The discussions about measuring the effectiveness of paddles and the discussions about safety in bear country both bring to mind the thought that bears and humans are both highly complex beings that exist because of the interactions and operations of many, many wonderful and incomprehensible systems including the chemicals that make our brains and muscles work, the muscles that move our limbs and bodies, the enzymes and such that digest our food, the impulses that run along our nervous systems, and on and on and on. And both bears and humans have spirits. Humans operate paddles. So, in my opinion, warped or whatever it may be, no one will ever be able to take the complete measure of a paddle so long as it is used by a human being with all the variables that apply. Nor do I believe that anyone can fully measure the nature of a bear, that equally complex and variable being of the land. Perhaps there is something natural to human beings that makes us want to be able to quantify and measure everything so as to have a feeling of control. Whatever it is, it is a rainbow chase, I believe. We paddlers, and those bears, are not and should not be quantifiable. Use the paddle that feels best after listening to the suggestions of peers and experts. Do what feels best in bear country after listneing to the suggestions of peers and experts. Comfort in paddle strokes or comfort with risk in the wild are both individual judgements that should, I think, be made with as much knowledge as can be gained combined with the knowledge that living things, such as bears and paddle users, can never be truly predictable, measurable, understandable. Common sense is wisdom based on experience. Share the wisdom, get the experience. Jim Tibensky *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Kinda makes me wonder how much more effective my paddle would be if I had an angry bear for a coxswain behind me. ;-) Sorry. De debil made me do it. Dave G. At 12:46 PM 6/24/2003 -0500, James wrote: >The discussions about measuring the effectiveness of paddles and the >discussions about safety in bear country both bring to mind the thought >that bears and humans are both highly complex beings that exist because >of the interactions and operations of many, many wonderful and >incomprehensible systems including the chemicals that make our brains and >muscles work, the muscles that move our limbs and bodies, the enzymes and >such that digest our food, the impulses that run along our nervous >systems, and on and on and on. And both bears and humans have spirits. ><snip a bunch> >Jim Tibensky *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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