Category: Current Events

Colin Kaepernick chose not to stand while the National Anthem was being played before a football game recently.  He has the right to do that.

The first amendment to the US constitution states, in pertinent part, that “Congress shall make no law * * * abridging the freedom of speech.”  It means what is says:  “Congress” cannot curtail speech.  Based on case law, state and local governments can’t either.

Every state has always had its own state constitutional provision guaranteeing freedom of speech.  So, in many respects the Supreme Court was doubling down when it interpreted the fourteenth amendment to incorporate freedom of speech, thereby making the first amendment enforceable against state and local governments as well as the federal government.

Kaepernick was expressing a political opinion, the most protected kind of speech there is.  It’s the kind of speech that used to cause people to say things like:  “I disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.”  This quote is often attributed to Voltaire, but was created from whole cloth by historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall as an example of Voltaire’s beliefs.  http://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/06/01/defend-say/

“Speech” is quite expansive.  It covers speaking, writing, activity (burning flags), and inactivity (not standing during the National Anthem), among other things.  If a person is expressing a political opinion in just about any form, the expression is likely protected from the state police.  Alas, nothing protects us from the PC police.

The PC police come in two variants.  The liberal PC police stand against any expression that offends or disparages or that could offend or disparage any particular individual or group.  Use of an outdated term to refer to a group of people, for example “oriental” instead of “asian,” is likely to be met with PC condemnation.  Even if that term, say “Redskins,” is deemed non-offensive by 90% of the group being “disparaged.”  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2016/05/24/redskins-name-poll-didnt-change-the-opinions-of-peter-king-and-bob-costas/

Conservatives hate the liberal PC police, but they love their own brand of political correctness.  PC conservatives stand against any expression that offends or disparages the US military, the country, or the flag.  They are prone to invite a speaker who offends their brand of political correctness to find another country to live in.

What I find particularly interesting about political correctness, whether liberal or conservative, is how little respect the PC police give to the right of others to freely express themselves.  The PC police most assuredly do not espouse the principles of Voltaire, instead of defending the rights of others, they seek to inhibit them.  But, of course, that is their right — they are not Congress.

The PC police are everywhere – in your neighborhood, in your school (maybe especially in your school), in your workplace, and perhaps coaching your team.  John Tortorella, the head coach of the Team USA World Cup team, has declared that he will bench any player who refuses to stand during the National Anthem.  In doing so, he is declaring his concept of political correctness (thou must not disparage the flag) to be more important than his players’ right to express a political opinion.

All Americans have the freedom to say what we want and we have the freedom to be offended by what others say.  We do both of these things with abandon – and I hope we never stop.

Everything in this post is from memory, so I can’t attribute it to any particular source or vouch for its truth.  Hmmn, I probably shouldn’t admit that.

The Maine lobster fishery is thriving at least in part because it is managed, both officially and unofficially.  Licenses are granted by the state and are available only to residents of Maine.  But don’t think you can move to Maine and fish.  There are many stories of people who have tried — to little avail.  This is part of the unofficial management.  The members of the various fishing communities consider the fishing to belong to the local folks.  A fisherman from one island or town is only “authorized” to fish in the area controlled by that island or town.  A fisherman from away (in this case, any place other than that particular Maine fishing community) is not welcome to fish at all.

If you (a person from outside Maine) move to Maine, and purchase a boat, a license to fish, and a bunch of lobster traps, you might think you would be ready to start hauling in lobster and money.  You would be mistaken.  The lore is that the first time an outsider sets out lobster pots, they will be found politely stacked on the dock near where his or her boat is moored.  The second time, the lines will be cut.  Imagine how difficult it is to haul in lobster traps that don’t have buoys attached.

Although the right to fish belongs to the local people, it can be provisionally acquired through marriage.  If you (a person from outside Maine) marry a local resident, you will be able to fish.  But if you get divorced, you will lose the right to fish, even if you have lived and fished locally for decades.  At least one incident in the past ten years or so resulted in gunfire when the divorced, now formerly authorized, fisherman tried to continue fishing.  He eventually thought better of it.

As noted in the prior post, fishermen are limited to 800 traps.  That, along with local restrictions, helps minimize the risk of local over-fishing.  Other measures are taken to foster an ample supply of lobsters.  Any lobster with eggs, which are carried on the underside of a breeding female, has a notch cut in her tail.  The notch indicates to any fisherman who subsequently catches the same lobster, that she is a breeding female and should be returned to the sea.

Similarly, all large lobsters (roughly three pounds and up) are required to be returned to the sea, whether they are male or female, because reproductive capacity is exponentially related to size.  I don’t remember the exact relationship, but a two-pound lobster does not produce twice as many eggs as a one-pound lobster, it produces 10 or 20 times as many.   Large lobsters can have as many as 100,000 eggs.

People often ask:  what do lobsters eat.  The old answer was:  anything, the new answer is:  lobster bait.  A couple of summers ago, a local told me that the ocean floor along the Maine coast has been transformed into (essentially) a lobster farm.

It is estimated that any random lobster that is large enough to be eaten, has been caught and released approximately 1000 times.  After enjoying hundreds of tasty, free, and easy to find meals of herring or some such, the lobster suddenly finds itself on the wrong end of a delicious meal.  Talk about a Black Swan event for the lobster.

All of this is timely for me because I am about to leave for vacation and plan to eat lobster while in Maine.  And let’s face it, you like lobster too.  If you ever plan to cook your own, drop me a line and I’ll send you a recipe.  As with most things I cook, the recipe starts with:  boil water.

While scanning the news on my ipad earlier (July 26, 2016 at 4:30), I noticed a headline that could not be ignored:  The Secret to Maine’s Thriving Lobsters.  I was hoping to be educated by abc NEWS, which published the article, I was sadly underwhelmed.  Let’s ignore the absurd headline, surely the lobsters aren’t thriving; they are being captured and eaten in record numbers.  What is thriving is the lobster industry.

The second paragraph is so bad that it must be quoted in full and then dissected.

“Lobster is Maine’s No. 1 export.  There are more than 6,000 lobstermen along the state’s 228-mile coast.  Maine has over 2 million people and almost double that number in lobster traps.”

Most websites indicate that lobster is Maine’s highest value export.  But some indicate that paper products are, especially when pulp and processed paper are aggregated.  The International Trade Administration, a part of the United States Chamber of Commerce, reports that paper is the highest grossing export.  http://www.trade.gov/mas/ian/statereports/states/me.pdf.  I’ll call that one a push.

According to the Portland Press Herald, although there are “almost” 6,000 lobstermen registered in Maine, only 4,300 of whom actually fish.  http://www.pressherald.com/2011/08/14/so-you-want-to-be-a-lobsterman_2011-08-14/.  I take issue with abc NEWS and the Portland Press Herald using the term “lobstermen.”  In Maine, the people who catch lobster are called fishermen, they fish for lobster, they work in the lobster fishery.  I consider this a factual fail.

The article says that Maine’s coast is 228 miles long – and it may be, as the crow flies.  There are two ways to measure a coastline, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.  The first is the general coastline, which measures only the general outlines of the seacoast.  The second, more widely used measure calculates the mileage of all islands, bays, and rivers and creeks that are considered tidewater.  https://coast.noaa.gov/data/docs/states/shorelines.pdf.  This is another push.

The statement that Maine has over 2 million people is patently ridiculous.  The US Census reports Maine’s population as well under 1.4 million on July 1, 2015.    http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/23.  I have never seen a source that lists Maine’s population as anywhere near 2 million.  That number was apparently pulled from thin air.  Epic factual fail, not within the realm of possibility.

As for the number of traps, that is trickier.  Each lobster fisherman is entitled to have 800 traps.  If the 4,300 active fishermen each have 800, that totals 3,440,000 traps, which is double the actual population of Maine, but not double the bizarre 2 million suggested by abc NEWS.  If all of the fishermen not actively fishing have 800 traps as well, then the total is 4,800,000, which is well over triple the number of people actually in Maine.  I’m feeling charitable, so I’ll call this a push.

The scorecard reads zero wins for abcNews, two losses, and three ties.  Not very impressive for a national news network.  And we haven’t even gotten to the worst part:  they appear to have almost no idea why Maine’s lobster fishery is thriving.  They mention the temperature of the water as being “in the sweet spot,” which by most accounts it is.  But they didn’t mention the active efforts taken by the industry to help ensure that they have plenty of lobster to harvest.  I’ll address that in my next post.

I love Chicago.  There are so many awesome places to visit:  restaurants, museums, towers, and a rather large lake.  I can’t pretend to understand the city.  I have never lived there, never even spent more than three nights in a row there.  But I have been enough times to learn a thing or two about the city.

It’s called the Second City.  Do you know why?  I have quizzed several people, all college educated, all relatively well-traveled.  None of them knew the answer.  Most people think it’s because New York is the first city (biggest, best, etc.) and Chicago is second.  Wrong.

During the Great Chicago Fire, which almost certainly wasn’t started by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, virtually the entire city burned to the ground.  The rebuilding was basically a new beginning, hence it’s the second city.  It has nothing to do with an inferiority complex.

Although the fire devastated the physical plant of the city, “only” a reported 300 or so people perished.  On the same day that the Great Chicago Fire started, another fire started in a mid-western town that killed over 1,000 people, perhaps as many as 2,500.  Name that city.  (Answer below.)

There is great food everywhere.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert are just a few steps away from virtually any spot near downtown.  Deep dish pizza is among my favorites and it is available all over the city.  There are so many great venues that it would be unfair to single out any individual establishment.  Not so barbeque.  I have been to one place, several times, and it is fantastic.  Twin Anchors has been a part of the Chicago scene since the 1930s and remains worthy of a visit.  It’s on the way to Wrigley Field – those two places in one day make for a double header that Ernie Banks would be proud of.

Recently, I ate dinner at two different restaurants that we just happened upon.  Both were excellent.  D4 is an Irish pub with high ceilings and an old world feel.    The food and beer were very good.  Mad Boiler is a seafood specialist, where the food is presented unceremoniously in a plastic bag after having been steamed.  Many different seasonings are available, the two that we tried were excellent.  Want breakfast?  Hash House a go go has large quantities, great flavor, and a full bar, including a terrific BLT Bloody Mary.  One night after dinner, I asked my phone for help, and was reliably informed that Molly’s Cupcakes was within 50 paces.  The cheesecake and cupcakes that we sampled were wonderful.

Chicago is also called the Windy City, even though it is considered the 12th windiest city in the country.  (Who calculates these things?)  The nickname has nothing to do with the weather or the breezes that blow off the lake.  Back in the day, Chicago was full of politicians who were considered windbags.  They engendered the nickname.  I doubt that Chicago’s modern politicians have done anything to warrant a change.

The other great fire that started on October 8, 1871, was in Peshtigo, Wisconsin.  It was largely a forest fire, consumed over 1.5 million acres, and may have killed as many as 2,500 people.

Mention the Chicago River, causes many people ask “isn’t that the river they dye green” on St. Patrick’s Day.  Although this is true, it is not the most significant aspect of the river’s history.  That distinction applies to its reversal.  The river used to flow into Lake Michigan, containing much of the sewage generated by the good residents of the city.  During a particularly bad storm in 1885, the overflow rushed past and then into the water intakes that pumped fresh water into the city.  Ordinarily the sewage dispersed before it reached the intakes.

The contaminated drinking water caused various diseases that combined to kill an estimated 12% of the city’s residents.  The disastrous experience led the city and state to join forces to reverse the flow of the river.  Massive amounts of earth were moved, but the river now flows out of the lake and deposits its water in the Atlantic Ocean via the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico instead of via the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Much of what I know about the Chicago River and the architecture of Chicago (which I shall keep to myself), I learned on the Architectural River Cruise offered by Chicago Lines.  It was a blast.  We cruised up and down the river, not quite into the lake, and learned about many of the buildings that dominate the city’s fantastic skyline.  We learned about the various styles prevalent in the city, some of which are virtually dueling with each other, and about many of the magnates who constructed the buildings.  It was well worth 90 or so minutes and 40 or so dollars.

While in Chicago, I saw Sting and Peter Gabriel for the second time.  My seats were much better (thank you John), allowing me to see the Red Team (Gabriel) and Blue Team (Sting) movements.  The ensemble has strengthened over the past two weeks, gaining confidence in their collective voice and music.  Practice doesn’t necessarily make perfect, but in this case, it certainly made them better.  The play list remained the same except two of Gabriel’s more somber numbers (No Self Control and Darkness) were replaced by San Jacinto and Digging in the Dirt.    The changes were definitely an improvement.

Usually when Sting was singing, the entire Blue Team was on the stage.  Sometimes they were supplemented with various Red Teamers, perhaps Gabriel singing backup or on keyboards or, during Desert Rose, with an extra drummer.  When Gabriel sang, the entire Red Team was on stage, though they were frequently supported by Sting singing or on bass or, during Red Rain, by the Blue violinist.  Being able to see the various changes and permutations was interesting, but wasn’t integral to enjoying the music, which was best when both teams were on the stage infusing the crowd with their full power, especially during In Your Eyes.

Chicago is not without its flaws.  Perhaps the most noteworthy is the high rate of shootings and homicides, many resulting from the various gangs infesting the city.  According to Wikipedia, the rate of homicides in Chicago is twice as high as in New York City, the level of gang membership is the highest in the country, and gangs account for 61% of the homicides.    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Chicago

So when you visit Chicago, stick near Downtown, it’s where most of the fun is and where the gangs aren’t.

If you like Sting or Peter Gabriel and didn’t get to see the opening night of their Rock Paper Scissors tour in Columbus, seek them out at another venue.  They journey as far east as Worcester MA, and as far west as L.A., before heading north, as close to frozen tundra as I ever hope to get, to Calgary and Edmonton.  The far-flung nature of the tour may be exceeded by the range of songs performed, from Gabriel’s deeply foreboding, even violent, “Darkness” to Sting’s relentlessly optimistic “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.”

(Disclaimer:  this post would have been easier to write, not to mention more informative, if I had taken notes, — other than the play list — knew something about any of the band members, had been a long-time fan of Sting, or had a better grasp of music history.)

This was no greatest hits tour de force, though there were plenty of hits.  This was two artists robustly singing songs that showcase their former and current talents.  They were both in strong voice, whether singing their own songs, the other’s songs, or singing together.

One of my companions wanted more of Sting’s solo work, which might be the only quibble I heard all night.  Sting relied heavily on songs from The Police, but who wouldn’t — that oeurve contains so many melodic new wave masterpieces.

There were some surprises, like Sting doing a bit of “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” from early 70s Genesis as a prelude to the Police classic “Message in a Bottle.”  Both resonated, the former a tribute to Gabriel’s distant past and the latter an homage to Sting’s own former archetypal self.  Gabriel launched a new song, “Love Can Heal,” as a tribute to Jo Cox, the recently assassinated British Member of Parliament.

“In Your Eyes,” perhaps Gabriel’s magnum opus, was spiritedly performed by the entire ensemble:  Gabriel’s band, Sting’s band, the backing singers, Sting, and, of course, a haunting Gabriel.  The whole gang was intimately involved in a rapturous rendition that included Sting engaging in a bit of Gabriel-inspired dancing (redolent of Gabriel in the 80s and 90s) while channeling his inner Youssou N’Dour with sonorous lyrics-free vocals.  It was incredible.

Each star appeared to have his own band providing the foundation for his songs.  But they merged to great effect, including an especially rambunctious version of Secret World.  Multiple keyboard players, often including Gabriel, multiple bassists and guitarists, often including Sting, and multiple drummers combined to create layers of music not available to a standard band.  Throw in a violin, a cello, and assorted other instruments and the sounds available were limited only by the stars’ sublime imaginations.   To top it off, the whole melange was well-orchestrated and performed exquisitely.

The crossover songs were fun and moving.  Sting performed “Shock the Monkey” with a bit of a smile and a lesser sense of doom than Gabriel brings to the song.  Gabriel reciprocated, performing a bluesy, evocative “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free.”  Both added a new dimension to the song without detracting from the strengths that the other provided in the original.

I must mention my favorite Gabriel song, “Rhythm of the Heat.”  It opened the concert after lying dormant for decades (I didn’t think it would ever be performed live again).  It was among Gabriel’s first forays into African rhythms and it remains as vibrant as ever, even if rather different from the studio versions.

The two encores were riveting — both were big hits and long-time crowd favorites, and both were powerfully performed.  Sting and Gabriel sang together, not really as duets, more like shared songs.  “Every Breath You Take” and “Sledgehammer” had the crowd on its feet begging for more.  Alas, it truly was over.

Both stars rose to the occasion.  They sang well and long, with a minimum of chatter between songs.  They both retain the incredible stage presence that helped them achieve stardom in the first place, though theatrics were minimal.    Both were at their best when belting out their own tunes, Sting’s Roxanne is perhaps the best example.  If forced to choose, I would say that Sting was in slightly better voice, but Gabriel gets extra credit for degree of difficulty.  He chose some songs that are incredibly difficult to perform (Don’t Give Up), let alone perform live while in your mid-60s.  Though he was able to reach the tough notes, he couldn’t hold them quite as long as he used to.  I couldn’t help thinking that he might be writing a memo to himself that in his next life, he should write songs that are a bit easier for him to sing as he ages.  Or, more probably, not doing that because his voice has always essentially been an extra highly versatile instrument.

See the show, you won’t be disappointed.

 

 

Playlist (performed principally by the original artist unless noted)

Intro – instrumental from Passion, the Last Temptation of Christ

The Rhythm of the Heat

If I Ever Lose My Faith in You

No Self Control

Invisible Sun

Games Without Frontiers (both)

Shock the Monkey (Sting)

Secret World

Driven to Tears

Fragile

Red Rain

Dancing with Moonlit Knight (Sting)

Message in a Bottle

Darkness

Walking in Your Footsteps

Kiss That Frog (Sting)

Don’t Give Up

The Hounds of Winter

Big Time

Englishman in New York (Gabriel)

Solsbury Hill (both)

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

If You Love Somebody Set Them Free (Gabriel)

Roxanne, with a bit of Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone

Love Can Heal

Desert Rose

In Your Eyes

 

Every Breath You Take

Sledgehammer

 

This TV show (on the History channel) is the best of the survival reality genre.  It doesn’t have the built in stupidity of being naked, it doesn’t have gimmicky games, and it doesn’t endorse risky stunts, it focuses on surviving in the woods alone.  And that “alone” part is exceedingly difficult.  It is what sends people home.  The producers did a great job the second season of selecting highly skilled people for the endurance challenge.  But the aloneness gets them, even the highly skilled.

For those who don’t know, the show deposits ten outdoor skills experts at ten different spots on Vancouver Island, all supposedly inaccessible to each other.  Each location has ready access to fresh water.  All of the contestants are allowed a basic supply kit and in addition are allowed to take ten items from a list of 50.

The challenge is to stay on the island as long as possible.  And the reward to the last person standing is $500,000.  Last year the winner lasted 55 days and was surprised that he had won so soon.  He was prepared to stay much longer.

Here is a list of the supplies that are allowed, borrowed from the show’s website.  I will resume commentary at the end of the list.

The contestants are allowed the following “regular” items:

1.  pair high leg Hunting boots
   2. 2 pairs of Outdoor Pants (can unzip into shorts)
   3. 1 t-shirt
   4. 2 fleece or wool shirts (hooded or unhooded)
   5. 3 pairs wool socks
   6. 1 hat (brimmed, wool or baseball)
   7. 1 bandana or shemagh
   8. 1 pair gloves
   9. 1 light outdoor jacket
   10. 2 pairs underwear
   11. 1 rain jacket and rain trousers
   12. 1 thermal underwear (long)
   13. 1 pair of gaiters
   14. 1 pair of Crocs, Teva sandals or Keen sandals
   15. 1 toothbrush
   16. 1 pair of prescription eye glasses
   17. 1 personal photograph

 In addition, they are allowed the following winter items:

1. 1 wool sweater (heavy)
   2. 1 pair of gloves (wool/Dachsteins)
   3. 1 trapper’s hat with ear protection or toboggan

They are also allowed the following safety/tracking/transmission items:

1. 2 safety tools (may consist of a canister of wild animal repellant, an air horn and/or 1 flare)
   2. 1 rules and regulations guide
   3. 1 backpack
   4. 1 camera pack
   5. Camera equipment
   6. 1 emergency flare
   7. 1 satellite phone
   8. 1 emergency personal flotation device
   9. 1 first aid kit (military type – tourniquet, wadding, ace bandage, alcohol, plastic bag, etc)
   10. 1 small mirror
   11. 1 20×20 canvas tarp
   12. 1 10×10 tarp for protecting camera and equipment
   13. 1 GPS tracking device
   14. 1 head lamp
   15. 1 emergency rations pack to include water and food

And finally, they are each allowed to select any ten items from the following list:

Shelter

1. 12×12 ground cloth/tarp (grommets approved)
   2. 8 mm climbing rope – 10M
   3. 550 parachord – 20m
   4. 1 hatchet
   5. 1 saw
   6. 1 ax

 Bedding

1. 1 multi-seasonal sleeping bag that fits within provided backpack
   2. 1 bivi bag (Gore-Tex sleeping bag cover)
   3. 1 sleeping pad
   4. 1 hammock

 Cooking

1. 1 large (no more than 2 quart) pot, includes lid
   2. 1 steel frying pan
   3. 1 flint or ferro rod set
   4. 1 enamel bowl for eating
   5. 1 spoon
   6. 1 canteen or water bottle
   7. 1 bear canister

 Hygiene

1. 1 bar soap
   2. 1 8 oz tube of toothpaste
   3. 1 face flannel
   4. 1 40 m roll of dental floss
   5. 1 small bottle bio shower soap
   6. 1 shaving razor (and 1 blade)
   7. 1 towel (30” x 60”)
   8. 1 comb

 Hunting

1. 1 300-yard roll of nylon single filament fishing line and 25 assorted hooks (No lures)
   2. 1 primitive bow with 6 Arrows (must be predominately made of wood)
   3. 1 small gauge gill net (8 m x 2 m OR 1.5 m deep x 3.6 m long and 2” [50 mm] mesh)
   4. 1 slingshot/Catapult
   5. 1 net foraging bag
   6. 1 3.5 lb roll of trapping wire

 Food

1. 5 lbs of beef jerky (protein)
   2. 5 lbs of dried pulses/legumes/lentils mix (starch and carbs)
   3. 5 lbs of biltong (protein)
   4. 5 lbs of hard tack military biscuits (carbs/sugars)
   5. 5 lbs of chocolate (Simple/complex sugars)
   6. 5 lbs of pemmican (traditional trail food made from fat and proteins)
   7. 5 lbs of gorp (raisins, m&m’s and peanuts)
   8. 5 lbs of flour (starch/carbs)
   9. 2 lbs of rice or sugar and 1 lb of salt

 Tools

1. 1 pocket knife
   2. 1 hunting knife
   3. 1 Leatherman multi-tool
   4. 1 sharpening stone
   5. 1 roll of duct tape or 1 roll of electrical tape
   6. 1 small shovel
   7. 1 small sewing kit
   8. 1 carabineer
   9. 1 LED flashlight
   10. 1 pair of ice spikes

All other items are prohibited – and in particular the following items are specifically prohibited:

1. Fuel or matches
   2. Bug spray/mosquito repellant.
   3. Sunscreen/chap stick
   4. Sunglasses
   5. Beauty products
   6. Map (detailed topographical)
   7. Compass
   8. Unapproved technology (anything with a battery or an engine, eg. cell phones, computers, watches, etc.)
   9. Professional snares
   10. Firearms of any kind
   11. Ammunition
   12. Explosives or gunpowder
   13. Animal poison
   14. Professional fishing rods
   15. Fishing lures, flies, bait kits
   16. Fishing traps
   17. Food or beverage (except the options from the selection list)
   18. Decoys
   19. Animal calls
   20. Tree stands
   21. Professional bows or crossbows
   22. Scopes of any kind
   23. Tents or shelters
   24. Stoves, pressure cookers or other cooking appliances
   25. Hydration packs
   26. Fire pits
   27. Electric or propane lanterns
   28. Inflatable boats
   29. Filtration, purification devices, iodine tablets
   30. Coolers or food storage boxes (except optional bear canister)

I’m not sure why they exclude specific items — if an item isn’t on the list, it isn’t allowed — but they do.  And it just makes this post longer without adding any clarity.

I will now tell you the ten optional items that I would choose.  Rest assured:  this is only an academic exercise; I would never attempt the challenge.  The contestants are way too uncomfortable (wet, cold, sleeping on the ground) and I hate being uncomfortable.  That’s enough for me to stay home.  But the more legitimate reason to stay home is the abundance of wildlife of a predatory nature.  Vancouver Island has healthy populations of bears, mountain lions, and wolves.  Those animals often play a supporting role in the show – and never in a constructive way.

Many of the items that I would select are obvious and appear to be selected by every contestant, like the tarp, axe, sleeping bag, pot (with lid), and ferro rod.  That’s five items and it covers only the very basics:  shelter, fire, and water purification (by boiling).  I would also take a water bottle so I could store a little water while purifying more.

That leaves only four items and one of them must be a knife.  I would probably choose an ultra-durable bushcraft knife instead of a multi-tool.  It’s not as versatile, but then again, I wouldn’t expect to have much need of a screwdriver, whether flathead or phillips.

Based on what I have seen on the show, a gill net is essential.  It is the most reliable provider of protein.  One guy made his own gill net, so that is an option, but having a good one ready-made seems a better choice.

Down to two items and the list I’m considering remains long:  paracord, saw, fishing line and hooks, trapping wire, food (gorp), sewing kit, and flashlight.

Contestants can use anything they find.  Given that they are all situated on oceanfront property, the variety of stuff that lands on the beaches is incredible.  Most of them find some kind of cordage and I would plan to do the same – no paracord, no wire.  A flashlight would be great, but it would run out of juice and that would be annoying – no flashlight.  A sewing kit would be incredibly useful for fixing clothes over the long haul, but not so much in the short run, which is all I’m counting on – no sewing kit.  Good old raisins and peanuts would be binged on at the first sign of hunger and then where would I be – no gorp.

I would take a saw to help built a solid shelter.  It’s seems essential if I am to sleep at all, otherwise my concerns about predators would overwhelm me.  And I would take fishing line and hooks.  There is plenty of seafood – snails, limpets, to use as bait.  And procuring fish is the best way to get substantial food.

Which ten items would you select?  The bonus question is what other item would you most want.

The item I would most want is a book.  It would help fight the aloneness and boredom.  The sophisticated 1% of me would want something like a complete volume of Shakespeare or some lengthy anthology.  But the rest of me would want the most recent baseball encyclopedia.  They don’t publish baseball encyclopedias anymore because a market of one person (me) isn’t adequate to cover the cost of production.  All the information is online of course, but that is cold comfort to a survivor in the woods.

I wouldn’t last long alone in the woods, but I would last longer if I had a book —  I’d even promise not to use the paper to help build a fire.