  His main area of expertise was measuring how much real behavior differs from survey attitudes and why.  I'm pretty sure we were discussing how advertisers try to address childhood indirectly when crafting copy and visuals at the time. 

Edited by crgildart - 7/10/2009 at 03:40 pm GMT

I thought we were discussing GIGANTIC suvees and Tetonpowderjunkie's wife jumping over her horse.anyways everbody needs a quiver and that's not restricted to skis. The vehicle quiver at my house is my wife's explorer, i drive a freestyle. Both hold more than enough gear for a roadtrip, with the roof rack on four skiers and enough gear for a week. But i miss driving something that's, well, fun to drive. I'd love to have a smaller sportier car for those bluebird groomer days. I'm thinking about a mazda3 hatchback or something along those lines. Is a quiver a quiver if eveything in the quiver is the same?

how many cup holders ya got jimmy?

You're doing good to get 2mpg in a Supra.  Less if you're skiing/wakeboarding/tubing.

I also love my gas hog.
Edited by Ole703 - 8/3/2009 at 05:11 am GMT

You're doing it wrong.




See?  TC knows how.  

 Skitching on wheeled luggage? Is that safe?

That gal needs a helmet on, and a safety bar wouldn't hurt.

Pre-release in a high G turn would be disastrous.

What's the 4WD for?  I was cruisin around on yer dirt roads up there with an open diff and RWD, six inches of fresh, seemed fine. :)

SRSLY though, nice stuff mover.  I'd never drive one because I actually like driving, and I'll continue to look down on people who don't get that...but I certainly recognize the utility of a truck.  Now you need a 21cuft Thule box.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program...

...big SUV's.  Why not?



How about a wannabe SUV?  

 I just bought a 94 Dodge RAM 1500.  I got it for cheap from an old extreme skier who only drove it to The Village on powder days.  It only has 2 cup holders through.

I hope you SUV-ers keep buying Chevron gas....

Would help to keep my stock prices up....

Yasso!

yes buy more petro products,my job likes it.

Garrett, you gotta remember, it was barely even winter when you were here.  We were just getting started.

I don't think that thing will fit in the garage with a box on top.

I've downsized but took photos in attempt to make it look bigger


Yes, that IS an EpicSki sticker on top of the box

Octane 85 for performance vehicles???? 85 higher then usual available??? You got to be kiddin' me!!  You guys live in a strange country.  Here in Europe I drive my SUV on minimum 95 Octane, preferably 98 or 100+, to get the most out of that lovely v8 engine. 85 would probably kill it!!  Last week I touched the 220km/u easily.  Fully loaded with vacation stuff. Also it overtakes almost everything, it drives easily in the snow and ice, and it tows a trailer with a racing car on it so easily that I sometimes forget..... only thing it doesn't do so good is drifting... Now that's an SUV!!!!!

By the way hate for SUV drivers originates usually from jalousy..... my 2 cents.....

ps the picture was made 3 weeks ago... July on the border of Switzerland and Italy: we should have brought ski's iso surfboard.....

Your reading comprehension is poor.  E85 has nothing to do with octane (though it naturally has a very high octane rating) and US octane ratings are measured and reported in a more realistic, different way than the RON ratings in Yurp.  Typical premium fuel in the US is approximately 98 RON.  120+ is available, because this is America, and we can buy most anything we want at any time we want in our efficient retail markets.

Gee Garrett,, I was going to accuse her of beingcorny

Hell, who gives a s**t. That's a nice ride, Aimee.... the car's nice too. Where does one surf in Switzerland?    Welcome to Epic!

Well I'm really sorry!  E85 in Europe stands for Euro 85 as in 85 octane. (well E95 stands for Euro 95 - I think 85 does not even exist)

Glad to hear that my guzzler can actually get gazzz at your side of the ocean!  And I am glad that flat broke America is still able to deliver to consumer America whatever they want....

Thx Mr Crab.  Surfing we do on Lake Como.  There's surfspot about 1 mile wide with great wind (it's windsurfing by the way!)  Switzerland is better for skiing... which I LOVE (did I already tell you guys that I like skiing??)

By the way my regards to Spongebob!!

Look we're almost TWINS!!!
Okay okay, so my boat is smaller, but still.......

Four Winns 190 Horizon jet boat.
We've had it for 13 years and though it runs great, Mr TC wants to put a bigger engine in it.
We fondly refer to it as "the squirt boat"