RE the Grand Canyon on your 'crappiest places' list: It's only the rim that is a tourist destination and a few pay to ride mules to Phantom Ranch at the bottom but wish they didn't and pray for it to be over.
Hike across the canyon (late October is good...you may not encounter another person) for a unique experience that's difficult to match as you transition through a billion+ years of geologic history while recognizing the land was the bottom of oceans multiple times. Next day, go back across the other way. I'm pretty sure you would have a memory to hold on to for the rest of your life.
Having just visited the Grand Canyon, I take your point regarding the crowds and tacky tourist traps around the rim. But I also agree the canyon itself is magnificent and worth seeing, as noted at the end of this:
Double-crossing the canyon is one of my top five experiences.
The picture you shared is Monument Valley. I know that road well and it's also the location of a fond memory of a full moon night with two inches of fresh snow. It was late and no cars had been that way since the snow fell...so bright that headlights were unnecessary while driving a white ribbon thru the desert.
Much of Europe has turned into a "bad trip" tourist trap place. A lot of the charm has gone since they have let every migrant into France, Spain and Germany. I have seen every state in the US with the exception for about 4 of them. The Islands have been corrupted, as well, and are too expensive. The US is gorgeous, if you avoid where everyone else goes to. Be careful, though! Pirates still exist, and so do pickpockets and drug induced freaks. The Grand Canyon is worth the trip. Stay well, Max!
It was a recommendation from a man named Matt Bracken actually. He’s been on the Coffee and a Mike podcast a few times now and my father has had a couple conversations with him. Matt Bracken is a sailor and holds the captain from the company I’ll be sailing with in high regard.
Good luck and lots of fun & nice, useful experiences !!! 👍👍👍
Btw: Humans are intrinsically drawn to emulate others of their group; without mimetic desire/urge we still would not be able to kindle a fire from a bunch of dry sticks ...
Thank you, Klaus! And yes, mimetic desire isn’t all bad, neither is emulation. I’m 100% in agreement because it can allow us to move towards doing good things.
Looking forward to seeing the Preparation being published. This article is the foundation for the next book, The Resuscitation, how an older person can achieve those same goals.
I remember a grade school teacher warning all us babes in those much wooed woods about drugs. She said that the girls especially must ought not allow themselves to be plied with marijuana by the boys as it would make them “suggestible.”
However much cannabis, or anything else, might ramp up susceptibility to suggestibility, monkey see monkey do & keeping up, or down, with the joneses has always been typical, common & ordinary. Whether that’s lack of imagination or imagination undefended (no boundaries) & so in effect “collective imagination”(’s tribal tribulations) is something to think over, maybe after a re-watch of The Matrix (“Did you see the woman in the red dress?”).
I like that bitcoin starts with the word that refers to the metal suggestion that goes into horses mouths & makes them more susceptible. I also like that its not in my mouth, or pocket.
Twain. Cool. But incorrect this time. He couldn’t teach that even if he wore a cape emblazoned with a large “T” & could leap tall buildings in a single bound.
This other one of his works, to describe, diagnose, not prescribe, cure (there are no prescriptions or cures):
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
IE, am I being a monkey right now? Cue The Stones:
Because, speaking of which, rolling Stonery can help with minimizing the gathering gloom(“Watch lights fade from every room …”)moss ….
Attachment. Buddha says “This is going to hurt.”
But velcromagnon man says “Hey man, that’s just me.” (Maybe cue Stuck In The Middle With You ~ Stealers Wheel)
And its true. Hook & Loop’rs. I believe one of those was once governor of CO, too, didn’t even bother to hide it with a name change.
No pics on the net-trap I could find, but it was described to me … buckets, with angled-downward-pointing spikes inside, baits in the bottoms, were used to trap bears once upon a time.
Timothy Treadwell would have been adamantly opposed.
Hell, so am I.
But still a blood red in tooth & claw metaphor, alle-gory, anyway.
RE the Grand Canyon on your 'crappiest places' list: It's only the rim that is a tourist destination and a few pay to ride mules to Phantom Ranch at the bottom but wish they didn't and pray for it to be over.
Hike across the canyon (late October is good...you may not encounter another person) for a unique experience that's difficult to match as you transition through a billion+ years of geologic history while recognizing the land was the bottom of oceans multiple times. Next day, go back across the other way. I'm pretty sure you would have a memory to hold on to for the rest of your life.
Having just visited the Grand Canyon, I take your point regarding the crowds and tacky tourist traps around the rim. But I also agree the canyon itself is magnificent and worth seeing, as noted at the end of this:
https://jdbreen.substack.com/p/copper-canyons-and-snakesand-a-cat
Double-crossing the canyon is one of my top five experiences.
The picture you shared is Monument Valley. I know that road well and it's also the location of a fond memory of a full moon night with two inches of fresh snow. It was late and no cars had been that way since the snow fell...so bright that headlights were unnecessary while driving a white ribbon thru the desert.
Much of Europe has turned into a "bad trip" tourist trap place. A lot of the charm has gone since they have let every migrant into France, Spain and Germany. I have seen every state in the US with the exception for about 4 of them. The Islands have been corrupted, as well, and are too expensive. The US is gorgeous, if you avoid where everyone else goes to. Be careful, though! Pirates still exist, and so do pickpockets and drug induced freaks. The Grand Canyon is worth the trip. Stay well, Max!
Mimetic desire is a modern phenomenon, a brainchild of advertising-experts for sales purposes ...
How was your idea/desire of sailing from Puerto Williams into the Beagle Channel born ???
It was a recommendation from a man named Matt Bracken actually. He’s been on the Coffee and a Mike podcast a few times now and my father has had a couple conversations with him. Matt Bracken is a sailor and holds the captain from the company I’ll be sailing with in high regard.
Good luck and lots of fun & nice, useful experiences !!! 👍👍👍
Btw: Humans are intrinsically drawn to emulate others of their group; without mimetic desire/urge we still would not be able to kindle a fire from a bunch of dry sticks ...
Thank you, Klaus! And yes, mimetic desire isn’t all bad, neither is emulation. I’m 100% in agreement because it can allow us to move towards doing good things.
Looking forward to seeing the Preparation being published. This article is the foundation for the next book, The Resuscitation, how an older person can achieve those same goals.
Excellent thoughtful read Maxim. Thank you!
I remember a grade school teacher warning all us babes in those much wooed woods about drugs. She said that the girls especially must ought not allow themselves to be plied with marijuana by the boys as it would make them “suggestible.”
However much cannabis, or anything else, might ramp up susceptibility to suggestibility, monkey see monkey do & keeping up, or down, with the joneses has always been typical, common & ordinary. Whether that’s lack of imagination or imagination undefended (no boundaries) & so in effect “collective imagination”(’s tribal tribulations) is something to think over, maybe after a re-watch of The Matrix (“Did you see the woman in the red dress?”).
I like that bitcoin starts with the word that refers to the metal suggestion that goes into horses mouths & makes them more susceptible. I also like that its not in my mouth, or pocket.
Twain. Cool. But incorrect this time. He couldn’t teach that even if he wore a cape emblazoned with a large “T” & could leap tall buildings in a single bound.
This other one of his works, to describe, diagnose, not prescribe, cure (there are no prescriptions or cures):
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
IE, am I being a monkey right now? Cue The Stones:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8uVSzVY8kQ
Because, speaking of which, rolling Stonery can help with minimizing the gathering gloom(“Watch lights fade from every room …”)moss ….
Attachment. Buddha says “This is going to hurt.”
But velcromagnon man says “Hey man, that’s just me.” (Maybe cue Stuck In The Middle With You ~ Stealers Wheel)
And its true. Hook & Loop’rs. I believe one of those was once governor of CO, too, didn’t even bother to hide it with a name change.
No pics on the net-trap I could find, but it was described to me … buckets, with angled-downward-pointing spikes inside, baits in the bottoms, were used to trap bears once upon a time.
Timothy Treadwell would have been adamantly opposed.
Hell, so am I.
But still a blood red in tooth & claw metaphor, alle-gory, anyway.
Go on a date with Greta.
For me.