It's the 6th December 2012 and I am putting off going out into the frost to clear the driveway of mud and debris left behind by it being covered when the river water came over the garden. That, by the way, is no big deal, it happens every few years and lasted less than a week. The lawns in particular love it.
Anyway, it's freezing out there so I have put on two pairs of socks, the thermals, the shirt and a sweater in preparation for the cold. Then I switch on the TV and the BBC morning news programme, after promoting an ITV prime time show (why do they do that?) had a reporter on a boat that is going to take Sir Ranulph Fiennes and his team down to the Antarctic where he and a co-nutter are going to walk on skis across that continent during the winter at temperatures down to MINUS 90 DEGREES.
Two things leapt off the screen and neither of them was discussed so once again I ponder upon TV journalists NOT asking the questions that I want answered. I can't be alone in thinking 'Why?' and 'What's the point?' and 'Isn't this all a waste of money?' and 'How will the world benefit from this?'
The second thing that hit me, after what I thought was an obvious set of questions to ask was, 'Who the hell is daft enough to pay out the millions that this must be costing?' It's not just the cost of the supplies, it's the total package of ship and crew, the special tractors and driver(s) that pull the supplies behind the two guys who are walking/skiing, the special sleds that take the three shipping containers in which they will live on the 'walk' across.
Surely the adventure is diminished by the knowledge that you can get into a container and be pulled to the other side?
Sorry adventurers, I just don't get it.
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3 comments:
"the special tractors and driver(s) that pull the supplies behind the two guys who are walking/skiing, the special sleds that take the three shipping containers in which they will live on the 'walk' across." Eh? The way it was reported here in the US was that they were going to be doing the trip the way the original was done - even down to wearing woolen clothes rather than modern fabrics. I did assume they would be using things like GPS though, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that they made some other concessions too . . .
Well, we were shown videos and photographs of all the kit. I repeat... WHY?
Maybe the will strike Gold?
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