Will There Be A Propane Shortage This Winter?

Above, getting the propane tank filled. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since I heat my home with propane (along with using it in my RV), I am keeping tabs on the propane supply and price situation.

So far, I've had no problem in getting propane, although it has been priced higher (over $3.00).

RV Life has an article on the whether or not there will be a propane shortage.

They begin with:

With an extra cold winter on the horizon and rumors of a propane shortage, many people have started to worry that the U.S. might run out of fuel during the 2021 winter season. Millions of people use natural gas to heat their homes and RVs, so a propane shortage could be disastrous for families who are trying to keep warm this winter.

Propane prices are currently higher than they have been since 2014, and national stockpiles are being stretched thin due to high demand inside and outside the country. According to the U.S. Energy Administration, it’s projected that about half of the Americans who use natural gas to heat their homes will spend 30% more than in previous years.

However, it seems unlikely that the country will completely run out of propane during the winter, as the U.S. is one of the top producers and is capable of increasing production to prevent a major crisis. Supplies may be somewhat limited, and it’s likely that the prices will be higher in the winter of 2021. Homeowners and RVers who rely on propane should prepare for this situation and possibly consider switching to alternative energy methods that will be more sustainable.

To read more, go here. 

Easy Mixed Drinks For Camping

Above, the bar of the Peter Lebeck Chapter of E Clampus Vitus at Camp Okihi. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When camping with chapters of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus, the one "adult beverage" of choice is...BEER!  Hey! It's easy and no mixing is needed.

Some people aren't fond of beer, so they may opt instead for wine or a highball of some sort.

There are some cocktails suited for camping and RV Life has a list of five of them along with recipes to make them

They begin with:

The keys to easy mixed drinks for camping are:

1. The fewest mixing items possible.
2. Items that take up the least amount of space.
3. Some of the familiar tastes of home, but a little vacation flavor thrown in.
4. Will hit-the-spot whether you are cold or warm camping.
5. And creates the least number of messy dishes when you are done.

So, these mixed drinks are ‘one pot’ options using only three ingredients that can all be mixed in advance or in one cup.  You can drink them hot or cold.  You can make them in advance if you want, but then you lose a little of the camping ‘spirit’ if you don’t create the drinks onsite. 

Tip:  Choose your mixed drinks so they will fit your mood when you arrive at your campgrounds. To save space, bring individual serving sizes of the alcohol and mixers.  If you want any of the drinks warmed, bring along a pan and items to build a fire or heat liquid, and if you want iced, have your ice chest full and handy.

To see what are the five easy mixed drinks for camping, go here. 

Spare Items To Keep In The RV

Above, The Beast at West Entrance/Yellowstone KOA in West Yellowstone, Montana. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There will come a time (it's inevitable) when a spare item carried in an RV will come in handy.

Things can and do get broken. So, instead of having an RV trip grind to a screeching halt, RV Travel has an article on what spares to keep in the rig.

They begin with:

Broken, lost or forgotten items can put a damper on or even end an RV trip. After more than six years of full-timing, there are a few spare items we always carry in our RV. Extra weight should always be taken into consideration, but there are a few things that are showstoppers if we don’t have an extra or something to fix the one that broke.

To read more, go here. 

Happy Halloween!

 The classic creation scene from Frankenstein (1931).

Red Rock Balloon Rally December 3-5, 2021

Above, the 2019 Red Rock Balloon Rally ascension. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last year's postponed Red Rock Balloon Rally is on! It was postponed due to the pandemic.

This will be the 40th Annual Red Rock Balloon Rally at Red Rock Park and Fox Run Golf Course in Gallup, New Mexico.

From the official website:

December 3rd-5th, 2021

The 40th Annual Red Rock Balloon Rally has been postponed until December 3-5, 2021.  What began as a small but earnest effort by four individuals to share the unique flying challenge offered in the incredible red rock formations east of Gallup, New Mexico has grown into the second largest balloon rally in North America, with 200 balloons.

ADMISSION IS FREE TO ALL EVENTS!

(with only a small $5.00 parking fee at events at Red Rock Park)

Above, the 2019 Red Rock Balloon Rally. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I attended the 2018 and 2019 Red Rock Balloon Rallies. There was no ascension in 2018 due to a snowstorm that blew in and the 2019 fared much better with a grand ascension in temperatures in the 20s. But the cold temperatures didn't damper spectator enthusiasm.

There is camping available next to the balloon launch site.

For more information, go here. 

RV Travel Corrects Last Week's Article On Industry Shipments

Above, a new RV being transported taking a break at the Jamestown, New Mexico Flying J. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last Sunday, RV Travel posted an article that suggested that the RV industry may be blowing smoke in regards to new RV shipments to dealers and new registrations in various states. I posted a blog about this.

The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) saw the article and got a hold of RV Travel and pointed out flaws in their analysis.

Today, RV Travel posted a correction after taking a good hard look and doing a lot of number-crunching.

Even though they erred and had to post a correction, it is refreshing that they did so in light of all the fake news that's out there. It shows that RV Travel has integrity to admit when they were wrong.

They have posted their correction article and the begin it with:

Last Sunday we published a piece comparing wholesale shipments of RVs to actual registrations of RVs. We covered a six-month span, March through August, comparing statistics for both 2020 and 2021. The title of the story suggested that the RV industry might be blowing some hot air. If you poke somebody with a stick, you can expect a reaction. On Monday, an official from the RV Industry Association (RVIA) requested we take a closer look at our statistics and print a correction. It took a lot of time and number crunching, but the correct figures have shed new light on our premise.

Mea culpa

Please consider this a formal apology to you, RVtravel.com readers, and to the RV industry. This is truly a case of, “some people, when they mess it up, really mess it up big.” I, Russ, admit to being no statistician. But with my trusty 10-key, I labored through stacks of industry-provided numbers and, well, bottom line, really messed up my addition and subtraction. The information we provided you was just plain wrong. I’m embarrassed, to say the least. The thought of misleading readers – even though not in any deliberate way – troubles me deeply.

To read the full article, go here. 

RV Industry Supply Chain Woes

Above, two RVs being transported to dealers. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The problem with the county's supplychain of goods is hitting a lot of places and industries of late. And that also includes the RV industry. With demand for new RVs high, this is causing major problems.

According to a new article at RV Travel, it isn't just confined to the big stuff.

They begin with: 

RV manufacturers are still fighting through the perfect storm of broken supply chains, missing parts, hiring woes, and unprecedented consumer demand.

While supply chain issues conjure images of missing water heaters, air conditioners and refrigerators, the parts that are really gumming up the manufacturing process might surprise you.

“Lately, it’s been things like ladders,” said Josh Winters of Haylett RV in Coldwater, Michigan, when asked for an example of what he’s seeing from manufacturers. Since a missing rear ladder doesn’t affect the basic function of an RV, many factories are deleting those unavailable ladders from the invoice of supplied features and shipping the units to dealers “as is.” If a buyer still wants a ladder, they will have to either find it and install it themselves or work with their dealer. Either way, if you buy an RV without a ladder it likely won’t be coming later from the factory and won’t be included in a warranty as original equipment.

There's more involved that is gumming up the works at RV manufacturing plants.

To read more, go here. 

Unmat Cat Fur With Olive Oil

Above, that certain look from Sierra. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Well, since today is Caturday...

My cat Sierra developed a couple of spots of matted fur on her back. I regularly brushed her, but they stayed.

Then I discovered a cheap home remedy to get rid of matted fur: olive oil.

According to abodeforpets.com:

Olive Oil has proven to be extremely effective at removing mats and tangles in cat fur. It is cheap, quick and easy to use and can provide some excellent results if you are patient.

Simply add a teaspoon of olive oil to each of the mats in your cat’s fur and leave it to do its work. If the mat hasn’t fallen out over three days but shows signs of improvement repeat the process.

It is better to use too much oil than too little in this situation as it can help speed up results. Olive oil is also harmless to your cat meaning there are no side effects to its skin, fur or stomach if ingested.

I started using it early this week and today, I found the mats completely gone. This remedy actually works!

To read more, go here. 

New U.S. International Travel Rules: What To Expect

Above, an United Airlines jet being readied for an overseas flight. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The announcement of the new system for international travel for U.S. citizens contained some good news and some not so new.

TravelPulse has posted an article on things to expect with the new rules. These include higher prices and longer lines.

The wrote:

We’re fast approaching November 8, the date the United States’ new system for international travel goes into effect, and fully vaccinated foreign visitors can enter the country under a simpler and more inclusive set of COVID-19 regulations.

Under the new rules, international air arrivals coming from more than 30 countries must be fully vaccinated and provide a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of boarding their U.S.-bound flight.

The relaxation of U.S. border restrictions means that foreigners from more than 30 countries, whose citizens have been blanketly banned from entering the U.S. for the past 19 months, may visit for non-essential purposes—perhaps to reunite with friends or family or simply to vacation. That comes as most welcome news to the U.S. travel industry, which was categorically brought to its knees by fallout from the pandemic.

In its announcement earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also stipulated that airlines are to be responsible for collecting passengers’ information and passing it on to the agency for contact-tracing purposes. That’s expected to put additional strain on airport operations, since many carriers are still struggling to keep up in terms of adequate staffing levels and re-training.

Daniel Burnham, senior member operations specialist at Scott’s Cheap Flights, predicted that, with airline personnel being burdened with collecting contact information, and verifying each passenger’s vaccination status and test results, “this will likely cause crowding in the early days of implementing these new rules at many European airports,” as he told NBC News.

So, international travelers trying to fly to the U.S. are likely to encounter significant back-ups, long lines and wait times at the airport. They’re also likely to find fewer bargains on flights and accommodations, especially for hotels in popular U.S. cities, such as New York, Los Angeles and Orlando.

To read more, go here. 

TCB In Albuquerque

Above, a display at Cabela's main entrance. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Most of yesterday was spent in Albuquerque to drop of my mini-bike to a repair shop and to take friend Larry Lucier to Lowe's hardware store and Cabela's.

I needed to use Larry's bus with a wheelchair life to transport the mini-bike to Albuquerque. That worked out great. Right now, Larry, confined to a wheelchair,  is unable to drive the bus until he modifies a few things. So I drove us.

Above, the gun department at Cabela's in Albuquerque. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Dropping off the mini-bike was quick and easy. Luckily, I knew ahead of time where the local Lowe's and Cabela's were located. The best part was that they were in close proximity to each other.

The first stop was at Lowe's where Larry had to get some items for a project he's working on. 

After that, we headed a half mile away to Cabela's so Larry could do some shopping there. While he did so, I browsed around the store, mainly in the gun and camping sections. Cabela's had some ammo, but they were in calibers that I don't have firearms for. There was absolutely nothing in 9mm Luger and .30-30 Winchester. No problem, for I have plenty of ammo of each. Larry, in the meantime, found some clothing items he needed. We were at Cabela's for nearly two hours. 

Above, Larry Lucier and I at Sadie's of New Mexico.

After we were done at Cabela's, we headed off for dinner at Sadie's of New Mexico, a small Mexican restaurant chain. 

I had a combination plate of a chicken enchilada and chile relleno. The meal was big with enough food for two meals. I finished about 2/3 of it. The sauce (red) was as hot as the sauce at Genaro's in Gallup. I was sweating from it, which amused Larry.

Once we were done with dinner, we headed back to Jamestown. But we weren't "done" with Sadie's. Along the way, we stopped for a pit stop (fuel and restroom) at Sky City Casino's travel center. There, I spotted a shelf full of different varieties of Sadie's salsa. I was going to get some, but since I have plenty of salsa already at home, I passed. At least I know where I can get some. 

Above, Sadie's salsa at Sky City Casino travel center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After arriving back in Jamestown, it was pitch black outside and the night sky was clear and full of stars with the Milky Way galaxy band clearly visible.

It was an enjoyable day and Larry was able to get out of the house for a change.

RV Travel and Facebook (Or Is it Meta?)

Above, Mark Zuckerberg. Wikipedia photo by Anthony Quintano.

Earlier this month, RV Travel conducted a survey of its readers on their feelings about Facebook.

The question was, “Do you wish Facebook would go away and never come back?” 

The response of over 3,000 RV Travel responding readers was a resounding one. Those who responded with, "Yes, absolutely" was 77% and those who responded to "No, I want it to stay" was 23%,

While this was interesting, an follow-up article posted today by Chuck Woodbury was also interesting.

In it, he gave a little history of Facebook's origins.

Here's some snippets:

Facebook is gone. It’s changed it company name to Meta. No kidding! The website will remain known as Facebook and continue to live at Facebook.com.

The new corporate name is “a move to embrace the metaverse” according to the website GamesBeat. So what does that mean? Let me clarify: The metaverse is “an alternate reality that lives online. . . . a platform or series of platforms that share interoperable code to enable individuals to carry their online identities and (more importantly) their purchases from one experience to the next.”

Got that?

OK, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND. I don’t either, as in I don’t have a clue! But I am pretty sure what it means is that it’s a sneaky way for Mark Zuckerberg to learn more about you so he can extract more money from your wallet, your bank accounts and your children’s college funds. The poor guy is only worth $70 billion dollars. How does a guy get by on that?

And, to think Zuckerberg started Facebook as a way for Harvard guys to rate “hot” (and not so “hot”) Harvard girls, and then it grew to become a major force in wiping out thousands of newspapers and other periodicals by allowing foreign governments and any semi-literate human to post fake stories and information, and in the process promote anger and turn everybody against their family members and neighbors because they didn’t buy “hook, line and sinker” into their favorite cockeyed, wacko, unproven conspiracy theory.

Interesting, isn't it? Or, as Mr. Spock used to say, "Fascinating!"

To read the full article, go here. 

Japan Keeping Tourism Freeze Despite Virus Case Drop

Above, the area near Harajuku Station in Tokyo during normal times. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As I've said before when it comes to tourism to Japan, I'll believe it when I see it.

It looks like Japan will remain off-limits to foreign tourism for the foreseeable future.

Japan Today reported:

TOKYO - Filled with pink and fuzzy things and cuddly bears, 6%DOKIDOKI, a tiny store in the heart of Tokyo’s Harajuku district, is bursting with “kawaii,” the Japanese for “cuteness.”

What it doesn’t have enough of, as in zero, are foreign tourists. And it could sure use some.

Like much of Asia, including Taiwan, Vietnam and Australia, Japan’s borders remain closed to tourists. While other Asian countries are inching toward reopening, Japanese borders will likely remain shut for some time to come. That’s a hardship for the many businesses that had come to rely on foreign tourists, who numbered 32 million in 2019, before the pandemic.

While mandatory quarantine requirements have been eased somewhat after the number of new coronavirus cases plunged from hundreds per day to a few dozen per day in Tokyo, unlike the Indonesian resort island of Bali and some destinations in Thailand, Japan remains off-limits to foreign tourists.

Japan has also effectively shut out foreign students and business travelers. A big exception, much criticized, was made for athletes and officials arriving for the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year.

People remain nervous about foreign travel in this insular “island culture,” said Kotaro Toriumi, a tourism analyst and travel books author.

Toriumi, who teaches at Tokyo's Teikyo University, thinks foreign tourism won’t revive for another year or two, even though about 73% of Japanese are fully vaccinated. That’s a much higher rate than most other Asian countries, except for Singapore.

Even if the borders reopen, tourism won't revive if Japan continues to require 10-day quarantines by travelers arriving from overseas, he said.

To read more, go here. 

Biden Administration In Talks To Pay $450,000 To Illegals

The Looney Left Report

There is hardly a day that goes by these past ten months that something new and ridiculous is conjured up by the Biden Administration and the Democrat Party.

The latest is paying illegal aliens hundreds of thousands of dollars (or even millions) for families separated at the border. And, sure as manure (I had to clean that up a bit), the ACLU is involved.

The New York Post reported:

The Biden administration is discussing paying out hundreds of millions of dollars to illegal immigrant families who were separated at the US-Mexico border under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy in 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

According to the Journal, the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services are considering the payments in order to settle lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and others on behalf of families who crossed into the US from Mexico illegally to seek asylum.

The paper reports that the average demand in each lawsuit adds up to approximately $3.4 million per family, while the settlement offer being mooted by the Biden administration amounts to around $450,000 per person and close to $1 million per family.

This, of course, are our tax dollars! 

Now, do you see why leftist Democrats should never be put in charge of our tax dollars?

To read more, go here.

Sex Crimes: Cuomo Faces Charges, Lujan Grisham Gets A Pass From Crony Attorney General

Above, NM Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Disgraced former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been filed on with a misdemeanor sex crime complaint.

According to Newsmax:

A misdemeanor complaint has been filed against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a court in Albany, the state's capital, a spokesman for the New York state courts said on Thursday.

The full complaint is here.

"At the aforesaid date time and location the defendant Andrew M. Cuomo did intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly place his hand under the blouse shirt of the victim [redacted] and into her intimate body part. Specifically, the victims (sic) left breast for the purposes of degrading and gratifying his sexual desires, all contrary to the provisions of the statute in such case made and provided," the complaint reads.

He certainly deserves it. To read more, go here.

In the meantime, another Democrat governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, seems to be getting a pass on her incidents involving groping. This is no surprise since the state's attorney general, Hector Balderas, is a Lujan Grisham crony. He refuses to even investigate the accusations.

From the Piñon Post:

Now, as action is being taken against Cuomo for his alleged groping of staffers, there is silence emanating from the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office regarding scandal-ridden alleged serial groper Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Attorney General Balderas — a Michelle Lujan Grisham ally — has not filed charges or sought an investigation.

Grisham not only is accused of groping multiple men, but she also paid off $150,000 in hush money to alleged groping victim James Hallinan following his claims that he poured a bottle of water over his crotch and then she grabbed his penis through his jeans. 

To read more, go here.

Auction Win Today

For the first time in a long time I participated in an online auction.

The item I bid on and won was an 8 x 10" black & white photograph signed by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. It was a publicity photo from the movie, The Golden Stallion (1949). 

I could have obtained both Roy's and Dale's autographs in person back around 1988 when they were seated next to our table at breakfast at the Woodland Hills (California) Marriott Hotel. But I figured it would be polite to not bother them while they were dining. Getting their autographs on a photograph while they were in their prime makes up for that.

Here's the photo:

Once framed, I plan to hang it in my den/guest room.

10-Minute RV Upgrades

Above, the kitchen utensil rack I installed. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Due to their small sizes compare to a brick and mortar home, RV space is rather limited.

But, there are solutions. RV Life has posted an article on 10 upgrades one can do in 10 minutes and are inexpensive. Some of them even help with the space problem.

I installed a rack to hang large kitchen utensils. This has saved some drawer space and makes them easy to grab and use.

The article begins with:

Whether you are only using your RV for weekend getaways or you are living the full-time RV life, these are quick and easy RV upgrades that you can add to your rig without investing hours for results. 

There are low-cost options you can choose from, or you can go high-end with the items available.  Pick and choose to create the look that matches your personality or needs.

To read more, go here. 

New Mexico's "Dr. Death"

Remember Jack Kevorkian, known as "Dr. Death"?

Kevorkian assisted about 100 people in committing suicide due to their terminal illness. This is known as Physician-Assisted Suicide.

The American Medical Association (AMA) still is against physician-assisted suicide. 

Their position is:

Physician-assisted suicide occurs when a physician facilitates a patient’s death by providing the necessary means and/or information to enable the patient to perform the life-ending act (e.g., the physician provides sleeping pills and information about the lethal dose, while aware that the patient may commit suicide).

It is understandable, though tragic, that some patients in extreme duress—such as those suffering from a terminal, painful, debilitating illness—may come to decide that death is preferable to life. However, permitting physicians to engage in assisted suicide would ultimately cause more harm than good.

Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks.

New Mexico has its own "Dr. Death" in Gov. "Malevolent Michelle" Lujan Grisham.

According to the Piñon Post:

According to a report from the Santa Fe New Mexican, around 30 people, “possibly more,” have killed themselves using Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s extreme anti-life assisted suicide law, H.B. 47, which she signed in April. When signing the bill, she said, “It is done.” 

The law, which was opposed by multiple disability rights groups, the Navajo Nation, and many patients living with terminal conditions, sought to further normalize a culture of death in New Mexico by letting medical professionals prescribe lethal drugs to patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness that could take their lives anytime up to six months.

The bill would legalize doctors to prescribe a “cocktail” of lethal drugs to patients suffering from terminal illnesses, which will save insurance companies money. 

 To read more, go here.

5 Best RV Brands In 2021

Above, a Winnebago Class C at the California RV Show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In the market to buy a new RV? Are you wondering what brands are considered the best?

Finding what is the "best" in anything is a subjective exercise. The more research is done the better off one will be in the long run.

motor1.com has a list of five best RV brands in 2021. They discuss what models each brand has in trailers and motorhomes and why that brand made their list.

They begin with:

Nailing down the best RV brands is a bit of a subjective task. One RVer may appreciate an affordable model that’s easy to maintain, while another RV buyer may prefer a luxury coach that's big on style. Because no RV is perfect, you’ll also encounter issues with whichever brand you choose.

That said, we’ve found RV companies that we consider highly reputable and reliable based on our extensive reach of the industry. In this article, we’ll introduce the five best RV brands, which collectively cover a broad range of products and price points.

The brands they consider to be the best are:

• 1. Grand Design RV
• 2. Airstream
• 3. Oliver Fiberglass Products
• 4. Newmar
• 5. Winnebago

To read more, go here.

Ronchetti Enters New Mexico GOP Gubernatorial Primary Race

Weatherman Mark Ronchetti, who ran against and lost to Ben Ray Lujan last year, decided to run in the GOP Primary for governor of New Mexico next year.

With his name recognition and the fact that Lujan was an empty suit candidate, I expected Ronchetti to do a lot better in the senate race or even possibly win. He lost by 6%. Some suspect election fraud turned the election.

By no means is Ronchetti a card-carrying conservative and he even badmouthed President Trump prior to his campaign.

The Republican Party of Bernalillo County posted the following on Facebook (bold font mine):

REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY GETS ANOTHER ENTRY BRINGING TOTAL TO EIGHT CONTENDERS

Former US Senate candidate Mark Ronchetti joins Commissioner Jay Block, Representative Rebecca Dow, RTLCNM ED Ethel Maharg, former congressional candidate Karen Bedonie, former US Senate candidate Louie Sanchez, retired officer Greg Zanetti, and businessman Tim Walsh in the race for the 2022 Gubernatorial Republican nomination. 

The BCGOP pre-primary county convention will take place some time around late January or early February of 2022.

At present, I am on the fence on who I am going to support during the primary, but it is definitely not Ronchetti. I also requested an interview with him last year and got no response. That's a no-no in my book.

My criteria for support is that the candidate has strong conservative credentials, a good campaigner and can raise funds to win.

Gov. "Malevolent Michelle" Lujan Grisham may be underwater popularity-wise now, but don't underestimate her. The Democrat Party is strong in Santa Fe and Albuquerque areas as well as in some other areas of the state. A Republican nominee needs to concentrate on those areas to dilute her vote.

Email Confirms Biden Filled Kabul Planes With Unvetted Afghans

As sure as the sun rises, things continue to get worse daily when in the hands of His Fraudulency Joe Biden.

Afghans evacuated in August numbered around 100,000. That's not the problem. The problem is, none were vetted before getting into the evacuation planes.

From The Gateway Pundit:

In August Joe Biden turned over Afghanistan to the Taliban terrorists and armed them with $80 billion in US weapons. It was the greatest transfer of weapons to an enemy force in history.

At the same time, 13 American servicemen and women were murdered by a terrorist after Biden put US troops in an impossible situation with an impossible mission. The Biden regime and international teams evacuated over 100,000 Afghans from Kabul before the US military fled Kabul. Thousands of Americans and green card holders still remain in Afghanistan to this day.

According to our report from military sources on the ground at the time, Joe Biden was not vetting any of the Afghans who were fleeing the country. 

According to US Marines on the ground in Kabul at the time of departure, via Caz from The Raid Team Co., the military was not even checking the names of Afghans they were loading into planes out of Afghanistan.

US Marines on the ground at the time said the Biden regime only wanted the numbers for propaganda purposes and did not vet the Afghans flying out of Kabul.

To read more, go here. 

Criminal Charges ‘On the Table’ in Alec Baldwin Shooting

Above, Alec Baldwin at the 2016 Comic Con. Photo by Gage Skidmore.

Alec Baldwin and others on the set of Rust may be charged criminally for the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the wounding of director Joel Souza.

According to an article in The Epoch Times:

The shooting on the set for the film “Rust” may result in criminal charges, said a New Mexico district attorney.

District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies told the New York Times that officials are still investigating and “haven’t ruled out anything” on whether charges could be filed.

Last week, actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing a scene on the set of the Western film near Santa Fe when he discharged a loaded gun, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin, who is also the film’s executive producer, hasn’t been charged in the incident.

“Everything at this point, including criminal charges, is on the table,” Carmack-Altwies told the NY Times. “There were an enormous amount of bullets on this set, and we need to find out what kinds they were,” she added.

To read more, go here. 

Alec Baldwin Should Have Practiced Jeff Cooper's "Rules of Gun Safety"

Above, John Dean "Jeff" Cooper was a United States Marine, the creator of
 the "modern technique" of handgun shooting, and an expert on the use and
 history of small arms.

More reports are coming out involving Alec Baldwin's shooting incident that killed a cinematographer and wounded a director.

He was told that the gun was "cold", yet that "prop" gun was used earlier for some plinking. Once someone hands over a gun to another, the recipient has the responsibility to check it before anything is done with it.

The late Jeff Cooper, who founded Gunsite Academy in Arizona, had "Rules of Gun Safety". Baldwin would never be in his current predicament had he studied and lived by Cooper's Rule 1.

RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

There are no exceptions. Do not pretend that this is true. Some people and organizations take this rule and weaken it; e.g. "Treat all guns as if they were loaded." Unfortunately, the "as if" compromises the directness of the statement by implying that they are unloaded, but we will treat them as though they are loaded. No good! Safety rules must be worded forcefully so that they are never treated lightly or reduced to partial compliance.

All guns are always loaded - period!

This must be your mind-set. If someone hands you a firearm and says, "Don't worry, it's not loaded," you do not dare believe him. You need not be impolite, but check it yourself. Remember, there are no accidents, only negligent acts. Check it. Do not let yourself fall prey to a situation where you might feel compelled to squeal, "I didn't know it was loaded!"

This is a good opportunity for everyone, gun enthusiasts/owners or not, to review and save.

To read all of Jeff Cooper's "Rules of Gun Safety", go here.

Rep. Adam Schiff's Fury and Outrage Over Seized Phone Records

California Rep. Adam "Pencil Neck" Schiff blew a gasket when he found out that his phone records were obtained during a investigation over national security leaks.

This was something he did to the Trump Administration and he didn't like getting the same treatment.

Fox News reported:

Spare me the pious lecture and phony indignation.  

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., threw an apoplectic fit the other day when he learned that what he did to others was done to him.  There is some perverse irony in all of this.  But, of course, Schiff neglected to mention his own hypocrisy.   

Schiff’s tantrum was triggered by the recent disclosure that the Trump Department of Justice obtained his phone records, along with another California Democrat, Eric Swalwell and several journalists.  Their data was seized pursuant to grand jury subpoenas served on Apple in 2017 and 2018 when Schiff was the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee and Swalwell was his lackey-in-chief.   

This is clearly a case of "you can't take what you dish out."

To read more, go here. 

Zuni Dancers At ECV Plaque Dedication

Two years ago, the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus held a plaque dedication at the El Rancho Hotel and Motel in Gallup, New Mexico.

During the ceremonies, we had a Zuni dance group perform some tribal dances. I took a quick video of their performance.

I thought I posted it on YouTube, but I found out last night that I didn't. I then rectified that and posted it on YouTube.

Here it is:

 

Guns: Democrats Keep Pushing to Eliminate American's Due Process Rights

The Democrats are at it again (not that they've ever stopped). 

They are out trying to eliminate due process rights of people in order to confiscate their guns even under the flimsiest of reasons.

John R. Lott, Jr. writes in Townhall.com:

Everyone wants to stop dangerous people from getting guns. To some, the obvious solution lies in Red Flag laws, also called Extreme Risk Protection Orders, that enable easy confiscation. The expansion of entitlements bill before Congress already contains $2.5 billion in incentives for states to adopt these laws, but the House Judiciary Committee, of which one of the authors is a member, will vote on a federal bill on Wednesday.

The votes will be along party lines, but it isn’t as if Democrats care about stopping violence and Republicans don’t. You would never know this from the media coverage, but the opposite is true.

All states and the federal government already have laws on the books that deal with people who are a danger to themselves or others. These laws are commonly known as Baker Act statutes, though they go by different names in different states. They allow police, doctors, and family members to have someone held for a 72-hour mental health examination based upon a simple reasonableness test – merely an educated guess or hunch.

These laws focus on mental illness, and they require that mental healthcare experts evaluate the individual. If a person can’t afford a lawyer, a public defender is provided. While judges can choose to involuntarily commit individuals who they believe are dangers to themselves or others, there is a broad range of other, less extreme options that involve monitoring or mental care.

But instead of using these laws, 17 states have now adopted Red Flag laws. Thirteen states adopted them since 2018, after the infamous Parkland, Fla. high school shooting. While Red Flag laws are discussed as mental health measures and are often promoted to prevent suicide, only one state’s law even mentions mental illness. None of the states require that a mental-health expert be involved in evaluating the person. The only option given to judges is to take away a person’s guns. 

When faced with legal bills that can easily amount to $10,000 for a hearing and the worst that can happen is their guns will be taken away, few people find that it makes sense to fight Red Flag laws. Under Red Flag laws, initial firearms confiscations usually require just a “reasonable suspicion.” Judges will initially confiscate a person’s guns on the basis of a written complaint. When hearings take place weeks or a month later, courts overturn a third of the initial orders. But since few defendants have legal representation, the actual error rate is undoubtedly much higher.

It is a sure bet that none of the red flag laws already on the books in states have no protections for people who are victims of an vindictive ex out for revenge, which is what happened to me a few years ago.

If, what the article says is correct, the vote is to take place today. Contact your representatives and urge a no vote.

To read more, go here.

Manchin Opposes Democrats’ IRS Snooping Scheme

Above, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin.

The congressional leftist Democrats have hit another dead end by Sen. Joe Manchin. 

The West Virginia Democrat has told His Fraudulency Joe Biden that he strongly opposes the proposed IRS bank account snooping scheme.

From The Epoch Times:

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has come out against a revenue scheme proposed by his party that would have allowed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to gather information on the inflows and outflows of American citizens’ bank accounts.

The measure initially came to light as a part of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. In an attempt to head off concerns from moderates, Democratic leaders and rank-and-file lawmakers have desperately marketed the bill as being completely paid for with no substantial effect on the deficit or national debt.

The proposal was met with immediate backlash from Republicans and the private sector.

The original draft of the plan would have allowed the IRS to gather this information from any account with $600 or more in activity per year. Because of the sharp backlash against it, proponents of the measure raised the threshold to $10,000, a change that some hoped would cool the response.

Manchin’s opposition to his party’s snooping scheme effectively leaves the measure dead on arrival. Because of their razor-thin single vote majority in the Senate, Democrats cannot afford anything less than full solidarity from their party behind the final bill.

To read more, go here. 

RV Camping Possible Without Reservations?

Above, no reservations were made at Sleepy Bear RV Park in Swan Valley, Idaho in July 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During the summer, if I know when and where I'm going, I'll make reservations for a campsite. Otherwise, during the off-season, I generally "wing it" and not bother with reservations. Thus far, I have had no problems in getting a campsite.

Much of this likely depends upon where I am at and where I'm going to. 

RV Life posted an article last year on "Can You Still Go RVing Without Camping Reservation?" Based upon my experience, I'd say yes. 

The article begins with:

COVID has made the nomadic lifestyle more popular than ever before. As a result, many long-time RVers believe that it’s now impossible to go RVing without camping reservations ahead of time.

But is it really? If you’re willing to think outside the box, I believe that you can still travel spontaneously around North America. 

The line between “peak season” and “off-season” no longer exists at RV parks and campgrounds thanks to the pandemic. With so many people working and roadschooling remotely, the endless summer vibe blurs into winter. Most RV parks still shut down in cold northern climates.

But when new full-time RVers chase warmer winter weather, expect crowds wherever you roam. You can still enjoy a spontaneous RVing lifestyle without camping reservations. Just follow some common sense travel tips.

To read more, go here. 

Storm Changed Some Plans

Above, this morning's storm. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The agenda for today was to go take care of some business in Albuquerque with Larry Lucier.

We were going to drop off my mini-bike to a repair shop today and then have good Mexico food for lunch at a place Larry knows before returning home.

The storm that pummeled California over the weekend has reached New Mexico. Gusty winds and rain would make a drive to Albuquerque hazardous. It would be like driving in a hurricane.

So, I decided to postpone the trip to Friday. Hopefully, the weather will be more cooperative then. 

Biden's Poll Plunge Reflects His Incompetency

Above, Biden during the Afghanistan debacle. 

His Fraudulency Joe Biden is seeing the biggest plunge in job approval ratings of any president since 1945.

This is, of course, not a surprise to me. Starting with the election, Biden is sitting in the White House under highly questionable circumstances, i.e., election fraud.

According to Fox News:

Former President Trump suffered from negative poll numbers during his four-year tenure in the White House, and now his successor is suffering the same fate, with a new national poll indicating that President Biden's standing among Americans remains well underwater.

Just 37% of Americans questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey say they approve of the job Biden’s doing as president, with 52% giving him a thumbs-down. The poll was conducted Oct. 15-18 and released Tuesday.

Adding to Biden's political peril, just 28% of registered independents give the president a thumbs-up on his job performance, while 56% do not. The Quinnipiac survey indicated that Republicans, by a 95%-3% margin, disapproved of how the president’s handling his duties in the White House, with Democrats approving 80%-11%.

Polling aside, his job performance has been a total disaster since day one (January 20) and people are clearly seeing it.

On energy, he immediately killed the Keystone Pipeline and put a moratorium on new drilling. We were either at energy independence or damn near close to it. Now, oil companies have to rely again on foreign oil. Gasoline prices have shot up with no end in sight. He has no solutions.

On border security, he stopped construction of the wall. He is basically allowing people to flow into the country unchecked. 

On Afghanistan, his pullout is a total disaster with possibly 400 Americans stranded, billions of weaponry are now in the Taliban's hands and killings of Afghans (including a female athlete who was beheaded, whose only crime was being an athlete) and so on.

The economy is in tatters. Inflation has exploded. The supply-chain is a gummed up mess.

I can go on. But you get the point. It seems he is purposely trying to destroy this country. People even have serious doubts he's actually in charge. Biden and the Democrat Party are trying to turn America into a socialist totalitarian state.

Biden has been an idiot throughout his entire career. He is obviously senile and can't even express a coherent paragraph. Contrast his blabberings with William Shatner's comments following his space flight. Shatner was more lucid at age 90 than Biden is at age 78. It is a frightening thing to see.

Plain and simple, he's incompetent.

During the Afghanistan debacle, I called for his resignation or impeachment. I still hold to that. 

Too bad, in this instance, we don't have a parliamentary system where he can be removed by a vote of no-confidence. 

This is why the poll numbers are not surprising. Actually, I believe his low approval numbers are even worse than what the polls are showing.

The United States is turning into a bigger version of Venezuela.

To read more, go here.

Moon-themed Resort Is Coming To Las Vegas

Above, a winter moon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Leave it to Las Vegas to come up with things to draw visitors so that they can be parted from their money in the casinos.

The latest is a moon-themed resort.

Travel + Leisure reported:

Space tourism is slowly becoming a reality with billionaires making seemingly regular visits to the stars and the world's first space hotel planned to make its debut in 2027. Despite the promising progress, it may take a while before space tourism is available at a more accessible price point.

So what's the next best thing in the meantime? Perhaps this new moon-shaped hotel coming to the Las Vegas Strip.

Canadian-based company Moon World Resorts Inc. has announced plans for a $5 billion, 5.5-million-square-foot hotel whose signature feature will be a replica of the moon standing at 735 feet tall and 650 feet wide.

The replica will only be 1/75,000 the size of the moon, but that's large enough to accommodate 4,000 guest rooms and suites. Plans for Moon Resorts Las Vegas also include a 75,000-square-foot spa, 50,000-square-feet of food and beverage offerings, 75,000-square-feet of retail, and 150,00-square-feet of clubs and lounges.

To read more, go here. 

Japan: Deepest Earthquake Ever Detected

Japan is well known for its volcanoes and earthquakes. It is right on the Pacific's "Ring of Fire".

Many volcanic eruptions have been noted in recorded history, most recently it was Mount Aso in Kyushu and the Tohoku Earthquake (the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami) is still fresh in people's minds despite having taken place ten years ago.

An interesting earthquake took place under Japan's Bonin Islands (Ogasawara Islands) several years ago. At a depth of 423 miles, it was one of the deepest earthquakes ever recorded. National Geographic has posted an interesting article about it.

They begin it with:

One spring evening six years ago, hundreds of miles underground, our planet began to rumble from a series of peculiar earthquakes. Most of Earth's temblors strike within a few dozen miles of the surface, but these quakes stirred at depths where temperatures and pressures grow so intense that rocks tend to bend rather than break.

The first jolt, which struck off the coasts of Japan's remote Bonin Islands, was recorded at magnitude 7.9 and up to 680 kilometers (423 miles) underground, making it one of the deepest quakes of its size. Then another oddity emerged in the cascade of aftershocks that followed: a tiny temblor that, if confirmed, would be the deepest earthquake ever detected.

 To read more, go here.

RV Travel: Oops! Story Pulled

Above, a herd of bison grazing in a riverside meadow in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last Sunday, RV Travel posted a story comparing the differences between new RV unit shipments and motor vehicle registrations. I posted a blog about it.

Well, it appears the data used was flawed.

Yesterday, they posted the following:

Last Sunday we published a story, comparing wholesale shipment of RVs to the numbers of RVs registered. It’s a vanishing story – we’ve pulled it. The RVIA dropped us a line to question some of our information, and a review of our number crunching revealed we’d made some serious mistakes.

So, they pulled it.

They will "revisit" the matter this coming Sunday.

 

Travel Awaits: 12 Outdoor Experiences From Key Largo To Key West

Above, Mile Marker 0 in Key West. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Two years ago, a friend and I took a cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Havana, Cuba. Along the way, we made a stop for a day in Key West. I found the town to be an interesting and fun place to visit. 

I was contemplating a return visit there last year for a few days, but the pandemic nixed that idea.

Travel Awaits has posted an article on 12 amazing outdoor experiences along the Florida Keys. One of these days, I will make that return visit to Key West and possibly check out some of the places the article mentions.

They begin the article with:

Florida is great for finding outdoors, back-to-nature adventures. Despite the explosive growth in recent years, there are still plenty of wilderness areas to explore. None more so than in the Florida Keys … from Key Largo to Key West eco-travel adventures abound. The Keys are also known as the Conch Republic because, in a not-so-serious attempt, they seceded from the United States for a couple of days in 1982. There is even a flag.

Naturally, in an area surrounded by water, adventures out on the water are available all along the Keys. Kayaking, stand-up paddle boards, fishing charters, and kayak fishing, diving on the reefs, are all readily available in the Keys. If you’re a cyclist there is the Overseas Heritage bike trail, a paved trail that runs over 90 miles, following the route of the old rail line that connected Miami to Key West.

Everything in the Keys is measured by mile markers along U.S. Highway 1, so follow along as we take you from Mile Marker 106 in Key Largo, to Mile Marker 0 in Key West.

To read more, go here. 

Gabby Petito's Ashes Scattered At Grand Teton National Park

Above, the Grand Tetons from Jackson Lake. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that Gabby Petito's ashes were scattered in the Jenny Lake area of Grand Teton National Park.

Her father posted a Tweet last week indicating the did so after retrieving them.

iHeart.com posted:

Gabby Petito's ashes appear to have been scattered at Grand Teton National Park, a stop on her cross-country trip with fiancée Brian Laundrie -- a person of interest in her death -- according to a social media post shared by her father.

Joseph Petito posted an image showing Jenny Lake in the foreground and mountain peaks behind it at the Wyoming national park on Friday (October 15) with the caption, "I now know why you came here. #gabbypetito has a beautiful view from now on. Love you, and miss you."

A family representative told Wednesday NBC News (October 13) that Gabby's parents traveled from New York to Wyoming to collect their 22-year-old daughter's remains one day after a local coroner announced her death was caused by "manual strangulation."

Scattering of ashes at Grand Teton National Park is allowed, but one must get a permit first. An application must be submitted at least two weeks before the planned scattering. There is no fee involved.

To read more, go here.

Biden Delays Release of Secret JFK Assassination Documents

Above, a view of Elm Street in Dealey Plaza from a sixth floor window of
the former Texas School Book Depository building. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A few years ago, previously classified documents on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy were released.

As it turned out, nothing major was discovered in those documents. There are some that hadn't been released and were slated to be released this year. Citing the pandemic, His Fraudulency Joe Biden has delayed the release.

According to the Washington Times:

President Biden late Friday signed an order again delaying the public release of records related to the assassination of President Kennedy, saying the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the review process. 

Mr. Biden wrote in a memo that the pandemic has halted the government’s ability to decide whether proposed redactions meet the “statutory standard.”

The National Archives and Records Administration earlier this year ruled that the pandemic has had a “significant impact on [government] agencies” and it needed more to research the material and “maximize” the information released about the assassination.

 To read more, go here.

RV Life: 3 RV Costs That Might Surprise You

Above, The Beast a week ago in Quartzsite, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Recreational vehicles are expensive, everyone knows that. There are well-known costs when it comes to RV ownership.

Then, there are RV costs that may take an owner completely by surprise.

RV Life has an article from a year ago that discusses three of them.

They begin with:

Most of us go into RV ownership knowing that it costs money to maintain a rig. But these three common RV costs might catch you by surprise if you’re unprepared.

To read on, go here.