Enter the Secret Amazon Web Pages:

http://tinyurl.com/38sojf

This is where you’re going to find the “latest sales, rebates, and limited-time offers” from
Amazon, and you can score some pretty deep discounts if you’re a savvy shopper.

Next, there’s the special Sale link. This is open every Friday, and ONLY on Fridays.

You can find the same good discounts here as you would in hidden Deals, although some
Fridays you can really get lucky and make off like an Amazon bandit – I’ve seen discounts
there as low as 75% off sticker price.

That said, and given that this blog appears to be trying to paint James as “bonehead” as much as the media is “hero”, the guys only human and there’s lotsa people that woulda gotten themself into this situation.

Hmm, miss an exit, done this lots and depending on how far I’ve gone I’m ALWAYS tempted to look to an alternative route. Especially if I’ve gone way past the exit as I suspect may have happened to Kim. So here he is pulling out a map and seeing what appears to be a fairly viable route, perhaps not a highway, but direct nonetheless. Hmm, yes, I’ve done this and then cursed as I bounce along some gravel road!

So here he is, pulling off I5 onto this route (I’m guessing it may not have been snowing yet), sees the signs, gets concerned at how much of a B road it is, but then reassures himself … hey, its only 50-60 miles or so? Of course, turning around or going another route involves 100s of miles at this point, staying somewhere else near I5 involves cancelling hotel resevervation (losing money?), changing trip plans, etc.

Is his decision to continue smart? Hell no, but thats very much in hindsight, and given his options at the time I’d argue MANY woulda done the same thing!

ok, so now he’s driving along, its dark, kids sleeping soundly as he and his wife plod along. As each miles ticks off and they get closer to their destination, so they think, it becomes harder to turn back along the tough road they’ve come. Starts to snow. Uh-oh. Dya turn around and drive back in the dark on the tough road on which you’ve come towards no destination, or do you continue … Gold Beach resort, after all, isn’t THAT FAR AWAY!!

The rest, is well, just sad. His survival decisions, while again not smart in hindsight, were very rational with the exception of the ultimate one he made to leave the road during his walk (was he hypothermic?). Stay with car/family, keep warm, conserve energy, build fire, and only take despearate measures when forced to as he must have felt after 10 days!!

Bottom line … yes, very poor and foolish decisions that got them into this situation. The family was extremely lucky to survive! James Kim was no hero, but amidst his folly, he showed a bravery and tenaciousness to save his family that just has to make you love him.

The point is, MANY make these kinds of decisions all the time and, fortunately, dont end up paying with their lives. As was the intention of this blog originally, I’ve learned a lot about what mistakes NOT to make. And as for those who seem to think their too damn smart to ever make mistakes like this and dont learn anything from it, that James was just a random fool .. well, its likely it’ll be your dead ass I’ll be reading about next ….