Death on the mountain: The diary of an amateur climber
The News Review:
- Death on the mountain: The diary of an amateur climber
- Mr. Nice Guy
- Getting down to it
Death on the mountain: The diary of an amateur climber
Independent – Apr 8, 2007
Despite repeated attempts to reach them Duncan’s party were not answering their early morning radio calls. Steve Gandy was the first climber to reach Camp Three after the avalanche. He said all that was left was a metal spoon and two old ropes above some steep ground. “n the surface there was no evidence of Camp Three ever having existed” he wrote. Two helicopter searches failed to find anyone on the Wednesday and on Friday a final search by helicopter included an expert from the Himalayan Rescue Association but there was no sign of the six men. It was a tense few days when the news first filtered back that Duncan was missing. Hope that he would turn up at Base Camp unharmed turned to disbelief at what had happened then shock… It’s beyond comprehension. “n 9 December there was a memorial service held for Duncan at the Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble. As we took our seats Nepalese mountain music played and images taken from the digital camera Duncan left behind at Base Camp were projected on to a screen. They showed Duncan with that trademark stuck-on grin sitting on a rock with Ama Dablam towering behind him. After the poems and recollections “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen was played. Duncan’s dad Clive says the letters he and Corrie received were inspirational: “Duncan’s kindness (omega) and thoughtfulness for others (including us) comes through in all of them. Everyone talked about his zest for life infectious laugh and insatiable enthusiasm.
Mr. Nice Guy
American Profile – Apr 8, 2007
“Sorry” he apologizes flashing his still-dazzling trademark smile. “I have so much on my schedule. ”Boone 72 who made his mark in American pop culture with music movies television and books is in the middle of promoting a multitude of projects marking the recent milestone of his 50 years in the entertainment industry. Among them are his autobiography Pat Boone’s America: 50 Years and five recent albums each covering a different musical genre: patriotic gospel country love songs and R&B. “I consider it like a fireworks display at the end of the fair” he says. “That’s it—the smoke and everything settles down. The headliner waves goodbye and disappears… Nice Guy was honestly earned but not always as bland as the title might seem. “I have done some highly controversial things that people may not even know about” says Boone who once successfully pressed to perform to a mixed-race South African audience back in the heated violent days of apartheid in the 1970s. In the ’90s his album of heavy-metal rock songs—crooned Pat-Boone style—incensed some of his Christian fans to the point that the Trinity Broadcast Network dropped his popular faith-based TV show. His refusal to accept certain movie roles almost ended his acting career just as it was getting started. “Making decisions based on conscience did not end my career” declares the man who twice turned down opportunities to make a movie with the legendary sexpot Marilyn Monroe. “My agents told my manager ‘Send this boy back to Tennessee. He just isn’t made for this business.
Getting down to it
Seattle Times – Apr 8, 2007
We simply wanted one more room a place where we can sit and have a meal. It feels really luxurious. That one more room is used as the dining and living rooms office music studio and reading room. The remodel involved the couple Vashon architect Christopher Ezzel and engineer and designer friend Robert Rosenbaum who works with Vashon Household a group that builds affordable housing on the island. The conservatory is a see-through polycarbonate with ceilings up to 14 feet. Metal windows completely open and oversized doors fold away to welcome porches made of cast-iron welding tables. The floors throughout are heated Brazilian slate… The remodel involved the couple Vashon architect Christopher Ezzel and engineer and designer friend Robert Rosenbaum who works with Vashon Household a group that builds affordable housing on the island. The conservatory is a see-through polycarbonate with ceilings up to 14 feet. Metal windows completely open and oversized doors fold away to welcome porches made of cast-iron welding tables. The floors throughout are heated Brazilian slate. Two times they had plans drawn up for much larger houses. “Both were almost twice the square footage” Johnson says. “By then our garden had been developed” Matlock adds finishing his thought.