I think I’ll “pass” on those!

Döner kebap, as a type of fast food, is the major unorganized competitor of McDonald’s in some european countries, especially in Germany where there is a large turkish minority.

More info at: http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/TravelDetails/Food/DonerKebap.html

It’s creepy walking around where everyone’s campsite is identified along with the names of those who survived and those who didn’t. I used to have more sympathy for their plight until I went to the Vistors’ Center and watched the video presentation on what happened. In the following description, a map of the western US would be helpful for those outside the continent.

The party was a victim of “committee think.” They were all merchants and farmers on their way to California, pre-gold rush (gold was discovered a year later). They couldn’t quite get organized, and were over a month late leaving St. Louis. They were told that they had to be on the trail by April 1, but they wanted to wait until winter broke. They didn’t get to Salt Lake City until October and were advised by the wagon master to winter-over in Utah then continue to California in the spring. They didn’t want to do that, so they fired the wagon master (the only one in the party with wilderness survival skills) and hired a “scout” of less than upright character.

He told them of a “shortcut” that involved travelling directly across the Great Salt Desert rather than around it. Rather than the two days he said would take, it was nearly two weeks and many of their animals either died or were severely weakened. This hampered their progress through the Sierra, and their “guide” abandoned them. They started making all of their decisions by group vote without a strong leader in an emergency situation, and we all know what happened after that.

About half of the people died over the winter (the longest and most severe on record up to that time). Several small parties started out on foot to get help, but were driven back or died on the way. One got through to Fort Sacramento (now the capital of California, and about a two hour drive from Donner Summit on I-80) by March and a rescue party got to them a couple weeks later.

I think of this every time I hear someone say “Don’t listen to the experts, trust your feelings!”

- Jack

Jack Hagerty
ARA Press
http://www.arapress.com

Always thought it would be a great idea for a business. Anyone wannna invest?

From now on it’s only “Soylent Kebabs”.

http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_national_forest/ca/his_taho.htm

and scroll down a bit for corroboration.

If you stop to eat there (and who could resist?) look around for sapsuckers too, and waterfowl and nighthawks over by the lake to the east.

I had to do a bit of web research to find out about the Donner party. That’s a piece of American history that I suspect few people outside the US are aware of (well, extrapolating from the fact that I didn’t get the gag and had never before heard of the Donner party, which is perhaps a rather extensive assumption to make…).

Still, now I know about it, the picture is funny, and I’ll never be able to pass a kebab shop again without cracking a smile.

Doner meat and onions on a pizza is absolutely delicious.

I believe Alferd remains the only person convicted of cannibalism in US history.