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The Klondike Stampede - Tappan Adney
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Books
- Hits: 483
This thick volume was a quick and engaging read. Written by Tappan Adney, a journalist sent to report back on the Klondike in the rush of 1897-1898, it's filled with first hand observations, names of creek, and various details in all departments of life in the Yukon and Dawson City.
Leaving via Victoria, through Juneau and Skagway, deciding in favour of Dyea, over the Chilkoot Pass and then the remaining 500+ miles to Dawson City via a boat of their own building, the whole comprises a rollicking adventure - the tens of thousands of gold seekers, many, if not most, completely unprepared for the trials that await, and - remarkably few misadventures.
The whole thing makes one want to hike (and metal detect) the Chilkoot Pass - of the tens of thousands that set forth, thousands turned back and left it all behind. And somewhere up and over the pass it all remains...
Anyways, arrive at Dawson, realize - that for 2 years - the population of Dawson was greater than the entirety of the Yukon is at present - then, rumors of other gold bearing creeks lured the miners off to other destinations, in Alaska (Nome), and other creeks.
So - lots to metal detect up there, which you wouldn't suspect, given how unpopulated the place is currently.
As for the Klondike gold, estimates (his, and others) that there were millions of ounces - tens of millions of dollars - taken from the goldfields in just a couple of short years - this, with gold at $17.00 per ounce (and all expenses roughly the same as now, if not greater!!!), a short window of work (4 months, although they could dig and work in the thawed underground to a small extent) and you have some idea. Add to this the fact that the bulk of the miners were American, and didn't wish to pay the Canadian Government the royalties they expected, and you would rightly guess immense fortunes made their way back over the border undeclared...
This has greatly inspired me, for there are fortunes and millions up there still...and I've rather mastered the art of misadventure...
Saltburn
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 534
Despite considerably more divisive reviews I preferred this to "Poor Things". Great cinematography, direction, subtly nuance roles, familiar, in the sense that every book or film you've ever read that involves an English public school is invariably fraught with homeo-erotic undertones, and the film pleasingly (and surprisingly) diverges from a very predictable "Class War" into something else entirely.
In any event, it underlines the point that "Universal Acclaim" is often no acclaim at all, it merely means you made something so mediocre that no one was challenged to think. Which is why I skipped "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" and probably should have skipped "Poor Things", but - this, with lower reviews, did not in the least disappoint.
A walk around town...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 559
I'm getting stir crazy, my walk, route, always the same, out for coffee, the day, grey and raining, no trace of snow.
A new month, a new stack of free piles on every curb...
Walking, past ISIS, not the terrorist group but one of the local sex shops renowned for their racy window dressing, and - who would have guessed, Valentines day is coming...
I'm going to have to find a Valentine this year. I think a "It's Valentines Day where are you taking me?" should probably be enough of an introduction, I refuse to miss out on the possibility of a free meal...
The girls at the liquor store, they know me, be damned if they can't take me out...
***
Last night, busy, up mapping possible destinations, a sapphire deposit, as yet undiscovered, just a few miles south of town. And some great quartz crystal possibilities, south of Chilliwack, several locals, and the good stuff has yet to be discovered, but it's there, it's there.
Yesterday, before the thrift shop, the text, the restaurant, asking if I intend to come back. And - the answer, a hard no, but it's hard to give, it commits me to finding something else, better, and fast - but damn, it's time...the second fire lit under my ass. I should look at my bank account, that would be the third and final fire...
More absurd painting reveals...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Other
- Hits: 500
...one, a man turning around with an acrylic pour. Now, this was a popular thing for a while, gives you an attractive product, but - it's a technique, not an end in itself.
Still I like to look at them, the variety of artist's studios, some of which are quite impressive and a heck of a lot more inspiring than the nuisance and hazards area I've set up in my living room...
Then there's the other ones, turning over their "painting a day" until they manage to sell it. I suppose, given the breadth of their audience, that sooner or later somebody has to take an interest...
"Turning over Painting #17 Until I find my Audience", which - I understand, everyone wants an audience, needs one if they hope to sell their work, but - the products, so often derivative examples of talent and competency but rarely possess anything approaching "ART", but they're right, if they've an audience they're probably on Facebook right now...
And one - this was brilliant, a studio set up in a living room, a forty-something handsome woman just "going for it" an a canvas, an actress (you'd hope) primed with words like "Passion" and "Energy" and "Ebullience" and "Inspired" and "Create" and all sorts of other bollocks has filmed herself in slow motion splashing the canvas with brushes in either hand, close up, pan back, wonky angle, damn woman is throwing herself on the canvas again, she's going to paint it with her tits through a sweater, somebody, please, ....
It's over the top, really, but, damned if despite the nice weather nobodies out digging up crystals or gems.
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