https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53106441 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53106441)
Too many knuckleheads dying on the "pilgrimage". :wave
The cult of McCandless :o
'Twas a good book
Sad, but good.
Quote from: Dougfish on June 20, 2020, 19:38:17 PMSad, but good.
Yep. Many folks just don't understand the seriousness of trying to live off the land. It can be done, but it's hard to learn without a multi-generational knowledge base guiding you.
What do you think about that show Alone? I'm impressed with how long they are out there.
Quote from: Beetle on June 25, 2020, 05:47:38 AMWhat do you think about that show Alone? I'm impressed with how long they are out there.
I used to watch some of the outdoor reality shows, until I saw a father or grandfather in the US southwest explain to his son or grandson the value of surviving off the land by turning over a log to discover giant mealworms, the same super giant mealworms I used to purchase from Fluker's Cricket Farm in Port Allen, Louisiana. Planting nonindigenous critters under woody debris in the arid SW US region for cinematic effect made me more of a skeptic ---- now I am a cynic on all these shows.
Here's the link for the super mealworms if you would like to survive off the land. They do taste OK if you sauté in olive oil with a pinch of garlic. We used to cook them for the kiddies in class.
https://flukerfarms.com/live-superworms-buy-bulk-super-worms/
There is a reason why Native Americans grew crops, and domesticated animals. The 'living off the land'fantasy is one for young people who are not rational. Be content with your backyard, and make something out of it.
I fished out of Talkeetna AK for many years (11 trips) and the folks up there had no sympathy for the "hero" of that adventure. They thought he was a dumb ass.
He was.
I don't see him as a dumbass. Yes, unique, confused, even weird perhaps, and unquestionably interesting --- the personality that makes this world fun. I also do not see him as inspirational or a hero.
https://studymoose.com/chris-mccandless-character-analysis-essay
Quote from: Mudwall Gatewood 3.0 on June 27, 2020, 10:08:06 AMI don't see him as a dumbass. Yes, unique, confused, even weird perhaps, and unquestionably interesting --- the personality that makes this world fun. I also do not see him as inspirational or a hero.
https://studymoose.com/chris-mccandless-character-analysis-essay
Well, let's say that he let his impulsiveness override his common sense on many occasions. He was probably a good dude, and an interesting guy. He just didn't think much about preparations and consequences.
His flaw was turning his back on things he was endowed with. That being a good education, brain, parents, etc. He is an archetypal American. When life is too easy, we throw things away, much like we've done with our once fine empire.
Many are preoccupied with idiotic nonsense, such as turing the face mask into a culture war symbol, or being unable to come to terms with our god given gender. This shit ain't important.
Interesting discussion on how this kid is perceived. I'd argue he was anything but the quintessential American. I see the typical American as soft and gooey, and materialistic. I don't believe McCandless was soft and gooey, and surely not greedy. Yes, he was perhaps chimerical, certainly ill-prepared, and hurt only himself and those that genuinely cared for him.
And I fail to see he wasted or threw away anything; conceivably he could not handle the familiar cookie cutter society. Folks shun the world every day. Hell, I've considered doing just that multiple times, but the ironic onus that nature and evolution has bequeathed prevents me from following through. I just mentioned this to Doug this morning.
The greatest burden evolution has dealt us is the capacity and desire to unwaveringly love and treasure others, befriend them, care for them, and mourn when they perish; it is also the consummate reward from our Darwinian development. It is a paradox designed by an indifferent Mother Nature.
And what the heck is "our god given gender"?