European Union

Leaving the European Union

What a joyous time for the U.K., the shackles of the treacherous and overly bureaucratic E.U. are finally being thrown off. After the communist Jeremy Corbyn led his Labour Party to a crushing and historic defeat a Brexit that has been wallowing and languishing for years finally happened just a few days ago. This blog post represents yet another case where I don’t need to add to much commentary but can link to others who explain the feelings of jubilation (or sadness) amongst the British and Europeans.

The Spectator – You can thank Remainers for the hardness of this Brexit

Above is an article by a man who opposed Brexit but has the self-awareness to realize that perhaps dragging it on for years and opposing the will of the British people might have some blowback.

sp!ked – A glorious victory for democracy

Indeed, a glorious victory for Britain.

The Spectator – The agony of Brexit – for us Germans

An article written by Ms. Stefanie Bolzen  who bemoans the loss of the U.K. from the jackboot of Brussels bureaucrats. She seems to have a rather low opinion of many E.U. member states (“freeloaders” among other unflattering terms) and just can’t understand why the British might not want to participate anymore. Par for the course, the author calls the main opposition party Alternative für Deutschland a bunch of racists.

U.K. Daily Mail – Party like it’s January 31! Brits far and wide including in London, Boston, Warrington and Glasgow celebrate Brexit in style with festivals and pub crawls to mark history

The Daily Mail can be a very interesting news source and I’ll post some of the jubilant (and somber) photos below. Enjoy!

24147008-7954031-Brexiteers_celebrate_outside_the_Houses_of_Parliament_in_London_-a-58_1580526019306
Quite stylish, don’t you think?

Of course, not everybody was happy with the outcome…

2020 election, Bernie Sanders, Communism, CPUSA, crime, Democratic Party

Bernie’s Bernouts like the Gulags

The 2020 general election draws near and the incredible positions of the Democratic Party supporters are becoming more and more plain. In the instances that I’ll showcase in this post, it’s Bernie Bros who are talking tough about instigating violence, imprisoning political enemies, and letting their inner National Bolshevik out. Here’s the soyboy Martin Weissgerber (courtesy of Project Veritas) talking tough and extolling the virtues of Soviet Gulags and forced re-education. I’m sure it would be a real Cultural Revolution:

I guess it’s safe to say that this Bernout has never used a gun before. I also love how he seemingly assumes that no “rich” people might shoot back. Here’s another video (why can’t any media corporations do this kind of undercover work) once again brought to us by Project Veritas that exposes the thoughts of one Kyle Jurek (Iowa Field Organizer, Sanders Campaign):

Getting sent to Siberia was no big deal, and anyone who opposes the Sanders’ vision of socialism requires re-education or liquidation. Just accept your Marxist overlords you neo-Kulak you! Here’s another gem of a video featuring Kyle Jurek where he states that “Fucking cities burn“ and how he believes that him and his fellow Bernouts have to save mankind:

This coming November it’s time to rout the Democratic Party at the ballot box and keep them from attaining the Presidency. Trump 2020!

cinema, Humor

Endless trash from Disney’s Star Wars

Buy everything! Question nothing! Consume product! Just buy more Disney’s© LucasFilm™ toys, DVDs, Disney+ access, and just accept what is being pushed on you. I could state my opinions on the latest Star Wars trilogy but why bother when so many others can do so much more exquisetly? I watched The Force Awakens and was mildly satisfied while watching it and found The Last Jedi to be confusing and awful (Disney’s© LucasFilm’s™ strange anti-capitalist message was more than a little ironic to me). In light of this I’m not even going to the theater to see the latest product from Disney’s© LucasFilm™ and am just watching some reviews of it instead. I liked them quite a lot and I hope that you find them entertaining as well, enjoy!

Red Letter Media is simply amazing!

Remember: “They can fly now!!!”

4x4, Off-Road

La Sal Pass

La Sal Pass is a trail of moderate difficulty on the western portion and easy difficulty on the eastern side of the plateau. To pass through the western side of the pass you’ll need a 4×4 truck with good tires and ground clearance while the eastern slope is minivan friendly under dry conditions. There is no single hard obstacle, just lots of small shelf sections, a talus rock slope, boulders strewn about, and a few fallen trees that may get in your way. Be ready to deal with oncoming traffic on narrow sections of the trail and possibly back up in an undesirable location. Don’t go on this trail if you’re scared of heights.

The base of the trail starts at about 4,000 feet and climbs to ~10,400 feet at the highest point and will require several hours to traverse. The nearest paved road on the western edge is Pack Creek Road and for the eastern face is UT-46. My only regret on this trail is not starting it a few hours earlier in the day. You’ll find lots of trail information and photos below and the rest of the amazing photos may be found on the full page. Enjoy!

U.S. Forest Service Manti-La Sal Forest – Maps and Publications

U.S. Forest Service Manti-La Sal Forest – Road/Trail/Campground Conditions, Moab Monticello District

 

4x4, Off-Road, On-Road

Miscellaneous Truck updates

It’s been a while since I’ve posted some progress updates on the truck build so here it goes. The following is a short list of components I’ve changed out and a few maintenance items performed:

I had approximately four quarts of automatic transmission fluid changed out and did an oil change with fine lab results.

I replaced one Blue Sea Systems fuse block with the higher capacity Safety Hub 150. The Safety Hub 150 is rated for up to 280A and allows the use of higher current/interrupt rated MIDI®/AMI® fuses in addition to smaller ATO/ATC fuses. I also finally got around to covering up the exposed “hot” points on the isolation breaker, upgraded a few ground wires and replaced the Odyssey Group 34R battery with a NorthStar 27F battery.

After giving the exhaust a few love taps on a trail recently I had a new pipe welded onto the end of the muffler. There’s so much more clearance this way…

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I replaced the Rigid LED flood lights with a Vision X Light Cannon. This light is simply amazing!

After putting enough dents into the rear bumper is was time to get a new-to-me bumper off of craigslist for $80 and replace the disgusting chrome with some satin black spray paint.

DSCF6310

Those are all of the updates for now, what’s your favorite truck mod?

4x4, Off-Road

Hell’s Revenge

Hell’s Revenge is a difficult trail in the Sand Flats Recreation Area near Moab, UT. A truck that passes through this trail should have 33″ tires, one locker, some skid plates, and good suspension articulation. Some of the hardest obstacles have bypasses or may be avoided but you should be prepared for a hardcore trail (especially if it has just rained).  I opted not to drive my truck on this trail and went for a long hike. It’s a nice perspective and I wanted to walk a little of my 4,000 mile road trip. Enjoy the photos and find the rest of them on the dedicated page!

Trail Location:

hell_revenge_0

4x4, Off-Road

Fins & Things

Fins and Things is a difficult trail in the beautiful area around Moab, UT that everyone should pass through once in their life. This area is very visually amazing and stunning! My dash camera decided to stop properly working shortly before arriving in the area so I only drove through the western portions of the trail. After that I just took some photos and videos of other drivers surmounting some of the obstacles. A truck with 4×4, good ground clearance, and decent tires should be able to make it through this trail. Be ready to scrape your trailer hitch and get used to having a fun time seeing over the hood of your truck if you drive a full-size. A day-trip pass for the Sand Flats Recreation Area is $5. Enjoy the photos and be sure to look for the rest of them on the dedicated trail page!

Trail Location:

fins_location

4x4, Off-Road

Culp Valley Road

Culp Valley Road is an easy trail with no significant obstacles to note that any truck with some ground clearance should be able to pass through. The western end of this trail starts in Ranchita at Old Wilson Valley Road and heads east where it ends at S-22. This road passes through the transition zone between the mountains (~4000 ft) and desert floor near Borrego Springs. According to Google Maps this road doesn’t exist but if you’re going out to this area you should really have some good maps (if you’re frugal like me) or a SD card loaded up with some trail data for your Lowrance GPS unit (if you’re a big spender). The eastern edge of this trail passes through the Paroli Homestead (of which not much remains), a long abandoned ranch that a family was able to eek out a survival on for a few years. Enjoy the photos and videos and look for the rest of them here on the dedicated page!

Western starting location

culp_west

Culp Valley Cultural Preserve (PDF)

A Cahuilla Village in the Boulders of an Upland Valley

 

2020 election, Democratic Party, Uncategorized

Ruth Bader Ginsburg explains…

I just noticed this story about an interview of Justice Ruth Ginsborg Ginsburg did with NPR’s Nina Totenberg where she explained why she stayed on the Supreme Court for as long as she has. Justice Ginsburg’s answer to Nina Totenburg is just exceptional:

“It has been suggested by more than one commentator, including some law professors, that I should’ve stepped down during President Obama’s second term. When that suggestion is made I ask the question: Who do you think the president could nominate that could get through the Republican Senate that you would prefer to have on the court than me?”

So, it was nothing but politics and she probably thought that President Trump never had a chance of winning. Justices Sotamayor and Kagan got a few Republican (nine and five respectively) Senators to support their confirmation so I believe that she could have easily retired a few years before the 2016 election. Perhaps she thought that she was “on the right side of history” and didn’t have to expect to cling on to the bench until at least 2020 (or the likelihood of 2024 after slow Joe Biden gaffes up the next election).

In another gem from this interview Justice Ginsburg states that the Supreme Court being in session helps her physical troubles go away:

“This latest has been my fourth cancer bout,” she said. “And I found each time that when I’m active, I’m much better than if I’m just lying about and feeling sorry for myself. It’s necessary — a necessity — to get up and go. It’s stimulating. And somehow, in all of these appearances I’ve had since the end of August, whatever my temporary disability is, it stops, and I’m OK for the time of the event.”

The Democrats and the media routinely mock President Trump’s fitness for office and faculties but I’m fairly certain that a man who can campaign and be as active as he is probably has a lot fewer health ailments than Justice Ginsburg. He also hasn’t had four bouts of cancer…

Jewish Telegraphic Agency – Ruth Bader Ginsburg on why she did not retire during Obama’s term

CNBC – Ruth Bader Ginsburg fires back against critics who say she should have retired under Obama: ‘Who would you prefer on the court?’

The Hill – Ginsburg again leaves Supreme Court with an uncertain future

A few of the more interesting comments from The Hill article:

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Wow, people are seriously offering up their organs and years of life just so the bad orange man can’t nominate someone else:

I guess that there aren’t enough aborted fetuses to sustain Justice Ginsburg…